by Debra Kayn
“Oh no.” She laughed to cover the lie. “Real estate.”
“You’re a licensed Realtor?”
“Yeah, well, I was before I started doing nails and going to school. I specialized in commercial properties mostly, but if a friend needs help securing a home in the area, I’ll represent them. It brings in a little extra cash for school.” She gazed down at her plate, shocked she’d eaten all her food while they were talking. “You don’t need a new home, do you?”
He chuckled. “No. I have one that does the job of keeping the rain off me.”
“That’s good.” She gazed past him.
His friends played pool, and seemed to get along while they threw challenges back and forth as if they competed against one another all the time. As Rocki watched, Janie caught her looking and glared. She turned away.
“Ready to finish the game?” he asked.
“Sure.” She stood. “It’s probably a good time to let you know, I’ve been going easy on you. You’re ahead of me now, but it’d take nothing for me to clean the table in one turn.”
He whistled. “Big talker.”
“Hey, I only say what’s true. I’m not bragging at all.” She sashayed over and picked up both of their pool sticks.
She was going straight to hell. How many lies could she tell in a twenty-four-hour period and retain her aura of a trained professional? A pillar of society?
“Let’s say we up the ante. Game?” He leaned against the table.
“You’ve already said winner gets anything. How much bigger does it get?”
He gripped the pool stick she held in her hand and pulled her closer. She stared into his eyes. Light blue eyes, so transparent she witnessed his pupils dilate.
“If I win, I’ll be asking you to come home with me.” He inched closer. His mouth hovered over her lips, not touching, but they shared a breath. “You’ll say yes and get to ride in my car.”
Holy shit. Darrell had sent her to check out Tony? She blinked. “The Camaro?”
“Yep,” he murmured. “You in?”
“Depends.” She inhaled, and held her breath. God, she so wanted in. “Can you deliver on such a big promise?”
He growled. With the ruckus in the bar, she would’ve missed the low vibration, but she actually felt the sound in the back of her fingers, where her hand pressed against him as she held the stick. The sensations coming from him swept through her body and settled deep in her lower belly.
“One night. In my bed,” he whispered. “You come home with me, and I’ll make sure I deliver.”
She bit down on her lip, studying him. Finally, she whispered back, “Okay.”
He stepped away and grinned. “Your play, sweetheart.”
She moistened her lips and moved toward the table. Her hands shook, and she braced them against the edge, near the corner pocket. She wrinkled her nose, unable to focus on lining up her shot. She knew what Darrell expected of her, but she was unprepared for how smoothly Tony Weston could wrangle her into going to bed with him.
Usually, she loved competition. Even though she sucked at pool, she’d give it one hundred percent, because that’s all she knew. As a result, she sent the cue ball straight into the side pocket.
Chapter Three
Tony parked the Camaro in front of the house. He opened the passenger door and held his hand out for Rocki. All the way home, he couldn’t believe his good luck.
How many times over the past year, and almost constantly since two months ago, had he thought about Rocki? They’d never met, nor been introduced, but he’d lusted over her on two occasions while watching her work at the academy.
That’s all it took. He knew it was crazy, the instant attraction, but damned if he could get her out of his head.
On both occasions, she had no clue he’d watched her while she taught a class out in the field. He’d planned to go back, introduce himself, and ask her out on a date. But life got busy for him.
First, there was the Hanson restore he personally brought into Beaumont Body Shop, then agency business took him out of town more times than he liked, and finally Janie came back to Bay City followed by her crazed ex-boyfriend, and all his time was spent keeping everyone he cared about safe. Business always came before pleasure.
And when he had free time, he knew by the devotion and skill with which Rocki conducted herself, she wasn’t a woman you took out a couple of times or slept with and forgot. He wasn’t ready to settle down. Once he tied himself to a woman, he’d have to settle in for life. There’d be no more cars, no late nights, and he’d probably have to bathe his dog once a week.
