A smile spread across her face as her cheeks grew rosy. “That sounds naughty.”
“I never said I was a good boy.” He pressed his lips to hers.
If sunshine and goodness could be replicated in a human taste, it would be the closest way to describe how Scarlett made him feel.
The moment the kiss ended, she rubbed her stomach. She clearly hadn’t felt the earth move like he had. “I realize that. Either way, I’m hungry. If you take me to breakfast and we mingle a little bit, we can come back here and I promise to do whatever you want.”
“Whatever I want?” He used his shoulder to block her from sight so no one might see her.
She held out her hand as the doors closed. “Deal.”
“Then let’s get going.” The sooner he had her in the room, the sooner he’d know she was absolutely safe. Scarlett was his now, and he’d like to keep it that way. For this trip or, quite possibly, for the rest of his life.
CHAPTER 7
Scarlett fidgeted with the pendant around her neck as they walked to the ballroom. James was right behind her, and she could practically feel his stare as she swung her hips.
Last night had been the best sex she’d ever had, but she could never tell him that. He was already too bossy. So instead, she adjusted her pendant until she had to let it go.
At the door to the ballroom where the conference was gathered, she waited for him to open it for her. Once he did, she linked her arm with his and remembered that she was here for a reason. Her mission had nothing to do with the sex that she’d prioritized over her own sanity yesterday.
The smell of eggs and bacon hit her hard as they went toward a table. Clearly this hot breakfast offer had tempted all the convention-goers. People were sitting at round tables with white linen cloths, talking to each other.
At the last second before they took a seat, Scarlett noticed Max Shepard. She had been waiting on his final offer for two days. She guided James’ arm and they made their way between the tables.
On the way, Braddock stood up and shook James’ hand. James glanced at her, and they stopped moving to chat. “Max, it’s so nice to see you again,” she said.
He barely nodded at her. “Scarlett.”
Then he put his hand on the shoulder of a handsome, black-haired man about her age, with a smile like her father’s. “Mr. Clancy, allow me to introduce Navid Barampour. He’s with AMH.”
James’ arm became tight, but she refused to look at him. Instead she looked at the dark-haired man with light blue eyes, who seriously looked like her father in his pictures from forty years ago, though with more olive in his skin. Navid was clearly light skinned mideastern but with clear blue eyes, he was clearly mixed. She held out her hand to shake. “I’ve never heard of your company.”
Navid shook her hand but stared unabashedly at James. “We’re a very exclusive tech company.”
They knew each other. Her hair stood on end. James tugged her and tried to lead her to the exit. “Let’s go, Scarlett.”
Navid quickly walked away without saying goodbye. Braddock went to the buffet for a second plate.
“Why are you on edge?” She let go of his arm. Shepard was so close, and she had to remember her life goals were more important than sex. After this month, she’d have no claim on James, despite how that thought made her stomach churn.
“I’m not.”
James glared back at Navid, who had clearly got under his skin. She reached out and squeezed his arm to make a point.
“Your muscles are tight.” She’d never admit she was jealous, not even a little bit. She came closer. “Did you notice that James always calls me by my first name with that slur of his, while you’re ‘Mister’? The patriarchy drives me crazy sometimes.” From the corner of her eye, she saw Shepard refill his coffee. Her heart raced. Business came first. “His company might be double the size of mine, but I have a long-term growth plan and his is stagnant.”
“This way, Scarlett.” James tried to lead her to the door again. She saw him glance at Navid again with a steely expression in his gaze.
She pressed herself closer and could smell the testosterone that made her body crave him, even more than breakfast. She let out a sigh. “I don’t have time to leave because you clearly don’t like someone.”
“That’s not the problem.” The words made her body instantly feel lighter, but then she deflated as he finished, “Navid worked with Maddox years ago.”
Navid was like the male version of her father, and Maddox had tried to kill her parents and her brother. The two facts didn’t make sense together, but Maddox was why James had come into her life. She stilled, and fiddled with her necklace again. “How do you know?”
He pointed to his abdomen. “Navid broke this rib with one kick.”
“Really?” Her eyes widened as she remembered how she’d kissed every inch of James’ skin, but then she felt her face heat, and glanced away.
“Don’t look interested,” he warned, and placed his hand on her back to get her to leave. “He’s not the guy for you.”
Navid’s gaze was too familiar. There was no reason for James to be jealous. She stopped. They were so close to her goal, and it was unlikely she’d be shot down in the middle of a crowd. She swayed on her feet and hoped James stayed next to her in case she made a horrible call. “Navid didn’t look that dangerous.”
“His gaze has haunted me for years now.”
“His gaze or his kick?” She glanced over at Navid, who stared back at both of them. Again the feeling of peace hit her, and she couldn’t believe for a second he’d hurt her.
He led her toward the door. “Let’s go to our room.”
“I can’t.” She stepped away from him. If she could just conclude her business, then she could stay out of sight with James. She pointed to the older man at a table. “I’m here to meet with Max Shepard. We have a deal on the table.”
James slowed her down. “I can get your makeup into any store in the world.”
