Mine Until Dawn (book 2 of the Fitzgerald Family)

MINE UNTIL DAWN

E.B. WALTERS

Copyright © E. B. Walters 2011

Published by Firetrail Publishing at Smashwords

Firetrail Publishing

Logan, UT

eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it

is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

This book is a work of fiction. The names characters, places, and incidents are

Products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.

Any resemblance to any actual events or persons, living or dead,

actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2011 Ednah Walters

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 0983429715

ISBN-13: 978-0983429715

Edited by Isabel McFarland and May Novack

Cover Design by the Romance Review (TRR) Cover Art Team.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced

in any manner whatsoever without permission, except in the case of

brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

First Firetrail Publishing publication: July 2011

www.firetrailpublishing.com

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my two sisters,

Joyce and Merab.

You guys are the best.

I love you, guys..

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To my ladies at KWCritgroup—Dawn Brown, Teresa Bellow,

Katherine Warwick/Jennifer Laurens/

You guys are amazing. To my beta-readers, Mindy Janicke,

Jowanna Delong Kestner and Christine Warner.

Thanks for last minute tweaks.

To Mike and my wonderful children,

thank you for your unwavering love and support.

You inspire me always.

Love you, guys.

CHAPTER 1

A whisper of a fabric, and a sudden tingling shot up Jade’s spine. Slowly, she turned toward the doorway. She didn’t want to stare, but…good Lord! A man filled her doorframe, but his eyes, steely gray, fierce, reminiscent of a panther on the prowl, drew all of her attention.

She exhaled, dragged her gaze away from his and gave his large frame a once over. Wide chest, broad shoulders, black polo shirt under a leather jacket and well-worn black jeans—a body built for sin.

I believe we have an appointment, Professor Fitzgerald. The words rolled off his sculptured lips and a dimple winked at her from one lean cheek before it disappeared. Nice. Jade’s gaze connected with his narrowed ones and she realized he was waiting for a response.

Vince Knight, right? She flushed when his eyebrows shot up. Of course, he was Vince Knight. She’d listened to his voicemail several times today and yesterday. His sinful and sexy voice alone, deep and husky, was unforgettable. It brought to mind silk sheets, intertwined limbs and sweaty bodies.

Come in, please. She got off the corner of her desk, where she’d propped her butt. Get your mind out of the gutter while you’re at it. She indicated the chair across from hers. Take a seat.

Thank you.

Okay, so he was six feet plus of male poster material and she hadn’t had sex in a…year? No, a year and a half if she counted the six months her no-good, sorry-excuse of a husband, now her ex, had been busy taking care of his secretary’s needs rather than hers. Still, that was no excuse to drool.

Despite her pep talk, her gaze stayed on him as he stepped into her office, dwarfing it by his sheer presence. He exuded raw power so overwhelming, Jade decided to put some distance between them. Unfortunately, he chose that moment to run his steely gaze over her green and white, Bohemian-inspired, crinkled peasant skirt.

Jade cringed. Trust her to meet a gorgeous guy when she wasn’t her best. She should have worn one of her new suits and some heels, not her field-trip skirt and flats.

Still, her temperature shot up and her heart picked up tempo. She became conscious of her smaller stature, which was ridiculous. At five-seven, curvy and with parts of her body refusing to be toned down, she wasn’t tiny. When his gaze paused at the bare skin visible above the neckline of her black shirt, Jade’s chin shot up.

Pull yourself together before you send your heart into an overdrive and have an arrhythmia attack. Her mind and body warred. Her mind, as usual, won. Jade took a deep breath, held it and exhaled slowly.

She made her way behind the desk, sat and crossed her legs. The gorgeous hunk remained standing, his gaze locked on her like a heat-seeking missile. What was he waiting for, and why couldn’t he stop staring?

You, uh, have a problem with sitting down or is it the chair? Her gaze shifted to her desk clock then back to him. She smiled to soften her next words. You have five minutes, then I have to leave. There’s a roomful of art history students waiting for me down the hall.

