KIMBERLY DEAN

Courting Suspicion

A division of HarperCollinsPublishers

www.harpercollins.co.uk

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Mischief

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

The News Building

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London SE1 9GF

www.mischiefbooks.com

An eBook Original 2016

1

Copyright © Kimberly Dean

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Kimberly Dean asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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e-books.

Ebook Edition © 2016 ISBN: 9780008181055

Version date: 2016-03-02

Prologue

She never should have agreed to this. She was enjoying herself too much.

Nina looked around Nationals Park and took it all in: the smell of freshly cut grass, the feel of dirt under her Prada sneakers, the sound of the crack of a bat, and the sight of the ruggedly handsome man at the batting cage. Her date for the game was actively chatting up the Nationals’ batting coach, an All Star himself back in his playing days.

She’d known the detective was a baseball guy. He just had that hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet thing about him. Plus, that sexy, loose-hipped walk was a signature of a natural athlete.

Whatever she thought of the man, she’d noticed that. She was used to seeing him in suits, ties and a badge, but it was even more apparent with the jeans and Nationals T-shirt he was wearing. It was a good look on him.

Not that she was looking …

‘Hey, Niña,’ the centre fielder said as he stepped into the batting cage for some practice swings. ‘How’s it goin’?’

‘Can’t complain, Andre.’

She felt the detective’s gaze slide over her and land on the Nationals’ star player. She could practically hear the gears in his head start clicking, but she refused to react.

‘Good luck out there,’ she said.

The switch-hitter turned on an inside pitch and laced it down the right field line. Nina was aware she was one of only a handful of people in the world who knew he switch-hit off the field, too.

He threw her a grin when the ball rattled around in the corner of the stadium. ‘Luck from a pretty lady always works.’

The game was scheduled for under the lights. It was still early enough in the season for there to be a nip in the air, yet Nina felt nothing but heat along her entire right side when Detective Morgan moved a step closer.

‘Niña?’ he muttered under his breath.

‘It’s just his accent.’

‘It means “baby girl”.’

She met his look, even though she had to tilt back her head to do it. ‘It also causes powerful storms.’

His dark gaze sparked. ‘He got that right.’

The low rumble stroked over her skin, and Nina fought not to shiver. The goosebumps popping up on her skin had nothing to do with a chill. She watched as Morgan folded his arms on a metal bar of the batting cage and leaned in to watch the superstar take more warm-up cuts.

‘Are you having a good time, Detective?’

He clicked his tongue.

‘Josh,’ she quickly amended.

She was rewarded with a quick grin, one of those rare flashes that made her knees nearly buckle. She wrapped her hands more securely around the metal bar and focused on the instructions the batting coach was calling to the next player who stepped up to the plate.

She was supposed to call him Josh tonight. It was one of a handful of stipulations he’d put on accepting her gift of tickets to the game. She was to call him Josh – no mention of his job title allowed; she was to let him drive her to the game – no security detail permitted; and she was to escort him to the game.

Escort.

Between his choice of words and his list of conditions, she’d spent the last two weeks worrying that he knew more of her secrets than he should.

More, certainly, than was safe …

Still leaning against the cage, he turned to face her. His dark gaze was too observant as it swept over her whitened grip. ‘It’s been fascinating so far.’

Which was the last thing she wanted. Engaging his curious mind was like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

She carefully unclenched her fingers and slipped her hands into the pockets of her Nationals jacket. ‘I think it’s time we found our seats.’

The opposing team had already left the field, and the grounds crew was gathering around home plate, getting ready to clear out the pre-game equipment and put fresh chalk down on the base lines.

‘Lead the way. I’ll follow.’

That’s what she was worried about.

They headed off the field and worked their way up into the stands. With every step, Nina was aware of the man at her side, and it wasn’t just his size. There was an intensity about him, an alertness. He saw too much, he liked to push and he didn’t give up. Those had been good qualities when she’d needed his help for her assistant Rielle. Now they were dangerous to her, her company and her people.

‘Ms Lockwood.’ A silver-haired man nodded politely as they crossed paths in the aisle.

‘Mr Bayles,’ she replied to the banker with just as much graciousness.

She stiffened when she felt the detective’s hand settle against her waist. Oh, no. She hadn’t just given away Luxxor’s accounting –

‘Careful,’ he said as he pulled her out of the way of a peanut salesman.

Her breath caught when her body pressed solidly against the detective’s larger, harder form, but he still had to catch the corner of the vendor’s tray before it hit her.

‘Oh, sorry, man,’ the freckled peanut guy said, but then his gaze lifted to her face and his fair skin flushed. He adjusted the harness over his shoulders as he gaped at her. ‘Ma’am.’

The detective ushered her around the poor seller as his ears turned red. ‘Don’t worry, she has that effect on most men.’

Nina’s head whipped around.

The detective simply lifted an eyebrow. ‘I’m surprised he didn’t know you too.’

She began to protest, but just then she heard her name coming from the next section.

‘Nina, darling.’

It was the choreographer from the Washington Ballet, another frequent client. She forced a smile and waved.

‘Finally, a woman,’ her date mused.

Oh, no. She wasn’t going to let him chew on that bone.

Without thinking, she caught his hand and led him down the steps. Their seats were only feet from the cursive W chalked into the grass behind home plate. The section gave a prime view of not only the game but DC’s relatively new ballpark. The LED scoreboard looked crystal sharp in right-centre, and from the upper deck the Capitol should be visible in left. They’d already indulged in a few of the perks that came with the Presidential Club seats. The all-access pass had gotten them onto the field for pre-game activities and unlimited food and drink in the indoor lounge. Of course, with all the gourmet food around, Morgan had insisted they have hot dogs and beer – which, admittedly, had been delicious.

Nine innings. She just needed to get through nine innings with him.

He followed her into their row, but, when they took their seats, Nina was flummoxed to find him still holding her hand.

He rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. ‘You’ve got a lot of friends.’

‘They’re not my friends.’

His eyebrows rose, and she flinched. It had just slipped out. None of the people she’d run into tonight were clients she actually liked, except Andre.

‘Who is?’ the detective asked, his question low amongst the rustling of the crowd.

She went still. He’d taken the conversation in a direction she hadn’t anticipated.

‘Who do you trust, Nina?’

‘Rielle, Sienna and a few others.’

She was aware that her friends were also her employees. She was a social butterfly who only let a small number of people close. Not many people saw that, though. It unsettled her that he had.

But it didn’t surprise her.

‘So there’s room for one more,’ he said as he settled their joined hands on his thigh.

That did.

She looked at him, wide-eyed, unable to help herself.

The announcer called for the national anthem. Morgan stood, tugging her up with him. Nina rose too, but pulled her hand away from his warm grip. She put it over her heart to keep it from hopping outside her ribcage.

Her friend?

Her thoughts whirled as the organist played. They weren’t even close to being friends. They were adversaries, at best. Adversaries conducting a momentary truce.

Although he had come to her rescue when she’d needed help for Rielle … And she’d repaid him with tickets to this game – the highest priced seats in the stadium – because she’d wanted to thank him.

No, friends they were not. She doubted they could ever be. There was too much standing between them, not to mention the … spark. She didn’t know what else to call it. Whenever they got close, she felt the energy running along the edges of her skin like static electricity.

No, she didn’t want him as a friend.

When they sat back down, she busied herself opening her programme and digging in her purse for a pen. Morgan made himself comfortable beside her. The seats behind home plate were wider and cushier than those throughout the rest of the stadium, and the size was needed to accommodate his tall form. It didn’t stop his knee from brushing against hers.

She crossed her legs, and her Prada sneaker bounced up and down as she waited for the first batter to step up to the plate. The shoes weren’t her customary heels, but they had a blue hibiscus print that was fun enough to make her give up the extra inches. Right now, though, she wished for that extra boost of power. She cast a quick glance at Morgan, but he was focused on the game too.

It let her relax.

She began tracking the game in the blank scorecard in the programme, writing details like F-7, 6-3, and moving Andre to first base with his hit.

The detective looked over her hieroglyphics. ‘You know how to keep score.’

‘I know a lot of things.’

He chuckled. ‘I don’t doubt that.’

She retraced Andre’s path from home plate to first base, making the line bold. He was always pushing, this one, looking for a way in. ‘I like it. It calms my thoughts and lets me focus.’

‘Baseball as Zen? What’s got you so stressed?’

Her pen stalled. She’d slipped. Again. By trying to avoid the subject that made him so curious, she’d opened up.

‘You played, didn’t you?’ she asked.

And scored, point-blank.

His curious expression turned suspicious. ‘You looked me up.’

‘What? No. Well, not your past.’ She’d had her investigators look into who he was when he’d started poking around Luxxor during that whole Jason Sloan affair. She’d needed to know how big of a threat he was to her company.

She needed to remember the outcome of that report.

‘I can see it,’ she confessed. ‘It’s in the way you walk.’

Not that she was watching …

‘You were in your element down on that field. I could hear it in how you talked to the players and coaches.’ She shrugged. ‘I knew you were a baseball guy before I bought the tickets.’

He sat back in his seat, and their shoulders brushed. ‘What position did I play?’

She nibbled at her lip and looked at the field. ‘First base?’

‘How do you know that?’

He had the body of a power hitter, but she didn’t want to say that out loud. ‘You clean up after others.’

He smirked. There was no other way to describe the expression on his face. It made her stomach flip. She wasn’t trying to intrigue him.

But it didn’t look as if she was putting him off at all.

‘You read people, don’t you?’ he said.

‘So do you,’ she replied softly.

Their gazes locked, and her foot stopped bobbing. She was scared to think of what he saw when he read her. Scared, defensive and maybe just a bit wistful. He saw inside her too easily – or he liked making her think he did. She was a strong woman, but the mind games were getting to her.

Because the one thing she couldn’t forget tonight was that he was a cop – and she was DC’s top madam.

She toyed with her earring, and it jingled a little warning. How much did he really know? How much did he suspect? He’d been hanging around Luxxor for way too long now, no doubt picking up details and puzzle pieces. She couldn’t let any more slip around him. Not only was it uncharacteristic, it was dangerous.

‘I played first base and batted fourth in the lineup in college,’ he said.

She twirled her pen. She couldn’t let him say what he saw in her. She couldn’t hear it.

A beer vendor was making his way up the aisle, and she waved him down. ‘Two, please.’

‘Running scared, Nina?’

‘I’m not scared, I’m thirsty.’

‘Right.’

He watched her steadily, not buying it. She passed him a beer and took a quick sip of her own.

He drank more deeply before turning his attention back to the game. ‘How’s Rielle doing?’ he asked.

Thank God, a mutually safe topic. ‘She’s stronger than I realised, in a lot of ways.’

He cocked his head and frowned. ‘You don’t do Muay Thai, do you?’

‘God, no.’

The tension left his big body. ‘Good, the heels are hazardous enough.’

She might do a little Tai Chi every now and then, but the martial arts weren’t her thing, especially the brutal, sweaty, close-contact ones. She shifted in her seat. Although hot sweaty close contact wasn’t totally out of her realm.

Her ears turned hot. ‘I didn’t even know she practised that.’

‘You tried to protect her.’

She had, but her efforts hadn’t been good enough – not on their own. ‘You locked her stalker up, and you gathered the evidence to keep him there.’

‘It was the only way to keep Scott away from the guy.’

Darien Scott was Rielle’s boyfriend. They didn’t come any more dangerous than that one, except for maybe the man sitting next to her.

What was she doing here with a cop?

‘Darien’s getting back on his feet,’ she said. ‘He’s not a very patient patient.’

‘I know. We grabbed a beer the other night.’

Her eyebrows rose. She really didn’t like the sound of that. ‘When did you two become best buds?’

‘When you and your assistant came sashaying into our lives.’

Nina tapped her pen against the programme. She did not sashay.

‘Nice shoes, by the way.’

Her jaw set. ‘I like them.’

‘So do I.’

Again, his low tone stroked over her skin in a way that made her distinctly uncomfortable. ‘Drink your beer, Josh.’

He didn’t grin, but it was close.

They stayed that way, talking and sparring, as the game moved on, inning by inning. He was a tricky one, though. It was probably from all the interrogation training he undoubtedly had – or because he’d figured out a way under her skin. Nina found herself answering honestly more often than not, and it unsettled her. She was usually more careful than that … had more control. She’d taught herself to keep her opinions and personal matters private around clients. It was only around those closest to her that she allowed more of her true self to show.

The man was neither a client nor a friend.

Why was she letting him get to her?

‘F-8,’ he said, pointing at her scorecard.

She’d fallen behind again. The man was distracting, to say the least.

‘So what big scandal is going to pull me out to Luxxor next?’ he asked. The crack of the bat against a ball reverberated around the park as the Phillies’ catcher smoked a line drive down the third base line. The action stopped just as suddenly when the ball smacked into the third baseman’s glove.

‘Nothing.’ Nina could feel the detective’s gaze on her rather than the action on the field.

She diligently wrote the out in her scorecard. On paper, all the fuss seemed like nothing. A simple out, the end of the inning – no sign of a close call.

‘There’s always something going on over there,’ Morgan said, not letting the subject drop. ‘Why is that?’

She felt that sizzle of danger again, riding along her nerve endings.

‘I couldn’t say, but we’ve appreciated your diligence. There’s no reason you should have to visit us again.’

‘So give me one.’

Her pen stopped, frozen on the paper.

‘Go to dinner with me tomorrow,’ he said softly. ‘My treat this time.’

Her brain stalled out, too.

The invitation was unexpected. It shouldn’t have been tempting … but it was. The plan tonight was to thank him for his efforts and then walk away. He was too close already. He’d seen more than he should.

But the words just wouldn’t come.

She could feel his gaze on her like a heavy weight. She knew she couldn’t see him again, inside her office or out of it. Yet, with every inning that passed, she was dreading the end of the night more and more.

Silence loomed between them. He wasn’t letting her off the hook. She felt like everyone in the park was looking at them and began to imagine murmurs. People in the stands close to them even turned to watch.

Suddenly, Nina realised she wasn’t imagining it. Looking up, she caught their reflection on the scoreboard. She and Josh were posted in stunning clarity on the big screen.

Her stomach dropped. Oh, dear Lord, no.

The Kiss Cam.

Hoots and hollers rang up loud around them, and she did the only thing she could think of doing. She lifted her programme in front of her face and hid.

She was a self-assured, sophisticated woman who didn’t need the attention the selfies crowd seemed to crave these days. Luxxor was known for being discreet. She didn’t advertise her company. The last thing she needed was her face plastered on a fifty-foot-high LED screen.

But then the detective moved in his seat.

He caught her wrist and slowly pushed the programme down. His hand slipped into her hair, and he cupped the back of her head. Their gazes caught as he leaned in.

Nina couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Could barely breathe. She heard the commotion around them surge as his lips covered hers.

But then all she could do was feel.

She closed her eyes as sensation bombarded her. The kiss he planted on her was slow, intimate and thorough. The heat built slowly, sexily, until her resistance melted into thin air. Her programme slipped out of her hand. She leaned into him, and a sound left the back of his throat. He sealed their mouths together as his other hand caught her waist. She reached for him and her hand settled on his jawline. The crisp feel of his five o’clock shadow couldn’t have contrasted more with the soft strands of his hair brushing against her fingertips. She wanted to touch more. She wanted to feel more.

He pulled her closer, and the armrest dug into her stomach. If not for it, he would have had her on his lap, and she wouldn’t have minded.

He felt so good.

He made her feel good. Aroused. Safe. Connected. Awakened.

Around them, the joking laughs turned to embarrassed gasps. The hoots and catcalls became wolf-whistles, but it was the collective sigh that ran throughout the whole of Nationals Park that finally got through Nina’s clouded head.

She wasn’t safe. This was foolish, risky … dangerous.

She pulled back sharply, but his hold on her tightened.

‘Don’t.’ He lifted the programme again to hide both of them.

Her breath came hard as she looked into his dark eyes. She could feel his own against her face and her lips. She licked them to stop the tingling, but his gaze dropped with the motion. He kissed her again, hard and fast.

Hoots rose in volume again, and, even with the programme hiding them, the Kiss Cam operator finally realised he’d focused on a kiss unsuitable for a family-friendly audience.

Nina pushed away and found her hand against Morgan’s chest. He was warm and hard. The strength beneath her fingertips could have scared her, but it lured her even more.

She yanked her hand away and turned her head. His lips brushed against her temple. His hand was still tangled in her hair, but she felt his hold gentle. He was slow in letting her go, and his fingertips almost seemed to caress the back of her head and then the tight muscles of her neck, but then she was free.

Nina’s heart beat in her chest so hard, she could hear it in her ears. Her breaths raked her throat, but she forced them to shorten. She sat up straighter and smoothed her rumpled jacket.

This wouldn’t do. This wouldn’t do at all.

She swept her fingers over her mouth to tidy up any smudged lipstick, but discovered she had none left. She uncrossed her legs and put both feet square on the ground.

‘Nina,’ Morgan said in warning.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said politely, ‘but it’s getting late, and I have an early morning.’

‘Come on, Nina. That’s been coming for a long time, and we both know it.’

She zipped up her purse and tucked her hair behind her ear. He was still leaning towards her, getting in her space. She could feel the people seated around them leaning in, too, trying to hear.

‘I really need to go.’

His eyes narrowed. ‘The deal was for a game.’

She glanced at the scoreboard. Her scorecard was way behind now. ‘It’s the seventh inning. The game is official.’

‘You agreed to ride with me.’

‘To the game. Mr Howard can pick me up.’ She pulled her phone from the side pocket of her purse and began to text her security night detail. Her fingers were steady as a surgeon’s, but her forearms were clenched so tight they ached. ‘Please, stay and enjoy the rest of the game. Your ticket will get you into the post-game media interviews, too.’

‘Nina.’ Morgan’s voice like a rock against slate. His hand was in her hair again as he made her look him in the eye.

He could see right to the heart of her.

‘You don’t want to run from me.’

No, one should never turn their back on a predator.

‘I appreciate what you did for Rielle.’ She stood smoothly. ‘Thank you for inviting me, Detective.’

The low sound that emerged from his chest was practically a growl.

‘Josh,’ she said, her voice breaking. ‘I can’t do this.’

‘Yes, we can.’

‘No. We can’t.’

He let her past him, and disappointed sounds emerged from the crowd who’d witnessed it all.

Nina felt the weight of their stares as she walked confidently but quickly to the exit. She could feel the disappointment of all the strangers around her, but it didn’t come close to the regret she felt deep inside her chest.

Her body ached with arousal. Her lips felt puffy, and her fingers craved more than the brief touches they’d stolen. This had been it, her one little bit of self-indulgence. She swallowed hard and lifted her chin.

After tonight, she’d never see him again.

She’d been trying to push Josh Morgan off her trail for a long time now. She was pretty sure she’d finally accomplished her goal. And it was for the best. For everybody.

No matter how much it hurt.

Chapter One

Josh rode the elevator up to the seventh floor of the Emissary Hotel, glaring at the numbers as they ticked off with a merry chime. It had been one o’clock in the morning when his phone had started ringing.

One stinking o’clock.

He rarely did ‘merry’, and never at this hour.

He twisted his neck to the side and heard a satisfying crack. This is what he got for being a nice guy – although others might argue with that assessment. He hadn’t been in a good mood for a while now, with good cause. He ran a hand over his face and straightened from the railing against which he’d been leaning. He didn’t work the night shift, but he’d been called in. Whatever it was, it better be worth his time.

The happy elevator finally arrived at its destination, and he glowered at the uniformed officer waiting in the elevator lobby.

The cop’s spine stiffened, making him stand up at least an inch taller. ‘Room 740, Detective.’

‘What are we looking at? Assault? Theft? Murder?’

He needed to get his brain in the right place before he walked in there.

The uniform’s Adam’s apple bobbed. ‘Solicitation, sir, and breaking and entering.’

Well, that was a combination.

Josh muttered a curse and swiped a hand through his mussed hair. He hadn’t taken the time to primp before he’d driven over here. ‘Sounds like something you guys could handle. Why am I here?’

The cop swallowed hard again and shrugged.

The tired ache in Josh’s head pressed harder. He turned on his heel and strode down the hallway. The place was swanky. The carpeting was a deep emerald green. There were skinny wooden tables with spindly legs holding vases of flowers. The wall sconces looked to be brass, with frosted glass shades. The staff downstairs had all been clad in uniforms that matched the green carpeting, and just the air of the place said money.

It definitely wasn’t the kind of place that rented by the hour.

That didn’t mean that all the wealthy patrons didn’t have their eyes pressed against their doors’ peepholes right now, watching everything that was going on. They were probably just as pleased as he was at having been awakened in the wee hours, although the Emissary would no doubt be making it right with them.

He might get a handshake out of the deal.

With a grunt, he focused on the spectacle ahead of him. Police swarmed the end of the hallway, a lot for a solicitation charge. There were uniformed cops, a hotel manager, and some guy in a suit on a phone.

He frowned. What had happened? Had the john gotten rough? Was it a freaking orgy in there?

The young officer who’d called him stepped into the hallway, writing feverishly in his notebook. Simons was a good cop, and the son of the guy who’d mentored Josh. Blue ran in the family’s blood. The kid wouldn’t have called him here if he wasn’t needed.

‘Simons,’ Josh said.

The cop looked up and a relieved expression settled onto his face. ‘Detective Morgan. Thanks for coming.’

Josh crossed his arms over his chest. He felt a bit better for having been rolled out of bed. ‘You need an assist?’

‘Yeah.’ Simons blew out a breath and looked over his shoulder towards the hotel room. ‘I’m in over my head.’

So he’d called in someone he trusted enough to admit that to. Josh nodded in understanding. Usually, in cases like this, the patrol units handled the onsite arrests, and the case was handed off to the detective division for further follow-up. Something must be hinky for Simons to call in the detective unit early.

‘Solicitation, huh? You guys running a sting?’

‘No, we were called in because of the B&E.’

Josh frowned. ‘Who broke in? The pimp?’

Simons looked at his notebook. ‘TMI News. They’re one of those paparazzi news shows.’

The dull ache in Josh’s head intensified. He was starting to catch on now. It wasn’t what had happened that was causing the uproar. ‘Who is it?’

Someone he knew? Someone from one of his other cases trying to make a bad situation worse?

‘Senator Gunderson. The news guys swear he’s here with a prostitute.’

Ah, hell. That explained the extra personnel. Whenever you brought a political player into a case, things got messy. Like sewer-system messy. He knew. He was DC Metro PD. He’d had interactions with the Capitol Hill types before, but it had been a while. He didn’t want to get within a hundred feet of a stinker case like this.

But the kid was even less well equipped to deal with it.

Josh sighed. ‘You did good calling me.’

Everything needed to be handled by the book. All I’s needed to be dotted, and all T’s crossed. Not only did they have a political player, the press was already on the scene.

‘Walk me through it.’

Simons nodded feverishly. Colour was starting to come back to his cheeks. He flipped his notes through several pages. ‘The senator and his … date … rented the room around midnight. Not much later they were interrupted in the middle of … you know … doing the deed by two guys with a camera.’

Josh glanced at the door and doorframe for Room 740. They didn’t seem to be damaged. ‘How did they get in?’

‘I don’t know. I haven’t gotten that far yet.’

‘Who called it in?’

‘A few of the other guests on the floor. Apparently the news guys weren’t quiet.’ Simons jerked his thumb at the man in the hotel uniform. ‘Hotel management then called us.’

‘Did they tell you the guy was a senator?’

The cop confirmed with a nod. ‘Gunderson checked in under his own name. I don’t know much more than that. We just got the groups separated.’

‘All right.’ Josh rubbed the back of his neck. It was awfully strange for a politician to check in under his own name if he was with a prostitute – unless he was well known and knew people could identify him anyway.

Personally, he’d never heard of the guy. He must be doing a bang-up job on Capitol Hill.

Weren’t they all?

‘Oh, and one more thing,’ Simons said. ‘The senator is running for re-election.’

Shit. There went Josh’s hope of getting back to bed any time tonight.

‘Let’s see what everyone has to say.’ Political prima donna or not, the crime scene process was the same. Josh shook off his tiredness as he started to look over everything. Simons was on his heels, but they both stopped to take a better gander at the door. There weren’t any signs of impact or tampering, just normal wear and tear.

‘Hey, you,’ somebody inside the room called. ‘You in charge here?’

Josh’s eyes narrowed on the scruffy-looking duo. They had to be the so-called reporters. One was wearing a ragged old George Washington University hoodie, ripped jeans and rundown tennis shoes. The other had floppy hair and a bad neck twitch. He kept jerking it around to get his hair out of his eyes. Hoodie carried a GoPro camera in his hand. It didn’t give the duo the appearance of ‘real’ reporters, but the camera was cheaper and probably more portable than the larger units professional news crews carried.

‘I’m Detective Morgan. I’ll be handling the investigation.’

‘Finally! Lance Durquist from TMI News. We caught them on film – dead to rights – the senator and his lady of the night.’ The reporter lifted his camera and started shooting again. ‘What can you tell us, Detective? When will the senator be hauled in front of a judge to pay for his crime?’

‘Turn that thing off,’ Josh growled.

He didn’t have to ask twice.

Hoodie looked nervous. ‘Arrest them, and we’ll get it on the morning web news.’

Like that was an incentive.

The reporter thrust out the camera. ‘Just watch it. It explains everything.’

Josh accepted the camera that was being offered to him, handling it carefully. He looked over the buttons and dials and hit rewind. The video came with audio, and more than one head turned when it started playing again. Grunts and sexy little feminine cries fill the airspace. ‘Sorry,’ he muttered.

Damn technology.

He hit rewind again to take the video all the way back to the beginning.

‘I want that video burned.’ A deep baritone voice rang out from the next room. ‘They broke in here. That’s private.’

Josh wasn’t interested in the porn show. He’d get to that in a minute. For the time being, he wanted to see how Hoodie and Bieber had gotten access to the room. It didn’t take long to find out. They’d begun recording out in the hallway. He passed the camera to Simons when he got the information he needed. ‘Bag that.’

‘Yeah.’ The guy in the hoodie nodded and high-fived his floppy-haired friend. ‘All right.’

The two were grinning as if they’d just caught the next Watergate scandal on tape.

The guy who’d been on the phone in the hallway didn’t find it as funny. He was now inside the room. ‘You can’t use that. It was obtained illegally. My client will fight it.’

The lawyers were already on the scene, too. Fantastic.

‘And – as I was about to say,’ Josh said pointedly, ‘arrest them.’

‘What?’ Hoodie squeaked.

‘Ah, man.’ Bieber jerked his head to try to see as the cuffs were put on. When that didn’t work, he had to reach up with both hands to get his hair out of his eyes.

Simons read the duo their rights. ‘You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney …’

Hoodie’s face turned red with outrage, and he talked right over the cop. ‘You can’t stop the flow of information, man. This guy is running to represent the American people. They have a right to know that he’s not only screwing the system, but whores, too.’

Josh heard the gasp from the next room.

‘Watch it.’ The guy in the suit stepped forward menacingly.

Josh stopped him with a bar arm and eyed him more closely. The guy was pretty in that Sunday sales ads sort of way, but underneath the polish there was a street kind of toughness. The flintiness in his eyes betrayed it.

‘Were you involved here?’ he asked. ‘Why are you in my crime scene?’

The man smoothed his suit and backed off, but the cold fire was still in his eyes. ‘I was called here by my client in the next room.’

Josh couldn’t fight that. The senator had a right to legal representation. ‘Then let me do my work and don’t interfere with police actions.’

‘What? You’re taking their side?’ Bieber finally caught on to what was happening, and his eyes filled with fear.

At least Josh assumed there were tears in both his eyes. One of them was covered by that raggedy hair again.

And … head flip.

There it was again. Yup, the intrepid reporter was crying.

Josh honed in on the weak link. ‘How did you know the senator was here? And who he was with?’

‘An anonymous tip.’ Beiber forgot all about his right to remain silent. ‘We got a call that said Gunderson was here with a high-priced callgirl. The caller even had a room number – and he was right.’

As if that made everything OK.

‘Who did you pay for the room card?’

‘The – ow!’ Bieber stopped when Hoodie kicked him in the calf.

‘Shut up, dude.’

The two brainiacs finally pieced together their mistake. At least one of them.

It didn’t matter. Josh would find out who had given them the key card. If the senator had just stopped to put the chain on the door, his unwanted visitors might not have made it any further.

Josh gestured at Simons. ‘Have someone take them down to the station for processing.’

It was an open and shut case. No pun intended. Josh ran a hand through his hair. It was too late for puns, but the two dimwits were right about the tape showing everything. They’d documented their own crime.

He rolled his shoulders and braced himself. Now for the tough part.

He crossed the living room to the bedroom. It was more of a suite than a hotel room, pretty expensive for a one-night stand, if the TMI boys were right. The bedroom itself was lit up bright as a dentist’s office, and the atmosphere inside was about as comfortable. Josh’s gaze swept the room as he stepped inside and acquainted himself with the scene. There were two Metro officers, one male and one female, and another couple who were dressed more casually.

A lot more casually.

They were both in white robes with the Emissary’s insignia on the chest. They weren’t wearing much more, if the clothes strewn about on the floor and furniture were any indication.

The senator was one of those silver-haired fox types. His age was indeterminate, but he was fit … probably from working with a trainer in a high-priced gym. There wasn’t a ring on his finger, thank God. Things were going to be messy enough without that.

And the woman … Josh’s gaze instinctively went to her hands first to check for weapons. There weren’t any – but she packed a punch. She was sitting in the armchair in the corner of the room, toying with the belt of her snow-white robe. The big terrycloth robe should have drowned her, but instead of covering her it gaped open, showing tantalising cleavage.

Josh was a red-blooded guy. He saw her curves, but his attention was caught by her hair. She was a redhead, a real one from the tone of her skin. It was the kind of deep auburn that attracted attention and stuck in a person’s memory.

His included.

His gaze snapped up to her face. He recognised her, and it didn’t take him long to remember from where. Their gazes locked, right along with his jaw. Damn it. She was one of Nina’s employees, the one who’d covered as Luxxor’s receptionist when Rielle had been out. What was her name? Jessica? Joanne?

Her green eyes widened when she recognised him in return.

She pulled the neckline of her robe together and focused on the landscape picture on the far wall.

Josh’s thoughts went in a thousand different directions. It took effort to pull even a few back into alignment.

He cleared his throat. ‘I’m Detective Morgan. Let’s start at the beginning. Is everyone here OK?’

He was still watching the redhead and was relieved when she nodded.

‘No,’ her date snapped. ‘We are not OK.’

And here they went.

Josh turned towards the man at the centre of all the hubbub. ‘Sir?’

‘Samuel Gunderson, US Senator.’ The man’s jaw was clenched so hard, it jutted out a like a barracuda. ‘And this is my girlfriend, Genieve Hart.’

‘Senator,’ his lawyer hissed.

Josh planted his hands on his hips. Beautiful. The senator was the chatty type, too. It made things so much easier when he had so little probable cause.

They had nothing on these two. Nothing. A couple had paid for a hotel room and had used it as a lot of couples did. There was nothing that said any laws had been broken, other than what the reporters had implied. The senator had called Genieve his girlfriend. They’d go with that, even though Josh’s thoughts were still barrelling down too many tracks. He suddenly had an intense interest in what was going on here.

‘Are you physically harmed?’ he asked.

‘I –’ The politician’s words broke off, and he frowned. He took stock before pulling back on a sleeve of the robe. He seemed surprised by the red mark slashing across his forearm. ‘Those two men broke in, and I tried to push them out. I didn’t know what was going on. I thought we were under attack.’

‘Get a photo of that,’ Josh instructed Simons.

The lawyer stuck out his hand. He’d remained quiet in the room up until that point. Quiet, but coiled. ‘Just the arm.’

What, the shark didn’t want his client photographed naked in a robe with his hair mussed from sex and his face still red from exertion?

Probably not.

‘Document the evidence,’ Josh said.

As the camera snapped, he went over to check the door between the rooms. The mark on the senator’s arm was straight as a ruler, much like a door’s edge. Sure enough, there was a scuff mark across it. He peeked around to the other side and saw the footprint of a shoe along the base. He called the forensics guy with the camera over to get some shots of it, too. ‘Dust for fingerprints,’ he instructed.

He faced the bedroom again. The evidence here was pretty clear. The bed sheets were rumpled, and pillows were strewn across the floor. There were signs of vigorous activity in and out of the bed.

The senator puffed up when he saw where the attention was now. ‘I want those two charged to the full extent of the law. Breaking and entering … Invasion of privacy … People should be as safe in a hotel room as they are in their own homes.’

The guy sounded like he was back on the campaign trail now.

‘You’ve got your pictures and a statement. We’re leaving now.’ Gunderson’s lawyer was chill as ice, but Josh still sensed a hard, angry energy radiating from him.

But the man was right. They couldn’t detain these two.

Even if he still had a gazillion questions …

The lawyer picked up the senator’s shirt and thrust it into his hands. ‘Get dressed. Sir.’

The senator had opened his mouth to say something more, but he closed it with a snap.

Josh watched Genieve out of the corner of his eye as she raked a hand through that waterfall of red hair and swept it aside. Her gaze kept flicking cautiously to the guy in the suit. She was harder to read. Impossible, really. She must have taken some clues from her boss, although he could read some of Nina’s tells now. He’d been studying her long enough.

Nina. Damn. She was going to flip when she heard about this.

He swept up the senator’s pants from the floor. They looked as if they’d been taken off in a hurry. He patted the pockets. The lawyer sputtered, but he simply handed the pants to the senator. ‘Just needed to check for weapons before I let him go in the bathroom alone to get dressed. Standard procedure.’

Simons caught on fast. He turned the light on in the attached bathroom and checked to make sure it was clear. They were doing this by the book – dotting all I’s and crossing all T’s – but picking up all the information they could.

‘Can I have my dress?’ the redhead asked quietly.

Everyone in the room snapped to attention to search for it. The little black number was on the floor, practically under the bed. Josh dug it out. It didn’t have pockets, and there wasn’t much she could hide in it. Dressed or not. He handed it to her and went down on his haunches before her. Her wary gaze met his.

‘All you all right?’

She was a true beauty, and he knew she had a personality to match that bright-red hair. It was all subdued now. She was funny, he remembered that. He didn’t do ‘funny’ any more than he did ‘merry’. She was a stunner, but he preferred tough-nosed, blonde prima donnas.

‘I’m OK, just shaken.’ She ran a red-tipped fingernail over her bottom lip, and it curled upward in a tentative smile. ‘They came in at a really bad time, if you know what I mean.’

Her gaze sparked, and the hint of humour told him she’d been a willing participant in the senator’s bed. Maybe the two were seeing one other. Nina ran in some hoity-toity crowds. Genieve could have been introduced to the senator through her.

‘Is there anything else you can tell me? Did you notice those men following you tonight? How long have you been seeing the senator?’

She glanced at the lawyer. He didn’t say a word, but communication passed between them. Her spark faded, and she shifted uncomfortably in the overstuffed chair. ‘I didn’t notice anything – and we’ve been exclusive for a month or so.’

She went quiet again, and Josh knew he couldn’t press any harder. Tension was vibrating between her and the senator’s representative like a piano wire, even though they were on opposite sides of the room. They couldn’t have been further apart but still in the same room if they’d tried.

Genieve wrapped her robe more tightly around her legs. Red-painted toenails stuck out from the bottom of the terrycloth. If the lawyer had his way, those would have been covered, too. It was clear in his eyes.

‘Do you feel safe with these two?’ Josh asked low enough so only she could hear.

Her green eyes narrowed in confusion.

OK, the tension wasn’t about fear.

The door to the bathroom opened, and the senator came out. He was older than his lover by a long shot, but the hours in the gym probably helped him keep up to speed.

Josh rose to his feet. He wouldn’t have them around for much longer. It was worth one more shot. ‘Is there anything else you can tell us about the encounter, sir? Has this TMI News contacted you or your office before?’

‘I’ve never heard of them,’ the senator said as he put on his cufflinks.

Cufflinks. In the dead of the night. Josh counted off in his head. Some people had their priorities. He didn’t like the guy. He was too slick, too Ken-doll-like in his outrage. Although Josh had to admit he’d be pissed off, too, if somebody broke in to take pictures of him having sex. Hell, he’d probably shoot first and ask questions later.

Unless it was Nina.

She’d have the gun out first.

He ran his hand over his head. Where the hell had that thought come from?

‘Is there anything else you want to tell me before you go?’ he asked.

‘It’s enough, isn’t it?’ Gunderson snapped.

Josh’s eyes narrowed. Not if there was something to the prostitution claim Hoodie and Bieber had made … But one little claim wasn’t enough to stick, not without proof. And proof of prostitution was notoriously hard to get.

The lawyer cleared his throat, and the senator lifted his chin. Clothed in his armour again, he seemed to remember the face he was supposed to present to the public. He stuck out his hand. ‘Thank you for your efforts here tonight, Detective. I appreciate the work our peace officers do.’

Josh thought fast. ‘How can I contact you if I have more questions?’

‘Call his office.’ The lawyer’s voice was like ice. The guy obviously wasn’t having a good night. How often did he have to clean up after his client?

Gunderson nodded. ‘I’ll get you my card.’

The lawyer pushed away from the wall, but the senator was already pulling his wallet out of his jacket, which was draped over a chair. He slowed his movements when all the cops in the room tensed.

‘They can get the number,’ the lawyer repeated.

‘I’ve got it, Brody.’

The lawyer’s teeth gritted, and Genieve covered her mouth with her hand.

Gotcha, Josh thought. It hadn’t escaped his attention that the man hadn’t volunteered his name. Hello, Brody.

The senator opened his wallet, and Josh watched closely. The leather billfold wasn’t bulging with cash, which turned his dial down a bit. That was what he’d wanted to see.

The senator pulled out a business card and passed it to him, but something else fell to the floor. Josh knelt to pick it up, but he was slow in standing back up. It was another business card, only this one was made from heavy black paper with gold trim. The writing was in a fancy gold font, but its message wasn’t elaborate. It simply said, ‘Luxxor Limited’.

Luxxor Limited. Nina’s company.

His headache came back with a vengeance. He flipped the card over as he held it out to the man. There was only a phone number on the back.

‘You dropped something,’ he said. Gravel had somehow found its way into his throat.

No names, no website and no business slogan. Luxxor Limited, secretive as always. Even their business cards could hide in the shadows.

A dark, bad feeling settled in his gut.

Genieve had been moving towards the bathroom to take her turn getting dressed, but she stopped when she saw the exchange. The lawyer reached for her, but she smoothly avoided him.

‘May I have my purse?’ Her voice had a lilt that seemed to pull right at a guy’s balls. Again, the officers in the room snapped to do her bidding.

The female police officer rolled her eyes, but she was the one who found the leather bag. She carried it to Josh.

‘Sorry,’ he said as he opened it. ‘Just a quick check.’

He had just as much right to search through her things before she went in that room alone.

‘Here, allow me.’ Taking the purse from his hands, the redhead upended the contents on the bed.

‘Jenny,’ the lawyer said softly. His tone was different with her, less stern but there was still a warning in it.

She didn’t flinch. Instead, she opened her pocketbook and showed its contents to Josh. Smart. It was all he could think as she flipped through the bills in her possession. Looked like about seventeen dollars. If she was a callgirl like the TMI guys insisted, she’d be worth a hell of a lot more than that. This woman was definitely high-end and no dummy.

‘Oh, there it is,’ she said sweetly. She picked up a tube of lipstick. ‘This is all I needed.’

She swished to the bathroom in the over-large robe. She bent along the way to sweep up her bra, but she left all her things out on display as if she had nothing to hide.

Josh grunted. Really smart.

She’d just shown him that no money had been exchanged. At least not here.

That didn’t stop his brain from churning like a lopsided wheel … faster at points and screechingly painful at others. Call girl … Luxxor … their night security detail … the way they’d always given him the bum’s rush out of there …

The way Nina had shut down all contact with him after that epic kiss – the one that had nearly set his hair on fire …

He rubbed the back of his neck. He’d always been curious about her work. When it came to Nina Lockwood, he was curious about everything. She hadn’t liked him around, so of course that had made him want to stay. She hadn’t wanted to talk about her work, so obviously he’d looked for clues in everything from what was on their desks to the terminology they used when they talked. He’d tried to guess at the clients that had come through their door. He hadn’t seen much of a common denominator, other than they were all rich and untalkative. Other than Erin Foster.

His off-balance brain clunked when he thought of the bright, friendly blonde. Innocent as a peach. She’d said she was a client.

No.

No, there was no way.

He’d gotten the wrong idea. He’d made too big of a leap. He had to have.

Genieve stepped back into the room. The little black dress could have been conservative, if not for her curves and that tussle of red hair. The woman had a look that was constantly sultry and sensuous, right down to her painted red toenails. She didn’t look like a prostitute, though. She looked like a fashion model.

‘Here, darling.’ The senator passed along her shoes.

She held the top of the dresser for balance as she stepped into the heels, and once again the simple act held the attention of all the men in the room. She stuffed her things back into her purse as the senator put on his jacket. The couple wouldn’t be staying in this hotel again, that was clear.

‘Let’s go,’ Gunderson told his man.

Brody wasn’t ready. His face was hard as he stepped to the bed and lifted the covers.

‘Hey,’ Josh said.

The man found what he was looking for under the nightstand. Black silk. Genieve’s panties. He thrust them into his pocket, his face stoic but his eyes burning.

The guy was smart, too. He wasn’t leaving any evidence of the couple’s activities behind – other than what was probably on the bed sheets.

‘That video,’ he said, his voice as cold as his eyes were hot. ‘Anything beyond the breaking and entering portion is not to be used.’

Josh cocked his head. He didn’t envy the guy’s job, but there was only so far his reign of authority extended.

And it didn’t cover him.

‘I just collect the evidence. It’s up to the DA how to use it.’

Their gazes locked. Neither of them was satisfied with the night’s outcome, but it was hard to say who was more pissed.

‘Ms Hart,’ Josh said, not breaking eye contact. ‘Do you need a ride home?’

The vein in Mr Brody’s neck bulged. ‘I’ll get her to safety.’

Josh’s eyebrows rose. Oh, so that’s how it was. The gritty lawyer, not the senator. Interesting.

Without another word, the party of three exited. Josh followed, watching their interplay. The senator walked down the hallway towards the elevator with his arm wrapped around the curvy redhead’s waist. Brody walked at her other side, his back ramrod straight.

The lawyer stopped to talk to the hotel manager. The man in the green jacket wrung his hands and nodded anxiously. Josh wasn’t surprised when Brody reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. This time the exchange of money was clear and out in the open. Josh knew it was to keep the hotel quiet about the senator’s activities.

Although they’d both call it a tip.

The hotel wasn’t going to talk about this incident anyway. It would jeopardise their rating. Guests wouldn’t want to fork over money to stay here if they were worried about camera crews breaking in to tape them.

Josh flexed his hand, unconscious that he’d curled it into a fist. Maybe it was all on the up-and-up. Maybe the senator had just been caught with his much younger, much sexier girlfriend. It would make things so much simpler.

But he and Nina didn’t do simple, did they?

Luxxor. Son of a bitch.

He’d wondered what scandal would pull them together next. He’d been counting on one.

Just not this.

Chapter Two

A phone call awakened Nina from one of the most erotic dreams she’d ever had. She jerked awake to find the covers kicked off and sweat coating her skin. She was breathing as if she’d just run a hundred-yard dash, but the ache deep between her legs told her she hadn’t won the prize.

‘Ohhh,’ she groaned as she pressed her hands to her face.

So close. She’d been so close.

Heat flared inside her, and she pulled her knees up towards her chest. Then again, these dreams never ended happily, did they? In them she usually did something stupid like roll off the detective or push him away.

Her ringtone went off again, this time waking her fully. Her scrambled thoughts coalesced, and she pounced on her phone on the nightstand. Her sweat-drenched body cooled. It was never good when one of her escorts called her in the middle of the night.

She swiped her finger across the screen and sat up. ‘Genieve, what’s wrong? Are you all right?’

‘I’m fine,’ the woman rushed to assure her. ‘I’m sorry to wake you, but something went down tonight. You need to know.’

Nina clicked on the light by her bed and tucked her pillow behind her. As long as everyone was all right, that was what was important. She could figure out how to handle the rest. ‘What happened?’

‘The senator and I were … inconveniently interrupted.’

Nina blew out a breath. Her heart was still pounding loud enough that she could hear it.

The senator. Gunderson. She pinched the bridge of her nose. He wasn’t one of her favourite people. All show and no substance. He spent more time working on his appearance than on his platforms, but the three-hundred-dollar haircut and hours in the gym had gotten him elected now, hadn’t they?

But wait … He was up for election again, she remembered and winced silently. A scandal involving a candidate and one of her escorts was not good. His money spent just as well as anyone’s, but in her business politicians came with more risk.

‘Where were you caught, and by whom?’ she asked.

‘At the hotel by paparazzi.’

The press was involved. A bit more worry started to niggle at her. ‘You two have been seen together at events. He’s single.’

How bad could it be? They’d been very careful with the story they’d created for the pair.

‘I’m not talking in the lobby, Nina. They broke into our hotel room with cameras running. Again, at a very inconvenient time.’

Nina went still. Not much surprised her any more, but that did. ‘My God. That’s horrible. What were they thinking?’

An uncomfortable shudder went through her. Overheated or not, she pulled the covers over her legs and looked from her clinging negligée to the door. It made her want to check her security system. Genieve must have been terrified … and horrified. She couldn’t imagine Josh letting anyone do that and get away standing.

If she didn’t get to his gun first …

The blue glass butterfly on her bedstand almost seemed to flutter, and Nina closed her eyes. What was she thinking? The man wasn’t her lover and never would be. She was still too close to that steamy dream.

She shook it off and tried to concentrate.

‘I can’t believe this happened at the Emissary.’ She was surprised Henri hadn’t called her already to beg her forgiveness. He knew his four-star rating would be in jeopardy now.

She’d make sure of it.

‘Samuel went after them. He managed to push them out of the room, but not before they got video of the two of us.’

‘How bad was it?’

‘Nothing kinky, but bad.’

Nina rubbed her temple. The magnitude of the situation was starting to press down upon her. ‘Why would they do that?’ she asked. ‘What led them to you? Why be so brazen?’

‘They’re from a website. I don’t think they knew the press’s limitations or the law.’

That was one of the first things Nina trained her new employees on.

‘Nina, they knew I was an escort.’

Nina went still. ‘What? How?’

‘Somebody called in a tip. They were trying to get the scoop.’

