"How long do they jog?" he asked after a too-long minute.
"They're almost done." She tucked her hands in her belt and studied the line of jogging girls as if it was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen.
She had no illusions about why Detective Donovan was here. He had something to say to her. More questions. The girls had nothing to do with it.
The girls finished their laps and came back to the mats. They stood in a line and recited together, "Courtesy. Integrity."
They bowed to her, then said, "Perseverance. Self-control." They bowed again.
Then they all shouted together, "Invincible Spirit."
They all bowed one last time, then the girls scattered, chattering to each other. They took way longer than usual to gather their belongings and straggle out of the gym. As she watched them, biting her tongue to stop herself from yelling at them to hurry, tension wound tighter and tighter in her chest.
Some of the older, cockier girls – Bella among them – walked backward to the door, watching Donovan the whole time. The younger girls giggled as they snuck glances at him.
If she were thirteen years old, she'd be sneaking glances and giggling herself.
She guessed Detective Donovan drew female eyes wherever he went.
When the last girl left the gym and the door closed with a snick, silence settled over them like a heavy cloak. Raine crossed her arms over her chest and studied him. He watched her back, a tiny smile hovering at the corners of his mouth.
"Like what you see, Ms. Taylor?" he finally said.
"Just wondering the same, Detective," she shot back. "Let's cut to the chase – why are you really here?"
"We need to talk."
Dread settled in her gut. He might have been flirting with her a moment ago, but that's not what he wanted to talk about.
She'd pretend it was, though. "Sorry, Detective. I have plans tonight." After she corrected tests, she was going to take a long bath and read the romance novel she'd picked up the other day.
"Change them. I have some questions for you."
Her chest tightened and she struggled to catch her breath. "That doesn't sound like a request," she managed to say.
"It's not."
Chapter 3
Connor watched Raine, wondering what she would say. His guess? She'd push back. He'd been impressed by her composure yesterday afternoon when he'd asked her to explain why her hoodie had ended up on the ground on LeMoyne Avenue.
She might push back again, but she wasn't as good at hiding her emotions as she thought she was. He'd seen the fear sliding beneath the bravado, the shock she tried to cover up.
She lifted her chin. "Are you arresting me?"
She didn't disappoint. Arousal stirred, but he pushed it away. He needed all his concentration for the game. "Did you do something I should arrest you for?"
"Not a thing." Her chin rose another fraction of an inch. "But you're not giving me a choice. So I assume we're having dinner in jail?"
"I'm not arresting you. You have a choice. But I have some questions for you, and it would be more comfortable somewhere besides this gym."
"I'm perfectly comfortable here."
The door opened, and a man stuck his head in the door. "You about finished her, Ms. Taylor? Jerry wants to clean the gym so he can go home."
The man's smile held a hint of hostility. Donovan narrowed his eyes. Who was this guy?
A muscle clenched in Raine's jaw, as if she was struggling to hold back her response. Finally she said, "I'll be done in a second, Denny."
Denny's gaze switched between him and Raine. The guy scowled. "I'll tell Jerry." The door slammed shut behind him.
"Who was that and what's his problem?" Connor asked.
"That's Denny Hoyer. The principal."
"And his problem is...?"
She didn't answer.
So there was a story. He wondered what it was. "I guess we're leaving, then. So Jerry can clean."
Her green eyes were stormy. "Don't have a choice, do I?"
"Would you be happier about it if I said 'pretty please'?"
She stared him down. "Is that what you say before you arrest someone? Pretty please put your hands behind your back?"
He clenched his teeth. "I'm not arresting you, Raine." His voice had risen, and he swallowed hard. "Get your stuff so we can go. Jerry's waiting."
"Jerry's happy to get the overtime."
So why was the principal harassing her? Budget concerns? Or something else? He made a mental note to ask her about it.
She bent over and began to pull on her socks and shoes. It was a shame to hide those sexy red toenails. But he liked the multi-colored socks and the blue Chucks. He'd only see her in her tae kwon do uniform. He wondered what the rest of her wardrobe looked like.
"Since you're apparently giving me a choice between having coffee with you and going somewhere more...official, I'll have coffee." She tossed the words over her shoulder without looking at him. But her fingers fumbled with the laces of her shoes. "I'm not happy about it, though."
"Raine." Was she always this prickly? Or was she hiding something about the prowler business? His cop instincts kicked in. Maybe the tiny bits of information he'd found about her were significant. "We can talk wherever you want. Up to you." His cock twitched as he studied the curve of her ass in those white pants. "I want to clear up a few things so we can put this behind us."
She stood up and faced him. Her gaze lingered on his left side, where the bulge of his gun was visible beneath his jacket. "There is no us, Detective. I don't get involved with cops." She slung an athletic bag over her shoulder. "I need to change my clothes. If you're in a hurry, don't wait. I'm sure your questions aren't life and death."
He watched her all the way to the door that said 'Girls'. The sway of her hips made him want to slide his hands along them, cup her ass in his palms. By the time she disappeared into the rest room, his cock was at full alert.
He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. He needed to dial it down and focus on the information he'd found today. She was too quick, too smart. He couldn't be distracted.
