She turned, staring warily at the chair he'd pulled out from the desk. "You sit," she instructed, her voice clipped. She continued flexing her hands into fists, then relaxing them.
Angela no longer looked him in the face. Her gaze would slip down his body; then as soon as he focused on her, she'd shoot her attention across the room. As if he wouldn't notice her checking him out. Hell, he would know how closely she scrutinized him with his eyes closed. The charge of energy in the air hadn't been there before she'd entered his suite.
Jake had guessed it when he'd captured her attention in the lobby. Neither of them had expected to see the other at that moment. What they got from each other wasn't guarded or covered up but raw, unleashed carnal desire. Sexual tension between two people wasn't usually so strong it charged the air between them at such a distance. Now, however, with not even a few paces between them, and the smell of her perfume and clean body wrapping around him and proving to be the strongest aphrodisiac he'd ever experienced, it was nice knowing he didn't suffer alone. Angela was fighting to maintain control.
"I don't mind sitting." Jake relaxed in the chair, straightening his legs, as he crossed one socked foot over the other. He would put her at ease, although he seriously doubted he'd be able to relieve the sexual tension. Jake wasn't a rapist, though. Not that she appeared overly worried about him attacking her. She put on a show of being pissed but Angela wanted to fuck him.
"My father made a mistake," she said flatly. "We can't work together, Jake."
He held her stare captive, probing into her milky green eyes, seeing emotions tumble over one another behind her mask of determination. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask why, but he wouldn't insult her. The reason why was incredibly obvious. It was charging the entire damned room and making his cock ache to stretch and swell.
"I think we can make it work." He spoke slowly, still staring into her eyes.
When she inhaled, the bra underneath her sleeveless sweater pressed against her breasts. Her V-neck collar allowed a glimpse of her cleavage. He let his attention drop to the view. Her skin color was as appealing as the rest of her, tanned but not quite caramel. She wasn't dressed to show off her features, but nonetheless they were easy to notice. It would be damn hard for Angela to be completely inconspicuous.
"We'll see." She took her time looking away from him. Angela wasn't shy. Her straightforwardness was as appealing as her bedroom eyes and every last soft curve on her incredibly enticing body. "First things first." She walked behind his chair, then came around him on the other side. "You're going to tell me what my father said you'd be doing while you're here. And know, whatever it was, I'm in charge here. This is my case."
Jake dropped his attention to the slender curves that sloped into her narrow waist. "Bossy bitch," he grumbled, and fought a smile when her jaw dropped.
"How dare you," she hissed. "Good grief!" She threw her hands in the air and spun around, causing her thick, long hair to fan across her back. "I knew it. This isn't going to work. There's no point in even trying. I'll explain to my dad. I don't need, or want, the type of backup you would offer. I need someone capable of focusing only on the case. I seriously doubt you'd be able to do that."
"The type of backup I would offer?" Jake understood her meaning. "This is your show, sweetheart. I'll do what you want." And he'd protect her. Again, he wouldn't insult her by stating the obvious. Angela knew he'd guard her with his life, as her dad had obviously known as well. Jake held his arms out, palms up, as he looked up at her, keeping his expression relaxed. "I'm offering my services. Use me as you see fit."
"I know damn good and well what you're offering," she sneered.
Jake watched her, deciding he would let her form her own conclusions and not sway them with responses she would choose to believe, or not, no matter how truthful they might be. And the facts were, if she didn't want to fuck him, he wouldn't press the matter. That had never been his style. Jake knew women, though. Angela was making a scene to cover up her own desires. Raging need damn near burned her alive. He saw the flush slowly spread across her face as she shot him fiery glances.
"Are you going to deny you're undressing me with your eyes?" She stopped in front of him, pressing her hands into her hips, and glared at him.
If he stood, he'd be head and shoulders taller than Angela. She was already on the defensive and he wasn't going to push her into a corner. So instead, checking his slight irritation, he stretched out his legs, forcing her to jump to the side so she wouldn't trip over them.
"You say I'm hands-on. I'm sure you know all there is to know about me, darling." He didn't speak too slowly, kept his voice flat, and only stared at her face as he spoke. Already, from what he knew of this case, Angela needed him. Jake doubted her father would be able to handle things if they got messy. Possibly Huxtable had reasoned that one out already. "According to your father, you were very aware of me, and my reputation, when we danced the night away in Tijuana."
"I gave you critical information and you proceeded to blow all evidence to hell and back," she accused.
"The FBI blew our evidence up, sweetheart. Our hands were rather tied with that matter." Jake had been falsely accused of worse. He smiled. "I'm sure if your father were kidnapped by an assassin you would have done the same."
She stared at him, her expression remaining chilled and tense. "And if things get out of control here, would you call the FBI once again?"
Jake stood, forgetting his effort to help Angela relax. She tilted her head back, staring up at him when he spoke.
"If a madman who prefers his women doped up on slave juice captured you, put your life in serious danger, and I wasn't able to get you out, you're damn fucking straight I would call in whatever authorities could help."
She searched his face, pressing her lips into an adorable pout before slowly looking down. Her gaze traveled down his chest and fire erupted inside him. She'd just pissed him off and he still wanted her. Angela might be right. Maybe they shouldn't work together.
