Chapter Four

The warmth of the shower water eased the ache in Holly’s muscles, and she rolled her shoulders. After diving into the ocean, she didn’t think she’d ever be warm again. She’d known the water would be cold but hadn’t expected it to be mind-numbingly so. Tilting her head back, she rinsed out the shampoo and wished she could wash away the knots in her stomach as easily. Though she’d been in tighter spots, she’d never had to talk her way into freedom. She’d always managed to escape, but this time, she was good and caught and had a feeling Jake couldn’t wait to see her locked away.

She could not let that happen. Liam needed her. There had to be something she could do that would allow her to get Jake off her back. She mulled over the situation while she finished showering. After she shut off the water and dried herself with one of the fluffy towels, inspiration struck. If Jake went for it, she’d soon be on her way back to her brother, and the two of them could disappear into the sunset to start over somewhere new. Slipping her arms into the thick robe hanging on the back of the door, she used a comb from the counter to tame as much of her hair as she could. Then, taking a deep breath to bolster her courage, she opened the door.

The mouthwatering aroma of steaks grilling hit her, and she bit off a groan. Since she’d discovered Jake’s identity, and Liam’s part in the break in, she hadn’t had much of an appetite. But if the way her stomach growled was a sign, then her appetite was back with a vengeance. She dumped her clothes into the washing machine, set it, and then went in search of Jake.

She found him standing on a deck outside a set of French doors with his back to her as he flipped steaks. She stared at him, appreciating—and wishing she didn’t—the way his jeans hugged his impressively toned butt. The man had a body that belonged on the cover of a men’s fitness magazine. He was so hot she nearly strained an eyeball jerking her attention away from his assets.

She deliberately bumped a small table beside the sofa with her leg to make noise, not wanting him to think she was creeping up on him. He turned, and his gaze raked her from head to toe. Trying hard to pretend he didn’t affect her, Holly smiled.

He didn’t respond to that. There was a storm in his eyes and his face bore the expression of a man out for blood. “You said your last name was Campbell.”

Her smile faded. The name she’d used for the last seven months, she’d appropriated from a street sign, hoping it would keep Burt from finding them. Since he had, it was time to change it again. “Campbell is my name.”

“That’s funny because you don’t exist. No social media accounts, no bank account, no utility records, not even a driver’s license. My security team is thorough.”

“Are they the same ones responsible for keeping your building protected from thieves?” Holly said before she thought better of it. She’d meant to present him with her idea, not antagonize him.

He scowled. “You successfully breaking in was an anomaly.”

“One that can be repeated by others in the future because there are weaknesses in your system.” She’d had Liam talk her through every step of the break-in. Though the security at Jake’s company was top notch, like most systems, it wasn’t infallible. Her uncle had known the weak areas when he’d set her brother up to do the job.

She took a step closer to Jake, feeling the pressure of how difficult her life would become if he turned her in.

Jake stepped back to the grill and set the steaks onto a platter. “Do you honestly believe our security team didn’t go over everything with a fine tooth comb after we discovered the theft?”

“I don’t doubt it, but they didn’t find anything, did they?”

She followed as he walked into the house, then he stopped and turned to her and sighed. The warmth of his breath blew across her face, making her stomach clench with what she tried to force herself to believe was a wayward hunger pang.

“I wouldn’t advise you to gloat,” he said, narrowing his eyes.

“I’m not.” She wasn’t gloating. Holly didn’t see anything about the situation to be smug about. Three lives could have been ruined because of one sleazeball’s actions. Then again, her uncle had never cared how others were affected as long as he got what he wanted.

“Then what do you call what you’re doing?”

“Friendly advice not to over-inflate the qualifications of your security system. If word gets out you can’t keep your own business safe, how well do you think that’ll go over with your clients?”

He deposited the platter of steaks on the table with a loud clatter. “Are you threatening to blackmail me?”

The words shocked her until she realized he didn’t really know her. “I would never blackmail anyone.”

He raised his eyebrows and mocked, “She said in the tone of an innocent.”

Holly massaged the ache in the back of her neck. “Look, you don’t have any reason to trust me, and I don’t blame you for that, but I can help make sure your security system protects your company from any future break-ins.”

