Читать книгу A Deadly Business - Desiree Holt - Страница 9

Chapter 2

Arrowhead Bay, two years later

“That’s it, Marissa. Foot sweep. Just like that.”

Marissa Hayes extended her leg and swept her foot as instructed, almost, but not quite taking Justin Kelly to the floor. Sweat dripped from her as the former SEAL, wearing protective gear and a big grin, moved just out of range. The protective gear she wore didn’t help her movements, either.

“Damn!” She swiped her forearm across her forehead, catching the drips of perspiration. “You do it every time.”

“That’s what I get paid for. Don’t tell me you’re ready to quit.”

She glared at him. “Not even for money. Bring it on, mister.”

Justin grinned at her, a curve of his lips that made her body want something other than kicks and jabs and punches.

“Okay, then.”

This was the fourth lesson she’d taken from him. When Vigilance, the elite private security agency that made its home in Arrowhead Bay, began offering both group and private classes in certain forms of self-defense, Avery March, the owner, had urged Marissa to take advantage of it.

“You never know when you might need it,” she’d cautioned.

And in Marissa’s situation, that was more truth than poetry.

When one of the most dangerous men in the world had you at the top of his hit list, you never had the luxury of relaxing. Stefan Maes’s reach, even after losing so much of his empire, was still extensive. And she knew, without a doubt, he’d never give up.

In the two years since her job with the CIA had ended so abruptly, she’d fit herself in to the slow pace of life in Arrowhead Bay, which really suited her. She could be as anonymous as she wanted. For the most part she’d isolated herself from social situations, reminding herself she wasn’t in a position to develop a relationship. Not now. Maybe not ever. Her situation could blow up in her face any time. She never stopped looking over her shoulder. Always double and triple checking locks. Never parking her car in dark places. Ever alert to her surroundings and strangers who could bring danger to her. Never getting too close to people.

She didn’t think she’d ever be able to let her guard down again. She’d always be looking over her shoulder, but that was the tradeoff.

Reluctantly she’d let Avery talk her into these classes.

“You know Justin,” the woman reminded her. “You’ll be comfortable with him.”

That was true. He was an unexpected and unplanned bright spot as she crafted a new life for herself for the third time. She’d also begun to think of him as her safety net. Not only had he been with Vigilance for five years but he was also a former SEAL. She couldn’t get better protection than that if she needed it.

Maybe because of that he was one of the few people here she could relax with.

Sort of.

Because he was also a man who lived in her dreams almost every night. Who woke up parts of her body she’d thought frozen. It didn’t help that she sensed she was having the same effect on him, from the way he looked at her and the tentative signals he’d floated. But he would never make any kind of move unless she indicated she was open to one. It both excited and scared her.

She couldn’t relax too much.

She had to keep repeating that to herself on a daily basis. Letting down her guard could prove fatal to her. Something she never forgot. When she took the CIA assignment, she had suppressed any need for sex, buried any desire for a relationship. She couldn’t do that and her job. Something like that softened her edge, could destroy her, could distract her senses and expose her secrets.

Taking these classes had been a bad idea. Temptation wasn’t something she needed, even if sometimes alone at night she was desperate for the comfort of another human being. And too often, Justin Kelly was exactly the comfort she craved. How she longed to lean into that toned body, feel those muscular arms around her, press her mouth to his lips that looked so firm. At just over six feet, his lean body was solid, toned muscle. Short-cropped light brown hair accented a sculpted face with a square jaw, high cheekbones, and dark brown eyes that reminded her of melted chocolate.

She hadn’t been with anyone for so long she’d almost forgotten what it was like. But, if she was honest with herself, she hadn’t ever felt that same crackle of electricity with any other man. That same hunger. That same throbbing in every one of her pulse points.

And beyond that, he made her feel safe. With Justin, more than with anyone else, she felt one hundred percent protected. Knew if danger came calling, Justin would be there helping her.

She was sure Avery hadn’t clued him in on her real situation. One of the reasons her former boss had sent her here was because Avery had a zipped lip, knew the meaning of security, and had top-of-the-line protection available. To Justin, she was just someone who had moved to Arrowhead Bay, ran a small art gallery, and basically avoided the mainstream of life.

