Page 37 of Long Arm of the Cowboy

At that moment, the front door banged shut, bringing all their attention to the fiery woman standing on the doorstep.

Clay raked his stare over her and almost swallowed his tongue.

Goddamn.

Over pancakes, Clay hardly registered what she was wearing. He was too focused on her mouth and thinking up a dozen uses for it other than chewing food.

Now that he saw how a pair of tight black pants and an oversized T-shirt knotted tight at the waist—and probably one off the men’s stack—hugged her curves for miles, he swallowed a possessive noise.

“Well, hello,” Julius drawled.

Clay jerked his head around and glare at the man that just seconds before he was happy to have on the case. The way he was gawking at Lark had Clay rethinking his opinion about the man.

Julius and Jennings traded a look that made Clay grind off a warning noise.

It wasn’t a look he liked. Interest. The possibility of a conquest.

He stepped in front of the men, blocking their direct view of Lark. A lot of good that did, because she bounced across the small yard and right up next to Clay.

“Hi. I’m Lark.”

He didn’t miss Julius’s cocked eyebrow or the way Jennings rubbed a knuckle beneath his nose as though wiping away sweat.

Hell, Clay would be mopping up a whole bucketful. Looking at Lark in those tight pants was makinghisfit far too tight.

He quickly made the introductions. “Lark, this is Julius. And Jennings.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Guys, this is Lark. She was tasked with picking up the bomb and delivering it to an address provided on an app. But let’s go inside and discuss it further.”

With a flick of his fingers, he motioned for everybody to go into the cabin. Lark had the dishes drying on a towel next to the sink. For some reason the cozy scene made him think about that kiss on the cheek. He started lifting a hand toward the spot but stopped himself short.

Lark slipped into a seat at the small rectangular table, but the Abel brothers took up positions at each corner of the kitchen, leaning against the counters with arms folded. It was clear the men had worked as guards before, which was at least one point in their favor. After their obvious interest in Lark, they’d already lost several points each in Clay’s view.

Julius gave a nod toward Lark. “We have information to share that may be sensitive.”

She wiggled her bottom on the seat, planting herself more firmly. But that only drew the attention of all three males down on her.

“Lark, why don’t you go into the bedroom?” Clay’s suggestion made her shake her head.

“I’m staying right here. I have a right to know what’s going on. It’s my life that’s been disrupted and my job on the line.Myapartment broken into.”

Two sets of brows shot up at her statement. “What’s this about a break-in?” Jennings asked in a low drawl.

Lark tipped her head. “You guys Southerners?”

They nodded in near tandem, giving Clay the impression these brothers were tight. Cross one, you’d cross them both. Only in this case, he’d be crossing all five Abels.

Jennings’s lips quirked at one side, and Lark returned the smile.

Clay jumped in. “Okay. Lark?”

She did the thing—crossed her legs in that way she wasn’t aware drove men crazy.

“I’m not going anywhere, Clay. I have a right to know everything that you know, since we’re in this together.”

The Abels swung their gazes to him. He stared back at each for a long heartbeat, hoping he conveyed the message that Lark? Was out of bounds.

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