When Maya returned home, she immediately sensed something was out of place. Slowly, with her gun drawn, she began a sweep from room to room, ending in the kitchen where she found her perp waiting with coffee and a nod of greeting. “Don’t shoot. I’m not armed.”
“You’re also
not
funny. I could have put a hole in you and there’s not a court in the county that would have convicted me. You can’t just break into a lady’s house and think it’s okay. Especially a lady cop.”
“I needed to talk to you.”
“Ever heard of a phone? Ask for a meeting?”
“I didn’t want anyone else to see me. And I sure as hell didn’t want to put you in danger again.”
“It wasn’t you who put me in danger earlier. They were shooting at Juli.”
“Yeah. I heard. But we both know that’s not true. They were shooting at Max.”
“Because they believed you were him.”
“That’s right.”
“How do I know you aren’t him?”
“You know.”
“Sometimes I do, and then other times… Only one way to find out for sure.” Maya stalked towards Nik, moving in between his knees. When he looked up and saw her determination, shock exploded over his expression.
Threading her fingers through his overly-long, black hair, not-so-gently, she raised his face. Her attacking lips stunned him into yielding. She took her time, tasting the lush fullness that had attracted her eyes to that very feature from the first time they’d met.
Breathing hard, she stepped back as far as his hands would let her. “You’re Nik.”
“I probably shouldn’t ask but…”
Breaking his hold, she stared into his narrowed gaze. “When Max tried that eons ago it was a blah kiss, annoying really. I couldn’t get away from him fast enough.” It was hard for Maya to explain her “knowing” without sounding silly, but often Max’s lips were thin with disapproval—one of his least likable traits.
“And now?”
“Oh, baby. If you don’t know what just happened, far be it for me to explain.”
Pushing, seemingly interested, he continued to dig. “Hey, you attacked me. I want to know.” An unholy grin sparked his eyes and, for the first time, Maya saw Nik’s lips curl upwards while his face filled with humor.
Smart ass!
“Let’s just say, from now on I’ll never be in doubt which brother I’m kissing.” She laughed when she saw the ferocious scowl appear. Instantly, his hooded eyes hid his reaction. Whether he’d felt the attraction or not, she wasn’t certain. And she sure as hell wasn’t about to ask him.
But the distinct connection zinging between them couldn’t be her imagination. It wasn’t possible. The fizzle of awareness was just too precious. From the moment his lips had softened and responded, sweetness had invaded—an emotion she’d never before experienced. But it was one she’d always sensed would make the difference between liking a guy and losing her heart.
Swiping at her mouth with the back of her hand, she wasn’t sure if she was trying to wipe him off or save the kiss from fading. Stalking to the coffee maker on the counter, she questioned while sliding in a dark-roast pod and snagging the box of cookies from the cupboard. “Why are you here?”
Nik crossed his right leg over his other knee, hoping to hide the evidence of his unexpected arousal. Not only was the woman a looker—gorgeous long legs molded by the tight black pants and a mouth the good Lord must have hand-sculpted—she was sexy as hell. With lips that were lush and full, begging to be kissed and pleasure saturating her dazed eyes, he fought for every second of control.
How he’d stopped himself from picking her up to straddle his knees, giving him access to her more delicate areas, he’d never know. Guess the shock of her move had messed with his instincts. Now he’d suffer in silence; no way would he let Maya know just how much he wanted her to come back and lay one on him again.
Shit… it’s been too long since I’ve been inside the slick, wet heat of a beautiful woman’s body
. “Have you got a significant other who might be annoyed by that little experiment?”
“Nope! What about you?”
“Not lately.” Nik felt the smile all the way down to his erection where rioting sensations still hadn’t faded. He held out his paper take-out cup “If you have another one of those, I could use a refill.”
Once she had both coffees on the elevated oak table, along with the package of fruit cream Peek Freens, she undid her holster, checked to make sure her gun’s safety was secure and slid them both in a drawer of a hallway table. Then she kicked off her medium-heeled sandals and tugged off her black cotton, short-sleeved jacket to reveal a white, sleeveless shirt, which she yanked out of her waistband. The wrinkled bottom of the blouse lay on top of her pants ending at the swelling curve of her sweet little ass. Crossing her arms, she rubbed her shoulders as if they were stiff and her back arched and swayed from one side to the other as if the stretching relieved the kinks.
