Want Me (Dark Obsession 2)

This was bullshit. “She’s our client,” Lex snapped. He had to force his back teeth to unclench. “Not some guilty perp.”

“Is there any evidence that someone actually broke into her house?” Dev wasn’t backing down. “Or is it just a story she’s spinning you?”

He lunged toward Dev.

“Stop.” Chance’s voice was low but sharp.

Lex didn’t stop, though. He grabbed Dev’s shirt front and shoved the guy back against the nearest wall. “What the hell is your problem? The woman is a client. She’s scared. She wants help. She’s not some cold-blooded killer!”

“You didn’t read through all the data I found on her,” Dev’s voice was low. “And don’t you wonder, just a bit, why she came to you and not to Chance? Or to me?”

“She knows me better—”

“She can read people. That’s one of her things. Size up her enemy in an instant.”

“I’m not her enemy.” He really, really wanted to drive his fist into his friend’s face.

Chance was closing in on them. Growling.

“No, but one look into your eyes, and she would have known you wanted her.”

He did.

Chance grabbed Lex’s shoulders and pulled him away from Dev.

Dev made no move to straighten his shirt. Or to take a swing at Lex. “I just don’t want you hurt, man.”

“She’s not going to hurt me.” The very idea was laughable.

“Isn’t she? I saw you at the hospital. I saw the way you paced near her room. You’re already in too deep. You don’t know it.” He jerked his thumb toward the door. “She does. She’s a user, bro. She doesn’t get close to anyone but Barclay, and I’ll be damned if I let her get her hooks into you.”

He could only shake his head. Dev was wrong. Flat out wrong. “She’s the victim. Are we going to help her or throw her to the wolves?” Lex already knew exactly what his plans were.

Chance’s grip tightened on Lex’s shoulder. “We’re helping her, you know it.”

Damn straight. “Good. Because I already took her retainer.” A check that he’d put in his desk. He shrugged away Chance’s hand. “I’m heading back to Sophie’s place with her now. You guys can get started on recon to find out just who the hell would want to terrorize her this way.”

He turned away.

“Something tells me her list of enemies is going to be long,” Dev muttered.

Lex stiffened. He looked over his shoulder. “Are we going to have a problem?” They could straighten that shit out right then.

“It depends.” Dev cocked his head. “Are you going to fall for Sophie Sarantos? Because if you do, man, there’s going to be hell to pay. I’ve already seen the wreckage that woman leaves behind.” His blue eyes glinted. “I just don’t want you hurt like that.”

Lex laughed, the sound bitter and rough. “I’m not falling for anyone. I’m doing my job. That’s all.” He might as well put all of his cards on the table. “I want her.” Blunt. Basic. “She knows it. Big deal. Maybe we’ll fuck.” He sure as hell hoped so. “But it doesn’t go past that. You don’t have to worry about me being blindsided. That shit just won’t happen. I don’t get emotionally involved with the clients. Never have. Never will.”

Sophie was a case. That was all. He’d do what was necessary to get the job done. Period.

Dev searched his gaze for a moment then gave a grim nod. “Sorry. Just because Chance here fell, doesn’t mean you will, too.”

Chance’s sharp growl got worse. “I’m in the damn room.”

“You went fucking to pieces when Gwen was in danger,” Dev pointed out. Like they all needed that reminder. “I just don’t want to see Lex do the same thing.”

Lex rolled back his shoulders. “Big difference. Chance loved Gwen. Sophie…she’s just the client.” He strode toward the door.

“A client and the woman you want to fuck,” Dev said.

He ignored the guy and yanked open the door. Sophie turned, glancing at him sharply. She’d been waiting outside—jeez, since when? He’d left her in his office, and he had a fast moment of panic. Had she overheard what they’d said? Dev’s bullshit accusations against her?

But, even though she seemed a bit pale, her gaze was steady. “Is the team on board?”

Even if they hadn’t been, he would have still taken her case. He nodded and found himself heading toward her. A lock of her heavy, dark hair had fallen over her eye. He brushed it back. “You’re safe, Sophie. You don’t have to worry.”

Her lips lifted then. That faint smile of hers curled her lips, and all of the breath left his lungs in a sharp rush.

You don’t have to worry, but maybe I do.

***

Devlin Shade watched as Lex led Sophie from the office. The guy was already in her web, and he didn’t even realize it. When would Lex learn? Black widows killed their mates.

And if there was ever a black widow, it was Sophie.

Chance shut the conference room door. “You’ve got a problem with her.”

More than one.

“What do you know that I don’t?” Chance demanded.

He clamped his mouth closed. So far, he just had suspicions—and his gut instinct. Every bit of intel he’d discovered on Sophie had told him that she was one dangerous woman. But he knew that he had to tread carefully now. Especially after the way Lex had just looked at her.

“Dev?”

He rubbed his side. The wound had healed, but he’d never forget lying in that stinking alley, bleeding out, and wondering if his friends were alive. Trust didn’t come easily for him. Actually, there were only two people in the world that he did trust.

Chance and Lex. He valued their friendship, and he’d do anything to protect them. “Read my files. See what you think.” And he’d get to work investigating Sophie’s life even more now—finding her enemies and uncovering all of the skeletons that she still had shoved into the depths of her closet.

>   He just hoped that Lex could handle what he discovered.

Chapter Two

The brownstone didn’t look particularly intimidating. Sophie slammed the car door—the door to Lex’s very sleek ride—and stared up at her home. Too bad the place didn’t feel like home anymore. Last night’s attack had spooked her so much that the thought of going back into that place had her stomach in knots.

“Sophie?”

She glanced over at Lex, and, as always, she wasn’t quite prepared for her reaction to him.

Sure, she’d encountered plenty of handsome men in her life. Suave, sophisticated guys. Guys who wanted to wine her and dine her and get into her pants. She knew exactly how to handle those guys. But Lex, he was different.

He wants in my pants, too, though. She wasn’t naive enough to have missed that. Only fair, though, considering she’d thought about pouncing the guy herself.

She cleared her throat and tried to study him objectively. His face was hard, strong. He had a perfect square jaw. Cut and defined. Actually, that was how she’d characterize him…cut and defined. A powerful build. Wide shoulders. Obvious strength in his body.

His blond hair glinted in the sunlight. Normally, she wasn’t attracted to blondes. She liked men who were tall, dark, and a bit dangerous. Lex was golden—hair and tan skin. His blond hair was thick, but short. His green eyes were dark. Deep. And his face really was almost too handsome.

Until he smiled.

And he was smiling right then. “See something you like?”

She did. Because when Lex smiled, something rather unusual happened. The smile didn’t soften him. It made him look harder. More dangerous.

My type.

Of course, she already knew that Lex was plenty dangerous. She’d done some digging on him. After a man saved a woman’s life, it was only natural to be curious about him. She’d learned that Lex Jensen was ex-military. That he’d been black ops. The guy knew his way around some deadly situations.

Good—for him, and for her.

He stepped closer to her. They were alone on that street corner. She was wearing a thick coat because DC wasn’t showing signs of warming yet—the city wouldn’t, not for a while. But as she stood there, Sophie could have sworn that she felt heat sliding from Lex’s body. Wrapping around her.