Share the Darkness

“It’s hard to know what you’re feeling in here, it’s so dark.”

A chuckle from deep in Ward’s chest filled the lift. “Oh, believe me, I know what I’m touching.”

Pure desire raced through her. Hannah quickly returned to patting the floor. She needed that blouse now for more than the ruse of being chilled. She needed protection against the potent, sexual promise of Ward. And her own need to be very, very naughty.

Their fingers entwined as they found her blouse at the same time. He trailed his hand up her arm to rest at her shoulder. All his other touches had been accidents. But not this one.

Hannah couldn’t move away. She hadn’t purposely touched another person sexually in over four years. But here it was dark. Ward would never see her body. Never see what she had to hide. The dark had become her favourite companion, and now it would give her something else. A chance to feel, if only briefly, like a woman again.

Every function in her body stilled. Waited. Then Ward’s lips covered hers.

BY

JILL MONROE

This book is dedicated to Jenn Stone and

Donnell Epperson – your continued good health

is my greatest wish!

As always, I’d like to thank my family, for

their endless encouragement and for

overlooking dust, stacks of paper and more

fast-food meals than home-cooked ones.

I’ll try to do better, Mom!

Special thanks to my editor, Jennifer Green,

whose ideas and suggestions are always spot-on.

You rock!

Thanks also to Brenda Chin for giving Share the Darkness Honourable Mention in the Blaze® contest and encouraging me to write past those first ten pages. Thanks to Kimberly Whalen. May this be the first of many!

For my critique partners: Kassia Krozser, Gena

Showalter, Linda Rooks,

Angi Platt and Beth Cornelison –

thanks for the red ink.

And to Jennifer, Karen, Maggie, Traci, Sheila,

Amanda and Betty – I can’t imagine

better friends.

Go, Wet Noodle Posse!

1

WARD CASSIDY could think of better uses for an ice cube.

Although the way Hannah Garrett rolled the ice along her skin to cool the slope of her gorgeous neck still topped his list. He sucked in a breath as a droplet of water slowly ran past the inviting underside of her chin and slid down her throat, weaving a path along her collarbone and disappearing into the tantalizing area below.

Tantalizing because he hadn’t thought of much else other than Hannah or her breasts since he’d gotten this awful assignment in the hottest place next to hell.

He liked his ice cold, and his women hot. And Hannah would make an ice cube melt in Siberia. Now she was lifting up her red curly hair and rubbing the cube on the back of her neck. Next to hell? He was in hell. Why’d his office have to face the break room?

The multiline telephone on his desk beeped an annoying jingle. Why couldn’t phones just ring? The electronic chimelike sound literally tap-danced on his nerves.

Just then Hannah put the ice cube in her mouth and sucked. Desire shot through him as his mind conjured up images of those generous lips of hers surrounding him. His knuckles tightened around the cool plastic phone handle. But nothing could chill his white-hot arousal.

The phone chimed again, and he almost flung the damn thing across his desk. Whoever was daring to interrupt his stint as voyeur could take a train ride to hell. Or right here next to him in Gallem. The heat was probably about the same. He took a deep breath. Get it together.

Ward Cassidy, federal officer of the law, turned his chair with slow deliberation away from the break room where Hannah was perfecting her “cooling off” techniques.

Instead he concentrated on the view outside his window. He centered on the grass, parched just as he was. The office air conditioner couldn’t chug out enough cold air to contend with the heat. He was acting a fool. Hannah was just a woman trying not to sizzle in the offices of Protter and Lane Investment Banking. And here he was taking his frustrations out on a poor defenseless telephone.

He lifted the handle before the damn thing could ring a third time, just barely remembering to use his cover name. “Coleman here.”

A few clicks echoed in the background, and he im mediately went on alert.

“We’re on a secure line.”

“I’ll shut the door.” Ward stood and closed the door, welcoming the barrier. A lot of good it did, a huge picture window still gave him a prime view of the break room.