Finally, he watched as she scooped her shoulder-length, golden-red hair into a mess on the top of her head and hold it place with a large clip. Some of the strands came loose and wispy curls dropped to her shoulders, but most stayed anchored on the top of her head, making her look as cute as…
Hell!
W
as
I really going to add a button? I must be friggin losing it.
In fact, seeing her without the armor of her job, appearing like any young girl relaxing at home, Nik could feel a yearning come over him. How nice it would be to follow this routine with her every night.
Only, he’d be the one to rub her bare arms and tug the bottom of her blouse out, and then slowly unbutton it to take it off completely. Using his hands and lips, he’d convince her she needed some loving after a hard day’s work. The sweet visions made him swallow his coffee too fast and it took him a few seconds to stop choking and coughing… and blushing.
What the fuck?
Raising herself onto the tall chair across from his, Maya waited until he stopped. Then she settled back and appeared ready for his explanations. Leaning her right elbow on the table to cup her cheek, she chose a couple of cookies and before her first bite, she waved the box in his direction and nodded when he shook his head. “Okay, I’m all ears. What’s going on?”
Damn, but this little lady looked good
.
Hair sticking up every which way, her white shirt with the top two buttons undone, emphasizing her ample curves, and her green eyes sparkling with interest, she waited.
He stared. Couldn’t help himself. There was something else hidden in those dampened-down emerald flames. Suddenly, she grinned and allowed him see the sultry passion still simmering. He almost made a move.
No!
He winced. Time to get his mind on the business he was there to discuss.
Observing her expression, his eyes never leaving her face, he started, “I want you to help me play the part of my brother, Max.”
“You mean as a special agent?” Compelled upright, Maya no longer looked like a woman relaxed. Now she looked infuriated. “Are you crazy? Not a chance in hell. It’s too dangerous.”
“Look, I’m a Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy, special forces, black ops. I know my way around anything you guys can throw at me. I’ve handled more types of weapons than any agent has ever had the misfortune to come up against. Besides, I can take care of myself.”
“Well, at least you don’t brag.”
“It is what it is! I need to find out who hurt my brother. Before they got him, he’d stumbled on some incriminating proof against a gang called the Mosleys and their underground activities, and it goes a lot further than anyone else knows. This file would be all you’d need to haul in the works. I can get it.”
Listening, no longer relaxed, Maya asked. “First off, tell me how you know about this evidence, what it is and where?”
“No.”
Aggression instantly appearing, Maya stood, her manner assertive. “Excuse me? Do you realize that you’re withholding evidence in a possible murder investigation? I can charge you and slap your ass in jail.” She wasn’t playing games now. Nik liked seeing her assume her professional facade. She was solid, a cop with a purpose.
“We both know you won’t. Look, I’m going to play Max, whether you’re with me or not.” Knowing his next argument was total bullshit, he played it anyway. “I’ll go above your commanding officer, Ron Bitters, and probably get clearance. Turns out I have a lot of influential friends in the Navy who would put in a good word for me. But…the fewer that know about me not being Max, the safer it’ll be. So, either help me or move out of my way.”
“Not gonna happen, Nik. So give it a rest. You don’t even look like him. Other than your outward appearance and build, you and your twin are total opposites in personalities and background.”
“Not as much as you may think.”
“Oh, yes, you are. Look, give me the information he gave you and I promise we’ll get those bastards. Trust me.”
When the doorbell rang, Maya indicated for Nik to go into her bedroom and wait. She took her gun from the drawer and undid the safety, then she slid it in the back of her waistband.
At that point, Nik hid behind the door and waited to see if she’d need any assistance. But her female neighbor, asking to borrow some milk, convinced him she would be safe. Knowing she’d be pissed, but doing it anyway, he used her balcony, lowered himself to the ground and faded into the darkness.
“Maya, in my office. Now!” Ron Bitters, Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge in the New Orleans field office, was a powerful man, big and mean-tempered. Thankfully, he had a soft spot for Maya, and though Max got under his skin, he’d acknowledged a few times that, when under pressure, the two together were case-solvers, hard workers, and good agents.
Seeing the flashing streaks of red aura surrounding her irate chief, Maya stiffened her back and smoothed her hair around her cheeks. This could be ugly and she didn’t want the man to see her nervousness.
