Millions of lives are on the line. But for him, only one truly matters.

It’s not in bodyguard Jake Cantrell’s job description to share his suspicions with his assignments. Beautiful executive Sage Dumont may be in charge, but Jake’s not on her payroll. As a former special forces marine, Jake trusts his gut, and it’s telling him there’s something off about a shipment arriving at Marine Drilling International. His instinct is aroused…in more ways than one.

A savvy businesswoman, Sage knows better than to take some hired gun’s “hunch” as gospel. And yet she is learning not to underestimate the man her grandfather hired to protect her. Determined to prove Jake wrong, Sage does some digging of her own and turns up deadly details she was never meant to see.

Drawn into a terrifying web of lies and deceit—and into feelings they can’t afford to explore—what Jake and Sage uncover may be frighteningly worse than they ever imagined.

Selected praise for

The Raines of Wind Canyon

Against the Wind

“This is definitely a page-turner full of compassion and love

shared by two unlikely souls. This is a ‘don’t miss’ read.…

Kat Martin is a very gifted writer who takes you from the beginning to the end in total suspense.”

—Fresh Fiction

“Kat Martin has delivered yet another rockin’

romantic suspense. Stockpiled with suspense and passion,

Against the Wind kept me reading, dying to find out the truth.…

I’ll be intently waiting for Jackson’s brothers’ upcoming stories.

I can’t recommend [it] highly enough!”

—Joyfully Reviewed

“With the first novel of her new Raines of Wind Canyon trilogy, Martin brings us a rugged hero, a strong-willed heroine and a story filled with romance, grit, tension and suspense set in the Wyoming mountains. Martin definitely delivers.”

—RT Book Reviews

“Per her usual, Ms. Martin not only writes a highly entertaining book; in Against the Wind she also tackles some major social issues in the process…this book will not disappoint.”

—Romance Readers Choice

Against the Fire

“After reading the first book about the Raines brothers,

I knew Kat Martin would have to do something pretty amazing to make her second book as much of a joy to read.

As soon as I opened the book, I realized that she has succeeded…I simply loved this book.

I didn’t want to put it down.”

—Suspense Romance Writers

“There’s something irresistible about a bad boy.…

There’s lots of sizzle and burn—and it’s not all from

a mysterious arsonist—when Gabe meets the fiery and surprising Mattie. This sexy page-turner is a perfect blend of romance, mystery and action.”

—RT Book Reviews

“Right from the opening scene of Against the Fire, readers will be pulled into the heart-stopping action…[and] hold their breath as each fire brings even more danger for Mattie and Gabe.…

A fascinating page-turner, one you won’t want to miss.”

—Romance Reviews Today

Against the Law

“Once you start Against the Law, be prepared not to stop

until you’ve reached the end. With its nonstop action,

nail-biting episodes mixed with some sizzling love scenes,

this is one I highly recommend.”

—Romance Reviews Today

“4 ½ quills! Ms. Martin has struck the motherload…

Against the Law is by far the most powerfully intense

romantic suspense with its charismatic characters,

[and] a story line that defies gravity.”

—Romantic Crush Junkies

“An amazing story line that will keep you enthralled.”

—Night Owl Romance

Against the Storm

“As you might suspect from any Kat Martin book,

this is gloriously suspenseful, magnificent reading

and filled with hot and wonderful passion. Martin is superb!”

—Romance Reviews Magazine

“Truly a gifted author, I’ve never read a book by Kat Martin that wasn’t immediately headed for my keeper shelf. Historical or contemporary, she’s a must read for me. With Against the Storm she proves once again why I keep coming back for more.”

—Joyfully Reviewed

“Fans of Martin’s Raines of Wind Canyon trilogy are going to love meeting more of his testosterone-and-honor-laden family…the romantic suspense is tautly compelling and the psychological terror ratchets up with each red herring. Readers aren’t going to be able to put the light out until the last page.”

—RT Book Reviews

Against the Sun
Kat Martin

www.mirabooks.co.uk

To the FBI, DEA, ICE and other agencies

of Homeland Security, and the men and women

who work so hard to keep us safe.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Epilogue

Author’s Note

One

Middle East Unrest Travels to Houston

One Dead in Protests.

Jake Cantrell turned off the engine of his Jeep and glanced over at the front page of the Houston Chronicle lying on the passenger seat. The headline in the morning paper was a reminder of why he was there, parked in front of the mirrored-glass, fourteen-story Marine Drilling International building.

It was still hot as Hades today, the first of September, the sun and humidity baking him in his navy blue suit and white shirt as he strode toward the wide concrete steps leading up to the front doors. The clothes were the worst part of a protection detail—wearing a jacket and tie instead of the jeans and T-shirts he lived in most of the time. But the pay was top-notch and he’d been getting more and more restless sitting behind a desk at Atlas Security, handling the day-to-day management of the company while the owner, his best friend, Trace Rawlins, and Trace’s wife, Maggie, were off on an extended honeymoon in Australia.

Jake was damn glad they were finally home.

Pushing through the heavy glass doors, he entered the lobby, icy-cold in comparison to the wet heat outside. He headed for the bank of elevators and stepped inside one, pushed the button for the twelfth floor, then waited through the ride to the executive level.

The time hands on his heavy steel wristwatch said he was a few minutes early for his ten o’clock appointment with Ian Dumont, the founder of Marine Drilling, CEO and chairman of the board. The family-owned business, originally Dumont Drilling, had been in oil production since the fifties, when Ian had made his first big strike along the Gulf Coast.

Today, they were mostly in offshore oil and gas production, thus the name change to Marine Drilling International. The Dumont family was well-known in Houston society, with big money and everything that went with it.

Walking out of the elevator, he made his way across shiny black granite floor to the reception desk, where his shoes sank into thick gray carpet. The waiting area was all black leather sofas and chairs, the desk itself smooth dark walnut and chrome. Nothing but the best for the Dumonts.

A good-looking woman in her late twenties with wavy, shoulder-length, mink-brown hair was busily searching the drawers and cabinets behind the desk. The way she bent over in her tailored pencil skirt provided him with a perfect view of a very shapely ass.

He almost smiled.

Even the help was first-class.

She jerked upright at his approach, noticing him for the first time, and her face colored. It was a pretty face with amazing golden-brown eyes that looked him up and down, which took a while, Jake being six-five, two hundred thrty-five pounds.

“May I help you?” she asked.

He gave her a smile. “I’m Jake Cantrell. I’ve got an appointment at ten with Ian Dumont.”

She frowned, looked down at the computer screen on the desk, but apparently didn’t see his name. “He didn’t mention it. He’s getting ready for another meeting. You might have to wait awhile.”

“Not a problem. In the meantime, I could sure use a cup of coffee.”

Amusement tipped her mouth up, making a tiny dimple appear next to those plump, rose-colored lips. He could see the curves beneath her tailored suit, suggesting her breasts were just the right size, and her waist was small.

Jake’s groin tightened. Which surprised him, since he needed the coffee to recover from the night he’d spent with Deanna Leblanc, an old flame who was in Houston to film a TV commercial.

The receptionist cast him a look. “I’ll see what I can do.” But she didn’t make a move, just turned to the woman hurrying toward her across the waiting room.

“Oh, I’m so sorry I’m late, Ms. Dumont,” the newcomer said.

Son of a bitch. A Dumont, Jake thought. Asking her to fetch him a cup of coffee was probably not the best idea he’d ever had.

“Is Paulo all right?” the Dumont woman asked.

“My son wasn’t driving, thank God.” The real receptionist, attractive and in her mid-forties, had straight black hair pulled back in a bun and smooth, olive skin. “Paulo has a concussion and a couple of fractured ribs, but it looks like he’s going to be okay. Thank you for covering while I was gone.”

“Your boy was in a car accident, Marie. It wasn’t a problem. I’m just glad he’s going to be all right.” The Dumont woman tipped her head toward Jake, her soft mahogany curls sliding around her shoulders, making the muscles across his abdomen clench.

“Mr. Cantrell is here to see Ian,” she said. “I have to get to the meeting. Could you fetch him a cup of coffee while he waits?”

Jake felt the slight rebuke in the glance she cast his way. Clearly, she wasn’t used to fetching a man much of anything.

“Of course,” Marie said. Ms. Dumont walked away, heading for the tall walnut door leading into Ian Dumont’s imperial domain. Her strides were long and purposeful, Jake noticed, as if she had someplace important to go. He liked a woman who didn’t dawdle. And his earlier assessment was right—she had a great ass and a pair of legs that wouldn’t quit. She was only about five-six, but her expensive spike heels pushed her somewhere close to six feet.

He watched her disappear behind the door, wondering what role she played in the Dumont empire, then turned his attention to the receptionist.

Marie was smiling. “Mr. Cantrell?”

“That’s right.”

“Mr. Dumont mentioned yesterday that you would be coming in this morning. I believe he wants to see you as soon as you arrive.” She indicated the office door. “I’ll bring coffee for everyone into the meeting.”

“Thank you, Marie.”

The woman blushed as Jake turned and walked away. It was his size mostly, he figured, that made women take a second look. He was used to it by now.

He swung open the walnut door and stepped inside, finding only two people in the room—the woman he had subtly insulted and a silver-haired gentleman in his late seventies, slightly stooped but still impressive, undoubtedly Ian Dumont.

“Mr. Cantrell, I assume,” the man said. “Our mutual friend, Trace Rawlins, had nothing but good things to say when he recommended you for this job.” Trace knew Ian well. He’d recently helped design the state-of-the-art alarm system for Marine Drilling when the building was renovated. “Please join us.”

The Dumont woman was staring, one of her dark eyebrows slightly elevated in question. He noticed she was wearing a flashy diamond engagement ring. Since he felt a jolt of heat whenever he looked at her, it was probably good she was out of his reach.

Ian Dumont walked the length of the long conference table to greet him, reaching out to shake his hand—a strong, solid handshake that set the tone for the discussion ahead. He’d once had calluses on those hands, Jake figured.

“Why don’t we all sit down?” the CEO suggested.

They grouped themselves at one end of the table, which was done in the same walnut and chrome as the waiting area. Wide plate-glass windows looked down on the city streets, and modern artwork in bold bright colors lined the inner walls.

The door swung open and Marie walked in with a silver coffee service. She set the tray down on the table and poured each of them a cup.

“Thank you, Marie,” Ian said as she quietly headed back out the door. He fixed his attention on Jake. “I asked you here today to discuss providing security for one of our people during an upcoming business negotiation.”

“Right. An S. E. Dumont, you said, when we spoke on the phone.”

“That is correct.”

“Wait a minute,” the woman interrupted, her gaze sliding toward Jake. “Ian, you aren’t thinking—”

“Mr. Cantrell, I’d like you to meet my granddaughter, Sage Elizabeth Dumont.”

The room fell silent. Son of a bitch. She was his assignment?

“I don’t need a bodyguard, Ian.”

The older man turned toward her, a determined glint in eyes that looked strikingly similar to the flashing, gold-ringed brown ones belonging to his granddaughter.

“This man has experience in Middle Eastern protocol as well as a background in personal security. Isn’t that correct, Mr. Cantrell?”

“This is a business transaction,” Sage argued. “I’m not in any sort of danger.”

Both men ignored her. “Over the years, I’ve done a lot of corporate protection work, both in South America and the Middle East,” Jake said. “I worked in Saudi Arabia for three years after I got out of the marines. So yes, I’m familiar with the protocols.”

“I understand you were in Special Forces. You served in Iraq, I believe?”

“That’s right.” Ian Dumont had done his homework.

“Sage is vice president of acquisitions and distribution for Marine Drilling. Currently she is involved in a transaction that may reach the three-hundred-million-dollar mark, a deal being negotiated with Sheik Khalid Al Kahzaz of Saudi Arabia. The sheik and his family are due to arrive in just a few days.”

“I see,” Jake said noncommittally. Protecting a corporate executive was one thing. Protecting a young socialite who got her job because she was a member of the Dumont family was something altogether different.

“With your experience,” Ian continued, as Jake took a sip of his coffee, “I’m hoping you will be able to guide my granddaughter through this visit with our Saudi friends, and should any trouble arise, also keep her safe.”

“That’s what I get paid for.”

Sage shifted in her chair, irritation clear in her face. “We need to discuss this in private, Ian.”

The old man smiled indulgently. “We can do that, of course, but the result will be the same. You’re representing Marine Drilling International. You will be prominently engaged in entertaining the sheik, his daughter and son, and the remainder of his party. The unrest in their part of the world has reached all the way to our city. A man was killed in a Middle Eastern prodemocracy demonstration last night.”

“That was an accident,” Sage protested. “He was hit by a car.”

“The police are still investigating. They’re not completely certain what actually happened. And even if it was an accident, tempers are running hot on all fronts. Your safety is vitally important to me. Mr. Cantrell will make certain you are safe.”

“But—”

“It will only be during the day, for as long as the sheik is here, or when you are somewhere entertaining him and his family. Along with that, there are things you need to know that Mr. Cantrell can teach you.”

Her shoulders tightened. “I understand there are business protocols, things I need to be aware of. I planned to research the subject. I’ve just been so busy… .”

“You work too hard, my dear. You need someone to help you. Mr. Cantrell can handle that.” Her grandfather rose from his chair and turned to Jake when he stood up, too. “When can you start?”

Part of him wanted to refuse the assignment. Jake didn’t want to deal with a bossy, cantankerous female. The other part was looking for something interesting to do after weeks of mostly sitting behind a desk. And keeping a pampered young woman like Sage Dumont out of trouble probably wouldn’t be dull.

“If we have only a short time before they arrive,” he found himself saying, “we had better get started today.”

“Splendid!” Ian said.

Sage’s spine went a little straighter. She fixed her gaze on Jake. Even in her high heels she had to look up at him, which he could tell she didn’t like.

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll see you in my office in half an hour. Does that work for you?”

“I’ll be there.”

And then she was gone.

