CHAPTER 1

A sound caused Jade’s head to snap toward the doorway.  She blinked and inhaled sharply.  A man literally filled her doorframe.   She didn’t want to stare, but…good Lord!  With his hair cut short and his chiseled cheeks, his eyes drew all of her attention.  Against his copper tinted brown skin, they were dark and fierce, full of secrets. 

Swallowing past a knot in her throat, she dragged her gaze away from his and gave his large frame a once over.  Wide chest, broad shoulders, black polo shirt, and well-worn black jeans—a body built for sin. 

Okay, so he was over six feet plus of male poster material and she hadn’t had sex in what?  A year?  Year and a half if she counted the six months her no-good, sorry-excuse of a husband—now her ex, thank you very much—was busy taking care of his secretary’s needs rather than hers, his devoted wife.  Still, that was no excuse to drool. 

“I believe we have an appointment, Professor Satchel.” 

The words rolled off his chiseled lips and she spied a hint of a grove on one lean cheek before it disappeared.  A dimple?  Oh, she loved dimples on a man.

Jade realized he was waiting for her response and nodded.  “Vince Knight?”  Her voice came out breathless.  She flushed when his eyebrows shot up.  Of course, he was Vince Knight.  His sinfully sexy voice alone, deep and husky, was unforgettable.  It brought to mind silk sheets, intertwined limbs, and sweaty bodies. 

Get your mind off the gutter, Jade.  She got off the corner of her desk, where she’d propped her butt.  “Come in, please.”  

“Thank you.” 

He stepped into her office, dwarfing it by his sheer presence.  He exuded raw power so sensually overwhelming, Jade decided to put some distance between them.  Unfortunately, he chose that moment to run his dark gaze over her mauve skirt suit, lingering on her legs before doing a slow turn at her Jimmy Choos. 

Her temperature shot up.  Her jacket felt too snug, her skirt too short.  She became conscious of her smaller stature, which was ridiculous.  At five-seven, with parts of her body stubbornly refusing to be toned down, she wasn’t exactly tiny.  When his gaze paused at the bare skin visible above her black silk shirt, Jade knew she was close to melting.  Where was a fan when you needed one?   

Pull yourself together, Jade.  Her mind and body warred.  Her mind, as usual, won.  Jade took a deep breath and indicated the chair across from hers.  “Sit down, please.” 

She made her way behind her desk, sat down, and crossed her legs.  The gorgeous hunk was still standing, his gaze locked on her like a heat-seeking missile. What was he waiting for?  Jade uncrossed her legs, then pressed her knees together and hoped…no, prayed that he would look away.  Even for just a second.  And why the hell wasn’t he sitting down? 

“You, uh, have a problem with sitting down or is it the chair?”  Her gaze shifted to the clock on her desk, then back to him.  She smiled to soften her next words.  “You have exactly five minutes, then I have to leave.  There’s a roomful of art history students waiting for me down the hall.”

 A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes, then he pulled out the chair and sat.  “You haven’t changed one little bit, Jade Satchel.”

Jade scowled at him.  What did he mean by that?  Had they met before?   

“You don’t recognize me, do you?”

Jade titled her head, contemplating his features.  Arrogant slashes for eyebrows, bold nose, and sensual lips created a face so full of raw willpower it was mesmerizing.  And those eyes and the dimples softening the austere face were definitely familiar.  An elusive memory teased her, then disappeared.  “I know I should because you look familiar.  Did we meet at one of my mother’s parties?”

“No.  We attended the same high school.”

Oh, no, not high school.  High school had been a nightmare.  After skipping two grades, she’d been much younger than most of her classmates.  To top it, she’d been too everything.  Too timid.  Too inhibited, except when she was with her family.  And too fat.  “Just baby fat, sweetheart,” her mother would say.  In high school?  Yeah, right.  Between her sheltered upbringing and her illness, it was a wonder she left an impression on anyone, let alone this man.

So what exactly did Vince Knight mean by she hadn’t changed?  She may not be fashionably skinny, but she sure as hell wasn’t fat.  And she’d worked too damn hard this past year to overcome her coyness, thanks to Ms. Moira Evan’s bestselling manual, Get Some Kick-ass Attitude.  Even her manipulative ex-husband would have a hard time reconciling the new, self-assured, take-charge Jade from the one he’d easily controlled.

