Chapter Four

I nda sat back and let Harper and Aubrey fuss over her. Her emotional state was all over the place, so she appreciated the gesture. Plus, she wasn’t very good when it came to glamming herself up. If it went beyond a simple tube of mascara and smear of lipgloss, she needed guidance. Blending, highlighting and stippling were out of her comfort zone. And when Harper started talking about baking, Inda thought of cookies not powder and concealer.

While Harper applied her makeup, Aubrey curled and styled her hair. Eventually, River showed up and started digging through the closet, trying to find the perfect outfit.

“Is this a real date?” River asked, laying out a few different options on the bed. “And why do you own so many pairs of leggings?”

“They have pockets,” she said, and the girls all smiled. “Plus, when I’m running around the world taking out bad guys, I don’t generally wear a suit.”

She purposely avoided the first question because she honestly had no idea. Lucas didn’t even know her real name. To him, she was merely Leoa Cardosa, his fuckworthy assistant, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. But opening up and allowing him to get to know her true self, the real Inda Diaz, was too scary to even contemplate. If anything made him run, it would be that.

There was a knock on the door and Zane poked his head inside the apartment. “Everyone decent?”

“You wish we weren’t,” River answered smugly.

“Only you, Honeybee.” Zane strolled in, hands stuffed in his pockets, and tossed River a cocky grin as he joined them. The apartment was small and he propped a shoulder against the wall, watching the girls get Inda date-ready. But it was still clear to all of them he only had eyes for River.

Staring at herself in the mirror, Inda took a moment to admire the women’s work. They’d certainly done a good job primping and preening. She’d always been a little self-conscious about the beauty marks dotting her face, but surprisingly, Harper hadn’t covered them up. For some odd reason, the makeup accentuated them and they didn’t actually bother her even though she’d always considered the small marks annoying and not much better than blemishes. As Harper dabbed some red gloss on her lips, Aubrey fluffed her waves. She usually pulled her wild hair back into some semblance of order—a bun or ponytail—but now it was loose and curled.

“All done!” Harper took a step back and admired her work. “You look gorgeous.”

“So pretty,” Aubrey added.

“If this is a real date, Lucas isn’t going to know what hit him,” River added with a sly grin.

Inda never blushed, but she felt her cheeks heat up at their words. She wasn’t used to compliments, and very rarely received any, but she chalked it up to spending most of her time around men who merely saw her as just one of the guys. But not tonight. Tonight she wanted to embrace her femininity. Most importantly, she wanted Lucas to see her as a woman. A very desirable woman.

“You guys did amazing. I feel like Cinderella.”

“Just be home by midnight before you turn back into a pumpkin,” Zane teased, and River punched his arm.

“I’ll turn you into a pumpkin,” she threatened, and he chuckled.

“Don’t forget to wear your pin,” he reminded her.

“I made sure to pick an outfit the pin matches.”

“Thanks, River.”

“Okay, everybody out so our girl can get dressed.” River shooed the others out then turned back to Inda. “Make sure you stop in the common area before you leave so we can see the final transformation.”

Inda nodded then turned to the light, flowy sundress spread out on the bed. It was cute and fun, a frivolous number that would show off her slim legs. After slipping it over her head, Inda dragged a light sweater on and carefully pinned the “L” against her chest. Then she stepped into the rhinestone sandals and took one final look at herself in the mirror. God, she couldn’t remember the last date she’d gone on, nevermind putting this much effort into her appearance. She hoped Lucas liked it. Just thinking about him sent a flutter through her stomach.

Grabbing her purse, Inda left her apartment and headed down the hallway. As she approached the common area, her nerves kicked up as the voices grew louder. Most of her team would be hanging out there and she didn’t want them to make fun of her. In an early attempt to justify her efforts, she’d told them this wasn’t a real date, but another opportunity to dig for intel about Carlisle.

Was she lying to herself or them?

Pausing, she pulled in a deep breath then walked into the room.

A low, appreciative whistle filled the air. “Damn, Bruja,” Ryland said, his cobalt blue eyes raking over her. “Sheridan isn’t going to know what hit him.”

“Isn’t this a conflict of interest?” Gray asked, always the pragmatist.

“How so?” Aubrey asked.

“He’s her boss.”

“Not really, though,” Aubrey reminded him.

“Yeah, it’s not like Carlisle has the hots for her,” Ryland said, and they laughed.

All the commotion had Saint poking his head in the balcony door, and he smirked around the cigarette in his mouth. “Not a real date, huh, Bruja?”

“Leave her alone.” Braxton came to her rescue as she shot a daggered look Saint’s way. “She’s trying to get more intel from Sheridan. That’s it.”

