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Bianca frowned. “He’s just a nice guy.”
“He’s a nice guy who’d love to get into your pants.”
Her eyebrows shot skyward. Chay laughed, dropped the pencil, took her hand and kissed the knuckles.
“Sorry to be so blunt, sweetheart, but it’s true. The barista has a thing for you.”
“I don’t think he does—but even if you’re right, that doesn’t make him a suspect.”
Chay’s expression turned grim. “Everything the least bit different makes a suspect a suspect. You happen to know the guy’s name?”
She shook her head. “I have no idea.”
Chay reached for his phone, Googled the Cuppa Joe’s they’d been talking about, got its phone number and made the connection.
“Yeah,” he said pleasantly, when the call was picked up, “I hope you can help me. I’m looking for somebody, a friend of a friend who works at your shop. No. See, that’s the problem. I forgot his name, and I was supposed to give him a call, say hello… Yeah. A guy. Maybe six feet tall. Light brown hair. Dark brown eyes. He was working Friday evening and I tried to get over there, but I got hung up.” He gave a guy-to-guy chuckle. “My friend says he does well with the ladies, which is why I’m tryin’ to get in touch, seein’ as I’m new in town… Doug? Yup. That’s it. Doug…? Vitali. Of course. Doug Vitali. He’s not on until tomorrow?” Chay flashed Bianca a thumbs-up. “Too bad. I’ll just have to call back then. Yeah. Sure. And thanks, man. You’ve been a big help.”
Bianca shook her head. “Six feet tall. Light brown hair. Dark brown eyes. And you saw him for, what, all of sixty seconds?”
“What can I tell you? I’m an observant guy.” Chay laughed, leaned in and kissed her. “I really am observant. It’s part of my training—but the truth is, I knew our friend, the barista, was hoping to make a move on you. That’s why I took such a good look at him. Just in case I had to track him down and explain, again, that you weren’t available.”
“Explain again?”
Another quick, sweet kiss.
“That night. I thanked him for being ready to come to your aid… And I warned him, very politely, that you were already spoken for.”
A warm blush suffused her face. “Did you?” she said softly.
“I most certainly did.”
“Such arrogance, Lieutenant.”
“Not arrogance, Tigress. Determination.”
“Tigress.” She smiled. “You called me that before. Why am I a tigress?”
“Because you’re sleek. Beautiful. Smart. A wild creature that needs taming.” He reached out, threaded the fingers of one hand into her hair. “Taming by me,” he said quietly.
A tiny shiver of excitement swept through her.
“And have you tamed me?”
“No. But, hell, why would I want to? Why would any man want a kitten when he could have a tiger?”
• • •
They had dinner on the deck.
After, Bianca nestled in Chay’s lap while the scarlet sun slipped into the dark blue ocean.
“This has been nice,” he said softly.
She nodded. “Yes.”
“But tomorrow…”
“I know.”
