Paladin's Woman Part 9

"She's right, Daddy. If Gerald is behind this, he'd like nothing better than to see you drop dead from a heart attack."

The outer office door swung open. Dina Lunden and Brett Windsor swept into Rusty's private domain, the haggard receptionist following them, screeching that they couldn't interrupt Mr. McConnell, who'd given strict instructions not to be disturbed.

"What's this about you dropping dead from a heart attack?" Dina asked, making her way directly to Rusty. Dina eyed Ginger, who had her hand on her boss's arm. Releasing Rusty, Ginger stepped aside.

"Nothing for you to worry about, honey." Rusty jerked Dina up against him. She buried her face in his chest.

"But I do worry about you, darling. Especially now that Addy's in such danger." Purring like a kitten, Dina rubbed her head against Rusty as she slipped her arm around his waist. "Has something else happened?"

"Is there some reason you and Windsor came by today?" Nick asked, barely giving Dina a glance as he concentrated all his attention on Brett Windsor.

"I'm meeting Rusty for lunch. It's almost noon." Dina took a quick look at her diamond-studded wrist.w.a.tch. She ran her hand up Rusty's chest, caressing him. "What's wrong, darling? Tell me."

"We received another threatening letter," Rusty said.

Nick groaned. Why couldn't Rusty keep his mouth shut? He was a smart man, but d.a.m.ned stupid when it came to Dina. He shouldn't trust her so completely, and he sure as h.e.l.l shouldn't trust Windsor. "The police have already been informed, and we're calling in the FBI."

"The FBI?" Dina's big blue eyes darted a startled expression from Rusty to Nick.

"I'll fill you in on all the details at lunch," Rusty said, stroking Dina's back. "Ginger, you take Dina and Brett here on into your office and get them some coffee or tea or something until Nick and I finish making a few phone calls."

"Oh, Rusty," Dina whined.

"Now, now, honey, go on."

"Are we going to be awfully late for lunch? Our reservations are for twelve-thirty." Dina pulled away from Rusty, a pouty look on her beautiful face.

"Ginger, call and have our reservations changed to one o'clock." Rusty glanced over at Brett. "Entertain your stepmother until I'm free."

"Of course." Brett came forward, taking Dina's arm and leading her toward the door.

Addy watched the way Nick stared at Dina, as if he found her disgustingly fascinating. A hot surge of jealousy ripped through Addy. Dina looked so feminine in her chic little summer suit. The beige silk draped and caressed her body as if it loved to be next to such voluptuousness. Suddenly, Addy felt like a frump in her navy dress, despite the colorful scarf draped across her shoulder.

Watching Dina and Brett make their exit, Nick thought what a perfect pair they made. Except for the twelve-year difference in their ages, they suited each other to a tee. Both were blond and beautiful, flawless in appearance but sickeningly self-centered and selfish. It was a pity they'd gone through old man Windsor's fortune so quickly. The only thing lacking in their relations.h.i.+p was money, which both of them seemed to value above anything else.

Brett halted just as he ushered Dina into Ginger's office. He turned, flas.h.i.+ng his brilliant, toothy smile at Addy. "Why don't we join Dina and Rusty for lunch? Ginger could make the reservations for four."

"I a I don't know." Addy didn't want to go to lunch with her father and Dina. She wanted to go back to the day-care center and share a meal with Nick, who always showed up just in time for lunch each day. She glanced at Nick, wis.h.i.+ng he would say something that could prevent their having to join the others.

Nick didn't say or do anything. He didn't even look at her.

"She'll go. It'll be good for her to get out." Rusty glanced at Nick. "Make the reservations for five, and have a couple of Dundee's boys tag along behind us."

"I need to take care of some things at the center before we go to lunch," Addy said. "Give me a buzz when y'all are ready to go."

Addy walked through Ginger's office. Her father's secretary was on the phone changing Rusty's lunch reservations, and Brett was pouring himself a cup of coffee from the machine on a nearby table. Dina reached out, grasping Addy by the wrist as she pa.s.sed her.

"We need to talk."

"About what?" Addy asked, glancing down at Dina's long, sharp nails. She jerked her wrist free.

Dina looked over at Ginger, then at Brett. "Why don't we go on into the receptionist's office? I'll send her on an errand and we can have a little privacy."

Addy didn't want to talk to Dina about anything, and she certainly had no desire to be alone with her. She didn't like Dina. And she didn't trust her.

