by Burton, Jaci
Spence rolled his eyes, but perked up when a couple of guys who looked to be dockworkers came through the door of the restaurant and slid into the booth with DeLaud.
“We need a tail on those two,” he said.
AJ nodded. “We’ll split up when those two leave. I’ll follow them. Pax can keep an eye on DeLaud.”
Frustration ate at Spence as he watched the three across the street engaged in conversation. “This would be a lot easier if we could bug him.”
“Hard to do unless you can shove a bug up his ass,” Pax mumbled.
AJ grinned. “Maybe Shadoe can snuggle up to him and manage to get one up there.”
Spence glared at him.
“Or, maybe not,” AJ said, holding his hands up, then exchanged another knowing glance with Pax.
Spence knew what they were thinking.
“Be careful,” Pax said. “We’re kind of broke right now and we can’t afford wedding gifts.”
AJ snickered.
“Very funny. We’re not getting married. We’re not even dating.”
“No, you’re just fucking her. That’s even worse, because it’s obvious you’re falling in love with her.” AJ had a look of horror on his face that almost made Spence laugh, because it was the same look he used to give when he thought about relationships with women.
“I’m not in love with her. I hardly know her.”
“You know her enough to be jealous at the thought of her being with someone else.”
“We’re on a mission.”
AJ shrugged. “So? You’ve fucked women on missions before and never gave a shit what they did. Why is this one different?”
Why was she different? For a lot of reasons. For no reason. She wasn’t different. It was just being here—New Orleans—that brought out all his damned emotions, something he normally kept well under control. And Shadoe bore the brunt of his rare display of feeling, that was all. It had nothing to do with her. She was just the bystander.
He took a long swallow of coffee. “It’s nothing. We’re not involved.”
AJ exchanged another look with Pax.
“Would you two knock that off? It’s fucking weird. You’re like a hive mind or something.”
Pax snorted. “You’re just jealous.”
Spence rolled his eyes. “Of what? The fact that the two of you have to share a woman all the time? That you can’t manage to fuck one on your own? No thanks. I don’t share. And what’s that about anyway?”
AJ shrugged. “Something that just happened, and turns out we like it that way. It works for us.”
“Why?”
“You don’t get involved if you keep it fun. And doing a three-way is never serious,” Pax said.
“You’re that afraid of commitment?”
AJ laughed. “And you aren’t?”
“I don’t need to have another guy fuck a woman with me as a way to avoid being alone with her.” Spence knew it had to be something more than that. Pax and AJ always did three-ways. Always. For as long as he could remember.
“You find something you enjoy, you stick with it,” AJ said, then leaned back with his coffee cup in his hand.
“Whatever gets you off,” Spence said, glad he’d managed to turn the conversation away from Shadoe and him.
Pax grinned. “It does.”
DeLaud stood, dragging Spence’s attention away from Pax and AJ. They all stared out the window and watched as DeLaud and the two other guys exited the restaurant, then went around to the alley. DeLaud’s gaze roamed around as if he were looking for someone. Or maybe he wanted to make sure he wasn’t being watched.
Once inside the alley, the three huddled close together, with DeLaud’s back to them.
“Did you see that?” AJ asked.
“Yeah,” Spence said, frowning. “Something exchanged hands.”
“I didn’t see what it was,” Pax said. “Could be drugs.”
“It might not be, though. We can’t be sure.”
“We’re public and it’s not like we could set up surveillance equipment here.” Spence wished it were that easy, but it wasn’t that kind of assignment.
DeLaud exited the alley and headed south. The other two guys went back toward the docks.
“I’ll follow the guys,” Pax said, standing. “If they’re selling drugs, I might just be in the market for some. It should be easy enough to get a hit there. Drug dealers are always easy to spot. Maybe we can follow them up the food chain.”
AJ stood, too. “I’m on DeLaud. I’ll keep you posted.”
Both of them shot out the front door and disappeared into the crowd of tourists, leaving Spence at the table with his coffee, and the check. He shook his head, smiled, and took the bill to the counter to pay.
SHADOE WAS NERVOUS. SHE KNEW UNDERCOVER WORK WAS AN integral part of her job, and she was about as undercover as an agent could get. After all, she was taking her clothes off every night.
But tonight, she was going to be required to put on an award-winning performance. She was going to have to act as if she hated someone she was growing to care deeply about. And she was going to have to walk away from him.
Then again, she might as well get used to it, since that’s exactly what was going to happen when this assignment was over. She was going to walk away. So this would be good practice for the real thing, right?
Not even close, Shadoe. This was playacting. It wasn’t time to leave Spence. Yet even the thought of that day—which was coming, all too soon—made her stomach clench. And that wasn’t good. Because it meant she was growing attached, that she’d developed feelings for Spence, something she’d sworn she wouldn’t do.
This was all supposed to be fun and games, no strings, just sex. It was turning into a lot more than that, at least for her. And no matter how she tried to talk herself out of feeling anything for him, she couldn’t. She was going to have to figure out how to deal with that.
But not tonight. Tonight was performance night. And she didn’t mean stripping.
