She accompanied her last words with raised eyebrows, making him laugh out loud.
“Some days that would fit, I guess. But I prefer research and development mad scientist.”
“So why aren’t you working for the government? I can’t believe some branch of the alphabet soup didn’t want to snap you up. Or you could be making a mint working for one of the private R&D companies.”
“I considered it.” And was still considering it. “I’m not sure I’d work well with others. And I don’t take direction well.”
“Ah. You have Tony Stark syndrome.”
She said it with such a straight face, he thought maybe he hadn’t heard her correctly.
And when she started to grin, he swore his cock got so hard, he could hammer nails.
“So you’re a closet comic book geek,” he said. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“Probably because it’s such a cliché. You know, the geek who hordes comic books and action figures. The problem is, I’m not really into comic books. But I do love superhero movies. Some guys look pretty freaking hot in tights.”
Damn, he really liked this girl.
“Guess I’ll have to pull out my Superman underwear.”
Her eyes widened and he saw something flash through those cat-green depths. Something that looked an awful lot like desire.
Then she blinked and looked away. And he saw the corners of her mouth tilt up before she met his gaze again.
“Will you model them for me if I show you my Wonder Woman costume?”
His mouth almost fell open. Damn. She was deliberately flirting with him. And he was totally falling for it.
“So you’ll show me yours if I show you mine?”
That blush suffused her cheeks again and made him want to see if other parts of her body were the same pretty pink.
He thought he’d finally managed to scare her off. She didn’t answer and he was a split second away from trying to change the subject and ease some of that embarrassment when she smiled.
And she didn’t have to force it. Her grin looked completely natural.
He realized that flush might not have been embarrassment.
Could have been excitement. Or arousal.
“Absolutely. But I never took you for a Superman fan.”
“They were a gift.”
Her eyebrows raised. “Oh really?”
“From Janey.”
Now she laughed, a straight-up belly laugh, and he fell so hard, he would’ve broken his ass if he’d actually hit the floor.
Mal was gonna kill him when he found out he’d touched her. Janey would have his balls. And his mom would give him that disapproving look that made him feel like the biggest ass in the world.
But Merri had made herself perfectly clear and under no undue influence.
She wanted to seduce him. And he wanted her.
So why the hell couldn’t they have some fun while they had the time? It wasn’t like it could go anywhere. She lived in Washington. He lived in Philly. They both had all-consuming jobs they had no intention of giving up.
She needed a distraction, she was wound so damn tight. Jimmy could be pretty freaking distracting.
“I think you’re making a pretty good start on your education.”
Now her smile made him think of rushing through the preliminary stages of flirting and getting right to the part where she was naked and under him.
“I think I need more hands-on training.”
Hands-on. Yeah. He could get into hands-on training.
First, though, he had to take her into the office. His mom was waiting for her.
But tonight…
All bets were off.
“So, Janey wants us to go out to eat with her and Mal tonight. You up for that?”
She paused and he thought she was going to decline. “Sure, if it’s okay with you. I mean, if you have plans, I don’t want you to change them for me.”
Considering he probably would’ve spent the night working, he told her the truth. “I don’t have anything planned.”
Then it occurred to him that maybe there’d been more to her question. He wasn’t seeing anyone, but how would she know that unless she’d asked one of his family members or Mal?—and he just couldn’t see that happening.
So did he just come out and tell her?
And when the hell had he turned into a teenage girl?
Jesus, he needed to get to his lab and clear his head.
*
“Merri, it is so good to see you. I’m so glad you decided to stay with us for a while.”
Janey DeMarco had a lot of her mother’s best qualities, Merri realized as Janey gave her an enthusiastic hug soon after she walked in the doors of DeMarco Investigations.
She had the same warmth, the same way of making Merri feel like she belonged, and the same ability to read minds. Merri had no doubt about it now.
Janey also made her feel as if the reason for her stay with them was not as important as the fact that she was there to visit.
“Hey, Janey. Hey, Mal.”
“Hey, Mare.” Mal grabbed her away from Janey and gave her a tight hug, which she returned just as tightly. “Everything okay?”
She could honestly say everything felt okay right now.
She and Jimmy had made it into the office without any awkward moments. And she hadn’t thrown herself at him and demanded he kiss her again, so she considered that a win.
That kiss last night had sizzled her nerve endings. But this morning, he hadn’t mentioned it. They’d both pretended it hadn’t happened.
So now what? Could she pick Mal’s brain like she used to? He still looked like the man she’d known before he’d come to the DeMarcos to see if they’d been involved in the death of his former partner. They hadn’t been. And Mal had never returned to Fort Meade.
He started to smile as they stood in the hall leading back to the office on the first floor.
“I know that look,” he said. “Why don’t you come on back to our office and we can talk back there.”
He exchanged a glance with Janey who, with no hesitation at all, said, “You guys go on back. I have to talk to Annie about our schedule. Merri, let me know when you’re ready to get your office set up, and Annie and I will show you where everything is. Oh, and let’s have a girls’ lunch? After spending all morning with all three guys in the office, we’ll need the break.”
