Page 5 of Exposed

Nate lifted his shoulder. “You still need to be more careful. I jimmied your door in thirty seconds.”

“Not everyone’s as skilled as you.”

“Not everyone’s as stupid as you think.”

She sighed. “What did you drag me here for? I’ve been on my feet all night and want to go to bed.” She wriggled her toes around in the black stilettos and the arches of her feet throbbed. God, what she wouldn’t do for a foot rub.

“How close are you?”

Her eyes burned with fatigue. She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Close. I’ve been working at the club over a month now. Three weeks ago, he started to show interest but I pushed him off. Now he’s lapping at my heels like a puppy.”

Nate guffawed. “Jesus. Do you realize he hasn’t had a serious relationship since his ex-wife Barbara?”

“Yes, Nate. I’ve been watching him as long as you have.”

“No, you haven’t. The FBI has been on his trail for four fucking years. No one’s gotten close. I don’t know what’s more terrifying, that you think you can, or that you have.”

“He invited me to go boating on Saturday. Just him and I on his yacht.”

Nate cursed. “That’s a bad idea and you know it.”

“I can’t get close to him if I keep pushing him away. Besides, if the rumors on the street are true, he’ll have another shipment coming in a few weeks. I have to get him to trust me between now and then.”

Nate bolted forward, his face stopped inches from hers. “You’re going to fuck him, aren’t you?”

Maddie’s body coiled into a spring. She closed the gap between their noses, her cheeks heated. “That’s none of your business.” Then more softly, “What choice do I have?”

The way she saw it—none.

His hand tightened into a fist and he punched the dash. Maddie winced.

“For fuck’s sake, you’re crazy,” he wheezed.

Shame crept up the back of her throat and hit her taste buds. Heat burned her skin. She flicked on the air conditioning, biting back the nasty words that singed her tongue, and inched away from him.

“Look, I know what I’m doing. If you had half a brain, you’d realize that he won’t let me get close to him while holding hands and pecking.”

Nate laughed, the sound was brittle and derisive. “And you think he’s going to keep you around after he screws you? C’mon Maddie, you should know better than that.”

“I’m not stupid. And believe me, once I sleep with Carlos, he’ll only want more.”

She lifted her heavy lids and met Nate’s gaze. His cheeks darkened and the solid lines of his face turned to stone.

“Your brother’s right. You’re too damn cocky.” He lifted his hips, dug his hand into his back pocket, and slapped a small black device onto her dashboard. “It’s an encrypted phone. Use this to contact me from now on.” His fingers closed over the door handle.

She gave one brisk nod. Tension crackled in the air between them. He cursed and leaned toward her, his thumb and forefinger gripped her chin. “Be careful, dammit. If anything happens, call me. Don’t worry about the case, just call me. Got it?”

She swallowed and nodded. His eyes moved over her face, and then dropped to her mouth. His jaw tensed and his grip tightened on her chin.

Anticipation froze her to the spot. Her eyes trained on his lowered lids. He shook his head and loosened his hold. Histhumb smoothed over her lip. “Don’t be stupid.” His fingers fell away.

He climbed out of the car and shut the door. Silence fell around her and her shoulders sagged. His tall, dark form disappeared from view and she rested her forehead on the steering wheel, tears stinging the back of her eyes.

She took a deep, shuddering breath. She’d been stupid to call Nate. He was capable and trustworthy… but that hadn’t been her only motive. Now she couldn’t back out. The sooner she put distance between her and Nate the better. He sure as hell didn’t want to be near her.

Regardless, she needed to finish the job and get Carlos’s drugs off the street before more innocent people got hurt.

People like Leila.

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