him. “Thanks again for helping me out. Where’s a good place to buy a tire around here?”
“Jim’s, on Colorado Ave. and Warren Street. Tell him I sent you, and he’ll treat you right.” The lines in Smokey’s forehead hadn’t yet smoothed out. “I talked to Zach about putting in an alarm, but—”
She laughed. “Let me guess—he said it’s too expensive?”
“Something like that. You shouldn’t stay there without an alarm—it makes you too vulnerable. You need to stay in a hotel until I can get something installed for you.”
“I can’t do that,” she said, but the truth was, the incident had unnerved her. She doubted she’d be able to sleep anyway.
“This isn’t up for debate. I watch over my employees, and I know something’s not right here. I wish you’d trust me enough to tell me what the hell’s going on. But, until you do, I’m in charge. I’ll follow you home so you can pack a few things.”
“Just like that?” Under normal circumstances, she would be screaming her head off, hating it when men treated her like she couldn’t take care of herself. But staying at a hotel sounded like a good idea. Maybe she could finally get a restful night’s sleep without being spooked at every noise she heard throughout the night.
He nodded. “Yep—just like that.”
He closed the distance between them, coming so close, she could feel his warmth and smell the subtle spice of his skin. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she should step away from him, but she didn’t. Her body began to tremble, and in that moment, all she wanted was his lips on hers.
“I just want you to be safe,” he whispered.
Tilting her head up to him, she closed her eyes as he bent down and brushed his lips against hers. The sensation ignited a fire throughout her body when his mouth took possession of hers softly, sensually, before sliding his tongue over hers.
Just as quickly as he started the kiss, he broke it, pulling away from her.
A mixture of longing and confusion consumed her as she gripped the hem of his leather jacket, wanting to pull him back to her.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” he mumbled, taking a step back.
Embarrassment heated her cheeks. “Yeah, well, we both acted unprofessional, and I won’t make that mistake again.” Pushing away from the car, she then slipped into the driver’s seat.
“Neither will I.” He pulled out a set of keys from his pocket. “What hotel do you wanna stay at?”
Still stinging from the incident, she started the engine. “The Palace Hotel.”
Smokey whistled low. “You’ve got expensive taste. I like that.”
Irritation climbed up her spine. What sort of game was he playing with her? And why the hell did she let him bother her so much? She was beyond livid for allowing herself to fall for his roguish charms. I’m acting like the women at the office.
“I’ll meet you at the house,” she said as he started for his SUV.
“No, you’ll cool that impatient ass of yours and wait until I’m behind you.”
“Whatever,” she grumbled.
Slamming the car door shut, she waited until he pulled up behind her and followed her out of the parking lot.
There was one thing of which she was certain, and that was falling for him would be a complete and utter disaster. Smokey was a man who broke women’s hearts with his seductive smile and alluring eyes.
“No way am I letting that happen,” she murmured under her breath.
But his lips consuming hers felt so good and … perfect. Inhaling deeply, she exhaled slowly. I just got caught up in the moment. I miss Danielle and Nicole, and my office in Denver. And Smokey obviously realized the mistake. I’m a professional—I’ve got this.
The sooner she was settled in at the hotel and away from Smokey, the better.
Pressing her foot down on the gas pedal, she charged down the road.
8
“I get where you’re coming from, but you have to understand my position here. We’ve got a victim who doesn’t want this to go away,” Police Chief Landon said, reclining back in his chair. “I’ve let your brother slide one too many times.”
“And the Insurgents have saved your ass and this fuckin’ town more times than I can count,” Smokey said. “A few days ago, you told me you wouldn’t charge him.”
Landon clasped his hands over his stomach and sighed. “I know, but the victim is demanding justice, and I can’t ignore what a tax-paying citizen wants. Besides, you spend an awful lot