17

Silky smooth skin brushed up against my thigh, and my body reacted. Though my eyes were closed, I could envision her shapely thigh over mine and I leaned in, cupping her ass, and pulled her closer.

She sighed and tucked her head under my chin. "Morning," she whispered. Her breath fanned against my neck.

"Morning," I said, running my fingers through her hair.

I checked the clock on the nightstand. It was seven-thirty. "I'm going to get up and shower before work."

She groaned and pulled me back down when I tried to climb out of bed. "Five more minutes," she muffled into my chest.

I smiled. How could I resist such a request? "Five more minutes," I agreed.

I laid there with Nikole in my arms, running a finger absently along her back, and wondered what the next steps would be for us. Was this a casual thing? We never talked about relationships, so I wasn't sure if sex meant commitment to her, but I wasn't ready for that. Damn, we should have talked about this, but last night was a hazy, blissful blur. It was hard to regret it.

"Jake, Jake!" My sister's voice rang out in the hallway and then the next moment she burst through the door.

"Oh my god," Nikole shouted next to me and pulled the covers over her head.

I shook my head. "Why do you keep barging into my house?" I sat up in bed.

She smirked. "Relax. Don't get your panties in a knot." She looked down. "Well, I can see they're lying perfectly flat on the floor here, but you know what I mean."

Nikole groaned beside me and Sarah laughed harder. "Don't try to hide under there. I know it's you, Nik." Then she placed both hands on her hips. "I can't believe you both kept this from me."

I rolled my eyes and moved to throw off the covers and get out of bed, but remembered I was stark naked. "Do you mind turning around?"

"Not at all." She complied, and I climbed out. Finding a towel in the adjoining washroom, I wrapped it around my hips.

"Now, what do you want?"

Her gaze shot toward Nikole, and she hesitated. "Um, I'll just talk to you about it another time."

"What?!" I shook my head. "You stormed through my house looking for me like a bat out of hell, and now you're saying it can wait?"

"Ya." Her eyes widened, and she tilted her head in Nikole's direction. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

"She doesn't want to say it in front of me," came Nikole's muffled response from under the sheets. "Can you leave now, Sarah? It's getting hard to breathe under here."

"Sure thing, darling," she said, then turned on her heels and left. Or was it a skip?

I blew out a breath and wondered what Sarah could possibly want to talk to me about that she couldn't say in front of Nikole. "I'm going to take that shower now. Care to join me?"

"No!" she shouted and pulled the sheets back. "Just hurry."

"I'll shower in my room and I'll leave you this one."

Twenty minutes later, after I showered, shaved, and dressed for the day, I approached the kitchen in search of my unwanted guest. I heard their voices before I turned the corner.

"We haven't been hiding a relationship from you, Sarah. This is brand new, like a few hours old, new."

"Really? You went from hating him to sleeping with him in a matter of hours?"

"I never hated him. All right, all right, don't give me that look. I was pissed when he stood me up and I gave him a hard time about it. But once I stopped being angry with him, these feelings just started to sneak up on me, and then last night, he… he—"

"Stop, I don't want to hear this part."

"I was going to say he was so vulnerable."

I closed my eyes. Is that what she saw in me? Weakness and vulnerability. Was I a pity project? I'd heard enough.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked, stepping into the kitchen.

She jumped, spilling her coffee onto the white kitchen counter. "Shit, sorry."

"Just leave it. Alma will clean it up later," I said sharply. "We better go."

She grabbed a paper towel and wiped it clean, anyway. Then, putting her cup in the dishwasher, she waved to Sarah. "I'll see you later."

Sarah wiggled her fingers back. "Later, Nic."

When we entered the elevator, Nikole looked up at me and smiled. I smiled back, but my head warned me not to get close.

The elevator doors opened, and I unlocked my car. Once inside, I got straight to business. "Jager compiled a list of who checked out books or surfed the net on privacy laws in the New York Library. It's pretty extensive, but he cross-referenced names of students currently enrolled in law school and scratched them from the list."

"That's good. How many people are we talking about now?"

"A couple of hundred, I think."

"Wow, that's still a lot of people to research, but we won't give up."

