Chapter 14
When they got to the SUV, Jason opened Tayla’s door for her.
He’s chivalrous. That scored him some more points.
She was still nervous about what he might say about last night, but he was certainly acting like everything was fine.
He started the car, adjusted the AC vents, and put on his seatbelt, but he didn’t shift into drive.
“Hey.” His voice was low. And husky.
Oh. Now? He wants to talk about it now? Okay.
She tried to say ‘hey’ or ‘yeah’ or something, but her voice cracked. She coughed a couple of times. Nice. Real smooth.
“You okay?” he asked.
She nodded and cleared her throat. “Sorry. What were . . . you were about to say something?”
His gaze swept from the steering wheel to the gearshift, and an uncharacteristic twinge flit across his face. Nervous? Was Jason Bridger actually nervous? This is new.
He locked eyes with her, and all signs of nerves disappeared. “About last night. About our kiss . . .”
Why did she love the way he called it ‘our kiss?’ Not ‘that kiss’ or ‘the kiss.’
“Yes?”
The sudden seriousness in his eyes did not give her a clue which direction this was about to go. But whatever he was about to say, he was going to mean it.
“Tayla, I don’t want you to think I go around kissing women all the time. I really don’t. You’re the first woman I’ve kissed in . . . it’s been years. I know things were emotional yesterday, so if I overstepped, I apologize.”
“No. No, you didn’t overstep. You don’t owe me an apology.”
He looked relieved.
She couldn’t subdue the smile inching across her face. “If I didn’t want you to kiss me, I wouldn’t have let you. You didn’t take advantage.”
That caught him off guard. Surprise lit on his face, followed by amusement. “You wanted me to kiss you?”
“If I didn’t make that clear last night .
. .” She didn’t know how to finish her sentence.
Was he kidding? Was it not a good kiss for him?
Last night’s kiss stopped her heart and turned her world upside down.
She finally admitted to herself that she hoped he felt the same.
That he was interested in exploring what might be between them.
She didn’t deserve a man like Jason. But she couldn’t suppress the hope in her heart.
He slid his hand over the SUV’s enormous console and held hers. “It was clear. I just wanted to know if you felt differently today.”
“No. I feel the same way.” Why was her voice all breathy? She felt his hand tighten ever-so-slightly around hers. Electricity between them sparked at power-surge levels. Everything in her wanted to lean over the console and continue what they started last night.
Except the console monstrosity between them was ridiculously large.
Even if he leaned over half-way, which he practically was, leaning her petite body over the console’s storage compartment would feel so awkward.
She couldn’t fathom why it was large enough to hold a soccer ball.
And, four cup holders? Why does any car need four cup holders between the front seats?
He looked down at their hands and pulled his thumb across her knuckles, the way he did while she was explaining how Spence left her in a cave filling with water.
Sometimes it was hard to believe she could ever trust a man again.
And here she was, with a man she’d known for only three days, starting to believe she could trust Jason.
His thumb brushed her knuckles again, and his gaze lifted to hers. “If you still feel the same after we find Gus’s killer, when all this is wrapped up, could I take you to dinner?”
“Yes. That sounds great.” Oh, wow.
I haven’t been on a date since Spence died. Am I ready for this? Dear God, please guard my heart, because my head is spinning.
He squeezed her hand and shifted the car into drive.
She put on her seatbelt. And tried to breathe normally.
Placing cameras on and around the weather-worn pier was easier than Jason thought it would be. Several thick wooden posts lined both sides of the pier, with a small covered area at the end. The entire structure was in disrepair, but strong enough to be useable.
He didn’t see anyone nearby, but even if someone was watching, he and Tayla looked very much like a couple out sightseeing. They strolled down the pier, enjoyed the ocean breeze, and pointed out dolphins and turtles in the stunning turquoise water.
It felt a little like a date. Especially after the conversation in the car. But, he reminded himself, it was a fake date. They were just trying to look natural while he scoped out the area and positioned cameras.
He was glad he asked her out. And so relieved she’d said yes.
He’d hoped that’s how the conversation would go.
He thought if they planned to go on a date after the mission concluded, it would show he was interested in getting to know her, but give him a few days’ breathing room to focus on Gus’s killer, Drakos, and Frederick.
However, observing the genuine awe on her face when a sea turtle came within an arm’s reach of the pier, he realized the promise of a date wasn’t going to get her off his mind. Quite the opposite.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” she said, staring at the oblivious creature.
“You really like animals?”
“Yes, of course.” Her head snapped to his. “Don’t you? Wait. You don’t hate animals, do you? Because that’s a deal breaker for me.”
She didn’t sound like she was kidding.
He laughed. “Okay, good to know. Yeah, I like animals. I don’t have a pet or anything, though. I travel too much.”
Her eyes studied him like he was a bug in a petri dish. Okaaaaay. She’s really serious about animals.
“Cats or dogs?” she asked, with a smile tugging at her lips.
“What?”
“Are you a cat person or a dog person?”
“I feel like I’m being interrogated.”
“Is it a difficult question, Mr. Bridger?”
This was getting interesting. Although she was smiling, he got the distinct impression that his attitude about pets was genuinely important to her—and apparently, a critical factor in whether or not a relationship was possible.
“You want honesty, Miss Faraday?”
“Always.”
Woah. That word came fully loaded. She wasn’t talking about animals anymore.
He stepped closer to her, pausing before he answered. “You can ask me anything, Tayla. I’m not going to lie to you.”
He felt her gaze search his eyes for a moment. She nodded slowly. “I appreciate that.” The ocean breeze whipped her hair into her face, and she used both hands to tame it behind her ears. “For now, I just need an answer to the cat versus dog question.” A trace of humor crept back into her tone.
