Wild on You (12 page)

She blew out a breath that made her bangs bounce. “It would make my life easier,
too.”

But that reminded her that she was a job to him. She was getting in the way of his duties and distracting him, too. Even knowing that they shouldn’t be standing in each other’s arms, she couldn’t make herself step away.

He ran his fingers through his hair and released her. “We’d better go inside before I give in and sate my other hunger.” His gaze slid from her mouth down her body before he turned toward the entrance.

He was hungry for
this
body? She held back the question as she walked through the door that Risk was holding open.

Once they were seated, a server with a Babbette build came over and handed them each a menu. Her spoon-shaped name tag read KAYLA. Her eyes lit on Risk as he took the menu from her. “You’re cute.” She quickly looked to Addie. “I mean, the two of you are cute together.” She nodded toward the front window, where their little celebratory hug-turned-almost-something-else had been in full view of the entire diner. “At first we thought maybe you were proposing to her. Is this a celebratory meal?”

“No,” both Risk and Addie said at the same time. “Just a personal victory,” Addie added sheepishly.

“Bet she’d say yes,” Kayla said with a wink. “Drink orders?”

Addie was glad to see that Risk was just as thrown by the observation as she was. “Iced tea, sweet,” he said after a moment.

After Addie dittoed that and Kayla went to the kitchen, Addie broke out in laughter. “At least we know we’ll be convincing tonight.”

He sat back in the booth and shook his head. “They thought I was proposing to you.”

She followed his gaze to the other patrons in the diner, which was about a third full at this time of day. Some of the diners, mostly the women, were giving them the kind of smile one gives to, say, the newly engaged. Embarrassed, she slid her gaze to the wall beyond. It was covered in spoons. She’d been so preoccupied, she hadn’t noticed that there were spoons mounted on every surface, including the wall next to their table. They
all bore signatures and sayings written in marker.

Kayla delivered their teas. “Y’all can buy a spoon for a buck. Sign it, we’ll give you the glue, and you find a spot for it.”

“I’ll take one,” Addie said.

Kayla reached into her apron pocket and handed Addie a spoon and her choice of colored markers. “Some couples buy two and mount them side by side or cross them.” She gave Risk an expectant look.

He pointed to the menu. “Country-fried steak, hash browns, and two eggs over well,” he said. “With a side of bacon, please.”

Addie couldn’t help wrinkle her nose. Not only the bacon but all of that grease. Still, that was why she’d brought him here, right? And he was clearly happy about it. “Chicken salad, but hold the chicken. Oil and vinegar dressing, please.”

“I’ll take her chicken,” Risk said, handing the menus to the server. He looked at her from across the table. “No lecture on eating animal flesh?”

“I don’t lecture. People have to make their own choices.”

He looked relieved as he took a long drink of his tea. “The only time I ever went out with a vegan, she spent the whole meal going on about how awful animals are treated.”

“I bet she was a one-time date.”

“And a short one. Thanks for not being that way.” He tapped his teaspoon on the table. “Though your being annoying as hell would make it easier to be around you, ironic as that sounds.”

“Same with you. If you were an overbearing jerk …”
I wouldn’t want you, either
. But he wasn’t. And she did. Their gazes locked, and for a moment she was lost in the heat of his hazel eyes.

He cleared his throat. “Speaking of my being a professional and focusing on my job, I think it’s safe to eliminate the zoo from the suspect list. I understand there
is
a list.”

She showed him an inch between her finger and thumb. “Just a small one.”

“Who else might want you captured? Or dead?”

She’d been unwrapping her straw, and at those words, she simply froze. “Sorry. When you put it that bluntly, it’s hard to wrap my head around.” Risk had been living a life where death was part of a day’s work. She jammed the straw into her glass and drank as she thought about his question. “I would say the the director of research at the North Carolina College of Medicine. I was responsible for exposing the abuse of cats being tested for medical studies that ended up having no scientific basis.