She had no idea what to do with this hot sexual attraction growing between them, an elephant in the room they both were ignoring. Not that he was overt about it. No, that wasn’t his style. But he left plenty of openings for her to send him signals. She saw it in his eyes when he was teaching her certain moves. Or when he helped her to her feet and held her hand just a few seconds longer than necessary. Or removed the protective pads she wore during class and let his hands linger on her skin.

Twice he’d asked her to go for coffee after class. At first, she’d said no, but then she’d thought, I want this. What harm can coffee do? Except, even with a table between them, and casual conversation, the electricity in the air surrounding them was so strong it was almost visible.

Then last week he’d been teaching her a kick maneuver and swept her legs out from under her, taking her to the floor. They lay there for an endless moment, neither wanting to break the intense gaze they were locked in.

Yes! She wanted to shout. Kiss me.

And she was sure he would have, except Avery had come into the room to tell Justin he had a phone call. Her brain told her that was for the best, but the rest of her body had yet to catch up.

Marissa was so busy letting all these thoughts dangle in her brain that she missed it completely when Justin executed a perfect kick to her knees and took her to the mat.

“Hey!” She pushed herself up so she was leaning on her elbows. “That’s supposed to be my move.”

That tantalizing grin flashed again. “Then you best get to it. Come on, or I’ll think you’re a quitter.”

It continued to amaze her the way he could tease her into putting all of herself into this very physical exercise.

“Marissa?” Justin’s voice broke into her tiny reverie.

She blinked and shook her head. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to let my mind wander again. Let’s get to it.”

He cocked his head, studying her. “You sure? We can quit for the day. The hour’s almost up, anyway.”

“Quit? Hah! You wish. Come on, show me what you’ve got.”

She skillfully parried and blocked every move of his, answering with one of her own. When the alarm on Justin’s watch sounded, letting them know the hour was up, she was again dripping in sweat and breathing hard, but she felt exhilarated. She’d had greater success blocking his moves then previously, and got in a few hits of her own.

“You did great there at the end,” he told her, helping her out of the pads. “One of these days you’ll kick my ass but good.”

“Oh, right.” She snorted. “As if.”

“Seriously. You picked this up quicker than most people. You’re my star pupil.”

“I bet you say that to all your students,” she teased, grabbing a towel from the bench and mopping her face and neck.

“Not quite.” He checked his watch. “Listen. It’s eight thirty. You don’t open until ten. Want to grab a coffee and muffin at Fresh from the Oven like we did the last couple of times?”

Yes!

She was playing with danger here. Her life could blow up at any moment, dragging Justin in with her. But despite all her discipline, she couldn’t say no.

“You’ve got plenty of time.” He tapped his watch. “An hour and a half. Come on. You know what they say about all work and no play. Besides, you always end up having fun.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Right?”

She had really enjoyed the last two times. What could it hurt to do it again?

God, she certainly didn’t want to answer that question. But wasn’t she entitled to a little pleasure? As long as she kept remembering it was just coffee. Do not pass Go. Do not collect two hundred dollars or anything else. Suppress all those tantalizing feelings. It was becoming harder and harder to do that, but…

She blew out a breath.

“Okay. Sure. That would be nice.”

He burst out laughing. A deep, warm sound that tickled her nerve endings. “Not the enthusiastic response I hoped for, but I’ll take it.”

Heat suffused her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I—”

He waved a hand at her. “Just kidding. It’s fine. Meet you there in about a half hour? That will give you plenty of time to relax with coffee and a roll before you open the gallery.”

“I— Yes. That works out fine. Thank you.”

It might have been her imagination, but she was sure she could feel him staring after her as she walked out of the room.

The gym was housed in a long building next to the renovated Key West house that contained the Vigilance offices and electronics setup. She had just unlocked the door to her car when she heard a woman calling her and turned to see Avery standing on the porch.

“Hey, Avery.” She waved back.

“Come on in for a minute, can you?”

Marissa’s stomach knotted. This had to be bad news. And just when she was finally drawing a full breath and thinking she was safe.

“Sure.”

When she reached the porch, Avery gave her a hug. Marissa wasn’t sure if it meant the woman was glad to see her or was setting the stage to drop a bomb.

“Is everything okay?” She hated to ask the question.

“What? Oh, sure.” Avery grinned. “I just wanted to chat with you a little bit. Come on in for coffee.”

“Um, the thing is, I’m meeting Justin for coffee in half an hour and I still need to shower and change.”

Avery’s smile got bigger. “That’s better than a cup with me. You go on. I just wanted to check up on you. We’ve been a little busy lately and I haven’t had as much time to stop by the gallery.”

