Dangerous Secrets (8 page)

They followed her into her living room where clothes and purses were strewn everywhere. Even the treadmill had shirts hanging on it. She plopped down on a purple beanbag chair and motioned to the futon/couch. “I’m Andrea Barclay by the way.”

“Izzy,” she said as she sat. She placed her purse by the coffee table, which was covered with empty pizza boxes.

“I’m Adam.” He shifted on the uncomfortable seat and tried to ignore the nauseating whiff of stale food.

“I’ve been meaning to stop by and see you to say thanks, but I’ve been sort of staying in since what happened.”

Izzy crossed her legs and smiled. “I completely understand. Did your friend ever take you to the hospital?”

“Yes, and they found traces of GHB in my system. I spoke to the cops who took my statement, but I haven’t heard anything since.” She shrugged and crossed her legs Indian-style.

Adam was quiet as Izzy quickly launched into what had happened to her earlier that day, including the phone call from yesterday. He was surprised by Izzy’s honesty, but maybe she had the right idea. By the time she was through, Andrea’s face had paled considerably.

“I can’t believe that. If anything happened to you because of your help, I’d never forgive myself.” Andrea sat up straighter and wrapped her arms around herself.

Izzy pulled the big sketch pad out of her purse. “I was wondering if you could remember anything from that night. Like what he looked like.”

“The night is really fuzzy, especially after you helped me get home, but I’ve seen the guy before.”

“You have?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I didn’t realize it until last night. I had a nightmare and when I woke it hit me that I’ve seen him before at a few different bars when I’ve been out with my girlfriends. He’s really weird, always sitting by himself. And always staring at me. If he hadn’t stared so much, I might not have remembered him. I wish I’d remembered earlier. I know I need to tell the police, I’ve just been too freaked out to leave my place.”

“This might sound weird, but do you think you could describe him and let me draw him?”

“Uh, yeah…Are you working with the cops?”

Izzy shook her head. “No, but after what happened, I can’t just sit around and do nothing.”

Andrea smiled and stood. “You want to use our kitchen table? It’s got a flatter surface.”

“That was impressive Izzy,” Adam said as he started the ignition to his truck.

Her face turned a delectable shade of pink as she mumbled, “Thanks.”

For the last hour she’d questioned Andrea about the smallest details of the man’s features, and now she had a possible sketch of the guy the police were looking for. His only concern had been her safety, but she was out here trying to bring down some maniac all by herself.

Since he’d met her, she’d done nothing but surprise him. It was his own personal prejudices, but he’d assumed she’d be a spoiled princess defying her rich daddy by trying to “make it” on her own, then run back home when things got tough. But ever since he’d known her, she’d worked her ass off at the bar and had done nothing but give and give to everyone around her.

If his grandmother could see him now she’d probably roll over in her grave. She’d taught him not to judge people based on where they came from, but he’d done exactly that. What had he been thinking making that kind of deal with Ballantine? He was afraid if he told Izzy the truth now she’d kick him out of her life. He couldn’t afford that. And not because of that stupid deal. If he wasn’t around, anything could happen to her.

“I’d pay good money to know what’s going on in your head right about now. You look like you’re trying to figure out the meaning of life.” Izzy’s silvery voice tugged him out of the clouds.

He ignored her statement. “Where to now?”

“The copy shop, then the police station.” She hugged the pad to her chest.

She was quiet so he didn’t bother trying to talk either. He had too much to think about. Like the fact that if he stayed on this path, he’d end up falling hard for the one woman he could never have. In his gut he knew he’d already crossed a line though. He wasn’t just falling for her. He
had
fallen for her.

“Shit.” The reality of his situation was starting to settle in and spread like acid through his system.

“What’s wrong?”

He hadn’t realized he’d spoken aloud. “Uh, I need to fill up with gas.”

She eyed him warily, but she didn’t comment as he steered into the parking lot.

As they walked through the automatic glass doors of the copier store, his cell phone rang. When he saw his brother’s number, he immediately tensed. “You go ahead and make those copies. I’ll be right here.”

