Mine Until Dawn (2 page)

The changes in her were amazing. The extra weight in high school had melted away in just the right places. Now the generous hips and rounded ass, tiny waist and well-sized breasts demanded a man’s attention. Her creamy skin still glowed with vitality and invited one’s touch.

Unfortunately, they weren’t in high school anymore and this sexy and aloof woman wasn’t the girl he felt he had something in common with. Not that it did him any good then. After their first meeting, she’d made a point of staying out of his way and snubbing him the few times their paths crossed. That had bugged him, an amazing feat for a kid already hauling a bucket load of hurt. It hadn’t mattered that the Fitzgerald practically ran the school—captain of the basketball team, head cheerleader, student council members, school newspaper. They were many, over-achievers and loaded, yet something about Jade had made her stand out and called to him. Vince shoved his hands into his back pants pockets and scolded himself for deviating from his agenda.

“We need to talk.” Frustration made his voice harsh.

Jade didn’t respond. He took a swift breath of irritation and the scent of whatever else she smeared on her delectable body hit his lungs, causing him to swallow with difficulty.

“I’ll still be here after your class ends,” he added.

“You’ll be wasting your time. I’ve a busy schedule.”
 

“Then meet me tonight,” he heard himself say.

She stopped walking and turned to face him. “We have nothing to discuss, Vince. The person you need to speak with is my mother. You need to look her in the eye and tell her what you just told me. I’ll call her assistant at Fitz-Valdes to find a slot for you as soon as she comes back.” She turned and lifted her hand to push the door open.

Before he could question his intention, Vince shifted and slapped his hand on the doorframe, blocking her entrance.

“Excuse me?” she snapped, gaze flying to his face.

Her blistering stare could have scotched a lesser man, but after his upbringing and living in the trenches in war-torn countries to cover stories, he could handle anything she sent his way. He glared right back.

Four seconds later, he dropped his arm and stepped back. He was in trouble. His defenses meant jack when it came to her. She shifted as though to enter the room. He reached a decision.

“What do you say we start over? I’m Vince Knight.”

“I don’t have time for—”

“I’m not a cop or a private detective. But I was a career investigative journalist, did a stint as a P.I. but didn’t like it, and now I write fiction. I’m doing a family member a favor by finding a missing statue. I believe you can help me. Please, have dinner with me so we can discuss the details.”

She released a sigh. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I think it’s the right thing to do. I’ll explain what happened and you can decide whether you still want to sue me for defamation.” His attempt at humor failed when her lips tightened and creases furrowed her smooth brow. Frustration knitted his gut.

“I’m sorry, Vince. I already have dinner plans.”

He gave her curvaceous frame a quick once over. Yeah, she probably had L.A.’s most eligible bachelors beating down her door. “How about a pre-dinner drink?”

Jade opened her mouth to speak, but he didn’t give her a chance. “I’m staying at the Palace, West Hollywood. There’s a restaurant on the first floor. Let’s meet there at six o’clock. Just a few minutes of your time. Thirty minutes tops.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Not what he’d hoped for, but it was better than nothing. He reached inside his back pocket for a business card, and in his haste, dropped his wallet. Several condoms slipped from the black leather holder and skidded across the cemented floor. One landed near her feet.

Just his luck. He debated between scooping his personals and giving her his card. He hung on to his dignity, gripped the card and shoved it at her. When the corners of her mouth turned up with amusement, heat crawled up his neck.

“If you can’t make it, call me,” he explained.

“Like I said, I’ll think about it…Vinny.” She accepted the card, pushed the door with her shoulder and disappeared inside the classroom.

Vince waited until the door closed behind her before he picked up his belongings. Using his high school nickname was a sure sign she still thought he was still the over-sexed, unruly teen who’d terrorized her high school years ago. His rebel-without-a-clue days were long gone. So was the hope that she would call him.

Scowling, Vince left the building and headed to his rented car. He wanted this investigation over and done with so he could go home. His aunt’s insistence that the theft be kept a secret from the police and FBI made no sense. But he knew her well enough to have his suspicions—she was protecting her younger brother, his father.

Pain blindsided Vince, making him clench his hand. The thought that he could be helping his father ate at him. He didn’t owe the old man a thing after what he did. No love. No loyalty. No obligation. Given a choice, he wouldn’t spend a second thinking about the bastard. Unfortunately, this investigation was stirring things up, taking him back to sixteen years ago, a time he’d rather forget.

Smothering a curse, he pulled out his cell phone and speed-dialed a number.

