In Walked Trouble (Under Covers)

by Christina Elle

  Cass stood behind a wheeled cart, taking turns sipping beer from a bottle Estelle handed her and sliding a peeler over a potato. The same potato she’d picked up about thirty minutes earlier. She just couldn’t seem to get her brain and her hands to work together to accomplish the task of finishing it and moving onto the next one.

  She was freaking exhausted. She’d lain awake most of last night in Luke’s bed, tossing and turning, imagining what it would be like with him in it. His hands. His body. His lips…

  Damn, this was going to be a long, frustrating day.

  She hadn’t been able to get a flight out, which really sucked. The roads still weren’t all the way clear and the airlines were running limited flights. But what sucked more was the call home to say she wouldn’t be there for Thanksgiving. It was the first holiday they wouldn’t spend as a family. It broke her heart.

  The fun she’d had with the older women, the feelings she had for Luke, had distracted her. Which added to her guilt. Her family meant everything to her. She never wanted them to feel less important than her job or her friends.

  When she chatted with her dad, she’d offered to transfer the airfare tickets she’d originally booked for a weekend trip out west. He, of course, loved that idea and figured she’d jump on the next plane out. More guilt avalanched after she told him she needed to check her schedule at school. She’d really only needed to check in on Miguel. It would be a full week since they’d been at school. Anything could have happened in that time. She couldn’t commit to going home until she knew he was okay. But she assured her dad that she’d visit as soon as she could.

  So in the meantime, Cass promised herself she would make the best of her situation. That included trying to be the best potato peeler ever.

  Except…

  Luke was showered and clean-shaven, looking like he’d gotten all eight hours of shut-eye, the lucky man. His blond hair was styled just the right way to be sexy without looking overdone. He wore an apron that said I Love Naps, Netflix, and Long Walks to the Fridge over a white long-sleeved shirt and jeans.

  Looking sexy as hell and as tempting as her comfy bed.

  She loved his lean stature. The effortless way he carried himself so self-assured. The way his body was tight in all the right places. She knew firsthand he owned a pack of muscles under that shirt, but he wasn’t bulky.

  He seemed uber comfortable in his role as master chef. He barked orders at passersby to hand him this seasoning and toss him that utensil. Then, of course, because she was frustrated out of her ever-loving mind, she imagined what he would be like barking orders at her between the sheets.

  Oh, screw it. Cass took a break from her beer and potato to gawk at Luke working his culinary magic on the twenty-pound turkey Maybel had purchased.

  “You went a little overboard, Maybel,” Luke said, opening the side drawer and pulling out a large knife. “We’re feeding eight people, not an entire army.”

  The older woman waved his comment away. “Oh, hush. No one is going hungry in this snowstorm on my watch.”

  Estelle had brought brussels sprouts and green beans. Celia brought two pies. Maybel was adding massive amounts of sugar and bourbon to a pot of cranberries and orange zest on the stove.

  The front door latched opened, so Cass looked over her shoulder. A tall, muscular, brown-haired man and an athletic blonde woman entered. The man carried a clear wide container of food and a brown grocery bag. A fourth older woman with gray hair and glasses followed them in, holding her winter jacket closed at her neck.

  “’Bout time,” Estelle said, dropping the serving spoon to greet the trio in the entryway. She poked her head in the bag the man carried. “Did you grab the limes? Tell me you didn’t forget the limes.”

  “I didn’t forget the limes,” he responded.

  “That’s ma’ boy.” Estelle squeezed his cheek before reaching into the bag and pulling out four green orbs. She approached the counter where her nearly empty glass of vodka waited, and started cutting the limes and placing slices inside.

  Footsteps came up behind Cass and stopped at her side.

  “Hi, I’m Sam,” the pretty blonde said, then pointed to the tall, muscular man and the older woman with glasses she’d come in with. “That’s Ash and my grandma, Rose. You must be Cassandra. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You, too,” Cass replied, feeling almost starstruck. Sam had the kind of smile that brightened everything around her with one shot. Cass felt the effects immediately.