As tired as she was, Nina’s thoughts finally became razor-sharp. She’d known the risks she was taking when she’d entered this field. She’d planned for this contingency since Day One, and she had precautions in place. Whatever the press had, it couldn’t be solid evidence. Only those escorts under exclusive contracts knew just how far Luxxor went to please its clients.

‘What’s the name of this news organisation?’ she asked, her words clipped. She had contacts. She had influence. She might be able to plug this leak, whatever it was. ‘Where is that video now?’

Genieve let out a puff of air. ‘Well … the good news and the bad news are the same on that. The police have it.’

The police?

Oh, good Lord. Was Genieve calling from the police station? Did she need bail money? Nina threw back the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

‘Were you arrested?’ What could the police possibly have on her other than some thugs’ purported intel?

‘No, but the reporters were. The senator and I just gave statements.’

Nina stopped and dragged a hand through her hair. It was damp, too. This just kept getting better and better.

She stared at her slippers on the floor as her thoughts turned inward, calculating fast. The police had the video. At least it wouldn’t be going viral. But the police had it.

Had the reporters told them what they thought they’d captured? Of course they had. Yet Genieve and the senator’s relationship had been established. The police didn’t know there was a contract behind it. That contract was locked up and secure.

At least Luxxor’s copy of it was.

She’d need to get on that.

‘Where are you?’ she asked. ‘Are you safe? I’ll have Mr Howard come pick you up. What do you need, Genieve? Just tell me.’

‘I’m OK. I’m with … Brody.’

Nina’s chin popped up. Brody Haynes was a fixer. He cleaned up politicians’ messes and made problems go away. The man was a behind-the-scenes force, and not someone you wanted to get on the wrong side of. For all his pretty-boy looks, he had the instincts of a rattlesnake. He knew things about people. He collected it for use at a later time. She’d done her best to steer clear of him or align herself with him, when she could.

That better be paying off now.

‘Did he get you out of the hotel?’

‘Yes. He wants me to lie low for a while. He said he’d handle things.’

Oh, did he now? Nina’s lips flattened. ‘What do you think, Genieve? Forget Haynes. Don’t worry about me or Luxxor. What do you want to do? Tell me, and I’ll make it happen.’

The escort paused. ‘I think he may be right.’

Nina thought through the options. ‘Is he there now?’

‘Yes.’

‘Let me talk to him.’

She glanced at the alarm clock beside her bed. It was nearly three o’clock in the morning. She’d been jolted out of a dead sleep – although a very active dream. Adrenalin was pumping through her system, and it honed her thoughts. She needed to think strategically.

‘Nina.’

Two syllables was all it took for her to measure the man’s mood. Scary.

‘Brody. What’s the situation?’

‘Not good. The reporters were pretty loud with their accusations, but the police knew they didn’t have anything solid. The detective on the scene seemed suspicious, though. You have to destroy that contract.’

She shook her head. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t. ‘I need to hear it from one of the parties involved.’

‘Are you serious?’ There were sounds of footsteps. ‘Jenny, tell her to burn the thing.’

Genieve’s voice came on the line. For as upbeat as she usually was, she sounded worried and tired. ‘Nina, you’ve got to get rid of it.’

‘Does the senator know?’

Brody was back on the line. ‘He will. He’ll do whatever I tell him if he wants to keep his job.’

‘He won’t be happy.’

‘I’ll deal with it.’

It wasn’t the best way to conduct business, but they needed to get rid of that damning evidence as quickly as possible. ‘I’ll handle it myself,’ Nina promised. ‘The video the reporters took. Have you seen it?’

When Brody cleared his throat, it sounded suspiciously like a growl. ‘Enough of it.’

She rubbed her forehead. ‘Can we get it?’

‘Not legally. They took that as evidence for the B&E charge. Those reporters have to be pissing their pants right now. I should be able to handle them. Our bigger problem is the anonymous tip.’

Nina hadn’t missed that part. She just needed to focus on the most important things first. ‘I can take care of Genieve.’

‘I’ll do it.’

‘She’s my employee.’

‘And the senator is my problem.’ Haynes let out an uncharacteristic sigh. ‘Nina, this is my turf. I handle clean-up better than anyone, including you, and this is a crucial time in the campaign process. I’m not going to jeopardise the senator’s seat.’

She’d give him that, but she knew the lengths the man went to when he swept issues under the rug. ‘I won’t have Genieve hurt or thrown to the wolves.’

‘I’ll protect her.’ He paused again. ‘I promise.’

Nina slowly rested back against her pillow. For all his games, she’d never seen Brody Haynes outright lie. He spun things, twisted them or fluffed them up.

‘It would be best for everyone if we separated your attachment to her,’ he argued. ‘You’re simply her employer, like a waitress at a coffee shop or an account manager at a media firm.’

Good point. ‘Did the reporters use Luxxor’s name?’

‘No. It never came up.’ There was rustling on the other end of the line and then Genieve’s voice in the background. ‘What?’

Nina heard murmurs as the two talked, but the phone was too muffled for her to hear. When the voices cleared, Genieve had control of the phone again.

‘Nina, that’s the bad part.’

Nina let an eyebrow lift. They hadn’t gotten to the bad part yet?

‘Your detective was there. He recognised me.’

‘Morgan?’ Nina’s heart kicked into overdrive again. She was so surprised, she didn’t even argue that he was her detective. ‘What was he doing there?’

‘Working? It looked like he was in charge.’

Nina came right off the bed and started to pace. Of all the cases for him to catch. Nothing that Genieve had told her should have brought the authorities’ attention to Luxxor. They had plenty of other things to be concerned about. Luxxor should have flown right under the radar.

But with Morgan on the case?

A dog with a bone.

She rubbed her forehead as she turned to pace in the other direction. Her thoughts were flying low and fast. ‘Stay with Brody. You’ll be paid for your time. Do whatever he says.’

‘OK. But Nina? He was good to me. Morgan, that is.’

Yes, he had that sweet side that came out on occasion just to mess with a woman’s head.

Nina turned her back on the rumpled bed. She couldn’t look at it any more. ‘I’m glad you’re safe, Genieve. Call me if you need anything.’

‘I will. And Nina? I’m sorry.’

‘It’s not your fault. Be safe.’

Nina hung up from the call, and the silence in the room was heavy. Under the lamp on the bedside table, her blue butterfly glowed.

She turned on her heel and headed for the walk-in closet. She slipped her arms into the sleeves of her satin dressing robe and belted it tightly. From being so overheated, she suddenly had a chill.

He’d come for her soon.

He might not have any proof, but he’d come.

She had to be ready.

She swept up her phone again and hit speed dial for her security team. ‘Mr Howard, we have a situation.’

She moved through her penthouse apartment, turning on lights as she headed to the kitchen. She needed tea. She needed to remain calm. ‘Genieve ran into a bad spot with the press tonight. I don’t know if they’ve connected her to Luxxor yet, but you might have some unexpected visitors setting up shop outside. Do not engage, but make sure our people get home safely without being harassed.’

Hosts picked up and dropped off their escorts at the security office on the first floor of their building. It was a good safety procedure. Nobody ever knew where an escort lived. The only clients who might avoid that requirement were the ones with exclusive contracts – like the one Genieve had with Gunderson.

‘Wasn’t she out with the senator tonight?’ Mr Howard asked.

‘Yes.’

Her security man let out a grumble that reflected her opinion pretty accurately.

Nina looked at the clock over the stove. It really was late. Most of the escorts should be done with their engagements by now. She’d have to decide what to do about tomorrow. She hated to cancel appointments so late, and that would only arouse suspicion.

Her brain flipped through her options like a Vegas dealer shuffling a deck. She could change pick-up and drop-off to an alternate site. Rielle could handle that in the morning.

‘The police were also involved.’

Howard got over his disdain for the senator fast. ‘Understood, ma’am.’

She knew Howard was already going through their procedures. She’d trained her people well on the law. They knew when to ask for a search warrant. They knew their rights. ‘If Detective Morgan drops by, let him in, as usual.’

Brody was right. They needed to act as normally as possible. One of her employees had had a scare. She should be aware of it, but not overly involved.

She briefly closed her eyes. If she’d thought Morgan had watched her closely before, she was sure it was nothing compared to how he’d watch her now.

Why had he drawn the case? Was he still sore over the way she’d left him at the ballpark a few weeks ago? She remembered the angry, disappointed look that had been in his onyx eyes.

She flinched when the teapot started whistling.

She pulled the kettle off the burner and poured the hot water into a cup. Steam rose. She was in hot water, all right.

She braced her hands on the counter and hung her head. Everything inside her was screaming to run to the office and lock everything down, but she couldn’t. Everything was secure. They had procedures that they followed to make sure of it. Their records were clean. Their computers were protected – Rielle had made Darien guarantee that. The only thing dangerous was that contract. All of Luxxor’s exclusive contracts. They were in a different locale and, while it might make her feel better to destroy the senator’s right now, driving across town in the middle of the night would draw attention. Morgan might be watching.

She glanced at the floor-to-ceiling windows of her penthouse. He knew where she lived. He’d been here.

What if he dropped by her home?

Instead of a shiver, heat flared inside her once again.

She picked up her cup of tea and turned all the lights back off, but she didn’t return to her bedroom. She couldn’t. Instead, she curled up in a recliner in her darkened living room. It was the dead of the night. The curtains were all closed, except for a slit that allowed a shard of light to sweep across the room. In the penthouse she had no neighbours, but she could feel the city sleeping all around her. There was no way she could rest.

She put the cup of tea aside and leaned back against the oversized leather cushions.

She needed to hold tight and let everything blow over. The detective was like that light slashing into her room, trying to peer into the darkness. She just needed to stay back, hidden amongst the shadows. She needed to make sure no more cracks were showing.

But this was Morgan.

And the last time she’d seen him, she’d given him a kiss-off.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket again. It was time she called her lawyer. It was time for her to start protecting herself from the protector.

Things weren’t over between them yet.

* * *

Josh still hadn’t been to bed when he stopped by Luxxor’s offices the next morning. He always felt like a bull in a china shop when he came to this place, but, tired and rumpled, he felt even more out of place. He supposed he could have gone home first, showered and shaved. But if he’d gone home, he would have crashed.

But probably not slept.

He had to see her. He had to look into her eyes. If he didn’t, the questions would drive him nuts.

He stopped in front of the door to Luxxor’s suite. The gilded letters of the company’s name matched the font he’d seen on that business card. He dragged a hand through his hair and straightened his jacket. When he stepped inside, the look on Rielle’s face told him it hadn’t helped.

‘Oh, Detective. Can I get you some coffee? Aspirin?’

He looked that rough, huh? He shook his head. ‘I just came by to see if Nina had an opening in her schedule.’

The office manager looked at him dubiously. ‘You’re asking?’

He shrugged. Typically, he didn’t. He just went in to see her. He liked catching her unaware. He liked shaking her up. Today, it felt like he should follow the rules.

‘She’s not with anybody right now.’ Rielle reached for the phone on her desk. ‘Let me check if she can see you.’

‘I have time.’

The soft words came from around the corner. When Nina entered the room, Josh felt the jolt like he always did. She looked like a million bucks. She was wearing a fitted blue suit with a necklace that dangled low in the V between her breasts. Her heels were the serious ones this time. No flower-patterned designer sneakers. The four inches of additional height told him just how ready she was for battle.

He felt the tiredness overtake him. He didn’t want to fight with her. He didn’t want to know if they were on the opposite sides of the law. All he wanted to do was take her home to his place, to the soft bed that awaited. It was more than big enough to fit both of them. They could pull the covers over their heads and forget about the world outside. All their problems.

And everything that stood between them.

‘Detective Morgan.’

Fuck. They were back to that?

‘Ms Lockwood.’ His voice sounded like sandpaper.

Just … fuck.

‘I won’t take much of your time,’ he said. ‘I need to ask you a few questions about one of your employees, Genieve Hart.’

Rielle’s chair squeaked as she spun away and became interested in her computer.

Nina folded her arms around the folders she carried. ‘Genieve’s not here. She’s still shaken from what happened last night.’

‘She called you.’

‘Yes, she asked for the day off. I gave it to her, of course, with pay.’

‘How kind of you.’

Her brown eyes flared. Finally. There was the reaction he was used to.

She tapped her fingers against the folders and reined it in. ‘Thank you for helping her. She told me you came to her aid.’

‘No problem. It’s my job.’

The silence became uncomfortable.

‘So,’ she finally said, ‘you’re here because …?’

‘Just doing some follow-up work. Your employee was the victim of a pretty bold crime last night. I’m trying to figure out why she might have been targeted.’

‘Her boyfriend obviously was the target, Senator Gunderson.’

Josh cocked his head. ‘Maybe. I still need to check all the angles. You know that about me by now, Nina.’

Her eyes widened. She set the files on Rielle’s desk and gestured to the hallway. ‘Come to my office. We can talk there.’

His gaze swept down her form as he followed her. It was beyond habit now; it was a compulsion. Her skirt cupped her backside like it had been custom made, and the slit up the back gave him glimpses of sleek legs. She thought those sky-high heels of hers could help her kick ass.

Come to think of it, they did. The first time he’d seen her, he’d been knocked on his.

They hadn’t kicked him out the door, though, and he’d kept coming back.

He looked around the familiar office. It screamed sophistication with plush grey carpeting and lighter grey walls. Pops of royal blue were sprinkled around from the pillows on the sofa to the decanter on the wet bar. He’d guessed long ago it was her favourite colour. He sat down in the chair in front of her desk – the normal one, not the funky blue one. You couldn’t pay him to sit in that thing. Yet when he sat, he felt all of her menagerie staring at him. Blue glass figurines flashed at him in disapproval from the shelves on the walls. The elephant on the corner of her desk even flailed its trunk in outrage.

I know, buddy, Josh thought. I know.

He didn’t know why he felt guilty. He’d had inklings all along about Luxxor’s mysterious line of work. Inklings that, in truth, had been big, glaring red neon signs. He just hadn’t looked too hard at them.

He’d been looking somewhere else.

He watched Nina as she moved behind the big oak desk and sat in that oversized leather chair of hers. ‘Now, what is this about, Detective?’ she asked.

‘I thought you might be able to help with our investigation.’

‘Into the break-in at the Emissary Hotel? How?’

‘I’m looking for a motive.’ He held up his hands. ‘You don’t have to answer anything you don’t want to. This isn’t an interrogation.’

She arched an eyebrow at him. ‘So if I ask you to go away, you really will this time?’

He lowered his hands and wrapped them around the arms of the chair. ‘I wasn’t the one who ran away, Nina. You were.’

Colour lit her cheeks, and she fussed with her pen. They both knew that, the last time they’d seen each other, they’d been in a lip-lock that had lit up a 40,000-seat stadium.

She tucked her hair behind her ear. ‘I apologise. That was rude of me.’

He didn’t mind so much. He intimidated most women. He didn’t mean to, but he couldn’t help his size. OK, maybe he could fix his attitude, but when he was working he focused. He’d focused hard on her, and she hadn’t flinched. He liked the way she stood up to him, itty-bitty thing that she was.

He looked at her more closely. He hadn’t seen her for a couple of weeks. Her ash-blonde hair looked soft and shiny. Her lips were a soft pink to match the colour on her fingernails. She looked put together, but with enough femininity to balance the seriousness of that suit. With the morning sun coming through the windows behind her, though, he could see the tiredness written across her face.

He frowned. When had Genieve called her? He’d bet his lucky nickel it had been before she’d made it down to the car. Which meant that Nina had been up nearly as long as he had … Unlike him, she’d tried to hide her fatigue with the magic of makeup, but he could see it.

She sat behind that huge desk looking tired and way too calm, and he just couldn’t take it. The behemoth desk had stood between them more than once. Not this time.

‘Where’s that coffee Rielle talked about?’

Nina’s eyebrows rose. ‘In the breakroom. Would you like her to bring you some?’

She reached for her phone.

‘No, let’s go down there.’

‘What? Detective Morgan?’ he heard her sputter when he stood and left the room.

She followed him, like he knew she would.

He caught Rielle’s eye when he stepped back into the lobby. Her head was bent close to Sienna Blakely’s, Luxxor’s communications manager. Wonder what they were talking about?

‘Breakroom?’ he asked.

Rielle quickly unfolded her long legs and started to rise.

He held up his hand to stop her. ‘Which way?’

She pointed, and he found it just one door down. The office lunchroom area was like a gourmet kitchen compared to the breakroom down at the police station. The refrigerator was stainless steel, as was the dishwasher. At the station, they used paper cups and plastic silverware. Here, a bowl of fresh fruit sat on the counter, along with a basket of power bars. He headed for the coffeemaker and found real coffee mugs. He poured himself a cup and had one waiting for Nina when she marched into the room.

‘What are you doing?’ she demanded.

‘You look about as good as I feel.’ He pointed at the coffee cup already on the table.

Her chin came up at that, and her hand lifted self-consciously to her face.

‘Oh, don’t give me that. You’re a knockout and you know it, but I can see how tired you are.’

She glared at him. ‘You’re such a sweet-talker, Detective.’

Wordlessly, he passed her a packet of creamer and two sugars – just how she took her coffee. He knew. He’d been paying attention. He gave her a spoon, too, a real one from a fancy silverware set in the first drawer he opened. No plastic stir straws for this place.

The stiffness in her jaw softened. At last, she took a chair, prepared her coffee and took an appreciative sip. ‘Thank you,’ she said.

‘You’re welcome.’ He sat down in the ladder-back chair at the end of the table. It put him right next to her, and he much preferred this set-up. There was no desk between them, no zoo of glass figurines watching. They were still on her turf, but not in her fortress. They could talk now.

‘So …’ he began. ‘Genieve dates a senator.’

‘Yes.’

‘How long has that been going on?’

‘I’m not sure. A month or so? I don’t follow my employees’ love lives that closely.’

‘Really?’ He grunted. ‘It seems we’ve had a front-row view of some of them.’

She considered that for a moment and shrugged.

Josh ran a hand through his hair. Even when she shrugged she was graceful. How could he ask the questions he needed to ask? What he’d seen in that hotel room hadn’t been nice and proper. If Luxxor really was what he worried it was, and Nina was its president, that also made her …

No. One step at a time. He couldn’t get ahead of himself.

‘How did they meet?’

‘Through business.’

‘Your company’s business?’

Her gaze met his over her coffee cup. ‘Yes. I introduced them. What does that have to do with the invasion of their hotel room?’

It took him a moment before he decided to answer truthfully. He had to see her reaction. He had to know. ‘The reporters claimed she was a prostitute. They thought the American people should know what their elected officials are doing. Or should I say, “whom”?’

Nina flinched hard enough to make her hair sway, and the fight came into her eyes. ‘So that gives them the right to break the law? They can enter a hotel room by force and film a couple during a moment of intimacy based on hearsay?’

‘No. That’s why I arrested them.’

The tension in the room ebbed.

‘Yes. Right. Thank you for doing that.’ She stared down into her coffee. ‘The video … can the part after the break-in be erased?’

‘No. That would be tampering with the evidence.’ And he wouldn’t do that – not even if she asked him to. His shoulders pulled tight as he waited to see if she would.

‘Even if it’s a terrible invasion of privacy?’ she asked.

‘The judge could rule that portion impermissible – for this crime.’

Her lips thinned, and she folded her hands tightly. ‘The accusation is offensive. Genieve’s been seeing the senator exclusively for a while. Do your homework, Morgan.’

Exclusive. There was that word again. It hit Josh’s ear wrong. He’d heard it before … from Genieve …

‘Interesting you should say that.’ He took a drink of his own coffee. It was the good stuff, but he’d long since passed the need for caffeine. When he set it on the table, he leaned in towards her. He gave her credit. He felt the electricity between them jump, but she didn’t pull back. ‘I did a quick Internet search on the senator. He seems to show up in lifestyle stories more than political ones.’

‘I’m shocked.’

‘There were photos of him at events with Genieve on his arm.’

Nina lifted her coffee cup and an eyebrow. ‘Don’t make me say I told you so.’

‘There were even more photos of her doing the same with other men. Rich men.’

She took her time sipping her coffee. When she set it back down, the cup didn’t even clink against the table. ‘She dates. That’s not a crime.’

‘Maybe. Not usually, but the senator had your business card in his pocket.’

He watched as her pretty eyes narrowed. ‘Probably because his girlfriend works here.’

‘And what, exactly, is it that Luxxor does, Nina? You’ve never really shared that with me.’

The muscle in her temple pulsed. ‘I don’t know what you’re implying, Detective, but Luxxor will not tolerate slander. From reporters or you. I thought this discussion was supposed to be about the crime that was committed – the break-in. Do I need to call my lawyer?’

Josh sat back in his chair and stretched out his legs. Their feet bumped, and she shifted. They were back to the magnetic push/pull dance they liked to do. Skirting around the subject … and each other … He’d always wondered at the cause behind it. Serious attraction had always been the pull, but the push had always been a mystery.

Was her job the reason why she’d told him they couldn’t be together?

He drummed his fingers against the table top. ‘Have you noticed anyone hanging around the place? Has this TMI website reached out to you in any way?’

‘No.’

‘Does Genieve have any enemies?’

‘Everyone likes her.’

Yeah, he’d seen proof of that. The boys in blue at the hotel room had liked her a lot. ‘How about the senator?’

She rolled her eyes. ‘He’s a politician – and he’s running for office.’

Point taken. Dumb question.

‘How about you?’ he asked.

She reached up to touch her earring. It was a little thing, but the question unsettled her more than he liked. ‘Not that I know of.’

‘Would you tell me if you did?’

She didn’t answer.

Suddenly the tension in the room pissed Josh off.

‘Nina, the reporters got an anonymous tip.’

‘From someone obviously very hurtful.’

‘That’s what worries me.’ The energy he’d been missing for most of the night returned with a surge. He turned in his seat and leaned towards her until he was in her space and in her way. ‘Just tell me, is there anything I need to know?’

She concentrated on her coffee, but the pulse at her temple fluttered wildly. ‘No.’

‘Do you trust me?’ he asked.

The tip of her tongue darted out to run across her lips, but she kept her silence.

Apparently, not enough.

The spurt of energy left him, and the weight of the night jumped on Josh’s back. If she’d just shared a little, he might have been able to let it go. But now? Now he had to keep digging, and in places she might not like.

Wearily, he pushed himself to his feet. She looked up at him, her beautiful face pale.

He wanted to touch her so badly, his fingers ached. To stop himself, he planted his hands on his hips. ‘I knew some new scandal would eventually bring me back here. I just wasn’t expecting this.’

‘Detective …’

He shook his head. ‘Get some rest, Nina.’

He had a feeling they both were going to need it.

Chapter Three

Nina wasn’t ready when her employees flew into the breakroom seconds after the main office door clicked shut. It was such a quiet sound after all that energy Josh had been giving off – and somehow so much worse than if he’d yelled or broken something. She set down her coffee cup. Her hand was trembling so badly, some of it sloshed onto the cherrywood table.

‘What just happened?’ Rielle asked. Her hair streamed out behind her as she spun around the corner.

Sienna was hot on her heels. ‘Are you OK? What did he want?’

‘More importantly, what does he know?’ Rielle asked.

Nina carefully mopped up her spill with a napkin from the holder on the table. ‘He suspects too much. He just has no proof.’

‘That’s good, isn’t it?’ Sienna asked.

‘Mmmm,’ Rielle hummed worriedly. She was involved with a man who worked in the shadows. She knew better than anyone that it wasn’t good to arouse that kind of person’s curiosity.

Josh wasn’t that different from Darien, in a lot of ways. He was just more conscious of what was right and what was wrong. Did he even see the shades of grey between the two?

Nina felt her coffee settling in her gut like a witch’s brew. She’d disappointed him; she knew she had. It had been a long time since she’d cared what anybody else thought, but this? It hurt.

She brushed her hand across her cheek. He’d called her a knockout.

Images from her dream returned. It seemed as if it had been ages ago rather than hours, but the ache was even more intense after seeing him … and feeling that snap in the air between them … She crossed her legs and bit her lip. He’d looked so tired. There had been dark circles beneath his eyes, and his five o’clock shadow had been rough and sexy. When she’d first seen him, her immediate impulse had been to take him home and take care of him. In every way possible …

In every way a madam could …

She closed her eyes. She couldn’t let him find out the worst, no matter how much guilt pulled at her. That would only seal his opinion of her and put her in an even worse spot. She needed to protect Genieve, Sienna, Rielle, Mr Howard and the rest of her staff. ‘It’s war room time.’

They needed to develop a strategy. They needed to get on top of this early.

Her cheeks heated. Pun strictly unintended.

She gathered up the sopping napkin and threw it away in the trashcan under the sink. She rinsed her hands and patted them dry. ‘Rielle, please lock the door to the offices and have Security let us know if any visitors arrive.’

There shouldn’t be any – at least none she wanted to see. She’d already cleared her schedule for the day.

‘Sienna, could you please turn on the television and check if the local channels are reporting anything yet?’ There had been nothing on the national morning news shows. She’d missed the early news because she’d been out, taking care of an important task.

Sienna crossed the room and turned on the flatscreen TV that hung on the wall. The tall blonde flipped through channels and muted the sound when she found nothing pertinent to their situation. ‘I haven’t seen anything about the senator. I can’t believe they’re not reporting the hotel break-in yet.’

Haynes had gotten on it early.

‘It’s inevitable,’ Nina said, her voice steady.

They just needed to be ready to react when it did.

With a sigh, Sienna took an orange from the fruit basket and a plate from the cupboard. She sat in the seat where Josh had just been and began to peel the fruit. ‘I’ve changed the pick-up and drop-off points to the back-up location tonight, as you requested. If anyone arrives here, Security will redirect them.’

‘Good.’ Nina glanced out the window at the DC skyline. The morning was bright and sunny, much too pretty for the ugly machinations they were going through. But that was DC now, wasn’t it? All the grit and grime of the city were hidden behind the pomp and circumstance. ‘Hopefully nobody will be followed.’

Rielle returned and poured herself a glass of water from the filtered pitcher in the refrigerator. ‘Security says they haven’t seen any reporters.’

The office manager’s expression turned rueful. ‘Your detective has been the only cop.’

Her detective.

She’d told him it couldn’t work between them.

‘Let’s keep it that way.’ Nina hooked her hair behind her ear. Her hand was steadier. She needed to keep busy. She needed to stay one step ahead. ‘Other than Morgan’s curiosity, Genieve’s place of work should be just a footnote to this whole story.’

‘Unless the reporters’ claims about her being a callgirl get out,’ Sienna warned.

Nina’s back teeth ground. To call those two reporters was being generous. She’d looked into them. They were GWU dropouts trying to make a go of it as an Internet company. ‘She’s not a callgirl. She’s an escort. There’s a difference.’

Rielle lifted an eyebrow. ‘In this case, there isn’t.’

‘Not any more.’ Despite what the detective had implied, it wasn’t illegal for people to pay others to spend time with them. It was only when sex entered the picture that things got murky. Things between Senator Gunderson and Genieve had definitely been murky, but that exclusive contract she’d had under lock and key was now a pile of ashes fertilising the fern in the lobby.

It had taken all of her willpower not to destroy the rest of the company’s exclusive contracts along with it, but those contracts were the lifeblood of Luxxor. They provided money, power, and – most importantly – leverage. She’d built her business on them. She couldn’t throw it all away now.

She looked at Rielle. ‘Have you contacted all our exclusive clients?’

‘There are only a few I haven’t been able to reach yet. I’ve reminded them all of the requirement to keep the agreements in a safe location.’

‘Any pushback?’

‘No.’

‘And Gunderson’s copy?’

‘Brody’s already gotten rid of it.’ Rielle swept her long hair over her shoulder. ‘It seemed like he and Genieve were fighting about that, though.’

‘Why?’ Nina’s antenna rose. They needed that contract to be gone, and they couldn’t jeopardise that relationship. Without Haynes, they would be in a much worse situation than they already were.

‘He wants to know where other exclusive contracts might be so he can take care of them, too. Genieve won’t tell him.’

The escort only knew of a handful, but Brody wouldn’t know that.

‘Hm. Good girl,’ Nina murmured. She’d never seen the cheery redhead fight with anyone. She usually cajoled and charmed her way out of situations. If this had to happen, Genieve was probably the best escort she had to handle the situation. If the woman could keep Haynes in check, too, that would be ideal.

Nina returned to her chair and stroked her finger along the coffee mug’s handle. ‘All right. I’m comfortable that we’ve done everything we can do for the company’s current needs. What we need to focus on is that tip that was phoned in to the pretend reporters.’

She didn’t even dare think of what might have happened if the whistleblower had called one of the big stations or newspapers. Why hadn’t they done that? Had they thought they wouldn’t be treated seriously? Did they think it wouldn’t have created as big of a bang as video of the couple in flagrante delicto?

Her brow furrowed. Or was it because they hadn’t wanted to be traced or double-checked? Real reporters sought out multiple sources – or they used to when journalism was respectable.

‘We need to make a list of anybody who might have made that call.’ Morgan had been right about that.

Rielle picked up her pen. She had her trusty memo pad at the ready. ‘Like who?’

‘Disgruntled clients, for one.’

Sienna stopped in the middle of splitting orange slices. ‘We have those?’

‘Well … Widow Hawkins wasn’t happy when Dane left for his new job,’ Nina said.

Sienna frowned. ‘I thought she liked Casey.’

Rielle twiddled her pen. ‘He’s nice, but he’s no Dane.’

Nina sighed right along with the other girls. No, Dane was in a class all his own. She’d hated losing him, but she’d do anything she could to help him in his new career – although why anyone with morals and decency would want to go into politics was beyond her.

‘That’s a good point, though,’ she said. ‘Contact Dane. Have him put an ear to the ground to see if anyone has a grudge against Senator Gunderson.’

‘The silver fox?’ Sienna lifted an eyebrow. ‘Say it isn’t so.’

Rielle was still tapping her pen. ‘Not all our clients know about our exclusive contracts. That narrows down the list, doesn’t it?’

‘As long as everyone has toed the line and not spoken to others.’ Nina glanced at the television where a talking head was still silenced. That was her Achilles heel, the people aspect of confidentiality. Some people just couldn’t keep their mouths shut.

‘We’ve had a few clients who’ve requested special services that we’ve turned down,’ she said, thinking aloud. They’d been shots in the dark, really, by patrons who’d become infatuated with the escorts who’d spent time with them. She’d evaluated the requests and the individuals involved. When an escort didn’t express similar interest, she typically let the request go with a mild rebuke to the client. There had been a handful that she’d rejected outright without even asking.

She ran a tight ship. There was more to be concerned about than money. She only put together exclusive contracts when all parties were onboard and she’d concluded the partnership would be safe and mutually satisfying.

‘Has anyone requested Genieve’s time and been turned down?’ Sienna asked.

Rielle nodded. The woman had a memory like a computer chip. ‘She’s in high demand – even as just an escort.’

And why not? Genieve was beautiful, smart and good-natured.

Nina’s grip tightened on her mug when she thought about Josh catching the sultry redhead in the act. Had he watched the video?

How had he reacted? Had he been aroused?

‘Put them on the list,’ she said tightly. ‘We’ll pare it down later.’

Really, anyone with knowledge of Luxxor’s extracurricular activities should be on that list.

Nina lifted her head slowly. That would include the two women sitting across from her.

‘Wait. What about both of you?’ she asked. Her office staff weren’t required to act as escorts. She’d never demand that of anyone, yet both of the women closest to her had met their significant others through Luxxor’s special pairings. ‘Have you put your own contracts under lock and key?’

‘I destroyed mine with Jason a while ago,’ Sienna said. A blush settled onto her fair skin. ‘We made a special night of it.’

Nina could only imagine. That contract had been a major factor in the couple’s romance – both good and bad. Jason Sloan would be just as happy to destroy her as he would that piece of paper. She paused momentarily, but let the thought go. Sloan would never do that with Sienna working here. Besides, an anonymous phone call wasn’t his style.

Sienna looked just as worried, but for a different reason. ‘Luxxor’s copy was destroyed, too, right?’

Nina nodded. ‘There’s no evidence of it left.’

Evidence. An image of Morgan popped back into her head. Sitting next to her, his shoulders a mile wide … leaning in until she could feel his heat … his hair mussed and his gaze too knowing …

She turned away. ‘Rielle?’

‘Mine’s gone, too.’

Sienna dropped an orange peel. ‘Erin framed hers and hung it on a wall in her house.’

Nina’s head whipped around. ‘She did what?’

‘She thought it was a sign of her and Colton’s love.’ Sienna waved her hand. ‘Don’t worry. Colton talked her into getting rid of it.’

‘How?’ Nina demanded. Her nerves were too frayed to deal with something like this. Erin was sweet, but she’d thought Sienna’s best friend was smarter than that.

Unless she’d been using it as leverage …

‘Did he get her a ring?’

Sienna smiled. ‘A puppy. Joint ownership.’

‘Aww,’ Rielle said.

‘I think it will be a while before she goes down the marriage trail again.’

Nina didn’t care what road they went down, as long as the paperwork that had initiated the woman’s relationship with the lawyer was handled. Nina could only imagine Colton King, the big DC lawyer, wanting that document gone as much as she did.

Rielle perked up. ‘Maybe that’s the answer.’

‘What’s the answer?’ Sienna asked.

‘Nina should sign Detective Morgan to an exclusive contract with her. Then he couldn’t talk.’

Nina’s jaw dropped, and an unladylike gasp escaped her.

Sienna winced.

‘It was a joke.’ Rielle sat back in her chair. Her confidence really had risen since she’d been dating Darien. ‘But it’s not a bad idea. Think about it. He’s interested.’

Nina felt her employees both staring at her, but the words just wouldn’t come.

Her and the detective? In an exclusive contract?

Her belly squeezed, and she pointed the toe of her stiletto hard. She was a madam. She took good care of her escorts, but she’d never gotten into the game herself. She’d never wanted to.

But hadn’t she been dreaming about that very thing?

‘Oh, no.’ Sienna suddenly reached for the remote and restored the sound. ‘Here it is.’

Nina looked at the television in confusion. It took her a moment to catch up, but, when she did, her pulse rate took off even faster. The news media – the real ones – had caught scent of the story. The morning news anchor was seated behind her desk, but a picture of the senator and Genieve was posted on the right side of the screen.

‘Where is that?’ she asked as she looked at the background.

‘That’s the dress Genieve wore to the Italian ambassador’s birthday party,’ Rielle said.

‘Turn it up,’ Nina said.

The still picture on the screen turned into a live shot of a reporter, and her heart sank.

‘This is Randall Cummings. I’m standing here outside the Emissary Hotel where, just after midnight last night, Metro Police arrested two reporters from TMI News for allegedly breaking into a room reserved by none other than Senator Samuel Gunderson. Witnesses were awakened by a loud exchange between the senator and the two reporters. Hotel security contacted the police, and the perpetrators were apprehended on the scene. The two, Lance Durquist and Jimmy Schmidt, are scheduled for arraignment today. I caught up with the senator earlier this morning, and here’s what he had to say about the incident.’

The report cut to film of the senator arriving on Capitol Hill. The distinguished-looking politician was climbing the mass of white steps, carrying a briefcase. Behind him were the picturesque Capitol Reflecting Pool and the Ulysses S. Grant memorial. The senator looked confident as he approached the reporter, but his staff looked nervous. One assistant kept toying with his bowtie, and the woman in the prim suit was staring too hard. As the senator stopped to talk, it became apparent he’d had a rough night. His hand was wrapped in a white dressing and a flesh-coloured bandage graced his forehead above his left eye.

‘Good move, Brody,’ Nina whispered.

‘Senator, can you tell us what happened last night?’ the reporter asked.

Gunderson nodded gravely. ‘Two men I’d never seen before broke into my hotel room. Frankly, it was terrifying.’

The reporter gestured to the senator’s bandages. ‘You were obviously hurt. Was there an altercation?’

‘Yes.’ The senator pulled back his sleeve to show the bandage going all the way up his forearm. ‘I didn’t know what was happening. I thought it might be a terrorist attack or an assassination attempt. I did what any able-bodied American man would do. I fought to protect myself and my girlfriend.’

It was a bit over the top, but Nina held very still. Girlfriend. Keep going. Keep going.

The reporter looked at his notes. ‘That would be Ms Genieve Hart?’

‘Yes, I never thought we’d be in danger staying in a hotel in our nation’s own capital.’

The senator looked directly into the camera. ‘I want to thank the police for arriving so quickly on the scene and arresting the individuals who did this.’

‘That would be the reporters from TMI News?’

‘If that’s what you want to call them. I’ve never seen reporters behave in such a manner.’

‘Did they give any reason for the invasion, sir?’

The senator lifted his chin defensively, and a breeze ruffled his silver hair. ‘There isn’t one good enough, is there, Randall?’

He tapped the reporter appreciatively on the shoulder. ‘I appreciate you approaching me in broad daylight, out in public, sir.’

The reporter was obviously caught off-guard. His chest puffed up, and colour dotted his cheeks. ‘Of course, sir. You’re welcome.’

‘Truly, I want to thank everyone for their concern, but I need to be off.’ The senator gave the camera another steely-eyed look. ‘I will not allow this cowardly attack to stop me from doing the work my constituents have elected me to do.’

The senator nodded and then was on his way again. The shot panned, following him and his staffers up the steps. The dome of the Capitol Building came into the wide-angle shot.

The news switched seamlessly back to the live picture of the reporter, who was clearly still starstruck. ‘This is Randall Cummings, reporting live from the Emissary Hotel.’

The anchor back at the news station had a serious look on her face when the video cut back to her. ‘Randall, this is quite a disturbing story. Did you reach out to TMI News for comment?’

‘I did, Mary, and they had none. Our call was not answered, and, at last check, their website was down.’

The anchor nodded, her brow furrowed in distaste. ‘Thank you, Randall. In other news …’

As one, Nina, Rielle and Sienna started breathing again.

‘Brody got to them,’ Nina said, the tension around her ribcage loosening. She took another fortifying drink of the coffee Morgan had poured for her.

‘That really could not have gone better,’ Sienna said with a sigh of relief.

Nina noted that her employee hadn’t eaten a bite of her orange, but had picked it clean.

‘That’s where Gunderson shines,’ she said, ‘in front of the cameras.’

‘But will the story hold?’ Rielle asked.

‘From the stars in that reporter’s eyes, he’s not going after it,’ Sienna said.

‘No, but the tipster might,’ Nina said. ‘We have no idea who it was or why they called.’

She nibbled on her lower lip. She knew someone else who would follow up on it, too. Morgan might have been bad-tempered and bleary-eyed this morning, but his take on the situation had been clear.

They just needed to keep him from proving it or, as Rielle had suggested, stop him from talking. Another hot shiver went through her.

‘That was just the opening salvo,’ she warned. ‘We need to stay in front of this.’

Rielle twiddled her pen. ‘Detective Morgan.’

Nina nodded. He wasn’t a man who’d get stardust in his eyes. ‘We need to finish this list and follow through on our action items quickly. Today.’

Preferably before the sleeping bear rose again.

She hoped he was getting some rest. In a big, soft bed somewhere. She rubbed her thighs together in an uncontrollable motion, but then stiffened her spine and stood.

‘I’ll call Dane myself.’

Sienna finally took a quick bite of an orange slice. She swept up her plate and turned towards her office. ‘I need my computer to start compiling that list.’

Rielle followed her. ‘I’ll help.’

Nina glanced at the television, where the story was already old news. She had no misconceptions. This story wasn’t over.

She turned off the television and returned to her office. She closed the door behind her and heard it click. Only then did she sag against it. Morgan wasn’t going to give up until he knew her secrets.

All of them.

* * *

Josh sat at a table at the back of Stoney’s Bar and Grill, nursing a cold beer. The place was a couple steps above a dive, but it had good grilled cheese sandwiches and a decent selection of beers. It wasn’t one of those trendy places where the DC yuppies liked to go, but it wasn’t a cop bar either. It was just a quiet neighbourhood pub where he could have a cold one and sit alone, unbothered by anything but his thoughts.

They were getting to him good enough on their own.

A tall guy in dark clothes entered the place. The owner looked up and exchanged a nod, but the man slipped by the regulars without one of them noticing. A barfly at the bar did, but her hair flip was ignored as the man quietly passed.

‘You look like hell,’ Darien said as he slid into a chair on the other side of the table.

‘I’m late for my highlights, I know,’ Josh said dryly. He signalled for the bartender to bring another beer. He welcomed the company. His thoughts were driving him crazy. ‘How’s your gut?’

Darien rubbed his side almost protectively. ‘Cast iron. A little stab wound can’t hold me down for long. Thanks,’ he told the bartender when an icy mug was slid in front of him. He took an appreciative drink. ‘What are highlights, anyway?’

‘Damned if I know.’ Josh settled back in his seat.

Darien looked uncomfortable, but there was no way Josh was going to switch places. The younger man solved the problem by turning in his chair and putting his back to the wall. He swung his legs up onto the chair next to him and crossed them at the ankles. The pose looked casual, but it gave him a view of both the front and back doors. It hadn’t been his healing injury that caused his uneasiness. Some training just settled in like an old habit.

‘Bad day?’ he asked.

Josh didn’t know if it qualified as bad. Nobody had gotten shot – or knifed. ‘Enlightening,’ he said. Like a lightning bolt to his brain. ‘It’s just been a lot to take in.’

Darien nodded. He wasn’t a cop, but he was military. Or former military. CIA, government spook, assassin or something. Josh knew better than to ask, but from what he’d been able to piece together, the guy could relate. Besides, he lived with the lovely Rielle, office manager of Luxxor Limited.

‘Rielle said you’ve been hanging around Luxxor again.’

Josh eyed a group up front when they got loud about the prize fight showing on the TV. ‘Yeah, one of her coworkers, Genieve, was jumped by the press – while she was humping a senator.’

‘Ah, the old jump-’n’-hump.’

Josh let out a bark of laughter, and the old guy watching the fight on TV eyed him back.

Josh ran a hand over his face. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed. Certainly not today.

‘Genieve …’ Darien tapped his thumb against the side of his mug. ‘Is that the hot redhead?’

‘Yeah, if you go for bombshells with curves to spare.’

‘I’m into the girl-next-door type,’ his drinking buddy confessed.

‘Blondes,’ Josh admitted with a grunt. He took a long drink of his beer. Petite ones with big attitudes and enough curves to make things interesting.

Really interesting …

He yanked himself out of his thoughts and frowned into his beer. ‘You know,’ he said simply. ‘About Luxxor.’

Darien cocked his head slowly, his eyes narrowing. ‘What about it?’

‘The things that go on there.’

The younger man rocked his top foot from side to side. ‘I know a lot of things. That doesn’t mean that I talk about them.’

‘Just tell me if I’m right.’ Josh lowered his voice. ‘Just tell me if what I suspect is the truth.’

Darien drew a circle on his mug to clear the fog so the amber liquid showed through. ‘You know better than to ask questions when you don’t want to hear the answers. Not everything is black and white.’

No, but he’d been seeing too much colour. Genieve’s red hair … Nina’s blue figurines … the senator’s gold cufflinks … Josh ground his teeth. He knew life was complicated. He knew all about extenuating circumstances. Was he expected to look the other way? ‘Your girlfriend works there. Aren’t you worried that things will spiral out of control and take her down with it?’

‘No.’

‘No? How can you say that?’

‘Because those are some sharp, tough women running that place.’ Darien shrugged and the muscles rippling under his T-shirt showed just how much physical therapy he’d been doing. ‘Besides, I’d get her out of there first.’

Josh tried to wrap his head around the concept, but couldn’t. ‘Doesn’t it bother you that she works there?’

‘The truth? No.’

But how could … Josh’s head snapped up. ‘You met her there. That’s why you showed up at Luxxor that night. You were looking for –’

‘Hey,’ the tough guy growled. ‘My girl is an office manager and a damn good one.’

Uh huh. Well, there was another cold-case question solved. Josh settled both elbows on the table and leaned forward. ‘Did she know what goes on there when she took the job?’

‘Yes. Do you?’

He … wasn’t sure.

Josh rubbed his eyes. His head was throbbing again. He’d gone home after he’d left Nina, and he’d slept like the dead, but only for a few hours. When he’d woken, she’d been the first thing on his mind. He’d headed back in to the office to write his report on the B&E. He’d had other cases that needed attention, too, but he’d spent more time than he should looking for information on her or Luxxor.

He hadn’t found much.

She was the patron saint of charities, that was for sure. The woman collected causes like she collected those blue glass figurines. Clean drinking water, education, children, animals, women in business, single mothers – she’d helped raise money for all of them.

A lot of money.

No wonder she was so high-strung. She was stretched to her limits.

Or she felt the need to make up for something.

‘Your woman has her finger on the pulse of this city,’ Darien warned. ‘She could cut off the blood supply any time she wants, but she does a lot of good, too. Remember that, whatever trail you decide to go down.’

His woman? Josh let it pass, because he wasn’t hearing that his assumptions were wrong. It made him uneasy in his skin. ‘So I should overlook the bad? I’m a cop.’

‘The guy on the news said the perps had been arrested.’

‘They were.’ Josh shook his head. ‘I mean, I did.’

‘It sounds to me like the bozos were lucky they weren’t shot. You solved the crime.’

‘Did I?’

They engaged in a stare-off, with neither of them blinking.

‘Did you find probable cause for anything else?’ Darien challenged.

For him? Yes. His Spidey sense was tingling.

For the law, though?

‘Not yet.’

‘Then why are you still looking?’

Josh fisted his hand against the table. It just didn’t work that way. He was bound by more rules than this guy. ‘I’m not wired that way.’

‘All right. I can see this bothers you.’ Darien stretched out his legs and stacked his boots the other way. ‘OK, maybe you should talk with the redhead. Get her take on things.’

‘Genieve? She won’t talk to me.’

‘I’m talking off the record. She worked in the office for a while. She’s seen how you and Nina are together.’

‘Like kerosene and TNT?’

‘Yeah.’ Darien lifted his beer. ‘Hot for one another.’

Josh muttered something impolite under his breath, but the tough guy just laughed. Josh felt his ears go hot.

‘Even if Genieve would be willing to talk, dollars to donuts, she’s gone to ground.’

‘You can’t get to her through the senator?’

‘No, but …’ Josh cocked his head. ‘Do you know anything about a Brody something-or-other? He’s a pretty-boy lawyer representing Gunderson.’

‘No.’ Darien’s brow furrowed. ‘Wait, do you mean Brody Haynes?’

‘Maybe.’

