Protector Page 8

  “What the hell happened in Jolynn Taylor’s room and why wasn’t I notified?”

  His brain had been on fire since the second he’d heard about the break-in at Jolynn’s stateroom. Why hadn’t anyone told him? As soon as he’d been able to cut short the conversation with Jolynn, he’d made tracks here, only half registering what Livia Cicero had said to him in the lobby on his way out.

  Berg swung his feet from the top bunk and dropped to the floor smoothly. He had one earbud in, the other dangling. “Way to knock there, pal.”

  Too late, Chuck noticed Berg held a Sig Sauer in his hand. Shit. If Berg had been the enemy, Chuck would be a dead man.

  So much for having his edge back.

  “What happened in Jolynn’s room this morning?” he repeated.

  “Park yourself here for a minute and I’ll tell you what I know.” Berg held out a chair, waiting until finally Chuck sat, not even realizing until that moment how he scratched over the spot on his leg where a pin had been inserted.

  Behind Berg, security cameras filled with images and readouts scrolled with data collections from Fortuna computers. “Apparently someone tried to break into her stateroom, came in over the balcony railing.”

  His hands fisted on his knees as he thought of her alone in her suite at the mercy of some faceless bastard. No wonder she’d been pale. “What happened?”

  “She shouted her lungs out, pitched everything in sight at the intruder.” Berg laughed low. “Her cousin was next door with her fiancé, and they scared off the guy in time.”

  Chuck wasn’t smiling. Thank God, she’d defended herself and bought the time needed for help to arrive. Next time, she might not be as lucky, and it burned his gut to think about what could happen to her.

  He rubbed his elbow over a faded scar. “You got anything in those readouts on the Fortuna’s scholarship fund?”

  “Not right offhand, but I can run some scans, review what’s on file, see if there are any red flags in the finances.”

  “It’s a place to start.” And the most important reason for coming to this room gelled in Chuck’s mind now that he’d calmed down enough to think rationally. “What kind of extra surveillance goodies do you have tucked away there?”

  Berg rubbed his mustache thoughtfully. “What did you have in mind?”

  “I think it’s time we kept a closer eye on Jolynn Taylor’s stateroom.”

  SEVEN

  The next morning, Jolynn soaked up some rays on the deck, her strapless wraparound dress baring her shoulders to the sun. Maybe not having an office wasn’t such a bad thing if it meant she could hold all meetings poolside. And she’d chosen the smaller adult swimming pool. It was calmer with an Italian artist on the other side of the deck giving lessons. It was peaceful for the most part, interrupted only by the occasional waiter bringing lunch orders.

  Sardinia had been left behind during the night as the cruise ship made its way to the next port of call, Sicily. Business meetings by the pool on a lazy summer day beat a stuffy Dallas office ten-to-one. Her father slept so many hours of the day, and when he was awake, he still insisted on business briefings, which didn’t leave much time for visits with her.

  When she saw him, he kept conversations superficial. Where had she gone at port calls? How was the Fortuna’s food?

  God, didn’t his brush with mortality make him realize they didn’t have unlimited time to reconcile?

  And while sometimes she wanted to confront him, she certainly didn’t want to bring on another heart attack. There had to be a way. She just needed to be patient. The lingering taste of Charles only added to her determination to grab hold of her fate for a change, rather than letting the world drag her along.

  She tossed the folder in the file case she’d started on the scholarship project across the iron table. “Bear, you can tell Dad I’m not so sure about the expense of a dozen Venus de Milo ice sculptures at the fund-raiser.” Jolynn rolled her eyes at Lucy. “It’s overkill, don’t you think?”

  Hebert Benoit waggled a finger in her face. “Respect your father, little girl.”

  She’d forgotten over the years how Hebert took such a special interest in the project. Hebert, her father, and her uncle had all been friends… in the beginning.

  How then could Bear continue to work for Josiah knowing he’d been involved in the death? So many murky questions lurked in her dad’s world.

  Memories of the peeping Tom shadowed her mood as effectively as a cloud slipping over the sun.

