Read Against the Night for Free Online Page A

possessive lips moving over hers.
    “I pressed the boss a little to see what I could find out and Tate told me Riggs is a good investigator but he doesn’t work cheap.”
    “I had a feeling.”
    “It never hurts to ask, right? You never know till you try.”
    Amy drew in a breath. “I don’t know quite what I’m going to say, but I guess I’ll think of something.”
    “Are you kidding? After that little performance you gave him, the guy is going to be toast.”
    Amy thought of her behavior during the dance and closed her eyes against a blush. “I guess we’ll see.” She waved over her shoulder as she pushed open the door.
    “I won’t wait up,” Babs teased with a grin, and Amy’s stomach knotted.
    What would Riggs expect?
    What would she be willing to do?
    With a breath for courage, she stepped out into the parking lot and spotted him behind the wheel of a black Mustang. The car fit him perfectly, dark and powerful, dangerous and predatory. Her insides tightened.
    Dear God, how far would she be willing to go to get John Riggs to help her?

    Leaning back in the seat, Johnnie spotted Angel the minute she walked out into the night. He knew the instant she saw him. She froze like a deer in the headlights, and Johnnie didn’t hesitate, just shoved open the car door and came out of his seat, started striding toward her.
    “I’m glad you came,” he said with a smile meant to put her at ease. “I know a little café just a couple of blocks away. We can get some coffee there.”
    She nodded. He could feel the tension thrumming through her, figured if he didn’t get her out of there now, she was going to turn and run.
    “It isn’t that far,” he said, setting a hand at her waist and urging her back to his car, not giving her time to change her mind. He led her around to the passenger door and helped her climb in, reached over and pulled the seat belt across her lap and fastened the buckle.
    “Thank you.”
    Always so polite. Almost prim. Angel Fontaine was about as far from his idea of a stripper as a woman could get. And yet he had seen her up onstage and she was hot.
    Maybe that was the appeal. Sweet and hot at the same time—sort of like cinnamon candy.
    He chuckled to himself as he slid behind the wheel. If Angel was a piece of candy, he’d be the man to eat her up.
    Looking uncomfortable, she shifted in her seat. “About what happened tonight… I want to apologize. I’ve never—”
    “It was only a kiss, Angel. Nothing to get upset about.”
    She fell silent as he shoved the key into the ignition and the engine roared to life, then started to purr. He drove toward the café, pulled into the lot, which was full, but his luck was holding and a gray-haired couple in an old brown Buick was backing out. He parked in the space left behind, guided Angel inside, and they slid into an empty booth.
    The Eatery had a kind of retro decor with pink-and-white vinyl booths and a long lunch counter with a row of round stools. The café had been there for years, had once been called Norm’s but that was a long time ago.
    A waitress in a black skirt and white blouse showed up to take their order. Sheila, he recalled, frizzy blond hair and big boobs. He was kind of a regular, though he rotated his meal stops to keep his information channels open. In his line of work, you never knew what rumors might come in handy.
    Sheila pulled a pencil from behind her ear. “Hey, handsome, what can I get you?”
    He looked across at Angel. Damn she was pretty. More so, he thought, without all that makeup. He tried not to look at her mouth, since now he knew exactly how good she tasted. “What would you like?”
    “Just coffee,” she said. “Cream, if it isn’t too much trouble.”
    “Two coffees,” he said. “One with cream. Thanks, Sheila.”
    They made small talk for the short time it took for the coffee to arrive. Angel poured cream into her cup and daintily stirred.
    She looked up at him and smiled, but it looked a