by Lori Foster
“Temporary setbacks, I swear.”
“Right. Temporary, because you figured I could shore you back up.” She leaned away from Clive’s hold.
“Noooo.” Clive tugged her close again.
Straightening her arms to hold Clive off, Lily looked at Parker. “Well, don’t just stand there.”
Smirking, Parker took the remaining steps to the landing and caught Clive by the back of his coat. Because he was tired and annoyed—and damn it, he didn’t like seeing other men slobbering on Lily—Parker rattled him.
“The lady said to leave.” For good measure, he shook Clive again before setting him several feet away from Lily. “Now beat it.”
Flustered, Clive straightened his coat with righteous anger. “Who the hell are you?”
“Just a neighbor.”
“Then this doesn’t concern you.”
Given his height of six feet four, Parker had the advantage of looking down on most people, especially shorter people like Clive. “I’m a cop. I’ve had a shitty day.” He leaned toward Clive, forcing him to back up. “I’ve dealt with a three-car pileup. Got knocked into a damn curb full of blackened slush by a mob of happy shoppers. Got jumped by a crazy woman stealing a bike for her kid. Had to break up a riot during a TV sale. And wrestled with a goon robbing Santa of donations for the homeless. I am not in the mood to tell you twice.”
Clive gulped. “I just need to explain to her …”
“She’s not interested in your explanations.”
Lily moved to stand beside Parker. “No, I’m not.” She curled her arms around one of his for no reason that Parker could find. She did that a lot. If she spoke to him, she touched him—almost as if she couldn’t help herself.
And it drove him nuts.
“All right.” Dejected, Clive fashioned a puppy-dog face. “But you’re making a mistake, Lily. I do love you. With all my heart.” He turned and slunk down the stairs like a man on the way to the gallows.
When the door closed behind Clive, Parker mustered up his good sense and peeled Lily’s hands off his arm. “Good night, Lily.” He headed for his door.
“Good night?” She hustled after him. “But … what do you mean, ‘good night’?”
“I’m beat. It’s been a hell of a day.” Parker refused to look at her. Just being near her made him twitchy in the pants. If he looked at her, he’d be a goner.
“Sounds like.” She scuttled in front of him, blocking his way. “I never realized that detectives got into so many physical confrontations.”
That damned admiring tone weakened his resolve. “It’s the holidays.” He couldn’t help but look at her, and once he did, he couldn’t look away. “It brings out the worst in everyone.”
Gently, Lily said, “That’s not true.”
His day had been just bad enough to shatter his resolve. He wanted to vent. To Lily. Somehow, he knew she’d understand.
To disguise his level of emotion, Parker snorted. “The wreck I mentioned? It sent two innocent people to the hospital.”
Concern clouded her beautiful eyes. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“I got called in because the arresting officer found psilocybin mushrooms in the car of the idiot who caused the wreck. Enough to know he’s a dealer.”
“Hallucinogenic drugs,” Lily breathed, surprising Parker. “How terrible. Will the victims be all right?”
Parker eyed her. What the hell did Lily know about mushrooms? “I don’t know,” he grouched. “Last I heard, the woman was in surgery.” She had two kids who’d be counting on her to be there Christmas morning. Parker hoped like hell she made it.
“The dealer?”
“Escaped without a scratch.”
“But you’ll see to him, I’m sure.”
Parker ground his teeth together, pissed off all over again. Lily sounded so confident in his ability. “I’d already arrested him once on a charge of manufacturing methamphetamine, but he failed to appear in court. At least this should cinch a conviction.”
Lily inched closer, her expression sympathetic, her mood nurturing. “Your job isn’t often an easy one, is it?”
Damn, she looked sweet and soft, and far too appealing. Parker cleared his throat. “Look, Lily, I’m beat. I don’t want to talk about work.” He didn’t want to tempt himself with her. “I need to get some shut-eye.”
Her hand settled over his, her fingers warm and gentle. “At least let me explain about Clive.”
Cocking a brow, Parker said, “It was pretty self-explanatory.”
Leaning on the wall beside his door, her gaze somber, she studied him. “I had no idea Clive harbored an infatuation. He said he wanted to talk about business, my schedule was clear …” She shut down on that real fast. “It was not an intimate lunch.”
The nature of their business made Parker’s stomach roil. “So you said.”
“I guess you got an earful, huh?” She didn’t sound all that embarrassed. “He lied to me, Parker, saying he wanted to help with a project of mine, telling me he wanted to be friends. Can you believe his nerve?”
“The world is full of creeps, Lily.” What project? No, he didn’t care. “Good night.”
Lily’s voice dropped. “It’s barely six o’clock.”
Sticking his key in the lock, Parker tried to ignore her nearness. An impossible task. “I’ve been up for over twenty-four hours. I can’t see straight anymore. Fast as I can get a shower and find some food, I’ll be turning in.” His door opened. He stepped inside …
Lily followed. “Poor baby.” She touched him again, this time on his right biceps.
Even through his shirt, Parker felt the tingling jolt that shot through his system and fired up his gonads. She might as well have grabbed his crotch for the way it affected him.
Unaware of his rioting libido, Lily said, “I feel terrible that you got pulled into the middle of my mess after all you’ve been through today.”
Before he could censor himself, Parker said, “It’s getting to be a habit.”
Lily tilted her head and smiled. “I can think of worse habits than drawing your attention.”
Please don’t go there. “Sorry.” Parker ran a hand over the knotted muscles in his neck. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
“I understand. I … I do seem to have a bad track record with guys.”
“Lily …”
“I don’t blame myself, though.” Rather than explain, she brightened her smile and changed the subject. “Now that Clive’s gone, why don’t you let me thank you with dinner?”
Parker took a step back, then stopped to curse himself. Damn it, since when did women have him retreating like a green kid in middle school?
Since Lily had moved in—smelling, looking, probably tasting like sex.
ZEBRA BOOKS are published by
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Compilation copyright © 2015 by Lori Foster
He Sees You When You’re Sleeping copyright © 2003 by Lori Foster
Some Like It Hot copyright © 2004 by Lori Foster
Playing Doctor copyright © 2006 by Lori Foster
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ISBN-13: 978-1-4201-3733-0
ISBN-10: 1-4201-3733-6
ISBN: 978-1-4201-3733-0