Читать книгу Outrageous - Lori Foster - Страница 9

CHAPTER THREE

EMILY’S MOUTH OPENED twice, but nothing came out. She was too stunned to think rationally, too appalled to react with any real thought. Judd dropped his arms and stepped completely into the kitchen, watching her, and by reflex alone, she started sidling toward the hall door. She had made a terrible mistake. Her instincts had been off by a long shot.

Judd’s smile was pure wickedness. “Where ya’ goin’, Emily?”

“I, ah, I just thought of something…”

Like a loud blast, his laugh erupted, filling the silence of the kitchen.

She halted, a spark of suspicion beginning to form. “What is so funny?”

“The look on your face. Did you think I had visions of taking you instead of the money?” He shook his head, and Emily felt her cheeks flame. He was still chuckling when he said, “It only makes sense that I’d be in charge—after all, that’s what you’ll be paying me for. Like I told you, a rich little lady like yourself would only draw a lot of unnecessary attention hanging around that area. You’ll have to follow my lead, and do as I tell you if you want to stay safe. And another thing, we need to figure out some reason for you being there at all. I think we’ll have to do a little acting. Your part will be easy, since you’ll just be the rich lady. That leaves me as the kept man.” He spread his arms wide. “As far as everyone will be concerned, I’m yours. There’s no other reason why a woman like you would be around a man like me, unless she was slumming. So that’s the reason we’ll use.”

She was so mortified, she wanted to die. Stiff-backed, she turned away from him and walked over to lean against the tiled counter near the sink. She heard Judd close the door, and seconds later, his hands landed on her shoulders, holding her firm.

“Don’t get all huffy now. We have things to discuss. Serious things.”

“You mean, you don’t intend to taunt me anymore? My goodness, how gracious.”

“You’ve got a real smart mouth, don’t you? No, don’t answer that. I’m sorry I teased you, but I couldn’t resist. You’re just too damn easy to fluster.” He turned her to face him, then tipped up her chin.

“Here, now, don’t go blushing again. Not that you don’t look cute when you do, but I really think we should talk.”

Emily stepped carefully away, not wanting him to know how his nearness, his touch, affected her. Even after all his taunting, she still went breathless and too warm inside when he was close. And ridiculously, it angered her when he belittled himself, claiming she could have no interest in him other than as a sex partner. The physical appeal was there, but it was more than that. Much more. He had helped her. He’d actually taken on three inebriated men to protect her, even though he wasn’t a real cop. And he was willing to help her again. She discounted the money; what she was asking could put his life at risk. He must be motivated by more than money to get involved.

But for now, she couldn’t sort it all out. Especially not with her senses still rioting at his nearness. She drew a deep breath, then let it out again. “I thought we were going to wait until morning to make any plans. It is getting rather late.”

“No, I’ve decided it can’t wait. But I won’t keep you long. Pull up a chair and get comfortable.”

Emily didn’t particularly want to get comfortable, but she also didn’t want to risk driving Judd away. For the moment, he was the best hope she had of ever finding the man who’d sold her brother the gun. She knew her limitations, and fitting in around the lower east side of Springfield was probably the biggest of them. She needed him.

As she headed for a chair, Judd caught the back of her coat, drawing her up short. “It’s warm in here. Why don’t you take this off?”

He was watching her closely again, and she couldn’t fathom his thoughts. She shrugged, then started to slip the shabby wool coat from her shoulders. Judd’s eyes went immediately to the tiny camera she wore on a strap around her neck.

“What the hell is that?”

She jumped, then lost her temper with his barking tone. “Will you please quit cursing at me!”

He seemed stunned by her outburst, but he did nod. “Answer me.”

“It’s rather obviously a camera.”

Closing his eyes and looking as though he were involved in deep prayer, Judd said, “Please tell me you weren’t taking pictures tonight.”

“No. I didn’t take any.” She lifted her chin, knowing what his reaction would be, then added, “Tonight.”

