Fire and Ice (Guardians) (16 page)

"Good job, babe," Jack grinned wolfishly. "That's still 1-6"

"Well, the bet was that if I threw you over once in ten tries I get to drive the Mercedes," she said. "I believe I beat the odds."

Maia knifed off him and extended her hand to pull him up.

Jack lurched up and curled his arm around her shoulder to draw her to him. He gave her a kiss on her temple and said, "Yes, you did."

"So glad to see I don't have to save your ass in case we get into a bar brawl," she quipped.

"Glad you think so," Jack remarked dryly. "Ready to go sailing?"

Before Maia could reply, the intercom buzzed and Grace's voice crackled over the speaker, "Jack, I think you need to come up here."

"Were you expecting anybody?" Maia asked.

Jack shook his head and pressed the call button, "Grace, what is it?"

There was a few moments of silence before Grace's voice came over. "Your mother is here."

To be more exact, Jack's parents and Brett were there, including four bodyguards. Maia felt like slinking off into the control room, but Jack dragged her with him up in the elevator, through the study and into the living room where everyone was assembled.

"What are you all doing here?" Jack demanded darkly.

"Really dear, is that anyway to greet your family?" Frances scolded. Jack's mom was a slender, beautiful woman of sixty-three. She had the most amazing brown eyes and her chestnut-colored gray-streaked hair was cut in a stylish bob that made her look younger than her actual age. She was expensively attired in a silk blouse and light wool pants.

Jack advanced to give his mom a peck on the cheek and turned to give a tall, older man, with exactly the same coloring as Jack, a firm handshake. His Dad.

"Maia," Brett exclaimed as he recognized her. "You're Jack's new girl? Well, I'll be damned!"

"You know her?" Frances asked in surprise.

"Of course, she's ..." Brett caught Maia's warning look. "I met her at a couple of fundraisers for green energy."

Jack cocked a brow at his brother's lie and Maia resisted the urge to laugh.

Frances approached her, her eyes misting, "Oh Jack, she's a lovely girl."

I'm going to kill Jack
, Maia thought murderously.

Through body language, Maia was able to convey her reluctance to hug Frances as being due to her being sweaty from a workout.

Frances just smiled, squeezed her arm and said, "So happy to meet you dear. I'm Frances and this is my husband Robert."

After all the introductions and greetings had been exchanged, Jack repeated his earlier question.

"Why, we thought we'd drop by and meet Maia since it'll probably take ages for you to introduce us."

"Mom, Maia and I have just started seeing each other," Jack said in exasperation.

Maia's eyes were shooting daggers at Jack, but he ignored her. This pretend-girlfriend thing was getting out of hand.

"And is it even safe for Brett to be traipsing around the East Coast?" Jack argued.

"I am not traipsing," Brett said indignantly. "Try spending one week at that stupid country estate you've installed me in. This," he waved dramatically around him, "is where I should spend my sabbatical."

"Did you clear it with the DA?"
 

"Not exactly..." Frances said tentatively.

"I can't believe this!" Jack muttered. "Dad, why did you allow this?" Robert McCord gave him a look as if
 
to say, "Are you kidding me? Try arguing with your mother."

"Never mind," Jack said abruptly and turned to the four men all dressed identically in black t-shirts and cargo-pants. "Are you guys familiar with the layout of this place?"

All four men nodded.

"Grace, sorry to spring this on you," Jack said apologetically to his housekeeper. "Can you prepare the two rooms upstairs for Mom, Dad and Brett, and the additional two rooms down here." Jack turned to the bodyguards. "The four of you will need to share two rooms between you. I presume one or two will be on surveillance at all times?"

The four bodyguards were sub-contractors of AGS, though Maia had never met any of them. The lead on the team was Kane Taylor. The rest of the men were only known as Maddox, Smith and Brody. There was no doubt Jack was going to give Taylor a tongue-lashing for allowing this little excursion into the Outer Banks. The danger was in no way over, not with Reznikov still at large. But no one other than Maia and Viktor was likely to be aware of this.

As Jack spoke to the bodyguards, Maia felt Frances's eyes studying her intently. Damn him for putting her in such an uncomfortable position.

Brett, on the other hand, was relishing the situation. "So Maia, how did my brother entice you into his bed where I have failed?"

