Page 22 of Out of Sight

I felt my face explode in a hot blush. My blouse was very work appropriate: silk, pale pink, slim cut, all with a professional square neckline covering up any trace of cleavage. But that was before the wet silk clung to me, the moist fabric turning see through and showcasing my nipples almost like I was naked. I happened to be wearing my cute silk and lace bra; impractical asfar as covering me up despite its excellent push-up powers, but I was too busy stressing about working for the Mafia last night to do laundry, so I made do with what I had this morning.

Will’s eyes shifted down to look at me, heat warming their depths and his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard. He made a strangled sound in his throat, abruptly turning around so his back was to me, removing his shirt and holding it back over his shoulder for me to grab when I was ready.

At least the criminal knew his manners.

I was very aware of how hard and aching my nipples were, but I didn’t know they were so very obvious to the other men in the room with me. Will hadn’t looked down at my chest once while we were enclosed in here, even as my nipples were practically poking him in the chest.

Maybe he wasn’t kidding and he was looking at more than just my boobs and butt. Another point in the gentleman-criminal category for him.

I took off my beautiful blouse and dropped it with a thwack on the ground. Will flinched at the noise, but didn’t turn around, just held that shirt out to me over his shoulder. My eyes glanced past him as I reached for the shirt—maybe brushing my lace-clad nipples lightly against his back as I did so just to be a tease—and saw Jim, thankfully covering his eyes to give me privacy.

I needed to work harder to remember Jim; I wouldn’t let my poor neglected lady parts make me unaware of my surroundings.

Besides, I could never give in to those lonely parts of me; what would the Colonel think if I brought a felon home to him?

I pulled the light gray t-shirt over my head, straightening out the sides. It was obviously way too big on me, the hem going down to my mid-thighs, but it would have to do.

“Are you still half-naked with me?” Will asked. He didn’t try to turn back around yet, so it gave me the opportunity to take a long look at his strong back before replying, the broad muscles smooth and lean even as he took up so much space.

“I was never half-naked with you, just half-naked behind you.” I rolled my eyes, lightly tapping him on the shoulder.

He turned, raising an eyebrow at me. “Okay, Claire, I’m trying to be good here, but it doesn’t help to cover up your hot wet bod if you keep that sexy wet bra on. Marshal Jim Marshall over here may be our very own 007, but you look a hell of a lot like a Bond Girl right now.”

“Shit,” I mumbled, reaching behind me to unhook the bra and then pulled my arms free one at a time, finally pulling the bra out one of the sleeve holes. I felt bare, but he was right, the shirt was already damp, but thankfully didn’t have big gaping wet spots yet.

I looked around for my backpack to put my discarded clothes in, but didn’t see it.

“Sorry, kid,” Jim grunted, bringing my attention back to him again. Damn it. Still too focused on Tall, Dark, and Bad to pay attention to my surroundings. “Your boyfriend lost them when he grabbed that coat. It was a good decision, good instinct choosing survival over supplies, but they’re probably gone for good now. Speaking of which, do you want to just stay naked in here, Will, or are you gonna get dressed any time soon?”

Will crossed his arms over his bare chest, bringing both of our attention to the fact that his chest wasn’t actually bare. We left the precinct in such a hurry that he still had audio recording equipment taped to his chest. Could that be how they found us? Who was listening on the other end?

“Is that on?” I whispered.

He met my eyes and then we both looked to Jim.

“No. We never turned it on, so it shouldn’t be transmitting.” But he still looked uncomfortable.

“Are you sure?” Will asked, fingering the edge of the tape.

Jim paused. “No.”

Will started clawing at the tape and I rushed forward to help, nails scraping against his chest and abs as we fought to free the wires from his body. Together we followed the cord down until Will put his hand over mine to stop me. “I got it from here. The recorder is clipped to the inside of my boxers.”

I dropped the wire like a hot potato, letting him unbutton his jeans and reach in to detach the device. He handed the pieces over to Jim, who dropped them on the floor, crushing everything beneath his heavy work boots.

Jim looked up at us with a satisfied gleam in his eyes. “If they managed to tap in and found us through that wire, we should be good now.”

I nodded, accepting his words even if I still had the heebie-jeebies. Sure, it was all audio, but I didn’t like the idea of being recorded, especially when I was just half-naked. Will looked over to me with a concerned look in his eyes, almost like he could read my mind. He picked the coat he stole off the floor, pulling it over his shoulders and buttoning it up.

That’s right,I remembered. He stole that coat.

Like a thief.

Because he was a criminal.

Anything else he said or did wasn’t important. It didn’t matter if he had gentle hands or a sexy bod when his first instinct would always be to break the law, to do the wrong thing. A man like that could never be trusted.

nine

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