Hidden Hearts

by Susan Kearney

  His five-o’clock shadow was sexy as sin, as was the way he focused all his attention on her with warm approval.

  She gave herself a mental shake and recalled that he’d just asked her a question about Amelia Island, a popular resort just north of Jacksonville, and she had yet to respond. “You want to go to Amelia Island?”

  “I meant the Caribbean Islands.”

  He wanted to take her out of the country? “You can’t be serious.”

  But that was a dumb thing to say. She could see by the upward lift of his eyebrow that he was dead serious.

  “I don’t have a passport.”

  “You only need a birth certificate.”

  “Look, my work is at a very delicate stage. And while you think I’m in danger—”

  “Your brother’s a private investigator. I don’t think he’d have hired me if you weren’t in some kind of trouble.” Roarke stepped back enough for her to exit the bathroom. His massive shoulders almost touched both walls of her narrow hall, leaving her only enough room to head toward her bedroom. “The best way for me to protect you is to hide you someplace where you would never go.”

  “The Caribbean Islands are out of the question—not unless you drug me and carry me onto the plane, and then someone might be suspicious.”

  “Be reasonable, Alexandra.”

  “Reasonable?” She placed her hands on her hips and spun to face him. “You want reasonable? How about the fact that I signed a contract to oversee the construction of a skyscraper that is going to be the finest building south of the Mason-Dixon line? How about the fact that work will stop if I don’t show up tomorrow? How about the fact that everything I’ve worked my whole life to achieve will be ruined if I go off and hide in the islands with you?”

  “And how about,” he threw her own words back at her, “that you’re risking your life to stay here?”

  “There’s a major inspection of the building coming up in a few days. I have to be there—”

  “I thought architects drew up plans. Why do you have to go to the site?”

  “Designing the blueprints is only one part of my job. I’ve been hired to oversee the project to ensure the contractors adhere to my design specifications. And to do that, I have to be there when the city inspectors—”

  “Look, that man came to your house, he likely knows where you work.”

  “And if it’s your job to protect me, then it’ll be up to you to figure out a way to keep me safe,” she insisted.

  “I’m not a miracle worker. The best way to keep you safe is to hide.”

  “No can do. I designed that building with clean lines and graceful curves, so people would have better places to work. If I miss the inspections, some man may think the day-care center isn’t necessary and turn it into an exercise room.”

  “Is the building more important than your life? Are you determined to end up dead?”

  Chapter Three

  Alexandra sank onto the bed and dropped her face into her hands. Some things were worth dying for: protecting a loved one; fighting for a just cause; defending one’s homeland. But an inanimate object such as her beautiful skyscraper wasn’t worth her life.

  And yet, Roarke could be blowing matters out of proportion to make her more malleable. When he couldn’t sweet-talk her into doing what he’d wanted, he’d changed tactics. He gone from charming to take-charge so fast that her thoughts spun. And he sounded so sure she was putting her life at risk that he’d almost convinced her. Almost.

  Yet, the man who’d broken through her front door had only wanted the envelope Jake sent her. He’d specifically said he wouldn’t hurt her. She might not be in any danger at all.

  Roarke stood quietly inside her bedroom door, allowing her time to think. While she appreciated his silence, she wondered if it was a deliberate attempt to frighten her into doing what he wanted.

  His presence alone seemed to be wearing her down. An hour ago, before her shower, she’d worried that Roarke might physically assault her. Now he stood in her bedroom and she had little fear of him. Of course he’d just oh-so-sweetly, oh-so-innocently warned her that she might risk her life unless she did as he asked, and she couldn’t help wondering once again if he’d done so deliberately. Was his intention to keep her off balance? Frighten her into leaving her work?

  She dropped her hands to her lap, squared her shoulders and lifted her head until their eyes met. Usually she was good at reading people, but he stood so still, so composed, letting his gorgeous face do his persuading for him. And his blue, blue eyes gave away nothing.

