special assignments as a baby sitter cum spy for goddaughters with amber eyes.
He found nothing. His instinct had told him he wouldn't but Slade could have used even a crumb to justify his presence. She never stopped moving. For the two hours it took to unload the shipment, Jessica was everywhere, polishing, arranging, dragging out empty crates. When there was nothing more to do, she looked around for more.
"That's it," Slade told her before she could decide that something might be shown to a better advantage somewhere else.
"I guess you're right." Absently, she rubbed at the small of her back.
"It's a good thing those three pieces are being shipped out Monday. It's a bit crowded. Hey, I'm starving." She turned to him with an apologetic smile. "I didn't mean to keep you so long, Slade. It's after five."
Without giving him a chance to comment, she dashed to the back room for their jackets. "Here, I'll close up."
"How about a hamburger and a movie?" he said impulsively. I'm just keeping an eye on her, he told himself. That's what I'm here to do.
Surprised, Jessica glanced around as she pulled down the last shade.
From the look on his face, she thought, amused, he was already half regretting having asked. But that was no reason to let him off the hook.
"What a romantic invitation. How can I refuse?"
"You want romance?" he countered. "We'll go to a drive-in movie."
He heard her quick gurgle of laughter as he grabbed her hand and pulled her outside.
It was late when the phone rang. The seated figure reached for it and a cigarette simultaneously. "Hello."
"Where's the desk?"
"The desk?" Frowning, he brought the flame to the tip and drew. "It's with the rest of the shipment, of course."
"You're mistaken." The voice was soft and cold. "I've been to the shop myself."
"It has to be there." A flutter of panic rose in his throat. "Jessica just hasn't unpacked it yet."
"Possibly. You'll clear this up immediately. I want the desk and its contents by Wednesday." The pause was slight. "You understand the penalty for mistakes."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 3
---------
Contents - Prev | Next
Jessica woke thinking of him. She took time on the lazy Sunday morning to ponder the very odd Saturday she had spent--most of it with Slade. A moody man, she mused, stretching her arms toward the ceiling. By turns she had been comfortable with him, exasperated by him, and attracted to him. No, that wasn't quite true, she amended. Even when she'd been comfortable or exasperated, she'd been attracted. There was something remote about him that made her want to pry him open a bit. She'd put quite a lot of effort into that the evening before and had come up with nothing. He wasn't a man for divulging secrets or bothering with small talk. He was an odd combination of the direct and the aloof.
He didn't flatter--not by looks or words. And yet she felt certain that he wasn't indifferent to her. It wasn't possible that she'd imagined those moments of physical pull. They'd been there, for him as well as for her. But he had guards, she thought with quick frustration. She'd never known a man with such guards. Those dark, intense eyes of his clearly said "Keep back; arm's length." While the challenge of piercing his armor appealed to her, her own instinctive awareness of what the consequences would be held her back. Jessica enjoyed a dare, but she usually figured the odds first. In this case, she decided, they were stacked against her.
A nice, cautious friendship was in order, she concluded. Anything else spelled trouble. Rising, she picked up her robe and headed for the shower. But wouldn't it be nice, she thought, to feel that rather hard mouth on hers. Just once.
Downstairs, Slade was closeted in the library. He'd been up since dawn--she was crowding his mind. What crazy impulse had prompted him to ask her out the night before? After downing his fourth cup of coffee, Slade lit a cigarette.
He found nothing. His instinct had told him he wouldn't but Slade could have used even a crumb to justify his presence. She never stopped moving. For the two hours it took to unload the shipment, Jessica was everywhere, polishing, arranging, dragging out empty crates. When there was nothing more to do, she looked around for more.
"That's it," Slade told her before she could decide that something might be shown to a better advantage somewhere else.
"I guess you're right." Absently, she rubbed at the small of her back.
"It's a good thing those three pieces are being shipped out Monday. It's a bit crowded. Hey, I'm starving." She turned to him with an apologetic smile. "I didn't mean to keep you so long, Slade. It's after five."
Without giving him a chance to comment, she dashed to the back room for their jackets. "Here, I'll close up."
"How about a hamburger and a movie?" he said impulsively. I'm just keeping an eye on her, he told himself. That's what I'm here to do.
Surprised, Jessica glanced around as she pulled down the last shade.
From the look on his face, she thought, amused, he was already half regretting having asked. But that was no reason to let him off the hook.
"What a romantic invitation. How can I refuse?"
"You want romance?" he countered. "We'll go to a drive-in movie."
He heard her quick gurgle of laughter as he grabbed her hand and pulled her outside.
It was late when the phone rang. The seated figure reached for it and a cigarette simultaneously. "Hello."
"Where's the desk?"
"The desk?" Frowning, he brought the flame to the tip and drew. "It's with the rest of the shipment, of course."
"You're mistaken." The voice was soft and cold. "I've been to the shop myself."
"It has to be there." A flutter of panic rose in his throat. "Jessica just hasn't unpacked it yet."
"Possibly. You'll clear this up immediately. I want the desk and its contents by Wednesday." The pause was slight. "You understand the penalty for mistakes."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 3
---------
Contents - Prev | Next
Jessica woke thinking of him. She took time on the lazy Sunday morning to ponder the very odd Saturday she had spent--most of it with Slade. A moody man, she mused, stretching her arms toward the ceiling. By turns she had been comfortable with him, exasperated by him, and attracted to him. No, that wasn't quite true, she amended. Even when she'd been comfortable or exasperated, she'd been attracted. There was something remote about him that made her want to pry him open a bit. She'd put quite a lot of effort into that the evening before and had come up with nothing. He wasn't a man for divulging secrets or bothering with small talk. He was an odd combination of the direct and the aloof.
He didn't flatter--not by looks or words. And yet she felt certain that he wasn't indifferent to her. It wasn't possible that she'd imagined those moments of physical pull. They'd been there, for him as well as for her. But he had guards, she thought with quick frustration. She'd never known a man with such guards. Those dark, intense eyes of his clearly said "Keep back; arm's length." While the challenge of piercing his armor appealed to her, her own instinctive awareness of what the consequences would be held her back. Jessica enjoyed a dare, but she usually figured the odds first. In this case, she decided, they were stacked against her.
A nice, cautious friendship was in order, she concluded. Anything else spelled trouble. Rising, she picked up her robe and headed for the shower. But wouldn't it be nice, she thought, to feel that rather hard mouth on hers. Just once.
Downstairs, Slade was closeted in the library. He'd been up since dawn--she was crowding his mind. What crazy impulse had prompted him to ask her out the night before? After downing his fourth cup of coffee, Slade lit a cigarette.
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