As soon as the door swooshed shut behind her, Jake heard Ian chuckle. “I knew she was going to pitch a fit about this—actually, I expected far worse. But I want her safe. She means everything to me, Mr. Cantrell.”

“It’s just Jake. And you can count on me to take care of her—whether she likes it or not.”

* * *

Sage marched into her office and slammed the door. A bodyguard. It was ridiculous. She couldn’t believe her grandfather would go to such extremes. The sheik and his family would be bringing their own security people. And the police had been officially notified of the visit. There was nothing for her grandfather to worry about.

Still, she knew how much he loved her. And Sage loved him.

She sighed as she walked to her desk. Ian Dumont had raised her since she was twelve years old. She respected him more than any other man she’d ever known.

She thought of the towering hulk who had asked her to bring him some coffee. Typical chauvinist. Marine Special Forces. Served in Iraq. The guy was all male, no doubt of that. She hadn’t missed the hot gleam in his eyes when she’d caught him watching her bent over at the reception desk.

She refused to acknowledge the jolt of awareness that had slipped through her when she first saw him standing there. For heaven sake, who wouldn’t notice a man who looked like that? The Terminator—only bigger and better looking. Dark brown, neatly trimmed hair, and those eyes. Light blue and beautiful.

Still, muscle jocks and ex-soldiers were hardly her type and even if she found this one attractive, she was engaged to be married. Her fiancé, Phillip Stanton, was vice president of their North Sea drilling operation. He was a few years older than Sage, handsome and sophisticated, from one of the best families in Houston. Exactly the sort of man she had always hoped to marry.

Sage looked up at the clock on the wall. Cantrell would be here soon. When a soft knock sounded, she was sure he’d arrived a few minutes early, but when the door swung open, it wasn’t him. Her best friend, Sabrina Eckhart, swept into the office. Red-haired and feisty, and currently dating a brilliant computer geek, Rina was a successful stockbroker who earned a very good living though the market was shooting up and down like an out-of-control fire hose.

“Sorry to barge in,” her friend said, though clearly she wasn’t sorry at all. Being best friends gave her plenty of latitude, and Sage was always glad to see her. “Marie said you were alone, and it’s almost noon. I thought I’d drop by, see if I could talk you into getting some lunch.”

Sage sighed. “I wish I could. I’m up to my ears in alligators, and on top of that, my grandfather’s hired me a bodyguard.”

Rina’s blue eyes widened. “Oh, my God—not that good-looking hunk out in the waiting room.”

“That’s him. Ex-soldier and all that.”

“I can imagine. Even in a suit, the guy looks tough enough to eat nails.”

He looked exactly like the kind of man her grandfather would choose, confident and capable, and underneath that veneer of civility, a very dangerous man. “It’ll just be for the Saudis’ visit. Granddad insisted. You know how protective he can be.”

“Maybe he’s right. Did you see what happened at the university last night? The students were protesting some damn thing and a guy got killed.”

“It was an accident.”

“Doesn’t make him any less dead.”

Sage’s lips twitched. “There is that.”

Another knock sounded, this one firm and faintly demanding. “No doubt who that is,” she grumbled.

Rina’s face lit up. “The Incredible Hunk? For God’s sake, let him in.”

Sage rolled her eyes. “What would Ryan say if he saw you drooling like that?”

Rina laughed. “Not much, since I’m usually drooling over him.”

Sage started for the door, but before she had time to reached it the knob turned and it swung open.

“You did say thirty minutes?” Cantrell’s deep voice boomed into the office.

Sage’s mouth tightened.

“I was just leaving,” Rina said, wiggling her fingers over her shoulder as she walked past the tall, brawny man standing in the doorway.

“Why don’t you come right in?” Sage said with a hint of sarcasm.

“Bad idea.” Cantrell closed the door behind him.

Sage’s gaze ran over him. She couldn’t remember seeing a more impressive male specimen. One she was going to have to put in his place right from the start.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “We need to get something straight right now.”

Cantrell cocked a dark eyebrow. “And that would be…?”

“I’m the boss here, not you. You work for me. That means you do as I say.”

“Sorry, no. I work for your grandfather, not you. You’re in charge as long as it involves your job. Until this is over and you’re no longer under my protection, I’m the boss and you do exactly what I say. That’s what we need to get straight.”

Sage just stared. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m deadly serious. It’s my job to keep you alive. That’s what I intend to do.”

Sage started shaking her head. “I’m not in any real danger and I can see right now this isn’t going to work.”

“Until your grandfather says differently, it’s going to work just fine.”

And that was the moment she realized she had lost the war. Ian would never back down—not on this. If she wanted to stay in charge of the negotiations with the Saudis—make the biggest purchase of used offshore drilling equipment in the history of the company, and save them millions of dollars—she had to deal with Jake Cantrell.

She let her arms fall back to her sides. “Fine, you win. When it comes to my protection, you’re in charge. The rest of the time I’m the boss. Does that satisfy you?”

The look he gave her said that wasn’t even close to the kind of satisfaction he wanted from her. Then he blinked and the expression was gone. She might have believed she’d imagined it if her stomach hadn’t floated up the way it did.

“That’ll work just fine.” He pulled an envelope out of the breast pocket of his navy blue coat, opened it and withdrew several sheets of paper. “These are notes I made on some of the protocols you and your people will need to learn. If you’re ready, we might as well get started.”

His blue eyes ran over her, but the heat was no longer there. Still, just looking at all that masculinity packaged so nicely made her skin feel warm. She told herself whatever minor attraction she felt to Jake Cantrell was unimportant. And that all of this would be over in just a few days.

Walking away from him, she sat down behind her desk. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

Two

The lady was hot, no doubt about it. Jake knew a lot of pretty women, but Sage Dumont had something besides a beautiful face and what appeared to be a spectacular body. No, she wasn’t just pretty. She had a certain presence, a kind of aura about her. In the marines, the guys used to say a woman had It. That inexplicable quality that drew a man when his brain told him to run like hell the opposite way.

Fortunately, Sage was a Dumont, and to Jake that screamed high society, rich and spoiled. The lady might be great for a night or two in bed, but beyond that, he hadn’t the slightest interest.

One thing he knew. She might be engaged, but she wasn’t in love. A woman didn’t look at a man the way she looked at him when she was in love with someone else.

He couldn’t help pitying the unlucky bastard she was going to marry. Jake was just damned glad it wasn’t him.

Settling in one of the two cream leather chairs across from where she sat behind a sleek, black-granite topped desk, he unfolded several printed sheets of instruction.

“Let’s start with some general background,” he said. “I’ll make it short and to the point. If you know this already, stop me.” He glanced at her, saw he had her full attention. “Saudi Arabia is a monarchy bordered by Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, the Persian Gulf and Qatar.”

“I know where it is.”

“But you’ve never been there.”

“No.”

“Then maybe you don’t know that if you aren’t Muslim, you can’t go to Saudi Arabia without an invitation, nor can you leave without permission.” He checked to see if she was getting bored. “To give you some idea of the kind of people you’ll be dealing with, visitors to Saudi Arabia have to abide by sharia law. You can be imprisoned for possessing alcohol, pornography, drugs or even pork. Thieves still have their hands cut off, and capital crimes are punished by public beheadings.”

Her face went a little pale.

“It’s a different culture,” he went on. “They don’t think the way we do. That’s the first thing you need to know.”

She took a slow breath and started nodding. “All right. What else?”

“Knowing their names isn’t enough. You’ll need to find out how they want you to address them. If they’re members of the royal family—and there are six thousand of those—you’ll address a male as Your Highness. Unless he’s in line for the throne, in which case you would say Your Royal Highness.”

“I’ll get whatever information we need.”

“Saudi men don’t usually shake hands with women. Let them make the first move.”

“All right.”

“Do you own a skirt that comes below your knees?”

Her lips faintly curved. “Not this season.”

“Then buy some. And be sure your arms and shoulders are covered. What you have on is fine, but the skirt needs to be longer.”

“These people are coming to my country—I’m not going to theirs. I don’t see why I should change to please them.”

“How bad do you want to make this deal?”

It meant everything. If she closed this purchase, she could prove to her grandfather that she was the person to take over as president of the company when Michael Curtis resigned next year.

“I’ll take care of it,” she said.

“I need the details of their visit. How long they’ll be staying. Which hotel they’ll be in, what security measures are being taken.”

“We’ve booked them into the presidential suite at the Four Seasons. They’ll have the entire twentieth floor. It’s a five-star hotel and it’s close to the office. I was planning to leave security up to their own people.”

“Bad idea. They don’t know the city or the hotel. I can take a look if you want, see what might need to be done.”

“All right, yes. That sounds like a good idea.”

“And you’ll need to inform the local authorities of the visit.”

“Already done. Everything’s covered.”

They spent the better part of another hour going over the protocols, things like not waving someone forward with your fingers, which an Arab might do to summon a dog. Or making the okay sign, forming a circle with your thumb and forefinger, which meant you were giving the person the evil eye.

Sage was exhausted by the time Cantrell unfolded his tall frame from the chair. Damn, the man was big. He had feet the size of snowshoes and big hands, as well.

She didn’t let her mind wander in the direction that led her.

Instead, she thought that for a bodyguard he seemed fairly polished and intelligent. His clothes were perfectly tailored to fit his tall, broad-shouldered frame. His suit wasn’t a two-thousand-dollar Armani, but it hadn’t come off the rack at J. C. Penney’s, either.

He glanced down at the heavy watch on his wrist. “Why don’t we take a break?” he suggested. “You haven’t had lunch. We can meet back here in an hour, get started again.”

Her shoulders sagged. “I thought we were finished.”

Cantrell’s mouth edged up, a hard mouth, but sexy. “I hate to disappoint you, but we’re just getting started.”

Sage looked at the stack of notes on her desk, thought of the endless preparations she still needed to complete to get ready for the Saudis. “I’ve got appointments all afternoon. I won’t be finished until at least seven o’clock tonight.”

“All right, I’ll pick you up here at seven. We’ll catch some dinner and continue where we left off.”

She gazed up at him and inwardly groaned. She was exhausted from working the long hours necessary to prepare for the negotiation. Now she had to deal with Jake Cantrell.

To say nothing of the tug of attraction she felt whenever she looked at him. Or worse yet, when she felt him looking at her.

She wouldn’t act on any of it, of course. She was committed to Phillip. Which reminded her to call and tell him she wouldn’t be able to see him tonight. They would have only tomorrow evening to say goodbye before he returned to Edinburgh, where his North Sea drilling operations office was located.

Reluctantly, she returned her attention to Cantrell. “I’ll be ready when you get here,” she said. And wished she’d be going home to get some sleep instead.

* * *

Jake left the office and climbed into his Jeep. He’d bought it two months ago, a replacement for Sassy, the old, beat-up one that had served him so well over the years. The new Jeep was also black, but shiny, and had a canvas top without holes. He’d had it up all summer so he could run the air conditioner, which actually worked.

He cranked the engine, thinking of the evening ahead. What the hell had he been thinking? Yes, he needed to work with Sage as much as he could before the Saudis arrived. He sure as hell didn’t need to take the woman to dinner.

Yet there was something about Sage Dumont that interested him. He tried to think of her as the spoiled rich socialite she undoubtedly was, but somehow it didn’t seem to fit.

He reminded himself that she was engaged, and that cooled his ardor a little. Not enough.

He wondered what kind of man she had chosen to marry, and how she really felt about him, then reminded himself it was none of his damned business. Disgruntled that he had taken the assignment at all, he left downtown Houston and drove to his office in the University District, where he did freelance work for Atlas Security.

Jake shoved open the office door and walked in, passing Annie Mayberry, Trace’s receptionist and office manager, who was seated at the front desk. A small woman in her sixties with frizzy blond hair, Annie ran the place like a dictator. She also mothered the single men who worked there, and though they grumbled about her overprotective nature and salty disposition, everybody loved her.

“So how did it go?” she asked. “You take the job?”

“I’ll probably regret it, but yes, I did.”

One of her penciled eyebrows went up. “She’s a real beauty, that Sage.”

Jake’s steps slowed. He stopped and turned. “You knew Sage was the assignment? Why the hell didn’t you say something?”

Annie just smiled. “’Cause I was afraid you’d say no. You know how you can be when it comes to women.”

Jake frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you think a woman has only one job, and that’s to keep you entertained in bed. You aren’t interested in a female who might stand up to you. Sage Dumont is just as used to being in charge as you are. That has to chap your behind but good.”

Amusement warred with irritation. “She’s used to being in charge, all right. She works for her grandfather. Of course she’s in charge.”

“You might want to do a little checking on that. Sage started at the bottom. She’s good at what she does, and that’s why she’s been promoted so many times over the years.”

“How the hell could you possibly know that?”

“Because, smarty-pants, I read the newspapers. They’ve done a lot of stories about her and her family. Plus I did a little checking on the internet when Trace mentioned he was recommending you for the job.”

“All right, so let’s say she worked her fingers to the bone to get where she is today. Doesn’t change the fact that as long as I’m protecting her, she has do what I say.”

“You told her that? How’d that work out?”

“We talked things over and she agreed to follow my rules.”

Annie snorted as if he was deluding himself. “She’s engaged, you know.”

He scoffed. “That’s pretty hard to miss, with the size of the diamond she’s wearing.”

“Phillip’s not the right man for her.”

Jake couldn’t believe this conversation. And yet this was Annie. She had an uncanny ability to know everything that was going on, and she was usually right. “Really. And why is that?”

“Too soft. The guy was raised with a silver spoon in his mouth. He’s never done a hard day’s work in his life. You ask me, Phillip Stanton’s a social climber. He wants to be part of the Dumont royalty. Sage is his ticket in.”

Jake mulled that over, wondering if it might be true. “So why is she marrying him?”

Annie’s mouth puckered. “I haven’t quite figured that out. If I do, I’ll let you know.”

