by Davis, Jo
“You’d damned well better.”
“You know, this whole operation would be expedited more efficiently if I simply took the slut and forced her to give us what we need. Screw this seduction bullshit.”
“And that would be exactly the wrong move. Cori would dig her heels in and die before telling us jack. We play this my way,” he’d said coldly.
And look where that had gotten them.
Fine. If Cori became too attached to Knight, the man’s only thanks would be swift elimination.
Lionel pushed the mop faster, working down the adjacent corridor. He’d been here too long and someone might get suspicious.
Returning the mop to the janitor’s bucket, he cast a furtive look around and, seeing no one, stepped into the men’s restroom. Quickly, he shed the borrowed coveralls and ball cap, stuffing them into the garbage. He shook out his dyed blond hair, which fell in artful array to the shoulders of his black sweater. Designer jeans hugged lean hips and long thighs, cupped his sex.
Not bad, he thought dispassionately, studying his reflection. He had never been homely, but now? He was nearly as beautiful as Cori. The idea made him smile, even though the total package was nothing more than a tool of a necessary trade.
A vehicle to the ultimate payback.
Caution, however. He wanted Cori all to himself, without interference. From his partner or anyone else. Straightening his shoulders, Lionel prepared himself to take another significant risk.
The traitorous bitch was about to discover she needed a ride home.
How convenient for them both.
Zack looked up, eyes widening in surprise as Julian strode into the room. “Lost?”
Julian moved to his bedside, extending his hand. “Heard the great news, man. We just finished a call, thought we’d stop by. The guys are in the waiting room at the end of the hall. I saw your lady outside and she said she’d been trying to call me. How’re you feeling?”
He glanced at the offered hand and up at Julian’s earnest expression again before accepting it with a half smile. Either the man really cared, or those were some good drugs. “Like my face caught on fire and someone put it out with a brick,” he said, his roughened voice little more than a whisper. “Pretty awful, huh?”
Careful of the IV, Julian clasped his hand briefly, then let it go, sitting in the chair beside the bed. Wincing, he studied the bruised and abraded side of Zack’s swollen face. “Nah, it’s not so bad. Besides, chicks dig a knight in shining armor. Get it?”
Zack snorted, then grimaced in pain. “Don’t make me laugh, asshole. Hurts too damned much.”
“Sorry. So this is what I have to do to get a pretty chica? Seems like a lot of trouble. What do you think?”
“That you’re full of shit. You have a different chica for every night of the week.”
“Yeah, sucks to be me.” Julian smirked, but Zack narrowed his eyes, thinking it seemed a little forced. “Anyway, we’re not talking about my love life. What gives with the luscious Ms. Shannon?”
“Nothing. A little bonding between victim and rescuer, maybe some subconscious, misplaced feelings of guilt on her part over my accident, whatever. Now that she’s seen I’ll be okay, it’ll pass. Happens all the time.” He hoped not, but wasn’t about to get warm and cozy with Jules, of all people.
“I don’t know, man. That’s not the vibe I was getting from her these past few days when we didn’t know if you’d make it. She practically camped here, bullying the doctors and nurses to keep us informed, sitting by your side when we couldn’t. Seems like more than—”
“Drop it, Salvatore. I don’t want to talk about Cori.”
Not with you hung in the air between them. Appearing stung and determined not to let it show, Julian changed the subject. “All right. Well . . . work has been busy.”
“I’ll bet.” The unspoken accusation resounded in his soft tone. Shit, now things were getting awkward.
Heaving a sigh, Julian straightened in his chair. “Okay, listen good. I’m not after your job, Knight. I don’t want it, not like this.” He held up a hand, cutting off Zack’s protest.
“I mean, sure, I want to be FAO one day. But even you can’t believe I’m a big enough prick to walk over your corpse to get it.”
Zack frowned. “Julian—”
“I’m not willing to settle for what I haven’t earned, and I’ll put in for a transfer before I let Tanner screw me over with the team and alienate me any more than I already am.”
