Caught!: Taken! / Say Yes

He pulled back only far enough to speak, but his breath was warm on her lips, his tone husky. “You don’t have to convince me of that, honey. I know it all too well.” He kissed her again, a quick, hard kiss, then stepped back. “What did your mechanic say?”

Virginia had trouble bringing herself back under control. Lord love him, the man was a temptation, and she was quickly growing tired of resisting him. She stared up at him and tried to find her aplomb.

“I haven’t talked with my mechanic yet. He won’t have a chance to look at the car until tomorrow.”

“Then will you please—for my sake—be extra cautious until then?”

She thought about denying him, if for no other reason than reasserting her independence. She’d always had to fight so hard to prove herself, she sometimes didn’t know when to quit fighting. But truth be told, she loved the idea of him taking her home. Maybe he’d come inside, maybe he’d stop being so skittish about appearances and make love to her this very night. The mere thought caused her body to heat. “All right.”

Dillon stared down at her a moment longer before he nodded. He held her coat while she slipped into it, then led her out the door.

DILLON DIDN’T WANT to explore his satisfaction too deeply. Having Virginia accede to his wishes made him feel like a conqueror. It hadn’t happened often, and he had a feeling it wouldn’t happen again any time soon. Virginia wasn’t a woman to let a man call the shots. Right now, she was quiet. Too quiet. And he wondered if maybe she was regretting her small show of weakness. He didn’t consider caution a weakness, but he knew she would.

“Turn left up here.”

Startled out of his thoughts, Dillon reminded himself that he wasn’t supposed to know where she lived. He had to keep his mind on what he was doing, rather than trying to dissect Virginia’s psyche. He’d already discovered many times over what a futile and frustrating effort that could be. He just couldn’t seem to help himself; she fascinated him.

For the rest of the ride, he waited for her directions, even though he knew the way. Before getting hired on at Johnson’s Sporting Goods, he’d done a complete check on her.

When they pulled into her driveway, Virginia started to open her door. Dillon ignored that and walked around to her side of the car. She stood there, embraced by selective moonlight, on this dark, cloudy night. Her head was tilted back as she stared up at him, her eyes wide, and he wanted her.

He hated himself for it, but he wanted her. The iron control he’d always depended on seemed to evaporate where this woman was concerned, and it didn’t make sense. He didn’t even like her.

“Do you want to come in for a while?”

He hesitated. It didn’t take a genius to see the direction of her thoughts and, seeing that, he become instantly, painfully, hard. But making love to Virginia, especially now, wasn’t a wise thing to contemplate. He racked his brain for any excuse that would be believable, but before he could speak, a shadow caught his eye and he jerked toward the house. He could have sworn he saw a curtain move.

He shoved Virginia behind him as he stepped deeper into the shadows. “Do you have any pets, honey?”

“No. Dillon what are you—”

“Shh. Someone’s in your house.” His senses rioted, telling him all he needed to know.

“What?”

“Give me your key.”

Thankfully, Virginia complied, but when he told her to get into his car and lock the doors, she refused. As he inched closer to the house, she followed, leaving him no choice but to stop. “Damn it, Virginia.” His whispered voice was guttural, his temper on the edge. He grasped her shoulders. “You can’t—”

“It’s my house. I know my way around a lot better than you do.”

He shook her. He hadn’t meant to, but she was so obstinate, so annoying, he couldn’t help himself. “This isn’t a game, damn it! For once, will you—”

They both heard the back door slam, the sound carried easily on the cold, quiet night. Dillon squeezed her shoulders hard. “Stay put!”

He took off at a run. Even before he reached the backyard, he knew the chase was useless. Woods bordered her property on two sides, and he had no doubt the intruder would have long vanished into the black shadows. He cursed, then cursed again when Virginia touched his arm and he almost threw her to the ground in reaction. In the split second before he touched her, he realized who she was.

Without a word, knowing she wouldn’t follow an order even if her life depended on it, he dragged her up the back steps and into the house, keeping to the side so he wouldn’t destroy any footprints that might have been left behind. His temper was on the ragged edge, the ruthless aspects of his personality ruling him.

