Anne slept soundly through the night, held close in Jack’s arms, her body sated from the most incredible lovemaking she’d experienced in many years. Maybe ever. When her husband had fallen ill, their sex life had faded to nothing as he battled fatigue and worse. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed the passion, the heat. Not a single bad dream disturbed her slumber, and she didn’t have to fight off any bad guys invading the room. When morning came, she opened her eyes, a smile on her face.
As she stretched, she realized that the body that had been spooned around her throughout the night was no longer there.
All grogginess disappeared, and she sat up, pulling the sheet up over her naked breasts. “Jack?” she whispered.
There weren’t any places to hide in the room. It didn’t have a connecting bathroom or a huge walk-in closet. Still, Anne rose from the bed, wrapped the sheet around her body and padded over to open the closet and look inside. He wasn’t there.
Jack was gone.
Irritation warred with disappointment and a hint of fear.
Why had he left before she’d awakened? She would have loved snuggling a little before getting up for the day. Or, worse...had he been dissatisfied with her performance in the bed?
Anne found the T-shirt she’d tossed to the floor the night before and slipped it over her head. She gathered clothes and toiletries and hurried across the hallway to the bathroom. After a quick shower and even quicker work with the blow-dryer, she felt more like her stodgy self, dressed in a boring business suit, ready to go to the White House and get the rest of the agenda pulled together for the national security advisor to review and approve.
When she had that done, she’d meet with the police at her apartment and get that report filed. She couldn’t live in Charlie’s house forever. Eventually, she’d have to go home.
Home.
Her apartment had never felt less like home than at that moment. She wished Jack was there to wrap his arms around her shoulders and make her feel better instantly.
Convinced Jack had ducked out to avoid the awkwardness of the morning after, Anne left the bedroom where she’d had the most blissful sex she could remember. She cast one last glance at the neatly made-up bed that had been so beautifully used the night before.
With a sigh, she descended the sweeping staircase to the foyer and followed the sound of voices into the kitchen.
There she found Declan, Grace, Charlie and the chef, Carl. But no Jack.
“Jack went out for a run earlier. He should be back soon,” Declan said. “We promised to keep an eye out for you.”
“Thanks.” Anne went directly to the coffeepot and poured a cup.
“It’s Carl’s day off, so we’re fending for ourselves for breakfast,” Charlie explained as she put two pieces of bread in the toaster. “I’ve been known to cook an egg or two. Can I interest you in an omelet?”
Anne shook her head, amazed that her billionaire hostess would offer to cook eggs for her. “I’ll stick to coffee.”
“Gus and I will go to the pharmaceutical company around ten this morning,” Declan said. “We’ll let you know what we learn when we do.”
Anne nodded. “I need to file a police report about my apartment. I should have done it the day I found it. But better late than never.”
“I’ll call my contact in the police department and have them help you out,” Charlie offered. “What time can you be there?”
“A little before noon. I want to be back at my desk after lunch. We have the council meeting tomorrow, and I need to be sure I’ve tied up all the loose ends.”
“Are you at liberty to say what you’ll be discussing?” Grace asked.
Anne shook her head. “The council can disclose that information if they choose in a news conference. It’s not up to me.”
Grace smiled. “I understand. I just thought maybe whatever will be decided in the meeting might have something to do with why Trinity feels the need to cause trouble.”
Anne stared at Grace, wondering if what she’d just said held the key to what had been happening with the texter who’d tried to warn her there would be trouble. If the agenda was the reason for the attack, what did Trinity hope to gain?
She’d have another look at the schedule and try to read between the lines of what would be under discussion. How could something on the slate make Trinity desperate enough to stage an attack? But then she hadn’t received all the agenda items as of the end of yesterday.
Anne checked her watch. They needed to get going if they wanted to catch the Metro into the city.
“Arnold has the car out front,” Charlie said. “He’s ready to go whenever you and Jack are.”
“Thank you.” Anne set her coffee mug in the sink. “I just need Jack, and we’ll be on our way.”
“It’s nice to be needed,” a man with a deep voice said behind her.
Anne spun to face Jack, neatly dressed in his suit and tie, his hair damp from a shower and slicked back from his forehead.
Her heart beat hard in her chest and heat rushed up her neck into her cheeks.
His gaze met hers without mercy, a smile quirking one corner of his mouth.
Anne dropped her gaze first and looped her purse over her shoulder. She turned to Charlie with a smile pasted on her face. “Thank you for all you’ve done. I’ll do my best to get my apartment in order. I can’t keep taking advantage of your hospitality.”
Charlie waved a hand in her direction. “Don’t be silly. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like or need. After all the damage that was done, your apartment won’t be livable for a while. Speaking of which, I can have my handyman help you out.”
