“You’re a smart woman. You know better than to peddle bullshit.” He took that last step, stopping when the tips of his biker boots kissed the toes of her duty shoes. “This thing?” He touched his chest before placing his palm flat overherchest. He wasn’t a mammoth like Graham or Hew. But his hand looked huge against her small frame. His fingers rested on one side of her slim throat while his thumb rested on the other. He could feel the brutal hammer of her pulse. Feel the delicate warmth of her skin that beckoned…no, it absolutelybeggedto be explored. “Ain’t no way to fake it. Everything else may be a lie. Butthis?” He ducked his chin so they were on eye level. So she could see the absolute truth glittering in his gaze. “This is real.”
The light of battle shining in her eyes melted into longing. Her mouth fell open slightly, giving him a ball-tightening glimpse of her delectable pink tongue.
For a split second, he thought she might go up on tiptoe and kiss him. Might give in to that…somethingthat seemed to be constantly pulling them together like opposite ends of a magnet.
He didn’t know if he was disappointed or relieved when she turned away instead.
The hand he’d placed on her chest fell to his side, and he shoved it into his jacket pocket. Her body heat had branded his palm, and the softness of her skin lingered on the calluses of his fingertips. He wanted to hold onto both sensations. Protect them.Savorthem.
Why does this woman have such a hold on me?he marveled.
It wasn’t because she was beautiful. He’d known plenty of beautiful women. It wasn’t because she was brilliant—although he’d always been attracted to brains. And it wasn’t even because she was frisky and funny and fabulously sexy.
It was because he couldn’t have her and because, for the first time in his life, he wished things were different. Wishedhewere different.
When she moved toward the door, alarm bells rang in his head and drowned out his shouting thoughts. He didn’t know where the remaining tactical team members were, but he sure as shit couldn’t have her alerting them to his presence.
“Don’t take another step,” he warned, his fingers curling tightly around the grip of her gun.
It was a large weapon for such a small woman. But he wasn’t surprised. Julia was one of the most capable individuals he’d ever met. The kind of woman who’d grown up in a man’s world and, through grit and determination, had clawed her way to the top.
Of courseshe’d carry a pistol that’d put a grown man flat on his ass with one shot.
Slowly, ever so slowly, she turned her head until she was staring at him over her shoulder. Even in the darkness, he could see how her eyes tracked down to the weapon in his hand.
He hadn’t raised it, but the threat was there nonetheless.
“Or what?” she challenged. “You’ll shoot me?”
“Never.” The word was out of his mouth before he could stop it. He saw surprise briefly flash in her eyes before she shuttered her expression. “But I can’t say the same thing for the men still out there searching for me. If it comes down to them or me, I won’t hesitate.”
He didn’t include that he’d go for shots thatmaimedrather than killed. Admitting as much would lessen the strength of his threat.
Turning toward him fully, he watched as she tucked all her anger and betrayal into the corner of her heart. Her clenched fingers unfurled, and the righteous light of fury dimmed in her eyes, leaving only cool calculation.
Gone was the hotheaded, red-blooded woman.
In her place stood the calm, collected federal agent.
“Where is your brother?” The question was so direct that he was momentarily taken aback.
Before the idea fully formed—and certainly before he’d thought through all the repercussions—he blurted, “Come with me, and I’ll show you.”
“Wh-what?” she blinked.
“I’ll take you to my brother,” he reiterated.
Her eyebrows pinched together over her nose, emphasizing her disbelief and making him think how damned adorable she looked when she was in FBI agent mode. Then again, she looked damned adorable in family picnic day mode and wrestling with her dogs on the front lawn mode and clipping her cat’s nails mode and…well…anymode, really. Because shewasdamned adorable. From the tips of her delicate toes to the top of her old-money blond head, she was the most delightful creature he’d ever crossed paths with and?—
His thoughts had spiraled wildly, but her question had him crash-landing back into the conversation. “Why would you do that after everything you’ve done to keep him away from me?”
“I wasn’t trying to keep him away fromyou. It’s the organization you represent. There’s more going on here than you realize. My brother is innocent.” He frowned when it dawned on him that wasn’t entirely true. And he was done misleading Julia. “Well…” He offered her a weary shrug. “As innocent as an ex-con can ever be. And I can prove it to you.”
He saw the light of curiosity spark in her eyes. But her face remained expressionless. “If that’s true, he would’ve gone to his handlers the moment Cooper Greenlee died. Instead, he ran halfway across the country. Innocent men don’t run.”
“They do when they can’t trust their handlers,” he countered easily. “They do when someone inside the joint task force gives them up and reveals their covers to the cartel.”
The emotionless mask she’d donned slipped. “Who?” she demanded. “Who outed them?”
