Read Online Dateline: Kydd and Rios by Tara Janzen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tara Janzen
Tags: Romance
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a reason—and damn himself for believing there was more. He pushed away from the wall, putting some distance between them. “Do they still leave the back door to this place unlocked?” He wouldn’t be making any more mistakes.
“Yes,” she said weakly, trying not to reach for him again, to reassure herself of his presence. For a moment she’d felt safe in his arms, the only moment of security she’d had in many days.
“Then let’s get inside where we can talk. I think you’ve got a helluva lot of explaining to do.” He grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her behind him, barely controlling his anger. The woman had a lot of nerve asking him there when she had another lover. Too much nerve for even the infamous Nikki Kydd to get away with.
Given no choice, Nikki ran with him, following him deeper into the garden. Palm trees and hibiscus crowded together in the narrow alley leading from the street to the lushly overgrown grounds nestled between the wings of the hotel. He didn’t slow his pace when they entered the courtyard, but he did veer off the path, skirting the flowering hedge. Close to the rear entrance, he stopped and crouched down, pulling her with him.
“Did you tell anybody I was coming back to San Simeon?” he asked even before she regained her balance.
“No.” The white lie fell from her lips without thought. She had hoped he’d come, prayed he’d come, but she hadn’t
known
he’d come.
“Have you done anything to get yourself in trouble with the NSF?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then I take it they’re just a complication and nothing personal?”
He was moving too fast for her, his questions coming too quickly. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate, but all she could think about was that he’d come back to her, kissed her crazy, then gotten so mad he couldn’t see straight.
“What’s the matter?” he asked. “Are you hurt?”
“Dammit, Josh,” she whispered, reaching the end of her rope. “Don’t play the investigative reporter with me, and why should you care how many cops—” She stopped abruptly, realizing the stupidity of her question and the foolishness of the anger that had prompted it. Travinas had virtually put a price on his head, and although Josh didn’t know about the price or what it was, he knew he wasn’t safe in San Simeon. What he didn’t know was that he wasn’t safe anywhere, not with Brazia on his tail.
Time. There wasn’t enough time to persuade him to play the game her way. He’d never been a good follower, and the last thing she needed was another adversary. There were too many possibilities for disaster in her intricately pieced puzzle, too many volatile personalities, too many conflicting goals. Two days and the whole thing would be over. Then he could hate her for the rest of his long life.
“What’s the matter, Nikki?” His voice broke into the silence, and his hands tightened on her arms as he gave her a small shake.
“Nothing.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t want to argue with you. Thanks for coming. I’ll never forget that you came when I needed you.”
“Yeah, be sure to tell your Sulaco boyfriend.” He released her and turned back toward the entrance. “Looks clear to me. Do you see anything?”
She opened her mouth to explain away his misunderstanding, then immediately shut it again. A “boyfriend” in Sulaco might be a handy addition to her mixed bag of half-truths and lies. “I don’t see anything from here. Let me go first and check the stairwell.” If this was going to be her game—and it was—then she had to take full responsibility. No more falling into his arms. She had to stay sharp, on top of everything. She wouldn’t add inadvertent seduction to her list of crimes.
“No way.” He reached for her hand. “We’ll do this together. If somebody is in there, I don’t want them grabbing you. And if there’s somebody out here, I don’t want them grabbing you either.”
His concern
“Yes,” she said weakly, trying not to reach for him again, to reassure herself of his presence. For a moment she’d felt safe in his arms, the only moment of security she’d had in many days.
“Then let’s get inside where we can talk. I think you’ve got a helluva lot of explaining to do.” He grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her behind him, barely controlling his anger. The woman had a lot of nerve asking him there when she had another lover. Too much nerve for even the infamous Nikki Kydd to get away with.
Given no choice, Nikki ran with him, following him deeper into the garden. Palm trees and hibiscus crowded together in the narrow alley leading from the street to the lushly overgrown grounds nestled between the wings of the hotel. He didn’t slow his pace when they entered the courtyard, but he did veer off the path, skirting the flowering hedge. Close to the rear entrance, he stopped and crouched down, pulling her with him.
“Did you tell anybody I was coming back to San Simeon?” he asked even before she regained her balance.
“No.” The white lie fell from her lips without thought. She had hoped he’d come, prayed he’d come, but she hadn’t
known
he’d come.
“Have you done anything to get yourself in trouble with the NSF?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then I take it they’re just a complication and nothing personal?”
He was moving too fast for her, his questions coming too quickly. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate, but all she could think about was that he’d come back to her, kissed her crazy, then gotten so mad he couldn’t see straight.
“What’s the matter?” he asked. “Are you hurt?”
“Dammit, Josh,” she whispered, reaching the end of her rope. “Don’t play the investigative reporter with me, and why should you care how many cops—” She stopped abruptly, realizing the stupidity of her question and the foolishness of the anger that had prompted it. Travinas had virtually put a price on his head, and although Josh didn’t know about the price or what it was, he knew he wasn’t safe in San Simeon. What he didn’t know was that he wasn’t safe anywhere, not with Brazia on his tail.
Time. There wasn’t enough time to persuade him to play the game her way. He’d never been a good follower, and the last thing she needed was another adversary. There were too many possibilities for disaster in her intricately pieced puzzle, too many volatile personalities, too many conflicting goals. Two days and the whole thing would be over. Then he could hate her for the rest of his long life.
“What’s the matter, Nikki?” His voice broke into the silence, and his hands tightened on her arms as he gave her a small shake.
“Nothing.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t want to argue with you. Thanks for coming. I’ll never forget that you came when I needed you.”
“Yeah, be sure to tell your Sulaco boyfriend.” He released her and turned back toward the entrance. “Looks clear to me. Do you see anything?”
She opened her mouth to explain away his misunderstanding, then immediately shut it again. A “boyfriend” in Sulaco might be a handy addition to her mixed bag of half-truths and lies. “I don’t see anything from here. Let me go first and check the stairwell.” If this was going to be her game—and it was—then she had to take full responsibility. No more falling into his arms. She had to stay sharp, on top of everything. She wouldn’t add inadvertent seduction to her list of crimes.
“No way.” He reached for her hand. “We’ll do this together. If somebody is in there, I don’t want them grabbing you. And if there’s somebody out here, I don’t want them grabbing you either.”
His concern
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