Free Dead Don't Lie by L. R. Nicolello Page B

chocolate-colored eyes.
Yep, totally mesmerizing.
    The shrill ringing of Ryan’s cell phone ripped her back to reality. He answered the call. She could feel her cheeks burning, so she grabbed her mug and headed for the break room.
    Now that her beloved Starbucks coffee was gone, Evelyn cradled the steaming mug of second-rate coffee and walked to her desk, careful to keep her eyes
off
Marcus. She threw herself into her chair, then took a sip of the steaming liquid and grimaced.
    Ryan hung up and smirked. Evelyn eyeballed him—she knew that smirk.
No way. Not in a million years.
She was way too tired.
    “Kate says to come to dinner tonight. She won’t take no for an answer.”
    “Ryan, I—”
    “She’s already told the kids.”
    Evelyn groaned and threw a pencil at him. Ryan dodged the flying object and laughed. “You’re playing the kid card now? Of all times? Really?”
    She shook her head, unable to keep her grin from spreading. She loved those kids and, cliché or not, would take a bullet for them. Kate knew that and didn’t think twice about using them to get her best friend over anytime she wanted, nor did she apologize for her blatant manipulation.
    Ryan grinned. Deep dimples creased his cheeks and his blue eyes playfully twinkled. “What can I say? Kate wants to see you, Evelyn. Tonight. Seven o’clock.”
    “Fine. But tell that wife of yours she’s shockingly bold.”
    “Fair enough.” He turned in his chair and nodded to Marcus. “You, too, Moretti. Care to join us?”
    Evelyn’s mouth dropped open. She stared at Ryan.
    One of Marcus’s eyebrows shot up, but he shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”
    “Great. Kate will be thrilled.” Ryan turned back to Evelyn and sent her a mischievous glance.
    Her heart took off at a mad gallop. She sipped her coffee, desperate to keep cool in front of the two men. She hadn’t experienced this butterfly thing since high school. Peering over the mug’s edge, she sent her partner a scorching look.
Don’t even think about it, Ryan O’Neil
.
    “Evelyn, bring Marcus with you, will you?”
    “What?” She choked on her coffee.
Jackass
.
    She could smell the setup and was going to kill Kate tonight. Ryan returned her glare with a knowing wink. If she wasn’t so nervous at the idea, she might’ve laughed at the way her stomach reacted to the mere thought of being alone with Marcus.
What was she, sixteen again?
    “I’m sure he can drive himself. He’s a grown man, for heaven’s sake.”
    “True, but he doesn’t know the city like you do,” Ryan countered.
    Marcus called from across the room, interrupting the showdown between partners. “You know,
he
is sitting right here and can hear you both.”
    They turned to him.
    “And Evelyn’s right.” Marcus chuckled, shaking his head before going back to the photos in his hand. “
He
can drive himself.”
    Ryan grinned. “Yes, I’m sure you can. I’m not calling your superior federal-agent driving ability into question here. Even on your worst day, we all know you could outmaneuver any of us with your eyes closed and one hand tied behind you back. No doubt.”
    Evelyn laughed at her partner’s spirited antics. Once again, Ryan managed to lighten a very, very dark day. She grew still. He was treating Marcus like one of them. Which meant—she glanced between the two men—Ryan had vetted Marcus and decided he was one of them. She stole another look at Marcus. Her stomach fluttered and her palms got clammy. Unbelievable. Why did that excite her?
    Ryan put his hand over his heart, threw Marcus an exaggerated smile, then grew serious. “Not kidding, parking’s hell on our street. The fewer cars, the better.”
    Ryan gave her puppy eyes that she swore he’d learned from Liam. “Evelyn...”
    “Fine.”
    Bending forward, she ripped a piece of paper from her notebook and scrawled her address. Completely thrown by her response to Marcus, she tried to keep her hand from shaking as she handed him the paper.
    “Be