“I’ll settle for the next two days,” Jack answered, jolting her from her thoughts. When her gaze met his, she found nothing easy, charming, or remotely cute about the predatory look in his eyes. “For now….”
His words trailed off, hovering in the thick air. Ellie blinked then reached for the highball glass in front of him. The paper napkin clung to the sweaty glass. Ice cubes tinkled. Her nose wrinkled as she inhaled a whiff of mint. She winced when the sugared bourbon touched her tongue.
“Eugh!” Squeezing her eyes shut, Ellie fell back in her seat, pulling her hand from his. “Buy me a drink, Rudolph?”
His grin collapsed into a perplexed frown. “Aren’t we leaving?”
Ellie shot him an appraising look, trying to smother her smile. “White wine, please.”
“But—”
“Buy me a drink, and I’ll give you a prize,” she said, her singsong tone carrying over a burst of boisterous laughter.
Jack shifted in his seat and reached for his mint julep, sliding the sticky napkin back to his side of the table. Ellie watched as he tried to stifle his natural curiosity. “A prize?”
“A good one.”
His eyebrows jumped and his fingers curled. Ellie hid her smile when he uncoiled his lanky frame, rising with carefully controlled deliberation, holding her pink hat in his big hands. “White wine?”
She snatched the bonnet from his crushing grasp. “Yes, please.”
While Jack jostled his way through the throng at the bar, Ellie studied the cryptic scribbles on the racing form. By the time he returned, she still hadn’t found the key to deciphering his hieroglyphics.
Ellie glanced up after he placed the chilled glass in front of her. “Thank you.”
Jack slid back into his chair. “What’s the prize?”
“Did you pick the winner?” she asked, tapping the magazine.
“I have one in mind.” He took a quick sip of his julep and smacked his lips. “What’s the prize?”
“How did your meetings in Chicago go? Is the case going okay?”
Her question stopped him cold. Ellie blinked in surprise as the avid curiosity in his eyes gave way to wary watchfulness. Jack cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. Blunt fingertips drummed the tabletop.
“Uh, El….”
His already deep voice seemed to drop another octave, and a shiver of dread tickled her spine. “Uh-oh. This doesn’t sound good.”
“There wasn’t really a case in Chicago,” he said in a rush.
Ellie’s heart stutter-stepped. “There wasn’t?”
“I just…I just told you there was a case because I wasn’t sure how things were going to work out.”
Her eyes widened and panic clawed at her throat. “Oh….”
“But, now I think….” Humiliation clambered over panic and lodged in her airway like a boulder. “I mean, I’m pretty sure—”
“Oh God,” she whispered. Ellie turned her head and blinked back a scalding surge of tears.
“I’m transferring to the Chicago offices.”
A tear slipped free as her head whipped around to face him. Jack gave her an uncertain smile, hope lighting his dark eyes. “Transferring?” The word tumbled from her parted lips in a breathy rush.
“I know it’s not perfect, and I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for sure. I just found out the day before yesterday.” He shrugged, a sheepish grin twitching his lips. “I thought I’d tell you in person.”
“Chicago.”
Jack reached for her hands. “I know you’ll be here for at least a year or so, and I thought… Well, it’s closer. A lot easier to get to Louisville from Chicago than it is from Oklahoma City.”
“But—”
“Your family is there, so that’ll make things a little easier too. You won’t have to choose between visiting them and coming to see me.”
Ellie clamped her mouth shut, her gaze dropping to their hands. Broad palms and long, strong fingers all but engulfed her hands. The tears came back with a vengeance, clogging her throat, paralyzing her tongue, flooding her eyes.
“And it’s a promotion… Kind of,” he added in a rush.
“I thought you were dumping me,” she whispered, unable to meet his gaze.
“Dumping you? Are you nuts?”
The horror in his tone gave her the strength she needed. Ellie’s weak smile broke through the veil of tears blurring her vision. “Well, you have to admit, it didn’t sound good, Rudolph.”
Jack released her hands abruptly. He rubbed his palms together then wrung his fingers. “Jesus, Ellie, why would you think that?”