He picked up the phone again. Ward recognized the voice of his friend and former partner at the Bureau. A few years ago, his colleague, Brett Haynes, was one of the best field agents. Now he was permanently desked after choosing the wife and family route over adventure and danger. Poor guy.

Good. Another person he could take his frustrations out on.

Ward resisted his urge to laugh out loud. “Why wouldn’t the line be secure? The security around here is so lax any ten-year-old with low speed Internet access could hack into this place.”

Brett’s chuckle was loud and clear. In disgust, Ward angled his chair away from the window. Still his eyes once again drifted back to the break room. He gritted his teeth. Hannah hadn’t left. Neither had the ice cube.

Although a human resources memo to employees had given permission to wear shorts in the office during the heat wave, Hannah’s legs remained encased in pants. She didn’t have a problem leaving her arms bare, though. She now ran the ice cube up the gentle curve of her bicep, then down the soft skin of her…

He knew her skin would be soft. He imagined his lips following such a path. Starting at her wrist, tracing his tongue on the delicate skin of her forearm, stopping only long enough to lick her inner elbow before…

I’m losing my mind. “You gotta pull me from this assignment.”

“Can’t. You really pissed off the boss lady with that stunt you pulled on your last case.”

His lips twitched into a slow smile. “The bad guys are in prison, aren’t they?”

“I think it’s more like how they got there. Dragging two prisoners who’ve been hiding in the swampland of Louisiana for two weeks through Director James’s office is not the best method for career advancement.”

“She said I could never bring in the big ones. I wanted to show her that I could, to look good for the boss.”

“Ha. You looked worse than they did. Forget it. You’ll be in Gallem until this case is put to bed. Which shouldn’t take too long with your skills. Any rookie could nail it.”

Damn, why did he have to put it that way? When he thought nail, he only thought of…

Hannah was blotting her skin with a paper towel. Rubbing the thin paper along the column of her throat. He almost growled. He almost shouted at her to stop.

“I expect we’ll be hitting the eighteenth hole by the end of the week.”

“You’d be surprised. I’ve been thrown a few curves,” Ward said.

“You? Nah. Actually, the reason why I called was to let you know the field office is sending me there for a check.”

“No wife? No kid?”

“Just you, me and a beer.”

Ward angled back in his chair as he watched Hannah ball the paper towel and lob it toward the trash can. “Now, that’s the best offer I’ve had in two weeks.”

“The ladies of Gallem not lining up at your door? You must be losing your touch.”

He spotted Hannah’s slim, sexy form pass by the small window of his door. No friendly wave, no courtesy smile from one employee to another. Yeah, she didn’t like him. For the first time today he felt a chill.

“Having a dry spell.” The show was over. Ward sat straight in his chair, and checked out the employee files. “Is Grace hassling you about leaving? After all, that’s why you took that desk job.”

“It’s just an overnighter, and I think she’s actually looking forward to me being out of her hair for a bit.”

“Great. Come by the office Saturday, and I’ll introduce you to corporate hell.” Ward replaced the receiver. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his black, spiral-bound notepad. Research telephone ring. He flipped the pad closed, and returned it to his pocket. Maybe he could find the phone’s manufacturer on the Web tonight at his rental. Case or no case, some things had to come first.

He’d learned his lesson. He’d get this little situation solved, criminals would be deposited in jail cleanly, and he’d do what he could to get back on James’s good side. He knew she couldn’t hold a grudge against him for too long. After all she’d mentored him since he left the Marines to join the Bureau.

He knew he’d really pissed the top lady off, parading those men through her office. But was it worth this?

As the newly hired security chief at P&L, he had an office to himself. He didn’t know who to thank for that small favor. Outside stood rows and rows of battered metal desks without a single cubicle divider. How could the bankers get anything done? At some point, the walls had been painted a hue between blue and green. Why, he could only guess.

The whole place buzzed with nonstop corporate team building. If he heard one more inspiring little snippet over the office speaker, he’d cut the wires himself. As if the framed motivational posters weren’t bad enough.

