Lethal Attraction: Against the Rules\Fatal Affair Read online

  “That’s all I can ask.” Releasing her hand, he caressed her cheek. “When will I see you?”

  Before she knew it the words were tumbling from her face as if her mouth was on autopilot. “There’s this thing tomorrow. Family dinner at my dad’s. If you want to come.” All but stuttering now, she added, “I’d understand if you didn’t want to because there’re so many of us—”

  He stopped her with a finger to her lips. “What time?”

  “Dinner’s at three.” Her cheeks grew warm with embarrassment. “But if you want to come earlier, we could take a walk. Check out the market. If you want.”

  “I want.” He slid his arms around her waist and brought her in snug against him. “I really want.”

  She should’ve been prepared by then for the way her legs turned to jelly when he kissed her in that particular proprietary way, but the sweep of his tongue, the pressure of his hands on her ass holding her tight against his instant arousal…no way in hell she could prepare for that.

  “So,” he asked, peppering her face and lips with kisses, “does this mean we’re together? I mean, you’re asking me to do stuff.” His teasing grin did nothing to offset the serious look in his eyes.

  With her hands on his chest, she managed to extricate herself. At the bedroom door, she paused and turned back to him. “I’ve crossed every line there is to cross here, Nick.”

  “I know that,” he said, his expression pained.

  “If the job requires it, I won’t hesitate to cross back.”

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

  Satisfied that he understood, she left him with a nod and a small smile.

  He followed her downstairs. “Sam?”

  She swung open the inside door. “Hmm?”

  Framing her face with his hands, he said, “Fly safely.”

  She winced.

  “What?”

  “I hate to fly. Hate it with a passion. I’ve been trying not to think about it.”

  Grinning, he leaned his forehead against hers. “Just close your eyes and try not to think about it.”

  “Yeah, right,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Okay, I’m going now.”

  “Okay, I’m letting you.” Except he didn’t. He hung on for a moment longer. “Be safe. This thing with that Johnson woman…Be careful.” He kissed her. “Please.”

  “I always am.”

  “Guess what?”

  “What?”

  His lips landed on hers for another mind-altering kiss. “You’re pretty damned hot yourself.”

  Sam gave herself one last minute to sink into the kiss.

  With what appeared to be great reluctance, he finally released her.

  CHAPTER 21

  Nick stayed at the door to watch her walk to her car. Damn, if the woman didn’t make his mouth water with that curvy body and long-legged gait. The whole package was a huge turn-on. He acknowledged they were walking a fine line that was causing her great ethical conflict, but Nick could only be grateful for the second chance they’d been given. And despite her reluctance to acknowledge that this was an actual relationship, he had no intention of messing it up this time.

  Long after she should have driven away, she sat at the curb. He wondered if she was on the phone. Tipping his head so he could better see her face, he noticed it was tight with frustration. He cracked the door, heard the unmistakable click of a dead car battery and waved at her to come back in.

  Furious, she got out, slammed the car door and started back up the stone pathway to his door. She was halfway there when the car exploded.

  The blast was so strong it shattered the storm door and propelled him backward onto the floor. His head smacked hard on the tile, but he fought through the fog to remain conscious so he could get to her.

  Barefooted, shirtless and panic-stricken, he crawled through the glass calling for her. The quiet neighborhood had descended into bedlam. He heard people screaming and could smell the acrid smoke coming from the burning car. “Sam! Sam!”

  Blood flowed from a cut on his forehead. He swiped at it and started down the stairs, ignoring the pain of jagged glass under his feet. “Samantha!” Frantically, he scanned the small front yard, the street, the neighbors’ yards.

  A moan from the bushes behind him caught his attention. “Sam!” He rushed to the huddled form in his garden and had the presence of mind to realize that the miniature evergreens he had planted the summer before had most likely saved her life. “Sam! Sam, look at me.” With the scream of sirens in the distance, he gently turned her head. Other than a knot on her forehead and a shocked glow to her eyes, he didn’t see any obvious injuries.

  “Bleeding,” she whispered. “You’re bleeding.”

  “I’m fine.” He picked branches from her hair, brushed dirt from her cheek. “Do you hurt? Anywhere?” Releasing a long deep breath, he swayed with lightheadedness. “Babe. Jesus.” Sitting with her in the garden, he did battle with the blood pouring from his forehead. He held her tight against him and whispered soothing words as she trembled in his arms.

  “Need to call. HQ. Report it.”

  “I’m sure someone called 911. Just stay still until we get you checked out.”

  “My ears are ringing.”

  “Mine, too. You didn’t hurt anything else?”

  “Chest hurts.” She trembled. “God, Nick. Oh my God.” Clutching her stomach, she rocked in his arms.

  He tightened his hold on her. “Shh, babe.” The blood coming from the cut on his forehead seemed to finally be slowing. “Breathe. Deep breaths.”

  An Arlington police officer approached them. “Are you folks all right?”

  “I’m on the job.” She showed him the badge she pulled from her tattered coat pocket. “Detective Sergeant Holland. Metro.”

  “Are you hurt, Sergeant?”

  “I don’t think so, but it was my car that went up. I need to get word to my brass.”

  “I’ll call it in for you.” Until the cop handed Nick a blanket, he’d forgotten he was wearing only the now-torn sweats. “And I’ll send the paramedics right over.”

  “Thank you, Officer…”

  “Severson.”

  “Thank you,” Sam said again. When they were alone, she glanced at Nick. “I’m sorry.”

  “What the hell for?”

  “For bringing this to your home.” She sniffed and wiped her nose. “I never thought they’d really try to kill me. I never imagined they had the balls.”

  “Don’t you dare apologize to me, Samantha. You’re a victim here.”

  “Your windows are broken. Your neighbors’, too.”

  “Screw that. It’s glass. It can be replaced. But you…” His voice hitched with emotion. Brushing his lips over the lump on her forehead, he took a deep shuddering breath. “There’s no replacing you. I ought to know. I tried for six years.”

  “Nick,” she said, haltingly, “I’m supposed to hold it together and do my job, but this…” She fixed her eyes on the firefighters hosing down what was left of her car.

  “Nothing’s going to happen to you. I won’t let it.”

  Smiling now but still shaky, she turned to him and wiped the drying blood from his brow. “And how do you intend to do that?”

  “By not letting you out of my sight.”

  “Nick—”

  “Sergeant Holland?” Officer Severson said. “The paramedics are ready for you.”

  “We’re not finished,” she told Nick as she gestured the paramedics over. “We’ll talk about this later.”

  “You bet your fine ass we will.”

  *

  Remarkably, Nick’s injuries were more serious than Sam’s. He required five stitches to close the cut over his left eyebrow and stitches in his right foot after doctors removed several slivers of glass. In addition, he had a slight concussion and a minor case of hypothermia from the hour he spent half-dressed in the cold.

  Sam, on the other hand, had only a bump on the head and an ugly bruise on her bre