SEAL Wolf In Too Deep(34)
“Now that sounds like alarm bells to me.”
“Right, but without anything to go on—no evidence of foul play or dead bodies, at least that we can confirm—you know the rest. They didn’t feel they had a case. But we have another clue. Rose went to see the group and met a bunch of the players. Sarah wasn’t at the group meeting that night, but a man was that Rose said looked a lot like the man murdered at Van Lake. She couldn’t be a hundred percent sure because the man in the lake was bearded, and the one she met had been clean-shaven.”
“Did you tell Rowdy?”
“Not yet. If we learn this man is still with the group and not missing, then we don’t have the right man. I wanted to show Zeta the photos in person to see if she could identify the dead man and woman.”
Debbie was quiet after that as Allan pulled up to her back door.
“I had such a lovely time tonight,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind me talking about this case. I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“Not at all.” He shook his head. “Truth is, I can’t either. I wake in the middle of the night thinking about it. I hate cases that grow cold.”
“Me too. But maybe this is the lead we needed.”
Chapter 11
When Debbie and Allan parked at her duplex, she invited him in. Since this was the first time they’d had a real date, though he had been careful not to call it that, she wanted to end it with something special after all the trouble he’d had getting there in the bad weather.
She hadn’t planned on anything other than having some hot cocoa, although she’d picked up some beer in case he wanted one. It was probably safer for him to have a beer rather than cocoa and whipped cream again.
She knew he was holding back, wanting something more, but for some reason believing they should keep their relationship on more of a professional basis. Yet, tonight, the dynamics had changed some. He’d been more relaxed, and she wondered if that had anything to do with Rowdy not being at dinner with them.
She was also thrilled to think they might have a lead on the dead woman’s identity and maybe something about who murdered her.
Whatever the reason, Debbie felt less stressed tonight with Allan and just wanted to finish the evening with something nice. “Would you like to come in?”
He hesitated.
She thought of just dismissing him. Just telling him, “Maybe some other time.” But she wasn’t sure she’d give him another chance. A woman had to have some pride. Then she smiled sweetly and was about to say, “Okay, well, see you tomorrow then,” but it never got to that. He moved into her space, capturing the door and locking it behind him, while never taking his eyes off her.
Just as before, she felt his raw, primal need as he pulled her into his arms and looked down at her. “What did you have in mind?”
Oh…my…God. He was already kissing her before she could answer. But this…this was what she’d hoped for, except she hadn’t expected it right this minute. Not that she was complaining.
Nor had she imagined what kissing would be like if he really let go of his reserve. He was one hot kisser, his mouth on hers, and then their tongues were tangling, his hands unzipping her coat as she tried to get to his. The living room was way too warm for parkas, especially when he began to kiss her like he was going to die if he didn’t have her this very instant.
He pulled her parka off her shoulders, their mouths still fused. Her parka hit the floor, and she held his face with her hands, kissing him back.
He yanked his parka off, tossed it aside, and pulled her into his arms, breaking free from the kiss for a moment. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”
His eyes were dark with lust, his sensuous lips enticing her to kiss them again, and she did, ignoring whatever he was going to say. Why? Because they were working together? She wasn’t buying it.
Another police dive-team couple had ended up getting married, so getting involved wasn’t off-limits. Maybe Allan thought it was wrong somehow, but she didn’t have a problem with it.
They took the kiss slower this time, and she relished the way his tongue felt sliding against hers, so eager, the way he brushed his mouth against hers in a hot and sexy manner. Then he pressed his mouth tighter against hers again, conquering, demanding, passionate.
He groaned a little and pulled his mouth free, pressing it against her forehead, then her cheeks.
“I was going to start a fire—”
He smiled down at her. “You did.”
She chuckled. “In the fireplace. Just to put a nice ending on this snowy, wintry night. Sharing a mug of piping hot cocoa and chocolate chip cookies. Playing something we both might like on the CD player. Or maybe putting a movie on.”
He didn’t let go of her, and she wanted to say, “Or we could just continue this.” But she couldn’t quite read him. He seemed reluctant to let go of her, like he really wanted to keep kissing her. But he didn’t, and she was afraid he was thinking about why he shouldn’t be staying.
He combed his fingers through the strands of her hair, surprising her. His touch felt so sensuously divine.
“You don’t have your car,” he said quite practically.
“I don’t,” she agreed.
“I’d have to drive all the way home in the snow in the dead of night and then come all the way back here in the morning to pick you up so we can interview Zeta in Helena.”