Dominic was, as always, oblivious or unwilling to acknowledge the attention he caused. The man had swag coupled with confidence that thankfully did not include him expecting everyone in the world to bow down to his needs. The smile that started to curve his full lips morphed into a scowl as he drew closer to her.
Jeanette straightened. She checked her shirt for food or coffee stains and ran a hand over her mouth to check for leftover powdered sugar from the doughnut she’d had for lunch. Her hand and shirt were both clean. She looked back up at him. “What are you scowling about?”
His strides lengthened with purpose. He stopped in front of her and took her chin in his hands. His fingers were determined but gentle. He tilted her head back and studied her face. “Who hit you?”
The cool anger in his voice made her fear for the life of anyone who crossed him and sent another pesky sizzle through her body. This time it settled in the vicinity of the apex of her thighs.
She brushed his hand away and scoffed. The imprint of his touch still lingering on her skin. “Oh, that. This bruise is over a week old. Don’t worry about it.” She turned and went into her office to put space between them. Dominic’s cool confidence and quiet sexiness always riled her up. Jeanette tried to be professional and keep her reactions hidden, even though sometimes she wondered if he felt the same electricity when she was near.
“You here for that information on Zoe?” she asked over her shoulder.
Dominic followed her into her office and pushed the door shut behind him. “Forget the information. Who hit you and why?”
She faced him, crossed her arms beneath her breasts and bit her lower lip. His gaze flickered down to her mouth for the briefest of seconds. She let her lip slip from between her teeth and willed herself to not smile—or think about what it would be like if he focused on her lips longer.
“What are you going to do? Go beat up the person who beat me up?”
His eyes narrowed. “Who. Hit. You.”
She wanted to tell him to mind his own business. That she didn’t need protection and could handle herself. Something she’d done quite effectively for years. Plus, she didn’t like the way her pulse picked up at his protective vibe. But the worry in his gaze stopped any thoughts of telling him to butt out.
“My best friend’s boyfriend,” she admitted with only a small amount of the disgust she’d felt a week ago when the bruise was fresh. “It happened over a week ago. My best friend and I do a monthly outing for manicures and a movie. Who knew the day would be ruined when she forgot her wallet and we had to go back to her place? We interrupted him having sex on the couch with someone else. My girlfriend got mad. She started swinging. He swung back. I got the collateral damage trying to break them apart.”
Dominic jerked on the strap of the messenger bag on his shoulder and dropped it into the chair across from her desk. He slowly rubbed his hands together. “What’s his name?”
She recognized the determined look in his eye. She imagined superheroes looked the same right before they saved the world from destruction. Dominic, with his drive to dig out the truth in every situation, would graduate with honors from the superhero college.
An image filled her mind of him in tight pants, muscles and other things bulging, dark eyes flashing with purpose. Tingles ensued, and she had to push the thought from her brain.
She held up a finger. “First of all, that’s none of your business.” She hoped he thought the irritation in her voice was with his line of questioning and not because of her wild imagination. “The cops came, and the entire drama was handled by proper law enforcement. Second, yes he is an asshole, but he wasn’t trying to hit me.”
Dominic glared at her as if she’d turned purple. “He was trying to hit your friend.” His exasperated tone said the intended target didn’t make the situation any better.
“Hence the he-is-an-asshole part,” she said quickly. “The two aren’t together anymore and I pressed charges. Seriously, you don’t have to worry about it. I’m good.”
She sat on the edge of her desk. The situation had been scary, but she’d been in scarier situations before and brushed them all off easily. Now when she told her stories and waved off the danger that she sometimes faced, people laughed and shook their heads. No one even commented on her occasional bruises except to ask for the story behind them. No one except Dominic.
Dominic took two slow breaths, closed his eyes for a few seconds, then looked at her again. Concern was a sheer curtain across his gaze, but the anger had faded. “Are you okay?”
She shrugged, but warmth spread in her chest. Getting punched in the face was never fun. She’d been more worried about her friend than her. “I’m good. My danger-is-near intuition went off whenever I was around him. She’d even asked me to investigate him a while ago, but I didn’t want to do that.” Something she regretted now. The jerk had a history of domestic-violence charges.
Dominic’s eyes narrowed. “Why not? You track down cheating partners all the time. It’s your highest rating on Google.”
She pressed a hand to her chest. “Aww...you read my Google ratings?” she teased instead of rising to the bait of his criticism.
Dominic looked skyward and shook his head, adding a dash of boyish charm to his devastatingly handsome features. In other words, making him catnip to her starving kitty.
When he spoke again, he sounded as if he were trying to keep a tight hold on his irritation. “Why didn’t you investigate him?”
All of the attraction Jeanette fought so hard against immediately evaporated in the face of Dominic’s holier-than-thou attitude. He saw the world in black and white. Good and bad. He didn’t often acknowledge that most people were more comfortable living in in the gray area of life.
“Because it’s weird with friends. If I find something and they break up then get back together later, they both know I know what they’ve been through. That’s weird because then I can never give good advice without being accused of bias, regardless of how much my advice may be spot-on. That’s why I firmly believe if you’re in a relationship and your intuition tells you it’s time to leave, get the hell out.” She pointed her thumb over her shoulder. “And don’t bother searching for proof of what you already know in your heart. Just cut ties and move on with your life.”
