Lazar's Intrigue (The Jack Lazar Series) (4 page)

Sarina
gave him a truly perplexed look. “You’re…serious?”

Jack
raised his eyebrows and nodded his head.

She
rose from the bed with a hint of outrage and walked over to Jack’s granite-topped
dresser, the state of her arousal evident by the slow, sensual strides she
took. She examined her appearance in the mirror, adjusting her outfit in such a
way that her wrists inadvertently brushed against her breasts, and Jack could
see the resulting sensation rippling through her. She moistened her lips, took
a deep breath, and turned to address him again. “Okay. Let’s go have dinner. Why
don’t you put on something appropriate? And after that little display, my dear
Jack, I expect you to take me somewhere extravagant.”

Crap.
What have I done?

Jack
stood up and walked toward her. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Sarina
seemed to be drawn to the sincerity in his steel-blue eyes, and it looked like
the forced suppression of her sexual energy weakened her ability to resist. She
momentarily prepared her lips to kiss him, but seemed to instantly regain her
strength.

“No,
it’s okay.” She turned her head to the side. “I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

Jack
watched her leave without looking back, and he whispered to himself in a harsh,
scolding manner as he walked into the bathroom and forcefully removed his T-shirt.

“Jack,
you idiot.” He stared at himself in the mirror. “What the hell are you thinking?”

It
took only five minutes for Jack to prepare himself, and he descended the
staircase to the living room, expecting to find Sarina waiting for him there. But
she wasn’t. He noticed her half-finished glass of Scotch on the coffee table
and an open copy of
Architectural Digest
next to it, but no Sarina to be
found.

A
loud whisper floated into the room from the kitchen, and Jack removed his shoes
before maneuvering in that direction with catlike footsteps, positioning
himself just beyond the doorway. He could hear Sarina talking to someone on her
cell phone, and he listened intently.

“No,
I don’t think anything like that is necessary,” she said, whispering loudly,
the extent of her frustration very clear. “The man is harmless.” She remained
silent for a moment. “Nothing. I’ve looked through his study, and I can’t find
anything. Besides, I have a hunch about this guy. … C’mon, that’s bullshit! My
thinking is perfectly straight on this. … Look, I’ve got to go. He’ll be back
downstairs any minute now.” She sighed with frustration. “Well, just do what
you have to do, okay? I’m going to concentrate on having a nice evening, and
don’t you dare give me any shit about this. … Bye.”

Jack
raced for the stairway as he heard her finish the call, his shoes still in his
hands so he could quietly scale the marble steps. He waited for a moment
outside his bedroom door, allowing his breath to settle down, and he wondered
more than ever what he was getting himself into.

He
opened and closed the door to the bedroom just loud enough so it could be heard
from below, and he began to descend the staircase again. Thinking quickly, he
removed his watch and started to put it back on his wrist as he reached the
living area, pretending to have just finished dressing.

“Hi!”
he said. “Hope you weren’t too bored down here.”

“Not
at all,” she replied without looking at him, her attention allegedly focused on
the magazine in her hands.

It
was painfully obvious she was being aloof. Did it have something to do with her
conversation on the phone, or was she still upset that he had rejected her
advances? There were problems already, and they hardly knew each other.

“Good,”
he said.

She
popped up her head and gave him a strained smile. “Are we ready?”

“Yes
we are.” Jack offered his hand and Sarina took it reluctantly. They began
strolling toward the door, but Jack stopped without warning and spun her in front
of him.

“Listen,
Sarina. We kinda got off on the wrong foot.”

She
struggled to pull away as he restrained her, and she tossed back her hair
before staring into his eyes with rebellious fury. For a moment it looked like
she might hit him, but then Jack could feel her relax.

“Let’s
start over, okay? I’ve been totally obsessed with you since the moment I saw
you running across the beach that night, and I’ve hardly done anything but think
about you for the last four weeks. I guess I was just a little caught off guard
by your arrival today.” He took his forefinger and gently lifted her chin. “Give
this another chance, okay? I know I can do better.”

She
avoided kissing him, but instead offered a genuine smile. “You are very
charming, Mr. Lazar. But don’t take me for an impressionable little girl.”

As
swiftly as Jack had executed his own maneuver, Sarina caressed her body up to
him and enfolded her arms around his neck, forcefully pulling down his head. She
gave him a hard, moist kiss and released him before straightening her dress, turning
toward the door and leaving him there in a state of wonder.

