Sin City Temptation

She climbed out of the car and grabbed the supplies that she had specifically brought for Lucy, Fred and Henry. Since the day they helped her catch a man who had robbed several Dollar Stores and killed two people, she had adopted them as family.

Trinity discretely put her finger under her nose. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to the smell of garbage and funk as she walked the short block to where her peeps hung out. Trash littered the area. A suffocating sensation tightened her throat as she wandered deeper into the throes of homeless people, noticing there were more of them than the last time she was there. Trinity stepped around a man who was stretched across the sidewalk, facedown, and prayed that he was alive. With the poor conditions, lack of food and nonexistent health care for them, it wasn’t uncommon for some to die right there on the street.

She spotted Fred and Henry first, wondering why Lucy wasn’t with them. It wasn’t until she got closer that she noticed someone lying on cardboard behind the makeshift card table they had set up.

“Well, if it isn’t our favorite cop,” Fred said, tossing the cards that were in his hands to the table and telling Henry to deal. They all knew she was no longer a cop, but still referred to her as one. “I was just thinking that it was about time we saw you.”

“I know. I was hoping to get here last week, but things have been a little busy.” She handed each of them a bag of toiletries, as well as some food. She set Lucy’s bags next to her shopping cart, which was sitting near her head and was spilling over with junk. Trinity glanced down at Lucy’s sleeping form. “How’s she been doing?”

The last time Trinity visited, Lucy was having hip trouble and could barely walk, but refused to seek medical attention.

“About the same,” Henry said. “She’s been sleeping a lot more, but says she’s fine.”

“Lucy,” Fred called out trying to wake her without taking his eyes off the recently dealt cards in his hands. “Trinity’s here to see you.” Fred winked at Trinity and she rewarded him with a smile.

Lucy removed the blanket that had been covering most of her face and head, but didn’t sit up. Trinity didn’t miss the dark circles beneath her eyes or how pale her café au lait complexion looked.

“What’s going on, Luce?” Trinity asked. She eased behind Fred’s crate and knelt down near her friend, feeling her forehead and then checking her pulse, which seemed a little fast. “Are you feeling okay?” Trinity helped her sit up, pushing the knit cap Lucy was wearing farther away from her face so that she could get a better look at her eyes.

Lucy swatted Trinity’s hand away. “Stop that. I feel fine. Besides, I told you to quit all that fussing over me. We’re going to have to find you a man so you can get married, have some babies and fuss over them.”

Trinity shook her head and smiled. She had to endure the marriage speech in various forms during every visit. Like many women, Trinity dreamed of the day she’d fall in love, get married and start a family, but she didn’t see the fantasy coming to fruition anytime soon.

Trinity studied her friend and concern welled up in her heart at how bad Lucy looked. Her health was clearly declining and Trinity would never forgive herself if she didn’t do everything she could for Lucy.

Just another reason why I need to get that shelter up and running.

Pulling out one of the bottled waters she’d brought, Trinity opened it and handed the bottle to Lucy, insisting that she drink from it. Lucy had once been married. Years ago, she had been a housekeeper for a wealthy family and enjoyed the work until she was accused of stealing. Anger bubbled inside Trinity every time she thought about the bad hand Lucy had been dealt. Instead of taking her word and basing their decision on Lucy’s commitment to their family, her employer terminated her without proving whether or not she’d stolen anything. Then, after a long period of unemployment, her husband eventually left her, taking the kids with him. That was twenty-some years ago and Lucy never forgave herself for not fighting to keep her children. Now they were grown, with kids of their own, and wanted a relationship with Lucy, but she refused. According to her, she didn’t want to be a burden to them, and nothing Trinity did or said could convince Lucy otherwise.

Trinity dug through the bag of food that she’d brought and pulled out a protein bar. “Why don’t you try eating something? I can tell you’ve lost some weight—making me even more concerned.”

Lucy pushed the bar away. “I told you that I was fine. Why don’t you pick on Fred or Henry?”

