Temperature's Rising (14 page)

She straightened the papers on his desk, not meeting his eyes. “I thought you were trying to put the Meredith gang out of business along with their ringleader? Looks more like you’re setting a trap for your daughter and the new officer.”

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He frowned. “That’s exactly what Jess accused me of.”

“Well, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, but I thought I’d covered my tracks pretty good.”

She stopped what she was doing and planted her hands on her hips. “How? By having a heart-shaped bed delivered? That’s about as subtle as the Godiva Chocolate.”

“How’d you find out about the chocolate?” She cocked an eyebrow. “Just because I’m not a cop doesn’t mean I haven’t learned the art of observation. Besides, Jess told me. She even wanted to know if I’d been the one who set her up.”

“You watch and see if those two don’t fall in love before the surveillance is over.”

“Aren’t you even worried about your job?”

“It would be worth ten jobs to see my daughter happily married.”

“I just don’t think this is the way to go about doing it.” She cleared her throat. “Speaking of jobs, the mayor called earlier. I told him you were out of the office, just like you told me.”

“Good. I only want him to know what I tell him.”

“You still think he might be behind the burglaries?”

“Let’s just say I haven’t ruled him out.”

“I talked to Dad earlier,” Jessica said, drawing Conor’s attention away from the suspects’ house.

As soon as he looked her way, he knew he was in trouble. The only light came from the full moon and a small lamp in the corner of the living room, making it easy to see her expression. Right now it was soft, with a sleepy-eyed look that made him want to carry her up to bed and do more than tuck her in.

She’d pulled her feet up under her when she’d curled herself in the wingback chair and was hugging a heart-118

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shaped pillow. He couldn’t help wishing she was curled in his lap hugging him instead.

He gripped the arms of his chair, trying to focus. It wouldn’t surprise him if he totally blew this case. Damn, he’d always been able to gather enough evidence to get a conviction or, at the very least, enough proof that the suspects were innocent. He was afraid his clean record might get muddied the longer Jessica hung around.

“I spoke with your father, too,” he told her.

She hugged the pillow a little tighter. “Did he mention anything about who he thought the ringleader might be?” It wouldn’t do a damn bit of good not telling her anything. Hell, he already knew her knowledge about the case was nearly as much as his.

“No, he doesn’t have a suspect yet.” She was quiet a few minutes. He could feel her watching him.

“But you do.” She spoke quietly.

She was good at reading people. He’d always prided himself on being unreadable. He briefly wondered if he was mistaken in other areas as much as he had been about her innocence. No, he didn’t think so.

“Yeah, I have a few people on my list,” he finally admitted.

“The mayor?”

“Your father doesn’t seem to think so.” She rested her head against the back of the chair, and for a moment he lost his train of thought. A lock of pale blond hair fell forward. She casually brushed it behind her ear. God, she was so damned beautiful.

“My father says the mayor is a jerk. He doesn’t think he’s guilty. Not of the robberies, anyway. You know they went to school together, don’t you? Same grade and everything. I don’t think Dad wants past rivalries to cloud his judgment, but it might be working in reverse.” TEMPERATURE’S RISING

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“You think the mayor might be involved?” She shrugged. “I haven’t ruled him out.” He crossed his legs and leaned back to a more comfortable spot. He’d never discussed an ongoing case with anyone outside law enforcement, but he reasoned that since her father trusted her with information, there’d be no harm, and she was right—technically, she was still a cop. Besides, he found himself curious to know how Jessica’s mind worked.

“But what about the fact his house was robbed?” He watched her face and saw she kept her expression bland.

She was pretty good at hiding what she thought, too. “It hurt his campaign,” he went on.

“And a good way to throw off any suspicion. The criminals have cashed in on a lot of money since they began their crime spree. More than the mayor could make as a public servant.”

Okay, so they’d wondered the same thing. That still didn’t make her a
good
cop. “So, why is your father not convinced? I know the chief suspects shady dealings involving the mayor. Like contracts going to some of his friends.”

