by Casey Hagen
“Let me ask you, son…if the situation goes bad, do you trust her to have your back?”
Josie couldn’t look at him. Why would he trust her? Quite literally, at this very moment, her gun was in her car instead of on her like it should have been. She had tried to run into an exploding house. And she was keeping information from him.
He pulled into the spot on the very end. “Yes, sir, I would, and I do,” he said, his deep voice strong and confident.
She swallowed the lump of guilt in her throat. A part of her yearned to reveal where Eric was, but she just couldn’t. Not yet. If she did and Cole took over, she’d lose any chance at proving her dad wrong about her.
“Josie,” her father said.
“Yes, Dad?”
“I’m trusting you to know when this is too big for you to handle on your own. Do me proud,” he said, his voice breaking.
She hadn’t heard a hint of true fear in his voice in decades. Frustration, sure. But this was something else. This was a father’s heart cracking as he took the first steps in letting go.
He’d been confident and commanding in everything he’d said. Unyielding at times, even. Ever since the few murky months after her mother passed and he looked at Josie with panic etched on his face as if he had no clue how he was going to handle raising this little girl who climbed trees and fished with boys.
Who almost always did the direct opposite of what she was told to do.
For the first time, she realized that his attitude toward her career had a lot more to do with his fear for her safety than any sort of belief that because she had been born with a vagina that she couldn’t handle it.
“I will, Dad. I promise,” she said quietly.
“Sir?” Cole said before she could end the call.
“Yes, son?” he asked.
“Do you think you could have a couple deputies move Josie’s car from where she left it parked near Eric’s house? If they could leave it at her place and retrieve her gun from inside and bring it to her at my place, I’d appreciate it,” Cole said, giving him the address.
“I don’t want to know, do I?” her father asked.
“No, sir, not right yet. There will be time to discuss it later, and when that time comes, I’ll be sure to have a whole lot more information for you,” Cole promised.
“Josie’s gun will be delivered,” her father said.
They said their goodbyes, and she breathed a sigh of relief at finally ending the call.
“See, that wasn’t so bad,” Cole said, opening his door and hopping out.
“Yeah, piece of cake,” she said, following him.
If every call with Josie’s father was like that, it was no wonder she avoided him. He could suck the energy out of high-strung Dalmatian that needed his nads snipped.
Cole unlocked his front door and pushed it open, letting Josie enter before him.
She stepped in and the lights came on, lighting up the combination living room, dining room, and kitchen.
He grabbed the flannel shirt he’d tossed over the dining room chair and forgot to put in the hamper.
“It must be a guy thing,” she said as she roamed his living room, glancing at the photos on the mantle over the fireplace.
“What’s that?” he asked as he tried to distract himself from just how good she looked in his place.
“The sensors that turn on the lights. First Eric, then you,” she said before picking up the picture of him and his dad on his dad’s fishing boat. Cole’s arm was slung over his father’s shoulders, a Corona in each of their hands.
“I like to see everything the minute I step in,” he said with a shrug.
She traced her finger over the glass, a soft smile on her lips.
He wished he were standing next to her to see what she found so interesting.
She set the picture back on the mantle and glanced over her shoulder at him. “I prefer lamplight myself. It’s romantic. Women like that sort of thing.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t bring women here,” he said, heading for the kitchen.
“At all?” she asked.
“Never,” he said.
“Until me,” she said as she joined him. She leaned her elbows on the granite island, the position thrusting her round breasts high against her tank top. Pink scratches marred her smooth skin.
His fingers itched to reach out and trace the marks. He turned to the fridge and grabbed them each a beer before his dick talked him into doing something stupid.
“Yeah. Corona okay?” he asked before shoving his face in the fridge, not bothering to wait for her reply.
He half-hoped she’d turned it down and ask him for wine or some fruity shit. He could use it as a strike against her.
“I’d love a beer,” she said.
Of course she would.
He twisted off the cap and handed it to her. “So, when are you going to tell me where Eric is?” Cole asked, popping the top off his own bottle.
“I told you that I don’t know,” she said before hugging the longneck bottle with her lips.
“You lied,” Cole said. He tipped the brew back and took three gulps.
“Why would I do that?” she asked.
“Because you don’t trust me, but after talking to your father, you should,” he said. Yeah, it chafed his ass that he’d gained no ground with her after that.
She sighed and set her bottle down. “Look, he’s safe. Can that just be enough for now?” she asked.
“You’re sure no one will find him?” Cole asked, already calling himself a fool for weakening.
“Oh, I would bet my life on it,” she said with a laugh.
“I’m terrified of the way it makes you giggle,” Cole said, his lips tipping up in a reluctant smile.
“So was he,” she said, raising her bottle.
He clanked his bottle against hers and wished more than anything the whole damn case was over and they could order a pizza, have their beer, and curl up to watch a movie on his couch.
