Hot and Heavy (Some Like it Hot Book 2) Read online

  “Yeah, she has,” Richard agreed proudly, though there was a thread of concern underscoring the tone of his voice. “But now I’m wondering if I didn’t make a mistake in the way I raised her. She never seemed to resent my decision to send her to an all-girls high school, but I can’t help but question if that didn’t stifle her as a blossoming young woman, or make her feel as though she was living in a cocoon with no outside stimulation, like boys and coed parties,” he added.

  Cole shifted in his seat. The direction of the conversation couldn’t get any stranger, though in a bizarre way it was beginning to make too much sense to him. “What brought all this on?” he asked reluctantly.

  “I had dinner with Melodie last night and I nearly fell out of my chair when she walked into the restaurant to meet me,” he said, running a hand through his still-thick hair. “She’s cut her long hair into a fancy shoulder-length style and she was wearing a pair of pants that looked like they were made out of some kind of leather material and a top that showed…” his face flushed, and he lowered his voice as he added “…way too much cleavage. Hell, I almost didn’t recognize her and I’m her own father!” He downed the rest of his drink in one gulp.

  It was nice to know that Cole wasn’t the only one who’d been thrown for such a loop by Melodie’s transformation.

  “Don’t get me wrong,” Richard continued gruffly. “Every woman has the right to make the most of her…assets, but I’ve never seen such a radical change in Melodie before. And it’s not only the clothes and the hair. There’s just something overall different about her, especially in the way she presents herself.”

  Oh, yeah, she was definitely more confident, more assertive, more candid. More everything, Cole thought.

  Richard shoved his empty glass to the edge of the table for the waitress to pick up. “I’m sure you’ve noticed the change in her, as well.”

  “It’s kind of hard not to,” he muttered, then nearly winced when he realized he’d spoken his thoughts out loud.

  Richard frowned, scrutinizing him from across the table in a way that made the back of Cole’s neck heat.

  “I mean, it’s a drastic change so who wouldn’t notice?” he quickly amended before Richard could see the guilt that had no doubt flashed in his gaze. “You know how unpredictable women can be. I’m sure it’s just a phase she’s going through.”

  Richard nodded sagely. “I sure as hell hope so, but I hate to take any chances that something else might be going on with her.”

  Cole’s gut tightened unexpectedly. “What do you mean?”

  “Melodie has always been a sensible girl who has made practical decisions for most of her life, and this is such a rebellious move for her.” Richard’s lips pursed in tempered agitation. “My biggest worry is that she’s made this drastic change in her appearance for some guy. And if that’s the case, who knows how far she’ll go to get his attention.”

  Cole knew exactly what extremes Melodie was willing to go to capture his attention, but he wasn’t about to share those details with her father. “What are you suggesting?”

  Richard clasped his hands on the table and pinned Cole with a direct, businesslike look. “I need you to do me a personal favor, Cole. I want you to keep an eye on Melodie for me.”

  Richard’s favor wasn’t so much a request as an order, straight from a man who’d honed that particular skill as a sergeant. “You want me to tail her?” Cole asked incredulously.

  “So to speak.” Richard had the good sense to appear a tad sheepish, but parental instincts seemed to be driving him and he wasn’t backing down. “I know Mel would kill me if she knew, but I can’t help it. I’m worried about her, and you’re the only one I trust to keep an eye on her and make sure some guy isn’t using her or taking advantage of her.”

  The peanut Cole had been swallowing felt like sawdust in his throat, and he coughed to clear it away. He didn’t deserve this man’s trust, especially not when he was that potential man. “Richard, Melodie is a grown woman—”

  He held up a hand to cut off Cole’s lecture. “I know, I know. I’ve been telling myself the same thing, but as a father who adores his daughter, I don’t want her to end up getting hurt, if it can be avoided. Trust me, you’ll understand where I’m coming from when you become a father some day.”

