Her knees quaked at the sight of him, her nipples chafed against her bra. Nate appeared and she reacted, just like that.
She wondered if he had a clue of the power he wielded over her body.
“So you’re the one keeping tabs on me?”
Nate shrugged. “Not all the time but lately, yeah.”
“Why? Aren’t you busy? Trying to catch all the bad guys?”
“The investigation’s been...stalled. Diaz’s operating somewhere else, the club’s clean. And your sister is still hiding out.” His expression was grim, his voice low and he sounded disappointed.
“I still haven’t heard from her,” she offered, wishing she could tell him something different.
“So is everything okay?” He clutched the top of the car door and breathed deep. “Have fun in there?”
She was surprised by his question. “Yes, I did.”
“Meet anyone?” Clenching his jaw, his lips thinned and his eyes glowed bright with a strange light.
Was that jealousy she saw reflected in their dark depths?
“Not really.” She met him at the door, pressing her hands on the top edge of it much as he did.
“What the hell kind of answer is that?”
Oh yes, he was most definitely jealous. His big body was tense, his face a glowering mask as he watched her. A thrill shivered through her veins.
His reaction showed he might actually care.
“Well, I met the bartender, but he only has eyes for my friend. And I talked to our waitress, who was a real sweetheart.”
He visibly relaxed, though his jaw was still tight. “Oh.”
Her eyebrows rose and she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “That’s all you have to say? ‘Oh’?”
“Look, I have no right to interrogate you about your social life. It’s none of my business. Have you tried to get a hold of Ginger?”
Janelle shook her head at his quick change of subject. All business, that was her detective. Relaxing her defensive stance, she gripped the door frame again, tempted to place her hand over Nate’s. “I told you I’d let you know the minute she called.”
“Good.” Nate nodded once, then climbed back into the car. “You ready?”
She stood there, still hanging onto the door, feeling like a damn fool. Why wouldn’t he make the first move and tell her how he felt? She knew he wanted her as badly as she wanted him.
Why did they step around each other so cautiously when all they really wanted to do was throw themselves at each other?
“You’re following me back to my place?” She watched him wrap those long fingers around the steering wheel after he started the car, remembering how they felt on her skin.
She wanted to feel them again, trailing all over her body, pushing inside of her. Tonight.
“Of
course. It’s my job.” He flicked his chin in the direction of her parked car. “Let’s go.”
Janelle turned away with a huff, irritated he was virtually ignoring her, ignoring the sparks flaring between them.
A smile teased her lips as she walked toward her car and she put an extra swing in her hips, hoping like hell he was watching and sweating over it. An idea bloomed inside her, one that would likely knock his socks off if he responded the way she wanted.
She really, really hoped it worked.