“Got it, Beth.” Damn that vodka. P.F. Chang’s needed rolls or breadsticks. Nic needed to shove a pile of carbs down Beth’s throat to soak up some of the booze and maybe stifle her BFF’s brilliant analysis.
“Cute,” Beth continued, nodding her head up and down, on repeat. Where was a breadbasket when Nicola needed it?
“Did you know Nic has a very cute snore?” Cash asked.
Beth perched on the edge of her seat, clearly ready to get the juicy details. “Ten years ago or ten hours ago?”
Cash half-cocked a grin that flashed a dimple. “How much should we tell our good friend, Beth, Nicola?”
This was too much fun for both of them, and she wasn’t touching that conversation topic to save her ever-loving breath. “So about the ammo—”
Beth ignored her. “Are all you guys at Titan super-flippin’ hot? Cash. Roman. Jared.” She ticked names off on her fingers. “We’ve got nothing right now. No one interesting. Well, David’s interesting, but that’s another story.”
Man alive, the Sichuan Mary was courage in a glass. Nicola should have stolen Cash’s keys when he wasn’t looking and come alone.
Cash raised an eyebrow, laughing. “No comment.”
Beth and Nicola reached the bottom of their drinks with a slurp. As if the waiter had been watching, he arrived with fresh drinks the second they came up for air.
“You’d better not hold out on me.” Beth made a big show of switching her straw from one glass to the next, even though the new one already had a straw. “You’re running around with all those Hottie McHottersons, and I want some of that.”
Cash shrugged. “That could be arranged, I’m sure.”
“Yes.” Beth beamed, a third-drink-on-an-empty-stomach smile plastered on her face. “Thank you. Cash, I think I love you. You’re the man.”
Beth was throwing L-bombs and boosting his ego. Nic needed to catch the buzz train fast, or she was going to have to run to the bathroom and cry or scream or send a return-your-BFF-card-here text message.
The waiter was suddenly there again. Maybe her second whiskey had packed more of a wallop than she’d realized. “Would you like to order?” He stood there as if expecting… something. “Food?” he prompted.
Beth studied the drink menu for a second. “Noodles.” She leaned over to Cash, her new best friend, and yell-whispered, “Do you want noodles?”
He gave her a wink. “I want whatever Nic wants.”
Beth sighed loudly enough to turn the table behind her. Nic waved her glass to them, then looked at the waiter. “Can we have a sampler or something with lots of carbs?”
He nodded, clearly trying to figure out if they were good for their bill.
Cash spoke up. “Make that two samplers. And lots of noodles.”
The big guy needed his food. Nicola finished off the rest of her drink and admired the way his shirt clung to his pecs.
Cash leaned over. “See something you want?” A flush flashed from her cheeks to her chest. “On the menu?”
Nicola pushed her shoulders back and smoothed a napkin over her lap until it started shredding. “I’d like to talk about David the Butler now. That is, if you two can handle it.”
Beth’s buzzy nod said so much about what she could and couldn’t handle now or remember later.
“We already have our plan for the butler,” Cash said to Beth. The grand plan must have been discussed when she wasn’t listening to Jared yammer on because she had no idea. Cash continued, “And we’re going to talk to Sugar—”
“That’s her name? Sugar?”
Thank you, Beth. It was about time you pulled your BFF weight.
Cash laughed. “Her, huh?”
“Of course she told me about her.” Beth was going to get a headache from all of her nodding. Well, and from all the vodka too.
“Nic’s reading into something.”
“I am not.”
He shrugged one shoulder.
“So what’s your get-the-butler plan?” Beth asked. Good thing Cash was there to explain it to both of them. And here he thought she was being über professional. In reality, she’d been lost in the Cash-clouds.
He cracked his knuckles and got serious with a swig of his Warrior Smash. “Simple. Nic and the butler have to partner, per the CIA’s request to work it out, so as they do that. Nic slips in a few tracers and bugs. They do some bogus assignment together. Titan harvests the intel to bring the fucker down. Nic plays it all nice and sweet.” Cash stared at her a hard second. “That is, if she can manage to keep her left hook in check. She’s got a quick temper.”