Right now Trinity’s main concern was getting Lucy some medical attention, but she had no idea how. She was leaving for Vegas in the morning and unless she was able to convince Lucy to go to the hospital at that moment, there was no telling when her friend would get some help.

Lucy looked away when her eyes met Trinity’s concerned ones. “I’m worried about you,” Trinity said in a low voice. “I can’t leave town knowing that you’re not well.”

“Trinity,” Lucy said in that tone that mothers, no matter the nationality, use to get their child’s attention. “I told you I was fine. Now give it a rest!”

“Luce, let me take you to the hospital.” Trinity ignored Lucy’s growing agitation. “I’m heading out of town in the morning, and I won’t be able to focus on what I’m supposed to do if—”

“She ain’t gonna go,” Henry said. He adjusted his broken glasses, held together by duct tape, and looked over their rims at Trinity huddled next to Lucy. Trinity should’ve known Henry was listening, considering his hearing was sharp, unlike his poor eyesight. “We tried to get her to go up there to that clinic a few blocks over,” he pointed behind them, “but she wouldn’t hear of it.”

“Henry, mind your own business.” Lucy glared at him as she repositioned herself against the brick building. “I’ve been taking care of myself for over fifty years. I don’t need you—” she turned to Trinity “—or you telling me what to do. Besides, shouldn’t you be home packing or something? And what is this trip? Where are you off to?”

Trinity sighed and stood. She glanced at the brick wall behind her, before leaning against it. She’d have Jesse stop by as often as he could to check on Lucy and she’d see if she could get his brother, who was a doctor, to make at least one of those trips with him.

Trinity told them about her pending trip to Vegas and answered their numerous questions. She was going to miss them. They treated her like one of their children and she felt just as close to them as she did her own mother.

“So this fella you’re going to be guarding, I assume he’s not married?” Lucy perked up.

Trinity shook her head, trying to hide a smile. Lucy didn’t quit. “No. He’s not married and before you ask, he’s not my type.”

“He’s male and breathing, right?”

“Yes, but...”

Lucy attempted to stand and Trinity, as well as Fred, who was still sitting on a crate, turned slightly and helped her up. “But nothin’. You are a young, beautiful woman. There is only one reason you’re still single and that’s because you’re not giving these young men a chance to get to know you.”

“Leave the child alone,” Henry chimed in. “She’s young. She has plenty of time to settle down.”

“It’s not her I’m concerned about,” Lucy said. Trinity grabbed hold of Lucy’s arm and cringed when it looked as if her friend would topple over. Lucy waved her off. “I’m concerned that we’re not getting any younger and I want her to find that special someone before we leave this world.”

Chapter 4

The next morning, besides a little small talk, Trinity and Gunner rode in silence. He had picked her up from McCarren International Airport and immediately Trinity was reminded of his net worth. Admiring the interior of Gunner’s sleek black Maybach Exelero, the most expensive car ever created, she wondered how many lifetimes it would take her to afford such a luxury vehicle. With its ultra-smooth ride, butter-soft leather seats and impressive dashboard, it had to be one of the sexiest cars she’d ever been in.

Trinity stole a glance at Gunner. A sexy car for a sexy man. It amazed her how he could make a simple T-shirt and jeans look sexy as hell. It didn’t help that he smelled heavenly, sending all of her senses into overdrive.

“Was your flight all right?” Gunner asked when they were on the highway headed to his house.

“It was fine. Thank you for making all of the arrangements. Riding in first class was nice.”

“No problem. It’s the least I could do since I’m asking you to leave your home and provide me with around-the-clock service.” He winked.

Trinity knew what type of service he was referring to, but she hated how he made it sound. She planned to make sure he knew up front what services she offered...and what she didn’t.

Thirty minutes later, they pulled up to a breathtaking house that looked like something straight out of House & Home. The sprawling two-story home, flanked with palm trees, shrubs and more windows than Trinity could count, clearly showed the expanse of Gunner’s wealth. The house sat back from the street with spectacular mountains as its backdrop.

Gunner pulled into the three-car garage. “So what’s it going to take for you to relax around me?” he asked when he turned off the car.

