Love Me Carefully

by A. C. Arthur

  “As I explained to you before, Mr. Pierce, I really don’t think she’s under any duress. Despite what you think you know, we don’t have any evidence that Donald Douglas is a violent man.”

  “But the people he has dealings with, can you say the same about them?”

  Jeffrey shook his head, truthfully. “No, I can’t.”

  “Exactly,” Terrell said grimly.

  “That’s why we’re going to follow their same route to Jamaica. We’ll take the same cruise, and investigate each stop that boat makes. For all we know, they could have gotten off at one of the other ports and not be in the Montego Bay area at all.” Despite his words, Agent Tobias had already checked this out and now knew Donald’s precise location. A few of his top men were already on their way there. He’d originally planned to stay put a day or two longer, but, staring at Terrell now, he figured things were likely to get worse if he waited.

  Terrell looked at the man, who appeared to be his age or maybe a few years older. His jaw was strong, his eyes determined. “Thank you, Agent Tobias.” Terrell held out his hand in gratitude.

  “Don’t thank me yet. Things could get pretty hairy once we get down there. And call me Jeff. We’ll be spending a lot of time together in the next week or so.” Gripping the man’s outstretched hand, Jeffrey Tobias prayed he wouldn’t regret this decision.

  * * *

  “Girl you’ve gotten yourself in the middle of one crazy love triangle.” Nikki sat on the couch rolling her eyes after hearing all about Leah’s night in the basement with Terrell.

  “Tell me about it.” Leah folded her legs beneath her at the other end of the couch.

  “So where does Leon fit in all this?”

  Dropping her head on the back of the sofa, Leah sighed, letting out a whoosh of breath. “He doesn’t. I tried to tell him that the last time I saw him. I don’t know why he’s calling me now.”

  “You said he told you he’d wait. And you didn’t exactly tell him not to.”

  “Nik, you’re not helping,” Leah whined.

  “Sure I am. An hour ago you were about to carry little Terrell right off into your bedroom and I stopped you.” Nikki sat up on the sofa, pushing the half-eaten carton of pizza out of her way. “Wait a minute. You’re not stressing over Leon at all. You’re sitting here all uptight because of what happened between you and Terrell.”

  Leah groaned. “I just told you something happened—actually I told you exactly what happened. Weren’t you listening?”

  “Oh, I was listening, all right. You got your thing off in the basement of Donald’s house. So what? Only it’s not ‘so what’ to you, is it? That wasn’t a ‘farewell, it’s been nice, catch you later’ kiss I walked in on, was it?”

  “I’ve always been afraid of the unexpected, Nik. I like things planned and organized, you know that. But Terrell is…I mean, he was…totally unexpected. I wasn’t looking for these feelings and I damn sure wasn’t looking in his direction for them. Yet somehow he found me.” She could still feel his hands on her, could still see his face as he promised her everything. And she’d let him walk right out that door, not knowing if she’d ever see him again.

  “Oh my God. I never would have guessed. None of us ever would have guessed that the person so against marriage and relationships would be swept away. But it seems Ms. Rosie’s son has done just that.” Nikki shook her head. “So what are you going to do now?”

  Leah smoothed her hair back, squelched any lingering doubts, and looked Nikki right in the eye. “I’m going with him.”

  “Going with who? Terrell? To Jamaica?” Nikki gave Leah a frazzled look. Her girlfriend had completely fallen off her rocker.

  “That’s right.” Leah’s voice was soft. “I won’t let him do this alone.”

  “You can’t be serious!” Nikki yelled. “What about work? You’re right around the corner from the wedding season!”

  “I know, I know. But my next one isn’t for another three weeks. I’ll call Melinda and go over the checklist with her. She’s competent; she can handle things until I get back. I don’t see that we’ll be gone for long.” Sighing, she grabbed one of the pillows from the sofa, crumpling it beneath her arms. “ ‘I have to do this.’ That’s what he said to me. You don’t know him, Nik. He’s hell-bent on saving his mother. He might do something irrational, something dangerous, something…” She couldn’t bring herself to say it.