"I heard your father was abducted in Mexico, but rumors suggest he allowed himself to be captured to get on the inside." She began pacing the length of the hotel room and continued shooting Jake hesitant looks. "That's what I've done, Jake. I'm on the inside, but not at the risk of slave juice being stabbed into my arm."
"Because you're getting cozy with some Italian warlord you think you're exempt from his slave juice?" he snapped. Jake was having trouble keeping his emotions in check around her, which bugged him.
"I don't know what you know about Mario Mandela, but let me tell you, he's not an idiot. Right now, my cover is secure. Mario knows I'm high profile because of the circles he believes I move in. He is under the impression my schedule is very full and I'm often in the public eye. If I strayed from my hectic schedule for even an hour, I would be missed. He won't risk the game and all it means to him just for me. Women don't mean that much to him. He is smart, though, and I'm covering my ass."
"I'm going to help cover that ass of yours."
When she tilted her head slightly and pierced him with those sexy eyes of hers, several strands of hair fell over her shoulder and drifted across her arm and breast. "I'm not sure you're the best man for the job," she mused, her voice suddenly soft-spoken, as if she was contemplating something pleasant, instead of deciding if she could handle having him up close and personal without getting too close.
"Why would your father think otherwise?" Jake asked. His fingers itched to pet her thick, black hair. It would be so smooth and silky. Her probing stare captivated him just as much as the rest of her did. When Angela met his gaze, staring hard and straight into his eyes, it was as if she saw past the surface and analyzed and discovered everything about him. As unnerving as the thought was that she might be able to see more of him than he wanted her to see, at the same time it was somehow erotic that Angela wanted to dig and learn more about him.
"I'm not sure." Her hard lines of anger began fading. "Sounds like he and I need to
talk about this."
"Tell me about Mario." Jake wanted her talking, opening up to him. They weren't going to throw in the towel on this case over sexual desires. He was starting to think wanting each other might make them a good team. "How close have you gotten to him?"
"He took me shopping today." She looked mighty proud of herself.
"You move fast, sweetheart," Jake drawled. "When did you two meet for the first time?"
Her grin was wicked. "We met over the weekend at his private club I managed to get myself into, then seated myself conveniently under his nose."
"Sounds like I missed the good stuff."
"There isn't any good stuff with this case," she added quickly, her smile fading. "I'm under the impression he wasn't in town prior to that. I've overheard several of his phone calls, and although he was vague, I think he just arrived in Chicago. I wouldn't be surprised if he's been gathering his army." Her voice trailed off.
Jake got her meaning, though. Mandela was kidnapping people, just as his parents had been kidnapped earlier that year. Right before coming here, he and his cousin, Natasha, had learned that the drug Evelyn Van Cooper had developed, and used on his family when they had been in Arizona, was now being called slave juice. It wouldn't surprise him if Mandela might be using that drug, too.
"So tell me about Mario Mandela. What makes the man tick?" It bugged him that Angela was able to overhear Mandela's phone conversations. It had been his experience that when a perp let someone get close, they had ulterior motives. He kept his thoughts to himself for now, wanting to hear all Angela knew before drawing any hard conclusions.
"He's an evil bastard." She shivered and hugged herself, wrinkling her nose as she shook her head. "I've never been this close to someone so evil, so heartless, and so sure of themselves that they are doing the right thing. He has no conscience."
"He couldn't to be part of the game."
"Point taken," she said easily, shaking her finger at Jake. "I have successfully bugged the back of his limousine."
Jake was impressed. When she studied his face for a moment, then grinned, her expression lit up. "I've already got track running upstairs in my room," she offered, looking really proud of herself.
"You've got the ball rolling beautifully, darling," he praised her. "I'm seriously impressed."
Angela must have realized she'd relaxed too much, was actually enjoying having a conversation with him, and apparently decided she wasn't ready to let her guard down with him yet. That warm look disappeared and she pressed her lips together.
Angela stared at Jake, not saying a word. She took him in from head to toe. He was acutely aware of wherever she looked. When she lifted her attention to his face he swore he witnessed her mind switch gears.
"I'm going to head upstairs to talk to my dad," she announced, starting toward the door. "Mario is supposed to send his car for me early this evening. I'll be in contact with you before I leave and let you know what we've decided at that time."
"You aren't leaving yet." Jake was right behind her, reaching for her and dragging his fingers down her smooth, thick hair before she spun around, yanking the strands from his fingers.
"Rule number one is this is my case. You answer to me, not the other way around. I give the orders." She held her index finger up toward his face and straightened to her full height, which was probably somewhere around five and a half feet tall. "That is, if I decide we can work together. For now, I'm going to my room to call my father." When she took a step backward her hands were facing Jake, palms out, as if she were warding off some dangerous animal. "You aren't going to stop me and you aren't going to touch me."
"I'm not the bad guy here, Angela," he said, holding his own hands out in a gesture of surrender. He had no problem with Angela running the show. If she remained this skittish, though, he would have to work even harder to protect her.
