Lori Foster – Savor the Danger (страница 19)

“Me.” He nodded toward Dare and Trace. “Or them.”

Her narrowed eyes made her look really mean. Finally she muttered, “Then I guess it’s…you.”

Such a grudging concession. Pleased with her, Jackson smoothed his thumb over her cheek. “I promise not to make it a hardship.” He couldn’t touch her without the sharpening of awareness, both carnal and emotional.

As they stared at each other, Alani’s anger melted away, replaced with breathless understanding.

Dare gave a theatrical cough.

Trace said, “For God’s sake, pump the brakes on that, will you, Jackson? We need to make some decisions here.”

Jackson smiled at her and bent and kissed her before she could turn away. With his arm slung around her shoulders, he turned to both men.

That Dare and Trace had so far stayed out of convincing her, leaving it up to him, suited Jackson. Unless they were waiting for him to fail so they could take over. He frowned at that possibility.

“I’d just like to point out—” Alani encompassed them all in her sweeping gaze “—none of you are thinking clearly.”

Instead of taking offense, Jackson said, “Everything is fine.” He punctuated that with a comforting hug.

“Oh, please. Only an idiot wouldn’t be worried at this point.” Her pointed look at Jackson drove home that barb.

“So now I’m not only a wimp, but an idiot, too?”

“I never said you were a wimp.”

“You think I need someone hovering over me, like I can’t take care of myself.”

“Well, forgive me for caring.”

Jackson went on the alert. “You care?” What did she mean by that? Did he want her caring for him? Well, beyond the sexual, because he definitely wanted her to care about getting sexual with him again. Over and over—

“Oh, for the love of…” Unaware of his mental fumbling, Alani propped her hands on her hips. “You’re the one who was drugged, so if anyone has reason to come unglued, it’d be you.”

Trace whistled low.

Dare looked up at the ceiling.

Alani glared at them both. “Oh, stop it. If he can dish it out, he can take it, too.”

Jackson clenched his molars. “I have never come unglued.”

She waved a hand, dismissing his outrage as negligible. “If I wasn’t involved, if I wasn’t part of the equation, what would the three of you be planning?”

“I don’t know, because you are a part of it.” Jackson would remember that, even if she didn’t. Losing all sense of discretion, he tipped up her chin. “And I’m telling you right now, one way or another, you’ll be removed from even the most remote possibility of danger.”

Her outraged gasp nearly choked her. “You’re threatening me?”

“To protect you?” He gave one sharp nod. “Damn right, darlin’. Whatever it takes. And don’t bother pouring that long wounded look on your brother, because he feels the same.”

Trace shrugged. “Told you it wouldn’t be easy.”

Damn it! He’d already known that Trace would try to talk her away from him, but now he had proof. “It’ll be easy enough if you don’t fight me.”

Alani took a step back, but not in fear. It looked more as if she braced to attack. “You’re all being…idiotic!”

Jackson eyed her militant stance, crossed his arms and sighed. “I guess I had to see your not-so-sweet side sooner or later, huh?”

She fumed in silence for only a moment. “If any of you would stop to think, you’d realize that Jackson needs to go back to his apartment so whoever was approaching him can find him again.”

Astute as well as stubborn. Jackson chewed the side of his mouth. He put his hands on his hips and glared at her.

“You know I’m right.”

He opened his mouth to set her straight and said, “Maybe.”

His agreement stole some of her indignation. “Obviously you’ll be more careful about what you drink now. And…well…” Her gaze avoided his. “You probably shouldn’t sleep with any women since at this point, you don’t know who to trust.”

Ah, a little jealousy. He grinned. “I know I can trust you.”

Turning to Trace, her voice a little high, a little shrill, she said, “If he hides away with me, then whoever is responsible might just disappear and we’ll never know who was behind this, or what he wanted.”

Jackson looked at Dare and Trace. They looked back. Jackson saw the same surprise on their faces that he felt.

Alani had nailed it. Remove her from the equation, and he definitely would have set himself up as a target to draw out the bastard.

“You know it’s true,” Alani said. “And even if Jackson’s okay with not knowing, I refuse to live that way.”

“Sorry.” Trace crossed his arms over his chest. “Fact is, you are in the middle of this, so we’ll adjust.”

Stepping around Jackson, she appealed to her brother with a hand on his arm. “I’d rather know than wonder. Besides, you know the sooner we find out what’s going on, the safer I’ll be.”

Jackson hated to admit she was right, but…

“I have a suggestion,” Dare said, “if Alani will work with us a little on this.”

“How so?”

“Let Jackson play watchdog for the night. That means the two of you staying here until Trace and I can scope out his place. If it’s all good to go, then he can head there tomorrow or the next day.”

Jackson studied her. As soon as possible, they’d settle a few things—like how the relationship would work…if they had a relationship. He still wasn’t sure about that. “She can be reasonable.”

Alani lifted her chin. “Certainly, I can. But that doesn’t mean—”

“Yeah, it does.” He would not give on this point.

Dare continued as if the interruption hadn’t happened. “As to that, if folks see the two of you together and know that Alani isn’t alone, it might discourage anyone from targeting her.”

“Or make her a target,” Jackson said, grim at the prospect.

Trace shook his head. “No one can get past you—”

Jackson appreciated the confidence, since Alani didn’t seem to share it.

“—and since we don’t want to alert anyone that we’re on to them, the ruse of a relationship between the two of you will work as well as anything else.”

Alani licked her lips. “Anyone paying attention will think Jackson is sticking close because we’re involved, not because he’s a protector.”

“Exactly.”

“When we go back to his place, you’ll make sure he’s kept safe?” Alani wanted to know. Jackson said, “Woman…”

His tone didn’t faze her. “You’ll be the one under attack if any of this backfires.”

“We’ll be vigilant babysitters,” Trace promised her, cutting short Jackson’s retort.

Jackson knew they’d be needling him for a year over Alani’s misplaced concern. “I can take care of myself, damn it.”

Dare grinned. “I think she’s more worried about a woman getting to you than anything else.”

Alani looked like she might strangle Dare, but he just laughed at her.

Well now, that was different.

“’S that right, sugar?” Jackson took in the telltale jealousy in her bright eyes. “You feeling possessive?”

This time he was ready for her when she shoved past him on her way to the door. He didn’t stumble a single inch.

“Now that that’s settled.” Alani grasped the doorknob and looked back in expectation for Dare and Trace to follow. “Well?”