Chapter Twenty-seven

Brody eased the Porsche into the hairpin turn. By day, Dead Man’s Drop looked entirely different than it did at night. Less menacing, but still dangerous.

“I can’t believe you actually bailed out,” Tori said from the seat beside him.

It was the first time she’d spoken since they’d left Elliott at Hawke’s Landing to meet with a prominent wine exporter. Brody had been elated when she’d asked to accompany him to question Alex Abruzzo, but she seemed distant, as if her mind was on something other than him. Aw, hell, what did he expect? Brody Hawke was not the center of anyone’s universe but his own.

“Bailing out was no big deal,” he told her, smoothly guiding the rented Porsche through the turn. “SEALs are trained to bail out in a variety of conditions. Usually it’s over the sea. Being dropped from a helicopter into the ocean is like hitting cement. Believe me, the thorns and bruises were nothing.”

“Really?” Her luminous green eyes widened.

“Yeah, it’s no big deal.” He reached over and patted her hand. “I’m glad you wanted to come with me.”

Pulling out of the turn, he was forced to keep his eyes on the road, but he sensed her uneasiness. He’d wanted to go out to the carriage house last night, but resisted the temptation. The only way to establish a relationship with a woman like Tori was through communication. He’d gotten a start at dinner last night, but that gain seemed to have evaporated now.

“I wanted to talk to you about Elliott.”

Uh-oh. He didn’t know much about women, but talking about another man probably signaled second thoughts. Who could blame her? Elliott was a hell of a guy.

“Elliott’s had a lot of bad news lately,” she began, and he turned to look at her. Concern etched the soft curves of her face. “I don’t want to trouble him unless you think we should.”

You and we. He liked the way those words sounded together. He wasn’t a man to think in those terms, but his whole world had changed. Maybe it was time to reevaluate.

“Trouble him? About what?”

“I’m not sure if it’s anything, but … when I was talking to Rachel, I noticed a letter on her computer screen. It said ‘cancel order immediately.’ She put up a screen saver before I could read all of it.”

“She’s in charge of ordering supplies. Buying and canceling are routine, I would think.”

“Right, except this one was addressed to Portugal. That’s where their major cork supplier is.”

He braked to allow a tour bus to pull into a vineyard. “I see why you’re concerned. There’s an ongoing cork shortage. Why would Hawke’s Landing cancel an order?”

“I have a feeling Rachel wasn’t being truthful about the Barzinis. Either she knows or she suspects they tampered with Elliott’s car. It’s even possible she did it.” The sensual curve of her mouth tightened. Then she continued, her voice pitched lower than usual. “It’s just a feeling, though. I’m not positive. I wanted to hear what you thought before troubling Elliott.”

Brody couldn’t help being touched. This was exactly what he’d hoped for since he’d met her. A relationship could never be based on sex alone, but he hadn’t been sure where to begin. Dinner last night had been a good start.

“Something about Rachel makes me suspicious of her, too. Our feelings aside, Tori, it would be helpful to know what was in the letter exactly before we dump anything more on Elliott.”

“That’s what I’ve been thinking.” Her voice took on an excited, breathless quality. “Tonight I want to sneak into her office and see what’s on her computer. I saw you input the security code and I memorized it. We can get in there without telling Elliott.”

Brody almost told Tori that he wouldn’t allow it, then changed his mind. As protective as he felt, he decided he would sound too macho, too heavy-handed. He didn’t like exposing her to danger, but he had no choice.

“Okay, we’ll try to get into her office tonight, but we’d better keep our eyes out for Maria and Aldo,” he said. “I don’t want them to catch us sneaking around.”

“Good idea. Rachel won’t be there after six. Elliott invited us for dinner. We could—”

“Tell Elliott and have him come with us. I don’t want my brother to think I’m up to something.”

“I don’t know … I’m not sure.”

He threw the gearshift into low and drove off onto an unpaved side road.

“Farallon Vineyards is straight—”

“I know.” He pulled off the side road and parked near a copse of wild alder trees. “I need to get out and walk. Since Alex isn’t expecting us, it doesn’t matter when we arrive, does it?”

“No,” she said very slowly as he turned off the ignition.

