Austin had been her nemesis from day one, but there’d been a certain amusement behind their constant ribbing. In a million years, she’d never expected him to reveal a connection to Reitman. She should feel like a lowly traitor, having slept with him after he’d revealed that information. So why didn’t she? Instead, she was experiencing the reverse. A sense of camaraderie to be after the same man. Hope that they could accomplish something together.
She stared at the lines of code flashing across her laptop screen, wishing she hadn’t cut off her nails, just so she could chew them. Oh, who was she kidding? She wanted them back as of that morning. If she’d still had her nails in the hotel room, maybe Austin wouldn’t have taken one look—and despite the antagonism created in the meeting and the uneven footing they stood on, known he had her. Hook, line, and sinker. She’d paid for the slip in the form of being draped over the bathroom sink, dragging in wheezing breaths in an attempt to recover from the force of nature that was Austin.
If you refuse to think about it, it never happened.
Sure.
As she waited for the desired information to appear on the computer screen, she checked the clock at the bottom right-hand corner. Evening had fallen and the man in question still hadn’t shown with his promised “plan” in tow. Hell, maybe he’d never show, choosing to handle Reitman on his own without alerting her. Their parting at the hotel had been awkward to say the least, Austin clearly wanting to go another round, but Polly too thrown by the first time to give in. When she stopped to think about it, his behavior had been so un-Austin. Starting a sentence, stopping. Reaching out, letting his hand drop. So unlike his usual confident self, sure of his skill in seducing a woman.
As always, Austin was proving to be the ultimate riddle, intriguing her relentlessly, despite her remaining reservations. She could never discern his thoughts or puzzle out his motivation. That had never been so true as it was now. Twice now, he’d turned her universe on its head and left her wondering if she’d imagined what had transferred between them. They traded trust and pushed toward understanding, only to step back and leave Polly staring at a riddle that had become more convoluted.
Did she want the riddle of Austin to remain convoluted? It was a strong possibility. Because the solution meant casting aside doubt and going all-in with a man who excelled at deception.
But you’re not thinking about it. Remember?
Sure.
As if her desperation for a distraction had called it forth, Reitman’s credit card statement popped up on screen. This was her twice-daily ritual: checking for activity, searching for a way into his world. Normally, if he made a rare purchase on credit, whatever goods or services he’d procured would serve to strengthen her thirst for retribution. She sorely needed the benefit of anger now when uncertainty over Austin overshadowed everything she’d worked toward.
A tuxedo rental showed at the very bottom of the list. For Saturday’s party? Likely. It must have been an expensive one, because the fee was over a thousand dollars. Paid for with stolen money. Money Austin helped him steal?
A knock at Polly’s front door brought her head up, kicked her adrenaline twenty-seven notches higher. Austin was going to be inside her apartment for the first time in mere seconds. The same way she’d done at his barren two-bedroom in Lincoln Park, he would take in every detail with one sweep of his gorgeous eyes and just like that, he would learn more about her. What would that something be?
Polly tucked the short ends of her hair behind one ear, turned the ancient dead bolts, and opened the door. Austin captured her attention first, because hello. One forearm was propped against the doorframe, drawing up the hem of his gray long-sleeved T-shirt, revealing crucial inches of his ridged stomach. It reminded her of how he’d looked in the chair, legs splayed. Naked. Had she really come that close to taking him in her mouth and resisted? His knowing gaze told her he was wondering the same damn thing. Arrogant jerk. Why did his unabashed cockiness suddenly make her want to laugh?
Beside Austin, Bowen made an impatient noise. “Do you two want to be alone?” He slung an arm around Sera, who appeared busy trying to hide a smile. “We’ve got better things to do than watch some freaky peep show.”
“Oh yeah?” Austin lowered his arm from the doorframe. “Like what?”
“Finding out why we’re here, for one,” Sera said.
“Or pretty much anything else you can think of,” Bowen responded, guiding Sera into Polly’s apartment like she was made of glass. “Let’s get this over with.”
That left Austin standing in the doorway. His focus on her was as unnerving as it was arousing, starting a down-low pulse she now associated with him. Not willing to give her weakness for him away so soon after that morning, Polly stepped aside in one brisk move to let him in, but he grabbed her wrist and tugged her out into the hallway. “We’ll only be a moment,” he called to Bowen and Sera. “Name your future children or something.”