I wasn't worried about us giving up. I was worried about the guy planning something and getting to Nikole or her mother before we got him. I was worried we were racing against time. But I wasn't going to worry her about that.

When we arrived at her office building, a half dozen reporters waited for her outside.

I nearly ran one over when he blocked my entrance into the parking lot. Then another put a camera right in Nikole's face, so I had to elbow him in the stomach.

But we weren't the only ones bothered.

When Nikole left her boss's office an hour later, her face was red and blotchy. She walked briskly down the hallway to her office and closed the door, but I opened it and walked right in.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Marty just told me I have to work from home until this stuff with my mother cools down," she said as she slammed her pen on her desk and grabbed her laptop.

"Well, that's not such a bad idea." I was glad I could protect Nikole from the safety of my home rather than deal with these annoying journalists. "A stalker could pretend to be one of those reporters."

Her face fell, and she pressed her lips together. I shook my head. "I don't want you to worry," I nearly snarled the words at her. "I would kill anyone that tried to hurt you. They would not get away with it. I promise you that."

She blinked, and her breath hitched. I wasn't sure if my intensity reassured or frightened her. I wouldn't take it back, though. I'd meant it.

"I'm just so frustrated," she bit out through clenched teeth. "I didn't want to bring any attention to myself, and now there are reporters outside and my boss thinks I'm a distraction to my colleagues." She shook her head. "This is a nightmare."

Her phone rang, and she huffed a humorless laugh when she checked the caller ID. "Great, just what I needed."

She answered her phone. "Hello, Mother."

Balancing the phone between her cheek and shoulder, she stuffed her briefcase with file folders while listening to the governor on the other end. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

She shook her head. "I don't care, Mother. I have a lot going on right now, and showing up for a photo op in the mayor's office in an hour isn't possible."

Rolling her eyes, she added, "Yeah, my job is important too."

She pulled the phone away and growled at it. Then, returning it to her ear, she ended the call with "Goodbye, Mother."

She threw her purse over her shoulder and nodded to me. "Let's go."

I smiled, and my dick stiffened a bit at her commanding tone.

Two minutes later, as we were leaving her office, I got a text from Christian. "Jake, you have to convince Nikole to come to the photo shoot. I'm going to need backup. Someone from the governor's staff tipped this photo op to the press. Now there are photographers everywhere."

I groaned. I wasn't stupid enough to ask Nikole to go back on her speech. I was proud of her, so I texted back. "You have to find someone else. Nikole isn't going."

Nikole's phone rang again. "Doesn't she ever give up?" she muttered.

We were walking down the staircase, and I placed my hand on her shoulder before she stepped into the foyer.

"Call her back in the truck. I want your full attention as we walk past those reporters."

She nodded. I stepped ahead and covered her body with mine as we dodged questions from the journalists. "Are you heading to the mayor's office, Nikole?" one of the reporters asked. "Are you scared to be out in public?"

Nikole's body stiffened, and I squeezed her shoulders, hoping to communicate it wasn't worth her time to answer their questions. Even to defend herself. Her safety was my main priority.

After opening the car door for her, I turned to face the persistent pests. "Get out of my way or you'll get hurt."

"Is that a threat?" one of the reporters asked.

I smiled. "It's a request and a warning. You'll know if I threaten you. You won't have to ask."

Getting into my car, I turned to Nikole. "Are you all right?"

She sighed and leaned her head back. "I can't wait until this is all over."

I nodded, but a pit grew at the bottom of my stomach. When this was all over, would I ever see her again? Last night I would have said hell yes. But after her talk with Sarah, I wasn't sure anymore.

No use thinking about it now. I had a job to do.

Nikole held the phone to her ear. "It's me. What's going on?"

She listened, then turned to look at me. "Is she right? Am I putting her at risk by not going to the mayor's office and having you there?"

I didn't answer.

"Well?"

I stared straight at the road. "She won't be unsafe. We wouldn't let that happen. But Christian did mention something about needing backup."

She sighed, and the sound echoed throughout the truck. "Fine. But I'm not coming now. Reschedule the photo for after five. I'll meet you there."

"Yes, I am the one giving orders now, Mom. If you had consulted with me first, I could have told you that sooner, but you assumed I would drop everything as I usually do. Not this time. I will compromise, that's it."

