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Then he was right in front of her.Looming over her.Seeming to suck all of the air out of the room.“But you couldn’t keep me away, could you?I got close.”He leaned toward her.“I’m still close.”
Hewasclose.So close that it almost seemed as if he was going to eliminate the last bit of space and kiss her.And he wasn’t.No way was he going to do that.
She didn’t want him to do that.
Liar, liar.
“Here’s a newsflash for you, Lark.I intend tostayclose.”
For one wild moment, she wanted to grab him.Yank him to her.Kiss him.Pretend that they were lovers once again and that everything was okay.But…
Nothing is okay.
A phone rang.His phone.The faint lines near Oliver’s dark eyes tightened as he shoved his hand into his pocket and hauled out the device.He looked at the screen and swore.“Dammit, I have to take this.It’s Executive Assistant Director Ballard.”
“By all means, answer.I know he’s important.”She began to turn away.
“You’re important.”
Those words wrapped around her.She looked back.
He’d put the phone to his ear.“Executive Assistant Director,” Oliver began.But then he stopped.Winced.“Sir, I can hear you just fine.”
She could hear the guy, too.Hard to miss those angry snarls.
Oliver’s jaw clenched.“Yes, she is with me.”His eyes were on her.“She’s under my protection.”A pause.“No, I don’t think another agent needs to take over.There is no conflict for me.”
No conflict.Of course.There was nothing personal at all between her and Oliver any longer.
“No,” Oliver snapped back.“I don’t think you understand.This isn’t something that is up for debate.”
Uh, he was talking to hisbossin that biting tone?
“Lark stays with me.She was attacked last night.I’m not leaving her safety in anyone else’s hands.”
Lark took a step back.
“I am well aware of my position,” Oliver returned in response to something the Executive Assistant Director told him.“And, yes, we willbothcome down to the office in order to see you.”With that, he hung up.
She rocked back on her heels.“Let me guess.”As if she had to guess.“Your boss isn’t pleased because you let a suspected serial killer’s sister spend the night with you last night?That gonna be some bad PR for the Bureau?”
“The press has already talked about our relationship.”
They had.The FBI agent—the superstar profiler—and the killer’s sister had made for a tantalizing tale in the media.
“Executive Assistant Director Ballard thinks that, with the court case looming, it is in the best interest of the Bureau if I distance myself from you.”
Oh.So… “I should go.”A brisk nod.
“You’re a victim of a crime.You were attacked last night.I don’t abandon victims.”A hard, negative shake of his head.“You’re getting my protection.No one is going to separate me from you.No one.”
***
“What in the name of heaven do you think you’re doing?”Executive Assistant Director Colby Ballard slapped his hands onto his desk as he glared at Oliver.His wedding ring clinked when it made contact with the hard surface.“Are you trying to screw this case to hell and back?Do youknowwhat the jury will do when they find out you’re still sleeping with the suspect’s sister?”
“I’m not sleeping with her.”Oliver kept his relaxed pose in the chair across from Colby.Even on good days, he didn’t particularly like the Executive Assistant Director.The guy was a pencil-pushing prick who’d had zero time in the field.Colby loved bossing agents around and claiming responsibility for the successes that others made.Something that extra infuriated Oliver?The man couldn’t profile his way out a paper bag, but he liked to act like he was some genius full of insights when it came to criminals.
“You’re not sleeping with her.”Colby leaned forward.“She was at your house all night—”
