“Sorta rolled off the ledge, but I didn’t hit the ground or anything ’cause I had hold of—”

“Stop.” The wolf shook his head. “If I don’t know exactly what you do to get done what you do, I can’t be freaked out by it, now can I?”

“That’s how my momma gets through the day.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do.”

Dee frowned. “Is something else wrong?”

“No.” He gazed at her. “Do you think there’s something wrong?”

“Other than you acting weird? No.”

“Then I guess nothing’s wrong.” He focused on his computer and she got the feeling she’d just been dismissed.

Deciding it would be better to talk to Ric when he wasn’t being such a snobby prick about a friendly little brawl in the middle of the office, Dee stepped away from the desk, but she caught sight of a single crumpled paper in the otherwise empty trash can. She reached in and pulled it out when she realized it was the note she’d left for him.

“You’re throwing out my notes now?”

“I have a wonderfully intact mind,” he told her, not looking away from his computer screen. “I would have remembered to discuss whatever issues you may have at a later date. When it was convenient for me.”

Shocked, Dee demanded, “What is your problem, Van Holtz?”

“I don’t have a problem,” he said while typing on his keyboard. “I simply thought we were going to keep personal issues out of the office.”

“Yeah, but I thought you’d want to know right quick if I found your brother trying to break into that big ol’ safe you’ve got in your office.”

Ric spun his chair around to face her. “Wait. What?”

“I caught your brother trying to get into your safe. Since he didn’t seem to have the combination, I’m assuming he was breaking in.”

Van Holtz blinked. “Oh. Oh. Oh!” He sat up, arms on his desk, back straight. “Oh. Right. You’re absolutely right. He shouldn’t have been anywhere near my apartment. In fact, I banned him from there because he insulted Lock. So . . . good job.”

Dee studied him. “That was a lot of ‘ohs,’ Van Holtz.”

“No. Just . . . you know.”

Dee looked at her note, straightening out the crumpled paper. She read it again and raised her eyes to the wolf. She’d never been one to write wordy notes but this one, if taken out of context . . .

“Did you think I was—”

“No.”

He answered so quick, she knew. “You did, didn’t you?”

“Okay, I misread it. Can we let it go?”

“Not really.” Not when he was blushing and just twenty dang levels of cute!

“Look, I made a mistake. Okay? It happens. Let’s just nottalk about it.”

“Like it’ll be that easy.” Dee slammed his office door and locked it, then faced him.

“What are you doing?”

“I think we need to clear some things up,” she said, ambling back over to his desk.

“Not necessary. Nothing to clarify. I say we forget it ever happened. Can’t we forget?” Dee moved around the desk and over to Ric, straddling his thighs with her legs until she dropped right into his lap.

“Nah.”

He squirmed a little in the chair. “Well, can you do this while not sitting on my lap?” She gazed down at his lap. “You gettin’ hard, Ulrich?”

“You’re sitting in my lap, Dee-Ann. Smelling all sweaty and bloody—of course, I’m getting hard.”

“Then I’ll make this quick, just so we’re clear. I don’t end things with people by leaving notes, sending texts, or shootin’ someone an e-mail. Instead I—”

“Shoot them once in the back of the head?”

“You’ve been talking to MacRyrie, I see, and it was a paint-ball gun I used on that cheetah. He survived.”

This wasn’t remotely fair. She wore only a sports bra, workout shorts, and sneakers. Her hands had been taped up for the fight and still had Malone’s blood on them. Her hair was drenched in sweat and her multitude of scars were shiny bright and silver against her damp flesh.

Honestly . . . he could only handle so much!

And Dee-Ann Smith knew it, too. She knew what she was doing to him, pressing her hands against his shoulders and kind of pinning him against the chair, making him feel all vulnerable and helpless.

Evil sex sorceress!

“Trust me, darlin’,” she said low, “when this thing is over between us, I’ll let you know, in person. Like a woman. Not like some frightened little girl leaving bullshit little notes. And if you’re not sure . . . ask me.”

“If I ask, are you positive you won’t run?”

“I only run when police are involved . . . or I’m out of ammo.”

“That’s perfectly fair.”

“Glad you think so,” she murmured, then slowly leaned in and sniffed his neck. “Lord, you smell good.”

Ric groaned. “Dee, we can’t do this here.”

“Why not?”

“It’s the office and we’re two highly trained professionals who don’t screw in the office.”

“You were all ready to screw me in your restaurant office.”

“The restaurant is mine. This place belongs to the Group. Plus, I don’t have condoms just lying around for impromptu chair sex with horny, sweaty She-wolves who are driving me wild.” She pressed her lips against his neck, her tongue making little figure eights against his skin.