Red Hot Obsessions (89 page)

CHAPTER 1

The moment he walked into the room, my knees softened and I knew I was in trouble. But I didn’t know he’d flip my life upside down.

“How the fuck are we supposed to concentrate now?” Laura stared at the entrance to the auditorium with her mouth open. No, her mother had never washed her mouth out with soap. Neither had mine, but I reserved my colorful language for my job. In our line of work, our tough mouths sometimes turned out to be the best weapons. We weren’t hookers, if that’s where your mind is going, but little did I know that I would soon give up my job as a cop and walk the street like a veteran prostitute.

My gaze followed my best friend’s. The GQ cover-worthy stud had strolled in wearing a tailor-made suit. His calculated steps lengthened with confidence. He stopped by the sergeant’s desk, pulled his hands behind his back, and spread his legs ever so slightly apart, facing the fully seated lecture hall. For a moment, as he shifted his feet, the inseam of his pants touched a curve under his zipper. I squeezed my knees together as he readjusted to hide the piece underneath.

Warmth swooshed through my tummy.

“This is Mr. Cross from Cross Enterprises,” Sergeant Dwayne, our instructor in charge of explaining the new HR procedures, announced with a hint of well-camouflaged nerves in his voice. It was a rare sight to see him tense up like that.

I joined the rest of the squad in a long stare at the life-sized Ken doll as Cross slowly began scanning the seats starting at the front row.

“If you live in New York, it’s unlikely you haven’t heard of him. The application on your desk is for a vacant position at his company. This is an opportunity to put your skills to the test, people,” said Dwayne, a bit more relaxed as Cross’s attention flowed from one officer to another, in a perfect straight line of the first row.

Papers ruffled and everyone’s heads lowered to the questions.

Of course I had heard of Cross Enterprises, the top notch investigations and security firm, but I’d always pictured the owner as a man in his sixties with gray hair, or at least wearing a toupée. Mr. Cross had always kept out of the spotlight. Few people knew what he looked like and to my surprise, he sported near a physically impossible to attain physique. I wondered which gym he worked out at, but he probably had a personal trainer who catered to every beautiful muscle on his body which tried to squeeze from underneath the fit suit.

Cross’s keen gaze found the second row, and I inhaled sharply. Most attendees had already begun filling out the application, but something about him held me still. My breath locked in my lungs, and then released at the same time he exhaled. His motions were steady. A slight twitch pulsed on the side of his neck. The suit couldn’t be the attire of his choice. As comfortable as he wanted to appear, he wasn’t. Here, all dressed up, Cross stood out like a drop of black oil in white milk.

He prefers to blend in, I thought.

Unexpected heat flowed up my body as I pictured him in shorts, perhaps jeans, and a T-shirt, and I felt my mouth curve up. I began undressing him in my mind, only to change his clothes, of course: that seemed more civil than stripping him naked for my eyes to feast on. Cross’s cheeks held a natural tan, and though summer had passed a few weeks ago, the fresh layer of sun-kissed glow suited him. The hint of highlights in his hair accentuated the bronzed skin. For a moment I’d thought I’d seen him before. Or perhaps it was someone who resembled him? I’d definitely remember
this
man.

God, he is hot!

Cross glanced over the last officer in the row and began the controlled routine one level higher, now scanning from left to right. My stomach tightened and my palms began to sweat. I joined his unbroken stare over each person, waiting until he reached another row. Who was he searching for?

“Aren’t you going to apply?” Laura, my roommate and best friend, elbowed my ribcage. “I doubt there’s a woman here who wouldn’t like to work under him.”

It astounded me the rest of our female force held their heads down, instead of gawking like me, but they were a dedicated bunch. Not that I wasn’t. I should have been filling out the application too, but my eyes held all the power over my body now, and so did Cross.

As much as a job at Cross Enterprises could help me leave my past behind, I hesitated. Could I really work for Cross when the strength to control my own eyes vanished the minute he walked into the room? This wasn’t part of my life plan. I hadn’t expected to be taken aback by him, and I couldn’t allow any distractions. Plus, Cross didn’t strike me as the pen and paper type. The owner of a top private investigations firm in the country who never hired anyone in such public manner had to have people do that for him, didn’t he? Why was
he
here?

“I don’t know,” I whispered, and Laura resumed her fast scribbling.

Who in their right mind could shift their attention from one of the most powerful men in our state—perhaps even the country? And to top it off, Cross was so easy on the eyes.