Oh, for God’s sake. She didn’t have a temper. Maybe a short fuse, but that was a byproduct of her ex-boyfriend run-in. Now that Cash clued her in to the plan, it sounded reasonable and simple enough. This plan, for that matter, sounded too safe. It sounded like Cash and Jared were keeping her at arm’s length while they did the fun work, or was her Whiskey Whatchamacallit making her paranoid?
She took a sip and added, “But if I see an opportunity to take him down and have cause, I’ll do it.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement of fact.
“Not according to the plan,” Cash countered with a hint of a growl.
“Plans are meant to be adapted.”
“Not this one.” He sounded smug and sure and steadfast.
I’m going to wring his neck.
“This is about me being in the field again, isn’t it?”
“What?” He shrugged, looking guiltier than sin. “No.”
Yes. “I cannot believe you and Jared. You two can’t handle it.”
“Actually, not Jared. He thinks you’re fine to do whatever you please. Roman and I have reservations. We don’t want you running around when we can take care of it.”
“Not your call, Cash.”
“It’s better that—”
“Stop. Just stop.” She tried for a deep breath, but fury and frustration built in her lungs. “You said we were okay. That we’d work together, that you understand I’m good. Shit, I’m better than good.”
Beth nodded. This nod was a serious one, trying to reinforce the truth. “She is.”
Cash swallowed the rest of his drink. “We are working together. Just let me do the heavy lifting.”
“I might if you talk to me about it first! That’s how partnerships work. You can’t—”
He pushed out of his chair and stood to his impressive height, then leaned over her chair, imprisoning her in his protective arms. “Why not? It’s safer—”
She jutted her chin up to meet his sapphire stare. “To quote the great Cash Garrison, bullshit. You can take a bullet between the eyes as easily as me, so don’t tell me it’s safer for you.”
She pushed a hand against the expansive plane of his chest and stood, matching him. Cash versus Nicola. Losing ground on this would be detrimental to her professionally.
They didn’t say anything. No one around them did either. Every person on the patio stopped and stared. The waitstaff watched. Someone, somewhere clanged a knife on a plate.
“Check please,” Beth whispered.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Being stuck bitch in a Cash-and-Beth-sandwich on the front seat of the truck proved annoying. Beth was passed out and propped up against the door. Cash had an arm draped over the wheel, humming along with the radio like he wasn’t a macho jerk.
Everything he’d said in their spar hadn’t meant a thing. She thought she had a grip on her and Cash, but she was wronger than wrong. She felt plain stupid for assuming that he’d be different than any other man, not seeing what she wanted and instead playing big dog. His delivery, acting all cocky and beating his chest like Tarzan, hadn’t helped. So he wanted to protect her. Too freakin’ bad. It wasn’t his call. Shit, she wanted to protect him. Bet that’d make him shrivel up.
“I’m not sorry.” There he went, running his mouth.
“Couldn’t care less.”
“Well, I’m not thrilled you’re mad at me.”
>
“Still don’t care.”
Beth smacked her lips as she slept. Her occasional snore broke the hum of the road as Nic directed Cash to Beth’s condo.
“I’m good enough to be out in the field, Cash. I’m strong and I’m smart and—”
“I get that,” he said on a breath. “But I’d rather just take care of it. It’s a man thing. A protective thing.”
“You don’t know me at all. I don’t want to be protected. I like protecting. I’m a sleuthing badass. I like what I do, and you stepping in isn’t, isn’t—”
“Isn’t what, Nic? Not my call? ’Cause I’m making it my call.”
“It’s not fair.” She pointed for him to make a left turn onto a tree-lined road. “It’s not fucking fair.”
“Babe, life’s not fair. You of all people should know that.”
“But I can choose who I work with, and that means I don’t have to work with you.”
“You do through this assignment.”
“Well, screw that. You and my big brother don’t call the shots.”
“Yes—”
“I’ll go out alone. You and Roman can sit around like old biddies and bitch about that. I don’t care.” She took a breath and pointed. “Pull in right there. That turnabout.”
