Her hand lifted and patted against Jinx’s chest. His ever-so-hard and muscled chest. “Thanks for the concern, but I’m good.” Another pat. She would not let her fingers linger, even though they wanted to. Even though they were itching to caress him. Nope. Not doing it. “I was just out tonight. Seeing the town. Doing the tourist thing.” It was fairly easy to lie. She’d had to lie before, of course, when she was undercover. But she tended to not lie at any other time.
She’d never actually lied to Jinx before. Would he be able to tell she wasn’t being honest? She doubted it. None of her other marks ever had. “I knew this club had a bit of a reputation, but you see, I’ve got a wild side, too. I was told that Ramsey offered one hell of a fun time to the people in his bar.” She started to pull her hand back.
Too late.
Jinx’s hand had lifted, and his fingers curled around her wrist. He kept her palm trapped against his chest, over his heart. “That is adorable.”
Uh, oh. “What’s adorable?”
“The way you think you can lie to me—right to my face—and I’ll believe you.” He leaned toward her. So close that she thought he might kiss her.
Super bad plan. “Jinx…”
“This place isn’t for tourists. You came here for a deliberate reason, and it wasn’t so that you could party it up on the dangerous side of town. You were looking for a very specific brand of trouble. Lucky for you, you didn’t find it.”
Trouble. Unfortunately, yes, that was what she needed.
He was still holding her wrist. Still leaning in as if he was going to kiss her.
She remembered what it felt like to have his mouth on hers. Remembered how she’d gone from a simple kiss to wanting to rip away his clothes in about fifteen seconds.
You’re too close to him. Move back. Don’t risk Jinx.
Because while he might have been an overbearing asshole so far that night, Jinx tended to be one of the good guys. He’d always fought for the weak. Always followed orders like a champ. Never left a teammate behind. Never hesitated to do the right thing even as the world went to hell around him.
Because of what he’d been to her…he was in danger. So while Ali might want to push onto her tiptoes and put her mouth against his, she couldn’t. Going down that road with Jinx again wasn’t an option.
“You don’t know me,” she managed to say, voice husky. “You might think you do, but you don’t.”
“Sure about that? Here I thought I knew you biblically.”
Her cheeks burned, but the darkness hid her flush. “Good night, Jinx.” She tugged her hand from his hold. “How about we try to stay out of each other’s way for the rest of the time that I’m in town?” You need to stay away. Far away.
He took a step back. Motioned for her to pass him. “You don’t want me, you won’t have me.”
Oh, he didn’t get it. She most definitely wanted him. She’d stayed awake plenty of nights thinking about him. But being with Jinx wasn’t an option for her. Ali gave a curt nod and headed past him. With every step, some of the tension slid from her. It had been hard, it was hard walking away, but it was for the best. Ali risked one final glance back at him. “Wanting you has never been the problem.”
“Ali?”
“Goodbye, Jinx.” Final. Flat.
***
She fish-tailed it out of the parking lot. Jinx watched her go with narrowed eyes. He knew fear when he saw it, and Ali was definitely running scared.
A low whistle came from his right. Like he hadn’t known the sonofabitch was there.
“I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen you get shot down by a woman.” A considering pause. “Usually that smile of yours works wonders. Guess she’s immune.”
Jinx put his hands on his hips. “Not even close.” His gaze darted around the lot. No one else was there. No wonder he’d been given this precious chat time.
Ramsey didn’t like for them to be seen together too much. Jinx glanced toward him. A big shadow in the dark. “You will stay the hell away from her.”
“I assure you, I have no interest in your friend.”
“My worry is that she has interest in you.” He scraped a hand over his jaw. “I think she was here to hire you for a job.”
No response.
“Did you recognize her?” Jinx pushed because he felt as if he was missing something big.
“No.”
“Did she call you? Because she told me that she had a meeting—”
“I was told by someone that a new client might be showing up tonight.”
Jinx closed in on him. “You won’t take her on. Whatever she wants—refuse.”
“Doubt that she’ll be back. I think she heard me when I said you both needed to get your asses out of my place.”
He stared at Ramsey’s shadowy figure. “You’re on the edge.” He could see it. “I can’t predict what the hell you will do next.” All he knew was that Ramsey wasn’t letting him help. And Jinx had a pretty strong suspicion that Ramsey was taking secret visits related to a certain obsession of his. “Have you talked to her?”
“I just told you, I don’t know your friend, and I have no interest in—”
“Not talking about my friend. I’m talking about yours. About the lady everyone thought was dead, but who just turned up very much in the land of the living. The woman who doesn’t remember you, but who you can’t seem to forget. Her. Have you talked to Whitney or are you just hiding in shadows and watching—”
Ramsey lunged at him.
Jinx had expected the move. He’d taunted the other man into taking it. So he didn’t flinch. Didn’t back up. Just waited.
Ramsey’s fist was inches from his face. The guy’s self-control had improved over the years. Back when they’d been kids, that fist would have slammed into Jinx’s jaw. Jinx would have pummeled him back, and then five minutes later, they would have been best friends again.
Best friends. Best enemies. The way only brothers could be.
“Don’t mention her again,” Ramsey ordered.
“No? Well, thought you’d be interested to know she’s back to staying at her house. Back to her job at the college. Your Whitney seems to be back to resuming—”
“She’s not mine.” A growl.
“My mistake. For a bit there, you had me confused.”
“Stop messing around in things you don’t understand, Jinx.”
He understood plenty. Like the fact that his brother was hurting. Like the fact that Ramsey had locked himself off from everyone and everything. That he’d let this happen to Ramsey because he’d been too freaking busy saving the world. Jinx hadn’t realized the person who might need saving most was the one person closest to him.
“She doesn’t know me.” Ramsey spoke without emotion, the way he so often did. “Doesn’t remember a damn thing about me. And that’s for the best.”
Was it? Jinx doubted it. “You know, she might not remember. But you do. And some memories can haunt you. They can slip into your head late at night. Make you long for things.” Make you remember how a woman felt when she was wrapped around you…when she was screaming your name…when she was…