Again, time passes too quickly. I’ve been busy either ghostwriting or recovering from injuries since my last post. Now I’m ready to put up two new chapters of Danger in Paradise. I hope you enjoy. Note: These chapters contain mature scenes.

FIVE

Opening the box on the table, Nick spoke casually while Jessie got him a beer and herself a glass of milk. “Okay, Jess. We’re home, and we have the pizza. Why were you so confused at the office?”

“I don’t know.” After setting the beer before him, she rounded the table and sat down. “Things just seemed disconnected. I really can’t remember calling you, Nick—not from the office, anyway. I must have been so sick that I didn’t know what I was doing.”

“How do you feel now?”

“Not well enough to eat, but you go ahead. I’ll nurse my milk.”

Nick gazed at her over a slice of pizza that he held in both hands. His expression was so sorrowful that she knew exactly what he was thinking before he even began to question her.

“Jess,” he asked hesitantly, “did Nicky …”

To spare him from having to complete his thought, she shook her head and interrupted him. “No. I wanted to nurse him, but he had to be fed intravenously.”

“You know, honey? Right now, I’m glad you can still read my mind. I wasn’t sure I could get all the words to that question out without sounding like a heel. I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

With a reassuring smile, she reached across the table and laid her hand on his arm. “Don’t ever be afraid to ask me about Nicky. He was our son, and you deserve to know everything you want to about him. In fact, now that I’ve finally told you, I almost regret not having told you sooner. And I only say almost because I still don’t regret having spared you the pain back then. Although, I suppose you still have the pain. It’s just delayed—and maybe not as deep as it would have been if you’d seen him in person.”

“Just don’t beat yourself up about it, okay? I’ll be fine. For now, though, I have just one more question about him. All the others can come when I think of them. It’s just that this one’s been nagging me all day.” When he paused to eat a bite of pizza, Jessie waited patiently. She knew he needed to voice the question to come to terms with everything. And, as she suspected, he did as soon as he swallowed. “Did he die just because he was so premature? Or was there some congenital problem I should know about?”

“No, Nick, there was no congenital problem. He just didn’t have enough time to develop. I’d had two scares before his birth, and I did everything the doctor told me to, so I wouldn’t deliver early. Mom flew all the way to D.C. when he ordered complete bed rest the first time. There was just no way to stop his birth, Nick,” she explained as a tear slid down her cheek. “I don’t understand why, but God thought it was best to take Nicky home.”

Reaching across the table, Nick wiped away the tear with his thumb then changed the subject. “So, you had a major case of indigestion at work today. Do you know what might have caused it?”

She grimaced at the thought then smiled again. “Probably a combination of stress, extra spicy fajitas, and sour lemonade.”

“Damn, Jess!” he teased. “That would even make Steve sick, and that kid’s got an iron constitution. He can eat anything without it bothering him. So why didn’t you ask your boss to take you home? Why call me?”

“My boss?” she repeated, stunned that he would suggest such a thing. “Why would you ask that? I told you that I’d be the only person there today.”

“Are you as sure of that as you are that you didn’t call me?” he asked.

Jessie stared at him for several moments. Could somebody else have been in the office without her knowing it? She sighed and sipped on her milk. “I don’t see how anybody could have been there without me knowing it. There’s very limited access to the rooms, and nobody who has that access would leave me lying on the floor unconscious. They would call for an ambulance.”

“What about somebody who doesn’t have official access?”

“Come on, Nick,” she said with a giggle. “You’ve written too many spy stories. They’re starting to go to your head.”

“Why is that so far-fetched?”

“You don’t just wander into a secured office like that. Three people know the combination on the door—my boss, another military man, and me. And Gary changed it just the other day. Besides that, once the combination lock is open, you need a key to get in. So, it’s ludicrous to think that somebody was there without me knowing it.”

“I doubt there’s a lock that an expert couldn’t by-pass somehow.”

“Are you trying to scare me?” she asked, unable to hide her suspicious tone.

“Frankly,” he admitted, “yes. We tried to get your attention for five minutes before you came out of nowhere this afternoon.”

“For Pete’s sake, Nick!” she exclaimed in exasperation. “I didn’t think I needed to report in just to go to the bathroom and clean up.”

“You don’t. But I was frantic. I thought you were deathly ill, and I couldn’t get in. I’ve never felt so helpless in my life.”

 

Nick watched her unfalteringly as she wandered to the kitchen for some more milk. He knew her well enough to know that she was avoiding their conversation, and he knew that she was going to deny she was in serious trouble working in that office. Somehow, he had to convince her of the potential danger her working with top secret material created.

Returning to the dining room, she sank onto the chair beside his, lay her hand on his thigh, and smiled warmly as she said, “I appreciate your concern, Nick. I really do. But I’m a big girl now. I can take care of myself.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” he said flatly. “You’re not all that big, you know. You couldn’t fend off attackers as easily as somebody about five inches taller and twenty pounds heavier could.”