‘He’s not a lawyer. Well, maybe he technically is, but he’s a DC fixer. If he’s got her, you won’t get within five hundred feet of her.’

‘Shit,’ Josh swore.

Darien sat up a little straighter. ‘Is he working to make the issue go away or her?’

‘The issue,’ Josh said. At least he thought.

Darien pulled out his cell phone. ‘Let me check with Rielle.’

Josh started to get itchy. He’d been worried about letting Genieve walk off with those two – especially that guy – but she’d seemed willing. And smart.

He hadn’t scared her into doing something to endanger herself, had she?

Darien’s phone didn’t take long to beep with a new message. His shoulders relaxed. ‘She’s safe with him.’

Josh wasn’t so blasé about it. So Nina and this Brody guy were working together? Brody, with the Sunday-shopping-ad smile and cute hair?

‘Let Haynes smooth this one over,’ Darien said.

‘Why should I?’ Josh snarled.

‘Because you caught the bad guys.’

Josh stared into his beer again.

He only looked up when Darien rapped his knuckles against the table top. ‘Hey, Marshall Dillon and Miss Kitty made it work.’

Josh looked at him blankly. ‘Who?’

‘On Gunsmoke. The lawman and the saloon owner.’ The tough guy shrugged. ‘I’ve been watching a lot of TV during my recovery.’

‘Hell. How old do you think I am?’

‘Not that old, buddy.’ Darien knocked his knuckles again for emphasis. ‘Get out of your own way and get in the game.’

Josh rubbed the back of his neck. Don’t you think he’d tried?

‘I thought Ms Kitty just owned the bar.’

‘Yeah, but what do you think was going on in those rooms upstairs? The Marshall knew better than to ask.’ Darien shook his head. ‘If you don’t hurry, some other guy is liable to snatch her up.’

‘He’ll get his arm gnawed off first,’ Josh muttered.

But he was worried about her getting picked up – only by another cop.

He closed his eyes. Of all the women in DC, he’d had to fall for a madam.

Ms Lockwood indeed.

Shit. What was he supposed to do now?

Chapter Four

‘Morgan, you got a few minutes?’

Josh looked up distractedly from his computer screen. He was doing paperwork, his favourite thing, but his computer was acting glitchy. It put him in an extra good mood – not that he needed the help. His talk with Darien Scott had left him stewing most of the night. He frowned when he saw the man standing over his desk. ‘Higgins. What are you doing here at this hour?’

The guy shrugged, and his shoulder holster came into view. ‘I dunno. I thought we must be switching shifts, what with you taking on night-shift cases and all.’

Josh’s jaw set. The Gunderson case. He should have known. Higgins was an up-and-comer, a golden boy on the fast track. He hadn’t had his detective stripes for more than a few months, but he’d been wielding them pretty heavily from what Josh had heard.

No wonder Simons had called him instead.

Josh leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. ‘Listen, sorry if you think I stepped on your turf. My ass was rolled out of bed for this one. If I’d known what a stinker it would be, I would have let the phone ring.’

It was a moderate lie, but he wasn’t up to doing much more to stroke the guy’s ruffled feathers.

‘I should have been called in,’ Higgins insisted. His blond hair stood up in strategically gelled spikes. ‘I was the detective on duty. You should have deferred to me.’

Defer, his ass. Josh bit the inside of his cheek to hold himself back. He wasn’t going to fight over this case. It was a hot enough potato already, and he was just putting the finishing touches on it.

His chair let out a squeak as he sat up and spun back to his computer. ‘Well, next time, slugger.’

Higgins puffed up like he was about to pop. ‘Next time there’s a front-page case involving a senator? Are you kidding me?’

Josh’s eyes narrowed, and he slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder. The kid thought this was a career maker? More like career suicide. ‘Maybe when you’ve got more experience under your belt, you’ll be able to take on a case like this.’

Higgins’s chest puffed up even higher, and his cheekbones turned red. ‘No wonder everyone calls you a son of a bitch.’

Josh nodded. ‘Thanks for the compliments, kid.’ He dug into his pocket and pushed a dollar bill in the guy’s direction. ‘Now go get yourself a candy bar or something. I’ve got work to do.’

At the desk behind him, Detective Alvarez covered a laugh with a cough.

Higgins sputtered and stomped off.

‘Don’t mind him,’ Alvarez said, now laughing out loud. ‘He’s up past his bedtime.’

Josh let out a grunt and shook his mouse. The screen finally jumped to the next page.

He glanced though his notes and added a few things. He was finishing up his ‘glamour’ case even now. He still liked to keep notes with pen and paper, and he had a lot of them with this pain-in-the-butt case.

He hit the down arrow and added Simons’ name as the responding officer. The evidence had been logged and checked in for holding. He read again through the statements he’d taken from Gunderson, Genieve, the TMI reporters, the hotel manager, Nina …

Darien had a point, but he’d still followed up with some guys in Vice. None of them had ever heard of a ring of high-priced callgirls working around the city. Or at least on the streets. He might have left out Luxxor’s name. There’d been no need to lead the discussion, and since he’d come up empty-handed when it came to evidence, there was no reason to venture into the area of slander, as Nina had put it.

He noted those additional discussions, putting a pretty bow on the report that would be used as the official documentation on the case. He’d just hit the submit button on the thing when he heard his name being barked across the detectives’ bay.

‘Morgan?’

He looked over the top of his screen, and his teeth ground. It was his captain – and Higgins was right at his side.

‘Can I see you in my office?’

Hell. Now the guy was tattling? Who was he going to call next, his mommy?

Josh pushed himself to his feet and pulled his shoulders back. He settled his gaze on Higgins as he strode across the room. The guy had the good sense to look away.

Yeah, he’d better squirm.

That was the problem today. People didn’t want to pay their dues. They wanted to jump to the head of the line to get their trophy for participating. Some people needed to learn how to earn things.

He’d studied to be a detective the good old-fashioned way. He’d watched what the senior detectives did and had soaked up their advice like a sponge. Dick Simons would have cuffed him up alongside the ears if he’d pulled a stunt like this.

Josh stepped into the room. ‘Captain?’

‘Close the door behind you.’

‘Yes, sir.’

He shut the three of them inside the small room stuffed with filing cabinets, photos and DC trinkets. The captain had a collection of his own to rival Nina’s. Not as classy, but probably larger.

Josh planted his feet wide and folded his arms over his chest. He was looking strictly at the captain now, his superior.

‘I’m just reading over your report on the Gunderson case.’

Josh’s fingers twitched. He’d barely hit the enter key on that thing. ‘Yes, sir.’

‘Is there a reason you haven’t looked deeper into the prostitution accusation?’

‘It’s not substantiated.’

‘The reporters said that was the story they were after.’

‘Some pretty crummy reporters, mind you.’ Josh lowered his chin, but he fought not to glare. ‘They’re the only ones to make that claim, and there’s no evidence to support it. The senator and Ms Hart were caught in a sex act, but they’re in a relationship. Several acquaintances stated that the two have been seeing one another romantically. No money changed hands.’

‘On the scene,’ Higgins tossed in.

Josh lifted an eyebrow. Since when had the night-shift detective become an expert on his case?

‘The senator and Ms Hart’s relationship has been documented by that same press.’ High society and all. He couldn’t imagine people running around taking pictures of him and whoever was on his arm, week after month after year. ‘Ms Hart is not known by Vice. I checked.’

The captain tossed some glossy 8x10s onto his desk. ‘The woman has been seen with a lot of men.’

Josh felt a prickle between his shoulder blades. Now Higgins was following up after him? The shot on top was of Genieve and Salvatore Paul, the tennis player, at some fundraising event. He’d seen it in his own research. ‘She gets around, but it’s not a crime to date more than one man.’

Higgins let out a scoff, and the captain sent him an admonishing look.

‘Did you ask the senator why they were at a hotel?’

Josh’s forehead furrowed. ‘I don’t see how that pertains to anything.’

‘You don’t take callgirls home,’ Higgins spat.

Josh slowly levelled a look on the kid. OK, his patience was over. ‘I asked. Gunderson’s apartment is undergoing remodelling. I confirmed with the contractor.’

Those red slashes reappeared on Higgin’s cheeks, and his chest puffed up again. He looked like an indignant hen when he did that. The extra air came out with a burst. ‘Explain this away, smart guy.’

He yanked a picture off the desk and thrust it into Josh’s face.

The thing shook so much, it took a moment for Josh to get a good focus, but when he did, his spine stiffened and his stare went lethal.

‘Higgins,’ the captain snapped. He snatched the photograph away and pointed to the corner of the room. ‘Stand over there until I’m done talking with the detective.’

The older man had red slashes across his cheekbones, too, but his eyes were full of worry. He dragged a hand through his full head of greying hair. ‘Morgan,’ he said wearily. ‘Do you need to recuse yourself from this case?’

Josh’s biceps strained, but he didn’t move from his position. ‘No, sir. My judgement is not affected in this case.’

The captain shook his head as he looked at the photo. He held it up again. ‘Is this not you and Genieve Hart’s employer?’

This time the photograph was held steady, and Josh could see every vivid detail. It was a shot of the Washington Nationals’ scoreboard – with him and Nina filling every pixel.

The kiss didn’t look innocent. It looked involved. Judgement affecting. He remembered in detail how his brain had shut down and powered up again in overdrive. His fingers curled. He could still remember how she’d felt, how she’d smelled and how she’d tasted. He could still feel that kiss down to his cells.

‘Are you seeing Ms –’ the captain adjusted his glasses to read whatever was written on the back of the photo ‘– Lockwood?’

Josh fumed. Where the hell had Higgins gotten that? He wasn’t good enough to uncover something like that on his own. Somebody else had taken the time to print out a photo of him and Nina and write on the back. ‘I am not.’

The captain lifted a bushy grey eyebrow.

‘It was a one-time thing.’ Josh cleared his throat to cover a growl. ‘It didn’t work out.’

‘Yes, well, you’ve spent a lot of time working with cases associated with this …’ Again the captain looked at the back of the picture. ‘Luxxor Limited.’

He finally took his glasses off entirely. ‘Perhaps you’ve gotten too close.’

Too close? Nina had kept him at arm’s length. If anything, he was the expert on the company. ‘Sir, the case is closed. You’ve got the final report waiting on your computer.’

‘On the break-in, I would agree, but as to the prostitution charge?’

‘There is no prostitution charge,’ Josh bit out, his control slipping.

‘Accusation, then. With all the high-profile actors involved, I think we need to go over this thing with a fine-toothed comb.’

Josh said nothing. He refused to look, but he could feel the golden boy over in the corner practically crowing. The puffed-up hen was a strutting rooster now.

‘You’ve done a good job on this, Morgan, but I’m going to have to pull you off the remaining work.’

Josh’s arms unfurled and he took a step forward. ‘You’re what?’

‘I’m removing you from the case. Higgins will be taking over the investigation.’

‘Like hell he will.’

The captain’s weary eyes hardened. He was a stickler for the chain of command.

Until some whiner stepped into his office, leapfrogging all over it.

‘You heard me, Detective. Higgins will be looking into the allegations against the senator and his companion.’

Genieve.

Who would lead to Luxxor Limited.

And Nina.

Josh felt a freight train rolling inside his chest. His lungs were working like a steam engine, and there was a roaring in his brain. ‘Yes, sir.’

He turned slowly towards Higgins.

The puffed-up cock paled and took a tiny step back.

‘I’ll put the case file on your desk.’

The smug little bastard took two steps forward. ‘Thanks, that will be helpful when I call your girlfriend in for questioning.’

Josh’s eyes narrowed. His fingers curled into fists, but he let out a sharp laugh. ‘Yeah? Good luck with that.’

Without a word, he turned for the door. The silence behind him was palpable, but he wasn’t going to give either of the people in that room something to use against him. He walked out and just kept walking.

‘Everything OK there, Josh?’ Alvarez asked.

‘No,’ he said tightly. He grabbed his jacket from off his chair and swung it over his shoulder.

Everything had just gone to hell in a handbasket.

* * *

Nina’s phone rang just as she was accepting a vase of flowers the doorman had delivered to her penthouse. The smart-looking man in the red blazer held the vase as she answered the phone, and she swept a tip out of the bowl she kept on the table by the door. ‘Hello?’

‘Nina, you’re not going to like this, but please stay calm.’

The smile on her face froze as she thanked the doorman. The caller was Mr Phipps, her lawyer. She’d recognise his distinctively nasal voice anywhere. It was distracting, but the man was good enough at his job for her to overlook it.

‘What’s happened?’ she asked.

‘You’re being called down to police headquarters for questioning.’

‘I’m what?’ She put the vase down on her coffee table so quickly it teetered. She rescued it with a steadying hand that wasn’t quite so steady.

‘I just got off the line with the detective in charge of the Gunderson investigation. Rielle routed him to me. He has some questions he wants to ask you.’

‘But I’ve already talked to him.’ And it had been days ago. Josh hadn’t been around to Luxxor. He hadn’t called. She hadn’t even seen him on television when the local station had revisited its report. All they’d had was a story about the challenger for the senator’s seat complaining about not getting equal airtime.

She’d thought the scandal was close to dying.

‘Well, apparently he has more inquiries. He sounded quite … strident. He wants you there in two hours.’

‘He does, does he?’ Nina took measured breaths, remembering the discussion she’d already had with the detective in Luxxor’s breakroom.

The man just never let up.

It was becoming irritating.

She glanced at the card that had come with the flowers. My apologies, SG. Samuel Gunderson. She levelled a glare at the red roses, and she swore she saw them wilt. The bastard hadn’t even written his own card. The writing was distinctly feminine, probably from that staff member with the stiff upper lip and too tight bun.

‘This is becoming serious, Nina.’

‘I’m aware.’

‘I know you don’t want to go down to the station. It’s too visible, but I couldn’t get him to change the venue.’

She crumpled the card and dropped it on the table. Anger was something she’d learned to deal with a long time ago. She’d learned how to tamp down the curdling, burning knot deep in her belly so that nobody could see, but she could use it. She hadn’t expected this out of Morgan. It added another log to the fire, but the betrayal and disappointment felt fresh.

‘Just let me do the talking,’ Phipps said.

A flare jumped out of the fire she was trying to contain. ‘I can talk for myself.’

‘I know. Yes, you can,’ the lawyer said, his tone conciliatory. ‘We just need to keep our discussion with the police to a minimum.’

‘They have nothing.’ Nina wrapped an arm around her waist and looked out the window of the penthouse. She’d taken a rare day off and was still in her dressing robe. She’d had another long, hot, restless night.

‘And we’ll give them nothing,’ Phipps promised. ‘We can’t let this balloon any more than it has.’

She’d thought they’d already contained it – with everybody but Morgan. Lost in thought, she twirled the end of the belt of her robe around her finger. What did he have now? Had he dug up something she’d missed?

Why was he doing this to her?

The hurt became sharper.

With a shake of her head, she straightened away from the window frame. ‘What do you need from me?’

They had to get on top of this now, before they headed in there. She went up against Morgan all the time, but she’d always felt safe doing it. This was more serious. They’d be down at the station, in his territory.

‘What do you know about this man?’ Phipps asked. ‘Is there anything we can use against him?’

‘No,’ she said sharply. She didn’t want to exacerbate the situation, but more than that, Josh Morgan was a good cop. A sexy, frustrating, brain-twisting adversary, but a good cop.

And she wasn’t exactly a lily-white good girl.

‘We’re not going after him. That will only cause more problems.’ She took a calming breath. ‘What other strategy would you recommend?’

‘Well, what do you think about –’

Nina focused and began pacing. She nodded as she considered her lawyer’s advice and threw out a few ideas of her own. Out of necessity, the discussion was short. They didn’t have time to map out all the possibilities. The detective had done that on purpose. If they pushed back or asked for more time, it would only look as if they were trying to hide something.

Which they were …

‘I’ll pick you up,’ Phipps promised.

‘I’ll be ready,’ she said.

She hung up the phone and looked at the flowers from her problem client. Because of him, she was about to head into police headquarters.

It wasn’t exactly the kind of place that made her comfortable.

A hot shower helped Nina gather herself and, using tricks she’d learned from the masters of the trade, she applied makeup to hide her tiredness. She forced down a slice of toast and a glass of orange juice. She wasn’t hungry, but she needed the energy the calories would bring. She was just heading back to the bathroom to dry her hair when she heard the buzzer at her apartment door.

She stopped to stare at it, her heart jumping inside her chest. It was too early for Phipps. He wasn’t scheduled to pick her up for another half-hour. Were the wolves at her door already?

Or, more aptly, the wolf?

She pulled the tie of her silk robe tighter around her waist and padded barefoot to the console. Whoever was down there wasn’t patient. The buzzer was already sounding again.

She pushed the button for the telecom. ‘Hello?’

‘Nina, it’s Rielle. Let me in.’

Nina rested her head against the wall. She could use a friendly face right now. She pushed the buzzer and checked her look in the mirror by the door. Her blonde hair was darkened by its dampness. It made her look paler than she was, but the dark circles under her eyes were covered. She patted them to make sure. She needed to put on a strong front – and maybe talk. A little.

It didn’t take long before she heard the bell for the elevator and then the doors opening in the hallway. Her apartment was the only one on the penthouse floor. She didn’t have any neighbours, but she still checked to see that the visitor was the one she was expecting.

It wasn’t. There were visitors. Rielle had brought Darien with her.

Nina braced her hand on the door and hung her head. When the knock sounded, she stood up straight and schooled her features.

She opened the door to greet them.

‘Oh, Nina.’ Rielle rushed in before she could get out a word.

Nina felt herself wrapped up in a warm hug. She’d fortified herself and was prepared for a day’s worth of battle, but the friendly concern got to her for a moment. She hugged her friend back, but pulled away when she heard the door close. And lock.

She tucked her damp hair behind her ear. ‘Darien.’

She should have known he wouldn’t let Rielle come alone. Not today. She couldn’t blame the guy for being protective. The couple had been through a lot, and she didn’t want to add to the burden.

‘Thank you for coming, but I can’t talk for long. I need to go down to the police station to make a statement.’

‘We know,’ Rielle said.

‘I’m your ride.’ Darien crossed his arms over his muscled chest, a sure sign he wouldn’t brook any arguments.

She tried anyway.

‘You’re still recovering from surgery. You can’t push me through a throng of reporters.’

She doubted there’d be a throng, but she imagined crime beat reporters were likely to hang around down there. She didn’t want anyone from the press seeing her within a hundred feet of that place. No pictures, no questions. That’s how she wanted things to remain.

Darien’s biceps bulged. ‘Hell, Nina. We’re not going to pretend like we’re in the WWE. I’m supposed to get you in there unnoticed.’

‘Oh.’ Her shoulders relaxed. She rather liked the sound of that. ‘Phipps must have called you.’

‘No, Josh did.’

Her gaze jumped up.

‘Come on.’ Rielle swung an arm around her shoulders. ‘I’ll help you get dressed.’

‘You’ll need something nondescript,’ Darien said. ‘Although Morgan said something about tie-dye and flip-flops?’

Nina stopped in her tracks. Her glare was pure reflex. ‘Over my dead body.’

Scott smiled. ‘He said that would wake you up.’

Rielle sent her boyfriend a warning look. He was an intimidating, dangerous weapon, but he was putty in her hands. ‘Maybe you should sit down while you wait for us.’

His amused expression darkened. ‘I’m not an invalid.’

‘I know, I just don’t want you to push it.’

He sent her a look that said he’d push whatever needed pushing. Rielle let out an exasperated sigh. ‘I smell toast. Could you make me a piece? With honey?’

His expression softened, and he brushed his fingers over her cheek. ‘You’re nervous if you’re wanting sweets.’

She shrugged.

‘I’m on it.’

Nina watched as he headed for her professional chef’s kitchen and reflexively lifted her hand. He looked ready to move mountains, whether he knew his way around a kitchen or not.

She let her hand drop.

It was just toast – and it was a sweet thing to do.

She was glad Rielle had someone in her life now to support her this way. Nina suddenly felt very tired. She’d had to carry the weight on her own for so long.

‘All right.’ Rielle rubbed her arm. ‘Time to make you nondescript and drop-dead gorgeous at the same time.’

Nina’s chin lifted stubbornly. ‘I’m wearing heels.’

‘Of course you are.’ Rielle pushed open the door to the master bedroom. If she saw that the bed hadn’t been slept in, she didn’t comment. ‘What did the detective mean about the flip-flops and tie-dye?’

Nina felt that spark flare inside her chest. ‘Never mind.’

Her assistant opened the door to the walk-in closet. ‘How are you doing?’

‘I’m fine. Have you talked with Genieve?’

‘Yes, she’s still lying low. I told her we’d step in if she needs us, but she said she’s OK. For now.’ Rielle rejected the red suit Nina had in her hands and chose a white sleeveless dress instead. ‘Softer. Less antagonistic.’

‘I’m not the one who’s antagonistic,’ Nina said.

‘Oh, come on. Josh is trying. He called us.’

Since when was everyone calling him Josh? ‘He summoned me.’

Rielle’s long hair swished as she turned. ‘What?’

‘Phipps said the detective in charge had called and given us two hours to get to the station.’

Her friend’s eyes widened. ‘You haven’t heard.’

‘Heard what?’

Rielle caught her by the shoulder. ‘Josh was taken off the case. Some other detective is working it now.’

Nina’s lips parted in surprise. ‘Someone else?’

She should have been relieved, but the information was like a punch in the chest. At once, it felt wrong, frightening, shocking and just … wrong.

She rose to full height, no high heels required. ‘What happened?’

Had he requested to be replaced?

‘I don’t know, but he didn’t sound too happy about it.’

Well, neither was she.

Nina felt the fire in her belly bubble up dangerously. Why had Josh been taken off the case? She knew somebody was messing with her, but now they’d turned on him?

She snatched the dress out of Rielle’s hands and marched to the bathroom. Enough with moping around. She was done running scared and being careful. She was not someone who got summoned by a detective new to a case. A case that wasn’t even about her company. She was through playing games.

It was time the Metro Police Department met Nina Lockwood.

* * *

Darien Scott was devious enough to impress even Nina. He got her into the Metro precinct headquarters without one lightbulb flashing or one reporter looking at her sideways. Even though she’d worn the stilettos he’d tried to reject …

They were white with gold heels to match the bangle on her wrist and the necklace around her throat. She was dressed in full battle armour.

Mr Phipps helped her remove her full-length raincoat as her friends slipped away into the shadows again to wait for her.

‘Follow my lead,’ her lawyer instructed. ‘Let me answer first.’

Nina lifted an eyebrow as she removed the scarf from her hair. She wasn’t an imbecile who’d run off at the mouth. The man worked for her.

His head dipped.

‘This way,’ he said, gesturing to the front desk.

She shook out her hair and felt more than one interested glance turn her way. She used the energy, consuming it, even though the fire in her belly was still burning brightly. White-hot, to be accurate.

Once she gave her name, she was escorted down the hallway to a conference room. She refused to be hurried as her heels clipped off each step against the linoleum flooring. She settled into a hard wooden chair and looked at her sterile surroundings. She supposed they called them interrogation rooms here. She crossed her legs and flicked an imaginary speck off her dress.

The walls had windows with blinds that were open, and she hadn’t missed the two-way mirror on the wall. She doubted any crime-show fan didn’t know what that was. She was aware that her every move was being watched and, most likely, recorded. She had to play this right. She needed to appear concerned and offended, but powerful. That shouldn’t be too difficult. She was all three, but she didn’t want to play the power card yet.

Her gaze lifted when the door to the room swung open again.

And she felt an immediate dislike for the fresh-faced, spiky-haired smartass who walked into the room. It was the new detective, no doubt about it. He was followed by a uniformed female officer, whom he waved into the corner. Nina’s tongue clicked at the dismissive move. The young buck didn’t have to open his mouth for her to peg him. She’d met his kind before, and she was unimpressed.

He dropped a manila folder onto the table, letting it smack loudly. She sighed. Was that supposed to be intimidating? He needed to study Morgan’s steely stare. That was intimidating.

Or it had been …

‘I’m Detective Higgins, DC Metro Police.’

The man unbuttoned his brown jacket and took the seat across from her. Purposely, he let his shoulder holster show. Nina let an eyebrow lift when he didn’t extend his hand.

She held out hers. ‘Nina Lockwood.’

He seemed taken aback, but he shook her hand. ‘Nina.’

‘You can call me Ms Lockwood.’

His lips pursed as if he found that amusing. ‘Thank you for coming down.’

‘Of course,’ she said, ‘but it is inconvenient. I hope we can make this short. It’s the middle of a workday.’

‘Oh, don’t worry. We’ll get to your “work” soon enough.’

The air quotes he made didn’t ingratiate him to her. Nina smoothed her hands along the arms of the wooden chair and wrapped her fingers around the ends. ‘My lawyer indicated that you had questions.’

‘Yes, about the Gunderson break-in at the Emissary Hotel.’ The detective flipped open the folder and tapped the first page inside it ominously. ‘I understand that Ms Hart, the victim of that crime, is one of your employees.’

‘Yes, she is. I already told Detective Morgan that.’

‘Well, now you’re telling me.’

The tone raked across Nina’s nerve endings. Refusing to let him see, she tilted her head to the side. Her straight blonde hair slid across her shoulder. ‘Where is the detective?’

Higgins watched her hair for a moment, but then snapped back to attention. ‘Reassigned. For good reason,’ he murmured.

Red splotches appeared on his cheekbones. Just a hint, but the colour was there.

Nina pounced. ‘I was under the impression that the perpetrators had been arrested and the DA had taken over the case. What do you think I could possibly provide?’

The man let out a not-so-subtle snort, but rubbed his nose and sat back in his chair. ‘A motive.’

She drummed her fingers against the arms of the chair. ‘I wasn’t there.’

‘No, but your employee was. Your employee at Luxxor Limited.’

She watched him silently and didn’t respond.

‘You don’t have anything to say about that?’

‘I didn’t hear a question.’

Mr Phipps leaned in. ‘What is this about, Detective? Ms Lockwood has already answered questions in this case. She has no direct knowledge of the crime. Why are you wasting her time?’

‘Because I need to know what her employee was doing in that hotel room.’

Again, Nina said nothing. She didn’t know exactly where this line of questioning was going, but she knew she didn’t like it.

Higgins jabbed at the paper again. ‘Genieve Hart was caught having sex with Senator Samuel Gunderson.’

‘Her boyfriend,’ Phipps said in a huff. ‘Just like I’m sure the couple in the next room was doing. Are you making lewd accusations against them too?’

‘No, just this one.’

Phipps reached under the table for his briefcase. ‘If this doesn’t have anything to do with my client or Luxxor, we’ll be leaving.’

‘Is the senator Genieve’s boyfriend?’ Higgins leaned forward aggressively. ‘Or is he her client?’

Nina rolled her ankle lazily under the table. No, she didn’t like this one. She didn’t like him at all.

‘Senator Gunderson and Ms Hart have been seeing each other exclusively for over a month,’ Phipps countered. ‘But their love life is none of your business.’

‘But it’s Luxxor’s line of business, isn’t it?’

The man’s eyes sparked, and his chest puffed up. Nina’s eyes narrowed. He looked like a peacock getting ready to spread his feathers for all to see.

The detective shifted in his chair in anticipation. ‘We found a Luxxor business card in the hotel room.’

‘And, again, Genieve is a Luxxor employee.’ The lawyer shook his head. ‘Goodbye, Detective.’

Higgins stood so rapidly, his chair skidded backwards with a squeal that made the cop in the corner wince. ‘The TMI reporters had a source who told them that Genieve Hart is a prostitute.’

The fire in Nina’s belly leapt in huge, snapping flames, yet she pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth and waited.

‘This is outrageous!’ Phipps snarled.

The detective was undeterred. His hands smacked against the table as he leaned in over her. ‘Ms Lockwood, does Luxxor Limited supply whores to politicians?’

Whores? Nina’s breath caught in her throat. She saw red, but she contained her fury long enough for Phipps to blow first.

‘Enough! My client doesn’t have to sit here and listen to these suppositions and accusations. One more word, and I’ll file police harassment charges.’

‘It’s not harassment if it’s true.’ The young upstart raised his voice. ‘Answer me, Nina. If Genieve is your employee, does that make you not only Luxxor’s president but also its madam?’

Nina’s entire body went hot. She’d tried to play nice, but the fire in her belly was raging out of control.

Slowly, she uncrossed her legs. When she stood and pushed back her chair, it made no sound at all. She rose to her full height in her stilettos. The young detective was still taller than her, but she nailed him in place with a look that seared. ‘Excuse me,’ she said icily.

He looked dumbfounded when she turned away from him. ‘You are not leaving.’

No? She walked across the room, consciously unlocking her spine so her hips swivelled. She looked over her shoulder with her hand on the doorknob. ‘It won’t take but a moment.’

Phipps was on his feet now, too, and he was banging his hand against the table. ‘My client is here under her own volition. You have no right to keep her here.’

‘It’s all right, Phipps,’ Nina said calmly. She even smiled. ‘I’ll be right back.’

Higgins muttered underneath his breath. Finally, he snapped his fingers at the female officer who’d been standing quietly in the corner of the room. ‘Follow her to the ladies’ room.’

Oh, she wasn’t going there.

Nina strode down the hallway, letting her footsteps ring out crisply. This time she had twice as many watchers. The interrogation room may have been closed, but the detective hadn’t been quiet.

She wasn’t about to be, either, only she wasn’t going to lose her composure. The little boy wanted to throw his weight around? It was time to put some pressure right back on him.

The baby detective was about to fold.

She heard the female cop following her as she turned up the steps. Nina knew it would have been much easier to take the elevator, but now that she was inside the station, this was all about visibility. Transparency, as was the buzzword these days. She kept going until she was at the top floor. Her hair lifted as she picked up her chin. There it was, the nameplate she was looking for. She marched towards it like a heat-seeking missile.

When she knocked and opened the door, she glanced back in time to see the female officer’s eyes round to the size of saucers. Her mouth followed suit, but she closed it with a snap. If the corners were still curled upward, the woman couldn’t seem to help it.

Nina wasn’t ready to smile yet. She was about to breath fire.

She breezed into the office. ‘Commander, how nice to see you.’

Chapter Five

Josh stood still as a statue in the viewing room next to the interrogation room. The tiny room was packed, but he’d been allowed a prime spot up front. Higgins hadn’t made a lot of friends in the department, even before he’d been promoted. His move today hadn’t helped his popularity. Everyone wanted to see how he’d handle going up against a high-priced DC lawyer.

So far, not so good.

And the lawyer hadn’t had that much to do with it.

Josh waited, his forearm braced against the window frame. Nina had just taken over the interview, simply by standing up and walking out. Like Cleopatra or something. She’d taken Higgins’s verbal shots without flinching, but he was surprised the two-way mirror hadn’t melted right off the wall. Hell, he’d been insulted. Higgins had made the mistake of throwing all his cards onto the table at once.

Worse, he’d gotten nasty.

Josh’s fingers curled. Even if she was what Higgins had accused her of, she wasn’t some dirtbag pimp. He’d seen Luxxor’s set-up. All her people were top notch, and they were well taken care of. They had more security than a bank, and Luxxor shared its profits. From the clothes the employees wore to the apartments they rented, it was obvious. He’d been to Rielle’s place. He’d seen the car Sienna drove. Even if it was all true, Nina didn’t deserve to be treated that way.

His gaze burned the back of Higgins’s head. It was taking all he had not to go right through the window and throttle the guy.

‘Holy,’ Alvarez muttered, ‘hell.’

‘Oh, my God,’ somebody else said in awe. ‘Look at that.’

Josh frowned, but realised everyone was looking through the open door of the interrogation room to the hallway beyond. When he followed their gazes, everything went into slow motion. Nina was walking down the hallway back to the interview room. Or, should he say, sashaying. She looked like a supermodel on a runway – confident, in control and drop-dead gorgeous. That white dress was simple and professional, but the way it skimmed over her tight curves made his mouth go dry.

Higgins had to feel the heat, too, but for another reason.

Their commander was at her side.

Josh rubbed his hand over his mouth to fight the grin that pulled at his lips. It wasn’t funny. It brought to light all kinds of new questions. But damn, he loved her spunk.

‘She’s going to eat Higgins alive,’ he said when Alvarez raised an eyebrow.

She hadn’t just gone over the guy’s head. She’d climbed all the way to the top official in the police district. The eagle insignia on the commander’s shoulders said so.

Inside the interview room, Higgins shuffled his feet. Nina’s lawyer folded his arms over his chest and levelled a look at the younger man. The new detective was about to learn a lesson the hard way.

Josh’s gaze went to Nina. There were no histrionics and no tears. She was so in control, it was making him hard.

Commander Jones gestured that she should enter the room first and she did, head held high. The commander planted his big, bearish body just inside the room. All activity in the office had stopped. Even the people in handcuffs had turned to watch. The captain came out of his office to see what was going on, but stopped in his tracks. He made no further move to join the scene.

‘What is going on down here?’ the commander asked, his low voice booming.

Everyone turned to look at Higgins.

‘I’m questioning a witness,’ the detective said. Too late, he remembered to add, ‘Sir.’

Nina’s heels cracked against the flooring like gunshots as she moved to the table. ‘As I’ve explained, I’m not a witness. I wasn’t there.’

‘What case is this?’ the commander asked.

Higgins tugged at his jacket sleeves and straightened his tie. ‘The Gunderson case, sir.’

‘I thought that was Morgan’s case.’

‘It’s mine now. The captain reassigned it.’

The commander’s head swivelled on his thick neck and, through the blinds, he caught the captain’s eye. ‘I was also under the impression that the case was closed.’

‘Part of it is, sir. We’re looking at additional charges.’ Higgins’s chest puffed up as his nerve returned. ‘Prostitution, to be exact. We have reason to believe the woman with the senator is a working girl.’

‘And Ms Lockwood figures into this how?’ The chill in the commander’s voice made even the people inside the viewing room step back.

‘She’s her panderer.’

Nina’s gasp came over the speakers in the room clearly, and Josh knocked his fist against the window frame. Did the kid have no tact? He himself had been accused of being intimidating, but even he petted puppies and kissed babies.

‘Commander, we came down here voluntarily, only to have Ms Lockwood subjected to the rudest of accusations.’ The lawyer stepped forward, and his nasal voice rose in indignation. ‘We’ll be filing a complaint over this.’

Higgins lifted the folder. ‘She’s a flesh-peddler, a madam. Whatever pretty name you put on it, it doesn’t change the crime.’

Josh swallowed a growl. He knew full well that folder didn’t contain proof of any of that. He’d put the damn thing together.

‘That.’ Nina pointed a pink-tipped fingernail in Higgins’s direction. ‘That is what I was talking about. I won’t put up with it.’

‘Nor should you,’ Jones said, his voice rumbling. ‘You’re free to go, Ms Lockwood.’

The police commander stepped away from the door. ‘I’ll look into this myself.’

‘But sir!’ Higgins protested. ‘I had her close to confessing.’

Half the people in the viewing room sputtered in protest, while the others coughed in surprise.

‘She was doing no such thing.’ Phipps already had his things gathered, but he turned on his heel. Like a bulldog, he went at the young detective. ‘Get ready for another case, kid. We’ll be seeing you in court.’

The lawyer gestured for Nina to proceed him out the door.

‘No.’

She dug in all five inches of those killer heels, and Josh groaned. It was a move he knew well. Now was not the time for her to be stubborn.

‘I’m not leaving this office with this filthy accusation hanging over my head.’ Her words were measured, but her voice was steady. ‘I’ll answer whatever questions the department has, but not from this inexperienced rookie.’

Josh gritted his teeth. The woman had stones, but why was she pushing her luck? She was walking a tightrope here, sashaying or not. There were questions she didn’t want to answer. He knew; he’d already tried asking. Her lawyer should be dragging her out, kicking or screaming.

She crossed her arms and faced the commander. ‘I’ll answer them only from you.’

‘Oh, hell,’ Josh hissed.

The slashes of colour on Higgins’s cheeks had spread to his entire face, and his chest looked like it was about to pop. ‘Sir.’

‘Leave us,’ the commander said.

Higgins rocked back and forth on his heels like a Weeble.

‘And send in Morgan.’

That nearly toppled the kid. He moved forward quickly. ‘He was taken off the case for impropriety, sir.’

Alvarez grabbed Josh’s arm before he could put his fist through the window.

‘Morgan?’ The commander’s eyes narrowed. ‘Bullshit.’

Higgins paled. ‘It’s true. He has a relationship with her. He knows her.’

‘So do I,’ the commander hissed. ‘Do you know who this woman is? Ms Lockwood helps raise money every year for the department’s Christmas toy drive. She’s donated generously to support the families of officers injured in the line of duty, and she spearheaded the campaign to get us another K-9 unit. Do you understand the seriousness of your accusations?’

Higgins’s mouth worked like a fish.

The commander pulled back his shoulders and gestured to the female officer who was once again quietly standing at attention in the corner of the room with her eyes big. ‘Escort the detective out, and tell the captain I’d like a word with him when I’m done here.’

‘Yes, sir,’ the officer responded crisply.

Josh felt a tug on his arm.

‘You better get in there,’ Alvarez said.

Josh turned away from the viewing window and the gathering of cops parted like the Red Sea. He took a deep breath. Adrenalin had his heart beating like a racehorse’s. What was the woman thinking?

He stopped, tilted his head from side to side, heard a crack and finally headed into the firestorm. He turned into the next room and put his hands on his hips. ‘You asked for me, sir?’

Commander Jones pivoted on his heel. ‘I figured you were close by.’

So close, he’d heard every word. So close, he’d seen every one of Nina’s subtle tells.

His boss jabbed a meaty finger towards the folder on the table. ‘Is that your case?’

‘It is.’

The commander nodded and settled his gaze on Nina again. Josh was doing everything he could not to look at her. Her act had been impressive, but she wasn’t going to wrap him around her little finger.

‘Ms Lockwood, I don’t have the knowledge of the case that Detective Morgan does. If I sit in on the questioning and let him take the lead, would that suit your needs?’

Josh heard the sexy sound of material against skin as she moved.

‘Yes.’ She lifted her hand to touch her earring.

Damn it. He was looking at her again. He counted to ten inside his head.

‘Morgan, are you prepared for this?’

Prepared? Hell, no. Josh met his boss’s look in the eye. ‘My investigation concluded that there wasn’t evidence to support the TMI reporters’ claims.’

‘I see.’ The commander rubbed his chin. ‘But do you know how Higgins might have come to his conclusions?’

That was a leading question if Josh had ever heard one. He knew where his own mind had gone. He hadn’t liked it, but he’d done his due diligence. As a cop, he walked a fine line. With his status, it was dangerous to throw around accusations, but he also couldn’t ignore his suspicions. ‘I can’t claim to know the detective’s mind.’

‘But could you wrap up some loose threads? Maybe put this thing to bed?’

His fingers bit into his hipbones. Interesting choice of words. He felt Nina standing only a few feet away. He could smell her perfume and hear her soft breaths.

‘I could.’

She was the one who’d thrown down the gauntlet. If she wanted to challenge him, he wasn’t going to step away.

‘All right.’ The commander nodded and pulled out a chair for her to sit. ‘Everyone settled down now? Can I get you any coffee? Water?’

‘Thank you, Commander,’ Nina said. She sat once again in the chair and crossed her legs silkily. ‘I’m fine.’

Josh threw a glare at the two-way mirror. He knew where the eyes of about fifteen men were. He walked over and planted himself directly in their line of view. Nina’s gaze finally lifted and locked with his.

She knew. She knew she had an audience, and she knew she had them in the palm of her hand.

He walked over to speak quietly to his boss. The man nodded. He turned towards the mirror and jerked his thumb. Josh didn’t need to go look. He knew the room cleared out. He closed the door to the interview room, and work outside started up again.

‘Shall we begin?’ the commander asked.

Josh took the seat across from Nina and pulled the folder towards him. He flipped it open and concentrated his thoughts. She dared them to ask questions? He’d ask questions.

It might be his one and only chance to get some answers.

‘I want to remind everyone that Ms Lockwood is here of her own free will,’ Mr Phipps repeated.

‘Duly noted,’ Josh said. He looked at his watch and wrote down the date and time. He tapped his pencil against the table as he looked through his notes. When he lifted his gaze, all he saw was Nina. They’d gone round before, but that white dress and pink fingernails were such a juxtaposition against the questions he was about to ask. ‘You’ve already stated that Genieve Hart is an employee of Luxxor.’

‘Yes.’

‘What I’d like to know is if Samuel Gunderson is a client.’

Her breath went a little deeper than the one before.

Phipps shook his head. ‘The company’s client list is confidential.’

‘He is,’ Nina said, ignoring her adviser. ‘Or I should say, he has been in the past.’

And the past included yesterday or even an hour ago.

Josh tapped the pencil faster. He liked how her brain worked. ‘You told me once to do my homework.’

She looked sheepish. For the commander’s benefit, no doubt. Josh knew it wasn’t for his.

‘So I did,’ he said. ‘I looked up Luxxor’s NAICS code. That’s the identifier you provided to the government when you set up your company.’

Her foot began to swing just a little. ‘I know what it is.’

‘You listed Luxxor under “all other personal services”.’

‘Yes, that sounds right.’

He narrowed his eyes. He’d asked her before, but she’d avoided the question. How far was she going to let him go here? ‘That code covers a lot of things. Bail bonding services, shoeshine services, social escort services, wedding planning, dating services …’

Her breaths came a bit faster, and she lifted a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear.

It was the strongest tell she had. He was getting close to something important.

‘Which one would you say describes Luxxor best?’ he asked.

Time drew out, thinning as it pulled, until Josh was sure it would snap. He watched her steadily, holding her gaze. Holding his breath …

She folded her hands atop the table. ‘We’re a high-end escort service, although we recently branched out into the dating arena as well.’

The eraser of Josh’s pen thudded against the table, and his breath left his lips in a soft puff. She’d answered, and from the feeling in his gut, she’d told the truth.

Or part of it.

He cleared his throat and gave his head a small shake. Seriously? She’d made him jump through hoops for months, and then she’d just laid it on the table for him?

‘You admit that Luxxor is an escort service?’

‘It’s legal,’ Phipps said.

Nina lifted an eyebrow. ‘The government wouldn’t provide a NAICS code for it if it wasn’t.’

Josh leaned forward. He couldn’t help it; he’d caught the scent of blood. ‘Can you clarify just what those services entail, specifically as regards the escort side of your house?’

Phipps turned in his chair and rested his arm atop its back. It was a casual pose that told Josh they’d worked this out beforehand. The back of his neck prickled. He didn’t like being toyed with or used.

Nina shared a look with her lawyer before nodding. ‘Of course. We provide escorts who accompany clients to events. Not everyone has a significant other, but society is not kind to single people. Some are too busy or too awkward to find plus ones on their own. We fill that need, among others.’

‘Like?’

She shrugged casually. ‘We supply seat fillers for televised performances at the Kennedy Center. We even provided dinner guests for Congressman Hewitt’s Superbowl party when he didn’t have enough to fill the seats at the table. They went as couples.’

She cast a look at the commander. ‘The congressman agreed I could share that.’

When she faced him again, she tilted her head. ‘We’re under strict confidentiality clauses, as you might understand.’

Josh watched her silky hair sway. Oh, he understood. He understood exactly what was going on here. He shifted in his chair.

They were going to get into it.

‘And what does Ms Hart do for the company?’ he asked.

Nina unclenched her hands and spread her pink-coloured fingertips across the table. ‘She’s an escort.’

He could see just how much it cost her to admit that, but he kept going. ‘An escort whom Senator Gunderson hired?’

Phipps turned towards the table again, not so casual after all. ‘This is strictly confidential information. If it gets outside these walls, it could affect careers and reputations.’

‘Hasn’t it already gotten outside these walls?’ the commander responded. He wasn’t sitting as comfortably in his chair any more either.

Josh focused on Nina. The byplay was distracting, and she’d managed to pull inside herself once again. He couldn’t let that happen. He wasn’t going to let her hide from him any more. ‘What was it that Gunderson hired Ms Hart to do?’ he pressed.

She lifted a hand. ‘In the past, he paid her to accompany him to certain events. They attended a rowing match at the Potomac Boat Club, an Oktoberfest celebration and a Capitals hockey game, among other events, I believe.’

‘You remember pretty well.’

She hooked her hair behind her ear, and her brown eyes sparked. ‘Because I pulled the contracts.’

Josh sat straighter in his seat when Phipps reached for his briefcase again. You had to be kidding him. They hadn’t.

Oh, but they had.

He looked at Nina incredulously when her lawyer pulled out a stack of papers.

‘Again, I’ve gotten permission from the senator and his lawyer to show these to you – only for the purpose of clearing up this wretched misunderstanding.’

Josh’s pencil was weaving its way through his fingers. ‘His lawyer, Brody Haynes?’

The muscle in Nina’s temple twittered, but she didn’t answer.

She looked cool and collected, but there was a lot going on beneath the surface there. Josh could feel the waves of tension buffeting him.

He was more than willing to ride it out.

‘May I see those?’ He wanted to see just how far these people went in their little games of pretend.

Phipps slid the paperwork across the table. Josh skimmed through the contract terms on one and slid another to the commander. A thunderous expression had settled onto his boss’s face.

‘May I?’ Nina asked. ‘I think I know what you need to see.’

She gestured towards the contract Josh was reading. Why not? He rolled his hands away until they were face up on the table. Her hands weren’t quite as steady any more as she flipped through the pages. Finally, she pointed out a clause to him.

‘No physical contact is allowed.’

‘Unless mutually acceptable.’ He continued reading.

Suddenly all he could think of was the kiss they’d shared – the one he’d just seen on a glossy 8x10. That physical contact had been mutually acceptable – at least until she’d gotten scared. He lifted an eyebrow at her, and her flawless skin flushed. Would that have been allowed under the contract?

She touched her earring. The tension in the room was nearly singing. She could feel the vibrations as well as he could.

‘No sex is allowed,’ she said, her voice suddenly hoarse. ‘It’s clearly stipulated.’

He nodded as he read the pertinent clause, but he tilted his head. ‘And is this the only contract you have?’

The pink flush in her cheeks drained out, and Mr Phipps nearly hurt himself leaning forward across the table. He snatched back the contracts and stuffed them into his briefcase. ‘That’s not a fair question. Every contract is different, based on negotiations.’

‘So you’re saying that Genieve broke the contract?’

Nina’s eyes popped open at that, and a corner of Josh’s lips tugged upward.

There ya go. He’d finally gotten under her skin.

‘Because from what I saw on the video the reporters took that night, she and the senator crossed that line.’

