by Marie Harte
The stubborn woman was running scared. If she didn’t care, she would have told him so. Outspoken Kitty Nelson had no problem putting men in their place. Yet Dane she avoided.
“I don’t know. I took a bullet for you. I’d expected the thanks in person at least.” Only a devious man could handle a woman like Kitty. And Dane was much smarter than he looked.
She blew out a breath. “I meant to come by and see how you were doing. I was busy.”
“Lame, Nelson. I think you’re scared.”
“Bullshit.”
He smiled. “Language.”
“Oh please. Like my filthy mouth is anywhere as creative as yours.”
He let the silence build. “True. My mouth is capable of all manner of things.”
He heard her swallow and stifled a chuckle. Talking to her made him feel worlds better. He apparently wasn’t the only one not sure about what had happened between them. Had it just been sex, he wouldn’t be so aggravated, missing her.
“You know, kitten, I accompanied you in good faith. I had to let one scary woman feel me up while another got me naked. Not fun, let me tell you.” Okay, so Linda had only touched his knee, and the doctor he’d seen in town had been a mature professional concerned with making sure he hadn’t hurt himself anywhere else. Close enough.
“What? When did this happen?”
Good to know she sounded jealous. He started to really enjoy himself. He looked around and lowered his voice as he walked across the yard back to the main house. “Linda groped me. Then I come back home and have to deal with that idiot friend of yours, the one who burns things. James. He insisted I get checked out. Afraid of lawsuits or some shit. And the nice doctor who gave me a physical a few days ago stripped me down naked, supposedly to make sure I wasn’t faking about being unhurt. I think she just wanted a go at my body.”
“Quit your whining. Weren’t you a jarhead for nearly twenty years? Are you kidding me?”
“Yeah, and when I got shot then, I knew to expect it. From what I was briefed, we were going to take back a stolen statue, not engage in illegal fighting matches. To the death, Kitty.”
“For God’s sake.”
He thought he heard guilt and poured it on. “It hurts to work, you know. And I have a few pieces on commission I need to finish.”
Silence. Then, “Really?”
“Never mind. You’re right. I sound like I’m complaining. I just thought you’d at least stop by to close things, you know? A debriefing helps.”
“I’m sorry. I was busy. And I…” She cleared her throat. “Okay, okay. Quit with the guilt, already.”
He tried to sound less smug than he felt. “So maybe in the meantime you can help me out.”
“Oh?”
“I’ll answer whatever Owen needs to know, and you come with me to a party next week. It’s Karen’s engagement party at the McKay place.”
“Oh, that’s great.” Kitty laughed. “Poor Dane. Forced to be civilized and pretend to be happy for his sister.”
“I am happy for her. Well, I’m happy she’s happy, anyway.” Doug McKay he still regarded as an asshole.
“Good to know. Sure, I’ll be there. It will be nice to see your sister again. And Doug too, of course, since I’m having his babies.”
He snorted. “You’re not as funny as you think you are.”
“Ha. Okay. My place tomorrow at six. Owen will be there.”
“Sounds good. Oh, and belt Ian in the mouth for me, will you? The little shit is telling my sister and who knows who else that you and I spent time together in Phoenix.”
“That snot. No problem. His ass is mine.”
Keeping it casual, he signed off. He disconnected the call and had to force his body to calm down before entering the house. Damn if he didn’t get aroused when she used that tone of voice.
But karma was a wonderful thing. He’d waited for her to come to him and been rewarded.
He had a meeting tomorrow with Owen he planned to use to his advantage. Because after Owen left, Dane had plans for Kitty Nelson.
* * * *
The next day passed almost in slow motion as Kitty geared for her meeting with Dane. And Owen. Owen was the more important of the two. Her boss’s boss.
With Jack in Europe looking for Owen’s sister, Kitty remained in charge. Thankfully her time away had been too short for Ian to completely screw up the smooth running at the gym. He’d only managed to irritate Owen, of all people.
