Impulsive

Impulsive

HelenKay Dimon

KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.

www.kensingtonbooks.com

All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 1

Katie Long wasn’t sure how they’d gone from “would you like another drink” to crawling all over each other half-naked in the oceanfront estate’s hall bathroom, but that’s what happened. All that beautiful Hawaii sunshine just steps away, wrapped in the mixed scent of salt water and pikake, and there they were holed up in a single stall the size of a closet.

The knot on the apron dug into her waist as he lifted her out of her sensible black pumps and slid her butt onto the sink countertop. Before she could take another breath, he slipped between her legs. The soft material of his dark gray suit pants rubbed against her bare thighs. His hands never stopped moving, and his mouth caressed and covered hers like a pro.

Apparently Eric Kimura was good at something in addition to practicing law. Very good.

“Did you lock the door?” she asked, her voice breathless as her head fell back and his fingers slipped past her inner thigh.

“Mmm-hmmm.”

With his face buried between her breasts and his teeth nibbling at the tiny pearl buttons holding her blouse together, she could barely hear him. Didn’t have to. The heat rolling off him said enough. This man was primed for action.

Sleek, handsome, and tan with straight black hair and a serious stare that had her knees buckling at the outside dining tables a few minutes before. Something about the sharp lines of his cheekbones and bottomless midnight of his eyes reeled her in. She usually leaned more toward the blond, useless, treat-women-like-crap male, but at the moment she felt something raw and uncontrolled for the very hot Asian man with his fingers pressed against the crotch of her panties.

Time zipped right by surreal and was well on its way to pure fantasy. Eric’s name appeared in the news almost every day. She knew him by reputation. He was a superstar in the Honolulu legal community with a crystal-clean reputation and an eye on political office.

She was at this event on this day and in this outfit for him. In her plan, she didn’t talk to him or get in the way of the assignment. Certainly didn’t kiss him. Not that she cared about propriety and schemes right this minute, but this heat between them sure was going to be a complication.

Then his thumb rubbed against her, back and forth until the material grew wet and her breathing turned shallow. Yeah, she’d worry about the complication tomorrow. Right now, she’d enjoy.

She wanted to whisper his name, but she wasn’t supposed to know it. Under her act, they were nothing more than strangers, her a caterer employee at a wedding and him a guest. In about three minutes they’d be much more than that unless she grabbed onto her common sense and pulled it back, but that didn’t seem likely.

He slipped her cotton underwear to the side and just like that her jumbled emotions switched from confused guilt to pure pleasure. Seemed the man with the big work title knew his way around a woman. The quiet ones always did.

With a tug he unclipped his belt on the only piece of clothing standing between her conscience and raw pleasure. He lifted his head then. That dark gaze roamed over her face. His lips stayed flat, but the heat in his stare flared.

“You sure?” That’s all he offered. Rough words delivered in a husky voice.

She didn’t need an explanation or a minute to think. Her fingernails dug into his suit jacket and hit his shoulders underneath. “Yes.”

Without breaking eye contact, he bunched her regulation catering skirt in his fist and dragged it up to her waist. Two seconds later she heard her underwear rip and felt a rush of cool air across her thighs. She sat there naked and open to the gaze of someone she knew only through the media’s version of him. He was a tough prosecutor and she was under him.

His unblinking gaze traveled over the spot where her breasts strained against her snowy white shirt, igniting the fire in every cell and nerve ending until she had to fight the urge to squirm. That intense stare came to rest on her bare lower half. His eyebrows snapped together as if he were trying to figure out an intricate problem rather than hovering on the verge of having sex.

Then he brushed his fingertips over her. Not inside. Not with a lot of pressure. Just a slight touch of skin against skin that sent her hips reaching toward him.

“Nice,” he whispered.

“Please.” She bit down on her lip to keep from saying his name.

His thumb inched inside her, slow at first and then insistent as he circled around her slick opening. She grabbed his forearm as a finger joined his thumb. The soft rotation, the friction, made her inner muscles ache and clench. She reached out to the side wall for balance and knocked over the soap dispenser.

The crashing sound of metal against the marble floor didn’t stop Eric at all. “Wrap your legs around me,” he said.

She obeyed without thinking, but when the sound of his zipper ripped through the room, the haze of need cleared for a brief window. “Wait.”

“What?” His gaze centered on where his fingers disappeared inside her.

She pushed against his shoulder to get his attention. “I don’t have—”

He treated her to a quick nod. “I do.”

He dug into his pants pocket and came out with a small packet. He clamped it between his teeth and ripped off the wrapper.

He was ready for action? Here? Today?

She had to ask. “You brought a condom to a wedding?”

“It’s a long story.”

One she was dying to hear, but the thrumming in her body trumped her brain on this one. “You can tell me later.” She shifted, bringing her body closer to his just as he deepened his touch. “Oh, that’s good.”

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, then quickly disappeared again. “I’d say.”

Her hand slid down to the opening of his pants, to where his erection pressed against his gray briefs. She wasted no time in freeing him to her touch. Moving up and down, tightening and learning the smooth feel of him until he groaned.

She pulled the condom out of the death grip of his fist. “Let me.”

As she rolled it over his length, he leaned in, letting his warm breath brush against her cheek. The sound of harsh pants filled the room.

“Faster,” he said as he nibbled on her earlobe.

A clutching filled her chest and moved its way down her body. Heat and building need. The kissing and wandering hands led to this deep desire. It wiped out everything else, making her abandon her true purpose for being at the hotel and, instead, focus on easing that stern look he’d worn throughout the wedding reception. On getting his pants off as soon as possible.

He shifted his hips and pushed inside her, slow and even, stopping only to let her inner muscles adjust before sliding deep. The fullness brought a rough intake of breath to the back of her throat. The job, the money—none of it mattered, not when he moved like that.

At least he’d worn a condom. Eric sat in his office the following Monday morning, grateful for that small show of intelligence during an otherwise mindless bout of hot sex.

He had his idiot friend, the same one who stood on the other side of the desk holding out a cup of coffee, to thank for that favor since he was the one who’d insisted Eric take the packet to the wedding. Not that Eric planned to share how he’d used it.

“You look like shit.” Seth Freeman delivered his assessment with a huge smile as he plopped into the small black chair across from Eric. The seat was designed more to keep visitors off guard and squirming rather than comfortable.

The hard wood didn’t bother Seth. His relaxed, never-ruffled style allowed him to be at ease in any situation. Thanks to years of friendship, Seth was not one to give in to Eric’s intimidation, which was exactly why Eric had pushed to have Seth named as Chief of the Career Criminal Division the year before. Their styles complemented each other, and the guy was a damn fine lawyer.

But right now, Eric seriously thought about having Seth arrested. No idea what the charge would be, but he’d think of something. Anything to stop the conversation Eric guessed was coming.

“This one is for you,” Seth said as he slid the cup across the top of the practical metal desk before easing back into his open-legged sprawl.

To keep from getting sucked into a personal conversation, Eric grabbed a file and flipped it open, pretending to read. “Thanks. I have some work to do but can meet you for lunch at the usual—”

“Your foul mood have anything to do with your weekend activities? Or should I say lack of them?” Seth asked as he sipped his coffee.

Eric stopped rambling but refused to glance up and acknowledge the humor in Seth’s tone. “No.”

“Interesting.”

Eric could think of a hundred words to describe the last two days. Interesting didn’t come close to summing them up. Fast, sexy, and dumb were more on point.

“Not really,” he said.

“Hmmm.”

Eric ignored the first three hmmms but gave in to the fourth one and looked up. It was either that or deal with Seth’s staring and odd noises for the next hour. “What?”

A shrug. A frown. Seth went through his entire “no big deal” repertoire of gestures before actually spitting out a word. “Some guys would have trouble dealing with their ex-girlfriend’s wedding when they’re not, you know, the actual groom. Most would refrain from attending said festivities. Might even make sure to be out of town when the deal went down.”

“Do you have a point other than being dramatic?”

“Since you insisted on going to the shindig…” Seth broke off, shaking his head in what could only be described as pained disappointment. “Ah, hell. I bet you even brought a gift. Didn’t you, you dumb bastard?”

“If this is a closing argument, you should actually, you know—” Eric cleared his throat. “End.”

“I assume the wedding and seeing Deana looking all beautiful as she walked to another man is the source of all the frowning and grumbling. Can’t blame you. She is one fine woman.” Seth whistled. “Always has been. I’m sure her wedding day was no exception.”

Deana’s big white dress blowing in the March sunshine and her face lit with enough happiness to power all of the island of Oahu. Yeah, that was an image Eric didn’t need or want swimming around in his head. He’d fought it off all weekend.

“Are you done?”

“You have the entire office on edge,” Seth added as if he hadn’t yet made his annoying point. He hitched his thumb over his shoulder. “I think I saw a grown prosecutor cry out there.”

There it was. Eric had noticed the sympathetic smiles and sideways glances at the wedding, watched as the attorneys in the office scurried away from him as he walked down the hallway that morning. Despite his practiced appearance of calm, he’d somehow gone from being in charge to being the object of pity and more than a little fear. The last part didn’t bother him. The former did.

As the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, he wielded a lot of power over assignments and work performance assessments. Not a bad thing for people to be careful around him, but being the subject of courthouse gossip destroyed his authority.

He had one woman to thank for the bleed between his personal and professional lives—Deana Armstrong, now Deana Armstrong Windsor. She’d dumped him for doing the right thing and then married a guy she barely knew. Eric still cared for Deana. Hell, he even liked her new husband Josh Windsor.

But Eric hated their wedding—the rows of white chairs set up on the lawn, the cloudless day, the stunning sweep of a view from Diamond Head at one angle and Waikiki at the other. The idea of it, the press surrounding it and having to attend it, all ticked him off. If he could, he’d wipe out the image of Deana smiling as she strolled across the grass and stopped under a trellis filled with purple flowers and framing the ocean beyond.

Maybe one day. Clearly not today since everyone appeared compelled to remind him.

“Deana is married. We’re friends,” he said in his best we’re-done-with-this-topic voice. He glanced down at the papers in front of him but only saw a black blur of ink.

Seth being Seth, he ignored the hint. “That’s very civilized of you.”

“Right.” Eric nodded because he didn’t know what else to do. “No reason we can’t all be adult about the situation.”

“Very mature, as usual.”

“Exactly.”

The silence lasted for exactly three beats before Seth piped in again. “So, did you give the groom tips on how to keep the bride satisfied in the bedroom…or is that not your specialty area?”

Eric dropped the file against his desk with a smack. The loud whap didn’t wipe out the burning need inside him to hit someone. “You have work to do and an office you can do it in, or do you actually want something?

“A reaction.”

“To what?”

Seth leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. Gone was the smooth guy who preferred lost hours on a surfboard but excelled in the courtroom. The thin line of his mouth suggested anger. “Damn it, Eric. You insisted on attending the thing, of making a show that everything is fine.”

“Everything is fine.”

“Would you just admit it? You’re pissed that Deana chose Josh over you.”

Josh was a DEA agent and professional acquaintance. Sure, Deana was free to date anyone she wanted, sleep with anyone, when she met Josh. She and Eric had been broken up for nine months by that time, but that had been her choice and not his. Despite all that, he put on his public face and did what a guy in his position did—he attended the damn wedding and stayed sober to prevent himself from kicking the crap out of the groom.

Not being able to lose himself in the open bar, Eric did the next best thing. He had sex with a waitress in a locked bathroom stall. Not his brightest move. Not when he was at the start of a rough campaign to be the prosecuting attorney, an elected position, rather than the deputy, his current appointed position. Sex with a stranger while the press hovered a few feet away wanting a quote had the potential to backfire, no matter how good it was.

And the sex had been damn good.

Long caramel brown hair, sky blue eyes, slim and pretty. Combine all that with a sexy server outfit and legs that went on for miles and he had lost his mind. The frustration of the wedding, standing outside at the beautiful waterfront estate and watching Deana hold hands with someone else—it all built up until his usual reserve cracked.

The mystery woman had been staring at him for the entire reception. He had told himself if she did it one more time, he’d make a move. She did and then he did…and then they did.

“Hello?” Seth snapped his fingers a few times. “What’s wrong with you?

“Just thinking.”

“About Deana?

For the first time in months, the answer to that question was no. Eric’s mind kept wandering to the woman he’d pulled under him and then left without even asking her name. In the list of asshole male moves, that one ranked right up there.

“I do think of things other than my ex, you know,” Eric said.

“So, you’re saying you’re not carrying a torch.”

“No, I’m not.” He sure as hell was, but there was no way he would admit that out loud. He’d only conceded it in his own mind when the usher had asked him if he was there for the bride or groom.

Seth flopped back against his chair. “So, you’re saying you went to that wedding to see if it was really over between you and Deana?”

“I went because I got an invitation in the mail and because I’ve known Deana forever. I also happen to be a professional acquaintance of her new husband.”

Seth tapped his fingers against his coffee cup. “That’s quite a mouthful of proper talk right there.”

“Would you prefer my fist?”

“Eric, this is me.”

“Trust me, it’s over.” Not by his choice, but the end wasn’t a question now. “Besides, Josh would kick my ass if I touched his new wife.”

Seth’s eyes widened. “So, you’re admitting you want to touch her.”

Eric knew he’d walked right into that one. “Are you going to shut up anytime soon?”

“And to think I gave you a perfectly good condom.” Seth shook his head in mock frustration. “Hoped you’d find yourself a nice bridesmaid and have a fun evening.”

Eric swallowed a smile. No way was he telling Seth about the waitress. And no way was Eric saying “fine” one more time either. One reference could pass but by the third time credibility was gone.

“Word is you cut out of the reception early.”

Eric refused to ask how his friend knew even that much. “Yeah.”

Seth made a clicking sound with his tongue. “Missed opportunity. You had all of those available women milling around, feeling lonely and bad about not being the bride, and waiting for some dude to buy them a drink.”

“The drinks were free.”

The clicking grew louder. “Either way, it was a wasted opportunity.”

Leave it to Seth to skip right over the facts and continue with his argument. “Do you know anything about women?”

“Well, I wasn’t the one alone last night. I put my condom to good use.” Seth gestured with his arms open wide and his mouth in constant motion. As usual. “Can you say the same thing?”

Eric actually thought about answering honestly and then decided not to. “No.”

“You disappoint me.”

“My apologies.”

Seth exhaled as his puffed-up chest fell. “So what now?”

Eric knew the answer to that one. He’d worked it out that morning in the shower. He needed to do a little damage control. Better to apologize to his mystery waitress than run the risk of having her show up in his opponent’s campaign commercial and make the story even worse.

Yeah, he’d find her, make an ally, and if they got naked again, well, he wouldn’t complain.

Chapter 2

“There you are. Where did you disappear to at the end of the wedding? I haven’t seen you since yesterday.” Cara Long talked in a nonstop stream as she buzzed around the small catering kitchen, putting away pans and stray cake ingredients. “Hate to think a little honest work terrified you so much that you had to take off for the night.”

Katie wanted to ignore her big sister’s prodding. Admitting the truth seemed dangerous. There really wasn’t a good way to say, “I used your business to hunt down a guy at the wedding…and then lifted my skirt for him in the bathroom.” Not when Cara had worked so hard to establish her business and had nearly fainted when she was handed the opportunity to do something as prestigious and impressive as the wedding of a wealthy socialite and her big-time hero DEA fiancé.

Cara had fought back against every piece of crap life threw at her and kept going. Bad husband. A checking account balance that hovered near zero. Single parent to a baby who demanded her attention every two seconds.

None of that sounded good to Katie. Of course, neither did being homeless, which explained why she took the job watching Eric. Someone wanted information on the guy’s activities and she needed the money. It was a simple matter of math.

She kept repeating that in her head every time the doubt threatened to overtake her. Taking cash so soon after having sex left her with a dirty feeling she could not shake. Watching Eric at his ex’s wedding was one thing. Dropping her panties and wrapping her legs around him…yeah, not part of the assignment.

“Uh, hello?” Cara stood in the middle of the one-room business with cookie sheets stacked in a pile on her arms.

“What?”

Cara’s eyes narrowed in the disapproving way she’d mastered as a responsible teenager horrified by her baby sister’s antics. She’d been using it ever since. “Where did you go?”

“What are you talking about?” Katie knew but she asked anyway because stalling for time seemed like the right choice.

“You’ve got this dreamy, I’m-about-to-cause-trouble look in your eyes.” Cara shook her head. “I’ve seen it before and am not a fan.”

When in doubt, hide behind false outrage. The plan had rarely worked for Katie in the past during sister-to-sister battles, but she decided to try it again anyway. “I helped out at your big job and this is the thanks I get?”

Cara lost all color in her face. “Oh, no.”

Katie recognized the horrified look. It meant one thing. Busted. “What?

The color came back to Cara’s cheeks but it was kind of a yellowish-green tint. Not all that attractive. A little scary, actually. “Oh, this is bad. Like, when you got picked up on the drug charge, bad.”

It had been almost a week since Cara brought up that little gem. Katie had started to think the memory might have faded. Apparently not.

She waved off the reminder even as she winced inside. “That was three years ago and a complete misunderstanding.”

Fact was, she was a person who stepped in crap every time she turned a corner. Luck had never been her friend. But sleeping on the floor of an acquaintance who claimed to waitress at a club but really spent her evenings dealing drugs was a particularly awful moment in her glass-half-empty life. Not a highlight in the sister-to-sister bond either. Cara screamed for a good three days without stopping after that one.

Never mind that Katie wasn’t involved in the mess. The police didn’t exactly listen as they dragged her out of her sleeping bag, but they were a joy compared to Cara’s “I told you so” diatribes.

“Tell me now.” Cara dropped the load of metal from her arms to the butcher-block counter. The clanging bounced off every wall. “Did something happen at the wedding?”

Something about six-feet tall with dark hair and an expert set of hands. “I was there for a job and I did it.”

Those knowing eyes narrowed. “Why don’t I believe you?”

“Because you prefer to think the worst of me.” Forget the fact Cara usually was right to go that route.

“That’s called experience.” Cara blew out a long breath. “Look, Katie.”

Oh, not the “look” conversation starter. Katie could tolerate anything but that.

“I didn’t do anything illegal. Just worked the wedding and chatted with the guests.” Katie decided the word ‘chatted’ was sufficiently vague enough to cover her wedding activities. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”

“You promised me you were going to turn your life around. Start working, go back to school.” Cara ticked off the ideas on her fingers. “Focus.”

Katie thought about rolling her eyes but refrained. “I am twenty-five years old.”

“And?”

“I am doing everything I told you I’d do, but it all takes money.”

“Which is why I offered you the job.”

“And I’m grateful.” Perpetually grateful.

“I don’t want any other surprises.” A dark sadness fell over Cara’s eyes. “After Bill…well, I’ve had enough. I need to concentrate on growing this business and raising Ashleigh. Josh and Deana trusted me with a huge responsibility. Their wedding, for heaven’s sake. I really need it to turn into more work.”

Guilt snuck up out of nowhere and smacked Katie right across the cheek. She’d spent the years since her parents’ deaths as the ultimate screwup. Cara did everything right. Katie got most everything wrong. Irresponsible and difficult, she’d heard all the comments teachers and relatives whispered behind her back and into Cara’s ear. The years from eighteen to twenty-three were a blur of partying and waste. But that was over. She worked for Cara now. She watched Ashleigh. She registered for night classes that would begin in the summer session. She’d made a few extra bucks reporting back on Eric.

Eric.

Yeah, that brought Katie spinning back to Cara and the guilt thing.

“Okay.” Katie grabbed her sister’s hands and willed her to calm down before the thumping blood vessel in her forehead burst. “Listen to me. The wedding job went really well. You’re going to get lots of new business from it, and I’ll be here to help out. It will all be fine. You’ll see.”

Cara bit her bottom lip. “Promise?”

“Yeah.” Katie nodded. For a second, she even believed the words coming out of her mouth. “Let’s forget all about the wedding and start getting ready for that insurance conference you’re catering in two days.”

And she would forget all about one Eric Kimura, those hands, and the e-mail report she’d sent as a requirement of her paycheck after the wedding. The same one that left out any mention of the extracurricular bathroom activities. After all, some things were private. Stupid and self-destructive, but private.

“Anything else?” Eric pushed back from his kitchen table and headed for the coffeepot. A two-hour evening meeting on political strategy with his friend and campaign manager was enough to dull the senses for a month.

All Eric wanted to do was run for the job of prosecuting attorney, a job he currently held on an interim basis since his boss had left the position. Eric understood the office and saw what needed to be streamlined and what needed to be eliminated. Working his way up through the ranks gave him an insight that the guy he was running against, Howard Gunnery, a former military lawyer, didn’t have. In Eric’s view, that should have been enough, but he had to convince the entire island of Oahu, or at least the majority of it, to agree and vote for him.

“I hate to bring this up.” Kevin Willis traced his finger down his water glass. Didn’t look up. Didn’t joke or smile.

Eric knew from experience that whatever he was about to hear was going to be bad. Kevin wasn’t an avoid-eye-contact kind of guy. He was an attorney in private practice and politically connected. If anything, people viewed him as harsh. Right now, he looked like he had eaten bad Chinese food off the floor of a sewage plant.

“Just tell me,” Eric said.

Kevin finally looked up as he leaned back in the chair. “The rumors about Deana are kicking up again.”

Everything always came back to her. Eric was sick of it. “Why can’t people believe we’re over?”

Kevin cleared his throat as he pushed the papers in front of him off to the side. “Not those.”

As far as Eric was concerned there was nothing else. “What then?”

“There’s a suggestion out there about Deana and her nephew and questions about your integrity on the job.”

Eric had expected half-baked crap about his being in love. This theory came out of nowhere and brought a kick to the stomach with it. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m just going to ask straight out.”

“Do that.”

“Did you give her nephew special treatment during his murder case?”

The only other person guaranteed to put Eric in a bad mood: Ryan Armstrong, Deana’s nephew. A spoiled teenager and a heartless killer. Instead of taking every opportunity handed to him by his wealthy family, he took the easy way out and managed to drag Eric down with him.

“The same nephew who is jail for murdering his parents, Deana’s brother and sister-in-law?” The memories crashed in on Eric. Hell, he’d lost Deana over the entire disastrous case. “I recused myself, built a complete wall around the matter in the office so I wouldn’t be involved in the trial or the investigation. No one talked to me about it, and I stayed out of it.”

“I know.”

Eric heard his friend but yelled right over him. “The idea was to act like a boyfriend instead of a lawyer, but we all know how that worked out.”

Deana had wanted him to step in and save Ryan from prosecution. Eric refused. He knew the evidence against the kid was strong, knew she didn’t see him for the spoiled psychopath he was. Knew Ryan was headed for jail, and when he went, she would blame Eric for everything. That’s exactly what happened.

Well, almost.

“You went to the wedding,” Kevin pointed out. “Your photo was in the paper.”

“I went to keep the gossip at a minimum. I thought it would take away the ammunition.” Really, he went to prove to himself that he could take it. “Guess that didn’t work.”

Kevin started taking notes. “You’ll need to make a statement.”

“No.”

The pen dropped. “Eric?”

“Deana and my private life are just that. Private.” Eric dumped the cold coffee down the drain. Looked like caffeine might not be strong enough to help him get through this night.

“There are some folks out there who smell a story. They’re going to keep digging until they find it. Even if there’s nothing there, the searching and all the assumptions that come with it can be devastating to a political career.”

“They should find someone else to piss on,” Eric said. Preferably someone who didn’t have anything to do with him or the prosecutor’s office.

“Some people can’t believe you’re as clean as you seem.”

“In other words, everyone likes to see a public figure implode.”

“Something like that.”

Exactly like that. Eric turned around in his kitchen with no real destination in mind. The goal was to burn off the energy building in his gut. “Then they’re going to be disappointed. I don’t have anything to hide.”

Kevin hesitated. The silence stretched until he finally spit out his thought. “You can tell me anything. I’d rather know and be able to fight it than have to read it in the paper.”

Eric gripped the counter hard enough to make the granite crumble under his fingertips. “We’re good.”

Kevin didn’t move for a second, then he nodded. “That’s all I need to know.”

Eric hoped like hell that was true because he really didn’t want to go into a drawn-out discussion about his role in Ryan’s case. Or why he’d ended up having sex with a complete stranger ten steps away from a pool of reporters. He was a grown man and his sex life was his own, but his timing was questionable on this one.

There had been enough scandals what with Josh’s boss trying to cover up a botched DEA investigation and Josh replacing him. People didn’t want to read about another government official being more concerned with covering his butt than doing his job. That meant staying as clean as possible and not doing anything to raise questions.

“Well, enough said on that.” Kevin stood, gathering the documents and stacking them in straight piles. “Grab a late dinner?”

“Can’t.” More like didn’t want to. Eric didn’t want to invite another round of questions. Kevin would pretend the meal was informal, but Eric knew everything they did right now was about getting him elected. “I have work to do, but you can check one thing for me.”

“Sure.”

“Find out who catered Deana’s wedding. I’d like to have a professional on call for events and that sort of thing.” It was time to tie up that loose end. If Kevin got flustered by an old rumor about a murder case and airtight convictions, Eric hated to think what he’d do with the truth on this one.

“I have a list of people you can use.”

“No, I want that caterer.”

If Kevin thought it was a strange request, he hid it well. “I’ll have the name and number for you by tomorrow morning.”

Chapter 3

Katie stared at the pans and trays piled in the overflowing sink and wondered what her future would look like if she skipped college and took up life as a professional dishwasher instead. Sounded like a one-way ticket to mind mush to her. Working for her sister and collecting a paycheck, no matter how small, meant moving on. It also meant getting stuck with the crappy jobs like serving food to idiots and handling catering cleanup.

Cara spent her nonwork time with Ashleigh, her blond-haired bundle of wild energy. Six months old, she never stopped moving. So, when Cara cut out early to catch a few extra minutes with her daughter, which rarely was possible, the responsibility for bringing the catering kitchen back to order fell to Katie.

The bright spot was that the insurance catering job had gone well today, as evidenced by her sore feet and the smell of puff pastry in her hair. Even now she hid in the small room at the center of the strip mall where no other human might be forced to see her. That would be a mean thing to do to anyone with decent vision. Good thing her Wednesday evening plans consisted of scrubbing, drying, stacking, and sweeping.

“Hello?”

Katie froze at the sound of the familiar male voice. Then her head whipped around. The main door was open, but the metal security screen was closed and locked. It would be hard for people to see inside and impossible for anyone to break it down, but, oh boy, could she see out.

It couldn’t be. It couldn’t be. It couldn’t be.

She repeated the refrain as she stared at the outline on the other side of the steel screen. Dark hair, broad shoulders, and relaxed stance. She’d know that body anywhere.

That would teach her to want fresh air. If the stifling heat hadn’t bothered her, she’d be hiding in the storage closet and ignoring him right about now.

“Can you hear me?” He looked right at her as he said it. Clearly he knew she was there. Could see her, despite the promises in the sales brochure about the door providing protection and privacy. It didn’t seem to be doing either at the moment.

With wet hands dripping on the floor beside her sneakers, she stood there. “Uh…”

“Not sure if you can see me.” He waved his hand. “We met at the Armstrong-Windsor wedding.”

Met? Now there was an interesting word for what they did. “Oh, I know who you are.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Eric chuckled in a rich open tone that vibrated down to her feet.

She could hear the amusement in his voice. Figuring out how to take it was the bigger issue. She rubbed her hands on the towel hanging out of the waistband of her khaki shorts and adjusted her white tee to make sure everything that should be covered was. “What are you doing here?”

“I can explain if you’ll let me come inside.”

Talk about a stupid option. “No.”

After a beat of silence, he spoke up. “Really?”

He sounded stunned at the idea of being turned down. Apparently the big, important man didn’t like it when people disagreed with him.

That realization was enough to make her brain reboot. While running held some appeal, it wasn’t very practical. They lived on an island, after all. And she needed to know how he’d tracked her down. “I mean, why do you want to come in?”

She could see his broad shoulders through the thick safety mesh and the way he balanced his hands on his lean hips. He was a man in control of his surroundings, even though this part of town didn’t fit him at all. He wore tailored suits and walked into a fancy high-rise office every day.

Many of the folks in the Kalihi neighborhood never ventured near the expensive restaurants and exclusive communities around the island. This was a working-class area with an increasing crime rate, older and lined with warehouses, a little rough. A place where words like “redevelopment” were thrown around but never brought to fruition. In other words, not the place where one would expect to find Eric Kimura.

“I wanted to talk with you,” he explained.

She’d been afraid he would say that. “Okay.”

He pressed his face close to the screen. “And people are starting to wonder why I’m screaming into a door, so could we take this inside?”

Last thing she needed was for him to be mugged. She tried to imagine explaining that bit of news to the cops…and to Cara.

“I’m coming.” Katie rushed over, jangling the keys in her hand as she tried to find the one for the top dead bolt. “Here we go.”

Eric didn’t hesitate. The second she opened the screen, he pushed his way in and closed the solid door behind him. The controlling move should have made her nervous. Instead, she was strangely intrigued. Hunting her down took some work. Stepping into this neighborhood at five o’clock, which probably qualified as the middle of his workday, created a bit of mystery. Clearly he wanted to find her. Now he had.

He held out his hand. “Eric Kimura.”

She stared at his long fingers before sliding her palm inside his. “Oh.”

The corner of his mouth kicked up. “But you knew that, right?”

“Pretty much.” The feel of that smooth skin against hers brought a rush of heat to her cheeks. She looked down at their joined hands, wondering at what point long turned to too long and she had to let go. “I watch the news now and then.”

“Ah, yes. Not always the most flattering place to pick up information about me, but not a surprise.” He frowned as if the notoriety didn’t sit all that well with him. “So, do you have a name?”

“I figured you knew it since you tracked me here and all.”

“I have my sources but the exact name was tougher.”

Yeah, he had something all right. “Katie Long.”

“The caterer.”

Looked like he didn’t quite know everything. She dropped his hand and backed up a step. No need for them to be this close, sucking up all the air in the room, when there was a big No-Eric zone right behind her. “Her assistant and sister. I’m surprised you went to the trouble to find me.”

His head tilted to the side. The wide-eyed look made him look younger, less imposing, if only for a few seconds. “Why?”

This qualified as the strangest morning-after type conversation she’d ever had. “I guess this is the part where I say I’ve never done that at a wedding before.”

He nodded. “For the record, me either.”

“And where I insist I’m not the kind of woman who engages in thirty-minute sex romps with strangers.” She actually wasn’t, but there was no way to sell that as a convincing story after the way they’d met.

“I’m not judging.”

Of course he was. Hell, she was. When she’d vowed to turn her life around, she’d promised the days of putting herself at risk were over. She wouldn’t do dumb things or get involved with the wrong guys. Eric didn’t appear to be a loser, but he was most definitely wrong. He was her assignment. She was supposed to keep a safe distance and being under him didn’t cut it.

“Maybe just a little judging?” She held up two fingers and squeezed them together.

“Any name I call you would apply to me.”

“Very logical.”

“You weren’t alone in that room.”

She tried very hard not to conjure up a visual image of his hands up her skirt. “Oh, I know.”

“I admit, that sort of thing isn’t a weekly occurrence for me.”

She laughed. The contrast between the serious way his brows came together and the humor in his tone did her in. He might be good at sex, but he wasn’t all that comfortable with the way they’d met.

That made two of them.

“You mean the straitlaced guy running for prosecuting attorney doesn’t have sex with strange women every Saturday?” she asked.

He pretended to mull that one over. “You didn’t strike me as being all that strange.”

“Wait, what?”

“Look,” he crossed that invisible barrier and stepped right into her buffer space. The jokes and sly smile were gone. “I need to deal with something else here.”

The change in direction made her brain shut down for a second. “What?”

“You say that word a lot.”

“How could you know that? You’ve known me for a sum total of two hours.”

“Probably less than half that, but it was some pretty intense time.”

She refused to blush. Women who had sex in the bathroom during a high-class wedding did not blush. “True.”

He smiled. “Which brings us full circle.”

For some reason when he relaxed and his mouth turned up, she got more nervous. “To what exactly?”

“The wedding.”

Here it was. He’d beg her to keep her mouth shut. Throw some money around, maybe a threat or two. Explain how it would be good for her to pretend it never happened.

She’d feel smug if she weren’t so disappointed. She wasn’t expecting a marriage proposal or even a cup of coffee from the man, but being reminded of how little she meant to him chilled her from the inside out. “I was wondering when you’d get to that.”

“Katie, I’m sorry.” He reached down and slipped his fingers through hers. The move pulled her closer, until nothing more than a slip of hot air separated them.

“You’re…what?”

“Honestly, do you just feel compelled to use that word?”

She almost said “what” but stopped the word in time. “Right now, yeah.”

Staring down at their linked hands, she wondered what was happening. She’d made a lot of bad choices with men and slept with a few she should have run away from, but none of them came walking into the middle of her out-of-control life, spouting off about regrets and how they should have treated her better. Not her experience at all.

“I’m sorry.” When she didn’t respond, he ducked his head until her gaze met his again. “I can’t be the first man who’s ever apologized to you for something.”

She did a quick mental check and couldn’t come up with another name for that list. “You’re sorry for the sex?”

His mouth fell into a severe frown. “Hell no.”

“Then I’m confused.”

He squeezed her hand in a gentle move that mirrored the concern in his face. “Clearly.”

“Maybe we should start this conversation again.” In a public place, with a wall between them. And no touching. Definitely no touching. His fingers swept over her skin and her good intentions went down faster than the Titanic. No woman could withstand that sort of temptation. Certainly not one with her record of questionable choices.

“I am trying to apologize for running out of the wedding before I even got your name. That was a pretty shitty thing to do in light of what happened between us.”

Damn, he couldn’t even describe their horizontal bathroom dancing without sounding refined. “Do you have trouble saying the word ‘sex’?”

He smiled. “No trouble saying or doing.”

She wasn’t sure where he was going or what he was looking for. He was either super smooth or an ass in hiding. Unfortunately both possibilities appealed to her. Everything about him appealed to her.

Instead of crawling all over him, she went with the truth. “Admittedly, I was surprised you took a few seconds to zip your pants before you hauled it out of there.”

He winced. “That bad, huh?”

“Does the phrase ‘ass on fire’ tell you anything?”

“Only that I need to work on my skills.”

She had no complaints in that department. None. At. All. “So, now what?”

“Depends. Is my apology accepted?”

Her heart started pounding. The noise drowned out the doubts and questions ringing in her ears. It thundered through her until it muffled everything else. “Is this really why you’re here?”

“Why else would I track you down?”

“I have no idea. Unless you’ve wiped out crime on Oahu, I’m guessing you have work to do, and I figure there are other women who take up your time. Why you’d spare a few minutes to come over here is, well, let’s just say I don’t get it.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Actually I am.”

“Do you own a mirror?”

That’s all it took. A simple bit of flattery and she fell right into her old pattern. She recognized it, heard the warning signal screech through her brain…and ignored it all.

“Is it possible you’re really here for this?” She stepped into him then, pressed her chest against his as she lifted her chin and brought her mouth to the whisper of space right under his.

“Katie?”

“What?”

He smiled then. “I didn’t come for a booty call.”

She knew when a man was interested. This guy had it written all over him. “So you’re saying no?”

His gaze toured her face, landing on her mouth. “I’m not an idiot.”

He mumbled the denial right before his head lowered and his lips brushed against hers. For the second time, an engulfing heat swept through him. He’d had sex before. Hell, he’d had great sex before, but there was something about Katie that rubbed him raw and sent a blast of want shooting through him.

At thirty-seven he’d passed his need-sex-all-the-time phase long ago. Now he preferred a mix of hot and comfort, a woman who could set his nerves blazing and hold an intelligent conversation afterward. But Katie brought out something else in him. A memory of that time before responsibility and politics when he could just enjoy without worrying about how it would play out or who would care.

Gentle kissing turned hot before he could calm it down. One minute he was tasting her with small kisses on the corners of her mouth, getting to know her nice and slow. The next, his hands traced up and down her back as his tongue swept inside.

Like last time, reason abandoned him. His body overruled his mind. Before common sense stepped in and screwed up everything, he walked her backward until her butt smacked against the island. He tugged on material, hoping to push aside her shirt and find bare skin, but he pulled out a towel instead. The surprise made his head pop up and his lips leave her delicious neck.

“What the hell is this?”

She grabbed the cloth and threw it somewhere behind her. “Forget that.”

He obeyed. Hell, he’d do anything if it meant she’d keep raking those fingernails up and down his sides and across his stomach. Even through his cotton shirt, he felt the bite. To encourage her to continue, he shrugged out of his suit jacket and let it fall to the floor. That left little clothing between them and what was there was easy to remove.

As his mouth toured the line under her chin, his hands tugged her shirt out of her shorts and pulled it up and over her head. Warm skin greeted his fingertips. The more he caressed, the hotter she turned. Lips against lips and hands skimming, they touched everywhere it was possible to touch without his climbing all over her. But he planned on doing just that.

Their bodies separated long enough for her to find the buttons of his shirt and him to work on the snap to her shorts. No bed, no finesse, just a raging need that nearly ripped the cotton in his rush to get her out of her clothes.

As soon as the shorts hit the floor, he hooked his palm under her knee and lifted her left thigh until it rested against his hip. With her legs open, he could slip his fingers under her and rub against the crotch of her panties. Just like last time, a wetness greeted him after only a few teasing strokes.

Her head fell back to give him free access to her neck, but her hands kept moving. She wrapped her arms around his waist and let her palms fall down to cup his ass. The position slid his erection against her. They fit together so damn well. It only took a few seconds for her hips to rock back and forth in a rhythm that thumped in his brain.

She deserved something better than a quick hump on a butcher-block island, but he didn’t have the control to take her anywhere else. Hell, he wasn’t even sure he could slow down long enough to drop his pants to the floor.

Just then her fingers slipped around to his belt. A few tugs and she had it undone and his fly hanging open. “This feels familiar.”

He thought about answering her, but she seemed to be talking more to the room than to him. And with her hand in his underwear and air crashing through his lungs, a conversation wasn’t exactly the first thing on his mind.

She jumped up on the counter behind her and shimmied out of her bikini bottoms with a swiftness that won his immediate approval. “Condom?”

“Huh?” Damn, the woman had him panting and mumbling like a moron.

She opened her legs and pulled him closer. Before he could reach down and help, she had his erection in her palm and was pumping him into a state of complete stupidity. “You were prepared last time.”

“Yeah, right. I have one,” he said, not knowing how he got the words out over the moan aching to escape his throat.

“You just one of those guys who always has one ready?”

“Not even close.” When she shot him a give-me-a-break look, he tried to explain. Hard to do when all he wanted was to be inside her, but he gave it a shot. “A friend gave me one as a joke before the wedding.”

She reached around with her open hand and lifted his wallet out of his back pocket. “And this time?”

Eric grabbed the leather and fumbled with the folds until the small packet popped out. Not the smoothest he’d ever been, but he’d worry about his pathetic moves later. “Call it wishful thinking.”

“I prefer to think of you as prepared.”

“Whatever. Just roll that on and get moving.” When she frowned at him, he inhaled a few times to slow the blood racing through him and straight to his dick. “Sorry.”

She chuckled. “You’re forgiven this time.”

He couldn’t remember her being this chatty at the wedding…ahh, but he did remember that. “Your hand feels so good on me.”

She slid her palm up and down, using just the right amount of pressure, sliding her thumb over his tip until he jerked in response. “I like a man who plays as hard as he works.”

Her words tumbled over him but didn’t process. He was too busy taking advantage of her position. Spread out in front of him, she provided quite the temptation. One he did not fight.

His fingers rubbed against her, each circle making her internal muscles pulse and strain. When he finally slid his finger inside, she let out a long sigh.

“Like that?” he asked.

She rolled the condom over him. “You can’t tell?”

No, the breathy tone said all he needed to know. So did her slick wetness under his fingertips.

As gently as possible, with his hand shaking, he lifted her hand away from his cock and took over. He pressed the tip against her, brushed it back and forth until her thighs tensed against his hips.

Her head fell forward and her warm breath licked across his cheek. She smelled like fresh pastries and cinnamon. “Now, Eric.”

“Almost.”

When she grabbed his butt and pulled him even closer, he guessed she didn’t like his answer. Couldn’t blame her. His heart pumped fast enough to knock him over. Rather than risk a heart attack, he pushed forward until he fit fully inside her.

“God, yes.” She bit down on his ear.

There was no stopping now. No way to pull back or go slow. The lower half of his body was running this show.

Her hands traveled over him as her mouth settled on top of his. Lean legs wrapped around his waist. Fingers plowed through his hair. She branded him with every part of her body. She didn’t hold back as she coaxed him into a faster cadence.

He fought for breath as his hips flexed, bringing his body in and out of hers in time with the pounding in his chest. Kissing, plunging, it all circled around him until the spring inside him coiled into a tight ball.

And he wasn’t alone.

Katie’s fingernails dug into his shoulders, pinching his skin and pushing him to that line between pain and pleasure. Her butt lifted off the counter and her thighs squeezed his middle while every muscle inside her tightened. With her arms around his neck, her forehead pressed against his as her breaths puffed out.

He caressed her nipples through the silky material of her bra. Touching her, feeling her body pulse around him, took him right to the edge. But he held back, forcing his lower half to slow down to make the wave last as long as possible.

He didn’t have to wait long. Her body bucked and stiffened. The orgasm ripped through her just as his touched off. Churning, panting, he drove into her one final time. The tension peaked right before the straining broke loose. He came in a rush, every cell screaming as his body slumped against hers.