A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes as he pulled out the chair and sat. You haven’t changed one little bit, Jade Fitzgerald.

Jade frowned. Have we met before?

Yes, we have, he said, his voice neutral.

Jade tilted her head and contemplated his features. Arrogant arched eyebrows, bold nose and chiseled cheekbones created a face so full of raw determination it mesmerized. His black hair was cut short as though to tame it, but the style didn’t hide the defiant waves at the base of his neck. His eyes and the dimples softening the austere face were familiar. An elusive memory teased her, then disappeared.

Was it at one of my mother’s parties? she asked.

No. We attended the same high school.

Her worst nightmare.

That was eons ago. Her tone came out cool.

Vince nodded. I know. I was there for a short period, so I’m sure I didn’t leave a lasting impression.

A memory tickled her mind again. She fought to grasp it as she studied him. His face and intensity reminded her of …who?

I’m sure that’s not the case. I’m just terrible with faces. Even as she spoke, an image took hold. He couldn’t possibly be Vinny? The rumor then was he came straight from juvenile detention to her school. After he disappeared, everyone assumed he went right back to the juvee. His tough-guy attitude had made him a magnet for girls. Three months were all he spent in her school, and he scored with half the cheerleading squad. Could have been a rumor, but it had made him a rebel every hormone-driven boy in school wanted to emulate.

How could she have forgotten him? And how could he remember her? Their paths had collided on his first day at school, a humiliating moment she tried to erase from her mental Rolodex. Even worse, it never stopped her from weaving fantasies about him, envying the girls he supposedly seduced in the back seat of his black Trans Am.

Heat spread up Jade’s neck. She tried to cover it with a smile. I remember you now, Vince. You were something else in high school. What happened? You just disappeared after a few months.

Vince shrugged. I needed a change.

What a change. The rebellious youth was now a man with rippling muscles, a face of sharp angles and planes. His old cocky smile, hinting at dark secrets, was absent, but his eyes still had the power to tug at a heart and pierce a soul.

So, what can I do for you? Jade asked, uncrossing her legs and leaning forward.

Vince shifted closer too. I’m in need of some information.

Oh. She studied him, but the man had a poker face. On what?

Who, he corrected. Estelle Fitzgerald.

Jade stiffened. My mother? Is she the brief consultation you mentioned in your message?

Yes. I’ve been trying to locate her. Left her numerous voice mail messages, but she hasn’t returned any of them. I was hoping you’d help me.

Jade opened her mouth to answer, but bit her tongue. What’s this about?

Nothing serious, he said.

Her stomach hollowed out, the same sinking-in-the-stomach feeling she had the first and second time someone asked for her mother’s whereabouts. Why would you seek me out if it isn’t serious?

His eyebrow shot up at her steel-over-velvet tone. I need her input on something. Can you tell me where she is and how I can contact her?

I’m sorry, I can’t.

Why not? His eyes narrowed.

Those eyes and ruthlessly controlled expression belonged to a dangerous sort of man, an unpredictable man. She didn’t do unpredictable. Because you’re the third person to ask about her in the last two weeks.

Who were the other two? What did they want? Vince shifted, the heel of his hands coming to rest on her desk.

"Why do you want to know? she shot back, fighting the urge to lean back. I may only be her daughter, but I’m tired of everyone being vague about why they want to see her."

Look here, Jade—

"No, you look here. She leaned forward. I’m not going to tell you anything unless you come clean with me. And the more you hedge, the more I’m convinced I have every right to know what’s going on." He glowered at her and a sliver of apprehension shot up her spine. The man was intimidating when riled, but she wasn’t backing down.

She lifted her brow. So. Why are you looking for my mother?

He shot the large sports watch on his wrist an impatient glance. You don’t have time for a lengthy explanation.

Make it brief. I’m sure I can get the gist of—

Excuse me, Professor J, a voice interrupted.

