Perfect Picture [The ShadowDance Club 7] (Siren Publishing Classic) (8 page)

Lainy saw her phone flash with first one incoming message, then two. She’d looked up to speak to Jenna, when she heard the distinctive ring-tone she’d assigned to Noah.
Good grief. And here I thought I only had one stalker.
Picking up the phone, she answered and assured Noah that she would indeed explain and forward the emails to Mitch as soon as she could. And even though he wasn’t happy, she managed to get him off the phone quickly. Shaking her head, she smiled at Jenna who just shrugged her shoulders as if to say, “I tried to warn you.”

Lainy said her good-byes and made her way to the back of the house. She took her time, enjoying the beautifully landscaped gardens. The entire area was enclosed by the two wings of the Lamont’s mansion and a third wing that housed The ShadowDance Club. The fourth side was a beautiful stand of tall trees that provided the perfect backdrop for the lush paradise that lay at the bottom of the base of the rock wall. It had always seemed as if God himself had carved out the peak of the mountain to give the Lamonts a breathtaking view in all directions, and the gardens were proof the gift hadn’t been ignored. The gazebo and bridge over the small rock-bottomed stream were her favorite features. She recently learned those were designed and built by Rissa’s other husband, Bryant Davis, who had worked in conjunction with Lamont matriarch Catherine. Lainy had heard the entire area was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful at night because of the special effects lighting and she could hardly wait to see it for herself. Hopefully there would be a party or Club event soon because Lainy had been experiencing a bit of cabin fever and was looking forward to a night out.

Walking in the back door of the Lamont mansion the first person she saw was the Lamont’s longtime housekeeper, Selita. The older Hispanic woman ran toward her and threw her arms around Lainy giving her a big hug. She and Lainy’s mom had become close years ago because of their mutual interest in cooking and Selita had always appreciated the fact that Cora Red Cloud had been fluent in several Central American dialects so Selita had been able to chatter away in Spanish and not worry about her local euphemisms.

“Oh Ilaina, I so glad to see you after your fifteen frames. You still look like an Inca princess. God’s mercy I am so happy to see you finally.” Lainy laughed to herself remembering the other reason she had always enjoyed Selita. The woman was hell on American slang expressions and it was always great fun to try and riddle them out.

“Selita, thank you for your warm welcome and I’m sorry I haven’t been up to see you sooner. I was hoping I’d see you at the wedding, but I heard you were back east visiting your niece. And I’m not sure I really had my full fifteen minutes of fame, and that is just fine by me. I’m awfully glad to be home.” Just then, Lainy heard raised voices coming from down the hall that she knew lead to the Lamonts’ office. Raising a brown she looked questionably at Selita.

“Oh that is your California waves picture cutie. He came in a few minutes ago looking like he was on the war road. Alex is wanting to send him someplace far away to get a little girl and he says send someone else because he doesn’t want to leave you. He said you have a celery guy.” The older woman gave her a nudge in the direction of the office. “You go make sure Alex doesn’t make Noah’s peter come out because I love my Alex, but he can wear people down some of the times, you know?”

Lainy had actually tripped when she’d heard Selita’s words and had snorted back her laughter. “Selita dear, I believe that expression is ‘peter out’ as in getting tired or giving up…although your version does bring a more interesting picture to mind.” She and Selita giggled before Lainy moved quietly down the hall.

As she approached the office she heard Alex’s quieter voice. “We need your experience and truthfully Ilaina would be a real asset as well. She’s traveled in that area of the world and they love her. Take her for a location shoot and let her act as part of your smoke and mirrors.”

“Are you fucking kidding me Alex? Christ, you have asked me for some crazy shit over the years but this takes it man. Why would I put the woman I love in that position? Damn it, I’ve been telling you to hire a couple of female operatives. And I know perfectly well you’ve already been informed that she apparently has a stalker she has conveniently failed to mention.” Lainy didn’t even have to see Noah to know he was running his hands through his shaggy blond hair in frustration.

