He caught her hands and held them in place on his chest. “It’s not all of a sudden. I’ve wanted you from the moment I first saw you. But, like you said, we were working together. At the time, I figured taking you to bed was a bad idea for both of us. But the wanting just got worse. In Mexico, I forced myself to focus on the mission. People’s lives were at stake. But I wanted you then—same as I want you now.”
She shook her head. She could feel his solid strength in the hard sinews beneath her fingers.
Edge bent his head, and his mouth settled softly over hers. She couldn’t resist opening for him, inviting him in. When he deepened the kiss, a little sound slipped from her throat.
This was Edge, and he was kissing her the way she had imagined a hundred times, softly coaxing, nibbling and tasting, kissing her and kissing her as if he couldn’t get enough.
Knowing she should stop him, Skye let the kiss go on, her arms sliding up around his neck, her fingers curling into his thick black hair as she tumbled deeper under his spell.
If she hadn’t heard the sound of the guest room door opening and footsteps coming down the hall, there was no telling where the kiss might have led.
Edge must have heard, too. He gently broke away and took a step back. “They need space. I need you, and after that kiss, I think there’s a chance you need me, too. Think about it.”
She’d think about it, all right. She wouldn’t be able to think about anything else. But the answer would have to be no. Edge meant too much to her to risk the kind of reaction she’d had from Brian. Just the thought made her stomach churn.
Callie walked into the kitchen. She was too upset to notice the heat still simmering between Skye and Edge.
“Henson forced Lila to go with him,” Callie said. “There’s no other explanation.” She had changed into brown yoga pants and a pink knit sweater, clothes Molly must have purchased with the money Skye had given her. “We have to find them. We have to help Lila. I gave her my word.”
Edge started shaking his head.
Callie ignored him. “You’re detectives, right? You and Skye? Finding people is what you do. Once I get a job, I’ll have money. I can pay whatever you want.”
“It’s not the money,” Edge said.
“Edge is right,” Skye said. “It’s not the money. You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve already decided I’m going to find Henson. He’s not getting away without paying for what he did to Sarah, to you and Molly and the rest of those women.”
Sometime over the past few hours, Henson’s actions had become personal. He’d managed to escape the DEA, but Skye was going to find him. She was a private investigator, and she was a good one. She was going to hunt Daniel Henson down and bring him to justice.
“Both of you stop right there,” Edge said. “This is DEA business now. You get in the middle of it, you’ll be interfering in a federal investigation.”
“I don’t care!” Callie said, jamming her hands on her hips. “Lila needs my help. You don’t know what Henson’s like, what he might do to her. Sarah’s dead. Lila could be next. I have to help her get away.”
Callie’s eyes filled, and Skye pulled her into a hug. “I’m going to find out where he’s gone,” Skye said. “Once I know his location, I can bring in law enforcement. The feds will be looking for him, too. If Lila’s with him, they can help us get her to safety.”
Edge blew out a breath, paced away to stare out the window, then walked back. “I had a bad feeling this wasn’t over.” He looked at Skye hard. “Dammit, are you sure about this?”
Skye felt the impact of those intense blue eyes, but it couldn’t dissuade her. “I’m going after Henson. It may take me a while to find him, but once I do—”
Edge swore softly. “All right, fine. If you’re that determined to do this, count me in.”
Skye felt a rush of relief she wished she didn’t feel. Not only would she be working with a partner she could count on, she would be spending more time with Edge.
* * *
It was early Monday morning. Conner Delaney’s dark head bent over the wide oak desk in his office. He finished his call to Zoey Rosen, the office digital forensic expert, and hung up the phone, then looked up as a knock sounded on his door. The knob turned, and the door swung open without his permission.
Edge Logan walked into the room.
“Well, come right on in.” Used to the aggressive males who worked in his office, Conn leaned back in his chair. “What can I do for you at this hour of the morning?”
“I need to talk to you,” Edge said. He was as tall as Conn and as solidly built, but his hair was black instead of brown. Edge had been army, while Conn was a marine.
“I gathered that from the way you barged in here,” Conn said.
Edge didn’t smile. “It’s about your sister.”
Conn sat forward in his chair. “What about her?”
