Double Dare

Tawny Weber

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To my daughters, who gladly share me with the Muse and don’t think it odd that Mom works in her jammies. Never give up on your dreams…they really do come true.

To James, for being the most incredible hero a woman could ask for. Thank you for the love, support and unfailing belief in me.

To my Critique Partners for the laughter, patience and gentle shoves when I was stuck. You ladies rock!

And to my editor, Brenda Chin, for not only helping me reach the point where she could buy my book…but for feeding my husband so I could write more.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Coming Next Month

1

MAYBE SHE should have seen it coming, but a girl just didn’t expect to get knifed in the back by her best friends.

“Wanna repeat that?” Audra Walker requested in a smooth, calm voice. She was rather proud of that tone. It didn’t show the anger or the gut-wrenching hurt she was feeling. She was sure her face, carefully made up for this evening of revelry and celebration, was equally calm. After all, hiding her true feelings was old hat to her.

She spared a glance at her surroundings. The Wild Thing was typical of most of the clubs Audra’s friends frequented. The beat of the music and voices reverberated in time with teal lights flashing overhead. Places like this were always bright and loud and hadn’t ever bothered Audra before. Then again, her friends hadn’t been idiots before, either.

“You’re just not into it anymore, Audra. Face it, you no longer qualify as a Wicked Chick,” Suzi Willits said, her breathy voice as serious as it ever got. The buxom blonde shrugged one toned shoulder, making her ample breasts bounce under her leopard print tank top. “We might not mean much to you these days, but we do have standards to uphold, you know.”

“The Standard of the Double D. Of course I know,” she said with a roll of her eyes. Maybe this was a joke? They’d rib her for a while, then spring a congratulations-on-your-promotion present on her or something. To stifle the simmering panic in her belly, Audra shifted in her seat and breathed deeply. The scent of her friends’ perfume was as familiar to her as her own.

“I’m the one who came up with it. Dudes and drinks, the Wicked Chick’s tools of the trade.”

“Right, so you know better than anyone how important it is to keep those tools sharp and fresh, don’t you?” Suzi challenged. It wasn’t her tone that forced Audra to accept they were serious. It was the fact that Suzi waved away the hot guy who’d just signaled her to come dance with him.

Audra’s gaze flicked from Suzi to Bea Tanner. Rather than meeting her eyes, the redhead kept her gaze averted, making a show of swirling a piece of mango through the froth of her margarita.

Audra thought about laughing in their faces. It’d be easy enough to toss back her drink, slide from the barstool and tell them both to kiss her ass before sashaying out of the nightclub. The only thing stopping her was the fact that Suzi and Bea were two of her closest friends. And while they might not be the poster children for loving support, the three of them had been hanging together since they were Wicked Chicks in Training at fourteen, doing junior high detention together.

Ten years later, and still a hard-ass with a bad attitude, Audra didn’t have many friends other than Bea, Suzi and Isabel. Most people, both back then and now, looked at her and saw imminent failure. She’d never cared, since those three were always there for her. With her dismal upbringing, she’d always considered these women her family, albeit a little dysfunctional at times. Without them, she was just a hard-ass with killer curves. They’d been the ones to show her how to use those curves.

She glanced over as the last member of their little party rejoined them at the table. Slightly winded from her dance, the dark-haired woman gulped down her soda. Isabel Santos had been hanging out with Audra since they had both worn ruffled panties. Although not a member of the Wicked Chicks, Isabel had spent time with the other women off and on over the years. After school, though, Isabel had focused on her own career, while the Wicked Chicks had focused on enjoying life. At least, until Audra had the temerity to pursue an actual career.

“You’re always hanging out with that Natasha chick now,” Bea accused. She poked her silicone-filled bottom lip out in a practiced pout. Her newly colored titian hair framed a face that had graced a magazine cover, as Bea was always quick to point out. But the look on that face, half-sneer and half-dejection, assured Audra they were dead serious. They were kicking her out of the Wicked Chicks.

“That Natasha chick is a) my sister-in-law and b) my boss. And now she’s about to launch a new lingerie line that is exclusively my designs.” Which is what Audra had thought she was at the club to celebrate. Her promotion to head designer for Simply Sensual Lingerie. The achievement of her dreams.

“See, it’s that kind of crap that’s the problem,” Suzi pointed out. “That’s all we’ve heard this last year. You have to work. You have to study. You can’t party with us because you have early classes. I thought it’d end when you graduated a few months ago, but now you’re all about work instead.”

“Oh, please,” Audra scoffed, “like the two of you don’t have jobs and responsibilities?”

Bea did tend to drift from job to job, but she always worked. Suzi cut hair in a high-end hair salon in San Francisco and Isabel’s florist shop was flourishing.

“How come your jobs aren’t the issue here?” Audra asked.

“We are able to maintain a balance between our jobs and our real lives,” Suzi said in perfect imitation of an upper-class snob.

“And what am I doing?”

“You’re building a career,” Bea pointed out quietly. She said it as if Audra were building a weapon of mass destruction, her voice a combination of bemusement, aversion and fear.

“Why shouldn’t Audra build a career? She’s a great designer. This is her dream opportunity. Aren’t you excited for her?” Isabel asked in a surprised tone. Her gray eyes flashed as indignation built. “Don’t you guys think you’re being a little unfair?”

“Fair, schmair,” Suzi shot back. “Friends don’t let friends blow their prime years chasing careers. That’s the kind of crap you do later…after you’ve lost your sexual mojo.”

Audra tuned out the inevitable debate between Isabel and Suzi over sexual status, aging, equal rights and staying true to friends. It was old news.

She bit back a scream. All she’d ever heard from her older brother was how her friends were trouble and would screw up her life. Isabel was always nagging her to set goals and prioritize her plans. And now she was hearing from her friends that she wasn’t one of them anymore because she was trying to build a future. Not one damn person in her life was willing to simply accept her. All of her.

“I can have both a career and my friends,” Audra insisted. Wasn’t that the women’s right of the new millennium? She could have it all? It wasn’t as if Audra was looking to add a husband or anything stupid like that to the mix.

“Some career.”

“I design lingerie,” Audra pointed out, matching Suzi’s sneer with one of her own. “That’s hardly at odds with my Wicked Chick designation.”

“You’ve always wanted to design sexy, wild lingerie,” Suzi pointed out. And she’d know, since she and Bea spent years listening to Audra daydream about it, never once discouraging her.

“Instead,” Suzi continued, “you settled for vanilla-sweet nighties for virginal brides.”

“Everyone has to start somewhere,” Isabel interjected in Audra’s defense.

Before Suzi could retaliate, Bea pressed her hands to the table, bloodred nails spread like claws against the faux leather surface.

“Enough of this crap.” The mellowest of them all, her distaste for the bickering and one-upmanship was clear on her face. “Audra, this is an intervention. You either prove you’re still one of us, or you lose your Wicked Chick status.”

Isabel gasped. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“Prove myself?” Oh jeez, it was junior high school all over again.

Suzi leaned forward with a challenging gleam shining in her midnight-blue eyes. “Prove yourself.”

Audra rolled her eyes. “How? Outdrink you two? Dance topless on stage? Give up my job?”

Audra tossed the words out in an airy, unconcerned tone. But her insides twisted at the thought of either the first or the last. Given that she’d started her drinking in her early teens, she figured she’d done more than enough partying. That, and she’d watched what drinking had done to her mother, leaving her old and haggard-looking by forty. The booze wouldn’t do Audra’s skin, or her health, a bit of good. And she planned to keep both long into the future. Two drinks were her limit now, although she did a good job of hiding that from her friends.

And quit her job? Oh, God, no. She loved that job. Loved designing lingerie. She couldn’t think of anything more satisfying than starting with a vision in her head, turning it into a reality and seeing a woman prance out of the boutique empowered by the result. They couldn’t—wouldn’t—be crazy enough to think she’d give that up.

“How about all thr—”

“No, much simpler,” Bea interrupted with a dark look at the blonde. Suzi sat back with a huff and a roll of her eyes.

Audra waited. The music pounded a heavy beat around her, the cacophony of voices blending with the percussions.

“I dare you…” Bea began.

Oh, hell, she should have known.

“…to do the next guy to come through the door.”

“This is silly,” Isabel stated. Her gray eyes flashed with rare anger. She crossed her arms over her chest, her sweater pulling tight to curves she tended to hide, rather than display like the other three women. “Haven’t you outgrown that silly game? I thought your club was all about empowerment, not pressure. Audra’s your friend. She doesn’t have to do anything to prove herself.”

A voice in Audra’s head agreed. She didn’t have to. Like drinking, impersonal sex had long since lost its appeal. She could have just as good a time with her vibrator as with most guys. And at least her “D-celled” friend guaranteed she’d come. Swear to God, most guys didn’t seem to know the difference between the G-spot and a parking spot.

But if she didn’t, she’d be saying goodbye to something vital. Not just her friendships were on the line here, Audra realized with a start. So was her sense of self. The badass, wild part of her seemed to be fading away. And she didn’t have a clue what, if anything, she’d find underneath.

“Hey, no problem. I never mind scratching that particular itch.”

Ignoring Isabel’s disappointed look, she gave the girls a wink, tossed back the last of her strawberry margarita and straightened her shoulders. Turning on the barstool, she leaned her elbows back on the table, faced the door and sent up a prayer that the next guy through knew how to park.

Holy cow. She eyed the sexy hunk standing in the doorway and exhaled a deep sigh of appreciation. Oh, yeah, he’d not only know how to park, but she’d bet he was hell on wheels. Audra took inventory, starting at what she estimated to be size twelve biker boots. Her gaze took a slow, appreciative tour up well-worn denim, lingering on a few particularly worn places.

Very nice.

