Читать книгу Over the Edge - Jeanie London, Jeanie London - Страница 9

THE WAY Jake Trinity saw it, Mallory Hunt owed him one and the time had come to collect. Angling his sport utility vehicle into a parking spot along the street in front of her upscale brownstone, he glanced at the dashboard.

Ten fifty-seven.

Three minutes to get upstairs and he’d be right on time for their eleven o’clock appointment.

Grabbing his briefcase, he stepped out of his SUV into the bright morning sun just as a low-slung black convertible cruised past him, the driver’s ponytail whipping out on the wind behind her. He quickly pulled in his door so she didn’t take it off as she wheeled into the driveway and came to a sharp stop with a flash of red brake lights.

Mallory Hunt.

Jake knew her name. He knew a great deal about her, in fact, mostly from his preliminary research and references from industry associates who’d contracted her services. But he’d never seen her without a ski mask.

Even if he hadn’t known her address, he’d have known instinctively that this was the woman who’d boldly kissed him ten years ago. He wasn’t exactly sure how he knew, but he did. Even with a sidewalk and a neatly kept yard between them, he felt the same awareness he had on that long-ago night, that same chemistry, as if every nerve in his body had been wired to react to her just by being in the same vicinity.

It was crazy, really, but the moment slowed to a crawl, his every sense heightening as her door swung wide and his mystery woman emerged.

A slim booted foot touched the pavement, and Jake’s gaze traveled up the very shapely length of bare leg as she stepped from the car, the shorts she wore giving him a choice shot of sleek thighs.

She was as delicate as he remembered, but that was where memory ended—the black coveralls she’d worn ten years ago hadn’t molded her curves anywhere close to the way these khaki short-shorts and skin-tight T-shirt did now. The thin—wet?—cotton hugged a trim waist and full breasts in a way that made him drag his gaze over her appreciatively.

Her hair had been pulled back from her face in a thick black ponytail that fell halfway down her back. She swung the door shut, an efficient, graceful motion that brought the memory of the sensuous way she moved crashing back in vivid detail. Then she turned to him….

Jake stopped breathing.

A decade had passed since he’d crossed paths with this woman. She’d blown into his life for a few minutes and the fallout had left him stunned for years. And yes, resentful of her intrusion into his meticulously planned life.

But he’d never had more than an impression of the woman herself, a faceless memory of bold confidence, a lithe body and sensual movements….

And those eyes.

His breath burned tight in his chest by the time she gazed over the rim of her stylish black sunglasses and looked at him with those clear green eyes.

Eyes that had haunted him for a decade.

Eyes that reminded him of…the kiss.

Just the memory sucker punched him in the gut, made him look deep for some clue whether she knew who he was, whether she remembered, too. Something about the way she sized him up convinced him that she did.

After their accidental encounter on that night long ago, he’d made every effort to find out who she was, but he hadn’t known if she’d done the same. He couldn’t predict what a woman like Mallory Hunt would do in any given situation, because she was unlike anyone he’d ever met. He hadn’t made the acquaintance of any professional thieves at the private schools he’d attended, nor anywhere in his upper-middle-class upbringing. Mallory Hunt was an enigma to him. She had been ten years ago. She was today.

Forcing himself into action, he slammed the door shut, engaged the alarm and circled his SUV, fiercely containing his reaction to this woman. He’d been down this road before and the consequences had turned his life upside down.

He probably shouldn’t have contacted her, should have realized their past history would interfere with his agenda. But contacting her had been the only logical thing to do.

His latest security system had the potential to launch his company into the big leagues. Trinity Security Services employed a staff of top-notch engineers who could only test his system from the viewpoint of top-notch engineers. But meeting Mallory Hunt had taught Jake that security systems weren’t about securing a premise, but about keeping the bad guys out, which meant he needed a bad guy to test his system.

Or a bad girl.

He stared at one right now and couldn’t help feeling as though he’d come full circle. After all, Mallory Hunt had been the reason he’d become interested in the field of security and commercial protection in the first place.

Given their history, Jake supposed he shouldn’t be surprised to find himself so curious to see her up close. She was exquisite, with features as delicate as the rest of her and a face dominated by that lush mouth and those clear eyes.

