It was surreal sitting with him like this, his arm around her, resting on the back of her chair as though it was the most natural thing to do. His thumb absently caressing the curve of her shoulder sent warm tingles showering over her. The masculine scent of soap and Lucas filled her senses. The way he possessed and protected her made her want to wrap her arms around him and bury her face in his neck. He made it so damn hard for her to pay attention. Who knew Lucas with short hair would look fiercer and even more incredibly sexy. Damn him. She resisted the urge to sigh in frustration as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
Every time she did that, his gaze was focused straight ahead, seemingly engrossed in the sermon. At the same time the tension in his jaw let her know he was far from relaxed. He probably didn’t even realize how irritated and resentful she was toward him. Then again, he probably didn’t care. Still, just playing his role. Doing his job. Keep reminding yourself, Jaimee.
Maybe she should have skipped church this morning. Especially since she wasn’t able to focus anyway. What if whoever or whatever was in the sedan on the corner caused trouble or, worse, hurt someone? That would be more than she could handle. She couldn’t let anything happen if she could at all help it. Leaning close to Lucas she whispered, “Maybe we should sneak out and leave now.”
Lucas inclined his head. “Everything is fine. Relax,” he murmured.
“Yeah right,” she scoffed under her breath. Damn him.
Time went by way too slowly. Finally the pastor gave the invitation and asked them to stand. Jaimee couldn’t resist nudging Lucas in the ribs and giving him a sardonic smirk.
“It took the first time, Jaimee, when I was fifteen.” His words were without emotion or inflection.
Well hell, she didn’t expect that at all, which meant she’d become a cynical and judgmental snot just like her mother. That sucked.
“Sorry, that was…I’m sorry,” she mumbled to him.
His chuckle was nearly silent. “You’re apologizing to me?”
Confused, she just looked up into his eyes, frowning still.
“Don’t. You have nothing to be sorry for, I haven’t exactly been walking the walk for some years now.” Sadness tinged his voice as he snagged her hand, entwining his fingers with hers, palm to palm. Confusion disintegrated into ash as anger burned through her. The jig was up dammit. It was just plain cruel to keep up the act knowing she was never acting. “Hug somebody’s neck and tell them to have a blessed week,” the pastor admonished the congregation before he stepped down and began making his way to the back of the sanctuary.
Several came by and hugged Jaimee and she tried to appear jovial, hugging them back, smiling, chatting pleasantly. But Lucas never released her hand. A few of the ladies hugged him as well. Men introduced themselves and shook his hand. Still, he never let go of her. She tried subtly tugging at her hand, wanting to escape, but he wasn’t letting her go. If she was more assertive about it she’d probably make a scene and she wasn’t sure she wanted to go there. For some reason his touch, his gentleness, made her want to scream, cry, possibly throw things. God, why was he doing this to her?
“We missed your lovely voice today, Jaimee.” Rebekah, the choir director, said as she hugged her tightly. “Everything all right?”
“Yeah, my throat is a little scratchy this morning.” Rebekah gave Lucas a quick hug, telling him she was glad he’d attended and hoped he’d visit often.
“Nice meeting you, Lucas.”
“Nice to meet you too, Rebekah.” Lucas gave her a pleasant smile.
“Make sure and bring him back with you, Jaimee.” Rebekah indicated Lucas with a tilt of her head.
“Definitely, she can’t get rid of me now. She’s stuck.” Lucas answered before Jaimee had a chance to respond. That was just over the line. Jaimee let him know it as she dug her nails into his hand.
Rebekah laughed. “That’s good to hear. Y’all have a blessed week now.” She turned to walk away, then spun around, walking backward as she pointed at Jaimee. “Practice, Wednesday night after bible study, I expect you there. We’re starting the Christmas music. Bring your man. We’ll see if he can sing too.”
Your man. Feeling utterly defeated, Jaimee just smiled, withdrew her claws and nodded. Her man. Ha! When she and Lucas turned away she hissed quietly through her teeth. “Please, stop.” He said nothing as he frowned down at her then slowly led her to the side exit.
