“Deal,” Karen said with a wink as she wrapped her arm around mine and we headed back to my truck.
The entire time we drove to Karen’s, I couldn’t stop thinking about Sierra. How in the hell did Robert get into her house?
Pulling into Karen’s driveway, I turned off my truck and started to get out. “Aaron, I’ve been thinking about something that has been bugging me.”
Looking at her, I asked, “What is it?”
“How did Sierra’s husband know she would be at Hyde Park Bar and Grill? Do you think he’s having her followed?”
Taking in a deep breath through my nose, I nodded my head as I exhaled. “Yeah. I do.”
Karen shook her head. “You need to go check on her. I’ll show myself in. Thanks for dinner.”
Smiling, I said, “Thanks for understanding, Karen. Have a good evening.”
Giving me a wink, she shut the door and headed to her house. Waiting until she got inside, I started up my truck and headed to Sierra’s house.
Pulling up four houses down from Sierra’s, I sat in my truck for a few minutes. Nothing seemed out of place, and I didn’t see anyone sitting in a vehicle. Glancing at my watch, it was just past nine thirty. Getting out of my truck, I made my way to her house.
Taking a quick look around, I didn’t see anyone. Ringing the doorbell, I waited for Sierra to come to the door as I saw the light disappear from the peephole.
The door unlocked and slowly opened as Sierra eyed me up and down. “What’s wrong, finished with the receptionist and thought you might get lucky with a client?”
Rolling my eyes, I glared at her. My heart hurt when I noticed how red and swollen her eyes were. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. I thought you were going to a hotel for the night?”
Something crossed over Sierra’s face, but I couldn’t read it. Her eyes landed on my lips and I instinctively licked them. “I’m fine. My father is coming over to stay with me. You didn’t need to interrupt your date more than you already had.”
Pushing out a frustrated breath, I shook my head and looked away. “Would you mind if I came in and looked around?”
Laughing, Sierra tilted her head. “What happened, sport? Did the brunette turn you down, so you thought you would come knocking on my door? Sorry, but I’ve officially given up on all men so you’ll have to go find your fun somewhere else.”
This wasn’t going to work. There was no way I could work this case. Between the urge to either kiss the living shit out of her or strangler her, there was no way we would be able to work together. “You know what, Sierra? I think you’re right. I don’t think I’m going to be able to represent you. I’ll talk to my father first thing in the morning and let him know you and I have a past together and it’s best if someone else takes the case.”
Turning, I began to walk off. “Dodge! Wait.”
Holding back my smile, I internally fist pumped as I slowly turned around. So hard-ass Sierra doesn’t like being pushed back? “I’m sorry, Dodge. It’s just I’ve had a really crap-ass day.”
Nodding my head, I took a few steps closer to her. “So you said earlier. May I take a look around your house?”
Sierra’s eyes lit up and my dick jumped as I watched her walking away. Damn, why does she have to have such a nice ass? Shaking my head to clear my wayward thoughts, I glanced around Sierra’s house. It was cute. Girlish. Lots of blue and yellow. It reminded me of my parents’ cottage house on Nantucket.
Sierra leaned against the kitchen island and crossed her arms over her chest, lifting her already perky tits up even more. Sticking my hand in my pocket, I had to pinch the hell out of myself to get my dick to go down.
Glancing over to her refrigerator, I saw a note taped to it. What the fuck?
Holy mother of god. Fuck me. Taking in a deep breath, I slowly blew it out as I looked back at Sierra.
She gave me that damn cute little smile of hers as she looked me over.
I needed to get through this case. Please let me get through this case without fucking up.
Closing my eyes, I pictured fucking Sierra in my truck.
On the beach.
In a hot tub.
Oh hell yeah, I would love to give her her first sixty-nine.
My eyes snapped open when I thought of the threesome wish. Fuck that. I would never share Sierra with another man.
Never.
Holy shit, I was standing there planning out her sex bucket list. Focus, Walker. Focus.
“Um . . . Dodge, are you going to stand there, or are you going to do it already? I haven’t got all night.”