“High school.  That was eons ago.”  Her tone was cool.

He nodded briefly.  “I know.  I was there for a short period, so I’m sure I didn’t leave a lasting impression.”

A memory teased her mind again.  She fought to grasp it as she studied him.  “I’m sure that’s not the case. I’m just terrible with face….” 

Her voice trailed off as an image took hold.  Oh, my goodness, he couldn’t possibly be Vinny?  The rumor then was that he’d come straight from juvenile detention to her school.  After he’d disappeared, everyone had assumed he’d gone right back to the juvee.  His tough-guy attitude had made him a magnet for girls.  Three months were all he’d spent in her school, and he’d scored with half the cheerleading squad.  Could have been a rumor, but it had made him a rebel every hormone-driven teenage boy wanted to emulate.

How could she have forgotten him?  And how the heck could he remember her? Their paths had crossed once.  A humiliating moment she’d unsuccessfully tried to erase from her mental Roller deck.  Even worse, it hadn’t stopped her from weaving fantasies about him, envying the girls he’d supposedly seduced in the back seat of his black Trans Am.  Then there was the juicy rumor about the size of his….

Heat spread up Jade’s neck.  She tried to cover it with a smile.  “I remember you, Vince.  You were something else in high school.  What happened?  You just upped and disappeared after a few months.”

Vince shrugged.  “I needed a change.”

And what a change.  The rebellious youth was now a man with rippling muscles, a face of sharp angles and planes.  His old cocky smile, hinting at dark secrets, was noticeably absent, but his eyes still had the power to tug at a heart and pierce a soul.  “So, what can I do for you?”

Vince leaned forward.  “I’m in need of some information.” 

“Oh.”  She studied him, tried to guess what he wanted from her, but the man had a poker face.  “On what?”

“Who,” he corrected.  “Althea Satchel.”

Jade stiffened.  “My mother?  Is she the brief consultation you mentioned in your message?”

“Yes.  I’ve been trying to locate her.  Left her numerous messages in her voice mail, but she hasn’t returned any of them.  I was hoping you’d help me.”

Jade shook her head, a slight frown playing on her brows.  Never would she have guessed he wanted to talk to her about her mother.  She opened her mouth to tell him her mother’s whereabouts, then she recalled Moira Evan’s Rule Number One—Don’t be too eager to please, be assertive.  “What’s this about?”

“Nothing serious,” he said dismissively.

She began to get a sinking-in-the-stomach sensation.  The same feeling she’d felt the last time she saw her mother.  “Why would you seek me out if it isn’t serious?”

His eyebrow shot up at her steel-over-velvet tone.  “I need her input on something.  Can you tell me where she is and how I can contact her?”

“No, I can’t.”

“Why not?”  His eyes narrowed. 

Those eyes and ruthlessly controlled expression belonged to a dangerous sort of man, an unpredictable man.  She didn’t do unpredictable.  “Because you’re the third person to ask me for her whereabouts this week.” 

Vince shifted, the heel of his hands coming to rest on her desk.  “Who were the other two?  What did they want?”

“Why do you want to know?” she shot back, fighting the urge to lean back.  “I may only be her daughter, but I’m tired of everyone being vague about why they want to see her.”

“Look here, Jade—”

“No, you look here.”  She leaned forward.  “I’m not going to tell you anything unless you come clean with me.  And the more you hedge, the more I’m convinced I have every right to know what’s going on.”  He glowered at her and she swallowed.  Holy cow, the man was intimidating when riled.  A sliver of apprehension shot up her spine and the urge to back down followed.  More spine, woman.  “Now.  Why are you looking for my mother?”

He shot his watch an impatient glance.  “You don’t have time for a lengthy explanation, professor.”

She ignored the bite in his voice and shrugged.  “Make it brief.  I’m sure I can get the gist of—”

“Excuse me, Professor Satchel,” a voice interrupted her.

Jade smothered a groan and looked toward the doorway where a young man stood.  “Yes, Shaun?” Shaun Holton, her smart-ass graduate student. 

“Sorry to interrupt, but your class is waiting.” 

Damn it, she had to know why Vince wanted to see her mother, especially since Althea’s behavior before she left for her trip had been so peculiar.  Unfortunately, if she wasn’t in class in the next five minutes, her students would assume the class was canceled. 

