Luring him in for another massage would never work. He'd see that one coming a mile away. Besides, she was nothing if not original. No, she wanted something bold. Something he'd never see coming in a million years. Something that gave her the upper hand.

Easier said than accomplished, however.

She sighed a little mournfully as she licked the sweetness from the spoon. The only thing that irked her about the entire experience—now that she knew who her mystery men were—was that she hadn't been able to look at Nathan and Micah, especially Nathan, while they were fucking her mindless.

A woman should never be blindfolded when making love to men who looked that good. That was her own stupidity, but then again, if she hadn't made that stipulation, Nathan wouldn't have seized his opportunity.

But still. She groaned as her body went all fiery again just thinking about Nathan's naked body lying over hers, his hips flexing, muscles bulging while he thrust. Even ice cream wasn't going to help this burn.

Micah was probably nice to look at too in the buff, but with Nathan in the room, she doubted she would have even seen Micah. Which was too bad, really. When a woman stopped noticing a good-looking man, she was either in love or struck blind. She was going with the latter, since lust didn't equal love in her world.

She let the spoon rest on her tongue as she stared dreamily into the distance. Nathan Tucker in her bed. Powerless. Hers to do with whatever the hell she wanted. Nathan Tucker tied to her bed. Oh hell yeah. Her girly parts were singing at the idea.

What she could do to a man who could do nothing but lie there and take it. Oh, she'd treat him very, very well. He'd enjoy his captivity before she turned him back into the wild. Mreowl Her chill bumps had chill bumps as she imagined all she could get away with if she had him completely at her mercy.

It would be the perfect payback. A man like him would chafe at being subdued by a little ole woman like her. He'd huff and snarl but in the end she'd bring him gently to heel. He'd be purring like a well-trained kitten by the time she finished pleasuring him.

She frowned as she dug back into the ice cream. As fantasies went, this one was stellar. But the execution. Now there was the deal breaker. How the hell was she going to get Nathan Tucker in her bed, naked and bound?

She could ask Faith for handcuffs—the good police-issue ones, because she didn't want the kind he could break out of in two seconds flat. Faith was a kinky bitch, and Gray was an ex-cop. They had to have a few lying around, didn't they? It still didn't answer the problem of how to get Nathan into them, however.

Well, just because she didn't have an immediate answer didn't mean she was going to give up. Some things were just too good to let go of. Nathan naked and at her mercy was one of them.

She polished off the rest of her ice cream and sat back with a satisfied yawn. After last night she had that yummy kind of lethargy that spoke of great sex and multiple orgasms. Going back to bed wasn't a bad idea. She had a full day of client appointments to start off her week. She'd worry about how to take down Nathan tomorrow. Today she was going to stare at the back of her eyelids and dream of all she'd do when she did run him to ground.

Chapter 23

“Where the hell is Micah?" Nathan asked.

Pop looked up from the scattered paperwork on Faith's desk while Connor stood to the side staring over Pop's shoulder as they looked for an invoice.

"I forgot this was his time off," Pop muttered.

"You gave him time off when we're short Faith and Gray?" Nathan asked in disbelief.

"Well, it wouldn't be my first choice, but the only time he ever asks for is every year on precisely the same days. He has a standing request in. Never changes them. Never calls in any other time, so I have a hard time telling him no."

Nathan frowned. Come to think of it, Micah did take off every single year on the same days. Even stranger, he disappeared and no one knew where he went or heard from him until he came back to work.

"Faith and Gray will be home tomorrow," Connor offered. "At least we'll have decent coffee again."

Pop grunted, his lips curled into a surly line. None of them was worth a damn without their supply of coffee. Problem was, no one knew what kind Faith used. It was her highly guarded secret. She used it as a weapon in case they ever got any crazy ideas about firing her. As if.

"So how'd your date with Julie go, anyway?" Connor asked. "Haven't had a chance to ask you since you two went out."

Nathan blinked. They didn't normally talk about their damn personal lives. But he saw the gleam in Connor's eyes and scowled.

"It went fine."

"Yeah? She stick around long enough for you to call it an actual date?"

"You're asking for it, Malone."

"Leave the boy alone," Pop said with a wave of his hand. "We've got enough to do without you two bickering like a bunch of children."

Connor sent him a sideways look and grinned slyly. "I was thinking, if you two aren't going out regularly, I might ask her out. I've only met her a couple of times but she's seriously hot."

Nathan rocketed to his feet. "Over my dead body!"

Pop gave him a disgusted look. "Sit down, son. You're way too damn easy."

Connor chuckled. "Who says I wasn't serious?"

"That girl would eat you alive," Pop said, not looking up from his search. "Look at what she's done to Nathan. You like your conquests to be easy, and I'd say Julie's anything but easy."

Nathan snickered. "You like 'em easy, eh, Connor? There's a word for that, you know."

"Fuck you. I just like girls who don't rank up there with crazy ex-girlfriend status."

"You've had your share of crazy exes," Pop muttered.

"Oh?" Nathan hooted. "Do share, Pop."

"Don't we have work to do?" Connor asked.

Pop grinned and looked over the paper he was holding. "I'll never forget the one girl who waited for him naked in bed. He was coming home on leave, and he'd broken things off with her before he shipped out last. Only problem was, it was my bed she took position in. I liked to have never got her out of there. Connor hid in his bedroom like a damn coward."

Nathan laughed until his sides hurt while Connor glared holes in his dad.

"There was also the one who painted herself in camo colors and decided that was all the clothing she needed."

"Pop, enough already."

Connor sounded a little desperate, which made Nathan all the more determined to hear Pop out.

Ignoring Connor's frantic attempts to hush him, Pop laid the stack of papers to the side and leaned back in his chair, his teeth flashing in a smile.