All three guys meaning Mal, Jimmy, and Nic, Janey’s oldest brother. Since she was used to working in a building that was almost ninety-five percent male, she wasn’t quite sure why Janey would think she needed to get away. But lunch with other females was such a rare occasion, she figured what the hell.
“Sure, that sounds good.”
Janey’s smile was bright as she waved then headed back out toward the reception area and Annie.
If Merri was going to be intimidated by anyone, it would be the blonde ice queen Annie Reed.
Not that the woman had been anything but kind. Merri really did like Annie, but the woman oozed confidence and poise in her perfect pencil skirt and white blouse.
Merri never wore white. She always managed to spill something on it, no matter if it was a dress shirt or t-shirt. Usually she wore dark colors. Blue, green, or black. They hid pencil and ink stains much better than white.
Looking down at herself as she followed Mal back to his office, she realized her normal clothes might not cut it here.
Damn, Grace hadn’t said anything about what to wear to the office. Maybe she needed skirts and blouses and, God forbid, shoes with five-inch heels, like those monstrosities Annie had on today.
By the time Mal closed the door to his office and dropped into the chair behind one of the desks, Merri felt her lungs tightening.
“Jesus, what the hell am I doing here? I don’t even have the right clothes.”
For a second, she thought Mal was going to run for the door and scream for Janey. Then he started to laugh. “Damn, I missed you.
Now take a deep breath, Mare. Everything’s gonna be just fine.”
When he spoke like that, the faint Southern accent coming through, she began to breathe again. “Shit, Mal, what the hell did I agree to?” She started to pace in front of his desk, twirling the end of one of her braids around her finger. “I’m not cut out to work here. Not if they expect me to wear those shoes. I’ll kill myself. And skirts that tight? How do they breathe? Shit, I just realized I didn’t bring more than two pairs of jeans and a couple t-shirts with me because I didn’t know I’d be staying and— And stop laughing at me, you lug.”
She picked up the closest thing she could find that wouldn’t break his head on impact and tossed it at him. He batted away the magazine before it could hit him in the face, laughing and making her smile as well.
“Unless there’s some office handbook they didn’t give me when I started, you can wear whatever you damn well please.” He motioned to his cargo pants. “See, I didn’t have to buy anything new.”
“But you’re not a girl. Damn it. I’m gonna have to go shopping and I hate to shop.”
Mal shook his head. “No, I am not a girl. But luckily for you, I’m sure Janey and Annie would be more than happy to take you to the mall and help you find some new clothes.”
The Mall, which had to be synonymous with Hell. “Mal. What the hell am I doing here?”
“Mare, sit. I’m gonna need a nap if you keep pacing. And tell me what the hell else is going on that you’re freaking out about clothes.”
She sat with a huff, elbows on her knees, chin on her fists. “I asked Jimmy to teach me how to pick up men.”
Mal blinked and she swore he was about to shake his head, as if he hadn’t heard her correctly. Then he swallowed hard. “You did what?”
She gave him the finger without moving her hands from her chin. “Don’t piss me off. You heard what I said.”
The corners of his lips twitched and that just made her roll her eyes. “Yeah, I heard you but I’m still trying to believe it. What the hell were you thinking?” Mal asked.
“Well, obviously I wasn’t thinking or I never would have said it.”
“No way.” Mal punctuated his words with a shake of his head. “I know you. You don’t say anything you don’t mean. Come on now. It’s me. You know you can tell me anything.”
“So I can tell you I want to jump Jimmy’s bones and have hot monkey sex with him.”
She swore Mal lost all the color in his face but, to his credit, he didn’t laugh. And he didn’t fall over in dead faint.
Instead he took a deep breath. “Okay. So you got the hots for Jimmy. Damn good thing I like the guy or this would’ve gotten ugly. So what’s the problem?”
“The problem is I don’t think he likes me. Except he kissed me last night and I’m pretty sure he meant it. He had—”
“Nope,” Mal jumped in, holding up one hand as all the color rushed back into his face. “Don’t need to say anymore there. I get the picture.”
After another deep breath, he leaned back in his chair, his expression leveling out to one she knew well. This was Mal thinking things through. This was Mal coming up with answers. This was exactly the Mal she needed.
“So,” he stared at her like he was reading her brain, “the mission is to get Jimmy to…like you. I don’t think that’s gonna be a problem. He kissed you, right? Not the other way around. Sounds like he already likes you.”
“You think?” God, wouldn’t that be amazing. “So you think I should tell him how I feel and we could just get to the good stuff? I hate dates. They’re so awkward and I never know what to say or wear and I almost always spill food on myself and—”
“Whoa, slow down.” Mal had both hands held up in front of him, but she wasn’t sure why he felt the need to surrender. “You’re telling me you just want to sleep with the guy?”
“Well, yeah. Why? I mean, there’s no chance we could have a real relationship. I live in DC, he lives here.”
It was Mal’s turn to roll his eyes. “But Mare, do you want to have a relationship with him?”
Did she? Her teeth lodged in her bottom lip. Was she ready to handle a relationship? Her stomach felt like she’d just gotten off the Green Lantern Roller Coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure just thinking about it. But that could be because, yes, she did. And was afraid to actually go for it.
