Mine Until Dawn (26 page)

“I heard there’s a witness who saw another person with the judge on the roof just before he jumped,” the actress continued, refusing to be deterred.

Bouchard drained his drink, his gaze searching for Montague. Surely, it didn’t take that long to run upstairs and find out what happened to Yannick? A feeling close to desperation followed the heel of his anger.
 
Idiots. He was surrounded by idiots, the whole lot of them. Not after tonight. He would get rid of them. Of everyone.

***

No sirens heralded Eddie’s arrival, but he walked into Suite Six with the top dog security officer for Carrere Club—a tall, well-built blond whom he introduced only as Walden, no first name. Jade hugged her cousin while Walden checked the unconscious man’s pulse.

“He’s alive.” Walden eyes narrowed as his gaze swept the room. It was obvious he wasn’t amused something like this happened on his watch.

Eddie, on the other hand, appeared to find a lot to smirk about. Except the smile was directed at Vince and was meant to goad. “So? Want to tell me what happened, again, Knight?”

Vince calmly explained his failed attempt to contact Bouchard at Saint-Noel embassy, the staged accident, and the message from the waitress, who later ambushed him in the suite. Jade noted he didn’t elaborate on what happened between him and his assailant, except to say the man attacked him and he defended himself. Eddie didn’t ask for details either. Once she added her bit, her cousin and Walden exchanged an unfathomable glance and the security man left the room.

“He attacked you and you defended yourself,” Eddie repeated Vince’s words, the mockery in his voice overt. “A little too modest, aren’t we?” He squatted by the unconscious man and studied the bullwhip around his wrists and ankles without touching it. “Is it true one of these can cut clear to the bone?”

“Yes.”

“How many wires at the tip of this one?”

“One. Eight inches.”

“You’re a lucky bastard.”

Vince shrugged. “I guess.”

Eddie cut him a sideway glance. “Or maybe luck has nothing to do with it.”

Vince cocked an eyebrow, the muscle on his jaw ticking. “Meaning?”

Eddie jumped to his feet. “Meaning pressure point, death-touch, or whatever kung-fu mumbo-jumbo you used tonight takes training. I hope you can revive him, and I sure hope he won’t suffer any permanent damage.”

Vince scowled. “Come on, man. The bastard came after me with all he had. He was fast, better trained than I am. I had no choice but do whatever I could to stop him.” He rubbed his nape, scowling. “But if he’s seriously hurt, I’ll take full responsibility, face the consequences.”

“That’s right. I’ll hold you—”

“Stop,” Jade snapped, bringing their attention to her. “Why are the two of you at each other’s throat? We’ve got Bouchard’s man and enough evidence to bury him. Vince needs stitches on his head, not lectures, Eddie. Did he tell you he wants to come clean? Report the theft and explain our presence in Cohen’s gallery?”

Eddie squinted at Vince. “No, he didn’t. But I suspected something was up when he called. His response now cinched it. Sorry for coming down hard on you, man, but I had to know.” He offered his hand to Vince, who shook it without hesitation. “We cool?”

Vince nodded. “Yeah, we cool.”

“I’ll do whatever I can to smooth things for you when you come in, but now, I need to recite the Miranda rights to the scumbag.”

Watching them, Jade shook her head in bewilderment. Men. She would never understand them.

Vince moved to the man’s side, shifted him, and delivered a slap on his back, right between the scapular. Jade’s gaze stayed locked on the man’s face, mesmerized. His eyes opened first, then darted around the room. He twisted furiously, a futile attempt to break free from his restraints, and spewed curses in French.

Jade moved to stand beside Vince, bowled over by his skills. She was about to say something when Walden entered the room with a garbage bag and dumped the contents on the floor. A burgundy waitress’ vest, bow tie, wads of tissue with red lipstick….

“Jade.”

Vince’s voice brought her attention back to him. He was holding his jacket and vest, her wrap and purse. She took her belongings and followed him outside, where he retrieved his shirt from the floor.

Eddie joined them and issued instructions like a drill sergeant. “For now, this is the story we’ll give the guys downstairs, including Chase. Bouchard’s man pretended to be a waitress so he could sneak upstairs into the suites and burglarize them. Walden heard suspicious sounds from one of the rooms, came up to investigate, and interrupted him. The evidence Jade found will support the story, and Chase will help by identifying him. We won’t mention you, the keycard, or the connection between him and Bouchard, until we get him downtown.”

“What about the waitress he’d impersonated?” Jade asked.

