“Don't answer it. It's him. I hung up on him and he keeps calling back.”
“Turn off the phone.”
“Then he'd know he's won.”
“Are you sure it's him?”
“It's Dom. I upset him. He wasn't getting what he wanted from me.” She picked up the ringing phone and stuffed it in her purse. “He expected more of a payoff from that doll. You might as well give it to Spiro,” she said, handing it to him. “See if he can get anything from it or trace it.”
“I'll do that.” His gaze narrowed on her face. “Are you okay?”
“Other than going temporarily insane, I'm in great shape,” she said jerkily. She turned on her heel. “I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning.”
“Yes.”
The phone had stopped ringing by the time she had showered and gotten into bed. Maybe he'd given up. Thank God he didn't know the damage he'd almost done. No, that she'd almost done. She had to accept responsibility for her own actions. Anger and frustration were only excuses.
She reached over and turned out the light.
“You shouldn't have done that. I wanted to see you.”
Joe was standing in the doorway, a dark figure silhouetted by the light in the hall.
An unmistakably naked figure.
“No,” she whispered.
“Too late.” He came toward her. “I've been invited.”
“I told you I'd made a mistake. I said I was sorry.”
“I'm not. You caught me off guard down there and hurt my ego. But once I had time to sort things out, I realized that opportunity was knocking.”
“I didn't want to hurt your ego,” she said unevenly. “I don't want to hurt you at all, Joe. That's why this can't happen.”
“You want it to happen.”
“No.”
“Dom may have triggered it, but it must have been on your mind or it wouldn't have occurred to you.”
“Of course I've been thinking about it. You made sure of that. I'm human, dammit.”
“And I mean to make the most of it. It's been a night of revelations. You actually said you wanted to live. That's the first time I've ever heard you say that.” He lifted the blanket. “Scoot over. I'm coming in.”
His naked thigh touched hers.
She moved over. “It's a mistake, Joe.”
His hand covered her breast. “Never.”
She couldn't breathe. “Please.”
His hand was between her thighs. “Do you know I've never really kissed you?”
She arched upward as his thumb found her. “You're not kissing me now.”
“I'll get around to it. I'll get around to everyth— My God, you're ready for me. I thought I'd have to—”
Her digital phone rang.
Joe muttered a curse.
She whispered, “Turn it off.”
He started to get off the bed and then stopped. “No.” He moved back over her. “I promise you won't hear it soon.”
She cried out as he plunged deep within her.
The phone was ringing.
He moved fast, hard.
The phone . . .
He lifted her, crushing her to him as he moved deeper, faster.
Was the phone still ringing?
She no longer heard anything but the beat of his heart against her ear.
“WHY DIDN'T YOU turn off the phone?” she asked drowsily.
“Why do you think?” He kissed her breast. “I was busy. Maybe I didn't want to take the time.”
“Tell me.”
“Ego. I wanted to be more important to you than Dom. I wanted to beat him.” He kissed her nose. “You hurt my feelings a little.”
“Not enough to stop you.”
“It would have taken a major catastrophe to stop me. Dom doesn't qualify.”
“He qualifies.”
“He didn't win, did he? Therefore, he's out of the running.”
For the time being.
“Stop thinking about him.” He reached over, turned on the light, and switched off her phone. “I want to look at you.”
She was blushing. “For heaven's sake, give me a blanket, Joe.”
He shook his head. “I've wanted to see you like this for too long. Let me have my kicks.”
Not when she felt as if she were melting wherever he looked at her. “Turn off the light. Please.”
“Not until—” He saw her expression and turned off the light. “Maybe later?”
“Maybe.”
“I forgot you're not all that experienced in this sport.” He pulled her closer. “But you liked it? You like me?”
She didn't speak.
He was silent a moment. “After ten years I think I deserve the words.”
Ten years. She felt tears sting her eyes. “If I weren't afraid you'd be completely impossible, I'd tell you that you were pretty good.”
“Pretty good?”
“Very good.”
“More.”
“A stud, a stallion. Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves, and Casanova rolled into one. I don't know why Diane ever let you go.”
“She was a smart lady. She knew she deserved more than I could give her. It was a mistake from the beginning.”
She raised herself on one elbow to look down at him. “Why did you marry her, Joe?”
“It will scare you if I tell you.”
“The hell it will.”
Silence.
“Why, Joe?”
“For you. I married her for you.”
“What?”
“You were too isolated. I thought you needed a friend of your own sex.”
“You're kidding.”
“I told you it would scare you.”
“Men don't get married to provide—”
“I did,” he said simply.
She stared at him.
“You were my center. Everything revolved around you. It was a time in my life when I'd almost given up hope of being anything else to you. I thought I'd chosen someone who could give you the companionship you needed. Diane liked the nice things I could give her, and I honestly tried to make a go of our marriage.” He shrugged. “It didn't turn out the way I hoped.”
“That is scary.”
“Obsessions always are.” He put his finger on her lower lip. “As you should know, my love.”
She stiffened.
“Love,” he deliberately repeated. “Get used to it.”
