by Sylvia Day
“Saved by the bell,” he said roughly.
Darcy spoke with her lips against his. “Later. We’ll finish this later.”
“I’m counting the seconds.”
DARCY SET COFFEE to brewing while Jared showered, then turned her attention to the files on the arsons that lay on the dining room table. At some point during the night, he must have gone out to her car to retrieve them. She wondered what conclusions he’d drawn, if any, and if he had any theories or questions she might help him with.
The shower turned off, leaving a sudden void as the noisy pipes quieted. In the ensuing silence, she could almost hear her body humming. She felt strangely energized and exhausted, content and apprehensive. In less than a day, Jared had found a loose thread in her life and he was slowly pulling it, unraveling her at the seams. She didn’t see how she would be able to continue the searingly intimate sexual exploration they were engaging in without becoming attached to it.
Already she craved him. Picturing an addiction to him wasn’t that big of a leap.
“I’d kill to have some of that coffee I smell,” he said, entering the kitchen with damp hair and nothing but his jeans on.
She drank him in, resisting the urge to run her fingers through the light dusting of hair on his chest. Truth be told, she couldn’t stop her mind from imagining her tongue tracing the line of his happy trail from his navel to his cock below. Her mouth watered with the desire to lick and suck him to orgasm, to fully own his pleasure when he came. And her proprietary feelings extended beyond that to encompass the whole of him.
“Stop looking at me like that,” he said sharply. “You’re making my dick hard.”
“Stop teasing me with your rockin’ body,” she shot back, stung and frightened by the sting, which hinted that she might be in too deep with him already. “How would you like it if I walked around topless all the time?”
He scowled. “I’d love it and you know it, but we have shit to do besides fuck each other’s brains out. I need you to give me a break.”
“You’re one to talk,” she muttered under her breath, turning toward the coffeemaker. He was irascible, grumpy, and rude as a rule. But that was part of his charm. Even if his gruffness did rub her raw at times. “How do you take your coffee?”
“Black.”
Darcy pulled a mug out of the cupboard. She felt him come up behind her, then closed her eyes as he nuzzled his way past her ponytail to her nape. His arms came around her and she tensed, fighting to keep the tremors she felt on the inside from being discernible on the outside.
His embrace tightened and he spoke roughly. “I’m sorry.”
Reaching for the carafe, she took a deep slow breath. “Nothing to be sorry about.”
“Bullshit. I can’t take it out on you when it’s my own damn self I can’t seem to control. We’re on fire for each other. Keeping that in check is going to take work and some concessions. I hate putting clothes on when my skin’s damp, but I’ll get over it.”
“Okay.”
His teeth bit lightly into the muscle between her shoulder and neck, a primal possessive gesture that sent an unwanted thrill of awareness through her. “I love the way you look at me, Darcy. Like you want to eat me alive. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just inconvenient.”
She slid the full mug to the side. “I’ll work on looking elsewhere. Here you go.”
Jared didn’t move for a minute, then he released her with a muttered curse. He left the kitchen, and she took the breather to give herself a mental kick in the ass. She straightened when he returned, moving away and toward the living room as he passed her on his way toward the coffee she’d poured him.
They needed some distance from each other. They hadn’t had any since they’d met and that was a mistake.
“Don’t you dare walk out of this room,” he said in a voice too even to be anything but dangerous.
“It’s my house.”
“And if I’ve worn out my welcome, you’ll look me in the eye and say so.”
Pausing by the dining table, Darcy faced him, feeling grateful that she wore her uniform, which gave her the look of having her shit together even if she didn’t. Jared had put his shirt on. He was now leaning with his hip against the counter and his legs crossed at the ankle. The leisurely pose didn’t fool her for a minute. He was coiled tight. Watchful. Ready.
She hit him with something certain to give him pause. “I’m feeling fragile this morning.”
One arm crossed his chest; the other lifted his mug to his lips. He swallowed and nodded. “I’m a bit raw myself.”
His confession made her feel better and she managed a smile. “I was thinking maybe it would be a good idea for you to work with Jim today. I’ll see what I can do to help your partner and Miller. We can sleep off some of the hormones…pheromones…whatever, separately, and see how things look tomorrow.”
There was a long stretch of silence, then, “I’ll agree to the break, but it would be best for everyone if I didn’t see Ralston again.”
“He’s damn good at his job. He trained me.”
“He could be the best damn fire inspector in the country; that won’t stop me from laying him out cold if he tries that territorial bullshit again.”
“He had no way of knowing we’d made arrangements to hook up,” she argued. “He was just trying to be a good friend, which is all he’s been for the last couple of years.”
Jared took another sip, his gaze locked with hers over the lip of the mug. “I’m a trained observer, Darcy. So is he. We both got the measure of each other from the first. He knew I was stepping in, and he pushed a little to try and put me in my place. He pushes again and I’m pounding him back.”
Her anger spiked. “I don’t need this right now. I don’t have anything to give you. I’m all tapped out. You were just supposed to be a vibrator that didn’t need batteries.”
