Free Renegade (Elite Ops 5) by Lora Leigh Page B

black leather pants, biker boots, and a T-shirt that stretched across his hard, broad chest, Nik Steele walked into the dress shop.
    "The white knight," she murmured in amusement as Deirdre seemed locked in amazement.
    "Mikayla?" He stepped into the office, looking between her and Deirdre.
    Ice blue eyes. Mikayla wondered if there was actually any emotion behind that
    gaze. The night before, she hadn't seen the ice there, the hard, almost cynical light; instead, she had felt something, sensed it, in the way he acted, the tone of his voice.
    But she remembered what he had said. He'd once been a father. Losing a child
    would destroy the soul, she thought. But would it leave anything for anyone else?
    "Can I help you, Mr. Steele?" Leaning back, she let her gaze rove over that gorgeous hard body just one more time.
    His lips quirked as though he was well aware of his effect on her and Deirdre as
    well. It would be hard to miss it; Deirdre was staring at him as though he were a sweet and she was dying for a sugar rush.
    "Yes, ma'am, you can." A flicker of warmth glimmered in his icy eyes. "I was wondering if you'd like to join me for steaks tonight? I thought I'd throw a few on the grill. Break out a couple of bottles of beer."
    "If she's not interested, then I am." Deirdre suddenly found her voice. "She's not real smart sometimes, ya know." There was a wealth of amusement in Deirdre's
    expression as Mikayla frowned at her.
    "She appears extremely intelligent to me," he drawled, that sexy grin still tugging at his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame.
    The flesh between her thighs heated, grew damp. That rat-a-tat-tat of her heart
    made her breathless. He had an effect on her that no other man ever had.
    "Yes, she's extremely intelligent," Mikayla informed him as though participating in the conversation.
    "I don't know." Deirdre leaned her hand against the desk and glanced back at Mikayla. "Look at her face. See, she knows better than to be in dark places by herself. I bet that was where you found her, huh?"
    "It was indeed." Nik's gaze sliced back to her. "Parked in the darkest area as she played punching bag for some asshole. She hasn't told me why yet."
    Deirdre's gaze swung back to Mikayla in amazement. "He doesn't know?" She switched back to Nik. "You don't know?"
    "I didn't say I haven't been checking into it."
    He knew.
    Mikayla swallowed tightly before drawing in a deep breath. At least, as deep as
    sore ribs allowed.
    "Figure anything out yet?" she asked.
    "A few things," he answered. "Enough to know why you were attacked last 45
    night."
    "You work fast." A sense of disappointment filled her. She couldn't tell if he believed her or not.
    "So who do you believe?" Deirdre voiced the question Mikayla was only
    thinking.
    Nik stared back at Deirdre as though in surprise. "I tend to believe the punching bag. They rarely get used without reason."
    Mikayla's heart melted. It was totally illogical, but he wasn't laughing at her, and he wasn't questioning her honesty.
    "There you are, a smart man." Deirdre waved her hand toward Nik as she stared back at Mikayla, satisfaction filling her gaze. "Now, if you don't show up for that steak, then I'm gonna."
    Deirdre bounced from the desk at the sound of the bell tinkling once again. Nik
    straightened and stepped into the office. Deirdre got as far as the doorway and froze and Mikayla could have sworn she whimpered.
    Mikayla knew who it was. Deirdre turned to Mikayla, her expression filled with
    pity. "Can I have the day off?" she asked as Mikayla's father and brothers stepped into the store.
    Dread filled Mikayla. "Can I?"
    Nik was standing on the back deck of the rented house, the grill heating, steaks
    lying on the small grill ledge, as he heard the gate between the two properties squeak as it opened.
    He restrained a grin.
    He'd left that shop that morning just after giving her father the details of the night before. First, Nik had been