He gazed at Rocki. Damn…a woman like her would make the sacrifices worth it.
When he’d finally decided to make a move on Rocki, he saw her working with Darrell. He’d tried to rebuff his attraction to her right then and there, when she stepped out of Darrell’s car and returned Janie’s stolen cat at the beginning of summer. Though he’d put a halt to getting to know her, he couldn’t stop the fantasies that played out in his mind. And now that he had her in the flesh, he couldn’t help but slip his arm around her, settling his hand on her hip. She moved closer, bumping her side against him, and stayed beside him. He inhaled deeply, enjoying the pleasure of being next to her.
At five feet seven inches, she tucked perfectly against his six-foot-one frame. He glanced down and whistled softly. Though her body was slim and athletic, her breasts told a different story. She was made for loving. That’s what threw him the first time he saw her, because she was not the typical hard-ass police officer he expected. She was soft, quiet, and beautiful.
She’d looked damn sexy holding a Glock as she was tonight wearing a slinky little T-shirt and tight jeans. More times than not, his fantasies veered in the direction of her wearing an evening gown and holding the weapon for some reason. Fuck, that was hot.
Tonight left him wondering what the hell was going on, besides his lust. She told more lies than a six-year-old boy caught peeing in the backyard.
He hated the fact that he knew she was a police detective. There were only two outcomes for tonight. Either she’d break his heart because she’d turned her back on her duty as an officer and worked for Darrell, or she was that good at her job and she was working undercover for the good guys. Either way, her life was in danger and he wanted to know why she was after him.
From everything he knew about Darrell, no police personnel made it into the inner sanctions of the drug business. That meant she’d done something no one else had done. The ramifications were huge.
He unlocked the front door and paused. Once inside, he hoped she’d loosen up and talk more. She’d grown quiet on the trip home, but he blamed himself. It would hurt to have his illusion of the perfect woman tarnished if it turned out that she was on the wrong side.
If it had to do with Darrell, he’d bet his car that Kage was the one Rocki was spying on. A burning sensation settled in his gut. She was going to use him to get information on Kage.
Her obvious sign of zeroing him out today at the bar concerned him on a different level. He needed to know if she was planning to push herself into Kage’s life. No matter what, he’d protect Kage to the very end.
Tony kicked the front door closed, holding on to Rocki’s hand. He turned on the lights. Brute, his Saint Bernard, danced around his legs.
“Don’t let the dog bother you. He’s harmless,” Tony said.
Rocki gazed up at Tony. She was stunning, with black straight hair, a golden tanned complexion, and an almost exotic slant to her eyes. Everything about her set his heart racing.
“Maybe we should take a second to catch our breath,” Rocki whispered.
She’d lost her bravery on the drive to his house. Slowly, she’d retreated from conversation, keeping her gaze out the window and off him. He’d given her space, not wanting to pressure her.
But the naked truth stared back at him now. His chest warmed. She wanted him. He’d waited too long to find out more about her, and w
hat better way to do that than get naked?
“Don’t think.” He backed her up against the wall, planting his hands on each side of her head, and brushed his lips left to right against hers. “Need to kiss you.”
“Um.” She pulled away and licked her lips, but he followed her with his mouth.
The flick of her tongue connected with him and he growled before capturing her in a kiss. His body went solid. Fuck, she tasted good.
He held still, softening his lips, waiting for her. One, two, three seconds, and her body leaned into him and her head went back, giving him more room. Yeah, she wanted him.
Through her lies, her stories, her pathetic attempt at playing pool, she couldn’t hide the one thing he wanted: her willingness. He’d dreamt of her too often, coming to him on her own, open and honest, giving him everything.
The tremor in her hands, the soft gasps, and shallow breathing when he leaned toward her weren’t signs of a woman who wasn’t actively participating in their flirtatious dance. The way her nipples hardened through her thin T-shirt did not lie.
