Kat Attalla Special Edition (7 page)

She buried her fingers into his silky hair. Her eyes fluttered closed as any conscious thoughts drifted from her mind. Sensations, pure and simple, took over. He nipped playfully at the small gold hoop in her ear, sprinkled feather light kisses across her cheek, and finally paused just above her mouth.

When she thought he might withdraw, she pulled his head to her. She needed more, and for once in her life, she wasn’t going to back down. Take control and don’t let go, the key to success in any endeavor. She rose up on her toes and arched in closer. Erik’s muffled groan vibrated in her ear. If he was fighting a battle with himself, he’d just surrendered. His mouth came down on hers, forcing her lips apart.

The feelings running through her changed from merely delightful to painfully erotic. She expected pleasure and received so much more. He explored with his tongue, tasting, teasing, arousing. Nothing had ever felt this good before. Nothing ever left her wanting so much more. She lost control, and she didn’t care.

As she reached for his belt buckle, his fingers grasped her wrist. “Now you’re playing with fire, Tori.”

She smiled. “I always did have a knack with combustible elements.”

He pulled her into his arms. “I’d say you’re damn near an expert.”

“Not yet. I’m still in the experimental stages.”

He struggled for a normal breath. “Okay, Doctor. As experiments go, how was this one?”

She rested her chin on his shoulder and sighed. “For a baseline kiss, it was very nice.”

He chuckled. “What does that mean?”

“A scientist would never form an opinion on just one experiment. First I have to set up criteria, than do a baseline test. After that, I compare all future results with the first.”

“Maybe tomorrow I could take you to dinner and I’ll see if I can improve on that baseline.”

She doubted that would be possible, but hey, she would settle for just repeating the results. Her body still tingled.

“I’d like that. And I’ll try not to fall asleep on you again.”

“If you’re going to fall asleep, I’d definitely like it to be on me,” he muttered against her ear.

She sucked in a deep breath. “I think you’re trying to get me flustered.”

* * * *

Erik slowly loosened his hold on her. He wanted to get her a hell of a lot more than flustered. He wanted her hot and bothered, but not while standing in the cold and not with her house wired like a public address system. But mostly, not while she was the prime suspect in a federal investigation. Damn. What was he thinking?

That was the problem. He wasn’t thinking. He let another part of his anatomy rule his actions. A reoccurring problem in her presence, it seemed. While he’d let down his guard once before, he’d never lost his head. He needed to get out of there before his professional ethics lost another round to his hormones.

“Tomorrow, Tori.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead and jumped the two steps to the stone walk.

She wrapped her arms around her waist. “Where’s your car?”

“Around the corner.”

“I’ll walk with you.”

“No,” he said sharply and then grinned. “A gentleman always sees a lady safely inside the house.”

“And they say chivalry is a thing of the past.”

Her soft laughter resurrected the heart he’d thought dead. She affected more than his libido; she touched his emotions. Hell. The woman posed a bigger danger to his peace of mind than he’d realized.

“Get inside. It’s cold.”

She waved and stepped through the door.

He sprinted to the corner and then turned back to make sure she’d stayed put. The light shone on an empty porch. Shoving his hands deep in his pockets, he continued towards the van. It promised to be a long, cold night. He was in no mood to spend the next eight hours in cramped quarters with his comedian of a partner listening to snide innuendoes.

Instead of rounding the corner, he continued down the main street at a brisk pace. He needed to work off a heap of sexual frustration, not to mention a hard-on so damned uncomfortable he doubted an ice bath would help. He knew better than to let his judgment get clouded with lust, but
Victoria
affected him in a way he couldn’t control.

He needed to keep his guard up, especially after his near-fatal case. And he’d thought he knew women so well. Once he’d caught the sexy drug smuggler in the act, she’d agreed to turn state’s evidence against her accomplices to save her own ass. He never expected her to blow her chance at freedom. Apparently she wasn’t too happy with Erik for what she deemed his duplicity. Hell hath no fury. He ended up with a bullet hole. She got twenty-five to life. He couldn’t afford to get caught off guard again with
Victoria
.

After covering a four-block radius around the neighborhood, he returned to his waiting partner.

“What happened?” Daniels asked when Erik finally climbed inside.

“What do you mean?”

“You left the house fifteen minutes ago. What were you doing until now?”

“Checking out the area.”
After losing my objectivity and my common sense.
“Did you find out anything more?”

“Yeah. No other passenger left Flight 516 wearing the flower. And I turned up six Steven Jansens in the Northeast area, none of whom have a sister named
Victoria
. Did she happen to mention where this brother lived?”

“No.” She’d said very little during the evening. Just a series of sleepy sighs and moans that aroused him in ways she never intended. He’d figured he was safe when he found her asleep on the sofa. She made several amazing moves for a woman in an unconscious state. “If Becker doesn’t make contact by tomorrow, I’ll have to get someone to yank the confidential files.”

“Someone? Like the guys upstairs? You’re not gonna get your pal at MIT to hack into the system, right?”

“Of course not,” Erik said.

Daniels obviously didn’t believe him, but he didn’t call Erik on the lie, either. Certain things you didn’t even tell your partner. Particularly when a beautiful, doe-eyed suspect was involved.

* * * *

Victoria
lifted her glass of wine off the coffee table and took a sip. Although the Chardonnay warmed her insides, she felt too hot to enjoy the feeling. She wasn’t sure what happened to her, but she liked it. Erik didn’t seem to mind either.

