Her Deadly Secrets

by Griffin, Laura

“Bud’s Rib Combo, double coleslaw?” she asked.

  “That’s me.” Charlotte handed her a credit card as Diaz took out his phone.

  “Crap,” he muttered.

  “What?”

  “The sergeant wants us back. You got this, too.”

  “Does he say what it’s about?” Charlotte pulled out her phone to read the message.

  “No, but he’s also got McGrath on here, so I bet it’s about the Quinn case. I hope he didn’t croak in the hospital.”

  Charlotte skimmed the message, and her pulse picked up as she read the list of names. “Grant’s on here, too.”

  “Grant, the CSI guy?”

  “Yep.” She slid off her bar stool. “I think I know what this is about.”

  “What? And why are you smiling?”

  “I think we may have finally caught a break.”

  Jeremy answered his phone as he crossed the hotel lobby.

  “Where are you?” Erik asked.

  “Just starting my shift. Why?”

  “You’re at the hotel?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Meet me by the bar. I just did a walk-through with the security chief.”

  Jeremy checked his watch, annoyed. He didn’t want to talk to Erik right now. He wanted to talk to Kira. He hadn’t seen her since they’d parted ways at the police station, and she’d been looking pretty shaky.

  Erik stood beside the hotel bar, scrolling through messages on his phone.

  “How’d it go at the station?” he asked Jeremy.

  “Fine. No new leads from the security tapes.”

  “I heard. Listen, we talked to the hotel manager. They’ve approved two extra cameras for both the main driveway and the employee entrance to the property. Keith just got started installing them.”

  “I thought he was with Kira?”

  “Trent’s with her. There they are now.”

  Jeremy turned to see Kira crossing the lobby with Trent at her side. She caught Jeremy’s eye and changed directions. She wore workout gear and had a white towel around her neck, as though she’d just jumped off a treadmill.

  “Hey, you’re back,” she said.

  “I thought you were upstairs.”

  “I was getting antsy, so I decided to work out.”

  Jeremy shot Trent a look.

  “We were in the spin room,” Kira said. “It was empty. We had the place to ourselves.”

  Jeremy gazed down at her, swallowing all the words he wanted to say. Her cheeks were flushed from exertion, and her hair was damp.

  “Are you on tonight?” she asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “You want to come up with us?”

  “I’ll be up in a minute.”

  Her brow furrowed. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Okay, whatever.”

  She rolled her eyes and walked off with Trent, and Jeremy stared after them.

  “He scoped it out beforehand.”

  Jeremy looked at Erik. “What’s that?”

  “The fitness room.”

  Jeremy looked at his friend and realized his frustration must be written all over his face. So what if Trent had scoped it out ahead of time? Taking her down there at all was an unnecessary risk, and he never should have done it. Knowing Kira, she’d been determined to get her way and probably poured on the charm until he agreed.

  “You okay?” Erik asked.

  “No.” Jeremy blew out a sigh. “I heard they’re thinking of pulling us off,” he said, referring to Logan & Locke.

  “I heard that, too.”

  “That’s a bad plan.”

  “Yeah, well, the trial’s been postponed indefinitely. The defendant’s in the hospital.”

  “It’s not just about the trial,” Jeremy said. “That law clerk was killed because of something she saw or knew. She wasn’t involved in the trial, except tangentially. The same thing could happen to Kira.”

  Erik nodded. “You should take it up with Liam.”

  “I will.”

  “But the law firm’s paying the bills. Not much you can do if they’ve pulled the plug.”

  Jeremy’s gut clenched at the thought. Even if the trial never happened, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Kira might be in more danger than ever.

  He glanced at Erik, who was watching him with a wary look in his eyes. He knew where Jeremy’s head was. And Jeremy didn’t care. He didn’t care about much of anything right now except seeing this thing through.

  Which meant that—job or no job—he wasn’t going anywhere until the threat they were dealing with had been eliminated.