“Aunt Della?” he said when he brought the phone to his ear. “What kind of relationship did the judge have with Estelle Fitzgerald?”

***

“If anyone has a question before next week’s exam, you know my office hours,” Jade said and smiled at the students. “I’ll be leaving on Friday, so any last minute consults will have to be done electronically or handled by Shaun Holton.” A low murmur greeted her words, but no one offered a comment. “Good luck with finals.”

She dismissed the class, waited for the students to file out of the lecture theater before she picked up her laptop and headed toward her office. When her office door came into view, she sighed with relief.
He’s gone.
Although why she’d expected Vince Knight to be still hanging around beat the heck out of her. The man accused her mother of pilfering. Of all the craziest things she’d heard, that topped them. If it weren’t so infuriating, she would have found it funny.

She entered her office, flopped on her chair and threw his card on her desk. For a moment, she glowered at it as though the act could make it disappear. Erase his words from her head.

How she’s been looking forward to today—her last class of the semester. A few more days to the beginning of her much needed two-week vacation. That was before Mr. I-don’t-make-mistakes Knight and his accusations.

“Thanks a lot, pal.”

She scowled, replaying their conversation in her head. Actually, Vince didn’t come outright and accuse her mother of stealing. She, in her bitchy mood, jumped to that conclusion as soon as he mentioned her mother and the missing artifact in the same breath. All because he said she hadn’t changed since high school.

High school. After skipping two grades, she’d been much younger than most of her classmates and too timid and inhibited, except when with her family. To top it, she’d been on meds to control her arrhythmia, which had sucked her energy and left her listless. As to be expected, too many hours spent with her nose buried in books and less on sports had led to chubbiness.

“Just baby fat, sweetheart,” her mother would say.

Yeah, right. Between her sheltered upbringing and her illness, it was a wonder she left an impression on anyone, let alone Vince Knight.

So what did he mean by she hadn’t changed? She might not be skinny, but she wasn’t fat, either. Her crazy heart still had an occasional premature heartbeat shooting an electrical impulse through a repeated loop and kicking her heart to two-hundred beats a minute, but she could manage it. She also worked hard the past year to rediscover herself, thanks to Ms. M.M. Evan’s bestselling manual,
Get Some Kick-ass Attitude.
Even her manipulative ex-husband would have a hard time reconciling the new, self-assured, take-charge Jade from the one he’d controlled.

As for high school, the ridicule she’d endured when her brothers and cousins weren’t around to buffer her from the ‘pig’ jokes flashed in her head. Her first meeting with Vince followed. A popular boy she was into had asked her to a school dance—the spring school dance was big at their school. Little had she known it was a prank. Vince had walked in on the humiliating moment and caught her crying while a bunch of kids laughed at her.

Jade placed her laptop in its bag, secured the straps and yanked at the zipper with more force than necessary. Then she rocked on her heels and sighed.

It’s been sixteen years, Jade. Move on already.

Easier said than done. No matter how hard she tried, that insecure girl resurfaced to taunt her every time someone mentioned knowing her in high school. She pulled out her copy of
Get Some Kick-ass Attitude
from her desk drawer and put it in her bag. Then she hoisted the laptop case on her shoulder, grabbed the handle of the bag and picked up her keys. Before she started for the door, she paused to glance at Vince’s card.

Unleashing her inner bitch on him because he mentioned high school was juvenile. Her mother should be her primary concern now. Even before Vince walked into her office, her mother had been on her mind. Estelle Valdes-Fitzgerald’s behavior before she left on the cruise wasn’t normal—the anxious expression, refusing to entertain or go out, which was saying something for someone who thrived on social functions. Jade assumed it was fatigue taking a toll on her, but now….

She and her mother needed to talk first. Let Vince Knight cool his heels for now.

***

Jade gripped the edge of her desk and glowered at the phone. For three days she’d called her mother only to be directed to her voice mail. Even her text messages went unanswered. Her brothers and cousins hadn’t heard from her, either. Jade took in a deep breath and yanked open the middle drawer on her desk. Vince’s card sat there, mocking her. She hated to give credence to that arrogant man’s allegation. Her mother was incapable of stealing. She didn’t have to.

On the other hand, she’d Googled Vince Knight’s name two days ago and saw his impressive resume. The man was not a blabber-mouth. As a renowned reporter, Vince covered wartime stories for some newspaper in Seattle and even won a Pulitzer for one of his pieces. His switch to fiction garnered him literary accolades and quite a following. Although military and espionage thrillers weren’t her thing, Jade had even picked one of his books from her favorite bookstore for her vacation read.

