Bare It All by Lori Foster Read Free Book Online Page A

getting a last name meant he was finally making strides.
    “I like it. It suits you.” He tugged her in close again, and
when she didn’t resist, he rested his chin on top of her head. “Involvement in a
shooting is always difficult. Even for a cop, counseling is offered, and
strongly advised. It’d make sense if you needed to talk to someone, too.”
    Giving away nothing, she said simply, “No.”
    Accepting that, because he felt the same, he asked, “Will you
talk to me about it?”
    “I already did. It was awful.” She burrowed closer. “I was
cowardly, but I would have done what needed to be done, and I’m proud of
that.”
    Wow. He’d never known anyone, much less a woman, who spoke so
candidly. In one respect it worried him, because she left herself so emotionally
exposed, she could be easily hurt.
    Her lack of artifice also humbled him, made him more determined
than ever to know her and all her dark secrets. “You’ve done what had to be done
before?”
    Instead of answering, she snuggled closer still. “You smell
incredible, Reese.”
    A diversion—but he got the message all the same. He had made strides, so he wouldn’t get too greedy. Not
right now, anyway. “If you say so, but I need a shower.”
    He put his nose to the crown of her head. She was the one who
smelled good. Sort of warm and soft and uniquely...Alice.
    Maybe because she wasn’t ready to let him go, she asked, “What
happens now? With your work, I mean?”
    “The coroner already had the body transported for autopsy.”
    “I’m glad it’s not still in your apartment.”
    He felt her shudder. “Yeah, me, too.” He ran his hand up and
down her spine, settling his palm low at the small of her back, close to where
her backside started a gentle rise. The subtleties of her figure teased him,
made him anxious to discover more. “Because the death was officer involved, IAD
will send an investigator. The D.A.’s office, too.”
    “Internal affairs?”
    He splayed his fingers, spanning the narrow width of her back.
She was so small, so delicate. The contrasts between his large frame and her
slender figure had him stirring again. Insane. He couldn’t let that keep
happening. Not with Alice.
    Not while they discussed things so awful and real.
    He told himself that he would have
her.
    When she was ready. When he got her
ready.
    At the moment, Alice didn’t seem clear on what she wanted, but
he wasn’t inexperienced, and unlike her, he wasn’t conflicted. He felt her
nearly tactile interest every time she looked him over with those big, dark
eyes.
    Yes, she wanted his company so she wouldn’t be alone.
    And she wanted him—as a man. Thank God.
    But now was not the time to seduce her...easy as it’d probably
be.
    “Both offices will want to interview Lieutenant Peterson, Logan
and me, the sooner the better.”
    She pressed back to scowl up at him. “Are you in trouble?”
    “It’s just routine. We’re not accused of any wrongdoing, but
it’s smart to cover all the bases. Don’t worry about it.” Mostly he just wanted
to get past it so he could get back to work.
    “Officers talked to me last night.”
    Damn. Of course they had. Feeling his way, he asked, “How did
that go?”
    “It was fine. I told them what I knew, but really, other than
recognizing there was a problem and loaning a gun to your friend, I didn’t know
what had happened or why.”
    And yet, other than asking how everyone had fared, she didn’t
pry. “I can finish explaining everything to you later, okay?”
    She nodded. “You still haven’t told me how long it will be
before you can return to your apartment.”
    “After a couple of days, we’ll be through all the necessary
tasks. Then I’ll have a company come in that specializes in cleaning...crime
scenes.”
    “Meaning blood and gore and such?”
    He moved right past that. No reason to dwell on the nastiness.
The cleaners would get done in a day, but because he figured he’d want to stay
with her