  Nikki covered Leah’s hand. “Alright, I get the picture. Calm down. I’ll help you. Call your office. I’ll use my cell to book you a flight.”

  Leah sighed, giving her friend a hug. “Thanks, Nikki.”

  “If you really want to thank me, give me Leon’s phone number.”

  Leah frowned. “Uh-uh, don’t even go there.”

  Laughter erupted between them.

  * * *

  Rosie was amazed by the view from the balcony of their suite at the Samsara Resort. The Caribbean Sea spread out around them like a giant blue carpet, its rock formations a drastic but stunning contrast to the soothing backdrop.

  A light breeze moved through the tropical trees, gently lifting Rosie’s hair from her neck. Leaning over the balcony, she took in the beauty of her surroundings and wondered again what it would be like to wake up to this each and every morning. Her heart fluttered momentarily, the thought so exciting she almost screamed with joy.

  Then, like a weight on her heart, Terrell’s face crossed her mind. How could she leave her boy, her only child, the one steady person in her life for the last thirty years? She’d be so far away if he ever needed her—which he hadn’t, since he left for college.

  Terrell had his own life, his own goals; he was a grown man and he could certainly make it on his own. Still, she struggled with the sense of abandoning him as he’d felt his father had done.

  “Hey, beautiful.” Donald came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

  “Good morning,” she said, allowing herself to lean back into his steady hold. She felt comforted, loved, emotions she hadn’t felt in a long time. Was she ready to give that up? No, she didn’t want to give that up. But she didn’t want to live her life wondering either.

  “What are you thinking so hard about?” He’d seen her out here and wondered what was going through her mind. In their short time on the island he’d felt something different from her. She’d questioned him that night on the boat and he’d lied to her, one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do in his life.

  He loved Rosie with all his being. Everything he’d done for the past few months was because of her—for her. He thought then of Terrell. He’d never had a son of his own, but figured if he had he would have wanted him to be as strong and persistent as Rosie’s son, the son he’d left locked in the basement back in Baltimore.

  By now the young man and his wedding planner friend would be free. He was sure Terrell’s persistence would have seen to that.

  “Just that it’s beautiful here.” She looked down toward the pool. “Let’s go for a swim.” There seemed to be a wall between them now, a wall she had no idea how to approach.

  “I’d love to, but I’ve got to take care of something this morning. How about as soon as I get back we grab some lunch, then camp out at the pool for the rest of the afternoon?” He hoped she wouldn’t ask too many questions about what he needed to take care of, but could almost see them reeling through her mind.

  “Is it something about the house you’re looking into?”

  “Ah, yeah, it is. I need to meet with the realtor and give him a picture of what I’m looking for.” He was glad for the excuse she’d given him.

  “Okay, well, I should go with you. I mean, if I’m going to consider living here I should see some of the homes they have to offer.”

  Damn, he swore in his mind. She had a good point there. “This is just a preliminary visit. We’ll just be talking price ranges and stuff like that. I don’t want to take you away from enjoying the scenery. I can handle that alone. You stay here a
nd get some rest. We’ve been traveling for a few days now and you’re probably tired.” His fingers caressed her jaw and tucked strands of hair blown out of place by the breeze behind her ear.

  “No, I’m not tired, and if we’re about to be married I should be as aware of our finances as our living quarters, don’t you think?” He was trying to brush her off. She could tell, and she didn’t like it.

  “Well, call me old-fashioned, but I’d like to take care of the financial stuff like a man should. I’ll be back before twelve, and we can go out then.” Before she could come up with another retort, he kissed her quickly and walked back into the room.

  Oh, no you won’t, Rosie thought. You will not leave me in the dark. She stalked through the balcony door a few steps behind, only to stop short when the front door slammed, with him on the other side.

