“When you get to Chicago, contact Jessica. Let her know we’re looking into her friend’s case. And I’ll have an associate send you a file with what we know.”
In a slick maneuver, he had intervened and expanded the role Alexa had intended to play. She hadn’t counted on making contact with Jessie until she had something to offer, but Garrett asked her to make a show of his support. She had become “we,” and at some point, there might be a price to pay for Garrett’s help.
Seth Harper had become a focus worthy of the Sentinels.
“Will do.” She nodded. “Anything else?”
“No, that’s it for now.”
“If all goes well, I suppose you’ll want to talk to Jessie.”
“Yes, I will. Call me if the bounty hunter is receptive to the idea, and I’ll make arrangements to meet you.” His somber face warmed to a smile. “But whether she is or not, maybe we could take a few days off to ourselves in Chicago. It’d be nice to get away, just the two of us.”
By the hungry look in his eyes, she knew he meant it. She felt the pull of their mutual addiction. Alexa sipped her champagne and leaned forward to loosen his tie.
“Now you’re talking.” Her throaty voice and suggestive expression sent the message. The business part of their meeting had concluded. “I’d love some downtime with you…alone.”
“We’re alone now.”
“Yes, we are.”
Done with talking, she closed her eyes and kissed him, breathing in the subtle smell of his cologne with her fingers entwined in his dark hair. His lips and tongue tasted like pricey champagne. She hadn’t intended to do much more than kiss him, but when her hand moved under his suit coat, she craved the feel of his bare skin, especially as he nuzzled her neck. The sensation sent a tingling shock wave over her body, and things got out of control. Under the silk of her dress, blood rushed down and through her, a surge of pleasure she couldn’t restrain.
“I thought you’d be wearing it.” Next to her ear, his voice resonated against her, driving her crazy.
Alexa understood what he meant. She had slipped the jewelers case into her vintage Dior envelope purse, saving it for when Garrett could put it on her personally. But she didn’t tell him that. She found another way to say it.
“I wanted it to be the only thing I wore the next time I saw you.”
That made him smile. She heard it in her voice when he said, “Now why didn’t I think of that?”
He kissed the palm of her hand, then reached over and punched a button on a control panel. She heard the soft whir, and the window to the driver’s compartment closed. And even though every window in the vehicle darkened with a screen for privacy, she still saw the people and traffic outside.
“Can they see in?” she whispered.
“I doubt it.”
Without another word, he trailed his fingertips down her legs, unbuckling the straps to her platform Miu Miu shoes and tossing them aside. The carpet felt good against her bare feet.
“Garrett? We can’t…not here.”
“What if they can see us, Alexa?” He got to his knees between her legs and stripped out of his suit jacket and yanked off his tie, not taking his eyes off her. “Do you really care?”
Her cheeks flushed with heat. She wanted to glance toward the cab that had stopped next to them at a light. She saw the taxi driver turn his head from the corner of her eye. But she couldn’t take her gaze off Garrett. The man’s swarthy good looks mesmerized her, and behind those eyes was an enigmatic man far too complicated to understand in a lifetime.
On the outside, he wore pricey clothing like a mogul on Wall Street, but underneath it all, a wicked scar or two on his dark skin reminded her of the violence in his life. She’d seen him kill with the same passion she saw in his eyes now.
He’d become as adaptable as a chameleon with one foot in the civilized world and the other in places she was too scared to contemplate. Truth be told, that had been the part of him she wanted to understand but never would.
“What if they are watching us?” he asked again, his voice lower. Her rapid breathing filled the quiet vacuum of the limo, mingling with his. As he unbuckled his belt, he kept talking to her. “Let’s give them something to see.”
He reached under her dress, his large hands gripping her hips and lingering.
“Tell me you want this, Alexa. Tell me how much you want it.”
Garrett loved pushing her limits when it came to intimacy. Every new experience put his mark on her. And she knew it.
“I want this…I want you.” She reached up to kiss him, but he only shook his head.
“Take it off. Everything.”
Driven to the brink beyond caring, she didn’t take long to make up her mind. Piece by piece, she took off her coat and silk dress as he watched. She didn’t take her gaze off him, not wanting to break their connection. With every garment she removed, the hunger in his eyes intensified.
She turned her head toward the nearest window and found she wanted someone to see her. She even craved it, but before she told Garrett how she felt, he spoke first.
“Where is it? The necklace.”
Alexa retrieved her purse and gave him the necklace. She held back her blond hair to let him slip it on her neck. The gold chain and diamonds dazzled on her warm skin as it flushed with arousal. It was all she wore.
“What do you think?” she asked as she posed for him, her inhibitions gone.
“Priceless.” Drawing her closer, he lowered his lips to her body.
“Oh, Garrett. Yes.”
He knew exactly how to touch her and took what he needed. Like an out-of-body experience, she pictured the scene in her mind’s eye—in broad daylight, in the middle of traffic. She looked up into the urban landscape of New York City as the limousine stopped at another light and pedestrians crossed the street, peering into their tinted window.
And the sensation was…exhilarating.
She had changed and assumed Garrett had been the reason. Like an obsession, her need for sex had intensified. All she cared about was pleasing a man in every way he wanted, without holding back. For her, nothing else mattered. The effect Garrett had on her had been consuming.
But what if he’d only been the catalyst, a trigger that cultivated a darker side to her nature? Is that what he’d seen in her from the start? She closed her eyes tight—giving in to every subtle demand of Garrett’s body—blocking that thought from her head.
Surviving the cutting edge of life and death had forced them to live every moment as if it would be their last—a mentality that had been a gift and a curse. Without regret or restraint, they had seized every opportunity to be together, living life to the fullest. Their gift.
Yet their curse had been living their lives without the naïve hope of a tomorrow. They couldn’t count on anything. Perhaps that was why they were together in the first place—another facet of their relationship she refused to probe.
Examining her life too closely scared her more than a barrage of bullets.
Cook County Jail
Chicago
By the look on Harper’s face, Jess knew she’d guessed right that a woman had been involved in his missing hours. But several questions later and her best tactics, she still hadn’t gotten him to ’fess up. And time was running thin. The duty cop would be knocking on the door soon, and her time with him would be up.
“I don’t want to bring her into this. She’s got enough problems.” He crossed his arms and slumped in his chair. “And she’s not exactly a fan of law enforcement, if you know what I mean.”