Willa was staring at me, eyes wide. Shit, if she blew our covers, we were fucked. I could see her wheels spinning.

I dropped my cards on the table, taking myself out of the game. “Why don’t you sit here for a while, honey,” I said, tugging Willa onto my lap.

She didn’t resist, recognizing the lifeline I was throwing.

Van started talking, drawing attention from us. I leaned in, pressing my mouth to her ear. “Play along.”

Her eyes slid around the table and I knew we were being watched. She giggled, a sound I had never heard her make. It was fake as hell, but no one else knew that. Christ, this was a fuck up of epic proportions. What in the hell was she doing here?

I kept her on my lap until the drinks were empty again, until Jethro, the slimy fucker, demanded she refill his glass.

Willa smiled, not doing a great job of hiding her disgust when he touched her ass. I was pretty sure I was failing as well. Van gave me a dark look, warning me to keep my shit together. It wasn’t easy. The guy was a sick fucker, into anything and everything. Which was why we were here. Tomas owed Raul a marker, Raul used it to help us out, to get us in on this game. Jethro and his new partner Donny were trying to move in on Tomas’ territory. Tomas was playing nice with these guys for now, letting them think they had the upper hand. It suited Tomas to let The King Agency, as well as the cops, take them out. Tomas’ hands stayed clean and he kept his territory.

Which was why I was sitting in this room.

And thank fuck I was.

I glanced over at her again. What kind of shit was she in that she’d ended up in this situation? And who was the little prick she came with? He’d obviously gotten her the gig.

I needed to keep a clear head, but I needed to get Willa back over here with me for that to happen. There was a scraggly-looking plant by the window beside me. Now I just needed to make sure all eyes were off me so I could dump my drink. My moment came a few minutes later when, one of the other men slapped Willa on the ass and she cried out in surprise.

I dumped my drink and lifted my glass. “Over here,” I said.

Her wide eyes darted to me, then she was hustling back my way. I planned on pulling her back in beside me, but then the guy between Van and I got her to take care of him as well. She was closer to Van than me, and I couldn’t do a damned thing when the guy’s hands started toward her hips.

Van reached out and tugged her to him, doing what I had earlier, putting her in his lap. I almost came out of my seat. She looked startled, then I watched him say something to her, and she relaxed some. She had no idea what she’d walked in on, how dangerous these men were.

The game went on late into the night. Van and I trying to do our damn jobs, while doing our best to keep Willa safe. I was already on edge; we needed to take this asshole down. Looking as tense as I felt would set off alarms, but it was hard to keep it tight, especially when my attempts to keep her with me weren’t completely successful.

The festivities were coming to a close. Van had managed to reel Jethro in, a meeting set up between them for the following week. He thought Van was one of Tomas’ suppliers, thought he was sticking it to his competitor right in front of him. Jethro looked smug as hell. He also had Willa pressed against his side, his arm locked around her, hand on her ass, keeping her where he wanted her. She winced when his fingers dug into her flesh, and I’d had more than enough. My chair scraped as I got to my feet.

I felt Van turn to me, the look he gave me, telling me to be cautious.

“Let’s go, honey,” I said to Willa. “You still want a ride on my bike?”

Jethro’s eyes narrowed. “Now hang on a minute…”

This wasn’t how things went down at these games; the girls were expected to go home with Jethro, everyone knew that. Wasn’t happening tonight, though. The case was important, but not at the expense of Willa or any other woman. She was doing a good job hiding it, but Willa was scared shitless, and she had good reason to be.

Willa smiled wide and did a girly squeal, jumping up and down, dislodging the fucker attached to her, and ran around the table, plastering herself to my front. “You mean it?”

Her eyes were locked on mine and I didn’t miss the get-me-the-hell-outta-here behind them or the way she’d fisted my shirt, clinging to me. “I said I would, didn’t I?” I said to her, grabbed my jacket off the back of my chair, then looked at Jethro. “Thanks for the game, you know how to reach me if you want to do business.” He thought I had cartel connections, and I hoped that gave him pause, made him wary of me. I said to the rest of the table, “Gentlemen.”

Van dipped his chin a fraction, letting me know he had this. Since Van and I weren’t supposed to know each other, we’d come separately anyway. Tomas was watching the show, unfazed; hell, he looked like he was enjoying the hell out of it. Prick.

Willa grabbed her bag, and I took her hand, dragging her from the room.

I rushed her down the stairs and out the door. She wasn’t safe until I had her on the back of my bike and out of Jethro’s reach. He could send his goons after her at any moment. My only hope was that he was more interested in my fake cartel ties than Willa.

“Quick,” I gritted out when I reached my bike. “Put this on.”

I handed her my jacket and she quickly slipped it on. The thing was huge on her, swamping her tiny frame, but she didn’t mess around, obviously sensing my urgency. I climbed on and she threw her bag over her head, and slid on behind me.

