Steal My Heart (12 page)

What would happen to Gabe?

She sighed heavily, not letting her thoughts dwell on that question. Instead, her mind recalled every heated interaction with him. Stockholm or not, she couldn’t deny the attraction between them. Her physical response to him was elemental and overwhelming. What did it say about her though, that she couldn’t tame her desire for him given everything she knew and all that he’d done? She’d just have to try harder. She’d have to fortify her defenses. He was a gorgeous man and any woman would be drawn to him, but he lived on the edge of danger. Death was a constant threat in his line of work. He’d basically admitted that. He was definitely not the relationship type—not that she wanted one, she added quickly, but the sooner she was rid of him the better.

There were still so many contradictions about him. He’d saved her life, he’d defended her and removed her from danger, he was even gentle and considerate at times. He could have easily absconded with the drive and left her to face certain death. And even now he was her self-appointed protector. He was also high-handed and brutish, controlling, and demanding.

Who was the real Gabe? Or Dutch, as she’d heard his friend call him? Why did she even care? And why,
she admitted reluctantly,
did her heart shudder when she looked at him? So confusing…
She had to focus her efforts on getting away from him, not figuring out this enigmatic hobo or her feelings for him! Her mind swirled again with scenarios of escape.

She thought of opening the door and tossing her body out, but was afraid she’d be clipped by one of the cars speeding down the highway. She could grab the wheel and force them off the road, but at the speed he was driving, they’d most likely crash and lose their lives. They passed an industrial landscape and soon Gabe pulled into a town lined with rows and rows of neat ranch-style homes. Maggie looked at road signs, but nothing was familiar. She guessed they was somewhere in North Westchester County. He drove through the main street and eventually pulled into the parking lot of a motel. She stood silently while he checked them in as Mr. and Mrs. Connor. She’d bide her time. She’d wait until the opportunity arose, then she’d make her move.

The room was small, and to Maggie’s relief, appeared relatively clean and unsullied. The problem was the lone bed that sat in the middle of the room. It was an ominous enticement that hovered tauntingly, making her imagine all sorts of crazy, sweaty things. Feeling the need for another shower, she made a beeline to the adjoining bathroom. She had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming when he brushed past her and made a show of measuring the size of the tiny window in the bathroom. His gaze then leisurely roved over her hips and rear end with perspicuous assessment.

“I think we’re good,” he announced as he walked away, his brown eyes teasing.

Unable to contain her annoyance, she growled and proffered a fist. With reflexes that surprised her, he ducked away with a playful laugh that seemed to reverberate through her body. Her breath lodged in her chest.
God
, when he displayed his full relaxed smile the effect was stunning. The gorgeous angles and planes of his face combined with that deep sexy cleft in his chin would be any artist’s inspiration for a masterpiece. As she slipped into the bathroom she saw him reach into the duffle bag and take out the manila envelope she’d seen him with at the diner. She watched him toss it on the bed, then retrieve one of the trim cell phones he’d brought from the closet. In the bathroom she closed the door and melted against it, relieved to finally be alone with her thoughts.

She heard the deep baritone of his muted voice filter into the room and she pressed her ear against the thin door.

“I’m changing the deal…If you want it, you’ll have to pay double…just for the aggravation…when I verify the transaction. I don’t really give a damn…and if it’s you that’s after me, call off your bloody hounds! If anything happens to Harry or the girl, it’s over. In three days. Same place.”

Maggie’s eyes narrowed pensively, and she chewed on her bottom lip.
In three days
…
Is that when he was planning on handing over the data? To this Cane guy?

She stepped out of the shower feeling clean and refreshed; feeling like her body was crawling with fewer microbes. The floor of the diner had been disgusting. She groaned, dreading the thought of stepping back into her dirty clothes. She reached for a towel off the plastic rack and spotted new clothes folded neatly on the counter top. She hugged the towel to her breast, frowning. When had he come into the bathroom? Where did he get the clothes?
Why would he do this for her?

