Against the Odds (11 page)

Though officially Bagley was innocent until proven guilty, Alex
had no doubt the scumball had done it. And the good news was, the guy was locked
up.

Which brought him full circle back to Sabrina and stirred the
worry that had been riding him since he’d left her last night. Until he knew who
was responsible for bringing down the chopper—and why—he had to entertain the
possibility Sabrina was the target. That someone wanted what could turn out to
be an extremely valuable chunk of land. If that were true, she could still be in
danger.

He needed to see Walter Eckhart’s will, find out who was next
in line for the mine. Sabrina had said she remembered a survivorship clause.
That meant if she died prematurely, someone else got the land.

He needed to know who that someone was.

Which meant he needed to see her.

His pulse kicked up at the thought, and inwardly, he cursed.
Being around Sabrina was dangerous—for both of them. Only Sabrina didn’t seem to
know it.

The phone rang, jerking him out of his thoughts. Alex picked it
up. “Justice.”

“Sheriff Dickens here. Thought ya’ll would want to know we’ve
made an arrest.”

Alex felt a sweep of relief. “That’s welcome news.”

“Guy named Martin Gilroy. Worked for Westfield Helicopters, did
odd jobs, kept the chopper clean. Westfield fired him a couple months back for
being drunk on the job. Gilroy claimed it was bull. He wanted his job back and
when they refused, he was pissed. Made no bones he was going to make Westfield
pay. Surveillance camera at the airport picked him up three times in the last
two weeks. He was out at the airport the day before your chopper went down.”

Alex’s hand unconsciously fisted. “You got him on video
tampering with the chopper?”

“No, but he was there. We’re sweatin’ him. Odds are, he’ll
confess. Gilroy’s not long on brains, but he’s smart enough to foul up the
chopper.”

“Or he might have had help.”

“Could have. We’ll find out. Either way, Gilroy’s going down
for this.”

Alex released a slow, relieved breath. “Thanks for the call,
Sheriff. I’ll let Ms. Eckhart know.”

“Good enough.” The line went dead and Alex leaned back in his
chair.
Wrong place, wrong time, nothing more than
that.
He didn’t have to worry about Sabrina. He could just call her,
tell her the news and put her mind to rest.

He didn’t need to see her. Which should have been good but
instead made him feel like hell.

Eleven

S
age Cantrell walked into the Atlas
Security office looking for Jake. Or at least that was her excuse.

Annie Mayberry glanced up from behind her desk as the bell rang
above the door and Sage stepped into the small reception area.

“Your husband’s not here,” Annie said, stuffing the end of a
pencil into her frizzy blond hair. “Had a meeting with a client. You should have
called. I could have saved you a trip.”

“I was over at the new house. I needed to take some
measurements.” The big two-story colonial she and Jake had just purchased was in
the University District, not far from the office. It was a lovely older home,
but it needed some refurbishing. Sage hadn’t realized how much she would enjoy
the challenge of redecorating the place until she got started.

She glanced past Annie and spotted Alex sitting at his desk. He
was the real reason she had stopped by. She had seen his car in the lot and
figured he was there.

Alex hung up the phone and stood up as she approached. “Hey,
lady, what’s up?”

“I was looking for Jake, but I was hoping you’d be here, too. I
was wondering if you were going to the Cancer Research Benefit at the country
club Saturday night?”

“I made a donation. I wasn’t planning to go.”

“I’m on the committee so I have to be there. Jake’s going with
me but he’d have a better time if you came, too.”

Alex shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t have a date. It’s too
short notice to ask someone to go.”

She glanced away, pretended to agree. “You’re probably right.
Oh, by the way, I’m supposed to tell you...I got a call from Sabrina this
morning. That engineer phoned that you met out in the desert...what was his
name?”

Alex’s blue eyes darkened. “Hernandez.”

“That’s right. Apparently, those ore samples from the mine look
very promising. Mr. Hernandez is coming to town on Monday. Rina’s having a
dinner meeting with him that night to discuss going forward with the mine.”

Alex’s jaw hardened. “Guy’s a real ladies’ man. He’s interested
in a helluva lot more than mining. Sabrina’s too damn trusting to figure that
out.”

Sage flashed him a look. “Being a ladies’ man yourself, I guess
you’d know.”

Alex made no comment but a muscle ticked in his cheek.

“Well, Rina wanted me to let you know things were going really
well.”

“Thanks,” he said darkly. “Actually, I was getting ready to
call her, let her know they arrested the guy who sabotaged the chopper.”

“That’s great news, Alex.”

“At least now we know she isn’t in any danger.”

