Almost as if he’d read her thoughts, Lou took Muriel’s place and put his hand on Emma’s knee. “How you doing, Mrs. Casey?”
“I’m working on my poker face, Lou, but aside from that I’m doing great.”
“Have you had a chance to tell her what happened this morning?”
“Not yet.”
He nodded again and sighed. “I guess you haven’t gotten around to telling her about last night either?”
“Lou, I know you’re unhappy with me, but when she got home last night, Juan the idiot was the last thing on my mind.” Emma placed her hand over his. “I swear tonight over dinner, I’ll tell her everything that happened. Just start praying now that she doesn’t shoot me for waiting this long to bring the subject up.”
“Aren’t you glad you have Merrick and the others to keep you safe?”
Whatever else Emma was going to say died on her lips as Cain stood and buttoned her jacket. “How about an early dinner?”
“Sounds good.” Before she got to her feet, Emma looked at Lou one last time and smiled.
The door of the car closed behind Cain a few minutes later, and she embraced Emma as they started to move.
Emma said, “Something happened last night and this morning you need to know about.”
“Are you all right?”
Emma kissed a small scar on Cain’s first knuckle. “I’m fine, and I want you to keep that in mind when you hear what I have to say.” Before she lost her nerve she described the two brief encounters with Juan Luis, swearing she felt Cain growl when she told her what had happened that morning in the French Quarter.
“Did he touch you?”
Emma could have taken the question a number of different ways, but she took it for what it was—concern. Though Cain often told Emma she belonged to her, their relationship wasn’t built on possession. Emma knew Cain belonged to her just as much.
“Lou was there both times, love, so no, he didn’t. I also told him on both occasions who I’m with, but he didn’t seem to want to get the message.”
Surprisingly Cain laughed at the comment, making Emma squirm. “I’m not laughing at you, sweetling, or the situation.”
“What’s so funny, then?”
“After the last couple of weeks and what we’ve been through, I would’ve enjoyed seeing you put that asshole in his place.” She kissed the top of Emma’s head and pulled her closer. “And of course he didn’t want to get the message. Men like Juan were raised to think the world and all the women in it are for their pleasure. In this case he’s going to succeed.”
Emma shot up at the comment, ready to face off with Cain. “I did not give this guy any encouragement.”
“I know. I meant, if the attention of a Casey woman is what he wants, then he’s getting it. Only once I’m done, he might not find it all that pleasurable.”
Emma laughed, but worried that the last thing Cain needed was another battle to fight.
*
As the waiter brought out the desserts Cain and Emma had ordered, the phone on Merrick’s hip buzzed once, signaling she had a message. She flipped it open under the table, not wanting to draw attention to herself, but just as soon as she read the message, she smiled.
Have u eaten yet?
With one more glance around the room to make sure everything was still all right, she tapped Lou on the shoulder and pointed toward the ladies’ room. Once there, she inhaled deeply before hitting the Reply button and sending a return message. She felt like scolding the sender for bothering her at work, but left the door open for whatever possibilities the night held.
“Problem?” Cain asked Merrick as she helped Emma out of the restaurant.
“Katlin just had a question, nothing serious.” Merrick moved ahead of them to open the car door and avoid any more questions.
“Let it go, baby, we’re on our way home,” Emma said as Cain opened her mouth to say something else. “If it’s something Katlin thinks needs your attention, I’m sure she’ll be waiting for you when we get there.”
“And if it has to do with our talk in Haywood on your father’s porch?”
“Then I say we take a bottle of champagne up to our room and toast my good fortune.”
Creases formed on Cain’s brow when she tried to figure out what Emma was talking about.
“Your good fortune?”
“If Merrick has found someone who can take her mind off you, then yes.” She kissed Cain on the nose. “My good fortune.”
Merrick stayed long enough to see the couple retire upstairs, then set the house alarm before walking out the back door. At dinner she’d been thinking of her bed in the condo she owned not far from where the new club was going to open. One little question, though, had realigned her focus.
She opened the door to the pool house without knocking, then crossed her arms over her chest, the perfect picture of annoyance. “Do you usually bother people when they’re working? Considering what we do, that could be a dangerous habit.”
“You’re not working now,” Katlin said from the small kitchen.
“Your point is?” The phone on her hip buzzed once again with a new message.
Behave or there might be consequences.
“Is that a threat?” She took her suit jacket off and threw it on the sofa.
“The way I want the night to end”—Katlin finally stepped into the room and put a bowl of strawberries on the nightstand—“it wouldn’t be prudent for me to make threats.”
“Then what’s this about?”
Katlin spread her arms out and shrugged her shoulders. “Call it settling a bet with myself.”
“This ought to be good.” Merrick picked up a piece of fruit. She bit into it, her eyes on Katlin as the juice ran down her chin.
“Before I tell you my bet, I’ve got a question for you.”
Merrick nodded her head once as if to give permission for her to ask, but Katlin wasn’t in a hurry. She sat in the chair across from where Merrick stood and looked her over from head to foot. “Do you plan on running out to find any more gifts for Cain tonight?”
“I think the last two we got her should suffice for now, so tell me your bet.”
“Part of me thinks you’re a tease.” Katlin stopped and laughed at the scowl her statement produced.
“What’s the other part of you think?” Merrick dropped her arms and spread her feet apart almost as if she were expecting an attack.
The dark shirt Merrick was wearing pulled tight across her breasts, but Katlin decided the shoulder holster she was wearing rather than the cut of the shirt caused the pleasant sight. When she took a deep breath the material pulled even tauter, and Katlin noticed her nipples harden.
“That you’ll make good on your promises.” Katlin crossed her legs and pointed in the direction of Merrick’s chest. “By starting with the gun and the shirt. You’re just dying to show me something that’ll make me wet.”
“Am I now?” Despite the flip question, Merrick removed the holster and the Glock, dropping them on her jacket. “What are you going to do for me?” She opened the buttons on her shirt with the patience of a woman who had all night to reach her goals.
The navy bra looked exotic next to Merrick’s skin, and the sight of so much skin made Katlin stand up and say, “I’m going to show you something I don’t think anyone has bothered to in a very long time.”
Stepping behind Merrick, Katlin lifted her fingers and with a quick twist unfastened the bra. She moved in close to reach for the button on her pants, and just as quickly they dropped to Merrick’s ankles.
“Aren’t you overdressed?” Merrick asked Katlin.
“I see now that you aren’t a tease, darling girl, so we’ll worry about me soon enough.” When Katlin pulled her backward into her body, Merrick’s abdomen muscles tightened under her hand, but that was her only reaction. Katlin guessed it was Merrick’s way of trying to maintain control. “Kick your shoes off for me.”