“Where’s Tilly?” I asked her.

“With Fay for the night.”

Good. I started the bike with a roar, walked it back from between the cars parked on either side of me, and told her to hold on.

The tires spat up gravel as we roared out of the lot and hit the street.

Willa pressed into my back, her arms wound around me, fingers digging into my stomach as I took a tight corner. I felt her relax after a short time, moving with me as we weaved through traffic. Her hand dropped a little and her pinky finger hit the top of my pants. My abs clenched and my cock responded instantly, stirring to life. Having her on my lap all night, despite the shit going on around us, had been pure torture. That sexy round ass of hers felt like it belonged there. Add to that the smell of her skin, her hair…

Shit, everything about her made me crazy, including her smart mouth.

I wasn’t some manwhore, but I wasn’t a monk either. I didn’t have any trouble finding company for the night when I wanted it, but I’d never wanted a woman the way I did Willa. I didn’t know what it was about her; why her giving me shit turned me the fuck on. She was independent and I respected her for it, even when I wanted to shake her for the same reason.

I needed to get a damn handle on it. On the way I felt about her. I wanted to help her out with whatever trouble she was in, and I sure as hell wasn’t opposed to spending some quality time with her between the sheets. And I knew she was right there with me. Things were getting complicated, which meant I had to be careful because, beyond that? Well, relationships, commitment, they weren’t for me.

I shut down those thoughts before I could go too deep, and took the last corner.

The house I’d bought, the one I’d intended for my sister and nephew, came into view. The light by the front door had been left on, and I had to shake off the memory of my sister smiling at me when I unlocked that door and told her the house was hers. I sure as hell didn’t need to go there tonight.

I pulled to a stop out front, and shut off my bike.

Willa’s hands slipped away and she climbed off. “Thanks for the ride home,” she said, like that was the end of it. Like she could just walk away and I’d forget that whole shit-show never happened.

I stared at her.

She stared back, then she bit her lip.

My cock twitched.

She blew out a breath and forced a little laugh. “Jack, huh? God, I had no idea you’d be there. That was kinda crazy tonight, right? Are you working some undercover case?”

She was trying to play it cool. I didn’t buy it, not one bit. I dipped my chin and didn’t look away, waiting of her to explain what the fuck she was doing there tonight.

She tucked a strand of pale pink hair behind her ear. “I’m pretty sure no one…um, realized we knew each other. So, your case or whatever, won’t be compromised?”

I kicked down the bike stand, the leather seat creaking as I swung my leg over the back. “Nah, they had no clue. You’re a good actress…”

She smiled.

“But not good enough to fool me.”

The smile wavered and she shifted from foot to foot. “What are you talking about?”

“You gonna stop the bullshit and tell me what you were doing there tonight? Or how about, who that little fucker was who delivered you like a lamb to the slaughter?”

She opened her mouth.

“You feed me anymore lies, and we’ll have a serious problem,” I gritted out.

Her spine straightened, chin lifting. “I wasn’t planning on it, seeing as it’s none of your damn business.”

“Is that right?”

She held her ground. The woman was tough, brave, but she also wasn’t stupid. She had to know she was danger tonight. She just didn’t know how much.

“I was fine,” she said, losing some of the steel in her voice, telling me I was right.

“You have any idea who those men were?” I asked.

Her delicate jaw tightened and she reluctantly shook her head.

“Drug runners, weapons dealers, pimps, murderers,” I said, so much gravel in my voice I barely recognized it. “You want to know what would have happened to you if Van and I hadn’t been there?”

Her eyes had widened, but she kept her mouth clamped shut.

“Jethro likes a girl at every game, likes some eye candy while he’s playing, making deals, then he takes them home, sometimes he keeps them a night, sometimes longer. None of them leave unscathed. They usually end up in hospital after he’s finished doing the sadistic shit that gets him off.”

She grabbed for the handlebar of my bike to steady herself. “How…how do you know that?”

“We’re working with one of those women, she’s giving us intel, shit she learned during her four-day stay in hell with Jethro.”

“Oh…”

“Yeah. Now, do you want to tell me who that fucker was who handpicked you to be that sick fuck’s next victim? ’Cause I’d like to have a word with him.”

“I don’t…he’s um…a friend of a friend. I just…” Her bottom lip quivered. I could see her mind ticking over, trying to decide what to tell me. “I needed the money,” she blurted. “To um…pay you back, get on top of things, you know?”

She wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“Your friend set you up,” I said.

She just stood there, head turned, not looking at me, not giving me a damn thing, not saying a damn thing.

I planted my hands on my hips. “Christ, Willa, what the fuck are you hiding?”

Finally, she looked at me, expression blank. “Nothing. I’m not hiding anything.” She took a step closer, eating up the distance between us, until her tits pressed against my chest. “I made a mistake.” Her hands slid around my waist, pressing in even closer. “I’m sorry that I put you in that situation, that I put your case at risk. I won’t do anything so stupid again.”

