Deadly Adventure (Hardy Brothers Security Book 19) (7 page)

“
Y
ou’re walking funny
, baby,” James said the next morning, his grin triumphant as he watched Mandy shuffle from the kitchen table to the sink to dispose of her coffee mug. “Did something … happen … last night? Were you injured?”

Mandy’s expression was rueful – and a bit amused – when she turned to face her husband. “Are you fishing for compliments? Do you want me to say that we had so much sex last night that I’m sore?”

“I don’t ever want you to hurt,” James replied honestly. “Since this is only a matter of mild discomfort and it makes me look like a sexual god, though, that’s exactly what I want to hear.”

“You were a god amongst men. Are you happy?”

“Only if you repeat it a few more times,” James replied.

“You’re kind of sick sometimes,” Mandy said, shaking her head as she moved back toward the table. “You should be feeling sorry for me. I’m going to be uncomfortable all day. Instead you’re patting yourself on the back because we played naughty games well into the night.”

James appreciatively ran his hands over Mandy’s hips. He loved her work outfits, the pencil skirts and heels hiding just enough of her body to kick his imagination into overdrive. “Why don’t you call in sick?” he suggested. “The judge will understand if you have jet lag.”

“Ha, ha.” Mandy playfully slapped his hands away. “I only have a few months left, James. I can’t take another big chunk of time off. It’s not fair. I have a job to do, and I’m going to do it.”

“People get sick all of the time, baby,” James said, feigning petulance. “That’s one of the few good things about your job. You have a boatload of sick days. You should use one.” He reached for Mandy’s slim waist again but she easily sidestepped him.

“You have work, too,” she reminded him. “You’ve been out of the office for almost ten days. I know you’re going to want to check the books to see what your brothers have been up to in your absence. You did leave Grady in charge, after all. He could’ve changed your whole filing system when you weren’t looking. He’s been complaining about it for months.”

James scowled. He didn’t like being reminded of real world issues when his head was in the clouds – or rather, under his wife’s skirt. “You play dirty, baby,” he said. “How about we compromise?”

“Ooh, I love a negotiation.”

“If I allow you go to work with nothing more than a kiss, you have to promise to let me take you out to dinner tonight and ravish you to my liking this evening,” James prodded.

“Can we have seafood? I’m dying for crab legs and lobster.”

“Absolutely.” James enthusiastically nodded. “I’m all for anything that we didn’t have while in London. It’s a beautiful city, but I’m happy to have more food choices now.”

“That makes two of us,” Mandy said. “I agree to your terms.” She leaned over and kissed him. “I love you.”

James cupped the back of her head to keep her close. “I love you more.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

“We’ll have a competition when we get home tonight,” James said, offering her another soft kiss. “Have fun at work.”

Mandy straightened. “You, too,” she said. “Try not to kill Grady if he changed something. Boredom makes him do strange things. You knew it was a possibility when you left him in charge.”

“I can make you no promises on that front,” James said, smiling as he watched Mandy sashay toward the front door. “Hey, baby?”

Mandy glanced over her shoulder, her blue eyes expectant. “What?”

“If you don’t wear underwear under that skirt I’ll buy you thirty lobster tails at dinner tonight.”

Mandy grinned. “I’m already way ahead of you.”

“And that’s why I love you more,” James said, sighing when he heard his cell phone ring. “I guess the real world beckons, huh?”

“It’s okay,” Mandy said. “Our real world is better than most people’s fantasy worlds. I’ll see you tonight, my love god.”

“There you go! You finally found a nickname for me.”

“
Y
OU
look unhappy
,” Grady said an hour later, glancing up from the computer screen and fixing James with a surprised look when his brother stomped through the office door. “I expected you an hour ago, by the way. Did your vacation celebration drag into this morning?”

“Yes,” James said, narrowing his eyes as he regarded his brother. “Get out of my seat.”

Grady made a face but pushed himself up from the chair. “For a man who just spent ten days having nonstop sex with his wife, you’re in a terrible mood,” he said. “What gives?”

“I was in a great mood this morning,” James said, tossing himself in his desk chair. “I flirted with my wife. I made dinner plans. She’s so happy that I feel as if my chest is going to burst.”