“I don't have to get used to anything.”
“No, but you might as well. It will be more comfortable for both of us.” He paused. “Don't be afraid to love me, Eve. I'm not a helpless child who can be taken from you. I'm tough and mean enough to survive for another fifty years or so.”
“I'm not afraid.”
“The hell you're not.” He lowered his head, his lips barely touching her own. “But that's okay. You don't have to say you love me. I can wait.”
“I don't love you. Not the way you want me to love you.”
“I think you do.” His lips moved back and forth in a gossamer caress. “But if you don't, that's okay too.”
“It's not okay. It's all wrong. I'm damaged. No one should know that better than you. You should have someone who—”
“You're damaged? I'm the one who's been obsessed for the last ten years.”
“It's not the same. I can't—”
“Shh.” He moved over her again. “Don't think. Don't analyze. Let everything fall into place. Enjoy . . .”
HE WAS GONE when she woke.
Emptiness.
Loneliness.
It was stupid. She was acting as if she'd never slept with a man before. Sex, pleasure, departure—it was the way she liked her relationships. No lingering that might interfere with her work.
“Time to get up.” Joe opened the door and came toward the bed.
“It's almost noon. I called Charlie and he's on his way back from Azora. He has the photograph.”
She sat upright. “Are you sure I'll be able to see it???
?
“You can ask Spiro yourself. He's on his way here.”
“Why?”
“To pick up the doll.”
Of course. “You called him this morning?”
“As soon as I got up. I told the security guys to let him in.” He went to the closet. “Hit the shower. I'll get your clothes. What do you want to wear?”
“Anything. Jeans . . . a shirt.” She ran into the bathroom and got in the shower. Joe could not have been more cool or businesslike. It was as if last night had never happened. Not that she objected. She would have felt awkward if he'd been any other way. Last night had been too—She shook her head. She didn't want to remember how erotic those hours with Joe had been.
“Come on. You need to eat before Spiro gets here.” It was Joe standing outside the glass shower door. “Hurry.”
“I am hurrying.”
She opened the door, and he enveloped her in a huge bath towel and started patting her dry.
She reached for the towel. “For God's sake, I can do that.”
His gaze dropped to her breasts. “I'm enjoying it.”
Enjoy.
She felt heat move through her.
“I brought that blue plaid shirt. I like you in blue. Is that okay?”
“I guess so.” She should stop him. The lazy movement of his hands beneath the soft towel was incredibly arousing. For some crazy reason the act seemed as intimate as sex. She moistened her lips. “You never told me you liked blue.”
“I never told you a lot of things.” He bent his head and kissed the hollow of her shoulder. “But I mean to make up for lost time. Want to go back to bed and hear the story of my life?”
Yes, she wanted to go back to bed. “If you promise to tell it. I've never had much luck in getting you to confide in me.”
He chuckled. “You wouldn't this time either. We don't have any time.” He stepped back and handed her the towel. “Get dressed. I'll wait outside for you.”
“Now you tell me to get dressed. Why the hell did you come busting in here and make me—”
“I wanted to make sure you knew I wasn't going to let you make me a one-night stand.” He smiled. “You're not going to be able to focus on me for a little while, but I'm going to be around every minute of your day. Don't forget it.”
She stared at the door as it closed behind him. How was she supposed to focus on anything else but him? He had brought sensuality back into her life.
She was acting like some nympho. She would not be controlled by either her body or Joe Quinn. She could forget everything but what was important. It would just take will and determination.
She tossed aside the towel and began to dress.
JOE WAS SITTING in the chair beside the bed when she came out of the bathroom. His gaze searched her face and he slowly nodded. “I was expecting that reaction. No problem.” He got to his feet. “Let's go down and get you some breakfast.”
She had been girded for battle, and it was frustrating to have him sidestep before she could even say a word. “I'm not hungry.”
“Okay, then you can watch me eat.” He held out his hand and she realized he was holding her digital phone. “But first turn your phone back on. Dom may call and you'll need to talk to him.”
Her gaze flew to his face.
“It's time to face him again,” he said quietly. “Yes, I want to protect you, but I can't protect you from someone I can't see. We have to bring him out into the open.”
“That's what I've been telling you all along.”
“I was too scared for you to listen. Now I'm too scared not to listen. You're not going to stop, so I can't stop. We have to finish it. Turn on the phone.”
She took the phone and pressed the on button.
It was silent.
Joe smiled. “Now, how's that for anticlimax? I think we both expected an ominous clash of cymbals.” He gently pushed her toward the door. “Come on, let's get this show on the road.”
Spiro was waiting in the living room when they came downstairs. “Where's the doll?”
“I put it in a box and slid it behind some books on a shelf.” Joe crossed the room to the built-in bookcases. “I didn't want Jane to run across it.”
“I can't see her flinching,” Spiro said dryly. “Your Jane let me in when I rang the doorbell and she gave me the third degree. She even called security to make sure I hadn't leaped over the electric fence.”
“Where is she?”