He slowed into the horseshoe driveway of the high rise building, then turned to her, his eyes almost pleading. “You wouldn’t.”
“Obviously you don’t know me as well as I thought you did. I was out there by myself before you two came along. The only reason Titan’s involved is because the CIA wants this one off the books. I’ll go off the books for both Titan and the CIA. I want this fucker. If I get the chance to take him out, bring him down, or just entrap him, he’s mine.”
He shut his eyes. Worry creased their corners. “Nic…”
“Blah, blah. I’m sick of it.”
Beth stirred. Cash parked his truck and got out, leaving Nic alone with Beth, who had gone back to snoring. Very slowly, Cash opened the passenger door. Beth was still very much passed out.
“Grab her stuff. Get her keys out.”
Nic stared at him. “What are you doing?”
The whiskey in her blood slowed, as she understood his plan. Click. He undid the seatbelt and extracted her snoring best friend. Beth nuzzled against his chest. Cash was a protector. He did it without thinking. Without being asked. He did it because he probably expected no less of himself. Damn him, all well-rounded and caring.
Nicola pinched her eyes tightly. Cash wanted their heavy lifting because of who he was. Nic in the field threw that balance off. Too bad. He needed to find a new center of gravity.
With Beth draped over him, Cash started toward the front doors. The doorman opened without a sideways glance. Nicola could do nothing more than watch Cash.
“You coming?” he asked over his shoulder.
The keys jangled in her hand, kick-starting her butt into gear. She led the way to Beth’s apartment.
***
Nicola had taken Beth’s shoes off and left her a glass of water and two Tylenol on the bed stand before they left.
“Thanks. For helping Beth.”
He chuckled. “She’s a lightweight.”
“Trust me, she’s not. I’d chalk that up to an empty stomach and too much excitement.”
Cash shrugged, and they walked down the corridor. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Look, I didn’t mean to get so upset. I’ve worked hard to prove myself and… I know it’s in your nature. I just… I don’t know.”
They stopped in front of the elevator, and he pushed the down button and popped an Altoid. “We’re finding our equilibrium. New partners and preconceived notions.” His voice was quiet, but he still didn’t sound willing to budge on David the Butler.
“Maybe.” She watched him in the oversized wall mirror instead of pacing the length of the waiting area. Since he’d called her fidgeting habit, it was on her mind. Don’t squirm. Don’t fiddle. Don’t, for the love of God, give Cash a reason to get in her head.
“Let’s work the ammo angle. We’ll go see Sugar, get that over with, and then we’ll be working together. Just like you want.”
“Why?” Sugar? He wanted more drama?
“Why not?”
“Because we’re fighting, and Sugar isn’t going to help.”
“Nah, this is more like a disagreement. A work-related disagreement. I don’t think it has anything to do with you and me.”
“It has everything to do with us.”
“Us at work.”
“Us in general.” She shook her head.
“Nope.” He paused and looked her over from blonde bun to butt-kicking boots. “We’re disagreeing, and it’s bothering you because you care. Don’t know if you realize that, but it’s true. And I’m apparently the problem, and it’s because, I guess, I care.”
The elevator dinged open. Hurray! Get me out of here. He walked in and held the door, waiting for her to join him. Hmm. Confined space. Maybe she should’ve hoofed it down the stairs. Nic moved to the corner opposite. His truck, the shower, and now the elevator. Too many closed in spaces.
He leaned back against the wall, surveying. “Whatcha doing way over there?”
She fidgeted with her purse, repositioning it from one shoulder to the other. “The more space, the better.”
“Are two little things like Sugar and the butler gonna keep you a rifle’s distance away from me?”
“I don’t really know you, Cash. I don’t know what you want. What I know is that you want to mess with my job.”
“Screw that. Here’s the truth. I lost you once.” He pointed at her, then back at him. “I like this. I like us. And I liked last night. A lot. You’re more than a fun fuck, and I don’t want to lose you again, so there you go, sweet girl. Maybe I’m all lost in nostalgic malarkey, but not only do I want you in bed, I want you out of bed. Which, as you’ve been clued in to, isn’t my MO. So shit’s different with you. You can lie and say you don’t feel it too. That’s cool, but know that I know.”
