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  Jaw clenched, he leaned closer, intimidating her with his height and the anger now etching his features. “What makes you think you have the experience to deal with someone of Sloane’s caliber?”

  She didn’t so much as flinch or back down from his direct, in-her-face tirade. “I’m very familiar with Sloane’s type,” she said, just as fiercely.

  He jerked back, startled by her unexpected response and everything it implied. “Is this thing with Sloane personal or professional for you?”

  “Maybe a bit of both.” As if realizing she’d revealed more than she’d intended, she sighed and turned away, putting distance between them. When she faced him a few moments later, she was composed once again, her expression all business. “What’s the story with you? I thought you worked for The Onyx, but you just said you were working undercover. Are you a cop?”

  “ Ex -vice cop,” he told her, and shoved his hands into the front pockets of his trousers. “I do work at The Onyx, but I’m currently undercover on a private case that’s linked to Sloane.” He didn’t miss the questions in her eyes, but declined to explain anything about his involvement with The Reliance Group, because it was something she just didn’t need to know. “It’s… complicated.”

  Standing by the windows overlooking the bright lights of the Vegas Strip, she studied him for a long, silent moment, in a way that suddenly made him feel uneasy.

  Finally, she asked, “Is this case about Angela Ramsey?”

  Shock rippled through him like a live electrical jolt. How in the hell was she privy to something so confidential that only a few people knew about it? “Who told you about Angela?” His voice was as sharp as steel.

  Immediately her gaze filled with uncertainty, and she pressed her fingers to her lips, as if regretting the words she’d spoken now that she’d witnessed his volatile reaction.

  “Nicole, answer me, ” he said through gritted teeth, and took a step toward her, willing to shake the explanation from her if need be.

  She held up a hand to ward him off, looking more nervous than he’d ever seen her. “Give me a minute.”

  Even though his patience was hanging by a thin thread, he stopped and gave her the space she seemed to need, while his mind spun with all kinds of scenarios. Was she a plant on this case? Was he being set up? And the worst possibility of all-had his cover with Sloane already been blown somehow?

  His gaze narrowed and his gut churning with acid, he watched as she made her way to the plush armchair in the living room and sat down. Taking off her sparkly pink headband, she ran her fingers through her hair, disheveling the silky strands as they fell softly around her face. That little change was enough to age her appearance a few years. Or maybe it was the worry lines creasing her brows that made her look her true age. She licked her bottom lip and rubbed her palms along the skirt of her dress-sure signs of anxiety.

  After inhaling a deep, fortifying breath, she brought her eyes to his with dread glimmering in the depths. “What I’m about to tell you is really going to piss you off,” she said in warning. “But I want to be completely up-front with you about what I know, so try not to flip out on me, okay?”

  This didn’t sound good at all, and he remained as calm as possible under the circumstances. “I appreciate your honesty.” That said, he refused to make any promises about his reaction to what she confessed, because he had a bad feeling he wasn’t going to like it.

  She gave him a quick nod to acknowledge how important the truth was to him. “The night we slept together, when I was on my way out, I accidentally knocked over a folder that was sitting on the table in the entryway, and it was difficult to ignore the contents that spilled out.”

  That quickly, it all clicked together in his mind and everything about her involvement finally made sense. Anger welled inside him, and he let loose a ripe curse that made her wince. “How much did you read?”

  “Enough to know that you’re somehow involved with Preston Sloane and it has to do with a runaway teen named Angela Ramsey.”

  Nicole was right. He was royally pissed off and trying like hell not to flip out, as she’d put it. “And you decided all that juicy information would make a sensational story for you as a journalist? Beats the hell out of your assignment on dating trends, doesn’t it?” His tone dripped with contempt.

  She bristled with indignation, and the fire igniting in her eyes flared with her own brand of rebellion. “Look, I wasn’t the one who left the file out in the open to be found, so I’m not entirely to blame.”

  Her accurate comment hit a nerve, but his temper got the best of him and he jabbed a finger at her in accusation. “You confiscated confidential information.”

  “I saw an opportunity and I took it,” she admitted unapologetically. “I won’t deny that. You would have done the same thing.”

  In her shoes, yeah, he probably would have, he silently conceded. The truth was, he was more furious with himself than with her-for leaving the file in a place anyone could have discovered it. Never mind that he hadn’t been expecting company that night. Bottom line, it was his fault and he should have done a better job of protecting the file.

  Even knowing he was responsible, a part of him felt scammed, though that hadn’t been Nicole’s intent when she’d accompanied him to his place. Yeah, she’d slept with him and had inadvertently stumbled across the information on Sloane, but what bothered him the most was that she’d never made any attempt to contact him again when she had two solid reasons to-her interest in Sloane and the connection they’d established. Admittedly, his male ego was involved, which accounted for a part of the resentment he was harboring.

  Despite his own complex feelings over Nicole, he pushed them aside to focus on the issue at hand. “I want you to back off this story.”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

  Stubborn, frustrating woman. Knowing he was in for a battle, he sat down on the sofa across from her and cocked his head to the side. “Can’t, or won’t ?”