Her flips-flops made squeaking sounds as she walked across the linoleum floor. The store was basically empty, but he kept his eyes trained on her as she asked an assistant for help.

“Hey, Ben.”

“Hey, brother. How’s it hanging?”

Despite the constant tension flowing through him, he smiled hearing his brother’s voice. “Could be better.”

“Then I’m about to make your day. Hell, I’m about to make your year.”

“I don’t have time to play twenty questions. What’s up?” He watched as Izzy walked to one of the big copiers.

“I just spoke to Rick Devlin. After he read over the portfolio for the project next month, he wants to lock us in for all their international security work for the next year.”

His words hit Adam with the force of a Tomahawk missile. “Rick Devlin, as in—”

“The CEO of The Devlin Group. Yep.”

“What kind of numbers are we talking here?”

“Ten mil.”

It was impossible, but he felt his heart stop. The amount wasn’t entirely profit and The Devlin Group didn’t have ties to the government, but this was what they’d been working toward.

“Did you hear me?” Ben asked.

He cleared his throat. “Yeah. I don’t even know what to say. Good work.”

“How about you pack up your stuff and head home? We’ve got work to do.” The excitement in his brother’s voice almost convinced him to do just that. Almost.

“I can’t.” He couldn’t leave Izzy. Not now.

“If this is about Ballantine, forget it. I know landing the Forester job is your dream, but we don’t need him anymore. This job will open up so many doors for us. We’ll get those government contracts on our own.”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what? It’s not as if he’s going to blacklist us. He’s eccentric, but he’s not an asshole. I thought you’d be happy.”

He snorted. Happy couldn’t describe what he was experiencing. But that feeling was overshadowed with a sense of responsibility. One he hadn’t counted on. “I am. I can’t leave Izzy right now.”

Silence.

“Are you still there?”

“I’m here. I just can’t believe you’re falling for another rich girl.” The bitterness in his brother’s voice was almost palpable. Adam wasn’t the only one who’d gotten hurt by Amanda all those years ago. Ben had been a few years younger and while he’d never admit it, he’d had a small crush on her. She’d always been so sweet to Ben and their sister. When she’d admitted she thought they were nothing more than white trash completely beneath her, it had crushed his brother. But Ben didn’t know Izzy the way he did.

Adam gritted his teeth and bit back a sharp retort. His brother was only looking out for him. “Izzy isn’t like Amanda. Not even close, so don’t go there. And this isn’t about her. I signed a contract with Ballantine and someone’s
stalking
her. Even if I hadn’t signed a contract, I can’t leave her unprotected right now.”

There was a long pause. “Stalking?”

He rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t want to get into the details.”

“Shit, man. I didn’t realize. I don’t know what to say.”

He didn’t expect his brother to say anything. If he could just convince Izzy to get out of Coconut Bay, she’d be out of harm’s way. And maybe he’d get a decent night’s sleep again. “There’s nothing to say. Tell me more about what Devlin said.”

“I’ll email you the details. I’ve been going over some new resumes but I want you to check out their credentials too before I add them to our database.”

“No problem.” He sighed after they disconnected. Leaving his brother with so much responsibility wasn’t fair. Adam knew that, and if the roles were reversed, he’d probably be annoyed too. The men they picked had to be reliable. Not only did they need the right background and training, they needed good credit and they needed to be able to leave within twenty-four hours sometimes. Since they were using contract employees their database had to be up to date at all times.

He hung back as Izzy stacked her copies together and stuck everything into her purse. His hand itched to dial Edward Ballantine, but what if the old man told her everything?

Adam immediately dismissed the thought. He might be ten kinds of stupid to stay, knowing things were going to end badly, but in the end, what choice did he really have? He couldn’t risk leaving Izzy unprotected.

Izzy couldn’t explain the sense of liberation at what she’d done. It was small, but to think she might actually be stopping someone from hurting other women gave her a sense of pride. Something she hadn’t expected.

