She laughed. “No only means no when the woman says it.”
“That’s sexist,” he complained.
“Come on, Jack. When was the last time you said no to a willing woman?”
He cursed some more.
“That wasn’t an answer.”
“I care about you, Pest. We grew up together.”
So that was his excuse? He still thought she was a kid? She let her voice go husky, realizing that flirting with Jack was not only fun, but a great way to let off steam. “I’m all grown up now.” She shimmied just a little in her seat. “Or haven’t you noticed?”
“Must you do that?” Jack practically growled at her. It was bad enough that Piper didn’t have clothes on. Worse still that she wanted to make love, and he couldn’t think of one good reason to refuse her that wouldn’t insult her. Jack didn’t have many rules in his life, but he did have one. He didn’t do virgins. Ever. He liked his women experienced and knowing the score. And since Piper had hinted that she was still a virgin, her innocence was more than enough to set him running in the opposite direction, except he’d committed to helping her clear her name.
How the hell had he gotten into this mess? He was supposed to be on vacation, hitting the beach and the sack with some eager and experienced stranger. Instead he was trapped with the girl next door—who oh-so-obviously was no longer a girl, but a full-grown woman with sex on her mind.
“Must I do what?” she asked.
“Jiggle.”
“You needn’t insult me.” She sounded prim and proper and hurt, but he knew better than to apologize. He much preferred that she think him a slimeball. Then she wouldn’t encourage a certain uncontrollable part of his anatomy to demand more than its fair share of his blood supply. It wasn’t as if he could sit on his erection and hide his reaction to her.
He threaded a hand through his hair and grimaced at the irony. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d said no to a luscious, ripe, willing female over the age of consent. But he would do so now. Somehow. And if holding back made him ornery and grumpier than his usual lovable self, she would just have to put up with him.
“Jack.”
“Now what?”
“How much gas do we have?”
“Enough.” No way would he turn on the dash lights.
“So how is Logan getting us fake ID?”
Jack liked this subject much better. Maybe business would distract him. “Logan knows the right people.”
“But he doesn’t know what I look like.”
“One of our team members can hack into the Department of Motor Vehicles’ computer system with one hand tied behind his back. Ryker will get your real photograph and Logan will dub it onto your new ID.”
She didn’t say a word. “What?” he asked.
“I’m trying to count how many laws we’re breaking.”
“You need to look at this as self-defense.”
“Right. Hacking into the Department of Motor Vehicles is self-defense.”
“It is if the fake ID saves your life.”
“It’s my reputation that’s in danger, not my life,” she argued.
“Have you forgotten that someone followed us to Leroy’s house and tried to burn us alive?”
“I haven’t forgotten. But we don’t have one shred of evidence that anyone knew we were there.”
“Have you forgotten the tracking device? You heard it beeping.”
“I heard beeps. I have only your word what caused those beeps.”
“So you think it was a coincidence that an arsonist started that fire in Leroy’s house just when we happened to be there?”
“We have no evidence.”
That was the police officer in her talking. No doubt the department had drilled into her that she couldn’t put criminals away without a legal chain of admissible evidence. But sometimes the Shey Group had to use other methods to complete their missions. “Look, we’ll get your evidence.”
Piper leaned forward and pressed the button to open the glove compartment.
“Don’t.”
He spoke too late. The box popped open and the tiny light inside came on, illuminating his spare gun, a map of Florida and a box of condoms. “Well, well. So not only have you taken up a criminal lifestyle—”
“I’m not a criminal.”
“—you’re a liar, too. I believe the last man who used those exact words was President Nixon—right before he resigned.”
Piper removed the gun, checked the load and held the gun by her leg.
“Expecting trouble?” Jack asked, refusing to apologize when he’d only been trying to protect her.
“One never knows what kind of snake might be lurking just around the next corner…or be sitting right next to me.”
He deserved that. However, he had no intention of defending himself. Her anger at his lie would prevent her from flirting with him.
So her next comment took him aback. “You wanted me to find those condoms, didn’t you?”
“Excuse me? I didn’t know you were going to open the glove compartment.”
“You want me angry at you.” She spoke aloud, ignoring his protest, but almost as if she was figuring him out as she went along. “Are you afraid of me, Jack?”
Damn. Damn. Damn. He didn’t want to go there. Now was not the time for self-analysis. He preferred to keep things simple. He’d always protected Piper, and he would continue to do so. Period. The sooner he finished this case, the sooner they could part ways. End of story.
He killed his headlights and drove into the airport. His internal clock told him he’d driven around long enough to give Logan the hour he’d needed to make arrangements. Logan had contacts in every part of the world. The man’s PalmPilot, locked in a safe inside his office, contained the names and phone numbers of Supreme Court judges, CIA agents, cops, criminals, spies, test pilots, lawyers and doctors, even a Navajo chief. Logan’s influence reached from NASA to the White house to the Kremlin. He knew the names of maids, drivers, chefs, ex-marines and bank presidents, many who owed the Shey Group favors. Jack just hoped that this pro bono operation hadn’t drawn undue attention.