“That’s good,” Grady said. “You were worried about her after what happened with Lance Pritchard. I understand that. Mandy has a remarkable capacity to bounce back, though. She needed the vacation and things are hunky-dory again.”

“Hunky-dory? You’re such a dweeb,” James muttered, shaking his head. “Things are good, though. My mood has nothing to do with Mandy. She’s … perfect. She’s always perfect.”

“Yes, you’re a sap for love,” Grady said, rolling his eyes as he settled in the chair across from his brother’s desk. “If you’re not upset about Mandy, what has your panties in a twist?”

“You’re lucky I’m too distracted to beat you,” James warned, extending a finger.

“Ah, I’ve missed this,” Jake said, chuckling as he strode into the office and sat on the couch. “What are you guys talking about?”

“James had a lot of sex last night and yet he’s in an awful mood,” Grady said. “I think he’s being dramatic since he still hasn’t told me what’s wrong, but he’s threatening to pound me just for being a good brother and asking him about his pathetic face.”

Jake lifted an eyebrow. “Is this true?”

“He used the word hunky-dory,” James replied.

“Oh, you’re on your own, Grady,” Jake said, his eyes twinkling. “By the way, Finn is running late upstairs. Apparently Avery has some sort of diaper rash thing and Emma is convinced his leg is going to fall off so he’s talking her off the cliff.”

“She’s just nervous because the kid is shiny and new,” Grady offered. “She’ll get over it. We only have a driving job this afternoon and Jake is taking it. I can catch you up on the work stuff as soon as you tell me what has you frowning, big brother.”

“I’m definitely going to beat you,” James muttered, tugging a restless hand through his hair. “It’s really not something big as much as it is annoying.”

“Okay.” Jake was always pragmatic and collected. “So … what’s annoying you?”

“I got a call that someone got a hold of our credit card information and they had to cancel our cards,” James replied. “It’s some sort of weird identity theft. That means I’ve got to get all new debit cards, too. It’s just … frustrating.”

Jake knit his eyebrows together. “How did that happen? You didn’t use any cards at a gas station, did you? I know there’s a new scam where thieves put their own scanner over the real ones to steal information.”

“I don’t think that’s it,” James said. “I’m not sure how it happened and the bank seemed kind of blasé about it. I’m sure they deal with it day in and day out. It’s disconcerting because it’s the first time it happened to me. I shouldn’t let it get to me, but … .”

“What?”

“Mandy’s purse,” James said. “I’m bothered because that guy tried to steal Mandy’s purse. She was flustered. Maybe he got his hands on something inside of her purse without her realizing it.”

“Did you ask her?” Grady asked.

“No. She left for work just as the call came in. I don’t want to upset her.”

“I get it,” Grady said, wrinkling his nose. “She’s happy and you don’t want to rock the boat. You’re worried she’ll blame herself if she’s missing a credit card or something. You’re still going to have to tell her. What if she tries using her debit card to buy lunch or something?”

“Oh, crud,” James muttered. “I didn’t even think of that. I need to get cash up to her.”

“I’ll be down in Mount Clemens for lunch,” Grady said. “I promised Sophie Thai food at that place she loves so much. I’ll drop cash off for Mandy first.”

“Thank you,” James said, legitimately relieved. “That still doesn’t solve the other problem, though.”

“James, if someone stole the credit card there’s very little you can do about it,” Jake said. “Mandy isn’t going to freak out about that. She’s been through a lot worse.”

“I know,” James said. “It’s just … she hasn’t been this happy since our wedding. Don’t get me wrong, we’re happy in general, but she didn’t stop smiling the entire trip. She was utterly thrilled while we were over there. She got mildly offended when Jesse thought I was playing a trick on him, but that only lasted a few minutes. She was … blissful … in London.”

“And you’ve been working overtime to keep a smile on her face,” Grady surmised. “This isn’t going to upset her, James. Jake is right. It’s annoying, but the bank caught it. You’re not out any money and in a week you’ll have new cards and it will be behind you. If you need money until then I can loan it to you.”

