by Tee O'Fallon
“Shit. Sorry.” He knelt to ruffle Tiger’s ears. His K-9 leaned into the kid’s hand then licked his fingers. Jesse buried his face in Tiger’s neck, but not before his eyes glossed over.
“What is it?” He rested his hand on Jesse’s shoulder.
“I swear to you I didn’t know about the gun or what was in those drums.”
He wanted to believe Jesse, and in that moment, he decided he did. At least, about the gun and the drums. “Be straight with me, and I’ll do everything I can to help you. If there’s anything else I should know, now’s the time.”
Tiger pawed Jesse’s hand for more attention.
“There’s nothing.” He shook his head. “I told you everything.”
Did you? Eric wasn’t so sure.
He began stowing the training equipment back in the plastic case when Jesse grabbed his arm.
“What if somethin’ happens on Monday?” he asked. “What if everything goes to shit?”
Eric wanted to tell the kid it would be okay, but he couldn’t say that because he honestly didn’t know if that was true. All he could say was, “Pray that it doesn’t.”
Chapter Ten
Tess slipped on her sandals then grabbed her car keys and went outside to get her yoga mat. Thankfully, she’d left it in the car after using it the other day on the back deck of the Dog Park Café.
Yoga was something she’d discovered shortly after leaving Alabama. Since then, it had become an integral component of her de-stressing repertoire, along with her collection of healing and energizing crystals, and scented candles, of course.
The early morning July sun warmed her face, but the air wasn’t as humid as the day before, making it a perfect day to go back into town. With all its eclectic shops, restaurants, and history, Flemington called to her in a way no other town had since leaving Alabama. Then again, maybe Flemington was the last place she should be.
What if that really was Mark Pritchard in the parking lot yesterday?
It probably hadn’t been, but she and Jesse still had to be cautious. Just in case.
Sighing, she pressed the unlock button on her key fob and heard a click. Not a door-unlocking type of click, but the kind of click the lock made when the car was already unlocked.
Stiffening, she glanced over her shoulder. Nobody was there. She spun to scan every yard in the neighborhood and every car parked in nearby driveways. Her heart beat faster as she looked both ways down the street.
I know I locked the doors. I’m sure of it. At least, I probably did. I think I did.
There had to be a rational explanation for why her car was unlocked. Either that or she’d forgotten to lock it. Could Jesse have borrowed her keys to get something from the car? Then again, her brother had nothing with him except what he’d brought in his backpack. She couldn’t be certain about anything.
Letting out an unsteady breath, she tugged on the rear passenger door and retrieved her yoga mat from the back seat. After closing the door, she verified that this time, all the doors were indeed locked.
Back inside the house, she ignored the clanking of weights coming from the basement and shoved Eric’s coffee table to the side of the living room. Next, she unrolled her yoga mat and lit a lavender-scented candle she’d tossed in her bag. Its earthy, flowery aroma always had a calming effect, relieving her stress and anxiety, and was the finishing touch on her Zen space. Yoga was all about diving into the relaxation zone.
She emptied her dozen or so crystals from their dark blue velvet bag then arranged them in an octagon pattern on the side table. After shucking her sandals, she unrolled her mat on the white Berber carpet then raised her arms over her head. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in the lavender candle scent, then lowered her arms. When she opened her eyes, she caught her reflection in the framed mirror hung over the sofa and snickered. All the color would probably annihilate Eric’s color-deprived Feng Shui and give him a heart attack.
Between her mop of flaming red hair and the turquoise, purple, and orange swirls of her snug yoga pants and matching midriff top, she was a kaleidoscope in the middle of his boring, monochromatic, gray and white living room. Even her bright pink yoga mat would send Eric’s chi into a tizzy.
Eric had woken before her and had been working out for over an hour. All that clanking left her wondering what all those yummy muscles looked like when he was doing his manly-man thing, sweating and pumping iron. She’d caught him watching her last night while she’d been cooking dinner. It should have felt creepy, but it hadn’t. Au contraire. It had felt good—very, very good—sending little zinging pulses to her belly, making her think about him holding her in his arms, pressing his muscular body to his, and kissing her.