  After spending so many years raising Noah and Jo, having kids wasn’t on Cole’s future agenda, so he could only take the man’s word for how he’d react in a similar situation. Then he grimaced as he recalled a time or two when he’d checked up on the whereabouts of his little sister and Noah when he’d thought they were getting themselves into trouble, and he realized how ingrained that particular instinct was for him.

  “I just need to be reassured that Melodie’s okay and not getting herself into a situation that might be way over her head,” Richard went on. “Will you help me?”

  He owed this man so much, and he felt bad for even hedging over his answer. Then again, he couldn’t very well refuse the job without Richard getting suspicious about his relationship with his daughter, or having to outright tell him the truth about Melodie’s metamorphosis. And if Richard was concerned about his daughter being involved with a man, Cole could well imagine Richard’s fury if he ever discovered that Melodie wanted to use herself as a female decoy on one of his cases.

  Scrubbing a hand along his jaw, he dredged up the words Richard was waiting to hear, especially since he was the object of Melodie’s pursuit. “I’ll do it.”

  His mentor breathed a sigh of gratitude and smiled. “I knew I could count on you.”

  Cole finished off his beer and signaled the waitress for a refill, feeling the need for another drink. Protecting Melodie from himself would only be a matter of keeping his distance from her, but a more complicated issue arose in his mind.

  Who would protect him from Melodie’s quest to seduce him?

  * * *

  Melodie’s fingers tightened around the pen in her hand and she nearly screamed in frustration as she watched Noah escort yet another woman from Cole’s office, through the reception area, and to the front door to see her out.

  “We have a few more women to interview,” he said to the leggy redhead as she stepped outside and turned to him with a hopeful gleam in her eyes. “Cole will give you a call if he decides to hire you for the job.”

  The redhead affected a sultry smile and ran the tip of one long crimson nail down the front of Noah’s shirt. “Well, I appreciate you thinking of me, Noah. Even if I don’t get the job, you can call me anytime.”

  Noah’s trademark flirtatious grin slid into place. “I’ll keep that in mind, Heather.” He waited until the other woman was safely in her car before shutting the door and sauntering back into the reception area.

  Melodie pinned him with an accusing look. Misinterpreting the source of her agitation, he held his hands up in a defensive gesture. “Hey, it’s not as though I promised to call her.”

  “You’re a complete manwhore, Noah Sommers,” she said, shaking her head in mild disgust. “I fervently wish that someday some woman brings you to your knees.”

  “Many have,” he said without a beat, his eyes twinkling with wicked mischief.

  A warm flush suffused Melodie’s cheeks, but she refused to let his innuendo fluster her. “Let me rephrase my comment. I hope you find a woman you absolutely have to have, and she makes you work for her affection. Some woman who’ll reform you and your playboy ways.”

  He considered her remark for a moment, his expression changing to one of amusement. “It’s a novel thought, isn’t it?”

  She rolled her eyes at his insinuation that no woman could tame the bad boy he’d always been. She couldn’t even bring herself to laugh at his teasing statement, not when she wanted to reach out and throttle him—along with his brother.

  Shoving the tips of his fingers into the front pockets of his well-worn jeans, Noah’s gaze turned serious with concern. “Who or what has your feathers all ruffled today, hot stuff?” />
  She drew a deep breath, set her pen aside, and boldly met his gaze. “Actually, at the moment, it’s you.”

  Startled shock flashed across Noah’s features. “Me?”

  “Yes, you,” she reiterated. “You’re the culprit behind all these airheaded women traipsing in and out of the office for the past two days, aren’t you?”

  “I’m just following the boss’s orders,” he said with a shrug. “Cole asked me to find him a woman that can accompany him to the charity auction and read Russell’s love letters per Elena’s request, and that’s exactly what I’m trying to do.”

  Don’t try so freaking hard, she wanted to tell him, but bit her tongue, knowing that Noah truly wasn’t at fault for following through on Cole’s orders. At the moment, he was just an easy target for her own troubled emotions.

  “Cole better choose someone, and fast,” Noah went on with a distracted sigh, “because I’m running out of suitable candidates.”