Seconds or minutes—he didn’t know which—passed before he felt the scratch of her fingernails up his bare back. Her limbs relaxed and her lips moved against his throat.

“You still sorry?” She mumbled the question against his damp skin.

After one last inhale of the floral scent of her shampoo, he lifted his head. “Not even a little bit.”

“You going to run away again?”

He’d already been gone from work longer than expected. “Well, no. Not like you think.”

“Are you kidding me?” Her voice sounded like he’d better be.

“Look, I don’t want to get accused of the ‘ass on fire’ thing again, but I do have to get back to the office.” He glanced around. Saw their clothes thrown on the floor and a stack of dishes in the sink. “But I’ll help out here first.”

“Uh-huh.”

When he looked into her eyes again, he met with a piercing stare. “What?”

She shoved against his shoulders, separating them and pulling back as far as the counter would allow. “Nothing.”

All the heat seeped out of the room. The sudden chill had him reaching for the buttons on his shirt. “I’m thinking I messed up again.”

She tugged on the edge of her T-shirt, as if trying to hide from him. “Aren’t you the clever one?”

“I rarely get out of the office before seven.”

Conflicting emotions raced across her face. Distrust and hope. She watched him as if assessing and deciphering his motives.

“I can have my assistant call you if you need verification.” He smiled, hoping to bring some lightness back into the room. “Have her write it down and notarize it for you.”

“Can she fax it?” Katie blew her serious tone by bursting into laughter right after. She waved her hands in front of her face. “Kidding. I’ll trust you on this one.”

Relief flooded through him at her sudden change in mood. He had come to apologize and get a sense of whether she planned to use their time at the wedding as an opportunity to nail his reputation. He sure hadn’t expected a second round or how good it would feel.

“I’ll help you clean up around here before I head out.” He pulled up his pants first because washing dishes in his underwear didn’t sound like much fun.

She shrugged. “No need.”

He ignored her and walked over to the sink. Once his belt was back in place, he reached for the faucet. “Wash or dry?”

“You are a constant surprise, counselor.”

He threw a dry towel at her, impressed when she snagged it out of midair without even looking at it. “I was thinking the same thing about you.”

Chapter 4

Cara balanced Ashleigh on one hip as she walked around the kitchen of the two-bedroom apartment in her ratty bathrobe the next morning. “About time you got up.”

Katie glanced at the wall clock. “It’s not even seven o’clock.”

“Your cell phone has been ringing all morning.”

“It has?”

“Nonstop.”

She glanced at the number and immediately decided not to answer. “Is that why you’re so grumpy?”

“Ash was up three times last night. I’ve slept a total of six minutes, and I have to give a presentation for a prospective wedding today.”

“And if you keep walking in circles, Ash is going to throw up.” Katie stepped in front of Cara and held out her hands, wiggling her fingers until Ashleigh bubbled with laughter. “Give the pretty girl to me.”

“I don’t know how I’m going to handle this day.” Cara brushed her bangs from her eyes.

“You will. You always do.” Katie wrapped her arm around her niece and made faces until Ashleigh let out a stream of giggles that made even her grumpy mother smile. “But first you’re going to shower because you look like hell.”

With a skill refined by mothers throughout time, Cara joined in the face-making, keeping all of her attention centered on her baby while she held onto the thread of the adult conversation. “Thanks for the confidence boost.”

“I’m here for ya. Ash is going to watch me while I eat and read the paper.” Katie gave Ashleigh a kiss but it was only a pretext so she could inhale her baby powder little girl smell. “That sounds like fun, doesn’t it, baby girl?”

Cara lit up at the sound of her daughter’s laughter. “You’re good with her.”

“Because she looks like me.”

Cara snorted. “No, she doesn’t.”

She didn’t. Not one bit, but Katie covered Ashleigh’s ears in mock horror anyway. “How dare you?”

The shine behind Cara’s smile faded a bit. “I wish she did.”

Bill. Damn him. Katie could tell Cara was thinking about her no-good, run-for-the-hills ex. The guy had cut out before Ashleigh was even born. Abandoned his wife and child without a thought. The anger-fueled memories flashed through Katie’s mind. Cara alone in the hospital. Cara alone as she applied for benefits to make sure Ashleigh had somewhere to live. Cara alone as she walked into that attorney’s office and dumped the dumb bastard.

More than once Katie wanted to hunt the weasel down, drag him back home, and beat him with a frying pan. It wouldn’t do Cara or Ashleigh any good, but the revenge would be sweet. Making him face his past, rubbing his nose in his failure by forcing him to witness the awesome woman Cara had become, appealed to Katie. Letting Bill see that his idiocy had changed all of them, including her.

Katie often wondered where she would be if Bill had stuck around. It was Cara’s begging call for help when she was six months pregnant that had scared Katie straight. She knew that, but refused to give Bill any credit for the transformation. All her gratitude went to Cara and Ashleigh.

“Don’t do that. Don’t think of him unless you’re fantasizing about castrating him with a melon baller,” Katie said.

Cara waved off the sisterly concern. “I don’t regret it.”

That’s not exactly where Katie wanted Cara’s thinking to go. “Oh, don’t get me wrong. You should definitely regret Bill. Just don’t kick yourself too hard. He seemed like a catch at first. Who knew he’d lose his job and fall in love with beer and the women who served it so soon after you got married?”

“I’ve learned.”

“We all have.” But had she? Katie thought about the kitchen sex with Eric the night before and wondered how far she’d really come.

Then her phone buzzed again with another text. As if she needed an additional reminder of Eric and why they’d met. Obviously, her job contact wanted attention.

She kept telling herself the stalking of Eric was over. She’d followed him around the wedding, watched him, and reported back on what he did. Well, most of what he did. The rest was off the books. As far as she could tell, the guy was clean and avoided any secret meetings with his ex. At least Katie sure hoped that was true.

The phone went silent, but it started again two seconds later. Same number. Same text message—Call Me.

Jimmy Blau was not going to leave her alone.

Eric hoped the third time would work. The first two meetings had gone very well in the sex department. He needed this one to go well in the conversation department. He’d settle for mediocre so long as he got the right words out and managed to leave again without her strangling him.

Sure, he could have used the time doing dishes the night before as a way to talk with Katie about his political image and the impact questions about his morality might have on it. But when he was with her, his mind strayed to other topics. He didn’t want to think about obligations and his office. He wanted to laugh and have sex and keep everything light. The rest of his life centered on crime and fund-raisers. Fun was just not one of those things he got enough of lately, and he didn’t want to spoil the moment when it came along.

But he was a big boy and adults had to do shitty things sometimes. He glanced down at the two takeout coffee cups in his hands. Maybe caffeine would soften the blow, make him seem like less of a dick as they handled this touchy subject.

Balancing one cup in the crook of his elbow, he knocked on the security screen to the catering kitchen. The main door was open and he could see movement inside, which meant she had to be there. Thursday at four might not be the best time for this sort of thing, but he doubted there would ever be a perfect time.

Before he could call out a greeting, a face appeared on the other side of the mesh. “Can I help you?”

He had no idea who this lady was or how she fit in with the business. “I’m here to see Katie.”

“Katie Long?”

Hell, he could see the woman’s scowl through the screen. “Yeah, Katie.”

The woman didn’t say anything.

“Is this a bad time?” Eric asked, thinking it couldn’t possibly be a good time. Nothing good came out of a facial expression like that.

“Come in.” She went from comatose to rushing to get the door open and motion him inside.

This was not exactly the neighborhood where women should welcome strange men inside, daytime or not. To prevent any confusion or being hit with a baseball bat, he held out his free hand and switched to charm mode. “I’m Eric Kimura.”

“I know.” And she didn’t sound too happy about that fact, either.

He would never get used to that part of his job. “You recognize me from the newspapers?”

She dropped his hand and started wringing her towel between her fingers with enough force to turn the tips blue. “Of course. You’re in them all the time.”

“Not by choice, I assure you.”

It was an unfortunate side effect of his work. He’d prefer to keep to his office and the courtroom, but a string of high-profile cases had him out in front of the cameras all too often. Then when the current prosecuting attorney and Eric’s boss, Frank Yashita, announced his intention to leave for a position with the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., the race to replace him was on. As the obvious successor and interim boss, Eric had not had two seconds of peace since.

She glanced down at the drinks in his hand. “I don’t understand why you’re here.”

Not the warmest welcome he’d ever gotten from a woman, but he’d had worse. “I’m here to see Katie.”

“What did she do?”

His mouth curved down before he could stop it. “Excuse me?”

“She promised me this was over.”

Hands on hips, nostrils flaring—yeah, this woman was pissed. Eric had no idea how introducing himself had caused that reaction. Instead of running the risk of further ticking her off, he went ahead nice and slow. “Okay.”

The woman waved her hand in the air. “No more police.”

“I’m not the police.” But he sure as hell was intrigued. A little concerned, too. When he talked with Katie about everything else, he’d ask about that.

“She’s been working so hard. She takes such good care of Ashleigh.”

Damn, did Katie have a kid? “Who is Ashleigh?”

“My daughter.”

His stomach stopped dropping. “And you are?”

“Her sister.” She shook her head. “Sorry. I’m Cara Long.”

He saw it now. Darker hair but the same shocking blue to her eyes. A little older with a bit less of a wild child look about her, but definitely related.

“You need to just tell me,” Cara said and then held onto the counter behind her as if it were the only thing keeping her up.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Eric?”

Finally. “Katie?”

He spun around and watched her walk through the unlocked door behind him. She balanced two bags of groceries in her arms and looked about as thrilled to see him as she would have been to be told she had the plague.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

So far he was zero-for-two in the ladies department. “I came to see you.”

Katie glanced at her sister and then right back to him. “Did you run the whole way?”

It was official. He couldn’t follow either of the Long women’s conversations. “I’m sorry, what?”

“You seem mighty thirsty.”

“What?” Great, now she had him repeating the stupid word every time he opened his mouth.

She nodded in the general direction of his hands. “The drinks?”

“Oh.” Once again, she stepped in front of him and his brain hiccupped. To keep from dousing his shirt with scalding hot coffee or worse, he set the cups down and took the bags out of her hands. “Where do these go?”

“Counter.” Katie followed him and dropped her keys beside his hand. “Shouldn’t you be at work?”

Cara kept right on staring, looking both stunned and annoyed. “You two know each other?”

“Yes.” Katie picked up the cup then hid her mouth behind it, but Eric saw her smile.

Cara didn’t let it go. She stood in front of her sister, her attention never wavering. “Professionally?”

Katie sighed. “Of course not.”

“For the record, I don’t know what that means,” Eric said, now dreading his future conversation with Katie.

“Stop being so dramatic, Cara.” Katie took a long sip of coffee. “And negative. We met at Deana and Josh’s wedding.”

If anything, Cara’s frown deepened. “I see.”

Eric waited for the pinprick of pain that always followed the mention of Deana’s name, but the stab didn’t come. This time it was more of a dull ache. His current high level of confusion somehow must have blocked the majority of the blow. And since the sisters were engaged in some sort of showdown he didn’t understand, he stayed quiet.

Katie shot her sister a this-conversation-is-over glare before turning back to him. “No crime today?”

He shook his head and played along. “None.”

“Good job. Maybe I will vote for you.”

He treated her to a formal bow. “My campaign manager will be thrilled to hear that.”

Katie smiled. “Do you bring all potential voters coffee?”

“I don’t make enough money for that.”

“Then why are you here?” Cara asked for what felt like the fifteenth time.

“Cara!”

“To see your sister.” His answer hadn’t changed but he was starting to wonder if it should.

“And you knew where to find her?”

Since the game of Twenty Annoying Questions hadn’t ended, Eric decided to help it along. “Should I step out for a few minutes while you two settle whatever it is you need to discuss?”

Cara nodded. “Yes.”

“No.” Katie didn’t look at him, but she held up her hand to get him to stop. Never mind the fact he hadn’t moved. “Don’t you have to pick up Ashleigh from the babysitter?”

The reminder had Cara glancing at the clock on the wall. “Damn.”

“I’ll explain everything later.” When Cara didn’t move, Katie put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s fine. I promise.”

After a beat of silence, Cara stripped off her apron and grabbed her purse. “It was nice meeting you.”

He knew she didn’t mean that but played along. “You, too.”

“You—” Cara pointed at Katie—“I’ll see at home.”

Chapter 5

Eric locked the door behind Cara and then turned around. “Do you really plan to tell her everything about us?”

The poor guy sounded a little nervous. He hadn’t reached the throw-up-on-the-floor level yet, but Katie could tell by the grim line of his mouth that he was getting close. “I do believe you’re sweating.”

His eyes bulged. “That’s a yes?”

It was time to take pity on the guy. He had left work to bring her coffee, after all. Not that she believed for one second that he didn’t have an ulterior motive. She’d been dealing with men long enough to know there was a mad rush of purpose behind every move. Sex, food, laundry, whatever they wanted, they made a calculated play to get it.

She set her cup down and walked over to Eric. The back of her hand brushed against his cheek. When he leaned in and kissed her knuckles, a shot of desire whipped through her. “Don’t worry. I won’t share even an abbreviated version of the good stuff.”

He blew out a deep breath. “That’s probably a good idea.”

She wondered if he knew how transparent he was. He might be able to control a courtroom, but he needed some work on his private persona. She had seen the desperation in him at Deana’s wedding, like his skin didn’t fit right, causing him to shift around. She saw it again now.

“You here for more sex, counselor?”

His hands found her upper arms and his fingers snuck under the short sleeves of her shirt to caress her skin. “You always so blunt?”

“I’ve learned that most people talk around what they want when it’s easier just to get to the point.” To prove her theory, she reached for his tie, thinking to loosen it a bit.

“No sex.”

Her hands stopped in mid-tug. “Really?”

“Didn’t even bring a condom. In fact, specifically didn’t bring one so as to avoid temptation.” His mouth said no, but his hands had skimmed down her back and pulled her tighter against his body.

“You do know there are other ways to have sex, right?”

His eyebrows dipped down in what she guessed was his fake serious look. “I’ve read about those, yes.”

“Did any of those include pictures of what I could do with my mouth?”

He dropped his forehead on top of hers. “Lord, woman. I’m trying to be noble here.”

“I never asked you to.”

“So, you’re trying to kill me, or at least my good intentions?”

She gave him a quick kiss on the lips but pulled back when he tried to take it deeper. “I just like seeing you squirm in that fancy suit of yours.”

“I was doing more than that ten seconds ago.”

“Cara?” Talk about a buzzkill. Katie let her fingers wander over the lines of his chest as she spoke. “Yeah, well, she has that overprotective big sister thing down. She should—she’s been practicing it since she was about eight.”

“Is it just the two of you?”

“And Ashleigh. My parents died in a car crash on the Like-like Highway when I was eighteen.”

“Damn, Katie. I’m sorry.”

“Me, too.” She refused to think about it. No matter how many years had passed, losing them without warning stung and it always would. “Cara’s husband left. That’s a good thing, in case you’re wondering. He was a complete loser jackass. So, it’s just the three of us girls.”

“That explains Cara’s tendency to mother.”

“If you say so.” As far as Katie was concerned, it was time Cara focused all that energy on Ashleigh. “What about you?”

“You mean family?” When Katie nodded, he continued. “Just me. My parents live over in Kailua.”

“Pretty area.” It was a thirty-minute drive through the Ko’olau Mountains from Honolulu, on the Winward or rainy side of the island, but a world away in many respects. Low crime. Expensive houses. Water views. Few tourists and a more leisurely pace. The scenic area boasted one of the best beaches in the world. Cute shops and restaurants lined Kailua Road, the main street through the business section of town.

Katie loved the area and dreamed of relocating Cara and Ashleigh there one day. She hoped a business degree would eventually make that possible. Cara could focus on the food and Katie would handle all the other stuff.

“They’ve been there for years,” Eric added.

She guessed he was trying to downplay their laidback beachfront neighborhood to avoid any obvious comparisons to the one they were in now.

“You live there, too?” she asked.

“I live downtown.”

She stared up at him to see if he was joking. “Honolulu?”

“In a high-rise.”

“No one lives downtown.”

“People with offices downtown who work twenty hours a day do. Cuts down on the commute.” He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. When she licked it, he did it again.

“But yet you are here in the afternoon, bringing me a beverage and chatting with my sister. You might be able to leave work a little earlier each night if you didn’t take so many post-lunch hours off. Just saying.”

“I needed a break.”

Wrong. He needed to engage in some recon. She might not be book smart, but she knew that much.

“I’m not going to tell anyone about us.” She dropped her hands. Didn’t try to inch away from him, but didn’t really want to touch him right now either. “That’s the big fear here, right? That I’ll wait until your campaign is officially launched and then run to the press and blab or blackmail you or some other awful thing.”

He had the nerve to look shocked at her suggestion. “I didn’t think—”

“Sure you did. A woman hits on you at a wedding, you have sex, and you start worrying. You think maybe you were set up.”

“You have an active imagination.”

She laced her fingers together to keep from fidgeting. “You worry there are photos somewhere or something equally incriminating.”

His eyes narrowed. “How long is it going to be before you remember that I approached you at the wedding?”

“That’s not true.” Since she’d hunted him down, that was absolutely not true.

“You were taking a break after serving the main course.” He closed the gap between them. Put his mouth against her ear. “I came up to you, put my hand on the wall beside your head, leaned in and asked if you could show me the bathroom.”

Nope. She wasn’t going to be lured in. Not until they got this topic behind them. She might not have a clean slate on this point, but she was not a pawn to bring him down, either. She’d been told one of his donors wanted to make sure Eric was as clean as he appeared. Wanted to see if the “Deana situation” was going to come back to bite the party in the ass. She could report that answer as no, and she had specifically refused further work when Jimmy came calling.

The only remaining question was whether she should come clean with Eric now. Let him know someone was checking on him. Let him know the brief role she’d played and why.

Something inside her deflated. She went back and forth on this subject, internally justifying her snooping as no big deal and not harmful to Eric. But as much as she wanted to spin this into someone else’s deal, the guilt still gnawed at her.

The only reason she didn’t tell him was that she figured there wasn’t a need because she didn’t matter to him. Because every time she saw him she thought it would be the last. She never expected him to keep coming around…no matter how much she wanted him to.

She locked all the jumbled feelings inside. Somehow, some way, she’d figure out how to deal with her role and minimize any impact on Eric. But for now, she’d concentrate on him. If this was their last meeting, she’d enjoy it.

“Before you sauntered over to me—”

He smiled down at her. “Sauntered?”

“You did more than walk, buddy.”

He rested his hands on the small of her back. “Interesting.”

“Not like you had a choice. I was staring you down pretty hard. You came over because I wanted you to come over. You got under my skirt because I invited you.”

“That’s some big confidence right there.”

“It’s not ego talking.” She poked his chest. “It’s reality.”

“Then what about the part where I came looking for you after the wedding? Where I found out the company that catered the event and went hunting for a pretty brunette with eyes the color of the sky right after sunrise?”

The thawing inside her started the second the words left his mouth. “You are smooth.”

“I have my moments.”

He was a good man, and she was screwing him in more ways than one. But she wasn’t guilty of the sin he wanted to leave at her door and she needed him to know that. “I’m still not talking to anyone about us. You don’t need to worry. Your secret is safe with me.”

He frowned. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with you thinking of yourself as some big secret.”

“Is that why you brought coffee instead of asking me to go out with you? Out in public where someone might actually see us together?” He actually blushed. Under that tan skin, she saw a rosy hue burn into his cheeks. “Ahhhh, there it is. I can almost see reality nipping at your ass.”

“I never thought you were a setup. Honest.”

No matter what he said, she worried about the possibility. There was no hiding that guilty look on his face. She saw the same one on her face in the mirror each morning since she’d met him. “But…?”

“I do have to be careful in public.” His hands eased up until his fingers dipped under her hair to massage her neck.

“At places like your ex’s wedding.”

The gentle kneading slowed. “You do know everything, don’t you?”

“The entire island knows about that romance. You looked perfect together on the outside and then the unspeakable happened. Most people thought you got screwed in the process.”

Then his hands were gone. They hung at his sides. “Things happen.”

Katie wasn’t letting go that easily. Wrapping her hands around his neck, she leaned in close. “Can I ask you something?”

“The conversation can’t go worse, so shoot,” he said with a sigh.

“Sure it could.”

He rolled his eyes. “Now there’s some bad news.”

“Why did you go? Why put yourself through that?” She waited to feel his touch against her somewhere—anywhere—but it never came. “I mean, I’m assuming that’s why you needed to hook up with me. You were upset at seeing Deana and then this woman you didn’t know crossed your path. You needed to feel something and there I was.”

“I’m not sure if that explanation is less flattering to you or to me.”

“Probably me, but answer the question.”

He exhaled a long agonizing breath. “I needed to prove that I could.”

“Have sex?”

He didn’t even blink. “Stand there on that perfect day, in that incredible oceanfront spot, and watch Deana marry Josh.”

Since he’d given an honest answer, Katie finally broke her hold on him and let her fingers slide down to his shoulders, then to his waist. “That’s a tough test of personal courage. What if you couldn’t stand it?”

“I did.” His face didn’t show any emotion.

“Or was the real point to make your head and your heart face it?”

“Pretty much.” He grabbed her hands and pulled them away from his body. The only good thing was that he didn’t let go. His warm fingers entangled with hers even as their bodies broke apart. “I’m not stuck on Deana. I’m not using sex with you as some sort of antidote.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.” He brought their bound hands to his lips and kissed her palm.

The sweet gesture sent Katie’s hormones racing. “You really don’t have a condom on you anywhere?”

He chuckled. “No.”

“That’s a shame.”

“I’m trying to show you that I can do something besides have sex.” Said the man as he licked his tongue over her skin.

“I hear you’re also pretty good in a courtroom.”

“Want to know why I’m still standing here despite the tough questions? Honestly?”

“Do you know how to be anything else?”

“Because I like being with you.”

“On top of me.”

He treated her to a devastating smile. “I can’t lie. That, too.”

With his mouth on her skin and those eyes watching her, she couldn’t help but be lured in. Even felt a little disappointed by his determination to do something other than have sex with her. But it was hard to ignore the gesture. Pretty damn awesome in her book.

“Would you settle for a little necking and then another round of dishwashing?” she asked.

His mouth left her hand long enough for him to glance at the stacks of dishes around the sink. “Let’s try a lot of kissing and then some cleanup.”

Her hands found their way to his neck again. “I’m starting to like you, Eric Kimura.”

“I’ll remember that when I’m looking for campaign volunteers.”

Then his mouth was on hers and she forgot about anything other than him.

Chapter 6

The idea of going home and facing Cara’s verbal firing line held zero appeal to Katie. Talking to Jimmy wasn’t a great option either, but he kept texting. If it took a face-to-face to get him to leave her alone about this, she was willing to waste ten minutes.

She shoved open the door to the diner, all full of attitude and spit, ready to set her friend straight. They’d known each other since she’d left home just out of high school to live on Kauai. She’d roamed the beaches, waitressed for food and a bit of spare change, and otherwise got into a lot of trouble. Jimmy worked odd jobs but stayed away from anything illegal, so he was the one person from her past she stayed in contact with after she beat the bogus drug rap and eventually moved back in with her sister on Oahu eighteen months ago.

Jimmy got her the job watching Eric at the wedding.

Now Jimmy needed to go away.

She slid into the fake red leather booth across from him. He was one of those guys who radiated sunshine. Sunny blond hair and a laidback demeanor that fit the slopes more than the surf. But Jimmy was a local boy. Born and raised not far from Pearl Harbor and totally at home in the water.

Today he wore his usual uniform of a faded tee, a bathing suit, and flip-flops. Not the kind of guy she thought of as a political operative, but then Jimmy knew everyone. If you had a unique job, he’d find a way to get it done.

“Looking good, Katie.” He shoved a menu in her direction. “But that’s nothing new.”

She knew he liked to play the charm card. It never worked on her. Despite his being slightly older, she always thought of him as a kid. “I’m not here for food.”

“Fair enough.” He folded his arms and leaned in close. “What took you so long to get back to me?”

“I was busy.”

“The catering thing?”

“It’s a real job.”

He held up his hands. “Hey, I’m not knocking. We all got bills.”

“You need to stop texting me. My sister thinks something’s wrong. She’s just starting to trust me again, and this doesn’t help that process go easier.”

“I would, but we have some trouble.” He took out a printout. “Need to do some cleanup.”

“What does that mean?”

Jimmy waited until the server put down two glasses of water and walked away. “My client thinks we missed something on our boy Kimura and his social life.”

She’d told many half-truths over the past week, but she could answer this one honestly. She tapped her fingernail against the menu. “I’m telling you, Eric did not go near Deana except when he left the reception. Even then, the groom was standing right there. I doubt Eric made a pass with the groom watching.”

“A witness at the wedding says Eric disappeared for about a half hour right after the meal was served. Missed the entire dinner portion of the reception and cut out right after.”

Good thing Katie hadn’t eaten because she’d be losing it about now. “Witness?’

“Our boy came back looking like he’d been enjoying the party favors, if you know what I mean.”

The world spun so fast around her that she got dizzy. Somehow she grabbed onto the edge of the table and managed to stay upright. “You actually think Eric had sex with the bride at her own wedding?”

Jimmy shrugged. “Doesn’t matter what I think. We’re getting paid for primo facts on this one.”

If someone had seen Eric leave, that same someone might have seen him with her. Screw the job and Jimmy and whoever his client was. This person could go straight to Eric and tell him about her. “How many spies did you have at the wedding?”

He waved her off. “Just you.”

The relief whooshing through her came out in a small sigh. “Okay.”

“The other person was a fluke. Someone who knows my client mentioned the meal thing and got him thinking there was a problem.”

The same mysterious client who kept dicking around in her life and Eric’s. “Who is this guy? Your client?”

Jimmy leaned back with his arms laid across the top of the booth. “Can’t say.”

“I’m working for this person, too. I have a right to know.”

Jimmy’s sunny disposition slipped for a second, leaving behind something feral and power hungry. “You work for me.”

She didn’t like the look or the newsflash at all. Something about being beholden to anyone started a creepy crawly sensation deep in her stomach. “Is it Howard Gunnery?”

Jimmy looked stumped. “Who?”

She wanted to reach across the table and smack some of that relaxation right out of Jimmy. “The guy running against Eric for the prosecutor position.”

“Nah, it’s someone on our boy’s political team.”

“Doesn’t sound like it.” Sounded like a rat hiding behind a false identity to her. If Eric thought he was being set up, he should look close to home.

“The other issue has to do with our boy’s whereabouts this week.” Jimmy reached out and turned the printout around to face her.

She sat on her hands to keep from grabbing the thing. Not that being closer to the piece of paper would have helped. She had no idea what she was looking at. There were a series of names and numbers but not much in the way of other identifying information.

“What is this?” she asked.

“Our boy’s work schedule. When he’s in court and his weekly appointments.”

“How did you get it?

“It’s in the court’s computer. Buried a bit but findable.”

She looked around to make sure no one was listening in. “That doesn’t really answer my question.”

“Seems he left work a few afternoons right after the courtroom stuff was done for the day. He stepped out, was gone for an hour or so, and then came back a very happy man. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out the serious guy is doing someone.”

She had officially crossed over into the category of a politician’s plaything. The thought brought all the guilt and crappy feelings rushing right back to her. She deserved to be caught, to have Eric call her out and paint her as a conniving lowlife.

“Apparently that’s pretty uncharacteristic of him. Our boy’s a stay-in-the-office-all-night type.”

With an elbow balanced on the table, she rubbed her forehead. She hoped the gentle massage would stop the hammering that had kicked up in there. “What does any of this matter?”

“He could be seeing Deana.”

Katie let her arm fall and her open hand smack against the table. The only thing she knew for sure in this world other than the true size of her jeans was where Eric had been most afternoons this week. With her. “Not possible.”

“Why?”

The easy excuse sprang up before she could panic about finding a fake one. “Deana is on her honeymoon. You think that big hunk of a husband of hers is going to let her fool around while he’s standing right there? I don’t think so. I saw him. He’s of the protective she’s-my-woman-now school.”

“That may have been true over the weekend, but they’re back in town. They were only gone two days. Apparently the husband had to start his new job.”

What kind of people took a two-day honeymoon? She closed her eyes and searched for a logical answer. Yeah, the kind who were unknowingly screwing her, that’s who.

“It still doesn’t make any sense. If she wanted to be with Eric, why go through the pretense of marrying Josh?”

“Maybe she likes having a little something on the side.”

Katie tried to imagine Eric acting as a woman’s extra. No way. The guy demanded full attention. He liked sex, excelled at it, and did not strike her as someone who would settle for a few afternoon delights here and there. “Haven’t we picked at Eric enough? He’s just doing his job.”

“It’s what he’s getting outside of work that concerns me.”

She ignored that. “I don’t get why your client can’t leave Eric alone.”

Jimmy stared at her. His gaze roamed her face. “You got a crush on our boy or something?”

If she couldn’t hide the truth from this idiot, how the hell was she going to hide it from Cara? Or worse, from Eric? “Of course not.”

“Sure?”

“He’s not really my type, now is he?”

“Guess not since he’s old enough to be your father.”

The age issue hadn’t even occurred to her until right that second. “Not quite.”

“What do you care about any of this anyway? It’s a job.” Jimmy placed his fingertips against the edge of Eric’s schedule and started to pull it back.

“It’s a waste of time.”

“Either you do it or I pay someone else to tail him. Your choice. I thought I was doing you a favor throwing some easy cash your way.”

Someone else. That meant unless Eric changed his current schedule of popping in on her every other day, this new spy would follow Eric right to her. Now there was a problem. Only one thing to do. Take the job and hold this client off. If necessary, eventually tell Eric the truth even though the thought of it made her sick. He’d be furious.

“Well?” Jimmy asked, tapping his foot against the floor and becoming more impatient with each passing second.

She slammed her hand against the paper before Jimmy could snatch it away. “I’ll do it.”

Katie ran every possible errand before heading home a little before seven that night. She got coffee, checked out some greeting cards, and dropped her spare catering outfit off at the dry cleaner’s. All of that, including driving around in rush hour traffic, had sounded better than facing Cara. But it was time to at least pretend she was a grown-up and stop hiding in the car.

They lived far from the beach, but the warm air carried the faint taste of the salt and enough moisture to keep the bath towels damp all day. She walked across the small lawn, stopping to admire the plumeria but not really smelling the rich scent. Her mind was elsewhere.

She opened the front door to the small two-bedroom cottage expecting an icy greeting from a fuming sibling. Cara was too busy spooning fried rice out of a white container and talking with Eric to notice her wayward sister.

Katie blinked six or seven times but his image didn’t disappear. Didn’t even get smaller. Nope. Eric sat there at the kitchen table wearing his dress shirt and loosened tie, looking as if he’d just stepped out of the office for a minute. While he turned the pages on a soft-cover book for Ashleigh, she showed her appreciation by sucking on the corner.

Seemed the handsome lawyer had charmed all of the women in the Long residence.

Katie thought about sneaking back out but her curiosity wouldn’t let her. “Uh, hello?”

Three heads turned and three sets of eyes focused on her. Only Ashleigh gave a squeal of welcome.

“You’re late,” Cara said.

That’s what happened when someone didn’t want to come home to fifty questions. Of course, Katie now had about a hundred of her own. She glanced at the subject of most of them. “Eric?”

He shot her a sexy little smile. “Were you expecting someone else?”

She wasn’t even expecting him. “What are you doing here?”

“Good to see you, too.”

“Really, Katie,” Cara said.

“What?”

“You could work on your welcome.” This time Cara let her exasperation show, complete with a frown and disappointed tone.

Katie still didn’t understand what she was seeing. “What?”

Eric held up his hand. “Okay. Let’s not start with the ‘what’ thing again.”

“You can see why I might be confused with what’s happening here.”

“You’ll survive.” Eric stood up and walked over to stand in front of her. Before she could snap out of it, he took the keys out of her hand and, with a palm on her lower back, navigated her toward food.

Cara watched every move. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t miss much, either.

Katie plopped down in the open seat across from Ashleigh. “Hey, pretty girl. Isn’t it your bedtime?”

“Look at that smile,” Eric said when Ashleigh pumped her fists in hello.

If the man wanted to win points with Cara, he was going about it the right way. Through her precious baby. Hell, it worked on Katie, too.

She pushed the thought from her mind. He had enough pluses in his column without her adding another one. This was the evening she’d planned to sit down and come up with the best way to get out of the disaster she’d wiggled her way into. The one thing she was not ready for was his face. Seeing him was not part of her plan. Yelling at Cara and working off some steam—yes. Fighting off that kick start to her heart that happened every time Eric walked into a room—no.

She stared at the Chinese food containers rather than focusing on her newest life mess. Seemed they’d moved from coffee and sex to food. Big step for one day. One that made her want to squeal with excitement like Ashleigh, but terrified the crap out of her at the same time.

“You brought dinner,” Katie said, stating the obvious.

“Yes.” He must have sensed her confusion because he smiled again. Not one of the hot-for-sex kind she now treasured. No, this was one of the cute, supportive ones.

Katie knew she had no shield against that type. Instead of looking at him the way she wanted to, she counted four containers. “For everyone?”

Eric slipped his finger out of Ashleigh’s clenched fist. “Well, your niece has her own.”

“Actually, I handle most of hers.” Cara pretended to eat, clanking her fork against the plate a few times.

Katie ignored her. “How did you know where I live?”

“One of the benefits of working for law enforcement,” Eric said.

Katie knew his power should scare her. For some reason it didn’t. “You got someone to look it up and then tell you.”

“Not quite, but close.”

Great. With her luck, he’d get fired. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Sounds like a potential abuse of power.”

“Not at all.” He moved the boxes in front of her as if telling her it was time to eat. “I was explaining to Cara how we met.”

Katie dropped her spoon and watched it bounce on her plate. “What?”

His mouth dropped into a flat line. He also sent an eye bulge her way. “I told her how I saw you at the wedding, made a pass and have been making them ever since.”

So, he lied. Nice. Katie decided she could live with that since his version would save her hours of questions from Cara. Now there would only be three or four instead of the possible seven or eight.

“You’ll be happy to know he says you didn’t do anything to screw up my big catering job,” Cara said, making it clear she didn’t buy Eric’s chivalrous attempt at taking the full blame.

“I’m pretty sure I told you that, too.” Katie made the comment under her breath before turning back to Eric. “So, you came here with dinner and to talk with Cara.”

“Well, I hoped you’d show up at some point.”

Cara snorted. “She was probably afraid to come home.”

“I’m a grown-up,” Katie mumbled even though she doubted anyone heard her.

“So am I, but your sister still scares me a little.” Eric shrugged. “And that’s saying something since I deal with criminals all day.”

Katie reached out and squeezed his fingers. “It makes you a smart man.”

Cara’s gaze shifted from her sister to Eric. “On that note, I will take the impressionable child out of the room and let you two eat dinner in private.”

She made a bit of a scene of getting Ashleigh. Stopped while Katie gave Ashleigh a hug and Eric tickled her toes.

Katie waited until they disappeared down the hall before unloading on Eric.

“What’s going on here?” she said in a low, hissing tone.

His smile faltered a bit. “You’re angry?”

“Confused.”

He pointed at her forehead. “If the pulsing vein and the sting in your voice only mean confusion, remind me never to tick you off.”

Okay. Maybe she needed to amp down a bit, but the whole situation threw her off. Every time she thought she had seen the last of Eric, he popped up again. Pretty soon she’d be expecting him to turn up, and that’s what scared the crap out of her.

“I doubt you’re afraid of me,” she said.

“More than you’d think.”

She laughed then. Couldn’t help it. He sounded so sincere, all while concentrating on shoveling rice onto his fork. “Poor baby.”

“That’s better.”

“Are you ready to answer the question now?”

He swallowed a few bites of food before answering. “Which one?”

“What’s really going on?”

“Thought I’d try to do something to take that angry look off Cara’s face. She didn’t seem all that impressed to meet me the first time around.”

“That was about me, not you.” Katie traced a drip down the side of her glass. “You take a shared history, wrap it up in years of disappointment and sisterly attitude, and that’s what you get.”

“If you say so, but it sure felt like whatever was bugging her was aimed at me.”

Most men would take a slap-down and move on. Not Eric. When he thought a woman was upset with him, he stayed put and tried to win her over. Katie wasn’t sure what that said about him, but it was pretty damn cute. “And you being you, you felt the need to come here and charm her.”

“Rather than pull that sentence apart and analyze it, I’ll just agree.” He leaned in and placed a quick kiss on her mouth.

His mouth on hers never failed to start the buzzing in her head. “Good call.”

“Think my evil charm plan worked?”

“Surprisingly, yes.” And that was a pretty big coup since Cara didn’t trust many people.

“What about you?” He scooped some rice onto his plate and then onto hers. “You feel charmed yet?”

About two seconds after she’d met him. “I guess that will depend on how this dinner goes.”

Chapter 7

Eric sat across from Katie with her words from two days before still ringing in his head. Is that why you brought coffee instead of asking me to go out?

The nagging comment explained why he’d showed up at her house with food in hand. He refused to believe he’d become the kind of guy who used women for sex but was ashamed to be seen with them in public. Sure, they’d been together without ever going through the potentially painful experience of a first date. That made him a lucky bastard. He just wanted to make sure the emphasis stayed off the bastard part.

“I thought we were overdue for a meal together,” he said as he watched her guard drop and some of the stiffness leave her shoulders.

She dug into the food, peeking in each container and sniffing one before dumping piles on her plate. “Is this food thing part of your no-sex plan?”

He stole a quick glance behind her to make sure Cara wasn’t standing there, ready to kick his ass. “I believe normal people call it a date.”

There, he’d said it. It was official. This was a date.

“Coming to my house without telling me is a date?”

But maybe he was the only one who saw it that way. “I’m going to go with yes.”

She pointed her fork at him. “Using that reasoning, if I hadn’t come home tonight, you would have had a date with Cara.”

Something about the wording caught his attention. They didn’t have an agreement or even an understanding about what they were doing or what the parameters were, but the idea of her seeing another guy sent an icy cold rage washing through him.

If she wanted to sleep with someone, she could damn well sleep with him. “Where would you have gone?”

Her fork scraped against the plate as her head shot up. “What?”

“If you stayed out.” Tension crept up out of nowhere and slapped against him. He had no idea what she was going to say. Nothing in the sudden stillness of her body or her blank expression gave it away.

“For a lawyer, you’re not being too clear.”

That was on purpose. It was a matter of self-protection he’d learned the hard way from Deana. “Meaning?”

“What exactly are you asking, Eric?”

It was as if she wanted to torture him. “I think you know.”

“I’m not seeing anyone but you, if that’s what you’re getting at.” She folded her napkin and put it next to her glass. “Hell, I can’t even figure out if I’m seeing you, but whatever we have is monogamous.”

The churning in his stomach died down to a steady rumble. “Good.”

“That’s all you have to say?”

“We agree.” When her I’m-going-to-shoot-him scowl didn’t subside, he tried again. “We’re on the same page.”

“Really?” She folded her arms and leaned against the table. “About which part?”

He was walking into a shit storm. He saw it and ran in anyway. “All of it.”

“You’re telling me that there aren’t any other women in your life.”

“I like to visit my mom now and then.”

Katie’s mouth fell even further. “You know what I mean.”

He did. Looked like he wasn’t the only one who needed some reassurance. She’d probably heard the rumors about Deana. Even though Katie acted cool and confident, not seeing him again wouldn’t matter, he could understand how the garbage about an ex might shake her.

He held up one hand acting like he was taking an oath. “I haven’t been with anyone, dated anyone, had sex with anyone, since meeting you.”

“That’s quite an accomplishment, since it’s only been a week.” Katie shrugged, acted like she didn’t care either way, but her smile came through.

“Feels longer.”

Her hands fell to the table. The fingernail drumming started a second later. “Speaking of your mother….”

Now there was the last topic he’d expected to cover tonight. He was thinking more along the lines of some ground rules to the whole sex and sort-of-dating thing. “Were we?”

“I’m assuming I’m not what she’d expect.”

This was one of those conversations women put out there to trip a man up. Eric recognized the minefield but wasn’t sure how to dodge it. “I have no idea.”

“She probably sees you with someone…different.”

“I’m not following you.”

“I’ve read articles.” The thumping of Katie’s fingers almost drowned out her voice. “You’re the overachieving son of hardworking Japanese parents. They pushed you. You excelled because it was demanded of you.”

They veered right into you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me territory. “Did you read that article in the Big Book of Racial Stereotypes?”

Katie looked stumped. “Is there such a thing?”

A rumbling started low and deep inside him. “Unfortunately most people think this stuff without any help.”

“Wait, are you upset about what I said?”

“You’re picking up on that, are you?” He had to take three deep breaths to keep from exploding.

“It’s not like I asked you to do a math problem for me.”

From anyone else, in any other tone, and he would have launched into a lecture. Yelled and then written them off. “I’m not even sure I know what to say to that.”

“I was trying to make a point.”

He reached over and held one of her hands in his. “I think you’re confused on a few things.”

“Like?”

“First, I’m a Japanese American. I was born in Hawaii, just like my mother. My dad moved here as a kid. I’d show you my passport, but you’ll just have to trust me on the citizenship thing.” When she started to speak, he gave her palm a squeeze. He needed to talk and he feared what she might say. “Second, all Asian people are not the same.”

Her mouth dropped open, leaving her stammering. “That’s not what I meant.”

He knew that on one level. It was the only reason he was sitting there and not out the door. “But this is the most important point, so I really want you to hear me.”

“Okay.”

