Night Moves (G-Man Series)

by ANDREA SMITH

  "Bite me, bitch," I replied with a smirk. "This is from old wood."

  "Huh?"

  "Darin."

  "Ah," he said, "Well, hey, you can't blame a dude for knowing when he fucked up a good thing, right?"

  "I guess," I replied, wistfully.

  "Wanna do lunch?" he asked.

  "Sure," I replied, grabbing my handbag from my desk drawer. "I need to get outta here for a bit. Let's do it. I'll drive."

  "Hey, tell me something," Eli said as we passed some cubicles on our way out.

  "Okay, what?" I asked.

  "This old wood of yours . . ." He smiled as he continued, "was it hard?"

  I snorted as he laughed at his own cheezer joke.

  We were chatting about even fresher office gossip he'd heard earlier relative to Rollins the Retch and his work squeeze Leanne Harshman. They'd apparently gotten into a shouting match behind the closed door of his office. He was trying to break things off with her and she was threatening a sexual harassment lawsuit. I was so engaged in the conversation I didn't notice until I was near my car in the lot that Darin was standing next to it.

  Crap!

  I stopped in my tracks as our eyes met. Eli continued walking, failing to notice I wasn't next to him any longer. He finally noticed Darin, and then turned back to me with a questioning look in his eyes.

  "Darin," I stammered, "what are you doing here?"

  "Did you get the roses?"

  "Yeah, I did, but I'm not sure what to think about that."

  "Hey, Darce," Eli said, "we can do lunch another time."

  "Gimme just a sec, Eli." I turned to Darin. "Thank you for the roses, and we can certainly talk, but not now. I'm meeting Lindsey and Jill this evening at Busbee's. You're welcome to stop by if you want. Maybe I can break away for a bit and we can talk then."

  "Yeah, that sounds awesome," Darin said, smiling.

  "No promises, just a talk," I replied. He nodded.

  Eli got into the car and was unusually quiet as we pulled out of the lot. I finally couldn't stand it anymore, feeling the judgment he was passing silently.

  "What?" I hissed.

  "I didn't say a thing."

  "Yeah, but you're thinking real loud, I can tell. So let's hear it."

  "There's a Chinese proverb that comes to mind," he said. "Don't build a new ship out of old wood or you're destined to sink."

  I shot him a look. "So, you think I'm a hot mess for simply listening to what Darin has to say?"

  "You tell me, sweetie. It seems to me you didn't give Darin a second thought when Easton Matthews came into your life. What's changed?"

  "Easton Matthews isn't capable of love, commitment or even being a nice person. I can't deal with that."

  "Hmmm - he sounds perfect for you, doll."

  ~ Easton ~

  A feeling of uneasiness had seeped in after my morning spat with Darcy. Her dismissive attitude rankled me to no end. The little minx was fooling herself if she truly believed we wouldn't be fucking anymore. That wasn't her decision to make and she knew it. Already I'd gone too long without pussy and it didn't sit well at all. I'd be sinking my cock into her sweetness soon and she'd want it. I’d make sure of that.

  I smiled to myself knowing just how much she enjoyed this little game of cat and mouse, hide and seek, hot and cold. It was time to crank it up a notch as in 'Me Tarzan - You Jane' and it's time to spread your legs, love. My mobile rang interrupting my thoughts and forcing me to put my twitching cock on hold for the moment.

  "Matthews," I barked.

  "Bad time?"

  "No, Colin, it's fine. What've you got?"

  "I had a call from Mark in R & D about some . . . uhm . . . jewelry for lack of a better word I suppose. I'm confused, Easton."

  "No need for confusion," I laughed. "I'm gifting Darcy with some titanium clit jewelry with polished onyx beads. Is there anything abnormal about that?"

  "When you say it like that I guess not," he replied chuckling, "But why have the R & D lab making this? I thought pierced clit jewelry was commercially available."

  "True, however this is special. So, what'd Mark say about it?"

  "Oh - yes, he has it finished and it's being couriered over to your attention. You should have it tomorrow."

  "Brilliant," I replied, smiling once again. "Is that it?"

