Stealing His Heart(6)

Jake stretched his arm high over his head, what he wanted to do warring with what he knew he had to do. His shirt rode up a little bit. Immediately, her attention dipped south, but then she forced it back to his face. She scowled at him, but he’d swear there was still a hint of desire behind the hatred. Interesting.

“If she doesn’t help, then she has to go in?” he asked, for her benefit.

“Yeah…I just said that. Why are you repeating everything I say?” Cooper paused. “Oh. I see what you’re doing. Dragging it out to see if she changes her mind?” Cooper chuckled. “Good luck with that. From what I read in her file, you’ll need it. Are you doing okay with the intake, even with your past?”

“Yep. I’ve got it.” He nodded once. “I’ll cuff her and make sure she—”

Tara threw her hands up, trembling slightly. “Fine. I’ll help you, you traitorous, arrogant, jerk of a man. God, I hate you.”

Jake’s grip tightened on his phone. Victory was his. He’d known he would win this battle, but it didn’t make it any less sweet. Or any less hard. “Never mind. She’s agreed to help us.”

“Good,” Cooper said, amusement in his voice. “Oh. And watch your back.”

He cut off the line and studied her. She was breathing heavily, lids lowered into narrow slits. Did she still carry a weapon on her? Fuck, he hoped not. If so, she might stab him in the heart at the first chance she got. Maybe he should conduct a strip search, just to be safe. He ground his teeth together at the need that thought brought out in him.

Never mind. That would be a bad idea. Anything that involved touching her would be a bad idea. “I’m sorry it had to be this way, but—”

“Sorry?” She cocked her fist back and took a swing. He barely had enough warning to leap away. “I’ll show you sorry.”

This time when she went after him again, he was ready. He caught her wrist and pulled her into his arms. He pressed her against the wall, much as he had before, but this time she faced him. Big. Mistake. She glowered at him and tried to squirm free. Her body writhed against every inch of his, connecting in all the right places, and he swallowed a groan.

So much for not touching her.

Her breasts rose and fell with each harsh breath she took, and her eyes spit fire at him. He knew if he let her go, she’d more likely punch him than kiss him.

But he didn’t give a damn.

He still wanted her.

She tugged against his hold, shoving her tits against him harder. He squished her between his chest and the wall, leaving no free room between them whatsoever. “You done fighting me yet?”

“Argh.” She flung her head back and scowled at him. “Let go of me you…you…”

“Need some help?” He lowered his face to hers. “Asshole? Jerk? Fuckwad?”

Her cheeks flushed, and she locked gazes with him. The air between them became charged with desire. Her pupils flared, and she bit down on her tongue. “All of those.”

“Ah. Awesome. Glad we got that straightened out. Are you done trying to teach me a lesson yet?” he drawled.

She tossed her head back, effectively getting her wavy brown hair out of her sparkling blue eyes. Her cheeks were flushed, and her hair wild. “Are you done shoving me up against walls for no apparent reason…unless you’re intending to take advantage of me? Is that what your next move is going to be? Seduce me into submission?”

She had no idea how strong of an effect her words had on him. For a second, he had the unbearable desire to kiss her. To find out if her eyes still shone that bright when she was moaning beneath him, begging him for release. To see if she still made that little sound in the back of her throat when she came.

The sound that had haunted him for years.

The hardest thing he’d ever done was walk away from her, but it had been for the best. She hadn’t known what she was getting herself into when she’d kissed him back. She deserved so much more than he could give her. She should be with a prince—not a guy like him.

He forced a snort. “I have no intention of taking advantage of you…in that way. I’m only interested in your brain, and how you can help me get my job done.”

Fucking liar.

“It’s all you’ve ever been interested in, it seems,” she muttered under her breath.

“Excuse me?” he asked, amusement creeping into him for the first time in…Christ. He didn’t know how long. “I didn’t quite get that.”

“I asked you if you ever do anything for fun? Or are you too busy bribing women, and protecting assholes all the time, to do something that’s not one hundred percent for work?”