Temperature's Rising (29 page)

They robbed a house on Barnett Circle. The homeowners were away at the time, but they’d installed a brand-new alarm system. When it detected an intruder, the company called us. Caught them red-handed—two men. They’d even left a stuffed raccoon sitting on the sofa.”

“They confessed to the other burglaries?” He was stunned. This was the last news he’d expected to hear.

The chief ’s chair creaked when he leaned back. “They’re denying everything. Hell, one of the guys said they’d been out drinking and had a little too much, ending up in his
girlfriend’s
home. They didn’t know about the new alarm system. Said the raccoon was for her. Too coincidental, if you ask me. We haven’t been able to contact the homeowners to confirm their story, but I’m not buying it.”

“Do you have the mayor’s tape?”

“No, but they’ll talk. Their kind always does. They’re still claiming the girlfriend is real.”

“That’s . . .” He shook his head. “That’s great.” Then why didn’t he feel relieved? Something bothered him.

Then he remembered. “What about the conversation?

The one I overheard. They were planning another job.” The chief shrugged. “It was probably just that. A job.

Not a burglary. There are movers who work at night so they won’t interfere with the office personnel jobs.” 250

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“I’d have sworn that wasn’t what they were talking about.”

“We all make mistakes. I guess you and Jess can pack it up. You’re probably both ready to get back to your own places.”

Conor’s gut clenched. Was this why he was so stunned?

Had he already guessed the surveillance was over before the chief spoke the words? How did he really feel about possibly never seeing Jessica again? Just the thought left a sour taste in his mouth.

The chief picked up the globe on his desk and turned it over. Snow began to drift toward the base.

“I don’t suppose you and Jessica will be seeing each other again. She’ll probably hook up with Al.”

“Yeah, probably.” The thought of Al kissing Jessica didn’t sit well with him. In fact, he’d like to punch the guy out.

Jessica didn’t belong to him, though. He had no rights just because they’d had sex.

“A shame,” the chief said. “I kind of thought y’all would get along.”

“She doesn’t date cops.” Lame. Before he dug himself in a hole he couldn’t climb out of, he stood. “I guess I’ll go back and tell Jessica she can head home.” Conor left the chief ’s office, mumbled a good-bye to Gloria, and hurried out. If she said anything, it didn’t sink into his brain. His thoughts were on Jessica. Damn it, he didn’t want her to walk out of his life. Whatever was between them wasn’t over yet. He didn’t like leaving loose ends.

Jessica knew something was up the minute Conor walked back into the house. She hadn’t seen him look this serious since the day he’d mistakenly arrested her for so-TEMPERATURE’S RISING

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licitation. She had a feeling she wouldn’t like whatever he was about to tell her this time, either.

He went into the kitchen without saying a word and pulled a soda from the fridge.

“What?” she finally got up the nerve to ask. “You look like you wish that were a beer rather than a soda. Or maybe a stiff shot of whiskey.” He took a long drink, then went to the table and pulled out a chair.

“Actually, it’s good news.”

She raised an eyebrow as she sat in the chair across from him. “Yeah, you look like you’re jumping for joy.”

“They caught the burglars.” He ran a thumb over the condensation on the outside of the canned drink. “We can go home.”

Her gaze flew to the window. Had she fucked up and missed a takedown? No, that hadn’t happened. No way.

Nothing looked any different than it had a moment ago.

She hadn’t seen the Merediths leave. Or cops barreling up to the door. It was still just as quiet as it had been all day.

She turned her gaze back to Conor. “I don’t understand. What did my dad tell you?”

“That it wasn’t the Merediths pulling the burglaries.

They’re innocent. At least of these jobs.”

“But . . .”

“It’s over.” He glanced out the window.

“What about the mayor?”

“Apparently, he was just campaigning.” He shrugged.

“Wrong place, wrong time.”

The breath left her body. At least, that’s what it felt like. Her brain stopped functioning. She couldn’t think.

What did all this mean? That they could pack up and leave? She looked at Conor, wanting . . . hell, she didn’t know what she wanted. That he wouldn’t leave? She 252

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turned her gaze back to the window. He’d told her he didn’t want a long-term relationship.