Gabe sat against the headboard of the bed, his long legs stretched out in front of him. He let his eyes focus on the picture of Cane Howard. The man was known to the world as a saintly example of pristine moral standards. But Gabe knew that behind those smiling eyes lurked a cruel sadistic individual who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Just delaying the transaction would be enough to incur his wrath, but making further demands would definitely cause a deluge of fury and vengeance to rain down on him. No one messed with Cane Howard. Except Gabe Masters. He hated men like Cane, men who thought their wealth and status could buy them a ticket into heaven no matter what evil deeds they perpetrated on earth.

Working with his father, he’d encountered many such men. That’s why he’d been so proud of Jack Masters. Jack never used his wealth as a tool to rule. Instead he exercised wisdom, and logic, and kindness to get others to follow him. And follow him they did. He’d taken over his family’s small telegraph company which had been started in the early nineteen hundreds to manufacture equipment for the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Masters’ Communications had joined in the vision of expanding phone service nationally and now after over a century, continued to do so. With the advent of the internet and rapid global networking, Masters’ Communications had grown world-wide and was now a competing manufacturer of telecommunication devices and software. It held contracts with the U.S. government to supply the military, as well as distributors and private individuals who were looking for the leading edge in communications technology.

Jack had groomed his sons to take over the business. He’d taught them everything he knew. His dream was to have both his boys someday rule the Masters’ empire, but unfortunately that dream never grew to fruition. Gabe pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, forcing down the haunting memories and emotion that welled in his chest. He struggled hard to block out the pain. He could not afford to linger in the past. He needed to figure out his current dilemma.

Who was after him? Was it Cane or was it Cryostar? Cane insisted it wasn’t him, that he just wanted the research data for ARSA. But Gabe’s mission had been sabotaged. The men who’d invaded Maggie’s apartment were assassins. Whoever it was not only wanted the research data, but wanted him dead. He’d never seen Harry so shaken. Since when was he in anyone’s pocket? He believed Harry when he denied being the one to set him up, but his friend knew something he wasn’t telling him.

And then there was Maggie. The thought of her caused his lips to tilt into a crooked smile. She was a quandary. With those big blue eyes and a body that was made for loving, she was tempting. She had high cheekbones and a cute button nose. But her beauty was in her eyes, those too big blue eyes that were boldly assessing yet reclusive. They warned not to get too close, but at the same time couldn’t help but be a magnet. They were a magnet for him. Hell, her entire body was an irresistible attraction. She was perfect. He liked his women zaftig, with rounded hips and generous portions—what society today would probably deem a little overweight. He smiled to himself…
just more to love
…

He knew he was getting into trouble with this one. He was becoming subtly aware of emotions he didn’t think he was even capable of feeling, emotions he’d abandoned a long time ago. She was chipping away at the layers of ice around his heart as well as his resolve. He was becoming more attached to her than was wise. It would be judicious to keep his distance. She hadn’t inquired about where he’d sleep tonight, although he could tell the one king-size bed bothered her. His lips tilted into a smile. She’d be happy to know he now had his own toothbrush. Although she’d run from him and still sent him angry scowls, he could tell she was starting to soften to him. Her basic physical attraction was starting to develop into something more. That worried him. With his cloudy past and uncertain future, he had nothing to offer her. He’d eventually have to walk away—and walk away he would. It was what he did.

He rested his head back against the headboard, closing his eyes as exhaustion seeped into his muscles. He was bad news. He was no good for her. He felt guilty for even allowing his mind to wander with such capricious thoughts. He needed to deal with Cane. Even after he delivered the information there was no guarantee that Harry and Maggie would be safe. He’d have to play this game by Cane’s rules. The only way he could ensure their safety was to get some dirt on Cane, have something to hold over his head to make sure he could never touch them. Cane was a shrewd man. The transactions between the two of them so far were untraceable. He was a man who covered his footsteps. The information Harry had brought him was worthless. For God sakes, the man could apply for a papal appointment with his pristine credentials!

