“I hope you don’t mind me calling.”
“You were gone when I woke up.” Stupid, stupid. She sat down on her couch again, berating herself for the needy, useless words.
“Club business,” he said. “I didn’t leave because of—anything with you. I…” he trailed off and she said nothing, waiting for him to speak. “I like being with you.”
“I liked having you here.” It was the least she could give him. It sounded like the confession had been ripped from him against his will, so how could she not respond in kind?
“I want to see you again. I want to help you on the case.”
“How?” He was a normal person with no experience catching criminals. Even though she felt useless, Grace wasn’t sure how Tom’s help would make it much better. At the same time, she didn’t want to turn him away. The idea of spending more time with him was more stimulating than anything had been in a long time.
The truth was, working the case alone was such a burden. Her chief was always around to listen to her reports, but he was fielding information from multiple sources that he wasn’t willing to share with her. She understood why, maybe. He trusted her enough to let her work the case, but he wasn’t willing to risk any of the people he’d put in the same position.
So she worked alone and every night without new information made her tired and worn down. Nothing would have pleased her more than having someone to talk to. To work with. Maybe Tom wasn’t the ideal candidate, but he knew the sleazy side of the city in a way she couldn’t match. As a police officer, she hadn’t exactly been welcomed by the criminal element before she went undercover.
Besides, he owned and operated a bar. Maybe he’d be able to set up security and keep an ear to the ground for information. Even though she was aware she was grasping for a reason to take him up on his offer, she couldn’t find it in herself to care.
“I can go with you to places you wouldn’t want to go alone,” he said, breaking her out of her reverie. “You’re a strong woman, but two is safer than one and there are people who will talk to me. People who trust me. They don’t know you.” His thinking was along the same line as hers, she realized. Maybe he would be able to help get her closer to the information she needed to start taking the bastards down.
“Where would we go?”
“Are you off tonight?” She could have sunk into his deep voice like a hot bath.
“Yeah.”
“I’ll come by at 11. When we’re out and on the case, you’re still Dakota.”
“Of course.” The day stretched out ahead of her in her mind, long and boring while she waited for him to come over.
“Actually,” he said, “why don’t I come over a little earlier? Maybe 7? Do you like Chinese?”
“Chinese?”
“Yeah. We could…talk about the case.” She could almost hear the smile through the phone and it made her go soft and warm between her legs, which she squeezed tighter together.
“I like Chinese,” said Grace. “Anything spicy with chicken.”
“Sounds good.”
“I’ll see you at 7,” she replied, clicking to end the call before she could say anything she’d regret.
Most of the clothes she’d purchased as Dakota were specifically for walking into and out of Ladies Night. In other words, too tight jeans and strategically ripped shirts. She was going to need something else for wherever Tom took her tonight. Excitement was electric in her limbs when she grabbed her purse and opened the door. Maybe the shopping trip she’d planned was going to be a little more exciting than she’d anticipated.
_____
Mandi joined her at a coffee shop downtown, each of the women ordering a chocolate croissant and a drink so sweet that they were practically vibrating by the time they left. The weather was warmer now that the afternoon had matured and they walked slowly down the street, discussing the merit of one store over another before Mandi stopped and put a hand on Grace’s arm.
“I totally forgot to tell you. He called me this morning to apologize. He was so sweet and it sounded like he was on the verge of tears the whole time.”
“Brian?”
“Yeah,” she said, her candy-pink lips curving in a gentle smile. “I guess his parents make him nervous and it wasn’t that I’m a stripper—it’s that they were in town unexpectedly. So we’re going to Florida this week and when we come back, he’s going to introduce me to them.” Her grin widened and she twirled rapturously, making nearby pedestrians stare.
Grace hoped deep down that the man would keep him promise, but even if he didn’t, Mandi would bounce back. She was like a rubber ball down a never-ending flight of stairs. Never in her life had she met such a happy, positive woman.
“What kind of look do you want to go for tonight?” Mandi was already back on the topic of clothing, making Grace sigh with exasperation. For their entire breakfast, she’d talked about the merits of one shade over another, until Grace got her a refill on her mocha just to keep her mouth busy for a few moments.
“Maybe a mix of badass and kind of…trashy. Is that something I can pull off?” She envisioned herself maybe in leather, or something short and tight. Something she’d never wear on her own time.
“With my help, you can pull off anything.” Mandi wasn’t bragging without cause. Grace had seen her pull some pretty horrible items together into a good looking outfit on the girls at the club. It was what she was known for and more than once a woman had come in on a night off, begging for advice before a big date.
Mandi took her to a little shop down near the stadium. The proprieteress and Mandi proceeded to use Grace as a doll to dress up for an hour, making the most of her long black hair by choosing bright shades of red and jewel toned outfits.
“This one isn’t going to work,” she said, sliding a snake print dress over her head. She wanted to fit in wherever Tom was taking her, but she drew the line at wearing animal print. The dress was so low that it almost exposed her nipples, too, which looked more lurid than sexy to her eyes.
