When Shane and Max entered the kitchen area, Maxine started talking, waving her rainbow-colored dildo in the air.
“Did you send my supplies overnight express?”
Shane and Max turned toward her and their brows rose.
“What the fuck is she up to now?” Max asked.
Jenn, who obviously had practice deceiving men, mumbled without looking up, “She’s having a toy party at her friend Helen’s house. Apparently, there is a shortage of good vibrators in the Gunnison area.”
“Christ,” Max sighed, narrowing his eyes on Shane when he chuckled and slapped him on the shoulder.
“The girls are gonna help me with the party since it’s short notice,” Maxine lied into her phone.
Shane turned and looked at me. “Is this a poker party?” he asked suspiciously.
“No. Just catalogs and refreshments,” I lied.
“When?” Max asked Mia
“Tonight. It’s the only night Helen had free.”
Jack walked in then, carrying a twin under each arm like a sack of flour.
“What’s tonight?” he asked.
“Maxine’s having an impromptu Passion Princess party at Helen’s house and the girls and I said we’d help out,” Jenn answered, not looking up from the notes she was writing.
“Christ,” Jack sighed, then looked at Max and Shane. “I’m guessing neither of you wants to spend the evening looking at rubber cocks?”
Horror was written across both men’s faces.
“Right,” Jack guffawed. “Then you might as well ride along with me while they’re out.”
Max and Shane jerked their heads in acceptance, looking relieved at the invitation.
Jack dropped Keller and Kaiden on their feet, then leaned over and whispered in their ears. Both boys smiled at their father, nodding, then gave him a hug, saying, “Love you too, Daddy.”
Rising, Jack looked at his watch and said, “We need to leave,” so I stood and walked Shane to the door while Max and Jack said good-bye to their wives.
“Use your head today,” Shane ordered, grabbing my hand and pulling me closer. “I doubt Heller can get out of Alaska, let alone find us here, but if he does, it won’t be for a few days.”
“I will. I promise.”
“That’s my girl.” Raising my hand to his mouth, Shane teased my palm with an open-mouthed kiss, his eyes locked with mine as he did. Heat swept up my neck and settled on my cheeks when his tongue darted out and flicked my palm, reminding me how he’d woken me. My knees weakened from the memory, so I leaned against his hard body and shuddered. He felt it, and his knowing grin turned into a chuckle as he kissed the top of my head.
“Let’s roll,” Jack threw out as he opened the door, so I stepped back from Shane. He winked, then brushed a kiss across my mouth before he followed Max out the door.
When it closed behind them, I turned to the room and grinned at how easily we’d pulled that off.
“That was easier than I thought it would be.”
“Like I said, piece of cake,'” Maxine snickered.
“Who’s ready to hunt ghosts?” Mia asked.
“You grab a pen and I’ll get the computer. We need to google exactly what to do if we see one of these suckers,” Jenn said.
“What to do?” I questioned. “I’m pretty sure a sane person would run.”
“Probably,” Maxine answered, “But since when was sane fun?”
Eleven
Good for the Goose
Good for the Gander
“Does this guy look like FBI to you?” Max mumbled.
Shane shook his head slowly as he took in the agent.
He was mid-thirties, dressed in faded jeans, an Oklahoma Sooners hoodie rather than the standard issue black suit, and his hair was longer than the standard issue FBI cut as well. He was tall, built, and based on the way the female Deputy was open-mouthed staring, a good-looking man.
“My confidence in the FBI was just downgraded,” Shane answered.
“Jack says he’s solid,” Max threw out.
“He’s too much of a pretty boy—”
“To be working with Sage?”
Shane grunted. “Or Mia.”
Jack indicated both Shane and Max as he spoke. When the agent looked toward them both, he jerked his chin in acknowledgment before he and Jack made their way over.
“Max. Shane. This is Special Agent Dane Parker.”
Parker stuck out his hand and shook both of theirs. Green eyes, which had seemed laid back at first, grew sharper, more lethal as he took in both men, and Shane relaxed. Parker’s hard expression told him all he needed to know about the man—he was deadly serious about catching Heller.
“Jack brought me up to speed. My team is ready to fly to Alaska the minute we’re done here.”