“Yo, boss. Coming.” She calmly laid down the pen she’d been chewing on and rubbed her hands over the tops of her thighs. Passing by Becky’s desk, one of the other agents working from the same office, she leaned over and whispered, “Remember, I want to be cremated.”
“Got it! Can I have your black suede jacket… and those red sandals with the ties and…?”
Maya pretended disgust. “Can ya wait till I’m gone?”
“Not unless I have to.” Becky wiggled her fingers while wearing a cheeky grin.
Maya approached the doorway and watched the irate man fling files from one end of his stacked desk to the other. “Do I close the door for this massacre, or do you want to terrify me in full view of the rest of my suddenly relieved colleagues?” His lips twitched slightly, which gave her hope.
“What the hell is going on with your partner? Is he dead or not? Blasted man pulls a disappearing act like fucking Houdini. Doesn’t even have the courtesy to give us an indication of whether he’s alive or in a shallow grave in the desert. Has he called you? Have you heard anything lately? Tell me again about the last time anyone saw him.”
Now this was kinda spooky, especially after her conversation with Nik last night before the son-of-a-bitch disappeared yet again
. Not sure whether to mention the appearance of Nik Baudin or not, Maya stayed in the safe end of the pool. “Nothing’s changed from what’s up on the board. Last spotted at a nightclub on Bourbon Street. The same one we’ve had to close down a number of times for prostitution and illegal drugs. When we interviewed the workers there, they all said he stayed about an hour, sitting with a blonde chick. No one recognized her. Then he left, she stayed. Not long after, angry for being deserted, she took off in a huff. Nothing after that.”
“And the evidence from the back alley?”
“We found Max’s blood, quite a bit of it. Some smudges but no credible shoe prints. The scene looked like more than one goon had a go at him, but we couldn’t tell exactly how many might have been there. Of course, as you know, his body was never recovered.”
“And no videos or photos of him and the blonde together emerged from any of the other customers, especially of her? You’ve checked with all the patrons you knew about who were there at the time?”
“Sure. We hunted up as many as we could, and nothing. We’ve canvassed the streets behind the bar and the lanes leading away, every place within a few blocks radius, and no one saw anything, other than his snitch who gave us zip.”
“Useless twit.”
“No kidding! I even broke down and went to visit Max’s mom, Nellie, yesterday and she hasn’t heard from him either.”
Threading his hands through his brush cut, Ron lifted an eyebrow and let a small smirk emerge. “Did she drop?”
“Like a rock! Never saw anything like it. Those blackouts must be a real pain for the poor woman.”
“Well, knowing Max, I have no doubt the woman was covered with constant bruises while he was growing up. That agent has been a boil on my backside while he worked here, and now that he’s gone, he’s still damned annoying. You’d think he could do the decent thing and let us find his body so we can put the case to rest. But no… it’s just like him to make things ridiculously complicated.” Turning his back on her, Ron lumbered over to his chair and sighed with satisfaction as his ass made the seat cushion squeal in pain.
Recognizing his tone for what it was—spewing hot air—Maya kept her mouth shut and the grin off her face. “I haven’t given up…”
Bloodshot eyes glaring, quieted her. “Yeah… it’s time, Maya. You need another partner. I’ve let you cruise for far too long. Pulling someone from the day room when necessary worked for a short while, but no more—”
“No—”
“Don’t interrupt me!” His bellow and pointed finger stopped her arguments. “It’s done. I… What the
hell
?”
Maya turned to see what had made her boss’s face turn from red to purple.
Striding toward them with his typical strut, wearing his favorite silk suit and shiny four hundred dollar black shoes, Max made an entrance. He winked first at Becky and then patted the top of her head in the way he knew she hated. In a voice loud enough for both Maya and Ron to hear, he said smoothly, “Hi, Ladybug. I see by your joyful expression that you missed me.”
Ignoring the slap aimed at his arm, and Becky’s hiss, he moved further into the room.
Bedlam struck the rest of the staff. Most rushed to greet their long-lost colleague. Some leaned back in their chairs, grinning. Everyone had a different way of asking the same question…
where the hell have you been
? Some used crude language while others shared hugs. But the loudest and harshest of the greetings came from the man with Maya who’d shot from his office chair to stomp to the doorway. “Hey, asshole! Get in here. Now!”