Under Fire Read Online Free

so was he. He had a thing for young petite women with olive skin and long brown hair who didn’t ask a lot of questions. A plus for someone in his line of work. He guessed she was mid-thirties, close to his age. A brunette, but with short curly hair. Great eyes, big and beer bottle brown. Sexy lips. Lean and tall, with a tight athletic body. He licked his lips and smiled. His taste in women just changed to what was walking toward him.
    She sat and gave him a smile as clear as any engraved invitation. And he was thinking about RSVPing. Christ Almighty. What had gotten into him? He should’ve left after the first dance, but when she leaned in, asking him to save her from the old guys, the blood draining from his head to other places had slowed his thinking. He couldn’t afford to get involved, not even for a single night. He didn’t need another complication in his already complicated life.
    Olivia downed the tequila he’d brought to the table.
    “You live near here?”
    She tilted her head to the side, giving him a puzzled look. “Why?”
    Too late he realized it sounded like a sleazy line and felt like a horse’s ass. He looked at the empty glass and back at her.
    “You’ve had a few shots and if you’re driving…” He left the conclusion to her.
    “Oh.”
    Was that disappointment in her voice?
    “I live on the other side of town. And you’re right, I shouldn’t have any more. I’ll be all right to drive in a half an hour. I can handle my liquor.” She gave him a killer smile.
    “You come here a lot?” Shit. Could he have said anything dumber?
    His usual glib tongue abandoned him.
    “That’s a really sad line.” She laughed. “And your timing is off. I already agreed to dance and let you buy me a drink.”
    “I didn’t mean it like that.”
    “Then how did you mean it?”
    “I figured you for a classier place, like a country club. Why come to a joint like this?” Yeah, Olivia, tell me what you’re doing here.
    “To meet a friend.” She blinked several times and sucked in her upper lip.
    Rico struggled to keep a smile from breaking out. She was a lousy liar. “A guy stood you up?” He looked around.
    “I was meeting a girlfriend.” She pulled back and sat straighter.
    Her lip was going to be swollen if she didn’t stop.
    “It’s a good thing you aren’t a puppet ’cause your nose would be out to here by now.” He held a hand in front of her face and winked.
    She pushed it away. A smile animated her face, causing his heart to jump and a new threat of draining blood. Slowly and deliberately she placed her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand. Another smile followed a slow, dreamy blink.
    “If this is such a low class place, what does that say about you?”
    She used what he called a last call voice. Deep and sexy. “Touché.”
    “Why did you come here? Hmm?”
    It had been a long time since he’d done any flirting and admittedly was out of practice, but he was getting into this.
    “To dance with you,” he lied.
    “I see. You don’t want to tell either.”
    “Okay.” He leaned across the little table close to her face. “I’m a secret agent sent here to shut down a gang of spies and a smuggling ring, and arrest any over-ninety perverts I come across.” A little of the truth never hurt.
    She moved back, sitting very straight, arms crossed, eyes wide and alert.
    “Are you some kind of police officer?”
    The smoky voice vanished, replaced with one that was all business. The one he imagined she used at work. “No.” It wasn’t a lie. Technically DEA agents were not police officers.
    She swiveled to watch the band. In undercover work he’d learned to pay attention to body language, the eyes, lips and different tones of the voice. But, it didn’t take much training to know he’d managed to flip her switch from let’s get it on to fuck you, asshole. Rico settled back in his chair. She turned, caught him staring, and gave him a look that told him he was done