Layers Crossed (5 page)

I made my way
around the conference room table and followed Emma as she led me
toward the door. She turned suddenly, nearly bumping into me. I
held my breath because if I inhaled any more of her sweet scent I
wouldn’t be held responsible for throwing her down to the ground
and having my way with her the way I’d imagined.

“I’d like to
ask you a question that’s not business related.”

“Go ahead,” I
smiled. Her eyes danced with happiness in response.

“You called me
‘smart’ back at the club. How did you know? And please, I don’t
mean to sound conceited – I’m just curious.”

“I asked the
security guard your friends were flirting with. He told me you’re
from the city, and that this was a one-time thing.”

“It was. I
lost a bet.” She shrugged as if she was already regretting her
actions.

“You should
reconsider your choice of friends. But for what it’s worth, you
were amazing on that stage. You could have turned a gay man
straight and put Viagra completely out of business.”

A flush of
pink covered her cheeks, and I fought the urge to smooth my hand
over her skin to feel how its temperature had changed.

“Thank
you.”

“Now can I ask
you a question?”

“Of
course.”

“Have dinner
with me?”

“Is this
personal or business?”

“I’d like to
think personal.”

She paused for
a moment while considering my offer. Her mouth slowly curved up
into a beautiful smile. “All right. I’ll have dinner with you.”

“I’ll need
your address so I can pick you up.” I paused. “If that’s all right
with you.” Knowing the forward thinking kind of woman that she was,
I hoped she’d appreciate the gesture. I still wanted to do
everything for her, including spoiling her rotten and treating her
like she was a princess worthy of the best. But I knew better than
that, and given that Emma had grown up in New York, she was likely
a modern kind of woman more than the country girls I was used
to.

She opened up
her iPad, saying. “Add your number to my contacts and I’ll text
you. For what it’s worth, Cowboy, I’m glad we ran into each other
again. And not only because I know that I’m the only one who can
get this job done.”

“For what it’s
worth, Emma, I’m happy to have found you again as well. And I trust
you with this case more than I’d trust anyone else.”

The smile she
gave me before I left was absolutely priceless. Shit! I would have
given up my first born (if I had one) just for that smile. Okay,
maybe not, but whatever came next, I was ready to make the
sacrifice for her.

C
HAPTER
5

Emma

Grace was at
my condo that afternoon for some much needed girl talk. I’d been
holding onto the news that the Cowboy had appeared back in my life
as if I were in witness protection. Julian and Tristan had both
been questioning me about the case since Eric had left, and for
once I was glad that I could use their own words against them,
saying, “It’s private business” and “I signed a confidentiality
agreement.”

It didn’t
matter that I hadn’t. The lie had at least kept them from nagging
any further. So when Grace plopped down on my couch, with a glass
of wine in her hand, I took it from her, gulped it down, and
stared. Even Dino, my beloved Miniature Pinscher, looked at me
funny.

“What is up
with you? What happened, Emma?”

“Pour me
another one and then I’ll tell you.”

This time she
filled up two glasses, and after I took a sip, I said, “The Cowboy
found me.”

“What? The one
from the bar? He got your note? What do you mean, he found
you?”

Sometimes I
wondered why Grace wasn’t some kind of an interrogations officer –
she’d be awesome at the job. Instead, she opted to run an exclusive
hair salon and spa. She’d started out as a hairstylist and expanded
the business to a full-out celebrity style spa – and she was good
at it, too. It was what she loved to do. Coming from a family of
crooked lawyers who tried to use Grace to hide their illegal wealth
and never believed in her choice of career, her choice of career
wasn’t easy. But she’d proved them all wrong and was now able to
live in Manhattan and support herself on her own income.

“Get this. He
never got my note, but came into our office with a case. It was
like fate brought us together.”

“Don’t tell me
you’re working on his case.” Her mouth was wide open as she waited
for my answer.

“I am.” I bit
my lip.

“Shut up!”

“Nope.”

“And your
brothers handed it over to you just like that?”

“Well, they
didn’t exactly know what the case was, or I guess Eric hadn’t told
them enough to scare them away, because if he had I don’t think I’d
have gotten it. Plus, they don’t know I met him at the bar.”