She expected slow, and he gave her hard, possessive, and demanding. His tongue tangled with hers and his body pulsed. She accepted everything.
No, she couldn’t lie about the attraction happening between them. Him and her, the feelings of wanting to get to know each other better.
He lifted his head a fraction of an inch and placed his forehead against hers. He inhaled deeply, enjoying the way her breathing matched his own. Hell, yeah, she felt the chemistry between them too.
The light from overhead allowed her to hide nothing from him. Her swollen lips, the heady emotions in her deep brown eyes, and the pulse beating at the base of her neck screamed that she was as turned on as he was.
Finally, he spoke. “You can say the word, and I’ll take you back to your car. Or you can let me pick you up and carry you into my bedroom. Your call, sweetheart.”
She raised her brows and stared at him. “I’m not sure…”
He whispered, “Sweetheart, you have to be positive.”
“Wait.” She shook her head and ducked under his arm. “Can you turn more lights on?”
He moved toward the door and hit the light switch for the living room, brightening up the area. “Better?”
“Yeah.” She walked into his living room.
He stayed in the foyer, enjoying the sight of her in his house. Her lips moved, but whatever she was saying was in her own head and she wasn’t sharing it with him. He gave her space.
She stopped, caught his gaze, and frowned. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, wondering how long it would take her to make a simple decision. It wasn’t as if he’d asked her to solve third-world problems. It was sex.
He wanted her underneath him.
She wanted him, whether she knew that or not.
One more minute and he’d show her how much.
“You have a dog,” she said.
He glanced down at Brute sitting on the floor. Brute’s massive body leaned against his leg. “Yeah.”
“He’s adorable.” She took a step toward him, and then another. “What’s his name?”
“Brute,” he said, letting her get away with changing the subject…for now.
His dog stood and looked at him, then bounded into the living room to discover his new play toy in the form of a real, live woman. Rocki shrieked in excitement and fell to her knees.
He would’ve laughed if he weren’t still worried about whether she was going into the bedroom with him or not. He moved forward and snapped his fingers calling for Brute, but the dog ignored him.
“Look at his big, brown eyes. He’s so cute and cuddly.” She sat on the floor and pulled Brute’s head onto her lap, hugging the dog’s neck and rubbing her forehead between the dog’s ears. “See…he’s got teddy-bear eyes.”
Tony held his laughter inside. Bloodshot, brown, and mentally aware, Brute’s eyes were dog eyes, nothing more. At two hundred pounds, the dog was almost twice the size of Rocki.
“Come, Brute.” He clicked his tongue. When Brute came within a few feet, he said, “Down.”
Brute went back on his butt and sat. Tony moved forward, slipped his hands under Rocki’s armpits and picked her up, until she stood in front of him. “Sweetheart, I like how you’re enjoying my dog, but I want you paying that attention to me.”
“Maybe I’ve changed my mind.” She kept her gaze off him. “If you could let me use your phone, I’ll call a taxi.”
“No more games. No more using my dog as a distraction.” He stepped forward, taking her with him. “I want all of your attention on me. Most of all, I want inside your head, because, sweetheart, you want me and I’m not understanding why you’re playing me.”
“What? Are you a package deal?” She glanced from him to Brute. “You’re nothing alike. He minds well and seems to have more patience than his owner.”
“Yeah, sweetheart. I’ll give you that. You’re making this hell on me by asking me to wait to have a taste of you and trying to distract what we came back here to do,” he said, pushing her to tell him what the hell was going on. “But as much as I love Brute and think it’s cute that you have no problem loving up on my dog, Brute’s not the one asking you to come in the bedroom. I am.”
“Do you think I can use your phone first? I promise it’s not to call a taxi,” she asked.
He pulled out his cell. She shook her head. “Your house phone.”
“Seriously?” He looked to the ceiling, telling himself to cool down and hoping the blood returned to his legs, because he was hard, harder than he’d ever been. “Remind me to teach you about spontaneity.”