“Who said I’m not relaxed?”

Gunner gave a short laugh that lacked humor and stepped out of the car. He started around the front of the vehicle to open the door for Trinity, but she jumped out before he reached her. She appreciated him being a gentleman, but it was important that he saw her as his security detail. Even though she didn’t officially start work until the next day.

“You’re kidding, right?” He closed the car door. “As close as you were sitting to the passenger-side door, for a minute I thought you were going to bolt from the car the moment I stopped at a traffic light.” Gunner popped open the trunk and removed her bags, lifting them with ease, as if they were empty.

He was right. She had to get herself together and remember that this was a job. He was like any other client. He was just a man. All she had to do was ignore the strong attraction between them. How to do that was the problem. It had been easy when she visited her brother at USC, because, back then, whenever she saw Gunner he was usually hugged-up to some girl. Trinity had thought he was a dog, unworthy of her attraction to him. But now things were different. He seemed more focused, more reserved. She wondered when the transformation had taken place.

“Listen,” he said, taking his cap off and running his hand over his short hair, exhaustion covering his features. “Maybe we got off on the wrong foot. I hope you don’t feel that I forced you to take the assignment. I honestly think you’re the best person for the job. When I’m playing poker, I need to be as focused as possible, no distractions. I didn’t think I could do that with someone I wasn’t familiar with watching my back. At least with you, though we haven’t seen each other in a while, I’m comfortable. Besides, Max said that you’re the best and I believe him.”

Trinity snorted. “Well, I don’t know if you should listen to him. He’s kind of biased.” She tried lightening the tension. “But I do appreciate you giving me this opportunity. My agency is still fairly new and I need to do whatever I can to make sure it’s a success.”

Gunner yawned, the third time in the past few minutes. She didn’t know what the life of a poker player was like, but she assumed that it included late nights. At least that’s how it had been for her father. As a kid, she rarely saw him. In the mornings before she and Maxwell went to school, he’d be sleeping if he was even home. And by the time they returned from school, he’d be gone, gambling away the little money they had.

That thought brought her back to the present. She couldn’t stand gamblers. Her father died still trying to strike it rich while hanging out in casinos.

“Why don’t I show you around and then you can get settled in?” He yawned. “Ah, man, excuse me.” He tilted his head from side to side, as if working out a kink in his neck. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long day.”

Trinity glanced at her watch. “Uh, it’s only nine-thirty in the morning. You must’ve been awake all night. You didn’t have to pick me up. I could have easily gotten a cab.”

“Nah, I wanted to. It was the least I could do since I had you dropping everything to take on this assignment.”

Trinity waved him off. She couldn’t tell him that he had single-handedly saved her agency by writing one fat check. “I’ll tell you what. You get some sleep and I’ll get settled, then show myself around. Besides, I need to check out your security system, windows and stuff like that.”

He shook his head. “I’m not much of a host, but the least I can do is show you around and help you get settled.”

“All right—” she shrugged “—suit yourself.”

Gunner let them into the house and set her bags inside the mudroom. “I’ll come back for these.” With his hand on her elbow, a blast of desire shot up her spine and it took everything within her to remain cool. God help me. She clearly needed to start dating if a man’s touch alone caused her nerves to short circuit.

As they strolled down a short hallway, Trinity eyed a powder room to the left and several closed sliding doors on the right, which she assumed were closets. Then they stepped into the kitchen.

“I guess there’s no need to tell you what room this is.”

Trinity glanced around at the high-end granite countertops, custom maple java cabinets, and the top-of-the-line stainless-steel appliances. She ran her hands along the curved breakfast bar, and then stood near one of the high-back black leather bar stools.

“This is definitely a cook’s kitchen. Absolutely gorgeous.” Cooking was enjoyable in her small two-bedroom, two-bathroom Hollywood Hills condominium, but preparing a meal in his kitchen would be a privilege. “So do you cook?”

Gunner shook his head. “Not a lick. I can’t even make toast without burning it.” He guided her out of the kitchen area.

