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Julie entered the foyer of
her apartment building, struggling to juggle the box in her arms while
digging for her key ring in the disaster that was her handbag. Thinking to
herself the day couldn’t get any worse, what with finding her first gray
hair that morning, and then losing her job that afternoon, she walked
toward the stairs, bypassing the broken elevator. Attention focused on the
task of finding her keys, she didn’t realize she was on a collision
course until hands grasped her arms, keeping her from running into the man
standing in front of her. Surprised, she looked up,
her heart stuttering with reaction. Her nostrils flared at the spicy,
masculine scent of his cologne when it wafted to her, a subtle fragrance
hinting at nights spent on silk sheets. Blinking away the
erotically disturbing thought, she assessed the man who had prevented her
from stumbling into him, a frown marring her forehead. He looked familiar,
although she couldn’t place from where. In his mid- to late-forties,
with creases mapping his face in such a way to give him an air of sexy
ruggedness, with blondish-brown hair falling forward onto his forehead,
she shouldn’t have been able to forget him if they had met. His green
eyes, so brilliant they could be compared to emeralds, should have made it
impossible to not recall where they had met. Fringed by thick brown
lashes, they studied her intently, seeming to size her up. “Julie?” Her stomach rolled at the
confirmation they had met before. Racking her brain to try to remember
where, she forced a smile. “Hello.” “Wow.” His eyes
widened appreciatively as they raked over her, lingering a shade longer
than necessary at her breasts, although they weren’t displayed to best
advantage in the modest white dress she had worn to work. “You’ve
certainly changed.” “And you’re…exactly
the same.” Please let that be the right thing to say. A
laugh escaped him, parting his firm lips to reveal sparkling white teeth.
“Not really, but I wouldn’t expect you to remember. The last time I
saw you was when you were thirteen.” “Fifteen years ago?”
Brow furrowed, Julie tried to remember him from that long ago, but drew a
blank. “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you.” “That’s fine.” It wasn’t until he
released his grip on her arms to offer his hand that she realized he had
been holding her the entire time. She shifted the box to free a hand to
accept his, shivering at the darts racing from his skin to hers at the
light contact. “I’m Declan Poe. Your
father and I worked together.” His voice had dropped to a low whisper,
and his eyes scanned the foyer almost constantly. A genuine smile crossed
her mouth, and she shook his hand enthusiastically. “Of course, Mr. Poe.
I remember you now.” He had been her father’s partner long ago,
although she hadn’t known what business they engaged in back then. Julie
remembered him as a younger version of himself, one of her first crushes,
and a man who had never been rude to her or treated her like a child when
she hovered around him. Usually, it had fallen to her father to shoo her
away when Declan was over. “Declan, please.” Once
again, he examined the foyer. “May we speak in private?” “Of course. Could
you…?” She passed off the box to Declan so she could find her keys,
having them in hand in seconds. “My roommate is in London this week, so
we’ll be undisturbed.” Casting a rueful glance at the elevator, she
added, “I hope you don’t mind stairs.” “Of course not.” When she tried to take
back the box, he shook his head. With a shrug, Julie walked to the stairs,
climbing quickly, even in the chunky heels encasing her feet. The hairs on
the back of her neck stood up in reaction to his scrutiny—she could
practically feel his eyes boring into her as he ascended a step behind
her. It was a relief to reach the third floor and be able to walk beside
him instead of in front. His gaze disturbed her for a reason she
couldn’t, or wouldn’t, define. At her apartment, she
unlocked the door and indicated he should precede her. Immediately, Clovis
came to investigate, his feline nose twitching as he glared up at the
interloper. When Declan set down the box beside the entertainment center,
the cat hissed at him. With a shushing sound,
Julie scooped up Clovis, grimacing at the black hair he would leave behind
on her white dress. “Have a seat, please.” She gestured to the couch
while walking to the recliner, sitting as gracefully as she could manage
while maintaining an iron grip on the cat, to keep him from assaulting
their guest. Declan settled on the
corner closest to her, his spine incredibly straight. Years of being a
soldier and an operative must have influenced his posture. Her eyes
skimmed his body in the expertly tailored charcoal suit, finding nothing
to complain about. In fact, his narrow waist and broad shoulders were more
likely to make her drool. Embarrassed by her
thoughts and reactions, still feeling like the gauche thirteen-year-old
who followed him around, she looked up quickly, doing her best to meet his
eyes, trying to ignore the speculative gleam in them. “What can I do for
you, Declan?” “Have you spoken to your
father lately?” The rich timbre of his voice betrayed a hint of concern. A sharp laugh escaped her,
one she cut off abruptly. “No. I haven’t spoken to him in three years,
and it’s been longer since I’ve seen him.” She couldn’t remember
the last time her father had sought her out, not since her mother divorced
him when she was fifteen. They had moved just across town, but it might as
well have been across the country as frequently as she saw him after that.
Not that he had been around much when her parents were still married. “He’s in trouble.”
