A Wanted Man

Her clever green eyes took in his face, reading him well enough. “A man who doesn’t easily commit.” Then, as though on their own, her gaze lowered into a quick and flirty once-over. “We have that in common.”

She offered a diversion and he took it. “You don’t commit?” Biting down on her lush lower lip, she shrugged. Clearly neither of them was talking about Sara Wolfe’s murder investigation. And his gut was telling him she liked to play too much to be the type of woman to commit easily. The man to win her heart would need to hit all the marks on her demanding score sheet.

“So...do I need to go to the police directly?” she asked, breaking the awkward silence.

“Jax Ballard will know he’s a person of interest no matter who gets the warrant,” he replied.

“I’ll handle Jax Ballard.”

He gave her a slight bow. “I have no doubt you will.”

She smiled, the flirt in her popping out again. He found that rather irresistible, her lightness of heart, her lack of hesitation to engage with a man. Him.

“Do you have a card so I can call you?” he asked.

Those eyes blinked and that smiled continued to dazzle, until she realized he wasn’t trying to hit on her. He only needed a way to contact her. After the search warrant was issued and a crime scene unit was sent to search the truck.

“Oh.” Flustered, she dug into her purse.

Flirting with men must be almost a second nature to her. Easy. Natural. He remembered when he’d been the same way. Now there was no light left in him for that. He had no desire at all to pursue anyone. Although he had to admit, Penny was the first woman he’d encountered since his wife passed who stirred the hint of interest. Not enough to make him act.

She handed him a card, eyeing him guardedly.

He took it. “I’ll be in touch.”

She nodded, very businesslike. “Thank you.”

“Have a nice day.”

She looked at him as though checking to make sure he was serious, smile gone, a soundless oh on her lips.

He’d tried to sound casual and professional. Maybe he’d tried too hard. Have a nice day? Jeez.

“You as well, Mr. Tandy. I’ll be waiting to hear from you.” With that, she turned to go, sauntering out the door without looking back. A woman like her didn’t need to. She carried confidence like a politician, except with her, it came naturally.

Kadin went to the window, drawn by the trail only a fascinating woman could leave in her wake. Her long, slender legs glided in the high-heeled boots, butt firm and fit, thick red locks bouncing. He watched her get into her white BMW Z4 convertible on the street in front of his office. His building was on a corner, and the only parking lot was in the back and shared with other businesses. As she drove away, another car pulled away from the curb across the intersecting street, a black Jeep Wrangler with darkly tinted windows that followed her departure.

* * *

The next morning, Penny got out of her car and walked through the parking garage beneath Avenue One. Her shoes clicked against the concrete on her way to the elevator. She rode to her floor and stepped out. People bustled around, talked on phones and typed away on their keyboards. Her boss was in a meeting inside a glass-front conference room. He saw her and scowled. She’d taken yesterday off and was late getting here this morning.

Heading for her office, she went inside and closed the door. All the way back to Salt Lake City and long into the night, she hadn’t been able to shake thoughts of Kadin. The man in person didn’t disappoint. He looked exactly like the photo she’d seen, minus the cowboy hat, his eyes brighter without the shade. Magnetizing. What had he meant when he said they didn’t easily commit? After she’d had time to mull it over, she didn’t think he meant going to the police. He’d meant personally. What had she done to make him say that?

That photo of him must have really messed with her head. So mysterious. Sexy, but in a dark, brooding way. She’d never been drawn to a man like that before. Her norm gravitated toward the executive type. The man who owned rugged but didn’t walk rugged. Kadin walked rugged. He knocked her off her game. He’d flustered her. Those eyes. Nothing could have prepared her for the impact of them in person. A light, glowing gray, the intelligence in them had captivated her. Their lightness sparkled with life, but what beamed out to the world told a much more ominous story. Dark intelligence. The things those eyes had seen must be incredible.

On top of that distraction, she had to wait to hear when the search warrant went through, and then she’d have to brace herself for Jax’s wrath, especially if she was wrong in her suspicions.

Looking around her office, down on her desk and then at her computer where several emails waited to be read, she lost hope of all productivity. Penny buried her face in her hands. It was going to be impossible to concentrate on work today.

A knock on her office door brought her head up. Her boss stood there.

She waved him in.

Mark Pershing walked into the office, shutting the door behind him. “Where have you been?”

“I had something personal come up.”

He had his panicked look on right now, beady brown eyes wider than normal and side parted hair falling out of line from raking his fingers through it. Average in height, he wore a pale yellow dress shirt that washed out his face and was buttoned too tight over his slightly round belly. His anxiety seemed over-the-top. What was going on with him?

“This is a bad time to be taking time off, Penny. I need you here.”

“The Ballard campaign is under control.” She took in his overall disheveled appearance. “What’s the matter?”

“I had your direct reports coming to me with questions all day yesterday. They fell behind schedule.”

In one day? “Mark, nothing is wrong with our schedule. Are you all right?” Penny stood up and stepped around the desk to stand before him. “What’s going on? Why are you so tense?”