“I have other credit cards and I’m picking up temporary debit cards this afternoon,” James said, making a “well, duh” face. “I don’t need to borrow money.”

“That’s good,” Grady said. “That way I won’t have to charge you interest.”

“Yeah, I’m definitely beating you now.”

A
FTER
hours
of playing catch-up and handling banking issues, James finally settled in for a long afternoon of going through work files. As much as Grady irritated him – and delighted in setting him off – he was good when it came to organization and James never worried about leaving the security business in his capable hands when leaving town.

Not only did Grady hold down the fort during James’ absence, but he also brought in two new clients and secured substantial down payments for continuing jobs. James was impressed.

The sound of someone clearing his throat shortly before five near the office door caught James’ attention. He was just about to pack up for the day so he could take Mandy for her promised seafood feast and he thought the office was empty so the noise jolted him.

When James lifted his eyes, he was in for another surprise. “Jesse?”

Jesse’s handsome face split with a wide grin as he strolled into the office. “Hey, man! Long time no see!” He clapped James on the back and delighted in his old friend’s confused reaction. “What? I thought you would be happy to see me.”

“I am happy to see you,” James said, forcing a smile even as confusion washed over him. “I don’t understand, though.”

Jesse stilled. “I should’ve called. I thought … um … I’m here to take you up on your job offer. If it’s something you’ve thought better about, though, don’t worry about it. I’m sure I’ll find something.”

James shook his head. “No. The job offer stands. In fact we just picked up two new clients and we could definitely use the help. It’s just … I saw you two days ago and you weren’t sure.”

“I thought about it that night and the offer came at the perfect time,” Jesse said. “Mandy was right. I wasn’t happy over there any longer. I like the city and people, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not home.”

“This isn’t home either,” James pointed out. “Don’t you want to drop in and visit your parents or something?”

“After I get settled,” Jesse answered. “I told them I was coming back and had a line on a job. They’re not expecting me for a few weeks. I figured finding a place to live was my first order of business.”

Despite his happiness regarding Jesse’s decision, James found he had trouble wrapping his brain around the quick shift. “What about your old job?”

“I gave them two weeks notice and they asked me to go immediately,” Jesse explained. “That’s normal for this line of work. I was kind of expecting it.”

“It is normal,” James confirmed. “Still, how did you get packed and on a plane so fast?”

“I don’t own very much,” Jesse said. “I own clothes and a few other things. I was living in a rented apartment and it’s not like I’m a collector.”

“No,” James said, his mind wandering back to his nomadic younger days. He remembered what it was like to be rootless. He was glad to have roots now – especially the blond one who curled up on his chest every night – but there was something appealing about being able to take off at the drop of a hat. James didn’t live that life, but if it suited Jesse, he had no inclination to argue. “Well, this is great. You can stay with us until you find a place. We have three guest rooms. Mandy will be thrilled.”

“That’s a nice offer,” Jesse said. “I already checked into a hotel, though. I have no intention of crowding your life with your wife.”

“She won’t mind,” James said. “It’s not like you’ll be sharing a bedroom with us.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I like a little privacy, too,” Jesse said, flashing a roguish grin. “I need a place to take my … lady friends … should the opportunity arise.”

James snickered. “I guess I didn’t think about that. I forgot what it’s like when you date different women every night. You’re right. Mandy wouldn’t appreciate a bevy of bimbos parading through her house at all hours of the night.”

“Hey! I don’t date bimbos. I like to think of them as shiny, new, and sometimes slow. There’s a difference.”

James laughed at Jesse’s teasing tone. “Well, I’m so glad you’re here,” he said. “I’ll start showing you the ropes tomorrow. I was about to leave and take Mandy to dinner. Why don’t you come with us? She’ll be happy to see you – and especially over food that doesn’t have the potential to make us both sick.”

“Um … .” Jesse tilted his head to the side as he considered the offer. “I actually had a different idea.”

“Oh, yeah? What?”

“Trust me. You’re going to love it.”

“
I
t’s fine
, James.”

Mandy held her phone away from her face long enough to give it an exasperated eye roll before pressing it to her ear again.