He found two light switches just inside the door. One illuminated the kitchen with blinding fluorescent light and the other flooded the backyard. Dillon scanned the yard, but there wasn’t a single movement caught in the glare.

“Call the police,” he whispered.

She answered in kind. “Why? Whoever it was is long gone now.”

“Unless there was more than one guy. Just do it.”

She bristled, but he didn’t have time to cajole her. He waited only until he saw her lift the receiver, then cautiously made his way down the hall, turning on lights as he went. Quickly, methodically, he went through the downstairs rooms, then trotted silently up the carpeted stairway to the upper level. He had explored all the rooms before Virginia finished making the call.

“Dillon?”

“It’s okay.” He answered from her bedroom, the last room he’d found. Virginia joined him there.

She glanced around, looking uncomfortable. “The police are on their way. They said to stay in the kitchen, not to try to be a hero.”

He grunted. “This is what I’m trained to do, Virginia.”

“To be a hero?”

He knew she was teasing. He could see it her golden eyes, shining now from the excitement. He shook his head. “Your bedroom is a surprise.”

That small observation removed the smile from her lips. She stiffened and drew her auburn brows together. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He left the room, Virginia hot on his heels. With a deliberate shrug, he said, “It’s a little more feminine than I had expected, that’s all. I mean, I hadn’t pictured you having ruffled pillow shams or lace curtains.”

She apparently didn’t know what to say to that, so Dillon changed the subject. “How about some coffee?” He approached the back door, examining it closely. “I’m sure the cops would appreciate it on a cold night like this.”

He’d no sooner said the words than the sirens could be heard. Sure enough, the police were more than willing to swill coffee as they gave the house another examination. To everyone’s surprise except maybe Dillon’s, nothing seemed to be missing.

Still, the police wrote up the incident as a simple break and enter.

One young officer held his hat in one hand while cradling his coffee in the other. “With a house like yours, in this neighborhood, a burglar would be in heaven.”

Another policeman confirmed what Dillon already knew. “They came in through the kitchen door.”

“But how?” Virginia didn’t seem unsettled by the whole affair—she seemed furious. “My doors are always locked.”

“They picked the lock somehow.” The cop shrugged. “Leave your floodlights on tonight. In fact, you should get a timer to turn them on as soon as it gets dark. And put in an alarm system, as well. A woman living here alone—”

Disgusted, Dillon interrupted. “I’ll see to it tomorrow.”

Virginia frowned at him, but kept her peace. Dillon’s position, his reason for being with her, had already been explained. Since then the cops had been giving him a wide berth.

The policeman nodded. “Yeah, well, we’ll patrol through the neighborhood the rest of the night, ma’am. You should be safe enough. Very seldom does a perpetrator return once he knows he’s been discovered.”

Dillon didn’t agree, and he told Virginia so as soon as the officers had left. “You shouldn’t stay here.”

“Now, don’t start, Dillon. I’m tired and I want to go to bed. I’m not about to start uprooting myself tonight.”

He paced, trying to think while she glared at him, looking her most imperious. “What is the matter with you? You’ve been entirely too high-handed this evening and I’ve about had enough!”

He should have known she’d get her back up and make this more difficult than it had to be. “Virginia, has it escaped your notice that you’ve been threatened twice in the same day?”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ve had car trouble and a simple break-in. That’s doesn’t exactly add up to a life-or-death situation.”

He clenched his fists tight, fighting for control. It seemed he fought that particular battle more since meeting Virginia than he ever had in his entire life. “How do you think the guy got inside?”

She shrugged. “He picked the lock.”

“There’s no evidence of a forced entry. What if he had a key?”

Her eyes widened and she took a step back. “What exactly are you saying, Dillon? You think someone I know is trying to hurt me? Who?”

He should probably have admitted his suspicions that he thought Cliff might very well be the one harassing her. But something held him back. Despite all her bravado, all her indignation and affronted pride, she was still a woman, soft and vulnerable. From what he knew of her, Virginia had never had an easy life, and she’d never had anyone to love her. To find out now just how big a scoundrel her brother could be might well devastate her. He couldn’t bear that.