‘No! That’s not what we’re saying at all!’ She re-crossed her legs the other way and dragged her hand through that sleek waterfall of hair. When she glared at him, the other side of Josh’s mouth curled upward. Smoke nearly poured from her ears. She wasn’t so in control now.

‘These contracts were in the past,’ she said briskly. ‘It’s how the senator and Genieve met. They then decided to see each other exclusively.’

Josh suddenly knew exactly what that word meant, and it wiped the smile off his face.

He rubbed the back of his neck. ‘So Genieve no longer acts as an escort for you?’

Nina hesitated. She’d missed that chink in her well-constructed story.

‘She’s acted as our receptionist.’

For about a week. He knew all about it.

Josh stared at his notes. Darien’s words came back to him. Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to …

And what the hell was he doing anyway?

He blinked, and his notes came into focus. He’d cleared this case. They still didn’t have any evidence against Luxxor. If he asked much more, Nina and her mouthpiece would clam up. As she’d said, there was nothing illegal about being an escort service.

He was at a dead end with what he had.

And where was it that he really wanted to go?

The answer hit him like a ton of bricks.

‘Fair enough,’ he said. His brain started recalculating his path like a GPS. ‘Let’s talk about Luxxor itself. You started it eight years ago?’

She frowned, and her forehead rumpled. ‘Yes,’ she said cautiously.

It was a matter of public record. He knew. He had the piece of paper in front of him. He flipped to another. ‘Before that, you were an account executive in the financial sector.’

She rested her arms on the armrests of her chair again.

‘A rising star for how many years was it?’

‘Do we really need to count?’ she snapped

He leaned back in his chair. ‘You’re younger than me, Nina.’

She was prettier, too, but they were both grizzled veterans here. Too grizzled. So very tired … and lonely …

‘Why did you leave there?’ he asked.

Her fingers curled around the ends of the wooden armrests. She’d caught on to what he was doing, and she didn’t like it. He’d figured out the what, but he wanted to know the why. The new path of questioning wasn’t for the file, it was for him.

‘A star can’t rise for that long,’ she finally said. ‘It burns out if it can’t ascend.’

Her tone was steady, but he could hear the frustration, the hurt and the fury that were still there. After so many years …

She rolled her shoulders and forced them to relax. ‘It’s called the glass ceiling, Detective. I smacked up against it. Hard. So I decided to start my own company.’

‘In the escort industry.’

‘It seemed appropriate.’

Yeah, he supposed it did. The good ole boys wanted to screw her over? She’d grab them by the balls right back.

Her gaze dropped at last, and she evaluated her nails. ‘I discovered I’m a good entrepreneur.’

From what he’d seen of her office, she was better than good.

Josh couldn’t believe it; he was proud of her. He’d known the woman was complicated, but put all her pieces together, and she was a regular Rubik’s cube.

He sighed and ran a hand over his head. She certainly had him going in a million different directions.

A chirping sound suddenly invaded the room, and Mr Phipps pulled out his phone. He flipped the message aside, but sat straighter in his chair. ‘Did you have any more questions about Genieve or Luxxor’s business dealings with Senator Gunderson?’ he asked. ‘I want to make sure we’ve cleared up this subject.’

Josh watched Nina under heavy eyelids. ‘I think I’ve got all the facts straight.’

‘Yes,’ the commander agreed. ‘This has been very informative. Thank you for coming down to help us put a lid on this.’

Phipps nodded appreciatively. Everyone in the room understood what that meant. The case was closed, and none of the information they’d shared would be finding its way to the press.

‘Well, then, we’ll be leaving.’ Phipps pushed back his chair and helped Nina with hers. ‘My client has had a very long, trying day – in no small part due to this department.’

Commander Jones nodded. ‘Thank you both for coming down.’

Josh rose from his chair and made it to the door in time to hold it open for Nina. He caught her gaze as she walked past him. ‘I’ll be in touch.’

Her cheeks went pink again, and she touched her necklace.

‘You can direct your communication through me,’ Phipps said.

Oh, no. Josh didn’t think so. He needed to communicate with her in person.

* * *

It took him way too long to get away from the station. He had to wrap things up with the commander, and then keep an eye on what happened between Jones and the captain. There would be fallout from this, but he’d be damned if any of it was going to fall on him. Higgins was the one who had to watch out.

The bastard.

He’d found the wannabe at the vending machine in the breakroom, and they’d had a little man-to-man chat. More than one cop dropped by for a Snickers, but they’d turned and gone the other way when they’d seen what was going down. The kid was still raw and defensive, but he was shaking in his shoes. His cockiness was gone, but Josh hadn’t taken it easy on the guy.

He’d gone after Nina.

He wasn’t going to do it again.

The station had still been buzzing when he’d left. Alvarez had all kinds of questions, but Josh hadn’t felt like answering. The case was closed. Gunderson had been put to bed – by a red-hot redhead and the DC Metro Police.

His dealings with Nina were personal now.

He was bold enough to park in her guest spot in the garage beneath her building. He’d thought about stopping by Luxxor, but his gut told him she’d be here. He planned to be here for a while, too, but doubt passed through his head when he pushed the buzzer for the penthouse.

She was still a puzzle to him, one he hadn’t fully solved.

He waited for an answer. One thousand one, one thousand two …

He braced his hand on the wall by the stupid thing and glared at it. Patience was one of those virtues that came and left him. He was just about to squash the call button again when he heard her voice.

‘Hello?’

‘It’s Josh. Let me up.’

He stared at the speaker, waiting for a slicing denial … a laugh … anything … He shifted and stared at the ground. Come on, Nina. One thousand one, one thousand …

His head snapped up when the buzzer sounded.

He grabbed the door before she could change her mind, and let himself in. He nodded at the doorman, but his heart was pounding as he pushed the call button for the elevator. It was another merry one with sing-song dings, but the thing was so slow, it nearly made him lose his mind. At last, it opened on the top floor.

His heart rate spiked, and the tension in his neck and shoulders grabbed. He stepped out into the empty lobby and turned towards Nina’s apartment.

She was waiting. She held the door halfway open, using it as a shield, and watched him warily from behind it. She was still wearing that classy white dress and those killer shoes, but she looked softer. More approachable. His gaze locked with hers, and her big brown eyes nearly slew him.

He stopped and waited.

Her fingers around the edge of the door. Those pink fingernails looked innocent and dangerous all at once. Without a word, she stepped back and pulled the door open wider.

Hallelujah.

He strode down the hallway, hooked an arm around her waist and was kissing her by the time the door banged shut behind him.

‘That was hot as hell,’ he said against her lips.

‘I know,’ she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He pushed the door shut with his foot, just to make sure, but then remembered the senator. He’d learned a thing or two from this case. Still keeping her plastered against his body, he reached back to turn the dead bolt. It clicked, sealing them inside. Alone. Together.

He looked down at her, just to make sure.

Her eyes were clear, and that soft mouth of hers wasn’t giving him any lip.

He’d fix that.

Tightening his hold on her, he lifted her almost out of her shoes. He kissed her again, and began walking towards her bedroom. He knew where it was, but he’d never been inside.

All he needed to find was a bed.

Done.

He set her down beside the big, puffy mattress and finally came up for a breath. ‘You tricked me into clearing you.’

Her breaths weren’t steady as she slid her hands down to his chest. She didn’t pull away, but spread her fingers wide. She had to feel his heart pounding.

Her eyes were all innocence as she looked up at him. ‘Are you angry?’

‘Pissed as hell,’ he confessed. ‘It was brilliant, but why did you come down there like that? You put yourself way too far out on a limb.’

Her lashes lowered. ‘They came after you.’

His heart skipped a beat. He caught her by the chin and made her look at him again. ‘What?’

‘They took you off the case.’ She rose up onto the toes of those high-heeled shoes and kissed him hard. ‘I didn’t like it.’

Well, damn.

If Josh had had any misgivings left about getting involved with her, she’d just kicked them into rubble. They were going to get involved. Right here, right now.

He closed his eyes as the kiss went on and on. He’d been wanting to do this again for weeks. The one taste she’d given him had haunted him. He fisted his hand in her hair and settled the other low on her back. He was already hard against her belly.

He’d been hard for her for months.

He found the zipper of her dress and slid it down. Her skin underneath was warm and smooth. He rubbed her back, skin against skin, and she let out a little hum.

‘You drive me so crazy,’ he growled, nipping at her lower lip.

‘Don’t ask me any more questions,’ she said as she began pulling at his tie.

‘Uh uh. I’m not promising that.’ He pulled her dress off her shoulders and pushed it down. He was going to ask her plenty of questions. What positions did she like? What side of the bed did she sleep on? Where did she want to go to dinner with him? Where had she learned about baseball?

He had more. He had a thousand things he wanted to know about her, but all the questions vaporised from his head when her dress fell to the floor, and he looked at her.

‘God, Nina.’ He could barely breathe. He stroked her from hip to ribcage. He doubted he’d be able to keep his hands off her ever again. ‘You’re perfect.’

And she was. She was petite, but her body was tight. She stood before him in a lacy, snow-white bra-and-panty combo. Her breasts were high and firm, and her belly was long and flat. Her legs were sleek and toned, all the way down to those shoes.

Those ball-buster shoes.

She went up on tiptoe again to push his shirt off his shoulders. He hadn’t taken the time to find his suit jacket. He’d interrogated her in rolled-up shirt sleeves. It wasn’t all that professional, but it speeded up the getting naked part.

Her hands stroked his bare chest, and he felt them quiver. ‘You’re not bad yourself,’ she said, her voice smoky.

She brushed her lips against his pecs. When her lashes fluttered up again, desire was clear in her eyes.

Josh pulled down the strap of her bra and kissed her shoulder. Her hands wrapped around his belt. She undid it and began to pull it out of the belt loops of his pants, but stopped abruptly.

She lifted her hands away, causing his brain to short out fantastically.

‘What? What’s wrong?’

She bit her lip, but then gave him a soft smile.

A smile.

He’d never seen her do that before. She didn’t want to deal with his pants? No problem. His cock would find a way out on its own.

‘Can you handle that for me?’ she asked, pointing a pink-tipped finger.

He looked at his side. His gun.

He grinned back at her. ‘Yes, ma’am.’

The Marshall and Ms Kitty, indeed.

He removed his weapon, checked that the safety was still set, and looked for a place to put it. There was room on the nightstand, right next to yet another blue glass creature.

He stopped and stared. It was the butterfly he’d given her – the one that she’d never acknowledged and that had disappeared.

He brushed his finger over it. ‘I didn’t think you liked it.’

He did a quick check of the bedroom. It was the only one of her collection in here.

He turned back towards her.

‘I love it.’ She lifted her hand to touch her earring. ‘It’s … my favourite.’

That was it. He was done for.

He caught her about the waist again, and they tumbled onto the bed. Josh sealed his mouth against hers, sending his tongue deep as he spread his body atop hers.

Oh, yeah, he was going to be here a while.

Chapter Six

Nina wrapped both arms around Josh, and her fingernails bit into his back. He was heavy, muscled and warm. She squeezed her eyes shut as his mouth worked at her neck.

He felt so good.

She wove her fingers into his hair and held him right where he was. She’d been so on edge at the station, her stomach had been knotted twice over. When she hadn’t seen him, she’d been scared that he’d been taken off more than the case. Then when he’d come in to interrogate her himself … She hadn’t known if she wanted to kiss him or kick him underneath the table.

He hadn’t taken it easy on her. He’d come at her full-bore, and she’d worried she’d slip and say something that would threaten her entire empire. He’d gotten close a few times. It had been a risk, but she hadn’t been able to stomach the thought of his career going down because of her.

She never would have forgiven herself if she’d let that happen.

He rolled to the side and she clutched at him, but he was just working his hand underneath her to get to her bra clasp. It loosened, and he came back down upon her, his mouth on her bare breast.

Her back arched as pleasure speared through her. He didn’t do anything halfway. His teeth rasped against her nipple and then he was sucking at her hard.

She squirmed on the bed, and her fingers tightened in his hair. ‘Ooooh, Josh.’

He turned her loose with a long lick. ‘There you go.’

His eyes had gone so dark, she could barely detect his pupils any more. ‘No “detective” when we’re in bed.’

She’d call him whatever he wanted her to call him if he’d just ease the ache between her legs. If he knew how long her panties had been wet, that whole interrogation scene wouldn’t have taken nearly as long.

Fear had never turned her on before, and it still didn’t.

He did.

He reared up over her and fisted his hand in her bra. He gave a tug, but the remaining strap caught on her arm. She worked her way out of it, and her bra went flying across the room.

The sun was still bright outside, but the rays were muted as they came through the sheer curtains that covered her bedroom windows. It gave everything a hazy, sexy glow.

‘Perfect,’ he whispered as his hand plumped up her other breast. He bent down to swirl his tongue around her nipple as his other hand slid down her belly and into her panties.

‘Ah,’ Nina gasped. His fingers were as strong as the rest of him, but they knew how to be gentle, too. Her hips rocked up as one found her opening and penetrated her deeply.

‘You don’t prefer double D redheads?’ she asked, unable to help herself.

His head came up slowly, leaving her nipple wet.

‘I know you saw Genieve in that video.’

‘I did, but she didn’t leave me with this.’

He caught her hand and dragged it down to the front of his pants. His erection met Nina’s palm eagerly, and she closed her fingers around him. He was hard and hot. He let out a groan when she slid her hand down further, and she sighed in pleasure.

His eyes were as dark and fierce as she’d ever seen them when he leaned over her. ‘I’ve got everything I want right here.’

That rumbly, sexy voice went right down into her panties where his hand was still playing intimately. His thumb found her clit, and she arched off the bed. He angled his mouth across hers and pressed her back down into the pillow. Nina kissed him and stroked his cock hard, pumping her hand up and down fast.

Oh, God. Only a man who liked to kiss would be so good at it.

She finally found his zipper and undid his pants. When she slipped her hand inside, things got serious fast.

For as big as he was, the man could move. He pulled away, but before she could catch her breath, her panties were down around her ankles. They snagged on her shoes, and her thighs quivered when he let out a helpless curse.

He cupped the clunky stiletto in his big hand. Her ankle looked dainty next to it. He shook his head. ‘They’ve got to stay on.’

He carefully untangled her panties and tossed them over his shoulder. Working around her hand, he shoved down his pants and briefs.

Nina’s eyelids got heavy as she looked at his erection and how it responded to her touch. He was a big man. Everywhere.

She drew up her knee, and her heel dug deep into the bedspread. She’d never been so turned on in her life. ‘I want you inside me,’ she whispered.

She twirled her thumb over the head of his straining cock and felt dampness. He caught her wrist, his fingers clamping tight.

‘I can make that happen.’

He climbed off the bed and stood up. Nina came up onto her knees. Her dream flashed into her mind, the one where he always left. Or, to be truthful, the one where she always made him … She let out a shaky breath when, instead of putting his pants back on, he dug into a pocket and came up with a condom.

It was going to happen this time. They were going to follow through all the way to the end.

Her body began to tremble. Her dreams had left her sweating, but they hadn’t been nearly as nerve-shattering as this. As intensely sexual … or as unbearably intimate …

He ripped open the package and unfurled the rubber over himself. She watched, her blood pumping hard. When his head lifted and his gaze locked with hers, she scrambled to pull back the covers.

He caught her by the ankle and tugged, sending her flat on her back as he crawled up over her. She let out a moan when that same hand smoothed up the inside of her thigh, pushing outwards to make room for himself between her legs.

‘Enough foreplay,’ he growled as he positioned himself at her opening.

Yes, enough. They’d been at it for months.

His hips rolled, and Nina cried out as he pushed up into her. The pressure, his size, the heat … He stopped, his biceps bunching, as he hovered over her.

‘Nina?’

She opened her eyes. The hazy sunshine lit the dust particles in the air all around them. His hair was mussed, his chest was working hard and her lipstick smudged his neck.

Concern lined his forehead, and he started to pull out.

Panic flared up inside her chest. No. No! She caught his muscled shoulders, holding tight, and wrapped her legs around his hips.

He shifted inside her, and she moaned in delight. ‘Perfect,’ she agreed.

‘Oh, damn, baby,’ he groaned.

‘Fuck me, Josh,’ she panted. She’d been waiting so long.

She lifted her hips, pushing herself onto him, and his own hips bucked forward. It sealed him deep inside, filling her, and Nina cried out again. The high-pitched, husky sound filled the corners of the room and not even her neighbours downstairs would have mistaken it for a sign of distress.

Her cry was the starting pistol that sent him off. He began to thrust into her, carefully at first, then more energetically as he gauged her reaction.

Her shoes clunked together at the small of his back with every thrust. She loved the sound. She loved his harsh breaths. She loved the excruciating intimacy.

He fucked her harder, and she scored her nails down his back. He was heavy, but she liked feeling his body moving on hers.

In hers.

He smoothed his hand up the back of her thigh, and she unlocked her ankles as he tugged at her leg. He straightened it against his chest and kissed her ankle. Her white and gold shoe looked so sexy pointing up in the air.

He must have thought so too, because he swelled even bigger inside her.

Nina’s body undulated sensually. She knew what he wanted, and she lifted her other leg.

He braced both hands on the mattress on either side of her and began thrusting hard and fast. Deep and wet. Nina couldn’t stop the sounds that were coming from her throat. Needy whimpers. Greedy squeals.

He wasn’t any quieter. His breaths were ragged, and desperate curses sliced through the air. He talked dirty to her. He told her how good she felt around him. How tight.

She clutched at his arm and felt his muscles straining. Her hand glided over his heaving chest to his corrugated belly. The way her legs were braced against his shoulders looked debauched and so suggestive, she could barely stand it.

‘Nina,’ he gasped.

Heat filled her entire body as she came. Her pussy clamped down on his heavy cock and pulsations ran through her. Her toes pointed hard inside her sexy shoes.

Her orgasm was hot and overwhelming.

Josh kept pumping. Their bodies slapped together until he, too, went over the edge of the cliff into freefall. His body clenched, and his hips ground. His arms buckled at the end, and his weight dropped onto her.

Nina wrapped her arms around him, holding him protectively. Her legs felt heavy as she dropped them, and her heels snagged in the sheets. She caught his hips between her thighs and held on.

Keeping him where he was. Keeping the connection that had been so long in coming.

His breaths were hot against her ear. ‘I think we just became exclusive.’

Her rushing heart took a stutter step. She turned her head on the pillow and their noses brushed. His eyes were sharp, but then he tucked her hair behind her ear. He brushed his lips over hers once, twice before settling down into a deep kiss.

She relaxed onto the pillow with him.

Exclusive, the old-fashioned way.

Rielle had been right after all.

They stayed that way, making out softly until Nina felt Josh move. He was still hard, and she protested when he disconnected their bodies, but there was the business side of sex to take care of. He dealt with the condom and threw it away. When he came back, he settled on the end of the bed to remove her shoes.

She pulled the sheet half over herself and watched him lazily as he undid a strap. He caught her ankle protectively as he worked the shoe off her.

He frowned as he weighed it in his hand. ‘That’s some serious footwear.’

She lifted her other foot. ‘But they’re so pretty.’

He caught her ankle and bent down to kiss her knee. ‘I can’t argue with that.’

She pressed her foot against his flat stomach and squeezed her toes. He wasn’t a man who waxed. The thought of it was laughable, and she would have killed him if he tried. The dark hair that dusted his chest was light and soft. His chest was thickly muscled, but not only from lifting weights. She could see he did that, but he was just built big. And manly.

She wiggled her toes again, and that glint came back into his eyes. She liked that her shoes made him hot.

It had been her intention, after all.

She watched as he divested her of her other shoe. Shoes had more purpose than just covering feet.

She let out a moan when he pressed his thumb into her arch. ‘Oooooh.’

A purpose like that.

He massaged her foot and up the back of her calf before treating the other to the same bliss. He dropped a kiss on her pink-painted toes before crawling up the bed to spread out beside her.

‘I don’t know how you can walk in those things.’

‘It’s a secret.’

He propped his head up in his hand as he lay on his side. ‘You have a lot of those.’

Nina tucked her sheet a little tighter across her chest. She supposed she did.

He caught her fingers and laced his own through them. ‘You could have played the commander card a long time ago. Why today?’

She shrugged, suddenly wishing it was dark outside. The light coming through the window might be muted, but it was difficult to hide when he was lying so close. And watching her the way he did.

The way he always did.

‘I thought he should know what was going on in his department.’

She hadn’t had to coerce Jones or lie. She’d simply had to show him the machinations going on just a few floors down from his office.

She looked at her hand next to Josh’s. She’d played the card to help him.

Besides, it was only right. Toxic people in an organisation caused more problems than anything. She knew. And the commander would be getting a night on the town on Luxxor’s dime. She’d already told Rielle on the ride back to her apartment to set him up with Lilah.

His favourite escort.

The commander had been uncomfortable during her questioning, she knew. He’d been a client for years now, but he’d never ventured beyond standard escort services. The beautiful fifty-something woman he preferred as his companion was a peach. Stylish, distinguished and fun, Lilah had been working for Luxxor for nearly two years – and was having the time of her life. She loved attending fancy events and meeting new people. The two would have a night of it with an Italian dinner at Fiola, a private evening tour of the commander’s favourite place, the International Spy Museum, and dessert at The Cakeroom.

Nina’s teeth worried her lower lip. She’d played the card to protect them, too. Neither the commander nor Lilah knew about Luxxor’s extracurricular activities.

And they never could.

‘I’m a big boy, you know,’ Josh said.

She looked at their hands, palm-to-palm. ‘I know.’

She could still feel how big he’d been.

His eyes went dark, and he kissed her wrist. ‘I can fight my own battles, especially in the office.’

She frowned. ‘But you shouldn’t have to. You earned your way. You’re good at your job.’

Too good.

She needed to remember who he was and what he did. She wanted him, but being with him came at a price. He was a cop. He’d still be looking for mistakes or red flags. It was his way.

‘They really did a number on you, didn’t they?’

‘Who?’ She thought she’d handled today pretty well, thank you very much.

‘Those bastards with the glass ceiling.’

Nina hesitated, but then shrugged. She’d gotten past it. Mostly. She’d used it to put a fire in her gut, that was for sure.

He tugged on her hand until she rolled over to face him and he settled his hand on her waist. ‘Were you sexually harassed? Because so help me –’

‘A guy tried once.’ She lifted an eyebrow. ‘And only once.’

His eyes narrowed.

She pushed back her hair. ‘It was other things, like the time I was verbally promised a promotion. All that was needed to finalise the deal was the paperwork, but in the same timeframe I’d recommended a former colleague for an opening. I didn’t even like the man, but he’d been laid off and needed to support his family.’

She inhaled deeply when she felt the rage bubble up inside her again. ‘They gave him the job they’d promised me – at a higher wage and a better title. They didn’t even talk to me about it. Everything just vaporised as if it never happened.’

‘You’re shitting me.’

‘It’s all about the boys’ club. Later, I somehow found myself working for a twenty-seven-year old. He’d been the boss’s gofer and, when a position opened up, they just slid him right in. I swallowed my pride about that, but when the snot-nosed moron promoted his best buddy from college over me, I walked.’

‘What the hell?’

‘With all my experience and my expertise, I couldn’t compete with that.’ She smiled ruefully. ‘When I saw that young detective strut into that interview room, I knew exactly what was going on.’

‘Nina.’

‘And I didn’t like it.’

He snorted. ‘Get in line. Nobody likes Higgins.’

‘I protected you.’

‘I know, but you should have protected yourself.’

‘I did.’ She settled her hand on his chest. ‘I’m a big girl, too, you know.’

She gave him a push and came up over him.

‘Deal with it.’

* * *

He could deal with anything when she looked at him like that.

Josh reached for Nina as she climbed atop him. Darien had been right. Things went so much better when he got out of his own way.

He caught her by the waist as she straddled him, and his halfway softened cock perked back up to attention. One go around with her hadn’t been enough. It would take weeks, months … He didn’t know how he’d ever be able to get her out of his blood. Air filled his lungs when she ran her fingers down his chest to his abdomen and back up again. When she started down the same path with her mouth, his fingers dug into her thighs.

Their problems weren’t gone, but this was helping.

He let out a hiss when her delicate tongue traced his rib. It was helping a lot.

He cupped the back of her head. Her soft hair was sliding all over him. If he didn’t slow down, he was going to embarrass himself before she even started to ride.

‘How did you learn about baseball?’ he asked.

Her lashes fluttered up. ‘Are you serious?’

He chuckled. ‘Kind of.’

He’d somehow managed to crash through the physical barricade she’d set up – probably because she’d let him – but her mental barricade was nearly as intriguing.

‘My grandpa who raised me coached Little League.’

He shifted when her mouth moved dangerously lower. Her grandpa. He could deal with that.

‘All the cute boys spent their summers at the ballpark.’

His fingers tightened in her hair. ‘Sorry.’ He hurriedly soothed the hurt, stroking the ash-blonde strands.

Her look was mischievous as she dipped her tongue into his belly button. ‘You spent your summers at a ballpark, didn’t you?’

His eyes narrowed. Come to think of it, he had.

‘So you think I’m cute?’

‘That’s not exactly how I’d describe you.’

‘Good.’ He stretched out underneath her when she crawled up to kiss him. Cute was for teenagers and puppies.

‘You’re … pugnacious.’

He cupped her face. ‘Hey, I think I resent that.’

It wasn’t fair for her to use big words when her breasts were plumped against his chest the way they were.

‘And stubborn and irritating …’

Irritating? He’d show her irritating. He cupped her pert breasts and tweaked her nipples with his thumbs. A soft cry escaped her. ‘Like that?’

Her eyelids went heavy. Reaching between her legs, she found his erogenous zone.

Hell, every inch of his body was erogenous when it came to her, but his cock was especially attuned to her touch. She pumped him sexily and carefully squeezed his balls.

‘And maybe, just a little … lust worthy.’

Josh’s heels dug into the mattress. He liked that she wasn’t shy. He liked that she was as bold in the bedroom as she was the boardroom, because reining himself in with her would have been damn near impossible.

He reached between her legs and swept a finger deep through her slit. Her eyelids went heavy, and she ground herself into his hand.

‘Do you have any more of those condoms?’ she asked tightly.

‘In my billfold.’ He started to roll her off of him, but she was nimble. She sprang off the bed and began searching through his pants pocket. If he hadn’t been as desperate as she was, he might have let out a laugh.

At this critical juncture, he wasn’t that damn stupid.

She flipped through his wallet and found what they needed. She ripped off one and put the rest on the nightstand.

He stroked her leg as she stood by the bed, naked. He liked that she didn’t have any protection on hand.

He liked it a lot.

She finally got the condom out of the package, and she mounted him again. He puffed up the pillow beneath his head and watched intently as she unfurled the latex over the tent-pole of his erection. The feel of her fingers sliding all the way from his tip to his base made his head spin.

‘You better get on there fast,’ he said through gritted teeth.

She rose on her haunches, and he felt her heat against his tip.

She began to lower herself, and he felt the tight clasp of her pussy all over again. His hips reflexively swung up to meet her, and she gasped. Her eyes squeezed shut, and she braced her hands against his chest.

Josh stopped breathing when she pushed down hard, seating herself all the way.

He relaxed against the pillow and caressed her thighs. Her hands fisted against his chest.

Oh. Yeah.

She began to pump herself up and down, and he caught her breasts. What she was doing felt amazing. She felt amazing. He rubbed her nipples between his thumb and forefingers until they were hard little beads.

Why had they circled each other for so long? They said that waiting made the reward sweeter, but he didn’t see how that could possibly be.

Her neck arched back, and her hair swung behind her. Her breaths were going short, but her thrusts were slowing. He caught her by the waist. Bending his knee, he went to flip positions with her, but her nails bit into his chest.

‘No.’ She caught his hands and pressed them onto the mattress on either side of him. The hot kiss she planted on his lips made him stay.

The woman wanted to be on top? He’d let her.

This time.

She kept moving atop him sensually, erotically. Between watching her and feeling her, Josh was so aroused, he couldn’t think. He felt himself getting closer and closer. He’d been primed from the get go. Much more and –

He couldn’t take it. He wasn’t going to come without her. He yanked his hand out from where she had him pinned and pushed his hand between their bodies to where they were connected. He found her clit and rubbed it urgently. She went stiff above him, and they climaxed as one. Her body arched voluptuously atop his, and his hips did a double hitch.

When he came back down, she was with him.

He took her weight easily, his arms wrapping around her. His heart thudded as her ragged breaths skimmed over his chest.

She stayed there for a long time, and he petted her back. He kissed the top of her head and tried to think of something to say, only to decide against it. He followed her gaze across the room to the nightstand where his gun and her butterfly sat. She stayed quiet for so long, he began to worry that something was wrong, but her breaths had steadied and her body was limp. He would have held her like that for as long as she wanted – her on top of him and him inside her – but it had been a while now. And, as hot as she made him, he couldn’t keep it up for ever.

‘I should probably take care of …’

She flinched at the sound of his voice. ‘Oh, right. Sorry.’

Sorry?

She pushed herself upright and tried to disengage their bodies. It was the first time since he’d arrived at her apartment that things got awkward. He took charge, gathering her up and switching positions.

This time, she let him. He pulled out of her carefully and took care of the clean-up. She remained quiet throughout, but the butterfly on the nightstand caught a glint of sunlight.

He lay back down on the pillow next to her. ‘When was the last time you slept, Nina?’

‘Last night.’

‘I mean the whole night through.’

Her forehead furrowed as if it took effort to count.

That was enough evidence for him. He caught the bed sheets and pulled them over both of them. He knew exactly how long it had been for him. He hadn’t gotten a full night’s rest since the Gunderson incident. He’d lay odds it had been just as long for her, but sleep was pulling at him now. Hard.

And he had no intention of leaving.

The warm haze still filled the room, but it wasn’t bright enough that he felt inclined to get up to shut the curtains. The apartment was still and quiet. It was strange compared to the creaks and groans of his old house, but Josh felt like he’d just run a marathon. He was just about to slip under when the bed shifted.

He rolled his head on the pillow to look at Nina. She’d inched closer to him.

She looked sleepy, too, with her hair uncharacte‌ristically tangled and her lips puffy. Her cheeks turned pink when she realised she’d been caught.

‘You’re on my side of the bed,’ she said.

‘Uh huh.’ He knew better.

She’d been looking over her shoulder, running for too long. He knew, because he’d been the one chasing her. He slid his arm underneath her and pulled her close. So close she pressed against his side, and her head rested on his shoulder. He heard her sigh.

‘Sleep.’

He’d finally caught up with her, but it would take a while to convince them both that wasn’t a bad thing.

He ran his fingers up her spine and under her hair.

They’d deal with tomorrow when it came. Until then, he had her back.

Chapter Seven

Nina woke first. The sun coming through her bedroom window was brighter and more insistent in the morning. She hadn’t made the effort to close the curtains last night; she’d been too distracted. Still, she felt refreshed. She’d slept dreamlessly, the whole night through. The dull ache behind her eyes was gone. She stretched and felt a soreness that actually felt good.

Her cheeks warmed. She might be a madam, but she didn’t have hot sex every night.

Warily, she turned her head on the pillow. She was still tucked up against Josh, only they’d shifted positions over the course of the night so his big, muscled body spooned hers. He was like a heating blanket all along her back.

A heating blanket with a very alert morning erection tucking up against her bottom …

Her gaze quickly snapped away and landed on the blue butterfly on her nightstand. The way the sun was glinting, it seemed ready to take flight.

So did her heart.

What had she done? She’d let him into her home. She’d let him into her bed.

She’d slept with him.

The happy, relaxed feeling in her chest squeezed down into a ball of dread. When had she gotten so careless? Why had she dropped her guard?

Trying not to wake him, she caught his wrist and lifted it from around her waist. As soon as she was free, she slipped off the bed. He moved as she was putting on her robe, and she froze. He just rolled onto his back, but he flung his arm out to the side, almost as if he was looking for her.

Her pang of regret turned into a pang of guilt.

She’d never expected this. She’d had dreams about it, but their relationship had been always been so combative and tense. He was a cop. For that reason alone, she’d held him at arm’s length. Yet right now he looked so relaxed and sexy. So handsome, virile and male …

She left before she could do something truly stupid, but the energy inside her only grew. She paced across her living room, trying to think, but stopped when she caught her reflection in the mirror above the bouquet of flowers.

It stunned her, and she stepped forward for a closer look. Not only did she feel better, she looked better. The dark circles under her eyes were gone. Her hair was tangled in waves, and her lips were pink and puffy.

She looked softer and younger.

She spent a fortune on face creams to keep away wrinkles, but she got better results by falling into bed with the very man who was causing her frown lines?

She raked a hand through her hair. That was so like him!

She spun away. This had to be a one-night stand. She couldn’t let this continue. Having him in her home was making her edgy. This was her personal space, her safe haven. The case was closed; everyone had been cleared. It would be foolish for her to see him.

To start a relationship with him.

An exclusive one.

‘Nina,’ she hissed.

She closed her eyes and took a calming breath. She could handle this, but it needed to be handled now. There was no need to hurt his feelings or cause conflict. They’d both had a nice time.

A nice time?

She pinched the bridge of her nose. She needed to get him up and moving, thank him again for his help with Genieve and send him on his way.

She padded barefoot into the kitten and jabbed the start button on the coffeemaker. Feeling totally discombobulated, she leaned back against the kitchen island. Sex had scrambled her brain. She needed it back.

The scent of coffee reached out first, but the pot was nearly full when she heard movement in the other room. It felt strange, knowing someone else was in her apartment. Cosy.

She busied herself pulling coffee mugs out of the overhead cupboard. She felt him before she saw him. Glancing over, she found Josh leaning against the open archway to her kitchen. He’d put his pants on, but his chest and his feet were bare.

Intimacy turned the air thick, and her toes curled under her robe. She should have stopped to find more clothes. She should have put on tie-dye and flip-flops, like he liked to tease her about.

Her heart did a little flip inside her chest.

The way he was looking at her, she doubted even that would put him off.

‘Morning,’ he said, his voice still husky from sleep.

‘Good morning,’ she said quietly.

She pulled the pot off the heating element before it was done and heard a hiss. She poured two cups of coffee anyway. He moved closer as she poured creamer and sugar into hers, and took the one she left black.

‘Tell me this is leftover from what you have down at Luxxor.’

‘The blend?’ She nodded. ‘We buy it special, because we all like it.’

He took a drink, and his eyes closed in appreciation. ‘Ah. The best part of waking up.’

When he opened them again, his eyes had a glint. ‘Almost.’

He surprised her by moving in and kissing her. Nina’s breath caught. His mouth was warm and soft. He tilted his head and found the angle that sealed their lips as one. Her hand lifted to his chest, but inside of pushing him away, she spread her fingers wide. His skin was warm and inviting. Tempting. She was just sinking into all the sensations when she remembered her resolution.

She pulled back and dipped her head. Keeping her movements calm and steady, she stirred her coffee.

His brow furrowed. ‘Did you sleep OK?’

Between her multiple orgasms and the warm pillow of his chest?

‘Mm hm.’

‘Good, because we need to talk.’ He stole her mug and began walking to her living room.

Nina let out a gasp of indignation and glared at his back. She wasn’t about to be led around her own apartment.

But wasn’t that what she’d planned to do anyway?

She exhaled slowly. Yes, they needed to talk.

Stiffening her spine, she followed him. The sunlight coming through the floor-to-ceiling windows in her living room wasn’t muted at all. There were no window sheers, and the warm light felt way too bright. Illuminating. She sat on the sofa and pulled her robe over her knees.

She frowned when he set down their mugs and chose to sit on the coffee table beside them. He was facing her. Once again, he was in her space. Nudging her where she didn’t want to go.

‘All right,’ he began, ‘I know I said –’

‘That is not a chair.’

He blinked. ‘Excuse me?’

‘That is a coffee table. It’s for magazines and beverages, perhaps feet, but it is not a place for you to park your backside.’

Sexy as it might be.

He lifted an eyebrow. ‘All right.’

He moved, but she caught her breath when, instead of choosing the chair, he sat next to her on the sofa. And he was close. Their shoulders didn’t touch, and their knees didn’t bump, but she could feel his heat.

‘Morgan,’ she sputtered.

He lifted his coffee and settled back against the cushions. ‘As I was saying, I know we promised no detective work in the bedroom, but we need to talk about the case.’

He wanted to talk about the case? Her thoughts did a U-turn and veered in a different direction. ‘It was closed yesterday. We’re done.’

His eyes darkened. His hair might be mussed, but he’d woken up with his mind sharp.

And it was running directly counter to hers.

‘We’re not done. We still need to figure out who called in that tip.’

She crossed her legs away from him, and made sure her robe didn’t gap. He was doing this on purpose, keeping her off centre.

‘OK.’ The tip. He was right. They needed to find out who’d caused so many problems. She could focus on that – if she stared out the window and didn’t look at him. They’d talked plenty in the past, but they’d never been stripped down.

It was disconcerting.

‘Could we do that later today at my office?’ she asked. ‘It’s late, and I really need to get out the door.’

He paused. ‘Like you scurried out of the bedroom? Want to talk about that instead?’

Her lips pressed tight. She didn’t scurry any more than she sashayed. She’d … run.

She’d run.

‘I didn’t think so.’ He took another drink of his coffee and set it aside. ‘All right, it’s time to pool our resources. Do you have any idea who called TMI News?’

Nina folded her hands in her lap. She supposed she could share what she knew about that. She’d already confessed her company’s line of business to him – at least one of them. ‘We went through our patrons and put together a list, but so far none of them have panned out.’

She turned to look at him and found him closer than if she’d left him on the coffee table. ‘Who do you think it is?’

‘The same person who sent Higgins this.’ He leaned forward as he reached into his back pocket, and Nina’s pulse jumped. She refused to pull away, but she frowned when he handed her a tube of sturdy paper.

It was photo paper. She unrolled it and stared. It was a still shot of the fifty-foot-high LED scoreboard at Nationals Park, brightly showing all of DC their first kiss. Her mouth went wet. They looked sexy together, immersed in each other, a thousand miles away from the ball game or other spectators.

‘How did he get this?’ she demanded. She spread the photo open to keep it from curling. It felt violating for someone like the opportunistic Higgins to have possession of something so very private.

And it was private. She didn’t care who had seen.

But that was the point, wasn’t it? Somebody had seen her and Josh together.

‘This is why you were taken off the case, for conflict of interest.’

He looked at her from under his lashes and shrugged. ‘They may have been onto something there.’

He turned the photo over in her hands. On the back, somebody had written their names and the date. ‘Do you recognise the handwriting?’

‘No.’ It made her uncomfortable that somebody had followed them or done enough research to unearth proof of their relationship.

She bit her lip. Because it certainly looked like a relationship, even back then. ‘He received this yesterday?’

‘That’s what he said. Why?’

She looked at the watch on his wrist. ‘We should watch the news.’

Whoever was playing with them liked to dangle information in front of people who might bite. She grabbed the remote from the end table and pushed a button. The doors of the entertainment centre swung open, and the big-screen television rolled forward.

Beside her, Josh straightened. ‘Whoa.’

Nina didn’t bite. She’d worked hard for her money; she liked to splurge on things that made her life easier. Or happier, like her glass animals. Or prettier, like her shoes. ‘I don’t like clutter.’

‘Right. That’s why I’ve got a hundred critters watching me every time I get near you.’

Her mouth dropped open in indignation. ‘Those aren’t clutter.’

‘What are they?’

‘Art.’

‘There’s Gunderson.’ He grabbed the remote from her hand.

She’d turned on the television just in time to see the reporter who’d interviewed the senator on the Capitol steps. There was a picture of Gunderson on the screen, but when they switched to the live interview, the reporter was talking to the other man running for the Senate seat.

Josh upped the volume, and Nina’s eyes narrowed. The guy was good in bed and all, but that was her remote. She took it back.

‘Mr Murphy, I’m sure you’re aware of the incident that happened recently with Senator Gunderson and two reporters from TMI News. Do you have any comments?’

‘I very much do.’ The candidate jabbed a finger into the air. He was blue-collar and relatable, but his hair was dishevelled and his suit fit awkwardly. ‘I can tell you that, back in my day, something like that never would have happened. Journalists conducted themselves with professionalism back then. If anyone could tell me what those two bozos were thinking, I’d like to hear it.’

‘Do you think this helps or hinders the senator’s campaign?’

‘Anyone with a television can see it’s helping. Any channel you choose, he’s there. It was terrible, I’m sure, for the senator and his …’ Murphy waved his hands. ‘Companion. All I’m asking for is equal coverage.’

‘Are you saying that the senator is milking the incident for more votes?’

‘Of course he is. Did you see the bandage on the man’s arm? You’d think the doctors were ready to amputate.’

The interview went on for a few more moments with the challenger making some good points about the freedom of the press versus the right to privacy, but nothing about the interview was as flashy or sexy as the senator’s heroic return to the Capitol steps.

Nina hit the mute button. Thoughts were spinning through her head. ‘Did you watch all of the video those reporters took?’

Josh glanced her way. ‘I did.’

‘What did it show?’

His expression turned dubious, and she held back a huff. She wasn’t jealous. Not any more. Not exactly. ‘I want to know.’

He leaned against the cushions and spread his feet out before him, but the pose wasn’t all that relaxed. ‘It started outside the room in the hallway. Hoodie and Bieber were –’

‘Who?’

‘The reporters.’ He rubbed his brow and started again. ‘They started taping as they discussed their plan. They used a key card they’d bought from a maid to gain entry.’

‘And?’ Nina didn’t shy away. She needed to know what was on that video in case it ever got out. Genieve would want to know, and Brody needed to be prepared.

‘And the senator was on top of your friend. Nothing kinky, vanilla missionary style, but they were going at it pretty fast and hard.’ The detective rubbed a hand over his chest. ‘Genieve said the reporters broke in at a particularly uncomfortable time, and it looked like it.’

Nina nodded. The discussion was particularly uncomfortable, too, but she held his look – and he held hers. Neither giving in.

‘Everything the senator has said is true. He cowered away at first but, once he saw the camera, he came off the bed swinging.’

‘Naked?’

‘I would say “as the day he was born”, but given the condition he was in, that wouldn’t be accurate.’

So there was video out there of Samuel Gunderson defending his turf while sporting a raging hard-on. Fantastic.

Nina sighed. ‘If that gets out, he’ll be re-elected for sure.’

A muscle in Josh’s jaw ticked. ‘Should I be jealous?’

‘What? No. Not of … I’m talking politics.’ It flustered her to think of him being possessive of her. ‘It’s Gunderson’s electorate. They’re impressed by the silver hair and chiselled physique.’

‘Chiselled,’ he snorted.

Her gaze drifted over his muscled chest and washboard stomach. He had a point. ‘Samuel is all about the show. If they put together his good looks with a heroic image like that, he’ll be in the Senate for as long as he wants to be.’

Josh turned. ‘You don’t like him either.’

Nina mentally kicked herself. She’d opened one door to him and now others were showing cracks. ‘That’s not to leave this apartment.’

‘Because he’s a client?’

‘Because he’s Genieve’s boyfriend.’

‘Uh huh.’ The declaration bounced right off him. He rubbed his whiskered jaw as he looked at the TV. ‘Do you think Murphy’s right? That Gunderson is spinning this to help his campaign?’

She didn’t think it. She knew it. He’d hired Brody Haynes.

Josh’s eyes narrowed. ‘Do you think he could have set the whole thing up?’

Nina’s lips parted in surprise. Himself? That was more of a leap – but not outside the realm of possibility.

‘Do you think Genieve knew about it?’

Nina closed down immediately, her glare icy and dangerous.

‘I don’t think so either.’ He smiled slowly. ‘But that’s better.’

He slid his arm behind her. ‘Good morning, Nina.’

Before she could figure out what he meant, he was kissing her again. Soundly and deeply. Her hands lit upon his bare shoulders, but when his tongue ran over her bottom lip, she clutched at him. He leaned into her, easing her back into the cushions, and she let him.

‘We’re too old for morning-after silliness,’ he said against her lips.

‘I prefer the word “mature”.’ But she felt appropriately chastened. He was calling her out.

She’d panicked; she knew she had. She’d lost control. Her basic instincts had taken over, and in the light of day she hadn’t known how to handle it.

She still didn’t.

‘Call it whatever you like, but we’re too good together for it. I don’t want last night to be a one-time deal, do you?’

She closed her eyes, but eventually shook her head.

He sighed and caressed her side. ‘I need to go home for a change of clothes and then head to work. Can I come over tonight?’

She hesitated.

‘I’ll grab some takeout, and we could watch the game.’

‘I can’t.’

He lifted an eyebrow. ‘That TV set-up of yours is giving me a boner. You might find that useful.’

She laughed. Actually laughed.

The evening sounded appealing, but, unfortunately, she had other plans. ‘I have to attend an event.’

‘Where?’

She glanced back at the TV where the reporter’s lips were still moving soundlessly. ‘Capitol Hill.’

* * *

The event was black tie and exclusive to donors to the US Capitol Preservation Fund. Nina arrived fashionably late and took a look around the scene. The socialising was happening in the Capitol Visitor Center, which was cleverly based under the East Front of the Capitol and its plaza. She entered through the Exhibition Hall and wished she had more time to explore. No matter how many times she visited the building, she never had enough time to look at all the historical documents and hands-on exhibits.

The one she did stop for was the massive Statue of Freedom. Actually, the Visitor Center housed the original plastic cast for the statue that was placed atop the Capitol Dome, but the model itself was one of her favourites. The statue was of a woman holding a sheathed sword and a laurel. She wore a fringed blanket over her shoulder, but, best of all, on her head was a helmet crested with feathers. She looked strong, determined and beautiful. A warrior princess.

Lifting her chin, Nina strode into Emancipation Hall, where guests were already gathering. Senators and Congressmen were mingling with the wealthy patrons who supported the maintenance of the national landmark. Everyone was in black tie, looking sharp and pressed. The impressive surroundings of their workplace were open every day for public tours. But not at night.

Skirting the crowd, Nina ventured to the end of the room. She looked up and was met with an impressive sight. The Visitor Center might be underground, but the architects had built in skylights to see all the way up to the Capitol Dome. It was lit, and the view was stunning.

Her donation was going to a good cause.

She accepted a glass of champagne from a waiter and turned back towards the crowd. So much for fun; it was time for her to get to work. She needed to make acquaintances, renew connections and nourish the relationships she currently had with clients. She took a sip of bubbly to get herself in the mood. It wasn’t a crowd she relished – especially after the senator’s escapade – but it was a market segment she couldn’t ignore.

