Kat Attalla Special Edition (11 page)

“I have to get back. We’ll make it another time.”

“Sure.” She wrapped her arms around her waist and lowered herself into a chair.

“Are you all right?” he asked. “I mean, if you need me to stay….”

“No. I’m fine.” She glanced out the window just as Erik slid out of the car. The street lamp behind him cast his long shadow on a coat of fresh snow.

“I know you’re upset about this, Tori—”

“Forget it, Steven. I know it’s not your fault.” After she’d left the research lab, a long strained period existed between them. His work in the NSB put them both in an awkward position, and they had only recently gotten back on friendly terms. She turned towards him and smiled. “Tell everyone I’ll see them at Christmas.”

He grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair and folded it over his arm. “I realize there’s a lot of tension between you and Sanders, but despite the fact that he looks like one of Hell’s Angels, he’s one of our top field agents, and I wouldn’t trust your safety to just anyone—”

“You better go before the snow starts to stick to the road.” She couldn’t stomach a testimonial to Erik Sanders right now. Hell, she applauded his abilities. His methods, on the other hand, left something to be desired. As for his looks? If she didn’t wear her glasses perhaps she could forget how attractive she found him. But what could she do to block out his all too masculine scent that aroused her in spite of a conscious effort to remain immune?

* * * *

Erik tucked the bag of Chinese take-out under his arm and strode down the sidewalk towards the house. He’d promised
Victoria
dinner, although he doubted she wanted any part of his presence tonight. Guilt twisted his insides, but for the life of him, he couldn’t understand why. He was just doing his job.

As he reached the gate, the front door opened. DeMarco stepped outside, buttoning his coat against the cold wind. He waited on the landing.

“Make sure nothing happens to my sister.” His statement held a warning: screw this up and you’ll be guarding polar bears in the
Klondike
.

“I’ll do my job.”

“That better be all you do. Keep in mind she’s the victim, not one of your lowlife suspects.”

DeMarco had checked up on him. Erik wondered if the chief chose him for the assignment because of, or in spite of, his reputation. “I’m aware of that. I think I can handle her.”

“Don’t let her little complacent act fool you. She doesn’t like protective custody.”

“I got that impression,” Erik said. “Why?”

DeMarco’s eyes narrowed. “We don’t need to get into that. It has nothing to do with the current situation.”

“Let me decide.” Erik leaned against the rail, blocking DeMarco’s exit. “I don’t like surprises. I want to know what I’m up against.”

The bureau chief arched one brow as if to say, “How dare you question me?”

Erik refused to back down. Keeping her safe was his first priority, but she roused his curiosity.
Victoria
was a paradox—a jaded innocent. He knew he hurt her deeply. If he knew what drove her, perhaps he could lessen the impact.

“Either I know what I’m dealing with, or you’d better find someone else. I can’t protect her if I’m kept in the dark.”

DeMarco shrugged. “When
Victoria
resigned from her position at Quantech, she’d been working on a highly classified government project. That made her a target. As part of the deal to break the contract, she agreed to protective custody.”

Victoria
’s anger went much deeper than a few agents looking out for her safety. Why did she resign? What kind of project made the government so paranoid about her assured safety?

“For how long?”

“Two years.”

“Whoa. Why so long?”

“It took that long before the research progressed beyond the point where her knowledge would not do damage to the project. She might seem awkward and easy to control, but she’s got a computer mind and she will try to lose you every opportunity she gets.”

“Then I’ll have to make sure I don’t give her an opportunity, won’t I?”

DeMarco laughed out loud. “You obviously don’t know Tori.”

Erik shook his head. Not as well as he’d like to. Better than he should. Living in the small house with her would test his tolerance for frustration. Guilt and desire had no place in this assignment. How would he get rid of them? When he recalled her icy glares he knew he wouldn’t have to worry about temptation from her. He’d clearly destroyed any feeling she held for him. He would concentrate on keeping his hormones under control.

Easier said than done.

* * * *

Victoria
opened the cabinet and removed a can of tomato soup. A drop in her blood sugar level left her dizzy. She needed to eat something before the symptoms would go away. She rested her elbows on the counter and cupped her head in her hands. Her stomach rumbled then clenched into a knot. At the sound of the back door opening, she straightened.

Erik walked inside and placed a paper bag on the counter next to her. He smiled. “Dinner.”

She pivoted and started to leave. He grabbed her wrist in a strong grip. She tugged several times, to no avail. “Let go.”

“I need to talk to you.”

“I’m not interested in anything you have to say.” Unable to break free, she was forced to stand close enough to feel the warmth of his body and smell the musky scent of his aftershave. She closed her eyes, trying to fight the unwelcome physical reactions. Obviously her body didn’t care that he’d stomped on her heart.

“If you didn’t want me here, why didn’t you just tell your brother what happened on the porch last night? I’m sure he would have replaced me.”

Replaced him? Her brother would terminate him on the spot. Steven was the epitome of overkill when it came to her. “I wouldn’t get a man fired just because I’m an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot.”

She refused to acknowledge his look of regret. “Fine.” She tossed her free hand in the air. “I’m not going to argue the point with you.”

“It never should have happened. It was a mistake.”

Her ego took another nosedive. “Thanks for the apology. Why not just add that you didn’t like it very much either?”

The corner of his mouth raised in a lopsided grin. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it or that I was sorry, only that my behavior was unprofessional and out of line.”

Unprofessional? Shoot. She knew how the NSB operated. Whatever it takes. Seduction was part of the job. He probably had a resume with references.