“Yeah, okay.” Zane chuckled and Inda closed her hands into fists.

As much as she loved these guys, they didn’t understand what it was like being the only woman on the team. She was constantly under pressure to perform as well as them, and that meant embracing a side of herself that most women never did. Possessing extreme mental and physical strength was infinitely more important than buying the latest makeup brushes, but there were times she needed to embrace her estrogen.

Her girls immediately stuck up for her, getting up and surrounding her. They bestowed one compliment after another on her as they escorted her over to the front door. Until Harper, Aubrey and River, Inda never had her own girl squad, and she loved it. They were genuine friends and she treasured each one of them.

“Don’t pay any attention to them,” Harper said, straightening the pin on her sweater.

Aubrey nodded, picking a piece of lint off her back. “Just go and have fun.”

“We won’t wait up,” River added with a smirk.

“Thanks, ladies.” Inda clasped her handbag close, trying to ignore the slight tremble in her fingers as she headed to the elevator that would take her straight down to the small parking garage beneath the warehouse. The set up was pretty amazing, and she liked it even better than the bungalows they’d shared in Playa del Oro before Camille Mercier had burned them to the ground.

Inda told Lucas she’d meet him down at the wharf. The last thing she wanted was for him to come pick her up and start asking questions about why she lived in a warehouse with so many other people. The less he knew, the better.

Climbing into one of the team’s Suburbans, Inda adjusted the seat and mirrors. Damn, those guys had freaking long-ass legs. She carefully backed up and turned the SUV toward the exit, hitting the remote control to open the door. It felt like she was driving a bus. Luckily, she was an experienced driver in all kinds of vehicles, making the trek over trolley tracks and up and down endless hills easy to navigate.

Parking the beast of a car on a side street near Fisherman’s Wharf, she quickly checked her appearance in the mirror before sliding out of the car, locking it and walking up the block. They were meeting at a wine bar called Grape Leaf. Thank God, because she was going to need some alcohol to settle her growing nerves. As much as she knew this thing with Lucas couldn’t go anywhere, she was ready to have a little fun tonight.

No harm in that, right?

◆◆◆

Lucas waited patiently outside the wine bar, watching a few seagulls squawk and circle nearby as they tried to snatch food from tourists on the wharf. He’d always been drawn to the liveliness of Fisherman’s Wharf. It was a perfect spot for a first date.

Technically, it wasn’t exactly a real date. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.

The moment he saw Inda appear, his stomach did a weird little sink and spin move. She was heading toward him, moving through the sea of sightseers, and he’d never seen her look more gorgeous. Her long, thick hair was down and his fingers itched to sink into that dark mane, to tug and twist it around his hand while he kissed her into oblivion. A breeze swept over the wooden pier, catching the hem of her sundress and lifting it just enough to give him a tempting view of her legs.

She lifted a small hand, shielding her eyes from the setting sun, and then those long-lashed beauties landed on him and he could’ve sworn her entire face lit up. Or, maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part.

“Hi.” She sounded a little out of breath as she approached him, and it was sexy as hell.

“Hi. I hope you’re hungry. This place is really good.”

“Starving,” she answered, batting her lashes.

Why did they look so long and even darker than usual? Did she do something different? Had she put some extra effort into her appearance…for him? The idea made him puff his chest out a little more. Her cinnamon scent immediately surrounded him and he breathed deeply, savoring its intoxicating spiciness. Damn. He was in big trouble.

Reaching for her elbow, he guided her into the restaurant and the hostess seated them next to a window overlooking the bay. They had a perfect view of Alcatraz, and the sinking sun made the water shimmer.

“It’s so pretty,” Inda murmured, spreading the napkin on her lap. She turned her focus on him and, for a moment too long, they stared at each other.

The waitress appeared, interrupting whatever spell they’d been under, and Lucas cleared his throat and took a quick gulp of water. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Inda, true to her nickname Bruja, was bewitching him. And he couldn’t let that happen. He had a job to do. Unfortunately for him, it meant bringing this very lovely and deceptive enchantress to her knees.

Inda on her knees. Goddamn, what an image that conjured up. Fuck me. What he wouldn’t give to be the reason her knees were covered in rug burn. To have those plump, shiny red lips wrapped around his—

“Have you always lived here?” she asked, interrupting his salacious thoughts.

Gritting his jaw, he shook his head as the waitress returned with their wine. Lucas took a big sip, buying himself time to get his shit together. “No, I’m originally from Oregon.”

“How did you wind up here? Work?”

