Cobb by Maryann Jordan
12
After another night of little sleep where he seriously wondered about his sanity at not taking Josie up on her suggestion of panty-dropping, Cobb woke with a hard-on that wasn’t going away. It was early, and when he crossed the hall to the bathroom, he heard no evidence that she was already awake. Taking advantage, he climbed into the shower and gave in to the urge to encircle his cock with his hand, rubbing out an orgasm as he imagined Josie underneath him. Swallowing the groan, he hoped she was asleep and not aware of his activity. While his release didn’t wash away the thought of her, it eased his aching cock for now.
Toweling off, he wrapped it around his waist and shaved after running his fingers through his short hair. Stepping into the hall, he glanced back to flip off the light, slamming into something in the hall that squeaked loudly. His arms snapped out, grabbing Josie by the shoulders to keep her from stumbling into the wall. The towel wrapped around his waist loosened, and he let her go to grab the towel. “Fuck!”
“Sorry,” she gushed, her gaze on the towel held precariously over his hips before her eyes darted back to his face.
Red infused her cheeks but he had no doubt his were the same color. “No, I’m sorry. I forgot to take my clothes with me and then wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”
“Are you okay?” Her wide-eyed, unblinking gaze stayed glued to his face.
Yep… just horny and distracted.Keeping those thoughts to himself, he smiled. “Absolutely. I’ll be out in a moment, and we can head to the clinic after breakfast. I’ll get the security up there as well.”
She nodded and scurried down the hall, Melon trotting after her mistress. Walking into his room, he understood what the cat was doing. I’d stay right with her if I could, too. He was almost dressed when his phone vibrated. “Cobb.”
“Hey, man, it’s Josh. Any chance you can get to El Paso today?”
“Yeah. I’ve got to get the security on Josie’s clinic, but that won’t take long. I need a camera on the perimeter. Other than that, I’m clear. What’s up?”
“The attorney who’s got a trace back to some of the companies that were donors is in the wind. Not sure if he’s a real person or not, but I can’t get an eye on the guy’s building… he’s got no security to hack. You’re close so I thought you could scope it out.”
He nodded, rubbing his chin. “Sure. El Paso is only about thirty minutes away. I’ll get there right after lunch.”
“Good. Let me know what you find.”
“I’ve got something for you to check on.”
Just as he knew he would, Josh immediately said, “Go ahead.”
“Bert Rector. He’s Josie’s cousin. Parents died years ago, and he’s very close to Josie’s family. I saw him at a casino last night, and the friends he was with… let’s just say that I’d like you to check him out.”
“You got it.”
Disconnecting, he walked into the kitchen, the scent of biscuits, bacon, eggs, and coffee once again filling the air. Uncertain of Josie’s thoughts this morning, he breathed a sigh of relief as she approached with a smile and a mug. Lifting on her toes, she offered her mouth to him, a bonus he wasn’t about to refuse.
They sat at the counter to eat, and he looked over at the dirty pans on the stovetop. “Josie, I never meant for you to cook for me. This isn’t part of a security detail. I should be taking care of my own meals.”
“I have to eat, and it’s no fun cooking for one. You’re giving me the excuse to not eat cereal every morning.”
“Loopy Rings?”
She blushed, and rosy cheeks looked beautiful on her. “Breakfast of champions.”
“I think that’s Wheat O’s.”
“Wheat O’s might be for your brand of champion, but Loopy Rings are mine.”
He barked out a laugh. “Well, you be a champion and sit and enjoy your coffee while I clean up.” He rinsed the dishes before placing them into the dishwasher, then scrubbed the frying pan. Wiping the counters afterward, he leaned his hip against the counter near the sink, mug in hand, and looked at her.
“Why do I get the feeling there’s something you want to ask?” she said, her head cocked to the side.
He chuckled. “Okay, there is. I need to go to the clinic to install cameras on the outside, and if you want to stay here, that’s fine—”
“I’d like to go if that’s okay with you. I can help as I did here unless you think I’ll get in the way.”
A smile crept over his face, and he shoved off the back counter and stepped forward, leaning on his forearms. Her eyes held hope, and he wanted to acquiesce to her every desire. Setting his mug down, he leaned closer and kissed her lightly. “Can’t think of a more beautiful helper.”
She held his gaze, then nibbled on her bottom lip. “And… I can tell there’s more.”