His eyes were as hard and beautiful as sapphires. “And you were just supposed to be a hot piece of ass. Instead, this is getting messy. Deal with it. I want you and I can’t turn it off. And when I’m touching you, I don’t want to turn it off, and you don’t want me to, either. If you’re hoping to shut us down with some distance, I’ll roll with it just to prove you wrong, but we’ll be back at each other in no time.”
“It won’t work out.”
“I’m not taking your word for it. I’ll see for myself.” He finished his coffee and refilled his mug. “I need to change into fresh clothes and grab some things from the motel. Then I want to head out to the other two scenes. I’d prefer it if you’d take me, but if you’re opposed to that, I’ll work something else out.”
“Opposed,” she repeated, laughing without humor. “If only.”
“We’re in the same boat. If it sinks, we go together.”
She stood and mentally dusted herself off. “Do you need to eat?”
“Not yet.”
“Okay, then. I’m ready to go when you are.”
chapter seven
Trish was just leaving the motel when Darcy pulled her BMW into a spot in front of Jared’s ground-floor room. He climbed out and met his partner at the curb.
“Hey,” he greeted her, frowning at her obvious agitation. “What’s up?”
“Miller is champing at the bit to hold a press conference. He thinks if we put the heat on the arsonist, he’ll move on.”
“Genius,” Jared muttered. “Make our torch someone else’s problem.”
“I reminded him—firmly—that this is our case and we’ll decide how to proceed.” Her pretty face was hard and her choice of attire betrayed her determination to establish her control of the situation. Usually a jeans and blouse sort of gal, she was wearing slacks and a blazer today.
“How well does he listen?”
She shrugged with a wry smile. “Well, he called me to give me a heads-up. That’s something, at least. I’m going to head into the station and keep an eye on him. You heading out to the other two sites?”
“Yes
. I’ve got the inspector’s files for you to run through while I’m out. You’ll find she’s very thorough.” He glanced at Darcy and gestured for her to join them. “We also need to follow up on the vacation homes. There’s a steady stream of seasonal residents and rental transients running through the town. The full-time residents aren’t the only ones who know the ins and outs of the area.”
“I like your jeans, by the way,” Trish said, as Darcy unfolded from behind the wheel. “They looked good on you yesterday, too.”
He shot her a withering glance, to which she laughed. When Darcy came up beside him, he introduced the two.
“Can you pass the files on to Morales while I get what I need?” He moved on without waiting for an answer.
Entering his room, Jared unzipped his as-yet unpacked suitcase and pulled out a change of clothes. When he was done, he grabbed his laptop case and the sunglasses he’d left on the dresser the day before, then headed back out to the parking lot. He found Darcy and Trish standing with their heads bent over the front end of the Marshals Service’s SUV he’d driven to Lion’s Bay, discussing a file they had spread open on the hood.
Darcy glanced up when his room door shut. The way she looked at him was like a physical caress, and his heartbeat quickened. Her feminine hunger was a drug he couldn’t quit. Even knowing it was fucking him up, he couldn’t stay away.
Trish straightened, frowning at him. “I’ll be interested in hearing your thoughts when you get through surveying all three scenes. On paper, I’m missing the connection. I find it odd that the subject would be so meticulous in his timing and the creation of the incendiary devices, and yet so random in his location choices.”
“Join the club.” Jared pushed his shades onto his face. “Once we find the connection, we’ll crack this case wide open.”
Darcy said good-bye and moved back to her car. He was right behind her. They headed to the fire station to change vehicles. It was just Jared’s luck that the guy he least wanted to see approached Darcy the moment they entered the building.
“You didn’t have to come in on your day off,” Ralston said as she searched the rack on the wall for the keys to the department’s truck. “I can help Deputy Cameron with whatever he needs.”
Jared smiled grimly. The easiest card Darcy could have played to gain some distance was one she hadn’t used—she wasn’t working today. He took it as a good sign, as far as signs went.
“Actually, Inspector,” Jared replied, “we could use your help reining Sheriff Miller in. He’s pushing for a press conference, which will either feed the ego of our subject, run him off, or both.”
Ralston sighed. “The last thing we need is media scrutiny. We’d never get anything done. We know that all too well. Don’t we, Darcy?”
“He’ll listen to you, Jim. You have a way with people.”
“Chris will listen to you, too. He’s still got a soft spot for you. Don’t suppose you noticed that he keeps a picture from prom in his office.”
“Oh, God. I didn’t want to know that. I’m going to take Deputy Cameron up to the Animal Friends site, then back around to the Sweet Spot.”
Stepping closer, Ralston lowered his voice and said, “Let me take care of the one for you. You shouldn’t have to go up there again.”
She exhaled harshly. “It’s okay. You’ve got to deal with Miller, and Deputies Cameron and Morales need to make as much progress as possible before we have another blaze. The sooner we get through the sites, the better. I’ll be all right.”
“You keep saying that, darlin’, but sayin’ it doesn’t make it so.”
Jared took a step forward, reminding the other man that he was there. He did nothing overt, didn’t reach out to Darcy or make any proprietary moves. He didn’t have to. The look he shot the inspector said it all and more—evolution hadn’t altered the silent communication between males.
Ralston sized him up again. There was no challenge in the once-over he gave Jared. Just quiet, calm curiosity.
