She pointed to Johnson’s leathery, green-tinged, alligator mantel. “Guess it was a bit of overkill, kind of like your dead friend there.”Ricky groaned as he climbed into the car. “If she hadn’t alerted me that he was one of the bad guys, he would have killed me for certain.”The rest slipped into the vehicle, soaking wet and muddy. Johnson wiped the mud off his cheek with a wet handkerchief. “We’ll all be fighting for the shower when we get the rooms.”“Ladies first.” Deidre rested her hand on Dave’s thigh. He wrapped his fingers around hers. Just a simple gesture of intimacy sent a cascade of warmth through her. More than anything, she wished they could continue to see each other beyond his current mission, but once the job ended, she knew they’d be through.Johnson turned to face her. “Why is it women want equal rights, but not truly equal treatment?”“I thought you guys were supposed to be tough, manly men. Don’t tell me you carry an umbrella in a light rain shower, too?”He was a giant of a man, six foot, six in height, with angular features and a slight underbite, but had pools of azure eyes framed in dark lashes.
