The answer didnt really matter, not when Dean was coming to understand, and appreciate, that this womans attire and realistic props were all part of some kind of law enforcement costume. One shed most likely remove, piece by piece, until that luscious body was completely exposed for his eyes only. Shed said herself that she was his personal escorta new, politically correct title for a stripper, he was guessingsent for his pleasure and entertainment.
And he planned to cooperate.
He had no place more important to be at the moment, and his vacation could wait a few more minutes in view of the fun this gorgeous woman promised. Hed made a vow to lighten up and take life less seriously, to recapture some of the fun and spontaneity hed enjoyed before his fathers death. What could be more frivolous than playing along with her skit and enjoying the show?
She peered through the rear window to the back seat, taking in the items hed packed for his trip, then slanted him a challenging look. Going somewhere?
Hed go wherever she led him. Giving her his most charming, persuasive smile, he tossed out a dare of his own. Well, now, that all depends on what you have in mind, sweetheart.
A slow, reciprocating smile curved her mouth. I think you know exactly what I have in mind. Dont make any sudden moves, do exactly as I say, and well get along just fine.
Her voice was smooth, but her words were firm and commanding. Too curious to see what she intended, he held up his hands in supplication. Youve got my full cooperation.
Thats good to hear, because your cooperation will make what Ive got to do much easier for the both of us. The barrel of her toy shotgun gestured him toward the back of the vehicle, closer to where she stood. Put your hands on the trunk of the car, keep them there, and spread your legs.
His brows shot upward in surprise, but he did as she ordered. Hed expected a striptease, nothing more, but who was he to put a crimp into her presentation? Pocketing his keys, he assumed the position.
He glanced over his shoulder at her, enjoying the kind of lighthearted, playful moment so reminiscent of the wild past hed left behind. I take it this is where I get frisked? he asked, attempting to inject a bit of teasing between them.
She moved behind him, bringing with her a subtle scent of something soft and feminine. Ahh, been through this before, have you? Her voice held a slight cynical edge that added to the realism of her act.
Actually, no, he replied with a grin. But I guess theres a first time for everything.
Pressing a hand against the center of his back, she holstered her shotgun in a leather loop on her belt. Its a standard search, Mr. Colter, just to be sure you arent carrying any concealed weapons.
That all depends on what kind of concealed weapon youre searching for. Its your show, he drawled, And Im all yours, to do with as you please.
She uttered a soft snort of laughter that stirred the hair at the back of his neck and sent a pleasurable shiver down his spine. With a booted foot tucked against his sneakered one, she widened his stance even more, then skimmed her slender hands along his shoulders and under his arms. She leaned closer to sweep her palms over his chest and abdomen, causing the lush fullness of her breasts to brush his back and her hips to graze his. Heat pooled in his groin and ignited like wildfire wherever she touched.
And she touched him everywhere. Impersonal, yet intimate at the same time. Her fingers dipped into the waistband of his jeans and followed the circumference around to his back where her splayed hands dragged over his back pockets. The curve of his buttocks received equal treatment, and then her thumbs followed the crease between his thighs.
He sucked in a quick breath as the tips of her fingers grazed very masculine territory. But the tantalizing caress didnt last longjust fleeting enough to tempt and tease and arouse. She continued on, those capable hands traveling down the outside length of his legs, then she squatted to pat around his ankles and smooth her palms back up the inseam of his pants, all the way to the crotch of his jeans.
And still, she wasnt done with her shameless exploration. Her hands slid around to the front of his thighs, checking the contents of his pockets through denim by grasping the material. She came into contact with his keys and loose change, and moved toward the fly of his jeans.
Every molecule in his body tensed, including that inherently male part of him she was about to frisk. He felt compelled to issue a warning. If youre not careful, sweetheart, youre gonna end up finding the only concealed weapon Ive got on me.
Luckily for you Im trained in handling fire-arms. Her sultry voice, laced with wry humor, drifted into his ear from behind him. And I havent had one accidentally discharge on me yet. She proved her claim by handling him gently and efficiently, finishing her search with quick precision.
An amused chuckle rumbled up from Deans chest. Not only was Jo Sommers gorgeous and sexy, but she was witty and sassy, too. Obviously, Brett had known she was exactly what he needed to alleviate the stress and seriousness that had consumed his life for too long.