  The wry twist to her lips almost made him smile, because he knew exactly what she was going to say.

  “I won’t. I need to expose Sloane for the slime that he is,” she said adamantly. “And it’s not just about the story for me. The man needs to be stopped.”

  He couldn’t agree more. Undoubtedly, there was a deeper, personal element to this case for her, just as there was for him. “Doesn’t matter. I’m not letting you near him again. I’ve got a job to do and I don’t need you making things more complicated.”

  “Complicated?” She laughed incredulously. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’m already in, ” she said, reminding him of Sloane’s interest in her. “If anything, you need me to get close to Sloane.”

  His gut cramped at the thought of Nicole immersing herself in Sloane’s world. The last time he’d used someone to help-when he’d hoped to nail the pimp responsible for running an international prostitution ring in Vegas-the results had been disastrous. Katie had died because he hadn’t been able to protect her, and he’d sworn after that awful experience that he’d never, ever risk another person for a case again. And that included using the eager, intrepid reporter sitting in front of him to get into Sloane’s estate.

  Now he worked solo, and he meant to keep it that way. “I was doing just fine on my own.”

  She casually crossed one leg over the other and arched a blond brow. “Really? The way I see things, I have a personal, private invitation to Sloane’s estate to see his art collection, and we have a joint invitation to a party he’s having at his nightclub this weekend. Not to sound full of myself, but I think he’s more interested in me than you, and I can easily do this on my own if you’re not keen on forming a partnership.”

  Shit . They were at an impasse once again. Feeling stonewalled, he scrubbed a hand along his jaw and tried to keep his temper in check. He knew she wasn’t going to back down or give up her golden ticket into Sloane’s lair, and that knowledge forced him to reassess the situation, and her i
nvolvement in his case-despite his strong reluctance to do so.

  He couldn’t argue the point that she was the bait he needed to slip easily and seamlessly into Sloane’s world. She could do things he couldn’t, such as bond with the girls at the parties and at the estate, and gain their trust in a way that would lead straight to Angela Ramsey.

  Engaging in a partnership with Nicole, even against his better judgment, would definitely speed up the process. And since time was of the essence, Nathan knew he wasn’t in a position to turn down her offer-even though it pained him to give in to her demands. He absolutely hated the idea of taking her undercover with him, but at least this way he’d have some semblance of control over the situation and know where she was at all times. Rather than constantly running interference or worrying about her welfare.

  He leaned forward on the sofa cushion and braced his elbows on his thighs, meeting her gaze head-on. “Because I know you’re going to get involved with Sloane regardless of what I say or do, I would prefer you do it under my protection. I might need you to entice Sloane and get us into his estate much quicker than I could do it on my own-but you need me to make sure you’re kept safe.”

  “Okay.”

  Her easy acquiescence was a surprise. Obviously, she was a smart girl and knew she was stepping into a dangerous situation. “I call the shots when it comes to making any decisions on how we’re going to do things,” he went on, taking advantage of her momentary compliance. “There’s no negotiating on that fact. I don’t need a power struggle between the two of us while we’re working undercover. Got that?”

  “Fine.”

  He stood up and paced in front of the windows, though his attention remained fastened on Nicole and making sure she understood his rules. “What I say goes. In order for this to work, we have to be in sync and you have to trust the decisions I make, without hesitation or questioning my orders.”

  “Fair enough.”

  He came to an abrupt stop and stared at her, wondering if there were any ulterior motives behind her amenable disposition-because there was one thing he’d learned about Nicole. She wasn’t the docile type, and her current complacent behavior made him a little wary.

  “Why are you being so agreeable?” he asked.

  She laughed and stood up, too. “I want to work with you on this case, Nathan, not against you.” She strolled toward him, a soft smile on her lips. “I might be ambitious in my goals as a journalist, but I’m not an idiot. You obviously know what you’re doing and I trust you.”

  He was relieved that this wasn’t going to be a power struggle between them. He hoped he didn’t betray the trust she was extending to him. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” She came to a stop in front of where he stood, and now that they’d formed an alliance and their differences were resolved for the moment, the mood shifted, and that undeniable sexual awareness seemed to swirl in the air around them. “I really do appreciate you making this work between us.”

  With her so close and her eyes such a dark, sensual shade of blue, a warm surge of desire thrummed through him, teasing him with erotic memories of just how good the sex had been between the two of them. “Did I have a choice?” he asked wryly.

  “No, not really, but I’d rather do this with your help than without.” Lifting her hand, she slid her soft palm along his cheek and grazed her thumb along his lower lip. “You’re a good man, Nathan, and I know you’ll keep me safe.”

  “You think so?” His voice was deep and rough, her words unwittingly scratching the layers of old self-doubts that had crept up on him without warning.

  “I know so,” she whispered, then stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips across his in a soft, warm kiss that ignited a deeper, hotter need for her. “I have a pretty good instinct about people, and you, Nathan Fox, are the real deal.”

  The pure belief in her voice impacted him like a swift kick to the gut, reminding him of another time, another promise he hadn’t been able to keep-and the tragedy that had ensued. He squashed those ugly memories before they clawed their way to the surface. He refused to allow his greatest failure to undermine his ability to protect Nicole and resolve this case.

