Mission: Without a Trace - Nicole Edwards Page 0,68

Brantley’s erection grinding against his own. A groan escaped when Brantley rolled his hips, more friction applied to Reese’s straining cock. This man could so easily work him up. A look, a touch. But this … having Brantley’s weight pressed against him was almost too much to bear.

“Keep that up, I’m gonna get you naked,” Brantley warned.

“Me?” Reese nipped his lower lip. “I’m pretty sure you’re the one humpin’ me right now.”

Brantley’s deep groan signaled another kiss, this one heating more than the last, hands beginning to wander.

“Brantley…”

“Hmm?”

“JJ’s waitin’ for us.”

“Let her wait.”

“She won’t. She’ll come lookin’.” Reese remembered the time she’d come to find them when Reese had been kissing Brantley in the truck.

“True.” Brantley eased back, sucking on Reese’s lower lip. “Bedroom door’s got a lock on it. Or better yet, I’ll take you upstairs. We can hide out while we christen all those empty rooms.”

Reese knew it was wrong to be thinking that was a damn good idea. It was wrong because they had a case to deal with. And finding Corinne was more important than them exploring one another.

“Fine,” Brantley said gruffly, obviously thinking the same thing Reese was.

When the man took a step back and dropped his hands with a dissatisfied grunt, Reese laughed, letting him go.

“I’ll pour the coffee, you add the crap to yours, then we’ll head over to the barn.”

“You say it like you need a plan, Navy boy.”

Brantley adjusted himself. “Trust me, I do. Otherwise, I’m just gonna get you naked and say fuck it to everything else.”

Reese felt himself blush, hated that he did.

He put the milk away, stirred his coffee. He was just about to follow Brantley out to the barn when there was a knock on the door.

“Expectin’ someone?” they both asked at the same time.

Clearly not.

“Detective Buchanan,” Brantley greeted as he opened the door. “Didn’t realize you’d be makin’ house calls.”

“Please, call me Baz,” he said easily. “And I’m here to talk to … JJ?”

Interesting.

“Sure thing. She’s actually in our office,” Brantley explained. “The barn in the back. Follow me.”

“You got news for us?” Reese asked, hopeful he’d come bearing gifts of the detective variety.

“Unfortunately, no. JJ mentioned she had some thoughts, figured it would be best for me to come here.”

The three of them fell into step, Reese pulling up the rear as they made the trek to the barn. Brantley keyed in the code, opened the door, and some old-school Blake Shelton escaped, the man singing about Austin still loving someone.

Reese stepped inside first.

“’Bout time you boys showed up,” JJ announced once Brantley had instructed Alexa to turn down the music. “Thought for sure you’d gotten waylaid in the house.”

“Coffee,” Reese said, lifting his cup as though she might need proof.

“I believe you. And even if I didn’t, I promise I won’t be comin’ to check on y’all in the—” Her eyes widened as she took in their guest. “Sorry. Didn’t realize we had company.”

Clearly not seeing JJ’s interest was more than the man’s job description, Brantley made the introductions.

Reese watched as JJ’s face transformed into a soft smile. It was likely the first time he’d seen her … shy. She stepped out from behind her desk to greet the detective, shaking his hand when he offered it.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Baz said, lingering a little longer than he had when he’d introduced himself to them earlier in the day.

And Reese was almost certain JJ blushed.

He glanced over at Brantley, smirked.

“Let’s get to it, shall we?” Brantley stated.

Reese followed Brantley around behind the bank of monitors when JJ did. Baz joined on the other side.

“Like you suspected,” she began, “your guy at the apartments was hidin’ somethin’.”

Reese watched as her fingers flew over the keyboard before an image appeared on the center monitor.

“I was able to get into their security feed. When he said they no longer had the videos, he was tellin’ the truth. Someone deleted the footage. In fact, someone deletes a lot of the footage.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I’m pretty sure the guy’s a perv and he’s manipulatin’ the cameras. What I uncovered was mostly close-ups of the women in the building, mostly by the pool and in the gym. Probably deletes it so no one asks why they’re gettin’ up close and personal with a set of breasts. Kinda creepy.”

Definitely creepy. Then again, Reese hadn’t been impressed with the guy.

“Could you find last night’s footage?”

“It hurts my feelin’s that you’d even ask that,” she said easily. “It