“Like I said, you were an anomaly. Security’s fine.”

“It’s a welcome mat.” Frustrated, Holly put her hands on her hips. Realizing the action pulled the center part of the robe apart and drew his eyes there, she lowered her arms, then crossed them in front of her for good measure.

“What are you suggesting? I give you access to our security so you can show me any perceived flaws?”

Holly nodded, wishing he didn’t look so appetizing in the snug jeans. Wishing she didn’t remember what he looked like wearing nothing at all.

He laughed and moved to a drawer to take out silverware. “You were good, sweetheart, but not so good I’d give you the keys to the kingdom.”

“I understand you’re reluctant because you’re afraid—”

“Nice try.” Dropping the silverware beside the platter, he shook his head. “I’m not reluctant, and I’m sure as hell not afraid. I’m protecting my company from a woman I know from experience is a threat.” He pointed to a chair. “Sit and eat.”

She didn’t like him snapping orders at her, but because she was starving, Holly sat and went to work cutting the cooked-to-perfection steak into bite-size pieces. She chewed and swallowed, all the while her mind racing. She didn’t blame him for not wanting to listen to her, but she had to make him hear her out. If she disappeared into a jail somewhere, Liam would be vulnerable, easy prey for the man who’d tormented and bullied them into doing things she’d never imagined she’d have to do to keep her brother safe. Her heart squeezed painfully at the thought of Liam getting dragged into this. He wouldn’t understand the ramifications.

She took a sip of the wine, then straightening her shoulders, said, “What would Mason and Cole think about you turning me down?”

He leaned back in his chair, gaze assessing. When she didn’t think she could stand his scrutiny a second longer, he asked, “How do you know about my friends?”

She used her fork to draw lines through the steak sauce while she chose her words carefully in hopes of getting through to him. “Your website. If your company is breached again, wouldn’t they be upset that I’d given you a chance to protect it?” Her question didn’t earn her any popularity points judging by the way the storm darkened in his eyes.

“They trust my judgment.”

Determined not to give up, Holly pushed away from the table and went to stand beside him. He tensed and stood swiftly, towering over her. Moving closer to him was a mistake. The tantalizing scent of his cologne was a reminder she didn’t need to think about.

“What do you want?” His voice was low-pitched, the same tone he’d used to whisper wicked things in her ear.

“I want to help you protect your company against future break-ins. It’s the only way I know to make amends.” For Liam, she’d beg if she had to. “Please.” Tentatively, she put her hand on his arm, and his muscles flexed beneath her touch. Her stomach curled inward as another memory slammed into her. From the way his gaze lingered on her mouth, the same memory had him trapped in a heated skin on skin moment, too.

Placing his fingers beneath her chin, he tipped her face toward his. She put her other hand on his chest for balance and couldn’t concentrate on anything but wanting him. He lowered his head, and when his lips were within an inch of hers, she closed her eyes with a groan of need.

“Not. A. Chance.” His breath whispered across her face.

Holly’s eyes flew open, and she sucked in a ragged breath.

He stepped around her, and Holly fought to free herself from the haze of desire still setting fires within her. When she heard him pick up the phone, she spun around to face him, anxiously biting her lip.

His unreadable gaze touched on her lips, then swung up to meet her eyes as he spoke. “Have the plane here ASAP. I’m ready to return to the mainland.” After he hung up, he rested his hip against the counter. “Whoever you really are, you’ve certainly perfected the wide-eyed I-didn’t-do-it look. I’d be tempted to believe you were innocent if I hadn’t caught you with the drive myself.”

If he knew Liam was involved, he wouldn’t hesitate to have him locked away, too. She shrugged. “I took the drive and then felt guilty because of everything we shared, so I decided to put it back. That’s the truth.” Partial truth anyway. She did feel guilty her past had impacted his life, and she would do what she needed to help him short of telling him what had really happened. Jake had no idea the levels of hell her uncle could unleash on anyone who thwarted him. She and Liam had always been a target, but now Jake would be as well.

“You felt guilty because of everything we shared? A thief with a conscience? I doubt that.” His lips twisted into a cynical parody of a smile. “Don’t act like it meant more to you than what it was. A means to an end.”