"I'm in a hurry, Dina. If Nick and I are going out to lunch with you and Brett and Daddy, I have to get back to the center and handle some problems there."

When Addy walked away, out into the reception area, Dina followed. "I need to talk to you about Nick."

Addy slowed but didn't stop. Dina Lunden was the last person on earth with whom she wanted to discuss Nick. "I don't have time."

"Ms. Harkin, go find me some aspirin. I feel a terrible headache coming on," Dina told the receptionist.

"I have some aspirin in my desk." Ms. Harkin opened the center desk drawer and reached inside.

"Don't be obtuse, Ms. Harkin. Find somewhere to go for a few minutes and leave Ms. McConnell and me alone."

"Ia"I don't know if I should, Mrs. Lunden. I meana" The young woman floundered in an attempted explanation.

"It's all right, Joyce," Addy said. "Go ahead and take an early lunch."

The moment Joyce Harkin left, Dina turned to Addy. "I want you to ask Rusty to replace Nick with another bodyguard."

"What?"

"You may feel extremely flattered by Nick's attentions, but I can a.s.sure you that, in the long run, he'll only wind up hurting you." Dina's cool gaze traveled over Addy's slender body with the scrutiny of a trained spy seeking to discover any hidden detail. "You can't possibly believe that you could capture and hold a man like Nick Romero."

Addy felt the sting of Dina's words as if they'd been a physical slap. She didn't need the other woman to remind her of how totally inadequate she was. "My relations.h.i.+p with Nick is none of your business."

"But of course it is. After all, I'm practically your stepmother." Dina moved to Addy's side, a false show of concern on her face. "I love you because you're Rusty's child, and I like you, too. You're such a nice person, Addy. Really too nice for a bad boy like Nick."

"If you're so concerned about Nick acting as my bodyguard, why haven't you said something to Daddy yourself?"

"I have, but he simply won't listen to me." Dina sighed dramatically. "Men are such stubborn creatures, aren't they? Your father has this mistaken notion that Nick would make the perfect husband for you."

Addy couldn't stop the bubble of laughter in her throat from erupting. "I can't picture Nick as anyone's husband."

"Certainly not. Nick's too much of a free spirit." Dina seemed to relax, placing her hand on Addy's arm. "I should have known you would be sensible about this. After all, you're too smart to allow yourself to be used again."

"Yes, I am," Addy agreed. "But Nick isn't the sort of man who'd use me. I've learned that much about him. He's nothing like Gerald, and I honestly believe money doesn't mean anything to him."

"Nick isn't interested in Rusty's money the way your former husband was, that's true enough." Dina tugged on Addy's arm. "Why don't we sit down and I'll tell you some things you need to know about Nick so you'll understand my concern."

Addy stared at Dina, trying to figure out what the woman's real motive was. Could she actually be concerned, or was she jealous? "I don't need to sit down. Just tell me what you think I need to know."

"Very well." Dina's words escaped in an aggravated huff. "Nick sees you as a challenge, I'm quite certain of that. Women usually succ.u.mb to his good looks and charm quite readily, but since you haven't, he'll use whatever means necessary to seduce you. His rather substantial male ego is involved. Women don't say no to Nick."

"What makes you think he hasn't already seduced me?" Addy didn't like the smug look on Dina's face.

"He hasn't. I'd know if you and Nick were lovers. I've known Nick since he was fifteen. The two of us have no secrets."

Pulling away from Dina, Addy said, "Nick told me that you and he play a game where you try to seduce him and he resists." Addy watched for any change of expression on Dina's face or in her eyes. She saw only the slight flickering of Dina's long, dark eyelashes. "Are you sure the real reason you want Nick replaced as my bodyguard is because you're worried about me?"

"What other reason could there be?"

"Perhaps you're afraid that I might mean more to Nick than a conquest, that his feelings run deep enough to consider making a commitment to me."

The reaction Addy had been waiting for appeared on Dina's face. Her rosy cheeks flushed brightly and her blue eyes burned with indigo fire. She tightened her hold on Addy's arm, her nails biting into soft flesh. "Don't be an idiot. You aren't Nick's type. I'm Nick's type. Ever since we became lovers when he was seventeen, he's looked for me in every woman he meets. I have no doubt that when he's making love to those other blondes, he pretends he's making love to me."

Salty, burning bile rose in Addy's throat. She had suspected that Nick and Dina had once been lovers, but hearing the woman admit it was almost more than Addy could bear. She tried to keep her reaction from showing, from being so blatantly obvious. Nothing would appease Dina's spiteful jealousy more than seeing Addy upset by her scandalous admission that Nick had bedded his brother's wife. Addy had never dreamed Nick would have betrayed his own brother. Maybe she didn't know him as well as she thought she did.

