It was too late to call in another agent at this point and he wouldn’t even if he could. Jaimee had gone from being an assignment to being important to him. She was his responsibility now and he would keep her safe. Yeah and who would save her from him? Slamming the mug down on the desk, he leaned back in his chair, combing his fingers through his hair.
“Goddammit,” he groaned. They were both in serious trouble if he couldn’t push his emotions out of the way and focus on the task at hand. With a self-deprecating laugh he shook his head. Emotions. Shit. Lucas Grayson, undercover agent known for his heartlessness. His ability to gain a woman’s compliance long enough to bust her criminal ass. Lucas Grayson didn’t have emotions. Lucas Grayson didn’t know love.
Chapter Ten
Jaimee finished brushing out her hair and left it down. Her scalp ached from wearing a damn banana clip all day. Lucas had been on her mind all weekend. She hadn’t seen him again, nor had she heard from him. That was a good thing. Well, at least she kept telling herself that. If nothing else maybe the erotic episode at the gym would help her move on. It made her realize how weak and out of control she’d become. And it was ridiculous to shut herself off from everything beyond this little bubble she’d created for herself because she was too apprehensive and unsure.
No doubt, Lucas shook her up, made her want. She thought hard about what Maxine said about not knowing herself. It dawned on her just how long it had been since she went out, laughed, allowed herself to have a good time. The possibility of being free, letting go and having a good time was kind of intriguing. No, it was very intriguing.
What was so wrong with being silly and just a little bit wild? Or even acting immaturely and self centered for just a while? She’d been way too sheltered growing up, left home to marry her one and only love and wrapped herself up in her man. Brent had been her everything and when he was gone she was left floundering without a foothold on anything. This time on her own had been so good for her. She’d learned to stand on her own without anyone to depend on but herself. Who knows, maybe someday she’d meet someone else, fall in love again. Instantly Lucas’s face materialized in her mind. Those smoldering brown eyes, dark with desire…for her…
The chirp of her phone startled her and she drew a steadying breath. “Hello,” she croaked and winced at her husky tone.
“Hello, sweetheart.” The soft voice attempted comfort.
“Oh hi, Momma.” Jaimee squeezed her eyes shut and prayed her mother was too tired to talk very long. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, how are things with you?”
Immediately her “encounter” with Lucas came to mind. Good Lord, if her mother knew what she had done, in a public place no less, she’d probably call an exorcist to cleanse her of her demon of wanton lust. Jaimee bit her lip to keep from laughing.
“I’m doing good.”
“Are you sure you’re all right? Maybe you should spend a couple of weeks with Jason and I. We have the room and I don’t think you should be alone so much.”
Jaimee rolled her eyes. She wished her mom lived in some other state, country maybe. “No, I’m fine.”
“You know, I still think you should take a hiatus from school, Jaimee. Take some time to deal with your grief. You haven’t let yourself grieve.”
“I seriously doubt that lying around on my butt for weeks on end will help me with my grief.” Sometimes it seemed her mother wouldn’t be happy unless she was dressed in sackcloth and ashes, wailing in misery.
“Well you could go to one of those nice health spas where they help you lose weight and get fit…”
“I’m a member of a health club.”
“No, no, I mean one where you go and they re-teach you how to eat less and that sort of thing.”
“I promise I’m fine. Keeping my routine is the best thing for me.” Jaimee was beginning to feel the frustration well up.
“Perhaps you’re right. Well, I’ll come over and spend the night and we can talk more about how you’re feeling. I’m sure Jason won’t mind.”
Anxiety started to gnaw at her insides. “No, Momma. It’s a school night and I have some work to do. Really, I’m doing fine.” She hated the way her mother spoke, the way she acted, as if she had a corncob up her butt.
“I’ll be over in an hour, we’ll have some tea.”
