Positively Criminal (12 page)

“Don’t remind me,” she mumbled.

“Relax, Dara, I’ll tell him.”

“Thank you, detective.”

“I thought we agreed you’d call me Mace.”

“Mace,” she said softly. “I’m sorry I called so late. The pressure finally got to me.”

He stuffed two pillows behind his back and eased against them. “It’s a good thing you’re not a criminal, Dara-the-rat, or you’d crack like an egg.”

“Not necessarily. I write mysteries for a living, remember?”

“Sure, but you also write sex.”

She groaned. “I should have never told you.”

“Why?”

“Because now you’ll never take me seriously. Every time I see you I’ll worry that you’re thinking about sex.”

Too late
. His dick jumped. “Believe me, I’d much rather associate you with sex rather than criminals.”

“Oh, well I guess that’s true.”

“Are you working on another book right now?”

“Not at the moment. I just finished one.”

“Something I might like?”

Her gentle laugh crossed the line and gave his cock a nice, long caress. “You read romance novels?”

“I might start now.”

“
Sinful Rapture
, available at all major booksellers and a vast number of online retailers.”

He paused, careful not to reveal the admission that he’d attempted to purchase that exact novel. “I’d rather have an autographed copy.”

“I’ll make you a deal. Since you agreed to confront Detective Rawlings, I’ll deliver it myself.”

Tonight
, his body demanded.

Her soft yawn pulled him out of his newfound lustful appreciation of her talent. “I’ll leave Bri in your hands, Mace. I’ve got a conference call with my agent and editor in a few hours. Thank you for your help.”

“You’re more than welcome. Just don’t forget my book.”

“Sonuvabitch, Rawlings!”

Jake swung the cruiser around a curve and then took his eyes off the road only long enough to glare at his partner who now wore a nice green pallor with one hand braced against the car door, the other clutching the seatbelt across his chest.

“Serves you right, Turner. You waited until almost ten o’clock at night to tell me Bri just happened to have a
plan
. There’s no telling what she’s already done.”

“Hell!” Mace sucked in another hard breath as Jake gunned the accelerator and breezed through an obviously red light. “Killing me won’t stop her.”

“You’d better hope she’s still at the clinic.”

“Why am I suddenly on the chopping block? I’m the one who gave you the information in the first place.”

“Actually, Dara gave you the Intel.”

“Yes,
me
.”

“I knew she wouldn’t stay out of it.” Jake ignored his partner’s attempt at logic and finally slowed down enough to park next to the curb in front of Bri’s clinic. “She’s here.”

Mace frowned. “How do you figure? There’s not a car in sight.”

“The blinds are open.”

“So?”

“She only closes them after hours.”
Or if she’s hiding someone
.

“I’ll wait out here.”

“Get the hell out of the car, Turner, I may need backup.”

Jake slammed his door and stomped up the front steps, turned the doorknob and entered the office.

Mace closed the door. “Obviously, she’s busy. We can come back later.”

He glanced at the
IN SESSION
sign on the reception desk. Too damn bad. No way would he take the chance she might escape. “We’ll wait.”

“Maybe I should call Dara.”

“Why?”

“She’s a psychologist too, Rawlings, and right now I’m positive you could use some advice from a cool head.”

“Knock it off. I know what I’m doing.”

“So you say,” Mace mumbled.

Minutes ticked by as they waited, Jake’s blood boiling hotter with each second. Bri had another thing coming if she thought there was even a remote possibility he’d go along with her scheme. If she exposed even one tight, creamy breast, he’d arrest her for indecent exposure – even if it wasn’t indecent or illegal.

And then there was the task of dealing with Majors. He’d kick his ass from here to the end of time – the penalty for assault on a federal agent be damned.

Only the sound of a closing door saved him from plotting Majors’ further demise. He began counting to ten, stopping on five when Bri stood in the waiting room.

“Detectives,” she drawled. “What a surprise.”

“Oh, hell,” Mace grumbled as he stood. “Just for the record, this wasn’t my idea.”

“I take full responsibility,” Jake spat. “Start talking, Bri.”

Her eyelashes brushed the soft skin under her eyes almost as if attempting to distract him. “About?”

“No games. What makes you think I’d agree with what you have planned?”

“I haven’t planned anything,” she said calmly as she spun her bracelet and glanced at the face of the clock. “In fact, Ryan is supposed to brief me in an hour.”

The vein in his left temple pounded, threatening to burst with the angry flow of blood through it. “No.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“No briefing.”

“Tell me Detective, what exactly makes you think you have the authority to make that decision?”

Something in her tone made him pause. Then suddenly, the calm, even-tempered psychiatrist who practiced amazing self control morphed into the red-headed demon who could go one-on-one with Satan himself — and win. Incredibly, that made him hard. Extremely hard.

“Bri—”

“No.” She stepped toward him and poked her index finger against his chest. “You don’t control me, Jake. I do what I want, when I want and without your permission.”

He captured her finger in his fist. “Think so?”

“Absolutely.”

Bri met Jake’s hardened glare head on, eye for eye with not even a thought of surrender. He could protest as loud and long as he wanted – she’d made up her mind with no intention of changing it.

“What the hell are you thinking, Bri? Dancing is one thing but purposely baiting a lunatic is downright insane!”

“Jake, please relax.” She placed a hand on his forearm in an effort to calm him. “Ryan has my back. He’ll put a team of agents in place to keep me perfectly safe.”

“No.”

