actual glass of the window. She realized she could see Jake’s reflection. Unaware she watched, he raked his hands through his hair then rubbed his temples. His brilliant eyes closed, his strong neck bent. The indomitable man dominating her thoughts turned into a vulnerable man before her eyes. From shallow draughts of air, Siree stole a deep breath and turned. His eyes snapped open, his hands dropped. She wouldn’t have known he’d given in to a moment of weakness if she hadn’t spied on him in the glass. He’d risked his life on the mountain without a moment’s hesitation. Now the risk became hers. “I’ll take my chances,” she said, hoping the wild relief in Jake’s eyes would make this all worthwhile.
She thought she saw a moment of regret before his features tightened. “There’s one thing more, Siree, before you lock in your decision. I will be putting private security on you. I’d have done the same for Priestly. I’ll have Gribbs find a woman around your age that can go everywhere you go without raising questions. We’ll give her a cover working in the same section. I hope you can see this as a necessary precaution, but, regardless, we’re going up against some ruthless people with a lot to lose. I’d be irresponsible if I didn’t protect you in every way I can. It’s a deal breaker for me.” He searched her face.
She could see he wouldn’t bend, and admired his determination to take care of his people. “I’ll agree to that if you agree I get my privacy outside working hours.”
“No one would ever call you easy.” His slow smile weighted the words. “A compromise then. For now, no security outside work, unless your digging exposes you, or something in my situation heats up. You’ll agree to round the clock security if Gribbs deems it necessary.”
No wonder Jake headed a huge conglomerate . He’d caught her neatly by appealing to her sense of reason, and keeping any hint of a personal concern out of it. “It’s a deal.” She held out her hand. He rose to shake it.
“I understand what you’re putting on the line to do this work for me. Thank you.” His thumb stroked across the pale pink of her unvarnished nails, then turned her hands over and inspected her fingers. He caught her other hand and lifted it. “All better,” he said, his voice husky, as his fingertips trailed across hers. “This is a beautiful ring.” He touched the large oval opal she wore on her ring finger. “New?”
Siree took a strangled breath and pulled at her hands. “No, I wear it all the time, except when I’m climbing. I guess that’s why you haven’t seen it before. It’s the last gift my father gave me, before …” Her voice broke. “Except for my life.” She lifted her face and warmed him with a brilliant smile. “He gave me my life.”
He studied her eyes for a few seconds, flummoxed by his response to her. Not professional, old man. No touching from now on. He dropped her hands. “The paperwork is probably ready by now.” He crossed to the desk and pressed the button on the speakerphone.
“Let the play begin,” she whispered.
Chapter Four
Siree settled into her mother’s condo, and into her tiny office at JDI headquarters downtown. She settled for Janice, shadowing her through the day, and settled into the role of undercover investigator. But each time she received a message from Jake, sent by Gribbs through her mother’s landline, she felt as unsettled as a climber in an avalanche, swept away by a greater force than she could resist. The assignment alone put tremendous pressure on her. The time crunch before JDI’s financial situation became common knowledge meant she had to put her head down and work harder and longer than ever before.
Though she’d had a wonderful catch-up day with her mother when she first arrived, she’d barely seen her since. For the first time in their lives Sharon McConnell had all the time in the world for her daughter and a hunger to be with her
She thought she saw a moment of regret before his features tightened. “There’s one thing more, Siree, before you lock in your decision. I will be putting private security on you. I’d have done the same for Priestly. I’ll have Gribbs find a woman around your age that can go everywhere you go without raising questions. We’ll give her a cover working in the same section. I hope you can see this as a necessary precaution, but, regardless, we’re going up against some ruthless people with a lot to lose. I’d be irresponsible if I didn’t protect you in every way I can. It’s a deal breaker for me.” He searched her face.
She could see he wouldn’t bend, and admired his determination to take care of his people. “I’ll agree to that if you agree I get my privacy outside working hours.”
“No one would ever call you easy.” His slow smile weighted the words. “A compromise then. For now, no security outside work, unless your digging exposes you, or something in my situation heats up. You’ll agree to round the clock security if Gribbs deems it necessary.”
No wonder Jake headed a huge conglomerate . He’d caught her neatly by appealing to her sense of reason, and keeping any hint of a personal concern out of it. “It’s a deal.” She held out her hand. He rose to shake it.
“I understand what you’re putting on the line to do this work for me. Thank you.” His thumb stroked across the pale pink of her unvarnished nails, then turned her hands over and inspected her fingers. He caught her other hand and lifted it. “All better,” he said, his voice husky, as his fingertips trailed across hers. “This is a beautiful ring.” He touched the large oval opal she wore on her ring finger. “New?”
Siree took a strangled breath and pulled at her hands. “No, I wear it all the time, except when I’m climbing. I guess that’s why you haven’t seen it before. It’s the last gift my father gave me, before …” Her voice broke. “Except for my life.” She lifted her face and warmed him with a brilliant smile. “He gave me my life.”
He studied her eyes for a few seconds, flummoxed by his response to her. Not professional, old man. No touching from now on. He dropped her hands. “The paperwork is probably ready by now.” He crossed to the desk and pressed the button on the speakerphone.
“Let the play begin,” she whispered.
Chapter Four
Siree settled into her mother’s condo, and into her tiny office at JDI headquarters downtown. She settled for Janice, shadowing her through the day, and settled into the role of undercover investigator. But each time she received a message from Jake, sent by Gribbs through her mother’s landline, she felt as unsettled as a climber in an avalanche, swept away by a greater force than she could resist. The assignment alone put tremendous pressure on her. The time crunch before JDI’s financial situation became common knowledge meant she had to put her head down and work harder and longer than ever before.
Though she’d had a wonderful catch-up day with her mother when she first arrived, she’d barely seen her since. For the first time in their lives Sharon McConnell had all the time in the world for her daughter and a hunger to be with her
Similar Books
