Wild Suspicions (Romantic Suspense) (9 page)

No. S
he hadn’t used it on the plane.

Liddie rolled off the bed
and landed on her knees. The carpet gave a slight burn. The champagne was going to her head and making her loopy. The buzz, the nightie, and the sheets, all combined to make her feel drowsy, sensual and appealing.

She
pulled herself up. There had to be a phone somewhere. Parker wouldn’t care if she called a friend on his dime, but where was it? After searching the bedroom, Liddie made her way around the suite.

It was
becoming more difficult to walk. Twice, she almost fell sideways, which caused a good giggle. While it was possible the phone was hidden in a fancy box or something, Liddie couldn’t see where. Keeping her balance became so difficult, she finally had to give up the search and go back to the bed. The call to Melody would have to wait.

There was
a shot of champagne left in her glass, so she decided to gulp it down before stretching out on her back across the sheets. The bed was huge, maybe even larger than king-sized.

Lid
die would never have thought herself a mirror-above-the-bed kind of girl. Yet, here she was, entranced by her own overhead reflection. She ran a hand down the lace of her nightie. Like a pin-up girl from a vintage poster. That’s what she felt like. A pin-up girl.

T
he champagne was making waves in her head. Liddie tried to keep a clear thought, but couldn’t. The mirror began to fade as her eyes closed. She tried to fight it, but within a moment or two, Liddie was asleep.

Garrett let himself in with a little trick he’d learned from a crook in Nigeria. He knew quite a few handy, if not legal, tactics thanks to some less than respectable characters he’d known while working around the world.

When
Liddie didn’t respond to his knock, he thought maybe she had taken his advice and hit the road. After searching the suite, he found otherwise.

At first
, he was awestruck by the sight of her – sprawled on the bed in a skimpy lace getup. Awe, however, gave way to a crushing gust of disappointment.

Liddie hadn
’t heeded his warnings and run away. On the contrary, she simply crawled back into Parker’s bed with obvious enthusiasm.

He stood silently for a moment, struggling with a mix of emotions. When had he ever been jealous of Parker Maxon? Never. Garrett didn
’t care how many planes Maxon had, how many cars, how much money or how many women. He couldn’t give a damn less.

Until now.

Lydia Nichols wasn’t Parker’s regular feminine fare. She had some self-respect. Integrity. At least, Garrett was beginning to think she had. Now, as he tried to ignore the ache that embraced his passions, prior suspicions prevailed.

Was she, or wasn
’t she, as innocent as he’d hoped?

Garrett stepped forward and
knocked hard on the bedside table, waiting for Liddie to awake in anger and bracing himself for a good slap in the face. It’s actually what he wanted. He needed her to leave, and the only way to get her out now was to scare her.

And he would. He
’d scare the bloody hell out of her.

He leaned over and shook the bed. Nothing.

The two pieces of lace that hung from the bra, parted in the middle to reveal her belly button – at least six inches above the top edge of her low-cut panties. The outfit provided little cover for any part of her body, let alone the hills and valleys that screamed for his interest. Garrett wiped his brow and swallowed hard.

“
Liddie!” He reached out to shake her arm.

She
moved her hand in response, but didn’t open her eyes or answer. Garrett stepped back and watched her breathe, the thin lace lifting and falling with no evidence of aggravation or excitement. Liddie’s bare legs, long and smooth, remained relaxed, stretched out across the silk.

Something
’s not right.

Garrett
spotted the bottle of champagne that was sitting on the end table and took a quick sniff. He didn’t smell anything dangerous, but he had no doubt that Parker had slipped her something. After all, everything had to be easy for Parker. Why would Liddie be any different?

He
tapped on her leg. “Liddie?”

In one swift movement
, she took a deep breath and turned on one side. The sight of her ass barely covered with the peek-a-boo fabric provoked an inconvenient throb. Garrett took a deep breath and thought about walking away. Why not leave her to Parker? Let her live with the consequences of his attentions?