And that was very, very bad.
Not that she was deluding herself into thinking he was thinking of it, but getting more involved with Eric was a disaster waiting to happen.
Woof.
Tiger padded into the room, his tail wagging as he greeted her. Her mood instantly brightened, and she leaned down to scratch his ears.
“Morning, Tiger.”
The dog turned his head and sniffed the air near her candle. He gave a snort that was more of a sneeze, then did three turns on his dog bed before lying down to watch her stretch.
“Don’t like lavender?” Tiger’s sense of smell had to be off the charts compared to that of a human. “Sorry, boy. I need it for my workout.” Although she did feel rather bad. It was his house, after all. Not hers.
Tiger gave a deep, rumbling groan then rested his muzzle between his front paws.
A few minutes later, she was easing into her first pose. Footsteps came from the basement stairs. Bent over at the waist, with her hands and feet on the mat and her butt in the air, her view was upside down. Even from that awkward position, the man was absolutely, freaking hot from his toes to his head. She’d seen him without a shirt before, but then she’d been so concerned about his injuries, she hadn’t been capable of focusing on his extreme level of fitness.
Uber. Understatement.
Long, muscular legs filled out a pair of black sweats. A sleeveless, sweat-dampened white shirt that said FLETC on it stuck to his chest and abs in a way that showed every cut muscle on the man’s upper body. A light sheen of sweat glistened on his thickly muscled shoulders, biceps, and forearms. Normally, sweaty men didn’t do a thing for her. Her perspective on that score had just changed. Drastically.
Day-aamn.
“Why don’t you just rearrange my furniture, too?” he said more than asked in a slightly amused, and very deep, sexy voice.
“I’m doing yoga.” Trying not to drool, she rolled forward, arching her back as she transitioned to cobra then eased back to her starting point.
“I know that,” he said from behind her. “What do you call that pose?”
“Downward dog.”
He chuckled, and Tiger lifted his head. “Seriously?” Now, his tone definitely held humor.
Too distracted to continue, she stood, trying not to stare at all those bulging, sweaty, glistening muscles. “You should try it.”
“No.” He frowned. “I shouldn’t.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing,” she insisted. “Contrary to what you obviously think, it will make you stronger.”
“If I want to be stronger, I’ll lift more weights.”
“You are such a guy.” She began to laugh, nearly choking when a bead of sweat trickled down his temple to his rock-hard jaw and, from there, slithered down his corded neck. She’d never thought of sweat as sexy before, but now… Oh. My. “Yoga uses different muscles and in a different way, stretching and strengthening them. It also contributes to good, healthy chi.”
He nodded, clearly feigning serious consideration. “A healthy chi is the cornerstone of any good breakfast. Don’t know about the candle.” He wrinkled his nose, the same way Tiger had, then picked up a yellow crystal from the end table. “What’s this?”
“Citrine,” she said.
“It harnesses the energy of the sun. Some say it’s the energetic power center of a woman’s body, capable of catapulting her into a leadership role. It’s one of my favorite crystals.”
“Why?” He cocked his head.
“One day I hope it jump-starts my business.”
“What business?” He set the crystal back on the table and crossed his arms, making those deliciously sweaty biceps bulge even more.
“A shop. Something like that little corner store we went into yesterday.” When his brows lowered, she regretted confiding that in him. She was light years from accomplishing her goal, and seeing his skeptical reaction made her self-conscious. “It’s a pipe dream, really. I’m taking online courses to get my MBA.” His brows lowered farther, and she parked her fists on her hips. “What? You don’t think I can do it?”
He made a scoffing sound. “You’re one of the most capable women I’ve ever met. I think you can do anything you set your mind to.”
For a moment, she was struck dumb enough by his words to be completely speechless. She honestly hadn’t known he thought of her that way. Knowing he did sent a warm surge of…well, something through her system.