The clock ticked to four. Only one more hour until she could sign off and leave the gym to Chloe, the night manager, who’d agreed to come in early so Kitty could take care of Owen.
Keegan and James, the bringers of chaos, popped their heads in the doorway.
“Hey, Kitty.” Keegan nodded politely. “Got a minute?”
“Sure.”
The guys entered and closed the door behind them.
“Uh-oh. What’s up?”
They glanced at each other before James, the smoother of the two, spoke. “It’s only been a few days since you were forced to work with that weird guy, Hane.”
“I think you mean Mr. Lame.” Keegan chuckled.
“No, I’m sure it was Something Handsome.”
“Dane Hanson,” she corrected James. “Just tell me what the hell you two want. I’m up to my eyeballs in invoices because someone let Ian into my desk.” She glared at Keegan, who pointed to James. “Whatever. Just say what you have to say.”
“Okay.” James let out a tired breath. “We’re worried about you, Kitty. Ian keeps going on and on about how you and this Dane guy are now an item. That you owe him sexual favors for helping on the case, and that you’re glad to squander yourself on some devil dick with control issues.”
“It’s devil dog, you idiot. As in, a frickin’ United States Marine,” Keegan corrected.
“Not what Ian called him,” James had to add.
“Ian said all that?” She gaped at them.
“Well, not all of it,” Keegan answered, his drawl thick enough to slow down molasses. “See, me and James and Rory were talkin’ about the guy last night. We don’t like him.”
“Actually, we want to test him,” James said, frowning at Keegan. “We don’t like that we don’t know that much about a man who seems to be immune to the team. Can we get Aidan to read his mind? Or maybe Avery can see into his future. Nathan could touch something of his and try to get a bead on him.”
“I don’t think Dane’s going to willingly agree to be your guinea pig.” Though the idea held merit. “I’m more than curious myself. I still can’t read him at all.” And she loved that about him.
“Not even after…you know?” Keegan prodded.
“You know what?”
“Takin’ him to heaven.” Keegan flushed. “You know. Sexing him up? You couldn’t read him then?”
God help her. “My sex life is not your business.” Stop blushing, stop blushing. “And for the record, we didn’t have sex.” We made love. Oh hell. No, we didn’t. We had sex. There was nothing loving about it.
They didn’t look as if they believed her. But then, she didn’t believe that herself.
“I tell you what. I’ll ask Dane if he’ll consent to joining us in the gym one night. If nothing else, he’ll probably agree so he can kick Keegan’s ass.”
“Hey.” Keegan growled his affront.
“True. He’d love to kick Keegan’s ass.” James grinned, then covered his smile with a cough. “I mean, not that I think he’ll win against my man. But he’d probably like a shot. He didn’t seem to like Keegan much when they last met.”
“At least I didn’t try to set him on fire,” Keegan muttered.
“And our meeting is done.” Kitty rounded them up and pushed them toward the door. Like trying to herd cats. Easier said than done. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine. Dane is fine. Owen has his statue, and we’re on to the next mission.”
“What about Jack?” Keegan asked.
“Missing him alread
y?” she teased.
“Hell no.” Keegan looked appalled she’d even ask. “I just want to make sure we don’t need to get our passports in order to bail his sorry ass out, is all.”
“I talked to him yesterday. He’s fine, so far. I think it’s good for him to get out of the office. Having him here all the time is like penning a wolf in a closet. Something’s got to give.”
“I’ll say,” James agreed.
She turned back to Keegan. “But I’ll make sure to tell him you were worried. It’ll make him feel good to know that you really care under all that bluster.”
The cowboy swore, and James couldn’t stop laughing.
After ushering them both out of the office, she resolved to have another talk with Ian and finished her paperwork. Then she did a few passes through the gym, connecting with patrons and the staff. Luckily for Ian, he’d been given the day off to attend to some errands. Or she’d sure as shit have ripped him a new one.
