by Debra Webb
Rachel blinked back the tears threatening to expose her turbulent feelings. “So what happens now?”
“Since she only has a few days to live, I’ve agreed to let Mark stay with her until the end under my or Martinez’s strict supervision. Then I’ll bring him home.”
“I’m happy for you, Sloan.” She shifted the load in her arms. “If you’d like to go to the bank now, we’ll settle up.”
“Actually, I know a little wedding chapel in Vegas where they do the kind of settling up I had in mind.”
Rachel almost dropped her load. He couldn’t mean what she thought he meant.
Sloan took the papers from her. “Your keys?” He held out his hand.
Rachel fumbled for the keys in her purse, then passed them to him. He opened her car door and tossed the papers and the catalog onto the passenger seat. He reached for her purse and tossed it inside as well. Shoving her keys into his pants pocket he turned back to her.
He pulled her close. “I don’t know how you did it, but you got under my skin, Rachel Larson.” He tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear. “You blew me away. Every time I tried to push it away, the feelings just got stronger. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“You’re sure about that?”
He tightened his hold on her waist. “Oh, yes. Very sure.”
He brushed a tender kiss across her lips.
“What about your fee?” she teased. She fiddled with the collar of his shirt, wishing she could tear it off him right now, right here, and touch that sculpted chest beneath.
“How about you pay me in installments?”
Rachel frowned petulantly. “Installments?”
He kissed that ultrasensitive place next to her ear. “Sounds like a good plan to me. I’ll collect every night, maybe even every morning too.”
Rachel shivered as he trailed a path of kisses along the line of her jaw. “When did you plan to start collecting?”
“Right now,” he growled against her skin.
She shivered again, then drew back slightly. “What about Josh?” She held her breath. How could he ever accept Josh as his son?
Sloan looked directly into her eyes, his expression suddenly serious. “Josh will be my son too.” He hesitated, then added, “If that’s acceptable to you.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “That’s very acceptable to me.” She moistened her lips, tasting the man she loved with all her heart. “I love you, Sloan.”
He smiled, a gesture that squeezed her heart. “I have something for you.” He fished something from his pocket, then held it between his thumb and forefinger. “Just a little something to seal the deal.”
Rachel stilled, her gaze fixed on the delicate diamond ring he held so gingerly. “I don’t know what to say.”
He lifted her left hand and slid the ring onto her finger. “Just say yes.”
She frowned, uncertain, her heart pounding so hard she couldn’t think. “But I don’t have anything to give you.”
He pressed his lips to her cheek, then nuzzled her neck. “How about a little girl to go with our boys,” he whispered.
Rachel’s heart leaped for joy. She slid her arms around his lean waist and squeezed her eyes shut. He loved her. He wanted a family with her…and with Josh. “How about two, to make it an even match,” she suggested, then moaned as his tongue laved the pulse point at the base of her throat that pounded out her need for him.
“Is that a yes?” He drew back to look deeply into her eyes, his own glazed with desire.
“That’s definitely a yes.” She tiptoed and kissed his waiting lips.
He squeezed her buttocks, lifting her against the evidence of his need for her. “I’m a firm believer in consummating all important deals.”
“There’s a hotel only a couple of blocks from here,” she said breathlessly. “We could be there in three minutes.”
He ground her hips into his once more. “I was thinking more along the lines of your back seat and now.”
Rachel surveyed the empty parking lot and reached behind her to open the door. “You are wicked.”
He grinned. “Nobody ever accused me of being a saint.”
Rachel pulled him down for another kiss. He might not be a saint, but he was her savior. And she loved him all the more for his wicked ways.
Epilogue
Victoria waited patiently for Ric Martinez to arrive at her office. She smiled. Of all the investigators she’d had the pleasure of working with, Ric had the most attitude. Though he was a fine young man, he still had a few rough edges.
Speaking of the devil, he burst into the room, looking for all the world like a Latin cover model fresh off a steamy romance novel.
“Sorry I’m late, Victoria,” he offered, though she knew he was completely unrepentant. “I had a call that just wouldn’t wait.”
