Chapter 186
He nodded, but he didn't like the awkward stiffness floating between them. For the first time since he'd met Kate, he felt like a stranger standing before her. Maybe because she looked so put together. Or was it because she wasn't ordering him around or cursing at him? Whatever the reason, it was downright unnerving.
Her eyes had lost some of their empty hollowness and the two or three pounds she'd gained since coming to the States gave her a healthy glow. He had a feeling Kate had no idea how breathtakingly beautiful she was.
"I'm sorry about last night." He exhaled. "I was tired. I shouldn't have been so hard on the woman."
"I told Auntie how exhausted you were. She understands." Kate moved toward him and handed him the pile of clothes she was holding: a pair of jeans and a couple of clean s.h.i.+rts. "It turns out that Auntie is hosting a fundraiser tonight, right here at the house. She's invited us to attend."
Jack set the clothes on the edge of the dresser and gave her a crooked, disbelieving smile. "As your Auntie reminded me last night, I'm a fugitive. I don't think now is a good time for me to attend any parties."
She brushed warm fingers over his bare arm. "Her nephew is away in Europe. She said you could borrow his clothes. We could dye your hair back to its original color."
"Kate."
She came closer and kissed his shoulder. Her mouth made a downward trail across his collarbone. His blood warmed. s.h.i.+vers coursed through his veins.
"These people won't recognize you because they don't watch the news," she said between kisses. "They spend their days on the golf course and in the best salons, listening to tranquil music while having their toes painted. Come on, Jack. It'll be fun."
"I'll show you fun." He picked her up by the waist and brought her to the bed.
She laughed. "Jack. We can't."
He pulled a condom from his front pocket and said, "Oh, yes. We can."
She laughed again.
He liked the sound of her laughter, liked the way her eyes danced as she threw her head back.
He locked the door, stripped himself of his shorts and came at her like an animal stalking its prey.
She wriggled on the bed, but she didn't try to escape. He took hold of her ankles and dragged her to the end of the mattress until she was close enough where he could grab hold of the waistband of her pants and slide them off of her.
Despite being half naked, her eyes still held a heavy dose of amus.e.m.e.nt. "Do you mean to tell me that everything you owned was left on that plane, including your computer, but somehow you managed to hang on to a condom?"
"I don't mean to tell you anything. I mean to show you."
"So Jack Coffey has a wild side, after all?"
"Wild is my middle name. I thought I already showed you that the other day." He unzipped her sweats.h.i.+rt and helped her out of it. "There," he said, gazing down at her. "That's better."
She smiled as she reached for him. "I like this side of you, Jack. I think you've finally shed a layer of your stiff outer sh.e.l.l."
As he crawled on top of her, she pushed herself away from the footboard and toward the headboard.
He used his arms and legs to keep propped above her, leaving a bit of s.p.a.ce between their bodies. The tips of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s grazed his chest. "I don't think I've ever heard you laugh so freely before today," he told her, his eyes never leaving hers.
Her fingers brushed over his chest, her gaze following their path. She looked to his mouth. "Kiss me, will you?"
"Whatever you say." He covered her mouth with his and kissed her thoroughly this time, his mouth warm, his tongue hot. With a whispered moan, she curled her arms around his neck and pressed her hips closer. He kissed her throat, her cheek, her ear. Blood flowed hot through her veins, every inch of her craving his touch. She'd never felt as if she needed anyone like she needed Jack.
"Tell me you want me," he said, the sound of his husky voice arousing her almost as much as having his body pressed against hers.
"I want you."
He nibbled her ear. "Say it like you mean it."
"Jack," she said in a breathless whisper, the tip of her tongue grazing his jaw. "I feel as if I've waited my whole life for you to find me, hold me, and make love to me."
Bringing his mouth back to hers, he coaxed her lips open so he could kiss her deeply while his fingers slid downward over her hips and between her thighs. His warm breath spilled across her neck and shoulders. "What are you feeling now?" he asked, his voice still a husky whisper.
"Hot," she said. "Alive."
