Page 6 of Desperate Temptations

J essa rolled her neck to relieve some of the tension and looked at the clock on the wall in her office.

A few minutes left before she could go home.

All week she’d been nervous. Gary’s threat, in the back of her mind every day, concerned her more than she wanted to admit.

She intended to get home, get dressed in dark clothes, and be hiding by the warehouse before dark.

She had gone to the warehouse a few more times since Gary’s threat.

She was determined to finish this. It was the only way she knew she’d be able to move on with her life.

She never stayed more than a few hours. It was mostly anxiety getting the better of her at the thought of that man, Cain, finding her again.

Jessa turned abruptly in her chair and stood when Leona, her secretary, rushed through the door, fear radiating from her eyes.

“Ms. Walker!” She looked nervously over her shoulder, wringing her hands.

Jessa had never seen her so frazzled. This woman had always been like a machine, always controlled and pleasant. Nothing had fazed her.

Shivers of alarm ran down Jessa’s spine.

“What, Leona...?”

Leona looked back at Jessa, terror evident in the lines on her face.

“There’s a man here to see you.” She looked over her shoulder again, whispering, “I’ve never seen a man like him before, except in those fighting movies.

I don’t know why he could possibly need to see you.

For goodness’ sake, you’re not a criminal lawyer, and I’d bet money that man is a criminal.

I don’t think I should let him back here.

I want you to go out the back. I’m going to call security just in ca. ..”

A deep, dark, vaguely familiar voice came from the doorway.

“She’s safe with me, ma’am. Jessa and I are going to become close friends.”

Both women gasped, jerked around, and stared at the man taking up the opening of the doorway, his arms arrogantly crossed in front of his chest as he leaned against the doorjamb.

Shocked, Jessa could do nothing, frozen in place. Leona screeched, her hands fluttering frantically in front of her. Jessa would have laughed at the picture she made if she weren’t so frightened herself.

“Sir, I asked you to stay in the other room,” Leona’s voice shook.

Cain straightened, taking a threatening step into the room, his massive arms at his sides.

He was big. She’d forgotten just how big.

The battered jeans and black t-shirt he wore made him look even more disreputable.

He looked at Jessa with a smirk on his face and one of his eyebrows cocked.

She knew he was enjoying catching her off guard.

But his arrogance was what made her spine straighten and her eyes narrow with pride.

Jessa laid a hand on Leona’s arm, never taking her eyes off the man.

“Leona, it’s okay. I know him.”

Leona couldn’t have looked more aghast. Her hands fluttered against her chest. Words burst from her in a high-pitched voice.

“You know him? How?”

The shriek made Jessa cringe.

Jessa crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a smirk of her own. Or what she hoped was a smirk. She didn’t think she pulled it off with her lips shaking. She patted Leona’s arm in comfort.

“It really is okay, Leona,” she assured her. “Go back to your desk, I’ll handle this.”

Leona looked undecided but then moved slowly toward the door, inching carefully around Cain. She glanced nervously back at Jessa.

“Okay, but I’m keeping the door open.”

Cain shook his head, taking another step into the office, and slowly started closing the door, encouraging Leona to go through it faster.

Turning to look at Jessa but talking to the secretary, he said, “No, ma’am, the door’s closing. What Jessa and I have to talk about is private. Very private.”

Leona’s shocked face was the last thing Jessa saw before the door clicked shut.

Jessa gripped her hands tightly in front of her and slowly raised her eyes to his.

She tried to hide her nervousness, tried to blank out any expression on her face.

For what seemed like an eternity, they stood staring at each other, her anxiety growing with every passing second.

Finally, he took a stride toward her, making her back up several steps.

Neither said anything as they slowly moved across the office and shifted in a type of dance. One moved forward, the other back.

Jessa stopped suddenly when she felt the chair against the back of her legs. She sat down hard when he took another step.

He hooked a guest chair while still coming toward her, placing it in front of her. He sat down, close, put her legs inside of his, and blocked her in.

Jessa gasped at the heat that radiated from his legs through her dress to her own.

She leaned back as far as she could when he leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees, placing his chin on his hands, staring at her.