  “I’m going up,” Jeremy said.

  “Let me know how it goes with Liam. And let me know if I can help.”

  “I will.”

  Jeremy made his way to the elevator but then decided to take the stairs, hoping to work off some of his frustration on the four flights up. He didn’t like that Trent had taken Kira to the fitness center. He didn’t like that she’d acted so blasé about it. And he didn’t like that he’d had this clench in his gut ever since those screams rang out in the lobby, and he’d realized they had an active shooter situation, and Kira was right in the fucking middle of it.

  Jeremy didn’t get emotional about work. At least, he never had before. He had nerves of steel and laser-sharp focus, and both of those traits had served him well throughout his career.

  So what was happening now? And why did he feel so ticked off all the time? Jeremy had known from the beginning that he wasn’t in shape for this job. He didn’t have his head on straight, and it was affecting his concentration.

  The irony wasn’t lost on him. He hadn’t wanted this assignment in the first place. He’d flat-out rejected it, then relented and signed on, purely out of a sense of duty. But now the thought of walking away from this job made him livid with anger. He wouldn’t do it. He refused. One way or another, he planned to see this thing through. The threat to Kira was still out there, and until it was gone, Jeremy wasn’t leaving.

  He reached the fourth floor and exited the stairwell. He shed his suit jacket as he walked down the corridor, then turned the corner to the hallway where Logan & Locke had booked every single suite. Joel sat in a chair in the hallway, stationed between Brock’s suite and Neil’s.

  “Where’s Brock?” Jeremy asked him.

  “He and some of the lawyers are working.”

  “Is Kira in there?”

  “She was.” Joel nodded toward her door. “She went back to her room. Think she’s in the shower. Trent’s in the control room. Said he’s almost done for the night.” Joel checked his watch. “You on now?”

  “I am.”

  Jeremy took out his key card and let himself into Kira’s suite. She wasn’t in the living room, and her bedroom door stood ajar.

  He walked over and tapped on the door with his knuckles. No answer. He leaned his head into the room, which was warm and steamy, as though she’d just stepped out of the shower. One of the beds still had a big black suitcase on it, and Kira’s clothes were strewn everywhere, but she wasn’t there.

  The curtain shifted, and she stepped in from the balcony. She wore the same white robe as last night, and Jeremy’s heart gave a kick. Her long hair was wet and freshly combed.

  “That was Brock,” she said, putting her phone on the dresser. “He just got word from the hospital. Gavin’s still in ICU.”

  “I know.”

  She turned to face him and crossed her arms. “So what’s with the attitude?”

  Jeremy stepped closer, looking her over. Her cheeks were pink, either from her workout or her shower or both.

  “What attitude?”

  “You’re being an ass.”

  “I am?”

  “You’re mad that Trent took me to the fitness center. It was my idea, not his, so get off his case about it.”

  He stared down at her. Temper flashed in her eyes, and Jeremy’s pulse picked up. His gaze dropped to the belt of her robe.

&n
bsp; “Oh, no you don’t.” She stepped back.

  “Don’t what?”

  “Don’t even think about pulling that crap again.”

  He stepped closer.

  “I mean it. You lay a hand on me, and that’s it. No takebacks.”

  He gazed down at her. She meant it. He could see it in her eyes—her frustration, her anger, her wounded pride over last night. It was all right there, on full display.

  “I mean it, Jeremy.”

  “I know.”

  Kira watched as he turned and walked to the door, and the pain was sharp. It was like he’d landed an arrow smack in the center of her chest, and fury filled her all over again. Not fury at him but at herself, because she’d misread him again and somehow gotten her hopes up.

  He reached for the door. She heard a soft click, and he turned around.

  He held her gaze as he crossed the room again. He dropped his suit jacket onto the chair, and Kira’s heart lurched as she read the look in his eyes.

  “Jeremy . . .”

