by Josh Lanyon
“If you have cowboy boots, wear them. Everybody in Hollywood loves cowboy boots.”
“I haven’t said yes.” I stood and shut down my computer. I caught my reflection in my laptop screen and realized I was grinning. There was just something about Jax that got to me, and I didn’t seem able to keep him at arm’s length like I knew I should.
“Don’t worry about eating first. There will be tons of food.”
“I hope I don’t regret this.”
“I’ll see you at eight, Decker.”
I sighed. “See you at eight.”
Chapter Seven
The party was at the house of Jax’s agent, Sidney Steinberg. Nestled on a quiet cul-de-sac in the hills, the home was dazzling with post-and-beam design and wall-to-wall windows.
I’d never have guessed Jax didn’t like these people very much. He smiled and chatted with the party guests as if they were his best friends. I also couldn’t tell if anyone in the room didn’t like Jax. Everyone seemed to adore him.
I, on the other hand, got a lot of funny looks.
Trevor was there before us, and he looked less than thrilled to see me. Lee Price was also there, and though he was surprised to see me, he greeted me warmly. But then Trevor looked unhappy enough for everyone.
Even wearing my best jeans and the shirt Jax had loaned me, I felt conspicuous among the beautiful people. There was just something about their skin that seemed to glow like the sun. I had little doubt they got 24K colloidal gold facials, dermaplaning, and acid peels on a regular basis. The fact that I even knew what those things were probably meant I’d worked in Hollywood too long already. I felt like an old oak tree next to Jax. But he didn’t seem to notice the looks I got, didn’t seem embarrassed to be with me. He stuck next to me, his shoulder brushing mine, smiling into my eyes often.
“That’s Robin,” Jax whispered into my ear, his warm breath wafting over my skin.
I kept my face expressionless as a pleasurable shiver rolled through me. “The blonde girl?” I eyed a petite girl across the room. She looked a lot like her brother, although she seemed softer, whereas Trevor had more of an edge.
“Yes.”
I sipped my whiskey, trying not to be too obvious as I studied Robin. I recognized her from the stairwell footage. She’d visited Jax’s office about three hours before the fire, but hadn’t been anywhere around after that. She was with a tall dark-haired guy who seemed as out of place as me. “Who’s the guy with her?”
“Paul. That’s her husband.”
“Is he in the business?”
“No. He used to work for a cable company, but he’s unemployed at the moment. They’ve had some problems in their marriage, but they seem to be trying to work it out.”
I accidentally met Trevor’s surly gaze. “Your boyfriend isn’t very happy to see me.”
Jax gave me an irritable look. “He’s not my boyfriend. Why do you keep implying he is? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re jealous of Trevor.”
“Yeah, I’m dying of jealousy about a guy I hardly know.” My face was warm in spite of my bravado. I knew it was childish to needle Jax about his past romantic relationship with Trevor, but I was tired of the resentful glances Trevor kept throwing me.
“I guess you really didn’t want to have fun.”
“Then it looks like I came to the right place.”
Jax shook his head and asked in a tight voice, “Do you want me to introduce you to Robin?”
I shrugged. “Sure.”
I followed him over to Robin and Paul. Trevor saw us coming and thankfully wandered away. As we neared the couple, Robin gave me a tentative smile. Her eyes were big and blue, and her skin a golden honey color.
“Robin, this is Cabot Decker,” Jax said.
She lifted one light brow. “Oh, you’re the cop.”
So much for flying under the radar.
Since she knew who I was, I didn’t see the point of not just going with it. “I was going to call you and set up an interview.”
Her eyes widened. “Me? Why would you want to talk to me?”
“I have to talk to everybody who works with Jax.”
“Oh.” She looked relieved.
Paul spoke a little too loudly. “I guess you won’t have to interview me because I don’t work with Jax. Hell, I don’t work anywhere.” He gave Robin an uneasy look. “My lovely wife brings home the bacon.”
Robin’s laugh was brittle, and she didn’t look at him. “What did you need to ask me, Detective?”