Because, he reasoned, there was still some doubt as to how deeply she was involved. Until he knew for sure, there wasn
’t any way he’d leave her to that heartless moron.

Garrett
lay down on the bed beside her. A faint whiff of floral played with his nose. Placing a hand on her waist, he curved his body to spoon hers, letting his groin come up to rest comfortably against the back of her barely covered butt.

“
Liddie?” He placed a hand on her hip and continued to tap firmly until she responded.

“
Mmmm?”

She was semi
-conscious.

“
Why don’t you leave, Liddie?” He lifted the fabric of her panty and almost slipped two fingers beneath, before scolding himself to stop.

He shook her
harder. “Liddie,” he said sternly, “Why didn’t you leave?”

“
I don’t want to,” she replied softly, with a bit of aggravation.

Garrett felt her leg stretch and lift
back to rest against the lower half of his body. Her hand came up to grab his, moving it from her hip to her breast, where she pressed him to fondle. The touch of it sent a shock through Garrett. He buried his face into her neck.

No wonder why Parker drugged her.
It was so damn easy.

I
f Garrett were anything like Maxon, he’d rip off the nightie, throw it across the room and take her. But he wasn’t like Parker. Never would be.

He
had to remind himself that if Liddie was anything like Maxon, he didn’t want her anyway. Garrett put his mouth to her ear and whispered. “Do you know where Parker’s taking you?” He rubbed her hip and bounced against her to keep her awake.

She took a deep breath.
“He won’t tell me.”

A spark of relief ignited in Garrett, but he had to be sure. “Where are you going with Parker, Liddie?
”

Her eyebrows came together in thought, but her eyes remained closed. “I
dunno. ”

Garrett
watched as she reached back for him again. He obliged by shifting on the bed to get as close as possible. She settled down, as his heartbeat quickened. Liddie didn’t know the real Parker Maxon. Garrett was sure of it. Now, he had to figure out a way to keep her safe.

“
Where’s your passport, Liddie?”

She didn
’t answer. He brought his hand to her waist and squeezed.

“
Liddie. Where’s your passport?” he asked firmly.

“
Parker has it.”

Damn
!

That lowlife piece of garbage
took her passport. That fact alone confirmed she didn’t know. It also explains the need to slip her a pill. Parker had to be sure his assistant wouldn’t flee – or find out the truth about this trip.

Ga
rrett couldn’t stand the coward who had such a fondness for pills. Uppers, downers, legal or otherwise, Parker was a pharmaceutical connoisseur. Garrett couldn’t be sure exactly what he’d given Liddie – he didn’t have enough knowledge of the subject – but with the excessive fatigue and overt sexuality, she was obviously on a mix. A proprietary blend, no doubt.

Liddie li
fted her hand, searching for Garrett’s. He let her fingers play with his, until she suddenly rolled over to face him. With eyes still closed, Liddie let out a breathless moan.

“
I’m so tired.” Her brows came together and her head turned from side to side in apparent frustration.

It was
the chemical mix, Garrett realized, that kept her semi-conscious.

“
I know, Liddie.” Garrett reached up and touched her hair. He wanted desperately to pick her up and run out of there, but it was impossible to do without being seen. If they were caught, any chance of a successful mission would be lost. Parker would get away.

Liddie
tried to push her face toward his. “Kiss me,” she whispered, arching up with desire.

Garrett
hesitated until she grabbed his shirt and pulled. All restraint faded. Pushing her gently back against the bed he rolled himself on top of her. Liddie’s legs spread, allowing his body to relax on hers. Garrett kissed her softly, welcoming the invitation to taste her.

Liddie clumsily
pulled at the buttons on his chest. Off. She wanted the shirt off, and Garrett was too weak to resist. On the contrary, he was more than ready to satisfy her desire. He reeled up and pulled the shirt over his shoulders, then tossed it to the floor. He came down upon her again, reaching around and pulling her body up against his.