“You
coming?” she asked.

Jack
narrowed his eyes in defiance as he knew Sarina had upstaged him, and he
realized the woman could control him with her sexuality if she wanted to. Apparently
she also knew it, the absolute certainty of it conveyed in her stare. There had
to be something he could use to even the playing field, but he had no clue what
that would be. Maybe if he exercised a little willpower against her
manipulations and paid attention, he would find something.

“Sure,”
he answered. “You drive.”

Jack
already knew Sarina was a control freak because, after all, it takes one to
know one. So he thought the gesture of letting her have control behind the
wheel would be appreciated. And perhaps it was. But what he didn’t anticipate
was the resulting risk to his life. The woman drove her Audi convertible as if
she were being chased by the Russian Mafia. Perpetually. And traffic lights
were merely suggestions to be regarded in the event they were convenient, or at
best absolutely necessary. But the most interesting part of Sarina’s
performance was her completely relaxed demeanor, as if the aggressive
maneuvering through traffic were somehow effortless. She also gabbed nonstop
about everything from fashion to romantic comedies during the drive, and in
that sense she seemed like a completely normal girl.

Jack
was thankful to have arrived at the restaurant unscathed, although his hair
looked like he had intentionally jammed a screwdriver into an electrical socket
and held on for dear life. Sarina had tied a scarf around her head a la Grace
Kelly for the drive and simply pulled it off at the valet stand to reveal her
unspoiled, straight sable shafts.

Not
fair.

FIVE

“Thank
you. Dinner was wonderful,” Sarina offered.

The
couple sat cattycorner to each other in a dark booth at an obscure but upscale
Orange County Italian restaurant as the tension between them gradually relaxed.
Even the competition for power had all but disappeared.

“You’re
welcome,” Jack replied. He blotted his mouth and returned the napkin to his
lap. “So I was wondering. Are you from a Greek family?”

“My
mother is Greek.” She appeared reluctant to explain further, but proceeded
anyway. “My father was Italian, but he abandoned us when I was little.”

“Then
why isn’t your last name Italian?”

Sarina
ran her fingertip around the rim of her wineglass, avoiding eye contact with
him, and she focused her attention there as she spoke. “My mother went back to
her maiden name, so she changed my name, too. Considering the man had virtually
nothing to do with my upbringing, he had no right to leave his mark with me.”

She
raised her glance, locking eyes with him. “My mother never remarried. Just one
selfish bastard after another took advantage of her until she gave up looking.”
She let out a hostile breath. “You know, she may be a little on the tough side,
but she’s still the most caring woman anyone could wish for. Why do bad things
always happen to good people?” She looked down again, shaking her head as if in
deep thought of her mother’s woes. But she regained herself and refocused her
attention on a silent, somber Jack. “I’m sorry. It’s not an easy subject for
me. What’s your family like?”

“I
guess mine is kind of boring compared to yours. I grew up in a pretty typical
American household in upstate New York. My dad worked. My mom didn’t. He’s
getting ready to retire, and they’re about to take a cruise around the world.”

Sarina
raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Doesn’t sound very typical to me. Besides, I did a
little research on your father. And I’ll have to say, at the risk of further
elevating your ego, that he has a pretty impressive reputation. President of
Barton Steel, right?”

“Yes.”

“Your
father seems to be a charitable man. God knows he’s handled the layoffs over
the years pretty well. But I have a hard time believing he’s really such a
saint, especially considering how good PR firms are these days.” Her stare
indicated the expectation of a totally honest answer. “I’ll bet there’s some
dirt that never made the papers…”

“I
hate to disappoint you, Sarina, but I don't think so. Take his relationship
with my mom. I’m pretty sure he’s never cheated on her. Never wanted to. He has
this traditional Christian view of marriage and commitments. I guess he’s a
testimonial that you don’t have to cut people’s throats to make it to the top. Sure,
my parents have had their differences over the years like everybody else, but I
can tell they still love each other. It’s neat.”

“Sounds
like it.” She sounded depressed.

“Dessert?”
The waiter arrived so quietly he caught them both by surprise.

“Definitely,”
Sarina announced with impulsive conviction. “Something chocolate. What do you
have?”

The
waiter’s Italian accent was in full bloom as he began the list. “Well, we have chocolate
mousse, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cheesecake and chocolate silk pie with a
meringue shell.”