“Nothing too deep. Where you were when Jax was attacked, and whether or not you get along with your boss.”
Paul grimaced. “If that’s not deep, I can’t imagine what is.”
She wrinkled her brow. “I get along with Jax just fine.”
“Your brother used to date him. Any anger about how things ended?” I tried not to sound accusatory, but she still tensed.
“Their relationship was none of my business.”
“But you’re family. It’s hard not to get involved sometimes.” I watched her color deepen.
She flicked her gaze to Jax. “Yeah, I was mad at first. Jax knows that. He broke Trevor’s heart, and I felt protective.”
Jax flinched. “Our breakup was mutual, Robin.”
She studied him. “I know you want to believe that, but it’s just not accurate. You know Trevor still has feelings for you.”
“I don’t think that’s true.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say, Jax.”
He didn’t respond.
“Sounds like maybe you’re still mad at Jax.”
She sighed and touched Jax’s arm. “No. I’m really not.”
“I hope not,” Jax said quietly. “You and Trevor are like family.”
She smiled at him. “Water under the bridge.”
“Good.” Jax nodded.
Robin glanced toward her brother and lowered her voice. “If my brother is stupid enough to still sleep with you knowing it’s not going anywhere, that’s his business. He’s a big boy.”
Jax stiffened but stayed quiet.
I ignored the bizarre churning in my gut at her implication that Jax and Trevor still slept together. That definitely wasn’t any of my business. “You went to Jax’s office yesterday. Mind telling me why?”
“I needed to discuss some logistical issues.”
“But you didn’t actually talk to him. Why is that?”
“He was busy. Tressa said he was on the phone. Since it wasn’t anything that couldn’t wait, I took off.”
“I see.”
“Hey, man, is this an interrogation or a party?” Paul put his arm around Robin.
She didn’t say anything, but her expression was annoyed. Whether she was miffed at Paul or my questions, I couldn’t be sure.
“I guess I take my job seriously.” I smiled, hoping I’d come off less intimidating that way. “It’s hard to turn it off sometimes.”
Paul’s laugh was strained. “I can imagine.”
Jax met my gaze. “I, for one, am glad you take your job seriously.”
Robin watched us closely. “I suppose you want to know where I was the night Dale was killed?”
“I need to know everyone’s whereabouts. But I don’t want to ruin your evening. You can just come to the station and give your statement.” I actually hoped she would just tell me now, but I wanted her to feel like it was her idea.
She shrugged. “I don’t mind telling you now.” She glanced at her husband. “I was with Paul. It was our anniversary.”
“Yep. She was with me.” Paul’s grin seemed forced. “Ten years. If you can believe it, she’s put up with me for a whole decade.”
“Congrats,” I said, noticing Robin looked annoyed yet again. I had to wonder if these two had another decade of wedded bliss in them. Paul couldn’t seem to open his mouth without Robin scowling.
“Thanks.” She bit her lower lip. “Have you talked to the whole crew yet?”
“Most of them. I sti
ll need to see Tim Sloan. I guess he was having surgery.” I met Jax’s gaze for confirmation.
“Yep. I think he’s home now, though.”
Robin nodded. “Obviously he couldn’t have done anything.”
“I’m still going to have to question him.”
She laughed. “What could he have done from his hospital bed?”
“You’d be surprised. Murder for hire is popular.”
“Tim wouldn’t hurt anybody.” Robin wrinkled her brow. “He’s a great guy.”
Paul shifted uneasily and dropped his arm from her shoulders. Robin gave him a funny look, and he straightened. “I think I’m going to get another beer? Anyone else want anything?”
I declined since I’d decided to only have one drink. I needed to be sharp so I could remember the information they gave me tonight. Pulling out a pen and notepad and scribbling down everything they said probably wouldn’t have gone over too well. I watched Paul cross the room toward the bar, noticing Robin watched him too. It seemed as if the mention of Tim had bothered Paul. I had to wonder what that was all about.
The conversation drifted to less serious topics, and I didn’t bother trying to drag it back to the case. As far as I could tell, I’d gotten all I could from Robin. It was obvious she and Paul had marital issues, but other than that, I didn’t get any diabolical vibe off her.