Politicians were some of Luxxor’s best clients.

She made her way over to a freshman congressman who was making a name for himself. Her dress swished, signalling her arrival. The man noticed, and an appreciative smile lit his face.

‘Good evening, Congressman Craft.’ She extended her hand. ‘It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard such good things. I’m Nina Lockwood.’

She’d dressed for the event, and the deep-purple dress was one of her favourites. The bodice was snug, and the dress was sleeveless. It was full-length to match the formality of the event, but the slit up the side kept her from feeling stodgy.

Stodginess was definitely a no-go in her line of work. She knew she’d achieved that delicate, classy but sexy balance when the congressman’s gaze swept down to her shoes. Silver tonight, to match her beaded purse.

She touched her amethyst teardrop necklace. ‘Are you all alone tonight?’

And so it began.

She felt the congressman out carefully. She’d already done her homework on him. When her gut feeling matched what she’d read, she discreetly handed him a Luxxor business card. The young bucks working sixty hours a week were ripe for her company’s services.

She plastered a pleasant smile on her face and moved on. For the next hour or more, she worked her way around the crowd. It was what she did. She didn’t have to attend as many of these events now that Sienna was onboard at Luxxor, but tonight it seemed to take more energy than usual. Her heart just wasn’t in it.

She shared a look with Casey, one of her escorts working the night’s event. Widow Hawkins didn’t look that upset to be on the man’s arm. She was a young widow, after all, and Casey was nice to look at. He was a nice man, as well.

Turning down a shrimp canapé, Nina wandered over to look at a statue of Helen Keller. The crowd had broken down into its normal clumpings. Democrats talked with Democrats, and the Republicans stood on the other side of the large room. Office staffers tended to keep together, although couples had broken off to enjoy some private time in an interesting space.

She hoped to be able to break away, too. The one thing she’d looked forward to about tonight was a private tour of the restoration work in the interior of the Dome upstairs. She wondered if she’d spent enough time schmoozing when she heard a familiar laugh and spotted a dashing head of silver hair.

Senator Gunderson.

Her anticipation dimmed. She looked quickly for Genieve, but the senator seemed to be with his staff tonight. His aide was sporting a spiffy red bowtie, while the woman with the stern bun had let her hair down. She looked pretty in the soft yellow dress she’d chosen, especially when she smiled shyly at her boss.

He smiled back.

Good, the man was occupied.

Nina tried to slip away from his line of sight, but the purple dress failed her. He spotted her in that moment and took a step in her direction. His assistant’s face fell when she lost the senator’s attention, and Nina clenched her teeth.

The last thing she needed tonight was to be seen with that man. What was he thinking?

She started around the pillar behind the statue. If he had to talk, it offered the most privacy she could find. Her footsteps slowed, though, when he was waylaid.

By Brody Haynes.

Her eyebrows rose when the fixer pointed the senator at a table of appetisers and turned towards her himself. She considered him appreciatively as he stalked her way. The tux suited him. His shoulders were wide and his hips were trim. The look would have been elegant if not for that stealthy walk.

Interesting. He was still pissed.

She moved silently behind the pillar and waited. He arrived, looking ready for battle. She swept up two fresh glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and offered him one.

He glowered at her, but accepted. He took a more than healthy sip, and his shoulders finally dropped from somewhere around his ears.

‘He’s not the brightest bulb in the pack,’ she murmured over her own glass.

‘Dim,’ Brody agreed. He rolled his head on his shoulders and finally looked at her. The hostility was gone, but not the recalcitrance. He didn’t like her, it was clear.

That was fine. There were many people who didn’t like her, but they all respected her.

Haynes raked a hand through his dark hair. ‘He wanted to know if you received the flowers.’

‘He shouldn’t have sent them.’

‘I told him that.’

Nina circled her champagne flute and watched the gold liquid swirl. ‘How is Genieve?’

‘Bored.’ The man looked around the room of power players. ‘She doesn’t do bored well.’

Nina held back a smile. ‘No, she doesn’t.’

‘She’s broken up with the senator.’

Nina tilted her head. ‘I’m aware. I’ve taken care of the … paperwork.’

‘No, I mean that’s the story we’re going with.’ Brody drank some champagne. He was centring himself, toning down and focusing on the matter at hand. ‘She was a victim of the political limelight. She was mortified by the break-in and doesn’t want to deal with Gunderson’s world.’

So that’s how he was extricating her escort from the situation?

It was workable. It put Genieve in a sympathetic light, and Nina wouldn’t fight that. ‘When’s it going to break?’

‘Whenever the press notices she’s not accompanying him any more.’ The man shrugged. ‘It could be tonight, maybe tomorrow … We’ll just let it play out.’

Nina watched the senator walk over to shake the hand of one of the Capitol architects. His assistants were in tow, but no reporters had been allowed in the building for the event. There were probably some lingering outside. Some of the most high-profile politicians sat on the Capitol Preservation Commission, but the event wasn’t all that sexy. If it was a slow news night, some reporter might do a piece on the refurbishment of the Capitol. It was an ongoing process, although some of the most recent major projects were completing.

She toyed with her earring as she watched Gunderson. The story would play well for him, too. He’d lost his girlfriend due to the pressures of his job. It would tug at women’s sympathy. He’d be appropriately heartbroken on camera, she was sure.

Had he engineered all of this? She doubted he was that smart.

‘I expect full payment on the contract,’ she warned. It might have ended early, but not due to anything her company had done. Haynes was managing to turn lemons into lemonade. The scandal could catapult the senator to re-election.

‘You’ll get it.’

Yes, she would. ‘When will Genieve be returning to work?’

Haynes shook his head fervently. ‘No. She can’t be seen with other men yet.’

Nina folded her arm over her waist and considered her champagne. ‘She’s one of my best girls.’

The man’s jaw set, and a muscle at his temple pulsed.

She sipped her champagne and let the bubbles play over her tongue. ‘I have some administrative busywork I could send over, but I can’t keep paying her indefinitely.’

Brody’s champagne was gone, and, if his white fingers around the stem of the flute were any indication, the glass would soon be, too. She signalled a waiter and smiled appreciatively when he took the empty glass.

‘You know, this scandal affected more than the senator,’ she said. ‘It impacted my company and Genieve’s livelihood. I’m grateful for all you’ve done to keep this under the radar, but Luxxor can’t stop doing business.’

She lowered her tone. ‘Genieve is an escort. She needs to be social.’

‘So assign her to me.’

Nina tilted her head, and her earrings jingled. ‘Excuse me?’

She might be pushing the poor man too far, but she wanted to hear him say it. For her peace of mind. For Genieve.

‘Put her on an exclusive contract with me.’

Nina let her eyes widen just enough. ‘With you? Have you talked to her about this?’

‘No, just draw up the paperwork.’

‘She has to agree to it.’

‘She will.’

The fun Nina was having stopped abruptly, and Haynes shifted uncomfortably under her steely look.

‘Help me talk to her. She doesn’t have to –’ He stopped and rubbed the back of his neck. ‘I have no stipulations other than she stay with me and lay low. I’ll pay your full fee, and that will fix the problem for everybody.’

Nina took a sip of her champagne. It wouldn’t fix his problem, which she’d suspected ever since the night of the break-in.

Fascinating.

‘I’d be amenable to that if she is.’

He nodded tersely. ‘I’ll get back to you.’

She watched as he walked away. ‘You do that.’

The cool customer wasn’t so calm and in control any more. He could handle politicians, unruly reporters and nervous hotel managers without breaking a sweat, but one mischievous redhead had him off his game. Nina wondered how much trouble Genieve was giving him – and just how ruffled the redhead was by him in return.

No stipulations? She doubted that would be the case. Chemistry as strong as that couldn’t be one-sided, but if Haynes’ feelings weren’t reciprocated, there would be no contract. It was as simple as that.

Happy with the night’s unexpected success, she dropped off her empty glass with another roving waitress. They always said it was best to quit when you were ahead, and she didn’t want to stick around to have another close call with the senator. It was time for her to find a bit of pleasure for herself. Tucking her clutch under her arm, she headed for the line where guests could join a tour of the Rotunda.

It wasn’t that long, and she was willing to wait.

She watched the people in front of her, smiling and enjoying being together. It was mainly couples going on the tour. Some were so young and involved, their heads bent together, that they weren’t even seeing the beautiful architecture or art around them.

An unexpected pang of loneliness hit her. She smoothed her dress and tucked her hair behind her ear. She typically came to these events alone. It was easier to do her networking that way, and she liked to get in and out. Yet tonight she was all dressed up and didn’t want to go home alone.

She wondered briefly what the score of the game was.

She opened her purse and looked at her phone. The night was still young, but she’d received no messages.

No messages at all.

She sighed. She looked around for another waiter with champagne, but the line finally began moving forward. That perked her up a bit. She moved along with it, but flinched when a man fell into line with her. Instead of queuing up behind her, he stood way too close.

She looked up at him questioningly and was met with a steely onyx gaze.

‘Need an escort?’

Chapter Eight

Nina gaped at him. It was Josh – or, from the look in his eyes, Detective Morgan. He had that steely, stubborn expression she’d become so accustomed to seeing over the past few months. She glanced around furtively. He was dressed in a tux, his face was cleanly shaven and his shoes looked spit-shined, but he still stood out like a sore thumb.

To her, at least.

‘What are you doing here?’ she whispered.

‘I could ask the same of you.’

She was working, but she stopped herself at the last moment from saying so. ‘I’m a donor. I told you that this morning.’

‘Is Brody Haynes a donor, too?’

Her lips flattened, and once again, she looked to see if anyone was watching.

‘What did he want?’ Josh asked.

‘That’s my business, not yours.’

‘Really? Because the guy was at my crime scene.’

She tucked her hair behind her ear. She didn’t like being railroaded like this. How long had he been here? How long had he been watching her?

How had she not noticed him?

‘Genieve,’ she said in frustration. ‘We talked about Genieve.’

He seemed surprised at that, and she took the time to drag him fully out of the line of sight of most people. She wasn’t amused. She’d thought they’d reached a truce. She’d answered his questions, and he’d closed the investigation.

Or so she’d thought.

‘Are you following me?’ she demanded.

‘I’m working.’

She lifted an eyebrow.

‘Security.’ He showed his credentials before tucking them back in his pocket.

She narrowed her eyes on him. The US Capitol Police protected Congress, the grounds and its visitors. She made it a habit to know those kinds of things, and she’d seen the uniformed police standing discreetly on guard around the perimeter of the event. ‘This isn’t your jurisdiction.’

The line started moving, and his hand settled at the small of her back to encourage her along. ‘It’s Capitol Police’s gig, but Metro PD has municipal as well as federal responsibilities. We work together a lot.’

She smoothly sidestepped out of his reach. ‘So you got a buddy to get you in.’

‘I’m volunteering my time. Seriously. We do that for off-hours shindigs like this.’

‘You weren’t on security detail as of this morning.’

‘All right,’ he confessed. ‘So I got a buddy to let me in.’

Her heels clipped against the hard flooring, and the sound echoed off the sandstone walls. The rest of the guests were wearing nice shoes, too, but their steps didn’t have the ring that hers did. ‘You shouldn’t be here, Detective,’ she said low enough that only he could hear. ‘We shouldn’t be seen together.’

‘I don’t give a damn who sees us, Ms Lockwood.’ He rolled his shoulders, emphasising the hard physique that was under that dress jacket. ‘Shit. I take that back.’

He let out a long breath. ‘Somebody has been watching us – or was interested enough to dig up dirt. I came here tonight because that picture of us at Nationals Park didn’t sit well with me.’

Her steps slowed, and the people behind them adjusted their paths to move around them.

‘Let me be protective, Nina, just this once.’

The look in his eyes changed, disarming her. Thrilling her. The hard-nosed detective was gone, and in his place was the man who’d taken her to bed last night. The way he looked at her was so inappropriate for the venue, she pressed her thighs together. ‘Just once?’

He shrugged. ‘Give or take.’

‘You can’t shadow me like this.’

She wasn’t totally mollified, but he was getting to her.

‘I know.’ When his hand settled at her back again, they moved to catch up with the other tour-goers. ‘But I had another motive. I wanted to see if anyone was paying particular attention to you.’

Her brow furrowed. ‘You could have told me that.’

‘I needed you to behave as normal as possible.’

‘Did you notice anything?’

His fingers tightened at her waist. His arm had somehow slid all the way around her. ‘That you behaving as normal attracts a lot of particular attention.’

His gaze slid down her body. ‘Nice dress, by the way.’

Heat unfurled inside her. ‘Thank you.’

‘I nearly swallowed my tongue when I first saw you in it.’

Her lips twitched, and she became overly interested in an elaborate mural on the wall. ‘You look nice, too.’

And that was the understatement of the year. Compared to him, Brody Haynes looked like a little boy playing dress-up. Morgan looked sleek, sharp and more than a little dangerous. She knew he was packing heat somewhere in all that finery, and it made her shiver inside. She’d unknowingly become a Bond girl.

‘I suppose it’s OK that you’re here,’ she said, ‘just this once.’

‘Relax. The construction guys aren’t going to tattle on us.’

They were in the Capitol now, and sounds of honest labour echoed down the long corridor. The restoration crews worked overnight to avoid the public tours during the day and the workings of Congress. With the hollow halls and the soaring ceilings, the racket sounded loud and out of place.

But private and real. Her customers were back in the Visitor Center drinking champagne and eating hors d’oeuvres.

Nina gave in. ‘Next time you come, you need to tell me first.’

He let out a chuckle. ‘I’ll try, sweetheart, but I can’t promise anything.’

Her forehead furrowed, but her face flushed with heat when she realised what she’d said. ‘Morgan,’ she hissed.

He just laughed again and squeezed her waist. ‘Maybe next time you’ll invite me as your date.’

The heat in her face crept down into her chest. Maybe.

She looked at the rest of the couples in their tour group. They were all doing the same as her and Josh: talking quietly, holding hands and laughing together. The tension and longing inside her eased. She hadn’t wanted to be alone tonight. As annoyed at him as she was, she was glad he was here.

After all, he’d been getting under her skin for months. Why should she expect one night in bed together to change that?

‘Come on,’ he said. ‘I’ve been waiting for this all evening.’

Her head swivelled around. ‘Really?’

‘If I’d had to watch any more politicians glad-handing, I would have punched someone.’

The smile that spread across Nina’s face was real.

He gave another tug, and they crossed the large circular room. The Rotunda was the heart of the Capitol. Nearly a hundred feet in diameter, it was located in the centre of the building, with the Senate off to one side and House of Representatives off to the other. Overhead, the Rotunda soared into the Dome. Nina accepted the flier Josh passed her, and she leaned closer to him when the guide began to speak.

The Capitol Building was one of the country’s great feats of architecture. Despite the dysfunction going on within its legislative halls, the building itself was filled with impressive art and important artefacts. With the passage of time, though, also came unavoidable deterioration. Such beauty needed to be maintained, and that was the purpose of the Preservation Fund.

Restoration crews were currently working on fixing and preserving both the exterior of the Capitol Dome and the interior of the Rotunda. Over time, the cast iron had been exposed to the elements. Rain, snow and even the sun had caused damage. Pit holes had allowed moisture to enter, causing cracks and opening joints. The effort to clear the rust and apply protective coatings had been significant. The exterior was nearly done, but the interior work was still in full swing.

Nina felt Josh’s hand take hers. They were surrounded by paintings of historical events from the landing of Columbus to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Statues of presidents and important historical figures stood proudly. The looming space normally inspired awed silence, but tonight it was busy.

‘The guide said we could talk to the restorers,’ Josh said. ‘Want to go talk to that painter?’

Nina nodded.

She felt almost buoyant as they wandered around, learning about the work being done to remove lead paint, restore ironwork and repaint the artwork in historically accurate colours. The workers in their coveralls and boots were more fascinating than the people downstairs in all their finery.

Nina looked straight up into the Dome as the painter told them about the doughnut-shaped canopy that had been put up to protect visitors from falling objects. The white skirting could have covered all of the dome, but they’d left the opening in the middle to allow people to still view the Apotheosis of Washington, the fresco painting way up top.

She wobbled on her heels, and Josh’s arms wrapped around her from behind.

The magnitude of the space was emphasised by how small the workers looked as they worked on the scaffolding that climbed the walls.

‘Impressive, isn’t it?’ he said.

She rested her hands on his on her stomach. ‘Beautiful.’

His chin rubbed against the top of her head. ‘That she is,’ he said softly.

Nina knew her donation served a dual purpose. It gave her an ‘in’ to a rather exclusive group of people, but she was glad the money itself was going towards this work. Future generations needed to see this.

‘Are you still mad at me for crashing your party?’ he asked, close to her ear.

‘No.’

‘Good.’ His arms tightened around her. ‘Because I’m not feeling guilty.’

Did he ever? He’d been barging into her office for months. She leaned back against him and rested her head against his chest.

‘Nina? Is that you?’

Nina went still. The low baritone was familiar. When a handsome man in a well-fitting tux stepped up to her, a different kind of uneasiness came over her. She put a smile on her face and tried to nonchalantly step away from Josh.

‘Dane, how wonderful to see you.’

The arms around her waist resisted, and she stiffened.

‘And Noelle,’ she said warmly. ‘You look beautiful.’

Nina’s heart was pounding in her throat. She hadn’t seen her former employee or his date amongst the crowd. It showed just how distracting the detective was. Normally, she could have named everyone in the room.

She moved more determinedly away from him, and he let her go. It flustered her to have been caught in a private moment. Even though her business was pleasure, she took pains to never mix the two.

‘This is … Josh,’ she said, gesturing to the handsome man who was watching her closely.

He held out his hand. ‘Morgan. Nice to meet you.’

‘Morgan?’ Dane shook hands with a firm grip. ‘As in the detective I’ve heard so much about?’

Nina’s breath came out in a slow, controlled exhale. She should have known. Dane was sharp, and he kept up to date with his friends in the office.

The fact that she was out with a man would have made it back to the Luxxor anyway, but to be found with the detective?

Her fingers bit into her clutch so hard, she felt the beads leaving impressions on her skin. She was a private person. She didn’t want her employees and friends analysing her love life.

She hadn’t finished analysing it herself yet.

‘Isn’t this something?’ Noelle said in awe. She waved her hand at all the work going on. ‘I’ve got to figure out a way to get my class here on a school trip.’

‘You’re a teacher?’ Josh asked.

‘One of the best.’ Dane wrapped an arm around his girlfriend’s waist.

Nina watched them with an aching jealousy. They made it look so easy. The two were young and in love. There were no scandals to manoeuvre around, no questionable areas of right and wrong. Had she ever been that young? That innocent and trusting?

‘I’m glad I ran into you,’ her former escort said. ‘You wanted me to ask around about Senator Gunderson?’

Nina shot a look at Josh.

‘You’re investigating that case, right?’ Dane asked.

‘It’s mine.’ The detective folded his arms over his chest. In that tux, he looked big and intimidating. ‘How do you know the senator?’

Only she must have heard the steel in his voice, because Dane kept rolling along.

‘I don’t know him personally. I work on the House side for Congresswoman Hill.’

‘And my father is Congressman Hatcher.’ Noelle looped her arm around Dane’s. They really were a beautiful couple, both with dark hair and friendly personalities.

‘What have you heard?’ Josh asked.

His hard nose had scented a lead.

Nina stared at Dane, trying to catch his eye. He needed to be careful. Whatever information he had couldn’t point back to Luxxor or Genieve. Just because she was with the detective didn’t mean he was on their side.

‘Well, if you’re looking for people who don’t like Gunderson, there’s a long list,’ he said. ‘I don’t know if I’d call them enemies. Mainly, people just think he’s lazy.’

‘Lazy,’ Josh repeated.

‘He doesn’t read bills, but depends on his staff to give him a CliffsNotes version of everything. He tends to vote his party’s line, but not because he’s a staunch party supporter.’

‘But because he’s lazy,’ Josh said. ‘I’m seeing a trend.’

‘His poor staff,’ Noelle said. ‘They work like crazy covering for him, but he barely gives them the time of day.’

The young woman looked frustrated. She’d grown up in DC around the political mix. Her father was one of the rare congressmen with a reputation for working across party lines and reaching out to his constituency for input.

‘Gunderson spends most of his time working the DC scene,’ Dane agreed. ‘You know, showing up for photo ops and giving interviews.’

The House staffer should know. As an escort, he’d spent plenty of time haunting the DC scene. Nina had helped him make contacts, but she’d never considered him for an exclusive contract. He’d been serious about the career he’d studied for, and he was too principled. Instead, she’d helped him get his foot in the door.

He glanced around at the other guests and lowered his voice. ‘His challenger has caught onto him, though,’ he shared.

‘Murphy,’ Nina clarified.

‘Right, that’s the guy. He’s a former investigative journalist who became so frustrated by the stories he was covering and the inaction of officials, he decided to do something about it. He’s got some strong positions. He’s an intriguing candidate, actually, but he doesn’t have Gunderson’s flair.’

‘Or the hair.’

Nina nodded in agreement, but Josh looked at Noelle strangely.

‘It’s the silver fox thing,’ the brunette said. ‘Trust me. I grew up in this world.’

‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’

‘I wish.’ Dane touched Nina’s arm, and she felt Josh’s gaze fall on the familiar touch. ‘I know it’s not much, but that’s all I was able to dig up so far.’

‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I appreciate it.’

Morgan was still looking at the hand. Dane dropped it, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. Josh eased back.

‘It’s good,’ he agreed. ‘Helpful.’

Dane looked at his watch. ‘Sorry, but we need to be going. Noelle still needs to grade papers tonight.’

The pretty teacher smiled. ‘We can see the progress every day, but it’s interesting to come see them working at night.’

‘Yes, isn’t it?’ Nina touched her earring. She’d been nervous about them showing up, and now she was uncomfortable with them leaving.

‘Enjoy your night,’ Dane said.

He glanced from one of them to the other, and the butterflies in Nina’s chest took flight again. The look was pleasant but curious. Her smile turned stiff. The gossip at the office tomorrow would be like a firestorm.

She suddenly felt uncomfortable in her own skin. She was aware that people talked about her. She was a powerful woman in a nonconformist position. At her age, without a ring on her finger, people talked. It was human nature to be fascinated by other’s personal lives, but she’d refused to play that game. Because it was personal. She was in control of her own life, and that was all that mattered. She’d learned that a little mystery could go a long way.

So, apparently, could a strapping man and a hot sex life.

Noelle smiled up at the detective. She seemed as fascinated by him as her boyfriend was. ‘It was nice to meet you.’

‘You too,’ Josh said.

The couple trotted away as rapidly as they had appeared, leaving Nina alone with her rival turned lover.

He watched her, the restoration activity around them forgotten. ‘You really don’t want to be seen with me.’

She sighed. His expression had darkened. She hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings. ‘It’s not you.’

‘Do not say, “It’s me”.’

But it was.

She faced him and pulled her shoulders back. ‘I don’t let my employees see my personal life. It makes things … uncomfortable.’

His head cocked. ‘Wait. Are you saying you now consider me part of your personal life?’

No. Yes … Darn the man.

Nina shifted, and the heels of her silver shoes clicked.

‘It’s a complicated situation.’ She dealt in sex. She was very frank about it with clients, but her love life was off-limits to anyone but her.

Her job. Her body. Her emotions. Her rules.

‘You bet it is.’ The storms in Morgan’s eyes cleared. Moving slowly, he caught her waist with both hands. ‘Because it’s personal.’

She blushed. This was all moving too fast for her. He’d been chipping at her armour for a long time, but she’d never thought it would yield. Her body might have accepted him as a lover, but her mind hadn’t caught up with the drastic change yet.

Trust didn’t come that easily for her.

‘So, employee, huh,’ he murmured. ‘You hire boys?’

Her mouth dropped in surprise. Oh, dear Lord. Not only were her barriers dropping, she was losing her mind. ‘I misspoke.’

His eyes danced. ‘Kind of a long word to misspeak.’

She closed her eyes and counted to ten.

His hands moved against her waist. ‘I never thought about it, but women need dates, too.’

She gave him a hard look.

‘Is that what you call a night out with an escort?’

Nina spoke very clearly and very quietly. ‘Dane is not an escort.’

It was the truth. He’d left the business a while ago now.

Josh frowned. ‘Not the schoolteacher.’

‘No, not the schoolteacher!’ Oh, the man was incorrigible. She grabbed his hand and turned. ‘I think it’s time we left, too.’

He didn’t move easily, but he followed along behind her. ‘She couldn’t have worked for you.’

Nina frowned over her shoulder. ‘Why not?’

‘Too sweet, too trusting.’

So sweet she’d hired Dane as an escort and had landed him as a boyfriend all in one night!

Nina kept her lips sealed. She had both female and male escorts who were sweet. They were very popular because of it.

‘Dane and Noelle met at a charity function I supported,’ she finally said. ‘They’re a cute couple. Let’s leave it at that.’

‘All right.’ Morgan shrugged, but then his eyes sparked. ‘Wait. Do you hire out duos?’

‘Oh, my word,’ she hissed. ‘Let’s get out of here.’

He chuckled as he fell into step beside her. Nina was exasperated. He liked to keep her off-balance. She knew that, but she hadn’t yet found a way to stop him doing it.

He kept pace beside her easily, no matter how fast she walked. ‘Mad at me again?’ he asked.

‘Yes.’

‘I don’t think so. I’m beginning to know you, Nina, and I think you like me.’ He caught the purse that was hanging on her shoulder and handed it to her. ‘Call your security goons. Tell them I’ll drive you home tonight.’

* * *

Nina sat in the passenger seat of Josh’s car, watching the lights go by. The last time she’d been in this car, he’d been driving her home, too – but she’d worried about him taking her to jail. Now, she had strong suspicions he planned to take her to bed.

They stopped at a light heading away from Capitol Hill.

They’d see about that.

The Capitol wasn’t the outstanding landmark of DC – there were many other historical buildings, monuments and other sights competing for that role – but the road numbering system did start at the seat of Congress and work its way out. Lettered streets ran east to west and numbered ones north to south. To make things fun, the city planner hired by George Washington had added a hub-and-spoke roadway system atop of it. They were currently heading northwest up Massachusetts Avenue. Her penthouse wasn’t but fifteen minutes away, especially at this time of night.

She glanced at the clock on the dash of the car. She’d stayed longer than she’d planned. Then again, she’d had company.

Her stomach knotted as she thought of the questions she’d face at the office tomorrow. Word would get back. Dane was still close with Sienna and Rielle, and the girls would be excited by the news. They liked Josh, pugnacious as he was.

She tucked her beaded clutch higher on her lap. She liked him too, more than she should. ‘Did you happen to catch the score of the game?’

He glanced away from the front windshield. He looked surprised. ‘We lost six–two.’

It was hard work being a Nationals fan. The game might not have been fun to watch, but taking it easy on the couch with a glass of wine would have been nice. She’d thought about him once or twice, wondering if he was watching, but obviously he’d had other plans.

She hadn’t liked the way he’d surprised her, but deep down it was kind of protective. She’d enjoyed the tour. It had been nice, just once, to have a companion by her side.

An escort.

She turned her head to look out the window. She hadn’t missed that.

The alphabet streets passed by swiftly and soon he was pulling into the garage at her building. Without asking for directions, he wove through the underground maze and parked in the guest spot reserved for the penthouse.

He put the transmission in park, but didn’t turn off the engine. ‘Can I come up?’

She knew she was running a risk seeing him this way. Still, they both knew what her answer would be. ‘Yes.’

He circled the car in his tuxedo and opened her door for her. She took his hand as she got out of the car, and the slit in her skirt parted like silk curtains halfway up her thigh. His eyelids got heavy. She took his hand and started to lead him towards the elevator, but he paused by the trunk of his car. The lock clunked as he opened it with his remote.

He took a duffel bag out and looped it over his shoulder.

Nina tapped her finger against her clutch. ‘Pretty presumptuous of you.’

‘Pretty prepared.’

He began to shut the lid when she spotted something. Stepping forward, she quickly caught his arm. Her breaths had just gone shallow in her chest.

The trunk of his car was as tidy as the interior. There was a place for everything, and everything was in its place. At a quick glance, she saw a shotgun, ammunition, a bulletproof vest, a first-aid kit, spike strips, flares, traffic cones and evidence bags. Yet the objects tucked into the netting on the driver’s side were definitely out of place. They were fuzzy.

Wordlessly, she leaned past him to pick one up. It was a teddy bear, tan with big black eyes. She smoothed an ear that had gotten bent trapped up in the small space. ‘Do you have kids?’ she asked, her voice on the edge of trembling.

Oh, God. Was he married?

It had never occurred to her, and she hadn’t thought to check. What was wrong with her? She ran an escort service. She knew better than anyone what some men did behind their wives’ backs. And some women behind their husbands’, too …

‘No,’ he said calmly.

She looked up at him, her breath feeling like toxic gas in her throat.

‘I’m a forty-year-old bachelor. I’ve never been married or had kids.’

Her trembling voice hardened. ‘Then why are you carrying toys?’

He looked at the bear in her hand and looked uncomfortable. ‘With my job, I never know what calls will come in or what I’ll be walking into. I’ve seen some bad situations, and sometimes there are kids involved.’

He tried to make the bear’s ear stand up, too, but it still flopped over. ‘They’re scared and traumatised. A bear or doll helps more than I can.’

Nina looked up at him, the big, tough guy, and thought of him handing a stuffed bear to a child who was crying and in need of a friend. Her eyes stung, and she blinked it away. There it was, that sweet side that liked to sneak up on her and crash through her defences.

Her heart ached. She just couldn’t …

She stepped up to him and fisted her hand in his lapel. She tugged him down as she lifted her mouth. The kiss she gave him was naked, vulnerable and heartfelt.

He rocked back on his heels in surprise, then rocked forward again. His bag bumped into the car beside her, but she barely heard it. She rubbed her lips against his and touched the tips of their tongues. A rumble left the back of his throat, and she kissed him harder.

She pulled back to see his pupils dilated and his brow furrowed. She smiled softly and tucked the bear back into the net so it could await a home where it was needed. She closed the trunk and took his hand again. She held it against the small of her back as she led him to the private entrance for tenants.

The doorman working for the night nodded as they passed, but his eyes widened when he saw the duffel bag. She didn’t often have guests, and even more rarely overnight ones. The guard knew better than to say anything and turned back to his security monitors as they waited for the elevator.

Nina didn’t care what the man thought. She didn’t care if her employees gossiped.

When the doors opened, she spread her hand wide across Josh’s chest and pushed him inside. She trapped him in the corner, and the expression on his face was no longer one of confusion. He was a smart guy; he was catching on fast.

Sliding her hands up the luxurious material of his tuxedo, she leaned into him. He dropped the bag with a thud, and his hands settled wide across her bottom. The kiss they shared was hotter. Full of promise.

Nina kicked all the reservations out of her head.

He was going to get so lucky tonight.

Chapter Nine

Merry elevators – Josh loved ’em. The way Nina was kissing him made bells go off inside his head. She was draped all over him like a blanket, but she felt a thousand times better. He squeezed her backside and felt her go up on tiptoe. Her teeth nipped at his bottom lip, but then she suddenly stopped. He reached to pull her back, but realised the doors had opened.

When had they cranked the thing up to light speed?

His gaze ran down her body as she led him towards her apartment door. That dress was one of the best yet. He liked the way she walked in it: confident and sexy. There was nothing bitchy about it. Screw the bastards who’d been intimidated by her. Their loss, his gain.

He skimmed his hands around her waist from behind and kissed her neck as she unlocked the door. ‘Do you like kids, Nina?’

‘Mm.’ Her head fell back against his shoulder. ‘I like men who are nice to them even more.’

The door opened, and they nearly fell inside.

‘Turn on the light,’ he whispered.

He wanted to see her.

He was sliding down the zipper of her dress before the lock even clicked. The material slithered down her tight curves and settled into a pool of purple at her feet. The bra and panties underneath were black this time, only there was even less of them. The bra was strapless, and the panties were an itty-bitty thong. He couldn’t help himself. He spread his hands over her cheeks and massaged her deeply. Her bottom was curvy and firm, with the sexiest little lift.

She let out a surprised hum, and her hands came back to catch his hips.

‘What are you doing to stay in shape like this?’ he asked.

She shivered when he ran his thumb over the lacy band riding along the top of her ass. ‘Pilates, and I have an in-home gym.’

If he ever got out of her bedroom, he needed to explore the place more. He had a feeling he’d never want to leave.

She turned and ran a fingernail along the line of his lapel. ‘What do you do?’

He had sex with her. His heart was already getting some serious cardio.

‘Weights.’

Her hair slid over her shoulder as she reached to undo his bowtie.

‘And I go a round or two with the boxing bag.’

The silk noose that had him all trussed up for half the night finally turned loose. She pulled the black strip of material from under his collar and dangled it from her finger. ‘It’s working.’

When she backed towards her bedroom, he followed. The strap of the duffel bag tangled with the door handle and jerked taut. He dropped it where it was and caught up to her fast.

He knew she had a thing about her age, but he didn’t know why. She put twenty-somethings to shame. There wasn’t a dimple or stretch mark on her. He didn’t doubt she had as much focus and drive in the gym as she did in her business, but he was going to have to do something about that obsessive streak of hers.

She needed to face the fact that she was hot.

They stopped by the bed, and he pulled her into a kiss. It turned erotic, with him still fully dressed in his tux and her down to only lingerie and high heels. The front of his dress pants tented, but he wanted to know more.

He wanted to know everything there was to know about her.

Her fingers began working on his shirt studs as he pulled off his jacket.

‘Do you have any family in the area?’

She shook her head, and kissed his chest in the vee she’d opened in his shirt. He slid his hand into her hair and cupped the back of her head. When she touched him like that, he lost his train of thought.

‘You said your grandfather raised you?’

She pulled his shirt out from his pants and kept trying to get it undone. ‘He’s gone now.’

‘Parents?’

‘Died in a car accident when I was young.’

So she was all alone. His heart ached a little over that.

‘Yours?’ she asked.

‘My dad is still causing problems.’ Josh couldn’t stop staring at the way her breasts bounced in that strapless bra. It plumped them up dangerously, and he kept waiting for a wardrobe malfunction. When it didn’t happen, he reached out and cupped her intimately.

Her eyelids got heavy at the caress. ‘Is he pugnacious, too?’

Josh stepped into her, sliding his knee between her bare thighs. ‘If that means ornery, then yes.’

Her head fell back as he kissed her again. Maybe this was the way to get her to open up, to distract her while he was interrogating her. She’d never been forthcoming with anything personal before. Hell, she’d been tightlipped about everything since Day One.

Her lips were more active tonight.

He lifted her and set her on the bed. Eating at her mouth, he leaned over her until she lay flat on her back. Before she could pull him on top of her, he kissed his way back down her front. ‘Did you grow up here?’ he asked.

‘Mm hm.’ She caught his shoulders and her breath hitched. ‘And New Hampshire.’

He removed her shoes. They were more delicate tonight. Princess shoes.

‘What’s there?’ He pressed a kiss into the arch of her foot, and she shuddered.

‘Finishing school.’

The social strictness, the polish … It made sense, but he focused on the fact that she’d lost her parents and her grandfather had sent her away. He was beginning to have a real hard time with that.

He stripped her panties off quickly, and her hips rose to help him. She came up onto her knees as he plucked at her bra, and her hands went to his pants. She’d gotten his shirt undone, but he was still wearing too many clothes.

Damn fancy pants. The clown suit was taking way too much time to get off.

‘The charities,’ he said as he toed off his shoes. ‘Kids, old buildings, single mothers, animal shelters … I’m starting to figure it out, you know.’

‘Figure out what?’

She watched as he pushed down his pants, unstrapped the ankle holder and put his gun on the nightstand. He was almost desperate as he tugged off his socks. At last, he put a knee on the bed and climbed on with her. They knelt, facing each other with the light from the entryway filtering across the room.

‘The overlooked and those who are hurting …’ His breaths came hard when her hand slid dangerously down his chest. ‘You’re their champion.’

‘You’re their protector.’

He supposed they just came at it from different angles.

She reached past him to the nightstand, but instead of the crinkle of packaging, he heard an electronic click. She pointed a remote at the curtains, and they began to close. Her warm hand wrapped around his cock at the same time, and Josh groaned as he came to full erection.

He caught her wrist. ‘You did that on purpose.’

An impish grin settled on her face. ‘You told me the secret to it.’

He had, but he hadn’t shared that her smile jacked him up even more. He got so hard in that instant, sweat beaded along his brow. She pumped him sexily, and a curse escaped his lips.

She got to business then, kissing her way down his chest. If he had any questions left, they vanished from his head.

He shifted on the mattress, his knees digging in as her mouth and hair slid over his skin. She kissed his stomach, and his hips swung forward, natural as day. Her hands were still playing with his cock, and his balls were drawing up tight.

Finally, she bent down and braced her weight on one hand. He went still, his muscles locking down. He wanted to feel her mouth on him more than anything. At the first touch of her lips, his rod jumped. It didn’t scare her off. She ran kisses from his base to his tip, and he reached out to grab the headboard. She palmed his sac, and sensations buffeted him. He saw stars when her mouth opened around him, sucking him in and taking him deep.

‘Nina.’ His fingers turned white around the scrolled ironwork.

Her mouth was wet and hot. Soft.

Her head bobbed as she went down on him, and Josh had trouble staying still. She ran her tongue dangerously along the underside of his erection. With the way her hips were thrust up in the air and her hair was tickling his thighs, he was right on the edge.

She gave a finishing swirl around the sensitive head of his cock, and his hips jerked forward. ‘Damn, baby.’

He went deeper into her mouth than he intended. He quickly pulled back, but she hummed and came at him more insistently.

Josh’s head dropped back and his lungs worked like bellows as he fought for air. For sanity. Her hand on his balls skated around to his butt. Her fingers sank into him there, and he lost whatever common sense he had.

‘Ah! Nina! I’ve got to – Just let me –’

His hips began swinging in short, urgent thrusts as he fucked her mouth. She met him pump for pump, and it didn’t take long.

He wasn’t a superhero.

Josh felt the orgasm kick, and he squeezed his eyes tight as he came in the wet, silky confines of her mouth. She stayed with him until the end, but, like a rocket ride, it was over way too soon. He sucked in oxygen and tried to find his muscle memory. He was clumsy as he pulled her up and into his arms.

When she looked at him, her eyes were hazy.

He kissed her hard and ran his hands down to her bottom. He held her possessively as her breasts plumped against his chest.

They weren’t done yet.

Flinging his arm out, he patted around on the nightstand. This time, they needed it, and they needed it now. He found her butterfly, his weapon and the clock before his hand finally settled on what he wanted. Behind her back, he began tearing at the package.

She just cuddled closer.

Had she done that on purpose to stop the questions? She should know by now he wasn’t going to stop asking them.

And he had twice as many now.

His heart was still pounding like a big bass drum as he reached between their tightly pressed bodies and sheathed himself. She might have just blown his world, but he was still stiff and raring to go. He cupped her face in both hands. ‘Your turn.’

He kissed her hard and moved behind her.

Her hair swung around her shoulders as she looked at him in surprise.

He came up close behind her, sliding his knees between hers.

‘Josh,’ she whispered.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him. She moaned in pleasure, and he knew he was on the right track.

That dress of hers had driven him crazy all night long, hugging her breasts and sliding against her thighs. He cupped the firm globes and tugged at her nipples. They stiffened for him, and he rolled them between his thumbs and forefingers.

Her body undulated sexily against him, and he grunted when her bottom rubbed against his cock.

‘Lean forward,’ he said as he nipped at her earlobe.

Her nails grazed down his thighs, and her head rolled against his shoulder. She wanted to play some more? He could play.

He swept his hand down her belly with enough pressure to make her suck it in with anticipation. He kept going down, down, down until his hand was cupped over her pussy. He squeezed possessively, and her hips rolled.

‘You feel so good,’ he told her.

Keeping his hand locked over her, he sent his fingers into the warm clasp of her body. She was hot and slippery. Hungry. Her pussy squeezed him tightly, and her cry was sultry in the darkened room.

She was more than ready. This time, Josh didn’t ask. Using his weight, he bore her forward. His fingers kept pumping as he encouraged her hips up. She gasped and instinctively braced her hands flat against the mattress as he put her on all fours.

But then her body went tight, and she pushed back at him.

He stopped.

Something was wrong.

‘Nina?’ He could feel her body trembling. He knew she wanted this.

‘Not like this,’ she whispered. ‘Let me turn over.’

He pulled her hair over to one side so he could see her face. Even in the dim light from the entryway he could see her struggle of emotions.

‘Why?’ he asked.

‘I like it better.’

He frowned, and his protective instincts thundered in his ears. ‘Did somebody hurt you?’

‘No,’ she gasped.

He stared at her hard.

‘No,’ she said more steadily. In the dim lighting, he could have sworn he saw her blush.

Was that the problem? Did she think he was moving way too fast?

He kissed her shoulder. ‘Baby, I’m not going to take you in the ass.’

Not yet anyway.

Shock lit her face. ‘I didn’t think that!’

She turned her head away. The intimacy was painful, but he wasn’t letting this go. He was an investigator. He got to the root of things. ‘You don’t like it from behind?’

‘I … I don’t know. I just can’t …’ She pushed back, trying to sit up. ‘Let me ride you again.’

The lightbulb dawned in his head. It wasn’t that she wasn’t turned on, it was a control thing. The rage bubbling along the edges of his vision receded.

‘Have you ever done it doggy style?’ he asked.

Her lips pressed together, and when she looked at him, her eyes flashed fire.

Oh, yeah.

Now they were getting somewhere.

‘I’ll stop if you want me to,’ he said. He tucked his thumb into her slit and swirled it until her hips jumped against him. ‘But you’re safe with me. We might bump heads every now and then, but here you’re safe.’

‘Every now and then?’ she said tightly.

He would have laughed, but this was a critical moment. If she didn’t give in now, she never would. He circled her clit and pressed his mouth to her ear.

‘You can ride me any time you want, but I promise you, this would be good. It isn’t about dominating you, baby. I just want to make you feel good.’

Her body trembled beneath his. He wasn’t going to force her. He was bigger and stronger, but she didn’t realise the power she had over him, too.

He worked his hips until the head of his cock found her niche. She trembled, but tensed even harder. He pressed into her, just the slightest, and ran his hand over her stomach, petting her. ‘Yes or no?’ he asked.

If she said no, he’d stop. It wouldn’t kill him, but it would hurt. He’d thought he’d gotten close enough for her to trust him that much. Hell, she’d made him work for it. He’d swum across moats and slain dragons to get past her fortresses.

‘Yes?’ He kissed her temple as she stared straight down at the bed. ‘Or no?’

He waited. He waited what seemed like an eternity.

He knew what control meant to her.

At last, he saw her chin move up and down. It was the slightest of motions, and she didn’t say anything. He could barely hear her breathing, but he wasn’t going to draw this out any longer.

He kissed the back of her neck as he rose up behind her. Her body arched reflexively as his fingers dug into her hips. He looked at her bent on all fours in front of him, and lust grabbed him by the throat. Her hair was swung over one shoulder, her back was straight, and her curvy little bottom lifted up to him trustingly.

He let out a grunt, but then could hold back no longer. He began penetrating her, holding himself on a tight rein to go slow. Her hips twitched, and she let out a cry of pleasure.

The sound jangled in his ears, and his control slipped a notch.

He pushed in, harder and faster than he’d intended. Her back arched, and she moaned aloud. ‘Oh! Oh, my God. Josh!’

She was wet, and she was aroused. There was no mistaking the thrill in her voice, nor the way her body shivered inside and out. Her pussy was pulsing all around him, squeezing spasmodically.

Josh let out a bark of need and slammed home hard. His hands were sealed on her hips as he ground into her. Her bottom plumped, and his balls pressed up against her tightly.

And he realised suddenly what was happening.

She was coming.

One thrust into her from behind, and she’d climaxed.

His mind blew. The reins snapped loose, and he began fucking her hard and fast, giving her more, giving her what she needed. She rocked back against him, not trying to buck him off, but eager for his cock. He shafted her like a maniac, feeling her come around him over and over again.

At last, he crested, too. He ejaculated so hard, he closed his eyes and his jaw clenched.

Holy balls.

They tumbled onto the bed together, and he caught her up against him. He’d never experienced anything like that. He’d never known it could happen.

‘Are you all right?’ he asked.

She pushed her hair out of her face and gasped for breath. She looked as shell-shocked as he felt. She nodded, not even trying to speak.

He pulled out from her and rolled her onto her back. He came up over her, his gaze intent on her face. She didn’t look distressed. She looked satisfied and satiated.

He was sure his expression was pretty much the same. He’d known it would be good, but he hadn’t expected that. He felt like he’d just discovered gold.

‘See how far a little trust can go?’ he said.

‘Don’t push it, Morgan,’ she said, her voice like velvet.

He grinned. ‘Think we can we do it again some time?’

She rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, shut up.’

He laughed, his belly jumping against hers. It was the most unladylike thing she’d ever said to him, and he loved it.

Lady Nina.

She’d been worth every single one of the battles.

He kissed her and settled down at her side. He wrapped an arm around her waist and held her possessively. ‘I don’t suppose you have a remote to get that hallway light, do you?’

* * *

Nina stood in her kitchen, making coffee and watching the morning news. The TV in the kitchen was set into her refrigerator door. Totally frivolous, she knew, but she didn’t want to take up counter space.

She wondered how Josh would react when he saw that. She smiled softly. He was right; she’d found another plus to her tech toys besides reducing clutter.

And this one was even better.

Her brain was logy this morning, and her body was boneless. In essence, she felt better than she could remember, and she just wasn’t going to think too hard about why that was.

She wasn’t thinking too hard about anything.

She leaned back against the kitchen island and breathed in the smell of brewing java. The scent was intoxicating. She hadn’t run away from bed today. She just hadn’t been able to sleep any more. She tended to be an early riser. She was up, but it was going to take a while for her to get moving today.

Not even the sound of Samuel Gunderson’s name got her going.

She opened her eyes to listen to the latest report on the silver-haired fox. The most recent non-scientific poll had the senator up by eighteen points in his state. That was up five points from the poll taken before the scandal – the one where he’d been caught red-handed with a woman he was paying for sex.

Uneasiness niggled at Nina. Luxxor had gotten lucky. They’d slipped away clean so far, but would that last?

She paid more attention to the report, but didn’t hear anything about Genieve or a break-up. There wasn’t even a picture of the beautiful redhead.

Off in the distance, Nina heard her bed creak. Josh. Her uneasiness turned to guilt.

