Someone To Watch Over Her

“Good for you.” Jessica saw approval shining in Marcus’s eyes and felt ridiculously happy.

“It didn’t do much good in the end. They still threw me into their boat and sped away. It was all over in a few minutes. And no one in my parents’ house had any idea that I was gone.”

“Then what happened?” He leaned farther forward. “Did they hook up with this man Simon?”

“No. I heard them talking about him. The man I bit was named Steve, and he seemed to be in charge. Tommy was the man who worked for my father, and Steve told him that Simon wouldn’t be happy if they let me get away.”

“Do you know Simon? Is he someone your parents know?”

“I have no idea who he is. I know my parents don’t know anyone named Simon.”

“You sure you’ve never heard the name before?”

“Mr. Waters, those two men were kidnapping me. Don’t you think I would have remembered if I’d ever heard the name Simon before?” she said tartly.

Slowly he leaned back in his chair. “Did you figure out what Steve and Tommy were going to do with you?”

“I assumed they were delivering me to this Simon, but I didn’t stick around to find out.”

Once again admiration gleamed in his eyes. “How did you get away?”

“They didn’t bother to tie me up. I guess they figured there wasn’t anywhere for me to go. I managed to get the blanket untangled enough to see where we were headed, and once we got close to Cascadilla, I recognized it. I guessed that was where we were going, and I knew I couldn’t let them get me wherever they intended to take me.”

She hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. Finally she said, “I’ve always heard that you have to do anything you can during a crime to prevent being taken somewhere else.” She didn’t tell him that her father’s security force had drummed that into her since she was small. “So I knew I had to get out of the boat. When we were close enough that I thought I could swim to shore, I wriggled out of the blanket and slipped over the side of the boat. Steve and Tommy were too busy trying to navigate to notice that I was gone. Then I just dove under the water and stayed there for as long as I could. By the time I surfaced, the boat had almost disappeared over the horizon.”

“How far away from the beach were you?” Marcus asked.

She shrugged. “Maybe a mile.”

His eyebrows rose. “You were able to swim a mile to shore?”

“I’m a strong swimmer. It’s part of my job.” Her mouth twisted. “And I was desperate. It’s amazing what you can do when your life depends on it.”

Marcus’s mouth softened, then he stood up and came around to her side of the bed. He sat down inches away from her and took her hand. “You’re a brave woman, Jessica Burke.”

His hand was warm and strong around hers, and it sent an unexpected wave of sensation jolting up her arm. She held on to his hand and stared at him, and she watched his eyes darken. She might be naive, but she had no trouble identifying the expression she saw in his eyes. It was naked desire.

A curl of answering desire unfurled inside her, and she stared at him with shock. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. She didn’t know Marcus Waters, she reminded herself. And you were supposed to know someone well before you had sexual feelings for him. That’s what all the books said.

She slid her hand away from his, ignoring the shimmer of regret. For a moment he leaned forward, his eyes fixed on hers, and she wondered with a thrill if he would touch her again. She saw the intent in his eyes. Then he leaned away from her, carefully shuttering his gaze.

“So you swam to shore after you jumped off the boat. What happened then?”

“I have no idea.”

His eyebrows came together in a frown. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I don’t remember much of what happened after I jumped off the boat. I remember swimming for a long time, but the details are fuzzy. I must have passed out once I made it to shore.”

“Did the guys in the boat, Tommy and Steve, notice you were gone?”

“I’m sure they did, eventually,” she said dryly. “But I don’t think they knew right away. They didn’t come after me with the boat, if that’s what you’re asking. I don’t remember seeing it.” She shrugged. “But then, I don’t remember much.”

“Did you hit your head at some point?” he asked, his voice sharp.

“I don’t think so.” She touched her head tentatively. “It doesn’t feel like it.”

Marcus stared at her, an assessing look in his eyes. “So why did Steve and Tommy want to kidnap you? What do you have that they want?”

“I have no idea.”

“You said you’re a scientist. What do you do? Could your work somehow be involved?”

“I doubt it. I study coral reefs. And although I find the subject extremely interesting, I doubt anyone would kidnap me because they had a burning need to know about coral reefs.”

His mouth curled in a tiny smile. “Not only beautiful, but humble, too,” he said in a voice layered with velvet.

Once again she felt the jolt of attraction. This time it shimmered through her whole body, pooling low in her abdomen until she felt like a violin string quivering with tension.

“Just realistic,” she managed to say.

The smile lingered in his eyes as he continued to stare at her. Then slowly the smile faded. “That leaves the other possibility. Money. Would you or your parents be able to pay a ransom?”

She nodded tightly. It was something her father and mother had feared for years. “Yes. My parents would be able to pay a ransom.”

“Even a sizable one?”

“Yes.” Her voice was curt.

“I’m not going to ask them for one,” he said. “I’m just trying to establish a motive here.” He leaned back and watched her. “So you don’t know anyone named Simon, but your parents could pay a ransom. That must mean that they have a lot of money.” He paused. “Have there ever been kidnap attempts before? On you or anyone else in your family?”

“Yes.” She looked away. “Someone tried to kidnap my brother years ago.”

“Did they succeed?”

“No. He managed to get away. But since then, my father has had very elaborate security for both of us.”

“Yet someone managed to get through it and grab you.”

“I told you, one of the kidnappers had worked for my father and had managed to figure out how to get around the security.” She hesitated. “And there isn’t as much security on the island. My family are the only people who live there. We’ve always felt safe on the island.”

Marcus nodded, his eyes unreadable. “Then we have to assume that you were kidnapped for a ransom. Is that what you think?”

“Yes. It’s the only thing that makes any sense.”

“Do your parents have enemies who might try to hurt them by kidnapping you?”

“Anything is possible, I suppose,” she said slowly, weighing the possibility. “But I can’t think of anyone.” She looked at Marcus. “A wealthy man always has enemies. But I don’t know of any that would do this.”