Temperature's Rising (18 page)

Later, as he walked her to the car, she realized the time away had done her good. It made her realize that living with Conor wasn’t real. They just happened to be doing a job together. She had everything in the proper perspec-tive, and she could focus on putting the criminals behind bars.

At least until Al pulled her into his arms and brought his lips down on hers. It was Conor’s lips she thought 152

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about. It was his arms she wanted around her, pulling her close. Al smothered her.

“We could always go back to my place,” he murmured.

“I can’t. I’m not ready.” Jessica knew she never would be, and as soon as the crooks were caught, she’d end the relationship.

“I understand.” Al smiled, showing straight, white teeth.

Maybe that’s what she found disturbing about him. He always understood. It wasn’t human. Nobody could be this flawless. It was nerve-wracking.

Damn it, where was she? Conor glanced toward the house next door. Nothing stirred. He frowned. Not even a rat. A good thing, because he would find it hard to trail the criminals on foot.

He clamped his lips together. If worse came to worst, he could always alert someone to have a cruiser tail the suspects.

Why the hell had she left, anyway?

His shoulders slumped.

He already knew the answer. He’d been terrified for her safety when she’d returned home with Trudy in tow and he’d . . . well . . . lost his temper after Trudy left. The only thought going through his mind was, what if it had been Winston Meredith, the father? He’d read the report on him: brawls, drunken outrages, time in prison. The list went on and on.

So what if she had been a cop and probably knew a little self-defense? That didn’t mean she could handle herself if she came up against the head of the Meredith clan.

He’d tear her to pieces.

The front door opened. He flinched. It quietly shut.

Her footsteps were almost silent as she walked across the floor. He didn’t turn around.

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“It was stupid to take the car.”

“I knew you could call someone to follow them if they left.”

“This is my case. I told you that we do it my way or not at all.” He could feel her as she neared. He squeezed his eyes closed. The soft, sensual scent of her perfume wafted toward his nose. He inhaled, letting it wrap around him.

“It won’t happen again.”

“Make sure it doesn’t.”

Her scent drifted away. A sudden sensation of almost unbearable loss swept over him.

It wouldn’t work, he tried to tell himself. Jessica didn’t date cops, and even if she did, he wasn’t on the market.

His cell phone rang.

“Yeah,” he said, after flipping it open.

“Anything yet?” the chief asked.

Damn, did the man read minds? “We’ve had contact with George’s wife.” He took a deep breath. “She was in the house.”

“First George and now Trudy. It might make it easier to ferret out some information, though. It’s been too quiet. Something is bound to happen pretty soon.”

“They’re staying pretty close to the house. Other than George and Trudy, that is.”

“No one said surveillance work was exciting.” He cleared his throat. “You and Jess getting along okay?” He cocked an eyebrow. “You have a very stubborn daughter, sir.”

He chuckled. “Yes, I know. She takes after me. Doesn’t like taking no for an answer.”

They talked for a few more minutes before hanging up. Conor shook his head as he closed his phone. The chief seemed more concerned about his daughter’s love life than the stakeout.

He smiled. He bet the chief was a great dad. He’d only 154

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met Gabe briefly, but he was very likable. Hell, the whole Nelson clan seemed to be a lot of fun.

Including Jessica.

He sat in the chair and crossed his ankles. There was a lot about Jessica he was starting to like. She was a damn good kisser. He wondered what else she did well.

Not that he would attempt to find out. He uncrossed his ankles and leaned forward. He wouldn’t let anything interfere with the stakeout. His job was his top priority and would remain so.

Chapter 11

Lunch was eaten in silence. Conor normally liked the quiet, preferring his own company most of the time.

Today was different. He couldn’t explain it, even to himself, but after only a couple of days around Jessica, hearing her laughter, listening to the softness of her voice, watching the way she moved from room to room . . . he was addicted to her.