DeLaud was there again, seated at one of the front tables, same as last night. He’d watched her intently during her first show, so she’d made sure to give him a lot of eye contact. And Spence had made sure to scowl, so much that she almost bought his pissed-off lover act.
She kind of liked it.
She changed clothes and came out wearing a red miniskirt and black skintight top with black stiletto heels. Damn high heels were going to be the death of her before this assignment was over. How did women walk in these all the time? She had a new appreciation for strippers.
Prepared for what was to come, she put on her best pissed-off look, lifted her chin, and strolled right past Spence. He grabbed her arm.
“I want to talk to you.”
“Not now. Can’t you see I’m working?”
“Now.”
She jerked her arm free. “Look, we’ve been over this. You need to back down. Understood?”
“Loud and clear, bitch. But if you want me as your bodyguard, you can quit flaunting your affairs in front of me.”
She laughed. “I’m not having an affair, Spence. That’s just your deluded jealousy talking.”
“I know what I see, Desi. And I’m not your trained monkey.”
She turned to fully face him and crossed her arms. “I don’t want a monkey. I want a man. And if you don’t want this gig anymore, then quit.”
Anger shot from his deep blue eyes. She’d never want to make him mad, because he played fury really well. “I don’t need this shit from you or any woman.”
“Then walk.”
He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. She stood her ground and stared right back at him until he turned and did just what she suggested—he walked, storming toward the bar. Shadoe made a show of looking hurt, then inhaled deeply, blew it off, pivoted around, and moved off in the opposite direction—in the direction of DeLaud’s table.
He caught her gaze and motioned to her. She plastered on a fake smile and slid i
nto the chair he pulled out for her. DeLaud signaled a waitress and held up two fingers, then turned his attention to her.
“Problem, Desi?”
“Kind of.” She was going for reluctance rather than just spilling her guts right off.
“Want to talk about it?”
“No. That’s okay.”
He lowered his voice, calm and reassuring. “Tell me.”
With a dramatic sigh, she said, “I just broke up with my boyfriend.”
He frowned. “I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “It’s been a long time coming. He’s too possessive.”
He stroked her arm with his fingertips. She wanted to shudder, but kept a straight face.
“A woman like you needs the freedom to do what she wants. After all, it’s part of your job.”
She turned halfway to face him. “I know. That’s what I kept trying to tell him. I like people. I like talking to them. My job requires that I do it, but I really enjoy it. I don’t know.” She smoothed her hair away from her face. “I just think it was time we ended things. I’m ready for a fun new adventure.”
His lips lifted. “Are you?”
Now she smiled. “Yeah. I enjoy my work catering to all the guys. I enjoy traveling and having the opportunity to experience new things. And I love men. I don’t think I should have to be saddled with just one.” She made sure to look into his eyes when she said that last line. She hoped he bought it.
From the look of utter lust on his face, she’d guess he did. He moved his fingertips along her shoulder and collarbone. “I think you should be able to do whatever you want.”
The waitress brought their drinks and Shadoe sipped hers. Jerry downed his in two gulps, then ordered another. She supposed it would be too easy to assume she could get him drunk and he’d pour out all the information she needed.
No, he was too smart for that. But she also knew she was going to have to play this cool, not appear too eager to settle in with him.
“Thanks for talking to me. I needed someone to listen.”
“You’re welcome, honey.”
She pushed her chair back. “I need to go work the room for a while.”
“Come back and see me when you’re done. We’ll . . . talk some more.”
Bingo. That’s just what she wanted to hear. She gave him a bright smile. “Thanks. I’ll do that.”
She moved along and did her thing, avoiding Spence, who hung out at the bar. She didn’t even make eye contact with him in case DeLaud was watching her.
“Hey, I saw what happened. I’m sorry.”
Ariele wrapped an arm around her.
“It’s okay. I saw it coming. I was just putting off the inevitable.”
Ariele nodded, her expression serious. “Men suck sometimes.” Then her face brightened. “But they can be fun, too.”
Shadoe laughed. “And so easily replaced.”
“One dick’s just as good as another, huh?”
Shadoe caught sight of AJ and Pax giving Ariele the once-over. “Or in your case, maybe two?”
Ariele giggled. “They are fun to play with. And so damn good-looking they curl my toes.”
“Yes, they are pretty, aren’t they?”
“Honey, they’re pretty all over.”
Way more than Shadoe wanted to know about fellow agents, but she had to play the game. “I can only imagine.”
Ariele turned to her. “Oh, you could join us sometime. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind at all.”
Ick. “Thanks, but I think I’ll steer clear of threesomes for the moment. Or foursomes. Now that I’m free, I’m going to go man hunting.”
“That good-looking dark-haired guy seems to have his eye on you.”
She followed Ariele’s gaze to see DeLaud looking at her. He winked. Shadoe wanted to gag. Yeah, he was good-looking all right. But he was dirty. And a dirty agent turned her stomach. “He is hot and he does seem interested.”
“There’s no better way to get over one man than to jump right on another,” Ariele said, then winked. “I’m on next. See ya.” She waved and moved off. So did Shadoe, who made her way over to AJ and Pax’s table.
