The redhead staring at me switches from friendly to furious in a heartbeat, but she tries to hide it. My pulse races at the fire in her eyes.
"We can't investigate withoutevidence. And when she came to us, Mrs. Holloway had none. Just a feeling." Lisa's voice is cutting. "There areprocedures. Now that we know where to look, we can help her."
I scoff. They took another five thousand from this lady while they were waiting.
"Right.Procedures," I say sarcastically, glancing toward the door, making sure we're still alone. "Those don't stop you from digging around."
Maybe they do. I'm not exactly up on all the details.
"Yes, they do. Rules. Ethics. Ever heard of those pesky little things? Not that you'd understand." Her cheeks flush, aware she’s venturing into dangerous territory.
“Would I not? And why is that exactly, Red?”
Does she think I’m a rule-breaker because of my family, my profession, or both? And is she brave enough to admit it out loud?
Lisa looks up at me, not rising to the bait, but there's a challenge in her expression now. "We can't just go around ruining people's reputations, digging through their financial records based on accusations. If we do anything dodgy, the case will never stick. Some of us have to worry about cases holding up in court.”
And there it is.
Dodgy.
My eyebrows shoot up as her cheeks colour, regretting her choice of words. It would be pretty if it weren't for the way she's glaring at me.
"At least I get results," I say, flat and emotionless.
Lisa surges to her feet, hands on her hips. "It's easy to play hero when you don't have to worry about the consequences."
"You think I'mplaying?" I step closer, looming over her, and stare down.
I take my job seriously. The police force would never accept me with the family history I have, so this is my way of undoing some of the damage my father did. The people who come to me are generally desperate or have already exhausted all the normal avenues of getting help. And it's not something I take lightly.
"I think you cut corners when it suits you." Stubborn as hell, she juts out her bottom lip, and the desire to suck it has me gritting my teeth.
I can’t take my eyes off her mouth, even as I whisper, “You should know better than anyone that I’m very thorough abouteverythingI do.” A pause.
Her scent blooms, and I breathe it in, unable to resist.
“I… you… how dare you…?” She hisses, checking to see if anyone could have overheard, always so worried about what other people think. A growl escapes me, and Lisa's pupils dilate, recognising the sound as something other than irritation. Her fucking scent grows even stronger, more potent, more appealing, and I can’t help myself.
“You weren’t complaining at the time.”
We're in each other's faces now, standing close enough that I can see the gold flecks in her irises. Her cheeks are rosy. Her pulse is hammering in her throat with a mixture of anger and adrenaline, and my bear is roaring so loud, I can barely think.
And I can practically taste her arousal on my tongue.
"I'm talking about your methods, yourinvestigativemethods,” she quickly corrects, “not your… other… skills," she says, blushing hard. "And definitely not your family.” Her chin juts out as she gathers herself, pretending she’s not as turned on as I am.
Her tongue comes out to wet that very biteable bottom lip. “Stop being so sensitive and stop being a jackass. I said I was sorry. Can’t we just get along?"
Shaking my head, I lean down, letting my lips brush her ear as I speak, “I already told you, Red. We can’t bejustfriends. You want me and I want you. This is an all or nothing kind of situation, and you know it.”
She shivers, eyes blinking rapidly, breathing shallow and fast. The barest hint of a moan passes her parted lips before I come to my senses and realise just how dangerous being around this woman is. I must have lost my damn mind.
When I pull back, her hand shoots out and grabs the front of my shirt, tugging hard, and she yanks my face back down toward hers.
For one euphoric second, I think she's going to kiss me, and even though it’s playing with fire, I’m going to let her.
My hands come up, hovering at her waist, not quite touching, waiting for her to come to me. We're so close that her breath mingles with mine, and my bear pushes forward, eager to find out if she still tastes as good as I remember.
