CrossFire (Love & Lies #1) (3 page)

“Oh, I’m sure there are a few out there,” she said with a sly smile. “But no one in particular.”

Jillian polished off her wine, and Reid took another swig from his beer as he watched her walk towards him, her movement almost sensuous. Was it intentional?

She stopped at sink next to where Reid was standing, rinsed out her glass, and turned to face him.

“I’m glad you were home tonight,” she said quietly.

He faced her as he put his now empty bottle in the sink. His arm brushed against her soft bare skin. He let his hand rest on the counter, his fingertips just barely touching hers.

“Glad I could help,” he said with a slight smile, wondering if it would be so wrong to kiss her right now.

He watched as her lips parted and was about to lean in when the house phone rang. Disappointment crossed Jillian’s face as she walked over to answer it.

“Hello,” she answered. “Yes, Papa, I remembered to take the garbage out.” A pause and then she looked at Reid and smiled. “Yes, all the doors and windows are locked up tight. Okay, Papa, I love you too. Good night.”

“I should probably get going,” Reid said as she hung up the phone. Best to get out before he did anything he might regret later. “Thanks for the beer.”

“Oh, okay,” she said, following him to the front door. “Thanks for easing my fears.”

“Don’t forget to lock the door behind me.”

She smirked. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

Reid was just about to step off the porch when he turned around before Jillian could close the door.

“Do you want to have dinner with me tomorrow night?” he asked, surprising himself. So much for making a clean escape. He could already hear Aaron telling him this wouldn’t end well.

Jillian’s eyes went big, clearly just as shocked by his request. Then she smiled.

“I would like that.”

“Great,” Reid said as a smile started to spread across his own face. “I’ll pick you up at six.”

“I will see you at six then,” she said.

He turned around and walked home, wondering if he even remembered what it was like to go out on a date.

Reid knocked on Jillian’s door promptly at six and she was ready to go. She had been ready for the past hour, nervously pacing the living room, desperately hoping her father didn’t make it home before she left. She didn’t like the idea of having to introduce the two yet, but knew her over-protective father would have insisted on it.

“Hi,” Jillian said as she opened the door.

“Hello,” said Reid.

She watched his eyes move up and down her body and hoped she had made the right wardrobe choice. Reid had not said where he would be taking her. She’d finally decided on a blue cotton sundress with a low-heeled sandal as the best bet.

“You look great,” he said, and Jillian was relieved.

“Thanks. So do you.” And she wasn’t saying it just to return the compliment. He was wearing a lightweight button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, exposing his muscular forearms. It was untucked over a dark pair of fitted jeans.

“Shall we?” Reid asked.

Jillian grabbed her sweater and clutch from the bench next to the front door. It had been a warm late August day, but it would cool off quickly when the sun went down in a couple hours.

Reid’s black Porsche Cayenne was at the end of her driveway, and he helped her into it before climbing into the passenger seat.

“So where are we headed?” she asked as Reid pulled out of the neighborhood.

“Have you ever eaten at the Dahlia Lounge downtown?”

She shook her head.

“Then it will be a first for the both of us,” he said with a smile.

Jillian’s heart fluttered. This was also her first date in a long time. She hoped she was ready for it.

“How did you decide on this place?” Jillian asked when they were seated in the downtown Seattle restaurant

“The owner, Tom Douglas, does a radio show that I catch from time to time. I’ve wanted to try this restaurant, but haven’t had the opportunity until now.”

“Is that the only reason you asked me out?” she teased. “So you could eat here without looking sad and lonely?”

Reid laughed and Jillian was immediately in love with the sound of it. It was so warm and sincere. She really needed to watch herself with this one.

“Something like that,” he said. “And I thought it might be a good way for us to get to know each other. Seeing as how we’re neighbors and all.”

“Well, I’m always game for trying a new Tom Douglas restaurant,” she said, opening the menu.

“You’re familiar with him then?”

She nodded.

“Have you been to any of the others?”

“Just the sandwich shop down by Pike Place Market. I used to grab lunch from there all the time when I was working downtown.”

Jillian could feel the smile melting from her own face as memories came flooding in. Reid gave a questioning look, but before he could say anything, she forced the smile back on and changed the subject.

“So where did you live before you moved into the neighborhood?” she asked. “Are you from the area?”

“I was in Seattle for about a year before Renton,” he said. “And before that I was on the East Coast, where I grew up. How about you?”

Jillian sensed that he wasn’t eager to talk much more about his upbringing.

“I’ve always lived in the area,” she said. “I grew up in Renton, but moved into Seattle for school and was there until just recently.”

Problem was that Jillian wasn’t too eager to talk about her history either. Not yet at least. It was still too raw.

Fortunately they were saved from any more awkward questions by the server coming to tell them about the specials and take their drink orders.

“So how long have you been running?” Reid asked when the server stepped away, and Jillian was grateful. Here was a nice safe topic.

“I started running during college. The end of my freshman year to be exact.”

“And what made you decide to take it up?”

Jillian blushed. “It was silly. You would laugh at me.”

“What? No I won’t.”

She shook her head.

“You can’t leave me hanging like this,” he said.

Reid’s bright blue eyes were staring right into hers and she sighed, forcing herself to look away.