The semi-open floor plan provided a clear view of the family room. Off to the left, Trinity noticed another space that would probably be considered a formal dining room if it had a table or even a chandelier. With each step she took, all she could think about was why one person needed so much space.

They moved into the family room and Trinity immediately went to the wall of windows. She stood there for several seconds, gawking at the amazing view of mountains everywhere her gaze landed. Between the kitchen and the view, she could see why Gunner had purchased the home. Absolutely breathtaking. She suddenly remembered why she was there. From a security standpoint, the wall-to-wall windows and the lack of window covering presented a security nightmare.

Trinity turned from the windows and looked up. There were even square windows inches below the twenty-foot ceilings. A quick glance around the space revealed either a lack of a security system or one that didn’t cover the windows. There was one other thing that struck Trinity as odd—no furniture.

“Did you just move in?” she inquired.

Gunner chuckled. “No, actually I’ve lived here for two years. I guess it’s a little hard to tell, huh?”

“Yeah, a little.”

“Maybe while you’re here, I can get you to help me pick out some furniture. You’re going to soon realize there are a few other rooms that are also vacant of furniture.”

Trinity smiled, not surprised by the admission. “You are such a guy.” It took her brother Maxwell a couple of years to furnish a couple of rooms in his house as well, and his wasn’t half the size of Gunner’s.

She continued her walk through the first floor, no longer waiting for Gunner to guide her. After spotting another bathroom, a huge bedroom and a home office, she realized that they were back near the kitchen. Stepping up to the sliding glass doors, she glanced out at the backyard, not surprised to see an enormous pool that took up much of the yard.

“So, do you swim?” Gunner asked.

“Occasionally,” she responded when she turned from the glass doors. Gunner stood several feet from her, leaning against a wall in the kitchen, his dark skin creating a perfect contrast next to the stark white backdrop. Damn, this man is too sexy for his own good.

Her gaze traveled down his six-foot-one form, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans, his legs crossed at the ankle. She admired how comfortable he seemed in his own skin. He probably had no idea that he looked as if he was posing for the cover of GQ magazine. Her gaze eased back up his body and heat rose to her face. Desire rippled through her when she noticed how perfect his jeans outlined the enticing bulge pressing against the front of his pants. Lord help me. She had always been attracted to ruggedly handsome men and Gunner was no exception. Everything about him screamed hot sex god. From the five-o’clock shadow lightly covering his strong jaw to his devil-may-care attitude, he was the epitome of sensuality.

She glanced away. Please God, help me get through these two months without falling under his sensuous spell. She just had to stay focused on her reason for being there, and not get caught up in the passionate longing that soared through her body whenever she was in his presence.

She returned her attention to him. “I noticed you have an alarm keypad near the front entrance, and one in the kitchen near the door that leads to the garage. Yet there are no signs of motion detectors or any security on the windows.”

Gunner shrugged. “Yeah, the house came with this alarm system and it only covers the doors. I never had a reason to look into anything more.”

“Well, in light of what you’ve told me about the attacks, we’ll need to better secure the house...just in case.”

Gunner yawned and pushed away from the wall. She didn’t know why he insisted on showing her around when it was clear that he was exhausted. Since he was a gambler living in Vegas, she imagined he slept all day and hung out in casinos all night. The thought of what he did for a living still irked her. She remembered him being super smart in college. It seemed like such a waste that he hadn’t used his knowledge to secure a real job. Maxwell had often complained about how hard he had to work for a B, while Gunner breezed through school, carrying a 3.9 grade point average throughout his four years of college. And the way Gunner partied with a stream of women floating in and out of his dorm room, Trinity wondered when he had time to study. What bothered her the most, though, was why he had to become a gambler instead of using his brains for something more productive.

“I trust your judgment regarding the security system,” Gunner said, breaking into her thoughts. “Just let me know who to write the check to. Come on and let me show you the rest of the house.”

