Blind Fury (13 page)

He’d have to take an indirect approach to keeping tabs on Jenna and Mick and wait until an opportunity presented itself. There was too much at stake for Claymore to come under more scrutiny now, before the multi-billion dollar contracts with the Department of Defense were finalized. His influence within the government and law enforcement only extended so far.

Besides, Mick had all kinds of reasons to keep his mouth shut, and so far he was behaving. According to Griffin’s sources, Jenna was asking questions about Rob’s death—even going so far as to contact a reporter. He balled his fists at the thought of the
other
thorn in his side. For some reason Longstreet had it in for Claymore.

The fact that Jenna had gone to an outside source meant that Mick wasn’t talking, and maybe didn’t even know the truth about Rob. On the other hand, something had made her suspicious. The attacks on her house would have done the trick, but his gut told him either she or Mick had received something from her brother, something that Beavis and Riz had missed when they combed through her house.

The pictures, a letter…something. Or maybe he’d just told her of his suspicions. She couldn’t do anything without proof, but she was still a liability. She and Mick both were.

“Sir?” Beavis asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Red-hot rage flowed through Griffin’s veins. Beavis and his team of dunces were risking everything he’d worked so hard for. And now, when he stood on the brink of securing the most lucrative contract of his life, this band of dumbasses could bring it all tumbling down around him.

A plan sparked in his mind like flint against stone—a way to clean up this entire mess and deflect the suspicion away from him. He smiled. “Call me back when you have something to report.”

Without waiting for the man’s response, he cradled the phone.

If his new plan worked, all of his problems would disappear in just a few more days.

Mick stood at the trailhead under a canopy of trees that were fuzzy green with new leaf buds, stretching lightly as he waited for Jenna to get out of her sweats. She began peeling off her pants, and his pulse picked up. He’d known her for more than a decade, and he still couldn’t control his response to her.

Her long, toned legs emerged, and when she pulled off her sweatshirt, she stood in front of him wearing nothing but a black jog bra and matching shorts that hugged her hips and thighs. Creamy skin glistened everywhere he looked.

Was that a tattoo peeking out from beneath her waistband?
 

His mouth went dry and all the blood in his brain rushed south as he thought about uncovering the design. Not in a million lifetimes would he have expected her to have ink.

“Okay,” she said with a smile. “You ready to run?”

He nodded and blinked. God, what was she trying to do to him?
Get a grip, Fury. This is Rob’s little sister.
The thought should have doused his desire like an ice bath, but it wasn’t enough to counter the vision before him. She walked onto the trail and he followed, trying in vain to keep his eyes off her butt. Her shorts clung to every curve, and there was no panty line in sight. He stifled a groan. Running had been a bad idea. They should have gone for coffee. Or ice cream. Or, hell, anything.

They ran in silence for the first mile, which was good because he could barely talk at her speed anyway. At least running beside her meant she wasn’t in his line of sight. The fine line of guilt was all that was keeping him in check. That and the promise he’d made.

“You could have borrowed one of my running shirts,” he huffed out.

She hesitated and he glanced at her. Something flickered across her face before she said, “No, thanks. I have another one, but I was too warm last time.” She bit her lip and looked away.

He’d seen her do that before, when she was trying to pull something over on her brother. But why on earth would she lie about a shirt?

Turning to face him, running backwards, she gave him a grin. “Want to race?”

Hell no. He was having enough trouble keeping up with her as it was.

She took off without waiting for his answer. He put on a quick burst of speed and caught her around the waist, tugging her onto the grass under the shade of a large oak. She squealed in protest and slapped his hand away. “Hey!” Her peaked nipples pressed against the thin fabric of her bra, and he closed his eyes to block the sight.

“You’re too fast,” he rasped.
 

“Yep, that’s us,” she said, already breathing easy. “The fast and the fury-ous.”

He shook his head as he rested bent over to catch his breath, hands propped on his knees. “Very funny.”

“You know me, a laugh a minute.” She put her arms over her head and stretched backward, revealing a bit more of her tattoo as she wiggled her hips.

Was it a flower? His fingers itched to find out. “Aren’t you cold?”

