Smitten(13)

Wow, this girl was forward.

Roberta laughed casually. “You rarely get out of bed anyway.” Even her voice was sexy. I bet she had guys constantly clamoring all over her. I loved the way she’d managed to turn the conversation back around on her friend.

Cherise shrugged and looked at me hungrily. “What can I say? I like sleeping in after work . . . and other things.”

“Let’s dance,” Roberta said, reaching for my hand. She dragged me out to the crowded floor. I shot Cherise a grin and followed dutifully after Roberta. Her heels made her significantly taller, but still she was a couple inches shorter than my shoulder.

When she reached a spot big enough for us, she faced me, stepping so close I could feel the heat from our bodies mingling together. She popped up on her tiptoes and spoke in my ear.

“Nice to meet you. Thanks for your help.”

I briefly glanced around to see if anyone was looking at us. I wrapped my arm around her, dragging her the rest of the way against me. “Nice to meet you too. Sorry about the switch-up tonight. Johnson had an emergency.”

“So I heard. It all worked out okay, though. I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

She slipped her arms loosely around my neck, and we began swaying back and forth even though the music was fast, and the heavy beat made the floor vibrate beneath us. We looked like two people who were really into each other, and this made it much easier for us to talk.

“Fill me in on what I need to know—starting with your real age. I have a hard time believing you’re twenty one.” I leaned back and arched an eyebrow at her.

She gave me a wide innocent stare. “That’s what it says on my ID Would you like to see it?”

“I know all about fake IDs and how easy they are to get.” I wasn’t falling for her routine.

She sighed and gave me a slight grimace and a short laugh. “Yeah, I guess you would, wouldn’t you? I’m actually twenty.”

I stared at her again, pursing my lips.

“Okay, okay. I’m nineteen, but I’ll be twenty in four months, and that’s the truth.” She watched me closely, waiting for my reaction.

“I believe you. The first thing you need to know is I have to be able to trust you. We both need to have each other’s backs in case things get dangerous. I don’t want any surprises thrown at me.”

She glanced away before nodding. “All right, but the street goes both ways.”

“I’ll tell you everything I’m able,” I replied seriously.

“What does that mean?” she asked, looking a little put out.

“It means that when it comes to information I get from the department, you’re on a ‘need-to-know’ basis. That’s all I can promise. I won’t compromise the investigation.”

She pondered this for a moment before giving me a slight nod.

“Who is this guy, Roberta? Is he bothering you?” A male voice broke in, and a pair of hands shoved of us apart.

“Calm down, Ripper,” Roberta said, pushing him away and cuddling back up next to me. “I told you I was dating someone new and he was meeting me here tonight. He’s not bothering me.”

Great, I was hoping Roberta would have a chance to fill me in on things better before I came face to face with this guy. I’d have to do my best winging it.

“You looked upset,” Ripper said, glaring at me. He was a couple inches shorter than I was and leanly muscled, his dark hair shaved into a very short buzz cut. He wore a folded, gray bandana around his forehead, and a black t-shirt with skulls that ran from his stomach over his shoulder. I didn’t pay much attention to his baggy pants or shoes, deciding it was wiser to keep my eyes on him while I judged his aggression level.

“She was mad because I told her she should change her top.” I glanced at Roberta appreciatively before turning back. “I mean I love it and all, but I don’t really like the way every guy in the place is ogling her.”

Ripper’s attention was successfully diverted away from me to his sister. “Roberta, what the hell are you wearing? It looks like a damn napkin or something!”

She looked extremely frustrated. “I keep telling you I’m not a little girl anymore. You have no say in what I wear.”

Uh-oh. It seemed as if I’d managed to hit on an already touchy subject.

Ripper stepped closer. “It is when you’re out flaunting the goods for anyone to see. You want to end up in some alley on your back? You’re gonna get labeled a slut by every guy in here.”

I wasn’t sure if Ripper had any idea about how active his sister might be, but I certainly didn’t judge her as an innocent by any standard. She might only be nineteen, but it was obvious, even after a few short minutes, she was used to getting what she wanted when it came to men. I could already tell by the way she handled me.