Finally, Chloe arrived. Kitty turned over duty for the night to her and raced home. She showered and cleaned up what little mess cluttered her house, which wasn’t much. And if she took better care of her appearance and had to still the flutters of nerves in her belly, she told herself it was because Owen, the big boss, would soon arrive. Her tension had nothing to do with seeing Dane again.
The man she couldn’t stop thinking about. And what the hell was that, anyway? They’d worked together on a case. Shared a few sexy grabs, some heavy screwing. Nothing serious.
So why did her dreams and desires center around him? Why did she keep seeing his stupid smile in her mind’s eye? Not his cock or that fine body, but the way his eyes crinkled in amusement, or the way his smoky laugh lightened the burdens on those thick shoulders?
Annoyed with herself all over again, she made a pot of tea. The kettle whistled, and as if on cue, the doorbell rang. She turned off the burner, moved the kettle, and hustled to the door, still holding the potholder.
When she opened the door, Owen Stallbridge smiled at her. Tall, sexy, and incredibly appealing, he should have been her go-to man for fantasy. Owen had ash-blond hair, green eyes, and a cultured voice both masculine and arresting. He wore confidence as if he owned the world. But it was more than money that gave him that feeling of self-possession. Owen had a good soul. She could sense it buried beneath the successful businessman.
Yet for all that, the man standing behind him remained the one person who made her pulse race. The rough-looking guy who would seem more at home on the back of a motorcycle or lurking in a dark alley.
She swallowed her resignation, deciding to confront the truth about her feelings for Dane later, when she was alone and had the time to reason a way out of her stupid feelings. It had been a week of dithering over the man. She had to come to some conclusion about him eventually. “Come on in.” She stepped back and waved them inside, then closed the door after them.
“You baking something?” Dane nodded at the padded square in her hand. “Where’s the apron, Miss Kitty?”
Owen laughed. “Miss Kitty?” Seeing Kitty’s annoyance, he fought to mask his amusement. “Right. Thanks for letting us meet here. The house is being renovated, and I’ve been in between meetings for the past week. In a hotel one minute, a plane the next.”
“No problem, Owen,” she said sweetly, then glared at Dane. Turning, she headed back into the kitchen and tossed the potholder onto the counter. Maybe she’d add some whiskey to her mug and scrap the tea.
“Aw, where’s that famous sense of humor?” Dane said right behind her as he tugged her ponytail.
“Hands off, you bully.”
“She’s got you there, Dane.” Owen followed him in and sat at Kitty’s kitchen island.
The same place where Dane had first made love to her.
Dane glanced at the table and then back at her, a ghost of a smile on his lips.
She cleared her throat and motioned for him to sit.
The guys dwarfed the small space, but Kitty had to admit being near Dane both excited and eased something inside her. She felt hemmed in, yes, but she also felt safe. Right.
So not good.
She paid better attention to her guests and realized what bothered her—Owen’s familiarity with Dane. She could read the friendly vibes passing from Owen to Dane. “You two know each other?”
“Gotta love an empath,” Dane muttered.
“Dane and I worked together years ago on a project for the government,” Owen explained. “As I recall, he was obnoxious then too, but very good at his job.”
Dane snorted. “That’s me. Mr. Charm.”
Kitty caught Owen’s respect and admiration for Dane, and that made her all the more curious.
“I’d say I can see your whiskers twitching with curiosity, but then you’d get pissed. So I won’t say that,” Dane deadpanned. “I’ll just think it.” He stood and touched her hip as he passed, and she felt the caress all the way to her toes. After grabbing a beer from the fridge, he settled next to Owen and raised a brow at her.
The bastard knew she wouldn’t give him the tongue-lashing he deserved in front of Owen. She would have been more irritated if the situation hadn’t amused her. Sexy and devious. Dane packed a hard combination to ignore.
Kitty cleared her throat. “Owen, a beer? Or maybe some tea? I’d offer Dane something, but he apparently feels right at home.”
Dane sat back, looking smug. “Well, you know—”
“Owen, the floor is yours.” She cut him off before the idiot could say something that would embarrass the hell out of her.
