The Player. Part 7

"It is."

"My grandfather mentioned you'd left the military and had gone into a private security business with some friends. Also Rangers, right? In the same unit?"

He could only imagine what else he'd mentioned, Jamie thought. No doubt the sneaky b.a.s.t.a.r.d had told her about Danny, too. The thought had been offhand, but now that he truly considered it, Garrett would have most certainly told her about Danny. And if he'd told her about Jamie's friends, he'd definitely definitely told her about Danny. Furthermore, he would have cited it as a reason for his visit. Jamie's fingers tensed around the brush and he mentally swore. told her about Danny. Furthermore, he would have cited it as a reason for his visit. Jamie's fingers tensed around the brush and he mentally swore.

Repeatedly.

G.o.d, how could he not realize that before now? He suddenly felt exposed and vulnerable, two adjectives he'd just as soon not a.s.sociate with himself. Danny's death was a private pain, one he had no intention of sharing with anybody. You know, it was one thing to send him up here to work some behind-the-scenes machinations to keep her from marrying an a.s.shole, but to use his own grief as a means to that end was beyond the pale.

And Garrett had seriously underestimated him if he thought he would simply let that slide.

Belatedly remembering that he was supposed to be carrying on a conversation, Jamie finally managed to respond to her comment. "I am am in the private security business," he confirmed. "With friends. Me and a couple of guys who were also under your grandfather's command opened up shop a few months ago." in the private security business," he confirmed. "With friends. Me and a couple of guys who were also under your grandfather's command opened up shop a few months ago."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks," he murmured, putting more effort into his painting. He wanted it to be just just right for Garrett, the scheming b.a.s.t.a.r.d. right for Garrett, the scheming b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

"And business is good?"

"Better than we expected," he told her, the pride evident in his voice.

"That's fantastic. It's nice when hard work pays off." She added a few strokes to her own work, then nibbled absently on the end of the brush. "Do you miss being a Ranger?"

That topic was still too raw and he didn't have a clear-cut answer he could give to himself, much less her. "Sometimes," he told her, for lack of anything better.

"I know what you mean." She c.o.c.ked her head, studying her work. "In a previous life I was a commodities broker."

Now that was enough to draw him up short. Wearing what he knew had to be a dumbfounded look, Jamie paused and turned to stare at her. "You were a what?"

She chuckled at the look on his face. "A commodities broker. Had the whole Wall Street walk going on. The briefcase, the PDA, the BlackBerry."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," she told him.

Jamie returned his attention to his orchid-which was beginning to finally resemble the female genitalia he'd been aiming for-and digested this newest bit of information about Audrey. He couldn't make it fit. "So how does a Wall Street commodities broker end up in Maine running a de-stressing camp?" he asked, genuinely intrigued. That was a big d.a.m.ned leap.

"If I told you that, I'd have to kill you," she teased. She sidled over next to him. "What are you-" She gasped, clasped her hand to her mouth to smother a laugh. "That looks like a-" Her shocked gaze swung to his.

Jamie quirked an eyebrow.

"I mean to say, that's...Well, that's-" She nodded, seemingly at a loss. "That's lovely."

Jamie grinned and chewed the inside of his cheek. "Is there something wrong wrong with my orchid?" with my orchid?"

She pressed her lips together, shook her head. "Not at all."

"I think he should hang it in a place of honor, don't you?" Jamie asked her sweetly. "Like behind his desk or maybe in his home office. Possibly even his bedroom."

Her cheeks pinkened adorably and she gazed at his v.a.g.i.n.a painting with something akin to humorous outrage. "I'm s-sure he'll find a g-good home for it."

"You look a little flushed," Jamie commented, thoroughly enjoying her discomfort. "Are you feeling all right?" he asked with faux concern.

Tearing her fascinated blue gaze away from his painting, she jerked her attention back to him. "Me? Oh, no. I'm fine. Look," she said, a little too brightly. "There's Henry with breakfast."

If she'd been drowning, Henry would have been the lone life preserver in dangerous waters, Jamie thought, his lips curling into a grim.

"Oh, good," he enthused. "After I eat, I think I'll paint a picture of a couple of mountains. You know, the Colonel was right. This painting is very very relaxing." relaxing."

7.

"WHAT THE h.e.l.l do you think you're doing?" Tewanda said, under her breath. She gestured disgustedly at Audrey's clothes. "Flannel?" she asked, horrified. " do you think you're doing?" Tewanda said, under her breath. She gestured disgustedly at Audrey's clothes. "Flannel?" she asked, horrified. "Flannel, Audrey? Why on earth would you clothe yourself in the single greatest 'do-not-touch-me' fabric known to mankind when a hot man like that is here?" Audrey? Why on earth would you clothe yourself in the single greatest 'do-not-touch-me' fabric known to mankind when a hot man like that is here?"

