Hot Winter Nights (Heartbreaker Bay #6)(48)

Yeah, there was no doubt. She was deep, deep in the danger zone with him. “I had a bunch of work piled up,” she said.

“And not all of it for Hunt Investigations,” he said.

She gave a single nod of agreement.

“Find anything?” he asked.

“I’m working on getting access to financial information on Nick and all his various aliases, along with his brother. And also the workings of the charities that the village supposedly supports. Did you know that there’s a handful of people who win bingo? A lot?”

“What’s a lot?” he asked.

“Just about weekly, near as I can tell. Almost as if they have a deal with the person in charge of bingo.”

He nodded. “So assuming that’s true and that Nick has people planted in bingo, the winners probably get to keep part of the winnings, but have to hand the rest back to him.”

“Bad Santa.”

“Very bad,” he agreed in that voice that never failed to rev her engines. Before she could do something stupid, she looked at the time. “Oops. Gotta go,” she said.

“Hold up.”

“No time,” she said and walked down the hallway, grabbing her purse and laptop. At the front door of the offices, she was halted when a long arm reached past her and held the door closed.

He was right behind her, as in so close she could feel the heat of him through her clothes, seeping into her back. She closed her eyes to take it in as he lowered his head and rubbed his jaw to hers.

“Molly,” he murmured, his mouth at the sweet spot beneath her ear, making her quiver on the inside. On the outside, she locked her knees.

“Hmm?” she managed, her body moving of its own accord, dammit, tipping her head to the side to give him more room in order to drive her crazy with his mouth now at her throat.

“Where are you running off to?” he asked. His breath was warm, the day-old stubble on his jaw prickling her skin in the very best way.

“Home,” she managed. “I’ve got to rest up for tomorrow night’s elf shift. Mrs. Berkowitz and Mrs. White heard rumors that something’s going down tomorrow night.” Dammit! Her eyes flashed open and she whirled to face him, poking her finger in his stupid hard chest. “Stop doing that!”

He lifted his hands, showing her that they weren’t on her in any way. “Doing what?”

“You know what!”

“Breathing?”

“Yes! Especially on my neck.”

“You liked it.”

Way too much . . .

Clearly able to read her mind, he smiled. “Are you going to invite your partner along tomorrow night?”

“No,” she said.

“Why not?”

“Because I’m just going to work a shift and you stick out in all your big, alpha, silent badassery. And plus, there’s no way you’d actually wear an elf costume, so . . .”

He’d gone brows up at the badassery comment. “I can’t wear an elf costume,” he said. “No place to put my gun.”

She snorted and wriggled her butt against his “gun.”

He whipped her around to face him and pressed her up against the wall with six feet plus of solid muscle, and her eyes started to drift closed of their own doing. “That’s a pretty big gun,” she said breathlessly.

Laughing, he dropped his forehead to hers. “You’ve been ignoring me since the meeting. You okay?”

“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”

His brown eyes met hers and held.

“Because of last night? Lucas, I think we both know exactly how okay I am after that.” She gave him a small smile. “Nothing’s changed.”

He ran his fingers along her jaw, letting them sink into her hair. “Good. But I’m going with you tomorrow night. Tomorrow night and always.”

“You’ll wear an elf costume?” she asked, teasingly hopeful.

A light of amusement came into his eyes. “In bed I’ll wear whatever you want me to. But out of bed, I’m staying dressed as is—including weapons.”

She ran her gaze over his leanly muscled body. “Exactly how many weapons are you packing anyway?”

A very wicked smile crossed his mouth. “Unless you’re prepared to search me and find out yourself, none of your business.”

This caused a rush of heat to go right through her, but she lifted her chin and gave him a light shove.

He let her have her space, but didn’t go far. “I’m still coming with,” he said.

“Because you think I need backup?”

“Because we’re partners. And if you’re free right now, I could actually use your help with something.”

“Like what?” she asked, eyes narrowed.

He smiled. “Suspicious much?”

“With you, yes.”

“Have I ever steered you wrong or left you hanging?”

“No,” she had to admit. He’d never done anything but be brutally honest, have her back on this case, and respect her abilities.

As for the leaving her hanging thing . . . he’d never left her hanging at all. In fact, he’d refused to leave her behind.

So she supposed it wouldn’t be fair to leave him behind now.