“I wanted to talk to you face to face.” He got out before she could argue and walked around to open her door.

“About what?” she asked, swinging her slender legs to the side as she got out. She was wearing navy capris and a red sweater set trimmed in navy ribbon. A matching red handbag and shoes completed the outfit, which managed to be businesslike yet feminine.

“About Elliott,” he said while they walked down what appeared to be a country lane. “Why did you give him back the ring?”

“You waited all this time to ask me? Why didn’t you ask me last night?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he countered.

They came to a stop under a wild oak tree growing beside a post and rail fence freshly painted white. Beyond it was a small meadow where two dark horses romped in the sunshine. Nearby grazed a roan stallion, who lifted his head and nickered to the two horses, alerting them. The horses stopped playing and watched from a distance.

“If anyone else but you had asked why I broke our engagement, I would say it’s none of your business, but it is your business, I guess. Elliott misinterpreted what he saw yesterday morning.”

“Really? What was there to misinterpret?”

“It looked as if we’d been”—she dropped her purse to the grass, then sat down beside it at the base of the oak tree—“you know … intimate.”

“Well, call me a dog,” he responded, trying for a light tone as he lowered himself to the grass beside her, “but if they hadn’t appeared, what do you suppose would have happened?”

A slight flush spread up her neck to her cheeks. It was all he could do not to grab her and kiss her until they were flat on their backs.

“Elliott didn’t deserve to be embarrassed. I think he’s the greatest guy any woman could possibly marry.”

There was no mistaking her sincerity, just as there was no denying his own sharp stab of envy. What was he? Some bum?

“If he’s so great, why return his ring?”

He heard the heavy dose of cynicism in his voice and immediately regretted it. He wanted to understand her, not alienate her. He edged toward her, closing the small space between them and put his hand on her shoulder.

He forced himself to admit, “I’m just jealous. No one’s ever said I was the greatest guy any woman could possibly marry.”

He’d meant it as a joke, but her expression became even more serious. “Have you ever let a woman know you well enough?”

Brody’s mind slammed to a stop, his gut twisting as the unvarnished truth hit him. True, he’d led a life that hadn’t included relationships with women, but how could Tori know that? Was it stamped on his forehead?

“Being a SEAL doesn’t leave much time for—”

“Didn’t you have a life before?”

Damn it all. She wasn’t going to let him off the hook, was she? “I went into the Navy the day I turned eighteen.”

“You didn’t go directly into Special Forces, did you?”

“No,” he conceded, then bit the bullet and asked, “Am I so transparent?”

She smiled, or tried to. “To me you are. Now that your mother’s gone, does anyone know you?”

Mother didn’t know me, and I didn’t know her. He resisted the urge to impart this bitter truth. Now that he knew more about his mother’s past, he understood her a little better. Her affair had ruined her life, and raising him was the price she’d paid.

“I know this is going to come as a terrible shock to you,” he said, forcing a teasing note into his voice, “but I have very good friends in Key West.” He leaned so close that his nose nearly bumped hers. “And guess what? One is a woman.”

“Really?” Was there a tinge of jealousy in her voice, or was it just wishful thinking? “Tell me about her—ah, them. All of them.”

“Hey, we haven’t got a lifetime.” He made himself smile, then realized all he’d done was show Tori his teeth. He couldn’t manage a smile.

“Okay, then, tell me about her.”

He knew better than to stretch the truth too far. Never underestimate women’s intuition. “Jennifer Whitmore is a married friend who lives in Coral Gables now. I met her when I was finishing antiterrorist training in Key West. She trains mantrailers, bloodhounds who specialize in finding people. Jenny got herself involved in a murder and nearly went to jail.”*

“Wow! What happened?”

“I’ll tell you about it later.” He kissed the cute tip of her nose. “What really went on between you and Elliott?”

She leaned back against the oak tree’s trunk and gazed at him, her expression so serious it scared the hell out of him. “Elliott’s the greatest, and he deserves to be loved wholeheartedly, but I didn’t love him.

“I was attracted to his honesty, his steadfastness. He’s a family man.” Her voice became low and a little awkward. “Everything Connor Anderson was not.”

