Page 29 of Colton's Deadly Disguise (Coltons of Mustang Valley)

“I couldn’t get there soon enough without blowing my cover, or looking like a stalker. I saw you talking, though, and trust me, if I had to get in a shot, I would have.”

A chill ran up her spine and it was hard to ascertain if it was fear, awe of his ability to talk about something so deadly with ease, or her unrelenting sexual attraction to him. Bella didn’t like mixed romantic signals, even from herself.

“Good to know.” She looked at him and his eyes narrowed.

“What?”

“I’ve added two people to my suspect list. Becky, one of the contestants, bullied both Gio and me in tenth grade. Her attitude hasn’t changed. Selina’s insistence on running the practices, even though there’s a professional choreographer assigned to the numbers seems odd to me. And then, another person caught my attention. It’s probably nothing, but one of the lighting techs, Ben, is always smiling at all the women, and he watches us from the side of the stage. I thought lighting techs were supposed to be up on the scaffolding, or in the tech booth?”

“I’ve noticed him, too. I’m keeping an eye on him, and the other techs, as well. Trust me, Bella. Trust me enough to do as I ask.”

“Okay.” A warm sense of belonging filled her. But to what? Holden? She hardly knew him.

You know him better than a lot of people.

A series of claps sounded from the other side of the curtain.

“Break time is over, ladies. Back at it now, please.” The announcement sounded far off, as the speakers for the school’s address system hung facing the theater seats, away from the stage.

“I need to go.” She turned away from him, toward stage right.

“Bella, wait.” His

hands grasped her forearms and she sighed.

“What?” Exasperation tinged her voice and she didn’t care. “I’ve got to get back without anyone seeing me near you.”

“Which is why you need to circle back the other way.” He tugged and she expected him to move to the side and let her pass through the curtained tunnel, toward the waiting group. Instead he allowed her momentum to bring their bodies against one another.

Shock of the best kind reverberated from where her breasts flattened against his chest, down to her belly, which settled on his pelvis. He let go of her arms and waited, let her decide the next move.

Bella had experienced her fair share of relationships, had enjoyed the occasional surprise kiss with an attractive man. But no other man made her heartbeat do the tango before he’d ever touched her. She did the next practical thing and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her lips to his.

With zero hesitation she was immediately in the embrace of a man whose passion ran deep, if his kiss was any indication. His lips were firm and decisive, his tongue’s masterful strokes leaving no question about his intent.

Holden wanted her.

His hands were on her buttocks, lifting her up and to him, and Bella couldn’t get close enough to his hard arousal. She pulled back from the most delicious kiss of her life but before she could speak Holden’s cheek was against hers, his moist breath against her ear.

“It’s not one-way, Bella. We both want it. But it can’t happen, not now, not here.” A quick soft kiss to her cheek and he turned her around and gently nudged her toward her destination.

* * *

The kiss was his best mistake to date, one he couldn’t do the postmortem on until the case was over, the killer behind bars. Holden was grateful for the backstage darkness as he’d needed a few minutes to settle himself after that scorching thirty seconds in Bella’s arms.

He agreed with Bella that the suspect pool was widening. But he knew from experience they could still be on the wrong scent. Was Bella’s attacker someone they hadn’t considered yet, someone protecting the Ms. Mustang Valley Pageant?

He couldn’t call in to headquarters while he was monitoring the pageant practice. Frustrating, but a reality of his job.

When he got back to the stage area he counted the contestants and came up one short.

Leotard lady.

He immediately swung back around toward the restrooms, thinking she’d taken a quick run before Selina began her drill-sergeant tactics again. But seeing a blonde woman speaking intently to Bella stopped him. It was Leigh, a known member of the Affirmation Alliance, a local group Spencer suspected of shady practices—maybe even a cult. His pulse hammered at his temples as his protective instinct surged. Bella was vulnerable at the moment, having been attacked only yesterday and then having her home invaded by him, Spencer and Jarvis last night. Add MVPD’s forensics team working outside, and it could only add to her stress. He took a couple of steps toward the group, then stopped. It would be too obvious to interrupt their conversation now. He’d have to catch Bella at lunch and warn her.

As he kept an eye on Bella and Leigh, he understood how people were attracted to the Affirmation Alliance. Their motto of “be your best you” and the promise of no more worries about anything but success would be tempting to anyone, but especially someone who was in a slump, whether it was due to work, health, or a combination of both. But it was too perfect, offering life satisfaction simply by joining the group. It had all the makings of a cult. Leigh might appear sincere, and maybe she was, but her repeated vacuous statements gave him the creeps. It didn’t hurt that Leigh was the perfect image of a blonde bombshell with her platinum hair in curvy lengths around her porcelain, doll-like face, and her curvaceous figure would turn any guy’s head.

Except Holden’s. He seemed to only have eyes for a certain redhead these days, and worse, she was a reporter.

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