He fixed his stare on her. “You’re supposed to come with me.”
“Oh, really?” She tipped her head to the side in the cutest, coyest, most ball-clenching move he’d ever seen.
“Yes. I have orders.”
She didn’t outwardly react to his claim. “Well. You have your orders.”
That was easy. Too easy. As if she’d known this was going to happen—expected it.
He tried not to think about what would have happened if she’d argued. Tried to erase the image of tossing her over his shoulder and hauling her out, his hand full of that perfect ass wrapped in that tight skirt.
Ash waved a hand, indicating she should go ahead of him.
“Aren’t you the gentleman?”
He stifled a groan, locking away about a dozen very ungentlemanly things rolling through his head right now.
As he followed her out, agents broke off mid-conversation, their gazes sharp and curious. Whispers followed in their wake.
“Who’s that again?”
“Civilian?”
“She must work at the bank.”
Civilian? They didn’t move with this much purpose unless they were used to pressure.
They passed ATF first. The agent stiffened, hand lifting as if to stop them. Ash didn’t break stride.
The FBI tried next. “This evidence—”
“You’re blocking my way.”
A beat passed, then the agent stepped aside.
Once clear of the vault, Ash guided the woman through the bank toward daylight. The main doors were wide open andguarded by local SWAT. One of them gave Ash a single nod as they passed.
The late afternoon air was sharp after the stale heat of the crowded vault. Ash didn’t slow until he reached the black SUV waiting at the curb.
“Get in,” he told the woman.
She paused for a beat, then complied without comment. Again—no resistance. No questions.
That was starting to bother him.
Who the hell was she again? She called herself an accountant.
Ash got behind the wheel and she slipped into the passenger seat with an ease that seemed unlikely in that tight skirt.
Once she was seated, he merged into traffic. Two blocks later, he reached into the console and pulled out the hood. He held it up to her.
Her sigh was quiet. “Is that really necessary?”
He almost started coughing. She knew what it was and what it was used for.
“Yes.” His voice was too rough.
He could feel her weighing her options. When she finally nodded, he was even more surprised.
