Layers Crossed Read online

  “Of course she is.” Tristan, my other brother, came in from behind a curtain.

  “Why are you following me? This is really getting old.” I tried to figure out how they’d tracked me, but I couldn’t. I’d dismantled every single device they could have used. I even left my cell phone at Grace’s, changed into her clothes, and we’d rented a car to come here – there was no way.

  They looked at each other as if unsure whether they wanted to give away their secrets – which I knew they wouldn’t.

  “Once you start acting your age and stop getting into shit all the time, we won’t need to track you. Will we?”

  “How did you track me?”

  But of course they ignored my question.

  “Do you know what happens to girls in places like these?”

  Julian knew too well about the kidnappings, drug use, and mistreatment of women at bars and nightclubs. Ten years ago his wife, Kendra, had been kidnapped and held captive by a cartel, treated like a sex slave. She’d literally gone through hell and back. I was thirteen at the time but knew enough to understand what she’d endured. Julian had made it his mission to ensure I didn’t follow her lead. I’d always looked up to her. She’d gotten me through some hard times.

  “It’s time to go home, Emma,” Julian said.

  “I’m here with someone.” I lied, secretly hoping that for once I had a steady man in my life, like the Cowboy, who could stand up to my brothers. The memory of what could have been, had my life turned out differently, coursed through me like liquid nitrogen.

  “Grace is coming along,” my brother said.

  “I’m not talking about Grace. Let me just tell him I’m leaving, at least.”

  Their brows rose by a fraction, somewhat intrigued. I hurried through the door, expecting my Cowboy to be there but… he wasn’t.

  Great! He stood me up already.

  But I wasn’t one to give up. I left a note with the barman, asking him to pass it along to the Cowboy, trying to describe every beautiful feature I’d remembered, including that sexy scar above his brow. Why didn’t I get his name?

  And before I knew it, we were driving home. All I could think about was the man who had captured my attention for longer than two minutes. That was rare. Due to my line of work and my past, my belief in happily-ever-afters had dwindled. The irony was that the only examples I’d seen of happy relationships were those of my parents and my two brothers. Maybe I should start showing more responsibility after all, so that when the Cowboy called, we could start with a proper introduction. Little did I know I’d never get the phone call I was waiting for.

  CHAPTER 2

  Eric

  I’d never in my life seen skin as creamy as that of the woman who owned the stage at The Grill. With the glistening moisturizer that must had covered her entire body, it looked as if she were wearing a layer of silk. The way her hips curved, her silhouette held that beautiful pear shape – not skinny, but perfect, with enough flesh on each hip for a comfortable hold. And those muscles on her thighs and arms – I could only imagine the different ways in which she could wrap herself around me.

  What the fuck was I doing? She was a stripper, and I was already thinking about being balls deep inside her. I felt my sack contract at the thought of her warmth around me, and my cock pulsed for the fourth time since she’d walked out on that stage. My jeans were beginning to run out of room. Each time she moved, gripping that pole, spreading her perfect legs in a way that still hid her wet core, a surge of pure testosterone flew through me. I wanted to mount her, claim her, and mark her all at the same time. But first, I had to find out where she’d gotten those light marks on her legs. They appeared as faint scars, barely visible, making her absolutely stunning. I imagined trailing my lips over every single white spot on her body as she writhed underneath me.

  For the love of God, how long can I sit here before I explode?

  Those colorful gems on her breasts and pussy didn’t leave much to the imagination, and I fought the urge to jump up on that stage and cover her up. I didn’t want another man seeing her. Especially in a place like this, where every second douchebag was probably jerking off while watching her.

  Yet I myself couldn’t keep my eyes away. This was not an establishment I came to willingly, but it was the halfway point between my ranch and New York – one where I’d agreed to meet my temporary employers and hire them at the same time. The deal worked out great. I’d done them a favor, and they would do one for me. In truth, the only reason I agreed to the deal was because I owed a life debt that needed to be paid off and was here as a favor to a friend. And if it happened that I got something out of our arrangement, well, that was a bonus. Except that now, looking at this beautiful woman, all I wanted to do was to break the deal I struck to babysit some spoiled brat, and get to know that dancing temptress.

  Seeing her perky tits when she flipped upside down on that pole – God help me. There was no way I’d walk out of this joint straight and without a phone number at least. I was a gentleman by nature and pick-up lines or one-night stands weren’t my thing, but I had my limits like any other man, and this gem-covered beauty would be mine. She was the perfection I’d dreamed about while in the military. She was the muse in my thoughts I didn’t know about, and the adrenaline in my veins I needed to survive the missions. I might not have known it at the time, but she was the reason I was alive. And why was I feeling like a fucking fifteen-year-old seeing his friend’s hot mother bend over in her mini and figure out she was going commando? Well, the truth was that I didn’t know the answers to those questions, but as long as I got to see her again, I didn’t really care. I was ready to succumb to anything she’d ask of me.