He swallowed, the liquid going down the wrong way, forcing him to cough and gasp. Tears sprang to his eyes as they watered from the force.
Josie popped around the island and patted his back. “You going to make it there, big guy?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, wiped his eyes, and nodded, giving her thumbs up. “Damn,” he said, his voice raw and uneven. “And that is my party trick for the night. I’ve gotta call Dylan,” he said as he headed for the couch.
“Uh, I can just—”
He took her hand and pulled her along. “We both know you’ll just eavesdrop. You might as well just sit in on this one.”
“I don’t know whether I should be insulted or grateful,” she said.
“Grateful. This goes against everything I’ve ever believed in,” he said.
“I’m not the enemy,” she said, tugging her hand out of his in a show of temper, her blue eyes flashing.
“No, but you’re not exactly an ally, either,” he pointed out, sliding his phone out of his pocket.
“You told my dad that you trust me to have your back,” she reminded him dropping her hands to her hips.
“And I do, but not because of some invisible bond between us. It’s not like with my partners, former SEALs, men I’ve literally put my life on the line for, and they’ve done the same time and time again. You’ll have my back because your pride won’t let you have it any other way. That’s it,” Cole said. He knew he shot one hell of a barb, but he also knew for a fact that he was one hundred percent dead-on accurate with his assessment of her.
No matter how much trusting her went against his most important rule, he had no choice. They were in this together.
And those guys at the bunker today knew about her. Whether she liked it or not, she’d become a target.
So, as much as she hated the idea, he’d have her back, too.
“You don’t think much of me, do you?” she asked as she took a step back as though she were ready to run any minute.
His hand went right to the curve of her ass. He forced himself to keep his eyes on hers despite the round, soft breasts just a couple inches from his ready mouth. Locking his hand around the back of her neck, he pulled her lips down to his.
He took her in a hot, demanding kiss. His tongue glided along hers before he pulled back and smacked his lips, savoring her taste, a little sweet, a hint of citrus and hops.
“You’re growing on me…” he said, dragging his lips over the curve of her jaw.
She sighed, her moist breath mixing with his, and her rigid back relaxed as she curled into him.
“Kind of like mold,” he finished.
She pushed against his chest. “Oh, you son of—”
“Josie?” he said, cupping her jaw. “Shut up and kiss me,” he demanded, laughing into her mouth when she complied with a low growl.
Chapter 6
Josie lost her herself in the kiss. Her eyes drifted shut as he coaxed her with his soft lips, diving deeper with his tongue, and his hands…holy hell, his hands roamed over her, pulling her in, lingering in soft, neglected places.
He traced over the small of her back before gliding up the side curve of her torso and rib cage.
Her breath hitched as he skirted past her breasts, never once reaching out. At first she waited, wondering if he would just cup her there, just like every man had done from the first time she’d made out with a boy under the bleachers of her first dance in eighth grade, but no, not Cole.
She tamped down her disappointment, even as he showed her respect.
With Eric safe, she wanted this moment, but only this moment. Because she’d never shine for her father if she ever jumped into anything lasting with Cole.
He’d be the golden boy, and she’d be forgotten.
Again.
Cole’s lips froze on her collarbone. He pulled away and searched her eyes. “Where did you just go?”
Shaking her head, she pushed off his lap, stumbled, caught herself on the couch, and stood. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Oh, I have a feeling it does. We were skin to skin, and in a flash you might as well have been on the north end of Long Beach for the distance that surfaced between us,” he said as he scooted forward on the couch cushion and rested his elbows on his knees.
“Didn’t you need to check in with your partners or something?” she asked as she slid her phone out of her pocket.
She needed a distraction. Anything to keep the feelings of inadequacy associated with her dad at bay, and to keep from falling back into his arms.
“Yeah, but don’t think I’ve forgotten where we were,” he said with a glance before grabbing his phone.
“Kissing the enemy. I’ll make a mental note,” she muttered. She pretended to not pay attention as he made his call. Scrolling through her email, she hoped to find a report from an associate running plate numbers for her and searching for information on a couple of guys who had approached Eric about his designs, once at home, another time at Starbucks, and the last time at the gym.
At first she thought it might have been them at the house today, only the voices didn’t match. The guys she met blended wherever they went. They looked like your average businessmen with that trendy, Silicon Valley vibe, their colorful designer dress shirts, skinny dress pants—a look that never should have started on men…ever—decked out with their Apple watches, iPads, and MacBooks.
They had backpacks on at Starbucks and Under Armor workout gear at 24 Hour Fitness.
They were the kind of guys who smiled just a bit too wide, their teeth were a bit too white, and their avid gazes a bit too attentive.
“Hey, Cole. Any news on your end?”
Cole glanced up at her before his gaze flickered back to the phone. “Hey, Dylan. Before I go there, you should know I’m on speaker, and we’ve got company.”
“Uh, okay,” Dylan said, his voice low and wary. “Who?”
“Josie McLean,” Cole said.