“I’m not using Clancy Industries, ever.” She shook her head like that might stop what he said.
“You’re the CEO’s wife.”
“For a month.” And only because she hadn’t done a simple online search, like she usually did for everything in her life. If she’d known, she probably wouldn’t have insisted on a wedding. She held her head higher. “All the more reason to strike out on my own.”
James stopped short. “Navid’s sitting over there,” she said, tugging his arm. “It’s doubtful he’ll kill us here where everyone is eating.”
“Two minutes,” he warned, and shook his head, though he must have realized they had already talked for more than two minutes. But she held that thought.
She tugged on his arm and they walked toward the older gentleman, who stood up as they approached. She smiled as they joined him. “Mr. Clancy. Ms. Hawke. It’s good to see you both.”
James pulled out a chair for Scarlett, and they both sat next to the gentleman. “Scarlett is my wife, Shepard.”
A huge smile grew on Max Shepard’s face, and he said, “That’s news. Congratulations.”
James wrapped his arms around her.
“Thank you,” she said. “We’re very happy.”
Shepard shook his head. “I’m sure I can’t match whatever Clancy offered you, Ms. Hawke.”
Clancy Industries had a powerful marketing arm that could get products everywhere, sure, but her relationship with James wasn’t going to last. It was better to build her own network. She let go of James and held out her hand to offer a handshake. “Sundarata wasn’t part of the wedding deals. I still want to make the best deal possible for my company, and I had been looking forward to seeing your final offer.”
Shepard reached out and shook her hand. “I’ll have my secretary finish it by the end of the week.”
“Thank you, Max.” At least her mission here was a success. Hopefully the contract from Max Shepard was good, but she probably needed to get a backup offer from Braddock
, just in case.
James rubbed her spine so she turned toward him. Navid and James had been in a staring contest, but it seemed like Navid had ended the moment first when he spoke to a server about refilling his coffee. James leaned closer to her and whispered, “Let’s go, Scarlett.”
“What?” Her heart raced as she saw the final cold stare between the two. With a nod toward him, Navid walked out the door. It should have been easier to breathe, but it wasn’t.
James pulled on her arm, again. “Let’s go.”
“Why? I’m hungry?”
“We’ll get room service. I don’t like letting the enemy know where you are.”
“Okay, whatever.” This time, she gave in. She’d accomplished her most important reason for joining the conference, and she valued her head attached to her body. Her spine felt more rigid, but she tried to pretend otherwise. “Okay, it was good seeing you, Max.”
James led her out a different door than they’d entered, which took them outside. The sound of ocean waves splashing onto the shore echoed in her ears, while the sunlight warmed the darkness settling over her. He led her forward.
“Where are we going?”
“This way.” The brightness of the sun made her eyesight dim for a moment when they went onto the beachfront patio. He kept the pace and went down to the beach to walk. She wasn’t dressed for sand in these heels, but he led her forward, but stayed near the building.
She tried to pretend his pace didn’t matter to her and that she was safe. “The beach is pretty, but I’m not dressed, and you promised breakfast.”
“Something isn’t right and I don’t know what it is. From the lobby or any floor, anyone can see our door. There is a back elevator over here for the staff that is safer.”
The buzz in the air became automated and time seemed to slow down as something raced next to her head. She blinked and realized she’d been shot at.
James shoved her out of the way. “Go.”
Yes. Her fingers dug into his skin and he pulled her toward the docks. She ran as fast as she could and jumped onto the first yacht she saw. He jumped onto the same ship. She could hardly breathe. “Why is someone shooting? Is it Navid?”
“We have to leave.” He made his way toward the cabin.
Inside, she’d be less likely to be shot. “Untie the rope or we’re not going anywhere.”
While he went to untie them from the dock, she raced into the control cabin and turned on the engine. On the monitor she saw James complete his task and without waiting another second, she drove the yacht out of its berth. When he entered the control cabin, James seemed surprised. “You know how to operate this thing?”
“Clearly.” Her family never went without, and that included yacht trips to the Caribbean as weekend getaways.
“The conference is over.” He took the seat beside her.
She made a tsk sound, but didn’t say anything else. A backup offer wasn’t worth losing her head over when her gut told her Braddock wouldn’t be a good investor. She drove further out to sea, but then looked at the gauges. “Our passports are in the hotel room.”
“How much gas do we have?”
They couldn’t dock at any US port in a stolen boat, and they’d need more gas to get to the nearest island.
“In our stolen yacht? About half. It won’t get us to the next island.”
He nodded then pointed at the phone on the control panel. “Call Braddock, Shepard, and Sophie. Tell them we’ll see them at the conference beach party tonight I saw on your conference schedule. I find it best to blend into the crowd, but I’ll need you to do everything I say and run into the hotel. We’ll get our passports and escape before anyone realizes.”
“That party will be packed. Good idea.” They needed a plan of action. Business, and in this case running for her life, required it. She narrowed her gaze to just his strong shoulders and face. “Where do we go?”
“If I get WIFI, I can get my helicopter here and it will get us to the airport.”
“Of course. And it’s bulletproof?”