Meeting him at the corner of her driveway, she extended a hand. “Well, you’ve certainly grown up, Jake Trinity.”

He’d never heard her speak, and her voice filtered through him, richer and more sensual than his imagination could have invented, a sexy voice that fit her to a T.

What was it about her that kept bringing to mind sex?

“So have you.” There, the situation was on the table. She recognized him. He recognized her. They were on level ground.

“Are you always so punctual?”

“Yes.” He glanced at his watch as he reached for her hand. A minute to spare. “Do you always cut your appointments so close?”

“I’m always right on time.”

He supposed perfect timing would be a necessary skill in her line of work, but he didn’t comment as she slipped tapered fingers against his, and the feel of her warm skin connected.

As an electrical engineer, Jake knew about conductivity, and Mallory Hunt’s touch flowed through him like a current. They’d only touched once before and sparks had flown then, too.

He thought he saw a flicker of surprise in those thickly fringed eyes, but her expression never changed. He wanted to feel detached, professional. He didn’t. The urge to lift her hand to his lips and press a kiss to her soft skin was strong, even though such an absurdly romantic gesture had no place in a business meeting.

Especially this meeting.

If she noticed how he seemed to be drinking her in, she didn’t react, simply withdrew her hand and said, “I shouldn’t get too close. I smell like a goat.”

He laughed. Even in a sweaty T-shirt and wrinkled shorts, there was nothing goat-like about this woman. “A workout?”

“Of sorts. Come on in.”

Jingling her keys, she trod lightly up the stone steps to her front door, and try though Jake might not to focus on her gently rounded bottom and the toned muscle playing along her thighs, he found himself staring.

And wondering what she’d done to work up that sweat.

He might no longer be a testosterone-filled teen who’d gotten a hard-on from kissing a sexy thief, but his reaction to Mallory Hunt was as extreme as ever. Apparently his reaction wasn’t about being caught up in the excitement of a dangerous situation. His reaction had to do with the woman herself.

Hmm. Looked like a reassessment of his position was in order. Especially since he meant to stick very close to her while she worked to troubleshoot his system.

If she accepted the job after she heard his unusual terms.

He’d convince her to accept.

She owed him.

When she retrieved a wireless remote from her purse to disable what he imagined was a top-of-the-line homesecurity unit, she distracted him with purely professional interest. What sort of system did a security specialist with Mallory Hunt’s credentials use to protect her inner sanctum?

He presumed a woman who knew all the industry tricks would secure her place tighter than Fort Knox. Especially a home she obviously took great pride in. And one glance inside her spacious town house revealed that she lived in the same classy style she drove. Jake didn’t know much about interior design, but he did know style and upscale elegance when he saw it. It stared him full in the face right now.

Mallory Hunt struck him as the epitome of a contemporary woman, a woman who boldly managed life on her own terms. While the luxury of her home didn’t surprise him, the coziness did. With its tall windows, sunny yellow walls and sleek marble floor, Mallory Hunt’s inner sanctum possessed a charming, welcoming feel that struck him as almost…homey.

Moving past her into the foyer, he glanced at the books lying open on a coffee table in front of the sofa, more on the end table. Sheet music covered the music desk of the white baby grand piano positioned between two floor-toceiling windows in the room’s far corner. A latte mug with a red lipstick circle rested on the mantel of a hall tree, as though she’d gulped down a last swallow of coffee before running out the door.

Jake wasn’t exactly sure what he’d expected from a former thief gone legit, but homey wasn’t it.

After locking her front door, she tossed her keys down and shrugged off her purse with a move that drew his gaze to the way filmy white cotton stretched across firm breasts. Hanging her purse over the banister, she turned to him and narrowed her gaze.

“Listen, Jake Trinity. I’ve got someplace to be right after we’re through here. Do you mind if I get ready while we talk?”

He shook his head, not surprised she didn’t conduct business in any ordinary manner. In his limited dealings with Mallory Hunt, he hadn’t found anything ordinary about her. And he really didn’t care how they conducted business as long as he got what he wanted.

“Hang on a second. Let me grab your proposal….” Her voice trailed off as she headed through the living room and disappeared from sight. “I’ve written down some questions I want to ask you.”

“I think we can come up with an arrangement that will be advantageous to us both.”

