What the hell? Were they serious? He barely managed to keep from jumping up and throwing Kara over his shoulder when he heard that.
The fact was Kara’s so-called friends had no idea who he was or that they were together. Neither of them had noticed the truck driving past on arrival—too busy looking at something on their phones or taking selfies or whatever it was. He understood why Kara would want him to stay quiet—now more than ever, since he heard how stupid these friends of hers were. No sense giving them a reason to gossip about her needing extra security.
Oh, he would tear her a new one when they were alone together. Just the thought of it brought him more pleasure than he’d known since being assigned to this stupid case.
There he went, thinking for a second that she might have been a person of substance, that she was only putting on an act, pretending to be somebody she wasn’t. Why try to be anything more than a spoiled rich girl when nobody expected her to be anything more?
He had even been willing to accept blame, to believe she was only acting like the person he expected her to be.
Now, he knew better.
Pulling his phone from his pocket, he went through his text messages until he found his ongoing conversation with Doc. Research old boyfriends, he texted. Cross-reference with anyone currently working in politics who she might’ve connected to her father to hook them up with a job.
Rather than texting him back, the way any normal person would’ve done, Doc insisted on calling. Jace got up from his table, careful to keep a respectful distance while positioning himself so he could watch the sidewalk and the street in case danger presented itself. “Yeah?” he asked on answering the call.
“What’s this all about?” Doc asked.
“Not in a position to discuss that right now,” he muttered. “Trust me. I think it might be a lead.”
“We’ve already researched boyfriends,” Doc reminded him. “Down to their financial records and their report cards in elementary school. What are we missing?”
“I heard something just now that sparked an idea,” Jace explained. “If there was anyone in her life who thought they might benefit from being with her, career-wise, they might now be resentful if that career didn’t pan out.”
“Certainly, that’s something to be kept in mind,” Doc allowed. “We’ve found nothing so far.”
The girls were still laughing, enjoying their drinks. Jace wondered who he’d pissed off in a former life that led him to this. “Anything new on the senator?”
“Negative. Val just stepped away for a few hours to get some rest, but she found nothing aside from what we would expect to find in the records of a career politician.”
“Just the normal dirty laundry, then?”
“I wouldn’t even go as far as that. There is no dirty laundry.”
Jace blinked. “That can’t be true.”
“Do I tell you how to do your job?” Doc wasn’t joking. He never joked.
“No, no, don’t get me wrong. I know you can only find what’s out there to be found. What I mean is have you ever heard of a politician being in the game for two decades with nothing even remotely questionable to show for it? That’s not how it works, is it? There’s always a skeleton in the closet or something worth covering up.”
“We might have found the one honest politician,” Doc allowed.
Jace knew better than to argue because argument implied he didn’t trust Doc to do his job thoroughly. Any discussion they’d have on the topic would only lead them around in circles. “I guess so,” he replied, not believing it for a second. “What’s Logan think about it?”
“He wants us to keep digging,” Doc admitted, sounding bemused. “He said there’s no such thing as a completely honest politician.”
At least Logan had a little sense. “Well, good luck. If you could get Hawk or Val looking deeper into Kara’s friends, I would appreciate that.” He ended the call, even more frustrated than he’d been before.
His frustration didn’t ease when he sat down again. “Seriously,” Kara was in the middle of saying, “you can put as much lipstick as you want on a pig, but they’re still a pig. Just because he makes your toes curl doesn’t make him worth it.”
“Amen,” the redhead agreed. She was halfway to sloppy by this point, and it was barely noon.
The brunette bit her lip. “But he said he loves me.”
“You know what? You’d be happier investing in a high-quality vibrator.” Kara drained the rest of her drink while her friends giggled. “I’m serious! No backtalk, no farting in bed, no asking you to make something to eat after. And they can go again and again without the whole ‘I’m too tired’ or ‘I gotta get up early in the morning’ spiel. You might actually fall asleep satisfied for once.”
“You sound like you know what you’re talking about,” the brunette winked.
“Maybe I do,” Kara shrugged. He noticed how she’d raised her voice a little like she wanted him to hear.
How could he help it?
How could his wolf, who practically salivated?
“I’ve been thinking about going for one of those rabbit thingies,” the redhead confessed in a too-loud whisper.
“Nah. Get something with a cord,” Kara insisted. “So you won’t have to worry about the battery dying on you before you’re finished. Nothing worse than that. If I wanted that kind of hassle, I’d start dating somebody new.” More giggles.
She had no idea what she was doing to him. She only thought she did. She believed she was dealing with a human, after all, and any man who heard the sort of conversation among three beautiful, young women would be interested.
For him, it was an entirely different situation. He clenched his fists under the table, noting the pain in his palms as his claws began extending from his fingertips. No, no, stay down, he silently implored as his wolf fought to gain control. Not now. Not here. She’s just teasing. You can’t let her do this.
But wouldn’t it be the sweetest sort of payback? Just thinking about it brought a smile. Her horror, her screams.
