Slow Burn (46 page)

Jade placed her laptop in its bag, secured
the straps and yanked at the zipper with more force than necessary.
Then she rocked on her heels and sighed.

It’s been sixteen years, Jade. Move on
already.

Easier said than done. No matter how hard she
tried, that insecure girl resurfaced to taunt her every time
someone mentioned knowing her in high school. She pulled out her
copy of
Get Some Kick-ass Attitude
from her desk drawer and
put it in her bag. Then she hoisted the laptop case on her
shoulder, grabbed the handle of the bag and picked up her keys.
Before she started for the door, she paused to glance at Vince’s
card.

Unleashing her inner bitch on him because he
mentioned high school was juvenile. Her mother should be her
primary concern now. Even before Vince walked into her office, her
mother had been on her mind. Estelle Valdes-Fitzgerald’s behavior
before she left on the cruise wasn’t normal—the anxious expression,
refusing to entertain or go out, which was saying something for
someone who thrived on social functions. Jade assumed it was
fatigue taking a toll on her, but now….

She and her mother needed to talk first. Let
Vince Knight cool his heels for now.

***

Jade gripped the edge of her desk and
glowered at the phone. For three days she’d called her mother only
to be directed to her voice mail. Even her text messages went
unanswered. Her brothers and cousins hadn’t heard from her, either.
Jade took in a deep breath and yanked open the middle drawer on her
desk. Vince’s card sat there, mocking her. She hated to give
credence to that arrogant man’s allegation. Her mother was
incapable of stealing. She didn’t have to.

On the other hand, she’d Googled Vince
Knight’s name two days ago and saw his impressive resume. The man
was not a blabber-mouth. As a renowned reporter, Vince covered
wartime stories for some newspaper in Seattle and even won a
Pulitzer for one of his pieces. His switch to fiction garnered him
literary accolades and quite a following. Although military and
espionage thrillers weren’t her thing, Jade even picked one of his
books from her favorite bookstore for her vacation read.

So what Vince Knight was meticulous and
relentless when he pursued someone? It didn’t make him right about
her mother and his missing statue. Jade picked up his card and
closed the drawer. She wanted to hear what the man had to say. That
was all.

She shouldered her bag and left the office
then dialed his number.

“Vince Knight,” he answered after a ring.

Oh, that voice. There ought to be a law
against it.

“It’s Jade. I can meet with you this evening.
No more than thirty minutes.”

“Good. Six o’clock?”

“Five.” She heard him smother a curse. “Is
that going to be a problem?”

“No problem at all. I’ll be there.”

She had a feeling she could tell him to meet
her right this instant and no laws of nature could stop him from
making it. “Promise me one thing, Vince.”

“What is it?” His voice was cool.

“Let’s stay with the facts on this,
okay?”

“Meaning?”

“I don’t want to hear conclusions based on
your intuition as a journalist or what you hope to verify. I need
to see clear evidence which confirms your allegations, otherwise
there’s no point in having this meeting.” There was silence
although she knew he was still on the line. “Vince?”

“Got it.” There was a tinge of anger in his
voice. “See you at five.” He hung up.

Jade pursed her lips. So he was ticked off.
Big deal. What had he expected her to do? Accept his words as the
truth because he said so? It was within her right to verify his
claim before talking to him. Why then did she feel as though she’d
jumped off a plane without a parachute?

Please Mom. Call me back. Before
five-o’clock.

Jade got inside her car and placed her bags
on the front passenger seat. All this worrying would have been
unnecessary had she pushed her mother for answers instead of
accepting her explanation of fatigue. Vince’s words kept ringing in
her head, filling it with things she would never have entertained a
week ago. Her mother, pillar of society, a thief? Ludicrous.

Instead of starting the car, she gripped the
steering wheel and scowled. Choking the leather covered wheel
wasn’t going to ease her worries. She took a deep breath as she
reached a decision. Forget about the thirty minutes she’d promised
Vince. She was sticking to his side until she knew every doggone
detail of his investigation.