Jessie squeezed his thigh then rubbed it from the hem of his shorts to his knee using a slow, caressing motion. A mischievous glint came to her dark eyes, and a half-smile adorned her lips. This had always been her way of diverting the conversation, and it had unfailingly worked in the past. Tonight, though, he was determined not to let her dissuade him—if he could convince his body that he didn’t want her right then and there.

“In case you’ve forgotten last night,” she said in a seductive tone, “I could fend off any attackers I choose to. If I recall correctly, you ended up in the gravel, stunned beyond words for the first time in your life.”

Inhaling, Nick struggled to control his growing desire. Why was it that he could be with other women and restrain himself, but he found it so difficult to even be in the same room with Jessie? Was it because he still loved her? Or did he just have vivid memories of the night they’d created Nicky? Whatever it was wasn’t something he could control.

He inhaled four more times to stifle his arousal, then responded in his most fatherly tone. “Jessica Nelson, are you trying to seduce me out of this conversation?”

“Would I do something like that?” she asked.

“You sure as hell wouldn’t used to,” he returned, “but I’m not putting any bets on what you would do now. You’ve changed, Jess—for the better, but you have changed. I didn’t even think you could get better. I thought you were already perfect.”

“Nobody’s perfect, Nick.” Jessie moved closer as she seductively massaged his thigh. Even though he knew that she was trying to take his mind off the topic, he couldn’t restrain his reaction to her actions, and his body continued to respond. Leaning over, she kissed him on the neck just under his ear. A violent shudder coursed through him, and she grinned as she asked, “Got a problem, Ramsdale?”

“Hell, yes,” he admitted. “A gorgeous lady is trying to drive me crazy while I’m eating.”

“You don’t want to be driven crazy?”

Drive me anywhere you want to, his mind screamed, just not crazy with desire. Determined to keep the topic where he wanted it, he said, “Not while I’m working on such an important project.”

“Eating pizza’s more important than I am?”

He couldn’t let her get to him. He couldn’t! “Damn it, Jess. I’m serious. I want you out of that office—for good. It’s too dangerous.”

As she scrambled to her feet, her fury showed in her narrowed, dark brown eyes. “Don’t you ever tell me what to do, Nicholas Ramsdale. If you do, I’ll go out of my way to not do it just to spite you. And don’t tell me what not to do, either, because the same thing applies in reverse.”

“Fine,” he snapped. “Stay in the damned office. Get your ass kicked. Get your head blown off. If you think I care in the least when you’re being this stubborn, …”

“You do,” she finished for him. “And you know it.”

“That’s right,” he agreed, rising to stand before her. “I do. I won’t let the mother of my child be blown to bits by some maniacal bomber.”

“You’re the maniac!” she insisted. “You’ve written too many idiotic novels about stupid spies who think they can save the world from destruction.”

“And you read them—many times over from what I saw.”

“But I don’t let them go to my head. Why don’t you try something more realistic—like romance novels.”

“Romance novels!” He chuckled sarcastically. “For God’s sake, Jessie. You can’t believe those things are realistic.”

“I wouldn’t know,” she said, bowing her head in embarrassment. “I don’t read them, because I like spy novels.” She shot her gaze back to Nick. “But that doesn’t mean I consider them the Gospel truth, either. Fiction is fiction, no matter how you look at it.”

“My fiction is based on fact. Every last word of it. And the fact is, you’re in a dangerous job.”

Jessie shook her head. “Would you drop it, Nick? I don’t have a dangerous job.”

“Listen to me, Jess,” he said, tenderly grasping her shoulders. “I love you, so I worry about you. There’s nothing you can do to stop it. It’s a natural phenomenon.”

“I wish you’d stop telling me that,” she worded softly. “I’m engaged, betrothed, promised to another man.”

“And I’m going to take you away from him.”

 

The determination in his voice was so strong she couldn’t deny that he would keep trying until he’d either failed or succeeded. But one question nagged at her until she finally had to have an answer. “Why can’t you let me go on with my life, Nick? Why do you have to keep bringing up feelings that are years in the past?”

“Because those feelings are still very strong, which makes them very much in the present. Don’t you see what you’re doing? You’re denying them again—just like you did eleven years ago—just like you did six years ago. There’s a bond between us now, Jessie. Can’t you understand that? Nicky changes everything.”

“He changes nothing. And I’m not denying that bond. In fact, I admit that it’s there. But, Nick, you have to get over this obsession of being with me. It just wouldn’t work for us. We know each other too well. There’s no mystery to our relationship.”

“Right now,” he said, turning his back on her, “there’s plenty of mystery. And it all pertains to that damned job of yours. Hell, it pertains to that damned fiancé of yours.”

Jessie studied him. How could he possibly connect Todd with her job? The two didn’t even come close in comparing. She’d already told Nick that Todd had never asked her what she did for a living. So why did he bring them together? Come to think of it, why hadn’t Todd asked her? Surely, it couldn’t be because he already knew.

What a ludicrous thought! Maybe. Todd’s voice had changed slightly when she told him what Nick did for a living, but he hadn’t pumped her for more information. Could the reason be that he was afraid it would make her suspicious?

