Take Me If You Dare (7 page)

S
OMETHING PRICKED HIS SENSES,
and Jackson reluctantly pulled his mouth from Mar’s. Still in the water, he scanned the area, searching for the intrusion. Even with the distraction of the woman wrapped around him, his training always kicked in.

There was movement outside their villa and his eyes narrowed.

He relaxed when he realized their breakfast had arrived. A waiter dressed in a white coat and black pants had set the table.

“Time to eat,” he whispered in her ear.

“Um, suddenly I’m not so hungry for food.” She gave him a saucy wink.

He kissed her neck. “Trust me, you’re going to need tons of protein. I have such plans for you.”

He delighted in her soft laugh as she pushed away from him. Jackson straightened and was surprised that his cock was already missing her touch. The back side of her provided one luscious view as she bounced on to the beach.

Yes, he’d feed her and then he was going to make
love to her on a bed where he could see her face as he drove into her. His mission for the next twenty-four hours was to make her scream with pleasure as many times as possible.

It’s a tough task, but I’m ready for the challenge.

After running on to the beach, he grabbed a towel. A king’s feast had been set up on a teak table. Fruit, pancakes, bacon, eggs, muffins and toast.

Mariska was already biting into a strawberry. She looked so carefree, wrapped in a towel and sitting cross-legged in her chair. She’d pulled her long hair into a clip and even with no makeup she was a stunner.

She caught him staring and brought a napkin to her chin to wipe her red and oh-so-kissable lips. “Do I have juice on my face? I can’t help it. This fruit is so fresh. It’s been so long since I’ve had a meal, I feel like I could eat everything here.”

Jackson wrapped his towel around his waist and sat down. Stabbing a fork into a couple of pancakes, he put them on his plate. “Hope you don’t mind if I take a couple of these before you inhale the rest.” He grinned at her, taking the bite out of his words.

The smile she gave him made his heart do funny things. “Probably a good idea,” she said. “I happen to be a pancake freak. In college those poor waitresses at IHOP cringed when I came in to study on Endless Pancake Day. You have to try the bacon. It’s from heaven. I don’t know why I love fried pig so much, but I do.”

This time he was the one who laughed. “Fried pig?”

She shrugged. “We couldn’t say the word
bacon
in our house. We had this old retriever, Terry the Terrible,
who would knock you down if you said it. The dog loved him some bacon. While his ears were great, his sense of smell wasn’t. If you called it fried pig you could usually make it to the table with the plate.”

Jackson leaned forward. “You had a dog named Terry the Terrible?”

Rolling her eyes, she set down her fork. “You have no idea. He was an awful dog to everyone but the family. He was my grand protector. When people came over I had to keep him in the backyard or he’d sit and growl at them the whole time. He never bit anyone but he’d bark and make this low guttural sound, and basically scare the heck out of them.”

Jackson enjoyed listening to her talk. He could imagine a mean old dog determined to protect her. Hell, he’d known her less than a day, and he wanted to take care of her, even though she seemed perfectly capable of doing that for herself.

“My mom and dad traveled a lot when I was little, and Terry was my best friend.” She snorted. “Now, that sounds pathetic—a dog as a best friend. Bring out the violins. Did you have pets?” she asked as she poured syrup on her pancakes.

Jackson considered his answer. There was the one time that he had tried to hide a kitten. When his mom’s boyfriend found it he’d gone ballistic, and had beaten Jackson for ten minutes with a belt. Screaming that the last thing they needed was another mouth to feed.

The next day Jackson rode the bus two hours to the shelter and then begged the woman at the desk to promise she’d find a good home for the kitten.

A week later he went back to check to make sure the
animal had been adopted and not killed. The woman at the desk had taken pity on him and explained that a nice family had taken in the animal and named him Hal. She promised that the family loved the kitten very much. She even showed him the file with a picture of the family with the kitten so he could see she told the truth.

Sitting on the back of the bus, he cried all the way home. He was seven, and after that he made it a point to never care too much about anything. “No. I never had pets. We moved too much.”

He never liked discussing himself, especially anything to do with the past, and decided to steer the conversation in a new direction.

“How long have you had your investigative agency?” Jackson knew the answer, but it was the first thing that came to his mind.

