“You’re a little pain in my ass,” he said.
Jess schooled her expression. Because she wouldn’t be surprised if there was more than a little truth behind his words. She and Ike had worked together for years and become friends, but all this was way, way above and beyond. When the scumbags who’d broken into her home finally left last night, she’d been too scared to come out of the crawl space behind her closet and hadn’t been sure who she should trust. The police were out because Jeremy and Nick had learned that the authorities were in bed with at least some of the bad guys who’d attacked Hard Ink. It was mindboggling to believe that an international drug ring that had injured Nick and killed six of his Special Forces teammates in Afghanistan over a year ago had spilled over into Baltimore. And that Nick’s investigation with his surviving SF teammates that had been operating out of the Hard Ink tattoo shop had exploded all over Jess’s life. But that’s exactly what was happening.
Crouched in the dusty darkness of the crawl space, she’d finally settled on calling Ike. Given his protectiveness of her, his all-around bad-assness, and that he already knew all about the Rixeys’ troubles, he’d seemed like the natural choice. But when she’d called, she’d never expected the barely restrained rage that vibrated off Ike as he gently coaxed her from her hiding place, nor the way he tugged her into his arms and just held her once she was out. And she’d certainly never expected him to put his whole life on hold like this. For her. “Yeah, well,” she said, forcing the thoughts away. “I’ll try harder next time.”
Ike’s smirk held a hint of amusement for the first time since they’d arrived. “No doubt. So, last rule. No busting my balls.”
“I wholly object to that one. I’m already going to die of boredom out here. You have to let me have some fun.”
Ike got right up in her space, so close that she had to tilt her head way back to look him in the eye. “You think I don’t see how you use humor to deflect when you’re scared? But I see it, Jess. I see you. So let me be clear. You are not gonna die. Not on my watch.”
A riot of reaction erupted inside Jess’s head. The uncertainty of being laid so bare. The scary satisfaction of being seen when Jess always worked so hard to only reveal what she wanted of herself. The red-hot lust caused by Ike’s hard body being pressed so close to hers.
Despite the heat inside the house, Jess nearly shivered at the intensity Ike was throwing off. She became aware of him the way you become aware of the electricity in the air before a summer storm—slowly, insistently, magnetically. Her lips parted as she scrambled for a response, but her nipples were pebbling against his chest, which made her wonder if he’d be able to feel her piercings there.
Ike took a small step backward, but it was enough to break the crazy physical connection pinging between them. Had he felt it too?
“Okay, so, no dying,” she said. To her own ears, her voice sounded like a throaty purr. “And, um—” She swallowed hard, trying to gather her wits about her. “—the boredom part?” She peered up at him, hoping against hope that she wasn’t the only one as affected by whatever had just passed between them.
Ike’s eyes narrowed as if he was on to her game. “Nick and his team know what they’re doing. Hopefully this situation will get resolved fast and you won’t have to be here that long.”
“Right,” she said. Jess hoped that, too. She wanted her friends safe and their enemies to be gone. For good. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder if Ike was eager for her to be out of here. In all the years she’d known him, she’d never been to his apartment in the city, nor had he ever invited her out to the Ravens’ compound for any of their parties or the races they ran at their dirt racetrack. It had always felt like, on some level, Ike held her at a distance. No doubt a guy as hot as Ike had plenty of offers, but Jess didn’t think his reserve with her was because he had a girlfriend tucked away somewhere. In all the years she’d known him, she’d never once heard him mention a relationship, nor had he ever brought anyone around. Still, she couldn’t help but feel that there was a part of his world he didn’t want to share—with her, at least.
And now, here they were for the first time ever, hidden away from the world in a tiny cabin. All alone.
Get a grip, Jess. This isn’t some romantic cabin getaway.