Twisted Hunger (17 page)

Slipping her hand away from his, she smiled sweetly and asked, “Shall we go have lunch, Mr. Madigan?”

“Are you paying,
princess
?”

“No chance,
Luke
. We’ll go Dutch. And no ordering anything that requires sharp knives.”

“Deal,” he said with that funny half-smile and pushed the elevator button. When the doors opened, he waved her forward. “After you.”

She took one step, halted, then waved for him to go first. “Please. I wouldn’t want you to think my ego demanded I receive preferential treatment.” He shrugged and entered the elevator in front of her. She wasn’t sure how to react to that either.

He had so distracted her, she was all the way inside the elevator before remembering to prepare herself for being enclosed. Her fingers found and clamped around the heavy-duty steel flashlight in her purse just as the elevator doors came together.

To prove she wasn’t a snob, she took him to the cafeteria rather than the sit-down restaurant off the lobby. And to prove she could be nice, she asked him questions about himself and paid rapt attention to his answers. Surprisingly, she didn’t have to fake that as she usually did with men. Luke Madigan was actually an interesting person.

Through his anecdotes, she could see that he was a dedicated teacher who used humor and a youthful attitude to get through to his students. She imagined that he was the sort who could inspire a young person to read the classics. When she asked how he filled his free time, she wasn’t at all surprised that there was a daredevil lurking just beneath his “average guy” façade.

“So how did you spend
your
last vacation?” he asked after telling her about the week he spent hiking alone through the Canadian wilderness.

She wished she had an adventurous story to relate, but all that came to mind was how she’d spent the only extended time she’d taken off work in several years—sitting by her mother’s hospital bed.

“From the look on your face, I’d guess wherever you went, you didn’t have much fun.”

She pulled her thoughts back to the present. “No, I didn’t.” Glancing at the clock on the wall, she was so stunned to see that over an hour had passed that she nearly jumped out of her chair. “I’ve enjoyed your company, but I really have to get back to my office before the senator sends out a search party.”

“I’ll walk you back,” Luke said, quickly rising and helping to dispose of their food trays.

“That’s not necessary,” she protested and walked a bit faster toward the elevator.

“Of course it is. I wouldn’t want you accusing me of not having good manners.”

She sighed and shook her head. “We’re not going to start that again, are we?” The elevator doors opened and this time he waited while she took her steadying breath and entered the box before him.

“Go ahead and ask,” he said, after they were moving. “You know you’ll be bugged all afternoon if you don’t.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Ask what?” He gave her a look that implied she knew very well what he was talking about, but she didn’t. “What?”

“If you succeeded in your mission.”

The word “mission” sounded like an alarm going off in her head. Was it a code word? Could he be the one Brevowski had warned her about? She tried to maintain a calm demeanor. “And what mission would that be?”

“The one where you prove to me that you really are a very nice lady.”

She expected relief, but it didn’t come. “Oh.
That
mission. Well? Did I succeed or should I ask the teacher if I passed his little test?”

He smiled. “Yes, to either one.”

She made herself smile back. “So you don’t think I’m a snob anymore?”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” he replied, looking serious again. “You proved you can be nice over a Dutch-treat lunch in a cafeteria, but the only way you’ll convince me you’re not a snob is by letting me take you out to dinner at a decent restaurant tonight.”

The elevator stopped at her floor before she could form her answer, and when the doors opened, Senator Jones and a security officer were standing in front of them.

Chapter 10

“Perfect timing, as usual, Miss Winters. I’m heading to the Capitol for my meeting with the governor, but I should be back well before my appointment at four with Ms. Oliver. Hopefully, I’ll be finished up today in time to have a cocktail with my wife before the dinner meeting with the Bar Association.

“Which reminds me, she was so impressed with your handling of the AIDS banquet, she wants to meet with you to go over the arrangements for the private dinner party we’re having next weekend. Perhaps you could give her a call and set something up for tomorrow.”

Jones turned to Luke and frowned slightly. “I’m certain we’ve met, but…”

“He was at the banquet,” Ellery supplied.

“I was just one of thousands you met that night,” Luke said before she could give his name. “I’m surprised you recognized me.”

“The senator has a special talent for remembering names and faces,” Ellery explained.

“Really? I have a fairly good memory for faces myself.”

Ellery watched the two men scrutinizing each other and had the distinct impression there was more going on between them than their words implied. It was enough to make her suspicious of Luke’s true motives again.

Suddenly Jones smiled. “Now I remember. You were the young man who entertained my wife while I was talking to the Los Angeles detective. She was quite grateful to you. I’m afraid my talent has failed me on your name, however.”

Ellery noticed how Luke clenched and unclenched his fist before reintroducing himself. He was definitely tense.

“Lucas Madigan,” he said after a noticeable pause and held out his hand. “From North Carolina.”

“Ah, yes. I do remember now. But tell me, Mr. Madigan, if you’re from North Carolina, how did you happen to be sitting next to the detective?”

“Just good luck,” he said with a tight smile. “I was the guest of one of the other officers at that table.”

