“You can’t do that. Phone calls are a big part of my show-you know that.”
“I can do anything, baby, I own the damn station.”
“Don’t you dare pull rank on me, Jesse. If this were Brian’s show you would never have said such a stupid thing!”
“Brian isn’t you.”
“And that’s supposed to justify it? You can’t mess with my show.”
“Well I just did. No calls,” he ordered, implacable and stony-faced.
Her chin tilted at him. “And what if that makes it worse? It could, you know.”
Jess’s palm glided over her smooth skin in a mesmerizing caress. “You don’t believe that.”
Saber bit at her full lower lip. “Well, maybe not,” she admitted reluctantly. “What if I just don’t take his call? Brian can vet them all first, and if it’s him, Brian just won’t put him through.” She could barely think with Jesse’s fingers on her, brushing back and forth in that amazing way.
“I had Les send the tapes over to me. This is a nutcase, honey, and he’ll call again. And if Brian can say you can’t take calls from anyone, this nut will have no reason to think he’s being singled out.”
“That’s crazy. Wrap me in bubble wrap, why don’t you?”
“Better yet, why don’t you stay home from work for a few days? We can say you’re ill.” Jess’s hands dropped lower to take her foot into the palm of his hand, massaging it gently. “We could go on a trip together, honey.”
“What kind of trip?” In spite of herself Saber was interested. Going away with Jess would be heaven. Going anywhere with him.
“You name it. I don’t care.”
Saber sighed, reached out to brush a lock of hair from his temple with gentle fingers. “You can take me dancing and we’ll call it good.”
“You do love dancing, don’t you?” His eyes met hers, black with hunger. Saber felt as if she were dissolving, melting into him. She actually leaned toward him, her breath catching in her throat, heart thudding painfully.
The shrill ringing of the telephone had both of them jumping. Jess swore under his breath. Saber pressed the back of her hand to her mouth.
“We don’t have to answer the damn thing,” Jess groused.
“It’s the only safe thing to do,” Saber said unsteadily, lifting the receiver. “Hello.”
Jess winced at the sultry sound of her voice.
“Saber, I’m glad you’re up already.”
“Brian, what’s up?” Saber reached down to ease the grip Jess had on her calf.
“I thought maybe we could grab a bite to eat before work tonight. It’s silly for us to take two cars,” Brian said.
Jess could hear that clear, carrying baritone. He wanted to rip the phone right out of her hand and tell the stud of the radio station where he could go. People were fired over lesser infractions. Saber’s soft laughter grated on his nerves.
“Thanks for thinking of me, Brian, but I always take my own car. It’s a new rule I made after an unfortunate date. I thought your apartment was clear out in the other direction.” She glared at Jess’s frowning face, flicked his chin with her index finger.
He caught her finger, carried it to his mouth, took wicked enjoyment in her swift intake of breath, the sudden cloudiness in her blue eyes.
“I’ve moved,” Brian informed her. “So what about meeting me for dinner?”
Jess removed her finger from the warmth of his mouth. “I’m taking you dancing, remember, baby?”
Saber rolled her eyes. “Another time, Brian. Jess and I have plans tonight.”
“And every other night,” Jess said under his breath.
Saber caught it anyway, grinning at him as she nodded at whatever Brian was saying. “See you tonight, Brian, right, good-bye.” She hung up. “Jesse, you’re so outrageous. It will serve you right if I insist on you taking me out every single night. I thought you liked Brian. He’s really very nice.”
“He’s a damned playboy.”
Saber shifted sideways, jumped to the floor, dusting off her hands on the seat of her jeans. “So are you. Your own sister said so. And a cad.”
“I’m a nice cad.”
She flashed her sassy smile. “Well…” She tilted her head to one side pretending to consider. “I think you’re right.”
“I’ve got to put in a couple of more hours working,” Jess said.
Saber nodded, knowing Jess could disappear into his office with his high-tech equipment and be there for hours.
“It’s about time,” she teased. “I was afraid I’d end up supporting you.”
“It might come to that.” He glided over the smooth floor toward the hall. “What are you going to do?” If she was going out, he needed to notify Logan.
“Swim a few laps, lift weights, and eat.”
“If I work too long, come in and yell at me.”
“And risk you biting my head off?” She feigned shock. “Not even Patsy braves the dragon in his inner lair.”
He paused in the doorway. “Am I really that bad?”
She laughed. “I’d like to lie and tell you no, but when you’re in the middle of working, you definitely object to any interruptions.”
He had to follow the lead the admiral’s secretary, Louise Charter, had given him. He had a feeling time was running out on him and he needed to find the traitor in the chain of command as soon as possible, before someone else was set up to die.
“This time I’ll make an exception, I promise, honey. If I get caught up, come and get me.”
She nodded and watched him as he moved easily down the hall. There was something so fluid, so powerful in the way Jess moved, she loved to just watch him.
Snarling with rage, he slammed his fist repeatedly into the wall, tearing holes into the Sheetrock. How dare Whitney send some enhanced bastard of a soldier to reprimand him. How dare the son of a bitch order him away from Calhoun’s sister. It wasn’t his place? He’d show them his place. And how had Whitney known? He kicked the chair, splintering it into pieces, stomping on it for good measure.
He had managed to penetrate Calhoun’s security and make it inside the fence without being seen. He had done that, not one of Whitney’s finest. Screw them. He could get in and out of the house at will. He could go right now, right this moment, to Calhoun’s sister’s house and spend all night cutting her into little pieces, maybe send them one by one to the cripple-no, send the pieces to Whitney-so f**k him. How would Whitney like that?