“Thanks.” She made a little sandwich and studied him as he leaned against the small kitchen island where he’d placed the food and munched on crackers.
“Did you ever get through all that paperwork?”
“No. Just the initial incident report. Likely it’ll seem like a forever project, with a minimum of two to three weeks before the conclusion. But on a brighter side, I’m starting an exciting new project soon.”
“Awesome. Wait—am I the exciting new project?” He gave her a devastatingly sexy smile.
She took a long sip of champagne and murmured, “No, but you’re running a close second.”
“I’d like to keep seeing you Smith, but I don’t want to scare you off or press you into something you don’t want.”
She studied him. He was fabulous, perfect even. She’d be stupid to relinquish him so soon. She should find out more about him before making any snap judgments about him based on the amazing sex they had together.
“Saturday night you told me you had women throwing themselves at you at work. Will you tell me what your job is?”
“I guess that’s fair since I know yours now. I’m a bouncer at the Lexicon Club.”
“A bouncer?”
“Well, technically my title is security specialist, but I was never one to put on airs.”
She gave him a once over. He looked exactly like a bouncer. A gorgeous one. She’d be willing to bet women offered all manner of enticements to get into the most exclusive club in the city.
“Disappointed in my career choices, Smith?” He ate another cracker and took a sip of his drink. But he watched her closely, as if steeling himself for a negative response.
“No, not at all. I was just thinking about all those women who offer to do exactly what I did tonight so they can get to the head of the line and into your club faster.” She lifted her eyebrows in question.
“I told you, I always turn them down.”
“Hmm. Really? Always? You’ve never taken anyone up on it?”
She saw a flash of something in his eyes. Regret? Sorrow? Pain? But just as quickly as it appeared, it was replaced by a mischievous expression.
“Okay, in the name of full disclosure, I did make one mistake a very long time ago that I’ve sworn I won’t repeat. There was a woman. She fooled me, which isn’t easy to do. She wanted easy access to the club. I was her way inside. Turns out we weren’t exclusive like I thought. In fact, she had the hots for just about every other guy available within her airspace.” He shrugged, but she could tell it had hurt him to some degree.
“I see. So I shouldn’t expect to gain access to your club.” Again that flash of sorrow, as if he thought of something completely distasteful then thrust it from his mind. She certainly understood what kind of effect that could have on a person.
He grinned. “Of course I’d let you in, Smith. Do you like to dance?”
“No. I’m not a party, dance-club sort of girl.” She shrugged. She’d always hated the club scene. “Remember when I promised you the first night we were together that I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
“I’m reconsidering my options.”
“Are you? Excellent. I believe that it’s always a woman’s prerogative to change her mind. I’m open to furthering our acquaintance, Smith, if that’s what you’re suggesting.”
“Well, I’m still not looking for a steady boyfriend, but I must admit that I would like to see you again, too.”
“Then why don’t you come with me to my club tomorrow night? I’m off duty again like tonight, but one of the perks I rarely take advantage of is getting in on my nights off.”
“Your club?” She shrugged again. “Okay. However, now I’m obligated to give you full disclosure, too. I’ll warn you up front, I don’t dance.”
He glanced down her body and back up again with leisurely intent. “Well, the kind of dancing I want to do with you doesn’t take much skill. We’ll just press our bodies together and sway back and forth to the soft beat of the music. Tell you what, I’ll lead.”
“Deal.” Jessica looked down at her watch and couldn’t believe how late it was.
They pulled out their cell phones and exchanged numbers. She promptly tapped in “Jones” next to his. He showed her that he’d labeled her number “Smith” in his contacts. It pleased her. It was something they shared together.
“I need to go. I have a big day tomorrow, which starts with Kelli at the coffee shop.”
“I may see you there. Mike and I meet for coffee every morning. I don’t want you to think I’m stalking you.”
“But this,” she pointed between them, “stays between us, yes?”
