“I’m trying to make you warm. Sorry, I don’t have a coat to offer but—”
“I’m not cold.” If anything, standing this close to him, having his hands on her…she was feeling pretty hot. “Let go.”
He did, but Dex didn’t back away. “I want five minutes of your time.”
“I’m pretty sure I’ve already spoken with you for five minutes.”
“Let me be more specific. I want five minutes, in your home, alone with you. I want you to hear me out, and then, I want you to accept my offer.”
A surprised laugh burst from her. “That is not going to happen.” Arrogant much?
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Then you have nothing to fear. Give me those five minutes, and I’ll get out of your way.”
Her lips pressed together. “I don’t trust you.”
“That hurts.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Like she was going to believe anything she said would have the power to hurt him.
He shrugged. “Do I get my five minutes?”
She spun on her heel. “Yes, fine. But only because I don’t want you pulling some crazy stunt like hanging out in my hallway all night long. Or showing up at my work tomorrow—or…whatever. I’ll give you five minutes, and then you leave me alone.”
“If that’s what you want.”
She cast a suspicious glance back over her shoulder. Alarm bells were blaring in her head. He’d just sounded entirely too satisfied.
And a satisfied Dexter Ryan was a scary thing.
***
“Talk to me, Antony.” He was in her home. A good start. But he was far from sealing the deal. Dex cast a quick glance down the hallway. She’d disappeared into her bedroom, and he had to be ready before she came back. His hold tightened on the phone. “Don’t exactly have time to waste here.”
“She doesn’t drink coffee. When she goes to the coffee shop on the corner, she just orders hot chocolate, even in the summer.”
Dex pinched the bridge of his nose. “Not helping.”
“She loves horror movies. I checked her streaming history, and I think she must be addicted to the B movies, you know the really crazy ones where—”
“The ones where the dumbass techie gets his ass kicked because he can’t give me anything I can use?” Dex snarled.
Silence. Then… “You seem stressed.”
Yeah, understatement. Antony didn’t understand the stakes in this particular game. “You could say that.”
He heard the tap of keystrokes in the background. Then Antony revealed, “I think Santana is her favorite band. She plays Black Magic Woman over and over—”
The bedroom door squeaked open.
“I need more,” Dex urged. “Come on, buddy. Do not let me down here.”
More keystrokes.
Dex turned so he could have a clear view of the hallway. Lacey had just left the bedroom. She’d ditched the heels but still wore her jeans and the sexy top. She was headed straight toward him, and her delicate jaw was hard with determination.
“Wait…wait! I just found a record of a payment that she sent to a PI. Oh, that guy is a sleaze. I’ve heard about him before. Total loser.”
She was closing in.
Talk faster, Antony.
“Accessing his records now. The man has like, zero security on his system. Anybody can just hack right in. Like, seriously, I bet some eleven-year-old kid could—
“Hello, Lacey,” Dex said clearly. She’d stopped right in front of him.
Her head tilted back. Her scent—a light, quick breath of roses—drifted to him.
“She’s there? Of course, she’s there.” Antony’s voice was tight. “Shit. Shit. Motherload. That’s what I’ve hit. As in, her mother. Lacey went to the PI because she wanted him to investigate the death of her mom and dad. Their car crash looked like an accident, but she wanted proof and he couldn’t deliver so—”
“I have to go now,” Dex interrupted him. “Someone very important is here.”
“You’re not even going to thank me, are you? That is rude. So rude.”
“Thanks for updating me,” he forced the words out.
“Aw, you’re welcome, bro—”
“Keep working on the assignment. I have faith in you. You’ll deliver everything else I need to know.”
“That means I can’t go home yet, doesn’t it?” A long sigh.
“Damn straight.” Dex hung up the phone. Smiled at Lacey. “I like the toenail polish.”
She automatically peered down at her feet. So did he. How about that? Lacey Amari had cute feet. Small feet and dainty toes—toes with a deep purple polish on them. And she even wore a toe ring on the second toe of her right foot.