“Well, I don’t know!” She dashed the tears from her cheeks and glared at him. “How do I know you didn’t meet someone new? Someone closer or easier, or whatever! For all I know, you could have some kick-ass Amazon FBI agent chick stashed away somewhere!”
“Kick-ass Amazon FBI chick?”
The chuckle in his voice earned him what she hoped was a truly nasty scowl. “Someone who doesn’t need a step ladder and a crash helmet to change a light bulb,” she muttered, averting her face.
He reached for her hands again. “Elfie….”
His voice cracked, piercing her heart with its jagged edges. Jack pulled on her hands, demanding her attention by practically hauling her across the table. He leaned in, pressing her palms to his chest. His heart beat beneath her fingertips, a strong, steady strum that instantly calmed her frayed nerves.
“Ellie,” he whispered. “Don’t you know how I feel about you?”
The sincerity in his voice wound its way around her aching heart, cocooning it in warmth and certainty. “I thought I did, but you scared me.”
He gave her hands a gentle squeeze then pulled them to his mouth, brushing soft kisses across her fingertips. “I’m sorry.” He closed his eyes and sighed. “Does this mean I don’t get my prize?”
The crowd quieted suddenly then shifted closer to the television screens mounted on the walls, but Ellie only had eyes for Jack. Her smile bloomed slowly. “Did you pick the winner?”
Jack shrugged and released her hands, reaching for the racing form in front of her. “May not be the winner, but I found the horse I’m backing.” He tapped the page. “Lucky number twelve.”
A shiver shimmied down her spine when the race fans began to sing along with the strains of ‘My Old Kentucky Home’. Ellie scanned the names listed on the page until she found number twelve.
She blinked and shook her head as she looked up at Jack. His only response was a cocky smile. That lethal dimple worked its magic, drawing her in, making her ache to get closer. “Why this one?”
“Say it out loud,” he prompted.
Ellie frowned at the horse’s name. “Goghen the Distance,” she murmured to herself. “Going the distance?”
Jack stood, snatched the pink hat from her lap, and clapped it on her head. When she shot him a baffled frown, he simply smiled and leaned down.
“Goin’ the distance, Ellie,” he whispered, his warm breath feathering her lips. Jack kissed her softly then pulled back, his eyes twinkling with mischief and desire as he straightened to his full height. “Now, what’s my prize?”
Ellie might have let him have his exciting two minutes of sport, if not for that wicked dimple flirting with her shamelessly. Clamping a hand to her hat, she rose from her chair, capturing his full attention.
She slipped two fingers into the ruffled neckline of her dress and extracted a plastic key card. A smirk curled her lips when his gaze remained riveted on her cleavage. She waved the card in front of his eyes before laying it on the table with a forceful thwack.
“Enjoy the race, Rudolph.” She snagged the glass of wine from the table and spun away, blowing him a little kiss. “I’ll be in room 528… If you’re interested,” she added, then began threading her way through the crowded bar.
The sound of shattering glass followed her to the door. Pounding footsteps chased the click of her heels, echoing through the now de
serted lobby. A cheer rose from the bar as strong hands closed around her waist. Jack spun her to face him, backing her into the gilt-framed painting between the elevators.
“Change your mind about the race?” she asked with a smug smile.
Jack ducked his head, capturing her lips in a scorching kiss. When they parted, breathless and grinning, Jack turned her around and punched the ‘Up’ button. Ellie tipped her head back against his chest. The elevator dinged. He brushed a soft kiss to her temple, his breath hot and moist against her skin.
Her husky laugh bounced off the elevator walls as he propelled her through the doors.
Jack dipped his head to kiss her again. The doors slid closed.
Ellie laughed as she murmured, “And they’re off!”
The elevator doors whooshed and suddenly Ellie found it hard to breathe. She wasn’t claustrophobic. On the contrary; the closed car was entirely too spacious. She lowered her lashes, reveling in the heat of his hand in the small of her back. Tipping her head back, she closed her eyes, willing him to come closer still. Instead of the much-anticipated kiss she wanted, her only reward was a deep, rolling chuckle.
“Ms. Nichols, are you trying to seduce a federal agent in an elevator?”
