A Burning Obsession Read online

  Did she take him for a fool?

  She exited the dining room with her head held high. He expected tears to flow the moment they were alone. He expected her to fling herself into his arms and ask him to keep quiet about what had happened that afternoon. Apparently he didn’t know her well enough yet because she didn’t do the expected.

  Oh, no. She headed straight for the front desk, ignoring him completely.

  He tightened his grip and slowed her down. “Just where do you think you’re going?”

  “To call the police.”

  He frowned at her, wondering for the second time that day if she was crazy. “You’re turning yourself in?”

  “Of course not. I didn’t do anything.” She lifted her chin and her eyes flashed green fire at him. Another man might have been scorched, but Jason appreciated the heat.

  Beneath that kind of heat a man would find passion. But he could never be that man if she did something so dumb as to turn herself in and get herself locked up in a cell.

  He guided her toward a private corner of the empty reception area. “You used a fake ID and false pretenses to inspect the Book of Celts. And after we caught you, you had time to go back into the library to steal it.”

  “But I didn’t.” She snapped her spine as straight as a soldier at a court-martial. Those kissable lips drew tightly together and her beautiful eyes narrowed on him with an intensity that almost made him trust his instincts that she was innocent—almost but not quite. She failed to stare him down. “And since I have nothing to hide—”

  “You’re going to hand yourself over to the authorities like a Christmas goose ready to be cooked and carved?”

  She folded her arms under her chest and speared him with a look of disdain. “I suppose you have a better idea?”

  “Do nothing.”

  “But—”

  “The police don’t have a shred of evidence to tie you to the crime scene. Not even a fingerprint. You wore gloves, remember.”

  “But when you questioned me in the hallway that scene was caught on videotape. I admitted my real name, my nationality and who I work for.” She raised a fist to her mouth and bit down on her knuckle, deep in thought. “I’m as good as caught.”

  “No. You aren’t.” He drew her hand from her mouth, rubbed the spot she’d bitten and guided her onto a sofa in a comfy nook next to a marble fireplace and far enough away from the reception desk to give them privacy. “After I let you go, I returned to the security office. That guard deserves to be fired because he didn’t see our conversation in the hallway as he was off on a tea break. And I erased the tape.”

  “Why?”

  He could hardly tell her that he was a man wanted on three continents by authorities who were looking into the disappearance of stolen jewelry and then expect to work himself into her good graces. He couldn’t tell her that he habitually avoided having his picture taken. Allowing his face to be seen on a videotape was anathema to a man in his profession. He couldn’t even tell her that he’d given her a fake name.

  He’d erased the tape to hide his presence, not hers. But now he needed to give her a believable answer. Whether a guilty spy or an innocent woman, Kimberly seemed to have a bright mind, but if she were truly a spy, he had to come up with a good answer. Many times in his career, he would have been caught if his brain hadn’t worked just as fast as his fingers.

  He lowered his voice. “It pays to be careful, and I have an image to uphold.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “If the guard had decided to sell that tape, my standing in certain circles could be compromised.”

  “Huh?”

  “Haven’t you seen those tapes of people making love in elevators and closets and hallways that have shown up on television and the Internet? I did unbutton your shirt, remember?”

  “So what?”

  “They might have thought we were having kinky sex—” not that he would have turned her down “—and sold the tape to the highest bidder.”

  “Are you married?”

  “Hardly,” he replied thinking that an odd question for her to ask at a moment like this one.

  “Why would a single man care about a videotape?”

  “We aren’t all from Hollywood where a sex scandal will enhance our image. My conservative parents wouldn’t like it.”

  “Oh, right. You stole a tape so a picture of you unbuttoning my blouse wouldn’t show up on the Internet?”

  He pretended not to hear her sarcasm. “It’s okay. The tape is no more.”

  Maybe she’d feel grateful enough to tell him the truth, but she still looked suspicious.

  “And the guard just let you waltz into his office, use his equipment and erase the tape?”

  “He had to answer a call of nature.” Jason had just saved her cute little ass, but she was scowling at him. “What?”

  “I don’t know whether to thank you or thwap you upside the head for telling me such a ridiculous story.”

  “I wouldn’t object to a kiss of appreciation.”

  “Has anyone ever told you that you have a one-track mind?”

  He leaned close to her, knee touching knee. Their lips were less than an inch apart and he could smell the scent of wine on her breath. “One-track? I see nothing wrong with holding to a course of action as long as that track takes us where we want to go.”

  “We? This might sound strange to you, but there is no we. I don’t kiss men who I don’t know a thing about.”

  She might have protested, but she didn’t pull away. And she didn’t seem to be considering talking to the local authorities any longer, thank goodness. He supposed he should be satisfied with the progress he’d made on the case, but concentrating was hard when all he wanted to do was carry her up to his room, undress her slowly and make love to her on his crisp clean sheets.

  She was sitting close enough for a lock of her hair to brush against his arm. She was talking to him, not shouting. And she now owed him big-time. He could take his time deciding when to collect.

  He tried to sound patient. “What do you want to know?”

  “Why did you accept Quinn’s offer?”

  “You don’t want to know.”