"I couldn't care less about you and Nick," Addy lied. "But I think Daddy might care." Addy was pleased to note Dina's shocked expression.

Dina's face paled noticeably. "I'd rather Rusty didn't know, but if telling him is the only way to get Nick out of your life and end Rusty's obsession with the idea of marrying you off to Nick, then perhaps you should tell him."

Brett Windsor opened the door connecting the reception area to Ginger Kimbrew's office. "Addy, I'm glad you're still here." Brett glanced from Addy to Dina, then back to Addy. "Is there something wrong?"

"No," both women replied simultaneously.

"Well, Ginger has changed the reservations. All she had to do was mention Rusty McConnell's name. Amazing what wealth and power can do, isn't it?" Brett stepped between the two women, giving Dina a questioning glare before turning to Addy. "Has Dina said something to upset you?"

"I'm afraid Addy wasn't prepared to hear the truth about Nick. It seems she's quite smitten with him. Such a shame to see a dear, sweet girl like Addy making a fool of herself over a mana""

"I think you've said enough, Dina." Brett put his arm around Addy's quivering shoulders. "Addy has better sense than to fall for Nick Romero's rather obvious charms. Despite his smooth exterior, your brother-in-law is still as rough and uncivilized as he was when he was in the SEALs."

"I'd rather not discuss Nick with either of you." Addy started to pull away from Brett, but hesitated when she saw Nick standing in the open doorway, his dark eyes glowering at her. She leaned into Brett's embrace, slipping her arm around his waist. "Whya"why don't you come over for dinner some night soon?" The minute the words escaped her mouth, Addy regretted them. How could she act so childishly, trying to use Brett to make Nick jealous?

Brett's smile dazzled Addy with its perfection. "I suppose Nick will have to be there, won't he?"

"You've got that right, Windsor, but you and Addy can just pretend I'm not there." Nick glanced back into Ginger's office where her shapely behind was bent over her desk. "I could ask Ginger if she'd like to make it a foursome."

"Good idea." Brett leaned down, planting a sweetly romantic kiss on Addy's lips.

Shocked, Addy had no intention of responding until she heard Nick's feral growl from across the room. In her peripheral vision, she saw Nick take a tentative step in her direction. Without thinking of the consequences, she responded to Brett's kiss with a pa.s.sion born of her own anger and jealousy. d.a.m.n Nick for making her care about him when he was probably still in love with Dina.

Nick stopped dead still, then walking as fast as he could hampered by his bad leg, he fled past Addy and Brett and a cattily smiling Dina as if the hounds of h.e.l.l were on his heels.

Addy pulled away from Brett, staring at Nick's wide back as he exited the reception area. She swallowed hard, wondering why she suddenly felt afraid of the man in whom her father had entrusted her life.

Despite the cool flow of air from the overhead fan, Nick's body glistened with sweat. He'd been punis.h.i.+ng himself with a series of sit-ups he had hoped would exhaust him enough to sleep. He'd been seething with anger all day, ever since he'd walked in on the sickeningly sweet sight of Addy returning Brett Windsor's caress.

Clutching his fists at his sides, Nick beat the mattress, wis.h.i.+ng it was Windsor's pretty-boy face. What the h.e.l.l did Addy mean responding to Windsor with such pa.s.sion? She didn't love the guy, and by her own admission, she didn't trust him. Just what had been going on?

He suspected that Dina had something to do with it. That mocking smile on her face had given her away. He knew Dina and all her little tricks. She had done or said something to Addy that made her angry with him, had made her want to get back at him. And by G.o.d, she had, in the worst possible way. He hated these feelings of jealousy. The last time he'd been jealous, he'd thought he was in love with Miguel's wife. He'd been a fool! d.a.m.ned if he would ever let another woman make a fool of him.

The last thing he should be worrying about right now were his possessive feelings for Addy. Not when she was in real danger, when her very life could be at risk. He should be concentrating on keeping Addy safe, not succ.u.mbing to the powers of the green-eyed monster. Somewhere out there was a man or a woman primed and ready to kidnap Addy if Rusty McConnell allowed M.A.C.'s bid on the NASP project to stand. Nick knew that all his energy should be focused on making sure that didn't happen, regardless of what decision Rusty made about the contract bid.

