“I don’t know what we’re going to do,” she said. “Without the Council for the Arts’ funding, we have to find another steady source of income to keep the program alive.”
Sadie rubbed her arm. “Oh, hon, don’t worry. We’ll come up with something.”
“But what? Daddy would have known what to do but I don’t even know where to start.” Talia hung her jacket on the coat rack and her shoulders slumped. After all she’d been through, it was incredible to realize she was right back where she’d started. Wearily, she lifted a hand to her aching forehead.
“I knew it. You’re still not feeling well.” For all the sternness in Sadie’s tone, her motherly tendencies surged to the forefront. She wrapped her arm about Talia’s shoulders and gently turned her toward the back staircase. “Don’t you worry about the money. I’ll think of something. You just go upstairs and take care of yourself.”
Talia caught her friend’s hand and squeezed tight. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t more prepared for Brent and the Board. If I had been, maybe Linc wouldn’t be in trouble now.”
Sadie’s eyes flashed. “Linc’s situation is not your fault. He’s old enough to know better than to go running around with spray paint. As for the Board, who needs those snobs? We’re better off without them.”
“We’re not better off without their money.”
“Shush. We’ll work on it tomorrow when both our brains are clear.” Sadie shooed her up the steps. “Right now, you need to go crawl under some covers. I’ve got a Pennsylvania Dutch table to sell.”
Talia glanced over her shoulder at the impatient customer and gave up the fight. She smiled weakly at her capable associate and started up the stairs. It took almost more energy than she had to spare. Her legs felt like lead as she dragged them up the steps one by one. Even her fingers were clumsy as she tried to find the right key for her apartment. Once inside, she dropped her briefcase onto a kitchen chair and made her way to the bathroom. Clothes hit the floor as she went.
The warm water of the shower was a soothing balm to her tired, aching muscles. The knot in her stomach loosened as the liquid sluiced down her form and she let her head drop back.
The water caressed her skin like a lover’s touch. It snaked over curves and into secret crevices, lighting hypersensitive nerve endings. Her breasts felt full and tender. Further down, her pussy still ached deep inside. It brought back vivid memories of Brent.
She let out a soft whimper. The man had been nothing but trouble for her ever since they were teenagers. Why, why, couldn’t she shake this unhealthy attraction she had for him? Look at what it had done to her.
Look at what it had made her do. Abruptly, she turned off the water.
Her father would have been appalled. He’d never had a problem with fund-raising. But stealing? Using a fence? Trading in the black market? She swallowed hard. He’d be so ashamed of her.
“It won’t happen again,” she said as she scrubbed herself dry. Leaving her hair wet, she walked naked to her bedroom. She pulled on a tank top and shorts before falling onto the bed. “I don’t care what Brent said. Never again. I’ll increase our marketing efforts. Maybe an email campaign or some new brochures would help.”
As soon as her head touched the pillow, the ideas started to fade. The past day had been hell on her and most of her problems had been due to that damn bronze cat with the knowing eyes. Now that it was gone, her body was shutting down.
She could relax. Nobody ever needed to know about her slip of judgment. She was safe.
* * * * *
It was late afternoon by the time Riley finally made it to Coolectibles. Talia’s assistant pointed him up the stairs to her apartment with a smile on her face but he got the feeling Ms. Sizemore wasn’t going to be so cordial. He didn’t know exactly why but she’d been skittish as a wild colt around him this morning. Their exchange had certainly been memorable. Between the sight of her shapely legs and the feel of her satiny skin, he hadn’t been able to get thoughts of her out of his head all day.
But what had made her so edgy? The instant attraction between them or something else?
He knew one thing for certain; he wanted to find out the answer to that question.
He climbed the stairs two at a time and knocked on the door. It had been a long day but he could feel his energy returning. Those long legs of hers would certainly wake him up.
He was a little surprised when she didn’t answer. Her assistant had said she was home. He knocked again more soundly.
Still nothing. He was about to go back downstairs when he heard movement.
“This had better be important, Sadie,” Talia mumbled when she opened the door.
Riley’s air seeped out of his lungs.
Damn!
He’d caught her in bed.
She was rubbing her eyes in an attempt to wake up. Her hair curled wildly across her shoulders but one thing more than anything riveted his attention. She was practically naked.
Helplessly, his gaze dropped. She was wearing a tiny tank top and shorts that, for all practical purposes, weren’t even there. Her nipples poked against the thin fabric and her tight belly was exposed. It was the long expanse of her legs, though, that nearly brought him to his knees.
“Kinkade!” she gasped.
He finally looked into her amber eyes. They widened expressively and she exploded into action. He jerked back as the door was slammed in his face and narrowly avoided a broken nose.
“Hey!” he yelled.
“What do you want?” she said loudly as the lock clicked into place.
“I told you I’d be dropping by to ask you more questions.”
“Now’s not a good time.”
Riley planted his hands on his hips. She wasn’t going to get rid of him that easily. He’d just seen heaven. She couldn’t rip it away from him so mercilessly. “Listen, lady. I’ve had a hell of a day and you’re the last stop on my list. Don’t tell me it’s not a good time.”
