Staking His Claim (Line of Duty #5)(5)

Five minutes early.

This time, he couldn’t help the quiet laugh that escaped him.

…

All right, this seduction was definitely not going according to plan.

Lucy slid a glance across the console of Matt’s sleek black sedan, watching him under the cover of her eyelashes. He hadn’t looked at her once since loading her suitcase into the trunk, instead keeping his gray eyes glued to the road, jaw tight with obvious frustration that he’d been saddled with some unknown party for the afternoon. As soon as she’d introduced herself as Sasha, he’d lost his expression of blatant interest, shutting down as if on cue. Surely off-limits little sister didn’t encompass little sister’s roommate? Based on his closed-off demeanor, it clearly did.

Problem with that? In addition to being attracted to him in a sweaty, breathless way that made her crave an ice bath, he now presented a challenge. That part of her that loved being tested and coming out on top was now stretching and lacing up its sneakers. Even with his unfriendly vibe, maybe even because of it, she wanted this man. For the last six years, she’d watched her friends take home men from parties for much lesser reasons. She’d admitted just how much she wanted him to herself during her mad dash through her empty apartment, unpacking her razor to shave her legs and bikini line in just under two minutes, before slathering on lotion and breaking for the sidewalk. It would have been a cold day in hell before she took longer than the allotted time. Had he commented on her punctuality? No, he hadn’t. Had he even peeked at her newly smooth gams? No, he hadn’t.

Phase two it is.

Her game was a little dusty, since she hadn’t used it in a couple years. Apart from a short-term boyfriend when she’d studied abroad in France, she’d never had a steady man in her life. Just the odd date and obligatory one-night stands that came with the college experience. Matt would require a little extra oomph. She could practically feel the do not touch warning radiating from his side of the car. Why did that turn her on even more?

Lucy sat a little straighter in her seat, casually glancing down at her body. She wasn’t half-bad, right? At least, she used to think so. Her boobs had been hidden underneath a Syracuse sweatshirt for so long, they might have shrunk a little from disuse. Her legs might be a whiter shade of pale, but summer had only just started. No one had a tan yet, right? She slumped back down in her seat. Obviously her body wouldn’t be her most useful tool on this mission to get laid by this sexy beast of a cop. She’d just have to dazzle him with her wits.

“So do you make it up to Syracuse often?”

Fail.

Matt shot her a look that said is she serious?

“No, I don’t. I came to retrieve Lucy.” He pushed a hand through his black hair. “I’m not big on sightseeing. Or last-minute plan changes.”

“You know, I kind of sensed that.” Impatient with herself, she crossed her legs. Wait, had he looked that time? “I don’t know what you’ve heard about Lucy, but she’s actually kind of awesome. Don’t judge her too harshly. Hot guy with a lake house. You can’t pass that up.”

“I assure you, I could.”

She gasped. “He makes a joke? Pull over, I’m feeling dizzy.”

“Maybe it’s the smell of that vanilla lotion. How much did you put on exactly?”

That brought her up short. Not only had he noticed her efforts, he’d spent the last half hour being vexed by them. She couldn’t get a read on this guy, couldn’t get a hint of what he was thinking by looking at his stoic face. With a single finger, she punched and held the button to crack the passenger-side window. “Better?”

A grunt served as his reply. After a minute, though, he surprised her by breaking the uncomfortable silence. “Major?”

“Sorry?”

His hands flexed on the steering wheel. “You just completed grad school, right? What was your major?”

Shit. She hadn’t anticipated the questions. Did he know what Lucy had majored in? Probably not, since he had no clue what she looked like. Of course, the only details Brent would pass on would be her shortcomings. She owed him a nice, sisterly punch in the gut when she got home. For now, it was best to stick with a close version of the truth, so she didn’t lose track of fabricated stories. An uneasy feeling settled in her belly. This game wasn’t quite as fun as she’d anticipated. “Double major. French language and art history.”

He studied her for a moment, appearing to reevaluate her, before returning his attention to the road. No flicker of recognition, though, only surprise. “Do you have plans?”

She nodded. “I have offers from several smaller museums. A few in New York. One in Paris. The Louvre, actually.” It felt like a jinx to finally say it out loud. As if voicing the offer of a lifetime, working as a research assistant in the world-famous museum, might make it disappear in a cloud of sparkly dust. She wasn’t necessarily thinking about taking the job, since she’d already been away from home for so long. But every once in a while, she’d open the e-mail containing the offer and reread it out loud. In a French accent. “I spent two years studying in Paris and I’ve always wanted to go back. But I’m taking a week to decide.”

“One week?” Another measured glance in her direction. “That’s a pretty quick turnaround.”

Lucy shrugged. “I’ve got some business to take care of.” Realizing the conversation was turning too personal, not a good idea when she was pretending to be Sasha, she ended that line of questioning by reaching into her purse and pulling out the week’s itinerary. If she had to face the city solo, she might have some adjustments to make.