Jade smothered a groan and looked toward the doorway where a young man stood. Shaun Holton, her graduate student. Yes, Shaun?

Sorry to interrupt, but the students are getting restless. Do you want me to cancel the class?

She needed to know why Vince wanted to see her mother, especially since her mother’s behavior before she left for her trip had been so peculiar.

No. Just a second. She stood up and gave Shaun the photocopied revision notes. Distribute these in class for me. Let them know I’m on my way. As the grad student took off, Jade turned to find Vince on his feet. Didn’t the man ever smile? He didn’t say much and used movements economically, but he had a presence that was tangible. I really need to know what’s going on.

Vince studied her for a few seconds as though pondering his options, before nodding. An important artifact is missing and your mother might know something about it.

What do you mean by ‘might know something about it’?

It could be in her possession.

Could he be any vaguer? My mother is an avid antique collector. If she has it, it was given to her.

Not when the owner has reported it missing.

Jade blinked in confusion, then her jaw dropped as the implication sunk in. If you’re implying my mother took it, a sarcastic titter escaped her, then you’re mistaken.

I don’t make mistakes.

Her eyes widened. That’s so arrogant.

Just stating a fact. About your mother’s—

Slow down, Vince. Do you know who my mother is? That came out pompous and she was never one to flaunt her family’s wealth or connections, but something about Vince’s attitude rubbed her the wrong way. "Do you know anything about my family?"

Actually, I do. But I’m not impressed, his voice seemed to say.

Then you’d better get your facts straight, because our lawyers will drag you to court and sue you for slander so fast you’d wish you never walked through that door. Accusing my mother of stealing? A snicker escaped her. Please, leave. She reached for her laptop and notes.

I haven’t made any accusations…yet. Jade’s head jerked up at his calm voice. He hadn’t moved an inch and something hot flashed in his eyes. And who said they were groundless?

Eyes narrowed, Jade gripped her laptop across her chest and started around the desk. She wanted to toss him out. After a few steps, she paused, her heart hammering, her breathing rapid. Vince Knight’s tough guy attitude might be irritating but the man was too huge and rock-hard to be tossed anywhere.

I want you to leave, she said firmly.

I can’t. Not without getting what I came for.

If you’re not out of my office in five seconds, I’m calling the campus security, she added, eyes narrowing. It would take them at least five minutes to get here, if she was lucky. Knowing how helpless she was only added to her ire. And if I were you, I’d watch what I say and who—

But you’re not me, are you, professor? Vince interrupted, ticked off with himself for letting her get to him. It wasn’t that bit about her family and lawyers or campus security that rankled. It was her. Everything about Jade Fitzgerald was designed to shock a man’s system. Her voice, low and husky, had the power to make his hair prickle and his gut clench. Her siren scent, subtle but sensual, was a blend of something exotic and flowery. Every time he inhaled, it punched through his defenses with the precision of a sniper.

He shot her a look and caught her smoldering eyes. He thought he had the whole situation figured out. Meet Jade, get the info on her mother and leave. Stating that her mother had the missing artifact was a stupid mistake. In his line of business he couldn’t afford stupid mistakes.

No, that wasn’t right. He couldn’t afford them when he used to be an investigative journalist. No more interviewing pompous dictators, traipsing through war-torn hell-holes or chasing drug lord. He’d slammed the door on that life, or so he’d thought. A call from his aunt and a plea for help changed all that. For her, the only blood relative to ever care about what became of him, he’d dropped everything and took the first flight out of Seattle for Los Angeles. Dealing with Jade Fitzgerald wasn’t part of the plan. It was a distraction he didn’t need.

But he knew the drill. Deal with it. Stay uninvolved. Move on.

What’s it going to be, Vince? Jade asked, interrupting his thoughts, daring him with her flashing eyes.