  I inhaled the smell of her freshness that was still drifting around me. She must have washed her hair only hours before I saw her. The bounce of her dirty-blonde curls released an aroma that drove me crazy. I wondered whether she’d used it all over her body, and couldn’t wait to smell and lick each curve and nook of her skin to discover so for myself. During the few minutes we spoke, the sass, wit, and confidence of that woman captivated me. I couldn’t take my eyes away from her mouth for two reasons. First, I was still hard for her, and my cock kept pressing against the zipper like it wanted to jump right out and into her perfect round hole rimmed with luscious lips. Second, if I looked down at the robe she was wearing and imagined what was underneath it, my jeans would rip, or get soaked at the least.

  Standing here now, waiting for her to come back like she’d promised so that I could watch her drive away safely, felt like an eternity. And my bladder was beginning to misbehave. When she came out, the first thing I’d do was get her name. There was no way in hell I’d let her leave without knowing who she was and when I could see her again. Although our initial conversation didn’t sound the way I’d practiced before she came out the side door, it felt so natural; like we’d known each other for years, not seconds. I still couldn’t believe I could talk to a woman so candidly – ever. Especially one I was so devastatingly attracted to.

  I looked down at my watch. The minutes standing here felt like hours. The text that came in canceling my appointment was a blessing. It meant I could postpone the business I came here to do and concentrate on her. While I’d need to reschedule the meeting, I couldn’t help but gloat that I’d get a chance to know the spray-tanned beauty. Part of me felt guilty. Should I have insisted on the meeting anyway? Would it have changed anything? This trip was taking longer than I’d expected, keeping me away from my horses, but the people I was supposed to be meeting came highly recommended. They needed my help, and I needed theirs.

  “Just get her out of the city for a while,” they’d said. “She needs a calmer lifestyle and a change of scenery. And no fucking around.”

  Well, she would have to wait until we scheduled another meeting.

  Shifting from one foot to another, I couldn’t wait any longer. Hopefully, if my bedazzled girl came out early, she’d wait for me. As I stood in the s
tall, pissing for what seemed like hours, I regretted drinking all that water. But how could I have not? Looking at her move her body up and down that pole, all I could think about was her slickness sliding along my length. My mouth had felt like the middle of a desert. Shit, even remembering those thoughts forced my dick to stand at full mast, making it nearly impossible to piss.

  I shook off the last drops, washed my hands, and went back out to the bar.

  My first priority when she returned – right after I got her name, of course – would be to get her out of this dirty hole of a strip club. There was no way she’d let me drive her home, she was too smart for that, which made me wonder what the hell was she doing here in the first place. The bodyguard had said she was from New York. Didn’t they have better establishments than this in her home city? She didn’t look like someone who should be stripping for cash; in fact, the bodyguard said she was dancing tonight for free – that’s why they let her in. Well, maybe that was one of the reasons. I couldn’t imagine that any woman more beautiful worked here – or anywhere in the entire state – so having her up on that stage was a bonus for this place. And while she definitely looked like a professional, at least she’d confirmed this wasn’t her job.

  I lowered my gaze to my watch again. It had been too long. Had she ditched me?

  “You wanna beer, honey? Or maybe something more?” a raven-haired waitress in a bustier asked me while stroking the side of my arm. Chills of disgust flew through me. Hooking up in a place like this was definitely not my style. And honestly, I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to think about another woman ever again.

  Of course I wouldn’t verbalize all that to her, and so I replied, “Not tonight. Have you seen that girl who danced last? She went backstage to change, and it’s been a while.”

  “The one with the gems?” Her brow rose in a funny way, as if this was a question she’d already answered more than once tonight.

  “Yes.” My eyes flew open.

  “Emma. Her name is Emma.”

  “Emma.” The moment I said her name, something odd happened in my chest. The profound pounding and a light-hearted sensation were new to me. I’d never experienced lust of such height. I mean, I’d gotten hot for women before – it was only natural that I would – but Emma. God, Emma just took over my entire being with her presence, and if I didn’t see her soon, I’d go insane. “Where is she?”

  “She left.”

  What? The waitress was lying – she had to be. There was no way that Emma could have dismissed the connection we’d had so easily. Was she safe? I quickly ran out the front door. There was no sign of a struggle or commotion. Why would she have disappeared so quickly? It couldn’t have been me, could it? Was I too forward? Too strong? Dealing with city women who had a mind of their own wasn’t my thing – but Emma… If I ever got a chance to see her again, I would never let her go.

  When I returned, I asked the same waitress, “Do you have Emma’s last name?”

  “Sorry, hun, I don’t.”

  “An address, or a license plate at least? Anything?”

  She shook her head sideways.

  “Fuck,” I swore under my breath, running my fingers through my hair, already imagining spending the rest of my life looking for the one that got away. “I’m sorry. She said she’d come back…”

  Was I fucking stuttering? What the hell was that about? How could I have let myself be affected by a woman to a point of desperation? There was no reason to even hope now, was there? I’d better forget about her – think of Emma as a dream. A dream that would never come true.

