CHAPTER 5
Atlanta
Payne took a pull from his beer, then finished bringing Guy up to speed on Jamie’s current situation. He laughed. “Can you believe that shit?”
Looking just as mystified as he undoubtedly had when Jamie had told him the nature of Garrett’s “favor,” Guy shook his head and smiled faintly. “You know, I fully expected him to utilize our skills, but that was one of Jamie’s I would have never dreamed Garrett would risk putting into use. Especially with his own granddaughter.”
“He’s got a lot helluva lot more trust in our friend than I do,” Payne admitted. “He said she’s pretty.”
Guy winced. “Damn.”
“I know.”
“I smell trouble.”
He did, too. It was like turning a bloodhound loose, then telling him not to follow the trail. Furthermore, he’d heard a bit of I’m-screwed misery in his voice that definitely didn’t get his vote of confidence. Garrett undoubtedly was banking on Jamie’s ability to take an order--or take one for the team--but this was different.
And Jamie wasn’t a Ranger anymore.
He was still a man of his word, but more than one man had broken a promise when it came to a woman. Sex did something to a guy. Made him weak in a way that no other thing could. Payne’s lips quirked. Hell, his father was a perfect example of that.
Which was why he’d never be.
Guy shot him a considering look. “Makes me wonder what he’s got in store for us.”
Him, too. Payne had been certain that Garrett had planned to use them for Uncle Sam. He’d never dreamed that the crafty old bastard had planned on cashing in those favors for himself. Point of fact, it shed a completely different light on things. He paused, traced a bead of moisture down the side of his beer, re-evaluating. Not that it would have changed anything--they would have agreed to his terms anyway. They’d wanted out at any cost. Still...
“I know,” he finally said. His lips curled into a grim smile. “Let’s just hope like hell he doesn’t have any more relatives in need of rescue.”
“Oh, I don’t think we have to worry about that,” Guy said. A smile rolled around his lips and a bark of dry laughter erupted from his throat. “Evidently you and I aren’t sexy enough.”
Payne chuckled. “Speak for yourself, you ugly bastard. He didn’t send me because he was afraid she’d fall in love with me. I was too much man.”
Guy smiled around his beer. “Go to hell.”
Yeah, and he could tell Jamie hello when he got there. He had a grim suspicion his buddy had been straight into the bowels of darkness.
* * *
“So that’s a brief overview of what we do here at Unwind. Any questions?” Audrey glanced around the room, waited a couple of beats, then smiled and said, “Okay then. Remember...no worries.”
Though she’d been trying not to stare at Jamie, her gaze kept inexplicably wandering over to where he stood in the back of the room. Even if she hadn’t known he had a special forces military background, she would have recognized the signs.
Casual, but alert, he constantly scanned the room, observing. She’d watched him note the exits, the number of people present and his demeanor seemed to suggest he could be a protector or predator, whichever the case may be. For reasons which made her question her own sanity, she found that wholly thrilling. In fact, she could honestly say that she’d never had such an overwhelming reaction to a man before.
“God, that man is beautiful.”
Audrey barely refrained from jumping. Damn Tewanda. “Don’t sneak up on me like that,” she chided, tearing her gaze away from the beautiful man in question.
“If you hadn’t been staring so hard at him, you would have seen me walk up.”
Since he couldn’t argue with that, she decided to change the subject. “So, what do you think about this group?”
Tewanda nodded. “Seems good.” She inclined her head toward a tall balding man in the corner. “He’s a crier. We’ll need to watch him.” Next she turned her attention to a petite blonde with blood-red nails who carried a Prada knock-off. “That one. She’s going to be a problem. She’s already called three times about things that she says are ‘wrong’ and aren’t her preferences, but I have everything on file and you know I don’t make mistakes like that.”
No, she didn’t. Given their satisfaction guarantee promise, Tewanda was neurotically meticulous about the details. In fact, in their four years in business, she’d never made a mistake. Needless to say, she was an invaluable asset to Unwind and to Audrey, in particular. She also had the uncanny ability to size people up. Tewanda could spot a potential problem camper with almost psychic accuracy.
Audrey nodded, accepting her assessment. “Anybody else?”
“Yeah, there’s one more.”
“Point’em out,” she said from the corner of her mouth, smiling warmly at passersby.
“No need,” she said. “Here he comes.”
“What? Who?”
“Him,” she said significantly as Jamie sidled through the crowd toward them.
“Jamie?” Audrey hissed, startled. “What makes you say a thing like that?” Had she missed something? she wondered.
“Don’t you play dumb with me,” Tewanda told her, chuckling under her breath. “I know you think he’s hot. You want him.”
