Bad Cop (Entangled Covet) by Angela McCallister Read Free Book Online Page B

right?” The sparks shooting from her gorgeous crystal-gray eyes burned into him. Damn, she was sexy when mad. Now that she had his attention, he was gawping for a whole other reason.
    “Right.” Probably a good thing they were leaving. His focus flew out the window the second his eyes met hers, and that strange pain hit him center-chest again. Without another word to Kenji, he strode from the room with Alice close behind. The pissy subjugate led the way back to the front door and closed it forcefully behind them.
    Ian held the car door for Alice, but it sure as hell didn’t win him brownie points if her expression was an indication. He eyed the house, a plan hatching at the back of his mind as he walked slowly around the rear of the car. Not that he minded being cooped up in a little space with a wild tiger, one he wanted digging her nails into his back, but he was just too wired.
    Alice lit into him the second he settled into his seat. “What were you going to do, assault him?”
    “It wouldn’t be the first time,” he said. She was taking the horrified thing too far. The arrogant ass Kenji needed to be put in his place.
    “You’re a cop, Ian. You enforce the law, not act like a hormonal Neanderthal. Take the high road. Ever heard of that?”
    Heard of what? Shit, it was hard to think past his name on her lips. “Yeah. Gotcha. High road.”
    She muttered something unintelligible under her breath, but he was sure it wasn’t flattering. He could now add touchy to the list of words to describe Alice Capshaw. Locking his eyes on her, he started the car. She was glaring out her side window, her folded arms enhancing the cleavage just visible in the V of her sweater. It was monumentally difficult to drag his eyes away, but it stood to reason she wasn’t in the mood to appreciate his attention on the cookie jar, much less his hands.
    “Put your seat belt on.” She hadn’t even peeked at him.
    “As if a car accident could kill me.” He paused. “Unless I got decapitated. Could lose a limb or two, I guess. Or bleed out or maybe have an aneurism and end up in a permanent coma.”
    Her sharp gasp cut off his sarcastic diatribe. Fists clenching the arms of her sweater, she turned to him, a too-bright sheen in her eyes.
    “Alice…”
    “Please, Ian,” she whispered.
    He slid the seat belt home without hesitation. “Alice, I’m sorry I’m such a dick. I get like that when people tell me what to do. Don’t mean to. It just comes out, and then I feel like crap.”
    “Doesn’t that tell you something?”
    “Heck, yeah. Tells me I ought to be neutered.”
    She ducked her head and her shoulders shook. Dammit. How many times was he going to upset her before this case was over? He reached for her, but she slapped his hand. She leaned back in her seat, fighting like hell against a grin. She fought her laugh so hard, she snorted a little, delicate snort.
    “Now you’re laughing?” He tried to be annoyed, but after the pain escaping her guard a minute earlier, he couldn’t drum up enthusiasm for it. She glowed with a sun-like radiance when she let go like this. “You’re giggling like a teenager. Are you bipolar?”
    “No, damn you. I hate you.” Her laughter calmed, and she took a few deep breaths. “Whew, stressed. I needed that.”
    Ian eased the car away from the curb, making a right at the first intersection. It felt good, much too good, to draw a genuine laugh from her. Melancholy . That’s what he’d seen in her, a perpetual shadow in every expression, cloaking a bubbly personality underneath. “You hate me, huh?”
    “Don’t feel bad. I hate everyone.”
    “Emo.”
    “Hick.”
    He laughed as he took another right turn at the next intersection.
    Alice bolted upright in her seat. “What the hell are you doing?”
    “What’s it look like I’m doing? Investigating.”
    “By driving in circles?”
    “I’m looking for something. Should be right…” He ducked his head down to peer at the line