The steady desert sun already poured through the thin window sheers. They never had pulled the draperies closed. Between the sun and the heat of the man beside her, she didn’t even notice the air-conditioning. She felt warm inside and out. JD had warned her, and she took his warning seriously. She’d wanted to know what it would be like, and now she knew. She wouldn’t expect more from a man who obviously had his own priorities.
Nina smiled as JD pushed himself up on one elbow and glared down at her. His beard stubble had grown thicker overnight, and his hair looked as tangled as hers probably did. Worse. Hers was shorter.
“Are you ready to start our argument where we left off last night?” she asked cheerfully.
His scowl made her smile broader. Somehow, she’d quit being frightened of anything JD did or said. Perhaps love did that. Maybe familiarity bred complacence. Or maybe it just bred knowledge. JD would never hurt her. He would argue until the moon turned blue, but he would listen to what she said. In return, she didn’t scare him either. She couldn’t put him off with her snide remarks or baffle him with her weird ways. They fought on even ground.
“When does your flight leave?”
“My, we’re surly this morning. Too much champagne?” Daringly, Nina rubbed a finger down his prickly jaw.
She could feel his response against her hip. She was sore, but not that sore. She wriggled a little closer and heard his intake of breath. So, he had a few interests outside of computers. She could deal with that.
“Nina, just answer the question. I have things to do, and I want you safe while I do them.”
She batted her eyelashes outrageously. “Ohhh, the big strong hero will protect little ol’ me. Well, you just go on and do what you have to do, and I’ll do the same. Fair enough?”
“Nina, I swear...”
Deciding this argument constituted a waste of time, Nina wrapped her arms around JD’s neck and put a halt to it. If she only had these few minutes left, she could find better use for them than arguing.
Chapter 29
When Nina lagged behind him at the pool, JD glanced over his shoulder and saw her wince over a fallen bougainvillea bract. Just that tiny grimace ground him into jelly. With any other woman, he would never have noticed. He had to remind himself that he only understood machines, not airheaded Tinkerbelles who could woo plants into jungles.
He slowed his pace as she caught up with him. Perhaps part of his jangling joy had something to do with a perfectly legitimate male need to conquer. He took an inexplicable pride in knowing he was the first man to teach Nina the things they had done last night. He supposed it wasn’t precisely akin to the first step on the moon, but it felt close enough for him.
They took the elevator up to her room, and protectively, JD held his arm across the doorway as he unlocked it. He had wanted to shove her on the first airplane out, but she’d insisted on returning for her clothes and luggage. Knowing Nina’s limited finances, he’d reluctantly agreed. But this was DiFrancesco’s town. He wouldn’t trust her inside until he’d checked it out first.
One glimpse of Nina’s new clothes strewn across the carpet, her dresser ransacked, and her bed linen flung across the room warned of the evil within. JD closed the door without letting her inside. “I’ll call security. Come on.”
Nina’s startled-doe look didn’t help his temper any. He didn’t want her seeing the world’s evils. He’d just discovered he preferred her refreshing innocence.
“You’re safe, that’s all that matters. They couldn’t have found anything of importance,” he said curtly.
“That file,” she reminded him, accepting his authority without pushing past to see for herself. “They’ll know I’ve been looking into Astrocomputer.” She caught his arm. “How did they know?”
“I don’t think they followed me, or they would have been after us last night. Probably the ad. I told you they’d know your name by now.” JD found a house phone by the elevator and called the operator. Fury flowed through his veins, but he knew how to control and direct fury. DiFrancesco had breathed his last free breath.
Security arrived immediately. As they scanned the room and took notes, Nina hastily gathered her scattered clothing. The file folder had disappeared. Security didn’t seem much impressed with the information. JD hadn’t figured they would be.
Once they were out in the sunshine again, Nina’s small travel case tucked safely in his grip, Nina stopped and glanced around at the brilliant flowers. “So, that’s what it’s like in the real world. I’ve never had a burglar before.”