  "Well, uh," he stammered, "your mother stopped in the office in Leeds specifically to grill me on your whereabouts. She threw a fit about your estrangement and demanded to be put in touch with you."

  "You told her to go to hell, I’m hoping."

  "You know me, mate. I told her I'd let you know. She claims she has some important news for you. I gave her your email address. I didn't know what else to do."

  "Fuck."

  "Sorry, mate. She can be quite insistent."

  "Yeah, tell me about it. Well, I've not received anything from her yet. Was it my business or personal email?"

  "Personal," he replied.

  "Okay. No worries. I'll handle whatever she dishes out. How are things in Leeds?"

  "Everything's running great. I think it was a brilliant solution having Devon working half days in the office and half days at home. She's extremely productive and I suspect feeling guilt-free now that she's able to spend more time with her baby. The staff is rallying round her as well, so the numbers are good. I probably won't need to stay more than a couple of weeks since the transition has been nearly seamless. I'm sure you're ready for me to take the wheel once again at Baronton-Sheridan so you can return to London, eh?"

  "I'll let you know when it's time, Colin," I chuckled. "Cheers."

  I ended the call and decided to saunter on out to Darcy's office to see what the little chit was doing. I opened the door she'd slammed earlier, noticing immediately she was not at her desk.

  Hmmm . . . must be out to lunch.

  As I turned to return to my office, the large bouquet of red roses on her credenza caught my attention.

  What have we here?

  I went over to the vase, spying the card underneath it.

  My blood ran cold when I read the scripted words on the card from the sender. That knob-head was going to be at the receiving end of my wrath if he thought for one minute he'd be getting into her skivvies again.

  I hurried back into my office, twisting the wand for the mini blinds so I could see the parking lot. Her car was gone. Maybe she'd met him for lunch. She'd been dressed differently today, as if she had plans or was trying to impress someone. Someone other than me it appeared.

  I got Ryan Dobbs on the phone immediately.

  "Dobbs," he said picking up.

  "Ryan, I need you to transfer the latitude/longitude feeds from Darcy's vehicle directly into the GPS system in my computer. That way I won't need to receive updates. I'll have the data live."

  "Certainly. Not a problem. For how long?"

  "Until further notice," I replied, ending the call.

  That pussy jewelry couldn't get here soon enough to suit me.

  I picked up my mobile, and found the name I needed quickly on my contact list. An assistant picked up, telling me the bureau chief was out to lunch. She promised to have him call me as soon as he was back.

  He damn well better . . .

  I watched the digital clock on my desk, periodically checking the parking lot to make sure Darcy returned. Finally, I was relieved to see that she'd gone to lunch with her roommate as I saw them walking towards the entrance from her parking space which was right next to mine. At least I knew she hadn't pulled a 'nooner' with Darin Murphy.

  That's right, I know his last name. I also know where his next assignment's going to take him . . .

  I was rattled after lunch. Eli and I'd discussed it naturally and I knew how he felt about it. "Once a cheater, always a cheater!" he'd repeated several times.

  "Oh for Chrissake! I'm just going to hear him out. He's probably the only guy that I've ever had a half-way healthy relationship with and right now, that seems the b
etter choice than walking this fucking tight-rope with Easton."

  "Honey, it doesn't have to come down to one or the other, hello? You're gorgeous, wear couture better than any other chick I know, and you like taking risks. It's what you're about. You like walking a tight-rope because it's living on the edge and you crave that whether you want to admit it or not."

  "So, what does that mean?"

  "It means find someone who likes walking that tight-rope with you and who'll adore you in spite of your flaws."

  "Flaws?" I asked, my eyes flashing.

  "Baby doll, you've got 'em and you know it, so deal with it."

  "Like what?"

  "Where do I start? Let's see: spoiled, self-centered, sarcastic, sneaky, stubborn - and those are only the ones that begin with an "S."

  "Wow, how do you tolerate me?" I rolled my eyes, but still sported the easy grin that everyone pretty much got whenever they were in the same vicinity as Eli.