“It’s something I have to do. Girls are disappearing without a trace. Someone has to stop it.”

“You can’t save the world.”

“Look who’s talking.”

“No way – absolutely not. I won’t allow you to put yourself in the middle of something like this.”

“It’s not your call,” she said quietly.

He ran a hand through his hair and she didn’t miss its distinct shake. “Dammit, Bri, I love you. If something went wrong, I’d never forgive myself.”

Incredible shock rendered her speechless. Her heart pounded ninety to nothing in the silence that followed. For several seconds she was afraid to move, scared that if she did, he’d make excuses for his confession.

Finally, she whispered a desperate plea. “Say it again.”

Without hesitation, he squeezed her against him and rested his chin atop her head, his arms buckled tight around her. “I love you so much I hurt.”

“I love you too.” She smiled against his chest. “You have to trust me.”

“I do, baby.” He released a heavy sigh. “Enough to know I can’t change your mind. But I don’t have to agree.”

Although his surrender relieved her, she knew it had been issued a little quickly. She took a step back and captured his gaze. “That was too easy.”

“I guess love does that to a guy.”

“Try again.”

“What other choice do I have? If you insist on shaking your ass as bait, I’ll be right there watching you shake it.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. “Closely.”

She couldn’t stop the grin that split her lips. “Sounds like an excuse for another lap dance to me, detective.”

“From now on, mine are private.” He hugged her closely again. “And totally naked.”

“Hell,” Mace groaned. “I
am
still here.”

“Do you have an opinion you’d like to share?” Bri asked him, her lips brushing Jake’s chest as she spoke.

“No,” he grumbled. “I just think we need to talk strategy.”

“We plant a chip on her,” Jake said matter-of-factly.

“I don’t think that’s necessary.” Bri stepped out of his arms. “I’ll have bodyguards, that’s enough.”

“I’m with Jake, Bri.” Mace ran a hand down the side of his face. “It’s extra protection in case someone isn’t paying attention.”

“I don’t think—”

Jake took her hand and braided their fingers. “We’ll discuss this later.” He moved his gaze to Mace. “Call Majors and tell him to meet us at the club at nine o’clock tomorrow morning at the station. Bri and I have some things to discuss. Alone.”

“Fine.” Mace released a heavy sigh, one Bri took as relief, and then headed for the door. “I’m taking the cruiser and going in to finish my paperwork. You’re on your own.”

Bri released a grin. “He’s in good hands, Mace.”

As soon as the door closed, Jake’s gaze narrowed and her grin slipped.
Uh-oh
. Her nerves jumped as he spoke. “We need to talk.”

“I’m all talked out.” She untangled her hand from his while her body cursed the separation. “Let’s do something else.”

“Explain.”

“Ask, and I might.”

The clock on the wall ticked five times before she rolled her eyes at his hesitance. “Hold that thought while I grab my purse.”

She left him contemplating his next move and headed back into her office, suddenly not sure going anywhere with Jake was a smart move. The man was absolutely livid about her intention to dance. A tiny sexual shudder crossed her spine as she found the bag and draped it over one shoulder. Although it was extremely entertaining, teasing Jake was a risky move; there would be absolutely no going back once she crossed the line. And she intended to cross that line – cross it several times and then dot it for good measure.

She re-entered the waiting room, suspicious by his casual demeanor and the grin on his face as he braced one hip against the back of the sofa. “What did you decide?”

“I didn’t.”

She shrugged at his nonchalance. “Okay then, let’s go.”

He heaved a heavy sigh and pushed off the sofa. “You drive me crazy.”

“Lucky for you, I know how to treat that condition.” She tugged him by one arm across the room, pushed four buttons on the alarm pad, and then opened the door.

“Where are we going?”

“Anywhere but here.”

“Anywhere?”

She nodded as she led him to her car. Little did he know she’d follow him to the ends of the earth. “I’m easy.”

He released a half-laugh while he opened the passenger door. “Sweetheart, you’re anything but easy.” He gestured with one hand. “In.”

“Uh, no. I’ll drive.”

“You don’t know where we’re going.”

“I will when you tell me.”

She swore she heard the devil cackle when he grinned. “My house.”

Five very sexually-charged minutes later, she stood in the middle of Jake’s bedroom, ready to peel every article of clothing from her body in record time. “You always bring your women to your lair?”

“You know damn well I haven’t had a woman here.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Well, I haven’t.”

“Ever?”

“Ever.”

“Interesting. Why?”

He gave her a tilted smile. “You really want to analyze my motives right now?”

“Maybe later.”

He shimmied his holster off his shoulders and laid it on the nightstand next to the bed. “Much later.” He unclipped his badge holder from his belt and tossed it next to his weapon. “It’s my turn to analyze.”

“Yeah? Please continue.”

She waited for him to throw her against the wall, tear her clothes from her body, and then pound her seven ways to Sunday. Instead, he pulled her flush against him and pushed back the hair from one side of her neck.

“I’m convinced there might be a benefit to dancing while you profile.” His lips burnt tiny lip tattoos into her sensitive skin as they traveled the distance between her neck and the top of one shoulder.

“Do tell,” she murmured.

“I think,” he said as he lifted his lips and placed them on the opposite side to paint it with matching tattoos, “your sexy, little body is a very powerful weapon – one loaded for bear.” Her breasts swelled at each touch of his tongue as he continued his tender assault. “There’s no doubt in my mind that you could crack even the most hardened criminal with one sway of your hips.”