by Lori Foster
She slept on.
The heat of the day had dried her hair after her swim, leaving it in twisted hanks with a crooked part. A little too much sun kissed her nose and the tops of her cheekbones. Wearing a pair of Dash’s shorts, cinched tight around her hips, and one of his large T-shirts, she should have looked silly.
Instead, she looked…relaxed. Happy. More at ease than he’d ever seen her.
Finding her like this worked as a buffer against the futile efforts of the day. He wouldn’t mind ending every shift this way—coming home to find Pepper there, knowing she’d be his for the night—and longer.
Interviewing witnesses had proved a waste of time. He’d tried to check out Andrews’s body, but the lieutenant had that locked up pretty tight. He’d have drawn suspicion if he’d started poking around too much.
Hopefully Reese found out something more.
Sitting on the dock, Logan took off his shoes and socks, then unbuttoned his shirt and rolled up his pant legs. A humid breeze licked over the bared skin of his chest, ramping up his edgy need.
His gaze tracked over her body, from her breasts to her long legs to her narrow feet.
“Thinking of joining me?”
His attention shot to her face. He found her watching him through heavy eyes, a slight smile on her mouth.
“I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“That’s okay.” She stretched, and even in the absurd clothes, she made his blood boil. “I’ve been napping too much today.”
Enjoying this mellow mood of hers, Logan smiled. “You needed to catch up on your sleep.” God knew, they hadn’t gotten much rest yesterday.
“So do you.” She sat up yoga style and, shielding her face with one hand, squinted up at him. “You get the rubbers?”
So bold, and so damned tempting. She left him savage with lust, but it was the overwhelming emotion he found difficult to contain. “I got everything on your list.”
“Good.” She looked around at the lake, at the sun now dropped in the sky. “What time is it anyway?”
“A little after seven. I meant to be back here sooner, but—”
“You have a job to do.” She reached out a hand to him, and when he took it, she stepped from the boat and stood beside him. “Anything new to share on Morton?”
Eye-level with her knees, he stirred more. It’d be so easy to lean forward, to put his face against her warm thighs, breath in her scent, made muskier by the hot sunshine. “Not a whole lot.”
“That’s too bad.” She touched his hair. “What about the rest of your day?”
Did she actually want to talk about that with him? It’d be unique for him to share his work with a woman, but then, Pepper was a unique woman, and this situation involved her as much as—maybe more than—him. “I went through a string of witnesses today.”
She tugged him to his feet. “Bet that was a waste of time, huh? Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.”
“That’s about it.” When she started on the buckle to his belt, his abdomen tightened. “Reese went to the hospital to talk to a few of Morton’s guys who were injured, but they’re pretty dopey on pain meds.”
“They’ll live?” she asked without much concern. With his pants now open, she abandoned them to strip his shirt off his shoulders.
“Yeah.” He helped her with the shirt, freeing his arms and dropping it to the side. When she went back to his pants, he caught her wrists. Not wanting to dissuade her but unsure how to continue, he asked, “What are we doing here?”
“I thought maybe you’d like a quick swim to cool down.” She pulled a hand free and smoothed it over his chest. “You’re a little sweaty.”
Only a swim? That was probably better than getting busy in the water with his brother in the house, but still… “How could you sleep in this heat?”
“I told you I like it.” She went back to his slacks, pushing them down so that he could step out. Eyeing him in his boxers, she said, “I like swimming even more, though. So what do you say?”
“Dash will have dinner ready in a few minutes.”
“Then we better get to it.” She held out the big T-shirt. “As you see, I was a good girl and stayed covered up today.”
As sincere as he could be, given he was already half hard, Logan said, “Thank you.”
That made her grin. “I like your brother.”
Absurd jealousy stirred. “Meaning what?”
The grin turned into a laugh. “Meaning that, all in all, I had a nice day.”
“I’m glad.” He’d have to talk more with Dash. He’d taken only a cursory report before heading down to the lake to see her.
