LITMIR.BIZ

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that she had painted her toenails a bright red.

      “We need to figure out what to do next, Jessica,” he said.

      She carefully set a dish into the dishwasher, then turned to face him. “The first thing I need to do is call my parents. They must be frantic with worry.”

      He shook his head. “You can’t tell anyone where you are.”

      Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him. “You may have rescued me, but that doesn’t mean you own me. I’m going to call my parents, and you’re not going to stop me.”

      Chapter 4

      “It’s too dangerous,” he said.

      “Why?” She flashed him a challenging look.

      “Because we want the kidnappers to wonder what happened to you. We want them to worry about it. We want them to be forced into the open to ask questions.”

      “My parents wouldn’t tell anyone where I was. And I can’t bear to think about what they must be going through.”

      It would be best if she didn’t make that call. But he could see the anguish in her eyes, her concern in the trembling around her mouth. Finally he picked up his cell phone off the counter. “You can use this,” he said gruffly.

      “Thank you.”

      “It has a scrambler on it so that no one can electronically eavesdrop.” He scribbled Russell Devane’s phone number on a piece of paper. “Tell them they have to act as if they haven’t heard from you. They have to act as if you’re still missing. And tell them if they get a phone call demanding a ransom to call this man and follow his instructions to the letter.”

      She took the paper tentatively, as if she was afraid it might bite her. Then she looked at him, her eyes wide and troubled. “Who are you?” she whispered.

      “Someone who wants to help you. And I have a few friends who can help, too.”

      “You’re no ordinary Good Samaritan,” she said, measuring him with her eyes.

      He saw the sharp flash of intelligence in her whiskey-brown gaze and nodded slowly. “You’re right. But that’s all you need to know.”

      She watched him for a moment, and he could see her turning what he’d said over in her mind. Finally she said, “But I need to know who you really are.”

      He hated to lie to her, but he had no choice.

      “I told you last night that I was in law enforcement. That’s the truth.”

      Her eyes narrowed. “You know an awful lot about medicine for a cop.”

      He shrugged. “I’ve had paramedic training. A lot of cops do, now.” He would let her assume he was a police officer.

      She tilted her head to one side as she examined him. “I’ve never met a police officer like you before.”

      “How many police officers do you know?”

      “None,” she admitted.

      “That would make me your first.” Need stirred inside him at his double entendre.

      She blushed and looked away. “I guess it would.”

      He went to her and took her hand. “Satisfied?”

      She nodded slowly. “All right, Marcus, I’ll do exactly what you say. And I’ll tell my parents to call this number if anyone contacts them.”

      “Will they be able to maintain the facade of frantic parents?” he asked. “Will they be able to pretend they haven’t heard from you?”

      “I’m sure they will if I tell them my life may depend on it.”

      “Your life may very well depend on it,” he said quietly. “Don’t forget, your father already had one break in security. There may be other people working for him who are really working for this man Simon. You might remind your parents of that.”

      “I’m sure my father will interrogate everyone who works for him.” Her voice was grim and her eyes cold. “If there’s anyone there who doesn’t belong, he’ll find out.”

      Marcus shook his head. “You can’t assume that. I know what you’re thinking, Jessica. You’re thinking that your father will make sure everyone on the island is trustworthy, then you can go home. But you can’t go back to that island until your kidnappers have been caught.”

      He wasn’t proud of the fact that his blood hummed through his veins at the prospect of spending more time with her. But it was true. He couldn’t think of any other way to secure her safety than to keep her close by him.

      Her gaze dropped, and he knew he’d been right on target. “I can’t allow you to put yourself in danger for me,” she said, her voice so low that he almost couldn’t hear her.

      “Why not?”

      “Why not?” She raised startled eyes to his. “Because I can’t take advantage of you that way.”

      “You’re not taking advantage of me. I’m offering. I want you to stay.” God help him, but he wanted her to stay with him more than he’d wanted anything in years. It was only because it was his best shot at catching Simon, he told himself. But he couldn’t block out of his mind the images of the two of them making love.

      “You must have a reason for being here on Cascadilla,” she said. “I’m disrupting all of your plans.”

      “Not at all. I was here for a vacation. So you’re not interrupting anything. Except maybe my sleep.” Suddenly, overwhelmingly, he wanted her with a fierce need that he wasn’t sure he could control. He held her gaze for a moment until he saw an answering heat pool in her eyes, then he looked away.

      He moved to the other side of the room and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Go ahead and call your parents, but you won’t be going home. Not until the kidnappers have been caught.”

      Her hand shook as she picked up the cell phone, but she didn’t take her eyes off his face. “Are you sure?” she whispered.

      Was he sure he wanted her to stay? “Absolutely.” He’d never wanted anyone with this kind of mindless need, this kind of urgency. But that wasn’t the reason he wanted her to stay. He tried to block out his personal feelings. She was part of his job, his only link to Simon. “I told you I would protect you, and I meant it. No one will hurt you again.”

      Her mouth trembled and softened as she watched him. Finally she murmured, “I believe you. You’re a warrior, aren’t you, Marcus? I’ll be perfectly safe with you.”

      He scowled. That depended on her definition of safe. “Yes. And you can tell your parents that you’re safe. Just don’t tell them anything else.”

      “I won’t.” She took a deep breath and looked at the phone. Marcus waited until he heard her speaking, then he walked into the other room. She deserved at least a little privacy to talk to her parents. And he trusted her to do exactly as he’d told her. Jessica was intelligent enough to understand that her life might depend on it.

      At least ten minutes passed before he no longer heard the murmur of her voice. Finally she came into the room. He could see that she’d been crying.

      Without thinking, he rushed over to her. Holding her shoulders, he stared at her. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

      She shook her head and tried to smile. “Nothing,” she said. “My parents were sick with worrying. They were so glad to hear my voice and know that I was okay.”

      He loosened his grip on her shoulders but was reluctant to let her go. He told himself that she was upset and he needed to comfort her. Drawing her close, he wrapped his arms around her. When she leaned against his chest, he felt his heart lurch and begin to pound.

      “Are you sure

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