room left for food.”
He laughed off her attempts to insult him. “So, pretty American lady, what is your sign?”
“Dead End.”
Rather than taking her warning seriously, Jack seemed to view it as another challenge. He hauled her out of her seat and into his lap with no effort. She squirmed and fidgeted but he snaked his arms tightly around her waist to hold her still. “Just relax. We have an audience.”
She glanced up and saw the shadow of someone standing in the hallway. Determined to keep her promise and play the part in public, she put her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. If there were justice in the world, her weight would cause his foot to get pins and needles.
“That’s better. How’s your stomach today?”
“Better than last night.”
He slid his hand down her waist and under the loose fitting cotton top she wore. Her stomach muscles bunched, and she gasped. A ripple of pleasure ran through her, and she fought hard to quell the feeling. This is crazy . He’s the enemy .
“Don’t do that,” she whispered, pulling his hand away.
“Why?”
“Because there’s no point. Our voyeur has departed. Or is that part of the job too?”
* * * *
Jack swore under his breath. He thought he’d made some progress last night. Apparently, he had been mistaken. He unhooked his hands, and she slid off his lap. Her bottom hit the floor, and she let out a gasp of protest. He didn’t mean to hurt her, but she could be so infuriating.
What really bothered him? Was his ego bruised because she didn’t obey his orders, or because she didn’t want him? Play the game, he’d warned her. Suddenly, he behaved like a sore loser because she played better than him and stuck to the rules.
He needed to change the rules. Next time, she would have to come to him.
“I’m sorry.” He helped her up and held onto her hand as she tried to leave. “This is getting us nowhere, Lilly. When we get to Tangier, you’re free to go. Do whatever you want.”
She eyed him as if she didn’t quite trust his sincerity. “And what will you tell your boss?”
“I’ll tell him I lost you.”
“I doubt Edward Santana will be pleased to hear that.”
He cupped his hands on her shoulders and gave her a shake. “Damn it, Lilly! How many times do I have to tell you, I don’t work for Santana! He killed my partner, for God’s sake.”
She pushed him away and stepped back. “Then who do you work for?”
He paused, deciding whether or not to answer. The idea had been to frighten her by keeping her in the dark, and again he’d mastered his craft. Her questioning stare reflected the battle scars of a war weary refugee too suspicious to recognize an ally. He’d learned the hard way that control by fear didn’t work with Lilly. Perhaps control through trust might.
“The United States Customs Service. Special Agent Jack Murphy at your service, ma’am.” He tipped his head and walked out the door.
Chapter Five
Lilly tried to compose a coherent thought. The Customs Department? What did they want with her? And why go to all the trouble of smuggling her into her own country when she could go back of her own free will?
She still had many unanswered questions, but when she looked up, Jack had gone. Well, he shouldn’t blame her when he’d lied to begin with. What was she supposed to think when a strange man followed her all over the world? Instead of feeling relief, her temper began to boil. If the good guys arbitrarily broke the law to achieve their goals, how could anyone tell them from the criminals?
She took the leftover eggs, sandwiched in a chunk of bread, and put it aside to eat later. The rest of the platters she neatly stacked and carried into the galley. Crashing around some cast iron pots would help her let off steam. She only wished she could crack one over Jack’s head.
“You’re free to go,” he’d told her. Like she had anywhere to go now. A
He laughed off her attempts to insult him. “So, pretty American lady, what is your sign?”
“Dead End.”
Rather than taking her warning seriously, Jack seemed to view it as another challenge. He hauled her out of her seat and into his lap with no effort. She squirmed and fidgeted but he snaked his arms tightly around her waist to hold her still. “Just relax. We have an audience.”
She glanced up and saw the shadow of someone standing in the hallway. Determined to keep her promise and play the part in public, she put her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. If there were justice in the world, her weight would cause his foot to get pins and needles.
“That’s better. How’s your stomach today?”
“Better than last night.”
He slid his hand down her waist and under the loose fitting cotton top she wore. Her stomach muscles bunched, and she gasped. A ripple of pleasure ran through her, and she fought hard to quell the feeling. This is crazy . He’s the enemy .
“Don’t do that,” she whispered, pulling his hand away.
“Why?”
“Because there’s no point. Our voyeur has departed. Or is that part of the job too?”
* * * *
Jack swore under his breath. He thought he’d made some progress last night. Apparently, he had been mistaken. He unhooked his hands, and she slid off his lap. Her bottom hit the floor, and she let out a gasp of protest. He didn’t mean to hurt her, but she could be so infuriating.
What really bothered him? Was his ego bruised because she didn’t obey his orders, or because she didn’t want him? Play the game, he’d warned her. Suddenly, he behaved like a sore loser because she played better than him and stuck to the rules.
He needed to change the rules. Next time, she would have to come to him.
“I’m sorry.” He helped her up and held onto her hand as she tried to leave. “This is getting us nowhere, Lilly. When we get to Tangier, you’re free to go. Do whatever you want.”
She eyed him as if she didn’t quite trust his sincerity. “And what will you tell your boss?”
“I’ll tell him I lost you.”
“I doubt Edward Santana will be pleased to hear that.”
He cupped his hands on her shoulders and gave her a shake. “Damn it, Lilly! How many times do I have to tell you, I don’t work for Santana! He killed my partner, for God’s sake.”
She pushed him away and stepped back. “Then who do you work for?”
He paused, deciding whether or not to answer. The idea had been to frighten her by keeping her in the dark, and again he’d mastered his craft. Her questioning stare reflected the battle scars of a war weary refugee too suspicious to recognize an ally. He’d learned the hard way that control by fear didn’t work with Lilly. Perhaps control through trust might.
“The United States Customs Service. Special Agent Jack Murphy at your service, ma’am.” He tipped his head and walked out the door.
Chapter Five
Lilly tried to compose a coherent thought. The Customs Department? What did they want with her? And why go to all the trouble of smuggling her into her own country when she could go back of her own free will?
She still had many unanswered questions, but when she looked up, Jack had gone. Well, he shouldn’t blame her when he’d lied to begin with. What was she supposed to think when a strange man followed her all over the world? Instead of feeling relief, her temper began to boil. If the good guys arbitrarily broke the law to achieve their goals, how could anyone tell them from the criminals?
She took the leftover eggs, sandwiched in a chunk of bread, and put it aside to eat later. The rest of the platters she neatly stacked and carried into the galley. Crashing around some cast iron pots would help her let off steam. She only wished she could crack one over Jack’s head.
“You’re free to go,” he’d told her. Like she had anywhere to go now. A
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