The Men with the Golden Cuffs (Masters and Mercenaries #2)(21)

He’d been surprised at how much he liked it. He’d expected to laugh and toss it aside, but he’d kind of gotten into it. The story of a woman returning to her small town after years of running had been compelling.

“Well, I’ll just have to read two then, won’t I?” Adam said before walking away.

Jake followed, his eyes never leaving Serena. Grace gave her a huge hug, and when her face turned up, Serena was smiling again.

Fuck. He was already in too deep.





Adam had to hand it to Jake. When his partner decided to do something, he usually did it with the tenacity of a dog after a particularly juicy bone. If they had been battling it out for Serena’s affections, round two would have gone to Jake.

Luckily, this was a tag team match, and the only opposition was a pretty brunette who had no idea how hot those damn glasses of hers were making him. She thought she could cover up with a shapeless blouse, but he’d seen her breasts. He’d watched the way they jiggled. He’d just known how nicely they would fit in the palm of his hand. He wanted to get her in a tight sweater. A V neck would show off her breasts and give him good access when they were alone. “We should take her shopping.”

Jake sighed. “Sometimes I think you’ve played gay too long.”

They had played a gay couple before when undercover. It was a surprisingly good way to end up scoring a woman. “She should be wearing something that shows off her body.”

A fierce scowl crossed Jake’s face. “No. She’s fine just the way she is. Don’t try to change her.”

It took everything Adam had not to fist pump. “You don’t want her showing off. You don’t want other men looking at her.”

Jake was notoriously jealous when his heart got engaged. It was why Adam should have known it wouldn’t work with Grace. Well, besides the fact that Sean would have killed him if he’d tried harder. But Jake had never connected to Grace the way he had with Serena. Adam hadn’t missed the way he’d backed her up in the elevator. It had allowed Jake to play the good cop for once.

Jake’s jaw firmed stubbornly. “I don’t think we should walk into the woman’s life and start trying to change her, that’s all. She looks nice in her own clothes.”

She’d looked even nicer in that tank top and her undies. Serena Brooks had a nice round ass he’d love to get his hands on. She needed a good snug fitting pair of jeans. Adam didn’t mind if other men looked at her. As long as they didn’t touch, he wouldn’t kill them.

Ian strode into the reception area. “You two. My office. Now.”

“Crap. He’s stopped using verbs. We’re in deep shit.” Jake scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I’m too tired to deal with a Big Tag fit.”

Big Tag fits could range from a few words that were so cold they could freeze a dick off, all the way to the man actually putting a fist through a face. Adam had been the recipient of both. The bad news was Tag hit hard. The good news was he expected to be hit back.

Adam looked at Serena. She was standing there alone now that Grace had a phone call to deal with. She looked vulnerable, her eyes down. Damn. He actually didn’t want to leave her there.

“Seriously? After one night?” Eve shook her head as she walked up. She was dressed to the nines in a perfectly tailored black business suit that made a stunning contrast to her chicly cut blonde hair. She gave him a wink and lowered her voice. “I know that look. It’s the ‘protective male’ look.”

“Well, we are supposed to be keeping her alive,” Jake pointed out.

“Yeah, that’s all it is.” Eve sighed. “I read one of her books last night. Wow. If she’s for real, I don’t know how you’re going to keep your collective hands off her. Ménage is her fantasy.”

“I don’t intend to keep my hands off her.” Adam didn’t. He would take it slow, but he liked Serena. Jake was attracted to her. Serena obviously was an open-minded girl. He wasn’t going to let the opportunity go. How could they find the one they were searching for if they never took a chance?

“Yeah, well, ménage is our reality. A lot of women have the fantasy. They tend to run once real life sets in.” Jake stalked off toward Ian’s office.

“He’s not going down easy,” Eve said with a shake of her head. “How are his parents?”

Adam watched him go. “Still on the road, living like gypsies. The last time they came through town, he got the lecture on how killing people for a living brought shame to them all. His family is a wreck in the precise opposite way mine is. We run the whole spectrum.”

“If I could get that man on a shrink’s couch, I would.”

“It wouldn’t do any good. He’s not going to forgive himself. He jokes about Jennifer sometimes, but he still feels the shame of getting kicked out. And then his mom tries to shame him for joining up in the first place. But nothing quite compares with being discharged the way he was. I should know.” That single act had cost him his family.

“Adam, hundreds of soldiers have affairs every day. It’s ridiculous that they discharged you.”

“That’s what happens to the unconventional.” Maybe he should cut Jake a little slack. Maybe he should slow this whole thing down. Jake had his reasons to be wary.