Jordan Summers (11 page)

T
HE COVERS ON THE BED
were in disarray and the room still held the odor of delicious sex. Delaney stared at the twisted sheets for a moment, reliving the rush of last night’s encounter. Despite the fact that Jack Gordon was her assignment, she’d never jumped into bed with a man this fast. And she’d never, ever slept with a target in order to garner their cooperation. Actually, she hadn’t slept with a target, period…other than Jack.

She shook her head and then went to gather her clothes. Delaney dropped the USB drive into her purse, then reached for the end of Jack’s shirt and pulled it over her head. She heard a sharp intake of breath behind her and spun.

Jack stood in the doorway, his hand gripping the knob as he stared, transfixed at her naked body. He didn’t bother to hide the desire that flared to life in his eyes or the anger. Warmth spread into her abdomen. She folded her arms across her chest, feeling suddenly vulnerable. Jack stepped into the room and shut the door.

“What are you going to do now?” he asked nonchalantly as he made the bed.

Delaney dressed quickly, unable to meet his gaze. She thought about his question for a few moments, and then finally answered. “Since you turned me down, I have no choice but to move to the second man on the list.”

Jack stiffened. “Are you going to sleep with him, too?”

“Of course not.” Her head jerked and their eyes clashed. “Contrary to what you believe, I do not make a habit of sleeping with my
assignments
. I wasn’t lying when I said it’s been over a year for me.”

Delaney wasn’t sure what Jack saw in her expression, but he seemed to relax a fraction.

“So who’s second on the list?” He tucked the sheet under the mattress.

“It’s not important.”

He grasped a pillow and punched it before tossing it back onto the bed. “Suit yourself. I thought I could see if I recognized the name. The players change frequently.”

Delaney considered his words. She doubted that Jack would warn the man and she couldn’t see any obvious complications from giving him the knowledge. “David Rico,” she said finally, pulling her shoes on.

A
LREADY REELING
from the news that he’d been deceived, Jack froze midmotion the second Delaney said the man’s name. He’d never personally worked with Rico, but he
had
heard of him. Or more to the point, heard about his reputation for sudden bouts of violence.

“I think you should reconsider. Rico takes no prisoners and plays rough. He has one of the worst reputations for brutality in the business. Are you sure you can handle him?”

Delaney glanced at Jack. “Yes.”

“Like you did me?” He hated to ask, hated the jealousy he heard in his voice. She’d already claimed otherwise, but he needed to hear it again to soothe the anger and hurt scalding his insides. If she’d sleep with anyone to get ahead, then he’d gladly walk away, but he didn’t think that was the case. At least he hoped not.

He refused to believe that he was that wrong about her. Despite her deception, Jack felt as if he’d gotten a glimpse of the true Delaney last night. The one who enjoyed giving and receiving pleasure. The one who laughed at his stupid jokes and who couldn’t catch a pepper with her mouth.

She shook her head. “Things got out of hand. I should’ve stopped before we…”

Jack’s face flushed. There was no way in hell he was going to let her dismiss what they’d shared last night. Despite the lies and deceptions, he knew in his gut that they’d connected. His gut never lied. All he had to do now was convince Delaney, but that would have to wait until they’d cleared the air.

“Rico will smell you coming a mile away, and when he does, there won’t be enough of you left to identify the body,” he said tersely, wanting her to understand what she was dealing with.

Delaney folded his shirt and stepped close enough to lay it on the bed, but still far enough to remain out of his reach. What did she think he was going to do? Did she truly think he was some kind of monster after everything they’d experienced?

“Are you trying to scare me?” she asked, her expression growing wary.

“No, I’m trying to keep you from doing something incredibly stupid.”

“Don’t worry about me, Jack. I’m a big girl and a trained professional agent. I can take care of myself.”

Jack stepped forward and grabbed Delaney’s chin, tilting it until their eyes met. Desire flared. Her skin burned his fingertips, but he refused to release her.