  And Cole had made it abundantly clear that she wasn’t suitable for the job, no matter how much experience she’d gained in the PI business over the past two years. This was her chance to do more, to be more, and he was being as stubborn as a damn mule. Personally and professionally, Cole refused to acknowledge just how good they could be together, and he’d shot down every one of her attempts to prove otherwise.

  He knew exactly where she stood and what she wanted, yet for the past few days he’d purposely avoided being alone with her. His businesslike demeanor discounted everything that had happened between them the night at his house and made her feel as though she was right back where she started—being nothing more than a front-end secretary. She’d even tried planting a few of her erotic letters in his desk and in his briefcase, and though she was certain he’d read them, she’d gotten no response at all from him.

  And now she’d finally had enough of being ignored when she had proof of just how much Cole wanted her. Desired her. If he could so easily dismiss her, then she damn well was going to try to do the same with him.

  She glanced at the clock on her desk; it was 5:05 p.m. on a Friday afternoon and freedom beckoned, as did the rebellious urge to do something completely wild and frivolous. For once she wasn’t going to spend a Friday evening alone at home, curled up in bed with a book or watching a rerun on TV while wishing she was doing something fun and exciting instead.

  No, tonight she was determined to strike out on her own, put to use her newly developed bad-girl skills in the real world, and see where those naughty impulses led her.

  “I’m out of here,” she muttered beneath her breath. Abruptly, she stood up, turned off her computer, and started clearing off her desk.

  “And just where are you off to, hot stuff?” Noah asked, obviously having heard her comment.

  “I’m going to go out tonight and have a good time.” Retrieving her purse from the bottom drawer, she raised her chin defiantly. “Could you tell me the best place to meet men?”

  Realizing what she intended, his eyes widened in a look of surprise, which was quickly replaced by a casual, humorous attitude. “Well, I don’t think I can help you out with that. I’m not exactly into that kind of thing myself.”

  She frowned at him. She wasn’t asking for a gay bar, and he knew it. “A place where men go to meet women, then.”

  He crossed his arms over his broad chest and tipped his head curiously. “Now why would you want to go to a place like that?”

  Melodie recognized his hedging for the stall tactic it was, but refused to change her mind. “The reason should be obvious. I’m tired of always being the quintessential good girl. I want to have fun and meet men who’ll show me a good time and treat me like a real woman.” She dug her keys out of her purse and gave Noah a direct, no-nonsense look. “So, you can either recommend a reputable place, or I can find a nightclub on my own.”

  Noah shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “You know, I really don’t think you going out alone is such a good idea.”

  She sighed, disappointed that Noah found it necessary to protect her virtue just as much as every other man in her life. “It’s a great idea, and since you don’t seem inclined to help me out, I guess I’m on my own.”

  She started for the door, and he gently grabbed her elbow before she could leave. “All right, all right,” he said, all traces of his normal, carefree nature gone. “Since I obviously can’t talk you out of this crazy idea of yours, then I might as well make sure you go somewhere safe. There’s a place called Paxton’s—it’s hip and contemporary and the security is tight there. They open at eight.” Letting her arm go free, he reluctantly gave her the cross streets for the nightclub.

  “Thank you,” she said, appreciating his concern for her welfare, despite her own struggle to be an independent woman. If she was going to pursue the nightlife, she really did prefer to do it in a safe, respectable environment.

  Pushing through the door, she gave him a jaunty wave. “Have a good weekend, Noah. I certainly plan to.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Cole entered the reception area, a new client report in hand for Melodie to type up, and frowned when he found the surface of her desk cleared for the evening and Noah standing by the front door staring out the window.

  “Hey, where’s Melodie?” he asked as he dropped the five-page report into her in-basket, thinking she’d most likely run out to get a bite to eat since it was only five fifteen.

  Noah turned and headed back toward her desk, his expression way too pensive for Cole’s peace of mind. “I’m not sure you really want to know,” his brother replied wryly.

  Cole frowned, an ominous feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. “Why wouldn’t I want to know?”