Stepping into the doorway she smiled at the men gathered there. “Gentlemen, didn’t your mamas teach you that it’s not nice to leave some of the kids out of the game?” Glancing to the sides she saw several men that she recognized and several more that she hadn’t been introduced to.

“
Cara
, please this is not something I want to bring you into right now, although I do want to address the situation with your stalker as soon as this other issue is settled. The mission Alex is proposing is risky and there are just too many unknowns and variables. Not to mention that no one who sees me with you is going to believe that you are just a model I am working with and that will put you squarely in the crosshairs of several very ruthless groups of crazies.” Lainy could see that Noah’s mind was racing and that he was feeling torn so she just waited him out. “I grant you it might work—the plan that is—but the risk is too great. But then again, it would get you out of the country for a bit while Mitch and the team track down your stalker. Christ what a fucking cluster.”

Lainy stepped into the room and walked right up to Noah and placed her hand on his forearm and could literally feel the tension vibrating through him. “Noah, please let me make my own decisions, okay? I have three older brothers who smother me already.” She leaned closer and slid her hands up his arms and then used the lapels of his jacket to pull him down so that she spoke directly in his ear, “And I don’t really want to consider you as another brother, I have something else in mind for you.” Lainy felt his entire body stiffen and when he groaned and then cursed the entire room erupted into laughter.

Ilaina strode through the airport in Jos, Nigeria, as if she owned it. Noah had to hand it to her, she was a seasoned traveler and hadn’t complained about a single inconvenience—and there had been plenty. During their strategy sessions before leaving Colorado, they had all decided the story would be that the Nigerian government was trying to separate themselves from the struggles of their neighboring countries and those efforts included a new publicity blitz touting their efforts to safeguard and educate women as well as their programs working toward wildlife preservation and management.

Alex and Zach’s father, Daniel Lamont was still extremely well connected in the many parts of the world because of his years building Lamont Oil, so he had been instrumental in securing their expedited travel visas. In exchange for their efforts, the Nigerians had demanded sole use of the photographs they would be taking. The fact Noah Drummond was the photographer had pleased the Nigerian officials, but when they’d learned Ilaina had agreed to do the shoot for free they had been positively beside themselves. Noah had shaken his head at the
perks
they’d offered Ilaina, including an upgrade to a suite which in this part of the world often meant a private bathroom.

Noah found himself wondering how the hell she’d been able to withstand the constant scrutiny for as long as she had when he’d seen the public’s reaction to her at each stop. Sure, he’d photographed most of the world’s top models, but he’d sure as hell never traveled with them and now he was grateful for that. Christ every airport they’d been in had been a nightmare to navigate as her fans asked her to pose and sign their shirts, books, hats, hell you name it and she’d been asked to sign it. And through it all she had smiled and greeted people like they’d been her long lost best friends. It wasn’t hard to see how she’d gained a stalker. The more obvious concern had been, how had she only ended up with one? When he’d asked her about it, she simply shrugged and said, “You never want to burn a bridge because you never know when you might need to run back across it during the night.” Her words had sent a shiver up his spine and he hoped they weren’t going to prove prophetic.

When they had finally checked in to their hotel, Noah had insisted that she take a nice soaking bath while he’d ordered room service for them. They planned to be at their first location bright and early the next morning so they’d have use of the best light. Zuma Rock would be a spectacular backdrop for Ilaina’s exotic beauty and Noah was actually looking forward to the chance to take her picture in a public setting. After a morning of outdoor shooting, they were scheduled to visit the Women of Hope Ministries. The Nigerian government wanted to highlight their efforts to make their country safe for women, both residents and travelers. Even though it was purely a public relations manipulation, Noah and the Lamonts had agreed because it was a nice lead-in to their plans for the next day.