“No…”
“Jaimee, I want to talk to you about some things. I’m concerned about your future, and I know you get angry when I mention it. However, I can’t just stand by and not say anything. You’re my baby, you’ll always be my baby and you know I worry about you.” She paused for effect, softening her voice. Jaimee wanted to throw the phone across the room. “Now you know, you and Brent didn’t eat properly. That’s why he had a heart attack. And, as his wife, it’s partly your responsibility, Jaimee. I told you time and time again that you should make out low-fat menus and follow them. Now with your weight and added stress…well…I’m just concerned that you’re the next in line for a heart attack.”
Taking deep breath, Jaimee struggled to control her need to scream. Why, why did her mother have this effect on her? Jamiee loved her and yet sometimes the hate was palpable. “I’ve lost some. I’ve been going to the gym.”
“Yes, I know, and I’m so proud of you. But you really need to start eating low fat too. We’ll make out some menus together.”
Rubbing at the tension in her neck, Jaimee clenched her teeth until her jaw hurt. Karen Bradley, now Covington, had a way of making her daughter want to bang her head against a brick wall. “Momma, I promise you I’m fine. I’m active. I even go out. As a matter of fact I have plans to go out weekend after next. I’m just really busy. You and I will get together later, okay?” Switching the phone to the other ear she grabbed her day planner off the dresser and walked down the hall to her office.
“Really? With someone from school?” Karen gasped. “On a date?”
Ha! She had totally skipped the dating stage and went straight to the foreplay. “No, Mother. With Maxine.” The irritation in her voice didn’t seem to faze her mother.
Karen sighed. “You know Dwayne is really interested in you. He’s a good man and he loves the Lord. You should get to know him.”
“I’m not interested in Dwayne,” Jaimee said tersely. Dwayne Evans was a sweet guy. He was like Brent in a lot of ways: gracious, accommodating, respectful, her mother’s choice for her. Nothing like Lucas, who was wild, mysterious, demanding and bold. Her mother would hate him. But Lucas wasn’t interested in something so innocuous as dating. A shiver of excitement slithered up her spine. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to force the memory of Lucas’s mouth and hands and the rest of him from her overheated thoughts.
“Okay, okay, maybe it is a bit soon to start dating anyway.”
So I guess getting finger fucked in a health club is totally out, huh? she thought cynically.
Karen’s sigh of disgust warned Jaimee of what was to come next. “You know, Maxine is not a good friend for you, Jaimee.”
“I don’t agree.” Feeling like she was fifteen again, she put a hand on her hip, scanning her office for her tote. She could have sworn she left it in the desk chair. She was almost positive she didn’t take it to school.
“She drinks too much, she goes to bars and she’s out with a different man every week. You’re not out drinking, going to bars are you? What could you two possibly have in common?”
We both think you’re a self-righteous prude who enjoys judging others so you can feel better about yourself. “You don’t know anything about Maxine, Mom,” she said tightly, avoiding the question about the bar. Finally she found the tote under the desk leaning against the CPU cabinet. “Besides, it’s really not up to you who I befriend.”
“Hrumph. Well, where do you plan to go?”
Jaimee knew what her mother would say if she knew they were talking about going dancing or something like that. She would tell her that it was disgraceful for her to go to an establishment that s
old liquor and what would her sainted grandfather have said if he were still alive, oh he’d be so disappointed. And on top of it all, what if Jesus came back and found her in a bar? Why, it would be like finding a sheep in a pig pen. Jaimee just didn’t have the wherewithal to stand it tonight, so she lied. “To the movies, or shopping I guess.”
“Well, good luck finding anything worth seeing. Most movies are just filth.”
“Yeah, I know.” Distracted now, she muttered. She could have sworn she set her case in the chair. “Look I have to go. I have work to get done for school tomorrow. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“All right, Jaimee, be careful.”
“I will, I love you.”
“Okay, goodbye.”