Pain ripped through her. Maybe if she groveled? No, she wouldn’t stoop that low—at least, she didn’t think she would.

“Jessica?”

She laughed, but it came out sounding more like a death rattle. “I guess you’d started to grow on me. Isn’t that funny?” She stood, wanting to get this over with as painlessly and as soon as possible. “It’ll be great getting home and back to selling real estate. It’s been fun, though, and different . . . interesting . . .”
Shut up!
she told herself.

She was babbling like some kind of moron.

“Jessica, it doesn’t have to end here.” He stood.

No, don’t listen to him. “Haven’t we already complicated each other’s lives more than we ever intended? I still don’t want to be involved with a cop and you don’t really want a long-term relationship, remember? We don’t have to make this more difficult than it is.” She twined her fingers in front of her.

He stood and walked around the table, untangling her fingers. “Maybe I’m not so sure about long-term relationships. I was, but then you came into my life. I kind of like having you near.”

She was afraid this was going to happen. Neither one wanted to walk away from the other. “Maybe we can sort of see each other occasionally.” Did he have to stand so close? Once again, he was invading her space. She took a deep breath and his musky scent wafted to her nostrils. Damn, she loved the way he smelled.

In fact, there were a lot of things she liked about him.

Wouldn’t her dad have a field day if he found out she was falling for . . . Oh lord, not that. She didn’t want to fall in love with Conor. Not a cop.

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“Maybe it would be better to end it now. Before we get in over our heads.”

“I think it’s too late. We at least need to explore what’s going on between us.” He raised her chin and lowered his mouth.

Her body morphed into a quivering mass of Jell-O.
I
don’t want this,
she told herself as her body screamed for more. I don’t like that he takes his job so seriously, I don’t like that he occasionally can make a joke, I don’t like the way he smiles, the way he laughs . . . the way he makes love . . .

I do like it, I do, I do . . .

She twined her arms around his neck, and with a sigh of surrender, pulled him closer, tasting all he had to offer.

He was heat and he was fire. He stole her breath away, but that was okay because he gave her back so much in return.

He picked her up, her arms tightening around his neck.

“I won’t drop you,” he said, setting her on the kitchen counter.

“Good. I’d hate to have to make a trip to the hospital. I can think of a lot more things I’d rather be doing than sitting in the waiting room.”

To hell with it. She didn’t want to deny herself. Tomorrow would be soon enough to regret her actions. But right now, she didn’t want to stop kissing him, but when he pulled away she wondered if maybe he was having second thoughts.

She leaned back, in what she figured was a blatant invitation, but her hand missed the counter and landed in the sink. She fought to get her balance and grabbed the faucet handle. When she pushed herself up, she accidentally turned the water on.

How sexy was this?
she thought with derision.

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“Here, let me help.” Conor reached for her at the same time she moved. He missed, his hand landing on the hose attached to the sink; a shower of water squirted out, hitting him in the face.

She laughed as she pushed herself upright. What else could she do? He had water dripping down his face. He was all wet.

“You think that’s funny?” He pulled the length of hose out and aimed the nozzle at her.

“It was a nervous laugh,” she said with as straight a face as she could muster under the circumstances. Not an easy task. She didn’t think he bought it, either.

He didn’t.

Instead of hitting her in the face, the water landed on her light blue T-shirt. She sucked in a deep breath. “That’s cold.”

He grinned. “I can see that.”

She glanced down. Her nipples poked against the material of her shirt. The water had made the cotton material transparent as it molded to her equally thin bra.

“Wet T-shirt contest?” she wryly asked.

“You’d win.” His gaze slowly moved over her.

Somehow having her clothes plastered to her body made her feel sexy. Naked . . . but not.

He slipped his hand beneath her shirt, pulling her bra straps down her arms before he leaned toward her. He wasted no time pushing it down around her waist and drawing her nipple into his mouth, sucking greedily. She arched toward him, not caring that her bra was around her waist like a wet belt.

