Jordan Summers (7 page)

Jack Gordon greeted her with a bright smile. “I almost
missed
you,” he said, inflecting a very different meaning to the statement.

Delaney’s heart thumped as she watched him walk down the aisle. Today he didn’t wear a jacket. There was nothing obscuring her view of his tight butt and long, long legs. She drank in the view of his wide shoulders and slim hips as Jack waited for the person on the aisle to rise so he could reach his window seat.

“Are you going to shut the door so we can push back?” the ops agent asked, jolting her out of her ogling.

She did the only thing she could think of to hide her embarrassment. Delaney slammed the front entry door and armed the slides. Then she reached for the microphone at the front of the cabin.

“Flight attendants, prepare doors.”

“Cross check,” Barbie drawled in reply.

Delaney put the mic down and walked to the cockpit door. “The cabin is secured,” she said before shutting it.

Jeremy made his way up the aisle. He grabbed the demo equipment and stood facing the cabin. “Do you want to talk or walk this time?”

“I’ll walk,” Delaney said, reaching for the seat belt demo. Maybe if she moved, the blood in her body would stop pooling in places that made her throb.

Jeremy grasped the mic. “To properly fasten your seat belts slide that flat head into the buckle. To unfasten, lift up on the flip latch and it’ll release. Seat belts should be worn tight and low across those oh, so slender hips.”

Delaney demonstrated and tried not to laugh.

“There may be fifty ways to leave your lover, but there are only eight ways to leave this aircraft. Two forward entry doors, four overwing window exits and two aft entry doors…that’s in the back for those of you sitting in the tail section.”

Delaney held up her fingers and pointed to each exit. She felt like an idiot. No wonder people made fun of this part of the demonstration. She looked as if she were directing a symphony that only held eight notes.

Not meaning to, her gaze strayed to Jack, locking onto his handsome face. Heat scrolled down her body as he gave her a leisurely visual caress. Delaney shifted under his regard, trying to ignore her body’s reaction. He followed her movements with such raw yearning that she felt the pull all the way to her bones.

Delaney tore her attention away. Jeremy was still talking. It took her a second to realize that she should’ve been walking down the aisle at this stage of the announcements. Delaney flushed and hurried, pressing one hand to each bin to ensure they were locked as she checked the luggage at the feet of each passenger.

“You need to push that under the seat for takeoff and landing,” she said, making her way to the rear of the airplane. She knew the second she was out of Jack’s line of sight. The heat instantly left her body and damned if she didn’t miss it.

Delaney made her way forward. She barely glanced at Jack as she walked to her jumpseat. His gaze was back on her. She could feel it between her shoulder blades, melting through her uniform, leaving a puddle in its wake.

She sat, buckling in, before quickly crossing her arms over her chest to hide her body’s reaction. She obviously wasn’t fast enough. Delaney glanced in time to see Jack’s lips tilt and his eyes smolder like embers in a fire.

Her face flared even hotter, so she picked up a briefing card to fan herself. Jack knew exactly what he was doing to her.

Jeremy leaned in next to her ear. “Honey, if the sexual tension in here gets any thicker between you two,” he said, indicating Jack, “the electricity will fry us all.”

“There’s nothing going on between us.”

“Humph, yeah, sure, and Barbara and I are getting married next week.”

Delaney broke away from Jack’s gaze with effort to look at the attendant beside her. “Not now, Jeremy.”

He turned his shoulder to her. “I stand by my earlier statement.”

She sighed. “Which was?”

“Someone needs a nap.”

D
ELANEY WAS GRATEFUL
that with the exception of Jack’s constant attention, the flight remained blissfully uneventful. The aircraft pulled in to the gate and she opened the door.

“Bah-bye, bye, bye, bu-bye.” She grinned as the passengers disembarked. This was her favorite part of the flight because she got to leave the plane. She wondered how many flight attendants felt the same way.

Jack waited in his seat until most of the aircraft had emptied before walking up the aisle. A smile played on his lips as he approached. Delaney handed him a slip of paper with her number scrawled on it.

