“So you did,” she said, remembering the shockwave of sensation his first kiss had kicked off. If she lived to be a hundred, she’d never forget that moment. “I think that was the most shocking first kiss I’ve ever had. I never saw it coming.”
“It shocked the hell out of me, too.”
That surprised a laugh out of her even as the hunger to have him inside her made her ache. “It shocked you?”
He nodded, a faint curl touching his lips. “That was when I found out kissing you could be fucking addictive. I probably should’ve paid attention to all the danger signs then, but it’s too damn late to do anything about it now. I’m already hooked. I can’t get enough of having your mouth under mine.”
Thank goodness. “Good to know we’re in the same boat.”
His slow smile was all sorts of sinful. “If I like having your mouth under mine that much, just think what it’s going to be like getting the rest of you under me.”
A wild surge of excitement made her breath catch, and again she made a move toward her closed bedroom door. “Bedroom’s this way.”
“Stems.” He pulled her back for another kiss, and all the while his words spun dizzily in her head. Then, without warning he was suddenly not there, and she couldn’t help but make a whimpering sound of protest as he put space between them. “Anticipation’s going to make that moment of getting inside you all the sweeter.”
She stared at him, hardly able to believe her ears. “Anticipation? As in… waiting?”
“Timing’s not right.” His tone was irritatingly unruffled as he headed toward the front door, while she stood there grappling with an overwhelming fever of lust. “Fact is, I’ve done the whole hittin’ it and quittin’ it scene enough times to know that’s what this would be if I fucked you now. That’s not what I’m in the mood for. I’m leaving before I give in to my baser needs.”
“You’re leaving?” She couldn’t believe her ears.
“Yep.”
“Without sex?” Really, it was important to be clear.
He nodded. “Yep.”
She watched in disbelief as he opened the apartment door. “If you’re not in the mood for sex, what the hell are you in the mood for?”
“I’m in the mood to not fuck things up with you. You’re a rare breed, Alice Halliday, so I’m going to make sure that I do right by you.”
What? “And not having sex with me is…is doing right by me?”
“As long as you’re saying it’s cool to keep me at a distance, yeah. Me using you as a fuck-buddy—or you using me the same way—isn’t going to happen. At least not today.” He nodded toward the brown bag he’d brought, now sitting on a nearby side table. “There’s something else in that survival kit besides Post-It notes and a mug, by the way. Now that you’re a rent-a-cop, I’m sure they’ll come in handy.” With a wink that did insane things to her pulse, he left her standing there, swamped in chaotic confusion.
Chapter Seven
Call me crazy, but I don’t think Scout would approve of my cuffing anyone, even if the handcuffs you gave me have red fuzz on the insides.
Loki grinned at Alice’s text, then hung his leather jacket on the coat rack bolted to the wall beneath House Of Payne’s metal and glass brick staircase. Of course Scout would never approve of anything like handcuffs. That wasn’t the point.
One way or another, those fuzzy red handcuffs were going to get used.
“Bring them to work, anyway. I’m sure you’ll find some use for them.” And if Alice couldn’t, he certainly could.
It took almost a minute for her answer to appear.
Not going to bring something that was bought in a sex shop to my first day of work. I’m old-fashioned that way.
That made him laugh out loud. Of all the many things that came to mind to describe Alice, old-fashioned wasn’t one of them.
“Ooh, laughter. What’s the joke?” Sunny, the House’s assistant manager and wife of their newest tattooist, Ice, came in through the back door with her husband. She was a looker in an uptown, finishing-school kind of way that had made the Gravedigger in him want to ruffle her up when he’d first met her. But it had been clear from the start that she was Ice’s woman, and as time went on, they’d become good friends. “Please tell me you’re looking at cute kitten memes or videos of baby goats bouncing everywhere. I’ll bet that’s what really trips your trigger.”
“That, and smart-mouthed women.” He held up his phone. “Just got a text from one.”
“Anyone we know?”
“Alice Halliday. You’ll probably meet her soon, if you haven’t already. She’s the new security guard Scout hired to work in the gift shop. She’s starting today.”
“I heard about her.” Hanging up his wife’s jacket before shrugging out of his own, Ice glanced his way. Like Sunny, Ice had that glossy polish that came from money and breeding, with a heavy dash of California surfer-dude thrown in. Loki had hated him on sight, but over time he’d realized that Ice was one complex book that could never be judged by its cover. “Rumor has it she’s some kind of trained assassin who came here to kill you, or something.”
Jesus. “Let’s go with or something.”
“Did she really knock you on your ass?” Sunny wanted to know as they moved into the already-crowded main lobby. As they went along, she waved at Payne, Scout and a member of the House’s security team, who were all huddled behind the chevron-shaped reception desk. “For the record, I absolutely refuse to believe anyone could knock you on your ass. That’s like upending a redwood. It cannot be done.”
“It can, and she did. Considering the shit she was fed about me, I can’t even blame her.”
“The shit she was fed about you? Wait, I’m not going to ask.” Sunny held up a hand, looking for all the world like she knew getting into that subject was like walking into a hurricane-level shit storm. “I just want to know one thing. With the two of you under one roof, will this affect House Of Payne in any way? I can’t have any personal matters gumming up the works around here.”
“You should have married Scout instead of Ice.” Then he shook his head and gave Sunny’s husband an eyeroll. “Holy hell, I’m almost sorry I said that out loud, dude. I mean, damn, how’s that for a mental image?”
“If I want to live, brother, I won’t go there, so don’t fucking tempt me.”
“If I could manage to pull you out of that testosterone-fueled fever dream, I’d like an answer.” Coming to a halt by the reception desk, Sunny crossed her arms and gave him her version of a hard stare. “Do I need to know about any potential issues regarding our newest employee?”
“Scout can tell you Alice is cool, so if she’s good enough for Scout, that means she’s good enough for the House. Right, Scout?” Loki added, looking to the fuchsia-haired manager.
“Like I said,” Scout said with a lift of her brow, “I’m giving Alice a trial run. If she’s a stable force here at the House, I have no worries.”