“Tewanda.”
“Tewanda, Tewanda,” she mimicked, as though she got tired of hearing her name repeated in that exasperated tone. “You know I’m right. That boy isn’t just going to be trouble. He is trouble. Especially for you.”
“Why for me?” she asked, instinctively knowing her friend was right.
“Haven’t you been listening to me? Because you want him,” she said with the sort of exaggerated patience used to communicate something to a person who might be a little slow.
“I just met him,” Audrey chided with a nervous eye-roll, an almost, but not outright denial.
“Doesn’t matter. It’s the animal instinct, honey. And I predict that you two will be going at it like a couple of Viagra-crazed rabbits by the end of the week.”
Before she could shape her lips to refute that outlandish comment, a vision of she and Jamie, tangled up and sweaty and doing precisely what Tewanda had suggested materialized in her mind’s eye, making her momentarily breathless. Her nipples beaded behind her bra, her knees weakened and a melting tingle started low in her belly and settled in her sex.
Oh, sweet Jesus.
If thinking about making it with him did this to her, then she couldn’t begin to imagine what being with him would really be like.
Actually, that wasn’t true.
She could imagine, and the resulting vision had an almost virtual reality effect. In fact, if she didn’t derail this line of thinking immediately, she was going to have an immaculate orgasm. Right here in the lodge, amid a room full of people. Audrey released a shuddering breath.
Now that was some potent sex appeal.
He sidled over and smiled, unwittingly upping her heart-rate. Then her gaze tangled with his and, in the nanosecond before he could put a guard firmly in place, Audrey glimpsed a pain so intense she felt it deep in her belly. Oh, sweet Lord, she thought, as nausea threatened and her vision blackened around the edges. She had missed something.
A huge something.
Stark pain, grief, regret--they were all there, a perfect cocktail of misery. Her grandfather had been right, Audrey thought, swallowing. Jamie Flanagan had one helluva demon shadowing him. He disguised it well beneath effortless sex appeal and lazy charm--a habitual carefree mask--but she saw it, and more importantly felt it. In fact, while she’d had vast experience in feeling other people’s pain, she could honestly say that she’d never suffered from this sort of intensity.
“Ladies,” he said, jerking Audrey from her disquieting reverie.
Tewanda grinned. “Are you ready to unwind?” she asked him. “You look a little tense.”
“I’m fine, thanks,” Jamie told her, eyes twinkling.
“Audrey’s a licensed masseuse,” Tewanda said, much to Audrey’s annoyance. Still a bit shaken, she resisted the urge to pinch her friend.
Audrey summoned a tight smile. “True, however we have a regular masseuse on staff. Part of the luxury of an expanding clientele.” She managed a chuckle.
“So you don’t have to be so hand’s on, then” Jamie said, obviously enjoying her discomfort.
“Right.”
“But since Jamie here is a special guest of the Colonel and you’re supposed to be taking care of him personally, surely you wouldn’t mind working out a few of his kinks, right, Audrey?”
Did Maine have the death penalty? Audrey wondered, sending her friend a murderously sweet smile. “Not at all,” she said in what she knew was far from a normal voice.
Looking entirely too pleased with herself, Tewanda leaned forward as though she was about to impart a kernel of significant advice. “In fact, I can’t think of a better way to start your Unwind experience than with a relaxing massage.” She bobbed her head in a brisk nod. “I have one every week.”
Jamie’s eyes twinkled with humor. “Really?”
“Oh, yes.” She preened. “It does wonders for my complexion.”
“I’ve never had one. At least from a professional, that is,” he amended.
And on that singularly disturbing note, Audrey cleared her throat. “You know what I think is the best way to start your Unwind experience?” she asked Jamie. “With a nice session of water colors down by the lake. My grandfather says you’re quite the artist.”
A soft chuckle bubbled up his throat. “Really? I didn’t realize he was a fan of my work. I’ll have to paint something special for him.”
Actually, her grandfather had said no such thing and she fully suspected that Jamie hadn’t painted any sort of picture, much less a water color, since primary school. Playing along, was he? Now that was interesting. And it would be fun, considering her grandfather had already explained his bizarre preference and hobby choices for Jamie. With the exception of the whiskey and beer, the preferences had been jokes. As for the hobby choices, her grandfather had chosen them so that Jamie could learn certain virtues, such as patience.
Audrey grinned. “Oh, good. We can have it framed in town and ship it to him before you leave.”
His eyes glinted with knowing humor. “Excellent.”
Marginally relaxing, Audrey rocked back a little on her heels.
“But I’ll still want that massage.”