His flinch was nearly imperceptible before he nodded. “You’ve got a point.” His eyes lost focus as if he were thinking about something else. Someone else.
Maybe the woman he’d dated for over a year. He’d seemed happy with her, but Jeanette had never thought they seemed right for each other. The one time Jeanette had met Jules at a charity event she hadn’t liked her insincere smiles and calculating gaze. Later, when Jeanette had asked Dominic if things were serious between them, he’d said yes. She’d tried to convince herself her disappointment was because she hadn’t liked his girlfriend and not because of a suppressed crush on Dominic.
She’d always had a thing for the quiet, brooding type.
By the time he was single, scowling and even less likely to be open to her blurting out her feelings, as she tended to do, she’d been dating Dennis, the guy she’d been foolish enough to agree to marry, then smart enough to break off the engagement before they’d lost too many deposits for a wedding.
Before too long, things had gone back to normal between her and Dominic. He’d grumble and tell her she didn’t take the dangers of her job seriously; she’d flick her wrist and remind him she could handle herself while secretly loving every time he made a fuss about her being more careful.
Maybe her instincts about Jules had been right and there were warning signs Dominic had ignored. Everyone could be convinced to overlook the bad in the people they thought they could trust. She saw that every day.
“So, I have the information you needed on Zoe Hammond,” she said, bringing the conversation back to what he was there for.
His
direct gaze shot back to her. “Did you get a location?”
She couldn’t help but smile when she heard the impressed note in his voice. “Better than that. I got a location and I plan to go down to check her out.”
His body tensed. “Why would you do that? You can’t talk to her. I don’t want to give her a heads-up that we’re looking for her.”
Jeanette crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “Yes, I plan to walk right up to her and say, ‘Hi, I’m your friendly neighborhood private investigator. Can you please let me know if you plan to blackmail any politicians in the near future?’”
His eyes narrowed. She chuckled, not at all fazed by Dominic’s death stare. A second later his shoulder relaxed. “What did you find out?”
“I’m glad your common sense returned.” She pointed to the chair in front of her desk. Dominic lowered himself into it and sat back.
He appeared comfortable, but she knew he was itching for her to get to the point of what she’d discovered. Dominic always seemed tense and on edge. He tended to assume the worst in a situation. Pessimistic was too soft of a word for him. She guessed years advising politicians, corporate CEOs and anyone rich enough to afford his services would do that to a person. She took pleasure in snapping him back to reality. Subtly reminding him that she was not a lying, double-crossing snake and even trying to coax a hint of a smile to his lips.
“Where is she?” he asked.
“She lives in Greenville, South Carolina. She works for a plastics manufacturer that sprouted up near the BMW manufacturing plant.” Zoe grabbed the file folder in the rack on her desk with information on Zoe and tossed it to Dominic. “Your girl is in charge of safety and training. She’s worked there for seven years and is in line for a promotion once the director of safety retires. She has a daughter. And no one is listed as the father on the birth certificate.”
“Thankfully.” He shook his head and opened the folder.
“Her daughter is enrolled in a private school. Lots of security and very expensive. Zoe’s paying for it. She has no boyfriend, her parents are separated, mom recently remarried and her sister lives in Denver. She’s on a few boards through her job, volunteers at her church and picks up litter once a quarter with the Adopt-a-Highway program.”
Dominic looked up from shifting through the papers and raised a brow. “Is this a front?”
Zoe looked skyward and shook her head. “No, it’s not a front, Dominic.” Honestly, the man thought everyone had an ulterior motive. “I knew you’d ask, but from what I could gather, she was either asked to help with whatever program she’s a part of and agreed, or her daughter pulled her in. She really does seem to be a nice person. I didn’t get the vibe that she was trying to hide something. I plan to watch her a little more, but I don’t think she’s going to cause a problem for your guy during the election.”
Jeanette didn’t foresee any problems with getting more information about Zoe Hammond. She was still amazed by how much people revealed to a stranger. Half of her information came from “helpful” people who looked at her and saw exactly what she wanted them to see: a potential volunteer, a graduate student researching her master’s thesis or an old friend in town visiting who needed directions. People rarely suspected she was a private investigator, and she was pretty sure Zoe’s neighbors wouldn’t be any different.
Dominic slid the papers back into the folder. “I know she won’t. Give me an address. I’m going to pay her a visit.”
Dominic stood and Zoe jumped up, as well. “You don’t need to visit her. Trust my instincts on this and let me handle things. She isn’t going to be a problem.”
“I do trust your instincts,” he said, not the least bit convincingly. “But I promised Byron Robidoux I’d take care of this personally. I’m going to pay her a visit and make sure she has no plans to bring up her past with my client. Whatever the price is to ensure she doesn’t try to capitalize on her child’s fake father, we’ll pay it.”
