“Let’s move,” he muttered and threw open his door.

I stored my shit, threw open mine and jumped out.

“I approach from the north,” he said to me as we crossed the street. “His study is that side. I’ll start there and move on if he doesn’t meet her there. Catch up.”

“I’ll go south, perimeter check, see if anyone’s around. Been here about fifteen minutes before you and didn’t see any activity. I’ll meet you north.”

“Right,” he muttered and started jogging toward Nair’s neighbor to the north’s yard.

I did the same to the south, did a wide sweep, jumped a fence, crossed Nair’s backyard and rounded the side, seeing Creed crouched low under a window but his head was at the edge, camera to his face.

I whistled low when I got close, his head turned to me then he shook it.

I crouched low beside him, my back to the house, eyes on a continual scan.

“In the study?” I asked.

“Yep,” he answered.

“And you were shaking your head because?” I prompted.

I heard camera sounds and the hint of disgust in his voice. “You don’t wanna know.”

I always wanted to know.

I twisted, shot up and looked into the window.

He was right. I didn’t want to know.

I twisted back, shot down and muttered, “Gross.”

I just heard a hint of humor when he mumbled, “I told you you didn’t wanna know.”

“FYI, that put me off the blowjob I had planned for you tonight,” I informed him seeing as what I just saw was Amy on her knees going at Nair who was not attractive but he was hairy and he had skinny legs.

“Fuck, I hope he doesn’t eat her,” Creed murmured.

That got me a tingle. Yes, even after what I saw. Mostly because it said Creed didn’t want to be put off his plans for tonight and I liked his plans.

I scanned. Creed kept silent but his camera didn’t.

After a while, he broke his silence with, “That’ll mean dry cleaning.”

“Creed!” I hissed. “Don’t gross me out.”

“Just sayin’, there’s times when a woman should learn to swallow.”

I turned and punched him in the arm. He chuckled.

Then he muttered, “Time for business. Thank f**k, he’s not reciprocating the gesture.”

“Our day just brightened.”

“Comin’ home with donuts for you and people you give a shit about, seein’ you in those little shorts and tight cami, no matter that you were hungover, nothin’ could darken my day. Not even that shit.”

Sneak attack and I held my breath until my chest burned.

Creed’s camera sounded.

“Cash,” he muttered. “Wads of it. More than a blowjob is worth.”

“Even if that includes reimbursement for dry cleaning?”

I felt his eyes and looked up to see he’d lowered down from the window and was looking at me.

“Yeah, and then some. She’s the leak.”

I nodded. Poor Live. For whatever reason, he dug her. This would strike deep.

“Truck,” Creed grunted, I jerked up my chin and we both moved.

I’d learned that if you were somewhere you weren’t supposed to be, if you acted like you were supposed to be there, people assumed you were. So I always did that and noted, as Creed and I walked to his truck, free and easy, he followed the same school of thought.

We both angled in and I turned immediately to him. “You calling this into Knight?”

“Yeah. You wanna stay on Nair or come with me while I have a chat with him?”

“Get more done, we separate.”

He nodded. “Nick’s still a wildcard.”

“Yup,” I agreed.

“But Nair’s pullin’ the strings.”

“Yup,” I agreed again.

“Your plan?”

“Stay on Nair.”

“Right,” he muttered. “I finish with Knight, I’m on Nick.”

“After what I saw, I’m beginning to miss Nick. He’s boring but he’s not gross.”

Creed grinned at me.

My eyes dropped to his mouth then my body angled across the cab, I grabbed him at both sides of his head, pulled him to me and kissed him hard, wet, hot and long.

I let him go, grabbed the shit I stowed and threw open the door, muttering, “Later.”

“Later, baby,” I heard him mutter back.

I sashayed to my car and I did it deliberately. I felt his eyes on me as I went and they felt f**king great. I got in, settled in and he pulled out. My car was too low to see him as he drove by which was a shame.

I sucked back mostly melted malt which still tasted great and turned my eyes to the house.

Ten minutes later, Amy left and drove away.

Half an hour after that, Nair got in his ridiculously yellow Lotus and drove away.

I followed.

* * * * *

Hours later, I sat on my barstool, sipping beer, watching Creed play pool and thinking.

I was thinking about what I saw earlier. Creed walking into Charlene’s house with a bucket of chicken and a bag of fixin’s, all of which made the kids and Charlene, who not only didn’t have to cook but also didn’t have to pay for it, go wild.

I was thinking of taking turns with Charlene hanging around the corner of the doorway in order to watch Creed, with not only Adam but also Leslie, in the bathroom.

I was thinking he had a lot of patience, a lot of good humor and I hadn’t heard Adam or Leslie laugh that much since their Dad left.

I was thinking of sitting on the couch in front of the window in Charlene’s living room with Theo climbing over me, Charlene beside me and watching Creed’s ass as he bent over the opened hood of her car. And I did this while thinking how much cooler it was in her house now that the windows were open and the breeze could get through.

I was thinking I liked all I was thinking about.

Shit.

I stopped thinking when I saw Creed put the end of his pool cue down, give his opponent a look and lift his hand, palm up.

The dude was pissed. He should be. He lost.

He said a few words to Creed that only a blind person would miss were angry and Creed showed no reaction whatsoever.

Total badass.

Bills were passed over without a whole lot of sportsmanlike conduct.

Creed turned from the pool table without a backward glance, walked down the steps and crossed the bar to me. He stopped in front of me and shoved the bills down my tank, straight into the cup of my bra.

I felt my cl*t swell along with my ni**les.