FlakJacket (3 page)

His eyes noted her semi-dressed state, and he couldn’t help his sharp response. “Get back inside your room. If you’re going to wander about the halls, you need to be dressed; you’re only inviting trouble.”

She glanced down at her camisole top and lounge pants, surprise in her eyes. “You’re the only one out here, and I’m completely covered.””

He muttered in an angry voice, “Barely covered.” She glanced down at her bare arms, but the camisole top was demure. She didn’t wear a bra with it, but she was getting ready to go to sleep. “Do you ever do as you’re told?” Once again, her mere presence had caused him to be uneasy. “Go back to your room.”

Madison pushed away from the wall. “I have your shirt for you, and she motioned for him to come in.”

Shit.
He took a deep breath, went down the hall and turned into her room, closing the door behind him.

H
is white shirt hung neatly on a hanger; the ink stain was gone. He shook his head as he looked at it.
How?
His cleaning service couldn’t do that. He fell back on his anger and concern for her. “You need to be more careful. Miss Kelly. I don’t like what I see in this hotel; there are too few safeguards.”

She eyed him, contemplating his pinched, facial expression. “You’re going to protect me, aren’t you? It’s screaming from you, and you’re not very happy about it.” His eyebrows went up. “You yourself called me a
witch
.” She hesitated and then went on as she approached him with the shirt. “Well, I am one. Deal with it.” This was said tongue in cheek, remembering that he had made the same comment to her when they were by the river—deal with it.

Jordan chewed on his bottom lip. He didn’t want her in this nondescript hotel room, and just because he had scared off one man didn’t mean there weren’t others out there. He straightened his shoulders and made an executive decision. “Pack your stuff; you’re coming with me. It will take too much manpower to make sure you are safe here.”

“What?” She was surprised. “But I’m not your problem.”

His lips thinned to a fine line. “You are now. You’re paying me to think for you, so no argument. Pack your things.” She still hesitated.

“For how long?”

“A week or two until I get things set up—safeguards.”

“And I’ll be staying with you?”

“Yes, I have a large house; I’ll see that you are comfortable.”
And out of my way, he thought.
I will need a detailed itinerary from you for each day in the next week. Someone will be with you at all times. I also need the names of anyone you suspect of harboring ill will against you. I need that yesterday.”

“Ah.” The temptation of her undressed body caused another kind of visceral reaction in him that he hadn’t felt for some time. He shut the feeling down and closed his eyes. He heard the bedroom door click shut as she went to get dressed. Her scent remained behind to tease him. Within minutes they were moving out of the hotel and into his car. She climbed in before he could help her, throwing her backpack into the back, but that didn’t surprise him. She was Miss Independence. She held her laptop in her arms. He climbed in.

“Nice wheels.” Her eyes meandered over the leather seats, “but this is not yours.”
How did she know? It was a rental he was using while his own car was being serviced.
He drove across town and pulled into a gated community. His house sat on the top of the hill overlooking the city. Turning the engine off, he twisted in his seat to see her.

“We need to have some ground rules, Miss Kelly; I want no misunderstanding between us.” She waited. “I will protect you, but I need to know much more than you have told me. There is something else going on here, and you know what it is. If it compromises me in any way, I will withdraw from our contract. Is that understood?”

“Perfectly. But we don’t have a contract right now, do we?”

“That will change as soon as we get into my office.

He got out of the car, walked around and opened her door. This time she waited. “You have a beautiful home,” she said. “What do I call you—Mr. Lassiter?

“Jordan will do for now.”

He walked her up the steps to the veranda porch, punched in a security code and unlocked the door. “Come in.”

She followed him into a vestibule with vivid paintings of the desert on the walls. A circular staircase wound towards the heavens of the upstairs. To her right was a dining area and a gourmet kitchen with a serving bar and a hallway with doors. To her left, she found a great room with a wood-burning fireplace and overstuffed furniture; a wide-screen TV hung on the wall. It was clearly a man’s domain with dark colors and few personal touches.

