She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not (The American Soldier Collection 8)

“Okay. Now, I want you to be careful around Phillips and Sentinel. If they ask if you know Vin and I, say yes, that we’re friends. It’s a small world. But don’t ask them anything about the woman. This is a police investigation, understand?” His tone, so firm and authoritative, was sexy just like the rest of him.

“Yes, Detective Lawson.”

He released her, but not before letting his hand slide over the top of her ass. She couldn’t help but wonder if that were his way of compensating for the fact that Renaldo did the same thing and that had pissed Justice off.

She waved to Vin who waved back, and then she got into her car and headed toward home, hoping that her two bosses weren’t murderers, and that Justice wasn’t anything like Paul.

Chapter 4

It was Wednesday afternoon and Ell

ie stopped by one of the local delis to grab a salad with grilled chicken. She was starving, after her meeting at the art gallery went on two hours past schedule. Some of these art fanatics could be so temperamental. However, money could influence even the stingiest of sellers, and Renaldo had money. He wanted one particular painting that went for five hundred thousand dollars. She had to admit that the people at the gallery were difficult to work with. When her boss asked her to step in and negotiate the deal after another employee failed, she hesitated, feeling that it wasn’t part of her job. But if she realized anything working with her boss, he was a man of action and expected results.

As she opened the door and stepped in line, she glanced around the deli, debating about sitting or taking her order to go. That was when she locked gazes with Mace Lawson.

He waved at her and she waved back just as the cashier asked to help her. She ordered her salad and a homemade sweet tea to go. After getting her meal and paying for it, she started to head out when the door opened and Seno walked in.

His eyes widened in surprise and he looked authentically happy to see her.

“Hey, Ellie, how are you?” he asked.

“Over here!” they heard someone call out. Seno took her arm, and they headed toward the table where Mace was. Mace stood up and greeted her with a kiss to her cheek, and damn she was feeling some seriously crazy things. She was instantly attracted to both men, and had that same feeling of desire she had for Justice.

“Late lunch?” Seno asked as he held out a chair for her.

“Yes. I really should head back to the office. My meeting went too long.”

“Oh, stay and have lunch with us. We were both stuck working past lunchtime, too,” Mace stated.

He gave her a smile and she shrugged her shoulders as she started opening up her to-go container. As she reached for her plasticware, one of the cashiers brought over Seno’s and Mace’s hero sandwiches.

“Hello, Mace. It’s nice to see you again.” She licked her lower lip and gave him a sexy smile.

Ellie widened her eyes and focused on her salad.

“How’s your boyfriend Duke?” Mace replied, taking his seat and staring at the woman. She shrugged her shoulders and then looked at Ellie.

“That outfit is gorgeous.”

“Thank you,” Ellie replied.

“I agree, you look beautiful,” Mace stated, staring at her, and the cashier walked away.

She stuck her fork into a piece of chicken without letting her eyes leave Mace’s ocean blue ones.

“Glad to have helped you out of that situation,” she whispered.

“What situation would that be?” he asked, as he unwrapped his hero.

“The young cashier with a crush on the older, attractive male and his similarly strikingly handsome brother.”

“You find me attractive?” Mace asked, holding her gaze.

“And me strikingly handsome?” Seno asked.

She shook her head and laughed then began to eat. Her phone started ringing, and glancing at the caller ID, she saw that it was Renaldo.

She looked around to see if she could get up to take a call but the place was crowded.