Erik behaved like a perfect gentleman, a fact she would appreciate when the erectores pilorum muscle fibers on her skin’s surface returned to a relaxed state and her racing heart kept a steady beat. Problem was, every time her thoughts wandered to Erik, her senses sprang to life again. The throbbing in her breasts and the moist heat in her belly conspired to keep her physically aroused. That was the blessing and the curse of her photographic memory—the ability to recall every detail of a situation.

With a sigh, she lowered herself into the leather chair in front of her computer. Einstein’s cartoon face smiled up at her from the computer screen.

“What’s your opinion, Albert? Any logical explanation for this?”

Who are you kidding? Her logic flew out the window the moment she laid eyes on Erik. She thought she knew better.

Her body shuddered. She should move slowly. What did she know about Erik Sanders, after all? That he could kiss her senseless and make her feel alive? Was it enough? Maybe not for a future, but maybe it could get her out of the past and into the present.

Chapter Five

A shove to the shoulder woke Erik from a restless slumber. Sleeping in an upright position left his muscles cramped. A light film of snow covered the windshield, and the temperature inside the van hovered just above freezing. What happened to their heater? Damn. If he could have accepted
Victoria
’s sensual advances last night, he would have awakened in a nice warm bed with a soft woman, not a frigid van with his scruffy partner. He threw back the parka that served as a blanket during the long night.

“What’s going on?” Erik grumbled.

Daniels held up his hand to silence him for a moment. “She’s got a meeting.”

“Becker?”

“I’m not sure. She seemed to know the caller, but that doesn’t mean anything.”

A knot formed in his stomach. An early morning meeting with a man could mean anything. A beautiful woman like her would have a number of male friends. He didn’t like that scenario any better than the one that involved her with Becker’s ring. His hands clenched into tight fists.

Where had that blast of anger come from? He owned no claim on her time or her emotions. In a few days, no matter what the outcome of this case, he was out of here. He didn’t want or need complications in his life. Especially a complication with big brown eyes and a body he’d love to explore in detail. He swallowed hard.

“I guess we have to follow her.”

“Shouldn’t be hard,” Daniels said. “She’s meeting him at her office. Good thing I had someone wire that place yesterday.”

“Let’s take the car. This van won’t blend in with the scenery.”

“Can we stop somewhere for breakfast first?” Erik groaned. How could his partner think about food this early in the morning?

* * * *

Victoria
arrived at the university’s chemistry lab an hour before her meeting. Her colleague, Dr. Ariel Robbins, was conducting interesting experiments with aromatherapy. In the name of research, Tori decided to look into the project. Although skeptical, she tried to keep an open mind since science proved that the olfactory sense generated the strongest impulses. As she circled the lab, she studied the array of beakers and tubes holding essential oils from a variety of botanical species. They smelled incredible. Each unique scent invoked a different reaction.

“
Victoria
, don’t tell me you finally decided to participate in my study,” Ariel said.

“I’m considering it, for purely scientific reasons. Can you explain these to me?”
Victoria
asked. She joined the woman at the table.

Ariel sent an approving smile. “The eucalyptus improves respiration. The lavender relieves headaches, and peppermint improves concentration.” Her grin widened, and she raised her eyebrow. “And of course, they have been known to affect people in the same way as pheromones, which give them seductive qualities.”

“And all this time I thought the basis of your research was to relieve job-related stress,”
Victoria
countered.

“Everyone has a different way of relieving stress. Some are just more fun than others.”

Victoria
wasn’t averse to the kind of fun her colleague implied. Whether she would admit it or not, she was more interested in the aphrodisiacal properties than the health benefits.

Ariel gave her a group of index cards. “These are combinations that my students have put together. They cover almost every recorded benefit for relief from respiratory aliments, hypertension, impotence, and a host of others.”

“Your students plan to give the pharmaceutical company a run for their money.”

“Don’t I wish?”

Many of the faculty thought Ariel was missing a few rungs off her double helix. She’d once worked for a large drug company, but like
Victoria
, she’d become disillusioned with the corporate world. Now, they called her the Love Doctor, but she took it all in stride. Female scientists needed to develop thick skin to work in the male dominated field.

After thoroughly reading about each mixture and the documented conclusion of the researcher,
Victoria
placed one card on the top of the pile.

“Do you mind if I try something?”
Victoria
asked.

“Be my guest.”

She took an empty test tube from the drawer and proceeded to fill it, one eyedropper at a time, with a combination of pure essential oils. Ariel watched over her shoulder.

“Umm … rose, patchouli, cardamom and ylang-ylang. What are you planning, woman?” she asked.

“Me?”
Victoria
feigned innocence. “I happen to like the smells of these. They’re so relaxing.”

“Oh, please. I know that combination off the top on my head. My students call it Love Potion #9. You’re planning a seduction.”

Her cheeks flamed with heat. “I didn’t realize,” she said and closed the card file.

“Well, don’t forget the silk scarf.”

Victoria
let out a choked cough. “What?”

The older woman put an arm around her shoulder as if to take
Victoria
under her wing. “You still have much to learn in this field. Men are visually based. If you want him to experience the smells and taste and touch, you have to remove his most active sense.”

“Oh,”
Victoria
muttered. “You mean the scarf is used as a blindfold.”