To his shame, though, he had another reason for hesitating. The possibility that if he forced the issue, she might blame Wade for threatening her. To Virginia, Wade would be a much more likely suspect. Her brother had accused him of embezzlement, and he’d been fired. Didn’t that give Wade motive enough, in her mind, to want revenge? If he convinced her the threats were real, would it backfire on Wade?

Wade could end up being accused not only as an embezzler, but an assailant as well. And then, if Virginia thought Wade was guilty, she would let her guard down. The real assailant would have a clear field. It was too risky. And if Virginia got hurt because he was preoccupied with his brother…

Impulsively, he put his arms around her and pulled her close in a careful hug. She resisted, holding herself stiff in his arms until he said, “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been on edge tonight. But Virginia, at least give me the right to worry about you a little, okay?”

She smiled up at him. “If you insist. But it isn’t necessary. I’ll be careful. I’m not an idiot.”

“I know.” He kissed her and didn’t want to stop kissing her. Her lips were warm and soft and she tempted him. He opened his mouth over hers, gently moving, savoring her taste. She made a small sound deep in her throat when his tongue licked over her bottom lip.

Cursing inwardly, Dillon set her away from him and reached for his coat. “Will you be all right tonight?”

He could tell by her expression that she wanted to ask him to stay; pride would keep her from it, though. And this time, he was glad. In less than twenty-four hours, everything had changed. His plans thrown into turmoil, he had to adapt. False accusations of embezzlement were no longer the only issue, and took a back seat to Virginia’s safety. This new threat was much more tangible, much more immediate.

He felt responsible for Virginia, whether she liked it or not, and he’d do his best to protect her, even while helping his brother. If he had to be ruthless to accomplish both goals, so be it. In all fairness, he gave her one last chance to do things the easy way. “Why don’t you take a vacation? Disappear for a while until things calm down?”

“What things? You really are overreacting.”

His hands fisted at his sides. “This wasn’t a simple break-in, Virginia.”

“Of course it was—”

“Nothing was taken, damn it! How do you explain that?”

She shrugged. “It’s like the police said. We probably interrupted the burglar.”

He grabbed her arms, his patience at an end. “What if you’d walked in here alone? What if I hadn’t been with you? Do you think whoever it was would have run?”

She stared at him blankly, her lips parted in surprise at his vehemence. With an effort, he eased his tone.

“This is what I do, honey. I know what I’m talking about. To be safe, you should get out of here for a while. Go to a motel. I’ll join you Thursday, just as we planned.”

She rubbed his shoulder as if to soothe him. “I have responsibilities here, Dillon. And the police really don’t seem to think there’s anything to be alarmed about.”

Dillon drew a deep breath and released her. “Surely the company can survive without you for a few days.” Without having to worry about her being threatened and with free run of her office, he could not only get the information he needed to absolve Wade, but most likely nail the bastard who was harassing her as well. All he needed was a little time.

She began loading empty coffee cups into the dishwasher, and when she glanced at him, a gentleness had entered her eyes. “I like you, Dillon, and I want to spend time with you. But one long afternoon will have to be enough for now. Don’t ask for more. My first priority will always be running the company—you know that.”

Only, it wasn’t her company, it was Cliff’s. And Dillon had a feeling Cliff had gotten tired of sharing it with her.

Her stubbornness knew no bounds; she wouldn’t relent. He closed his eyes a moment, accepting the inevitable, knowing what had to be done, knowing his options had just become severely limited. From the moment he’d involved himself in this mess, he’d felt equal parts protective and possessive of her. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt her. He’d protect her despite herself. Never mind that she’d probably despise him for it. Her hate had been guaranteed from the first.

He had one more day, Wednesday, to watch over her, while at the same time rearranging his plans and making new ones. He had a lot to accomplish in the time left to him, including the installation of an alarm system at her house that would put a stop to intruders.

