Codename: Romeo (3 page)

That’s keeping cool under pressure, Sanders.

He focused on the job at hand, but this case wasn’t clearly black and white. Inconsistencies bothered him. All his instincts told him the woman was innocent. The evidence pointed in another direction. Before he lost all sense of perspective, he slipped out the front door and strode to the utility van.

Daniels opened the door and pulled down his headphones. “Are they all set?”

He sat in the cold vinyl seat and rubbed his hands together in front of the heater. “I haven’t gotten into her room yet.”

“You’re slipping, Sanders. Two hours and you couldn’t get in a woman’s bedroom?”

Erik grunted. “You’re a frigging comedian. What did you find out about Ms. Jansen?”

Daniels chuckled. “Make that
Dr.
Jansen.”

“You can’t be serious?” Erik laughed. “The woman’s a walking disaster. What kind of patients?”

“Students. She’s a physics professor at Wakeburn University.”

“A professor? She seems young.” And not at all like the stodgy teachers he remembered from college. He bet her classes attracted every male on campus, despite the somewhat dry nature of the course. Hell, he’d attend her class just to admire her ass while she wrote on the blackboard.

“Child prodigy,” Daniels read from the folder. “Finished college at seventeen, earned her doctorate at twenty three. And, you’re gonna love this. She spent four years working in a nuclear research lab on a top-secret project for the defense department. All they would say is that she left over philosophical differences.”

“A disgruntled employee?” Erik grabbed the report. Now, that would make more sense. If Victoria had felt passionately about an issue and clashed with her superiors over policy….

Good reasons or not, she’d crossed the line between legal protest and illegal action.

Victoria Jansen presented a unique mystery. The department issued information on a need to know basis, and the guys upstairs obviously didn’t feel Erik needed to know. Her project must have required she hold a high security clearance higher than his. What motivated a twenty-seven year old woman to walk away from a lucrative career to teach at this small, obscure college? With her credentials, she could have worked at any one of the top universities.

Her involvement might be deeper than a mere courier. What if Becker wanted her to take a look at the information first? With her background, she would smell a set-up immediately. “I’m going to scrounge up some coffee and then I’d better get back inside.”

“Need help, Romeo?” Daniels razzed.

Eric cringed at the use of his codename. A name linked to a professional reputation he couldn’t seem to live down. “I can handle it.”

Daniels shook his head in warning. “I don’t know. The woman’s got a lethal style.”

In more ways than one, Erik thought. Dr. Jansen had a potent effect on him. He swallowed a groan. A courier or an active participant? Did it really matter? His job demanded he bring all guilty parties to justice. He needed a stiff drink and a cold shower. “I’ll be back later,” he said.

“Don’t turn your back on her.”

Erik shot him a nasty scowl but he understood his partner’s concern. Victoria was an accident waiting to happen. Not to mention a disaster in the making if he didn’t get his hormones under control.

* * * *

Victoria woke up to silence. Blessed quiet and solitude—her two best friends. The Windsor Water Authority had obviously finished with her. Why did she feel disappointed? The absence of a man who’d witnessed her at her most clumsy should be a relief.

She tossed the pile of papers onto the coffee table. Her glasses fell to the floor. Strange. She didn’t remember removing them. Her muscles cramped with fatigue. She still wasn’t back on Eastern Time. That would explain why she couldn’t get her thoughts, or her dreams, off the hunk in the khakis.

Oh, Lord, she was beginning to sound like her students.

Her stomach rumbled. A drop in her blood sugar level must have been making her delirious. She stumbled into the kitchen to check the contents of the freezer. A small lasagna she’d made before leaving for Mexico would have to suffice. She still needed to unpack and go food shopping. She popped the aluminum tray into the oven.

From the kitchen window, Victoria caught sight of the Water Authority van. She cursed the rush of excitement that made her heart beat faster. None of the men strutting the beaches of Cancun in Speedos caused her to lift an eyebrow in interest. Yet this man, whose hair was too long and his eyes too blue, gave her hot flashes?