“Rina said you were worried the crash might have had something
to do with the mine she inherited. Assuming Mr. Hernandez is right about the
value.”

His features tightened. “Yeah.”

“Listen, I’ve got to run. Give me a call if you change your
mind about the benefit.”

“I’ll do that.” She could see his mind working, thinking about
Sabrina with Arturo Hernandez. Alex and Rina did their best to deny the
attraction between them, but it was far stronger than Sage had believed.

It wasn’t long ago that Sabrina had helped Sage come to grips
with her attraction to her big, handsome bodyguard, the man who was now her
husband. It was only fair to return the favor.

Sage bit back a grin as she turned and headed for the door. She
had no doubt Alex would be going to the benefit and who he would be
bringing.

Men could be so much fun.

* * *

Alex pressed the doorbell for Sabrina’s apartment, then
forced himself to wait patiently while she made her way to the door. He had news
he needed to relay. Sure, he could have called, but he’d decided to tell her in
person.

She opened the door and her eyes widened. She was always
surprised to see him. It annoyed him to think how little interest she thought he
had in her.

“Hello, Alex. I didn’t expect you. Come on in.” She stepped
back out of the way and he walked into the apartment, noticed how cute she
looked in a pair of cutoff shorts and a bright yellow tank top.

“Would you like a Coke or some iced tea or something?”

“Getting hot out there. Iced tea sounds great.” He followed her
into the kitchen. Frilly yellow curtains, a painting of a Parisian garden filled
with yellow spring flowers.

“Place looks like you,” he said, glancing around the interior.
“Feminine and pretty. Nice antiques. I guess you’ve been to France.”

“
Oui,
M’sieur Justice.” She
grinned. “I love France. I was a foreign exchange student there for a couple of
years.” She opened the fridge and pulled out a pitcher, put ice in a couple of
glasses and poured them each a drink.

She handed him a glass and they sat down at the white,
butcher-block-top kitchen table.

“You did a nice job,” he said, liking the cheeriness of the
place that seemed to fit her perfectly.

Sabrina started to frown. “What’s going on, Alex? You didn’t
come over here to tell me you liked my apartment.”

He took a drink of sweet tea from the icy glass she’d handed
him, set the glass down on the table. “Sheriff Dickens called. They’ve made an
arrest. Guy named Martin Gilroy. I figured you’d want to know.”

Her small shoulders sagged in relief. “That’s really good news.
Did the sheriff say why he did it?”

“Apparently he had a beef with the company. They fired him for
being drunk. Gilroy wanted payback.”

“Seems like killing two people is an awful thing to do because
you’re mad at your employer.”

“Yeah, well, how about those postal workers who keep going off
their bean and shooting everyone they work with? You can’t tell what some people
will do.”

“People without any conscience. We could have been killed,
Alex.”

He didn’t like to think about it. “We weren’t. That’s what
matters.” But he’d like to rip Gilroy’s head off and stuff it down his neck.

He took another drink of iced tea, set it down and ran a finger
through the condensation on the side of the glass. “I was wondering if you might
do me a favor.”

Her head came up. “Sure. What kind of favor?”

“I...ah...need a date for Saturday night. Sage and Jake are
pressing me to go to a benefit at the country club. It’s black tie. I know it’s
short notice. Any chance you could help me out?”

She sat up a little straighter in her chair. “You want me to go
out with you...as your date?”

He shrugged. “We’re friends, right? I figured you might take
pity on me. We’ll be sitting with Sage and Jake so it might even be fun.”

“I...I don’t know, Alex.”

“Come on, Red. Who’s the guy who flew you all the way to Rio
Gordo?” It wasn’t a fair tactic, but he was pretty sure it would work.

She bit her lip. “You’re right. I owe you. Of course, I’ll go.
I just...I hope I can find something to wear.”

He grinned. “Are you kidding? You’re a woman. You have ten
things in your closet to wear—you just want an excuse to buy something new.”

She laughed. “You’re probably right. I’ll figure something
out.”

He took another sip of iced tea, came to the last subject he
wanted to discuss. “Sage says those samples from your mine look really
good.”

She smiled. “That’s right. Arturo called. He says we should
drill for core samples. I’m hoping his company will want to get involved, maybe
work on some kind of a percentage. We’re going to talk about it.”

His mood darkened. “At dinner Monday night.”

“That’s right.”

He clamped down on his temper. “You realize this guy is trying
to get you in bed.”

“What? You’re crazy. Arturo has no personal interest in me.
This meeting is strictly business.”

“Bullshit. The guy looked at you like a cream puff he wanted to
take a bite of.”

