Page 49 of Ace of Spades
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“What?” Nate shifted his gaze to his brother.
“Where the hell’s your mind?” Court sighed. “You haven’t heard a word I said.”
His mind was on Taylor. Where else would it be after having her stare into his eyes, asking if she was allowed to notice them? After experiencing his first-ever streak of jealousy—an emotion he’d never expected to feel in his lifetime—because she apparently had it in her to appreciate a man, or men in this case, who wasn’t him. They were surrounded daily by men, other agents, and she’d never once indicated that she thought their eyes were sexy.
Court snapped his fingers in front of Nate’s face. “Yo, dude, what’s wrong with you? You’re spacey. You’re never spacey.”
“You think my eyes are sexy?” Hell! Did that really come out of his mouth? “You say one word right now, I’m going to put you on your ass.”
His douchebag brother’s lips twitched, then furiously twitched. Then laughter burst out of his mouth. He laughed so hard that his face turned red and tears rolled down his eyes. Nate considered the ways he could get away with fratricide.
“What’s so funny?” Alex said, walking into the Aces & Eights office.
“Nothing,” Nate said, shooting Court an I’m-going-to-kill-you-if-you-open-your-mouth glare.
“Didn’t you once tell me you thought our big brother had sexy eyes?” Court said, between gasps.
Alex dropped onto the opposite end of the couch from Court. “I did?”
“You’re a walking dead man,” Nate said to Court.
Court grinned. “Probably, but I’ll go out knowing I’ve never been more entertained.”
“Asshole,” Nate growled, which sent his idiot brother into more laughter.
“Feeling like I walked in on the end of a movie here.” Alex darted glances between him and Court. “One of you needs to share before I decide to make you.”
“Since Alex could put both of us on our backs without half trying, I’ll—”
“Shut the hell up, Court.” Nate pushed his chair away from the desk. “I’m out of here for the night. You two can close up.” He picked up the plastic bag filled with water he’d set under the desk earlier.
“What’s up with the fish?” Alex asked.
Nate walked out without answering. Court would tell Alex why he’d been laughing, which only proved why Nate rarely shared. Swear to God, he loved his brothers, but sometimes he was positive their development had hit a snag somewhere in their teens. The stupidest, most juvenile things amused them.
The door hadn’t yet closed behind him when he heard Alex’s belly laugh. Nate shook his head with a sigh. He’d be hearing about sexy eyes for the next month. He couldn’t stop a smile. Dumbass brothers. He reached the door to the garage behind Aces & Eights before remembering that he’d walked out without getting Court’s update on his researchinto murders with a similar M.O. Letting out a long sigh, he did an about-face, heading back to Comedy Central.
“I wasn’t expecting you,” Taylor said after opening her door, wearing nothing more than a pair of boxer shorts and a cropped T-shirt. She peered out at the parking lot. “Is Rand still out there?”
Nate’s mouth dried up, his eyes automatically sliding to her little silver belly-button ring. She was the queen of his best dreams. And he had dreamed of her, often and erotically. Before their night together, it had only been his imagination fueling the dreams. After that night, after he’d mapped her body with his eyes, his hands, his mouth, his tongue ... Eff him. He hadn’t been able to think straight since the best night of his life.
“Earth to Nate.” She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes. “Is Rand still here?”
People really needed to stop snapping their fingers in his face. He tore his gaze away from her stomach and that sexy-as-all-get-out belly ring, clearing his throat so he could talk. This woman was his heaven and his hell.
“Rand? No. I sent him home. You know we’ve been keeping an eye on you?” Taylor snorted, then walked back into her apartment. Since she’d left the door open, Nate took that as an invitation to come in.
“You want a ...” Her gaze fell to the plastic bag he held. “What’s that?”
He held it up, eyeing the contents. “A fish?”
“I know it’s a fish. What are you doing with it?”
“It’s for you.” He held out the bag. “I know you miss Henry, so I brought you another Henry.” Why was she blinking her eyes so hard?
“Sometimes I don’t know what to do with you, Nate Gentry.” She took the bag from him.