So what Vince Knight was meticulous and relentless when he pursued someone? It didn’t make him right about her mother and his missing statue. Jade picked up his card and closed the drawer. She wanted to hear what the man had to say. That was all.

She shouldered her bag and left the office then dialed his number.

“Vince Knight,” he answered after a ring.

Oh, that voice. There ought to be a law against it.

“It’s Jade. I can meet with you this evening. No more than thirty minutes.”

“Good. Six o’clock okay?”

“Five.” She heard him smother a curse. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“No problem at all. I’ll be there.”

She had a feeling she could tell him to meet her right this instant and no laws of nature could stop him from making it. “Promise me one thing, Vince.”

“What is it?” His voice was cool.

“Let’s stay with the facts on this, okay?”

“Meaning?”

“I don’t want to hear conclusions based on your intuition as a journalist or what you hope to verify. I need to see clear evidence which confirms your allegations, otherwise there’s no point in having this meeting.” There was silence although she knew he was still on the line. “Vince?”

“Got it.” There was a tinge of anger in his voice. “See you at five.” He hung up.

Jade pursed her lips. So he was ticked off. Big deal. What had he expected her to do? Accept his words as the truth because he said so? It was within her right to verify his claim before talking to him. Why then did she feel as though she’d jumped off a plane without a parachute?

Please Mom. Call me back. Before five-o’clock.

Jade got inside her car and placed her bags on the front passenger seat. All this worrying would have been unnecessary had she pushed her mother for answers instead of accepting her explanation of fatigue. Vince’s words kept ringing in her head, filling it with things she would never have entertained a week ago. Her mother, pillar of society, a thief? Ludicrous.

Instead of starting the car, she gripped the steering wheel and scowled. Choking the leather covered wheel wasn’t going to ease her worries. She took a deep breath as she reached a decision. Forget about the thirty minutes she’d promised Vince. She was sticking to his side until she knew every doggone detail of his investigation.

CHAPTER 2

Jade eased her car into an empty parking space outside the Palace and switched off the engine. A groan escaped her when she caught a glimpse of the time. Three minutes late and counting. That was what she got for taking a little extra time to deck her body and paint herself like a geisha. Granted she had a party to go to after their meeting. Still, to make Vince Knight choke on his words would be an added bonus.

I haven’t changed, my butt.

She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and studied her face in the rear view mirror. The make-up and pinned-up hair with a few tendrils framing her face couldn’t be labeled overkill. She tilted the mirror to check the enticing valley created by the black bustier she’d worn under her matching spaghetti-strapped dress. Now that sight could be classified as a look-and-drool display.

Jade picked up her black purse and sheer shawl then stepped out of her car and locked it. She smoothed the silk dress down over her hips. A chuckle escaped her. Her behind had its own agenda and continued to resist any attempts to slim it down, but she was learning to live with it.

Jade took several steps, glanced down and grimaced. Six-inches of pure hell. She was a sucker for beautiful shoes, but the look on Vince’s face when he saw her in them would be worth it.

Two men exited the hotel as she approached the entrance and froze at seeing her, eyes wide with appreciation. A drawn out ‘damn’ brought a quick smile to her lips. That was all the encouragement she needed to work the black drop-waist dress with asymmetrical hem.

Her senses thrummed with anticipation as she glided through the hotel doors. Jade gave the busy foyer a sweeping glance. When her gaze locked on Vince, her heart started a rickety shuffle and her stomach tilted.

This was bad. She wasn’t within sniffing distance of the man and her body was already betraying her. Even in plain jeans and a T-shirt, he stood out. She studied his tall, built body as he leaned against the front desk. His tanned skin contrasted with his white T-shirt in an attractive way, his teeth flashing as he spoke with one of the managers.

It wasn’t fair. He wasn’t even her type. She avoided the silent, brooding, emotionally unavailable types like the plague. They were too difficult to understand and complicated. On the other hand, where had an outgoing man gotten her? A bad marriage and doubts about her sensuality.

As though he felt her gaze, Vince turned.

She stopped breathing, a stupid thing to do. He gave her a slow appraisal, his gaze lingering on her chest before colliding with hers.

Expression on his face? Cool. Unimpressed.

Air left her lungs in an unsteady rush. She twisted her lips into what she hoped resembled a smile as she started across the room. All that time spent putting her war paint on wasted. How could he maintain that stone-cold soberness all the time? Vince had to be made of ice, and served her right for trying to get a rise out of him.