  They still hadn’t found the guy who’d lurked on her balcony. But Adolpho had assured her the security had been beefed up in her room. Nothing creepy, though, he’d reassured her. Just alarm systems.

  She shivered in spite of the sweltering Mediterranean heat beating down on their umbrella.

  Lucy, her eyes tired from too much late-night partying with her fiancé, tapped Bear’s arm. “Back to business so we can finish up and play. I’m not sure if we can cancel the order for the ice art this late. I can try, though.”

  Bear shoved to his feet. “I’ll do my best to lobby for less glitz and more class, but I may not be your best help with the glamour angle.” Winking, he stood, his burly chest stretching the Fortuna logo on his polo shirt. “Why don’t you just let it go and play? We pull into port in a half hour. I hope you’re not so jaded you can’t appreciate Sicily.”

  Lucy squeezed her hand as Bear walked away toward a ship security employee. “Yes, do go enjoy yourself, really. You’ve helped tons already. Which I appreciate since it frees me up to make more wedding plans.”

  Wedding plans. Funny how she wasn’t cringing over the upcoming zoo as much as she had been. “Good luck. Please go gently with the bridesmaid dress choices.”

  Lucy grinned. “You’ve put me in a powerful position. I know how fond you are of cotton candy pink. But you can rest easy for now.”

  “I’m still not sure I trust you, but I’ll try.” Jolynn tipped her face into the warming sun. Definitely a better locale for meetings and just what she needed to air out her tension today.

  “Ooooh,” Lucy whistled lowly, placing her glass back on the table, “look over there.”

  Jolynn pivoted in her pool chair to find Charles walking past a shuffle board game on the other side of the pool. He sure was worth every ear-piercing tone of that squeal of Lucy’s.

  Why did he have to look even more attractive, approachable? She realized she’d never seen him wearing anything other than his casino uniform. She didn’t even have a clue as to his personal style until that moment. His scruffy, casual appeal surprised her. With his classic looks and bashful demeanor, she’d expected a more precise appearance, like a tweedy professor.

  Instead, he wore jeans faded to a blue pale as the sky. The frayed right pocket hung loose. His wallet nestled in the left, beneath the ever-present backpack. The sleeves of his sun-washed linen button-down were cuffed below his elbows, the strong flex of forearms just barely visible. As he walked, his pant legs hitched up enough for her to see he wore brown boat shoes without socks.

  What other surprises did Charles hold behind than handsome face?

  Jolynn watched him move with athletic grace, taking the stairs to an upper deck. She should just seek him out. See what happened.

  Social functions in Dallas had been a large part of the job at Hunt, Burroughs, and Murchison. Her choices for dates had usually gravitated toward individuals like her father. Such men would never be a true temptation to her heart since the last thing she wanted was a life on the edge.

  Somehow, Charles had slipped past her defenses.

  Hearing Lucy squeal again, Jolynn almost bolted from her seat until she recognized Adolpho Grassi with his arms wrapped around her cousin. The stab of jealousy for what the couple shared bothered her. She was happy with her life, damn it.

  Lucy smiled up into the eyes of the man dwarfing her with his bulk. “Ready for lunch?”

  “Yeah.” He grinned right back down at her with equal adoration. �
��But we need to get moving, Luce. I only have a couple of hours before I start my shift.”

  Lucy turned pleading eyes to Jolynn. “Do you mind if we finish this some other time?”

  “Sure, my brain’s fried. You two go have fun.”

  “We will.” Lucy leaned against her fiancé’s chest. “The Fortuna clothing shop is going to take care of measurements for his tux. Too cool, huh?”

  Adolpho winced, a wry grin creasing his face. “Monkey suits? Yeah, great.”

  “Be nice.” Lucy elbowed him in the stomach, before waving.

  Jolynn watched the happy couple stroll away, which made her thoughts leap back to Charles. Why should she care how he spent his afternoon, damn it.

  She snapped her file folder for the scholarship fund closed and slid it from the table, uncovering a computer thumb drive. Rather than bother with unlocking the combination, she simply tossed the thumb drive into her purse.