“There are three bedrooms upstairs, each with its own bath. I suggest you choose one for yourself.”

“Where do you sleep?”

“At the end of this hall. I have a private suite.”

“I see.”

“My office is this way.” He led her towards one of the first doors. She could sense him in the room as soon as she neared it; his presence was everywhere. He motioned for her to sit down in the leather chair, and he sat behind the desk, pulling out a contract from it. “This is the usual contract for my company.”

She took it and looked over it, reading the fine print. “I will require more of you than is set forth in this contract. I will be traveling in the next months; I have speeches planned in several locations out of the country, and that is not covered here. In addition, I am giving a three-day seminar at Harvard beginning in seven months. I will need to stay near the campus. Perhaps you had best get my entire itinerary before you finalize the contract.”

He nodded. “That seems fair. Do it now.”

“Now? It’s after twelve.”

He nodded. “Now. You have nowhere else to be.” Her eyes narrowed on him. He was intentionally pushing his control, reminding her that she was to answer to him. Her lips cracked in a half smile. Oh yes—
Under him
.
Damn. It would have to be him, and she swallowed at the thought.
He caught the fleeting smile on her face and wondered what had caused it. She rose gracefully from the chair and walked to the door.

His voice snapped: “Where in the hell do you think you are going?”

“To get my laptop to give you my schedule, and to take my things upstairs. Where did you think I was going?”

He shook his head. “Get it then.” They could fight for control, she thought. He turned to pour himself a drink; he had a distinct feeling that he would be drinking a great deal in the next couple of weeks.

Her soft voice floated over her shoulder as she walked through the door. “You don’t need that drink.” Then she went into the vestibule to get her bag and her laptop. He looked at the drink, swirled the alcohol in it and put it down. She was right. He was turning to alcohol all too often these days. He loosened his tie.
What had ever possessed him to ask her to stay here? He was out of his mind.

Madison walked slowly up the stairs and took the first bedroom she came to. It was neutral in color, a beautiful space with patio doors leading out onto a deck. She pushed them open to see the view. She had placed her backpack on the bed; she would unpack before she slept. She walked into a well-appointed bathroom, a soft grey its primary color. The house was so...
him
.

She wondered what his bedroom looked like, and she knew that she would find out and soon; he didn’t know it yet, but he was destined to be an integral part of her life. He had been chosen for her, her future wrapped in his, and they would both climb or fall together; but there were no guarantees of permanence. She would take a chance in giving herself to him and hope that he had the courage to be with her in the future. If not, she would be required to do it alone. Madison had noted the pictures of a smiling dark-haired woman and a small child on his desk.
Was that his dead wife and lost child?
There was a hole in his heart; this, she knew.

The hairs on the back of her neck went up, as she sensed him standing in the doorway to her room; she didn’t turn around. “Was I too long in coming to you?”

“I didn’t know where you were. It is now my responsibility to know where you are every second of the day until the threat to you is eliminated. Is this the room you are going to choose?”

“Yes. It’s lovely.” She opened her computer case and pulled out her laptop. He gave her the passwords and router information. She placed the information into her computer and opened it up to her week’s schedule. “Do you have a printer?”

“In my office.” She hit send. He glanced over her shoulder at her screen.
Shit.
So many activities—the woman was over-scheduled; he might have trouble keeping up with her protection. He was not a conversationalist. “Do you want something to eat before you go to bed?”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Then I think it’s time for sleep for both of us. There’s an intercom in the house. I’ll turn my room on. If you need me, just call out.” He turned away and then back again. “Oh, and lock your patio doors. If you see lights come on outside, get out of this room and to me. There are motion detectors out there.”

“I will. Goodnight.”

“I’ll have the new contract ready in the morning.”

“I have a speech to give at 8:00 AM.”

“I will be escorting you to that event.” 
We’ll see, she thought. We’ll see.

J
ordan was exhausted. He entered his bedroom and programmed his phone to wake him at 6:00 AM. Ripping off his clothes, he went to shower; as soon as he did, Madison crept slowly into his room; she had followed him downstairs. She could hear the water running. God, the room was lovely, an oasis from stress, but the man himself was very stressed and very tired. She touched his bed and closed her eyes, moving her hands over it to bring peace to his rest that night.

