Tansy walked onto the front deck of the lodge, hoping the night view of the lake would soothe her.
She’d tried to pretend to Sam that nothing was wrong, but she doubted it had worked. That was twice now that the box filled with camouflage had reminded her of James and his betrayal. And her own stupidity.
She wasn’t supposed to be stupid.
In science, mistakes were simply part of the process, part of the learning curve. They gave data she could use to improve the next steps, to get closer to understanding.
In life, mistakes were embarrassing.
She’d been a fool.
Tansy didn’t need to hear the door open behind her to know that Sam had stepped onto the deck. Her body reacted instantly. As if he was a magnet and she was a pile of iron filings yearning in his direction.
Sam moved to her side and stared out at the lake. “Camouflage freaking you out these days?”
He could always make her laugh. “No. I haven’t developed any camo phobias. Or would that be camoflobias?”
He didn’t laugh. “But it reminded you of something. Made you drop your phone the first time. And upset you again today. Talk to me, Tansy. You know I’m not letting it go.”
No one was more tenacious than Sam. “One of the many reasons you’re so good at your job.” She felt him tense at her words. “Can you tell me what went wrong?”
Sam leaned down until his elbows rested on the rail. It put them much closer to the same height, but he kept his eyes on the view.
It was a three-quarter moon, and the clouds were more lazy than threatening. Stars sparkled and inspired dreams.
And confidences.
Or so she hoped.
“You tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine.” Sam’s voice held equal parts of regret and amusement.
An equal exchange?
Would he see her as an equal if she agreed? She didn’t know if he’d ever see her as more than Joe’s little sister, but this gave her a chance. Should she take it? Show that she’d been a fool?
Why not? He’d met her at the lowest point of her life. If anyone knew all her flaws and weaknesses, it was this man.
She took a deep breath and gripped the railing harder. “Do you remember the lab I was using back in Sacramento?”
Sam nodded. “The building you bought on the south of town? The one you wanted to turn into a think tank kind of thing?”
That made her smile. He remembered. “That’s the one. It’s a small building, but I was able to bring in a few scientists who were interested in all kinds of things. You know I don’t like the business end of things, so I hired an admin to deal with the hiring and bills and paperwork. All the practical stuff that I hate.”
“Did the admin screw you over?”
That made her smile. “No. Cinnia is fabulous. She actually enjoys tracking paperwork and dealing with financial stuff. She deals with the proposals and funding, too. And thinks it’s fun. I don’t understand the joy, but I was lucky to find her.”
Cinnia had helped her with the DOD request as well. Tansy hadn’t checked her phone after finding it. Maybe they’d got back to her.
When she didn’t continue, Sam nudged her arm gently. The shivers from the contact didn’t surprise her. The man was potent.
“Most people assumed Cinnia was the boss and that she owned the business.”
“And you let them think that.”
Not a question, because he knew her. “It made sense to become one of the group of scientists. Then I didn’t get asked those endless questions about money.”
Sam chuckled.
“Anyway, one of the scientists was a physicist. He assumed all the work taking place in the building was part of the group’s intellectual property.”
Sam turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure if he signed a contract, it said nothing about group intellectual property rights.”
Right to the heart of the matter. “You’re right. He isn’t one for details. He thinks of himself as more of a big idea man. I don’t know if he even read the contract.”
“Dumbass.”
“That’s a good a description as any.”
“So, he tried to screw you over and steal something you were working on?
Tansy blinked. “How do you do that? How do you get right to the bottom line so quickly?”
He shrugged those massive shoulders, and she wanted to snuggle right in.
As if reading her mind, Sam straightened and tucked her into his side in a side-arm hug. Except he didn’t let her go like he would her brother. He kept his arm there, and she leaned in, resting her head against his chest as they continued to look at the lake.
“He approached outside companies about the work and claimed not only to be the creator but that he had the rights to sell it.”
“Obviously, he’s a prick as well as a dumbass. And stupid on top.”