Jax drank a bit more than me. I couldn’t blame him; he’d been under a lot of stress. But when it came time to go home, I took the keys from him.
He frowned. “What are you doing?”
“You shouldn’t drive.”
He looked like he wanted to argue, but then just shrugged. “I’ll call an Uber.”
“No. I’ll drive.” I smiled. “I’ve never driven a BMW before.”
He fake-gasped. “How horrible for you.”
“I know. I’ve suffered terribly.”
“It’s just a rental, though.”
“Yes. You rented a BMW while your other BMW is in the shop. Poor baby.”
He laughed. “This one doesn’t have heated seats. The struggle is real.”
“Good Lord.” I rolled my eyes.
Once Jax said goodbye to everyone, I led the way toward the front door. From the stares we got, it seemed everyone at the party shared Trevor’s opinion that Jax and I were an odd pair. It was a little annoying to be honest. You’d have thought Jax was driving home with a unicorn.
Once outside, I opened the passenger-side door for Jax, and he slid in with a giggle. I’d never seen him so relaxed. I couldn’t help but smile at his silly grin. I got in behind the wheel and started the engine. It purred to life, and I drove down the long driveway to the highway.
“Crap.” He glanced over at me. “I picked you up. How will you get home if you take me to the hotel?”
“I’ll take a cab from your hotel.”
“I’ll reimburse you.” He shifted toward me. “I probably could have driven.”
I scowled. “You had three glasses of wine.”
“Did I have three? I thought I had two.”
“Nope. Three.”
“I guess I was feeling a little tense.” He sighed, and his gaze settled on me.
I felt self-conscious but tried not to show it. I focused instead on how nice it was to drive his luxury car. My car was fine, but his was like floating on clouds, and it took the corners like a dream. The house we’d gone to for the party was up in the hills above Los Angeles, and the city lights below resembled shimmering fireflies. We rode in silence for a while, but as we neared the city, he finally spoke, his voice soft.
“Thanks for coming out with me tonight.”
I gave him a quick glance. His features were mostly in shadow, but my pulse quickened at the interest in his gaze. I still didn’t understand why he seemed attracted to me. Maybe he was intrigued by the idea of bedding someone so different from him. My body flushed at the thought of giving him what he seemed to want, but my brain told me no.
“I’m glad I came. It was useful talking to everyone.”
He gave a little laugh. “All business again.”
“Yep.”
“Do you ever think about anything other than work?”
Feeling breathless, I said, “Of course.” I turned into the parking lot of the hotel and pulled into a space near the building. I turned off the engine and swiveled to face him. “Home, safe and sound.”
“Home.” He eyed the hotel. “Hardly.”
“Hey, it beats Motel 6, right?”
“Of course. But I’d still rather be at my own place.”
“This is just temporary.”
“I know.”
“I’ll get your shirt and jeans back to you tomorrow.” I ran my hands over the soft material. “I don’t really want to go home without a shirt on.”
“Oh, that’s right. I have your stuff up in my room.” He hesitated. “Want to come up and get it?”
The look he gave me made my heart beat faster. “I can just get it tomorrow.”
“You need to call a cab still. You should come up and wait.” He gave me a playful smile. “You don’t want to loiter in the lobby like a creeper.”
I knew I should tell him no. I knew I should just say good night, call my cab, and go home. But something drew me to him. “You’re trouble,” I said quietly.
“Why?” He sounded surprised.
I shrugged.
“Come on, Decker,” he said breathlessly. “Come upstairs.”
I tried to fight my desire for him. “You’re at the center of my case.”
“You don’t think I’m a suspect anymore, though, right?”
“No.”
“Then what does it matter if we get…to know each other?” He touched my arm, and the heat of his fingers burned into my skin. “Come up to my room.”
My cock warmed as my brain seemed to shut off. “I must be out of my mind.”
He smiled and opened his door. “Come on.”