He wore such a white hat, while hers was more than a little grey.

She poured them both coffee and was adding creamer to hers when he strode into the kitchen.

Buck naked.

Her eyes rounded. When they were horizontal, he didn’t seem that big, but when he towered over her, her belly got all tingly. He snuggled behind her, wrapping her up tightly, and she leaned back against him.

‘Morning,’ he said.

‘Morning,’ she sighed. She tilted her head to give him better access to her neck.

She felt the tie on her robe loosen, and then his hands were on her body.

‘How do you feel this morning?’

She lifted her arm up and caught him by the back of the neck. His strength should have intimidated her, but it never had. It had always turned her on, even at the beginning.

‘Good,’ she murmured.

His hand stroked down her belly and slipped between her legs. Nina’s eyes rolled back in her head.

‘Better,’ she whispered.

He’d zeroed in on her clit, and when her robe slid off her shoulders and onto the floor, she understood why.

An insistent erection rubbed against the small of her back.

She let out a soft moan as he pushed the cups of coffee out of the way.

Then his hands were on her. Everywhere.

When they caught her hips and pulled them back, she knew what he wanted.

‘I think we need to try that again,’ he whispered sexily.

Nina’s heart pounded. She wasn’t sure. It wasn’t that bawdy or scandalous. Couples made love like that every day, but she’d just never been able to turn herself over to a man that way. She’d never wanted to.

His hands made circles on her hips, and his big cock rocked up and down between her cheeks. It felt sexy and impending, but he didn’t pressure her.

It made it easier for her to hop on the rollercoaster ride again.

She eased forward and braced her forearms against the kitchen island. Almost immediately, his cock found her opening and started burrowing in.

The sensation was startling and mind-blowing. For some reason, the penetration felt even more intimate than if they were belly to belly. She knew that the position allowed a male to go deeper into a female … that it offered no impediments and made the male’s cock feel even bigger … She’d read it all. She’d even discussed it.

But she’d been no authority on the subject until last night.

He kept going, spreading her with his width and driving deep. She went up on tiptoe as he bumped home, and, once again, felt control slip from her reach.

Her pussy clenched Josh’s big cock greedily, and sensation flared when he dragged back out. He nearly left her, only to push back in again. Oh, God. It was too much. It was irresistible.

It was just right.

Another instant orgasm tore through her, making her belly clench and heat explode. She let out a cry as pleasure radiated through her system.

‘Oh!’

‘I’ll be damned,’ he panted. ‘It’s like magic.’

He pumped faster, and the orgasms just kept rolling over her one after the other. Nina’s hands spread wide on the counter. Her fingers found the edge, and she grabbed it tightly. One climax couldn’t be that big.

Her hair swung in time with Josh’s thrusts, and her toes curled. The sounds filling her kitchen were graphic and erotic. His thrusts became jagged, and she felt his fingers dig in her hips. She spread her feet wider.

‘Josh,’ she cried out as she rocked back into him.

‘Nina,’ he gasped. ‘Just like – Oh, fuck. Hell. Fuck me.’

She stiffened as his hold on her changed. She was still in the throes of a searing orgasm when he suddenly pulled out. Leaving her stunned, empty, and almost frightened … It wasn’t until she felt a hot stream splatter against her bottom and the backs of her thighs that she understood.

Arousal made her shudder, and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. He’d forgotten a condom.

His hands slapped down on the counter beside her. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said gruffly. ‘Nina, I – Shit.’

A bead of sweat slipped off his forehead and fell upon her back. He wiped it off shakily. ‘Stay right there. Don’t move.’

She looked over her shoulder as he clattered around her kitchen, opening drawers and looking in cupboards. He finally found the kitchen towels. He wet one at the sink and hurried back to her.

The feel of him washing her clean tugged at Nina’s softer feelings. ‘Josh, it’s OK.’

‘No, it isn’t. It’s my responsibility to remember protection. I just got caught up, and –’ He sighed. ‘I got caught up.’

He was gentle as he dragged the towel over her bottom, along her legs, and carefully over her pussy. He found a spot on her back, too, and he blotted it away. He followed with a clean towel to dry her.

He was leaving to take them to the hamper in the master bathroom, she suspected, when she turned and caught his arm. ‘Josh, it’s all right.’

His jaw was clenched. ‘I promise it won’t happen again.’

She licked her lips. ‘But what if I want it to?’

The look he gave her had her blushing from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. Nina knelt down to catch up her robe, and pushed her arms into the sleeves. Bending her head, she focused on tying the belt.

‘I’m clean,’ she said softly. With her line of work, he might expect … But she’d sworn to him that there was no sex involved, and for her there hadn’t been. She pushed back her hair and looked him in the face.

She was surprised that the hard expression on his face had gone slack.

She swallowed hard. ‘I can get you the paperwork, if it makes you nervous.’

He stepped forward quickly, pressing her right back against the island. He was still in the buff, and it didn’t escape her notice what effect her words had on him.

‘I got a clean bill of health with my last physical for the department,’ he said. ‘It was a month ago. I swear.’

She rested her hand against his chest. He was warm and sweaty.

‘I’m on the Pill,’ she said. ‘Not because I’ve been seeing anybody –’

Until him.

The blush was never going to leave, that was clear. She let out a puff of air and lifted her chin. His gaze was honed on her like a dark spotlight.

‘It regulates my cycle,’ she said. ‘I don’t sleep around, Josh.’

He cupped her face. ‘I know you don’t.’

She shifted her weight.

‘Not because you’re not good at … Hell, we are awkward with this morning-after thing.’ He tossed the towels into the corner of the room and bracketed his arms around her. ‘You’re spectacular in bed, but I want to make sure you feel safe there with me.’

‘I do.’ She wrapped her arms around his waist.

He bent his head to look her in the eye. His hair was still mussed from sleep, and whiskers darkened his jaw. ‘So we’re going to try riding bareback for a while?’

She bit her lip, but then nodded. It sounded so sexy, she could hardly breathe. The thought of not having to stop and prepare? The idea of being that close and intimate with him?

Her detective?

‘Yes,’ she said.

His big body shuddered. He leaned his forehead against hers and rubbed her side. ‘Last night just about blew my mind. This morning, I was so curious to see if it was a fluke, I jumped right over a few steps.’

She lifted an eyebrow. ‘A fluke?’

He smiled slowly. ‘The experiment was a success. Results have been proven.’

Nina let out a gasp when he swept her up in his arms against his chest. He began carrying her easily back to the bedroom. ‘Put me down. I’m not a child.’

‘I think we already covered that, but you’re a bitty thing, and it makes me feel manly.’

She ran her finger down the pulse beating in his throat. ‘Manly?’

He stopped suddenly, not even out of the kitchen. ‘Is that a television in your refrigerator?’

‘Do you like it?’

He let out something close to a growl. ‘You need to call your office. You’re going to be in late again today. Really, really late.’

Chapter Ten

‘Wow. You look fantastic,’ Rielle said when Nina finally arrived at the office.

The compliment made her steps hitch. She paused to smooth her dress over her hips and quickly regained her stride. ‘Thank you. Sorry I’m late.’

She typically came into the office later on mornings after events like the one the night before, but today she was more than a little tardy. Even Security had given their watches a second glance.

‘Did you finally get some sleep?’ her office manager asked. ‘You look so relaxed and, I don’t know, bright-eyed.’

Nina felt enough heat settle into her cheeks to match the hot pink dress she was wearing.

‘Not really,’ she said. But she had gotten some early-morning exercise. ‘Did I miss anything?’

‘Nothing important.’

Rielle passed along a stack of mail, and Nina leafed through it. ‘Has Casey checked in? How did Widow Hawkins enjoy the event at the Capitol?’

‘She loved it, even though they ran into Dane there with Noelle.’

Nina’s chin snapped up. ‘That’s not important?’

How had she missed that accident waiting to happen? She’d seen all the players. Two words – Josh Morgan.

‘It’s OK,’ Rielle said, patting down the air. ‘We handled it.’

‘How bad was it? Do we need to do any damage control?’

Nina pinched the bridge of her nose. They should have thought that through when scheduling – or at least have given Dane a heads-up that a former client would be attending. He was a House staffer now with a bright future. They needed to be more careful.

‘Dane smoothed things over,’ Rielle said. ‘He introduced everyone and took Casey and Mrs Hawkins on a private tour of his office.’

Well, that was one way to handle it – head on. Nina just hoped the encounter hadn’t been too uncomfortable for Noelle. Mrs Hawkins had been told that Dane had left the escort industry. She surely wouldn’t have made a scene; she was a client who particularly valued discretion. Yet it must have been uncomfortable for everybody to have professional and personal lives cross in that manner.

Had Noelle been the only one not in the know?

‘See if you can work with Brody Haynes to get a special tour of the Rotunda restoration set up for Noelle’s class,’ Nina said. ‘In the evening, when the restorers are there. Invite the parents, too.’

She nodded. ‘I’ll go make some calls.’

‘You don’t have to call Dane,’ Rielle said as she made a note for herself.

Nina stopped halfway down the hallway. ‘He already called, too?’

‘Mm hm.’

Nina turned on her heels, not feeling all that steady.

Rielle smiled softly. ‘I’m happy for you. The detective is a good guy.’

He was, or Nina was beginning to believe he might be. She just wasn’t ready to discuss it.

She hooked her hair over her ear. ‘He was working security last night. I didn’t know he’d be there.’

Sienna came out of the break room with a fresh cup of coffee. ‘A pretty intimidating security guy from what Dane said.’

Nina looked back and forth between her staff in confusion.

Rielle shrugged. ‘He mentioned something about the detective wanting to break his fingers one by one and then make him sit on them.’

‘What?’ Nina suddenly remembered Dane touching her arm. She’d have to have been made of stone not to notice the reaction that had prompted. She fingered her earring. ‘Morgan crashed the event to talk to me. You know how he can get when he’s working on a case.’

Rielle nodded. ‘Focused.’

Sienna shuddered. ‘Intense.’

‘But hot.’

‘And super sexy.’

‘Protective.’

‘Enough,’ Nina said. She wasn’t accustomed to teasing. It made her uncomfortable. Hot, like her skin was prickling.

Sienna’s expression became serious, and she toyed with the braid hanging over her shoulder. ‘Just be careful, Nina. Remember what he does for a living. It could be dangerous to get close to him.’

Rielle turned in her chair with her brow furrowed. ‘What are you saying? He won’t hurt her. Look at her.’

Nina couldn’t bear the scrutiny. She knew better than anyone how she was playing with fire.

‘Enough,’ she repeated. She manipulated others’ love lives; she couldn’t accept others delving into hers. Friends or not. ‘We have work to do. I landed an exclusive contract last night.’

In that moment, you could have heard a pin drop. Rielle spun in her chair so fast her hair flew, and Sienna nearly spilled her coffee.

‘Between you and the detective?’

Nina felt the tips of her ears go hot. ‘No, Genieve and Brody Haynes.’

‘Brody?’ Rielle gasped.

‘And Genieve?’ Sienna frowned. ‘But – when – how –’

Nina lifted an eyebrow. ‘I was working last night.’

She turned on her heel and strode down the hallway to her office. Let them stew on that for a while.

She closed the door behind her. Taking a deep breath, she let the blue and grey colour scheme soothe her. She’d done more than work last night.

She’d risked her heart.

The tenderness between her legs was a reminder of just how uninhibited she’d been, but she couldn’t find it in herself to regret it.

She headed across the room, and the soft carpeting muffled her footsteps. Her office was her private zone. It knew more of her secrets than anybody, and it didn’t judge.

She stopped to check her reflection in the mirror in the attached bathroom. She did look relaxed and bright-eyed. Happy, even. She centred the locket hanging from the chain around her neck. Apparently what Morgan had was better than wrinkle cream, yoga and ginkgo biloba combined. If she could bottle it, she’d be a gazillionaire.

Unless she kept it all to herself.

She sighed. Could she keep him?

She shook the thought out of her head. Work. She needed to work.

She crossed the room and sat down behind her desk. She put the mail aside and smoothed her hands along the shiny smooth surface. It felt like ages since she’d been here.

Control settled back onto her shoulders like a comfortable cloak. She felt secure here, confident and powerful. She looked at the blue elephant on the corner of her desk with its trunk lifted in a load roar.

At once, she felt more like herself. She picked up her desk phone to make her first call of the day. It took only two rings before a familiar voice answered. ‘I hear you’re bored.’

Genieve let out a frustrated sigh from the other end of the line. ‘Nina, that man is a tyrant. No Zumba, no dinners out, no sunbathing … I can’t take it.’

Nina turned in her chair to look out the window at the DC skyline. ‘I know, sweetie. Brody’s just trying to keep the reporters away from you. It shouldn’t be that much longer. I’m sure he’s told you his plan.’

‘Plan, plan, plan. That’s all he ever does. I want action.’

Nina’s brows rose. From what she’d seen, Haynes was the one guy who got down and dirty to make things happen. Had he not talked to Genieve at all about his proposal of an exclusive contract?

Of course he hadn’t. He might be a wheeler and dealer, but he was still a man.

‘He’s such a stick-in-the-mud,’ Genieve complained. ‘I’m going out of my mind.’

Nina ticked her fingernails against the arms of her chair. She, on the other hand, was one who kept her promises. It was called gaining leverage.

‘Well, if you’re really looking for something to do, I could use your assistance.’

‘I’ll do anything.’

Two birds with one stone. It was almost too easy. ‘All right, well, ever since that break-in happened to you, we’ve been trying to compile a list of clients who might have a grudge against you or Luxxor.’

‘You think somebody was trying to get back at us?’

Obviously the escort believed the senator had been the target of the exposé.

‘At this point I really don’t, but the exercise exposed a lot of holes in our database.’

There was a hesitant pause on the other end of the line. ‘You know I’m not a paperwork girl, Nina.’

‘No, no.’ She was well aware of Genieve’s distaste for the daily grind, but she also knew the redhead was practically an empath. ‘Here’s my idea. I’ll give you a list of people, and you compile everything you know about them: their likes and dislikes, passions and interests, known associates, affiliations, any quirks, etc. Record them on your phone if you wish. Rielle can transcribe them later.’

Nina would have done it herself, but she just didn’t have time any more. Out of all her staff, Genieve was the one who read people best. She picked up tells, moods and desires like a human metal detector.

‘I could do that,’ the escort said with more enthusiasm.

‘It would be such a help.’ And it would put Mr Haynes in her debt. ‘I’ll have Rielle call you with names.’

‘All right.’ Genieve went quiet for a moment as her boredom and nervous energy ratcheted down. ‘Nina, Brody said nobody knows who called those reporters with the tip.’

‘That’s true.’ Nina folded an arm across her waist. Somebody with ill will was still out there, and it wasn’t clear if they had finished striking out. The break-in had to be Genieve’s worst nightmare, but Nina’s was slowly becoming that picture somebody had sent of her and Josh kissing. ‘Do you have any idea who might be responsible? Did the senator mention anything?’

‘No, he was as surprised as I was.’

‘Was he?’ Nina asked impulsively. She bit her lip, but then decided to ask. ‘Because just between you and me, Josh – I mean Detective Morgan – was wondering if Gunderson arranged the whole thing.’

‘You mean like a set-up?’ Genieve thought for a while. ‘No, I don’t think so.’

Nina felt deflated. ‘No, you’re right. He wouldn’t do something like that to you.’

And he definitely wouldn’t want to get caught in a sex scandal with an escort, not during campaign season.

‘Oh, I wouldn’t put it past him if he thought it would get him rating points. I mean, he was good to me and all. Very good. I think he might even have been a little sweet on me, but –’

‘But what?’

‘He’s got an undescended testicle, Nina. If he wanted to make a ratings grab, it wouldn’t include filming his junk.’

Nina was stunned speechless. Josh hadn’t told her that! Then again, did straight men really look at other men’s genitalia, even if they were on police evidence video? She dipped her head and rubbed her forehead. Oh, who was she kidding? Genieve had been naked in that video, too. She knew exactly where her detective had been looking – interested or not.

‘OK, that scenario is off the list.’

‘So … you and the detective have been talking?’ Genieve asked cautiously.

Nina rubbed her forehead harder. The day had started off so good. Really good. ‘Yes, we’ve been talking.’

‘I’m really sorry he got dragged into this. I know he’s been lingering around Luxxor, looking for … never mind … I just know my luck could not have been worse.’

Yes, it could. Nina thought of Detective Higgins with his spiky blond hair and puffed-out chest, and her stomach turned. ‘It’s all right, sweetie. It wasn’t your fault.’

‘Morgan hasn’t been giving you a hard time, has he?’

Nina crossed her legs reflexively.

She cleared her throat. ‘Speaking of difficult men, did Brody mention to you the discussion he and I had last night?’

‘What discussion?’

Nina sighed. She might as well get ahead of this, too. ‘I told him you can’t remain in hiding for ever.’

‘Well, hallelujah for that. Thank you.’

‘Don’t thank me just yet. His solution was a bit … creative.’

Genieve let out an unladylike snarl. ‘What did he do?’

There was no way to break it easily. ‘He told me to sign you to an exclusive contract – with him.’

‘What?’ The exclamation came out of the escort like a shot. Tension rang in the silence afterwards until Genieve broke out in laughter. ‘You can’t be serious.’

‘I am,’ Nina said. ‘He’s willing to pay for your full time.’

‘To keep me away from the spotlight until the election is over,’ Genieve said dryly.

Nina didn’t doubt that was the desired outcome. She just wasn’t as sure about the intent. ‘So … I should tell him we decline.’

‘I didn’t say that.’ Genieve went silent as the gears in her head turned. ‘I’m not opposed to taking his money. It would be his money, right? Not the campaign’s or his company’s?’

Nina could guarantee that campaign funds wouldn’t be spent on this. ‘I can make it a stipulation of the contract.’

Brody Haynes might be a political player, but he’d just stepped onto the escort’s turf.

‘Would you like me to include the no-sex clause?’ she ventured.

Genieve let out a scoff. ‘Why handcuff ourselves – especially if we find we want to use handcuffs in the future?’

Wow. Nina pulled back in surprise. ‘Genieve, the contract would be real.’

‘So let’s make him sweat.’

Suddenly, the redhead wasn’t laughing any more. ‘It’s never going to happen, Nina. He’s spinning things. It’s what he does.’

Nina considered that. ‘So you want to use this contract to spin him?’

‘Like a record, baby.’

Nina leaned back in her big leather chair and stared at the ceiling. Exclusive contracts were never easy, but this one might be too volatile for her to take on. She needed to consider all the implications carefully.

‘Why don’t you get back to me with your list of conditions?’ she said.

‘I’ll do that.’

‘And Genieve? Make sure you negotiate them with Brody first.’

She had enough on her plate to deal with, including her own difficult man. If people were going to sweat, for once it wasn’t going to be her.

* * *

Josh poured himself a cup of coffee in the break room at the station house and winced when he took a drink. The stuff tasted like paint thinner. He was getting spoiled with Nina’s special blend.

Then again, he was getting spoiled with Nina, period.

A smile settled onto his lips at the thought. When he took another sip, it wasn’t so bad. Alvarez walked in just in time to see the satisfied expression, and horror crossed his face. He shuddered when he looked at the paper coffee cup and went to the vending machine instead.

‘You’re in a better mood today.’ The detective looked at the selections available and jabbed the number for a Hershey’s bar. ‘A lot better.’

Josh shrugged. ‘I had a good night.’

Understatement of the year.

‘That was something the other day, wasn’t it? With Higgins and the blonde?’ Alvarez poured himself his own cup of coffee, but then broke off a chunk of chocolate and dipped it in to melt. ‘You said she’d eat him alive.’

Josh’s eyebrows rose. Genius. He began to dig into his pocket for quarters.

‘How did you fare?’

Josh caught the detective’s inquisitive look reflected in the glass window of the vending unit. ‘I held my own.’

‘She was something.’

Yeah, she truly was.

Josh was glad that photo of the two of them was tucked away safely in the case file. Before he could get himself into trouble, he turned to head back to his desk. He came up short when the commander walked in with a dollar in his hand.

The big bear of a man nodded at the two of them. ‘Gentleman.’

‘Commander,’ they said in unison.

The man eyed their coffee, and his brow furrowed. With a hearty nod, he walked over to get a chocolate bar for himself. At this rate, they’d run out of Hershey bars before the night shift.

‘Did you get the Gunderson case tucked away, Morgan?’ the commander asked.

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Good. And Ms Lockwood has been taken care of?’

Josh coughed when his coffee went down the wrong way. ‘Yes.’

A candy bar fell off its slot and thunked against the bottom of the vending machine. The commander bent over to scrounge for it. ‘Police departments have a bad enough reputation out there these days. We can’t be making unfounded accusations against the people who support us.’

Josh stirred his coffee with a plastic straw and watched the chocolate go round and round. It hadn’t escaped his attention how the commander had come running when Nina had snapped her fingers. Was that because of all the fundraising she’d done for the department?

Or was there more to it?

‘No, sir.’

The commander took an experimental sip of his improvised mocha and shrugged. Lifting his head, he looked at the both of them. ‘All right. Enough of the work chat. Have either of you boys ever been to the International Spy Museum?’

* * *

By the time Josh got back to his desk, his candy bar was gone. He woke up his computer and flipped through his handwritten notes. He had a handful of cases in the active state, but one was giving him trouble. The girlfriend of his main suspect swore the scuzzball had been with her on the night of the robbery, but she hadn’t been able to look him in the eye when she’d given her statement. It was time he checked on the couple’s alibi.

He started with Facebook. The rise of social media had been a boon to law enforcement types like him. The people who committed crimes weren’t masterminds. Sometimes they kept a digital diary out there for the world to see. They didn’t usually confess outright, but he could check to see if the stories they told him verbally matched the ones they wrote online.

He tapped his notes. The girlfriend claimed they’d watched a movie, and he’d gotten the name. He’d see if she’d commented on it and then check the movie listings on TV that night.

The alibi was pretty easy to bust, but he dug deeper to see if he could ferret out any connections between the accused and the victim. The whole thing felt like it had been targeted and planned.

He was surfing by a news site when he saw an unrelated story that made him stop.

Senator Gunderson and his girlfriend had parted ways.

‘Huh. What do you know about that?’ Josh clicked on the link and found video to match the written story. He leaned back in his chair and stretched out his legs to watch.

The senator had been at that Capitol event last night. He’d seen the guy, but the reporters must have caught up with him on his way out. The senator wasn’t alone. Aides accompanied him, but the reporters were looking for one redhead, in particular. When they asked Gunderson where his girlfriend was for the night, the man’s stiff upper lip trembled. She’d left him, Gunderson said in the video, because of the break-in and because of media like them.

The man looked as if his heart was broken.

The female aide stepped forward to rub his arm, adding to the authenticity. A guy in a red bowtie stopped the interview a few seconds later.

Josh rubbed a hand over his head. The bit looked real, but then again, he’d met the slippery man whose job it was to fix these things. The tragic break-up made sense. It also tied everything up in a little bow. It had Brody Haynes written all over it.

Josh pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Nina. He’d made sure they’d exchanged numbers before they’d left her apartment. ‘Hey,’ he said.

‘Hi.’

Just the sound of her voice, and his body eased. ‘How are you? Getting any work done?’

‘I’m trying.’ She paused, but then let out a sigh. ‘It’s been a rather odd day. Rielle and Sienna … they’re having trouble focusing.’

He knew she’d still been worried about gossip when she’d left this morning. The touchy-feely former escort must have spread the news. Josh didn’t much mind if her people knew about the two of them, but she hadn’t been comfortable with it.

If he’d learned one thing about Nina, it was that she was a private person.

‘They heard I was there last night?’

‘Yes.’

‘Were they OK with that?’ Say what you would about the company’s line of business, but he liked the ladies who worked there. They’d run him around in circles, but their hearts seemed to be in the right place – especially when it came to their boss. ‘Are you?’

‘It’s not something I want to discuss with them. Yet.’

He shifted. As long as she was discussing it with him, he was OK with that. They were in a bit of a tricky situation, but he wanted to see her. He wanted to protect her.

‘Have you seen the news?’ he asked.

‘Unfortunately, it’s on my front doorstep.’

‘What?’ He pulled in his feet and sat up straighter.

‘I don’t know how they found our address, but there are a couple of reporters downstairs looking for Genieve. They want a comment.’

Of course they did. They wanted a quote on the break-in and the break-up. More so, they wanted a shot of the beautiful young woman who’d been caught in the senator’s bed. ‘Will they get one?’ he asked.

‘No.’

He hadn’t thought so. ‘Are you OK? Are they hassling you?’

‘Security is handling it. It’s a secure building; they can’t gain access.’

But she couldn’t stay in there for ever. ‘You’ll have to walk past them when you leave.’

‘It’s all right,’ she said calmly. She was back in her Ms Lockwood mode. Contained. In control. Unflappable. ‘They shouldn’t know me. Even if they do, I won’t provide a comment.’

He didn’t want her to have to do even that. ‘I can come pick you up. Usher you through.’

‘Like that wouldn’t cause a scene,’ she said dryly.

He could practically see her pushing back her hair.

‘You investigated the case, Morgan.’

Yeah, he supposed that wasn’t the best idea he’d ever had.

She paused for a moment, and the authority in her voice slipped. ‘Maybe you shouldn’t come over tonight.’

Screw that, although he was happy she assumed that had been the plan. ‘Come over to my place.’

‘Josh, I don’t know if –’

He did. This idea was much, much better. ‘That way you can avoid them if they’re at your apartment too.’

‘They’re after Genieve, not me. I’m just her employer.’

‘Come over, Nina. Have your security boys do their thing. Let them get you out of there and bring you to my house.’

‘You have a house?’

Ah, he’d set the hook. ‘I’ll text the address to you.’

‘Do you even drive, Nina?’ he asked as he punched in the information.

He heard a familiar huff. ‘I drive just fine.’

‘I’ve never seen it,’ he mused.

‘It’s just easier to get around with a driver. I can –’ She stopped abruptly. ‘That address is on the Potomac.’

‘Yeah. It’s in the Palisades.’

‘That’s a colonial on the Potomac.’

He didn’t understand the urgency. Did she think he couldn’t afford it? Well, he couldn’t on his detective’s salary, but the house had been in his family for generations. It was small for today’s standards and kind of quaint. ‘I told you I grew up here. I inherited it.’

‘Morgan,’ she said softly. ‘Morgan. As in Adams Morgan? The neighbourhood?’

She seemed flustered.

‘Yeah. Thomas Morgan was one of my ancestors. He was even a police chief with the Metro PD at one point.’ Her reaction was fascinating. Usually he had to work pretty hard to get this much of a rise out of her. ‘What about it?’

She let out a frustrated sigh that was much more like her. ‘You are full of surprises, Detective.’

He smirked and checked over his shoulder to make sure that Alvarez was still gone. ‘Come over tonight, and I’ll show you even more.’

‘Goodbye, Detective.’

‘See you later.’ He paused. ‘Lady Nina.’

Chapter Eleven

It was late when the jangle of a phone cut through the darkness. Josh stiffened, and his eyes popped open. Nina rolled into him, away from the noise, and he leaned across the bed to stop it. He didn’t do silly ringtones, but there was one thing about the old-fashioned rotary phone jingle that hadn’t changed. It was still a terrible sound to wake up to in the middle of the night.

He looked at the screen of his smart phone, and the back of his neck prickled. ‘Simons,’ he said, answering at once.

‘Sorry to call you in the middle of the night again, Detective,’ the patrolman said, ‘but I just came across another incident I think you should know about.’

Josh propped himself up higher on the pillow and turned on the lamp on the nightstand. Nina was awake. She tugged the sheets up higher on her chest and watched him with big brown eyes. They hadn’t been together long, but she knew better than to interrupt when a cop took a call.

‘What happened?’ he asked.

‘There was another break-in.’

He frowned. ‘More overeager reporters?’

‘Not exactly, this one looks like a more standard B&E.’

Yet Simons was calling him again and not Higgins. Josh got a bad feeling in his chest. ‘Where?’

‘Genieve Hart’s condo.’

His shoulders came down. He’d been sure the cop was going to say Nina’s penthouse or Luxxor, but’s Genieve’s place fell right in line.

‘Forced entry?’

‘Yup.’

‘Anybody hurt?’

Nina settled her hand on his chest. He opened his hand atop of hers and shook his head when Simons gave a negative on that.

‘Who reported it?’ he asked.

‘Interestingly enough, reporters. They came over here, wanting to interview her, but they found what looks to be a brick through the window of her back door.’

‘And instead of crashing in they called the authorities?’

‘Progress, huh? Am I right?’

Yeah, progress. Josh wished he was making some with this case.

‘Send me the address,’ he said. ‘I’ll be over as fast as I can.’

He ended the call and looked at the woman at his side. Damn, but he didn’t want to go. They’d barely gotten to sleep. It turned out she had a thing for his house.

A serious thing.

He cupped her cheek. ‘I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go.’

‘What happened?’ Her voice wasn’t sleepy, but with her hair tangled she looked warm and soft. He didn’t want to scare her or get her worked up, but he knew better than to keep it from her. She might look like a sex kitten right now, but the kitten had claws.

‘You don’t work the night shift,’ she said. ‘Somebody called you specifically. Does it have something to do with my company?’

He sat up. ‘Somebody broke into Genieve’s place. I need to go check it out.’

She let out a gasp, and the colour drained from her face. ‘Why is this happening? Whom did we offend so badly?’

‘It could be unrelated.’

She levelled a look at him.

Right. Platitudes didn’t work with her. They’d thought it was the senator who’d been targeted. Now it looked as if their assumption had been wrong.

Josh swung his legs off the side of the bed and began searching for pants. ‘Maybe I’ll find something over there that will tell us.’ He pulled up his zipper and stopped. ‘She hasn’t been staying there, has she?’

‘No.’ Nina ran a hand through her hair. ‘Give me a minute, and I’ll come with you.’

‘Uh uh.’ He took the blanket she’d just pushed aside and flipped it right back over her. ‘You stay here in bed. Try to get some sleep. I’ll call you as soon as I know something.’

That stubborn look came over her face. If she’d been wearing her heels, they would have been digging in.

‘You can’t come,’ he said bluntly. ‘Reporters called nine-one-one. It wasn’t the story they expected to get, but I guarantee you they haven’t left.’

He was more than happy to use the truth to keep her in his bed. He leaned over her until she had no option but to lie back against the pillow. ‘Snoop around the house. Look in my medicine cabinet.’

She sucked in an outraged breath. ‘I’m not going to snoop –’

He kissed her soundly, grabbed his things and left. She was safe here.

He needed to make sure it stayed that way.

* * *

Genieve Hart’s rowhouse was in the DuPont Circle neighbourhood. It was an upscale ‘Old City’ area with an international flair. Boutiques, bistros and bars were everywhere, along with really high-priced real estate.

Josh looked over the place as he pulled up behind the cruiser with flashing red and blue lights. He showed his badge to a night-shift patrolman he didn’t recognise, and the guy let him pass.

Simons walked away from a group of reporters with notebooks in their hands and cameras hanging off their shoulders. Josh held up his hand to shield his eyes when a flashbulb went off. ‘I didn’t roll out of bed for a fashion shoot, Simons.’

The patrolman planted himself in the reporters’ line of sight. ‘Sorry, Morgan.’

‘This the place?’ He nodded at the sharp-looking rowhouse with a brick face and a red door. A dried-flower wreath adorned it, and flowers bloomed in boxes under the white-trimmed windows. ‘Nice.’

Escorts must make more than he expected – especially for not putting out.

He rubbed the back of his neck. He knew better than to ask questions like that.

But it was curious. He turned to face the street to get his internal GPS working. Just a few blocks south and maybe more than a few east … A little more than a mile, total … ‘This isn’t that far from the Emissary, is it?’

Simons planted his hands on his hips and looked in the same direction. ‘No, sir.’

So if Ms Hart had been in a relationship with the senator, and his apartment had been undergoing remodelling, why go to a hotel? Why not spend the night here? Even Higgins had thought that one through. Men didn’t take escorts home. It only followed that escorts didn’t take clients home, either.

He tucked the question away with all the others he had.

‘Where’s the point of entry?’ he asked.

‘In the back. Follow me.’

Getting to the back required going around the whole building. The two-storey units were pressed up against each other, side by side to share walls, but the housing came with a rare plus in the alley behind. Covered parking.

Josh flicked on his flashlight and watched his steps as they wandered through the darkness. The reporters must have been pretty determined to find her – or, more likely, get a picture. He stopped when he saw a red door and white-trimmed windows to match the front. The backyards of the rowhouses were good-sized for DC, but small compared to the yard he enjoyed in Palisades. Hell, you couldn’t even play catch here.

He thought of Nina tucked up in his bed. He’d rarely seen her as enthusiastic as when she’d stepped out of that Town Car. She hadn’t jumped around or been giddy. That wasn’t her style, but she had been smiling and her eyes had been big. He’d shown her around his house, and the questions had been endless. She’d been relaxed and real.

It had turned him on more than she could realise.

He needed to put a stop to whatever danger was swirling around her. He didn’t care that it hadn’t touched her yet. He wasn’t going to give it a chance.

The beam from his flashlight landed on the window embedded in the red door. It looked like a gaping, open mouth with jagged teeth. Glass was strewn everywhere, and the back door itself stood wide open.

Yeah, somebody had come in the back way, and it hadn’t been someone who’d just forgotten their keys.

He ran his light up and down the narrow alleyway. After hours in the upscale neighbourhood, it was deserted. With the tall buildings, the sound of breaking glass would have been contained. They’d need to knock on doors to see if the neighbours had seen or heard anything.

‘Have you been inside?’ he asked.

‘Yes, Detective. It’s clear.’

Still, they entered with care. Josh made sure not to touch the handle that the intruder had obviously reached inside to grab. The door entered beside the kitchen and chunks of glass had spread across the ceramic tile flooring. It hadn’t been a brick that had been heaved through the window, but an edging stone from the landscaping in the back yard. He stepped around the mess as well as he could.

He turned on the kitchen light over the sink. The room looked undisturbed, so they moved on. The living area and most of the first floor were the same. The TV sat untouched, as did a laptop. A nice silver bowl held wrapped candy, and a signed picture of Genieve with a famous tennis player stood in a picture frame.

He shot a look at Simons.

‘Whatever they wanted was upstairs.’

Josh mounted the staircase and turned on more lights. ‘Here we go.’

Even on the second floor, though, signs were of a careful intruder – or at least one focused on thievery and not mayhem. One wall in the bedroom was bare, indicating a picture had been taken. Drawers were open and clothes had been rumpled, but nothing had been torn or thrown on the floor. The walk-in closet stood open wide. Hangers stood cock-eyed and empty spaces in the shoe rack looked suspicious. The jewellery box had taken the worst of it.

Simons put his hands on his hips again. ‘The reporters outside said that nobody has seen Ms Hart for a while. She broke up with Senator Gunderson after … well, after what we saw. Do you think she was just in a hurry to leave?’

Josh nodded. He liked the out-of-the-box thinking. ‘That could explain some of this, but not the broken door.’

‘Right.’ The cop rubbed his chin. ‘She needs to be notified. How can we do that if we can’t find her?’

Josh knew somebody who could probably help. Her blonde head was currently on his pillow. ‘Give me a minute.’

He walked out of the room to make the call, and Nina answered before the second ring. He’d known she wouldn’t go back to sleep.

‘Did you find the ibuprofen?’ he asked. ‘My knees act up every once and a while. From baseball, you know.’

‘Your medicine cabinet is safe, Morgan.’ She sighed, and he heard the mattress creak. He felt a sense of victory that she was still in his bed.

‘What did you find?’ she asked.

He looked around the place. He wasn’t quite sure. Maybe Simons was onto something. Genieve had gone into hiding, and all the news stations in DC had reported not being able to contact her for comment. If somebody knew where she lived, it would be a tempting time to make themselves at home. It was the same principle as putting your vacation plans out there on social media. It was asking for trouble.

‘There’s not that much damage, but Genieve is going to have to identify what was taken. Do you have any way to get in touch with her?’

‘She doesn’t know yet?’ Nina let out a soft groan. ‘Brody could probably bring her over.’

Josh zeroed in. ‘She’s staying with Haynes?’

There was a long pause. ‘Damn.’

He smiled softly. He’d scored a rare point.

Turning, he walked down the hallway a few steps to look in the guest bedroom. It had fared better. ‘He can’t bring her here. The reporters are still circling.’

‘She can’t come home? Then how is she going to be able to tell you what was taken?’

‘You are tired.’ Josh chuckled. ‘The senator just announced their break-up. Haynes probably doesn’t want her to be seen in the middle of the night with another man – even if it’s him.’

Nina went quiet. ‘You’re thinking like me now.’

He leaned against the railing at the top of the stairs. He was aware of that, and, if he thought about it too much, it made his badge itch in his pocket.

‘I’m sorry, Josh,’ she said quietly.

‘Have them meet me at the Apple Tree Grille.’ It was open all night. ‘I’ll bring her over here. We’ll figure out what to do after that.’

‘OK.’

‘And, Nina?’

‘Yes?’

‘I like it when you drop your guard enough to trust me.’ He ended the call before she could answer.

Let her think about that.

* * *

Josh made it to the restaurant first. It was slow going in the late hours, but a few night owls were in the place. Most were sampling the apple pancakes the restaurant was known for, but he settled for a black coffee to go. He chose a booth near the front door to wait. Haynes shouldn’t have a problem with parking, at least.

He glanced at his watch. This swing-shift work was killing him, and it wasn’t doing his love life any favours, either. Damn, but he wanted to get back to her.

His coffee showed up, and he took an appreciative swig. He was just about to take another when he saw a flash of red hair. He sat up straighter. Brody and Genieve had arrived. The door opened and a cool night breeze rushed in. Haynes held the door so the redhead could pass, but kept it open for someone else.

Josh stiffened when Nina walked in.

What the hell?

His gaze connected with hers, and his fingers clenched around the paper cup.

‘Take any seat you want,’ a waitress said as she walked past with a steaming plate of pancakes.

Genieve pointed in his direction. ‘We’re with him.’

Nina hesitated, but then squared her shoulders. Her heels clipped against the flooring as the group made its way towards him.

Josh was not happy. They had to have stopped by his place to get her, and the encroachment rubbed the wrong way. A cop’s home was kept separate from the job. Protected. And they’d not only invaded his home, they’d entered his personal life. He knew that he and Nina had just talked about this. She worried about her worlds overlapping, but this went beyond gossip and innuendo. He’d tried to keep her safe, but they’d just brought her into the thick of the mix.

She lifted an eyebrow before she slipped into the booth beside him. It was the middle of the night, and she was still wearing her heels and that hot number pink dress.

Josh rubbed the back of his neck. What did he expect her to wear? It was the same dress she’d worn to his house, and it was the same one he’d taken off her not so long ago.

‘Detective, I believe you’ve met Genieve Hart and Brody Haynes.’

Detective. His back teeth set. Had they even known whose house she was leaving when they picked her up at the kerb?

‘I have.’ He didn’t extend his hand, and they didn’t reciprocate.

For some reason, seeing her with these two put her on their side – if they were even taking sides here.

‘Thanks for offering to meet us,’ Haynes said.

Josh levelled his look at the younger man. He hadn’t done it for them.

‘It seems like we’ve come full circle,’ he replied. ‘Every time I catch a B&E, you two are involved.’

The duo shifted in their seats. Good, they were uncomfortable. Maybe he’d start to get some answers.

‘And Genieve has been the victim both times,’ Nina responded crisply.

Her back was straight against the bench, her legs were crossed and her top foot was rolling. The look she sent him was one of warning.

Genieve folded her hands on top of the table. ‘How bad is it?’

She looked pale and worried, but just as beautiful as ever. How could two women look as good as they did in the middle of the night?

Josh eased up a bit. ‘The damage isn’t that bad.’

Doubt filled the redhead’s big green eyes.

‘Really.’ He’d seen crime scenes that were a lot more dishevelled, including one at the Emissary Hotel …

‘What did they take?’ she asked.

He shrugged. ‘It’s hard to tell. That’s why we need you to come look at it, but the focus seemed to be on your bedroom.’

Nina flinched at that.

Josh leaned back from the table, trying to ease his impact. He’d studied body language, and he knew the signals he was giving off. She was right, Genieve was the injured party here. He needed to treat her more carefully.

The redhead’s hand shook as she raked it through the tumble of her hair. ‘It’s not so much what they might have stolen. It’s the idea of someone in my place, going through my things.’ She shuddered. ‘It creeps me out.’

Haynes extended his arm across the booth’s backrest, but hesitated in touching her. He looked across the table with his eyes flaring and his jaw set in stone. ‘Did you get any fingerprints? Did anyone see it happening? Did they get a licence-plate number?’

Josh took a drink of his coffee. ‘Slow down, Hoss. It’s not like on TV. It takes time.’

‘How long?’

The man’s expression was fierce, and Josh looked pointedly back and forth between him and Genieve. ‘Sorry to hear about your break-up with the senator, by the way.’

They wanted to talk about time? She was with this too good-looking guy on the same night she’d ended a high-profile relationship with a senator?

Was nobody even going to try to pretend around him any more?

Haynes’ hand fisted on the seat rest, but Genieve rolled her eyes. ‘Thanks,’ she said dryly. ‘It’s been a bad day.’

Beneath the table, Josh felt Nina’s hand slide into his. He looked at her, only to find her shaking her head.

‘What are you doing here?’ he asked quietly.

‘They were scared of you,’ she said. ‘I don’t know why.’

He let out a long breath and settled their joined hands higher on his thigh. The touch mollified him somewhat. He was tired. Maybe they weren’t on opposite sides, but he still didn’t like that she’d been involved.

‘Do you have any suspects in mind?’ he asked. ‘Either of you?’

‘No,’ Genieve said miserably.

Brody just shook his head.

Josh looked at his watch again. ‘Genieve, you and I need to get over there. I’ve got a patrolman holding the scene.’

‘OK.’ She gathered up her purse. Brody stood away from the booth and, when she slid over, offered her his hand.

She took it.

Josh noticed that neither let go.

Nina squeezed his own hand before uncrossing her legs. She stood too and smoothed her skirt. Josh saw a guy across the way take interest and glowered at him. That damn dress was like a beacon. He stepped around her and established his presence.

He looked at their little foursome and did the math. The last thing he wanted to do was propose a swap, but they’d left him no other option.

He looked at Nina. ‘Where are you heading?’

She waited a heartbeat and licked her lips. ‘My penthouse.’

It made sense. He was going to be a while, and she needed to get to work in the morning. Still, he took it like a fist to his gut.

He drilled Haynes with a look. ‘Can you take her?’

Safely, without delay and without getting into any more trouble?

The guy returned a look that was just as unyielding. ‘You won’t leave Jenny’s side?’

So they had an understanding.

Josh nodded. ‘I guarantee it.’

They left the restaurant. Most of the vehicles parked along the street were trucks and service vehicles. Josh gestured at his car on the kerb. ‘This is me.’

Haynes pointed at the black car just two spaces down. Josh got the door for Genieve, but watched Nina walk down the sidewalk at Haynes’ side. She glanced back over her shoulder.

He didn’t know how to take that.

Screwing his head on right, he circled the car and got in behind the wheel. Genieve put on her seatbelt as he pulled out into traffic. For a few blocks, everything inside the car was silent except for the pens in the catch-all compartment of the centre console. The clicking sound began to get annoying, and he reached down to muffle them.

‘You must not think much of me,’ Genieve said quietly.

He glanced away from traffic. ‘Excuse me?’

She shrugged. ‘You know. Dating like I do.’

He knew she was very careful what terms she chose when speaking with a cop, but he got the drift. ‘Actually, you make me curious. I remember you from the office.’

‘I remember you from there, too. I remember you and Nina … I remember.’

Had they been that obvious? He remembered lots of standoffs and way too much friction. Then again, someone in the escort business probably knew how to read those things.

He signalled and took a left. ‘People like you. You seemed to be good on the phone, and you got even me not to barge into Nina’s office.’

‘Once.’

‘Once,’ he agreed. ‘You’re smart, and you seemed like a good receptionist. So why –’

Her head whipped around. ‘You think I’m smart?’

He stopped at a light and stared at her. ‘I know it. I’ve seen it.’

She was also cool under pressure. The way she’d handled things at the Emissary had left him with no charges to press.

The light coming from the stoplight was red, but it didn’t account for the colour that spread across her cheekbones.

‘What?’ he said.

She toyed with the seatbelt. ‘When you look the way I do, people don’t often realise that.’

She gestured at the way the restraint clutched the curves of her body. She wasn’t flaunting anything, it was just matter of fact.

‘Then they’re idiots,’ Josh said.

She blinked, but then grinned. ‘Nina picked a good one.’

Josh wasn’t so sure Nina had picked anything. He twisted his hand around the steering wheel. She’d left his bed and had gone home. She’d walked away with another man.

Hell. He knew he wasn’t thinking right, but she’d been playing with his head for a while.

Lady Nina.

He remembered Darien’s advice in the bar and decided to push a little further. ‘So why not be a receptionist?’ he asked.

The look his passenger levelled at him told him how truly smart she was. ‘You’re asking why I’m an escort.’

Well, when a spade was a spade … ‘Yeah.’

She pushed her hair over her shoulder.

‘I’ve done the best with what I have,’ she said frankly, ‘and it’s taken me further than anyone suspected. I have a beautiful home, a nice car, money in the bank and great friends. I’ve been a lot of places and seen a lot of things. I owe Nina a lot.’

Josh stared straight down the road. ‘She’s a good … boss?’

‘She’s a good everything, Morgan. Boss, listener, protector, friend …’ The redhead turned in the bucket seat to face him. ‘You passed, by the way.’

He frowned. ‘Passed what?’

‘The vote we took on you at Luxxor.’

‘You took a vote?’

‘On whether we approve of you.’ The woman ran her gaze over him deliberately and twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. ‘Don’t tell Nina. She’s strong and fierce, but we’re protective of her. We’ve got our eyes on you, Detective. She’d hobble you if she didn’t like you, but it’s clear that she does.’

Josh shifted in his seat. ‘Yeah?’

‘What I think doesn’t matter, but I like you too. Just don’t hurt her.’

The flashing lights of Simons’ patrol car were just ahead, and Josh pulled up behind it. He shifted into park and looked at the woman.

She opened the passenger door and got out. ‘And don’t arrest her.’

He couldn’t swear he’d heard her correctly, but she was already walking up the sidewalk. He hustled to catch up with her.