CHAPTER 2

Jade eased her car into an empty parking
space outside the Palace and switched off the engine. A groan
escaped her when she caught a glimpse of the time. Three minutes
late and counting. That’s what she got for taking a little extra
time to deck her body and paint herself like a geisha. Granted she
had a party to go to after their meeting. Still, to make Vince
Knight choke on his words would be an added bonus.

I haven’t changed, my butt.

She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her
ear and studied her face in the rear view mirror. The make-up and
pinned-up hair with a few tendrils framing her face couldn’t be
labeled overkill. She tilted the mirror to check the enticing
valley created by the black bustier she’d worn under her matching
spaghetti-strapped dress. Now that sight could be classified as a
look-and-drool display.

Jade picked up her black purse and sheer
shawl then stepped out of her car, locking it. She smoothed the
silk dress down over her hips. A chuckle escaped her. Her behind
had its own agenda and continued to resist any attempts to slim it
down, but she was learning to live with it. She wasn’t skinny, but
she was okay with her body. Any man, Vince Knight included, should
be worshipping at her feet.

Jade took several steps, glanced down and
grimaced. Six-inches of pure hell. She was a sucker for beautiful
shoes, but the look on Vince’s face when he saw her in them would
be worth it. If she didn’t fall flat on her face first.

Positive thoughts, please.

Two men exited the hotel as she approached
the entrance and froze at seeing her. Their drawn out ‘damn’
brought a quick smile to her lips. That was all the encouragement
she needed to work the black drop-waist dress with asymmetrical
hem.

Her senses thrummed with anticipation as she
glided through the hotel doors. Jade gave the busy foyer a sweeping
glance. When her gaze locked on Vince, her heart started a rickety
shuffle and her stomach tilted.

This was bad. She wasn’t within sniffing
distance of the man and her body was already betraying her. Even in
plain jeans and a T-shirt, he stood out. She studied his tall,
built body as he leaned against the front desk. His tanned skin
contrasted with his white T-shirt in an attractive way, his teeth
flashing as he spoke with one of the managers.

It wasn’t fair. He wasn’t even her type. She
avoided the silent, brooding, emotionally unavailable types like
the plague. They were too difficult to understand and complicated.
On the other hand, where had an outgoing man gotten her? A bad
marriage and doubts about her sensuality.

As though he felt her gaze, Vince turned.

She stopped breathing, a stupid thing to do.
He gave her a slow appraisal, his gaze lingering on her chest
before colliding with hers.

Expression on his face? Cool.
Unimpressed.

Air left her lungs in an unsteady rush. She
twisted her lips into what she hoped resembled a smile as she
started across the room. All that time spent putting her war paint
on wasted. How could he maintain that stone-cold soberness all the
time? Vince had to be made of ice, and served her right for trying
to get a rise out of him.

Maybe that was the problem. His rigid control
and aloofness rubbed her the wrong way. Made her want to do or say
something to rattle his cage. His lack of interest in her was a
definite challenge. Maybe there was some truth to the lure of the
unattainable. Vince Knight, without trying, fascinated her.

Vince approached with the loose-hipped
predatory stride of a jungle cat, sending a whoosh of anticipation
through her. Feeling a little light-headed, Jade hoped she didn’t
totter on her high stilettos.

“Sorry, I’m late,” she said, hating the
breathlessness in her voice.

“No problem. You’re here now.” He gave her
another cool once-over without making a comment and lifted a duffel
bag she didn’t notice he was carrying. “I need to show you
something.”

Her gaze moved from the bag to his face.
“What is it?

“Let’s find a place to sit first.” His dark
gaze swept the foyer as though cataloguing faces. She wasn’t sure
whether it was caution or paranoia.

She trailed his gaze. “Is everything
okay?”

“No.”

The calm way he said it sent a chill up her
spine. She opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong, reconsidered
and closed it. She’d better get this meeting over with and
leave.

Jade allowed him to take her arm and direct
her toward the Feng Shui restaurant and lobby. His hand played
havoc with her senses. She felt warmth all the way to her bones. A
group of women coming toward them propelled her closer to him until
only a few inches separated them. The heat from his body seeped
into her skin, making her shiver. His scent, musk and spearmint,
slammed into her. Her mind went foggy.