“No problem. It’s—I’m actually doing okay there. In fact, better than okay. Traffic is steady and I’m starting to show more local artists.”

“Glad to hear it.” Avery studied her face. “You’ve done a great job weaving yourself into the fabric of life in Arrowhead Bay without being front and center.”

Marissa squeezed the other woman’s hand. “Thanks. I feel good here, and I appreciate your concern. Not many people would have done what you did—taken in a complete stranger and helped her build a new life.”

“Brian Gould is a longtime friend,” she told her, referring to Marissa’s former boss at the CIA. “I owe him big time on a lot of fronts, so I was glad to do it.” She grinned. “The fact that you turned out to be someone I could really like and be friends with has been a bonus.”

“I don’t know what to say except thank you, to both you and Sheri.” She checked her watch. “And now I’m going to be rude and say I have to run.”

“Go ahead. Have a little fun.” Avery winked at her. “You could have a lot of fun with Justin.”

Marissa shook her head. “I—No. It’s nothing like that. He just wants to have coffee.”

“If you say so. But, Marissa? He’s safe, and you know what I mean by that. He’s also a really nice guy and you couldn’t ask for better protection if you need it.” She held up a hand. “Not that I expect you will. We’ve got you sewed up nice and tight down here. I just think you need to cut yourself a break now and then. I, of all people, wouldn’t encourage it if I didn’t believe you could have complete trust in Justin.”

Safe. Trustworthy. What dull ways to describe someone. But right now, it was what she needed.

“At least we’re having coffee,” she pointed out.

Avery started back into the building then turned. “I forgot to ask. Are you going to the Fourth of July boat parade and barbecue? I understand why you didn’t want to last year, but now it would be nice for you. Meet more people, promote the gallery a little.”

Marissa shrugged. “I haven’t given it much thought.”

“Well, let it roll around in your brain a while. I think you’d have a good time. At least meet me for lunch at the Driftwood on Friday. I’d be happy to pick you up.”

“Thanks. I’ll let you know.”

She climbed in her car, cranking the engine so she could turn on the air conditioning. She hated to throw snow on Avery’s obvious determination to help her lead as normal a life as she could, but she wondered if normal would ever be possible again.

Getting ready took little time. In her previous life, she’d learned to be a quick-change artist, so despite the few minutes she spent with Avery she was showered, dressed, and heading to Fresh from the Oven at five minutes until nine. One nice thing about Arrowhead Bay, nothing was very far from anything.

The gallery was only two blocks down from the café, so she parked in front and walked down. There was a decent parking lot in the back, but Marissa had learned to avoid places she couldn’t exit from quickly, as well as places where she was hidden from the public. After two years, she was almost sure every trace of her last identity had been wiped from the earth. Almost sure that even the most sophisticated computers couldn’t find her now. That the CIA had done a very good job of burying her.

And she prayed that was only a figurative expression.

She had woven herself into life in Arrowhead Bay, but her socializing was limited. She often had lunch with Avery and her sister, Sheri, the Arrowhead Bay chief of police. Sometimes one of the female Vigilance agents joined them. Sheri was the only person in town who knew who she was besides Avery. After all, who could be safer than a cop, right? She was grateful for both of them, and the way they had eased her into life in this little town.

On occasion, Avery invited her to join a group of people hanging out at the Purple Papaya or having dinner at the Driftwood. It was fun, and she appreciated being included. Avery had pointed out if she became a recluse not only would the gallery suffer but she’d cause more gossip, which was not what she wanted. Still, old habits died hard, and she was always so careful to watch everything she said and how she said it.

In many ways it was like being back in London, when she had to watch every word and walk a tightrope to do her job. But in London there was an escape plan when her job was completed or if her cover was blown. Once she’d been extracted, every trace of her London identity had been wiped away. Now she was living as yet another person in this unlikely place, hiding from the very man she’d brought down. Arrowhead Bay was her safe hidey-hole, as long as she kept her guard up.

She hadn’t been attracted to a man in longer than she wanted to remember. Yet here she was, having coffee with one. And a man who made her hungry for intimacy, for the connection she hadn’t craved until Justin came into her life.

Did he feel the same way?

She needed to quit dithering and go meet him. Nothing was going to happen at Fresh from the Oven. Anyway, it was not an invitation to get naked, just to have coffee.