Like any addiction, he needed more. More information, for starters. What made her tick? Why had she wanted to become a cop? Why did she then quit and go into real estate?

He had the perfect opportunity to discover more when she took the chair next to his in the living room, but where did he start? She still wasn’t talking to him, since her escapade with Trudy. He’d pissed her off. No doubt about that. Why else would she have taken off in his car?

That had been a stupid stunt.

Okay, she’d apologized, and he didn’t think it would happen again. What was done was done. It was time to end the stalemate. Her silence was driving him nuts.

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When she did talk, it was with a minimal number of words.

Hell, after his anger evaporated and he took a little time to think about it, he realized Jessica was pretty damned slick in getting an invitation to the suspects’

home. He hadn’t planned on actual contact, but hey, maybe that was the way to obtain more information, and as long as she was with him, he’d keep her safe. In fact, if Jessica were his partner, he’d say she was doing an impressive job.

He almost grinned, but at the last moment stopped the upward curve of his mouth. He didn’t want her getting any ideas. If he weren’t careful, she’d be trying to run the sting operation.

When she crossed her legs, his gaze traveled downward. She’d changed from her running clothes to a sun-dress splattered with fat strawberries. She wore sassy little sandals and her toenails were painted a bright strawberry red. She had really sexy legs. He found it took quite an effort to pull his gaze away.

Damn it, she was doing it to him again, and without really trying. He cleared his throat and looked out the window. “You don’t have to sit with me.”

“I know. I thought you might want to take a nap or something. I can watch the house.” She paused. “I promise I won’t leave without telling you.” At least she’d said more than two words. He nodded.

“In a bit.” He should be exhausted. What little sleep he’d had last night hadn’t been restful. The smart thing would be to go up and lie down, but he couldn’t summon the energy to stand and walk away from Jessica.

It wasn’t like something major was happening right now. The house next door was quiet. He’d seen Barry go out back, smoke a cigarette, then go inside once again.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

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So maybe now was a good time to ask questions and learn more about her. The information might prove useful if anything were to happen. Besides, it would get his mind off wanting to tug her into his lap and kiss her until she was panting and begging for more.

He drew in a deep breath. “Why did Mike tell me you were practically destined for sainthood?” She looked at him and grinned. His hands grew moist.

He casually folded them and tried to concentrate on her words rather than carrying her to bed.

“Because I Saran-wrapped the toilet seats. It took him longer to get even than I thought it would.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “He probably had help. I have to admit, this was a good one.” Jessica smiled in a way that made his gut clench. From saint to sexpot. Odd how he could view someone through different eyes when he stopped listening to what other people said and saw the truth.

A mischievous twinkle entered her eyes. “I still can’t believe you fell for his stories.” Heat crawled up his face. Conor quickly looked out the window. “Mike had help. I might not have believed him if a couple of the others hadn’t added their two cents.

Hell, by the time they finished feeding me their bull, you practically had a halo around your head. What else was I to think?”

“Oh, but I do have a halo. I’m a perfect angel.” She smiled innocently, raising her hands and making a circle above her head.

“I just bet you are,” he mumbled.

It wasn’t her hands that captured his attention, though.

Her chest thrust forward, expanding by a couple of inches.

The thin white material of her dress stretched taut, outlining her nipples.

More than that, she had that look on her face again, 158

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the wanton one. The one that said she wanted to have sex.

He had a feeling her thoughts were anything but angelic as the conversation took on a subtle, sexual tone.

Back off, Conor.

He cleared his throat. “Do innocent bystanders usually get caught in the crossfire of your family’s pranks?” At least this was a safe enough topic. Maybe.

Her expression turned solemn. “A casualty of war.” The corners of his mouth tugged upward and this time he didn’t even try to stop his smile from forming. She returned his smile. Her whole face lit up. An odd warmth filled him from the inside out.