Maybe that was the problem. His rigid control and aloofness made her want to do or say something to rattle his cage. His lack of interest in her was a definite challenge. Maybe there was some truth to the lure of the unattainable. Vince Knight, without trying, fascinated her.

Vince approached with the loose-hipped predatory stride of a jungle cat, sending a whoosh of anticipation through her. Feeling a little light-headed, Jade hoped she didn’t totter on her high stilettos.

“Sorry, I’m late,” she said, hating the breathlessness in her voice.

“No problem. You’re here now.” He gave her another cool once-over without making a comment and lifted a duffel bag she didn’t notice he was carrying. “I need to show you something.”

Her gaze moved from the bag to his face. “What is it?

“Let’s find a place to sit first.” His dark gaze swept the foyer as though cataloguing faces. She wasn’t sure whether it was caution or paranoia.

She trailed his gaze. “Is everything okay?”

“No.”

The calm way he said it sent a chill up her spine. She opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong, reconsidered and closed it. She’d better get this meeting over with and leave.

Jade allowed him to take her arm and direct her toward the Feng Shui restaurant and lobby. His hand played havoc with her senses. She felt the warmth all the way to her bones. A group of women coming toward them propelled her closer to him until only a few inches separated them. The heat from his body seeped into her skin, making her shiver. His scent, musk and spearmint, slammed into her. Her mind went foggy.

“Do you live here in L.A.?” she asked to stop herself from doing something stupid like burying her nose in the hollow of his neck.

“No, Orcas Island. I’m only here to find the statue, then I’m heading right back.”

He was so sure he would find it. Such confidence was daunting, and she had to admit, a turn-on. They walked past a poster with ‘ISWS-International Society of Women Scientists’ printed on it. “How long have you been in town?”

“Five days. Why?”

“Just wondering.”
Keep him talking.
Maybe then she’d turn off the faucet on the raw sexual longing sneaking in on her. “Who have you spoken with? Where have you looked? Stolen artifacts are moved so fast that….”

Her voice trailed off when he stopped. He looked down at her and she blinked. The man’s penetrating eyes seemed to see right through her outer trappings and straight to the real her—a woman rebuilding her life after a humiliating marriage. She swallowed and copped an irritation. “What?”

“Can we sit down first before you start questioning me?”

“We only have thirty minutes, remember?” Not that she had any intention of leaving until all her questions were answered.

His gaze slid across her face and dropped to her breasts. “A lot can be accomplished in thirty minutes.”

Heat crawled up her neck, flaming her cheeks and ears. The rotten scoundrel. If she were bold enough, she would have given him a thorough meat-market perusal and linger on his fly. Rule Number Five in
Get Some Kick-ass Attitude
—if you can’t take action, say it.

“Especially when a person knows what she likes and how she likes it,” she answered and his gaze snapped back to hers. “Much better. I wasn’t sure whether you were talking to me or my girls here.” She pointed at her chest.

No reaction. Not even a flicker of irritation or amusement. She was impressed. In high school, he’d been a charmer. His smile alone would coax girls into the backseat of his car. What happened? Who stole his smile?

She shook her head at her foolishness. “Come on, Vince. Let’s find those seats.”

They entered the Chinese-inspired restaurant with its red leather banquettes and corset-laced wood chairs. Women of various ages and ethnicities in expensive business suits occupied most of the tables. Vince indicated an empty table at the other end of the room.

Conversation stopped as they crossed the room, and it didn’t take a genius to tell who was holding the women’s interest. As if choreographed, conversation resumed as soon as they sat down. Jade hid a smile. Good to know she wasn’t the only one he mesmerized. The fascinating thing was that the beefcake seemed oblivious.

“Can I get you something to drink?” Vince asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“Sure. I’ll have club soda with lime, please.”

 
He signaled a waitress, ordered her drink, and brandy for himself. “Could you bring the bill with the order?” The woman nodded and left.

He leaned back, draped his arm on the back of his chair and locked his gaze on Jade. When the silence stretched, she pursed her lips. “You know it’s considered rude to stare.”

He shrugged. “Just trying to decide what made you change your mind about meeting me. It’s been three days.”

“I had to verify a few things.”

“You’re worried about your mother,” he stated in a calm voice, his gaze watchful. “Why?”