“I was tipped off by a student who sneaked me into the lab. I took pictures of these poor, tortured cats and made them public. The U.S. Department of Agriculture cited the college for violating the Animal Welfare Act, which cost the program their NIH—National Institutes of Health—funding. The director, Maynard Williams, was very angry when the lab was shut down.” Her eyes widened. “They could store a tiger cub in one of the cages they used for the cats. No one would know, since the lab is closed. And … theoretically, they could put me in one of the bigger cages. Wouldn’t that be poetic justice in Williams’s mind?” The thought of it shuddered through her.

Risk didn’t like the idea, either, to judge by his scowl. “I’ll have Chase run him, see if he’s got any priors that would indicate a capacity for violence. If you trashed his program, it may have pushed him over the edge. Something I learned from Chase is that docile people can go ape-shit if they feel justified or persecuted. And if Williams was overseeing this barbaric program, he’s not the most ethical kind of guy.” He texted Chase the information, then looked up at her. “Think about the people you saw at the college. Can you place either of those thugs there?”

“Not that I recall. But I was mostly sneaking around at night with Gil.”

“Who’s Gil?”

“The guy who tipped me off. I’ll call him. I kept his name out of the proceedings, so he should still be attending college.”

“Gil who?” Risk started typing again.

“He’s the tipster, not the one behind all this.”

“Never hurts to check out everyone. Last name, city of residence?”

She blew out an exasperated breath. It was no use trying to convince him. She
could see that set soldier’s expression. “Sanderson. I imagine he lives in or near Callowell, where the college is located.”

Risk typed that in, then made a quick call to Chase to update him on their next course of action. By the time he finished, the food had arrived.

Risk’s face lit up at the sight of breaded steak draped in a blanket of white gravy, hash browns glistening with butter, and especially the bacon. Addie did not light up at the sight of her salad.

Kayla chuckled as she took in the dichotomy of plates. “You’d be surprised at how many couples come in here and order just like this. Then she gives in to temptation and ends up eating half his food.”

“I’m not going to give in to temptation,” Addie said, probably too fast.

“She’s a vegetarian,” Risk added with a slow nod.

“Well, bless your heart.” Kayla sauntered off.

Addie narrowed her eyes. “Who was the ‘bless your heart’ aimed at?”

Risk grinned. “Probably me.” He tucked in to his high-fat, animal-laden meal.

“I don’t know how you can eat that and stay in the shape you’re in.” She speared a forkful of lettuce.

“I can eat this way once in a while
because
of the shape I’m in. I run, work out. I’ve never been one to sit around eating potato chips and watching television.”

“That’s obvious.” And now it was obvious that she’d noticed.

He grinned. “Why, thank you.”

That smile did funny things to her heart, so she clarified. “It was just an observation, not a compliment.”

His grin didn’t waver as he chomped on the piece of bacon he was holding. “I’ll take it as I see fit. And I see fit to take it as a compliment.”

She swallowed back the sound of frustration and stuffed a piece of lettuce in her mouth. As they ate, she tried not to notice him enjoying his meal. Oh, and he was. He even used the last piece of country-fried steak to mop up the remaining gravy on the plate. Sheesh.

She pulled her gaze from all that enjoyment and popped the cap off the purple marker she’d chosen.
Risk and Addie … not
. Instead, she wrote
FIGHT FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS
on the bowl and her website on the handle. “I’m going to call Gil, see if he’s noticed anything strange going on at the research lab.”

“Sit over beside me so I can hear him.” Risk gave her a broad smile as he patted the bench beside him. “Please.”

How could she resist any request when he put it like that? And with that smile?
Easily, Addie! You could easily resist. And you will
.

Except now she was going to have to sit right up against him, shoulder to shoulder and ear to ear. She kept an inch between them, but he snuggled up next to her and pressed his cheek against hers. He smelled good, some kind of citrusy cologne or aftershave. His stubble was pleasantly raspy against her skin.

As she was pondering why that rough sensation was pleasant, and coming to the conclusion that it was because it felt so very masculine, Gil answered after three rings with a breathless “Addie! You finally called me back. You know, I left all those messages, and all I got was one text with a ‘Hi, sorry but too busy to chat right now.’ ”

“Well, you called a lot. And I’ve got way too much going on to spend an hour on the phone, as lovely as our chats were.” Okay, they weren’t lovely. If she were honest, she’d tell him they were boring. He’d rambled on, skating from subject to subject as he discussed the minutiae of his day, his past, anything at all. “How’s it going?”

