Close Cover (Masters and Mercenaries #16)(13)

“You?”

“She came on to me a few months ago and I didn’t handle it well.” That was putting it kindly.

“She came on to you?” Shane asked. “Like threw herself at you?”

“No. She was sweet about it. Polite.” The way she almost always was, though now she avoided him like the plague. “She asked if she could have a moment of my time and if I would consider a scene with her.”

He’d scened with almost every single sub in the place, and some of the married ones. Not that the married ones had led to sex. They’d been more about teaching the sub’s husband about suspension play. Lisa had to know how many subs he’d played with. Everyone but her.

How had that made her feel?

“And you handled it how?” Shane asked as though he already knew the answer and it wasn’t pretty.

“I told her I wasn’t interested and walked back to the locker room.” Stumbled in his haste to get away, but Shane didn’t need to know that.

Shane winced. “Yeah, that would do it. You said I’m not interested and nothing else? Like you were refusing a mint?”

“I panicked.”

“You don’t panic.”

“I do around her.” He moved to his computer. “I don’t know why but she unnerves me.”

“Because you’re attracted to her,” Shane started. “Insanely attracted to her.”

Suddenly there was movement in his doorway and Wade strode in, a box in his hand. “Are we talking about Lisa Daley? Because for some reason he doesn’t want to be attracted to that sweet thing. And he doesn’t want the rest of us to be attracted to her either. You should watch out. He kind of growls when one of us gets too close.”

“I can’t believe you got that monstrosity of a couch in,” Declan said, setting down the box he was carrying. “I was so sure that wasn’t going to happen.”

“It’s all about physics and geometry, my friend,” Shane replied. “I’ve got both brains and beauty.”

Riley groaned, entering the apartment with Remy’s microwave in his hands. “Yep, you’re a beauty queen, Landon. Remy, this place is way better than your ramshackle piece of crap. It deserves a microwave that was built in this century.”

Ah, his crew was here and they would give him plenty of shit. “Hey, it works. Not everything has to be beautiful as long as it functions. Put it over there on the bar, and my ramshackle piece of crap is going to put me over the top financially.”

Riley set the microwave, that really did seem like it had seen more of US history than a small appliance should, on the bar and held out a hand. “I’m happy to hear that, though I’m going to be sorry to see you go, brother.”

There was that tug he hadn’t expected, the one that let him know this was his home, too. He shook Riley’s hand. “You’re not done with me yet. I’ve got this one last job, and it could take a good long while. Hell, by the time I get home, my brother might have burned the place down.”

Zep wouldn’t mean to. He was just a dumbass who couldn’t seem to stay out of trouble to save his life. He was a human Mouse Trap game, specifically the little ball that through no real fault of its own caused all those traps to fall into place. More than once he’d picked his younger brother up at the jailhouse with Zep scratching his head and wondering what the hell had happened.

He would have to deal with that all over again. Then there was Seraphina and her wretched taste in men, and his momma’s penchant for shooting people.

Maybe he should stay here.

“I thought you were taking a vacation,” he said to Riley. “That usually means crawling into some woman’s bed, not helping a buddy move.”

“Maybe I’ve grown over the years,” Riley mused. “Sharla can wait. Or was it Charmaine? Champagne?” He waved it off. “I can have sex whenever I want. Apparently my time with you is running short. So I thought we could hang and do manly shit. Then I walk in and we’re talking about your tender feelings. Landon, you totally should have been a relationship counselor.”

Shane tossed him the bird. “Fuck you. It’s an op. He’s got to watch her but not look like he’s watching her.”

Riley nodded. “He should totally fuck her.”

Declan shrugged. “It’s the best way. Can’t lose track of her if you’re on top of her. Also, she can’t take a bullet if you’re on top of her. It really works all the way around. And she’s pretty cute. I don’t see the problem.”

Wade frowned Declan’s way. “Morals.”

Dec looked around like he didn’t understand. “Yes, the moral of the story is if you’re sleeping with her, she’ll probably do what you say in the field.”

“I meant do you have any morals, asshole. What about her feelings?” Wade asked.

“I thought she would be feeling an orgasm,” Declan replied. “I don’t see what’s wrong with that. Unless…”

Remy rolled his eyes and took a long drag off his beer. “I can give her an orgasm, dumbass. What Wade is saying is that it’s not fair to sleep with her when I don’t intend to hang around. I’m always upfront and honest. If I sleep with a woman, I tell her what I’m willing to give and what I can’t. I’m leaving soon.”