“No, I’m not.” His piercing gaze didn’t waver, making her feel guilty for lying. “Why should I? She’s probably drinking margaritas and doing the cha-cha barefoot on some private beach.” Now he knew her mother was out of town. She shot him a baleful stare. “You’re supposed to tell me about your investigation, not interrogate me.”

His eyebrow shot up. “One question hardly qualifies as an interrogation.”

“Oh, yeah? Try being pinned down with that,” she waved her hands toward his face, “gaze. Give it to me, plain and simple, Vince. What, when, why and how?” She leaned forward.

His gaze strayed to her cleavage before connecting with hers. Heat shimmered in the depth of his dark eyes, holding her captive, then the mask he wore so well slid into place. She was still, trying to catch her breath when he spoke.

“You only want facts, if I recall.” His voice was cool.

How could he look at her as though she were his favorite dish and dessert after months without food, but then switch to his old cold self? “No, I’ve changed my mind. You are an investigative reporter. I heard reporters use their gut instinct to follow—”

The appearance of the waitress with their drinks interrupted her. Vince scribbled his name and room number on the bill. “Put it on my account.”

 
“How much is my drink?” Jade asked Vince once the woman left. She pulled out her wallet from her purse.

His gaze shifted from her hands to her face. “Put that away. You’re my guest.”

“No, I’m not. I stopped here for information, hardly the same thing.” She snapped open her wallet and yanked out a ten-dollar bill. She slid it across the table toward his glass.

“Jade.” She looked up. His voice was mild, yet the glint in his eyes indicated irritation. “Don’t.”

He looked so intimidating that she slipped the bill back in her wallet before she could stop herself. She got angry at herself. “You have issues, you know that. A woman can pay for anything she wants without a man getting all sulky over it.”

“I don’t sulk.”

“Yeah, right.”

The corners of his mouth curled and his dimples flashed. The smile was beautiful, like a ray of sunlight after a stormy day. Why didn’t she notice his lower lip was fuller than the top?

She shook her head and swallowed. “I, um, tell me about your missing statue.”

He nodded. “About two weeks ago, my father gave a private party at his home. Sometime during the evening, he brought out his collection of antiques to share with his guests, among them your mother. One of the pieces was a statue that’s been in the family for generations.”

She slipped her wallet back in her purse and focused on his words. She thought she knew most of her mother’s friends, yet the name Knight didn’t ring a bell.

Vince sipped his drink and set it down. “Soon after that, the guests moved back to the living room. When my father went back to put his collection away, he discovered the statue was missing.”

Jade raised her eyebrows. “Why is my mother your suspect?”

 
“She went back into the den before the statue disappeared.” He took another sip of his drink and cradled his glass, a frown between his brows. “I know this may come as a shock to you but her behavior the entire evening was suspicious.”

“So you say. Were you there?” The challenge in her voice was unmistakable.

“No.”

“Ever met my mother?”

“No, but—”

“Then you can’t say with certainty how she’d acted. Who saw her go back into the den?” She didn’t care what Vince’s father or the other guests said. Her mother wasn’t a thief. “Who told you about her behavior?”

“The other guests. She announced to the entire room that she’d misplaced a diamond bracelet in the den and left the room.”

“A blue diamond bracelet?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

She shrugged. “It has a faulty catch. My father bought her that bracelet the year he died and she loathes parting with it. She should have had it fixed years ago but she keeps putting it off.” She shot him a defiant look. “If she said she’d lost it, that’s just what happened.”

“Not when no one saw her wear it in the first place or after she came back from the den.”

He knocked the wind out of her sail with that one. Jade reached for her drink and took a long sip as she raked her brain for something plausible to say. There must be an explanation.

“You said you’ve spoken with everyone who was at the party. Don’t you find it strange that they’re all saying the same thing?” She was grasping at straws but she didn’t care. Her mother was innocent. As for Vince, his poker face didn’t give his thoughts away. “They’re fingering her because she isn’t here to defend herself.” Amusement flickered in Vince’s eyes, causing her to bristle. “You find this funny?”

He drained his drink and set his glass aside. “No, I don’t. I find your loyalty admirable.”

She waved his comment away. “What do you expect me to do? Agree with everything you say? She’s my mother, for chrissake. I know her. Stealing is something she’d never do.” Yet her behavior before she left on the cruise had been strange, a voice mocked in her head. “My mother carries delicate, tiny purses when she’s about town. Where could she have hidden this statue? How could she have gotten it out of the house?” Why was she even bothering to question him? He appeared to have made up his mind. “Who was on the guest list? I would like to talk to them.”