“I think I can help with that,” Deke promised.
Deke started to talk about their choices when it came to forcing the gorgeous actress into a corner.
A corner only Michael would be able to help her out of.
Chapter Five
Michael felt a thrum of anticipation run through his veins and realized he might be in trouble.
He was going to be honest with himself. He wasn’t sitting here in the coffee shop excited about the op starting up. This wasn’t the same adrenaline that came from a dangerous situation.
He was excited about seeing her again, and that was a problem.
It was sex. That was all it was. She was gorgeous, and they had serious chemistry, and that was it. He would likely have to fuck her at some point, so that was a good thing.
He hated the fact that the vulnerable act almost worked on him. He watched as she crossed the street, both her hands on the strap of her handbag as though she was protecting the only thing she had left. Wind blew her glossy brown hair to the side, and he couldn’t miss the way she moved. Her hips swayed as she jogged the last few steps.
Had the crosswalk light changed? Had she watched it go yellow and hurried so she wouldn’t be caught in the street when it went red? The man walking behind her didn’t seem to care. He didn’t change his gait in any way, but Vanessa hustled.
He wouldn’t have expected that from a woman who had the whole world change for her. When she’d been married to George Benedict, everyone had catered to her. Yet she was trying to make it across the street to please…a light?
She couldn’t know he was watching her. Maybe she was more naturally submissive than he thought. He could use that.
She moved toward the coffee shop and stopped, looking up and down the sidewalk. She wore sunglasses over those stunning eyes of hers, and she had on another prissy cardigan covering her chest. She was trying to make sure the press wasn’t after her.
There was a little guilt that gnawed at him for what he was about to do. There might be another way.
Had she been nervous the whole walk over? It was a few blocks from the Lodge Corp building to this small coffee shop. He’d selected this shop because it sat next to a bakery owned by a friend of his. Macon Miles used to work at Sean Taggart’s restaurant until he’d started his own bakery. Sweet Miles was run by Macon and his wife, Allyson, and they were close to the owner of Perk You Up.
It was in a good central location, and he often had client meetings here if for some reason the client didn’t want to go all the way to the McKay-Taggart building.
A young woman slid the Americano he’d ordered in front of him, and the rich scent floated up. “Is there anything else I can get you?”
Vanessa had stopped outside the shop. She probably didn’t think he could see her, but he could. She had her back to him, but he could see plainly that she had opened her purse and pulled out a compact. She smoothed down her hair and seemed to stare at her reflection for a moment.
She had to make sure she was ready for the act she was about to play out.
“Why don’t you bring us a minis plate?” He wanted to watch her turn the ridiculously decadent platter away. It was all of Sweet Miles’s favorite breakfast pastries in mini form. Big Tag could finish a plate himself.
The young woman nodded.
He noticed MaeBe’s head had come up, and a frown hit her face. Then her eyes went big and wide, and her lower lip pouted out.
She was going to be so much trouble to some Dom one day.
“Send one to MaeBe’s table, too, and put it on my tab,” Michael allowed. One of the best reasons to come to Perk You Up was the fact that the owner’s brother understood the business. Jolie Lewis was the sister of one of MT’s bodyguards.
Jolie put a hand on her hip. “You running an op here, Malone? Is that why MaeBe’s sitting at another table trying to look less extra than normal?”
MaeBe did look different. She’d done a good job toning down her goth look. She’d scrubbed off her makeup and put her vibrant hair in a ponytail. Between that and the sweats and sneakers, she looked like any other young woman fresh off her yoga class.
“It’s only a meeting,” Michael replied and then hedged because he loved her coffee and Jamal could be intimidating, and he wouldn’t like it if little sis was upset with him. “I’m duping a phone. That’s all. The woman who’s about to walk in is the target. Julian Lodge thinks she might be running a scam on his wife.”