She’d been robbed of her innocence twice last night. JD ignored a pang of guilt. She’d made the choice to follow him. He’d done what he could to prevent it. He would prevent any further harm now by putting his wide-eyed schoolteacher on the first plane out of here. She belonged in never-never land, not here.
JD caught Nina’s elbow with his free hand and steered her toward the parking lot. At least she’d changed into shorts; she could sit the motorcycle on the way to the airport.
“We’d better check on Jimmy and Nancy,” she warned, following him without protest.
“Why?” JD knew he sounded surly, but somehow, he couldn’t stop himself.
“The message light was blinking on the phone in my room. I checked with the operator, and they had a message giving Jimmy’s hotel. He didn’t leave his name, but I bet your friend will have checked it out.”
Damn! JD held her suitcase while Nina climbed on the bike behind him. He’d had a one-track mind this morning. He should have thought of that.
When Nina sat securely behind him, he handed her the travel case, waited for her to find a good grip, then started the bike. “Which hotel?” he asked with resignation as the bike roared to life.
The strip had little traffic this early in the day. JD hit the gas and steered for the address Nina gave him. Either Jimmy was cheaper than Nina at choosing hotels, or the town was full last night. Since he hadn’t had any difficulty finding a decent room, JD assumed the former. He’d surrounded himself with pinchpennies. He just hoped these particular pinchpennies had survived the night safely. Jimmy was his better half right now.
JD hurried Nina through the lobby, even though he suspected she was still sore from last night. He’d make it up to her someday.
“Rooms 302 and 304,” Nina reminded him breathlessly as they reached the elevator.
JD caught her waist, kissed her forehead, and hauled her into the elevator. He had no experience in taking care of anyone. He hated this. He wanted to be back behind his computer where no human being could intrude upon him. But he held Nina closer all the same. A computer didn’t smell sweet or feel soft like Nina.
Jimmy answered the first door they beat upon. Breathing a sigh of relief, JD released Nina’s waist. “It’s me.”
The door swung open, and JD could see Nancy twisting her hands worriedly behind Jimmy. “You look like hell,” JD said ungallantly, pushing past Jimmy into the room, dragging Nina with him. Jimmy slammed the door behind them. “What happened?”
Jimmy shoved his broken eyeglasses back up the bridge of his nose. “They ransacked my room last night while I was over here talking with Nancy. We heard them and called security, but they escaped before anyone saw them.”
Talking with Nancy. JD looked suspiciously from his ex- wife to his partner, saw the flicker of guilt in their eyes, and blocked out all further thought in that direction. It wasn’t any of his damned business what the two of them did. He just hoped Jimmy was prepared to face his bloodsucking girlfriend back home.
“ All right, you’re all getting out of here right now. This is my fight, and I’ll fight it alone. There’s no need for any of the rest of you to get hurt. Jimmy, take Nancy home where she belongs. I’ll put Nina on the plane. This has gone far enough.”
Like the marine sergeant he once was, JD expected his troops to snap to attention. Instead, Nina wandered over to Nancy and whispered a few things he couldn’t hear. Jimmy ambled in the di
rection of the bathroom and came back with a familiar file folder. He flung it down on the bed since the room lacked anything resembling a desk or table.
“Nancy and I thought we’d follow up on Nina’s notes today.”
Nina’s eyes widened at the sight of the folder. “Where did you get that?”
Jimmy shrugged. “Picked it up yesterday while the two of you were arguing. Figured we’d get some work done while you worked things out. We’ve gone through it once. There may be some other connections we’ve missed. We thought the library might have a computer we could use today.” Jimmy plunked down in the room’s only chair.
JD glared at him. “Are you out of your mind? These people killed Harry. They’re trying to save a multimillion-dollar company. Do you think they’ll let amateurs get in their way?”
Nina looked up from her conversation with Nancy. “What happened to those computers you shipped from Nashville? Where are they?”
“I picked them up in Arizona and stored them in a warehouse there. If they didn’t follow me to Arizona, they can’t find them. Now come on, we’re leaving.” JD waited impatiently for them to jump.
