Prologue
“What are we learning about today, Little Finn?”
Jennifer Finn looked up from her spot beneath a large oak tree and frowned, hoping the man looming over her wouldn’t see her blush and know what she’d just been fantasizing about. “I’m learning about how a properly applied Taser can thoroughly discourage pests of the private dick variety. And I’ve told you not to call me that.”
Trick Dunham smirked at her. “It slipped out. You looked so innocent, sitting on the ground all alone with your packed lunch. Where’s your roommate and her tag-a-long boy toy? You don’t usually eat alone.”
“Alicia and Raoul don’t have the same schedule this semester. Hence the brown bag. My turn. Where’s your rent money coming from if my brother isn’t paying you to follow me around anymore?”
And why am I not in any hurry to get rid of you?
Because he was driving her too crazy to think straight. It seemed as though every time she turned around the blond, bearded, tattooed investigator was there. Well, not every time. But now and then when she was with friends at the coffee shop, he’d stop by to say hello. When she was spending a late night studying at the campus library, he’d be “reading” at another table. He’d even audited one of her classes last semester, sitting behind her and distracting her at every opportunity. His showing up on her second day of the new semester didn’t bode well for her peace of mind.
And your bedroom. Don’t forget that he’s shown up in your bedroom.
Twice. She got breathless just thinking about it. Warm. She couldn’t forget that if she tried. Though, if she were being honest with herself, she hadn’t tried at all. The memory was too good not to keep.
It had been a few weeks after he’d started showing up around campus that she’d decided to turn the tables on him and invite him out to dinner. Sure, she was supposed to be focusing on school instead of sex for the next few years, but he was gorgeous and she wasn’t a robot. She’d either scare her brother’s loyal friend away or get lucky before getting on with her life. She’d thought it was a brilliant idea at the time.
Trick had let her flirt. Let her shock him with details of her behavior at the BDSM club. He’d been in a car outside, “making sure she was safe”, so he’d already known how often she went there—he might as well find out exactly what he’d been missing.
She’d asked him to come in that night, but after a kiss that made her lose the ability for coherent thought, he’d politely declined her invitation. It was only hours later, when her doors were locked and the lights were out, that the devil had shown up, slipped into her bed and asked if he could change his mind.
She’d been too turned on to say no, and he’d rewarded her for her generosity with his fingers and tongue until she nearly passed out from pleasure. Then he’d left as quietly as he’d arrived.
It was by far the dirtiest thing she’d ever experienced in her life, and they hadn’t actually had sex.
Trick was leaning his arm on the tree, studying her. “Don’t worry about my rent, Jen. I do fine. And you know your brother never had to pay me. You were a favor. We both have chips to call in. He used one of his bigger ones on you.”
“So you keep telling me. I’m honored that my private life warranted such a big, irritating chip.” She picked up her book bag and got to her feet. “But as you can see, I’m not out clubbing or going home with strangers to be chained up and whipped anymore. I’m about to head into my twenty-sixth year of life on track for my master’s degree. Jennifer is now a very dull girl with a bright future in social work. All I do is study and sleep and, if I’m feeling wild, visit the family pub. So you’ve done your good deed for Stephen. Feel free to stalk and rehabilitate someone else’s troubled little sister.”
He leaned into her, laying his hand on her collarbone and pressing her back against the tree. She barely held back her soft moan at his touch. “I did my good deed for him when I drove you home from the police station after those assault charges. Such a fiery temper to go with that hair.” His smile was wicked. “I have no desire to rehabilitate you, Jen. Not after last week. You weren’t studying or sleeping then, if you remember.”
Don’t kiss him. Don’t think about it.
Of course she remembered. She wasn’t sure how he’d gotten in a second time without waking her roommate or setting off the alarm, but she hadn’t sent him away. Again. And he’d done things with his mouth that might be illegal, making her muffle her screams in her pillow before kissing her gently and leaving her. Again.