Free First You Run by Roxanne St. Claire Page B

former cop, right? You should be able to find each other.”
    The guard rapped hard on the doorjamb. “Time’s up, Mr. Culver.”
    Eileen’s blue-gray eyes widened slightly. “You told them your real name?”
    “It’s the only way into a maximum-security prison, Eileen.”
    “Be careful, Jack.” She reached out a papery dry hand and whispered, “He can do anything. And it matters to a lot of people. A lot.”
     
    From a long balcony that connected his second-floor room with Miranda’s, Fletch studied the impressive patio below, surrounded by a faux jungle, lit by rows of tiki torches, and peppered with well-dressed guests.
    “I’m ready.”
    He turned to another vision, every bit as impressive.
    Miranda stepped into the evening light, shimmering in silver metallic silk that draped over her slender body like liquid mercury. The dress stopped mid-thigh to reveal long, shapely legs in a pair of high heels designed with nothing but procreation of the species in mind.
    He made no effort to hide his head-to-toe inspection. “Isn’t going out in public looking that good illegal?”
    She smiled at the compliment and nodded to the greenery behind him. “I know that using that much water is illegal,” she said. “I wonder how Victor Blake gets away with it.”
    “I get the impression Doña Taliña calls the shots around here.”
    “She calls something,” Miranda said. “I just haven’t figured out what yet.”
    “Is that what you’ve done all afternoon?” he asked. “Tried to figure her out?”
    She shrugged. “I rested in my room.” He knew that, having kept a close watch on that door while he did a cursory security check of the home. “What about you?”
    “I worked.” In addition to the look-see of the house, he’d talked to Lucy. “I’ve asked for background checks on Victor and Taliña Blake, and my home office is trying to unearth some new data about the crazies for you.”
    “Why?” She looked hard at him, the same distrust in her eyes that he’d seen when she’d found him on the cell phone with Jack on the veranda. Seeds of distrust planted by their hostess.
    “Information is power. If you know who these people are, they have less chance of terrorizing you.”
    “The crazies, yes. But why would you do a background check on Taliña and Victor Blake?”
    “Because anyone who doesn’t want you to be protected is a security red flag to me.”
    Miranda scowled at him. “She’s merely…possessive. And I guess she questioned our friendship.”
    He lifted a brow. “You’ve got nothing to fear from me.”
    “Nothing?”
    He raked her with a slow appraisal as he slipped into a sports jacket that hid his holstered weapon. “I admit I want to get naked with you, luv, but I don’t want to hurt you.”
    For a moment, they eyed each other in a silent truce. Then she reached out to touch his tie. “You clean up pretty well, too.”
    He grinned, snagging her hand as she drew away and tucking her closer to him. “Let’s go greet your adoring fans.”
    “That’s a slight overstatement.”
    “Taliña adores you,” he said. “She touches you a lot.”
    “That’s her style,” Miranda said. “She’s very physical.”
    He slid an arm around her and dropped a kiss on her bare shoulder. “So am I.”
    She stiffened, then inclined her head, allowing him access to more skin. “What happened to ‘this isn’t about sex’?”
    “This dress happened,” he said, lowering his gaze to the material that dipped low enough to reveal the rise of her breasts. “And you knew it when you put it on to torture me.”
    “That wasn’t my…” Her voice caught as he kissed her on the lips, so lightly it tickled them both.
    “Yes, it was.” He grazed a knuckle along the side of her breast.
    A sharp rap on the balcony door surprised them apart. “Miranda, what’s taking you so long?” Taliña Blake stepped out, obviously having come through Miranda’s room. She wore all black, her hair tumbling in