One Touch More by Mandy Baxter Page B

seized up as he thought back to their encounter, but he forbade himself from revisiting it. It was either that or another cold shower, and he wasn’t interested in freezing his dick off to keep it from getting hard.
    For a moment he stared at the picture. It didn’t take an investigative mastermind to know that she didn’t belong in the world she’d found herself in. Damien’s instincts were razor sharp. He could read people with ease, and Tabitha was an open book. But until he got to the bottom of how she’d wound up an accomplice to Joey’s distribution operation, there was nothing he could do but continue to investigate her like she was any other suspect.
    Sitting in the palm of his hand was a virtual trove of information. Text messages, call logs, pictures, and the history of any websites she might have visited in the past week or longer; the apps she used most, the apps she’d used most recently, and any GPS information that might have been logged in the maps app.
    A peek into the life of Tabitha Martin. Rather than feeling like a cop doing investigative work, delving into the contents of her cell phone made Damien feel more like a voyeur. She’d reached level 349 of Candy Crush and amassed a small fortune in coins playing Bejeweled Blitz . She used Snapchat, and her In-stagram account showcased pictures of downtown Boise, various meals, and a photo of her wearing scrubs and inserting a large needle into someone’s arm with the caption, “First stick was a success!”
    Was she training to be an EMT? Or maybe a nurse? And if so, what was she still doing working at this hotel, helping Joey Cavello to peddle his nasty shit all over the city? There was more to her than met the eye. He stood by the assertion that she had no choice but to do as Joey asked. And he was positive it had to do with her brother, Seth. Could he be the guy in the picture with her?
    Or was he simply making excuses for her? Grasping at straws because of this inexplicable want he felt for her? Was his career worth taking a risk on someone who might burn him in the long run? And if so, would he even care?
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    â€œShut the front door! You did not !” Dave’s scandalized tone had nothing on the excitement that lit his green eyes. He loved gossip as much as he loved muscle-laden, tattooed bad boys. Tabitha had effectively gifted him with the gossip equivalent of Tom Hardy.
    â€œI’m weak, Dave. So, so weak. And apparently a little slutty, too.” She hadn’t gone into detail about her encounter with Damien, but gave Dave just enough information to give him a well-rounded idea of what had happened. Lila would judge her. Dave on the other hand . . . he shared her weakness for guys that were no-good. She could find solidarity with him. “I couldn’t help myself. It was like I was a starving woman and he was a bacon cheeseburger.”
    â€œOh, I can think of several juicy bits on his body to bite. Tabs, you are the most unslutty woman I know. But seriously, can I just interject here and say that I’m totally disappointed that my dream man is hetero? Though I’m not surprised. He was giving you a hard-core vibe the first time he laid eyes on you, and I bet he was sporting a chub the size of a VW bus.”
    â€œDave!”
    â€œTell me. He’s impressive, right? I’m dying to know.”
    â€œI don’t know . . .” Tabitha cast her gaze down toward her desk. “We didn’t exactly get to him.”
    â€œShut. Up!” Dave all but shoved her in his excitement. “Are you telling me he’s a giver?”
    â€œHe was very generous.”
    Dave made a show of collapsing on the front desk’s counter. “Forget my earlier disappointment. I’m officially devastated.”
    â€œHi, Tabitha. Come on in.”
    Tabitha exchanged a look with Dave as the general manager, Sandy Webber, opened the door to her office. “Good