“It’s hard not to have dealings with people you know in a town of less than a hundred thousand. He wants more proof.”

“That’s why I’m here.”

“But you can’t stay awake all night, and all day, too.

You have to go to bed sometime.” His heart pounded when he thought of the heart-shaped bed upstairs. “I’ll be fine.” He glanced at his watch. Nearly midnight. “Why don’t you go to bed,” he said as casually as his racing pulse would allow. He pictured her lying naked in the middle of the bed, pale skin against a background of red satin sheets. Not that he would do anything about it. “Go on to bed. You’re about to fall out of your chair.”

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She straightened, eyes opening wide. “I’m fine . . .

really . . .” She stifled a yawn.

God, she was like a delectable pastry. He was getting more hungry each minute he spent in her company.

“You’re right,” she admitted wryly. “Do you think anything will happen tonight?” She nodded toward their neighbors’ house.

Absolutely not! It took him a second or two to realize she was talking about the suspects. He drew in a deep breath. “They turned off the last light an hour ago. Everything’s been as lifeless as a morgue. They’re probably sound asleep.”

“Wake me up when you get sleepy, and I’ll take over the watch. I can at least do that much. I’ll call you if anything happens.”

She was right. He would’ve taken turns with Angie if George hadn’t walked in on him and Jessica kissing.

“Okay. When I get tired.”

“ ’Night, then.”

She uncurled from the chair, and like a cat, stretched as she stood. Languidly, she sauntered toward the stairs, but stopped and turned when she reached the doorway.

“You’ll be up soon? I won’t need more than a few hours’ sleep.”

His insides tightened at the thought of crawling between the red silk sheets and snuggling close to Jessica, then waking her up with a long, passion-filled kiss.

All of a sudden, burglars and law enforcement were the last things on his agenda. Instead, he wondered what she wore to bed.

He swallowed.

If anything.

“Yeah, I’ll be up shortly.” He was amazed there was only a slight crack in his voice. It was a miracle he could speak at all.

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Darkness swallowed her, making him wonder if he’d imagined her slow, seductive walk. Inhaling, he caught a whisper of the fragrance she wore. Mysterious and sinful.

Shaking his head, he tried to concentrate on the facts.

Number one, they weren’t really married. Two, he had a job to do. Three, making love with Jessica should be the furthest thing from his mind.

Then why couldn’t he think about anything else?

He heard the distant noise of the upstairs shower and had to adjust his pants as he pictured her standing under the spray of water, the soap sliding over her body, leaving tiny bubbles in its wake. Her skin would be slick, his hands could easily slide over the soapy surface of her body.

She turned off the water, but not his fantasies. A few minutes later a whirring noise came from upstairs. Blow dryer? A sudden vision of her getting ready for him, her hair soft and fluffy, sent a longing inside him that he found hard to control.

His hand shook as he raked it through his hair, imagining what it would be like with her pressed close. Her lips would graze his bare skin. Her tongue . . .

Get hold of yourself!
It should be up to him to be the professional. Damn! He’d been the one to bring sex into the equation when he tried to run her off. Now it seemed that was all he could think about. He’d only wanted to scare her into running back home to her safe apartment.

At the very least, make her see this situation was impossible and she’d better leave the first chance she got.

The tables had turned. Maybe she didn’t realize what she was doing, but all the signals were there. His sixth sense told him that she craved this as much as he did.

Maybe she
was
the type for a casual affair. If he wasn’t on a stakeout, the circumstances couldn’t be better. Neither one expected a commitment from the other. She’d al-122

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ready told him she didn’t want to get involved with a cop, and he certainly didn’t want a long-term relationship. No one would be hurt.

He stood and went to the phone, dialing the number of the station.

“White Plains Police Department,” the dispatcher said.

“Officer Richmond. I’m going to take a quick shower.

Have an unmarked car cruise the area.”

“Sure thing, Conor.”

He shook his head. Coming from a large department to a smaller one had been a shock he wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to. They certainly didn’t stand on ceremony.