  “Let me put it this way. Melodie’s not thrilled about all the women you’ve been interviewing while you’ve been ignoring her, and she’s decided that she wants to have fun and meet men who’ll show her a good time and treat her like a real woman. Her words, not mine.”

  Cole rubbed his temples, where a slow throb was making itself known. “That doesn’t tell me where she is,” he persisted.

  “She asked me where she could go to meet men,” Noah replied matter-of-factly. “So, I told her about Paxton’s.”

  Noah had sent her off to a trendy nightclub by herself? Images flashed through Cole’s mind, taunting him. Melodie dancing with other men. Melodie drinking and letting go of inhibitions. The situation was too ripe for sex and sin, and Cole was furious that Noah had encouraged her interest.

  “Why the hell would you go and do something stupid like that?” he barked.

  Noah lifted a dark brow at his insult. “Give me more credit than that, Cole. It was the smartest move I could make considering how intent she was on going somewhere, with or without my help. She made it abundantly clear that if I didn’t suggest a nightclub for her to go to, she’d find one on her own. I figured this way you’d know exactly where she was, and you could go and keep an eye on her.”

  Cole jammed his hands on his hips. “What makes you think I want to keep an eye on her?”

  “Maybe you don’t, then.” Noah stared at him for a long, penetrating moment, then gave him a too-pleasant smile. “She’s a big girl, so she can take care of herself, and she’s a consenting adult and can do whatever she wants, with whomever she wants.”

  Cole’s blood pressure spiked a few notches at the thought of Melodie doing anything with another man. He released a harsh exhale, torn between letting her go to Paxton’s unchaperoned to get the experience out of her system, and heeding Richard’s heartfelt request. You’re the only one I trust to keep an eye on her, he’d said.

  Without further internal debate, Cole knew what he had to do—what he would do—because he’d made a promise to Richard, and if anything happened to Melodie he’d carry that blame with him for the rest of his life.

  “Fuck,” he cursed between gritted teeth and stomped back down the hall to his office to shut everything down. After the day he’d had and the women he’d in
terviewed for the Russell case—none of whom even came close to what he was looking for—he didn’t need this added stress with Melodie.

  Noah followed and propped a shoulder against the doorjamb. “You’re doing the right thing, Cole.”

  “As if I have a choice,” he muttered as he switched off his computer and shoved files into his briefcase so he’d have them at home for the weekend. Hearing Noah chuckle at his expense, he narrowed his gaze at his brother. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

  “Yeah, I guess I am,” Noah said with an unabashed smirk. “Watch yourself with Melodie tonight. She’s a little feisty and she’s issuing curses,” he joked.

  That caught Cole’s attention. “Oh?”

  “Would you believe she cursed me with finding a woman who’ll reform me and my playboy ways?” Noah feigned a shudder.

  “Like that’ll ever happen,” Cole said with a cynical snicker. “That’s about as likely as me settling down, getting married, and having a bunch of kids.” And he knew for a fact that that particular scenario wasn’t in his future plans.

  But playing protector to a stubborn, determined, sexy woman most definitely was.

  * * *

  Cole waded his way through the throng of people jammed into Paxton’s on a Friday night, the loud, pulsing sound of rock music reverberating through his tired body and increasing the pounding in his temples. Strobe lights flashed in time to the music in the dimly lit establishment, adding to the dull ache in his head and making it difficult for him to see beyond a few feet in front of him.

  Without a doubt, Paxton’s was the happening place to be on a weekend night, but the loud, raucous atmosphere and abundant display of female flesh was more suited to Noah’s outgoing nature than Cole’s low-key personality. He preferred a quiet night at home or a casual beer at Murphy’s to the earsplitting music and the lascivious stares from the opposite sex.

  Much to his chagrin, as he made his way through the crowd, women eyed him like a favorite piece of candy they wanted to unwrap and devour. Some were even bold enough to touch him as he tried to brush past in his single-minded quest to find Melodie. So far, he’d felt a hand slide along his arm, fingers skimming down his spine and a brazen palm pass over his ass. But there were so many people around him he couldn’t be sure who’d done what.