From a lady friend, no doubt. Victoria resisted the urge to shake her head. How could you fault a man who was as charming as Elvis and as sinfully handsome as the latest Latin pop performer? He simply could not help himself. And he was a damned good investigator. He had proven himself worthy more than once.
“That’s not a problem, Martinez,” she assured him. “I wanted you to stop by so I could go over your latest performance evaluation.”
That took the starch out of his Casanova attitude. He cleared his throat and straightened in his chair. “Performance evaluation?”
Victoria nodded. “We do those from time to time around here.”
“So,” he smiled that mega charming, lady-killer smile, “how’d I do?”
“Actually.” Victoria shuffled the pages in front of her that had absolutely nothing to do with Ric Martinez. “You’re doing rather well, the attitude not withstanding.”
“I’m working on that,” he said with exaggerated humility.
“I’m certain you are.” Victoria tossed the papers aside. “So, with that in mind, I’ve decided to put you on full field operative status.”
His handsome face lit up like a neon sign. “No sh—” His eyes widened at his near faux pas. He cleared his throat again. “Really? That’s great.”
“The next assignment I get that suits your personality and skills is yours.”
He pushed to his feet, his lean body restless with anticipation. “Thanks, Victoria. I won’t let you down.”
“Oh, I know you won’t, Martinez.”
“Anything else?”
He was itching to spread the word. He had waited, somewhat impatiently, for this moment. He should savor it. Martinez had worked hard to overcome the poverty and tragedy of his youth.
“No, that’s all.”
Victoria watched him walk away. He opened the door and started out, then paused and shot her another of those devilish grins. She wondered if there was a woman alive that could resist the man. One thing was certain, were she twenty years younger, she surely couldn’t.
Before Martinez could get away, Zach Ashton leaned in through the open doorway. “Victoria, do you and Martinez have a minute?”
“We do,” Victoria answered for Martinez as well, giving him a look that stalled the protest he would have launched.
Resigned to a few more minutes in the boss’s office, Martinez followed Ashton back to the two chairs flanking her desk.
“We have a bit of a problem with an informant from the Malloy case.” Ashton flicked an annoyed glance at Martinez. “She says that Martinez tricked her into talking to him by telling her that he represented some New York magazine.”
“I never actually said that,” Martinez interjected quickly. “She assumed and I simply allowed her to do so.” He cut Ashton a look. “I don’t see the problem, man. I didn’t promise the lady anything. I just let her do the talking.”
Ashton exhaled a long-suffering breath. “The problem is—” he glared at Martinez for emphasis “—that now she wants to sue. Granted, she’s a hooker with a rap sheet a mile long, but there will be some lowlife attorney somewhere who will be happy to repr
esent her.”
“Hey, man, what can I say?” Martinez shrugged. “I do what I have to do to get the job done.” He inclined his head, returning Ashton’s less than sympathetic gaze. “Now, I guess you have to do yours.”
Victoria couldn’t suppress the smile that twitched her lips. The two men were so totally opposite, they went head-to-head often. Martinez with his streetwise attitude and cockiness, refused to conform. He could talk a desert dweller into buying sand, his manner of dress every bit as slick and cutting edge as his persuasion skills. Victoria’s gaze shifted to Ashton, the personification of the educated, refined gentleman. Ashton played by the rules. And he was one of the top ten attorneys in the nation.
“I don’t think you quite understand my point, Martinez,” Ashton was saying.
Before either could build up a full head of steam Victoria spoke, “Put in a call to Carlton Hughes at the Journal,” she instructed Ashton. “He owes me a favor. Let the young lady have her interview.” Victoria studied the two handsome faces before her, Martinez’s expectant, Ashton’s simply tolerant. “Never let it be said that the Colby Agency doesn’t follow through on its promises.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Ashton stood. He cast one last cross look at Martinez. “Since I don’t have anything else to do at the moment.”
Martinez pushed to his feet. “Hey, man—” he followed Ashton to the door, “—just think how boring your job would be without me.”
Victoria watched the two men exit her office, Martinez offering to buy Ashton’s lunch, Ashton graciously refusing. No matter how much each man went against the grain of the other, the respect was there, however well concealed. Victoria was extremely lucky to have both on her staff, keeping the Colby Agency the best in the business.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7165-8
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Copyright © 2002 by Debra Webb
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