The FBI had lucked out when Arvest Lane had created the security position in the Gallem office. Over the course of the last six months, someone had been manipulating government money through P&L. Straight into a nice little offshore account.

Uncle Sam didn’t like people to steal his money. Neither did Ward. Finding the culprit wouldn’t be difficult. Just very, very time consuming with lots of paperwork. Yeah, James really knew how to turn the screws.

A week ago, Ward moved into the position, and no one in P&L knew his real identity. For all intents and purposes, he was the security chief, with all the perks, including access to the employee files. He’d read through them a dozen times. Searching for clues.

Hannah’s rested on top. He lifted her résumé with the tiny photo of her stapled to the corner. The grainy picture was not the best quality. But it didn’t obscure her high cheekbones or the lushness of her full lips. Lips that made a man’s mind wonder.

Despite her beauty, her eyes were what always drew him. He wouldn’t call them cold, but a coolness lingered in the green depths. When hounded by the male employees, she was quick with a glare of irritation. That was the only emotion she ever revealed.

Yet Hannah’s eyes gave her away. Something…guarded some deep pain tinged those haunting eyes of hers. He planned to ferret out all her secrets.

First things first, assess the current situation. He wanted her. And even though they’d rarely made eye contact, he sensed she was attracted to him, and that it bothered her. A lot. A swell of satisfaction infused his gut. He liked the idea of her experiencing the same kind of frustration he did.

“Knock, knock.” Ward glanced up to see his office visitor. He never really trusted a man who said knock, knock rather than actually knocking. Dan Protter, the Protter of Protter and Lane, walked through the door.

Ward schooled his features, cloaking himself in the persona of Ward Coleman. His new boss more than likely expected a man in charge of security to look, well, secure. Ward did his best to live up to the man’s expectations.

In fact, strutting around the office acting macho, fulfilled his own dreams of what a federal agent should be doing. That lonely Marine lying in his bunk all those years ago had no idea that a fed’s life wasn’t so much chasing the bad guy and getting the girls. It was more about tackling a pile of paperwork and wrestling it to the ground. And there would be paperwork to spare with this P&L investigation.

But those times he did chase the bad guy made up for it all. The girl never stuck around for long. An odd twinge of disappointment surprised him. Whether the emotion came from the women not staying or the fact that he cared little if they did, he didn’t know.

“TGIM, Ward.” Dan handed Ward a coffee cup. “No cream, no sugar.”

“Thanks.” Ward never developed a liking for Mondays, or coffee, but he took a swig to satisfy Dan. He swallowed quickly. Coffee had about as much appeal to him as liquid dirt. Still, he did have a cover to keep, and this particular cover required him to act the tough guy. A guy who drank his coffee strong, preferably with the grounds still in.

Dan angled himself off Ward’s desk. He sensed his new boss liked being around him. Ward’s presence more than likely added a bit of danger in Dan’s dully familiar world of investment banking. “I’ve gone over the new security measures you suggested,” Dan said.

Though Ward’s job was a means to an end, how could he leave here without implementing a few security procedures? He had standards, and leaving this particular job undone defied his sense of professionalism. Dan, and the rest of the investment firm, would luck out.

“The ID badges and password protection will work. But the new alarm system…we’ve got to keep our eye on the budget. Perhaps with a few well-written memos to the teams. Last year we left little notices in the break room. That solved the old food in the refrigerator problem quite nicely.”

The various employees would be forever in Ward’s debt if he prevented even one of P&L’s infamous memos. He resisted the urge to ball his fists and forced a smile instead. “Dan, I’ve found the back door propped open twice now with a smashed soda can. The supply-room door is never shut and almost every employee in this office has a key to the outside fire door.”

“We prefer team members. Remember, a sand castle is only as strong as every grain.”

Good thing he’d already swallowed his coffee. He gestured outside his door with his cup. “There are over thirty team members out there who could care less about the half mil you’ve got socked away in equipment and supplies. An alarm and key card system is the only sure way of monitoring entry.”

