Hard to Fight (Alpha's Heart, #1)(9)

He can’t help himself.

“You’re lucky I love you,” he mutters, taking a soda from my hands and flopping down onto the couch.

I smirk, dropping down beside him. He looks great tonight in his dark jeans and light blue tee. It’s no wonder Kady is so obsessed. She loves the surfer type, and Vance most certainly looks like he’s that kind of guy.

Only he doesn’t surf.

At all.

In fact, I don’t think he even knows what a surfboard is.

He’s an insult to the surfing world. He would look so damned good on a board.

He scrunches his face up. “Why are you staring at me? It’s freaking me out.”

I laugh, turning away. “I was imagining you and surfboards. It’s an interesting picture.”

He snorts. “I know there’s this sexual tension and—”

I giggle, shoving his shoulder with mine. “Stop it.”

He flashes me that killer smile. “How’s your research on the murderer-slash-assaulter going?”

I frown. “We’re friends, right?”

He narrows his eyes. “No one else would watch Rush Hour four hundred and eighty-nine times with you.”

“It hasn’t been that many.”

He raises his brows. “Forgive me, four hundred and eighty-eight times.”

“You’re awful, but seriously … I could talk to you if, I mean, if I had a problem?”

His eyes grow soft. “You know you could. Is something wrong?”

I hesitate. “Not … exactly.”

“Spill.” He leans back in the chair, twisting just slightly so he’s still watching me.

“What I tell you here, it remains private, right?” I ask, scanning his face for a reaction.

He doesn’t seem fazed. “Of course.”

“Okay,” I say, taking a steady breath. “So the other night, Kady and I were out and I met this man.”

Did Vance just flinch? I’ll pretend I didn’t notice that.

“And?” he grates out.

“And it was Raide Knox.”

His eyes widen and his mouth drops open.

“Before you say anything,” I say quickly. “I didn’t know it was him.”

His eyes bug out even more, and he gasps, “You didn’t f*ck him, did you?”

I gasp. “Jesus, Vance, no!”

A deep sigh of relief. “Okay, so you know where he hangs out. That’s a good thing, right?”

“The thing is,” I say, staring down at my hands. “He’s a big man, Vance. Huge, in fact. Like Hercules.” And hot. Superhot.

“You don’t think you can do it.” It’s not a question, but a statement.

“I can do it. It’s just how I have to do it.”

Vance narrows his eyes. “What exactly are you trying to tell me, Gracie?”

“You and I both know, even with my training, I can’t bring a man Raide’s size in with sheer force.”

“And…?”

“So I have to come up with something else, something … more foolproof.”

Vance sighs again and shifts uncomfortably. “Gracie, you’re stalling.”

“I’m going to seduce him,” I blurt.

Vance’s entire body stiffens, and this time his eyes narrow with— God, is that hurt? It takes me a moment to find my words. “I’m not going to sleep with him, or even kiss him—I’m just going to seduce him enough to get him to agree to a date. Then I’m going to bring him in.”

Vance visibly relaxes.

His reaction bothers me. I’ve accepted that Vance feels something for me, how deep that something goes is another story. I love him as a friend, but he and I—we just won’t work like that. We’re too alike. And besides that, in the profession we’re both in, there’s no way it would work. There’s no way we wouldn’t compete. He would always be that much better than me. Then there’s just the simple fact that Vance isn’t the kind of man I ever pictured myself with. Call me a sucker for the tall, dark, and rugged type.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Vance finally asks. “Seducing him could go horribly wrong, Gracie. What if he’s dangerous and he catches on?”

“I know,” I say softly. “But it’s the only choice I have, and I’ll make sure I keep myself in public places. I need to prove myself, Vance. I have to do this.”

He nods. “There’s no rule that says you can’t do whatever you have to, to bring a criminal in. If that’s how you have to do it, then that’s how you do it, but promise me you’ll be careful, Gracie. I’ve read his profile. He could be dangerous, and I don’t want to see you hurt.”

My heart palpitates with mild annoyance. Not because I’m angry with him—I’m not. It’s purely because if I were a man, he’d have no concern for me. He wouldn’t question my ability, and he wouldn’t ask me to be careful. He’d just slap me on the back and wish me luck. I long for a reaction like that.

“I’ve had the same training as you,” I point out gently. “I can do this.”

He puts his hands up. “Not saying you can’t.”

I study his face for a moment and decide to just let it go. This isn’t the time or the place, and I don’t want to upset him by going into further detail about my plan.