“I don’t know.” His dark gaze studied her face, almost feeling like a caress. Intrigue and intensity glowered in the depths of those deep blue eyes, as if she were a puzzle he was driven to solve. As if in that one moment, she was all that existed. Such was his focus.
“I’ve had killers try to charm me before.” She could admit to the effect he had on her body. In fact, she needed to acknowledge her reaction to him so she could protect herself.
His teeth flashed in a quick smile. “Charm?”
Oh, he had to know his wild features went beyond handsome…to sex and danger combined. The perfect combination to lure prey. The fact that he questioned the wordcharminstead ofkillersmade the hairs on the back of her neck spring up. She should tell him to leave.
“You’re in my town, Mia Stone,” he said too softly.
Her shoulders straightened, and her breath caught. “So?”
“So I have to assume danger attracts you.”
The guy was too much. Plus, danger had always attracted her—a sad but true statement of fact. “You’re not dangerous.” The lie nearly choked down her throat. She waited for his response and kept an eye on his breathing and facial expressions.
The smile took her by surprise. Genuine, almost boyish, the grin hinted at shared amusement. “Stop trying to profile me.” He ran both broad hands through his hair, ruffling the thick mass. Was it as silky as it looked?
She had to profile him. There was absolutely no other reason she’d be talking to him under the luminous moon all by herself. The fact that she wanted to study his flat stomach and ripped abs was irrelevant. Who wouldn’t? She hadn’t realized men were made like this in real life. “Tell me the truth. If you didn’t kill Ruby, who did?”
His eyes blanked again. “As I already said, whoever harmed Ruby will pay—I promise. We’ll handle it internally.”
“Internally? What does that mean?” Warning ticked down her spine.
He shrugged. “Small town, different rules. We take care of our own.”
She grinned in challenge, wanting to smack him just to take him by surprise. But she didn’t know how he’d react. Plus, she wasn’t a big fan of battery. “So I’m on the outside looking in, huh?”
“Oh, baby, I’d let you in within seconds if you wanted.” Low, masculine, his voice dropped to a whisper she felt along her skin, one that slid beneath to caress nerves she didn’t realize could awaken. Those blue eyes darkened to almost black, intensity vibrating from him along with need.
Her lungs stuttered. “Flirting with me won’t work.”
Dark eyebrows arched. He kept her trapped with his gaze as if trying to read every secret she’d ever buried deep. “Is that what I’m doing?”
She didn’t know what he was doing. The speeding of her heart rate and the increase in her breathing made her pause. She’d never reacted to a suspect like this. Sure, they challenged her…even intrigued her. But not once had she been attracted to one.
Until now.
Chapter5
Mia gulped coffee, wincing as it burned down her throat. She should listen to her doctor and take those sleeping pills at night. After Seth had jogged back into the forest, she’d gone to bed and stared at the dark ceiling for hours.
The sun rose above the sparkling lake in a futile attempt to banish the morning cold. Stupid sun.
“Morning.” Dotty swept onto the deck, a large mug in her hand. “My goodness. Isn’t that view spectacular?”
“Humph.”
“You’re such a grump in the morning.” Dotty sank her bulk into the nearest chair. Today, she’d worn bright pink leggings with an oversized Seattle Seahawks sweatshirt. Her eyeshadow was purple; her lips were peach.
Mia tried to blink. “Seahawks?”
“We were moving to Seattle.” Dotty tossed platinum blond hair over one shoulder. She’d chosen the color for their trip. “I figured I’d fit in.”
No way would the woman fit in. “That was a good idea.”
“Yes.” Delicate bone structure was still evident beneath the roundness of her classic face. Her hazel eyes were clear and shone with intelligence. “We should find the church in town so we know where to go on Sunday.”
“Go right ahead.” Mia stood and stretched her neck, straightening her sweater.