She was up to something, and he'd figure out what it was. He wouldn't let his cock control him. Just because he wanted her didn't mean he trusted her.
Ever since his former captain had been arrested for taking bribes, Connor trusted no one but his family and closest friends. And a woman he'd found lurking in front of a house at three a.m.?
Trust quotient was non-existent.
It took her more than ten minutes to change her clothes. Did she think he'd get tired of waiting and take off? He shoved his hands into his pockets. She'd learn that he was relentless when he wanted something.
He wanted her. And he'd seen the way her pupils had dilated yesterday when he was close. He'd noticed the fine trembling of her fingers. He'd bet money that she wanted him, too.
Wanting was fine. Wanting could be lots of fun. Needing? No.
It would be a long time before he let himself need anyone. The last person Connor had trusted completely, the last person he'd needed, had betrayed not only him, but every police officer in the district. Anderson had taken money to protect criminals. Their captain had endangered every cop who worked for him.
He'd learned a valuable lesson from Captain Anderson. He might want Raine, but he wouldn't need her. Wouldn't trust her.
When Raine finally emerged from the rest room, she wore olive green pants, a white blouse and a black sweater and carried a black jacket over her arm. She paused in the doorway when she saw him. The door bumped into her as it closed, nudging her a step forward.
For the first time since he met her, she looked like a teacher. Her conservative clothes would be suitable for an accountant. A nameless manager in a big corporation. Any anonymous office worker doing an anonymous, boring job. His gaze slid to the blue Chucks. Maybe not completely boring.
She might have to dress that way in school. But he'd bet big money that on her own tim
e, her clothes were a lot more colorful. That they matched the quirkiness, the jingle of her shoes and socks.
He looked forward to finding out.
"You're still here." She had expected him to leave.
"Yeah. I don't lose interest that quickly."
"Good to know, Detective." Her gaze told him she was equally focused. Probably equally stubborn, as well.
The athletic bag had been replaced by a tan purse-like thing. Papers stuck out of the top. Homework? Maybe she had had plans tonight. He didn't feel guilty at all about delaying those plans.
"Where are we going?" Her hand tightened on the strap of her bag. "I'll follow you."
She'd never agree to ride with him – she wouldn't put herself in his power. He smiled. He looked forward to dueling with Raine Taylor. "There's a cafe a few blocks from here on Addison. The Flower Pot."
"I know where it is. I'll see you there."
***
Connor lounged in the corner booth of the cafe, a mug of coffee in front of him, watching the front door. Would she show up? Or was taking her own car an excuse to stand him up?
When the bell over the door jingled, his heart sped up. The coffee in his mug swirled up to the lip when he put it down too hard.
It wasn't his teacher.
No. She wasn't his. Not in any sense of the word. Even though he wanted her to be.
Dial it down, Donovan. He had questions to ask her. Legitimate questions about the call he'd answered last night and her presence outside that house.
About the facts he'd found this morning.
Those questions had nothing to do with the hours he'd spent tossing and turning last night after he'd finally gotten to bed. Hours he'd spent thinking about her.
The bell over the door chimed again, and Raine walked in. Her eyes scanned the cafe until she found him. Their gazes locked for a long moment, then she strode toward him.
"Sorry it took so long. Couldn't find a place to park." She shrugged out of her jacket and tossed it on the seat beside her.
Before he could respond, the waitress strolled over. "Something to drink?"
"Hot tea, please."
Raine folded her hands on the table in front of her. "So. What did you want to talk about?"
"You're direct." He slouched back against the blue vinyl cushion. "I like that."
Raine cocked her head. "It works well with middle school kids."
"Implying I act like a middle-schooler?"
"Hardly." She nodded her thanks to the waitress, who set down a small china teapot and a box full of tea bags. Raine took her time making her selection, then tore open the wrapper and dropped it into the hot water. "Middle school kids aren't nearly as annoying as you are, Detective Donovan."
"My name's Connor."
"I thought you had something you wanted to talk to me about. Something official."
"I do."
"Then it's Detective Donovan." She dropped in the tea bag, then set the lid on the pot.
Before they left this cafe, she'd say his name. "Okay. Business." He cupped the mug in his hands and let the warmth soak in. "A few things about last night. After the call about the prowler came in, it took me several minutes to get to the address. If you were just jogging, why were you still there, almost five minutes later? Do you tie your shoelaces in some complicated knot?"
She raised one eyebrow, lifted the lid of her teapot and dunked the bag a couple times. To give her time to come up with an answer?
"I never said I was there for five minutes." The lid dropped with a quiet clink and she folded her hands on the table. "It took me thirty seconds, tops, to re-tie my shoe. Your prowler must have already left."
"I didn't see you running when I drove down the street."
"I was wearing black. Which you know, since you still have my hoodie."
A chink in her armor. "Why is that hoodie so important to you?"
She poured tea into her cup and lifted it. She stared at the tea as if looking for answers in the dark liquid, then slowly lifted her head. "My sister gave it to me."