She continued her tour over a well-defined chest and—m’m m’m good—perfect shoulders. The sleeves of the denim work shirt were rolled up to the elbows, and it was buttoned about halfway up to showcase that chest, wide and lightly dusted with a sprinkling of dark hair. How would that hair feel against her cheek? Soft and sensual? Wiry and erotic? Did it thicken as it meandered down his belly? Or did it taper to a very delicious point?

If he’d hurry up and walk through the door, she could find out. Anticipation made Audra antsy. She shifted in her seat and held her breath while her gaze rose to his face.

Oh, baby. Eyes half-mast, a wave of lust-induced appreciation crashed through her system. Now that was one hot man. Black hair tumbled around a face just this side of pretty. His full lower lip promised a sensual nature and, although she couldn’t see his eyes in any detail, the man had cheekbones to die for. The only thing that saved him from being girly-pretty was a stubborn jaw and his nose, obviously broken a couple times.

“Good thing I wore my sexiest lingerie, hmm?”

Bea laughed and gave an appreciative hum. Even Isabel mouthed “wow,” although the look in her eyes still screamed disapproval. Not surprising, since Isabel had never been comfortable with casual sex. At Suzi’s silence, Audra glanced over. The blonde didn’t look thrilled. If anything, she looked a little pouty. The rules of the dare were that neither of the others could come on to the dare guy. Which put hot, tall and sexy off limits for Suzi.

Audra couldn’t resist taunting her. “One small step for him, one giant orgasm for me.”

Suzi grinned and started to say something, then her eyes widened and she winced.

“Oops,” Bea said under her breath.

Isabel cringed.

Stomach suddenly tight, Audra followed their gaze to the entrance where the hunk still stood in conversation with the bouncer just outside the arch that they deemed the official entrance for dares. Disappointment sunk like a chunk of lead in her stomach when she saw the source of her friends’ horror. Shouldering the hunk aside was another guy. A nonhunky guy. A totally geeky, nonhunky guy. Audra’s stomach turned, but did she see any way out of the dare? Not with her pride intact.

“Ya think he’s got anything in that pocket protector you can get up?” Obviously trying to ease the tension, Suzi called the waitress over for a second round. “You’ll need a drink before this one, Audra. My treat.”

Was she supposed to be grateful?

“And as soon as you prove you’ve still got it in you to take a dare, maybe I’ll go get myself a whole different kind of treat,” Suzi mused. Audra followed her gaze to where hot, tall and sexy had taken a seat, two tables over from Audra’s target. Rarely territorial over men, Audra was surprised to find that the thought of Suzi and the sexy hunk made her teeth clench.

She grimaced her thanks at the waitress and knocked back her margarita in one long gulp. Audra ran her index finger under her lower lip to make sure her lipstick wasn’t smudged. Might as well get it over with. She slipped from the stool and sucked in a deep breath. A little shimmy of the shoulders to make sure everything was where it belonged, her fingertips brushed the hem of her leather mini and she let out her breath.

Isabel protested, “Audra, you don’t have to go through with this. I’m sure Suzi and Bea are just riding you. You guys have been tight for years. You don’t have to prove your friendship. Especially not by having random sex with some—” she grimaced at the geek “—creepy stranger.”

She shot the other two women a dark look. Pink washed over Bea’s cheeks and, with a half-hearted shrug, she averted her gaze.

Suzi, though, stuck out her chin.

“Hey, we never said jack about friendship. Audra knows we’re all amigas. This is about being true to the Wicked Chicks code. Nobody’s forcing her to re-up her membership. That’s her call. Hers. Not yours.”

With that statement, the underlying hurt and confusion in Suzi’s tone, Audra realized her friends needed reassurance. This wasn’t about where she stood with the Wicked Chicks. It was about where they stood with her.

Her friendship with Suzi and Bea was changing, sure. Did that matter?

Audra sucked in a breath. Yes, it mattered. These women were more than buddies to run around with. They were more than a part of her history. They’d accepted her, encouraged her. And, even if they were pains in the ass, they both gave her something nobody else, other than Isabel, ever had. Unconditional acceptance.

At least, they had until tonight.

The music pulsing around her, Audra knew she could shrug and—just like she’d grown out of acne, her spandex phase and the desperate anger that’d fueled her for so many years—let her ties with the other women go.

But being wicked wasn’t just a designation. It defined her. She was a bad girl. From her prepubescent years under the bleachers to her wild cross-country rebellion when her father died, being bad was how she dealt with life.

Without it, what did she have left? Since she didn’t know the answer, she obviously had no choice.

“I’m a lifetime member,” she drawled. “Let’s just hope the geek over there can handle me.”

Isabel opened her mouth, probably to protest. Then, with a shrug and a sigh that summed up why she’d never quite fit in with the other women, she just rolled her eyes and sat back.

“Go get him, tiger,” Bea said.

“Oh, yeah, have a great time,” Suzi said with a wink.

Audra bit back a snarky response. Her gaze caught on the hunk again and she grinned. There was no rule against a nibble of an appetizer before hitting on the main course.

JESSE MARTINEZ looked around the nightclub and bit back a sigh. Purple walls were covered in teal neon lights. The dance floor was tri-level and the chrome bar wrapped around the room. The band was on break, but a deejay played Top Forty rock. Definitely not Jesse’s kind of place. Crowded, loud and filled with psuedoperfect bodies, all on the make. How the hell had he ended up here?

Oh, he could blame it on work. Legitimately, he was on a job. But he could be back in his office with his computer. That was his job description, after all. A Cyber Crimes detective with the Sacramento PD, he wasn’t required to follow dirtbags in person. He did it over the World Wide Web, instead. But, no, sucker that he was, he hadn’t been able to back down from a coworker’s dare that he get off his butt and get his hands dirty. Do real work. Show what he was made of. Damned if Jesse could back down from a dare, especially one couched in insults to his manhood.

He should probably work to reprogram that defective element of his personality. But since it was one of the few traits he actually appreciated having in common with his late father, he was loath to lose it.

Instead, he ended up in tacky nightclubs. Jesse sighed, but gave the waitress a smile and ordered a beer. He eyed the dorky dude a couple tables over. The guy was fidgety as hell, his fingers tapping on the table, his knee bouncing to a completely different rhythm. He looked like a virgin on a blind date with a porn queen. Or as if he were about to rob the place.

The guy’s name was Dave Larson and he was a computer hacker with a taste for gambling. Jesse had it on good authority that Larson was butt deep in organized crime and determined to work his way up one of the dirtiest crime ladders in Northern California, the Du Bing Li Triad. Since there were any number of tasks a guy with Dave’s computer skills could provide, Jesse wasn’t sure just what the geek was up to. But one thing was sure, it was no good.

Which is why he’d followed him to the club.

The waitress returned with his beer. Jesse reached for his wallet when a slim hand pressed against his forearm.

“Let me get that for you.”

Jesse’s brain, at least the independent gentlemanly part, shut down. Apparently his vocal cords did too, because he couldn’t say a word. All he could do was stare.

Temptation and pure sin, wrapped in black leather. The still functioning portion of Jesse’s brain cataloged the woman’s features. Huge doe eyes with a thick fringe of lashes dominated a narrow face. Shiny red lips looked as if she’d just eaten something juicy, tempting him to lean forward for a taste. Her short hair was jet-black, the spiky ends tipped with magenta. Her body was a teenage boy’s wet dream, all curves and sleek lines.

But it was her voice that had him in a trance. It was made for sex. The husky lisp brought to mind talking dirty in the dark. And he could tell in that one look, she definitely knew how to talk dirty.

The waitress snickered as she left and Jesse pulled himself together.

“Thanks for the offer, but I can handle paying for my own drink.” He wished he didn’t sound as if he had a stick up his ass, but that didn’t appear to be happening.

A slow, wicked smile curved those sleek red lips and she leaned in close to whisper, “You look like a man who could handle just about anything.”

She waited a beat, long enough for the image of just exactly how he’d like to handle her to fully form in his mind, then she leaned back and winked. “As for the drink, call it a welcome gesture. I haven’t seen you in here before.”

“You’re here a lot, huh?” Jesse mentally groaned. Could he be any wittier? Of course she was here a lot; she obviously hadn’t stumbled in on her way from a church social. For a computer geek like himself, she was the ultimate fantasy. Sexy as hell, and twice as aggressive. Not that Jesse didn’t know how to please a woman in bed; he was damned good at it. But he was used to real women, flesh and blood. Not sexual goddesses such as the one standing in front of him. Close enough to touch, but totally out of reach.

“Actually I haven’t been in here in, like, forever. But…” She looked left, then right, then whispered, “Shh, don’t tell anyone or it’d ruin a great pickup line.”

Jesse laughed with her, and just like that, she was within reach. He relaxed and lifted his beer to toast her.

“It’ll be our little secret,” he promised. “I’m Jesse.”

“Audra,” she said as she took his hand.

Damn. Jesse’s body, all the vital parts, leaped to attention as sexual awareness surged through him at the touch of her hand in his. A hand that felt oddly delicate for a woman with such a powerful presence.

Which was closer to the real woman—the hot, sexy babe she appeared to be, or the soft, gentle woman both her fragile hand and her easy humor suggested? Unable to leave a puzzle unsolved, he knew his mind wouldn’t rest until he’d figured her out. To say nothing of everything his body wanted to learn about her.

“The least I can do is buy you a drink in return,” Jesse offered.

Her brown eyes lit up, then dimmed as her gaze slid away. “I’d love that, but I’m actually meeting someone else tonight. Blind date, of a sort, you know?”

Maybe it was ego, but he swore the regret in her voice was genuine.

“You don’t sound excited.”

“Hardly,” she said with a laugh. She got a naughty look in her eye, shot a glance over her shoulder, then leaned close. “But you can help me.”

“How?”

“A little fun, kind of like that spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down.”

