He watched her back straighten with outrage before she shook it off. Her expression was saccharine sweet. Crap. Now what? Last time she looked like that she had me kidnap someone. She handed him a piece of paper. “I want you to make the ransom demand on the Dunne family.”
Jaden’s smirk faded into a snarl he quickly wiped off his face. He took the piece of paper reluctantly.
The whole set-up stunk to high heaven and he was already beginning to regret taking orders from the high-brow bitch. Hell, if Duncan had been home…
But Duncan wasn’t home, and Cullen, the old sap, couldn’t deny his daughter anything she wanted.
Clothes, cars, jewelry. People.
And they had the balls to call him a vampire. It made an honest-to-god bloodsucker cringe.
With a sigh Jaden turned to find a phone.
“Don’t call from here, you idiot! Find some anonymous phone.”
Jaden turned back, his eyes flashing red with his irritation. “How about I go down to the local Wal-Mart and use the payphone there, sweet cheeks? Got a calling card I could use?”
“Don’t call me that!” Jaden loved that rasping note of irritation in her voice. It took that smooth, sweet voice of hers and turned it into a verbal Brillo pad. “Do as I tell you or I’ll let Jeremy West know what your weakness is. Doesn’t he have a rowan tree on his property?”
Jaden paled. “You bitch.” If Jeremy found his weakness, Jaden was a goner. And until he could figure out how to shut her mouth permanently he had to do what she said. If only Duncan would pick up his damn messages.
“I know.” She stared down at her perfect manicure, that sweet, sweet smile on her face, and Jaden had to forcibly keep his hands to himself. “It would be a shame if Jeremy found out how to destroy you completely, wouldn’t it?”
With a growl, he glided out of the room and shut the door in her pampered face.
I hate that bitch. He looked down at the number on the paper and headed straight for her private room, misting through the lock easily. He picked up her private phone and placed the call he’d been ordered to make, all the while wishing Duncan would get back soon.
There was a freight train running outside her room. Which was odd, since her apartment wasn’t anywhere near train tracks. Ruby groaned and pulled a pillow over her head.
Or tried to, anyway. Something else was on the pillow. “Get off, Cliona,” she muttered, batting her hand at her cat.
There was a snort, followed by “ow” in a deep masculine voice.
Ruby’s eyes flew open. Staring at her and holding his nose was Leo.
“Um.” The events of the night before rushed through her head, bringing heat to her cheeks. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.” If she hadn’t seen the happiness beginning to flirt around his mouth she would have been mortified. As it was, she was merely horribly embarrassed.
“Did I hurt you?” She reached out with one hand and stroked the bridge of his nose.
He took her hand in his and kissed her palm, heat, humor and tenderness making his eyes shine in the morning light. They even looked a different color, startlingly light and bright. “I’m fine, kitten.” With a groan he rolled over and stretched, a whole body stretch that involved flinging his arms over his head, his incredible chest bowing up off the bed. She bet if she looked under the covers she would see his toes curling. And he called her kitten. Right now, he reminded her of a sleek jungle cat, all muscle and sinew and man.
“How about a shower before breakfast?”
She blinked, staring. He climbed out of bed, his body was magnificent in the early morning light. That golden color obviously wasn’t a tan, either. There wasn’t a single tan line on him. She knew; she looked.
Closely.
“Of course, there are other things we can do before breakfast.”
He caught her staring at his tight, firm ass. His low, sexy growl sent heat racing through her system.
Oh yeah. She could go for some more of that.
Her stomach, however, had other plans. It growled, loudly. “Or not,” he laughed, reaching down for her. He grasped her hand he pulled her from the bed. “C’mon, shower, then breakfast.”
Before they could make it into the bathroom she heard the theme song from The X-Files coming from Leo’s leather pants.
Leo picked up his pants and pulled out his cell phone. “Hey, Dad, what’s up?”
Ruby held back a laugh. The X-Files? Not what I’d pick for my dad.
The expression on Leo’s face slowly changed from happy to shocked. Her grin faded away, her concern for her new lover overriding all of the good feelings she’d woken up with. “When?” He stared at her and held out his hand. She took it and winced at the way his fingers curled tight around hers. “I’m on my way,” he whispered, closing the phone. He clenched it in his fist, still staring at her blankly.
“Leo? What’s wrong?”
He blinked and took a deep breath. He looked…devastated. “Shane.”
She pulled on one of the courtesy robes, belting it around her waist. She stared at him, knowing this was the end of their idyllic morning after. “Your brother?”
He just stood there, his face building to a burning rage, and she knew something terrible had happened.
“He’s been kidnapped.”
Ruby looked out the window of the plane once again and wondered how the hell she’d let herself be talked into this.
He’d stared at her for a moment longer, naked, vulnerable, and hurting, and she hadn’t been able to help herself. She’d gone to him, allowed him to cling to her, his big body shaking with rage and grief.
That vulnerability hadn’t lasted long. Soon he was on the phone, arranging for the flight, asking that she order breakfast for the both of them while he made arrangements to go to his family.
She’d quickly showered while he paced, knowing he’d need to leave as soon as possible and he’d need the shower before he left. She’d dressed in the red skirt and corset, feeling even more out of place in it than she had at the party.
He’d taken the quickest shower she’d ever seen anyone take in her life, then pulled on the black leather pants and boots he’d worn the night before, minus the horns. He was on the phone all through breakfast, his face hard, his expression harsh and cold. He dealt with delegating some of his responsibilities in the office, letting his staff know that he’d be on an extended leave of absence. It was obvious he had no intention of returning until his brother was found. A small part of her mourned that, but the larger part agreed with him.
By the time he was done he must have been starving. His stomach was growling so loudly she was surprised his staff couldn’t hear it through the receiver. She reached for the phone to call a taxi to take her home, not wanting to burden him with anything at such a bad time. “Hello? I need a taxi at—”
She was startled when she found the receiver snatched out of her hands. “Never mind, the lady won’t need that ride.” He hung up the phone and stared at her, daring her to say something.
She licked her lips and, for just a second, saw his eyes heat up. “Leo, you don’t need to be worrying about me right now.” She put her hand on his arm, gazing up at him in concern. “You need to worry about your family. I can see myself home.”
“I’ve made arrangements for a limo to stop off and pick us both up. We’ll stop at my place first, I’ll pack, and then we’ll head to your place. Our plane leaves in four hours.”
Her mouth opened but nothing came out. He reached up and pushed her jaw shut with one finger, his expression filled with ruthless determination. “Leo. What do you mean, ‘our’ plane?” She was proud of the fact that her voice wasn’t shaking.