‘Careful.’ He touched his hand to her back. ‘I should have warned you that reporters are still here.’

He saw a patrolman cordoning them behind a yellow stream of tape.

She wrapped both arms around her waist. ‘Don’t worry. I know what to do.’

On cue, she teared up, and the way she walked changed. The brisk, determined stride became shuffling and uncertain. Josh did a double-take, but he heard the cameras start clicking. Flashes nearly blinded him.

He moved her quickly to the house. She reached for her keys, but Simons and the forensics team were inside. The patrolman opened the front door and let them in.

‘Thanks,’ Genieve said. She recognised the cop. ‘Hi.’

Simons nearly fell over himself ushering her through the entryway. Josh shook his head. The woman was not only smart, she had some kind of magical power.

She looked around the lower level of her home. Her eyebrows were raised when she glanced back at him. ‘It really isn’t that bad.’

He surveyed the scene. ‘Just don’t look at your back door.’

She winced, and he held up his hands. ‘We’ll make sure you have help getting it secure for the night. You’ll need to work with contractors and insurance from there. Your friend Brody can probably get all that moving for you.’

She rubbed her lips as she considered that.

Josh shrugged. So he’d thrown the guy a bone. It was clear he’d wanted to help her.

And it would keep the fixer from getting in his way as he tried to figure out just what the hell was going on here.

‘Let’s go upstairs.’

The dampness in her eyes cleared.

‘OK.’ Her voice was steadier, in control, and showing more than a tinge of anger.

Josh nodded in approval.

She led the way upstairs, and the people working the scene stopped when she entered the bedroom. Josh watched her from the doorway. She instinctively stuffed her hands in her pockets and looked around the room from the empty spot on the wall to her closet and dresser drawers. She hovered over the jewellery box for a long moment.

It didn’t take long before she stepped back. ‘Well, that’s easy enough. Everything that Samuel ever gave me is gone.’

‘Samuel? As in Gunderson?’

She gestured about the room. ‘The artwork, jewellery, clothes and fake fur? Gone. All of it.’

Chapter Twelve

Nina tried to work, but she couldn’t focus. She was running on adrenalin and nerves. She hadn’t slept since the call about the break-in had woken her and Josh. She’d hoped that coming in to the office would give her something else to think about, but in some ways it was making things worse.

Congressman Craft had contacted Luxxor after the Capitol event, requesting someone to accompany him to the DC Dragon Boat Festival. She was trying to pair him with the right escort, but her database kept blurring before her eyes. She’d start wondering if she’d done a thorough enough background check on him or if she was putting another escort in jeopardy by matching her with a member of Congress.

Was someone watching her people?

She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Even more, she worried about Josh. She hadn’t heard from him since he’d texted her to make sure she’d gotten home safely.

She’d made a mistake going to the diner last night. She’d realised that too late.

Rielle greeted someone in the lobby, and Nina sat up straighter. She hadn’t heard the door, but Congressman Craft must be early. She patted her cheeks to give them some colour. She wasn’t quite ready, but she could talk through the short list she’d compiled and –

She pushed herself to her feet when Josh strode in. It had been so long since he’d barged into her office unannounced. Out of habit, her adrenalin flared, preparing for battle.

But fighting was the last thing on her mind.

‘There you are,’ she said in relief. ‘I’ve been wanting to call you, but I didn’t want to get in the way. Do you have any news? Did you work all night?’

He’d at least changed clothes. He was wearing an MPD T-shirt and jeans. Her hand stroked along the edge of her desk. In her office, amongst all the expensive furniture and delicate trinkets, he looked big, tough and sexy.

She rocked back slightly on her heels to rein herself in. He hadn’t closed the door behind him. She had to be careful. Anyone in the office could be listening.

And probably was.

‘Most of it. We canvassed the neighbourhood, looking for anyone who might have heard or seen anything, but no luck so far. We began contacting local pawnshops this morning.’ He crossed his arms over his chest and spread his feet wide. ‘I can’t stay long. I just came by to give you an update and ask you a few questions.’

‘OK.’ So why did his stance make it seem as if he was facing off against her? Discreetly, Nina put her computer in locked mode. ‘What can I help with?’

‘The problem is that we have too big of a timeframe to cover. Apparently Genieve hasn’t stayed at home since the night of the break-in at the Emissary.’

The implications of that sent a shiver down Nina’s spine.

‘So her place could have stood open that whole time?’ She hated the thought of anyone being able to come and go as they pleased in her home. Pawing through her things … trying on her shoes …

‘Probably not. The damage would probably have been worse if it was.’ Josh’s onyx gaze was unmoving, full of that old suspicion. ‘Has she been with Haynes this whole time?’

A warning bell went off in Nina’s head. She’d known he’d been bothered by that meeting at the Apple Tree Grille. She’d tried to reassure him, but he was still irritable. Distrustful.

She spread her hands flat on her desk and leaned forward. She’d done nothing wrong, and she wasn’t going to apologise for it. ‘I don’t see how that’s pertinent.’

His biceps bulged. ‘Yeah, I’m getting that from you a lot.’

The old tension was back, the kind they’d experienced before they’d begun sleeping together. The friction of right versus wrong. They’d worked their way into the grey area in between, but the incident last night had somehow pushed them back into their respective corners.

She didn’t like it there.

‘Yes,’ she said, giving an inch, ‘she’s been staying with him to keep out of the limelight.’

‘What exactly does that guy fix, Nina?’

She reached up to touch her earring. It wasn’t fair for her to always ask him to compromise. The questions he was asking didn’t touch Luxxor, but she was so used to keeping secrets, it made her uneasy to share somebody else’s. Brody was an ally, even more these days than before. He’d been protecting her employee.

‘He moves in the political world,’ she said simply. ‘Although right now I think he’s more focused on Genieve.’

She dared her detective to challenge that.

‘Do you have any leads?’ she asked, turning the questions back around on him. ‘Do you have any idea who might have done this to her?’

‘Do you?’

‘Why would I?’

‘Because it’s personal.’

Nina’s heart tripped over itself. ‘You think that Genieve has been the target all along?’

Did they need to go back and look over her clients again? Was it someone they didn’t even know about? A neighbour? Someone she’d dated? Someone with an unhealthy infatuation?

Josh stepped forward until only the desk separated them. ‘It was someone who didn’t like seeing her with the senator. I can’t say if it was on his side or hers, but someone didn’t like their so-called relationship.’

Nina’s eyes narrowed at the not-so-subtle poke. ‘How do you know?’

‘Because whoever hit that place picked through it like a kindergartner eating vegetable soup. They knew exactly what they wanted, and they left the rest. They only took items that the senator had bought for her. It was personal.’

He fired off the words staccato, and Nina thought fast. ‘But the senator is single.’

‘Who cares? It could be a stalker or a conservative group who doesn’t like his ways.’ He jabbed his finger against her desk. ‘Somebody out there didn’t like him seeing an escort.’

Nina’s foot rocked back on her heel. She wrapped her arms around her waist and tilted her head back to meet his challenging gaze. She didn’t like where this was going. She especially didn’t like his tone.

‘How did that relationship work, Nina? You said Genieve and Gunderson were exclusive, but she still worked for you. We both know she wasn’t a full-time receptionist. Did she go out with clients and then come back to Gunderson’s bed? Once she was kicked out of it, did she roll right into Haynes’?’

‘Enough.’

The irritating tension was taut as the string on a bow. It could only do one of two things: snap or be set loose and sing.

She got up from her desk and walked around it to the door.

Josh rolled his head on his neck and let out a frustrated sound. He planted his hands on his hips. ‘You work in a dangerous world, Nina, one that I believe teeters on both sides of the law. I can’t keep looking the other way.’

She knew.

‘Kicking me out isn’t going to –’ He stopped abruptly when she closed the door.

And locked them in.

She understood. He was tired and grumpy and facing an ethical dilemma. They’d been glossing over things, ignoring them. She had a code, but she respected that his was different. She’d had his morals at one time.

‘I’m sorry you’re in the middle again,’ she said quietly, ‘but this was a robbery. Can you focus on that? Genieve has just as much right to protection as anybody.’

His jaw set.

‘Shit.’ He finally reached up to rub the back of his neck. ‘You’re right. I know. But this has got to end, Nina, all the smoke and mirrors …’

‘I’m scared, Josh.’

His head came up.

She looked at him steadily. He wanted her to lay things out for him? She swallowed hard. She could do that.

‘Things are happening that I don’t understand, and last night made my blood run cold.’ She held up a hand to stop him when he took a step forward. ‘But I’m never going to be the stay-at-home little woman. If that’s what you want –’

‘That’s not even close.’

‘I needed to do something. That’s why I went to the restaurant last night.’

He let out a long sigh. ‘It felt like an ambush, seeing you there with them. Like you were using me. I’m not going to be your puppet within the legal system.’

Like she’d ever be able to lead him around. She knew she hadn’t tamed him. She didn’t want to.

She shrugged and shook back her hair. ‘I just wanted to help. The last time they’d run into you, things were tense. They didn’t know what to expect.’

His expression darkened. ‘I went above and beyond, just meeting them there.’

‘I know.’ She walked towards him and let her fingers trail over the blue chair in front of her desk. ‘I also know you don’t like Brody Haynes.’

He glanced away toward the window and let out an unintelligible grumble.

Nina took a gamble.

‘Do you know what I thought when I saw you two in tuxes at the Capitol? That he looked like a little boy playing dress-up – and I wanted the man.’

A muscle at his temple jumped. She moved closer to him and put her hand on his chest, right over his heart. He was warm, and his blood was pumping.

‘I’m not jealous of him,’ he said testily.

‘I didn’t think you were.’ She lifted herself up and pressed a kiss to his jaw. ‘You have no reason to be.’

His hands settled on her waist, not quite pushing her away, but not drawing her in. ‘Nina.’

‘I know there are challenges between us, Josh, but I’m not willing to give up yet.’ She’d fought too hard to keep it from happening in the first place. Now that she’d given in, she wanted to enjoy it for as long as she could.

Because it was good between them.

Good enough that she knew she had to make some compromises. She needed to be the one to take the next step. There was an obvious one she could take to help them past this little bump in the road.

She looked deeply into his eyes and took a small step back. Her hand went to the tie at her waist. The dress she was wearing was a wrap-around. She liked it for its burgundy colour and because the deep neckline distracted people from her lack of height. When she undid the knot and drew the dress open, she knew Josh liked it for another reason.

It came off fast.

His eyelids became heavy. ‘Rielle said you had an appointment.’

She held the dress open and let him look his fill. The way he looked at her made her feel hot. Sensual and wanted. ‘He can wait, but you said you couldn’t stay long.’

Time drew out. Her nerves tightened. If they were having problems now with sex –

‘I’ll find the time.’

He reached for her, but Nina stepped back. Watching him closely, she slid the dress off her shoulders and down her arms. She dropped it in the chair beside her and reached out for his hand. He took it. Slowly, she drew him around the desk to her side.

His hand felt big around hers. Protective.

This was about more than sex to her. He’d moved a long way out of his comfort zone to meet her, more than halfway. It was time she trusted him.

Still, her heart was beating hard. She’d fought so hard for power, for respect, for control … She’d held onto them so tightly for so long, her knuckles were beginning to ache. Maybe it was time to give in … just a little …

She stopped and stepped closer to him. Watching him closely, she tugged his T-shirt out of his jeans. She worked it halfway up and pressed a soft kiss to his chest. His lungs were working as hard as hers, and his muscles flexed as he pulled the T-shirt over his head.

She traced the line of his pectoral. His muscles were thick and roped. His strength was a turn-on for her, especially the way he tempered it when they were together. ‘By the way,’ she said, ‘you don’t have any ibuprofen in your medicine cabinet.’

He paused, and the T-shirt fell to the floor. ‘What?’

She caught his waist. It was tight, and his skin was smooth. ‘It’s acetaminophen.’

His eyes sparked, and his laugh caught them both by surprise. ‘I knew you couldn’t resist.’

‘I resisted – until you dared me.’

He swiftly removed his gun. ‘I’ll keep that in mind,’ he said, his grin flashing.

He set the weapon safely on the desk and drew their bodies together. Nina dropped her head back for his kiss.

She’d wanted him ever since the first time he’d entered her office, uninvited, to ask questions about the Jason Sloan case. His observant dark eyes hadn’t missed a trick, and she’d had to think fast to match wits with him. She’d wanted him gone. His bulldoggedness had agitated her.

It had also woken her up. She’d focused so long on filling others’ needs, she’d forgotten about her own.

She couldn’t ignore them any longer. Her need for him was nearly consuming her.

She turned them around and gave him a gentle push towards her chair. He sat down, but when he realised where he was – and what she was offering – he stiffened. ‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes.’ She placed one knee on the seat beside him. As large as he was, there was enough room for her in the huge thing. Her throne, as Rielle had once teased her. It wasn’t that far off. Her leather chair was her seat of power, one of her favourite places. She wanted to share it with him.

Just the idea of it was making her wet.

She climbed on board and straddled him. His hands circled her waist, his fingers nearly touching. They clenched harder when she caught the back of the chair above his head and leaned in to kiss him. It was a sexy kiss, open-mouthed and intimate. Their tongues swept across each other, and their breaths meshed.

‘Did you get any sleep?’ she asked.

‘No.’ His hands glided over her hips and along her thighs. ‘But I did beat the crap out of the boxing bag at the police gym.’

‘Mmm,’ she hummed. She’d like to see that some time. No wonder he smelled like he’d come fresh from the shower. She nuzzled his neck as her hands wandered down to his jeans.

She undid his zipper and carefully pulled it down. There was already a bulge there, waiting for her. She fisted her hands in the denim, and he lifted his hips to help her.

‘Oh,’ she gasped when she rocked on his lap.

‘Hold on.’ He caught her hips, and she worked his clothes down to his thighs.

‘Oh.’ That was better.

She wrapped her hand around his erection and pumped him as she kissed his chest. His hands were already under her panties, cupping her bottom and massaging her deeply. They didn’t need a lot of foreplay. They’d missed each other all night long.

Nina rose on her haunches, and he rolled her panties down. She felt his gaze blistering her skin as she left the chair to step out of them. Clad only in her shoes and her black bra, she began to mount him again. His cock stood thick and tall, waiting for her.

The leather cushion dipped under her knee, but she paused.

She lifted her gaze to meet his. His dark eyes were heavy-hooded. They sparked in surprise when she pulled back.

‘Nina?’ He lifted his hands from her, and concern wrinkled his brow.

Her heart was thundering in her chest as she hesitantly turned around. She widened her stance to the point where it felt indecent, but then backed up the few inches to the chair again.

When she looked over her shoulder, the confusion on his face was gone. In its place was hard-driving desire.

She’d wanted to show him her trust.

‘Are you sure?’ he asked.

He slipped his hand between her legs, and her head dropped back. Her hair brushed low on her back as he toyed with her intimately, nudging at her clit and sliding into her wetness.

‘Yes,’ she whispered.

Slowly, she lowered herself towards him, leaned back and lined herself up. Her fingers bit into the arms of the chair. She knew what this position did to her. It ripped the control out of her hands and made her a sensate being. It made her feel what it meant to be a woman.

The head of his cock found her notch. She was wet, and she was aching. Gradually, she sank onto him. Her body stretched to accept his thickness, and her thigh muscles burned. His hands were at her waist again, guiding her down.

The stimulation was startling, but she kept going. She was offering herself to him, but he was letting her set the pace.

She couldn’t keep going slow. She needed him inside her. All of him.

Her hips pushed down harder in a rush, until she dropped into his lap. Her back arched, and she let out a moan that rippled across the room. She felt so full, so taken.

‘I’ve got you, baby,’ he growled into her ear. His arms came around her, one hand sliding up to cup her breast and the other going down between her legs.

The trembling started, but she didn’t want it to end so soon. Her stilettos dug into the carpeting, and she determinedly lifted herself up again. She only made it a few inches before she felt the need to grind back down hard. He swept her hair aside and kissed the back of her neck. He was all around her, behind her and beneath her.

Her body undulated on top of him as if driven by instinct. Up and down she rode him, but it was too soon before her thrusts turned jagged. She’d only lasted a few minutes when she felt the trembling in her lower abdomen clench.

‘Ahhh,’ she cried.

Josh pumped his hips once, going deep into her, and pleasure shot through her system. Nina’s head rolled on his shoulder as he held her protectively, playing with her clit, drawing out the orgasm until she was gasping for air.

He didn’t give her time to recover. When she went limp, he lifted her off him and stood. His strength was in full display as in one smooth motion he turned her, picked her up and set her on the desk. Nina moaned as he pulled her right to the edge. He pushed her thighs open and thrust inside her again.

Her fingers curled into his back, and her legs hooked around his thighs. ‘Josh.’

His strokes were long and deep. He undid her bra and pulled it off her shoulder. He cupped her breast in his hand and squeezed. ‘I’ve dreamed about this for a very long time.’

So had she.

She held on as he fucked her fiercely. Her heels knocked together, and the items on her desk wobbled. He reached past her at one point to save the blue glass dolphin teetering on the edge. Nina clung to him, not caring what might be broken.

Their lovemaking was hard, fast and powerful. Right on the edge of being a little wild.

At last, his hands clamped down on her hips. His eyes were bottomless pits as he watched her take him. Nina couldn’t break the gaze. He was beautiful like this. Strong, masculine and dominant, and she didn’t care.

He was strong enough to match her.

She raked her fingers down his back. The moment they dug into his Grade A backside, he let out a shout. His hips slammed forward and his head reared back. The tendons in his throat went taut as he came. Nina felt him spurting wetly inside her, and she squeezed her eyes shut in pleasure.

She wrapped herself around him, legs around his hips, arms around his middle. She pressed her breasts against his chest and kissed across his collarbone. Finally, she rested her head against him. His heart thudded beneath her ear, and his hands dropped to the desk to take part of his weight.

‘We’ve got to figure this out,’ he said, his voice raspy. He kissed her shoulder and pressed his face into the crook of her neck.

She’d been trying to think of a way. She was becoming a bit desperate about it.

She stroked her fingers gently over the back of his neck. ‘I’m sorry I’m so high maintenance.’

‘It’s all right.’ He took another ragged breath and kissed her shoulder again. ‘I’m willing to do the work.’

* * *

They stayed in that night at her penthouse, eating takeout Thai food and watching the Nationals game on her big-screen TV. Nina looked at Josh stretched out on her sofa with a beer within reach on the coffee table. She smiled softly. He’d taken off his shoes, and a coaster was underneath the bottle.

He was too long for the cushions, and his ankles were propped up and crossed over the armrest. He’d worked late after going in early. Way too early. She wanted to tuck him in bed, with her under the covers beside him, but they both needed to wind down.

They both needed to catch their breath.

She curled her feet up at her side on the overstuffed easy chair. She was still worried about the challenges they had to face. With the case … with the truth about what she did … thinking about it too much made a hard knot form in her stomach. She drank some wine and moved Andre to second base in her scorebook when he got a double.

This was nice – nicer than she’d ever considered. Just sitting with someone. Sharing time in the same place. Listening to their breaths and feeling safe letting them close. She’d lived on her own for a long time. She’d made her own rules and done her own thing. She could do it again, if necessary.

But this was nice.

She rested her head against the cushions and enjoyed it, for a little while.

The problems between them weren’t going to go away. He had ethics and ideals that she’d already moved past. She didn’t feel guilty about her choices. Her business might be disreputable, but she’d found ways to do good. She might not have taken the most honourable path to rise above, but she’d assumed her place atop the heap that had tried to hold her down. If that made her a small person, she could accept that.

She just couldn’t accept it hurting him.

Her gaze ran over him. His hair was rumpled as he rested against the pillow. The silver at his temples looked soft and touchable. When he rested like his and toned down all that energy, it made her heart swell. He was trusting her as much as she was trusting him.

Andre was in scoring position, but the Nationals were trailing once again in the bottom of the ninth. When the next batter hit a dribbler to the second baseman, both she and Josh groaned.

‘There’s the game,’ he said in tired acceptance.

He swung his legs off the couch and sat up. He picked up the remote and pushed the controls. He was like a little kid with that thing. He watched in fascination as the TV slid into the cabinet and the doors closed. He pointed at the curtains and found the button to operate them, too. They swished shut as he rose to his feet.

He held a hand out to her. ‘Bed?’

She’d never heard anything sound so good. She finished her wine and left the glass on the table with the bouquet of flowers. The blooms were starting to look as tired as she felt. They’d both been operating on only a few hours of sleep. Neither of them had energy to do much more than fall in bed beside one another.

She rested her head against his arm. ‘We’re going to sleep tonight, the whole night through.’

‘Promise?’ He turned off the lights behind them and clicked on the bedside lamp.

She saw the look in his eyes.

‘I’ll be there in a moment.’

She stepped in her closet and then went into the master bath. When she came out, he was pushing down his jeans. He took one look at her, and his cock swelled beneath his briefs.

Nina frowned. ‘Sleep.’

Even to her own ears she didn’t sound a hundred percent convincing, but she was in a nurturing mood. She wanted to take care of him.

His gaze was hot as it swept down her body, and her nipples peaked hard beneath the bodice of her nightgown.

‘That’s what you wear to sleep?’

She glanced down. ‘Yes.’

The white Céline gown had a black lace see-through bodice with a neckline that plunged between her breasts. It skimmed her body in soft silk. It was pretty and sexy, all at once. Comfortable to her.

‘A clotheshorse to the end,’ he muttered.

He flipped back the covers for her, but she held back. ‘That really isn’t my side of the bed.’

He gave her that lazy grin she was beginning to love. ‘If you wear that, you can sleep on whatever side of the bed you want, as long as it’s my bed.’

He crawled in and held the covers open for her. She slid in and turned off the bedside lamp. His arm wrapped around her, and his chest pressed against her back. He kissed her hair and his semi-hard erection nudged at her, but he made no move to take it any further.

She would have let him, but she smiled into the darkness as she relaxed back into him. She laced her fingers through his at her stomach and closed her eyes.

This was personal.

* * *

It was personal.

Nina sat up straight in bed. Sunlight was pushing through the cracks in the curtains, giving a warm glow to her entire bedroom. It was nothing compared to the blinding light that had flashed on inside her head.

Josh flinched when the mattress moved, and then he was awake. He’d rolled onto his back to take up his half of the bed. He looked at her with those dark eyes sharp and alert, and he touched her back. ‘Are you OK?’

‘It was personal!’

Nina scooted off the bed and rushed to the door. She didn’t even stop to put on her dressing robe. She hurried past the entryway to her apartment and across the living room. She stopped so suddenly at the far hall table that Josh nearly bumped into her.

He was hot on her trail.

‘Nina,’ he said more forcefully. ‘What’s wrong?’

The flowers had been thinned out as they wilted, and the ones that remained were starting to shrivel. She hadn’t liked who had sent them, but she liked flowers. She patted the table, searching for something that only the recesses of her brain had remembered.

‘Gunderson sent me these,’ she said. Had she thrown it away? She remembered crumpling it.

She found the card hidden behind the vase, tucked up against the wall. Josh was alternating between watching her in confusion and glaring at the sickly blooms.

‘I don’t understand,’ he said.

She finally got the envelope flattened enough that she could pull out the tiny note. She held it up so he could read it. ‘Senator Samuel Gunderson sent this to me, but does this look like a man’s handwriting?’

His brow furrowed. ‘No, it doesn’t.’

She put the card on the table where they could both see it. ‘That was written by a woman. He might have paid for them, but she ordered them. She wrote the note that he obviously dictated.’

Her detective caught on quickly. ‘His aide. The woman he works too much.’

‘The woman who dressed up pretty to attend the Capitol gathering with him …’

‘The woman who was so ready to comfort him when he told reporters he’d broken up with Genieve …’

Nina caught Josh’s hand and squeezed. ‘It’s his assistant. That’s who’s been behind all of this. It was personal!’

Chapter Thirteen

With a lead as promising as the one Nina offered, Josh got to work fast. Contrary to what the movies and television shows portrayed, though, things didn’t automatically fall into place. It required work. He needed more than a strong suspicion.

He had to find proof.

He opened the case file on his desk and pulled out the business card the senator had given him. He flicked it with his finger. One tiny piece of paper had set off such an avalanche when Luxxor’s card had dropped out with it. Good things had come tumbling down with the bad …

It had made him go after Nina, and he’d caught her. But not for a crime. Not yet, anyway. A familiar tightness pulled at his chest. That would always be hanging out there between them, wouldn’t it?

He punched the number into his phone and waited.

‘Senator Samuel Gunderson’s office.’

Josh eased up. The call had been answered by a man, not the woman he was slowly circling. ‘Detective Morgan from DC Metro Police. I need to talk with the senator.’

‘Of course, sir. The senator said to forward any calls from you. He’s in the office. One moment, please.’

It didn’t take long for Gunderson to answer. ‘Detective, good to hear from you. I assume you’re calling with progress on my case?’

‘Not exactly.’ The last newscast Josh had seen, Gunderson had finally gotten rid of all the bandages. ‘There’s been a new development that may or may not be connected. Genieve Hart’s house was broken into last night.’

‘Genieve? Oh, my word. Is she all right?’

Josh cocked his head. The guy actually sounded concerned. Maybe there had been more to the couple’s relationship than he’d thought. ‘She’s fine. She wasn’t there when it happened.’

‘Thank goodness. Have you caught the person responsible? Was it those two reporters again? I heard they’re out on bail. Do I need to increase my security detail?’

Josh frowned. It wasn’t all that plausible. Hoodie and Bieber hadn’t had burglary on their minds when they’d broken into the Emissary Hotel; they’d been after a story. But the story had included the escort. If they’d done enough homework, could they have found out what items the senator had bought for her? He wrote himself a note. ‘I’ll check into that, but right now I’m looking down another trail.’

‘How can I assist?’

It hadn’t taken Josh long to find the names of Gunderson’s staff and’ to give a better contextual link. Josh drew a square around Margaret Harris’s name on his notepad. ‘Most of the items stolen were gifts that you gave to Genieve.’

The senator sucked in a breath. ‘Why are the two of us being targeted like this?’

‘That’s what I’m trying to figure out.’ The box around Margaret’s name was becoming darker and darker. ‘Genieve put together a list of items, but we’re not sure if it’s complete. She thought you might be able to help.’

‘You’ll need to speak with my assistant, Margaret. She’s the one who actually made the purchases.’

Bingo.

‘Would you like me to include her on the call?’

‘No, no,’ Josh said quickly. ‘We have quite a comprehensive list. It’s been sent out to pawn shops around the area so they can be on the lookout. I just wanted to confirm that Margaret might have receipts or credit-card statements of the purchases if we find anything.’

‘I’m sure she does.’ The silver-haired politician chuckled. ‘I don’t have a good memory for that type of thing. Margaret handles all of that for me. If Genieve needs help for insurance claims, I’m sure Maggie would be glad to help.’

Probably not as happy as the senator thought.

‘Good to know,’ Josh said, adding an exclamation point behind the box. ‘Thank you for your time, Senator.’

‘Of course, Detective. Always happy to help out our first responders. I hope you know how much I appreciate your service to our fair city.’

Josh’s lip curled. The political insincerity was practically dripping. ‘I’ll be in touch.’

He hung up before the phone could slip out of his hand.

‘Progress?’ Alvarez asked, stopping by his desk with a fresh mocha in his hand.

‘Progress.’ But he was just getting started.

Josh’s next stop was Forensic Sciences. The techies hadn’t had time to go through the evidence collected at the crime scene, and their glowers told him they didn’t appreciate him pushing. The state-of-the-art laboratory was still relatively new, but in a city as big as DC they were kept busy.

Things changed when he asked them to check for one match in particular. He’d finally caught a break in the case. All federal employees were required to undergo background checks and be fingerprinted – including Margaret Harris.

He had one half of the puzzle; he just needed the matching piece.

Looking for a fingerprint in a home the size of Genieve’s could be like looking for a needle in a haystack, but they concentrated on the point of entry. The landscaping stone would have been ideal, but it had been too porous to pick up good prints. The deadbolt lock or handle inside the back door, though, had potential. When they got a match, Josh knew he had the right person.

‘Gotcha,’ he said as he held up the report. Margaret Harris had been in that rowhouse, and he sincerely doubted that Genieve had invited her.

Nina was right. Jealousy was a powerful motivator.

Josh’s blood began to pump like it always did when he was on the hunt. A prudish, overworked, lovesick aide. It made sense on a lot of levels.

It was time to pick her up. Getting the arrest warrant wasn’t a problem, but he ran into another issue. The work day was in full swing – and his suspect worked in another department’s jurisdiction.

He stood beside his desk, thinking through his options. ‘Should I wait until she comes home for the day?’ he asked Alvarez.

‘I wouldn’t,’ the other detective said.

Josh agreed. He’d had that conversation with the senator. If Gunderson had ignored him and gotten proactive, Miss Maggie might already be worried he was coming for her.

He couldn’t wait. He needed to co-ordinate with Capitol Police to carry out the arrest on Capitol grounds.

‘Good thing I just volunteered some after-hours security work for them.’

All it took to get things moving was a phone call and the sharing of some paperwork. Soon, he was walking with a uniformed Capitol Police officer into the Russell Senate Office Building.

The Capitol wasn’t big enough to house offices for all senators and congressmen, so buildings had gone up around Capitol Hill within walking distance. The Senate had three of its own for the daily workings of its members, including this one.

They passed through a rotunda that was nearly as impressive as the one in the Capitol, though smaller, with columns encircling it. There were tourists here, too, visiting their state officials. Josh felt the attention he and the uniformed officer drew as their footsteps rang out amongst all the marble and limestone, but he was concentrating on his destination.

From the office numbers on the walls, Senator Gunderson’s office suite was close.

They entered without knocking. Josh spotted Bowtie Boy first, working at a desk along the wall. He must have been the one to take his call. Margaret Harris was just a few feet away, squashed into the corner. Bowtie Boy started to get up, but the Capitol policeman gestured that he stand down.

Margaret froze in her chair as Josh approached her desk. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Her hair was pulled back into a tight, no-nonsense bun, and she wore minimal makeup. What colour was in her cheeks drained, to the point where he worried about her fainting.

Damn. An arrest on Capitol Hill always attracted attention, but he didn’t want her carted out on a gurney. ‘Margaret Harris?’ he asked.

Her lips worked nervously. ‘Yes?’

He held up his badge. ‘Detective Morgan from DC Metro Police.’

Her eyes rounded to the size of saucers, and she clutched a pile of paperwork to her chest as if that would ward him off.

‘I’m here to arrest you for breaking and entering and burglary. Please stand and show me your hands.’

‘Burglary?’ Bowtie Boy blurted. ‘Are you insane? Senator!’

The senator appeared from the main office and stood in the doorway, watching. He shook his head. ‘Margaret,’ he said in disappointment.

His aide’s eyes filled with tears.

Josh approached her, ready for any unexpected moves. For someone who’d thrown a brick through another woman’s window, she seemed awfully timid. You never could tell with people. Sometimes it just took the right trigger. ‘Turn around and put your hands behind your head.’

She didn’t argue and she didn’t protest. She just looked at him forlornly.

She was younger than he’d thought, and more innocent-looking.

Josh paused. There was no recognition of him in her expression as she faced him. None at all. His brow furrowed. If she’d sent that picture of him and Nina to the station, shouldn’t she know who he was? Shouldn’t she be raging against him?

It threw him off for a moment, but he twirled his finger, indicating that she needed to follow his instructions. In slow motion, she put down the paperwork and turned. He put the handcuffs on her, and her shoulders began to shake.

He sighed. Now the tears would start.

‘I’m going to read you your rights now, do you understand?’

She nodded and turned around. Her head hung so low, he couldn’t see her face.

‘You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I’ve just read to you?’

‘Yes.’

‘With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?’

‘I … I just … I was just so angry.’

Everyone was staring at her. Everyone was listening.

‘Mm hm.’ Josh took her arm and guided her towards the door. He wasn’t going to get much out of her in this environment.

The senator stepped forward to stop them, and Josh paused. Then again …

‘Why, Margaret?’ Gunderson asked. ‘Why would you do something like that to me?’

Josh’s eyebrows lifted. To him?

The aide’s head finally lifted. The expression on her face was one of dismay. ‘I didn’t do it to you. I did it to help you – to help you see how she was using you.’

The senator’s hands fisted at his sides. ‘What did Genieve ever do to you? You know that if you hurt her, you hurt me.’

‘She’s not your girlfriend. She never was.’ Venom lit the aide’s eyes. ‘She’s just a gold-digging whore.’

Whoa. Josh tightened his hold on her. Her trigger had just been found. He shot a look at the Capitol officer, but he was dealing with the traffic of lookey-loos that were gathering around in the hallway.

‘I take care of everything for you,’ Margaret cried, ‘but she waltzed into this place like she owned it.’

Bowtie Boy sent his coworker a stunned look. ‘Genieve was the one good thing about this job,’ he hissed.

‘She was not!’ The words came out in rapid-fire shots, yet when the aide faced the senator, her voice turned wheedling. ‘You are, Samuel.’

Josh’s eyes narrowed. Oh, boy.

The plain young woman looked at the senator with his red silk tie and perfectly cut silver hair.

‘I read the bills and condense them for you. I manage your schedule. I pick up your dry cleaning. I work late and then get up and bring your newspaper in the morning. Why couldn’t you notice me?’

Gunderson looked uncomfortable and impatient. He raked a hand through his hair, and the cufflinks at his wrists glinted. ‘Margaret, this is very unbecoming. You damaged her house. You stole her things.’

‘Her things? You mean the things you had me buy for her?’ Fury shrivelled her face, and red blotches covered her cheeks. ‘You broke up. I just took them back.’

‘Oh, Margaret,’ Bowtie Boy groaned.

Josh had heard enough. He started leading her to the door. ‘Let’s go down to the station, and you can tell me all about it.’

The woman dug her flat brown heels in and craned her head over her shoulder. ‘She wasn’t good for you, Samuel. I had to make you stop.’

The senator’s eyebrows jumped, and he stepped forward. ‘Margaret, did you call those reporters?’

Josh stopped in his tracks. Had she?

The senator’s face flushed. He stood rigidly, with his jaw tightened just like it was that night at the Emissary Hotel. ‘Did you have them break in on us? Did you think you could intrude on my personal life that way?’

Gunderson waited for a response, but his assistant looked away. She stared at the door with tears now spilling down her cheeks.

It wasn’t a confession, but it wasn’t a denial. Josh would have to press for one or the other when he got her into interrogation.

‘Come on.’ He jerked his chin, and the Capitol policeman opened the door.

Josh was carving a path through the onlookers when behind him he heard the senator call his remaining assistant.

‘Get me Brody Haynes.’

* * *

Hours later when Josh stepped into the Luxxor lobby, it was fuller than he’d ever seen it. People were standing about, talking quietly. He stopped just inside the door. Maybe it wasn’t the best time for him to drop by.

‘There he is,’ Rielle said, spotting him.

He lifted an eyebrow when everyone turned. He didn’t usually get this kind of reception. People typically ran the other way when they saw him coming. His gaze went to Nina, but she wasn’t giving him a warning look.

Or an icy look or a haughty one.

He kind of missed those. They’d made him want to shake her up. But this? He wasn’t certain what he was supposed to do.

She glanced at the others. He expected her to wave him to her office to talk, but instead she surprised him by hooking her hair over her ear and stepping towards him.

‘What happened?’ she asked. ‘Did you arrest Margaret Harris?’

So they were going to do this here? All right. He planted his hands on his hips. ‘She’s being processed as we speak.’

‘Yes,’ Rielle squeaked. She turned to Sienna and gave her a hug.

Nina took another step forward. The shoes today were orange to match her snug skirt. Orange with straps up her ankles. Where did she find the things?

‘So she’s the one?’ she asked. ‘Is this all over?’

Josh looked her square in the eye. He knew how much she wanted to hear that it was, but he wouldn’t lie to her. ‘She broke into Genieve’s place. I got her dead to rights for burglary. You called it. She’s in love with Gunderson. She couldn’t bear to see him with someone else.’

Especially a flashy extrovert like Genieve.

‘But the rest?’ Nina pressed. ‘The break-in at the hotel?’

And the photo of the two of them? She didn’t say it, but that was the missing piece that was bothering him the most, too.

Josh shook his head. ‘I haven’t been able to make any connection there yet.’

‘She wouldn’t talk?’

His eyes narrowed. ‘She lawyered up. Compliments of your friend Brody Haynes, I suspect.’

He watched as Nina’s pupils flared and her toe began tapping in that insanely hot shoe. She wasn’t happy about that either. Good.

‘Why would he do that?’ Rielle exclaimed ‘I thought Brody was on Genieve’s side.’

Nina wrapped her arms around her waist. Her expression was contained, but Josh could see the tiny muscle in her temple throbbing. She was more than unhappy. Haynes was about to catch some of the heat that he used to.

‘He probably did it to keep her quiet,’ she said icily.

The corner of Josh’s lips twitched. Oh, yeah. He hadn’t seen this side of her for a while.

‘But she’s the one, right? This Margaret Harris?’ Rielle asked. ‘You just haven’t been able to prove it yet.’

Josh looked at the pretty office manager. ‘Maybe.’

‘But your gut says no.’ Darien was leaning back against his girlfriend’s desk with his legs stretched out before him. The laidback pose was misleading. He was reading all the subtle tells, too.

Josh folded his arms across his chest. He wasn’t being called out. Maybe somebody in this room could help him see the forest for the trees. ‘I can’t find a link between Margaret Harris and the reporters. If she picked them at random, wouldn’t she have gone with a news station that was more well-known?’

Darien nodded. He was tracking the logic.

‘And why send them to the hotel like that? If the senator’s career was damaged, then hers would be, too. He’s up for re-election. If he’s not in Congress next year, she doesn’t have a job.’

Nina tapped her nails against her elbow. They were orange to match. Josh was suddenly developing a serious thing for the colour.

‘Maybe she didn’t care.’

He frowned.

‘About the job,’ she said. ‘I looked her up today too. She’s a small-town girl. Maybe she thought if she got rid of everything in her way, he’d finally see her. He’d finally turn to her, and they could run away and start a life together.’

‘That sounds like a fairytale,’ Sienna said.

And it sounded like exactly the thing Margaret Harris would believe. Josh hadn’t had much time to question her before her lawyer had swooped in and closed down all discussion, but it fit. The woman was so wound up in Gunderson, she didn’t see very far beyond that.

‘You really think so?’ He watched Nina carefully. The male-female thing was more in her realm of expertise than his.

‘People can’t think straight when they’re in love,’ she said.

No kidding.

‘You’re right about that,’ he said softly.

It all fit, in a Picasso sort of way. Yet there was still the matter of the photo that had been sent to Higgins. Margaret Harris hadn’t recognised him. Had she been too overwhelmed about being caught? Because that photo of him and Nina kissing was pretty damn unforgettable.

No, that photo was key.

Someone had tried to get him kicked off the case. Or worse.

‘Well, Genieve must be happy to know Margaret’s been caught,’ Rielle said.

‘She is,’ Josh said. ‘I just spoke to her.’

‘And Brody?’ Nina asked.

‘You should probably let Genieve have first crack at him.’

Darien pushed himself off the desk in a smooth motion and caught his girl’s hand. ‘Maybe you don’t have all the kinks worked out yet, but I think we should still celebrate. Who’s up for dinner?’

Rielle’s eyes widened, but the expression on her face turned hopeful. Sienna’s hand went to the end of her braid, and she waited, too.

Josh looked at Nina. They hadn’t exactly made a public announcement. They’d been seeing each other, but he doubted she’d said much to her staff. He knew how she felt about them gossiping about her. To be honest, he hadn’t said anything to anyone either. Higgins and the captain had seen the picture, but that case had been put to bed.

Then again, they hadn’t exactly been quiet the other day when they’d been locked inside her office together. How much soundproofing did the walls around here have?

He waited – and found his skin prickling.

Nina stood stock-still. Her pretty brown eyes flared, but just enough for him to see. ‘I’d like that,’ she finally said softly.

And Josh found he could breathe again. ‘Sounds good to me.’

Rielle beamed, and Sienna blinked fast.

Darien just clapped his hands. ‘Good. No more tiptoeing around that. Where are we going? Stoney’s?’

Josh rolled his eyes. The place was a little too ‘down home’ for Nina. It was his first night out with her. ‘Maybe someplace a little classier than that?’

‘Is that the place with the grilled cheese sandwiches?’ she asked.

He frowned. ‘You’ve been there?’

‘No, but I’ve heard about it.’ Her hand brushed over her stomach inconspicuously.

She was hungry. And no wonder. She’d been eating like a bird since all this had gone down. Screw the awkwardness of the whole new couple thing. Josh caught her hand. ‘I’m buying. Let’s go.’

The others hurried to follow, except Sienna who begged off to have dinner with Jason. They all loaded onto the elevator, and Darien hooked his arm around Rielle. He looked pointedly at where Josh still held Nina’s hand. ‘Stop it, you two. You’re embarrassing us.’

Rielle swatted his chest. ‘Darien.’

Josh watched as Nina lifted an eyebrow.

Uh oh.

She stepped away from the side of the elevator and turned on those impossibly high orange heels. She let go of his hand only to catch the lapels of his jacket and tug him forward. He went willingly, wrapping his arms around her tight waist as she pressed her mouth to his. The kiss was hot enough to curl his hair. When he heard a merry ding and the doors opening, he realised he’d missed three floors.

She pulled back and tidied her lipstick. She caught his hand and threw the other couple a challenging look as she pulled him out of the elevator.

Darien and Rielle looked stunned.

Josh hid his grin. They’d messed with the queen bee and had gotten stung.

He was a lucky man.

* * *

Stoney’s was halfway busy when they arrived, but they found a table for four in the back. Josh saw Nina eyeing the carousel with ketchup and mustard sitting on the table. He wondered how long it had been since she’d been inside a joint like this. Had she ever? He glanced around the place. To him, it was kind of sharp with its bright-blue and red walls. It was just a neighbourhood bar, but she’d gone to finishing school. She attended events at the Capitol and hung around with sports stars, politicians and millionaires.

Yet the woman was hungry for a grilled cheese sandwich. He waved his hand to signal a waiter. Damned if he was going to make her wait for one.

They ordered, and he caught her hand under the table. She squeezed back, and he settled their joined hands on his thigh.

The waiter brought their drinks, and Darien took a sip of his beer.

‘Are you back to work?’ Josh asked.

‘Yeah, started this week.’

‘Not a moment too soon,’ Rielle teased.

‘You look like you feel better,’ Nina commented.

Darien trailed his finger down Rielle’s forearm over the scar that was still red. ‘This hurts me more than anything.’

Josh knew what the guy meant.

He didn’t like the thought of Nina in danger. Did Margaret Harris really have the wherewithal to go after Luxxor the way she had? Or was it just Genieve who’d been in her line of sight?

‘You’re thinking about the case again,’ Nina said softly.

‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘Comes with the job.’

‘So lay it out for us,’ Darien said. ‘What are you stuck on?’

Josh shrugged. ‘It’s the TMI News thing, for one. You didn’t see the look in Margaret’s eyes. I don’t think she would have gone after Gunderson like that.’

‘You think the job was important to her?’

‘She knew it was important to him. And then there’s the sex thing.’

Rielle’s cheeks turned pink, and she shot a look at Nina.

Josh rolled his shoulders in discomfort. ‘Genieve and the ol’ boy weren’t doing anything too risqué, but Margaret Harris seems pretty straitlaced. I don’t think she’d want him filmed while doing that.’

Darien nodded. ‘And what else? Something’s niggling at you.’

Josh hesitated for a long moment. What could it hurt? ‘Somebody sent a picture of Nina and me out on our first date to the station.’

Rielle’s eyes widened. ‘I didn’t know that.’

‘That’s why they tried to toss you from the case,’ Darien said.

‘Margaret Harris didn’t even blink when she saw me, though. I don’t think she knew who I was.’

‘Maybe she knew you had her for the burglary, but she didn’t want to implicate herself for anything more?’ Nina suggested.

Josh shook his head. ‘It doesn’t fit. Why push it that hard? She wanted to break up Genieve and the senator. I don’t think she wanted him thrown in jail for soliciting.’

Everyone at the table went still.

Hell. Nice way to go on their first date out with mixed company.

Nina squeezed his hand. ‘Even if she did, she came away with no proof.’

He sighed and squeezed her hand back. ‘Yeah. There was no proof.’

Their food came then, and their attention turned to eating. Josh watched as Nina daintily picked up the grilled cheese sandwich from her plate. The bread was toasted just right, and the cheese had been melted to the point where it threatened to drip. One bite, and her eyes closed in pleasure.

He smiled. She could go slumming with him whenever she wanted. He was happy to put on the penguin costume and accompany her to her fancy events in return. He was a Morgan. His mother had made sure his table manners were good and he knew all the social niceties.

He relaxed, happy in the moment. There were plenty of obstacles in their way, but maybe they could find a way to meet in the middle.

They finished the meal of comfort food and were lingering over drinks when a news report came on the television nearest their table. It was about the arrest of Senator Gunderson’s Congressional aide and how she’d broken into his ex-girlfriend’s home and most likely prompted the break-up in the first place. The story really did come together nicely from that angle.

Gunderson’s polling numbers were through the roof.

He was up by twenty-six points over his rival, Kevin Murphy. They showed the oft-repeated clip of Gunderson breaking down when he told the press that Genieve had left him.

‘Mr Murphy,’ the reporter said as they cut to another clip. ‘Any comments?’

‘It’s sad to see a small-town girl from Kenosha Falls drop to such a level, but it’s time that we start talking about the issues important to voters, not the senator’s love life.’

The reporter finished the story, promising to bring viewers updates as they occurred, but Josh sat up so quickly in his chair, it scraped against the laminate flooring. ‘Kenosha Falls? How’d he know about that?’

‘It’s Margaret Harris’s hometown,’ Nina said. ‘I looked it up today. Very small, under a thousand people, maybe.’

Josh looked straight at Darien. ‘Where’s Murphy from?’ they asked at the same time.

Four smart phones came out, but Rielle had the fastest thumbs. She turned hers around. ‘Kenosha Falls.’

Suddenly, the puzzle pieces snapped together. Who would have the most to gain from the senator being disgraced or arrested? Who could best tap into the frustrations of a young woman out in the big, bad working world but somebody from back home?

Josh dug into his pocket for his wallet and tossed enough money to cover his and Nina’s meals onto the table. ‘Sorry to eat and run, but I need to go.’

Nina took her napkin out of her lap and folded it. ‘Thank you for inviting us. It really was delicious.’

