Innocent Next Door (Military Men Book 1) (7 page)

Winked, by God
.

His brain changed from park to drive in two seconds flat, and he half rose from his chair. A second later, he hit reverse with a loud shriek of brakes. He dropped back to the padded cushion with a soft thud. Something akin to shock ricocheted through the rational part of his mind.

Summer was years younger than him—still a babe in terms of experience. He had no business kissing her, no business lusting after her. Every relationship in his life so far, from the parental one to Laura had failed. Hell, even his latest mission. It was best if he didn’t leave the starting gates this time. In the future, the visuals he’d promised Henry would suffice. He’d treat Summer Williams like a no-fire zone and keep his hands off.

But even as he made the decision, he couldn’t tear his gaze from the sway of her hips under the black denim skirt, and before he even gave it a second thought, his gaze moved on to her rounded breasts. Whoa—no bra.

Someone ought to give that girl a good talking to. He swallowed, opened his mouth and shut it again so quickly his teeth clunked. He averted his gaze. He was not going there. He’d eat breakfast, say his piece about Martin and leave her to do what she would with the intel.

After Summer brought up the subject.

She slid an empty white plate in front of him and handed over a knife and fork. She dropped into the chair opposite and stretched out her legs under the table.

Nikolai jolted at the brush of her limbs and thanked God he hadn’t gone with a pair of shorts. He resettled his legs and exhaled.

“Bacon?”

He nodded. Instead of handing him the plate, she speared a piece of bacon with a fork and leaned toward him to place it on his plate. Her flimsy blouse gaped at the neck, exposing creamy curves. Spectacular, mature curves with dusky nipples. His gaze fixed with superglue intensity. A whoosh of heat suffused his body, muscles tightened all over, in places that had no business reacting. His cock ached as blood pooled low, priming him for action.

“Ah, that…that’s enough bacon.”

She beamed, an innocent siren’s smile that wound his insides so tight he thought he might shatter.

“How many pancakes?”

Nikolai nodded.

The siren’s smile brightened, beckoning him closer, luring him and creating havoc of his earlier resolutions. Damn, he wanted to play so much his hands shook.

She laughed softly. “I’ll give you two to start with.”

This time she picked up a pair of tongs and deftly transferred the pancakes to his plate. He caught another glimpse of her breasts, and his dick tightened with painful intensity.

He grasped the wrist holding the tongs. “Stop it.”

“What?” The smile that bloomed was innocent, but the glint in her blue eyes didn’t come close.

Nikolai’s gaze was snared again by the rise and fall of her breasts. “You know what I mean,” he snapped. “Don’t do it.”

Ohhh! This was fun
. Summer fought the blooming grin with all she had. His hand shackled her wrist, holding her firm, yet he tempered his strength, not inflicting pain. She stared into the swirling depths of his dark eyes. Her breasts tingled when she faced the stormy heat burning in his gaze. She moistened her bottom lip, reliving the taste of him, the sensation of his mouth against hers.

Then she closed one eye in another wink. “Would you like syrup with that?”

Nikolai swore, his curse another original. She took mental note to keep it for the next time her brothers tried to interfere in her life.

“Martin’s family is involved in crime.” The statement was delivered in a flat tone as he released her wrist. He leaned back in his chair and waited.

“A crime family? What do you mean?”

“His family fronts an organized crime ring. Stay away from Martin. He’s bad news.” He picked up the bottle of maple syrup, drizzled it over his pancakes and calmly began to eat.

Summer blinked. She should be angry, but he wouldn’t make up this stuff. Truth and honor radiated from him. She glanced at his bent head and frowned as he crunched on crispy bacon. “Nikolai, I’m not stupid. If I had the slightest clue Dare was involved in something illegal, I’d run a mile. You can’t tell me he’s part of a crime family and not give me details. Spill.”

“You told me not to interfere.” He cut into his pancakes with a precise incision that would have done a surgeon proud. His jaw moved as he chewed stoically, ignoring her questions.

Her hands tingled with a mighty urge to hit him or at least seize him by the shirt and give him a good shake until answers spilled forth. Cripes, and men thought women were unpredictable. She reached over and made a grab for his hands. “
Stop
.”