“I’ll check into that once I talk to Chase.” Eddie looked at Vince. “I want you to hold off coming clean on the theft and the visit to Cohen’s until my call. The two of you had better lie low for a while, too. Maybe our cross-dresser assassin might cop a plea by fingering his boss.”

Jade shook her head. “What good will that do? Bouchard has diplomatic immunity.”

“We can make life so difficult for him he’ll hightail out of here and back to whatever cesspool he crawled out of.” There was a brief silence during which Eddie’s gaze bounced from Vince to her, and back to Vince.

“What is it?” Vince asked.

“Your father’s
accident
is being investigated. They’re keeping it low key, but it’s very intense. Anyone with a grudge against him is being questioned. I’m talking about deadbeat fathers, mothers who lost their children to the system because of his decision, and even young offenders he’d sent off to the hall. So far, they’ve drawn blank.” Eddie paused and scowled. Once again, he glanced at her.

“If you two want to talk privately…,” Jade offered.

“No.” Vince took her hand in his. “Whatever it is, he can say it in front of you.” He threw Eddie an impatient glance.

“It won’t be long before they find out about the event of ten years ago, Knight, and connect it to you. Especially with your pictures floating around the precinct.”

Jade didn’t need to look at Vince to know he’d tensed. His grip tightened on her hand, then relaxed.

“Thanks for the heads up,” Vince told him.

Eddie shrugged and reached for the doorknob. “Yeah, I’m a regular Don Quixote. You two should use the back entrance.” He disappeared inside Suite Six.

They made it to Vince’s car without encountering anyone. In no time, they’d left the club and were heading east toward UCLA and the nearest emergency room. Jade didn’t know what to say to ease the thick silence inside the car. Worse, she knew it involved Vince’s father, a taboo subject she’d been dying to sink her teeth into. The way Vince gripped the steering wheel and stared straight ahead warned her off. Any attempt at conversation was met with monosyllable answers. The closer they got to the hospital, the tenser he became. Jade decided not to pursue it as they parked outside the hospital and headed to the emergency room.

It seemed like forever while the E.R. doctor stitched Vince’s forehead and bandaged the wound. He’d been mugged, Vince explained as the doctor checked the rest of his body for bruises and broken bones. No broken bones but he had enough bruises to concern Jade. Whether the doctor believed Vince’s story or not was another matter. He used local anesthesia and worked on the facial wound, then told both of them how to take care of the wound and to return in a week’s time for the stitches to be removed.

Jade didn’t say much once they left the emergency room. They were halfway home when she gathered enough courage to ask, “What happened ten years ago, Vince?”

“It’s not important.”

“It must be if it bothers you to this extent.”

“I’m not bothered. It’s in the past. Something best forgotten.”

She refused to be intimidated by his terseness. “Ah, come on. It may have escaped your notice, but your past just caught up with you. Otherwise Eddie wouldn’t have warned you.” He didn’t say anything. “I know it has something to do with your father, something that might make the cops think you’re guilty of pushing him.”

No response. It stretched, and Jade was convinced he would blow her off with another terse sentence. “How old were you ten years ago anyway? Twenty…Twenty-one…twenty-two…?”

He let out a low growl. “Twenty-four. Are you always this tenacious?”

“Only when it’s something important. What happened?”

A sigh escaped him. “I stormed into the court when my father was presiding over a case and accused him of being a fraud and unfit to judge.”

She hadn’t expected that. But then again, he’d told her his uncle Remus and his mother had raised him, not his father. “Tell me from the beginning. Please.”

“My mother worked for Dixon when he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney. They got involved and she got pregnant. Dixon did not want the responsibility so they decided to part ways. That was the version my mother told me when she was dying.”

“But?”

“Fast forward ten years ago. I found her diary and got the real story. Yes, she was pregnant and wanted to keep the baby while the judge didn’t. He told her to remove it, she refused. Her doctor, whom she later learned was a buddy of the judge’s, gave her a lot of medical reasons why she had to go through with terminating it. When she confronted the judge, he tried to buy her off. When that failed, he threatened to use his influences to have her declared an unfit mother and the child taken from her and place for adoption or in foster care.”

Her heart sunk into bottomless nothingness as tears pooled in her eyes. She drew in a sharp breath, but it didn’t ease the ache in her chest or stop the drops from rolling down her cheek. “How could he? She was carrying you…his son.”

Vince shrugged. “He didn’t want to acknowledge or be saddled with a child or a wife. Made her sign papers that she would never try to contact him or tell me about him. I didn’t know he was alive. Not until I was in high school.”

