Blacklisted (Loveless, Texas #3) - Jay Crownover Page 0,43
lot out of my mind. The fact that I couldn’t close my eyes without seeing her clinging to me and kissing me back told me I’d better pay attention to this woman and my response to her.
She picked her phone up and looked at the time before shaking her head. “No. I’m running a little late to meet Kody and the other girls for Della’s wedding dress fitting. The last time we kissed it felt like time stood still, and if that happens again and I don’t tell Kody why I’m late, she’ll lose her mind.”
I grinned when she suddenly slapped a hand over her mouth at her admission about that kiss. I decided to let her off easy…this time.
“All right. We’ll make sure the next date doesn’t include a truck stop but does involve a kiss. Text me the doctor’s info and I’ll check in when I have something to share.”
She looked relieved, but I couldn’t tell if it was because I was going to follow through on the favor she asked for, or if it was because I mentioned a second date.
* * *
“What is it about Dr. Death that has you suddenly willing to jump through hoops?” The irritation in Top’s voice was evident. “Never thought I’d see you so sprung on a woman. Especially not one like her.”
It was a few days after I’d met up with Presley. I’d needed the time to get a plan together and to do basic recon on the doctor. Now, Top and I were across from a McMansion in an affluent suburb of Austin. It was a gated community, so getting in took some work, and it was impossible for us to blend in, even without the motorcycles we’d left parked outside the fancy subdivision. Every single house seemed to have those video doorbells, or an even more high-tech security system, which made our simple task far trickier. We were likely to get popped for trespassing before this Dr. Kemper made an appearance. In order to buy some time, Top messed around with the transformer that supplied power to the entire neighborhood. Once all the lights went out, a slew of repair trucks and city workers showed up, helping us move unnoticed with the other visitors.
“What exactly is Presley like?” I lifted an eyebrow in my friend’s direction, unable to deny that the pretty doctor did have me acting in ways that weren’t typical.
Top sighed and shifted uncomfortably. We were crouched down behind a row of artfully trimmed hedges that lined the long driveway leading up to the huge house. The sun had gone down not too long ago, allowing us to blend into the shadows.
“I dunno exactly, but I don’t think you and her make much sense.” He shook his head and gave me a look out of the corner of his eye. “Kody Lawton, I understood. She’s a handful and her temper is almost as bad as yours. I saw the attraction there, even though her brother is a cop, but this lady doctor”—he made a face of confusion—“she’s cold as ice. She obviously isn’t much of a rule breaker in her day-to-day. And she seems a little odd. I mean, who purposely picks a career where they’re around dead bodies all the time? Have you considered what’s going to happen if she comes across someone you or the club is responsible for putting in the morgue? That’s not going to end well for either of you. Sure Dr. Death has a killer pair of legs, and she’s beautiful, but I still don’t understand why you’re willing to help her out for free. You normally charge a small fortune for this kind of thing.”
“I don’t plan on putting anyone in the morgue today.” I reached out and punched him lightly in the arm. “And stop calling her Dr. Death.”
Top snorted and rubbed the spot where I hit him. “You might not plan on it, but it happens. Can’t get around it with the kind of lifestyle we live.”
He wasn’t wrong. Everything in life and with the club always seemed to be all or nothing. “That’s a bridge I’ll cross when the time comes, I guess. And I’m not doing this for free. We’re exchanging favors, just like we did when she saved my life. What does it hurt to have her indebted to the club for this or that?”
Top snorted again and gave me a look. It felt like he saw clear into the center of my soul.