Intent to Seduce & A Glimpse of Fire(40)

“Who cares?” he murmured as he leaned a little closer. Then to her astonishment, she felt the backs of his fingers brush very deliberately along the side of her breast. She took a quick step back into a waiter. Wineglasses clinked and jiggled on his tray, and one dropped to the floor. In the midst of the confusion, Mac upended the contents of hers down the front of Tiny’s shirt.

“I’m so sorry,” she said.

“Why, you little…” Tiny paused to glare at her as he searched for a word. “You did that on purpose.”

Mac lifted her chin. “That’s not a very nice thing to accuse a lady of.”

“Sally, my dear, is there a problem?”

Mac turned to find Tracker pushing through a circle of people. “I spilled my wine.”

“She poured it over me on purpose,” Tiny maintained.

Whipping out a hankie, Tracker began to brush it down the front of Tiny’s shirt. “You’re so lucky it was white wine. Red wine stains are so difficult to take out.” Pausing, he ran his finger down the cloth. “Oh my. This is silk. And chardonnays have been known to leave a mark.”

The man slapped Tracker’s hand away. “Leave it, will you?”

Tracker made a tsking sound. “Just to be sure, you should rinse it immediately with cold water.” He gave the shirt one last brush with his hankie. “I can show you where the men’s room is.”

“Never mind,” Tiny said, backing away. “I can find it on my own.”

“You weren’t supposed to create a scene,” Tracker said under his breath as he took her arm and parted a way for them through the little crowd that had gathered.

“I don’t like to be fondled in public,” she said. Then it occurred to her that she’d just told an outright lie. Hadn’t Lucas touched her almost as intimately in front of Vincent Falcone? “At least not by strangers.”

“C’mon, let’s get you a breath of fresh air.” Taking her arm, Tracker guided her through a glass door to a redwood deck.

“I’m sorry.”

“The boss has you rattled, doesn’t he?”

She sighed as she turned to him. “Yes. But I shouldn’t be letting it interfere. I should be able to put it out of my mind until we find—” Cutting herself off, she glanced quickly around. They were alone on one of the wide decks she’d spotted from the limo. Beyond Tracker’s shoulder, she could see the flight of steps that led to the upper levels. Shifting her eyes back to Tracker, she said, “In the lab, I never lose my focus.”

“He’s rattled too, if that helps. As far as making my escape goes, I think we’ve just found a better way to get to the upper levels of this little hotel. C’mon.”

“I’m supposed to keep myself visible,” Mac said. The stairs looked steeper and steeper as they drew closer to them.

“Been there. Done that,” Tracker said as he began to climb. “And since you’ve called a little too much attention to yourself, it’s time for plan B. Besides, I think you’re safer with me right now than you are with Tiny.”

“But we can be seen by anyone who glances this way.” Drawing in a deep breath, she took the first step, then the second. This was what she wanted, wasn’t it? She wanted to help find Sophie.

“It’s the best kind of cover,” he explained in a low tone as he turned to draw her up the last steps. “If someone asks, we’re just trying to get a better view of the whole estate.” He guided her toward the railing and raised his voice. “Mr. Falcone wanted us to make ourselves at home. And the view is so much better from here. Look, there’s even a telescope we can use.”

Mac was sure that the view was incredible, but it was hard to enjoy it with the way her stomach had started to pitch and roll. She gripped the edge of the railing.

Tracker leaned close and whispered, “One of the glass doors behind us is ajar. I’m going to wander in, then check out the room and the floor. You stay here and keep watch. Any trouble, you head down to the party. Okay?”

“Sure.” Mac managed a nod. She wasn’t sure she could get back down the stairs, but she wasn’t going to keep Tracker from doing his job.

In a louder voice, he said, “Nature is calling, sweetie. Be right back.”

Mac kept her eyes directly in front of her as Tracker slipped away. The view was spectacular. If she kept her attention focused on that, the dizziness would fade. From this level, she could see the neat patterns that the rows of vines made as they crisscrossed in the distance. She let her gaze follow one pattern into the next as she drew in deep breaths and let them out. Any minute now, the queasiness would pass. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of color.