Sabrina came out of her chair. “That’s not true.”

Alex stood up, too. “The hell it isn’t!”

“Even if you happened to be right—which you aren’t—it’s none of
your business.”

She had him there. But he didn’t like Arturo Hernandez and he
didn’t want her going out with him. Hell, he didn’t want her going out with
anyone but him.

Son of a bitch.
This wasn’t
good.

“Come on, Red, I just don’t want the guy taking advantage.”

“I’m a grown woman, Alex.”

The words stirred thoughts he was working to ignore. He tried
to keep his eyes from straying but they ran over her cutoff jeans, those curvy
hips and shapely legs, came back to the plump breasts he itched to cup in his
hands. “Afraid I can’t argue with that.”

Her cheeks turned pink, making the freckles stand out on her
nose. “It’s just business,” she repeated, her chin hiking into the air.

“Yeah, right.” Knowing he had better leave before she dumped
her iced tea over his head, he started for the door. “I’ll see you Saturday.
Pick you up at seven.”

By the time he had stepped outside the apartment, he had made a
decision. Friends or not, when Saturday night came to an end, Sabrina wouldn’t
have the slightest interest in Arturo Hernandez.

Twelve

T
he gala at the River Oaks Country Club was
a first-class affair. The building, with its row of white columns, sat on a long
stretch of brilliant green, perfectly manicured lawn, reigning like a queen over
the verdant Houston landscape.

As a child living in a small two-bedroom, one-bath house in a
lower-middle-class neighborhood in Uvalde, Sabrina would never have dreamed
she’d be attending a dinner with the cream of Houston society.

Or maybe she had always imagined herself here. From grade
school on, she’d been driven to succeed. She’d been determined to go to college,
graduate and find the kind of job that would pay enough to buy the things her
parents couldn’t afford.

Uncle Walter had helped her to get through school, but mostly
she had done it on her own. Tonight she was dressed in a long, strapless,
sequined black gown from Neiman Marcus and a pair of black satin Jimmy Choo
heels that cost nearly six hundred dollars. Rhinestone earrings dangled from her
ears and the fragrance of Chanel No. 5 floated up from between her breasts and
behind her ears.

She felt feminine and sexy, and pretty enough not to embarrass
her stunningly handsome date, Alex Justice.

Dressed in a white dinner jacket with a black tuxedo shirt,
Alex’s expensive clothes fit his tall frame perfectly. His dark golden hair,
crystal-blue eyes and dimples set him apart from every other man in the room. Or
at least it seemed so to Rina.

Seated at a table with Sage and Jake, the mayor and his wife,
and a congressman accompanied by an older female staffer, she felt more at ease
than she had imagined. Of course, as a stockbroker, she had attended these sorts
of affairs to build her clientele. But she hadn’t been with Alex, hadn’t felt
him watching her with those hot blue eyes that made her heart beat a little too
fast.

She had enjoyed the table conversation through dinner, served
in a sumptuous room lit by crystal chandeliers, the decorations for the evening
done in shades of rose and ivory. She even made it through several after-dinner
speeches without being bored to tears. With Alex sitting next to her, she had
drunk a little more champagne than she usually did, which may have helped,
because she found herself laughing more easily, heard him laughing back. By the
time the dancing started, she thought maybe Alex would be ready to go home.

Instead, he stood up from his chair and offered her his hand.
“They’re playing a slow song. It’s a good way to get started.”

Get started? She was only there as a favor. He didn’t have to
entertain her. Still, the thought of dancing with Alex made her stomach float up
and a sigh hover on her lips. Resting her hand in his, she let him lead her onto
the parquet dance floor and ease her into his arms.

An eight-piece orchestra was playing, the music soft and
romantic. Alex was more than a foot taller than she was, but in her very high
heels, dancing with him wasn’t awkward.

It was magical.

As the music swelled, swept them into its bluesy rhythm, he
drew her closer, his hard body enfolding hers, his white satin lapels brushing
against her breast. He was a very good dancer—of course he was—but then she was
pretty good herself, and they danced together seamlessly.

One song blended into the next and Rina let herself go,
dreamily following his lead. Her eyes slid closed. She let herself drift and
simply enjoy. She was so swept up in the feel of his body against hers, the soft
beat of the music, she didn’t realize the song had ended and they were the only
ones still on the dance floor.

He was smiling when she opened her eyes and blinked up at him,
felt her face heating up. “You’re...umm...a very good dancer,” she said
lamely.

His gaze held hers. “You look beautiful tonight, Sabrina.”