Short of keeping her in her office until he got what he wanted, he had no choice but to give in. Clenching his teeth, Vince stepped out of her office and turned to watch her. Her seductive, hip-swaying gait sent heat straight to his groin. He shifted his gaze away from her body.

I’m not going anywhere without knowing your mother’s whereabouts, Jade.

Really? She tossed her abundant mahogany hair and shot him a disdainful look. How do you propose to get that information? What are you anyway? A cop? P.I.? Without waiting for an answer, she turned her back to him and locked her office door. When she started down the hall, he fell in step with her.

It rankled she’d challenged him. Surprised him how she ignored him with such ease too. Women never ignored him. He slid a sideway glance her way. Her hazel eyes were fixed ahead, her lush lips set in an uncompromising pout, pert nose and determined chin stuck in the air.

The changes in her were amazing. The extra weight in high school had melted away in just the right places. Now the generous hips and rounded ass, tiny waist and well-sized breasts demanded a man’s attention. Her creamy skin still glowed with vitality and invited one’s touch.

Unfortunately, they weren’t in high school anymore and this sexy and aloof woman wasn’t the girl he felt he had something in common with. Not that it did him any good then. After their first meeting, she’d made a point of staying out of his way and snubbing him the few times their paths crossed. That had bugged him, an amazing feat for a kid already hauling a bucket load of hurt. It hadn’t mattered that the Fitzgerald practically ran the school—captain of the basketball team, head cheerleader, student council members, school newspaper. They were many, over-achievers and loaded, yet something about Jade had made her stand out, called to him. Vince shoved his hands into his back pants pockets and scolded himself for deviating from his agenda.

We need to talk. Frustration made his voice harsh.

Jade didn’t respond. He took a swift breath of irritation and the scent of whatever else she smeared on her delectable body hit his lungs, causing him to swallow with difficulty.

I’ll still be here after your class ends, he added.

You’ll be wasting your time. I’ve a busy schedule.

Then meet me tonight, he heard himself say.

She stopped walking and turned to face him. We have nothing to discuss, Vince. The person you need to speak with is my mother. You need to look her in the eye and tell her what you just told me. I’ll call her assistant at Fitz-Valdes to find a slot for you as soon as she comes back. She turned and lifted her hand to push the door open.

Before he could question his intention, Vince shifted and slapped his hand on the doorframe, blocking her entrance.

Excuse me? she snapped, gaze flying to his face.

Her blistering stare could have scotched a lesser man, but after his upbringing and living in the trenches in war-torn countries to cover stories, he could handle anything she sent his way. He glared right back.

Four seconds later, he dropped his arm and stepped back. He was in trouble. His defenses meant jack when it came to her. She shifted as though to enter the room. He reached a decision.

What do you say we start over? I’m Vince Knight.

I don’t have time for—

I’m not a cop or a private detective. But I was a career investigative journalist, did a stint as a P.I. but didn’t like it, and now I write fiction. I’m doing a family member a favor by finding a missing statue. I believe you can help me. Please, have dinner with me so we can discuss the details.

She released a sigh. I don’t think that’s a good idea.

I think it’s the right thing to do. I’ll explain what happened and you can decide whether you still want to sue me for defamation. His attempt at humor failed when her lips tightened and creases furrowed her smooth brow. Frustration knitted his gut.

I’m sorry, Vince. I already have dinner plans.

He gave her curvaceous frame a quick once over. Yeah, she probably had L.A.’s most eligible bachelors beating down her door. How about a pre-dinner drink?

Jade opened her mouth to speak, but he didn’t give her a chance. I’m staying at the Palace, West Hollywood. There’s a restaurant on the first floor. Let’s meet there at six o’clock. Just a few minutes of your time. Thirty minutes tops.

I’ll think about it.

Not what he’d hoped for, but it was better than nothing. He reached inside his back pocket for a business card, and in his haste, dropped his wallet. Several condoms slipped from the black leather holder and skidded across the cemented floor. One landed near her feet.

