Mine Until Dawn (19 page)

“Have you ever met this friend of hers before?”

Jade shook her head. “No, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist. Mom could have been communicating with him all these years, just never got around to visiting him or he could have just moved there.” That came out defensive, but dang it, in her heart she still hoped that her mother was innocent. Unfortunately, something always happened to undermine her convictions.

Jade swallowed a lump in her throat and took a deep breath. She’d promised herself she’d face reality, no matter the cost. “Do you think there’s a connection?”

“I don’t know.” Concern crossed his face as he studied her. “I hope not because the man’s middle name is Descartes. Renard Descartes Bouchard. He could be my relative.”

Their first conversation about the statue flashed in Jade’s head. He’d mentioned that Jacques Descartes was his ancestor and the original owner of the statue. From his expression, she couldn’t tell whether he was excited about meeting a long lost relative or not. “What did your aunt say about him?”

“Nothing.” Vince transferred his hand to the small of her back and directed her back toward the house, again. “In fact when we spoke, she sounded strange. I need to talk to her before I locate Bouchard.”

Something in Vince’s voice told her there was more going on here. Jade bit her lip, as she wondered whether she should ask the question burning her tongue.
 
Oh, whatever. She was deep in this investigation of his and she might as well brave his ire with personal questions. “Do you think he’s after the statue? I mean, since he’s a Descartes, he might have some claim to it.”

Vince shook his head, his gaze fixed ahead. “I doubt it. It was given to our side of the family, not his. Anyway, he could be a long lost relative trying to reconnect with us.”

Whoa. ‘Our side of the family’? She had the distinct impression he didn’t want to be associated with the judge. Maybe contacting this man had nothing to do with the statue. Whatever his reasons, Vince seemed pretty determined.

“Then you must find him.” Jade squeezed his hand as they came to stop beside her car.

Vince’s hand drifted upwards to tuck a strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear. Air struggled to escape her lungs when his fingers grazed her sensitive skin and her stomach fluttered.

“I may have to delay our dinner tonight, Jade.” He searched her face, his hand cupping her cheek. “Tell me you understand. I want to spend time with you, but—”

“Shhh.” Jade covered his hand with hers and swallowed her disappointment. She’d looked forward to tonight. Not only to learn more about him but to whatever might have followed. Like she’d said, life loved to throw her curve balls. “It’s okay. It’s more important to find him so—”

“It isn’t,” he interrupted firmly. “But the statue has been out there for two weeks now. You told me yourself, the longer it takes me to find out what happened, the less chance I have of actually finding it. I’ve spoken with everyone at that party that night except Bouchard.”

“And my mother,” Jade added, resigning herself to the truth.

“Yes, and your mother.” His voice had gentled, and she could swear there was a glimpse of tenderness in the depth of his eyes. Or maybe it was wishful thinking because they broke eye-contact when he dropped his head.

“I’ll make it up to you later,” he whispered in her ear.

A thrill of anticipation skittered up her spine at the throaty promise. Now all she had to do was act as though she were used to men whispering lustful intentions in her ears. Jade threw him a playful grin and hoped he couldn’t see past her bravado.

“I’ll make sure you keep that promise.”

A laugh escaped him just before he turned his head to rub his lips against hers. From one corner of her mouth to the other, the small brushes teased. But each stroke started a spark inside her. Then he gripped the back of her head and masterfully pulled her closer, molding her body to his. A rush of sensation turned the sparks into a giant fireball. His mouth covered hers, tongue slipped past her lips to taste her inner, sensitive skin. Jade sighed. Shamelessly, she leaned closer to take all he offered.

The feel and taste of his tongue sent an explosion of need through her. This was what had been missing in her life, and for once, she was going to be greedy. There would be no stopping until she was satisfied. Hopefully, he would, too, and not look at her with disappointment afterward. That would utterly destroy her. Once was enough.