Dark brows rose, but he didn’t pretend innocence. “I can’t tell you where I got the intel, but the source is good.”

She gritted her teeth. Shaking was looking good. “What else did they say?”

“Rumor is that Martin has taken over from his father and is intent on putting his stamp on the business.”

“He’s a restaurateur. The family owns several restaurants in the Auckland region.”

Nikolai picked up his knife and fork. “Good places to launder money.”

“All right. Say the rumors are true. Why haven’t the police done anything?”

“Because they’re too clever to get caught.”

An idea sprouted. She tossed it around, considered it from several angles and decided it was a keeper. “I wonder if the police have anyone undercover.”

His eating utensils clunked onto his plate. His hand whipped out to snare her right wrist and her attention. “
Don’t even think it.
It’s a damn-fool idea.”

“But if the man’s a criminal—”

“No.” His eyes were hard, his expression flat.

Big, bad SAS man mode
. She glanced pointedly at her shackled wrist. “Are you going to let me go any time soon?”

Nikolai dropped her wrist as if he’d been scorched by fire. “Henry should have locked you up. Throwing away the key would’ve worked too.”

Summer glared back. “He did the next best thing—he gave me you.” And thank the Lord he did. Teasing Nikolai got the adrenaline going, her own personal energy drink.

Nikolai scowled. “So we’re agreed. You’re not going to see Martin again.”

Okay, enough was enough. “I enjoy Dare’s company. He’s a
gentleman
.”

“Maybe my manners and clothes could use a bit of work, but at least with me, what you see is what you get.”

Summer gave up trying to eat. “I can’t ditch Dare without a good reason.”

“Women do it all the time.”

“I’m not most women.”

Nikolai rolled his eyes. “Hell, you’re not wrong there. No wonder Henry wanted a babysitter.”

“Look, Dare and I have gone out a couple of times. So what? We’re just friends. Unless I see proof with my own eyes, I’m going to keep seeing him.”

“From what I saw, you’re more than friends.”

Summer stilled. “What are you talking about?”

“The lip-lock last night.”

“Were you spying on me?”

Nikolai avoided her glare. “I was worried.”

“I should point out we were lip-locked not long ago.”

The instant the words left her mouth, the air in the kitchen thickened. Awareness pulsed between them, and Summer couldn’t have looked away from him under threat of gunfire. Every part of her body ached for his touch.

“That was a mistake.”

She shrugged. “Didn’t feel like one to me.”

After two beats of pregnant silence, Nikolai shot to his feet. “I’ve got to go.”

“Running away?” Summer asked in her sweetest voice.

“It’s the right thing to do.”

She didn’t agree but knew there was no point arguing the point. “Whatever.” She watched him hobble from the kitchen, and once he reached the door, she said, “I’ll let you know if I need help with my investigation.”

He whirled so quickly, he almost caught her grin before she wiped her expression clean. His glare was dark, his eyes stormy as he snarled, “Over my dead body.”

Chapter Six

“I think that went well,” Summer remarked to Joe, Veronica’s pudgy, black cat.

The slam of the door made them both stare in that direction, then Joe returned to his grooming schedule. She pulled a face and stood to clear the half-eaten remains of their breakfast.

The phone rang just as she was drying her hands.

Her insides did a shimmy at the familiar voice. “Hi, Dare. I enjoyed last night.”

“I did too.” His smoky voice slid down the line, smooth as expensive brandy. “What are you doing today? I forgot to ask last night.”

Good timing
. She wanted to start her investigation straightaway. She checked her watch. “I’ve got a Tae Kwon Do lesson this morning, but apart from that I don’t have anything planned.”

“How does an afternoon at the beach sound and a barbecue afterward?”

“Sounds great.”

“Good. My family has a bach at Maraetai Beach. You’ll meet my two brothers and three sisters.”

Summer did a silent high-five on hearing the invitation to visit their holiday home. She couldn’t have planned things better. Once she met Dare’s family, she’d have an idea of what to do next. “What time?”

“How does two sound?” He paused. “Why don’t you bring an overnight bag in case the barbecue runs late, hmm?”

“But—” The phone went dead before she finished. If Nikolai was right, she wouldn’t get involved any further with Dare. And she certainly wasn’t going to sleep with the man. “Well, doggone it. What am I going to do now? And how am I going to get past the big, bad SAS man?”