“Stop it!” she chided aloud. “That’s crazy thinking.”

“Why?” Nick asked as he turned to face her again.

She gazed up at him, confused. “Why what?”

“Why is my associating Hardy with your job such crazy thinking?”

“Because … because …” The blatant expression of concern in his green eyes caught her attention as he tenderly slid his fingers into her hair. His concern was starting to make her question Todd’s motives, but Nick had never given her any reasons behind his connection between Todd and her job. And why? Because there were no reasons other than Nick’s jealousy. And she couldn’t let that break up her engagement to a man she knew would be good for her.

To avoid directly answering his question, she replied, “He’s my fiancé, Nick. He loves me.”

“He says.”

“Why would he lie about something as serious as love?”

“To get information from you,” Nick replied.

Now Jessie was beginning to lose her patience. This conversation was becoming ludicrous. “You’re going overboard on this, Nick. Todd doesn’t even know what I do for a living. I already told you that he’s never even asked.”

“Don’t you think it’s odd that he hasn’t?”

“No.” She paused a moment. Maybe it was odd that he hadn’t asked. “Well, maybe—a little. But you don’t understand, Nick. He’s never asked me anything about my job. Why would he think he could get information from me if he doesn’t at least ask?”

“He could be biding his time, honey, waiting until you’re married before he gets you involved.”

“Involved in what?”

Nick groaned as he rubbed her cheekbones with his thumbs. “You’re still very naive, sweetheart, despite how much you’ve matured. That makes you vulnerable to all kinds of men who want to use you.”

She gazed up at him. A simple touch from Nick still dissolved her anger. A simple touch still melted her resolve to remain distant. Why did Nick always have this effect on her when other men didn’t? Why could Nick unfailingly turn her body into mush that he could spoon at will.

Determined to keep as much of her sanity as possible before he drained that from her with his touch as well, she said, “I can’t believe Todd would use me, Nick. He’s sweet and kind and generous. He’s also very jealous of you.”

“He’d better be,” Nick declared. His expression took on a thoughtful quality that Jessie remembered vividly, despite the passing of years. “In fact, …”

Without warning, he broke contact and wandered to the couch. Jessie followed and sat down beside him. Absently reaching into his shirt pocket, he withdrew the tape from his message machine and toyed with it. Jessie watched in silent curiosity.

She’d seen that look in his eyes before, and she knew what it meant. He was scheming again. There was no doubt in her mind. She’d lost count of the number of times he’d drifted into his thoughts when he was working on a novel plot.

Finally, unable to bear his open expression a moment longer, she observed, “You’re planning something, aren’t you. Only this time it’s not a book plot. What are you up to?”

“Nothing.” His eyes didn’t leave the tape as he slid it between his fingers. “Yet.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“I’m just trying to divert the danger from you.”

“For Pete’s sake, Nick. I’m not in danger. When are you going to believe that?”

“When I can prove it.” He shifted on the couch, turning so one leg was bent before him. Then he laid his arm across the back. “I need your cooperation this time.”

Again, he didn’t continue, and again she sensed what he was thinking. “Oh, no, Nick. I won’t do it.”

“Do what?” he asked. “I haven’t even explained the plan I’m formulating.”

“You don’t need to. It’s me here, remember? Jessie Nelson. You can’t fool me. I know what you’re thinking. I won’t set Todd up for you. No way. If you want to set him up, I can’t stop you, but I won’t participate in your scheme.”

“You don’t even know what it is yet.” Grinning seductively, he twisted one of her curls around his finger. “You might even enjoy what I have in mind.”

“I don’t care. I won’t agree.”

“Okay.” Sitting back against the arm of the couch, he changed the subject. “So, how’s your headache?”

She examined him suspiciously, sure that he was planning something else now. “Better. That was too easy. What are you up to?”

Nick grinned and shrugged his broad shoulders. “Nothing. You said you weren’t interested, and I won’t press you. Is lover-boy supposed to come over tonight? I wouldn’t want to be here if he shows up again. We had a bit of a disagreement last night.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call you accusing him of things then not telling him what those things are a disagreement.”

His bushy eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he replied nonchalantly. “Good point. I should probably go before he comes by—if he’s planning to.”

“As far as I know, he’s spending the night on Maui.”

“Now that’s my idea of good luck,” he said. “Let’s put the pizza away and see what’s on the tube. We’ll spend the evening acting like an old, married couple.”

Jessie bristled at the insinuation. “I am not going to sleep with you again, Nick. I’m engaged now.”

“Who said anything about sleeping together?”

“You’re the one talking about old, married couples.”

“That’s right,” he agreed, wandering to the dining room where the pizza still sat on the table. “Old, married couples don’t sleep with each other. If I’d wanted to insinuate that, I would have said that we’d spend the evening like a couple of newlyweds. So relax. Your fiancé won’t have a thing to worry about—unless, maybe, he shows up unexpectedly.”

“I still say you’re up to something,” she grumbled as she joined him and closed the box. After putting it in the refrigerator, she took his paper plate and dropped it into the garbage. Finally, she returned to the living room, where he was studying the TV Guide. “Find anything interesting?”

