Page 9 of Harris

“Which is why you’re staying here.” I grabbed the back of her desk chair and spun it around, stopping it when she was facing me, looking up at me. “Right, Layla?”

“Yes?” Her expression was…worrisome She was going for soft and seductive. Which meant she had a plan up her sleeve.

“Layla.”

“Harris?”

Dammit. She’s definitely planning something hugely stupid.

I bent over her, took her cheeks in my palms, and kissed her. Went for soft and sweet. “Baby, please. I’m going to ask you one last time, as nicely as I know how.Pleasestay here. Please? I have a bad feeling about this case. Like you said, they’ve already shed blood. You get in the way, they won’t hesitate to drop you.”

She didn’t answer. Instead, she reached for my pants. Dug her hand in. Got a good grip.

“Fucking hell, woman. Isn’t three times in the morning enough for you?” I pulled away, reluctantly, because it wasn’t enough for me either, and if I let her distract me again, I’d never get packed and out of here.

“You know it’s not,” she said, putting on a fake pouting moue. “Come back over here. Give me something to remember you by.”

“I just did. Not twenty minutes ago.” I held up my cell phone. “I’ll send you some pics when I get to LA.”

“You better.”

“Promise me you’ll stay here?”

And fucking goddamn Layla, she just blinked at me, eyes wide and innocent, legs crossed at the knee, arms folded under her big beautiful tits. Seductive, enticing. Jesus, how could I possibly want her again? But I did. Ten more seconds in the room with a naked and mischief-planning Layla and I’d have her sitting on my cock again, fucking a promise out of her.

Thing about Layla is, she’ll never lie to me directly. Which is why she’s not answering me.

I know this, and she knows I know this, and I know she knows I know.

I just confused myself, I think.

Or actually, I’m pretty sure that made sense.

Point is, she’s gonna pop up at the most inopportune time.

Hopefully my ghostly friend Anselm will keep her out of too much trouble.

I turned away before I gave in to temptation. I did actually have to leave. I promised Puck I’d be in LA by three, which meant I didn’t have much time.

I made short work of packing. Duffel bag full of clothes, another full of gear, plenty of cash on hand. Then I went out to the landing strip and got the jet warmed up, going through pre-check a few times and then got it ready to taxi to the head of the runway. I logged the flight plan and did a final check of the cockpit. At which point Lear, Duke, and Thresh were all on the compound and shoving their shit into the cargo hold of the jet.

While they got situated, I grabbed a Gator and headed back to the house to pay Layla one last visit.

I found her in a loose, thin robe, watching some idiotic reality show. Women arguing, it looked like. What fun.

I knelt on the carpet in front of her and took the remote from her hand, putting her show on pause. Then I kissed the ever-loving hell out of her. “I’ll miss you,” I told her.

“I know.” She returned the favor, kissed me dizzy. “I’ll miss you, too.”

“Stay here.” I grabbed the back of her neck, squeezing gently. “Or I swear to god I’ll tie you up and leave you somewhere safe.”

“You keep promising to tie me up like it’s a deterrent, Nick.” She grinned up at me. “You should know me better than that.”

“I do. But I gotta try, you know? I know you won’t listen. And I’ve taken certain…precautions.”

“Which means you’ve got Anselm out there somewhere, watching me?”

“I’ve gotta go. Jet’s warmed up and the guys are on board. I’m due in LA. Got a little girl to rescue.”