Suddenly Sexy (13 page)

Eric clenched his jaw. “I already apologized for that.”

“Can’t hear you,” she said as she drifted away.

He grabbed her wrist again and pulled her close. He refused to be distracted by her light perfume or how her soft curves yielded against his hard body. “We need to talk,” he growled in her ear.

“I have nothing to say to you.”

“Great, then you can listen.” He escorted her off the dance floor, giving her hand a short tug when she tried to resist. He wanted to take her out of the club, but he knew she would walk right back in. Instead, he found an empty table in a dark corner where they could talk privately.

Julie wasn’t pleased to see him and she didn’t care if she made it obvious. She crossed her arms and leaned against the table, unaware that her breasts were about to spill out of her dress. She turned her attention to the dance floor.

“What’s up with the femme-fatale alias?” he asked.

She smiled and faced him. “You think it works?”

“Yes.” Julie was a seductress. She enchanted men with her eyes and natural sensuality. The others faded in the background. “What was wrong with your other aliases?”

“I learned my lesson yesterday and I needed to look like I belonged.”

She didn’t belong here. Julie looked like a sex goddess and the women were her acolytes. But once she mentioned it, he noticed that Julie’s hair was straighter and there was a sprinkle of glitter on her arms and chest.

“You don’t recognize the dress?” she asked.

He frowned and tilted his head. There was something familiar about it, but all he could think of was how it lovingly hugged Julie’s body. He knew she wore nothing underneath and he was tempted to peel the dress off her. “I think I would remember if you wore it to work.”

“I would hope so. It’s stunning and has an equally stunning price tag,” Julie said with a laugh. “Blondie wore this last night, but in black.”

The dress was unmemorable on Blondie. But he’d never forget it on Julie. “And you just happen to have it in your closet?”

“No, I scoured all the consignment stores in Bellevue today. They didn’t have my size so I had to go a size smaller. I maxed out my credit card for it.”

“Why?”

She shrugged and looked away.

“So you could investigate the intellectual property theft?” he said, answering his own question for her.

“Maybe I like the club and couldn’t resist coming back,” she said as she fiddled with her hair.

“More like you couldn’t resist looking into what Blondie and Red were doing.”

“That’s a possibility.” She twirled her finger in her hair and yanked it away. “Okay, fine. I wanted to get closer to Blondie and Red.”

He sighed. “Julie.”

“Come on, Eric. Haven’t you ever followed a hunch? Didn’t you need to investigate because you had questions? Was there ever a time when you needed to know for yourself?”

“Maybe. When I didn’t know any better.”

“The guys at work are right. I am a rookie and Uniform Girl. I won’t get far on my own, but I want a few more answers before I go to Z-Ray.”

“What happens if you tip off Blondie and Red? You said so yourself—you are a rookie.”

Julie pressed her lips together and drummed her fingers on the table. “Okay, now you’re just making me mad.”

“That’s not my intention,” Eric insisted. “I want you to see how your actions can influence a chain of events.”

“All I wanted to do was find the women and see what they were up to. I bet it’s an ongoing scam. That’s it.”

“Have you seen them tonight?” He took a quick look around.

“No, which is strange,” she said, her frustration thick in her voice. “They’re regulars and they’re usually here on Saturday night.”

Eric paused and glanced at Julie. “How do you know that?”

“I asked the bartenders, the bouncers and the waitresses.” She caught his expression. “Don’t worry, I didn’t say anything about thefts or Z-Ray.”

“I’m not worried. I’m surprised that you got any details. It can often take a couple of visits before you get any information. What did you find out?”

“Not much,” she admitted. “The blonde’s name is Mercedes. The redhead is Tiffany.”

He raised his eyebrow in disbelief. “Really?”

“Those are the names they go by,” Julie said. “They live around here, hang out with geeks during the week, but they hang with a different crowd on Saturday nights.”

He looked around the room again. “What kind of crowd?”

“Slick, muscular guys,” she informed him. “The one who seems to be in charge of the group is Jeremiah. Jeremiah Moon or Dune. I kept getting a different answer on that. The guys wear designer suits, lots of expensive jewelry, and drive Ferraris.”

