A furrow appeared between his eyes. She wanted to smooth it out with her fingertips. Instead, she reached for his hand because it was closer. He didn’t stop her as she twisted her fingers into his for a second. Warmth flowed into her. She wanted to get up and wrap herself in his arms but that was probably carrying things a little too far. She let him go again and dropped her hand to the table.
He put a finger beneath her chin, tipping her head up as he bent down to her. She closed her eyes in anticipation of his kiss but nothing happened. She opened them again to find him a whisper away, staring into her eyes.
“I do want to date you, Haylee. But what about the other guy?”
“Other guy?”
“Your date last night?”
“Oh, you mean Tony.” She smiled. “He’s just a friend.”
Wolf’s expression was serious. “He didn’t look at you like a friend.”
Haylee frowned. “Really? I didn’t notice. He was dating Nicole when she died—I mean I didn’t know about it because she didn’t tell me, but they were going out and keeping it secret. Because of his position with the senator and her past as an addict, though she was getting over that. He took it hard when she died. He’s been a little… clingy, I guess. But he’s not interested in me.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that if I were you.”
Her heart thumped. “You’re wrong, Wolf.”
“Okay, if you say so.”
“So answer the question,” she prompted. “Do you want to date me or not? You started to say you did, but I sensed a but that had nothing to do with Tony.”
He sighed. “Look, you have to know it’s not gonna be smooth or easy if we start to date. I won’t play games with you, but I can’t promise that you won’t think that’s what I’m doing sometimes. All you have to do is ask me. If I can tell you what’s going on, I will. But there’ll be times when I can’t. I need you to understand that if we go forward. Got it?”
She nodded. “Got it.”
He surprised her with a kiss then, his mouth sinking down onto hers like it belonged there. Haylee moaned a little, her lips opening, his tongue slipping inside to stroke hers. It was every bit as good as she remembered. Fire streaked through her, from her nipples to her pussy to her fingers and toes. Sex had never felt as good as it had with him. Her body remembered.
Wanted.
He broke the kiss in spite of her whimper, then pressed his lips to her forehead and straightened. “Have to stop or I’ll be trying to get you naked in about three more minutes.”
“It’ll take you that long to try?”
“Actually, that’s about as long as I could stop myself.”
“Maybe I don’t mind.”
He gaped at her. Then he laughed. “You told me I have to work at it this time. What happened?”
She shrugged, then she put her chin in her palm again and stared dreamily at him. “I forgot how good you kissed.”
“You’re cute. And sleepy.”
“I’m not,” she lied, sitting up straight and tall.
“Your eyelids keep drooping. How much sleep did you get last night?”
Haylee yawned in spite of herself. “After I found the package at my door, I didn’t go back to sleep.” She pressed the back of her hand to her mouth as another yawn hit her. “Damn, this is ridiculous. You have any coffee?”
“I do—but baby, why don’t you lie down and take a nap instead? You just ate and you’re tired. You can use my bed, or the couch if you prefer.”
Haylee started to protest that she was fine, but the thought of going to sleep in his sheets was tempting. Besides, she was safe here with him. She trusted him. She wouldn’t sleep as well at home, not after last night or after today when John Payne had been waiting for her. Totally creepy thing to do.
“Maybe you’re right,” she said. “Just a little nap.”
“Bed or couch?”
She glanced at the couch. It looked comfortable enough, but she really wanted to lie on his bed. With him, though maybe she shouldn’t mention that.
“Bed. So you don’t have to tiptoe around your living room while I sleep.” Sounded like a good excuse. She hoped so anyway.
He held out his hand to her. “Come on then.”
She put her fingers in his, expecting the sizzle of electricity but still surprised by it. He wrapped his hand around hers and pulled her up. Then he led her down a short hallway and into his bedroom. It was sparse, like the living room, with a full-sized bed that almost took up the whole room and a dresser with a TV on top. There was a small bedside table that held a lamp and a phone charger and a remote. There were no curtains, only blinds, and they were pulled closed so that only a little bit of light reached into the room.
