Dead No More. L. R. Nicolello

leaned against the back wall, looking warm and approachable in his navy cable-knit sweater and worn jeans, chatting it up with some of his regulars. They were nodding their heads in agreement with something he’d said. Lily sighed. There was no way to get his attention. Great. So much for that idea.

      “What are you doing here? What do you want?”

      Derek looked up from the menu and set it down. An easy grin curved his lips up, deep dimples forming in both cheeks. “Easy. You.”

      “Oh, yeah?” Lily propped her hip against the counter, crossed her arms and couldn’t help but smile back. His sheer proximity was chipping away at her resolve, despite her best intentions to remain aloof.

      He reached out his hand. “Derek Moretti. But you already know that, don’t you?”

      She studied Derek, then sighed. No use being rude. Leaning forward, she reached out her hand. He wrapped his fingers around hers and gently squeezed. Her breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t been touched in...well, she couldn’t remember the last time anyone had touched her, other than George and Ben, who clearly didn’t count.

      Derek’s hand was large and covered hers completely. Calluses rubbed against the soft skin of her palm. His touch was possessive, yet gentle, and a wave of security washed over her. She’d all but forgotten the warm feeling that seeped through her body at the simplest human touch—a man’s touch. The flutter in her stomach returned with a vengeance.

       Don’t squirm. Don’t squirm.

      Without letting go, he cocked his head to the side and quietly studied her. Lily blinked, trying—and failing—to break the pull he had on her. What was hiding behind those blue eyes? And why couldn’t she resist their draw?

      Hell no. Human touch or not, she couldn’t go there. Not ever again.

      The last man she’d let in tried to kill her.

      Lily extracted her hand from his grasp. The flutter died out, followed closely on its heels by a dull, empty ache. “I’m not interested.”

      “You don’t even know what I’m going to propose.”

      “Doesn’t matter.”

      But it did matter. And she was interested, very interested. In the man silently studying her, in the way every cell in her body sizzled whenever he was near and in whatever he was after.

      “Well, maybe you’d reconsider—” He reached behind him, and she tensed automatically. Derek quickly held up his hands. “Whoa. Relax. I’m just reaching for my wallet.”

      “Course,” she muttered as a flush burned her cheeks.

      Derek pointed at his wallet. “May I?”

      “Of course, sorry about that.”

      He pulled out a business card, placed it on the counter and slid it across. “When you’re ready to listen, call me.” He smiled softly, turned and headed for the exit. Without looking back, he waved as he left the café.

      Lily picked up the card and spun it between her fingers. What are you after, Derek Moretti? She chewed on her lip and watched him through the front windows, unable to deny the effect he had on her. Everything about him, down to his swagger, made her squirm like a hormonal teenager.

      “He want to read you in on a case?” Ben approached her, hands pushed into his sweater’s front pockets.

      Lily quickly shoved the card into her back pocket and shrugged before reaching for a rag to rub down the counter. “Even if he is, I’m not sure I’m interested.”

      “Why?”

      “Come on, B.” Lily glanced over at the old couple and lowered her voice. “The last guy I worked with tried to kill me. Remember?”

      “I know, Lil.” He went to the espresso machine. “But not everyone is Jackson.”

      Ben was right. Not every man on the planet was a traitor, and there was no trying to skirt him—he knew her better than she probably knew herself at this point. Lily blew out a sigh. She was interested. She just didn’t know enough about the man who’d just blown into her life to do anything about it.

      Yet.

      * * *

      LATER THAT AFTERNOON, Lily sat in the corner of Ben’s café and enjoyed another tall latte. A shadow passed behind her closed eyes and Lily slowly opened them, expecting to see Ben towering over her. Derek smiled down instead. For the second time that day, Lily found herself drowning in the endless sea of blue staring down at her. It stole the air from her lungs.

      She set down her mug. “Oh, for the love of God.”

      “Hello again.”

      “Apparently you have a death wish.”

      “Just doing what’s necessary.” A slight smirk crossed his face as he dragged out the chair across from her and sank into it, leaning onto his elbows. “And you and I both know you won’t draw a gun on me.”

      “After your little stunt yesterday? And just showing up here? Twice?” Lily eyed the man sitting in front of her. “I’d consider it.”

      “You loved it, and no, you won’t.”

      He had her there—she had never pulled the trigger based on emotion, nor would she ever. The heat of his lips flashed through her mind, as did the searing memory of his body pressed against hers, and she felt a tingle up her spine. If he’d left that kind of impression when he’d hijacked her, what would he do if she willingly went into his arms?

      She shifted in her seat, ignoring the bizarre and very vivid mental picture. “How do you know so much about me?”

      “You know the answer to that.” He pushed his chair onto two legs, laced his fingers together and propped his head back.

      “I told you I wasn’t interested, so why are you back?”

      “Yes. You did.” He grinned and let the chair drop to all fours. He leaned forward. “But here’s the deal. Your reputation precedes you, even after going to ground. Believe it or not, you’re still 67’s best asset, and I need your unmatched ability...to become someone else.”

      Her eyebrows arched. “Really.”

      “I’d gather the information myself, but I can’t risk blowing my cover. So my hands are tied.” He shrugged, laced his fingers again and returned to his casual pose. “We need the intel to crack open a case, and I need to protect my asset. As much as I’d like to think I’m invincible, I know my limits.”

      What? You’re not superhuman? Lily opened her mouth to let her internal monologue out to play, but Derek held up his hand, sending her a dry look. “Let me finish before you shoot me down.”

      She clamped her mouth shut.

      “As I was saying,” Derek said, a hint of laughter in his voice. “My client is too high a government asset to roll the dice and play Lone Ranger on this. So here I am. All but begging for your help. Which, for the record, I don’t do. Ever.”

      “I’m not working for 67 anymore. Does Kennedy even know you’re here talking to me?”

      “Did the director know every asset you pulled in while working an op?” Derek countered without missing a beat.

      Lily studied the man in front of her. “Fair enough. But why not pull in someone else who’s still on 67’s payroll?”

      “Easy. I don’t need anyone else.” He settled into his chair and drilled her with his steely gaze. “I need you.”

      She squirmed in her seat. Wow, she needed a life. Or a boyfriend. Or both. She knew he meant her skills, not her body. But still...

      “Well?”

      She cleared her