other since college. Oh…and I lost my virginity with him.”
“What the hell, Vivi? Why are you telling me that?” Joel shouted.
Leaning against him, she grinned into his scowling face. “Because I’m trying to make you crazy. I like to think of it as payback for all of the grief you’ve given me.”
Stepping away from the door, she let Gideon in. “Did you come by to give me a ride?”
“I sure did, sweetheart.”
“Let me grab my purse, and then we can go.”
“I’ll take you, Vivi,” Joel said.
Gideon let out a low chuckle. “Don’t fuss at him, Vivi, it’ll work out. I’ll probably be stuck at the station after the meeting.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Behave and don’t torture him.”
“Fine, we’ll see you all down there in a bit.” She closed the front door and twirled around. “Let’s go, then.”
Joel shook his head and laughed. “You are never going to give me a break, are you?”
“Probably not. You never gave me one, so I’m returning the favor.”
Placing his hand on her back, he moved them to the back door. “I guess that’s fair.”
“Joel, I’m a little nervous. I’ve never been down to the police station to meet with the Feds and DEA. Should I be worried?”
“Honey, you’ve spent three years abroad in war-torn countries. Why does the idea of the FBI and DEA make you feel uncomfortable?” Opening the car door, he made sure that she was buckled in before he ran around to the other side. Once he was behind the wheel, he studied her closely.
“Maybe I’ve seen too many crime shows.” Shrugging, she stared out the window. “All I wanted to do was offer medical care for the people in the neighborhood. It seemed like such a simple thing. I had no idea that it could turn into this.”
“Let’s wait and see what they have to say and then I’ll put a plan together for you. This is something that shouldn’t be that hard to manage.”
“I hope you’re right,” Vivi sighed.
***
Standing with Gideon, Vivi smiled at the men gathered before her. There was one standing toward the back, and he was staring at her with melty brown eyes and a smile. Thank God I got myself shined up today. “My goodness, there are a lot of you.”
Gideon introduced her, and she shook hands with each one of them. The one with the smile was named Wyatt. He shook her hand and held it for a second longer than was appropriate. How lovely. “Nice to meet you, Wyatt.” Vivi beamed.
“It’s very nice to meet you , Dr. DuMond.”
“Call me Vivi.” You big, handsome devil.
“Can I find you a seat?”
“That would be lovely.” Looping her arm through his, he guided her over to a seat. Just as he was about to sit down next to her, someone called his name.
Leaning over, he spoke quietly in her ear. “I’ll be right back, Vivi .”
“I look forward to it, Wyatt .” She straightened her dress and realized that all of Ruby’s talk about how a man smelled was starting to make sense, because the one standing over her smelled divine.
Joel came over and sat down next to her and she felt unhappiness roll off of him. “You can keep your disapproval to yourself, Joel.”
“You don’t have to throw yourself at the first man who speaks to you, Vivi. My God, woman, have a little self-control,” he hissed.
Smiling blindly at the group before her, she leaned over and replied, “I have two brothers. I don’t need you to give me advice. Back off and don’t mess with me.”
Smoothing down her hair, she realized it was fun to flirt. The fact that she hadn’t done it in a thousand years didn’t seem to be slowing her down, so that was good. Wyatt sat across from her, and she crossed her legs and flipped her hair over her shoulder. She was about to say something, when Joel’s big body moved closer. He looped his arm across the back of her seat and shifted right up against her arm. “There are plenty of empty seats. You don’t have to sit next to me,” she hissed
“What the hell, Vivi? Why are you telling me that?” Joel shouted.
Leaning against him, she grinned into his scowling face. “Because I’m trying to make you crazy. I like to think of it as payback for all of the grief you’ve given me.”
Stepping away from the door, she let Gideon in. “Did you come by to give me a ride?”
“I sure did, sweetheart.”
“Let me grab my purse, and then we can go.”
“I’ll take you, Vivi,” Joel said.
Gideon let out a low chuckle. “Don’t fuss at him, Vivi, it’ll work out. I’ll probably be stuck at the station after the meeting.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Behave and don’t torture him.”
“Fine, we’ll see you all down there in a bit.” She closed the front door and twirled around. “Let’s go, then.”
Joel shook his head and laughed. “You are never going to give me a break, are you?”
“Probably not. You never gave me one, so I’m returning the favor.”
Placing his hand on her back, he moved them to the back door. “I guess that’s fair.”
“Joel, I’m a little nervous. I’ve never been down to the police station to meet with the Feds and DEA. Should I be worried?”
“Honey, you’ve spent three years abroad in war-torn countries. Why does the idea of the FBI and DEA make you feel uncomfortable?” Opening the car door, he made sure that she was buckled in before he ran around to the other side. Once he was behind the wheel, he studied her closely.
“Maybe I’ve seen too many crime shows.” Shrugging, she stared out the window. “All I wanted to do was offer medical care for the people in the neighborhood. It seemed like such a simple thing. I had no idea that it could turn into this.”
“Let’s wait and see what they have to say and then I’ll put a plan together for you. This is something that shouldn’t be that hard to manage.”
“I hope you’re right,” Vivi sighed.
***
Standing with Gideon, Vivi smiled at the men gathered before her. There was one standing toward the back, and he was staring at her with melty brown eyes and a smile. Thank God I got myself shined up today. “My goodness, there are a lot of you.”
Gideon introduced her, and she shook hands with each one of them. The one with the smile was named Wyatt. He shook her hand and held it for a second longer than was appropriate. How lovely. “Nice to meet you, Wyatt.” Vivi beamed.
“It’s very nice to meet you , Dr. DuMond.”
“Call me Vivi.” You big, handsome devil.
“Can I find you a seat?”
“That would be lovely.” Looping her arm through his, he guided her over to a seat. Just as he was about to sit down next to her, someone called his name.
Leaning over, he spoke quietly in her ear. “I’ll be right back, Vivi .”
“I look forward to it, Wyatt .” She straightened her dress and realized that all of Ruby’s talk about how a man smelled was starting to make sense, because the one standing over her smelled divine.
Joel came over and sat down next to her and she felt unhappiness roll off of him. “You can keep your disapproval to yourself, Joel.”
“You don’t have to throw yourself at the first man who speaks to you, Vivi. My God, woman, have a little self-control,” he hissed.
Smiling blindly at the group before her, she leaned over and replied, “I have two brothers. I don’t need you to give me advice. Back off and don’t mess with me.”
Smoothing down her hair, she realized it was fun to flirt. The fact that she hadn’t done it in a thousand years didn’t seem to be slowing her down, so that was good. Wyatt sat across from her, and she crossed her legs and flipped her hair over her shoulder. She was about to say something, when Joel’s big body moved closer. He looped his arm across the back of her seat and shifted right up against her arm. “There are plenty of empty seats. You don’t have to sit next to me,” she hissed
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