Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
He tilts his head in silent question.
“Why would you want this?”
He looks nonplussed, as if no one usually questions his motives. And why would they? He’s rich. What he wants, he gets. “Because I want to scene with you.”
My flesh should be crawling. Instead, heat floods through me. “You don’t need to go through all this to get a scene. You could have anyone.”
“I don’t want anyone but you.”
My stomach swoops like it’s untethered to my body. I stare until I realize I’ve fallen into his dark eyes.
Evil. Wicked. Murderer. I need to remember to hate him. “You could just force me.”
His thick brows rise. “Do you want me to?”
I ignore that, along with my quickening breath. “You’ve got almost a foot of height and a hundred pounds on me.”
“Quite a bit more than that, I’d say.” He looks me up and down. “But when it comes to you, little bird, I need every advantage.”
I’ve been hunching my shoulders, burrowing into my coat, but I make myself straighten. “I’m not your adversary.”
“No? Haven’t you been threatening to bring me down in your role as the long arm of the law?”
“That’s justice.”
“Is it? You have your brand of justice. I have mine.”
“Is that why you dumped a dead body on my doorstep?”
A shadow darkens his expression. His expression grows colder, and he looms over me. Suddenly, I’m staring down a warrior.
But when he cups my cheek, his touch is gentle. “He hurt you.” His thumb brushes my bruised cheek. “No one touches you and lives.”
I’m burning up in my winter coat. His touch is so soft and perfect.
I step back, reaching for my professionalism and my anger to hide the way his touch makes me shake. “You left the body on my front stoop. Like a welcome mat.”
Rex just looks at me. The heat in his eyes melts me and turns my core to liquid. I’ve never had anyone look at me like he does. I’ve never had anyone go to such lengths to protect me.
But it doesn’t matter. I can’t succumb to this. To him.
“I’m now a top suspect in the investigation. They should be looking for you. Instead, I have to convince them I didn’t go hunting down a random guy after he bumped into me.”
“He did more than bump into you. He meant to do you violence. And his friend called you a bitch.”
How does he know all this?
“As for the fact that you’re a suspect, that’s easily remedied.”
“What does that mean?”
He just takes a sip of his drink.
Would he come out and confess? I don’t ask because I know the answer. He’ll never confess to these crimes. Not to anyone but me.
Why?
“And Gregory Martin? Why did he have to die?”
“There were many reasons Martin deserved death. But he also served the same purpose as Joseph Daniels.”
“What’s that?”
He leans in. “It got your attention.”
My heartbeat booms like a bomb exploding in my chest. “If you wanted to get my attention, there are better ways.” I’m about to say send flowers but stop. The sprig of jasmine in my purse. The vase in my townhouse. That was him.
He’s watching me patiently. He knows I’m putting the pieces together. My face is heated under his scrutiny. And yet, all I want to do is step closer to him.
Gods, I’m in so deep. “Have you ever heard of subtlety?”
“I have. But I refuse to entertain it. Not when your safety is at stake. I sent a message to the thugs of this city. Stay away from what’s mine.”
“I’m not yours.”
He just smiles.
“I shouldn’t even be here.” I step back, and he catches my wrist.
“There’s nothing to fear, little bird.” I just know my pulse is wild under his palm. I stare up at him, panting like I’ve been running.
He strokes my skin, and I close my eyes.
“It’ll be so easy. Just give into me.”
One simple touch and he’s found a crack in my barrier. Maybe that’s why my voice is slight and desperate when I whisper, “I can’t.”
“You can, little bird.” His voice deepens. “I’ll help you.”
“No.” I wrench away from him and am halfway to the door before I realize he hasn’t moved.
He’s let me go.
“Then you’ll have to hunt me the old-fashioned way.” He’s back to looking like a bored billionaire, swirling the ice in his drink. “But it doesn’t have to be so hard. Imagine what you could do with a little bit more information. A few leads pointing you in the right direction.”
He’s right. As a detective, I solve crimes from the barest details. Each case is a fractured puzzle that’s missing most of its pieces, with only my instincts to fill in the gaps.
A few straight answers and I could have him in cuffs. . .
He sees me tempted, weighing the cost. There’s triumph in his voice as he says, “Just give yourself to me for a little while, and I’ll tell you whatever you wish to know.”