“I think so, too,” she said, reappearing in the living room, carrying a glossy folder with his company’s logo.

She smiled. But this wasn’t an impersonal smile of welcome. This was a full-fledged dazzling smile that nearly blinded him.

The effect was nothing short of devastating. The muscles gathered low in his gut in a purely physical response that was absurd in its intensity. He’d come today prepared to talk business, to convince this woman that she owed him so she’d agree to the unconventional terms of his job.

He hadn’t come prepared for a full-scale sensual assault.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t think of a damned thing to say that might reassert his control over the moment, so he simply followed her when she motioned him upstairs and led him into…“Your bedroom?”

She only nodded before pausing to flip open the folder casually and glance inside.

Okay. A business meeting in the bedroom. He’d come to this meeting today expecting the unexpected. No problem.

Her bedroom was certainly roomy enough to host a meeting. The second floor of her home boasted windows as large as those downstairs, only these windows weren’t covered with sheer draperies. Through the lattice of magnolia trees outside, Jake could see the wide expanse of green city park across the street.

The furnishings were as upscale contemporary as downstairs, elegant and minimal, yet still creating a very comfortable feel. And her bed…

He skimmed his gaze over the neatly made pewterframe bed, not at all amused by how the sight of the silk comforter and plush pillows knocked loose a few more of his brain cells.

“You brought the specs for your system, didn’t you?” she asked, not bothering to glance at him as she moved to an open doorway and flipped on a light.

“Yes.” He could always spread out the prints on the bed.

But no sooner had he formed the thought than Mallory disappeared inside an adjoining room.

A bathroom?

Jake glanced inside, watched her set the folder down on the vanity and tug the band from her ponytail. Shaking her head, she loosed a sheet of straight black hair that fell nearly to her waist, glinting like glass beneath the track lighting.

His breath caught hard. He was beginning to get an idea of her definition of “getting ready.” And he knew right then she was testing his mettle, maybe even trying to shock him. He wanted to know why.

“You want to have our business meeting in the bathroom?”

She glanced back over her shoulder, lips pursed thoughtfully. “Can you handle it?”

Ten years ago, he should have restrained this woman and sounded the alarm. For a long time he’d regretted not doing that. He’d resented that meeting her—however unintentionally on both their parts—had screwed with his whole life.

But as he met her gaze now, recognized the challenge there, he found himself responding exactly as he had back then.

He wanted to see how far she would go.

“I’ll enjoy it.”

She smiled, silently acknowledging that he’d picked up the gauntlet. Then she disappeared from sight.

Jake drew a deep breath, mentally warned his body to behave and followed.

Her bathroom was as tastefully decorated as the rest of her home, with a double vanity and a corner shower with wall jets.

He almost asked if she expected them to talk while she showered, but as she was removing fresh towels from the linen closet, he figured he had his answer.

Setting his briefcase on the floor, he leaned back against the vanity, steeling himself for her next move.

It would be a good one, no doubt.

He only hoped he could think clearly beneath an assault of this magnitude. He was barely hanging on already.

No twenty-six-year-old woman of his acquaintance had ever oozed confidence like this one. He’d recognized her boldness ten years ago and he saw it again now. Understanding the unusual circumstances of her life explained a little, but Jake didn’t think circumstances had everything to do with Mallory Hunt.

Then she dropped the towels onto the toilet lid and raised her arms to pull the T-shirt over her head and he didn’t think again. He was reduced to folding his arms across his chest and trying to look completely unfazed by the sight of pale breasts swelling above a white cotton bra.

“I read your proposal, Jake,” she said calmly, as though stripping in front of a man she’d only met once before—under very dubious circumstances—was a commonplace event. “It was pretty straightforward. You want me to troubleshoot your newest system. The…what was it called?”

“The Sentex 2000.”

Her wadded-up T-shirt sailed inches past his face to land on the nearby hamper before she propped a foot onto the toilet lid to untie her boot.

“Right. The Sentex 2000. You’re testing your prototype locally?”

“I have several in place with different clients of mine. I’m exposing it to a variety of scenarios.”

“Good idea.”

He was glad she thought so because he wasn’t convinced that standing here while she stripped qualified as one of his better ideas. Not with her breasts jiggling as she toed off a boot then stripped her sock away to reveal a slim white foot with neatly polished red toenails.

