by Nina Croft
Astonishment held her speechless for a minute. She swallowed, clearing the lump in her throat. “Why would I want to do that?”
He shrugged one elegant shoulder. “You can shadow me, ask me any questions you want, see for yourself how the company really works.”
“It won’t take me five days to do that.”
“We’re in the middle of negotiating a new set of government contracts. Isn’t that what you’re interested in? I seem to remember you asked about ‘allegations of corruption’ at our last meeting.”
“You remember? I wasn’t sure…” She hesitated; she hadn’t been certain until that point that he’d been aware of their prior meeting. But it seemed he knew it had been her in Afghanistan. Whatever she thought of him, she owed him for that. “You saved my life. I never got the chance to thank you.”
“And would you like to now?” He considered her for a moment. “Do you know that in some cultures, if you save a person’s life, that person belongs to you?” His voice had lowered to a husky drawl that seemed to promise all sorts of carnal delights.
She fisted her hands, her nails digging into her palms. “Luckily, we don’t live in one of those cultures. But you do have my thanks.”
“No need. It was an instinctive response.”
She shook her head, her brain working furiously. Something about Caden Wolfe set her on edge, tipped her off balance. The idea of spending more time with him made her stomach churn. On the other hand, she wanted this story. Her gut instinct told her there was something not right about Stormlord Securities, and he was giving her the perfect opportunity to investigate. But why would he do that? It didn’t make sense, unless he believed he had everything buried so deep she would never dig it up.
If so, he was underestimating her, and she’d get her story.
But five days? She glanced across at where he lounged watching her, and her tummy did a little flip. “I could sit in on some meetings, I suppose.”
“This is an all or nothing offer. Twenty-four/seven. Starting now.”
“You’ve got to be kidding—you expect me to stay with you twenty-four hours a day?”
“And night.” His voice dropped again to that husky drawl, and she shivered. Then he smiled, a slow curl of his lips. “But don’t worry. I’m not suggesting you sleep with me.”
Sleep hadn’t actually entered her thoughts. It had been five years since her last relationship imploded, since Josh had given her the ultimatum to make some sort of commitment or it was over between them.
So it had been over between them, and she hadn’t slept with anyone since. And strangely, she hadn’t missed the sex.
Until now.
Only force of will kept her from squirming in her seat. Her breasts ached and heat was pooling low in her belly. She looked away, out the window where snow was swirling down, willing the coldness into her blood. “So what are you suggesting?”
“We have an apartment for visitors. You can stay there. That’s the offer—take it or leave it.”
“Why? Why make the offer at all?”
“Because we have nothing to hide. But bad publicity can seriously damage a company, especially one in as sensitive a business as ours. Tell me—what happened to the last company you ‘investigated’?”
“They went out of business. Look, I’m not even sure I’d get the go-ahead for this. You’re not the only story I’m working on.”
“I’ve already discussed it with your editor. He’s quite willing to lend you to me for as long as it takes.”
“What? When? He never mentioned it to me.”
“We spoke just before you arrived.”
She nibbled on her lip; it looked like she didn’t have any choice in this. If Patrick had already agreed, she was stuck with it. Especially when she had insisted she wanted to stay on the story.
“Okay, it looks like I’m your shadow for the next five days.” Her brows drew together, and she regarded him suspiciously. “But don’t let this life-saving thing go to your head. I don’t belong to you, and I’m not your property, Mr. Wolfe.”
He smiled. “The thought never entered my mind.”
***
Mine.
The word screamed through his brain. Cade kept the smile firmly fixed on his face while he struggled with the overwhelming urge to drag her into his arms and show her just how much she belonged to him.
Now and forever.
“Of course you’re not my property,” he lied. “And please, call me Cade. And I’ll call you Phoebe.”
“You will?”
She definitely sounded suspicious. Unlike his Eleni, who had trusted everyone. Did she feel anything for him? He desperately needed some sign that there was hope.
He studied her; the black pants that hugged the curve of her hips were tucked into knee length boots. On top she wore a jade green sweater and a black leather jacket. Her blond hair was cut off blunt at the shoulder, framing a heart-shaped face, pointed chin with a deep dimple, dark brown eyes flecked with gold, and a small full mouth reddened where she had worried it with her teeth.
She was so close. Breathing in deeply, he filled his lungs with the sweet, intoxicating scent of her. He caught a trace of something else, the musky scent of her arousal, and his gums ached with the need to taste her. His cock stiffened in his pants, his balls aching viciously, and he dropped his hands to his lap to hide the evidence while he fought for control.
She wanted him. He could sense it. Excitement warred with fear. He could give in to neither. If he allowed her to glimpse even a fraction of what he was feeling, he had an idea she would bolt. The thought doused the fire burning in his belly.
When he was sure he could do so without embarrassing himself, he stood up. “So we have a deal then?” He held out a hand to her.
“It appears so.” She looked at his outstretched hand but didn’t make a move. “I’m going to have to head back to my apartment first, pick up some stuff, and make a stop at the office to clear my desk.”
