Page 42 of Special Agent Murphy

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He heard a definite sniff.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re crying.”

“No, I’ve got a cold.”

“Bullshit, that was a definite sniff.” He heard it again, this time with a soft sobbing sound.

“Leave me alone. I feel for your neighbors.”

“You’re a cop for chrissakes. Cops don’t cry.”

“Do so.”

Muttering blasphemies, he stood, came over to her chair and picked her up in his arms. Then he returned to his own place and lowered them both. He felt the satin softness of her naked thighs before nestling her in his arms.

“Shush, Darling.” He crooned low while she let loose all the frustrations of the last two days. He’d known her fears for Misti Bond’s safety had been eating at her. For old Vinnie’s being terrorized. The cherry on top had no doubt been the horror of seeing a dead man lying in his own blood in a poolhall bathroom.

Any one of these atrocities could put a kind-hearted soul in jeopardy. He knew it. Sensed her tender persona wasn’t cut out for the job she’d landed and made up his mind to get Kale to pull her from the case. Hell, pull her from active duty and stick her in a safe desk job.

Right – because she didn’t have the balls to play the game with a solid steel heart and an I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude.

It had nothing to do with the fact that just the thought of her in danger was unbearable and could rip him apart at the thought of anyone getting to her as easy as they’d gotten to Alex.

Without any intention of going further, he kissed her forehead, smoothed back her damp hair and gently rocked her. When her lips searched for his, what could he do? Never in a million years did he have it in him to reject the only female who’d broken through his defenses and made his heart wake up.

He let her kiss him, soft lips gentle, and her sighs sexy as hell. Being a man of the world, having had a lot of action with women who loved being with a handsome man, and showed their appreciation, he understood her desperation. Her need to feel anything but sadness.

This was her way to… ahh, sweet Jesus, he tasted her tears. Like nectar from cupid himself, the emotions they set loose came straight from his deeply hidden mushy heart. The very organ he’d been protecting since around the time his mom had brought home a craved-for puppy right after his dad died.

His arms tightened. Cautiously, he returned her kiss, devoured her mouth and knew he’d never, ever…evertasted anything so wonderful. She opened her lips for him, and he carefully entered, unwilling to frighten her with the greedy neediness that instantly attacked, leaving him shaken.

While every nerve ending in his body zinged to attention and gave him hell, she lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, her bottom nestling against the very part of him he couldn’t control.

Lord, give me strength.

His hands lowered to lift her away from him, to stop the train wreck. They were partners. This couldn’t happen. He wrenched his mouth from hers and looked into her drenched sultry eyes. His hands somehow landing on a smooth, warm thigh. “This can’t happen, doll.”

As if she didn’t hear him, she smiled and brushed her lips over his chin, her hand caressing his cheek. ‘You’re not such a meanie after all.”

“Of course, I am. Stop that.”

“No. I like it.” She kissed his mouth and moaned when he let her. He got caught up in the rioting sensations for a few breaths. Before sanity surfaced yet again.

Unfortunately, by this time, his hand had strayed from her thigh and traveled up her hip, his T-shirt rising with it. When she winced, he saw it. “What? Did I hurt you?”

“No. Don’t stop. Please… it’s just a bruise from where I fell earlier.”

He looked down, and there on her beautiful body, the discoloration had already settled in. The black and blue area on her skin ripped him to shreds.

Rage at the animal who’d laid his hands on her, marked her, rampaged his system, and he had to fight back the incredible urge to go out now, find him and kill the bastard.

“You need to go to bed. I can’t keep my hands off you, and we have a lot to do in the next while. Go to the other room.”

“No. I’ll be good. I promise. Let me stay here with you.” He had a hard time believing she could stare him down without flinching from his eyes drilling her to stop it. Behave.

Losing the battle, he lifted the wool cover his mother had crocheted for him, the one he always kept folded in the basket by his chair and covered them both.

While she cuddled her face into his neck and relaxed like a trusting child, he held her close. Settling comfortably, he watched her as she dozed. Her childish trust spiking his role from a dude slightly interested to a man caught and accepting the new status.

He leaned his head gently over hers so as not to wake her up. He closed his eyes and planned the next day, a custom he’d had since he was a rookie.

The first item on his agenda was to contact Kale and advise her he needed a different partner.

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