“Are you kidding?” he asked with a laugh. “We’re talking television here. Tell you what. Why don’t you change out of your work clothes while I go through your streaming services. Maybe we could watch a couple movies.”

“Okay,” she agreed, starting toward her bedroom. “But get comedies, would you? I don’t feel like anything heavy tonight.”

 

Jessie blew her nose while Nick pushed the button on the remote control. Putting it on the coffee table, he slid closer to her and draped his arm around her shoulders.

“You know, Jess,” he teased. “You’re the only woman I know who cries at comedies.”

“Can I help it if you picked out a romantic comedy?” she returned with a grin. “It had a happy ending.”

Nick chuckled. “You must go through a whole damned box of Kleenex if there’s a sad ending.”

“Always the comedian, aren’t you.”

“No way! I don’t want to make you cry.” Again, he twisted a lock of her hair around his finger, this time speaking in a deep, sexy tone. Leaning closer, he kissed her Band-Aid lightly. “Does your owie feel better now that Daddy kissed it?”

Determined to keep her distance, she scooted to the end of the sofa. “I know what you’re doing, Nick. And it’s not going to work. I still won’t go to bed with you.”

He followed her and put his arm around her again. “I don’t recall asking you to.” He kissed her again, this time on the cheek.

Jessie sighed in relief as Nick moved away from her. She wasn’t sure how much more of his seduction she could take. Her defenses were already starting to wear thin.

Why had she decided to put on a pair of jogging shorts and a tube top? She was wearing virtually nothing, and Nick was beginning to get amorous. Worse than that, she liked it. Despite her protests, despite her engagement, she wanted his seduction. But the worst thought was that she wanted him to break down her resolve!

Her eyes widened in amazement at her next thought. This was almost a repeat of an evening six years ago! What had she done by choosing those clothes? Had she subconsciously wanted to seduce him?

After finding a second movie to watch, Nick pushed the play button. Finally, he draped his arm around her bare shoulders and pulled her against him.

“One tear during this movie,” he warned lightly, “and I’ll never take you to the theater.”

Jessie read the title in shock. “Friday the Thirteenth? Nick, I told you nothing heavy.”

“I can’t think of anything funnier than a blood-and-guts horror movie.” Reaching over, he turned off the light on the end table next to her. “Gotta have the right atmosphere for one of these.”

Not five minutes into the movie, Nick began to toy with her collarbone. The yearning that he’d instilled in her years before returned in an instant. But she didn’t protest. She couldn’t, because her body had already quit listening to her mind. He moved her hair out of his way with his free hand and kissed her neck. She shuddered involuntarily, shrugging her shoulder.

An unexpected knock startled Jessie. She jumped up, heading to answer the door. Nick stepped over the coffee table and swept her into his arms before she passed him.

Her gasp of surprise was cut short as his mouth covered hers in a hungry kiss that made her forget almost everything. She pushed his head away and whispered to him while the person knocked again. “That could be Todd.”

“Tough,” Nick returned. “I love you. I won’t let him intrude on our time—not one second of it.”

When he bent to kiss her again, she turned her head. “He has a key.”

“It might not even be him. It might be somebody who doesn’t have a key. And if it is, they’ll go away.”

He picked her up and knelt on the floor, laying her on the carpet. Lying down beside her, he draped his leg over hers. “I love you, Jess. Don’t spoil this by answering the door.”

He kissed her again, forcing his tongue into her mouth. His hand sought out her covered breast and massaged it. Desire exploded in her. Her heart beat faster; her lungs ached for more air. As he pulled down her top to expose her breasts, he continued to kiss her deeply.

Jessie pushed his knit shirt up and slid her hands enticingly up his ribs to his strong, muscular, hair-covered chest. Breaking the kiss, he stripped off his shirt then lay down atop her.

Her excitement increased when she felt his bare chest against her naked breasts. Grabbing his head, she drew it to her to kiss him again. Her tongue explored his mouth as it had six years ago. And like six years earlier, she was caught up in Nick, completely in his power. No matter what he wanted, she had no recourse but to give it to him.

He pulled his mouth from hers again, kissing his way over her chin and throat to her chest. Finally, he kissed her nipple. In an instant, her excitement grew even stronger than she’d thought possible, and she moaned his name heatedly. “Oh, Nick.”

Then the door slammed open. Jessie looked toward it in shock, her fingers still tangled in Nick’s soft curls. But Nick didn’t stop. He delectably taunted her nipple while she stared, horrified, at Todd.

“What the hell’s going on in here?” Todd demanded.

Nick kissed her nipple one more time then, pulling her top back into place, sat up beside her. “Hello, Hardy. I wondered if you’d show up again tonight.”

“Shut up, Ramsdale,” Todd ordered. Jessie scrambled to her feet while he approached her. “I want an explanation, Jessica. And I want it now.”

“There is no explanation,” she said. “It just happened. We were watching movies, and things got out of hand.”

