Unlike some people.
Morgan darted a glance to her right, at Jack. His gaze was fixed on Deke’s palm caressing her shoulder. His glower couldn’t be mistaken for anything else. What was up with him?
“If Jack doesn’t take care of you, you walk over to that phone,” Deke pointed to the sleek black unit mounted on the wall, “and call me. I’m the second speed dial button. I’ll rush right out to give you whatever you need.” He winked.
Morgan wagged a chastising finger at him, but she couldn’t completely erase her smile. His teasing flirtation coaxed her. The man was a born flirt. He probably had women foaming at the mouth for his attention, but it was sweet of him to keep the mood light when both her safety and her sex life were weighing heavy on her mind.
Another glance at Jack told her that he was not amused. Not in the least.
“Thanks,” she murmured. “I’ll be eager to hear if you found any fingerprints on the photos. Or anything that might help.”
With another caress of her shoulder, Deke waggled his brows at her. “I’ll definitely keep in touch.”
Again, she laughed. Then he waved at Jack and made his way out to the sunset-drenched swamp.
When the door shut, leaving her alone with Jack, sudden silence thrummed around her. Her smile died. In the distance, she heard Deke’s boat splash away from the little dock. Inside, her heartbeat picked up its pace. Tension wrapped around her. Morgan had no idea why, but she didn’t question the thick air.
“Thank you for asking him to help. I’m grateful to have any extra assistance that might identify this stalker so I can have my life back.”
Jack paused a long time before answering. “Deke is smart and well-connected. If there’s any forensic evidence to be found on those photos, he’ll turn it up.”
“Good.” She nodded.
Then the awkward silence fell. She couldn’t read Jack’s expression, but she felt his displeasure churning the air. Morgan frowned, completely confused. Did he think her flirtation with Deke meant something? Would he care if it had? Or was he just annoyed with her presence now that she’d surrendered to his every whim last night? Maybe he just wished she’d go away.
“And Deke seemed nice,” she murmured, hoping to lighten the tense atmosphere.
Jack snorted. “Deke is a lot of things. Thinking he’s nice could be a costly mistake.”
Morgan hesitated, brow furrowed with confusion. “He’s your business partner. If he’s not honest—”
“I didn’t say he wasn’t honest. He is, as the day is long. He’s trustworthy and brave and smart, with a never-say-die attitude. He’s everything the military wants in their elite forces. But where women are concerned, I wouldn’t call him nice.”
“It sounds like you’re warning me away from him,” she challenged. “Would it matter if I was interested?”
Jack shifted, shoulders tensing. “If you’re having a hard time dealing with a few velvet ropes and silken commands, Deke would shatter your delicate sensibilities, cher. When it comes to sex, he plays seriously—but only if there are three people in the room.”
Three people? “He likes to watch?”
The gravelly laugh Jack gave in response to her question took her aback. “Sex isn’t a spectator sport for Deke.”
Wow. The big German-descended warrior with the allAmerican smile actively engaged in the very French word ménage. Talk about a newsflash…
A vision of Jack on one side, Deke on the other, both pleasuring her helplessly bound body—it flashed through her mind, framed in white heat and red sin. Moisture pooled between her legs. In an instant, she went from damp to nearly dripping. Her clit ached without mercy.
Stunned, embarrassed, Morgan backed away. “Oh.”
“Oh.” Jack shot back with an acid grin as he followed her deeper into the cottage. “Next to him, I look like a choir boy.”
Morgan nearly choked. “You’ve got to be kidding! You, a choir boy?”
“Hey, I was one until puberty. The choir director at Our Lady of Perpetual Hope told me I sang like an angel.”
“And you’ve got a mind like the devil.”
Jack merely smiled. “I’ve barely given you an introduction, cher. There’s so much more I could show you…”
She believed him. Utterly. The very thought of the sensations and feelings he could introduce her to made Morgan shiver and ache. And not just for the stunning release he could give her. In his arms, his bed, she’d felt so liberated and alive. It frightened her to think that the only place she could fell completely free to be herself was bound to Jack’s bed.