She picked up his phone from where he had left it and reprogrammed it for 8:00AM; she would be long gone before he woke. Then she slipped quietly out of his room. When Jordan came out of the shower, he thought he smelled her signature vanilla scent, but he had smelled it all evening now; he was feeling more relaxed. He credited it to the hot shower, but he felt very tired, an unusual occurrence. He would get about five hours of sleep if he were lucky.

When he awoke late the next morning, he knew the truth of the matter; she had reprogrammed his phone so he wouldn’t wake.
Damn her.
He called Michaels to get to the venue where she was to speak and said he was on his way. She must have taken the damn bus that stopped outside his gated community—a public bus.
What in the hell was she thinking?
The news of the day remarked that she was at the college to speak about the refugee crisis. He and little Miss Kelly were going to have a long talk about what would happen to her next time she defied him. She was already speaking when he arrived, so he slipped into the back of the auditorium, his eyes sweeping over the audience; the place was jammed. He saw nothing out of place, and there was a strong police presence in the venue. He noted that all his men were in place as well.

Madison stood wrapped in a snow-white dress, a halter-top that left her arms and shoulders and back practically bare. The dress was too short with its swing skirt and her high heels. Her hair was loose and filled with riotous red curls, her eyes blazing as she talked passionately about the refugee crisis. She was inspiring and beautiful, he thought. When the speech was over, she got a standing ovation. She shook her hosts’ hands and sat on the chair on the stage talking to some of the audience who were asking her questions. She sensed Jordan near but couldn’t see him.

Jordan noted a stealthy movement in one of the side sections, a man getting up and purposely walking towards the stage as if he planned to exit through the side doors of the auditorium, but he moved stealthily past the exit, pausing to watch the crowd around her. Jordan moved quietly, keeping him in his sight, getting as near to him as he could. He was only feet from him when he saw him raise his hand holding a small gun as he approached the stage; Jordan dove, tackled him, and took him down; the gun went off harmlessly, a loud sound scaring the retreating crowd. Taking the gun from the man’s hand was easy; he had been caught by surprise, and he was easily subdued. The campus police and the city police were there in seconds, holding the two of them. They released Jordan as soon as they recognized him. The other man was taken away in handcuffs.

Jordan turned to find Madison, ashen-faced and trembling, standing on the edge of the stage. She turned away, but not before he saw a glimmer of tears in her eyes. She knew the man who had carried the gun. He was sure of it.
Damn
. Another problem, and he had been in charge of her protection for less than 24 hours.

Jordan was so attuned to her that he heard her soft plea. “I think I’m going to pass out, and I’d rather not do it in front of all these people.” Jordan leaped onto the stage gracefully among the confusion of the audience and platform guests as she staggered a bit; he pulled her to him, holding her steady and walked her towards the side of the stage. He knew the moment she fainted; he swept her up into his arms and carried her limp body out. She was light as a feather, and Jordan felt his protective instincts rise to consume him.
Her challenge to his dictates was threatening her life; he would have to reined her in.

He carried her to his car and placed her carefully in the front seat, buckling her in and asking for clearance to get her out of the auditorium area. The Campus police escorted him from the lot and onto the highway. Calling for medical backup to come to him at his home, he whipped into his driveway, turned off the key, and went to her side, unbuckling her and lifting her once again into his arms. She was trying to wake up; she looked up at him through her lashes. “I’m sorry.” Then her eyes closed again.
Shit.
  People who fainted didn’t die he knew, but as obstinate as she was, he wouldn’t put it past her.

He placed her in his bedroom on his bed, straightening her body and pushing the cloud of red hair from her face. The medical team he ordered knocked on the front door and entered, calling his name. “Back here. Hurry.” The EMT’s entered quickly and began to examine her, loosening her clothing and raising her feet with a pillow; Jordan stepped back giving them her personal history as he knew it.