“See you tonight,” he said, a wealth of promise ringing in the simple phrase.

Delaney considered canceling as she was hit with a sudden flurry of nerves, but she knew she wouldn’t. The deadline for the shipment loomed over her. It didn’t matter that her body craved Jack’s touch or that Delaney could still feel the scorch of his lips. She’d find someone else to fill the need he’d so easily created inside of her once this assignment ended.

Delaney pulled her bag through the airport, staring at the barren mountains that surrounded Phoenix. Some people hated the Valley of the Sun, as it was affectionately called by the locals, because they thought the desert was devoid of life. Delaney knew better. This place teamed with life and she loved every craggy inch of it.

She drove home, staring at Camelback Mountain in the distance. The odd-shaped rock got its name for the sleeping camel outline you could see at certain angles. Delaney enjoyed climbing the mountain in the winter months.

Delaney pulled into the drive of her modest concrete cinderblock home. The lemon tree’s branches in the front yard dipped low under the weight of ripening fruit. She’d been meaning to pick the lemons, but had never gotten around to it. Delaney hit a button on her visor and her garage door opened with a loud screech.

She cringed, glancing at the neighbors’ houses to make sure no one had come out to investigate the sound. The garage was one more item on her to-do list that had fallen by the wayside while she worked toward her master’s.

“I’m home,” she called out to the vast emptiness, closing the connecting garage door behind her.

The air in the house smelled of neglect. A plastic plant Delaney had purchased to imbue life to the kitchen lay covered in a thick film of dust. She ignored the sudden twinge of guilt and glanced into the living room. A mountain of mail rose from the hardwood floor, climbing toward the slot in her front door. Delaney scooped up the letters and took them into her office.

Had a tornado touched down while she was out of town?

She placed the envelopes onto what she hoped was her desk and headed down the short pictureless hall to her bedroom. The white comforter called out her name. Delaney walked the few feet separating her from paradise and fell face-first onto the bed.

Dreams of Jack started the second Delaney’s head hit the pillow. They were no longer standing in Jerry’s Deli parking lot kissing. Instead, they’d moved to the privacy of a billowy tent on the beach that housed only one item, a massive bed. One second she was dressed. The next, her clothing lay in a pile at her feet and Jack proceeded to pleasure her with his hands and his mouth.

D
ELANEY WOKE TO
the sound of the phone ringing. The room was dark and she had yet to recover from the dream. What was the time? Where was she? For that matter, where was Jack? It took her a few seconds to recall that she was at home and supposed to meet Jack for a date. As much as she wanted to solve this case, Delaney wasn’t sure she could go through with it. Jack’s kiss obviously had left her more shaken than she’d first thought.

The phone rang again and she reached for the receiver. Her hand hovered above the cordless for a moment, before drawing back. The last chirping sound died in the air, leaving deafening silence behind. She’d agreed to go out to dinner with him. She couldn’t back out now. Delaney took a deep breath. Jack probably thought she was standing him up. What had she done?

She couldn’t blow off Jack because she was worried about what might happen. It was only a dream for heaven’s sake. McMillan was counting on her. She was quite capable of ignoring Jack’s advances…if she wanted to. Delaney straightened. She’d have to be strong, for the sake of the mission and her sanity. She hoped she wasn’t too late.

Delaney sprinted through the house, flipping on lights as she searched for her purse. She’d shoved Jack’s card inside. She was probably the last person on the planet without caller ID or an answering machine. At first, Delaney hadn’t wanted those items, since her cell was equipped with both options. Later, school had taken over and she didn’t have time to get them installed.

“Please, please, please,” she said, dumping the contents onto her counter. The business card plopped out last with a breath mint stuck to the back of it.

Her hands shook as she dialed the number. Jack answered on the third ring. “Hello?”

“It’s Delaney.”

“I thought maybe you’d forgotten about tonight,” he said relief in his voice

“No, I was in the shower,” she lied.

“I forgot to ask where you live.”

