Page 34 of Deadly Conflicts

“Yes, well, I’m still waiting for you to play genie for me so I figured I owed you,” Jake said. “Add another aspirin to that and take three. I want your hangover gone as soon as possible.”

Ally grinned and did as instructed, swallowing half the bottle of water before returning it to the nightstand. “Do you have plans for me, love bug?”

Her penchant for giving him cutesy nicknames used to drive Jake batty. Now, not only was he used to them, but he also found he kind of liked them. “I have plans for you,” he confirmed. “You’re going to be my wingman while we go through reports from last night’s festival.”

Ally frowned. “That doesn’t sound remotely entertaining.”

“We can be naked when we do it,” Jake offered.

Ally pursed her lips as she considered the offer. “Fine, but I want regular breaks.”

“Sold,” Jake said, grabbing her leg as he tugged her closer and rolled on top of her. “I was hoping to start with a kiss and then a shower, you know, just to start the day off right.”

“I think that can be arranged,” Ally said, giggling. “Then what?”

“Then I’m buying you breakfast because we need fuel and then we’re getting to work for a few hours,” Jake replied, adopting a serious tone. “If you’re going to be naked while we’re doing research you have to sit in a spot where I can’t touch you. The faster we get through our work, the faster we can enjoy our night.”

“Then I’ll stay clothed.”

“Well, let’s not be hasty,” Jake said, smacking a kiss against her neck. “I just said you couldn’t sit next to me. I didn’t say you couldn’t be in the same room offering me gentle encouragement and the occasional handful of … whatever strikes my fancy.”

“You have a dirty mind,” Ally said, snuggling closer. “I like it. You didn’t have this dirty of a mind when we first got together, though.”

“Oh, I always had it, angel,” Jake said. “I just kept it to myself because I didn’t want to offend you. Once I realized you weren’t the type of woman to get offended, you usually beat me to all of the dirty talk so I didn’t have to worry about it.”

“I’m good that way.”

“You are,” Jake agreed, pressing a soft kiss to her lips before turning serious. “Before we take our shower, though, I have to ask you a question.”

“Are you going to ask me if I think Vince had something to do with stealing his own car?”

Jake’s eyebrows shifted upward. “How did you know that’s what I was wondering?”

“Because I was wondering it, too,” Ally admitted. “Right before it happened, Sophie said that Vince had ulterior motives for being over by us … like he wanted to pick a fight with James so he had an alibi.”

“I noticed that, too,” Jake said, rolling slightly to his side so he wouldn’t crush Ally with his weight. “Do you think it’s possible?”

Ally shrugged her bare shoulders and ran a hand through her wild hair. She looked like a crazy lion for a moment, and Jake was unbelievably turned on. “I don’t really know him,” Ally said. “That’s horrible to say, isn’t it?”

Jake tore his brain away from the possibility of playing naked safari and focused on Ally’s somber face. “Why is it horrible?”

“I dated him for two months,” Ally replied. “We spent practically every night together. Granted, it was just sex, sex, and more sex, but … .”

“Let’s not go into the nitty-gritty details,” Jake suggested, earning a fond smile from Ally as she patted his morning mussed hair. “I’m not sure my poor heart can take it.”

“I know that feeling,” Ally said. “I had it happen to me, too, remember?”

“That was different,” Jake pointed out. “There was no real relationship between Cara and me. Sure, I guess there was in her head. For me, though, I was just going through the motions. You really cared about Vince.”

“See, that’s the thing … .” Ally broke off, biting her lip. “At the time I thought I cared about him. What if I didn’t, though?”

“What do you mean, angel?”

“I was young and stupid, and I was annoyed because James kept trying to run my life,” Ally explained. “He wasn’t really trying to do that, mind you, but it felt as if he was.”

“Okay, I get that,” Jake said. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to say, though.”

“I was infatuated with his looks and the fact that he was important,” Ally said. “Now I realize he was only important in his own head, though. I also realize that my idea of what was important then is a lot different from now.”