“Ramsdale probably planned for it to. He must know how vulnerable you are.”

“I am not!” she denied.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Nick said as he stood and slid his arm around her shoulders, “but you are. And there’s not a soul on earth who knows it better than I do. But I had no intention of taking this any further than a little petting. I want you to believe that.”

“I do, Nick,” she granted.

“You’re a damned liar!” Todd accused. “Can’t you see that, Jessie? The man’s a liar. He just wants to get you in bed. He’s got some sort of fantasy about you that he wants to fulfill.”

“My fantasy’s a damned sight more enjoyable for her than your fantasy.” Picking up his shirt, Nick slipped it on again then returned his glare to Todd. “At least, I have only pleasant experiences awaiting Jessie. That’s more than I can say for you.” Gazing down at her, he spoke in a near-whisper. “I’d better go, Jess. Remember, I love you.” He kissed her on the lips before he started to leave, stopping beside Todd. “As for you, Hardy. You’d better keep watching over your shoulder. You never know when I’ll show up. I’m not going to let you win.”

Nick strode out the door, closing it behind him while Todd and Jessie watched in stunned disbelief. Nick was after something. Jessie was sure of it. But what? Revenge because Todd was engaged to her? That wasn’t very likely, because it wasn’t Nick’s style—at least, it hadn’t been before. Maybe he’d changed as much as he claimed she had. And if he had, maybe he wasn’t as predictable as she’d thought.

SIX

“I’m really sorry, Todd,” she said. “I didn’t expect things to go so far.”

“So far!” Todd repeated. “What the hell does that mean? That you’d planned this all along—a little necking maybe, a little touchy-feely with your clothes still where they belonged?”

“You don’t understand,” she said. “Nick’s going through a difficult time right now. When he saw our engagement in the paper, he wanted to see me. And you’d promised not to announce it until I gave my permission. The only reason I asked you to wait was so I could tell him in person. He also recently found out that he lost a son without even knowing that he had one. He needs a friend like me right now, Todd. I’m somebody he can talk to, somebody he can cry in front of without feeling ashamed.”

“I suppose you were just comforting him,” Todd added, his voice filled with bitterness.

“I was keeping him company, and things got out of hand.”

“God, are you gullible! The man wants you, Jessie. And he’s using every trick he can think of to get you. He’s using you by telling you a sob story about some kid that doesn’t even exist. Didn’t you hear him threaten me? I told you that he’d done it last night, and tonight he turned around and proved it by threatening me in front of you.”

To keep things from getting even more uncomfortable, Jessie ignored his remark about Nicky not existing. Technically, it was true. But in her heart, as well as in Nick’s, their child did exist. If she wanted to keep Todd from becoming even more enraged, she should probably tell him about Nicky, tell him that Nick’s child was also her own. But given the circumstances leading up to this conversation, that would probably cause more problems than clarity.

She just didn’t want to tell Todd everything right now, because she wasn’t sure how he would react. Besides, she wasn’t sure she ever wanted him to know, not so much because of Nick but because she just didn’t feel that she could confide in Todd the way she did Nick.

To conceal her emotions concerning Nick and her son, Jessie replied, “I’ll tell him that he’d better not do it again if he values our friendship.”

“It isn’t your friendship he wants.”

“He’s hurting, Todd,” she explained as she wrapped her arms around him. “Give him time.”

“Time for what?” Todd demanded, returning her embrace. “Time to take you away from me? Time to set me up for something? He threatened to destroy me, Jessie. You know what that means, don’t you? It means that he’ll destroy you, too. That’s the only way it can be.”

Jessie gazed into Todd’s blue eyes, hoping to divert an extended argument. “Nick would never do anything to hurt me. I’ll find out why he’s been threatening you, then I’ll calm him down and talk some sense into him. I’ll let him know that I’m committed to you. He knows that I take my commitments seriously—probably more so than anybody else. Beneath all that bluster, he’s a very compassionate man.”

“I don’t want you to talk to him. I want you to stay as far away from him as possible.”

Jessie broke away from Todd and wandered to the patio overlooking the parking lot and the mountains. She didn’t want to stay away from Nick, but she didn’t know how to explain that to Todd. He wouldn’t understand that, to this day, Nick was the best friend she’d ever had, and he certainly wouldn’t understand that Nick was the father of her child. She hadn’t even told Todd that she’d given birth.

In a way, she was glad that Nick knew the truth. Telling him about Nicky had been the best decision she’d ever made—and the worst! Nick had a right to know that he’d had a child, but something unexpected had overtaken her at Nicky’s grave, something she couldn’t explain.

When she and Nick had gone to the cemetery together, a powerful force had erupted within her, as surely as the volcanoes had erupted to form the Hawaiian Islands. Besides the sense of family that she’d expected, Jessie had felt as lush, as green, as alive as the Islands. And as beautiful as all the tropical flowers. Her heart was truly alive for the first time in six years. No, it was longer than that, but she couldn’t quite remember when she’d been so happy.

From behind, Todd slid his arms around her and clasped his hands together at her waist. “Did Ramsdale really upset you this much, Jessie?”

