Page 12 of Wicked and Ruthless

“Congratulations, man. That’s fantastic.”

“We’re over the moon, but you and I can talk about that later. Right now, you want to ask my wife how to get back in Haisley’s good graces—and her bed—right?”

And how to capture her heart for good. “Yeah.”

“You didn’t hear this from me…but on Monday, she’ll be starting a new job working for some local hotshot real-estate developer.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Barging into her place of employment would only piss Haisley off.

Matt shrugged. “Thought you might know something. How about this? She belongs to an avid online sleuthing group called Crime Solvers International. Anyone can join, even anonymously. I looked it up.”

Suddenly, Nash’s phone dinged. He glanced at the text.

“That’s the link.” Matt clapped him on the back.

Nash stared at it for a minute, then a slow smile spread across his face. If Haisley wouldn’t talk to him, this might be his only in. Backdoor clandestine shit wasn’t his first choice…but she was setting the pace. That didn’t mean he couldn’t bend the rules and hurry her along. “Anonymously, huh? Game on.”

He was determined, now more than ever, to reclaim the woman he loved, no matter what it took.

CHAPTER THREE

Haisley couldn’t get home fast enough. Thank god the streets of Lafayette weren’t crowded because she drove like a bat out of hell until she made it into her newly uncluttered garage and closed the door behind her, blocking out the night.

Unfortunately, her lips were still tingling from Nash’s kiss.

She had been back in this damn town for a handful of days, and already the man she’d hoped to avoid so she might save herself more heartbreak had gotten up in her personal space, flashed her those unsettling dark eyes, and kissed her. And not just a peck. Oh, no. He’d gone for the gusto. And she’d let him, wrapping her arms around him, opening her legs wide to him. Damn it. The way she’d melted into a puddle the second Nash had touched her, it was a miracle she hadn’t dropped her panties for him, too.

“Pathetic,” she muttered as she dropped her keys on the hall table, tossed her little bag on the nearby sofa, and sighed.

What were the odds he would back off? Two years ago, he’d let her go without a fight. But tonight, she’d tasted his desperation. No, his determination. Something was different.

Haisley didn’t think for an instant that she’d seen the last of him.

She wished that didn’t make her ridiculously giddy, but why lie to herself? Still, when he came sniffing around her again, she didn’t dare say yes.

With a huff, she marched into the kitchen for some chamomile tea. As wired as she felt, she wasn’t getting to sleep without a little calming. And she refused to scratch the itch Nash had stirred up by masturbating to thoughts of him. She’d already done that too much over the past two years.

As she set the kettle on the stove, her phone rang. Since she’d changed her number after leaving Louisiana, it couldn’t be Nash. Or at least it shouldn’t be. Then again, he worked for an elite group of badasses—snipers, hackers, demolitions experts, tacticians. She shouldn’t underestimate him.

Cautiously, she scanned her phone, relieved to see Charli’s name on her display. “Hey.”

“Just checking to make sure you got home okay. I would have left with you.”

She winced. Her friend hadn’t been having a great time, either. Haisley had been so intent on escaping the bar before she caved to Nash’s touch and surrendered her self-respect for the mind-blowing pleasure only he had ever given her that she hadn’t thought about anything else.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have?—”

“It’s okay. It looked like you were dealing with a lot. Did you expect him to…”

“No. Honestly, I thought he’d look right through me. I thought he’d—” Act as if I didn’t exist. “That kiss doesn’t mean anything. He wasn’t exactly sober.”

“Were you?”

Haisley wanted to write off her behavior as too much tequila, but she didn’t feel buzzed in the slightest. “Did you go home?”

“Right after you. I wasn’t in the party mood.”

Something was definitely up with Charli, and Haisley felt guilty for being so out of the loop. “Same. Listen, how about Sunday brunch? I’d love to catch up, one-on-one. It’s been too long.”

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