Deadly Heat (Deadly #2)(14)

Now that was what she’d been hoping to hear. “Good.”

“If I’m right about this perp, and he’s been watching the scenes, then he’s seen you, Lora. He knows every man on your team. A guy like this—he wouldn’t take chances. He’d know you all.”

She didn’t like the sound of that. Because it hit too close to the weird feelings she’d had lately. Watching.

“Are you ready for what’s going to come? When we go after him, this guy won’t go down easy.”

A brittle laugh broke from her lips. “Trust me, things haven’t been easy so far.”

The streetlight spilled into the car, and she saw his gaze drop to her mouth. “No.” His hand came up and cupped her chin.

“Kent…” He shouldn’t do this. She shouldn’t. Bad idea. She’d already told him this. But her heart drummed too fast, and her gut clenched.

“I like the way you say my name.” Those sexy dimples flashed. “You’re the only woman who’s ever called me Kent, and when you say it, your voice goes soft and husky.”

His head came closer.

She sucked in a breath, tasted him and smoke, and put both her hands against his chest. Lora tried real hard not to notice how good he felt beneath her hands. How hard.

She failed.

“Lora…”

Damn. She liked the way he said her name, too. “I don’t want to get involved,” she told him, and her voice wasn’t so soft anymore.

Not that getting involved would probably be a real problem with a guy like Kenton.

Here today, gone tomorrow.

His eyes locked with hers. His fingers still held her chin, not too hard, stroking lightly. “I want you, Lora Spade.”

Didn’t get more blunt than that. Her breath caught. For once, Lora wasn’t sure what to say.

“But I can keep my hands off…” He freed her chin and gripped the seat behind her. Lora’s palms pressed against his chest, feeling the heat of his skin through the clothing. “If you want to keep things professional, fine. I can play that way.”

She bet he could play any way. Her heart kicked faster.

“But I know something about you, sweetheart.”

Her stomach tightened because the man had one deep, rumbling voice. Growling in the dark.

“I know you feel this, too.” He leaned in even closer, stopping when his lips were just an inch, maybe two, from hers. “Attraction, lust, need—call it whatever the hell you want, but for us, it’s there.”

She swallowed. “Y-yes.” She wouldn’t lie. Why bother? Lora felt the fire between them. A fire that could burn too fast, too hot.

“Don’t you want to see?” he whispered, and she felt his breath on her. “Before you turn away, don’t you want to know what it would be like?”

Why did people always want to touch the flames?

Why did she?

Six months.

And every night had hurt.

Sometimes, you just didn’t want to be alone.

But, sometimes, you wanted a lot more than just another body with you. So much more.

“One kiss.”

So tempting. Too tempting. She’d been weak before and wound up with guilt and ash come morning. Her fingers curled against him. “Kent…”

“Or you can tell me to f*ck off. Hell, you can tell me to f*ck off after the kiss if you want, but, sweetheart, I’ve been dying to know…”

Mistake. She knew it, but—

She wanted him. Wanted him more than she’d wanted anyone in so long. Was it wrong?

“I’ve been dying to know,” he said again, “how you taste.”

Oh, hell. Her right hand grabbed the back of his head, and she yanked him down toward her.

Their mouths met. Open. Ready. Lips kissed. Tongues licked. And—damn.

Yes, she wanted.

The control she’d held so tightly began to crack. She jerked in her seat, struggling to press against him. He took her mouth. Tasted her. Tormented her. And she met him. No, she fought him, fought him for more.

His hands locked around her, and her breasts shoved against his chest. Her nipples were tight, aching, and her sex began to cream.

From a kiss.

Zero to sixty… faster, faster…

The man had one wicked tongue.

When he lifted his head, she wasn’t surprised to hear the ragged sound of her own moan.

“Thought it’d be like that,” he said.

Unfortunately, so had she and that didn’t help her.

“But where we go next, if we go anywhere, that’s going to be your call, sweetheart.” His fingers curled around hers and pulled her hands from behind his head where she’d been clinging oh-so-tightly.

Because he was right about her. She did like to run red-hot. Passion. Lust. Lora was well-acquainted with the fiery need.

As acquainted as she was with the loneliness.

“Where do we go?” he asked softly.

I don’t know.

“We work the case.” He took a deep breath and yeah, his voice broke a bit around the edges as he said, “I keep my hands off you.”

But those strong hands felt good on her flesh. And for just a few minutes there, with him, she’d forgotten…

Fire. Screams. Death.

And remembered pleasure.