“Oh, honey.” She reached out a hand and gripped his. “I’m so sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry about?” As though he realized that his voice was harsh, he gentled it. “It’s an old history this crazy investigation is dredging up. Shouldn’t really matter.”

Despite his words, she felt the tension pouring from him. He still hurt, and her heart bled for him. What kind of a monster would reject his flesh and blood, then turn around, and come down hard on deadbeat fathers? Did her mother know?

“I’m sorry I pushed you for answers,” Jade said.
 

Vince kept quiet, as he entered the side street leading to his apartment. “Maybe it’s best that you did, who knows. I haven’t spoken to anyone about it since my mother died.”

“Men like the judge ought to be horsewhipped, castrated.” Her voice shook so much the words came out disjointed.

“Hey.” Vince parked the truck, killed the lights, then turned to cup her face. “Don’t cry over this, baby. Don’t feel sorry for me, either. I had it a lot better than some.”

“How can you say that? You’d lost your mother and he rejected you, the bastard.”

He swept a teardrop from her cheek with his thumb, then leaned forward to kiss her. “He’s not worth one iota of your emotions, Jade.”

That might be true, but her man deserved to be loved, and she meant to do that tonight, and every night for as long as he’d let her. She would bring laughter back in his life and bury every last nasty memory his idiot of a father had created.

CHAPTER 19

Vince lowered his head and gave her a gentle kiss, without urgency. Jade craved more heat, even if for just a few seconds. With his bruises, she was sure tonight’s plans were off. She slipped him her tongue and tasted his sweetness. He let out a hungry growl, slid his fingers through her hair, and accepted her invitation. The kiss that followed, hot and carnal, had her pulse dancing and jumping. He eased back, trailing his lips along her jaw to her ear.

“You taste wonderful.” His husky voice had an unsteady edge. “I can’t wait to sample every glorious inch of your body.”

A dizzying feeling washed over her at the promise in his voice. She cupped his cheek and peered at his face bathed by the security light outside his apartment.

“Vince, are you sure we, uh, should? I don’t want to aggravate your wounds?”

He laughed under his breath. “A few bruises are not stopping me from loving you, Jade Fitzgerald. Not tonight. I need you.” He reclaimed her mouth, again.

Her fingers dug into his arms and he shuddered. Had she pressed on a wound? She released him and wrenched her mouth from his. “Your arm…did I hurt you?”

He sighed and dropped his head to press their foreheads together. “No, you didn’t. That’s my body responding to you. Don’t be afraid to touch me, Jade. I couldn’t bear it.”

Part of her marveled that she could make a man as powerful and confident as Vince tremble with need. The other part, the insecure part, worried that she might not be able to please him.

He gave her cheek a light caress. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”

Jade was still catching her breath when he stepped out, rounded the truck, and yanked open the passenger door. They hurried to his apartment. Once he opened the door, he pulled her inside, and pushed the door shut with his foot.

Vince flicked on the switch, then turned to watch her. His injured face sported a shiner, creating a pirate effect, leaving her breathless. Their intensity made her nervous and a little self-conscious. He blew out a breath and smiled, his adorable dimples flashing, making her mushy on the inside.

“I’ve waited so long for this. Wanted to rip this dress off you since you slipped it on.” He reached out a hand to trace the strap of her dress, stroke her cheek, moving down to press on the pulse beating furiously at the base of her neck. “So soft.”

Jade swallowed, unsure of what to do. He made her feel so vulnerable, yet she knew he would never harm her. Not by his actions or words, not intentionally. Maybe if she explained the past….

Vince didn’t give her a chance. He moved into her space, big, vibrant, and totally male. His scent, a mixture of sweat and winter-green, slammed into her. He was so overwhelming Jade instinctively took a step back, bringing her back against the wall.
      

A satisfied grin grazed his sexy lips as he braced himself, palms on the wall behind her head. She saw him wince, but before she could say anything, he’d lowered his head to kiss her. His lips, so exquisitely soft and seductive robbed her of breath. Her insides melted, brain turning snowy.

Not sure what to do with her trembling hands, Jade reached up to press them lightly against his chest. She could hear his heart thumping hard with excitement. She caressed him through the cotton fabric, wanting to sooth the bruises she’d seen on his chest during the exam in the E.R. Despite his assurance, she couldn’t bear to inflict more pain on him.