She found safety in the knowledge that she would probably take him out with one of her frequent accidents before she made too much of a fool of herself. Her brother, Steven, called her “one of the romantically challenged”. If she didn’t put a man to sleep with her endless scientific babble, she invariably embarrassed herself with a klutzy mishap before the goodnight kiss.

She recalled one hearty soul who’d stayed with her through the awkward stage, but then he’d received ample compensation for his time. After Marty’s betrayal … Marty. That wasn’t even his real name. Nothing about him had been real, least of all his feelings for her.

God. Was it really six years ago? It seemed like only yesterday. How they all must have gotten a good laugh at her expense. Anger surged through her. Trust the defense department to do all it could to keep their scientific community happy.

A knock on the back door startled her. She pushed the bitter memories away. Erik Sanders stepped inside carrying a large vacuum. He smiled apologetically. “I was looking for an outside entrance to the basement so I wouldn’t have to trample through your house.”

“There isn’t one.”

The earthy scent of him wafted around her, sending her peripheral nervous system into sensory overload. Humans possessed the unique ability to control their animal impulses, so why did her body respond to his nearness despite her conscious effort to remain immune?

“I know that now.”

She backed herself against the counter. The extra distance didn’t lessen her awareness of him. The room seemed so much smaller with him inside. “I thought you’d finished. The water is back on.”

“Only in your kitchen. As soon as I pump out the water on the floor down there, I’ll take care of the pipe, and you should be all set. Tomorrow at the latest.”

She nodded. “I have a couple of errands to run after lunch. I guess you can leave the door open if you have to go in and out.”

Erik shook his head. “That’s against policy. I’ll just work on another house down the street until you return.”

“I can stay and take care of those errands another day.”

“No, really,” he insisted quickly. “There’s plenty of other work in the area to take care of.”

Normally, she would allow the man to finish his job, but today she wanted to prolong his stay. With a week off from work, she might as well pass the time indulging in scientific research. From a purely academic stand point, the man was a perfect example of physics. When she looked at him, the Big Bang theory came right to mind.

What was she thinking?

Her cheeks burning, she turned towards the oven. Her stocking clad foot caught the edge of the metal appliance. Pain shot through her, and she stifled a cry.

She gripped the counter. “I’ll let you know when I’m leaving,” she tried to force out in a level voice. After a few seconds, the throbbing in her big toe began to fade.

“Okay.” He started down the hall toward the staircase. “Smells good in there.”

With absolutely no direction from her brain, she spoke. “Would you like some lasagna?” She winced. Why would he want to have lunch with Clodzilla?

“If you’re sure there’s enough.”

Her jaw dropped open. He actually accepted. The man was either incredibly brave or starving. Maybe a little of both. “I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

* * * *

Erik tramped down the basement stairs, grinning like a fool. He thought for sure she’d seen him tampering with the phone lines outside her kitchen window. His feeble excuse about looking for an outside entrance wouldn’t fool a twelve-year-old, yet she seemed oblivious to the lie. She’d asked him to lunch, for God’s sake. Daniels probably busted his gut laughing when he heard her invitation. Erik regretted planting the bugs in her kitchen and dining room. Their entire conversation would be recorded and listened to. That never bothered him before. Why now?

He knew the answer, although he refused to give in to the strange attraction he felt for her. Despite her transgression with Becker’s gang, she possessed an air of vulnerability that made her downright irresistible.

Erik shook off the warm feelings. He rubbed his hand along the scar at his side, a souvenir of another seemingly safe woman who’d nearly cost him his life. Never again would he be taken in by the helpless-female-needing-a-big-strong-man routine. It didn’t take a set of balls or any physical strength to pull the trigger of a .22.

He plugged in the wet vac and began the slow and boring task of removing the water from the floor. Not exactly the kind of work he envisioned when he joined the NSB, but he’d learned a few interesting trades in the course of his undercover assignments.

Fifteen minutes later, Victoria’s soft voice called from the top of the stairs. “Mr. Sanders?”