“I promised you dinner, though,” James said. “It’s just … Jesse really wants to go out for a drink. It’s his first night in town. I … please don’t be angry.”

If Mandy had the power to reach through the phone and throttle her husband, she would utilize the magical gift now. “I’m not angry, James,” Mandy said, meaning every word. “I’m perfectly capable of feeding myself for one night while you catch up with an old friend.”

“Don’t cook,” James warned. “I don’t want you making yourself sick. I’m probably going to be feeling romantic after a few drinks.”

“You’re always good for my ego.”

“Hey, that was meant to be good for your ego,” James argued. “I prefer you hot, naked, and without food poisoning. Order takeout … or go out with Ally. You guys love a good drinking night.”

It was a tempting offer, but Mandy had other plans. “I’m going to order pizza and hop in my pajamas,” she countered. “Then I’m going to spend a few hours in my studio. I haven’t painted anything in almost two weeks. I’m actually looking forward to it.”

James was so quiet on the other end of the call Mandy worried someone dropped a signal.

“James?”

“I’m here,” James said after a moment. “Do you think I’ve been keeping you from your painting? I didn’t mean to do that.”

“Oh, geez,” Mandy grumbled. “You’re turning into me. You know that, right? I wouldn’t trade our time together for anything. That doesn’t mean I can’t amuse myself with a project while you’re catching up with Jesse.”

“But … aren’t you going to miss me even a little bit?”

Mandy narrowed her eyes. He sounded petulant, but she’d never known him to be overly needy. “Jesse is listening and you’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”

James chuckled. “Jesse is in the office, but he can’t hear your end of the conversation,” he said. “You did cause me to lose a bet, though. I thought I would have to work harder to get you to forgive me. Now I have to buy the drinks tonight.”

“Somehow I think you’ll survive,” Mandy said dryly. “I’ll be fine, James. I think you and Jesse deserve some time alone. He clearly wanted to hang out without a woman cramping his style in London.

“Now he’s here and you don’t have to worry about me wandering off alone in a strange city,” she continued. “I’ll be safe at home.”

“And naked when I crawl into bed next to you, right? That’s going to make the romance easier.”

“We’ll see,” Mandy said, shaking her head. “I need you to do me a favor, though.”

“I’m listening.” James sounded cautious on the other end of the line.

“I want you to have fun and drink as much as you want, but if you get drunk you need to call me for a ride,” Mandy prodded. “Don’t do some macho manly stuff that could get someone killed.”

“Oh, you do love me.”

“I’m worried about other people, too,” Mandy clarified. “Don’t drive if you get drunk.”

“I’m not an idiot, baby,” James said. “If we have too much to drink I’ll catch a cab home and make Grady drive me to my truck tomorrow. I promise.”

“You can call me.”

“You’re going to be painting and then sleeping,” James said. “I wouldn’t wake a sleeping wife for anything other than marvelous sex.”

“You’re going to be a real pain when you get home, aren’t you?”

“I’m probably going to climb into bed, roll you on top of me, and then pass out,” James replied. “I just … are you really sure about this? We can go to dinner if you had your heart set on it. Jesse and I can go out tomorrow instead.”

“I’m fine with it, James,” Mandy reassured him. “I’ll order pizza. We can get the seafood tomorrow. Have fun with Jesse.”

“I will,” James said. “Do you have enough cash? I have temporary debit cards when I see you again, by the way.”

“Grady gave me a hundred bucks, so I have plenty of cash,” Mandy answered. “That’s weird about the cards, though, right? You don’t think it’s somehow related to that guy grabbing my purse, do you?”

“I … don’t know,” James answered, choosing his words carefully. “It doesn’t matter, though. These things happen all the time. Don’t worry about that.”

Mandy sighed. She loved the man more than life itself, but he had a “mother hen” quality that grated at times. “I’m not worried, James. I’m eating pizza and painting in my pajamas. I’m looking forward to it. I promise.”

“Okay,” James said, giving in. “I love you more than anything. I promise to use a big stick when I fight the women off. I’ll kiss you senseless when I get home.”

“Brush your teeth first.”

“You wound me, baby.”

