High Stakes Seduction Read online

  She shook her head. “No, no, he just wanted to talk to me.”

  “About what?”

  Okay, that was officially none of his business. Jealousy might be cute. Possessiveness was not. Especially since she and Adam didn’t even have a relationship going.

  “I don’t have to answer that.”

  “Do you still have feelings for him?”

  Eva scowled. “What do you care?”

  “I don’t. It’s just…” He looked like he was about to say something else and then he clenched his jaw shut. “Yes?”

  “Never mind.”

  “If you have something to say to me, just spit it out.”

  “What did he want?”

  She wasn’t going to tell him that Keith had just dropped by in the middle of the ocean to tell her that the Navy could very well be bugging her apartment. She was still trying to process that and how would it look to Adam if he learned she’d been mixed up with a guy who was in serious trouble with the Navy?

  “I’ve got nothing to say.”

  Well, that was that. Nothing to do now but head back to shore and try to figure out what had just passed between them.

  They clung to the board, kicking in unison, heading back toward the beach. She was so aware of him. The water and waves and sun retreated into the background until he encompassed everything.

  He’d thought she was in trouble and he’d come out to help her. And he was jealous of Keith. She tried not to smile, but she couldn’t help it.

  “What are you grinning about?” he growled.

  “You.”

  “I amuse you?”

  “Yeah, you do.”

  “Never had a jealous boyfriend before?”

  “You’re not my boyfriend.”

  “My loss.”

  She startled, turning to stare at him. His face was right next to hers, his dark eyes dilated. From sun, she told herself, but feared it was from something else. Something far more complicated.

  Relief rushed through her when her feet touched sand. She stood up, Adam following suit.

  “We’re here,” she said, the surfboard still between them.

  “Yeah.”

  His eyes never strayed from her face, leaving Eva to wonder just where “here” was.

  THEY COLLAPSED ONTO THE SAND where Eva had left her beach bag, both of them winded and exhausted. Adam lay on his back, staring up at the cloudless blue sky, while Eva rolled over on her stomach and rested her face in the crook of her arm.

  He was trying to figure out exactly what had happened out there. Not just between him and Eva, but between Eva and Barksdale. Had it been a planned rendezvous with Barksdale that he’d inadvertently inserted himself into? Could she actually be in on it with Barksdale?

  The thought chilled his blood. Higgins didn’t think she was involved. But there were some cool customers out there; was she much more devious than she seemed?

  Adam shot a glance over at her. Her breath was coming out in soft chuffs, her face hidden from him. Right now, he had the strongest urge to roll her over and kiss her. Never mind that they were both short of breath from exertion. Never mind they were on a public beach where everyone could see. Never mind that he now had worrisome suspicions about her true relationship with Barksdale. His mouth burned with the overwhelming urge to taste hers.

  He shouldn’t be having these thoughts. He should be getting to his cell phone, calling Higgins, telling him about Barksdale on the Jet Ski. But what was the rush? Barksdale was long gone and Eva was right here, warm and womanly and safe with him.

  Adam sat up, prepared to throw away all common sense, commit a tactical error, grab her by her shoulders, flip her over and just kiss her to see if she really did taste like sunshine.

  Eva turned just as he leaned over her. She raised her head and crashed solidly into his jaw.

  “Oww!” they yelled in unison. He clutched his chin while she pressed a hand to the crown of her head.

  “What were you doing?” She glowered at him.

  “I was leaning over to kiss you.”

  “Seriously? I thought we just had a fight.”

  “We didn’t have a fight. We just groused at each other.”

  “And that puts you in the mood for kissing?”

  “No, lying next to you in the sand puts me in the mood for kissing.”

  “I thought we had an agreement. Just friends.”

  “I want to renegotiate the terms.”

  “Even now? After I whacked you in the chin?”

  He rubbed his jaw. “I’ve worked with worse handicaps.”

  She moved in closer, parted her lips.

  He lowered his head. They hovered there, staring into each other’s eyes. He put his arm around her waist, pulled her close. He wanted to make this the best kiss he’d ever given anyone. He wanted her toes to curl.