  “I’m not leaving the country.”

  “Then we go to plan B.”

  He surprised her by adapting to her refusal so easily. “Plan B?”

  “We find a place to hide here. I’ll find someone to keep you safe while I figure out who wants to hurt you. And why.”

  Alexandra shook her head. “I can’t go into hiding.” She’d already lost most of the afternoon, a good part of her work day. Her construction schedule demanded that she keep to it or cost overruns would occur. She needed to complete her first building on time, within budget. “I should have gone back to my office this afternoon. But I must be on the job site tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m. sharp.”

  Roarke let out a long sigh and glanced at her sideways, no doubt checking to see if she noticed his extraordinary patience with her. “I don’t like plan C. It’s risky. It means hiding you someplace different every night. It means you wear a bullet-proof vest. It means protecting you—”

  “I don’t think anyone is after me.” Alexandra stood, turned toward her bed and kneeled. She pulled a small suitcase out from under her mattress.

  She could feel his eyes drilling into her back searchingly. When she glanced up at him, his plastic expression changed to one of feigned interest in her opinion. “Why?”

  “Because as that man chased me through my house, he said he only wanted the stuff my brother sent me.”

  He shot her a conspiratorial smile as if they shared a joke. “And you believe him?”

  “I’m not sure what I believe.” She shrugged and unzipped the carry-on bag. She kept travel-size toiletries ready to go, so she just needed to pack a few changes of clothes. “But I don’t intend to spend another night here where I can be easily found.” She glared at him defiantly. “I’m going to a friend’s house.”

  She tossed the envelope Jake had sent her onto the bed along with clothes, a second pair of shoes and a long T-shirt to sleep in. She expected Roarke to protest. Instead he walked over to her bed; she ignored him. Without a doubt, a man like him didn’t get ignored often. He shifted from foot to foot, and she gave him six seconds to try to change her mind.

  “You’d be safer if you stayed with me.”

  He’d lasted two and a half. But she remained silent, knowing if she gave him reasons, he’d argue and wear her down.

  When she said nothing, he eyed the envelope with curiosity. “Did that come from your brother?”

  She saw no point in denying it when he need merely flip it over and read the return address. “Yes.”

  “May I look?”

  He was sweetly asking her permission? She didn’t understand the man. He’d ordered her to take a shower, threatened to do it himself if she didn’t, then when she’d boldly said no to his plan A and plan B, he hadn’t argued. Much. Hadn’t insisted on doing everything his way.

  And now he was asking permission to look at her personal papers? He seemed capable of adapting faster than she could take her next breath.

  Maybe he would see something important in the papers that she had missed. “Sure, go ahead and take a look. I have no idea what the fuss is all about. Maybe I should just have given the intruder what he wanted.”

  “That wouldn’t have been a good idea.”

  “Why not? Then he’d leave me alone.”

  He picked up the envelope. “Jake thinks your mother gave her life to protect this information.”

  She frowned at his se
rious expression. Once again he’d surprised her by directing the topic of conversation in a brand-new direction. “My mother?”

  “Your biological mother.”

  “Oh.” Alexandra had no memories of the woman who’d given birth to her and thought of her adopted mother as her Mom. Although she’d never been told how her biological mother had died, Roarke spoke as if she’d been involved in some kind of crusade. Alexandra had gone through the pictures and read some of the papers that Jake had sent, but she’d seen no obvious cause that her mother might have been caught up in.

  To think that the woman who’d given her birth had felt so passionately about something that she’d risked her own life gave Alexandra a measure of pain and pride. Pain that she and her siblings meant less to her mother than a cause. Pain that the family had been split up. Pride that her mother believed in something so strongly she would risk her life.

  Roarke removed the documents and looked at the old black-and-white photographs first. He studied each one for a long time, as if memorizing details before moving on to the next. Eventually he put them aside and perused the birth certificates. Finally, he turned to the pages from her mother’s diary.