The bed was made and he went over and dragged the covers back. “You okay in that or do you want a T-shirt to sleep in?”
“A T-shirt would be great,” she said, only partly because she didn’t want to wrinkle her clothing. No, the biggest reason was that one of his T-shirts would probably smell like him. Even freshly laundered, because his detergent was probably different from hers.
He went over to the dresser and pulled out a black shirt and handed it to her. “You want me to wake you or do you want to set an alarm?”
“You can wake me. Please. If I’m tired enough, I’ll ignore an alarm.” She hugged his shirt to her chest and gave him a smile. “Thank you, Wolf. For coming to get me. For making me feel safe.”
“You’re welcome.”
She hoped he might kiss her again but instead he backed away, toward the door. “I’ll come get you in an hour. That sound good?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
He closed the door behind him and Haylee let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. He totally twisted her up inside. But in a good way. She liked it more than she should, considering how reluctant he was to commit to even going on a date.
He’ll break your heart, Haylee.
That was her mother talking. Her mother had never remarried after her father left. She’d grown bitter, and she disliked men with a passion. Haylee had never yet taken a man home that her mother liked. Well, okay, she hadn’t taken any men home since she’d grown up and left her mother’s house. But the boys she’d taken home as a teenager hadn’t impressed her mom at all.
Mom was always telling her how unreliable men were, how she needed to make her own way and not rely on one.
“I’m not relying on him, Mom,” she muttered as she ripped her shirt over her head and slipped into his T-shirt. It fell to mid-thigh and she shimmied out of her leggings and lay her clothing across the bottom of the bed. Then she climbed beneath Wolf’s sheets, feeling both strange and decadent at once. The sheets smelled like him. So delicious and masculine. It was like being enveloped in his arms in a way.
Haylee turned onto her side, sighed—and promptly fell asleep.
Wolf almost groaned as he pictured Haylee getting undressed in his room. How the hell he’d gone from never planning to call her to here she was in his house, getting naked in his room before slipping between his sheets, and oh by the way he’d also agreed to date her after making sure she didn’t have a boyfriend—well, he had no fucking idea.
Except that she smelled good and looked good and he felt happier when she was around. He had no idea why that was. He was probably a little too influenced by Saint and Hacker these days. And all the other HOT operators with wives and girlfriends since it seemed like there’d been an explosion of love at HOT HQ lately. All of Alpha Squad was paired up. Most of the SEALs.
He’d sworn he wasn’t going to be one of them, but here he was, thinking about the woman in his bed and wishing he was there with her. Not just so he could come, but so he could feel her body curled up beside him, her soft breath on his skin as she slept.
His phone rang and he snatched it up. It was Saint. “Yeah, man? Find anything?”
“Nothing much. John Payne is indeed the guy’s name. He works for Oscar
Silva. Also, he’s an attorney. No criminal history at all. No arrests, no charges, nothing to worry about.”
“Other than he just happened to be in Haylee’s neighborhood when her car wouldn’t start and then offered her a ride, in which he also let it slip that he knew she’d been rescued by us in the jungle.”
“Shady as hell, no doubt. He shouldn’t know about the rescue—but there were eleven people on that trip. Somebody could have talked. Probably did talk.”
“Yeah, but what are the chances he knows one of those people? They were from south Alabama, for fuck’s sake. He knows because Silva knows.”
“Agreed. But he’s clean, Wolf. Nothing on the guy.”
Wolf didn’t like it. “Shit. What about the other stuff? The files Haylee got?”
“Still researching that. She’s right about Donnie Setter and Frank Watson. They’re cousins, though you don’t see them together much. They don’t appear to talk regularly.”
“Yet they were at a fundraiser together with Silva.”
“Yep, and Setter is definitely in that camp where we found the hostages. But the photo is at least a year old. Could have been before they started pressing opioids out there.”
