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The door diagonally across from her opened and her breath caught in her throat. As if he had been pulled from her teenage fantasies, Tepes appeared. He’d been the only man her sister dated that Liv liked. Ok, ‘like’ wasn’t really a strong enough word, but she didn’t want to remember how much she’d cared for someone who had left her life without a backward glance. She knew his real name was Sean Arista, but the image of him as an ancient conqueror fueled many of her nighttime fantasies for years. He’d represented an impossible standard for everything a man should be. Which was probably why she was still single.
The past ten years had added a distinguished edge to his features and a small sprinkling of gray to his temples. His style had changed. Gone were the fatigues or loose jeans that had made her pray for a glimpse at what was under them. Replaced by what had to be an expensive tailored suit that highlighted the physical strength the man still had in excess. It also emphasized his broad shoulders, well-defined muscles, and an ass that made her hands twitch with the need to touch it. Was his voice still as deep as she remembered in her dreams?
Liv was fourteen the first time she’d seen him and could barely do anything but blush and stammer when the handsome Marine visited her older sister. Time passed and her crush blossomed. Every time he’d deployed, Liv had written him almost daily because she’d heard that soldiers loved getting mail when they could. Amelia had written as well, but not as often. Her sister preferred partying and living a bigger life than their poor upbringing supported. Whenever he was around, she’d settle a bit, but as soon as he deployed, her sister would spin further and further out of control.
Their relationship lasted for two years, but that was probably more because Tepes hadn’t known what Amelia was doing when he wasn’t around. The breaking point had been when he came home and found her with another man. Unfortunately, he’d cut Liv out of his life as well. It had broken her heart to lose him as both a friend and confidant. Looking back, she understood why he wouldn’t have wanted to keep talking to the kid sister of someone who had betrayed him.But it had hurt.
“This isn’t going to be easy.”
Yikes. Tepes’ voice was even deeper and sexier than she remembered. Liv glanced up, trying to see who he was speaking to. He wasn’t looking at the guard next to the door, and there wasn’t anyone else in the hallway.
“I will probably be able to get him bail, but he won’t be able to leave the state till trial.”
She risked looking up since he was turned slightly away from her. Liv saw an earpiece. He must be on the phone. Her breath hitched. Years had done nothing to dull her attraction to him. His hair was slightly longer than he’d kept it during his Marine days, but still short, almost shaved, on the sides and back. There was a fancy earbud in his ear explaining why the man was talking to himself.
“Have our people look into everything they can. Proving that it was his girlfriend, not him, involved in that deal with the Soto Cartel last night will not be easy.”
Wait, the Soto Cartel? If Tepes was involved in that case, then maybe he would help her. Would he even remember her? Doubt was like an evil Devil on her shoulder. Even if he remembered her, would he be willing to help the sister of a woman who had cheated on him while deployed?
Liv bit her lip, trying to think. She didn’t know who he was defending, but the video recording of last night couldn’t hurt his case, right? The USB clutched in her hand wasn’t the only copy of the file, so if she gave it to him and he did nothing with it, there were still other options. Should she walk up and hand it to him? No. He would have questions she’d rather not answer.
The biggest one being why she’d been recording a drug deal? That wasn’t something she wanted to get into with him. Especially not with the history between him and Amelia. What should she do? She could slip it into his pocket and hope he found it and looked at what was on it. Yes, that was the best plan. Then she wouldn’t have to face him or her feelings about him or her sister.
“Ok, I’m going to try to talk to the D.A. before the arraignment. Talk to you later.”
If his call was over, Liv knew she needed to act quickly. How could she slip this to him without him noticing? His suit jacket had a pocket in it she would use. She stood, keeping her head down. Tepes turned and walked towards her and she counted the steps as he moved closer. She stood, purposefully bumping into him.
“Sorry.” She mumbled as she slipped her hand into his pocket.
Before Liv could drop the USB, she felt him grip her wrist. The world seemed to spin and her brain couldn’t keep up with what was happening. Her breath rushed out of her lungs as the wall hit her back with a thud. She blinked as time froze and she realized Tepes had her pinned to the wall, her hand clutching the drive pinned above her head.
The warmth of his body against hers was causing all sorts of inappropriate sparks to shoot through her as adrenaline flooded her body. Tepes’ blue eyes sparked with anger as he glared down at her. The urge to tilt her chin up and try for a kiss was definitely not the right thing to do, but it was harder to resist than it should have been. Why did his anger excite her?
“Uhm. Hi Tepes. Long time. How have you been?” She tried for a casual tone, but their position made her words almost ridiculous.
The complete confusion in his expression was funny. He’d pinned her to the wall in a way that would make anyone passing by think they were about to make out. The way he tightly gripped her wrist probably meant he thought she had just tried to pick his pocket. A nervous giggle escaped her lips. How had her life gotten so messed up?
“Do I…” Recognition softened his features if not his hold on her. “Liv?”
“Is everything alright?” The guard stationed next to the door asked. Not that he’d moved. Guess a man pinning a woman to the wall wasn’t exciting enough to get him to act.
Crap, they were making a scene, and that could be bad for her. She had kept Luis from finding out what she was doing so far, but if this stranger found out the truth, the drug lord could find out too. She doubted she would live long if the Soto Cartel discovered she was trying to get one of their top men arrested. Thinking fast, Liv leaned to the left and flashed an embarrassed smile from behind Tepes’ enormous body that still held her pinned. “Sorry officer, my boyfriend didn’t notice me and so I grabbed his ass. Must have startled him, and he overreacted. You know how these ex-military guys can be.”
The raised eyebrow that Tepes gave her was sexy as hell.
“Boyfriend?” The guard’s tone was skeptical.
Liv went up on her toes and whispered into Tepes’ ear, making it look as if she was giving him a kiss. “I have a video recording of the drug deal last night. Play along and I’ll give it to you.”
Her lips brushed against his cheek and she swore she saw heat flare in his eyes. She snorted. That was just hopeful thinking. Tepes released her wrist and stepped back.
“Sorry about that, Officer.” Tepes said with clipped words.
The guard rolled his eyes. “If you’re done with your client, I’ll take him back to holding.”
Tepes nodded. His muscles were tensed as if ready to grab her if she tried to run, but he smiled, making at least a token effort to look relaxed. He’d always been able to keep his emotions under control; it was one thing Liv had admired about him. Growing up in a dangerous neighborhood had often meant being surrounded by people who were on the knife’s edge of losing control. But she’d always know she was safe with him.
The guard went into room eighteen. At the sound of the door closing, Tepes picked up his briefcase from the floor where he’d dropped it in order to wrestle with her. Then he grabbed her arm and dragged her behind him into an unfamiliar room across the hall. It was a tiny, almost closet-like place with a table and two chairs and absolutely nothing on the walls for decoration.