Sarina’s
face took on a mischievous look. “Will you share something with me, Jack
darling?”

“Certainly,
sweetheart,” he said, playing along. “Your choice.”

She
didn’t hesitate. “We’ll take the pie.”

“Splendid,”
the waiter replied, almost as if it was a conditioned response. “Coffee? Espresso?
Cappuccino?”

“Cappuccino,”
the couple replied in unison.

“
Due
Cappuccino.
Eccellente.
”

They
smiled at each other before Jack seized the opportunity to change the subject,
boldly attacking the issue he had resisted all evening.

“Sarina.
I know you aren’t supposed to discuss your case with me, but I couldn’t help but
overhear your associates mention the name Antonucci that night at the hospital.
And after a little digging on the Internet I ran across Enzo Antonucci, the
financial genius from Italy, and I realized he’s the guy they were talking
about. I feel there’s a connection with me in all this, and I just can’t place
it.” He studied her response carefully, hoping she would be forthcoming with some
information, but she seemed virtually unmoved.

Instead,
she casually downed the last sip of her wine as if preparing for coffee and
dessert and wrinkled her brow. “Were you listening outside the door at the
hospital?”

“Yes.”
He raised his chin.

“Why,
you naughty thing! And that stunt you pulled to see Bob’s and Ben’s
identification? Very clever.”

“Thanks.
But you’re avoiding the subject. So what’s the scoop with Antonucci?”

“Jack,
I can’t tell you anything. You know that.”

“The
guy’s a big-time drug dealer. Isn’t he?”

She
squinted. “Distributor, actually. How did you know?”

“Simple
deduction, my dear Watson. You’re with the DEA, and you’re doing an investigation
on Antonucci. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.”

Sarina
nodded and pursed her lips. “I suppose not.”

“I
think I can help you.”

“Don’t
be ridiculous, Jack. There isn’t anything you can do that we haven’t already
done ourselves. The DEA’s resources are more in depth than you can possibly
imagine.” She apparently detected her own contempt and sweetened her tone of
voice. “I know you’re looking for a little excitement right now, perhaps even
some danger. And I totally get that. But this is serious business, not a
playful distraction for a bored rich guy like you.”

“Bored
rich guy? Did you really just say that?” He leaned forward and lowered his
voice. “Okay, so maybe a little of what you’re saying is true, but I also want
to make a difference, and I think this is how I’m supposed to do it.”

Sarina
sighed. “Jack, please. Just concentrate on finding a job in your industry. That’s
where you’ll get the greatest reward based on your experience, track record and
education. Take my word for it when I say that you don’t want any part of this.
Besides, I’ve tracked down a new lead on Antonucci that should give us a strong
hold. We’ll get him.”

“A
new lead? You mean to tell me you’re already back on the job?”

“Have
been for over a week.” She looked proud. “In fact, I have to leave town
tomorrow morning.”

“Really,
for where?”

“Jack,
I…”

“I
know. You can’t tell me. Fine.”

The
waiter delivered the dessert and two cups of Cappuccino while they stared at
each other in silence.

Sarina
reached across the table for Jack’s hand. “Jack, you need to be a little more
understanding. This is my job.”

“Yeah,
well, I’m not some Colombian spy who’s going to spill the whole operation to
the boys down in Bogota. I’m just trying to help, partially as a concerned
citizen, and partially out of excitement for your affection…and also for your
world. I’ll admit it.”

She
laughed. “Jack, a refined gentleman like you wouldn’t last two seconds in my
world.”

Jack’s
egocentric defense mechanism kicked into high gear, but he remained outwardly
calm. Debating and negotiating were two of his best occupationally acquired
skills, after all.

“And
what makes you think that?” he asked.

“Things
in this profession aren’t as glamorous as what you see on TV. Being physically
attacked or threatened at gunpoint is a terrifying experience. Believe me. I
just don’t think a guy like you could handle it. You’ve lived in a sheltered
world your entire life, for God’s sake.”

Now
he was getting angry. No woman had ever suggested she was better than him at
such masculine things as these, and he addressed her firmly. “I’ll have you
know that I can hold my own in a fight. Did you know that I’m highly trained in
both karate and jujitsu?”

“No,
I guess we missed that. And it’s very impressive, Jack darling. But the real
world is different from a classroom. I assure you.”

He
raised a powerful right eyebrow. “Babe, you’d be surprised. I could kick
anybody’s ass, anytime, anywhere.”

