Fast Burn (Body Armor #4)(47)

She whined, “I did you a favor and you know it.”

Yeah, he knew it well.

“Come and see me, Brand. Pleeease.”

For him, her voice grated like nails on a chalkboard.

“You know I’m not supposed to get upset. I’m not supposed to be depressed or sad. But you make me so damn angry and so sad all I can do is cry!”

Every nerve ending in his body rebelled, but damn it, he didn’t know what else to do. “Fine. I’ll visit later.”

“When?”

“I don’t know yet, but until then, do what the therapist tells you.” He disconnected before she could say anything else.

Dreading it, he slowly turned to face Sahara. She was back in her seat, eating the last crumb off her plate and making no pretense of not sympathizing with him.

“Stop it,” he told her, grabbing up his coffee and finishing it off. He didn’t want her pity.

Instead of responding directly, she told him, “Leese won’t drink coffee.”

“Leese is a fanatic about health. He’s the one who taught me that recipe.”

Sahara nodded. “I just like sweets, but Catalina survives on junk food. Or rather, she used to. These days Leese does most of the cooking and he’s managed to convince her that good-tasting food can be good for her.”

Relieved that she didn’t press him, Brand said, “She still indulges in the occasional pizza, cheese coney or fast-food burger.”

“Mmm,” she said. “Cheese coneys, with the steamed hotdog, the chili, all that cheese on a bun...”

“So you’re a fan, too.”

“Hey, a girl’s gotta live.”

They smiled together.

Then Sahara ruined it by saying, “I’ll go with you.”

He knew exactly what she meant, and refused without a second thought. “No.”

Supremely confident, she finished her coffee and stood. “Well, I say yes because later in the week, you’re going to want to go with me and turnabout is fair play, right?”

“Go with you where?”

Hip out, she smiled at him. “District Attorney Douglas Grant is having a little party Saturday and I’m invited. Naturally, I declined, because Douglas is not only a pig, he’s also crooked and I dislike him very much. But he promised that he had a good reason for inviting me, that he hopes to make peace between us and in fact, it’s suddenly his fondest wish to work with me instead of against me.” She flipped back her hair. “So I agreed.”

“Jesus, Sahara.”

“I assumed you wouldn’t want me to go alone.” She carried her cup and plate to the dishwasher, placing them inside. “But of course, I have no problem doing that if you have other plans.”

As she straightened, Brand took her arm and turned her into him. “We’re not at the office.”

Those crystal-blue eyes sparkled. “So?”

“So, I want you to behave.” He had long arms and he only had to bend a little to slide a hand up the back of her thigh—under her dress.

Her eyes went heavy. “What are you doing?”

“Ensuring I have your attention.”

“You have it.”

He cupped the bottom of her cheek, barely covered by tiny silky panties. “Then stop trying to provoke me.”

“Is that what I was doing?”

Giving her a stern look, he slipped one finger over the crotch of the panties. With her dress scrunched up in the back, he arched her toward him, easy to do with the heels she wore.

Fighting a grin, Sahara bit her lip.

He loved seeing her like this, confident as always but game to play, amused and turned on. “You were trying to manipulate me again, but we had an agreement and you will stick to it.”

She nodded.

“Better.” Hell, it was all he could do not to grin as well. She looked so adorably obedient, as only Sahara could. “You shouldn’t be going to a party, but,” he said, emphasizing the word before she could voice her ready complaints, “my part of the bargain was that I wouldn’t interfere with work. So we’ll go—”

She said a happy little “Yay!”

“—but you’ll be careful, and by that I mean you’ll stay where I can see you.” He didn’t trust this sudden party, or the smarmy DA who wanted to make peace. The timing was off, coming on the heels of her being kidnapped. “I’ll want to know more about this Douglas Grant person.”

A little breathy, she said, “I can tell you all about him on our way to your visit today.”

He wasn’t taking her anywhere near his mother. “Not happening.”

She heaved a sigh. “You’re going to be so annoyed with me.”

“Because.?”

“Because I have resources, and if you go without me, I’ll figure out where, and then I’ll follow.”

“No—”

“And while I know that’s not following the letter of our agreement, I hope you’ll forgive me.” She put her arms around his neck and rested the side of her face against his chest. “You promised me that we’re in a relationship, and that’s what people in a relationship do: they support each other.”

“I don’t need support.” Yet he tunneled the fingers of his free hand into her hair and, with his other hand still under her dress, held her closer.