“And this one?” He picked up her favorite crystal, a rose quartz similar to the one she wore around her neck, only bigger.
“Rose quartz. It not only promotes positive energy but enhances all types of love, especially unconditional love.” Something she’d yet to experience. Someday, perhaps. When all the stars and planets aligned in perfect harmony. In other words, probably never.
Eric rubbed his thumb and forefinger back and forth over the smooth, pale pink facets. There was something so intimate—so personal—about his big fingers caressing her crystal, it made her shiver.
“Can’t you feel it?” she asked. “All that warm, potent energy stroking your muscles and seeping into your bones?” The minute the words were out, she cringed, sorely regretting them. Any conversation involving “stroking” and “bones” in the same sentence…bad choice of words.
His clear blue eyes darkened, becoming turbulent, the way she imagined the Caribbean Sea would look, all churned up by an incoming storm.
Oh, girl. Focus on something else. Besides the intensity of those beautiful baby blues.
Or stroking his bone.
“No.” He swallowed, his strong jaw tensing. “I don’t feel a thing.”
“Oh, c’mon, special agent. Your chi is so out of sync, it’s not funny, and it’s clearly making you tense. Let me teach you some of my moves.” She hooked her hand around the crook of his elbow, intending to drag him to the mat, but he was as rigid as a marble statue. With his arm and forearm still damp with sweat, her hand slipped.
Eric’s hand shot out, gripping her upper arm, steadying her before she fell flat on her yogus pantaloonus-clad ass. “Your moves?” He arched a blond brow.
“Yeah, well.” She hissed in an embarrassed breath. “Not my most graceful moment.” Talk about embarrassing. “I meant my yoga moves.”
Briefly, his lips quirked, then his eyes narrowed. “You’ve got five minutes. Not a second more.”
“Deal.” She dragged him to the mat, the heat from his body warming her hand.
Tiger uttered a gruff bark, as if he couldn’t believe Eric was actually giving yoga a whirl.
“Okay, kneel on the mat, and I’ll show you what to do.” After he kneeled, she did the same beside him on the carpet. “Now, place your hands flat on the mat, just wider than your shoulders.” His shoulders were so broad that his arm brushed hers, sending goose bumps racing up her spine.
Shake it off.
“Keeping your hands on the mat, push up and lift your hips up as far as they’ll go.” She demonstrated for him, and when he mimicked her movement… Oh my. His sweats had tightened over his perfectly muscled gluteus maximus to the max.
“Tess. Tess,” he repeated when she didn’t answer right away. “Quit ogling my ass and tell me what to do next?”
Whoops. My bad. “Roll your shoulders to the floor and push your thighs back while you roll back on the balls of your feet. This is downward-facing dog.”
Tiger snorted and got to his feet. Warm doggy breath blew into her ear, making her flinch and jerk away, which sent her toppling sideways against Eric, who also lost his balance. The next thing she knew, her body lay full on top of his, both of them laughing as Tiger panted in their faces, looking mighty pleased with himself.
Still laughing, Eric flicked a finger at his dog. “Tiger, af.”
Tiger uttered a cross between a grunt and a thoroughly adorable whine, letting them know he was less than thrilled at being kicked out of the funhouse.
“Poor Tiger.” The dog’s sad brown eyes watched them longingly, and Tess couldn’t help but feel a stab of guilt.
“Trust me.” Eric laughed. “He’ll live.”
As their laughter ebbed, their gazes met, and she realized that, from head to toe, she was plastered on top of one very hard, very male body. Through her micro-thin yoga pants and top she felt every one of Eric’s well-defined muscles, from his thighs to his abs to his pecs. Her hands cupped his thick shoulders. His hands gently clasped her bare midriff.
Her heart raced double-time, then she realized it was his heart adding to the pulsing rhythm of her own. As she stared into the depths of his eyes, something passed between them. A seductive magnetism. An invisible emotion snapping in the air that refused to diminish no matter how much she wished it.
Pure, unadulterated desire.