She flushed. She did look good, not really beautiful, but he
probably would have said that to whomever he had brought with him. She was saved
from a reply when the orchestra began a fast song and they broke apart to start
dancing to a different beat. They danced twice more before he led her back to
the table.

“You two looked great out there,” Sage said, smiling. In an
emerald-green gown, her dark hair pulled up in a loosely knotted twist, she
looked gorgeous. She nudged her handsome husband with an elbow. “Your turn, big
guy.”

Jake just smiled. “I hope your toes can stand it.”

Sage rolled her eyes. Jake Cantrell could hold his own at just
about anything. Rina figured he’d do just fine out there dancing and, as she
watched them, saw that he did.

“He’s crazy about her,” Alex said.

“It goes both ways,” Rina said.

Alex’s eyes swung to hers. “You never found the right guy?”

She shook her head. “Not so far. I guess you haven’t found the
right person, either.”

“I’m not sure marriage is what I want.”

“Ever?”

“I don’t know. Hell, most of the time, I feel like I’m still
trying to figure things out. Like I’m searching for something, but have no idea
what it is. Wouldn’t be fair to bring a woman into a situation like that.”

Rina made no reply. Alex wasn’t the marrying kind. She had
known that all along. She had no reason to feel this little pinch in her
heart.

He asked her to dance again, and she rose, let him guide her
toward the dance floor. They had almost reached it when a familiar figure
stepped into their path. Ryan Gosford, her former live-in boyfriend, looked good
in his black tuxedo, wavy brown hair neatly groomed.

There was a time she’d been attracted to his good looks and
unassuming personality. In the past few months, she had learned that the
attraction had only been based on how safe he was. There was never a risk of
falling in love with Ryan, never a chance their relationship would deepen into
something she couldn’t handle.

“Well, well, look who’s here?” he said as he stepped into the
path they were weaving toward the dance floor.

She ignored the sour note in his voice and managed to smile.
“Ryan... It’s nice to see you. You remember Alex Justice?” They had met at
Sage’s wedding. Neither had seemed interested in more than a polite
acquaintance.

“How could I forget?” Ryan looked at her with a hint of
distaste. “You said you didn’t like his type. You thought he was arrogant and
overbearing and you had no interest in him at all.”

Her face went warm. She could feel Alex’s presence behind her,
wondered if he were angry or amused to hear what she had said. “I didn’t really
know him at the time.”

“And now you do.”

“We’re just friends,” she said firmly, wishing Ryan would take
the hint she was trying to give him and disappear.

“Friends,” he scoffed. “I’ll just bet you are.” He looked past
her into Alex’s face. “Friends with benefits, right, buddy? I hope she screws
you a lot better than she did me.”

It happened so fast, she only had time to gasp. One moment,
Ryan’s face was twisted with righteous disdain, the next, he was doubled over
and Alex had an arm over his shoulder and was walking him to a quiet place at
the edge of the dance floor.

Oh, my God!
Rina’s heart thundered
as she hurried after them, determined to keep the men from making a scene.

“You had your chance,” Alex was saying. “She was yours and you
blew it. From now on, you leave her alone or you’ll deal with me. You got
it?”

Ryan wheezed in a breath, straightened a little and nodded.

Rina stood there frozen, praying no one had seen what had
happened. Alex caught Ryan’s shoulders, made a point of straightening the lapels
of his black tuxedo, turned and walked back to where she stood.

“I think it’s time we went home.”

She felt a little dizzy, knew her face must be pale and
realized she was trembling. “Yes...okay.”

They left without saying goodbye, just headed for the car and
the trip back to her apartment. She didn’t live that far from the country club
so it didn’t take long to get there.

“I don’t know whether I should thank you for what you did, or
apologize for what Ryan said.”

Alex wheeled his BMW into one of the guest parking spaces. “You
mean what
you
said, don’t you? That I’m arrogant and
overbearing?”

Embarrassment swept through her. “I didn’t know you very well
at the time.”

He sliced her a look. “So I’m not arrogant and
overbearing?”

She couldn’t stop a grin. “Well, actually you are, but I’m kind
of getting used to it.”

Alex laughed. “I can’t figure out what you ever saw in that
guy.”

“Well, he
is
good-looking.”

“That’s it?”

“He’s nice. At least he used to be.”

“Yeah, that was the problem. You know the old saying, nice guys
finish last.”

Maybe that was it. Sage had said a number of times that Rina
liked Ryan because he let her walk all over him.

Alex turned off the engine, rounded the car and helped her
climb out. All the way to the door, she thought about the good-night kiss he was
sure to expect and wished she wasn’t looking forward to it so much.