“Do you really think that? Because I don’t. Setter is in the import/export business. He imports Mexican pottery and stuff like that so he has a legit reason to be in Mexico—but they aren’t fucking making pottery in that camp. Not only that, but those containers he imports would be a good way to smuggle in some drugs.”
“Not saying I disagree at all. But so far there’s nothing there.”
Wolf’s throat tightened. “Don’t tell me you’re giving up on finding anything.”
“Of course not. If it’s there, we’ll get it. You know that. I’ve informed Ghost. He’ll brief Mendez. If they tell me to back off, then I have to. But so long as they don’t, we could use a project. Hacker and Bliss are aching to start deep diving into the shadowy corners of the internet.”
“Thanks, man. Appreciate it.”
“You like this woman, don’t you?”
“I like all women, Saint.”
Saint laughed. “Yeah, but you like this one better than the rest.”
“I hardly know her.”
“Doesn’t matter. Sometimes you don’t have to. I liked Brooke from the beginning and I couldn’t quite explain it. Wasn’t up to me, though.”
“You are not pairing me up just so you can have somebody else join yours and Hacker’s club. Haylee is a gorgeous, sweet woman—but we aren’t getting married and having babies or anything like that.”
“Whatever you say,” Saint said, laughing.
“Fuck you,” Wolf said mildly.
Saint laughed harder. “I’ll remind you of that in a few months.”
“Go ahead. Won’t make a difference because I’ll be the same old me as always.”
“Famous last words man. All right, let me get back to this. We’ve got training at 0600 tomorrow.”
“I’ll be there.”
Wolf set his phone on the table and frowned. If there was anything to be found on Setter and Silva—and Frank Watson—his team would find it. Saint could tell him all day long there was nothing criminal on any of those men, but Wolf didn’t believe it. He didn’t think Saint did either.
Chapter Seventeen
Haylee blinked awake to utter darkness. She lay for a long moment in soft sheets that smelled surprisingly masculine for a hotel. Stretching, she tried to trace the trajectory of her day.
And then it hit her where she was and what had happened. She popped up with a squeak and scrambled from the bed. There was a sliver of light coming from under the door. She hurried over and pulled the door open, then padded down the hall and out into the living room where Wolf lounged on his couch, big body slouching against the cushions like a decadent god’s. He had one arm over the back, the remote in his hand as he flipped channels. The other hand was against his face. His elbow was propped on the arm of the couch as he leaned into his palm and stared lazily at the television.
Until she arrived, that is. He dropped his arm and sat up straighter. His gaze slid over her and she realized belatedly that she hadn’t put her leggings on. She was standing in his house, clad in his T-shirt that reached to mid-thigh, and she suddenly felt very exposed and out of place.
“What time is it?” she asked. And then groaned inwardly because it was a stupid question. She had a phone—which she’d left in his bedroom—and she could have checked the time before blasting out here like a cannonball on a mission.
He glanced at his watch. “Nearly eight.”
“Oh my God, you let me sleep for five hours. What happened to waking me in an hour?” She had a sleep hangover, but the truth was she could probably go back to sleep in an hour or two for another four or five hours. She’d been seriously sleep deprived lately.
“I tried. You told me to fuck off.”
Haylee felt herself turning red. Yes, that sounded exactly like her. She was grouchy as hell when she didn’t get enough sleep. Mornings were not her best time. Or, apparently, afternoons and evenings when she hadn’t been sleeping well. “Sorry.”
He shrugged. “It’s okay.”
“I’ve imposed enough,” she stammered. “I should probably get home and let you have your house back.”
His gaze was hot on her body. It lingered on her legs, the hem of the T-shirt, before sliding back up to her face. Oh, those eyes. She loved those eyes. So sexy.
“I can take you home if that’s what you want.”
She hesitated. Was that what she wanted? “I… yes, I should go.”
No, it wasn’t what she wanted. But she also didn’t want to hang around like a lovesick teenager trying to be close to her crush. She had more self-respect than that.