“I’ll be right there,” he shouted over the drone of the vacuum. He switched off the machine and slogged through the remaining water to the stairs. On the bottom step, he removed his work boots before going up.

Fine bone china and silver flatware rested on top of Victoria’s teak dining table. The last time he’d dined with such formality … shit, he’d never dined with such formality. Why the hell did she want to impress him? Did she consider this a date?

“Where should I sit?” he asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” she called out from the kitchen.

He chose the seat at the far side of the table, rather than at the head, just in case she took a tumble with a hot pan on her way in. He could see the headlines now:
National Security Agent Taken Out With a Lasagna
.

She delivered the food without mishap and joined him. With a shrug of embarrassment, she offered him a boxed juice. “It’s the only thing I have in the house. I have to go food shopping.”

Erik pulled a straight face. “Don’t worry. Very Berry Fruit Punch is my favorite.”

“I keep it around for my nieces and nephews,” she explained.

“Hey, beggars can’t be choosers.” Damn, she was so serious. Her huge brown eyes reflected a deep sadness. Or maybe loneliness. Why else would Dr. Jansen, physics professor, want to have lunch with the plumber?

“Go ahead and eat.”

He tipped his head. “Ladies first, ma’am.” “Victoria,” she muttered. She used the spatula to place a small serving of lasagna on her plate.

“Victoria,” he repeated. “Do people call you Vikki or Tori?”

“Neither.” She paused and then smiled sadly. “Well, except for my brother. He used to call me Tori.”

“Used to?”

She shrugged and looked away. “It’s a long story.”

“I’ve got time,” he said. He wanted to keep her talking, but he got the impression Victoria shied away from talking about herself. However, he’d learned over the years how to get a woman to open up to him. And he’d had plenty of experience in his work. His assignments usually centered on cases where the principal suspect was of the female persuasion. Hence the codename, Romeo. “So what’s up with your brother?”

She slid the aluminum pan towards him and waited until he filled his plate before answering. “It’s really not that interesting. Steven’s the oldest, I’m the youngest, and after our parents passed away, he sort of took on the role of parent. Suffice it to say, he’s more overprotective than necessary.”

“He’s probably worried about his baby sister.” Especially if he knew what his baby sister had gotten herself involved in. He made a mental note to run a check on Steven Jansen.

Her full red lips formed a frown. “If he stopped thinking of me as his baby sister we’d get along better.”

Erik couldn’t imagine anyone treating a nuclear physicist like a child, but that could explain why she chose to get involved in corporate spying. She might feel the need to prove something to her brother.

“I told you it wasn’t interesting,” she said.

“You don’t have any other siblings for him to worry about?”

“Two sisters, but they’re both married to wonderful men, so they’re someone else’s worry.”

He laughed. “You could do worse in life than having a caring family.”

Not that he would know. The NSB preferred to recruit field agents who didn’t have family obligations. The less emotional baggage he carried, the more focused he stayed on a case. Every now and then he would like to find someone waiting for him at the end of a case. Christ, was he really sitting here thinking about home and hearth? What had the beguiling professor put in his fruit punch? He needed to wrap up the case and get out of this Norman Rockwell nightmare before the quaint New England air killed his few remaining brain cells.

* * * *

Victoria tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and took a bite of her food. She barely tasted anything. In social situations, she never knew the right things to say to hold a man’s attention. But boring him to death with family stories would guarantee to send him running. “What about your family?”

Erik shrugged. “I have no one to drive me crazy.”

“That’s too bad.” Although she resented her brother’s actions in the past, particularly while she worked for the research lab, she needed her family. For most of her life, she’d felt like an outcast, being so much younger than her high school and college peers. Friendships didn’t come easy for her, even to this day. Without her sisters and brother she would have gone mad. But in spite of their efforts to include her in their lives, they never really understood her. Her mind would take off on a runaway train of thought, and to any onlooker, she would seem lost in a trance.

“Tori?”

She lifted her gaze.

“Something wrong?” he asked.