"Brett, really," Frances exclaimed. "Stop flirting with your brother's girlfriend."

Jack scowled at his brother, but he was clearly deep in discussion with Taylor and the bodyguard huddle which now included Robert. His dad was obviously greatly concerned with the safety of his wife and son.

"I think you should join them and discuss security measures," Maia nodded to the group.

"I have a better idea," Brett said. "Let me take care of the ladies while the other guys take care of business. Mom? Let's step outside."

While his mother followed, Brett grabbed Maia by the upper arm and guided her to the balcony. He bent low and murmured into her ears, "I think I feel safer with you anyway."

CHAPTER EIGHT

The
Annabel
cruised lazily in the deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The 34-foot sloop's sails flapped steadily, catching the downwind of an unusually warm November day. An Indian summer was always welcome for the residents of the Outer Banks as it meant another day of pleasurable water activities.

Brett was at the wheel. Jack was in deep conversation with his dad discussing some new business venture, while Maia, despite the slight chill in the breeze, decided to sunbathe. Because of her fair porcelain skin she did not tan easily; instead her skin just acquired a healthy pinkish glow. She had on a very skimpy white string bikini that allowed for minimum tan lines; thank goodness she had waxed recently! Frances was sitting beside her fully-clothed in white linen and a wide-brim hat.

"You could give those Victoria Secret models a run for their money," Jack's mom commented as she put the cap back on the sunblock. She had offered to apply it on Maia's back who was, right now, lying prone on a towel with the strings to her bikini top undone.

"I'm too short. My butt and breasts are too big," Maia said, laughing.

"Oh nonsense, you've got great legs. You're toned all over but soft in the right places," Frances winked, and then leaned in closely. "I can see why Jack's crazy about you."

Maia flushed pink, and it wasn't because of the sun. Jack's mom was definitely desperate to see her son settled down, which made this charade harder to carry off. Guilt was starting to gnaw at her, so she turned her head to look briefly at Jack. His eyes were fixed on her—heated and intense. She glanced away quickly.

"We've only just started seeing each other, Frances," Maia felt the words grate through her throat. "I'm sure 'like' is a more appropriate word."

"I see the way my son looks at you, Maia," his mother replied. "I've never seen him look that way at any of his girlfriends before."

"What look?"

"Possessive, like he wants to own you body and soul," Frances whispered.

A nervous giggle escaped Maia's mouth.

"I don't think you can tell that by a look."

"Oh, I've seen that look before in Robert," Frances said dreamily. "McCord men love deeply. I'm seeing the signs in Jack, right now."

"Mom," Jack's voice interrupted them. He had finished his powwow with his Dad and made his way to the bow. "Are you trying to scare Maia off?"

"I'm just telling her the truth, you should keep her," his mother replied.
 

Maia felt herself turn from pink to red.

"Frances, sweetheart come over here and give the kids some time alone," Robert said from near the companionway.

Jack's mother got up and gave the two of them an indulgent smile before heading to the rear of the sloop.

Maia suddenly felt Jack's fingers trace the ladder of her spine, resting to play lightly on the edges of her bikini bottom.

"You're lucky we're not alone," Jack murmured near her ear. "The things I wanna do to you."

"I really hate this deception," Maia whispered.

Jack ignored her and continued, "You blush beautifully, I want to kiss every inch of your pink skin."

"Can you please tie my top back up," she asked, suddenly feeling vulnerable. Maia was uncomfortably turned on.

Jack slowly knotted the strings behind her back, letting his warm fingers brush her skin. She shuddered involuntarily in response. When she turned over, he had settled beside her. Propped up on an elbow, his eyes held a mixture of tenderness, lust and amusement. He started tracing the length of her body and brushed his lips lightly on hers.

His brows furrowed when his hand touched an almost invisible tape on her right thigh.

"What's this?" Jack asked.

"Healing tape," Maia replied and nodded to her right arm. "There's one over here too where I got cut in the attack on the loft."

There was a question on Jack's face.

"It's a Swedish-made, special formula therapeutic tape. It speeds up healing and prevents scarring of superficial wounds," she added. "It's ridiculously expensive, but it's subsidized by the AGS. Perks of employment, which is the least they can do since getting shot at and sliced seems to be a job hazard."