“How did you find that out?” he asked.

“I talked to a parking valet, too.”

“All in one night?” he asked, and she nodded. “And they offered this kind of information free of charge?”

“Yeah. I can’t afford to flash some cash after buying this dress. I’m investigating on a very strict budget.”

“How did you manage to get the staff to open up?”

“It’s all about having a common enemy,” Julie said, eager to explain. “Last night I noticed how poorly Mercedes and Tiffany treated everyone who works here. Bad attitude. Bad tippers.”

“When did you have time to notice this?” He had watched her intently and she had been focused on her assignment.

“I don’t know. I noticed how they spoke to the bartender or I heard the vicious things they said about a waitress. Anyway, I decided to act like I was looking for Mercedes and Tiffany so I could kick their asses.”

“And it worked?”

“It worked perfectly!” Her eyes shone with pride. “Everyone was more than happy to give me all the information I needed.”

“You did all this in one night.” He shook his head in wonder. “You are amazing.”

* * *

A
MAZING.
J
ULIE FELT HER
cheeks heat. She didn’t want his opinion to matter, but it did. It was more important than what her friends or her boss thought. She wanted Eric to realize that she could be his equal. They could make a great team, if only he trusted her abilities.

Julie tried to hide how flustered she felt. She flipped her hair. “Tell me something I don’t know,” she said with an exaggerated drawl.

He paused for a moment, then looked uncertain. “Okay, how about this. I think I’m a bad influence on you.”

Julie scoffed at his words. “I didn’t get the vengeful bitch idea from you. I actually got it from a Sapphire book.”

“No, I wouldn’t have thought of a tactic like that, but I might steal it for a future assignment.” His smile faded. “I mean, I’m no good for you.”

Who would give him that idea? Did Perry say something? Or did Asia try to warn him off? She wouldn’t put it past them to tag-team him with a few choice words. Those two had their odd way of protecting her. “Who says?”

“Me.”

She frowned. “It’s not true. Not by a long shot. Why would you say such a thing?”

“Because I’m not a gentleman.”

Julie didn’t expect that answer. She absently noticed that he made no apology for it. He simply stated the truth.

“I’m not a hero, no matter what you think,” he added. “Hell, half the time I don’t feel like one of the good guys.”

She raised her hand for him to stop. “Now you’re just talking crazy.”

“I was like you once. I was optimistic, enthusiastic and ready to make the world a safer place.”

She wasn’t surprised. She still saw those qualities in him, even if he didn’t. “And now?”

Eric looked away and pulled at his ear. She found the awkward movement in such a sophisticated man rather endearing. Just when she thought he wasn’t going to answer, Eric said, “I only feel like that when I’m with you.”

Julie’s breath hitched in her throat and her heart skipped a beat. That was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever said to her and she didn’t know how to respond.

Eric glanced up and scowled at her. “Don’t romanticize it.”

Now that was the Eric she knew and adored. Julie bit her lip to prevent a smile. “I wouldn’t dare.”

“I’ve been a special agent for years and I haven’t made that much of a difference. Most of the time I feel like I’m sealing cracks to a huge problem that’s about to crumble.”

“But you’re out there, every day, ready to fight.” She knew that from how he worked the cases when he arrived at Gunthrie S&I. Eric’s actions showed he wasn’t in it for the glory or the adventure. He was there because he wanted to serve and protect.

Eric shrugged. “Not a lot of good that does.”

“It does make a difference.” It made a huge difference to her. “You’re not turning a blind eye and you’re not walking away, thinking someone else can deal with the problem. You keep at it, even if you think it’s a losing battle. You keep fighting, no matter what.”

“That’s not heroic,” he said, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “That’s insanity.”

“Heroic. Insane.” She tossed her hands up in the air. “There’s a thin line separating the two.”

Eric’s eyes darkened as his gaze lazily traveled down her body. Her heart started to thump. Her breasts felt heavy as her nipples tightened. How was it that all Eric had to do was look at her and her body responded?

“Just so you know,” he said gruffly, “you drive me crazy.”

“Glad to hear it. And I wasn’t even trying,” she teased.

