Her Special Charm by Marie Ferrarella Read Free Book Online Page A

reunited her with the cameo. One look at the determined set of his jaw told her that there was no arguing with the man. At least, not here. This was his terrain she was standing on.
    Rising to her feet, Constance extended her hand toward him once again. His grip was firm. Like her father’s used to be.
    The memory warmed her.
    â€œI really don’t know how to thank you,” she repeated softly.
    â€œThen don’t try.”
    The way he said it, she knew he thought that put an end to it. She never liked being the one owing a favor. Her mother had raised her to believe that it was far better to give than to receive—and right now, she was on the receiving end. But not for long, she promised herself as she walked out of the squad room. She nodded at Detective Santini as she passed him.
    â€œI see it’s still intact,” he commented.
    She looked at him curiously. “What is?”
    â€œYour head. Munro tends to bite people’s heads off—without meaning to,” he explained.
    She turned her head side to side for his benefit. “Yes, still there.” And then she smiled at him as she left.
    Santini sighed. If he didn’t have a wife and three kids… Glancing toward his partner in the distance, he shook his head. Some guys had all the luck. And didn’t even know it.

Chapter Four
    S tooped beneath the weight of obvious disappointment, Santini dropped into the chair that Constance had just vacated and pinned his partner with a look of utter disbelief. “And that’s that?”
    James shuffled through the files on his desk, trying to remember what he was supposed to do. He was in even less of a mood for what he knew was coming.
    Santini rose, then sank down again. He gripped the armrests as if to provide emotional support for himself.
    â€œYou’re just letting a beautiful woman—a grateful beautiful woman—just walk away like that?”
    James spared him exactly one glance. “Couldn’t think of anything to arrest her for.”
    Santini snorted, shaking his head. “How about possession of gorgeous body with intent to make grown men humbly drop to their knees?”
    A knowing half smile lifted the corners of James’s mouth as he continued his search. “Rita has you sleeping on the couch again, doesn’t she?”
    Santini frowned. “We’re not talking about me, we’re talking about you.”
    â€œNo,” James said with finality, closing the last un-cooperative folder. “We’re not.” James shoved the folders into a haphazard pile. He far preferred being out in the field to dealing with paper anyway. “C’mon, let’s go. We’ve still got that last area to canvass.” He looked pointedly at his partner when the latter made no move to get up. “You know, that stuff they pay us for? It’s called detective work?”
    Santini looked like a man whose hot air-balloon had been shot down before it ever had a chance to begin its journey. It was clear that he was hoping to experience a little vicarious thrill. “Well, at least you know that much.”
    James pulled his jacket off the back of his chair, but didn’t bother putting it on. The two men walked toward the doorway leading out of the squad room. “Meaning?”
    Santini moved fast to keep up. “Meaning you don’t know a good deal when you see one.”
    It wasn’t a “good deal” he saw when he looked at Constance Beaulieu, it was trouble. Trouble with a capital T . He got enough of that on the job. “Maybe I don’t want ‘a good deal.’”
    Santini halted just outside the squad room, looking at James as if he’d never seen him before. He lowered his voice as he asked, “Munro, you’re not…?”
    James gave him a dark look. “No,” he said firmly, “I’m not.”
    â€œBecause it’s okay if you are.” Santini shrugged his wide