Then she lifted the other and began the process all over again.

“I assume you know how I operate, Jake.”

By stripping for potential clients until they’re horny idiots who’ll agree to anything?

“You try to infiltrate the system,” he said, managing to sound reasonably composed as she unbuttoned her fly and started rocking back and forth while pushing the khaki shorts over her hips. Down, down, down….

“There’s no try.”

“Excuse me?”

Bending over to drag the shorts away, she slanted him a glance from beneath her hair. “There’s no try to it. I infiltrate your system. Then I tell you where the holes are.”

“Always?”

She straightened, giving him a view of her in profile, and no matter how much he wanted to keep his gaze on her face, there was simply no way he could resist glancing down at the sleek expanse of her pale curves. Firm breasts were clad in white cotton, her trim waist playing peekaboo with all that shiny hair, her smooth stomach and gently rounded hips barely holding up a teeny white thong.

He swallowed hard.

He was getting hard.

No matter how deeply he breathed to dispel the tightness in his chest. No matter how much he reminded himself that he’d acquired restraint in the years since their last encounter. His reminders were nothing more than desperate, self-delusional bullshit while he stood staring at the tight curve of her bottom and those long, long legs.

“Do you believe in a fail-safe system, Jake?”

Her tone made it sound as if a fail-safe system was something out of a fairy tale. “As a matter of fact, I don’t.”

“Good. I hate to disappoint my clients.”

“I don’t see much chance of that if you conduct all your consultations in your bathroom, Ms. Hunt. In fact, it would explain your impeccable references. You have a lot of happy former clients out there.”

“Call me Mallory, please.” She chuckled, a low, silky sound that purred through their close quarters as if it were alive. “That’s because I’m good at what I do.”

Damned straight. This was a strip show of the highest caliber.

She gifted him with a full shot of her back, the fall of shiny hair, her heart-shaped bottom with that silky little strap disappearing between her cheeks. Leaning into the shower to turn on the water, she bent just enough to taunt him with a glimpse of exactly where that little strap was hiding.

Unfolding his arms, Jake braced his hands on the vanity, every drop of blood in his body rushing south so fast he actually felt dizzy.

For a man who hadn’t had sex in…he dredged his memory for the last time he’d been involved. Damn, had it been that long? No wonder he was crumbling under this assault.

Although he didn’t think anything could have prepared him for Mallory Hunt. No doubt she’d planned it that way.

Which led back to his original question…why?

“Shall we talk details?” She straightened and turned to him, dipping her head in a sexy motion, flinging her hair over her shoulder as she reached around her back….

Her bra sprang open and full breasts spilled out, pale, perfect, the deep-rose nipples aiming at him and proving that he wasn’t the only one affected by her well-aimed assault.

Jake supposed he should have felt some consolation. He didn’t. He found himself gripping the vanity instead, when she arched back to slide the straps down her arms.

The bra went whizzing by his face toward the hamper. It landed on the T-shirt and hung for a suspended moment before falling to the floor.

“I have some conditions that will have to be met before we can come to an agreement,” he said, amazed that he actually got the words out. “But please, ladies first.”

She inclined her head graciously and then fired the next volley…she bent over again.

This time she leaned forward as she slipped off her thong. She pushed the scrap of fabric down her thighs, along shapely calves. Her breasts plumped forward and her hair swept in front of her in a heavy fall of black silk, shielding his view for a tantalizing instant…until she retrieved her panties and stood up, unselfconsciously and quite breathtakingly naked.

Jake sucked in a breath of humid air.

Unfortunately, it didn’t help. Not when Mallory Hunt was a vision from a fantasy with the steam curling around her, airbrushing her slender curves with mist.

His heart pounded. His blood thundered in his ears so loudly that he almost missed hearing her when she said, “I’ll talk loudly so you can hear me above the water.”

No problem, as long as she did the talking. His voice was trapped somewhere below the breath that had solidified in his throat. It had been way too long since he’d had sex, and Jake made a note to pencil in a reminder on his schedule.

Find a date.

He’d been a fool to ignore his needs for so long that he could barely breathe when faced with a naked beauty who was bent on taunting him. While this wasn’t the first time he’d been forced to admit that he ignored his needs too often, it was the first time he’d ever found his control so seriously threatened.