“You do that.” With a shake of his head, Jake headed for his desk. Trace wasn’t in today, but Sol Greenway, Trace’s computer whiz kid, was pounding away on his keyboard at the desk in his glass-enclosed office.

Trace employed two other freelancers in the office. Ben Slocum, an ex-Navy SEAL, was off investigating a case, but Alex Justice, also a P.I., was working at the desk next to Jake’s.

“Hey, buddy, how’s it going?” Alex asked. He was a former navy pilot, a jet jockey who was a lot tougher than his blond-haired, blue-eyed appearance made him seem. “Heard you were taking a protection job for Sage Dumont. She is one hot lady.”

Jake grunted. “Why the hell is it everybody in the place knew S. E. Dumont was a woman but me?”

Alex grinned, a dimple appearing in his cheek. “Try watching TV sometime.” The guy was a real lady killer. Jake wondered if Sage would rather be working with Justice than with him.

“Yeah, I’ll do that,” he said. But he wasn’t the TV type. He’d far rather be outdoors.

He sat down in front of a stack of messages, calls that needed to be returned, and went to work. All the while, Sage Dumont hovered at the edge of his mind. Maybe it was time he found out some of the things about her everyone else already seemed to know.

Three

Sage had her personal assistant, Will Bailey, reschedule her afternoon appointments. She was buried in work, but the most important thing she had facing her right now was the upcoming deal with the Saudis. Today, Jake Cantrell had caught her unprepared, and that wasn’t going to happen again. She skipped lunch and had Will bring her a ham sandwich off the meal cart that circled the floors every day.

For most of the afternoon, she sat in front of her computer, poring over Middle East business protocols and reading every article she could find on the customs of Saudi Arabia. The more she read, the more she discovered she didn’t know. And the more disturbing she found the information.

She had always been independent. It was hard to imagine living under the oppressive restrictions a Saudi woman was forced to bear.

Sage reminded herself that these people were from another country, another part of the world, and she had to respect their values and lifestyle. They were here as Dumont family guests and she would treat them accordingly.

She finished reading one last article on the screen, feeling even more exhausted than she had before. She had half an hour before Cantrell was due to pick her up. Allowing herself a brief respite to recover a little of her energy, she closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair.

“Napping, Ms. Dumont?”

She shot upright in her chair, nearly launching herself across the desk. She blinked, her gritty eyes focusing on the imposing man standing in front of her.

“I was working. I—I must have nodded off.” Why was it he always caught her off guard? Damn the man for his timing, among other things.

“Maybe eating something will help.”

“I had a sandwich earlier off the cart,” she said a little defensively.

Cantrell looked at her as if sizing her up. “That’s not much. You ready to go?” He wasn’t wearing the suit he’d had on earlier, but a pair of faded jeans that hugged his long, powerful legs, and a dark blue T-shirt. The T-shirt stretched over a chest that was ridiculously wide and banded with muscle. She had to tear her gaze away.

“I need to make a quick trip to the washroom,” she said, “then we can leave.” There was a private bathroom in the office, one of the privileges of being a VP. Grabbing her purse, she darted inside, made a toilet stop, brushed her teeth, applied a little fresh lipstick. She straightened her ivory suit jacket as she walked back out the door.

Cantrell was waiting, taking up far more of her spacious office than most men did. She felt those blue eyes on her, assessing her in some way, and a little curl of heat settled low in her belly. She wondered what those perceptive eyes saw when he looked at her.

He followed her to the door, but it opened before she reached it, and her fiancé walked in. Immaculately dressed in an Italian designer suit, six feet tall and lean, with blond hair, hazel eyes and darkly tanned skin, Phillip looked as if he had just stepped off a Ralph Lauren billboard.

His gaze went to Cantrell, then returned to Sage. “I thought we were going to dinner.”

“I’m sorry, Phillip. Didn’t you get my message?” She sighed. “Ian hired Mr. Cantrell to help me learn the protocols before the Saudis arrive. We have to work on that tonight.”

“I see.”

“Phillip Stanton, this is Jake Cantrell.”

Phillip extended his hand. Jake shook it and stepped away, clasped his hands in front of him and splayed his legs, going into bodyguard mode. Phillip eyed him sharply. Sage caught a hint of disdain. Clearly, Phillip wasn’t happy that she would be working with Jake.

“Ian mentioned you,” he finally said to Cantrell. “He told me you would be providing protection for Sage while the sheik and his family are here.”

“That’s right.”

“Ian can be ridiculously protective.”

“Maybe. Or maybe he’s just being smart.”

A muscle tightened in Phillip’s lean cheek. He was better-looking than Cantrell, Sage decided, but the bigger man was far more imposing. She tried not to draw a comparison, which Cantrell would surely lose. Phillip held an MBA from Princeton. He knew classical music, appreciated art and ballet. Things they enjoyed together. Cantrell was a marine who knew how to fire a gun.

Which, she noticed as he turned to the side, probably explained the lump in the waistband of his jeans beneath his T-shirt. Surely he didn’t think it was necessary to carry a weapon. She made a mental note to broach the subject as soon as they were alone.

“Are you sure you can’t put this off until tomorrow?” Phillip asked her, positioning himself between her and Jake.

“I wish I could. You know how important it is to me, Phillip.”

“Of course, darling.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek, flashed a look at Jake. “Take care of her, Cantrell.”

Jake’s mouth edged up. “I plan to.”

There was something in the way he said it that made her feel like blushing. Phillip cast him a last hard glance and walked out of the office.

Sage waited long enough for Phillip to reach the elevator, hoping to avoid any more of the subtle tension swirling between the men. Then, slinging her leather bag over her shoulder, she started once more for the door.

“There’s a Chinese Express just down the block,” she said. “We can go there.”

“I’ve got a table for us at Bella’s Cusina. It’s only a few blocks farther.”

She glanced back at him. It was a power play, pure and simple, a move to let her know she might be a Dumont, but he was the one in charge.

“You won’t be on the job,” he reminded her.

“So you’re the boss tonight, is that it?”

“Exactly.”

She blew out a breath. What did it matter? It was only dinner. Besides, she had to admit there was a tiny part of her that liked when a man took charge.

It didn’t happen often. And it wouldn’t last long.

“Italian sounds great. If you want to know the truth, I’m starving.”

Cantrell smiled. It was the first real smile she had seen and it made her breath catch. This wasn’t good.

Walking together across the reception area, they stepped into an elevator and headed downstairs. There was a security guard at the desk in the lobby. He came in after closing and stayed until midnight, then someone else took over till the company opened in the morning.

“We’ll be back a little later, Marvin,” she said to the guard, a big, pudgy black man with a kindly face. “By the way, this is Jake Cantrell. He’s providing security for the next few days. It’s all right for him to go in and out whenever he needs to.”

“That’s what Mr. Dumont said.”

She should have known her grandfather would make it easy for Cantrell to do his job. Ian wanted her safe. He was determined.

“Your grandfather gave me a parking pass,” Jake said. “My Jeep’s in the executive lot. With those shoes, maybe you’d better ride.”

She looked down at her Jimmy Choos. Riding would be good. “Might be hard to find a parking space at the restaurant.”

“I don’t think so. Not this time of night.”

He led her to a fancy black Jeep that seemed the perfect fit for him, having big wide tires with chrome rims and a roll bar that would show when the top was down. Which, thankfully, it wasn’t. As hot as it was, she was glad to get in out of the heat.

He helped her climb inside, which wasn’t that easy in a snug skirt and high heels. As she snapped her seat belt into place, Cantrell rounded the car, then slid in behind the wheel and cranked the engine.

It didn’t take long to reach the restaurant, and since most people in the downtown area went home after work, there were parking places in the lot. The maître d’, a little man with slicked-back black hair, greeted them effusively. Clearly, he knew Cantrell.

Or maybe he was just afraid of him. Sage hid a grin.

“Mr. Cantrell, it’s good to see you. I have your table ready, if you’ll come this way?”

“Thanks, Mario.” A big hand settled at her waist as Jake guided her to a table with a red-checked cloth and a little red candle in the middle. Typical Italian, but the place seemed downright homey. Sage liked it right away.

She sat down and picked up a menu. When the waiter arrived, she ordered the pasta primavera with extra vegetables.

“I’ll have the lasagna, and bring us a couple glasses of Chianti.” Jake glanced over at her. “Unless you’d like something else?”

“I’d love a glass, but I wasn’t planning to drink. I need to have my wits about me.”

“You don’t have to finish it.” He nodded at the waiter and the man disappeared, returning a few minutes later with the wine.

Sage took a sip, glad Jake had ordered it, after all. She felt suddenly nervous as she looked across the table at the handsome man.

“So you’re going to marry Phillip Stanton,” he said, taking a drink of his wine.

“That’s right. We thought maybe sometime next year.”

“But you don’t live together. Your grandfather mentioned that when we discussed some of the security issues.”

“No. Phillip spends a great deal of time out of the country. In fact, the day after tomorrow he’s returning to his office in Edinburgh.”

“Makes things a lot easier.”

She wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by that, especially when she noticed the way those blue eyes slid over her.

Cantrell turned his attention to business, pulling folded sheets of paper out of his back pocket. “First, I’ve got a couple of questions.”

“Fire away.”

“How long will the Saudis be here?”

“The trip is open-ended. I’m hoping not more than a week. They arrive on Tuesday. I figure we should give them Wednesday to relax, then bring them into the office on Thursday and begin the negotiations.”

With a faint smile, Cantrell started shaking his head.

Sage knew right then it was going to be a very long night.

* * *

Jake leaned back in his chair. He had a nice view of a very pretty woman, all smooth skin, golden eyes and softly curling dark brown hair. For several long moments he allowed himself to enjoy it, didn’t even fight the hardening of his body beneath the table. Unfortunately, his relationship with Sage Dumont was strictly business. He intended to remind himself of that on a daily basis.

“To start with, Thursday and Friday are going to pose a problem,” he said. “That’s more or less a Saudi’s weekend. They’ll expect you to entertain them on Thursday, then Friday is a day of relaxation and meditation. Like our Saturdays and Sundays.”

Jake caught Sage’s exasperated sigh as she set her wineglass on the table. “The office is closed on the weekend. That means we’ll have to wait until Monday before we even start.”

“You might as well resign yourself. The Saudis take everything slowly. They’ll need to get to know you before they even begin to think about negotiations.”

“I read that, but I didn’t think it would mean losing almost a week.”

The waiter arrived just then with their food. Jake let the conversation drift while they dug into their meals. The lasagna was damn good, as always. Bella’s was a personal favorite of his in the area. From the look of pure pleasure on Sage’s pretty face, he figured she was enjoying it, too.

“This is wonderful,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “I can’t remember when I’ve had a chance to do more than grab a snack here and there.”

Jake was beginning to think maybe Annie was right, and Sage had climbed the corporate ladder with a lot of hard work. Not that being a Dumont hadn’t opened the door.

“Okay, what else?” she asked.

“You’ll need someone you work with to attend the meetings with you. He’ll be the one who asks most of the questions.”

“But I can handle that.”

“If you do, they’ll think you’re a lackey. They’ll figure they should be speaking to someone else, someone who has the actual authority.”

Sage shook her head. “I spent half the day reading up on all this, and I still don’t have a clue. I hate to say it, but I’m glad you’re here to help.”

Jake’s eyebrows went up. He hadn’t expected to hear those words, at least not so soon.

“There is one thing,” she said.

He swallowed the bite of lasagna he had taken. “Which is…?”

“I don’t like the idea of you carrying a gun. I assume that’s what you’ve got clipped to your belt. Do you think it’s really necessary? I mean, as big as you are, and with the training you’ve had, surely you can handle any problem that might come up without shooting someone.”

“Probably.” He took a drink of his wine. “The problem is, if the other guy is carrying and I’m unarmed, then you and I are both in deep shit.”

Sage sat up a little straighter. “I think we should wait and see if a gun is really something you’ll need.”

“No.”

Her lips tightened. “I don’t like handguns.”

“Noted.” He returned his attention to his food. Sage fumed in silence, but the smell of the delicious pasta was nearly irresistible and pretty soon she was eating with the same gusto as before. She nearly cleaned her plate, and ate at least two pieces of toasted garlic bread. Jake enjoyed food, lots of it. He liked that she wasn’t a priss about eating.

They carried on with their work, and he was impressed that she seemed to know more than he’d thought. When the meal came to an end, he paid the bill, which would go on his expense account, and they rose from the table.

“We’ll need to brief your people,” he said. “And you have to get those Saudi names. I’ll be in at nine in the morning. That’ll give you a little time.”

She nodded, but he could tell she wasn’t looking forward to seeing him.

“We got a lot done tonight,” he said as they drove back to the office. “More than I thought we would. Your research really helped. Now you need to go home and get some sleep.”

She shook her head. “I’ve still got a few things to do here at work.”

Jake reached over and caught her hand, saw the surprise on her face. “I’m beginning to understand how important this deal is to you, Sage. You’ll need to be at your best when the Saudis arrive. Get some sleep. We’ll start again tomorrow.”

She nodded, and he let go of her hand. He didn’t say any more as he dropped her off in the executive parking lot, but couldn’t help wondering if Phillip Stanton would show up at her apartment and spend the night in her bed.

The thought didn’t sit well.

Jake had taken an instant dislike to the man, who was a little too much the way Annie had described him. Soft and self-indulgent, more worried about himself than what might happen to the woman who was going to be his wife.

The Jeep engine purred as Jake waited for Sage to slide behind the wheel of her silver Mercedes S550, start the engine and drive out of the lot. He’d been right about her being rich. Everything about her spoke of money and class. She was a little cantankerous at times, but not as bad as he had expected. He wasn’t sure yet about the spoiled part. He’d get around to deciding on that.

In the meantime, he needed to take his own advice and get some sleep. He’d already canceled the plans he had made for the evening. Funny thing was, even the thought of a night of hot, raunchy sex wasn’t enough to stir his interest in Deanna Leblanc.

