“A few minutes on the internet will fix that,” Fox pointed out. “In fact, I’m sure Rune would happily hook you up with a girl for some practical experience. He might want to watch though. I know I would.”
Addison whipped another ball of foil at her husband’s head, but he was expecting it and dodged.
“Like you’d share me.”
They stared at each other hard, the intensity between them electr
ic. It reminded Atlas of how he felt when he looked into Mila’s eyes.
Why did he finally find that chemistry with a woman he couldn’t keep? Although he kept telling himself he was happy single, the truth was he envied the happiness his brother and cousin had found. He wasn’t going to get that with a cop. There was no future there. Letting himself enjoy her for now was going to end up burning him, and he knew it.
“You know me too well,” Fox finally admitted, turning his attention back to his food. “So Atlas, just keep Mila busy for a bit while we figure things out.”
Atlas nodded, then swallowed the tail end of his beer.
“Don’t fall for her,” Addison said, grimacing. “There’s no way to know how much of what she says to you is fake, and I don’t want you to get hurt trying to protect the rest of us. Just try to remember she’s the enemy and she’s playing you.”
He lifted a brow at her, and her mouth twisted sympathetically. “Is she that hot?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe just gag her whenever you’re together so she doesn’t get any further under your skin,” Addison recommended. “Save your feelings for the girl you’ll accidentally kidnap someday.”
***
Seven days of nothing. No responses to his texts.
He’d tried to distract himself with a few ransomware jobs he’d contracted to do. One had been for a photography studio. All of their picture files were held hostage unless they could cough up ten thousand they didn’t have. The photographer who owned the place was an elderly man who didn’t need that kind of bullshit in his life. The other jobs had been interesting, too, but getting the man’s last six months of work back for him—including some people’s wedding photos—had been strangely satisfying.
As hard as he tried, though, he couldn’t get Mila out of his mind.
Exactly one week after she’d run out of his place, his sweet bundle of curves suddenly appeared in his shop to the accompanying jingle of the bell over the door. In the short, blue dress her legs were long and luscious. Her hair was down, curling wantonly around her smooth shoulders.
He wanted to be annoyed, or even angry, but he immediately imagined flipping the sign to closed and doing her on the front counter. Zero to aroused in the blink of an eye.
Even though they hadn’t yet spoken, her eyes were wide, and her chest rose and fell too rapidly. He doubted she’d jogged all the way there from her precinct. Was she that nervous? About seeing him?
“Mila,” he greeted her coolly. “Need something serviced?” He let crude innuendo seep into his words, angry at her for disappearing, but angrier at himself for being ready to forget about all that.
“No, I . . . uh . . .”
Had she forgotten her lines, or was she shocked to find herself standing in his shop? He’d assumed she’d been removed from the case—either because she couldn’t stomach him anymore, or because them sleeping together was a secret and she was ashamed. Not to mention a serious conflict of interest. But if that was the case, why was she standing here looking delicious and maybe a little nervous?
“You missed getting your ass fucked, and you’re here for more?” he supplied helpfully.
“If I did miss it, I wouldn’t come here for it.” She brazenly met his gaze and he found himself irritatingly jealous.
“Oh yeah?” He shrugged it off. “You have someone else who does it better?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.” They stared each other down for a solid minute before she blinked away. “Actually, I came by to ask you if you wanted to go for lunch.”
“We both know what you came here for.” Why was messing with her so much fun? Probably because he didn’t have to feel bad. She didn’t care about him anyway, and for some reason knowing that made him feel okay with being a jackass.
She opened her mouth, then closed it. Would she walk out, or would her dedication to her job outweigh her self-respect?
Apparently, the job had won.
She walked up to the counter and leaned on it, giving him a delicious view of her cleavage. It was an effective attack, because it made him want to be charming so he could touch her again.