Page 24 of Ignite

Wolf swore under his breath. Was there anything in this world that woman wouldn’t nitpick?

He was finally able to take his leave when Hugo gave another fake yawn and declared he had to go home. “Jazz, come out with me a minute?” Hugo asked.

“Sure.”

Once they were outside, Hugo gave his sister a big hug before ambling down the street.

Wolf looked at the departing man. “How far does he have to go?”

“He’ll grab the bus one block over and take it back to the home. It’s about a twenty-minute trip.”

“He’s good using the bus?”

Jazz’s voice got tight. “Hugo has trouble with some things, but getting himself on and off the bus is not one of them. He has his route and routines, which keep him on track as long as no one disturbs them. He needs reminders from time to time, but he’s perfectly capable of caring for himself.”

“I didn’t mean to imply anything. I have an extra helmet with me and thought he’d like a ride home.”

“Oh.” Her contrite face almost made him laugh.

“How ’bout you? Do you want a ride home?” He waited to see if she would utter one of her ridiculous phrases.

She glanced over at the front of her parents’ house. “Um… I’d like that, but I have my own bike with me.”

Wolf looked down at her, but his attention was on the two women with their heads together in the window, chattering away. From Jazz’s nervousness, no doubt it was about the two of them and how they could possibly be together.

It pissed him off.

He didn’t know her that well, but everything he’d learned about the woman, he liked. Her dedication to helping Madge and Bill stood at the forefront, but each time he peeled back a layer, he found something else. Her talent for computer programming and her hacking skills and willingness to take on the scammers was impressive. She rode a bicycle and made a killer cup of coffee. TheStar Trekparaphernalia in her house should have given him a clue about her love for science fiction, but finding out the bit about the library and book preferences was more icing on the cake.

He picked up a piece of blue hair that hung over her shoulder. “They’re watching us right now.”

Jazz gave a nervous huffing laugh. “I know, and I’m not surprised. They need something else to talk about. All the usual topics are getting stale.”

His fingers traced her jawline, and he saw her go rigid. “You gonna hit me if I give them something new?”

“Like what?”

He answered by lowering his head, taking her mouth, and swallowing the tiny squeak she uttered. He took the opportunity to run the tip of his tongue over the seam of her lips, and to his delight, she opened for him. Without a second’s hesitation, he dove in. Coffee, cinnamon, and sugar—his favorite flavors. Teasing Jazz had become one of his preferred pastimes, but he hadn’t counted on the way he reacted. His own body flushed with heat, and his dick jumped to attention.

She must have sensed it, as her body locked in place. Fight-or-flight took over, and Wolf figured flight would win. He kept his hand just under her cheek to hold her in place as he ended the kiss. “That should top those two off for a while, yeah?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Thanks for the invite. I had a great time.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“M’kay.”

He stifled a laugh as he turned and walked away, but he couldn’t help glancing over his shoulder to see Jazz rapidly fanning herself with both hands.

Yes, he was enjoying this way too much.

13

Henry Blaylock punchedhis code into the time clock after clearing his desk in the cubicle he was assigned to. He was a small but important cog in the wheels of the giant international shipping company. Most of his coworkers thought of him as nothing more than a computer geek and paper pusher, but keeping up with the manifests and inventory was a critical part of the whole machine. Without him, the network crash from a few weeks ago would have been disastrous. It was only his acuity and obsessive attention to detail that kept the work flowing.

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