Four

Jake awakened at his usual early hour, five-thirty, and rolled out of bed. His apartment off Buffalo Speedway was a small oasis in the middle of the huge metropolitan area, a two-story rectangular complex with fountains and lakes in the center, and trees and grass all around.

He’d been born in Iowa, raised on a farm. After his father died, during Jake’s senior year in high school, he’d felt compelled to stay and help his mom, but as soon as he’d finished junior college he had joined the marines. He had worked outdoors ever since. The lush foliage and grassy landscape outside the windows made his apartment a respite from the hustle and bustle, the closed-in spaces of the city he worked in, at least for the time being.

Over the years, Jake had never stayed in one place too long. Instead, he’d enjoyed the challenge and excitement, the financial rewards, of taking jobs all over the globe. Though lately he’d been thinking that might change.

He was beginning to feel as if Houston was home, beginning to build a network of people he cared about. Thanks to a friend named Abraham Lincoln Jones, a man Jake had worked with off and on, he had even gotten involved in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. It felt good to be part of a community for the first time in his life.

Still, he wasn’t sure it was possible for a man like him to settle in one place for long.

Jake yawned as he walked into the kitchen and went about making a pot of coffee. He felt refreshed today, almost glad he hadn’t been up half the night getting laid.

Almost.

The problem was, he didn’t want Deanna. His dumb-ass libido had begun to fixate on Sage Dumont. Last night he’d dreamed about her, a lusty dream that had left him covered in sweat with a raging hard-on. The bad news was he couldn’t even remember what they had done together.

Not enough, that was for sure. As he climbed into the shower, he turned down the temperature until the water was just above chilly. He would be spending another day with Sage—hell, he’d be with her at least another week. He almost laughed. If he took a cold shower every day, it wouldn’t be enough.

He turned off the water, towel-dried his hair, shaved, then dressed in a yellow oxford cloth shirt and another of the tailored suits he kept for protection details, this one dark brown. In the kitchen, he poured a cup of the freshly brewed coffee and took a sip.

Heading for the front door, he collected the copy of the Chronicle that waited for him every morning. As he started back to the kitchen, he read the headlines and jerked to a halt.

Saudi Sheik to Arrive in Houston

Potential Oil Rig Deal with Marine Drilling International

Jake’s jaw tightened. Ian Dumont had assured him the story was being kept out of the papers. He continued reading only long enough to see Sage’s named mentioned as the vice president in charge of the transaction.

Son of a bitch. Downing his coffee in a couple of gulps, Jake grabbed his Heckler-Koch .45 and shoved it into its leather holster. Then he clipped the holster on his belt, grip forward on his left side, where it was easy to reach with his right hand. Plucking his suit coat off the back of a kitchen chair, he headed for the door.

He knew where Sage lived, a high-rise in the Galleria District. Her grandfather had already arranged clearance for Jake to access the building whenever he needed.

He fired up his Jeep.

His job had just kicked into high gear.

* * *

It was still early, just after six, but Sage was dressed and ready for work. She had her bag slung over her shoulder and car keys in hand when a hard knock sounded at the door. She frowned. Why hadn’t the guard in the lobby phoned before sending someone up?

She peered through the peephole and recognized the massive chest blocking her view. When she opened the door, Jake Cantrell strode past her into her condo.

“I thought we were meeting at the office,” she said, a little annoyed.

“Have you seen the paper?”

“I saw it. Someone leaked the story. So what? The press would have gotten wind of it sooner or later.”

“Helluva lot better if it had been later.” Those beautiful blue eyes ran over her, making her stomach flutter. “I see you’re ready to go.”

“I was just leaving. I’ve got a lot to do.”

“Fine, then, let’s head out.”

Irritation filtered through her. “Look, you didn’t need to come here. I’ve been driving myself to the office every day for the last six years.”

“Maybe so, but from now on you’ll be going with me. I’ll arrange for a car, so you won’t have to ride in the Jeep.”

“It isn’t the Jeep I mind, it’s you.”

He grinned, that sexy mouth curving upward. “I’m sorry to hear that.” Oh, dear God, that grin… It was devastating.

“How did you get past security downstairs?” But suddenly she knew. “Ian, right?”

“Your grandfather’s a very efficient man.”

She cast Jake a look, then followed him out the door. They rode in the Jeep to the office, stopping at a bakery along the way so he could buy something to eat.

“Didn’t have time for breakfast,” he said, and she thought that a man his size definitely needed plenty of fuel to get started.

Jake insisted she come with him into the bake shop. She nearly swooned at the delicious smells inside.

“Two ham-and-cheese croissants,” he ordered, “two chocolate doughnuts, coffee, and whatever the lady wants.”

At least he wasn’t one of those guys who always had to order for a woman. Well, except for the wine last night, and she had to thank him for that. After the delicious meal, she had slept like a baby for the first time in weeks.

“I’ll have a glazed doughnut, please, and coffee.”

He flicked her a glance. “You sure that’s enough?”

“I’m not hungry in the mornings. I usually skip breakfast altogether.”

He cast her a long, sensual glance. “Maybe you need to work up an appetite.”

Her breath caught. He was giving her that look again, the one that said he could make her ravenous, and not just for food. Then it was gone, as if she’d imagined it.

“I’ve got to get to the office,” she said.

“Ten minutes and we’re out of here.”

They sat at a small round table, Jake barely fitting in the little, wrought-iron chair. They finished eating quickly and were on the road again.

It was a little past seven when he pulled into the executive lot and turned off the engine. It wasn’t until they rounded the building, heading toward the front door, that Sage understood why he had come to pick her up.

* * *

“I had a hunch this might happen when I read this morning’s paper.” Jake surveyed the crowd that had begun to gather in front of the mirrored-glass building. “I didn’t figure they’d get here so early. Is there a back way in?”

“No. Just the emergency fire exits. They let you out but not in.”

He moved a little in front of Sage, putting himself between her and what appeared to be students from the MSA—the Muslim Student Association who had been demonstrating at the university a few days before. Some young men wore traditional Muslim garb: white, flowing robes called thobes and headdresses secured by an agal, the black rope that held them in place. Caftan-style dresses in various colors and patterns were worn by a number of the women, who had their heads and necks hidden by colorful scarves.

There were other young people there, kids in Western dress who sympathized with the cause, some of them carrying signs. One read Students for Middle East Democracy. Another, Free Libya. A third said Stop the Bloodshed. The group was relatively small, not more than thirty people, and fairly well behaved.

So far.

Another group milled around to one side. Jake couldn’t tell exactly who they were. But there were always radicals drawn to protests like these, people just itching to cause trouble, he knew. As the crowd spotted them climbing the wide concrete steps toward the front door, a soft rumble of recognition turned into a muffled roar, and he went into high alert.

Someone shouted, “Friends of the Saudi royal oppressors!”

Someone else shouted, “Freedom from tyranny!” and hurled something in their direction. A tomato splattered against the wall next to Sage’s head. She made a little sound in her throat as Jake pushed open the door and shoved her into the lobby.

“Oh, my God,” she said, pressing her back against the wall there. “Oh, my God.”

The security guard came out from behind his desk and started hurrying toward them. Jake waved him away.

He caught hold of Sage’s shoulders, felt her trembling. “It’s all right, Sage. The people out there are mostly just kids, trying to be supportive of a cause they believe in, or at least think they do. They’re harmless, for the most part.”

Her trembling eased a little. She steadied herself, straightened, and Jake released her. “It’s…it’s not like the sheik is in line for the throne or anything. He’s just a businessman.”

“As I said, they’re mostly trying to make a point. Unfortunately, there are radicals in every group. They’re the ones we need to watch out for.”

“Oh, God.”

“Look, we’ll work out a better way to come and go. Put a man on the back door, and develop a strategy to keep things running smoothly. We need more security people in here to make sure none of the protestors try to come inside. And we’ll need men outside, too, to ensure your employees’ safety.”

“Can you handle that?”

“Trace can. I’ll call him, have Atlas provide the extra men we need.”

Sage looked up at Jake, her eyes bigger and more golden than usual. “I had no idea something like this would happen. Now I see why Ian hired you. I’m glad you’re here.”

Jake thought of how protests like this had a way of swelling, how there was a good chance things could get worse in the next few day. He thought of the danger Sage might actually be facing. “So am I,” he said, and realized he meant it.

* * *

Sage led Jake into the conference room. “I hope this will do. There’s a phone in here and a computer. Is there anything else you’ll need?”

“I just have to make a few calls, get things rolling. I was hoping we’d have another day or two before things got stirred up. Looks like that’s not going to happen.”

She tried to smile. She still felt shaky inside, a little off-kilter. “Marie just got here. I’ll have her bring you some coffee. Let me know if there’s anything you need.” Sage closed the conference room door and for a moment leaned against it.

She had scoffed at her grandfather, thinking it ridiculous to hire a professional bodyguard. It was beginning to look as if he was right.

Which was usually the way it worked. She’d been twelve years old when her grandfather’s detective had found them—Ian’s son’s runaway wife and daughter hiding in a Chicago tenement. When Louis, Sage’s father, had died, Ian had come for them. He had convinced her mother to return with him to Houston.

From that day forward, Ian Dumont had raised her. Sage had just turned fifteen when her mother died of breast cancer, and after that her grandfather became her whole world. Over the years, she had learned to trust him as she never did another man.

Sage wasn’t convinced she was in any serious danger now, but she didn’t want to be assaulted or harassed just for coming to work. Jake would make sure that didn’t happen.

Jake. Besides being dangerously attractive, he was an interesting man. Smarter than she’d given him credit for. And from the moment he had spotted the threat in front of the building and taken charge, she had known with complete certainty that he was capable of protecting her from whatever might come.

A thought that eased some of the tension inside her.

Sitting down in the cream leather Eames chair behind her desk, she went to work. She started making calls, digging up the information Jake had asked for, and some she needed, as well. She had the name and contact information of the aide who was handling the Saudi end of preparations for the visit, Caseem Al Dossari. She made a list of questions, then phoned the man in Saudi Arabia.

Did the sheik or his family have any special needs? Did anyone require or prefer any special foods? Was there anything in particular the family wanted to see or do while in Houston? Most importantly, how did the sheik and his family wish to be addressed?

The man patiently answered each of her questions and added a few more details he thought might be useful.

Sage finished the cell and spent the next few hours going over her notes and making other calls.

It was almost noon when she finished the call and her assistant buzzed her on the intercom.

“Yes, Will?”

“Mr. Cantrell has a few things he needs to go over.”

“Of course. Send him in.” She sat up a little straighter, tossed her hair back over her shoulder as Jake walked through the door.

“I just wanted to let you know we’ve got security coming in this afternoon. They’ll be round-the-clock in the building until the negotiations are finished.”

“That’s a relief.” Not wanting to be at even more of a height disadvantage, she stood up and walked toward him.

“You come up with those names?” he asked.

Sage couldn’t stop a smile. “The sheik’s full name is His Highness Sheik Khalid bin Abd al-Kahtani bin Abd Al Kahzaz.”

“There’s a mouthful.”

“Formally, we’re to call him His Highness Sheik Khalid Al Kahzaz. Being a little less formal, we can leave off the His Highness and go with Sheik Khalid.”

“That’s better.”

“I have the son and daughter’s names, as well. Roshan’s twenty-six and A’lia’s twenty-two. I’ve got a list of all their personal likes and dislikes, which I’ll be discussing with the hotel, and some things they’d like to do while they’re here.”

“Such as?”

“The daughter loves to ride. I thought we’d take them out to Ian’s ranch for a couple of days. Give them a real taste of Texas.”

“Where is it?”

“Out along the Brazos less than two hours away. We’ve got twenty-five hundred acres out there. There’s a main house and a separate guesthouse. It should be perfect.”

“I’ll need to see the place ahead of time, check the security.”

A soft knock sounded. Phillip’s knock. He didn’t feel he should have to go through her assistant to speak to her. It irritated her a little.

Her fiancé smiled as he stepped through the door and kept the smile in place when he spotted Cantrell. “Just wanted to check in, make sure our evening was going forward as planned.”

It was Friday, Phillip’s last night in Houston. He wouldn’t be back in the country for at least two months. Fridays were one of the nights he stayed at her apartment when he was in town. Tuesdays and Fridays they went out to dinner, came home and made love. It fit into both of their schedules.

Sage had never given that fact much thought until she glanced at Jake. She couldn’t imagine Jake Cantrell planning his calendar around the two days a week he intended to have sex.

The thought made her feel uneasy, and somehow restless. She didn’t know why.

She shoved the thought away, looked up at Phillip and smiled. “It’s Friday, and your last day in the city. Of course we’re going out as planned.”

Cantrell’s blue eyes fixed on Phillip. They seemed darker, somehow more intense. “If you don’t want company, I’d advise you to change your plans.”

Sage’s mouth thinned. “What are you talking about? What Phillip and I are planning has nothing to do with you.”

“Have you looked outside lately?”

“No, why?”

“Because that little scene you caught this morning has grown, the crowd already more than doubled. My job is to protect you. You’re stuck with me until the Saudis are gone.”

Her shoulders stiffened. She wanted to tell him to take his protection and shove it. That he was overbearing and domineering, and she didn’t like it.

She looked at Phillip, who was waiting for her to do exactly that—tell Cantrell to stay out of her personal affairs. She thought of the night ahead, of Phillip in her bed, of another round of unimaginative lovemaking and very little passion. Suddenly, it was the last thing she wanted.

“I think Mr. Cantrell is right. Ian wouldn’t have hired him if he didn’t trust his judgment.”

“Nonsense. Most of those people are students from the university. They’re hardly a threat.”

“Until this is over, what I say goes,” Jake said. “And if she goes out with you, I’m coming along.”

Phillip bristled. But he wasn’t a fool and he was certainly no match for Cantrell. Not that he would consider behaving as anything less than a gentleman.