“Thanks, Shaun.  Here,” she stood up to give him the photocopied revision notes, “Distribute these in class for me.  Let them know I’m on my way.”  As Shaun took off, she turned to find Vince on his feet.  Didn’t the man ever smile?  He didn’t say much and used movements economically, but he had a presence that was tangible.  “I really need to know what’s going on.” 

Vince studied her for a few seconds as though pondering his options, before nodding curtly.  “An important artifact is missing and your mother might know something about it.”

“What do you mean by ‘might know something about it’?” 

“It could be in her possession.”

Could he be any vaguer?  “My mother is an avid antique collector.  If she has it, it was given to her.”

“Not when the owner has reported it missing.”

Jade blinked in confusion, then her jaw dropped as the implication sunk in.  He couldn’t possibly be accusing her mother of stealing?  Her mother?  Was he out of his mind?  “If you’re implying that my mother took it,” a sarcastic titter escaped her, “then you’re obviously mistaken.”

“I don’t make mistakes.”

Her eyes widened.  “Whoa.  That’s so arrogant.”

“Just stating a fact.  About your mother’s—”

“Hold up, Vince.  Do you know who my mother is?”  That sounded pompous and she was never one to flaunt her family’s wealth or connections, but something about Vince’s attitude rubbed her the wrong way.  “Do you know anything about my family?”

Something hot flashed in his eyes.  “Actually, I do.”  But I’m not impressed, his voice seemed to say.

“Then you’d better get your facts straight, because our lawyers will haul your ass to jail so fast you’d wish you never walked through that door.  Accusing my mother of stealing?  Jeez.”  A snicker escaped her.  “Please, leave.”  She reached for her laptop and notes.

“I haven’t made any accusations…yet.”  Jade’s head jerked up at his annoyingly calm voice.  He hadn’t moved an inch.  “And who said they were groundless?”

The nerve.  Eyes narrowed, Jade gripped her laptop across her chest and started around her desk.  She wanted to personally toss him out.  After a few steps, she paused, her heart hammering, her breathing rapid.  What now?  Vince Knight’s don’t-mess-with-me attitude might be irritating but the man was too huge and rock-hard to be tossed anywhere.  Her voice shaking with anger, she said, “I want you to leave.”

“I can’t.  Not without getting what I came for.”

“I don’t care…,” she took a deep breath and swallowed past a lump in her throat.  Lord helped her but she wanted to curse him out.  Where was her courage when she needed it?  “If you’re not out of my office in five seconds, I’m calling the campus security.”  Yeah, like they’d materialize in thin air at her command.  It would take them at least five minutes to get here, if she was lucky.  Knowing how helpless she was only added to her ire.  “And if I were you, I’d watch what I say and who—”

“But you’re not me, are you, professor?” Vince interrupted coldly, thoroughly ticked off with himself for letting her get to him.  It wasn’t that bit about her family and lawyers or campus security that rankled.  It was her.  What the hell happened to the sweet, shy girl in high school?  This tigress knocked his world-weary ass off balance. 

Everything about the woman was designed to shock a man’s system.  Her voice, low and husky, had the power to stir an uneven beat from his heart, make his hair prickle, and his gut clench.  Her siren scent, subtle but sensual, was a blend of something exotic and flowery.  Every time he inhaled, it punched through his defenses with the precision of a sniper.

He shot her a look and caught her smoldering eyes.  Damn, he’d thought he had the whole situation figured out.  Meet her, get the 4-1-1 on her mother, leave.  Telling her his mother had the missing artifact had been a stupid mistake.  In his line of business he couldn’t afford stupid mistakes. 

No, wrong.  He couldn’t afford them when he used to be an investigative journalist.  He’d slammed the door on that life.  No more interviewing reluctant witnesses, rummaging through garbage, or chasing scumbags.  Or so he’d thought.  This damned investigation and dealing with Jade Satchel were both distractions he didn’t need.  But he knew the drill.  Deal with it.  Stay uninvolved.  Move on.

“What is it going to be, Vince?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts, daring him with her eyes. 

Short of keeping her in her office until he got what he wanted, he had no choice but to give in.  Clenching his teeth, Vince stepped out of her office and turned to watch her.  She walked with a seductive, hip-swaying gait that sent heat straight to his groin.  He dragged his eyes away from her body.  “I’m not going anywhere without knowing your mother’s whereabouts, Jade.”