“Maybe Nancy and Jimmy can pick them up and work from there,” Nina suggested.
Jimmy answered before JD could agree to anything. “Hell, no. JD will turn this town on its ear and get himself killed in the process unless someone keeps a rope on him. If we need a computer, I can pick up a laptop.”
JD clenched his fists and glared at the roomful of people ignoring him. “Have you all lost your minds? You have families, responsibilities. You can’t risk your necks here. I can. This is my fight. Let me fight it my way.”
Nina looked at Nancy and shrugged. “He hasn’t figured out that even cavemen traveled in packs. Check out that lawyer first. I’ll ride herd on the cowboy.”
“Nina, dammit, you’ll do no such thing. This cowboy rides alone.” JD grabbed the doorknob. “Are you coming with me or not?”
“If you take me to the airport, I’ll just catch a cab back. I have lots of money now, remember.” Leaving her suitcase, Nina crossed the room and hooked her hand in the crook of his elbow. “Don’t you think we’d better agree on a different hotel now that they’ve found this one?”
Fury and Nina muddled his mind. JD stared down at her as if he’d never seen her before. Maybe he hadn’t. The fey creature who talked to plants hadn’t struck him as the tenacious type, but he should have known better. She’d clung to her style of life for the sake of her aunt all these years, despite all the hardships it presented. Now her aunt was gone, and she’d been uprooted. She’d attached herself to him for some inane reason or another. And he’d let her. She wasn’t any sappy clinging vine either. She was a rampant thistle who planted herself anywhere she damned well pleased. He must be out of his pea- pickin’ mind.
“I’m taking you to the airport,” he warned. “You’d better take your suitcase.”
She shrugged and glanced back at Nancy. “I’ll call you when I get there, and you can tell me what the two of you’ve decided. I’ll join you later.” She smiled up at him. “Okay, let’s have a fun ride to the airport.”
JD heard Jimmy snicker. He scowled, and Nina smiled wider. She’d do it, too; he could see it in her eyes. She should be terrified. She should be ready to go back to the peace and quiet of her little Mayberry town. Even as JD thought that, Nina reminded him of a minor fact he’d forgotten.
“They’re back there, too, JD,” she said quietly, no longer smiling. “Do you really think I’m any safer at home?”
“Dammit.” He drove his hand through his hair, frantically looking for some escape, finding none. DiFrancesco would find her anywhere. She didn’t have the knowledge to hide well enough. She couldn’t stay with him. It wasn’t safe. Still, the thought of Nina staying by his side brought a rush of warm air through some crack in his soul. He wrapped his fingers around Nina’s and squeezed.
“I’ll tie you up and gag you and stuff you in a closet somewhere,” he threatened.
That daunting smile of hers returned. “I hate bullies.”
That did it. He wouldn’t have her treating him like one of her damned teenage students. Keeping a tight hold on her hand, JD turned and confronted his friends. His friends. Some friend he made, dragging them into this. Maybe they’d give up and go home on their own. Until then, he couldn’t let anything happen to them. “The hotels aren’t safe. I’ve rented a security- protected house in the desert. I’ve been using the garage apartment.” He dug into his pocket and threw the house keys at Jimmy, then scribbled on the notepad by the phone. “Here’s the address and gate code. Open up the house and we’ll use it for headquarters.”
“Don’t let anyone follow you,” Nina chirruped beside him.
Jimmy grinned and saluted. JD knew damned well it wasn’t for his benefit but for hers. Jimmy fell for any female with legs. He jerked Nina’s hand and dragged her into the hall.
“I think Nancy likes your friend,” she said as JD hurried her through the maze of corridors. “Do you think Jimmy would make a good stepfather for Jackie?”
Hell, no. Well, maybe. He didn’t want to think about it. Nancy and Jimmy? The whole damned world was coming apart at the seams.
“Don’t you have some relatives somewhere you can visit?” he asked in despair.
“I wonder how much Astro stock sells for right now?” she murmured aloud, ignoring his plea.