“Why don’t we go get some lunch?” Sage suggested, ignoring the guilt slipping through her, the feeling that she was somehow betraying Phillip. “We can say our goodbyes in the dining room.”

“I planned to have dinner at the club.” River Oaks, the most exclusive country club in Houston. “That’s hardly the same as lunch in the executive dining room.”

Jake didn’t say a word, just stood there with his legs splayed and his hands crossed, staring straight ahead, looking like an employee—for once.

Sage almost rolled her eyes. He could be as irritating as Phillip.

“Fine, let’s go.” Phillip waited while she grabbed her bag, then took her arm and walked her out the door. She wondered why he hadn’t suggested staying home tonight, having dinner in her apartment. But their relationship had never been one of grand passion. It was comfortable, the kind both of them felt could stand the test of time.

“I’ll be in the conference room when you’re done,” Jake said, following them out of her office.

Phillip’s jaw looked tight as he watched Cantrell’s tall frame disappear inside the room. Turning, he led Sage toward the elevator and the small but first-class restaurant on the fourteenth floor.

She tried to convince herself she was furious at Jake. That what she was feeling wasn’t relief.

Five

The weekend arrived. Both days, Jake escorted Sage to the office, where only a few people were working in the building. There were just a few protestors out in front, and none of the chaos that had greeted them coming and going on Friday. These were kids. Most of them wanted their weekends off.

While Sage caught up on things at the office, Jake began the work he needed to do before the Saudis arrived. As the protests had grown, his job had expanded. Fortunately, Ian had given him the authority to arrange whatever additional security was needed during the visit.

Jake made a trip to the Four Seasons, walked the twentieth floor, checked the exits, checked the lobby, dining rooms and kitchen. The hotel was well run, and nothing unusual caught his eye. He spoke to hotel security, alerting them to the Saudis’ visit, advising them to treat the matter as a celebrity stay and keep the information quiet.

The staff assured him that wouldn’t be a problem. Oil-rich Texas was used to visitors from the Middle East. It was only the recent unrest that complicated the situation.

On Sunday afternoon, after Sage finished work, she and Jake drove out in the Jeep to the Dumont family ranch, south and a little west of Houston. The weather had turned slightly cooler. Jake hoped it stayed that way. The Saudis were certainly used to heat, but the humidity was something else.

He glanced over at Sage. She was dressed in jeans, sneakers and a white cotton blouse. The shirt was tied up in front, giving him a glimpse of bare skin. Though perfectly modest, it was driving him crazy. Her dark hair fell around her shoulders, the way she usually wore it, making him want to run his fingers through it.

His heart rate went up and yet again his groin tightened.

He thought of the brief exchange he’d had with Phillip Stanton in her office on Friday, recalled the evil little demon that had driven him to ruin Sage’s last night with her fiancé.

The protests in front of the building weren’t enough to keep her from dining out with the man she was going to marry. Jake could have escorted her home and checked things out, made sure everything was okay. They had planned to have dinner at River Oaks, and getting inside the exclusive country club was next to impossible.

Jake just couldn’t stand the thought of the guy in her bed.

Sage was staring out the window now, her mind somewhere else. Probably on business. “Why’d you do it?” he asked.

She glanced up at him. “Why’d I do what?”

“Let me push you into canceling your date with Phillip. You knew the protest wasn’t enough of a threat that I needed to be with you all evening. You also knew if you gave me any kind of resistance, I would have backed down.”

She didn’t deny it.

“So why didn’t you fight me?” he pressed.

A slow breath whispered out. “I don’t know.”

“I think you do.”

Sage shifted in her seat, to see him better. “What are you saying, Jake?”

“I don’t think you wanted to be with Phillip that night. I think you were glad I gave you an excuse. What I don’t get is why you’re marrying him.”

He figured she would launch into him, tell him it was none of his business—which it wasn’t.

Instead, she leaned back in the seat. “I met Phillip right after I started working for the company. He was already a vice president, not as important a job as he has now, but someone my grandfather had high hopes for. A few years later, we started dating.”

“So you’ve known him quite a while.”

“That’s right. We got along well from the start. Same interests, same goals. Phillip and I… We’re extremely well-suited.”

“How’s that?”

“We both love classical music and ballet. We’re interested in art and the theater.”

“That’s enough for you? That Phillip likes ballet?”

“Which I’m sure you don’t.”

He grinned. “Watching a bunch of men prancing around in tights? Not a chance.” In the mirror, he saw her lips curve in a smile.

“We share the same interests, as I said, and my grandfather and I talked about it. He thought it was time for me to think about my future. Marrying the right person is important to my career.”

Jake clicked on his turn signal and passed a few cars, then pulled back into the right lane. “Your grandfather raised you after your mother died. I saw that in an article on the internet.”

“He raised me from the time I was twelve. He’s the best man I’ve ever known.”

Jake frowned. “What about your father?”

She gazed down at her hands, then looked back through the windshield at the road. “My father died when I was twelve. It’s a long story. It’s enough to say that when he died, I hadn’t seen him in eight years.”

It was obviously a subject she didn’t want to discuss, and Jake didn’t press her. But his curiosity was piqued. There was something about Sage that didn’t add up. She just didn’t seem to be the self-centered heiress he’d expected. And he thought he had just uncovered the first clue to solving the puzzle.

They reached the impressive wrought-iron gate that marked the entrance to the property. A sign overhead read Double D Ranch. “Double D” for Sage and Ian Dumont? Or for Ian and his dead son, Louis?

Sage gave Jake the security code. He punched in the numbers and the automatic gate swung open. They drove till the highway was well out of sight and the Spanish-style ranch house appeared, huge and white, with a red-tile roof, several turrets and patios. Even the matching guesthouse was big.

Sage was right. The place could easily handle the Saudis and the entourage that was sure to be traveling with them.

There was also a large, tile-roofed stable, and an indoor arena surrounded by lush green pastures. Horses grazed and galloped across the countryside.

“Pretty place.”

“It’s a great getaway,” Sage said. “There was a time when Ian raised the finest cutting horses in Texas. Riding is kind of a passion of mine. My only real hobby, I guess you could say. Lately, I just haven’t had time.” She turned to Jake as he pulled up in front of the house. “Do you ride?”

“Not if I can help it.”

She looked disappointed. He tried to imagine Phillip Stanton on horseback, but the image wouldn’t come.

They parked the Jeep and headed into the main house. It was fully staffed, and decorated, too, in a Spanish style, with lots of old wood, bright serapes and heavy old-world antiques.

By the time Jake had surveyed the two houses, walked the stables and the grounds, he only had one comment.

“Your security here sucks. You want the Saudis to stay in this place, you’re going to have to do something about it.”

Her shoulders slumped. “I was afraid you’d say that. Nothing’s been done in years. I guess we just felt safe out here.”

There were vast open stretches of grassland. Lots of native trees and abundant wildlife. Horses roamed the pastures, deer grazed in the fields and the birdlife was spectacular. A hawk soared overhead as if to make the point.

“So what do you want to do?” he asked.

She glanced back at the house. “How fast can something be done?”

Jake pulled out his iPhone and punched in Trace’s home number. “Hey, buddy, I’ve got a problem.”

A low grumble preceded his friend’s soft Texas drawl. “It’s Sunday, you know. This is supposed to be my day off. I’m spendin’ time with my wife.”

Jake could hear the pride in his friend’s voice. Trace was married and in love. Jake had never seen him so happy.

“I’m out at the Dumont ranch. The place is huge, with lots of land, main house, guesthouse and stables. Some of the security cameras aren’t working and the alarms are years out-of-date. The whole system needs to be replaced. How long will it take you to upgrade?”

Trace muttered a word Jake couldn’t quite hear. “I’ll get on it. I can have someone out there today. We can do a perimeter installation, mount new cameras, put some temporary equipment in the house, guesthouse and stables, till we have time to do a permanent replacement.”

“There’s a housekeeper, foreman, some ranch hands. We’ll let them know your men are coming.”

“We…?”

“Sage is with me. Can you be finished by next weekend?”

“Enough for you to feel safe.”

“Good enough.”

Jake clicked off and shoved the phone back into the pocket of his jeans. “Trace is going to take care of it. He’ll have enough of the system up and running to keep people safe. Let’s talk to your foreman, let him know what’s going on.”

Sage nodded. “I can’t believe how complicated this is getting.”

“Three hundred million is a lot of money.”

“If I make this deal and we get hold of a platform and some used offshore equipment, it’ll be a huge savings to the company.”

“And that means a lot to you.”

“Yes, it does.”

“Then let’s get to it.” Setting a hand at her waist, he guided her toward the foreman’s house. Without her high heels, she seemed almost tiny to him. Jake felt a surge of protectiveness, and told himself it was all right to feel that way, since it was his job. He thought about how much softer she seemed out here, miles away from work.

He told himself not to think of how sexy she looked in the snug jeans, with that little bit of skin showing at her waist. Told his mind not to stray where it had no right to go.

He told himself to remember Sage was off-limits. But he couldn’t quite convince himself.

* * *

Riding the elevator up to her apartment on the tenth floor, Sage felt Jake’s hand at her back.

“You don’t have to come in,” she said, as the elevator doors slid open and he guided her out into the hall.

“That’s what I get paid for. I’ll just take a quick look around, make sure everything’s okay.” He walked past her as she opened the door and turned off the alarm, then watched him disappear down the hall. It had been a long day and she was exhausted. The security situation at the ranch was worse than she had expected. The system needed upgrading anyway, so doing it now wasn’t really a problem, except that the matter had become urgent.

She thought of the surprisingly comfortable day she had spent with Jake. He was easy to talk to and actually listened to what she had to say. She tried not to compare him to Phillip, whose mind always seemed to be somewhere else.

Things had gone well at first, but as the day progressed, the easy conversation had slipped away, replaced by a slowly building sexual tension.

The ride home had been silent, marked by a shared look now and then that seemed to scorch the air between them. She had never felt anything like it.

Thank God they were home and he was leaving.

She watched him return to the entry, thinking how much space he took up, even in her large, airy apartment. “Did you really expect to find someone lurking in here?”

“No. But don’t be surprised if trouble starts again tomorrow. Seems like once these things get rolling, they take on a life of their own.”

“I hope you’re wrong.”

“So do I. It would make my job a whole lot easier.”

She looked up at him, standing there in front of her. God, he was handsome, and so damned male.

“Is that all I am to you, Jake? A job?”

His blue eyes ran over her. Something shifted between them, and the air seemed to simmer and heat.

“That’s the way it started,” he said, his gaze on her face.

“And now?”

His nostrils flared. He was standing closer than she’d realized. So close she could see his chest rising and falling, each breath coming faster than the last. He was wearing a dark green T-shirt and jeans, and when she glanced down she saw there was a heavy bulge beneath his zipper. He took a step toward her, and instead of moving back, she rested her hand on his chest. She could feel the thick muscle, the bands of sinew that tightened beneath the soft cotton fabric.

Her heartbeat quickened. She stared at his mouth and wanted him to kiss her. It was insane. She was engaged to be married. She wasn’t the type of woman who betrayed her fiancé by kissing another man.

She tipped her head to look up at Jake’s face, saw the hunger in those blue, blue eyes, and her whole body went hot. One of his hands slid beneath her hair, tilting her mouth toward his. She felt the roughness of his palm against her scalp, the raw power he commanded. He bent his head, lightly brushed her lips, and heat and need poured through her.

She exhaled a breath and her eyes closed. She wanted this kiss…wanted it so badly.

His mouth hovered over hers, just a breath away. “What about Phillip?” he whispered.

“Phillip?” Her eyes fluttered, slowly opened. Then the name hit her like a splash of cold water and her stomach knotted. Sage jerked away. “Phillip. Oh, my God.”

Those fierce blue eyes bored into her. “I don’t share my women, Sage.”

Humiliation burned through her, and fury boiled in her blood. “Get out.” She pointed toward the door with a hand that trembled. “Get out of here right now.”

The edge of his mouth harshly curved. “I’m leaving. But I’ll be back in the morning. Seven o’clock.”

“Six!” she demanded, just to save a little pride. “I have work to do.” She wanted to throw something at him, wanted to tell him never to come near her again. He had humiliated her, shown her how susceptible she was to him.

Her eyes stung.

“Lock the door behind me,” he said a little more gently, and then he was gone.

Sage’s throat closed up. He had made a fool of her, preyed on the attraction she felt for him. Clearly, he believed he could have her anytime he wanted.

It wasn’t true. She wouldn’t do that to Phillip.

She leaned back against the wall and released a shaky breath. It was nothing, she told herself. A moment of weakness, nothing more.

It wouldn’t happen again. Sage ignored the little tremor of regret that whispered through her.

Six

On Monday morning, Jake pulled up in front of Sage’s apartment in one of the big black SUVs that belonged to Freedom Limousines, the fleet owned by Abraham Lincoln Jones.

Linc was a longtime friend and a man Jake trusted. As a kid, Linc had boosted cars for a living, until he got busted and tossed into juvenile hall. Unlike other kids his age, he had realized the error of his ways, straightened up his life and become a successful Houston businessman.

He still knew cars, knew how to handle a vehicle better than any Hollywood stuntman. Linc had agreed to be Jake’s personal driver during the Saudis’ visit.

The Cadillac Escalade rolled to a stop beneath the overhanging portal of the high-rise apartment building where Sage lived.

Jake opened the door and climbed out. “I won’t be long.”

It was six in the morning. Damn the woman. Ian was right—Sage worked too hard. But the early departure was partly Jake’s fault. If he hadn’t goaded her last night—if he hadn’t given in to that single moment of weakness—she would have agreed to the later hour and gotten at least a little more sleep.

He should have left her alone. But he hadn’t expected the hunger to be so intense, hadn’t known for sure until last night that she wanted him, too.

It didn’t matter. The attraction between them wasn’t going anywhere, and he had a job to do.

With a nod to the security guard, he took the elevator up to Sage’s apartment and knocked on the door. An instant later, she pulled the door open.