“Heavens no,” she answered. “He didn’t upset me at all—not even a little bit.”

“Are you saying that you enjoyed what he was doing to you?” Todd asked in amazement.

“I’m surprised you couldn’t tell,” she replied without thinking. “Nick’s a very good …” She cut off her words when she realized what she was about to say.

Todd spun her to face him and held her shoulders roughly. Fire of anger blazed in his eyes as he questioned her. “A very good what? Lover? Is that what you were going to say?”

Jessie stared up at him, unable to respond. She’d never seen him react so violently; she’d never seen such uncontrolled rage in his eyes. He jerked her forward so viciously that her head snapped back.

Pain shot through her neck like a knife stabbing into the base of her skull. She wanted to scream, but fear blocked the exit from her throat. When she opened her mouth to try again, he spun her around and clamped his hand over it. As he dragged her back into her apartment, she glanced to the parking lot in the hope that Nick was there. But she didn’t see him, which meant that he hadn’t seen what happened.

This isn’t happening, she thought as he closed the patio door, still holding her head tightly against his chest. When she tried to free herself, her neck hurt even more. How would she get out of this mess?

He dragged her to the couch and pushed her onto it. Jessie scrambled to her feet and headed toward the phone. She picked up the handset and pushed the nine before he ripped it out of her hand. To her astonishment, the cord detached from the wall unit and dangled from the handset. Todd studied the situation a moment then wrapped the long cord around each hand twice. Now she wondered why she never liked cordless phones.

Fear gripped her like never before. Her heart pounded within her; her lungs ceased functioning. Instinctively, she backed away from him. But he inched after her, slowly, menacingly, toying with the cord in his hands.

“Tell me the truth, Jessie,” he ordered. “Did you sleep with him last night?”

“No,” she replied her voice barely audible even to her.

“Do you swear it—in the name of God?”

He had her now, and judging from the look in his eyes, he knew it. There was no way she would lie in the name of God. The deity of her life meant too much to her to blaspheme his name in such a manner.

“Yes,” she said. “I swear it in the name of God.”

But the anger in Todd was obviously too strong to be allayed. He continued to stalk her as she backed away from him. “I don’t believe you.”

“I couldn’t swear in God’s name if it weren’t true,” she proclaimed. “Surely, you know that after all the times we’ve been together.”

Jessie bumped into the refrigerator and realized with a start that she’d backed through the kitchen. On the other side of the short wall was the door. All she had to do was slip around it and run out. But how could she without turning her back on him and giving him the opportunity to slip the cord around her neck? What was she thinking! If she wanted to live, she had to take the chance.

Bolting around the corner, she reached for the doorknob. Todd knocked her hand away with the handset. Pain shot through her wrist, but she refused to give in to either it or the pain in her neck. To protect her throat, she tucked her chin then dropped straight down. Twisting on the balls of her feet, she faced him as she stood up again.

Envisioning the living room in her mind, she backed toward it. There must be something in there that she could use as a weapon—a vase, a lamp, a book—something that would put her on even footing with her attacker. But she couldn’t think of anything that she could use on the spur of the moment and with very little effort so as not to impede the surprise she hoped to gain.

“Think about what you’re doing, Todd,” she advised, hoping to reason with him.

“I know what I’m doing, honey,” he proclaimed with a note of sarcasm in his voice. “I’m getting you to promise never to see Ramsdale again.”

Behind Todd, the door opened. Jessie stared at it. Then Nick stepped into the doorway. He hadn’t had time to go to his car and come back, so he had to have been nearby the whole time. She stifled the urge to scream out his name when, silhouetted by the hallway light, he nodded for her to agree.

“Whatever you want, Todd,” she said, relieved that the scene was almost over.

“Promise me,” he demanded.

“I promise. Now put down the phone.”

“And lose my power? That wouldn’t be very smart of me now, would it?”

“If you drop it, I won’t press charges,” she vowed, trying anything that might get Todd to reconsider his actions. “You know what will happen if the press gets wind of this. You’ll be out of office so fast your head will spin.”

“If this hits the news, I’ll be back so fast …”

Nick wrapped his arm around Todd’s neck and pushed the smaller man’s head forward forcefully. “Drop it, Hardy.” When Todd didn’t respond, Nick applied more pressure. “I told you to drop it.”

Instead of doing so, Todd swung the handset, hitting Nick in the temple. Stunned, he relaxed his hold just long enough for Todd to escape. Nick’s angry voice cut the tension. “Damn you!”

Crying out Nick’s name as Todd rushed toward her, Jessie dropped to her knees. The cord in Todd’s hands came so close to capturing her that she heard it slice through the air above her head. Crawling through the nearly dark living room, she groped for anything hard. Her fingertips touched a small box on the coffee table, and she gripped it tightly.

A light flashed on, temporarily blinding her. As she closed her eyes against the brightness, she heard a thud. Somewhere in her darkness Todd uttered an expletive she’d never heard him use before. When she opened her eyes a moment later, Nick sat on Todd’s chest with both knees straddling her fiancé.