  No man would easily volunteer the answer to a question like that. She was going to have to work to draw this answer out of him—even if it was a lie. He couldn’t exactly tell her he’d accepted the mission for the Shey Group due to a promise he’d made Kincaid that kept him out of jail.

  “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know.”

  “You’ll think badly of me.”

  “I’ll think worse of you if you don’t give me an answer,” she countered.

  “Quinn faxed me your picture.”

  “I’m no actress with head shots in Quinn’s file cabinet. Where did he get my picture?”

  “I have no idea, but a man like Quinn has resources. If he wanted your picture taken, any photographer with a telephoto lens could snap a photo from a block away and you’d never know.”

  “So you saw my picture,” she prodded.

  “And I agreed.”

  She raised a brow that voiced her skepticism. “Quinn sent you my picture and you agreed? You haven’t told me why.”

  “Because I liked the picture he sent. I was immediately attracted to you.”

  He figured she would ask what about her attracted him. Women loved compliments, even the experienced ones who filled his normal hunting grounds. But she had to be difficult.

  “Can I see the picture?” she asked sweetly, but her eyes had narrowed to those sexy slits that meant she was all riled up again.

  “It’s in my room. We could go there and I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”

  “I’m not going to your room.”

  He tried to look disappointed while making a mental note to find a picture of her—tonight. She was one smart, sexy lady. To stay ahead of her, he had to anticipate her next move.

  KIMBERLY FELT as though strange forces w
ere sucking her into a vortex. She needed time to think and get her feet back under her. She wanted to go over every word Jason Parker had said to her because she didn’t believe him. Despite all his help, despite his charm, something didn’t ring true, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

  Had Maggie, with Quinn’s help, handpicked this man to be her lover?

  Every time she just thought about writing those love scenes she knocked something over, tripped or gasped for air. Maybe it was because she wanted so desperately to do them right. However, thinking about researching those scenes with Jason Parker was enough to give her heart palpitations.

  She didn’t like the way she wanted to trust him. She knew all too well from her parents’ example that people were often not who they seemed. Their friends and neighbors had all believed her folks were civil servants. No one suspected they secretly worked as undercover agents for the CIA.

  Kimberly had kept their secret for years and she wasn’t accustomed to opening up to anyone. Then again, she’d never been alone in a foreign country dealing with acts of an illegal nature. Although she hadn’t stolen that book, she knew how suspicious her actions today would look to the authorities. And she wasn’t naive enough to believe that innocent people never got locked up, especially if they were foreigners.

  She was about to rise to her feet, tell Jason goodnight and head to her room, when two English policemen entered the hotel’s foyer. The bobbies headed to the desk, had a short conversation then headed straight toward Jason and her.

  Damn.

  Maybe Jason hadn’t erased the tape. Or maybe someone else had seen through her disguise.

  Beside her Jason rose to her feet. “Good evening. Something we can do for you, gentlemen?”

  “Your name, sir?”

  “Jason Parker.”

  “You were at the library this afternoon?”

  “Yes.” Jason’s voice was as smooth as maple syrup, but the policemen weren’t looking at him.

  “Madam, are you Kimberly Hayward?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you visit the library this afternoon?”

  “I did.” She saw no point in denying it. Several members of her group had seen her there. But had they seen Dr. Johnson? More importantly, did they know that Kimberly Hayward and Dr. Johnson were the same person?

  “Did either of you see a brunette woman wearing a navy business suit, white blouse and glasses?”

  “I saw the woman in question on a security monitor and went down to talk to her, but she’d fled before I got there,” Jason lied.

  But what would happen when the cops interviewed the library guard and learned that Jason’s story didn’t jibe with the guard’s? She supposed it was Jason’s word against the other man’s.

  “Could you identify her?” the officer asked Jason.

  “Maybe. Maybe not. The picture was fuzzy.”

  “What about you, ma’am? Did you see her?”

  Not unless she’d looked in the mirror, she hadn’t. Kimberly didn’t trust herself to speak. She just shook her head and the two police officers thanked them and entered the dining area.

  Barely daring to believe she’d gotten away with it, she couldn’t move, but somehow Jason was cradling her against his chest, murmuring into her ear as if she needed steadying. “You did fine. They’re looking for a brunette. Just hold it together for a few more minutes.”

  It would take more than a few questions from the bobbies for her to fall into pieces. However, she welcomed his using the occasion to draw her into his arms. She snuggled tighter and clasped her arms around him.

  His shirt smelled clean, but masculine. His arms around her felt like bands of protection. Resting her head against his chest and listening to the regular thump of his heart had a stimulating effect on her excited nerves.

  It seemed the most natural thing in the world to tip up her head and offer her lips. He didn’t hesitate. He took his time, first brushing his mouth lightly over hers, then nibbling and nipping before finally molding his lips to hers.

  His mouth was warm and demanding, his breath fresh. But most of all, his kiss reminded her of banked embers before they burst into flames. Somehow, her fingers threaded through his thick dark hair. Her chest pressed against his and her nipples immediately hardened.