She hated being afraid of anything.
“Fine,” she huffed. “What do I have to do?”
Chapter Five
“Jimmy, I want to know what’s going on with you and Merri. And don’t you dare stick your head inside that isolation chamber to get away from me.”
If he thought it would get him out of this conversation, Jimmy would’ve stuck his head inside a bonfire. He looked longingly across the room at the furnace then thought, how bad can it be. He could take Janey.
Even sitting, he didn’t have to tilt his head back that far to look into her eyes as she stopped in front of him. “And why do you think it’s any of your business?”
Planting her hands on her hips, Janey tilted her head to the side and gave him that look. He swore she’d been taking lessons from their mother. “Because Merri’s my friend and you’re my brother. That gives me two very good reasons to have an interest in what’s going on.”
Closing down the program he’d been working on, he shoved away from the desk and crossed his arms over his chest. Before he realized that made him look defensive. Then he shoved his hands in his pockets.
“And why do you think there’s something going on?”
Janey rolled her eyes. “Oh please. Like you weren’t staring at her like you wanted to devour her. I know you want her, Jimmy, but I don’t want you to break her heart.”
What? Did he have “I lust after Merri” tattooed on his forehead? Or was he just that transparent? “Okay, so if I agree to consider the fact that what you’re saying is true, do you really think I’d do that on purpose?”
“So you’re telling me you plan to date her?”
“What if I told you she wants me to teach her how to pick up guys?”
There, that got Janey’s attention. “What? No way—”
“She asked me last night.”
Janey’s mouth clamped shut and he saw her running through all kinds of theories. “And what did you say?”
Not exactly what he’d expected her to ask. “I didn’t say anything.”
At least not about her request. But he had kissed her. And he really shouldn’t be thinking about that because Janey would read his mind.
“So what did you do?”
Yep, his baby sister was definitely taking lessons from their mom, except she hadn’t yet learned how to be as subtle.
“I told her I’d show her mine if she showed me hers.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Jimmy! You didn—”
Jimmy started to laugh. “Whoa, Jane.” He held up his hands in surrender as she pulled back and socked him in the arm. “Ow. That hurt.”
“Well, you deserved it. Jimmy, so help me, if you hurt her, I will crush you.”
His laughter died and he realized he needed to talk to someone about this and it might as well be his baby sister. Later, he might hit Nic up for advice but right now, he needed to talk to a female. And his mom was out of the question. “Let me ask you a question.”
She responded with a nod, her expression wary. “Okay.”
“How well do you really know Merri? What if I don’t agree to her plan? Will she go out to a bar and pick up some random stranger? Christ, anything could happen to her. She could pick up some serial killer or rapist. She’s a workaholic. She never goes out. What does she know about men?”
Janey opened her mouth then promptly closed it. He couldn’t tell if she wanted to laugh in his face or blast him for thinking of Merri as some poor, defenseless female. A lamb among wolves.
But just the thought of her going to a bar and getting hit on by some douchebag made his blood boil.
Fina
lly, Janey shook her head. “You’re not giving Merri enough credit. She’s not a teenager. She’s a grown woman.”
“Who never dates, spends most of her time working, went to college when she was sixteen, and has been shut up in Fort Meade for the past five years.”
After several seconds of Janey’s intent concentration, he saw her finally, seriously, start to think about what he’d said. And he knew she came to the same conclusion he did.
Her arms crossed over her chest. “There’s no way I’m going to agree to anything you just said. I don’t think you’re giving her enough credit.” She paused. “But maybe you do have one or two valid concerns. Still, if you think you’re doing her some big favor by leading her on—”
“Whoa, who said anything about leading her on?”
Janey’s eyebrows arched. “So you’re not going to take her out and show her how to pick up guys?”
“No way in hell. I’ll take her out and she can practice on me. At least I know she’ll be safe.”
Janey paused, her gaze narrowing. “All right, I can kind of see your point on that one.”
Yes, of course she could. It was totally logical.
“So when are you starting her pick-up training?”
“Tonight, I guess. After dinner.”
“And where are you planning to take her?”
Hell, the only bars he frequented were cop bars with Caz, and those wouldn’t do.
“Let me take pity on you and give you a suggestion.” Janey’s tone was dry enough to rival the Sahara. “Instead of going with us to dinner, take her to Serrano’s at the Tin Angel. It’s quiet and beautiful and the food’s good. If there’s no music, you can wander around Old City afterward.”
Sounded like a solid plan. “Why the sudden change of heart?”
Janey wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug. “Maybe because I love you and I think you’re a decent guy. But I’m warning you, Jimmy. You hurt her and I will set Mal on you.”
“So you’re not worried about me getting hurt?”
Janey shook her head, her expression wry. “I worry about you all the time.”
*
“So…I’m looking for a code?”
Nic nodded, leaning back in the chair across from her new desk. Which was a step up from her desk at Fort Meade. “Yeah. I need you to figure out how the bastard’s communicating with his brother from prison. I know he’s using these letters. I just don’t know how. Janey usually handles this kind of shi—stuff for me but she’s busy and so’s my mom. Since you’re gonna be around for a while, I figure I’ll let an expert handle it.”
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