Zack knew he was staring at the other man as though he’d started speaking in tongues, but he couldn’t help it. Jules had a conscience. Who knew? “I don’t—”
“Whatever you think, I’m really glad you’re going to be okay. Get well and get the hell out of here. We need you. I’ll send in Eve or Six-Pack next.”
He stood, heading for a quick escape.
“Hey, wait!” Julian stopped, glanced over his shoulder. “Thanks for saving my ass. For . . . everything.”
“Forget it, geek. Had to do it over, I’d throw you back in the river.”
Well, it was a start.
5
The Explorer was a total loss, and now this.
Cori slapped a hand on the steering wheel of her rental in frustration. “Arrrgh! Stupid piece of shit!”
Normally, she wouldn’t lose her temper over a trivial matter out of her control. For example, the egg-shaped scrap heap the rental company stuck her with failing to start. This week, however, had been a teensy bit hard on her blood pressure.
A knock on her window nearly sent her into cardiac arrest.
“Cori?”
Splaying a hand over her pounding heart, she exhaled a whoosh of breath, trying to squash the spurt of annoyance at being surprised. She hated surprises, and holy macaroni if this week hadn’t been chock-full of them. Pasting on a smile, she got out of the car to greet Tony Banning, an artist whom she’d met several months ago at the local coffee bar where she and some of the other nursing students liked to hang out.
“Tony! What brings you here? Not a sick friend or relative, I hope.”
Delight shining in his dark eyes, Tony stepped up to her, skimmed a palm down the sleeve of her sweater, and zeroed in for a kiss. Quickly, she turned her head so he landed a harmless buss on the cheek. A maneuver she’d had to use more than once lately with him.
“No, no, nothing like that,” he said, apparently undaunted by his intended target avoiding full lip service. “Actually, I was looking for you. I called you at home and stopped by the coffee shop first. Then it occurred to me that you might’ve been scheduled for rotation.”
“No, not today. I was just visiting someone.”
Eyeing his tall, lean form from head to toe, Cori thought for the millionth time what a shame it was that Tony’s going to the trouble to seek her out didn’t affect her the way it would most women.
From his windblown, shoulder-length golden hair—cue Fabio posing in front of a wind tunnel—taut chest, slim hips, and long thighs, Tony was melt-your-panties gorgeous. He had money, if his taste in clothes and his black Viper were any indication, he was attentive, and his interest in Cori had progressed past mere friendship. He’d been sending off signals for months now, though he hadn’t pushed much. Until recently.
Cori’s friends thought she was nuts to keep him at arm’s length. Maybe she was, but unfortunately for Tony, he reminded her far too much of the world she’d left behind.
Too fast, too slick. The sex and money too easy.
That lifestyle had nearly destroyed her once. Over her dead body would she invite disaster again. Whether it was unfair to Tony or not, she’d listen to her instincts.
“Um, Cori, darling?”
She blinked at him. “I’m sorry; what did you say?”
He gave her an indulgent smile. “I asked if you’d like to have dinner tonight. There’s a new restaurant in Nashville off Broadway—”
“I can’t. I have a dancing gig tonight. Tomorrow night, too,” she
added before he could ask. “Fridays and Saturdays are my busiest nights; you know that.”
Deflated, he sighed, mouth pulling down in disappointment. “Coffee after your Tuesday class as usual, then?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Gesturing to her rental car, she steered him off the topic of their nonexistent dating life. “Know anything about cars? This one seems to have kicked the bucket.”
“Wish I did,” he said, shaking his head ruefully. “I’d be glad to give you a lift home, though.”
Drat. “No, that’s okay. I can call E-Z Rental and have Donnie Wayne send someone over.”
“Really, I don’t mind.” Face lighting, he snapped his fingers. “How about I drive you to the rental company? That way you won’t have to stand out here waiting for God knows how long before those yokels show. You can secure another car and be on your way.”
She had to admit, while she didn’t appreciate Tony calling them “yokels,” his offer was preferable to waiting. Donnie Wayne Tuttle, the owner of E-Z, who did remind her suspiciously of Larry the Cable Guy, would take ages to get someone here. Still, she got the impression Tony was more interested in finding an excuse to be alone with her than in helping out.
