Page 34 of Straight Shooter

And sonofabitch, the little heathen had taken back her phone. He was a grown man who’d been thrown off by a kiss. An earth-shattering, erotic, blue-ball-inducing kiss. What was he, fifteen? Geez.

“Go.” The syllable came out ragged.

“You sound like you just ran ten blocks. You’re huffing and puffing in my ear and it’s making me uncomfortable.”

“Shut up and give me the info, Eric.”

Eric mumbled something under his breath, and it was a damn good thing Rhett wasn’t able to catch it because he wasn’t in the mood to hold back his temper.

“That guy you wanted me to look into, Max Burton, he’s living in Key West, just as you suspected.”

Rhett straightened. He’d asked Eric that morning to dig into the criminal’s background on a whim after he’d learned Peyton’s name on the yacht and remembered her being associated with the known thief. After spending most of the night tossing and turning and thinking about Peyton, he’d asked Milo for Max’s last name. Milo had been reluctant to give it to him, but when Rhett stressed it held an important key to his case, his old friend had caved.

“Where?”

As Eric rattled off the address, awareness pushed away the lusty fog that had coated Rhett’s brain.

Max lived only a few blocks from Peyton’s hotel. There was no way in hell that was a coincidence.

He lifted his gaze to the glass door. Until he could get through to her that he wasn’t her enemy, he couldn’t do anything stupid.

Too bad she had him by the balls.

Peyton took one shallow breath after another, but her deprived lungs wouldn’t let her catch her breath. Kissing Rhett had been nothing more than desperate times calling for desperate measures. Except the scalding heat of his tongue gliding over hers had captured her breath—and her sanity. He’d picked her up and plopped her on the counter, ready to do god knows what, and she hadn’t minded one bit. As a matter of fact, when he’d moved his mouth down her throat and his hands had been positioned to rip off her dress, she’d been ready. Which would have been incredibly stupid of her, since Jenny Carter’s address still sat nestled in the cup of her bra.

Her stomach clenched, and she dropped into one of the two stools at the island, threading her hand in her hair. The quick movements—and rush of endorphins—made the cut on her leg pulse. What was wrong with her? Men had lusted after her before. That was nothing new. But Rhett was different. No man had ever lit such a fire in her gut. No man had ever looked at her like he wanted to possess her, own her, make her scream. And yet, he made her feel dangerous at the same time.

The glass door slammed shut, and she snapped her head in his direction and curled her hand around her phone. Thank god one good thing had come from the kiss—he hadn’t learned about Max. While Rhett had been outside, she’d deleted her conversation with her colleague in case he wound up getting her phone again.

The bastard.

“Sorry, just work.”

“Mmm. No problem,” she said, her tone terse.

Amusement blazed from his steel-gray eyes, and the precarious nerves in her belly jumped. God, he was good-looking. Tall, strong, built in all the right places—and well endowed, if the thick erection that had pressed against her belly only five minutes prior was any indication.

He folded his arms on top of the counter directly across from her. “That was smooth, by the way.”

She cocked her head. “What?”

“Kissing me like that.”

Heat scorched her ears and tension circled her throat. She tried to clamp her lips shut but failed. “You didn’t complain.” She shouldn’t egg him on. Given the lack of self-control she exhibited around Rhett, she didn’t need to encourage him.

His mouth split into a wide smile. “I never said I was crazy.”

She worked her tongue over the inside of her cheek. As interesting as this exchange was, she needed to lose him and get the flipping envelope into Max’s hands before Moretti got to them both.

“Look,” she began, as she traced her finger along the edge of the counter. “I need to get back to San Diego. I’m sorry there isn’t anything I can help you with⁠—”

“Oh, but there is.” The words came out smooth and challenging, setting off warning bells in her head. “You could answer some questions for me and then I’ll escort you to your hotel and the airport.”

Annoyance danced in her head. Having Rhett as her chaperone would make it near impossible for her to meet Max. “Go ahead,” she said with a nod.

“Where were you headed earlier?”

She scoffed. “When I ran from Beanie? I didn’t really have a destination in mind, more like just trying to stay alive.”