“Nick,” she breathed.

He lowered his head and teased one of her ni**les with his tongue. She threaded her fingers through his hair, loving the feel of the thick, soft layers.

He yanked down the other cup of her bra, so that both of her br**sts were pushed up for his mouth. He groaned when she arched forward eagerly against the brick wall. “God, Jordan, you are so f**king hot.”

For you, she nearly blurted out. She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes when his tongue twirled around the peaked tip of her other breast. He slid one of his hands up her thigh, underneath her skirt, and her body trembled with anticipation. He nipped the tight bud of her nipple at the same moment he slid his hand into her panties and cupped her. She gasped, overloaded by the sensation.

He slid a finger inside her and moved it in and out in a deliciously slow motion. He added another finger, then brushed his thumb against her clit, teasing her until her legs were shaking.

“Do you want this?” His lips swept over hers as he continued the exquisite torture with his fingers. “I want to hear you say it. No more games, no more sarcasm. Just the truth.”

She didn’t need to think—she already knew the truth. Maybe she was a fool to keep going in spite of everything Lisa had said about Nick. But she’d have to be a bigger fool to let some stranger’s jealous words dictate how she led her life. She’d make her own decisions about Nick—and have no one to blame but herself for the consequences.

She pulled back to meet his eyes. “Take me home.”

Something happened.

She saw it on his face—his expression softened. The tough exterior, the walls, the mask he wore as an undercover agent melted away, leaving just him. He said her name and kissed her again, and she met his mouth eagerly. No holding back now, they peeled away from the wall and made their way to the back room.

Nick held her face in his hands, his gaze hot and possessive. “If I take you home, I’m staying. All night.”

Jordan nodded. “And I expect lots of dirty words.”

He laughed, then stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Seriously, Rhodes. They broke the mold with you.”

She smiled as he leaned down to nuzzle her neck. Melinda and Corinne were right—she did like the way he said her last name.

Her cell phone rang from the back room. Which she ignored, of course.

But when the store phone rang next, she felt Nick go still.

“Ignore it,” Jordan said in a throaty voice. “Let me grab my coat and we’ll be out of here.”

The store phone stopped ringing. Her cell phone started up again.

Nick swore, shaking his head furiously. “I can’t believe I did this. I cannot believe I f**king did this.” He peered down at her, suddenly very serious. “You need to answer your phone, Jordan.”

She reached for him. “Whoever it is can wait. I’m busy right now.”

“Actually, it can’t wait. It’s . . . probably someone calling to tell you that your brother was just stabbed in prison.”

Jordan’s heart stopped. She pulled her hand back. “Why would someone be calling to tell me that?”

Nick checked his watch. “Because about ten minutes ago, your brother was stabbed in prison.” He held up his hand when he saw the look on her face. “He’s fine. I promise. But you should take this call. If it’s your father, I don’t want him to panic. I can only imagine what they’re saying on the news.”

“The news?” She pushed him away from her. “What the hell did you do to my brother?” She quickly adjusted her bra and pulled at her shirt, holding it closed with one hand as she headed for the back room to answer her ringing cell phone.

Nick caught up with her in the hallway. “I know you’re freaked out. But right now you need to trust me. If it’s your father on the phone, tell him that you spoke to an ER intake nurse at Northwestern Memorial who said that Kyle is okay.”

She swallowed. “Kyle’s in the emergency room?”

Green eyes held hers steadily. “Just tell your dad that he’s okay.”

Another leap of faith.

She pulled her wrist out of Nick’s grasp, hurried to the back room, and yanked her cell phone out of her purse. She glanced down and saw her shirt gaping open, bra exposed.

Lovely.

She answered her phone. “Dad.”

“Jordan—have you seen the news?”

No, sorry. Been busy making out with my fake boyfriend against a brick wall. “About Kyle, I know. I was just about to call you.”

Her father exhaled, as if relieved he didn’t need to break the news to her. “All I know is what they’re saying on TV—that he was stabbed during some kind of fight. They took him out of MCC in an ambulance and brought him to Northwestern Memorial. I’ve been trying to get ahold of somebody who knows something. Anybody.”

Jordan held Nick’s eyes while answering her father. “I just got off the phone with an intake nurse in the emergency room. She told me that Kyle is going to be okay.”

“Oh, thank God. Then why did they take him out of MCC?” he demanded to know.

A little improvisation was required here. “The nurse said she couldn’t give me any details over the phone.” She propped the phone against her shoulder, freeing her hands so she could button up her shirt. “I’m getting in the car now, Dad. I’ll meet you at the hospital. But everything’s going to be okay.”

“I believe it when you say it, kiddo. I . . . think you would know if something was wrong with Kyle. You two always know.” He cleared his throat. “I’m on my way to the hospital, too. I was having dinner at a friend’s in Evanston, but I’ll be there as fast as I can.”