She looked up at me, beautiful eyes earnest, wide mouth soft and pink, lower lip glistening from her licking it a second ago.

“Willa…”

“Do you forgive me?” she said softly, a little rasp to her voice.

The woman scrambled my brain; I was suddenly having trouble thinking straight with her pressed up against me like that.

“I’m not done talking about this,” I forced past my tight vocal cords.

“Oh, me either,” she said, nodding her agreement. “But I thought we might do some kissing first. That ride on your bike…”

I had to clear my throat. “Yeah?”

“I liked it.” She smirked. “A lot.”

That subtle twist of her lips was sexy as hell.

She jumped suddenly, giving me no choice but to catch her, and wrapped her arms around my neck, her thighs straddling my hips. She pressed her mouth to mine, and gave me a sucking kiss, then flicked my lips with her tongue, making me groan. I felt that flick on the head of my cock.

“The other night”—another flick of that sweet fucking tongue—“you got me off so good, but you were left hard and wanting. It’s your turn, Jude,” she said, and ground her hips against mine, rubbing herself on my now aching hard-on.

I squeezed her ass, carrying her to the shadows of the stairs. “Now, you’re trying to distract me.”

“Is it working?” she said.

“What do you think?”

She chuckled against my lips and the sound—the brush of her warm breath, the catch in the back of her throat—was so hot, so fucking sexy, my balls drew up tight. “You’ve got me desperate to fuck you, Willa, no doubt. But I’m not some teenage asshole who can’t keep his shit tight. We aren’t done talking about this.”

“There’s nothing more to talk about,” she said, thrusting her fingers in my hair, mouth going to my ear, sucking on my earlobe.

My gut tightened.

Her tiny as hell dress was up around her hips and I slid my hands under it, against her smooth thighs, gripping her ass more firmly over her panties. Then did what I had the other night, and slid her hot pussy over my hard cock.

She gasped against my ear.

“I don’t believe you,” I said, giving her ass another squeeze.

“Well, that’s too bad,” she said, lifting her head. “I’m not really sure what you want me to say?”

“The truth,” I said.

She stared at me, head tilting to the side slightly. “And what makes you think you have the right to get that from me?” Her thumb slid along my jaw, my beard, as she said that. There was no anger in her voice. I didn’t know what this was, but I didn’t like it. “I have things under control. I don’t need you to save me.” She gave me another of those drugging kisses, then lifted her head again. “I want you to fuck me, Jude. It’s been a while for me, and I have a feeling you’d give it to me the way I like it, but other than that, you need to take a step back.”

My brows lowered. I’d never suffered from such an extreme mix of horny and furious in my life. “What did you say?”

“You heard me. I want you to back off. Thanks for tonight, I appreciate what you did. You saved my ass and we both know it. I’ll be more careful from now on, but I told you, I’m not in the market for a white knight. You’re applying for a position that doesn’t exist.” She did another sexy roll of her hips. “So, either fuck me, or get back on your bike and leave.”

We stared at each other for long seconds, and I knew I wasn’t doing a great job of hiding my shock; I could see it in her eyes. “You’re serious?” I said finally.

She dipped her stubborn chin. “I wouldn’t say it unless I was.”

“You’re making a mistake, Willa.”

Her hands dropped to my shoulders. “That’s your opinion, which means it has nothing to do with me.”

Christ. “Willa…”

“Put me down,” she said, voice even, emotionless. “Now.”

Reluctantly, I did what she asked. “I think you’re afraid of something, of someone…”

“You’re wrong,” she said, taking a step back, putting more distance between us.

I cursed, fought to keep calm. “I know what that kind of fear looks like, Willa, I know it better than I ever wanted to. I know what secrets and that kind of terror can do, the wreckage it can cause. I don’t want to see you get hurt. I don’t want to see another…” I cleared my throat, swallowing down the words I’d almost said. “You can trust me.”

She crossed her arms. “I want you to leave.”

Fuck.

I didn’t want to go anywhere, but what else could I do? You could pick her up, carry her to her bed, and work that tight little body until she begs you to make her come, bounce her on your cock until she spills all her secrets. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea. I took a step toward her and her eyes widened, her throat working.

“Jude?”

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m choosing option one.” I’d lost my mind, but there was no way in hell I was walking away—from whatever trouble she was in, from her—not yet.

“Option one?”

“You said I should either fuck you, or leave. I choose fucking.”

Her eyes widened, tongue darting out to moisten her lips.

“Come here,” I said, desperately trying to hang on to my control.

She took an unsteady step toward me…

“Willa, that you out there?”

We both turned at the sound of Fay’s voice, her words cutting through the night, through the crackling tension.

Fay stood on her porch, Tilly at her side.

I turned back to Willa and made sure she saw the truth in my eyes.

This wasn’t over.