Page 12 of In Dangerous Water

The relief I felt hearing that was so great that it was almost comical.

Tim opened my office door and held it open for the other two men. As they left Austin suggested that I start parking my car closer to the door—in an area that would fall under the gaze of the security cameras. Detective Williams asked me to let him know immediately if I received any other threatening letters.

I followed them out to the pool deck and promised them that I would. With a nod, the detectives were walking away and toward the exit.

Tim stayed by my side as the detectives said goodbye. Once they had left the pool area, I reached for his hand. “Thank you for being here today, Tim.”

He tugged his hand free from mine. “Let’s go back in your office. We need to talk.” Then he spun on his heel and went straight inside.

Surprised by him pulling away from me and his curt tone, I followed him in and closed the door behind me. “What’s going on?” I asked. “Why are you angry?”

Tim shook his head at me and began to rub at his right temple. Despite his aggravated expression, he looked fabulous. The khaki deputy’s uniform made his hazel eyes stand out and the overhead lights made his hair more golden than dark blonde.

Going directly to him, I wrapped my arms around his waist. “After all of the fun we had last night...” I planted a soft kiss to his mouth. “…I expected that you would’ve had a smile on your face the next time you saw me.”

His hands dropped to my hips. “What is it going to take to have you take this situation seriously?”

Encouraged by his hands that were now moving lower, I nuzzled a bit closer. “I’m taking this very seriously,” I promised as his hands roamed over my backside.

Now that we were chest-to-chest I was picking up on all of his feelings. In fact, a sympathetic headache flashed behind my own eyes, and it was mirroring the throbbing pain that I knewhewas feeling. Tim was flirting with a migraine, and to help him, I pressed a soft kiss to his temple and concentrated.

Tim flinched slightly and then he stilled as his headache began to fade.

Pressing my body tighter against his, I absorbed his headache and let it flow through me. The pain ran down my chest and lower to my legs, finally draining away through my feet and to the floor.

Healing work cost me. It took lots of physical energy, so I didn’t do it very often. But this was Tim, and I loved him. Blowing out a shaky breath, I rested my head against his shoulder.

“Cordelia.” He murmured my name, dropped a kiss to the top of my head, and simply held me close for a moment.

“I love you Tim.” I snuggled closer. “And if this office was more private, I’d show youexactlyhow much I do.”

“Hey,” he said, setting me back from him so we were eye-to-eye. “Not every argument between us can be settled with sex.”

“I wasn’t aware we were arguing.”

“That’s because you always do your best to distract me whenever I try and talk some sense into you.”

Deliberately, I stepped closer to run a single finger over his chest. “Can’t help it. There’s something about you that makes my hormones go crazy.”

“Crazy.” He agreed with a huff. “You goaded me into losing control last night. Admit it.”

“Sure did.” I chuckled when he blushed. “Let’s do that again. Tonight.”

“Cordelia, I’m serious.”

“Oh, so am I.”

“See?” He spun away from me. “That’s exactly what I mean! There is a serious threat to your safety, and instead of taking my advice or even pretending to listen to me and my concerns, you go straight into seduction mode. Do you have any idea how insulting that is?”

I blinked at his raised voice. In the two years we’d been together he’d never shouted at me before. “Tim,” I began and reached out to him.

“No.” He yanked away from me and stepped clear. “Let me put it to you this way—if you were concerned about something…frightened even, and you went to try and talk to me about it; how would you feel if I simply ignored your fears and instead sidetracked you with rowdy, wild sex?”

“Well, I—”

“Sure, the first time it would be unexpected and exciting,” he continued. “But how would you feel, Cordelia, ifevery timeyou wanted to talk to me about something serious, I kept upping the game. Taking things darker, and while you were distracted and all turned on, I took advantage of the fact that you were in too much of a sexual haze to have a chance to say no?”

Offended and hurt, I folded my arms over my chest. “Are you suggesting that I somehow took away your free will last night? That I bespelled you?”

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