“Yes. Don’t forget, though, the club is a public place.”
“But our friends, especially Kelli, don’t need to know how we met or what we already are to each other.”
“True.” His brows furrowed. “And what is that specifically?”
Her face warmed. “Already very intimate.”
“Got it. We just met at the coffee shop robbery and now we’re friends.”
“With benefits.”
“Fuckin’ A.”
“But we don’t kiss and tell.”
“Of course not. Why would we do that?”
Jessica moved into his personal space and kissed him like she didn’t want to leave. She didn’t. But ten minutes later, she reluctantly released him, strolled back to the bedroom to get dressed in her own clothes, and regretfully left his shirt behind on the bed.
“I’ll keep it for you to wear the next time you’re here,” he said from the doorway. The bare skin of his gorgeous, well-sculpted chest tempted her to blow off Kelli in the morning and entice him to make love to her once more. As if he read her mind, he offered, “I could tell Mike I can’t make it tomorrow if you’d like to stay a little longer tonight.”
“I would, but I really do have a big day at work tomorrow, and that new special project. I don’t want to be sleep deprived. And we both know I would be.”
He nodded. “You’re absolutely correct.”
She’d better leave now. He snagged the shirt she’d left on his bed and slipped it on, sniffing the collar as if her scent lingered there. He escorted her across his apartment, holding her close as if she were precious. At his front door, he kissed her tenderly once before opening it.
When he followed her out into the hallway, she frowned.
“I know you can kick ass and everything, but I’d feel better if I walked you to your car, since it’s so late.”
Jessica didn’t mind. They went hand in hand to the elevator, embraced in one corner all the way to the ground level and, true to his word, he walked her to her car.
“You need to get that tire changed to a real one.”
“No doubt, but I’m busy.”
“Just be careful. No car chases for you, right?”
She snorted. “See you later, Jones.”
“Until tomorrow, Smith.” He grabbed her hand and kissed it. She paused a second to smile at him before she stepped into her car, pulling her hand away so she didn’t change her mind, follow him back inside and stay the night. She wanted to. Very much.
She watched in her rearview mirror as he walked back to his building. He looked up at the surrounding buildings as if searching to see if someone had watched them together. Interesting because she’d felt like someone had watched her early Sunday morning when she snuck out of his apartment.
Jessica shivered for no reason and departed the area quickly, heading home. Tomorrow would be challenging enough and now memories of Jones would slip in if she wasn’t valiant in her efforts to be a consummate professional.
~ ~ ~
Jessica met Kelli the next morning at the scheduled time. She ordered her regular large mocha, which the clerk told her was on the house because she thwarted the robbery the day before. She turned and saw Jones with the same guy as yesterday. He pretended to talk to his friend, but she’d seen several glances com
e her way while she waited for her coffee.
She caught Kelli’s wave from across the room and walked over to her table.
“So what do you think of Reece?” Kelli asked before Jessica even sat down.
“I thought his name was Mark.”
“Oh. It is, but everyone calls him by his last name, Reece.” Kelli frowned. “I think he used to be in the Army a long time ago or something. Maybe it’s a military thing. I don’t know.”
Jessica had always called him Jones. Perhaps she’d call him Reece tonight and see if he noticed. She seated herself at the table so her view would include Jones. She wanted to watch him. Probably juvenile, but whatever.
Kelli was still talking. “…even though you already got rid of your virginity with someone else. Reece is a good choice to be the next man in your life.” Jessica didn’t disagree that Reece was an exceptional man. But she was unsure of how to tell Kelli—or if she even should—that she wasn’t interested in making time for a relationship.
Perhaps she should back away slowly from the almost relationship with him now that the light of day gave her sudden rationality. But then Jones turned a very seductive gaze her way, giving her a bad boy half smile. The one that said, “I’ve seen you naked, I’ve made you scream in pleasure, and I can’t wait to do it again.”
She shook off his blatantly possessive stare and asked, “How do you know him?”