Before Jesse could laugh, she’d stepped close. So close only a bare inch separated her breasts from his forearm. Seated as he was on the stool, they were eye to eye. He automatically shifted so that his hand was on her hip, and she winked her approval.

Then she kissed him and blew his mind.

It started as a soft brush of her lips over his, just a whisper. Her breath mingled with his a moment as their eyes met, then something wild burned in hers before the thick fringe of lashes covered them. With a quick intake of breath, she slid her tongue along his lower lip. The act was so sensual in its simplicity, so seductive in its delicious temptation, Jesse almost whimpered.

Before he could respond, she stepped back and winked.

“Nice to meet you, Jesse. I’ll see you later, maybe.”

Fascinated, he murmured his goodbye and watched her walk away.

No maybe about it, he didn’t plan to wait for later. Jesse started to slide off the barstool to follow her. Half out of his seat, he watched, baffled, as she stopped at Davey’s table. She leaned across the narrow circular surface and said something that made the dork blush. Jesse watched the guy start stuttering and babbling.

With a frown, Jesse settled back on the barstool to watch. What did Audra have to do with a guy like Davey Larson? A simple blind date, like she’d said? A blind date, of a sort? What sort? Dave Larson was hip deep in crime, both organized and sloppy. Where did Audra come in?

Rumor had it Davey had caught the eye of the top echelon of a local crime ring. The head of that ring had a habit of using his women for deliveries. Was she the handoff? Delivery or receiving? Either way, it boded poorly for Jesse’s shot at experiencing his ultimate fantasy.

A haze of jealousy blurred his vision when, instead of taking the seat opposite Davey, Audra slid around to sit next to him. Damn near in the dork’s lap. When she tiptoed those delicate fingers of hers up the guy’s butt-ugly tie, Jesse actually growled out loud.

Jesse watched Audra lean in close to Davey and whisper something. Whatever it was must have been a doozy, because Dave jumped as if she’d goosed him. A damp sheen coated his lanky face and his eyes bulged. Audra looped her finger through the knot on his tie and Davey skittered back. A group of partyers blocked Jesse’s view. He craned his neck but could barely see the tops of their heads.

When the crowd shifted, Jesse saw Davey shaking his head like crazy. She said something, and Dave turned a little green around the gills, then jumped up from the table. Audra stared wide-eyed at him as he babbled. She was lucky not to get nailed in the face by the wild gestures the dork made. He finally ran out of steam. Mouth ajar, Audra looked stunned for a second, then said something. When Davey gave a frantic shake of his head, she held out her hand. Jesse couldn’t see what she was holding, but Davey’s eyes bulged in horror and he scampered away from the table, throwing one last comment over his skinny shoulder.

Jesse slid from his seat, prepared to follow Dave. He hesitated, glancing at Audra. Even with her mouth hanging open, she was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. He debated between pursuing Dave or hooking up with Audra to find out what her connection was.

Before he could take a step toward her, though, she was surrounded by three women, their shocked expressions all matching Audra’s. He eyed the blonde, redhead and brunette, but none popped up as criminals in his mental data bank. Then again, neither had Audra.

From the looks of them, the ladies would be around for a while. Davey, though, was scurrying off like a scared rat. Jesse hightailed it after the rat, but couldn’t help shooting a final look of regret for the woman who’d briefly held the promise of fulfilling his every fantasy.

2

“WHAT THE HELL happened?” Suzi demanded, her voice filled with the same shock coursing through Audra’s system. “I figured a geek like that would have lousy staying power, but you barely touched him.”

“He didn’t…” Bea gestured to her crotch area and scrunched up her face in disgust. “Just from you talking to him, did he?”

Audra squinted in question, then shuddered as Bea’s meaning sank in. “Eww, no.”

“Then why’d he run?”

Audra opened her mouth, then closed it with a baffled shake of her head. Her fingers clenched the strip of fabric in her hand. She had no clue. She’d made plenty of guys tremble over the years, but she’d never made one run before. When her friends had first started spouting off that she wasn’t a Wicked Chick anymore, it had been easy to ignore them.

But now? Audra’s breath hitched. Were they right? Was she losing it?

“I think he mistook me for someone else,” Audra finally admitted. “He babbled a few things I didn’t understand and when I suggested we get to know each other better, he ran like a sissy-lala.”

Isabel took the tie from her, grimacing at the ugly green piece of patterned polyester.

Suzi flicked the flimsy fabric and wrinkled her nose. “Nice souvenir, Audra,” she said. “What’re you going to do with it?”

“I have no clue,” she admitted. “I’ve rendered men dumb before, but none have ever hit the level of idiocy this guy did. I flirted, he babbled. I finally resorted to complimenting that ugly tie. He promptly ripped it off and tossed it at me just before he ran off like a scaredy-cat.”

They all stared at the offense to fashion.

“Does this mean you failed the dare?” Suzi asked in a breathy tone of shock.

Audra’s gaze shot to hers. Failed?

“She didn’t fail,” Bea snapped. “She isn’t to blame if a guy can’t keep it up. He obviously had issues and ran.”

But Audra saw it in her friend’s eyes. Even Isabel’s held a faint glint of that dreaded emotion.

Pity.

Audra had failed. The first Wicked Chick to blow a dare.

“You’re right, that wasn’t failure,” Suzi finally agreed. “Who knows, maybe he’s not into chicks or something.”

Bea gave a snort of laughter and shrugged. “So we, what? Chalk it up to a first? Wanna get another round of drinks and dance?”

Audra realized her friends would let it go then. They’d pushed the dare as a means to prove she hadn’t moved on. That she was still one of the girls.

But now? Now she had something to prove to herself.

“Hey, I’m not done yet,” she told them. “You dared me, I need to fulfill the dare.”

“How?” Isabel wanted to know.

“New dare?” Bea suggested with a shrug.

“Like?” Audra asked.

“Simple,” Suzi claimed. “You do the next guy to come through the door.”

Audra sucked in a breath, ignored the voice in the back of her head claiming she was so over this dare crap, and nodded. Over it or not, she has something to prove. She eyed the tie as Isabel glanced at the ugly thing, then at Audra’s tiny purse. With a grimace, her friend tucked it into her own hobo bag.

Audra glanced around for Jesse. Gone. At least he hadn’t witnessed her failure. She didn’t know why it mattered, but it did. Shoving the thought aside, she focused on the entryway and hoped to hell the next guy through the door wasn’t a bigger geek than the one who’d just run away. It was probably asking too much for him to be as hot as the appetizer she’d enjoyed earlier.

JESSE SHOULDERED his way through the crowd waiting to enter the club and looked around for Davey. He didn’t have to look far. The geek was huddled over his cell phone a few feet from the entrance, obviously waiting for a valet to bring his car around.

Jesse sidled closer, staying out of the guy’s line of vision, until he could hear the one-sided conversation over the noise of the crowd.

“Look, I did my part. I passed the info to your bimbo. When do I get my money?”

Jesse leaned a shoulder against the building and let out a sigh. Not only could Audra undoubtedly talk dirty enough to have a man begging for release…she was dirty. As in, criminally dirty.

Damn.

He listened with half an ear as Davey negotiated fund transfers and time frames. He’d be able to track the payoff through Dave’s computer, no problem.

Which meant he was that much closer to solving the case. At least, a part of the case. He’d come to realize in the last few days that Dave Larson was a small piece of a much larger puzzle.

And Jesse wanted the bigger picture. And the promotion that would come with it.

Hell, he was twenty-eight. His late father had already made lieutenant by this age. Of course, Jesse had spent four years earning his degree in computer science, but he should still be farther up the food chain.

This case, the undercover work and proving he could step outside his cozy computer world would seal that promotion for him.

And prove once and for all that he was just as good a cop as his father had been. He grimaced. Being the son of a legend was definitely a pain in the ass.

He watched Davey slide into his car. From the grin on the kid’s face, he must’ve overtipped the valet. Jesse debated following him, but there wasn’t much point. He could track the payoff money easily enough by computer.

Right now he needed to connect with the next level. Which meant Audra. He remembered the taste of those luscious red lips beneath his with pleasure. Some days he loved his job.

Anticipation spinning through his system, he reentered the club. His gaze sought out the table where she’d met the geek. She was still there, surrounded by friends.

When their eyes met, hers grew huge and she ran her tongue over her lower lip before flashing a delighted smile. She murmured something and three other sets of eyes glanced his way, varying degrees of naughty smiles on the women’s faces.

With a look filled with sexual promise, combined with an unexplained gratitude that made his body go on full alert, Audra slid from the barstool in a slow, sexy move. Would she do everything with the same deliberate sensuality? Would he find out?

No. She was now a suspect. A criminal. His key to breaking this case.

But as she walked toward him, the last thing on his brain was the case. His gaze traced long, sleek legs encased in sheer black hose, and his fingers itched to glide up their silky length.

Jesse realized with a sinking heart that after years of wondering if he had any more in common with his late father than their coloring, he’d just found proof positive. Good ole dad had not only had a penchant for dares, he’d had a taste for women who spelled trouble. God knew, this was a rotten time for the grand discovery. Because this woman definitely spelled trouble, in glowing neon letters.

“Looks like it’s later already,” she said when she reached him. He smiled in response to the humor in her husky tone.

“What happened to your date?” he fished. “It didn’t look like it went well.”

“Oh.” She glanced back at the table where her friends watched. She pressed her lips together, then shrugged. “You saw that, huh?”

“Bits and pieces. So that was your blind date?” He held his breath. If she admitted it was a business association, he could haul her in for questioning.

“Of a sort,” she replied.

Damn it.

“A sort, huh?”

“Yeah, a sort.” She hesitated, then gave a one-shouldered shrug. “You know, more like a dare. You ever get suckered into a dare? There is just no way out.”

“Believe me, I know all about dares.”

