The engine idled a moment before he killed it and kicked down the stand.
Chloe didn’t immediately release her hold on him. “There’s another meaning to the card.”
He looked over his shoulder at her. She still wore her helmet. Looked gorgeous because she always did.
He held her gaze. Waited.
Chloe slowly pulled away. She handed him the helmet and climbed from the bike.
He sat there, watching her. “You can’t leave me in suspense.”
She stilled.
“What’s the other meaning?”
Chloe bit her lower lip. “The card is also about seduction.”
“That freaky goat guy on the card is about seduction?”
“The devil is always about seduction. Physical pleasure. The card isn’t necessarily a dark warning. It can just be a message of what’s coming.”
He should get off the motorcycle. “Physical pleasure. Someone wanted us to know that physical pleasure was waiting for us?”
“Don’t you like that meaning better?” Chloe asked as she swung away. “I do. It’s much better than thinking that someone just threatened us with bondage and enslavement.”
He watched her as she headed for the main house. Joel considered the situation. Yeah, if he had to pick, he’d choose physical pleasure over being trapped and locked away any day of the week.
Been there, done that. And he had the scars to prove it.
Chapter Twelve
There was a sharp knock on his door. Joel frowned at his computer screen. He’d been doing research and time had gotten away from him. He realized now that it was nearing midnight. And who the hell would be coming to see him at midnight?
Only one person came to mind.
Chloe.
Joel shot out of his chair and stalked for the door.
More knocking. A little more demanding this time.
“I’m coming. Hold on, just—” Joel yanked open the door.
Not Chloe.
A glaring Marie stood on the threshold. She was holding a big, black, zippered garment bag. “This is for you.” She thrust it toward him.
“Thanks?” Yes, he knew his response sounded like a question.
“Clothes for tomorrow night. Chloe said you needed them. Whatever you’re doing with her, she wants you to dress the part.”
“Uh, yeah, I do have clothes of my own.”
“Not like those.” She crossed her arms over her chest. Glared more.
He lifted his brows. “Is there a reason you seem to dislike me?” Because her disdain was more than apparent. “I can’t remember pissing you off, but if there’s something I’ve done—”
“You’re not tough enough.”
Laughter spilled out. “You have no idea.”
“You killed one person. Big deal. Like that makes you some kind of stud.”
“Excuse me?” He must have misheard. It was late. He was tired.
“Chloe helped me. She pulled me out of the darkest time of my life.”
And she came into my life when I didn’t think anything could get darker. When he’d thought there was nothing else to lose.
Marie surged toward him. “Do you have any idea how many enemies she has?”
He blinked.
“How many people would like to see her vanish? And she gets you for protection? Day one, and all you want to do is get in her pants.”
Yes, dammit, guilty. He did want to get in her pants. But that was his business. His and Chloe’s. “Okay, you need to back off—”
“You need to stay on guard,” she ordered as if he hadn’t spoken. “Everyone you meet has a secret agenda. People who pretend to be nice? They are the worst ones. Look deeper. See the truth. Maybe you’ll last longer than her last wanna-be partner did.” A hard nod.
“What in the hell happened to her last partner?”
But Marie clamped her lips together.
Oh, now she stopped talking.
He lifted the garment bag. “Thanks for this.”
“Whatever.” She spun on her heel.
“Where’s Chloe?”
“Think she’s on a date.” She didn’t glance back. “Don’t expect her back anytime soon.”
A date? “Chloe goes on dates?” Was that jealousy slipping its way through him?
“Sure, she does. You got a problem with that?”
Maybe I do. Only there was no maybe about it.
But Marie wasn’t sticking around to tell him anything else. He stood there, holding the garment bag, and feeling a knot of tension swirling in his gut. Chloe was on a date.
He shut the door. Dropped the garment bag without glancing inside it. Then went back to his seat in front of the laptop. He’d been digging up information on Chloe for most of the night. He’d found references to her in dozens of criminal investigations.
It wasn’t her crime solving that interested him the most, though. Chloe knew his secrets. He figured it was only fair for him to learn hers.