That's exactly why she did it, Audrey thought, shooting a careful look at Jamie from the corner of her eye. He'd finished his orchid orchid painting-she inwardly snorted-and was presently hard at work on his interpretation of "mountains." Despite the flannel s.h.i.+rt, she kept feeling his darting gaze study her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, then go back to work. It was enough to make a perfectly sane woman go a little crazy. painting-she inwardly snorted-and was presently hard at work on his interpretation of "mountains." Despite the flannel s.h.i.+rt, she kept feeling his darting gaze study her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, then go back to work. It was enough to make a perfectly sane woman go a little crazy.

Though she'd been absolutely appalled at first, she had to admit the watercolors he was doing for her grandfather were excellent retribution for the various books and medications the Colonel had made sure were on hand for Jamie when he got here. She smiled and shook her head. Oh, but to be a fly on the wall when her grandfather opened those packages, she thought, stifling another chuckle.

"What the h.e.l.l is wrong with you?" Tewanda snapped. "I'm not being funny. I'm serious. Stop smiling."

Audrey made an attempt to accommodate her overwrought friend. She flattened her lips and tried to pay attention.

She failed.

Tewanda shook her head. "I don't understand you," she said, seemingly summoning patience from a higher power. "You're either looking to replace the guy on Home Improvement, Home Improvement, you've become a lesbian, or you're purposely dressing like this to make yourself unattractive." Her lips curled with knowing humor. "And my money's on the last one." you've become a lesbian, or you're purposely dressing like this to make yourself unattractive." Her lips curled with knowing humor. "And my money's on the last one."

Then that was a good bet, Audrey thought. This morning when she'd gotten up, she'd actually agonized over what to wear. She'd tried on several outfits, made a mess of her closet and her room-which had taken a solid fifteen minutes to repair-and generally acted like a junior high drama queen getting ready for her first date.

Which was ridiculous when she already had a boyfriend, dammit, and was not under any circ.u.mstances going to act on this unholy attraction to Jamie. If she could have clothed herself in burlap this morning, she would have done it.

That's how desperate she was.

And it wasn't that she didn't trust him. She didn't trust herself.

She'd stood at her kitchen window last night and gazed at him until that throb between her legs had beaten an insistent tattoo against her defenses and had, predictably, become unbearable. Audrey let go a small sigh. Thus, she'd ended up taking matters into her own hands.

Quite frankly, since Derrick wasn't an altogether guaranteed o.r.g.a.s.m, self-service for her wasn't an uncommon occurrence. Furthermore, there was a distinct amount of satisfaction which came from knowing she wasn't dependent upon a man for her own release. Too bad that younger girls weren't encouraged to explore their bodies the way that young boys were expected to explore theirs, she thought.

Masturbation in guys was a forgone conclusion and yet for many girls, it was still considered taboo. Considering it took a great deal more finesse for a woman to achieve climax than a man, it would seem that girls should be encouraged to explore themselves with the same zeal in which boys did. But that was a whole other matter, Audrey thought, a double standard that she imagined was going to take decades to correct.

The point was, this was the first time Audrey had taken care of business with a specific man in mind and the result had been quite...spectacular. Beyond anything she could have expected. In addition, though it had dulled the edge, so to speak, the ache had immediately returned with a vengeance. If thinking about doing it with him could make her fly into a million pieces and melt against her mattress, then what would actually being with him do to her?

And if he didn't stop sending her those s.e.xy halfsmiles and sidelong glances, she wasn't merely going to have to wonder-she'd have to know. know.

And that, she knew, was out of the question.

Of course, it'd be easier to remember that if he'd quit flirting with her. She looked down at the ugly flannel s.h.i.+rt and winced. Clearly her plan wasn't working.

"Go change," Tewanda told her. "It's not too late. You're spending the whole day with him. Has he asked for that ma.s.sage yet?"

"No," Audrey said, releasing a shaky breath at the mere thought of her hands sliding over that silky skin and muscle. "And I hope he doesn't." She whacked Tewanda against the arm.

"Ouch," Tewanda yelped accusingly, rubbing the spot. "What the h.e.l.l was that for?"

"That was for suggesting I give him a ma.s.sage. Carlos can give him a ma.s.sage. Not me."

"Hunh." She shook her head. "That man is not going to let another man give him a ma.s.sage."

"He will if he wants one bad enough," Audrey said. She needed to keep her hands to herself, thank you very much, and it was going to be hard enough without Tewanda's interference. Honestly, she'd known that her friend didn't care for Derrick, but she didn't realize just how much Tewanda hated him until Jamie had come along.