Pushing the ugly thoughts aside, Jade reached up to lock her arms around his neck, and pulled him closer. Vince dragged her higher against his body until her toes barely touched the ground. His kisses, hot and possessive, hurtled her straight into a timeless haze of sensations and need. Eyelids closing, knees quivering, she hung on for dear life, not caring that her brother could be watching. Nothing else mattered but this all-consuming passion. Vince’s investigation, her mother, the break-in at her place all became secondary to the primal truth—the chemistry between them was real, hot, and dazzling. Every cell in her body screamed it, every beat of her heart answered to it.

Too soon, the kiss lightened but she didn’t mind. He concentrated on her upper, then lower lip. Rained hot, soft kisses along her jaw, and down her throat. Jade’s head dropped back as he nibbled on her earlobe. An instant later, he lifted his head up, his gaze hot.

“Tonight. No matter what happens, I’ll come back to you.”

In the back of her head, she knew she should explain about tonight’s party, but she couldn’t string words. Maybe later.
 
Instead of attempting to speak, she nodded like a bobble head doll. She didn’t want to know about the look on her face, but from the naked need etched into Vince’s features and eyes, she knew she had him. Had him bad.

***

Foot on the gas pedal, Vince hoped some overzealous traffic cop didn’t clock him as he narrowed the distance between him and Jade. Earlier, when they’d stopped at her place to pick her things and listen to Cohen’s message, she’d told him about the party. A fundraiser dinner her uncle was hosting for his father and his running mate, Wilkinson.

On one hand, he’d been relieved to know Jade would be otherwise occupied until he joined her. But at the same time, it bugged him that the judge was still fighting for his life, yet the organizers had no qualms about going ahead with their political agenda.
 
Disgust washed over him. What was wrong with him?

After exposing warlords and corrupt leaders, he ought to know loyalty meant jack in politics. So what his father was the one getting disrespected? It was none of his business. The man never cared about him or wanted to have anything to do with him anyway. It was only fair that he felt the same way.

Vince took a deep breath to ease the pressure on his chest. It didn’t work. After all these years, he couldn’t possibly still care about his old man. No way. Agreeing to help recover the statue had been a bad move. Coming back to L.A., where the whole thing went down, was downright stupid. As soon as he got the accursed figurine, he was heading home. Back to his island. Back to normal.
   

The kiss he’d exchanged with Jade floated in his head, and Vince mentally took a step back. Jade, with her pretty eyes and soft sighs, could turn out to be a problem. He’d just make sure she didn’t. No way was he becoming whipped like his old man.

Vince exited the street. Just a few more blocks. His gaze went to the clock on the dashboard. Twenty minutes to seven. He should be there before the limo picking up Jade. But if not, he was in trouble. He must attend tonight’s bash, no matter what.

Tonight’s party was a black-tie, invitation-only event. The thought of using his father’s name to gain entry had crossed his mind. Unfortunately, it could attract undue attention, which was the last thing he needed. He had every intention of catching Renard Bouchard unaware.

Every time he thought of the crap Bouchard’ people pulled this evening, Vince’s blood boiled. Two hours of waiting and planning, and all he had to show for it was a fender bender. A perfectly executed fender bender at that. And the bastard responsible, one of Bouchard’ bodyguards, had the nerve to grin before driving away. Vince clenched his teeth and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

One for Bouchard. Two, if he counted the break-in at Jade’s. There wasn’t going to be a third incident. His gut told him that Bouchard was the one after the statue. He’d suspected it before Jade mentioned it earlier, but had given the man the benefit of doubt because of some unjustifiable familial loyalty. Just went to prove he should always trust his instinct. That sixth sense had gotten him out of real tight spots over the years. The few times he’d ignored it, he’d landed in fully-deserved, dumb-ass situations.

Tracking Bouchard down to his embassy had been easy enough. But getting past the Amazonian warrior and her assistants at the front office had turned out to be an insurmountable task. As for the bullshit about Bouchard having a tight schedule and no opening for an appointment until next week, he didn’t buy it. Hadn’t bought it when the she-warrior had told him, hence the fender-bender. Forget next week. He and Bouchard were facing off tonight.