He waited until an anxious hush fell over the room. “I am a grown man.”

“No kidding.”

He traced his thumb over the back of her hands to remind her of what he could do with his fingers. “An adult.”

“I get that. Trust me.”

“Then you should know my parents don’t pick my dates. They don’t get a say.”

She looked all around the room, everywhere except him. “Did they like Deana Armstrong?”

The question came like a punch. For months the mention of his ex’s name would send him into a downward spiral of anger and frustration. This time the reaction came from a different direction. The sound of Deana’s name on Katie’s lips rubbed him wrong. Made him antsy and uncomfortable. He didn’t want Deana intruding here. Not now.

“They seemed to,” he said, wanting to shrug this off but figuring there was no reason to lie.

“Did they want you to marry her?”

Much more of this uncomfortable questioning and he’d have to stand up and start pacing. “I don’t know. Don’t really care either since it’s a moot point.”

Katie’s head fell to the side and her eyes narrowed in question. “Oh, come on.”

“They were too busy arranging my marriage to a young virgin from a small fishing village outside of Tokyo.” When Katie just stared at him, he blew out a long exhale. “That was a joke.”

“I knew that.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“I didn’t know you’d be so touchy about this subject.”

And here he’d thought he was showing remarkable restraint. “Racial stereotypes get old fast.”

“I didn’t realize I was even using them.”

From the confusion on her face, he knew she was telling the truth. She repeated the stuff she picked up.

He rarely invested time setting people straight on their misconceptions about his background. For her, he made an exception. He needed her to understand the reality. “My parents are normal people and just like any other set of parents. Dad is an accountant. Mom is a secretary—and that’s her word, not mine. They want me to succeed, but that’s more a matter of not wanting to financially support their adult son while he lives in the guest room and tries to get his act together than a statement about my culture.”

He didn’t realize until the words left his mouth that Katie was in a situation like the one he’d flippantly referred to. She lived with her sister. He didn’t know their financial arrangement, but he’d looked up the tax records and found the house they lived in was in Cara’s name alone. Now he wanted to dig a little more.

He dropped her hand and leaned back in the chair. “How did we get on this subject?”

“I was being nosy.”

Her quick response sucked some of the defensiveness out of him. “At least you’re honest.”

If she heard him, she didn’t show it. She was too busy staring at a spot on the table.

This was the part he hated. The leaving. “But I have to go.”

“What?” She looked at the clock and then at him. “Why?”

“I have motions tomorrow and have to prepare tonight.”

“I’m not sure what that means.”

“Basically?” He stood up and dragged her to her feet beside him. “That you should walk me to the door before I’m tempted to stay longer. In a battle between you and paperwork, you will win every time.”

She curled her arms around his neck. “Then let me lure you to the dark side.”

“I think you already have.”

“We could turn the lights off and sit out there. Be a little naughty.”

He kissed her then, just like he’d wanted to do for an hour. His mouth brushed back and forth over hers before pressing deep. With his tongue inside and his fingers touching against her chin, the kiss moved from hot to flaming. Every pass over her lips and another piece of control slipped away.

He waged an internal battle, tried to think of how he could put off his work and stay longer. The way her fingers traveled through his hair didn’t help. Her warm mouth and the mumbling at the back of her throat broke his concentration and sent his fingers wandering all over her.

“Still have to work tonight?” She breathed the question against his neck.

He wanted to say no. “Damn it, yes.”

“Then I’ll be the strong one.” After one last aching kiss, she broke away and grabbed his hand. Started pulling him toward the front door. “The food stays here. I’ll continue the date without you.”

“Sounds romantic.”

“Then we need to work on your idea of a date.”

Before she could open the door, he crowded her up against it. He put his hands on her hips and fused their mouths together. Without words, he tried to tell her how much he’d rather stay with her.

After a few seconds, he lifted his head and rested his cheek against hers. “You’re not making it easy to leave you.”

“Didn’t want to.”

One more word out of her and he’d have her on her back on the couch. “Okay, time to go.”

She left him for a second to retrieve his suit jacket. “You’ll need this.”

“I’d rather have this.” His fingers slipped behind her neck as he kissed her one last time. When he came up for air, he had to gulp to breathe. “Lock the door behind me.”

He waited until he was outside to turn back around and look at her. His will strained to the point of breaking. Being close to her was asking too much of his control.

She leaned against the edge of the door. “For the record, you’re not forgiven.”

“For what?”

“We still haven’t been out in public.”

His stomach hit the porch. “Katie—”

“Goodnight, Eric.” She pushed the door shut before he could say anything else.

Chapter 8

Seth slipped into Eric’s office before eight the next morning.

“Thought I’d find you here.”

Eric looked up even though he didn’t have a second to spare. He’d lingered at Katie’s house longer than expected the night before. Then he’d spent another hour on the Internet and in court records, trying to find out as much as he could about her.

Turned out the information was a bit more plentiful than he had hoped. His mind kept running back to the articles about her parents’ crash and Katie’s legal issues right after. When tragedy struck, she’d headed right down the crooked path to nowhere that so many other teens had taken. But somehow she’d pulled out of the tailspin.

Her turn from troubled twenty-something to catering assistant impressed the hell out of him, but it didn’t make his life any easier. Dating a younger woman only a few years out of the tough part of her life was a gamble. Kevin would have a heart attack. So would every campaign donor.

“Where else would I be on a workday?” Eric asked.

“Good point. It’s not as if you have a life or anything.” Seth dropped his file folder on top of Eric’s, blocking his view and ending any possibility of doing more work. “Speaking of that, is there anything you want to tell me?”

“Not particularly.”

Seth stopped looming and sat down. “You sure?”

“Where are you on the Hobbes case?”

“I’m not talking about work, you idiot. I’m talking about where you were last night.”

Eric stayed calm as he pushed Seth’s file aside. Showing panic would only feed Seth’s interest. Give the guy an “in” and he would never leave the office.

“I’m working.” Eric held up his pen. “That’s what we do in this building.”

“Try again.”

“How is my night relevant to anything?”

“You canceled a working dinner with me. One you’d originally insisted on, I might add.” The sarcasm in Seth’s voice suggested what he thought about being ordered around. “No explanation. Just left a note on my desk and a message on my cell.”

Eric had known the abrupt change in plans would send up a red flag. His workweeks belonged to the office. Calling off an important meeting for a woman was not his style. “Did you want me to fly one of those signs behind an airplane at the beach?”

“You’re hysterical today,” Seth said.

“Thanks.”

“What happened?”

“Something came up. Couldn’t be helped.” Someone about five-seven with the softest brown hair he had ever touched and the hottest mouth he’d ever kissed.

Seth’s gaze roamed around Eric’s desk, probably searching for incriminating evidence of some sort. “See, I figured you were being your usual pathetic self and eating at your desk—”

“Are you ready to talk about the Hobbes case yet?” Eric would be happy to talk about anything else at that point.

“But you weren’t here. Weren’t anywhere in the building,” Seth said in a singsongy voice.

“I do have a personal life, you know.”

“No, you don’t.”

Eric moved his hand to the top drawer of his desk, where he had put his surprise for Katie. It was small but significant. He wondered if she’d understand the importance when she opened it.

“And how do you know I wasn’t even in the building? You breaking into my key card log now?” Eric pointed at his friend and issued a warning that was only half joking. “Think carefully before you answer because I will have your lazy ass arrested.”

“It would be good if I had access to shit like that, but no.” Seth propped his ankles up on the edge of Eric’s desk. “That last part was a guess, the thing about you not being here. I didn’t bother to come in and check. Figured it was easier to bug you about it this morning.”

“Move your feet before I get out my stapler.”

Seth’s shoes hit the ground with a thud. “Well? Where were you?”

“You can ask fifty times—and you’re halfway there, by the way—and we’re still not talking about this.”

Seth’s eyebrows lifted. “So, you were with a woman.”

Eric knew Seth would never leave this alone now. “Why are you in here?”

“Who is it?”

No need to lie. Seth had that look. He’d ferreted out the answer somehow and would now run with it. That’s what came with knowing someone so well and for so long.

“You don’t know her,” Eric said.

“So, we’ve established she was a she. That’s a good start.”

“I’m starting to wonder why I ever considered you one of the best litigators in the office.”

“I got you to admit you had a date, didn’t I?”

Eric threw his pen down against his blotter and eased back into his chair. “Is there a rule against my dating?”

“Only when you refuse to share the details with your friend Seth.” His tone grew more serious. “Look, I’m not looking for video here. I just want to know you’ve moved on to a cozy non-Deana relationship.”

Eric didn’t know the real answer to that one. He still didn’t understand what he had with Katie or why he couldn’t stop going back to her. All he wanted at the moment was to preserve some nonwork time to be with her.

So, he lied. “I have.”

Seth clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “It’s casual.”

Whatever the hell that meant. “Yeah.”

“Those are the best kind.”

Eric decided it was time to steer the conversation back to something that mattered, something he did have a handle on. “The Hobbes case?”

“What’s her name?”

“Amanda Hobbes.”

Seth snorted. “Not work. The woman.”

“If she starts to matter, I’ll let you know.”

Seth opened his mouth and then shut it again. The lack of a reaction was unusual enough to be scarier than his questioning. “Fair enough.”

The box arrived by courier around three the next afternoon. First food and now gifts. Katie would have been thrilled if the timing hadn’t been so piss poor. She had been avoiding Cara all day. The catering job for the brunch at the art gallery helped on that score. But now they were back in the kitchen, cleaning up. Prepping for another job tomorrow and hovering on the verge of a full-fledged yelling match.

“That’s from Eric?” Cara asked.

Katie stared at the box, turned it over in her hands, too excited to open it. “Yes.”

The half-cursive, half-printed scrawl on the card said: I’m ready for that date.

“Just the person I wanted to talk with you about,” Cara said.

No surprise there. Katie had been dreading this fight. Having a pretty little gift made what was about to come a bit less daunting.

Katie sighed, letting Cara know there would be plenty of attitude in this battle. “Go ahead.”

“You picked him up during one of my catering jobs.” Cara threw the towel over her shoulder and moved to stand in front of Katie. “We specifically talked about this.”

They had argued about professionalism. They definitely hadn’t gone into detail of the type that Cara was suggesting now. “No, we didn’t.”

“You think because I didn’t specifically say ‘don’t use work as a way to pick up men’ that we didn’t have an understanding?” With her hands on her hips, Cara resembled their mother. Pretty yet stern, so protective and careful she almost squeaked.

“That isn’t what happened.” Katie wasn’t stretching the truth there. The reality was the story was so much more complicated than Cara imagined, more than Eric even knew.

Katie had always been the impulsive one. She rushed from thing to thing, got stuck on boys and used poor judgment. She’d wanted to get out of the house and away from the dragging feelings of loss after their parents died. She only got as far as another island, but the freedom still fueled her…and eventually threatened to taint everything.

She had toyed with drugs, using not selling, but didn’t like the sensation of losing that much control. Once, she thought she’d found a decent guy, but he turned out to be all show and no substance unless lying was a form of substance. To this day she wasn’t sure what that said about her judgment; she just knew it was a wake-up call. Plans for a new life started right after.

And while Katie wandered around with few responsibilities, Cara threw herself into work. She sought stability and found a false version of it in the form of a marriage that was all wrong for her. Katie often wondered what would have happened had she been at home when Bill arrived. Maybe she could have prevented Cara’s heartbreak. Maybe with Katie around, Cara wouldn’t have taken a chance on Bill.

“Explain how you went from serving poached opakapaka to two hundred guests to striking up a relationship with someone like Eric.”

Cara didn’t say the words but Katie got the point: Her sister wanted to know how someone like Katie snagged the attention of someone so clearly above her. “He’s attractive. He approached me.”

“He’s not the first guy to ever glance in your direction, Katie.”

“Should I have ignored him?”

“Yes!” Cara blew out a long breath. “Though I’ll admit he’s not an easy man to ignore.”

Now there was an understatement. One that took some of the indignation out of Katie. Her sister deserved some sort of explanation. “We’ve seen each other a few times since.”

“Yeah, I figured that out.”

“Thought it was better to come clean on that point so you wouldn’t get pissed off about it later.”

“If you really thought all of this was okay, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I knew how you’d react.” There were so many other reasons but that was the obvious one.

Cara’s hands slid off her hips. Her whole body went limp. “There’s something else. Something you’re not telling me.”

How the hell did she do that? “All the cooking has fried your brain.”

“I can feel it. Your face changes.” Cara pointed as she spoke. “It tenses up like holding back information is physically painful for you.”

Those damn mother instincts kept biting Katie on the butt. “You’re imagining things.”

“I’m not.” Cara looked as if she wanted to say something else but she let it drop. After a small shake of her head, she tried again. “So, what happens with Eric?”

“I have no idea.”

“You care for him.” She glanced at the box. “He obviously feels something for you.”

Katie sat down hard on the stool next to the butcher-block island. “I don’t know what we’re doing or how long it will last. I’m just trying to enjoy some time with a guy who is way out of my league.”

Cara pulled back as if she’d been slapped. Her mouth twisted. “Don’t say that.”

“What, you can think it but I can’t say it out loud?”

“Don’t let anyone tell you you’re not good enough. Not me and certainly not Eric.”

With a gentle reverence, Katie put the box on the table in front of her. “He’s not Bill.”

She expected Cara to react violently to that one. To flinch or get mad or something. Instead she nodded her head. “I know.”

There would never be higher praise for Eric. With those simple words, Cara gave him her approval. Katie sensed it but she feared the gesture was misplaced. There was no need for Cara to give her consent to a relationship Katie still couldn’t define.

Cara nodded in the direction of the box next to Katie’s hand. “Enough with the suspense. Open it.”

When Cara smiled, Katie ripped into the thing. “Let’s see.”

On top there was a small white note with an address. Under that a key.

The importance of the gift, what it was and what it meant, didn’t sink in at first. Katie flipped the key over in her hand.

Cara leaned in closer. “What is it?”

Then came the fury. “That bastard!”

Cara’s eyes grew huge.

“It’s to his house.” Katie picked up the key and shook it in front of Cara’s face.

“Is that a bad thing?”

The air had left her lungs or Katie would have started screaming. She settled for a furious grumble instead. “Do you know what that means?”

“Uh, that he wants to get more serious?”

“No. It’s the exact opposite.”

Cara actually looked scared now. “Clearly I’m lost.”

“When a man gives you a key, he wants one thing.” Katie threw it against the counter with enough force to make it bounce. The jangling faded long before the red mist of madness clogging her brain.

“Company?”

“Sex.”

“Katie, I don’t think—”

“He’s not asking me out. He is asking me to stay in.” For sex. Quick and easy, no strong attachment.

She had no idea if she wanted more than that with him. She didn’t even know if it made sense for them to be seen in public, not when someone was having Eric followed. But the idea that he didn’t want to be seen with her was the problem. He wasn’t giving her a choice or talking with her about it. He was steering them into dark halls and private rooms as if she was something he had to hide.

All those steps forward in her life, some small but all necessary, and here came Eric to remind her that she was easy and disposable—the two things she fought hard not to be. Well, not anymore. Her reinvented life was about family and work and trying to figure out how to pay for the education she needed to push her life in a new direction.

Cara put out her hands. “Maybe you’re taking this the wrong way.”

“He wants me to be his dirty little secret. Bring me to his house now and then for service, so he’s satisfied but his precious election isn’t affected.” Every good thought she’d ever had about Eric gave way to a new and stronger negative one.

“That doesn’t sound like him.”

“You don’t know him,” Katie snapped back.

“Do you?”

The idea that she could be lured in only to get sucker punched pissed her off. She was too smart to fall for a pretty line. She’d learned that at nineteen at the hands of a master. Looked like she’d just been handed a second lesson by a pro.

“Unfortunately, I think I’m starting to.”

Chapter 9

Eric waved off the waitress when she appeared with a second round of coffee. He’d been stuck in a working dinner with Kevin and Seth for two hours. All he wanted to do was get home and call Katie. Better yet, get home and find Katie waiting in his house.

Instead, he sat in a crowded restaurant listening to the buzz of conversation from other tables and the clinking of glasses and silverware. A few fellow patrons spent more time staring at Eric than eating. He was used to it. Didn’t like it, but he’d learned how to block it out.

The only thing he didn’t have at the moment was patience. He had not heard a word from Katie since the box was delivered. Not that she’d have been able to track him down anyway. He’d been stuck in court most of the day and, as far as he remembered, he’d never bothered to give her his phone number. A total dick move but not intentional. It was a complete oversight. If he’d been thinking, that piece of information would have been included on the card.

Kevin pushed back his dessert plate and drew his coffee cup closer. “Everything is ready to go.”

Eric fought the urge to raise his hands in victory. “Good. Then we’re done.”

“Not quite,” Kevin said before Eric had finished his sentence.

To prevent a drawn-out discussion, Eric signaled for the waitress. If she saw him, she was ignoring him. That was what he got for sending her away a few seconds earlier. It was time to pay the bill and get out of there. “I’m officially declaring this campaign meeting over.”

“It’s an ethics violation for me to talk about it anytime except outside of work,” Seth said.

Eric’s control took another hit. “I know the rules about government workers and political campaigns.”

“Just checking.”

“I meant I was done with the conversation. We’re in a good position. Gunnery hasn’t gotten his campaign together. We’re ahead here.”

Kevin took a sip and eyed Eric over the top of his mug. “What’s the rush?”

“I’m on my fifteenth consecutive hour of work for the day.”

“Join the club,” Seth mumbled.

Kevin cleared his throat in a way that anyone who knew him understood as trouble. “The Deana situation.”

“Aw, shit,” Seth said under his breath.

Eric felt his temper flare. It was like a live, angry beast inside him. “We’ve gone over this.”

“Not the way we need to.”

Eric clenched his jaw to keep from yelling loud enough to cause a scene guaranteed to make the papers. “We’re not talking about this subject.”

“This isn’t about the relationship,” Kevin said.

“You’re not helping your case.” Seth hid his mouth behind his hand but could be heard round the table.

Kevin shook his head. “This isn’t a joke. I need to know what happened in Ryan’s case. Not the original. After.”

“We’re done here.” Eric gave a second wave to the waitress. The woman had five seconds to get the check on the table or someone else was paying for dinner.

“Kevin, ease up.” Seth looked back and forth at the other men. “This is not a fight we should have in public.”

The bile rolling around in Eric’s stomach wouldn’t stop. “I’m tired of having it at all.”

Seth gave a quick glance around the restaurant before leaning in tighter and lowering his voice. “Kevin is trying to help.”

Right now his campaign manager was the last person he wanted to see or talk to, so Eric focused on Seth. “You know what I went through with Deana and that case. You were there.”

“No one is denying that,” Kevin said.

“I’m leaving.”

Seth stood up at the same time. “Wait a second.”

Eric finally acknowledged Kevin, letting him see every ounce of his fury in every line of his body. “Looks like dinner is on you.”

Katie arrived at Eric’s condo ready for a fight. The fact that Eric had put her on the approved guest list didn’t blunt her resentment. Okay, maybe a little. After all, it took a public declaration of sorts to do that.

Still, the key sent a signal she didn’t appreciate. For a smart man, Eric was acting pretty dumb. The way she figured it, he had another hour to get a clue.

But he needed to come home first. Until he did, she snooped around.

He lived in a duplex in an older building with few amenities and a plain lobby except for the guard at the desk. Nothing extravagant from the outside, but it sat in an impressive part of town. Her beat-up two-door looked like an intruder in the guest parking space.

Inside, his unit told her more about Eric than she’d learned in their days together. She’d expected a neat and tidy small place, tastefully decorated but still masculine. She was half right.

The large open family room was framed by floor-to-ceiling windows at the far end. From this angle, she could see the lights from other high-rises and a sliver of the darkness beyond, which she assumed was the ocean. Overstuffed furniture pointed at what appeared to be the highlight of the room from Eric’s perspective—a huge flat screen television. The dining room off to the left side consisted of a large table with about a hundred stacks of documents piled on top. Boxes littered the floor. Papers were scattered everywhere.

So much for the neat freak stereotype.

A plate and a coffee mug sat on the kitchen counter, along with a jar of peanut butter. Clearly he was not a gourmet cook, but she’d check out the refrigerator to confirm that later. First, she wanted to see the bedroom. Something told her the bed would be unmade. For some reason that lightened some of the fiery anger she’d been fighting off all afternoon.

She got a third of the way up the staircase when the front door opened. She almost called out, using a less than flattering greeting, but the sound of high heels clicking against the marble entry floor stopped her. So did the quick peek she caught of her visitor. She’d know the woman with the long black hair and high cheekbones anywhere.

Deana Armstrong Windsor.

From her white silk pants to her sleeveless high-necked navy sweater, the woman oozed wealth. Gold bangles clicked together on her wrist, and she carried a purse that probably cost more than Katie’s car. Confidence floated around her, appearing in perfect posture and a trim figure.

Deana was exactly as Katie remembered from the wedding. Put together and beautiful in a way that came naturally rather than from hours in front of a mirror.

Katie hated her on sight.

“Eric? Are you home?” Deana walked in and dropped her purse on the dining room table.

No question whether she knew her way around the place. Since she was here, Katie assumed her name was on the approved guest list, too.

Strike two.

Katie thought about tackling the other woman and pulling that wavy hair. See if it would be all shiny then. But Eric picked that exact moment to walk in behind Deana and the rage bubbling in Katie’s stomach found a new target.

He stopped when he saw his secret girlfriend standing there. The married secret one. “How did you get in?”

Deana shrugged her lean shoulders. “The door was open.”

“Not possible.” Eric glanced around the ground floor.

When he looked in her direction, Katie ducked behind the first landing. She didn’t think he could see her, but she didn’t think he’d give two women keys to his condo either, so what the hell did she know.

“I knocked and it opened,” Deana said.

The conversation finally penetrated her brain. Didn’t sound like they’d came in together. Katie couldn’t understand how that was possible since they’d walked in a few minutes apart. She searched her memory for a knock. She remembered hitting the fourth or fifth step and hearing the door open, but that was about it.

Eric spun around in circle, his stare moving all over the room. “I locked up when I left this morning, which feels like two days ago at this point.”

“I don’t know what to tell you. Honestly, it wasn’t closed tight,” Deana said.

Katie thought about jumping out. It would be better to announce her presence than have Eric call the police and drag her out. If her feelings weren’t all jumbled up inside, she would have ended this scene already. But she had no idea what was going on or what Deana being there meant.

From the way his forehead wrinkled and his mouth turned down, Eric appeared as confused as Katie felt. Despite that, she wasn’t willing to let him off the hook. Not yet. Not when he’d messed up so many times during the last twelve hours.

So, she sat down on the step and eavesdropped. She dared him to get mad at her over that.

Eric blinked a few times. He couldn’t believe what was happening. Deana…in his house. He’d dreamed about that for months after Deana broke it off. At times he concluded the fantasy by kicking her out and taking some much-needed revenge. Other times he welcomed her into bed. None of those times did he stand there and not know what to say.

He’d been handed the scenario he thought he wanted, and all he could do was look at the woman who’d once meant everything to him and wonder why she wasn’t Katie.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Kevin called me.”

Eric had almost calmed down from the dinner fiasco. Now his frustration built to the point of boiling. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

Deana shot him an apologetic smile. “No.”

“When?” He dropped his briefcase on the floor and rested his fists against the dining room table as he struggled to wrestle his raging temper back under control.

“What does that—”

“When, Deana?” It wasn’t until his voice bounced off the walls that Eric realized he was shouting. “Sorry. Don’t mean to take this out on you.”

“Are you okay?”

“Not really.” Last thing he wanted was Deana’s pity. “Tell me what happened and what he said to get you here.”

“Kevin called me this afternoon. He said you had a huge problem and it centered on me.”

So before dinner. Kevin sat there, ate his steak, talked about donors, but didn’t drop that bomb. Eric thought about firing Kevin’s sorry ass.

“He was being an ass. Everything’s fine.” Eric felt anything but calm at the moment, but the days of sharing his thoughts with Deana were long gone.

“He’s worried about you.” Deana pulled out the chair closest to Eric and sat down. He wasn’t convinced he liked how comfortable she acted in his home. He got near her and fumbled around like an idiot. His insides jumped until his mind scrambled.

At least that’s usually what happened. This time he was more worried about Katie showing up and misinterpreting the situation and pissed off at how other people were running his life. Then there was the very real possibility of Josh making an appearance. The man carried a gun and weighed a good twenty pounds more than Eric. Fighting with him would be a very bad idea.

“I don’t know why Kevin won’t let this go,” Eric said more in an argument with himself than anything else.

“How can I help?” Deana reached her hand out toward his.

The movement snapped him out of his stupor. He stood up before they touched. “Coming to my condo when half the town thinks we’re having an affair probably wasn’t the best move.”

“We know what’s happening here.”

“We do.”

Her mouth twisted. “And I’m married.”

“The gossip covers all of that and then spins from there. Secret meetings, sex on the side. You’ve heard it.”

“I don’t care what people think. We’re friends and always will be.”

Eric wasn’t sure that label was even accurate. “People assume we’re fooling around.”

She waved off his comment. Made a pretty nasty face while doing it. “Dumb rumors.”

“I’m not sure if that’s an insult or not, so I’ll let it slide.”

Her face paled. “You know what I mean. I care about you. Very much.”

“Yeah.” He needed her out of there. Not because he couldn’t control his urges. He needed to be alone to explode, and he was going to. “Look, Deana, I appreciate your coming over and the intention behind it, but this isn’t a good idea.”

“You helped me out and now you could have a problem because of it. You made a horrific situation tolerable, and you had to do it while I berated you. The least I can do is offer some support.”

That was the first time she’d ever admitted that he got something right in the Ryan situation. Ever since the arrest, she’d blamed him. Eric could still hear her agonized crying and feel the dull ache of abandonment as she pushed him away both physically and emotionally when her begging failed.

Eric tried to analyze the change in her, but decided it was a waste of time. “It was the right thing to do.”

“A lot of people won’t see it that way. Your opponent, for one.”

“I made a decision and I’ll stand by it.” Eric blamed Deana for a lot of things. His career trajectory and its future weren’t on the list. No one had forced him to take the route he chose.

Josh had come to Eric months ago and asked for a favor. A final gift for Deana even though they were long over and she was well on her way to marriage with Josh. Many people, including Deana, insisted Ryan was innocent despite his conviction. When handed the power to bring closure to Deana, her mother, and those in the community who believed a killer still lurked while an innocent kid sat in jail, Eric took it.

No matter what anyone said, the call was his sole responsibility and if it cost him the job he’d always believed he wanted, so be it.

“You haven’t changed,” Deana said, the smile obvious in her voice.

Neither had she. Not in this one way. Deana’s happiness still had the power to light up a room. If anything, it glowed even brighter now that she was married.

Eric had never guessed she would find that type of all-encompassing satisfaction. Not after everything that had happened and the incredible pain she’d experienced. But something inside her was different. A slight movement away from her usual centered coolness. Her mood struck him as more settled. Calm. She no longer hid behind a harsh mask while inside drowning in sadness.

Instead of getting hit with his usual smack of desperation for Deana, he felt a slight tug of loss over what might have been. She got lucky and found the right love. He envied her that but was happy for her, too.

“Is it good or bad that I’m the same old Eric?” he asked.

“You’re still rock solid. I didn’t appreciate that enough when we were together. Took it for granted, really.” Deana nibbled on her lower lip as if she were trying to solve the world’s greatest problem. “I’m sorry.”

Relief rushed through him. Those words meant more to him than he’d thought they would, but no way was he going down that path with her. He’d lock that sentiment away and examine it later.

“Josh is a good man,” Eric said because he wanted her to know he didn’t hold a grudge there.

Her smile turned almost dreamy. “The best.”

“Since we’re talking about us, our relationship, can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“If I had buried the evidence against Ryan or pushed my office in another direction, would we still be together as a couple, out in public and without Josh in the picture?” He wasn’t trying to relive the moment or any decision he’d made. He just needed to understand how doing the right thing had derailed his life so dramatically.

“Probably.”

He wasn’t sure if the answer made him feel better or worse. “I figured.”

She stood up then. With a hand on his arm and her eyes filled with warmth, she continued. “And eventually you would have hated me for making you compromise. You would have stood by me, because that’s who you are, but lying like that would have killed a part of you. Probably would have destroyed us.”

A lump of regret crawled up his throat. “Then I guess it’s good we didn’t go that route.”

She gave him a final squeeze, then let go of his shirt. “I need you to know something.”

“What?”

“Despite everything that happened and even how it ended, I never regretted our time together. I’m sure in those dark hours after the murders and Ryan’s arrest I said otherwise, and I apologize for that, too.”

“It’s okay.” For the first time in a long time, it was.

“No, it’s not. You were there when the unthinkable happened. I was at my worst and most unlovable but you held on. You did everything you could to save me from my grief and you deserved better from me in response. I was too lost to see it then, but I get it now. One thing I’ve learned from Josh is to face the past and take responsibility for it.”

She’d said the words Eric had waited forever to hear and hadn’t known he needed. The dam inside him broke. All those months of doubting and hating drifted away.

For so long, he’d analyzed his actions and tried to figure out what else he could have done. He’d turned the facts over and looked for the one thing that had sent her over the edge and driven them apart. She’d always acted like he was the villain when, really, shock and pain had destroyed them.

Now that the time had arrived and she’d let him off the hook, it didn’t matter anymore. Somehow, somewhere, he’d gotten over her. In the back of his mind, he knew Katie was at the center of all that healing. In a short time, she’d stormed into his life and rocked it off its foundations. He would tell her that soon. If his instincts were right, she wasn’t far away.

“Look, Deana. You don’t have to—”

“I will always love you for being there and for trying to reach me even when I wasn’t worth loving.” She stretched up and kissed him on the cheek. “If you need my help, you call me. Okay?”

Those days were over. He realized that now. “Sure.”

“Good night, Eric.”

Chapter 10

As the door closed behind Deana, Katie decided it was the perfect time to make an entrance. She’d walk down the stairs, tell Eric off, and then strut right out the door. If the sound of her voice scared the crap out of him and gave him a heart attack, then all the better. He deserved to be shaken up, rattled until he thought twice about screwing around.

“So much for the promises about being faithful.” She took the last step and stopped right in front of the staircase, less than eight feet away from him. “Or maybe a week is your cutoff point on fidelity.”

He didn’t even jump. Instead, he leaned back against his dining room table with his arms crossed in front of him. “I thought you might be here.”

“You expect me to believe that.”

“Since it’s the truth, yes.”

Admittedly, he didn’t act surprised, but there was no telling how good a liar he was. He seemed to excel at it at work. Now he was working for a medal in his private life as well.

“Yeah, right,” she snorted.

“You’re the only other person with a key to my condo.” He finally looked at her. Exhaustion dragged around his eyes. His shoulders slumped. He hardly looked like a man who’d just enjoyed a quiet meeting with his lover.

But she ignored all that. She would not be lured in by the dead tone and crumpled body. “Your parents? Deana?”

“No and no.”

“I find it hard to believe the woman you’ve known for a little more than one week is the only one with that honor.”

He sighed as he rubbed his neck. “Just you.”

“Deana got upstairs from the lobby just fine. I had to show every piece of identification except my birth certificate before I was allowed to climb on the elevator.” Okay, that was an exaggeration, but he didn’t need to know it.

“She knows the doorman.” Eric rolled his head from side to side and winced when he went to the right.

Any other time she would have stepped over and massaged his neck, loosened him up and then asked him to show her upstairs. Maybe a part of her even expected that ending when she’d arrived tonight all furious and ready to be soothed. Despite her reaction to the key, a part of her had hoped a serious case of cluelessness would explain his choice.

Now, seeing him there with Deana, all contingent plans crashed to her feet. Katie had reached a whole new level of sputtering rage and Eric’s side of the conversation wasn’t calming her at all.

“You expect me to believe that woman hangs out with the blue-collar crowd?” she asked.

“Her family owns the building.”

Of course they do. “How convenient.”

“Is that my fault, too?”

“Possibly.”

Even when Katie wanted to kick him, to yell at him and find the words most calculated to hurt him, she felt it. That tiny kick of sympathy and longing. He lied to her and her first inclination was to explain it away and forgive. Just went to show that no matter how many miles she’d traveled, she wasn’t one ounce smarter about men.

She was pathetic.

Even watching him with Deana and hearing the hitch in his voice as she talked about loving him wasn’t enough to stir up Katie’s hate. She longed to despise him. Life would be so much easier if she could.

“If you thought I was standing here and listening in, what was with the big love scene?” she asked.

“I’m not sure what you think you heard, but you’re wrong.” His fatigue gave way to attitude. It was as if he considered himself the injured party.

She refused to let her mind replay the scene with Deana to give him examples. Once was enough. A second time might melt her anger into an emotion she did not want to deal with.

“You asked her what you had to do to get her back,” Katie said.

“When?” He had the nerve to raise his voice.

“All that ‘what if’ stuff.”

“And from that you got that I was making a pass?”

“How else should I take it?”

He wiped a hand over his drawn face. “That was about closure, Katie. We were saying good-bye to the past and moving on.”

“Oh, please.”

“I am not in love with Deana.” The firm tone suggested he believed it. “Do you want me to write it in blood? I will if it will stop this ridiculous conversation.”

“Insults?”

Color rushed back into his cheeks. “Nothing happened.”

“Are you trying to convince me or you?”

He let out a long groan. “You are infuriating.”

“Maybe, but I’m not deaf.” What Katie felt amounted to a frenzy of heartbreak and madness. It didn’t make sense. She didn’t know him long enough to care. Certainly wasn’t close enough to him to explain this oxygen-sucking hurt deep inside.

“You are hearing what you want to hear,” he said.

“You think I wanted to hear that?” She would give almost anything to call back the last half hour. Rewind her life and get to a place before the key when she still had hope and felt a strange lightness in her belly.

“I don’t get this, Katie. There was nothing in the conversation that should make you this angry. You are taking innocent statements and changing them into something else.”

He was blaming her? “Do you have any idea how it made me feel to stand there and listen to you profess your love for her while you’re sleeping with me?”

There was a quick knock, followed by a throat clearing. “Excuse me.”

Round two with Deana. Great.

Katie let her hands fall to her sides with a slap. “And she’s back.”

“I’m sorry. I forgot my purse.” Deana slipped inside and came to a halt.

Katie understood the sharp move. The anger in the room had built up until it formed an impenetrable wall. It crushed in on her from every angle, making it hard to move or breathe.

Eric spared both women a quick glance. “Deana, this is Katie Long.”

Deana managed to look pretty even as she frowned. “You look familiar.”

“I was at your wedding.”

A sudden small smile played on Deana’s lips. “With Eric?”

“Serving the dinner.”

The smile fell. “Oh.”

“That’s probably enough conversation for one night.” Eric reached around and grabbed the purse. Before Deana could say anything else, he handed it to her and motioned toward the door. “Here you go.”

Katie wasn’t ready to give up the fight yet. “She doesn’t have to leave.”

Deana glanced from Eric to Katie. “I think I probably should.”

“Why? I’m the one intruding.”

Deana chewed on her bottom lip, seeming as nervous and out of place as anyone could look. “If I had known you were here, I wouldn’t have taken up so much of Eric’s evening.”

For the first time, doubt pricked at Katie. It started at the back of her neck and worked its way down. “I didn’t hear him complaining.”

Eric stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before responding. “Katie seems to think we’re having an affair.”

“No. That’s not the case at all.” Deana waved her hands in support of the words coming out of her mouth. “Nothing like that is going on. I wouldn’t.”

“Thanks, Deana,” he said in a dry tone.

“You know what I mean.” She sucked in a gulp of air between her teeth. “I’m trying to help.”

Strangely enough, she was. Katie didn’t see a scheming woman trying to get some sex behind her new husband’s back. Deana looked truly horrified at being stuck in this confused threesome.

“I didn’t know you were dating anyone,” Deana said to Eric, almost pleading for forgiveness.

Katie might be ready to absolve Deana, but Eric was another story. There was still the matter of the key and the hiding. Bottom line, Katie wasn’t ready to stop being angry. It was irrational but true.

“That’s because Eric is determined to hide our relationship.” Katie pretended to think about it. “Wait, is that the right word?”

Eric’s jaw clenched. “Why don’t we have this conversation in private?”

“Maybe I should say Eric doesn’t want people to know we’re sleeping together…or were.”

“Katie.” The warning came through Eric’s tone loud and clear.

“If I had known I would have—” Deana stopped talking and stood there with her purse hanging from her fist.

“What?” Katie asked.

“Called first. Something. I didn’t mean to cause a problem between the two of you.”

Guilt rolled over Katie. She was putting the blame in the wrong place. For the first time all day, Katie was at a loss for words. She’d berated Deana and looked like a nutcase in the process. This had to do with feeling replaceable and unimportant and that came from inside her. Katie knew that much.

She sighed more in anger at herself than anything else. “You didn’t. Eric did.”

“On that note, it might be a good time to go home.” Deana stumbled over her words. “It was nice to meet you.”

The only thing quicker than her blurt of words was how fast she ran for the door. Katie watched. Eric watched. Neither of them missed the slam of the door behind Deana.

Eric waited for a few beats of quiet before turning back around. “Was that necessary?”

“What, was I not nice enough to your married mistress?”

“You know there’s nothing going on between me and Deana.” He said the words without any emotion.

Katie finally abandoned her position of safety at the bottom of the stairs. She stepped closer, sliding her fingertips across the table until she landed beside him. “What I saw was a man entertaining his supposed ex.”

“You know what I think?” He sat on the table, crunching and trapping papers underneath him.

“I don’t care.” But she did. Everything he said mattered to her on some level.

“I’m going to tell you anyway.” He studied his hands before looking up at her again. “You’re upset about something else. You’re looking for a fight and Deana being here handed it to you.”

His words sank in. She was looking for reasons to justify feeling hurt. The key, seeing Eric’s beautiful ex, it all punched at her until nothing but anger flowed through her.

If he wanted to know the truth, fine “Brilliant deduction, counselor.”

His stern features softened. “Why not tell me what the real problem is?”

“The key.”

“What?”

“I told you I was upset about your not taking me out in public and you tried to placate me.”

“How?”

She slid her thigh onto the table and sat down next to him. “By giving me a gift that shows you always want to stay in.”

He closed one eye and peeked up at her with the other one. “When exactly did we have this deep conversation on which you’re basing this tirade?”

“Do you listen?”

“I’m trying, but this strikes me as one of those talking past each other situations.” He acted out the words with his hands.

“Then how about this? I am not a whore.” It felt good to say it. To believe it.

His mouth dropped open. “Damn, Katie. I never called you that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

His mouth dropped open twice more before he spoke. “What the hell?”

“How you feel is not a newsflash.”

He shifted until he faced her. “You are absolutely wrong.”

The way his dark eyes narrowed and grew stormy with an emotion that looked vaguely like disappointment almost convinced her. “What am I supposed to think?”

“That’s not fair. I never judged you.” He huffed as if he was searching for the right words and couldn’t grab onto them. “We were both in that bathroom the first time, and I’m sure as hell not a man whore.”

She breathed in a few times to put the brakes on her thumping heart. “Did it ever dawn on you that we should sit down and try to figure out what we feel for each other and how to handle it?”

He motioned toward the door. “That’s what the key is for.”

Man, maybe he was this clueless. “The key is about accessibility.”

“You’re purposely using negative words.”

“You wanted me to come here so you wouldn’t have to track me down. You wanted easy. Now, I admit, I gave you easy, but those days are over.”

His chin dropped against his chest. “Please stop referring to yourself like that.”

This fight was too important to let go. “Something has to change.”

“I have no idea what you’re saying.”

“That’s what scares me.”

Chapter 11

Eric walked into his office shortly after lunch the next day. He’d been in court all morning and was barely functioning on two hours of sleep. The nightmare of the evening kept playing in his head. It had gone from a rotten dinner to a battle in his dining room.

He still wasn’t clear on what he’d done wrong. Giving Katie his key sounded like a commitment to him. To her it amounted to an insult. Just when he decided he knew something about women, the universe woke him up with a big slap of reality.

“Heard you had a rough night.” Josh’s voice broke through the quiet room.

Eric groaned. Didn’t try to cover it, either. “And here I thought this day couldn’t get worse.”

Josh pushed away from the wall and extended his hand. “Good to see you, too.”

Eric juggled some files and shook Josh’s hand. “I’m not exactly comfortable with everyone knowing about my personal life.”

“It’s just me and Deana.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s better.” Eric gave up on the stack of folders in his arms and let them drop to his desk. Then he slipped into his chair because he figured he’d need to be sitting down for this conversation.

Josh threw up his hands. “Hey, at least I didn’t read it in the paper.”

“Not yet.”

“Good point.”

“I take it Deana told you she came to my house.” For some reason that fact didn’t surprise Eric. Josh and Deana had a connection. It was one of those things that arced between them.

Josh took the chair across from Eric. “You shook her up.”

“Me?”

“The fight.” Josh shook his head and smiled. “She didn’t expect a woman to be there.”

“That’s flattering.”

Josh laughed. “She had that shell-shocked look on her face when she came home. And it’s not often my wife is struck speechless.”

“She did seem quieter than usual.” And more profound than Eric could ever remember. While most of the evening was a headache-inducing black hole, he did remember Deana’s words. He wouldn’t soon forget them. “I guess you two don’t have many secrets.”

“I’d like to think none.”

Despite the time Eric had spent with Deana, he couldn’t claim the same closeness. She’d hidden her past from him under the guise of protecting him and his political career. The way Eric saw it, Katie was trying to do the same thing.