“You just had to clarify that, didn’t you, before I could really relax.” His sigh was long and drawn out, then he led her to the polished pine table sitting in the middle of her quarry-stone kitchen floor. He pulled out a chair for her, silently insisting that she sit. “So when did you take pictures?”

“I’ve been checking that area for three nights now.” She ignored his wide-eyed amazement, and his muttered cursing. “The first night, I took some shots of things that didn’t look quite right. You know, groups of men who were huddled together talking. Cars that were parked where they probably shouldn’t be. Things like that. Not that I really suspected them of anything. But I didn’t want to come home empty-handed.

“I was hoping to find something concrete tonight, so I brought the camera again. Let’s face it. If I did find out anything, I doubt the police would simply take my word for it. I mean, if they were at all concerned with that awful man who’s selling defective guns, well…they’d be doing something right now.” Judd cringed, but Emily rushed on. “If I had something on film, I’d have solid evidence. The police would have to get involved. But there wasn’t anything incriminating.”

Judd’s mouth was tight and his eyes grew more narrow with each word she spoke. “You’ve been hanging out in the lower east side for three days…rather, nights?”

“Yes.”

His palm slapped the table and he leaned forward to loom over her again, caging her in her chair. Emily slid back in her seat, stunned by his fury. And he was furious, she had no doubt of that.

“Never again, you got that!” He was so close, his breath hit her face in hot gusts. “From this day on, you don’t even think about going anywhere, especially to the lower east side, without me. Ever. You got that?”

Emily bolted upright, forcing him to move away so they wouldn’t smack noses. “You don’t give me orders, Mr. Sanders!”

“Judd, dammit,” he said, now sounding merely disgruntled. “I told you to call me Judd.”

“I hired you, Judd, not the other way around.”

He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her into her seat. His tone was lower, but no less firm. “I’m serious, Emily. You obviously don’t have the sense God gave a goose, and if you want my help on this, I insist you stay in one piece. That won’t happen if you go wandering around in areas where you shouldn’t be. It’s too dangerous. Hell, it’s a wonder you’ve survived as long as you have.”

Emily tried to calm herself, but he was so close, she couldn’t think straight. She recognized his real concern, something money couldn’t possibly buy. Satisfied that her instincts hadn’t failed her after all, she tried to reassure him. Her voice emerged as a whisper. “I have been careful, Judd. I promise. No one saw me take the pictures. But just in case, I took shots of inconsequential things, too. Like the children who were playing in the street, and the vagrant standing on the corner. If anyone saw me, they’d just think I was doing an exposé. They’d be flattered, not concerned.”

“You can’t know that.”

He, too, was easing back, as if suddenly aware of their positions. Slipping the camera off over her head, he said, “I’ll take this, in case there is anything important on the film.”

Emily started to object, even though she truly didn’t believe she had photographed anything relevant. Then she noticed where his gaze had wandered. Very briefly, his eyes lit on her mouth, then her throat. Emily could feel her pulse racing there.

Still frowning, but also looking a little confused, Judd laid the camera on the table, then caught the lapels of her coat and eased them wide. He just stood there, holding her coat open, looking at her. He didn’t move, but his look was so hot, and he was still so near she grew breathless.

She felt choked by the neck of her dress, a high-collared affair that buttoned up the front and was long enough to hang to midcalf. It was sprinkled with small, dainty blue flowers, a little outdated maybe, but she liked it. She’d long ago accepted she had no fashion sense, so she bought what pleased her, not what the designers dictated.

Judd lifted a finger, almost reluctantly, and touched the small blue bow that tied her collar at her throat. She could hear his breathing, could see his intense concentration as he watched the movement of his hand. With a slow, gentle tug, he released the bow, and the pad of his finger touched her warm skin.

Emily parted her lips to breathe. She wasn’t thinking about what he was doing or why. She was only feeling, the sensations overwhelming, swamping her senses. She surrendered to them—to Judd—without a whimper, good sense and caution lost in the need to be wanted, to share herself with another person.

Judd lifted his gaze to her face. He searched her expression for a timeless moment, his eyes hard and bright. Then abruptly, he moved away. He stalked to the door, his head down, his hands fisted on his hips.