“This isn’t a game, Delaney. David Rico is a killer and smart enough to not get caught. If he’s involved in the shipment you’re talking about, the ATF will need more than you to stop him. From what I’ve heard, the man has enough ammo to hold off an army and has a paramilitary group at his disposal.”

She twisted until she slipped out of his grasp. “We’re not sure Rico’s involved, he’s still a question mark. Right now, we need all the information we can get. We thought you could supply the names of the most likely individuals behind the deal. If we knew who was running this shipment, we might be able to infiltrate their operation and stop them before the sale goes through. At least that was the plan, but obviously we were wrong.”

Guilt clutched him. Though damned if Jack knew why. “I’m not the one who deceived you, remember? It was the other way around.” Jack realized the irony of the situation as he spoke.

“I have to do what I can. The stakes are too high to walk away.”

“Listen, it could be David Rico, and you can’t just waltz into this life and expect to remain unscathed. If his suspicions are raised, the man will strike when you least expect it.”

Delaney stared right at him. Hard. “You’ve turned me down. What choice do I have?”

Jack knew what he was about to do was utter insanity, but for some reason couldn’t bring himself to stop. There was no way he’d ever allow her to approach David Rico alone. It was suicide, even if she didn’t believe him. His mind flashed to the bodies of the people he couldn’t save, the deals that had gone bad for no apparent reason. He might not have been there for them, but he could be there for Delaney.

What was he thinking?

The woman used him, lied to him and betrayed him. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to let her go. What was the matter with him? If he had any sense, he’d tell her goodbye and be done with it. The sex had been good, but it wasn’t
that
good. Okay, maybe it was, but it wasn’t worth dying over.

No, but she is.

Jack stilled at the revelation. How had Delaney gotten under his skin so quickly? Their entire meeting was based on carefully orchestrated lies. Well, not all lies. Jack had managed to ascertain that much from their conversation in the kitchen. Whether she realized it or not, Delaney had confided in him. She’d shared a part of herself that he doubted few ever saw, if any.

For some reason, that small concession made all the difference in the world to Jack. It meant that maybe when this mess was all over they’d actually have a chance. Despite everything that had happened, he wanted that chance. He’d been around long enough to recognize something special when he saw it. And Delaney, with all her foibles, was special. They were special together. Jack hoped they lived long enough for him to convince her.

“I can help you get close to David Rico.” He tensed as the words slipped from his taut lips.

She frowned. “But you said—”

“I know what I said and I’ve changed my mind.”

Her brown eyes narrowed to slits. “Why?”

He wasn’t prepared to explain what he didn’t fully understand himself. “The reason isn’t important.”

She crossed her arms and struck an obstinate pose. “It is to me.”

Jack shook his head, strolling over to his bedroom window. Paradise Valley, the Beverly Hills of Arizona, glittered in the sunlight like a fine jewel sitting in the sands. “Let’s just say, I’d prefer that you not be turned into shark bait.”

“Swimming with the fishes? Isn’t that a bit clichéd?” Delaney’s quip had Jack turning around.

“Perhaps, but in this instance, it’s also an apt description.” Despite her bravado, he could see the relief in her face.

She grinned at him in a wholly female “I got what I wanted” kind of way.

Jack cursed under his breath, then calmed as a plan formed in his mind. He needed a way of keeping Delaney close until he could convince her there was more between them than sex. “You may not be smiling after you hear my terms for this tentative agreement.”

Her smile slowly faded. “I knew there had to be a catch.”

It was Jack’s turn to grin. “Isn’t there always?” He watched her squirm as she waited for him to explain. She deserved to sweat after what she’d done.

Her face mottled as her impatience grew. He stifled a cough. “If we do this, you’re no longer in charge of the operation. I am.”

Something dangerous glittered in her brown eyes. Jack wasn’t sure what response he hoped to see. If she knew what was good for her, Delaney would return to the ATF office and request to be replaced. What was she trying to prove?

Delaney’s comments about her family filtered through his mind. He understood more than most the need to make your parents proud. His folks hadn’t exactly cheered when he’d come home and told them that he was a legal arms dealer.