  He stepped closer, and whatever she’d planned to say evaporated. His gaze was hot. Intense. And either she was really, really misreading him, or he wasn’t going anywhere.

  He reached for the tie of her robe and gave a hard tug. She held his gaze even as she felt a draft against her bare skin.

  He leaned his head down and kissed her, sliding his hands around her waist and pulling her up on tiptoes. She slipped her hands around his neck, lacing her fingers together in case he tried to pull away. But he didn’t. His mouth was eager and determined. And the next thing she knew, he was moving her backward, steering her toward the bed until the backs of her legs hit the mattress. She slid her hands down his shirtfront, feeling the hard contours of his chest underneath. She rested her palm against his heart, and she could feel it thudding through the fabric, and as she looked into his eyes, she knew this was happening. Now. Finally. After two false starts and countless fantasies. His gaze was resolute, and his warm hands slid over her butt, pulling her against him.

  She went up on tiptoes and kissed him again, letting her fingers glide down his sides, and her hand came to rest on his holster. She pulled back and trailed her finger over the grip of his gun, and just the hard feel of it made a shiver go through her.

  “Take this off.” She looked up at him. She wanted him to be there as himself, not as her bodyguard.

  He didn’t move. And she realized she’d given him another out, another chance to stop and think and come up with some logical reason why this was a bad idea.

  His hands went to his belt, and he smoothly unbuckled it. With efficient movements, he removed his holster and stepped over to the nightstand, where he set everything beside the alarm clock. Next came his wallet and keys, and then he turned to face her.

  The light from the bathroom made the shadows on his face sharp. She walked over and reached up to trail her finger over his jaw. She liked his cheekbones and his chin and the layer of stubble. It reminded her of the long, stressful day that had happened since the last time they’d been alone in this room together.

  He pulled her against him and kissed her, hard, in a way that told her he was done waiting and making excuses. His hands moved over her shoulders, and she heard a soft whoosh as her robe hit the floor. Kira’s nerves fluttered. And then his hands were on her again, stroking over her bare skin. She ran her fingers down his shirt, unbuttoning the buttons, one by one, as his hands rested on her hips. He didn’t help her at all, and she glanced up to see him looking down at her intently.

  “What?” She tugged his shirt from his pants and undid the button.

  “I like watching you do that.”

  She smiled up at him as she lowered the zipper. He shrugged out of his shirt and tossed it on the nearby chair, and then he was standing before her, half naked, and her stomach clenched as she saw the bandage around his arm.

  She touched it lightly, cringing at the thought of how close the bandage was to his vital organs.

  “Jeremy—”

  He tipped her back onto the bed and stretched out over her, caging her in with his arms. Then he kissed her, once again cutting off conversation. He settled his weight between her legs, and the hard ridge of his erection made her forget everything except him and all the pent-up desire she’d been feeling since the moment she first met him. She hooked her leg around his and kissed him, arching against him.

  He kissed his way down her body, pausing to look at her as he reached her breast, and she ran her fingers into his hair. Then his mouth was on her nipple, hot and teasing, and she tipped her head back and moaned. She’d been thinking about this, and now it was happening, finally, and the need deep inside her started to build.

  The bed creaked as he pulled away and stood up. She sat up on her elbows, watching impatiently as he kicked off his shoes and got rid of the rest of his clothes, and then he stretched out over her again.

  “Whoa.” She rested her hand against his chest. “Time out.”

  “What?”

  She stroked her hand down. “I want to look at you.”

  He kissed her, clearly attempting to distract her from that plan, and she pushed against his shoulder.

  “I mean it. Roll over.”

  He stared at her.

  “Roll over. Now.”

  He eased onto his back and watched warily as she got to her knees.

  Kira had imagined his body, but her imagination hadn’t even come close. His shoulders were wide and muscular, and his torso was perfectly sculpted. He looked even bigger without his clothes on, and she thought about her size compared to his.

  He propped himself up on his elbows, and his muscles rippled.