Nothing
was enough. When he kissed her, Garrett wanted more. When he tasted her, he wanted more. Every time he asked for it, she responded willingly. He started to pull at the straps of the nightie and then stopped. He looked at Liddie, her head tilted to one side, her eyes still closed.

What the hell
am I doing?

Garrett
raised his body in regret and looked at the woman squirming in a half-dream state below him. Better a dream than a nightmare, but nonetheless, this was a dream she had no power to resist.

He rolled
to the side and stared up at the mirror above the bed. The pronounced pucker in his pants was beyond an easy retreat, and it throbbed even more as he appreciated the sight of her lying next to him.

Had
she been reaching out for Parker? Did the rich bastard actually get that deep into her heart? He took a hand and laced his fingers through hers.

“
Do you know who I am, Liddie?” He watched her in the mirror. “Who are you kissing, Liddie?”

She smiled.

Garrett almost stopped there, but decided he had to know. “Who makes you smile, Liddie?”

She breathed deep, and with
eyes still closed, he heard her whisper.

“
Garrett. Garrett Wade.”

He closed his eyes
with sweet relief. When he opened them again, Garrett saw long lashes lift to reveal a pair of hazy brown eyes.

“
Garrett,” she repeated to his mirrored reflection. “I’m so tired.”

He felt her fingers relax
.

“
It’s okay, Liddie. Go to sleep.”

Someone was knocking at
the door.

Liddie
opened her eyes and saw her own face staring back from the ceiling.

Where
am I?

For a moment there was no memory, just the vision of her
body tucked tightly under the smooth sheet and soft blanket of the giant bed.

She
pulled to loosen the bed linens, sat up and looked around. It was all coming back. Liddie listened to hear if anyone was in the bathroom. No. He was gone. The curtains were closed, but light shone through cracks. It was morning.

Someone was banging on the
hotel door downstairs.

Slightly panicked, Liddie
got up. She was dressed in that sexy negligee and the sight of it made her cringe. In the light of day, it seemed more silly than sexy.

W
ho had been here?

Liddie pushed away the flash of
memory that threatened to upset her. Whoever was at the door, they were still knocking, and the sound of it poked like a cattle prod into her brain.

She
ran into the bathroom and grabbed one of the plush white hotel robes that hung on a hook by the door. She quickly slipped into it. Holding onto the banister, she took the stairs slowly. Her head hurt and both legs were weak and wobbly.

“
Who is it?”

“
The concierge, Miss.”

Liddie
looked out through the peephole and saw a uniformed staff employee. She cracked the door open.

He
passed a paper through the opening. “A note from Mr. Maxon.”

“
Thank you.” She took the note and closed the door, then opened it quickly.

“
Excuse me.”

The concierge turned around immediately.

“Can you please have someone bring up a tray of toast and tea? I don’t seem to have a phone.”

He
appeared surprised by that. “Of course. I’m so sorry.”

Liddie was
relieved to have finally been able to place an order for some food. Her stomach felt like a hollow hole. All she’d had to eat since leaving New York was that granola bar on the plane, some champagne, and a few chocolate-covered strawberries from the candy basket on the counter.

She
went into the living room and sat on the sofa. The curtains were open and the room was flooded with light. She looked at the note. It was on computer-generated paper with the hotel logo.

Be ready by nine.
Parker.

She flipped the note over, but there was nothing else
.

Liddie walked over to one of the windows
and took in the view. The sun was already high over the city, and the beach was active with early risers. It might be later than she thought. She ran upstairs to the bedroom to look at the clock beside the bed.

Eight
-fifteen. She cursed. He wasn’t giving her much time at all.

A
n image from the night before threatened to distract her, but Liddie pushed it away once more. There was no time to think about it. No time to deal with it. Not now. She grabbed some clean clothes and ran into the bathroom, ripping off the nightie.

She
’d freshen up with a quick shower and then have enough time to enjoy the toast and tea. Right now, that was the only thing she cared about. Her stomach was dead empty, her limbs tired and weak, and her head threatened to explode.