Aw, hell. He should have known she was hurting. Her father had said Tori’s husband died five years ago. He’d assumed the hurt had subsided, but now he could see how much it still bothered her.

“Your husband performed dangerous stunts, right? I can understand why he didn’t want a family.”

“You understand him?”

He didn’t like the way she’d said it. There was a catch in her voice that was hard to describe. “Yeah. Lou said your husband performed high-risk stunts. Well, being a SEAL is also a high-risk occupation. I don’t want to be on a mission and be distracted by a woman. Kids? Well, children would be even more pressure.”

She greeted his words with a bleak, tight-lipped smile. “It was a little more complicated than that, I’m afraid.”

“Oh?” He waited, silently sympathizing with the guy. He wasn’t sure he could face a mission if Tori was at home waiting for him. He would be too worried about what would happen to her if they sent him home in a body bag.

“Connor let me worry about him getting killed, blaming the risks for not wanting a family. Truth to tell, he never should have been married. He was involved with other women the whole time.”

“Why?” The word came out more harshly than he’d intended, but he honestly couldn’t imagine cheating on Tori.

“Because Connor was handsome and charismatic. Women were all over him. He couldn’t resist temptation.” The words came out in a breathless rush, then she paused and closed her eyes for a long moment. Opening them, she added, “I knew it after the first year, but I couldn’t admit it, not to Dad, not to anyone, especially not myself.”

This was exactly why he hated relationships. What in hell did you say at a time like this? How could he wipe away the hurt that bastard had caused? He tried to put his arms around her and pull her close for a comforting hug, but Tori resisted.

“I’m okay, really I am. It’s taken me all this time to be honest with myself. I couldn’t marry Elliott without truly loving him. I had planned to return the ring before Gian’s accident. When Elliott called to tell me what happened, he was so devastated I put it off. I thought it would be better to explain how I felt after the funeral and after he had a little time to get used to his father’s death.”

“I see,” he said, more than a little surprised. Did he have a big ego, or what? He’d assumed that he had been at least partially responsible for the breakup.

He wanted to mean something to her, and he believed he did, but she wasn’t the type of person to let go of the past easily or emotionally attach herself to a total stranger. Face it. That’s what he was. They barely knew each other. Of course he wasn’t the reason Tori had returned the ring.

He put his arm around Tori, bringing her closer. The sunlight filtered through the branches of the tree, splashing them with wavering shadows and light while he tried to think of what to say.

“Give me a chance, Tori.”

“A chance to what?”

To show you I’m as good a man as my brother.

“You’re going back soon, aren’t you?”

He couldn’t deny it. Returning to duty had been his plan, but he wasn’t going to leave until he had the answers he wanted about his father, his own past—aw, hell. There was a lot he intended to do before he left, but he was leaving.

“Being a SEAL is all I know.”

“You’re nearly thirty. You’ve a few good years left, then they’ll assign you to a desk job.”

“Right,” he admitted, “How do you know?”

She gave him a half-hearted smile. “I saw a special on the Discovery Channel.” She brushed his cheek with her lips in the quickest damned kiss he’d ever imagined. “You could have a second career.”

“True. Kyle Parker worked as a civilian consultant for the Navy after his time was up. He’s a specialist in antiterrorist technology. You know, satellites and military computers. Stuff like that.”

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see Tori wasn’t referring to continuing with the military. She was suggesting he take advantage of his inheritance. He had to admit he was drawn to the wine country in a way he’d never imagined possible. He was enjoying it, was coming to like his brother, but it didn’t mean he wanted to spend the rest of his life here.

This was going nowhere. He wasn’t getting closer to Tori. If anything, he was alienating her. Not knowing what to say now, he leaned down and kissed her. His demanding lips caressed hers, and he struggled to keep from being too aggressive. Women wanted sensitive men, didn’t they?

“Don’t Brody, please,” she whispered.

His lips left hers to nibble at her earlobe. “Don’t what? I’m only kissing you.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

He heard surrender in her voice and didn’t hesitate. His mouth covered hers, and her lips parted, inviting him to deepen the kiss. He didn’t need to be encouraged. With a smooth thrust of his tongue, he explored the sweetness of her mouth.

