Page 4 of Two Hearts
“Jack’s a…uh, security expert.I’ve been trying to lure him away from his current employer.I’d like him working for me.”
“And who is your current employer, Mr.McCain?”Mitsy asked.
“Mother, really,” Grace cut in, and Jack thought her voice sounded a lot like the bell ringing just before the champ went down in the tenth round.“Mr.McCain didn’t come here to be given the third degree.”
“It’s all right,” Jack said, amazed that he actually managed to get a word in.But when he said it, he looked at Grace again, and his vocal cords seemed to stop working.Her sparkling blue eyes had some kind of laser-beam force, or electromagnetic grip that just wouldn’t let his go.And they made him shiver with…something that was both terrifying and delicious.
“Jack works for the government, Mitsy.And, uh, I’m afraid that’s all I can say on the subject, if you get my meaning.”
Jack heard the man, but vaguely.Then he heard his wife’s swift intake of breath, followed by her slow and awestruck, “Ooooh.”
Blinking, Jack realized that Harry was making him sound like some kind of government intelligence expert instead of a plain ordinary cop, and he wanted to know why.But he decided to give him a minute on that.It was obvious he was making a huge effort here, and he may very well have his reasons.
“Jack…you don’t mind if I call you Jack, do you?”Mitsy Phelps said, reaching out to give Jack’s hand a friendly squeeze.“You simply must come by the house, and let us thank you properly.”
Yeah, right.And you might as well invite a jackass to the Belmont, Jack thought.Out loud, he said, “Well, I don’t, uh, know if that would be—”
“Please say you will,” Grace said.
Jack looked into those eyes.Laser beams.“Okay.”
“You can come tomorrow night, for the party!I told you about the party, didn’t I, Jack?For Gracie’s graduation from college?”
Jack looked at her.God, she was gorgeous.“Ph.D.?”he asked her, hoping like hell for a brief insane moment.Then realizing it didn’t make a damn bit of difference how old she was.
Her smile was bright and dazzling.“Just a B.A.”
Jack swallowed hard.That would make her…twenty-two or so.He was thirty-five.Not that it mattered, because she was so far out of his league it wasn’t even funny.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.Will you come to my party?”
“I…thought it was tonight.”
“It was…but that phone call of Daddy’s kind of broke it up.Everyone will be back tomorrow night to pick up where we left off.”
Jack looked at Harry again.“You think you’re going to be ready for a party so soon?”
“I’m going home, son!Just as soon as my doc gets back in here with the paperwork.It wasn’t a heart attack.”
“But it soon will be if you don’t start taking care of yourself,” his wife said.
The older man shook his head.“Why don’t you two beauties go and see what’s taking Doc Emerson so long?Jack and I need to discuss a few things, anyway.”
“Of course, dear.”Mitsy went to the bed, leaned close and kissed her husband’s cheek.“Fifteen minutes?”
“I couldn’t stand a second longer,” he told her.
Grace went and kissed his other cheek.“We’ll be right outside if you need us, Daddy,” she told him.Then she went to Jack.She paused, staring at him, and then she kissed his cheek as well.
Jack tingled all over, from his cheek to his toes, and he figured there ought to be a law against the feeling, and he ought to be doing time for feeling it.
She left.Jack watched her go, turning around fully, unable to stop himself.The door swung closed behind her, and the deep laughter from the bed made the blood rush into Jack’s face.
He turned slowly, eyed the man.“Just what do you think you’re doing, telling them all that bull?”
Harry stopped laughing, dabbed at his eyes with the corner of the sheet.“Come here and sit down, son.I have a little proposition for you.”