Let her find out what happened when bad girls played games.
Because that’s what she was doing, obviously. She thought she was so cute, so clever. Deliberately steering the conversation over and over to provocative topics. If he called her on it, she would act innocent, surprised, like it was his fault for listening in.
Like she had warned him against being there. Like it had been his choice. Like he couldn’t think of a hundred things he’d rather do than sit in front of this overpriced, mediocre little café with its pretentious attitude.
He kept his eyes roaming over the street and sidewalk as the girls split the bill, sending each other cash through mobile apps to cover the cost. They even did those stupid little double kisses, one on each cheek, before waving and promising to get together again soon.
Not if he had anything to say about it.
He tossed some cash onto the table without waiting for anyone to bring the check and followed her to the lot. She made a show of pretending to be distracted by her phone as if it didn’t matter whether he was behind her or not even though he was the one who’d driven them there.
“I hope you’re impressed with yourself,” he muttered once they were deep enough in the parking lot. “That was quite the little show back there.”
“What show?” she asked, all innocence. Her blonde ponytail swung back and forth as she walked. “I didn’t see any show going on.”
“Please. Like you weren’t deliberately being provocative.”
She snickered. “Get over yourself,” she muttered. “That’s how our brunches go. We talk about the guys we’re sleeping with, how good they are, how big they are. What?” She finally looked over her shoulder with a smirk. “You think only guys talk that way? Don’t tell me you and your buddies have never compared notes over the girls you’ve slept with.”
“You expect me to believe you didn’t play it up to make me uncomfortable?”
S
he clicked her tongue, coming to a stop when they reached the truck. “Oh, gosh. Did that make you uncomfortable? Are you so young and impressionable that a little sex talk made you uncomfortable?”
It was maddening. Where did she get off? His wolf howled, demanding satisfaction. If she only knew…
Rather than unlocking the doors, he took a step closer. Another step. Her back was to the passenger door, and at first, there was laughter in her eyes—until she caught sight of what was behind his. Whatever it was, it wiped the smirk from her face in an instant.
“What are you doing?” she whispered, pressing herself close to the side of the truck. “Let’s go. My parents will wonder where we are.”
“Don’t worry about that,” he whispered, and the intensity of her scent only grew the closer he came. Her pulse was racing like crazy. He would bet her palms were slick with sweat as he closed the distance between them, bringing it down to mere inches. He felt the warmth coming from her body, warmer with every passing second.
His tongue darted out over his lips, moistening them. She watched for an instant before her gaze darted over his shoulder.
“Quit playing,” she whispered. No matter how strong she pretended to be, there was no disguising weakness in her voice. “I mean it.”
“Who’s playing?” He rested one hand against the truck, over her shoulder. “What? You don’t like me because I’m not one of your toys? Because you can’t plug me into the wall and do what you want with me, then put me back in a drawer when you’re satisfied? Or maybe it’s because I don’t have a private jet or a house in Maui. But I do have one thing going for me.”
“Oh? What’s that?” she challenged. Her nostrils flared. Her scent intensified. He could practically hear her heart racing.
He leaned in, his lips barely brushing her ear. She trembled when he blew against that delicate skin. “That measurement you gave earlier wasn’t too far off of what I have to offer,” he breathed, relishing the way she shuddered. The scent of her arousal—heady, dangerous—filled his senses and left his wolf panting. “And I’ve been known to make a woman beg me to stop. Legs shaking, breathless, soaked in sweat, sheets ripped off the bed.”
He raised his head, meeting her eyes. “If we were ever in bed to begin with.”
“Jace…” she breathed, eyes darkening with lust.
“All these nights we’ll be spending together,” he growled, deep and low. “Imagine what I could do to you. How I could make you scream.” Their mouths were nearly touching, their breath mingling—hers coming sharp and fast, his deep and rasping.
Her eyes closed. Her head tipped back. Her lips parted, glistening and ready. She was his for the taking.
Which was when he stepped back, tapping the button on the key fob to unlock the doors. “But no. I don’t think so. Let’s roll.”
It took a second for her to understand, and when she did, her eyes flew open wide. “You bastard,” she spat, her cheeks flushing deeper than ever.
“I’ve been called worse.” He was whistling as he walked around to the other side of the truck, grinning.
It was an act, of course. In reality, he strained against the zipper of his jeans while the wolf howled in protest, wondering what the hell just happened. How could they have been so close only for him to pull back and deny what everyone involved clearly wanted?
“Come on,” he called out as he climbed into the truck. “Like you said, your parents will worry if we don’t get home soon.”
Chapter Eleven
Damn him.
Jerk.
Pig.
Who did he think he was?
Making a fool out of her. Laughing at her, probably. Thinking he won something by breaking her down and taking advantage of whatever weird thing there was between them.
Because there was something weird, for sure. She couldn’t help but feel attracted to him at a base level. Something mindless, thoughtless, without reason. He was there, and he was big and strong and gorgeous. There was an energy to him that pulled her in no matter how she fought it.