My mouth dropped open as my legs began to grow weak while the room started spinning. “Oh shit.”
The next thing I remembered was Sierra screaming out my name.
Opening my eyes, I saw blue eyes staring down at me. “What happened?” I mumbled.
Worrying her lower lip, Sierra said, “You um . . . you kind of passed out. Does this happen often?”
Scrubbing my hands down my face, I let out a frustrated moan. “No, but it used to when I was younger. Fuck.”
“Well, you woke up enough to crawl over to the sofa, but then when I tried to help you up onto the sofa, you took one look at my chest area and passed out again.” Raising her eyebrow she said, “I tell ya, that’s not a very big ego booster, ya know. Having a guy look at your breasts and then pass the hell out. Unless you’re so overtaken by how amazing they are . . . yeah . . . then you can pass out.”
Laughing, I sat up and swung my feet around. “No, I would think it wouldn’t be.”
“Medical problems?” Sierra asked.
Shaking my head, I said, “Nope. It used to happen when I got um . . . overly tired.”
Biting on that damn lower lip of hers, Sierra slowly nodded and said, “Oh. I was kind of hoping for something more dramatic. Less boring.”
My eyes snapped back to her as she shrugged her shoulders and stood up. “Want a beer?”
Dropping my mouth open, I stared at her. “I just passed the fuck out—twice, in your house and you shrug your shoulders and ask if I want a beer?”
Glancing back over her shoulder, Sierra laughed. “Oh my God. Grow up you big pussy. I’m a labor and delivery nurse. I’ve seen things worse than a guy passing out. Trust me. Try pushing a thirteen-pound kid out of your body and then we’ll talk.”
Rolling my eyes, I stood up and got my bearings straight. I would not let Sierra Jackson get to me like that ever again.
Never.
Ever.
Again.
COVERING MY MOUTH TO HIDE my smile, I couldn’t help but notice how Dodge was looking at me. Tired, my ass. He took one look at my sex bucket list, fantasized for a few seconds and then took one look at my tits, and bam! He hit the floor. Twice!
Shaking his head as if he was wiping a memory away, he looked around. “Where was the rose left?”
Using my finger to motion for him to follow me, I walked to the master bedroom and pointed to the pillow where the rose had been. “I think in all the time I was with Robert he only gave me flowers when he left to go out of town. Come to think of it . . . it was always a rose. Just a single rose.”
Dodge glanced over his shoulder at me and said, “Are you kidding me?”
Shrugging, I said, “Nope. Serious as all get out.”
Shaking his head, Dodge walked over to one of the windows. “What an asshole. Fucker was probably cheating on you the whole time.”
My smile faded some as I let out a couple small chuckles. “Why do you say he was cheating?”
Dodge shrugged his shoulders. “Was it something he has done since the very beginning? Or something he just started doing, within the last few years? The single flower thing.”
Placing my hand over my mouth, I slowly sat down on the bed as my eyes widened in horror. “Oh. My. God.”
Walking into the bathroom, Dodge let out a whistle. “Nice.”
Standing back up, I began pacing. “Holy hell. That asshat! Th
at motherfucking asshat.”
Walking back by me, Dodge headed into the living room, walking up to each window. “All falling into place now is it, short stack?”
Nodding my head, I aimless followed him around. “Lisa started working for Robert almost as soon as he joined the practice he’s in now. They had a receptionist, but Robert insisted he wanted his own. I remember him asking me about my best friend from college. She used to work part time at a doctor’s office while we went to school. Robert wanted to know if she still lived in Austin and needed a job. Once she started working for him, he started having out of town trips.”
Slapping my hands to my face, I screamed. “Stupid! How could I have been so stupid and not seen it?” Dropping my hands down to my sides, I stopped talking as I looked at Dodge.
Dodge cleared his throat and said, “Here’s where he got in. The window was unlocked.” Quickly making my way over to the window, I stopped and looked at it. Sure enough, it was unlocked and you could tell the screen had been removed.
“But how? I keep them locked.”
Dodge took another look around. Walking up to my fireplace mantel, he took his finger and ran across it. That fucker. He is not checking to see if my house is clean!