He inhaled deeply, and Emily watched the play of muscles across his back. “I want your promise, Emily. I don’t want you to make a single move without me.”

Gruff and low, it took a second for his words to filter into her mind. They were so different from her own thoughts, so distant from the mood he’d created. She cleared her throat and tried to clear her mind. Judd still had his back to her, his arms now crossed over his chest. He sounded almost angry, and she didn’t understand him. Could he, who barely knew her, truly be so concerned for her well-being? “You’ll help me? You’re not just putting me off?”

“I’ll help. But we move when I say, and not before.”

She wished he’d look at her so she could see his face, but he didn’t. “Since I assume you know the best time to find information, I’ll wait.”

Finally, he turned to her. “This house is secure?”

“Very.”

He picked up the camera, then opened the door. “I’ve got to go. I have a few things to do yet. But I want you to promise me you’ll stay inside—no more investigating tonight.”

Nervously, Emily fingered the loose ties to her bow. She considered retying it, but decided against drawing any further attention to the silly thing. Judd glanced down at her fingers, and his expression hardened. “Promise me you’ll stay in your castle, princess. We can talk more in the morning.”

“Yes. I won’t go anywhere else tonight.” She tried to make her tone firm, but some of her fear came through in her next question. “How will I reach you tomorrow?”

Judd stood silently watching her a minute longer. “You got a pen and paper anywhere around here?”

Emily opened a drawer and pulled out a pad and pencil. Judd quickly scrawled several lines. “This is my number at the apartment, and this is the one at the bar. And just in case, here’s my address. Now, I mean it, Emily. Don’t make a move without me.”

She tried not to look too greedy when she snatched the paper out of his hand. “I promise.”

He hesitated another moment, then stepped outside, pulling the door shut behind him. Emily watched through the window as his truck drove away, wondering where he was going, but knowing she didn’t have the right to ask. Perhaps he had a lady friend waiting on him.

Of course he does, Emily, she told herself. A man like him probably has dozens of women. But they’re not ladies. He wouldn’t want a lady.

And for some reason, that thought sent a small, forbidden thrill curling through her insides.

* * *

Anger and frustration were not a good combination. Judd didn’t understand himself. Or more to the point, he didn’t understand his reaction to Emily.

He’d been a hairbreadth away from kissing her. Not a sweet little peck. No, he’d wanted his tongue in her mouth, his lips covering hers, feeling her urgency. He’d wanted, dammit, to devour her completely.

And she would have loved it, he could tell that much from her racing pulse and her soft, inviting eyes. She may play the proper little Miss Priss to perfection, but she had fire. Enough to burn him if he let her.

It wasn’t the time and she wasn’t the person for him to be getting ideas about. But he’d taunted her without mercy, wanting to conquer her, to show her he was male to her female. To prove…what? That he could and would protect her? That he’d solve her problems so she could smile more? He didn’t know.

He’d had women, of course, but none that meant anything beyond physical pleasure. None that he’d wanted to claim, to brand in the most primal, basic way. He didn’t know what it was, but Emily was simply different. And she affected him differently.

That dress of hers…so feminine, so deceiving. He’d always heard other men joke about having a lady in the parlor and a wanton in the bedroom. The dress had looked innocent enough, but her eyes…

He knew, even though he wasn’t happy knowing, that Emily fit the descriptive mix of lady and wanton to a tee. It was an explosive fantasy, the thought of having a woman who would unleash her passion for just one man, that no one would ever guess unless they were with her, covering her, inside her.

Beneath her dress, he could make out the faint, delicate curve of her breasts, her narrow rib cage. She was so slight of build, but so feminine. She had the finest skin he’d ever seen, warm and smooth and pale. And loyalty. She must be damn loyal to this kid—whoever he was—to take such risks for him.

Judd’s thighs clenched and his heart raced. He hadn’t been able to resist touching her, and she hadn’t protested when he did.

She was too trusting for her own good. And he was too intuitive to be fooled by her prissy demeanor. Emily Cooper had more than her fair share of backbone, and that was almost as sexy as her eyes.