The day after tomorrow they were scheduled to visit the nearby Yankari Game Reserve. And that was where they were supposed to “accidently” cross paths with a group of Catholic Sisters visiting with children from their school. One of those children was going to get spirited away during that visit, and then their real challenges would begin.

They had flown commercial all the way so they wouldn’t raise suspicion, but as soon as they had Myla they would need private transportation. The Lamont jet was on standby awaiting his call. It was currently in Luxor, Egypt. But he planned to alert them in plenty of time so they would already be in the air at the time he and Ilaina were scheduled to meet Myla. The pilot would then be directed to land at Jos as soon as Noah contacted Alex via the secure sat-phone he was carrying. Seems rescuing children was a lot more complicated than kidnapping them and didn’t that just about figure.

When Ilaina walked out of their suite’s bath minutes after their dinner had arrived, he had been completely stunned. How the hell did she manage to totally rock a pair of cut-off Levis and a cropped tank? “
Cara
, you are amazing. I’m toast after all that traveling and you walk out of there looking like the hottest woman on the planet.” He’d moved so he was standing in front of her stroking the side of her face with his fingers lost in the moment and just taking in her beauty. She was halfway around the world, putting her life on the line for a child she’d never even met and that only added to her appeal.

“Come on, love. I need to feed you so you can get some rest.” He kissed the end of her nose and led her to the small table so they could enjoy the dinner that had been delivered moments earlier. They ate in a comfortable silence and he knew she had to be completely exhausted. She’d eaten a large plate of fruit and vegetables and downed several glasses of water before turning in.

After his shower he’d joined her in the large bed and pulled her against his chest so he could hold her close. He relished the chance to just breathe her in and let her sweet scent settle his soul. He’d checked his email before coming to bed and Mitch had sent an update on the investigation of her stalker. Both Mitch and Colt Matthews, who was the head of the Lamont’s security operation and was also a technological wizard, were both working to identify the man who had been sending increasingly ominous emails to Ilaina and that was comforting. But Noah knew stalkers were notoriously unpredictable and were often set off by small perceived slights, so no one was taking the veiled threats lightly.

Noah had also read an update from Dylan Marshall, the local sheriff in Climax. Dylan had been a DEA agent before his cover was blown so badly it had ended any chance he had of resuming his field career. The timing had coincided with his father’s retirement as Climax’s chief law enforcement officer and Noah knew all the locals had been thrilled when the younger Marshall decided to return home.

Dylan’s email had expressed his frustration with the slow pace of their progress but Noah knew the bottom line was the man was just plain pissed off because several women had been hurt since he’d taken office—a fact his friend was taking very personally. Noah smiled because they had all teased Dylan that he was being a
Dom-Sheriff
about it, in other words, he was taking responsibility for the care of everyone around him and felt like he should have gained control over the situation by now.

Noah hadn’t even realized he’d finally dozed off until he woke up during the night to feel Ilaina’s small, soft hand skimming his chest. For several seconds he wasn’t sure she was awake, but then he heard her hum and whisper his name. “Noah? Are you awake?”
Oh yeah, baby—I’m damned well awake now. And I’d say you evidently woke up some parts of me before others.

He had to hold in his smile for fear it would come through in his voice and he didn’t want to ever discourage her from waking him up to play. “Oh yes my sweet
cara
, and I can’t think of any better way to be awakened than to feel your warm fingers caressing my bare skin.” Sexual desire was pulsing in the air around them and when she pushed herself between his knees he realized she had evidently been awake for a few minutes because she’d already stripped and the feel of her bare breasts sliding over his bare chest was setting him on fire.

When she slid back down and hooked her fingers in the elastic band of his boxers he moaned her name. Her voice was low and airy as she spoke to him. “I want to taste you. I want to feel your velvet-covered steel as it glides over my tongue. I want to lick the ridges and veins as they shift against the roof of my mouth.” She made good on her promise too and Noah found himself seeing stars as he fought off the climax that threatened to end this interlude all too soon.