The heat from her touch spread from his arm until it filled his whole body. The idea of her waiting for him was more appealing than he expected. “I like the sound of that.”
Her full lips curved up and his heart constricted in his chest. “Me too.”
His hands dropped from the steering wheel and reached out to frame her face. He rubbed the pad of his thumb over the mole above her lip and she grimaced. She was so damn cute. “I gotta go meet Eric. We need to talk about our next move. Did you program my number in the phone you picked up?”
“Yes. I’ll text you when I know my flight time, and you keep me posted as well.”
He pulled her to him and crushed his mouth on hers. He needed one more taste before he let her go, even though it would never be enough. A rush of emotion flooded his chest, warming him to his toes. He broke away, his forehead pressed to hers, and inhaled the smell of strawberries and citrus. “I’ll let you know as soon I can.”
Mickey sighed and her warm breath skimmed over his face. She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and then turned to open thedoor. The hot morning air swept into the car and pushed back the cold air he preferred.
Leaving the car idling,he stepped outside. His dark aviator sunglasses blocked out the glare of the sun, but couldn’t hide the brilliant blue of the sky. The salty ocean air swirled around the slight breeze, settling on his skin. Palm trees swayed along the wide sidewalk winding into the airport. He walked around to the back of the car, popped open the trunk, and grabbed Mickey’s carry-on bag. The wheels squeaked over small pebbles as he rolled it to where she stood on the sidewalk.
“Thanks,” she said and reached for the handle.
He pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her. “Have a nice flight,” he said, his mouth pressed into a mass of hair above her ear.
“I will.” She pulled away, offering him one last smile, before she turned and walked toward the entrance.
He stood watching after her like a puppy waiting for its master. When she stepped through the threshold and the doors shut behind her, all the air left his lungs. Damn, he had it bad. His phone vibrated against his thigh and he fished it from his pocket.
Dude, where are you? You were supposed to meet me ten minutes ago.
Shit. Between sex with Mickey this morning and getting her to the airport, he’d lost track of time. His thumbs moved over the keyboard with a reply.
Sorry. Leaving the airport now. Be there in five.
Somehow Eric had managed to have Pete sent to a prison in Cancun instead of Playa Del Carmen. Graham didn’t ask questions, just took the small luxury of having a partner with connections inside Mexican jails.
He put his phone in his pocket, climbed back into the car, and took off for the coffee shop where he’d agreed to meet Eric. The small shop had parking in the back and he found a spot easily. Heat pounded down on him and sweat gathered at his temples as he stepped into the hole-in-the-wall coffee shop. The cool air was thick with the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Taking a deep breath, he let the coolness chase the god-awful heat from his skin. He glanced around the room and quickly spotted Eric at a table for two in the back corner. Caffeine called to him, but Eric’s pinched face and rigid body had him walking straight to the table.
“Hey, man, what’s going on?” he asked as he pulled out a chair and sat down. “Did you get Pete to talk last night? Any word on how long it will take to extradite him?”
Eric ran a hand over the day-old scuff on his chin and sighed. “He’s closed up tight. He knows he’s going to jail regardless of what he says. I couldn’t crack him.”
He hadn’t expected anything different. He’d take a stab at him. No way he was leaving without sitting down with the bastard. Maybe he’d have better luck. Graham leaned back in his chair and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll head straight there once we’re done. Maybe I can pry some information out of him.”
Eric set his coffee on the table, circling the cup with his hands. “Good luck. He knows he’s screwed so there’s no need to cooperate.” Hesitation had him dropping his gaze and fidgeting with his cup. “I don’t know if we’ll find those girls if he doesn’t talk. And you won’t have much time to talk to him. I had to grease a few palms to get us access.”
“Maybe I can slip the guards a little extra today to turn their heads. I’d love to get my hands on that piece of shit.” An image of Mickey bruised and bloody popped in his mind and his blood thundered in his ears.
Eric snorted. “I wouldn’t blame you for trying. Did you get a hold of Harper last night?”
“No, I was connected to Mary when I tried to reach him. She said he’ll be gone for a few days, but couldn’t give me any details. Have you ever known Harper to disappear?”
All humor left Eric’s face and his mouth dropped into a frown. “No, never. Where do you think he went? Vacation?”
Graham shook his head. “He would have given us a heads up. This is different. I can feel it in my gut. Harper’s been weird about this case, and it’s damn coincidental he drops off the map as soon as we catch a break. I don’t buy it. He’s hiding something.”
Eric furrowed his brow and his eyes flitted around the room, as if searching for the answer. “I don’t know, man. But I agree, it can’t be a coincidence. I booked a flight home, so I’ll do some digging once I get in. I’m going to head straight to the airport from here. All the paperwork to get Pete back to Chicago can be done at home.”
“Let me know if you hear anything, but I shouldn’t be far behind you. After I talk to Pete, I’ll be able to jump on a plane home.”
“You’re not planning on talking to Paula anymore?”
Graham shook his head. “Nah. There’s no point anymore. We’ve found Pete.” Not like he’d needed to anyway. Mickey had already told him everything Paula had said. But he didn’t want Eric knowing about Mickey’s involvement. She’d overstepped a few times, and leaving her name out of things was for the best.
“Makes sense.” Eric grabbed his to-go cup of coffee and stood from the table, extending his hand. “Good luck. See you soon.”
