Page 6 of Unspoken Passions

“What do you know about red dresses?”

“From what I’ve been able to piece together, someone, or a group of someones, kidnaps women, forces them to wear red dresses, then enslaves them into prostitution. It’s a sex-trafficking ring that you’re trying to break up.” She paused, looking at him intently. “Am I right?”

He ground his teeth with frustration and anger. Oh, and a mind-bending dose of lust!

“Where did you hear this?”

She shrugged, and the movement pulled his eyes down to the dark shadow revealed by the low cut of the dress. It was a nineteen-fifties type of dress with a halter top and a flowing skirt and she’d curled her hair into a retro style. He stepped back and…his knees nearly gave out on him as he stared down at her shoes. Red. Spike heels. And freaking sexy as hell!

When he looked up again, he was already shaking his head. “No!”

She blinked up at him, looking cute and sexy. How was that possible? He’d always thought that a woman could be cute or sexy. Not both at once. Ella wasn’t playing by the damn rules!

“No what?”

He pushed back, only just now realizing that he’d pinned her against the wall. “No, you’re not going out to play bait and put yourself in danger.”

Mick turned, walking away from her. He needed coffee. Or a shot of whiskey!

“Why not?” she demanded and he heard those heels click against the hardwood floors in his hallway. He’d installed those hardwoods last year after he’d gotten a glimpse of Ella bending over to lift something at her coffee shop. He’d needed a task that included hard labor. Since he’d already done several other improvements for that exact purpose, to push his body hard enough that he’d be able to sleep, the floors had been a last attempt.

It never worked, but his house looked damned good.

“When did you build a pergola in the backyard?” she asked, standing in the middle of his kitchen. Then her eyes widened. “And when did you remodel?”

Mick heard the awe in her voice and her whispered questions soothed something deep down inside of him.

“Over the years,” was all he could say without revealing more than he wanted to. He had an obligation to his dead friend and he wasn’t going to ruin it by making love to Ella. And yes, it would be love. He loved every obnoxious, adorable, sexy inch of her! He had for years.

“Well, it’s beautiful! I love the white subway tiles and the open shelving.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “It looks very similar to a kitchen I was looking at last year. I wanted to renovate my kitchen in this style. But I couldn’t find a contractor I could afford.”

He looked over his shoulder at her. “I did all of it myself.”

“It’s so impressive!” she whispered, moving around the room and taking in the details. “I love the industrial-style lights too. They pull everything together.”

“Thanks,” he grunted. He’d love to take credit for the style, but he’d heard her sighing over the picture and had just…copied it all from the picture she’d shown him. He’d reconfigured the image for his kitchen’s floor plans, but in the end, he found he really liked the style. The white cabinets and black accents gave him clean lines, but the wooden open shelving added warmth.

“And…the pergola?” she asked, pointing through the glass doors that led to the backyard. “Did you build that as well?”

He didn’t need to look outside. He knew what was out there. No swimming pool because, as a cop, he knew how many kids drowned in home pools. There wasn’t a chance in hell that he’d run that risk with his future kids. And as soon as that thought popped into his head, his eyes dropped to her stomach, wondering what she would look like pregnant.

And just as fast, his body reacted. Hard! So hard, he had to turn around to hide it.

“You’re not going out there dressed like that, Ella,” he told her. His voice was firm and commanding, brooking no argument.

“Um…yes, I am.”

He spun around, his chest tightening at the thought of Ella in danger. “You’re not!”

That stubborn streak, an aspect of her personality he normally admired, emerged in full force. Her cute chin jutted out and she crossed her arms over her chest. And yeah, his eyes dropped to the low cut neckline again. Sure enough, her arms pushed her breasts higher, causing his mouth to water.

“I am too,” she argued right back.

“You’re not acting as bait, Ella! And that’s an order!”

Her shoulders shifted defiantly and she dropped her arms, thank goodness. “Look, Mick, I heard that you and the FBI agents have been scouring the county for where the bad guys are hiding the women. Apparently, you’re all sure that they haven’t left the area and they like it here because Newnan is large enough to offer good cover and prospective clients, but there are also plenty of rural areas with buildings that are large enough to provide a good hiding place for the operation.” She stepped closer, those damn heels clicking and turning his mind to mush.

He forced his mind to concentrate. “What the hell do you think you can do about it? Yeah, we’re frustrated,” he snapped, throwing his hand in the air, “but it’s our job. Not yours. And I’m not letting you put yourself in danger, Ella.”

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