The sedan was nowhere to be seen when they got to the SUV. Lucas flipped open his phone and pressed a button before opening the door for her. He said nothing, just listened then closed his phone and opened the door. Finally letting go of her hand to usher her into the vehicle.
His charming demeanor evaporated into a savage expression that made Jaimee shiver with something between fear and lust. Thankfully she was completely inside when he slammed her door shut. Still, he made her jump which only heightened the already seething anger brewing in her.
Moments later he swung up into the SUV beside her and slammed his own door. “What exactly do you want me to stop, Jaimee?”
Jaimee’s eyes widened with incredulity. “I’m not even gonna answer that.”
“The hell you aren’t. I didn’t do a damn thing to piss you off. I was polite and courteous. I was a goddamn gentleman.”
“Just perfect,” Jaimee snipped. “Except that I don’t enjoy the game. I’m not good at playing pretend, Lucas. On top of that I don’t like deceiving the people in my life.”
“What?” he snapped.
Jaimee turned to him then and noticed the half-moon shapes in the back of his left hand. They weren’t bleeding but they were red and angry. Shrugging off the guilt, she gave fury free rein and lifted her chin defiantly. “I’ll do whatever it is you people need me to do because I have to, but I’m not in this willingly. I’m not your friend, Agent Grayson, nor your lover. So from now could we just drop the act and would you please keep your fucking hands off me.”
The rage, hurt, and even the guilt resonated in her hoarse request. And dammit he made her drop the F-bomb. She hated dropping the F-bomb.
Lucas moved with speed and efficiency, giving her no time to react or resist. She gasped, his right hand fisting in her hair. He tilted her head back, as he captured her with his left arm circling around her back and pulling her tight against him. His eyes were dark, fathomless, hot and violent as he took advantage of her shocked gasp and kissed her. It was more like a punishment, a demand for her submission, than a kiss. Jaimee wasn’t planning on surrendering. She ineffectively shoved at his chest as his lips moved against hers with expertise, his tongue sweeping over her own. But she fought, she fought him and her own body’s desire to become pliant, to arch against him.
With a groan that had her trembling, nearly losing her fight, he released her. Jaimee struggled to regulate her breathing as she watched him twist the key in the ignition. The muscle in his jaw pulsed, his knuckles going white as his hands gripped the steering wheel. Not sure if she wanted to rage at him or beg him to have his way with her right there in the church parking lot, she turned away.
Her lips felt bruised, ultra sensitive. She bit her bottom lip, wishing it would stop tingling, wishing her whole body would stop tingling. The tears were there again, threatening, clogging her throat. Vibrating with need, she clenched her teeth and inhaled slowly as she stared out the window, thankful they were tinted.
If a man could go insane from the need to fuck then he’d just crossed the line. Jaimee had no idea the restraint he was using; the sheer will it took to keep his “fucking hands” off her. Who knew hearing such a carnal word uttered from those sweet Kewpie doll lips would make his cock thicken in demand. If Jaimee knew how badly he wanted her, if she knew how badly he wanted to make her go mindless and wild beneath him she wouldn’t tempt him with dirty word challenges.
“Don’t fucking challenge me right now, Jaimee. Just… Don’t.” Shit, he couldn’t even speak right now. His brain wouldn’t even form a decent
reasoning. Instead of trying again he pulled out of the parking lot, into the traffic and headed for her home.
“I wasn’t aware that me telling you to keep your hands off me was a challenge,” she said sharply, then turned her too-bright blue eyes on him. “So if I tell you again to leave me alone what are you gonna do? Huh? Rape me?”
He jerked around to look at her as though she’d slapped him. “Rape you?”
He’d seen way too much rape in his lifetime. To be accused of it, or to even suggest that he would ever do such a thing, made his blood boil. As irrational as it seemed, it made his heart hammer relentlessly against his ribs. “That’s fucking bullshit, Jaimee. Do you really believe I’m capable of rape? Do you?”