How much
of that champagne did I drink?

Garrett searched the entire hotel room for Liddie’s passport. He’d gone through both Parker and Liddie’s things, but could find nothing.

When he left the
resort to go back to the plane, Liddie was in a solid sleep. While it took every ounce of resolve to leave her there, it would have been far worse for them both if he’d been caught taking her away.

Back at the plane, Garrett
looked in cabinets, drawers, and anything else that opened up like a compartment. No passport anywhere. Parker’s two stooges had disappeared upon landing, and he assumed it was with them. Or Parker. By taking her passport and drugging her, Parker was making sure Liddie had no opportunity to leave.

Garrett
tried to come up with a plan, but there was no way to get Liddie out without giving up on his mission. Running off with Liddie would mean losing the location of the camp. Without the evidence, he’d never be able to put Parker away – or his father, or any of the other crooked cronies who called themselves collectors.

It
wasn’t an option. Liddie had unwittingly placed herself in the middle of a dangerous situation, and now it was up to him to protect her. If an opportunity for her to escape comes up, he’d have to be ready for it. Until then, he’d do whatever possible to keep Parker distracted.

Garrett looked at his watch and realized
that he hadn’t reset it for the time change. He quickly calculated the difference; something that frequent travel enabled him to figure out easily. It would be daylight soon.

Though it was true
Parker was in a business meeting, Garrett also knew he’d try to get back and have his way with Liddie before the drug wore off.

T
he thought of it made Garrett angry. If Parker wasn’t enough of a bastard, now he was pouncing, vulture-like, on a woman who trusted him. A woman who – judging by the information Garrett had been able to get in the past hour from his own investigative sources – had been a consistent and squeaky clean employee before Parker plucked her from the office pool.

From temp to temptress? Garrett didn
’t think so. The more likely scenario was that Parker, attracted to Liddie from the start, could wait no longer. He had to have her, as he had to have everything he ever wanted. If that meant taking advantage of her while she was under the influence of narcotics. So be it.

Garrett recalled Liddie
’s smile when he first saw her with Parker. It wasn’t the smile of a knowing woman. It was more naive than that, and who could blame her for buying into the fantasy. Wasn’t it every little girl’s dream to grow up and marry a rich prince? Wasn’t that the fairytale? Liddie was simply reaching for the brass ring.

Always the rich guys.

Garrett pulled a
bottle of water from the plane refrigerator. How many women, he wondered, were ruined by rich, greedy men?

He pictured Liddie in the
lingerie. Parker would ruin her, too, if Garrett didn’t do something about it. Time was passing fast, though. He had to make a move.

Garrett
pulled his cell phone from a pocket and dialed his boss. It was a good four hours earlier than what they’d agreed upon.

“
What the hell, Wade?”

Parker was ready to chew him out, but Garrett knew how to shut him up fast.
“There are some people I don’t recognize snooping around,” he lied. “We’d better get going.”

“
Shit. I’ve still got a half hour here, and then I wanted to have some time with Liddie.” Parker sighed. “Okay. Fine. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

He
’d reacted just as Garrett knew he would.

If there was one thing Parker
Maxon was good at, it was running away.

Though he said they had time to spare, Liddie had only just finished dressing before Parker burst into the hotel room telling her they had to leave immediately.

Her heart sank.
The tea and toast never came.

Hotel staff followed
Parker into the room and in an organized production, started packing up their clothes. In five minutes the two of them were on the roof, being whipped around by the spinning blades of the chopper.

“
But I haven’t eaten anything, Parker, and I’m getting weak.” She let him lean across her lap and buckle the belt of the helicopter seat.

“
I’m sorry.” He patted her knee. “It couldn’t be helped.”

She didn
’t want to say so, but Liddie was regretting the trip again. It had been a day since she’d had a decent meal, and Parker didn’t seem very concerned about it. She rubbed at her head. The sound of the chopper blades was beginning to cut into her nerves.