  He threw me a mock-scowl. "Because you're also: smart, sexy, sophisticated, social, sympathetic and self-assured - except where matters of your heart are concerned. I can't figure out why that is, maybe you're not even sure of it, but honey, it's time you come to terms with it."

  I knew what he was getting at and he was right. I'd avoided dwelling on it for the one "S" flaw Eli had failed to mention: scared. I was scared of the effect Easton had on me. I was afraid of the physical response I had to him as well. I'd been turned-on totally with the leather and the crop. He hadn't used those props since our first weekend together, and I wondered if perhaps I hadn't responded favorably to the play in his eyes. I was certainly a novice with that flavor of sex, but it didn't mean I wanted to remain vanilla forever . . .

  "Darcy - -"

  I jumped hearing Easton's voice; that's how deeply I was in thought.

  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that," he said, offering me a file he had in his hand.

  "Oh, just day-dreaming, I guess," I replied softly, taking the file from him.

  How is anyone with ovaries supposed pretend to be at war with a guy who looks like him?

  "I wanted to pass this potential new customer assessment over to you for input into the system. I'll need for you to do the proper screening: Dun & Brad, credit references, annual reports, stock performance graphed out for the last eight quarters as well as any press releases over the past five years. I need this fairly quickly if a site visit is to be scheduled next week."

  "Okay," I replied, looking over the summary sheet in the file. "I see this company is located in San Francisco," I commented.

  "Yes," he replied. "Baronton's looking to expand more in the private sector of security software and hardware in the U.S. This company may be ripe for acquisition. Can you stay late to get as much information as possible since a lot of the banking references will be on the west coast?"

  "Oh, well, actually I've got to be somewhere by six this evening, but I'll get as much done as possible before then," I said, starting to enter the available data into my computer.

  "I see," he replied, studying me. "Nice flowers," he commented, glancing past me to the credenza. "Is today a special occasion?"

  "Nope," I replied, enjoying the fact that Easton was obviously curious as to why they were sent and who sent them. "I'll get started on this right away. Is there anything else?"

  "No," he replied a bit testily. "You can provide an update later."

  I busied myself the rest of the afternoon getting all of the screening information started on the potential new client. I'd made quite a dent in it when I looked at the time and saw it was almost five. I went to the restroom to freshen up my make-up, and re-did my ponytail. I changed from my sensible shoes to the fuck-me heels I'd put in my bag, and surveyed myself one final time in the mirror. I knew I'd pass Darin's inspection. He'd always been generous with his praise anyway.

  Busbee's was fairly packed with the after-five crowd when I arrived a little after six. I immediately saw Lindsey, waving me over to a booth where she and Jill were sitting.

  "Jill," I screeched, as she jumped up to hug me. "How you been sweetie?"

  "If you ever phoned or emailed me I guess you'd know, bitch," she said laughing. "It's all good. Just miss my girls!"

  I ordered a happy hour Margarita and joined the banter with the girls. Jill was filling us in on her wedding plans. She and Gabe had nixed the plans for a big wedding which I personally was grateful to hear. I wasn't prepared to be yet another bridesmaid or Maid of Honor. It was, shall we say, 'depressing.' Instead, they were planning to tie the knot in Aruba with a two-week cruise.

  "So, Darcy, anything new in your love life?" Jill asked, her eyes looking a bit mischievous. I immediately looked over at Lindsey who was wearing a guilty look.

  "I told her about the recent events with Darin," she said, holding her hand up to 'shush' me.

  "You mean there's someone besides Darin?" Jill asked.

  "No one important," I lied, clearly not wanting to get into all of it and ruin my mood for the evening. "By the way, I received two dozen freshly cut red roses in a crystal vase at work today from Darin."

  "Oh my God!" Lindsey and Jill exclaimed together, as if they'd practiced it.

  "Oh, I see. You already knew."

  Lindsey giggled, already feeling the slight buzz from her drink since this was likely the first bit of alcohol she'd consumed since Harper had been born. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she apologized, smiling. "It was just kinda cute when Darin called me last night and wondered what I thought a good ice-breaker would be to get his foot in the door with you. I happened to mention it to Jill before you got here. So, were you impressed?"