“Can’t we talk tomorrow?”
“Sure,” he said through clenched teeth, “If you want to come down to the station.”
The suggestion was met with silence.
“Oh, all right. Just give me a minute.”
That’s what he’d thought. There was the sound of more rustling before the lock clicked again. This time when she opened the door, she was discretely covered in a full-length robe.
“Come in, Detective,” she said politely.
His gaze swept down her body. The satin clung to her curves and was nearly as sexy as the little number she wore underneath it.
He hesitated. “Do you have company?” he asked as he glanced over her shoulder.
Her eyebrows lowered in confusion until she saw the trail of clothes leading to her bedroom. “Oh!” she said with embarrassment. She hurriedly kicked her skirt so it covered a lacy pair of panties. “No. I was just taking a nap.”
A nap. Now why the hell had she gone and painted that picture in his head?
With a heavy sigh, Riley pushed himself away from the doorframe and entered her apartment. Sometimes this cop-with-a-duty thing sucked.
She stepped back nervously.
“Are you feeling any better?” he asked.
She tightened the belt of the robe around her waist. “A little. I was trying to sleep off this headache.”
“And your ankle?”
His gaze dropped down to her bare feet but even that seemed too intimate for her. She covered one foot with the other. He’d have bet ten bucks that, if her slippers had been nearby, she’d have put those on, too.
“You really didn’t need to go out of your way to see me, Detective,” she said as she raked a hand through her tussled hair. “I’m sure I have nothing to add to your investigation.”
Nothing to add? She was the best thing about this investigation. He’d left her as his last stop so he’d have something to look forward to.
“You’re not out of my way,” he said. “Besides, I have some new informatio
n I want to discuss with you.”
She looked at him sharply. The energy he’d felt radiating from her at Arthur’s shop started pulsing again.
“Do you want some coffee?” she asked, turning away before he could see more. “I don’t know about you but I could use some.”
He watched the sway of her hips as she walked away from him. Damn, but she was something.
The case, Kinkade. The case.
Riley centered his thoughts. It didn’t matter if her hair was mussed and her nipples were perky. He was here to work. He’d wanted to see her apartment. Now that she’d let him in, he’d better take a look around.
He let his gaze sweep the room and couldn’t help but let out a soft whistle. Her apartment was dripping with expensive things. It had an understated quality that only made it all the more pricey.
“Nice place,” he called.
He followed the trail of clothes on the floor. The lace bra draped over the coffee table probably cost more than he had in his wallet. Of course, that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate it. If he’d known what she was wearing under that sexy suit this morning, he would have had a hard time keeping his hands on just her ankle.
“Do you want sugar?” she called from the kitchen.
God, did he.
“Black’s fine.”
The sound of her rummaging through a cupboard caught his attention and he meandered into the kitchen. She had her back to him and his gaze swept over her nicely curved ass. The view stopped him cold.
Shit! Everything about the woman turned him on—her body, her perfume, her classiness, her complexity… Once he eliminated her from his suspect list, he was going to have to do something about the ache in his crotch. With the way his cock was twitching, he’d better get her off that list pronto.
“Have you been working on the case all day?” she asked.
She opened a cupboard, but reached for the can of coffee so quickly, it fell off the shelf. Old football reflexes had Riley jumping forward to catch it. The quick move caught her between his body and the counter.
The intimate contact put him on edge. He hadn’t meant to pin her but, for the life of him, he couldn’t make himself pull away. She was soft and warm, and suddenly very quiet. She’d been trying to ignore him, but awareness now simmered in the air. Awareness that she was a beautiful woman, and he was a red-blooded man.
“Careful,” he said close to her ear. She’d gone so still, he could see the pulse at her temple fluttering.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I’m not usually so clumsy.”
She took the coffee from his hands but her breath caught noisily when the twisting motion pressed her soft butt more firmly against his excited crotch. Riley stifled a groan. Damn, but she felt good. He could stand here rubbing his stiff cock against her all day. With the way she’d gone all rigid, though, he knew that probably wasn’t such a good idea. Gritting his teeth, he stepped back a few inches.
Her hands trembled as she took the lid off the can. When more of the coffee grounds landed on the counter than in the filter, he took over. “I don’t think you need any caffeine,” he said. Circling his arms about her, he took the measuring scoop from her hands. “Do you have any tea?”
“Second shelf,” she said, hardly above a whisper.
The proximity of their bodies finally got to her and she pulled away. He stopped her with a hand at her waist. “Don’t go far. We still need to talk.”
He felt a shiver run through her.
“I take it that you haven’t found the Mène yet.”
Riley paused. If she got any tenser, rigor mortis was going to set in. Why was she so jitterish around him? Some people got nervous talking to cops but this was above and beyond. Had he done something? Slowly, he let his hand drop. Or was there something more to it? “I’ve learned a lot from the people who were at the party. I was hoping you could clear up some things for me.”