“He takes classes at the local community college where I’m taking that business course.”
“He’s a college student?” Jessica hadn’t seen that coming.
“Yeah. If it weren’t for him I would have failed my required Business Law class.”
“Really?” Jessica glanced at him, trying to be cool. He still watched her intently. She took a longer look across the room, returning the heated lip-licking gaze he sent her way. A bouncer with an aptitude for Business Law. How extraordinary was that?
“You should talk to him, Jess. He got dumped by some chick over a year ago because she only wanted to use him to get into his club. There was apparently more to it, but he never talks about her. And that doomed relationship has kept him out of the game. She was vile, but he’s such a great guy. Don’t discount him because I screwed up.”
“I’m sure he is great.” I know for a fact he’s a premium male specimen in bed and likely out of it. The girl who’d pretended they were exclusive, but didn’t follow through was the bad memory she’d noticed flash across his face the night before. “I promise to give him a chance, but not now. Perhaps I’ll talk to him later. I need to get to work.”
“Reece is as gun-shy as you are regarding relationships. I know! Why don’t I set something up?”
“Like what?” Jessica wasn’t certain she wanted to engage with him publicly just yet. She’d have to hold back and not slither over to him on her hands and knees begging for it, like she already wanted to do this morning.
“Like a double date.”
“A double date? Who are you going with?”
Kelli glanced over at the other table. “I want Mike in the worst way. He broke up with someone a while back, and I believe it’s time he was with a new woman. I’d like to fulfill his rebound lover requirements.”
“You’re shameless.”
Kelli lifted one shoulder unapologetically. “Maybe I just go after what I want.”
Jessica couldn’t help looking at Jones again. His eyes met hers, like he sensed them on him. He gave her another positively bone-melting grin when he caught her gaze. He looked at her in the way a man does when he has intimate knowledge of a woman. He did. Jessica wasn’t immune. She also wanted him in the worst way…again.
“I want Mike to look at me the way Reece is staring at you right now. It looks like he can’t wait to get you alone, but he’d probably never approach you unless pushed.” Kelli let out a very vocal sigh. “Let me be the one to push them both.”
Jessica nodded, but cautioned, “Okay, but don’t set anything up just yet. I’m about to be engrossed at work on a special project for a minimum of a week.”
“No promises. I need to grab Mike before someone else snaps him up.”
Jessica rolled her eyes, but then gave Jones a particularly salacious grin on her way out, including a slow swipe of the tip of her tongue over her bottom lip and a saucy wink.
Chapter Six
When she got to work, Jessica wrapped up several other projects or found others to hand them off to so she’d be available to do whatever was needed for the task force leader, Agent John Pierce. The hard-ass she would learn a lot from, according to her boss. That was good. She liked learning things.
The task force from Chicago had gone directly to a field operation site away from the Federal Building to set up surveillance from the primary watch post. They were due to arrive later in the day to brief the local reinforcements for further tasking. Jessica lingered at her desk, dreading the fact that Neil was on the team, too.
He eventually found her alone late in the morning. “So, Miss Cherry, you look relaxed today.”
Jessica didn’t respond or look up. She wanted to say, “I’m relaxed, you idiot, because I found an incredible lover. And he made love to me last night to my repeated pleasure.” But she didn’t. She ignored the smug bastard, delighting in the fact that it seemed to annoy him more than she’d ever seen before.
He made several attempts to engage her, but she didn’t rise to the bait, pretending he wasn’t even there. Eventually he got bored and left. Thank the heavens above for small favors.
She was working through lunch finishing up various small projects when a commotion drew her attention to the elevators.
The Chicago task force had arrived. They marched in unison two abreast, two rows down the hall toward the cubicle farm where she worked. They were all dressed in dark suits and light shirts. No-nonsense apparel. If they’d sported sunglasses and hats, she would have thought a Blues Brothers look-alike contest had just descended on their Federal Building.