His eyes journeyed over her face, moving slowly down, taking in everything about her and making her core tighten.

Oh, Lord, what was he doing here? Touching her?

Staring at her? She kept reminding herself he was a friend of Drew’s, hoping it would help settle her emotions.

It didn’t help. She was afraid of him, but not as much as she should be, she thought.

What she feared most was the way he made her feel, the immediate feeling of knowing Cain could turn her life upside-down.

Every time he was near, her body instantly softened for him, even when her mind was yelling, Run! Don’t go near him.

Her body turned against her. Instead of the terror most people would feel in this man’s presence, she felt something warm seep into her pores.

Never had she felt like she had no control over her body.

Her stomach tightened, her breath coming in short pants.

She’d never felt such an overwhelming yearning for any man.

The realization of what she’d just thought stopped her breath.

She was devastated. A lump formed in her throat, striving to strangle her. Why with this man, a man so different, so opposite of the type her husband was, the kind of man she’d always been attracted to?

He scowled.

“Don’t even think about crying, goddammit,” he growled the words out between his teeth.

She shook her head, swallowed, and tried to hold back her tears. She gripped the arms of her chair until her fingers turned white.

He grasped one of her thighs, and his thumb traced circles through her dress.

“Why the hell are you crying?”

His smooth voice sent a ripple of awareness through her.

Jessa lowered and shook her head, confused about the emotional state she found herself in. His touch drove her pulse to spike higher, which made gathering her thoughts harder.

“I don’t know for sure.” Her eyes darkened with pain, and her voice was thick with anguish.

“So, what the fuck?” Cain growled.

His outburst and choice of words made her flinch.

She wiped her cheeks quickly and took a deep breath. She couldn’t go into this with him. It was too private and something she needed to deal with on her own.

“It’s nothing. Now tell me why you’re here?” Jessa asked. Her voice was shakier than she would have liked, but she needed to change the subject quickly.

He narrowed his eyes. She guessed he wasn’t a man used to being defied. They stared intently at each other. She knew her expression undoubtedly showed her defiance, but she didn’t care.

“You’ll tell me eventually. Now, as for why I’m here, Gary tells me you seem to have a death wish.”

Her eyes widened, and anger spiraled through her at Gary’s betrayal. Then a mask of acceptance descended across her face. Cain grunted as his gaze sharpened when she just silently stared at him.

“You and I have a lot to talk about.”

She crossed her arms and leaned back.

“No, we don’t.” She swallowed hard and raised her chin. “This is none of your business.”

He leaned forward, putting his hands on the arms of the chair, and pulling her a little closer. His eyes narrowed, and his chin bunched in determination. “Wanna bet?” he growled.

She tried pushing him away from her, but it was like moving a boulder. She jerked her hands back from his chest. The heat he gave off scalded her palms and sent an arrow of sharp desire to her core.

She shouldn’t have touched him. Jessa’s body clenched in need.

A wave of heat spiraled through her that was so intense she shuddered.

Besides desire, fear ran through her. And not the fear she should be feeling.

She couldn’t let herself want this man or anyone until Drew’s murder was solved.

She braced herself as she sought to erect a shield of defense against him.

She cleared her throat, and her arms tightened across her chest.

“Listen, I don’t know why you’re here, and it really doesn’t matter. The only thing Gary can do is arrest me, and frankly, I can’t think of anything in the world you can do to me, well, besides scare me half to death. So why are you here?”

She started to fidget in her chair when he sat without moving, staring intently at her, his gaze burning through her. His nearness made her senses spin, making it hard to breathe. She tried once again to move back from him, using her feet on the carpet this time. Still, he didn’t budge.

Frustrated, she opened her mouth to blast him, only to jerk toward the door when it abruptly opened.

She was startled further when he jerked her up and pushed her behind him in an automatic protective action.

Two large guards stood just inside the doorway, with Leona standing nervously behind them.

The men stood and sized each other up while aggression and testosterone filled the air in the office.

The security guard closest to them spoke first, never taking his eyes off Cain.

“Are you all right, Ms. Walker? Leona thought you might need assistance.”