Reserved? He’d thought she was reserved? Cool? Hell, she was an inferno. Banked, maybe, but tapped the right way, Ava was explosive. And he wanted his hands on her in the worst way. So yeah, sleep had been damned hard last night. His dick had been damned hard last night. Phone sex was fun, but nothing like the real thing.
And now that she’d warmed him up, he wanted the real thing.
He had to keep reminding himself that he wasn’t on vacation, he wasn’t really home. This was an assignment. She was an assignment. And he had to call Grange and give his report. He dialed General Lee’s number. True to form, the general answered on the first ring, his tone crisp and formal as always.
“What?”
Rick smiled and shook his head. “Hey, Grange. Did I wake you?”
“You know better than that, boy. What’s going on there?”
“I’m in the Hellraisers again.”
“Did your cousin buy your background?”
“I think so. They said they were going to check it out, though.”
“Good. We gave you a solid history. Should be no problems. Let me know what they say.”
“Will do.”
“What about Ava Vargas?”
“I made contact with her last night. She actually ended up as my riding buddy while we’re here at bike week. Turns out her best friend is Bo’s girlfriend.”
“Perfect. Have you found out anything yet?”
“Nothing much. She doesn’t seem to be a biker. Seems green.”
“Which doesn’t mean shit. She doesn’t have to be an expert to have something going on with the Hellraisers. Appearances can be deceiving. You should know that better than anyone.”
“I know.”
“Then get close to her and stay that way. There are several Hellraisers who’ve been busted in the past few months for drug distribution. Senator Vargas is shitting his pants that his daughter might be even remotely involved in this gang. And DEA is getting a hard-on over it, too. If Ms. Vargas is dirty, DEA wants to know about it.”
“I’m on it.”
“Good. Keep me updated.”
Rick hung up, satisfied that he was on the right track, even if he did think the senator was being overly protective of his daughter and the DEA was totally off base. Then again, like Grange said, appearances could be deceiving and Ava might be deeply involved in the Hellraisers up to her soft, kissable neck.
But Rick had spent a lifetime trusting his instincts about people. And his instincts told him Ava was a fish out of water with the Hellraisers. He was going to have to find out just what she was doing there, and why.
And that meant staying close to her, no matter what he had to do to get there.
Hey, some jobs came with bonuses. And if he had to climb in bed with Ava Vargas to do his job—well, there were worse things he’d done in the line of duty.
He checked out the clock on his phone—it was almost seven-thirty. Would she be awake yet, or sleeping in? He went to the hotel phone and dialed her number, though his first thought had been to go straight to her room to see if he could wake her up.
The tightening in his jeans told him that would be a great way to start the day.
She answered on the second ring. “Hello?”
“Did I wake you?”
She let out a soft laugh. “No. I just got dressed. I’m dying for some coffee so I was going to head downstairs.”
“I’ll go with you. Be there in a sec.”
He hung up, surprised to find himself eager to see her.
Which was probably just his dick talking. Anticipation and all. He knew what was going to happen between them. It was just a matter of time, and hopefully some finesse on his part.
She came out of the room just as he approached her door, looking fresh and pink-cheeked and well rested, though as late as they’d finished up last night and as early as it was now, she couldn’t have gotten much more sleep than he had.
“Tired?” he asked.
Her cheeks darkened. “A little.”
“You could have slept in.”
“You would have woke me up with your phone call anyway.”
“Good point.”
They walked down the hall toward the elevator, awkward silence echoing around them. Rick felt it rise up between them like a thick, invisible cloud, shattering the ease they’d started with.
And he knew why.
So when they got to the elevator, he pulled Ava into his arms and slammed his mouth down on hers, giving her a kiss that told her exactly how it was going to be between them.
And damn did she taste good in the morning, all soft and pliant and breathless against him. She tasted fresh—like toothpaste, her mouth cool and inviting. She made his dick hard in record time. He broke the kiss—reluctantly—as the elevator doors opened.
Her eyes were wide pools of stormy gray, her lips parted in surprise.
“I had a really good time talking to you on the phone last night.”
She swallowed. “So did I.”
He wrapped an arm around her and led her onto the elevator, and pushed the button. “So don’t go all quiet and embarrassed on me now. I think we’re past that.”
She tilted her head to look at him, and he couldn’t resist taking another taste of her lips. She didn’t balk at being kissed in the elevator, and she didn’t push away when the doors opened in the lobby. She kissed him back, her hand on his chest, her body resting against his.
When she stepped back, she smiled.
“All right?” he asked.
She nodded. “All right.”
He took her hand and they headed into the coffee shop and found a table. The waitress came right over and they both ordered coffee and breakfast. As soon as coffee arrived, Ava wrapped her hands around the cup and lifted it to her lips, closed her eyes, and took a drink.
“Oh, God, that’s good.”
Rick watched her, admiring her sensual appreciation of even the smallest things. He wondered if she realized what she was doing. “I think you said that last night.”
Her eyes shot open and she blushed. “It was good.”
“I thought so. Not as good as the real thing, though.”
“Maybe we’ll get to experience that . . . soon.”
Rick took a long swallow of coffee. “Definitely soon.”
By the time the waitress brought their breakfast, Bo and Lacey had come into the restaurant. Ava waved and Lacey dragged Bo over.