“You might want to take a nap yourself after dinner.” She went on tiptoe to kiss him. “Now that we have the rubbers, I’m expecting to have an even better night.”
She turned away and made a clean but shallow dive into the water, proving that she’d already gauged the depth.
Logan stood there, sporting full wood and wishing he could bypass everything else and go straight to bed with her.
Dash yelled down the hill, “Burgers in five minutes.”
Damn. Hoping the water would be cold enough, Logan dove in behind her.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“EVERYTHING TASTES BETTER off a grill,” Pepper said as she finished off her hamburger.
Dash agreed. “Doesn’t hurt to have that view, either.”
“Or the fresh air,” Logan said.
The setting sun sent a splash of crimson across the cloudless sky, reflecting the rich colors on the surface of the placid lake.
Dash propped his feet on the railing, a Coke dripping condensation onto his abs.
Pepper sprawled out in a lounge chair, still in the same clothes she’d worn to swim. She looked so carefree that Logan wished he could keep her there forever.
With him.
She swatted away a mosquito, took another drink of her cola, and swiveled her head toward him. “So Reese isn’t joining us?”
“Not tonight, no.”
“I trust him more when I can see him.”
Dash gave a short laugh. “I’m guessing you and your brother feel that way about everyone.”
“With good reason.”
Almost on cue, Logan’s cell phone buzzed.
“Speak of the devil?” Pepper asked.
Since the call came in on the cell phone Rowdy had given him, Logan shrugged. “Reese or your brother. No one else has this number.”
As soon as he answered, Reese said, “What was all that with you and Peterson today?”
They hadn’t had a chance to talk earlier, not at the station with ears all around. And with Reese gone most of the day, they hadn’t even passed each other that often.
“Hang on.” He covered the phone and said to Pepper, “I’ll just be a minute.” He started to stand so he could seek some privacy.
Pepper waved him back. “I’m going to take a shower and wash the lake water out of my hair.”
Dash stood, too. “You’ll have to make it fast if you hope to have hot water.” He gave Logan a look and said, “Think I’ll put away the dishes.”
Which was code, meaning he’d keep an eye on Pepper. Logan appreciated his help—and resented it at the same time.
“Thanks. I’ll lend a hand in just a minute.”
“No rush.”
Standing so he could watch Pepper through the patio doors, Logan said to Reese, “No idea what’s going on with her, but I have to admit, I didn’t expect her to make you lead.” He’d been given carte blanche on the specialized task force duties, and he had made headway—though, of course, Peterson wasn’t entirely up to speed on everything.
“Maybe she recognizes my superior sleuthing abilities.”
That obvious joke fell flat. “Or maybe she knows I’m in a little deeper than I’m letting on.” He visually tracked Pepper’s every move as she rummaged through the items he’d brought back. She went through the bags, carried the shampoo, conditioner and lotion int
o the bathroom, and took the rest to the bedroom.
“Or she hopes to pit us against each other. Who the hell knows?”
Pepper came from the bedroom with clean clothes. She spoke to Dash for a moment, then went into the bathroom and shut the door.
The small shower barely accommodated one person, so no way could he join her—even if she’d invited him. But he could picture her naked, wet…and he did.
“Don’t let her get to you,” Reese said, interrupting his thoughts.
“Who?”
He made a sound of exasperation. “Peterson.” He muffled the phone for a moment, then came back. “Sorry. Cash is underfoot.”
Without the view of Pepper to hold his attention, Logan walked to the railing and stared out at the lake. “How’s the crazy lady who’s been keeping him for you?”
“Never said she was crazy. And, in fact, she’s been incredible. Cash is happy, I’m happy, and she’s available 24/7. So…if you need me, I’m there. But if not, I figured I’d spend the night with Cash, then show up at work early tomorrow, maybe throw Peterson off the scent a little.”
