Deadly Dealings (Hardy Brothers Security Book 13) (9 page)

When James and Mandy settled into sleep, Mandy’s naked body was on top of James’ strong frame so he could hold her close with one arm around her waist and the other wrapped around her shoulders. The sound of their hearts beating against each other was what finally lulled James into slumber.

Mandy stirred once, whimpering into James’ shoulder. He had no idea what she dreamed about, but he hated hearing her cry. He whispered he was there, tightened his arms around her, and watched as she slipped back under within seconds. He watched her for a little bit, but when she didn’t move again he let himself fall back into sleep and what he was sure were happier dreams than the ones she was mired in.

When he woke again it was to a warm sensation below his waist. He opened his eyes to find Mandy’s blue orbs watching him. Her hand was rubbing his morning erection, and she looked pretty pleased with herself.

“Good morning, wife,” James murmured, pressing her head down so he could kiss her.

“It seems I’m waking you up for a change,” Mandy teased. “I guess that means I win this morning.”

James cocked an eyebrow. She looked happy and rested. Once he got a solid breakfast in her he was almost ready to let her go to work. He would feel better if he could watch her the entire day, but he had a plan to handle that. He just wasn’t going to tell her about it.

“It seems you are,” James said, moving his mouth to the soft skin of her neck. “Do you already have plans for how this is going to go, or can I make a suggestion?”

“I don’t know,” Mandy teased. “Does this suggestion end well for both of us?”

She was giggling when James flipped her over so he could roll on top of her. “Are you insinuating that things ever don’t go your way when nudity and my tongue are involved?” James challenged.

“I don’t know,” Mandy said, clearly enjoying herself. “I’ll have to run every sexual experience we’ve ever had through my mind today while I’m at work to make sure. I guess I won’t be bored.”

“You’re not leaving this bed until you admit that everything we do here together ends well for both of us, baby,” James said.

“You promised I could go to work.”

“Yes, but that was before you called my manhood into question.”

“I’ve never been with you and not had it end well,” Mandy conceded.

James smirked. “Prepare to be amazed.”

“Well, except for the time you slipped out of my bedroom at the old apartment and left me alone and naked in the middle of the night,” Mandy said. “That didn’t end so well the next morning.”

James scowled. He hated that story. Fear drove him out of Mandy’s bed while she slept after their first bout of lovemaking. It was something he would never forgive himself for. The hurt on her face the next time he saw her … the insecurity that still plagued her from time to time because of it … . “Mandy … .”

“I was kidding, James,” Mandy said, her face softening. “I know you would never leave me again. Trust me. If there’s one thing I know … it’s that.”

“I won’t ever leave you again,” James agreed. “If I could take back one thing in this world … it would be that.”

“I know. If you took it back, though, what would I have to hold over your head to make sure I can bait you into giving me lots and lots of orgasms?”

James gave in and laughed. He knew what she was doing. “How many orgasms do you want this morning?”

“We only have an hour before I have to hop in the shower for work,” Mandy pointed out. “I think two should suffice.”

“Six it is,” James said, maneuvering his hips so he could slip inside of her and causing them both to moan. “Buck up, baby. I’m not stopping now … not even if you beg.”

“I’M
a little sore,” Mandy admitted, walking up the front steps of the courthouse with James beside her two hours later.

“Are you sore from being in the hospital?” James shifted his eyes to his wife quickly, worry overtaking him. “I can talk to the judge. He’ll understand if I take you back home.”

“That’s not what I was talking about,” Mandy said, rolling her eyes. “I was talking about the six orgasms this morning. When you made that promise, I’m not going to lie, I thought they were out of the realm of possibility … even for a sex god like yourself.”

James smirked. “That last one took some doing.”

“Well, trying to eat eggs and watch what you were doing with your tongue at the same time was a bit tricky,” Mandy conceded. “I thought the one in the shower – that was the fourth one, right – was the one that was going to kill me.”

The smile on James’ face was self-satisfied. “That took some contorting,” he agreed. “It was well worth it, though.”

“It was.”

Once they got inside the building and through security, Mandy stilled by the elevators. She was conflicted, and James could see her mind working as she tried to decide how to ask the obvious question. He didn’t make her.

“I’m dropping you off here,” he said, leaning over and giving her a hot kiss.

Mandy’s eyes widened as she returned the kiss, relief washing over her face. “Thank you.”

“I’m picking you up in your office later, baby,” James warned. “Don’t come down here. I will come up to you. Promise me.”

“I promise. I also promise to eat lunch on the patio.”

“With Heidi,” James added, referring to the court stenographer and Mandy’s friend. “No going anywhere alone.”

“Okay,” Mandy said. “If I can’t find Heidi to go to the bathroom with me, is any horny lawyer good?”

James scowled. “Do not push me, wife.” He gave her another kiss. “I’m also going to watch you get into the elevator. Try to pretend I’m not embarrassing you.”

“You’re too hot to ever embarrass me.” Mandy moved to pull away from him, but James drew her back for one more hug and kiss.

“I love you more than you’ll ever know, baby.”

“You can show me when you pick me up for work,” Mandy said, her eyes twinkling. “Maybe we can go for number seven in the office. I know how that gets you going.”

James wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and rested his forehead against hers briefly before releasing her. “We’ll be going for seven and eight, wife. Don’t sell yourself short.”

James watched Mandy climb into the elevator, remaining in his spot until he saw the lift land on her floor. Then, instead of leaving the building, he turned in the direction of the security office. He was determined to keep his wife safe, and if he had to utilize outside help to do it he wasn’t above begging.