He considered challenging her to see if there was an offer beneath her boldness. But Mallory Hunt clearly had an agenda and he wasn’t taking one step in her direction until he understood what it was.

This woman was fire, and he’d been burned before.

“Okay, Jake. Here’s the deal in a nutshell. You pick what you think is your most secure property. I’ll research your system, determine where the weaknesses are, prove my position by infiltrating your system and then submit a summary so you can address the problems.”

She slid the shower door open as he realized exactly what it was about her tone that he found so very intriguing.

There was no doubt in her voice. None. Mallory was completely confident in her abilities, just as she’d been while confronting him that dark night long ago.

He waited until she stepped inside and closed the sliding glass door before he played his hand. “I’ll pick my most secure property, you get inside and take me with you to show me how you do it.”

He saw her pause and experienced a surge of satisfaction that he’d surprised her. A definite first in their limited acquaintance.

She recovered quickly, though, and he heard her bubbling laughter over the running water as she stepped into the spray, tipping her head to wet that magnificent hair.

Until she responded, Jake had absolutely nothing to counter or debate, so he stood there and enjoyed the show.

Steam billowed around her, misted the glass and showcased her beautiful curves. The beige tile cast her pale body and dark hair in soft relief, drawing his attention to the graceful way she lifted her arms, reached for a bottle from a shelf.

He’d tried to anticipate every eventuality for today’s meeting. But of all the unexpected things he’d expected, playing spectator while this slim beauty showered hadn’t even made the list.

“I operate alone, Jake,” she finally said.

“You didn’t ten years ago.”

“True, but I’m in a different line of work now.”

Their encounter that night had sent both their lives spiraling off into entirely new directions. It had taken him a long time to make peace with the changes to his career plan. How had she felt about her own?

He didn’t ask, just said, “I insist.”

“Really.” No question mark.

“Really.”

“Why?”

A simple question, but one that surprised him. “I don’t trust you.”

He thought he heard her chuckle over the running water.

“But you contacted me, Jake Trinity.”

“Yes, I did. I researched your references and looked into your business dealings. I understand you operate a legitimate business now and your services come highly recommended. But I also discovered that most of your clients don’t realize how you honed your skills.”

“I’ve never kept my background a secret.”

He didn’t doubt her. This woman impressed him as someone skilled in turning disadvantage to advantage. She was manipulating the situation to her advantage right now and he didn’t know why. But she had a reason for putting on this show, for lathering her long hair with slow, sinuous motions, arms raised, body displayed through sheets of water and steamy mist.

She definitely had a reason for challenging him to combine business with the pleasure of watching her. His body was on red alert, and the conversation was the only thing helping him maintain control, forcing his focus on something other than the tumble of dark hair and lather playing over her sleek skin.

“Mallory, I’ll be hiring you to infiltrate a prototype of the Sentex 2000 that’s in place on one of my client’s properties. They’ll be allowing you to break in at my request. My reputation is on the line here. You must understand my need for caution.”

“I do. But I’m guessing you don’t have a clear idea of what it takes to infiltrate a security system. Trust me when I say it requires a skill that doesn’t lend itself to spectators.”

Here it was, and Jake went for it. “I don’t want to be a spectator. I want to assist. Show me what to do and I’ll do it.”

“You want a course in thievery 101.” Still no question mark.

“Yes.”

She only reached for a bath sponge and started a whole new show by working lather over her neck and shoulders. Jake followed her motions, the continued level of excitement wearing at his restraint. He found it increasingly difficult to concentrate when the memory of how she’d felt pressed up against him collided with the sight of all that bare skin. He struggled to stay sharp, because staying sharp was crucial to dealing with this woman.

“If I agree to your conditions, what exactly do you think you’ll gain?”

“A couple of things,” he said, shifting his position to ease up the seam that was biting into his crotch. “First is that I’ll be with you when you infiltrate my client’s property. I can offer them my personal assurance that their interests will be protected because I’ll be overseeing you personally.”

“And?”

“I want to see how you operate. You offer a unique perspective on security. I want to benefit from your experience and bring that knowledge with me when I design my systems.”