  Lucy was right. She deserved a break, maybe even a day trip out to Sicily. And if she left the boat, she would be less tempted to hunt Charles down.

  Time to hightail it off the boat right after she went to her suite to shower and change.

  * * *

  Chuck stepped into the narrow corridor, easing the door to Jolynn’s suite closed behind him. His search of her quarters had uncovered some pretty high-tech surveillance gear, listening and visuals of everywhere except the bathroom, for God’s sake. It had taken all his best angling and maneuvering to stay out of the camera’s range. He seriously doubted that Jolynn had been flattening herself to walls by the door, commando crawling past the sofa, and walking across end tables in her bedroom.

  The thought that someone had watched her changing, sleeping, vulnerable, had him resisting the urge to put his fist through the wall. Memories of his captivity dogged him, the constant guards and cameras. No privacy. Ever.

  It was beyond stomaching to think that Josiah had been responsible for spying on his daughter in such a violating fashion, especially if she didn’t know. And if it was someone else? Then that person was trying to get to Taylor through her. But to what end?

  Neither answer made sense in regard to the terrorist chatter they’d intercepted.

  Regardless, he’d made sure she was safe from spying eyes. Well, except for his own, but damn it, he was one of the good guys.

  The average Joe spy wouldn’t have been able to deactivate the listening device tucked in her kitchenette and the minicams focused on her sofa and bed without alerting the viewer. But then when it came to electronics, he wasn’t the average Joe.

  He cracked his knuckles, a rush still pumping through him at winning one for his team today. He’d rewired the suckers so they would loop old data back, which should give him a day or so to figure out what to do next before they learned their techno gear had been sabotaged.

  Of course, that meant a return trip to her room, where he would be bombarded again with the scent of her perfume in the air, the silky feel of her shirts as he’d scanned her closet… He shook his head.

  Now he should concentrate on work, knowing she was safe for the moment.

  The elevator chimed.

  Damn.

  She was at the pool in a business meeting scheduled to last another ten minutes. Berg had been sure of that from a look-see at Lucy Taylor’s planner in her computer. Odds were, it was the cleaning staff, and he could slip past unnoticed. Odds hadn’t been in his favor since he’d met Jolynn.

  His worst fear stepped through the elevator doors. Improvising, Chuck slid to the floor and leaned against the wall as if he’d been waiting for her.

  He could hear Jolyyn humming just before she came into sight, head down as she strolled down the corridor, shuffling the file folder under her arm. She sifted through the contents in her sack of a purse. “Wallet, lipstick, silver token, disks, hair clamp. Wallet. Shoes.” She frowned, staring at his feet. “Shoes?”

  Her gaze traveled from his boat shoes up to his face. Eyes wary, she said, “You wanted to see me?”

  Chuck pushed to his feet. He hated that he’d caused that defensiveness. She didn’t deserve to be caught in the middle simply because he couldn’t control his libido.

  He shrugged. “Some crazy redhead says I owe her an apology. And while I sent a note, I thought perhaps more was warranted.”

  She nibbled her bottom lip. “That could be.”

  “I shouldn’t have kissed you.” He stared at her mouth and wanted to taste her all over again. The impromptu conversation was already barreling down a path he didn’t want to travel.

  “That’s not exactly what I had in mind.”

  “I shouldn’t have let things get out of control back in Genoa.” He needed to give her a face-saving out. The truth seemed a pretty safe bet. “You’re a beautiful, intriguing woman. I knew that was an emotional night, seeing your old man and all. You needed comfort, and I offered the wrong kind. My fault.”

  “What if I wanted the comfort?”

  Chuck thunked the side of his head against the floral wallpaper. The truth wasn’t working. Did this qualify as one of those extreme circumstances when he could justify inventing a cover story to save his hide?

  He rolled his shoulders, popping joints echoing through the corridor. “I’m, uh, coming off a really bad breakup.”

