He promptly withdrew a small leather case, and then flipped it open. One side had a gold badge, the other a picture ID.
“What’s your interest in Robert Bask?”
Cassie stared at the badge. It looked authentic enough, and the picture matched. His name was J. Dalton Styles. She looked up into his dark probing eyes. “I don’t care who you are, or who you work for. You had no right manhandling me that way.”
His lips lifted in a smirk. “Manhandling?”
“That’s right,” she said, and slapped him across the face so hard her palm stung. “Now, we’re even.”
2
“WHAT THE HELL did you do that for?” Dalton rubbed his stinging cheek. The woman was a lunatic.
“You have to ask?”
“Obviously.”
“The only thing obvious to me is that our government had better add manners and etiquette to their training programs.”
He made a face. She had a great body, pretty face and slight southern accent that would ordinarily inspire thoughts of satin sheets and a good bottle of wine. But the woman was clearly a nut. “What does the government have to do with anything?”
“You work for them, don’t you?”
“Ah, Christ, don’t— Hey—” He grabbed her arm when she tried to leave. “This is serious. I need to know what your interest in Bask is.”
“I’m a private detective.”
“I know, but why are you after Bask?”
“What do you mean you know?”
Dalton darted a look toward the bar. No one had come outside but there were two windows from where they could be watched. “I checked you out. Your name is Cassie York and you work for Madison Investigations.”
Her blue eyes widened. “You couldn’t have known that.”
He shrugged. “Okay, so I don’t know about that. Tell me about Bask.”
“I meant, that quick. You couldn’t have checked me out. You—” She glared, her face turning pink. “Have you been following me?”
“Never laid eyes on you before today.” Damn, he didn’t want to admit he’d broken into her car. No telling what she’d do. “Look, we don’t have much time.”
She folded her arms across her nicely rounded chest producing a fair amount of tempting cleavage. “Tough.”
He bit back a curse. “Do you believe I’m a federal marshal?”
She blinked, and uncertainty flickered in her eyes. “Well, I did, but maybe I shouldn’t.”
Christ Almighty. “You saw my badge. The point is you’ve got to trust me.”
“Why?”
“Because Bask is scum, and you obviously want him just like I do.”
“Why do you say he’s scum? What’s he done to get your attention?”
“Can we discuss this later?” He glanced toward the bar door. “Before you blow this case?”
Anger flashed in her eyes. “Me? I’m not the one who picked you up and kissed you.” Her face got pink again, and she swiped nervously at her hair.
“Shit!”
“There’s no need to swear.”
“Someone’s coming out of the bar.” He breathed a sigh of relief. It was one of the guys who’d been playing pool. “It’s not Bask. But you know damn well we’re being watched.”
She glanced over her shoulder. Dalton took the opportunity to check out her goods. But he wasn’t fast enough to get away with it.
She gave him a dirty look and pulled up her neckline. “I’m undercover.”
“Ah.”
Indignation made her eyes round and incredibly blue. “I’m supposed to be bait.”
He nodded, annoyed with himself. “Sure, you’re working for the wife. I should’ve figured that out.”
“I didn’t say that. I can’t tell you who I’m working for.”
“Look, Cassie, wouldn’t it make sense to work together?” he said desperately. He was so close. Days away from finally collaring this guy. And now he had to bargain with this nutty blonde.
She moistened her peach-tinted lips and furrowed her brows. “Work together how?”
Nutty, but damn pretty. Maybe it wasn’t a bad idea to use her. Bask would jump at the bait. “I don’t know. I gotta figure it out.”
She rubbed her arms with misgiving and nibbled at her lower lip. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve thought she was trying to make him crazy. Her lips were perfectly shaped, perfect fullness, and even when she wasn’t returning a kiss…
He promptly derailed his thoughts. He didn’t need his jeans getting all tight and uncomfortable. Besides, he had some fast thinking to do and that meant blood needed to flow up and not down.
“Look,” he said in a low coaxing voice. “At this point, our chances are much better if we work together, however necessary.”
The indecision vanished from her face. “By ‘at this point’ you must be referring to the mess you made in there.”
He gritted his teeth, and then forced a smile. “Right.”
With a smug curve to her lips, she said, “Okay, I’ll work with you as long as it’s not anything—weird.”
“Define weird.”
Concern darkened her face.
“Only kidding.” He checked the door again. All clear. “Well, we can’t shake on it. We’re supposed to be married. Couples who’ve just made up usually…” he shrugged and tried to keep a straight face “…kiss.”
She gave him an unexpectedly sweet smile. “Or maybe we haven’t made up. Maybe I’m still angry with you. I could slap your face again.”
He reflexively touched his cheek. It still stung. “I’ll pass.”
Regret briefly clouded her eyes. “What do we do now? Go back in? Wait for him to leave?”
The decision was taken out of their hands. Bask stepped outside, stopped to put on his sunglasses, and then looked their way.
“Show time.”
“What?” Cassie
