Free TheFugitivesSexyBrother by Annabeth Leong Page B

would she believe? That untangling problems on
a computer came so much more naturally to him than fixing problems between
people? That he would take any opportunity to get his mind off what Fernando
was supposed to have done? That this was his way of impressing beautiful women
such as herself? “I’ve got nothing better to do,” Javier said finally.
    She bit her lip, a gesture that made him think too much
about her mouth. “Well, that’s not technically true. How long is that going to
take? We’ve got to leave before it gets too late.”
    He stopped clicking and stared at her. “First, I don’t know
any sane human who defines four in the morning as late . Second, what is
this ‘we’?”
    “Targets tend to be less trouble when you catch them
sleeping. I actually meant to get going half an hour ago, but I had some
trouble waking up.” She blushed in a way that caught his attention. Had she
struggled to fall asleep? Javier hoped she’d mentally replayed their encounter
as many times as he had. “Anyway, I can’t exactly leave you alone here, can I?”
    “Trust issues again.” He clucked his tongue and waved her
toward her computer with a flourish. “Your Internet awaits, my lady. Though I
do have to recommend you update your operating system—older versions are much
more vulnerable to hacking.”
    “Yeah, thanks. Next time I have a few spare dollars I’ll get
all over that.”
    Javier peered over her shoulder, watching her type in a name
and initiate a search. “You think the Internet’s just going to tell you where
that guy is?”
    “Look, I know I screwed up with you, but I’m not that bad at doing my job. We’re driving this morning to a list of addresses where
the subject is likely to have holed up—girlfriend’s house, mother’s house,
stuff like that. The search is just to see about any obvious information I
should know, like that the guy posts all the time on message boards about how
awesome it is to own assault rifles. And you’d be surprised. A couple months
ago I found a guy because he kept posting his location on publicly visible
social networks.”
    Javier smiled. “People never fail to impress.”
    “Tell me about it. I usually pay a skiptracer for help with
this sort of thing, but she’s been flaking on me lately.”
    “You pay someone to do Internet searches for you?”
    “I pay someone to gather information for me.”
    “I could help.”
    “I would answer that, except I think if I hear the phrase
‘trust issues’ from you again I’m going to have to smack you.”
    “You’re grouchy in the morning.”
    He enjoyed the narrow-eyed look she shot him more than he
should have. “You’re awfully cheerful for someone who’s going back in
restraints as soon as I finish this.”
    Flirtatious banter. This was good. He barely needed to think
about Fernando when she started talking like that. “Emily,” Javier said, trying
out Fernando’s charming smile again. “I thought we’d gotten past the point of
needing restraints.”
    “Fat chance.” She gave a satisfied nod in the direction of
her browser and grabbed Javier by the shoulders, spinning him away from her and
pulling him tight against her body. Her breasts brushed against his back. He
thought her nipples hardened at the contact. Javier moaned.
    “You get way too excited when I manhandle you.”
    He swallowed. She had no idea. He tried to keep it light.
“It’s you, not the manhandling. Most of the time when women slap me around, it
does nothing for me.”
    “If you talk like that to everyone, I bet you get slapped
around all the time.”
    He snorted, then stiffened when metal brushed his wrists. He
twisted in her grip. “What if you need my help?”
    “With what ?” Emily’s voice snapped at him hard, all
lightheartedness banished.
    If he could have, Javier would have stumbled back a few
steps. “I don’t know…” He raised an eyebrow, wondering what he could have said
to make her so sensitive.