Brutally Beautiful (3 page)

“Just like a cop,” she said. She’d have bagged the glass too. Not that she was a cop, although she worked with them sometimes.

“In case you need it for evidence,” Odell explained.

“Evidence?” She did her best to look blank.

“Don’t you want to prosecute?”

Tension entered the atmosphere but not from her. “Not if I can help it.” She crossed her legs, aware that the action showed off the sheen of her hose, the sleek muscles, and also aware that both men followed the move. That would make it easier to distract them, get them to forget they’d suggested prosecution. While not exactly Sharon Stone, she could still use what she had when she needed to. She had to get out of here, disentangle herself from this nightmare of a situation. She was supposed to observe Nick Taylor, not engage with him. “It didn’t work, did it? I’m here. Where is he?”

“Sleeping it off,” Nick said.

“I thought that stuff was supposed to make you drowsy and willing, not send you to sleep.”

Nick said nothing to that. He only shrugged. She realized that he must have helped the guy along in his slumbers. “Alejandro and I found his wallet. No ID. Five hundred dollars, keys, and an address. You could find out who he was if you wanted to.”

Odell nodded. “I’ll see to it.”

Probably by using the keys. “I don’t want to prosecute. I just want to go home.”

“I’ll call you a cab,” Odell said. “Do you want one now?”

She nodded. “When I’ve finished my drink, that would be good, thank you. Please try to keep me out of this. I don’t want to prosecute.”

Suspicion sharpened Odell’s eyes. “You seem very keen to keep this quiet. You have something to hide? Who are you?”

Shit, too eager
. She had to tell them something they could buy into. “I just don’t want any fuss.” She shrugged. “This place is safe for women, or so I understood.” The truth, just not all of it.

“Yeah.” Odell grimaced. “Usually it is safe. I’ve ordered my staff to keep an eye on lone women. I like to see them here, it’s good for business.” He studied her, hand touching his chin. “So that’s why you were watching the act so closely.” A flash of amusement lit his features. “I thought Freda and Alberto were turning you on.”

One corner of her mouth tilted up. “They’re talented performers.”

“The best. But Alberto doesn’t take off his thong in the main room.” He shrugged. “Better to stay legal.”

“When possible.” Although Nick wasn’t saying a whole lot, she sensed he was listening, waiting. For what, she wasn’t sure. This man was the hottest she’d met in a long time, and his blatant display of his erect cock back there in the club had made her lose her concentration for the moment it had taken the other guy to drop the drug in her drink. Now he shifted slightly, making her more aware of his body. Strong, supple, and his easy control made her thighs melt. That British accent had only added to the appeal, even though she’d been expecting it. So sexy.

“All the time,” Odell said firmly.

She drained her drink and swirled the ice around the thick-bottomed tumbler.

“All done,” Nick suggested. He glanced at her. “Ready for that taxi?”

“Sure.” She put her glass on the table. To her chagrin, it rattled against the hard surface. This wasn’t exactly the first time she’d had a sticky moment in her job. What the fuck was wrong with her? She’d let her attention slip. That was all.

Odell got to his feet. “I’ll send a bouncer with you. Make sure you get back safely.”

“No need,” Nick said. “I’ll do it.” He met her eyes again, and she couldn’t look away. “If you don’t mind.” He pulled out his cell and waited, brow crooked. “Or you can leave the club and wave down one of the cabs outside.”

She swallowed. “Thanks, I’ll get the cab.”

Ten minutes later, he was helping her into the confines of a yellow cab. The space in the backseat seemed restricted somehow, although there should have been plenty of room. Odell had brought her coat through from the bar, and they’d left by the back door with assurances that she had a free pass for the next six months. Very generous of Odell, but she didn’t need to go back. She’d done her job. Although the thought of watching Freda and Alberto made her wonder if she shouldn’t go just for fun.

When she gave her address to the driver, Nick frowned. “Flatbush isn’t the safest area.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m fine. Only parts of it are bad these days. It’s the nearest I can get to Manhattan without Manhattan prices. Where do you live? On the Lower East Side?” She already knew where he lived, but she wanted to make a point.

He brushed past her sarcasm. “DUMBO.”

