by Cynthia Eden
“Unnecessary.” She yanked her hand from his grip. He’d been very careful with her, touching her gently, but she swore that she could still feel the imprint of his fingers on her skin. “I can reject you just fine without seeing or knowing anything else. Now, good night.”
With that, she turned on her high heel and stomped for the door. It had been a long day, a tiring night, and the adrenaline would be plunging from her system soon. Once she got home, she’d want to crash. Maybe she’d enjoy some ice cream, then a long night in bed while cozied up in her favorite jammies.
The bouncer gave her a wave as she exited, and, once outside, Lacey turned to the left. Cabs lined the street, but she wasn’t going to take one. No sense in doing that, not when her apartment was just a few blocks away. Her spine stayed straight and her gaze darted around to scan the area as she—
Lacey stilled. Huffed out a breath. “Do you enjoy following women?”
The faint rustle of a footstep reached her ears. “I was merely making sure you arrived home safely.”
She whirled to confront him. “I’m more than capable of looking after myself, Dex. I can handle any trouble that comes my way.”
He studied her as he closed in, and she couldn’t help but feel a wee bit like a bug who’d just been caught in a spider’s sticky web. “You can handle trouble,” he agreed. “That’s one of the many things I like about you.”
Her head tilted back as she stared up at him. Her mother had been a dancer, and Lacey had gotten her slight build and petite height. She’d always been envious of her taller friends, but she’d clocked out at five-foot-two, and she’d learned to deal with being perceived as fragile. Delicate. At first, she’d hated the way others viewed her. Then she’d decided that if they underestimated her, that was their problem.
And her advantage.
“In fact,” Dex continued in his rumbling voice, “your ability to handle trouble is the reason I sought you out tonight.”
“And here I thought you just liked to dance the night away.” No, she hadn’t thought that. Not even for a second. When he’d appeared behind Aidan, she’d known that Dex had come to the club for her. An unnerving realization. “Are you planning to follow me all the way home?”
“I told you, I want to make sure you’re safe—”
A couple hurried past them, and Dex stopped talking. Secretive Dex. Of course, he wouldn’t want to talk with others around. Lacey shook her head. “Look, I’m not interested.”
“You don’t even know why I’m here.”
“You’re trouble, Dex.”
The streetlamp fell on his face and let her see the half-smile that slipped over his lips. “Thank you for noticing.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“I think it was.”
He thought—Her lips thinned. “How did you know I was at that club?”
He leaned toward her, and his scent—rich, masculine, and…oddly yummy to her—teased her nose. “Want to know a secret?”
He was so close that onlookers would probably think they were about to kiss. They weren’t. Absolutely were not. But… “Yes.” She wanted to know his secrets.
“I can find you,” he told her quietly. “Anywhere. Anytime.”
Her eyes narrowed. “That sounds like some serious abuse of power. Better be careful, or someone will report you to your bosses at the CIA.”
He laughed, and the sound sent a shiver over her. Not a bad kind of shiver. It should have been bad. But no…It was the good kind of shiver. The kind that told her she liked his laughter.
The kind that told Lacey her dry spell must have lasted way, way too long. Especially if she was now starting to think anything about Dex was sexy.
“I don’t have bosses at the CIA. I am the boss.” Spoken with utter confidence.
She wasn’t so sure she bought that line. “You’re in charge? Then how come I don’t ever see you out there with the press or talking to senators in clips on the evening news?”
“You won’t ever see me in scenes like that. I’m too busy doing the dirty work. The bloody shit that keeps everyone safe.” His voice had hardened.
This time, the bad kind of shiver slid over her.
“You’re cold.” His hands reached out and curled around her. He tugged her closer to him and began to rub her arms.
“I do not understand you, Dex.”
“I’m trying to make you warm. Sorry, I don’t have a coat to offer but—”
“I’m not cold.” If anything, standing this close to him, having his hands on her…she was feeling pretty hot. “Let go.”