His hands left the wall, one to cup her nape, the other to stroke her cheek, her neck, then slide down her side to rest on her waist. Everywhere he touched left a trail of fire, her skin tingling, her senses buzzing. Whatever modicum of control she had slipped away.

Jade jerked her head back, breaking the kiss. “Vince. Please. Slow down.”

“Why?” His lips nibbled on her shoulder, paused briefly to pick the strap of her dress with his teeth and slide it off.

Jade couldn’t control the shivers or the desperation chasing them. “We need to talk first. Please.”

His head snapped up, eyes smoldering with desire and disbelief. “Now?”

His edgy voice caused heat to creep up her face. She wanted to look away, crawl somewhere and hide her shame, but she was through with being a coward. “Yes.”

He rubbed his face. “Don’t tell me this is about my bruises again. Please. I’m fine. I’m not fragile that I can let a few bumps stop me from loving—”

“Hush.” She pulled his hand down, stroked his cheek, the bandage covering his right eyebrow, the slightly swollen cheek. How could she ask him to stop when he was everything she’d ever wanted? “That’s not it. But there’s something you must know before…before we do it.”

He let out a sigh of relief. “Okay. What is it?”

“I’m not very good at this.”

He cocked his head, confusion flickering in the depth of his eyes. “Not good at what?”

“Love-making.” Her eyes shifted to his lips, swollen from their kissing. “Sex,” she clarified.

His expression gentled. “Who told you that?”

“My ex-husband. It was pleasant enough when we, uh, did it, but I rarely ever…you
know.
”

His brow furrowed. “Reach orgasm?”

Her ears grew hot, the shame cutting deep. She looked down at the pulse beating furiously at the base of his throat and nodded. He had such smooth skin, hardly any hair visible above the V neck of his undershirt. How would he taste? Maybe she would never find out.

“He said it was your fault.”

Jade’s head shot up at the bite in his tone and their gazes collided. Was he angry with her? Her timing might suck, but it was better to prepare him than have him turn away from her in disappointment.

“I’m sorry I’m bringing it up now, but I don’t want…didn’t want to fail you. He, my-ex, said I was a disappointment in bed. That’s why he slept with other women.”

Vince smothered a curse and cupped her cheeks, his eyes boring into hers. “The bastard lied.”

She blinked. “Lied?”

“That’s right. Earlier today, before we left for the party, did you fake your response? Your orgasm?”

Jade shook her head so hard her hair flew across her cheeks. “Of course not. It was the most wonder…,” she caught herself and swallowed, fighting a blush. “No, I didn’t.”

His thumb stroked her lips. “I didn’t think so. You’re a passionate woman and your ex was an idiot.” He kissed her gently. “We’ll prove him wrong tonight. Better yet, you’ll reveal the real you tonight. Over and over gain.”

One minute he was promising her Nirvana, the next, his lips was making sweet love to her mouth. Soon, the moist, lingering kisses had her whimpering with need, making her feel helpless. Hot. Dizzy.
  

He pressed against her, hip to hip, his erection pushing against her tummy. She wished she were bold enough to reach down there and touch him.

“Tell me how you feel, sweetheart,” he commanded.

She could barely breathe, let alone string a sentence. Jade opened her mouth, but nothing came out, just spurts of air and moans of pleasure. Instead of talking, she showed him. With her body, which she pressed and rubbed against his. With her mouth locked with his, tongues brushing and teasing. With her hands, roaming his face, his powerful shoulders and arms, the chest that went on forever. She gathered enough courage and lowered her hands to his to-die-for bums.

“Perfect.”

Jade didn’t realize she’d spoken aloud until Vince stilled and let out a shaky breath. “No, baby. This is perfection.” His hands cupped her breasts through the chiffon materials. Her nipples had already pebbled to tight nubs. His skillful hands caused pleasure to shoot from their tip to her inner core. “So responsive. I could come from just touching you.”

So could she, just like she did earlier under his skillful hands. She slipped a hand under his shirt, touching his back, taking pleasure in the muscles contracting underneath her palm.

“Want it off?”

“Yes, please.”

“So polite. We must change that. Tonight.” He lifted his arms. “Go on.” When she hesitated, he added, “Rip it off.”

Jade giggled. “You’re so wicked.” She grabbed the bottom of his T-shirt and pushed it up. Without his help, she had to go on her toes to get it past his chest. When she saw his grin, she paused. He was enjoying toying with her, the handsome rogue. Maybe she’d get enough courage to tease him back, make him want with the same intensity uncoiling inside her.

