Suddenly Sexy

by Susanna Carr

  “They were probably updating their Facebook statuses,” Martha said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Lloyd is always doing something like that. As I was saying, Lloyd…”

  Julie saw her colleagues, one by one, turn their attention to Martha. They didn’t believe her. She stood straight as she glanced around the tables. No one was interested in what she saw. They thought she was imagining all this.

  Julie slowly walked to the empty chair next to Eric. When he stood up to help her into her seat, she forced a polite smile on her mouth. When she sat down, she saw that Asia was on her other side.

  “Asia,” she whispered, “I know what I saw.”

  Her friend patted her hand. “Honey, is it possible…”

  “What?” She was wary of her friend’s cautious approach.

  “Perhaps…” Asia tried again. “Could it be that your deductive skills are on hyperdrive right now?”

  Her words almost sounded complimentary. Almost. “What does that mean?”

  Asia twisted in her seat and lowered her head so she could speak privately. “Tonight was very important to you but your assignment didn’t go as planned. You want to end the night on a successful note and just happen to see a potential case. Not just any case, but one that deals with espionage.”

  Wow. Julie stared at her friend, but no words came out of her mouth. She thought if anyone believed her, it would be her friend. She didn’t see that one coming.

  Asia gave her an apologetic look before she turned back to listen to Martha. Julie knew it was hard for Asia to give her the hard truth. Her friend knew how important the decoy assignment was for her, and how much she needed it to work.

  Julie stared at her clenched hands as the conversation grew to a low buzz. Was she so desperate for a successful night that she saw something where there was nothing? She replayed the episode in her mind.

  No, she was right. She saw something. She didn’t quite understand it, but her gut instinct said it was a piece of a bigger puzzle. Something illegal, possibly nefarious. Oooh, wouldn’t that be great?

  She trusted her gut. That should be enough for her. She’d dig for the truth alone. She didn’t need backup. Let the others think she’s on a wild-goose chase. She’ll prove them wrong.

  Julie sensed Eric’s gaze on her. She looked up and saw him watching her intently. Like he knew exactly what she was thinking.

  “You don’t believe me, either, do you?” she asked with a wry smile.

  “Oh, I believe you.”

  “Really?” She sat up straight in her chair. “You think I saw something that was espionage or piracy?”

  “Yeah, it’s possible,” he said wearily.

  “Thank you.” Eric believed in her instincts, her observation skills. He didn’t think it was her imagination or wishful thinking.

  “Promise me something.” His tone was low and urgent.

  “Okay, what?” she whispered.

  “Don’t pursue it.”

  Her lips parted in surprise. He couldn’t possibly ask for that kind of favor. “I—but I…”

  “I know that look in your eye. I can practically hear your mind buzzing. You want to investigate.”

  “Well…” Duh. Of course she did. It was her case. Her chance to show what she could do. But she couldn’t share her thoughts with Eric.

  His expression was forbidding. “I’m not going to let you.”

  Let her? As if he had a say in the matter. Let her, as if he was in charge. Her eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”

  Eric’s eyes glittered as he returned her glare. “In fact, I’m going to do everything in my power to keep you away from trouble.”

  8

  ERIC DIDN’T SAY ANY MORE about the subject until the team had called it a night. Most of them were tired but still giddy from working an assignment. Julie, however, was unusually quiet.

  At first he thought she was subdued because her debut as a decoy hadn’t met her expectations. But he’d slowly become aware of the signs. The twinkle in her eye. The secret smile. She was constantly moving even though she was sitting down.

  She wasn’t listening to what was going on around her. Her mind was buzzing as she planned her next move.

  That was as far as he would allow.

  He rode the elevator with Julie and the team. As they walked into the parking structure, he waved goodbye to his coworkers and followed Julie to the parking lot elevators. It was only when they were in the elevator riding up to another floor that Julie noticed something was odd.

  “Aren’t you staying at this hotel?” she asked as the elevator chimed and the doors opened.

  “I’m walking you to your car.”

  “Thank you, but there’s no need,” Julie said as she exited the elevator, her stride powerful, her ponytail swishing from side to side. “It’s Bellevue. Not Beirut.”

  “Don’t knock Beirut. It’s one of my favorite cities.” He walked at her side, automatically scanning the area. The lot was full but quiet.

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “Kick-Ass Julie is an alias, not a bullet-proof shield.” She acted tough in her boots and military jacket, but he’d seen her self-defense maneuver. He didn’t like the idea of her here alone. No one would hear her if she needed help. “Anyway, we need to talk. You are not investigating what you saw tonight.”

  She made a face. “Of course I am.”

  Why wasn’t he surprised? “This is what you do—those guys work with Lloyd. You contact them or security at Z-Ray, tell them what you saw and you drop the matter.”

  “Where’s the fun in that?”

  “You may think these women are no match for you—” He heard a tire squeal and looked around, but it was from the floor below.

  “Red was kind of ditzy. Blondie looked like she would fight dirty, but I could take her.”