“I have a car and driver waiting downstairs for you.” He wanted to go with her, but he thought it might appear odd. And besides, he was sure that Lilith would be watching him, and he didn’t want to draw attention to Phoebe. So he’d satisfied himself by appointing Finn as her bodyguard and chauffeur. Finn would take care of her.
Her brows drew together. “A car? You were so certain I’d agree?”
“I did my research. I was told you were fair but would do anything for a good story.”
Her frown deepened. “Not quite anything.”
He smiled at the suspicion in her voice. “Don’t worry—I’ll not ask you for anything you’re unwilling to give.”
“Why doesn’t that make me feel any better,” she muttered. But she pushed herself up and held out a hand to him.
He took it in his own, tightened his fingers around her, and a jolt of shock ran through him. Her eyes widened—she must have felt it as well. She tugged at her hand, but he held on for a moment longer, willing her to remember.
In the end, he had to let her go. She flexed her fingers, wiped her palm surreptitiously down the leg of her pants, and gave a little shake of her head.
“Right, I’ll be leaving then.”
He nodded, then turned and stood staring out the windows, hands clenched at his sides while he listened to her walk away.
The door clicked shut, and he whirled around and stared hungrily after her. She felt something. He knew she did.
But would it be enough to break through the barriers of time and death?
***
Phoebe pressed the button for the elevator then held out her hand in front of her. It still tingled where he had clasped it and a fine tremor was visible. She took a few deep breaths, trying to pull herself together. What was it about the man that set her so off balance? He was gorgeous, but she’d interviewed gorgeous men before and not been affected in the least.
She glanced over her shoulder, half expecting him to come after her, but the double doors rem
ained closed. No way could she let him affect her. She needed to stay objective if she wanted to do this story.
The elevator doors slid open. A man stood, obviously waiting for her. He wore faded jeans, boots, and a long black leather trench coat. Tall, with overlong blond hair, and gray eyes. Despite the differences in coloring, he reminded her of Cade. She’d seen him somewhere before, and it came to her—he was the same bodyguard who had helped her after the explosion in Afghanistan.
He held out a hand. “I’m Finn.”
She took it cautiously, anticipating that same jolt of shock she had experienced with Cade, but she felt nothing except the warmth of his palm against hers. Relief washed through her.
Finn grinned. “Cade asked me to look after you.”
“I don’t need looking after.” She pulled her hand free and stalked into the elevator.
Chapter Four
Day 2
He hadn’t been lying. He expected her to shadow him.
The first day was—thankfully—nearly over. Exhaustion tugged at her mind. Cade never stopped. She’d sat in on all his meetings, but so far, she had nothing. Everything was above board and on the level. But then he was hardly likely to do anything underhanded right in front of her. In which case, how was she supposed to get her story? He glanced up and raised an eyebrow when he caught her staring. “Disappointed?” he asked.
She frowned. “In what?”
“That I haven’t lied, bribed, or otherwise behaved in despicable manner.”
“Yes.”
He gave a short burst of laughter at her answer. Then he peered at her closely. “You look tired.”
“I’m fine.”
“Did you sleep okay? I was going to check up on you last night, but thought you might construe it the wrong way, and I wanted you to relax.”
Relax?
Was he crazy? She wasn’t going to admit that she’d been on edge all evening waiting for him to show up.
Finn had driven her back. He’d been a good companion, though he’d refused to open up about Cade—except to say that they had known each other a long time—and she’d relaxed in his presence, as she suspected she never would around Cade.
She hadn’t seen Cade again, but Finn had showed her to the apartment she was to stay in and left her there. The place was luxurious, and the fridge well stocked, but she’d put off eating anything, expecting Cade to, if not turn up, then call her, and suggest they eat together.
When she’d finally accepted that it wasn’t going to happen, she’d had to contend with an extremely unwelcome dose of disappointment. She’d told herself she was an idiot, taken a long hot bath in an attempt to soothe herself, and gone to bed.
After hours of tossing and turning, she’d managed to sleep, only to have her old nightmare return to haunt her.
Now, she glanced from Cade to her laptop, trying to avoid remembering what had come next. But the dream was still imprinted indelibly on her mind.
She was tied to a stake, and all around her, a mob was jeering, calling for her death.
Why did they hate her so?
One man approached, triumph in his dark eyes, a burning torch in his hand. He touched the flame to the branches piled around her. The crackle of the fire sounded in her ears as the flames caught the pitch-soaked wood.
The stink of roasting flesh filled her nostrils as the fire licked at her limbs and her skin turned black and peeled from her bones. But the physical agony faded, insignificant compared to what she was feeling inside. Her heart was breaking. Her soul ripped from her body.
They’d dragged him away, but beneath the roar of the mob, she heard him calling. “Eleni—”
She opened her mouth to scream his name…and awoke, her skin clammy, nausea roiling in her gut. She’d rushed to the bathroom and been violently sick, heaving until there was nothing left in her stomach. The dream had lingered in her mind as it always did, but this time something was different. Eleni? She’d never heard the name before, had she? Not in her dreams, but something hovered at the edge of her mind.
Afterward, she hadn’t tried to go back to sleep, knowing from experience that it would be impossible. Instead she’d put on a pot of coffee, got out her laptop, and gone over her extensive notes on Stormlord Securities.