“I agree,” Mandi said, lifting a manicured finger to her lips. “You need something that fits like a second skin but doesn’t show all of it.”
“Maybe something like this?” The woman working with them pulled out a red slip dress and handed it to Grace, who unceremoniously yanked it over her head. The silky material fit like a hug, highlighting her breasts and the curve of her hips. Assessing herself, she realized they’d found the outfit and she sighed, so close to escaping the store. The pile of clothing that built up on the discard rack was too large for her taste and made her anxious to look at.
“I think this is it,” she said, turning in a circle. The neckline was suplice and dipped low on her breasts, but the real beauty was in the back of the dress. It hung off her shoulders and left her entire back exposed, showing the long curve of her spine. If it settled any lower, it would show the curve of her butt.
She moved around a little and watched the silky dress move with her, like it was glued to her skin. “I’m surprised it doesn’t slip around more.”
“It’s made to cling,” said Mandi. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be able to wear it anywhere decent.” Her smile widened as she circled Grace. “Please tell me you’re going to do something more in this dress than go to the club. That handsome man better be a part of your plan.”
“He is.”
“Good. Because you can’t be all work in a dress like this.”
“What’s the fun in being focused on work anyway when you’re this hot?” Asked the shop woman with a laugh. “Now, let’s move onto the next phase.”
“Next phase?” Grace felt her eyes go wide. “What do you mean?”
“You still need accessories and something to wear over it when you go out. It’s too cold to wear the dress alone and besides, a garment this stunning needs to make an appearance. Pull off the top layer in one go for maximum effect.”
“Maybe something like a cape?”
“Come look at a few things. I’
m sure we’ll find something.” Correctly pegging Mandi as the star of the show, the lady led her back onto the shop floor. Grace turned in the mirror. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, but that was where the resemblance to herself ended. She didn’t look like Dakota either, not really. With the right makeup—she’d look sexy, and dangerous.
Was there any better way to attract a man like Tom?
Not that she was dressing up to please him, of course, she assured herself. She was definitely doing it to find more information on the missing women. No harm in having the dress pull double duty, though.
She turned, looking at her legs and arms, how the muscle tone was strong and lean. Before she’d taken the undercover assignment, she’d been less toned. Hard to believe that dancing was a more intense workout than patrolling the streets all day, but she supposed the activities used different muscles.
Grace turned from her perusal of herself when she heard the chipper voices of the women returning. “We brought jewelry too, Gracie,” Mandi said. Grace forced a smile on her face. Looking good was one thing, but shopping was something else entirely. Resigned, she moved away from the mirror and reached for the first of many necklaces.
CHAPTER 17
After Mandi was safe at home, Grace headed home and changed into sweats and a t-shirt. Tom was coming over, but Chinese food and talking over the case wasn’t exactly a setting for romance and she saw no reason to be uncomfortable.
He knocked exactly at seven and she opened the door, smiling to see the stuffed bags in his hands. The heavy, steamy scent of Chinese food wafted up and had him smiling when her stomach growled with hunger.
“It’s just the two of us,” she said, reaching to take two of the bags from him and set them on her dining room table.
“I know,” he said, “but I wanted to make sure there was something you liked.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Besides, anything you don’t eat, I’ll finish.”
Grace raised a skeptical eyebrow. There was no way one person could finish that much food. He set the food in his hands on the table as she did the same, then turned to shrug off his leather jacket and hang it on the rack by the door.
“Maybe not tonight, but this isn’t the last time I’ll be in your place,” he said, a devilish grin curling his lips. That twist made her blush, so she turned away to take plates and glasses out of the cabinet. The white china plates with wavy edges had been a housewarming present from her grandmother; the glasses were reminders of a wine festival she’d gone to with friends from college over the summer. Just holding them in her hands made her smile.
“I like that.”
“What?”
“When you smile. Lights you up. You don’t look happy often enough.” His mouth tripped over the compliment, and she felt her cheeks light up. He took the plates out of her hands and started pulling containers from the bags. “What would you like?”
“Maybe a little of everything,” she said. Her appetite had been riding high after the excitement of the night before. “But skip any shellfish.”
“I don’t like it either,” he said. “I’m pretty much strictly a General Tso’s guy.”
“Then why did you ask if I wanted Chinese?”
“Seemed standard, and I do like General Tso’s. Oh, and the steamed buns too.” He put heaping helpings of both on one plate, then started opening other boxes. “If there’s anything you particularly like, though, I’ll give it another shot.”
“Thanks.” She poured white wine into both glasses, already anticipating the fresh, crisp flavor. “It’s good to see you’re adventurous.”
“Oh baby, you have no idea.” Tom’s grin was infectious and she found herself smiling again. It was certain they’d circle around to harder topics before the night was over, but it was almost perfect to just be comfortable with him again, like she was when he thought she was Dakota and everything was simple.
He decorated her plate with a variety of food, then carried both over to the table while she took a moment to appreciate how his t-shirt stretched over his back, molding to the muscles that her hands itched to touch.
