In the Dead of the Night (21 page)

He smiled, devilishly, with a glint of mischievousness in his dark brown eyes.
“Yeah, well, I’ve got to convince you to marry me. So, whatever it takes.”

Taking a deep breath, she
wrapped her arms around his neck. “You have a lot more convincing to do, Buster.”

She moistened her lips, while his intrigued gaze followed her movement.
Then he covered her mouth with his, the tips of their tongues touching tentatively. Their tongues circled, then he pressed his mouth against hers, slowly and gently, building up the heat. He slipped his arms around her back and held her tightly against his chest, the comforter still covering her breasts.

“How am I doing?” he whispered, kissing her eyelid.

He was a wonderful kisser, and she was ready to give herself to him, fully. That’s how well he was doing.

W
hen a rap on the door sounded, Allan groaned and drew away from her. She slipped her arms under the comforter and raised it up to her neck.

Allan strode across the floor to the door and pulled it open.
“Yeah, Dale.”

She couldn’t see Dale as Allan wouldn’t let him get a glimpse of her in the room, but she assumed something was important enough for him to bother them.

“Boss wants us to move, but not until one in the morning. He wants to know if it’s a go with Jenny and the marriage situation.”

Allan glanced back at her.

She nodded. She didn’t want to marry a man just for pretend. But if this worked and they got Wilson off her back, at least ensured the money was out of his reach, she had to do it.

Allan nodded at Dale.
“What’s the deal about tonight?”

“Stevens is coming back.
That’s what the boss says. He’ll come for her again. Only he’ll bring reinforcements.”

“Then we should leave earlier.”

Dale shook his head. “The boss doesn’t want us caught out in the open. He’d rather we stayed here and protect her. Kill or capture Stevens and his men, then we’ll head out of here when they’re incapacitated, and can’t relay to Wilson where we’ve headed.”

“We’ve got to move her somewhere else safe, then.
I don’t want her in the middle of a shootout.”

“Boss says we can’t move her.
Stevens and his men will be waiting and watching. If we move her, they’ll go after her. We’ve got to take whatever precautions we can here and do the best we can.”

Allan shook his head.
“I don’t like it, Dale. All of us would do better knowing she’s not in the house.”

“Then you’d be worried whether she was safe at the other location.
We’ll stay put.” He paused, then cleared his throat. “If she’s ready, we need to get the two of you married.”

“I have to get something to wear,” Jenny said.
“I’m not wearing a black dress to get married in.”

Dale objected.
“We don’t have a lot of time—”

“A white dress
, or the deal’s off.”

“She’s stubborn, Dale.
No getting around it.”

“All right.
Let’s get going. The judge said he’d work the two of you in.”

Dale walked off and Allan turned to Jenny.
She smiled at him. “I’ve never been married before, that I know of. I’m wearing a white dress.”

“You’ve never been married before,” Allan agreed.

She waved her fingers at him to leave. “Let me throw something on, and we can go. But if you’re not nice to me, I’ll tell the judge I’ve already been drugged and now am being coerced. I mean, I’m so dog-tired still—”

Allan crossed the floor and leaned over, then kissed her lips.
“I’ll try to be as good as I can.”

“Maybe I don’t want good,
come to think of it.”

He chuckled, the tone of his voice deeply sensual.
“I can be bad, too.”

But would he set
his high moral standards aside and make love to her on their wedding night, despite his insistence he was only doing his job? She truly didn’t believe it.

***

Jenny had insisted on having her hair dyed as close as possible to her natural color, first, although she fell asleep during the procedure. Then it was time to find a dress.

Allan paced across the tile floor of the dress shop as Jenny tried on several white dresses.
He was more nervous than he could ever remember having been.

Dale grinned at him, his arms folded across his chest.
“You weren’t this anxious even when you married Millie, as I recall.”

Allan glanced at him
and shook his head. “The circumstances were a little different.”

“Yeah,
well you might find you care a hell of a lot more about this one than the last.”

Allan looked out the window, trying to ignore the grasshoppers doing flip-flops in his gut.
Eight agents were posted at various locations outside, most hidden from view. He wanted to attribute his anxiety to concern for her well-being, but it wasn’t that. He had never expected to marry this soon after divorcing Millie. Even if it was just to keep Jenny safe until they could resolve this business with Wilson and they could annul the marriage afterward. It still felt like he was truly marrying her. “I’m concerned about tonight.”

Dale chuckled.
“I’d say you’ve had some practice in that department.”

Allan scowled at him.
“I’m talking about Stevens returning.”

“Yeah, well, I think with you being as keyed up as you are, a little time spent alone with Jenny might be the solution to the problem.”

“It’s just a job, Dale.”

“Sure it is.
Remember, I almost know you better than you do, Bud. So does the boss.” Dale jiggled the change in his pocket. “We’ve got time before Stevens arrives. Put it to good use. Never know how hot it’s going to get after this.”

Allan ran his hand over his neck.
Normally, it didn’t bother him that Dale knew what he was thinking or feeling. They were close like brothers, had been for years. But when it came to Jenny, it perturbed him. He wasn’t sure why, maybe because his own feelings weren’t even clear to himself. “You don’t think Wilson will give up either, do you?” he asked. “Even after he can’t get to the money?”

Dale shook his head.
“No, he definitely doesn’t like loose ends. None of his women ever escaped him before and certainly not one that meant a lot more than just sex, with the kind of dough Jenny has. Not only that, but the fact we’ve got her, makes him even madder, in my book.”