  He clenched his hands into fists at his sides. Needing physical as well as emotional distance, he stepped back, severing the contact between them. “I’m going to take you back to your apartment tonight so you can pack up your things,” he said, curt and business-like. “Until this case is over, you’ll be staying here with me.” Where he could keep an eye on her at all times.

  “Okay.” She watched him curiously, as if trying to figure out why he’d pulled away from her so abruptly. “But I still have other assignments for The Las Vegas Commentary that I need to work on. Though most of it can be done over the Internet and I don’t need to be in the office to work on the piece.”

  “Another article on dating trends?” he asked.

  “Unfortunately, yes,” she said, and sighed in resignation. “What can I say? It pays the bills until something better comes along.”

  And Nathan knew exactly what Nicole was hoping for-a breakout exposé on Preston Sloane and his predilection for underage girls. But even though Nathan had agreed to work undercover with Nicole, there were no guarantees that his case would lead to a big story-most likely, it wouldn’t. Many had tried to bring down Sloane, and so far all had failed. Nathan didn’t think Nicole would have any better luck. In fact, once they made their way into Sloane’s estate and located Angela, they were out of there. He wasn’t about to let Nicole stick around for the fallout that would undoubtedly occur when Sloane realized he’d been duped just so she could get her story.

  “Our first outing with Sloane will be Saturday night at his club, so we’ll spend tomorrow discussing our strategy, and I’ll give you the details of what you need to know about Angela Ramsey. Unless you already know everything?” he said, referring to the information she’d pilfered from his case file.

  A pink flush of chagrin swept across her cheeks. “I think it would be smart to let you brief me so I know as much as possible about the case and the girl we’re looking for.”

  He nodded in agreement. “Come on, let’s head over to your place so you can get your stuff.” He started for the front door of the suite, hoping like hell he wasn’t making a huge mistake by allowing Nicole to go undercover with him.

  Chapter Eight

  By the time they returned to Nathan’s suite, it was nearing midnight. For Nicole, it had been an interesting night, filled with all sorts of revelations, along with a compromise struck between two people who needed each other to get what they ultimately wanted.

  She still didn’t know a whole lot about Nathan and his personal case involving Angela Ramsey-just the brief information she’d read from his case file. But before they went undercover at Sloane’s private club this weekend, she intended to discover those details so she understood who, exactly, they were searching for, and why.

  At her apartment she’d packed a suitcase with clothes and toiletries, and gathered her laptop and her own files of information on Preston Sloane to take with her. During that time, Nathan had waited for her out in the living room and talked to her roommate, Michelle. Her friend definitely wasn’t happy about Nicole’s decision to go undercover for such a risky story, especially without their editor’s knowledge and approval, but Michelle understood Nicole’s reasons for doing so.

  Now, back at Nathan’s place, she finished putting her clothes and personal things away in the guest bedroom and adjoining bathroom, then changed into the pajama shorts and tank top she slept in. She headed back out into the main rooms and found Nathan in the kitchen, leaning against the granite counter and eating a late-night snack of what looked like a bowl of Frosted Flakes cereal.

  He frowned at her when he saw what she was wearing, even as his gaze seared a path from her chest to her bare thighs. Her breasts swelled in response to that visual caress, and her nipples hardened against the soft cotton tee. A muscle in his jaw
ticced, as if he was annoyed with himself for being so drawn to her, and he lifted his heated gaze back to hers.

  “Can you put on a robe, or something?” he asked, his gruff tone belying the sudden carnal heat reflected in his eyes.

  His request surprised her, considering he’d already seen her completely naked. Then again, he’d been oddly tense around her since they’d struck their deal earlier, making it more than clear that he wasn’t thrilled with their arrangement. That for him, forging an alliance to integrate them into Sloane’s world was the lesser of two evils.

  She headed to the refrigerator and pulled out a cold bottle of water before turning to face him again, noticing that he was still dressed in the shirt and jeans he’d changed into earlier to accompany her to her apartment.

  “Why?” she asked, blinking oh-so-innocently. “Can you see through my clothes?”

  His eyes dropped to her unbound breasts again. “Having you run around in your skimpy pajamas is distracting as hell.”

  His admission pleased Nicole. That feminine part of her was thrilled he still wanted her, even if he was fighting the attraction. Since seeing her again at the art gallery, he’d been attempting to keep a physical distance between them and trying to maintain a business relationship, and she liked it that she could shake him up a bit.

  “I’m wearing a tank top and shorts, not a sexy negligee,” she said with a quirk of her lips, then took a long drink of her chilled water. “Besides, I don’t own a robe. I’ve never had the need for one and I don’t like feeling all bundled up and confined.”

  “Great,” he muttered irritably, and finished off his cereal in two big spoonfuls. He rinsed his bowl, set it in the sink, then stalked off into the other room.

  More amused than offended by his brusque attitude, she followed behind him, enjoying the decadent way her bare toes sank into the plush cream carpeting. “I have to ask, are you going to be this uptight every time we’re together or when we’re around Sloane?”