I wondered whether he was looking for a female employee. My gut bubbled in agreement, unless it was the sushi I had for lunch. Either way, my gut was usually right, and I always followed my instincts that chose to guide me by bloating my stomach. But his dark eyes gave nothing away. Three quarters of our lecture hall were males, all drooling at the opportunity to work with Cross. If I had to bet, they were more interested in the perks that came along with the job. Rumors of world travel and dining at the most exclusive restaurants with floods of beautiful women escorting the Cross brothers were daily gossip around town. They were part of the few who could shut down a street without disclosing the details. I wished I’d paid more attention to the rumors. Perhaps a quick glance at the tabloids would have prepared me better.

Still, instead of writing, I stared.

One more row and he’d reach me. My pen slipped in my palm as I tightened my grip. His steady breaths rose his chest and I began to lose control of my pulse. What was it about him that captivated me? Even if he was the answer to my problems, something struck a nerve deep inside me. Familiar scars from the past painted his face the same way they had marked my heart.

His gaze moved to my row. One after another, he scanned the top of each head.

Three, two, one, I counted down as his hazel eyes came to rest on mine.

And he paused.

Not for long.

But he broke his momentum and held my gaze. I cocked my head to the right, wondering what he was thinking. Why stop on me?

What position are you hiring for?
But when he looked at me, the important questions I sought drifted away. The man had a way of seeping deep into my soul and covering each wound with a permanent band-aid. As if he knew I needed his help.

CHAPTER 2

“Is Cross Enterprises not good enough for you?” The sultry voice pinned me in my seat and I squeezed my eyes shut.

Shit!
I threw my head back, downing the third shot of tequila. Wasn’t it just this morning that Cross had come to our headquarters? I needed more time to think. I had to make sure my mother was safe before I applied for any new position.

“Why do you say that?” I swiveled on the stool. In my mind, questions of how he’d found me and why flooded in. The ‘how’ wasn’t that difficult to figure out. If he wanted to find an honest cab driver in Manhattan, he would.

“I hope you’re not driving.” He sat down beside me, free of his boring cut-out suit. Like I had imagined him, Cross now wore a white T-shirt and black jeans. A leather jacket completed the ‘I’m a normal guy’ outfit, mixing his easy style with a little
Grease.

“And you care because?” The bravado flowed out on the breath of my first shot of tequila, which has already worked itself into my bloodstream.

“Because I’ll be out on the road later and wouldn’t want to be your victim.”

The way he said ‘victim’ insinuated a deeper hunger, urging my thighs to tense.

“No, I’ll call a cab.” I gave in. I never gave in to anyone so quickly.

“Do you always swallow your shots in one gulp?” Cross leaned in closer. He seemed to have a habit of asking two-way questions. His mouth said one thing, but tone and body implied something else. A yearning I’d wanted discovered; preferably in his bed.

I narrowed my brows, trying to play his little game. “Yes, I always swallow well.”

He hid the hint of amusement that sparked in his eyes. “You didn’t apply for the position.”

I bit my lip. I’d seen men react well to the gesture before, and I needed Cross on my good side. “I prefer a more direct approach.”

He coughed into his fist, clearing his throat. A sexy grin stretched the side of his face. As much as I didn’t want to disclose my need to weasel into Cross Enterprises, he was pulling the answers out of me, like a pro. No one had ever done that before. Right now he was the cat and I was the mouse. At least, I had to make him believe that. And now that he was so close, that white scar, slightly off center on his upper lip, added to the aura of extra danger about him. I wondered who had blessed him with the sexy feature. Was it a bite from a girlfriend? I didn’t dare think he’d let a woman bite him so forcefully. No, it had to be from a fight. If he was into shit that kinky, he wasn’t my type. Gosh, what was I thinking? Since when had he become more than a potential employer?

Since the moment he walked into the room.

“You have me intrigued.” He sat down beside me as casually as if we’d been acquainted for years. When he swiveled on his stool, his knee brushed against my thigh. Even through my jeans, the one spot felt as if he’d burnt a hole in it. Or perhaps I’d had one shot too many.

With a deep breath, I continued. “You interview your future employees, don’t you?” I asked.

“True, but how do you get an interview if you don’t apply?”

“I guess you’re just going to have to wait and see.” I tapped on the counter, and Mike the barman recognized my sign for ‘another one, please.’ I knew I was stalling. I wasn’t ready to give him the answers he sought. How could I tell him the only reason I was interested in Cross Enterprises was to kill someone and cover my tracks? It was the only way my mother would be safe. And before I even applied, I had to ensure
he
hadn’t found her yet. Otherwise we’d both be on the run and Cross would be left behind. The thought strangled my heart.