“
Parker,” she began. “That champagne. It really knocked me out.”

He laughed.
“That’s because it’s the best. I wish I could have gotten back sooner and joined you.” He practically purred, then brought his lips under her hair to brush against her neck. “That would have been nice. But don’t worry,” he assured, “Everything will settle down soon.”

Liddie tried to focus on the view, but couldn
’t.

“
Have you seen my cell phone?” she asked, squirming a little uncomfortably. “I can’t find it, and I wanted to call a friend of mine. I looked all over the hotel room.” Suddenly she remembered something else. “And did you know that hotel room didn’t have a phone?”

“
No phone?” he asked quickly and sat up straight. “That makes no sense, Liddie. All hotel rooms have a phone. You must have missed it.” He took her hand and kissed it. “We’ll get you a new cell phone as soon as we’re settled.” He dismissed the notion quickly by turning away and looking down at the airport.

“
Okay,” Liddie conceded, knowing that for him, a cell phone was easy to replace. She would have to remind him when they reached their destination. Wherever that was. Parker still refused to say.

“
Why did we have to leave so quickly? Is everything okay?”

Parker
smiled, but appeared a little distracted. “All is fine,” he comforted. “All is fine.”

All did not seem fine to Liddie.

They
’d gotten back to the plane before Jerry and Paco, and Parker was angry with them. Liddie watched from inside the cabin as he reamed the two out on the tarmac.

It
infuriated her to see them back. She’d never actually considered hating someone, but those two were despicable.

Paco was carrying a
briefcase and Liddie was sure it held her laptop. Could he have her cell phone, as well? Watching from the window, she waited to see if Parker would kick them off the plane, or better yet, fire them.

Garrett
walked up to join the group. Liddie felt her pulse quicken in a sudden panic. His hair was combed back, giving greater definition to the hard angle of his jaw. He’d showered, shaved, and changed into clean jeans and an ironed khaki shirt. Liddie took a deep breath. While shorter than Parker, the man managed to look far more capable.

The dream
, or was it a memory? Images of the night before came flooding back to her in bits and pieces. What had she done?

Liddie felt her chest tighten and
crotch tingle. She could feel him, lying atop her on the hotel bed. She could taste his kiss and smell his skin. Though he was standing outside, a good twenty-five feet from the plane, Liddie felt like she knew more about Garrett Wade right now than she did about Parker Maxon. The thought sent her reeling.

Garrett
looked past the three men and up at the window. Liddie’s eyes met his and locked. Her body confirmed what her mind couldn’t be sure of. He had been in the room. He had been in her bed. What was worse, she’d wanted him there.

Liddie froze, staring into the face that had so sweetly rubbed against hers. Garrett
’s eyes were dark, but he didn’t look satisfied or smug. He looked concerned.

“
Where’s your passport, Liddie?” His voice, like a whisper, repeated in her mind. “Where’s your passport?” he’d asked.

Garrett
dropped his gaze and walked away to do what Liddie now realized was a pilot’s check. Parker came back on the plane with his men.

“
How much longer on this plane?” asked Liddie when Parker entered the cabin.

Jerry and Paco ignored her,
disappearing into the back. She felt a shiver crawl through her. Liddie didn’t want them here. After what happened last night, she wasn’t too sure she should be on this trip anymore.

Parker moved to the galley and grabbed granola bars for the two of them.
“About six or seven more hours in the air, and we’ll be there. I promise.”

“
Another six or seven hours?” Liddie rubbed her forehead, wishing away the headache. “Parker, I hadn’t realized we’d be flying so much.”

Garrett entered the plane and secured the door
with a slam. Liddie became more anxious. The pilot went straight to the cockpit with no glance back.

Liddie felt trapped.
Two thugs, an unconcerned Parker, and a threatening yet protective pilot. She was confused. The trip wasn’t anything like she’d imagined it to be.

“
Parker.”

He sa
t down beside her and reached up to tenderly push a strand of hair from her face. “You all right?”