“I see you’re on time,” she said sharply. “Let’s go.”

He’d meant to ignore what had happened last night, go on as if it didn’t matter. Maybe he would have, if it weren’t for the faint purple smudges beneath her eyes, the stiffness in her posture that told him he had hurt her.

She tried to brush past him, but he caught her arm, stopping her. She was wearing her high heels, putting her back in her confidence zone, and he was glad.

“About what happened last night…”

Her chin went up. “Nothing happened. Don’t pretend it did.” She tried to walk past him, but he wouldn’t let her go.

“Nothing happened. But don’t think I didn’t want it to. I wanted it too much, Sage.”

Her eyes found his. They were golden and full of fire. Disbelieving.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I was out of line. Nothing like that will happen again.”

For a moment she just stared, her eyes fixed on his. Then she relaxed. “We’re both under a lot of pressure. Things happen. It’s better if we just forget it.”

But he wouldn’t forget. Every time he looked at her he would curse himself for not tasting her, not seeing where that single kiss might lead. His gaze remained on hers. “Are you sure that’s the way you want it?”

She didn’t even blink. “That’s the way it has to be.”

Jake stepped back and let her pass. “There’s a car waiting downstairs. Let’s get you to the office.”

Sage just nodded.

Walking out of the lobby moments later, she stopped when she spotted the big black SUV with the dark tinted windows. “And here I was expecting a stretch. Should have known that wouldn’t be manly enough for a marine.”

He grinned. “Just a little too conspicuous.” He opened the rear passenger door, waited till Sage slid across the butter-soft, black leather seat, then followed her inside.

“Sage Dumont, meet Lincoln Jones. Linc owns the limo company. He’s a friend of mine and the best wheelman around.”

Linc, a tall, slim African-American man with short kinky hair and a very white smile, was a good-looking guy. Never married but hopeful, he always said.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jones,” Sage said with a smile.

“It’s just Linc, and same here, Ms. Dumont.”

“Since you’re a friend of Jake’s, let’s just make it Sage.”

He grinned and turned back to the wheel, started moving the heavy vehicle forward. Jake glanced at Sage, a little surprised at how accessible she seemed to be. She might be a Dumont, but she treated people as her equal. Another point in her favor.

They reached the office in record time. As they had planned, Linc pulled the Escalade into the executive lot. Jake made a call to the security guard at the back door, and they entered the building that way.

It wasn’t until Sage’s friend, the little redhead he had seen in her office before, arrived at noon that the problems began.

* * *

Sage was sitting behind her desk, the phone pressed against her ear, when the door swung open and Rina walked in. They were planning to go to lunch. Since there hadn’t been any problems over the weekend, and no trouble when she’d come to work that morning, Sage figured she’d be able to get away for a couple hours—without her overbearing bodyguard.

He’d surprised her with an apology for his behavior last night—which had been her fault as much as his.

She wished she could have stayed mad at him, convinced herself he was just another arrogant male. But he had spoiled that by actually behaving like a human being.

She blocked him from her mind as Rina rushed toward her across the office, her face flushed, her blue eyes wide.

“Oh, my God, Sage, have you seen what’s going on outside?”

Sage stood up behind her desk. “No. What is?” Her door swung open just then, at the same instant her intercom buzzed.

“We’ve got a problem,” Jake said, striding in as if he owned the place.

Will raced in behind him. “Sage, the police are downstairs.”

Sage shot Jake a glance. “What’s going on, Jake?”

He tipped his head toward the big floor-to-ceiling windows on one wall of her spacious office. “Take a look.”

Will backed out of the room and closed the door.

“Jake, this is my friend Rina Eckhart,” she said. “Rina, meet Jake Cantrell.”

Rina gave Jake a head-to-toe once-over, which took a while, since she was so petite and he was so big. “Nice to meet you, Jake.”

He smiled. “You, too, Rina.”

Sage went over to the window and looked out past the wide steps at the front. A familiar sight greeted her—only now the protest was three times bigger.

“I guess the students are back.”

“They’re back, all right,” Jake said, walking up beside her. “Along with two other factions. Besides the students, there’s a pro-American bunch thanking God for keeping our troops safe in the Middle East, protesting sharia law, advocating for women’s rights and anything else that comes to mind. Another group is demonstrating against Israel and pushing for a Palestinian state.”

Sage turned to look at him, felt that same little kick she always experienced when he was near. “I can’t believe this. All we’re doing is trying to buy a used drilling platform and a shipment of pipe.”

“Believe it. There’s plenty of friction out there. The cops have arrived to try to keep things under control. It remains to be seen how much good it will do.”

“Don’t these people have to get permits for this kind of thing?”

“I talked to the police. The main group has done the necessary paperwork. Aside from that, there’s a thing called freedom of speech.”

Worry knotted her stomach. “The Saudis are due at the airport tomorrow afternoon. What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to handle it,” Jake said firmly. “Linc’s got a fleet lined up to meet the plane and take them to the hotel. They’ll have their own security while they’re there, and we’ll put a couple of people on it, too. The sheik and his family will be at the hotel the rest of that day and Wednesday. The ranch won’t be ready till the weekend. That leaves only Thursday and Friday to worry about.”

“On Friday they’d like to attend prayers at the local mosque. That’s the Da’wah Center. It’s right downtown.”

“Good. We’ll have them taken them there and picked up, return them to the hotel. That leaves only Thursday.”

Sage worried her bottom lip. She looked up at him. “I wonder if they’ve ever been to an IMAX.”

Jake flashed her one of his devastating grins. “Probably ten of them in Saudi Arabia, but it’s still a good idea. Anything that’ll keep them away from the office.”

“The daughter wants to go shopping,” she said, her mind beginning to work.

“I imagine you can handle that.”

“Are you kidding?” Sage smiled, Jake’s confidence easing her nerves. “The Galleria is my home away from home.”

“She’ll have to be accompanied by a male family member. There may be more than one, and they’re sure to have bodyguards. I’ll get one of the other guys at my office to go along. Alex Justice is an ex-navy pilot. He’s capable and he knows the drill.”

Sage turned to Rina. “Maybe you could come with us. With two other women in the group, A’lia won’t stand out so much.”

Jake’s gaze flicked to the redhead. “Good idea. Can you make it?”

Rina grinned. She was always up for an adventure. “I’d love to come along. I’m a shop-till-you-drop kinda’ gal, and I’ve never met a Saudi princess.”

“All right, then. We keep them busy and away from the office. With nothing going on here, there’s a good chance things will start cooling down. By Monday of the following week, you’ll have done enough small talk to satisfy their customs and earn their trust. If the protests are over, you can bring them into the office and start negotiations.”

Sage shoved back her hair, lifting it away from her face. “You make it sound easy.”

“It could be. With any luck, it’ll all work out the way we plan.” But his smile couldn’t hide the unease in those sexy blue eyes. She knew it was the same worry she was feeling.

She looked over at her friend, determined to carry on as normally as possible. “You ready, Rina?”

“Sounds like Jake has everything under control, so yeah, let’s go.”

Sage turned to him. “We’re going to Gravitas for lunch. Rina’s car is in the lot. We’ll go out the back way so no one will see us. You and I can talk some more when I get back.”

Jake just smiled. “I’ll tell Linc we’ll be needing the limo.”

She didn’t argue. She didn’t care who drove them; she just wanted out of there. “All right.” Sage started for the door, but Jake’s long strides got him there before she did. He pulled it open, stepped back for them to walk out, then followed on their heels.

Sage stopped and turned. “Please don’t tell me you’re going with us.”

“All right, I won’t.”

But deep down, she had known he would demand to accompany them. With the protests going on out front, it was his job.

He pushed the button on the elevator, and when it arrived, followed them inside.

She gave it one last try. “Jake, please…”

“I won’t sit at your table. In fact, you’ll hardly know I’m there. That’s the way it works, Sage. This won’t be for long. In the meantime, you might as well get used to it.”

“I could sure get used to it,” Rina teased with a grin.

Sage bit back a smile and shook her head. They headed for the back entrance out of the lobby, which led to the executive parking lot. When the guard pushed open the door, Sage jerked to a halt.

“Son of a bitch,” Jake muttered beneath his breath. The group out front had morphed into a mass of people at the back door, slightly smaller, but no less disturbing. He let the door swing closed, but not before Sage got a look at the media trucks parked at the curb, the cameras aimed at the crowd, as well as the back door of the building. It was turning into a circus.

Jake was on his iPhone, in contact with Lincoln Jones. He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

“Linc’s pulling up as close as he can get. He’ll have the passenger door open. When I say go, walk as quickly as you can to the car and get in.”

Sage glanced at Rina, who didn’t look nearly as perky as she had before. “Are you ready for this?” she asked.

Her friend’s slim shoulders straightened. “I guess if I want to eat, I don’t have any choice.”

“Go!” Jake said, and they hurried toward the car. He was blocking the way like a pro football tackle, herding them into the car, then jumping inside himself. Linc gunned the engine and they shot out of the parking lot, the tires squealing, the crowd surging toward them, waving their signs.

If she closed her eyes, Sage could still see the one that read Keep American Money in America. And right beside it, Dumont Millions Earned at the Price of Betrayal.

* * *

“We got company,” Linc said, his black eyes fixed on the mirror above the windshield.

Jake turned in his seat, saw the white media van cutting in and out of traffic behind them. “Get rid of them.” He checked to make sure the women had their seat belts fastened as Linc gunned the powerful engine.

A couple of screeching turns, roaring through a few yellow lights, blazing down a straightaway, careening around another corner, and the van was no longer in sight.

“Everybody okay?” Jake asked.

Sage smiled. “When you said Linc could drive, you really meant it.”

Rina grinned and leaned back in her seat with a theatrical sigh. “Reminds me of my high school days.”

Jake’s eyebrows went up. “You drove like that in high school?”

“I had a boyfriend whose dad was into drag racing. Jimmy had a hot Camaro. We did a little drag racing at night.”

“That’s illegal, you know,” Linc said from the driver’s seat.

Rina laughed. “Fun, though.”

Jake almost smiled. He was beginning to like the saucy little redhead. And she seemed like a good friend to Sage. There was no heat in the flirty looks she cast his way. It was just to tease her friend.

They reached the restaurant and Linc drove theEscalade up in front. Jake helped the women out, then escorted them both inside the brick building.

Gravitas was hip and modern, the food upscale and interesting. The maître d’ approached Sage smiling, a short guy in his thirties with brown hair thinning on top.

“We have your table ready, Ms. Dumont.”

“Thank you, Ned.”

He flicked a glance at Jake. “Will there be three in your party?”

“No,” Jake answered.

The man seated the ladies, then returned. “One for lunch, sir?”

“I’m Ms. Dumont’s personal security. I need to make a sweep of the restaurant, make sure it’s safe. Then seat me someplace where I can watch her table, and bring me a sandwich—it doesn’t matter what kind.”

“Of course, sir. Over the weekend, I read something in the newspaper about the protests at Marine Drilling. I hope there isn’t any trouble.”

“Just a lot of noise so far. Let’s hope it stays that way.”

But Jake didn’t like the different factions milling around together. It was like putting them in a pressure cooker and turning up the heat.

The maître d’ seated him at a discrete table not too close to Sage. She deserved some privacy. And since she wasn’t having lunch with Phillip…

The evil demon was back, making him inwardly smile. For whatever reason, his dislike for Stanton hadn’t lessened. Jake was damned glad the guy had left the country.

Which returned his thoughts to Sage and how much he wanted her. What would it take, he wondered, to get her into his bed?

He took a long swallow of the iced tea the waiter delivered. What happened Sunday night had been accidental. He knew women. Sage wasn’t the kind who slept with men other than the one she was pledged to.

Still, the attraction between them hadn’t diminished. He felt it every time he looked at her. Every time she looked at him. Just sitting next to her in the car had left him hard and wanting. He wondered how it had affected Sage.

He had a feeling the desire that sparked between them was new to her, not something she felt with Phillip.

It didn’t matter. Jake didn’t date married women because he didn’t want to think of them in another man’s bed. He felt the same way about Sage. She was available or she wasn’t.

And clearly, she wasn’t.

He made another slow, sweeping perusal of the restaurant, saw that everything was as it should be, picked up his sandwich and dug in.

The delicious pastrami on rye tasted like sawdust in his mouth.

* * *

“Your neck isn’t getting stiff, is it?”

Sage kept her eyes straight ahead. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s okay if you look at him once in a while,” Rina said. “He’s very easy on the eyes.”

“I don’t want to look at him. I don’t want to think about him. I just want this whole thing to be over.”

Rina ate a few bites of her salad. Sage mostly pushed the lettuce around on her plate.

“You know, I’ve known you for years,” her friend said. “I’ve never seen you this way.”

“What way is that?”

“Fascinated by a man.”

The bite of tomato stuck in Sage’s throat. “I’m not fascinated with Jake. He’s smarter than I thought and maybe not so much of a jerk. He’s good at what he does and I admire that. But he’s just a man. More virile that most, I’ll admit, but still only a man.”

“He’s not just virile, the guy is the ultimate stud. Your female anatomy recognizes that, responds to it. You want him, Sage. I’ve never seen you in lust before, until now. It’s as simple as that.”

Her insides tightened. “You think that’s simple? I’m engaged, Rina. I’m getting married to Phillip. Surely you don’t think I should cheat on him.”

“I think maybe you should consider talking to Phillip, telling him you need some time to think things over. Tell him you want to postpone your engagement for a while.”

“For God’s sake, Rina, just because I’m attracted to my bodyguard doesn’t mean I want to give up the future Phillip and I have planned.”

“It isn’t just that. From the start, you’ve been hesitant—and don’t tell me I’m wrong. I know you. I know Phillip embodies all the things you think you want out of life, the things you think you need to accomplish your goals. But maybe that isn’t so. Maybe you deserve more than an arranged marriage—because that’s exactly what it is.”

