by Dawn Altieri
Ice flooded Jake’s veins, and the hair on the back of his neck stood at attention. He paused the video feed to catch his breath, gripped his paper coffee cup hard enough to make a dent. This was the guy. He was certain of it. He’d never had such a visceral reaction to a suspect before. This was the man who had murdered two women.
This was the man who was after Emma.
Jake’s emotions had no place here. He couldn’t afford to make this personal—to imagine this bastard with his hands on Emma—but that was exactly what he was doing right now. That was never going to happen.
The suspect’s back faced the camera, which was angled toward the victim from a corner behind the bar. He wore a dark T-shirt and a Yankees baseball cap. Jake couldn’t discern much else. He clicked through the footage frame by frame until he found a few screen shots that might work to ID the guy, but probably wouldn’t. None of them clearly showed his face. Between the darkness, the bright strobe lights, and the baseball cap pulled low on his forehead, the man wouldn’t be easily recognizable. But it was a start.
Chapter Nineteen
Emma opened the door to her apartment later that evening to let Jake in. He’d insisted on accompanying her to dinner with Ben and Rachel, saying she shouldn’t be out alone, even though she wouldn’t have been. Still, she hadn’t put up much of a fight. Now to squelch the voice in her head begging her to believe this was a date.
He took one look at her periwinkle wrap dress and broke into an appreciative smile. “You look amazing.”
He was dressed in jeans, a light-blue dress shirt, and a charcoal-gray sport coat, similar to the night she’d first met him and just as sexy. “Not too shabby, yourself.”
He gestured toward the living room. “Before we go, I have some images I need you to take a look at.”
“Okay.” She braced herself as he led her to the sofa, pulled his phone from the pocket of his jeans, and swiped his fingers across the screen until he found what he needed to show her.
“This is Sarah Goldberg”—he zoomed in on the image—“and that’s the guy she was last seen with.”
Emma leaned closer and scrutinized the picture.
“Does he look familiar at all? His build, his clothes, the hat?”
Her shoulders slumped as she shook her head. “No. I mean, it’s New York City. Everybody has that hat.”
Jake scrolled through a few more photos showing slightly different angles. “Anything?”
None of the images were any better than the first. “No. I don’t recognize him.”
“Emma, I know these pictures aren’t great, but I need you to really look at them. This is most likely someone you know. You understand that, right?”
“I know. I’m trying,” she said on a groan, “but I just don’t know who that is.”
The angry muscle in his jaw twitched, but he nodded in acceptance. “We’re releasing the images to the media tonight. They’ll be on the evening news and in all the papers tomorrow. Hopefully, someone will come forward.” He dropped a hand to her knee and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze that probably wasn’t meant to send lightning up her thigh but had the effect all the same. “Ready to go?”
“Sure.”
Moments later, her Manolos echoed throughout the cement confines of the parking garage below the apartment building as they strode toward Justin’s black Mercedes. Ben had finally gotten all the paperwork finished to transfer the car into his name, and when he insisted she have dinner with him and his sister, Emma had agreed. She hadn’t seen Rachel in weeks, and she hoped spending time with her friends would bring back the sense of normalcy that had been stolen from her since the attack.
But there was nothing normal about the disarmingly sexy detective at her side.
She needed safe and secure, but Jake’s life was dangerous and unpredictable. She wanted warm and nurturing, but he was a detached and unemotional cop. At least that’s what she wanted to believe, to keep her hormones at bay. Unfortunately, little by little, he’d been dashing all her expectations.
He let out a low whistle as the car came into view. “S-Class, huh?”
“Yup.” A totally useless S-Class, as far as she was concerned. Justin often left the city on business, so for him, having the car had made sense. Now it was just another item on a long list of things that had become hers the day he died. A long list of things she didn’t need.
“Ever look into selling it?” Jake asked as he stalked around the vehicle, sizing it up. “A Mercedes S-Class is worth a lot of money.”
She fell silent until he faced her again. “It was never about the money,” she said.
His expression sank into a look of apology. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
He stood before her, effortlessly handsome with his dark hair gleaming beneath the fluorescent lights of the parking garage, frustrating and exciting her at the same time.
She sighed heavily. “I know you didn’t. You’re right. It is worth a lot of money, and maybe I shouldn’t just give it away, but he’s Justin’s brother, and I really don’t care about the money. Is that crazy?”
“No, it’s not crazy. I’d say it’s a sign you’re ready to let some stuff go. I think it’s healthy.” He glanced at the car again. “I guess it’s a guy thing. I’d love to get my hands on a car like this. It’s hard to imagine giving one away.”
She should’ve given it away long ago. Having been raised by a woman who felt the need to latch onto one wealthy boyfriend after another to make ends meet, owning a car worth so much money seemed absurd. There was a lot about Emma’s life these days that didn’t make sense. Getting rid of the car would be a step toward fixing that.
She held the keys out toward Jake. “Would you like to drive?”
His expression brightened. “You wouldn’t mind?”
“Not at all.”