Close to the river stood some really swanky apartments, but the area wasn’t completely clear of low-end housing yet. She shrugged. “Nowhere’s completely safe. You just have to take care.” Without thinking properly, she patted her breast. “I always keep emergency money handy.” Hastily, she took her hand away, but it was too late. His hot gaze had followed her action and now lingered. Her nipples peaked, tingled against the confines of the lace.

When he lifted his gaze to her face, he smiled, knowing, slumberously sexy. “So did you like the performance tonight?”

She swallowed. He didn’t mean Freda and Alberto; he meant his display. That was pretty impressive too, though she didn’t intend to boost his ego by saying so. “They’re very talented. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.” She gripped her purse, tension invading her. They hardly knew each other on a personal level. Sitting next to him, she realized she didn’t know him at all, despite scanning his records. She’d underestimated his power, the sheer impact of his presence. “Not all of us are so acrobatic.”

“Not all of us want to be.” He took her hand, smoothed his thumb over her knuckles. Gen suppressed a responsive shiver. He lowered his voice to an intimate purr. “Do I have to say how attractive I find you?”

No harm in playing a little. She tilted her head. “So what would you say if I just want to talk?”

He grinned, a devastatingly sexy smile that curled around her insides like a wisp of smoke. “I can go with that if you want.” The cab came to a halt. He glanced out of the window, and his lips tightened. “I’ll see you to your door.” He looked up at her building, an old one and not in the best of health.

She smiled. “It’s not that bad. This district is getting revitalized fast.”

His voice lowered to a menacing growl. “It doesn’t look good.”

“It used to be a lot worse.”

He laughed derisively. “Oh, great, that’s all right then. Come on.”

Before he could do it, she thrust a bill at the driver and exited the cab. She had no intention of letting him pay, and men could be awkward sometimes. Better to get there first.

By the time she’d left the car, he was standing by the door of the cab, waiting for her like a gentleman, although his appearance, in the dark pants and butter-soft, worn leather jacket, didn’t look one bit gentlemanly. He took her elbow and guided her to the curb where he waited for her to show him the way.

His proximity intoxicated her. She could have drunk half a dozen blue lagoons and she wouldn’t have felt this crazy high. By the way he smiled at her, his eyes promising more, she knew he felt the same. Her apartment seemed miles away rather than a few steps. She forced herself to think long enough to locate her keys, something she usually did way in advance. Then she opened the front door of her building and hit the switch for the lights. “We need to hurry,” she said and took the stairs at her usual speed. Full tilt.

She lived at the back of the hallway on the second floor, so she was better off than the residents on the two floors above her. This house had no elevator, but the public areas were clean. In the old days, residents might have found an addict or a drunk on the stairs, sleeping or waiting for another fix. Nothing like that now. She hadn’t lived here then, but she’d heard stories from her neighbors after she moved in. She’d been in wholesome Idaho, getting bored to death.

 “Better bored than dead,”
her mom had said, but Gen had never agreed with that. Ever.

Out of breath as always, she stood outside her apartment door. “The timer for that light switch has always been faulty,” she said, and just as if she’d given the cue, the light clicked off. She reached out to the switch by her door, but paused, caught by the intensity of the moment.

Darkness brought added intimacy. They were standing close to each other, and she had her keys in her hand, but she didn’t use them. Instead, she leaned forward and, going up on her toes, pressed a kiss to the mouth that had been tormenting her all evening. She had to have just one taste.

Before she could draw back, he’d snaked his arm around her waist and held her close. So close she could feel the strength and heat of his erection, proof his display at the club wasn’t a result of Freda and Alberto’s performance. “Not so fast,” he murmured.

He traced the center seam of her lips with his tongue, asking entrance, and she gave it, tilting her head sideways to join their lips more securely. He went deeper. He tasted wonderful. He smelled good too. Whatever cologne he used was simple and light, teasing her nose rather than overpowering it and leaving the aroma of aroused male underneath. He held her tightly but didn’t squash the breath out of her. For a goodnight kiss, it was pretty damned perfect.