  Eva chuckled. “Hurry and kiss me already. The suspense is killing me.”

  “You’re making fun,” he said.

  “You’re too meticulous. Stop thinking and just do it before there’s no chance that the kiss will live up to the anticipation.”

  He glanced down at where he and Eva sat with their arms entangled around each other. Eva had thrown her head back and her laughter circled the air along with the seagulls. Sand covered his body and his toes and fingers were wrinkly from the water. He tasted ocean, smelled hot dogs cooking from a vendor down the beach and he realized something startling. He was happy. Truly happy in a way he hadn’t been since he was a kid.

  “Adam? Adam Mancuso? Is that you?”

  He jerked his gaze upward and spied a woman coming toward them.

  No way! It couldn’t be. What was this? Attack of the exes? Running into Eva’s old boyfriend and his former fiancée all in the same day? It felt too unbelievable. Especially when as far as he knew, Kirsten still lived in Maryland.

  Eva peered over. At some point when they’d been in the ocean, the band had come loose from her ponytail and now her hair was plastered wetly to her head. Adam thought she looked like a sexy mermaid—tousled and windblown—but Eva was quickly combing her fingers through the tresses, trying to tame her tangled locks.

  Kirsten, looking elegant in a dark blue one-piece suit, sauntered over. She pushed her sunglasses up on her forehead, shaded her eyes with her hand and squinted at him. She had always been a touch nearsighted.

  Adam scrambled to his feet, dusting sand from his knees, springing away from Eva. “K-Kirsten,” he stammered. “What are you doing here?”

  “I could ask you the same thing.”

  “Um…I’m surfing.” He was feeling like he’d felt when he was a kid in school and the teacher caught him standing outside of the lunch line. He halfway expected her to snap her fingers and say, “Get back in line.”

  “I can see that.” She raised an eyebrow. “But why?”

  “Why am I surfing or why am I in San Diego?” He shifted his weight, swung his hands. He was aware of the heat of Eva’s gaze from behind him.

  “Either one. Both.”

  “Just having fun.” He gestured at Eva’s surfboard parked on the sand. His rental board was MIA. That was going to cost him his deposit.

  Kirsten’s jaw unhinged. “You? Just having fun?”

  “Why not?” He smiled.

  “And smiling. You’re smiling.”

  He shrugged. “I suppose I am.”

  “This is revolutionary.”

  He held his arms wide. “The new me.”

  Kirsten ran an assessing gaze over him. “Well, it looks good on you.”

  He suddenly realized all the problems Kirsten could cause him if the conversation continued. She could let it slip that he was no accountant. That he worked for the ONI. Anxiety set in, but Adam had been trained to control his emotions. Calm under pressure.

  “You’re looking good, Kirsten,” he said, intentionally lowering his voice, giving her a compliment so she’d be flattered and stop talking about him.

  Her face pinkened wi
th delight. “Flattery as well from my stoic old flame. Will miracles never cease? What has gotten into you? Whatever it is, I like it.”

  “Hi!” Eva came around from behind him, her hand fully extended. “I’m Eva. The thing that’s gotten into your stoic old flame.”

  Adam cringed outwardly, but inwardly, a small part of him was pleased. Eva was just as jealous of Kirsten as he’d been over Barksdale.

  “Oh, well, hello…” Kirsten shook Eva’s sandy hand. “It’s great to meet you.”

  “You, too.” Eva’s smile was as sweet as dill pickles.

  “So…surfing.” Kirsten dropped Eva’s hand and shifted her gaze back to Adam.

  “Yeah, surfing.” He was trying to send Kirsten a message with his eyes, begging her not to mention what he did for a living, but she wasn’t getting the hint.

  She met his gaze and he saw a longing in them that he hadn’t seen since they were first dating. Crap! Kirsten wanted him.

  “Remember when I tried to get you to go inline skating with me?”

  “Um-hmm.”

  “And snow skiing.”

  “Yep, yep.” He plastered a palm to the back of his neck.

  “You were always too busy. Not interested. The only thing you’d ever do was play golf, go running or work out at the gym and that was only because it helped you in your job or kept you in shape.”