Stopping at a corner drugstore and leaving the truck at the curb, Judd got out to use the lighted pay phone. He never used the phone in his apartment to contact headquarters, in case there were prying ears. To his disgust, his hands shook as he fished a quarter out of his jeans pocket. He made the call, and then waited.

Lieutenant Howell picked up on the first ring. “Yeah?”

“Sanders here.”

“It’s about time. Where the hell have you been?”

Judd closed his eyes, not relishing the chore ahead of him. This wasn’t going to be easy. He took a deep breath, then told his boss, “We have a little problem.”

“I’m waiting.”

“I met a lady tonight.”

“Is that supposed to surprise me, Judd? Hell, you’re working as a male stripper. I imagine you meet a lot of broads every damn night.”

“Not a broad,” Judd said, the edge in his tone evident. “A lady. And she was actively looking for Donner, though she hasn’t put a name to him yet. Seems she knows a kid who had a faulty automatic blow up in his face, and she’s pegged Donner as the seller.”

There was a low whistle, then, “No kidding?”

“The kid’s alive, but from what I understand, he’s in pretty bad shape. His parents have taken him out of the country.” Then, in a drier tone, Judd added, “They’re upper-league.”

Judd expected the cursing, then the inevitable demand for details. The telling took all of three minutes, and during that time, Howell didn’t make a single sound. Judd tried to downplay his initial meeting with Emily and the fact she’d seen him perform, but there was no way to get around it completely. When Judd finished, he heard a rough rumble from Howell that could have been either a chuckle or a curse. “She could throw a wrench into the works.”

Judd chose his words very carefully. “Maybe not. I’ve been thinking about it, and it might actually strengthen my case. Being a stripper in such a sleazy joint makes me look pretty unethical. And I’ve made it known I’d do just about anything, including stripping, to make a fast buck.”

“But Donner hasn’t taken the bait yet.”

“He will.” Judd was certain of that. Donner always used available locals. That was how he worked. “It will happen. But maybe, with a classy woman hanging around to make me look all the more unscrupulous, Donner will buy in a little quicker.”

“You think he’ll figure the little lady is keeping you?”

“What else would he think? We’re hardly the perfect couple. As long as she’s informed and close enough for me to keep an eye on her, she’ll be safe. And Donner will definitely get curious. Besides, I don’t have much choice. She made it real plain she’d investigate on her own if I didn’t see fit to help her. It’s a sure bet she’d tip Donner off and send him running.”

Howell chuckled. “Sounds like you got everything nicely under control.”

No. He didn’t have his libido under control, or his protective male instincts that had him wanting to look after her despite his obligations to the job and his loyalty to Max. “I can handle things, I think. It would have been better not to have a civilian involved, but my options are limited now.”

“I could have her picked up for some trumped-up violation. That might buy you a little time to settle things without her around.”

The thought of Emily being humiliated that way, being harassed—by anyone other than himself, was unthinkable. “No. I’ll keep an eye on her. Besides, she’s so clean, she squeaks. I doubt you’d find anything. And I already tried scaring her off, but she’s sticking to her guns.”

“Determined, huh?”

Judd snorted. “I almost think she wants Donner as bad as I do. She was taking pictures. Can you imagine? I took the film. I don’t think there’s anything important on it, but I don’t want to take any chances. Not with this case.” And not with her. “So I’ll let her hang around a while, and use the situation to our advantage. In any case, she’ll probably be with me when I perform at the bar on Tuesday.”

“Keep me posted as soon as you know about the film. And in the meantime, watch your backside. Don’t go getting romantic ideas and blow this whole thing.”

“Fat chance.” He hoped he sounded convincing. “I just wanted you to know what was going on.”

“You need any backup on hand, just in case?”

“No.” Everything had gone better than he could have hoped. His performance was convincing, even superior to the other dancers’. But he didn’t intend to share all that over the phone. It was humiliating. “I don’t want to take a chance on blowing it now. I’m accepted. No one suspects me of being anything but a stripper.”