“Wow. Um, it’s been about eighteen months, I guess.” Her voice faltered for an instant. “My mom was killed in a plane crash, and she willed the place to me. They do a lot of good work there, from finding missing children to consulting with law enforcement agencies around the world. They make a difference, and I planned to be a part of it some day. I never expected it to happen so soon.”

“That must have been rough on you with your mom. I’m sorry.”

She sighed. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be up to her standards. She was incredible at what she did. People tell me her instincts were legendary. I didn’t spend much time with her when I was a kid, but in my teen years. Well, she made sure I could protect myself, and made
me take martial arts even if I’d rather be practicing with makeup. I’m grateful now. But at the time, all we did was fight. When I went away to college most of our communication was through my dad. It’s always been easier for me to connect with him. I’d always planned on getting to know my mom better, and then the crash.”

She adjusted the ponytail on top of her head, and rolled her shoulders as if to loosen tension that had built there. “Can I tell you a secret?”

Jackson was intrigued. “Of course, you can tell me anything.”

Staring down at the table, she twisted the napkin in her hand. He had a hard time reading her face and was more curious than ever.

“Whatever it is, Mar, really,” he encouraged her.

“This case, in Bangkok, was my first one. Well, technically, that is. I solved one in Texas, but that was a complete accident. Something I happened to walk in on, but this was my first one to actually take on and solve.” She pointed at him. “With your help, of course. I really don’t think I could have done it without you.”

His assumption from his earlier reading was correct. While she seemed to have some of the basics down, that she’d missed the tail and hadn’t caught on that he wasn’t who he said he was had clued him in.

“Really?” He pretended surprise. “Huh. You’re pretty good for a newbie, and I bet you would have found him on your own. Though, you might have taken a different approach.”

This time her grin went from one side of her face to the other, and he knew he’d said the right thing.

“Thank you. One thing is for sure, I would have
never thought to go to a massage parlor to get intel.” She laughed.

“Well, none of us is perfect, and to be honest, I was following what little trail we had on him,” Jackson told her. “The best way to find people is usually to retrace their steps. That’s all we did. When you’re investigating it’s about following the clues you have and using those to your advantage. I could help you, you know?”

“What?” She folded her napkin and put it on the table.

“Well, the only time you really slipped up was after we dropped Gladstone off at the airport. We picked up a tail. Were you aware of that?”

Her brow furrowed. “I had no idea. That’s why you drove pretty crazy on the bike.”

“Right.” Jackson leaned back in the chair. “When you’re on a case you have to be hyperaware of your surroundings. I’ve noticed you’re good at reading people, but you lack the basics in observation techniques. I tell you what, let’s practice right now. Look straight at me, and tell me what you’ve observed on the beach since we’ve been sitting here.”

She bit her lip again, but did as he said. “I can hear someone talking, but it seems really far away. Um, and the waves are really loud. That’s about it.”

He hadn’t lied. This was something he could teach her in the little time they had together.

“Okay, now look around.”

She did as he asked.

“To your right there’s a couple about a hundred yards down the beach. She’s wearing a dark blue bikini. His
suit is yellow. The man does not have the physique to wear a banana hammock, but there you go.”

“And he’s kind of furry. Ick,” she added and then laughed.

He grinned at her. “They have a basket of muffins and juice,” Jackson continued. “She’s mad at him because he passed out from drinking too much last night. He’s ignoring her.

“Beyond them to the right, there’s a bodyguard hidden in the trees. He’s watching the couple, and he’s carrying a gun on his right hip. You can tell that by the way he stands. He’s wearing a white shirt over the top of khakis trying to blend in as a tourist, but he’s not. He doesn’t fit into the crowd that stays here, and it’s apparent by the scowl on his face.”

Glancing around, Mariska held up a hand. “This is kind of freaky, Jackson. Your back is to all of them. How could you possibly know that?”

“I’ve had years of training. But I always stay aware of my surroundings.”

She stood. “You have to teach me that. I mean it, that’s friggin’ incredible what you did.”

“It’s a matter of learning to see between the lines and paying attention at all times. It’s hard work at first, but soon it will become second nature. First you focus on the people and memorize what they’re wearing, approximate height, and anything that might help you distinguish them in a crowd.”

“You amaze me. How long have you been a detective?” she asked.