“Wait, so is
he in some kind of trouble? Is it dangerous?”

“Nah.” I waved
my hand. “I’ve dealt with worse. I’ll find the information he’s
looking for, prove what a good investigator I am to my brothers,
and I guess we’ll see what happens.”

“Look at you!
I haven’t seen you glow like this since…” Grace paused. I knew what
she was thinking. Grace had been there the night David died. She’d
lost her fiancé in the same explosion I’d lost my love. We’d pulled
each other through some tough times. She was not only my best
friend but my guardian angel. When I needed a shoulder to cry on,
she gave me her whole body to snuggle into. She’d sat by my
hospital bed until I recovered, holding my hand when they told me
of David’s passing. She understood. She saw him give up his life to
save mine. We mourned together for months. Since the day we’d met,
she’d been the best friend with whom I could fight in the morning
and party in the evening. I’d borrow her clothes, and if I forgot
to give them back it was no big deal.

Grace would
pick me up from anywhere, at any time if I was having an episode,
and I’d do the same for her. The first year was the worst. I’d
break down midday at work and need her to drive me home, or I’d
wake up drenched in sweat after a nightmare, shaking and reliving
the moment of the explosion and watching David die in my arms,
blood spilling from the dozens of cuts on his face and body. And
when I found the strength to date again last year, she was there
for me, encouraging, challenging, and, of course, daring me to go
out with the most unexpected men we could find. From bikers to
rockers to suited businessmen, I’d tried them all, and not one
could hold a candle to David. If they got a second date, they were
lucky. I don’t think there was ever a third. But Grace was the one
who helped me live again, believe in life after death, and that
David would want me to go on for him and for all the plans we’d
made together. I honestly believed that if it came down to it,
Grace would take a bullet for me. That’s why I wanted her happy.
That’s why I’d introduced her to Hunter, her current boyfriend.

“Wait, what do
you mean we’ll see what happens? Are you really thinking seriously
about him?”

“I don’t know,
Grace, but I haven’t felt this kind of connection since David. He
already asked me out to dinner, and is picking me up in” – I looked
at my watch – “an hour.”

“Well, he’s
moving fast, isn’t he? And what are you doing sitting here with me
instead of getting ready?”

“Grace, he’s
very nice, and kind, and there’s something old-fashioned about him.
And don’t worry, I’ve got you to help me get ready.” I winked.
Grace was a professional at getting things done under pressure and
at lightning speed. It helped that she lived in my condo, too – or
was it me who lived in hers? I moved in right after David’s death.
I could no longer live with my parents and needed to start a new
life.

“Turn around,”
she ordered, and a hairbrush magically appeared in her hand. The
next thing I knew, she was brushing through my straight hair,
plugging in her curling iron, and spraying a tropical mist that
left my hair shiny with a tad of bounce.

“Em, you
better keep your priorities straight and not lose track of the job.
Julian and Tristan may be testing you.”

My brothers
had set me up once before. It was a cheating case, but the hunk
that had walked into my office to find out whether his girlfriend
was unfaithful was off-the-charts hot. It didn’t take me long to
figure out that he was gay, and a hired actor by none other than
Julian to see whether I’d go for a client. “Women are weak
sometimes,” they’d explained. “We just don’t want you to fall for
the easy-on-the-eyes type.”

Really, was
that how little they thought of me? Since that day, I’d refused to
trust either of them. Not until they earned it back. But if this
case was real, if the Cowboy really needed my help, then it was a
step in the right direction.

“I know. He
does seem to spin my head when he’s around, but I can see the job’s
important to him, so I won’t fail him. I can’t fail him. It’s
important to me too. I can be professional and do the job he hired
me for, but after hours, all bets are off.” I winked.

“So long as
Julian and Tristan don’t find out, right? Because honestly, Emma,
you sound like you wanna jump right into his bed.”

“I want to
strip him with my teeth, lick him with my tongue, and ride him
wearing his cowboy hat until the sun comes up.”