“Take me off speaker,” Dylan said.
Heat rose to her cheeks. The idea that they could go head to head over her sent her gut into a freefall.
“Dylan—”
“Now, Cole,” Dylan said.
“That’s my cue. I’m outta here,” Josie said before turning to the door. She didn’t need to hang around for this. For one more guy in the business to treat her like a laughingstock.
“Hey!” Cole snapped and damned if she didn’t stop dead in her tracks.
Not that she walked back over to him. Instead, she spun around, crossed her arms, tapped her foot, and raised a brow.
“Equal partners, Dylan. You’re not my boss. Josie stays,” Cole said. His hot gaze roamed over her face, his gaze as powerful as a caress down her body. Fifteen feet stood between them, but the quiet intensity, the rippling of attraction flourished just as much as if they were skin to skin, racing heart pounding against racing heart.
He crooked his finger at her, and her body began to move toward him before her brain could step in and remind her of all the reasons why she shouldn’t let him get used to telling her what do.
“I hope you have a good reason for this,” Dylan warned. “We don’t make decisions like this without the team’s support.”
He patted the seat next to him and damn him she dropped down onto the couch cushion, but made sure to cross her legs away from him. A weak act of defiance, but it was all she had.
“I do. She’s in danger, too,” Cole said.
“I can take care of myself,” she said with a pointed look. Her father always said that a professional always knew how to pick their battles and when to keep their mouth shut. She was pretty sure this was one of those times to shut up, but the words climbed out of her throat anyway.
But hey, at least she remembered the lessons. Now she just needed to remember before she spoke, and she’d be all set.
This very thing is probably why he had the fifteen-second rule. Think about it for fifteen seconds before you speak and maybe, just maybe, you’d find you didn’t want to say what you were thinking after all.
“We all can, Josie. But we’re safer if we have each other’s backs,” Cole said, his words dousing the flames of temper still burning inside her.
Damn him.
“There’s no we in this situation,” she pointed out. She was there for information she hoped to use to keep Eric safe. She’d do good to remember that.
“There is now,” he said quietly before turning back to the phone. “I found her at Eric’s place today. The fire chief confirmed the house was empty. I kept an eye on the scene and spotted Josie going into the aluminum shed in the back. Turns out Eric has an underground bunker, the door into it is in the floor of that shed, under a carpet.”
“And no one knows this?” Dylan asked.
Cole scratched the back of his head. “Nope, doesn’t seem like it. While we were down there, a couple guys entered the shed, but didn’t discover the door leading down. They mentioned sticking to Josie until she eventually led them to Eric.”
“They say anything else?”
“Yeah, that they were looking for his computers,” Cole said.
“So a third party?” Dylan asked.
“Yeah, looks like it. Or fourth. Who the hell knows how many people know about this technology,” Cole said, giving her a questioning glance.
“Eric pitched it to investors,” she said, feeling herself get drawn into their case, the lines between what they both needed to do blurring.
“What?” Dylan said.
She uncrossed her legs and turned toward the phone. “He pitched it to investors. You ever see that show, Shark Tank? Like that, only local investors, guys who made their money in Silicon Valley and want to grow their fortunes.”
“Is there any way of finding out who he pitched to?” Dylan asked.
“It’ll take a little bit to research it. It’d be easier to ask Eric,” Cole said, giving her a hard look.
“He stays far away from this investigation. You heard those guys, they weren’t supposed to destroy his house, just smoke him out and you saw how that turned out,” she said with a shake of her head.
“You know where he is?” Dylan yelled.
“She knows,” Cole said.
“And she didn’t tell you?” Dylan said.
“No,” Cole sighed.
“Well, that’s just great. Our job was to keep an eye on him. No more. No less. Now he’s in hiding, his friend isn’t talking, and you’ve started protecting her instead of working for our client. Is that what this is?”
“I know it looks that way, but I have an idea,” Cole said. He took her hand and threaded his fingers through hers.
The air charged between them, and the hair stood up on her arms.
“We use her as bait,” Cole said.
She yanked her hand away, but he only tightened his hold.
“You’re a real piece of work, you know that? When were you going to tell me about this little plan of yours? The whole time you’re kissing me, you’re just luring me in so you can use me.”
“I’m hearing this,” Dylan said.
Yeah, he was, and she didn’t give one shit who heard her. “You’re a real asshole, Cole.” She yanked again, this time putting her full weight into the effort.
He let her go at the exact moment that she tugged against him. Flailing, she caught herself before she fell to her knees on the floor as she scrambled off the couch.
“It’s actually not a bad idea,” Dylan said.
“Then you’re an asshole, too,” she said as rage soared through her, making her blood pump so hard and fast the throb reverberated through her body.
Cole shot to his feet and cupped her shoulders. “Who better than someone trained? There are only two options to lure out whoever did this and one of them you’re trying to protect. Think about it, Josie.”
-->