  CHAPTER 3

  Emma

  I shuffled through the photographs on my desk re-arranging them for the fifth time this morning, wondering how I would break the news to Christine of her husband’s infidelity. The zoomed-in pictures of a girl younger than my client by at least two decades, riding her husband, was unmistakable. There was a specific order in which I’d need to show her these. See, some women had to be broken down first. If I showed a young model blowing the cheater like he was the best lollipop in the world, they’d accuse me of forgery. It took much longer for the truth to sink in – even though deep down they’d always known what it was. Instead of slamming into them, I’d need to work my way into their heart first. Most of the time, I’d show my client a photo of her husband meeting his mistress, maybe even exchanging a kiss before the clothes were torn off.

  Christine was different, though. She was a fighter and I knew she’d want to see the worst damage as soon as she sat down in the leather chair at my desk. And the image I’d held in my hands of her husband wearing nothing but a leash, tied to a bed with his leather-bearing bitch right over him, was enough evidence to help her decide how to proceed. She’d been smart enough to have a pre-nup. With the airtight clauses I’d seen in there, the bastard would get nothing from her.

  My heart tore. This work was beginning to eat at me from the inside out. Couldn’t my brothers see I wasn’t happy, constantly dealing with cheating couples? How in the world was that supposed to restore my faith in true love? The faith I’d had two years ago before I joined Cross Enterprises, our family-run top private investigations firm, full-time. My only reason for doing so then was to lose myself in my work – to forget the pain and eventually work my way up the ladder. While my brothers’ love for their wives was the only thing that kept me from completely losing hope in a successful relationship, I was beginning to think that honest men like Julian and Tristan didn’t exist anywhere else these days. And the one I had known had slipped through my fingers way before his time. My heart ached at the memory. It had crumbled that day to pieces, and no one had been able to put it together. Yes, I blamed myself for his death; but I wasn’t the only one to do so.

  “It’s your fault,” David’s brother had said. “You’re the one who took him from us.”

  Cold shivers flew through my body. Everything could have been so perfect if I had just stayed home. Why did I have to be his doom? And would I ever be able to let myself love as wholly as I had loved David? I had yet to meet a man who could hold a candle to him.

  What happened to the courteous, old-fashioned ones who brought flowers to your doorstep or stood up in a restaurant when you wanted to leave to the powder room?

  They all left to live on Mars, that’s what happened!

  The guys I’d dated called themselves ‘metrosexual.’ All trim and proper, who manicured their hands and worked out just enough to have the muscles necessary to be a good catch. Most of the city boys I’d dated (because honestly, they couldn’t have been called men) were more into themselves than anyone else. They cared too much about their own hairstyle to even notice my new cut, and kept asking whether their shirts were crisp-ironed but failed to see my new dress. I swear, sometimes I wondered whether all the guys I’d dated should have reconsidered their sexual orientation. And even if one had potential, he would be scared off by my brothers before I got a chance to know him.

  But the way my brothers swept me away before I got a chance to find the intriguing Cowboy the past weekend, forcing me to leave him behind, was a new low. I should have stood my ground, but their offer of good things to come at Cross Enterprises swayed me too quickly. They’d promised changes and good cases, and I fell for their trick like a frickin’ kindergartener. I should have known better. There was no way Julian and Tristan would ever let me go under cover or work on a dangerous case because three days later, I was still sitting here, at my desk, waiting for the first appointment of the day to show up and, once again, crush my belief in true love.

  I sighed. Were there any knights in shining armor left in this world? And did I really want to be swept off my feet like a damsel? After all, I was a strong, independent woman who didn’t let men control her life (except for my brothers, of course). Did I want a man to take charge and lead the way? Hell, yes! For once, I didn’t want to make decisions or hold back. I wanted a man who could drive me crazy both in bed and out. I wanted a man who would
love me with everything that he was, who would care for me and who would die for me without a second thought.

  Propping my chin on my hands as I leaned over my desk, I sighed again.

  Finally inserting the condemning prints into the envelope, I looked through the frosted glass of my office, where the silhouette of a tall man with a cowboy hat walked by. I shot off my chair and rushed to the door, pulling it open, secretly hoping it was him. That he’d gotten my note after all, found out where I worked, and come to see me.

  But of course it wasn’t my Cowboy. This one didn’t compare to the man whose name I hadn’t even gotten.

  Was there some kind of a country and western convention my brothers had just attended to recruit business? I’d seen a couple downstairs as well. It seemed that each time I turned around, I saw a cowboy hat – or maybe with my heightened thoughts of the man who had caught my attention three nights ago, I noticed what I never had before.

  I frowned, slamming my door shut.

  I’d cursed my brothers over and over again since last Saturday. Treating me like a five-year-old was getting old. Didn’t they both have their own children to take care of? If this continued, I’d need to talk to Allie and Kendra about keeping their husbands on a tighter leash so that they’d loosen mine.

  With the spies they had on me already, it was difficult to have any fun at all. If it weren’t for my sisters-in-law, who still went out clubbing with me once in a while, Tristan and Julian would have chained me up and fastened a chastity belt on me long ago. So when my office door swung wide open this morning, and instead of Christine, both my brothers stepped in, locking it behind them, I wasn’t sure whether they’d thought of a new way to make my life miserable, or were just going to fire me and lock me up in an attic somewhere out in the suburbs.

  “What do you want?” I grumbled.