Page 2 of Exposed

But she was almost done.

She’d spent two months laying bread crumbs, and the stupid oaf was finally showing interest other than wanting to take her in the back room and screw her senseless. She shuddered. One day, she’d have to sleep with Carlos in order to keep up the charade. Her finger pressed the unlock button and the headlights of her sleek, black Mercedes flashed at her.

She opened the driver’s side door and her bare legs slid over the warm leather. Goosebumps raced over the back of her neck and she slammed the door and locked it. She swallowed and closed her eyes.

This assignment had her on pins and needles. It wasn’t like her other investigations in the past. This one was more than justwork, more than putting a bad guy behind bars. This one struck a nerve. And if Carlos found out what she was up to… he would kill her.

An arm closed around her throat from behind her, crushing her back against the seat. Her heart slammed against her breastbone and her fingers gripped the black sleeve that surrounded her. Her chest screamed for air, but not a sound left her mouth.

She wouldn’t die like this.

She twisted against the arm, hurling herself forward, but he held her tight. Her fingernails dug into her palm and she shot her fist over her shoulder, connecting with his face. The impact was enough to loosen his hold. She yanked his arm forward, gripped his fingers, and bent his wrist back toward his elbow. He yelped.

“Christ, Maddie. It’s me,” he growled.

Her gaze flew to the rear-view mirror. Fiery hazel eyes met hers. Her chest expanded on an exhale and she whipped around in her seat. Her eyebrows snapped down.

“You stupid—”

“Hey, easy now. I was only trying to help you. What the hell are you thinking getting in your car without checking the back seat? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Because that’s how easily it could have happened.”

Her anger settled to a low simmer. Nate McIver made her blood boil like no one else. He pressed her buttons, teased her, and worst of all, wouldn’t touch her with a ten-foot pole.

Oh no. Nate was too noble.

Too good of a friend to give in to the attraction that burned between them like a flashfire. And he wasn’t her friend. Barely, anyway. He was a coward and a jerk… but he was here. He’d shown up when she’d needed him. The only one she could trust right now.

His dark blond hair was shorter than usual, giving him a more clean-cut appearance aside from the light shadow that grazed his jawline. He’d always looked the epitome of a surfer-boy. Though the longer hair had been sexy, the shorter hair suited him better. He massaged his arm and a grimace drew his brows together.

“You’re lucky I didn’t kill you,” she breathed.

She’d been ready to. Her stomach flipped over at what Nate had said. Had it been someone who had wanted her dead, she could have been sporting a bullet wound in the back of her head right now.

Maybe her brother Ethan was right. Maybe she was in over her head after what had happened with her last undercover operation.

She set her teeth. No. This was different.

She’d been young then, only twenty-three and fresh out of college. Her youth had landed her a rare, early undercover position in the investigation of a college drug bust. She’d slipped up and the dealers suspected her, which resulted in a school shooting. She should have been the only target, but instead six other innocent lives were lost. She’d been shaken and vulnerable and had taken a few months off.

But that was years ago. She had many successful missions under her belt during her time in the Criminal Investigation Unit. Now she—and her lieutenant—knew she was ready for bigger cases.

Her experience with the school had only flamed the burning urge to serve and protect. She’d had to work her ass off to prove herself, and now she was a detective with the Narcotics Unit.

Ethan still thought she was investigating insurance fraud—he would flip his lid when he found out she’d been sent undercover to Miami to take down Carlos Santiago. The streets of Miami would be cleaner and safer without Carlos’s pollutionof cocaine getting into the hands of adolescents. Putting him behind bars was her sole mission and she’d be damned if anyone would stand in her way.

Nate included.

She was getting closer and closer to Carlos by the day, and all she needed was to find out when and where his next drug shipment would come in. Once she had that, Nate’s team of FBI agents would ambush him at the hand off—and voilà. Carlos would be put away and she’d be on the fast track to her career as an FBI agent.

Nate massaged his eyebrow. “I’m glad you’re on your toes, but you’re lucky I wasn’t Carlos.”

The interior light switched on as Nate climbed out of the back seat, shut the door, and rounded the car to the passenger seat.

He stepped into her car and shut the door, cutting off the warm breeze from outside. His scent filled the interior of the car, mixing with the faint smell of new leather and the vanilla air freshener. His cologne was light and woodsy and tickled her nostrils.

Her fingers curled into a fist. That scent had haunted her dreams. It was the only memory she had of that night other than pure rage… and longing. Nate’s eyes dropped to her hand on the console.

“Don’t you dare hit me again.” His eyes sparked playfully at her and his knuckles brushed over hers until her hand opened.

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