  Alexandra finished packing as he skimmed, wondering if he’d find them more interesting than she had. The pages seemed dull to her, full of chitchat about people she didn’t know. None of the material seemed terribly important, nothing controversial or political.

  Roarke looked up suddenly but his thoughts seemed far away. He carefully placed all the items back into the envelope and handed them to her. “On the surface, the information seems innocent enough.”

  “What do you mean by ‘on the surface?”’

  “The diary pages seem stilted. Either your mother was a poor writer or she might have been using a code. It’s also possible that a microdot might be imbedded in the paper.”

  She looked up sharply. “What?”

  “It’s a decades-old technique used to send covert information.”

  How did he know this stuff? Suddenly she wondered just why her brother had picked this man to protect her. What kind of life had he led? Where had he come from?

  Obviously, he was well educated. And just as obviously he knew about guns and electronic microphones. She suspected he used that face and body to hide his keen intelligence.

  She focused on the new details, thinking hard. “Who would care about old information after so many years? And besides, my brother said these papers are copies.”

  “Just because they’re copies doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be carefully guarded.”

  “I don’t understand. Why can’t we make copies, keep one set, give the other set to the bad guys and hope they leave me alone?”

  “Look, suppose the papers include the directions to make some kind of weapon? Would we want our enemies or terrorists to have a copy?”

  Weapons? Terrorists? She swallowed hard. “I see what you mean.”

  “Eventually we may have to take these papers to a friend of mine who is good with codes, but meanwhile, I suggest we make a duplicate set and put them in a very safe place. We have to make sure neither copy falls into the wrong hands.”

  He’d said we, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted him to know where she was going to conceal the documents. But then again, if he’d come for the papers, he could have taken them. While his verbal attempts to convince her to trust him had failed, his actions spoke louder. For the first time she really thought he might be telling her the truth. Her brother might indeed have hired him. And that meant her brother really did think she might be in danger.

  As she thought over the implications and considered several hiding places, she lifted her packed bag onto the bed and then picked up her phone. “I need to phone my friend and tell her I’m spending the night.”

  Again he plucked the phone from her fingertips. “Not from here.”

  Just when she almost believed his story, he did something suspicious. She didn’t want to ride in a car with him until she’d told at least one person where she was and who was with her. “Why not from here?”

  “Just a precaution. Your phone might be bugged.”

  Another silver-tongued lie? Or was he really trying to keep her safe? “Why don’t you open the receiver and check?”

  “Because while there might be a device placed inside your phone, there are several other ways to eavesdrop electronically. A satellite could pick up your call if you use a portable phone like this one. So could a van parked two blocks away. Or a device could be placed in the line connecting your house to the phone company.”

  He had an answer for everything. Who was this guy? He sounded like a master spy or a very convincing storyteller.

  And she had no idea what she should do next. Go along with him and hope he stopped at a pay phone? Or scream bloody murder and hope someone called the police?

  ROARKE READ the suspicion in her eyes, beautiful whiskey-colored eyes that reminded him of the changing color of autumn leaves in Virginia. As the golden hues darkened to a vibrant amber, Alexandra’s wariness returned with the same steadiness with which winter followed fall.

  He should never have accepted a mission over the phone. Roarke knew better. But he’d been eager to show Jake Cochran how good he was. Jake ran a huge P.I. agency that was about to expand nationwide, and Roarke needed steady work.

  He should have thought it odd that with all of her brother’s connections in the business, Jake had asked Roarke to protect his sister. But Roarke now knew why her brother had chosen him. And it scared him right down to his bones.

  Jake must have researched Roarke’s background. Through his resources, he might have learned of Roarke’s service in the Central Intelligence Agency. He had been a case officer in Bangkok, chief of station in Amsterdam, chief of operations for Africa, and finally chief of counter terrorism.