She grasped his left hand from the car and brought it behind his back. Before he could ask what she meant to do, he felt cool metal encircle his wrist and snap tight. She repeated the process with his other hand, restricting both of his arms with those handcuffs hed seen earlier.
Then she turned him around to face her, and he wriggled his wrists to see if theyd pop free from the toy handcuffs, only to discover that the metal shackles were the real thing. He came to the immediate conclusion that he didnt like being restrained, even if it was part of this strippers routine.
You know, there really is no need for the cuffs, he said with a flirtatious grin. I surrender willingly.
She gave him an assessing, head-to-toe glance. You seem like a really nice guy, and youve been more cooperative than most, but I dont take chances with anyone. This is standard procedure.
Her words didnt make sense. With her warm fingers firmly grasping his elbow, she ushered him out of the garage and down the driveway toward the black Suburban that waited at the curb. A pleasant afternoon breeze riffled through his hair, contrasting with the unease trickling through him.
Had he misjudged this entire situation?
He was beginning to suspect he had, yet he couldnt figure out her angle. If she was a stripper, she should have been down to a G-string and a come-hither smile by now.
Mind me asking where were going? he asked, displaying a casualness he didnt completely feel.
She didnt slow her long-legged stride, her silky ponytail bouncing against her shoulders with each determined step. You know exactly where were going.
No, I dont.
She didnt seem inclined to believe him or answer his original question. Reaching the passenger side of the vehicle, she opened the door. With a hand on top of his head and her body crowding his in a very stalwart manner, she assisted him into the seat. He slipped inside and sat there for a few seconds, too dumbfounded and confused to do otherwise.
What the hell was going on?
She grabbed the seat belt and leaned over him, dragging the nylon strap across his lap to click it into place by his hip, her movements quick and economical. Too late, he realized how defenseless he was with his hands manacled behind his back, how completely at this womans mercy he was. Normally, that wouldnt be a cause for concern, but he was rapidly coming to understand that this scenario wasnt the fun and games hed originally thought Brett had sent his way.
She grabbed the seat belt and leaned over him, dragging the nylon strap across his lap to click it into place by his hip, her movements quick and economical. Too late, he realized how defenseless he was with his hands manacled behind his back, how completely at this womans mercy he was. Normally, that wouldnt be a cause for concern, but he was rapidly coming to understand that this scenario wasnt the fun and games hed originally thought Brett had sent his way.
His gut churned with apprehension as he stared into her brilliant blue eyes. Up close, he could see the rich gold that rimmed her irises. Youre not a stripper, are you?
She braced a hand on the doorframe, a delicately arched brow winging upward. Did you hire a stripper?
Irritation shot through him. No. He winced at the unintentional bite to his voice, but couldnt deny he was suddenly on edge. My birthday is next week, on Friday, and I thought a friend of mine might have sent you.
She laughed lightly, his wrong assumption obviously a source of entertainment for her. Im sorry to disappoint you and spoil your birthday plans, but all my clothes are staying in place.
What a shame. Then what do you want with me?
Crossing her arms over her chest, she stared at him for a long moment, scrutinizing him with a penetrating stare. Im a bail recovery agent, Mr. Colter, she finally said. And Im taking you back to San Francisco to stand trial for grand theft auto.
His mouth fell open, then snapped shut again, jarring his teeth with the impact. Grand theft auto? he repeated, unable to keep the high-pitched incredulity from his voice. His mind grappled with the concept of this sensual, slender woman being a bounty hunter, and him the fugitive, but the notion was too ridiculous to comprehend.
It would have been a nice sexual fantasy, if the reality of his predicament wasnt so damned unnerving.
He took a deep calming breath and tried to keep his perspective on the situation. I swear I have no idea what youre talking about.
She gave him a placating look as she withdrew the shotgun from its sheath on her belt. Sure you dont.
This time, Dean found her weapon much more intimidating than the toy gun hed originally assumed she carried for the act that wasnt an act. That toy couldve blown a hole straight through him.