“Then you know how humiliating it is to back down from one, don’t you?” As she spoke, Audra shifted so she stood between his legs. He wanted to pull her against him, to feel her body give way to the straining flesh pressing against his now too-tight jeans. She traced a finger over his mouth. Jesse’s lip tingled, and it was all he could do to keep from pulling that finger into his mouth and sucking on it. He was a passionate man—it was in his blood—but he’d never experienced this level of deep, dark excitement.

“Oh, yeah, a dare refused is a guarantee of humiliation,” he agreed.

“Sometimes a dare accepted holds the same guarantee.”

Was she talking about her deal with Davey? Larson could be involved in anything from credit card fraud to identity theft. What had he passed to Audra? Jesse was going to have to find out.

“It sounds like you’re an expert on dares,” he said.

Something dimmed the sparkle in her huge brown eyes. To Jesse, it looked like a combination of indecision and reluctance. Her gaze slid past him, a frown quirked her brow, and then she puffed out a little sigh.

“How about we blow this joint? Find a little privacy and get to know each other better?”

His mouth went so dry, Jesse couldn’t reply. Instead, he nodded.

Desire ripping through him like a jagged knife, he followed Audra out of the nightclub, his gaze glued on the tantalizing sway of her leather-clad hips.

Jesse told himself he was just playing along for the case. He had to follow her to find out what she knew. That was all. He didn’t intend to let it get out of hand.

But for the first time in his six-year career as a cop, he wondered if he could keep his pants on long enough to arrest a woman before having desperate, mind-blowing sex with her.

AUDRA WELCOMED the warm evening air after the stifling, sticky heat of the club. Her ears still ringing from the loud music, she took in a few deep breaths and wished for a breeze.

“Did you want to go somewhere? Get something to eat or some coffee?” Jesse offered. His hand warmed her hip as he shifted to protect her from being jostled by the partyers shoving past them to leave the club.

Did she want to go anywhere? Audra eyed the hunk at her side and puffed out a breath. He was hot, no question about it. But more, he had a layer of sweetness that had her alternating between wanting to hug him close and lick him all over. The latter boded well for her current predicament, the former was better avoided.

After all, thanks to that crazy man who’d freaked out over her offer to get friendly, Jesse had become her new dare. Not that she was proud to have the first failed dare chalked up under her name. But at least that failure came with a sweet reward. She eyed Jesse in delight. He’d make this dare a pleasure.

All she had to do was focus on the rush of sexual energy arcing between them like a rainbow, a bone-melting orgasm the promised reward. And ignore the spark of emotion, the weird desire to get to know him better. After a year of watching her brother and his bride grow closer, she’d probably just picked up on their couple vibe. Like a virus, that kind of thing could only be dangerous to her health, though. So she’d ignore it.

“How about we find someplace quiet,” she suggested with a wink, “and see what comes up?”

From the widening of those delicious coffee-brown eyes, he got her message. The heat there told her he was all for it, but then his gaze shifted, became more reserved.

“There’s a little coffee shop nearby,” he countered. “We can order something to drink, maybe a piece of pie, and talk?”

He was kidding, right? Audra stopped and looked closer. There was a hint of color on his cheeks, but that could just be the neon lights. He was gorgeous, no question about that. And sexy as hell, but he didn’t seem used to the club scene. Was he playing hard to get? Or was he one of those? A fabled good boy?

She squinted, taking in his shadowed jawline, his crooked nose, and the slight frown between his heavy brows. She couldn’t tell for sure. After all, she’d never known a good boy.

“Wouldn’t you rather go somewhere a little more private?” she asked.

He closed his eyes for a second, as if in prayer, then opened them and gave her a tight smile. “Let’s talk a little first, huh?”

From the stiff set of his shoulders, he didn’t mean dirty talk. Intrigued by the novelty, Audra smiled and nodded. “Okay, then. Your car or mine?”

“It’s close. We can walk.”

Audra laughed aloud. “Walk?” She lifted one foot to show off the four-inch heels of her spiked black pumps and pointed her toe. “These feet have been known to do many things,” she paused suggestively, “but they don’t walk any farther than necessary.”

“Aren’t you concerned about getting into a car with a strange man? A beautiful woman like yourself needs to be cautious.”

From someone else, that might have sounded patronizing. Jesse, though, seemed genuinely concerned. His gaze locked on hers, warmth and sincerity clear in the brown depths. She noted the protective hand on her hip, not groping or sliding down her butt, but simply keeping her from being jostled.

Something warmed in Audra. Nobody had ever shown concern for her before. It felt…odd. A good kind of odd, though. Could he really be that sweet?

She gave him a warm smile and said, “I’m used to taking care of myself, promise. I’m a good judge of character and I fight nasty.” The can of Mace in her purse didn’t hurt, either. “Nobody tries anything with me I don’t want without regretting it.”

He gave a contemplative nod, but didn’t try to pull any macho crap by arguing or trying to prove he was tough. Audra’s respect rose a few notches. How wild. She was really liking this guy. She just might want to see if this dare could lead to something more.

Depending on his performance on her “O” scale, of course.

“Let’s take my car,” she suggested. “I prefer the driver’s seat.”

She slid her hand in his and shivered a little at the hard strength of his palm and long, narrow fingers.

“So,” he said as they made their way to the parking lot, “that guy didn’t look like your type.”

Audra looked at the milling partiers in confusion. “Which guy?”

“The one in the club back there. You know, the dorky guy you had the ‘sort of’ date with.”

“Oh, him. No, he’s definitely not my type.” Audra suppressed a shudder. What a geek.

“Do you have to deal with that a lot? I’d think a woman as gorgeous as you are wouldn’t need blind dates.”

“You know how that goes. You have to kiss a lot of toads before you nail a prince.”

Thanks to the geek—or Dave, as he’d introduced himself—being a nervous wreck, she’d lucked out and wouldn’t be locking lips with any toads tonight.

Would she be nailing this prince, though? Audra gave Jesse the once-over out of the corner of her eye. He sure looked like a prince. Hot, sexy and ready to be crowned.

They reached her car and she dropped Jesse’s hand to fish through her purse for her keys.

“I’ll bet you’re going to have a few things to say to whatever supposed friend set you up, huh?”

“Why?”

“What kind of friend sets you up with a loser?”

“The kind who think they know best and are afraid I might break away from the gang.”

“Gang?”

Audra frowned at the edge of cynicism in his tone. “Gang, club. You know, a group you hang with regularly? I take it you’re not into clubs,” she asked with a tilt of her head.

“I’m not into anything that pushes me to do things I’m uncomfortable doing.”

She pursed her lips and gave him a long look. She’d bet she could push him to do quite a few things he hadn’t been comfortable with before. And have him thanking her afterward. But she wasn’t the kind to give away secrets, so she just smiled and gave a dismissive, one-shouldered shrug.

“Your date with that dork wasn’t your idea, I take it?”

Audra grimaced. “Not hardly. More like I gave in to pressure and my need to keep my standing with my friends. And almost ended up with a very regrettable evening. Although—” she clicked the lock button on her key fob “—I have to say I came out the winner here. If not for them, I wouldn’t be here with you, would I?”

Audra turned and in a smooth, easy move, pinned Jesse between her body and the car. She almost purred aloud. Even in heels, he still towered over her, the hard length of his body inviting her to lean into his warmth. Very nice. This dare was turning into pure pleasure, no longer a means to prove her Wicked Chick status to her friends. She wanted to get closer to Jesse. Just for herself.

With her slowest, most seductive smile, she watched him from under her fringe of lashes. His eyes had that slightly glazed look that assured her he liked the feel of her body against his. She shimmied a little, just to be sure she had his attention.

As she slid her free hand up his biceps, this time she did purr aloud. “Yum. You’re in fabulous shape. What do you do for a workout?”

“A little weights, some martial arts,” he replied, his attention more on her caresses than her question. Both hands settled lightly on her hips, clenched, then gripped her curves fully. “So what made you pick this club tonight?”

“Hmm? Wild Thing? It’s a fun place, one of the best in Sacramento. I’d planned a little celebration, although it didn’t turn out quite the way I’d hoped. But I think you’re the perfect celebratory present to myself.”

Audra wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned further into his welcoming body. She brushed her lips over his, more a teasing temptation than a real kiss. Heated excitement swirled through her, making sensation spiral from her lips to the damp center between her legs. God, if he got her this turned on with barely a kiss, how would she feel when he put his hands on her? When he put his mouth on her body?

Desire was edged with impatience. She wanted to know. She had to know. She was sure Jesse would be a delicious lover. The kind that rated at least an eight on her “O” scale. She’d yet to find a perfect ten, but a solid eight could definitely be coached.

Backing off a little, she leaned her head back to see what he’d do. How he’d react.

“That’s not much of a present,” he commented.

Then he took her mouth. Took it in a way she’d only dreamt of before. His hands, gentle yet firm, cupped her head and held her where he wanted. Just for his pleasure. He nibbled at the corners of her mouth softly. Then, as she was smiling at the sweetness of it, he plunged his tongue between her lips in a swift, powerful move.

She was so used to being the aggressor that for the first couple of seconds she remained passive out of surprise. Then, pleasure shooting through her like an arrow, she met his tongue with hers in a dance of sexual delight.

Audra clenched her thighs to intensify the sensation. More. She definitely wanted more from this man.

“Wait,” he breathed, breaking away from her mouth. “We should get to know each other better. You know, talk or something.”

“I vote for ‘or something.’”

“Did you say you got stuck on an almost sort-of date with that dork because your friend threatened you?” he asked, his words coming in a gasp as she pressed the beaded tips of her breasts against his chest. “Doesn’t sound like much of a club to me.”

“They’re just worried about me.”

