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“Thank you.”
“It has a scrambler on it so that no one can electronically eavesdrop.” He scribbled Russell Devane’s phone number on a piece of paper. “Tell them they have to act as if they haven’t heard from you. They have to act as if you’re still missing. And tell them if they get a phone call demanding a ransom to call this man and follow his instructions to the letter.”
She took the paper tentatively, as if she was afraid it might bite her. Then she looked at him, her eyes wide and troubled. “Who are you?” she whispered.
“Someone who wants to help you. And I have a few friends who can help, too.”
“You’re no ordinary Good Samaritan,” she said, measuring him with her eyes.
He saw the sharp flash of intelligence in her whiskey-brown gaze and nodded slowly. “You’re right. But that’s all you need to know.”
She watched him for a moment, and he could see her turning what he’d said over in her mind. Finally she said, “But I need to know who you really are.”
He hated to lie to her, but he had no choice.
“I told you last night that I was in law enforcement. That’s the truth.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You know an awful lot about medicine for a cop.”
He shrugged. “I’ve had paramedic training. A lot of cops do, now.” He would let her assume he was a police officer.
She tilted her head to one side as she examined him. “I’ve never met a police officer like you before.”
“How many police officers do you know?”
“None,” she admitted.
“That would make me your first.” Need stirred inside him at his double entendre.
She blushed and looked away. “I guess it would.”
He went to her and took her hand. “Satisfied?”
She nodded slowly. “All right, Marcus, I’ll do exactly what you say. And I’ll tell my parents to call this number if anyone contacts them.”
“Will they be able to maintain the facade of frantic parents?” he asked. “Will they be able to pretend they haven’t heard from you?”
“I’m sure they will if I tell them my life may depend on it.”
“Your life may very well depend on it,” he said quietly. “Don’t forget, your father already had one break in security. There may be other people working for him who are really working for this man Simon. You might remind your parents of that.”
“I’m sure my father will interrogate everyone who works for him.” Her voice was grim and her eyes cold. “If there’s anyone there who doesn’t belong, he’ll find out.”
Marcus shook his head. “You can’t assume that. I know what you’re thinking, Jessica. You’re thinking that your father will make sure everyone on the island is trustworthy, then you can go home. But you can’t go back to that island until your kidnappers have been caught.”
He wasn’t proud of the fact that his blood hummed through his veins at the prospect of spending more time with her. But it was true. He couldn’t think of any other way to secure her safety than to keep her close by him.
Her gaze dropped, and he knew he’d been right on target. “I can’t allow you to put yourself in danger for me,” she said, her voice so low that he almost couldn’t hear her.
“Why not?”
“Why not?” She raised startled eyes to his. “Because I can’t take advantage of you that way.”
“You’re not taking advantage of me. I’m offering. I want you to stay.” God help him, but he wanted her to stay with him more than he’d wanted anything in years. It was only because it was his best shot at catching Simon, he told himself. But he couldn’t block out of his mind the images of the two of them making love.
“You must have a reason for being here on Cascadilla,” she said. “I’m disrupting all of your plans.”
“Not at all. I was here for a vacation. So you’re not interrupting anything. Except maybe my sleep.” Suddenly, overwhelmingly, he wanted her with a fierce need that he wasn’t sure he could control. He held her gaze for a moment until he saw an answering heat pool in her eyes, then he looked away.
He moved to the other side of the room and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Go ahead and call your parents, but you won’t be going home. Not until the kidnappers have been caught.”
Her hand shook as she picked up the cell phone, but she didn’t take her eyes off his face. “Are you sure?” she whispered.
Was he sure he wanted her to stay? “Absolutely.” He’d never wanted anyone with this kind of mindless need, this kind of urgency. But that wasn’t the reason he wanted her to stay. He tried to block out his personal feelings. She was part of his job, his only link to Simon. “I told you I would protect you, and I meant it. No one will hurt you again.”
Her mouth trembled and softened as she watched him. Finally she murmured, “I believe you. You’re a warrior, aren’t you, Marcus? I’ll be perfectly safe with you.”