She tossed her shoulder-length ebony hair and shot him a disdainful look.  “Really?  How do you propose to get that information from me?  What are you anyway?  A cop?  P.I.?”  Without waiting for an answer, she turned her back to him and locked her office door.  When she started down the hall, he fell in step with her. 

It rankled that she challenged him.  Surprised him how easily she ignored him too.  Women never ignored him.  He shot her a sideway glance.  Her almond-shaped hazel eyes were fixed ahead, her lush lips set in an uncompromising pout.  Her pert nose and determined chin were both stuck in the air. 

The changes in her were amazing—the generous hips and rounded ass, tiny waist and well-sized breasts that demanded a man’s attention.  The extra weight in high school had melted away in just the right places, but her skin was still the same rich brown that glowed and invited one’s touch.  He shoved his hands in his front pants’ pockets, and scolded himself for deviating from his agenda.

“We need to talk, Jade.” Frustration made his voice harsh.

She pursed her luscious lips, but didn’t respond.  He took a swift breath of irritation and her scent, along with whatever else she smeared on her delectable body hit his lungs, causing him to swallow with difficulty.  “I’ll still be here after your class ends.”

“You’ll be wasting your time.  I’ve a busy schedule.”   

“Then meet me tonight,” he heard himself say. 

She sucked in a breath and turned to face him.  “We have nothing to discuss, Vince.  The person you need to speak with is my mother.  You need to look her in the eye and tell her what you just told me,” she dared, eyes flashing.  “I’ll personally call her assistant at Satchel-Valdes to find a slot for you as soon as she comes back.”  She turned and lifted her hand to push the door open. 

Before he could question his intention, Vince shifted and slapped his hand on the doorframe, neatly blocking her entrance. 

Her startled gaze flew to his face. “Excuse me?” she snapped.

SEDUCTION SCENE

One minute he was promising her Nirvana, the next, his lips was making sweet love to her mouth.  Soon, the moist, lingering kisses had her whimpering with need, making her feel helpless.  Hot.  Dizzy.   

He pressed against her, hip to hip, his erection pushing against her tummy.  She wished she were bold enough to reach down there and touch him.

“Tell me how you feel, sweetheart,” he commanded.

She was supposed to talk?  Now?  She could barely breathe, let alone string a sentence.  Jade opened her mouth, but nothing came out, just spurts of air and moans of pleasure.  Instead of talking, she showed him.  With her body, which she pressed and rubbed against his. With her mouth locked with his, tongues brushing and teasing.  With her hands, roaming his face, his powerful shoulders and arms, the chest that went on forever.  She gathered enough courage and lowered her hands to his to-die-for bums. 

“Perfect.”

Jade didn’t realize she’d spoken aloud until Vince stilled and let out a shaky breath.  “No, baby.  This is perfection.”  His hands cupped her breasts through the chiffon materials.  Her nipples had already pebbled to tight nubs.  His skillful hands caused pleasure to shoot from their tip to her inner core.  “So responsive.  I could come from just touching you.” 

So could she, just like she did earlier under his skillful hands.  She slipped a hand under his shirt, touching his back, taking pleasure in the muscles contracting underneath her palm. 

“Want it off?”

“Yes, please.”

“So polite.  We must change that.  Tonight.”  He lifted his arms.  “Go on.”  When she hesitated, he added, “Rip it off.”

Jade giggled.  “You’re so wicked.”  She grabbed the bottom of his T-shirt and pushed it up.  Without his help, she had to go on her toes to get it past his chest.  When she saw his grin, she paused.  He was enjoying toying with her, the handsome rogue.  Maybe she’d get enough courage to tease him back, make him want with the same intensity uncoiling inside her. 

With his arms up, trapped by the T-shirt, he was open to her perusal.  Watching him strip hadn’t prepared Jade for the feel of his hot body this close to her.  She stared, swallowed, and stared some more.  Hairless brown skin draped over sculptured muscles, powerful broad shoulders, and ridged stomach glowed with power.  A few scars here and there, only made him more fascinating.