  “Dammit!” Rosie cursed and sat abruptly on the bed. She was getting damn tired of Donald and his secrets.

  * * *

  Terrell boarded the ship and followed the directions of the staff. He’d never been on a cruise before, so he tried to take in some sights as he followed behind the other passengers trying to find their cabins. The atmosphere was festive, the staff gay and friendly. He wished this voyage could be focused on pleasure, but he had a mission that he was bound and determined to carry out.

  Agent Tobias and the rest of his men had probably already boarded. They’d secured special privileges to board the boat early so that the other passengers wouldn’t see them. As they’d be operating undercover once they reached the island, they didn’t want to chance that someone might notice them and blow their cover at an inopportune time.

  After a few minutes of walking up the yellow painted hallway and back, Terrell finally found his cabin and, with the key card, let himself in. The room was spacious and boasted a view of the water, which now was simply Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, a sight he’d seen a lot during his childhood years.

  Throwing his bag on the bed, he began to unpack, slipping things into the small drawers of the dresser on the opposite side of the room. When the bag was empty, he tossed it to the floor and collapsed on the king-sized bed, closing his eyes and trying to relax. He needed to focus; that was what Agent Tobias had told him to do. This way he wouldn’t endanger himself or the other men working with them.

  His heart pounded at the thought of his mother being held captive or worse, not even knowing what she had gotten herself into. That made Terrell all the more anxious to put an end to it.

  Out of the blue he wondered about Leah. Thoughts of their last moments together brought on a new kind of excitement as familiar stirrings in his groin had him adjusting himself. If the circumstances had been different, he would have asked her to join him on this trip. But things in Jamaica were sure to be uncertain. He’d risked her life once, he wouldn’t do so again.

  Strange as it might seem, he felt somehow stronger when she was with him, as if he could do anything, be anything. Her confidence and no-nonsense attitude brought out the best in him. That made him all the more certain they were meant to be together. Earlier this morning he’d thrown away his criteria list, sure he’d found the woman he was looking for.

  Once he had things with his mother situated, he’d have all the time in the world for Leah. Working didn’t seem so important anymore. Although he’d checked in on the SISCO project, he didn’t feel compelled to rush back to D.C. to resume the reins. Leah was the only project he was interested in completing right now.

  Her four-step plan had been carefully laid out and catered to the needs she thought she had. But he saw something different. A person so dead set against marriage couldn’t possibly build a business around the blissful event. Her mother’s failures had blurred her mind, convincing her that she would never be good in a marriage. The best marriages took loyalty, honesty, trust and love. So far, she’d proven three out of the four requirements to him. She was definitely loyal to her clients, her honesty could at times be brutal and he trusted her with his life. Now if he could only make her love him as much as he knew he already loved her.

  * * *

  It was just her luck that all the flights out were booked. But determination and Nikki’s quick thinking had her resorting to a ship. She’d be there after Terrell arrived but she’d get there nonetheless and the ship was leaving tonight. With Nikki’s help Leah managed to secure passage on the ship, pack her bags, fax Melinda the checklist for the Ortega wedding, get her hair braided and call her mother, all in the space of five hours. Now she crossed the walkway with the last of the straggling guests boarding the Carnival cruise ship.

  Terrell was probably in Jamaica by now. He hadn’t called her before he left, but he’d said he’d call when he returned. For a moment she wondered how he’d feel when she showed up there. Would he be angry or happy to see her?

  Whatever his feelings, she’d be there, and they’d handle this business with Donald together.

  She found her room without problem, let herself in and dropped her stuff to the floor. After a quick stop in the bathroom and a cursory check of her makeup, she was in the hallway again. A cruise hadn’t been on her list of things to do, but since she was here she might as well enjoy the ride. She walked the deck until her legs screamed and her stomach growled. She hadn’t eaten since that pizza shared with Nikki earlier.

  Too tired to even think about going back in the direction of the restaurant, she headed for her room instead.

