Chapter Five

M essy. Yeah, things were beyond messy. Inda couldn’t stop imagining Lucas peeling her clothes off and fucking her senseless. And that was definitely not part of the plan she’d so meticulously put together. Giving her head a shake, chastising herself for having that extra glass of wine, she licked her salty-sweet lips.

They had just finished the sundae and she knew she had to put an end to their date soon. Otherwise, she’d be tempted to go home with him, and that couldn’t happen. The fuck me eyes they’d been swapping all night had to stop.

Clearing her throat, Inda picked up the empty dish and sticky napkins. As she walked over to toss them in the trash can, she felt Lucas’ hot gaze on her, following every sway of her hips. The idea that he had his eyes on her ass made her put an extra shake in each step. Just for him.

God, she was bad.

After depositing the trash, she turned back around and his gaze lazily moved up. Their eyes locked as she strolled back over and, even though the outside eating area was packed and people were everywhere, everyone but Lucas faded away. Right in the middle of everything, they shared a moment.

When she reached Lucas, he stood up and blinked, and the world came crashing back. Neither said anything. They turned away from the crowded waterfront and walked back through Ghirardelli Square, entering the more quiet courtyard of the Cannery.

Once they were around the corner, safely out of sight, Lucas grabbed her hand and tugged her into a dim recess between buildings. He spun her around, pressing her back against the cool brick wall, and slammed his mouth against hers.

Should she be kissing her boss like her life depended on it? Probably not. But she couldn’t stop and, technically, if she were splitting hairs, he wasn’t really her boss. Or, more accurately, he was her temporary boss. A means to an end.

Oh, God, stop analyzing it, Diaz, she reprimanded herself . Just enjoy how desired he’s making you feel.

Because that was a feat no man had managed in years.

Unable to resist, she slid her fingers through his hair and arched into him. Their kiss deepened, tongues tangling, and he tasted like caramel. Mmm. Wrapping a leg around his calf, pushing her hips against his, she almost whimpered at the way their bodies fit together. Dangerously perfect.

That wasn’t the only thing that was dangerous. His hard cock pressed right where she wanted it, needed it, and her normally rational mind began to reel.

For several long, dizzying moments, they feasted on each other. All lips, tongue, teeth and rocking hips. The sound of kids laughing as they walked around the corner ruined the moment and they jerked away from each other.

Breathing hard, Inda looked up into Lucas’ passion-addled baby blues. She’d been one step away from giving in and going home with him, but the approaching tourists had rattled her back to reality. Despite the insane attraction, Lucas Sheridan was off-limits.

Just keep telling yourself that.

He raked a hand through his hair, making it even more disheveled than her fingers had a moment earlier.

“I’m not the kind of woman who sleeps with her boss,” she told him.

He studied her intently, blue flames licking his irises. “You’re fired,” he deadpanned.

Cute. “I also don’t fall into bed with a man on the first date.”

“I can respect that.”

He reached for her hand, lifted it and pressed an open-mouthed kiss against her wrist. Her pulse went haywire when he flicked his tongue against the sensitive skin there.

Was he trying to make her lose her mind?

Inda’s stomach fluttered madly, the butterflies diving straight down and landing in her pussy with a delicious ripple. As much as she wanted to go back to Lucas’ place and indulge, she couldn’t.

“What’re we going to do about this—us?” she asked. Once again, the area around them became quiet.

“How about we just enjoy the moment.” He released her wrist, cupped her face and kissed her again.

Melting into him, she opened her mouth and let herself be devoured. Holy shit, the man knew how to kiss. For the first time in her life, Inda felt her knees go weak. After indulging longer than she should, she broke away.

“I have to go.” Her voice sounded breathless. Nothing like her normal tone.

His mouth edged up and he let the dimples loose, further weakening her resolve. So not fair. They were like armor piercing bullets, shredding right through her protective layers and puncturing her heart.

“Those dimples won’t work,” she said.

He arched a dark brow and smiled even bigger. “You like my dimples?”

Now he was just playing dirty. “No, I don’t,” she grumbled, averting her attention from the sexy dents. “I find them annoying and—”

His mouth caught hers and kissed her into oblivion. Kissed her sweet lies away. When they finally came up for air, he rubbed his nose against hers before pulling back. “Let me walk you to your car.”

Even though she didn’t want their evening to end, she knew it was for the best. With a nod, she released her hold on him and laid a hand against the brick building to steady herself. The moment they started walking, he reached for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. The gesture was so intimate, something a couple would do. And as much as she tried to relegate it to part of her plan, she couldn’t deny how much she liked it.

She liked him, dammit. Far too much.