  Sam rested a hand on her popped hip, watching Ash inspect the turkey. “So you and Luke are a thing, huh?”

  A thing? She quickly looked at the other woman. “Well, I don’t know if…I’m not sure I’d say…” It was so early. They barely knew each other. Aside from a few scorching kisses at least. Was it a thing? Could it be a thing? She didn’t know yet.

  Cass moved her attention to Luke, who sent her a mouthwatering stare that should have been illegal.

  When Cass’s gaze met Sam’s knowing expression, the other woman laughed and patted Cassandra’s shoulder. “You poor thing.”

  The temperature in Cass’s cheeks amplified tenfold. “It’s not like that. He’s helping me…I couldn’t get home because of the snow. I was supposed to be with my family this week.”

  “So nice of Luke to help you in your time of need,” Sam said, seeming to be fighting another smile.

  “He is,” she replied. “Seriously. It’s not like that. He’s just helping.” Or at least that’s what Cass was going with until she was ready to classify what was going on between them.

  Sam’s lips pulled in, but the smile remained in her eyes. “Whatever you say, hun.”

  “Ash,” Sam called out. “Come meet Cassandra.”

  Ash followed the sound of Sam’s voice, and when he looked at Cass, his top lip snarled.

  Sam made a sound in the back of her throat. “Ignore him. He’s a grump most of the time.” Then the woman’s face transformed into pure bliss and she sighed. “I only keep him around because of the other times. Seven more months and we’ll say ‘I do.’”

  So they were the friends Luke was photographing.

  “Congratulations,” Cass said. “That’s exciting.”

  “Thank you. It is.” Sam ran a hand through her long blonde hair, curling the strands behind her ear. “I didn’t think it was going to happen. We went through a lot to get here.” Sam gazed at her fiancé like he was her holy savior, and it made Cass blush again but for a completely different reason.

  Ash caught his fiancée’s stare, and either by force of gravity, habit, or something much stronger, he made his way over to her on a mission. He placed his palm at the base of her neck and kissed her. Feeling a little uncomfortable, Cass and her beer ventured to Luke and the turkey.

  “Almost ready?” she asked.

  He used the knife to slice into the bird with precision. “Just about. You hungry?”

  Her stomach chose that moment to growl.

  The knife paused on the wing of the turkey. He craned his neck to peer at her. “How long has it been since you ate?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t really remember.” As soon as everyone woke up, the morning had been one big blur of activity.

  “You need to eat,” he said. “There’s plenty of food here. You should’ve eaten.”

  His temperament was so serious all of a sudden. She couldn’t help but wonder why he’d get so worked up about her eating habits. Instinctually, she glanced down at her body. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

  “What?” he asked. “No. You just shouldn’t forget to eat.”

  “Okay,” she said. “Fine. I won’t forget to eat.”

  “Here.” He held a large strip of meat up to her mouth. “Open up.”

  Leaning in, she took a small bite, leaving the other half. He popped the remaining piece into his mouth and then licked his fingers. It made her heart zap to attention. He did it like it was the most natural thing in the world to share food
with her. And she liked it. How something so normal and mundane could be so intimate because it was Luke.

  “Another?” he asked, sliding the knife into the meat.

  She nodded. “Please.”

  Crystal blue eyes glittered as he brought another piece to her lips. “I like feeding you.” His gaze zeroed in on her opening mouth. So, before she bit down, she quickly slipped her tongue out and grazed it along his thumb.

  He gave a sidelong glance at the others in the kitchen. “I dare you to try that again.”

  She couldn’t have fought off the coy smile if she’d wanted to.

  Quickly cutting another piece, much smaller this time, he lifted it into the air close to his mouth, and waited.

  Oh, come on. He was taunting her. And she hated the thought of backing away from his challenge. Cass looked at Ash, who had his arm around Sam’s shoulders with their backs to them, watching something on the TV in the living area. Estelle was laughing with Rose by the dining room table. Maybel and Celia were chatting as they pulled silverware and napkins out to set the table.

  No one was watching them.

  Luke quirked one eyebrow. Well? he seemed to say.

