I was contemplating breakfast when there was a hard knock at the door. I could see Nick through the small square window and he winked at me as I stood there staring at him, trying to decide if I was up for the eventual sparring between us. Being with Nick took a lot of mental energy.
I finally gave in and opened the door, standing back to let him in.
“Hey, it’s starting to look like a house in here,” he said. “Very cozy. It suits you.”
“Thank you. It’s every woman’s dream to be told by a man that she’s cozy.”
“No, really. It’s a good house. And you do have that giant TV. I’ve missed that since you’ve been living with your mother.”
“You can go now,” I said, heading back to the kitchen.
“Relax. I want you for your body too.”
He laughed as I threw the spoon I’d used to stir my coffee at his head.
“So much violence. You’ve got a lot of anger inside you, babe. Maybe you should see someone about that. Violence is never the answer.”
He rushed in to grab me before I could find something else to throw, and I pretended to put up a little resistance as he pressed me against the counter and played space invaders. I’d found out the two times we’d been together that Nick was very much ready for anything first thing in the morning, and the proof of that was drilling into my stomach.
His magical mouth found mine, and the resistance I tried to put up turned into compliance. I twined my arms around his neck and moaned as his teeth nipped at my bottom lip. His tongue rubbed against mine in a slow, lazy dance and I wrapped my leg around his hip, searching for relief from the pressure he always managed to build inside of me.
“Good morning,” he finally said, breaking the kiss and nibbling along my jaw.
“It’s turning out to be.”
“Can I have some of that coffee?” he asked, leaving me to go to the machine.
I was a little miffed he wasn’t interested in finishing what he started. I was in a bad way, and I wasn’t above tackling him and restraining him with his handcuffs so I could have my way with him.
“So I went to meet with Savage’s man yesterday,” Nick said, taking his first sip. “Damn, you make good coffee.”
Oh, yeah. We were supposed to be working. Sometimes I got distracted from the main goal. What can I say? I was easily tempted. The Catholic Church hadn’t been able to beat that sin out of me.
“What did you find out?”
“Savage noticed something unusual in the background check that was done on Natalie Evans. It was a thorough check, though too clean for my liking. No one has an image that clean. But dental records don’t lie.”
“I’m not following you.”
“Savage is ex-Special Forces. He recognized some of Natalie Evans’ dental work. During the cold war, Russia didn’t have the same materials for fillings and crowns that the US did. The work is actually very distinctive. And after talking with Savage’s man, it’s so distinctive that he’s a hundred percent positive that she spent her childhood and teenage years in the Soviet Union.”
“That seems like it should be bad for us.”
“It’s very bad for us. Especially if Natalie Evans is a double agent. And it explains why so many people are trying to get in our way here.”
“So what does that mean?” I fished out a frying pan from a box, intending to cook breakfast since it didn’t look like we would be canoodling any time soon, but I remembered my refrigerator was empty except for ketchup and beer. All the food was still at my mother’s house. I let the skillet drop and decided another cup of coffee was enough to sustain me.
“It means we can narrow down our searches. Part of the trouble with following the money trail is finding the money trail. We’ve got men working on tracing from the other end, seeing who Russia’s most generous patrons are.”
My cell phone rang and a horrible pressure starting building at the base of my skull. That could only mean one thing—it was my mother on the other end of the line.
I stared at it and ignored Nick’s silent laughter as I debated, but I was afraid she’d keep calling, or send a policeman to track me down to see if I was lying on the side of the road somewhere, or calling hospitals to see if they had any Jane Does. This had never happened to me before first hand, but these were her constant fears. I’d managed to make it to adulthood mostly untraumatized.
“Hello,” I said.
“Addison, this is your mother. I just wanted to let you know that Vince and I are back from the Bahamas.”
“Oh, good. Did you have a nice time?”
“It was beautiful. Not that I saw much past the hotel balcony, but the skyline was very nice.”
I pressed a finger over my eye, hoping the images of my mom having sex on a hotel balcony weren’t permanently burned into my skull.
“I’m glad we came home when we did. I assume you’re with the police giving them a statement.”
“Umm, no. Why would I be?”
“Someone has stolen all of your things. God knows what’s gone of mine. I’ve sent Vince around to see if he can tell.”
“Yeah, I should probably explain about that.”
“You can do it over breakfast. I know you never eat right when I’m not around. Why don’t we meet at the Good Luck Café? Vince said he’s got a craving for their pancakes.”
I was pretty hungry. I just wasn’t sure I was hungry enough to share a meal with Vince and my mom together after the images of the balcony.
“Listen, I’m with Nick right now and I don’t—”
“Oh, good. Bring him along. See you in a few minutes.”
She hung up without giving me a chance to come up with any more excuses, and I looked at Nick, quirking a brow as I devised a plan. He gave me an odd look and started backing away.
“I don’t trust that look in your eyes,” he said. “I think I need to go. I’m pretty sure I have a lot of other stuff planned for the day.”
“Yeah? Like what?”
“Guy stuff. I don’t want to bore you.”
“I’ve got a deal for you.”