  "I'm not sure that's the right word. Let's just say I felt several emotions. Then he showed up in the parking lot at lunch time wanting to talk."

  "Oh," Jill said, frowning. "That's kind of lame."

  "No it isn't," Lindsey snapped. "I think it's sweet."

  "And why are you such a supporter of Darin's all of a sudden?"

  "I just think - and Jill agrees by the way, that the both of you are well-suited. I mean c'mon, Darce, he's G-Man for Chrissake. That's totally hot!"

  “Yeah, well, cheating isn’t,” I said, waving for the server to bring me another drink after I'd downed the rest of mine.

  "Why are you getting so pissy about it then? I mean he's going to be here soon."

  I raised my eyebrows at my best friend sitting across from me, knowing she truly had my interest at heart, but what the fuck? "How did you know he was coming here?"

  Both she and Jill squirmed uncomfortably in their seats.

  "Well, I mean he called after he ran into you in the parking lot at lunch time and said you guys had talked and you suggested he stop by."

  "You know," I said, clearly ticked off, "this is starting to sound like a little too much interference by well-meaning friends. I appreciate that you care, but in all honesty, it's not really Darin I've been thinking about lately."

  They both exchanged looks once again. I'd be damned if Lindsey didn't have a bucket mouth. She'd evidently clued Jill in on everything.

  "Lighten up," Lindsey scolded. "Darin just came in so behave."

  Behave? Umm... doubtful. I already had an uber bad feeling about this, and an even worse feeling that it damn well wasn’t going to end with me ‘behaving’.

  I turned around, gracing Darin with a faux smile as he approached our booth.

  "Hey Jill, why don't we go out on the patio and give these two a little privacy," Lindsey said, scooting out of the booth. I shot her a dirty look that went nowhere. They both left and Darin slid into the booth across from me.

  "Hey, Darce," he said softly, waving for the server. "Are you ready for another?" he asked as I slurped up the rest of my second margarita.

  "Absolutely," I replied.

  Once we'd gotten our drinks, Darin began his well-practiced diatribe, taking full responsibility for his betrayal. He assured me that it had been a one-time thing, and a bad decis
ion on his part. He said he'd likely regret it for the rest of his life. He made sure he told me that he'd not been with another woman since that night, and would do anything and everything in his power to make it up to me. He pleaded with me for another chance. He told me how much he'd missed me and realized how much he'd loved me. His eyes were sincere. His hands were clasping mine on the table as he waited. I saw the pain in his face, the pain of waiting for an answer from me that would take his pain away. I wasn't going to give him the answer he wanted. I didn't even need time to consider what my answer was going to be.

  Unfortunately, I wasn't given the opportunity of answering him at that moment, because I felt a firm hand on the nape of my neck, softly fisting my hair.

  “I believe,” I heard Easton’s voice say calmly, “this cheating prat’s waiting for an answer from you, love.” His hand loosened its grip, traveling down to the base of my neck in what I could only describe as a menacingly-like caress.

  Sweet baby Jesus! That bad feeling I had earlier turned into an atomic bomb traveling through my pulse. This wasn’t going to end well for poor Darin. And probably me, for that matter.

  I quickly looked over at Darin, who was looking very pissed as he sized Easton up. I should probably just tell the poor guy that he was wahaay out of his league at the moment.

  "Listen buddy---" Darin interjected.

  I quickly stood up, brushing Easton’s hand away. I walked over to the opposite side of the table where Darin was sitting. This had to end now before we caused a scene.

  "You had your chance," I said to Darin. "You blew it. It's not like I don't give second chances. It's just that . . . well, you're so not worth one." I grabbed my handbag, feeling Easton's hand on my arm as he pulled me alongside of him. I heard Darin behind us, cursing softly, his words unintelligible. It didn't matter. I wasn’t going to build my wood out of an old boat.’ Or whatever the hell Eli had said.

  “Wait," I said, trying to unsuccessfully pull my arm from Easton's grasp. "I'm here with Lindsey and Jill."

  "You were. But now you're with me and we're leaving. We've got unfinished business to take care of at my place. You can text them in the car."