“Oh
God. Don’t be so macho, Jack. It’s not appealing. You’re such a mature and
elegant man until you start getting defensive.”

“Me?”
He was outraged but kept his voice low. “What about
you
? You put on a
tougher act than most men I know. Like when you were at the hospital. You
wouldn’t even acknowledge you were in pain. And you had just been shot, for
chrissake. It’s the biggest goddamn double standard I’ve ever heard of.”

“The
difference, my dear, is demonstrating one’s strength in reality instead of just
talking about it. Let me see you actually kick someone’s ass first, and we’ll
talk.”

Damn
her. That was a really good point. Time to deflect.

“Well,
I don’t know what kind of success you’ve had with men, Sarina, but it’s
obviously been limited.”

She
shook her head with a look of disillusionment. “If anyone has a limited
understanding of the opposite sex, Jack, it’s you. You’re probably used to naïve
little secretaries running around the office, treating you like you’re some
kind of god. But it’s time for you to come down off your cloud, because I’m more
of a woman than you’ll ever be able to handle.” She counted on her fingers as
she continued. “I’m strong. I’m intelligent. And I’m painfully aware of the
shortcomings your gender has to offer. So don’t play your petty little
fraternal games with me. I can see right through them.”

Jack
stared at her blankly while he summed up his thoughts. “Just because you and
your mother may have had a few bad experiences is no excuse to push people
away, Sarina.” He leaned back in his chair and took a superior tone. “You have
absolutely no idea what a man like me can offer you. No idea at all. But I
guess you’ll never know if you don’t let down that wall you’ve built between
yourself and your vulnerability.”

“Don’t
flatter yourself, Jack. Guys like you are only good for a diversion here and
there. I mean, the only reason I came to your house today was to jump that
rock-solid body of yours.” Sarina realized she had been carelessly loud, and
she looked around to discover that several people had heard her. She lowered
her voice and continued. “Oh, and it’s real nice that you and your family have
money. A lot of people might be impressed by that. But not me. So you are sadly
mistaken if you think you have anything I want for a long-term relationship.”

“So
what’s the story? Am I not tough enough? Is that it?”

Sarina
squinted and leaned forward. “Let’s just say you haven’t seen enough time on
the street. You wouldn’t know how to relate to me if you tried.”

“And
you, my dear, have a distorted view of what relationships are all about. Just
because my battles have been fought in a different environment doesn’t mean we
haven’t learned a lot of the same lessons in life. Besides, I always thought a
big part of relationships was learning new things from each other. Maybe I’m
just too old-fashioned.”

He
watched her for a reaction, but she remained in her reclined position and glared
at him.

“Is
that all you’ve got?” Jack asked. “Nothing else?”

Sarina
picked up her Cappuccino and took a leisurely sip while keeping her eyes locked
on Jack’s. She set it down on the saucer and licked the foam off her lips,
never breaking eye contact. “Let’s go somewhere and fuck.”

“Excuse
me? Didn’t we just agree that you and I can’t have a relationship?”

“I
don’t give a shit about having a relationship with you, Jack. I just want to fuck
your brains out. We’ll both feel a lot better afterwards. Believe me.”

Jack’s
entire body turned hot, like someone had poured a vat of boiling water over his
head, and that powerful stare of hers was firing up his junk in a big way. The
primitive man inside him wanted to strip off her clothes and do her right there
on the table while the couple in the next booth finished their appetizers, but
another part of him was scared shitless. The big question was why. Women didn’t
intimidate him. Ever. He intimidated
them
. So why was his heart racing
from a rush of adrenaline just because
this
woman asked him to screw her?
Maybe it was the same reason he refused her at the house. He was a control
freak, especially when it came to sex, and once again she was trying to take it
away.

Sarina
seemed entertained by his inability to respond, and she leaned toward him again.
“Don’t you want to fuck me, Jack?” She reached her hand under the table,
between his legs, and her eyes widened when she discovered his condition. Then
the giggling started.

“You’re
making a scene,” Jack said.

“Holy
shit,” she whispered. “You really do want me. You just couldn’t admit it.” She
continued to giggle as she headed straight for his zipper, pulled it down, and
expertly reached through the flap of his boxer-briefs to take hold of him. He
knew he should stop her, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. Her hand
felt so damn good fondling him there. Then he watched her other hand disappear
under the table. Was she hiking up her dress?