She had enough sense not to look up at him. Instead she just shook her head. “No, Lucas. I’m just—”
He didn’t let her finish, couldn’t. “Do you think I didn’t notice you arching against me, your fingers curling into my shirt? You think I didn’t feel your nipples grow diamond hard? Even through our clothes I could feel them press against my chest. I bet your pretty little bare pussy is coated in your juices as we speak. Your panties are probably soaked through. That sweet little pink bud throbbing for attention.” He watched the heat crawl up her neck, watched her tense and resist the urge to squirm. His laugh was humorless, scornful.
At the traffic light he turned to her, met her gaze and hoped to God she saw the promise in his eyes. “If you honestly believe you are in danger with me, you pick up that phone when I get you home. You pick it the fuck up and you tell the agent on the other end that you’ve been assaulted and that you’re afraid I’m going to rape you. But you better damn well mean it because trust me, baby, they won’t take it lightly.”
Her whole body trembled as she fought the tears and slowly shook her head. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m just…Lucas…I just need you to stop.” There was a soft quiver in her voice that clawed at his heart and at his soul. “I can’t take you constantly touching me.”
“I can’t promise you I won’t touch you.”
She met his gaze with her own, blazing hot with pain and fury. “But it’s torture. Can’t you understand that?” she asked through her teeth, one lone tear sliding slowly down her flushed cheek. “Why? Why do you want to keep on hurting me?”
God, he just wanted to make her stop hurting. He wanted to take her in his arms and make her forget everything but his love for her. Lucas brushed the tear away with his thumb. Her skin was like fresh picked peaches: warm, incredibly soft.
“I don’t want you to hurt, Jaimee. In spite of what you believe, I’ve never wanted that. I’ll do whatever I have to do to make sure no one else hurts you.”
The sound of car horns shattered the moment between them. Lucas cursed in frustration as he hit the gas.
“You confuse me,” Jaimee murmured softly.
“Yeah I know, baby. I confuse me too.” That was an understatement. Since this whole assignment started he’d been confused. Jaimee brought out a part of him that he hadn’t known existed and now he had to deal with it and didn’t have a clue how.
They rode in silence to Jaimee’s home. When they pulled into her driveway and he cut the engine, she turned to him. Her expression was stoic even though emotion swirled in her eyes.
“Lucas, you’ve got to leave me alone. I need to sort this all out.”
He studied her, his eyes narrowing. “You spend too much energy and effort sorting thing out. You catalog every emotion, every word that’s said and file them away in neat order.”
With a deep breath she nodded. “Maybe. But that’s what I have to do.”
Frustrated, Lucas took the keys from the ignition and opened his door. “Okay. I’ll give you space. But I’m not leaving you alone. You’ll just have to deal with that.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Monday came and went without incident. Same routine, nothing of any interest or threat happened. Jaimee passed off the day planner to Lucas. That was a relief. He had been true to his word. He’d spent most of the day at the house around the corner, busy working with the team on decoding the information they got from the day planner. Which wasn’t much of a relief because he was there at night, shirtless, stretched out on her couch, making her want to forget everything and hope.
It had been suggested that she take a week or two off from school until everyone was rounded up and Brent was brought in but there were always agents close by. She was just as safe there as she would at home and she really needed to keep busy. Besides, there was little chance she’d be able to relax at home with Lucas hovering about.
She checked her appearance once more in the mirror and grabbed her tote. Lucas was waiting for her, leaning against the kitchen counter sipping coffee in nothing but his jeans and nipple rings. His hair was messed up, spiky from sleeping. He was downright gorgeous. He even had sexy feet.
“Good morning.” Damn his husky morning voice was sexy. “Sure I can’t talk you into staying home today?”
“No, thank you.”
“I could insist.” He watched her over the rim of his mug.
“You could. But I told you guys already, today is a mandatory planning day. I have to be there.”
She was completely aware that the mandatory thing was easily wriggled out of with one phone call. Lucas didn’t play that card however. Thank God. She needed the space, needed to immerse herself into the tediousness of a planning day. His slow crooked smile made her groan inwardly. She forced a smile as she rejected the mug he offered her. It smelled so good but the caffeine wasn’t good for the baby.
Wow, the thought of a baby growing inside her was so hard to get used to.