“Mondays suck.” Jaimee grumbled as she filed through the paperwork in her tote looking for the essays she should have graded over the weekend. Finally giving up, she set the tote on the floor and sat down, scowling at it. They were there in the tote, she was sure of it. Now they were gone. She stared blankly at her desk, trying to mentally retrace her steps when the stack of papers she was looking for caught her eye. They were haphazardly tossed on her desk.
Confused, she snatched them up and arranged them neatly. It didn’t make sense, she couldn’t remember taking them out of the tote or moving the tote from the chair to the floor, but evidently she had. The doorbell rang, disrupting her train of thought.
Taking a deep breath, she shook the feeling of foreboding and headed down the stairs.
“Hey, Jaimee.”
The last person she expected, or wanted to see, ever again was Ronald Marshall. Whether it was because she was caught off guard by his appearance or her bewilderment over her apparent memory loss she didn’t know, but Ron brushed past her without an invitation or much effort at all on his part. She doubted very seriously she could physically stop him from coming in anyway. He was a broad, bulky man, about six feet tall, and not particularly attractive. The overpowering cloud of cologne he wore stung her nose. He kept his light brown hair cut short and wore a moustache that curled around his top lip.
“What do you need, Ron?” she asked as he walked into her home and scanned her small living room/dining room combination with humorous disdain.
“Just checkin’ on ya, babe.” He smirked. “Can’t a guy check on a friend?”
She closed the door reluctantly but kept her distance, lingering at the staircase. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled in warning. Ronald wasn’t a threat as much as he was a major irritant. Just get rid of him, she told herself, the sooner the better. “Well, I’m fine. Like I told you on the phone.”
He let his gaze travel her body. The smile that curved his full lips didn’t hide the disdain in his eyes. “You’ve lost weight, a bit more and you’ll be lookin’ pretty good.”
No doubt he believed he’d complimented her, and any other time she would have rolled her eyes at him, but she was beginning to feel more and more nervous. She was dressed in the new pink tank top and satin lounge pants she’d bought Saturday on a whim. Now she wished she’d just stayed completely covered and secure in her baggy T-shirts and sweats.
“I look fine now. What do you want, Ronald?” She didn’t bother to hide her irritation.
His faux smile faltered only slightly but the glitter of malice remained in his eyes. “Now, Jaimee. I’m really just seeing after you.”
“Unnecessary.” She shook her head. “I’m perfectly capable of seeing after myself.”
He glared at her. “A single woman, living all by herself. It’s not like you have many friends hanging around or checking in on you, Jaimee. A lot can happen and no one would be the wiser.”
Why did she feel like he’d just threatened her? What reason would he have to want to be in her life anyway? He made it clear every chance he could that he found her quite unattractive. And just how did he know how many friends she had? Angry and puzzled, Jaimee was all the more anxious to get rid of him.
She scowled back at him. “I’ll take that chance. What happens or doesn’t happen to me is not your responsibility or concern.” She went to show him out when his hand gripped her shoulder and turned her around to face him. Could she take him down if she needed to? She braced herself, praying to God she wouldn’t have to find out.
“Don’t be rude. It’s not attractive.” His hand slid up and down her naked arms.
Jaimee made an expression of disgust and jerked away from him. “When did I ever give you the impression I was attempting to attract you?”
He clenched and unclenched his fist at his side. She steeled herself, preparing for the blow. Instead he pretended to laugh it off.
“Don’t take everything so seriously. You come across that day planner I was tellin’ you about earlier?” He took a step toward her.
Refusing to retreat, Jaimee stood her ground. “I’d forgotten all about that.” And she had. Alice never returned her call. That wasn’t like her at all. Jaimee frowned. “Why are you interested in it?”
Ron’s eyes narrowed. “There were some contacts Brent had that we need at the office.”
Oh yeah, he was pissed. The smartest thing to do was to be agreeable and get him the hell out of her house, but she refused to be a wimp. He was lying and she wanted to know why. What was going on?
“Brent was in accounting. Why would he have contacts you didn’t have?”
