Jingle of Coins (21 page)

She dropped her gaze to her watch while she regrouped. “It’s only 9:30. You sure you don’t want to work a little longer? I don’t usually go to bed until eleven.”

“No. The next step will be to film you listening to the machines. The tapes from the casino aren’t clear enough for you to see the nuances I’m talking about.” He leaned back on his heels. “Why don’t we meet outside the Sandbox casino at six tomorrow? It just opened, so they won’t know you. You’re going to practice becoming invisible.” His eyes twinkled and a dimple bobbed in and out of one cheek. “If you do a good job, I’ll spring for dinner at your favorite fast food restaurant,” he teased. “After that, we’ll come back here to work.”

Emily lifted a hand to lips that still tingled. Her whole body quivered with excitement when she remembered the way his green eyes had smoldered with passion. Thoroughly confused, she leaned back into the oversized couch cushion, then bolted upright as a thought struck her. It had been so long since she’d had sex that she hadn’t even thought about birth control, much less safe sex.

She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, looked up the number of the doctor she’d been seeing for follow-up visits on her head injury, and left both the number and the portable phone on the coffee table. She’d ring the office first thing in the morning and see if there was any way he could squeeze her in for a quick discussion on birth control. If he couldn’t see her, she’d find a walk-in clinic that could. By this time tomorrow, she’d have a birth control prescription in hand, preferably for something that took effect immediately. If nothing else, she’d buy a box of condoms. This time, if Glen wanted to dance the horizontal mambo, she was going to make damn sure nothing could interrupt them.

The scenario of her working relationship with Glen had taken an unusual, but welcome, turn. Maybe he was finally giving in to his attraction to her. God, she hoped so. She was tired of taking cold showers to cool off her libido. Tonight had been a fiasco, but tomorrow night would be a different story. If by some miracle Glen wanted to have sex, then by God, she’d be prepared. And willing. Oh yeah, she thought, licking her lips. Very willing.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The clock chimed six as Emily paused to take one last look at the fit of her new bathing suit in the mirror. Damn, she looked good, even if she had to say so herself. This suit made her look like a Vegas showgirl—long legged and busty.

She slung her towel over her shoulder and started for the pool, deep in thought. Last night Glen broke his cardinal rule about not mixing business and pleasure. Something had prompted him to change the dynamics of their working relationship, and she wasn’t sure she liked either of the explanations she attributed to his change of heart.

He either changed his mind about mixing business with pleasure or decided that adding sex to their relationship would make them work more cohesively. The second reason left a nasty taste in her mouth, and she frowned. She wanted him, but not on those terms. This was not a chess game, and she wasn’t a pawn he could sacrifice or manipulate at whim.

She swung her gaze to the far side of the pool. Glen was already there, swimming laps. She paused for a few moments to watch his muscular body cut through the water. He looked like a sleek bronze seal, with his honeyed tan and brown hair. He finished his lap and waited for her at the deep end.

To make sure she had his full attention, she slowed her stride as she approached the ladder. Okay suit, she thought, do your magic. She dipped one toe in the water and thrust out her chest as she lowered her body into the pool. Glen’s gaze locked with hers, and Emily felt the blood sizzle in her veins.

“Morning, sleepyhead. I was beginning to wonder if you’d overslept.”

If you only knew, she thought. After his parting kiss, she spent most of the night tossing and turning. “I got busy and didn’t notice the time.”

“Ready to swim some laps?”

“Yep.” She let go of the ladder and allowed her head and shoulders to sink beneath the surface. The warm water enveloped her like a liquid embrace, and she surfaced a few inches to his left. Glen’s glance focused on the swell of her breasts. Gotch ya, she thought, smiling inwardly. That’s right, little fishy. Come on, nibble the sexy bait I’ve dipped in the water.

“It was.” She placed her feet against the edge of the pool and pushed hard, propelling her body forward. “Race you to the other end,” she challenged.

“Cheater,” he called from behind. He passed her at the halfway mark and waited in the shallows for her to catch up. “I beat you fair and square this time,” he grinned. “You had a three stroke lead.”

“Yes, you did,” she acknowledged. “I concede your victory. You’re faster than I am…for the moment.”

He looped his fingers through hers and pulled her closer. “Love the new suit,” he whispered in her ear. “Very sexy.” His index finger traced the valley between her breasts. “Clings in all the right places.”

Oh God. Shivers raced down her body, and she sucked in a quick breath.

“Mind if I join you two?” an amused voice interrupted from the edge of the pool.

Startled, they looked up. Kate stood on the top of the steps, one hand on the aluminum handrail. Emily’s exuberance faded when she took in the exquisite lines of Kate’s long, lithe body, clad in a miniscule gold bikini. As usual, the woman looked like she’d stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine. Emily sighed softly and moved away. No normal woman could ever hope to compete with Kate, much less outshine her. She ignored the urge to scratch Kate’s eyes out and forced her lips into a welcoming smile. “Sure, come on in.”

Kate eased her long legs down the steps and lounged against the handrail. “I thought I was the only one up at this ungodly hour.”

“I swim almost every day,” Emily explained, more to keep the conversation going than from politeness. “What brings you out so early?”

Kate’s smile faded and she shook her head. “I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned for an hour, and then decided it was time to get up.” She looked at the sun-streaked skyline and frowned. “What do people do at this hour of the morning?”

“They get ready to go to work,” Glen said in a voice tinged with amusement. “You know, that thing us plebeians have to do to put food on the table.”

“I work for a living, too,” Kate reminded him in a voice dripping with ice.

“Yes, but there’s work and then there’s real work,” he jibed. “Some jobs are easier than others.”

Emily realized the conversation had taken an ominous turn. “Hey, you two,” she quipped, “if you’re going to squabble, go over to the wading pool. This one’s for grownups.”