“Thank you. That would be great. And I’ll pay him to do the work. Again, I can’t let you do everything for me.”
“Humor this old gal.” Charlie hugged Anne. “I’m being selfish. I get to have people around. It beats an empty house.”
“You’re not old.” Anne smiled at the woman, grateful beyond words for what she’d done for her. “Thank you.” She left the room ahead of Jack, headed for the front entrance, with purpose in her steps.
Jack caught up with her at the door and opened it for her. “In case you didn’t hear me while you were sleeping, good morning, beautiful,” he said, his tone rich, deep and sexy as hell.
Anne wanted to hang on to her irritation at being alone in the bed when she’d awakened.
As she passed him, he leaned closer, speaking in a tone only she could hear, “I had to go for a run. I get stiff if I don’t exercise at least every other day.” He tapped his thigh. “This old war injury gives me fits. And you were sleeping so well I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”
And like that, he wiped away her irritation. All she had left to cling to was her fear she’d somehow not measured up. After all, he’d left the bed before she’d known it, even if it was to go for a therapeutic run.
Anne didn’t comment. What would she say? Was I any good? Have you had better? What could I do different...assuming we were to make love again?
She’d been the one to guarantee he’d have no obligation following that night. No commitment. Jack had been quick to agree.
Oh, hell, she didn’t have time to worry about what a man thought about her sexual prowess. She had a life-and-death situation to contend with. If she lost her focus, she could end up run over by a vehicle like Millicent had been. Or have her neck snapped in a back alley by a Trinity assassin.
That thought shook her enough to bring her focus back to where it belonged. On the job ahead, not the man behind her.
As promised, Arnold was waiting at the bottom of the steps with Charlie’s SUV.
Jack opened the back door for Anne and waited while she got in. Then he rounded the vehicle and climbed in beside her.
Arnold pulled away from the curb and started down the long, twisting driveway to the highway beyond.
Anne sat on her side of the vehicle, her hands in her lap, her gaze out the side window, trying to ignore how incredibly turned on she was by the man sitting beside her. And how nervous she felt about seeing him again after their incredible lovemaking. Well, it had been incredible for her.
She was so intent on looking out the window that she didn’t actually see anything.
A hand closed over hers and squeezed gently. “Did I say something to make you mad?”
She started and would have pulled her hand free, but he held on. “No,” she murmured.
He turned her hand over and traced the lines in her palm. “If I did, I’m sorry. You have no idea how hard it was to leave you in bed. I wanted to wake you up and make love to you all over again. But you were sleeping so well I couldn’t do it.”
Anne’s heart swelled. “I wouldn’t have minded missing a few minutes of sleep,” she said softly, finally looking at him.
He sighed. “You had me worried. I thought you were going to hold me to the no-commitment, no-obligation theory when all I want to do is find the nearest hotel room and get naked with you.”
Anne shot a glance toward Arnold.
Charlie’s butler never glanced back in the rearview mirror. His gaze remained on the road ahead as they passed through the estate’s gate and turned onto the highway.
For the rest of the ride to the Metro station, Anne clutched Jack’s hand, her thoughts along the same lines as Jack’s. Heat burned through her, coiling around her core. If she didn’t get her act together, she’d end up in the hospital or the morgue.
But she couldn’t bring herself to let go of Jack’s hand until they arrived at the station.
Jack emerged from the vehicle first and looked around before he opened the door for Anne.
After being followed on their Metro ride the day before, Anne made a concentrated effort to study everyone standing at the platform waiting for the train.
When the train arrived, Jack held Anne’s hand as they boarded the car and found a place to sit for the ride into the city. They exited at the Farragut West station and walked the rest of the way to the White House. Thankfully, though the clouds hung heavily over the city, the rain held off, allowing them to arrive dry at the West Wing of the White House.
Anne made it a habit to arrive thirty minutes to an hour early for work. The extra hour gave her time to determine where she’d left off and make her list of tasks to accomplish that day. By the time the majority of the White House staff arrived, she had her head on straight and was ready to tackle any problem that might crop up during the day.
She checked her computer inbox for Chris Carpenter’s input for the NSC agenda. As he’d promised, his email was waiting for her. She opened it and transferred his changes to the official agenda. When she’d adjusted it to the correct format, she spent a few minutes going over the outline of what was to be discussed with the president, vice president, secretary of state, secretary of defense, secretary of treasury, national security advisor and director of national intelligence.
The usual border control issues, upcoming foreign dignitary visits and military deployment decisions were listed along with discussions concerning various nations that might impact national security. They would hear from the director for Asia on the changes to trade agreements. The director for Europe and Russia would speak on imposing sanctions on Russia for human rights violations in Crimea, Syria and other countries Russia had a presence in.