She certainly didn’t want to bartend the rest of her life, but she knew she couldn’t work for her father until some major things changed between them. After the way he’d interfered with her old job, she could only imagine what a nightmare it would be if she actually worked for his company.

Pushing those thoughts away, she slid the copies of the drawings into her purse. She joined Adam who was waiting near the exit with an unreadable expression on his handsome face. “Ready to go?” she asked as she closed the gap between them.

His distracted smile made her wonder what had changed. Ever since she’d convinced him to come with her to Andrea’s, he’d been acting different. Distant. And she couldn’t figure out why.

The balmy spring air hit them as they walked across the parking lot. “Do you regret what’s happened between us?” The words were out so fast she hadn’t realized she was even going to ask him. She hated when she did that.
Think before you speak.
It was her mantra, but one she could never quite seem to remember.

His eyebrows knitted as he glanced at her, but the answer was immediate and firm. “No.”

The tension in her chest loosened a little. Adam wasn’t a liar. If it wasn’t that, then something else was going on with him. Maybe it had something to do with the phone call he’d taken. Either way, it didn’t matter. As long as he didn’t change his mind about being with her until he left, she didn’t care.

The sudden thought of him leaving sucked the air from her lungs. She knew he’d be gone soon, but the reality of having to give him up now that she’d had him was like a punch to the stomach.

She paused for a moment as he held open her car door. “Your mom certainly raised you right,” she said as she slid into the passenger seat.

For a brief second, his dark eyes flashed with…something indefinable. Pain? It was there so quick, then it was gone. She wasn’t sure if she’d imagined it. The door shut too quickly.

When he got into the driver’s seat, she thought about letting it drop, but her curiosity wouldn’t allow it. “You mentioned your brother and sister.”

He glanced at her as he started the engine. “That’s not a question, Izzy.”

“I know.” She chewed on her bottom lip.

“If you’ve got a question, just ask it.”

“You never mentioned your parents.”

He rolled his shoulders in a casual motion, but it was obvious he was tense. “There’s nothing to tell. My grandmother raised us.”

“Oh.” He hadn’t satisfied her curiosity about his family, but she knew when to leave well enough alone.

Minutes later they pulled into the small downtown police station parking lot. Two squad cars and three non-marked vehicles were there. Adam was out and around opening her door before she’d even gathered her stuff together.

The simple, square lobby of the one-story building was basically deserted. A row of empty chairs sat against two sage colored walls, and a woman Izzy vaguely recognized as an occasional patron of Mad Dog’s sat behind the receptionist’s desk.

She smiled when she saw them. “How can I help you?”

“We’re here to see either Detective Simmons or Dennis,” Izzy said.

“You’re in luck. Detective Dennis here. Who should I say is asking for him?” She picked up the phone and stared at her expectantly.

“Izzy Ballantine.”

Instead of sitting in one of the uncomfortable looking chairs, Izzy took a step back so the woman wouldn’t feel like they were crowding her. Seconds later, a door she assumed led to the interior offices opened, and out stepped Detective Dennis. He was by himself.

“Is everything okay?” A slight frown marred his face as he glanced back and forth between them.

“I stopped by Andrea Barclay’s place this afternoon.” She pulled out a couple copies of her drawings. “I asked her to describe the man who tried to attack her Friday night. She’s seen him out before.”

Wordlessly, he took the papers and stared hard at the man’s face. After a long beat he looked up. “You shouldn’t interfere with a police investigation. You could be putting yourself in danger.”

“You should be thanking me,” she muttered.

Izzy knew she was treading on thin ice. Andrea herself had admitted that she hadn’t remembered anything until this morning. Still, as far as Izzy knew, the general public still had no clue what was going on. Maybe they were following leads and hell, maybe they
were
stretched thin, but it was young women in her demographic being targeted. She couldn’t help it if she got riled up.

“Uh, Miss Ballantine?” The receptionist’s voice caused her to turn.

“Yes?”

“Can I have a copy of one of those?” Her voice cracked a little.

“No problem.”

