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Authors: Sarah Castille
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her like laser beams. “I wanted to come in.”
His answer was oddly comforting. Two years later and he was still incontrovertibly direct.
“Most people would take the closed door as a refusal and not an invitation.”
He kicked aside a few splinters. “I took it as a challenge.”
Everything below Lana’s waist tightened. “Like when you saw Rex with me in the club?”
James stopped in front of her, so close she could feel the heat radiate off his body. “That was a disaster waiting to happen. You’re lucky I arrived when I did.”
“Lucky,” she whispered, although she didn’t know why. The part of her that wanted him gone didn’t think she was lucky at all. Life would have been easier if she’d never seen him again.
He studied her for a long moment, then looked away, hands clenched, jaw twitching. “I’m glad to see you listened to me for once. I was worried you’d already be on your way to the clubhouse.”
“I’m still planning to go. Jackie came over to help me decide what would be short and tight enough to wear to a biker barbeque.”
His gaze slid over to Jackie. She batted her long movie-star eyelashes from her vantage point at the kitchen door. He gave her a dazzling smile, all crinkled eyes and boyish charm. Then his gaze returned to Lana and his smile faded.
She shrugged at the question in his eyes. “I would introduce you, but I don’t know what name you go by, and since you’re leaving anyway, it doesn’t matter.”
“Ice.” He nodded at Jackie.
“Jackie.” She cracked a grin. “So you’re the hot undercover cop. I’ve heard a lot about you. Mostly bad things. I’m afraid as Lana’s best friend I have a duty to hate you vicariously for breaking her heart, which is a shame because you’re kind of cute, and the whole kicking down the door thing…” She fanned herself and finished with a light giggle.
Lana glared at her friend and fumed. Jackie never giggled. She laughed, cackled and chuckled, but she never, ever giggled. Cutesy was just not Jackie’s style. Clearly, she had just lost her only ally to James’s panty-melting smile.
“Jackie!”
Jackie had the good grace to blush. “Sorry. I’ll just hustle over to the window and make myself busy looking out on the street.”
“You don’t have to worry about her,” Lana said to James. “Despite her recent demonstration of disloyalty, she would never betray you. She’s a PI too, and we work together. She understands about confidentiality, although she lacks discretion when it comes to my personal life.”
“Maybe I should wait in your bedroom,” Jackie mused. “I can find you something short and tight to wear to the barbeque.” She gave James a wink. Lana had a sudden urge to smack her over the head with the bag of Oreos.
James turned his attention back to Lana. “What’s going on, babe? I’ve told you twice now it’s too dangerous to keep pretending you’re my old lady. You’ve always been headstrong but never suicidal.”
“I have a job to do,” she snapped. “It may not be as important as yours. I’m not saving the world or putting hoards of bad guys in jail, but it’s important to me and my client.”
“Angel.”
Lana sucked in a sharp breath. How the hell did he know? She had been very careful not to mention Angel’s name. In the PI business, confidentiality was paramount.
“I can’t disclose my client’s identity. You know that.”
James folded his arms and huffed out a breath. “I know it’s Angel. You were in Carpe Noctem before everyone except Rex. I might have believed it was a coincidence until I saw you outside the clubhouse. Neither the police nor anyone in the underworld would hire a PI. He and Angel are having problems. She’s the type to go behind his back. It’s gotta be her.”
“I can’t…”
Before she could finish, James cut her off. “I need to understand what’s going on, babe. You’ve got yourself in some serious trouble. You know I won’t break
His answer was oddly comforting. Two years later and he was still incontrovertibly direct.
“Most people would take the closed door as a refusal and not an invitation.”
He kicked aside a few splinters. “I took it as a challenge.”
Everything below Lana’s waist tightened. “Like when you saw Rex with me in the club?”
James stopped in front of her, so close she could feel the heat radiate off his body. “That was a disaster waiting to happen. You’re lucky I arrived when I did.”
“Lucky,” she whispered, although she didn’t know why. The part of her that wanted him gone didn’t think she was lucky at all. Life would have been easier if she’d never seen him again.
He studied her for a long moment, then looked away, hands clenched, jaw twitching. “I’m glad to see you listened to me for once. I was worried you’d already be on your way to the clubhouse.”
“I’m still planning to go. Jackie came over to help me decide what would be short and tight enough to wear to a biker barbeque.”
His gaze slid over to Jackie. She batted her long movie-star eyelashes from her vantage point at the kitchen door. He gave her a dazzling smile, all crinkled eyes and boyish charm. Then his gaze returned to Lana and his smile faded.
She shrugged at the question in his eyes. “I would introduce you, but I don’t know what name you go by, and since you’re leaving anyway, it doesn’t matter.”
“Ice.” He nodded at Jackie.
“Jackie.” She cracked a grin. “So you’re the hot undercover cop. I’ve heard a lot about you. Mostly bad things. I’m afraid as Lana’s best friend I have a duty to hate you vicariously for breaking her heart, which is a shame because you’re kind of cute, and the whole kicking down the door thing…” She fanned herself and finished with a light giggle.
Lana glared at her friend and fumed. Jackie never giggled. She laughed, cackled and chuckled, but she never, ever giggled. Cutesy was just not Jackie’s style. Clearly, she had just lost her only ally to James’s panty-melting smile.
“Jackie!”
Jackie had the good grace to blush. “Sorry. I’ll just hustle over to the window and make myself busy looking out on the street.”
“You don’t have to worry about her,” Lana said to James. “Despite her recent demonstration of disloyalty, she would never betray you. She’s a PI too, and we work together. She understands about confidentiality, although she lacks discretion when it comes to my personal life.”
“Maybe I should wait in your bedroom,” Jackie mused. “I can find you something short and tight to wear to the barbeque.” She gave James a wink. Lana had a sudden urge to smack her over the head with the bag of Oreos.
James turned his attention back to Lana. “What’s going on, babe? I’ve told you twice now it’s too dangerous to keep pretending you’re my old lady. You’ve always been headstrong but never suicidal.”
“I have a job to do,” she snapped. “It may not be as important as yours. I’m not saving the world or putting hoards of bad guys in jail, but it’s important to me and my client.”
“Angel.”
Lana sucked in a sharp breath. How the hell did he know? She had been very careful not to mention Angel’s name. In the PI business, confidentiality was paramount.
“I can’t disclose my client’s identity. You know that.”
James folded his arms and huffed out a breath. “I know it’s Angel. You were in Carpe Noctem before everyone except Rex. I might have believed it was a coincidence until I saw you outside the clubhouse. Neither the police nor anyone in the underworld would hire a PI. He and Angel are having problems. She’s the type to go behind his back. It’s gotta be her.”
“I can’t…”
Before she could finish, James cut her off. “I need to understand what’s going on, babe. You’ve got yourself in some serious trouble. You know I won’t break
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