James found the resident security guard, Clint, sitting in the office with his feet propped up on his desk. When James was first reintroduced to the woman who would become his wife he was suspicious of the guard because it was clear the man had a crush on Mandy. After Clint realized James and Mandy were together – and forever going to stay that way – he shifted his attention to Heidi. Last time James heard an update, Clint and Heidi were making plans to move in together. Clint was serious about his job, though, and James knew he would be more than willing to keep an eye on Mandy.

Clint straightened when he saw James, surprised. “Hey.”

“Hey,” James said, forcing a smile on his face for the security guard’s benefit. He was never going to like Clint, but he found he disliked him a lot less now that he’d found his own girlfriend. “How are things?”

“They’re great,” Clint said. “Heidi and I are moving in together.”

“I heard. Congratulations. When is the big move?”

“Saturday,” Clint said. “A lot of my stuff has already made the trip to her house, but we have movers coming to get the rest. Then it will be official.”

“I’m happy for you,” James said and found he really meant the words.

“What are you doing here?” Clint asked. “Is Mandy already back at work? I heard there was some question whether she would be coming in at all this week.”

“She’s here,” James said. “I’m not particularly happy about it, but she’s here.”

“How is she?”

“She’s okay,” James said. “She couldn’t keep food down for two days, but that seems to have passed. I’d still like to fatten her up a little, but she’s much better than she was.”

“I’m glad,” Clint said. “She sure seems to attract trouble, doesn’t she?”

“She has a knack,” James agreed. “Listen, um … I came here because I need your help.”

Clint’s keen eyes sharpened. “Is Mandy still in danger?”

“I don’t know,” James admitted truthfully. “Whoever injected her at Hell House probably thought she was going to die so he wasn’t initially worried about her identifying him. She survived, though, and I’m worried someone is going to come looking for her because they think she can identify them.”

“Can she?”

“The guy who shot her up was wearing a mask. She didn’t see enough of him to identify him.”

“What do you want me to do?” Clint asked.

“Watch her at lunch,” James instructed, not missing a beat. “I think she’s going to be safe in the courtroom and in her office. Someone would have to be crazy desperate to go after her in either place. I’m dropping her off and picking her up. She has promised to eat lunch on the patio outside. While there are a lot of people here … .”

“It’s still out in the open,” Clint finished. “I can do that. It will look as if I just want to have lunch with Heidi. I don’t even have to sit with them. I’ll sit a few tables over.”

James sighed, relieved. “Thank you.”

“I happen to like Mandy,” Clint said. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to her.”

“That makes two of us.”

“There are a lot more than two people here who care about Mandy.”

“I know,” James said. “I don’t want you to focus on only one type of person, but I did see a blond guy with blue eyes watching her in the mall yesterday. If you see someone like that … .”

“I’ll take care of it,” Clint promised. “I won’t focus on any one person, but I’ll keep my eyes open.”

“Take care of my baby,” James said. “I almost lost her. I won’t go through that again.”

MANDY
and Heidi were laughing as they moved down the hallway at lunchtime. They were heading for the food truck on the front walk of the courthouse before settling on the patio for an afternoon gossiping session. It was still warm enough during the day to enjoy an outside meal – but in a few weeks that wouldn’t be an option.

“Where are you two going?” Judge MacIntosh asked, moving into the hallway in front of his two favorite employees.

“We’re going to get lunch from the food truck and eat on the patio,” Heidi replied.

“I promised James I wouldn’t leave the building,” Mandy added. “He’s in full Hulk mode. I don’t want to push him so I agreed to eat here.”

“That sounds good to me,” MacIntosh said. “I’ll come with you.”

Mandy arched a suspicious eyebrow. “Did James contact you and ask you to watch over me?”

MacIntosh chuckled. “If he had I would’ve gladly taken on the task,” he said. “Alas, no. Mr. Hardy did not go behind your back and enlist me as a babysitter. I do want to talk to you about what happened, though. There’s a memo going through all of the county departments.”

“A memo about what?”

“This Twilight business is serious,” MacIntosh said, piling into the elevator with Heidi and Mandy. “I’m not sure you realize it, but it’s something of a miracle that you not only survived but returned to work in a few days.”

“I know how lucky I am,” Mandy said, hitting the button that would take them to the lobby. “James does, too. He’s … struggling. He didn’t want me coming back here so soon. He doesn’t think it’s safe.”

“Why did you?”

“Because my marriage isn’t going to survive another twenty-four hours of hovering,” Mandy said. “I love James, but he’s very intense right now.”

“I heard he held you for twelve straight hours because you were incoherent and they were threatening to tie you to the bed and he wouldn’t stand for it,” Heidi said, her face dreamy.

Mandy glanced at the boisterous brunette. “Who told you that?”

“Ally.”

Mandy rolled her eyes. “Ally has a huge mouth.”

“Did that happen, though?” Heidi’s eyes were wide.

“Yes. James … saved me. He got me to the hospital in time so they could flush my system and then he sat with me through what I’m sure was a horrible display.”

“James loves you,” MacIntosh said. “I’m sure sitting with you was worth it as long as he could hold onto you a bit longer. Even though you’re irritated with him hanging around you and watching your every move, it might behoove you to look at it from his point of view.”

Mandy narrowed her eyes as she fell into step next to MacIntosh in the lobby. “James has been bending your ear, hasn’t he?”

“No. I see his point of view, though,” MacIntosh said. “You don’t remember what happened to you. He held you while you whimpered and was helpless to do anything but pray you didn’t die. How hard do you think that was for him?”

Mandy’s mouth dropped open as surprised washed over her.

“James Hardy is a man who likes to take things head on,” MacIntosh continued. “He couldn’t fight to keep you alive because it was out of his hands. He can fight to keep you safe now. You should listen to him.”