“Let’s try the memo first.”

Ward squared his shoulders ready to press his point. The leather from his shoulder holster poked him in the blade as he moved, reminding him why he was really here.

He settled back against the soft fabric of the executive chair. He sure didn’t have anything like this kind of comfort in his office at the Bureau. Ward relaxed his shoulders. It wasn’t as if this was his real job. No need to get worked up. If P&L wanted to open the window and strew cash bills into the wind, hey, it was their call.

Ah, but then this might actually settle out to his advantage. An idea popped into his head. “Why don’t I meet with everyone on an individual basis? I’m new, and that would give me an opportunity to introduce myself, and share with each team member the importance of security.”

“Good idea. We’ll have a memo sent around right after lunch. Time to make some money.” Dan picked up his coffee cup and left.

Ward shook his head. He’d read up on Dan Protter before arriving. The man could make money the way other men made a mess in the sink. No effort and little worry. His problem was spending it. He had that fuzzy, can’t-be-bothered-with-the-details genius about him.

It made him the perfect victim.

Good thing for Protter that Arvest Lane, based in Dallas, handled the administrative details of the partnership. The man was almost as bad as James in the paperwork department. There were tons of forms, often in triplicate. Ward guessed it was to make up for all the time without anyone in charge of security.

No wonder someone had taken to laundering money through Protter and Lane. The place was a security disaster waiting to happen. Since arriving in Gallem, he decided on two goals, find the pilferer and get to someplace cooler, like the equator.

Dan Protter had no clue, but Ward’s initial investigation indicated an inside job. That was why he was here. And in most criminal cases, it all boiled down to the old saying…follow the money. Once he discovered the source of the money, that would lead him to the big crime. He just hoped James would let him have a crack at it once he completed this part of the investigation.

He wouldn’t get that shot if he kept his mind on ice cubes. Or the sexy woman who ran them along her skin.

Ward returned his attention to the files on his desk with deliberation. Working frequently undercover, he was a man used to calculated focus.

He forced his eyes not to return to Hannah’s picture, concentrating on the papers contained in the file instead. She worked as a computer programmer. He removed the paper clip, and flipped through the sheets of paper outlining her life.

Better than average grades. Member of the computer club. Several part-time jobs while in school. P&L was her third job out of college. Each job gave her added responsibility.

He leaned back in his chair and worked the paper clip between his fingers. Something bothered him. He couldn’t place what. Something about Hannah’s tidy résumé…

He twisted the pliable metal, then scanned the document again.

The job didn’t suit her. Computers were all straight lines, numbers and cold machinery. None of that fit with Hannah. Her entire package exuded warm sensuality and curves. And melting ice cubes. The paper clip flicked off his thumb and glanced off the wall. He’d stretched the thing arrow straight. Not unlike him. Ward shifted in his seat to relieve some of the pressure the thought of dripping water added to his anatomy. His lower part.

If this were any normal assignment, he’d ask her out. Pursue her like any regular guy with a beating heart. But this wasn’t any average assignment.

Not only was Hannah Garrett his object of sexual interest and infinite frustration, she was also his most likely suspect.

HANNAH FELT HIS EYES on her again. For a minute, she relished the awareness of him as a man. And her as a woman.

Since the new head of security had taken residence in the second corner office, she always seemed to be in his direct line of vision. The heavy sensation of being watched lasted long after she’d left his sight. Her shoulders tensed and her skin prickled just from getting a drink from the break room. One innocent moment of rubbing ice on her neck and…the warmth of a flush entered her cheeks. Just what she needed. More heat.

She hadn’t even realized he could see her, but his door faced the little break room where employees stashed their drinks and warmed their food in the microwave. What kind of message did she send with that little display? The last thing she needed was to draw attention to herself. She’d be eating her lunch at her desk from now on.

Hannah sensed those sexy, cool green eyes of his missed nothing. Cool until they met hers. Then they misted into the color of the sea before a storm. Dangerous. Yet, she didn’t always want to turn away from the tempest.