Ellie’s eyes snapped open wide then narrowed to slits. “Should I ask for identification?”
A smirk twitched full, lush lips. “You think I don’t know that flashing my credentials turns you on?”
She lowered her gaze. The front of his shirt was crisp and neatly pressed. Ellie grabbed a fistful of cotton and twisted it in her fist, yanking him closer. “Shut up and kiss me, Rudolph.”
Jack ducked his head but avoided her lips. Instead, he bent almost in half to nuzzle the curve of her neck. Hot, moist breath danced along her over-air-conditioned skin. Goosebumps rose on the backs of her arms. The hairs at the nape of her neck sprang to attention.
Ellie arched into him, rubbing her body against his like a needy cat. His warm lips grazed her ear and she responded by raking her fingers through his thick hair, sharpening her claws against his scalp. His teeth scraped her ear lobe and she hissed, “Jack.”
Next thing she knew, her toes no longer touched the floor. His arms, long, lean and roped with muscle, wound completely around her, pressing her to the paneled wall of the lift. His mouth found hers at last, and her moan melted into a purr of utter contentment.
The elevator dinged. The doors slid open. Someone coughed. Ellie’s feet hit the floor in free fall. Her kiss-bruised lips parted as she gawked at the older couple standing at the doors. The marble floor of the hotel lobby stretched beyond them for what appeared to be miles. Ellie frowned in confusion.
“Going up?” Jack asked the couple.
They shuffled into the car and Jack jabbed the button for floor number five, wrapping his arm securely around Ellie’s waist and drawing her against him. “Helps if we push a button,” he whispered into her hair.
“Mm hmm.” The doors slid shut and so did her eyes. Ellie leaned back, letting him absorb her weight and relishing the feel of his long, hard body bracing hers.
The elevator slowed to a stop at the third floor, and the older couple stepped out, the woman shooting them a stern glare and her husband casting one last wistful glance as she propelled him down the hall.
“She’s lucky we weren’t going down,” Ellie muttered when the doors closed once again.
Jack’s bark of laughter bounced off the walls. He hauled her back against his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head. Low, throaty chuckles rumbled along her spine. Ellie pressed her bottom to the hard muscles of his thighs. Jack’s laughter died.
The breath hissed from his lungs once the doors slid open again. “You are a bad elf,” he growled.
Ellie grabbed his hand, tugging him behind her as she bolted from the too-public space. He lumbered after her, a more-than-willing captive. His long strides gobbled the same amount of real estate as three of hers. Breathless with anticipation, Ellie drew to a halt at room 528 and pulled a key card from the neckline of her dress.
“What else do you have in there?” he asked as the lock clicked open.
Ellie’s smile spread slow and sly. She gave the door a shove and whirled, backing into the room and crooking her finger for him to follow. “Step into my parlor, Special Agent Rudolph.”
Jack breached the threshold in one giant step. The door slammed shut behind him and his smile turned wolfish. “Please tell me I get to frisk you.”
She spun on her heel and sashayed into the room, tossing the key card on the dresser. “Is this everything you need?” she asked, nodding to the leather duffle bag and computer case.
Jack frowned at the luggage. “How’d that get here?”
A careless shrug rolled off her shoulders. “I’m magic.”
His eyes narrowed then shifted to her. “You snagged my valet ticket,” he murmured.
“Excellent deductive reasoning skills. You should be a cop. Or an accountant,” she quipped.
“I’ll take it under advisement.” Ellie repressed a shudder as he started for her, his jaw set with determination. “Tell me, is this how you usually validate parking here at the Hotel Chatham?”
She backed up a step, bumping into the desk in her haste. The mere proximity of his gorgeous body never failed to disconcert her a bit. She always tried for cool but failed miserably. “Only for our very special guests.”
Jack’s eyebrows jumped. He drew to a stop once they were toe-to-toe and cocked his head. “Am I a very special guest, Ellie?”
Her head bobbed before she could formulate a response. A half-dozen smart-assed replies flittered through her mind like butterflies. She cast her net, hoping to snag one powerful enough to allow her time to regroup, but when she opened her mouth, the only words that came out were, “I love you.”