Tom looked out of place at her country table, the pale pine wood delicate and soft in the face of his hard masculinity. The pitcher of roses on the table and the delicate white plates of food added to the picture that seemed so counter to his presence. Still, Grace thought she could stand to see him sitting there more often. Was it her imagination, or had he smiled more in the last week, compared to when she’d met him? Either way, she’d like to see more of that too.
“Come on and eat before it gets cold.”
“I should have asked, do you like white?” She held up the wine and took a sip of hers, closing her eyes at the cool slip of liquid down her throat.
“I like anything you give me,” he said, rising and taking the glass, then waiting for her to sit. “Let’s make a deal. No talk about bad guys at the table. Tell me something about you instead.”
“I’ll trade you.”
“Trade me what?”
“I’ll tell you a story if you tell me a story. You can choose the topic.”
He looked intrigued. “Deal. Tell me about your first kiss.”
“Oh god,” Grace laughed and set her elbow on the table, covering her mouth with her hand. “That’s such an embarrassing story. Are you sure I can’t convince you to ask about my prom or something less horrible?"
“That bad?”
“It wasn’t bad. It was just so strange. It was eighth grade and I was at the park with my best friend and the boy I was dating.” She speared a piece of chicken and a mushroom with her fork and gestured instead of eating. “You know how dating is at that age. Your parents take you to movies and you go to places that you can walk to together. That’s about all the interaction you have outside of school.”
“I know what you mean,” he said, taking another bite while he watched her with eager eyes.
“So the three of us are walking around and my friend finds a puppy. She goes to play with it—and later I found out it was to give us time alone. At that moment, I just figured, hey, puppy. Cute.” She laughed at the memory of her friend knelt down, petting the chubby golden puppy on the tummy while chatting with its owner. Meanwhile, Joseph—her boyfriend, took her hand. “So I’m hand in hand with Joey and we’re walking up this hill. It’s close to sunset and we both knew that he had to be home pretty soon—his parents were really serious about curfew.”
“Yours weren’t?”
“Safe town. Trusting parents. Besides, I’ve always been the textbook definition of a good girl.”
“Makes sense.”
“Joey turns to me and we’re looking at each other and I’m so excited. I know it’s about to happen. The first kiss. The butterflies in my stomach are flapping until I honestly thought I’d be sick, but when he pressed his lips against mine, I smiled.”
“Smiled?”
“Yeah. I was just so relieved that it was happening and that I hadn’t thrown up all over him.
Tom’s laugh was rich and warm. “I don’t see what’s so horrible about that.”
“It wasn’t the first part of the kiss that was bad. It’s what happened next. See, his brother had told him the best way to kiss was to try to tickle the back of the girl’s throat with your tongue—and I don’t know whether he was messing with him or whether he really believed that—but Joey thrusts his tongue into my mouth so deep that I gagged and then…” she trailed off, setting down her fork and reaching for the wine. “Oh god. I bit him.”
“What?” Tom’s chuckle turned into an open-mouthed guffaw. “You’re kidding.”
“I wish I was. I bit down on his tongue and the next thing you know, there’s blood in my mouth. I gag on that, too and Joey starts screaming.”
“Fuck,” Tom said, shaking his head. “How bad was it?”
“Not that bad, thankfully. But it wasn’t the best way for his parents to find out we’d been smooching in the park. He wasn’t allowed back out unchap
eroned after that for a few months. Not that he wanted to anyway. The second I bit down on his tongue, he was done with me.”
“That’s horrible,” Tom laughed. “I’m hoping you didn’t get a reputation out of it.”
“Not with any of the boys I wanted to date,” she said, then paused to take a bite of chicken, chewing as she thought. “It could have been worse.”
“How?”
“Well, the taste of his blood almost made me throw up. Besides, the boy with the dog ended up being my best friend’s first kiss a month later.”
“How’d that go?”
“Better than mine.”
Tom shook his head. “I wasn’t a dumb kid like the one you kissed. I’d have let you try again and gone for the sympathy vote while my mouth was healing.”
“The sympathy vote?”
“A girl as hot as you? I’d have been all worked up at the thought of trying again and I’d have spent my convalescence making sure you were excited to try again too.” She studied his face and really believed that he meant it. Though she was aware Tom was attracted to her, it still surprised her every time he mentioned it. She’d had boyfriends and lovers, but no one had ever seen her as so purely sexual.
No one ever looked so hungry for her.
“Tit for tat time.”
“I know, I know. Mine isn’t nearly as good as yours, though.”
“I want to hear it anyway.” Every piece of personal information that she teased out of him felt like a victory.
“My first middle school party, they were playing seven minutes in heaven. I got sent into the closet with the hottest girl in eighth grade, Becky Scully.”
“And she fell madly into your arms and succumbed to your charms?”
“No.” He smiled and she wondered how it was possible that any woman could resist that grin. “She pouted about being stuck with a lowly sixth grader and then pushed me against the wall and smacked me on the lips. One hard kiss.”
STRIKE: Storm Runners Motorcycle Club 2 (SRMC) Page 12
