any strange men catching you in your
pajamas.”
“Except you.”
She peered up at him, about to say
something, but didn't. She had the strangest look on her face that made him
want to reach out and touch her. Her dark lashes dipped, hiding the fatigue in
her eyes. He didn't have to see her face in the light to know she was blushing.
The image of her cheeks turning crimson last night at the bar was still
imprinted in his brain, causing havoc with his peace of mind in cataclysmic
proportion.
“You were the one who insisted on
having me here,” he said in a low voice.
“I didn't mean it that way. I just
meant that there was going to be at least one man seeing me in my…” She drew in
a shallow breath and shook her head slightly. “Never mind. I don't know what I
meant.”
She started laughing, and Jake
couldn't help but feel lightheaded by the sound of her voice.
“You've had the privilege of catching
me first thing in the morning in my pj's, but this is going to be a first for
me. Seeing you, I mean.”
He cocked his head to one side,
silently questioning whether he should confess. “I don't want to disappoint
you, but I'm not the pajama type.”
Her reaction was exactly as he'd
anticipated. She sucked in a deep breath and held it. When she finally let it
out, she tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth and averted her gaze. But not
before he saw the flames of desire burst to life in her dark eyes.
He'd been thinking the same. The
thought of sleeping with Cassie's naked body pressed against his was torture.
What made it more tortuous was the fact it would never be reality.
“Well, are we going to go inside
where it's warm, or are we going to continue to stand outside in the rain?” she
asked.
Jake lifted his face to the black sky
and felt cold moisture misting his face. Yes, it was still drizzling lightly.
Not enough to cool him down though, which is probably why he hadn't bothered to
notice.
Cassie followed behind him to the
back of the sedan. After popping the trunk, he pulled out her laptop computer
and a suitcase, handing them to her.
“I'll get the rest and meet you in
front of the house. Drop the bags on the porch and wait for me.”
Jake dug into the trunk for his
overnight bag and the bigger suitcase Cassie had packed. When she didn’t move,
he turned to her.
“If it’s all the same, I’ll wait for
you,” she said.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,
Cassie. They told us, this place was checked less than half an hour ago. My
walk through will just be more out of curiosity than anything. Once I check the
rooms over and get all the bags inside, I'll lock up tight and call in to Agent
Bellows at the station.”
She nodded nervously. “Okay, but I'm
going to be your shadow. So don't get jumpy.”
Nerves were getting the best of her,
he decided. It had been a long twenty-four hours and he guessed that neither
one of them would fully relax until they were settled. Better to get that done
sooner rather than later.
“Are you getting bossy with me
again?” he said, hoping she'd take his teasing good-naturedly and finally begin
to calm down.
He dropped the bags on the porch and
unlocked the door. The way she clung to his back as he opened the door, as if
he was the last hold on earth to her peace of mind, gave him his answer. She
was terrified.
The soft glow of light from the
kitchen in the back of the house shined beams across the deep-pile living room
rug. Jake reached up and skimmed his hand against the smooth-papered wall to
find the light switch. When he did, he flicked it on and bright light filled
the open room.
This safe house was called a cottage,
but one look and it was obvious it was anything but. The living room was square
and wide with a cream sofa and settee propped in the center of the room.
Against the inside wall stood a full oak-paneled entertainment unit. A
cushioned window seat in a floral design sat between a row of bookcases resting
against the far wall. The
pajamas.”
“Except you.”
She peered up at him, about to say
something, but didn't. She had the strangest look on her face that made him
want to reach out and touch her. Her dark lashes dipped, hiding the fatigue in
her eyes. He didn't have to see her face in the light to know she was blushing.
The image of her cheeks turning crimson last night at the bar was still
imprinted in his brain, causing havoc with his peace of mind in cataclysmic
proportion.
“You were the one who insisted on
having me here,” he said in a low voice.
“I didn't mean it that way. I just
meant that there was going to be at least one man seeing me in my…” She drew in
a shallow breath and shook her head slightly. “Never mind. I don't know what I
meant.”
She started laughing, and Jake
couldn't help but feel lightheaded by the sound of her voice.
“You've had the privilege of catching
me first thing in the morning in my pj's, but this is going to be a first for
me. Seeing you, I mean.”
He cocked his head to one side,
silently questioning whether he should confess. “I don't want to disappoint
you, but I'm not the pajama type.”
Her reaction was exactly as he'd
anticipated. She sucked in a deep breath and held it. When she finally let it
out, she tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth and averted her gaze. But not
before he saw the flames of desire burst to life in her dark eyes.
He'd been thinking the same. The
thought of sleeping with Cassie's naked body pressed against his was torture.
What made it more tortuous was the fact it would never be reality.
“Well, are we going to go inside
where it's warm, or are we going to continue to stand outside in the rain?” she
asked.
Jake lifted his face to the black sky
and felt cold moisture misting his face. Yes, it was still drizzling lightly.
Not enough to cool him down though, which is probably why he hadn't bothered to
notice.
Cassie followed behind him to the
back of the sedan. After popping the trunk, he pulled out her laptop computer
and a suitcase, handing them to her.
“I'll get the rest and meet you in
front of the house. Drop the bags on the porch and wait for me.”
Jake dug into the trunk for his
overnight bag and the bigger suitcase Cassie had packed. When she didn’t move,
he turned to her.
“If it’s all the same, I’ll wait for
you,” she said.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,
Cassie. They told us, this place was checked less than half an hour ago. My
walk through will just be more out of curiosity than anything. Once I check the
rooms over and get all the bags inside, I'll lock up tight and call in to Agent
Bellows at the station.”
She nodded nervously. “Okay, but I'm
going to be your shadow. So don't get jumpy.”
Nerves were getting the best of her,
he decided. It had been a long twenty-four hours and he guessed that neither
one of them would fully relax until they were settled. Better to get that done
sooner rather than later.
“Are you getting bossy with me
again?” he said, hoping she'd take his teasing good-naturedly and finally begin
to calm down.
He dropped the bags on the porch and
unlocked the door. The way she clung to his back as he opened the door, as if
he was the last hold on earth to her peace of mind, gave him his answer. She
was terrified.
The soft glow of light from the
kitchen in the back of the house shined beams across the deep-pile living room
rug. Jake reached up and skimmed his hand against the smooth-papered wall to
find the light switch. When he did, he flicked it on and bright light filled
the open room.
This safe house was called a cottage,
but one look and it was obvious it was anything but. The living room was square
and wide with a cream sofa and settee propped in the center of the room.
Against the inside wall stood a full oak-paneled entertainment unit. A
cushioned window seat in a floral design sat between a row of bookcases resting
against the far wall. The
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