"I intend to.” He tugged his shirt out of his jeans to hide his erection and led her toward the exit. Jake fell into step beside them. “So, where are we off to?" Michael smiled. “Lenny's place."
"Why?"
"To find clues."
"No luck with the mind rifling, huh?"
"No. Your car downstairs, or did you walk?” Jake's car had tinted windows, which would protect him from the effects of the sun. Though by the time they cut through the traffic, the sun shouldn't be a problem.
Jake's expression was horrified. “Me? Walk? I'm too old for that sort of foolishness." Nikki snorted softly. “Old my ass. You did that test quicker and easier than I did. And you can out sprint me."
"Only when I'm scared shitless. Fear does wonderful things to the feet.” Jake's gaze found Michael's. “Is it safe for all of us to be going out?"
Meaning, was it safe for Nikki to go out? Michael pushed open the stairwell door and waved her through. “Yes,” he said, following Jake into the stairwell. “Because we don't know who else might have infiltrated the Circle."
"So we stick together?” Jake asked.
"For the moment."
"There go my plans for tonight,” Nikki murmured.
"Hey, old men can be deaf when they want to be."
Nikki's glance back at Jake was wry. “I wasn't planning to make bedsprings squeak. I had something more exotic in mind."
"Oh.” Jake's expression was amused. “Well, you'll just have to be exotic some other time."
"I guess.” But her thoughts slipped into Michael's, as heated as her skin had been moments ago. How about we spend a little time in the spa tonight? Not as exotic as I wanted, but at least the noise of the spa might cover ... other noises.
Heat flashed to his groin as he remembered the time they'd spent in the spa last week. She might have a lot less experience than him, but she'd taught him a thing or two that night. Sounds like a good idea to me.
Amusement and passion shimmered through the link, wrapping him in heat. Say that a little more breathlessly, she said, and I might think you were excited about the prospect. Just a little.
Cool. It's a date.
A smile tugged his lips. We live together, so it can hardly be called a date. Don't use living together as an excuse for laziness. You will come appropriately dressed, won't you?
Oh, I intend to.
Her laughter ran through him. Good. I can't wait.
Neither could he. They reached the underground parking garage and walked across to Jake's silver Mercedes.
"Where to?” Jake asked, as they climbed in.
"Massachusetts Avenue."
Once they got there, Jake parked the car up the street from the apartment building, and they all climbed out. The apartment block Lenny lived in was not the rundown building he'd expected—though why he'd actually expected that was beyond him. The Chevy Chase area was considered one of the more prestigious areas in Washington.
"You must have been paying Lenny a decent salary if he could afford an apartment in this place,” Nikki commented, regarding the old but classy-looking apartment block dubiously.
"Apparently so.” He walked through the old-fashioned concrete arch and approached the security doors. He directed a lance of kinetic energy at the locks, and the door opened with little protest.
"You would have made the best cat burglar,” Jake commented.
"I was, once."
Nikki's gaze jerked to his. “You? On the wrong side of the law?" His smile was wry. “Often."