She looked him dead in the eye. “What do you want to know?”
His instincts went on alert. He could feel that stillness about her again. He held her gaze and the air started to sizzle.
Something was up with her—and he wasn’t thinking about just his cock.
“Let’s start with Harrington,” he said casually. Trying to put her at ease, he turned to search through the cupboard. “What’s the deal with you two?”
She was a foot away but he could feel the jolt that ran through her body.
“What do you mean?” she said quickly.
Interesting. He’d hit on a sore subject.
“I’ve been doing my homework,” he said as he picked up the kettle from the stove and held it under the faucet to fill it with water. He wasn’t really a tea sort of guy but he’d learned that, in order to get past people’s guards, you had to cozy up to them. Standing with her practically naked in her kitchen was a good place to start. “I talked with a guy named Edward Jones. He said something was going on between you and Harrington at the party.”
He didn’t mention everything else Jones had said. The man had given a very detailed description of how Talia had looked in her dress. Riley had wanted to punch the son of a bitch but he couldn’t help but glance down at the front of her robe and make comparisons.
“Brent and I have known each other since we were teenagers,” she said in a strained voice. “It’s no secret that we don’t always agree on things.”
“Such as?” he asked.
“I don’t see what this has to do with anything.”
He lifted an eyebrow.
Frustrated, she ran a hand through her hair. “Funding issues,” she finally admitted. “We both sit on the Council for the Arts Board. We don’t agree on its priorities.”
“He’s the Board president, isn’t he?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
Riley couldn’t help it. It was one of the first unveiled reactions he’d gotten from her and the infinite meaning in her tone made him smile. “I can’t say I liked the prick much either.”
Her lips twitched. After a moment, her body relaxed. She looked softer, sweeter. His dick swelled and he set the pot on the stove before he could drop it.
God, he wanted her.
“So is that what the two of you discussed last night?” he asked, desperately trying to keep his focus. “Priorities? His wife said you went to his office for a private chat.”
The almost-smile disappeared from Talia’s face and her cheeks flushed. Riley caught every nuance of her reaction and it intrigued him even more. He wasn’t satisfied at all with the muted “yes” that left her lips.
“Want to give me more details?” he asked.
“No.”
“Talia.”
“We talked about Board business,” she said. “It didn’t go well.”
He took a step closer. He was onto something. He could sense it. “From all accounts, you pretty much ran out of the house afterwards.”
“My head was pounding,” she said as she pushed herself away from the counter. She scooted past him and walked to the other side of the room. “I told you that I didn’t feel well. After talking with Brent, I wasn’t in a party mood anymore so I left. Is that a crime?”
“No,” he said slowly. What the hell had happened in that room? She looked like she was about to come out of her skin. “I’m just wondering why you’re acting so defensive.”
“I…I’m not used to being questioned by the police. It’s disconcerting.”
Energy arced between them and Riley intentionally let the voltage crank up a notch. There was more to it than that. She was holding out on him. Gradually, he walked toward her. “Why do I make you so nervous?”
Her pupils flared. “You don’t make me nervous.”
“Liar.”
He caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I can see your pulse pounding at the base of your throat.”
Her eyes went wide and her breaths shortened. Watching her closely, he slid his fingers down her neck. Her skin was warm and soft
under his fingertips. He touched the fluttering artery and his arousal took on the sharpness of a knife’s edge. “Your heart is rushing like a freight train.”
She could feel it, too, this connection between them. How could she not? It was almost primal. He could feel it pulsating. Breathing. Growing. Compelled, he leaned toward her.
For a moment, she let him. Then, suddenly, she swallowed hard and stepped back. “I really should see if Sadie needs any help,” she said shakily.
Riley dropped his hand and let it fall limp at his side. He could only watch as she made her escape. Desperately, he tried to get himself under control.
Shit! His cock was as hard as his head.
What the hell had he been thinking?
“Talia, wait,” he called when he heard her at the apartment door. Forcing himself to act casual, he leaned against the kitchen archway. “Sadie’s not here.”
Her eyebrows drew together in confusion.
“She’s gone home,” he said. “I was supposed to tell you that she’d locked up.”
“Locked up? What time…” She sought out the clock on the wall and bit her lip when she saw how late it was.
He ran a hand through his hair. He needed to get his act together. He’d come dangerously close to stepping over the line back there and now he had her on her guard. “Listen,” he said. “I’m tired. You’re tired. Can we just call a truce and get through this?”
She didn’t move away from the door.
He glanced back at the pot of water on the stove. “What do you say to that cup of tea?”
The cautiousness in her eyes told him how bad of a tactical error he’d made. He needed to soothe things over with her quickly if he ever hoped to establish a rapport with her.
“You’ll ask your questions and go?” she asked.
“I promise.”
She still didn’t look as if she trusted him but what option did she have? He’d follow through on his promise to make her come down to the station.
“All right,” she said begrudgingly. “But you can’t stay long. I slept the day away. I need to get caught up on my work.”
“Fine. I understand.”
On the Prowl Page 6