“You’ve heard of the freshman fifteen, right?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“I was a victim of the infamous curse,” she said and his eyebrow went up “and I kind of freaked out. My roommate was a runner, and she convinced me to sign up for a half-marathon with her. Told me it would be a great way to get back in shape.”

“Wait,” he interrupted, “you had never ran before and you signed up for thirteen miles right out of the gate?”

“Thirteen point one,” she said. “And there’s a good chance alcohol was involved.”

He laughed and asked, “How did it go?”

“I made it a whole half-mile that first day before I started puking.”

“Oh no!”

“Oh yes, it was embarrassing. I decided that I was never going to run again. But my dad was pissed. He’d been proud of me when I signed up for the race and gladly bought me the best running shoes and anything else I needed. I wasn’t allowed to back down now just because it had been a rough start.”

“And you’re still running now,” he said.

“When I crossed that finish line, I was proud of myself. I had done exactly what I’d set out to do when I laced up those first running shoes. I had gotten myself back in shape and felt good not only physically, but mentally as well. Whenever I’ve a hit rough patch in my life, being able to get out for a run has helped me deal with it.”

“That’s a great story,” he said. “Why did you think I would laugh at that?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess because I was such a wuss about it in the beginning.”

“But then you stuck with it in the end. That says something.”

Jillian felt the familiar warmth in her cheeks as she smiled.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

Reid couldn’t believe how well this was going. The conversation was flowing so naturally, and he loved watching her cute nose crinkle every time she laughed. But then the phone in his pocket vibrated. Reid glanced at it and remembered why dating was not a good idea in his line of work. He looked up and saw the concern in Jillian’s face.

“Is everything all right?” she asked.

“It’s work,” he said, frowning. “I am so sorry, but I have to go.”

CHAPTER THREE

“Now?” Jillian asked with confusion all over her face.

“Yes.” He called the server over and handed her a credit card to pay for the meal. He didn’t have time to wait for the check. He also wasn’t going to have time to drive Jillian back to her house.

“Do you mind taking a cab home?” he asked.

Her jaw dropped.

“I only ask because I have to be there as soon as possible, and it would take me too long to drive to Renton and then back into Seattle.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, and Reid immediately hated himself for putting her in this position.

“How about if you just drive my car home instead?” He couldn’t believe he was offering to let someone else drive his Porsche, but he couldn’t stand the idea of sending her off like this. “I’ll take a cab into work and I can get a ride home when I’m done.”

“No, it’s fine,” she said, standing up and grabbing her sweater off the back of the chair. Reid knew it was anything but fine.

“I don’t mind taking a taxi home,” she said and started walking to the front just as the server dropped the receipt for him to sign. Reid quickly scrawled his signature and took off after her. She was already asking the hostess to call a cab for her.

“I’m really sorry, Jillian,” he said, following her out to the curb. “I told you I have to travel a lot. I just forgot to mention that it’s usually last minute.”

“I told you it’s fine. I understand.”

But she wouldn’t look at him. Reid knew that this was the perfect out. He had already warned her that there was a reason he wasn’t in a relationship. Now she would understand it firsthand and he could walk away. Future blowouts averted.

Instead, he kissed her. He didn’t give any warning, just pulled her into him and pressed his lips against hers. He could feel her surprise at first, but then her whole body relaxed against his.

He slowly let her go just as a cab stopped in front of them. She was breathless, but also looking confused.

“I had hoped it would be on your doorstep,” he said, “I’d had every intention of kissing you goodnight this evening.”

He opened the door for her. She climbed in, still staring at him without saying anything. Reid realized he had no idea if Jillian would ever speak to him again. Even if she had obviously enjoyed the kiss.

He leaned in and handed the driver more than enough to get her home.

“I’ll call you when I get back,” he said. “I promise.”

When Reid walked in and discovered he had beat Aaron, he turned around to wait in his car, knowing Aaron would want an explanation. And almost slammed right into him.

“Jackson, what the hell are you doing here already?” he asked.

“I happened to be in the area,” said Reid.

“Really? Doing what?” Aaron asked as they made their way to the briefing room. It was a simple enough question. Aaron was obviously just showing interest in his partner’s personal life, but it was exactly the question Reid had been dreading. Yet he couldn’t lie to the man who trusted him with his life.

“I was on a date,” Reid said, keeping his eyes forward.

Before Aaron could respond, Rollins spotted them and motioned for them to sit so they could get started.

“If you will direct your attention to the screen,” she said once they were seated, “you will see a Mode 5 cryptographer module, the transponders used for Identification Friend or Foe in military planes. You know about the two fighter planes that were shot down last week. When the wreckage was recovered, it was discovered that the modules were missing. Not a big concern, since they are useless without the key codes.”

Rollins tapped the screen and a man’s ID picture appeared.

“Yesterday this man, John Davies, went missing. He happens to be the Lead Cryptographer at Global Dynamic, the company that supplies the hardware and software for our IFF systems.”

She tapped again and various surveillance photos popped up.

“One of our contacts spotted Davies in Mexico City with Trevor Melrone, a well-known middle man for hire. We don’t know if Davies is there under duress, or if he has defected, but we need to get him out alive and keep those codes away from the transponder. Otherwise enemy aircraft will show up as friendly, and I don’t need to explain the shit storm that will cause. Normally this would be the LA office’s jurisdiction, but they’re short-handed at the moment and requesting our assistance. The plane is on stand-by. As soon as you’re ready, move out. Dismissed.”