Protecting His Witness Read online

  Porter and Lizzy looked at each other, both unsure.

  Vincent had been over a few times since the birth so it wasn’t as if he was a complete stranger to their baby. Plus, he had more than his fair share of experience with his two married sisters’ kids. “My sisters call me the baby whisperer. Trust me.” Without waiting for a response he headed for Maddox’s room. Sure enough, the moment he picked up the tiny bundle of flailing fists and feet, the baby quieted down, giggling softly. Babies just liked to be held and made to feel secure most of the time. One of his sisters had told him it was because it reminded them of being in the womb.

  Sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of the room, Vincent rocked back and forth in a steady rhythm, holding Maddox close to his chest. He had no clue what it was but babies just loved him. And he really loved them too. They smelled good most of the time and had such open, adorable expressions. Right now, he could sure use the distraction.

  At one point Porter popped his head in the room and gave him an incredulous look, but just as quickly backed out again. Vincent wasn’t sure how much time had passed because he started to doze too, but eventually Lizzy walked in looking very proud of herself.

  Smiling at her sleeping baby, she gently took him from Vincent’s arms. “I think I found your girl.”

  * * * * *

  Jordan wrapped her beach towel tighter around her waist before gathering up everything she’d brought to the pool and dumping it in her red and white striped beach bag. Her worn paperback book, phone and sunscreen were all she needed today. After seven years of living in a state of fear and feeling like a giant liar to everyone she became friends with, she finally felt free. If a little lost.

  And a little heartbroken. Not that she had anyone to blame but herself. Maybe she should have told Vincent the truth all those years ago, but she’d just loved him so damn much she hadn’t been willing to shred his life apart. The thought of pushing him into a situation against his will like that had been too much to bear. She thought she’d been ready to give him up too. Until the reality of her new life had set in, but by then it had been too late.

  As she headed for the stone stairs that led to the condo where she was staying, she rubbed the back of her neck and shoved those thoughts away. Seeing him two days ago had seriously messed with her mind.

  She wasn’t sure what she’d hoped to gain from seeing him. Forgiveness, for sure. Also, a little closure. She should have expected his anger, but for some reason she hadn’t been prepared for the depth of it. After months of working up the courage to go see him, she still hadn’t been ready to face him when he’d taken the decision out of her hands. She’d been so startled when he’d come up on her car like that she’d just opened the door without a thought.

  Then when he’d kissed her… It had been like no time had passed between them. She swore the man had gotten even sexier.

  The US Marshal who had been her handler had given Jordan all the information she’d requested on Vincent’s current whereabouts when she’d left the program, including a recent picture of him. Jordan wasn’t sure if it was even legal, but her handler had said she wanted to do it as a favor, so Jordan had taken all the information on Vincent and devoured it.

  The photo hadn’t done him justice. It had been one of those employee ones, like people took for passports. Seeing him—and feeling him—up close and in person was like being doused in all that sexuality he exuded.

  Tall, dark and handsome. That was Vincent. When he smiled, that bit of wicked charm glinted in his eyes, guaranteed to melt any woman with a pulse. And those eyes. A pale blue that had made her heart skip a beat the first time she’d seen him. She hated that she still reacted so much to him. Time and space should have dulled her response, but it seemed stronger now.

  Sighing, she slid the key into the lock of the condo. She needed to get her head on straight and figure out what the hell she wanted to do with the rest of her life, not focus on things she couldn’t change. Her friend Barbara, who she’d met while in WITSEC, had given Jordan free use of her condo in Key West for as long as she wanted this summer. She’d been worried about all her friends’ reactions when she’d left the program and they learned the truth about her. But everyone had been great, even if it had been hard for them to get used to calling her by her real name.

  The name Jordan had never wanted to part with in the first place. It had been her mother’s name and pretty much the only thing Jordan had gotten from the woman who died giving birth to her. She’d been so happy to reclaim it even if it meant starting over again.

  The cool air from the condo rushed over her as she stepped inside and shut the door. It was a sharp contrast from the humidity outside. Even though her bikini was almost dry after her last swim in the pool, her nipples beaded against the cloth triangles. The July heat here was brutal but she loved the sun and sand.

  Stripping off her towel, she tossed it into the small laundry room as she made her way down the tiled hallway. As she stepped into the open area where the living room and kitchen joined, she froze.

  With his back to her, Vincent stood staring out the sliding glass doors that led to the small balcony. The pale green and yellow ceiling-to-floor length curtains had been pulled back, letting the afternoon sunlight spill in. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he was dressed casually in cargo shorts and a fitted T-shirt that showed off all his muscles.

  She swallowed hard, her gaze traveling over his back, his very tight ass and—wait a minute. “What the hell are you doing here?” She blinked, making sure she hadn’t imagined him and sure enough, he was still standing there.

  He turned to face her, his eyes piercing as they took in her appearance. Wearing just her bikini, she felt vulnerable and exposed so she held her small beach bag up against her chest and looked at him with raised eyebrows. “Well?” After the way he’d kicked her out she’d been certain she’d never see him again.

  “Your security here is shit,” he finally said, as if he had every right in the world to be standing in front of her without invitation.