Neither said a word on the way to her car, but the air around them crackled with unspoken tension. By the time they reached the SUV, Inda was dying for another kiss, and Lucas didn’t disappoint. His lips swept over hers, making her entire body tingle. Disappointment flooded her when he dropped his hands from her waist and lifted his head.

“Any chance I can have my shirt back?” His mouth edged up.

Glancing down, she realized her hands were fisted in the material covering a body she wanted to see a little too much. “Sorry.” She released the fabric and smoothed it. And, yeah, the man possessed some fine pectorals.

They stared at each other for a long moment then Lucas hit her with the dimples again. It was like a punch below the belt and that’s exactly where she felt it, too. Right in the nether region.

“Good night, Lucas.”

“Good night, Leoa.”

Forcing herself to turn away, she unlocked the door and slid inside. After starting the car, she sat there and watched him walk away. Not only could the man wear a suit, he also wore a pair of jeans like it was his job. That ass of his was a work of art and should’ve been carved in marble and displayed properly at the Legion of Honor Museum for every female in the surrounding area to visit and admire properly.

Biting down on her lip, Inda knew she was walking a very fine line. One she wanted to cross in every possible way.

It was still a respectable hour when she stepped back into the main door of the warehouse. Although barely half past nine, the common area was quiet. Wondering where everyone was, she locked the door and headed over to the kitchen to grab a cold bottle of water. She was no longer tipsy from the wine, but she definitely felt drunk on Lucas.

“Hey, how was your date?”

Inda glanced over at River, who approached with a very satisfied look on her pretty face. God, she and Zane were almost as bad as Ryland and Harper when it came to all the sex. She supposed it was expected, though, since both couples were newlyweds. Maybe she was just jealous that she was the only celibate one. Well, except for Saint and Pharaoh. Those two had even less going on in the personal department than she did. Such a sad trio.

With a sigh, Inda sat down on a barstool at the large, granite-topped island. “Really good,” she grumbled, forehead creasing in a frown.

“Then why do you sound so unhappy?”

“Because he’s my boss and nothing can come of it.”

“If it makes you feel any better, he isn’t really your boss. He’s just a cover. Nothing more.”

River planted a hip against the counter, lifted one long leg and propped her heel against her inner knee like a stork. She had a killer set of legs and Inda glanced down at her own short stems, trying not to be self-conscious. Whereas River was tall, long and lean, Inda was short, compact and curvy.

“I know, but…” Her words trailed off and her dusty conscience kicked in. “A part of me feels guilty for using him.”

“How much do you like this guy?”

“More than I want to,” she admitted.

River smirked. “Did he kiss you?”

“A few times.” She felt her cheeks heat up. “I was tempted to go home with him, and that hasn’t happened to me in a very long time.”

River studied her for a moment. “He’s a good guy, right?”

Inda nodded.

“Then why are you stressing out? It’s not like he’s a part of The Agency. I say have a little fun and don’t think so hard about it.”

Maybe River was right. Inda knew she had a tendency to overthink things and be too serious at times. Hell, she deserved a little fun just like everyone else. Most importantly, Lucas Sheridan did seem like a good guy. If anything, she was the bad one, using him to get closer to Carlisle. Keeping him at arm’s length because she considered him part of the plan to gather information on someone else suddenly felt stupid and unnecessary.

“You’re pretty wise, you know that?”

“I’m aware.” River tossed her a smile.

“RL!” Zane called.

“Gotta go. My demanding hubby is waiting.” She grabbed a couple of cold bottles of water. “I know we’re hunting down enemies, but remember to take some time away from that, too, okay? And if that means jumping Sheridan, then go for it. You work too hard. Don’t forget to play.”

Turning on her heel, River headed back to the small apartment she and Zane shared. After finishing the rest of her water, Inda sighed. She felt awful lying about who she really was, though she’d tried not to tell too many falsehoods at dinner. Instead, if she felt like she couldn’t answer truthfully, she’d turned the question back around on Lucas.

Dropping her head back, she stared up at the ceiling. “What have I gotten myself into?”

Not tired, humming with energy that had to be redirected since she wouldn’t be burning it off between the sheets with Lucas, Inda decided to go up to the gym and climb the rock wall. She was really beginning to regret her decision about not banging Lucas.

An hour later, she’d climbed the wall twice, run on the treadmill, showered, put her pajamas on, crawled into bed and still felt on edge. It’s like her body was boiling, overheating, but she had no way to release the pressure.

Before she could think too hard or lose her courage, she grabbed her phone and pulled up Lucas’ number.

Thank you for a really nice night, she texted then hit send. Squeezing her eyes shut, she threw the phone down and cringed. It was after eleven o’clock and he probably thought it was a booty call.

She supposed in a way, it was. If Lucas was game, she wouldn’t mind a little sexting.