Read Hot Pursuit: Hot Zone, Book 5 for Free Online

but it just was. The primal idea thrilled Lucy, stole her breath, brought her closer to the edge. Arousal shot through her, warming her between the legs until it built into a liquid desire she ached to extinguish.
    “Do you date much?” Lucy had to know, a weird possessiveness coming over her.
    “No. Like I said earlier, I’ve been in the sandbox for so long, it wasn’t practical.”
    “The sandbox. Is that what they call the desert?”
    “Yep.”
    “You met Shelly though.”
    His gaze caught and held hers. “That’s all in the past now. I’m going to do my best to forget her. Want to help me?”
    The sensual drug pouring into her belly demanded attention. “Very much.”
    His arousal brushed her stomach, and she knew denying that she wanted him wouldn’t work. Yeah, he was in the military—so what she hadn’t wanted when she came into this bar. Yeah, she’d met him again after all these years. It didn’t matter. Her body ached with longing, desired him with a burning pitch that rose with every touch. They were close, not plastered together, but each tentative movement, each sway of their hips, reminded her why she’d come here tonight. Why her body wanted his in no uncertain terms.
    Lucy glanced up and caught his gaze, loving that his thoughts ran as wildly as hers. Vic’s eyes went half-mast, and that look caused every hormone inside her to sit up and take notice.
    He whispered into her ear, “Do you want to get out of here? Talk somewhere quiet?”
    Talk. Well, that was a euphemism, a polite way of saying what he wanted to do. What she wanted to do. “Yes.”
    Before they could move, Vic’s head snapped up as if he’d felt something, some danger. He stopped dancing, but kept his arm around her.
    He whispered in her ear again. “There’s a guy coming our way across the room. He’s staring at me like he wants to kill me. Is that the rat bastard?”
    Apprehension made her spin out of his arms to look. Vic’s right arm slipped around her middle in a possessive, protective shield. Damn it. Danny, big, tall Danny with a battle-hardened look on his craggy face, headed right for them. Other dancers parted before the storm to get out of his way.
    Lucy said the only thing that popped to mind. “Oh, crap.”
    “You!” Danny said in a loud, slightly slurred voice. “You stay away from Lucy!”
    She couldn’t believe that he’d walked in here like this, staggering a little and belligerent. “You have some nerve.” Her voice was deadly serious and royally pissed. “Go back to Felicia and get out of my life.”
    Suddenly, she recognized the wildness in his eyes and the stench of heavy liquor hit her nose. He was steaming drunk.
    Before she could blink, Vic eased around until he stood in front of her. She didn’t have time to protest or even think as Danny’s big fist headed for Vic’s face.
    Vic was lightning, his arm coming up to block Danny’s punch. Danny swung again, Vic blocked. Lucy jumped back to avoid the fray and caught a glance at her ex-boyfriend.
    Danny’s face was a mottled red, his eyes bloodshot. “She’s mine!”
    Vic stood at the ready, feet slightly apart, arms at his side. Tension held his shoulders taut. “She doesn’t belong to anyone.”
    She had enough time to be flabbergasted—two men were fighting over her.
    Three bouncers headed right for Danny and grabbed him from behind. Vic held his hands up and backed away. He wasn’t fighting Danny, he was simply protecting himself from getting smashed in the face. Gasps and exclamations echoed around Lucy, then claps. People were clapping because of a fight? Then it occurred to her they’d clapped because of Vic’s quick thinking to deflect Danny’s hits. Lucy admired the fact he hadn’t busted Danny in the face. The bouncers continued to drag Danny outside. She heard someone say the police were on the way.
    Vic turned to her, his arm encircling her waist as he eased her off the dance floor to stand in a secluded spot.