Is that why you slept with him the first night? Self-respect?
She didn’t like that voice. It was her mother’s and it was judgmental as hell. A woman could sleep with a man if she wanted to. It was about making your own choices and taking pleasure if you wanted it, not about being slutty or easy. What the hell did that mean anyway? Slutty? Easy? Why didn’t those terms apply to men?
“I can call an Uber,” she added when he started to stand. “You’ve done enough for me today.”
He stared at her. His brows drew low, his eyes flashing hot. “An Uber? No fucking way, Haylee. What kind of man would I be if I let you go home with a stranger on the same day some asshole scared you?”
She swallowed. “I might have overreacted—”
“No, you didn’t.” He stood, all six-foot-whatever of him towering over her. “A man made you uncomfortable, made veiled threats, stalked you to your house. You didn’t overreact.”
A thought suddenly occurred to her. “Did you find out anything? About what I sent you?”
His expression hardened. “No. Payne is clean. So are Silva, Watson, and Setter. There’s nothing to indicate they’ve done anything wrong—at least nothing we’ve found yet.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Silva is running that operation out of Mexico. You know he is. And Setter is probably receiving the drugs in his shipments.”
“Yes, I know. But Silva’s smart and there’s nothing to connect him. As for Setter, nothing’s ever been discovered in his containers.”
“What if Watson is protecting them? Is that possible?”
“Of course it’s possible. But there’s no proof.”
Haylee’s blood felt like ice in her veins. Anger flooded her. And determination. She wouldn’t go down without a fight. She wouldn’t quit. “I have to find the connection, Wolf. For Nicole.” Her throat felt so damned tight it hurt.
He closed the distance between them and put his hands on her shoulders. Squeezed. “I know, honey. I know you want to stop them. You want somebody to pay for your friend’s death.”
It was only through sheer force of will that she didn’t tremble. “I do. But more than that, I don’t want anyone else to take a drug they think will
help them cope, but it kills them instead.”
“No, I agree. But you have to be smart about it or you won’t get a thing on any of them.”
“I know.” He was right, but she felt helpless. Lost. Dammit!
“Look, why don’t you stay here tonight. You can have the bed and I’ll take the couch. I have to be at training early, but when I’m done, I’ll take you back to your place and help you get your car started. It’s already getting late, and I’d feel better if I could check out your place thoroughly in daylight.”
She should say no, but she really didn’t want to. She didn’t look forward to riding a half hour home and then flinching at every little noise outside because she’d be too paranoid to close her eyes for the rest of the night.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll stay for tonight. Thank you.”
He skimmed his hands down her arms, then dropped them away. “You want something to eat? I make a mean sandwich.”
Her belly growled as if on cue. “That sounds good. Thanks. I should, uh, probably go put on my clothes though.”
He grinned, and her heart flipped. “You don’t have to on my account. I like your legs.”
“Thank you.” She stood there awkwardly for a moment. Then she jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “Still, I’m going to…”
He was already turning away. “Go ahead. I’ll start the sandwiches. Ham and cheese okay with you?”
“Yes.”
“Great. There’s an extra toothbrush in the bathroom,” he said as he walked away. “Use anything of mine you want. Brushes, combs—don’t worry about asking first.”
“Thank you. You’re a good guy, Dean. I’m sorry I sharked you that night we played pool.”
He laughed as he dragged open the refrigerator. Shot her a beautiful smile that made her pulse skip even faster than before. “I’m not,” he told her. “Not at all.”
Wolf fixed sandwiches while Haylee went to dress. He’d been serious when he’d told her she didn’t have to, but he was also glad she was doing so. Her bare legs were giving him ideas. And though he was pretty sure he could seduce her into bed before the night was through, he felt like he shouldn’t do it. He hadn’t asked her to stay so he could fuck her. He’d asked her to stay because he didn’t want to take her home and leave her there just yet.
HOT Justice: A Hostile Operations Team - Book 14 Page 15