“Have fun,” Mandy said, grinning. “I’ll kiss you whether you brush your teeth or not.”

“I love you, wife,” James said. “I’ll definitely brush my teeth.”

“And that’s why you’re the perfect man.”

“
I
STILL
can’t wrap
my head around this marriage thing,” Jesse said, sitting on a stool next to the bar and signaling the bartender for another round. “How did it even happen?”

“I told you how it happened,” James said, downing the rest of his beer and pushing the empty bottle toward the back of the counter. “She came to us for help and I spent some time with her and … things just shifted into place. It’s not rocket science. I fell in love.”

“I didn’t think that was a real thing, though,” Jesse argued. “I mean … not for guys like us. We’re supposed to be adventurers. You have a house, a mortgage, and you have to ask your wife permission before going out for a drink.”

“I didn’t ask her permission,” James clarified. “We had plans and I called to make sure it was okay to change them. I was being polite.”

Jesse shot James a dubious look.

James blew out a sigh. “Fine. I was kind of asking for permission.”

Jesse snorted. “How did that happen? I need to know if she cast some sort of spell on you or something. I need to know what to avoid in case it’s a Michigan woman thing. I don’t want to end up like you.”

James pursed his lips. He enjoyed Jesse’s company. The man was gregarious and talking about old times was fun. He was, however, annoyed by anyone who didn’t get Mandy’s appeal. “She
is
magic,” he said. “She didn’t cast a spell on me, though. She just … existed. She was honest and open and I found myself connecting with her. I can’t explain it, but I will be forever thankful.”

“But … how?”

James exhaled heavily. “I don’t know how to explain this to you in a way that you’ll understand because you’re not there yet,” he said. “I wasn’t there when I met her either. I knew the moment I saw her that something was different, though, and that was long before I recognized her.”

“So she comes into your office and has trouble with a stalker,” Jesse supplied. “That’s what you said, right?”

“Someone tried to run her off the road and she felt as if someone had been inside her apartment,” James explained. “Once we realized who she was we had a nice reunion. I volunteered to check out the security on her apartment. Actually, Finn and Grady jokingly did, too, but for some reason I already felt territorial.

“I thought it was just sexual attraction, because I definitely wanted her from the moment I saw her,” he continued. “Once I realized who she was, though, I knew she was off limits. I knew her when she was a kid. I couldn’t imagine feeling how I do now.

“Anyway, we ended up having dinner a few nights later after I checked in on her,” James said. “I couldn’t stay away from her. I knew it was a terrible idea and yet … I couldn’t stop myself. I still wouldn’t let myself believe it was anything more than sexual chemistry, though.

“I kind of lost my head one night and did what came naturally,” he said. “It was absolutely perfect.”

“You sound like a chick, man.” Jesse grinned to let James know he was joking. “So, that was it? You were in love after your perfect night together?”

James smiled at the bartender as he delivered a fresh beer and took a swig before responding. “No. At some point in the night I panicked. She was so warm next to me and she felt … so right. I didn’t want that, though. I fought it.”

“And?”

“And I left her sleeping alone in her apartment and snuck out,” James answered, shame washing over him. Every time he pictured Mandy’s face when she woke up alone the next morning it shredded his heart. He wasn’t one for regrets, but if he could take one thing back in his life, it would be that cowardly escape. “I went back to the office and tried to pretend I hadn’t just done something horrible.”

“Horrible?” Jesse scoffed. “We spent years doing that exact thing with more women than I can count. It’s not horrible. It’s … sensible. Who wants to jilt a woman in person?”

“The thing is, though, I didn’t want to jilt her at all,” James said. “I wanted to crawl inside of her and live there forever. It frightened me. My feelings for her were so intense I told myself it was one of those things that would flame out after we had sex.”

“It obviously didn’t.”

“No,” James said, shaking his head. “I sent Grady to watch her because I was a coward. She was furious and tracked me down. When I saw her face … she’d obviously been crying … that was it. I knew I couldn’t stand to hurt her again. I chased her out of my office, let her slap me, and then we went to bed for another perfect evening.”

“Nice,” Jesse said, smirking. “Did you sneak out again?”