His hand remained between her legs, stroking and making her whimper as she urged him onward. Devilish charm lit up his eyes as he took hold of her wrists and pushed her arms back, flat against the soft mattress.
"What are you doing?" she asked. "When I said I wanted you, I meant now."
A crooked grin curved his lips before he lowered his head and nibbled at her ear. "What is it you want exactly?"
"You," she said, her voice lined with frustration. "I want you."
"How badly do you want me?"
"Badly enough to start cursing if you don't get down to business soon."
Satisfied, he let go of her wrists. He pushed himself to his knees and slipped on the condom. His muscles flexed. She would never get tired of looking at Jack Coffey. When he
Her patience had worn thin. She wriggled against him, making him grin as his fingers trailed softly over her body, exploring. "Not yet, sweetheart."
"You're not playing fair."
"This isn't a game."
"No," she said. "It's not a game." Her palm brushed against his jaw. She liked to be the one in charge, but with Jack it was different. For Jack, she would do almost anything, and in that instant, as she looked into his eyes, she realized he already knew that.
Her fingers pressed into his b.u.t.tocks, splayed against his backside, as he entered her. There was no holding back for either of them. He finally caved, giving her what she wanted, giving until she cried out softly as her body quivered beneath him. Jack Coffey had risked his life to bring her home. He would do anything to protect her. He believed in her, and he loved her. He made her feel beautiful and alive.
He kissed her neck, her shoulder, her face. His hands slid beneath the curve of her bottom. A second rippling sensation erupted, shattered, and then finally wound down into small pleasurable pulses.
Once their heartbeats slowed, Jack slid to her side, leaving one hand to rest on her stomach. Content, she burrowed her head between his shoulders and just breathed.
After a quick shower, Jack used a towel to dry himself while Kate, fully dressed, leaned over the bathroom sink and fixed her hair.
She followed Jack into the bedroom, watched him reach for a clean T-s.h.i.+rt and slide it over his head. "So, did you change your mind about the party?" she asked.
He didn't answer and that worried her.
"When I talked to Auntie this morning," she went on, "I learned that Auntie did know about Dr. Forstin's death. The poor woman has taken his death very hard."
Jack slid on his socks and shoes.
"She's on our side, Jack. Apparently the sheriff owes her a favor. I gave her the note from Brooklynn, you know, the one with the license plate number of the vehicle at Forstin's lab. She called the sheriff to ask him about it. He already called her back. The vehicle belongs to a John Wheaton. Does that name ring any bells?"
He shook his head. "Tell me you didn't give her the disc."
Kate stiffened. "The disc has already been picked up by courier."
Jack moaned.
"I don't understand. I thought we came here to get help."
He grabbed hold of her hand, his gaze was piercing. "Let's call the police right now," he pleaded. "It's not too late. I know what it's like to want revenge, Kate. I didn't think I'd ever know a good night's sleep until my sister's killer was buried ten feet under, but I was wrong. I will see her killer behind bars eventually, but I'm going to do it legally. Justice will be served."
Kate's eyes narrowed. "Not this again. Don't try to change my mind, Jack. I will find the man who ordered my father's death, and I will see to it that justice prevails. The only difference is that I refuse to waste my time with all that bulls.h.i.+t bureaucracy."
"Wouldn't it be a relief to get everything out in the open?" Jack sighed. "You wouldn't have to watch your own shadow any longer," he said. "You could move back to New York City if you wanted to. You could get an apartment. Why not let your hair grow back to its natural color? Get back into the swing of things and start living again."
"What, you don't like my hair color?"
"On the contrary."
She snorted. "I guess you've never had a redhead and a blonde in the same week."
He laughed. And when her eyes flashed, he said, "I don't kiss and tell."
"Well good, because I don't want to know about your boring s.e.x life." She pulled her hand back. "For the record, I don't like guys like you who act like they know what's best for a girl like me. You're making me feel claustrophobic. Maybe I don't want an apartment in New York. Maybe I want to go back to Haiti where the people aren't coddled like you Americans. The people of Haiti are resilient and real. They don't take anything for granted, not even a d.a.m.n drop of fresh water."