“Why are you following me?” I’d asked.

“Just because I came to the same bar as you doesn’t mean I am.”

Right!

But his tone had changed; his face mellowed and his shoulders relaxed. He leaned forward and casually to the side. At that moment Cross was no longer a potential employer, but a man on the prowl for a good time. My gut wasn’t wrong about him after all.

“And I don’t believe in coincidences.” I threw back the glass, without licking the salt this time, and sucked on the lemon in my mouth.

He watched every move I made. My attempt to seem indifferent would fail soon, especially since I’d been drinking. I couldn’t let Cross know he was someone I needed more than the air I breathed. It would come out wrong, and he would misunderstand my motive as another obsessive woman looking to throw herself at his rich ass and pockets full of money. Although I wouldn’t mind if he threw me around on his bed, or on the floor, or right there on the bar. The swift push of his perfectly narrow hips had to include a delicious jab or two. And since when had a dimple in a chin made a man so attractive?

I set the shot glass aside, and out of nowhere Cross lifted his thumb to my mouth, wiping away a stray drop. He sucked it off his finger, all the while piercing me with his undivided attention. The pursed lips compelled me to kiss and bite them, and it took all my strength not to crush into Cross right then.

Holy fuck!
Yes, as much as I reserved swearing out loud for special occasions, my mind was a beast of its own. Everything inside me tightened and released with urgent pulsing, all concentrating below my belt. The burning touch remained under my mouth for a few seconds before it crawled down my chin toward the valley between my breasts where his gaze now wandered.

“There are better places to drink than this.” He pulled out his cell phone and pressed a button.

I shook the tantalizing heat away from my body when he wasn’t looking.

“Are you referring to your club, Kissed?” I tapped the bar again.

Cross turned to Mike, who passed him a shot identical to mine.
He
hadn’t even tapped the bar, and now
he
had me intrigued. How did he do that?

“No, but I see you’ve done your homework.”

“I’m just that good at everything I do.” That’s right, I can play as well as you can, Cross.

Behind the dark hazels, Cross seemed to struggle. I could feel he wanted to continue the double-tiered conversation, but something or someone was pulling his attention away from me and away from the reason he’d come here: to see whether I’d apply for his job offering.

“I’ve been coming here for years. It’s not as bad as you think.” I broke the tension.

“So far the company is good.”

Did he just flirt?

He removed his jacket. The smell of leather mixed with freshly cut grass and a hint of scotch wafted around me. I pictured him out in the fields, mowing the acres of land around his mansion before he sat down by a fireplace with a single malt in his hand. A piece of a thorn tattoo on his left arm peeked from underneath his short sleeve. A few spots of inked blood glistened red in places where the thorns appeared to break his skin.

Suddenly my plot to use Cross Enterprises for my own gain began falling apart. Cross was too hot for his own good. I couldn’t let his Zeus-like looks and charming mouth derail my plans. There was only one way I could think of to relieve the sexual tension between us. And it had to happen before he hired me.

“Why did you follow me?” I asked again.

“Because you didn’t apply, and you seem like someone who’d be good at the position I’m hiring for.”

“And what position is that, exactly? The application only specified details to be disclosed after interview.”

“This is between us.” His brows rose. “I’m looking for a hooker.”

I coughed until my lungs were ready to pop out. Was he serious, or had I had too much to drink? I covered my mouth, forcing it shut. My breathing stilled for a moment. If it weren’t for the liquor in my veins, I’d have punched him. Yet something deep inside stirred and warmed my blood at the quick thoughts that ran through my mind—of me as a hooker in his bed. My skin itched, begging to come in contact with his.

Get a grip, Allie!

I knew he was trying to bait me into asking for details, but I was determined not to be drawn. I’d find out in my own time, on my own terms.

“You have a way with words, Mr. Cross.” The liquid in my system began to seep out of my pores as I felt myself swinging on the stool. “I thought your company dealt more with security and protection?”

“Our company deals with anything from providing body guards to surveillance systems and undercover jobs. Most of them are classified, as we deal with the government and high profile clientele. Security and surveillance is my partner’s division. I take care of the undercover jobs: anything from exposing cheating husbands to infiltrating corrupt government agencies. You’ll never see us or hear us, but we’re always there.”

It was safe to assume he needed a woman to pose as a hooker, then. Was he looking to bust a pimp? The room spun and my thoughts vanished as quickly as they appeared.