He sighed as the ramifications of his new plan sank in. Virginia would miss her meeting on Friday after all. But at least she’d be safe.

chapter 5

DILLON HEARD the ringing as if from far away. It pierced his subconsciousness, but wasn’t enough to get him out of the dream. And he knew he was dreaming, knew it wasn’t real, but he couldn’t force himself awake.

The cell was dark and cold, and in his dream he accepted that he would spend many years there, yet strangely enough, that wasn’t what bothered him most. No, it was Virginia, standing outside his cell, round with a late pregnancy. His child. He broke out in a sweat. Cliff was pointing and laughing from the background, and Virginia’s eyes looked wounded—and accusing.

The ringing became more insistent, sounding like a small scream, and he jerked awake. His heart thundered and all his muscles felt too tight, straining. He had an erection.

Unbelievable. He ran a hand over his face, drew several deep breaths. His stomach slowly began to unknot.

The covers were tangled about his legs and he felt like he’d been in a furnace he was so hot. The dream, and his reaction to it, made no sense, and even if in some twisted way it did, he shied away from probing the reasons. He didn’t want to know what it meant, didn’t want to dwell on the strange things Virginia made him feel. Kelsey was the one who was pregnant, and Dillon planned to do only what he had to do. He would save his brother, protect Virginia, but he wouldn’t touch her. So there was no chance of the dream coming true.

Still, he felt a drip of sweat slide down his brow.

The bedside alarm continued its shrill call, and feeling drugged, Dillon reached for it. He glanced at the face of the clock. It wasn’t quite five a.m. and he had to meet Virginia at six. Today was the day.

His heart still thundered from the dream—which hadn’t been a dream at all but rather a damned nightmare. Dillon ran a hand through his hair, shoving it away from his face.

Peddling his legs, he kicked the blankets to the end of the bed and let the cold winter morning air wash over his naked body. The sweat dried quickly and he chilled as he considered what was on his agenda.

He was going to kidnap Virginia Johnson.

Ever since the break-in he’d tried to think of another way to do things, another way to protect her and his brother. But he’d come up blank, without a single alternative. She refused to take the time away from the office, refused to listen to reason or take extra precautions. He’d come up with only one solution.

And his stomach had been in knots ever since.

Anyone who’d met Virginia for more than two minutes would know how she’d react to being held prisoner.

Everything in her would rebel. Hell, he’d had to fight her tooth and nail just to get the alarm installed at her home yesterday. He’d hired the very best agency, interviewed them himself, selected the alarm. Virginia had been outraged, only grudgingly giving over to his greater experience. Dillon had made sure the system was installed that very day, in case she changed her mind.

Virginia, on the best of days, was hard-nosed and contrary and independent to a fault. She wouldn’t be an easy victim, and in the normal scheme of things, with a real kidnapping, her sarcasm and sharp tongue could get her hurt. Not that he would ever hurt her. He didn’t hurt women, and the very idea of harming Virginia made him ache. She’d been hurt more than enough over her lifetime.

Poor Virginia. A brother who ridiculed her to employees and a spoiled little sister who thought only of herself. No wonder she’d become such a tough woman. She’d had to to survive the jackals, the people who would use her without regret.

And now he would be no better.

All his life he’d thought there were only two kinds of families. The type he and his father had, that existed on guts and strength and commitment. Their lives centered on survival, and they watched each other’s backs, because they only had each other. Their bonds ran deep with the bare bones of necessity.

Then there was the other kind, the one filled with love and tenderness. Children playing, dogs barking, barbecues in the backyard and family outings to the amusement park.

Now he realized there were many kinds, because Virginia didn’t fit into either group. She was as strong as an iron spike, but she didn’t have the respect and dedication from her family that same trait would have earned for a man.

Neither did she have the love or tenderness. Maybe none of that even existed. Maybe it was just something he’d conjured in his brain when things had been hard and he’d foolishly tried to imagine the life he would have had with a mother. He was damn lucky his father had stuck by him, lucky the man had seen fit to teach him how to get by in the world.