“So—” Josh picked a piece of nonexistent lint off his pants. “Katie Long?”

Eric held up his hand even though he knew the gesture wouldn’t help. “Don’t start.”

“I’m just asking how that happened.”

“Deana sent you out on recon.” The idea of being the topic of conversation in the Windsor household did not sit well with Eric.

“Let’s just say you piqued her curiosity.”

“Kind of like an animal in the zoo?”

Josh slipped a pen out of his suit jacket and tapped it against his open palm. “You know what you’re getting into there?”

“With Katie?”

“Who else are we talking about?”

“I didn’t realize you knew Katie.” Didn’t really like the thought of that either.

“Of course.”

“Can I ask how?” The idea that he and Josh had dated two of the same women instead of just one was a bit more than Eric could take on so little sleep.

“I checked out everyone who was going to work my wedding. Knew all I could about the caterer before she got near Deana.”

Sounded like the lawman in Josh never let up. “That’s a healthy dose of paranoia right there.”

“Can’t be too careful.”

“Guess not.” Since Josh was talking, Eric took advantage of the opportunity to do some investigating of his own. “Why did you use Cara’s company? Thought you would have gone with a larger, more prestigious outfit.”

“Deana picked her. She heard about her through some charity thing and insisted we use her.”

“The food was good.” Eric had no idea if that was true. The menu had been the last thing on his mind that afternoon. Hell, he couldn’t even enjoy the incredible view out over the Pacific.

“You met Katie at my wedding, right?”

“Yeah.” The only highlight of the entire wedding, as far as Eric could tell.

Josh barked out a laugh. “Did you even get a taste of the food?”

It’s not as if his sex life was a secret now, so Eric didn’t bother to hide it. “No, I’m just assuming.”

“Well, it was great, but that’s not why Deana picked the catering outfit.” Josh tapped the pen faster in his usual display of constant motion. He’d been that way for the years since he stopped smoking. “She heard about Cara having a rough time as a single mother with a crap husband and an out-of-control baby sister and Deana figured, why not throw some work the lady’s way?”

Eric wasn’t surprised. Many people looked at Deana and saw a stunning but chilly member of the ladies-who-dabble-in-charity set, but he knew better. “Not many people would risk their wedding day like that.”

“Deana insisted and I just wanted the deed done, so I agreed.”

“And then you investigated everyone even remotely associated with the catering company.” Eric could almost see Josh sitting at a desk doing background searches on the florist and everyone else who came near Deana.

“That’s about right.”

Eric remembered what it was like to want to please Deana. It wasn’t a surprise Josh was stuck in the same trap. He’d likely do a better job of maneuvering through it than Eric ever did.

He stared out the window at the busy street below and thought about this moment. He sat there talking with Josh about being married to Deana. Eric never would have imagined being able to handle this.

“Speaking of weddings, why are you back in town?” he asked.

Josh shrugged. “Where do you go for a honeymoon if you already live in Hawaii?”

Since Eric never thought about things like honeymoons, he had no idea. “Good point. Somewhere cold, I guess.”

“I’ll pass.”

“Aren’t you from somewhere cold?”

“I live here now. Have for years.”

Eric loved to tweak people on this point. Insinuate they were outsiders and watch them get all defensive. “That doesn’t really count though, does it?”

“You know, it never fails to amuse me how people who were born in Hawaii view everyone who moved here as an outsider.”

Josh had fallen right into the trap. It was almost too easy for Eric. “That’s how it works.”

“Anyway, we cut the honeymoon short because I had to start my new job.”

“Congratulations.” Eric meant it. Josh had lived on Kauai for years and been a huge asset in drug cases. He’d shut down a significant trafficking operation and never got the credit he deserved. A crooked boss saw to that. But now that the boss was gone and Josh was in charge, Eric knew his drug cases would run smoother.

Yeah, that meant Josh was on Oahu and that Eric would see Josh and Deana all the time. Since the adjustment would make Eric’s job easier, he ignored the personal toll it might take.

“I was getting too old for drug raids. Sitting behind a desk is more my style now,” Josh said.

Eric wasn’t convinced but it wasn’t his business. “If you say so.”

Josh tapped his pen against his mouth. “Now that you’ve tried to stall, let’s get back to Katie Long.”

Well, damn. “No offense, Josh, but it’s not your business, nor is it ever going to be.”

“Agreed.” Josh nodded, then kept right on talking. “I just want to make sure you know what you’re doing there.”

That was the problem. Eric had no fucking idea what to do about Katie. “Yes.”

“She’s young.”

“I know.” When he’d looked up her records, their age difference stunned him. He saw her as older and more experienced than someone twenty-five.

“She has a record.” Josh slowed his words as if he was waiting to see whether Eric knew the information.

“She wasn’t convicted of anything.”

Josh’s eyebrows raised. “So, you checked.”

“Of course.” A drug offense that went nowhere. From what Eric could see, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She seemed to be one of those people who fell into trouble. Losing her parents so young and so unexpectedly probably explained that. All he cared about was where she planned to take her life now. “I know how I found out about Katie’s background. I looked it up. With you, I’m guessing it came up as part of your catering background check.”

“I would have looked into her anyway.”

“Because?”

“I recognized the name. It triggered a memory from a case. Kauai is not a big place. It was my job to watch over drug arrests and make sure the small stuff wasn’t really an indication of a bigger sales operation. Fact is, at one time Katie Long was on my radar.”

Eric didn’t want her past to matter. Repeated over and over that it didn’t. Still, he needed to know. “Did she sell drugs?”

“Not that I could tell. She didn’t strike me as a user, either.”

Eric let go of the breath he was holding. “That’s good news.”

“Politically speaking, she’s still trouble.”

Eric didn’t need that reminder. He’d struggled with the problem from the moment he’d walked into the catering kitchen. The kick of lust continued to nail him in the ass even now. “It’s not as if I’ve proposed.”

“Interesting word.” Between the knowing smile and constant head nod it wasn’t hard to see where Josh’s mind had wandered.

Eric held up a hand. “Don’t.”

Josh tried to look innocent and failed. “What?”

“That thing where you’re a married guy and think everyone else should be, too.”

“I’m just listening to you talk.” That pen started twirling again. “You know, as a concerned voter.”

“Right.”

“Which brings me to the second reason for my visit—Deana.”

The subject that would not die. “You don’t believe the rumors—”

Josh snorted. “Of course not, but I do know about the role you played in her nephew’s conviction.”

Eric hated it when people phrased it that way. Made it sound as if he took some satisfaction in locking away his ex-girlfriend’s nephew. Like he was the one who turned the key or something. “I wasn’t the attorney of record.”

“You made a compromise. I know because I’m the one who asked you to do it.”

“That came long after. Ryan had already been convicted. It was about closure and nothing else.”

“People are going to say it was a favor for Deana.”

In part, it was. She’d believed Ryan was innocent even though he was convicted. When Josh had found Ryan’s accomplice, the kid who’d buried the forensic evidence that allowed Ryan’s denial to linger, Eric had had two choices. He could dive back into the case and look for a second conviction even though he had evidence against the accomplice and probably not enough for a conviction, or he could give the accomplice immunity and end the grumbling doubts about Ryan’s guilt once and for all. For Deana, her mother, and the community, Eric went with the latter.

“I did it because it was the right thing to do.” To this day, despite the potential ramifications, Eric still believed that to be true.

Josh leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “You did it because I asked you to and because you’re one of the good guys. Some folks aren’t going to see it that way. They’ll believe you shirked your duty.”

“I can deal with them.”

“I just want you to know if you get heat on this, I’ve got your back.”

Two times in two days people had stepped up for him. Eric wasn’t sure what to do with that type of support. He appreciated it but it made him uncomfortable. “Thanks.”

Josh sat up again. The tension winding around him dissipated. “But you’re on your own with Katie.”

“It will work out.”

Josh gave a smile that was less than reassuring. “You poor bastard.”

“What?”

“You’re about to get your ass kicked in the female department and you don’t even know it.”

Eric realized the ass kicking was about to start when he saw Cara later that evening. Standing on her front porch with the trade winds pushing against his back, seeing the way her eyebrows formed a thin line of fury, he knew he was in deep shit. He’d offended not only Katie but the entire Long clan. That could not be a good thing.

Cara held onto the edge of the door. She didn’t open it the whole way or leave any room for him to squeeze by and get inside. “I don’t have anything here that you need, Eric Kimura.”

“Where’s Ashleigh?” Maybe the question would throw her off. Who could think of that adorable girl and still steam with fury?

“Asleep.”

Apparently Cara could do both things. Good to know. “I need to talk with Katie.”

“You forget to leave cash on the dresser?”

The words ripped into him. “Cara.”

“What were you thinking?”

He couldn’t win, so he didn’t try. “I obviously wasn’t.”

“I’ve never seen her like that.”

“I don’t—”

“She was hurt and angry.”

Guilt crashed over him. “She took it the wrong way. I swear I wasn’t sending a message or trying to hide her.”

“What is a woman supposed to assume when a man gives her a key but won’t take her out for dinner?”

Damn, nothing was private anymore. “That he wants to see her somewhere other than in a catering kitchen or at her sister’s house where a kid lives.”

“You have an answer for everything.” The smug tone suggested how Cara felt about that. Not good.

“Sometimes.”

Cara’s death grip on the edge of the door eased. “Guess that makes you a good lawyer.”

“This isn’t about that. If I’d had any idea she’d react that way…” Hell, he didn’t know what he would have done differently. He still didn’t quite comprehend the supposed sin of his action, but he was smart enough to know he had to deal with how Katie saw it.

“You picked at a sore spot.”

“How was I supposed to know that?” When Cara threw him a bug-eyed warning glance, he realized he had raised his voice to the waking-baby-danger level. “Sorry.”

She held up a hand and walked toward the hallway leading to the bedrooms. She must have been satisfied with whatever she heard or didn’t hear because she returned to him. By that time, he had stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

She looked him up and down. “Smooth move.”

“It didn’t look like I was going to get an invitation. You were saying?”

“Admittedly it’s been a while but last I heard that’s what dating is all about—getting to know each other. Discovering the little things.” Her hands went to her hips. “That is how you treat a woman, Eric. You let her know she matters to you.”

Message received. “I believe I’ve been scolded.”

The hard lines around her mouth eased. “If you recognize that, maybe there’s hope for you after all.”

“Any idea where Katie is so I can go grovel to her?”

“It’s tempting to make you suffer.”

“I have been.” Probably not enough to satisfy the Long women, but he was ready to be done.

Cara turned around, walked into the kitchen, and grabbed her phone. After a few keystrokes and seconds that stretched for what felt like an eternity, she had a text response. But she didn’t give it up easy. “Katie is going to be furious with both of us.”

Eric knew he would get the brunt of Katie’s anger. “I want to make this right.”

Cara looked skeptical. “Hunting her down might not be the way.”

It had worked for him before. He had to hope it would a second time. “I never meant to make her feel bad.”

“Either you’re really good at lying or I’m losing my edge, because I believe you.” Cara turned the phone around so he could read the screen. “It’s a diner over on the Honoapiilani Highway.”

He gave her forearm a gentle squeeze. “Thank you.”

“Good luck. I think you’ll need it.”

He knew he would.

Chapter 12

Katie had called the meeting with Jimmy. The idea of turning on Eric appealed to her in a castrate-him-with-her-bare-hands sort of way, but she refrained. Simply, she wanted out. Someone else could track Eric.

After this meeting she was headed for the beach. Sitting there while waves crashed on the cool sand in front of her sounded like the perfect end to this rotten day. Maybe the sting of salt against her cheeks would wipe out the thoughts that kept spinning in her head.

She had to come clean with Eric and warn him that someone close to him had a secret agenda. Then she had to figure out why he mattered to her so much.

In a short amount of time, he’d wormed his way into every cell and she couldn’t shake him out. It wasn’t like he was her first. She’d been with other guys and even thought she’d found love once before.

But this was different. This wasn’t about promises or how he could deliver her from a life she didn’t want. It was about the stupid explosion of joy that went off in her stomach every time she saw him.

At nineteen she’d felt that rush of excitement at being the main focus of a man’s interest. Finding out Tod was hiding a wife and kid on another island while he spewed pretty lies about loving her had bruised her more than if he had kicked her until she doubled over. She remembered lying in bed and crying her eyes out over a guy who thought so little of her.

She had refused to get sucked in like that again. Then she met Eric. He hadn’t delivered a punishing blow like the one Tod had, but he almost didn’t have to. All the little things stacked up with Eric. Every word and touch went deeper. Thinking about him and how even the tiniest mistake could set her off made her feel vulnerable. She hated that.

Jimmy slid into the booth across from her and tapped his hands against the table as if he was playing a set of drums. “What’s up, pretty girl?”

She wasn’t in the mood for chitchat or fake flattery…or Jimmy. “You need to find someone else.”

“For?”

“Better yet, you need to stop.”

He slipped the menu out of the holder at the side of the table and turned it over in his hands. “They serve breakfast all day?”

“You could at least pretend to listen to me.”

“I don’t know what we’re talking about here.”

She put her hand over the plastic and flattened it against the table. “Eric Kimura.”

“You want to skip right to work?”

They didn’t have anything else. Never would. “This isn’t a date.”

Jimmy was the guy you grabbed for a movie. Any woman who picked up with him for something deeper would be disappointed because the guy didn’t do deep. Right now she didn’t even like him much because she associated him with the mess with Eric.

“That’s a shame,” Jimmy said.

“And our work is done.”

“Not even close.”

Time to move Eric out of target range. The only way to do that was to tell the truth, or at least a piece of it.

“I overheard a conversation between Eric and Deana, and it was benign.” She almost laughed when Jimmy frowned. “There was nothing there.”

“So they were together. Just as our client suspected. Good work.” Jimmy flipped his phone open and started texting.

She tried to make out the number but couldn’t. She settled for knocking her fist against the table to distract him. “You’re not listening to me.”

“You followed our boy and got the goods. Hey, I’m happy with what you’ve accomplished.”

“What I heard proves our client has nothing to worry about.” She strained, lifting up off her seat so she could get close enough to grab the cell.

“Your job isn’t to make a call on how important the conversation is. You’re there to follow, gather information, and report back on it.” Jimmy shifted position, hiding the screen. “My client can decide what he wants to do with the shit we provide. That’s why he’s paying us.”

“I’m telling you this is over.”

“You’re not looking at the big picture.” He spun the glass syrup container around, letting it thud against the table and giving her a tremendous headache.

“Which is?”

“Money. This client has it and is willing to spend it.”

The great big ball of danger was rolling right at Eric, and she didn’t know how to stop it. “There is nothing left to investigate.”

“Not true.” Jimmy dumped his phone on the seat next to him and grabbed an envelope out of his shirt pocket. “I need you to check on this.”

She stared at the paper. “Is this about Eric?”

“Do you have another job?”

“I work for a caterer.”

“That’s a family obligation and you’ll get sick of the boring dishwashing stuff soon enough. I know you.” He hitched his chin in the direction of the envelope. “Open it.”

Even as her brain screamed not to, she obeyed. She saw another calendar page. “So?”

“Eric is stepping out of the office Tuesday. There’s no explanation on the line except for the ‘personal’ note.”

She hated that she wanted to know where Eric planned to go. “The man is allowed to take an afternoon off.”

“For what is the question.” Jimmy started the drumming again.

She had to admit, the note confused her. Eric broke away for a few hours here and there to see her, but then he headed back to the office. At least that’s what he said. But an entire afternoon? That seemed out of character.

“Who the hell is this?” It was as if they’d conjured him up. Eric Kimura, with his gray business suit and expensive watch, walked into the diner and stood right behind Jimmy.

The place served some of the best greasy burgers on the island, smoky with a side of rice, but Katie guessed he wasn’t there for dinner. This wasn’t a coincidence.

“What are you doing here?” She crumpled the page in her hand, hoping he couldn’t see the writing.

The move didn’t slip by Eric. He stared at her fist for a good ten seconds before looking up again. “I came to find you.”

“You two know each other?” Jimmy sounded positively gleeful at the thought.

“Yeah, you could say that. So I’ll ask again.” Eric rested his palm on the table right next to the empty envelope and leaned in front of Jimmy. “Who the hell are you?”

For a guy who sat behind a desk all day, Eric sure could sound intimidating. Last thing she needed was the good prosecutor tackling Jimmy and rolling across the dirty floor. No question that would make the evening news. No one would be talking about Deana then.

“Eric—” She stopped when she saw the effect of Eric’s deadly calm voice on Jimmy.

Some of the wind rushed out of the guy. Didn’t look so happy-go-lucky now. His smile went from smug to faltering. “I’m an old friend.”

Eric nodded. “What kind of friend?”

The show of masculine jealousy pleased Katie more than she wanted to admit, but it scared her, too. Her insides rocked back and forth between happy to see him and terrified Jimmy would say the wrong thing and send Eric into an angry tailspin. And Jimmy had a lot of information he could spill.

“Knock it off.” She tugged on Eric’s sleeve as she issued the warning.

Instead of backing down, he slipped in next to her and gave Jimmy a stare down that promised pain. “Well?”

“He’s an old friend and never anything more.”

“Good.” Eric kept his gaze focused on the younger man. “You have a name?”

“Jimmy Blau.” He nodded his greeting.

Eric ignored it. “Eric Kimura.”

“I’ve seen you on the news.”

“I get that a lot.”

Katie tucked the wad of paper under her thigh, careful not to make any crinkling noises. She rested her other hand on Eric’s arm and felt the jolt of tension running through him. “I’ve known Jimmy for years.”

For the first time, Eric spared her a glance. It was quick, but it happened. “And you decided you had to see him today.”

His accusing tone sent her temper spiking. She’d come here to end the madness, not to find more. The chest puffing and threatening could stop now. She got the point. He was ticked off at seeing her with another man.

Good. Now he knew what that sort of betrayal felt like.

“I’m not sure what you’re implying, but I don’t appreciate it,” she said.

When Jimmy leaned back, taking it all in, Eric stopped whatever he was going to say to her and looked at Jimmy instead. “I think you’re done here.”

That fast, Jimmy’s shoulders slumped as his hands fell to the booth beside him. “You may be right.”

“Happy we understand each other.”

Jimmy treated her to one last smile before he slid to his feet. “We’ll talk later, Katie.”

“Wouldn’t count on that,” Eric mumbled under his breath as he picked up the menu.

Disbelief and frustration turned to anger. She tried to get out a sentence but the words backed up in her mouth and she sputtered. After a deep breath, she tried again. “What was with that display of testosterone gone wild?”

“We fight and you run to an old boyfriend?” The harsh edge to Eric’s voice remained but he looked down the menu nice and calm, like nothing was wrong.

“That’s your style, not mine.”

He peeked at her. “We’ve been through this. I didn’t invite Deana to my house.”

“Yet, there she was.”

The menu dropped with a whack as he slid his body around to face her. “She came there to talk with me about some issues in my campaign.”

“The part about how the two of you aren’t sneaking around? Here’s a hint: that would be more believable if you didn’t actually sneak around.”

Eric started to say something, then stopped. When his fists unclenched he spoke again. “I’m not taking the bait. We’re talking about you.”

That made one of them. “I’m not.”

“You can be friends with whomever you want—”

“Gee, thanks for the permission.

“—just don’t run to some guy as a way to punish me. And stop pretending I’m trying to control you.”

“That’s what it sounds like.”

“This—” he motioned his hand between them. “Whatever it is, it’s exclusive. We already established that.”

Her head was on the verge of exploding. “Let me out.” Katie pushed against his shoulder but he didn’t budge. “Move.”

“No.”

“It wouldn’t be good for your campaign for me to start screaming.” She stuffed the ball of paper into the back of her shorts while she talked.

“Try it and we’ll see.”

She slumped back into her seat. “Just admit there’s a part of you that wants her back. It’s okay. You need to put it out there so you can deal with it.”

He didn’t pretend confusion. Didn’t get angry. No, he snaked his arm across the top of the booth and touched Katie’s hair. “Not anymore.”

“Why should I believe you?”

“Because I’ve never lied to you.”

That simple declaration shot right to her toes, burning a path through all the fear lurking inside her. He wasn’t crowing about how perfect he was. He was telling her something much more basic and important.

His reaction took the sting out of her temper. “I had a brother-in-law who insisted the same thing.”

“You’re comparing me to a man who walked out on his wife and little girl?” His eyes narrowed. “Really?”

“No.” She rubbed her hand across her forehead. It was either that or get a good look at the disappointment on his face. “Sorry.”

Eric’s hand moved to her neck. “Hang out with whatever friend you want, but don’t bait me because you’re pissed off.”

“I wasn’t trying to make you jealous.”

“You did.”

Air hiccupped in her lungs. “I didn’t know I could.”

“I’m with you. Only you.”

The words took her right back to that place where seeing him wiped all the bad away. “Are you?”

“I’m not hiding.” He held out his arms. Didn’t bother lowering his voice either. “I’m sitting right here, in a very public place, trying to convince you I’m not a total jackass.”

She glanced around and saw more than one set of eyes staring back. Talk about bold.

“I never said total.” She rolled her eyes in exaggeration as she spoke.

The corner of his mouth turned up as he leaned in closer. “I gave you the key because I wanted to see you. Sex in a catering kitchen is hot, but I thought we could try a movie on the couch and a night in a bed.”

He still didn’t know the story behind their first meeting, and she still wasn’t sure how to tell him. Amazing how rough the truth sounded in her head. “I’m the wrong girl for you. You know that, right?”

“Let me decide what’s right for me and what isn’t.”

She owed him the chance to run while she could still let him go. “You don’t know about the things I’ve done. I’m not the kind of woman who spends her days working for charity. Not that I wouldn’t try at some point, but it’s not something that ever dawned on me.”

“I think part of the problem here is that you jump to conclusions. You see the way people’s lives look on the outside and decide you know the inside.”

“What are you talking about?”

He slid closer. “We all have things in our past that we’d prefer to forget.”

“Even you?”

“Even me.”

He had no idea. He grew up in a solid family, in a solid community, and now led a solid life. There was nothing wishy-washy or unlikable about him. No secrets or skeletons.

“What, did you get a B on a test once?” she joked.

“I used to steal cars.”

He could have told her he liked to drown tourists in his spare time and she would have been less surprised. “What?”

“Not to resell them. To drag race them.” He took a long sip of her water. “I was twelve at the time.”

“You are making that up.”

“My form of rebellion. Did it for almost two years.”

This story just got weirder and weirder. “Did you get caught?”

“Got scared straight when a judge sentenced me to time at the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility.”

“Juvenile Hall?” She practically screamed the answer, then slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from saying anything more.

“My parents let me think I was going away for three years. In reality, I was there for a week. It was enough. Believe me.”

She felt a begrudging kick of respect for the parents she didn’t know. They’d seen Eric straying and pulled him right back in line. “That’s tough love.”

“That’s my parents.”

“Is that why you became a lawyer?”

“That, and I couldn’t do anything else. Arguing seems to come naturally to me.”

She doubted he’d ever failed at anything. He’d probably excelled at being a teen thief. “I find that hard to believe.”

“Not to circle back to a rough subject, but why did you really meet with Jimmy today?”

A half-truth was better than no truth. “I had to tell him something about a job.”

Eric’s gaze flashed on her fist, then moved back to her face again. “Fair enough.”

“But your big bad boyfriend act was impressive.” She tasted the word, let it roll around on her tongue. Boyfriend. Yeah, it felt right. Also helped that he didn’t go running off screaming in terror the second she slapped a name to their odd relationship. If anything, his sexy little smile grew bigger.

“I was hoping you’d like that bit of male showmanship.”

“Don’t make it a habit.” She brushed her fingers down his coat lapel, trying to keep her hand hidden from the eavesdropping crowd around them. “Now what?”

“We go back to my place.”

The second he said the words, she knew she’d been waiting to hear them. “Does that mean we’re done fighting?”

“I sure as hell hope so.”

“And now you’re propositioning me?”

With a gentle touch, he tucked her hair behind her ears. “I’m thinking we’re back on the same wavelength.”

“I think you’re dangerous.”

“Count on it.”

Chapter 13

Three hours later, Eric rolled over and felt nothing but warm sheets under his hand. He sat up fast enough to get dizzy. The mix of shiny hair and long legs caught his attention. Katie stood in front of the windows at the end of his bed, wearing his white dress shirt, and even that was unbuttoned except for one spot in the middle.

The material fell off her shoulder, revealing the same tan skin he’d spent minutes licking a short time ago. His mouth had traveled all over her. Having the full run of her trim body made him wonder why he’d waited so long to get her naked in a bed. Balancing against counters held a thrill, but kissing and caressing her while her heels dug into his mattress was sexy as hell.

“Like the view?” he asked.

She chuckled as she shot him an inviting smile over her shoulder. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“The image of you standing there, almost naked, will stay in my head all day. Can’t imagine I’m going to get any work done tomorrow as a result.”

“Good.”

“That pleases you, does it?” He threw off the covers and walked over to her. He didn’t bother getting dressed since he planned to drag her back to bed and make love to her one more time.

“Every woman likes to know she can bring her man to his knees.”

Her man. He liked it.

He wrapped his hands around her waist from behind, sneaking his palm inside the shirt to cup the smooth skin of her breast. “Then you should be delirious.”

“I’m halfway there.”

“That’s what a man likes to hear.”

“Did you miss the part where I squealed and shouted your name a half hour ago?”

If he closed his eyes he could still hear it. “I plan to play the mental video in my head as often as possible.”

“The lights are beautiful out there.” Her head fell back against his shoulder. The faint scent of ginger lingered in her hair. “Makes me want to stand here forever.”

“Do you ever miss living on Kauai?”

“It was a place to escape to.”

“That doesn’t sound so good.”

“I was so angry about losing my parents. Getting out and away and not being anywhere that reminded me of them was the goal.” Her voice vibrated with a faraway echo. “My life amounted to surfing and hanging out. That’s about it.”

“Regrets?”

“A ton of them. Friends who turned out to be anything but and a loser guy who lied to me about who he was and what I meant to him.”

Eric didn’t like hearing about the other men in her life, but he wasn’t clueless. She might be young but she’d lived a life before him. It was the now that concerned him the most. “Ouch.”

“Yeah, no kidding.”

“Men suck.”

She laughed. “Some do.”

“Should I apologize on behalf of my sex?”

She snuggled in closer to his chest. “Since you don’t suck, no.”

They gazed out over the night, comfortable in the quiet. At this height, the noise of the streets faded, leaving behind a series of buildings following a path to the darkness beyond. He’d originally wanted to look at the mountains, but seeing this view won him over. All that action below mixing with the deceptive calm of the water. It filled him with a sense of peace at the end of some hard days.

“I took this place because of the second floor. Through there, when it’s light outside, you can see a sliver of ocean.” He pointed to the small crevice between two buildings. “It’s far away, but amazing.”

Her hand moved over his, guiding his fingers to her nipple and rubbing the tips over it. “And to think I questioned why a single guy would live downtown.”

He had to swallow twice before he could answer. “Work.”

“You make yourself sound so dull.”

“Am I?”

The last lonely button slipped open, leaving her bare body open to his touch. He used his thumb to shape her nipples into tight balls while his other palm wandered down her body to her upper thigh.

She groaned as his finger dipped inside her. Just like every other time, she was wet and ready for him. “You feel so damn good.”

She lifted her arms over her head, tipping her breasts upward and sliding her fingers into his hair. “Can you take me again?”

He pressed his mouth against her neck. “I love when you talk like that.”

“I want you inside me.”

The whisper slashed across his senses. “Where were you when I was eighteen and horny every second?”

“I was too young for you back then, buddy.”

He pushed that reminder aside. “Probably still are.”

She turned around in his arms. Her hands captured his face right before she lifted her mouth to his. The combination of the kiss and the friction of their bare bodies rubbing together ignited his exhausted body. Somehow his dick sparked to life again.

She pulled back as his erection grew against her. “Looks like I’m not the only one who wants another round.”

“Heart attack be damned. The hospital rest will do me good.”

“And what a fabulous story that would be.” Her palms smoothed over his shoulders. “But we can avoid all that if you let me do most of the work. I’m willing.”

“Are you now?”

She shrugged out of his shirt. “You can sit back and enjoy.”

“I’m listening.” Because he’d lost the power of speaking.

With her hand wrapped around his, she led him to the bed. She pushed against his chest until he sat down. Before he could blink, she was on her knees in front of him. Then her mouth covered him. Hot and wet, her tongue moved over him, swallowing and stroking.

Seconds blended into minutes until he lost all track of time. When she took him deep, his nerve endings caught on fire.

She told him to lean back; he didn’t argue. His shoulders hit the mattress as her hands moved over him. Licking and sucking, she brought him back from the edge. The fatigue left his body. He was humming with power and energy now.

With each pass of her tongue, he grew thicker and his muscles tightened. She branded him from the inside out until he needed her more than he needed a breath. And when she crawled up his body and fit his cock to her, he lost all sense.

“You still with me?” she asked as she brushed her hair off her shoulder.

His hands found her thighs and climbed higher. “Nothing prepared me for you.”

Her legs opened wider, giving him the access he needed. His fingers slipped inside her. Teasing, testing, he kept up the caresses until her hips pumped in time with his hand.

Then she was gone. She jumped up and off him. On her knees on the bed beside him.

“What are you doing?” He almost shouted the question, the loss was so sudden and unexpected.

“You’re taking over.”

“So?”

Her smile took the edge off the rough pound of sexual frustration inside him. But not by much.

“It’s still my turn,” she said in a flirty tone.

“Your…oh.” When her hair fell across his thighs, he got it. She was running this show. If that meant torturing him with her mouth and hands, she was going to do it. And he was not going to complain.

“Smart man.”

He held her hair back so he could watch her move over him. He did not want to miss a second of this. “Damn, I’m sorry. I almost missed this.”

“Tonight, you’re mine.”

Once she lowered her head and flicked out that tongue, he didn’t care who was in charge.

Jimmy climbed into the front seat of the black luxury sedan. The cool tan leather felt good under his legs. Almost made him feel bad about his wet shorts dripping on the expensive upholstery. But it wasn’t his fault one of those freak Hawaii storms had blown in. It dropped a light rain across the island, then moved out just as fast. Already the bright blue sky had reappeared.

He fiddled with the buttons on the armrest. “I have some news.”

His client hit the child lock button. “I got that from your text. Talk.”

“I know you don’t like me contacting you, but this is an emergency.”

“It better be significant. I can’t afford to be seen with you right now.”

They had arranged to meet in the parking lot at Aloha Tower, where the cruise ships docked. None were in now, but people still milled around. Most took a minute to stare at a ninety-thousand-dollar car sitting by a bunch of beat-up warehouses instead of with a valet at one of the expensive Waikiki hotels.

It was the middle of the afternoon on a Tuesday but his client wore a loose silk shirt and black pants. Jimmy thought he looked more like a used car salesman than some big-time lawyer, but no one dressed up in Hawaii except people who worked for the government.

Since his client had that fidgety look to him, Jimmy got right to the point. “I know who our boy is dating.”

The man’s face turned red. His jaw clenched along with the rest of him. “What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been asking the wrong questions. It’s not about whether he’s seeing Deana. It’s about who he is seeing.”

“Stop talking in circles and get to the point.”

Jimmy didn’t much like the other man’s attitude. “He was with her at the wedding.”

“Who?”

“His new girl.”

The client’s fists clenched against the steering wheel. “I need a name.”

“I got one. Katie Long.”

“The same woman who works for you.” It was a statement not a question, and a furious one.

“Apparently she’s been running both sides of this. Or should I say both sides of our boy.” Jimmy knew he should have been pissed off for being used as a step to bigger money, but he was too busy being impressed. Katie saw an opportunity and snatched it. He gave her credit.

From the way his client slammed the heel of his hand against the dash, he wasn’t feeling as charitable toward Katie. “You set him up.”

“Whoa.” Jimmy hadn’t expected that turn. He had seen guys go from anger to violence, and he didn’t want to be on the receiving end of that. “You’ve got this wrong. I had nothing to do with this.”

“You put her in there. There is your fault.” The client pointed to emphasize his anger.

Jimmy put up his hands. He didn’t expect a blow, but he needed this dude to calm the hell down. People passing by were starting to look. “That’s not what went down.”

“Explain it to me.”

“She went on a job and…and, I guess, figured out a better angle.” He kept pressing his hands down, trying to take the tension out of the moment. “You’ve got to hand it to her. She wormed her way in.”

“Meaning?”

“I saw her with our boy. He’s got it bad.”

If possible, his client got even hotter. Much worse and the wheel would crumble under his tight fists. “You met with Eric?”

“It wasn’t my idea. I was talking with Katie at a diner and our boy hunted her down. Was pretty ruthless about it, too. He wasn’t happy about the idea someone might be poaching his woman.”

The client wiped his hand down his face, then watched a couple in matching T-shirts pass in front of the car. Seconds dragged by before he said anything. “She’s sleeping with both of you.”

“Just him, but definitely with him.” Jimmy knew that look. Eric was getting some.

“What did Eric say?”

“He warned me off Katie.”

Horns blared in the distance but the client didn’t seem to notice. “I need to know more about her.”

“Sure.”

“And then we’re done.”

No way. Jimmy was not ready to say good-bye to this meal ticket. “You’re looking at this wrong. We have someone on the inside.”

“I’m on the inside.”

His client needed to remember his hands weren’t clean, so Jimmy drove that point home. “Yeah, Kevin, I know.”

“Don’t use my name. We’re not friends.” The words came out through a locked jaw.

But Jimmy knew all about Kevin. Tough-guy lawyer with all sorts of connections. He looked legitimate from the outside, but he was playing a game. Jimmy respected that. He just wanted a piece of it.

“You’re the one investigating a guy you claim to be pals with.”

“That’s my business.”

“And I have mine. Let me work my end.”

But Kevin had already started shaking his head. “Pull Katie out. We’re done.”

This guy wasn’t getting it. They’d lost control of Katie. She was on her own now and watching her own ass. “That might not be possible.”

“Why?”

“Because she wants to be ‘in’ as much as your boy wants to be in her.”

Kevin made a face filled with disgust. “Get out of the car.”

Jimmy wondered if he’d miscalculated. “You sure you want to play it this way?”

The lock clicked open. “Does that give you your answer?”

“Your choice.” Jimmy opened the door.

“Since your business depends on confidentiality, you’d be wise to keep your mouth shut about this.”

Threats. No surprise there.

Jimmy smiled. “I know my job.”

Chapter 14

Katie had lived in Hawaii her entire life, seen the ocean from every angle and every beach, but she had never been to this place. She had no idea where she’d expected Eric to go when he left his office Tuesday afternoon, but this wasn’t it.

As the sun warmed her cheeks, she stood back and watched people file into an ornate red temple at the base of the Ko’olau Mountains in Valley of the Temples Memorial Park. Clouds swept low over the towering banks, alternatively blocking the sun and highlighting it.

She knew where she was because the sign out front told her. It was something called the Byodo-In Temple. Steps led up to a large square structure with wings off to each side. The area was breathtakingly beautiful, like something out of a book or built for a movie.

Wild peacocks and black swans roamed the grounds. There were ponds and small waterfalls everywhere. Lush greenery surrounded the building on all sides.

Not that the people piling inside noticed. Mostly Japanese and all with a quiet reverence, they filed through the doors and disappeared.

Eric had gone in more than twenty minutes before.

And the curiosity was killing her.

She didn’t want to intrude on what was clearly a private moment, but she couldn’t walk away. Something about the mumbled male voices and overwhelming peace of the scene spoke to her.

As quietly as possible, she walked up the steps and peered inside. The scent of incense greeted her immediately. She covered her nose as she glanced around. A golden altar sat at the front of the open room. On one side was a large photo of an older Asian woman. Flowers lined the area.

While she watched, the crowd stood and lined up to approach the front of the room. In turn, each person stepped up to the altar and lit a stick of incense, offering what appeared to be a prayer of some sort. The fourth person up was Eric. He showed great deference to the display before him. From the practiced movements of his hands to the bowing of his head, it appeared he knew the ceremony by heart.

He turned back from the altar with his arm wrapped around the older woman next to him. So careful and respectful, he guided her back to their seats. She only reached his shoulder, but Katie immediately knew she was his mother. They possessed the same walk and similar bone structure, but it was his protective hold that gave it away.

Katie was so busy studying him, admiring the tranquility of the moment and the way Eric’s bright blue tie highlighted the rich tone of his skin, she almost missed the shiver that moved through him. It was a sense of awareness mirrored in the tilt of his head, the roll of his shoulders. She wasn’t prepared for him to look up or for his gaze to search the room, but that’s what happened. Heat burned in her cheeks as his dark eyes centered on her.

Part of her wanted to run. She could turn around and get out of there and pretend this moment had never happened. But her feet were rooted to the floor. Pinned by his gaze, she could not move.

After helping his mother into her seat, Eric kept walking. He stalked down the aisle, causing several heads to turn in his wake. He didn’t stop until he stood in front of her.

“Hi.” She had no idea what else to say. So she went with that bit of brilliance.

“Just happen to be here today, did you?”

“Hardly.” She peeked over his shoulder and saw his mother looking back at them. “You should go sit down.”

“In a second.” With a hand on Katie’s elbow, Eric guided her back down the stairs and out into the sunshine.

She didn’t wait for the yelling to start. This called for an offensive strike. “I can explain.”

“You know what I think?”

“Not really.”

“You have trust issues.” The words were accusatory but his tone sounded more amused than anything.

“I know this looks bad.”

“It sure doesn’t look good.

“This is hard to say in a way that makes any sense.”

“Then maybe we should table it for another time and deal with the ceremony instead.”

She was so tempted to take the way out he offered. “Time isn’t going to help this one.”

“I get that, but I have a responsibility here.” He touched his hand against her lower back. “Come inside.”

“I’m going to skip, but thanks.”

“It’s a memorial service, not a human sacrifice.”

“I picked up that much.” Her mind went back to the photo of the woman with the sweet smile. “Who…who died?”

“My grandmother.”

A mix of sorrow and remorse filled Katie until she thought she’d drown in it. Here she was stomping around him like an out-of-control idiot, yelling about Deana and keys, and he was in mourning. “Oh, Eric. I am so sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

She grabbed the sleeve of his suit jacket. “It’s not. I know how devastating it is to lose someone.”

“You’ve had more than your share of loss.”

But they weren’t talking about her. They were talking about the strong man in front of her. Without a word or request for support, he was trying to work his way through a death in the family.

She’d examine how she felt about not being clued in later. The one thing that nagged at her was the timing. It didn’t make sense. Either she’d met him right after the death, or he could so compartmentalize his life as to block out all the sadness he must be feeling whenever he was with her.

The latter option clashed with everything she thought she knew about him. Eric was not cold and heartless, but he had kept his loss to himself for some reason. She wondered what he could say that would make that realization bearable because right now it wasn’t. It sunk inside her, hard and heavy.

But she would worry about how this made her feel later. Eric’s grief was the issue now, and from what she could tell he was burying it. “I had no idea.”

“About what?”

“Your grandmother’s death.” She smoothed her hand up and down his arm. “When did it happen?”

“Twenty-three years ago.”

Katie had never experienced the sensation of having ice water dumped on her but she guessed it felt a bit like this. “Come again?”

“This is a Buddhist ceremony. Well, there’s Buddhist and Shinto. It’s hard to explain.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Under the tradition, we have memorial services two years, seven years, seventeen years…well, let’s just say there’s a whole calendar of events set aside for both mourning and celebrating life. This is an important one.”

“You’re Buddhist?”

For some reason, he smiled. “That’s really all you got out of that entire spiel?”

“Frankly, I barely understood a word. I thought I’d go with the most obvious part I didn’t know about you.”

“This is one of those things that you do out of obligation and tradition. It means something to my parents, so I’m here for them.”

All those words and she still didn’t get it. “You should go back inside before they worry.”

“They’re fine. You, however, look ready to bolt.”

“In the span of ten minutes I found out you’re Buddhist, have a dead grandmother, and celebrate these services I’ve never heard of in what has to be the most spectacular part of the island I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe I missed it.”

Eric glanced around. “I’ve been coming here since I was a kid.”

“For church?”

“It’s a temple.”

Clearly he thought the distinction was important. “Is that a yes?”

“My mother believes in the relationship between man and nature. She brought me here so I would respect our culture. She also came here to meditate.”

The image played in Katie’s mind, making her smile. “I’m trying to imagine a small version of you running through the trees.”

“I’ve been told I liked to chase the birds. There are even embarrassing photos somewhere to prove it.”

“Bet your mom loved the attack on nature.”

“Not even a little bit.” He folded her hand in his and pressed it against his chest. “And, for the record, Baptist.”

“Excuse me?”

“I was raised Baptist.”

The volleys went by her so quickly that she was having a hard time dodging them. “I thought you were Buddhist.”

“My grandmother was. I understand some of the rituals but it was not a daily part of my life.”

His deep commitment to family made him even more attractive. She’d walked away after the death of her parents thinking it was safer not to have those tight connections. But when she’d needed Cara, her sister had come without question. The ties between them stopped stretching and began to repair that day. Ever since, Katie viewed Cara and Ashleigh as the most important people in her world.

“I learn something new about you every single day,” Katie said.

“I like to keep it interesting.” He kissed her hand. “Come inside.”

“I’d rather crawl home and hide under my bed.”

He wiggled his eyebrows. “I’d prefer to be in your bed, too.”

“That’s not what I said.”

“Clearly you have something on your mind. At least stay around here so we can talk after.”

She was afraid he’d say something like that. “How long are you thinking?”

“Another few minutes.”