  Instead of playing his game and moving in like he wanted her to, she put her hand behind his head and pulled him down for a kiss.

  Excitement beamed from her chest as she pulled back to see his stunned expression. Take that missionary position.

  She wanted to celebrate her victory, and she would have, if he hadn’t dropped the knife on the cutting board and jolted a hand out. She sucked in a breath and leaped back.

  Maybel stepped in between them, not seeming to notice their game. “Luke, dear. Here’s a serving platter for the turkey.”

  Keeping his attention on Cass, he took the platter. His expression said she’d pay for that little stunt later. She was feeling pretty confident, so she flashed him a cocky grin. She was looking forward to his payback. Every single second of it.

  …

  The woman’s kisses were driving him insane. He’d wanted to forget about the damn dinner and take her downstairs to even the score. He wanted her out of her mind the way she was making him.

  At least Cass’s expression had suggested she was just as unsatisfied. She’d spent most of dinner glancing across the table at him, each look growing more frustrated. And that made the man in him roar. A woman shouldn’t be unsatisfied if he could do something about it. If she’d let him do something about it.

  He wanted her. He’d had a taste, now he wanted the entire effing serving. Cass had some secrets hidden up her sleeve and he wanted to spend all night undressing them. He—

  “Yo, twinkle toes,” Ash called. “You’ve been shoveling that same spot for an hour. Wanna help clear out the rest of the sidewalk or what?”

  “Yeah, sorry.” Luke moved toward where Ash had created a pile of snow on Rose’s front lawn. They’d been outside for more than two hours, and based on the rate the snow was coming down, their efforts wouldn’t even make a dent. For each section they picked up, a new thick layer was down by the time they turned around.

  Ash stabbed the shovel into a knee-high pile of snow and leaned an elbow on the handle.

  “I don’t like this,” the team leader said.

  Luke felt Ash’s gaze as he dug into the deep patch of snow leading to Rose’s front porch. Keeping his attention on his shovel, Luke responded, “I know.”

  The team had a track record for getting involved with the wrong women. Ash had started that trend by falling for Lorena Serrano, only to find out she was the daughter of the drug supplier they were trying to catch. Plus she’d tried to kill Ash. Twice. So yeah, he was touchy about any new seemingly suspicious females hanging around their inner circle.

  “She’s got too many ties to the school, Ronan, and possibly the drugs. There’s not enough information right now to rule her out. I don’t like her staying at Maybel’s.”

  Luke crouched and sliced his shovel through the heavy snow, leveling his breathing as he heaved the heavy pile a few feet over. He didn’t confirm nor deny what Ash said, because frankly he didn’t know if Ash was right. Luke himself had been having doubts about Cassandra. She’d told Maybel and Estelle she cared about Miguel Cortez and was going to see to it that he realized his potential, which gave her enough cause to do whatever was necessary to see it through.

  He knew firsthand that a desperate woman was a dangerous thing.

  “If she’s gonna stay here,” Ash went on, “which obviously she is since no one is going anywhere in this shit, then you’d better get her to fess up about what’s going on. We’ve got enough to deal with in Serrano. I can’t be lying awake at night thinking this chick is gonna stick a fork in you under Maybel’s roof.”

  Luke turned and met his best friend’s honest expression. “Aww, you think about me at night? Tell me—what am I wearing in your fantasy?”

  Ash’s lips pulled in and his face filled with his usual angry red, but the humor in his eyes belayed the full force of it. “Seriously, man. Every little noise I hear. Every car driving down the street. Hell, every cat I hear screeching at 0300, I’m up and out of bed with pistol in hand.”

  “He doesn’t know I’m here,” Luke said.

  “I’m not betting your life on that.”

  That was the kicker. Serrano always found out what he needed to know. He might not know it today, but tomorrow was never guaranteed. And that’s what made this assignment so dangerous. Being two steps behind the enemy was never a safe and reassuring position.

  “He’s entered the country.” Ash waited, seeming to let his words sink in.

  God, Luke wished he hadn’t done that.

  Serrano was here. In the U.S. And as soon as this snow cleared, he’d be making his way toward Baltimore. Toward Luke.

