Careless by Cheryl Douglas Read Free Book Online Page B

“You’re crazy. I’ve barely had time to give you a second thought
since that night.”
    He threw his head back and laughed.
“Darlin’, you forget I read people for a livin’, and you’re a terrible liar.”
    She knew he was right, she couldn’t tell a
decent lie if her life depended on it. “Think what you want. It makes no
difference to me.” She sipped her drink, wishing he’d stop looking at her like
he was uncovering a salacious secret he couldn’t wait to share. “Why the hell
are you lookin’ at me like that?”
    “Just tryin’ to figure you out.”
    “Well, quit it. You’re pissin’ me off.”
    He stroked the dark stubble covering his
jaw as he regarded her carefully. “Kinda makes me wonder what you’re tryin’ to
hide.”
    “I’m not hidin’ anything, so just back the
hell off.” The only thing she was trying desperately to conceal was the fact he
still had the ability to turn her inside out with little more than a lingering
glance.
    “Let’s get one thing straight, darlin’. If
we’re gonna be workin’ together, you need to understand I’m the one callin’ the
shots, not you. Understand?”
    She could almost feel her blood boiling.
How dare he talk to her like she was some subservient hired to make his life
easier. “Listen, I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but I’m not gonna
kowtow to you or anyone else. Understand ?”
    “Really?” Mike leaned back in his chair and
folded his arms. “Then we’re gonna have a problem. Here’s the situation as I
see it... Somebody’s out to get you, and I have the training and resources at my
disposal to figure out who that is. Not to mention the weapons to protect you
should he decide to make a move. I’d say that puts me in a position to call the
shots, wouldn’t you?”
    Tori hated that he acted so damn
self-righteous, but she couldn’t deny he was right. She didn’t want to admit
she needed him, but there was no doubt her life could be in danger if they
didn’t figure out who was behind the threats and why he was targeting her. She
crossed her arms and glared at him, barely suppressing the urge to reach across
the table and smack him upside the head. “What do you want from me?”
    He smirked as his eyes passed over her
body. “Now that’s a loaded question if ever I’ve heard one.”
    She cursed her traitorous body. Why did she
always have to react like a cat in heat whenever she was in the same room with
him? “Just keep your mind on the case and your eyes on that notebook, Coop.”
    He smiled. “I’ve missed that.”
    “What?”
    “Your irritating nicknames for me, your
smart mouth...” He leaned forward. “I’ve missed you, if you wanna know the
truth. If you were tryin’ to piss me off with the silent treatment, it
worked.” 
    “I wasn’t tryin’ to piss you off. I didn’t
care one way or the other.”
    Mike laughed. “Darlin’, what’d I tell you
about lyin’ to a cop?”
     

Chapter
Three
     
    While in the restaurant, it had taken
everything in Mike not to thrust his hands into her hair and kiss her like she
hadn’t been kissed in two long years. He only hoped he could resist the
temptation now they were finally alone.
    Pulling into the driveway of her single-story
cedar and natural-stone home, he tried to deny he was impressed. Instead of
being palatial, as he’d expected, it was understated. It seemed to be an extension
of the trees surrounding it, as though the builder attempted to preserve as
much of the natural beauty as possible while invading the space to erect this
gem.
    “You build this house?”
    She smiled the first genuine smile he’d
seen all evening. “I did.” She glanced out at the man-made lake tucked in
behind the house. “I love it here.”
    “I can see why.” His only issue with the
place was how secluded it was. She was probably sitting in the middle of a hundred
acres, which would make her an easy target for a stalker. “You bring any men
here in the past