Ravenous (The Finn Factor 4)

She’d known he’d been in prison before. The rest was new. “Okay.”

“I got my Associate’s in Criminal Justice online, the same for my P.I. certification. I wanted to be my own boss and help the helpless, like some dark, sexy vigilante, but the truth is, most of the time I’m just taking pictures and spying on people for money. That is, when I’m not doing favors for friends who don’t pay me a dime.” He cupped the back of his neck, shifting uncomfortably. “It’s not a career choice most would make willingly, unless they loved film noir or were writing the Great American Novel.”

“Are you?” she asked softly, noticing how nice he smelled. Like sex. His scent mingled with Professor Kelley’s. Declan’s. Tristan and Declan. Those were two lyrical names. They sounded good together. They looked good together.

Stop forgetting you’re mad at him.

“Am I what?”

“Writing a great big novel?”

He shook his head, stepping closer. “Don’t have the patience for a whole book. Or the skills to make it great. I do write a little when the job is really boring and I’m tired of playing Sudoku. Dirty limericks for nights at the bar.”

Oh, he had skills. So many skills. And she had a feeling his job was way more exciting than he made it sound. “Why are you telling me this?”

Trick’s hands found her hips through the plaid cotton. “You shared something personal, I shared something personal… We’re sharing.”

“I shared something personal.” She slid her fingers underneath his shirt and curled them into the fine hair on his chest. His eyes closed momentarily. “You’re not sharing, Trick. You’re lowballing.”

Green eyes opened in surprise. “I’m what?”

Jen smiled and yanked his chest hair a little harder than necessary. She lowered her voice, adding a rasp as close to his as she could make it. “I’m old, I live in my car and I have horrible taste in clothing.” She tried not to laugh as she mimicked him. “I can’t commit to a novel or ringing doorbells or actual sexual intercourse so don’t start shopping for dresses or expect me to be nice to your mother.”

Trick stepped back and crossed his arms, staring at her in disbelief. Then he started to laugh. A real, full-throated, down-to-his-muscled-belly laugh that made him clutch his sides.

It was a wonderful sound. Contagious. Jen couldn’t help but join him.

Her chuckles changed to a shriek when he reached out and picked her up in his arms, ignoring her feet paddling air as he carried her back to the couch and sat with her legs on either side of his hips.

Cupping her face with his hands, he smiled tenderly, his eyes sparkling. “You think I have horrible taste in clothing?”

“Everyone thinks that.” She pushed out a small breathless laugh before leaning into his hand. “And you need to invest in an iron, but you don’t have to keep my expectations low by making yourself sound worse than my ex—which isn’t possible, by the way. I’m not looking to be saved or swept off my feet.” She put her hands on his chest, over his heart. “I like this though. It might be the longest we’ve talked since you started stalking me. Though you still haven’t told me about you and Declan. Or why you were watching me in the first place.”

Trick sighed. “Noticed that, did you?”

She nodded, settling in and resting her hands on his shoulders. “Tell me something. Anything. Share.”

He studied her in silence for so long she wanted to scream. Then he dipped his chin in agreement. “All those things about me? All that lowballing? It’s all true, Jen. Your family knows it. Declan wears rose-colored glasses where I’m concerned, but I think that’s because I keep it light. Keep it short. Weekend Trick is fun, day-to-day Dunham? Not so much.”

“Well, you can be irritating and you’re so used to dancing around the truth you could medal in it, but I’d probably miss you if you weren’t around.”

“Thank you?” He shook his head. “You need to stop with all this flattery, Jen. It’s going to my head.”

She wasn’t going to let him distract her. “So you two have a come-and-go relationship? You come, you go?”

Trick grimaced. “It doesn’t sound good when you say it like that, but yeah. We’ve been like that since we were in our twenties.”

“All the way back then?” she gasped melodramatically.

“No teasing or I’ll spank you again.”

Jen shivered in his arms. “Why?”

“Why do I come?” he asked, gripping her hips and dragging her closer. “You know him. He’s beautiful, brilliant, challenging, and sexually twisted in the best way.”

She bit her lip. “Why do you go?”

Trick frowned. “He doesn’t trust himself. He has too many rules. He doesn’t know how to have fun.”

He was rocking her against his erection. How was she supposed to concentrate?

“He seemed to have fun with you,” she pointed out. Declan’s sounds of pleasure were going to haunt her fantasies. “You obviously trust him.”