She pulled her fingers through the back of her hair. “I’m sorry. It’s really important, and I swear, when I’m done with my phone call, I’ll go in the bedroom with you.”
“There are cordless phones in the kitchen and in my bedroom,” he said. “Take your pick.”
“I’ll go to the kitchen.” She moved away from him and stopped. “Thanks. This means…everything. I’ll make it up to you.”
He slipped his finger into the neck of her shirt, and pulled her back to him. “Start now.”
“What?”
He nuzzled her neck. “Make it up to me.”
“I-I can do that.” Her hands went to his stomach.
He kissed his way to her jawline, her cheek, and her nose, and hovered above her lips. “Waiting.”
“Oh.” She dove in and kissed him.
He laughed against her closed lips. She pulled away, frowning. The insulted look was adorable and for a moment, he felt bad for teasing her. Whatever game she played, he had no idea how one minute she was a sex goddess and the next left him wondering if no one had taught her how a man liked to be kissed. Instead of feeling turned off, he found her cute as hell.
“Go make your phone call. Through the walkway, turn left and the kitchen will be the first opening on the right. I left the range hood light on, but the main light switch is on the left as you enter.” He kissed her quickly and motioned with his head. “Bedroom is down the hall in the opposite direction. Go past the rec room and it’ll be on the left.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
He called Brute to his side and walked down the hallway, leaving Rocki to make her phone call in private. Brute trotted into the spare bedroom ahead of him, knowing the routine. He followed more slowly, checking to make sure there was still food and water in the bowls on the floor he’d left this afternoon. Normally, he gave Brute the run of the house, leaving the door to the garage open so he could use the custom-sized doggy door to the backyard when needed, but he’d trained Brute to stay in the room if he had company.
Although any adult could crawl through the flap out the backdoor in the garage, Brute protected the place when Tony was gone. Brute had a hell of a growl, but only Tony knew he had more drool than bite. No wonder Rocki had bonded with his dog. He suspected she was putting on her own protective face when she really wanted to cu
rl her legs around him and lick him to death.
Brute hopped up on the bed, lay down, and put his head on his crossed paws. Tony gave the dog a good scratch. “She’s something else, huh?”
“Woof.”
He chuckled. “Yeah. She thinks you’re cool too.”
One more pat to Brute’s head, and Tony left the room and closed the door. Silence greeted him in the hallway. Rocki must still be on the phone.
He strode into the bedroom, removed his boots, and stripped off his clothes before walking into the bathroom to shower. He’d give her privacy to make her call, and then he was going to make up for lost time. They’d already wasted an hour, and she wasn’t even in his bed yet.
She’d made him work for every inch he’d made getting to know her, and still held the truth of what she was doing at Corner Pocket from him. He stepped under the water. Ninety-nine percent of the information she volunteered were lies. He held on to the one thing she couldn’t fake: her attraction to him.
Whether she still worked for Darrell remained a concern, but that’d end after tonight whether she slept with him or not. He’d never let a vulnerable woman walk into the kind of trouble she’d find with Darrell.
She was hiding something, besides her real occupation. A few times, he wanted to mention how he knew she was lying, get it out in the open and deal with it, but he held back. There had to be a big reason behind why she’d concoct all the stories about what she did for a living, and he wanted to figure out the answer for himself first. Something wasn’t adding up, and because he worried about how her involvement would touch Kage, he’d wait until she gave him something concrete. Then he’d confront her.
He toweled off, slipped on a pair of gym shorts, and walked out into the bedroom. The lights remained on, the bed still made, and he heard nothing coming from the other end of the house. Concerned Rocki slipped out while he showered, he went down the hall searching for her.
Before he entered the kitchen, he heard the way her voice warbled and stopped, staying out of sight.
“I’m safe for now.” Her footsteps led her farther away, but her voice rose. “I can’t tell you. You know that. I’m doing okay. I’m safe, so stop worrying.”