His hand skimmed her waist, sliding up her back to sift his fingers into the curls at her neck. Goose bumps erupted across her skin, and with it came the spiraling sensation of falling into a deep, dark crevasse, the bottom of which was endless and beautiful and filled with something she so desperately wanted and needed.
Eric’s chest rose and fell beneath hers. He breathed through his open mouth, nostrils flaring, as if he were breathing her very scent into his lungs.
More warm breath blew into her face—his—and her gaze dipped to the curves of his lips, and the urge—no, make that need—for him to kiss her grew steadily until it was a palpable craving in her core.
Their personalities might be like yin and yang, two seemingly contrary forces, but the virtual energy crackling around them drew her closer. Closer to those sensuous lips she craved on hers. She imagined they’d be soft and hard at the same time, and dammit, she really, really wanted to find out.
This is not a good idea was the mantra that kept repeating over and over in her head. He’s a federal agent. Didn’t matter. Her common sense crumbled like a house of sand. If she was being perfectly honest with herself, this was a man she’d wanted since she first laid eyes on him.
His hand on the back of her neck stilled. She didn’t know who moved first, and she didn’t care. Their mouths came together.
The rough, bruising kiss she’d expected didn’t happen. His lips gently feathered hers, sending tingles to every sensitive part of her body. Her heart rate zoomed, and her patience waned, so she pressed her lips harder against his. The sound she heard next was her own throaty moan.
Their tongues met, tangling, tasting, and she threaded her fingers through all that thick, spiky blond hair, holding him tighter against hers, fearful of him pulling away.
Every inch of his body beneath hers was hard, particularly one part of him that was pressed intimately between the juncture of her thighs. Slowly, her legs slipped over his hips, increasing the contact between their lower bodies. With only her yoga pants between him and his sweatpants-clad body, there was absolutely no mistaking the size of the man. He was huge.
Within seconds, her body temperature soared, and her brain imagined the two of them naked, in bed, and—
“Eew, gross.”
Tess jerked her head up and gasped.
Not five feet away, frowning down on them and looking as if he’d just sucked a lemon, was Jesse. Her brother’s hair was askew, his face twisted into a thoroughly disgusted grimace
. Tiger jumped up from where he’d been lounging to greet Jesse by licking one of his hands.
“Tess, really?” He pressed one hand to the right side of his belly. “That is so TMI.”
Tess pushed from Eric’s chest and scrambled to her feet. Now, her face heated but not from passion. Hardly. Getting caught by your baby brother in a face-sucking make-out session was by far not the way she’d planned the morning. Then she noticed Jesse’s pallor.
“Are you feeling all right?” She pressed her hand to her brother’s forehead, which did feel warmer than normal.
“I’m fine.” He brushed her hand away, focusing on Eric, who slowly rose from the floor, all rippling muscle and athletic grace. “What the hell, dude? She’s my sister.” Without waiting for a response, Jesse spun and headed up the stairs.
“Jesse, wait!” Tess started after him when Eric stopped her.
“I’ve got this.” He raked a hand through his hair.
She shook her head. “No, I’ll talk to him. It’s my fault.”
“Your fault?” He frowned. “We were kissing. That’s all.” A door slammed upstairs. “This isn’t about you and me. It’s about you and him.”
“What do you mean?” How could he possibly know what was going on inside Jesse’s head? The two of them barely knew each other.
“Trust me. I’ve got this.”
She opened her mouth to object, but he was already bounding up the stairs, taking them two at a time, with Tiger close on his heels. A moment later, Jesse’s door opened, then closed again.
Oh, boy.
Jesse was a young man who’d essentially grown up without a real father. One who isn’t an asshole, anyway. Now, he had a father figure in his life for the first time, and they were starting to bond. If it were anyone else besides Eric, she might have been happy about that. This scenario, however, reeked of trouble. Despite his outburst, Jesse respected and liked Eric, and now the two of them were alone in a room having a heart-to-heart. What if her brother inadvertently divulged something that shouldn’t be divulged? What if he broke down and spilled the beans about where they really came from and the horrible details of their past?