“I can do this,” Darcy said, oblivious to the exchange taking place over her head. “I probably need to.”
Ralston glanced at her again. “Okay. I just don’t want you pushing yourself into something you might not be ready for.”
She responded with more assurances, then asked, “Do you know where the truck keys are?”
“Mitch had it around back, giving it a wash.”
They went to collect the truck, with Darcy explaining that aside from two trained EMTs on payroll, the other firemen were local volunteers. “Mitch Quinn is one of the most active,” she said as they rounded the corner and found a trim blond man in dark blue uniform drying off the pickup. “I’m hoping he’ll get a permanent position if the city ever approves a budget increase. He deserves it.”
She made quick introductions, then hopped in the cab, raring to go. They cleared the town quickly, then turned off the coastal highway and began climbing into the wooded area that scaled one end of the U-shaped ridge of hills that hugged Lion’s Bay to the ocean. Darcy’s knuckles turned white on the steering wheel and her lips thinned. Mentally, she drifted away from him, became lost in some thought or memory that absorbed all of her vitality.
“Tell me about this place we’re going to,” he said, engaging her because he wanted her with him. Wanted to be there for her, with her, while she dealt with whatever she was struggling with.
She jolted as if the sound of his voice had startled her. Looking at him, she revealed green eyes that were stark and lost. “What?”
“Your impressions of the animal shelter. Any thoughts you might have about its selection. What you know of its history.”
“Oh. Right.” She slowly came back to him, exhaling her tension in a rush. “The shelter was built with funds provided by the Darmody family, who’ve owned the land up here for three generations. Lucy Darmody spearheaded the project in response to teasing from her family that she was turning her house into a zoo, due to her tendency to pick up stray, wounded, and unwanted animals. When she passed away, her children didn’t want the hassle of it, so they donated the equipment and planned on razing the building and kennels. Since then, it’s been tied up in litigation. They can’t agree on the best way to monetize the land.”
“How often do you come up here?”
“Not a lot.”
He studied her covertly from behind his shades. “But you used to.”
“Years ago. My dad is a vet and he used to donate one weekend a month to coming up here to spay and neuter. He conscripted me and Dani—my sister—into odd jobs whenever he could. That’s how Dani found out she loved the practice of veterinary medicine.”
“Too tame for you.”
She glanced at him. “Yes. I love animals, but it just wasn’t a vocation for me.”
“Where is she now?” Jared wanted to meet Danielle. He wanted to see Darcy with her sister, see the emotions and reactions she had to someone she loved and trusted.
“Near my parents.”
Why was Darcy still here? he wondered again. Without family ties, what was rooting her?
They pulled into a gravel parking lot riddled with weeds. At the end of the lot, charred cement block walls outlined the building that had once stood there. The kennels were obvious, the chain link and cement having weathered the fire well.
Darcy entered the building, her shoulders high and tight, the beam of illumination from a Maglite leading the way. “This was the main office. There wasn’t a whole lot left in here. Some built-in bookshelves and boxes of records for deceased pets. The boxes were moved into that corner there, with the incendiary device placed in the middle. We estimate the fire began sometime around ten in the evening.”
“And the unidentified witness called at quarter after. From Seattle.”
“With the timed delay, he could have set the stage and made the drive with time to spare.”
He glanced at her. “Where’s the fun in that?”
She stepped into a slender ray of light entering f
rom a hole in the ceiling and gave an approving nod. “Exactly. What pyromaniac doesn’t stick around to watch the show?”
“One who isn’t obsessed with fire,” Jared answered, which he knew was impossible.
“Then he’s not a pyro, is he?”
“I’m following. We’ve already noted that the materials used to build the structures our subject selected were not the most flammable choices.” Jared rested a hand on the butt of his gun. “What are some of the other reasons to start a fire? We talked about insurance payouts. Maybe revenge? Damn it, the incendiary devices are tripping us up. Like you said, they’re too sophisticated, too meticulously built.”
“Right. Someone loves them, loves working on them, loves imagining the destruction they’re going to cause.”
“So we’re back to a pyro who doesn’t get off on his own fires.” He stared at her. “What are you thinking?”
“That maybe what you said about Merkerson passing the baton to a protégé is spot-on. What if they’re working together, with Merkerson teaching the ropes, deliberately starting off with a small town and structures that are manageable?”
“A training ground.”
“Yeah.”
Jared’s mouth curved grimly. “I’m liking this.”
“It pulls more of the threads together.”
Impressed, he asked, “How long have you been thinking along these lines?”
She stepped deeper into the building. “Since the tip came in. How do you have a torch igniting a fire in one town and a tipster in another? Two people. Occam’s razor.”
“But you waited until the third fire to shout out for help?”
“It wasn’t my call.” Darcy opened a door that led outside, flooding the interior with dappled sunlight. “Then I made it my call.”
He followed. “I’m hung up on something.”
“You, too?”
“Those sophisticated time bombs you talked about—they’re better than they were back in the day. If it is Merkerson, he’s upped his game over the years. He’s been honing his weapons of destruction, modernizing them, which means he’s been somewhere he could acquire the tools and substances he needed.”