He did, but Dex didn’t back away. “I want five minutes of your time.”
“I’m pretty sure I’ve already spoken with you for five minutes.”
“Let me be more specific. I want five minutes, in your home, alone with you. I want you to hear me out, and then, I want you to accept my offer.”
A surprised laugh burst from her. “That is not going to happen.” Arrogant much?
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Then you have nothing to fear. Give me those five minutes, and I’ll get out of your way.”
Her lips pressed together. “I don’t trust you.”
“That hurts.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Like she was going to believe anything she said would have the power to hurt him.
He shrugged. “Do I get my five minutes?”
She spun on her heel. “Yes, fine. But only because I don’t want you pulling some crazy stunt like hanging out in my hallway all night long. Or showing up at my work tomorrow—or…whatever. I’ll give you five minutes, and then you leave me alone.”
“If that’s what you want.”
She cast a suspicious glance back over her shoulder. Alarm bells were blaring in her head. He’d just sounded entirely too satisfied.
And a satisfied Dexter Ryan was a scary thing.
***
“Talk to me, Antony.” He was in her home. A good start. But he was far from sealing the deal. Dex cast a quick glance down the hallway. She’d disappeared into her bedroom, and he had to be ready before she came back. His hold tightened on the phone. “Don’t exactly have time to waste here.”
“She doesn’t drink coffee. When she goes to the coffee shop on the corner, she just orders hot chocolate, even in the summer.”
Dex pinched the bridge of his nose. “Not helping.”
“She loves horror movies. I checked her streaming history, and I think she must be addicted to the B movies, you know the really crazy ones where—”
“The ones where the dumbass techie gets his ass kicked because he can’t give me anything I can use?” Dex snarled.
Silence. Then… “You seem stressed.”
Yeah, understatement. Antony didn’t understand the stakes in this particular game. “You could say that.”
He heard the tap of keystrokes in the background. Then Antony revealed, “I think Santana is her favorite band. She plays Black Magic Woman over and over—”
The bedroom door squeaked open.
“I need more,” Dex urged. “Come on, buddy. Do not let me down here.”
More keystrokes.
Dex turned so he could have a clear view of the hallway. Lacey had just left the bedroom. She’d ditched the heels but still wore her jeans and the sexy top. She was headed straight toward him, and her delicate jaw was hard with determination.
“Wait…wait! I just found a record of a payment that she sent to a PI. Oh, that guy is a sleaze. I’ve heard about him before. Total loser.”
She was closing in.
Talk faster, Antony.
“Accessing his records now. The man has like, zero security on his system. Anybody can just hack right in. Like, seriously, I bet some eleven-year-old kid could—
“Hello, Lacey,” Dex said clearly. She’d stopped right in front of him.
Her head tilted back. Her scent—a light, quick breath of roses—drifted to him.
“She’s there? Of c
ourse, she’s there.” Antony’s voice was tight. “Shit. Shit. Motherload. That’s what I’ve hit. As in, her mother. Lacey went to the PI because she wanted him to investigate the death of her mom and dad. Their car crash looked like an accident, but she wanted proof and he couldn’t deliver so—”
“I have to go now,” Dex interrupted him. “Someone very important is here.”
“You’re not even going to thank me, are you? That is rude. So rude.”
“Thanks for updating me,” he forced the words out.
“Aw, you’re welcome, bro—”
“Keep working on the assignment. I have faith in you. You’ll deliver everything else I need to know.”
“That means I can’t go home yet, doesn’t it?” A long sigh.
“Damn straight.” Dex hung up the phone. Smiled at Lacey. “I like the toenail polish.”
She automatically peered down at her feet. So did he. How about that? Lacey Amari had cute feet. Small feet and dainty toes—toes with a deep purple polish on them. And she even wore a toe ring on the second toe of her right foot.
Okay, that was kinda sexy.