And now he knew that because she was weak, basically. That was what it came down to. Weak and alone and vulnerable.
And he knew it, and he took advantage of it to make a fool out of her. As far as she was concerned, there was nobody worse than someone who would take advantage of another person in a vulnerable situation.
He was gone for the time being, thank God. He had to go to file reports or something. She had barely paid attention when he muttered some halfhearted reason why he had to leave her with another member of his team for a few hours. The guard was standing outside her bedroom door. She’d been in there all day, ever since they returned from brunch.
Brunch. Okay, so maybe she had played things up a little too much. Maybe she had taken it a little too far. And look where it got her? It might be better not to play games like that again.
At least if she did, she would know better what she was dealing with. She wouldn’t underestimate him again.
Taking a step back from the mirror, she checked herself out. A low-cut, silver dress sparkled with every move she made. It was practically nothing more than an oversized tank top that barely covered her butt, and she knew how good it looked on her.
Once she was in the car, she would put her shoes on. They would only slow her down right now and maybe leave her with a twisted ankle. She wouldn’t be able to explain that away very easily, would she?
Into her shoulder bag went the rest of her disguise. Mostly, it relied on a bright red wig, the kind of red that didn’t normally exist except with the help of hair dye. She’d rolled her hair into tight little twists all over her head, pinning them down flat. Once she was away from the house, the wig would go on, and she would assume a new personality.
No way was she going to be locked up in the house because of some stupid threat. She knew this wasn’t the only time she’d ever been threatened. No matter how her father tried to keep it from her, there was no avoiding it. She heard things. She was observant.
It drove him crazy too, but she would always rather know than be in the dark.
Maybe it was perverse, but she couldn’t help it. She would rather have known than be taken by surprise by some psychopath or somebody with a grudge against her father.
Easing open the bedroom window, she looked outside. The grounds were dark and empty, but she knew cameras were watching. All she had to do was get into the car and down the driveway before anybody caught her.
She had a feeling nobody would. Sure, security was tighter than ever, but with her parents out at a function for some charity she knew nothing about and since she was supposedly locked in her room, the remaining guards could be more lax than usual. They’d be more concerned with anybody coming onto the property than with anybody leaving.
At least, that’s what she hoped. The worst that could happen would be if they found her before she managed to get out and sent her back to her room with a guard on her door.
She could even handle that as long as Jace wasn’t there when it happened. The last thing she wanted to see was his smug expression.
Like his expression after he’d stepped away from her, leaving her panting, leaning against the truck because her knees went weak. That smug look, the look of a man proud of himself for breaking a woman down, for proving to her that she was human and that he had the power to undo her.
She didn’t care if she never saw him again. If anything, it would be a way of avoiding her shame. He was probably laughing at her right then, whatever he was doing.
Once she was sure nobody could see, she swung out from the window and climbed down the trellis along the wall. Even after all these years, it had never occurred to her father to take the trellis down or to grow roses on it or something, something with thorns that would make it more difficult for her to climb down. English ivy was hardly enough to stop her.
She landed in the soft soil, now thinking twice about her shimmery dress. All it took was the slightest bit of light
to turn her into a disco ball. With that in mind, she carried the big bag in front of her to at least conceal some of the dress’s shimmer while darting barefoot toward the front of the house where her car was parked.
A moment later, she was behind the wheel, her foot to the gas pedal. She peeled down the driveway and could barely keep from laughing in triumph. The sense of freedom was overwhelming, even if she had only just been out by herself not twenty-four hours earlier.
It was amazing how quickly things could change. Last night, she was just herself, living her life the way she always had. She never wanted a detail on her if she could help it, and she’d gotten to the point with her parents where they knew there was nothing they could do to make her accept one. She was twenty-four years old, not a fifteen-year-old girl going on her first date.
Now? Now somebody wanted her dead, supposedly.
Bile rose in her throat at the thought. She turned on the radio and cranked it up in an effort to drive her fear away.
Once she’d parked in a Midtown Manhattan garage, she fixed the wig on her head and the strappy, silver stilettos on her feet. A quick touch-up on her makeup and she was ready to go.
It was rare that she went out alone without at least one of her girls. Tonight, she wasn’t Kara. She was anybody else, anyone at all.
Anyone who didn’t have a death threat hanging over her head and a security detail to deal with.
It was amazing, really—the freedom, even more pronounced now that she was out and about, walking down crowded streets. She could be anyone she wanted to be, and nobody would know the difference.
A dancer. She was a professional dancer. In town for one night only, looking to have a little fun.
Within fifteen minutes, she was in a club with a name she hadn’t bothered to notice, sitting at the bar with a vodka tonic. She’d driven, which meant she’d hold herself to one drink. No need to be completely reckless—she was already pressing her luck.
And something about losing one’s sister in a car accident made a person more sensitive about things like that.
Wolf Shield Investigations: Boxset Page 8