She shivered, more than tempted by his nearness. A knock on the door kept her from making a fool of herself and turning to kiss him.
Ryker opened the door. He’d shaven, revealing a strong jawline. In his gray suit with a striped blue tie, he looked tough and fit—and more than a little dangerous. “You guys ready?”
“Yeah.” Heath lifted an eyebrow in what looked like a clear question.
Ryker shook his head. “Not yet.”
Anya turned toward Heath. “Huh?”
Heath leaned in to whisper, “Yours wasn’t the only ring purchased today.”
His breath brushed her neck and ear, sending spirals of energy through her body to land in personal places. Then her mind went to Zara, who would be so happy—with her real engagement. “Oh,” Anya said. “If she sees my ring, she’ll know you guys went ring shopping.” Maybe she should take off the emerald.
Ryker grinned. “Let her know. It’ll build the anticipation.” He lost the smile. “Just checked in with Denver, and he took your bird to the park. Then he plans to watch a special on last year’s Superbowl while doing Internet searches. He seems . . . sadder than usual.”
“It was probably the ring shopping.” Heath winced. “Enough is enough, Ryker. We have to do something. Maybe even kidnap Noni and bring her to him.”
“One disaster at a time. For now, we have a serial killer to find,” Ryker said evenly, a muscle twitching in his strong jaw. “You guys come up with any ideas about who killed Carl?”
“No. We’ll need the research from Denver by tomorrow,” Heath said, turning Anya toward the door.
“We’ll have it. Even distracted, Denver is the best. He also called in a few favors he’s been storing up from online hacker buddies.” Ryker stepped back into the hallway, where Zara met them, dressed in a simple black sheath that showed off toned arms and legs. She and Ryker looked like they belonged on a magazine cover.
She smirked. “Anya said you’d end up wearing the black suit. It’s perfect.”
“Thanks. You look lovely,” Heath said before turning serious. “All right. There are no weapons, which means we keep a line on each other at all times. Anya, you’re on my arm the entire night.”
Anya gulped. There was nowhere else she’d rather be. Things were getting way too complicated, and from the tension emanating from the man occupying her every thought, it was about to get worse. What if the killer made a move? What if somehow she got Heath hurt? Or Zara? She was a criminal psychologist, not a covert operative. What if she’d overestimated her ability to handle this case? “I need to do this for Loretta, Heath.”
He gave a short nod. “I know, but we’ll have to talk about the next few days. The plan of ticking off the killer and using you for bait after tonight doesn’t work any longer.”
She stilled. “Why not?”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“It has always been dangerous.” Her mind spun. The only thing different was that they’d slept together. “We need to go forward and not just with tonight.” Right? She owed that much to Loretta.
He ushered her toward the stairs. “We’ll talk about it later.”
Oh, he could bet his very fine butt they would.
Heath barely kept himself from tugging on his tie and shrugging out of his suit jacket. People milled around the simply decorated first floor of the county building dressed in bright colors, as if defying the gray night outside. All of the reception area had been cleared to make room for high-top tables, a smattering of chairs, and a long counter of appetizers. A bar had been set up discreetly in the corner.
Ryker and Zara worked one side of the room, while Heath and Anya took care of the other side, introducing themselves and their new detective agency to the local business members.
Christmas lights were strung along one wall, with a sparkling tree taking up another corner. It was mid-December, and the mood was festive.
Where would he be when Christmas arrived? More importantly, where would Anya be? If they were still together, he’d bombard her with presents. Jewelry, clothes, and shoes. Women liked shoes, right? There was no chance they’d still be together at the end of the month, however. Maybe if he took care of Cobb and Madison, he could come back. If he lived. But she didn’t trust him—not completely—and he couldn’t blame her. He hadn’t told her everything. A woman like Anya wouldn’t trust without having it all. Could he ever give her it all? His chest ached, and he absently rubbed it, surveying the crowd to see if they’d missed anybody.
“These canapés are delicious,” Anya said, sliding a mushroom-looking thing into her mouth, her gaze darting around the room. “You should try them.” Her voice trembled, and she looked like a doe frozen in some headlights.
“Relax, sweetheart,” he whispered, eyeing two guys near the bar. “You need to take a deep breath and forget you’re undercover. There are cops over there.”
She turned and crumpled her napkin in her hand. Her pale face made her eyes look like a rocky riverbed. Green and deep. “How do you know?”
“Check out the way they’re standing and watching the crowd. They’re alert and paying attention.”
She studied them for a moment. “Just like you.”