"The girl had brass, I have to hand it to her. Connor and I were at the local pizza place having dinner—with Connor's new girlfriend, I might add—when Miss Camo-in-All-the-Right-Places waltzes up to Connor and plops herself onto his lap."

"Yeah, and my new girlfriend dumped me over that," Connor grumbled. "I've sworn off psycho women."

"Julie's not psycho," Nathan growled.

Connor grinned. "I never said she was. I want to ask her out, remember?"

"Quit yanking his chain," Pop said. "Wouldn't hurt you to ask someone out, though. I'm not getting any younger. I'd like grandchildren before I'm too old to see them."

"We could always set him up," Nathan snickered. "I'm sure Micah knows someone."

"I don't need your goddamn help finding a woman. The day I do is the day they put my ass in a pine box."

Nathan held up his hands. "Touchy today."

"It's called not getting any," Pop said with a perfectly straight face.

The laughter Nathan had been trying to hold back poured out. Connor rolled his eyes and sighed in resignation.

"When you two are through dissecting my love life, I'll be out in the truck waiting. Someone has to do the goddamn work around here."

Connor stalked off while Nathan was still laughing. Connor could give with the best, but he damn sure couldn't take it.

Still chuckling, Pop hauled himself up and grabbed his keys. "Well, come on. Let's go join my grumpy-ass son so we can get this job done. He's right about one thing. Someone has to work around here since it seems everyone's taking off at the same time."

Nathan walked out ahead of Pop and slid into the SUV with Connor. A few minutes later, Pop ambled over to Connor's side and motioned for him to roll down the window.

"You two go on ahead. I'll take my truck. I want to check on a system I just got a call about. Owner says the alarm keeps going off."

"Sure you don't want us to come along and help diagnose the problem?" Connor asked.

Pop grunted. "I may not be the computer guru in the family, but I'm laying odds it's a damn stray cat or a squirrel that's the culprit. If I have any trouble, I'll holler at you boys."

Connor nodded and backed out of the parking lot.

"Want something to eat before we go?" Connor asked.

Nathan shrugged. He wasn't really that hungry, but Connor and food made a date at least every two hours. Nathan was convinced the guy had tapeworms. There was no other explanation for how he never worked out with the other guys, and yet he was lean and muscled despite the fact he ate half an elephant's weight on a daily basis.

They hit the drive-through of their favorite local fast food joint, and Nathan listened while Connor ordered an obscene amount of food. Nathan got a coffee, thinking it couldn't be worse than Connor's earlier attempt. It wasn't much better, but it was liquid caffeine.

"Julie's salon isn't far from here, is it?" Connor asked casually.

"No," Nathan said tightly.

"Shopping center one block over, huh?"

Nathan turned to look at Connor, his eyes narrowed to slits. "Cut the crap, Connor. Unless you're wanting to schedule a hair appointment, why the hell do you care where Julie's salon is?"

"Or a massage," Connor said innocently. "I guess I could always get my ear pierced like you and pussy boy Hudson."

"Pussy boy Hudson would kick your ass and you know it," Nathan said with a grin.

"Nah, he's old and rusty."

Nathan snorted. "And you aren't? You've gotten soft since getting out."

"Julie's different," Connor said, pulling the conversation back to her again. It was starting to annoy the shit out of Nathan.

"What do you mean, different?"

Connor shrugged. "You know what I mean. She's .. . rounder, a little on the plump side. You usually date the tall, lean blonde types."

Nathan stared at him agape. Plump? Was he trying to insinuate that Julie was fat?

Connor glanced over at him and cocked an eyebrow. "Why do you look so appalled, man?"

"What the hell are you trying to say?"

"Just that she's not your usual type. She's got hips, breasts."

"She's fucking perfect," Nathan growled. "Ain't a goddamn thing wrong with her." Hips and breasts. Was Connor sitting there seriously criticizing Julie's attributes? If he wasn't driving, Nathan would kick his ass on the spot.

"I wasn't badmouthing her, dude. Just citing the differences."

"How about you don't even fucking look at her, and you won't have to worry about her differences."

Connor chuckled and held up one hand in surrender.

"Hey, speak of the devil. Isn't that her?"

Nathan blinked at the abrupt change in topic but looked in the direction of Connor's attention. Sure enough, Julie's sporty convertible darted into traffic from the on-ramp and surged ahead three cars.

Her hair blew behind her head, whipping in the wind like strands of silk. She handled the little car like a pro, and she obviously enjoyed the ride. There was a hint of daredevil in her as she weaved back and forth in the busy traffic.

"On second thought, I can see why you're hot for her," Connor murmured as he accelerated to keep up. "Something about a chick in a hot car."

Nathan rolled his eyes. Julie could be driving a grandma car and Nathan would still be hot for her.

Ahead, Julie moved over to the far right lane and put her blinker on to exit. At that precise moment a truck came barreling up the on-ramp and T-boned the small car without ever coming close to yielding.

"Son of a bitch!" Nathan yelled.

Julie's car spun crazily into traffic, and cars scattered across four lanes in an effort to avoid a collision. The asshole driving the truck never even slowed. He careened wildly around several cars, regained control and roared off.

Julie slammed into the far left concrete divider and came to a halt.

In a maneuver eerily reminiscent of Julie's crazy skitter across the freeway, Connor roared over, executing a sharp U-turn and narrowly missing an eighteen-wheeler that had slowed when the accident occurred.

Nathan was out and running as soon as Connor came to a stop. Connor was already on the phone. Nathan's only thought was to get to Julie.

The car was facing the wrong way and the battered passenger side rested against the concrete dividers. Julie's head lolled to the side, blood dripping from a cut above her eye. So much for the goddamn airbags.

He glanced around and then to the steering wheel. It was the only thing she could have hit her head on. Thank God she'd worn her seatbelt.