Against all reason, I did as he said. I got out of the car and followed him into the hotel. He walked ahead of me, and I seemed unable to pull my gaze from his narrow hips and firm ass. I wasn’t impulsive. I didn’t do stupid shit like this. What was wrong with me? As those thoughts swirled in my head, I stepped into the elevator with him.
There were other people in the elevator, and Jax made no move to touch me. But he held my gaze as sexual energy buzzed between us. I clenched my jaw, wishing I had the self-control to get off the elevator. I didn’t. I just didn’t have it in me to go home when this beautiful man was looking at me like he wanted to eat me whole. I respected him. Liked him. He was the full package; brains and looks. It was intoxicating to be wanted by someone like him.
The elevator dinged, and Jax stepped out. I followed him, our shoes soundless on the plush carpet of the hotel hallway. My heart pounded with every step, but I didn’t turn around.
Jax stopped at a room and used his key card to open the door. The door next to his room opened, and a burly guy with a shaved head poked his face out.
“You’re back.” The guy’s voice was emotionless as he sized me up. If he had an opinion about Jax bringing me to his room, he didn’t show it.
“Good evening, Harry,” Jax addressed the guy. “This is Decker.”
Harry gave me a curious look. “Hey, Decker.”
I gave a nod, but my face was warm. I felt uneasy and way, way out of my comfort zone. I took a step back, half thinking I should just go before it was too late. Maybe Jax sensed something because he put his hand on my back.
“See you tomorrow,” Jax said to Harry.
“Okay, boss.” Harry closed his door.
I met Jax’s gaze, and he smirked, pulling me into the room. “You’re not going anywhere.” His voice was gruff, and as the door slammed behind us, he pushed me against the wall. My hands were at my sides as he leaned into me. “Touch me,” he whispered.
I hesitated, my cock aching as it pressed against my zipper, but then I put my hands on his
hips. His warm body beneath my palms seemed to calm me. He lowered his head, and his heated mouth covered mine. I groaned and opened wider, letting his seeking tongue inside. It felt so good yet so wrong, but I tightened my arms, feeling out of control.
He smiled against my lips, and deepening the kiss, rocked his hips into me. His arousal was obvious, and I had little doubt he was aware of my need too. I was usually the more aggressive person during sex, but I felt like putty in Jax’s hands. Was this how Trevor felt? Did he hate himself for giving in to Jax? Did he feel weak and used? Was Jax just using me? Toying with me? Probably. This sure as hell wasn’t love. I frowned, not wanting to think about anything but how sweet Jax’s mouth tasted and the trembling warmth of his tongue against mine.
He slid his hands down my shoulders, to my hips, then pulled his mouth away. “Bedroom,” he panted.
I nodded and let him tug me after him. We fell onto the big soft bed, and he laughed. I didn’t feel like laughing. Feeling feverish with need, I rolled on top of him, trying to reclaim some control. He just grinned up at me, looking relaxed and happy. My heart squeezed at his trusting expression, and some tension left me. He wasn’t evil or manipulative; he was just a guy who wanted to fuck. I needed to stop thinking this was anything other than what it was—two horny guys needing to get off.
I pulled my shirt off and tossed it on the end of the bed, then got rid of my pants and underwear. He wiggled out of his clothes, his cock full against his abs. His body was flawless. No fat, just sinewy muscle and smooth, tanned skin. I had a momentary flash of insecurity, but I tried to push it away. Maybe I wasn’t perfect, but I had a nice enough body and was in good shape. I was a little pale compared to him, but my life wasn’t about sunning by the pool.
He frowned. “Stop thinking so much.”
I hesitated. “What?”
Smiling, he said, “You look like you’re studying for a math test.”
I gave a grudging laugh. “I do?”
“Yeah. Relax.” He slid his fingers up my thighs. “Lube and condoms are in the drawer next to the bed.”
I flicked my gaze to the bedside table. We hadn’t discussed who was pitching and who was receiving. I rarely bottomed, and I had no idea what he expected. He must have seen something in my expression because he gave another husky laugh. “Pfft. I wouldn’t dream of asking you to take it up the ass, Decker.”