Vince pulled up outside his apartment and was relieved to see the lights on in the living room. No limo parked outside either. Good. Grabbing his garment bag, he jumped out of the car and hurried to the front door.

He unlocked the door and walked in. “Jade?”

There was no sign of her in the living room. He skirted the couch and a side table, and headed toward the bedrooms. He knocked gently on her bedroom door, called out her name, again, and angled his head to listen for a response or movement. Nothing.

Vince slung his garment bag over his left shoulder, reached for the knob with his right hand and turned. The first thing he noticed was the hair paraphernalia spread on the bed. Then the bathroom opened and Jade stepped into the room.

She let out a startled gasp when she saw him, her hands reaching to close the lapels of her bathrobe. But not before he saw her beautiful lush breasts, black lacy panties, and a matching garter belt. A charge of sexual awareness surged through him.

“I knocked and called out your name,” he said lamely when he knew it would be better,
and wiser,
to step out of her room and let her finish getting dressed. But his feet stayed rooted.

“I was in the…”
 
Her voice trailed off and she jerked her head to indicate the bathroom. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I know.” Vince studied her, the way she watched him warily. She had every reason to. Thoughts of Bouchard had long receded to the background. Something wild and crazy was loose in his veins, a burning desire to claim her. Fifteen minutes wasn’t much to lay siege, but he would make do. “I want to escort you to the party.”

Her eyes lit up. “Oh. Okay.”

“We shouldn’t be there long.” Just long enough for him to accomplish his objectives, but first things first. Vince stepped in the room and tossed his garment bag on top of her bed. Jade’s eyes widened, her gaze darting from the bag and then back to him. Her mouth opened, then closed as he drew closer.

Smart girl. Beautiful, gorgeous, and sometimes irrational, but too darn smart not to recognize his intentions. With another woman, he would have gone through the motions, the mandatory candlelight dinner, wine, and soft music, of course, meticulously planned seduction with one pleasurable goal in mind. With Jade, his normal behavior meant jack. Yes, he wanted her body, but how her mind worked and what made her tick fascinated him, too. That was new territory for him, which was thoroughly unsettling. There was no blueprint for what to expect between them. No manual to follow. Not that he minded. He wanted to go with the flow, let her wield her power over him.

Vince stopped in front of Jade, her scent slamming into him. Flowery and exotic, intoxicating like her. He reached out and twirled the strand of hair dangling along her cheek around his finger, his gaze on her face. Exotic eyes gazed back at him through dark luxurious eyelashes. Slightly parted lips, luscious and glistening, beckoned him. Did the look of her shock every man’s system or was it just him?

“You look beautiful.”

A smile touched her lips. “In my bathrobe?”

It didn’t matter what she wore. “Oh, yes. I love what you’ve done with your hair.”

“Thank you. I, uh…shouldn’t we be getting ready?”

He watched the way her teeth flashed between her glossy lips. She’d already applied make-up. Not that she needed it. Her hazel eyes were fascinating without the shadows, her lips enticing without the added color, and her fine-grained skin soft and smooth. Vince cupped her cheek.

 
“I’m ready.” Was he ever? His hard-on throbbed mercilessly. Then she licked her fuller lower lip, just a brief nervous flicker, and he was a goner. Desire hollowed out his stomach, making it hard to breathe. He had to taste her now or go mad.

Vince dipped his head, inhaling her scent warmed by the sensual heat of her body. Or was it her hair? It didn’t matter. She smelled heavenly. His other hand dropped on her waist to pull her closer.

Jade leaned back, her hands gripping his arms for support. “Vince, I don’t think we have time…” Her protest died when he nibbled her ear.
 
Instead she let out a soft moan, music to his ears.

 
“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, praying she’d say no. “Just say the word.”