Page 12 of Missing Pieces (Brantley Walker: Off the Books #12)

“Because he’s bored.”

Well, it was good to know she wasn’t the only one.

JJ frowned at Reese. “He told you that?”

“Simon did.”

Before she could launch into another question, the nurse walked in.

Jenny, one of the nicest nurses because she didn’t overwhelm JJ with questions, glanced at the men in the room, then turned her full attention to JJ.

She went through the motions, checking the monitors and the fluids they were pushing into her since Dr. Tinder said she was a little dehydrated.

She was gentle when she checked JJ’s pulse, and quiet as she slipped out of the room a few minutes after she came in.

While they waited for Archer to arrive, JJ considered taking a minute to make herself presentable, but decided she didn’t care.

Her hair was clipped up high on her head, and she was wearing an oversized T-shirt and shorts rather than the hospital gown.

Since the team had witnessed her like this throughout the day when she video-conferenced with them, she figured it was good enough for a potential hire.

Speaking of…

Someone knocked lightly on the door.

“Come in,” she called, relaxing against the pillows as the door opened and an enormous man appeared.

Jesus God. The man was … well, the truth was, Archer Halligan was quite possibly the most gorgeous man in existence. Not that she intended to admit that aloud, but yeah, he was hot. And tall. And muscular. And he had a dimple. Make that two.

Did someone turn the air conditioner off?

Granted, he wasn’t as sexy as Baz, but she also figured that was personal preference.

Not that she was comparing the two of them. She wasn’t, but she couldn’t overlook the similarities, such as the dark brown hair and the brilliant blue eyes. Archer’s eyes were a tad more turquoise. Not quite as clear.

But that was pretty much where the similarities ended.

Archer was bigger than Baz. Much bigger.

Both in height and breadth. Hell, he was bigger than Brantley, and that was saying something.

If there were a single ounce of fat on Archer, she would be surprised.

Deductive reasoning told her he was at least six foot seven since he was taller than Reese, and everyone knew Reese was exactly six and a half feet tall.

So what if Archer Halligan was a beautiful man?

She’d expected as much. He’d become somewhat of a celebrity once the podcast took off because people liked to talk about beautiful men.

Because Simon Jennings was quite adept at avoiding cameras, people were determined to get photos of him.

Since they couldn’t, there were an awful lot of Archer’s on the internet. She knew because she’d searched.

“Hi. I’m JJ. You know Reese, Brantley, and Baz.”

Archer glanced at the men as he walked toward the bed. “Hey.” He turned to look at her, holding out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. It’s my understanding you’re the backbone of this organization, and they wouldn’t exist without you.”

JJ shook his hand. “Flattery doesn’t work on me.”

“We’ll see about that.” Archer smiled and … Jesus God.

JJ watched as Archer turned, making his way over to where Tesha was asleep on the floor. He squatted down to greet her, talking softly. JJ was almost positive she heard Tesha purr. Dogs didn’t purr, but there was a good chance they would for Archer Halligan.

He took his time before finally standing tall and turning toward her.

Flustered, she launched into the first question. “Why would you want to work for the task force when you’ve got a lucrative job working for Simon?”

He grinned. “Define lucrative.”

“Are you hurtin’ for money?”

“Not at the moment.”

“Okay then. Why do you want to give that up for the task force?”

“I’m looking for something to fill my downtime.”

“Because you have so much of it?”

“More than I’d like.” He leaned against the dresser, crossing his legs at the ankles. “Simon does a lot of his own investigating. Plus, Paige has been looking to do more.”

“Was this Simon’s idea?”

“No. But he’s not opposed to it, either.”

“What if the podcast becomes a conflict of interest? Would you quit working for Simon altogether?”

He didn’t appear the least bit fazed by her questions, and she liked that he wasn’t.

“If it came down to it, I’d do what was in the best interest of everyone.”

“That’s not a yes.”

He smirked. “You’re right. It’s not.”

“Do you not like hypotheticals? Because this job requires quite a bit of that line of thinking.”

His smile was warm. “I can’t say I’m bothered by hypotheticals, no.”

JJ stared at him for a moment, letting the silence linger, wondering whether or not he felt the need to fill it. When he didn’t say anything and he didn’t break eye contact, she smiled.

“Did Brantley warn you about me?”

He chuckled. “He might’ve mentioned the task force wouldn’t succeed without you and that I should remember that if nothing else.”

Damn it. A flood of tears rushed to her eyes. Her sinuses burned, but she fought the urge to let them fall.

Stupid pregnancy hormones.

She sniffled and managed a smile. “I like you, Archer Halligan.”

“I like you, too, Jessica James.”

Brantley was right to like this guy. Eventually, she would have to tell him that. One day. Maybe.