Turning, she saw just the edge of a colored cloth spread across the grass. She inched her way along the railing as it curved around the side of the house until she spotted the baskets and the splashes of colored silk. Deflated hot-air balloons.

Sophie had mentioned taking a ride in one—how long ago? Two days? Mac recalled the excitement in her friend’s voice, and now she wondered if Sophie would ever…

No, she wasn’t going to let herself think that way. They were going to find Sophie. She was going to be all right. Tracker could be finding her right now.

Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes. She’d just seen it again, that flash of color. Something had caused one of the swatches of red and green silk spread along the ground to ripple a little. That was what must have caught her eye a few moments ago.

What was causing it? There wasn’t any wind, but she was sure she’d seen the cloth move. She waited and watched.

“What in hell am I supposed to do now?”

The sudden break in the silence made Mac jump. It was coming from the section of the deck below her where she and Tracker had been standing only moments before. And the voice was familiar.

“I promised my father that I would have exclusive rights to MacKenzie Lloyd’s research by today. You promised me that I would.”

“Look. I was sure that you would have it too. But you know how difficult she is to deal with.”

Mac’s hands tightened on the railing. The second voice was more than familiar; she recognized it instantly. Leaning over the railing, she confirmed what she already knew. The second man was Professor Gil Stafford, her department chair at the university. And the first was Vincent Smith, the representative from Lansing Biotech who’d dated her in the hopes that she’d sign with his company.

“You assured me it was a done deal,” Vincent said.

“It’s just a minor glitch. She left town unexpectedly. Once I can get her out here, she’ll sign the papers. I guarantee it.” Gil Stafford’s voice was as smooth as an oil slick, and just as dangerous.

“You’ve been wrong about her before. You told me that all I would have to do was get her to fall in love with me and she would sign everything over to Lansing Biotech. That didn’t work. And I’ve guaranteed my father that he can make this announcement today.”

“Calm down, Sonny.”

Another wave of dizziness hit at the same instant that everything clicked in Mac’s mind. She pulled her head up slowly and focused on the colorful balloon silk in the distance. The man who had introduced himself to her and romanced her as Vincent Smith of Lansing Biotech had to be none other than Sonny Falcone. She took a deep breath and let it out.

What name had he used when he’d been dating Sophie? she wondered. Then she clamped down ruthlessly on the hysterical bubble of laughter that threatened to erupt. There would be time to laugh with Sophie later. Right now she had to listen and think.

“I admit I misjudged Dr. Lloyd at first. When she turned down the money you were offering, I thought she might be persuaded by romance. She’s such a little mouse. But everyone has a price.” Gil’s tone was soothing, his laugh soft. “I now have something that she wants—something that she will do anything to get back. I guarantee it.”

“Then why isn’t she here, signing the papers right now?”

“I told you. I have to get her out here first.”

For the first time, Mac heard a hint of anger and frustration in Gil Stafford’s voice.

“The important thing is not to let your father know that there’s a problem, right?” Gil said. “No need in getting him all upset when everything will work out in the end.”

“As long as you’re sure…”

“When he calls you into his office, just tell him that the paperwork will be here shortly. Dr. Lloyd is sending it by special messenger.”

Mac heard footsteps then. They were taking the outside stairs to the lower level. As the voices faded, she focused her eyes on the bright silk cloth. This time it wasn’t the thoughts spinning around in her head or even the height of the deck that was making her dizzy. It was the fear blooming inside her. If Gil Stafford had something she wanted, it must mean that he had Sophie—and he knew it was her.

Just then the silk rippled. And this time she saw what was causing it. One of the baskets had swayed, tipping one way and then righting itself.

Moving quickly to the telescope, she focused it on the balloon. Someone had to be in it, making it move. Then she caught a glimpse of a head with blond hair. Sophie?