Page 37 of Wicked and Ruthless

He grinned, loving that she was still so responsive to him, to the molten chemistry simmering between them, no matter how much she wanted to pretend otherwise. “Trying to convince me there’s no fire between us is futile.”

“Whatever you think is between us is in the past—and it’s staying there. So we’ll divide and conquer on this case. You pursue leads and see if you can figure out who’s behind these abductions and how to stop them. Keep me posted on whatever you find. I’ll handle research and everything PR-related. Anything I come across that I think might be helpful to your investigation, I’ll email you. Thanks for the chat.” With that dismissive quip and an accompanying pat on the shoulder, she abandoned her cup of coffee and broke for her desk.

Nash wrapped his fingers around her arm and dragged her back flush against his chest. “We’ll try it your way, but I know you, Haisley. So let me be clear. Though we’re a team, you will not poke your nose into anything that could potentially turn ugly. You don’t put yourself in danger. I’ll handle all that. Step a toe out of line, and I’ll spank you.”

She whirled, her eyes flaring with anger. “Like hell you will! You’re not touching me, and you’re not treating me like some wilting damsel. I can handle myself.”

Unable to resist pushing her buttons further, Nash bent closer until his lips were a scorching whisper from her ear. He could feel the blistering heat radiating from her, could smell her arousal as her breathing turned shallow.

“Maybe so, but I’m not taking any chances when it comes to your safety. End of discussion.”

No matter how capable she was, he wouldn’t allow her to put herself in harm’s way. An image of her falling into the hands of whoever was abducting these young women, of them brutalizing her body, flashed through his mind. He clenched his jaw and shoved away the vision.

“Ugh.” She tossed her hands in the air. “This is exactly why we shouldn’t be partners. You make me insane.”

“Can’t handle the tension between us?”

“I can handle anything you can dish out, but you’re already trying to dictate terms. I’m not putting up with it, and I’m not risking my professional future.”

Nash dropped his voice to a gravelly murmur, knowing she could feel his words like a physical caress. “You not taking risks? We both know you’re a divining rod for pushing limits. Why fight it now?”

Her face tightened. “Can you at least pretend to respect my boundaries?”

“Sure. When you stop pretending there’s nothing between us.”

“Who says I’m pretending?”

“You forget how well I know you, baby.”

When she opened her mouth to protest, Nash silenced her by trailing a scorching fingertip down the side of her exposed neck. The shudder that rolled through her revealed her body’s blatant betrayal. She didn’t want to admit that she still wanted him, but on a primal level, she did.

He leaned even closer to savor her intoxicating scent, wishing he could kiss her. Even the thought sent heat straight to his cock.

Haisley’s shallow breaths mingled with his own in the charged atmosphere. He could practically taste the tension pinging between them. Part of him knew he should stop this cat-and-mouse game, guard himself and not give her a chance to shatter his heart again.

But her eyes still burned with that same reckless spark that had drawn him in all those years ago. The same spark that made rational thought fly out the window whenever he was around her, consequences be damned.

“You’re playing with fire,” she whispered, but her tone carried more breathless excitement than warning.

She was right. Last time they got close, this heated friction ended in a scorched trail of wreckage. It might end that way again.

Right now, Nash didn’t care.

“I can stand the heat. How about you?” He watched her resolve waver as he closed the infinitesimal gap between their bodies and settled his mouth against the delicate shell of her ear. “Admit it. You’ve missed the friction between us.”

“No.”

“Liar.” He grazed the sensitive skin below her ear with his lips, watching a shiver wrack her and her eyes slide shut as she seemed to lose herself in sensation. “What are you afraid of?”

Nash wished like hell he knew the answer. For two years, he wondered what had driven her away. He’d combed through their final few nights together. Had she really been horrified by what they did in bed? She’d never given him any indication of that…until she’d ended things. Why hadn’t she just talked to him? Haisley had never been shy about speaking her mind.

“I’m not afraid of anything, especially you.” She placed a firm hand on his chest and shoved him back. “We’ve been back here too long, and people are going to talk. It’s my first day, so could you please not screw this job up for me with your caveman crap? Whatever you think this was, it’s over. We’re here to solve a case, not rekindle our old flame.”

“Is that what you really want, to walk away from this heat between us again? Without talking this out or seeing what could be? Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t feel this same desire to fuck your little rules and see what’s left.”

Haisley’s chest heaved. She opened her mouth, no doubt to issue another bullshit denial, but the words seemed to stick in her throat. They both knew she felt something for him. The exhilarating, forbidden pull glowed in her blue eyes.

What the fuck was holding her back?

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