“You can read me, that’s for sure,” he said, shaking his head. “Okay, I need to go to El Paso this afternoon to take a look at an attorney’s office. It might have something to do with the mysterious donors.”
She shrugged and nodded. “Okay.”
Brows lifted, he repeated, “Okay?”
“Sure, why not? It only takes about forty-five minutes to drive there, so that’s easy.”
Easy. That word described Josie as well. Honest. Forthcoming. Easy. Grinning, he said, “Okay, then let’s get started.”
Time at the clinic gave him a chance to check the building inside and out, satisfied that while she was there, she should be safe since she was never there alone. Once again, with her assistance on the ground while he handled working on the ladder, they installed the cameras efficiently and had them checked by LSI. Receiving the all-clear, they grabbed burgers at a drive-through and headed toward El Paso.
Once on the highway, she turned to him and asked, “Can you tell me what we’re looking for?”
“One of the ways that charities get used for fraud is very organized and this makes it difficult to be discovered. Individuals or businesses make large donations, count this off on their taxes or use the donation to hide illegally gotten money, and then someone returns the money through different channels. That someone is on the inside—”
She gasped and turned her head toward him. “Caesar!”
“That would be my guess. Either him or someone he knew. The individuals or businesses get the money back but also get the tax break or never report the money as income to begin with.”
She looked out the windshield, quiet for another moment, and he had no doubt her intellect was turning over possibilities in her head.
Sure enough, she twisted her head toward him again. “For more than one company to do this, there has to be a connection. It’s too big a coincidence to assume that it’s different people who just happened to come up with the same plan with the same charity.”
He nodded slowly, not surprised she was coming to these conclusions.
“And,” she continued, “that means that it was concocted by someone who is connected to these businesses, or if they are phony businesses, then someone who created them just for this purpose.”
He nodded slowly again. “That’s what LSI is looking into.”
“And the attorney’s office we’re going to?”
“It’s a name that LSI has attached to these donor companies. The person may be real but not able to be located, so my people want me to get eyes on the building. There are no cameras or street security that LSI can tap into to see for sure.”
After a few minutes of continued silence other than the radio, he chanced a glance her way. “So, Bert’s friends seemed anxious to get to the casino last night.”
He watched the road but shot his gaze toward her to catch her expression. Her nose wrinkled as she nodded.
“Yeah, I know. Bert and I are close, or we used to be. Truthfully, with our work schedules and me living in Las Cruces, I don’t get to see him as much. I admit that I found his friends to be a bit crass last night. They smiled at me but seemed to be standoffish with you until they realized who you were.” She shifted in her seat, still buckled but facing him more. “Does that happen a lot?”
“What? People only wanting to suck up when they realize I’m the governor’s son? Sure. I’m pretty used to that.”
“No, I mean the overt prejudice that fills some people’s eyes.”
He reached over and took her hand in his, squeezing it before linking fingers. “Not as much as you might think. I confess that my mixed heritage is all combined onto my face, and I know some people don’t care for those who look different from them. But honestly, here in New Mexico, it’s so prevalent that it’s never really been a problem.” He was silent for another moment before continuing to prod. “Does Bert visit casinos often?”
She shrugged and shook her head. “I really don’t know. It’s not anything he’s ever talked about, and I confess I was surprised to see him there last night. But then, as I said, we’re seldom around each other anymore.”
“I wonder if his friends are true friends or just wondering what the nephew of a state senator can do for them.” As soon as the words left his mouth he hesitated, wondering what her reaction would be. She gasped slightly, and his fingers flexed involuntarily.
“That’s exactly what I thought!” she exclaimed.
He breathed a sigh of relief. “I hated to say that because it sounds bad. But, well, you know that casinos are designed to take your money. I’d hate to see him get taken advantage of by people who aren’t truly his friends.”
“Well, I love him, but he’s a grown man who should know how to choose his friends.”
Cobb nodded, glad to hear her practical assessment, knowing if her cousin was into something he shouldn’t be, it would make it easier on her to accept. But, fuck, if her cousin is using her charity…
“We’re here,” she exclaimed as El Paso loomed large on the horizon. It didn’t take long to drive to the area where the attorney supposedly had an office. Driving past, Cobb felt sure the office space was empty but wanted to be sure. Parking, he scanned the area. “Stay here and stay locked in. I’m going to take a look around.”