He and Rusty had discussed the situation with Ned Johnson, the FBI agent a.s.signed to the case. The federal government didn't like any type of threats being made that involved one of their pet projectsa"and the NASP project was a number one priority for both NASA and the Air Force.

Sam Dundee had a.s.sured Nick that he would run a check on all of M.A.C.'s compet.i.tors and have a complete report faxed to him by Monday morning at the latest. Nick knew he could count on Sam. They didn't make men any smarter, tougher or more trustworthy. Sam was one of the best friends Nick had ever had. They'd shared more than danger during their days with the DEA. They'd shared their pasts, their problems and occasionally their women.

Somewhere in the back of Nick's mind a d.a.m.ned pesty little suspicion wouldn't go away. What if the NASP bid had nothing to do with the kidnap attempt? What if there actually was another motive? Did he dare risk Addy's life by not paying attention to his gut instincts? Often, in the SEALs and as a DEA agent, the only thing that had saved him was his instincts.

He had pretty well ruled out Ginger Kimbrew as a suspect. The woman was too much in love with Rusty McConnell to be a threat. If the NASP bid turned out to be the real motive, Gerald Carlton headed the list, but if there was another motivea"money, for instancea"then Ron Glover jumped to the number one spot, followed closely by Brett Windsor. And there was always the off chance that Janice Dixon could be helping her boyfriend ora Nick hated himself for suspecting Dina. She was spoiled, self-centered and money-hungry, but he honestly didn't think she was capable of kidnapping or murder.

A loud tapping on his bedroom door drew Nick from his thoughts. Rising up on his elbows, he stared at the closed door. He made no response. The tapping began again, then he heard Addy's whispered voice.

"Nick? Nick, may I come in?"

He flipped the switch on the bedside lamp, positioned himself against the headboard and wiped the sweat off his face with the palm of his hand. "Yeah, come on in."

The door opened slowly, Addy peering in before she stepped inside and took several steps toward Nick. Seeing him lying in bed, wearing nothing but a pair of nylon shorts, she halted, staring at him with questioning eyes. "Ia"I want to know what's wrong."

"Why do you think something's wrong?" d.a.m.n, did she have any idea how she looked, standing there in the dim light, her t.i.tian hair tumbling down her back and onto her shoulders? She was wearing gold satin pajamas that hung loosely on her slender frame, but they didn't disguise the elegant line of her body or the pouting tips of her nipples. Just the sight of her aroused him.

"You haven't spoken two words to me since before lunch today." With slow, deliberate steps she made her way to the side of the bed.

Nick didn't move a muscle. At least not intentionally. One part of his body had a mind of its own. "I thought it best if I kept my mouth shut. Once something is said, you can't take it back."

"You're angry with me, aren't you?" She held her hands, twined together, in front of her. She didn't look directly at Nick, but down at the chenille spread folded back at the foot of the bed.

"You're too smart to try to use Windsor to make me jealous, so why did you?" He reached out, grabbing her wrist, tugging her down onto the bed beside him.

She gasped, but didn't struggle. "What makes you think that's what I was doing?"

He released her, then waited to see if she'd get up. She didn't. She sat, ramrod straight on the edge of the bed, close to but not touching him. "You don't care anything about Windsor, and you know he's only interested in Rusty's money, so what other reason could there be?"

"I am not going to become just one more of your women." Her voice trembled with emotion.

Nick ran his hand up her back, savoring the feel of her rich satin pajama top beneath his fingertips. He knew Addy's flesh would be twice as soft and smooth. She jerked, but didn't pull away. "What did Dina say to you?"

"What makes you think Dinaa""

Wrapping his arm around her waist, he jerked her up the bed and to his side. She faced him then, glaring at him with both expectation and challenge in her glittering green eyes. "Let's stop playing twenty questions, Red. What did Dina say that made you so upset with me that you used Brett Windsor to hurt me?"

"My kissing Brett hurt you?" There was genuine awe in her voice, as if she were dumbfounded that she held that much power over Nick's feelings.

He grabbed her chin in his big hand, squeezing tightly but not painfully. "You know d.a.m.ned well that it ate me alive seeing you kiss him that way."

"Dina told me thata"that you and she had been lovers."

Nick didn't respond. His hand on Addy's back stilled. He took a deep breath. "Yeah. A long time ago, when I was just a green kid whose raging hormones ruled his body." He felt her quiver.

"Youa"you slept with your brother's wife?"

"I slept with my brother's widow. Once."