“Now you have me truly curious as to how you’ve come to be with our Miss Winters today.”

Ellery opened her mouth to explain, but Luke was faster.

“The competition for her attention Saturday night was a little too stiff. I thought I’d have more luck impressing her this way.”

Jones laughed. “I’m sorry I have a meeting to run off to. I’d like to hear how this story ends.”

As soon as the senator was on his way, Ellery confronted Luke. “That was very embarrassing, thank you very much.” She turned away from him but stopped when he followed. “Perhaps I needed to be more clear. I no longer appreciate your company.”

“You didn’t give me an answer,” he reminded her. “About tonight.”

“I’m sorry. I already have a date.”

“With Brandon? Or some other celebrity?”

He was back to using that disapproving tone of voice. “Not that it’s any of your business, but yes, I’m having dinner with Brandon.”

“Tomorrow night then?”

“Sorry. I can’t.”

“Or any other night, right?” Her answer was in her eyes. “Because I’m not important enough?”

She clucked her tongue. “You just spent an hour convincing me how important you’ve been to several thousand young minds. No television star can do anything more important than that.”

“Then it’s my looks. I’m not handsome enough? Tall enough? Muscular enough?”

“You know very well how attractive you are. I’m not going to feed your ego by detailing your features for you.” She tried to leave but he stepped in front of her.

“It can’t be my I.Q. or my lack of imagination or that I’m a boring conversationalist.” He snapped his fingers. “It’s the money, isn’t it? You figure an associate professor doesn’t make enough—”

“Stop this! You’re being ridiculous, and I have to get back to work.” She moved, but again he blocked her path.

“There’s only one thing left, and it’s a pretty pathetic excuse.” He made her wait for his conclusion. “You’re afraid of me.”

“
What
?” She couldn’t believe he said that. She wasn’t afraid of any man! Certainly not some nutty professor who would be long gone in a day or two.

“You heard me. The thought of spending private time with me frightens you. Since you don’t seem to have any objections to me personally, however, that doesn’t make much sense. Unless…” He rubbed his chin and slowly nodded.

After a few seconds, she gave in. “Unless what?”

He grinned. “Unless you’re afraid I might be the man who could get you to take those pins out of your hair.”

That was the last straw. “I’m tired of this game. Go find someone else to poke your stick at.” She regretted using that phrase the instant it was out of her mouth and his eyes twinkled with sexual response. This time when she stepped around him, he let her go.

“I’m staying at Conley’s Motel,” he said to her back. “In case you want to prove I’m wrong again.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” she replied.

By the time she returned to her desk, her temper had cooled sufficiently for her to realize he had managed to push two of her most sensitive buttons.

Although she knew it was impossible to make everyone like her, being called a snob was too reminiscent of her school days when jealous girls were always saying mean things about her just because she didn’t want to waste her time the way they did.

And being called a coward, well, that was just too much. There wasn’t a man on the planet with whom she couldn’t stand eye to eye. If anything,
he
should be the one who should fear being with a woman as strong and independent and
passionate
as she knew she could be… if she chose.

It was almost as if he knew in advance exactly how to get her attention. The fact that it was negative attention didn’t seem to make any difference.

Again she was struck with the idea that Lucas Madigan could be the one she was supposed to beware of. And whatever that was that went on between him and the senator seemed to support that. Now that she thought about it, she had the distinct impression that Luke had not wanted to tell Jones who he was, how they’d met or that he was in the building acquiring information on him.

Suddenly it occurred to her that she may have gotten the whole thing backward. Instead of Luke using the information as an excuse to get to her, perhaps he was only pretending interest in her to get the information. The problem there was that the only information he’d asked for were items anyone could access without having someone on the inside.

The other problem with that line of thinking was that even if Luke were some sort of spy, that didn’t really explain how he could know about her vulnerable spots. Even her mother hadn’t known her that well.

She forced herself to concentrate on the notes the senator had asked her to prepare for tomorrow morning’s budget meeting. No matter how hard she tried though, she couldn’t quit thinking about Lucas Madigan and why he disturbed her so much.

If you spent more time with him, you could figure out for yourself whether he was after you for your body or to find out what your secret mission is. Isn’t there a saying about keeping your friends close, but your enemies closer?

She ordered the voice in her head to be quiet. It was only making her more confused.

If he was a professional spy, she didn’t have the experience to trick him into revealing any secrets. And if he was just a horny man… well, she could have taken advantage of Brandon for that sort of evening.

At least Brandon didn’t aggravate her… or challenge her… or surprise her. With Brandon, she had no problem keeping all the pins in her hair.

For some reason, that knowledge didn’t feel as satisfying today as it had yesterday.

* * *

“I’m Detective Harris,” Terrell told the thin, middle-aged man in the receiving area. “Come on back to my desk. I understand you have some information about the Neuman case.” He could tell the man was quite nervous about being in a police department. As soon as they were both seated, he said, “I’ll be honest with you, we don’t have much on this one, so we’ll be very grateful for any small thing you can add. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”