He didn't say a word.
"You think you know what's best for me just because you've read a thin file back at the office?" she asked. "Well, I never laid eyes on you until last week and I've got you pegged." She didn't know why she felt so angry all of a sudden, but she did. She wanted to hurt him for making her care. She jabbed his shoulder with her finger. "You probably have a nice s.h.i.+ny Rolex in the top drawer of your dresser and spit-s.h.i.+ned shoes in your closet. I bet you have row after row of starched white s.h.i.+rts hanging above those shoes and a drawer full of boring ties and neatly rolled socks. Before your parents moved away, you had roast beef for dinner at your mother's house every other Sunday. And you're probably way too busy playing the field to think about settling down with a wife and 2.5 kids. Maybe in another ten years you'll be ready to shut your laptop long enough to settle down. You'll expect your new wife to keep the kids quiet and have your dinner ready by five. Odds are she'll be someone nice and boring and predictable...like you."
He chucked her softly under the chin. "That's my Kate."
A muscle in her jaw twitched. "Maybe you're the one who should live a little, maybe let your hair grow out." She reached toward his face and let the tips of her fingers swirl around the hair above his ear. "Maybe you could really live dangerously and let your hair grow past your shoulders, long enough so that you can tie it back when it gets too hot."
His lips quirked upward. "I might do that."
Her anger dissipated. She dropped her hand and looked toward the window. She didn't want to admit it, but maybe he was right. Maybe her father didn't really want her to spend her life hiding from the world. What if Jack was right and she could one day be free of the nightmares that haunted her sleep? "You know what my father said before he sank into the bowels of the Atlantic?"
His features softened. "What?"
"He said don't trust anyone. Not a single solitary soul."
Jack remained quiet, looking as if he really didn't know what to say in response.
Kate sighed. "Let's not fight. Go to the party with me."
"I can't. And I don't think it's wise for you to go to this party either. Everywhere we've gone, we've been recognized. You'll be taking a big risk if you attend."
"You said you were going to do things my way."
"I thought I could. I'm sorry. I'm going to drive to town and make a few calls. I don't know when I'll be back."
"Harrison?"
He nodded. "I'm going to ask him to meet me."
"But-"
"Don't worry. I'll make sure he's alone before I talk with him." They both knew the chances of Harrison coming alone were slim to none, but neither of them said a word.
"I don't really think you're boring," Kate said.
"And I don't want to crowd you or change anything about you. I think you're perfect just the way you are. And listen," he added. "I appreciate your Auntie letting us stay, but look around, Kate. This place is filled with expensive antiques and collectibles. I thought you told me she ran a nonprofit organization."
"Apparently she made a killing in the stock market when her father sold the family business."
"Hmmm." He smoothed his knuckles across Kate's jaw. "Sure you don't want to come along for the ride?"
"I promised Auntie I would help her set up for the party. Maybe you're right though. People will recognize me. I got caught up in the idea of being carefree and having fun. Imagine that?"
"Someday, Kate. Someday you'll be free to do everything your heart desires."
She sighed. "I'll go along with the party thing until the last minute, and then I'll tell Auntie I'm not feeling well enough to attend."
"I think that's a good idea." He headed for the door. "What about the dogs?" he asked, turning back to her.
"They're locked up for now since the gardeners are here. But I did learn a trick from one of the butlers this morning. If you call the dogs by their name, they're trained to obey. In fact, I shook hands with two of the dogs earlier this morning. You just can't show fear, and like I told you last night...never run."
"Yeah, I've got that part down. Are all the dogs named Jack?"
The corner of her lips curved upward. "Jack, Max, and Buddy."
Amused, he lifted a brow and said, "Do me a favor while I'm gone."
Kate waited for him to finish.
"Watch your back until I return."
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE.
Harrison stepped on the gas. He'd been trying to reach Sheila at home for the past twenty minutes but the line was busy. He knew how she hated surprises, and he wanted to give her enough time to spruce up. Without hair and makeup, Sheila had a tendency to look downright frightening at times.