Nikole nodded. "Good. See you later."

She shoved her phone into her purse. Sighing once more, she pushed her hair out of her face and leaned her head back.

Her eyes were closed, and a bead of perspiration gathered at the top of her forehead. Reaching over, I wiped it with my thumb.

She turned to look at me. Her brown eyes softened and this time her sigh was softer, less angry. "Thank you."

I nodded and returned my attention to the road.

"She just pushes my buttons, you know. I don't want to be this angry person with her, but I always am."

"What was she like growing up?"

She snorted. "We don't have enough time to get into that."

I wasn't sure why I asked. I didn't want to talk about my past, either. But I wanted to understand her. I wanted to know if someone had hurt her.

"Some other time then."

She nodded and looked out the passenger side window. A few minutes later, she wiped the side of her face, and a heat spread from my stomach all the way to my forehead. It was like her distress had lit a small fire within my chest and thawed a piece of my heart that had been frozen since Janine. Maybe even before her, if I was honest with myself.

I reached for her hand and held it while I drove. She squeezed back but didn't speak. She sniffed and tried to discreetly wipe her nose with the edge of her coat sleeve. I shouldn't have found it as endearing as I did. But it was so childlike and vulnerable.

Vulnerable.

There it was again. Only this time, I used it to describe her. Was vulnerability such a bad thing then? I didn't think less of her for it. I shook the thought from my head. There was no time to think about it right now.

***

Nikole twirled a loose strand of hair with her finger. She had put her long hair into a makeshift bun using a pencil to secure it. She sat at my dining room table with her blue-light glasses on and an excited look on her face as she stared at her laptop.

She'd been enthralled with work for the past two hours. She usually worked with the door closed in her office, so I'd never witnessed how much she enjoyed her job.

Since returning to my place, I'd been reviewing the list Jager sent me. There were at least ten names I thought the police should take a closer look at.

When I checked my watch, I realized it was nearly five o'clock, and she hadn't eaten anything in a while.

I cut a slice of blueberry pie and made her a cappuccino. We often stopped for coffee before work if we weren't running late, so I knew how she liked it. One milk, two sugars.

I placed the plate and mug beside her laptop. She looked at them and then up at me. She blinked several times. Her brown eyes reflected blue from the screen. "Thank you. How did you know I was starving?"

I shrugged. "Because you usually leave your office for a coffee break around this time. And you're not at your desk, so you can't dip into the candy jar for your afternoon sugar fix. So, I thought this would be the next best thing. Alma made it. It's really good."

She speared the pie with her fork and broke off a large piece; the blueberry filling oozed out. She took a bite and closed her eyes. "Mmm… that is delicious," she mumbled with a mouthful of pie.

It should have been funny, but the guttural sound of her groan only sent shivers straight down to my groin.

I turned around, afraid I would push the plate aside and make her groan with my mouth.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I stepped away. "We have to leave soon. I'm not sure if you'd like to change first."

She looked down at the corporate suit she still wore. "I think this is fine. It's professional."

I nodded and ran a hand through my hair. Those black pencil skirts she wore may be professional, but they were fucking sexy, too.

Why did I mention her clothing? Now all I wanted to do was take it off.

I grabbed my keys. "If you're ready, then. Let's go."

I packed my gun and put my earpiece in. I had a strange feeling about this afternoon. Christian rarely called in reinforcements, so I wanted to ensure I was prepared for anything.

Nikole took a long sip of her coffee, then walked over to the kitchen and put away her dishes. "Okay, I'm ready," she said, straightening her skirt and tucking her blouse in tighter.

When she pressed her shoulders back, stretching after being at a desk for hours, her breasts pushed against the middle buttons of her blouse. I pulled at my white collar as heat crept up my neck. I couldn't get out of this stifling room fast enough.

***

Outside City Hall was a circus of reporters waiting for the governor and her daughter to show up. Christian and I parked our vehicles in a private spot with access directly inside the building. However, Christian just texted me that the governor wanted to say a few words to the media outside before meeting with the mayor.

"Shit," I muttered.

"What is it?"

"The governor wants to hold an impromptu press conference right now."

"Where?"

"Looks like it will be at the front steps of City Hall."