* * *

Gunner started out showing Trinity around his home, but when she walked ahead of him, he let her. Following behind her offered a much better view. He didn’t know what type of workout routine she did, but whatever she was doing, was definitely working. At five-eight, she was the perfect height for him, with an hourglass figure and long legs that went on for days. Right now, his gaze was on her tight round ass encased in tailored slacks. He couldn’t help but imagine how well her butt cheeks would fit into the palms of—

“Okay, so I assume most of the bedrooms are upstairs? I only saw one down here.”

“That’s correct.” He turned suddenly, hoping she hadn’t noticed the evidence of how his body had reacted to hers. “I’ll go and grab your bags. Your room is upstairs,” he called out over his shoulder. He was going to be in a lot of trouble if he got an erection every time she was near him.

Fifteen minutes later, after showing her the three bedrooms with attached bathrooms, he took her to the room that he had prepared for her stay.

“This is lovely.” Trinity smiled at him and he wished she would look at him like that more often. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you had talked to my brother or my mother to find out my favorite colors. The room looks exactly like I would have decorated it.”

She ran her hands along the light blue, silk comforter and then onto the footboard of the mahogany sleigh bed. Gunner would never admit to asking Maxwell a few questions regarding her favorite colors and her taste in furniture. Apparently, her brother knew her well. Now, if he could get her to let down her guard some, maybe he could show her the man he had become and not the man she knew back when he was in college.

“Let me show you the last room in the house, and the real reason I purchased this place.”

Trinity followed him out of the room and down the hall. He could have given her a room on the other side of the house, but she had given him a speech about being his shadow for the next two months.

“I’m glad you put my room near yours. If I’m going to be guarding you, it’s a good idea for me to be as close to you as possible.”

Gunner smiled to himself. He was sure she didn’t realize how her words sounded to him, but was glad she was okay with the living arrangement.

He pushed open the double doors with as much flair as his exhausted body could muster and ushered her in.

“Welcome to my humble abode.”

Trinity laughed when she stepped over the threshold. “There is nothing humble about this space,” she said, humor in her voice. This was one of the few rooms that he had hired an interior decorator to create for him. His favorite part, besides the four-poster king-size bed, was the blackout window treatments that were regulated by a remote control. Since he did most of his sleeping during the day, they were necessary and one of the best investments he’d made to date.

“Through the double doors to your left is the main reason I purchased the house.”

Gunner’s gaze followed the sway of her hips as she glided across the room. He couldn’t for the life of him imagine this sexy woman as a cop. Sure, she had no problem saying what was on her mind, and could even be considered aggressive at times, but the thought of her wrestling a criminal to the ground or against a wall to arrest them was mind-boggling. Since she had graduated at the top of her police academy class, he had no doubt that she could handle her business.

“Oh. My. Goodness! This room alone is worth whatever you paid. This is absolutely gorgeous.” She gasped and he knew she had spotted the highlight of the luxury space. “Get the heck out of here! It has a sauna, too?”

Gunner stood in the doorway, chuckling at Trinity’s expression. Between the four-person sauna, dual vanities, a huge Jacuzzi tub and the enormous size of the bathroom in general, he didn’t know which part was his favorite feature. It helped that the space had heated travertine floors and a window near the jetted tub that gave a picturesque view of the mountains. His Realtor had taken him to dozens of homes before finding this one. The lot size of the property was smaller than he wanted, yet he really liked the backyard and pool, but once he saw the master bathroom, he was sold.

“So what do you think of the place?” Gunner asked. He moved away from the door and leaned against the back of the love seat in his bedroom’s sitting area.

Trinity stood in the bathroom doorway. “It’s nice, but I have to be honest with you. Don’t you think it’s a little excessive? You’re just one person. Why do you need all of this space?”

“You have to understand,” he started without looking at her, “I grew up dirt-poor, living in the projects with my parents and my two sisters. We barely had a roof over our heads, let alone three meals a day.” He finally glanced up when Trinity moved closer to him. “It’s not that I need all of this, but when I was a kid, I had vowed that there were two things that I would have when I made a little cash. A nice, big house and the coolest car money could buy.”