* * * * *

Sashay, with her nose in the air.

That was how she managed the task. Nervous tension bubbled in her tummy and choked her throat, pushing for freedom in the form of a hysterical giggle. But she made it to the car in one piece despite his black glower.

“Does that man always glare?” Dare asked as he seated her in the passenger seat of a black sports car.

“Afraid so,” she said cheerfully. Now that she was inside the car, she felt marginally safer. “Just ignore him. I do.”

The car started with a throaty purr.

Summer turned her attention to the soft, butter-colored upholstery. “I’ve never driven in a convertible before. Does this car belong to you too?”

“What do you think? It’s new. I picked it up this morning. You’re my very first passenger.”

“I love it.” She gestured at her old, dented car. “I’m obviously in the wrong business.”

“Stick with me, sweetheart, and we’ll go places.” As he spoke, he reached out and squeezed her bare knee. “My family is looking forward to meeting you.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting them too.” And asking all sorts of questions. Her family might be overprotective, but they’d taught her a thing or two about interrogation.

“So, have I kept you too busy to read your romances?”

Summer tucked a strand of blue hair behind one ear. “I’ve read one.” In the middle of the night, to take her mind off Nikolai.

“How often do you get to the bookshop on High Street?”

She saluted at Nikolai as they sped off. She imagined his expression but refrained from glancing back to check the depth of his disapproval. “Once or twice a week. It’s not far from the library. They stock a lot of my favorite authors.”

“Romance,” he teased with a sideward glance, as he paused at a give way sign.

“You’re as bad as my brothers. I like reading romance, and I refuse to apologize for my habit.”

“I don’t get to the shop often. I usually ring my orders through and get someone to pick them up for me.”

“If you need anything collected let me know. At least if I do it, you won’t end up with the wrong package.” She tossed him a smile while her mind worked at hyper-speed. So far, so good. Tomorrow, after her Tae Kwon Do class, she’d mine books from the library for help. She was bound to pick up a few investigation hints from Stephanie Plum.

* * * * *

Nikolai couldn’t believe the woman. Given his threats, he’d thought the clotheshorse would be history. Obviously, he was losing his touch.

He was definitely losing his mind.

He headed for his kitchen at a lope and mentally thanked his Hitler-wannabe physiotherapist for pushing him. The knee was starting to feel as though it belonged to him again. He grabbed his phone and keys then raced for his car. Two seconds later, he returned to snatch a cap. He jammed it on his head and hustled back outside.

Gravel spat as he reversed from his garage and shot down the road on the heels of Martin and Summer. The speedometer edged upward. He jabbed a button on his phone and held it to his ear while he negotiated a corner.

“Yo.”

“Louie, it’s Nik. Remember that guy I had you run a check on?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you remember if he has a beach house?” The beach was a safe bet. Summer had carried a bright-colored towel in the top of that orange basket of hers, and she’d been wearing shorts. Nikolai swallowed at the memory. Brief shorts that had highlighted her long legs. He imagined them entwined around him—

“No beach house.”

Damn. “What about his family?”

The clear tap of fingers on a keyboard filtered down the phone line. Nikolai was coming up to the motorway turnoff. He’d have to decide which way to go. “Hurry up,” he muttered.

“Jeez, man, I heard that. I’m the one doing you a favor.”

Chastened, he apologized. “Sorry.” He slowed the car as he approached the turnoff. Still no sign of the black car. Which way should he go? They could have gone to any number of beaches around Auckland.

“The parents own a waterfront house at Maraetai.”

“Yes!” Nikolai zipped past the motorway turnoff toward Papakura. “Where? What’s the street number?”

Louie rattled off the details.

“Thanks, Lou. I owe you.”

“I wouldn’t mind a day at the beach. Jake and I will meet you there.”

Nikolai grinned as the phone clicked in his ear, and he turned the car toward Clevedon and Maraetai beach.

* * * * *

Summer burrowed her bare feet into the sand and small, pulverized shells. She leaned back on her elbows, lazily grinning while the sun beat down from overhead. The sharp tang of coconut filled the air as Natasha, one of Dare’s sisters, applied suntan lotion to her legs and arms.