Now, eighteen hours later, she couldn’t suppress a yawn as the sleepless night and the busy day caught up with her. A dull ache throbbed at her temple, and she rubbed her forehead to ease the pain. Glancing up, she found Cade still watching her. He rose to his feet, and came around to stand in front of her.
“Are you sure you’re okay? You need to take things slowly.” He reached out a hand, and she took it without thinking, allowing him to tug her to her feet. “Let me look,” Cade said. “Please,” he added when she remained unmoving.
She bit her lip, but nodded and turned around.
His warm palm rested for a moment on her neck, then he tipped her head forward and ran his fingers through her hair, slowing as he felt the raised scar where she’d slammed into a rock that day in the compound. She closed her eyes at his touch.
“I should have been more careful,” he said.
“You saved my life.”
His fingers shifted to stroke down the line of her throat and little ripples of awareness shivered through her. For a moment, they rested on the spot where her neck met her shoulder, his thumb rubbing over the pulse point. Phoebe raised her head and opened her eyes. She stood, facing the floor-to-ceiling windows. The sun had set hours ago, and in the darkened glass, she saw their reflection.
Cade’s tall figure towered a good foot above her. His gaze caught hers in the glass, his eyes glowing, then he slowly lowered his head and kissed the side of her neck.
His lips were soft, and she felt the tip of his tongue, hot and moist, as it tasted her, tracing lazy patterns on her skin. The air was dragged from her lungs, and the strength seeped out of her limbs. His hands tightened on her shoulders as she swayed back against him.
What had happened to keeping everything on a professional level? She knew she needed to move, but stayed rooted to the spot while his mouth hardened against her. She could sense the tension radiating from him.
He drew back, and a small mewl of protest emerged from her lips. Then he turned her in his arms.
Now.
Now was the time to move. It wasn’t too late. She could just pick up her laptop and say goodnight. And tomorrow she could pretend this had never happened.
But she didn’t move. Instead, she stood impassive in his arms, her whole body yearning for him, her eyes roaming over his fierce beauty.
In her mind, she had a sudden image of that long, hard body on her, in her. The thought tightened her nipples, drenched her sex. She wanted to feel that more than anything in her life. As she swayed toward him, his eyes gleamed with a savage satisfaction, his fingers tightened on her upper arms, and he dragged her to him.
Her hands splayed on his chest, and beneath the silk she felt hard muscle, the rapid thud of his heart. All thoughts left her head as he leaned down and took her mouth with his.
She lost herself in his kiss. His palms glided down over the length of her back to cup her ass and pull her harder into him so his arousal pressed against her belly. It wasn’t enough, and his fingers dug into her upped arms. He lifted her slightly, backed her up against the cool glass of the window, and held her there with the strength of his rock hard body. His hands slid from her ass to her thighs, shifting her so his erection pushed at the core of her body and her insides turned molten. She rubbed herself against him, wrapping her legs around him, while her hands tangled in his hair, holding him. She was close—so close—the pleasure building inside her.
Cade kissed her mouth, her cheek, her eyes…small biting kisses, as though he wanted to devour her.
“Eleni…”
He whispered the name through the kisses. Phoebe went instantly still as the word broke through the fog of desire engulfing her, dousing her in a deluge of icy cold.
Her hands moved to his shoulders, and she pushed him away. For a moment, his grip tightened, then he loosened his hold, lowering her so she stood on her own feet again.
Pulling free of him, she took a shaky step forward, and another. Coming up against the desk, she put out a hand to the cool steel to steady herself, trying to clear her brain of the haze of lust and desire.
Eleni.
The name from her dream. And now, as her brain slowly began to function again, she remembered where she had heard it before. Cade had spoken it in the compound in Afghanistan, just before the world had exploded.
She glanced at him. He was watching her, his expression wary, though his dark eyes still glowed with residual desire. Regret nudged at her mind, but she forced it down. She needed to understand what was happening here. “Who’s Eleni?”
He didn’t answer the question. Instead, he crossed the room and poured them both a whisky, placing the glasses on the coffee table before sinking onto the sofa.
“Sit down,” he said.
She gritted her teeth. “I don’t want to sit down. I want to know who Eleni is.”
“Sit down, and I’ll tell you.” When she didn’t move he continued, a faint thread of impatience lacing his voice. “Sit down, Phoebe. I won’t touch you again…unless you want me to.”
The strange thing was she believed him. Trouble was, while she might trust Cade, she wasn’t so sure she trusted herself. Desire still burned in her blood, and it scared her. She’d never responded to anyone so hard and so fast. Always in the past, she had kept a small part of herself aloof.
She inched around and perched on the edge of the sofa as far from him as she could and clasped her hands on her lap.
“So…” she said when he didn’t speak.
“Eleni was my wife.”
A cold hard lump settled in her stomach. “You’re married?”
“I said ‘was.’ Eleni is dead. She died a long time ago.”
Phoebe scanned her brain for all that she had learned of Cade during her research. She had never once come across any reference to a wife. And why the hell would he call her by his wife’s name? She forced down her irritation; the poor woman was dead.