He didn’t linger, although he made the kiss thorough, and she was out of breath for other reasons than the run when he drew back and eased his hold on her. He dropped a kiss on her nose. “I told you I was attracted to you. I showed you.” His eyes glowed in the dim light, and she gazed up at him, feeling more helpless than she’d ever felt in her life. Gen didn’t do helpless, but she couldn’t help it with this man.

“Yes, but…I mean—” She broke off, not wanting to appear either stupid or arrogant. Or too keen, except she was. Shit, she was supposed to be investigating this man, not fucking him.
Yes
, said the inner voice that had always tried to get her into trouble,
you can get to know him real well this way.

No denying that. If her boss found out, he’d have an aneurysm, but oh, she was tempted. Even after her near miss earlier, she wanted him. Investigating him meant she knew more about him than he thought; otherwise he would never have gotten this far, hot or not.

“I want to see you again. May I call you?”

She wasn’t expecting that. She’d been ready to go, and he was pulling back. “But…”

“You need a hot drink and bed—on your own. You had quite a shock tonight, and I don’t want anything we might or might not have tainted by that.”

Well shit, consideration. If she’d had any doubts about him before, they dissipated now. He had her, and he could have taken her, with her compliance, but he chose not to. “Sure.” She eased out of his hold and opened her purse. Shit, of course she’d left her business cards at home. Since they all said
USCIS
, an undercover job didn’t seem the right place for them. She had no other paper.

He thrust a couple of cards under her nose. “Write your number on one and keep the other.”

She scrawled her number and under it the single word
Gen.

He took it with a smile. “I’m not about to forget. Are you up for an adventure?”

She eyed him suspiciously. “What kind of adventure?”

“Thursday night there’s a special show at Bared. No thongs. In the private rooms upstairs.”

She caught her breath. Did she dare?

He smiled, his face just visible in the near darkness. Her eyes had accustomed themselves to the gloom, and she could see the outline of his features, closer now. “Would you like to go? Or we can go to dinner, if you’d prefer.”

“I could go without you. I have that pass, remember?”

“Let me pick you up. Let’s go together.” His breath, brandy scented, whispered hotly over her cheek.

It sounded like a good date to her. But live sex? From what she’d seen tonight, it wouldn’t be tacky, but she wanted to process how she felt, what she wanted. She already knew she enjoyed watching strip shows, but nothing this daring, or as…well, artistic.

He moved closer, so they were mouth to mouth, but he didn’t kiss her. “I want to know if you’re into watching—or doing. Or both.”

Her arousal rose tenfold. The dampness between her legs soaked her panties in renewed arousal, and she gasped. “I don’t know. I’ve never—” She hadn’t. But she’d promised herself she’d take a few chances in her private life. Not stupid ones, but following her instincts rather than her upbringing. All that repressive behavior instilled into her from childhood—she wanted it gone. “Yes,” she said.

“I’ll pick you up at ten. The show should start around eleven.” Then he did kiss her, and made it another good one, taking her fully into his arms.

After he released her, before she could draw breath to ask him inside, he stepped back. “Now go inside. Will you be okay?”

Beyond words, she nodded.

After watching her for a moment, he jerked a nod, turned around, and left. She didn’t hear the front door close until she’d opened her own door and let herself in.

Sitting at her desk in the shabby office downtown, Gen had difficulty recalling the night before. Not because she had any intoxication problems, but because of the sheer power and presence of the man she’d met last night. When he’d wanted to attract her attention, he’d turned on a switch inside. He’d flaunted his erection, sure, but it wasn’t that, even though the thought of it made her mouth water. He had true charisma, but he could control it. That alone fascinated her, and she wondered if he did it on purpose or if it was an instinctive thing.

Dreaming wouldn’t get her very far. She never, ever dreamed. Looking at the bland photo on the British passport and the straightforward account of his life, she couldn’t understand why it had raised a red flag with her boss. Nick’s credentials looked fine to her. Without his intervention, she’d have stamped the application, signed her approval, and moved on to the next one. The Englishman wanted a green card, a step toward citizenship, and it was her job to check the applicants, maybe do a little undercover work to investigate their claims. She wondered if her boss was testing her prior to promotion. He’d chosen her for this job, and boring though it was, it would lead to higher things if she did it right.