He could barely contain his boyish grin as he opened the passenger side door for her, and she climbed in and waited for him to take his seat and start the engine. The familiar strains of a saxophone filled the air—a jazz station Justin loved that she’d never particularly enjoyed. She switched off the stereo.
Jake made his way through the city streets toward Le Petit Paris, a French bistro Justin’s family visited often. A comfortable silence filled the car until Jake broke it. “At some point, I need to talk to Ben.”
“About what?”
“Standard stuff. Where he was when the crimes were committed, that sort of thing.”
She snapped her head toward him as an uneasy laugh burst from her lips. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.” He met her gaze across the console. “If for no other reason than to rule him out.”
“Rule him out? Just the idea of that is insane.”
“You’re sure?” His eyes remained fixed on the road. “He’s never shown any interest in you?”
“No,” she said with a gasp. “I mean, for some reason, he had a crush on me when I first started dating Justin. Justin used to tease him all the time. But that was so long ago. He can have any woman he wants now.”
Jake slowed the car to a stop at a red light. “For some reason?” She glimpsed his face in the glow of the streetlight above them as he turned to her. “You’re a beautiful, intelligent woman, Emma. I can understand why he had a crush on you.”
Her breath caught. He couldn’t mean what she thought he did. Despite their obvious chemistry, she’d be a fool to believe he meant he had a crush on her.
He located an empty parking spot around the corner from the restaurant and maneuvered into it before he cut the engine and came around to open her door.
“Benjamin Windsor does not have a crush on me,” she insisted as she stepped from the car and stood before Jake. “We’re friends. Good friends.”
“No,” Jake said with a shake of his head. “You can’t be friends with a guy who’s trying to get
in your pants.”
She gave her eyes a dramatic roll. “What about you, Detective?” She knew she’d regret what she was about to ask. “You’ve already gotten in my pants. Can’t we be friends?”
“Of course we can.” He stepped closer, cutting off her ability to breathe. Raw heat radiated off him, from the powerful set of his shoulders to the sense of mischief in his crystal-blue eyes. “I’m a law enforcement officer, and you’re a potential witness in a murder investigation. I had every intention of remaining the consummate professional until you attempted to seduce me. But that won’t happen again.”
The possibility sent a tingle through her body. “Damn,” she teased. “That’s a shame.”
A pulse point throbbed at the side of his neck, matching the frantic rhythm of her own. “It is, isn’t it?” he murmured. Her quick, shallow breaths did nothing to stop his fresh, masculine scent from overwhelming her as he moved closer still. “But I won’t lie and say it isn’t all I’ve thought about since I first got my hands on you.”
Her jaw dropped, and her cheeks flushed. She’d thought about it, too—much more than she should have. Thought about the way electricity shot through her every time he touched her, thought about the way he’d driven her crazy on the kitchen countertop until she was ready to beg him to take things further. But something was different now. This moment held the promise of something more. A promise to make her feel things she’d never felt, want things she’d never wanted.
A promise to prove everything she’d assumed about him had been wrong.
But she couldn’t think about all that now, not with Rachel and Ben waiting for her inside the restaurant.
Jake stepped back, putting some much-needed distance between them, whether she wanted it or not. “Just be careful with Ben, okay? With everyone.” Still reeling from his intensity, she flinched when he took her hand in his and started down the sidewalk. “Maybe I’m being hypersensitive about this because of all the lowlifes I deal with every day, but I don’t trust anyone.”
He kept his hand wrapped around hers, as though it was the most natural thing in the world between a detective and the witness he was protecting. But when they reached the restaurant and he opened the door, she pulled her fingers from his grip, careful not to let her friends see. No need to raise questions to which she had no answers. There was always the chance Ben was right. Despite Jake’s claim of remaining professional, maybe he really was only looking to get his rocks off.
She spotted Rachel and Ben at the bar and made her way toward them.
Rachel jumped from her seat to give Emma a warm hug. “Em, it’s so good to see you.” The pretty, petite blonde spun Emma in a circle for a full view. “You look fantastic.”
“You, too, Rache,” Emma said, stepping back to take a good look at her friend. Seeing her again felt like a homecoming, of sorts, after the stress of recent days. Rachel was only a few months younger than Emma, and she’d become the sister Emma’d always wished she had. She gestured toward the man at her side, the one who’d just stolen her breath mere moments ago with his suggestive remarks out on the sidewalk. Her cheeks warmed with a blush she hoped they wouldn’t notice. “You remember Jake, don’t you?”
“I do.”
Earlier in the day, Emma had filled Rachel in on everything, from the attack outside her apartment and her reconnection with the admittedly sexy detective, to the recent murders and Jake’s self-proclaimed role as her bodyguard for the evening. It had been a long phone call.
Jake extended a hand, which Rachel quickly accepted. “Rachel, pleasure to see you again,” he said, full of warmth and charm.
“Pleasure’s all mine,” Rachel replied, gushing as though she’d forgotten how good-looking he was. “Although, I must say, I wish it were under happier circumstances. We seem to have a bad habit of only meeting in the middle of a crisis.”
Jake nodded knowingly with a reserved smile before he faced the man seated next to Rachel at the bar. “Ben.”