“Years? I’ve been waiting for Navid Barampour to come at me since I met him years ago.”
“You thought he’d come at you again and it wasn’t a one time encounter?”
“I’ve never been surprised attack, not even in juvie.”
“Okay then.” The sarcasm in her voice dripped, but she could breathe a little easier knowing there was a plan. The single bullet that had missed her echoed in her mind. She reached out, ignoring how her hand shook, and turned off the gas, seeing no ships near them. “Well, I don’t think his bullets were intended only for me back on the beach.”
At breakfast, Navid seemed kind. She glanced at him. “What if it wasn’t Navid who was shooting at us?”
His eyebrows arched. “Who else would it be?”
“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling.” She turned and stared at him as she clutched her seat to hold still.
“In the desert, my job was to protect your brother. Navid broke my arm, but didn’t shoot me. When Maddox appeared to have blown up and we thought he died, he almost took Gabe out. Navid turned and pulled Gabe out of the fire. I went over and helped, but then he disappeared. I don’t know his side. I don’t trust him. If he’s after you, then this is about more than just a USB with a computer program on it.”
Her brother had made his own company based on his skills, and she had nothing to do with his work. “Navid said he ran an exclusive tech company.”
“How did your father make his fortune?”
“Daddy’s company refines foreign oil and ships it to America, Canada, Great Britain, and whoever offers him the most money.”
“Did your father ever visit the Middle East?”
“Yes, all over.”
She’d never been allowed to go with him on business. He’d said it was dangerous, but he’d never said people to kill him. She thought all that was in the past and that her parents were fine, but then Maddox shot at her parents. Her throat grew cold. She let go of her chair, but reached for her pendant as she tried to process what James had said.
Besides, who else would shoot them? With luck he was right, but that might not be good. It’d be easier to defend both of them if they knew who was shooting.
James broke the silence. “We need to do research on AMH and Navid.”
“I just don’t get the sense that he’s evil. He seems nice, but I could be wrong.”
“Prince Conner Udine has access to the CIA and FBI mainframes from treaties he’s made with the US. He’ll be able to find out more information on just who Navid is now that we have his name.”
“You didn’t know his name?”
“It was a surprise attack and no in the middle of the fight, we didn’t stop and introduce ourselves.”
“Oh okay. Well how will you get it to him?”
“I have an app on my phone, courtesy of your brother, but there’s no Wi-Fi out here.”
She stood up and glanced at the controls. The ship might have a built-in system. She searched the panels and turned on what seemed most likely. Picking up a slip of paper with login info, she handed it to James. “I don’t know if I want to talk to my brother, but I want us to get home.”
“My primary objective is to get you to safety.” He patted her lower back as thanks. He quickly typed in the passwords and opened the app her brother had apparently made.
Goose bumps grew on her arms. She hugged herself, hoping they’d dissipate. Out here she was safe. She swallowed. “I trust you.”
It was the truth. James was here to protect her, and it was time she let him.
CHAPTER 8
The yacht docked as music blared in the evening sky. Neither of them said anything as Scarlett shut off the engine and James tied the ship in the same dock. This was the plan.
He scanned the area and gave her a thumbs up. It was time to move.
As they walked closer, she heard the screams of the crowd singing to the refrain of the song a DJ wa
s playing on the beach. James returned to her side and offered her his hand. “Are you ready?”
She buried her face in the muscles of his shoulder. The heat from his body warmed her, though her heart raced in a different way. She stood on tiptoe and said, “No. Take me again.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What?”
A zap of energy rushed through her spine. “If I die today, I want to feel good.”
He placed his hand on the small of her back and her nerves dissipated. She took a deep breath and stared out at the evening sky. It was time. She let his fingers laced with hers remind her that she was safe.
“Scarlett,” he said, “if we make it to safety with my helicopter, I promise to rip all your clothes off and make you mine.”
A giggle escaped her lips. She held out her other hand and raised her pinkie finger. “Pinkie swear?”
“Are you twelve?” He made a tsk sound, shook her pinkie finger with his own, and a moment later reached out to open the door.
Her heart raced as she remembered the bullet from the last time. Her body refused to move and planted her feet into the ground. “Remember you pinkie swore. I’m scared, James.”
“You’ll be fine.” He opened the door and walked out first. “Okay. Let’s go.”
The spotlights of the party were on a crowd of dancing beachgoers. James held her hand and walked her into the crowd. They made a beeline toward the steps to the hotel lobby, but then someone grabbed her arm. She pulled James and they both stopped. She let go of his hand and wrapped herself around his frame as she said, “Braddock, it’s good to see you.”
He didn’t look at her again and instead spoke to James. “The party is perfect. Everyone is thankful for the open bar.”
James held her close and with his chin motioned for them to go. “I can see that. I’m just happy to celebrate our wedded bliss on the beach in an event like this.”
Her mind raced but she said, “Excuse us. We’ll be right back. I forgot my shawl for this evening.”
“See you soon,” Braddock called out. She felt her body grow cold—she was sure he only meant that for James.
Tropical Tryst: 25 All New and Exclusive Sexy Reads Page 14