“I don’t honestly think you want to do that. I think you enjoy spending time with a man who makes you feel things you’ve never felt before in your life.”
I was rewarded by a roll of her eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself. What do you really want?”
Her insistence she didn’t crave what only I could provide only further fueled the desire burning a hole through me. I was certain her tone would change when I had my mouth fixated on the heat between her thighs. Then she’d be begging me for more, allowing her to come.
The thought continued to unnerve me. “You’re going to contact the district attorney.”
“And say what? That I was kidnapped by a very bad man?” She tried to jerk it from my hand, but I wasn’t ready to let it go just yet.
Not without some rules.
The touch of her fingers against mine had the same effect as before. Cathartic. Electric. Intense. Her slight gasp reflected what I was feeling, but I let her pull her hand free.
“If asked if you are injured you will say no, you’d already left before the shooting began. Then you’ll ask if he knows what happened and if anyone was arrested.”
Her smile was such that she believed she’d found a weakness in me. “You don’t know what happened and you’re frightened.”
“I’m not frightened of anything, Catherine. I’m concerned that the attacks could continue and other innocent individuals will lose their lives.”
She laughed, her look full of animosity. “How noble of you.”
Losing my patience wasn’t a good idea, but she was pushing every button in a way I’d hadn’t experienced before. “Think what you want. Make the call.”
“Gladly.” Her trite answer had me reacting without thinking. I moved quickly, snapping my hand around her wrist. “Ouch. You’re hurting me.”
While I lessened the pressure, I kept my firm hold. “Don’t do anything stupid. You won’t like the harsher punishments that could be used.”
“Fuck you.”
“There’s the fire I coveted from before. I assure you that I have every intention of fucking you, but you’ll be the one begging me to do so. Be careful what you ask for. Next time you do, there will be no stopping me from taking everything I want. All of you.”
The fear deep within was palpable. I could smell it on her, the scent as powerful as the perfume that had long since gone past intoxicating me.
Her jerk was enough to pull free and she took two steps backwards before making the call. I stood where I was, watching her as intently as she was doing with me. Finally, a hint of her nervousness drifted past the contempt when the callwas answered. “Mr. Bernat. I thought I’d update you on what happened with the Prince case.”
The man’s voice was deep enough I knew he was answering.
“No, what are you talking about? I decided to go home and work on some cases.” She hesitated, never blinking as she watched me. “What? You’re kidding?” A few seconds passed. “I didn’t see anything. I left right after the judge ruled so I didn’t need to talk to the prick.”
She had a way of amusing me.
“Who were the shooters? Does anyone know? Was anyone hurt?” Her face fell when she absorbed what he’d told her. “That’s horrible.” Her tone was deflated. “No idea? Okay. No, I’m fine. Just jarred. That’s all. Sure. We’ll talk Tuesday.”
When she was finished, she immediately handed me the phone, now chewing on her bottom lip. There was so much contradiction in the woman. She was all fury and fire one minute then pulled into a sense of fear and uncertainty the next. This time she didn’t try to pull away when our fingers touched, even when I took a few seconds to brush the tip of my finger across her knuckles.
Her shudder was obvious and her eyelids were suddenly halfway closed. The way her long dark lashes skimmed her flushed cheeks was as powerful as the kiss we’d shared.
“What did he say about the identity of the shooters?” I clamped down my annoyance.
“They don’t know, at least not yet. They got away. The security system was off. Just off.”
Fucking fantastic. At least the information mirrored what had been discussed. With an unmarked van and no sight of the license plate, finding them would be impossible. “What else?”
“Four people are dead, including the one gunman. I knew one of the victims. She was… She was a clerk. She was the one person who took the time to show me the ropes the first week after I took the job. Without her help, I doubt I could have found any of the courtrooms. She didn’t deserve to die.”
“How admirable of you to say so.”
The brutal slap across my face I hadn’t seen coming.