“Hello, Detective.” He stood and shook Jake’s hand before he turned and pulled Emma into a firm hug that squeezed the air from her lungs. “Em, looking ravishing, as always.” He kissed her cheek before he released her, sliding his gold-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose and dragging his eyes over her in an exaggerated leer.
Emma had always regarded their exchanges as simply his brand of juvenile humor. He had a certain immaturity about him, flirting tastelessly with her whenever he had a chance. But he didn’t still have a crush on her.
Did he…?
Behind her, Jake cleared his throat.
“We’re so glad you joined us, Detective,” Ben said. “Rachel and I would love to get to know the man who’s watching over our Emma.”
“I don’t want to intrude.” Jake wrapped a proprietary arm around Emma and rubbed her shoulder. “I just wanted to make sure Emma got here safely.”
Emma turned to him. “You’re leaving?”
He lifted his brow as if he hadn’t expected her to want him to stay. “I can come back and bring you home later.”
“That won’t be necessary. She’s in good hands here.” Ben held up his usual tumbler of scotch. “Sure you can’t have just one drink before you go?”
Jake shook his head. “Need to stay clear. I have a ton of work down at the precinct.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. “Can you give me a call tomorrow? I have some questions regarding the investigation. It’ll only take a few minutes.”
“Yeah, sure. Anything I can do to help.” Ben paused, eyeing Jake up and down. “Well, don’t let us keep you. We know how much Emma’s counting on you to solve this case.” His sarcasm was barely hidden.
“You’ll get her home safely?” Jake asked.
“Absolutely.”
Jake nodded his thanks in Ben’s direction before he faced Emma once more. “Call me if you need anything,” he said, his voice low and deep. “Anything.” He laid his hand on her arm. “And let me know when you’re home safe.”
“I will.”
After Jake left, dinner was a pleasant enough affair, though Emma was ready to leave before the waitress even offered dessert. All she wanted to do was hand off Justin’s car to Ben, go home to her bed, and torture herself wondering about Jake’s earlier words and his reasons for leaving so suddenly.
She and Rachel said their goodbyes outside the restaurant, and Rachel hopped into a cab idling at the curb. A chill had settled into the night air. Emma closed her cardigan across her chest to fend it off.
“Cold?” Ben asked, slipping out of his gray suit jacket.
She raised a hand to prevent him from draping it over her shoulders. “Thanks, but the car’s just around the corner.” She dropped the keys into his palm.
“Actually, I was hoping we could talk for a minute.” He attempted to wrap her in the jacket again, and this time she relented. “What’s going on with the cop?”
She narrowed her eyes in question. “You mean Jake?”
He nodded. “I don’t trust him at all.”
“Why? He’s watching out for me since no one knows how long it’s going to take for all this to be over. If you got to know him, I think the two of you could actually be friends.”
Ben snorted. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe we could go catch a Yankees game and grab a beer together. Somehow, I don’t see that happening.”
She threw him an irritated frown.
“Rachel told me about your conversation earlier today. You really think dating him is the best idea?”
She drew back. Of all the people to be offering her relationship advice… “I don’t know what she told you, but I’m not dating him.”
“Well, she seemed to think you were interested in the possibility, and I’m not blind, Em. He’s very handsy with you, don’t you think? Isn’t that against some sort of ethics rules or something?”
/>
Unbelievable. She would have expected this response from Justin’s reserved mother or his by-the-book father. But Ben? Ben didn’t know the meaning of rules.
“I mean, seriously,” he went on evenly. “A detective going after the fiancée of a murder victim whose case he couldn’t even solve?”
“He’s not going after me. And Justin wasn’t technically murdered.”
“Call it what you want. I see the way he looks at you. What’s in it for him? Is this his way of redeeming himself for not finding the guy who killed Justin? Make things up to the widow by sleeping with her?”
Emma gasped. The shock of Ben’s indifference over his brother’s death hit her like a fist to the stomach. “I’m not sleeping with him. What on earth did Rachel tell you?”
He shrugged. “You know I worry about you. Especially now, with everything that’s going on. Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable dating someone in your own circle?”
“What is that supposed to mean?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “I should only date guys I already know? That’s going to narrow the pool considerably.”
He gripped her elbow. “You know what I’m trying to say.”
Her gaze dropped to his fingers where they held her arm. What the hell was he doing? “No, I don’t think I do. At least I hope I don’t.”
“Come on, Em. You and I always got along great, right?”
She shook her head and stumbled back a step, breaking his hold on her. “Stop. Just stop. Don’t you realize how completely inappropriate you’re being?”
“When have you ever known me to be appropriate?” he said with a snicker. “It’s because of the cop, isn’t it?”
“This has nothing to do with Jake. Justin was your brother.”
“I’m well aware of who Justin was. And I always wondered how the hell he ended up with you.” He reached for her again.
“No.” She took another step back, sending the suit jacket tumbling from her shoulders. “You can’t be serious.”
“Think about it, Em.” He bent to lift the jacket off the ground, running his hand down the fabric to dust it off. “Think about what we could have. This could finally be our chance.”