  “Don’t underestimate those women,” Eric warned.

  “Just like our colleagues shouldn’t underestimate me.”

  “They were collecting data for someone powerful who has resources.”

  Julie stopped and looked straight into his eyes. “Eric, you know that what you’re saying isn’t warning me off. You’re making it sound better and better.”

  He should have considered that. If there were even a hint of danger or adventure, Julie would sign up. He had been like that once. He still was when it came to Julie. She played havoc with his senses, but he was still drawn to her. He had to be around her, even though he knew he couldn’t rely on his self-control.

  Eric admitted he had to change tactics. “And just when do you expect to investigate?” he asked, his voice echoing against the concrete walls. “You work during the days and you’ll have decoy assignments at night.”

  Julie stopped and placed her hands on her hips. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re going to make sure I have a decoy assignment every night of the week until I drop this matter?”

  Eric couldn’t help but laugh. “Your faith in my abilities is gratifying, but I’m not a magician. If I could land some business for us, we wouldn’t do the premarital screenings.”

  She bit her lower lip. “You believe there’s been a theft, and you think someone should look into it. The only reason you don’t want me to investigate is because you think the person should have expertise.”

  “Yes,” he said with a sharp nod. “That’s what I’m saying.”

  Julie grabbed his arm. “Then come with me.”

  “Me?”

  Her eyes glowed with excitement as she warmed up to the idea. “You’re an expert.”

  “Not in corporate espionage.” Eric would do anything for Julie. He wanted to be at her side, especially to keep her safe, but this wasn’t his expertise. “I hunt down and retrieve stolen artifacts for the government.�
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  “Theft is theft,” she said with a careless shrug.

  Eric rubbed his forehead as he felt a headache coming on. “That’s an oversimplification. A jewel thief has different methods and tools than someone who is committing a crime with a computer.”

  “They might use different tools, but all we need is a cell phone, a cigarette lighter and a pocketknife.”

  He stared at her. “Where do you get this information?”

  “Books and TV. The spy always has these things with them, even if he doesn’t smoke. Everyone knows that.”

  Eric stared at her. “Tell me that you’re joking.”

  “I might be,” she said with a smile. “And thieves might have different methods, but they’re driven for common reasons.” She started ticking them off with her fingers. “Greed, envy, revenge, the need for attention…”

  “They also can be violent,” Eric said, “which is enough reason for you to stay out of it.”

  “Come on, Eric. Don’t you want to right some wrongs? Fight the good fight?” She pumped her fist up in the air like a superhero. “Save the day?”

  “No.”

  Her eyes widened and she lowered her hand. “Seriously?” She stared at him. “But you…you’re a…”

  “Special agent. For ICE. Yeah, I know.” He speared his hand in his hair and sighed, not sure if he wanted to share his world with Julie. “Let me tell you a secret about fighting crime.”

  Eagerness flashed in her eyes and she leaned in closer. “What? What is it?”

  “Sometimes the bad guys win.”

  Her eyes narrowed as she waited for more.

  “And sometimes you have to get on their level and fight dirty to catch them,” he said slowly, his heart pumping hard. He couldn’t look at Julie. “Once you do that, you’ll never feel clean again.”

  “You will do whatever it takes,” she said as she looked at him with adoration…which he didn’t deserve. “It’s worth it if it brings justice in the end.”

  “Not always.” Didn’t she get it? He could be just as bad, just as dirty as the thieves he captured. “Sometimes you can put together a great case, but it’s not enough to convict. And if they are convicted, there’s a chance that they will serve less time in jail than it took for you to put them in there.”

  “But you stopped them,” she insisted. “That’s what’s important. Justice was served.”

  “Temporarily,” he pointed out. “Don’t forget that the bad guys will always outnumber you. They become stronger, richer and more dangerous every day.”

  “So, why do you keep at it?” Julie asked. “If you hadn’t been injured, I’m sure you would still be at it, catching bad guys. Why haven’t you given up?”

  There had been plenty of times when he felt burned-out and useless. Days that tested his ideals. Days when good and bad wasn’t black and white. He had given his youth, his body and soul, to the job and lately he didn’t think it was worth it. When he was first put on medical leave, he seriously considered retiring from his nomadic life. But that would mean finding a home and a place where he belonged. The idea scared him. He didn’t want a repeat of his childhood.

  And then he’d walked into his godfather’s firm, and he met Julie. He was someone who looked for ulterior motives and found her friendliness a rare treat. She was a natural beauty while he still carried the taint of an underground world. She was bright, creative and fun. She lived in a safe and peaceful world. A world that he fought for, but it almost felt foreign to him.

  But he also remembered that look in her eye when she had discovered what he did for a living. He was James Bond and Hercules wrapped into one. It was as if all his aches and scars had faded. Every time she looked at him with that mix of idealism and respect, he felt invincible.

  He also felt guilty. She shouldn’t look up to him or create a fantasy about what he did for a living. Sooner or later she would understand that he was no hero. Heroes were squeaky clean and virtuous. They were better than everyone else. He wasn’t good enough to stand next to someone like Julie.