Declan tapped his fingers lightly on the arm of the couch. “I don’t
know how much you know about your father’s work.” “He’s an operative
with the CIA.” Seeing his surprised look, Julie shrugged. “My mother
told me a long time ago. The funny thing is, I thought she was just making
it up to spare my feelings, because he never came to visit me. I didn’t
believe it until he told me himself a few years ago.” Declan arched a brow.
“Did he tell you anything about what he does?” She shook her head, glad
he had left her in the dark about his work, for the most part. While she
wasn’t close to her father, she still worried about him, and having him
provide too many details would have given her that much more to fear. “Lee does most of his
work in Europe. Once upon a time, he was involved with Cold War policies,
but when the dynamics shifted, he took up a new assignment.” Declan
seemed reluctant to share the information, but must have decided he
didn’t have a choice, for whatever reason. “Antiterrorism, to be
specific.” Her chest seized, making
it difficult to draw in a deep breath for a long second. When the spell
passed, somehow she managed a calm tone. “What’s happened?” “He’s had to go
underground to protect something.” “What?” With a shake of his head,
he said, “That’s classified. The pertinent information for you is this
is highly sought after. The people he took it from want it back badly, and
they’ll use any means necessary to force him out of hiding.” A dart of apprehension
shot through Julie when she got an inkling of why Declan was here. “You
don’t think I’m in danger?” At his nod, she said, “It’s
impossible. We aren’t close, so why would anyone try to use me to get to
my father? That makes no sense.” Leaning forward, Declan
put his hand on hers, brushing off Clovis’s perturbed reaction.
“You’re still his child. Regardless of the state of your relationship,
we don’t believe he would ignore the situation if you were in danger.”
A long sigh escaped him. “What he’s guarding can’t fall back into
enemy hands, Julie. The best thing to do is protect you, just to be on the
safe side.” Julie wanted to resist,
dreading the idea of agents taking over her life, milling about her small
apartment, and controlling her every move. On the other hand, she didn’t
want to endanger herself, her father, or national security. “I don’t
think it’s necessary, but I guess you could give me an operative for
protection.” “I had something else in
mind.” Her mouth firmed. “If we
do this, it’s my way. I don’t want a troop of people tearing apart my
house, interfering with my life.” “Agreed.” Declan
inclined his head. “This should be a subtle operation. That’s why I
want you to come stay with me for a while.” “What? I can’t do
that.” His thumb began rubbing
lightly across the back of her hand. “I know it’s inconvenient, but I
really think it’s the best way.” “I—” Was it getting
hot in the apartment? Julie resisted the urge to fan herself, even as heat
spread through her body, emanating from where he was stroking her hand.
Knowing he was doing it to manipulate her didn’t lessen the impact of
the light caress, which shouldn’t have affected her at all. “Please, for me? I
don’t want you hurt.” His soft, coaxing tone
penetrated into her marrow, igniting her senses. When he increased the
pace of his strokes just slightly, her heart rate sped up, and her nipples
hardened in the confines of her cotton bra. Although she wanted to
protest, Julie found herself crumbling. “I…guess it couldn’t
hurt.” Declan nodded just once,
appearing satisfied. “Excellent. There’s a car downstairs to take us
to McCarran.” Julie blinked. “The
airport? Why?” He withdrew his hand from
hers to look at his watch. “There’s a private jet waiting to fly us to
D.C.” Looking up, he said, “That’s where I live.” She shook her head. “I
can’t go to D.C. for however long. My life is here in Vegas.” Arms
crossed over her chest, she kept her tone firm. “I appreciate your
concern, but this is just too much. I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Declan’s mouth
tightened. “I understand it’s an inconvenience, but you can’t allow
yourself to be used to manipulate your father into turning over the weapon
to these people. You must come with me.” “What about—” She
broke off, casting a glance at the box of possessions accrued during her
three-year tenure as head of the HR department at her company. Her job was
the only thing she couldn’t have abandoned for any length of time, but
that wasn’t a problem now, thanks to downsizing due to the economy. Her
roommate, a flight attendant, wouldn’t miss her presence for the next
few days, and she hadn’t been to the nation’s capital since she was a
little girl. “Okay.” The corners of
her mouth turned up as she cast a glance at Clovis. “Of course, I
can’t go without my cat.” He quickly concealed his
pained expression, but hadn’t entirely hidden his reaction, making it
difficult for her not to grin. “Of course. He’ll be welcome.” Clovis’s hiss was as
unfriendly as Declan’s grudging tone, indicating he wasn’t any happier
about the idea. As Julie rose to pack, a surprising sense of well being
filled her, and a spark of excitement lightened her step. She was looking
forward to this, she realized. Why? Was it the idea of going to D.C., or
was it merely the thought of being close to Declan for a few days? Maybe
she’d finally get that kiss she’d fantasized about as a girl. Casting a look over her
shoulder before entering her bedroom, she sized him up, watching each
muscle flex as he paced the confines of the small living area. Maybe she
would get a lot more than a kiss—things she hadn’t dared dream about
as a teenager. Her stomach clenched at the thought, and she hurried to
enter her room, closing the door behind her to conceal the flush on her
face.
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