  Luke immediately thought about funeral arrangements and what kind of legacy he’d leave behind. His sports car would have to go to Ash so the guy had something to keep his manhood alive after marriage. His Harley would go to Tyke. Reese would get his GA Precision rifle. And Cass… What the hell kind of legacy would he leave her? Would there even be a lasting impression?

  “Reese has been doing extra surveillance on Ronan and Joaquin while we’re grounded,” Ash continued. “Apparently the snow isn’t slowing them down as much as we thought. Reese caught them on tape when Serrano made contact. Ronan was complaining to Serrano about the testing. Something about it delaying their newest recruits being initiated.”

  Right. Drug testing. It wasn’t enough for Serrano to simply make drugs to ruin people’s lives, but let’s alter their natural state and really fuck users up.

  “Has he said where they’re doing it?” Luke asked.

  Ash shook his head. “No. Reese said they didn’t talk about the where. Only the why. The gang’s using Serrano to change the compound of the drugs to make them more potent. Sounded like Ronan’s getting pissed because Serrano’s more concerned with finding you and getting revenge than he is about the testing. Reese said Serrano tried to broker a deal with the gang to find you.”

  Luke tensed as Ash’s words took hold. He wasn’t ever going to get used to the feeling of being hunted. No matter how many times he played it over in his head. Being a target was the most unsettling feeling he’d ever had.

  Ash waited for Luke to meet his gaze before he spoke. “I don’t want this chick clouding your judgment. There’s a lot at stake here. I need you to bring your A game.”

  It was Luke’s turn to stab his shovel in the snow and stare Ash down. “I’m here. I’m in it.” It was Luke’s life on the line for fuck’s sake. He wasn’t taking it lightly.

  Ash shot him an undecided glance. “You’re in it all right. And you’d like to be in that good-looking brunette, too. Don’t let it sidetrack you from the real purpose here.”

  “You know, Coop, sometimes I wanna strangle the living shit out of you.” Luke’s fists tightened. “You want me to earn Cass’s trust so we can see what she knows. But you d
on’t want me to get too close because I might accidentally put my dick in her electrical socket and short out my brain. Which is it, man? You can’t have it both ways.”

  “I want you to understand the severity of what’s going on here,” Ash said straight-faced.

  “I do.” He hadn’t gotten out of his shitty childhood and turned everything around, just to throw it away on some vengeful drug lord. Or because of a beautiful woman who seemed to take up all the real estate in his mind lately.

  “Nah, I don’t think you do.” Ash widened his stance and crossed his arms over his thick black jacket. “I saw the way you two were looking at each other. She means something to you.”

  So what if she did? Was he not allowed to get to know a woman on a more basic level just because he was a target? Could he not want to have sex with the woman who turned him on more than any other woman he’d ever met?

  As those thoughts traveled through his brain, making complete sense, he knew deep down that Ash was right. It’s not that he couldn’t get to know Cass or want to have sex with her. It’s that he shouldn’t.

  “She couldn’t get out,” Luke said instead. “She was supposed to be home with her family this week. The snow fucked that up. Once things clear, she’s gone.” And it was for the best. Really. She’d only find herself in deeper shit if she hung around here.

  Ash glared at him a moment before he said, “So if that’s the case, what have you been able to piece together? She give you anything to go on? Anything about the kid, Ronan, or Joaquin that might lead to Serrano? I wanna nail that son of a bitch before he even has a chance to track you down.”

  A part of him wished he’d never suggested putting his name on that fucking report. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about any of this. He could go about his personal business without watching his every step. He could carry on with Cassandra without any worry about either of their lives.

  But that was selfish. Ash had Sam. Sam had Rose and the older women. They needed one another. They’d all been through enough at the expense of this damn job. Sam and the people who loved her didn’t deserve to have a threat on her life.

  Still didn’t stop him from wondering…maybe even wishing or hoping that he could’ve given it a try. Without the target on his back, he and Cass might’ve been able to make a go of this thing. He genuinely liked her, and if her kisses were any indication, she seemed to like him back. The chemistry was definitely there.