He smoothed his hair in support of the side part. The hair fell where it was before. “I’m getting a lot of pressure from the board.”

Why? The board couldn’t have any complaints about her campaign with Ballard’s. They were ecstatic over the account, and she stayed on top of every issue.

“Are we losing money somewhere else?” she asked.

He looked at her strangely for several seconds, his panic going behind a mask. “I need you here, Penny.”

“I am here. Trust me, I want this as much as you do.”

“I’m sorry.” He shoved his fingers through his hair again. “What happened with you? Can you talk about it?”

“No...not yet. It’s nothing dire.” She caught what she’d just said. Well, not for her, anyway. “I just need to get through it.” Maybe. That depended on when Kadin lined up the search and Jax confronted her.

When Mark continued to subject her to his thin-lipped doubt, she said, “We’re in production for the first ad. They won’t need me until next week. I’ve been meeting with Jax on the camping equipment ad. Stop worrying.”

“But I do. Especially when you vanish so abruptly without an explanation. This is a big account, Penny. We’re all counting on you.” And then he added, “I’m counting on you.”

Hearing the desperation in his tone, and certain he knew something she didn’t, she tried to placate him. “I know.” She put her hand in his upper arm. “Just trust me, all right?” If Avenue One was in trouble, then she’d do everything she could to save the company.

Reluctantly, his lips curved into a small smile and he nodded. Then he put his hand over hers on his arm, curling his fingers to hold hers. The touch made her withdraw her hand. He hadn’t gotten over her rejection. Would he ever? And now he tried to hang the Ballard account over her head. For what reason? To cover a mistake he’d made? She wished he’d talk to her.

Up until now, she wouldn’t have labeled her boss as weak, but he sure seemed that way now. She wouldn’t be fooled. Mark was a smart businessman. A little egotistical, but smart. Decisive at times. Few, if anyone other than her, had seen him like this.

She began to realize that her job might be in more jeopardy than sending cops after Avenue One’s number two client.

“Is there something you need to tell me?” she asked quietly.

Mark’s usual impenetrable self returned. “No. Get to work.” With that he left her office, closing the door behind him.

Her cell rang. Seeing the caller ID, she debated whether to answer. It was Jax.

She reluctantly picked up.

“Where are you?” he asked.

In a flash she remembered they had made plans to meet for a working breakfast today. “Oh, darn.” She hadn’t eaten yet. “I forgot all about it. I’ve been so busy.”

“Your assistant said you were out all day yesterday.”

“Something came up on another account. I’m sorry. It’s that project I told you about.” She really disliked lying, especially since she sounded good at it. “Where are you?”

“I’m on my way up,” he said.

Here? He was coming to her office? Apprehension drained her face of color, and prickles chased through her arms. Lying about her job differed from pretending to still be interested in Jax.

“You were going to show me the mockups for the new ad,” he reminded her.

“Yes.” She gathered her aplomb. “Why don’t you meet me in the conference room? The one off the lobby.” There would be a lot of people passing the windowed wall.

“I’m just now getting off the elevator.”

“Okay.”

Penny took her laptop and went to the conference room. She was hooking her computer up to the overhead projector when Jax entered, a visitor badge hanging around his neck, silk suit flowing down his lean body.

She plastered a smile to her face.

“Hi,” he said with a guarded grin.

Had he seen through her fake congeniality? Since they were at work, he didn’t walk over to kiss her. Instead, he put his briefcase on the floor and simply took a seat.

She remained standing and began her presentation. “We were thinking about taking a Parent Trap theme for one of the commercials. Something with an air mattress floating on a lake.” She clicked through a few slides with examples of lines and props.

“Maybe something a little more modern,” Jax said.

“Already thought of that. We envisioned starting out in the past time and then flashed forward to modern time.” She showed him an animated clip of what they’d turn into a real commercial.

When it ended, he nodded slowly. “I like it. But I’m not sure how many people will be familiar with a movie like that.”

“We can explore other options.”

“Let’s do that.”

Penny moved to his side and sat down, turning her laptop so he could see it. For the next hour and a half they researched other movies and came up with a few that might produce a few scenes they could mimic in the commercial. It was easy to fall into the work. Penny loved what she did. She’d always been a creative person, and Avenue One gave her busy, intellectual stimulation.

“This is good,” Jax said when they finished for the day. “Good progress.”

“Mark will be relieved you feel that way.” Maybe he’d get off her back.

He angled his head. “Oh? He has concerns?”

Penny curbed her tongue. She wouldn’t air corporate speculation. “He’s always concerned. He wants you and your brother to be happy with these ads.” And so did she, at least until he was arrested for kidnapping. If he’d be arrested...

“I have no doubt that we will.” He smiled the way he always did, warm and affectionate.

She was glad to hear him say that.

He stood, checking his phone. “I’ve got meetings the rest of the day. Are we still on for tonight?” he finally asked.

She felt her stomach churn with fear, but she nodded with a congenial, “Of course. How about eight?”

“Eight it is. See you then.” Jax looked down at her mouth as though wanting to kiss her. Thankfully they were in the office. Tonight would be another challenge.

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