Owen tried to smother a grin. “Right. Well, I wanted to thank you two, from the bottom of my heart, for getting The Little Death back where it belongs. I have it secured and tucked safely away.” He frowned. “I won’t risk it getting into the wrong hands again. Blood stains that thing wherever it goes.”
“At least Linda Cavendish and Morley James are no longer free.”
Owen blew out a breath. “The only good thing to come of this mess.”
“Yeah. I can’t believe she was a part of an illegal fighting ring. I mean, that’s just crazy.” Dane shook his head.
“I hear they’re making a TV movie about it. Big-time actress becomes an underground fighting maven. Actresses are fighting for the role as we speak.”
“Typical.” Kitty sighed. “At least Morley can’t hurt anyone anymore.”
“The way he hurt me, you mean.” Dane’s expression brightened. “I knew you cared.” He turned to Owen. “I nearly died helping her, and she didn’t call once to see if I’d survived.”
“You have to be kidding me. You were fine. The bullet went right through your shoulder, which should be healed in a few more days.” Her cheeks felt hot. “Besides. I didn’t want more hassle from you for putting your precious life in jeopardy. Who knew marines could whine that much?”
Dane turned to Owen. “She really cares. You can see it, can’t you?”
Owen chuckled. “Oh yeah. I see something, all right.”
“You were my responsibility. Period.” Kitty cleared her throat. “You did a good job on the case.”
“Uh-huh.” His smirk annoyed her.
She ignored him and said to Owen, “So do you think the case is over now? Still worried about Linda and Morley?”
Owen rubbed the back of his head, looking tired. “The woman is a nightmare. She’s possessive and a bit manic. And if you hadn’t noticed, she has an ego the size of California.”
“I noticed,” Dane muttered.
“I ended things with her before they could get started because the woman had to be the center of attention all the time. And there was more than a normal clinginess to her actions. She’s not balanced.” He tapped his temple. “I looked into her connection to Morley James after the story broke. Four women, associates of James, have gone missing in the past six months. At first I thought it was part of James’s M.O. He’s brutal with his fighters, but I hadn’t thought him that way with his women. I
still don’t think he hurt them. But Linda, on the other hand… She’s the jealous type.”
Kitty paused. “You don’t think she—”
“—killed them or hurt them? Yes, I do.” Owen grimaced. “She’s sweetness and light until you meet the real Linda. What Linda wants she gets, any way she can. She wanted me, and when I said no, she did her level best to sink me. Fortunately, I play even dirtier than Linda.”
Dane whistled. “Bet that was a fight to see.”
“You have no idea.” Owen studied Kitty and Dane, and she felt his curiosity. “What did you two think of her? You spent more time with her than Kitty, right, Dane?” Kitty had told him the bare facts but not much else. He’d wanted her to save the debriefing for a face-to-face meeting. “Tell me your impressions.”
As Dane filled Owen in on everything that had happened, Kitty relived the danger. And the passion. It didn’t seem conceivable she could have connected with Dane as deeply as she had in such a short time, but she trusted him now on a whole other level. She wouldn’t call what she felt love, not at this stage. But it was more than affection. A crush, maybe. A hop, skip, and a jump from love?
A lot of his appeal came from her inability to read him. She freely admitted that. But the rest of him suited her, more than she liked. His physical and mental strength, his hard-ass approach to life, his love for his family. Dane Hanson was a man of integrity, and she couldn’t say that she actually trusted anyone completely outside her team…except for Dane.
Owen swore and brought her attention back to his conversation. “Kitty hit her?”
Dane grinned. “Twice. Kicked her too.”
She took pride in that. “She deserved it.”
“I’m not saying she didn’t,” Owen countered. “But I made the mistake of not taking her seriously once before, and I nearly paid the price for it.”
“She’s in jail. What can she do?” Dane asked.
“I think The Little Death unhinged her,” Kitty thought it necessary to add. “It affected me too, but she had it longer. What if she killed Morley James’s old girlfriends because the statue drove her to it? And she wanted me dead because Morley liked me?”
