Page 27 of My Temptation

“The only time I see you smiling like that is when you’re talking to her or about her.” I didn’t really have an answer for that, but it turned out I didn’t need to when she continued. “When does she get here?”

“Next Saturday.”

She frowned. “Wish we could say this case will be over by then, but I doubt it.”

“Me too,” I admitted. “You think going out tonight with Striker and Beth is really going to help?”

“I’m not sure.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, and I tried like hell not to look, but it was a challenge. She’s just one of the guys, I reminded myself in an effort to force myself to believe it. The truth was, she was just one of the guys to everyone else, but I didn’t see her that way, and no matter what I told myself, I couldn't stop looking at her as something more.

Her voice shook me out of my thoughts. “But I think we need to try. It’s better than just sitting around and waiting for something to happen.” Her eyes held mine. “Sometimes you have to make something happen, you know?” She took a step closer, but I didn’t move, wondering what the hell she was doing. “Let your instincts guide you.”

Was she talking about me? I honestly couldn’t tell, but she studied me closely. My cock roared to life when she dropped her arms and took another small step, putting us so close that if I inhaled, our chests would touch.

“Don’t you agree?”

It was then that I saw the sparkle in her eye and realized she was playing a fucking game. Either she knew how I felt about her or she was just being funny, but it was pissing me off.

Taking a step back, I shook my head. “Nope. I think some things are better left alone.”

“Not much of a gambler, huh?”

When it seemed as if she would step closer again, I turned my back to her and considered my options. I could stay and finish my workout or get the hell out and save myself the misery of watching her work out.

“Nope. Never understood the lure of playing a game you weren’t sure you could win,” I answered honestly.

“Me either,” she admitted. “I just haven’t met many people who feel the same way.” I shifted so I could see her and watched her drop her bag on the bench. “Most of the guys I’ve worked with need adrenaline rushes, so everything they do is in an effort to chase that feeling.”

“What feeling?”

“The feeling you get when you know what you’re about to do could end you. It’s like staring down the barrel of a gun and having no idea what the shooter is thinking. It’s a rush.”

“You don’t feel the same way?”

“No.” she shook her head. “But I played that I do for so long that I’m not sure how to shut it off.”

“That why we snuck into Skinner’s house?”

“No, that was instinct.” She put her hands on her hips. “My gut’s telling me what we need is in that house.”

“We searched a lot of it and found nothing.”

“That doesn’t mean that something isn’t there. It just means we didn’t know where to look,”?she pointed out. “We need to get back in there when we have more time.” She dropped her arms. “Maybe tonight?”

“We already have plans tonight,” I reminded her.

“After that.” She flicked her hand in the air. “Striker’s not going to stay out long. He’s too concerned about putting Beth in the spotlight, so after we finish with them, we can drive to Rick’s house and do another search.”

“They might be home.”

“We won’t know unless we try.”

Knowing she was right, I made a quick decision. If I was going to spend all night with her, I couldn’t spend all day too. Reaching down, I grabbed my duffel bag and threw it over my shoulder. “That’s true. Guess I’ll go get some shit done, then.”

I'd just started past her when she spoke. “Want some company?”

Twisting my neck, I looked over my shoulder. “Company?”

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