Chapter 4 #2
“I know, gatinha .” He slid a hand between them and rubbed along the seam of her jeans.
She sucked on his tongue and the kiss turned wilder. He kept rubbing, wanting her naked, but he couldn’t do that out here. And he didn’t want to break the moment.
The ringing of a cell phone cut through the night. Ace cursed.
“Shit.” She shoved against him. He watched panic flood her eyes, and she pushed against his chest. “Off.”
Dammit . “Maggie—”
“We aren’t doing this, Ace.”
“Yes, we are,” he growled.
She shook her head, and Ace desperately wanted to kiss her again, but the phone kept ringing.
He muttered a curse. “That’s Vander’s ringtone.”
She made a sound and dropped back. Ace took a second to look at her face. She wasn’t conventionally beautiful, but she was striking, with her pointed chin and liquid-dark eyes.
He rose and made no effort to hide his raging hard-on. Her gaze dropped, and even in the dim lighting, he could tell she was blushing.
He grabbed his cell phone. “Yeah.”
There was a pause. “I’m interrupting?” Vander asked.
“I’m guessing you wouldn’t be calling on a Saturday night if it wasn’t important.”
“Yeah. Saxon and I are doing a small, last-minute job tonight. I need you to run some intel and handle comms for me.”
Ace blew out a breath. “Okay. I’ll get on it. Send me the details and I’ll get some searches running. Then I need to drop someone home and I’ll be on the job.”
Vander cursed. “Didn’t know you had company.”
“It’s okay. Work is work. I won’t leave you and Saxon hanging.”
“Thanks, Ace.”
This might help buy him some points for when Vander found out what was going down with him and Maggie.
He met her gaze. She’d risen, her body stiff, and he could see she was rebuilding that prickly shell of hers.
Oh, no, gatinha, I’m not letting you run away from me again. “I need—”
She nodded. “I heard. And I have my Jeep, so no need to drop me home.”
They headed back inside.
“Let me grab some shoes.” He flicked on the TV. “I just need a few minutes in my office to set some searches running.”
“I can—”
“I’m walking you to your car, Maggie. And fair warning, I’m kissing you again.”
Her chin jerked up. “No kissing. That was a mistake.”
Cute. He’d never guessed sharp-edged Maggie Lopez could be cute.
“We’ll see.” He strode into his home office. Ace checked his computer, found the email from Vander, and set up the searches. Then he stopped in his bedroom to grab some shoes and a jacket.
Back in the living room, Maggie was watching the news. When she saw him, she rose from the couch, then her head whipped around to the TV.
“—body found in the Muir Woods National Monument today. The victim had been murdered, although police aren’t providing any details. The victim has been identified as Adrian Marks of Portola. Mr. Marks was a city building inspector.”
The man’s picture blinked up on screen. Blond, ordinary-looking, maybe forty-five.
Maggie gasped.
“Maggie?” Ace stepped closer. She’d turned as white as a sheet. “Maggie?” He helped her sit on the arm of his couch. “Do you know that guy?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “He looks a little like one of the scientists I took out to Muir Woods yesterday.” She shook her head. “But I flew all three of them back, very much alive.”
“So, it can’t be one of your clients.”
“Right.” Her brow furrowed and she stared at the screen until the story changed. “And they were scientists studying the redwoods, not building inspectors.” She shook her head and rose. “Okay, I’ll go so you can help out the boss man.”
Ace walked her to her ancient green Jeep, then pinned her against it, now reluctant to let her leave.
“Oliveira.” She shoved against him.
He didn’t budge. “I want to see you tomorrow. We can talk more.” He rubbed his nose against hers.
Her body trembled. “We aren’t getting involved, Ace. We have enough complications to deal with.”
“Okay.”
She eyed him suspiciously.
“But we do need to talk. Come over for lunch tomorrow.”
“You might have a late night.”
“I’ll text you in the morning. I’ll probably need to debrief with Vander, but I’ll keep you posted.”
She nodded.
Then he leaned in. He felt her stiffen, just as he closed his mouth over hers. Just like that, need hit him in the gut. He opened his mouth and her head dropped back. Her hands slid up his back. He swallowed her moan and they clung to each other, going at it against her Jeep.
When he lifted his head, they were both panting.
“I said no kissing,” she murmured. Her cheeks were flushed.
“No, you didn’t. Fuck, I don’t want to let you go.”
She licked her lips, and she looked like she was fighting some internal battle.
With a groan, he kissed her again. He slid his hands to her denim clad ass and gave it a squeeze.
It took one second before she was responding, her tongue sliding against his.
Ace lifted his head. “Go. Another second and I’ll be dragging you inside.”
“No, you wouldn’t, because we aren’t doing this. No kissing, no touching.”
He just smiled at her.
She scowled and pulled in a breath. “Thanks for dinner.”
She opened the door of her Jeep and slid inside. He leaned in through the open door. “Drive safely, and text me when you get home.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m a big girl, Oliveira. I’ve been driving myself around for years.”
“Yeah, well, I can still taste your lips and you’re pregnant.”
Her gaze flew up to his, and the air charged. He realized it was the first time he’d brought it up himself. His gut churned.
“Text me,” he said.
“All right.”
“Night, gatinha .”
“Night, Ace.”
He watched her drive away until her brake lights disappeared from view.
He still wasn’t on an even keel about this pregnancy, but he wanted Maggie. She’d be here tomorrow and they’d sort some things out.
For now, he headed inside to call Vander.