  Their tongues mingled and she drew him in like a rich, frothy dessert that sharpened the senses and spiked her hunger. His hair beneath her fingertips was silky soft and thick. Tension arched her back and their hips pressed together until she could feel his erection pulsing hard and urgent.

  She should pull back. She needed to think, to assess, to reconcile her aroused senses with everything that had happened today. Her close call with the bobbies had her edgy enough to believe kissing him wasn’t such a big risk, that making love would be a desirable conclusion to an exciting day.

  But did fantasizing about making love with him make the reality more reasonable sounding? She should break this kiss.

  Instead, she hooked one foot around his ankle, demanding more. The warmth of his hand on her bare shoulder felt so good she wished he’d keep going. But he drew tiny circles of heat, which shot right to her core.

  “Excuse me. Madam. Is this man accosting you again?”

  Huh? Reluctantly, Kimberly broke their kiss to face the grinning tour guide Liam Short, surrounded by the rest of the tour group.

  “I believe the lady was enjoying herself,” Jason told Liam. Then he turned to her. “Well?”

  “Uh. Ah.” Her spinning thoughts wouldn’t settle.

  “I’m sorry. What was the question?”

  “You want me to call the bobbies back—”

  “No.”

  Kimberly realized that her answer had been too sharp. Liam had only been teasing her about kissing Jason. What the hell was wrong with her? She had to settle down. She shouldn’t have kissed Jason at all, but she hadn’t been thinking right since the moment she’d met him.

  At the thought of the entire tour group having just witnessed their kiss, she sighed. If they hadn’t been interrupted, they might still be locking lips. Oh my, could he kiss. Her legs still felt weak as clotted cream and she knocked right into a table. A lamp wobbled. A glass vase teetered and would have toppled except for Jason’s quick save and steadying hand.

  The man had quick reflexes. He seemed to do everything well—from erasing a tape that kept her out of jail to kissing her until she could barely think straight. And now every cell in her body seemed attracted to him. It took every ounce of will not to step back into his arms.

  Sheesh. Practical Kimberly never felt giddy about men. Not even movie stars. So what was happening here?

  “My dear,” the professor pontificated, “there’s no need for embarrassment. Greek poets described a kiss as the key to paradise and claimed one kiss could unlock the heart’s most secret desires.”

  Liam chuckled. “Our Celtic ancestors believed a kiss had magical powers. The breath from a kiss was believed to contain the essence of life and when lovers caressed it brought about the mingling of souls.”

  “Oh, what a lovely sentiment. Just lovely,” the professor’s wife said.

  As if not to be outdone by their guide, the professor continued, “Throughout history the kiss has been a timeless act of love—”

  Love? More like lust, Kimberly thought, but kept the notion to herself. Lust that might very well carry her through those love scenes. However, she’d already drawn enough unwanted attention to herself, thank you very much.

  “—and devotion. It’s been said that one heartfelt kiss is equal to a thousand words.”

  “Cool, dude,” Alex signaled a thumbs-up and walked away.

  But Caroline, the college student who rarely said a word, started to speak, and not to anyone in particular. “A study in polarity.”

  “Excuse me?” Jason asked.

  Caroline glanced out the window at the stars, as if consulting her muse. “Standing 180 degrees apart. You two exert a tremendous pull on
one another.”

  “My dear,” Mrs. Barr spoke up in her thick Maine accent. “I didn’t know you were into astrology.”

  Astrology? Were all the kooks coming out tonight? Kimberly shared a long look with Jason and when he rolled his blue eyes toward the ceiling, she bit back a grin.

  “She’s clearly an Aquarius and he the proud Leo, don’t you think?” Caroline’s question required no answer. “Their relationship will have a magnetic attraction, irresistible in its charm, but they must overcome extreme differences in attitude and lifestyle.”

  “It’s been wonderful meeting you all. Good evening.” Jason took Kimberly’s arm and escorted her away from the others.

  “I am an Aquarius.” Kimberly muttered.

  “So she caught a glimpse of your passport.” Jason’s mocking tone revealed that he clearly didn’t believe in astrology.

  “So are you a Leo?”

  “She had a one in twelve chance of guessing correctly. Not bad odds—”

  “If you’re a gambler.”

  Kimberly stopped at the stairway landing, unwilling to go up those stairs with Jason after the sizzling kiss they’d shared. Her reaction to that kiss had been so unexpected, so primitive and wonderfully hot that she had trouble believing that it had happened. But it had.

  She’d once done research for a script about lips and learned that different-shaped lips revealed character traits. She hadn’t put much store by the descriptions but she and Cate had talked about the subject. Supposedly generous lips revealed a fun-loving, broad-minded and generous person. Curvaceous lips meant one had a passionate nature. Rosebud lips belonged to those with a reserved and sensitive personality. Pouting lips gave the impression of raw sensuality.

  When she found herself staring at Jason’s slender-shaped lips and recalling that his belonged to those with secretly sensual personalities, she heated up all over again. All that talk about kissing, followed by the most sensual kiss she’d ever shared, had her off-kilter.

  “Do I have something between my teeth, or are you staring at my mouth because you want me to kiss you again?” Jason asked her with that half grin of amusement that was too sexy for a man with his instincts for moving in on a woman when she was vulnerable.