Chapter 13

The hot shower had relaxed Jonah's muscles from the stress of the day and cleared the fog from his brain. His own brush with death had had him reeling, but Noelle's heart-wrenching description of her abduction had gutted him.

He used the hand towel on the counter to wipe the condensation from the mirror and ran his fingers through his wet hair. Noelle deserved a carefree evening.

Who was he kidding? She deserved a carefree life after what she'd endured. Mind made up, he nodded at his reflection. He'd put his worries and fears aside for the evening and focus on her. Once they finished researching the tattoo shops, he'd treat her to a date.

Jeans and a Henley T-shirt on and bathroom tidy to appease Noelle's OCD tendencies, he tapped the doorframe on the way out. Tonight mattered. Failure wasn't an option. The second date of her life had to be…not perfect, but had to make a statement.

"There you are. Feel better?" Noelle finished pouring two glasses of iced tea.

"I hope one of those is for me."

"Yup."

He placed a hand on the middle of her back and accepted the beverage.

She tilted her head and studied him.

He winked at her and smiled. The baffled expression made him want to laugh. Operation Second Date for Noelle had begun.

"I…um…shall we get to work?"

Her inability to string together a coherent sentence after a simple touch stroked Jonah's ego. The woman hadn't been kidding when she'd said she had little to no experience with romantic relationships. His expectations for the results of the evening had shot through the roof. Forget Operation Second Date. Operation Treat Her Like a Princess had commenced.

"Sounds like a plan." Jonah placed his glass on the table, then pulled out her chair and motioned for her to sit. "Let's get busy."

She blinked. Her confusion was the cutest thing ever.

"Problem?" He did his best to remain serious.

"No." Noelle sat and he helped her scoot into the table.

He took his seat and popped open his laptop, ignoring her stare. "We have five shops to research. You start at the top of the list, and I'll take the bottom. We'll meet in the middle."

"Okay." Noelle slid her laptop in front of her and opened it. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

She tapped her chair. "This."

He folded his hands on the table and gave her his full attention. "Because you're special and should be treated as such." The air conditioner kicked on and filled the otherwise quiet room with a soft hum. He reached over and smoothed the crease between her eyes. "You're thinking too hard."

She opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "I don't get it."

"You will." Jonah smiled and returned his focus to work.

He heard her huff, then the click of keys.

Thirty minutes later, research complete, Jonah stored his computer. "Ready for dinner?"

"Beyond ready." Noelle leaned back in her chair. "I'll make spaghetti."

"No. I want to take care of you tonight." He moved to the cabinets and pulled out the ingredients for the quick-fix meal.

"You don't have to do that."

"I want to. Consider this our first date."

She spun on her seat. "Date?"

He chuckled. "I can't exactly take you out to a nice restaurant or to the movies, but I can make do here at the house."

"I guess." She folded her arms. "What can I do to help?"

"Absolutely nothing."

She shook her head.

He crouched next to her. "Tonight is about you and only you. I want you to relax and enjoy. That's your job for the evening." He'd never seen her pout before, and he found it adorable. He tapped her nose. "Go find a movie for later. I'll let you know when dinner's ready."

The bewildered look on her face kicked his plan up a notch. Noelle had no idea how to navigate a simple date. A combination of sadness on her behalf and delight that he had the opportunity to introduce her to dating played tug-of-war within him.

He could not mess this up. Jonah laughed. No pressure there.

* * *

Noelle had chosen a comedy for herself and Jonah to watch, and her stomach ached from laughing so hard. She snuggled deeper into Jonah's embrace, enjoying the tenderness and affection. So different from their typical evenings together where they sat on opposite sides of the couch and talked. The man had exceeded her expectations of date night. Of course, those expectations had limits due to her lack of relationship experience. She could get used to more evenings like this one.

Jonah's hand caressed her arm. "What are you thinking so hard about?"

"Hmm. Wouldn't you like to know?" She bit her lips to keep from laughing at his expression.