A sexy little moan escaped her throat, and Brody tightened his hold on her. She arched her back, pressing her breasts against the wall of his chest. Aw, hell, he couldn’t resist her, couldn’t take things slow … couldn’t help himself.

He inched one hand up from her waist to the rise of her breast. Cupping its fullness in the palm of his hand, he grazed one nipple with his thumb. It distended, hardening with each brush.

“Tori, you’re something else,” he mumbled against the curve of her throat.

“Brody,” she whispered, a low, smoky sound that made his name sound unspeakably erotic.

The insistent throb in his groin became hard heat even before he could kiss her again. He never realized what an aphrodisiac a woman’s voice could be or how the feel of her fingertips sifting through his hair could shut down his normally rational brain.

Man, oh, man, what she could do to him without half-trying.

“Br-brody … ah, I … shouldn’t.”

Aw, hell. Just what he didn’t need—Tori having second thoughts.

Brody took a deep breath. “It’s okay, babe.”

He covered her lips with his again and lost himself in the kiss. Dismayed at the magnitude of his own desire, he reveled in the heat of her body. Without realizing it, he’d dipped under her sweater and was caressing the lacy cup of her bra now. The round globe was warm—not hot—to the touch.

He didn’t think he could ever get enough of kissing her, touching her, he decided as he eased her down to the cool grass, the scent of damp earth and clover filling his nostrils, along with the floral smell of her perfume. He angled his body across hers, kissing her more intensely, and baring her breasts with his free hand.

“You’re very good at this,” she whispered as she yanked his shirttail from beneath the waistband of his Dockers.

“Damn right,” he said before he could stop himself, then he added, “but this is the longest I’ve ever kissed any woman.”

“You’re not serious.” Her hands explored his back with tantalizing slowness.

“I’m dead serious.”

She gazed up at him with her green eyes dilated wide. “Why?”

“Because you’re special.”

His eyes traveled down to her flushed breasts, taking in the peaked nipples, which sprang to attention while he watched. He lowered his head to kiss one, then the other, drawing the nipple deep into his mouth. His tongue caressed it, and she responded by raking her nails down the length of his back. Even though he was sore from all the thorns, he didn’t cry out.

It hurt so damn good.

Tori, Tori, stop him now! Her brain cried out the words, but her body refused to listen. She didn’t know this man; she’d barely met him, yet this was the second time she’d all but invited him to make love to her.

Never, ever in her life had she experienced a passion that threatened to sweep her away despite her better judgment. But this man was different, she realized, so very different. Her body recognized this elemental fact and had absolutely no intention of being denied its pleasure.

As if sensing what she was thinking, he rolled on top of her, wedging a powerful erection against the cleft of her thighs. She bit down on the inside of her cheek to concentrate on stopping herself from begging him to take her this very moment.

Beeep! Beep! Beeep! Beep!

Tori jerked her head up, her body firmly anchored on the ground by Brody’s. “Oh, my God!”

A tour bus loaded with sightseers whipped by, leaving a rooster tail of dust and loud cheers in its wake.

“I thought this was an unused road,” Brody muttered.

“So did I.”

Ling! Ling!

“Now what?” he asked.

She yanked down her sweater and reached for the purse she’d tossed aside. “It’s my cell phone.”

Brody flopped onto his back and stared up at the sky, his erection outlined against the fly of his pants. This is crazy, she told herself as she flipped through the junk in her purse for her small cell phone. No matter what her traitorous body wanted, she knew better than to have sex, alongside the road—of all places—in broad daylight.

Had she lost her mind?

“H-hello?” It was her father. “D-daddy, ah—” When was the last time she’d called him Daddy?

“Tori, are you all right? You sound funny.”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine.” She didn’t look at Brody; she couldn’t.

“I’m at your office. Where are you?”

“In the field.” At least she wasn’t lying to her father.

“I need to find Brody right away. Do you have any idea where he is?”

“I think I can find him.”

“Have him meet me at the gazebo at Pioneer Park right away. We’ve got real trouble.” He hung up.

* See Thunder Island Zebra Books. December, 1999.