  * * *

  Terrell had been in Jeff’s room going over pictures and possible scenarios. His feelings about Donald Douglas had become contradictory.

  On the one hand he’d read all the history and obtained a copy of his criminal record. On the other hand he’d sat across the table from the man and shared a meal, all the while watching the way the man pacified and coddled his mother.

  The elaborate FBI investigation seemed unreal to Terrell. He was a simple guy with a life embedded in computer codes. Now, with the announcement of a wedding, he found himself traveling to a foreign land to help save his mother. He walked along the deck leading to his room, his mind full of scenarios, gunfights, drugs and tropical islands.

  He was more than a little preoccupied, so concentrated on his thoughts that he never saw her. Never looked up before crashing into the tall, soft form.

  Leah had picked up a room service menu from the customer service desk and was busily making her dinner selection as she walked when something hard and unforgiving bumped right into her. Strong arms came around her waist as she looked up to see who or what had rammed into her.

  The scent of vanilla caused Terrell’s heart to thump. He knew that smell, remembered the bathroom full of the aroma, the thick foaming bubbles, the luscious nude body…

  “Terrell?” she gasped.

  “Leah? What are you doing on this boat?”

  Leah bent down, retrieved her menu from the floor. “I could ask you the same question,” she said, rising. “You said you were booked on a plane.”

  “My plans changed.” In a moment he took in the peach-colored sundress that barely skimmed her knees, the skinny braids cascading down her back and the abundance of bare skin she displayed, courtesy of two barely-there straps holding her dress up.

  His jaw clenched with a combination of arousal and anger.

  Fortunately they were only a few steps from his room. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her the rest of the way. “Come on,” he grumbled.

  “Wait a minute,” she argued futilely. “Terrell?”

  Closing the door soundly behind them, he released her arm and took a deep breath. “Why are you here?”

  Okay, so she could rule out jumping for joy as his reaction to her surprise appearance but this manhandling was a bit much. “This is still a free country. And I wasn’t left under lock and key.” She found the closest chair and dropped down into it, slipping her strappy sandals off to rub her tired feet. “Now, I’ve answered you. You can tell me why you’re traveling by sea at any time.”
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br />   In a minute he was going to kick himself for being so harsh with her, but her presence here was insane. He took a seat in the chair across from her.

  “Jeff—Agent Tobias—thought it would be best to take the same route Donald did to the island. And you didn’t answer my question.”

  Leah sat back, let her feet fall to the floor. “I decided you need me.”

  That was an understatement, he thought. “You decided?”

  “Mmm-hmm. Since you tricked me into that stakeout, I figure we’re a team now. So I’m here to help you save your mother.”

  He couldn’t be angry with her, even though he wanted to. However, this was a dangerous situation. He didn’t want to have to worry about her and his mother at the same time. He’d been comfortable with the fact that she was safe in Baltimore. “This isn’t a game, Leah.” His voice was a tad louder than he’d intended.

  “Good, because if it was, I’d have to say it sucks.”

  “You could get hurt,” he roared.

  Leah was quickly growing tired of his attitude. Here she had put her life on hold to help him and he was acting like a gigantic ass. “Look, Terrell, you’re the one who coerced me into that stakeout.” She sat up in the chair. “And you’re the one who had me standing in an alley witnessing a murder.”

  Terrell shook his head. “I told you to stay in the car. You never listen.”

  “And if you’d agreed to go to the police that night I wouldn’t have been drugged and locked in a basement.”

  “You’re right,” he said quietly.

  But Leah didn’t hear him. She stood, hands on her hips, in front of him. “I tried to tell you to let the police handle it, but oh, no, you wouldn’t listen. You’ve got to go off playing Shaft all by yourself. But I won’t let you, Terrell.” She was yelling now, her head rocking from side to side. “Not when I’ve changed my whole course of thinking because of you.”

  Her hands shook, a slight movement he noticed only because she was standing over him. Her voice caught on those last words. He mentally added another kick to himself for upsetting her like this.