Maybe they had reason to worry, too. Audra hadn’t realized she wasn’t much interested in meaningless sex and constant partying until tonight’s fiasco. After all, at twenty-five, she was damned hot, exciting and interesting, even if she didn’t get as wild as she used to. Maybe a part of her—deep inside—worried there wasn’t any more to her than her bad girl persona. But as a rule, she tended to ignore that snarky worrying part. Even when snarky turned to screaming, as it had tonight.

“You know how it is when you get in tight with friends, people who’ve known you, like, most of your life? They want you to stay in their tidy box, keep with their perception of you. Sometimes you have to pacify them with proof you’re still a part of the gang, you know?”

To distract them both, she pulled away a bit to run her hands up the delicious, hard expanse of his chest. “Why are we wasting time talking about this? Let’s move on to more exciting subjects. Like, say, how you look naked?”

3

JESSE SWORE his heart stopped. All blood rushed from his head to his…well, other head. Damn, he’d never been as turned on or as unable to do anything about it as he was right this minute. Audra, with her promise of hot, sticky-sweet pleasure, was technically off-limits.

But her hands were doing incredible things to his body. Long, delicate fingers traced a path from his shoulders, over his nipples and down to his belt. Jesse wanted to say screw police procedure and guide those fingers lower. He breathed in the rich scent of her perfume and tried to remember she was still a suspect.

And after her comments, especially her confession of gang affiliation, Jesse knew she was Davey’s crime ring connection. And it was his job to find out exactly how she fit into the organization and use it to break the case. He might prefer to do that job behind a computer, but there were definite benefits to this unfamiliar fieldwork. The temptation of Audra’s body pressed against his was proving to be an almost irresistible benefit.

“So tonight was the first time you’d met that guy?” he asked. “He seemed a little overwhelmed when he saw you.”

Not that Jesse was surprised there. Davey was a dork, sure. But Audra was the kind of woman that would overwhelm any guy, present company included.

“He was a bit freaked, I guess,” Audra said distractedly. Her attention was focused on the soft, damp kisses she was scattering over his jaw and throat. Jesse’s eyes fluttered shut as his body, already turned on by their kiss and the feel of her pressed against him, went into overdrive when she reached the open collar of his shirt and trailed her tongue across his collarbone.

“Why don’t we take this inside,” she suggested in that husky lisp.

“Back in the club?” Maybe that would be safer? She’d still be temptation in spiked heels, but at least he’d have a crowd to remind him why taking those heels off to nibble on her toes was a bad idea.

“In the car.”

His eyes flew open. He looked at her. Huge doe eyes stared back at him. Her lips were damp, a sleek, succulent red and it was all he could do not to sink into their ripe promise. He tore his gaze from her mouth to glance at her compact silver car.

“That’s a little cramped, don’t you think?”

“Let’s find out.”

With that, she nudged him aside and tugged the passenger door of her toy-like convertible open.

“I think this probably isn’t such a good idea.”

Audra tilted her head to the side and arched one perfect brow. “No? I think it’s a great idea. I think maybe you’re just a little…reserved.” She pressed against him again until he felt the edge of the door frame against his calves. “I think maybe you’re not used to being seduced.”

“Is that what you’re doing? Seducing me?”

Had he ever been seduced? Jesse flipped through his mental database of his past encounters. He’d had his share of flings, a few deeper relationships and one lady he’d been serious enough about to bring home to meet the family. He wouldn’t call any of the women repressed, by any means. But, he realized, he’d always been the aggressor. The go-to-it guy.

He couldn’t remember ever being in the passive role of seducee. Most women he’d been with were happy to let him lead. Hell, he’d discovered getting a woman to even voice what turned her on was a major accomplishment. And Audra wanted to seduce him? Oh, yeah, baby.

“I’ll bet I can seduce you with words alone,” she suggested softly.

“Just words?”

“Just words. You, of course, are free to touch. I, though, won’t use anything but my voice.”

Jesse grinned. That sounded safe enough. Her touch, he was sure he couldn’t resist. But words? Hell, words wouldn’t be a problem for him.

“You’re on,” he said.

“Have a seat, then.” She gestured to the open door.

Jesse sat, swinging his long legs into the small car. He was enveloped in her scent, seeped as it was into the smooth leather seats and gunmetal interior. Giving him an excellent view of her smooth cleavage under the neckline of her top, Audra leaned down. Her face almost in his crotch, she reached between his legs. Jesse’s jeans grew tight and he caught his breath as anticipation hammered through him. “What happened to just voice?”

She turned her head, the parking lot lights making the magenta tips of her hair glow. She gave him a grin and he heard a click. Then the seat slid back. She rose with a wink and, leaning across him so her breasts were at eye level, she flicked off the interior light.

“Just making sure you’re comfortable,” she said. Then with a twist, a little shimmy in that tight black leather dress, she sat on his lap so that her back was to the driver’s seat and her deliciously long legs were resting on the open door’s armrest.

The nearest light was a half dozen or so cars away, and the parking lot deserted, so they had the illusion of privacy. But it wasn’t private, and the door was wide open. Maybe if Jesse repeated that to himself a few dozen times, he could find the strength to care.

The temptation of those legs, encased in silky black stockings, was too much for him. Reveling in the feel of her toned limbs, he slid his hand down her thigh.

“Mmm, you have good hands. I’ll bet you can work wonders with those fingers of yours.” She laid her hand over his and guided it back up her thigh, just to the edge of the butter-soft leather hem. A hem that was inches, bare inches, from the promise of heaven between those glorious thighs. “I’d like to feel those hands on my body. You could start by unzipping my dress. All I’d have to do is stand up and it would slide to the ground, leaving me in silky little bits of nothing.”

“Computers,” he blurted.

“Beg your pardon?”

“I work with computers. That’s how I keep my fingers limber.” And how he’d dulled his social skills. Damn, could he sound any more stupid? Maybe he could sweet-talk her with some HTML code next? “Are you much into computers?”

Maybe that was her link with crime ring? Although with Davey on board, they probably didn’t need any hacking help, as the dork was second only to Jesse himself in computer expertise. Nah, she had to be the handoff.

“Computers? I know about enough to turn one on.”

“I’ll bet you do,” he murmured.

“I suppose that explains it,” she mused.

He gave her a questioning look.

“Under that hunky exterior, you’ve got a brainy thing going on.”

“Brainy?” Dammit, why brainy? Not that he sucked at attracting women, but there was always that layer of intellectual connection. His family was dead set on reducing him to a brain, albeit a handy brain when they needed heavy furniture moved. His coworkers and captain in Cyber Crimes valued his brains, counted on them to break the hardest cases. But the last thing he wanted to be noted for when he had the sexiest women he’d ever met in his lap was what was in his head. At least, not the one on his shoulders.

But, hunky? He knew it was immature, but his biceps clenched to support his hunk title. He could live with hunky.

“Yeah, you have a look in your eyes that tells me you think things through. Which is good. That means you’ll think long and hard—” she paused for effect, then to punctuate her point, she wiggled her butt just a little “—about doing any job the best you can.”

“Well, yeah. I do take pride in doing my best.”

“I’ll bet you do. Someone with that thoughtfulness, that attention to detail, you’re sure to hit at least a seven, maybe even an eight, on the orgasm scale.”

“Orgasm scale?” It was as if she’d posted a challenge sign. His testosterone demanded he grab that gauntlet and prove his manhood. “What’s the scale? One to eight?”

Audra placed her fingers, just the tips, on the back of his hand and slid it under the edge of her skirt. Then she leaned close so he could feel her warm, sweet breath on his face. “Ten, baby. The top of the scale is a ten.”

“What’s the criteria for placement on this scale of yours?” He stifled a groan when he realized those luscious black hose covering her long legs stopped at the top of her thighs. He traced the rough, lacy band and told himself mewling pitifully would probably not rate high on her scale.

“Visual stimulation is the first step,” she explained, her husky lisp stimulating him more than most women could with a naked body and a can of whipped cream. “A look across the room, the sexual energy that sparks between two people when their eyes meet.”

He slid his index finger under the band of her stockings, imagining how it’d feel to roll the silky fabric down her thighs, leaving her flesh bare for his lips.

“Do you know how it is when you meet someone’s eyes, and your body responds sexually? For a man, you might get a little hard, might feel your muscles tighten. Me, I get damp. Damp is always a good sign in climbing the orgasm scale.”

“I’ll admit, I did get hard when our eyes met,” he said.

She smiled her approval, obviously delighted he was willing to play along.

“Why don’t you find out if I got damp?”

“We’re a little past the meeting-of-the-eyes stage,” he reminded her.

“Then why don’t you see if I’m wet?”

Jesse couldn’t resist. He slid his fingers higher on her thigh, brushing the tips over the lacy fabric of her panties. He groaned aloud. Wet. Deliciously wet.

“See, you’re well on your way to an eight.”

“I’m sure I can hit higher than an eight on that particular scale,” he assured her fervently.

“Babe, nobody’s gotten higher than an eight. That fabled ten on the orgasm scale is a myth.”

“Then why not lower the scale?”

“Please,” she insisted with a haughty look only a woman confident in her sexual worth could pull off. “Why would I lower my standards?”

Good point. Jesse grinned. It was a challenge he couldn’t resist.

He leaned over and took her mouth with his.

And lost himself in the dark delight she offered. Pure sex, with that underlying sweet humor. She was his ultimate fantasy. When she sucked his tongue into her mouth, Jesse realized his fantasies were about to upgrade.

Audra’s fingers brushed his skin like little electric shocks as she slipped the buttons of his shirt free. He nudged the elastic band of her panties aside to delight in her wet folds. When she scraped her fingernail over his nipple, an intense wave of desire washed over him and all thought fled.

With his fingers between her legs, his tongue working her mouth, Jesse gave himself over to a single goal. Bringing her that orgasm.