Damn. Caught.
The first thing an operative learned was to stick as close to the truth as possible. “I’ve been
in the business, one way or another, for about eight years, but not always as a detective. I did some time in the military.”
Close enough.

He steered the conversation back to safer territory. “While we’re here, we’ll work on some of the basics. You’ll begin to feel more comfortable. You’ve got good instincts, so you’re well on your way.”

Mar leaned over and kissed the top of his head. “You’re such a sweet man. I don’t know about my instincts, but I definitely appreciate the help.”

After spreading her towel down on the large two-person lounger, she sat down on the right side of it and brushed the sand from her feet. “I think my eyes were way bigger than my stomach. I shouldn’t have eaten that fifth pancake. I’m going to finish drying off and start on my tan.” She laughed.

Jackson followed her actions and stretched out beside her. After a few seconds he sat up, and reached over and kissed her long and hard.

“Mmm,” she said against his lips. “I’m so glad you’re here with me.”

Jackson stretched out again. “Me, too.” He meant it. Though he still worried that spending time together wasn’t the best idea for either of them, he couldn’t bring himself to leave.

Besides, the pirate wench had captured his heart, and he wasn’t quite ready to leave it with her yet.

M
ARISKA SAT STRAIGHT
up in bed, panicked in the unfamiliar surroundings. It took her a few seconds to remember she was in the villa at the resort. Only a tiny bit of light filtered through the filmy curtains. The room was dark otherwise.

Jackson wasn’t in the bed with her, and uneasiness skittered across her skin. “Jackson?” He didn’t answer. She listened for the running water, but he wasn’t in the shower. She fumbled on the side table until she found a lamp. Blinking a few times, her eyes eventually focused. She glanced down to see she was still in her bikini.

Sliding her feet off the side, she went in search of the man. There was a small desk in the corner where she found a note.

Checking out the grounds and amenities. Will be back in time for dinner. I made reservations at the restaurant for nine to give you time to rest. There’s also a snack for you inside the fridge.

 

“I love that he always thinks of everything.” Mariska smiled and stretched. Her skin was tight and smelled
like the ocean. She must have passed out on the lounger and Jackson put her to bed. The jet lag and their adventures the last twenty-four hours had finally caught up with her.

“Idiot. You wasted a whole afternoon sleeping.” She chided herself. Recalling their time in the water, her body shivered with pleasure. There were so many things she wanted to do with him, and to him.

Remembering how his hand had slipped over her nipple, her body tingled. She gave a happy sigh. She’d never come so fast in her life as she did in that ocean. Knowing she could bring him to orgasm equally as fast made her feel powerful.

At the time she thought it funny that they could be so passionate and then be friendly sitting on the beach eating breakfast. In some ways he seemed so dark and mysterious, and in others he was accessible and kind.

As good as she was at reading people, she never could quite get a fix on him. The man was restless, and she could tell he never stayed in one place too long, which meant the most she could expect out of him was a couple of days. Something told her that he’d been more worried about those men being after him than her. That meant he might be in some kind of trouble.

They might part ways soon but that made her even more determined to make the hours, and if she was lucky, days, she had with him memorable.

A small grumble in her stomach sent her to the fridge where she found a tiny bottle of champagne and some chocolate-covered strawberries. The man absolutely nailed the way to her heart. Popping the cork on the
champagne, she filled one of the glasses he left on the counter. Biting down on the strawberry, she savored the mix of chocolate sweetness and the tart juice as they slid across her tongue.

Finding her watch in her bag, she saw that it was nearing seven. That gave her plenty of time to get ready.

Jackson’s bag was under the counter near the fridge and she was tempted to snoop. Her nosy disposition was the one thing she had inherited from her mother. As she was about to reach down, she made herself stop; whatever she found wouldn’t change how she felt about him. And how much did she really need to know other than he was gorgeous and seemed intent on pleasing her?

Nothing.

Maybe he was dangerous, but he wouldn’t hurt her—at least physically. Emotionally, she wasn’t so sure. Their short time together already left her with a craving for the man’s kisses.

“You knew going into this that it was short-term, so don’t go getting any crazy ideas.” She said the words out loud as if that would make her more accepting of the statement.

While he might think she wasn’t the most perceptive woman in the world, she had deduced he was much more than a detective who traveled the world on cases. He’d mentioned the military and he had that air about him. Then there were the scars. She’d noticed the bullet wounds on his shoulder and back. There was what seemed like a knife wound near his heart, and he had a multitude of scars on his thighs.

