Janelle slumped in a heap on top of him, so spent she could barely function. Nate smoothed his hands over her butt in a soothing motion, making her sigh with pleasure.
She could hardly believe it, but she wanted him again. All from his simple touch, as if he cherished her.
This was dangerous stuff. She was moving into scary territory.
And there was nothing she could do to stop it.
Chapter Nine
She’d been avoiding him again and he didn’t like it.
Nate climbed out of his car, slamming the door with such force, the sound reverberated throughout the quiet parking lot. Glancing about, he spotted the tail car, parked discreetly in the corner of the lot beneath a large willow tree. He nodded in the driver’s direction who nodded back.
He rubbed a hand along his unshaven jaw, not relishing the conversation that was about to happen. Earlier he received word Ginger had been spotted at Temptations last night. Greg had found a contact there, some doorman who’d called him at one in the morning, saying Ginger was wandering around looking a little worse for wear.
Of course, the moment Greg showed up, Ginger was long gone, though the doorman had tried to keep her there. Nate chose not to tell Janelle. No use getting her hopes up for nothing.
But would she tell him if Ginger contacted her? Maybe he should tell Janelle…
Would they ever find Ginger? Would he ever stop worrying about Billy Diaz’s thugs following Janelle? His boss was growing impatient, had threatened to pull the tail car more than once, calling it unnecessary and expensive. Nate requested one more week, hoping it would be enough.
He’d gone to see Billy at his club two days ago, ready to confront him all over again but he was nowhere to be found. Though that jackass bartender had been there, ready to kick Nate’s ass at any given moment.
The case was making him crazy. It shouldn’t such a challenge to find Ginger. If things had gone according to plan, Diaz would already be in jail. Instead, he chased a ghost. Spinning his wheels and dealing with Billy’s constant taunts. Not to mention, he was fooling around with the ghost’s sister.
And now her sister played hard to get.
His cock twitched, remembering last night. He’d stopped by her place around midnight, waking her with his impatient knocking. One look at her standing in the doorway, sleepy and mussed, clad in only a thin cotton nightshirt and he’d gone as hard as stone.
He’d pushed into her apartment, stripped her bare and buried himself inside her within two minutes of arrival. No finesse, no foreplay, no sweet words. Just intense, primal fucking.
She’d relished it. So responsive, her moans for him loud and needy, her legs wrapped tight around his hips. She’d clung to him as if she never wanted to let him go.
And then she’d kicked him out once they’d finished. As if he meant nothing to her, though she claimed she couldn’t concentrate with him around.
What the hell did that mean?
Now he was back for more shitty treatment. Official business first and foremost, he needed to ask about Ginger. Of course, he was silently asking for her to toss him out on his ass again too. And damn it, he wasn’t a glutton for punishment. If a woman wasn’t interested, he moved on. Eventually found another one to fool around with for a while.
Not with this woman. It pissed him off, how they’d agreed they weren’t going to play games. She was proving to be the biggest game player of them all.
He snorted, shaking his head. Women.
Nate walked up the stairs that led to her door, dread filling his gut. The real reason he was here? It wasn’t about her sister. He wanted to know what was going on inside her head. This back and forth bullshit was getting to him, fucking with his brain.
He needed to keep his head on straight.
Knocking on the door, he waited, rested his hands on his hips. He hadn’t changed, was still wearing the suit he’d donned this morning for a court appointment. It felt like a suit of armor, giving him strength to hash it out with her.
Never in his life had he been so twisted up over a woman. It made him feel weak, out of control.
He didn’t like it.
The door swung open and there she stood, her face clearly showing her shock at seeing him. He set his mouth into a grim line and he nodded toward her.
“Can I come in?”
Janelle opened the door wider, concern etching her features. “Of course. Is something wrong? Did you find my sister?”