And every muscle atrophied again, particularly the ones in her face which controlled her smile. “Of course,” she said because she couldn’t think of any other response. Dissembling while visions of her hands on his warm, naked skin, kneading those impressive muscles was completely beyond her. Audrey released a silent quivering sigh.
Time to go home, she decided. “Well, if you don’t have any more questions, I think I’m going to call it an evening.”
“I’ll go with you,” Tewanda said. She did an admirable job of looking concerned. “I don’t like you walking up that hill all alone.”
Honestly, this was over the top, even for Tewanda. Exasperated, Audrey shook her head. “I have walked up that hill alone every night of every season since we opened, Tewanda,” she told her through partially gritted teeth. “I think I can manage.”
“That may be true but--“
“Tewanda.”
“I’ll walk you home,” Jamie offered, playing right into her maniacal match-making friend’s hands.
“Really,” Audrey insisted. “It isn’t necessary.”
“But it’ll relax me,” he said with a half-smile that made her belly do an odd little jump.
Oh, well...how nice for him. She wished she could say the same for herself.
* * *
“Be sure and give my regards to the Colonel,” Jamie leaned in and whispered to Tewanda before following a somewhat irate Audrey out of the room.
“Sure thing, Ace,” Tewanda told him. She grinned and twinkled her fingers at him as he walked away. She was clearly enjoying herself, Jamie thought, fighting a chuckle. No doubt she’d received her instructions from the Colonel as well and was taking her role as encouraging match-maker quite seriously.
While it was easy to laugh at her machinations, Jamie knew better than to discount them. As Audrey’s right-hand man, so to speak, and clearly a good friend, she was better positioned than either he or the Colonel to know what was happening with Audrey. If she was trying this hard to make sure that Audrey didn’t marry Derrick, she had to have good reason.
Which made the Colonel sending him in as he had all the more understandable.
Sure, Jamie didn’t like it, and no doubt being with her without being with her was going to be sheer friggin’ hell, but she had two very discerning people covertly interfering on her behalf--three, if he counted himself, which for reasons he didn’t understand he wasn’t prepared to do just yet--and that told him enough about what he was doing to make him feel marginally better about his role in the deception.
Besides, he didn’t have any choice. He’d owed Garrett.
Jamie opened the door for her, ushering Audrey out into the cool autumn air. Dusk had come and gone, bringing darkness and a spattering of bright stars. Fluffy clouds glowed in the moonlight and drifted lazily across the deep navy sky.
“She’s a piece of work, isn’t she?” Jamie remarked lightly as they descended the steps onto the walk.
Audrey chuckled, the sound soft, soothing and feminine against his ears. “Tewanda? That’s one way of describing her.” She crossed her arms over her chest, huddling further into her jacket. “I’m thinking ‘fired’ would be another.”
Jamie laughed. “Surely not?”
“Nah,” she relented. “I couldn’t do what I do without her. She’s invaluable--and insufferable--and that is...Tewanda.”
“Look at it this way,” Jamie told her. “I bet you never have to wonder what she thinks.”
She shot him a pointedly wry look. “Much like my grandfather.”
Jamie tilted his head back as another laugh rumbled up his throat. “I definitely wouldn’t argue with that assessment.”
“He strong-armed you into coming here, didn’t he?”
That was one way of putting it, Jamie thought. “In a manner of speaking.”
“In a manner of speaking? He filled out all of your paperwork, sent your itinerary and told you when to be here.”
“What tipped you off?” Jamie teased. “The book on Erectile Dysfunction, the bottle of Metamucil or the package of adult diapers in the bathroom?”
“What?” she deadpanned with wide-eyed innocence. “You mean you aren’t an impotent, incontinent bed-wetter?”
Smiling, Jamie ducked his head toward his chest and shoved his hands into his front pockets. “Er...that would be a big fat negative.”
“I asked him about all of that. He was only joking with those things, you know,” she said. “Wanted to prep you to relax with a good laugh.”
No doubt she’d asked about those so-called “preferences” and quizzed Garrett about them, Jamie thought. He had to give the old guy props--he was quick on his feet. “I know,” Jamie said. “He’s always good for a laugh.” Jamie scratched his head, pretended to be confused. “Did he happen to mention why he listed my hobbies as basket-weaving, water-colors and ball-room dancing?”
Audrey shot him a smile. “Ah...those are ‘relaxing’ things he thinks you ought to try. Basket-weaving requires patience, water-color skill, and every man needs to know how to dance. Or so sayeth the Colonel.”
So he’d conjured an answer for everything, then. Jamie shook his head. Somehow he wasn’t surprised. “And we, er... We have to adhere to that schedule while I’m here?”