  Lame, Tanaka. Couldn’t he do any better than that? How would she react to the truth? That he’d gotten the shit kicked out of him by a sadistic bitch and henchman, and for the past two and a half years, his body had gone on deep freeze?

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Was it serious?”

  He ran a hand over his face, nodding as his Adam’s apple bobbed in a long swallow. He wanted out now. He sucked at handling emotional issues these days and here stood proof positive.

  “Is she a student, too?”

  Chuck shook his head. “No, I took this job to get away, make a new start.” That much was true, at least. “Uh, she tore out my heart and tap-danced all over it.”

  He winced at the cliché. But at least she’d bought into his reason for being outside her suite.

  She squeezed his forearm. “Taking this job sounds like a smart move.”

  “I’m just not ready to open myself up to that kind of pain again.” Her touch burned through his denim shirt. “I wouldn’t want to run the risk of owing you another apology, so don’t take this the wrong way. I really could use a friend.”

  “I understand.”

  “Thank you, Jolynn.” Chuck shrugged his backpack onto his shoulder and shoved away from the wall. “Well, I’ll see you around the casino.”

  He started down the hall.

  “Charles. Charles?”

  He stopped. His head fell forward. Something in her tone— something real and genuine— reached inside him and squeezed. He was so not cut out for this kind of work. He had an inherent weakness when it came to women. Must have had something to do with the way he was taught to respect the nuns in the orphanage, knew they’d unselfishly dedicated their lives.

  Except the way his body hummed for Jolynn right now was nothing like anything he’d felt around a nun.

  * * *

  Jolynn stared at his broad shoulders, the long column of his neck as he shook his head. He’d actually come here for her. And his apology had been so damn genuine, not just the words, but something deeper in his eyes.

  She felt his contrition, a soothing balm to her raw nerves. Maybe she’d been thinking about it all the wrong way. Could she be looking at the first friend she’d ever had, other than Lucy?

  Easing behind him, she rested her palm on his shoulders with small soothing circles. It took every ounce of willpower she possessed not to curve her fingers around his rippling muscles. She wanted to scratch her nails along the cotton fabric of his shirt.

  Not friendly behavior at all.

  He needed something different from her. She’d only begun to understand she might want something different from him. “Charles?”

  “Yes?” His hoarse cr
oak floated back to her.

  “I’ve got too much to deal with here, and I’ll be leaving at the end of the cruise. I don’t need to plunge into a relationship. Maybe we have more in common than we thought. I could use a friend, too.”

  “Huh?”

  “Yes.” Jolynn smoothed her hand across his back. She understood betrayal. “And as your official friend, I know just the thing to help you forget all about her.”

  Flinching, Chuck turned. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

  “I know this wonderful little out-of-the-way place in Sicily.” She circled her tongue along her lips.

  He exhaled. Hard.

  “I used to go there when I came on this cruise during college vacations with my dad.” Memories of those lonely visits threatened to stall her. “Anytime I’m feeling blue, I go there and satiate myself with all the cannoli I can eat.”

  “Cannoli?”

  “Oh, yes. They’re so good it’s almost sinful. What do you say?”

  “I say you make a very tempting offer.”

  “That’s the spirit.” She patted his cheek. “Just give me a minute to put these files away and we can leave. I’m so glad you stopped by to set things right between us.”

  Jolynn turned toward her door, only to just miss running into a tall, lanky man. Her stomach lurched. She hadn’t realized how edgy she still was from the close call with the peeping Tom. Her mind raced back to the man on the balcony this morning and quickly realized this guy was taller, lankier. She must just be paranoid.

  “Excuse me,” the guy said with a distinctly Texas accent.

  A familiar guy. She searched her memory and knew his voice sounded familiar. Someone from home?

  Alarms blared louder in her head. She’d never thought to worry, but this was strange how she kept bumping into him. At least she had Charles with her.

  He nodded crisply to her, to Charles, then circled past. Her eyes followed him to the next stateroom. The door flung open before he knocked and the singer, Livia Cicero, stepped out. Her exotic perfume swelled down the hall.