One man broke into the lead, approaching her down the long row of desks. He had to be Pierce. He had very blond hair, ice-blue eyes she could see even from this distance, and an expression of I’m-in-charge-here arrogance she recognized from hard-ass men very much like her brother Jackson.
It was the perpetual scowl that gave him away. If he ever smiled it would be only in triumph over a defeated foe but the amusement would never reach his gaze, instead being chillier than any iceberg in the North Atlantic.
Martin met him halfway down the hall, shook hands with him and directed them all to the Arlington conference room. He signaled her to join the group. Jessica stood up and made her way to the room.
Unfortunately, so did Neil. Steps before the doorway, he came up behind her and brushed his hand across her ass.
“Hey!” Jessica turned, ready to clock him.
“Jeez, you really need to relax, Miss Cherry. It was an accident.” Neil’s mocking petulant face made her want to throttle him, but she marched into the Arlington room, fuming. Calm down.
She waited until Neil found a seat and then took the one furthest from him.
Her boss sat next to her. “Agent Pierce, I’d like to introduce you to the members of our staff who’ll be helping you with this task force.” He introduced Jessica, three others from various departments and the idiotic bane of her existence, Neil.
Pierce introduced Agent Rick Gordon, a tall, nice-looking Asian-American, as his right-hand guy and two others, a dark-haired woman named Elsa Davis and a very young blond computer tech named Seth Bell, mentioning in his introduction that he was a genius with any and all things computer related or digital.
Pierce started talking, and Seth had slides up on the big screen as he uttered his first words. “The central office was notified anonymously that a sleazy criminal our team has been after for quite some time was recently seen in a local club. This is where we’ve already set up initial surveillance. It’s a very exclusive, upscale nightclub. A confidential informan
t on someone else’s payroll has alluded to a meeting between our guy and the owner of the club, who’s purported to be a money launderer.”
Jessica looked at the screen. The slide was of a very nice building at night with subtle lights outlining the shape. It looked like they’d taken the picture from across the street.
The place looked exactly like a high-end nightclub. Actually, it looked familiar. She leaned forward, focusing intently on the image.
The next slide was put in place. Pierce said, “Here’s a clearer shot. Actually, do we have video available, Seth?” Seth’s fingers moved like lightning across his keyboard. A video popped up on the conference screen.
It was a close-up of the large entry door, lit up on either side with subdued neon colors alternating blue, red and purple and then repeating. A line of people along the left side of the block waited to gain entrance. The building itself took up an entire block and the door resided on the corner. Her focus zeroed in on the white lights spelling out the name in big letters over the entryway, jolting her back in her seat. Her spine went ramrod straight.
The Lexicon Club. Shit. That was the place where Jones was a bouncer.
The next slide showed two men from a distance standing guard in front of the club. Pierce sent an intense stare down the table. “Here are the club’s two primary bouncers. Memorize these faces. They aren’t wanted for any crimes at this point. They have never been arrested for anything. They are, however, at the very top of the security hierarchy there.” Another slide flashed into place. It almost looked like a jail photo, but was likely a badge picture. “This is Hector Guzman.” Another slide. Another badge picture. “And this is Mark Reece.” The breath she inhaled in shock was likely heard on the other side of the building, but no one said a word.
Another slide flashed up on the screen. But this one was quite different.
Jessica stared at the image in abject horror. It was a grainy black and white photo—presumably zoomed in from a distance—of her and Jones exiting his apartment last night. They were holding hands, crossing the street, heading to her car. Another slide appeared. A shot of her car’s license plate filled the screen before the next slide showed a close-up of Jones with his mouth pressed to the backs of her fingers right before she got into her car. His expression filled the entire screen with the look of a man who’s just had intimate knowledge of a woman. If the angle had been right, they’d have caught her staring back with an equally satisfied look.
Bouncer (Bad Boys in Big Trouble Book 2) Page 7