Kate and Glen turned, and she splashed a handful of water their way. “Lighten up. We’re here for a swim, not a debate. Come on,” Emily coaxed in her best sing-songy voice. “I know you two know how to play nice together, so do it.”

The silence grew overwhelming, and finally Glen shook his head. “Sorry, Kate,” he apologized. “I didn’t mean to be sarcastic.”

Kate inclined her head in his direction, like a queen acknowledging one of her subjects. “I probably should apologize, too. I’m not a morning person.” She smiled at Glen, all white teeth and pouty lips. “I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

Emily’s stomach twisted into knots. “We noticed.” She rolled her shoulders to work the muscles. “I’ve always been a morning person. The moment my eyes pop open, I’m wide awake.”

“Me, too,” Glen agreed. The scuba watch on his wrist beeped, and he reached for the side of the pool. “I’d like to stay, but I have to be at work in about thirty minutes.” He heaved himself out of the water and reached for his towel. “See you tonight, Emily,” he called out as he dried off and shoved his feet into sandals. “Bye, Kate.”

The two women remained silent until he disappeared. “Sorry if I interrupted you and Glen again,” Kate said. “The reason I came out was to apologize for barging in last night. Damn. My radar’s usually better than this.”

Kate snickered. “I saw that suit on the shop mannequin, Emily. I know what it cost. Somehow I don’t think you bought it just so you could swim laps,” she teased. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but you’re not the type to buy a designer swimsuit unless you had a very specific reason. You’re too…thrifty.”

“Good for you,” Kate said, rising from the water. “From the way his eyes were glued to that suit, I’d say you made a good investment.” She waited for Emily to pick up her towel. “Would you mind loaning me one of the Chopin CDs I saw last night? I’m thinking about buying it, but it makes sense to listen to it first to make sure it isn’t a remake of something I already have.”

“Sure. We can get it now.”

“Thanks,” Kate replied. When Emily invited her in, Kate paused in front of the storage tower and picked out a CD. “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of it.”

“You better.” Emily tapped the CD's jewel case with a fingernail. “That one’s my favorite.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

The inside of Kate’s mouth turned into an arid desert as she approached the opulent copper and iron bulls that adorned the gate to Mike’s villa. She slowed her Mercedes to a crawl and turned onto his driveway. A smile tugged at the sides of her mouth when she realized that Mike was one of the few people who didn’t need an electrified gate to guard the entrance to his property. The armed guards everyone knew he kept inside were incentive enough to keep out even the most ambitious thieves.

This was it, she thought. Time for the big finale. She felt the side of her purse one last time, took a deep breath, and pressed the intercom. Two surveillance cameras, mounted on iron spikes, turned her way. She gritted her teeth, said a silent prayer that she looked more composed than she felt, and waved an arm lazily out the window. Don’t panic. Everything’s fine. You’ve done this dozens of times before, she reminded herself. Keep smiling. No matter what, keep smiling.

She breathed a sigh of relief when a familiar grinding noise filled the air and both halves of the gate swung open. The sections parted to reveal an armed guard positioned some twenty feet ahead, standing on the gravel path that paralleled the driveway. He trained his weapon on her car.

Kate’s blood turned to ice, and she felt a sudden desire to be anywhere but Mike’s driveway. Something must have happened. Her first impulse was to turn around and head for the airport and the safety of the plane she reserved, but she discarded the idea when she realized that Mike’s goons would catch up with her before she reached the freeway on ramp. Running would only make the situation worse. She didn’t even want to think about what would happen if Mike caught her trying to skip town.

She watched the guard shift his weight from one foot to the other and decided it was better to face the dragon than run from it. At least that way she’d have the chance to find Mike’s vulnerable spot. She was smart; she could figure out a way to get around the additional security.

The guard motioned a second time for her to come inside. Kate ignored the lump in her throat and rolled the car forward as the man kept one hand firmly on the trigger of his weapon. Once she’d pulled inside, he motioned for her to stop, then waved the index finger of his free hand across the front of his throat.

Kate cut the engine. This was just what she didn’t need—more security. Evidently, Mike was taking no chances with his guest’s safety. She briefly wondered exactly who his guest was, what the man did for a living, then decided she really didn’t want to know the answer to that question. Some information was best left unknown.

Was nailing Mike for the murder of the missing agents more important than her life? It occurred to her, and not for the first time, that Dozer might have conned her into helping him, knowing that she probably wouldn’t come out of this alive. Her upper lip curled in distaste. Government men were worse than lawyers. Devious and two-faced, they’d sell their own mother to get what they wanted.

She grabbed a pack of cigarettes out of her purse and sighed when her trembling fingers shook out too many. Cursing under her breath, she touched the lighter to the tip, then swept the errant cigarettes off the seat and shoved the half-empty pack into her purse. She sucked on the lit cigarette for a moment, reveling in the nicotine rush that flowed through her body, calming her frazzled nerves. Nothing had changed, other than the fact that Mike had a few additional guards. The plan could still work. It only needed a few tweaks to adapt to the changed environment.

She cast a worried glance at the guard. He was speaking into a headset, but his gun remained trained on the Mercedes. Probably getting clearance for her to proceed to the house. Good. That meant she could accomplish the first stage of her plan, which was to get inside the villa. All she had to do was stay focused and act naturally. If she didn’t reveal how scared she was, nobody would suspect anything was amiss.

Kate already knew there was no way she was going to outwit Mike’s security system. It was too sophisticated. Rumor had it that this particular piece of desert property was sewn up tighter than Fort Knox. She didn’t doubt that one bit. Even Dozer’s people, technical as they were, figured that they couldn’t get in and out undetected. That was why they needed someone working on the inside to hide the bug.