  “I know why,” Julie said quietly.

  Eric stiffened. “You do?” How did she know? Was it obvious that he wanted to be the hero of her dreams? Did she see that he wanted to be honorable and civilized just for her?

  She stepped closer and placed her hand on his arm. She tilted her head and looked up at him, her expression softening with adoration. “You don’t quit because it’s not in your nature.”

  His heart skipped a beat before he relaxed. “Yeah, sure. Right.”

  She gave him a curious look. “What did you think I was going to say?” she asked as she let go of his arm.

  “Uh, nothing. We’ll go with that.”

  “I know that if someone throws an obstacle in your path, you find a way around it.”

  That sounded like him. On a good day. He hadn’t had one for a while. “How do you know that?”

  “Because I’m the same way,” she said as she walked away.

  “God, I hope not,” he muttered as he followed her. But he had a feeling that she was more tenacious than him.

  “And I don’t care if what I saw in the club had nothing to do with me,” she said as she marched to her car. “I’m not going to let those women steal just because they’re tougher than me. I’m going to stop them.”

  Eric understood her desire to make a difference, to stop something she knew was wrong. But she also had this view that everything would work in her favor because right was on her side. There had to be a way where she could feel like a participant without getting in the line of fire. He had to find that balance.

  He saw Julie approach her light blue MINI Cooper. “This is where you parked?” He stopped in his tracks and looked around the garage. Of all the places to leave a car unattended, this would be his very last choice. “It’s in a blind spot for the security cameras and there is no direct light.”

  “It was the first one available,” she said as she took her keys out of her pocket.

  “And did you wonder why?” he asked as he watched her unlock the driver’s door. “Like most people would avoid it because it screams ‘mug me here’?”

  She turned around and faced him. “And where did you park? Under a floodlight and in front of the parking attendant?”

  Eric flattened his hand against his chest. “I can take care of myself. You—” he pointed at her “—I’m not so sure about.”

  “Thanks.” Her sarcasm was loud and clear. “And here I thought you walked me to my car because you couldn’t get enough of my company.”

  “There’s that—” he placed his hand on the car door before she could open it “—and I wanted to make my point clear. You don’t have to stick your neck out to find danger. Contact the Z-Ray or contact the authorities. Let someone who is qualified pursue it.”

  She gave him a tight smile. “You might as well pat my head and tell me to be a good girl.”

  Eric didn’t know why his words were getting mixed up. He never seemed to say the right thing to Julie. “All I’m asking is for you to sit this one out.”

  “No, absolutely not.”

  He placed his other hand on the car rooftop, caging her in. “Why not?”

  She leaned up against the car. “Because I’m always sidelined and I’m tired of it.”

  “Not always,” he argued. “You were a decoy tonight.”

  “And you know what, right up until the moment Lloyd walked away, it was fun. This time I wasn’t on the outside looking in. I finally got to be a part of the game.”

  “And you will have a chance to play a bigger part of the game, but you have to work up to it.”

  “That’s what I’ve always been told. ‘Next time you can have a chance,’” she mimicked. “‘Be patient. Just wait your turn.’” Sadness flickere
d in her eyes. “But it never happened. I didn’t get a turn. It’s been that way since I was a child. My family didn’t allow me to do anything and it’s still true today.”

  “I’m sure your parents had good reason.” He had no doubt that she was a curious and impulsive child who found trouble at every turn.

  “Okay, sure I had some health issues,” she admitted. “It’s not uncommon with a premature baby. And it didn’t help that I was always sick in bed or at a doctor’s office.”

  “Health issues?” Eric studied her face. Her pale complexion gave her an ethereal beauty, and he always thought she was delicately feminine, but she was no waif.

  “My parents were overprotective,” she insisted.

  Eric didn’t say anything. He was kind of envious. He would have liked it if his parents showed any concern for him.

  Julie’s eyes clouded as she remembered. “All the neighborhood kids got to go outside and have fun and I was stuck watching them from my bedroom window.”

  That would explain the good observation skills. She had spent a lot of time watching the world go by. “What health issues?” he repeated.

  “I grew out of them,” she told him and sighed. “Eventually.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Her gaze sharpened and he could tell she regretted saying anything to him. “What do you mean? I’m strong and healthy.”

  Eric didn’t say anything. She was active and energetic at the office, exuding joy and a thirst for

  adventure. But this explained a lot about her air of vulnerability. He wasn’t the only one who felt it. Many employees at Gunthrie S&I felt protective about her.

  “Let’s get something straight, Eric Ranger.” She poked her finger against his chest. “I used to be defined and labeled by the challenges I faced. My parents still treat me as if I have the same medical needs as when I was a baby. I didn’t like it then and I won’t tolerate it anymore.”

  He didn’t say anything. She may be strong and healthy now, but she acted as if she were indestructible. He didn’t want to encourage that fantasy. That would cause more harm than good.