He regarded me closely before downing the tequila, and at that moment I wished I hadn’t been drinking so much. What he’d described was not only a dream job, but also had resources I needed. I shook my head, wanting my wit to return, but in his company that was impossible to do.

Yet I tapped the bar again.

Since he’d walked into the auditorium, I’d never considered this man as an employer, which he might soon be. At first, Cross was just a means by which I’d get my revenge. What a waste of a perfectly taut body, to be bound by professionalism, but I couldn’t allow him to be anything more. Why did this charming man have to be Cross? Why couldn’t he have been a stranger I’d met at a bar who took my breath away?

I tipped my head back, no longer caring to suck on the lemon.

The alcohol worked its way into my head with lightning speed. I pulled out my wallet, but Cross gently placed his hand on top of mine. The gesture, so innocent yet calculated, as if he’d been waiting to touch me all night, sent all the arousing sensors to his palm, specifically for that single moment. The instant he covered my hands, his warmth spread from them through my body in hormonal waves.

My nipples ached, and I felt like a chocolate bar left out in the sun.

“Put it on my tab, Mike,” he said to the barman, without turning away from me.

“Yes, Mr. Cross.”

He’s been here before.

He hadn’t come for me after all. Was that what I wanted? I cursed at the tequila in my veins clouding my thoughts. My only interest was in the job, not him. Of all the men who’d ever hit on me, it couldn’t be him. Why did he have to be so damn sexy?

With his hand still covering mine, he said, “It’s been interesting, Ms. … ?”

I doubted he didn’t know my name, but I’d humor him. “Officer Green.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Allie.”

My heart thumped harder. Cross must have done a background check on me already. Shit! Was it a thorough check? Probably. He might know my history, but I was sure not all of it. Some things weren’t written, hidden well to protect others.

“The pleasure is all mine, Tristan.” I hoped my guess at one of the two Cross brother names was correct.

“So fast on first name basis with a potential employer?” He smirked again. And
that
was even sexier than the tattoo. I loved the way a dimple formed on his chin and the small scar on his lip lifted. The innocent feature decorated his face as if all worries had left his mind and he was a simple, uncomplicated man. Tristan Cross was not who I’d thought him to be.

“This isn’t an interview, is it?”

“No. But I’m looking forward to seeing how you manage to be interviewed.”

“I can guarantee it’s one you won’t forget.”

“I don’t doubt it, Allie.” The way he said my name had me squeezing my knees together again. I bet he could make words like
cow pie
and
vomit
sound sexy. And I hoped I wouldn’t see either one tonight. And why was the room spinning faster and faster?

Curse you, tequila!

“May I offer you a ride home?” He looked out the window for a moment where a black Bentley was parked in front.

“Thank you, but I don’t want special treatment.”

“It’s just an offer from someone you had a drink with, Allie. Not from an employer.”

I leaned in closer and lowered my hands to his knees. The courage must have floated on a large sail of liquor. My cheek brushed against his as I whispered into his ear.

“I don’t do rides with strangers. They usually expect something in return.”

Cross covered both my hands with his, pressing them to his knees. His warm breath brushed my cheek before his lip reached my ear, lightly tickling my earlobe as he whispered, “Then I’ll make sure we’re not strangers soon enough, Allie. However, I must insist my potential employee gets to her apartment safely.”

He pulled away, letting his lips linger inches from mine. God, he smelled so good!

Damn tequila.

“Fine,” I whispered, regretting that my female strength had been stolen. Appearing weak was the last thing I wanted tonight. Cross had come to the bar at an inconvenient time, when I was at my lowest. See, it had been a while since my mother moved. When it quieted down so much, when I let my guard down and thought she was safe, I knew it was almost time to find her a new place to live. This was the calm before the storm. I could remain in New York; the apartment was leased only in Laura’s name, so my identity was somewhat protected. We usually worked opposite shifts, and other than the occasional time at work, we hardly ever ran into each other. It had been over a year now since we’d stepped out of school, ready to face the cruel world of crime.

I jumped off the stool. The sway of my body agreed with gravity a bit too much. Cross caught me under my elbow. The gesture was too caring even for him.

No, I can’t let that happen. I can’t let him be anything more than an employer.

But the little devil sitting on my left shoulder laughed, fire bursting out of his ears. He knew the silk sheets had been already laid out for us deep in hell.
It’s all his fault!
I turned my head to the left, furrowing at the invisible beast.

God, I must be really drunk!

“I hope you don’t drink when you’re on the job.” Cross led me toward the exit, and I welcomed the cool fall wind. It held a hint of frost and sobered my lungs with a fresh breath.