A few seconds later Nick yanked the phone cord with all his strength. It hurtled, handset first, directly toward Jessie’s head. She tried to duck out of the way, but the receiver hit her squarely on the cheekbone and bounced to the floor. Pain shot through her face, and she slapped her hand over her eye, too stunned by everything that had happened to do more than gasp in shock.

Across from her, Nick dragged Todd to his feet and held him by his shirt, demanding, “Apologize to her.”

“Not until I get the truth,” Todd said, panting hard. “Did you or did you not sleep with my fiancée last night?”

“I did not—not that it’s any of your damned business. Now apologize.”

“Why did you tell me that you did?”

“I told you that I’d slept with her, and that was the truth. But I did not say that I’d done it last night. Now if you don’t apologize this second, I’ll beat the hell out of you.”

“I’m sorry, Jessie,” Todd said. “I never should have let my jealousy get the better of me. It will never happen again.”

“You’re damned right it won’t,” Nick proclaimed as he pushed Todd toward the door, “because you won’t be seeing her again.”

Todd stumbled forward several steps before he regained his balance and faced Jessie. “I’ll call you tomorrow, honey. I hope you’ll be able to forgive me by then.”

“Get the hell out of here!” Nick roared at the already departing man. When the door closed behind Todd, Nick turned toward Jessie. “Don’t you dare forgive him, Jess. No man should ever treat a woman like that. Not even a state senator.”

“Right now, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she said, rising. Dizziness swept over her. Every inch of her body ached. “Except maybe collapse.”

He was at her side instantly, helping her to sit on the couch. Sinking down beside her, he drew her against him. It was then that she noticed the remote control in her hand. Apparently, Nick did, too, because he questioned her cheerfully. “You planning to watch the movie now?”

“What?” she asked. It felt good to be in his arms again, safe and warm. Like nobody could hurt her.

“You’re holding the remote control,” he explained.

She offered him a weak smile. “I grabbed it for protection.”

“What did you think you were going to do? Fast forward him to death?”

A giggle she didn’t know was in her burst forth as tears of relief stung her eyes. “Actually, I would rather have rewound him and tried for a new scene altogether.”

“I’ll bet you would have!” he said with a laugh. “How do you feel?”

She snuggled against him into a slightly more comfortable position. “Sorer than I’ve ever been in my life. But my neck is the worst.”

“From what I saw when I peeked in a while ago,” Nick said bitterly, “I’m not surprised. Your head really took a beating when he shook you like that. I’m surprised you didn’t have a concussion. I wanted to kill the bastard on the spot, but I had to wait for the right opportunity to keep you from getting hurt any worse than you already were.”

Not wanting to discuss the incident, Jessie laid her head on his shoulder and smiled up at him, desperate to relieve the renewed tension. “I was probably all concussioned out from the knock I took on my head this afternoon. I was out for a good four and a half hours.”

“Why didn’t you say so before?” Nick asked in concern. “I should take you to the emergency room.”

“No!” she replied, frantic that he would do just that. “They’ll want to know what happened, and I can’t tell them. It would ruin Todd’s career.”

“How the hell can you give a damn about his career after what he just did?”

“You caused it,” she proclaimed as she pushed away from him. Facing him, she studied him for a few moments. Some of Todd’s words drifted back to her numbed brain. Todd had claimed that Nick was out to destroy him, and it was painfully obvious that Todd was right.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you,” she said, hiding the irritation rising within her. “Somehow you knew he was coming over tonight, and you set him up to attack me so you could get him out of my life.”

His bright green eyes widened, and he gasped in horror at her words. “I would never do anything that I thought would endanger you. I’ll admit to setting us up, but it sure as hell wasn’t to get him to attack you. I wanted him to come after me. I wanted to get him off your back long enough to find out what he’s up to. And I sure as hell wouldn’t have left this apartment if I’d thought that he would go after you. I’d always planned to stick around and see how things went after he left.”

“You want to know how things went?” she asked, no longer able to control her rage. “He was trying to kill me. That’s how things went.”

“He was just threatening you, honey,” Nick said. “He probably didn’t mean a word of it. It’s my guess that he just wanted to scare you into leaving me, and I’ll bet he really is sorry.”

“Why do you think he acted like that, Nick? Because he wanted to threaten me? No! He was jealous—of you. And I don’t blame him. I blame you. You set up that scene, Nick, and I want to know exactly what you’re up to.”

“I’m trying to take you away from Hardy.” He grasped her left hand and studied the ring while he toyed with it. “It hurts to think that you would marry the likes of him. You won’t even give me—one of your oldest and best friends—a fighting chance. I know how you feel about commitments, honey, but sometimes commitments should be broken, especially when one party can’t trust the other.” He slipped the diamond off her finger and dropped it into his shirt pocket with the tape from his answering machine. “There. I’ve just broken your commitment for you.”

The fight drained from her in that instant, and she smiled at him. But she didn’t make even a slight gesture to get her ring back. She didn’t know why she was letting him get away with it, and she didn’t care. After what Todd had done, she felt no allegiance to him,  anyway. Still, she owed him something since she was engaged to him.