She dropped a kiss on his chest before she could stop herself.  A masculine groan escaped him.  She’d surprised him.  Hell, she’d surprised herself.  Her ex was never into foreplay, and never allowed her to touch him like this.  Getting bolder, she nibbled across his chest, loving the warmth of his soft skin, the raw power contained underneath it.  When she licked on his nipple, the muscle underneath jumped, teasing her moist mouth.  A graze with her teeth and he trembled.  Wow.

“You’re driving me crazy.”  He yanked the shirt off and threw it behind him, his eyes shooting sparks, breath unsteady. 

Not sure what he’d say, her gaze slid down to the sparse hair disappearing into his pants.  His erection was visible, inviting her touch.  Jade gulped.  Could she dare?  She heard his breathing change, become labored.  When she glanced up, she noted his hazy eyes, the sweat on his brow.  “You’re magnificent.”

His laugh was shaky.  He stroked her face, moved to her lips and the sensitive insides of her mouth.  “Then touch me.  Please.” 

Her eyes went wide as her heart did a rickety dance.  Yeah, why not?  She reminded herself she wasn’t a coward, and slid her hand lower.  His abs shifted, contracting as he took deep breaths.  Then she wrapped her hand around him.

Oh, my.  He was long.  Hard.  She had no idea about the normal length of most men, but Vince was amazing.  Bigger than she’d fantasized.  She stroked him, from the base to the tip. 

Vince let out a quivering groan, turned her chin up to kiss her.  His hand fished under her dress to cup her breast, brush a thumb across one tight nipple.  Her body jerked, electrified by his touch.  She let go of him to steady herself against the wall.

 “Oh, baby,” he sighed ruggedly.  “You don’t know what you do to me.”  He reached for her dress, bunching it slowly, his fingers teasing her skin through the sheer tights.  He reached the top of her stalking, stroked her bare skin. 

Jade gasped at the heat and pleasure spreading up her thighs to the joint between her legs.  When he inched higher, gripped her buttocks and pressed her against him, the dizzying sensation washed over her, again.

“Christ.”  His hand flitted over the cleft separating her butt cheeks and quickly moved around her hips to the front.  “You’re not wearing—”

“Panties?  Yeah.”  She grinned when he leaned back to look at her in wonder.  “The entire evening?”

“Yes.”

He laughed, wrapped his arms around her waist and butt, and scooped her up as though she weighed nothing.  “I knew you had a kinky streak in you.”  

Jade laughed, wrapping her legs around his waist and arms around his neck.  Kinky?  Nah, she was far from being that, but she wouldn’t mind trying a few naughty things with him or on him.  She grinned down at him, enjoying the way his muscles shifted as he carried her to the bedroom.  “Can I make another confession?”

“As long as it doesn’t stop me from doing this.”  He buried his face between her breasts, nuzzled, and inhaled deeply.  “Hmm, you smell wonderful.” 

His hot breath made her skin tingle.  With her insides melting, it was a wonder she found her voice.  “This was the first time I cruised commando.”

They entered his bedroom and he flipped on the light with a brush of his shoulder.  Once he set her down on the edge of his unmade bed, he nudged her knees open as he knelt and settled between them.  “And why is that?” 

“You.  You make me want to experience things.  Act differently.”  She stroked his upturned face.

“Different good or different bad?”  He picked the hem of her dress and flipped it up, exposing her knees, then her thighs. 

“Oh, bad.  Very, very bad.”

He grinned.  “Good because that makes two of us.”  He caressed her calves, dropped his head to nibble on her thigh.

The astonishing intimacy robbed Jade of breath.  It never crossed her mind to protest or cross her legs.  Just having him there between her legs, kneeling, his mouth a few breaths away from touching her intimately mesmerized her.

“Lean back,” Vince ordered.

Jade complied, resting on her elbows, her breathing ragged, her gaze unwavering.  Waiting.  Eager.  Apprehensive.  She must look like a wanton with her dress bunched around her waist, her stilettos on, and her behind naked.   

His hand slipped under her, pulled her closer to the edge of the bed, while the other pushed her wider.   Her thighs quivered, her face flaming.  She felt so vulnerable, exposed, a shivering mass of nerves.  Even the fact that she’d trimmed and fussed over her private parts earlier in the evening didn’t make it any easier.  He was down there, looking at her with rapt fascination.  Her insecurities doubled.