“Was there anything else you needed to discuss, Agent Sanders?”

“Yes, but we’ll talk over dinner.” He pulled out a stool from under the counter. “Sit down.”

She climbed on the seat with a huff. Since he still held her hand, she didn’t have a choice. Besides, she needed to eat and she would have to get used to his presence, at least for a while. Why should she give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he had hurt her?

He turned her loose to arrange the cardboard containers on the counter and took two plates from the dish drainer. When she made no move to eat, he filled her plate with fried rice, pepper steak and an egg roll and placed it in front of her. She would have loved to refuse his offering on principle, but hunger cramped her stomach and the food smelled too good. She’d make her point another way.

“We need to set down a few ground rules.”

She nearly choked on her egg roll. What nerve. Was he naturally obnoxious, or was that merely the side effect of his arrogant assumption that he could give her orders? “You’re going to give me rules for living in my own house?”

He shrugged and straddled the seat next to her. “Will you at least accept that you can’t go about business as usual?”

That much she would concede to him, but he would have to accommodate her schedule. “And won’t I be so inconspicuous going about my life with a bodyguard at my side? How stupid is this Becker?”

“Then you’ll just have to tell people I’m your fiancé.” The words slipped out so nonchalantly that she thought she misunderstood. When she glanced at him, she noted his amused smirk challenging her. She swallowed hard.

“Fiancé?” she repeated numbly.

“Would you prefer ‘live in lover’? Other half? Love of your life?”

A heated flush rose in her cheeks. “I don’t prefer any.”

“Afraid it might cause a problem with your ex-husband?”

If she weren’t so angry, she would laugh. “What ex-husband?”

Lines of confusion creased his forehead. “You’ve never been married? How come you have a different last name than your brother?”

“We had different fathers.” He looked relieved. Why would he care about a previous marriage? Why did she care that he cared?

“So he’s your half-brother.”

“I don’t like fractions when it comes to family. He’s my brother.”

“Then if there’s no previous husband to worry about, there’s no reason we can’t pretend to be engaged. I’m sure Becker is going to have someone checking around. He’s not likely to make a move if he knows you have an agent living in your house. I guess it depends how quickly you want to get rid of me.”

On the surface his plan made sense. The sooner they could draw Becker out, the sooner she would get her life back. But could she live with him twenty-four hours a day and not kill him, either accidentally or intentionally?

“So, what do you say, Tori?”

“I know you’re a good enough actor to pull it off, but I’m not sure I have your considerable talent. You want me to lie to my neighbors and colleagues.”

“When it’s over you can tell them the truth.” “You make it sound so easy to lie to people, but then I guess you’re the expert in that field.”

His blue eyes narrowed. “Don’t be sarcastic. It doesn’t suit you.”

“How would you know what suits me?”

“I’ve been watching you. Everyone in town knows you and likes you.”

“Which is why they’ll never buy that I have a fiancé,” she said.

“Professor Canton already thinks you’ve got a man in your life.”

She arched her eyebrow in question. How did he know Roger? “You bugged my office too?”

“Look, I had a job to do. It’s not my fault that greedy courier set you up.”

“And what you did is any better?”

He lifted his shoulders in a casual shrug. Typical agency reaction, she thought. Do whatever it takes. No apologies, no excuses.

“So, darling, are we a couple?”

“I’m on vacation this week. Maybe it will be over before I have to go back to work.”

Victoria
dearly wanted to wipe the triumphant grin off his face. Sharing her house, pretending to adore him, might prove impossible. She would always know it was an act on his part.

She finished her dinner, ignoring Erik’s every attempt at conversation. Afterwards, she retired to the living room, where she channel surfed until she found something designed to bore her into a comatose state. Her only chance of ignoring him failed. Steven assigned Erik to protect her, not invade her space with his very presence. She didn’t need him here.

When she recalled how her house looked a few hours ago, she revised her thoughts. A man out there, more dangerous than Erik, had unfinished business with her. She did need Erik right now, but she sure didn’t want him.

A few minutes later, he joined her. He placed a tray on the coffee table and took the seat next to her. Any closer and they would be considered married in some cultures.

“Tea and fortune cookies,” he offered.

Inhaling slowly, she swallowed a retort. Losing her temper and rattling off sarcasm only proved that he’d hurt her. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “No thank you.”

“It’s bad luck not to read your fortune.”

She gazed at him with an exaggerated expression of hope. “You mean my luck might change from pathetic to merely bad?”

“You know, Tori….”

“Never mind, I’ll eat it if you’ll get off my case.” She cracked open a fortune cookie and read the tiny slip of paper.

There is more strength in forgiveness than in anger.

The person who wrote that sentimental pearl of wisdom obviously never dealt with the NSB twice in one lifetime.

Chapter Seven

The morning sun filtered in through the vertical blinds, casting a striped pattern on the walls. Jail bars,
Victoria
thought. At least it felt like jail. She thought the long night would never end. Footsteps shuffled in the hall. She checked the clock. Seven a.m., didn’t Erik ever sleep? She tucked the down comforter around her body and closed her eyes. As the door opened, she tried to keep her breathing slow and steady. Seconds later the door closed again. She remained in bed until the water in the shower began to run.

Throwing back the covers, she jumped from the bed fully dressed. A rush of excitement ran through her. She peeked into the hall and then scurried towards the front door. Her keys. What happened to her keys? She’d left them on the wall peg last night. He must have taken them. Well, she wasn’t quite the fool he took her for. She lost her keys so often she had numerous spare sets.