Mistake. He launched into a dissertation about his life since the lab was shut down. Maybe he didn’t have many people to talk to. Though she tried to break in several times, in the end she was too polite to cut him off, even with Risk making the
kill it
sign by drawing the edge of his hand across his throat. “Gil,” she finally managed. “Has there been anything strange going on at the lab lately?”

Risk leaned in again, all hard, warm, male. She pushed the thought away.

“I don’t really go to that area of the campus anymore,” Gil said. “But I can check it out for you. Why, you got a bead on more experiments?” His voice heightened with the same edge of excitement it had held when they’d plotted to expose the experiments.

“Someone is trying to frame me for stealing a tiger from a zoo. And that someone is bad news. For me and the cub.”

“I’ll check it out. We can be partners in crime again, Addie. It was fun sneaking around, playing spy. Saving lives.”

“Yeah … fun.” If that was what he considered fun. But it had been exciting. And gratifying. “Is Maynard still working at the college?”

“He is, though not as director, since there’s no lab to direct at the moment.”

“Does he still seem angry?”

“He doesn’t look like a happy camper, that’s for sure.”

Addie and Risk traded a glance. A likely suspect. She turned her attention back to Gil. “Do a little snooping, see if there’s any activity in the lab.”

“You bet. I’ll check tonight. Do you remember the last time when we—”

“Gil, I have to go.” She knew anything that started with those words would go on forever. He’d relive their exploits, reminiscing over every call and meeting. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Man, the guy likes to ramble,” Risk said when she disconnected. “You are way too nice.”

“I can’t help it. He was a big help in stopping those experiments. I think he got attached to the drama, though.”

“I think he got attached to more than that,” Risk muttered.

Before Addie could ask what he meant, Kayla came with the check. Risk insisted on paying, leaving a big tip. Then he helped Addie find a good spot on the wall to glue her spoon.

When she stepped back, and the spoon held its spot, Risk patted her shoulder. “All right, Addie Wunder, Animal Hugger. Let’s get me a tux.”

She felt a trill of excitement. Oh, boy. Some part of her was becoming just a little attached to playing Risk’s girlfriend.

It had been bad enough watching Risk get measured for his tux, the female clerk at the bridal store wrapping the tape around his chest and biceps, and calling out numbers she was clearly impressed with. Harder yet to look at all those posters of happy brides and grooms and remember how the people in the diner had thought Risk had just proposed. With his arms around Addie, that smile on his face …

Now she had to see him in that tux, breathtakingly handsome as he waited for her in the living room. She’d never been one to swoon over a guy in a tux, and she’d met plenty during her father’s matchmaking escapades. “Wow” was all she could say. All she
should
say.

“Wow back atcha,” he said, his gaze sweeping over her. “This is better than Babbette.”

She spun to show him how the gossamer fabric of her dress flared. The way he was taking her in made her heart thrum. She’d taken the time and effort to curl her hair and apply makeup. For the event, of course. She cleared her throat. “This isn’t me, either. I’m cargo pants and stretch shirts.”

“They’re all different sides of you. And the reason I know that is because you wear them so well.” He brushed her bangs back from her cheek. “Tonight you’re a princess.”

She could fall into that smile and the breathy way he’d said that last word. She clasped her hands in front of her and grabbed on to logic. “No, I’m just the cargo-pants girl who felt really weird being in a bridal shop today.”

“I saw you looking at the posters with a little smile on your face.” His finger brushed the corner of her mouth. “Right here.”

His touch sent squirmies through her tummy, especially since he lingered at her bottom lip. She stepped back and grabbed up her purse. “Because it felt weird being with a guy who was getting fitted for a tux. I’ve never dreamed of being a bride or planned my
color scheme. I dream of liberating animals.”

“You’re probably the only woman I’ve known who doesn’t want that fantasy.”

“Do
you
want that fantasy?”

He blinked. That had taken him off guard. “I can’t say my fantasies ever went quite that far. Just up through the fun parts before that.”