by Zara Keane
Each movement was more glorious than the one before. All the years and all the tension between them melted away, leaving only the here and now. The one part of their marriage that had always worked was their sex life. It seemed nothing had changed.
Mindy slipped a hand beneath him to cup his balls. She massaged them gently, relishing Cash’s groans of pleasure.
“You drive me crazy, woman,” he murmured against her neck.
“Not as crazy as you drive me.”
He drove into her harder. The pressure built inside Mindy to the point that she thought she’d explode. In the distance, she became aware of voices. “Hurry up, Cash. Someone’s coming.”
“Probably just our X-rated neighbors leaving their sauna.”
The voices came closer.
“I don’t think so,” she said and pulled him closer.
Cash put his lips to hers and kissed her thoroughly. With one final thrust, he came seconds before she did, and silenced her cry of pleasure with his kiss. He’d barely rolled off her when the door to the sauna was thrust open and a middle-aged couple strolled in, apparently oblivious to what the occupants of the upper bench had been doing seconds before.
Mindy tried to resist the urge to giggle, but failed.
Cash leaned in and whispered into her ear. “Who knew the sauna was so popular at this time of night? Do you want to go back to our room and have some privacy?”
She snuggled against his chest. “If having privacy is synonymous with having more sex, that sounds like an awesome plan.”
WHEN CASH’S alarm jolted him into consciousness at nine o’clock the next morning, he’d been in the middle of an erotic dream featuring a naked Mindy in a thermal bath. Last night’s shenanigans had done nothing to diminish his lust for her. Quite the opposite, in fact. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. At that moment, Mindy emerged from the bathroom, clad in a towel and nothing else. Cash’s thoughts immediately turned to sex.
“Hey, you,” Mindy said with a smile. “Want to grab some breakfast? I’m starving.”
He dragged his thoughts back to neutral territory. “Sure. Let me jump under the shower first, though.”
“Okay. I’ll use the time to get on my wig and makeup.” Her freshly blow-dried curls skimmed her shoulders as she sat at her dressing table and picked up the wig of shoulder-length brown hair that was part of her disguise. After securing her real hair with pins, she slipped the wig on and adjusted it until she was satisfied with the fit.
Cash dropped a kiss onto her shoulder. “I’ll be ready in five.”
He was as good as his word. Exactly five minutes later, he closed the hotel door behind them and escorted Mindy down to the breakfast room. Despite their late arrival, the restaurant was busy. A waiter ushered them to a cute little table by a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the lush green hotel gardens.
“Can we have the table by the door?” Cash asked, eyeing the window askance. He’d had enough shattered glass and bullets to last him a lifetime.
If the waiter was surprised by Cash’s preference for a less desirable table than the one by the window, he hid it well. “Of course, sir. Please follow me.”
“Can I bring you tea or coffee?” the waiter asked when they were seated.
They both ordered coffee, and Mindy settled back in her chair to peruse the menu. Before Cash checked out the breakfast options, he scanned the room. The hotel did not allow guests under the age of fourteen, and most of the people in the restaurant were adults. He noted the emergency exits and the security cameras subtly placed at discreet locations. Inspector Tobin was correct in his assessment of the Glenrae Spa Hotel: its security was top-notch.
Mindy’s phone vibrated with an incoming call. She glanced at the display and a smile lit up her face. “It’s Jason.”
Cash swallowed his resentment of her friend and coworker. It was unfair for him to feel jealous over Mindy and Jason’s closeness. They’d known each other since they’d been kids, after all.
“Hey, Jason,” Mindy said into her phone. “What’s up?”
Cash watched closely as her expression turned from cheerful to shocked, and then to annoyed.
“Are you sure?” she demanded, frown lines marring the perfection of her otherwise flawless forehead. “Did you check with passport security?” Her eyes met Cash’s, their expression guarded. “Okay. Thanks for keeping me in the loop. Talk later.”
After she’d placed the phone back on the table, she emitted a dramatic groan. “My mother.”