The agenda didn’t appear much different from the last time the NSC had met. Some problems never seemed to go away or get resolved.
After going over the document three more times, Anne printed a copy and carried it to the office next to hers, where Shaun Louis, the national security advisor, worked. She glanced at Gina, the staffer seated at the desk in front of the NSA’s office. She was the first line of defense to keep people from interrupting Shaun. “Is he in?”
She nodded and held her fingers up to her ear, indicating he was on the phone.
Knowing he wanted the slate as soon as it was ready, Anne tapped softly on the door and poked her head through.
Shaun was still on the phone.
Anne held up the document and waited for him to acknowledge her.
He waved for her to enter.
She handed off the paper and left the room. Barring any major changes, the slate was ready for the next day’s meeting of the National Security Council.
Anne hurried back to her office, closed the door and went to work. It wasn’t until later she remembered to call the police.
When she did, they put her on hold.
“I take it you’re ready to deal with your apartment?” Jack asked quietly. He’d removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves to work at the computer, digging through whatever files he could tap into.
She nodded. “I have to get started on the cleanup. I don’t like relying on others as much as I have with Mrs. Halverson.”
“Ms. Bellamy? This is Detective Hutcheson. Mrs. Halverson gave us the heads-up that you’d be calling. I’ve been assigned to your case. What time would you like to meet?”
“Within the next thirty minutes if at all possible,” Anne glanced at her watch, surprised at fast the morning had flown. “I’ll take a long lunch, but I need to get back to work.”
“That’s perfect. I was going that direction for a meeting after lunch. I can be there in thirty minutes.”
“Thank you.” Anne ended the call and stared at Jack. “We’ll need to get moving if we want to catch a train that direction.”
Jack had already rolled down his sleeves and buttoned them. He shrugged into his jacket and smoothed a hand over his hair. “Let’s go.”
Anne led the way from the office down the hallway to the exit.
They didn’t take long getting to the Metro station and a train happened along at that moment, going in the direction they needed.
Once on board, Anne stood near a door, her hand on a pole to keep her balance. She leaned close to Jack. “See anyone suspicious?”
He smiled. “I’m not even sure I could pick out the bad guys at this point.”
Anne snorted. “Me, either.”
Fortunately, they weren’t accosted, and they arrived at the station close to her apartment complex. Once off the train, Anne hurried along the sidewalk.
As they reached the building, an unmarked dark sedan pulled into the parking lot. A man stepped out, wearing a charcoal gray blazer, black polo shirt and trousers. He pulled a notepad out of his pocket and looked down at it before glancing up at the building.
“Detective Hutcheson?” Anne asked, closing the distance between them.
The man turned and held out a hand. “That’s me. You must be Ms. Bellamy.”
She shook his hand. “This is Jack Snow, my...”
“Boyfriend,” Jack interjected and shook the detective’s hand. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”
“It’s not a problem,” Hutcheson said. “Mrs. Halverson has been such a help to the department I’m only happy to return the favor.” He nodded toward the building. “I understand the break-in happened two nights ago?”
Anne nodded. “It did. I haven’t had time to do anything about it. Work has taken up most of my time.”
“Understandable. But the longer you delay the investigation, the harder it is to find the culprit,” the detective said. “Show me.”
Anne led the way to her door and unlocked it. Then she stood back and let the detective enter. The place was as she’d left it two nights ago. And she had the same reaction to the destruction as she had the first time she’d seen it. She rested a hand over her belly, feeling as if she’d been sucker punched. Her place of solace was now chaotic and destroyed. She began to think she would never feel safe there again.
Jack slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him.
They spent the next half hour answering questions for the detective. Anne told him about the man who’d followed her from work that night and how she’d ducked into the pub and waited for Jack to come get her. She didn’t mention the text she’d received that day or the ones she’d received since.
After the detective left, Jack took her key from her and locked the door to her apartment. “Why didn’t you tell him about the texts?”
“If our informant doesn’t want to be identified, I’m not going to bring her up. She was there for us on the train last night. I could be wrong, but I feel like she’s a bit of a guardian angel looking out for us.”
“What if she’s the one causing all the trouble?” Jack asked.
Anne shook her head. “I don’t think she is. Call it intuition, or stupidity. I don’t think she’s the one who tried to grab me the other night, nor was she the one to destroy my apartment. I think whoever has been bothering me might want to get to her.”
Jack took her hand and squeezed it gently. “I really hope you’re right.”
Anne prayed she was, too. She didn’t want either one of them to be hurt because she’d trusted someone she had never seen or met.