Dillon glanced at the clock again. In one hour he’d be picking up Virginia. She would be expecting a day full of intimacy. He was going to give her the fright of her life. More than anything, he’d like to simply walk away, to forget Virginia and her damn dysfunctional family. The ridiculous dream that couldn’t mean anything, no matter how it made his guts churn, was just that, a dream. He didn’t, wouldn’t, care for her, but for some damn reason, he wanted her. And he wanted to protect her. Chemistry, unaccountable and indisputable.

It wouldn’t be easy, not with the complications growing every day, but he’d manage. Once Virginia was safely stowed away, he could concentrate on Wade.

He wondered if Cliff was using Virginia’s distraction with the embezzlement to try to hurt her, to drive her away from the company. He hadn’t heard Virginia mention the embezzlement, so she might not even be aware of Cliff’s treachery. Or maybe she had gotten too close to discovering her brother’s underhanded tactics. Virginia took her obligations to the company very seriously; she wouldn’t put up with falsifying evidence. Was Cliff afraid of her finding out?

Either way, Dillon knew in his guts that Virginia was threatened. And he knew Cliff would be closing in on Wade very soon now. They couldn’t have much time left. He had to get into the files and find the real embezzler before it was too late. Taking Virginia was the only option open to him, the only way to settle both problems at one time.

Virginia wouldn’t like it, wouldn’t understand his motives. But Wade would. He knew it had to be now or never. He had no choice. Just as his father had watched out for him, he now watched out for Wade, regardless of personal feelings or conflicts. That much, at least, he understood about family.

With cold resolution he climbed from the bed and headed for the shower.

VIRGINIA COULDN’T HELP but be excited. She’d arrived at the parking lot fifteen minutes early. It was dark and cold and everything was covered in ice. The world sparkled beneath street lamps and moonlight, looking new and clean and magical.

Headlights curved into the lot and then blinded her as they slowly crept her way. Her heartbeat picked up rhythm, and she closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. Somehow, she knew Dillon wouldn’t be like the other men. He wouldn’t be satisfied with half measures and fumbling in the dark. The thought shook her, but in a small part of herself that she’d kept hidden for so very long, she was excited by the notion. She felt sexy.

Absurd, a woman her age, with her weight problems and practical outlook on life, but she couldn’t help it. She’d even worn sexy underclothes. A silk teddy, garters and silk hose. Instead of twisting her hair into a tight knot, she’d left it looser, more like the romantic Gibson-girl style. Little curls fell around her ears. She’d felt silly when she looked in the mirror, but she didn’t redo it.

She wore a long winter-white cashmere tunic and skirt, with ankle boots of the same creamy color. Even her thick cape was a matching off-white. Her red hair was the only color. And the blush on her cheeks.

The vehicle that pulled alongside her, facing the opposite direction, wasn’t the same car Dillon had kissed her in the other night. No, this was a big, mean, ugly truck. She squinted through the driver’s-side window and saw Dillon step out, holding on to the truck door because of the ice. He’d parked so close only a few feet separated them. He reached out and opened her door.

“Be careful. It’s like a frozen pond out here. Nothing but ice.”

She put her gloved hand in his and carefully stepped out. He held her securely, protectively. For a moment she allowed it, and then she realized what she was doing, how she was being treated, and she pulled back.

All day yesterday Dillon had hovered over her. He’d fretted, much like a mother hen, and she knew it was because he was worried. The break-in, though no big deal to Virginia, had upset him. Despite his capabilities, he was a mild-mannered man in most instances, and she supposed the circumstances might be unsettling to someone without her constitution.

In a way she thought it was sweet that he’d been so concerned for her welfare. But being independent had become second nature to her. It was her greatest protective instinct. “I’m fine. Just let me open my trunk and get my bag.”

“Your bag?”

Flustered, she fiddled with her car door. “You can’t expect me to spend the entire day with you and not have…other stuff with me. I didn’t know if we’d go out for dinner, or if you’d just want to…stay in the room.” Her voice trailed off. She’d packed things to refix her hair, anticipating that it might get rather mussed, and she’d brought something sexy to wear for him when they went to bed, as well as a cocktail dress. She’d never before planned a rendezvous and wasn’t certain of the protocol. But she had no intention of explaining all that to him.

“It’s not important, Dillon. Just let me—”