“Not even the promise of wild monkey sex with you and the Doublemint twins could get me to hang out with your mom and Vince.”
“She told me to bring you. You wouldn’t want to disappoint her, would you?”
He was starting to look a little panicked, and he tugged at the collar of his t-shirt. “Tell her I’m getting sick and I don’t want to pass on my germs.”
“Don’t you want to hear the deal I’m willing to offer?”
“Nope. Not really.”
I smiled and started unbuttoning my shirt, smiling as he backed up another step and bumped into the refrigerator.
He cleared his throat once as the shirt dropped to the ground and I was left in a turquoise lacy bra that left very little to the imagination. I used to belong to an underwear of the month club back when I could afford groceries and other stuff, so I had quite a collection of undergarments.
“The panties match,” I said, unbuttoning my shorts.
“This isn’t going to work. I’m tougher than this.”
“I haven’t shown you my surprise yet.” I dropped the shorts to the ground and stepped out of them, revealing the tiny triangle of turquoise lace.
“Sweet Jesus.” He took a step forward before he remembered he was holding out. “You’re right. The panties do match.”
I arched a brow and toyed with the front clasp of my bra, flicking it open and holding the cups in place just to tease.
“I don’t know why women think that sex will get them what they want when it comes to men. No one ever gives us any credit for standing up for what we believe in.”
“It’s so true,” I agreed. “You’re a paragon of virtue.” I let the straps fall from my shoulders and the cups slide away slowly until the bra dropped to the ground with the rest of my clothes. “Are you ready for your surprise?”
“I hate to tell you, but it’s not much of a surprise.”
His voice was huskier than normal and the fit of his jeans was starting to look pretty uncomfortable. “You forget I’ve been here before. I’ve seen and conquered. I have the scratches on my back to prove it.”
I stuck my finger beneath the elastic straps of the panties, lowering them inch by inch until they slipped from my grasp and fell to my ankles. I stepped out and put a hand across my belly, barely skimming the newly bared area with my fingers.
I was a little nervous to see what Nick would think about my new landscaping, but one look at his face made every minute of the torture from the day before worth it.
He fumbled with his belt buckle, never taking his eyes from my roving fingers.
“Nevermind,” he croaked. “I’m surprised. What do you want? Whatever it is, I’ll do it. I’m your slave for life.”
“Maybe you’d better show me what you’ve got to offer first. You might need to convince me you’re up to the challenge.”
I turned around and put my hands on the counter, bending over slightly, and I shot him a sultry smile over the corner of my shoulder. His nostrils flared and his pupils dilated so the blue of his eyes was no longer visible. He dug in his pocket for a condom and growled low in his throat as he ripped at the front of his jeans. And when he came up behind me and slid inside to the hilt, my eyes crossed and I barely noticed my head banging against the cabinet door.
***
Twenty minutes later we were both presentable and headed into Whiskey Bayou to meet my mom and Vince. The expression in Nick’s eyes was satisfied and lazy, and I was slightly freaked out because I knew anyone who looked at me would be able to tell what I’d just done. I couldn’t get the stupid grin off my face, no matter how hard I tried.
“It’s no use,” Nick said, pulling into a parking spot just outside the Good Luck Café. “Everyone is going to know.”
“Perfect. I might as well be wearing a damned sign and really give all the gossips something to talk about.”
“That might be overkill. They usually have plenty to talk about where you’re concerned.”
Which was another reason I was dreading this breakfast. I was going to be smack dab in the middle of gossip central. I’d kept a pretty low profile the past few days. The problem with small towns—especially small southern towns—was that people didn’t mind coming right up to you and asking you straight out about the horrific things in your life. They just peppered it with a bunch of Bless your hearts and You poor things while they were soaking up every nuance like a sponge so they could pass it along with the right amount of flair to whoever was filing their nails or selling them plywood at the hardware store.
“Let’s get this over with. I’m starving.”
Nick put his hand on my lower back—warm and solid—as he opened the glass door for me and we walked into the café. All talk stopped immediately as heads turned to look in our direction.
“I think you tricked me,” Nick whispered next to my ear. “I’m not sure your surprise was worth this.”
“Too late now. Just smile and pretend everyone’s naked. That’s what I do.”
“That’s sick. You need help.”
“It’s a coping mechanism, for crying out loud. Lighten up. There’s my mom and Vince.”
I headed to the back corner of the restaurant where my mom had procured a booth that afforded us at least a little bit of privacy. The problem was I’d have to sit with my back to the door, and I’d have to be really careful about what I said in case someone snuck up behind me and tried to eavesdrop.
“Hi, mom. Vince,” I acknowledged, looking over my mother with a critical eye as I sat down across from her. “You look fantastic.”
“Oh, thank you, dear. The beach agrees with me I think.”
And she did look amazing. The lines of grief that had etched their way across her face after my father’s death were gone, and there was a healthy glow about her. Probably a lot like the one I was sporting at the moment. I shot a look at Vince and he raised his eyebrows at me, smirking before he continued to read his menu.
We waited to start our conversation until we’d placed our order.
