Bare It All. Lori Foster

      He had that wrong, but she wouldn’t correct him on it. “So our visit is about over?”

      “Yes. Logan invited us to stay for dinner, but I said we had other plans.”

      That was news to her. “Do we?”

      Again Reese kissed her, this time brushing his mouth over her cheek. “We’re going to talk while we get your jelly beans.” He trailed damp kisses along her jaw. “We’ll pick up something for dinner, too...while we talk some more—” down to her chin “—and once we get home and check on Cash—”

      “We’ll do yet more talking?” Everywhere his mouth touched, her skin tingled. Somehow he made talk sound very seductive.

      Near her ear, he whispered, “I want to know you better.”

      Since she wanted to know everything about him, too, she liked that plan. Smoothing her hands over his solid chest, she nodded. “All right.”

      “Damn, Alice.” His mouth opened on her neck, hot, damp. She felt the slightest of suctions, and her toes curled. “Agreeable women are such a turn-on.”

      Knotting her fingers in his damp shirt, Alice held on—until Logan said, “Get out of my bathroom, you perv.”

      Alice jumped away in guilt, and Logan quickly amended, “I meant him, not you.”

      “Pepper let you off the couch?” Reese asked. “You managed to convince her that a bullet to the arm hadn’t handicapped your legs?”

      “She’s reasonable when necessary.” Logan waited for them to leave the bathroom, but as he started forward, Pepper showed up and followed him into the john.

      Biting back a laugh, Reese asked, “Going to lend him a hand, are you?”

      Logan stood there, mouth open to say something, but Pepper shut the door in their faces before they could hear it.

      Alice grinned. “They’re funny together.”

      “Much more so than when they’re apart.” Taking her hand, Reese led her back toward the living room. His stride was so long, she had to trot to keep up.

      “Why the rush?”

      He immediately slowed, even pulled her up and into his side. “Apologies, but I need to sit down.”

      “Why?” Reminded of the dark bruises around his wrists, Alice grew concerned. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

      “I think I should call it the Alice Syndrome.”

      That made no sense to her.

      Reese leaned down to her ear, even nipped her earlobe. “My attraction to you is difficult to contain, especially when you taste so good.”

      A flush warmed her skin. She tried to lean around him to see, but he didn’t give her a chance.

      “At the moment, there’s nothing to see and I’d as soon keep it that way. So behave.”

      She always did, she thought with a sigh. “If you insist.”

      He gave her a quick look, shook his head and kept going.

      Alice used the opportunity to admire Logan’s home. They passed the modern and spacious kitchen, then the stairs leading toward a second floor and presumably the bedrooms.

      The house was clean, open and uncluttered without being too masculine. “Detective Riske has a beautiful home.”

      “I like it, too.” Reese drew Alice down onto the love seat with him. “You know, Logan did most of the decorating himself.”

      On their return, Pepper heard him and groaned. “He’s almost too perfect, isn’t he?”

      Logan, who didn’t act like a man recently shot, laughed. “I only need to be good enough to keep you.”

      “You’re stuck with me and you know it.” After a quick kiss, Pepper directed Logan to sit again but appeased him by perching in his lap. “Luckily,” she said to Alice, “he’s good at all the housekeeping stuff, because I don’t really have the domestic gene.”

      Logan no sooner got settled than his cell rang, and he retrieved it from the table. Alice would have given him some privacy to take the call, but Pepper didn’t move from his lap, and Reese seemed unwilling to stand again.

      After a short greeting, she knew the identity of his caller: Lieutenant Peterson. She imagined working for that formidable woman could be a challenge for such alpha men, but neither one seemed to think a thing of it.

      Logan said, “Reese is standing here now. I’ll let him know. Yeah, shouldn’t be a problem. Hang on.” He lowered the phone, holding it to his chest. “Follow-up interview tomorrow. Is 8 a.m. okay by you?”

      “Whatever,” Reese said. “Not like either of us is working.”

      Pepper scowled. “Of course Logan isn’t working. He needs time to heal.” And then to Logan, “They interviewed both of you at the hospital. Why do they need to see you again?”

      “That was cursory because Logan was in the hospital.”

      Logan agreed to that with a nod. “Tomorrow will be at the station, and more in-depth.”

      “You were shot.”

      Reese said, “Do you really think he’s unaware of that?”

      Logan caught Pepper before she could turn her anger on Reese. “That’s the only reason they didn’t call me in before this. All this shit usually takes place within twenty-four hours.”

      “If he doesn’t answer questions,” Reese told her, “he could lose his job.”

      Aghast, Pepper gathered steam.

      “Shut up, Reese.” Logan cupped Pepper’s face to reassure her. “Trust me, it’s not a big deal. I’m perfectly capable of doing interviews—and no, I don’t need you there.” He softened that by saying, “I love you, but some things a man has to do alone.”

      Reese laughed. “So says the man recently escorted to the john.”

      Pepper narrowed her eyes at Reese. “Our truce is becoming shakier by the moment.”

      Reese held up his hands in surrender. “If it helps, an association rep will be around.” His smile twitched. “I promise no one will abuse him.”

      Logan glared at him. “Soon as my arm is healed...” He let the threat hang out there.

      Knowing it was all bluster kept Alice from getting too anxious over their verbal sparring. It was sort of nice to see friends indulge in harmless baiting.

      She saw that as a true measure of friendship.

      After whispering something to Pepper, Logan put the phone back to his ear. “We’ll be there. Yeah, Reese, too. Got it. Thanks.” He disconnected the call.