Yes, he’d most definitely led a dangerous life, but he had only treated her with kindness. Normally, Mariska didn’t go for the protective type, but she liked that he wanted to take care of her. And she honestly wanted to take care of him.

Every time she asked about his past, a haunted look came over his face. More than anything she wanted to clear away those cobwebs of sadness. She’d noticed it when he talked to Gladstone about his father, and then again when she’d mentioned the pets.

She wouldn’t make the mistake of delving back into his childhood. He masked the pain well, but she could tell the memories hurt.

She felt a sort of compulsion to make him happy. They had such a wonderful chemistry, a connection she wasn’t sure she’d ever experienced with another man. She wondered—

Be a big girl and don’t let those fantasies of happily ever after get in the way. Live in the now. There’s nothing wrong with having fun and allowing yourself the freedom to enjoy life with a sexy man for a few days.

After eating the berries and taking a few sips of the champagne, she ventured into the bathroom. It smelled of Jackson. Warm and sensual with a hint of amber and sandalwood, the mere scent of him made her pelvis tighten with need.

Catching sight of herself in the mirror, she let out a yelp. “Thank God he isn’t here to see me.” Her hair had fallen out of its ponytail and stuck straight out from her head. Luckily Jackson must have carried her in before she had too much sun. While her skin was dry, she hadn’t turned pink.

The steamy shower helped to wash away her sleepy mind and brought her back to being human. The hotel had provided an array of soaps and lotions and she used the freesia-scented shampoo and conditioner. Once she finished, she lathered her skin with the same scented lotion. She felt like an exotic flower when she walked out of the bathroom.

Leaving the towel wrapped around her, she went in search of her clothes. Her large backpack had been emptied and she found Jackson had hung up her sarongs along with her jeans and T-shirts, and he’d carefully placed everything else in drawers at the bottom of the armoire. It didn’t bother her that he’d gone through her things, because she could tell he’d taken special care in making sure everything was done right. He’d also saved her some ironing.

Mariska was grateful she’d only picked her sexiest lingerie to make the trip. That’s when it dawned on her. She had meant to buy condoms at the hotel in Bangkok, but didn’t have time.

“Crap. I hope the gift shop is still open.” She’d noticed the small alcove with sundry items when she’d checked them into the hotel.
Surely they have some.
At least she hoped so. After their bit of fun in the ocean, making love to the man had become a priority for Mar.

Dressing quickly, she threw on a touch of makeup. She intended to dash to the hotel and back before Jackson returned from his walk.

Using the path they’d taken to get down to the villa, she scrambled her way up the slight hill to the hotel.
Luckily the little store was open. The condoms came in small boxes of six.

Mar stood there contemplating, her fingers tapping on her chin.

I have no idea what to do? How long will he be here? Will I look like a vacation ho if I buy all of the stock?

After chewing on her nail for a minute, she bought five boxes.

To his credit, the elderly clerk didn’t even show the slightest hint of merriment that the crazy American was buying his place out of condoms. Mariska tried not to be mortified. She was a grown woman, for goodness’ sake. Still, she’d never purchased quite so many. After she’d signed the ticket to charge everything to her room the clerk put the items in a discreet bag along with some sunscreen she needed.

Before leaving the lobby she glanced into the restaurant. She hadn’t brought anything dressy to wear, and was relieved to see that though the surroundings were beautiful and formal with linens and crystal, everyone dressed casually.

As she stepped out of the lobby onto the beachfront she noticed the sun as it sank deep into the ocean. She couldn’t have picked a more magical place to rest and relax. That she had a gorgeous, if somewhat mysterious, man with her was one big, handsome bonus.

Thinking of him, she hurried down the path.

“Going somewhere?” A voice came out of the shadow of the trees.

Mariska squeaked and dropped her bag.

Jackson stepped out from behind the trees lining the path. “We really do need to practice you being more
aware of your surroundings.” He bent down to pick up the bag and the few things that had fallen out, including three of the five boxes of condoms.

Mariska looked away.

Jackson put the items back in the bag without commenting on her purchases. “You’re beautiful, by the way.”

The comment took her so off guard Mariska didn’t know what to say. “Thanks,” she finally whispered.

