Secure Location - By Beverly Long Page 0,36
might blow off to thinking that maybe once a year was enough. He’d finished getting dressed, then stepped out into the empty hallway to wait for in-house security to arrive. All the while debating the merits of an arrangement where they would meet at an off-the-grid spot, screw each other blind and go about their merry way until the next year.
He thought he’d seen an old movie with a similar story line. But damned if he could remember if there’d been a happy ending.
When Tim Burtiss had gotten off the elevator, Cruz had filled him in quickly. While Meg wasn’t necessarily in any more danger than she had been the night before, the attack at the dinner was too fresh in his mind. It appeared to be absolutely unrelated but in his gut he felt as if things were close to coming to a head.
He’d advised the security guard that Meg was getting dressed and intended to go to her office. The young man promised to stick with her until she returned to the room at the end of the day.
Now Cruz dropped his mangled coffee cup into the fancy trash container and was considering buying another cup when he saw his sister pull up. He went outside to help her with Jana.
“Morning, Cruz,” Elsa said, giving him a hard hug and a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Hey, sis. You’re looking good,” he added.
“Oh, thanks. This is my ‘harried mother, forgot her favorite book’ look.”
Cruz laughed and opened up Jana’s door. She was in a car seat, belted in like an astronaut. He was shocked to see how big she was. Granted, it had been more than a year since he’d seen her.
“Hey, darling, remember Uncle Cruz?”
She stared at him with big brown eyes.
“Your mom is on her way to spend your inheritance so you’re going to hang out with me,” he said. “I have a reputation for being very good with four-year-old women.”
She wasn’t crying but there weren’t any smiles coming his way. She did let him unbuckle her car seat and accepted his hand as he helped her crawl out of the car.
Elsa knelt down before her. “You’re going to stay with Uncle Cruz for two nights. Then I’ll be back to pick you up. You’ll be a good girl for him, won’t you?”
Jana nodded and Elsa gave her a quick, hard hug. When his sister stood up, there were tears in her eyes.
“I’ve got this, sis,” Cruz said. “It’ll be fine.”
“I know. It’s just hard to leave her.” Elsa looked around. “Where’s Meg?”
“Working,” Cruz said, trying to keep the tone light.
She studied him. “I don’t know what’s going on here, Cruz, but please don’t get hurt again. A year ago I wasn’t sure you’d bounce back.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m tougher than I look,” he added.
She frowned at him. Then gave her daughter one more quick hug and got in the car without another word. Jana watched her drive away, still not saying anything.
Cruz felt about as competent as a rookie at his first domestic disturbance. He stuck his hands in his pockets. “Are you hungry?” he asked.
She nodded.
“There’s a McDonald’s two blocks away.”
For the first time, she smiled. He held out his hand and she took it. “I like pancakes,” she announced.
“Coming right up,” he said.
* * *
MEG PUSHED PAPERS around on her desk for the first hour. Yes, she had work to do. She always did. But there wasn’t anything that couldn’t have waited until Monday. There was no special project that Scott needed help with.
She wondered what Cruz and Jana were doing? Cruz didn’t know the area well. The least she could have done is taken a few minutes to get him acclimated. But she’d been so focused on her own panic that she hadn’t been able to think of anything else.
Tonight she’d make an effort to be a little more helpful. She could make him a list of kid-friendly locations. She’d done the same for lots of other guests.
Although he was clearly getting perks that not every guest had access to.
She put her head in her hands. How could she have been so stupid? She’d slept with him. Not that there’d been much sleeping. Just a bunch of orgasms and other good stuff. Like having her hair stroked. And the insides of her thighs kissed. And her heart squeezed when she’d looked up and he had his head thrown back, the veins in his neck tight, as he poured himself into her.
Well, sort