Ellie snapped her mouth shut then covered it with her hand for good measure. Surprise flared in Jack’s dark eyes, but he quickly banked it down to a steady flame. The corner of his mouth lifted in a wry smile.
“I’m so glad you said it first,” he said with a laugh.
“Uh!”
She took a swat at his chest but he caught her hand, pulling it to his lips. Ardent, reverent, passionate kisses shivered her skin. He opened her curled fingers and pressed her open palm to his cheek. “I’ve been waiting months, Ellie. What took you so long?”
The Feeling is Pari-Mutuel
The heat of pure mortification rose in Ellie’s cheeks.
So much for playing it cool. Way to go, dummy. You just couldn’t keep your big mouth shut. They should have stayed in the bar. She should have let Jack watch the stupid Kentucky Derby. Wasn’t it bad enough that she coaxed him into coming all the way to Louisville without any hope of actually attending the famous race? No, she had to lure him up to a hotel room and babble her stupid feelings for him like a stupid fifteen-year-old.
Steeling her spine, she stared up at him, trying to gauge his reaction to her announcement. She’d been doing so well. For four whole months she’d kept her yap closed, keeping tight rein on her feelings, unwilling to jump the gate. All it took was five minutes alone in a room with Jack for her to start whinnying like a ninny. Ellie should have known better. They’d only been alone a handful of times since she met him on Christmas Eve, but she’d ended up throwing herself at him each time. Bodily. The man was impossible to resist in far too many ways.
Surprise flared in his dark eyes. The corner of his mouth lifted in a wry smile. God she loved that smile. “I’m so glad you said it first,” Jack said with a laugh.
Ellie jerked her hand from her mouth and took an ineffectual swat at his chest. “Uh!”
Strong fingers closed around hers. His dark gaze locked on her, the flame of amusement warming the bittersweet depths. Her fingers twitched, curling convulsively around his when a wisp of hot, moist breath grazed her knuckles. Passionate kisses shivered across her skin. The tiny hairs on her forearm stood on end. Ellie bit her lip and trie
d to cling to the last shred of her instinct for self-preservation.
This is crazy. I can’t love him. I hardly know him. Four months of phone calls, a handful of days, and far too few nights don’t make a relationship. It’s just infatuation. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, and all that crap. I’m just happy to see him. And horny. It’s been eight weeks, and God, look at him….
Jack opened her curled fingers and pressed her open palm to his cheek, sobering as he leaned into her caress. A rasp of breath shuddered through him. “I’ve been waiting months, Ellie. What took you so long?”
“Huh?”
The smile was back. That wicked, wonderful smile turned her insides to marshmallow fluff. Ellie caught her bottom lip between her teeth and tried to hang on to sanity, refusing to say another word until he did. Gently, he removed the broad-brimmed bonnet she wore as part of Kentucky Derby tradition. Seconds later, the pearl pink hat sailed across the room like a Frisbee. Jack cocked his head, raising one eyebrow in silent question. He ran his hand over her cap of short hair then conjured a real question. “You love me?”
She pressed her lips into a forbidding scowl. Jack was completely unaffected by its force. As usual, the stubborn ass refused to take the hint. Instead, he laughed. Oh God! The deep and rich rumble rose from his toes, bouncing off the walls and pummeling her with pleasure-soaked reverberation.
“Don’t laugh at me,” she snapped. The element of surprise worked in her favor for once. Ellie jerked her hand from his and took a hasty step back.
Barely a beat passed before he lunged. He grasped her hips in his big hands and pulled her closer, thwarting her retreat. Ellie tried for another scowl, but he dipped his head and obliterated her frown with a quick, firm kiss.
“Never, El. I would never laugh at you.” Her defenses cracked under the pressure of the creak in his soft-spoken words. He pulled her flush against him and kissed her again, soft and seeking, salving her shell-shocked ego with sweet promise. Jack stepped back and flashed the dimple again. The man definitely didn’t play fair. “I laugh when I’m with you. I like being with you.”
Unforgettable Heroes Boxed Set Page 109