Hard to Fight

“With your mind,” she says with amusement in her voice. “And your body.”

I frown. “My body?”

“Don’t you see? You’re looking at this all wrong. You’re expecting to be able to just go over and drag him in but you can’t do that. Whether you like it or not, you don’t have the physical power to bring a man his size in. So start thinking outside the box.”

She’s piqued my interest. “Go on.…”

“Seduce him.”

I blink. “Excuse me?”

She huffs as if my question is completely unwarranted. “Seduce him.”

I laugh nervously. “Kady, I met him and basically abused him for being a player. Then I told him girls like me never sleep with men like him, and now you’re asking me to approach him and try to make him believe I’m interested?”

“Precisely.”

I close my eyes. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

“What are you going to do, then?” she challenges. “Waltz up to him and order him to come in? He’ll run before you get your damned gun from your purse.”

I laugh. “I know how to use my gun, thank you very much—I’m just not allowed to use it unless it’s life or death.”

“Seriously, Gracie,” she says, softer now. “Think about it. You seduce him, get him interested, then you set him up. You could do something as simple as making him drop you to work one day—and, bam, he’s in.”

She makes a really good point.

“He’s not just going to grow an attraction to me overnight.”

“What?” She giggles. “A man isn’t just going to fall at your feet? Gasp. But seriously, that man was undressing you with his eyes. I don’t think you’ll have a problem.”

I snort. “Shut up—he was not.”

“He was so, and you can do it. I know you can. Just drop the charm on him, and you’ll have him panting.”

It’s actually not a bad idea. It would be an easy way of getting Raide in without alerting him or having to wrestle him. I might be trained, but a man his size wouldn’t be easy to move. Being a bounty hunter isn’t always easy. We have to track down criminals and bring them in for their trials, things like that. It isn’t always a walk in the park, a good deal of them run or attempt to assault us, so we’re always on our feet.

“I’ll think about it, but it is a good plan.”

I hear her clap and squeal. “While you’re at it, get some of that fine ass for yourself.”

“I think that’s against the code.…”

“Not if it’s kept secret.” She’s grinning—I can hear it in her voice.

I laugh, flopping down onto my couch. “You’re a rebel, Kady.”

“I never denied it. Now, go and enjoy the other superhot man in your life.”

“Vance?” I snort.

“Vance is hot,” she sighs.

Ah, Kady and Vance. She sees him, wants him, but he hasn’t yet noticed her, well, if he has he hasn’t said anything.

“Feel free to come over and enjoy him, too.”

She sighs wistfully. “I can’t promise I wouldn’t jump him. It’s too dangerous.”

I smile, shaking my head. “He might not mind.”

“Just put in a good word for me. Tell him I’m saving myself, something sexy that will make him want all this.”

I roll my eyes. “I’ll be sure to do that.”

“Good! Later, girl, and congrats.”

“Thanks, Kady.”

I hang up and lean back against the soft cushions of the couch. Seduce Raide Knox, prove my team wrong, and get the chance to expand my career. It all sounds simple, but I have no doubt whatsoever that it won’t be. Raide is a hard man, and he’s going to think I’m a great big joke when I turn up, trying to seduce him. I can only hope he’s seducible.

Things are about to get interesting.

Chapter Three

“Rush Hour, really?”

I smile over at Vance while balancing a bowl of popcorn and two sodas in my hands.

He purses his lips at me. Vance doesn’t like Rush Hour. I don’t really know what’s wrong with him. It’s only the best movie ever created. I laugh every time, no matter how many times I watch it. Vance, however, has different opinions on the matter, but it doesn’t stop him from joining me.

He can’t help himself.

“You’re lucky I love you,” he mutters, taking a soda from my hands and flopping down onto the couch.

I smirk, dropping down beside him. He looks great tonight in his dark jeans and light blue tee. It’s no wonder Kady is so obsessed. She loves the surfer type, and Vance most certainly looks like he’s that kind of guy.

Only he doesn’t surf.

At all.

In fact, I don’t think he even knows what a surfboard is.

He’s an insult to the surfing world. He would look so damned good on a board.

He scrunches his face up. “Why are you staring at me? It’s freaking me out.”

I laugh, turning away. “I was imagining you and surfboards. It’s an interesting picture.”

He snorts. “I know there’s this sexual tension and—”

I giggle, shoving his shoulder with mine. “Stop it.”

He flashes me that killer smile. “How’s your research on the murderer-slash-assaulter going?”

I frown. “We’re friends, right?”

He narrows his eyes. “No one else would watch Rush Hour four hundred and eighty-nine times with you.”

“It hasn’t been that many.”

He raises his brows. “Forgive me, four hundred and eighty-eight times.”

“You’re awful, but seriously … I could talk to you if, I mean, if I had a problem?”

His eyes grow soft. “You know you could. Is something wrong?”

I hesitate. “Not … exactly.”

“Spill.” He leans back in the chair, twisting just slightly so he’s still watching me.

“What I tell you here, it remains private, right?” I ask, scanning his face for a reaction.

He doesn’t seem fazed. “Of course.”

“Okay,” I say, taking a steady breath. “So the other night, Kady and I were out and I met this man.”

Did Vance just flinch? I’ll pretend I didn’t notice that.

“And?” he grates out.

“And it was Raide Knox.”

His eyes widen and his mouth drops open.

“Before you say anything,” I say quickly. “I didn’t know it was him.”

His eyes bug out even more, and he gasps, “You didn’t fuck him, did you?”

I gasp. “Jesus, Vance, no!”

A deep sigh of relief. “Okay, so you know where he hangs out. That’s a good thing, right?”

“The thing is,” I say, staring down at my hands. “He’s a big man, Vance. Huge, in fact. Like Hercules.” And hot. Superhot.

“You don’t think you can do it.” It’s not a question, but a statement.

“I can do it. It’s just how I have to do it.”

Vance narrows his eyes. “What exactly are you trying to tell me, Gracie?”