  “Bad, bad boyfriend.”

  “Not bad,” she contradicted. “Just not much fun.”

  “I can see why you left me. It’s been nice catching up…”

  “But now look at him,” Eva said. “He’s surfing with me. And yoga. He takes my yoga classes. You should see his sacral chakra. Out of this world red.”

  “Seriously?” Kirsten gawked. “You take yoga?”

  Sheepishly, Adam raised his palms in an I-surrender gesture. What was it going to take to move Kirsten along?

  “Honey! There you are.”

  They all turned to see a man coming up the beach carrying two Italian ices. His haircut looked expensive though oddly enough, not a hair moved in the ocean breeze. He had on, of all things, a sweater tied around his neck by the sleeves and an orangey tan that looked as if it came from a bottle. The guy was the epitome of an Ivy League prepster. Right up Kirsten’s alley.

  “Hey.” The guy’s grin was all teeth.

  “Hey,” Eva responded.

  “My fiancé,” Kirsten explained. “Teddy, this is Adam and Eva.”

  “Now that’s just plain funny.” Teddy chortled. “Adam and Eva.”

  What a douche. Adam knew he hadn’t been much fun when he’d been with Kirsten. He’d kept his mind fully focused on proving himself in the ONI. He knew his single-mindedness had been a large part of what had killed them as a couple, but holy hand grenade, he never expected her to dump him for Malibu boy.

  “Wait a minute,” Teddy said, passing one of the Italian ices to Kirsten. “Are you Adam, Adam?”

  He wanted to quip, “The one and only.” But since he wasn’t much of a quipper, he said instead, “That’d be me.”

  “I was just telling Adam I couldn’t believe he was surfing.” The wind whipped a strand of hair in Kirsten’s mouth and she tugged it out with an index finger painted a glossy pink. Adam couldn’t help comparing her sleek manicure to Eva’s short trimmed nails.

  Kirsten’s mouth produced a pout. “He never used to do anything fun.”

  Eva slipped an arm around his waist. “That certainly doesn’t sound like the Adam I know. Around me he’s all about fun, fun, fun.”

  He almost grinned at that, but managed to keep a straight face. He needed to get out of this situation ASAP before the conversation got around to what he did for a living. “Real-ly?” Kirsten drawled out the word as if she didn’t believe it.

  Eva slung her arm over his shoulders, pulling him closer to her. “Really.”

  “Well, then, I’m so happy—I never thought he’d ever loosen up.”

  “Oh, he’s loose all right.” Eva winked. “If you know what I mean.”

  Kirsten’s eyes widened and her mouth narrowed into disapproval. Good, Eva had pissed her off. Maybe now she and Malibu boy would wander off down the beach with their Italian ices.

  But instead, Kirsten said, “Since you’ve turned over a new leaf, Adam, I have a brilliant idea. You know why I’m in town don’t you?”

  “Um…” Adam stalled. He didn’t have a clue.

  “It’s the annual Shady Palms Charity Scramble.” To Eva she said, “The proceeds go to fight cystic fibrosis. My baby sister died of C.F., so I play in the tournament every year. Adam’s even played with me. It’s a night scramble so that’s always a lot of fun.”

  Oh, yeah, he’d forgotten about that. He’d played in the tournament once during the three years they’d been together. Work had prevented him from joining her on the other occasions.

  “Here’s the thing,” Kirsten said. “If we don’t find a decent couple to join us, we’re going to be stuck with this geriatric duo. We really could use you on our team, Adam.” She said his name like she had honey stuck to the roof of her mouth and she was licking it off.

  “I…”

  He grappled for a good excuse not to join them, but before he could come up with one, Eva said, “We’d love to!”

  Kirsten cast a glance over at Eva. “You know how to golf?”

  “I’ve knocked a few balls around at a municipal course, nothing like Shady Palms, but I’m game for anything.” Eva poked Adam in the ribs. “Right, honey?”

  “Er…um…” Adam stammered.

  “You’re on,” Kirsten said. “Since it’s a scramble we can take up the slack if you’re unable to produce.”