The memory of Mindy’s mention of passport security loomed large in Cash’s mind. “What’s Barbara done this time?”
Mindy blew out her cheeks and sighed. “It’s what she hasn’t done that’s the problem. Jason says she never got on the flight back to America.”
Cash’s eyebrows shot to the ceiling. “No way.”
“Yes way. When she didn’t arrive back at her apartment complex on time, the manager called Jason. At first, they thought she’d missed her connecting flight and was delayed, but it turns out she never even boarded the plane at Shannon Airport.”
“But I thought Jason escorted her to the airport?”
“Yeah, but he couldn’t go as far as the gate. He watched her go through security and assumed she’d boarded the flight.”
A prickle of unease settled between his shoulder blades and Cash weighed his next words with care. “Mindy, I know it’s an unpleasant thought, but have you considered that Barbara is your stalker?”
She shook her head. “Mom is eccentric, but there’s no way she possesses the know-how to blow up a car. And why would she want to kill me? I pay the rent on her apartment and cover her health insurance.”
“She could hire someone with the know-how she lacks. And as for why—” he leaned in and took her hand in his, “—how much would she inherit if you died?”
Mindy yanked her hand back, her face chalky white. “No. No way. Mom wouldn’t do this.”
Cash’s nose itched at the sudden scent of strong perfume. With a sense of impending doom, he swung around to see his former mother-in-law tottering toward them in impossibly high heels and a dress that was at least two sizes too small.
“Well, hello there,” Barbara Mann said, beaming at each of them in turn. “Don’t you two look cozy together?”
8
The floor seemed to shift beneath Mindy’s feet. Could Cash’s suspicions be correct? Was her mother responsible for Suzie’s death and the various attempts on her life? She took a shaky breath. “What are you doing here, Mom?”
“Why, I’m here to see you dear.” Barbara’s smile was as fake as the blinding white veneers on her teeth.
Mindy glared at the woman. “You’re supposed to be in Los Angeles. Why didn’t you get on that flight?”
Barbara’s expression of indignation did justice to the years of acting classes that had led precisely nowhere. “My only child was nearly killed. How could I get on a plane and abandon her in a foreign country?”
“How did you find us?” Cash demanded. “Did you follow us to our new hotel?”
His former mother-in-law ignored the question and gestured to a passing waiter. “Young man, could you please find two extra chairs for this table? That would be ever so kind.”
“No problem, ma’am.”
Before Mindy could voice her objection, the waiter grabbed two chairs from an empty table and placed them at Cash and Mindy’s.
“Would you like me to set two extra places?” the waiter asked.
“No,” Cash and Mindy said in unison at the same time Barbara said, “Yes.”
The waiter slow-blinked.
“That will be all for the moment,” Mindy said, noting relief on the waiter’s face as he backed away from the table of crazy Americans. Then she turned to her mother. “You’re not staying, Mom.”
Her mother sank into a chair with the air of a woman about to get comfortable. “Honey, I have a guest arriving in just a few minutes. He’ll ne
ed to ask you a few questions and maybe take a photo or two. You’ll need to ditch the wig first.”
“You followed me across Ireland to invite a journalist to have breakfast with me?” A searing rage coursed through Mindy’s body, making her hands clench around her coffee cup. “Are you out of your mind? Do you think I’m sitting here wearing a disguise for the hell of it? Staying at this hotel incognito was the alternative to moving to a safe house until my stalker is caught.”
Barbara waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. “You need publicity for your new show, right? You have a role in an ensemble cast. You need to do something to stand out. What better way to do it than make this heinous situation work for you? Give an interview detailing your upset over Suzie’s death and being forced to flee Ballybeg.”
“This isn’t a joke, Mom. The police suggested I come here for my safety. Your idea of ‘standing out’ involves publicity at any price, and that price might be my life or someone else’s.” The words left Mindy’s mouth before her brain could fully process their implication. It was true that Barbara believed all publicity was good publicity, even if it involved peddling footage of her drugged-out daughter nodding off during interviews, and uttering incoherent answers to questions that hadn’t been asked. But did Barbara’s quest for attention, vicarious or direct, extend to putting her daughter’s life in danger?