A low rumble sounded behind him. She glanced up and saw people coming out of the temple. “No need. I think it’s over.”

“Then your wait will be even shorter.” He lowered their hands but did not let go. Together they stood and watched everyone break into smaller groups on the lawn.

“I’m sorry if I made you miss it.”

“No one forced me to come out here, Katie. I take responsibility for the things I do.”

He didn’t need to explain. Most of the things he’d said about temples and ceremonies soared over her head, but she understood. It felt like he was trying to tell her something secret but important, but she wasn’t sure what.

“Your very adult behavior in spite of your maleness is one of the things I admire about you.”

He scoffed. “I’m not touching that statement.”

When she saw the couple headed straight for them, Katie tensed. This was beyond mortifying. She tried to shake off Eric’s hand but his hold didn’t lessen. If anything, he grew calmer.

“Eric?” The older woman’s eyes narrowed as she glanced down at Eric’s hand and the closeness of his position to Katie.

“Mom, Dad, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

“Oh, man,” Katie mumbled the terror-filled response under her breath to keep from screaming for him to stop.

“My parents, Miyoko and Yukio Kimura, this is my friend Katie Long.”

They just stared at her. Katie returned the favor. She figured they could be anywhere from fifty to seventy. Their smooth skin showed very few lines despite the deep tans they sported. They were shorter and smaller in stature than Eric, but the resemblance was unmistakable.

He was the perfect mix of both parents, with his father’s trim build and his mother’s bone structure. But if his mother were any smaller, she’d fit in Eric’s pocket.

Katie tried to force out some sort of welcome but only one word popped out. “Hello.”

“We’re happy you could come today.” Miyoko shook Katie’s free hand.

Since the bones in the woman’s hand were so tiny, and she looked so fragile, Katie tried not to hold on too tight. Then Eric’s father took his turn. His hand was warm and firm just like his son’s.

Katie had never felt so out of place in her life. Her head spun and her knees wobbled. It was quite possible she’d start throwing up soon. “I’m so sorry for intruding.”

Yukio’s eyebrow lifted. “Were you?”

If possible, Eric pulled her even closer to him as if trying to feed warmth into her body through his own. “She isn’t familiar with the ceremony.”

Eric’s dad smiled. “No one would expect you to be.”

His mother clapped her hands. “Now that you’re here, you should join us for a late lunch. We’re going to my sister’s house.”

There was a nightmare scenario, one Katie knew she wouldn’t survive. “Oh, no. I couldn’t.”

“But—”

“We can’t, Mom,” Eric agreed.

Miyoko nodded with a bit of sadness in her dark brown eyes. “Work, I assume?”

“Yes.”

Lie or not, Eric was going to get so lucky. Katie vowed right then to let him do anything he wanted as a thank-you for the save. No way could she eat. She wasn’t even sure she could stand up without Eric’s help. Another hour of this sort of thing and her head would explode from the force of staying quiet. The chance of saying or doing the wrong thing was far too great for her to risk opening her mouth.

“At least you made time this afternoon.” Miyoko kissed her son on the cheek. “It was nice to meet you, Ms. Long.”

The older couple walked back to a small group that had been intently watching the scene. Women whispered and one lady even pointed.

“Well, that was awkward,” Katie said.

“I thought it went well.”

She tested his grip on her hand but he still held on. “I just met your parents.”

“I know. I was standing right here.”

She faced him. “Do you know what that means?”

“Apparently not.”

“Everyone will know now.”

He leaned in as if they were sharing a big secret. “Know what?”

“About us.”

He lowered his head and his voice as another couple walked past. “You think my parents are going to run around telling people?”

“I’m serious.” She wanted him to prove he wasn’t ashamed of her, but this was making a statement. A big, answer-a-lot-of-questions statement.

“I can see that.”

She just wanted to get out of the spotlight. If one more person she didn’t know stared at her and then started whispering, she was going to get violent. “Forget it. It doesn’t matter.”

“I agree.”

Before she ran off, she needed to talk with Eric. If he was going to go around introducing her to people and holding her hand in public, he needed all of the facts. “Do you really have to go back to work?”

“I took the afternoon off.”

Which showed how important this family event was. Once again regret threatened to swamp her. “You should go with your parents.”

“No.”

“No? That’s your response?”

“I was looking for a reason to skip the whole family and buffet thing. I owe you one.”

She feared he’d be saying something very different in a few minutes. “I have to tell you something.”

“An explanation about why you’re here? I hope so, because I’m dying to hear this one.”

All she wanted to do was put it off. But they’d gone further down the road to a relationship than she’d ever anticipated. As it was now, she had waited too long.

“This is the perfect place,” she said.

“For?”

“The truth.”

“You lost me.”

“The temple is relaxing and sacred.” She watched the lingering crowd start to thin. Most everyone had gone to their cars except for a few stragglers. “Maybe you won’t kill me.”

He dropped her hand as an air of seriousness enveloped him. “What are you talking about?”

“Is there somewhere more private?”

“It’s a park, so there are some limits, but we can try the meditation pavilion. Get away from the parking lot and figure out what’s making you so jumpy.”

A change in location wasn’t going to solve that. She wasn’t sure anything would.

Chapter 15

Eric waited until they crossed the small bridge and spent a moment watching the peacocks. Everything inside him told him to grab Katie by the shoulders and insist she spill it. Somehow he stayed patient, though that wasn’t easy when he could almost see her doing battle in her head over something.

When they reached the edge of the grounds, he guided her to the one spot he knew they could be alone. They walked up the stone steps to the meditation pavilion. There was nowhere to sit except the hard ground and no walls to block the sound, but they could talk here.

“We’ve walked around. Unless you want to talk with the fish, I don’t think you can stall much longer.”

She snorted. “You underestimate me.”

“I’m learning.”

“I knew you’d be at the wedding,” she blurted out.

“What?”

She paced the small six-by-six space, mumbling to herself and generally not making an ounce of sense.

“Katie?”

She finally stopped. When she looked up, her face was drawn and colorless.

“Are you okay?” He stepped toward her, trying to help, but she shook her hands to warn him off.

“I need to get this out.”

She was starting to scare the hell out of him. “Then do it.”

Her chest rose and fell in several deep breaths. “I worked the wedding to get to you.”

The random words didn’t make any sense to him. “I have no idea what you’re saying.”

“Our meeting wasn’t a coincidence.”

“Deana and Josh—”

“I was there because of you.”

Even with all the words out there now, he still had no idea what she was talking about. “Is this some sort of strange stalker crush?”

“You were a job.”

All the concern and worry crashed inside him. This wasn’t about her being sick or upset. This had a nasty edge and the thoughts floating through his mind bordered on being unspeakable. “What kind?”

“I was hired to follow you. To see what you were doing at the wedding and if you and Deana got together.”

“Together at her wedding? What idiot would think that?” His voice rose as fast as his temper. Anger pounded at him from every direction. It had all been a setup. Here he’d spent hours trying to figure out how to fit Katie into his life and she was working a scam.

“You have to know I didn’t mean for it to go this way.” She took a step forward.

He backed up, increasing the distance between them as much as possible. No fucking way was he falling for that husky voice a second time. “Forget that. Tell me who hired you and why.”

“I don’t know.” She rubbed her hands together until they were red.

Screw the sad look on her face and the nervousness that seemed to jump off her. He wanted the truth. “Katie, maybe you can’t tell by the look on my face, but I’m not in the mood for dancing around this.”

“I really don’t know. Jimmy hired me. He’s the one with the client.”

Eric hadn’t thought the fury in his head could rage any hotter. He was wrong. “Jimmy, as in that weasel from the diner?”

“Yes.”

“He hired you to follow me.” Eric swallowed back the bile that clogged his throat. “To sleep with me.”

“God, no.” This time she rushed up and grabbed his arms before he could move away. “I wasn’t even supposed to talk with you. Certainly wasn’t supposed to come near you.”

He wanted to shrug her off, push her away. Act or not, her body crumpled, folded in until she looked ready to curl into a tiny ball. The fake vulnerability tugged at him even as his brain shouted for him to shut her out. Instead, he stayed still, not touching or giving in to the softness of her hands. “Why did you?”

“I never expected to be attracted to you.”

He refused to deal with that. He just couldn’t let himself believe it.

But this time he did break her grasp. He wanted miles of air between them but settled for a few inches. “Who’s Jimmy’s client?”

Her hands fell loose to her sides. “Someone close to you. That’s all I know.”

“That’s not believable. You report to this person.”

“I don’t.”

He stood in the bright sunshine, surrounded by fresh air, and still he hovered on the verge of suffocating. “I’m supposed to trust anything you say right now?”

“I told Jimmy that you and Deana acted completely appropriate at the wedding.” Her tone flattened the more she spoke. “I told him the other day there was nothing between the two of you and his client needed to drop the investigation.”

As far as Eric was concerned, it was the least Katie could do, and he doubted she’d even done that. “I still don’t understand why someone would want to follow me.”

“I was told it was a worried donor.”

Unfortunately, that explanation rang true for Eric. The people who gave money to campaigns expected something in return. Before they handed out cash, many wanted some sort of guarantee. Eric refused to promise more than to do his job. It was conceivable someone needed more evidence.

But a big problem was brewing. One that mattered more than his campaign. “Okay. That’s the business angle. Tell me about the personal one.”

She shook her head. “What does that mean?”

The answer meant more to him than some idiot digging into his record and love life. “Are you still working the con?”

“It was never like that. I got paid for a job, but then I met you and—” She stared at the ground as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. “I don’t know how to explain it.”

From the gnawing he wasn’t sure she could. “Ah, I guess I was so charming that you fell under my spell.”

“Actually, yes.”

The need to believe her rubbed his voice raw. “Don’t fucking lie to me. Not again.”

Some of the color rushed back into her cheeks. “You came to me in the kitchen. You gave me the key.”

“Shows how smart I am.”

“My point is I didn’t come after you. Because of the way we met, I was prepared to walk away.” She grabbed the lapels of his suit coat and tugged him closer. “I need you to listen to me.”

His mind spun in a thousand different directions. Fury, confusion, it all came rushing back to him. This was the second time in his life the fallout from a woman left him reeling. Only, this was worse. Katie had the power to knock him backward and he had no idea when he’d handed her that weapon.

“Why should I?” he asked.

“Because I’ve earned it.”

The words hit him in the wrong place. “I’ll admit the sex was good.”

She shoved herself away from him. “You son of a bitch. That’s not what I meant.”

He regretted the comment as soon as it left his mouth. He’d wanted to land a shot or two of his own. Looked like he had.

He snagged her arm before she ran off. Her muscles trembled under his fingers. “Hold on.”

“Let go of me.” Her fury showed in every line of her body as she fought him.

He refused to let go. “Wait a second.”

“You made yourself perfectly clear.”

He inhaled, trying to figure out how they’d reached this place. More importantly, how they maneuvered out of it without destroying each other. “You dump this huge thing on me, basically tell me our time together was based on some scam, and then try to run off. Are you surprised I’m pissed?”

“I get it. You’re back to thinking I’m a whore.”

Hearing her refer to herself that way sucked the life right out of him. “There’s that word again. Have you noticed you’re the only one using it?”

“But you believe it.” Desperation hung over her, in her voice and the strain around her mouth.

“No.”

Her shoulders fell as some of the tension slipped out of her. “Sounded like you were going there.”

“Give a guy a second to process before you storm off.” The banging in his head made that impossible.

“I’m sorry.”

To keep from falling over, he leaned against the post at one corner of the pavilion. “What for?”

“For not being honest.” She followed him. Stood close enough for their feet to touch. “I should have told you all about this when you walked into the kitchen the first time. You could have made a decision about me then.”

He searched her face, looking for any signs of a continuing con. All he saw was a mouth pulled tight in what looked like anguish. “Why didn’t you?”

“Honestly?”

He couldn’t believe she had to ask. “Yes, Katie. That would be nice.”

“I didn’t want you to leave.” She moved in on him. Her hands fell to his waist and her lips brushed over his.

When she kissed him, the hammering in his head eased. The touch of her mouth against his soothed and comforted. The pain and anger pumping through him slowed. She touched him and his world tipped right again.

But his brain screamed in self-preservation. He couldn’t do this. Not yet. Not until he had a second alone to think.

He forced his muscles to relax as he set her away from him. “I need some time.”

Panic flared in her eyes. “We should talk about this.”

“We’ll talk later.” He stepped down off the platform and headed for the step, then turned back to stare at her.

“Where are you going?”

“I have no idea.” The place didn’t matter so long as he was away.

“Can I come with you?” She sounded so hopeful.

“No.”

Chapter 16

Seth left the quiet of the prosecutor’s office and stepped out of the double glass doors. He was headed to the elevator and then home. Instead of the usually clear path, he ran right into a hot brunette in a raincoat standing in the hall.

Long hair and even longer legs. The combination qualified as perfect in his book.

At the touch of his fingers against her sleeve, she jumped into the wall. “Whoa! Lady, be careful.”

When she shot him a wild-eyed stare, he worried she’d hurt herself. “Are you okay?” he asked.

She clenched the edges of her coat in her fist. “You scared the hell out of me.”

“Obviously.”

It was after hours, almost seven-forty, and pretty much everyone had left for the day. Except for a few security guards roaming the halls, the place was all but abandoned. The lobby had been closed for more than an hour.

Only folks with proper badges had access at this point, which left one big question. “How did you get in here?”

“Through the metal detector.”

Looked like the woman was a liar. Question was if she was something worse. “Try again.”

“I’ve been in the building for a while.”

He noticed she tended to answer questions with gibberish. “Were you on a jury or did you have a case here today?”

“I’m looking for someone.”

That came closer to a sentence, so he grabbed onto it. “Maybe I can help.”

“I need to see Eric Kimura.”

She managed to name the one guy who definitely was in the building. The same guy who hadn’t said a word all day except for when he had to. Seth knew because he’d tried to engage his friend more than once and met with a solid wall of silence. Whatever was going on, the last thing Eric needed was some crazy woman, even if she was a fine-looking crazy woman, harassing him.

“The office is closed now,” Seth explained.

“I understand that.”

Yet here she was. “You can make an appointment.”

“This is personal.”

Now she had Seth’s attention. “Really?”

“I went to his condo and he wasn’t there. This was the other most logical place to find him.”

The surprises just kept coming. “I can’t argue with that.”

“Do you know him?”

“Everyone here knows Eric. He’s the boss.”

“Right.”

“He also happens to be a friend.”

“Can you take me to him?” she asked.

Thanks to the nature of his work, Seth didn’t trust many people. Something in her jittery moves told him to watch out for this one. “What’s your name?”

“Katie Long.”

Didn’t sound familiar. “What’s under the coat?”

She stopped fidgeting and stared him down. The nerves were gone. Extreme attitude had shown up in its place. “That’s not really your business.”

“It is if you’re planning to do something to Eric.” Seth hitched his thumb over his shoulder. “See these doors? They’re locked for a reason.”

“I’m not going to hurt him.”

“Then what is the plan here?”

She shot Seth the you’re-clueless look women did so well. “Use your imagination.”

Oh, he had been ever since he laid eyes on those spiky black shoes and the legs connected to them. “How do you know Eric?”

“We met at his ex’s wedding. We had a misunderstanding yesterday and I need to see him now.”

All the pieces fell together. She was the mystery woman. Had to be. “You’re the one Eric’s been seeing.”

Her mouth dropped open. “He told you?”

“Seth Freeman.” He offered his hand and was surprised when she loosened up on the death grip on her jacket long enough to take it. “Eric and I are good friends.”

She didn’t look convinced. “But still…”

From that reaction, Seth thought she definitely knew Eric. “I figured it out, and that was only after hours of bugging him about you. Couldn’t even get him to cough up a name.”

A small smile played on her lips. “I’m not sure how to take that.”

She might be confused but Seth knew exactly what to do. He’d accept the consequences if there were any. “Take your hands out of your pockets.”

“Excuse me?”

“If I’m going to break every rule and put Eric’s safety at risk by dragging you back there to see him, then I’m going to watch your hands while I do it.”

She held up her hands. Turned them around and wiggled her fingers. “Happy?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

“What will help you decide?”

“The look on Eric’s face a minute from now.”

“Hey.” A quick knock on the office door followed Seth’s abbreviated greeting.

Eric didn’t look up. He wasn’t in the mood to talk, not even with Seth. A discussion would lead to Katie, and Eric wasn’t ready to go there yet.

“The answer on dinner is still no,” he said in his best leave-me-alone tone. “Go home.”

“I have another offer.”

For some reason his usually smart friend was not taking the hint. “What is it?”

“Me.”

When Eric heard Katie’s husky voice, his head shot up. It was as if dreaming about her had brought her to life. In his office. In the after-hours quiet of his thoughts. In a raincoat that fell partway down her leg and showed more skin than any sane man could reasonably be expected to resist.

He blinked but she didn’t disappear. “Katie?

Seth looked like he was fighting to hide a smile and failing miserably at the task. “She was hanging out by the elevator.”

“I was trying to figure out how to get in to see you.” She glanced at the papers spread out in front of him on the desk. “Should I come back later?”

“No.” Eric winced at how fast the word flew out of his mouth. He tried for a more even tone. “Stay.”

“What about me?” Seth pivoted around Katie and stepped further into the office as he asked.

Eric pointed at the door as he stood up. “Get out.”

“You sure? I can stay and make sure everything’s okay. Talk for a while.” It was tough to miss the amusement in Seth’s voice.

Eric was more concerned about Katie and how close she was to the exit. The wrong word could send her running, and for some reason, Eric didn’t want that to happen. “Then you can look for a new job tomorrow.”

Seth nodded. “I’ll shut the door behind me.”

“Good choice.”

“Just so you know, you’re the only one here.” Seth wiggled his eyebrows. Good thing he stood behind Katie when he did it.

“Go.” Eric waited until Seth closed the door behind him. “He’ll ask me questions about you for the next month.”

“What will you tell him?”

Watching her walk across the room and stop on the other side of his desk was no hardship. Her hips swayed and the opening of the coat between her breasts dipped just low enough to give him a hint of shadow.

“I’m not sure yet.” The shadow gave way to a peek of skin. More skin instead of bra or shirt. “Is it raining?”

“No.”

“What’s with the coat?”

“Depends.”

She stepped around to his side of the desk, dragging her hand across his paperwork and otherwise distracting him with the gentle sway of her body. The room remained quiet but her movements echoed the beat of the blood through his veins. “On what?”

“How angry you are that I dropped in on you today.”

His thoughts scattered. If someone had asked him a few minutes ago, he would have said he didn’t want to talk to her. Seeing her now, he realized his anger had cooled. Confusion and need were the words of the hour.

“I’m not.”

“You sure?” She stopped right in front of him. Close enough for the soft smell of her shampoo to wind between them. “You were pretty ticked off yesterday.”

“I was a lot more than that.” Damn, if she moved one more inch, she’d be on top of him. He had to admit he liked the idea.

“And you didn’t call me.” She touched the knot of his tie. “Haven’t spoken to me at all since we were at the temple.”

“No.”

“Tell me what that means.”

“I was furious, but that can’t be a surprise.”

Her second hand joined the first. Instead of fixing his tie, she started loosening it. “You didn’t exactly hide your feelings.”

“You dropped a pretty big bomb.”

He knew he should resist her. Her admission yesterday still had him reeling and distrusting everyone around him. Yet he looked into those big blue eyes and every ounce of intelligence seeped out of his body. He was transported back to a time when his needs came before everything else. Obligations ceased to exist. Elections came in second. With a touch of nostalgia, he’d begun to think of those as the good times.

“So, what does the fallout look like today? Are we at nuclear annihilation or just experiencing some minor tremors?” She slid his tie off and dropped it on the desk next to his hand.

“Are those the only two choices?” He took a quick look out the window next to him. The sun had gone down more than a half hour ago. City lights now outlined the sky.

“You tell me.”

The top button of his dress shirt popped open, dragging his attention straight back to her. “You still haven’t told me why you’re here.”

“Picked up on that, did you?”

The next three opened just as fast. He half expected white buttons to start bouncing around the room. “Does it have something to do with your coat?”

“With what’s under it.” Her hands smoothed over his bare chest.

“Which is?”

She leaned in, putting her mouth next to his ear. “Nothing.”

That quick, the desire pulsing through him turned into a heavy flowing river. Her hands and mouth were a deadly combination for his self-control. “You have my attention.”

“See, I had this plan.” One hand snaked down to the top of his pants.

He couldn’t breathe. “Okay.”

“I wanted to reach you.”

After a short tug, his belt opened. “You’re doing fine.”

“I said all I could say yesterday and couldn’t break through, so I thought I’d try something I knew would work.” The rasp of his zipper broke through the room’s silence. A second later, her hand reached into his boxer briefs.

He tried to swallow. “Works for me.”

“From the beginning we’ve related on another level.”

Up, down, whatever. If she didn’t stop talking soon, he was going to go fucking nuts. “I’m not arguing.”

She slipped her hand over him, freed him from the material. The skin-to-skin sensation had him looking down. Lean fingers wrapped around him as warm puffs of air brushed against his cheek.

He wanted her out of the raincoat.

“I came here to seduce you.” Soft at first, then with growing pressure, she kissed a line across his jaw. As her mouth moved, so did her hand.

His erection grew to the point of exploding. “Every part of me is paying attention now.”

“I can see that.”

He vowed to let her take the lead. He could wait. Hell, he’d beg if she wanted him to. “Tell me what you want me to do.”

Her mouth met his. The kiss start at smoking and only grew hotter from there. Tongue, lips, hands—the sensual assault hit him from every angle. She was all over him, touching and tasting until he wondered if he could survive another second.

“Sit.” She whispered the order against his mouth.

His knees obeyed before his brain processed the words. His butt hit the leather just as her hands went to the belt of her khaki jacket. He would have said something, coaxed her to go faster, but he couldn’t speak. He was mesmerized by the sight of her fingers as they stripped open the coat.

High, round breasts and tan bare skin. In the first flash, that’s all he saw. Then his gaze traveled lower, over her flat stomach to the junction between her thighs. A thin strip of hair couldn’t hide the womanly scent coming off her. He knew if he dragged a finger over her, he’d find her wet and ready.

“Your plan is working,” he said, thinking those would probably be the last words he got out.

One hand disappeared into her pocket and came out with a foil packet tucked between two fingers. “I thought you might not have condoms at work.”

He had two in his briefcase and both were meant for her, but he wasn’t talking. Not yet. Not when all he wanted to do was slide deep inside her and forget everything else.

She shifted and the jacket fell from her shoulders and hit the floor. “Are you ready for me?”

“Definitely.”

With her killer heels on and her body bent over so her breasts brushed against his chest, she climbed on top of him. Her legs straddled his hips as she balanced her body by putting her hands on his shoulders.

For the first time all evening, he touched her. Gave in to the craving and let his thumbs circle her nipples as his mouth found the side of her neck.

The chair rocked from their joint weight. He turned it slightly so the back was wedged against the desk. If they ended up on the floor it was going to be because they wanted to be there and not because they toppled over.

A hand moved between them as she adjusted their position. The shift pressed the tip of his cock right against her. The creamy wetness had his lower half clenching to get closer. But she didn’t let him set the tempo. She was in charge of this show. Her palms grabbed the back of his chair, her nails digging into the leather.

With his mouth on her breasts and his hands on her ass, he was ready. He flexed, lifting his body slightly and sinking inside her just a fraction. Instead of stopping him, she pushed down. In a slow, heart-stopping slide, she took all of him. Heat surrounded him. Everywhere he turned, he saw and felt silky skin.

Then she started to move.

Her hips pulled up and then pressed back down. This was not a slow mating. She was hot and wild as she rode him. Heavy breathing and the slap of the chair against the desk were the only sounds in the room as she lifted and fell on his lap. His hands supported her hips as she went, setting a rhythm that had him gasping.

His mouth broke away from her amazing body as he strained to keep from spilling too soon. With his head balanced against the chair, he could see her in her full glory. Head tipped back, arms stiff from where they held on behind him, and body rising and falling above him.

He wanted to watch her come but his eyes slipped shut. The closer he got, the stronger the pull inside him became. Tension coiled ready to spring. When she squeezed her inner muscles around him and sat down hard, energy pounded through him. Every muscle and cell compressed and then let go. The orgasm hit him hard and fast, taking every ounce of stamina and whipping the life out of it.

He groaned his satisfaction against the soft underside of her breasts just as her body began to buck. Her long strokes turned to a staccato thump of her chest against his. With her mouth open and her thighs tight against his sides, she came. Her body trembled and her arms shook. When she finally came down, she crumpled in a soft heap on top of him.

This room had seen a lot of legal action but never anything like this. He lay there with the faint scent of sex filling his senses. He’d never again be able to sit in this chair without seeing her looming over him on the verge of coming.

He felt her smile against the base of his neck. “Happy?”

“I think my plan worked.”

“The seduction? Yeah, you could say that.” She sat up. The shift pushed him deeper inside her and had them both groaning. “You’re killing me.”

“I’m trying to get you to forgive me.”

Those eyes looked wary. They’d cleared out some ghosts, but some still lingered. He guessed he wore a similar expression.

“I’m trying to understand why you did it,” he said.

“I needed money.”

He brushed the hair off her face. “For?”

“School, life…does it really matter?”

“I guess not.”

Her mouth met his in a kiss without any real heat. It was more to soothe than entice. “Then let’s go back to your place and watch the sunrise.”

He glanced around at all the work he had to do and decided to get to it tomorrow. “That’s not for a few hours.”

“I’m sure we can find something to do until then.”

Chapter 17

Standing in his office and remembering the night before, Eric was in a good mood. Tired, but pretty damn satisfied.

What he had with Katie—he was convinced it wasn’t a part of some huge conspiracy or con. She’d come to his office looking like that, and moved her mouth over him later at home, because she wanted to be with him. They’d figure out the rest later.

The door opened without a knock. Kevin walked in, his steps long and full of purpose. Seth followed, shutting the door. A heavy mood followed both of them. For Kevin that wasn’t unusual. Outside the courtroom, it was unheard of for Seth.

Eric was most concerned with the nasty habit Kevin had picked up of thinking he was in charge. “I’m not sure how your law office works, but people tend to knock before they walk in around here.”

“We have an issue,” Kevin said without breaking stride.

Since his campaign manager viewed everything as dire, Eric’s pulse didn’t even jump at the warning. “Both of you?”

Seth claimed the open seat in front of Eric’s desk first. “I’m here because he summoned me.”

“Anyone want to tell me why I’m here?” Eric asked.

Kevin stopped behind Seth. Just hovered there looking more concerned with every breath he took. “You’re the one with the problem.”

Eric tapped his intercom button and told the receptionist to hold his calls. “If this is about the election, we have to take it elsewhere. The political stuff stays separate from my current position.”

Kevin knew better. Campaign work in a government office was a definite no. Eric had no intention of breaking those rules. Some people might question his ethics, but he still lived by a code.

“I’m all for protocol but we don’t have time.

Eric eased back into his chair. If he turned his head a certain way, he could smell the faint ginger aroma he now associated with Katie. “Just tell me what you’re doing here.”

“I got a call this morning,” Kevin said.

Seth crossed an ankle over his knee and tapped the bottom of his shoe. “Is that unusual for you?”

“The reporter was asking if Eric had any comment on the story that’s about to run on him.”

Eric couldn’t believe they’d assembled this War Room over something so mundane. Another Deana rumor. So what? He had better things to worry about. “That happens all the time. It’s not a big deal.”

“This one is.”

The pained expression on Kevin’s face never wavered. Eric decided to end the twenty questions before his friend popped a blood vessel. “Give me a clue here. What’s going on?”

“There is a video of you.” Kevin paused as if he expected a huge reaction to that piece of information. “It shows you having sex in your office with a woman.”

“That’s better than a farm animal.” Seth’s laughter quickly died out when no one joined him. “Wait, are you serious?”

The world went blank. Just as Eric was reclaiming his balance after the incident at the temple, something new came along to tilt his world. Something unbelievable that didn’t make any sense. “What are you talking about?”

“You with a naked woman on your lap.”

The memories came rushing back at Eric. Sex with Katie. He spun his chair around and stared out the window. A few office buildings stood nearby. There was a grassy space in front of the building where someone could set up a camera. So many places for prying eyes to get a peek.

How could he be so fucking careless? “Damn it.”

He’d handed it right to them. Sat right there and made love to Katie where anyone could watch. He’d always been so precise but this time he’d slipped up. Huge.

“I haven’t seen the thing but I do have a photo still.” Kevin looked from Seth back to Eric. “Just tell me if it was Deana.”

Eric’s temper split in a million directions, each one racing and picking up speed toward an inevitable crash. He wrestled with his part in this, furious he’d let such a private moment spin into something dirty. But another, angrier piece of him wanted to shout Kevin down for harping on the Deana fears.

“For the hundredth time, I’m not sneaking around with Deana.”

Kevin ignored the outburst. “The date stamp says it happened last night.”

“Oh, boy.” Seth whistled. The realization that he knew all about what had happened and when was stamped across his face.

Kevin stared down at him. “What do you know about this?”

“It’s not a big deal,” Seth said.

The red on Kevin’s cheeks spread to his entire face. “Eric is using state property for sex. He’s been the poster boy for ethical behavior. Trust me. This is a problem.”

Eric was too shell-shocked to argue. He’d run his entire work life as straight as possible. He didn’t fudge on cases. Didn’t cover or hide facts. Hell, he’d sabotaged a relationship with Deana in order to keep his ethics in line. Now this.

“He’s allowed to have sex,” Seth pointed out.

Kevin reached in his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a paper.

Eric didn’t want to ask but did it anyway. “What is that?”

“The damning evidence.” Kevin dumped the grainy photo on the desk in front of Eric. “The reporter thinks she’s a prostitute. I’m not sure if that’s worse or better than it being Deana.”

Eric glanced at it but didn’t have to study it. The position was burned into his brain because he lived it. “Jesus.”

Seth took longer. When he finally sat back, his mouth had pulled into a grim line. “She’s not. Eric, tell Kevin the truth about her.”

A flicker of doubt danced across Eric’s senses. The chill on the back of his neck was hard to ignore. The timing was so damning. Her history worked against her. But he couldn’t reconcile the vibrant, passionate woman who’d crawled all over him with the bloodless con woman she would have to be to pull this off.

He’d spent years digging through people’s lives. He’d seen unbelievable violence and despair. Victims cried on his shoulder and killers lied to his face. It wasn’t as if he lived in a naïve world. He knew people had the ability to act like shit. The combination of politics and criminal law left him whipped at the end of some days. It was a constant fight to stay positive, to believe in something.

But from the beginning he had connected with Katie. It started with sex, but the desire to be with her went beyond getting naked. Even now, as the evidence piled against her, he kept falling for her. What he felt for her wasn’t easy. It was raw and emotional and punched him every day.

He cleared his throat. “She’s the woman I’m seeing. She came in last night and…well, I guess you know the rest.”

Seth turned the photo over in his hand. “Is this all you have?”

“That’s enough.” Eric grabbed it and left it facedown against the desk. Some things should be private. A man should be able to make love to his woman without having the entire press corps sneak a look.

Seth made a face but his gaze never left the photo. “I meant from the perspective of figuring out what we’re dealing with here. Maybe if we could get our hands on the actual tape we could get a clue as to the maker. If we figure out where this was shot, we might be able to find out who did it.”

“I can’t even confirm who the lady is. All I have is this shot. Haven’t seen the tape, but from what I understand, her identity is hidden.” Kevin slid his thigh onto the desk. “You see Eric’s face and her—”

Eric remembered how they’d sat in that chair. How they’d moved. “Everything.”

“Apparently.”

He blew out a long breath. He had hoped it would ease the building pressure in his chest. No luck. “That’s good, at least.”

“What are you talking about? This is a disaster.” Kevin’s voice climbed in volume as he spoke.

“We can control it.”

Kevin thumped his finger against the back of the photo. “This?”

“I’m a grown man. I’m allowed to have sex and a private life. I’d prefer if there wasn’t photographic evidence, but I can’t fix that now.” But he could track down the dumbass who took the video and make sure it wasn’t splashed anywhere else.

“Have you thought this through?” Kevin asked.

“Hard to since I’ve known about the problem for about ten seconds.”

“Then let me boil it down for you. You were set up.”

Kevin rushed right to the place Eric was trying to avoid. “No. Absolutely not.”

Kevin shifted and huffed in exasperation. The man with an abundance of control looked ready to burst. “How do you think someone got the video or knew to take it in the first place?”

Out of nowhere, Katie’s comments about someone close to him wanting information came back to him. “Good question.”

“You think Gunnery is behind this?” Seth asked.

Eric mentally played that angle and it led nowhere. Gunnery had just announced his intentions. The guy had little money and even less name recognition. Worse than having no support, he had very little ambition. This had the mark of someone with more skill and more focus on making some money. “I don’t think he’s focused enough to have spies following me.”

“Forget Gunnery.” Kevin’s voice cut through the discussion. “Let’s stick with the girl.”

Eric didn’t appreciate the dismissive attitude. “Woman.”

“Did you invite her here?”

“No.”

The facts kept stacking up against Katie. The more Kevin talked, the more reasonable his theory sounded. But none of those pieces matched the woman Eric knew, and he did know her. He refused to believe otherwise.

“She showed up and there just happened to be a camera crew lurking outside.” A crack rang out as Kevin slapped his open palm against the desk. “Do you hear that theory? It’s crazy obvious.”

Seth drummed his hands against the chair’s armrest. “You think she planned all of this.”

“You got it.” Kevin’s gaze whipped back to Eric. “Can you see it?”

Saw it, analyzed it, and tried to ignore it. He wanted to keep his private life clean and safe from all this bullshit, but the bad kept intruding. Reality slapped him in the face with Deana. She had been rock solid but the tragedy in her family changed everything. Katie seemed to wallow in disaster.

Katie’s life was a series of missteps. He hoped like hell he wasn’t one more.

“What did you tell the reporter?” he asked.

“What?” Kevin yelled the question.

“Calm down before security runs in here.”

Kevin stared at the door. “Right.”

Eric tried to regulate his breathing and come up with a plan. “Now, this reporter wants a statement, right?”

“We aren’t saying anything. I’m going to look at the tape and see if we have any deniability.” Kevin reached for the photo but Eric stopped the slide across the table with his hand.

“It’s me.”

“Depending on the angle—”

Eric had no intention of lying about this or trying to blame someone else. “Kevin, hear me on this. I had sex here last night. It’s definitely me.”

“Yeah, Kev. I saw the woman. Before the event in question, of course, but it’s her,” Seth said.

Kevin went wild at that admission. “You didn’t stop him?”

Eric ended the fight before it could get off the ground. “Again, I make my own decisions. This is my fault, not Seth’s. Keep your anger focused where it belongs.”

“Unbelievable.” If Kevin was going for a mumble he failed; the word came out loud and clear.

“How long do we have before it airs?” Eric asked.

Kevin went from furious to looking like he’d been hit with a baseball bat. “A few hours. Tops.”

“I’ll talk to the reporter.” Once Eric figured out what to say and how to say it, he’d take care of the problem. Until then, his mind would spin and the doubt would grow. He dreaded the day ahead.

“I don’t think you understand what’s happening here,” Kevin said. “Some woman is selling you out.”

“Maybe you should go with ‘no comment’ for now. You know, until you can talk with Katie,” Seth suggested.

Kevin perked up. “Katie who?”

It was tempting to avoid the question, but Eric answered it. “The woman in the video.”

Kevin clicked the tip of his pen as he grabbed a piece of paper off Eric’s desk. “I want to investigate her.”

“No.”

“Eric.”

This was the only part of the plan Eric knew was right. He needed to take charge of this, shoulder the responsibility, and not get mucked up in the political speak that sometimes accompanied this sort of thing. They were a long way from the election. He could bounce back, but he had to be honest. Ducking would raise more suspicions and invite the press into every aspect of his life. That was his nightmare.

What would happen with Katie was a different issue. He had to ask her the hard questions. With the fragile state of their relationship, this might be one push too many. Maybe it should be. If she was involved…no. Eric didn’t even want to go there. He had to see her face when she answered. He would know then.

“Go back to your office,” Eric directed. “I’ll call you later.”

Kevin fumbled for his words. “You can’t be serious.”

“Eric’s right. We shouldn’t be talking about this on State grounds and State time.”

Eric appreciated the assist from Seth. “Just give me an hour.”

Kevin shook his head. “By all means take your time. It’s not as if your political career is on the line or anything.”

Eric started to say something, but Kevin had stormed to the door and slammed it behind him. The look on Seth’s face wasn’t much better. Instead of joking, he fumed.

Since he trusted his friend’s opinion and instincts, Eric went right to the issue on both of their minds. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“Katie.”

“What about her?”

Seth stared at the ceiling for a second, then lowered his head again. “This is me, Eric. Forget about Kevin and his anal-retentive bullshit. Do you think she’s in on it?”

“I don’t see it.” That was the truth. No matter how many times Eric turned it over, and despite all the evidence against her, he couldn’t make it fit together the way Kevin thought it did.

“The timing isn’t good for her innocence.”

“I know.”

“Look, I’m all for you moving on and finding someone new.”

Not again. Eric could not keep going down this road. In his head, his ex finally was history. But convincing everyone else was turning out to be a near impossible task. “This is not about Deana.”

“You’re thinking with your dick.”

“Don’t go there.”

“I saw Katie. I totally get it. She’s smoking. But don’t let those legs and whatever she can do with them block out the work in your brain.” Seth raised his hands in what looked like defeat. “Hell, it’s not as if Kevin is making a huge leap here. The connection between Katie and the video is an easy one.”

“Coincidence.”

“We’re in the business of proving things don’t just happen. She walks in after hours, looking like that in the coat, and now there’s a video.” Seth shot Eric a get-serious look and used a matching tone.

Eric wasn’t in the mood for another lecture. “We deal in proof and we don’t have any against her.”

“You’re reaching.”

The fact no one trusted his judgment pissed Eric off. “I know everything I need to know about Katie.”

“You’re saying you looked into her past?”

“Yes.”

Seth’s mouth dropped open twice before he spit out any words. “Sounds like you’ve thought this through.”

“There’s a piece you don’t know.” Eric rocked his chair back and forth, pushing it with his foot. “Someone close to me is having me followed.”

“What the hell?”

“I just found out.” Eric worried what else lurked out there ready to bite him in the ass.

“How?”

Answering that one would only incriminate Katie more, so Eric skipped it. “Not important but supposedly a donor. Someone with an odd sense of what it means to look out for my interests. I can’t help thinking this video is related somehow. Maybe an investigator gone rogue.”

Seth’s eyes widened as he blew out a loud breath. “Does Kevin know about this angle?”

“You’re the only one I’ve told. Until I figure out the who and why, I’d like to keep it between us.”

“Of course.” Seth’s glance bounced off the photo again. “What are you going to do?”

“Talk with Katie and see if there’s a way to limit this story. If not, I make a statement of some kind.” Another reality crashed against him. “Probably have to visit my parents and warn them.”

Seth went pale. “That should be fun.”

“The exact opposite of it, actually.”

“Kevin is going to have a heart attack if you come out and admit that you and your girlfriend were rolling around on your desk.”

“Wait to see how angry he gets when I tell him you’re the one who let Katie into the building.”

“Shit.”

“Exactly.”

Chapter 18

Katie didn’t like the look in Eric’s eyes when he showed up at the catering kitchen before noon the next day. When she unlocked the door, he slid just inside and stopped.

The kiss didn’t exactly melt her muscles, either. It felt obligatory and fast. That was one place Eric had always excelled and the fact he was only going through the motions scared her.

“I didn’t know you were coming this afternoon.” She took his hand and dragged him over to the sink. She’d left the water running when she heard the knock. It was either turn it off now or clean up a flood.

“Change of plans.”

“That doesn’t sound good.” She’d grown so accustomed to his joking and the sexy little smile he wore as he teased. Today, his manner was flat. Monotone voice, blank expression. The last time she saw him like this was when he watched his former love marry someone else.

“It’s not.”

Cara came out of the stockroom, wiping her hands on the towel tucked into her waistband. “What’s going on?”

“I have to talk with Katie.”

Cara’s steps faltered. “I can leave for a few minutes but not much more. I have a bridal shower to prepare for.”

Katie assumed her sister had picked up on the tension. It slammed into Katie like a wall. “You have work to do. We can go outside.”

“Let’s not do this.” Exhaustion poured off him. He stayed on his feet but looked ready to drop. “Everyone can stay.”

“Are you sure?” Cara asked.

“You’re going to hear all about it sooner or later. May as well hear it from me.”

Yeah, this was really bad. Katie didn’t need a college degree to come to that conclusion. “You’re kind of scaring me now.”

Eric didn’t even smile. He folded his arms across his chest and moved his legs, but his body stayed in the same two feet of space. Head down and muscles tight, he closed himself off to the room. “There’s a video.”

“Of what?” Cara asked.

He wasn’t talking about a movie. Katie picked up that much but little else. “I don’t understand.”

“Us.” He looked up, pinning her with a dark-eyed scowl that hinted at the storm inside of him. “Together, last night.”

“Going into your condo?” It had finally happened. Someone had tracked them down in public. Not a surprise since they’d been seen at the temple and the diner. It was inevitable people would talk. What she didn’t get was why he was surprised. Worse, why he was so angry.

“No.”

“Eric, I don’t—”

“It’s footage inside my office.”

The phrase didn’t make any sense. From Cara’s confused frown, it looked as if she wasn’t getting it either.

“What?” Katie asked.