Audrey turned onto the sidewalk which lead up to her house. Her porch-light glowed in the distance, illuminating potted plants--mums, mostly--and white wicker outdoor furniture outfitted with comfy cushions.
“We don’t have to,” she said. “The purpose of Unwind is to enable you to relax, but--“ She hesitated, nervously chewed her bottom lip. “--I was told to personally keep you on task and to ‘expect resistance.’”
She mounted the steps to her front door and turned to face him. The wind toyed with the ends of her hair, sending a long lock against her neck. He was suddenly hit with the urge to wind that wayward lock around his finger and draw her to him. “For obvious reasons, it would make my life a lot easier if you’d simply give them a try.”
Check and check-mate, Jamie thought, realizing that he should simply bow to the master and accept defeat. The Colonel had thought of everything. How could he look into those calmly pleading gorgeous blue eyes and say no?
Did he want to basket-weave? Er...no.
Did he think he’d enjoy painting? That was a bigger no.
And ballroom dancing? Hell n--
Actually, Jamie thought, stopping short. Upon further reflection that one would probably be nice. Particularly if he’d be taking lessons with her as his partner. His gaze slid over small feminine frame, lingering broodingly on her delightful breasts and swept up over her plump bottom lip.
A dart of heat landed squarely in his groin and his palms suddenly itched with the unfamiliar need to cup her cheeks and draw her face up for his kiss. The Colonel had told him to do whatever it was he did to make a woman fall all over him, right? Well, kissing played a very significant part in that.
Unfortunately the Colonel had also forbidden First Base.
Audrey’s suddenly heavy-lidded gaze dropped to his own mouth and, though it could have merely been wishful thinking on his part, she seemed to have leaned closer to him.
Then again, Jamie thought as his heart began to race and he lessened the distance between them a little more, the Colonel wasn’t here. Jamie was on a mission and that mission was to prevent her from marrying the wrong guy. If he kissed her, that would help right?
Right.
Jamie stepped even closer, raised his hands and felt her hair slide across his knuckles. He hadn’t even touched her, yet he could feel her warmth against his palms and the sensation made his stomach clutch, drawing his belly away from the waistband of his jeans. That was good. More room for his rapidly swelling dick. His hands found her face and--
“Woof!”
“Mother fu--“ Jamie swore, startled by the deafening bark. He instinctively drew Audrey to him and frantically glanced around.
“Moses,” she chided, turning to her face her front door.
Jamie wilted--quite embarrassingly, considering he was supposed to be such a military bad-ass--and followed her gaze. The dog from the photo looked menacingly back at him. The enormous animal had both paws planted on the glass and stood an easy five and half feet--taller than Audrey, he thought, wondering how the hell she controlled such a beast.
“He won’t bite,” she said. “He’s just curious about you.”
“Right,” Jamie warily, not trusting that assessment.
Cheeks pink, Audrey awkwardly peeled herself away from him and opened the door, allowing the dog outside. She patted his head. “Friend, Moses,” she said sternly. “Friend.”
The dog ambled toward Jamie.
“Offer your hand.”
Jamie shot her a hesitating glance. “Are you sure he won’t mistake it for a chew toy?”
Audrey laughed. “Trust me, if he thought you were a threat he would have torn your throat out by now.”
Oh, now wasn’t that a comforting thought? Jamie obligingly offered his hand. The dog sniffed his palm. Then his leg. Then his butt. Then predictably zeroed in on his crotch.
Chuckling again, Audrey grabbed Moses by the collar and tugged him back. “Good enough, old boy. Leave Jamie alone.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Sorry about that,” she mumbled, an adorable blush painting her cheeks.
Jamie couldn’t think of anything politically correct to say, so he merely shrugged it off. “No problem. He’s just being a dog.”
She patted the dog again, then looked up and her gaze somewhat unwary gaze tangled with his. “Thanks for walking me home. It wasn’t necessary.”
Jamie shoved his hands in his pockets. “I enjoyed it. Well, most of it,” he amended. “You’re dog scaring the shit out of me, then molesting me I could have done without, but otherwise...” He grinned and pulled a shrug.
A playful smile caught the corner of her lush mouth. “Too bad you aren’t wearing one of those diapers, eh?”
Imp, Jamie thought, thoroughly enchanted and missing that might-have-been kiss. “Right.”
“So I’ll see you in the morning?”
“See you then,” Jamie told her. His heart curiously lighter than it’d been in months, he loped down the steps and made his way toward his cottage. Adrenaline from the dog-scare still pumped through his veins, his dick throbbed painfully in his jeans and his body ached with the regret of leaving her.
But he was smiling. How bent was that?