Bouncer (Bad Boys in Big Trouble Book 2) (6 page)

“Are you okay?”

“No! I’m mortified.” She looked in Kelli’s direction, trying not to send a melting glare, knowing also that her friend just wanted to be helpful.

“Don’t be. And besides, that’s not what I meant.”

She searched his eyes. They held a measure of regret. With his new knowledge, he probably wondered if he’d hurt her Saturday night. It wasn’t fair to him not to explain her motives. Especially since Kelli had certainly told him all kinds of intimate things about her already.

She pierced him with a steady gaze. “I just wanted it to be over, you know? I wanted it to be anonymous and over with, and
not
public information.”

“Well, lucky for you I hadn’t given Kelli my answer—which was no, by the way—to her request to, as she put it, ‘gently ease her untried friend into the carnal pleasures of sex,’ when the two gunmen arrived.”

Jessica winced. She could practically hear Kelli’s voice putting the proposition to him. “Why is that lucky?” Not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

“Well, when I turned her request down—and I was about to—she probably would have asked my friend Mike.” He nodded in the direction of a very attractive blond man Kelli was conversing with. “He might have said yes.”

“Oh my good heavens. Just take my gun and shoot me.” She lowered her gaze to the tiles beneath her feet and put her hand on the gun holster under her jacket, finding it empty.
Shit. Shit. Shit.

“No thanks. I hear the paperwork really sucks. Besides, your secret is safe with me, Smith. I swear to you.”

Jessica shivered at his use of her Saturday night nickname. “Thank you, Jones. I do appreciate it.”

The seriousness in his teasing tone calmed her. He
was
a good guy. He wasn’t about to rat her out to the world. She took a deep breath. Let it out slowly. “Thanks for Saturday night, too. It was remarkable, amazing. Words can’t really describe it.” She directed her look to the floor again, fearful everyone in the room would know her recent carnal history if they so much as looked in her direction.

“For me, too. Shocked the shit out of me when I realized the girl Kelli was talking about a few minutes ago was you.”

Her head lifted to send another gaze his way. “Yeah?”

“I see now why you weren’t afraid of going off with a stranger. Nice shooting, Miss Smith.” His gaze wandered over to the two men she’d shot upon her arrival.

She laughed. “And don’t you forget it.”

“I won’t.” He drilled a seductive gaze at her face as if to memorize it. “Not ever.”

She didn’t think he was talking about her marksmanship.

“Me either,” she whispered.

He took a step closer to her. His spicy cologne assailed her senses. She licked her lips. “Are you tender?” His tone had shifted to unease.

His concern was impossible to miss. Perhaps he was worried about the repeated rounds of lovemaking, now that he knew it had been her first time.

“I ache, but not in a bad way. You didn’t hurt me, Jones. I promise.”

“Good.” This time, the smile he gave her made her feel like he was visualizing her naked. Time to break his focus.

“Why were you going to turn Kelli down in her insidious and very loud public quest to get me laid for the first time?”

“I don’t let myself out to deflower virgins, as a rule.”

“Perhaps you should. You’re really good at it.”

“Thanks, I think.” He laughed suddenly, then his eyes narrowed in speculation. “Would you consider this meeting fate, Smith?”

“What?”

He shrugged. “You know, us seeing each other like this again so soon after…blissful perfection? When I woke up alone, I never expected to see you again. But I wanted to. Maybe you should reconsider your options on further carnal encounters with me. Because I’m most assuredly game, if you’re interested.”

“No. Thank you.” At his obvious disappointment, she rushed to explain. “It’s nothing personal, Jones. I just wanted that aspect of my life to be done. And now it is. I need to move on. I’m
not
in the market for a boyfriend. I’m busy building my career. There’s not any time in my routine for a regular love life, you know?”

He nodded. “Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where I live.”

“Nice to know, Jones. I’m going to tell Kelli that I had sex with a stranger Saturday night. She is never going to know that stranger is you, right?”

“I never kiss and tell, Miss Smith.” His lips made her long for a kiss. Jones was an exceptional kisser, tender and thorough, and watching his lush mouth form words right this moment made her shiver.

“Good. Thank you.” She looked at his mouth again. With her Monday starting out as it had, Jessica desperately wanted a taste of him to balance things out. Just a small little kiss. She couldn’t help but lean closer. Her head tilted back, getting into position to taste him. Just once more.

“Agent Hayes?” The police officer in charge approached her and Jones. “Are you ready to give a statement?”

“Yes,” she said, too loud and too fast. Jessica was stunned to realize she’d almost kissed Jones in public. Thankfully, he faded quickly into the crowd of other patrons giving statements to various law enforcement guys stationed around the room.

Jessica inhaled deeply, taking in the smell of strong coffee and sexy man. Fate. She didn’t believe in it. But she’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit she’d craved his kiss moments ago.

The officer took her statement. “There’s someone from the Federal Building on the way here with a replacement weapon for you.”

“Thanks.” Her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. She glanced at her watch and realized she was late for work. The read out told her the call was from her boss. Her life intruded on dream-filled things she couldn’t have anyway.

She answered, “Agent Hayes.”

Special Agent-in-Charge Butch Martin asked, “Where are you, Hayes?” She suspected he’d already been notified, especially if the Bureau had sent someone with a replacement gun.

“I interrupted an armed robbery in a coffee shop this morning.”

“Good for you. Why aren’t you at work yet?”

“I discharged my weapon. Twice.”

There was a lengthy silence at the end of the line. “Anyone dead?” he finally asked.

“No, sir. Just two wounded.”

“Even so. Lots of paperwork.”

“I know, sir.”

The shoot was justified, but Jessica knew her day was about to be busy with lots and lots of endless forms to fill out and reports to file, and her boss knew it, too. She lifted her eyes and stared across the room where Jones talked to a police officer.