“I haven’t seen it. Sounds like someone shot it from another building. Possibly from the ground. Doesn’t matter really because the content is the issue. It’s of the two of us in my office. You came in and the camera picked it all up.” He hesitated. “All.”

No, no, no. That sounded like…but it couldn’t be. “What’s on the video?”

His stare grew even colder. “Exactly what you think.”

Katie covered her mouth and forced the scream back down her throat. People would come running, and right now they had enough attention without inviting more. “Oh my God.”

“What are you talking about?” Cara stepped forward with a hand on her sister’s back. The palm rubbed up and down. “Katie, are you okay?”

Her voice came booming back. “Of us on your chair?”

Cara’s hands dropped to her sides. “Katie!”

Then the gravity of his words hit her. He’d wavered on whether she’d set him up and now this. If he’d made a list of people likely to betray him, she would have to be near the top. And last night she’d gone to him. She’d walked into that office wearing nothing but a coat, and someone had caught it all.

What were the odds? She knew they were slanted against her. She also knew she was innocent. This time. The question was where Eric’s mind had gone. The flat line of his lips and drawn cheeks told her the answer, one she hated.

“You don’t think I did this.” She didn’t phrase it as a question because she knew he’d already jumped to that conclusion.

“Are you making an admission?”

“I’m asking your opinion.” She stepped in front of him, forcing him to stop his shifting. “Right now, standing in the middle of this room, do you believe I walked into your office so I could catch you in a compromising position?”

“Did you?”

This was too important for his lawyer bullshit. “Eric.”

Slowly, his arms slid apart and landed at his sides. “I don’t know.”

It was an honest answer but it still hurt. Cut right through her, exposing jagged edges of bone. “You feel something. You either sense that I did this or not.”

“Tell me you didn’t and I’ll believe you.”

Cara shoved Katie out of the way and took up the position right under Eric’s nose. “How dare you suggest such a thing? You think she had sex with you as part of a setup? What is wrong with you?”

The outburst didn’t faze him one bit. He glanced over Cara’s head in Katie’s direction. “I’m waiting.”

She expected judging and fury. She got calm. Once again, in the face of terrible information about her, he chose to take a wait-and-see approach. He didn’t jump to the negative conclusion. He tried to stay positive and believe in her.

She knew she should rejoice at having a man—anyone—trust her to that degree. She didn’t deserve it. Certainly hadn’t earned it. But it didn’t sit right in her stomach. Instead of relief, she felt an ice-cold chill.

“I don’t know anything about the video. Had nothing to do with it.” Her tone matched the numbness that moved into her extremities.

“Of course you didn’t. I can’t believe Eric would…” Cara gave up her battle stance to glance at Katie. “What is it?”

“He has every reason to question me and my motives.” Part of her wanted Eric’s anger. She could fight that, defend her actions and explain. His vacant stare was a weapon she couldn’t counter. “I’m trying to figure out why you’re not assuming it was me, that this was part of the con.”

Cara looked from Eric to Katie, her head whipping from side to side as her skin went pale. “What con?”

“Give us a second.” Katie wanted to soothe her sister’s jumping nerves but she had a bigger problem. “I’ll explain later. I promise.”

Cara looked as if she wanted to say something. Instead, she backed up, staying well within listening range but far enough away to give the appearance of privacy.

Eric took the opportunity to become even more remote. He clasped his hands together behind his back. It was a harsh do-not-come-closer sign that contrasted with the emptiness of his eyes. “You’re upset that I believe you?”

“Grateful but confused.”

“You set me up once and came clean about it without being confronted. That says something about you.”

The words should have given her hope but the emotionless delivery scared Katie more than any shout ever could. She had to get through to him. Grabbing his hand and entwining her fingers in his, she willed him to really listen.

“Please believe me.” His gaze wandered over her face but the lines stretching across his forehead didn’t fade until she pressed the back of her other hand against his cheek. “Eric, I didn’t do this.”

“Okay.”

“I had nothing to do with the video.”

“I said, okay.”

It was the way he said it that bugged her. “That’s all you have?”

“I told you I would believe you if you told me you weren’t involved. We should just let this go.” Some of the pained formality left his voice.

Dread continued to churn in her stomach. “Men say that sort of thing all the time but they never mean it.”

“I do.”

But she still didn’t understand why. If the positions were reversed, she’d make him beg for forgiveness. The hurt would wound her. Standing and walking—hell, breathing—would be impossible. For him it was a matter easily fixed. She couldn’t figure out if that indicated the shallowness of his feelings for her or his inability to feel anything at all.

“What do we do now?” she asked.

He kissed her forehead. “I’ve got to go.”

When he tried to break away from her, she tightened her grip on his hand. No way was he treating her like a sick child, then running out. “Now?”

For the first time since he’d walked in the door, his mouth curled up at one edge in a half smile. “I’m going to be busy today.”

That sounded like an understatement to her. “Makes sense.”

“I need to come up with a plan to take the sting out of this before it hits the news.”

The comment zapped her right back into reality. The state of their relationship stayed at the front of her mind, but so much more was at stake for him. “Eric, I’m so sorry.”

“It will be fine.”

“This could kill your career.”

He shrugged. “At least people will stop thinking I’m sleeping with Deana.”

He just never stopped. She wanted him to share his feelings and he decided to be flip. “This isn’t funny.”

“Trust me. I haven’t laughed all day.” His tough demeanor slipped for a second, the muscle in his cheek twitching as he regained his unflustered look. “But it’s fine.”

“How is that possible?”

“I’m going to see if I can kill the story.”

“How in the world will you do that?” Cara’s question made them both jump.

“I can be very persuasive.” Neither woman rushed to agree with him. “If I can’t, I’ll come up with a statement. I’ll call you first so we can go over it.”

Being included stunned Katie. “Me?”

“We’re dating. This video involves you, too.” He squeezed her hand before dropping it and reaching into his pockets to pull out his keys. “And since I’ll have to talk to my parents if I can’t end this, I’m going to need some moral support before I get to the next step.”

“Tomorrow is going to suck.”

He nodded. “Pretty much.”

Chapter 19

It took Katie another half hour after Eric was gone to explain the situation to Cara. As her sister’s mouth drew smaller and smaller, Katie told her about the wedding and why she’d wanted to work it so badly. By the time she was done, Katie felt sick. Having it all spelled out like that sounded horrible. All her justifications rang hollow.

She waited for Cara to unload. The lecture about responsibility and professionalism hovered on her tongue. Katie could sense it.

“How could you do that?” Cara asked with searing heat in her tone.

Katie’s stomach rocked and the hammers inside her head banged hard enough to throw off her balance. “I didn’t mean to threaten your job. The plan was to work the wedding and watch Eric. Touching him was the last thing on my mind.”

“I’m not talking about the catering.”

“What?”

“I’m talking about Eric. How could you agree to spy on the man?” Cara’s outrage on Eric’s behalf had her sputtering.

Katie wasn’t sure when her sister’s loyalty switched to Eric, but it had. “I didn’t know him then.”

“He was still a human being. He had a life and a reputation and a family. You walked in there, willing to ruin all that. Explain that to me.”

Cara was saying all the words running through Katie’s head. “My role seemed innocent at the time. It sounded like someone close to Eric was watching over him. I don’t know anything about politics.”

“That’s not an excuse.”

“If I had known Eric or how I would feel about him.” She shook her head. “I never expected him. He hit me out of nowhere.”

Cara’s rage deflated like a balloon. “You met him and everything changed.”

“Yes.”

Cara leaned over with her elbows on the counter. “I know what it’s like to have a man turn your life upside down.”

“I never expected it.”

“It’s exhilarating and scary as hell. When it goes wrong, damn, it’s a mess.”

Katie felt the need to defend Eric. “He’s not Bill.”

“Not even a little bit. Can you imagine what Bill would have done if I’d had something to do with endangering his reputation?” Cara dragged a tray of butterball cookies toward her and popped one into her mouth. “Awful.”

“That is the right word for Bill.”

Cara’s face squished up. “Stop fixating on him. He’s out of our lives.”

“Good riddance.”

“I just find Eric’s reaction interesting. It’s refreshing to see a man control his emotions. No yelling or hitting.”

Not for the first time, Katie wondered about her sister’s marriage. Cara insisted abuse was not an issue. When she moved back to Oahu, Katie didn’t see any physical scars but Cara’s skittishness was tough to miss. It took months, a new daughter and a divorce to rebuild her confidence. Even now, Cara isolated herself, not letting any man close enough to hurt her.

Katie reached out and covered her sister’s hand with her own. “I’m sorry.”

Cara stopped chewing. “For what?”

“Not coming back sooner. For abandoning you in the first place.”

“You were eighteen. Your job was to figure out who you were, not rescue me.”

Katie wasn’t sure she agreed.

“You must be doing something right. You found a guy who doesn’t ruffle. He takes the rough stuff and handles it.” Cara shoved the plate away from her but not before stealing one last cookie.

All those doubts came bubbling to the surface. “I guess.”

Cara’s hand stopped halfway to her mouth. “Being dependable is a good thing.”

“Is it?”

“What’s wrong with you?”

Katie started to jump up and sit on the counter but Cara’s evil eye stopped her. She settled for leaning against it. “Don’t you think he was a little too calm?”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“No.”

“You’d rather he stomp around and call you names?”

“Of course not, but you have to wonder if anything can get to him.” That’s what it boiled down to. She wanted him to feel enough passion for her that he’d be furious if he thought he was losing her or being betrayed by her. Staying even all the time led to the inevitable conclusion that he didn’t care that much.

That thought stabbed at her. In a short time, she’d come to think of Eric as hers. She’d started spinning a vision of a future together. It was silly and too soon, but she was falling for him at a rate that almost promised heartache.

“Do not do this,” Cara said.

“What?”

“You are finally finding your footing. You’re focused and here for me and Ashleigh. I know I can count on you. That’s a huge change from where we were just a few years ago.”

The comment stopped Katie’s heart. Usually, Cara judged and got frustrated. She didn’t give credit. Here, with a few throwaway words, she’d said exactly what Katie needed to hear. Through all the struggles and wrong turns, Katie had learned something and found her way back home. “You’re family. I’d do anything for you.”

“I know.” Cara handed Katie a cookie. “And Eric could be something to you, too, but you’re thinking about pushing him away.”

“You think I want to lose him?

“Then don’t blow it.”

Katie bit back the comment she wanted to say. With her background and baggage, Cara believed Katie should be grateful a man like Eric would even look her way for more than sex. She never said it but didn’t have to. The thought bounced around in Katie’s head, too.

“I’m trying not to, but I also want to be realistic.”

“There’s a term for it: self-destructive.” Cara pressed a cookie between her fingers. “You think you’re not good enough for him and that’s not true.”

The surprises just kept coming. Just when Katie thought she knew what Cara was trying to say, how she felt about the situation, she said something different. “Thank you.”

“It’s time you cut yourself a break.”

Katie knew she had to atone first. “I’m not sure I’ve earned it yet.”

“Admittedly, the wedding fiasco wasn’t a great start to your relationship with Eric.”

“Which is why I’m confused. I don’t understand why he’s so cool with this.”

“My guess? He’s not. He’s trying to solve a problem.”

“He should be furious. He should be questioning me. Hell, he should still be angry about the last admission I made. But he’s over all of it.” Her list of sins sounded so long when she spelled them out.

“That makes him a good man.”

“I’m not debating that.”

Cara stood up, her exasperation showing in every line of her body. “You are looking for trouble where none exists.”

Katie gave up because she knew Cara would never understand. “You’re probably right.”

“Listen to your big sister. Grab on to that guy and don’t let go. He’s a keeper.”

But could he ever love her? That was Katie’s real question.

Chapter 20

Three hours of behind-the-scenes phone calls yesterday afternoon and no success. The paper ran with the story. Rather than push people around and risk an even worse situation, Eric went with a public “no comment” and let Kevin do the dirty work. Not that any of it worked.

The paper sat outside his front door. Eric looked up from his seat at the breakfast bar and contemplated ending the pain right now by grabbing the thing and reading the article. Sure, he could deal with the allegations once he knew exactly what they were, but until then he could spend another five minutes pretending the problem didn’t exist.

In another hour the television stations would start calling. The only thing worse than anticipating the avalanche ahead was recalling his parents’ reactions the night before. His father’s walk around the block had taken about an hour. That was about something more than clearing his head. The disappointment in his mother’s tone hadn’t been much better.

Getting away from it all today would be impossible. He thought taking a few minutes to be alone in the quiet of his house might help. He’d wanted to call Katie last night and beg her to come over, but he’d refrained. She had enough to worry about. She didn’t need to take on his issues.

His only hope was that he’d be able to keep her identity secret for a few more days. Kevin had orders to make sure any talk of her being a prostitute was stopped. Eric threatened to sue over that one. It was the one step too far.

When the doorbell rang, his first thought was of her. She’d come. The idea made him smile.

Wearing a pair of lounge pants and a T-shirt, he went to the door. A look through the peephole sucked the life right out of him. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding.”

“Open up.” Josh spoke loud enough to be heard through the door.

Eric was grateful he’d bothered to put on pants before coming downstairs that morning. After unlocking, he stared at his unwanted guests. “Owning the building doesn’t mean you can show up whenever you want.”

Josh laughed. “Sure it does.”

“I was talking to Deana.”

Josh’s smile grew even bigger “I know.”

Eric gave up that battle because he knew he’d never win it. “What are you doing here?”

“I told Josh we should call first,” Deana said.

“You should listen to your wife.”

Josh scooped up the newspaper lying in front of the door and tapped it against his open hand. “Invite us in.”

“As if I could stop you.” Eric could think of a thousand things he’d rather do, but he stepped aside and motioned for them to come inside. The sooner they said whatever they wanted to say, the sooner they’d leave. That was his theory anyway.

“This is yours.” Josh smacked the paper against Eric’s chest with a thwack.

“Thanks.”

Eric grabbed it before it fell to the floor. He fought the urge to look at the headline. He was pretty sure he could guess what it said.

And why read when he could watch Josh and Deana stare at him? Her gaze was one of concern. Josh looked like he could laugh his ass off at any second.

“Yes?” Eric asked even though he didn’t want to.

“The good news is that no one thinks you’re fooling around with Deana.” Josh draped his arm around her waist in a gesture that carried a hint of possessiveness.

She must have thought so because she rolled her eyes. “That was never an issue.”

Josh shrugged. “Some folks thought so.”

Eric watched the byplay and decided Josh and Deana were perfect for each other. They might bicker but the underlying beat of respect and love thumped loudly. Eric tried to remember whether he’d ever felt such an obvious level of comfort with Deana. He had loved her and wanted to build a life with her. Despite that, he’d never lost himself in her.

To be fair, the bit of reserve ran both ways. Deana had held a piece of her life back from him. He’d discovered some damaging incidents in her past but not from her. She never shared. He had to find them on his own.

They were wrong for each other. Too much alike. Too settled. He never saw it before. He recognized it now.

“This isn’t about me,” Deana said. “It’s about Eric.”

“And Katie.” Josh pretended to cough into his fist. “I’m assuming that’s the mystery woman with the nice—”

“Josh,” Deana warned, emphasizing her feelings on the matter with an elbow to her husband’s stomach.

He cleared his throat. “Hair.”

Deana performed an impressive eyeroll that topped the first one. “Oh, please.”

Eric thought about letting them go back and forth. They didn’t seem to need him for this conversation. But since he wanted them to leave sometime this morning, he dove in. “Why are you here again?”

Deana smiled. “To help.”

“Nice of you to come over, but—” Eric turned toward the front door but he seemed to be the only one moving in that direction. “I’m fine. You can leave.”

“We’re not going anywhere.” To prove his point, Josh walked into the family room and slumped down on the couch. With an arm over the top of the cushions, he looked at home.

Eric seriously considered walking out the door even if it meant going to work in his T-shirt. “And why is that?”

Deana shifted. She might not have meant to block Eric’s path to the door, but she did. “Tell us what we can do.”

Josh raised his hand. “And making us leave is not one of the options.”

Eric gave up. He followed Josh’s lead and sat on the edge of the coffee table. From this position he could watch both of them and stand up fast if he had to. “This is a private matter between me and Katie.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Deana actually snorted. Since she was wearing probably a thousand dollars’ worth of clothes, the sound seemed out of place.

Eric had never thought of her as animated. Then he watched her sit on the armrest of his couch and dangle her fingers just low enough to touch Josh’s knee. Eric hadn’t considered her overly affectionate either but that no longer seemed to be the case. “You think it’s something else?”

“All of Oahu knows.”

She had him there. “Unfortunately, that’s true.”

“Your immediate issue is going to be money.” And the one thing Deana knew was money. She was born into it and used it to support issues close to her. “Some donors might get jittery.”

“I’m not worried about the election,” Eric said.

“I am.” Josh shifted forward. “Look, I’m not comfortable throwing money at problems, but I can’t work with that idiot Gunnery. I need you in the prosecutor position.”

“That’s comforting in an odd sort of way.”

Deana frowned at her husband. “We aren’t buying the election. We’re making sure Eric has what he needs.”

Eric wasn’t in the mood to get sucked into a debate about Deana’s privileged background. He waved a hand. “I’m sitting right here.”

“Good, because we need to mobilize.” This was classic Deana. She decided something needed to be done and went speeding along the track to do it.

“I have no idea what’s going on here,” Eric said.

Josh took over. “Kevin called us.”

The likelihood of his needing a new campaign manager was growing exponentially. Eric didn’t know how much more covert bullshit he could take. “He’s a pain in the ass.”

“Absolutely, but he’s smart enough to know you need to get ahead of this,” Josh said.

Anger flooded through Eric. He now had a new target. Before he talked to the press, he needed to yell at Kevin. Bringing in other people and running for help before coming to him made Eric furious.

He hated to ask but he did anyway. “What is ‘this” exactly?”

Deana looked at Josh before answering. “The scandal.”

“I’m dating someone, not robbing banks.”

“You think dating is the problem here?” Josh blew out a long breath. Actually looked like he felt sorry for Eric. “You poor bastard.”

“Josh, stop.” She pushed her hand harder against her husband’s leg. “Eric, this is about your judgment.”

The one thing no one ever questioned had become the main topic of discussion. Of all the things guaranteed to make Eric’s temper spike that was the worst. “Excuse me?”

“The news story will stir things up and get people questioning everything you’ve done,” Josh said.

Eric didn’t like the way that sounded. “You’re overstating this a bit, aren’t you?”

“There have been enough government scandals. My ex-boss went down fighting and pointing fingers.” Josh had been one of the targets of those claims. “He raised all sorts of questions in cases where we got legitimate drug convictions. I’ll be sorting that shit out for months.”

“What does that have to do with me other than how it impacts my office and potential appeals?” Though that was bad enough, in Eric’s view.

“Fair or not, the taint will spread to you,” Deana said.

The desire to see Katie revved up with a suddenness that stunned Eric. Maybe it was seeing Josh sit there, unable to keep his hands off his wife even if it meant just touching a finger to hers. Maybe it was all the turmoil spinning around him. Whatever the reason, Eric needed to talk this through with Katie.

“Are you two always this negative in the morning?” he asked.

Josh nodded. “Yes.”

Deana folded her hands together and sat up straighter, as if preparing for a fight. “We want to throw you a benefit.”

Eric couldn’t think of a worse idea. “No.”

“We’ll have donors there and let them see you and talk with you,” she said, warming up to her subject.

“No.”

“The rumors will stop, to the extent the video doesn’t stop them, because no one will buy that Josh would be in the same room with us if we were having an affair.”

“True, but no.” Eric figured he could say anything at this point because Deana clearly wasn’t listening.

“We’ll send the message that we believe in you and plan to financially back your campaign.” She practically vibrated with excitement.

“Still no.”

“I agree it’s all bullshit. Honey, it is.” Josh balanced the line between making his point and placating Deana. “People with money like to impress other people with money. Deana has it, so let’s use it.”

Hell, no. “Should I try using another word for no?”

Deana reached a hand out toward Eric. “Let us help you.”

“No offense, but I don’t need you to rush in and rescue me.”

She let her hand drop. “You did it for me.”

“Is that what this is about?” Eric got up then. The restlessness inside him finally burst. He had to move. Had to set the record straight and get out of the saintly role Deana and Josh had made up for him. “Look, you deserved to know the truth about Ryan. That is part of why I agreed to the deal. The other reason had nothing to do with you.”

“Meaning?” Josh asked.

“People need to know how the criminal system works. I wanted to show them the final piece that proved a young, rich kid committed an awful crime.” Eric hesitated when he saw Deana flinch at his words. “Convincing people we’d convicted the right person stopped everyone but the craziest criminal fans out there from talking about conspiracies.”

The resulting silence was almost as painful as the strained look on Deana’s face. “I get it.”

“I’m sorry.” Eric said it and meant it.

She waved the sympathy off. “We’re still going to help.”

Eric realized with a punch of frustration that he wasn’t one step closer to winning this fight. “Would you consider doing it from your own house and let me finish my breakfast?”

A sudden light came into Deana’s eyes. “Is Katie here?”

“No.”

Just that fast Deana started frowning. “Why not?”

Josh let out a harsh bark of laughter. “Okay, that’s probably not our business.”

“I just meant that it must stink for her to see the news without having you there for her.” Deana’s face turned pink as she explained.

“Hadn’t thought of it that way,” Eric mumbled under his breath. Now he had another reason to see Katie. To make sure she wasn’t ticked off at him…again.

“Men are so clueless.” And Deana’s tone let Eric know she thought he fit squarely in that description.

“You probably can’t tell, but I’m not in the best of moods today.”

Deana didn’t back down. “That, Eric, is why you need your girlfriend.”

“Which gives me the perfect excuse to kick you out.” Eric stood up. This time his guests joined him.

Josh stretched before guiding Deana toward the door. “Sure does.”

Eric hated having people try to frame his life for him, but he appreciated the sentiment behind the interference. Deana could have pulled her support and caused more trouble for the election. Josh could have wallowed in jealousy. Instead, and in spite of all the gossip and whispering around town, they wanted to help. Even through the suffocating haze, Eric felt lucky.

“Guys?” He waited until he had their attention. “Thanks.”

Josh nodded with a you’re-in-huge-trouble smile. “Good luck.”

Chapter 21

Jimmy climbed into Kevin’s car. This time they met in the parking lot at Ala Moana Beach. The park ran along the south shore of Oahu, close to Waikiki, facing the wide-open blue of the ocean.

This was a place for locals but travel guides listed it as a place to try instead of the lousy thin strips of sand that passed for beaches outside Waikiki hotels. That meant it was only a matter of time before every T-shirt-wearing jerk from Oregon to New Jersey showed up with a beach towel.

Damn tourists.

Today was cool and windy. A few swimmers took advantage of the weaker undertow of the semi-enclosed lagoon. In a few hours all would be treated to the orange and pink tones of the fading sun as it tipped to the horizon. Until then, clouds raced overhead, warning of possible rain.

Jimmy knew he was missing out on big waves on the North Shore. The conversation had better be worth it. Not like he had a choice, since he was summoned. “I thought you cut me lose.”

Kevin didn’t waste time with chitchat. “Where did the video come from? Who made it and why?”

Jimmy couldn’t help smiling at that one. He pulled it off without a second of trouble. Almost made him forgive Katie for leaving him out of her job. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You are not smart enough to play this game.” Kevin rubbed his palm over the leather covering the gear shift. His foot tapped against the floor. The twitching never stopped.

“Tough talk from the guy who hides in his car and stalks his friends.”

“Who hired you?” Kevin asked.

The guy was losing it. “You did.”

“I am not fucking around here. Who paid you to make that tape?”

The guy was on the edge. Jimmy could see that. “If I did have a tape, and I’m not saying I do, it might be something I thought the press would want. A way to open the market now that we’re through, so to speak.”

Kevin reached for Jimmy but ended up with a fist full of air. “Look, you little shit—”

“Let’s keep it real here.” Shifting away, Jimmy kept his back as close to the door as possible. Also did a quick glance outside the car to see if he could find a witness if Kevin went nuts.

But the guy was good. He had driven the car to the far end of the lot where it jutted out on a peninsula to the ocean. Most people were on the beach behind them. The boats docked off to the left didn’t offer much assistance, either.

“This isn’t a game,” Kevin said with restrained fury.

“Does our boy know you were following him? That you led me right to his door?”

Kevin’s steel cold scowl didn’t change. “I want the tape.”

“I’m happy to make you a copy.”

“The tape, the copies, and all photos. You’re done on this job.”

“I have other jobs.”

“You and Katie Long.” Kevin spit when he said her name. “You’re both out.”

“She did turn out to be more enterprising than I realized.”

“The two of you are working this job for Gunnery.”

Jimmy had made the tape to sell, and he’d held onto it as insurance. He’d provided the reporter with a few photo stills only. Then he’d gotten a call through the reporter from the Gunnery camp. His people pled their case for access to the tape, information on Katie’s identity, and the possibility of making more tapes in the future.

Not that they were persuasive. The money offer hardly made it worth Jimmy’s time to skulk after Katie. He had better things to do with his evenings. “No idea what you’re talking about.”

“Then maybe you’ll understand this.” Kevin slipped a thick envelope out of the side pocket of his door. “You want to be paid for your time.”

“I feel pretty unappreciated by you.”

“We had a misunderstanding.”

Jimmy nodded his head, liking the way this conversation was headed. “That’s right.”

“We can fix that and get back on track.”

“I’m a businessman.”

“And that’s a lot of money.”

Jimmy opened it. It was a stack of bills that got a man’s attention. “That’s very impressive. You must be really sorry.”

A tic pulsed in Kevin’s cheek. “In exchange, you leave Eric alone and call Katie off. And I’ll need the tape and all copies of it. No more leakage on that story.”

Jimmy could do half of that. He doubted he could get Katie to give up her gig. “You’re still not getting this.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. You need a reputation to do what you do.”

“You’re not sounding very apologetic.”

“I found you, Jimmy. I can ruin you.” Kevin glanced in his side mirror.

The tickle started at the back of Jimmy’s neck. He wanted to turn around. Last thing he needed was to get jumped from behind by Kevin’s secret partner. “That’s funny coming from you.”

“Try to find other work after I’m done with you.” Kevin did threats well. The menacing voice and big wallet made them quite convincing. “You don’t want to play this game.”

It didn’t pay to have an angry client. Having a pissed-off asshole try to cut his balls off wouldn’t be good for business. “I like you, Kev.”

“Don’t use my name.”

“Tell you what I’m going to do.” Jimmy paged through the hundred-dollar bills. “I’ll give you the information you want.”

“And you’ll tell Katie to stay away from Eric.”

Jimmy shook his head. “Now, that’s going to be harder.”

“Why?”

“Katie’s working a con of her own.” And it still pissed Jimmy off. He’d got her the work. The least she could do was kick something back.

“Convince her to let Eric go.”

Jimmy hated to cut Katie short but maybe it would teach her a lesson. In the future, they’d work these things out in advance. She could get some. He was fine with that, but if she worked an angle off a job he got her, then he wanted a cut.

“You want to end it between them, I can help you with that, but you’ll have to do the hard work.”

“You want more money.”

Always. “We’ll have to set her up.”

“I thought she was a friend of yours.”

“She is but I didn’t appreciate her going off on her own on this.”

“Tell me what you have on her.”

Chapter 22

As welcoming kisses went, this one was a winner. Their mouths crashed together as blinding energy whipped through Katie. Eric’s hands pressed against her lower back. Muscles bunched across his shoulders. From his lips to his fingers, everywhere he touched her flashed into flames.

She knew he’d had a terrible day. Special reports had flashed on the news and Gunnery had given a smug interview. She wanted to be beside Eric, to take away some of the pain, as he waded through the mess. He never called.

In her head, she knew that was the right strategy. Her heart saw it differently. And that was the problem. Her heart had engaged. She thought about him, worried about him, and got frustrated with him. During all of that, she’d started to love him. Seeing him now, feeling his arms around her and the waves of desperation pound through him, she wanted every part of him. Not just the fun man who enjoyed sex and confused her with his dry delivery. She craved the other part, the darker, imperfect side he hid.

“I missed you.” He pressed a final kiss against her lips. “I should have come over earlier.”

“You had other stuff on your mind.” There, she forced the words out. She could be mature when she had to be.

“You were on my mind.”

She wound her arms around his neck. Anything to keep him close and prevent him from doing his usual run to the door. “Sweet talker.”

“You see the paper?”

Her forehead fell against his shoulder. “Ugh.”

“You look good.”

She tugged on his hair and shot him her best men-are-so-transparent look. “Not funny.”

His hand covered hers as he rubbed the attack area. “No need to get violent.”

“There is nothing pretty about sex. It’s all arms and legs and extra rolls hanging where they shouldn’t.” She shuddered at the thought. Looming over a guy, looking down at him, was just asking for trouble. Chin and stomach…not good.

“You don’t even have extra skin.” He looked so serious.

“That’s your lower half talking. You know if you agree with me the sex ends.”

“I’m not stupid.”

“Which reminds me, no sex videos or photos of us—ever.”

He pretended to think about it. “If you say so.”

“I do.” She fingered his tie, remembering the last time she’d stripped it off him. “Tell me the truth. On a scale of one to ten, how bad has the day been?”

“Fifty-four.” No hesitation.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s tough to be a hard-ass boss when everyone has seen you naked.”

She bit her lip to keep from laughing. “That was me, not you.”

“Doesn’t seem to matter to the crowd at work. I went from the guy who only thought of work, someone to be feared, to the guy who likes to get some on his desk.”

“Chair.”

“Combine that with reporters, ticked-off family members, my campaign manager—who has lost his damn mind—and Deana and Josh bugging me, and you have a long day.”

And like that Katie’s budding good mood vanished. “Deana?”

Eric pulled back far enough to stare her down. “Interesting how out of that entire list you latched onto only one name.”

“Gee, I wonder why.”

For some reason he decided that was a good time to kiss her. Probably the same reason Katie let him. She added a press of her thighs against his as an extra incentive to keep the heated moment going.

When they broke apart, he touched his forehead against hers. “Deana and Josh—both of them—showed up on my doorstep this morning.”

Katie didn’t know Josh but she was liking his style. No reason to let the wifey go wandering around with the ex. Some might find it controlling but Katie viewed the characteristic as very helpful. “Since I bet Josh doesn’t let Deana have sex with other men while he’s standing there, I’ll assume it was innocent.”

“Hardly. It was a shakedown.”

Katie pulled back to get a good look at Eric. “What does that mean?”

“They came to offer help and pledge money for the campaign.”

“How awful of them,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Eric exhaled. “I know it was very decent. More than that, but I didn’t ask for help.”

“Do you ever?”

“What does that mean?” He acted like he really didn’t know.

“I’ve never met anyone more competent than you.” She wanted to agree with Cara that all that calm reassurance was a good thing. It definitely meant inner strength, but Katie feared it stood for something else as well.

He threaded a hand through her hair. “Not to be particular or sound ungrateful, but those aren’t exactly the words a guy wants to hear from his girlfriend.”

The word made her heart jump. “Is that what I am?”

He glanced around. “Did I miss something?”

“No.”

His eyes narrowed. “Katie?”

She had no idea how to explain it. In reality, she didn’t want to. She thought he should “get” it without being guided. “I’m not really used to my role as the dirty secret.”

“Because you aren’t one.” Anger moved into his voice as his shoulders tensed.

“Of course not.” She smoothed her hands over his chest. “Can’t imagine why I’d think that.”

“You’re upset because the paper didn’t name you?”

“No.” Yes. No. Hell, she didn’t know. “Cara’s brain would burst.”

“But?”

“Nothing.”

“I think it’s something.” The easy banter disappeared. He was paying attention now.

“I’m just rambling.”

He stared at her.

“Really. It’s okay.” She didn’t know why she rushed to make the conversation better for him. If he didn’t have a press conference in an hour and half and the Honolulu professional community on his ass, she would have pushed the issue. At least she hoped that was true.

Whatever she said worked because that fast he switched to business mode. The scrunch of his forehead went away and his grip against her skin eased. “I’m going to treat this entire video situation as not a big deal. The more fuel I add, the more out of control the fire will burn. If the response is calm, people will stay calm.”

He didn’t even have an impassioned response to this. “Huh.”

“You disagree?”

“This is so far outside my range of normal activities.”

“You’re not the only one.”

Who was he kidding? The man was born for politics. Those steady nerves that served him so well in a courtroom would be perfect during an election.

“Get used to it. This is the life you’re walking into,” she said.

“Does that scare you?”

He spoke as if he was including her in his future. They’d never talked that far ahead but she’d been dreaming, building a future she feared would never work. “Me?

“Does the idea of being dragged into this stuff make you nuts?”

“I can’t imagine anyone would like having a photo of their naked butt in the paper, but it doesn’t matter. It’s your life. Your choice. You get to figure it out. I’ll just watch.” His head fell to the side. She couldn’t figure out if he was listening to her or studying her. “What?”

“Speaking of watching, you should come to the press conference.”

There wasn’t a scale invented that could weigh how much she hated that idea. “Should I wear a sign saying ‘naked girl right here’ and walk in front of you?”

“That seems like overkill.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “You think?”

“My idea was for you to wait behind the scenes with Seth.”

Like that wouldn’t be embarrassing. Seth knew all about what had happened in Eric’s office the other night. “Why?”

“Because I want you there.”

Her heart did that flip-flopping thing again. Just when she wanted to bonk him in the head for being clueless, he said something sweet enough to melt her bones. “Why didn’t you just say that?”

“I thought I did.”

“I guess it got lost in all that lawyer speak of yours.”

He rolled his eyes. “Is that a yes?”

“You need me there, I’ll be there.”

An hour later Katie wore a simple black dress, one cut high enough to hide her breasts. If she owned a muumuu she would have thrown that on. Anything to cover skin.

Seth stood next to the flat-screen television in the business office of the hotel. Eric was down the hall somewhere. Seth got stuck babysitting her.

The quiet gave her a chance to study him. He wore a conservative suit but his manner suggested a wild man underneath. Since the image on the screen was an empty stage in a room full of reporters, she knew the rapt attention was fake.

“Didn’t think you’d be here,” he finally said.

“You know how to make a woman feel welcome.”

He threw her a flirty smile over his shoulder. “Part of my charm.”

“But to answer your question, I didn’t think I’d ever be at a political press conference.”

He turned around. “Why did you come?”

“Because Eric asked me.” She leaned against the conference table. If he could pretend to be relaxed, so could she. “But I’m thinking that’s not really your question.”

He pressed his lips together. “Just making conversation.”

“For a lawyer, you don’t lie very well.”

He put a hand to his heart. “That hurts.”

They could dance around it all day but she wasn’t in the mood. Every time she saw Eric, her love and worry increased. He kept holding her away no matter how many times she tried to drag him close. The last thing she needed was a verbal battle with his best friend.

“I didn’t set him up.”

Seth didn’t pretend to be confused. “He believes you.”

“Do you?”

“Does that matter?”

“Normally I would say no, but I’m thinking it does. You’re his friend, probably his closest one, and I’m not looking for a turf war.”

“He trusts you. With most people, he keeps the relationship shallow. With you, he dug in right away. I’m wondering what that means.”

So was she. “You make him sound like a robot.”

“Not at all.”

She wondered how long he’d known Eric. Maybe Seth had been around for the Deana heartache. “Ah, I get it. You’re in the Team Deana camp.”

“Haven’t heard that phrase before.”

“You think he should have figured out a way to marry her.”

“Josh would love that.”

Talking with Seth was as frustrating as talking with Eric. Neither of them took a serious conversation seriously. Not when they wanted to avoid it. “You know what I mean.”

“Yeah.”

“So, how about an answer?”

“Fine, I do know what you’re saying, but you’re wrong.” Seth drew out his answer. Stood there and studied her for a second before saying anything else. “They ran their course.”

“I’m thinking the murders sped things up.”

“Yeah, but it would have fizzled anyway.”

That was the first time Katie had ever heard that theory. It shocked her how happy the idea made her. She practically floated off the ground. “Does Eric know about this inevitable end to his relationship?”

“He’s a smart guy. He would have figured it out eventually.”

“Is that an answer?”

“It’s the only one you’re going to get from me.”

“You’re loyal to him.” She admired that. Loved it, really, because Eric needed a confidant. As far as she could tell, he had no one else he could talk with on that level.

“Absolutely,” Seth said.

“And you don’t like me much.” The comment came out before she could stop it. It was sitting right there on her tongue as it circled her brain.

Seth smiled at that. “I’m starting to.”

“I’m not his usual type.” Not that she needed to point out that obvious fact.

“I’m not sure that’s a bad thing.”

The comment made her stupid with happiness. “For the record, I’m not sure about you yet either.”

She glanced over Seth’s shoulder as Eric and his campaign manager came onto the stage. She knew the other man’s identity only because he had been quoted extensively in the paper and handled questions on the news.

“One thing you might want to consider,” Seth said.

“What?”

“It wasn’t Deana in Eric’s office the other night.”

Katie tried to imagine the other woman walking around wearing nothing but an itchy coat, and clamped her eyes shut on the image. “I’m betting Deana wouldn’t have done such a thing.”

“You’re exactly right.”

Katie had no idea what that comment meant but it made Seth smile.

Kevin nodded at a reporter in the back row as he mumbled in Eric’s ear. “You didn’t actually bring her here, did you?”

“She’s down the hall.”

“Jesus, Eric. What were you thinking?”

“Get used to it. I plan to take her a lot of places once the furor dies down.” Eric scanned the room and took some comfort in all the familiar faces.

“Do you want to lose this election?”

What Eric wanted was a new campaign manager, one who understood there were lines and limits to behavior. If his instincts were right, Kevin’s version blurred too often.

“We’re going to talk later,” Eric said as he checked his notes. Not that he needed them. He gave closing arguments from memory and those went on significantly longer than this would.

“I’m doing what I need to do to keep your election on track.”

Eric dropped the pretense then. Let the whole room see his anger for all he cared at this point. “Call Josh and Deana, or anyone else, to talk with me again without my permission, and I will fire your ass. Understood?”

Kevin hitched his chin in the direction of the microphone. “You’re on.”

Eric blocked Kevin out. Pushed every thought out of his mind except getting through the next fifteen minutes. He talked in front of juries and the press all the time and never got a shot of nerves, but this was different. That was work. This was personal.

Eric had heard people talk about butterflies and sweaty palms but he’d never experienced them. Today, standing in front of all those people, his chest tightened. Reality pummeled him from above and below. This comment could make his future or crush it.

And he wasn’t talking about being the prosecuting attorney. He was thinking about Katie. No matter what he did or said, she pulled away. It had started a few days ago and he’d felt it in every meeting since. Her kisses still rocked him, but her words didn’t match.

A flashbulb went off, pulling him back to the moment.

He looked around, wondering how his life had gotten to this place. “I have a short statement.”

The mumbling in the room died down. All eyes turned to Eric. Pens and tape recorders came out. A few attorneys from the office and a handful of friends stood at the back of the room in a show of moral support.

Eric took it all in and then pushed it all right back out of his mind. He had to concentrate and that meant going to a place in his head where he could handle every question and not flinch. “If you read a newspaper today or own a television, you know about a recent story and a suggestion that I used my office for inappropriate conduct. I disagree. The truth is that while working late, I had a dinner date with the woman I have been seeing for some time.”

He aimed his gaze at one reporter in particular. “Let me repeat that for those who have jumped to unbelievable conclusions. The woman in question is the woman I am dating, exclusively and, frankly, as often as I can. If I see any suggestion to the contrary again, you will need to answer to me. Not me, the lawyer. Me, the incensed boyfriend. You’ve been warned on that score.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Eric saw Kevin wince.

“In hindsight, I should have used an alternate location. I also should have pulled down the blinds.” He stopped to let the laughter die down. “But the real answer is that I am an adult male who is in a private relationship. None of that impacts my legal judgment or my ability to do my job. If you need me to quote my courtroom record, I will. If you want me to talk about my girlfriend, I won’t. Though you may not know it from looking at those photos, some parts of my life are off limits.”

He took a drink of water. The reporters sat on the edge of their seats. He’d like to think that had something to do with how compelling he was, but he knew it meant he was about to get hit with every topic from sex in his office to his relationship with Deana.

He inhaled one last time. “Questions?”

The room exploded.

Chapter 23

Three hours later Katie sat at Eric’s dining room table. Her spiky heels lay on the floor beneath her chair and her legs curled under her. She’d long ago given up on her hair. It was half tucked behind her ear and half hanging in her face. Good thing this wasn’t a first date where she needed to impress, because she felt as put together as an unmade bed.

She stared at the two white takeout food containers in front of her and tried to remember how they even got there. Seth had hustled her out of the hotel right after Eric finished up the rounds of nasty and intrusive questions. Fuming and offended on his behalf, she’d waited in the car in the parking garage until Eric joined her.

They’d barely spoken since.

He sat across from her now with his tie off and his shirt unbuttoned to show his stretchy white undershirt. End-over-end he tapped his fork against the table. His vacant stare seemed to be aimed at the back of his couch.

“You okay?” she asked.

He blinked a few times. “What?”

“You’ve said five words in the last hour.” He’d also had about three bites of food and nothing to drink. His mind veered in some direction that she couldn’t follow.

She felt left behind. Abandoned.

“Sorry.” That was it. He didn’t say anything else. No talking, no joking, just a flat-toned apology.

The lack of a reaction made her nervous. She wanted to think something had finally touched him. The scene at the hotel made a circus look calm and quiet. A normal human being would be hanging on to the edge of sanity by his fingertips. But Eric wasn’t like everyone else. His tolerance bar stood so much higher. He could handle things that would crush most people.