“After grudgingly allowing me to sit down, she said she was going to the kitchen to fix you something to eat.” He took the box and glanced at the doll. “Ugly. It must have scared you.”
“No. It made me mad.”
“Did he make a follow-up call?”
“Yes, I hung up on him.”
Spiro looked up. “That might not have been smart.”
“I'm tired of being smart and cautious. What about the photograph? Can I see it?”
“Not before it's logged in.”
“Can I get a duplicate?”
“Not before it's logged in.”
Eve had very little patience left. “What about this Kevin Baldridge?”
Spiro smiled. “According to Charlie, Mrs. Harding remembers Kevin Baldridge and his brothers very well. Kevin was closemouthed about where they were from, but one of his brothers mentioned Dillard.”
“Where is that?”
“A small town in northern Arizona.”
“Small enough to trace Kevin Baldridge?”
“Maybe. We have to hope the townsfolk have long memories.”
“What about his brothers? Even if Kevin Baldridge has moved on, perhaps they might have gone back home.”
“It's possible.” Spiro stood up. “We'll soon find out. Charlie will call and check on birth and school records after he gets back with the photograph. And I'm heading up to Dillard today.”
“Could we come along?”
He shrugged. “I suppose it wouldn't hurt. And if Dom is Kevin Baldridge, seeing you invade his turf might trigger him to act.” He glanced at Joe. “I'm surprised that didn't arouse a reaction from you. No objections? No accusations that I'm using her?”
Joe ignored the mockery in Spiro's voice. “How soon can we leave?”
“Later this afternoon. I have to go back to the precinct, wait for Charlie, and make sure the photograph is logged in.” He paused. “Mark Grunard came to see me at my hotel this morning. He said you were still cooperating with him.” His lips tightened. “I told him that doesn't mean I'm cooperating. I've never approved of your involving him.”
“He helped me,” Eve said. “I owe him.”
“I don't owe him and I don't like how he's been hanging around Charlie.”
“He could have turned Jane and me in to the police a dozen times and he didn't do it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I promised him an exclusive when we get Dom.”
“Indeed?” He moved toward the door. “Whatever your deal with him, we're not bringing him along to Dillard.”
“I fixed you an egg and bacon sandwich, Eve.” Jane stood in the doorway. “Come on.”
“I'll be right there.”
Jane gave Spiro a cool glance. “He can talk to you while you're eating. Your food will get cold.”
“Heaven forbid I interfere with your nourishment.” Spiro mockingly bowed to Jane. “You'll be relieved to know I was just on my way out, young lady.”
“Wait.”
Spiro glanced back at Eve.
“How long will we be gone?”
“A few hours, a day. It depends on how much advance work Charlie is able to do.”
“We're taking Jane with us.”
Spiro shook his head. “For God's sake, I'm already sticking my neck out enough without being seen with a kidnap victim.”
“She has to go with us.”
“She's very well protected here.”
“I wouldn't mind going without her if it's only for an hour or so. But you're not s
ure when we'll be back.”
“Is taking her with us wise?”
“Dom wants her with me.”
Spiro glanced from her to Jane. “But do you want him to see you with her? You're obviously on close terms.”
“If Eve wants me, I'm going with her.” Jane took a step closer. “And I wasn't kidnapped. How stupid can you get?”
“Evidently very stupid,” Spiro said. “I don't recommend it, Eve.”
“I'll take care of Eve and Jane,” Joe said. “You handle tracking down Kevin Baldridge.”
Spiro shook his head. “It's a mistake.” He opened the door. “I'll pick you up at four this afternoon.”
Was it a mistake? Eve wondered. She didn't want Dom to see her and Jane together, but what could she do? Jane was her responsibility. She couldn't leave her for hours or maybe days; she would never forgive herself if anything happened to Jane. She'd been down that road before.
She turned to Joe. “I have to take her.”
“I know.” Joe smiled.
“Of course I'm going,” Jane said. “We're not going to let him tell us what to do. Now, come on and eat your breakfast.” She started down the hall. “And then you can tell me where I'm going.”
C H A P T E R
FIFTEEN
The small plane landed at a tiny airport north of Dillard, Arizona, at eight-thirty that night. There had been a recent snow in the mountain town, and the weather was icy. The airport had only two runways and the tarmac was bumpy. One taxi was parked outside the terminal.
Spiro got a call from Charlie in the taxi on the way to town. He didn't look pleased by the time he hung up.
“The courthouse burned down six years ago,” Spiro said. “And there were no records of any Baldridge children attending the local school.”
“Maybe they went to school in a nearby town.”
“We're checking Jamison. It's thirty miles from here.” He looked out the window. “But the schools will be closed until tomorrow morning. We'll have to stay overnight at a hotel . . . except Charlie said there isn't one. I think Dillard's population is only a little over four thousand.”
“Six thousand five hundred,” the cabdriver said.
Spiro reached into his pocket and drew out his notebook. “Charlie mentioned a bed and breakfast. Mrs. Tolvey's on Pine Street.”
“Good choice,” the cabdriver said. “Mrs. Tolvey puts on a great breakfast spread.”