She couldn’t disagree, which made her feel even more foolish.
“How’d he take being tossed out on his ass?”
She managed a laugh. “Not well. Not well at all.”
It had been a hideous scene.
Sam suddenly tensed. He turned and gripped her shoulders with his big hands. Then he leaned down so she couldn’t avoid looking into his eyes.
“You were with this guy?”
Tansy dropped her gaze, but even without the words, he knew.
“Aw, Tans. That sucks. I’m sorry.” Then he pulled her in for one of his bear hugs. Guaranteed to make everything better.
“Did he hurt you?”
Her half-second hesitation was enough to have him pulling back and searching her eyes again.
“He was really angry. Tossed things around. Picked up a lamp. I wasn’t sure if he was going to try to hit me with it or not.”
Sam’s smile was fierce in the moonlight. “You kicked the lamp out of his hand, didn’t you?”
At her nod, he hugged her again. “I’m betting he stormed out like the coward he is. Scared shitless of a wisp of a girl.”
“Hey.”
“That’s how he would see you, Tans. He’d see a tiny woman and assume you’d be afraid of him physically. He’d think he’d have the upper hand. As I said, dumbass.”
Sam hadn’t met him, but he’d nailed the description completely.
Tansy wrapped her arms around Sam and leaned into him. “Thank you. I’ve been feeling like the dumbass.”
A chuckle rumbled in his chest. “You a dumbass? Never. Unless we’re talking about keeping track of your phone. Then all bets are off.”
He was totally right there, so she didn’t argue.
“Is the asshole still bothering you? Still after your work?”
“I’ve blocked his number.”
When she didn’t continue, he squeezed her gently. “But?”
“But he’s tried with other numbers. And he’s sent emails.”
Sam’s muscles flexed, and the man had muscles everywhere. His hands coasted up and down her back, making her burrow in closer.
As long as he kept touching her, she’d tell him anything. Everything.
“What’s his name?”
Except that.
“I’m taking care of it, Sam. No need to bother about him.”
A growl rolled through him, and Tansy leaned back to look up at him. His eyes gleamed in the moonlight and he was so close.
She wanted to stretch up on her toes and touch her lips to his. Better yet, she wanted to hop onto the railing and then wrap herself around him.
“What’s his name, Tansy?”
“What?” Her brain was focused on his closeness and not the conversation.
Sam narrowed his eyes. “Your asshole ex. I want to check him out.”
“No.”
“Why the hell not?”
“I don’t need you to fight my battles for me. It’s done.”
“Then why is he still emailing you?”
“Because he’s not smart enough to know it’s done. He’ll figure it out.”
“He’ll figure it out faster once I have a chat with him.”
“I promised I’d ask for help if I need it. You’re my first call.”
Sam’s frown told her he didn’t like it. She leaned up to kiss him on the cheek to thank him.
The kiss sent tingles through every bit of her. And she’d only touched his cheek.
Instead of dropping back to her feet and breaking the embrace, she stayed and let her eyes drift to his mouth and then back up to his eyes.
His expression didn’t change, but he also didn’t back away.
Risk it?
Just as Tansy leaned in, Sam’s phone rang with a guitar riff.
His hands dropped away from her like he’d been yanked into a tornado. He backed up so quickly; she had to drop to the flats of her feet or stumble.
She immediately missed the heat of his body, the comfort of his presence. And the warmth of his eyes.
They were carefully blank as he pulled the phone from his pocket.
“Hey Joe, how’s it going?”
Tansy sighed.
She loved her brother more than anyone else on earth, but right now, she wanted to kick him to Mars.
Sam watched Tansy walk away.
Regret filled him. Had she been about to kiss him? Had he been about to kiss her?
Did she think of him that way? Or as a brother?
Maybe he’d misread the signals in the moonlight. It had been an intense conversation, although he’d barely been able to think about anything except the soft curves wrapped around him.
And the fact that some asshole was harassing her.
“Hey, Sam. I have a couple of minutes. Just wanted to make sure you weren’t bullshitting me. She’s okay?”