“You did really well.” She’d told him that twice already but desperation made her throw it out there one more time.

“Thanks.”

His blank attitude killed her. She’d vowed to keep tonight sex-free. She wanted to prove that they had something more than the bedroom between them. He was making it abundantly clear they didn’t.

“Eric—”

“Let’s go to bed.”

The air left her lungs in a giant whoosh. The bedroom was exactly what she didn’t want. “We should talk first.”

“About what?”

This side of Eric threw her off. She didn’t know how to handle him or get around the forty-foot wall he erected between them. “Whatever it is that’s bugging you.”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s not possible.” When his eyebrow lifted, she tried to explain what should be obvious. “You had a trying day.”

“No arguments there.”

“I thought you might want to vent.”

“I’m good.” He lowered his fork to the table and stood up. “Ready?”

She went back and forth between wanting to kick him in the butt and wanting to spill her true feelings and see his reaction. She could tell him she was falling for him and take her chances. The risk of becoming one more obligation to him stopped her. Being viewed with all the excitement he’d aimed at his cold dinner didn’t appeal to her.

“You have a right to be pissed off.” She stayed in her chair, hoping he would head for the couch instead of the stairs.

He wrapped his hands around the back of the chair in front of him. “Thanks.”

The monosyllabic answers drove invisible spikes into her brain. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I don’t want conversation.”

“What do you want?”

“You.”

The answer sucked away some of the madness swirling in her head. “I didn’t come here for sex.”

“I’m not talking about sex.” He left his position on the other side of the table and came to a stop in front of her. “I want to make love to the beautiful, strong woman I’m dating.”

When he phrased it like that, her resolve crumbled. “Did I thank you for all the nice things you said about me today?”

His fingertips danced over her skin, barely touching but zapping life into every nerve ending. “They didn’t come close to making up for the shitty things some of those reporters suggested.”

“It was kind of hot to have someone jump to my defense like that.”

Eric’s thumb rubbed over her lips. “You deserve it.”

“There are some folks who would disagree with you.”

“I don’t care what other people think.” He took her hands and gently lifted her to her feet. “You are the only one who matters to me.”

“I like how that sounds.”

“Then come upstairs with me.”

When he whispered the plea against her lips, she gave in.

An hour later, Eric folded an arm behind his head and wrapped the other one around Katie’s shoulders. Asleep and cuddled at his side, she couldn’t throw him that sad-eyed look that made him think she was about to bolt. It haunted his whole damn evening.

She wanted to talk, kept dropping hints and staring at him while he shoved down food and pretended to care about the taste. Conversation was the last thing he wanted. Talking left an opening for ending everything and he wasn’t ready for that.

He had to figure out a way to hold her, to convince her that what they had was special and worth fighting for. Not that he could blame her for deciding his freak show of a life wasn’t the place she should be. She was young and vibrant. His life was about obligation and now reporters.

The thought of losing the energy she brought into his life left him cold. It could be that he didn’t have what it took to hold her. The idea of that made his dinner harden into a ball in his stomach. In such a short time she’d made her way inside his life. When he used to look out over his future, he saw the immediate election and a few beyond. The governorship one day.

Then she walked in like a burst of sunshine and brightened everything else. She offered him a balanced life. The sex, the arguments, it all worked for him. Fired him up in a way that being with Deana never did. Not that it was Deana’s fault. They’d smoldered and he’d thought that was good enough. With Katie, he sparked. The difference left him shaken and, for the first time in a long time, uncertain about how to proceed.

The easy road he’d staked out for his life no longer looked as appealing.

Her foot snaked up his leg. “Are you awake?”

But this they always got right. It had started a bit rocky tonight, but they got right back on track.

He smiled into her hair. “Am now.”

“Sounds like you’re blaming me for that.”

“It was more of a statement of readiness.”

Her elbow brushed against his now aroused dick. “Not yet, but we can get you there.”

“You forget I’m an old man.”

“You put younger men to shame.” Her arm moved again. Her smile let him know it wasn’t an accident. “You know what you need?”

He knew the answer to that one. “Tell me.”

“A younger woman.”

“That’s convenient since I seem to have one in my bed.”

She lifted up on her elbow. “What were you thinking about so hard a few minutes ago that had you humming?”

“I don’t think that’s actually possible.”

“Oh, baby. You make all kinds of interesting noises.” She dropped a kiss on his mouth but lifted up again before he could catch her and drag her fully over him.

“Do I now?”

“Should I show you?”

“Is that a challenge?”

Her hand traveled down his stomach. “I’ll have you groaning in a minute.”

“Really?”

“Count on it.”

Katie slipped into a booth at the diner the next morning. Instead of their usual seat at the back, Jimmy had picked one near the windows upfront. They could sit outside on the curb for all she cared. She just wanted this over.

His text had come in right as Eric stepped into the shower. She had planned to join him until she saw the identity of the sender. The idea of any part of Jimmy sneaking its way into Eric’s house, even by phone, made her want to vomit. Eric didn’t deserve that violation.

When he went to work, she headed over here. “Why did you call me?”

Jimmy cut into his pancakes like a man who hadn’t eaten in months. “To congratulate you.”

“For what?”

“Snagging our boy.”

“I’m not in the mood for this.” She slid to the edge of the booth and started to stand up.

“I gotta give you credit. You played it brilliantly.” Jimmy munched on a mouthful of food but his words were clear enough.

What he was talking about was the question. “What?”

“You lured our boy to his office, set him up in front of the window, and then went to work. Getting the shot of the two of you was pretty damn easy after that.”

She dropped back into her seat. “What are you talking about?”

Jimmy saluted her with his dripping fork. “We make a good team.”

“You think I invited you into my private life?”

“Sorry, honey, but when you sit like that in front of an open window, you want someone to watch. I obliged. Got a nice video out of it, too, but was real careful to block your face. The only person you can make out is our boy. Him and your hot body.”

The idea that Jimmy saw her naked was almost too much. There wasn’t enough water in all of Hawaii to wash her clean after hearing that. “I had a feeling it was you.”

The pieces fell together so easily now. She had suspected, but she’d hoped her supposed friend hadn’t sold her out.

“Our boy handed me the weapon when he came in here threatening me.”

“Is that what this is about? You were embarrassed?”

“Hell no.”

“Then explain it to me. Why go after me? Or Eric?”

Jimmy rubbed his finger and thumb together. “Cold cash, babe.”

She couldn’t undo that mess, but maybe she could find Eric’s spy. The bullshit about someone wanting to help him was just that—crap. “Who paid you to take the video?”

“I saw an opportunity and took it.”

A heaviness settled in her gut. She was responsible for this. She’d dragged her train wreck of a life into Eric’s and parked it there. Thanks to her his reputation was in tatters, people saw him as some sort of player who used his office to nail women, and his campaign was on shaky ground.

“You’re telling me you did that video stunt on your own?” she asked, unable to believe Jimmy had stepped so far out of line.

“Yep.”

“You were following me.”

“It was pretty clear you’d wrapped our boy around your finger…or was it another body part?”

“You’re disgusting.” Why hadn’t she seen that before? She’d thought he was her friend and that he’d watch out for her. It was now clear the only thing ruling his decisions was cash.

“Either way, our boy has it bad. There was no reason not to use that.” Jimmy’s fork twirled in the air before it dove back to his plate again. “I’ve got Gunnery’s camp on standby for more.”

“You didn’t even know Gunnery’s name a week ago.”

“I’m a businessman. I gather information. After you got so interested in our boy, I looked into him a bit more.”

If her head thumped any harder, the waitress standing at the other end of the diner would hear it. “I can’t believe this.”

“You picked a good one.”

“You’re such a loser.”

Jimmy tried to look offended but didn’t do a convincing job. “Honey, don’t be like that.”

“No more threatening to sell that tape. I want it. You’ve benefited from Eric enough. The only way I know to stop you is to take the tape and destroy it.”

Jimmy finally shoved the plate away from him. “No can do.”

Anger and distaste weren’t working, so she tried to appeal to his better side. She just wasn’t sure he had one.

She stretched her hand out until her fingers touched his. “Jimmy, we were friends. Don’t do this to me.”

“What I meant is that I can’t because I don’t have it.”

She yanked back her arm. “Who does?”

“My client.”

More people seeing her naked. Great. At this rate she’d have to move off the island. “Gunnery.”

“Nope. Our original client. Seems he’s not too happy our boy is being lured in by you. Got the impression he thought you were beneath his pal.”

She hated this client guy and she didn’t even know who he was. “Give me a name. I’m not going to go running to him. I just want to know who I’m dealing with. You owe me that much.”

“Still can’t tell you. But I do have something for you.”

“What?”

“Your share.” Jimmy slid an envelope across the table to her. “There’s some in there from my story kickback and some from our client. He paid us to shut this down.”

She refused to even touch the money. She didn’t want anything to do with it. “There is no ‘this’ because I’m not involved with your insane video scam.”

He winked at her. “Right.”

“Jimmy, I’m serious.”

“You need the money, right? God knows you earned it with some of those tricks. Impressive, by the way.” His smile was positively slimy.

“You’re not funny.” She wanted to shove the plate up his nose, but she stood up instead.

“Katie?” He looked around and then lowered his voice. “Seriously, though. Watch yourself.”

“Trust me, I’ve learned a lesson.”

“Not me. Our client. He wants you out. Bad.”

For the first time she got the sense the client shook Jimmy. That was a tough feat since Jimmy rarely got scared. “Give me the guy’s name.”

“He’s as close to Eric as anyone.”

“Seth?”

“No idea who that is.”

Satisfaction soared through her. She’d scoped Seth out as a possible suspect but hoped it wasn’t him. After only a few minutes with him, she liked him. There was something solid and dependable about him. Reminded her of Eric. Plus, she got the sense he truly cared for Eric.

The idea of Seth sabotaging Eric filled her with a killing rage because it would have been the ultimate insult. She knew all too well what it felt like to have the person you trusted most let you down. She’d learned that lesson when a furious wife threatened her with a frying pan. Her fun had ruined a family. She hadn’t known that at the time, but the guilt remained.

“Give me the name, Jimmy.”

He shook his head. “Just be careful. I’d hate to see you lose a good thing.”

Chapter 24

Kevin walked into Eric’s office the afternoon after the press conference with a folder under his arm. This time he had the good sense to knock first. Even called and put his name on Eric’s calendar between the morning and afternoon dockets.

The gesture came too late. Eric had made up his mind. He also thought about issuing another lecture spelling out the rules against politicking in state office buildings, but there were so many other violations to discuss.

“Seth is on his way. His morning motion went long,” Eric said as he set down the phone.

“I’m not sure you’ll want him here.”

Eric was done with the drama. He’d had his fill over the last few days. “I may need a witness.”

“For what?” Kevin shoved away from the door and took the seat in front of Eric. “You know what, never mind.”

“What was so urgent?”

“You’re not going to like this.”

“I haven’t been happy about much lately, including you.”

“You’re going to get pissed off about this, too, but I had to do it.” Kevin threw the file.

It landed right in front of Eric. “What is this?”

“Katie Long.”

“You’re fired.” Damn, it felt good to say that.

Kevin didn’t take the dismissal seriously. “Before you decide I’m the bad guy here, take a look at those.”

Eric thought about refusing but that would only prolong the conversation. Since he wanted it over and needed to tell Kevin it was time for him to step down, Eric played along. He slipped a finger under the seal and lifted the flap. A set of photos fell on his desk.

He forced his muscles not to move. Seeing Katie with that kid made Eric’s back teeth slam together. He wanted to analyze them, then get Katie on the phone. He vowed to do all of that later. Right now, he stayed calm. He didn’t want to give Kevin any opening to attack.

Instead of looking closely, he let the photos drop back on the desk. “Katie with Jimmy, so what?”

“You know this guy?”

“I’ve met him.”

“Then you know he’s trouble. He’s the guy you go to if you want dirty work done. Katie works for him.”

Some days Eric hated being right. Looked like this was going to be one of them. “How do you know that?”

“I have my sources and I got the reporter to talk. This Jimmy guy is behind the video.”

Seth knocked, then stuck his head through the door opening. “What’s going on?”

Eric motioned him inside. “Kevin is presenting his newest piece of evidence against Katie.”

Seth picked up the photos. With each one he flipped, his frown grew deeper. “What do you think she’s doing?”

“Getting close to Eric to create dirt for Gunnery,” Kevin said.

Kevin pointed at the stack in Seth’s hands. “There are photos that tie it all together. The ones of this Jimmy character, otherwise known as Katie’s boss, with Gunnery’s brother.”

Eric wanted to climb back into bed with Katie and forget this day. He’d had a lot of those moments lately. “It’s not proof.”

“There are ones of Katie accepting money.”

But Eric knew he wasn’t going to be doing anything with Katie until they talked about the photos. He had to rule out the possibility she’d played him again. If he let that doubt take hold, it would swallow everything.

“That’s enough, Kevin.”

Kevin kept ticking off the photos on his fingers. “Katie holding the Jimmy guy’s hand.”

That one sliced through Eric. He kept assuring himself there was a reasonable explanation.

“You’re not hearing me, Kevin.” Eric issued the warning, then counted to five. Much more pushing and he’d push back.

“What other evidence do you need? She’s scamming you and you’re too busy enjoying the sex to see it.”

Fury came out of nowhere and threatened to overtake Eric. “You’re out of line.”

Kevin got up and spun around to face Seth. “Talk some sense into him.”

Seth shook his head. “I’m not sure what’s even going on.”

“Then you’re as blind as he is.” Kevin shrugged his shoulders. “You need more? Fine. I’ll get it.”

Eric was up and out of his chair before Kevin got to the door. “Not one more move. I don’t want you near Katie.”

“I never thought you’d be blinded by a nice ass.”

Eric’s fury exploded like a wild beast. “Get the fuck out of my office.”

When Kevin opened the door, Eric could see attorneys and assistants standing in the hall outside his office. Kevin blew through them, grumbling the entire time.

“Everybody back to work.” Somehow Eric kept his voice within normal range even though it shook with leftover anger. But the slamming of the door felt damn good.

Seth tapped the edge of the photos against the desk. “That didn’t go so well.”

“I’m a patient man but I’m running out.”

Seth slid the stack back into the envelope. “I can see that. Can’t blame you either. You’re getting it from all sides lately.”

Eric didn’t have any control left. “Did you hire Jimmy to follow me?”

“What the hell kind of question is that?”

“Someone close to me paid the kid to track me. Someone who has a skewed view of helping me.”

Seth didn’t try to hide his anger at having his loyalty questioned. “And you think it’s me?”

“No.”

“That’s right. Fuck no.”

“I didn’t think so.” Eric dropped back into his seat. Suddenly he didn’t have the energy to stand.

The betrayals kept kicking him. Kevin and his warped sense of friendship. Katie and her refusal to come clean. He didn’t let his mind explore the dark possibility that she’d set this up and kept luring him in. She had to feel something for him.

Seth took a seat. “Clue me in, Eric.”

“It was Kevin.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I went all over that reporter. He’s someone I know. He swore he couldn’t tell me the source of the video because he didn’t know it. He never even saw the tape. He got photos, and the drop-off was arranged through texts.”

“Then how does Kevin know it’s this Jimmy who’s behind everything?

“There’s only one way that I know of.”

Seth dropped his head. “Damn.”

“Exactly.”

“What are you going to do now?”

Eric tipped he head back against his chair. “Fire my campaign manager.”

“And Katie?”

“I have no idea.”

Chapter 25

By the time Eric got to the kitchen, he was furious. He’d controlled his voice when he called Katie to say he was coming over. But looking at the photos at every stoplight pushed his belief in her to the breaking point.

His emotions whipped back and forth. One minute he trusted her and the next he knew to his soul she’d been working with Jimmy.

Being unsure pissed Eric off. He handled his private life like he handled work. He went into every situation ready to do whatever had to be done. Not looking for surprises.

But everything about Katie had been unexpected. The relationship ran backward. They’d progressed to sex before they ever exchanged names. Even now, she smiled and he turned stupid. He’d jumped from being interested to being so tied to her that he couldn’t get free. Didn’t even want to.

He stood at the kitchen door, watching the shadow inside buzz around. He knew he should wait to talk with her, let his thoughts settle and go into the room ready to listen, but fear drove him. The idea of losing her tugged and pulled at his insides. Thinking about her and not knowing who she really was or what was going on in her head ripped him apart.

No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t relax. He wanted to remain cool but one stray thought about the photos tucked under his arm and his concentration shattered.

“Eric?” The shadow walked to the screen.

Close up he could see her bright smile and that sexy catering skirt. He had fond memories of that skirt. Even better memories about slipping it up to her waist and tunneling his fingers under it.

“Can I come in?”

“Of course.” She opened the door and watched him as he walked past. “Why didn’t you let me know you were here?”

“I was watching you.”

“Because a woman taking rolls out of the oven is just so sexy.”

“With you it is.”

“You say those things and I get all mushy.” She leaned in to kiss him and brushed up against the file. “You brought work?”

“Not exactly.”

He debated launching into this now. When he saw her, heard her voice, he couldn’t accept the idea of her being Jimmy’s sidekick.

She took off the apron tied around her waist. “Is something wrong?”

“You could say that.”

“Damn, this isn’t more about the video, is it? There’s only so much the news can show. One station had black bars pasted over my—”

“Katie.”

Her hand gestures stopped. “What?”

“When did you last see Jimmy?”

All of the blood ran out of her face. “What?”

The stunned reaction told Eric what he didn’t want to know. She hadn’t broken her ties with Jimmy. She also hadn’t expected Eric to find out about it.

He remembered his first night in juvy all those years ago. A bunch of older kids held him down while another punched him in the head. This moment with Katie felt like that. It battered every part of him to watch her fumble for words and panic at being found out.

“You told me you worked for him at the beginning and ended it that day in the diner.” His voice sounded odd in his head, rough and skating the edge of reason.

“Right.”

When she backed up, he crowded her again. No way was she running away from this conversation. “So I’ll ask again. When did you last see him?”

Nothing remained of her flirty welcome. Her mouth stretched tight and her eyes were wary. “Why?”

“That doesn’t matter right now.”

“I don’t think you’re asking your real question.”

“Answer me.”

“I don’t know what you think you know, but it’s not true.”

She rambled and deflected and not once did she tell the truth. He saw it now. Every word spilled out in front of him. Maybe she liked the sex or the idea of being with a guy who wielded some power, but their entire time together had been a job. A way to make cash and maneuver him where she wanted him.

“You haven’t even heard the allegation yet,” he pointed out.

“But there is one.” She crossed her arms over her chest in a defiant, closed off gesture that matched her words. “There’s always a new charge against me.”

“Because I keep stumbling over information that proves you’re lying to me.”

“About what?”

No denial. She didn’t get defensive or insist she was telling the truth. She actually asked the question as if she were asking him to define which instance of lying she was referring to.

The hopes he’d built around her collapsed. He grabbed for the counter as anger spilled through him, fueling every horrible word on his tongue. He wanted to lash out at her. Make her feel as hollow and empty as he felt. But he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. This was the time for detachment. The only way to survive this moment was to power through.

“You’re not going to control this,” he said.

“What does that mean?”

“Tell me about Jimmy.”

“I didn’t have anything to do with the video.”

She’d said something like that before and Eric had believed her. This time the words rang false. The big-eyed innocent look wasn’t going to play anymore. “But he did.”

“Yes.”

The word pierced through him. “And you knew it.”

“I suspected it.”

Just once Eric wished she would deny a piece of horrible information when confronted by it. She listened, assessed, and dodged. He hadn’t seen it before. It was all he saw now. “And you know it’s true now because you’re still seeing him.”

“Don’t say it like that.”

“Forget dating him. That’s your business and I sure as hell don’t want to know about it.” Eric choked on the words. The mental image of Katie going from his bed to Jimmy’s was more than he could take. Eric shoved it out of his head and refused to examine it. “You’re still working for him.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Then how is it?” He took out one photo and with a sharp flick of his wrist threw it in her direction. Then another. Throwing them felt good, so he kept going until he emptied out the file.

She tried to catch them all but missed. They piled at her feet, leaving one in her hands. And that one said enough. Katie holding Jimmy’s hand across the table.

“I met with him recently and he admitted to taking the video. He thought I would be happy. I told him I wasn’t and left.”

“But you didn’t bother to tell me.”

When she looked up, her hands shook and her eyes pleaded with him. “I was trying to get Jimmy to leave you alone.”

“You were covering your own ass. Still are. You excel at that skill. You lie and then shove the blame onto someone else.”

“That isn’t true.”

“Did you ever stop working for him? Ever stop conning me?”

She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, all the life in them had been erased, leaving behind a dull stare. “Yes.”

“I have to wonder what else is coming. Am I going to find out you’re on Gunnery’s payroll and always have been?”

“I did the initial job, the one I told you about. Everything else has been about being with you.”

Eric refused to be lured in. The act had worked once, twice even, but he could not buy it again. He was smarter than that, had lived long enough to know some things could not be fixed.

“If I ask Jimmy, will he tell me the same thing?”

She swallowed. “Not exactly.”

“What?”

“He wanted me to keep following you. I didn’t do it. I never reported back to him after that first time.”

“Stop lying.”

“He said his client knew you were seeing someone and wanted to know if it was Deana. But it was me. He basically hired me to follow myself.”

Eric listened to the ridiculous explanation and discarded it. It was time to bore down to the real problem. “You lied to me. Every time you opened your mouth, you said something untrue and let me build around that.”

“I was trying to protect you.”

The comment shot through him, releasing every ounce of rage in his head. “You can’t fucking believe that.”

“You have to listen to me.”

She reached out toward his cheek but he caught her hand. “Don’t.”

The sweet voice and simple touch wouldn’t work this time. She’d used those weapons before. He had defenses against them now.

She bit her bottom lip. Actually looked like she could cry.

The woman knew how to lay it on thick. When the con broke down, she didn’t just give up and walk away. No. She dug in and kept trying to sell it.

“You have to know how I feel about you. What happened between us wasn’t fake.” Her voice came out as a desperate whisper.

It was a nice touch but not good enough. Not this time. “It wasn’t real either. From the beginning to now, you’ve been playing a game. Have you gone so far that you buy your own lies now?”

“That is not true. What I feel for you is absolutely real.” She grabbed onto his arm but only caught his sleeve. Still, she didn’t let go. “I need you to know that I—”

“Don’t say it.” He couldn’t handle that.

“I love you.”

He’d lived for those words. An hour ago he would have heard them, grabbed onto them, and started building a life with her. Now he ignored them. Had to. “I gave you every chance to come clean about Jimmy, but you kept me in the dark.”

Her mouth opened three times before the words came out. Between the slumped shoulders and glassy eyes, she put on quite a show. “That’s all you have say?”

He could get through this. The crying and soft hands weren’t going to work. “To your comment? Yes.”

Silence fell over the room. He thought she’d end it there. But she finally started talking again. “Not telling you all of it, about everything with Jimmy, was a mistake. I was scared. I thought I could fix the mess and keep you safe.”

She touched the nerve guaranteed to make him yell. “I don’t need a damn bodyguard.”

“You had so much happening in your life.”

He held his body stiff. Shutting down his heart and his head was his only protection from getting sucked back in again. “All bad and it can all be traced back to you.”

“I know. I brought this all to you. Jimmy and the video, even though I knew nothing about that part until you told me. Being the cause of all your trouble killed me. It chipped away at me every single day.”

He should just shove her aside and walk out. He knew that but kept debating anyway. It was as if his mind wasn’t ready to break the tie. “We were dating, seeing each other all the time. You had every chance to come clean.”

She held him with both hands now. “You are so together and strong. I’ve kicked around without any direction and even been in jail. How could I ever be the woman you needed?”

“You stopped trying. You pulled away from me after I saw you with Jimmy.” Eric knew in his head it had all been a lie, but part of him wanted to know what changed that day in the diner. “You’ve been emotionally packing your bags ever since.”

“That wasn’t about a con or scamming you.”

“What was it?” Damn, he still needed to know the answer to that one.

“You.”

“Now this is my fault?”

“I couldn’t understand how you could forgive me so easily for the way we met.”

Shock vibrated through him. “You were mad because I believed in you?”

“That’s not what I said.”

“If that’s true, you should be happy now, because I don’t believe you. Not one word. In fact, I can’t stand to look at you.” He picked up several photos, crushing them in his fist and shaking them in front of her face. “Maybe you and Jimmy will have better luck with the next sucker you pick.”

“Eric, please.”

He slammed the photos on the counter. “My only advice is that you be careful, because I won’t think twice about prosecuting you if some other dumb mark you pick presses charges.”

Cara found Katie an hour later. She sat at the counter and stared at the incriminating photos spread out in front of her. Her body functioned. Somehow her brain signaled for her to breathe, but she felt nothing.

Seeing Eric spin out of control like that had broken her. She’d thought he lacked fire and passion outside the bedroom. Now she knew it all bubbled under the surface. He kept it controlled, but when he let loose it was pure devastation. Red-faced and yelling, he went on a rampage that left her emotionally torn up and shattered.

And he hated her.

The realization had her eyes filling with tears. She wasn’t a crier, but remembering his face when she’d made her declaration of love made her want to crawl into bed and never get out again. His mouth screwed up in distaste and his dark eyes went blank. She’d never forget it.

Locked in a self-imposed torture chamber, Katie didn’t feel Cara press an arm against her back. “I thought you were meeting with Eric.”

“He’s gone.” Forever. It was so final. The stab of pain hit her everywhere. She felt it in her chest and head, until she doubled over from it.

“Are you going to see him after the shower this afternoon?”

The catering job. Katie didn’t think her arms and legs would work well enough to let her serve. “No.”

“What’s going on?” Cara peeked over her sister’s shoulder. “What is all of this?”

“He found out.”

“What?”

“He thinks I’m with Jimmy.”

“I admit these photos don’t look good.”

Katie couldn’t survive another round of questions and accusations. “Eric thinks I had something to do with the video.”

Cara went still. “Did you?”

“No.” Katie pointed at Jimmy’s image. “He did. I didn’t know it at the time, but he did.”

“Did you tell Eric that?”

“I couldn’t tell him anything. He wouldn’t listen.”

“That doesn’t sound like Eric.”

“He lost it.” His words came rushing back at her. He didn’t believe anything she said now. “I don’t even think he knew he was yelling, but once he started he didn’t stop.”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Of course not.” Cara’s eyebrow lifted in response to that. “Well, sort of, but I never expected him to blow like that.”

Cara morphed from sympathetic to unbending. She took up her judging-mother stance, arms folded and lips pursed, and stared Katie down. “You’ve been testing him this whole time.”

“That’s not true.”

“Of course it is. You want to know why?”

“I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”

“You didn’t think you were good enough and couldn’t understand why he couldn’t see that, so you pushed him.”

The truth slapped at Katie. She didn’t want to believe this had all grown out of her self-esteem issues. She’d come further than that. “I wanted him to open up to me.”

“You wanted him to prove that he could love you as much as he once loved Deana.”

That woman slipped into everything. When Eric wasn’t using her name, she was showing up or people were talking about her. “What does she have to do with this?”

“Everything, I think.”

No, this was about Eric and how he closed himself off rather than sharing anything with her. But then it all got wrapped up with Jimmy and his stupid plans to make money. She was sorry she’d ever dragged Eric into his mess.

Except for the part where she met Eric. Even now with her heart aching and her world collapsing, she knew he was the best thing to happen to her—ever.

She flipped the photos over so she didn’t have to see them.

“I was worried our relationship was only based on sex. I wanted to know it meant more to Eric than that.” She had been so afraid of losing him that she’d pushed him into going. The inner fire she wanted so desperately to see had burned her.

“And now that you got what you said you wanted, you’re still upset.”

She’d been an idiot. Katie knew that now. “I want Eric.”

Cara’s battle stance eased. “Oh, Katie.”

“What?”

“You love him.”

Katie had admitted it to Eric and he’d pretended not to hear her. She couldn’t say those words again without breaking into a thousand pieces, but she couldn’t deny her feelings either. “Yes.”

Cara wrapped her arm around Katie’s shoulders and pulled her in tight. “Then you don’t have any choice.”

“I could go hunt Jimmy down and beat the snot out of him.” Just the thought of that cleared out the sadness for a second.

“You need to talk with Eric.”

It would be easier to run around the island backward and on fire. “You weren’t here. You didn’t see him.”

“He’s hurt and lashing out.”

“That is a huge understatement.”

“He’s human, which is what you always wanted to know.”

Exhaustion settled over Katie. All of a sudden her limbs weighed a hundred pounds each. “I messed up.”

Cara rested her head against Katie’s. “If you really love him, you need to fight for him. Go find him and make him listen to you. Use whatever skills you have to keep him in place until he hears you.”

“What if I’ve lost him?” Katie’s voice broke on the question.

“He’s a good man. Fair and decent.”

Katie tried to remember the last time Cara said something positive about a male. Somewhere along the line, she’d become as invested in Eric as Katie had. That just doubled Katie’s pain. She’d managed to disappoint everyone she loved.

“He was all those things when he walked out of here awhile ago.”

“A man who was indifferent to you wouldn’t have exploded. You keep that in mind as he fights you, and he will. That one is going to go down swinging now that he’s been wounded.”

She never even knew she had the power to touch Eric like that. “I have to track him down.”

“The most likely place is work.”

Hope flickered inside her. “Getting him to listen will be harder.”

“There has to be someone who can help you with that.”

Seth. “I know the guy.”

Cara gave Katie one last hug, then grabbed for the apron. “Then go so I can get to work.”

The reality of why she was there, wearing a skirt and uncomfortable shoes, hit Katie. “The shower. I totally forgot.”

Cara waved a hand in dismissal. “I’ll handle it. You go get Eric.”

Chapter 26

Katie stood outside the door to Eric’s condo later that evening. She wore the same catering outfit from earlier in the day. She’d run all over town in the thing. Her feet ached and the waistband cut into her skin, but she didn’t care. She’d finally gotten close.

She had tracked Eric’s assistant down at the courthouse only to find out Eric was in a meeting of some sort. When she got back to his office, she was told he was gone for the day. Leave it to him to pick the one day she tried to find him as the only day he took off early.

That left one option. Finding Seth took more time since she couldn’t remember his last name. But once she found him and pled her case to talk with Eric, Seth relented. Even now, Seth’s face said he wanted to believe her but wasn’t ready to commit. Which explained why he stood next to her. The vibe was clear. He wasn’t so much accompanying her as guarding her and protecting Eric.

“You ready for this?” he asked.

“No.”

“At least you’re honest.”

“Do you mind mentioning that to Eric?”

Seth raised his hand to knock. “Don’t make me regret this.”

“I won’t.”

“You should know one thing. You’re not going to be alone with Eric.”

She was starting to see Eric’s point about everyone wanting to protect him. It got annoying. “He’s a big boy. I’m not sure he needs you in there with him, holding his hand.”

Seth cracked a smile but it left as fast it came. “It’s not that.”

“Then what?”

“Eric is having a meeting tonight.”

Katie’s stomach dropped to the floor. Went right through her pantyhose and smacked the space between her feet. “Maybe this isn’t a good time.”

Seth shifted and leaned a shoulder against the door. “Seems to me if you want to prove something to Eric, you can do it one-on-one or in a room full of people.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“He’s still talking to me.”

“You have a point, but Eric might want this to stay between us. He might not like his private life splashed all over the place.”

Seth’s eyebrow inched up. “Could it get worse than it is now?”

Her mind flashed to the video and the photos. The press conference wasn’t exactly a quiet moment at home either. “I guess not.”

Seth nodded. “Then let’s do this.”

She caught his hand before he could knock. “I know you care about him.”

“Guys don’t use those words.” The sarcasm in his voice killed the serious look he tried to sell.

“You’re his friend. Guys do admit that, right?’

“I think of him like a brother.” There was no missing Seth’s pride in that statement.

“I love him.”

This time Seth did smile and didn’t try to hide it. “That’s the only reason you’re standing here.”

“You knew?”

“I’m just happy you finally figured it out.”

Kevin looked across the dining room table at Josh and Deana. “Why is everyone here?”

“Always good to see you, Kev.” Josh slipped his arm over the back of Deana’s chair.

“No offense meant. I just thought this was a campaign meeting.”

“It is.” Eric put a coffee mug in front of Josh and handed Deana a bottle of water.

Now that Eric had done his bit as host, he could concentrate on getting this meeting going. He was not in the mood for talking or fighting, but this had to be done. If he was revamping his life, he might as well start now. It was time to get rid of everyone who made his life difficult.

Forget that his muscles ached as if he had the flu. That was leftover adrenaline burn from his knockdown with Katie.

Katie. Despite everything and how much he wanted to hate her, her image wouldn’t leave his head.

But he couldn’t go there now. He had to stay focused. “To be honest, I consider this more an intervention than a meeting.”

“Are you okay?” Deana asked.

“I will be.” A knock at the door interrupted him. “That’ll be Seth.”

“How cozy,” Kevin mumbled.

“It’s open.”

Eric wished he were sitting. Staying on his feet while Katie walked into his house in that sexy little number from their first meeting was not easy. From this distance he couldn’t pick up the familiar scent of her hair. He did see the flash of leg and the determined spark in her eye.

Then there was the stupid grin on Seth’s mouth.

A mix of fury and hope poured through Eric. He wanted to shout his confusion but he just didn’t have the strength. “What’s going on?”

“I found another participant for your party.”

Eric took in Seth’s hand at Katie’s back and the way she stayed right up next to him. It wasn’t sexual. It was protective. Walking on his turf terrified her. Eric had always seen her as sassy and full of life. The twinge of vulnerability was new. Instead of being moved by it, he wondered if it was real.

Kevin looked up then. He jumped to his feet. “Her?”

Katie’s eyes narrowed as she stepped even closer to Seth. “Do we know each other?”

“You’re the one who caused all of this.” Kevin swept out his arm in a wide arc. “You and your boyfriend set up Eric.”

“That’s not true.”

“You had sex with him so you could tape it and then ruin him.”

“Where are you getting your information?” Deana let out an exasperated huff. If she wanted it to be known she wasn’t impressed with the accusations, she succeeded.

Kevin leaned over the table. “That woman—”

“My name is Katie.”

“—made a play for Eric at your wedding, Deana. That’s where the whole thing started. She took advantage and hooked him in.”

Eric wondered what the hell vibe he gave off that made people think he couldn’t take care of himself. “You know I’m thirty-seven, right?”

“I don’t know about the taking advantage part, though I assume if Katie did take advantage, it was because Eric wanted her to, since he’s a pretty smart guy and, let’s face it, she is an attractive woman,” Josh said. “But you’re talking to the wrong crowd. We know all about how they met. At least Deana and I do.”

Seth raised his hand. “Me too.”

“You do?” Katie looked appalled by the idea. Even sent Eric a withering glare.

“It’s no big deal,” Josh said.

Deana slipped her arm through her husband’s. “It’s kind of romantic to think they found each other at our wedding.”

Eric thought that was probably going too far. It’s not as if the first meeting in the bathroom was about love. A healthy dose of lust fueled that one.

Kevin talked right over them. “How can you say that?”

“It’s personal between Katie and Eric, and not our business.” Deana stood up and motioned for Seth and Katie to come closer. “Come in and sit down.”

When Katie passed by Kevin, Eric watched the byplay, looking for any signs of recognition between them. A gesture or a pre-arranged signal. But nothing happened. Kevin didn’t act like he knew her except as a target for his out-of-control rage. He sputtered and blamed.

Except for the small explosion at hearing that everyone knew her business at the wedding, Katie looked confused. Most of her quick peeks were saved for Deana. Clearly Katie didn’t expect the woman she viewed as her rival to step up in her defense.

Eric raised a hand to quiet the room. “That’s enough accusations.”

“You can’t still believe this bitch.” Kevin aimed all his fury at Katie.

Josh sat up straighter. “Hey!”

“I got this.” Eric motioned for Josh to stay in his seat. There were few things Eric hated more than a man who bullied women, and that’s exactly what his soon-to-be-former campaign manager was doing. “Kevin, if you unload one more comment like that, I won’t need Josh to beat the shit out of you. I’ll do it myself. Pound you until you never talk to a woman like that again, got it?”

Josh smiled. “Nice.”

“About fucking time,” Seth added.

Katie hadn’t moved. The second Kevin started yelling, she’d stopped dead on the floor. Not that she looked scared. Quite the opposite. She clenched her fist as if she planned to land a shot or two on her own.

Eric nodded to her. “It’s okay. Take a seat.”

He noticed her hand shook as she reached for the chair. To prevent a scene, he pulled the chair out for her. When he glanced up again, every person at the table was staring at him.

Kevin fumed. “What the hell is going on?”

Eric rested his hands on the back of Katie’s chair. Damn, but it felt right to be this close to her. He had no idea how that was still possible. “I talked with the reporter who did the story about the video.”

Katie stared up at him. “You did?”

“Twice, actually.” Eric kept his attention on Kevin. “He never talked with you about it.”

“What?”

“You named the reporter as your source for Jimmy Blau’s involvement with the video.”

Kevin looked around the table. His eyes were wild now. “No, I didn’t.”

“I was standing right there,” Seth said. “You did.”

“If you didn’t get the information from the reporter, then that means you got it from Blau. And that can only mean one thing: you hired Jimmy to have someone follow me.”

Kevin continued to aim his fury at Katie. “Her.”

Finger-pointing wasn’t going to work here. Eric had gotten over the initial wedding deception. That was the least of his worries regarding Katie at this point. “I know all about that.”

“Apparently everyone at the table does,” she whispered under her breath.

Eric let his fingers brush against her shoulder. When she didn’t flinch or move away, he kept them there. “I want to know why, Kev. What the hell were you thinking?”

“I had to know what I was dealing with.”

At least he didn’t deny it.

Eric guessed he should be relieved at having ferreted out the truth, but the sense of relief evaded him. Being right still meant someone he trusted had betrayed him. “What does that mean?”

Kevin’s gaze flicked to Josh and then back again. “There was certain information I needed, both so I could reassure our donors and so I could come up with a strategy with you to combat it.”

Josh eyed Deana. “I think he means you, dear.”

“Men are such idiots,” Deana said.

“Absolutely,” Katie agreed right after.

“Ever think of just asking me? It’s my life.” Eric asked the question even though he knew the answer. No one did. Everyone was so busy rushing around, trying to protect him, they missed the fact he was fine.

“You weren’t in a mind-set to help. You were reeling from Deana’s marriage to Josh.” Kevin held up his hands in a calming gesture. “No offense.”

“You’re wrong.” The boom of Eric’s voice caught everyone’s attention.

“I never imagined you’d turn around and get involved with her.” Kevin nodded in Katie’s general direction. “Or that she had a scam going. I was shoring up our campaign. This sort of thing is done all the time.”

Eric knew a justification when he heard one. “You went too far.”

“I asked about your behavior at the wedding. Your new girlfriend is the one who took it too far.”

Katie almost bounced out of her chair. “Do not blame me, you slimy bastard.”

Eric tried to hold her down but she wasn’t done.

“You lost control of Jimmy. You thought he worked for you but the whole time he was just searching for an angle. Somehow you handed him one and he ran with it.” Katie swore under her breath.

“You would know,” Kevin shot back.

Katie’s shoulders stiffened even more. “I didn’t have anything to do with the video.”

Kevin scoffed. “We’re supposed to believe that.”

Katie didn’t back down. She leaned across the table, smacking her hands against the wood as she spoke. “You set him loose. Jimmy is a two-bit player and you let him con you.”

“Why are you even here?”

Eric took that one. “She’s here because I want her here.”

With that, all the air left the room. No one said a word. Even Kevin was knocked speechless.

Katie did a good bit of staring. When she opened her mouth to say something, Eric squeezed her shoulder as he helped her back into her chair. “Later.”

Deana heard the whispered word because she did some mumbling of her own. “Maybe there’s hope for you yet.”

Eric ignored both women. He could only handle one battle at a time and the political one was hot enough. The female kind was well beyond him at the moment.

Filled with regret he hadn’t expected, Eric looked at Kevin. Here was the man he’d entrusted with the intricacies of his campaign. Kevin had political experience and they’d been close since law school, but they’d gone different ways. He acted like he had to control a presidential candidate instead of a local contest that should be an easy win.

And now Eric had to end the bloodletting. “It’s time for you to go.”

Kevin’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”

“You went behind my back, and maybe you thought you were doing a good thing at the time, but you didn’t come to me. I can’t trust you.”

“But you can trust your sleazy girlfriend?”

Seth stood up. “That’s it.”

“I’m not warning you again.” Eric wrestled with the part of him that wanted to land a punch on his former friend. “My relationship with Katie is not your business. Nothing is. As of right now, you’re fired.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“You can go through the formality of handing in a resignation, if you want. If anyone asks, we’ll say your litigation schedule picked up and you couldn’t make the commitment.”

The import must have hit Kevin because his body shrank. “Eric.”

“I’m fine with providing cover. But hear me on one thing. You say a negative word about Katie and I will tell everyone I know about your maneuvering in the campaign. You want to see a reputation go down in flames, keep pushing me.”

“I can’t believe this,” Kevin said more to himself than to anyone in the room.

“We’re done.”

Kevin didn’t offer any explanations or beg for his job. Without looking around or causing any more of a scene, he grabbed his notepad and briefcase and walked out.

The room stayed quiet for a full minute after he was gone.

Josh got up with his coffee cup and headed toward the kitchen. “Impressive.”

Eric wasn’t done. They all needed a lecture. Josh included. “We still have some business.”

“Uh-oh,” Seth joked until he realized no one else joined in.

Eric shifted to the side of the table Kevin had just abandoned. It put them in an us-versus-them arrangement and Eric was fine with that.