  Not that she actually minded him standing there. She felt as if she was starving for just the sight of him as she devoured him with her eyes. Maybe she should be embarrassed about staring, but it was hard to stop herself.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” he finally growled.

  “Or what?”

  “You really want to push me after it took two days—and seven fucking years—to find you again?” He took a step forward, looking like a sleek panther stalking his prey.

  Jordan stood her ground even though her first instinct was to retreat. “Two days ago you told me to leave.” Even though she hadn’t wanted to, she also hadn’t wanted to break down into a crying mess in front of him. Because that’s what she’d done as soon as she’d left his house. Then she’d gone back to her hotel, packed all her stuff and headed to Key West.

  “I did, but that was a mistake.” He took another step with sleek animal-like grace.

  Damn, she’d forgotten that he could move like that. It made her body flare to life despite the order she gave herself to stay unaffected by him. Now the way her nipples beaded against the soft fabric of her skimpy suit had nothing to do with the air conditioning. Yeah, her body so wasn’t listening right now. It wanted what Vincent could give her. Raw, amazing orgasms. One after the other. “Mistake?” she whispered.

  Nodding, he covered the short distance between them until she had no choice but to push the swivel wicker chairs along the counter out of the way as he backed her up against it. He was a lot taller than her so she had to look up to meet his gaze. She saw lust and anger there. Lots of anger.

  When he didn’t answer, she continued. “What do you want from me?”

  His jaw tightened then and he shook his head, confusion filtering into his expression. “I…don’t know. I’m so fucking pissed, Jordan.”

  Her throat tightened at those words. Maybe he was here to get his own closure, to rant at her until he felt be
tter. She didn’t know. Hell, she probably deserved it.

  “But I’m also relieved to find out you’re okay. And I shouldn’t care, but I do. A lot.” He plucked her bag from her hands and set it on one of the chairs.

  Now there were no barriers between them. Unsure what to say, she just watched him, trapped by his gaze as he leaned down so that their faces were inches apart. He caged her in with his big arms, placing his hands on the counter on either side of her. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see his muscles flexing and she fought a shiver. She should not be getting turned on right now but her body was a traitorous bitch.

  “Who’s the guy in all the pictures?” he finally said, more than a touch of anger in his voice.

  It took a moment for his words to register. “What?” What was he talking about?

  “The photos all over this condo. Who is he?” Okay now he sounded jealous.

  That surprised her. But she also wasn’t afraid to admit she liked it. Her handler had told her that Vincent wasn’t dating anyone, but Jordan hadn’t expected any kind of entanglement with him anyway. She’d just wanted his forgiveness. Of course she hadn’t expected the scorching attraction between them to still be there, burning out of control. “My friend Barbara’s son. I’ve never met him, but she owns this place and she’s letting me stay here. And…I’m pretty sure there are only a couple pictures of him.”

  The tension in his shoulders loosened, but he didn’t move from his spot, completely invading her personal space. His familiar spicy, masculine scent surrounded her, making her feel almost lightheaded. She hated that she liked it so much, that she wanted to lean in and rub her breasts against him like a freaking cat in heat. Clearly she had issues.

  “Are you seeing anyone?” he asked.

  “No, are you?” Please let him say no. Her handler had told her that he wasn’t, but her information might have been wrong or outdated. After the way he’d kissed her she doubted he was because Vincent wasn’t a cheater. Still, she had to know.

  “You think I would have kissed you if I was?” Now there was a definite rumble of anger in his voice.

  “No.”

  “Is anyone else staying here with you?”

  With his observation skills he had probably already guessed she was alone, but she shook her head. “No, why?”

  “Because I don’t want any interruptions.” Taking her by surprise, he grasped onto her hips, his big palms gripping her firmly as he placed her on the low counter.

  Like this, they were much closer in height. Before she realized his intentions, he threaded his fingers through her hair, pulling her head close as he barely skated his lips over hers, the action soft and sweet.

  Her eyes drifted shut as he wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her close so that she had to widen her thighs and wrap her legs around him. She’d been fantasizing about this for so long it almost didn’t seem real. In fact, she wondered if she was still down by the pool, dozing under the afternoon sun. Or maybe she was having heat stroke and hallucinating. No matter what, she didn’t care. She wanted this. Wanted him so bad her body trembled.

  The other day against her car she’d felt almost consumed with the need to jump him when he’d kissed her, but this was different. It was sweeter. But… she pulled back slightly, pleased that his breathing was just as erratic as hers. She didn’t want to be the only one affected.

  “What are you doing? You just show up without telling me how you even found me and… We need to talk before we do anything we’ll regret.” Okay, she probably wouldn’t regret anything but she still wanted to talk to him. She didn’t want fast and furious sex between them and while she didn’t think he was jerk enough to fuck her out of some sense of revenge, she was feeling really raw and insecure. Maybe that was what he wanted.

  “We’re going to talk but first I’m going to taste you.” His voice was a low, sensual rumble she felt all the way to her toes.

