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Then realization hit her.
She stared at Tripp’s profile. “Wait a minute. If we’re still five hours away, are we even going to make it back tonight?”
ChapterSeven
Alexia wasn’t exactly talkative. Part of Tripp wondered what the hell was going on in that—probably brilliant—mind of hers. The other part of him just wanted to get this over with and put as much space between them as possible.
Judging by her quick wit, he guessed that she was a good conversationalist. And that made him want to draw her out of her silence.
Not that he needed to break the silence. With women he’d dated in the past, he actually preferred it if theydidn’ttalk. They all wanted to know what he did to get his muscles or what put that permanent scowl on his face. Since everything he did was classified—hell, MT Ops wasn’t even public knowledge—he didn’t have much to say.
But the five-hour drive had turned into eight when they hit more frozen spots on the shadowed side of the mountain and then a bout of freezing rain.
Alexia tilted her head side to side, stretching her neck muscles. That drew his attention to the column of her throat. Her skin was on the paler side, which made him think she spent a lot of time indoors, most likely at a desk.
Tripp sported a tan year-round, first as a SEAL in a lot of hot foreign countries, and now he received the sun reflecting off the snow.
Her skin looked a little too delicate, too easy to mark.
He got rough with his kisses. He liked to nip and bite. On that creamy skin, he’d leave red marks.Maybe even small bruises if he weren’t careful with her.
Not that he was planning to touch her. She threw off “keep away” vibes like most women gave him “take me home” looks.
“How long have you been working as a detective?”
His question had her shifting out of her slouched position. “Long enough. I specialized in forensics and it wasn’t very long before I started solving cases that other people couldn’t. Within a few years, they started handing me cold cases.”
He’d spent a lot of time thinking over Kelsey’s case. So much time, in fact, that he could almost separate himself from it.
Almost.
“Once we get to the crime scene, do you think you’ll be able to see the evidence for what it really is?” he asked.
She pierced him with her gaze. “I know you aren’t insinuating I’m bad at my job.”
“Not bad. Maybe allowing your perception to cloud facts.”
“Look, Tripp, we’re both straight shooters. Just come out and say what’s on your mind.” When she looked down her nose at him like that, he wanted to stop the Humvee, yank her out of the seat and kiss her.
The exact opposite of how any other man’s mind worked. The men he fought with wanted nothing to do with difficult women, and here he was lusting over one who wasn’t only a pain in the ass, but suspected him of murder too.
“I think you see me as your answer to solving the case.”
“How so?”
Did she have to pout her full lips that way too? Christ, now he was getting hard, and the timing couldn’t be worse.
“I’m the easy answer. A guy who knows how to kill. How to hide bodies.”
She stared at him.
“I have a personal stake in the game. My niece was like a little sister to me, and we were damn close. But that doesn’t mean you’re going to dig up anything on me, princess.”
“Stop calling me that. I’m not a princess, and I sure as hell don’t like pet names.”
Oh, we’ll see about that. When you’re writhing underneath me, I bet you’ll like everything I call you.
He had to stop these divergent thoughts before he got himself in deeper trouble.
