Page 56 of Stripping Bare

It was obvious they’d missed something. Some reason this person wanted to lash out at them. What did they have in common? Steele Trap and the night of her attack,primarily.

“From his little speech at the end,” Jonah said, “it looks like he wants medowntown.”

“When I was there yesterday, it wasn’t packed, but enough people were on the street that you’ll need me to help you navigate and runinterference.”

“You won’t get out of thecar.”

“How do you expect me to help you when I can’t see you or talk toyou?”

He gave her a quick squeeze, then stalked over to a floor-to-ceiling cabinet. When he opened the door, it became apparent that he owned every technical gadget, charging cord, and device known to man. He rummaged through, cussing under his breath until he found what he apparentlywanted.

“We’ll connect you to my headset for sound. Then I’ll wire you with a different mic so you can communicate with me.” He turned back to Tessa and gave her a once-over that was more clinical than sexual. “Which means you have to put on someclothes.”

He was right. This was more important than their unfinished business with one another. Within ten minutes, Tessa had changed into a pair of pants and a collared silk shirt and was backdownstairs.

Jonah took one look at her and said, “Unbutton.”

What she wouldn’t give to hear him say that in a needy tone instead of one that was all too businesslike. But when she slipped the small mother-of-pearl buttons from their holes, she noticed that Jonah was staring hard at the bundle of wires in hishands.

He wanted her. She knew that now. She just needed to figure out how to get him to admit it and act on it. Act on itall theway.

“This battery pack can hook to your waistband.” He hesitated, his hands hovering near herwaist.

She grabbed the fabric and pulled it away from her body. When he clipped the gizmo onto her pants, his knuckles skimmed her stomach, making goose bumps break out on her skin and causing her nipples to tighten. Impossible to miss since her blouse was hanging open, exposing herbra.

“Then this wire goes up and you can clip it to your…” He motioned in the vague vicinity of herchest.

Uh-uh.He would not get off this easy. She moved her shoulders, which allowed her shirt to slip down her arms. “Why don’t you do it? Make sure it’s secured correctly. Or if you’re not willing to put your hands on me again, then I’ll go out and find this personmyself.”

“The hell you will.” He grabbed her by the waistband and jerked her toward him. And oh, was it wrong that his action sent a little thrill through her body that landed directly between herthighs?

She wanted to make Jonah Steele lose the restraint he always seemed to have aroundher.

His hands were steady and sure as he threaded the black wire under the middle of her bra. The plastic was cool against her skin, but nothing could tame the heat Jonah’s nearness kindled in her. He fastened the clip to her bra cup, skimming her nipple in theprocess.

But the second and third time he brushed his knuckles across the fabric? Those were noaccident.

They were going to finish what they’d started earlier if she had to tie him to a bed. And oh, wasn’t that a picture for the memory books? His long, lean body stretched out for her to look at, touch, and taste at herleisure.

“What…” She had to clear the frogginess from her throat. “What aboutvideo?”

“I have a Bluetooth transmitter that’ll relay a camera feed to the display on mydashboard.”

“I’d rather track him withyou.”

“I’d rather you weren’t there atall.”

Car display it was. Tessa buttoned up her shirt and reached for her purse while Jonah stuffed gear into abackpack.

It only took them a few minutes to drive from Jonah’s house into town. But rather than park on Main as Tessa had yesterday, Jonah veered off to a side street and pulled in near a Barron’s Parksign.

He rummaged through the backpack until he came up with the goggles, headset, and gauntlets. Once he’d fiddled around with some settings, he slipped the phone into the front of the goggles, then clipped on something else. “External camera,” he explained, tapping above the car’s display screen. “It’ll feed straight into here. You’ll need to keep the car in auxiliary mode so it’ll stayon.”

“Anything in particular I shoulddo?”

“These goggles switch from full VR mode to ARmode.”

“AR?”