Christ, she was carting him off to jail! The realization made his stomach cramp. Most likely, hed be spending a night in a cold cell until his lawyers could sort out this mess. Perspiration beaded on his forehead, despite the cool May afternoon. Disbelief warred with more urgent emotionslike making her understand that this was one big, huge mistake.
Lady, youve got the wrong guy, he tried to reason.
Reaching behind his seat, she set the weapon on the floorboard, then straightened and released a sigh laced with impatience. By your own admittance youre Dean Colter, this is the residence Ive got on file for you, and you fit the profile I have with me. She shrugged. Thats all the evidence I need to take you back to San Francisco.
Before he could argue further, she slammed the door on his heated retort and strutted back toward his house, leaving him to wonder how in the hell hed gotten himself into such a mess.
More importantly, how was he going to get out of it?
3
SHED CAUGHT DEAN COLTER just in time. Judging by the camping paraphernalia Jo discovered in his car, she surmised that hed been on the verge of fleeing again. Another ten minutes, and he would have left nothing but a cold trail in his wake.
Yes, success was sweet, indeed.
After executing a quick search of his vehicle, she grabbed his duffle from the back seat, set the bag on the trunk of the car, and unzipped it. She rifled through the contents for weapons, drugs, or anything else illegal she had no desire to transport across two state lines and found nothing but clothes and personal items. The most lethal thing he had on him was a razor for shaving. The front pocket held his wallet, and she flipped it open, inventorying credit cards, cash, and a Washington State drivers license confirming everything she already knew about Dean Colter.
The guy was completely cleanand one of the most accommodating skips shed ever encountered. The beanbag shotgun shed armed herself with had been a formality, not a necessity. There had been no foot chase or struggle, no use of force or violence, just a ridiculously easy capture that made this job, and the cash shed make once she turned in Dean Colter to the authorities, the easiest money shed ever deposited into her savings account.
Of course it had helped tremendously that he believed shed been a stripper sent as a birthday gift, she thought with an amused grin. His guileless assumption explained his flirtatious behavior when shed first arrived, his carefree acquiescence in obeying her orders, and his easy compliance as shed frisked him.
But that in no way explained her own startling reaction to Dean Colter, she thought with a frown as she stuffed his wallet back into the front pocket of his duffle. Shed been professional and sensible during her body searchuntil hed made that playful comment about her finding his only concealed weapon and shed countered with her own cheeky retort.
It had been an automatic reply, one shed regretted as soon as the words had left her mouth. And much to her own chagrin, she hadnt been able to stem the awareness that had flooded her in the aftermath of that careless, shameless rejoinder. Suddenly, patting him down had become more than a professional duty.
The man had a nice bodynot overtly muscular, but athletically built with wide shoulders, toned arms and a lean waist and belly. His thighs had been rock hard, his buttocks nicely rounded and defined. And when her hands had brushed over the fly of his jeans and felt his reaction to her search, she hadnt been able to stop the tide of heat that had suffused her veins and settled in places it had no business settling. Even now, the recollection had the ability to make her pulse pick up its beat.
Get a grip, Sommers. Dean Colter might be good-looking, charming, and likeable despite his recent rap sheet, but shed never lusted over a guy shed taken into custody. Hell, she couldnt remember the last man whod even prompted such instantaneous lust, which made her reckless response to Dean all the more perplexing. He might not be a murderer, but he was a felon nonetheless.
She could only blame her actions and reactions on exhaustion, she reasoned as she checked the entrance to the house to make sure the door was locked. Shed pushed herself to get here before sundown, taking minimal breaks along the drive. Although shed met her goal, shed only gotten five hours of sleep the night before when she was someone who needed a good, solid eightor more. After ten hours on the road today with two more to go, she was not only fatigued, but obviously a little loopy, too.
Or just too damned sexually deprived.
She snorted at that, but suspected there was a kernel of truth in the sentiment. But no matter what her excuse, shed do well to remember that she had a job to accomplishone that had no room for the kind of distraction Dean Colter posed. She needed her guard up and her psyche alert.
Duffle bag in hand, she hit the switch that controlled the garage door, then ran out. The rolling metal panel doors clanged shut behind her seconds after her retreat, and she headed down the driveway to her vehicle, anxious to be on her way again.