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I heard the rumble of an engine approaching the house. I checked my lipstick one last time in the oval mirror to the left of the door and then slipped on my floor-length leather coat lined with fur. My toes would probably be frostbitten in the slinky black heels I’d decided to wear, but at least the rest of me would be warm. I shook off all my doubts, straightened my spine, and walked out the front door.
Night had already descended, and with it, the temperature. It wasn’t the kind of cold that pierced the body with each whip of the wind, but the kind that was still and silent and crept through the marrow of your bones until it settled so deep you thought you’d never be warm again.
A black Jeep came into view. It was a sleek and sexy machine, with bulbous headlights and dark-tinted windows, and I had the feeling it represented its owner much better than the beige Taurus he’d driven earlier that morning. I pulled the passenger door open, before Noah had a chance to stop the car completely, and slid in.
“In a hurry to see me?” he said by way of greeting, his smile making me a lot warmer than it should have. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist my charm.”
I looked him over slowly from head to toe and saw his eyes darken with desire. He wore a charcoal suit and a crisp white shirt with no tie. His hair was just a little too shaggy for conventional standards, but it looked right on him.
“Maybe,” I said and shrugged. “Or maybe it’s the fact that my brother is looking out his window at you right now, debating whether or not he should come down and interrogate you. He’s very protective.”
“I suppose I should thank you for running interference. I’m not quite ready to meet your family yet. I think we need at least one more date first.”
“Or a hundred,” I said under my breath. The last thing I ever wanted was for Noah to be subjected to my family dynamics. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.
“What was that?” he asked.
“Nothing. Listen, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea here.” I turned to face him in the seat, and my coat came open slightly, revealing the black dress. His eyes tracked the movement, but he had the decency to raise his gaze to my eyes before he turned his attention back to the road. “This isn’t a date. The only reason I’m here right now is because there’s something off about you, and I can’t put my finger on it. Whatever it is, you won’t be able to keep it from me for long.”
“I think you’re lying. That can’t be the only reason you came,” he said, eyebrows raised in disbelief, dimples winking.
“You’re right,” I agreed. “I’m attracted to you, I’ll admit. But I have an agenda. I might also be able to use you.” His satisfied smirk faded with my answer.
“At least you’re honest.”
“It’s the exact reason you asked me to come in the first place, though I’m sure you felt the chemistry between us was a nice bonus. You must think I’m an idiot to not see through your charm and dimples to what you really want from me. This evening would probably go much smoother if we just cut the mating song and dance and got down to business.”
His jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed, but he nodded. “I can certainly do that. As long as you’re willing to cooperate.”
“It depends on what you ask of me. I’m willing to hear you out. That should be enough to satisfy you for now.”
“You know, I didn’t have to extend the courtesy of giving you a choice in the matter. I could have come in with my badge and demanded you give me the information I wanted on these murders. Because I do have proof that you have information.” He took his eyes off the road briefly to give me a hard stare, and I felt the first dregs of anger form inside the pit of my stomach. “I could take you to headquarters with me and keep you there. And there’s nothing you could do about it.”
“You could try to take me,” I said softly, afraid if I raised my voice it would unleash the beast I was trying so hard to control. “Threatening me is not the way to gain my cooperation.”
“I wouldn’t dream of threatening you. I was just letting you know I could’ve handled things differently. Believe it or not, I have a great deal of respect for you, and I don’t have any intention of making your life harder than it already is.”
There was nothing else he might have said that could’ve deflated my anger as quickly as that. Respect was something I got precious little of in my life. I took a deep breath and relaxed in my seat. We rode in silence for almost an hour before I became curious enough to ask where we were going.
“There’s a restaurant at one of the bed-and-breakfasts in Greenville that has excellent food,” Noah finally said.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat before speaking again. “Look, I want to apologize for starting things off on the wrong foot. I think if you’ll give it a chance, you and I could benefit each other greatly.”
“Why me?”
“Two reasons. First, because you’ve seen every one of the crime scenes, and I want you to help me piece things together and give closure to the families who are missing their loved ones.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off before I could get a word out.
“No, don’t deny that you’ve seen the bodies. I thought you wanted to start off our relationship with honesty?”
I narrowed my eyes at him, but didn’t bother to deny any longer.
“Don’t you want to know the second reason?” he asked.
“Not if it’s anything like the first reason.” He stared at me patiently, his mouth quirked slightly at one corner. Sometimes my attitude was a little abrasive for humans. “Sorry. What’s the second reason?”
He skimmed his finger down my cheek and I had to fight to keep the heat of my body from raging out of control. “I want you,” he whispered. He moved his hand back to the steering wheel and turned his attention back to the road. The loss of his touch brought a moan just to the edge of my lips.