“Well, if you’re sure you don’t mind . . .”
“Not at all! Shall we?”
She retrieved her purse and keys from the car. Linking her arm through his, Tony steered her to the Viper parked on the next row. Instead of opening her door, he simply let her go, went around to the driver’s side, and slid in. Another tiny, but telling, black mark against her friend as potential lover material. Call her silly, but she was really an old-fashioned girl at heart when it came to the mating game.
The Viper roared to life, settling into a low purr under her bottom. Tony revved the engine a couple of times, and Cori suppressed a smirk. Poor man had obviously deluded himself into believing she’d be impressed by his expensive rolling phallic symbol, and she wasn’t insensitive enough to spoil his fantasy.
Real class was on the inside.
Like a man willing to die for you.
Steering deftly from the parking lot, Tony cut her a brief, searching look. “You’ve been a tough lady to reach. You never did say why.”
Was he kidding? “Don’t you read the paper or watch the local news? I was almost killed.”
“Of course, I know! Why do you think I’ve been so concerned?” He pulled to a stop at a red light and arched a brow. “But you look fine to me. Radiant, in fact. Could your rescuer have anything to do with that glow? I wonder. I assume that’s why you’re spending so much of your time off at the hospital.”
He stated it like an accusation. Cori felt herself bristling in irritation. Her budding relationship with Zack wasn’t anyone’s biz, especially not that of someone who was only a casual friend. She tried to envision Tony hanging off a bridge, risking his life to save hers, and couldn’t picture him mussing one perfect, golden hair on his head.
“If I’m glowing, it’s because I’m happy to be alive,” she said evenly. “I owe Zack more than you can imagine.”
“Yes, I suppose you do.” The light turned green and he gave his attention back to the road.
Cori gaped at him in disbelief for a moment, then faced forward in disgust. Really, what had she expected? An undignified, weepy show of gratitude for her safety and well-being?
She gazed out the window at the sunny January day, hardly listening as Tony prattled on about his sculptures and an upcoming showing at a small gallery.
Was Zack resting comfortably? Had his nurses begun his breathing treatments? Damn, she should’ve checked before she left. What if he relapsed? In his weakened condition, he might not survive another round with pneumonia.
If she hurried, she’d have a few minutes to drop by the hospital before her job tonight. He’d asked her to come, so it wasn’t as though she were pushing herself on the man. Nothing wrong with making certain he was being taken care of.
“Here you are.” Tony pulled to a stop in front of the only rental place in town, just off the square. He put the car in park, letting the engine idle as he scooted around in his seat to face her.
Brushing his knuckles lightly along her jaw, he leaned so close she caught a nice whiff of expensive cologne. “Why the silent treatment? Darling, please don’t be angry with me.” His long blond hair tickled her cheek as he fitted his lips over hers.
After the initial shock of contact, Cori realized she wasn’t surprised by the kiss. Not really. Especially not after he’d shown some jealousy over her visits with Zack. She could’ve pulled away—probably should’ve—but curiosity got the better of her judgment, in spite of her annoyance with Tony. She couldn’t help wondering whether her girlfriends were right.
By keeping Tony at a distance, was she truly missing out?
Relaxing, she opened herself to the kiss, angling her head for better access. He groaned, spearing her lips with his tongue, invading with his moist heat. Devouring her mouth.
The tingling began, welcome and long denied. Tightening her nipples, inciting the warmth at the apex of her thighs. Her response wasn’t totally unexpected. Tony was a seducer of the first order, and she’d been too long without a man’s touch. Without passion. She needed to be held, to feel a man’s strength pressing down on her body, his hardness sliding into her.
I don’t have to wait. She buried her fingers in his hair, pressing closer, deepening the kiss. So easy to let him follow her home. She had no doubt he’d be fantastic in bed. Within the hour, they could be naked. Slick with sweat. Tangled in her sheets.
She didn’t love him, found it difficult to even like him some days, but tender feelings had nothing to do with hot, blistering sex.