“You drove off like a bat out of hell yesterday. Today you didn’t take any of my calls. I spent all day looking for you,” he confessed.

“To apologize?” She didn’t understand the urgency, but she appreciated the gesture. “That’s so sweet.”

“No,” Eric said, “there was something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh.” She reached across the table and linked her fingers with his, giving his hand a brief squeeze. “Don’t ruin this.”

“I won’t. I’m here to help you.”

“Help me?” She drew her hand away and looked at him suspiciously. “Help me what?”

He took a deep breath. “Investigate the theft and see where it leads before you talk to the authorities.”

“Why would you do that? You were totally against it.” And from the look on his face, he still wasn’t one hundred percent for it.

“Because I know you won’t let it go. You’re going to keep digging and you need someone to watch your back.”

She noticed his explanation wasn’t accusatory or condescending. Eric accepted how she was and he wasn’t going to try and pin her in or change her. Instead, he would join her. It was almost too good to be true.

“What’s the catch?”

“No catch. I’m doing this to protect you.”

She wasn’t sure what that meant. Was it code for interfering? She’d like a partner, not a babysitter.

“Julie, you have good instincts and great observation skills. You were able to gather some information on Mercedes and Tiffany in very little time.” He frowned. “You also have a talent for finding trouble.”

“I don’t go looking for trouble. Why does everyone keep saying that? If anything, my life hasn’t had enough action.” That was until Eric walked into Gunthrie S&I. The way he touched her, the way he made her feel, opened up a whole new world for her.

“I’m going to be at your side,” he promised. “I want to help you develop your instincts.”

“Thank you, Eric.” She moved away from the table and hugged him. She liked how he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. It felt good. It felt right. “You are going to be the sexiest sidekick,” she whispered in his ear.

Eric tilted his head back. “Sidekick?”

“I’m the lead in this investigation. You are more of an advisor or consultant.” It was best to get that out of the way before there was any misunderstanding. “You’re not going to have a problem with that, are you?”

She saw the struggle in his eyes before he came to a decision. “No, Julie. You’re in charge of the investigation.”

The unspoken message was clear. She wasn’t going to be in charge when he took her to his bed. She would have to fight for it. The possibilities made her shiver in anticipation. She couldn’t wait to challenge his authority.

“So, what’s your next move?” he asked as his hands slid down the swell of her hips.

Desire pooled low in her pelvis and she rocked against him. “For what?”

“For finding Mercedes and Tiffany,” he reminded her before he caught her earlobe with his teeth.

Her skin tingled under his warm breath. “Nothing,” she said in a husky tone. “They aren’t here.”

“We could wait longer.” He darted the tip of his tongue behind her ear. The unexpected touch made her gasp.

“We could…” Her voice trailed off when Eric nuzzled her throat. “But I don’t think they’re going to show.”

“There are one or two nightclubs in this area,” he mentioned as he placed a kiss on her jaw. “Or we could look in downtown Seattle.”

Julie clung to his shoulders. “I’ve done enough surveillance for one night,” she decided.

“You’re quitting?” He placed another kiss on her chin. “I just got here.”

“I don’t want to work anymore tonight,” she said. “What do you want to do?”

His eyes held a naughty gleam. “I have an idea or two, but you may not be ready for what I have in mind.”

Her eyes narrowed. He still thought this alias was only skin deep. “We’ll see about that. Lead the way.”

10

E
RIC’S ARM CURLED AROUND
Julie, his hand resting possessively on her hip. Her heart was pounding against her ribs as he opened the door to his room. Tonight she got to be a femme fatale. Tonight she would fulfill a fantasy.

He guided her into his hotel suite and turned on the lights. Julie silently observed her surroundings. It was all simple lines and cool colors. The light gray chairs and sofa were grouped next to the big windows. Pillows were piled high on the large bed. A crystal lamp sat on the uncluttered desk.

The room was luxurious, beautiful and impersonal.

Eric came from behind her. She felt his warm breath on her neck before he placed a kiss at the jittery pulse point.

“Don’t be nervous,” he murmured.

“I’m not,” she answered breathlessly. She was excited. She was going to spend the night with the most fascinating man she’d ever met.