Delaney glanced around her house at the neglect. “Why don’t we meet somewhere? Pick a spot.”

“I take it you live somewhere central.”

“Yeah, I do, so as long as you don’t pick Apache Junction, I can be anywhere within forty minutes.” She padded the number to give herself enough time to shower and change. She couldn’t exactly arrive for dinner in her uniform.

“Is fusion okay?”

“Sounds great.”

“Why don’t we meet at Sanctuary on Camelback Road in say, forty-five minutes?”

“I’ll be there,” she said, too cheerily. Delaney hung up the phone and heaved a sigh of relief. That was close, too close. She didn’t want to think about what McMillan would’ve done to her if she’d stood Jack up on a date. What was she saying? This wasn’t a date. If she’d missed a rendezvous with her target, she corrected herself. The situation didn’t bear thinking about.

Despite Delaney’s resolve to hurry, she found herself lingering in the shower and taking her time to apply a light coat of makeup. Something she rarely, if ever, did. She dried her hair, styling it with some mousse until it fell around her face in soft waves. She glanced once more in the mirror, twirled, then watched the bell of her dark trouser legs fall modestly to her ankles. She tugged at the sleeves of her cream colored blouse.

She took a reassuring breath, then let it out slowly. Her heart hammered in her chest as she placed the items she’d need into her purse if they ended up back at Jack’s place for a nightcap. Delaney reached into her bedside table and grabbed her computer key drive, staring for several seconds at the box of condoms she kept there. Since there would be no sex, she wouldn’t need those, she thought, before grabbing three and shutting the drawer.

Delaney raced to Camelback Road. It was easy enough to find Sanctuary, even though she’d never been there. She parked her car and walked toward the restaurant. Jack stood inside the door, waiting.

Dressed in casual chic, Jack didn’t so much wear clothes, as allow them to drape his form. It was an ability not many people outside of the modeling world possessed, but he did.

“Glad to see you again. You look fabulous. The outfit suits you. Soft as silk.” He fingered the collar of her pale shirt. “Yet, no nonsense,” he said, glancing at her navy pants, before leaning in to kiss the side of her head. His unique cologne surrounded her, dampening the aroma of the spices filling the air. Delaney fought to keep from turning into the kiss. Her stomach rumbled, but it wasn’t for food.

“Hungry?” he asked, his gaze searching.

“Famished.” Delaney licked her lips.

His eyes clouded with desire as he followed the movement of her tongue. “Do you still want to eat here?”

She watched the column of his throat work up and down as he swallowed hard. She longed to trace the length with her tongue, taste the salt of his skin. “Where else could we go?”

His eyes flashed in speculation. “I could fix us something back at my place.”

“You cook?”

He grinned. “Among other things.”

“How could I possibly refuse an offer like that?” The truth was she couldn’t. Delaney needed to get inside Jack’s home. She’d search the place, copy the files off his computer, do recon in hopes of finding the info she sought without having to come right out and ask. She doubted under the circumstances that Jack would be very cooperative.

That was the only reason she had allowed him to change their dinner plans, or so she told herself. So why didn’t she believe it?

“Let’s grab a drink before we go,” he suggested.

“That would be lovely. I’ve never been here before, but I have heard great things about the restaurant.”

Jack guided Delaney to the bar. “What would you like?”

“Anything but tequila. I had a bad experience with that drink back in college and I’ve never recovered.”

“Where did you go to school?”

“Boston.”

He smiled. “Is your family there?”

Delaney’s cheer sagged a second, then she quickly recovered. “Yes, what about you?”

“Columbia, Missouri.” He laughed. “I think, no matter where you went to school, everyone has had at least one similar experience. Mine wasn’t tequila. Let’s just say that bourbon is not my friend.”

“Kindred spirits,” she said, realizing that she actually meant it. She and Jack may be on opposite sides, but their personalities were similar. They appeared to enjoy many of the same things, but it was hard to tell what was real and what wasn’t. The rules of the game were changing faster than Delaney could keep up.