“So, he’ll be
just like any other guy then?” Grace stopped her brush.

“What do you
mean?”

“I mean that
since David’s death, you’ve used men the same way you do toilet
paper. Once.”

“I don’t know
Grace, this one may be a wipe,” I teased.

“Oh, gross,
you wouldn’t use a wipe more than once, Em!”

“No, but
they’re tougher, rougher, and hopefully well lubricated.” What I’d
failed to tell Grace was that no man had touched me since David. I
might have flirted and elaborated about my dates a bit, letting her
imagination flourish, but I’d never allowed another man to touch
me. David had been my first and only lover. I’d known him since we
were kids, and I was the reason he died.

“One of these
days, you’re finally going to open up to someone new, fall in love
again, and settle down, Em. And when that day comes, I hope you’re
ready. The last thing I’d want you to do is to throw away
the
one
.”

I rolled my
eyes. Grace had been talking about
the one
for a long time.
She hadn’t had any luck finding the right man until I literally
brought Hunter onto her doorstep. Or maybe none of them could
compare to Marcus, her
fiancé
who had died saving her life. Grace had never
experienced the kind of freedom I had by dating men for pure
enjoyment, and she’d treated her dates as if they were all
the
one,
ultimately scaring them off before they got a chance to
know what a wonderful woman she was. That is, until she found
Hunter, to whom her clinging issues didn’t matter.

“I don’t know
if he’s
the one
, Grace. I just met him. But he’s definitely
not from the city quarters, and he’s so different and genuine.”

“Wow, look at
you. You mean to tell me he actually has a personality? That’s an
improvement.”

She picked up
her curling iron and began working her magic with styling my hair.
I was glad I’d had a chance to jump into a quick shower right after
work so that we could have this time to get ready.

“Of course he
has a personality. I wouldn’t be gushing over him if he didn’t,
would I? Now stop interrogating me, finish up, and help me pick an
outfit. We don’t have much time.”

“I’m doing
your makeup, too.”

Of course she
would be. Neither I nor Grace would have it any other way.

After the
first fifteen minutes of throwing my clothes onto my bed, pushing
aside all the skimpy dresses I usually wore, I’d finally found a
peach one that hugged my figure but fluttered out just above my
knees. It was sexy but cute at the same time.

“I don’t think
I’ve ever seen you wear that. You look gorgeous.”

“That’s
because I haven’t. I knew I was saving it for the right man.”

At my words,
the intercom rang.

I pressed the
button, saying, “I’ll be right down.”

“Go get him,
Em.”

“Thanks,
Grace.” I hugged my friend feeling the fluttering butterflies in my
stomach turn into a wild elephant stampede.

* * *

Downstairs,
Eric stood in the lobby with his back turned, looking out the front
door. His wide shoulders and narrow hips gave him that perfect
shape of an irresistible hunk. My body tingled with desire. His
tight behind fit perfectly in his jeans, and I’d already imagined
squeezing it to feel the taut muscles. I’d never seen a man wear
jeans on a first date. Most of the ones I’d dated had worn suits
and looked like they had a pole stuck up their asses, the way they
stood when they saw me. But not Eric. My Cowboy’s style was much
sexier and more relaxed, which I totally appreciated as it removed
any unnecessary tension. But this was just a date, to get to know
him better and to make my work easier. It couldn’t be more because
my brothers would freak if they knew I was getting involved with a
client, and I’d have to go back to my job of investigating
cheaters.
That
was the last thing I wanted. If they only
knew how much pain that responsibility had brought me. But I wasn’t
a quitter or a whiner. I would do what had to be done. Solve this
case, and maybe then see whether Eric and I had something more than
sparks flying each time we saw each other. And what my brothers
didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. Or me.

Letting out a
long breath, I made my way toward the front. As my heels clicked,
echoing with each step, Eric turned slowly toward me, removed his
cowboy hat, and smiled. I paused for a moment, taking in his strong
stance, hard muscles, and that one dimple that formed on his right
cheek. My gaze lowered to the bouquet of freesias in his hands. The
delicate yellow and purple flowers were so lovely and so different
than the roses I was used to.