Just his luck. He debated between scooping his personals and giving her his card. He hung on to his dignity, gripped the card and shoved it at her. When the corners of her mouth turned up with amusement, heat crawled up his neck.

If you can’t make it, call me, he explained.

Like I said, I’ll think about it…Vinny. She accepted the card, pushed the door with her shoulder and disappeared inside the classroom.

Vince waited until the door closed behind her before he picked up his belongings. Using his high school nickname was a sure sign she still thought he was still the over-sexed, unruly teen who’d terrorized her high school years ago. His rebel-without-a-clue days were long gone. So was the hope that she would call him.

Scowling, Vince left the building and headed to his rented car. He wanted this investigation over and done with so he could go home. His aunt’s insistence that the theft be kept a secret from the police and FBI made no sense. But he knew her well enough to have his suspicions—she was protecting her younger brother, his father.

Pain blindsided Vince, making him clench his hand. The thought that he could be helping his father ate at him. He didn’t owe the old man a thing after what he did. No love. No loyalty. No obligation. Given a choice, he wouldn’t spend a second thinking about the bastard. Unfortunately, this investigation was stirring things up, taking him back to sixteen years ago, a time he’d rather forget.

Smothering a curse, he pulled out his cell phone and speed-dialed a number.

Aunt Della? he said when he brought the phone to his ear. What kind of relationship did the judge have with Estelle Fitzgerald?

***

If anyone has a question before next week’s exam, you know my office hours, Jade said and smiled at the students. I’ll be leaving on Friday, so any last minute consults will have to be done electronically or handled by Shaun Holton. A low murmur greeted her words, but no one offered a comment. Good luck with finals.

She dismissed the class, waited for the students to file out of the lecture theater before she picked up her laptop and headed toward her office. When her office door came into view, she sighed with relief. He’s gone. Although why she’d expected Vince Knight to be still hanging around beat the heck out of her. The man accused her mother of pilfering. Of all the craziest things she’d heard, that topped them. If it weren’t so infuriating, she would have found it funny.

She entered her office, flopped on her chair and threw his card on her desk. For a moment, she glowered at it as though the act could make it disappear. Erase his words from her head.

How she’s been looking forward to today—her last class of the semester. A few more days to the beginning of her much needed two-week vacation. That was before Mr. I-don’t-make-mistakes Knight and his accusations.

Thanks a lot, pal.

She scowled, replaying their conversation in her head. Actually, Vince didn’t come outright and accuse her mother of stealing. She, in her bitchy mood, jumped to that conclusion as soon as he mentioned her mother and the missing artifact in the same breath. All because he said she hadn’t changed since high school.

High school. After skipping two grades, she’d been much younger than most of her classmates and too timid and inhibited, except when with her family. To top it, she’d been on meds to control her arrhythmia, which had sucked her energy and left her listless. As to be expected, too many hours spent with her nose buried in books and less on sports had led to chubbiness.

Just baby fat, sweetheart, her mother would say.

Yeah, right. Between her sheltered upbringing and her illness, it was a wonder she left an impression on anyone, let alone Vince Knight.

So what did he mean by she hadn’t changed? She might not be skinny, but she wasn’t fat, either. Her crazy heart still had an occasional premature heartbeat shooting an electrical impulse through a repeated loop and kicking her heart to two-hundred beats a minute, but she could manage it. She also worked hard the past year to rediscover herself, thanks to Ms. M.M. Evan’s bestselling manual, Get Some Kick-ass Attitude. Even her manipulative ex-husband would have a hard time reconciling the new, self-assured, take-charge Jade from the one he’d controlled.

As for high school, the ridicule she’d endured when her brothers and cousins weren’t around to buffer her from the ‘pig’ jokes flashed in her head. Her first meeting with Vince followed. A popular boy she was into had asked her to a school dance—the spring school dance was big at their school. Little had she known it was a prank. Vince had walked in on the humiliating moment and caught her crying while a bunch of kids laughed at her.