  “You won’t have to take up any slack from me.”

  “We’ll see.” Kirsten smirked. “I’m so glad we ran into you. This is going to be such fun. See you there tomorrow evening at eight.”

  “Ah, dammit,” Adam said. “We can’t. Sorry. Eva has a yoga class to teach.”

  “I can switch classes with one of the other women at the studio,” Eva said. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

  “OKAY,” EVA SAID THE MINUTE Kirsten and Teddy had walked away. “That woman has a serious bug up her butt. Count yourself lucky she dumped you for Malibu boy.”

  “Malibu boy.” Adam laughed. “That’s exactly what I was calling him in my head.”

  “Seriously, that hair! How did he get it to stay so perfectly in place? Aqua Net?”

  “My guess is he doesn’t set a toe in the water.”

  “Of course not. There are creatures in the water,” Eva mocked. “You’re bad.”

  “You had any doubts about that?”

  “None at all, but I wish you hadn’t got us into this golf scramble thing. Why did you get us into it?”

  Eva shrugged. “I guess I was jealous.”

  “Jealous? Of Kirsten? Sunshine, you’ve got it all over her, in spades.”

  Sunshine.

  The word was a caress to her ears. Adam wasn’t the type to toss endearments around lightly.

  “She thinks I’m your girlfriend.”

  “Well, you did lead her to that impression. Throwing your arm around me and all.”

  “She was looking at you like you were the last pork chop on the plate and she’d been on a cabbage soup diet for two weeks.”

  Adam laughed again and the hearty sound warmed her from the inside out. He thought she was cute and funny. “Poor Malibu boy.”

  Eva grinned. “You have a great laugh. You should use it more often.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “So,” she said, “you think you can give me a crash course in golfing? I’ve never played a day in my life.”

  11

  “WE DON’T HAVE TO PLAY GOLF with them,” Adam said when they were back in the Jeep heading home.

  “No,” she said, “I want to.”

  “Why would you want to do that?”

  “I taught you to surf, you can teach
me to golf.”

  “I can do that without having to play a scramble with my ex-girlfriend and her helmet-haired fiancé.”

  “It’s for charity.”

  “What’s the real reason?” he probed.

  “I dunno.” Eva shrugged. “Why do you think she asked?”

  “You think she’s trying to win me back?”

  “You don’t have to smirk about it. I’m no more jealous of Kirsten than you are of Keith.”

  She had a point, but he couldn’t tell her the real reason he was so concerned about Barksdale. “He came after you on a Jet Ski.”

  “He’s hardly a white knight on a shining stead.”

  “No unresolved feelings?” He didn’t want to hear it if there was, but he pushed. Because of his job.

  “Keith means nothing to me. He was a passing thing.”

  “Kirsten doesn’t mean anything to me, either.”

  “Of course she does. You were engaged to her. Honestly, I’m not jealous. I just want to see you in your milieu. So far, we’ve been on my turf. Yoga studio, the beach.”

  “I thought you said we weren’t dating. That we were just friends.”

  She stopped at a traffic light and turned her head to stare him straight in the eyes. “I think we both know that’s impossible.”

  Oh, shit. She was right. And this couldn’t be happening at a worse time. But a part of him—the reckless, impulsive part that he hadn’t even known existed until he’d been assigned to watch over her—wanted to gather his smart little Eva in his arms right here and kiss her until she couldn’t breathe.

  But then his sense of honor took over. How could he have a sexual relationship with a target? It went against all protocol. It could even get him thrown out of the Navy. He was walking on a razor’s edge. One wrong move and he’d get cut.

  Or worse, cut Eva.

  He had to back off. Keep his desire in check. At least until the assignment was over.

  And then after that?

  Which raised another question. Once she found out that he’d been sent to spy on her, would she ever speak to him? The idea of her not ever speaking to him again shouldn’t have him feeling so wretched. He’d only known her a week, but there it was. He couldn’t change it.

  When they arrived back at their apartment complex, he hopped out and grabbed hold of her surfboard, determined to carry it upstairs for her.