Against the Edge (The Raines of Wind Can - By Kat Martin Page 0,19
half-naked in his bedroom. He hadn’t missed the way her breath quickened, the pulse that throbbed at the base of her throat. It was good to know the growing attraction he felt for her was returned.
But Sam was the priority for both of them, and even if the time were right, he wasn’t sure the lady would invite him into her bed. Claire was uptight and reserved. She wasn’t the type to have sex with a man she barely knew.
On his side, Ben didn’t want the problems that came with sexual intimacy. He wasn’t good at the morning-after niceties. As far as he was concerned, by morning both parties had gotten what they wanted and it was over.
He was pretty sure that wasn’t the way Claire approached a physical relationship. She’d want more, and he wasn’t the kind of guy who could give it to her.
Still, just thinking about stripping off those conservative clothes and discovering the woman beneath sent his blood pumping south, and inside his jeans he started getting hard. Shifting against his growing arousal, he turned on the radio and concentrated on following the directions to the address he had punched into the GPS.
It turned out to be an apartment in a low-rent section of Vegas. Two stories, white with black trim, a couple of scrawny trees in front. A light shone on a play area with swings and a sandbox that sat inside a chain-link fence next to the building.
“Maybe I should wait in the car,” Claire said as he turned off the engine, which surprised him since she had always insisted on going everywhere he did. One look at her face and he knew what she was thinking.
“The horny redhead at the construction site wasn’t my type and the last thing I want is to be alone with a stripper.” She’d been uptight since their encounter in the hall that morning. It was nice to see her smile.
“Okay.”
They got out of the car and made their way up to the porch. Ben knocked on the door and a minute later it swung open. Sadie Summers was a brassy blonde with a couple of kids. He could see them playing on the floor in her living room. He hadn’t expected that.
“I’m Ben Slocum and this is Claire Chastain. I know it’s getting late. We’re sorry to bother you, Ms. Summers, but we’re looking for a man named Troy Bennett. We’re hoping you can help us find him.”
He’d told Claire to let him take the lead, decide how much information to feed her. If Sadie Summers was still in contact with Bennett, and Bennett had Sam, he didn’t want her to give the guy a heads-up and a chance to run.
Sadie propped a hand on her hip. “I have no idea where that rat bastard is. I haven’t seen him in months. Troy left me holding the bag on the rent. He was supposed to pay five hundred toward the bills, but at the end of the month, he just took off. I haven’t seen him since.”
Ben glanced over at Claire. “Mind if we come in? I’ll pay you the five hundred he owes if you’ll help us find him.”
Sadie’s blond eyebrows went up. “Sounds like my kinda deal.” She had a curvy figure, but she was dressed in sweats and a T-shirt. Ben supposed she showed off her body enough at the strip club.
Sadie opened the door and stepped back so they could walk in. “You kids go to your room and play. Mama’s got company.”
The kids—a dark-haired, mixed-heritage boy about five, and a little blonde girl about six—scrambled off down the hall.
“You want some iced tea or something?”
He started to say no.
“I’d love some,” Claire said, nudging him in the ribs.
Sadie smiled. “I’ve got some made. Kitchen’s right this way.”
Claire threw him a look as she walked past, letting Sadie lead her into the kitchen. Nice move, he thought. Being friendly and forming a connection wasn’t a bad idea. Maybe Claire would be an asset after all.
By the time Sadie returned to the living room, she was smoking a cigarette and laughing. Claire handed Ben a glass of iced tea, took a drink of her own, and all of them sat down in the living room.
Ben leaned forward in an overstuffed brown chair while the women sat on the couch. “What can you tell us about Bennett?” he asked.
Sadie blew out a lungful of smoke. “Not a lot. He was kind of the strong, silent