Sage set her fork down on the table. “My grandfather has nothing to do with this.”

“Pleasing him does.”

Her mouth felt dry. Rina was her best friend. If anyone else dared to talk to her this way, she would walk away and never look back. “If you really believe that, why did you wait so long to say it?”

“I said all this before, Sage. You just weren’t listening. That you’re listening to me now ought to tell you something. Even if you don’t give in to your attraction to Jake, give what I said some thought. Give yourself a chance to find out what you really want out of life. Maybe you’ll find out it isn’t Phillip Stanton.”

Sage took a long drink of her tea and realized her hand was trembling. She respected Sabrina Eckhart, and she trusted her. Rina would never do anything to hurt her.

And yet hearing those things did hurt. And they made her wonder… .

“I’ll think about it—when all this Saudi business is over. Right now, I just don’t have the time.”

“Fair enough.” Rina reached out and caught her hand. “I didn’t intend to bring any of this up. It’s just that when you look at Jake, there’s something in your eyes I’ve never seen there before.”

Sage pulled her hand away. “It’s exactly what you said it was. It’s lust, Rina. I may not have felt anything quite like it before, but I’m smart enough to recognize it now. And I’m not going to let it ruin my life.”

Seven

The Saudis arrived right on schedule. Tuesday afternoon, Sheik Khalid’s Boeing 727 landed at Bush International Airport and taxied to the executive terminal.

Jake was there with Sage to greet them, along with her assistant, Will Bailey, and a man named Red Williams. Her assistant was a string bean of a kid in his mid-twenties, with dark hair and big horn-rimmed glasses. Will looked efficient, which Jake was sure he was, or he wouldn’t be working for Sage.

Red Williams was the man Sage had chosen to bring with her into the negotiations, the one she considered her best purchasing agent, and apparently someone she respected.

Red had reached the top of his profession by working his way up from the bottom. According to Sage, he was a hard-driving, hardworking man, and he had the calluses to prove it. It was Red’s job to fend off the minions willing to do just about anything, no matter how shady or underhanded, to sell goods to Marine Drilling. He had to ignore the tempting offers of all-expense-paid trips to the Caribbean, the bribes, booze and women, and actually buy the products that would serve the company best. Apparently, he did.

Yesterday, after they returned from lunch, Sage had brought him into the office. Jake had worked with him the rest of the afternoon and into the evening, teaching him the basic protocols he would need to know to negotiate with the Saudis.

Aside from asking questions and giving advice when it was needed, Red would remain in the background as much as possible. He seemed to have no problem with that.

Jake liked him right away.

The plane taxied up to the executive terminal and the jet engines shut down. A ladder rolled across the tarmac toward the door, and a few minutes later, the heavy portal swung open. The Saudi entourage descended the steps, crossed the asphalt and entered the building through a private entrance.

Jake stood just behind Sage, Alex Justice beside him.

Jake had brought his friend in mostly for appearances. Though everyone involved in the negotiations knew Sage Dumont was in charge, she was a woman and would therefore be seen as less important. Having two personal bodyguards left no doubt of her status.

The greeting was perfectly executed, all the protocols followed. Sage had done her homework, and so had everyone else.

“As-salam-alaikum,” she said, using the standard Saudi greeting. Peace be upon you. “Welcome to America.”

The sheik seemed pleased. “Wa alaikum as-salam,” he replied. And upon you be peace. “We appreciate your hospitality,” he added in perfect English.

His Highness Sheik Khalid Al Kahzaz was a tall, lean man with high cheekbones, olive skin and black eyes, dignified with his gray-speckled black beard and flowing white thobe. He wore the traditional Saudi headdress, as did his son, Roshan, the cousins, Quadim and Yasar, and their four male bodyguards. Dressed in black suits, the guards were all tall, silent and forbidding, giving the exact impression the sheik wanted.

His daughter, A’lia, walked behind him in a loose-fitting caftan that fell around her ankles. Instead of white cotton, the robe was made of delicate embroidered rose silk. A matching scarf covered her neck, head and shoulders and most of her face, but it couldn’t hide the girl’s stunning beauty—her fine, perfect features, delicate nose and small white teeth. Just before she was introduced, she pulled a thin black veil over the lower portion of her face. Her cousin Zahra, taller and blunt-featured, was even more fully covered, and though her garment was also embroidered, it was completely black. Zahra was a few years older, maybe twenty-four or twenty-five, brought along, Jake was certain, to make sure A’lia stayed in line.

As a former Saudi minister there to negotiate the sale, Sheik Khalid and his family had diplomatic immunity. They whisked through customs and outside into the bright Texas heat, pouring into the line of black SUVs Linc had waiting. The cars sped away while their vast array of Louis Vuitton luggage was loaded into more SUVs.

Riding in the lead car, Alex sat next to the driver, Jake behind them next to Sage, and Will and Red in the rear seat as Linc maneuvered the vehicle through traffic. The sheik rode in the second car with his son and daughter and two bodyguards. Zahra rode with the cousins and two more bodyguards in the third vehicle.

The cars reached the Four Seasons, the timing fairly close together and without incident. The Saudi group was welcomed by hotel staff and escorted up to the twentieth floor.

Sage accompanied them, walking into the entry of the elegant, richly appointed presidential suite, Jake taking a position behind her and to the right, Alex behind and to her left.

She smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle from the front of her pale yellow business suit. Jake’s gaze ran over her. Though the skirt reached well below her knees and the cream silk blouse was buttoned to the throat, she still made him think of sex. His pulse quickened and his loins began to fill. The fertility gods were definitely working overtime.

“I hope you find the hotel accommodations satisfactory, Your Highness,” Sage said.

He smiled. “The suite is quite lovely.”

“I’ve planned an itinerary I hope will meet with your approval and you will find interesting. While you’re here, if there is anything at all you need, please feel free to call my assistant or me and let us know.” She handed him their business cards, carefully prepared with the information on the front also printed in Arabic on the back.

The sheik looked down at the cards. “I am certain everything will be fine.”

Sage smiled. She was doing everything just right, Jake thought, oddly proud of her.

“Then rest and recover from your journey,” she said. “Take a look at the schedule, and if it is suitable, I’ll see you again on Thursday.”

The sheik gazed at the paper she handed him. “My daughter wishes very much to go shopping here in America, and my son would enjoy the IMAX. There is one at the science dome in Al-Khobar, but I have not been there. I understand the screen is several stories high.”

Sage’s smile widened. “That’s right. It’s amazing. There’s a movie showing at the IMAX here in Houston, a climb up Mount Everest. It’s quite an exciting film.”

“Yes, I would like to see that.”

Sage made her farewells and stepped out into the hall. As soon as the door closed behind her, she sagged against the wall. “Thank God that’s over.”

Jake smiled, relieved it had gone so well.

Alex grinned, flashing those damned dimples women seemed to love. “I hate to point this out,” he said, “but this is only the beginning.”

She gave him the first real smile Jake had seen on her face all day. “True, but I made it this far without doing anything stupid. That’s a start in the right direction.”

“You did great, Sage,” Alex said.

When her smile widened and Alex’s damn dimples showed up again, Jake sliced him a hard look, but Alex just laughed.

“Let’s get out of here,” Jake said grimly, suddenly wishing he’d brought in someone besides his good-looking friend.

The three of them headed back down to the lobby. Red and Will had already left for their respective jobs. Linc waited in the SUV, which was parked in front, and the three climbed inside.

They were quiet on the drive back to the office, silently preparing themselves for the scene they would be facing when they got there.

“What’s the time frame for the shopping trip on Thursday?” Alex asked.

“The mall opens at ten,” Jake said. “We’ll pick up A’lia and her escorts a little before then. That evening, we’ll take the sheik and his party to the IMAX. I’ve got a private showing arranged.”

Alex nodded. The Escalade reached Louisiana Street and pulled into the executive lot. Unfortunately, the group in back of the building had swelled to the size of the group out front.

“Fuck,” Jake whispered, too low for Sage to hear, and thought that pretty well summed things up.

* * *

Sage hurried along behind Jake as he forged a path through the media toward the back door. Alex followed close behind her, fending off the hordes that tried to get too close.

“Ms. Dumont!” a reporter shouted, shoving a microphone in her face. “What do you have to say about what’s going on here?”

“No comment,” she muttered, as Jake shouldered the man aside.

“The students are here to show their support for democracy in the Middle East,” shouted a female reporter wearing a KTRK TV badge. “Are you sympathetic to their cause?”

“No comment.” Sage kept moving, Jake clearing the way, Alex backing him up.

“Ms. Dumont!” The first reporter caught up with her again and shoved the mic back into her face. “Some of these people are protesting the business you’re doing with a country they feel is oppressive. How do you feel about Marine Drilling spending American money in the Middle East?”

Jake grabbed the device out of the newsman’s hands, nearly knocking him off his feet. “The lady told you she has no comment.” Then he shoved the mic at him, so hard the man jerked backward. Tentatively, the reporter reached out and took hold of it, and they continued toward the door.

Jake stepped inside and hauled Sage in after him. Alex followed, and the security guard closed the door.

“You okay?” Jake asked her.

She nodded, but she was trembling, her mouth dry as cotton. “I hate this.”

“Maybe you should call off the deal and let the Saudis go back home.”

She shook her head, wishing she could do just that. It wasn’t going to happen. “I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I invited the sheik and his family to Texas. I’m not going to abandon them.”

Approval shone in his face. “I didn’t really figure you would.” Catching hold of her arm, he urged her toward the bank of elevators in the lobby. Through the thick, mirrored-glass walls of the building, she could hear the demonstrators outside, arguing and shouting back and forth.

“Unless you need me,” Alex said, “I’ll see you Thursday.”

“Thanks, buddy,” Jake said, and Alex headed out to his car.

Sage stepped into the elevator and Jake followed. “It’s getting worse instead of better,” she said.

Jake pushed the button to the twelfth floor. “It still may cool down.”

“Or they may start killing each other.”

His mouth quirked. “There’s always that chance.”

Sage stood beside him in the elevator. Even in her high heels, he towered above her. She felt feminine and safe in a way she never had before.

She thought of the sheik’s daughter, A’lia, beautiful and sheltered. Living in a gilded prison. As lovely as she was, there was a sadness in her dark, exotic eyes, something that seemed to reach out to Sage in some way. In the cousin, Zahra, Sage had sensed no underlying disquiet. It made her wonder if she could be wrong, and A’lia was happy.

Whatever the truth, it was none of her business. She was determined to make a multimillion-dollar deal, save a boatload of money for Marine Drilling and prove to her grandfather she was capable of running the company when Michael Curtis retired next year.

She entered her office, accidentally brushing against Jake’s thick chest as he held open the door, and his eyes locked with hers. A jolt of electricity shot through her, making her legs feel weak. It was ridiculous. He probably had the same effect on every woman in the building.

Except she had never seen him look at another woman the way he was looking at her.

Another little curl of heat slipped through her. There was no question Jake wanted her. Every time he glanced at her, it was boldly there in his eyes. And yet she couldn’t accuse him of overstepping the boundary between them.

What she couldn’t understand was this burning desire she felt for him. It had never happened before, not even in her more carefree days in college. She’d had boyfriends. She had even slept with a couple of them. But there was none of the gnawing hunger she felt when she looked at Jake.

It wasn’t like her. She was serious and dedicated. She didn’t lust for a man.

Sage amended that. She had never lusted for a man before. It appalled her to realize how much she desired Jake.

“If you keep looking at me that way, I might break my rule.”

Her face went warm. She knew exactly what he meant. He wanted her, but he wouldn’t touch her unless she was free.

She turned away from him, forced her feet to carry her over to her desk.

“It went well today, I thought,” she said, forcing her mind toward business.

“You did great,” he said, and there was none of the heat she had heard in his voice before. “The sheik is well-educated. Speaks English like a native. The son, as well. Makes everything easier.”

“Khalid and Roshan were both schooled at Oxford.”

He nodded. “I’ll be coaching Red a little more this afternoon. I noticed he has a habit of crossing his ankle over his knee when he sits too long. I’ve warned him it’s a major insult to show a Saudi the bottom of his shoe.”

“Red may not have a university degree, but he’s smart. He’ll remember what you tell him.”

“He seems like a good man to have on your team.”

“He’s a very good man. I considered asking one of the VPs, either Charles Denton or Jonathan Hunter, but they’re both very busy with their own jobs, and extremely competitive. I wasn’t sure how much I could trust them. Red worked for Ian for years before he started working for me. He’s loyal to a fault.”

“That was my take on the guy.”

“So what about Thursday? Looks like the sheik is going to let his daughter go shopping with us. Probably her cousin Zahra will come with her.”

“She’s got to have a male relative along,” Jake said again. “I have a hunch we’ll have a small army going with us to the mall. I called yesterday and made arrangements with Saks and Neiman Marcus. They’re going to provide a private salon.”

Sage grinned up at him. “That’s a good start—considering you’re a man—but not nearly enough. I’ll have Will phone Cartier, Gucci and Tiffany’s. The sheik and his crew already own enough Vuitton to open their own shop, so we can probably leave them out.”

“Or that might be exactly the place they want to go.”

She sighed. “You’re right. They sell a lot more than just luggage. I’ll have Will let Vuitton know we’ll be in.”

“For that caliber of buyer, the boutiques may close the doors to the public while we’re in there.”

“I’m sure they will. Just think of all the money we’ll be bringing into the community.”

Jake grinned. “Maybe we ought to march around with a sign that says Marine Drilling—Spending Saudi Money in America.”

Sage laughed. “Maybe.” Her laughter slowly faded. “They’ll be safe, won’t they?”

His gaze shifted, darkened. “They’ll be fine. More importantly, you’ll be safe. I promise you that, Sage.”

And when she looked into those blue, blue eyes, she knew he would keep his word.

Knew that if he had to, Jake Cantrell would protect her with his life.