“Taking off my engagement ring doesn’t change the fact that I’m engaged, Nick,” she reminded him.

“Maybe not, but it will be easier for you to tell him to take a flying leap off Diamond Head. You won’t have that glitter blinding you every time you move your hand.”

“You can’t keep my diamond forever, you know. Eventually, you’ll have to give it back.”

Bending forward, he kissed her softly on the lips then sat back again and pulled her to him. “True, but I’m holding onto it until I decide if I should give it back to you or Hardy.”

“Okay,” she agreed.

“Okay?” he repeated suspiciously. “Just like that? You said this earlier, but now it’s my turn. That was too easy. What are you up to?”

“Like you said earlier, nothing. Only I mean it. I don’t have the energy to argue with you. I’ll tell you what I do have the energy for, though. A nice, hot whirlpool then bed.”

“That’s exactly what you need, too.”

“I wish Todd wasn’t so jealous,” she said to change the subject again.

“I still think there’s more to it than jealousy, but I’ll grant that tonight probably was. The man’s up to something, honey. I just don’t know how to prove it. When I do, though, all hell’s going to break loose. I hope you’ll heed my warning and be prepared.”

Jessie shook her head. “You really are turning into one of the heroes in your books. I’m telling you, Nick. My job has nothing to do with Todd. He’s just a very jealous person.”

“I wish I didn’t love you so much,” he said with a smile. “I probably wouldn’t be so hard-headed about Hardy if I didn’t.” He kissed her lightly again then pulled her to her feet. “Go on now, before I decide to make your whirlpool a twosome.” With a modest smile, she started from the room, but stopped and turned toward him when she heard Nick’s voice. “The clicker?”

“What?” she asked curiously.

“The remote control.” When he extended his hand in her direction, she glanced down to see that she still held it. “Fork it over so I can watch the movie.”

Giggling, Jessie tossed it to him then went into the bathroom to soak in the whirlpool tub.

 

Nick had just dozed off in the guest room when Jessie’s terrified scream woke him abruptly. Tossing back the covers, he raced to her bedroom, where she was sitting in bed. Her face was pale, even in the soft glow of moonlight that came through the open window. Trembling and visibly shaken, she clutched a pillow against her chest with both arms.

“Oh, my God!” he exclaimed as he rushed to sit beside her. Prying the pillow from her, he took her into his arms to comfort her. As he rocked her gently, he stroked her soft, wavy hair in a soothing motion. “It’s okay, Jess. I’m here. I’m not going to let anything hurt you.”

“Hold me, Nick,” she pleaded. “Don’t ever let me go.”

“Never, sweetheart,” he agreed in a near-whisper. “Never again for as long as we live. Do you want to talk about your nightmare?”

“No. I just want you to hold me. Please. I don’t want to talk. I just want to feel safe again.”

“Whatever you want, sweetheart. Just try to go back to sleep, okay?”

“I can’t sitting up. I hurt too much.”

“Then we’ll lie down.”

 

With tender gentleness, Nick helped Jessie lie down again. Lying down beside her, he drew her to him and laid her head on his chest. For several minutes, they lay in that position as he rubbed her upper arm with a light touch that she could barely feel. But the pain in her body was too great for her to enjoy such intimacy. The sharp stabbing in her neck brought tears to her eyes that she had a difficult time restraining. Finally, unable to bear the torture a moment longer, she shifted against him.

“I can’t sleep like this, either, Nick,” she said as her tears proceeded to dampen her cheeks. “It hurts my neck too much.”

“I’m sorry. Tell you what. You get comfortable, then I’ll find a position where I can hold you.”

Doubling over her pillow to support her head, Jessie lay on her side before Nick snuggled against her back. It was a provocative position, but Jessie knew that he would have no trouble controlling himself. She’d been hurt, and he wouldn’t want to add to her pain.

In a way it was funny. She knew Nick better than any other person in her life—even after all these years. And she trusted him like she’d never trusted anybody else. But deep inside, she knew that she would never be able to marry him like he wanted. They were too much alike to get along well if they lived together.

A tear dripped off the bridge of her nose and landed on her pillow. What a shame that she couldn’t spend the rest of her life with somebody she liked as much as she liked Nick. What a shame that she didn’t feel like she could live with her son’s father.

A sob escaped from her, and Nick’s lips caressed her neck. His whispered words drifted to her ears. “Daddy kissed it, sweetheart. It will get better.”

Another tear splashed to her pillow. He was so good to her; he always had been. Why couldn’t she be as good to him? Why couldn’t she learn to love him and repay all his kindness the way he deserved?

Before long, her trembling from the nightmare of Todd’s attack dissipated, and she drifted into a peaceful slumber.

 

But Nick lay awake for hours. Could he prove the allegations he’d heard rumored? Could he ease Jessie’s pain without dragging her into Hardy’s sordid past? Most importantly, could he convince her that the feelings she’d had for him all these years were called love?