Barely Undercover: Legal Heat Book 2(31)

Rex glanced over at Lana. “Tell him you want to be here.”

Lana frowned. Was he delusional? Had she given any indication she was interested in him at all, besides following him down the alley into Carpe Noctem and hiding in his gym locker?

“I’m with Ice.”

Rex’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t have to be afraid of him.”

He was delusional. “I’m with Ice,” she said in a loud, slow voice, emphasizing each word.

James and Rex locked gazes. No one moved. Tension hung thick in the air.

“You gonna fight me over a piece of tail?” Rex unfolded his arms and cracked his knuckles one by one. How lame.

“Last thing I want to do.”

“Last thing you want to do is the last thing you’re gonna do.” With a roar, Rex charged. James met him with a punch to the gut, sending Rex reeling backward. Ryder pulled Lana into a corner, and a few bikers pushed their way into the room, giving James and Rex even less space to maneuver.

Fast, furious, dirty fighting ensued. James moved with economical grace, his moves purposeful and consistently powerful. But Rex absorbed each blow, meeting him punch for punch. Hades’s leader had to be able to defend his position, and he clearly had the skill and strength to put down most of the bikers she’d seen in the clubhouse.

But damn, James could fight. His pecs rippled beneath his shirt with every punch. Biceps twitching, quads tensing, tendons pulsing, he was a vision of an enraged, red-hot alpha male.

Despite the fact he and Rex were doing some serious damage to each other, Lana’s mouth watered and lust, raw and ragged, swept through her bones. Badass biker Ice was even more of a turn-on than dangerous, crusty cop James.

The bikers cheered every time Rex landed a blow, but he tired quickly. His punches became slower. His leg sweeps were always a second too late. For a heartbeat, Lana thought James would win. And then, inexplicably, James dropped his guard.

Taking advantage of James’s exposure, Rex lunged in with a punch that sent James clear across the room. He bounced off a shelf and fell to the floor. Ryder called the fight for Rex and dispersed the crowd. He released Lana and they raced across the room to James.

“You kicked up a shitstorm, darlin’,” Ryder murmured as they knelt down beside a groaning James.

“Didn’t mean to.” She brushed her finger along James’s jaw, prickly with a five o’clock shadow. Her jaw tightened as she took in his closed eyes and the gray pallor of his skin.

“Are you okay? Should I call an ambulance?”

“Just need a minute,” he rasped.

“You’re not looking so good.” Tears prickled the back of her eyes. “I really think you need to go to a hospital.”

“Shhh, babe. I’m okay.” He squeezed her hand and she wiped a rogue tear off her cheek.

Ryder patted her on the back. “He has a hard head. Takes more than a little bump against a shelf to do any serious damage to him. Hell, he once got his head slammed in a car door when he was chasing down some druggie who tried to steal the chrome from Rex’s bike. Didn’t slow him down. Neither did the two-by-four the druggie’s friends beat him with. I actually felt for the druggie when Ice caught him. I think he’s still on crutches.”

Lana shot Ryder a sideways glance. “Ah…thanks for that. I guess I’ll just leave him then and go have a beer until he gets up off the floor. Or maybe I should hit him with a two-by-four first, just for kicks.”

“I’ll go get one.” Chuckling, Ryder left them and went to check on Rex.

James snorted a laugh and Lana frowned. “You better damn well be unconscious after I shed a tear for you. Those tears are hard to come by.”

He opened his eyes and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I was wondering what it would take to get your attention.”

“You had my attention outside. You’re a difficult man to ignore, especially when you’re engaged in a public demonstration of French-kissing and naughty behavior.”

But was it real naughty behavior or was it just for show? The question burned in her brain, but this wasn’t the time to ask. Still, the memory of that kiss sent her heart racing again. How could a kiss like that just be for show? He felt something for her, just as he had accused her of feeling something for him.

“I like naughty behavior,” he murmured, bringing her back from their moment of passion on the patio.

“And I like James not beat up.” She paused and gave him a sultry grin. “Although watching you go all alpha crazy on Rex…knowing you are all sorts of badass dangerous…”