“Do you live here in L.A.?” she asked to stop
herself from doing something stupid like burying her nose in the
hollow of his neck.

“No, Orcas Island. I’m only here to find the
statue, then I’m heading right back.”

He was so sure he would find it. Such
confidence was daunting, and she had to admit, a turn-on. They
walked past a poster with ‘ISWS-International Society of Women
Scientists’ printed on it. “How long have you been in town?”

“Five days. Why?”

“Just wondering.”
Keep him talking.
Maybe then she’d turn off the faucet on the raw sexual longing
sneaking in on her. “Who have you spoken with? Where have you
looked? Stolen artifacts are moved so fast that….”

Her voice trailed off when he stopped. He
looked down at her and she blinked. The man’s penetrating eyes
seemed to see right through her outer trappings and straight to the
real her—a women rebuilding her life after a humiliating marriage.
She swallowed and copped an irritation. “What?”

“Can we sit down first before you start
questioning me?”

“We only have thirty minutes, remember?” Not
that she had any intention of leaving until all her questions were
answered.

His gaze slid across her face and dropped to
her breasts. “A lot can be accomplished in thirty minutes.”

Heat crawled up her neck, flaming her cheeks
and ears. Oh, the rotten scoundrel. If she were bold enough, she
would have given him a thorough meat-market perusal and linger on
his fly.
Rule Number Five
in
Get Some Kick-ass
Attitude
—if you can’t take action, say it.

“Especially when a person knows what she
likes and how she likes it,” she answered and his gaze snapped back
to hers. “Much better. I wasn’t sure whether you were talking to me
or my girls here.” She pointed at her chest.

No reaction. Not even a flicker of irritation
or amusement. She was impressed. In high school, he’d been a
charmer. His smile alone would coax girls into the backseat of his
car. What happened? Who stole his smile?

She shook her head at her foolishness. “Come
on, Vince. Let’s find those seats.”

They entered the Chinese-inspired restaurant
with its red leather banquettes and corset-laced wood chairs. Women
of various ages and ethnicities in expensive business suits
occupied most of the tables. Vince indicated an empty table at the
other end of the room.

Conversation stopped as they crossed the
room, and it didn’t take a genius to tell who was holding the
women’s interest. As if choreographed, conversation resumed as soon
as they sat down. Jade hid a smile. Good to know she wasn’t the
only one he mesmerized. The fascinating thing was that the beefcake
seemed oblivious.

“Can I get you something to drink?” Vince
asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“Sure. I’ll have club soda with lime,
please.”

He signaled a waitress, ordered her drink,
and brandy for himself. “Could you bring the bill with the order?”
The woman nodded and left.

He leaned back, draped his arm on the back of
his chair and locked his gaze on Jade. When the silence stretched,
she pursed her lips. “You know it’s considered rude to stare.”

He shrugged. “Just trying to decide what made
you change your mind about meeting me. It’s been three days.”

“You made accusations and I want to know
why.”

“You’re worried about your mother,” he stated
in a calm voice, his gaze watchful. “Why?”

“No, I’m not.” His piercing gaze didn’t
waver, making her feel guilty for lying. “Why should I? She’s
probably drinking margaritas and doing the cha-cha barefoot on some
private beach.” Now he knew her mother was out of town. She shot
him a baleful stare. “You’re supposed to tell me about your
investigation, not interrogate me.”

His eyebrow shot up. “One question hardly
qualifies as an interrogation.”

“Oh, yeah? Try being pinned down with that,”
she waved her hands toward his face, “gaze. Give it to me, plain
and simple, Vince. What, when, why and how?” She leaned
forward.

His gaze strayed to her cleavage before
connecting with hers. Heat shimmered in the depth of his dark eyes,
holding her captive, then the mask he wore so well slid into place.
She was still, trying to catch her breath when he spoke.

“You only want facts, if I recall.” His voice
was cool.

How could he look at her as though she were
his favorite dish and dessert after months without food, but then
switch to his old cold self? “No, I’ve changed my mind. You are an
investigative reporter. I heard reporters use their gut instinct to
follow—”