Bastard!
Placing my hands on my hips, I glared at Dodge. “What are you doing? Would you like a white glove? Do have a phobia with dirt or something?”
Dodge turned to me and showed the finger he just ran across the mantel. “You must have someone come to the house and clean.”
Letting out a gasp, my mouth dropped open. “Seriously? Are you really saying I can’t keep my own house clean? Because I’ll have you know, I’m freakishly clean, dickhead! Like freakishly border-line obsessed with cleaning.”
Holding up his hands, Dodge laughed. “Don’t get your panties in a twist. Damn. Okay so that rules out a housecleaner.”
Feeling my face turn hot, I looked away. “Well. Actually I um . . . I have a housecleaner,” I mumbled.
Dodge took a step closer. “What was that, Sierra? I didn’t quite get that.”
Letting out a breath, I quickly said, “I have a housecleaner.”
Walking up next me, my body shuddered as Dodge leaned in closer to me. His hot breath blowing on my neck caused my stomach to drop and my heart to plummet. “What did you say, sweetheart?”
Closing my eyes, I moaned internally. Oh god. Just take me right now. Imagining Dodge’s hands on my body, his lips on mine, his thick hard—
“Sierra? Are you not feeling well?”
Opening my eyes, I snapped out of my fantasy and stepped away from Dodge. “Of course I am.”
“You moaned.”
Laughing, I said, “I did not.”
“Did too.”
“Did not, asshole.”
“You also didn’t have a housecleaner a minute ago and now you do,” Dodge said as he sat down in the recliner and gave me a smirk that unfortunately made him hotter than normal. What would he do if I crawled on top of him and began grinding up against him?
“Oh, for the love of God!” I shouted as I turned and headed into the kitchen. I needed something cold. Fast.
“What’s wrong, short stack?”
Slamming the beer bottle onto the granite, I was stunned it didn’t break. “Don’t. Call. Me. That. You know I hate it!”
Lifting his eyebrow, Dodge purred, “Do you, short stack?”
“Dodge!”
Laughing, he shook his head and sat back. “It was the housecleaner. She left the window unlocked.”
Turning to look at the window, I shook my head. “No way.”
“Yes way. I’ll bet Robert gave her a little something for doing it.”
“Mindy Sue? No. Oh my gosh, no! She was the best housecleaner ever! She used to tell me what hot sexy books to read. Damn it! Now how am I going to get my smut?” That caught Dodge’s attention.
“Smut books, huh?”
Shrugging my shoulders I decided to see if I could get Dodge to pass out again. “I have to get my orgasms in somehow. A little book boyfriend fantasy, a vibrator, a glass of a wine and bam. Easily two orgasms guaranteed.”
Dodge began choking on his own spit, and I fought like hell to keep my smile in.
“Jesus, do you ever think before you talk, Sierra?”
“Why, Dodge, does me talking about orgasms make you nervous? Feel like you might . . . pass out?”
Letting out a nervous chuckle, Dodge rolled his eyes. “Hell no. I can talk about sex. I’ll talk about sex all damn night if you want to, short stack.”
Oh, dear God. I’d never make it ten minutes into the conversation before I threw myself at him and begged him to show me all about sex.
Sex with Robert was always very plain—nothing exciting. The only real exciting sex I ever had was with my first boyfriend in college . . . shit what was his name? Then there was sex with Tristan, but I chose to bury that deep down inside.
“Why are you staring at me like that, Sierra? You want to talk about sex, baby?” Dodge said as he stood and began walking toward me.
Stay. Strong. Do not look the enemy in the eye.
Damn. He sure does look nice tonight.
Look away! For the love of God . . . look away!
Turning slightly away from Dodge, I brushed him off with my hand. “Please, I’ve got a new book calling for me that you interrupted. Besides, I don’t think my father would be too pleased to walk in on us talking about sex.”
Turning completely away from him, I held my breath and prayed like hell he didn’t mention S. E. X. again. Damn, I hope I charged BOB. I’m going to need him after this little visit.
Stopping right behind me, Dodge placed his hands on my arms as I cursed my betraying body while it shuddered.
