Page 32

“Absolutely. Aren’t you curious?”

“I wasn’t paid to be curious, Charmaine.”

When I pursed my lips, he shook his head.

“Okay. Finish your drink. What’s your room number?” he asked.

“Four-forty-two.”

He nodded and glanced out the window.

“Okay. After we walk out of here, we’ll head to the elevators where we’ll say goodbye before you get in. You’ll head up to your room and wait. In thirty minutes, you’re going to head to the stairs.”

“What about the idiots following us?”

After tossing them another look, he stared me directly in the eyes. “I doubt they’ll have anyone on your floor. Too obvious. They’ll wait in the lobby and near the front entrance.”

“Okay. Then what?”

“You’re going to head to garage level two. Just make certain if the elevators stop at the lobby, you aren’t seen. I’ll be waiting for you there. If all goes well, we won’t need to catch a cab.”

I shook my head. “Meaning what? What are you going to do?”

“Try and contact a friend who can help us.”

“Someone you trust.” For some reason, the wine was making me jittery.

“Absolutely. One way or another, we’re going to find access to a computer and find out what the hell we’re dealing with.”

“Okay. I don’t like this, Maddox.”

“Neither do I. We’ll figure it out. That much I promise you.”

“I’ll hold you to it.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes, doing little more than studying each other.

“Why did you decide to stay? I know Gray asked you to, but you’re not the kind of man who follows rules.

You told me that yourself,” I asked. We didn’t know each other.

We’d fucked. That was it. Was there some truth that living through something perilous created a closeness?

Yes, to a point. However, Maddox wasn’t the kind of man who needed anyone except for salacious acts.

“Because I won’t risk your life. If anyone tries to hurt you, they need to deal with me first.”

There was nothing more thrilling to a woman than hearing a man state he’d stop at nothing to keep her safe. I sensed he was telling me the truth. He was prepared to die if necessary.

Heat tore through me, my pussy throbbing. What an inconvenient time for him to share a personal side of himself. And timing was everything.

I lifted my gaze, biting my lip as heat shifted across my jaw.

There was no need to expound on what we were both thinking.

The hunger remained, the need to touch each other strong.

The need to fuck even more so.

But our intimacy wasn’t going to change anything, including a single aspect of our lives.

“There’s a story waiting on the drive. I feel it.”

His look was stern. “You’re not going to endanger yourself for a story. You have no understanding of the ramifications if you expose a savage drug lord and all the others who have everything to lose.”

“What if I insist on doing so anyway?” Yes, I was taunting him on purpose. Why not? Another tingle of excitement spun all the way to my toes.

The way he leaned over the table and the look in his eyes created a pool of wetness between my legs. “Then I guess I’ll need to punish you. I should do that anyway. Seems you’re long overdue.”

“Are you threatening me, Lieutenant?”

“No, baby. Try and keep in mind I only make promises. And I always keep them.”

“Maybe I’ll need to hold you to it.” I also leaned over until our lips were close, entirely too much so. I licked my lips on purpose and he narrowed his eyes, allowing me to watch as his dark eyelashes skimmed his cheeks. My God, he was far too dangerous in every aspect.

Including what he could do to me. I’d never felt this way about a man before and it was an unnerving as it was enticing.

“Be careful trying to tame a lion, Ms. Douglas. Many have tried and no one has succeeded.”

“It seems you don’t know me very well. I always get what I want.”

“Sorry, babe. That’s my line.” He dared rub a single finger under my chin. The swell of desire was more intense, the heat between us far too electrifying.

Sighing, he folded his fingers and eased back, studying the two men at the bar once again.

Maddox was difficult to understand, so set in his ways, and I wondered what would happen if the situation was different.

When he removed a pen from his jacket, taking the cocktail napkin from under his glass, I was more than curious what he was about to do.

He scribbled something and folded the paper, sliding it in my direction.

“This is my private number and my address. If anything happens and we get separated, this is a safe haven for you. I hope you won’t need it, but in case you do.”

When I touched the napkin, a lump formed in my throat.

He was more than concerned about what would happen.

I wasn’t certain whether to be even more frightened or grateful that I could trust him.

Trusting anyone hadn’t been easy for me.

Our fingers collided and I held my breath while he allowed the touch to linger.

“You’re scaring me.”

“Good. You should be scared. I’ve got a phone call to make. If there are any issues, I’ll call the room and we’ll go to plan B.”

“Which is?”

“We do this on our own. I don’t think I need to tell you not to answer the door for just anyone. I don’t care who they are or what they say the reason is. Keep your door locked at all times.”

“Okay. Do you think something else is going on?”

“I’m just covering all the bases. Nothing more.”

After I exhaled, I slipped the napkin into my bra. At least he trusted me enough to provide me with private information.

“There’s something else I want you to have.”

“What’s that?”

“You don’t have anything in your name, including cash.” He pulled out his wallet, handing me several hundred-dollar bills. He ensured there was no way his actions could be seen.

“Why?”

“Like I said, just in case.”

He finally nodded as if this blip in time needed to end.

Maybe he was worried that appearing too close would cause unwanted attention.

After he dropped two twenties onto the table, he guided me toward the door.

I sensed his edge the moment we came closer to the two men, who were talking casually, trying their best not to pay us any attention.

For whatever reason Maddox decided to break protocol I didn’t know, but when he paused at the entrance to the bar, offering another one of his mischievous looks, I did my best to keep from laughing.

He headed to the two men, throwing his arms around both their shoulders and lowering his head so no one else could hear what he said to them.

When he walked back a few seconds later, he buttoned his jacket, guiding me into the lobby.

“What did you say to them?” I had to ask.

“Nothing much. I just told them it was in their best interest to allow you to get some rest.”

“Or what?”

He waited until we were standing in front of the elevators and had pressed the button before answering. “Or they’d need to find new tailors for their suits, someone who could remove sleeves since neither would have their arms.”

“You didn’t.”

The elevator doors opened. “Yeah, I did. Do you think they got the message?”

I threw a look over my shoulder, biting my inner cheek to keep from laughing. As soon as they realized I’d noticed them, the two men turned around. “Somehow, I think they did. You’re incorrigible.”

“Nah, just an asshole.”