Maia had intended to be funny, but Jack's lips thinned in displeasure.

He did a body scan of her body. "Never had any gun shot wounds?"

She winced, remembering several painful incidents. "A few. There's cosmetic surgery for that."

"Damn it, Maia. You think you can simply erase your past," Jack said in a low angry voice. "Is that how you deal? No scars to remind you? All the killing with no remorse?"

"You're such a hypocrite," Maia hissed. "You were a Navy SEAL. Don't tell me you haven't killed anyone?"

Jack swore softly. "God how I wish we were somewhere else and I could have this shit out with you right now while you're in a talking mood."

Maia realized how riled up she was and immediately clammed up.

"And there you go shutting down," Jack sighed. They stared at each other for a moment, Maia glaring up at him, he looking at her with what appeared to be frustration. Then his eyes warmed and he grinned.

"My mom likes you."

"This is making things complicated, Jack. I hate deceiving your parents."

"How are we deceiving them? Aren't we together?"

"Well, we're pretending, remember?"

"Hmmn ... nnn." Jack made a non-reply and began nuzzling her neck.

"Jack?"

"Just go with the flow, babe."

Maia started to argue some more, but Jack slammed his mouth on hers in a devouring, shut-up kiss. She tried to push him away, but Jack partly covered her body with his and deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue ruthlessly into her mouth, her jaw opened so wide she almost couldn't breathe.

"Get a room!" Brett yelled from the helm.

Despite the short notice, Grace was able to pull off a delicious prime rib dinner. After an afternoon of sailing, everyone, especially Maia, was hungry. She piled up her plate with succulent slices of beef and a mound of mashed potato.

Brett eyed her plate and said to Jack, "Great to see you've started dating someone who is more than a size zero and doesn't weigh her food."

"Are you saying I'm a pig, Brett?" Maia said in mock outrage.

"No, I'm saying you're sexy as hell," Brett replied with a devilish grin.

"Stop flirting with my girl, Brett."
 

"Brett, you need to find a girl of your own," Frances said.

"Kinda hard to do, Mom when I'm in confinement," Brett quipped.

"I just talked to Callahan, he said most of Vergara's operations have been shut down," Jack informed them. "He thinks in the next week you should get the all clear."

Maia wanted to interject, she really did. She had not talked to Viktor since Jack's parents and Brett had arrived but as far as she knew, Reznikov was moving in on Vergara's territory. If there were any deals struck regarding a renewed hit on Brett, that was unknown. Viktor was trying to find out if anyone had been sent to find out what had happened to Benny and his thugs. So far, according to Rick, no one had been asking questions at the local police department.

But Maia's gut was telling her something else. Something big was about to happen. She looked up to see Jack's quizzical look on her. She shrugged and dug into her plate but her insides were torn between her duty to AGS and her need to protect the people around her.

***

Jack watched Maia take a call on her cell phone. She went out to the balcony for more privacy. She had not been using the control room because Jack did not want Kane Taylor and his men to know about it. She appeared to be in deep conversation with someone; his one guess—Viktor.

Something was troubling her. She had been subdued and introspective at dinner soaking in the conversation around her but not commenting. Jack deliberately told Brett that the all-clear was coming even though Maia had warned him that the Russian appeared to be making a move on Vergara's drugs by sending his men into smaller towns to hide the goods. He wanted to induce a reaction. She reacted, but it was subtle. But now on the balcony she was definitely agitated, something that didn't happen often.

He had informed Kane Taylor and the others to be hyper-vigilant but was also thinking of an excuse to move his parents and Brett out of there without making his mom nervous. Damn Brett for putting him in this position, he should have just stayed put where he left him.

Jack stepped outside to join Maia when she ended the call. She whirled around to face him, indecision etched into face.

"What's going on, babe?"

"I have this feeling that something is about to happen," Maia said. "I tried to get more information from Viktor but he couldn't say for sure if the Russian was on the move. As far as it appears, he's laying low. But what Benny said about the Russian being impatient tells me he is covering his tracks very well, totally off the grid." She sighed. "My hunch: Brett is still a target. The Russian seems to have control of Vergara's drugs—the ones that have not been accounted for. Vergara is not giving that up for free. He would probably want payback for whoever put him in jail and that person is Brett. "