“I know that sounds dumb, given that Molly and I are both grown, independent adults. But we’re more than sisters. We’re best friends.”
He nodded in understanding. “So you always stay in touch.”
“We do. If Molly was still dating Adrian, I’d think she was out with him, but that’s over.”
“Adrian?”
Natalie made a face. Even the mention of Adrian’s name annoyed her.
“Ah, not someone well liked, I take it?”
“Not by me, no. He used to be Molly’s fiancé.” She stroked a hand over Jett’s upper chest then into his sparse chest hair. Without a doubt, she knew he was far more honorable than Adrian had ever been.
“Used to be? Past tense?”
“Yeah. Molly thought she was in love with him, but then when her career took off, he showed his true colors.” Hating to think about her sister with that ass, Natalie ducked her face. “I knew Adrian was a jerk long before she did. But when he started making demands of Molly, she caught on real quick.”
Jett tucked her hair behind her ear and then trailed his fingers along her jaw, down her throat, until he cupped a breast. “She ended things?”
“Yes.” Her voice sounded higher with the intimate touch. “And I tried not to look too relieved.”
Still holding her breast, Jett bent down to kiss her throat. “I’m sure she knows you’re motivated by caring.”
Did he expect her to talk while his hot mouth moved over her skin? “Even when Molly is in the middle of business, she usually takes my calls.”
Jett opened a button on the flannel shirt. “She’s an author, right?”
The depths of his research amazed her. Or maybe he was one of her sister’s many fans. “Have you read her?”
“No. She writes suspense or something, right?” He shook his head. “I’m more of a biography kind of reader.”
Natalie frowned. “So that’s just part of what you learned while snooping?”
He paused with his fingers inside the flannel shirt. “Okay, let’s clear the air on that one first.” He put his hand down the front of her shirt, and now it was his hot palm holding her. “You say you’ve been burned? Well me, too.”
Natalie bit her lip, part in reaction to his touch and partly because of the scenarios that ran through her mind. “Did you have a broken engagement?” Or even worse, was he divorced? Had he been madly in love with someone who broke his heart and now—
Somehow, Jett always knew her thoughts. “My heart is intact, honey. But I’ve had women come on to me to get insider information on cases, and let me tell you, being used like that burns.”
Natalie drew back. “Spies?”
He moved his thumb over her nipple, and when it tightened he met her gaze. “Nothing that dramatic. But once I was investigating this influential businessman, finding all kinds of dirt on him, personal and professional, and out of nowhere, some hot babe wants to get under me.”
Hot babe? Natalie scowled at how he said that. “Let me guess: you asked no questions.”
He shrugged. “I’m not ashamed to say that I was a typical guy and just went with it. I thought we clicked sexually, that she wanted me that much.”
He thought they had clicked sexually too. She wanted to groan. What was a very special and unique experience for her was apparently run-of-the-mill for Jett.
“I was interested enough that I didn’t look for ulterior motives.” He paid undue attention to his hand on her breast, pushing the flannel down, toying with her nipple—making her insane.
Natalie put her hand over his to still the distracting and provocative movements. After a deep breath to help regain her thoughts, she glared at him. “You had sex with her?”
“Yeah.” He bent to put a kiss on the swell of her breast then met her gaze. “Afterward, while I was still in the bed regrouping from a freaking marathon of over-indulgence, she said she was going for a drink.”
Natalie could guess where this was headed. “But she wasn’t really thirsty.”
“Guess not.” Looking only slightly chagrined, Jett shook his head. “I busted her trying to go through my computer files, luckily before she was able to find anything. See, she was a hacker hired by the businessman. Her end goal was to corrupt any data I’d already gathered.”
Natalie didn’t want to admit to her own deep jealousy, but it was there, stewing inside her. Her lip curled a little when she said, “Bet that was one heck of a scene.”
He laughed. “You have no idea.”
“Meaning?”
“She was a hellcat who knew how to fight.” His gaze went to her mouth. “Damn near kicked my ass too. I mean, I’d never fought a chick before. I didn’t want to punch her, you know?”
Natalie gave him a sour frown. “How righteous of you.”
He agreed. “Especially since she had no qualms about decking me. Even hit me with the damn keyboard, and broke it.”
Natalie narrowed her eyes. “So what did you do?”
“I finally tackled her and then held her down on the ground until I could get the keyboard cord wrapped around her wrists.”
“Gee, that sounds familiar.”
One side of Jett’s mouth kicked up. “Not even close to the same thing you and I did, so don’t go there.”
She couldn’t help it; her thoughts were all over the visual of Jett stretched out atop a sexy femme fatale, a woman he’d found appealing, a woman with whom he’d just indulged in ambitious sexual participation.
Jett gave her a chiding frown. “I restrained her so she couldn’t bludgeon me to death. It was one hell of a struggle without a single ounce of pleasure involved. By the time I got her immobilized, I had a damned black eye, a cut on the bridge of my nose and a bite on my neck that hurt for a week.” He shook his head in self-disgust. “The guys at the station still give me crap over it.”
“So let me get this straight. You picked up a complete stranger and then…”
“Did the nasty with her.”
She didn’t want or need his clarification. “And you were hurt because it didn’t work out quite as you’d planned?” Natalie tried to muzzle herself, but failed. “Such a tragic story.”
He didn’t take offense. “Not tragic, no, but I felt like a damned fool. She threw out bait and I took it, hook, line and sinker. No one likes to be a dupe, honey.” He simply held her breast now, his big, warm hand inside her shirt, curved around her possessively.
Not stroking, not playing, just…holding.
As