The man was beyond awesome when it came to manners. One of the many reasons she adored him. That list grew by the minute.

He leaned down and sniffed her neck and hair, leaving small kisses as he did. The sensual moment sent instant heat between Mariska’s legs.

“Maybe we should skip dinner in the restaurant and order room service.” Jackson moved his mouth to her lips.

“I think that’s a really great idea,” she whispered, her voice hot with need.

A horrible gurgling sound came from her stomach.

Jackson stifled a laugh.

“That was so not glamorous or romantic,” she said, mortified.

“I think I’m going to have to feed you first, after all.” Jackson kissed her again. “But I still like the room service idea.”

A
S SOON AS THEY HIT
the villa door, Jackson had a plan in mind that called for some wine, steak and shrimp. They’d both need the protein for the long haul. A large
salad and every dessert on the menu finished off the room service order.

There was a slightly awkward moment when he hung up the phone. She stared at him strangely. He’d been worried when he checked the room and found her gone. Racing up to the hotel, he’d stopped himself when he caught a glimpse of her in the gift store.

He’d delighted in the look of concentration on her face as she tried to figure out how many condoms they’d need. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that he’d taken care of that problem earlier in the day.

“You must have a really big sweet tooth.” She teased him about ordering so many desserts.

He walked across the room and held her hands in his. “I do.” If she only knew she was the real dessert. “Let’s go walk on the beach.”

The surprise on her face amused him. She’d obviously thought they would make love immediately, but once they began tonight he had no plans of stopping.

Confusion drew her brows together.

“There’s something I want to show you,” he said as a way of explaining. Then waggled an eyebrow at her. “Did you think I would pounce on you as soon as we made it into the room?”

She gave him a sly grin. “I kind of hoped so, but you’re right. Food is always a good thing, and a walk on the beach is—kind of sweet. I had no idea you were such a romantic. The champagne, strawberries and now a walk on the beach.”

Oh, you have no idea.
Jackson took her hand and led her out the door.

“Wow, the moon’s as big as the sun was earlier, but
much easier to look at. And don’t start talking to me about the pollution.” She laughed softly.

The glow of the orb turned the ocean a silvery black. Jackson squeezed her hand. “I wouldn’t dare. Now, listen carefully.” They stood at the edge of the water.

It took her a minute, but then he knew she heard it. “That’s beautiful, what kind of bird is it?”

“A robin, and it only sings at night. You hear it as the moon comes up and then it stops. Can you see it there a little to the left in those palm trees?”

Mariska gave a tiny gasp. “It has a red breast like the ones at home, but what’s that weird thing on its head?”

“That tuft of yellow feathers is what attracts the females, well, that and his call. The bigger the feathers, the more endowed he is.” The bird flew away, his song complete for the night.

“Wow. I bet he has some pretty happy lady friends, because those are some big feathers,” Mar said.

Jackson guffawed as he put his arm around her shoulders. “You are funny.”

“You must have a special interest in this stuff,” she said.

Jackson hugged her. “I read a lot as a kid. I thought at one time I might be a scientist of some sort, maybe a biologist or an oceanographer. That’s how I knew about the sharks this morning. I read everything about animals and creatures I could when I was a kid. I was absolutely fascinated by them.”

Jackson surprised himself by how easily he shared his previous life with her. Usually anything to do with his past was off-limits, but she was so easy to talk to.
Standing on the beach with this woman, he opened up to her more than he had in years. Oh, he knew it wasn’t much, but it was a lot more than he’d given anyone else.

These memories weren’t painful like those from this morning. The books about the animals kept him in school. When he graduated he planned to go to college and study to be a scientist, but he needed money. That’s when he joined the army, and his life went in a much different direction.

“I really love animals, too, except for reptiles and sharks. When I was seven, I decided I had to have a horse,” Mar said wistfully. “I was consumed by the prospect of galloping around on daily rides, and braiding its mane and tail.” She rolled her eyes. “I blame it on those crazy My Little Pony toys.

“We lived most of the time in Austin, but my mom was an investigator and traveled a lot. Dad had his company but he let me travel with him in the summer. Me and Layla.”

“Layla?”

“She was part nanny and part tutor, and she became a dear friend. She lives in Florida now with her family, but she took great care of me when I was a kid.” She waved a hand. “I digress.