Jade placed her laptop in its bag, secured the straps and yanked at the zipper with more force than necessary. Then she rocked on her heels and sighed.

It’s been sixteen years, Jade. Move on already.

Easier said than done. No matter how hard she tried, that insecure girl resurfaced to taunt her every time someone mentioned knowing her in high school. She pulled out her copy of Get Some Kick-ass Attitude from her desk drawer and put it in her bag. Then she hoisted the laptop case on her shoulder, grabbed the handle of the bag and picked up her keys. Before she started for the door, she paused to glance at Vince’s card.

Unleashing her inner bitch on him because he mentioned high school was juvenile. Her mother should be her primary concern now. Even before Vince walked into her office, her mother had been on her mind. Estelle Valdes-Fitzgerald’s behavior before she left on the cruise wasn’t normal—the anxious expression, refusing to entertain or go out, which was saying something for someone who thrived on social functions. Jade assumed it was fatigue taking a toll on her, but now….

She and her mother needed to talk first. Let Vince Knight cool his heels for now.

***

Jade gripped the edge of her desk and glowered at the phone. For three days she’d called her mother only to be directed to her voice mail. Even her text messages went unanswered. Her brothers and cousins hadn’t heard from her, either. Jade took in a deep breath and yanked open the middle drawer on her desk. Vince’s card sat there, mocking her. She hated to give credence to that arrogant man’s allegation. Her mother was incapable of stealing. She didn’t have to.

On the other hand, she’d Googled Vince Knight’s name two days ago and saw his impressive resume. The man was not a blabber-mouth. As a renowned reporter, Vince covered wartime stories for some newspaper in Seattle and even won a Pulitzer for one of his pieces. His switch to fiction garnered him literary accolades and quite a following. Although military and espionage thrillers weren’t her thing, Jade had even picked one of his books from her favorite bookstore for her vacation read.

So what Vince Knight was meticulous and relentless when he pursued someone? It didn’t make him right about her mother and his missing statue. Jade picked up his card and closed the drawer. She wanted to hear what the man had to say. That was all.

She shouldered her bag and left the office then dialed his number.

Vince Knight, he answered after a ring.

Oh, that voice. There ought to be a law against it.

It’s Jade. I can meet with you this evening. No more than thirty minutes.

Good. Six o’clock okay?

Five. She heard him smother a curse. Is that going to be a problem?

No problem at all. I’ll be there.

She had a feeling she could tell him to meet her right this instant and no laws of nature could stop him from making it. Promise me one thing, Vince.

What is it? His voice was cool.

Let’s stay with the facts on this, okay?

Meaning?

I don’t want to hear conclusions based on your intuition as a journalist or what you hope to verify. I need to see clear evidence which confirms your allegations, otherwise there’s no point in having this meeting. There was silence although she knew he was still on the line. Vince?

Got it. There was a tinge of anger in his voice. See you at five. He hung up.

Jade pursed her lips. So he was ticked off. Big deal. What had he expected her to do? Accept his words as the truth because he said so? It was within her right to verify his claim before talking to him. Why then did she feel as though she’d jumped off a plane without a parachute?

Please Mom. Call me back. Before five-o’clock.

Jade got inside her car and placed her bags on the front passenger seat. All this worrying would have been unnecessary had she pushed her mother for answers instead of accepting her explanation of fatigue. Vince’s words kept ringing in her head, filling it with things she would never have entertained a week ago. Her mother, pillar of society, a thief? Ludicrous.

Instead of starting the car, she gripped the steering wheel and scowled. Choking the leather covered wheel wasn’t going to ease her worries. She took a deep breath as she reached a decision. Forget about the thirty minutes she’d promised Vince. She was sticking to his side until she knew every doggone detail of his investigation.

