Chapter 3 #2
I backed away with my other hand in the air as if I was surrendering.
In the time she’d taken to make the coffee, I’d done a complete scan of the bistro.
While the Russians were still down for the count since we’d lured them into an attack, I seriously doubted they’d try something stupid and in the middle of broad daylight for an act of revenge, but we’d learned to be very careful.
With the coffee in the holder, I headed out, wondering how well the mystery woman with attitude would get along with my sister. They were equally hot blooded.
The one thing that ensuring my sister was safe reminded me of was that there was danger for the family lurking in the shadows, more so now. The cops weren’t on our tails for anything, but we weren’t completely legitimate, which meant any sense of impropriety and our schedules were interrupted.
In my mind, I was laying additional credence as to reasons I should at least have a conversation with the beautiful redhead.
My thoughts continued to drift to the copper-haired beauty, admitting to myself that I wished I’d gotten her name. What the hell was wrong with me? I was going to let my brain take control, instead of my dick.
Then why was it that I missed the turn leading to the warehouse, instead finding myself taking the same path as the day before? And of course that would eventually lead me straight past the veterinary office.
After making a few turns.
“What the hell are you doing?” My question was asked out loud. As if I had a decent answer.
Did I really have that strong of an interest in her?
Yep. Apparently, I did because I wasn’t going to turn around.
What was I hoping to achieve? Strong-arming the woman’s name?
Even if I could convince the frumpy receptionist that I wasn’t some crazed killer and only a man who ran down dogs in a park, then what?
They certainly wouldn’t offer her address. Not a chance.
Of course, I could discover who she was right down to her bra size.
A tantalizing thirty-six C. I had no doubt. They would fit perfectly in my hands and I was a tits man. There was no denying it. Why would I even think about using a powerful software system to hunt down private details about her life? I laughed at myself for such idiocy.
Then I realized while I’d been daydreaming, I managed to track down the veterinarian’s office and was in the parking lot. What the hell?
I sat with the engine running for a full minute before turning it off. Why not just try to learn her name. What could it hurt? I could walk away and never bother finding out if Indiana was okay. That would be the decent thing to do. Right?
After all, I’d been the one to cause the accident. If I were a decent man, which I wasn’t, I would find out if he was okay.
“Great. What the fuck are you doing?” Asking the questions out loud wasn’t like me any more than taking a second look at a woman after meeting and fucking her. Not that I’d fucked the beauty.
Yet.
The answer was right there. I was doing my job as the Underboss of the Prince Empire. The fact she was beautiful couldn’t stand in the way of doing what was necessary.
In my mind, I hoped she’d pass the test. I would hate to be forced to make an ugly decision.
I hadn’t been this frustrated and fidgeting since I was in high school. What was wrong with me? I grabbed the coffee to use as a prop and headed inside. The same girl was behind the desk and I could tell by the look on her face she remembered me as well.
With the sexiest smile I could muster, I leaned over the counter. “Good morning. Maybe you remember me.”
“You can’t forget a man who injures an animal.”
This wasn’t going to be easy. “I honestly didn’t mean to. The dog ran out in the road.”
She lifted her head, but the gaze didn’t change. She was furious I was still breathing. As I was certain the mystery woman would be.
“I assume the charges were placed on my card.”
“Yes, they were. I made certain of it. Although not the charges I was hoping for.”
Everyone was a comedian.
Why did I have feeling she’d charged every other one of the day’s invoices onto my card as well? “Excellent. By the way. You wouldn’t happen to know her name, would you? The woman who came in with Indiana, I mean.”
“We’re not allowed to give out any information. There are rules against doing so. There are nutcases everywhere in this world.”
I allowed a smile and leaned further over. “Yes, you are correct about that, Lauren.” I’d taken a quick glance at her nametag. “However, in this instance I simply wanted to send Indiana a get well soon gift. Call it a gesture of good will for my part in the horrible accident.”
She backed away as if I’d frightened her. Maybe I had. Maybe I didn’t mind doing so. “You’ll need to ask her yourself.”
Wow. Now I was getting frustrated. “If I knew her name, I’d be happy to do that, but since I don’t, I can’t. Can I?”
“She’s still here.”
“What do you mean she’s still here?”
“Just what I’m telling you. She never left last night, insistent on staying with Indiana. Good dog moms do that. Anyone who cares about an animal does that.”
The girl obviously didn’t know she was antagonizing someone who could make a single phone call and easily destroy her life.
Down, boy. Down. You’re not here to fight.
For once my conscience had awakened. What a nice change. “Where is she?”
“She’s in the back.”
“Thank you very much.” I headed for the door where I’d taken Indiana.
“Sir, you can’t go in there.”
I stopped just before heading inside. “I can do anything I want.” I winked and walked in, shocking the people standing in the back. I scanned the room quickly, finding Indiana’s mama dog sitting on the floor with her back against a cage. Inside was Indiana.
Her eyes were closed, her hand inside touching him. Even in her quiet state, she appeared distraught. And still very beautiful. Hair had slipped from her ponytail, her long legs crossed at her ankles. She quite literally took my breath away.
Fortunately for those in the room, they didn’t try to stop me.
As soon as I approached, Indiana lifted his head, flicking his tail against the bars.
He looked so sad, but his eyes were much brighter than they’d been the afternoon before.
Since she didn’t move, I had to assume she was asleep.
I placed my finger over my lips, hoping he understood I was telling him to be quiet.
Without hesitating, I sat down next to her, keeping just enough of a distance between us so as to not awaken her.
Sleeping beauty.
Her nose wrinkled a few seconds later and her long eyelashes skimmed across her cheeks just before she opened her eyes. Yawning, she stretched slightly, her hand accidentally touching me. The realization someone had crowded her space startled her and she snapped her head toward me.