Josh stared at her. ‘Where do you think you’re going?’

Her chin lowered, and she met him with a steely-eyed look. ‘With you.’

Chapter Fourteen

It wasn’t difficult to get Kevin Murphy’s address – not when you moved in the circles that Nina did. It also wasn’t difficult for her to get an appointment with the man. She simply called and asked for one.

‘He’s just inviting us over?’ Josh said. His expression darkened. ‘I don’t like it.’

‘He knows why we’re coming,’ Nina said. ‘It’s time we all talked.’

She pushed her hair behind her ear and looked out the window. It was dark. Spring had been pushing sunset back further and further, but nighttime in DC was still her favourite time of the day. All the monuments were lit, and they were somehow even more majestic with the stark backdrop of stars.

She looked at the Jefferson Memorial as they crossed the Potomac into Virginia. The state was only a river away, and the proximity gave DC residents their closest view into state politics in return.

From what she’d seen, that part was ugly.

They drove past the urban sprawl of northern Virginia and headed northwest to Loudoun County, DC’s horse and wine country. It was getting almost past acceptable visiting hours when they arrived at Murphy’s residence. The estate was impressive. The Senate candidate had a nice piece of land, complete with a red barn and horses. The animals were bedded down for the night, but Nina saw the corral that awaited them in the morning.

‘He did well for himself in the news game,’ she said.

‘Why would he leave it for politics?’ Josh asked.

‘The need for power … The desire to do good …’ The two could get so easily flipped. She’d actually paid some attention to the man as a candidate. She toyed with her earring. As a DC resident she had no vote to cast, but she had a feeling she was about to change her opinion.

Josh stopped the car in the circular drive in front of the house. It was lit up just as brightly as the Lincoln Memorial just a few dozen miles away, complete with white pillars holding up the wrap-around porch.

He got out and rounded the car. He opened her door, and Nina smoothed her skirt. Orange really wasn’t her choice for a confrontation like this. She would have preferred her black suit or, even better, the red. But orange would have to do.

The shoes certainly went for the throat.

‘Remember, I’m taking the lead,’ Josh said.

She took his arm and walked at his side.

‘I’m serious, Nina. Stay behind me if something happens. This is police business, or it could be.’

It was comforting to know he was armed, but this wasn’t business. It was dirty politics.

‘I’ll just step in when needed,’ she said.

He gave her a warning look, but that was as far as she was willing to compromise.

They climbed the front stairs to the pretty porch. Hanging planters of petunias hung from the rafters. Josh rang the doorbell, and Nina smoothed her hair.

Murphy’s son answered, the one who was always in the background shots of his father. Gunderson might have aides, but the Murphy campaign was a family affair.

The young man seemed surprised by their arrival. ‘Can I help you?’

Josh showed his badge. ‘We’re here to speak with Kevin Murphy.’

‘Oh, I see my guests have arrived.’ The senior Murphy appeared in the hallway with a glass of scotch in his hand. ‘Jerod, let them in.’

The son opened the door and held it for Nina as she stepped inside. His gaze was concerned, and she nodded in greeting. ‘Thank you.’

‘Here,’ the elder Murphy said. ‘We’ll talk in my study.’

Josh’s hand lit on her lower back, and Nina could feel how tense he was. She was primed for battle, too. This man had come after her company and her people. Worse, he’d gone after her detective.

She wasn’t about to play nicely.

‘What a beautiful home you have, Mr Murphy,’ she commented as they closed themselves into the study.

It was a large, comfortable room with a desk, a seating area and a fireplace. It was spring, but a crackling fire had been lit anyway.

‘Please, call me Kevin.’ The man gestured to the sofa and chose a place for himself on the loveseat facing them. He put his drink on the side table and leaned back into the cushions. ‘I’ve been in too many war zones and disaster areas to lean on formalities.’

‘Kevin,’ she said politely.

‘Would either of you like a drink?’ he asked. ‘I apologise my wife isn’t here. This is her bridge night.’

‘No, thank you.’ Nina sat on the flower-patterned upholstery and crossed her legs. She saw the man’s gaze drop to her shoes, and she rolled her ankle leisurely.

Josh dropped onto the open space beside her and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. ‘Let’s just cut to the chase.’

Murphy smirked. ‘Easy, Detective. I wasn’t going after you. My intent was to bring down Gunderson.’

Nina’s toes pointed. Beside her, she felt Josh stiffen. OK, so they really were tossing aside formalities here.

‘You admit that?’ Josh said, his voice like ice.

Murphy shrugged. ‘I’ll deny it if you repeat it, but there’s no need for the three of us to be enemies. I went after Gunderson, but you two got caught in the crossfire. I apologise for that.’

How gracious, Nina thought.

‘So you were the one who tipped off the reporters at TMI News?’ Josh asked.

‘Reporters,’ Murphy scoffed. ‘They don’t deserve to carry the title.’

‘But you called them. You told them where Gunderson was and what he was doing.’

‘And with whom.’ Murphy sent an apologetic nod in her direction. ‘No offence intended.’

But offence was taken.

Nina smoothed her skirt and twined her fingers around her knee.

Josh lifted an eyebrow at her, but she remained silent. He was doing fine. The discussion really was enlightening.

‘I was just trying to expose the truth to voters who’ve been too blind to see. That man …’ Murphy shook his head and paused to drink some more scotch. ‘He’s been a blight on the state for long enough. He’s lazy and incompetent. It’s time for his constituents to know where his attention really lies – between the legs of a sexy redhead.’

‘Perhaps you could rephrase that?’ Nina said, her voice razor-sharp.

Murphy dipped his head. ‘My apologies, your girl was just doing her job. It’s Gunderson who can’t keep it in his pants.’

Her girl? Nina’s foot began to tap.

‘So you let Hoodie and Bieber know,’ Josh said.

‘Those idiots.’

Nina’s brow furrowed when the man didn’t even question who that might be.

Murphy gazed into the fire. ‘I gave the information to them on a silver platter and look what they did with it.’

‘You didn’t direct them to break into the hotel room?’

‘I told them to get the scoop. They’re the ones who went above and beyond.’

Nina let out a calming breath. And they’d taped her employee in the midst of sex. Doing her job or not, that was incredibly violating.

‘Why them?’ Josh pressed. His shoulders were bunched, and his hands were clenched together tightly. ‘Why not take the information to someone who knew what they were doing?’

Murphy smiled wryly. ‘I would have run the risk of being caught. I worked with those people. Someone might have recognised my voice or my wording. Besides, I figured TMI would hop on it quicker. The big stations would have found a second source, and that would have taken too much time. The opportunity would have been lost.’

‘How did you know that Genieve was a … professional?’ Nina asked.

Josh quickly piled on. ‘Did you get that from Margaret Harris? Were you partners in this?’

‘Partners,’ Murphy said with a chuckle. ‘That girl has stars in her eyes.’

He shook his head. ‘I’m not sure about today’s youth. She didn’t even know the goldmine of information she had in her hands. She was just jealous of the senator’s … ahem … lovely lady. She’d whine to her mother, who would then repeat the stories to my sister.’

‘Who all live in Kenosha Falls?’ Josh asked.

Murphy smirked again, and Nina wanted to rip the expression right off his face. His condescension grated. She’d dealt with enough of it in her lifetime.

‘You’ve found me out,’ the man said.

Josh leaned back into the cushions beside her and spread his legs in that cocky jock way. ‘So you went after Gunderson, but it didn’t work.’

Burn.

Nina bit her tongue to keep from smiling. She liked watching him like this, from the same side. His gaze was intense, and his body language was aggressive.

The smirk slid right off of Murphy’s face. ‘No, it didn’t.’

When the man took another drink of scotch, it went down hard. His glass clanked when he set it down on the table. ‘No matter what that man does, his numbers just keep going up.’

‘And that’s frustrating for you,’ Josh said, jabbing the hissing snake with a stick.

‘Damn right it’s frustrating!’ Murphy ran a hand through his dishevelled hair but only made it worse.

‘Why did you send that photo of the two of us to the stationhouse?’ Josh asked.

He said it quietly, but even Nina got a shiver.

Murphy held up his hands. ‘Again, it wasn’t personal. The case wasn’t going as I wanted. You weren’t pushing the prostitution angle – apologies, Nina – and I needed to fix that.’

Nina looked at her orange fingernails. ‘It’s Ms Lockwood.’

Murphy was taken aback, but then he laughed. ‘Of course. I forgot your position.’

Nina saw Josh’s hand clench on the grandmotherly sofa.

‘I did some digging into your life, Detective, to find out how I could give you a nudge in the right direction. Imagine my surprise when I found out you were romantically involved with Genieve’s madam. I thought I’d struck gold.’ Murphy sighed heavily. ‘But again, it turned out to be fool’s gold.’

‘How did you get the picture?’ Josh said, his voice flinty. ‘Were you at the game?’

‘No, but I was an investigative journalist.’ The man met their gazes without flinching. ‘I was very, very good at my job.’ He shrugged. ‘I was just trying to get you working on the case or off it entirely.’

‘You pushed too hard,’ Josh said quietly. ‘There was no case, not the way your TMI boys handled it.’

‘I know. I know.’

‘So the break-in at Genieve’s?’ Josh asked.

Murphy shook his head. ‘That was all Margaret, the little loon.’

Josh lifted an eyebrow.

‘I’m being honest,’ Murphy said. ‘Isn’t that what we’re all here for? No harm, no foul?’

Nina wasn’t quite sure about that.

‘I know you’d like to arrest me, Detective,’ their host continued, ‘but I’ve done nothing illegal. I blew the whistle on Gunderson and provided information to the police that you should have volunteered in the first place. You know that’s the truth. You should have recused yourself from the case, Morgan.’

Murphy looked at the two of them over his scotch glass. ‘But then again, I can see why you didn’t.’

Nina nearly reached for Josh to keep him from lunging off the sofa.

‘So where does this leave us?’ he said. He sounded dangerous.

He felt dangerous.

Murphy laughed. ‘At my mercy, I’d say.’

‘I wouldn’t.’

Nina crossed an arm over her waist and toyed with her earring when both men looked at her.

‘Mr Murphy might think he has something over us,’ she said, ‘but he won’t use it.’

The man sat back in his seat and crossed his legs so that his right ankle rested on his left knee. He cupped his ankle and watched her with his eyes crinkled in amusement. ‘I wouldn’t if you made one of your pretty young escorts available to me.’

‘No.’

His eyebrows rose.

She hadn’t raised her voice or gotten excited. The answer was just a flat no.

‘Excuse me, but I don’t think you’re in a position to bargain, Ms Lockwood.’

‘I’m not bargaining. The answer is no.’ She tilted her head and looked at him. ‘I decide if a client meets my company’s baseline requirements, and you don’t.’

‘You should rethink that.’

‘I don’t need to. I already have one Murphy on my client roster – your son Jerod.’

A log in the fire snapped, and the hiss sizzled across the room.

Nina held Murphy’s gaze steadily, not blinking. ‘I believe we’re now at what they call an impasse.’

Murphy looked as if he was seated too close to the fire. His face flushed, and his eyes rounded as if he’d just gotten singed.

‘You’re new to this game, Mr Murphy,’ Nina said, ‘And frankly you don’t play it well. You can drop all your threats now and walk away, or you can try to come after me. Just know that if you do so, your son’s proclivities will come to light.’

Murphy got up suddenly. Josh’s hand move reflexively to his hip, but the Senate candidate had just begun to pace.

‘The detective falls under that stipulation, too, it goes without saying.’

Murphy looked at her with new respect. Nina uncrossed her legs and turned to Josh. ‘Did you have anything else you wanted to talk about?’

His onyx eyes burned. ‘No, that about covers it.’

Nina stood. ‘It’s getting late. We really should be going.’

Josh followed her lead.

She took his arm. ‘Thank you for the talk, Mr Murphy. Good luck in the election. We’ll see ourselves out.’

Nina’s back was rigid as they walked from the room, but she made herself relax and fall into a more normal rhythm. She saw the younger Murphy watching from down the hallway as they let themselves out, and she felt a pang of guilt. She didn’t like breaking her promises, but his father had backed her into a corner. She’d had to protect what was hers.

Including the man at her side.

As they went down the steps he slowed to accommodate her shoes, but his pace picked up again as they strode towards the car. He opened the door for her, and Nina slid into the passenger seat.

She looked at the house as they pulled out of the drive. The two men inside would never discuss it. The younger Murphy would never be made aware that his father knew. That was just the way it was between fathers and sons. It wasn’t like parents could divorce their children.

She sat back in her seat as they drove along under the moonlight and waited for her tension headache to ease.

Josh was quiet beside her. Too quiet.

He stared straight out of the window, but she reached out and caught his hand resting on the console between them. He turned his hand over to hold hers.

‘Is that how it’s done?’ he asked quietly.

She nodded. ‘He threatened us. He’s neutralised now.’

‘That part about his kid. Is that true?’

‘Yes.’

He looked surprised that she answered.

Nina shrugged and snuggled deeper into the bucket seat. ‘If Murphy still wants to play, I have more ammunition.’

Josh’s head swung around.

‘Mrs Murphy isn’t playing bridge tonight.’

‘Holy –’ He looked back at oncoming traffic and shook his head. ‘I’ve got to admit it, Nina. You were a bit scary back there. Hot as hell, but scary.’

She ran her thumb over his. It was what she’d learned. It was what men like Murphy had taught her. It didn’t work for her to ask for respect; she had to rip it away with both hands and command it.

And to think she’d been intrigued by his politics.

It was a shame, really.

‘You reminded me of the detective who used to come into my office and interrogate me,’ she said. ‘All dark, intimidating and sexy.’

‘You thought I was sexy?’

‘You drove me crazy.’

‘Why do you think I kept coming back?’

She smiled, but he shifted in his seat. She knew he wasn’t entirely comfortable with her way of handling things, but she was confident the threat had been addressed. She didn’t put people behind bars, but she knew how to handcuff them.

‘So do you think Brody has convinced Margaret Harris to keep quiet, too?’ Josh asked.

It sounded like the neophyte didn’t truly know Genieve’s occupation, but Nina was sure Brody had gotten to her. ‘Her lawyer will work to keep her out of even more trouble.’

‘And how does Genieve feel about that?’

Nina wove her fingers through his. ‘It’s her and Brody’s problem to work out.’

She just cared about theirs.

* * *

He took her to his house for the night, and Nina relaxed when they walked up the sidewalk to her dream house. She still couldn’t believe he owned it. She’d longed for a house like this for ever. It might be simple and old-style to some, but to her it was a true home. The quiet, pretty neighbourhood soothed her, and her headache eased. She tilted her head from side to side to stretch the tight muscles in her neck.

She didn’t like what she’d had to do, but she didn’t regret it. It just sometimes took a lot out of her.

Josh squeezed her hand, but let go once they moved into the house. ‘Let me just do a walkthrough, and I’ll be in.’

Always the cop.

She walked down the hallway. She made use of the facilities and then found a stack of folded clothes just inside the bedroom door, waiting to be put away. The MPD T-shirt was too tempting to ignore. She heard Josh opening and closing the refrigerator in the kitchen as she took off her clothes and pulled the T-shirt over her head.

She let it drop down to her thighs. The soft fabric swam on her, enveloping her body. She loved it.

She sat on the bed to take off her shoes and, finally, flipped back the covers. She turned on the bedside lamp and waited for Josh.

He wasn’t long. She heard him in the bathroom and then he was in the bedroom with her, closing the door behind him.

He lifted an eyebrow when he saw her choice of nightwear. ‘Clotheshorse.’

She rolled a shoulder. ‘I don’t know. With the right orange belt, I think I could wear it out on the town.’

His jawline smoothed and he reached for his tie. ‘Maybe that should stay an inside outfit.’

‘Too much for the kiddos?’

‘And the grandpas and the teenage boys.’

He took off his shirt and unzipped his pants. His shoes went next, and he was soon moving naked towards the bed. He wiggled his finger at her. ‘My house. I get to sleep on my side of the bed.’

Nina let out a huff, but scooted over. The bed shifted as he climbed in with her, and he doused the light.

They lay there in the darkness. She heard every foreign sound, every creak of the old house and every whisper of the wind through the leaves of the tree outside. She moved closer to Josh, and he slid an arm under her. She rolled onto her side and cuddled against him.

‘Is it over?’ she asked.

‘The case? Yeah, but it doesn’t feel like it.’ He rubbed a hand over his bare chest. ‘I’m used to arresting people or having to do a lot of paperwork at this point.’

‘Does that bother you?’ She knew she’d taken over. She hadn’t discussed things with him. She’d made the decision on her own how to end it.

‘It will take some getting used to,’ he confessed.

‘But we’re safe?’

His arm tightened around her. ‘You made sure of that.’

Yes, she had.

It was only then that her body melted.

Safe. They were finally safe. All of them. Her company, her people and the two of them.

The silence fell over them again.

‘Why the son?’ Josh asked a moment later. ‘Why didn’t you use the wife as leverage?’

Nina stared past him at the numbers glowing on the clock on the nightstand. ‘If they ever divorced, he’d have the information over us again. Besides, his wife just likes to go to movies and the theatre.’

‘She just wants someone to go with her?’

Nina nodded, and her cheek rubbed against his chest. ‘She just wants an escort.’

It really was sometimes as simple as that.

Josh stretched out his long legs. The silence came back, but it was weightier. More dense. Nina pressed a kiss to his collarbone and brushed her hair back. He’d seen her in action tonight, the kind of action that she rarely resorted to. She not only dealt in flesh, she dealt in information. It wasn’t always pretty.

But she wanted this to work.

She wanted it badly.

Time stretched out with neither of them saying a word. She didn’t even try to close her eyes, and she knew he wasn’t sleeping. Outside, she heard the surprising hoot of an owl.

And then the silence was back.

After what seemed like hours, Josh reached for the bedside lamp. He turned it on and rolled onto his side toward her. The bulb wasn’t high-wattage. With it at his back, she could barely see his face, but his eyes were dark and his expression was stern.

Nina’s heart stopped. Was this it? Had he decided he just couldn’t deal with it? Was he breaking up with her?

He propped himself up on his elbow. ‘Listen, here’s the deal. I love you, Nina. If it means that I need to look the other way, I will, because I just can’t see any other option for us.’

Her air rasped against her throat. ‘You love me?’

‘So much I can’t think straight either.’

‘Oh, my …’ She sat up in the bed and caught his face with both hands. ‘I love you, too. So much. I have for a long time.’

She kissed him, and he met her halfway. Her heart was so full, she thought it would burst. His hand wrapped around the back of her neck, and he deepened the kiss as he pushed her back down into the pillow.

His eyes were dark pools as he pulled back to look at her. ‘I’d rather you tell me the truth like you did tonight than keep things from me because of my job.’

‘Murphy scared me, because he went after you. He wanted to keep us under his thumb. I couldn’t let that happen.’ Maybe if it had been only her, but not him. ‘I needed to protect you.’

‘I get that, but seeing you in all your glory scared the hell out of me. It made me realise how far out you can get on a razor’s edge. All alone. I’ve got to know, Nina, so I can have your back too.’

She opened her hand against his chest. He felt warm and hard.

‘I’ll try,’ she said, her throat tight. ‘I’ve just had to shoulder the weight on my own for so long … against people who think like you do …’

‘I’m trying to change my thinking. Honest, I am.’

She caressed his chest gently. ‘But you’re my detective. I don’t want you to change.’

He leaned his forehead against hers. ‘You’ve got to let me in. I’m not afraid of your strength. I’ve got to admit, I got a bit of a hard-on watching you go into Amazon mode.’

‘You think I’m an Amazon?’

‘A bite-sized one.’ He leaned down again, and she felt his teeth at her neck. He soothed the pinch with a long, wet lick. ‘I love you, Nina.’

His mouth settled over hers again in a deep kiss. When he rolled back on his side, Nina turned to face him. Resting on the same pillow, they made out with passion. The heat only rose. He stroked his hand up her thigh, and she wiggled to help him lift the T-shirt she’d borrowed from him.

The one she wasn’t giving back.

His big hand stopped, spread wide over her bottom. ‘No panties tonight?’

‘I took them off.’ She bit her lip. ‘I was hopeful.’

His hand began moving in the most interesting circles, and she quivered when his fingers slipped between her legs from the back.

‘Tell me,’ he whispered. ‘Were they orange?’

She grazed her hand down to the small of his back. ‘You’ll have to find out in the morning.’

‘Good. Something to look forward to.’ He kissed her again, and their lips clung.

Nina knew what she was looking forward to, but she couldn’t wait that long. His hands were busy, so she wriggled out of the T-shirt. When she settled back down beside him, he smoothed her flyaway hair.

And tucked it behind her ear.

Her breasts pressed against his chest, and their bellies brushed. She stared into his dark eyes as she wrapped her top leg over his waist.

Opening up to him … Wanting to complete the connection …

He rubbed her bottom, and then he was touching her intimately. Two fingers penetrated her and pumped slowly to draw out her wetness. Her nipples tightened into hard pebbles against his hard chest.

‘I like that we don’t have to stop for a rubber any more,’ he whispered.

He positioned the head of his cock at her opening, and Nina tilted her hips forward to accept him.

‘Me, too.’

She groaned when the pressure started. He entered her slowly and smoothly, sliding all the way in until there was no more of him to take.

A muscle in his jaw jumped as she held him deep inside. She clenched her inner muscles, and his fingers raked white lines down her thigh flung over his hip.

‘All right?’ he asked.

‘So good.’

‘Damn good,’ he agreed.

He began rocking, slowly forward and slowly back. She found his rhythm, and their bodies began to move in synchronisation.

His hand plumped her breast. ‘I swear you used to start breathing fire when you saw me coming.’

‘That’s because you kept poking at me.’

‘Like this?’ His hips swung forward in a long arc, and he ground into her at the end.

Her breath caught on a little squeal. ‘I don’t sashay.’

He chuckled. In bed, while making love, he smiled at her.

And Nina was gone.

He wrapped her up in his arms. ‘Yes, you do.’ He groaned when she shifted against him. ‘Just like that.’

They made love, face to face, with nobody on top. It went on and on until neither of them could breathe, and neither of them cared.

They loved one another. It was all that mattered.

When the rush of the orgasm passed, they relaxed on the pillow, their bodies still tangled together. Josh reached back for the light, but then his arm came around her waist again.

Nina rubbed her thigh against his hip.

‘I’m not pulling out,’ he said.

‘You’d better not,’ she warned.

His breath brushed against her ear. ‘We’ll make it work, baby. It’s going to work.’

Chapter Fifteen

Nina was at yet another after-hours event, this one at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The event was in support of science and technology within classrooms. At least it was livelier than the last few affairs she’d attended. The dress code was formal, but not black tie. Most of the guests were exploring the exhibits, and chatter was loud and enthusiastic.

That could happen when you got away from the political crowd. People smiled more, and they weren’t always watching their words. The mix ranged from scientists to politicians to space geeks. She’d been amusing herself by trying to determine which was which.

She walked into the new exhibit that displayed close-up pictures of the moon. She’d always had an affinity for it. There was an astronaut attending the event tonight. He’d just given a talk, but she hadn’t yet gotten the chance to speak with him privately. She’d find him soon. It was the one thing she’d looked forward to about tonight.

She heard a buzz and dug into her purse to find a text from Josh.

‘Miss me?’ he asked.

She sat down on a bench along the side of the room and crossed her ankles.

‘So much,’ she typed back. He would have liked tonight’s event, but she was still hesitant about bringing a date with her. She needed to be approachable. Not only was her man a cop, he could get snarly when other men looked in her direction.

‘Hooked up any astronauts yet?’

She blushed. Sometimes she wished he still didn’t know the truth about what she did. He liked to tease, but she knew he also worried.

A lot.

‘No, but he looks sexy in his flight jacket.’

The return message wasn’t long in coming. ‘Do you need me to come over there?’

She laughed aloud. ‘No,’ she typed back. ‘It won’t be much longer.’

‘You’re wearing the red shoes, right?’

‘And the red dress.’

‘I really think I should come escort you.’

She ran her finger alongside the screen. She wished he could, too. These evenings apart were tough. She liked being social, but it was getting more and more difficult to attend events alone.

‘What’s the score of the Nationals game?’ she typed.

‘6 to 5. We’re winning.’

‘But for how long?’

‘Don’t jinx it,’ he warned.

Nina was still smiling when she heard someone approaching. She glanced up and saw Congressman Craft heading in her direction.

Taking a deep breath, she texted, ‘I’ll see you soon.’

‘Hurry.’

She’d try.

‘Congressman Craft and Jasmine.’ She tucked her phone away and stood. She gestured at their sharp attire. Her escort’s blue dress matched the representative’s tie. ‘Colour co-ordinating already?’

The congressman smoothed his lapels, and a flush showed on his cheekbones. ‘Too much?’

Jasmine wrapped their arms together. ‘I think it just proves how good of a match we are.’

Nina smiled, but neither of the two noticed. They were looking deeply into each other’s eyes. The couple really did look gorgeous together, although unconventional. He had auburn hair and farm-boy shoulders, while she had wild curls and long legs.

‘Are you enjoying the event?’ she asked.

‘Growing up, I always wanted to be an astronaut,’ Craft confessed.

Jasmine’s eyes lit up. ‘Me, too. My Astronaut Barbie and I would go to the moon for tea.’

Nina tilted her head. The two really were cute, and Craft was showing more real personality than most politicians these days.

As if she’d summoned him, Senator Gunderson walked over to shake the hand of an engineer who was giving a demonstration of a lander robot. The senator had a posse with him, but for once it had no women. His despondency over the loss of Genieve and the betrayal of his assistant seemed to be gone. In its place was his old swagger and bold grin.

‘Gunderson,’ Craft commented, following the direction of her look. ‘With the luck that guy’s had recently, we should probably steer clear.’

For someone so unlucky, Gunderson was still going to win re-election by a landslide. Kevin Murphy’s numbers were doing nothing but deteriorating. Nina didn’t believe in kismet. She’d rarely seen what came around go around unless she made it happen. For Murphy, it seemed more like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

She twirled her earring. ‘Better the devil you know …’

Craft’s brow jumped, but he gave a conspiratorial nod.

She decided then and there that she liked the man.

She just wasn’t sure about Jasmine’s moony eyes. She warned her escorts about falling for the fantasy. They were going to have to have a talk.

The escort suddenly pointed across the room. ‘The NASA flight director is finally alone. You wanted to speak with him about preparing students better for technical jobs.’

‘Right.’ Craft’s chin came up. ‘Sorry, Nina. I’d really like to talk to him.’

‘Join us?’ Jasmine said.

Nina folded her hands around her purse. ‘You two go ahead. I’ll be fine.’

She watched them go. They’d been an offbeat match, but she’d gone with her gut. She had a feeling that Jasmine would be escorting the congressman for a while. Maybe instead of reining her in, they should start looking at an exclusive contract. It was earlier than she normally signed one, but the two had chemistry.

Nina looked around the room teeming with people. Speaking of working … she really should go out and mingle more. She’d noticed that several of the scientists were alone. They’d be an excellent fit for Luxxor’s services, but she just didn’t feel the spark. Not tonight.

She sighed heavily.

She was bored.

It had been that way for a while. Instead of having any creative spark, she’d been fighting fires. She supposed that came with running a company. There was excitement at the beginning, but routine always followed. Her business might not be the norm, but she was feeling some of that fatigue.

She straightened her shoulders. Maybe she should just look for the charity sponsors so she could donate to the cause. The she could go home. To Josh.

A hot flush went through her. That was something in her life that excited her.

She looked for the sponsor who’d invited her. Congressman Craft and Jasmine were happily chatting up the NASA flight director. She spotted Dane and Noelle walking about the displays too. The pretty brunette pointed from one to the next, obviously thinking about her students.

Nina tucked her hair behind her ear. She’d done a good job with that matchup too.

She looked at the people mingling throughout the crowd. She picked out one who was an engineering stud, no doubt about it. The cute Asian girl on the other side of the room was a space geek. She’d go nuts for him.

Nina shook her head. Enough with the daydreaming. She wanted to get home. She saw a blond bodyguard hovering around Gunderson. He was new – but he certainly had an eye on Gunderson’s aide with the bowtie.

Nina suddenly stopped the little game.

Her pulse began to pound faster. Was it a game? The ideas were flying through her brain, fast and furious. She wandered away from the crowd to find a quiet spot.

She toyed with her earring as she tried to sort everything out. She didn’t have a pen or paper, so she finally started collecting notes on her phone. Eventually, it was all there. She stared at the idea that had come into shape. Dare she?

She was a risk taker.

She switched over to make a call. ‘Genieve? Can you meet me at the Apple Tree Grille? I want to talk to you about something important.’

* * *

Three days later

Josh was doing the least glamorous part of police work, cleaning up files. He sat at his desk and went through the documentation piece by piece. He was making sure that the information was complete and all evidence was assembled before putting the case file away to await trial or archival. It was work he hadn’t done for a while, and it was needed.

He tucked away the Burglary on Movie Night case and found himself staring at the Gunderson file. It was the original one involving the break-in at the Emissary Hotel.

He drummed his fingers along the edge of his desk. The evidence was all there. Some of it had been used to charge the reporters, while some of it needed more evidence to connect to it before it would be useful for charges against someone else. Someone he didn’t want to think about … There was a video memory card, a key card for the hotel room, pictures of the crime scene and the congressman’s bruises – and a photograph of himself and Nina at the ballpark.

One of these things was not like the others.

He picked up the photograph and looked at the back. ‘That bastard Murphy,’ he whispered underneath his breath.

‘Wow,’ Alvarez said, stopping in his tracks. ‘Is that the photo Higgins tried to use against you?’

Josh ran a hand through his hair. ‘Yeah.’

The photo was flat again. He’d shoved it between two books. For better storage, he’d told himself.

Yeah, that was why.

‘Pretty hot,’ Alvarez said.

Tell him about it.

‘That your girlfriend?’ the detective asked.

‘Yeah,’ Josh said. Although ‘girlfriend’ didn’t really fit Nina’s style. She was more of a ‘partner’ or a ‘significant other’. ‘His lover.’ All her friends knew now. Why not his?

Because she’d been a complicated suspect/witness who’d pulled the commander into a case …

Yeah, that had made things interesting at work. A relationship with her was still tricky from his side.

Alvarez clicked his tongue. ‘I didn’t think it was over between you two.’

Josh rolled his shoulders. ‘It started up again.’

‘Anyone here could see it smouldering.’

Josh glanced towards the captain’s office. Things had been OK between him and his boss. They’d had a good long talk after the commander had thrown his weight around, but Josh didn’t want to challenge the status quo. ‘I should probably tell the captain what’s going on.’

Murphy’s words had been eating at him. He should have recused himself from the Gunderson case. He’d told Nina he’d look the other way, but he also needed to be upfront about dating her.

‘Why?’ Alvarez said. ‘She’s not coming back, is she?’

‘God, I hope not,’ Josh said. Not unless it was to bring him a forgotten lunch. Knowing Nina, though, she’d probably cater it in from Rasika.

‘I thought the case was over,’ Alvarez said. ‘You caught the perps.’

‘Yeah.’

‘So why look for smoke when there’s no fire?’

But what if there was a fire?

‘You have a right to a personal life, Morgan. If that life looks like that picture, then you’re one lucky bastard. Nobody around here needs to know.’

It was personal, Josh agreed.

But he wasn’t naive. He knew Nina was trying, but she was still keeping things from him. Business secrets. He’d promised to look away, but eventually he’d see something he wasn’t supposed to. What decision would he make then?

How could he assure her that he wouldn’t turn on her? He’d promised to protect and serve, too. What if his vows ran up against one another?

He loved her, but promises were only as good as –

The answer hit him like one of Genieve’s landscaping blocks.

‘Whoa.’ Alvarez reached out to steady him. ‘Are you all right there?’

Josh was better than all right. He felt like a weight had just been lifted off his chest. His brain was turning everything over … how to make it work … when would be the best time … where …

He wasn’t one to get fancy. The best time was now.

He collected the case files and checked them back into Evidence.

‘I need to run home for something,’ he said. ‘I’m going to take an early lunch – and it will probably be a long one.’

Alvarez chuckled. ‘I know what that’s code for.’

Josh shrugged his shoulders into his jacket and tugged at his shirt cuffs. No, the man really didn’t.

He wasn’t going for the base hit. He was going for a home run.

* * *

Josh strode into Luxxor’s offices like a man on a mission.

A friendly smile lit Rielle’s face. ‘Hi, Josh. Nina’s – Are those flowers?’

He looked down at the bouquet in his hand. Gunderson had sent her roses, and he’d wanted nothing like them. She was better than that, more unique. He’d bought her purple orchids that the florist suggested. The woman had included some kind of red leaves and ferns. It had looked pretty to him. Like her. Delicate, but bold.

‘Yeah,’ he said, without breaking stride. ‘Hold her calls. Please.’

The office manager blinked and sat back. ‘All right, but –’

No buts. He didn’t want any interruptions.

He pulled up short, though, when he walked in and found Nina talking with Genieve. Their heads were bent over the desk, and they were deep in thought.

He’d been so focused, he hadn’t caught Rielle’s clues that he was the interruption. ‘Oh. Sorry, ladies.’

Nina looked up, and her shiny hair slid over her shoulder. ‘Josh!’

He jerked his thumb towards the lobby. ‘I can wait.’

He didn’t want to. He didn’t know if he actually could, now that he’d made up his mind, but he backtracked.

Instead, Nina waved him forward. ‘No. Wait. I want to show you this.’

Genieve held up a finger. ‘Just give me one minute.’

She wrote something, and the two women smiled. Nina held out her hand, and Genieve shook it heartily. Apparently the gesture wasn’t enough, because the redhead hurried around the desk for a hug.

‘Sorry,’ she said in his direction.

‘Here,’ Nina said. She handed her employee a stack of papers, reached into her desk and pulled out a tissue.

Genieve’s eyes were teary as she walked past Josh, clutching the paperwork.

‘She’s the best,’ she said. She stopped for the smallest of seconds beside him. ‘And don’t you forget it.’

He felt the two-ton weight in his pocket. ‘Not likely.’

With a grin, Genieve blotted the tears from her cheeks and hurried on.

Josh’s brow furrowed, and he looked at Nina. Was Genieve leaving the escort game?

‘Everything OK?’ he asked.

Nina took a deep breath. ‘It’s really good. I want to – Did you bring me flowers?’

His gaze dropped. He’d forgotten they were in his hand. ‘Yes.’

‘Oh, Josh.’

He turned and closed the door. Squaring his shoulders, he walked towards her. How many times had he walked in this room to question her? Too many times to count, and she’d gone toe to toe with him every time. Yet today’s question was the most important one yet.

He watched her carefully, looking for any of her tells.

She touched her necklace. ‘Josh?’

He slowed down. He was making her nervous.

Hell, he was nervous.

He let his gaze run over her. She was stunning. Absolutely gorgeous. For a little thing, she’d always been able to stop him in his tracks. Today was no different, but with the sunlight streaming through the window and her blue glass figurines taking life all around her, she looked like something special.

She was special.

He cleared his throat. It had taken him too long to make the first move. He wasn’t going to screw this up, too.

He rounded the desk until he stood beside her. Her eyes were wide now, and her pulse was fluttering in her throat. He held out the flowers to her, and she peeled back the paper.

‘Thank you. They’re beautiful.’

‘Not as beautiful as you.’ He reached into his pocket, pulled out a box, and dropped to a knee.

She inhaled sharply and pressed a hand to her mouth.

‘Nina,’ he said. ‘I love you. Will you marry me?’

The plastic on the flowers crinkled as she clutched them tightly. ‘What are you doing?’ she asked.

‘Proposing.’ He leaned in closer. He knew he was pressing hard. He didn’t want to interrogate her, but he needed an answer. All her little blue animal friends were watching, playing witness. ‘Will you marry me?’

She sank down on her chair. She was right on the edge of the leather seat, barely perched upon it. ‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘Yes!’

The iron vice around Josh’s chest turned loose. He took in a ragged breath and leaned in to kiss her. Her lips were sweet, and they trembled beneath his. It was something he’d never felt from her before.

He looked at her pretty face. Her eyes were wide, and her hands were shaking. He’d surprised her. Carefully, he took the flowers from her white-knuckled grip and put them on the desk. Pulling back, he took the ring out of the box.

‘When did you do all this?’ she asked. Her voice was tight, and she was sitting stiffly.

He knew her better now. She wasn’t cold. She was trying to hold it together.

He held the ring up where they could both see it. The sunlight coming through the window caught the blue gem in the middle and made it glow. ‘This thing has been circling the Morgan family for generations. I know it’s not a diamond, but I think it’s a sapphire. I know you like blue glass, but I can always get you something else if –’

‘This one.’ She took a shaky breath and exhaled slowly. ‘I love it. It’s perfect.’

He took her hand. They’d been intimate for a while now. He knew her body like nobody else, but sometimes the difference in their sizes still took him aback. Her will was so strong he sometimes forgot how petite she was. But he felt it now.

He held her hand and slid the ring onto her finger. As he’d guessed, it was too big, but on her hand it look did look perfect.

Out of the corner of his eye, Josh saw the blue elephant on her desk trumpeting. He knew how the little guy felt.

He looked up into her eyes, only she was still staring at the ring. She closed her fingers together tightly, and her eyes welled with moisture. His breath caught. He’d never seen her cry. Sometimes she was angry or quiet, but this was something different. He was seeing a softer side of her, and the fact that she trusted him enough to be vulnerable around him made him humble.

He touched the gem. It could be worth ten bucks or ten thousand. He didn’t know, but she seemed to like it.

‘I love you, Nina. That’s the bottom line, but this ring means more than that. When we’re married, I can’t be forced to testify against you. You don’t have to worry about trusting me any more. You don’t have to always be on your guard when it comes to Luxxor. This ring protects you.’

She shook her head. ‘I don’t need protecting, Josh.’

‘I know you have faith in me now, and I’d never do anything to hurt you, but this ring makes me relax, too. It protects us.’

She wiped the tears from her cheeks and tucked both sides of her hair back from her face. She lifted the flowers and grabbed the papers that were scattered underneath it. She shuffled them up and handed them to him. ‘Josh, I don’t own Luxxor any more.’

The words didn’t quite sink in. His brain was on a single-minded path. ‘What?’

‘I sold it. To Genieve.’

‘No!’ He pushed himself to his feet, but he didn’t feel steady as he tried to read all the legalese. He leaned his hips against her mammoth desk and tried to catch up. ‘But Nina, you put your heart and your soul into this company.’

‘And I’ll do the same with my next one.’ She rose from the chair. ‘I’m going legit.’

The bottom of Josh’s stomach dropped out. Oh, hell. ‘It’s all right. Stay right here. I’ll go get Genieve. I’m sure she’ll give it back.’

‘No,’ Nina said, catching his wrist. She let out a wet chuckle and patted at her eyes again. ‘I want to do this. I’ve been tinkering with a matchmaking company idea for a while now. I decided to go all in.’

Josh still didn’t like the feeling in his chest. His heart that had been so full felt like it had a chunk missing. ‘Aw, baby. You didn’t do this for me, did you?’

‘I did it for us.’ She looked at the ring on her finger and then pulled it close to her heart. ‘You’re a good guy, Detective, and I’ve been a bad girl.’

‘Nothing wrong with that,’ he interjected.

She laughed, this time with humour, and the sound made Josh hard. Tears and now laughter. He was moving closer.

But he wanted all of her.

She pressed her hand against his chest. ‘I know you said you could handle my little transgressions, but you shouldn’t have to. It would wear on you. It already has. I don’t want you to end up resenting me for it.’

She cupped his face. ‘I want to be good enough for you.’

‘Nina, you’re already out of my league.’

She shook her head and took the paperwork from him. She flipped through the pages and, finally, just hugged them to her chest. ‘Josh, I’m excited about this. I’ve thought about it, and I’m really an entrepreneur at heart. I’m good at matchmaking. I set up Jason and Sienna, Erin and Colton, Dane and Noelle … I want to do this.’

‘Are you sure? Like a hundred percent sure? Because I don’t want you to resent me for giving up the company you love.’

Her voice dropped to a whisper. ‘I’m tired of hating men, Josh. I finally found a good one. Everybody should have what I feel now.’

He caught the papers and put them aside. He could see the truth on her face. She didn’t get excited about much. He’d seen it only once before when he’d invited her to his house. But he’d just seen it again when he’d put his ring on her finger.

And he saw it now. ‘Then we’ll make it happen. You just tell me what to do.’

She lifted her hand so the sapphire caught the sunshine, but then looked at him hesitantly. ‘You didn’t just ask me to marry you because of spousal privilege, did you?’

He cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. ‘Like even you could get a forty-year-old bachelor to propose on a whim?’

He caught her by the waist and pulled her to stand between his outstretched legs. ‘I want this, too. I want you to be mine in every way, and I want to be yours. I don’t want any suspicions between us.’

‘So we’re engaged?’ she said.

‘And, apparently, we’re starting a company.’ He pulled her in for a sultry hot kiss. ‘Matchmaking, huh? I think you’d better move us to the top of your list.’

Epilogue

Nina was sitting in Josh’s bed doing too many things at once. She was writing ideas for her new company’s name. She was noting things about Luxxor’s transition for which she needed to talk to Genieve. And while she wasn’t a Bridezilla at all, she did have a few ideas she’d texted to her wedding planner, Erin. It was bedtime, but she hadn’t felt this energised since she’d left corporate America to strike out on her own.

Of course, then she’d been driven by cold fury.

Now, she couldn’t wait to bounce out of bed to get to work.

She glanced up when Josh stepped into the room. He’d been turning off lights and getting ready for bed, too. She breathed deeply as she looked at him. All he wore was a well-broken-in pair of jeans. They rode low on his hips. Her gaze took in his muscled chest and rippled stomach.

‘I got you a present,’ he said softly.

She fought not to smile. She’d heard that one before.

She was surprised when he held up something wrapped in tissue.

‘Josh.’ She put her things aside. He was beginning to spoil her. ‘Is it another glass animal?’

He shook his head. ‘Your zoo is big enough.’

‘Never,’ she said.

He stopped by the bed. ‘You know the rules.’

His house, his side of the bed.

‘That’s going to have to change,’ she argued. ‘What happens when we only have one house?’

‘You’ll have to wrestle me for it.’

She glared at him, but scooted over to make room. He sat beside her with his back propped up against the headboard and his jean-clad legs stretched out before them.

He handed her the gift. It was flat and rectangular.

‘When I decided to ask you to marry me, I did it pretty fast. But I want you to know I thought about all the grand gestures like putting my proposal up on the Nationals’ scoreboard.’ He reached over and tucked her hair behind her ear. ‘But that’s really not either of our styles, and it didn’t work so well the first time.’

Nina sucked in a breath that hurt. ‘I’m sorry about that, Josh. Running away like that.’

‘I know. It was too fast for you. You shouldn’t have been put in that position.’ He pointed at the gift in her hands. ‘But I did like the end result.’

She unrolled the layers of tissue paper. She’d known it was a picture frame by touch, but she’d only seen the shot of them together that night once. The rolls were endless, but she finally lifted the framed picture out of its mummy-like encasing.

When she saw the intimate shot again, her belly clenched just like it had the first time. ‘Isn’t this evidence?’

‘I went to Nationals Park and convinced them to give me another print.’ He watched her closely. She could feel his gaze on her. ‘It’s our first kiss, Nina. I had to get it for us. Think of when we’re old and grey.’

She blinked fast.

Damn. How could a big tough guy have such a sweet side?

She kissed him. Just leaned over and pressed her lips to his. His fingers threaded through her hair, and his mouth ate at hers. The kiss was soft and intimate. This time, for them alone.

She kissed him on the cheek before pulling back. ‘How much work did it take for you to get it?’

He rolled his eyes. ‘Not as much as it cost me to get the Kiss Cam guy to focus on us the first time.’

Nina’s mouth dropped open. Her gasp was distinctly unladylike. ‘You didn’t!’

He laughed and chucked her under the chin. ‘I’m kidding, but I’d be willing to buy the guy a beer now.’

He looked at the photo. ‘It’s a good picture, isn’t it?’

Nina ran her fingernail along the silver frame. ‘It’s hot.’

Josh looked at her quickly.

She lifted an eyebrow as she reached across him to stand the picture on the nightstand. She still couldn’t reach, so she climbed on top of him and straddled him.

His hands went to her waist. ‘Always trying to get on my side of the bed.’

She pressed her hand to the front of his jeans. ‘Are you complaining?’

His eyelids got heavy. ‘Not me.’

‘I didn’t think so.’ She unzipped his jeans and worked them down. His hands were already sliding up and down her body. She was wearing the white and black lace gown again. It was one of his favourites.

She shivered when he hooked his finger under her shoulder strap and pulled it down. His mouth was on her breast in the next moment, and his strong tugs made her back arch.

‘Ooohhh,’ she groaned. His tongue swept hotly over her nipple before pressing it tight against the roof of his mouth. ‘Josh!’

She wrapped her hand around his cock, and he came up gasping for air. Rising on her knees, Nina scooted up over him. Just that little bit of fooling around, and she was wet for him.

She’d gotten wet when she’d seen their first kiss.

Holding onto his shoulders, she dropped onto him, taking him deep inside her. His hands tightened against her ribcage, but she settled on his lap and didn’t move.

She wanted to make sure she had his full attention.

She looked into his dark eyes. ‘Do you remember what we were talking about right before that picture was taken?’

His sexy eyes turned alert. ‘Yes.’

She licked her lips nervously. ‘You’re the only person who’s ever teased me. You talk to me like I’m your equal, and you don’t try to hold me back. You let me be me.’

She gave him a hug.

‘Josh, I want you to know you’re not only my lover. You’re my best friend.’

A Mischief Novel

When times get tough, how bad does a good girl have to get?

With bills piling up, Sienna signs a contract with Luxxor Escort Services. A contract that strictly forbids any sexual contact with clients… And then she’s assigned to companion Jason Sloan.

Discover more about Courting Trouble

A Mischief Novel

Even Nice Girls Have Needs.

Erin starts using matchmaker Luxxor Limited, not realizing that the company is truly an escort service. But she gets more than she bargained for when Luxxor sets her up with her big brother’s best friend.

Discover more about Courting Innocence

A Mischief Novel

Good Girls Finish Last

Rielle Sands ventured too close to the fire once and got burned. Now when it comes to men, she’s vowed to play it safe. But then a dashing, mysterious man shows up at Luxxor Limited after hours, the agency she manages, needing an escort.

Discover more about Courting Danger

About the Publisher

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