He took another step closer so that she had no choice but to step back. Ron scowled, all pretense gone. “Don’t be a bitch, Jaimee,” he spat.
Before he could complete his sentence or action, before she had time to shake off the initial shock and react, the doorbell rang. How ironic. Someone had come by for one reason or another, proof that he was wrong about her not having friends. Wasn’t it? Jaimee glared up at him and stepped around him, sending a silent prayer that it was Max or Mrs. Stanley from next door and not a kid fundraising or a rep for The Tennessean wanting her to take the paper. It didn’t matter really, anyone that would help her get rid of Ron would be a blessing.
Lucas leaned against the doorframe, filling her doorway. The look on his face sent a shudder through her body, more of those erotic memories racing through her mind. The muscle in his jaw flexed in warning as he looked past her. His warm brown eyes looked more like coffee-colored alabaster. They glittered hard and cold. Great, out of the frying pan into the fire.
He looked like a savage warrior come to devastate and destroy all who would try to impede his mission, a warrior in a tight green T-shirt and snug jeans riding low on his hips. His hair was down, flowing in waves over his shoulders to the middle of his back. Then he looked down at her and the rage in his expression was gone. His eyes warmed. She didn’t have a chance to interpret it before he lightly touched her cheek, winked at her and chased every coherent thought from her brain.
“Hey, James,” he said, intently searching her face. “I don’t have my cable connected yet. Would you mind if I camped on your couch for a couple of hours?”
She blinked up at him. James? Did he call her James? When did they become best buds? At some point in the day she must have shifted into an alternate universe because everything was off kilter. “Huh?”
“Tennessee and Washington play tonight.” His brows knit together at her blank expression.
Finally she got it. “Oh…Monday night football.” He wasn’t there for her. Duh. He’d probably already forgotten about the escapade at the gym. She hadn’t; she didn’t think she ever would. It didn’t matter, she told herself, and whatever Ron had been about to do next had been thwarted. She made a mental note to look into self-defense
lessons—karate, something, anything.
“I’ll buy dinner. How about pizza?” He grinned and shrugged and looked so sexy she might start drooling. Good Lord, when had she become so shallow? Maybe she was coming down with something, wasn’t PMS…maybe she had early onset menopause. That would explain why she was so damn horny for a guy she barely knew. Later, she’d figure it out later. Righ
t now she was just glad he was here. As much as she hated to admit it, Ron was beginning to scare her.
“No, that’s not necessary. Come on in.” He seemed to take up all the space and she could swear she felt heat radiating from his big body.
“Yeah, I think pizza is a no-no for Jaimee these days.” Ron chuckled.
Standing behind Lucas, she could see the tension in him. His big body was rigid, prepared to fight, almost territorial. Nah, that was ridiculous and she better get those kinds of ideas out of her head before she turned into a simpering fool.
She stepped around him. “Uh, this is Ronald Marshall. He and my late husband, Brent, were associates,” she explained. Then, turning to Lucas, she did a double take. There. That look was there in his eyes again. There was the promise of a painful death in that look.
Lucas’s arm snaked around her waist faster than she could register the movement. His hand spanned her hip as he pulled her to his side. A thrill danced through her and though she should probably move away she was so thankful for the security of his presence, his protection, she couldn’t make herself. Instead she bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath before continuing her introductions. “Ron, this is Lucas…ah…”
“Grayson,” he said firmly.
“Lucas Grayson…he’s my neighbor.”
Chapter Eleven
The smug motherfucker standing there smirking at Jaimee had no idea how close he was to becoming a grease spot on her fine hardwood floor. Lucas had been listening in when Jaimee answered the door. He couldn’t take a chance on the bastard being smart enough not to touch her.
“The T.V. is in the entertainment center, just open those doors. Make yourself at home,” she said quietly, gesturing toward the living room. Though he suspected it had more to do with anger than fear, she was still shaking and he didn’t want to let go. But he did, giving her hip a pat as he walked past Ron into the living room.
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