Page 20 of Seizing Mack
Chapter Nine
~ Nick ~
Nick sat in the parkinglot ofSeize, second-guessing his motives. He could say that he wanted to talk to Mack about possibly getting involved with her teen center, since many adult drug problems had their roots in those formative years. It would be the truth.
Or he could just admit he wanted to see Mack again.
He couldn’t help it. Something about her had piqued his interest, kept her popping up in his thoughts despite everything else he had going on.
Complicated, that’s what she was. Hard to read. Friendly, but distant. Confident, yet wary. Sexy, yet down-to-earth. Even more intriguing: beneath all that beauty and strength, was a woman with a lot of secrets, he’d bet his shield on it.
Nick grabbed his workout bag out of the back seat and locked up his car. Still questioning the wisdom of his actions, Nick couldn’t deny the frisson of pleasure he felt at the sight of Mack at the front desk, eyes narrowed, cheeks colored. Just like the first time he’d seen her, her shoulders were tense and she was muttering to herself.
“Fucking unbelievable. I mean, how hard is it? Answer the phone. Press a few keys...”
Sensing his presence, Mack cut off her barely audible tirade and glanced up. Her eyes flashed with heat, sparking his own before her expression went oddly neutral. “Detective Benning.”
“Nick,” he corrected, trying to hide his grin. “Problems?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
“I don’t doubt it. Do you have a few minutes? There’s something I’d like to speak with you about.”
She studied him carefully, her guard back in place. “Sure. Hey Toni, can you cover the front desk for a few?”
An attractive woman nodded and waved goodbye to a group of middle-aged women in track suits and yoga pants on their way out. “Good job, ladies. Rest up. Next time we’re going to incorporate some piloxing into our routine.” She laughed at the resulting groans and stepped over, offering him a friendly smile. “New guy, right?”
“Right.”
“Toni, Nick Benning. Nick, Toni Carminetti, body sculptor extraordinaire.”
The woman’s eyes twinkled. “Always glad to see a member of Covendale’s finest atSeize.” She turned to the computer, her brows drawing together at whatever she saw on the screen. “Oh my. What happened there?”
“Deehappened,” Mack said on an exhale. “Do me a favor, will you? When Bill’s done with his workout, can you ask him to take a look at this?”
“On it, boss.”
“Thanks, Toni.” She waved to Nick, inviting him to follow her into her office. “So... what did you want to talk to me about? Are you having any problems or issues?”
The leggy blonde who’d been skulking around came to mind, but he kept his mouth shut. “Just the opposite, actually. This place is great.”
“Glad to hear it,” Mack said. Was he imagining it, or did she seem relieved?
“I wanted to speak with you about this safe zone you’ve created for teens.”
Her eyes opened wide. “Oh?”
“It’s great that you give them a place to go, positive things to do.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. I’d like to help.”
“What did you have in mind?”
Wholly inappropriate ideas popped into his mind, ideas that had nothing whatsoever to do with the teen program and everything to do with the woman asking. He confined his response to the topic at hand. “Adolescence is a turbulent time for kids. It’s when they’re at their most vulnerable. They’re still trying to figure everything out and not all of them have someone to help them with the answers. I’ve found that getting involved at this stage builds a positive relationship between kids and law enforcement and encourages trust and open communication.”
Her shoulders tensed and the corners of her mouth dipped southward. “You want to use my kids for information?”