“Yes, ma’am. In all honesty, I could tolerate a cat, but I prefer dogs.”
He prayed that was the correct answer.
Her smile looked promising. “Me too.”
Why did he feel so relieved?
She caught her hair again and magically produced one of those hair-band-things women use to pull it into a ponytail. “What’s next? Do you need to make another lap around the pier? Or do you want to explore the beach?”
Jason glanced up the shore. “Let’s explore. I want to get a feel for the area.”
They stepped off the pier onto the lone, sandy path connecting the pier to the road. Rocks turning into small cliffs flanked them on either side. There wasn’t much flat area for parking. If very many cars showed up tonight, they’d all have to park on the side of the road.
“What’s your plan for tonight? Will you, Knox, and Leland come out here? Or just watch who shows up on the cameras?”
“We’ll be here. Let’s climb up these rocks. I want to find some spots with a good vantage point. You up for a little climbing?”
She laughed. “Hiking on rocks? Yes. I’m not a mountain climber, though. This—” she said, pointing to the rocky slope. “Yes, this I can do.”
She started up. At first, he stayed just behind her. Until he realized watching her backside scramble up the rocks was not helping him focus on the mission.
He navigated the climb next to her.
When they reached a small perch, he stopped. “This might work. I can stay tucked behind these rocks with a good view of the path and the pier.”
Her face scrunched up.
“What’s wrong?”
“What are you planning on doing? You’re not going to shoot them, are you? I thought this was about arresting Gus’s killer. How are you going to confront anyone from here?”
“We will be armed. But no, shooting anyone is not plan A. Or plan B. Depending on what Gus’s video shows, and how things play out on the pier tonight, we may, or may not, intervene at all.”
“So, you might just watch them load up and take the stuff? Like Leland suggested?”
“If a small army of armed men show up? Yes. We don’t have the resources to combat odds like that. And we can’t call the police because, if what is happening is what we think is happening, these guys are stealing stolen goods.”
She let out a sigh full of understanding and frustration. “Goods that Drakos—your client—and Frederick are still arguing over.”
“Exactly. We were hired to protect Drakos’ life, not his stolen goods. And, not to sound all Indiana Jonesy, but by the looks of that collection, some of it probably belongs in a museum.”
“Can’t we do anything about that? I mean, if valuable artifacts were stolen, can’t we report it to somebody?”
Jason nodded. “We can try. Knox knows a guy on the FBI’s Art Crime Team. He’s going to reach out.” He couldn’t stifle his humorless laugh. “That won’t make Drakos or Frederick very happy, though.”
“I realize that. But it’s the right thing to do.”
He respected the certainty in her voice. A lot. He needed to be careful. He needed time to think through whatever was going on between them. But everything she said or did only made her more attractive to him.
She still looked troubled. “But what if Gus’s killer is here? You’re not going to let him get away, are you?”
“No. We’ll follow him. We’ll tag the boat.
” He brushed her arm with his finger. “Hey. Don’t worry.
We do this for a living. Knox, Leland, and I can handle this.
Tonight, Rowan will be watching the cameras, letting us know about anything he sees that we can’t.
He has face recognition software and all kinds of technical marvels to help us.
Leland, Knox, and I will be spread out in the rocks.
We’ll monitor the situation and decide how to proceed. ”
She faced the ocean. “I’ll be watching too.”
Without warning, the worry and uncertainty in her eyes resurrected long-buried insecurities in his mind.
If they did explore what was between them . . . if it led to a relationship . . . could it survive the dangers of his job? She’d worry. And she’d worry alone, because he’d be gone so much. She’d resent that. And he could never guarantee he’d come home in one piece.
Cracking the door to those doubts allowed the ice-cold hand of his real fear to snake around his hope—if she was in danger . . . maybe he’d protect her like he had the past few days . . . but he hadn’t been able to save Leah. He’d been right there. Next to her. She died in his arms.
He should have been able to save Leah.
He forgot where he was for a few seconds. His mind jerked him back to the worst night of his life and held him there. Until all he could see was Leah’s blood on his hands.
“Jason? Jason!“ Tayla’s voice pulled him from the nightmare. She gripped his hand. “Are you okay?”
He cleared his throat. “Sorry. Yeah. My mind was . . . I was thinking about something else. Sorry.”
Her face softened. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look worried.” She scanned the area around them. “Is it about tonight? Are you sure they won’t see you? Where will you park? You’ll have to hide your car.”
He tried to transition back to the present. Tayla’s face was so beautiful. And troubled.
She deserved better.
He shook off the dark memories the best he could. “Everything will be fine. Rowan will drop us off. There’s no good place to hide the car.”
He watched her glance around again. He could practically see the gears spinning in her head. She was smart. And kind. And a relationship with him would not be fair to her. “Are you ready? We should place the cameras at the orphanage and get back.”
She looked a little surprised. “Sure. If you are.”
When he parked at the orphanage, he told Tayla she could stay in the car. “It will just be a second. I’ll be right back.”
She looked disappointed. He felt torn up inside. He didn’t know what to say. If they walked around the orphanage together, enjoying the picturesque sea cliffs, she might look at him the way she did earlier . . . and he might change his mind. But he shouldn’t.
Best if she stayed in the car.
He placed the cameras in record time.
On the drive back to The Mandeville, he considered explaining why the date he’d mentioned was never going to happen.
But he couldn’t get the words out. He kept the conversation light.
She chatted with him about the beauty of the island, and even shared a couple of humorous stories about Leland, but the whole time, she looked like she could tell something had changed.