“Nope.” She straightened up and looked him in the eye. “Running always makes me hot.”

Mick had never seen her like this before. Sure, he’d sensed that their attraction was mutual, but she’d never come on to him. In fact, he’d always counted on the fact that she never would. “What are you doing, Jay?” He stepped close and gazed down at her.

For a split second her eyes widened, but then she schooled her features and licked her lips. She laughed nervously and looked at the ground. “Trying to get your attention.” The breeze tugged at her ponytail, and loose strands of blond hair stuck to her glistening face.

“You’ve always had my attention.” Not that he’d ever wanted her to realize it.

She glanced up at him and her look was a mixture of hope and confusion. It totally undid him. Giving in to years of suppressed longing, he cupped the nape of her neck and pressed his mouth to hers. Desire mixed with anger as he swept his tongue past her shocked lips and plundered her sweetness.

Damn her for tempting him like this. Couldn’t she see that she was playing with fire? She might think she wanted him—or at least a walk on the wild side with a bad boy to make her forget her troubles—but he knew better. She wanted love and flowers and forever. She wanted someone who was nothing like him. And if he gave in to his lust now, he’d be shattered when she finally realized she could do better than a risk-junky like him.

But before he could back away, her arms snaked around his waist and she pressed her palms to his back, bringing him closer as she responded to his kiss. He groaned and grabbed her butt, grinding his erection against her pelvis, kneading the soft flesh beneath his fingers.

The world around him disappeared as he molded to her warm body, finally indulging in a craving that had haunted him for years. She was even sweeter than he’d imagined. Why had he waited so long to find out? He ran his fingers along the waistband at the back of her shorts, dipping beneath the stretchy fabric to touch the softness beneath.

Heaven
.

Her body melted against his, sleek and smooth and willing…
 
God, had he ever wanted a woman this much?

Except—
fuck
—what was he doing?

She moaned into his kiss and he pushed her away, instantly regretting the loss of her hot lips and warm skin. “Damn it.” He clasped his hands over his head so he wouldn’t reach for her again. “You weren’t supposed to like that.”

“What?” She wiped her mouth with her fingertips and then dropped her arms to her sides. “You kissed me.”

“That wasn’t a kiss, that was an assault. I expected you to run away screaming.”

The hurt on her face twisted his gut, but he stood firm and unsmiling, ignoring the way the waning sunlight set her pale hair on fire and bathed her sweat-beaded skin in gold.

“Why?” she asked softly.

“Because you’re Rob’s sister,” he said, unable to keep the anger out of his voice. Didn’t she get it? Hell, he couldn’t handle this right now. It was enough of a struggle to curb his interest when she was ignoring him. If she took an active interest, he was toast.

She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “So what? Rob loved both of us. I don’t think he’d object. Or is this part of that stupid promise you made to protect me?”

“Your brother made it very clear that you were off limits to me,” he said, pissed at his friend for putting him in this position.

“He had no right,” she said. “Stop treating me like a little girl, Mick. I’m a grown woman.”

No shit. That was the problem. “You’re playing with fire here, honey. You
know
me. You know I never stick around for long. And then what? Friendships don’t survive that kind of thing, Jay.”

She stared at the ground in front of him, lips pressed tight, arms folded across her chest. “Maybe I don’t want to be friends.”

God help him. He needed to nip this in the bud. The girl was as stubborn as Rob when she got an idea in her head. He took a deep breath and steeled himself, angry that it had come to this. “If you’re that hot to get laid, I know a guy who’s a sucker for uptight blondes. I can give him your number.”

Her head jerked as if he’d smacked her. He could have sworn her eyes filled with tears, but she took off running before he could tell for sure.

J
ENNA
’
S
FEET
FLEW
OVER
the asphalt under the broken shade of the oak and poplar trees lining the path. She pumped her arms and ran flat out. Mick had to be following her, but it didn’t matter. He wouldn’t be able to catch her if she didn’t want him to.

God, when she’d decided her only option was to seduce him, she’d almost jumped for joy. She finally had a reason to do what she’d been dreaming about for years. But this heavy feeling of rejection in her chest was why she rarely flirted, let alone expressed overt signs of interest.