The woman shot Detective Dennis a mutinous stare as she half stood and leaned over to grab one.

“Thank you for dropping this off.” He looked like he might say more but instead he just looked at the picture again and frowned.

When she felt Adam’s touch on her elbow then saw the look in his eyes, they made a hasty exit toward the door.

The fresh air had a somewhat soothing effect when they stepped outside.

She chewed on her bottom lip as they pulled out of the parking lot. Adam was still being quiet and she wanted to drag him out of whatever hole he’d fallen into. When she saw a sign for the beaches, she pointed. “Hey, turn right here.”

He shot her a questioning look, but made the turn. “Where are we headed?”

“The beach.”

“Might be a little too cold for swimming.”

Maybe or maybe not. It was late afternoon and neither of them worked on Monday nights so she figured he’d like the break. Unless he had other plans…“You can take me home if you’ve got stuff to do tonight.”

He snorted as he turned right on 12
^th
Street.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“After what happened today I’m not letting you out of my sight, darlin’.” The dominating note in his voice sent shivers skittering over her skin.

While the thought was appealing, she didn’t want him to feel like he had to babysit her. As if he read her thoughts, he continued. “I’m also not letting you out of my sight for a lot of other reasons.”

The sexy way his mouth lifted at the corners sent her heart into overdrive. It was hard to think straight around him. Why hadn’t she met him when she’d been living in Savannah? Hell, she might have never left if she’d had a man like that in her bed. She mentally shook her head in an attempt to push away the thought. Where had that idea come from anyway? This was supposed to be a fling. Nothing more.

Something she needed to remind herself of. Adam was leaving soon. Getting attached would only bring her grief.

“Want to park by the pier?” His deep voice cut into her thoughts.

She cleared her throat. “Sure.”

The parking lot was filling up, but she doubted it was with people rushing to the beach. Probably early birds eating at the restaurant on the pier. Coconut Bay had an odd mix of elderly people and college students so most restaurants and bars did pretty well. They got an early rush and a late rush all year round. Couldn’t beat that kind of steady business.

Izzy left her purse in the car, but tucked it under the front seat. There might not be much crime—current events notwithstanding—but she didn’t want to tempt the fates.

“You never mentioned what part of Louisiana you’re from,” she said as they strolled down the wooden planks.

He was silent for a solid moment until they reached the sand. As he bent down to take off his shoes, he answered. “New Orleans.”

The simple answer spoke volumes. Pain echoed behind his words. She slipped off her sandals and fell into step with him as they headed down to the ocean. “Were you there for Hurricane—”

Before she could finish he cut her off with a sharp shake of his head. “No. I’d just returned from overseas. I’d barely been home a week. We—my brother and sister—left before it hit. Took us weeks to get back in the city though. Everything we had was destroyed.”

“Is that why you moved to Savannah?” she asked.

“Yep.”

“What were you doing overseas?”

He shrugged, his shoulders tense. It was obvious he didn’t like talking about himself but she wasn’t going to let that stop her. “That last trip I was in Iraq.”

“In the Marines?”

He shook his head. “No, not that time, though I did spend a good bit of time there in the Marines. I was in for eight years—Force Recon for most of those—but when I got out I did private security work for a couple years. Spent practically two solid years overseas. The pay was good and all the guys I worked with were former Special Forces too. The kind of guys you want to have your back in a firefight.”

It didn’t surprise her that Adam had been Special Forces. It did surprise her that he was talking so much and she wasn’t going to let this opportunity to learn more about him go to waste. “Why did you get out of the military?”

“I loved everything about the Corps but I wasn’t a lifer. Some families make it but a lot don’t. I wanted…” he paused and she wasn’t sure he’d continue. Finally he did. “I wanted roots and a normal life and I knew I’d never get that if I stayed in.”

“Do you ever miss it?” His voice had been so full of pride and patriotism when he’d said the word Corps.

He shot her a quick glance, his gaze hooded and his words heated. “Sometimes I miss the adrenaline rush. I haven’t found anything that remotely compares to it until I met you.”