When she let out a loud breath her body deflated. "You're right. I'm sorry. This case means a lot to me. I've come so far on it. And I'm really curious why Dad doesn't want to do backup and asked you instead," she mumbled, pushing hair behind her shoulder.
"Because of his missing-person case."
"I'm curious to find out what case could be more important than this."
"How often do you two discuss each other's cases?" Jake didn't know Huxtable and his daughter's relationship well enough to know whether he'd tell her everything or not. Angela's tone suggested she believed she knew about every case he had, though.
Angela tugged at her sleeveless sweater, stretching the knitted material over her breasts, then crossed her arms, showing off her cleavage as she leaned against the door instead of opening it.
"Lately all we've talked about is this case." She dropped her attention to her hands, unfolding her arms and staring at her fingernails, which were nicely filed and painted a bright pink. "I guess he could be working other cases right now without me knowing it." She didn't look up when she tucked her hair behind her ear. "I'm used to knowing everything he does, though," she added, sighing and shaking her head.
Jake sensed her sincerity. Angela was proud of her father, loved him, and more than likely believed she took care of him. Huxtable might be a hard-ass, but he wouldn't weigh her shoulders down with anything else while she worked this case. That meant he loved his daughter as much as she loved him. Maybe it was that tight bond that had sent him flying out to California, stuffing his pride the best he could and asking for help on his daughter's behalf, because he knew she was going in way over her head.
"What are your plans tonight?" Jake asked.
"To end the game," she said without hesitating.
"Nothing wrong with optimism." He noticed her hand on the doorknob again, but she wasn't turning it. He really didn't want her leaving. If she did, he'd probably boot up his laptop and start researching her. It would be a lot easier, and more enjoyable, learning about Angela from Angela. "Call your dad here," Jake decided, moving into her space and taking her hand off his doorknob. "It would be a good idea to hear your debriefing. I need to be brought up to speed on everything."
Her hand was soft, her fingers long, slender, and warm. Jake gripped her smaller hand in his, turning her as he did, and guided her back into his suite. When he ran his fingers down her back, he swore she shivered. Her silky black hair was thick, very straight, and had an enticing aroma to it he'd love to breathe in deeper, filling his lungs with it. Holding her hand and escorting her, his fingers and palm barely moving across her slender, perfectly arched back, damn near hardened every inch of him to stone. Jake needed to figure out how to work with this woman without sporting a hard-on every time he got close enough to smell her, feel the sexually charged energy she emanated, or touch her. Maybe it was the Chicago humidity affecting him. Jake didn't lose control around women, no matter how hot they were.
Angela slid her hand out of his when she once again stood near the chair where he'd sat. She stared at her hands, rubbing them together. Jake wondered if he affected her the way she did him. That was one hell of a scary thought. If it was the case, knowing each of them was defenseless around the other would either prove incredibly deadly or wear both of them out trying to fight it.
"And if you're in charge," he added, trying to relax her, especially if she was fighting to douse the fire burning alive inside her, "you're going to have to tell me what you want me to do."
"You're right." Angela glanced at him and her flushed cheeks were incredibly noticeable with her long black hair bordering her face. "I'll call Dad first, but stay quiet while I talk to him."
Jake gave her a salute, which she either didn't catch or ignored. Her expression remained serious, almost preoccupied, when she pulled one of the chairs out from under the round table near his windows. He sat facing her. When he stretched his legs under the table, he brushed his ankles against her smooth, warm skin. She sucked in a quick hiss but still didn't look at him. Instead she focused on her phone, scrolled down, placed her call, then put it to her ear. She wa
s definitely fighting to ignore him.
Which proved to him Angela was as affected by his presence as he was by hers. Although Jake knew she would suffer along with him, somehow knowing this didn't boost his ego the way it usually did when he learned of a pretty lady drooling after him. He could speculate on the reasons or simply accept that nothing was the same with Angela as it was with any other woman he'd ever met or spent time with before.
"Hi, Dad," Angela said, her entire face lighting up as she leaned back in her chair. "How's your day going?"
Jake listened to father and daughter chat idly, playing catch-up. He saw a tight connection between the two of them, concern, love, and friendship. He also saw a new side to Angela. For a minute or two, she appeared to forget Jake sat facing her, watching her. Everything about her transformed, her pretty eyes glowing, her laughter melodic. He wouldn't have believed it possible for his insides to twist with even more turmoil and sexual energy so raw, not intimidated, and damn near unleashed, as if what he felt was right and even approved of by some unknown authority.
Angela looked up at him, shoving hair behind her shoulder as her expression sobered. "He's sitting right across from me," she said, her voice still light, although that wary look was back in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you flew out to California? What if I'd needed backup?"
Angela nodded at whatever her father said. "True," she said. "You're right and you know I discuss every movement. How could you run backup otherwise? We didn't know for sure it would be quiet. You can't leave town again, though. Are we clear?" Angela smiled as her father probably sounded appropriately chastised. "And why do you have to take a missing persons case right now?"
Angela dragged her fingers through her hair as she listened to her father's explanation. "So what is the case?" she asked, resting her head on her hand and staring at the table.
Bounty Hunters: 03 Stay Hungry Page 6