The worst part was that he’d been turned on—there was no mistaking that—and he’d still pushed her away. How would she even look him in the eye again?

“Jerk.” Mick seemed to be a sucker for anyone with breasts. Except for her. She might not be the hottest thing on two legs, but she knew she wasn’t hideous. So why’d he single her out for exclusion from the Make-It-with-Mick club?

She reached the end of the trail and sank to her knees on the grass in front of his car, fighting a wave of nausea.

“Are you okay?” a deep voice asked.

Jenna recoiled and looked up at a tall man in bicycle gear and a red helmet. Suddenly aware that there were other people in the small parking lot, she nodded and rose to her feet. “I’m fine. I just ran too hard. Thanks.” She tried for a reassuring smile as she brushed dirt and bits of grass off her knees.

“Okay,” he said, looking her up and down before hopping on his bike.

Moving behind a bench, she started to stretch before her muscles cooled down. It would help pass the time as she waited for Mick. He couldn’t be too far behind.

“Jenna?”

When she turned around, a man in track pants and a gray polyester running shirt that barely fit his wide shoulders and huge biceps stood in front of her. Startled, she realized it was Colin. “Oh, hi.” She crossed her arms over her chest. What had she been thinking going out in public half dressed? “What are you doing here?”

“Going for a run before Tara comes over for dinner.”

Was it a coincidence that he was here, or had he been following them? And where the hell was Mick? He wasn’t
that
slow. Goosebumps spread across her skin as her body cooled. Or maybe it was Colin’s presence. Despite all the glowing things Tara had said about him, he scared her a little. “You live nearby?” she asked.

He nodded and pointed toward a string of buildings down the street. “I have an apartment where I crash when I’m home,” he said.

Okay, so maybe it was just a coincidence.

“Speaking of which, Tara told me about your house,” he said. “That’s tough.”

Understatement of the year. “Not my best week, for sure.”

He nodded and frowned in sympathy. “Do the police have any suspects?”

Was he curious, or could he be fishing for information? She held back a tired sigh. This sucked. Not knowing who to trust, constantly thinking the worst of everyone. And if someone
was
following her, she’d left her protector in the dust.
Way to go, Jenna.
When had she become a hothead, acting without thinking? Now was not the time to toss logic out the window.

“No suspects yet. It’s starting to look like the explosion was an accident, unrelated to the break-in.” Not that she believed it. These special forces types could blow up anything. Surely they knew how to engineer an “accident.”

“Yeah, fire makes it tough.” His eyes flicked to her chest and then back up to her face. “Do you need a ride or something? You look like you’re freezing.”
 

She pulled her arms tighter around herself, shook her head, and glanced back toward the trail.
Come on
. “Mick’s right behind me. Maybe he had to stop and tie his shoe.”

Colin snorted. “More likely he ran into a cute girl.”

Her body flushed with angry heat at the idea. She could vividly picture Mick chatting up a cute little redhead in spandex.

“Tara said you guys are just friends,” Colin continued. “That’s probably smart on your part. He’s not exactly a one-woman kind of guy,” he said, not telling her anything she didn’t already know.

“And you are?” she asked, surprising herself as much as him.

“I am now.” He smiled and glanced at his watch. “Are you going to be okay? I need to get moving or I’ll be late.”

She looked back and saw Mick cresting the low hill, headed her way. Was he limping? “There’s Mick now. Thanks. Enjoy your run.”

Colin gave her a little two-fingered salute and started jogging. He and Mick exchanged nods, but didn’t speak. As soon as Colin passed him, Mick’s head whipped around to watch him go.

Jenna ran over to Mick, her anger temporarily forgotten when she caught sight of his bloody knee. “Are you okay?”

He nodded. “Fine. What the hell is
he
doing here?” he asked, jerking his thumb behind him.

“Running.”

“Right now, when we’re here? Doesn’t that seem a bit too convenient?” Mick asked as he flopped onto the bench and examined his leg, brushing away tiny stones and dirt with his fingers.