He knows? He knows nothing. He had no clue about the confused ramblings bouncing in her brain, no clue that she had to double check his reaction to make sure she didn’t cry out the words, “I love you.”
Over the elevator door, the numbers counted their downward drag toward the ground floor. Why hadn’t they bottomed out yet? She needed out of the elevator, but it barely slid from floor to floor. At this pace, they wouldn’t hit G until tomorrow.
Tomorrow would be too late.
Prolonged exposure to Cash caused blips of lust-soaked anxiety. Her heartbeat picked up its tempo—bump, bump, bump—and she wanted to climb the walls.
Since when was she claustrophobic?
Oh, who was she kidding?
Cash stretched high overhead. Just another day, making women swoon. That damn shirt hugged his muscles, and her mouth went dry. She tried to swallow around the knot in her throat. Tried to ignore the knots re-tying in her stomach. Even his belt had a look-at-me quality, wrapped around his toned waist. Flashes of his rippled stomach burned through her memory. Whoa, God. This elevator was teeny-tiny. He lorded over it in his corner, watching her watch him, and she needed the emergency escape hatch.
A slow smile flickered across his face. “Nothing to say, sweet girl?”
She shook her head. Nothing to say. Nothing to do except hide in her corner. Maybe dig in her purse a little more or check her phone or… Cash stepped to her. One step. Two steps. She looked at the ceiling, then at the elevator display. Button after button, unlit. Nineteen more floors to go, and Nicola couldn’t move, frozen and frying in his gaze.
He had her. Sliding a finger down the curve of her neck, his finger flicked the purse strap, and with that grazing touch, it dropped.
Loud thud. Intense moment. Pounding want.
Nic’s tank-top-clad back pressed against the cold wall. Her bare shoulders were aware of the barrier. A heat ignited, and anticipation tingled from the per
k of her breasts to the tips of her fingers.
Inches.
He was inches away and closing the distance. Cash palmed the elevator wall on both sides of her head. “I’m throwing lines about in bed, out of bed, and you’re standing, stoic like this is a cold shoulder challenge, and you want to win a trip to the freakin’ Arctic Circle.” He kissed behind her ear. Whimpers escaped her lips, then he whispered again. “After last night, I thought it was game on between us.”
Close enough for him to feel the rise and fall of her chest, close enough for her to smell the mint he’d long-since devoured, Cash nudged at the wall of buttons. Click. The lights dimmed. The elevator stopped between floors.
No alarms.
No sirens.
Just them, stuck in an elevator with the emergency lights on, and now she really couldn’t breathe.
“There are cameras in here. I’m sure there are cameras.” The words came out breathy and wispy and screaming, “Please kiss me again.”
“What is it you think I’m going to do?” He crushed against her. His smooth cheek grazed hers, and his lips brushed against her ear. “What is it that you want me to do?”
Her libido did jumping jacks and her mind, somersaults. All she could see was the deep blue of his eyes. His weight pressed her in place. His palms cupped her face, igniting a fire wherever he touched. Never had a torturing burn felt so damn right.
“I want…”
Cash dipped his head. Soft hair teased over her cheek, and soft kisses turned her stomach. It was a cacophony of cravings. Heat pooled inside her. The very core of her body moaned for his contact.
He repeated what she’d started. “You want…”
“You.”
She felt his smile on her skin. His full lips thinned into a grin, and his tongue sliced across the side of her collar bone, sweeping the strength out of her legs. Nicola hooked her thumbs into his belt loops. One of her legs snaked up his thigh. Trying to breathe was a wasted effort, and—
Ring. Rrr-ring. Ring.
What was it with the interruptions?
Cash pulled back to stare at the elevator’s phone box, slid his hands down her body, letting one rest on her hip, and opened a small door with the other, grabbing the phone. “Hello.” Amused, he dragged the syllables before he made it to a long oh. A few uh-huhs later, he winked at her, flicked the elevator RUN button back to ON, and said into the handset, “Must have bumped into it. Sorry.”
Summer Heat: A Steamy Romance Boxed Set Page 37