Under the table, Cash squeezed her hand. She met his gaze and a look of understanding passed between them. For the first time in forever, they were on the same page regarding how to handle Barbara.
“You followed us all the way from Ballybeg.” Cash phrased it as a statement, not a question. “That constitutes stalking in my book. How do we know you haven’t staged the attacks on Mindy?”
Had it not been for the circumstances, Mindy would have laughed at her mother’s expression of horror. Barbara’s hand fluttered to her throat. “I would never put my child in danger.”
“By coming here and inviting a journalist to join us, that’s exactly what you’ve done.” Mindy pushed back her chair and stood. “Go back to the States, Mom, and leave me alone.”
“Mindy, honey—”
Cash unfolded his tall frame from his chair and placed a palm on the small of Mindy’s back. It felt warm and reassuring. “I think that’s your journalist pal arriving now, Barbara. Enjoy your breakfast with him. Mindy and I won’t be joining you.”
Before Barbara could protest, Cash propelled Mindy into motion. When they reached the lobby, he said, “We need to leave. I’ll call Inspector Tobin and arrange an alternative place for us to stay.”
She bit her lip. “I’m sorry this job is causing you so much trouble.”
The lines around his blue eyes deepened. “This isn’t your fault. Your mother is ruthless in her pursuit of fame. She’s totally lost touch with reality if she thinks this is the moment to draw media attention to your location.”
They reached the elevator and stepped inside. When the doors slid shut, Mindy leaned against a wood-paneled wall. “I still can’t bring myself to believe she’d concoct a scheme with a fake stalker. Frankly, she doesn’t have the brains.”
“Whether or not Barbara is responsible, we need to tell Inspector Tobin that she turned up out of the blue and invited a journalist to meet you.”
The elevator pinged their arrival. “That will put her on his list of suspects,” Mindy said as they stepped out of the elevator.
“After her shenanigans this morning,” Cash said, grim-faced, “she belongs on that list. I’m sorry, babe, but there it is. Her behavior is not normal, even by Barbara’s low standards. As soon as the police can arrange a new car and place to stay, we’re out of here. Do you have an alternative disguise to wear?”
For the first time since encountering her mother, Mindy’s mouth curved into a smile. “Oh, I can find one. But I’m not sure you’re going to like what I have in mind.”
TWO HOURS LATER, Cash pulled into the visitors’ parking lot at Glendalough. He fingered his leprechaun T-shirt and matching shorts and shuddered. “I can’t believe I agreed to wear this outfit. The Glenrae Spa Hotel was a classy joint. Why would they stock this monstrosity in their gift shop?”
Mindy flashed him a wicked grin. “To cater to stereotypical American couples on honeymoon—which is exactly what we’re pretending to be.”
“Do Europeans seriously think all American newlyweds waltz around in matching outfits?”
“I guess so,” she replied cheerfully. “Hey, I’m stuck in the same leprechaun ensemble and I’m not complaining.”
“I’m starting to rethink this whole plan,” Cash said gloomily. “We should head straight for the cottage the police booked for us and forget about visiting tourist attractions.”
“You just want to ditch the leprechauns. Assuming the stalker followed my mother to the spa hotel, the last place he or she would expect to find us is out in the open at a tourist spot like Glendalough.”
She had a point, but Cash didn’t like it. Hiding in plain sight was all very well in theory, but he wasn’t convinced it made for a sound plan in practice. He double-checked his weapon and ammo before getting out of the car. The one saving grace of the leprechaun outfit was the light green jacket that allowed him to wear his holster and sidearm unobtrusively underneath. Before choosing a path to follow, they picked up tourist brochures from the visitors’ center. Mindy opened hers and read aloud. “Glendalough means ‘Valley of Two Lakes’. It sounds charming. This is the place with the monastic settlement. It’s on the list of places we’ll be filming next month.”