Eight

They left the office shortly after six that night. The heat outside was intense, but the sun was a little less vicious as the days marched through September. The crowd had thinned some and the media cameras were gone, which was a hopeful sign. Jake sat next to Sage in the backseat of the SUV, slightly more relaxed now that they were away from the building.

So far no one seemed to know the Saudis had arrived in Houston, or if they did, they were more interested in Marine Drilling’s involvement than they were in the Saudis themselves. Jake wasn’t sure if that was bad news or good.

The Escalade had traveled only a couple blocks through the office high-rise district when his cell phone rang. Pulling it out of the pocket of his suit coat, he checked the caller ID and saw it was Tanya Porter. Tanya was the mother of the boy he sponsored in the Big Brother program Linc had gotten him involved in when he’d first returned to Texas.

“Jake, I’m sorry to bother you,” she said, “but I’ve got a problem. I was wondering if you might be able to give Felix a ride home.”

“What happened?”

“He went to the show with his friend Desi, and Desi’s older brother, Bo. I guess they got to arguing and the boys ended up leaving him there. I know you’ve been working downtown. He’s in front of the AMC. Is there any way you could pick him and bring him home?”

“I’m on the job, Tanya. I can’t get to him for at least another hour.”

Sage reached over and caught his arm. “What is it?”

“Hold on.” He covered the phone. “A friend of mine’s got a problem, young kid named Felix Porter. I’m his Big Brother. He’s stuck at the AMC theatre and needs a ride home.”

“The theater isn’t that far. For heaven’s sake, pick him up.”

“You sure?”

“I’m done for the day. It isn’t a problem.”

Jake smiled. “Thanks. Felix is a good kid. Not the kind to make trouble. Some of his friends, however, are another story.” Jake spoke across the front seat to Linc. “You hear that?”

“On my way.”

Jake let Tanya know he would pick up Felix and bring him home. The theater was only a few blocks out of the way. When they got there, Felix was waiting on the corner, the cell phone Jake paid for in his hand. Jake rolled down the window and motioned him over. Linc opened the front door and the kid climbed in beside him.

Felix turned in the seat. “Thanks, Jake.” He was a lanky kid, with feet and hands still a little too big for his growing frame. Beneath his shiny black skin, his face looked tightly drawn.

“Felix, say hello to Ms. Dumont. She’s the one who’s giving you a ride.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Felix.”

“What happened?” Jake asked as Linc began to move the big SUV through traffic.

Felix shrugged, stared down at his hands. “Desi and me… We had a fight. It was no big deal.”

Jake knew it was probably Desi’s older brother, Bo, who was the troublemaker, but Felix wouldn’t snitch on the dumb-ass kid. As soon as Jake got the time, he’d have a little talk with Felix’s friends. “No big deal, huh? Seems like with those two, something’s always ‘no big deal.’”

Felix glanced away.

They left the downtown area, slugged their way through traffic and headed for the house south of Holcombe where the twelve-year-old lived. His mother was waiting on the sidewalk as he slipped out of the front seat.

“Thanks, Jake. Ms. Dumont.” The kid closed the door and ran to where his mother stood. Tanya waved, and the two of them headed into the house.

Jake turned to Sage. “Thanks for letting me pick him up. Like I said, Felix is a really good kid.”

She smiled as Linc pulled away from the curb. “The Big Brother program is extremely worthwhile. Our company’s a big supporter. I’m really glad you’re helping him.”

He nodded, realizing the kid was another tie he would have to cut when he took off on another job. This was the second time he’d lived in Houston. The first was after he’d left the service and returned from the Middle East. He’d gotten his P.I.’s license and taken a job freelancing for Trace.

Though he’d enjoyed the work, eventually he’d grown restless and taken a corporate protection job in South America. He’d traveled and worked there for a while, and had just finished a job in Mexico when he got a call from Dev Raines and met up with him, Trace and Johnnie Riggs, old military buddies.

When the job was over, he’d returned to Texas, which had begun to feel more like home than any other place he’d been.

He flicked a glance at Sage, his current, far more intriguing assignment, and looked back out the window. Nothing but traffic, no one on their tail, and aside from the occasional bad driver, nothing that posed any sort of danger.

He was doing his best to keep his eyes off her, trying not to think how pretty she looked even after the long, grueling day. Trying to keep his thoughts in check and his blood from flowing south.

Once the SUV reached the high-rise where she lived, Jake escorted her upstairs, went in and checked her apartment. Finding everything in order, he made himself head for the door—though every ounce of testosterone in his body wanted him to stay.

He reminded himself the lady belonged to another man, that he had a job to do and there was no place in it for his attraction to Sage.

He reached for the doorknob. “I’ll pick you up in the morning.” He stopped and turned. “Unless you have plans to go out tonight.” So far the threat posed by the demonstrators had stayed confined to the downtown area around the office, but until this was over, he didn’t want her going out by herself.

Sage hesitated, then smiled. “I’ve been sticking pretty close to home. I figured it would be safer that way.”

“Good girl.”

She walked him to the door. Knowing he shouldn’t, he lingered. “You did really well today. You said all the right things, made the right moves. I think the Saudis were impressed.”

Her smile reappeared. “Thanks. Coming from you, that means a lot.” She didn’t move away, and he wanted to reach for her, haul her into his arms. He wanted to kiss her until he had her begging him to take her to bed.

He couldn’t. Wouldn’t.

Jake turned and walked out the door.

It wasn’t until later that night that he found himself thinking about her brief moment of hesitation. It didn’t mean anything, he told himself. Sage wouldn’t risk going out alone.

But it bothered him.

After he finished the rest of the leftover spaghetti he’d picked up at Mama’s Take-Out a couple nights ago, he found himself dialing Sage’s home number. The answering machine picked up and his nerves kicked in. When he phoned her cell and his call went directly to her messaging center, he tamped down the worry beginning to knot his stomach, damned her for the little witch she was, and headed for the door.

* * *

“Are you sure we should be doing this?” Dressed in a sapphire-blue mini that set off her eyes, Rina sat across from Sage at the Post Oak Grill, one of Sage’s favorite restaurants.

Dressed more conservatively in a short, black silk dress and platform heels, Sage took a sip of wine. “I’m sure, all right. Absolutely sure we shouldn’t be doing it. But I’m really glad we are.”

Rina laughed, making her long silver earrings jangle.

Sage released a slow breath. “I’ve had one heckuva day. I had to get out of the house, just for a while.” I had to stop thinking of Jake.

The episode this afternoon with Felix had shown her a completely different side of him, one that was far too appealing. The hero worship she’d seen in the boy’s dark eyes told her how good Jake was with the kid. She wished she hadn’t noticed. She didn’t want to like Jake as well as lust for him.

“Well, we aren’t that far from your apartment,” Rina said, taking a sip of the rich Stag’s Leap cabernet they had ordered, “and this place should certainly be safe enough.”

Sage took a bite of perfectly cooked, medium rare filet mignon, savoring the delicious port reduction sauce. “God, I love the food here. Since all this started, I’ve barely had time to eat. Believe it or not, I’ve actually lost a couple of pounds.”

Rina rolled her eyes. “That should happen to me.”

Sage scoffed. “You don’t need to lose weight. You’re perfect.”

“I don’t need to lose weight because I constantly watch what I eat. If I didn’t, I’d be as big as a house.”

Sage just smiled. Rina ate healthy food, and both of them went to the gym at least three times a week. That is, until she had gotten involved with the Saudi deal. Fortunately, there was a fitness center in the apartment building where she lived.

“So tell me about today,” Rina said. “How did it go with his high-and-mightiness, the sheik?”

“Actually, I think it went pretty well. But, Lord, it wasn’t easy. And this is just getting started.” She sipped her wine, set the glass back down on the table. “You’re still on for the shopping trip, right?”

Rina grinned. “You couldn’t keep me away.”

“A’lia will probably be bringing her cousin Zahra, so there’ll be four of us women altogether. I think that’ll make things a little easier. Or at least with you there, it’ll be easier for me.”

“What’s she like?”

“Beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous. But kind of sad, I think. It has to be a hard to have your entire life completely laid out for you and be totally dominated by men.”

“And some of them will be coming with us to the mall, I gather.”

“That’s right. A male relative and probably at least one bodyguard. Along with Jake and Alex.”

“Alex?”

“Alex Justice. He’s the guy who’s helping Jake with security. Apparently, they work out of the same office.” She took a bite of scalloped potatoes and decided she had never tasted anything so delicious. Then again, everything tasted good when you forgot to eat.

“I think you’ll like this guy,” Sage said.

“I’m involved, remember?”

“So am I, remember? He seems interesting. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Interesting how?”

“Six-two, a hundred eighty pounds. Dark blond hair and blue eyes. He’s got the cutest pair of dimples.”

Rina eyed her across the top of her wineglass. “But he’s not Jake, right? So you’re passing him on to me.”

“I’m not passing him on to anyone. I just mentioned him.”

“That’s good, because I’m not interested.”

“I thought you and Ryan were having trouble.”

“Everyone has trouble. We’ll work things out eventually.”

She thought of Phillip. Since he left, they’d spoken several times on the phone, but their conversations were brief and unfulfilling. There were never any arguments, not even any serious disagreements. Maybe that was the problem. Both of them always kept their emotions carefully controlled. No outbursts, no fighting. Never saying what was really on her mind. Maybe that bothered her more than she’d realized.

Sage glanced up. There was something going on in the restaurant. People were beginning to whisper and shift in their chairs. She gazed around the room, caught something pressed against one of the plate-glass windows, a big white square with words written on it. When she saw what it said, the delicious filet mignon nearly came back up.

Dumont Drilling Traitors. Keep U.S. Money in the U.S.

“Oh, my God.” Rina stared out the window, and the noise in the restaurant grew louder. Sage turned to see a man storming toward her, his face beet-red, his brown hair standing on end, his lips thinned in anger.

“It’s people like you!” he shouted. “People like you who are ruining our country!”

Her mind went blank. Opening another drilling platform would mean dozens of new jobs for the area. It would be helping the country end its dependence on foreign oil. The environment had to be protected—she adamantly agreed with that—but Marine Drilling did everything in its power to keep people and the ocean safe.

All those arguments and half a dozen others rushed into her head. She wanted to explain, but as she stared into the man’s furious face, not a single syllable came out of her mouth.

His fist slammed down on the table, making the silverware jump and water slop over the rim of their glasses. “You hear what I said? It’s people like you!”

“You don’t…don’t understand.” It was all she could manage to say as she spotted the valets pushing through the door and starting toward her, caught a slice of the commotion outside, more signs, more people who wanted her to fail.

“Send them back where they belong! You hear me?”

She heard the words, but they were muffled by the ringing in her ears. Then Jake was there, striding toward the table, his face set in hard, determined lines. He grabbed the red-faced man by the back of the neck and hauled him away from her, putting himself between her and the danger. The man looked at Jake and his lips curled back, ready for another damning tirade. Jake’s hand settled on his shoulder, and an instant later the man went limp.

Sage watched in awe as Jake propped him against his side and hauled him out of there as if he weighed nothing, as if maybe he was just a friend who had drunk a little too much. The maître d’ stepped out of the way, letting them pass, and the pair disappeared through the door.

“Oh, my God,” Rina said again, staring at the place where Jake had been.

Sage just sat there trembling. She could still see the fury etched on the man’s ruddy features. And the matching fury in Jake’s. She had never seen him angry before, at least not like that. And part of it was clearly directed at her.

On top of that, she had never seen him in action. The scene was over before it had truly begun. Jake had taken the man down with unbelievable ease, put an end to the threat in seconds. Sage felt certain the guy wasn’t really hurt, just immobilized and then neatly dispensed with.

Though she could be wrong.

She fought to compose herself as she looked at Rina, whose blue eyes looked as big as saucers. Then Sage spotted Jake striding back toward her, and wished she could slide under the table.

“Time to leave,” he said, hauling her to her feet, her napkin falling to the floor. “You, too, sweetheart.”

Rina shot up from her chair. Numbly, Sage let Jake pull her toward the door, herding Rina along in front of them.

“What…what about the bill?” Sage asked, her voice high-pitched and shaky.

“They’re sending it to your office.”

She swallowed, realizing for the first time that he was guiding them though a side door that led into the alley.

“I’ll drop you off on the way,” Jake said to Rina, apparently planning to drive Sage home.

“I drove us here tonight. I can get home by myself.”

“You sure?”

“It wasn’t me they were after.”

Jake’s scowl deepened. Sage stood there trembling as he surveyed the outside of the restaurant, searching for any remaining sign of danger. But the people who had been at the window were gone. So was the man who had barged up to her table. Jake took her arm as he walked Rina over to her little red Mercedes SLK, waited until she buckled herself inside, then watched as she drove out of the parking lot.

Sage didn’t resist as he pulled her toward his Jeep, lifted her up and dropped her into the seat.

“Buckle up,” he said darkly, then slammed her door and strode around to the driver’s side. With her hands shaking, she couldn’t get the clasp fastened. Fumbled, tried again. Jake reached across her lap and shoved the buckle into the catch. Without a word, he started the engine and roared out of the parking lot.

Sage just sat there, her mind going over and over the scene in the restaurant. All the way back to the apartment, Jake didn’t speak. When they reached the tenth floor and walked out of the elevator, he took the key from her hand and started to unlock the door.

Sage swallowed. “I shouldn’t have done it. I—I know that now. I just…” She shook her head. “After everything that’s happened, I just… I wanted a couple of hours to myself. I just wanted to pretend for a little while that everything was normal.” She looked up at him and her eyes filled. “Please, Jake, don’t be angry.”

The stiffness in those wide shoulders melted. Jake reached out and simply folded her into his arms. She knew she should resist, but all she wanted was to burrow into him more deeply, let him make her feel safe.

“It’s all right, baby, this is new to you. You scared me, that’s all.”

She didn’t let men call her baby or honey or any of those ridiculous terms. She should have told him that, put him in his place. Instead, she just hung on.

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