CHAPTER 2

Jade eased her car into an empty parking space outside the Palace and switched off the engine. A groan escaped her when she caught a glimpse of the time. Three minutes late and counting. That was what she got for taking a little extra time to deck her body and paint herself like a geisha. Granted she had a party to go to after their meeting. Still, to make Vince Knight choke on his words would be an added bonus.

I haven’t changed, my butt.

She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and studied her face in the rear view mirror. The make-up and pinned-up hair with a few tendrils framing her face couldn’t be labeled overkill. She tilted the mirror to check the enticing valley created by the black bustier she’d worn under her matching spaghetti-strapped dress. Now that sight could be classified as a look-and-drool display.

Jade picked up her black purse and sheer shawl then stepped out of her car and locked it. She smoothed the silk dress down over her hips. A chuckle escaped her. Her behind had its own agenda and continued to resist any attempts to slim it down, but she was learning to live with it.

Jade took several steps, glanced down and grimaced. Six-inches of pure hell. She was a sucker for beautiful shoes, but the look on Vince’s face when he saw her in them would be worth it.

Two men exited the hotel as she approached the entrance and froze at seeing her, eyes wide with appreciation. A drawn out ‘damn’ brought a quick smile to her lips. That was all the encouragement she needed to work the black drop-waist dress with asymmetrical hem.

Her senses thrummed with anticipation as she glided through the hotel doors. Jade gave the busy foyer a sweeping glance. When her gaze locked on Vince, her heart started a rickety shuffle and her stomach tilted.

This was bad. She wasn’t within sniffing distance of the man and her body was already betraying her. Even in plain jeans and a T-shirt, he stood out. She studied his tall, built body as he leaned against the front desk. His tanned skin contrasted with his white T-shirt in an attractive way, his teeth flashing as he spoke with one of the managers.

It wasn’t fair. He wasn’t even her type. She avoided the silent, brooding, emotionally unavailable types like the plague. They were too difficult to understand and complicated. On the other hand, where had an outgoing man gotten her? A bad marriage and doubts about her sensuality.

As though he felt her gaze, Vince turned.

She stopped breathing, a stupid thing to do. He gave her a slow appraisal, his gaze lingering on her chest before colliding with hers.

Expression on his face? Cool. Unimpressed.

Air left her lungs in an unsteady rush. She twisted her lips into what she hoped resembled a smile as she started across the room. All that time spent putting her war paint on wasted. How could he maintain that stone-cold soberness all the time? Vince had to be made of ice, and served her right for trying to get a rise out of him.

Maybe that was the problem. His rigid control and aloofness made her want to do or say something to rattle his cage. His lack of interest in her was a definite challenge. Maybe there was some truth to the lure of the unattainable. Vince Knight, without trying, fascinated her.

Vince approached with the loose-hipped predatory stride of a jungle cat, sending a whoosh of anticipation through her. Feeling a little light-headed, Jade hoped she didn’t totter on her high stilettos.

Sorry, I’m late, she said, hating the breathlessness in her voice.

No problem. You’re here now. He gave her another cool once-over without making a comment and lifted a duffel bag she didn’t notice he was carrying. I need to show you something.

Her gaze moved from the bag to his face. "What is it?

Let’s find a place to sit first. His dark gaze swept the foyer as though cataloguing faces. She wasn’t sure whether it was caution or paranoia.

She trailed his gaze. Is everything okay?

No.

The calm way he said it sent a chill up her spine. She opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong, reconsidered and closed it. She’d better get this meeting over with and leave.

Jade allowed him to take her arm and direct her toward the Feng Shui restaurant and lobby. His hand played havoc with her senses. She felt the warmth all the way to her bones. A group of women coming toward them propelled her closer to him until only a few inches separated them. The heat from his body seeped into her skin, making her shiver. His scent, musk and spearmint, slammed into her. Her mind went foggy.

Do you live here in L.A.? she asked to stop herself from doing something stupid like burying her nose in the hollow of his neck.

No, Orcas Island. I’m only here to find the statue, then I’m heading right back.

He was so sure he would