“Thanks,” he said as he took one from her. She sank back down on the sofa next to him.
“So, tell me more about this controlling relationship you found yourself in,” she said.
He stared down at the liquid in his glass for a long moment and then took a sip. “Hmm, very nice.” He leaned back andstared thoughtfully at a place just over her head as a frown cut across his forehead.
“It started small. I thought it was cute when she bought me a half a dozen new shirts that weren’t really my style but rather what she liked. However, I didn’t think it was so cute when she threw all my other shirts away.”
“Oh, you don’t mess with a man’s fashion,” she replied.
He looked at her again and smiled. “She not only messed with my fashion, she stopped allowing me to eat meat and she’d show up at my work to check what I’d ordered for lunch. She was slowly consuming my life with her control issues, and after three months together, I’d finally had enough. So, I asked her to leave my house and my life.”
She took a sip of the brandy and then studied his features for a long moment. “Did it all break your heart?” she finally asked.
“In a way. I was certainly disappointed, but by the time I asked her to leave, I was more than ready to see her go.” He gazed at her intently. “Now, I could draw a conclusion from my experience with her that all women are controlling, just like you have drawn a conclusion from your experience with Jason that all men are liars and cheats.”
She finished the last sip of her brandy. “Daniel, why does it matter so much to you what I believe about men? Why do you even care if I never have a romantic relationship in my life again? Why do you care if I’m never in love again?” she asked.
“It just bothers me, that’s all.” He stood. “And now it’s late and I need to head home. Needless to say, it’s been a very long day.”
She got up as well and walked with him to the front door. He turned back to face her. “Thanks for the brandy,” he said and leaned closer to her.
“You’re welcome and thank you for the information you bring to me every night.” Was it normal that every time he stood so near to her, her heart quickened?
“Angelique, you asked me why it matters to me whether you ever find love again.” His eyes held an indistinguishable light she couldn’t read.
He reached out and gently moved a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Let me tell you what I think. I think you’re a woman who needs to be loved deeply and I’m not talking about an occasional roll in the hay. I want a man for you who will cherish the very ground you walk on and share every dream you have. And now I’ll just say good night and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Before she could respond, he kissed her lightly on the forehead, turned on his heels and walked off.
Chapter Nine
Another week passed of interviews that gave up nothing, of leads that went nowhere and both cases stalling to the point of sheer madness.
The only things not stalling were his growing feelings for Angelique. Each day he was eager to cross the bridge to her shanty and every night he was reluctant to leave it.
The woman he had first met to get her out of his investigations, the one he’d believed was a complete control freak, was nothing like the Angelique he’d come to know.
What he’d come to know about her was that she was kind and warm and giving in nature. She was bright and funny and they shared the same sense of humor.
Since the night he had spoken to her so candidly about the kind of love he wanted her to find, something in their relationship had subtly changed.
Their conversations since then had been deeper…more intimate and he was enjoying getting to know all the facets of her personality. He had also found himself sharing with her more of himself than he thought he’d ever shared with a woman before.
He’d talked to her more about his childhood and life with his father, while she shared bits and pieces of her relationship with Jason. They’d talked about failed dreams and new ones and the murders that had forever changed both of their lives.
It worried him. He was falling for her, and yet he saw no real indication that she felt the same about him. The sexual tensionwas still off the charts between them, but they hadn’t made love again.
Had she pulled him into her bedroom the first time because she’d desired Daniel the man or because she wanted to make sure Daniel the lawman remained committed to solving the cases?
Was she still being so friendly to him in the evenings because she enjoyed their time together? Or did she have the ulterior motivation of keeping him producing on the cases?
He didn’t like to think about her like that, but he just wasn’t sure what to believe where she was concerned. She was like no other woman he had ever known. All he knew for sure was he was getting in way too deep with her and he wasn’t sure what to do about it.
During the past week they had interviewed Marianne Lutgen and she had confessed to them that she didn’t particularly like Angelique. She found Angelique snooty in not wanting to join in the parties Marianne threw. It was ironic that a party was her alibi for both the night of Mystique’s murder and Angelique’s attack.
Tonight, he’d asked Angelique if she’d like to have dinner at his house. He thought a change of scenery might be good for them both. The shanty was full of her scent and made it difficult for him to focus. It held the memories of their intimacy, also making it difficult for him to think straight.
Besides, tonight he intended to tell her that the nightly check-ins were coming to an end. They were beginning to feel too much like pleasure rather than work. Things were moving so slowly in the cases he figured once-a-week check-ins would be more appropriate.
It would definitely be mentally healthy for him to pull back on seeing her so often. He needed to protect himself from his growing feelings for her.