Finding the motorcycle and practically flinging himself on it, JD glared at her. She was making him crazy on purpose. “Why?” he demanded, unable to withhold his curiosity.
“Well, I don’t know a great deal about this business, but it seems to me if we could drive the stock price down, we could find some way of acquiring a large share of it. That’s the way they do it in books, anyway.” She shrugged diffidently as she swung her leg over the bike seat.
In shorts, that leg looked mighty good, and JD felt a surge of lust so powerful he thought he would drop the bike. What the hell was wrong with him? He never looked at women that way. Hell, he never looked at women. They just slinked in and out of his life all on their own.
It took a moment for her words to catch up with his errant brain. Stupid idea. He’d borrowed money to keep his own company afloat. He was worth quite a bit, but only on paper. He couldn’t acquire another company just like that. Or could he?
The idea churned in JD’s brain as he roared the motorcycle down back roads. Behind him, Nina remained silent, taking in the sights and sounds of the desert city. The hills and lush greenery she was used to must make this flat brown environment seem entirely foreign. He’d show her the real desert later. Right now, he had to get her somewhere safe.
He’d purchased a laptop the instant he’d hit town, so he didn’t need to stop now. He didn’t know if DiFrancesco had any means of tracing calls, but JD had to keep up with his business somehow. E-mail had seemed safest. Now, he had other ideas.
When he drove the bike through a security-protected gate with the use of a remote code, Nina gasped, whether at the technology or the garden beyond, he couldn’t say. He suspected a little of both. Nina would gasp at a garage door opener, he figured.
He’d never particularly noticed the towering palms or the flowering Joshua trees, but he saw the place through Nina’s eyes now. It must look like some kind of tropical jungle. Maybe she wouldn’t mind the desert so much in the midst of this oasis. He’d felt guilty keeping her away from the comfort of her familiar surroundings, her greenhouse and her roses, but maybe she wouldn’t mind this for a little bit.
“You don’t need to water them,” he teased as he stopped the bike and dropped the kickstand. “There’s an automatic sprinkler.”
“Really?” She climbed off the bike and gazed around as if she’d walked into wonderland. “How does that work?”
“It has a water gauge that judges when the ground needs more moisture. You’ll get wet if you’re not careful. Come on, let’s get you inside.” JD grabbed her elbow a
nd led her toward the garage steps. He’d have to move her into the house when Jimmy arrived with the key.
“Is that a Rolls in there?” she whispered, glancing through the garage windows as she followed him up.
“The owner collects expensive cars. He has a warehouse full of them.” JD jerked open the door and practically pushed Nina inside. Even if DiFrancesco figured out where he was, he wouldn’t dare trespass out here. Only fools messed with the owner of this place, and DiFrancesco didn’t strike JD as a fool. An ass, maybe, but not a fool.
“Oh, my, isn’t this lovely?” Nina twirled around in the middle of a worn Persian rug, admiring the bare white walls and the bleached wooden timbers of the chauffeur’s apartment.
Everything in here was probably cast off from some earlier redecoration of the main house, JD had figured. He’d not thought anything of it. Judging from her delighted expression, Nina thought it enchanting. Of course, anything would look enchanting after that black forest of nightmare furniture she lived with.
“I’ll print out the financial statements of Marshall Enterprises and Astrocomputer. You can study them while I check a few other resources.” JD sat down at his computer while Nina roamed the room behind him. He wanted to watch her. He wanted to see what she did when she found the bed. He wondered if she’d considered the consequences of staying here with him. He wanted to test her availability right now. He focused on the computer instead.
“Did Marshall Enterprises belong to your father?” she asked without curiosity as she examined a delicately woven dream- catcher. “If it’s not a public company, how will you obtain the financial statements?”
Damn. She’d spent two days investigating Astrocomputer and hadn’t once picked up on his company. Any self-respecting gold digger would have found that out first thing. Although, admittedly, as she’d said, a nonpublic company wouldn’t have a lot of information out there.
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