True, but coffee sometimes led to a meal and a meal to—

Jesus. It was just coffee.

She swallowed a sigh and pushed open the door to the coffee shop, her senses immediately assaulted by the aroma of fresh baked cinnamon rolls and orange scones. Maybe she could bury her hormones under a ton of calories.

She scanned the room the way she always did, searching for anything that might set off her antenna. But nothing and no one seemed out of place. She spotted Justin waiting for her at a table against the wall, out of direct line of the window and still in a position to take in the entire place. She was sure his line of work had him choosing seats like that all the time, just as she had learned to do in London.

A tiny flicker of nerves raced over the surface of her skin when she saw him chatting with a man she did not recognize. She hesitated before approaching the table, wondering if she should just turn around and leave. But Justin saw her, smiled, and motioned her forward, and the knot of tension that was her constant companion eased a bit.

“Say hello to one of our local celebrities. Marissa Hayes, meet Blake Edwards.”

Edwards turned and gave her a warm smile. “I don’t know about the celebrity bit, but I am local. At least part of the time.”

She relaxed a fraction. “Nice to meet you. As a matter of fact, I’m reading your latest book and really enjoying it.”

“Thanks.” He chuckled. “I’ll take all the compliments I can get.”

“I don’t think you’re lacking,” she joked. “I know you’ve had several number one best sellers in a row.” She frowned. “Wait. Didn’t I hear or read something about a threat to your life? A stalker or something?”

“Yeah, but thanks to Vigilance it’s over and done with.”

Justin chuckled. “Thanks to Vigilance, he’s now a married man.”

Marissa looked from one to the other, puzzled. She paid little attention to local gossip unless it pertained to her.

“He married his bodyguard,” Justin explained. “Can’t get more successful than that.”

Marissa stared at him. “You did?”

“Yes, but there’s a little more to it than that. We grew up together in Arrowhead Bay, so we knew each other before.”

“That’s the sanitized version,” Justin joked.

“And we won’t be discussing any of the details,” Blake warned.

“So, you guys in town for a while?”

“About a week,” Blake told him. “We decided to buy the cottage Sam was renting and keep it as our get-away-from-it-all place.”

“Good deal.”

“Yeah. I’m getting ready to tour for this latest book,” Blake explained, “and we wanted to get this done while I had a break. Then while I’m on the road, Sam’s taking a short assignment for Vigilance.”

“She doesn’t go with you?” Marissa asked.

Blake shook his head. “I have an assistant who works for me. Sam hits a couple of stops now and then, when her schedule allows it. So, you in town visiting?”

“No, I moved here about two years ago.” The story rolled out smoothly. “I got tired of the rat race in the big city and wanted someplace where the pace of living was slower. And running a gallery is something I always wanted to do.”

“Marissa owns Endless Art,” Justin added. “The gallery just two blocks down Main Street from here.”

“Maybe Sam and I will stop by. We’re looking for some things for the townhouse in Tampa.”

She curved her lips in her professional smile. “I’ll be happy to have you visit. We have some excellent pieces on display.”

“Good. Maybe we’ll see you later.” He started to leave, then turned back. “Oh, in case either of you might be interested, I’m doing an informal thing at Read the Book on Saturday afternoon. Part of the whole holiday weekend thing. Come by if you get a chance.”

“I’ll do it.” Justin nodded. “Thanks.”

“He’s very nice,” Marissa commented after Blake moved away.

“Yeah. Local boy makes good. Really good. Anyway, let’s get you some coffee and pastry. What’s your pleasure?”

The scent of the rich coffee mingled with the aroma of fresh cinnamon rolls. When Justin placed her mug and plate in front of her, his hand just brushed against her arm. She swore sparks were visible, jumping between them, and wondered if he thought the same thing. When she looked up into his face, she saw the hunger in his eyes, the blazing desire.

And she knew hers had to match his for strength.

Before she realized it, the little alarm on her watch went off, and she wanted to turn back the time.

“Time to get to work?” he asked.

“Yes.” She sighed. “This was very nice. Thank you for asking me.” She grinned. “Again.”

“My pleasure. And I hope we’ll do it a lot more.” He rose from his chair and gathered up their trash. “Come on. I’ll walk you down to the gallery.”

He cupped her elbow, steering her toward the entrance, and the heat of his hand seared her skin. She knew tonight when she closed her eyes she’d be dreaming about him again, maybe this time with his clothes off. And from the looks he’d given her across the table, she had an idea he would, too.