Hopefully, no one had followed them. But Jack preferred not to take any chances. And since Piper was comfortable with a weapon, he didn’t hesitate to leave her behind.
He parked the car behind a fuel shed and turned off the motor. He left the keys in the ignition. “Stay here.”
“Wait.”
“What? You want me to kiss you goodbye?”
She ignored his sarcasm. “What do I do if you don’t come back?”
“You get out fast. Then hit the redial button on my cell and call Logan for help.”
“Okay.”
Jack slipped out of his seat.
“Jack.”
“What?”
“Be careful, okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Jack.”
“Now what?”
Her tone was whispered, yet husky. “Would it really kill you to kiss me goodbye?”
By the lilt in her tone he knew she was teasing him again. He shook his head and headed toward the helicopter, but he still heard her say, “You have no idea what you’re missing.”
Great. He didn’t need to think about kissing her. This pickup might or might not be dangerous. However, until he knew what or who was waiting out there for him, he needed to keep his wits about him.
Jack didn’t rush. He merged into the deep shadows of an airplane, stopped and listened. Crickets chirped. Frogs croaked. And the balmy Gulf breeze seemed to mock him.
He zigzagged toward the helicopter.
PIPER NEEDED THE TIME away from Jack to get her thoughts together. She’d never acted so boldly before. What was happening to her to cause her to flirt so brazenly with Jack? She’d dated before, of course, but she’d never been serious with anyone. And she’d never come on to a guy as she had with Jack. But with him, flirting came spontaneously, and she’d forgotten that she was a twenty-five
-year-old virgin pretending to be a more experienced woman.
Exchanging banter with Jack was fun and came more naturally to her than she’d ever believed possible. It was almost as if being freed from the rules and regulations of a police officer’s life had opened up new possibilities she’d never seen before.
And she liked Jack. Trusted him in a way that surprised her. It must have to do with their history. Although she’d pestered Jack unmercifully through the years, he’d always been kind to her. And when the chips were down he’d always protected her, charging to her rescue before she’d even thought to ask for his help.
So now she trusted him enough to want him to take her virginity—only, he’d said he didn’t want her.
Yeah, right.
However inexperienced she might be, she’d have to have been blind not to have seen the part of his anatomy that had told a different story.
However, Jack seemed to have his own agenda—one that didn’t include knowing her intimately.
After so many years of waiting to make love, she shouldn’t be impatient now. She’d never been one to go gaga over some guy. She’d always been practical. And she’d never been in lust.
Until now. Perhaps being naked had stimulated her hormones. Perhaps it was being naked with Jack. She only knew she longed to touch him and have him touch her.
But Jack had refused her with a grumpiness that told her saying no hadn’t been so easy for him. Good. Time would work in her favor. She’d wear down his resistance and, without another woman for him to turn to, she’d be willing to bet her badge—if she still had it—that the Jack Donovan she knew and wanted in her bed wouldn’t hold out against her wishes for all that long.
He’d been gone only a few minutes, but the seconds had ticked away like days. Despite his competence and the gun in his hand, she couldn’t help being concerned.
His last instructions notwithstanding, she wouldn’t drive off and leave him here. Not when she had a loaded gun.
“Psst. It’s me.” Jack stepped out of the shadows fully clothed in a dark shirt, skintight jeans and shoes.
“Any problems?” she asked, feeling more naked now that he was dressed and she wasn’t. How ridiculous. Irrational. And she was glad the darkness hid her nipples, which had suddenly pebbled into hard buds.
“Went off without a hitch—” he scratched his ankle “—except that I have a few ant and mosquito bites.”
“You okay?”
“The sting’s not that bad.” Without looking her way, he tossed a duffel bag into her lap. “Help yourself.”
Jack turned his back, although why she couldn’t be sure, since he’d already seen everything she had to offer. He had to be more affected by her than he pretended, or he wouldn’t be so set on keeping his distance.
One thing she knew about Jack was his taste in women. He liked them easygoing and easy to say goodbye to. So maybe, just maybe, he had feelings for her that scared him away from seeing her as a woman rather than a pesky little kid.
With a sigh she pulled out a sweatshirt. Too hot for that. She found a soft cotton T-shirt and jeans, a bra and panties. Everything smelled brand-new and fit perfectly. Even the sneakers.
“I’m dressed.”
Jack motioned her to follow him. She placed his gun in her duffel along with the box of condoms from the glove compartment. Jack stowed their belongings and a laptop inside the trunk of a two-door white BMW.
“Wow. Your boss sure does things first-class.”
“We don’t need to risk being pulled over because of broken taillights.” He handed her a soft leather purse. “You’ll find new identification with your driver’s license and social security card inside. You should memorize the new information.”
“Is a fake ID really necessary?”