“We’re fine here. Don’t worry about that.” The lawn, though more weeds than grass, was now evenly cut. He hadn’t even noticed before, not when he’d been so intent on Pepper sleeping in the rowboat. “What now?”
“I saw the body.” Reese didn’t bother to disguise his disgust. “The face was a mangled mess, jaw destroyed, one ear blown off, teeth missing. There was too much blood in his hair for me to tell if the color was exact, but definitely blond. The size, weight and bone structure seemed right.”
“You’re not convinced it’s him?” Did anyone really believe that Andrews had died so easily?
“The thing is, the two bodyguards at the hospital? They’d been drugged.”
Logan straightened. “Come again?”
“The bomb did some damage to them, but mostly they were out because someone dosed them. I’m thinking they were props, like the wallet in the pocket of the corpse.”
A corpse that could also be a prop.
Reese continued, “Didn’t you tell me once that Morton had a scar on his shoulder?”
“Yes.” As a younger man, Andrews had done his own dirty work—and hadn’t always gotten away intact.
“Well, the upper body is pretty singed and mangled.” Before Logan made any mental leaps, Reese said, “And I never saw the scar firsthand, but…I didn’t find anything like that on the body.”
So it was a standin. “He’s still out there.”
“Maybe. If it’s not Morton, well, what will we do about it? That’s the riddle, yes?”
“Yeah.” Logan’s eyes burned from a combination of tiredness and lake water. “Jesus, I want this over with.”
“Now more than ever, I suppose.”
“Meaning?”
“You have Pepper to consider, not just a need for vengeance.”
“The way I see it, I have more reason for vengeance than ever before.” Andrews had killed his friend Jack—but he’d also made Pepper’s life miserable and continued to be a threat against her. “One way or another, I wanted Andrews to pay. If he’s dead, okay. But even if he’s not, he’ll never get near Pepper.”
“Speaking of finding Andrews…” Reese paused, and then asked, “What’s Rowdy up to?”
Logan didn’t have to lie. “No idea, really. He’s following some leads or something. That’s all I know.”
“What leads?”
“He said he has reliable contacts on the street—same as most cops do.”
“Make no mistake, Logan—he is not a cop.”
“No.” But that made him no less reliable.
“It’s a little dangerous, isn’t it, letting him off the leash?”
Logan snorted. Never had Rowdy Yates been leashed, definitely not by him. “I have no choice but to trust him.” Same as he did Reese—with limits on both of them.
Reese hesitated again. “If he turns up anything, you’ll let me know?”
“First thing.” Logan was ready to disconnect the call when Reese spoke once more.
“I almost hate to miss the show tonight. Hope Pepper takes it easy on you—or not, depending on your preference for that sort of thing.”
The call disconnected in the middle of Logan’s heated reply. He stalked into the house in time to hear Pepper squawk when the hot water ran out.
Dash grinned. “I did tell her.”
Joining him in the kitchen, Logan said, “You two seem to be getting along.” He picked up a dish towel and began drying the few plates and utensils they’d used.
“She won me over,” Dash told him.
“So she didn’t give you a hard time?”
“A little maybe.” A crooked smile came and went. “She’s genuine, you know? And funny, and not at all unreasonable.”
“To you.” With him…well, she had grounds to be difficult, so he’d just accept it. For now.
“True.” Dash finished with the dishes. He dried his hands and leaned back on the counter. “She’s also as sexy as a woman can be.”
“I know.”
“Killer legs.”
Logan tensed. “I know.”
“And the rest of her—”
Throwing the dish towel onto the rack, Logan considered throttling his brother. “Do you have a point, Dash?”
“Yeah, I do.” Sincerity chased away the humor. “Pepper Yates is a keeper.”
At that moment, the “keeper” shut off the shower. Logan knew she’d emerge any minute. Freshly washed, soft and damp…maybe ready to torment him some more.
In bed.
God, he hoped.