With his arms up, trapped by the T-shirt, he was open to her perusal. Watching him strip hadn’t prepared Jade for the feel of his hot body this close to her. She stared, swallowed, and stared some more. Hairless tanned skin draped over sculptured muscles, powerful broad shoulders and ridged stomach glowed with power. A few scars here and there, fresh bruises beside and over some, only made him more fascinating.

She dropped a kiss on a bruise before she could stop herself. A masculine groan escaped him. She’d surprised him. She’d surprised herself. Her ex was never into foreplay, and never allowed her to touch him like this. Getting bolder, she nibbled across his chest, loving the warmth of his soft skin, the raw power contained underneath it, but always careful not to hurt him. When she licked on his nipple, the muscle underneath jumped, teasing her moist mouth. A graze with her teeth and he trembled. Wow.

“You’re driving me crazy.” He yanked the shirt off and threw it behind him, his eyes shooting sparks, breath unsteady.

Not sure what he’d say, her gaze slid down to the sparse hair disappearing into his pants. His erection was visible, inviting her touch. Jade gulped. Could she dare? She heard his breathing change, become labored. When she glanced up, she noted his hazy eyes, the sweat on his brow.

“You’re magnificent,” she said.

“Then touch me. Please.” He stroked her face, moved to her lips and the sensitive insides of her mouth.

Her heart did a rickety dance as she slid her hand lower. His abs shifted, contracting as he took deep breaths. Then she wrapped her hand around him.

Oh, my. He was long. Hard. She had no idea about the normal length of most men, but Vince was amazing. Bigger than she’d fantasized. She stroked him, from the base to the tip.

Vince let out a quivering groan, turned her chin up to kiss her. His hand fished under her dress to cup her breast, brush a thumb across one tight nipple. Her body jerked, electrified by his touch. She let go of him to steady herself against the wall.

“Oh, baby,” he sighed ruggedly. “You don’t know what you do to me.” He reached for the hem of her dress, bunching it slowly, his fingers teasing her skin through the sheer tights. He reached the top of her stalking, stroked her bare skin.

Jade gasped at the heat and pleasure spreading up her thighs to the joint between her legs. When he inched higher, gripped her buttocks and pressed her against him, the dizzying sensation washed over her, again.

“Christ.” His hand flitted over the cleft separating her butt cheeks and quickly moved around her hips to the front. “You’re not wearing—”

“Panties? Yeah.” She grinned when he leaned back to look at her in wonder.
        

“The entire evening?”

“Yes.”

He laughed, wrapped his arms around her waist and butt, and scooped her up as though she weighed nothing. “I knew you had a kinky streak in you.”
 

Jade laughed, wrapping her legs around his waist and arms around his neck. Kinky? Nah, she was far from being that, but she wouldn’t mind trying a few naughty things with him or on him. She grinned down at him, enjoying the way his muscles shifted as he carried her to the bedroom. “Can I make another confession?”

“As long as it doesn’t stop me from doing this.” He buried his face between her breasts, nuzzled, and inhaled deeply. “Hmm, you smell wonderful.”

His hot breath made her skin tingle. With her insides melting, it was a wonder she found her voice. “This was the first time I cruised commando.”

They entered his bedroom and he flipped on the light with a brush of his shoulder. Once he set her down on the edge of his unmade bed, he nudged her knees open as he knelt and settled between them.

“Why is that?” he asked in a preoccupied voice.

“You. You make me want to experience things. Act differently.” She stroked his upturned face.

“Different good or different bad?” He picked the hem of her dress and flipped it up, exposing her knees, then her thighs.

“Oh, bad. Very, very bad.”

He chuckled.

“Good because that makes two of us.” He caressed her calves, dropped his head to nibble on her thigh.

The astonishing intimacy robbed Jade of breath. It never crossed her mind to protest or cross her legs. Just having him there between her legs, kneeling, his mouth a few breaths away from touching her intimately mesmerized her.

“Lean back,” Vince ordered.

Jade complied, resting on her elbows, her breathing ragged, her gaze unwavering. Waiting. Eager. Apprehensive. She must look like a wanton with her dress bunched around her waist, her stilettos on, and her behind naked.
  

His hand slipped under her, pulled her closer to the edge of the bed, while the other pushed her wider.
 
Her thighs quivered, her face flaming. She felt so vulnerable, exposed, a shivering mass of nerves. Even the fact that she’d trimmed and fussed over her private parts earlier in the evening didn’t make it any easier. He was down there, looking at her with rapt fascination. Her insecurities doubled.