She nodded, then leaned over and said, “How about a kiss for luck?”
Surprised, he nonetheless jumped at the opportunity for a kiss that was way too short but oh, so sweet. “Damn, girl,” he groaned. Climbing from behind the wheel, he shot her a stern look. “Remember, stay here and stay locked in.”
She saluted, and he rolled his eyes. Assuring the door was locked, he walked to the front of the building and snapped several pictures. The area was sparsely populated, and he walked to the door, cupping his hands around his face to peer inside. Wanting to check out the back, he jogged to the end of the street and down to the alley that ran behind the building. A small store was on one corner, a laundromat on the other, but most of the other buildings were uninhabited. Making it to the back of the office where the lawyer was supposed to be housed, he pulled out a pair of gloves from his pocket and snapped them onto his hands. Reaching back into his pocket, he retrieved a set of tools, and quickly entered the back door. There were a few rooms including a small bathroom and kitchenette, all empty. As he made his way toward the front, he could see the building had been deserted for a long time. A thick coat of dust was on the floor, having not been disturbed in recent years from the placement of furniture.
Retreating the way he came, he quickly entered each office and workroom, scanning the area and looking into the closets. The bathroom contained nothing more than a toilet and sink. The kitchenette included a counter with upper and lower cabinets. Bending, he opened the lower cabinets, finding them empty. Glad for his height, he opened the upper cabinets, carefully checking them as well. Nothing. Whoever Carson Wright is, he certainly doesn’t use this building.
Not wanting to leave Josie sitting outside any longer, he went out the back and locked the door, pulling off his gloves and shoving them into his pants pocket. Hustling around to the front of the building, he clicked the lock on his SUV and climbed into the driver’s seat.
Josie’s eyes were bright, and her voice was full of interest. “Did you find anything?”
“I think you like the idea of investigating,” he laughed.
“I used to love reading mysteries and whodunits when I was younger. I hadn’t thought about it, but this is just like those books!”
“Well, the building is abandoned and has been for a long time. At least most of it. There’s dust everywhere, no footprints or signs that furniture has been moved. So, I’d say that the building has been empty for a while.”
He sneezed from the dust and she unzipped her bag, searching for a tissue. Pulling out a bottle of water, she handed it to him. “Here, this will help, but I know I have some tissues in here.”
She began pulling items from her bag as Cobb looked on after taking a swig of water to wash the dust from his throat. With raised brows, he watched in fascination as she continued to dig through the bag. A small, clear bag filled with cosmetics, a comb, and elastic headbands were placed on the dashboard. This was followed by a spiral notebook and a tablet.
“You write in a notebook and on a tablet?”
Her hand halted as her head swung around to hold his gaze. “Yes. Some of my clients are very tech-savvy and don’t mind the tablet. But others are nervous when I use it and they seem more at ease with pen and paper.”
He smiled and leaned over, granting her a kiss. “Should have known you’d have a care for all their needs.”
He meant to keep the kiss light, but it was the heat of the electricity between them that seared straight through him. He said nothing, not trusting his voice. Her pupils dilated, as lust flared between them. Both moved at the same time, leaning toward each other, his hand cupping the back of her head as her hands clutched his jaws. Lips met, tongues tangled, and teeth clashed in a messy kiss, one that stole his breath as he angled her head to plunge his tongue deeper.
Laughter from outside cut through the haze and they jerked apart, his chest heaving as he dragged oxygen into his lungs, glad to see she was just as affected. A glance to the side gave evidence that the pedestrians had passed on by. Giving her another kiss, this one open-mouthed but fast, he leaned back. He had considered checking out El Paso a little more, but after that kiss, he wanted nothing more than to be alone with her.
She swallowed deeply and her hand shook slightly as she re-buckled her seatbelt. “Wow.”
Chuckling, he agreed as he started the vehicle, then turned back to her. “You ready to head home?”
“Yeah,” she breathed, a smile still playing about her lips. “I’d like that.” He tilted his head in question, and she elaborated, “You, me, alone at my place… that’s what I’d like.”
Grinning, he pulled out onto the street. “No bullshit with you, Josie. No games, no pretense. Absolutely perfect.” As the words had left his mouth, he knew they were true. Absolutely perfect.