He glanced one more time at the house next door before making his way up the stairs. He combed his hand through his hair and straightened his shirt. Taking a deep breath, he eased the door open and stepped inside.

The bathroom door stood slightly ajar, bathing all but the shadowed corners in a soft, dim light. He ambled toward the bed, trying to appear nonchalant.

His steps faltered. If Jessica was under those covers, she’d shrunk. A soft snore drew his attention to the bedroom directly across from this one.

“What the hell?”

Surely she wasn’t sleeping on the floor. He walked across the hall. The bedroom door was open. Apparently she shared his aversion to small, closed-off spaces. On closer inspection, he saw she was on a twin-size air mattress. No wonder her blasted suitcase had been so big and heavy.

Not a blow dryer, but something to put air in the mattress. What an idiot. It looked like she’d had the last word again. Disappointment filled him, but he couldn’t be angry with her.

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was a little warm and apparently Jessica was hot-natured.

He grinned at the thought. Hadn’t he already suspected that when she’d returned his kiss, then had the audacity to grab his ass?

She’d shoved the covers to the side. Her cotton pajamas even had feet in them. It must’ve taken her at least ten minutes to button the row of tiny buttons that stretched all the way to her neck.

She had one hand tucked under her head, the other curled beside her. Pale blond strands of hair had fallen forward to curtain her face. He stifled an urge to reach down and brush the hair aside, afraid he might waken her.

And if he did, Conor didn’t know if he could stop himself from carrying her to bed . . . cotton pajamas and all.

He wanted her too much. A shudder of longing swept through him. It had been a long time since he’d spent the night with a woman snuggled close to him.

Idiot! She’d already said she wouldn’t get involved with a cop, and he wasn’t about to change. His life was littered with impossible relationships. He didn’t need another one to add to his list. No, best to get all notions of her out of his mind.

He glanced once more at Jessica. Then again, she might just be worth it. He took a deep breath before walking back across the hall, and going inside the bathroom.

He shut the door behind him. Turning on the shower, he stripped and stepped under the warm spray, wishing the water would wash away his forbidden thoughts.

As the bathroom door creaked, Jessica dragged her eyelids open and watched through a veil of hair. She had a perfect view straight in to Conor’s room and the bathroom. Was she dreaming? Had Conor emerged from the bathroom, a towel carelessly slung around his hips? She 124

Karen Kelley

inched her hand to her arm and pinched, then grimaced.

This wasn’t a dream. Droplets of water clung to Conor’s hair and slid down his chest.

Jessica had wondered if he was dark all over or only tanned. Tanned was nice, too. Slowly, her gaze traveled over him. Broad shoulders, washboard stomach, slim hips.

She tried to keep her breathing natural, but he made the simple act of inhaling and exhaling almost impossible. She devoured him with her eyes at the same time her body longed for what he could give her.

He ambled over to the bed. Just before he sat down, the towel dropped to the floor.

He was beautiful. No, gorgeous. She wanted him with every fiber of her being. Her thighs trembled with her need to feel him buried deep inside her.

Breathe!

In and out. In and out. That was worse! She almost groaned aloud. Slow, deep breaths. Stay calm, she told herself. He has a body, just like every other man. Her insides quivered. No, not like every man. The same parts, maybe. Conor would never be like everyone else.
Magnificent
was too tame a word to describe him.

Lord, she’d never be able to get that image out of her mind. Did she want to? At least he didn’t know she’d been staring. She’d never be able to look him in the eye if he knew she’d seen him in the buff. Or worse, what she was thinking.

“Go to sleep, Jessica.”

His words were so softly spoken that at first she thought she might have imagined them. When she realized she hadn’t, that he knew she’d seen him, her face burned.

Oh lord, she must’ve inadvertently made some kind of noise that clued him in.

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tabs on his every move? Was his goal in life to irritate her? Dumb question. Of course it was. He didn’t want her here. She flopped to her other side and yanked the covers up to her chin, even though the pajamas she wore were stifling.