Page 135 of Risky Desires

“Yeah. Thanks.” I hadn’t even thought about clothes.

Tyler leaned into her ear. “Do not tell anyone what you just heard in that office, or what you’re investigating.”

“I know.” Her gray eyes looked like they would carve his head off.

We exited the building, and as I followed him to the parking lot behind the station, I waited for him to talk, but he didn’t. I needed him so much right now that my chest ached, but I was angry enough to walk away. And I would have, too, if I had somewhere to go.

Tyler was setting off some seriously negative vibes, which were a million miles away from what I’d felt over the last day or so. A chill raced down my spine. Maybe he was just putting on a show to get us through that deadly situation.

I didn’t know whether to punch him in the nose or make the annoying bastard talk.

He stopped at a car and his twisted expression confirmed that the Tyler I got to know on that deserted island was gone.

“Look,” I said, “I get it. Now that the fun’s over, you just want to get rid of me.”

“What?” Scowling, he shook his head.

“I can tell you don’t want to take me back to your place.”

“Yes, actually, you’re right.”

My jaw dropped.

At least he’s honest.

“You got a wife back there you neglected to mention?”

He rolled his eyes. “No. But it’s . . . it’s complicated.”

“Complicated.” I scoffed. “At least you have a place to go to. Just forget it, Kingsley. I’ll walk to the motel.”

I marched away.

“Indiana.” His shoes thumped on the gravel behind me. “Will you just?—”

He gripped my arm and spun me to face him.

“Just what?” I hated the emotion swirling inside me. I hated that I thought we had something going on between us.

His shoulders sagged. “I, um . . .”

I yanked my arm from his grip. “What?”

“It’s embarrassing, okay?”

I jerked back. I wasn’t expecting that. “You scared I’ll find your sex toys in your closet, Officer Fancy Pants?”

He grabbed my hand.

“Come on, you’ll see,” he murmured, almost too low for me to hear, but I caught the resignation in his voice.

“Now you have me intrigued.” I grinned.

He squeezed his warm palm to mine as he led me back to his car. We climbed in, and he shot out of the parking lot like a man who had to do something before he changed his mind.

A dozen questions raced through my brain as he threaded through the streets, heading back toward the wharf. He turned off the main road before he reached the wharf entrance and drove along the street that ran parallel to the beach. At the end, he stopped at the boom covering the entrance to the Rosebud Caravan Park. He lowered his window and swiped a key card over the scanner to lift the boom.

In the light of his dashboard, his eyes were like the color of the ocean after a storm.

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