“You are not here to talk about my feet.” Her head tilted back up. He’d shoved his phone into his pocket when she looked down. “Your five minutes are ticking down, and so far, I have not heard anything that—”
“Your boss at Wilde gave approval for you to join me on a case.”
“What? When?”
He opened his mouth to reply—
“No.” Lacey shook her head. “He wouldn’t do that. Eric knows you piss me off.”
“I do? Hmm. Unusual. Most people find me charming.”
“I don’t think that they do.” As if imparting a secret, she added, “You don’t have the best people skills.”
He would not smile again. “I am fantastic with people. I can always get them to do exactly what I want.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t mean you have good people skills.” She turned away. Moved to sit on the overstuffed and extremely comfortable-looking couch in the corner. “It just means you probably threaten folks far too much.”
She wasn’t necessarily wrong. She wasn’t necessarily right, either. Regardless, time to get down to business. “I spoke with Eric Wilde and told him that you would be very useful on a case that I’m working. He agreed with me.”
A furrow appeared between her brows. “Eric didn’t mention this to me.”
“Didn’t he? Odd. Anyway…” A shrug. “We will be leaving tomorrow, so I need you to pack your bags. When you pack, think both warm and sexy. Can you do that?” He glanced at his watch. “I don’t believe that even took a full minute.” He turned on his heel and headed for the door.
“Stop.”
He stopped. “You don’t want me to leave. I get it.” He looked back at her. “Because you feel that hard attraction between us, too. But, hey, if we’re going to be working together, you need to—”
Dex broke off. Just stopped. Because he’d been talking out of his ass while he tried to figure out how to play the scene with her, but while he’d been rambling, Lacey’s expression had just become ever-so-revealing. Wonderfully revealing. At least, for a fleeting moment, anyway.
“You’re crazy.” She leapt to her feet. Her face flushed. “There is no attraction between us.”
Well, well, well. He was attracted to Lacey. He’d be insane not to be. The woman was sensuality personified. All of that tumbling, dark hair. Those deep, dark eyes. Her plump, red lips. The curves of her body. The huskiness of her voice. The way she smelled so good and—
“And we are not working together!” She stormed toward him. “Eric would have called me if I had been assigned to work with you.”
He exhaled. Turned to fully face her. “You’re right. You haven’t been assigned to work with me.” That was the frustrating part. “Eric said the choice was yours.”
Her gaze searched his.
He could feel her confusion, but he wasn’t about to reveal too much. In his world, need-to-know was a true way of life. “I still have a few minutes, so how about I lay some things out for you?”
A grudging nod came from her.
“I need someone with your skills to help me on a case.”
“There are plenty of skilled agents at the CIA,” Lacey dismissed. She tucked a thick lock of hair behind her ear. “I don’t buy that in all the massive ranks of folks at your agency, you can’t find at least one person to do the job.”
“I can’t use one of my agents. I need someone unaffiliated.” A pause. “I need you.” Her in particular. As to why it had to be her, well…need-to-know. She didn’t need to know that part, not yet. Maybe never. “The case starts tomorrow. It will continue for an indefinite amount of time. We’ll be traveling to Colorado, so you’ll need to pack clothes that you’d take on a ski trip. And…like I said…” He had to clear his throat because of the mental image that popped into his head as he added, “Something sexy.”
Her hands went to her hips. “Why in the world would I pack something sexy? If I happened to be crazy enough to sign on for this case. And, by the way, I’m not.”
The lock of hair had fallen forward again. He wanted to brush it back and let his hand linger against the smoothness of her cheek. What in the hell? His hand fisted. “You’d be going in undercover. So would I. The clothes are to help with the ruse. Make it more believable. If you come in a burlap sack, that won’t be believable.”
Her incredible eyes—deep chocolate with flecks of gold—narrowed. “Just what is this undercover mission, exactly?”
Well, it was now or never. Since a man only had one chance to get this deal right…Dex dropped to one knee in front of her.
“What are you doing?” Lacey’s voice notched up.