Derrick had called last night immediately following Audrey's help-yourself-o.r.g.a.s.m buffet and she'd felt so guilty over fantasizing about Jamie that she hadn't answered the phone. Of course, the instant his accusatory "Where-are-you? Why-aren't-you-waiting-on-my-call?" tone had sounded through the small speaker, she'd immediately let go of any remorse.

"My mountains are done," Jamie called from over his shoulder.

Tewanda frowned. "Mountains?"

"Don't ask," Audrey said, laughing under her breath.

"Oh, now you can't laugh like that, then tell me not to ask." Tewanda squinted down the hill at Jamie, trying to make out his painting. "What's going on?"

Audrey nodded her head in Jamie's direction. "He's painted some special...artwork for my grandfather." for my grandfather."

"How nice," Tewanda said, brightening. "The Colonel should like that."

"Mmm-hmm." Audrey crossed her arms over her chest. "Why don't you trot down there and take a look and then we'll see if you still think he'll like it."

With a haughty look of sheer bafflement, Tewanda did just that. Audrey quietly followed, looking forward to hearing her friend's take on Jamie's paintings.

"Do you mind if I take a look?" Tewanda asked him.

Jamie glanced past Tewanda and his twinkling gaze tangled with hers. "Not at all," he said. "Art is meant to be shared, after all," he drawled.

Still smiling, Tewanda sidled forward and inspected the painting on the easel. The smile froze comically and she c.o.c.ked her head and squinted, seemingly trying to make Jamie's mountains into, well...mountains. Her eyes widened and a shocked laugh burst from her throat when she realized what she was looking at. "Oh, you did not!" she said, her voice equally flabbergasted and impressed.

Jamie chuckled at her. "Want to see my orchid?" he offered.

One look at the orchid made Tewanda dissolve into a fit of hysterical laughter. "He'll have your beautiful white a.s.s drawn and quartered for this, you know," she finally told him when she could speak.

Jamie inclined his head. "Probably."

"You don't look nearly as worried as you should," she added.

"Nothing worries me much anymore," Jamie said lightly, but there was a truth in the humor which somehow rang very honest. It was a telling statement, Audrey thought, and filed it away for future consideration.

Tewanda sighed regretfully. "I've got to get back to work," she said with one last look at Jamie's orchid.

"Radio me if you need me," Audrey told her.

She laughed. "Don't I always?"

Audrey sidled into her friend's vacated spot next to Jamie and inspected the mountains for herself. Like the orchid, there was a surprising amount of detail which told her that, while he definitely was a novice painter, he had quite a knack for capturing the female form. And since he was painting from memory, well...She instinctively knew he'd never leave a girl hanging.

He would be a guaranteed o.r.g.a.s.m.

The mere knowledge made a s.h.i.+ver work its way through her.

"You cold?" Jamie asked.

Audrey shook her head, trying to clear it of before and after o.r.g.a.s.mic visions of her and Jamie. "No, I'm fine." She drew a bracing breath. "So...are you finished painting or would you like to try your hand at a banana?"

His eyes crinkled at the corners. "I'll save the banana for later in the week."

A self-portrait? Audrey wondered, her mouth watering. "All right, then. Let me take a look at your schedule and see what you're supposed to do next."

Jamie rinsed his brush off, then disposed of the water in the cup. "Aren't you going to ask me what I want to do next?" he asked. He'd lowered his voice an octave and a curious invitation, one that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, rang through the deep, s.e.xy baritone.

She paused, toying with the necklace around her throat. "I'm hoping you're going to want to follow along with the schedule, but if it makes you feel better to tell me what you want to do, then by all means, go ahead."

"Where's Moses?" he asked, moving closer to her.

Audrey felt her brow wrinkle. "He's at home."

"Locked up tight, then?"

"Er...yeah."

She lost a little more of her personal s.p.a.ce as he crowded even closer in. "Can't escape and tear my throat out?"

"No," she said hesitantly.

Jamie's finger slid up her neck, tilting her face closer to his, and rested under her chin. "Can't interrupt?"

"R-right," she murmured shakily, utterly mesmerized and rooted to the spot.

"Then, if you have no objections, I'd like to pick up where we left off last night," he murmured softly, weaving his voice and the image he'd effortlessly conjured around her senses. His warm breath fanned against her lips and his body heat seemed to be magically absorbed into her own hot spots. Her nipples tingled, her belly grew muddled, and that throb in her womb hammered until she wasn't altogether sure remaining upright without his support was going to be possible.

"Can I kiss you, Audrey?" he whispered, asking permission, of all things, when he could surely tell she had no objections. Making the choice completely hers. It was old-fas.h.i.+oned and n.o.ble and her heart squeezed with the kindness behind the gesture.

"Y-yes," she breathed, unable to conjure the sane response.

And G.o.d help her, that was the last fullyformed thought before his lips touched hers and life as she'd known it abruptly ended.