  Taste her? He couldn’t mean what she thought he did. As his mouth descended on hers once again, his kisses teasing and light, his hands skimmed down her sides until they grasped her bikini bottom and started tugging it down. Yep, he definitely meant what she thought. Her heart raced as her lower abdomen clenched and she couldn’t stop the flood of heat that filled between her legs. Just the thought of him touching her got her wet.

  Jordan briefly wondered if she should stop him. Talking some things out was the smart thing to do. Not getting naked. She didn’t care about smart though. Instead, she lifted her hips and let him pull the bottom completely off.

  Her skin was warm from being in the sun the past couple hours, but when his large hand cupped her mound, he lit her on fire. Slowly, he dragged a finger along the length of her slit, not even close to penetrating. She was already slick with want from their kisses, but to actually have Vincent touching her, teasing her, after so long, it was surreal.

  He’d never been far from her thoughts. So many times she’d questioned her decision to leave until she thought she’d go mad. Now… she could barely think straight as he tentatively slid a finger into her tight sheath. She clenched around him, need building in her as she remembered what his hard length felt like, not just his finger. He’d always kept her on her toes. She’d never known whether he’d be rough and hot or sweet and gentle between the sheets. And she’d never cared because any time Vincent was inside her had been pure heaven. Just like she knew it would be now.

  Her back arched, her covered breasts rubbing against his hard chest and without thinking, she reached behind her back and untied her top. It slackened, and before she had a chance to tug the tie around her neck, he plucked it free with his other hand.

  “I’ve missed you,” he murmured as he began peppering kisses along her jaw, the soft action mirroring the slow, steady strokes of his finger.

  Oh, God. Her entire body hummed with anticipation. She didn’t want slow, but she wasn’t going to push him. He was teasing her, working her up and she knew the payoff would be worth it. Vincent had never disappointed her. “I’ve missed you too.” So much she ached over it.

  When he reached her earlobe, he tugged it between his teeth, pressing down hard, the little bite of pleasure/pain shooting through her. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as she tried to steady herself, but she knew it was useless. He already had her off balance. Just by being in the same room as her, the sexy man knocked her world off kilter.

  As he moved lower with his mouth, he flicked his tongue along her ear, then the column of her neck and followed up each time with gentle nips from his teeth. His movements were slow, designed to drive her crazy.

  She wanted to touch him everywhere, to get him worked up as much as he was getting her. Sliding her hand down his chest, she reveled in the feel of all his strength. When she slid her hand over his covered cock and lightly squeezed, his big body shuddered.

  “You’re so tight, sweetheart,” he murmured as he slid another finger inside her.

  Yeah, there was a reason for that. “I haven’t…” She trailed off, not wanting to go down that path as her inner walls molded to him, clenching around him and wanting so much more than just his fingers. She just wanted to feel, for them both to experience pleasure. He was right, they would talk later. Hopefully much later. After she’d kissed every inch of his delicious body and he’d done the same to hers.

  His fingers were still inside her as he lifted his head. She couldn’t define the look in his gaze as he watched her. Lust swelled beneath the surface but there was something else she didn’t recognize. Oh crap, was he stopping? He wasn’t pulling out, but he wasn’t moving inside her either. She gently squeezed his cock again, taking pleasure when he trembled.

  But he still didn’t continue what he was doing. Instead, he pulled his fingers out of her completely and gripped her hips, his hands flexing against her bare flesh. “You haven’t what?”

  “Huh?” Why was he talking? She needed release, craved it so much she could almost taste it.

  His blu
e eyes were steady on hers. “What were you going to say?”

  Ugh, was he going to make her say it? She wanted to kick herself. Sometimes her mouth got away from her but she’d caught herself. “Now you want to talk?”

  “Jordan.” There was a warning note in his voice. One that made her nipples tingle in awareness.

  “I haven’t been with anyone in a long time.” Since him. But she’d tried dating, hoping she’d find that crazy spark with someone else. At least enough of a spark to incite that sexual hunger she’d only ever had with Vincent. Unfortunately it had never happened and she hadn’t been willing to settle for less than what she’d had with him. She just wasn’t hardwired that way.

  “How long?” His fingers clenched again.

  Anger flared in her at the question. “Vincent, that’s—”

  “How. Long.” There he went again with that demanding voice that sent a shiver of need down her spine.

  She used to love it when he ordered her around in the bedroom. He was so forceful and dominating and everything about him had made her melt. Almost against her will she answered. “Since you.”

  At her words, anger flared in his eyes, the darkness lighting up his pale gaze as he turned away from her. “No. Fuck no. Don’t tell me that,” he growled, anger burning in each word.

  Suddenly chilled, she wrapped her arms around herself. Being naked like this with him still clothed and angry, she felt emotionally vulnerable. “Well, it’s true.”

  He scrubbed a hand over his head but didn’t turn around. “I’m taking you to dinner tonight. I’ll pick you up at six.” Then he left in a few long strides, the front door slamming behind him before she had a chance to even figure out what the hell had gone wrong.

  Chapter 3

  That bitch was going to pay. Jordan Alvarado thought she could get away with what she’d done, but she was about to learn the hard way what real suffering meant. Putting a tracker on her phone had been tricky, but after stealing it then cloning it before slipping it back into her purse, tailing Jordan to Key West had been relatively easy.