Dash gave his shoulder a shove. “Damn, Logan. You are so far gone, it’s almost not funny.” But he laughed anyway. “On top of her other qualities, she has the constitution of a bulldozer.”
Glad to give Dash a new focus, Logan asked, “How so?”
“She cut the grass. All of it,” he stressed. “And damn, but she seemed to enjoy herself. I got her to put on sunscreen first, but she didn’t have the right shoes.”
Logan scowled. “The hill…” Without care, someone could slip and lose a foot.
“Yeah. Makes it treacherous. It was hot as hell this afternoon, so I thought I’d have to insist. But she’s smart enough that before I could even mention it, she put on her jeans and boots, and she got to it.”
It didn’t surprise Logan that Pepper enjoyed working outside. Soon he’d be able to jog with her, and maybe that’d help her to burn off excess energy.
Unless they could burn it off tonight in bed, instead.
“It wasn’t easy, but halfway through, I talked her into taking a break. We drank iced tea, took another dip in the lake, and then…” He shrugged. “She wanted to finish cutting. I felt like a damned slug, sitting around watching her. And I did promise you I’d keep an eye on her, so I ended up pulling weeds.”
It was Logan’s turn to grin. “I thought you wanted to leave the place untouched so it wouldn’t become a chore.”
“Yeah, I did. But she outmaneuvered me on that. I swear, I was ready to call it quits long before she was. If I’m not careful, she’ll have me relocating wildflowers with her tomorrow.”
Logan pictured that, grinned again—and Pepper emerged. She paid the brothers no mind as she went out to the deck to comb her still wet hair.
Definitely sexy, as Dash had claimed. With her ruse as a wallflower no longer necessary, she had a way of walking, of infusing just the right amount of swagger and sway to her hips. Thanks to the chill water of the shower, her stiffened nipples showed beneath the soft cotton of a clean T-shirt.
Logan drew in a breath—and realized that Dash was staring after her, too.
He gave him a shove.
Unfazed, Dash saluted him. “I think I’ll kick back in front of the boob tube.”
They got crap reception and didn’t have cable, but Dash kept a store of DVD movies in a cabinet under the television.
S
eeing his brother settle in on the couch, Logan said, “Keep an eye out while I get my own shower.” A cold shower, which he needed. He stuck his head out the door to speak with Pepper. “I’m going to wash up, too. I shouldn’t be long.”
“Good.” She kept her back to him while dragging a wide-toothed comb through her long blond hair. It was still so hot that it wouldn’t take long for it to dry. “Make it quick, though. I feel like turning in early tonight.”
With him? She was so unpredictable, he couldn’t be sure. He hated to give his lust free rein on assumptions, when this could be more of her torment. “Pepper…”
Looking over her shoulder, she gave him a sultry stare. “Keep the condoms someplace handy.”
And just that easily, she got him semi-hard. Maybe tonight he could convince her to spend the night in his room. He wanted to take as much time with her as he could, while he could.
And with any luck, it’d be enough.
*
ROWDY SAT TOWARD the back of the bar. While waiting for his contact to join him, he watched for trouble, and he watched for the petite waitress. He saw stacked women, lush women, blondes and brunettes, but he didn’t see the hot little redhead.
Had she quit? Changed her hours?
No, he wouldn’t accept that. Eventually, he’d see her again.
His attention shifted to five men who’d just entered, their gazes searching the crowd. They wore jackets—likely to conceal their guns.
Without a shadow of a doubt, Rowdy knew they were looking for him. It was a hazard of asking questions.
Snitches weren’t loyal. Most were just plain desperate.
When he’d asked specific questions, he’d known that others would come after him, curious as to who had been curious, and why. It was almost funny—but not quite.
Slipping out of his chair, Rowdy stuck to the darkest shadows and moved along the wall to the hallway that led to back rooms—the kitchen, bathrooms, perhaps an office.
It pissed him off that he had to go without new info. The men’s arrival here meant he’d gotten too close with his questions today, and someone had noticed.
