Page 1 of Deadly Waves

1

One

James Hardy wasall smiles when he found his wife in her studio shortly after noon. She wasn’t expecting him, so she didn’t turn when he paused in the doorway. Her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail, a serious expression on her face as she studied the canvas, and she was dressed down in cotton shorts and a tank top.

She looked simple … and breathtaking.

James took the opportunity to study her when she wasn’t aware of his presence. She was adorable and beautiful, and he knew he would never love anything the way he loved her. She was his whole heart, and sometimes he felt as if he was being swallowed by love when he looked at her.

He’d been excited to leave work early. He had a surprise for her, and he couldn’t wait to see her face when he told her about it. She got joy out of all of his surprises – after she chided him because she claimed she didn’t like being caught off guard – and James was fairly certain this would be no different.

“What are you looking at?” Mandy Avery-Hardy remained fixated on her canvas as James basked in his lovey-dovey feelings. When she addressed him, he couldn’t help but smirk.

“How did you know I was here?”

“You have a certain presence,” Mandy replied. “After two years together, I’ve learned to feel you before I even see you.”

“Some people might call that co-dependent … or just plain weird.”

“Some people,” Mandy confirmed. “I call it living with the husband I love.” Mandy’s smile was impish when she finally turned in his direction. “Why are you home so early?”

James shrugged as he moved closer, extending his hand so he could rest it on her hip. He was happiest when he could touch her – especially after recent developments.

It had been three weeks since she was taken from him and he spent the longest thirty-six hours of his life wondering if she was alive or dead. His life ceased moving forward during that time, and it was only the strength of his family that allowed him to refocus and get her back. A deranged security guard at the courthouse where she used to work took her when no one was looking. He had plans for her that didn’t involve a happily ever after with James. James got her back, the security guard was in jail, and James would be forever thankful because he knew just how close he came to losing his heart. That didn’t mean he could shake the nightmares and worry from that time. They plagued him still.

“What were you saying?” James asked, struggling to focus on the question Mandy asked as she pelted him with curious stares.

“I asked what you were doing home so early,” Mandy said. “Then you got a weird look on your face.” She licked her lips and narrowed her eyes as she studied him. “Are you worried I’m going to disappear again?”

It was something they didn’t really talk about. James’ breakdown in the wake of her kidnapping, that is. She knew he didn’t do well in the aftermath and he was ashamed about the manner in which he fell apart. She also knew he was reluctant to leave her for long stretches of time because he didn’t want her out of his sight. He was convinced the hyper-vigilance would fade, but she was beginning to wonder if that was truly the case.

“I’m not worried about you,” James said, slipping his arm around her waist and tugging her closer. “Speaking of that, though, how is your foot?”

During her escape from the cabin where Clint held her, Mandy cut open her foot on some broken window glass. It had mostly healed since her ordeal and she no longer walked with a limp. It was still tender, though.

“My foot is fine,” Mandy replied, making a face. “My foot is going to go up your behind if you don’t stop hovering.”

James feigned hurt. “Is that what you think I’m doing, wife? You’re crushing my heart.”

“Cute.” Mandy tapped his chin with her index finger before locking gazes with him. “What’s wrong? You have your serious face on.”

“I don’t have my serious face on,” James countered. “Nothing is wrong. I happen to have a surprise for you. Your beauty distracted me when I was watching you work, though, and my chest was flooded with love. That’s probably why you think I have my serious face on. I’m seriously in love with you.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet I don’t even care why you’re here now,” Mandy said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her body close to his. “Let’s go into the bedroom and I’ll flood you with something else.”

She was in a playful mood, and that was generally all of the prodding James needed to spend an entire afternoon in bed. Since her kidnapping, his co-workers at Hardy Brothers Security – the security business he owned and operated in Southeastern Michigan – had done nothing but offer acceptance and understanding regarding his lack of time at the office. They were happy to let him spend as much time with Mandy as he needed … and James felt as if he needed a lot of time with her to make up for the anguish that almost ruined him during her absence.

As much as he wanted to do as she suggested and drag her into the adjacent bedroom so they could lock out the world for the rest of the day, he knew he didn’t have time for that. They were officially on a timetable.

“I have a surprise for you,” James said. He couldn’t resist pressing his lips to hers after saying the words. When he pulled back, her sea-blue eyes were bright and sparkling. “Oh, now you’re interested. What happened to flooding me with love and happiness in the other room?”

“I’m still going to do that,” Mandy said. “What’s the surprise, though?”

“Maybe I can’t tell you until after you love me up,” James teased, gripping her narrow waist with both of his hands. “Maybe you’ve distracted me to the point where I have no choice but to take you into the bedroom and ravish you and then tell you the surprise.”

Mandy bit her lower lip. She looked legitimately conflicted. “Okay.”

Despite the fact that James wanted to play it straight, he couldn’t stop himself from grinning. “You’re such a bad liar,” he said. “I’m going to try and pretend my ego hasn’t been bruised by the fact that you would prefer to hear about the surprise than roll around in the sheets with me.”