He reached for her hand. Curled his fingers carefully around hers. “Lacey Amari, would you do me the honor of being my wife?”
Her lips were parted. Her eyes now huge. Shock covered her face.
He waited, knowing this was the big moment and—
“No, absolutely not. I would never, ever marry you.”
Chapter Two
Dex Ryan had just asked her to marry him. Impossible. Insane.
She shook her head and even gave her arm a little pinch on the down low, just to make sure she hadn’t fallen asleep in her bedroom and that this whole scene wasn’t some crazy nightmare.
Nope. She felt the pinch.
Still down on one knee, Dex exhaled slowly and stared mournfully up at her. “I was afraid you’d say no.”
“Of course, I said no! I’m not marrying you! You don’t love me. I don’t love you and—”
“Relax. Love doesn’t need to be involved. It would strictly be an undercover ruse. Not legally binding in any shape or form.” He rose to his feet. Cocked his head. “Unless you need that. If it’s easier for you to get into character by actually marrying me, I’d be game. I would be—”
“No.” She put her hands on his chest. Very strong chest, by the way. Ignoring that thought, she pushed him toward the door. “I’m not going to be your undercover fiancée. That’s not happening.”
“Pity.” He backed up and went along with her push easily enough. “Would it help if I told you that lives were on the line? That this was a matter of national security?”
She stopped pushing. Her hands pressed to his chest. Once again, she couldn’t help but notice he had a very muscled, powerful chest. Her fingers stretched a tiny bit and—
Lacey caught herself. Her hands yanked back. “I need to know more.”
“I can’t tell you more. Not until you’re on the case.”
She glared.
He stared. And she realized that his eyes were actually quite beautiful. Deep gray. Super intense. They seemed to see right through her. Or, in to her.
“I know why you’re working at Wilde,” he murmured.
Her spine straightened. “I know, too. Because I respect Eric as a boss and because I enjoy helping people.”
; Dex shook his head. “You’re smart. Very smart. I bet you haven’t even left a trail there, have you?”
OhmyGod. She could feel the color draining from her face.
“At first, you tried to use a regular PI to get the job done, but when he turned up jack, you knew you had to step up your game. If no one else was going to help you, you had to help yourself. You turned your whole life around. Changed all your plans as you devoted yourself to finding the truth.”
“You should leave,” she whispered.
“You got Eric to hire you—because, hey, on paper, you look great—but then, once you made it into his inner circle, you helped yourself to Wilde resources. You’ve been using his tech and his agents to help you with your own investigation ever since you walked through the door of that business. And Eric has no clue.”
This was bad. Very, very bad. She’d intended to tell Eric everything—especially after all the recent developments at Wilde. When they’d found out that they had a traitor at Wilde, she’d known that she had to tell Eric the full truth about herself. But…
The situation at Wilde was strained enough. And maybe…maybe she’d been afraid that he’d kick her out.
Her lashes swept down as she considered the situation. Eric hadn’t just hired her for her skills. He’d hired her because she was family. A connection most people didn’t know about. She’d used that connection as her in at Wilde. She hadn’t thought her secret investigation would be a big deal. She had just intended to use the firm’s resources, then slip away. But…
Eric Wilde is a good person. Eric and his brother Ben—they had treated her with nothing but kindness and respect and if they found out the truth, if they found out that she’d been using the company’s resources…
What if they turn on me? She would be alone again. No family.
“So, the way I figure it…” Dex drawled. “I could walk out of this door right now. The door that you were pushing me toward. And I could go to Eric. I could tell him what I learned. Could get him to search through his system and see what you’ve been doing.” He nodded. “Or…”
She waited.
He didn’t finish. Instead, Dex frowned at her. “Did I upset you?”
A stupid tear had leaked down her cheek. “No, you made me deliriously happy with joy.” She swiped away the tear. “Yes,” she snapped. “You’ve upset me. I had a killer day. A gun was shoved into my face—”