“So, do you have a big family?” she asked. “I mean aunts and uncles? You said you have a sister, but she lives in New Jersey. What about cousins?” He shook his head, unable to draw his gaze away from her. “A couple of distant cousins. Like I said before, my sister moves around a lot. I might see them once or twice a year. Since my parents moved to Florida, I see them about as often.” He felt strangely detached.

“It must get awfully lonely. Is that why you moved to a small town?”

She was damned astute. Hell, he’d never really thought about why he’d wanted to move. Telling himself he was tired of the city, the fast pace, but Jessica was right. He was lonely. He could’ve moved to Florida, but his parents always seemed to be lost in a world of their own, and without meaning to, they excluded him.

That was a part of himself he really didn’t want to delve into right at this moment, so he switched topics.

“Why does everyone call you Jess rather than Jessica?” She curled her feet beneath her. He really liked looking at her legs. Imagining how they would feel wrapped around his waist, pulling him deeper and deeper inside her hot body. A shudder swept over him. Now they were hidden beneath the full skirt of her dress and maybe that TEMPERATURE’S RISING

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was for the best. He returned his attention upward when she began speaking.

“There are more men in the family than women. I guess I became one of the guys. They tagged me with Jess, and it sort of stuck.”

His gaze slowly traveled over her. “You certainly don’t look like one of the guys.”

She even blushed prettily. He could only stare as she turned her face away and looked out the window.

Suddenly, she jerked straight up in her chair. “Visitor.” He quickly looked out the window. Damn, he had to remember he was on duty and not on a date. Jessica had a way of making him forget a lot of things. His gaze fixed on the house next door and the woman approaching it.

She was skinny, almost to the point of anorexia.

Dressed as a UPS employee and clutching a package, she walked to the front door. Looking first to the right, then the left before pushing thick, horn-rimmed glasses higher on her nose, she then rang the doorbell.

“What do you think?” Jessica whispered, as if the woman might hear her. “She looks sneaky.” He’d thought the same thing, but didn’t voice his opinion as the door opened. The UPS worker handed the package to whoever opened the door. He grabbed the camera and snapped off several pictures before picking up his cell phone and punching in the speed-dial number that would take him directly to the chief ’s cell phone.

“Yeah,” the chief answered.

“We have a suspicious UPS person. About five-three, dark hair, in uniform. Let’s get a tail on her. See if she’s actually delivering packages.”

“I’ll have an unmarked in the vicinity in less than five.”

“Wouldn’t the radio have been faster?” Jessica asked after he folded the phone.

He shook his head. “Every scanner in the city would’ve picked up our conversation.” 160

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“A different channel?”

“Even some of the so-called safe frequencies aren’t clear.”

He moved to the front door, opening it just a crack.

“She’s in a UPS van. Everything looks legit.” So what had she been delivering?

She climbed back in the van, again looking around as if to see if she was being watched.

Something was definitely suspicious.

“Did you notice the size of the package?” Jessica asked as she came and leaned around him.

She filled his senses as she tried for a better view through the crack in the open door. He certainly knew the size of
his
package was rapidly growing larger as the softness of her body pressed against him. He swallowed past the lump in his throat, then blinked several times while trying desperately not to turn and pull her into his arms.

“So did you notice the size of it?” she repeated.

Lord, had she brushed against him? He had a major hard-on.

“The size of the package?” she clarified. She turned and looked at him. “You okay?”

She had noticed. No, that wasn’t the package she meant. She referred to the UPS person. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Think with your head,
Conor!

“A large package,” he said.

She let out an exasperated sigh.

He shrugged.

“Okay, medium-size.”

His glance swept over her.
You’re on duty,
he told himself. Think
suspect.
Burglars.

What had she seen that he hadn’t?

“The exact-size box a video would fit inside,” she elaborated.

She was right. The mayor had a video stolen. Could TEMPERATURE’S RISING

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the delivery woman have something to do with the robberies? But why would she have the video? On the other hand, who would know better than a delivery person when someone wasn’t at home?