His lids flicked up just as the bathroom door opened and Maggie stepped out. Their gazes locked, and he saw a soft feminine blush spread across her cheeks.
Beautiful.
A lugubrious ache crept into his heart, and at that moment, he wished things were very different.

“Thanks for the clothes,” she said tentatively.

He nodded, swinging his legs off the bed. His dark eyes took in the tee shirt and shorts she wore. Kim’s clothes were a little too big, but would do.

He indicated the food they’d gotten from a drive through. “Eat. I’ll be in the bathroom,” he instructed. “But I’ll be keeping tabs,” he warned as he walked in and left the door wide open.

Maggie’s gaze flitted to the door of the room, then quickly back to the bathroom. She rubbed her palms nervously and was trying to calculate the odds of making it through the door when her gaze alighted on the manila envelope on the bed. She could hear him moving around in the bathroom and the steady drone of running water. Grabbing the paper bag with her burger and French fries, she settled with her legs crossed on the bed. She tied her hair back with a rubber band she’d found, and began to study the documents. While she was stuck with him she might as well learn everything she could. That way she’d be better able to help the authorities get Cryostar their data back.

But what would happen to Gabe?

She pushed away the nagging question and paused when she found a picture of Dr. Victoria Rollins and her husband. Victoria was a petite woman who wore thick glasses on a studiously pensive face. Her husband was thin with a prominent aquiline nose and deep set eyes. Maggie had never seen a picture of her husband but remembered hearing that he too was a physician, and about some big malpractice case he’d been involved in. She couldn’t quite remember the details as she wasn’t one to engage in gossip at work. She read through a few more documents and was about to examine another, when a picture of an attractive older man drew her attention. She picked up the newspaper clipping, her brows pulling together with hazy recognition.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” Gabe asked the question for the second time that day. Only this time there was no humor laced in his voice. His stony timber produced an instant numbness in her limbs.

She looked up guiltily, the censure in his eyes making her cringe. His muscular chest was bare, the stitched wound on his shoulder exposed and raw. He tossed the cleaning supplies he’d been holding on the bed and stalked over to her. Angrily he plucked the newspaper clipping of Cane Howard from her grasp.

“Forget you saw this picture, Maggie.”

“Why?”

“There are things you’re better off not knowing.” He hastily shoved the loose papers back into the envelope.

“I already know what you’re planning on doing with the research data.” She rose up on her knees and followed his movements as he walked around the room.

He ignored her, reaching for his backpack, but she could see his square jaw tense as he issued a harsh curse. She took a deep breath and plowed through her common sense.

“That research belongs to Cryostar, Gabe. They’ve been working on it for almost a decade. You should give it back.”

He pulled a shirt from his bag, his dark eyebrows angry slashes across his forehead.

Maggie frowned as she watched him roll it up and pull it over his head, the heavy muscles of his chest and arms rippling with his movements. Her gaze followed a smooth trail of dark hair that disappeared into his pants, and she quickly harnessed her meandering thoughts.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her gaze landing on the dressing supplies on the bed.

He stopped and turned to her abruptly, his face surprisingly placid. “I’m trying very hard to stay calm. You need to stay out of this.” He paused and said softly, “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

She examined his face and for a fleeting second caught a hint of vulnerability in his dusky eyes. Her heart melted with a liquid warmth. Suddenly and inexplicably she cared deeply what happened to him.

“Sit.”

His brows wrinkled in confusion.

“Sit.” She patted the space on the bed next to her.

He watched her warily, but obeyed, lowering his large frame to where she’d indicated. She was beside him, still on her knees. He didn’t object when she grabbed the edges of his tee shirt and drew it up over his head. The action caused thick locks of wavy hair to fall over his eyes, and leaning close, she brushed them off his forehead. She was acutely aware that his face was now in line with her breast, and that she’d not put her bra back on after her shower. Ignoring his silent stare and the small blasts now detonating along each nerve from his nearness, she gathered up the dressing supplies and assiduously examined his shoulder.