Part of his charm?
Part of his danger?
Maybe a mix of both?
All too soon, they were nearly at the door. She risked a glance back and noticed that the bartender, Imari, had her eyes on Jinx.
More tension snaked through Ali. She didn’t know what was happening with Imari, but she certainly intended to find out.
She shoved open the door and the thick night air wrapped around her. Plenty of people were still lined up to get inside. Actually, the line looked double the length that it had been earlier. Laughter and voices drifted in the air. So many people. So many faces.
And he could be in this crowd.
The guy had worn a helmet when he sabotaged Jinx’s motorcycle. How easy would it have been to ditch the helmet in one of the alleys and to just stroll right back out to blend with the crowd?
She knew Jinx suspected the same thing. That was why he wanted their show. And if he wanted a show…
Ali turned and pressed her hand against Jinx’s chest. They were a few feet away from the entrance to Armageddon, and a streetlamp glowed nearby.
Jinx had said she had to be the one to make the move. This seemed like the best spot to her. He waited and watched her as she slowly released a breath. Her fingers were trembling and her heart raced. Why she was so nervous about a simple kiss, Ali didn’t know. Except maybe because…
No kiss with Jinx had ever been simple.
He had panty-dropping kisses. Body-melting kisses. Kisses that made you moan and ache.
Stop hesitating! She surged onto her toes. Locked both hands around his shoulders and tugged him down to meet her. Her mouth crashed into his, and she realized she was being too rough and awkward and this was—
His lips opened. His tongue darted into her mouth.
This was Jinx.
Her body seemed to soften against him. Her mouth parted more for him, and her tongue met his. She stopped wondering about who might be watching, and she just felt. Felt the reckless need that he could stir so easily. The desire that she couldn’t hold in check when he was near.
His hands were sliding around her hips. Hauling her ever closer. And closer was exactly where she wanted to be. His mouth was warm and sensual, and it moved so expertly against hers. His fingers were at the edge of her ass, and she was pushing against him. Trying to get closer.
The unmistakable bulge of his erection thrust at her. Well, that was definitely not just for show.
His head lifted. “Our ride’s here.”
It was?
He laced his fingers with hers and tugged her toward a waiting limo.
A limo? How in the heck had he arranged for a limo on such short notice? It had literally been like ten, maybe fifteen minutes since he’d sent out his mystery text from upstairs.
“How?” she whispered.
He opened the back door of the limo. The driver had never exited. “I was owed a favor.”
She slid inside. Glanced at the lush interior. The waiting champagne. Soft, romantic music played from speakers even as a faint, warm blue glow of light shone from the floor. “Must be some favor.”
“Actually, it was a pretty small deal. Just saved a guy from dying.” He shut the door and sprawled back on the seat. “You know how it is. You do one good deed and people start calling you hero. Saying things like… ‘How can I ever repay you?’ and ‘I’ll owe you until I die.’ Stuff like that.”
The limo pulled away from the curb. She stared at the privacy screen that separated her from the driver. “How does he know where we’re going?”
“The destination was included in the text I sent.” Jinx’s gaze was hooded as he watched her. “You are an incredible actress. I mean, I’ve seen your skills in action on undercover cases, but the kiss…tell me, can you always fake a response that easily?”
“It wasn’t faked,” she responded immediately, annoyed.
“I know. Just wanted to hear you admit it.”
He just… “Jinx.”
“Yes?”
“Stop it. Stop the games. Stop the teasing. Stop it all. It’s you and it’s me, and I want you to be real.”
“I am hardly pretend.”
She surged toward him. The limo hit a pothole, and she fell forward. He caught her easily, balanced her, and in a blink, she found herself straddling his hips. Her hand pressed to the leather on either side of him.
“That is much better,” he murmured. “Don’t you think?”
What she thought was that she could feel the thick, heavy length of his arousal pressing at the juncture of her thighs, and it took all that she had not to rub against him. “I think that you want me.”
“Obviously.”
She tried to search his gaze, but realized she saw only what he allowed her to see. “Not for show?”
“Nothing about my reaction to you is for show. It never has been.” His fingers pressed lightly to her hips. “Can’t you tell?”
She could tell that he was very big and full, and Ali found herself having to bite back those two magic words…
Fuck me.
“I wanted you the first time we met. You were all business, of course, barely glanced my way.”
Surprise pulsed through her. She remembered their first meeting. She’d been pretty sure her jaw had dropped when she met him. Their hands had touched, and the flood of sensual awareness she’d felt had nearly knocked her off her feet. Later, when they’d been alone, he’d come close to her and whispered…
“I want you.”
So direct. So straight-forward. And she’d been terrified because she had never responded so strongly to anyone before.
“Not going to happen.”
Her body jerked.
“I believe those were the words that you gave me when I first told you how I felt. Of course, I respected that. I stayed away.”
He had. He hadn’t done or said anything sexual to her after that. She’d had plenty of fantasies about him, but she’d been sure that ship had sailed. Her own fear had made her miss out. Until…
The last night.
The night when she’d been tired of missing out and imagining what it would be like if she let go and gave herself to Jinx.
“You kept a careful wall between us until the very last mission. It was only then that you took me up on my ever-so-casual invitation for drinks. Spoiler alert, there was nothing casual about the invitation.” His fingers pressed against her. “Satisfy me, will you?”
She sucked in a breath.
“Because I have been curious ever since that night. Just what was it that changed for you? What made you decide to have those shots with me?”
Where was the limo going? Why hadn’t he told her this part of the plan? “Why are you keeping me in the dark?”
“There’s plenty of light here. Don’t know what you mean.”
“You’re hiding things from me.”
His right hand rose. Brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. His hand lingered near her cheek. “I hide things from everyone.”
“I looked at your files. I know about your past service, your black ops work. I know how you transitioned to working with the agency on select missions. I know about the lives you’ve saved…”
“And the lives I took? I’m assuming you know all about those, too?”
She wet her lips. “You didn’t have a choice.”