Guilty Pleasures (41 page)

He spat out a laugh with no humor in it. “So you can throw that back in my face too
”

“What are you talking about
”

“I'm talking about … what I told you about the beach and the water and my fears and guilt.” He swallowed. “And last night…”

Her hard stance eased as she recalled how the ship pitched and rocked during the night. The thought of putting him on the couch so he could suffer wasn't part of her agenda. She wanted him to miss her and realize how he'd hurt her. She told him as much. “I wanted to teach you a lesson, but that wasn't it. I wanted you to want me, to miss me.”

He sat down on the chair by the bed, but said nothing.

“I may be a bitch sometimes, but I wouldn't do that to you.” She came around to kneel down in front of him. “You hurt me, Jake. Bad.”

He nodded. “You know I didn't mean to. I wouldn't do that.” He reached out and stroked her hair.

She rested her hand on his lap. “But it still hurt. What are we going to do
”

It was a question he still wasn't ready to answer. “We'll work it out.”

She raised her head. “What does that mean
”

He swallowed. “If this … baby is what you want … then we'll work it out.”

She jumped up so fast, she nearly knocked him over. “If it's what
I
want! I didn't screw myself and make this baby.
We
did it together!”

He turned away from the truth and accusation flashing a warning in her eyes. He wanted to get the words out, to explain. But he'd broken his oath to himself once already by allowing her beyond the barricades of his past. He wouldn't do that again.

Jake straightened his shoulders and stood, forcing her to look up at him. “I told you I was sorry for hurting you. I don't have a thing to add to that. Now if you want it to be business only between us, then so be it. We get this job done, split the profits, and then…” He shrugged, seeming not to have a care in the world. “The rest is up to you.”

Eva stayed crouched on her knees, looking up at this man whom she'd adored, loved, and admired for so long. Who the hell was he

She pushed herself up to a standing position and walked right up to him, so close, her breasts pressed up against his chest.

“Fuck you, Jake Kelly,” she said in a deadly whisper. “Fuck you straight to hell.”

She grabbed her cell phone, put on her shoes, hooked up her headset, and was gone so fast, the heat of her words still hung in the air.

Jake stood in the center of the empty room. The emptiness of it as much a metaphor for his life as the reality of the environment.

“Fuck me, then,” he said, his focus returning. He had a job to do. He was going to do it, get them out of this mess, and … And what, live a life without Eva

He glanced toward the door. He would accept that if he had to.

Jake crossed the room to where Eva had tossed the sketch of the suitcase. He picked it up. He had to admit, it was damned good. The detailing was precise enough to be a snapshot.

He sat down and studied the sketch, then took it to the portable scanner and scanned it into the computer. Once he had the picture loaded into the computer, he enhanced the details and used a virtual simulation program to make it three-dimensional. He keyed in several equations to get an estimate of weight. According to what the computer spewed out, the suitcase weighed approximately sixty-five pounds.

He sat back, ran his hand across his chin while he stared at the screen.
Sixty-five pounds.
He quickly keyed in another set of variables.

Slowly he nodded his head as the numeric possibilities spread across the screen.

Based on the information he'd keyed in, the weight of the suitcase was consistent with the two million in cash—large bills, of course—and forty mil in diamonds. Either that or Suarez had a shitload of dirty laundry.

Still, they couldn't take the risk of simply lifting the suitcase without knowing for sure that the stash was actually in there. The reality was, Suarez could have split up the goods: half in the suitcase and the other half in the ship safe. Jake didn't even want to entertain the thought that maybe Suarez didn't have the goods with him at all, but that one of his boys had it.

No. Suarez was too cautious. He'd never turn over that much loot to some bodyguard. He'd want to keep it close to him.

They'd just have to get into the suitcase to know for sure.

Jake peered closer at the computer screen, studying the locks, particularly the one in the middle with the combination. It would take him a few hours, but he was pretty sure he could figure out the combination. He hoped so, anyway. The image of Eva pantomiming her lifting the card key from the housekeeper and getting into the suite sat on his shoulder, mocking him. He swatted the image away.

Sure, she was an excellent pickpocket. No one could match her on that score. But he was an expert on locks and alarms. One slip did not a slouch make. He'd figure out this combination, and then they were in there. Simple. Right

*   *   *

Eva went to one of the restaurants on the upper deck. She was starving. She joined the buffet line and began loading her plate. Food was a comfort, and she needed all the comforting she could stomach at the moment.

She still couldn't believe that Jake had acted so cold. She scooped a large spoonful of eggs onto her plate followed by a heaping dollop of grits. Being a single parent had never crossed her mind. Being a parent period was something that had for years been a nonissue. She inspected the bacon but then decided on sausages. She inched down the line of hungry travelers.

But lately she'd been feeling different. She wanted something more substantial than the next job. She wanted her life to mean something. Maybe there was some truth to the whole biological clock thing.

She approached the refreshment section of the buffet line. Instinctively she reached for coffee and then stopped midway. She had a baby to think about now, and so she filled her mug with orange juice instead.
A baby.
Damn. She smiled to herself, thinking of the life growing inside her. What kind of mother would she be
Better than her own was her immediate thought. Never would she treat her child the way she was treated. She'd spoil it and love it unconditionally, make him or her feel special every single day.