She saw the doubt in his eyes, and she didn’t like it. Dominic had trusted her judgment for years. She didn’t like that in the past few months he’d questioned her more. Insisted on “following up” on her leads. She didn’t know what had happened to make his trust in her waver. Typically, she didn’t bother arguing and let him do his thing, but she had a hunch about Zoe Hammond. The woman didn’t give her a blackmailing, conniving bitch vibe. If she left things to Dominic, he’d accuse Zoe of plotting blackmail before he gave the woman a chance to process who he was and why he was there.
Not only that, Jeanette was ready to expand her company’s reach. Lady Eyes Investigation had a steady stream of work, but it was mostly cheating spouses and suspicious partners. Enough to make a living, but she wanted bigger cases and exclusive clientele. Clientele like the Robidoux family and their connections. She’d toyed with the idea of making her unofficial partnership with Dominic something more solid. He worked with other private investigators, but she wanted to be the only investigative firm he not only worked with but recommended to his clients. If they worked on Zoe together and he saw her “in action” versus just seeing her results, she hoped he’d be open to her suggestion.
Jeanette snatched the folder out of his hand and put it behind her back. “Oh, no, you’re not.”
CHAPTER THREE
DOMINIC WATCHED THE stubborn expression harden and settle across Jeanette’s beautiful features. The fading bruise along her left eye and cheek annoyed him more than her snatching away the paperwork. She wasn’t the only person who was skilled at finding answers. He made a mental note to find out the name of the guy who’d hit her and verify that the charges she’d filed stuck.
“Yes, I am going to talk to her,” he said, fighting the urge to press closer, reach around her and take back the folder.
Jeanette was a force to be reckoned with. A five-foot-four-inch powerhouse of sly determination and stubborn resolve. Her heart-shaped face and dimpled smile made people immediately trust her. She wore her curly, natural hair in a stylish tapered cut, which she’d recently colored with vivid shades of red and caramel that complemented her dark brown skin.
Today she wore a fitted yellow tank top untucked with a pair of ripped jeans that hugged full hips. She looked carefree and easygoing. Not at all like she’d convince you to tell your life story in less than ten minutes, a trait she used to her advantage, getting the answers she needed for any case.
He’d worked with her for six years. She’d proved how good she was as a private investigator after the first case he’d given her. Then she’d proved how smart she was by growing her firm from just a desk in her apartment to an office with seven other female private investigators working for her, who solved cases faster than anyone else he’d ever worked with.
She also never told him no when he wanted to follow up with a person he’d asked her to track down. Today, her chocolate-brown eyes were unyielding as she stared him down. Her full lips were pursed in an angry pout that made him want to focus more on her mouth and less on his reason for being there.
She pointed the finger of her free hand at his chest. “No, you are not about to go down there and bully her.”
“Bully her? Come on, Jeanette, you know I’m not a bully. Especially when it comes to women.” How could she even think something like that?
“I know you won’t hurt her physically,” she said with an eye roll. “But I’ve been there when you talk to people you don’t believe. Your tongue is sharper than a knife.”
He raised a brow. “My tongue?”
Emotion flashed in Jeanette’s eyes before they narrowed, and her lips pursed again. “You know what I mean. I’m telling you, this woman isn’t like the other people we’ve tracked down. She’s not the type to want to get into any political drama or cause a scandal. If anything, I think she just wants to live her life and keep a low profile.”
“That doesn’t mean once she sees Byron on te
levision running for senate that she won’t come running to him for something.” She’d run to Byron for help before—she might do it again.
“You’re so quick to judge everyone by your own thin layer of trust,” Jeanette said.
“That’s because people tend to live up to my low expectations.”
The disappointment in her voice was like a tight wool sweater on a hot day. He wasn’t sure why Jeanette’s judgment bothered him more than other people’s. It wasn’t as if he was trying to impress her. Dominic typically didn’t feel bad about his view on humanity. He’d seen honest people flip and lie about anything just to get what they wanted. Jeanette still believed in the good in people, even after catching all of those liars and cheaters in the act.
“She’s not like that.” Her words were matter-of-fact. He trusted Jeanette enough to know she wouldn’t say that if she didn’t believe it. She clearly didn’t think Zoe was a potential threat, but that wasn’t enough for him to back down on this. Not only did he need the money he’d make off this case, he also didn’t want to see Byron swindled. He was aware his own situation was a thick, murky rain cloud over his judgment. After talking to Travis and having him vouch for Byron’s character, along with doing his own research into Byron’s activities as a lawyer and state representative, Dominic believed Byron was a good guy who didn’t deserve to have his name dragged through the mud because an old friend saw dollar signs.
He looked into Jeanette’s big, judgmental brown eyes and ignored his discomfort. “Look, Jeanette, I paid you to find her and you’ve done that. I’m the person who closes the deal. Now give me her address and let me finish this.”
He stepped forward and reached around her. She drew in a breath, but didn’t tense or fight him when he slid the folder out of her hand. He tried not to think about how close they were. Just half an inch closer and her full breasts would press against his chest. Her dark eyes looked up into his. The air thinned and he sucked in a breath. The sweet smell of her reminded him of his favorite chili-spiced mocha from the coffee shop near his office. Which in turn made his mouth water for a taste of her.
The Promise of a Kiss Page 2