“We’ve only spent a few nights apart since then,” James replied. “Most of those were because I had to take a trip to California before Christmas. Other than that, we’ve had a handful of fights and I’ve regretted being away from her because of my temper. If I crawl into bed next to that woman every night for the rest of my life, I will consider myself a lucky man.”

Jesse was quiet for so long James thought he must’ve zoned out. When James risked a glance in his friend’s direction, he found Jesse smirking.

“What?”

“That was brilliant, man,” Jesse said, keeping his voice low. “Those women on the other side of you totally heard that. We’re in.”

James glanced over his shoulder and forced a smile as the two women at the bar giggled and waved. When he turned back to Jesse, he was deadly serious. “Mandy is the only woman I’ll ever want.”

“That’s great for you,” Jesse said. “I’m not asking you to betray Mandy. I’m asking you to be my wingman. I want one – or maybe both – of those women to welcome me back to the states with open arms.”

James sighed. “I’m too old to play these games.”

“You don’t have to play,” Jesse said. “You just have to stand aside and let me play.”

“Knock yourself out,” James said, reaching for his beer. “Maybe you’ll luck out and find a woman to knock you on your ass like I did.”

“Maybe,” Jesse said. “One thing is certain, though, I’m definitely going to enjoy the hunt.”

M
ANDY
wasn’t used
to being up and showered before James so she took the opportunity to study his face the next morning as the sunlight wafted through the bedroom curtains. He was a beautiful specimen of a man, ridiculously handsome and strong. The morning stubble only made him more appealing. Given his late return the previous evening, Mandy had a feeling he was in for a rough morning, though.

“James?” She hated waking him, but she wasn’t certain if he needed to be somewhere.

He didn’t stir.

Mandy cleared her throat and tried again, a little louder this time. “James?”

“What, baby?” James asked, his tone tinged with irritation as he slapped his hand over his eyes. “It’s the middle of the night. Go back to sleep.”

Mandy pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. He’d nursed her through a few hangovers and showed infinite patience while doing it. She owed him the same courtesy. “It’s almost eight, James, and I have to leave for work in five minutes.”

James moved his hand and stared at the window. “Seriously?”

Mandy couldn’t hide her giggle. “Seriously,” she confirmed. “I wanted to leave you sleeping, but I was worried you might have a meeting. I put aspirin and a bottle of water on the nightstand. If you don’t have to go to work, take the aspirin and drink the water and get some more sleep.”

“I … .” James was muddled.

“Did you at least have fun?” Mandy asked. “I don’t even know what time you came in. I was asleep.”

“I’m sorry, baby,” James murmured. “I meant to be home by midnight, but Jesse was having a good time and wanted to play pool. We ended up calling cabs.”

“Well, I can’t take you to your truck so you need to call Grady later,” Mandy said, rubbing her thumb against James’ cheek. “I’m glad you had fun. You need to take the aspirin, though.”

James captured Mandy’s hand and kept it pressed against his cheek. “I missed my favorite part of the day.”

“What’s that?”

“Waking up before you and watching you sleep,” James admitted, guileless. “I like holding you while you sigh and make those little cooing noises. I missed it.”

“Well, I think we’ll have plenty of other mornings to do it all over again,” Mandy said, biting the inside of her cheek. He was adorable. “You can do it tomorrow.”

“I’m still annoyed I missed it,” James muttered. “How was your night? Did you get your pizza and some painting time?”

Mandy nodded. “I completed an entire project. I’ll show it to you tonight. I think you’re going to like it.”

“I like everything you do,” James said, dragging Mandy’s hand to his mouth so he could kiss her fingertips. “I’m sorry we didn’t get our morning chat either. I don’t like missing time with you.”

“It’s a hangover, James. These things happen. I should know because you’ve nursed me through a few. I think I can handle it. I have to get to work, though. I don’t want to be late.”

“I’ll text you later,” James said, leaning forward. “Give me a kiss before you go. I missed my loving last night and my cuddling this morning. I’m going to be a sad sack all day.”

Mandy pulled her head back and offered James a rueful smile. “You’re going to miss your kiss, too.”