  Did Jake suspect terrorists were after his sister? Had he hired Roarke because he’d once specialized in such things? Roarke should have asked more questions, and now Jake wasn’t answering his phone. Another sign that something bigger than Roarke had expected might be happening.

  Roarke had quit his job at the CIA to get away from those types of deadly operations. He no longer wanted to live with the indiscriminate killings, with having to send good men and women to their deaths. Roarke had had enough of death. But death might be stalking his client.

  However, he saw no reason to share his knowledge or suspicions with Alexandra. While the woman had a great deal of courage, she disliked him for some reason. He supposed that, under the circumstances, he should have expected some mistrust. But he was frustrated that every time he thought he might be making progress, she withdrew from his friendly overtures. Although obviously intelligent, she didn’t seem to believe a word he said.

  Puzzling. Roarke had often used his intelligence, his looks and his sex appeal in the world of espionage to coax information out of unsuspecting women for his country’s benefit. But Alexandra wasn’t most women.

  Roarke wondered if she could sense the greatest failure of his life. Could she smell the mess that had soiled a pristine career? Fifty-five people had died in the embassy bombing because of a decision he’d made. But when he closed his eyes, just one face haunted him, that of Sydney, his fiancée, an embassy translator whose dreams had been cut short.

  Hours after the disaster, he’d found her in the rubble, and she’d looked as though she were sleeping. No blood. No broken bones or grotesquely bent limbs. No grievous injuries. She’d looked perfect. Only she hadn’t been breathing.

  The autopsy report said she’d suffered a broken neck. She’d died instantly. He took no comfort in that. She hadn’t had time to say goodbye. Hadn’t had time to live. She’d been only twenty-five years old.

  And he’d blamed himself. For five years he’d had to live with the knowledge that he could have prevented her death. A useless death in an African nation most Americans had never heard of and didn’t care about.

  Sydney had cared.
And she’d paid for her caring with her life. All because of him. Sick at heart, he’d resigned.

  Now, he preferred to protect people by risking his own neck. But he hadn’t considered that this level of expertise might be needed when he accepted the job of protecting Alexandra. Roarke now sensed something very dangerous about her situation.

  To be safe, she should go into hiding—but she’d refused, insisting on attending the inspection of her building and risking her life. Just as Sydney had refused to leave her job at the embassy when the country had erupted into violence.

  Roarke wasn’t about to lose another woman, especially one entrusted into his care. But maybe he was being over-cautious after his experiences in Africa. Perhaps Alexandra was right. Maybe the intruder had wanted just the package, not her.

  His job would be easier if Alexandra trusted him, so he’d make concessions. He would agree to let her go to the inspection for now. He’d let her spend the night with a friend for tonight.

  She was scowling at him as she slung her bag over her shoulder. He would have offered to carry it for her, but he needed to keep his hands free. “We’re at our most vulnerable point as we leave your apartment. Stay close.”

  He drew his gun from his holster and placed the weapon in his pocket. Alexandra lagged behind. He turned to see her gazing wistfully at the phone. “Come on. I’ve a cell phone in my car parked two blocks away.” While a normal cell phone was easy to eavesdrop on, his had special modifications. “You can use mine.”

  She should have been grateful. Instead, the scowl lines on her forehead deepened. He wondered why he longed to rub the scowl lines away. Or to assure her he would keep her safe. He should never have taken a job to protect a woman. Since Sydney’s death, he’d roamed the world taking random assignments, rescuing a kidnapped businessman in Colombia, protecting an Arab sheik in Qatar, helping a Jewish family emigrate from Russia. But he’d never guarded a woman. Especially one who reminded him of Sydney.

  In looks they were nothing alike. Sydney had had blond hair, hazel eyes and lush curves on her five-foot-two frame. Alexandra was taller, slimmer, delicate despite her height, which he guessed was about five-foot-eight. While she had the most amazing almond-colored eyes with droplets of gold fire, it was her spirit that reminded him of Sydney. Both women cared passionately about their work.