Authors: Tessa Bailey
Tags: #police, #Romantic Suspense, #brazen, #line of duty, #erotic, #new york, #Contemporary Romance
and engaged him enthusiastically. A
guttural groan met her action, the hand in
her hair tightening as he backed her
against the hallway wall.
She needed to breathe, but he seemed
unwilling to let her do so. Worked for
her. Breathing would give her time to
think, and even a tiny flash of clarity
could talk her out of this and it felt so
good
. His tongue worked deep inside
her mouth, claiming her, leaving no room
for protest. Then, oh
then
, his hips fit to
hers and began mimicking the rhythm of
his tongue. Slow, measured grinds that
were somehow a little frantic at the
same time. A thrum built between her
legs, becoming unbearable. When she
whimpered, he bent his knees and came
up more firmly between her thighs,
plastering every inch of them together.
Finally, as dizziness set in, his lips
left hers. “Jesus,” he grated at her lips.
“I said a kiss. You’re begging to be
fucked
.”
His words barely penetrated the
desire still blanketing her mind. Quick
rushes of breath seemed to be amplified
in her ears as she drew them. “I…I am?”
He searched her eyes for a moment,
his regard so intense she nearly missed
the hardness pressed against her belly.
But once she felt…it…nothing could
prevent her face from heating, reddening.
Bowen’s gaze fell to her flushed skin
and he released a tortured laugh. “Ah,
sweetheart, I don’t fuck around with
virgins.” His head dipped, teeth closing
around her ear and tugging. “But I’ll get
down on my knees and eat that untouched
pussy like a motherfucker.”
“Well, shit, Driscol. Looks like
you’ve met my new waitress.”
Hogan’s
voice
brought
Sera’s
surroundings back to her in a blinding
flash. She shoved out from underneath
the hard body pinning her to the wall,
needing to escape into the dining room
before her mortification swallowed her
whole. But Hogan’s words halted her in
her tracks.
Driscol
. She’d heard that name
before. Countless times.
When it hit Sera whom exactly she’d
just let kiss her within an inch of her life,
it took all her willpower not to buckle
on the spot.
She’d just made out with Bowen
Driscol, recent heir to South Brooklyn’s
most ruthless criminal enterprise.
CHAPTER FOUR
Hear that? It’s the sound of your plan
backfiring. Twice.
Doing his best to appear unconcerned
at Hogan’s sudden arrival, Bowen
watched Sera’s face as she processed
her boss’s words. His last name and
everything that came along with it. Why
did he feel a surge of pride when she
didn’t even flinch? He could pile it right
on top of every other insane reaction
he’d had to her since walking into Rush,
because he sure as hell didn’t have a
fucking clue. While he might not
understand the fierce urge to protect a
virtual stranger, one thing had become
instantly clear. He wasn’t leaving her
there to fend for herself. Not a chance.
When they’d briefed him at police
headquarters, he’d told them he would
do this his own way or not at all. It
would be a cold day in hell before he
took orders from the police, so they
would have to trust him to handle it.
When Newsom had balked at this
condition, he’d managed to convince him
that the closer the cops came to Sera, the
more danger she would be in. He’d
meant it, too. Everyone in this
neighborhood knew one another. They
craved the familiar.
It was one of the reasons he knew
Sera’s time was limited.
Already, the idea of her being harmed
had him by the throat.
She’d
had him by
the damn throat since the moment he’d
arrived. After seeing the photograph of
her, he’d expected to walk in and find a
wide-eyed Girl Scout seconds from her
death. Only half of that expectation had
come true. There was innocence, so
much innocence, but she’d done a bang-
up job hiding it underneath skintight
jeans and a crop top. Rich brown hair,
drizzled with a honey color, brushed
where he knew her nipples would be if
he lifted her shirt. Just enough makeup to
fit in without looking unnatural, like
most of the girls who frequented Rush.
No spray tan, no glittery eye goop, just a
rosy glow that made his hands itch to
touch her skin. On sight, she’d affected
him so much it hurt to look at her, while
at the same time it hurt worse to look
away. Then her lips parted and that
husky voice had come out, stroking over
every inch of his body.
At that moment, his game plan had
changed from simply making her casual
acquaintance to daring anyone to come
within ten feet of her. And the quickest
way to ensure her safety, in his mind,
had been to put a stamp of ownership on
her. Right there in the middle of Rush.
Which is about when his plan had
gone to shit. Anyone who knew him was
aware that Bowen’s relationships ended
as quickly as they started. Usually within
the same night. It only took a few
whispered words and a nod toward the
door to convince a girl to leave with
him. He sure as hell didn’t dry-hump
them in plain view of the dining room,
keeping his mouth locked to theirs until
his brain forced him to breathe. Like
he’d done with Sera, right in front of
several neighborhood lifers who were
no doubt more curious about her than
before his ass had ever walked through
the door. So, yeah. Now instead of
Bowen’s latest hookup
, she’d become a
possible target.
B u t
Christ.