“No coffee? You feeling okay?” His brows furrowed as he reached out and touched her forehead with the back of his fingers.
Actually no. Queasiness was a dull threat but she knew exactly why. “I’m fine.” She smiled at him. “Tell me something. And be honest.”
Lucas nodded.
“Are the phones at school bugged?” She so needed to set up an OB/GYN appointment with Maxine’s doctor. Like soon.
One brow lifted as he tilted his head and studied her. Damn that was disconcerting. For a moment she was worried he’d ask more questions. She’d never been good at lying and she didn’t want to have to now.
“No.” There was a question in that “no”. Jaimee chose to ignore it and just nodded. “Has anyone contacted you at school, Jaimee?”
“No.” She shrugged and snagged a water from the fridge. “I just wanted to be aware is all.”
He wasn’t buying it but to her relief, he didn’t push. After he grabbed his shirt from the back of the couch he pulled it over his head as he walked back to her. “I’ll take you to school. Samson will be posted outside the building all day. I’ll be there when you leave.”
Not even attempting to get out of the constant chaperone, she nodded. She’d learned such efforts would be an exercise in futility anyway. “I’ll be ready to leave early. I’ll call you when I’m done.”
“Got your cell?” He stood too close. His coffee-scented breath, his body heat were so enticing she had to struggle to keep from leaning in to him, tasting his mouth.
Instead she turned away and opened the door. “Yep, let’s go. I’m gonna be late.”
Normally she’d leave around lunchtime, along with everyone else, after all the meetings were over. But this time she’d stay. It would give her some quiet time. Time to call and get an appointment with Maxine’s OB/GYN.
By one o’clock most, if not all, of the other teachers were gone. Jaimee was pleased with her progress. She’d managed to get lesson plans for the rest of November and December done, November’s assignment schedule printed and posted on the freshly decorated bulletin board and grades entered into the computer grading program. Gathering the last thirty copies of the exam she’d planned to give next week, she flipped open her cell and dialed Lucas as she headed back to her room.
He answered on the fi
rst ring. “Ready to go?”
“Just about. I’ll be ready to walk out in about twenty minutes.”
“I’ll be there in five.”
So easily she could buy in to this false sense of rightness between them. She frowned as she dropped her phone into her pocket. But it wasn’t real. It was all just a means to an end. And that was the crux of it all. There would definitely be an end. Reminding herself of that caused her heart to ache. She sighed and shrugged off the sudden feeling of foreboding. Grow up, Jaimee, she admonished herself silently. Grow up and deal.
Shock didn’t have time to register. As she stepped into her classroom a question concerning the janitor, clearly not Mr. Fitz, barely had time to formulate in her mind before something dark and musty descended over her head. Gasping, she fought against the hands gripping her arms, yanking them back, then the sharp blow to her head before everything went black.
When Jaimee came to she was lying on her side, her hands bound tightly behind her. Her feet were bound as well. She was moving, in a vehicle of some sort. The soft rumble of an engine made that evident. Nausea uncoiled and threatened to overcome her restraint. The back of her head throbbed from where she was struck, hard. Breathing through her mouth to keep from throwing up, she struggled to push aside the pain. She had to think. It was hard to breathe in the musty bag and her heart was pounding in her ears.
“Damn that bitch was heavy,” one of her captors panted. “We won’t have that big garbage can to toss her in when we get there so you’re haulin’ her fat ass.”
The other man laughed. “Like hell, that’s why you’re getting paid the big bucks, son.” She knew that laugh, that voice. Ronald. Oh God. Fear was not an option and she refused to let herself give in to it. “Be glad she lost weight.”
Oh no, she hoped they hadn’t hurt Mr. Fitz. The maintenance man who was supposed to be rolling around the big garbage can was such a sweet old man. No time to worry. Facts. Focus on the facts, she told herself. Lucas had been minutes away so he would be looking for her soon. She had her cell! She tugged at the ropes binding her hands. Clenching her teeth against the pain she pulled hard against the ropes as quietly as she could. She didn’t want to give the goons a heads up that she was awake.
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