Holly pressed her lips together, afraid if she continued to protest he’d realize she was hiding something. Did it really matter if he thought her so callous? Even if he knew the truth he’d likely not believe her.

“I’ll switch my clothes to the dryer.” Mind racing, trying to come up with another way out of landing in jail, she quickly walked away.

…

She was good, he had to give her that. So good he felt like the guilty party. Intuition told him Holly was lying about something but wasn’t going to come clean about what it was. He needed to be on his guard. And he needed to warn Mason and Cole so none of them were ambushed. He suspected she had a team of thieves like her waiting to make another move on their company.

Jake didn’t know what to think about the woman. When they’d first met, he’d been sure she was different. The kindness to others, the self-sacrificing, couldn’t have been an act. Unless it was, and he’d missed it because he’d lost his edge. Maybe he’d had a momentary lapse, a weariness with his own cynicism, and had wanted to believe there were still people in the world who wouldn’t stab others in the back to get ahead. Hell, maybe it had been the loneliness of being alone at Christmas. All the jolly cheer had underscored the loss of his brother worse than ever before.

Shaking his head at the thoughts swirling in his mind, he strode to the table, picked up the plates, and raked the uneaten food portions into the garbage can. He tried to distract himself from thinking about the woman in his house by keeping his hands busy, but it was futile. Holly Campbell, if that was her last name, was a puzzle, and he didn’t like puzzles. A small part of him wanted to let her go, and not turn her over to the police, but he’d learned over the years not to get emotionally involved with every sob story or person he felt sorry for. He’d been burned too many times.

After straightening the kitchen, Jake realized Holly had been absent for longer than it took to toss her clothes into the dryer. Since there was no way off the island, he doubted escape was the holdup. Any valuables he had weren’t kept here, so there was nothing for her to pocket. Still, something was off. He walked down the hallway toward the master bedroom and saw Holly by the bed. He looked at the phone on the nightstand, wondering if it had been pulled forward or if he was imagining it.

Jake pushed the door all the way open, and Holly jumped at the sound, her face twisting into a guilty grimace when she saw him. Raising his eyebrows, he asked, “Trying to decide your next crime?”

She shook her head, her expression serious as if she was weighing her thoughts. “I know that you don’t realize this, but you really do need me.”

“Yeah, to help protect my company, you said as much earlier.” He narrowed his eyes when she tucked her hair behind her ear and bit her lower lip. Don’t fall for her act. Crossing his arms over his chest, he waited for her to speak.

She lifted her gaze to his and her eyes were wide and full of vulnerability that he wasn’t buying. He also wasn’t buying the slight tremble in her hands as she toyed with the tie on the robe.

“I can hire a dozen experts to look into the security lapses and they’ll find any potential weakness.” His gaze raked her slender figure, taking note of the way her breasts rose and fell as her breathing quickened. Not from desire, more from the urge to flee was his guess. “I have absolutely no need for you.”

“You could hire countless people to examine your company’s security,” she said, not seeming the least bit intimidated by his scowl. “But they won’t be able to look at those flaws through a thief’s eyes.”

“Forgive me if I prefer them over you.”

A slight wince crossed her face but was quickly gone. “That’s your mistake to make.”

“You think you’re so much better than trained experts?”

“Yes, I am. I can see what others can’t. About buildings. About people.”

“Such as?”

“Such as your building has too many blind spots. Places inside and out that your cameras can’t capture. Such as you acting like you’re as solid as granite inside because softness equals weakness to you, but you have cracks driven into you by disillusionment and pain. Life crushed you somewhere along the line and your success is you shaking your fist at the world. Or flipping it off.” She studied him for a second. “Probably flipping it off.”

“You think you can read me?” Jake arched an eyebrow and deliberately smiled. “If you’re going to step into the cave with this dragon, sweetheart, you’d better be prepared for the fire.” He moved closer. “You screw with me and you’ll get burned. Once we’re back on the mainland, you’re going to jail, and that’s the last time you and I will ever see each other, understand?”

Holly sat on the end of the bed and took a deep breath. “Then you leave me no choice but to leak the flaws in your company’s security. I’m sure your competitors will be happy to learn about them.”