Tilting my head slightly as he brought his lips next to my ear, I grabbed onto the kitchen island. I held on for dear life and tried to think about anything other than the fact that I wanted Dodge to fuck me on it.
Man-whore. Rebound fuck. Bartender. Oh no, that doesn’t work anymore. Damn it. Man-whore! Rebound fuck. Sex . . . no . . . no sex! Don’t think sex! Pizza. I could go for some pizza right now.
Dodge’s hot breath moved across my skin, leaving a path of tingles in its wake. “Pizza is definitely not what I’m in the mood for.”
Shit. I said that out loud?
Swallowing hard, I tilted my head more as Dodge brushed his lips against my sensitive skin. “W-what are you . . . in the . . . mood for . . . then?” I panted between heavy breaths.
Jesus, I needed to get laid. My voice sounded too needy.
The feel of Dodge’s lips on my skin was driving me mad. Ugh, I hated him for making me feel this way.
“S. E. X. on the beach,” Dodge whispered as he quickly stepped away and grabbed his keys off the kitchen island.
Dragging in a deep breath, I attempted to regain my composure. Fuck me! One of my sex bucket list items.
“Fire the housecleaner, Sierra, and get your locks changed before you leave for South Texas.”
My mind was swimming. I tried like hell to not let on how worked up I currently was. “Okay,” I mumbled.
Dodge opened the door and was about to shut it when I remembered Chris. Dodge thought I was going to South Texas to see Chris.
“Wait!”
Stopping quickly, Dodge pushed the door open a little as his eyes danced with excitement. Oh, he was feeling this just as much as I was. Giving him a weak smile, I said, “I’m not going to South Texas. I told Ryn I wasn’t in the mood to go shopping for the house and that you might need me here for Jeremy.”
Dodge’s face lit up like Christmas morning. “You were going to see Ryn and Tristan?”
Bingo. Yep. He totally thought I screwed around with Chris. Never mind the small fact that I noticed he was not happy about the thought of me with Chris. Score one for Sierra! Nodding my head, I said, “Yeah. Who else would I be going to see?”
Shrugging his shoulder, Dodge winked and
said, “Don’t know. See you tomorrow morning, say nine? We’ll go over everything together. See if anything was missed.”
Damn it, that’s like ten hours away! “Sure. Sounds great!” I said in a way too chipper voice.
Dodge shut the door as I walked over, grabbed a sofa pillow and screamed into it. Throwing it across the room, I shook my head. “Damn you, Dodge Walker. Getting me all worked up like this. You bastard!”
My phone buzzed as I walked over and grabbed it. It was from Dodge.
Dodge: My father might sit in on our meeting. So don’t come in like jeans or anything.
My mouth dropped open as I started at the text message. “How dare he tell me how to dress. Bastard!”
Me: I’ll be coming from work. I’ll be dressed in scrubs. Get over it asshole. My own father doesn’t even tell me how to dress.
Dodge: Fine.
Me: What? No smart-ass reply? You’re losing your touch!
Slumping down onto the sofa, I tried to push away the disappointment of Dodge not responding back to me. Holy hell . . . what did I think this was? High school?
Five minutes later, my father stood at my door with his overnight bag. Smiling, I gave him a kiss as he marched through the door.
“That fucker. I’ll have his ass taken out if he breaks into my daughter’s house again,” my father said as he threw his bag down on the sofa.
“Nice to see you too, Daddy,” I said as I made my way into the kitchen.
My phone buzzed as I pulled it out of my pocket.
Dodge: An alarm is top priority tomorrow morning.
Smiling, I shook my head. I wondered if Dodge would be like this with all his clients. Chewing on my lower lip, I attempted to come up with some sort of smart-ass remark, but I was so taken by how much he was worried about me, I fell short. “Shit. I’m losing my touch.”
“First thing tomorrow morning I’m calling an alarm company. Top-of-the-line shit for my baby girl. Top. Of. The. Line.”
Rolling my eyes, I spent the next few minutes talking to my father about alarms. Another five minutes was spent talking him out of buying a Rottweiler for me.