She’d tasted so damn
good. With her perfection pressed up
against him, her eager tongue tangling
with his, he’d lost his cool. That kiss
had complicated the shit out of
everything. A virgin. She hadn’t needed
to say it out loud; he’d seen the answer
in her eyes, the surprised noise she made
when he’d shoved up between her legs.
No time to think about that now,
though. He was the only thing standing
between her and possible death. Time
for damage control. He adopted his best
shit-eating grin and faced Hogan. As
he’d anticipated, the man looked
suspicious. “Someone’s got to keep the
waitresses in line when you’re not
around, right?” Bowen put his hand out
and after a slight hesitation, Hogan
shook it. “I came by to talk. Guess I got a
little distracted.”
Hogan still appeared dubious, but he
nodded once. “Can’t say I blame you.
She’s quite the little distraction.”
It took every ounce of Bowen’s
control not to grab Hogan by the throat
when he gave Sera a lustful once-over.
“Why don’t we let her get back to
work?” Hogan’s features tightened at
Bowen’s
not-so-subtle
command,
warning him to reel back his obvious
interest in Sera. “I’ll buy you a drink.”
Hogan very deliberately rubbed his
jaw. “All right, Driscol.” He turned his
hard gaze on Sera. “Enough standing
around. You’re downstairs to serve
drinks.”
Fists clenched so hard he thought the
bones might shatter, Bowen followed
Hogan to the bar. He somehow resisted
the impulse to turn around and gauge
Sera’s expression. Pass on some sort of
reassurance that he’d handle Hogan. But
not only would she reject such
reassurance from him, she didn’t know
he was on her side.
And she couldn’t know. He’d agreed
to keep his involvement in the
investigation from her. Newsom had
explained that his niece’s stubborn
nature might cause her to make rash
decisions if she knew the police were
monitoring her, possibly getting ready to
swoop in and put an end to her
impulsive mission.
She’s got nothing to
lose
, he’d said.
No care for her own
well-being
. Bowen damn well wished
he hadn’t agreed to that condition now
so he could talk some sense into her.
When he reached the seat he’d left
vacant what felt like hours ago, he slid
onto the stool and signaled for a
whiskey. God only knew how much he
needed it.
Hogan took the seat beside him,
looking thoughtful. “You know, I hadn’t
quite decided not to have her for
myself.” One by one, he popped his
knuckles. “How was she?”
Stay calm. Stay calm.
“I wouldn’t
know. You interrupted us before we got
to the good part, man.”
The other man smiled tightly. “Are
you expecting an apology?” He picked
up the shot of top-shelf tequila the
bartender had placed in front of him. “I
don’t know if I like you coming into my
club, handling my waitress. We might be
making peace, but that doesn’t mean I
have an open-door policy.”
Since he would rather chew nails than
apologize,
Bowen
stayed
silent.
Eventually, Hogan laughed and slapped
him on the back, making him stiffen.
“So let’s talk.” Hogan leaned close.
“Everything still in order for next
week’s shipment?”
He nodded, the familiar pit opening in
his stomach that always came when
discussing business. “All set. I need to
know what kind of manpower you’re
bringing, so I can match it. With that
much cargo, we’ll need a decent number,
but they’ve all got to be trustworthy. No
last-minute additions.”
Hogan rubbed his palms together,
turned on by the promise of the
upcoming score. “Not a problem. I’ve
handpicked every one of them. They
know what happens if they talk.”
Rapping the bar with one hand, he
looked back toward the dining room.
“I’m not taking any chances with this
one. It’s too big. Which is why I hope
you got the waitress out of your system.”
Bowen’s blood ran cold. “Meaning?”
Hogan’s voice dipped low. “I kept her
around because one of my guys got his
ass shot a couple weeks back. She
seemed to know what the fuck she was
doing, and I sure as hell didn’t have time
to play nurse to anyone. So I brought her
here.” He shrugged. “He’s up and
around now. And she’s not exactly
waitress of the year. In fact, there’s
something about her…”
“Besides
those
legs?”
Bowen
interjected, wanting to distract Hogan
from that suspicious line of thinking.
He acknowledged Bowen’s comment
with a cold smirk. “She’s been around
too long. I can’t be sure what she’s
heard or seen.” A touch of concern laced
his tone. “Anyway, in the spirit of taking
no chances leading up to this next
shipment, I’m not keeping an outsider
around longer than necessary.”
The clawing in Bowen’s throat was
back. “Seems a little hasty, doesn’t it?”
His comment earned him a jab in the
shoulder. Hogan actually had the nerve
to look amused after so casually
mentioning his decision to get rid of
Sera. “Should I take that to mean she’s
not out of your system yet?”
Hating the words he was about to say,
Bowen made an indifferent gesture. “I
wouldn’t mind finishing what we started
first.” His stomach turned over. “After
that, it’s none of my business.”
Hogan leaned back on his stool, eyes
focused sharply on Bowen. “Tell you
what. I’m heading to my Jersey club for
a week to knock some heads together.
Until
I
get
back,
she’s
your
responsibility.” One of his shoulders
lifted. “Why not let you have your fun?”