He scowled. That depended on her definition of safe. “Yes. And you can tell your parents that you’re safe. Just don’t tell them anything else.”
“I won’t.” She took a deep breath and looked at the phone. Marcus waited until he heard her speaking, then he walked into the other room. She deserved at least a little privacy to talk to her parents. And he trusted her to do exactly as he’d told her. Jessica was intelligent enough to understand that her life might depend on it.
At least ten minutes passed before he no longer heard the murmur of her voice. Finally she came into the room. He could see that she’d been crying.
Without thinking, he rushed over to her. Holding her shoulders, he stared at her. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
She shook her head and tried to smile. “Nothing,” she said. “My parents were sick with worrying. They were so glad to hear my voice and know that I was okay.”
He loosened his grip on her shoulders but was reluctant to let her go. He told himself that she was upset and he needed to comfort her. Drawing her close, he wrapped his arms around her. When she leaned against his chest, he felt his heart lurch and begin to pound.
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
She nodded against his chest, and he let his hand tangle in her hair. It trickled through his fingers like liquid silk, and he closed his eyes as her fragrance drifted up to him.
“It’s been a rough twenty-four hours, hasn’t it?” he said gruffly.
At that she lifted her head. “Some parts of it weren’t completely awful,” she said, and he saw the hesitation in her eyes.
“Some parts of it were wonderful. Last night makes me almost grateful to this man Simon,” he said, his voice rough, and he bent to kiss her. She melted into him, and he cursed his insensitivity. Jessica wasn’t a woman who knew the score. She had been a virgin, for God’s sake. She couldn’t know that what they had shared had been beyond wonderful.
Their lips clung together, and Marcus felt the now familiar surge of desire that overwhelmed him whenever he touched her. He groaned in the back of his throat as she moved innocently against him, and finally broke away from her.
“Tell me what your parents said,” he said as he looked at her. He couldn’t bear to let her go just yet, so he slid his hand down her arm and took her hand in his.
She looked at him uncertainly, then nodded. “You’re right. We have to think about my predicament.”
She had managed to read his mind, and it scared the hell out of him. He didn’t want to feel this connection with any woman. After Heather, he had sworn he wouldn’t give any woman the power to control him. To hide his reaction, he turned and sat on the couch, still holding her hand. She sat next to him, and he drew in a ragged breath.
“What did your parents say?”
“They were frantic with worry, of course. They didn’t realize until close to dinner that I was missing. As soon as they saw my office, they knew something was wrong. I guess I put up more of a struggle than I realized.”
“Why am I not surprised to hear that?” he murmured.
She shot him a sharp look. “What was that supposed to mean?”
He bent and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. It was all he would allow himself. “It means I almost feel sorry for the two guys who tried to grab you. I’m sure you fought like a hellcat.” He gave her a crooked smile. “I know you already, Jessica.”
“You’re right,” she said, staring at him for a moment then looking away. He was sure he saw confusion in her eyes. “I guess I did. There was a lot of damage in my office. When my parents couldn’t find me on the island, they realized I must have been kidnapped. They’ve been up all night, waiting for a ransom call.”
“They haven’t gotten one yet?” He forced himself to concentrate on business. “No one’s called and claimed they had you? Asked for a ransom?”
“No.”
“They might, though,” he said thoughtfully, his mind flying through the possibilities. “If you don’t surface in a few days, the kidnappers might assume that you drowned while trying to swim to shore. I wouldn’t be surprised if they called your parents anyway and tried to get ransom money from them.”
“They wouldn’t succeed,” she said immediately. “My father wouldn’t be taken in that easily.”
“Parents will do a lot of things that seem irrational if they think their child is in danger,” he said gently.
She started to shake her head, then paused. “Maybe you’re right,” she said after a moment. “If I hadn’t called them and let them know what had happened, they might be willing to grasp at any straw.”
“Would your parents mind if someone put a tracer on their phone line? In case this Simon calls them?”
“I don’t think so.” She turned to face him. “But be prepared for questions. I told them you were some kind of law enforcement officer, but that wasn’t good enough for my father. He wanted to know details. And if you go to the island to install that equipment, he’s going to give you the third degree.”
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