  “Come here.” He reached for her, but she scooted back on the bed.

  “No.”

  “Please?”

  The word sent a warm shiver through her, and she scooted closer, smiling down at him as his gaze heated. She straddled his hips and leaned forward to kiss him. He settled her on his lap, gripping her hips as her tongue tangled with his. She moved against him, loving the hard feel of his erection as his grip on her tightened. He was so intent. So focused. And the prospect of having his undivided attention on her body made her flush with excitement. Then his hands were on her breasts, and he teased her nipples with his thumbs, and she felt that delicious yearning deep in her core.

  She eased back and looked around the room. Her cosmetics case was all the way in the bathroom, so she reached for his wallet on the nightstand.

  “Any chance you have a condom in here?”

  He took it from her and dug one from the inner pocket. It looked shiny and new, and she wondered if he’d put it in there for her.

  “Yes.”

  She looked at him. “Yes, what?”

  “I know what you’re thinking.” He tossed his wallet back on the nightstand and rolled over her, pinning her against the bed with his hips. He kissed her deeply, and she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him as close as she could. She wanted him inside her. She wanted them joined together, but he seemed determined to make her wait. He eased down her body, and she felt a rush of heat as his mouth closed over her nipple.

  She combed her fingers into his hair, squirming against him as the need built and built. He moved to her other breast, and she felt the hot pull of his mouth just as his hand slid between her legs. She arched against him, gasping, as his fingers slid inside her.

  Kira moved against him, loving the way he touched her, loving the way he set her on fire with his mouth and his hands, the whole time watching her responses. He seemed to read her, because he knew just how to touch her, just how to take her right to the edge but never quite over. She closed her eyes and gave in to him, and the pleasure went on and on and on, until she started to feel dizzy.

  “Jeremy.” She opened her eyes and looked up at him, and the raw attraction in his eyes made her giddy. “Now.”

  He gazed down at her for a moment, and she pulled him closer with her leg. She reached for the
condom and handed it to him, and he knelt between her legs and put it on.

  “Careful,” she whispered.

  “I know.” He watched her expression as he shifted her legs and pushed into her. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, and it was painful and exhilarating, both at once.

  “Kira?”

  “Yes. More.”

  He drove into her, and she pulled him close, as close as she could, as he started moving against her. He felt good, and she stroked her hands up his back and clutched him as close as she could as the need inside her burned brighter and brighter. She loved the heat of him and the slick, hot power of his body as he thrust into her again and again, driving right up to the edge, until she thought she’d lose her mind. She dug her nails into his back and tightened her legs around him.

  “Jeremy.”

  Everything got hotter, faster, and she moved with him, desperately trying to keep up with his pace. She wanted to wait for him, but then she couldn’t hold on anymore, and the climax flashed through her, bright and blinding, and she gave him everything she had. Her body shuddered, and she held on, clutching him tight until he gave a final powerful surge and came, too.

  Kira held on to him, not opening her eyes, because she wanted to let the moment stretch out.

  She didn’t want to talk. Or move. She just wanted to absorb the solid feel of him, completely inert on top of her, except for his hammering heart. Never in her life had she felt anything so physical. She stroked her fingers into his hair, and it was damp from sweat, and she smiled because she’d made that happen.

  He pushed up on his elbows and stared down at her, searching her eyes.

  “You all right?”

  She nodded.

  He rolled away and sat up, and her heart squeezed as she noticed his bandaged arm again. He stood up, and she watched him walk into the bathroom.

  Kira stared up at the ceiling. On the other side of the wall, she heard the faint sound of a TV. Through the sliding glass door, she heard rain drumming against the balcony. While she’d been having mind-blowing sex, it had started pouring outside, and she hadn’t even noticed.

  Kira looked around at the room. Her robe was on the floor beside Jeremy’s pants. His shirt was draped over the chair where he’d tossed it. His holster was on the nightstand beside his wallet.