Page 18 of Merrick

Cutting the chief of staff of a major hospital as he droned on about what R&D was done without the slightest hesitation as he threaded his way through the crowded ballroom of The Royale, until he was almost at her side. He had noticed the man next to her, but he was not going to let that stop him.

She would not be allowed to disappear on him again. Not a damn chance.

She was turning to say something to that guy, when he interrupted by touching her arm.

“Hi.”

“Would you excuse us?” He flicked a glance at Brad and made it plain that it was not a request.

“I’ll be over at the bar,” Brad told her as he turned and left.

Taking her by the elbow, he shouldered his way through the crowd, his expression forbidding small talk from the people trying to get his attention. Sliding the glass doors open, he guided her to a section of the balcony overlooking the harbor.

Letting go of her arm, he strode over to the beautifully carved railing, his hands gripping the iron.

She watched and waited for him to turn around.

He did after a few minutes, intense gray eyes wandering over her face and taking in the snug fitting gold and black jacket over the figure-hugging black dress. She was no longer wearing braids but had her hair in a riot of dark brown curls streaked with gray, skimming her slender shoulders.

“You left.” His deep voice vibrated through the silence and had her lifting tapered brows.

“I did.”

“Why?”

She moved restless shoulders and came to join him at the railing. “I’m not having sex with you.”

Her bluntness took him aback and had his brows lifting.

“I just invited you for coffee.”

She turned to look at him. “Can you honestly tell me that wasn’t on your mind when you invited me for ‘coffee’?”

His mouth tightened fractionally. “Perhaps. Who is the guy?”

“A friend. Where is your date?”

“I am solo this evening.” He shoved restless hands into the pockets of his tan dress pants to avoid touching her. Wanting her was making him edgy. And confused. He was a fifty-five-year-old man with a hard on for a complete stranger. It was laughable, only he did not feel any levity in the situation.

“I want to see you.”

“You’re seeing me now.”

He made an impatient gesture with one hand. “I want to see you away from here. We could go back to my place…”

“No.” She started to turn and walk away, when his hand snaked out to grip her arm.

“You’re not walking out on me again.”

She could take him, maybe. He wasn’t a pushover by any means. She had read his profile and could feel the unleashed power in his body.

“You’re going to want to take your hand off me.”

He kept it there, his eyes challenging her.

“A walk.” He jerked his head in the direction of the harbor. “To talk. Just talk. Please.”

She succumbed. Her reaction to him putting a hand on her was knee jerk. She was a damn cop and really did not like people getting into her personal space. But this was different. She had a job to do, and he was making it so easy for her.

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