Yes, he should have just said yes. But something possessed him to tell her the truth. “No, my mom got sick. There were some specialists down here, so it only made sense.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, but thanks.” Change the subject, Sheridan. “What about you? What brought you to the City by the Bay?”

“Work.” She gave him a sultry, slightly mysterious smile that made his groin tighten. He watched her take a sip of wine, keying in on her mouth as she licked a wayward drop from her lips, and wondered how long they were going to dance around each other and the truth.

How long until he had her sundress hiked up and his head beneath the skirt. The urge to taste her, to find out if she was as wet as he hoped, made his control slip a notch.

Get back on track, he scolded himself. Your mouth is going nowhere near her pussy.

“You mentioned thanking Mr. Carlisle for helping you get the job,” Lucas said, shifting in his chair, trying to get comfortable with his dick pressing against the zipper of his jeans.

“That’s right,” she replied easily.

“So he’s a friend of the family…” He let his voice trail off, pressing for more information, curious to see what lie she’d concoct.

But, she only nodded then turned her attention to a passing waiter, pointing to her empty wine glass. “Can I get another?”

“Me, too,” he added. If sex wasn’t in the forecast, he was going to need alcohol to get through this dinner. Because Inda was getting under his skin, making him want her like he’d never wanted another woman before. It was disconcerting.

Before he could get back to Carlisle, the appetizer arrived and something between them shifted. Lucas felt less wary and allowed his guard to drop a little. He wanted to blame it on the wine consumption, but the truth was, he was having fun. The woman across from him was absolutely fascinating. Sitting back in his chair, he listened to Inda talk about all the adventurous things she’d done and still wanted to do. From his research, he knew she wasn’t bullshitting him. She was an adrenaline junkie.

“I really want to scale some boulders out in the desert. Hopefully, I can get a quick trip in at some point—maybe Utah. I hear they have amazing climbing there. What do you do to relax?” she asked, munching on the charcuterie tray they were sharing.

He chuckled. “Well, it certainly doesn’t involve climbing rocks or swimming with sharks.”

“You’d love it,” she insisted.

“Doubtful. My idea of relaxing is an evening on the couch, surfing the internet, watching some Netflix. Spending time with friends.”

“That sounds nice. A little safe maybe, but nice.”

“You’re quite the daredevil, huh?”

“I’ve never thought of myself as a daredevil, but now that you mention it, I suppose I do like a little danger now and then.”

Talk about the understatement of the century.

“Ever shoot a gun?” Or murder someone?

“When I was in the Army.”

He arched a brow even though he knew all about her years of military service. “Aren’t you full of surprises?”

“Oh, you have no idea.”

Before he could respond, their dinner arrived. Perfect timing. They ate and flirted, and their banter flowed effortlessly, soon becoming laced with suggestive double entendres. So many that Lucas was getting hot under the collar. Maybe hot in his pants was a more accurate description, and he couldn’t stop shifting in his seat, trying to get comfortable, but it was impossible. By the time the waitress asked if they wanted dessert—which they skipped—their insane chemistry was bubbling over like some explosive science project gone amok.

He’d tried to trip her up a few times during their conversation, but they’d both been careful not to reveal anything too personal. Except when he told her about his mom being sick, neither of them mentioned their families. Even talk about past employment had been surface level. Inda was just too smart to feed into his plan. She easily evaded any questions that were too pointed and had a way of turning them back around on him.

Despite all that, Lucas had to admit his date with Inda was the best he’d ever had. Figures. The one woman he couldn’t pursue turned out to be the only one he wanted.

After eating, feeling slightly tipsy from all the wine they’d drunk, they decided to go for a walk along the water. God knew, Lucas needed the cool air to clear his head. It was currently full of floating hearts, pixie dust and enough white-hot lust to light up the entire San Francisco skyline.

Their stroll along the water brought them to the front of Ghirardelli. “How about some dessert?” Lucas asked.

“I can’t say no to this place.”

Lucas pulled the door open, holding it while Inda stepped inside. The shop was jam-packed with tourists buying the famous chocolate squares and ordering the confectioner’s decadent ice cream sundaes. They got in line and decided to split the Ocean Beach Sea Salt Caramel Sundae. Once Lucas paid, they wandered around the store, waiting for their order and nibbling on the offered samples.

“This place is dangerous,” Inda said, biting into a chocolate square. “I’m going to keel over from a sugar coma.”

Lucas chuckled as a server called out his name. “Sounds like our sundae is ready.”

Without thinking, he placed his hand on her lower back, guiding her back over to the counter. “Grab two spoons and napkins,” he said. “I have a feeling things are about to get messy.”

If only he knew just how messy.