Part 8 (1/2)
Audra didn't know what to say. She felt the same. Her feelings about Jesse, her reactions to him, were all new to her.
But she'd learned when she was young to guard her emotions, to keep those vulnerabilities to herself. After all, she'd tried that relations.h.i.+p thing once. But then she'd realized that she just didn't have it in her to change enough to make another person happy. Even though Jesse's honesty inspired her to share the same, she couldn't. Maybe that made her defective, or just overly cautious. But she couldn't open her heart. Couldn't let him peek into her soul.
Not out of any sense of privacy. No, Audra could admit to herself it was fear, pure and simple. Fear that if anyone ever saw into her heart, into her soul, they'd find out there was nothing really there.
Instead, she fell back on the tried and true, gave him her s.e.xiest smile and leaned in close. With the softest brush of her lips against his, she whispered, ”If you thought that was good, you ain't seen nothing yet.”
Jesse laughed, and the air cleared of all that heavy emotional expectation. Relieved, Audra winked and gestured to the couch. With a flip of a couple switches, she dimmed the lights and cued the music. A low, bluesy tune wailed softly through the tiny speakers in the corners of the room.
”Get comfy,” she suggested again. She waited until he settled on the couch before she made her way to the dressing area. ”Do me a favor. Think of those outfits you picked out. Try and imagine me in each one. Picture what it will cover, what it will show. How the light will s.h.i.+mmer as it touches my skin. Imagine how the lingerie will look on my body. How it'll feel as you run your hands over it. Over me.”
She watched his eyes dilate, grinned and slipped behind the curtain.
”Be right back.”
JESSE s.h.i.+FTED on the couch, guilt making him wince. d.a.m.n, could he get any lower? A snake would look down on him in contempt, with good reason. on the couch, guilt making him wince. d.a.m.n, could he get any lower? A snake would look down on him in contempt, with good reason.
This kind of thing-a s.e.xy suspect, questionable circ.u.mstances-had been tools of the trade for his father. Diego Martinez'd had a reputation for breaking his cases by using any method at his disposal, especially romancing the ladies.
Because of that, Jesse'd long ago promised himself never be in the position to borrow any pages from his father's book.
So much for promises.
Granted, he wasn't overly experienced with fieldwork or working face-to-face with suspects. But Audra simply didn't seem crooked. She was hot, s.e.xy, sweet as h.e.l.l. She might be aggressive and a little wild, but those things didn't make her a criminal.
Jesse shoved a hand through his hair and sighed. Since he'd already landed in a typical Diego Martinez situation, his father's philosophy was screaming in his head. The more innocent they looked, the guiltier they were. The more innocent they looked, the guiltier they were.
Disgust with himself churned through Jesse's stomach. He didn't want to break the case this way. Audra wasn't a means to an end. Even knowing she was guilty, he was dangerously close to falling into serious l.u.s.t with the woman. Bad business.
On top of that, she knew nothing about the p.o.r.n connection. He'd do better to focus his investigation on Dave Larson. If he left now, he could get home in plenty of time to cruise the online p.o.r.n sites Larson frequented, try and connect with the guy. He had a few other lines he could tug, too. Such as hacking into Larson's computer and finding a trail to his backup system. Jesse knew there had to be a backup system. The trick was to find it.
Either way, there was plenty Jesse could be doing. None of which included the torture of sitting here while Audra got naked behind that curtain. He couldn't even see her bare feet, but just knowing she was on the other side of that flimsy barrier-slipping those jeans down her long, sleek legs, unsnapping that leather bodice to free her lush b.r.e.a.s.t.s-was killing him.
He should skip out now, before she came out and gave life to one of the many fantasies he'd envisioned as he picked out lingerie. He could claim to be sick, to get a call, a forgotten emergency. Anything.
He'd tell her he'd call in a couple weeks. Go solve this case, arrest Larson, break up the Du Bing Li Du Bing Li triad. Maybe by doing so, he could find a way to help Audra out of the criminal organization. triad. Maybe by doing so, he could find a way to help Audra out of the criminal organization.
Jesse stood up. Just as he started to yell to let her know he'd had an emergency and had to run, she flipped aside the curtain.