She tried to ignore the warmth coming from Jack’s palm and the tingle it sent up her spine. His fingers barely brushed her, yet Delaney felt the effects of the touch all the way to her earlobes.

He found them a couple of bar stools and waited for her to take her seat, before he joined her. The bartender handed him a menu and Jack began to scan the list. “Two glasses of the ninety-eight Sancerre.”

The drinks arrived a few moments later and Jack raised his glass. “To new beginnings.”

“May they last,” Delaney said, wishing she could mean it. “So, how long have you lived in Phoenix?”

“Not long, but I like it so far. And you?”

Delaney tilted her head to stare into his face. “Long enough to get used to the heat…if that’s ever possible.”

He took a sip of wine. “Yes, I’ve been told that it takes a while to acclimate.”

“Some people never do.”

His gaze locked onto her face. “I don’t know. Certain kinds of heat can be quite enjoyable.”

Delaney’s brow rose. “I guess it depends on what’s causing it.”

Jack’s lips twitched. “I can think of a few ways worth exploring.”

“Are you flirting with me again, Mr. Gordon?”

“I believe I am, Ms. Carson. Do you have a problem with that?” he asked in challenge.

Delaney grinned. “Only if you stop.”

Jack laughed. “Not a chance.”

That’s what she was afraid of. Delaney squirmed on the bar stool, attempting to get comfortable. It was impossible, sitting so close to him. It felt like every hair on her body had turned into an antenna and they were all pointed at Jack.

She needed to move, to walk, to run far, far away. Instead, Delaney glanced into his face, allowing herself to linger on his long lashes, the deep blue of his eyes and that electric grin that sent shockwaves through her.

“What brings you to the Valley?” she asked.

Jack shrugged. “Some things just get old after a while. I’ve lived in Malibu for over ten years. I like it well enough, but wouldn’t want to try to raise a family there.”

Delaney blinked. She couldn’t help it. That was the absolute last thing she’d expected Jack to say. In all her years of dating, she’d never once heard a man talk about settling down.

“I see from your stunned expression that I’ve surprised you.” Jack ran his finger around the mouth of his wineglass.

“No. I mean. Yes. Maybe a little.”

“Don’t you ever think about hanging up your wings and finding somewhere to put down some roots?”

His rapt interest had Delaney fidgeting again. She hadn’t really ever thought about roots. She’d been so focused on her job and trying to overcompensate for her sister’s accident that she hadn’t had time to consider the possibility that one day she’d meet someone that she’d want to commit to. At least not in any serious fashion. Delaney had never come across a guy who’d kept her attention long enough.

Until now,
the insidious thought burrowed beneath her skin and straight into her heart.

“I suppose I haven’t met the right guy yet—not that I’m looking,” she added hastily. A rush of heat filled her face. “I have goals. Things I’d like to accomplish before that can happen.”

“I’ve learned that there are some things that you just can’t plan for.” His expression was unreadable as the words left his mouth, but Delaney felt the deeper implication.

“Let’s get out of here,” she suggested out of sheer desperation. The last thing she needed was to get emotionally entangled in this assignment—it would lead to nothing but utter destruction.

Too late,
the voice in her mind whispered again.

Delaney stood, refusing to give the voice credence. There was no way she would ever fall for an arms dealer, ex or otherwise. There were plenty of smart, charming, funny, good-looking single men left on this planet besides Jack Gordon. And she planned to find one, right after she closed this case and finished her master’s degree.

She glanced at his face and automatically focused on his lips. The urge to kiss him was strong. Delaney fought it—hard.

Jack didn’t wait for her to say another word. He threw money onto the bar, then slipped his hand in hers and tugged Delaney out the door and across the parking lot.

“Do you want to follow me or would you prefer that I drive?” Heat poured off his body, washing over her as he stepped closer.

“I prefer to be in control.” Why had she said that? It was the truth, but she hadn’t meant for it to sound so suggestive or like such a challenge. Delaney paused. She never lost control in a relationship. What was she saying? This wasn’t a relationship and never would be.