For a moment, pain and sorrow filled her eyes. She took a drink, her hand trembling. When she set the cup down, though, she did it silently. She'd stilled her hands. And when she looked at him, her gaze was steady. Clear. All the emotions he'd seen a moment ago were gone.
"I'll get it back to you," he said gruffly.
"Thank you. I'd appreciate that." She pushed the tea away. "Was that all you wanted to ask me, Detective?"
"No." He needed to press his advantage, but the pain in her eyes made him regret it. He swallowed. "I did some research on the guy who called in the prowler complaint. Name's Peter Northrup." He hesitated, and her gaze slanted away from him. "Does it ring a bell?"
She shrugged. "Maybe. It's a common enough name. But I have no specific recollection of it."
No specific recollection. She sounded like she'd been coached by a damn lawyer. "How about if I tell you his wife was murdered six months ago? Eugenia Northrup, nee Sawyer."
"Sounds like a tragedy." She still wouldn't meet his eyes. But her hand tightened around her mug.
Yeah, Raine recognized that name. He'd talk to Northrup tonight. "Here's the interesting thing." Connor leaned forward, studying the woman sitting so still across from him. "She went to Edison Park Elementary school. Same school you went to."
She took another sip of tea, then lifted her gaze to him. Her eyes were clear. "She wasn't in my grade."
"I know. She was three years behind you. Did you know her?"
Raine shrugged again. "I barely remember most of the kids in my grade, let alone the younger ones." She raised one eyebrow. "How many kids do you remember who were three years behind you in grade school?"
He watched her eyes. "My brother is three years younger than me. I remember the kids in his class."
"You have a good memory." She held his gaze, and she didn't flinch. As if she really didn't remember Eugenia Sawyer. He was betting otherwise.
"Here's another interesting thing. Both you and Eugenia left school at the end of the same school year. And I couldn't find school records for either of you after that."
"A lot of executives live in Edison Park. The kind that get transferred every couple of years. Maybe she moved to a different state."
Raine didn't say anything about herself. "What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Where did you go?"
"To a different school."
"Want to tell me where it was?"
She set her cup down in the saucer with a tiny clang. "I don't think that's any of your business, Detective."
"I'll find out eventually."
"So why would I want to spoil your fun by telling you?"
He settled against the seat again, admiring her cool composure. In his experience, people who'd committed a crime squirmed in their seat. Didn't meet his eyes. Tried to direct conversation in a different direction.
Raine did none of those things. She sat straight on the bench, drank her tea, and answered his questions. Most of them, anyway. For a lot of cops, that would make her look innocent.
He wasn't most cops. Lies of omission were still lies.
He would keep digging.
Their waitress came over with a coffee pot, and he nodded. By the time the teen-ager had poured his coffee, Raine had looped her bag over her shoulder.
"I need to go," she said. "As I told you, I have plans."
"Stay another few minutes," he said. "Please," he added as she began to slide out of the booth.
"Did you have more questions, Detective?"
"A few. And they have nothing to do with what happened the other night."
She raised her eyebrows, but she didn't put the bag back on the seat.
"Tell me about your team. A group of girls competing in tae kwon do for an elementary school is unusual. Why did you start the team? And how did you get Captain...the precinct to fund it for you?"
She stared at him for a long minute, her gaze a
ssessing. He suspected she hadn't missed his hesitation about Anderson.
He needed to get past it. Anderson wasn't his captain anymore. The guy was going to prison. He'd pay for what he'd done.
Connor wouldn't forget the lesson he'd learned, though. Don't trust anyone besides your family. Everyone has a hidden agenda.
Including Raine. That much was clear from the dodging she'd done.
Didn't stop him from wanting her, though.
He put his arms on the table and leaned close enough to get a whiff of her scent. "This has nothing to do with the prowler thing. I asked my questions, you answered, that's done." For now. "I'm interested."
"Alex handled the funding for the team," she finally said. "I met Captain Anderson once or twice, but that was it." She moved her cup an inch to the left. "I'm guessing Alex hit everybody up for donations."
"Yeah." Connor rolled his shoulders and forced himself to relax. "We all ponied up. Jennings probably tapped into our fund for neighborhood projects, too. Your program is exactly what the mucky-mucks down at headquarters like to support."
He took another sip of coffee. "What made you start the team?"
Raine pushed her tea cup to the side and folded her hands, as if preparing to recite a prepared script. "There are gangs in our neighborhood. Not a lot of them, but they're around. Too many kids get sucked into a gang because they don't have anything else, girls included. I thought the team might be an alternative." She swallowed and looked away. "I want them to be self-confident. Strong." Her breath shuddered out. "I want them to be able to be in a...walk down the street and know they can defend themselves."
Connor's interest sharpened. Had she been about to say 'be in a relationship'? It had sounded personal. He wanted to ask her about it.
Instead, he asked, "How long have you been doing tae kwon do?"
Her shoulders relaxed. "I started in college. There were posters about a club, and it sounded interesting." She smiled, her gaze faraway. "I stuck with it."
She was twenty-seven, so she'd been practicing tae kwon do for almost ten years. "Jennings said he met you at a match. Do you still compete?"
Trust Me (The Donovan Family Book 4) Page 3