She swallowed at his words.
Holy shit.
It was an odd compliment but probably the nicest thing any man had ever said to her. And she had no clue how to respond.

The water lapped against their bare feet as they walked along the shore. The salty air enveloped them in a light, refreshing wind, making her thankful she’d decided to come here. The sun danced off the glistening ocean, illuminating the scattered shells. In a couple months it would be too hot to truly enjoy the beach. And Adam wouldn’t be here anyway.

As she dug her feet into the cool sand, Adam took her hand in his. He’d never struck her as the hand-holding kind of guy, but a lot of things about him were starting to surprise her. She smiled at him and fought the crazed butterflies dancing in her stomach when he returned it. Well, his version of one anyway.

Eventually he tugged on her hand. “You ready to go back?”

She shook her head and took a couple steps into the water. Contrary to what he’d said earlier the water was incredibly warm. The sun was low in the sky, but it still hadn’t set, giving them enough warmth. By her guess, they had at least an hour and a half before dusk. Plenty of time to do what she planned. She glanced around. The stretch of beach was completely deserted. No homes, just palm trees, sand dunes and clear water. It was like their own private oasis. When her feet touched the warm water she inwardly smiled.
Perfect.

He frowned. “What are you doing?”

In response, she lifted her dress by the hem and pulled it over her head before tossing it onto the sand.

“Shit, Izzy!” He glanced around.

“Come on. I do this all the time.” The water lapped against her calves as she took a couple steps back.

“You go skinny-dipping all the time?” His eyes narrowed on her body and she couldn’t help her response. She hadn’t worn a bra with the dress since it had one built in. Her nipples peaked painfully under his scrutiny.

A couple more steps back and she was up to her thighs. The warm water lapped around her skin. She shivered at the erotic sensation of being practically naked and in the ocean.

“Izzy, this is the last thing we should be doing right now.”

“Loosen up, Adam.” Now she was waist deep.

He muttered something too low for her to understand, but after one last glance around, he quickly stripped to his boxers. When he stalked toward her in the water, she felt like she was his prey. Not that she minded.

She wanted to be caught.

Just when he thought he had her figured out, Izzy surprised him again. A maniac was stalking her and she wanted to go skinny-dipping at the beach.

The water splashed as he pushed through the waves. When he was barely a foot from her, she turned and dove under.

She popped up a couple feet away, her curly hair slicked back.

“Izzy—”

She dove under again. Seconds later, he felt a sharp tug on his boxers. When she came up for air this time, he grabbed her by the hips and pulled her flush against his body. “You’re insane,” he rasped.

She shrugged, reached under the water and grasped his cock. “No one is going to see us. If someone walks by—which I doubt—we’re completely covered by the ocean. Besides, are you complaining?”

His stomach muscles clenched as she slowly stroked him. It seemed all she had to do was touch him and he was ready to combust. “Hell no.”

Wordlessly, she shifted her body against his, causing him to groan aloud. Still wearing her panties, she stroked the covered folds of her sex against his cock. When she started rubbing her breasts against his chest in an erotic motion, he nearly exploded right there.

The subtle stimulation was the perfect effect.

Stilling her movements, he grasped her hips before running his hands up her waist and ribcage until he cupped both her breasts. They were small but perfect. Perky pink nipples hardened and peaked under his touch. They fit perfectly into his hands.

As he tweaked and palmed her breasts, he shifted so that her back faced the shore. The area was deserted, and he’d be able to see for miles if anyone was coming, but he still wanted to keep an eye on their surroundings. Izzy didn’t seem to notice the slight move at all.

With a free hand, he pushed down the thin scrap of material separating them.

Teasing her mercilessly, he enjoyed the little whimpering sounds she made each time he flicked across her clit.

He continued to massage and stroke the sensitive nub before testing her slickness. When he inserted a finger she began grinding against it. She didn’t hold back or deny what she wanted. He loved that about her. When it came to sex, she enjoyed everything about it.