The soapy bath sponge continued a leisurely path down her arms, graceful swirls of motion that drew his gaze to the way her back arched slightly, thrusting those incredible breasts forward, the rosebud nipples spearing through the lather.

He shifted position again, trying to ease the pressure of a tight seam.

“Are you willing to pay my fee?”

“I am—even though you quoted me a number that starts forty percent above what you charged my competitors.”

She turned to face him, aiming another salvo with a fullfrontal shot of all that soapy skin, that smooth stomach and the barely-there dark curls peeking out between her thighs. “Inflation.”

Right. Even if he hadn’t heard the amusement in her voice, Jake knew better. Unfortunately, he was still no closer to understanding her agenda. With the dramatic decrease in both his willpower and IQ beneath her sexy assault, he wouldn’t be satisfying his curiosity any time soon.

“Does this mean you’ll take the job?” he asked out of sheer desperation to distract himself as that bath sponge wound a path between her thighs.

“Why should I? You’ve already told me you don’t trust me. Think about all the extra work training you will mean for me.”

He’d thought about it—long and hard, in fact. Her extra work meant his, too. He also thought about just telling her outright that she owed him, tipping his hand and letting the cards fall where they may.

But Mallory Hunt couldn’t know that she’d cost him his job on that long-ago night. Jake should have tripped the silent alarm. He hadn’t. He’d been too bowled over by her kiss. He’d been stumped as to why such a sexy young woman—and the instant their lips had met he’d known she was young—would participate in a burglary. Any logical explanation had been so far beyond the comprehension of his upper-middle-class value system that he’d been shellshocked into indecision.

The rational side of his brain had insisted he report the break-in. The more impulsive side hadn’t been able to get past the fact that sounding the alarm would have meant such a sexy young woman would likely end up in prison.

While the two sides of his brain had warred, fate had intervened and made the decision for him. Someone, he assumed the security guard, had sounded the alarm and the police had shown up and arrested one of the burglars—not her, he’d found out later.

The company president hadn’t wanted explanations. He’d wanted an employee who would put the company’s best interests first. Jake didn’t blame him.

As a result of meeting Mallory Hunt, he’d lost his job, his internship, his scholarship, a decent reference and any hope of a future with Innovative Engineering.

As his father had been golfing buddies with the company president, the real reason for his dismissal hadn’t become part of his permanent record. Mallory Hunt couldn’t know the details, and now didn’t seem like the best time to tip his hand. Erection aside, the rational half of his brain had brought him here today. He needed this woman’s expertise, felt she owed him a favor, but he didn’t want to show a soft underbelly by letting her think he held a grudge.

“You should take my job because working together will be mutually beneficial. TSS will be a strong reference. My business is well respected in the industry.”

She exhaled a laugh that was more exasperation than amusement. “What is it with you men?”

Jake didn’t know what other man she was referring to and he didn’t care. He wasn’t finished yet. “I was going to say that your endorsement of my new security system will be good for the Sentex 2000. See, mutually beneficial.”

Not the strongest of arguments, but the most logical to his way of thinking. Jake braced himself to counter her objections, mentally sifted through rebuttals that might establish his case.

What he didn’t expect was Mallory to say, “Okay. It’s a deal. You pay my exorbitant fee and I’ll infiltrate the system of your choice and take you with me as my assistant.”

She slid open the shower door, heedless of the drizzle spraying out from the wall jets as she extended her hand. Jake had the wild thought that the last thing in the world he needed to do right now was touch this woman, but reason wasn’t priority here—sealing the deal was.

Pushing away from the vanity, he swallowed hard when the seam of his slacks bit hard into his crotch. He schooled his expression and closed the distance between them.

But Jake knew before his fingers slid around hers that this was nothing more than a ploy. Mallory was testing his limits again, pushing him. To see if she could shock him? Or to get him close enough to…what?

He didn’t know. He only knew that with her hair slicked back he could see her features more clearly than ever before. He stared down into her face, the perfect forehead, the elegant slash of her brows, the creamy skin, the high cheekbones, and knew a hunger for this woman more intense than anything he’d ever known before.

Then she lifted her gaze to his. Despite the water droplets clinging to her lashes and the lush landscape of moist skin between them, the challenge in those clear green eyes was so reminiscent of ten years ago…

Only this time he kissed her.