“Mmm,” she moaned as he nibbled his way over the curves flowing out the top of her leather bodice. “I am so glad you came into the club tonight.”

Club. Davey. The case. Dammit. Jesse lifted his head and blinked, shocked for some reason to realize they were still in the parking lot. A freaking parking lot, for God’s sake. With a suspect of his case.

“I can’t,” Jesse said with a quick breath.

With not only his virtue, but his ethics on the line, he pulled back and shifted Audra so she was curled in his arms. And more importantly, so she was angled so he couldn’t put his hand back up her skirt.

“Can’t? Babe, you’re hard enough to shoot for level nine if you tried. Believe me, I have faith you can.”

Oh, God. Damned right he could. He was so hard, just the feel of her ass pressed against him was almost more pressure than he could stand. But he was pushing boundaries already. No way was he crossing that particular line.

“No condom,” he claimed in desperation. “I don’t have protection.”

“Is that all?” Audra gave him a sultry smile that blurred those ethical lines again. She reached behind her for the tiny purse she’d tossed on the driver’s seat and did a quick finger rifle through it. Obviously not finding what she wanted, she upended the contents. Coming up empty, she frowned and gave a little shrug as she pulled open her wallet.

While she peered through the little pockets, Jesse eyed the disarray, looking for whatever Davey boy had given her. Lipstick, mints, a clear change purse holding a twenty and some coins. He spied her driver’s license. Perfect.

“Wow, you look good,” he said, slipping the small plastic card from the seat. He mentally patted himself on the back for such a sly move. “I thought crappy driver’s license pictures were some kind of law.”

“Laws aren’t really rules, they’re more like guidelines,” Audra joked. Jesse cringed at her attitude but didn’t figure he had room to take her to task, since he’d obviously broken a few ethical laws of his own. The underlying tightness in her voice distracted him from the pleasure of self-flagellation.

“And you aren’t big on guidelines?” he asked with a frown. Frustrated with the lack of physical evidence of her connection to Davey, he told himself to get back in cop mode. Jesse memorized her full name, address and license number.

“Sure I am. It’s a lot easier to break the rules if you know the guidelines first,” she said with a wicked grin.

“Knowledge is the first step of preparation, huh?”

“Sure. And a Wicked Chick is always prepared.” She leaned back toward the driver’s seat and flipped open the glove box. She quickly shuffled through the messy pile of papers and frowned. “I have to have one in here.”

She moved from shuffling papers to tossing them on the floor. “What the hell? How can I not have one? It’s the Wicked Chicks number one rule. The only way to play safe is bring your own protection.”

“I thought rules were more like guidelines.” As soon as the words were out, Audra pinned him with a laser glare. Jesse winced. Maybe his sisters were right. Maybe he did always find the perfectly wrong thing to say.

Either way, he felt as if he’d been saved from a long fall off a very jagged cliff. He’d just ignore the part of him that was screaming in frustration at being denied that fall. Eight, his ass. He’d have shown her nine, easy. Ten, if he could use props and toys.

But that wasn’t an option. At least, not right now. First he had to clear her or, if she was too involved with Dave Larson’s current crimefest, bust her.

“To be honest, I’m not usually the kind of guy who gets that friendly on the first date.”

Audra just continued to look at him, frustration and something deeper reflected in her eyes.

“I’d like to get together sometime, maybe a date?” Somewhere with a better setting for interrogation. First he’d do a little research, see if he could ferret out her connections. And practice the art of the cold shower.

“A date?”

“Yeah, you know, two people, out in public, getting to know each other.”

“Sure. ’Cause guys are always interested in dating a woman they didn’t get laid with, right?” she asked with a curl of her lip.

“Hey, what kind of guy do you think I am? I’m interested in you for more than sex.”

“Sure,” she repeated. With a wiggle that made him want to beg, she used her foot to push wide the partially open car door and slid off his lap to stand outside the car. As Jesse painfully unfolded himself from the vehicle, she reached into her purse and pulled out a piece of paper.

“Tell you what, here’s my business card. You go ahead and give me a call, we’ll do that date.”

Jesse read it. Audra Walker, Simply Sensual Lingerie. Designer. “Lingerie, huh?”

“Oh, yeah, lingerie. And I’m damned good. Give me that call, I’ll model some for you.”

Maybe it wasn’t too late to climb back in the car? He’d make do without intercourse. They could skip the whole condom issue.

She swung the car door shut and leaned against the fender. Smoothing her hands over her hips, she winked. “Don’t forget the condom, huh?”

EVEN AS A BAD GIRL, lies didn’t come easy to Audra. She hadn’t been able to admit another failure, so when she’d sashayed back into the club, she’d smiled and let her friends assume she’d done the deed.

Five blood-pumping dances and an order of nachos hadn’t blunted her sexual frustration. Finally tired of the unearned congratulations from Suzi and Bea, and the unspoken judgment of Isabel, she’d told the girls she was heading out. It would’ve been a clean break if not for the fact that she was Isabel’s ride home.

Now, with her oldest friend in the passenger seat next to her, Audra flew down the freeway toward Auburn and the small neighborhood they’d grown up in.

Unlike Suzi and Bea, Isabel was into the whole focus-on-building-a-career thing. She’d taken over her parents’ florist shop and was looking for ways to turn it from a small-town posey-pusher into one of the area’s prominent florists.

Audra and Isabel had grown up next door to each other, both living over their parents’ business. That Isabel had lived over the florist and Audra over a bar probably played into their personalities a bit. As a child, Isabel had been quiet, sweet and a little pudgy. Audra? She’d always been trouble.

Somehow, the two balanced each other out, though.

“Congratulations again on netting that deal with the mall,” Audra said, remembering Isabel’s earlier news. “You’ve been trying to snag that account for almost a year now. That’s great that it finally came together.”

They shared a smile. It was obviously a night to celebrate career achievements. Then Audra remembered the by-product of her latest achievement, her failure to live up to the code of the Wicked Chicks, and her mouth drooped.

“There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious, Audra,” Isabel said, obviously misreading her expression and figuring her frustration was career-focused. After all, for Isabel, most things were. “You worked your butt off going to school full-time and working in the boutique, too. You deserved to celebrate your success.”

“Designing vanilla fluff.”

“Oh, c’mon. Don’t let that kind of defeatist thinking take hold. You have to start somewhere. How many people can claim the title of head designer right out of school? So you’re not creating quite the kind of thing you want. Put in your time, pay your dues, and you’ll be there soon enough.”

Audra lifted her chin and pulled back her shoulders. Right. She’d get there. Damned if she wouldn’t.

“Did you want to read that book I was telling you about yesterday?” Isabel asked, referring to the latest motivational tome she’d discovered. Audra had to hand it to her friend: Isabel was just as confident and determined to make her business a success as the Wicked Chicks were to live life to the fullest.

“Nah, I’ll let you read it and give me the rundown, as always,” Audra said with a wink.

Instead of her usual nod of agreement, Isabel frowned.

“You know,” she said hesitantly, “you might want to read it yourself. Maybe it’d help you figure out why you agreed to debase yourself with meaningless sex, just for the sake of a girls’ club you’ve outgrown.”

“Debase?” Audra asked, ignoring the club reference, “What’s so debasing about doing a hot, sexy guy?” Now, if she’d had to do that geek, well, that would’ve been beyond debasing. But Jesse? Her mouth still watered at the memory of his fingers, his lips. Oh, God. His tongue. She squirmed in her seat and shook her head at Isabel. “Look, I like sex. Just because you’re trying out this chastity thing doesn’t mean my choices are wrong.”

“But this wasn’t your choice, Audra. Why do you let them push you into those dares? I thought you said you were glad you’d grown out of that type of thing.”

Audra’s jaw worked. So what if she’d backslid a little? It wasn’t just that Suzi and Bea were two of her closest friends. Her image, the sexy persona she’d developed in her teens, defined her. It made her special. Made her more than the pitiful little castoff of dismal parents who fought over her custody. Not over who got to keep her, but over who had to keep her.

It gave her control. Over herself, her life, the people around her. Isabel just didn’t get that. She had two parents who adored her, who thought she’d hung the moon. Sure, she’d dealt with her share of crap growing up. But not like Audra.

Unlike the Wicked Chicks, Isabel preferred to stay in the background, to live the quiet life. In a lot of ways, it was amazing she and Audra had been able to maintain their friendship all these years.

Especially in the face of snotty-ass attitudes like she was currently copping.

“Look, Audra, I’m not judging you.”

At Audra’s sneer, she shrugged and admitted, “Okay, maybe a little. But that’s just, you know…me. I don’t get the whole sex-without-emotions thing.”

“Emotions can’t be trusted. Not when it comes to men,” Audra stated adamantly as she pulled off the freeway. She’d learned that the hard way. The only guy she even considered semireliable was her brother. And that was more because she trusted his wife than out of any deep faith in him sticking around.

“Think of guys like dessert. Some you want to spend a lot of time on, savor. Get to know, maybe try a few more times to see if they’re as good as you remember. Others are like M&M’s. Quick, easy and clean. An easy between-meal treat that satisfies, but isn’t really worth remembering afterward.”

Isabel’s laughter gurgled out, as Audra had intended. She glanced over and gave her friend a wink. Isabel rolled her eyes and shrugged. They’d been through over this same ground too many times before. They knew the drill.

Audra focused on negotiating streets she knew like the back of her hand. Finally, she pulled up in front of the small building that housed Isabel’s flower shop and her apartment above. Audra’s gaze landed on the neon lights flashing beer logos in the windows of the Good Times Sports Bar.

The difference in the two was as glaring-bright. Audra’s brother, Drew, had taken over the bar after their father died. He’d put some effort into cleaning it up, but it was still a bar. Its edgy brick facade was in sharp contrast to the pale green florist shop with its apricot trim and flower-filled window boxes.