Like any parents, they worried about his safety. He’d told them what had happened at the gun show and said it was a chance to learn the business, while helping his country. The latter had eventually been what sold his parents on the idea. They were patriotic enough to agree that his job was needed.

Would the need for parental approval be enough to make Delaney risk her physical safety? He looked her way and had his answer.

Jack glanced at his reflection in the window and noted the tension in his face. A year away from the business and he’d somehow forgotten everything he’d learned about confronting adversaries. Jack forced himself to relax.

“I don’t think I can allow you to run the operation,” she said.

He shrugged. “Take it or leave it.”

“Why do you have to be in charge?”

“Because you
used
me. More importantly, I know the business.”

Delaney began to pace the width of the bed. She muttered under her breath, shaking her head and nodding in equal parts. Jack watched with amusement as an entire conversation took place without him. He would’ve laughed if he thought Delaney could hear him, but she was off in her own little world.

“Are you finished, because there is more?” he asked softly as a shiver snaked its way down her spine. “In order to get close to David Rico a couple of things have to occur. First, I have to convince the top people that I’m back in the game or, better yet, that I never left. Second, we have to befriend Rico.”

“Exactly how are we supposed to do that?” She set her purse onto the bed.

“Your agency can handle the first part. I’ll take care of the latter.”

She stopped and frowned, looking around the room as if it were the first time she’d seen it. “I’ll have to check with a few people. I’m not senior enough to make these kinds of decisions.”

“Then I suggest you do that right away. This offer is non-negotiable and only available for a limited time.” He took a step toward her.

She stiffened, but didn’t move away.

“One more thing.” Jack leaned his face close until the warmth of his breath caressed her cheek. The pulse beat wildly in Delaney’s throat as her gaze locked onto his mouth. Jack wanted to taste her so bad it hurt, but he needed to get the last of his terms out beforehand. “I want the ATF’s assurance that after I do this they will drop any and all investigations against me.”

Delaney was silent, then her nostrils flared. “You’re not asking for much,” she said, sarcasm dripping from her words.

“And here I thought I was being very reasonable.”

She snorted.

Jack stared at her upturned face and fought the urge to pull her into his embrace. Delaney had an innocence about her that called to him. It made Jack want to protect her, hold her, keep her. The last thought made him inwardly flinch, even as he accepted it as the truth. He doubted Delaney would appreciate the sentiment.

“Your people need to get word out on the street that I had a major deal go down.”

He glanced at her again, falling into her eyes, drowning in the warm molasses depths. Jack had sated himself in her body several times throughout the night. How could he still be so hungry? He tamped down his desire and returned to the business at hand. “Rico has a fascination with fast cars and boats. The bigger the boat, the better. It might be a way to get to him.”

She laughed. “Some people would call that overcompensating for something.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

Delaney’s gaze dropped to the front of his sweats and he felt himself respond instantly. “No, I don’t suppose you would.”

Jack turned to hide his smile. “My point is that I happen to own a
modest
-sized boat.”

“How modest?”

“Forty-three feet.”

Delaney choked. “Forty-three feet? That’s a cruise ship, not a boat. I would hate to hear what you consider high-end.” She stared for a moment, then seemed to snap out of her surprise. “You think you can tempt David Rico with the opportunity to sail on it.”

“You don’t sail on a Wellcraft Forty-three Scarab AVS with custom finishing, darling. You fly.”

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Just answer the question.”

“Maybe.” Jack shrugged. “You never know. Rico’s always in the market for a new toy. He likes to have the latest technology, but the toy doesn’t have to be a boat.” He gave her a quick once-over.

“Great.” She smirked. “I guess that takes care of your part. Now where do I come in to the picture? I do still get to be part of
my
case, right?”

“Certainly,” Jack glanced at her, his gaze raking her body. “Like most men, David Rico has an appreciation for the feminine form.”

“Okay, so you’ll introduce me on the boat. I’ll flirt and try to get close to him.”

“No!” Jack’s jaw clenched and he took a step back, reeling from the sudden possessive feelings that tightened his chest. When had he ever worried about a woman?
Never
.