A salacious memory of round three flew into her mind. She was straddled over Jones, his huge cock buried deeply inside her. She ground herself down and forward, then up, then down and backwards and up again. Then she continued the motion slowly, methodically, until his thumb suddenly brushed across her hot spot as she slid repeatedly over his flesh until—

Martin had just said something. She didn’t know what, because she’d been daydreaming. No, she’d been remembering luscious things that should wait for later.

“What was that again, sir? It’s a bit chaotic here.”

“When will you be released from the scene? I need you here. I just got notified we’re setting up for a joint task force. The principles in the case are out of Chicago, and due to arrive en masse early tomorrow. We need to be ready for them.”

“I’ll leave as soon as my replacement weapon is delivered. I understand it’s on the way.”

“You give your primary statement already?”

“Yes. The local PD can find me later if they need something else.”

“Great.” Martin hung up without further comment. He never said goodbye when he spoke on the phone, not even to his wife. Phone manners notwithstanding, he was a great boss.

His only fault, in her opinion, was that he was acquainted with her eldest brother, Jackson. The dream to escape her well-meaning brothers was thwarted even moving several states away. It also meant Martin treated her differently than all the other agents who answered to him. This earned her the title of Agent-in-Charge’s Special Pet, courtesy of Neil Wiley.

Crap! She forgot. She had to face smarmy boy this morning, too. Her gaze crept back to Jones. He had one hand in his front pocket and the other held a cup of coffee. She had to hide the shudder of sexual desire that ran through her. It warred with her desire to get a sip of his coffee.

Jessica wanted Jones again. She wanted him tonight. The longer she stared at him, the more her desire rose. What if she took him to the coffee shop bathroom and had her wicked way with him and drank half his coffee before heading to work? That would definitely make it easier to face Neil.

“Isn’t he gorgeous?” Kelli said in her ear.

“Yes. He is. But I already got laid.”

“What?! When?”

“Saturday night after I left you at Joe’s Bar. I’d planned on telling you this morning, but there was this little robbery.”

“Oh. Then you don’t need…” She gave a remorseful smile, “I’m so sorry, Jess. My mouth ran over as usual. I’ll tell him—”

“No. Don’t tell him anything. I appreciate you trying to help, but I already told him the deed was done, and he was off the hook.”

“Okay. So tell me, was this mysterious stranger any good?”

Jessica focused on Jones again. He looked up and gave her a devastatingly seductive smile before he saluted her with his coffee cup.

“He was amazing.” She looked at Kelli, since she couldn’t concentrate on anything but Jones’s mouth. “Now I can face smarmy boy Neil today and get him out of my face, too.”

“Will he believe you?”

“Actually, I don’t care. I’ve put up with his shit long enough. If he gives me grief, I’ll go to HR. He can’t hide behind his nepotism forever, can he?”

“I hope not. You should have gone to them a long time ago.”

“I know. I was afraid he’d win any HR battles. I thought I could ignore him. But he’s gotten out of hand of late.”

Kelli shrugged. “I only met him Saturday night and I want to kick his balls into his throat.”

“Yeah? Get in line.” She surveyed the scene before her. “That’s probably why I should be a facial recognition analyst buried behind a desk doing reports and not a field agent. Also because I should have called for backup before charging in.” They watched as the first wounded robber was carried out to a waiting ambulance.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Thanks for saving me, Jessica. I truly thought he was going to kill me.” Kelli was not a fragile flower, but the fear on her face when that thug had held a gun to her head made Jessica act instead of call for official help. She was lucky no one was dead, including her.

That reminded her. Someone had shoved her out of the way when the second gunman shot at her. She’d thought she was about to die. Who had saved her? Her eyes strayed to Jones. No. Surely not. But maybe. She scanned the area again, consulting her memory of the patrons’ positions when she’d first entered. More than maybe, it was probable. Too bad she wasn’t going to see him again or she’d ask.

“Agent Hayes,” a new voice called out. She saw a man in an FBI jacket near the door and went to him. She signed several pieces of paper to take possession of the replacement piece. He gave her the gun butt first, and she secured in her shoulder holster.

She was back in business.

Kelli joined her as she adjusted her jacket to hide the bulge. “Are you going to be okay?” she asked her friend. “Do you want one of the paramedics to take a look at you?”

“No. I’m fine.”

“Okay. Good. I hate to leave you, but I need to get to going. We should do this again, Kelli. But next time let’s forgo the robbery, hostages and gunfire.”

Kelli smiled. “I’m late for work, too. Meet me tomorrow morning right here and you can spill about your first time. Don’t think you’re going to get away without sharing some details.” Kelli winked and walked away.

Not a chance.
Jessica turned to take her leave of the officer in charge and walked straight into Jones’s chest. Her hands went to his biceps to keep her balance and his arms came around her back under the guise of keeping her upright.

“God, you smell great,” he whispered reverently. “Good enough to eat. Meet me tonight.” His breath tickled her hair.

“No.” But she couldn’t seem to let go of him. Her fingers squeezed the muscles of his arms tighter. “Stop tempting me. I have to go to work. I’m late.”

“Meet me tonight, Smith. Midnight. My place. I’ll wait for you.”

“I won’t be there.”

“I’ll still wait. It’s my night off.”

“Let me go.” She heard the desperation in her voice.

He pushed out a defeated-sounding sigh, and his arms dropped. Jessica held on to him a moment longer. The memory of all the sexual delights she experienced with him Saturday night pulsed through her. She swallowed hard and took a breath. With it came his scent. Her forehead leaned in to rest on his upper chest.
Oh my good heavens
, she wanted him so much.

“Okay. One more time.” She tilted her head to look into his face, expecting to see a smug expression, but he looked relieved.