“Can I say something?” Deana asked, and then rushed ahead without waiting for an answer. “I’m sorry about Kevin. I know you used him because I recommended him.”

“When?” Katie asked with a tone that suggested she didn’t like Eric and Deana talking.

“Years ago when Eric mentioned a possible run.”

Eric took back the floor with a single clap. Too much discussion on side issues and he would never get this part out. And suddenly, he wanted to be alone with Katie. Watching her sit there, shredding a napkin between her fingers, he felt that familiar kick of admiration and desire. The crowd blunted her usual sass but she hadn’t backed down. She’d met Kevin head-on, exposed him and the bind he’d put her in.

She didn’t have anything to do with the video. That much was clear to anyone with eyes and ears. Kevin couldn’t sell that allegation. What that meant in terms of a future with Katie, Eric still didn’t know. But maybe they weren’t done after all, and that possibility punched up his energy level again. The dragging exhaustion disappeared, leaving him ready to fight.

“And that brings us to the problem we all need to discuss.” He waited until he had everyone’s attention—glares, smiles, and all. “It’s time everyone stop with the guilt and overprotective crap.”

Seth folded his arms on the table. “This should be interesting.”

Eric figured he might as well start with the most obvious point first. “Deana, I am over you.”

She shifted in her seat. “I know that.”

“Sure as hell better be,” Josh said.

“I was thinking the same thing,” Katie grumbled at the same time.

“I take responsibility for every decision I made in your nephew’s case. Good or bad, it was all me. You are not accountable for my career or any scandal that breaks.” When Josh tried to speak, Eric shut him down. “You either. Yes, you asked for a favor to confirm once and for all that Ryan was guilty. Deana benefitted from that, but the community did, too.”

“You gave me the ability to move on,” Deana said.

Josh slipped his fingers through his wife’s. “It’s a bigger gesture than you think.”

“But I didn’t have to do it.” Eric shot Josh his best man-to-man look. “You’re not that persuasive.”

Josh pretended to be offended. “That can’t be true.”

“My point is that you’re both off the hook. You don’t have to come running over here every time you think I’m in trouble. In fact, I’d prefer if you didn’t.” Eric tapped a hand against his chest. “Grown man.”

Josh nodded. “Got it.”

“And now that I’ve lectured, I have a favor, Deana.” This part was tougher. It involved some pride swallowing and something even bigger—real closure. The decision was the right one, but people would talk. Hell, if he had any chance with Katie, this might destroy it.

“What is it?” Deana asked.

“I want you to consider being my campaign manager.”

Deana’s eyes bugged.

That was nothing compared to the homicidal glare on Katie’s face. “What?”

Seth shoved his chair back from the table and Katie’s striking distance. “Whoa.”

This decision had to be his. Eric had learned something from the Kevin experience. “You are connected, well-funded—”

“He means you’re loaded.” Josh laughed until Deana elbowed him in the side.

“You are the perfect person to run a campaign. You can also shoot down dumb rumors and will never hire a spy to follow me around.”

Deana smiled. “All true.”

“We have a past, but that could be a good thing. You’ll bring me whatever I need to hear, good or bad, and I’ll handle it.”

Eric could almost see Deana turning the idea over in her head. He glanced at Josh to see if there was any trouble there, but he seemed fine. They both relaxed in their chairs. They didn’t say no or run out. Eric took all of that as a positive step.

One hurdle down. “Talk it over and let me know.”

“Is that last part your way of telling us to leave?” Josh asked.

“Yes, and you can take Seth with you.” Eric appreciated the other man’s quickness. “Katie stays.”

She snorted. “Only because Katie wants to stay.”

“I like her.” Deana whispered the admission to Josh.

He nodded. “Me too.”

“While I appreciate your telling everyone where you want them—” Katie’s sharp tone said the exact opposite—“one problem with your scenario is that I have my sister’s car and she needs it.”

Seth stood up and held out his hand. “Give me the keys.”

Katie shrank back looking more than a little suspicious “Why?”

“I’ll take it back to her.”

Katie grabbed her purse and held it to her chest as if it was filled with gold and Seth wanted to steal it. “I don’t think so.”

“Guess she’s heard about your driving,” Josh said.

Seth looked highly offended. “What is that about?”

Eric knew the answer. “Cara.”

“Who is Cara?” Seth asked.

Josh’s eyes grew wide. “Oh.”

“She’s very pretty.” Deana gave Seth a conspiratorial nod.

“Yeah?” Seth asked.

Katie snapped her fingers in front of Seth’s face. “She has a baby and a bad attitude about men.”

“Neither of those things scare me.”

Josh laughed. “They should.”

The idea of Cara and Seth made Eric smile. The poor bastard would get knocked back more than a few times if he tried to go there. Cara was not an easy audience. Eric knew that from experience.

“Let him go,” he said to Katie.

She pointed a finger at Seth. “Behave.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Now, I’ve been patient, and I’m done with that.” Eric headed for the door. “Everyone out.”

“Subtle,” Seth said.

“I’ve discovered that virtue is overrated.”

Chapter 27

She waited until Eric closed the door before she said anything. It took that long for her to leash her anger against Kevin. The man had been determined to drag her down with him. Thank goodness for the group dynamic and a small show of support from Eric or she’d probably be the one in the parking lot right now.

“That was strange.” She could think of a lot of words to describe what had just happened, but that was the safest.

“The last few days have been strange.” He clicked the lock. “I’m about ready for a vacation, and that’s saying something since I haven’t really taken one in two years.”

The fact didn’t surprise her one bit. If he kept this up, they’d have to pull him out and take him to a hospital for a long rest. “You often gather everyone you know in your dining room?”

“We usually use the kitchen.”

The lightness had moved back into his voice. He threw out one of his dry one liners and her heart soared. “Good to know you’re flexible.”

He stood next to her at the dining room table. Their hands rested inches apart on the back of the chair beside them. “Why are you here?”

She would have taken offense but his soft tone deflected the brunt of his harsh words. “Is that your way of telling me I shouldn’t be?”

His fingers slipped closer. “I was asking a simple question.”

“Not to contradict you, because I’ve now seen you furious and am not looking for a replay, but we haven’t had a moment of simple between us since we met.”

He pretended to consider her theory. “It has not been boring.”

“Is that good or bad?”

“Well, if you’d asked me earlier today—”

“You scared the hell out of me.”

The tips of his fingers touched hers. He glanced down as he rubbed his forefinger over her knuckles. “You have to know I would never hurt you.”

Hope blossomed in her chest as his hand moved over hers. Her tendency in relationships was to find a stable point and stay there. Ever since her heart was handed to her by a guy who wanted to keep her on the side, Katie had protected her soul from further battering. She’d pull back to avoid controversy and fall back on sex.

With Eric, the intimacy had been amazing, but she wanted more. For the first time, she needed to break her old pattern and reach someone on a different level. Eric’s gentle touch spurred her on.

“I prosecute men who hurt women,” he added.

“I know your record. I don’t question how you feel on that point.” She had seen violent and even now dealt with the aftermath while living with Cara. Men delivered that sort of abuse through fists and with words. She couldn’t imagine Eric doing either. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I scared you in another way?”

“I’ve never seen you like that.”

His face fell “I’m sorry. I made a leap and blamed you for the video.”

“Understandable under the circumstances, but that’s part of what I’m talking about. It was the change in you from what I thought was true to what really is that scared me.”

He slipped his fingers through hers. “I don’t know what that means.”

Being close to him felt so damn good. There, in his home, surrounded by his woodsy scent and the comfort of the ocean beyond, nothing else existed. If they could stay there and wipe out everything that went before, she’d be happy.

No. That was wrong. She didn’t want to go backward. It was time to put all of those worries about being kept around for sex behind her. Eric deserved more and she needed more. To get there, she had to make him understand why they’d derailed in the first place.

“I thought you bottled everything up and never showed your emotions,” she said.

“Those aren’t the words I’d use, but the end result is pretty accurate. If you’re looking for someone who races around the house yelling, that’s not me. I keep it in and analyze it.”

Her free hand found its way to his stomach. “Why live like that? Doesn’t it make you crazy?”

“My work demands it. It’s how I was raised. There are probably a million reasons, but I’m not sure that’s what you really want to know.”

The hardest part lay right in front of her. She searched for the right words, but trying to pretty it up didn’t work. In the end she just blurted out the insecurities that skipped around in her brain. “I convinced myself you enjoyed the sex, but when it came to anything important, you were holding me away from you. That you didn’t want me in your life.”

Pain raced across his face. “Honey, that’s not true.”

He had never used an endearment before. This one shot right to her heart. Everything had fallen apart this afternoon, but hearing him now, seeing the love so obvious on his face, she thought they might actually be able to put it back together.

She had to get through this first. “I kept thinking your relationship with Deana changed you.”

He groaned. “Why does everything come back to her?”

“No, listen to me.” Katie wanted to kiss the frown from his mouth, but that would end the conversation. That’s how it worked with them. They went to the place they knew. She needed them to hover in the tough part for a little longer.

“I’m ready.” He looked like he had tasted sour milk.

“I see now that Deana was an easy excuse. If I blamed her and decided you were still in love with her, then I never had to deal with the possibility you didn’t feel as strongly about me.”

“Let’s get one thing straight.” He lifted their joined hands to the space over his heart.

The pounding came right through his shirt and knocked against her hand, steady and reassuring. “I’m listening.”

And living on every word.

“What I feel for you is very different from what I felt for Deana.”

A breath left her with a sharp thwack. She’d had no idea the truth could cause that much pain. “Oh, I see.”

He smiled at her. “No, you don’t.”

“It’s okay.” She needed to move back, break his hold. She thought she could handle this part and accept a smaller piece of him than he’d given to Deana in the past. Live with that and try to build more.

But she was wrong.

“I’m not going to lie to you. I did love her.” His dark eyes filled with a sentiment Katie couldn’t identify.

“We can stop talking about this now.”

“Our relationship was calm and relaxed and did not challenge me at all. We probably would have bumped along and, as Seth says, eventually bored the crap out of each other.”

Wait… “Seth?”

“He uses different words, but you get the idea.”

Katie had always imagined a perfect relationship between Deana and Eric. His description now destroyed all her preconceived notions and started healing the broken parts of her.

“You were a mess at her wedding.”

“My feelings were raw. I felt betrayed by her. The truth is that I did everything I knew how to do, but with or without Ryan, it was never going to work.”

Katie desperately wanted to believe that. So much so that she was embarrassed by her need to see Deana as less than perfect. “How can you know that?”

“You look at her and see a certain type of woman.”

That one was easy. “Rich, beautiful, and totally put together.”

“Like everyone else in the world, she has a past. She hid it from me because she thought I couldn’t take it or that it would conflict with my political plans, or whatever.”

“She was protecting you.” Katie knew because she’d done the exact same thing.

“I used to think that, but now I know the truth. She didn’t believe in me, or us, enough to tell me.”

Everything inside Katie ground to a halt. Her heart and lungs shut down as she tried to process his simple comment.

Was that what she’d been doing? She’d been convinced that Eric only needed to know the here and now. She justified holding back by saying it would give him deniability if anyone ever asked during the election. She’d never seen the situation from his perspective.

“She thought I cared when I really didn’t. If I lose an election because of something someone close to me did as a teenager, then I can live with that.” He was talking about Deana, but it was clear he was referring to Katie as well.

“But you’ve wanted this position forever.”

“I want it because I think I’ll be good at it, but it’s not my whole life. Not anymore.”

She had dreamed of hearing those words from him. All she’d ever wanted was for him to make room for her in his life.

“What changed?” she asked.

“You.”

She fell into him then, let her body rest against his, with their hands trapped between them. “I love when you say things like that.”

“You walked into my life and knocked me over.” He spoke into her hair. “I’d lost track of fun and everything outside my office door. Meeting you was like being flooded with light again.”

“Oh, Eric.”

“Every time I thought you betrayed me, I hunkered down and searched my head for a way to forget it.” He brushed his nose against hers. “That wasn’t because I don’t feel passion. It’s because I can’t imagine living without you. I thought if I forgave everything, you’d never have a reason to leave.”

“I was so worried it was all about sex.”

He pulled his head back and gave her a frank stare. “And I worried that was the only way I could hold you.”

She dropped her forehead to his shoulder. “We’re a pathetic pair.”

“But we are a pair.”

“You talked about Deana’s past—” Katie said the words into his neck.

“I know about the drug charge against you.”

“You…what?”

“I have access to all the court records. That information is easy for me to find.”

“And you went looking.” She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Not too good was her initial reaction.

“Something Cara said tipped me off.”

“Figures.”

“But it’s more than that, Katie. I know about the guy who turned out to be married. All of those things and not one of them matters to me.” He tipped up her chin. “Please believe that.”

From any other man it would sound like a line, but Eric spoke with such depth of feeling. From his hands to his eyes to his words, he told her he loved her. Maybe not in the traditional way, but in ways that mattered even more.

He didn’t judge. He didn’t want a pretty version of her past. He wanted her as she was. It was a gift she’d never expected to get.

She lifted her head. Their mouths were close enough to touch. She could feel his breath against her cheek. “You sound like a saint.”

“I can assure you, I’m not.”

“Pretty forgiving then.”

“It’s a matter of being realistic, sitting at a desk every day and seeing the horror that happens between people. I can take most anything you throw at me, but you have to be honest and you have to tell me.”

And that would start right now. Hard or easy, she’d put it out there and then let him decide. “I didn’t have anything to do with the video.”

“I know.” He pressed a light kiss against her mouth.

“You were not a mark or a way to work a con.”

The second kiss began as a nibble on the corner of her mouth and traveled to the other side, stealing her breath with every tiny touch. “I know that, too.”

And here was the big admission. Everything rode on his reaction to her next comment. “I meant it when I said I loved you.”

His body stilled.

Panic raced through her blood. Had she gone too far? The way his hand squeezed hers, she didn’t think so.

“Eric?”

“Thank God,” he whispered.

The floodgates burst open then. Her hands plowed into his hair as her mouth toured his face. “I love you so much.”

“Yes,” he mumbled between kisses.

“It happened so fast.”

He stopped her rambling with a long aching kiss that shot through her senses like a bolt of electricity. It promised hope and forgiveness, strength and compassion. With each deepening stroke of his tongue, he burned his body into hers. By the time he lifted his head, they were both panting.

But she needed one more thing.

She pressed her hand against his cheek, letting her love pour through her and into him. “Will there ever be a time when you tell me you love me?”

His dark eyes widened. “You have to know I do.”

Funny enough, she did. They’d been so fractured just a short time ago, but the second she walked into his apartment today she knew.

She felt it in his loving gaze and the way he hovered over her as if ready to pounce should anyone try to hurt her. She heard it in the way he stood up for her to Kevin. Through small acts and big gestures, he told her all the time.

“You’ve showed it and lived it, but never said it.” And she needed to hear the words.

“Then shame on me.” Eric’s hand plunged through her hair. “I do love you.”

Her stomach flipped. If someone asked her to describe the feeling, she’d sum it up in one word: freedom.

“And now you’ve told me you love me in every way that counts.” She couldn’t stop kissing him.

“I started loving you that first day in the bathroom.”

She snorted. “That was lust.”

“By the time I saw you in the kitchen, it had turned into something else.” His gaze searched hers.

“What?”

“I wasn’t sure then except to know lust evaporates. This doesn’t.”

Sweet talker. “What now?”

“I’ve heard about this interesting concept.” He closed one eye as if he was searching his mind for the right word.

“Oh, really?”

“Makeup sex.”

She waited for the rush of doubts, for that little voice in her head to tell her that she was only an eager and willing body to him. This time the nagging stayed quiet. She didn’t even hear a rumble.

She shook her head and tried to look stern even while her insides danced. “I’m not sure I’m familiar with it.”

“Interesting.”

“I guess you’ll have to teach me about that one.”

“And then we can figure out the important stuff.”

“Like?” As far as she was concerned, they’d already hit the biggies. He loved her. She loved him. That was good enough for her.

“How soon we can move you in here.”

She hadn’t thought she could be happier until right that second. “That’s a big step.”

“The first of many.”

“You have my attention.”

“Besides, I want to wake up with you every morning.”

She almost squealed with joy over that one, but she tried to be practical. “What will the voters think?”

“That I’m damn lucky.”

“Oh, you’re about to get lucky, all right.”

He chuckled in a rich, clear tone that vibrated with warmth. “We also have to plan our first public function together.”

Plans. He was building a life and putting her in it. No hiding or secret dates. “Nice.”

“Then there’s the decision about when you meet my parents for more than two seconds.”

She winced. “It all sounded good until…there.”

“They’ll love you.”

“They’ve seen me naked.”

He wiggled his eyebrows. “So have I.”

“Do you really think it’s the same thing?”

Before she could get her nerves all riled up and panicky, he kissed her. Long and deep, sending a calming sensation running through her.

“They’ll love you because I do,” he said against her lips.

The perfect sentiment at the perfect time. That summed up Eric.

“Why don’t you take me upstairs and tell me over and over how much you love me?”

“From now to forever.”

Chapter 28

Eight months later

Eric fell back against the mattress and tried to quiet the heartbeat thundering in his ears. Once again, his wife had wiped him out. “Man, that just gets better each time.”

Katie wiggled her fingers in front of his face and let her arm drop across his chest. “It’s the wedding ring. Marriage and diamonds improve sex. It’s a proven fact.”

“What book is that from again?”

“Are you complaining?”

“Not even a little. But you know you could have had the ring long before you did if you hadn’t insisted on waiting until after the election to walk down the aisle.”

She rested her head against his shoulder. “One huge life change at a time, please. It was strange enough to get married just a few days after the election.”

“I was more excited about the wedding.”

“Which is one of the reasons I love you.” She placed a kiss on his damp chest. “But I wanted to get settled in school and for you win your big boy job first so you could concentrate on me.”

“I think I just did.”

“Men.”

When she pinched his side, he grabbed her hand and held on. “Stop that. And for the record, I didn’t see a reason to wait. I knew I wanted you with me always.”

“Says the man who insisted we get married eight months ago, after we’d known each other all of two weeks.”

“I seem to remember you weakening shortly after that.”

“Your poor mother. I can still see the look on her face when I suggested we run off to Vegas.”

“It was almost as good as the look on yours when she told you she forbade it.” He had to laugh. Watching the two women in his life circle each other and establish boundaries was a never-ending source of amusement for him. They respected each other, loved each other, and had no idea how to relate to each other. He couldn’t think of two people who were less alike.

“I was kidding, but her threats were serious,” Katie said.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure she’ll figure out a way to forgive you for the joke…eventually. The fact you let her plan the wedding and gave her six months to do it up big helped.”

Katie lifted up on her elbow and looked down at him with that sexy little smile that crushed out every bad day. “I think I have a way to make her downright delirious.”

“Do tell.”

“Since you guys are all so big on family responsibility.”

“Japanese people?”

“No, you big racist.” She kissed him, softening her tough words. “I meant the Kimura family.”

“Oh, that.” He propped his head up on his elbow to get a better look at her. Let his other hand wander down her back to the top of her thighs. “Go ahead.”

She sighed. “Are you even listening to me?”

“Kind of hard to when you’re not wearing panties.”

She opened her legs a bit more to give his fingers all the access they wanted. “That’s a gift for later.”

“When exactly does ‘later’ start?”

“I’m trying to tell you something.”

“Sorry.” But not sorry enough to remove his hand.

“In addition to winning an election and bagging yourself an awesome wife—”

“We need to work on your low self-esteem.”

“—we have something else to celebrate.”

“Seth dating your sister?”

Katie closed her eyes for a second in a look he now knew as mock disgust. “Ugh. Don’t remind me.”

“He’s a good guy.” Eric knew Katie loved him, too. They had a sibling-like relationship. Lots of teasing and more than a little screaming when Katie realized Seth had asked Cara out.

Despite that, Katie had agreed to Seth’s being the Best Man. The role had him walking down the aisle with Cara. From what Eric could tell, they looked pretty comfortable together, so Katie had better get used to it.

“He comes around and she turns into a clumsy mess,” Katie said.

Eric remembered feeling the same way around Katie in the beginning. All hands and big feet. No moves at all. “Sounds familiar.”

“You’d better not be talking about me.”

“I was referring to my other wife.”

“Oh, really. Where are you keeping her?” She poked him in the side and didn’t stop until he caught her hands and flipped her over on her back.

Looming over her like this, he could watch her pretty eyes go all dreamy while he touched her. “Point is Seth adores Ashleigh and he’s pretty hot on Cara. Last I checked, you wanted her to be happy.”

Katie slipped her arms around his neck as her thighs came up to trap him in his current position. “You know what will make her positively giddy?”

“The perfect lobster roll?”

“Being an aunt.”

“What?”

Katie took his hand and pressed it against her flat stomach. “We’re only six weeks along, so we should probably hold off on telling people, but I’m thinking Cara will be thrilled and your mom might stop looking at me like I’m going to explode.”

The news came at him and kept whizzing by. He tried to get the words to fit into his brain. To understand the reason behind her huge smile.

“Wait…what?”

She kissed his chin. “Pregnant.”

“Are you sure?” He was almost afraid to believe it. His heart jolted at the thought. It was the last piece in a life so full and rich that he wondered every day what he’d done to deserve it.

“I threw up three times yesterday.”

He knew he should feel bad about her being sick, and part of him did, but what it represented—a baby—there was no way he could regret that. He was too busy fighting off flashes of a miniature Katie running around and stealing his heart.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” His hand shook as he touched her cheek.

She smiled up at him. “I just did.”

“Before now.”

“I was waiting to see if the stick turned pink.”

He wanted to know for sure. “We need to make an appointment—”

“And the doctor confirmed it this afternoon.” Her smile went all soft and sweet. “Why, counselor, I do believe I’ve stumped you.”

Emotions crashed in on him—hope, love, worries about whether he’d be a good dad. In two seconds, and with one word his whole life changed again. And he could trace it all, every good thing, back to Katie. “We just started trying.”

“We’ve gone without condoms for months now. Besides, I’m young and fertile.”

And so sexy that his mind turned to mush when she took her clothes off. “Apparently.”

“Plus you’re pretty lively in the bedroom for an old dude.” Because he looked like he got stuck on the wrong end of a shotgun blast, she tried again. “The election isn’t the only thing you won that night.”

His swaggering confidence came rushing back. Strong shoulders and an openess that lit up his face. “Oh, yeah. I remember now. A little champagne and we started talking kids.”

Took him long enough to come around. Though she had to admit the tough talk mixed nicely with the trembling she could feel in his hands. “I’m betting our success had something to do with me tying your wrists to the headboard with your ties. The loss of control got your sperm all riled up.”

He shook his head. “Pregnant. I still can’t believe it.”

She cupped his cheek in her palm. “Poor baby. You’re stunned.”

“Happy.” He pressed his face into her hand. “More than I ever thought possible.”

“Keep saying stuff like that and I’m going to get all weepy on you.” As it was she almost burst into tears delivering the good news.

“You can do whatever you want to me.”

“Are you saying that because I’m going to get huge while carrying our baby and you’re worried I’ll be miserable?”

He had the smarts to wince. “A little.”

“Very nice.”

“I’ll take care of you no matter how big you get.”

“Thanks. I think.”

He gave her hand one more kiss. “I’m saying it because I love you more than anything in this world.”

“Have I ever told you how happy I am you had such a crappy time at Deana’s wedding?”

“We should have put that on the gift card.”

“I was the server at the time not a guest.”

“Ah, I remember that skirt well.” The sexy smile told her he did.

“Not that you saw it on me for more than five seconds.”

“Good times.” He nodded. “Still, it’s a lovely sentiment.”

She gave him a light shove in the shoulder. “Without that day, without Deana and Josh, we never would have found each other.”

Katie could say the other woman’s name now without cringing. She’d actually grown to like Deana. It helped that Deana went all anal retentive and bossy in her push to get Eric elected. And she loved Josh enough to wipe out any doubt of her being stuck on Eric.

Eric’s mouth traveled over her collarbone and headed south. “Somehow we would have.”

She started losing track of the conversation. When his lips moved like that. “How do you figure?”

“You’re the one.” His mouth found her breast.

The tugging and caressing ripped through her. “I’m going to hold you to that, you know?”

“I’ll sign anything.”

“Now?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Sixty years from now, you’d better be saying the same thing.” Somehow she knew he would. Eric was solid and sexy, decent and smart. He was her man and she would never let him go.

He smiled up at her. “I’ll say it every day if you let me.”

“Count on it.”

Be sure to look for
A DARKER SHADE OF DEAD

by Bianca D’Arc out now!

“This blows.”

Dr. Sandra McCormick’s voice echoed around the morgue. Well, it wasn’t really a morgue. At least it hadn’t been. The large room had been a perfectly good laboratory until the senior team members had decided to perform tests on cadavers. Now it was a morgue.

The temperature had been lowered to near freezing, and Sandra shivered in her lab coat. She’d donned her heaviest jacket under the lab coat she had borrowed from one of the men on the team who wore a much larger size, but it still wasn’t enough. She was cold, dammit.

Cold, miserable, and all alone on night shift because she was low man on the totem pole. The science team had been together for a few months, working for the military on ways to improve combat performance. Specifically, they’d been trying to come up with substances that, when injected into people, would improve healing and endurance in living tissue. They were at the point now where they’d graduated from in vitro testing in petri dishes to something a bit more exotic.

They weren’t ready to try in vivo testing on living animals or people. Instead, the senior scientists had decided to take this grotesque step, administering the experimental regenerative serum to dead tissue contained in a whole, deceased organism. Personally, she would’ve preferred to start with a dead animal of some kind, but only human cadavers would work for this experiment since the genetic manipulation they were attempting was coded specifically for human tissue. They didn’t want any cross-contamination with animals if they found a substance that actually worked.

As a result, she was stuck in a freezing cold lab in the middle of the night, watching a bunch of dead Marines. It was kind of sad, actually. Every one of these men had been cut down in their prime by either illness or injury. They had all been highly trained and honed specimens of manhood while they were alive. Some of them had been quite handsome, but their beauty had been lost to the pale coldness of death. They were here because they had no next of kin—only their beloved Corps—and their bodies had been donated to science.

The room was dimly lit. Sandra only needed the individual lights over each metal table on which the bodies rested to do her work. She’d holed up at a desk in the far corner of the giant lab space, entering the data she collected hourly for each body into a computer. Her fingers were already numb from the cold, and it had only been three hours. Five more to go before the day shift would release her from this icy prison.

She heard a rustling sound in the distance as she blew on her fingers to try to warm them. Her chair swiveled as she lifted her feet, placing them on the runners of the rolling office chair.

“That better not have been the sound of mice scampering around in here.”

Contrary to most medical researchers, Sandra had never really been comfortable with mice. Little furry rodents still made her jump, and she shied away from any lab work that required her to deal with the critters.

The room was dimly lit. The only illumination came from the computer screen and desk light behind her and the single light over each table. The whole setup gave her the creeps.

Deciding to brave the walk to the bank of light switches on the far side of the room near the door, Sandra stood. If she had to sit here with a bunch of dead bodies all night, the least she could do was put on every light in the damned room. Why she’d ever thought the desk light would be enough, she didn’t know.

She’d gone on shift at midnight and was slated to take readings every hour until 8 a.m. when her day-shift counterpart would relieve her. Scientific work sometimes required a person to work odd hours. Experiments didn’t know how to tell time. When the researchers were running something in the lab, she usually got tapped for the late-night hours. Normally she didn’t mind. The lab was usually a peaceful, comforting place.

But not now. Not when it had been turned into a morgue. Or maybe it was more like Dr. Frankenstein’s dungeon, only without the bug-eyed servant named Igor. She’d definitely seen that old Mel Brooks movie one too many times in college. Thinking about some of the funnier lines from the comedy classic made her smile as she walked down the aisle of tables toward the door and the light switches.

“It’s alive…” As she walked, chuckling to herself, she did a quiet imitation of Gene Wilder from the scene where he’d given life to his monster.

On either side of her were slabs on which the cadavers rested. A breeze ruffled one of the sheets that had been pulled over the body on her right.

It must’ve been a breeze. The sheet couldn’t move on its own, right? She quickened her step, a creepy feeling shivering down her spine as the smile left her face.

A hand shot out of the dark and grabbed her wrist. She screamed. The fingers were cold. The flesh was gray. But the grip was strong. Too strong.

It pulled her in. Closer and closer to the body she’d checked only forty-five minutes before. He’d been dead at the time. Immobile. Now he was moving and—oh, God—his eyes were open and he was looking at her. His stare was lifeless as he drew her closer.

She did her best to break free, but the dead man was just too strong. She beat against his fingers with her other hand. When that didn’t work, she tried pushing against his cold shoulder. Nothing seemed to help. She hit his face, his chest, anyplace she could reach, but he wouldn’t let go.

He drew her closer until she was leaning across him, her arm over his head. Then he opened his mouth…and bit her. She gasped as his teeth broke through her skin. Blood welled as the icy teeth sank deep. Dull eyes looked through her as the dead man chewed on her forearm.

She went crazy, struggling to break free. She must’ve twisted in the right way because after a moment, she felt herself moving more easily. The next second, she was free.

He sat up, following her progress. She heard noises all around the lab now, echoing off the shadowed walls. She looked around in a panic. Other bodies were rising all around the makeshift morgue.

“How in God’s name…?” She gasped, clutching her bleeding arm to her chest as six tall bodies slid off the laboratory tables to stand in the dim, chilled room. She was so scared, she nearly wet her pants. The fear gave her a spike of clarity. She had to get out of there.

She ran for the door. Hands grabbed at her lab coat. She stumbled but caught herself before she could fall to the cold floor. She let her arms slip backward so the oversized lab coat came off, held in those strong hands that had come at her out of the darkness. She had no idea what had gone wrong with the experiment, but she wasn’t about to stick around to ask questions. These guys were huge. Big Marines who were easily twice her size. And they didn’t seem friendly.

If she could just get to the door. She ran, dodging and weaving around the tables and the reaching arms. They tried to grab the jacket she’d worn under the oversized lab coat, but they had a hard time getting hold of the slippery nylon fabric, thank goodness.

She crashed through the door, running for her life. She had to get help. She had to rouse the entire team. She had to get the MPs, the Marines, and, hell, the National Guard if she could, to stop these guys.

She turned to look over her shoulder just once as she ran into the fringe of trees on the heavily wooded outskirts of the base. What she saw chilled her to the bone. In the dark of the night, she could see the dim, yellow, rectangular glow of the open doorway. Outlined there were the hulking shapes of dead men. The dead Marines were following her path outdoors at a slow, steady, lurching pace.

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Her mind was a blank. What had she been dreaming about?

Her face suddenly flooded with heat when she remembered. She’d been dreaming of a sexy, very naked, male god, worshipping at his feet like a horny woman who hadn’t been laid in over a year. That wasn’t true. She’d actually had sex eleven and a half months ago.

Except the man she’d drooled about in her dreams might very well be a corpse right now. Her heart began to pound.

Had Ms. Abernathy buried the body? Did the housekeeper know that would make her an accessory? Darcy grimaced when she thought about sharing a cell with her. Not that she disliked the housekeeper. She’d been almost as much of a mother to Darcy as her adoptive mother. Hmm, and bossy, now that she thought about it. But still, she didn’t want Ms. Abernathy to go to prison because she was being overprotective.

Darcy flung the cover aside and jumped out of bed, glancing at the clock. It was barely six. She rushed toward the closet, but stopped at the French doors that led to her balcony. Her room was directly across from the guesthouse. If something had happened to Surlock during the night, she would be able to tell from her room—maybe.

She opened the double doors and rushed out onto the balcony, then stumbled to a stop. The swimming pool was between her room and the guesthouse. Surlock stood on the diving board, his arms raised. The sun peeked over the horizon, casting everything in a hazy early morning light. There was enough light that she could see him, though.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat. The man was truly magnificent, and very naked. Right now, she didn’t really mind that he disliked clothes. Boy, did she not mind!

His muscles weren’t so big that he looked deformed. No, they were just right. His chest was broad with just a sprinkling of dark hair. Her gaze dropped lower. Nice. Very nice.

A burning need grew inside her. For just a moment, she wondered what it would feel like to lie naked in his arms, to have his body pressed against hers. The ache inside her grew until she trembled with need. Her last few dates had been losers. She had a feeling Surlock would be good in bed. He would know how to please a woman.

Her hands curled into fists, nails biting into her palms as she stifled the groan that threatened to explode from her. She needed good sex. Maybe Surlock was a gift from the sex gods and she was meant to have him. It could happen. Before she could get too far into her fantasy, he dove into the water, causing barely a ripple.

She leaned over the balcony. Nice ass. Firm. Hmm, with a tattoo on the upper right cheek. Or a birthmark. Odd, she had a birthmark in the same place. She squinted her eyes, but he was too far away for her to tell exactly what it was. What were the odds it would be the same as her birthmark? She quickly dismissed the thought as she lost herself watching him swim the length of the pool.

The muscles in his back tightened and relaxed as he reached forward in the water. He swam to the end of the pool, then turned and swam back. His movements were those of a professional.

Maybe that was what he was—a swimmer.

Yeah, right, he’d been running around naked in the woods looking for a pool. With a wolf at his side.

What if he’d been raised by wolves? He’d growled at Dr. Wilson. Surlock did come across as a little wild, untamed. A fantasy formed in her mind. Surlock was Tarzan of the wolves, and he was looking for a woman he could steal away and take back to his den.

She shook her head. Ridiculous. Besides, since she had hit him over the head, Darcy kind of doubted she would be in the running as someone he would whisk away. The thought of spending time lying in his arms was nice, though.

Surlock popped out of the water, levering himself to the side of the pool, slinging his wet hair out of his face. He sat there for a moment, catching his breath, before getting to his feet. Rather than go immediately back to the guest house, he looked up, their gazes locking, as though he’d known she had watched him the whole time. He seemed quite unconcerned he was naked.

He didn’t smile or wave. Not even a nod. He only stared at her for a long moment, his gaze slipping down her body, caressing her with his eyes, causing goose bumps to pop up on her arms. For a brief moment, something passed between them. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

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“I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation.” He wanted to steer their chat to his purpose, but the back of her neck was white and long. He’d never noticed that long slide of skin before, so pale against the vivid color of her locks. He’d gone away before she’d been old enough to put up her hair. And nowadays the fashion seemed to be for masses of loose ringlets covering the neck. Trust Lizzie to still sail against the tide.

“Yes, you could.” Her breezy voice broke into his thoughts.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Help it. You could have helped it, as any polite gentleman should, but you obviously chose not to.” She didn’t even bother to look back at him as she spoke and walked on but he heard the teasing smile in her voice. Such intriguing confidence. He could use it to his purpose. She had always been up for a lark.

He caught her elbow and steered her into an unused parlor. She came easily, without resisting the intimacy or the presumption of the brief contact of his hand against the soft, vulnerable skin of her inner arm, but once through the door she just seemed to dissolve away, out of his grasp. His empty fingers prickled from his sudden loss. He let her move away and closed the door.

No lamp or candle branch illuminated the room, only the moonlight streaming through the tall casement windows. Lizzie looked like a pale ghost, weightless and hovering in the strange light. He took a step nearer. He needed her to be real, not an illusion. Over the years she’d become a distant but recurring dream, a combination of memory and boyish lust, haunting his sleep.

He had thought of her, or at least the idea of her, almost constantly over the years. She had always been there, in his brain, swimming just below the surface. And he had come tonight in search of her. To banish his ghosts.

She took a sliding step back to lean nonchalantly against the arm of a chair, all sinuous, bored indifference.

“So what are you doing in Dartmouth? Aren’t you meant to be messing about with your boats?”

“Ships,” he corrected automatically and then smiled at his foolishness for trying to tell Lizzie anything. “The big ones are ships.”

“And they let you have one of the big ones? Aren’t you a bit young for that?” She tucked her chin down to subdue her smile and looked up at him from under her gingery brows. Very mischievous. And very challenging.

If it was worldliness she wanted, he could readily supply it. He mirrored her smile.

“Hard to imagine, isn’t it, Lizzie.” He opened his arms wide, presenting himself for her inspection.

Only she didn’t inspect him. Her eyes slid away to inventory the scant furniture in the darkened room. “No one else calls me that anymore.”

“Lizzie? Well, I do. I can’t imagine you as anything else. And I like it. I like saying it. Lizzie.” The name hummed through his mouth like a honeybee dusted with nectar. Like a kiss. He moved closer so he could see the emerald color of her eyes, dimmed by the half light, but still brilliant against the white of her skin. He leaned a fraction too close and whispered, “Lizzie. It always sounds somehow…naughty.”

She turned quickly. Wariness flickered across her mobile face, as if she were suddenly unsure of both herself and him, before it was just as quickly masked.

And yet, she continued to study him surreptitiously, so he held himself still for her perusal. To see if she would finally notice him as a man. He met her eyes and he felt a kick low in his gut. In that moment plans and strategies became unimportant. The only thing important was for Lizzie to see him. It was essential.

But she kept all expression from her face. He was jolted to realize she didn’t want him to read her thoughts or mood, that she was trying hard to keep him from seeing her.

It was an unexpected change. The Lizzie he had known as a child had been so wholly passionate about life, she had thrown herself body and soul into each and every moment, each action and adventure. She had not been covered with this veneer of poised nonchalance.

And yet it was only a veneer. He was sure of it. And he was equally sure he could make his way past it. He drew in a measured breath and sent her a slow, melting smile to show, in the course of the past few minutes, he’d most definitely noticed she was a woman.

She gave no outward reaction, so it took Marlowe a long moment to recognize her response: she looked careful. It was a quality he’d never seen in her before.

Finally, after what felt like an infinity, she broke the moment. “You didn’t answer. Why are you here? After all these years?”

Her quiet surprised the truth out of him. “A funeral. Two weeks ago.” A bleak, rain-soaked funeral that couldn’t be forgotten.

“Oh. I am sorry.” Her voice lost its languid bite.

He looked back and met her eyes. Such sincerity had never been one of Lizzie’s strong suits. No, that was wrong. She’d always been sincere, or at least truthful—painfully so as he recalled—but she rarely let her true feelings show.

“Thank you, Lizzie. But I didn’t lure you into a temptingly darkened room to bore you with dreary news.”

“No, you came to proposition me.” The mischievous little smile crept back. Lizzie was never the sort to be intimidated for long. She had always loved to be doing things she ought not.

A heated image of her white body temptingly entwined in another man’s arms rose unbidden in his brain. Good God, what other things had Lizzie been doing over the past few years that she ought not? And with whom?

Marlowe quickly jettisoned the irrational spurt of jealousy. Her more recent past hardly mattered. In fact, some experience on her part might better suit his plans.

“Yes, my proposition. I can give you what you want. A marriage without the man.”

For the longest moment she went unaturally still, then she slid off the chair arm and glided closer. So close, he almost backed up. So close, her rose petal of a mouth came but a hairsbreadth from his own. Then she lifted her inquisitive nose and took a bold, suspicious whiff of his breath.

“You’ve been drinking.”

“I have,” he admitted without a qualm.

“How much?”

“More than enough for the purpose. And you?”

“Clearly not enough. Not that they’d let me.” She turned and walked away. Sauntered really. She was very definitely a saunterer, all loose joints and limbs, as if she’d never paid the least attention to deportment and carriage. Very provocative, although he doubted she meant to be. An image of a bright, agile otter, frolicking unconcerned in the calm green of the river Dart, twisting and rolling in the sunlit water, came to mind.

“Drink or no, I meant what I said.”

“Are you proposing? Marriage? To me?” She laughed as if it were a joke. She didn’t believe him.

“I am.”

She eyed him more closely, her gaze narrowing even as one marmalade eyebrow rose in assessment. “Do you have a fatal disease?”

“No.”

“Are you engaged to fight a duel?”

“Again, no.”

“Condemned to death?” She straightened with a fluid undulation, her spine lifting her head up in surprise as the thought entered her head, all worldliness temporarily obliterated. “Planning a suicide?”

“No and no.” It was so hard not to smile. Such an arch, charming combination of concern and cheek. The cheek won out: she gave him that feral, slightly suspicious smile.

“Then how do you plan to arrange it, the ‘without the man’ portion of the proceedings? I’ll want some sort of guarantee. You can’t imagine I’m gullible enough to leave your fate, or my own for that matter, to chance.”

A low heat flared within him. By God, she really was considering it.

“And yet, Lizzie, I think you may. I am an officer of His Majesty’s Royal Navy and am engaged to captain a convoy of prison ships to the Antipodes. I leave only days from now. The last time I was home, in England, was four and a half years ago and then only for a few months to recoup from a near-fatal wound. This trip is slated to take at least eight. Years.”

Her face cleared of all traces of impudence. Oh yes, even Lizzie could could be led.

“Storms, accidents and disease provide most of the risk. Don’t forget we’re still at war with France and Spain. And the Americans don’t think too highly of us either. One stray cannonball could do the job quite nicely.”

“Is that what did it last time?”

“Last time? I’ve never been dead before.”

The ends of her ripe mouth nipped up. The heat in his gut sailed higher.

“You said you had recovered from a near-fatal wound.”

“Ah, yes. Grapeshot, actually. In my chest. Didn’t go deep enough to kill me, though afterward, the fever nearly did.”

Her gaze skimmed over his coat, curious and maybe a little hungry. The heat spread lower, kindling into a flame.

“Do you want to see?” He was being rash, he knew, but he’d done this for her once before, taken off his shirt on a dare. And he wanted to remind her.

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ISBN: 978-0-7582-6198-4