His breath caught in his throat and his body went from semierect to rock-hard in three seconds flat. G.o.d help him. He couldn't walk away. h.e.l.l, he'd be lucky if he could even even walk, as hard as he was. Standing before him, Audra made him want to weep. Hands down, she was his ultimate fantasy. walk, as hard as he was. Standing before him, Audra made him want to weep. Hands down, she was his ultimate fantasy.
From her red velvet choker to the black satin corset with red lacing up the front, her look screamed wild s.e.x. Golden flesh peeked through the crisscrossed laces, and the red satin ends hung loose, untied. A promise of easy access to the heaven beyond.
The skirt, some sheer material that gave him tempting glimpses of the outline of her legs, flowed to her calves. And beneath it? The one thing guaranteed to send Jesse into a drooling mess of testosterone. Boots. Knee-high, black suede, lace-up-the-front boots.
She'd fluffed her hair, done something to make her skin sparkle in the soft lighting. His gaze followed the glittering trail down her throat, over her collarbone and watched where it sank between her cleavage. He wanted to take that same path with his tongue.
Jesse groaned.
Audra gave him a saucy grin. Pure female confidence, she stepped up onto the platform and pressed a b.u.t.ton on the wall. The music changed from soft blues to the quicker, heavy beat of rock and roll.
Her gaze locked on his, Audra danced the length of the platform.
”You like?”
”I like very much.”
Audra nodded as if she'd expected nothing less. She danced, totally unself-conscious, her moves both s.e.xy and graceful.
”You have good taste. This is one of my favorite outfits. I call it Dominate Me. It's about the edgiest design we carry. It's turned out to be one of our best sellers.”
”I can see why,” he said, his vision glazed with desire. ”You look good enough to make me hand over a whip and ask you to punish me, mistress.”
Audra's brows winged up, a wicked grin curving her full lips.
”I like the way you think. Very s.e.xy. I've never met such a s.e.xy computer geek before.” She sauntered off the platform, her hips swaying in hypnotic time to the rock beat. ”Maybe you can take a look at my PC sometime? It's been acting funky lately.”
”Sure,” Jesse said with quick enthusiasm. It was all he could do to not jump up, grab her by the hand and run from the room. ”We could do that now. Let's go.”
Audra stopped, inches in front of him, and gave him a puzzled look.
”Now? You're kidding, right?”
Jesse's gaze swept the delicious feast of flesh encased in smooth black satin and tried not to groan. h.e.l.l, no, he wasn't kidding. He didn't know how he could stay here and resist touching her. Tasting her. He needed to get out of here, fast.
”Why not? Your computer is here?” Since the tickets to China had been purchased through Simply Sensual it was feasible any connections she had with Davey or Du Bing Li Du Bing Li would be on the company computer. Give him a half hour with that PC and he'd have all the evidence he needed to nail her. He just hoped it was enough to push her into turning evidence on Davey and the gang. would be on the company computer. Give him a half hour with that PC and he'd have all the evidence he needed to nail her. He just hoped it was enough to push her into turning evidence on Davey and the gang.
”Nah, I don't have a personal computer here. Natasha handles all the books and business stuff on one. But I rarely use it. It's better that way. If I started thinking of computers as workhorses, I'd never play with one again.”
She took a step closer, and Jesse almost swallowed his tongue. Just centimeters away, he could feel the heat from her body. He could see the outline of her nipples beneath the midnight satin. Her perfume, something musky and evocative, enveloped him. His mind fogged, and thought dribbled away like water between his fingers.
”My computer is at my place. Maybe we can go look at it later.”
”Later?”
”Mmm-hmm. Later. We're busy right now. After all, you don't want to miss any of the show, now do you?”
AUDRA HELD her breath, waiting for Jesse's response. Her s.e.x appeal on the line, she wasn't sure what she'd do if he said he'd rather check out her computer than her body. her breath, waiting for Jesse's response. Her s.e.x appeal on the line, she wasn't sure what she'd do if he said he'd rather check out her computer than her body.
Any other guy, she'd have flicked him off, sent him on his way at the slightest hint he wasn't totally into her. But Jesse? She couldn't help it, but she was mortally afraid she'd do whatever it took to get him-keep him-interested.
Lucky for her, those gorgeous brown eyes of his glowed with heated interest, and he gave her a slow, sweet smile.
”Show, huh? I did like that dance. You have a way of moving that makes a man want to give thanks.”
”I have a few other moves you might like to see.”