“I got the girl and the baby out. My cleaner took care of the rest.” He leaned close and she could see the deep blue striations in his light eyes. “Quid pro quo. Why were you watching that girl?”
My cleaner took care of the rest.There was a dark side of him that she knew nothing about.Though she had a lot of questions, she needed to stay on point. She never talked about her cases with civilians, but Sinclair Develin was in a class of his own and she had every confidence he knew more high-level government secrets than she did. If they were going to help each other, she had to trust him. Pushing out of her chair, she sauntered over to the window and stared down at the unusually quiet street.
“I’ve been surveilling a human trafficking operation that buys and sells babies, run by someone called Uncle Charlie. That’s why I left town a year ago. After following every dead-end lead, I got a tip from an informant that brought me to that apartment. I knew whoever showed up might deliver the baby to Uncle Charlie, and I’d be on his tail.” She turned to face him. “Where is that baby?”
“With the Applegates.”
What?“As in Senator Applegate? She’s the senator’s daughter?”
“The Applegates hired me to find Bethany, and bring her and their granddaughter home.”
“Ah, of course. They wanted this hush-hush. No law enforcement and no press.” Evangeline nodded slowly. “If I needed to question Bethany…”
“I’d get you a private meeting.”
Her lips curved. “Now, we’re getting somewhere. So, why do you think these texts came from the guy’s boss?”
“I’m not coming up with anyone else who would want me dead.” When Sin blinked, he held his eyes shut for a few extra seconds.
Is that a tell? Is he lying to me?“Because you’re so loved?”
His sexy chuckle rumbled through her.
“I missed your dry humor.” He collected their empty coffee mugs and stood. “Everyone in D.C. thinks I have too much power, until they run up against a crisis. Then, I become their savior.”
If there was anything she knew about Sinclair Develin, it was that he heldallthe power,allthe time.
They returned to the break room. “So, it’s possible these texts are coming from Uncle Charlie himself,” she said.
“Before we bait him, let’s walk this back. If Uncle Charlie is a baby trafficker, he’s going to be well insulated. The texts could be coming from a minion. Someone torched my club hoping to take us down in the process. We need more information before we can lure him out.”
“Good point.” She’d been staring at his mouth, locked on those damn sexy lips of his. He filled their mugs. As soon as he returned the pot to the burner, he captured her face in his hands and kissed her full on. The intensity of his lips on hers had her strapping her arms around him while she ground against him. Her tongue collided with his and his moans filled her ears, the throatiness reverberating between her legs. The rawness in their embrace had her deepening the kiss, but instead of increasing their pace, he slowed them down and ended it.
Panting, she stood there staring at his reddened lips and half-hooded eyes. She was trembling with need she wanted him so badly.
“I’m having the hardest time acting like a professional around you,” he murmured.
Forcing herself to think, she muttered, “Thank you for everything today, Sinclair. I’m sorry about your club. I…um, I…should head out.” Turning on her heel, she took off for the elevator. When she punched the button, he was by her side, his power and energy palpable.
“I’ll make sure you get home okay.” The doors slid open and they entered.
As the elevator descended, she did not look in his direction. If she so much as peeked, she’d be all over him. “I’m good.”
“I’m going for a bike ride, so I’ll follow you home.”
The doors slid open and her gaze met his. “At this hour?”
“I need to let off steam.”
I know of a much better way.“You don’t have to follow me.”
“Yes, I do.”
As she exited the elevator, her insides pulsed with need. Pausing at the front door of the building, she turned to him. “I can’t get rid of you, can I?”
His brow arched ever so slightly. “Do you want to, Evan?”
Tell him the truth. “No.” She shook her head. “No, I don’t.”