Sam thought of what he’d just heard. He’d bet his Bobby Orr jersey she hadn’t shared that with anyone, not even her brother.
“Mostly. You know the name of some asshole she was seeing back in California?”
“No. She never mentioned anyone. Why?”
Sam sighed. That would have been too easy. “Apparently, he’s trying to claim some of her work and sell it.”
“What the hell? She kick the slime ball to the curb?”
Literally. “She did. Fired him too. But he still trying to contact her.”
Joe’s growl echoed Sam’s own reaction.
“Next time she loses her phone, see if you can find out who he is.”
Sam laughed. “I’m sure she’s got it passcoded.”
“So what? You’re a hotshot FBI special agent. Figure it out.”
“And you’re her hotshot FBI special agent brother. You figure it out and let me know. Knowing your sister, it’s the chemical formula for stainless steel or some secret code of the name for her TeenySaurs.”
Joe laughed. “Probably. But you’ll make sure she’s safe? I’m not going to be able to get away for a while.”
“HRT running you ragged?”
Joe’s sigh was heartfelt and made Sam wonder if his friend was close to burning out as well. “There are idiots everywhere. We’re heading down to Texas as soon as the plane’s fired up.”
Hostage rescue was a difficult job and Joe’s talent for figuring out each hostage-taker’s needs was legendary. Which meant he was on call for the bad ones. And there were always bad ones.
“So, how are you doing, Sam?”
Sam held in the sigh. He didn’t know how to answer the simple question. Because Joe was more brother than friend and he wanted a real answer.
“I’m okay. Just not real sure what comes next. Not sure if I can go back. If I want to.”
When he spoke again, Joe’s tone was completely serious. “You need to take your time. Don’t rush back for anything. There are lots of options within the FBI. Maybe it’s time for something different within the organization. Or for something completely different outside of it.”
Sam looked at the forest surrounding the lake and then back at the lodge, where a light shone in Tansy’s room at the top of the house.
“I’ve got five weeks of vacation, but I already told the boss I’ll be taking a leave if I need it. I’m not rushing anything.”
His thoughts turned back to Tansy. He wouldn’t rush there either. Wanted to, but wouldn’t.
Should he even go there?
What would Joe think?
Before he could figure out how to broach the subject with his friend, Joe swore.
“Gotta go. Give Tansy a hug for me and tell her I’ll call her soon.”
And he was gone.
Sam leaned back against the railing and watched the light in Tansy’s room as if it held the answers to all the questions he had.
It held one of them.
Had she really wanted to kiss him, or had it resulted from sharing something so personal?
And why was he being a chickenshit?
He needed to ask her. Or better yet, kiss her and see what happened.
And he needed to do that without screwing up his friendship with her or Joe.
Which meant he probably shouldn’t do shit tonight.
He’d driven over twelve hours from Toledo, leaving in the middle of the night because he’d wanted to get here.
A hike through the woods, a dip in the lake, and a bucketload of emotions added up to exhaustion.
Which was the main thing he’d been feeling since he’d shoved Hayley Armstrong’s jackass of a dad into a cell.
Dropping a baby out of a window because he was high on a ridiculous cocktail of drugs and alcohol and pissed the courts didn’t think he was a suitable parent.
No shit, Sherlock.
Taking the coward’s way out, Sam turned away from Tansy’s window and did a circle check of the lodge, stopping near the separate garage. Was that where she had her projects? Why did they even have a garage with no roads into the area?
It was too dark to see inside and the deadbolts were locked. Windows locked as well.
At least she’d taken care of that part.
He’d order in some security equipment in the morning. Get her more protected.
The lodge was secure on the outside, but Sam went through the building level by level, checking windows and doors.
By the time he reached his room on the top floor, Tansy’s light was off.
That was for the best.
Definitely.
If he was going to convince her to see him as more than her brother’s buddy, he was going to need his A-game and that required sleep.
A healthy portion of luck wouldn’t hurt, either.