The material of her shirt rubbed against her naked skin, sending tremors over her body. When he moved, she groaned, but before she could raise much of a protest, he took her other nipple in his mouth and gave it his undi-vided attention.

The setting sun created an eerie glow about the room, TEMPERATURE’S RISING

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casting the last of its warmth over them, but it wouldn’t have mattered if it were the dead of winter. Conor created his own kind of heat, and she was getting damn hot.

Her body ached, and her hands itched to feel his naked skin. She reached over his back and tugged his knit shirt out of his pants before dragging it toward his head. Before she could go very far, he took a step back.

“Are you hinting that you want me to take my clothes off ?” he asked.

She tossed her hair over her shoulder and tilted her chin. He was getting a little cocky. Her gaze moved downward. Make that a whole lot cocky. Her gaze roamed back to his face. “Oh yeah, a striptease would be

. . . interesting, to say the least.” Her body tingled just thinking about it.

He raised an eyebrow. “Striptease? As in dance?”

“Why not? Women do it for men all the time. Turn-about is fair play.”

He grinned. Lord, she loved his lopsided smile. It made her thighs quiver and her belly tighten. Very slowly, he pulled his shirt over his head. Her mouth went dry.

When he reached for the hose again, she thought maybe he wanted to cool her off, but rather than squirting her, he put the nozzle against his chest and pushed the lever so that water ran over him.

He closed his eyes, his body swaying to the music in his head. She bit her bottom lip, liking this side of Conor.

His skin shone as if it had been oiled. Her gaze followed his hands as they slid over his skin. His movements were hypnotic. He might as well have been swinging a watch on a chain in front of her eyes.

“More,” she croaked, her gaze straying lower.

“What do you want? Tell me and I’ll do it.”

“Take off your pants.”

He moved to his belt, taking his time as he slipped it from the notch and pulled it through the loops. Before he 256

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dropped it to the floor, he ran it across her thighs. Just a light movement. For one incredible second she had an urge to ask him to spank her. To feel the pain with the pleasure.

“Not this time,” he said, reading her thoughts. “But one day I’ll fulfill your every fantasy. That’s what sex is all about . . . bringing the fantasies to life. Having fun.”

“I like having fun.” Had she just said that? He probably thought the doctor dropped her on her head when she was born. He was being imaginative, while she felt like a lump of coal.

A few seconds later, she couldn’t recall what she’d said. Conor undid the top button on his pants and slowly slid the zipper down before pushing his pants over his hips. A lump of coal was okay. As long as all she had to do right at this moment was watch him slowly peel out of his clothes. Lord, she was getting hornier by the minute.

“What do you want?” he whispered, standing before her in his white briefs.

“Me . . . I mean, I want to . . .” Her face would glow in the dark if it were dark, but it wasn’t, not yet. She didn’t care that he saw what kind of effect he was having on her.

He’d said
anything,
so she would take him to mean
anything.

She slid off the edge of the cabinet, her feet lightly hitting the floor. The water was warm—she’d checked before taking the nozzle in her hand. She damn sure didn’t want anything to shrivel at this stage of the game. She sprayed the front of his briefs, his very thin, white briefs.

He might as well have been naked . . . but he wasn’t. His hard length was outlined to perfection.

She dropped the nozzle and moved to her knees in front of him. “You have the sexiest legs I’ve ever seen on a man.” She trailed her nails lightly over his thighs. His legs quivered. When she put her mouth against the cotton fabric, he groaned and grabbed the cabinet.

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“This is very sexy. Tasting you through the material.” She closed her eyes, scraping her teeth back and forth.

“You don’t have to convince me. Ahhh, that feels good. Maybe a little more to the left. No, my left.” She’d known that. A smile tugged at her lips. “You mean, right here?” she asked innocently, then ran her tongue down his length.

He caressed her head as she worked her mouth over him; at the same time, she hooked her fingers into the waistband and inched his briefs downward. Rather than touching his bare skin, her mouth trailed along with the material. She heard him suck in an anticipatory breath.

She wasn’t about to give in to his needs . . . at least, not yet.