“I wanted to tell you that my things weren’t stolen from the house,” I said, pouring a healthy amount of cream into the most Godawful coffee I’d ever had. “I found a new place up in Savannah. Nick helped me move everything yesterday.”
“And is Nicholas living in this new house with you?” my mother asked, narrowing her eyes at Nick.
“No, maam,” he said, smiling the charming smile that always got him out of trouble. “I was just helping.”
“Good, I’d hate for the gossips to get hold of that. They’re already talking enough because the two of you aren’t engaged yet. You’re getting to that age where it’s almost too late, dear.”
“I’m only thirty.”
“That’s like a hundred and twelve in Whiskey Bayou years. Not that you should rush into anything, especially since your young man seems to have commitment problems. No offense, Nick.”
“None taken,” Nick said, smiling tightly.
“Leave the kids alone, Phyllis,” Vince said. “They’ll do things in their own time.”
“Which is all fine and good, but I’d like grandchildren before I die.”
My eyes widened in alarm. My mom had never voiced the need for grandchildren before. I wasn’t even sure she liked kids. I mean, I knew she loved me and my sister, but my mom was kind of a flake. I was always terrified she’d lose one of us. Getting my driver’s license was the best day of my life.
“It’s a lovely house,” I said, breaking in before things could get weirder. Nick’s hand was gripping my thigh so hard it would leave bruises and I could tell he was mentally counting to ten. “It’s just exactly the right size and it’s close to the agency.”
“Which brings up another question,” my mom said, as our food was served.
Jolene Meador, the owner of the café, was taking her own sweet time putting our food in front of us, hoping she’d overhear something worthwhile. But we’d all been around the block enough to put on our company smiles and wait until Jolene had no choice but to head back to the kitchen.
“How are you going to afford this house?” she asked. “You don’t have a job. You’ve been doing just fine staying with me. There’s plenty of room.”
She had an odd look in her eye that I wanted to question, but I thought it might be prudent to keep the conversation on track just this once.
“You remember what happened to Lois Gluck?” she asked. “She got laid off from the distillery just after she’d scraped every penny she had together to buy that shanty down by the railroad tracks. She ended up having to sell one of her kidneys to make ends meet. And I heard she sold her ovaries on the black market to some woman who couldn’t get pregnant. Not that Lois’s ovaries were in that good of shape to begin with, so I don’t think she even got top dollar.”
Nick was shaking with laughter beside me, and I nudged him with my knee to get him to shut up.
“Don’t let that be you. I don’t want a daughter of mine walking around town without her organs. It’s just not natural.”
“I promise I won’t sell my organs. I’ve still got another month before my teaching contract is up. I’ll get one more paycheck, and then I can start drawing unemployment. I’ve got enough to get by until I can get hired on at the agency full time.”
My mother pinched her lips together and we all ate, speaking in stilted tones until I remembered she’d had an ulterior motive behind this whole breakfast.
“So what’s up?” I asked. “What did you want to tell me?”
I chose that unfortunate moment to take a drink of coffee.
“Vince and I got married while we were in the Bahamas,” she said, beaming like the blushing bride she was at Vince.
I choked on the coffee and some of it came out my nose. Nick pounded me on the back while he gave his congratulations to the happy couple.
“Say something, Addison,” my mom said.
“Isn’t this exciting.”
“Pretty exciting,” I said, my eyes so wide I was surprised they didn’t pop right out of my head. “Congratulations, you crazy kids.”
“And look on the bright side,” Nick added. “Maybe you don’t need grandchildren. Maybe you can have another of your own. You’re still young enough.”
My mother beamed at Vince and I had the sudden urge to stick my fork into Nick’s hand. But he’d assured me that violence was never the answer, and I was going to go along with that theory for now. Mom was in her early fifties, so I was pretty sure I wouldn’t have to worry about welcoming a new sibling to the dysfunctional fold.
But pretty sure wasn’t the same as a hundred percent sure.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The rest of the morning was kind of a let down after breakfast. Nick and I left the restaurant pretty soon after that embarrassing moment, and we were just getting in his truck when my cell phone rang.
“What’s up?” I said to Savage.
“I need you to meet me at the agency. We’ve got something big. And we’ve got to move fast.”
“We’re on our way,” I said and disconnected. I relayed the information to Nick and he headed back to Savannah, and the urge to do something drastic dissipated with every mile between us and Whiskey Bayou.
“I thought that went well,” Nick said, biting the inside of his cheek.
“Shut up. You did that on purpose to get back at me for making you go. That’s the last time I give you any surprises.”
“Act in haste, repent in leisure. My grandpa used to say that all the time.”
“I’m sure he meant it for an occasion such as this one.”
“If you knew my grandpa, then it probably was. He was a wily old bastard. Was married six times and had fourteen children. His youngest was born when he was almost seventy.”
“Genetics is a weird thing. It terrifies me.”
“I’ve met your family. It terrifies me too,” he said.
Whiskey Sour (Romantic Mystery/Comedy) Book 2 (Addison Holmes Mysteries) Page 19