And that’s where her new apprehension originated. She’d always been able to stamp out the barest hint of…of…she didn’t even have a ready word to describe the feeling. Awareness?

No, no, no. Wariness was all she was experiencing.

Wariness was a familiar friend. She’d been on the alert for four years now. Sometimes, in the bright, revealing daylight of a lazy Saturday afternoon, she knew it would only be a matter of time before he caught up with her. The welcome of the enveloping night would ease her apprehension. Until the next sunrise.

She balled her fist, but resisted the urge to bang her hand on the table. Damn, she had thought she’d be safe in Gallem. The anonymity of the large metropolis promised her a level of freedom. Maybe a chance to have the semblance of a social life. She’d even toyed with the idea of dating or at least shooting for living the life of any normal, twenty-something girl in the city.

Hannah ached for that simple measure of security she hadn’t had since she made the decision that changed her life.

Security. Her mind reeled back to Ward Coleman. With the ability to perform background checks, his job could be the perfect ruse for someone with an agenda. Someone looking to find her. Anxiety knotted the tiny muscles of her nape. She rolled her head side to side.

“Doing office yoga again?”

Hannah glanced up to see Dinah Wallace stroll in with her ever-present smile, waving a sheaf of paper. If Hannah were a different kind of person, Dinah would be gal-friend material. The kind to see chick flicks, talk about men and eat ice cream with when the romance turned sour. The kind of friend she yearned to have.

But she dared not get too close. One small slipup, and she’d be right back where she started. On the run. She couldn’t afford it. Better to keep to herself. Better to ignore her longing for a good friend. Better to ignore any interest in a man. A man like Ward. A man offering the temptation of double danger.

Dinah plopped herself in the metal chair in front of Hannah’s desk. Hannah had specifically chosen that chair so as not to invite lengthy visits to her office. Though the discomfort of the rigid metal seat never seemed to bother, Dinah, the office gossip.

“I don’t know why you’re in here eating tuna straight from the can, when you could be draping yourself in some sort of a seductive pose in the break room,” Dinah said.

Since Ward’s arrival, Dinah could think of little else other than devising ways to get the man’s attention. Hannah had no intention of diverting the man’s eyes to her. For her safety and sanity.

“I’m fine here,” Hannah told her.

Dinah knocked on the desk. “Hello. You’re not getting the point. There’s a man across from the break room.”

Hannah tried for a casual shrug. “There are lots of guys in the office.”

“You made the point yourself. Guy versus man. This one’s all man. I can almost see the muscles rippling under his suit jacket. Muscles he earned doing strapping manly things. He’s no banker in love with his latest investment.”

“Not interested.” Hannah picked up her fork, scooped out another bite of tuna and shoved it into her mouth. That should prove her tuna over man point quite nicely.

“What a waste. Especially since you’re the only one in the office Mr. Security seems to have any interest in.”

The fork slipped through her fingers and banged against her desk with a tattling clang. A tickle of excitement fluttered in her chest.

Dinah laughed and graced her with a smug smile. “Yeah, you just blew your cover. Admit it, you’re not so immune to Mr. Green Eyes with the tight—”

“No, I’m just surprised is all.”

She’d suspected the new security head had been paying a little closer attention to her. Up until now, she mentally filed it under her natural inclination toward suspicion. And to be honest, she tried to convince herself maybe his long stares might indicate a little sexual interest, as well. A tiny thrill of anticipation coursed through her until she tamped it down in a hurry. What sort of luck was this? To finally be attracted to a man who could possibly be here to harm her. His arrival seemed too sudden. His interest in her too immediate.

Dinah’s announcement confirmed her acquired inclination to be on alert. She had to play down her clumsy reaction. She forced a tight smile. Maybe it would be to her advantage to let her friend think she found the man attractive. Not much of a stretch. Maybe it would keep Dinah’s suspicions centered on a target Hannah could control better. “Well, I—”