He rolled his eyes. "Come on, spill."

"I'm happy. Tonight is exactly what I needed. A wonderful dinner. A funny movie. And a great guy who makes me feel special."

Jonah's chest rose and fell. A smile spread on his gorgeous face. He leaned in. "You are special."

And cue awkward. He'd kissed her once. Did he plan to kiss her again? Did she want him to? Yes…no…maybe.

"Elle, relax. I'm not going to kiss you."

Her entire body sagged. Their first official date, and he didn't want her. What had she done wrong?

"Please, don't do that."

She glanced at him. "What?"

"It's not that I don't want to. I do, very much so. But I want you to enjoy the night without the worry or stress." He swiped a finger down her nose. "That doesn't mean it won't happen in the future, though."

She rested her head on his chest. "I think I'd like that."

He chuckled. "Good."

"Jonah?"

"Yeah, babe?" His lips brushed her hair.

"Do you have a tattoo?"

He stiffened. "Why do you ask?"

"Raven asked if you planned to get one. I don't know." She shrugged. "You seemed to get lost in thought."

He tucked her in closer. "Yes, I do."

"What is it?"

"The Latin words for First, do no harm." His fingers trailed along her arm. "A memory of my mentor."

"Can I see it?"

He choked. "That would be a no."

She twisted to look at him. "Why not?" Her eyes widened. "Never mind. Forget I asked." Heat flamed her face.

He threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, honey. That pink flowing up your neck and onto your cheeks is adorable."

"It's not funny. It's embarrassing."

"Elle, look at me." He placed his finger under her chin and lifted. "It's not that private. My tattoo is on my upper thigh. I chose a place where no one can see it."

"Oh." She burrowed back into his arms. "Do you regret it?"

He exhaled. "Regret? No. Would I choose to do it now that I'm older? Probably not. I am glad that I decided to have something meaningful, though."

"I can understand that." She closed her eyes. "I didn't get a choice with mine."

"Would you like to have yours removed?" His tone held no judgment, only kindness.

"I've thought about it. But ultimately, no. I can't see it unless I look in a mirror at the right angle, so that helps." She played with the buttons on his Henley shirt. "It serves as a reminder that I survived."

"That's a nice way to look at it." He laid his cheek on her head. "Thank you."

"For what?"

He squeezed her tighter against him. "Tonight. Us. This."

"I should thank you. No one has ever treated me like this before."

"You deserve it."

Tears dripped from her chin and onto his shirt. Never in her life had anyone cherished her like Jonah had tonight.

God, it feels too good to be true. Am I setting myself up for heartbreak? Or is this my future?

* * *

Jack clenched his jaw and pounded on the arm of his easy chair in his living room. How had the doctor survived? Jack had skills. His daddy had taught him to hunt, and the internet was a treasure trove of information. Not to mention his mentor. The only answer to the failed attempts was that the doctor was the luckiest fool alive.

He'd followed the man home to discover the lady security guard watching the house. Sure, he could sneak past the woman, but he decided to wait for another opportunity to take the man out.

Ken had royally messed up his plans. Why did the man have to grow a conscience?

Jack took a sip of his Coke. Normally, he'd add a little extra kick to the drink, but until he eliminated the one person who could expose his secret, he had to keep a clear mind.

The TV droned in the background, and a couple of dogs barked outside. Jack stared at the wall, formulating his plan for tomorrow, and the end of Dr. Harris. With the doctor gone, he'd be free to focus on his next victim. He couldn't ignore his responsibility. The women who seduced men had to die. Only one failure marred the mission, and that one was his father's. The one that got away. Someday he'd find her and finish what dear ol' Dad had started. But he'd save that for later. The doctor took priority.

Tomorrow, he'd follow the doctor and end his life once and for all, eliminating the potential for evidence against him.

Stupid Ken had killed his friend. He just hadn't realized it. It was all Ken's fault Dr. Harris's life had to end.