A Fine Specimen by Lisa Marie Rice Read Free Book Online

cruel ways of the world,
with the odds tilted against the powerless. “You’re never gonna catch ’em
anyway.”
    “We can try.” Alex’s
deep voice was quiet, firm. Caitlin knew full well that the statistical chances
of finding muggers almost twenty-four hours after the fact were practically
nil, but Alex sounded so reassuring, she almost believed he actually could
somehow magically produce the two muggers, with Hank’s two hundred still
unspent.
    Alex released Martha and
put a hand to Caitlin’s back, ushering her into a booth with cracked red vinyl
seating. Once she’d been seated, he took his place across from her, sliding
over the menu Martha had placed on the table. “The cheeseburger’s good here. So
are the burritos.”
    Caitlin didn’t open the
menu. “I’ll have the cheeseburger then.”
    Alex signaled and Martha
came up, placing two glasses of ice water in front of them. “Here’s two on the
city. So—what’ll it be?” She pulled a pencil from behind her ear. “The usual
for you, Alex,” she said without looking at him, “and what’ll it be for you, miss?”
    “Cheeseburger,” Caitlin
replied.
    “C.B. and a burrito,”
Martha said, writing. “And to drink…” She looked at Caitlin, her brow wrinkling
heavily. “And don’t even bother asking for anything alcoholic, because we don’t
serve liquor to minors.”
    Alex’s hard mouth curved
slightly. Lord, was that a smile ? “Relax, Martha, she’s of age.” He
raised an eyebrow at Caitlin. “So, what’s your poison?”
    “Iced tea,” she said.
    “And black coffee for
me.”
    He brought his attention
back to Caitlin as Martha bustled off, crossing his arms on the faded linoleum
tabletop and leaning forward. He eyed Caitlin for a long moment. His gaze was
so intent she felt as if he were seeking the secrets to her soul. Good thing
she wasn’t a criminal and had nothing to confess, because she would have. In a
heartbeat. Who on earth could withstand that intense black gaze?
    “Okay.” His jaw muscles
bunched as she watched him try to line up his arguments against her staying at
the station house for ten days.
    However, something had
happened in the past hour since she’d been with him. It wasn’t so much that
she’d acquired a backbone—she already had one. Living off peanuts while working
on a PhD dissertation took guts, thank you very much—but rather that she’d
become a convert to Ray’s thesis. There wasn’t anything that could stop her
now. Alex could rant and rave or—since that probably wasn’t his style—talk
himself blue in the face, but she wouldn’t be swayed. Oh no. Not when she’d
seen with her own eyes how fascinating he was. Just an hour in his presence and
she’d written a whole chapter of her dissertation in her head. Not only that,
but now she knew she had a powerful weapon in Ray.
    Still, it was going to
be fun watching him try to dissuade her.
    His jaw muscles bunched
again. “Okay, Ray wants you to spend a week in the station house. That I get.
But I don’t get what it is that you want from us. Or what Ray thought you would
get by spending time with us.”
    Caitlin took a sip of
the ice water. Not stalling for time, really. Just marshalling her thoughts.
You didn’t let your mind wander around Alejandro Cruz. He was watching her with
piercing dark eyes, his normally full, surprisingly sensuous mouth pursed
tight…
    Caitlin shook herself
slightly and took a deep breath. She had to convince him she was serious. She
knew now that she was going to be spending the next week in the Baylorville
Police HQ, but it would make a huge difference whether Alex Cruz was going to
be quietly obstructive or helpful. So she had to watch her step and she had to
find the right words.
    “Look. I’ve got a double
masters in behavioral psychology and sociology.” She leaned forward as he had
done, looking straight into his black eyes and trying to make him understand.
“I’ve always been interested in law