Nikole blew out a heavy breath. "Of course she does. Never lose a PR opportunity, she would say."

"Let's get you inside while they're distracted by her."

She nodded. "That's a good idea."

As I suspected, when the reporters heard the governor would be saying a few words, they all flocked to the steps with their microphones pointed at her.

Christian stood behind her, wearing a dark gray suit and black T-shirt.

I pressed my earpiece. "Christian, I'm taking Nikole inside. Call me if you need a hand bringing in the governor. I'll assist you once I have Nikole secured."

"10-4," Christian replied.

"Let's go," I said to Nikole and jumped out of my car. I wasn't sure how long the governor would speak.

I huddled next to Nikole as we walked up the steps and discreetly passed reporters. We caught part of the governor's speech as we made our way inside.

"My daughter's kidnapping is exactly the sort of thing Bill C-125 would prevent. It will offer us the tools to be proactive with criminals instead of reactive."

Nikole groaned beside me, and a growl gathered in my throat as well. Nikole had worked so hard to squash that story, not to give it any fuel, and with one sentence, her mother just put it back onto the front pages. She knew it would make her bill relevant and relatable. Who wouldn't want to prevent the kidnapping of their child, even if it meant stomping on a constitutional right?

Turns out, I didn't have to go back to help Christian. The governor's speech was brief, and she didn't take any questions afterward. They were up inside the mayor's office within minutes after we arrived.

"Darling," she said when she saw Nikole. "How are you? I've been worried sick about you."

I'd spent a few days now with Nikole and not once had the governor called to find out how she was doing. Once, she called to ask Nikole if she had heard the rumor of the governor running for president, but had then laughed and said they were just rumors, of course. Nikole wasn't pleased about them.

Another time, her mother invited Nikole to a special event and then argued when Nikole turned it down. She'd accused her daughter of trying to ruin her career.

Nikole was exhausted after phone calls with her mother. She put her head down on the table for several minutes before calmly walking into another room for at least an hour.

With a stiff upper lip, Nikole replied, "I'm fine, Mother. Just had a long day and want to get this over with."

The governor didn't hide her disapproving frown and turned to the mayor. "Do your children treat you with such little respect, or did the good Lord save this one just for me?"

He chuckled. "No, no. Mine are just as quarrelsome."

Nikole's face darkened, and her lips pressed together.

"Ma'am," I said, stepping in front of her and the mayor. "Ms. Adams has a busy schedule, so if we can move this photo along, I'd appreciate it."

"Huh," the governor huffed. "All brawn, but no brains."

"Mother!" Nikole snapped, but I raised my hand.

I turned to the photographer. "Just get the photo done now. We're out of here in two minutes."

The photographer positioned everyone to his liking, and I stood back with my arms crossed, watching the tableau unfold.

A man in uniform walked past the door, and I recognized Commissioner Rodriguez.

I pressed my hand to my ear. "Christian?"

"Yes?"

"I have to speak with the commissioner for a few minutes. Don't let Nikole leave until I get back."

"Roger that."

I raced out the door and spotted the man a few feet ahead of me. "Rodriguez!" I shouted.

He stopped abruptly, without turning, then resumed walking away.

I caught up to him in minutes. "Sir, I need to speak with you."

"Make an appointment with my office," he said without stopping.

"It's urgent. It's regarding the governor."

I knew if anything happened to either Nikole or her mother, it would reflect just as badly on the police department as it would on us.

"I have a list of about ten individuals you need to look into. They are persons of interest with connection to this case."

"What case?" He finally turned around. "The way I understand it, you are responsible for kidnapping the younger Ms. Adams. So, if I should be looking into anyone, it should be you."

I closed my eyes. The governor must have shared that information with the commissioner. I wished she hadn't done that.

"That was a lesson gone wrong. But these names, these are the ones we need to look into."

"But you're saying the kidnapping was a mistake—it wasn't real—aren't you?"

"Yes," I said, exasperated. "But the threat is still very real. Someone is trying to intimidate, and I think, harm the governor or her daughter. We need to act before someone gets hurt."

He stepped into my face, his nose only inches from mine. "You're the one getting paid to protect these people, aren't you? Don't ask me to do your job again. I'm tired of cleaning up your messes."

He turned on his heel and walked away.