Even in a sleepy haze, recognition was almost instantaneous. Now those lovely eyes flecked with gold opened wide. “What are you doing here?” Her gaze fell to the cup in my hand, her tongue involuntarily darting out to touch her bottom lip.
Dammit. She should refrain from doing anything remotely sexy around me. Wasn’t she aware that I was a predatory beast?
“I thought I’d check on Indiana.”
Obviously wary of me, she pulled back as much as the confines of the cage would allow, but her gaze was concentrated to the cup in my hand. “Is that coffee?”
Her eagerness was surprising. “Yes, the best in the city.”
“Ha. I seriously doubt that.” Even after what she’d said and the disdain still firmly imbedded in her voice, she took the cup from me, trying and failing to keep our fingers from colliding.
When they did, the same somewhat crazy jolt of electricity drifted from one to the other.
This time she refused to react to our chemistry, grasping the cup instead.
Her eyes closed again as she brought the cup to her lips. The way she reacted when she took a sip was as if I’d brought her the finest bottle of champagne. “Mmmm…”
“I told you. The best in the city.”
She didn’t answer me at first, taking time to enjoy the coffee. When she finally held out the cup, noticing the Indulgence logo, her nose and brow wrinkled this time. Not in a good way. “Overpriced for what you get, but beggars can’t be choosers.”
“Why overpriced?”
“Because the beans come from Mexico instead of Brazil. They aren’t nearly as good.”
I’d never had a single person criticize our beans and where they’d come from. I wanted to argue with the woman, but what was the point? “I’ll keep that in mind. How is Indiana?”
She finally seemed to remember why some stranger had found himself on a cold concrete floor next to her. “He had a good night.”
“The prognosis?”
“No internal injuries or broken bones. We were lucky. Just bumps and bruises. His blood test was a little off, so they decided to keep him overnight and give him some saline. He was a little dehydrated.” She sounded relieved.
I definitely was.
“That’s good to hear. Have you been here all night?”
She nodded. “That’s where I was supposed to be. He was scared. I couldn’t leave him all alone.”
“Very admirable.”
“Just being a mommy dog.” I leaned back, uncertain what to say to her. She laughed softly. “Was this your coffee?”
“It was, but I don’t mind if you drink it.”
Every time she eyed me warily, I could tell she was trying to figure out who I was and why the hell I’d bothered to act as if I cared.
I continued to ask myself the same question.
“Ms. Samuels?” An older man approached, eyeing me even more warily than she’d just done. At least I had her last name.
She bristled immediately. “Yes?” The anguish in her voice returned.
“The second tests came back. Indiana Jones is just fine. You can take him home. If you’ll just wait in the reception area, we’ll unhook the IV and get his paperwork ready so you can go.”
“Thank you, Dr. Carter. I appreciate everything you’ve done.”
“Of course.” He offered me another contemptuous look before backing away. It would seem my reputation had preceded me.
She shoved the cup into my hand and curled around toward Indiana. “You’re getting out of here, buddy. I’m going to call Tilly and she’ll come pick us up.”
He whined, his tail thumping harder, even trying to claw his way through the bars to get to her. That was true love. That much I did remember.
“That’s nonsense. I’m here. Why don’t I take you both home?”
“As I said, Tilly will come get us.”
When she rose to her feet, so did I. I moved in front, so she’d be forced to look at me directly. “Are you afraid of me, Ms. Samuels?”
While her body language suggested otherwise, she was still cautious and I couldn’t blame her. There truly were thousands of crazies in the world. “Do I need to be?”
“Many in this town would tell you yes, but if I was dangerous, why would I have returned bringing you coffee and checking on Indiana’s condition?”
“There were dozens of serial killers who did completely normal things, including living a fairytale life, loved by all those who knew them only to be monsters behind locked doors while lurking in the shadows.”
“Wow. You’re right. But if I was a serial killer, why would I allow all these people to see the two of us together?”
Damn it if she didn’t bite her lower lip this time. The woman was killing me. “You have a decent point, but since I can tell you’re very cunning, I wouldn’t put anything past you.”
How could I not grin when I had a woman standing in front of me in day-old running clothes with slightly mussed hair that I wanted to fist while driving my cock into her tight pussy?
Even after a long, no doubt sleepless night, she was without a doubt the most beautiful woman I’d ever set my eyes on.
So here I was, taking her twisted verbal bantering, egging it on and hoping for more. I had no problem taking her home, no matter where it was, even if it meant missing an appointment and the joy obtained from my brand of interrogation.
Just to spend a little more time with her.
She looked away, debating what to say and I happened to notice we had an audience. Four women were quite eager to hear her answer.
“I promise you that I won’t bite. That is unless you ask me to.”
For that outrageous comment I was afforded a warm blush spreading across her jaw in a sweet, silent sweep. “I assure you I won’t.”
“There’s something you will need to learn about me. I never take no for an answer. I will be taking you home.”
“Wow. Such absolute arrogance. I bet you were a bully as a little boy.”
Her biting comment had the kind of fire that continually aroused me. “You might be surprised. That doesn’t change the fact I’ll be your chariot ride home.”
Her grin was slow to spread across her face, the final product full of angry mischief.
“Alright. If you need to clear your conscience so you can go about the rest of your life without guilt, then fine. You can take me home.”
Why did I feel as if my decision would come back to haunt me?
At least the excuse was in play. If she passed it, she would live a long and healthy life. I wasn’t ready to think about the alternative.
And why did I know myself well enough to realize that taking her home wouldn’t be nearly enough.
I’d need much more.