“JTTF?”
“Joint terrorism task force. New York’s finest working harmoniously with the FBI.” O’Brien winked.
“Hey, you wouldn’t by any chance know Nanobyte? She just got hired by the FBI in New York.”
“Who doesn’t? She worked my last case with me. I swear the woman’s brain is half-computer.”
“She’s my best friend.” Zoe’s face lit up.
“Can’t wait to compare notes.” O’Brien’s light blue eyes watched her with amused fascination.
Jack felt a twinge in his chest. He put a possessive arm around his mate and O’Brien laughed at the obvious move. Good thing the elevator door opened so Jack wouldn't have to eat the words he almost uttered. He unlocked the door that led into the foyer and let everyone in.
“You live here?” Zoe held Erina’s hand and put her nose to his latest acquisition, an Arizona landscape of the rising sun over desert cactus, and gave an appreciative smile.
His insides melted. She liked his favorite painting. That bode well for the rest of his apartment. He led them into the living room.
“Go ahead and sit. I’ll ask Joan to make us a quick snack before we head out.”
“You have a cook?” Her eyes widened, then her mouth curved down in a frown. “How many servants do you have?”
“Employees, not servants.” His brother laughed. “And he’s got a pilot, a personal assistant, and if you count all the companies he owns, including this building, he probably has–”
“It doesn’t matter,” Jack said, seeing the uncertainty in her eyes as she took it all in.
Zoe groaned and mumbled something under her breath. Jack said nothing. She was here with him and that’s all that mattered.
* * *
Zoe had never seen anything like Jack’s apartment, except maybe in the movies. Her whole flat would fit into the foyer alone. How the hell was she going to fit into a life like this? Jack held out his hand and escorted her into the kitchen.
One wall held floor to ceiling windows and a balcony. From the eighteenth floor, she could see the entrance to Central Park.
Jack was saying something about the Wi-Fi password but it was too hard to focus. She couldn’t shut out how friggin’ loaded the guy was. It was one thing to read about it online, and quite another to walk into your new mate’s home worth millions.
“Are you okay” Jack watched her, his head tilted slightly, a frown on his handsome face.
“Sorry. I’m a bit overwhelmed.”
He pulled her to his chest and whispered into her ear, “Angel, it’ll be alright. We’re together in this.”
“Okay.” Zoe nodded, but she couldn’t shake the anxiety.
“We’re heading out now,” Jack said, releasing her, then scooped a cookie from the plate on the island and handed it to Erina. The girl’s face lit up. “O’Brien found a safe house for the girl. I’m going to get her settled, and take care of a few things. Joan will be here if you need anything.”
Zoe glanced at the middle-aged woman who stood beside the stove stirring the contents of a large pot. She wondered if the woman knew about Jack’s family and what he was–what she was.
Jack slid his fingers along her chin and brushed his lips softly against hers. Little zings of electricity pulsed through her, and he gave her the half-dimpled smile that sent shivers down the length of her body.
“I’ll be back soon.” His voice held the promise of what his gaze suggested, and her knees went a little weak.
Would she ever get use to the power he had over her body?
After they left, she sat down at the kitchen table. She linked to the internet and tried to get lost in her work. Usually the constant world of variables and conditionals gave her comfort. But she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering. Jack in the ocean. Jack kissing her. Jack in her bed, touching her.Argh!
Joan didn’t seem to notice her discomfort. She went about her business, cutting onions, veggies, and sausage, then left them to simmer on the stove. She puttered about the apartment, humming.
Around noon, the older woman placed a Cobb salad on the table beside her laptop. “You need to eat.”