It was above that bar Audra had learned to set her goals, bust her ass and stand up for herself.

“So…what was this guy?” Isabel asked. “Tiramisu or M&M’s?”

After barely a taste, she’d bet he was tiramisu all the way. Since Wicked Chicks didn’t admit failure, Audra gave her friend a wink and her naughtiest grin.

“Let’s just say it would be my pleasure to try another taste of him,” she drawled.

“It’s probably just as well you won’t,” Isabel advised as she gathered her bag and opened the car door. “You need to focus on your career. This is no time to let some three-course dessert pull you off track.”

“Hey, when have I ever let a guy matter enough to distract me from anything?”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Audra winced. While that would have worked with Suzi or Bea, Isabel knew Audra’s history as well as her own. Once upon a time, Audra had thought love might exist. She’d believed a guy was more important than she was and had gladly handed him her dreams on a silver platter. Too bad he hadn’t been interested enough to even lift the lid.

Luckily, her friend didn’t press her advantage. She just patted Audra’s hand where it rested on the gearshift knob and slid out of the car.

“Oh, hey, I almost forgot your souvenir.” Isabel grinned and pulled a long strip of tacky green fabric from her bag. The tie. Audra took it with a wince. Ugly.

Isabel’s grin faded as she shut the car door with a little wave. “You’re there, Audra. Staring success in the face. Don’t blow it.”

Audra rolled her eyes and, without a word, slammed the car in gear and shot away from the curb.

Tension flamed its way over her shoulders and down her neck. And no wonder. She’d been fighting to prove herself all freaking night. Sure, she’d convinced her friends to chill out.

The cost? Instead of celebrating the first step of achieving her dreams, she was now wrestling with a pack of doubts. To say nothing of feeling overwhelmed by what could only be described as an identity crisis.

At this rate, she’d soon be one of those boring goody-goodys who worked all week for someone else’s glory. Then spent Saturday night home alone. Maybe a pint of Chunky Monkey for company. Her friends would drop her a line now and then, a pity call for old times sake.

She was worried. Hell, she should be worried.

And yet all she could think about was whether or not she’d ever hear from Jesse again to finish what they’d started.

Maybe Isabel had a point?

4

AT HER DRAWING TABLE Monday morning, Audra stared at the design she was supposed to be finishing. Instead, she’d been sitting here, staring, for over an hour. Blocked. She’d never been blocked before. But now, she looked at the sketch of a white silk chemise and all she saw was blah, boring, vanilla.

Had she sold out? Had she put the idea of building a career, of making a name for herself in the lingerie design business, ahead of her individuality? Hell, did she even have individuality anymore? The things she’d counted on most of her life seemed to be slipping away. Her friends, her wicked persona. Her sexy attitude and ability to wow a guy speechless.

She eyed the tie she’d tossed on her table and rolled her eyes. Well, maybe she hadn’t lost the speechless thing. That geek hadn’t been able to weave three words together.

Audra looked at the wall over her table, sketches for the fall line in various stages of completion tacked across it. Some were, yes…vanilla. But only a couple. Most were hot. Empowering. An invitation for a woman to embrace her sensuality, to dress herself up in a way that would guarantee she felt strong and sexy.

Dammit, she was proud of those designs.

For a girl with few standout traits—at least, ones she wanted to market—the acclaim and attention she’d received designing lingerie were amazing. Audra had never stood out for anything but her looks and her badass attitude. So to take the sexy little designs she dreamed up from sketch to finished product gave her a sense of accomplishment she’d never imagined growing up as a number on a social worker’s case file.

To have others actually pay money for that lingerie? It rocked, plain and simple.

So maybe she was focusing on the vanilla aspect, for now. It was a place to start. Soon, she’d layer in some rich, bittersweet chocolate syrup, maybe a little whipped cream. If she followed Isabel’s advice and all that career planning stuff her friend spouted, Audra figured she’d have her cherry-topped dreams before she was thirty.

Nothing to worry about. She wasn’t losing herself in the dream. Just working toward making her starring role a little better.

Semireassured, she forced herself to shake off the irritating introspection and took a swig of her energy drink.

She fingered her memento from Saturday night, the geek’s hideous tie. It was a poorly-sewn-together monstrosity of blue geometric shapes strewn over an eye-watering green polyester background. She ought to toss it in the trash, but for some reason she couldn’t. Probably because it reminded her of the delight she’d almost had, and how she’d let it get away.

“What’s that? A new design?” Natasha, Audra’s sister-in-law and boss, asked as she entered the small office-slash-design room. She reached out to touch the tie and grimaced. “No offense, Audra, but that’s butt-ugly. Is that the kind of thing you’re going to do now that you’ve graduated textile design school with all those honors?”

Audra fought back a blush. Honors. Who’d have thunk it? She was so not an honors kind of chick. For a woman who’d gotten her high school diploma through the G.E.D. program, school was not the gig of choice. But the Textile and Fashion Design Academy? She’d found heaven. People who admired her for more than her bust, who were more interested in the designs she envisioned and brought to life than how much she could drink.

“No,” she said in answer to the question, “this isn’t a design for Simply Sensual. It’s more like a reminder.”

“Of what not to wear, I hope.”

More like of the hottest guy she’d ever almost had, to say nothing of her fall from Wicked Chick status. Two dares failed in one night. How humiliating. A wave of despair washed over her. Were her friends right? Was she changing? Losing her edge in her drive to build a career? The missing condom definitely supported that theory.

She looked around the work space, its soft blues and deep burgundies edged with gilt and curlicues. Pure femininity. The colors and lines definitely weren’t what she’d call her style, yet she was perfectly comfortable here. Productive, even more so than in the vivid purple and red decor of her apartment.

It was a Monday morning, and she’d shown up at work before Natasha to open the shop. Again, a sign of responsibility at odds with her bad girl reputation of swinging in whenever the whim took her.

It was enough to make a girl panic. But Audra ignored the sick tension in her stomach and the freaked-out thoughts swirling through her brain. She was made of sterner stuff than that. Dammit, she could have it all. She’d prove her badness, and make her mark on the lingerie world.

Since that wasn’t the kind of thing she could share, though, she just smiled. In looks, Natasha was her complete opposite. Blond, ladylike and subdued. It was only after Audra had gotten to know her that she’d recognized the wild woman under Natasha’s tidy exterior.

“I like to think of it as a design with an identity crisis,” Audra said of the tie. Like a game show hostess, she held it high in one hand and trailed the back of her fingers over it with the other. It was so poorly constructed, it felt as if they’d left a needle or something between the layers.

“Identity crisis?” Natasha repeated with a laugh. “That tie is just ugly.”

Damned good thing she hadn’t ended up with its owner. Who knew what else of his was poorly constructed? Audra suppressed a shudder and shrugged. “Some ideas might come of it.”

Hopefully ideas on how to find balance between her ambitions and her friends instead of the sexual fantasies she’d entertained about Jesse and all the alternate endings to their encounter. Alternate endings she had no way to engineer since she’d not only become wuss girl without the condom, but hadn’t even got the man’s phone number.

God, what was happening to her?

“If anyone can find inspiration from it to use in a lingerie design, you can,” said Natasha. “After all, your latest nightie is selling like gangbusters. Didn’t you say it was inspired by one of those plastic six-pack carriers?”

Audra grinned. She loved the nightie Natasha mentioned. Its random circles of opaque fabric stamped over sheer organza offered tantalizing peeks of bare flesh, all in a baby doll style that screamed sassy fun.

“This just goes to prove the brilliance of my decision to make you head designer,” Natasha claimed with a satisfied smile.

To hide her infinitesimal wince, Audra shrugged. Head designer. It sounded so…uptight, official. So not her. She wasn’t sure if it was the designation or the implied responsibility that gave her the willies. Then again…if it kept her on the road to that cherry-topped dream, she’d deal with it. Willies and all.

She pinned the tie to the wall next to her sketches. She was just about to pitch the changes she’d been dying to make for the new fall line when Natasha jumped up and clapped her hands.

“Oh, that reminds me.” Excitement rang clear in her sister-in-law’s voice. “I had a call. A very special call, as a matter of fact. From Hantai Lingerie. They definitely want to talk business.”

Audra’s mouth went dry. Business? International business? Visions of her latest design ideas flashed through her mind. Now that she was head designer, she’d be able to get a little wild, instead of the more demure, subtle designs Natasha favored. Where better to launch them than in a new country? Excitement whipped through her.

This was why she was teetering on the edge of losing her Wicked Chick status and even the respect of her friends. For a shot at making these visions a reality. To make her mark on the design world with lingerie and finally prove she was a success. Go beyond bridal fluff and get into truly sexy creativity.

“This is it, Audra. We’re heading for the big time. That makes the third China-based lingerie distributor wanting to carry our fall line.”

Natasha grinned and grabbed Audra, pulling her out of her chair for a hug. Still unused to the ready affection, Audra was stiff at first, but Natasha didn’t let up. A few seconds was all it took Audra to loosen up and join her sister-in-law in the celebration. They did a wild butt-swinging boogie and slapped hands before dropping to their chairs.

“Rock on. I’ve been thinking of some designs to spice up the line. You know, add a few options to grab the more adventurous customers.” It was all Audra could do to keep her cool and not bounce in her seat like a little schoolgirl.

Natasha’s smile dimmed and her face got that let’s-let-her-down-gently look.

Audra didn’t even need to hear the words to know she was being denied.

“I’d love to see your ideas. I’m sure there’s a solid market for more adventurous designs. I’ll bet you have some exciting things in mind.”

Nice words, but a shutdown, none the less.

“But…”

Here it was.

“Simply Sensual has built its reputation in a more demure and subtle direction. I think, at least for the fall line, we should keep our focus there. That’s what these distributors have recognized us for, what they are interested in. After all, we can’t afford to experiment at this point. We just don’t have the time or the financial resources.”