“It’s been an interesting evening,” she said as they stepped up
on the porch. “I have to admit I had fun.”

“Even after what happened with good ol’ Ryan?”

She smiled because Alex had always called him that. “Even
after.”

“So did I.”

“Thanks for standing up for me.”

“You’re welcome.”

She dug her house key out of her black evening bag and shoved
it into the lock. “Good night.”

One of his dark blond eyebrows went up. “Aren’t you going to
invite me in for a nightcap?”

“Well, I... Would you like to come in for a drink?”

“Yes.” He reached out and turned the key in the lock, opened
the door and they walked inside.

He waited while she silenced the security alarm. When she
turned, Alex was right beside her. Before she had time to think, he pulled her
into his arms and his mouth came down over hers.

It wasn’t the gentle good-night kiss she’d expected, but a hot,
wet, plundering kiss that sent her head reeling and set her on fire. His hands
slid down to her hips and he drew her solidly against him, into the V between
his legs. He was hard, she realized, and the knowledge stirred the desire
curling through her, desire she had been fighting since the day she had met
him.

Alex deepened the kiss and Rina melted against him, giving in
to the pleasure, losing herself in the moment, as she had always feared she
would. Her arms slid up around his neck and she kissed him back, felt the glide
of his tongue over hers, felt the hard muscles tighten beneath his crisp black
shirt.

“God, I’ve been wanting to kiss you for hours,” he said. She
thought he would stop as he always had before, but his lips moved to the side of
her neck and his teeth nipped an earlobe. Goose bumps skittered across her skin
and her fingers curled around the white satin lapels of his dinner jacket. Moist
kisses trailed over her shoulders and along her throat, down to the swell of her
breast, and she moaned.

It was time for them to stop. She was sure he would. They were
just friends, after all, but instead, she heard the buzz of her zipper, felt the
top of her strapless gown fall open.

She gasped at the feel of his mouth on her breast, his tongue
circling the pink areola, drawing the hard tip between his teeth.

“Alex...dear God...”

He returned to her mouth, drew her back into another steamy
kiss. Her insides were quaking, her breathing ragged.

“It’s all right, baby,” he said, as if he knew she was about to
fall apart. “We’ll take it slow and easy.” He returned his attention to her
breast, nibbling and tasting, making her stomach muscles contract. Her fingers
slid into the golden hair at the nape of his neck as he suckled and laved,
turned her body liquid and hot. Alex kissed her and kissed her. Deep, drugging,
potent kisses that seemed to have no end. Sabrina kissed him back, unable to
stop herself, unable to refuse what he was offering. What she had denied herself
for so long.

Alex’s hands caressed her breasts and her knees went weak. She
was trembling. A soft moan escaped from her throat. She might have collapsed
onto the floor if he hadn’t swept her up in his arms and started down the hall
leading to her bedroom.

“We can’t...can’t do this,” she said, but Alex ignored her and
deep down she was glad. She wanted this. Wanted him so badly.

He kicked open the bedroom door and carried her inside, stood
her on her feet, and his mouth found hers once more. He tasted like champagne
and smelled male and sexy, and any reservations she had were rapidly slipping
away. Alex finished unzipping her gown and eased it down over her hips till it
formed a glittering black pool at her feet.

She wore only a black lace thong and her Jimmy Choo high heels.
Unconsciously her hands came up to cover her breasts, but Alex caught her
wrists.

“Don’t. I want to see you.” He tugged her forward, out of the
sparkling folds of the dress. Nearly naked, she stood in front of him, his eyes
moving over her, burning like the blue tip of a flame.

“Jesus God...” he said, and then he was bending his head to her
breasts again, drawing her nipples into his mouth, making them tighten to the
point of pain.

“We’ve got...got to stop,” she said, but the heat was building,
desire sweeping through her like an onrushing wave. Stopping seemed impossible,
and even as she considered it, she was reaching for his jacket, sliding it off
his wide shoulders, tugging his tuxedo shirt out of the waistband of his
pants.

Bare-chested, his tuxedo pants unbuttoned and riding low on his
hips, he was magnificent. In the moonlight streaming in through her bedroom
window, all those beautiful muscles she had admired in the desert gleamed,
waiting for her to touch them.

She ran her hands over the six-pack ridges on his belly,
testing the valleys, the sinews, pressed her mouth against one of the thick
pectoral muscles on his chest, felt it bunch against her tongue. A faint trace
of yellow remained from the bruises on his ribs. She placed her lips there in a
feather-soft kiss, then ringed a flat copper nipple and heard him groan.