Guilty Pleasures (13 page)

Jerry was insatiable and very creative. More important,
he
was important. He had the clout to get her where she wanted to go. Yes, she was good at her job, very good, but having an in with Jerry made her ascent up that ladder that much smoother. And the sexual perks were worth the ride. Since their secret affair began, she'd gotten three raises and a promotion. Until this windfall had been dropped into her lap, she'd been focused on staying on track and nabbing Suarez on her own. Then she could kick Jerry to the curb. She'd probably wind up being
his
boss. She smiled at the thought. But now, things had changed.

Lenora logged out of her computer and went to Jerry's office down the hall. She knocked on his door.

“Come in.”

Lenora stepped in and closed the door behind her. “What's going on I was kind of busy.”

Jerry looked up. He smiled. “Every time I see you, you remind me of that soap queen, um, um—” He snapped his fingers. “—Erica Kane.” He chuckled.

She faked a smile. He'd been telling her that for shit ages. “Really
” But it had taken Susan Lucci—aka Erica Kane—decades to win an Emmy. Lenora, on the other hand, intended to go home with the prize sooner rather than later. She took a seat and crossed her legs, clasped her hands over her knees. “I know you didn't call me in here to tell me how much I remind you of a television actress.”

He twitched his mouth to the left then right again. “There is always one thing about you that never fails to tick me off.”

“What's that, Jerry
”

“Your mouth. You never know when to keep it closed.”

“Is this conversation job-related or what
”

“Your vacation request came across my desk this morning.”

She kept her facial expression even. “And
Is there a problem
I have plenty of time.”

“Actually, there is.”

Her stomach muscles clenched. She hadn't figured on Jerry giving her a hard time about vacation. Had he somehow figured out what she'd been working on and wanted in
“What
I'm all caught up on my work. I'm not attached to any special detail.”

He flipped open a file on his desk. “You are now.” He turned the folder toward her. “I need you to head up the Task Force.”

She pulled the folder closer and scanned the information. Her heart jumped. She was to lead the Task Force on Border Smuggling.

“I want you to get started today. Your budget is substantial, so pull whomever you need. Overtime is preapproved. Do the research. Get the reports written and any investigations. This is a request from the Justice Department. They'll be holding Congressional hearings in a month.”

She stared at the paperwork. Her mind worked.

“What's wrong
I'd think you'd be ecstatic. I had to pull a lot of strings to get you on this.” His cheeks flushed. His lips thinned into a single tight line.

Lenora cleared her throat and finally looked up. “It's just so unexpected.”

Jerry stared at her for a moment. “What else is going on
”

“Nothing. Nothing. Just surprised, that's all.” She smiled. “Thanks. Really.”

His expression slowly softened. The crease between his brows began to fade. “Is that all the thanks I get
” The corner of his mouth quirked upward.

Lenora licked her dry lips. She got up, locked the door, then returned to Jerry. She wiggled out of her skirt and undergarments, came around to his side of the desk.

Jerry reached out, grabbed her by the hips, and pulled her close.

While Jerry used his mouth and tongue for some deep-sea diving exploration, Lenora moaned on cue and worried about how she would make her little operation happen. This was a glitch she hadn't bargained for.

 

10

Jake reviewed the ship diagrams. There was no way to be sure if Suarez would use the ship safe or keep the loot in his cabin or, worse, with one of his guards. Suarez was notorious for being a control freak. That could mean two things: either he would keep it constantly under his watchful eye and within reach or he'd keep it secure so an overzealous cleaning woman wouldn't find it in his suite.

With those contingencies in mind, they had to plan for either event. He pulled up the ship security system that he'd downloaded onto his computer, thanks to Jinx.

Jake sighed, rubbed his eyes, and yawned. It was nearly dawn. He'd been at it for hours, but he couldn't risk leaving anything to chance. If they got trapped on that ship …