Free Sexual Persuasion by Maryn Sinclair

what I was saying, and out of the blue I’ve got this gorilla warning me that if I didn’t mind my own business, I’d be using a wheelchair the rest of my life. Sound like Max, Andros?”
    Alex couldn’t deny the possibility. Subtlety had never been one of Max’s strong points.
    Davidson tried to walk and winced. “Jesus. That guy might put me in a chair yet.”
    “I don’t know anything about this, but maybe you should take his advice. This isn’t Kansas anymore, Dorothy. This is the big game, and you’re not on a dirt lot. You’re playing in Fenway Park.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “It means whoever sent him is trying to tell you something. Knowing you, you won’t listen.” Alex started to walk away, then turned. “I’d take a taxi from now on, Jack. Walking can be dangerous.”
    “There’s something else, Andros.”
    “What?”
    Davidson looked truly conflicted. He waved Alex off. “Nothing. Forget it. You’ll find out soon enough.”
    Alex wasn’t sure he wanted to know. Rather than press, he’d enjoy whatever time he had before finding out. If it had to do with Max, his boss wouldn’t hesitate to let him know.
    But first, he needed to take care of business. He got back to his car and dialed Tom Scruggs. Alex had used Scruggs before. An ex-spook, he knew everything about electronic surveillance. He also knew every pro working in the Boston area and beyond. Alex figured Scruggs would have to call in someone else to complete the job, but he felt confident he’d choose wisely. He always did.
    “Got a job for you, Tom. It’s a big one. Might even be dangerous, but I’m paying top dollar. Are you free?”
    “As a bird,” Scruggs answered.
    “Good. I’ll get back to you.” Alex checked his watch: 12:45. Where had the time gone? He told Charlotte he’d call in the morning. He should have called as soon as he had the photos, but he didn’t realize the late time. He was always punctual, except this morning. He tapped in her number, and after it rang five or six times, it switched to voice mail. If he hadn’t seen Davidson minutes before, he’d be worried. He waited for the beep.
    “Charlotte, I have the photos. You don’t have to worry about them anymore.” Was that all he wanted to say? No. But that was all he would say. That was all he promised. He hung up and drove toward the harbor.
    He turned on the radio loud, hoping it would capture his attention. Stop thinking about her. Concentrate on something else. Anything other than Charlotte. But it was a lost cause. He pictured her last night, blonde hair cascading onto her shoulders, tears filling her innocent blue eyes and tumbling onto her cheeks. And the red dress that would stop an army in their tracks. He got halfway home, made a U-turn, and headed to Newbury Street.

Chapter Ten
    Lust to Lust
     
    Charlotte saw Alex’s car at a meter adjacent to her doorway. Sweat poured off her, and she felt like she just came out of a steam room. He got out and waited until she approached. He wore sunglasses and looked almost edible in washed-out jeans and a dark gold open-neck polo shirt. Get a grip.
    “I called, but you didn’t answer. I left a message on your machine.”
    “You said you’d call in the morning. I figured Jack wouldn’t give you the photos, so around eleven I went for my walk.”
    “Sorry. The morning got away from me. Jack gave me the photos. That’s the message on the machine.”
    “Are you going to show them to me?”
    He met her gaze straight-on. “No.”
    Charlotte’s stomach sank. “That bad, huh?”
    “Do you really want to talk on the street?”
    “I appreciate what you did, but―”
    “Open the door, Charlotte.”
    “I―”
    “Open it.”
    Her chest felt like it would explode, because she knew what was going to happen. And she wanted it to happen. She found the key in her fanny pack and pointed to the new lock. “Your locksmith came over and changed the locks and installed an alarm system.