“I don’t know who or what we’re up against yet.” He slipped back into the driver’s seat. “I’ve reserved two rooms for us at the beach.”
He placed a slight emphasis on the word two.
“Adjoining rooms?” she asked, more to bug him than because she wanted to know.
“No.” He revved the engine and pulled out of the private airport. “But I’m right next door.”
“In case I need you?” she teased.
“Right.”
“So you can comfort me if I have any nightmares?”
“No, so I can spank you if you misbehave.”
She could have sworn he’d blushed. Too bad there wasn’t more light so she could be certain. Curious, she glanced at him. “Are you into that kind of thing?”
“I was kidding.”
“So then why are you blushing?”
“Oh, for the love of…” He’d been driving under the speed limit, his body relaxed, even with her hazing. But he suddenly stiffened, his head snapping up, his foot pressing down on the gas.
“What’s wrong?”
“We’ve picked up a tail. Let’s hope this airport has a security guard who is curious about our presence.”
“We haven’t done anything wrong. Why are you speeding again?”
“Because I’m not sure who’s back there, or how they found us.”
“You want me to take off my clothes again?”
“No.”
“Why don’t you spin around so we can find out who’s back there?”
“Not while you’re with me.”
She didn’t bother keeping the irritation from her voice. “While I’m with you? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Logan would have my ass if I led a client into danger.”
“And you always obey your boss’s orders?”
Jack chuckled. “Damn straight.”
She didn’t believe him. “More likely you’re careful not to get caught breaking Logan’s rules.”
“He doesn’t have many, and he trusts the men who work for him.”
She snorted. “He trusts you?”
“Those are fighting words, woman.”
“In less than two hours you’ve already lied to me once. About the condoms that you don’t keep in your glove compartment.”
Jack swung a hard left. “Can you nag me later? I’m a little busy right now.”
“How convenient,” she muttered. Naturally Jack chose not to hear her. He’d sounded insulted when she’d claimed he wasn’t trustworthy. Good. She liked getting under his skin. She liked touching his skin even better. And decided that the best way to wear down his resistance was to touch him often.
With another driver she might have been concerned over the car behind them, but she had no doubts that Jack would lose the other car. He had the nerves of a high-stakes poker player and the instincts of a NASCAR driver. However, if she’d been making the decisions, she would have been more inclined to find out who was following them.
But maybe she was too close to the situation. She wanted a quick solution to her problem, so she could move on with her life. Any decision she made would be based as much on emotion as logic.
Being fired from the police force wasn’t like being fired from most other jobs. For one thing, no other police department would hire her unless they were desperate. But the worst was that cops were tight with one another, serving as both family and friends. They shared a sense of community and closeness that she missed more than she had ever thought she would.
So it was only natural for her to turn to Jack for comfort and friendship. And separate rooms or not, she intended to sleep next to him tonight.
Chapter Six
When the car behind them had made a U-turn and headed back into the airport, Jack had relaxed. Almost positive that the vehicle was simply airport security, he’d still driven a circuitous route before parking at the beachfront motel he’d chosen because they’d remodeled last year and boasted a high-speed Internet connection in their advertisements. And the laptop Logan had provided could access the more complex computer system back at the Payne house.
Piper reached for the cell phone he’d placed in the console between them. “I need to c
all my parents.”
“Not a good idea.”
“Why?”
“Their phone is probably tapped, and if you call, we might be traced here.”
“Look, if I don’t show up by tomorrow morning, my parents will be frantic with worry. I can’t do that to them, and besides, they’ll undoubtedly report me as a missing person. Knowing Mom, by tomorrow afternoon my face will be plastered all over the news.”
He placed his hand over hers. “Can you talk for less than ten seconds?”
“Sure.”
“There’s another way to get a message to them tonight.”
“Without sending smoke signals?”
“We’ll reroute through a third party. Bounce the signal from satellite to satellite.”
“You can do that through a cell phone?”
“Think about what you want to say. The call will cut off automatically within twelve seconds to avoid any possibility of a trace.”
He dialed about twenty numbers into his cell phone. During his career with the Shey Group he’d often used this tactic. The codes he pressed routed the call through twenty cities, five time zones and four satellites, but when her father answered the phone his voice came through loud and clear over the speaker. “Hello.”
“Dad, didn’t want you to worry. I’ll be gone for a few days. Give my love to Mom?”
“Sure. You okay?”
“I’m good. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” She clicked the phone off with five seconds to spare.
Logan glanced at her. “You sure that’s going to be enough to reassure them?”
“My parents always ask if I’m okay when I call in from a date or am out late. I’m good is our code.”
“What does it mean?”
“I’m fine, having a good time.”
“And if you want to indicate otherwise?”
“I say, I’m good to go. That means I want to come home, and Dad would think up some emergency and demand that I be back home soon.”
“That works?”
“Like a charm. I haven’t had to use it often, but no guy wants the entire police department out hunting him.”
Saving the Girl Next Door Page 7