“Nice breakup scene,” AJ said. “I nearly broke down in tears.”
She settled into a chair and smiled. “Thanks. Spence and I should win an award for it, don’t you think?”
Pax leaned forward. “I think so. And did our friend buy it?”
“Yes. He’s offered a shoulder for me to lean on.”
“Aww, isn’t that generous of him. You know he wants to fuck you.”
Leave it to AJ to be direct. “Yeah, I kind of get that, too. It’s not going to happen. I’ll have to spend time with him but put him off the sex.”
“Why?” AJ asked. “You gave it to Spence.”
She really should be insulted, but that was just AJ. “Yes, I did. But I don’t ‘give it’ to just anyone. For instance, you’re not getting any from me.”
AJ laughed. “Okay darlin’. I get it.”
Pax shook his head. “He really is an asshole. I don’t know why I like him.”
“Because I bring in all the women.”
Pax rolled his eyes. She could already tell where this conversation was going. “Did you find out anything today?”
“I made new friends,” Pax said. “Did a drug deal down on the docks. I’ll go back later and see if I can hook up with them again.”
“DeLaud went back to the hotel after he met with those guys,” AJ said. “I stayed on him for the day, then had the bellman keep watch. He didn’t leave the room.”
Shadoe leaned back. “So he’s involved with street dealers. That makes no sense.”
“That’s what I thought, too,” Pax said. “Unless they’re brokers or somehow connected to the big guns, and instead of DeLaud making contact via cell or in person, he’s doing it through the middle man.”
“For now,” Shadoe suggested.
AJ nodded. “That’s what we thought, too. Either way, with all of us on him, there’s no way he can make that deal without us knowing about it.”
“I’ll stay as close to him as I can.” As close as she could stomach. She had her limits as to what she was willing to do for her job. Having sex with a man she desired was one thing. Fucking someone as part of the job? She drew the line there. But she’d tease DeLaud and hold him on a long rope as long as she could.
She didn’t linger with Pax and AJ, instead moved along to more tables, stopped and chatted with several guys, did everything she was supposed to do as a headliner.
She ran into Brandon as she made her way back toward one of the darkened corners. He slipped his hand in hers, which surprised her since he’d never touched her before.
“I saw what happened between you and your boyfriend.”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry. That was rough on you, I’m sure.”
She breathed out a sigh of relief. She’d been certain he was going to jump on her about causing a scene.
She shrugged. “It’s fine. We used to have blowups all the time, and frankly, I’m fed up with him.”
“He’s still here.”
“I know.”
“Want me to have him tossed?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. He can hang here if he wants to. If he causes problems, I’ll let you know.”
“You’ll need another bodyguard.”
“Your bouncers do a really good job of keeping the grabby ones away.”
Brandon smiled. “Yeah, they do. But they can’t always be by your side.”
“I’ll hire a replacement soon enough. Thanks for looking out for me.”
“Hey, just doing my job. You’re doing great out there. We’ve been packed in every night since you started, and your PR skills are top-notch.”
“Well, thank you. I’m glad your business is doing well and that I’m helping out with that.”
“You’re welcome here anytime, Desi.”
He walked away and she was relieved to hav
e one less thing to worry about. Now it was time to work her magic on DeLaud and see if she could find out anything about this mystery man.
As she scanned the room, she noticed Spence had moved away from the bar and was hanging out with Spitfire, the talkative redhead. Seeing the two of them lean into each other and laugh, she was instantly hit with a stab of jealousy, but knew she had no right. She had to turn away, refuse to glance at him, and focus on her job. Spence was doing exactly what he should. She needed to do the same thing.
“Already got the next meat on the hook?”
She spun around and frowned at Cheri. Dressed in . . . well, what she wore could barely be considered “dressed,” since it was some diaphanous outfit that went to the floor like a nightgown, nearly see-through, and the only thing she wore underneath it was her G-string. Really, the girl knew nothing about leaving a little mystery. They gave enough of themselves out on the stage. When wandering around the club it made sense to make the men ache for what was underneath their clothes, not put it all out there for them to ogle.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Cheri rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. You dumped your boyfriend and you’re already hitting on Brandon.”
“Excuse me? I am not.”
“I saw you chatting him up in the corner. Trying to get yourself a permanent position at the Wild Rose?”
Yeah, that would be her greatest ambition. Not. “Shouldn’t you be out working the customers instead of me, Cheri?”
“Stay away from Brandon. He’s not going to hire you. I’m going to be the star here.”
She’d had enough. “Fuck off.” She started to walk away, but Cheri grabbed her arm and dug in her nails. Reflex took over. Shadoe grasped Cheri’s wrist and wrenched it behind her back, whipping the woman around faster than Cheri could suck in an outraged breath. She shoved the front of Cheri’s body against the wall, using leverage to hold her there.
Shadoe knew this caused a scene, but she had to establish her own dominance here or others would walk all over her.
“Stay the fuck out of my business, Cheri. You understand?” To prove her point, she jerked upward on Cheri’s arm, enough to cause discomfort, but not hurt her.