Allan had known all along, she wouldn’t ever be safe.
Not until Wilson was dead.

Dale smiled as he looked back at the dressing room.
“I think your new bride is ready and waiting. And the best part, the Agency’s picking up the tab.” Then he chuckled. “Actually, the best part is you get the girl.”

Allan stared at Jenny, her
hair back to its original red-gold color, curled about her shoulders. The strapless form-fitting white dress, hugging her sensuous curves, took his breath away. The skirt flared just above the knees showing off her shapely legs. She whirled around in her white satin heels to give him a glimpse of the whole tamale. She was beautiful and a part of him wanted her for real.

“What do you think, Allan?
I tried on several, but I liked this one the best.”

Dale slugged him in the shoulder.
“Speak up, man.” He grinned at her. “First time I’ve ever seen him that tongue-tied.”

Allan ignored Dale, crossed the floor, and took Jenny’s hands in his.
“You’re beautiful, Jenny. I’ve never seen a woman as pretty as you.”

Her perfectly white teeth shown in a super-sized grin.
“I’ve never had anyone say such a nice thing to me.”

Not that she could remember, anyway.
Maybe Wilson said such things to her all the time. Allan tried to curb the anger the thought of the man brought to mind.

“I’ll get the tab.
” Dale pulled out a credit card.

After h
e paid for the dress, they walked outside. A couple of wolf whistles sounded down the street, and they looked to see Samuel and Cameron grinning back at her. Jenny’s cheeks grew flushed.

Allan helped her with her car door.
He knew this assignment wasn’t going to be easy as she slid into the seat. They’d have trouble with Wilson’s men before long, he was certain.

They soon arrived at the courthouse, where Allan and Jenny had more than enough witnesses as Samuel, Cameron, Lantham, and Dale watched.
The others remained posted outside of the building.

When they were married, Allan looked down at Jenny, her green eyes sparkling in merriment.
He leaned down and kissed her lips. She responded with warmth and affection.

Right then he knew he wanted so much more.
The gray-haired judge cleared his throat, and Allan’s face heated. He escorted Jenny out of the courthouse while the rest of the agents watched their backs.

Next, Allan and Jenny met with a lawyer, a crusty old man with a wrinkled face, dark spectacles and curly gray hair.
Dale stood next to the closed door while Allan and Jenny took seats in leather chairs across from the lawyer, who sat behind his cherry desk. Jenny yawned as she signed the last of several papers, stating she gave the Agency the right to keep her money safe for her.

Allan couldn’t believe how complacent she was.
It didn’t seem to matter to her that she couldn’t touch all of that money. Then he realized, he’d never even told her how much it was. And the lawyer didn’t mention a dollar figure to her. Did she remember?

He took a deep breath.
No sense in upsetting anything at the moment.

The lawyer nodded as Jenny signed the last form.
“Should you die before the money reverts to you, Mrs. Thompson, it would be given to your parents as your sole beneficiaries.”

“I would like Allan to have half of the money,” Jenny said.
“He
is
my husband after all.”

Allan shook his head.
“No, we’ll keep it the way it is now.”

Jenny raised her brows at him, then turned to the lawyer.
“I want my husband to have half, if I should die.” She patted Allan’s hand. “He’ll have earned it.”

Allan cleared his throat.
“Your inheritance is worth one hundred and fifty million dollars, Jenny. I don’t think you should—”

Her mouth dropped open as her eyes grew big.
“No wonder Wilson wanted me.” She wrung her hands. “Well, not me, but my money.”

Allan reached over and took her hand and squeezed it.
“I think we should leave it the way it is with all of it going to your parents in the event—”

She turned to the lawyer.
“Add Roxie Adams as a beneficiary. She can have one-hundred thousand and Allan gets half of the remainder split between my parents and him.” While the lawyer gave the papers to his secretary to retype, she smiled at Allan. “Guess that means you’ll
really
have to earn that kind of money.”

Allan glanced at Dale as he shuffled his feet.
He waggled his red brows at Allan.

“But, Jenny
—”

“It’s a done deal.
Now you have to do
your
part.” She grinned back at him with that same sweet mixture of she-devil and angel all wrapped up in one sexy body.

Making sure he did
his
part was a challenge he’d have to refuse. But when he considered the way her white gown revealed her luscious curves, he groaned inwardly. Refusing was definitely going to be a monumental challenge.

As soon as they left the lawyer’s office, Jenny looped her arm around Allan’s. “You know, it’s almost a relief I’m not responsible for all that money when I think some terrorist like Wilson could use it to kill lots of people.”

Allan kissed her cheek, glad she could be so cheerful.
But he couldn’t help thinking about Stevens, the storm cloud threatening overhead, just waiting to take Jenny from him in a bold and rash engagement later that evening.

Jenny yanked at Allan’s arm slightly.
“Take me to another shop.”

He looked down at her.
Her mouth curved up dangerously. He knew just what she had in mind, too.
Lingerie
. Something that would no doubt drive him insane. On the other hand, anything she wore tantalized him, even the white dress that exposed her shoulders, her soft skin just imploring him to taste it.

He must have been the only agent ever to have been forced to marry a woman in the line
of duty, who would make him a wealthy man if she died. He just couldn’t let her die, but if anything did happen to her, he wouldn’t keep the money. But now, he wondered just what she was up to. She couldn’t be considering his consummating the marriage, could she?