Because that was all it would be. A hard, pounding, break-the-headboard fuck.
Sex, not lovemaking.
A kind, handsome face with huge blue eyes and framed by rumpled black hair ghosted into her mind. His beautiful, genuine smile, filled with hope.
Come back tonight?
The memory was a bucket of icy water dousing her blind lust in an instant. She still ached to be held and touched, but not by Tony. She didn’t want an empty encounter that would leave her lonelier and more dissatisfied than before.
The next man she invited into her bed would be the last. The one who’d make sweet love to her for the rest of their lives. Cherish her as much as she did him.
Tony wasn’t that man.
Placing a palm on his chest, she pushed him back, breaking the kiss. The heat of his arousal radiated off him in waves, his heartbeat thudding under her fingers even through his sweater. The raw hunger in his dark eyes left no question about what his answer would be if she issued the invitation.
His fingers trailed down her throat. “I knew you’d taste just like honey. I’ll bet you’re sweet everywhere.”
Oh, God. She might not want him specifically, but her body reacted all the same.
Time to escape. Giving him a smile she hoped wasn’t as fake as it felt, she grabbed his hand before it could complete its journey into the vee of her sweater. “Not too subtle, are you?”
“Why waste energy better spent on more pleasurable things?”
“True, but my life doesn’t lend itself much to indulging right now.” She reached for the door handle. “See you Tuesday?”
He wasn’t so easily deterred. “You enjoyed our kiss as much as I did. Don’t try to deny it, Cori.”
“All right, I did, but—”
“We’d be good together,” he said, lids heavy. “Come home with me. Just for an hour or two.”
Anxiety balled in her stomach, the urge to get away suddenly very strong. “I’ll admit I considered it. But I’m not ready to take that step at this point, with you or anyone.” Okay, the “or anyone” part wasn’t quite true. Tony, however, did not need to know that.
His gaze chilled and Cori suppressed a shiver. Had it been her imagination, or had something dark and ugly slithered through his eyes for a second
?
The fleeting impression vanished as he nodded, his expression serious. “I’m willing to wait. When you’re ready, I’ll be here.”
“Thank you.”
Seizing her opportunity, she scrambled out of the Viper and slammed the door, giving him a wave. He drove off without so much as a nod in her direction, leaving her standing in front of the E-Z Rental. . . . He hadn’t even waited to make sure they switched out her car with no hassle.
She frowned after the Viper’s disappearing taillights, bothered. Yes, she’d wanted to put space between them. Was, in fact, relieved to see him go. But a true friend and gentleman would’ve gone inside, put her safety above his disappointment over not getting her into bed.
A real man, her dream lover, would’ve stayed with her no matter what.
A man who bore a helluva resemblance to a raven-haired firefighter with stunning blue eyes.
Arguably, Zack’s return to the living was good news.
The bad news? Tanner was on the way to his room.
Funny how that knowledge didn’t feel so very different from when he’d plummeted over the side of the bridge.
Nothing to do but lie here and wait for the impact. Zack hadn’t yet been moved from the ICU with its strict visitor’s rules, or the others would’ve accompanied the captain to provide a buffer between them. As humiliating as the dressing-down in front of Eve and Six-Pack had been, the idea of facing Tanner alone had him a little freaked. He wasn’t afraid of the man by any means, but he wasn’t exactly in shape for another bout in the ring, either.
Over the past few hours, his battered body had come to vivid life by painful degrees. His head pounded, his muscles ached, and his chest burned with every rattling breath. He was so frigging miserable he couldn’t sleep, yet being awake was sheer torture—especially the disgusting breathing treatments to unclog his lungs. The pain meds that provided a couple of hours of blessed fog weren’t nearly enough.
A fifth of Jack might do the trick.
The door opened and Tanner walked in without knocking. Which didn’t surprise Zack. What did was the hesitance in the captain’s green eyes. Even before the tragedy that had claimed his family, Tanner had been a hard man. Fair, but tough. The type of man who strode boldly through life without remorse for his unbending attitude, viewing the world in black-and-white.