“Oh, you don’t have to,” she protested, even as she wanted to prolong the intimacy.

He held up a hand. “No problem. I’d like to look around, anyway. See what you’ve got that’s new.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were interested in art. You’ve never been by before.”

He winked. “I take a look through those big windows, whenever I walk by.”

“Well, come on in, if you’ve got some time, and take a real look around.”

The oversized display windows had made her nervous at first, exposing her to anyone and everyone. But you couldn’t drape or shutter windows in a gallery. The original windows, however, had been replaced with bulletproof glass, and the alarm was connected to Vigilance. A few other minor adjustments had been made to keep her as safe as possible.

Even with all that, she kept to either her office or the rear of the main gallery. And she always had her small 9 mm easily accessible. Arrowhead Bay might be a typical Southern tourist town, but she wasn’t taking any chances. Ever.

She unlocked the door, and as soon as she was inside, hit the code on the security system to shut off the alarm. She was faithful about always resetting it, even if she was just going down the street for a few minutes. Then she flicked on the lights and dropped her purse in the tiny office.

“Well, this is it.” She stood in the middle of the place, arms outstretched. “Welcome to Endless Art.”

Justin walked around, looking at the art hanging on the walls and those placed on easels at strategic locations. She noticed he stopped at several and spent a few minutes studying them.

“I see you have a lot of local artists here.” He turned back to her. “Is there a good market for them?”

She wiggled her hand back and forth. “Depends. I say for most of them. Are you looking for something for your place?”

She didn’t even know where he lived. Did he have a house? A cottage? There were no apartment complexes in Arrowhead Bay. The closest thing was a small community of duplexes at the edge of downtown. Where, she wondered, do all those agents live, anyway? She’d never thought to ask.

He laughed. “Not hardly. I have one of the suites on the top floor at Vigilance. It’s where Avery houses what she calls her homeless agents.”

Marissa studied him. “You don’t want a place of your own?”

He shrugged. “Not at the moment. I’m usually on one assignment or another, and it works not having to worry about maintenance and upkeep.”

“Doesn’t that make it a little difficult if you want to, uh, spend time with a woman?”

Oh, for crap’s sake. She should shut the hell up.

The look he gave her scorched her body to the soles of her feet. She had a feeling his own body was heating up, and she couldn’t help lowering her gaze to his crotch. Her eyes widened in reflex at the significant bulge.

“Yes.” He spoke in a soft tone of voice. “Sometimes I do. Like the one in front of me right now.”

“Oh.” She wet her lips. “Well.”

“You have to know I would love to get together with you for more than coffee.”

“I do.” She tilted her head in a tiny nod.

“But I’ll never push. It’s all up to you,” he told her in a soft voice. “I hope you’re reading my signals, Marissa. I think we could have something going here, but it’s your call.”

Heat crept up her cheeks, but she forced herself to look directly into his eyes.

“Justin, I-I mean…”

“Just so you know, Avery has not said a word to me about you, nor have I asked. I won’t invade someone’s privacy. But I’ve been in this business long enough to know when someone’s in a thorny situation. Whatever it is, tell me or not, I will always keep your confidence and always protect you. That doesn’t change the fact that I want you. Want to see where whatever we start can be going.”

“I-I know.” And she did. God, what should she do? She felt like a dithering idiot.

“In my line of work, we learn to respect people’s boundaries. Whatever you’re dealing with is none of my business unless you choose to make it so.” He shrugged. “We’ve danced around this, Marissa. Pretended it isn’t there. Ignored it. But take it from me, it’s not going away. All you have to do is give me the signal, because it’s all up to you.” He grinned. “And if not, you’ll still be my star kickboxing student.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could get any words out, the front doorbell tinkled.

“Customers?” he asked.

“I hope.” She wet her lips. “Thank you for the coffee and pastry. It was a nice break.”

“My pleasure.” His smile could have curled her toes. “Don’t forget Friday’s session.”

“I won’t. And thanks again.”

“And remember. It’s all up to you.”

Then he was gone.

She turned and smiled at the couple looking at the art hanging on the east wall. She’d have to be very careful with Justin Kelly. More than her safety could be at risk here. She wondered, with a touch of regret, if the day would ever come when she could relax, be completely free of her past, and enjoy a normal life.