In other words, more fluffy sweet designs. Audra bit back a sigh. Not that she didn’t enjoy the challenge of making something demure scream “Do me.” But she’d thought she’d be able to spread her wings a little now. Wasn’t that what head designer meant? That she was in charge of the designs?

Before she could find an unchallenging way to ask, Natasha leaned forward to tap the papers spread over the drafting table.

“Let’s focus on signing these Chinese distributors. We’ll keep the fall line in sync with our current image. But draw me up these designs you have in mind, and we’ll see what we can do about incorporating some aspect of them into the spring additions, okay?”

After a brief struggle with impatience, Audra grimaced and shrugged. Heck, she was getting her way, right? Maybe not as fast as she’d prefer, but Natasha’s explanation made sense.

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Natasha said, her fair face flushed from dancing. “I know I said I didn’t want to borrow any money from a bank because I need all the capital and collateral available for this next big order. But I talked to my aunt last week. She’s willing to loan me enough money to guarantee we nail this deal.”

Natasha’s aunt was rolling in snooty, upscale money.

“I think it’d be smart if one of us went over to Beijing and met with these companies,” Natasha continued. “You know, talk us up and personally present the designs. Be there to get them to sign the contracts.”

From the serious look on the blonde’s aristocratic face, she’d put a lot of thought into this. The lure of China stifled Audra’s still simmering impatience to branch out with her designs.

“Okay. That’s smart,” Audra agreed with a nod. She didn’t even ask which one of them would go. She might be the newly appointed head designer, but the businesswoman thing was obviously not her specialty. “It’ll cost a bit of capital, but if the loan will cover it, it’s worth it. I think the connection we’ll make by face-to-face meetings will pay off in the long run.”

But didn’t this mean there was more money available? Like, money that could go toward some hot, sexy designs? Audra pressed her lips together, but didn’t say anything. Bottom line, it was Natasha’s business. As much as Audra might want to push for her rights as head designer, she’d wait. She’d watch for the opportune moment. Any bad girl worth her garter belt knew how to turn a no into a yes. It was all in the timing.

Simply Sensual would be a success. Thanks, in part, to her. This would be the first major step they’d taken since Natasha had bought the company from her aunt almost two years before, one they couldn’t have made without Audra’s talent.

She sucked in a breath and held it, her cheeks puffed out. Focus on the trip. China, so much to see and do. She’d never traveled outside the country. Not that she’d be going this time, but wouldn’t it be cool if she could? Make big deals, wow the distributors with her charm and moxie.

“Which one of us is going to go?” she asked, just in case a miracle happened and Natasha thought knowledge of the designs would be a bigger asset on this trip than knowing the business.

“I’m not sure,” Natasha admitted with a grimace. “You did the designs. But I know the business end. You know, what we need to make this deal work.”

Not sure, her ass. When it was put that way, Audra could hardly argue. She really wasn’t disappointed. And maybe if she repeated it enough, she’d believe it.

Besides, she had enough at stake already, trying to wade through her personal identity crisis. The exhilaration fading, Audra wanted to sink into her chair and bury her head in her hands, but couldn’t. Not while Natasha was here. To admit such a problem—hell, to admit any weakness—wasn’t her way.

“You’d make a stronger impression on the suits” was all Audra could come up with. And it was true. While Audra might wow them, the impression Natasha would make would likely net more business.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. You go. Hell, you should take Drew,” Audra suggested, certain her brother would love the idea of a second honeymoon. He’d been so focused on saving their deceased father’s bar, then on building enough business to keep Aaron Walker’s legacy in the black, that he hardly ever took time off. Besides, not only had he been the one to nag Audra into going to design school, he’d even paid her way.

The least she could do was make sure big brother got a little international nooky with his wife. “He’d get a charge out of it. I’ll bet it’d make a better impression on those businessmen, too, you being solidly married and all that.”

“Oh, good point.” Natasha scooted around the desk and grabbed a pad and pen. Audra grinned when she started scratching out a list of things to do. Then Natasha paused and tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear and peered at Audra.

“Um, you’d have to handle the boutique on your own. I think I could get Aunt Sharon to help behind the counter once in a while, but mostly it’d fall on you. I’d have to be gone about two weeks, I think.”

Unspoken was the fact that the longest Audra had been responsible for Simply Sensual was a three-day weekend. That was the weekend she’d ended up hosting an impromptu bridal shower in the boutique, complete with male strippers. It probably wouldn’t have been too big a deal if Natasha’s aunt hadn’t chosen to stop in just as the bride-to-be and the stripper had been acting out an explicit sexual act on the checkout counter. They’d sold a hell of a lot of lingerie that evening, she remembered, suppressing a naughty grin.

Natasha’s doubts, so politely unsaid, were clear on her face. Audra knew her sister-in-law would be enlisting her aunt as a babysitter, as well as temporary clerk. Audra’s amusement fell away. No matter how she sugarcoated it, her sister-in-law expected her to drop the ball.

Jeez, how hard could it be to take charge of the boutique for a couple weeks? Audra ran through a checklist of what she knew about running the business. It was a dismally short list.

Damn.

Maybe Natasha was right to worry about the wisdom of leaving it all in her hands. But if there was one thing Audra refused to do, it was to appear needy. Nope, she’d suck up the insecurity and do a kick-ass job.

“When do you think you’ll go?”

Natasha tapped the pencil on the pad of paper, the dull thump keeping rhythm with Aerosmith belting out “Just Push Play” on the radio.

“I can call Aunt Sharon and get the money transferred today. The sooner we get the contracts and an idea of what kind of numbers we’ll be producing, the faster we can deliver product. What do you think about me leaving tomorrow? It’s like an all-day flight, but I can set up meetings starting on Wednesday.”

“Sounds like a plan. Let’s get this party rockin’.”

Natasha settled behind her desk with a cup of peppermint tea while Audra knocked back a Red Bull. For the next half hour they sketched out a plan of action, then went over the boutique responsibilities for the next week or so.

“I think that’s everything,” Natasha said as she tidied her notes into a stack. “And just in time to open the doors.”

She came around her desk and gave Audra an excited hug.

“We’re making it, Audra. Big-time. Drew is so proud of you.” She pulled back, obviously realizing all this sentimental stuff made Audra uncomfortable. “So we’re set. Are you sure you can handle everything alone?”

Audra considered her performance over the last week since graduating the textile and design academy.

She’d lost an order, told a customer the fishnets made her cellulite look like a bag full of marbles and almost got the delivery guy fired for flirting on company time.

Hardly management material.

But if she wanted to be trusted with something as major as bringing her vision to the spring line, she’d have to prove she could handle running the boutique.

Rarely felt nerves made their way through her stomach with a nasty flutter.

“I can handle it,” she vowed. She’d make sure of it. “As long as I don’t have to remember to bring a condom,” she muttered under her breath.

“Um, no, I doubt you’ll need to worry about that. At least, not for the boutique—unless you’re planning another party,” Natasha said with a wink and laugh.

Maybe she’d overreacted and Natasha wasn’t worried about leaving her in charge. Audra frowned.

Dammit, she should worry. Two years ago, heck, two months ago, she’d have worried. Now, though, Audra was, what? Such a goody-goody she could be trusted to be well-behaved? She sank into her chair with a morose sigh. All these yo-yoing emotions were exhausting. Just because she wasn’t a loser didn’t mean she was a goody-goody. There was an in-between there. Somewhere.

“But, you know it’s better to be safe than sorry. I’d strongly suggest keeping a few condoms on hand, since you never know what will come up.” Laughing at her own joke, Natasha headed out to the showroom to open the boutique for the day.

Audra made a face at her sister-in-law’s retreating back and mocked, “Ha ha.”

But inside, she groaned. How freaking pitiful was she? Even Natasha knew to be prepared.

After Natasha left, Audra contemplated the ugly tie pinned to the wall. The green was an insult to the eyes, and the crappy construction mocked her devotion to design details.

She should throw it away. It was stupid to hold on to some geek’s tie. A geek who’d run out on her, making her a loser in her friends’ eyes. Sure, they’d tossed her a second dare. But look how that had turned out.

But no, here she was, a sappy sentimental wuss who should have her Wicked Chick membership revoked. Courting silly thoughts about what a guy was like out of bed and wondering if he’d really call her for a date. Holding on to some butt-ugly memento as a reminder of the night she’d met the hottest guy to ever keep her awake without even being there.

Talk about an identity crisis.

A JUMBO COFFEE at his elbow, heavily laced with cream to disguise the bitter taste, Jesse’s fingers cruised with loving familiarity over the computer keyboard. He ignored the usual Tuesday morning noise in the cop shop as he patiently hacked through Dave Larson’s personal life.

Two steps forward, five steps back.

A dance Jesse loved. Larson was dirtier than a meth fiend on a street corner. The last two years he’d been up to his ass in debt, conning Peter to rob Paul. Now, suddenly, he was rolling in the green. Enough cash flying through his secondary account to rent a BMW, pay for a Nordstrom shopping spree and buy one hell of a lot of porn on the Internet. Davey Larson was definitely being paid well.

Jesse hit Print to add the financials to his file and continued digging. An hour later, the phone on the corner of his desk jangled. He ignored it until someone yelled his name.

“Hey, Martinez. Phone. Dude wants to talk to you.”

Jesse waved his thanks and grabbed the phone, still working the keyboard with one hand.

“Martinez here.”

Five minutes later, he stared at his scribbled notes. It wasn’t the chicken-scratch mess that had the coffee churning in his stomach. His informant had confirmed the rumors. Dave Larson wasn’t just dabbling in organized crime. He was playing with the big boys. Chinatown-based mafia Du Bing Li big. It seemed Dave had finally scored the underworld connections he’d sought through the most unlikely source. His porn addiction.

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