Cash reached out and tugged a bright red curl. “Nice job with the red wig and crazy makeup, by the way. I almost didn’t recognize you.”
She laughed. “I look terrible. No professional makeup artist would contour like this but, hey, I got the job done.”
The walk from the visitors’ center to the ruins of the monastic settlement took just a few minutes. Cash had never been particularly interested in history, but the ruins fascinated Mindy, especially the round tower, and her enthusiasm was infectious.
“The round tower was used to protect the people during Viking raids,” she said, looking up from her brochure. “See how the door is up so high? The monks used a rope ladder to climb up with their valuables and provisions, then pulled the rope inside before the enemy arrived.”
“Clever,” he said, pausing to admire an elaborate Celtic cross. “Where do you want to go next? I like the sound of the two lakes.”
“If we follow that path—” Mindy pointed to a winding track past the monastic settlement, “—we should reach the first lake in fifteen to twenty minutes.”
“Walking at your pace or at mine?” he teased.
Her eyes crinkled with amusement, and he wanted to kiss her all over again. “Let’s find out.”
As it happened, they made it to the lake within a quarter of an hour. Mindy walked at a deliberately fast pace, breaking into a jog at spots. Cash, whose long legs always moved at a rapid speed, laughed. “I’m happy to slow down for you.”
“No,” she puffed. “Exercise is good for me. We’ve been so busy filming, I haven’t had a chance to use the hotel gym since I arrived in Ireland. Unlike you, I wasn’t blessed with a high metabolism, and I suspect the diet pills didn’t help. I have to make an effort to keep my figure.”
His gaze skimmed over her curves, resting on her breasts. “You have a great body.”
“You just want to get me naked again.”
He laughed. “Of course I do.”
When they reached the first lake, Mindy took a long drink from her water bottle. “It’s so beautiful here. I love how the mountains and trees are reflected on the water. The effect makes it appear bigger than it actually is. Alfonso is planning to shoot a scene at this lake next month. I can see why he chose this spot.”
He slipped an arm around her shoulders. “A scene that will hopefully include you.”
Mindy blinked back unshed tears. “I’m selfish to be thin
king of my job when people could be hurt.”
“Worrying about your career isn’t being selfish. I’m sorry I implied that yesterday. I was being an ass.”
“You were right, though. Unlike many people, I won’t starve if the work dries up. I learned my lesson from The Mindy Show. For the six years I worked on Once and Forever, I saved most of my earnings. And when my role grew more popular, I negotiated an increased rate of pay per episode. I never want to be where I was when The Mindy Show money ran out.”
“You won’t. You’re clever and you’ve learned from your mistakes.” Cash took her hands in his. “Which is why you’ll take my advice and stay in a safe location with me for a while longer, even if that means losing the role of Gwynyvere.”
She nodded. “Of course I will. I don’t have a choice. Alfonso doesn’t want me on the set if I endanger him and everyone else, and I really don’t want to be responsible for another person getting killed.”
“You could be killed, remember? You’re the target.”
“Yes, and I don’t understand why. There are many actresses who are a lot more successful than I am. Why did this guy—I’m assuming it’s a guy—pick me?” Her voice shook with emotion and her eyes were wet with unshed tears. “What did I ever do to deserve having a bomb put under my car, or shots fired through my hotel room window?”
He squeezed her hand, wishing he could take away all her hurt and fears. “Trying to apply logic to a deranged mind won’t work. All we can do is work with what we know and hope that the police apprehend the perp before anyone else gets hurt.”
Her gaze drifted over the lake. “I don’t want you put in danger again, Cash. When that bullet grazed you, I was terrified.”
He’d been terrified, too—that she’d be hurt, that he’d lose her all over again. He dropped a kiss onto her hand. “I’m your bodyguard, remember? It’s my job to take care of you. The best way to do that is to make sure nothing happens to either one of us.”