Last Night by Meryl Sawyer Read Free Book Online Page B

Coltranes. I agree with your sister. They ' re the most likely suspects, unless you have an enemy you haven ' t mentioned. "
    "I ' ve racked my brain. I can ' t think of anyone who ' d blackmail me. " She stared into her cup, aware that she ' d been nervous and had poured more cream into the coffee than she liked. "You know the municipal court only hears misdemeanors. I don't get the psychos the superior court does. I don ' t think anyone I sentenced is after me. "
    " What about Davis Binkley? He tried to kill your career the first week you were on the bench by assigning you the Tenaka case. "
    You didn ' t do me any favors either, she almost said. Now was not the time to give in to her temper. Rob ' s article had been as devastating as the presiding judge ' s maneuvers. " True, but how would Judge Binkley know about the knife? "
    " Good question. It must be someone close to you —or your sister. Probably the Coltranes. That's why I ' m coming with you. "
    "I don ' t need you. I can check on the Coltranes myself. "
    " You ' re too emotionally involved to be worth a damn, and you aren ' t trained as an investigator. I pick up on things most people miss. "
    Rob leaned forward again, so close this time that she could see her reflection in his eyes. He took both her hands in his, a subtle gesture that wouldn't mean anything—if it had been anyone but Rob Tagett. Her pulse skyrocketed, surprising her, making her furious.
    " I'm a damn good detective, " he said. " I'll bet no one but your sister knows your hair is really blonde. "
    Dana couldn ' t stifle a gasp. She ' d been dying her hair since high school, when she'd decided that being a blonde attracted the wrong kind of attention from men. That was okay for Vanessa; men were her stock-in-trade, but even back then Dana had other plans for herself.
    "What makes you think I ' m a blonde? " she asked with as much sincerity as she could muster. She touched up her roots each week without fail. He couldn ' t know. He was just guessing, trying to trap her the way he ' d guessed that she ' d hiked up her skirts in her hot courtroom that morning.
    In one fluid motion he dropped her hands and stood up. He walked around the table, the movement of his thigh muscles clearly visible beneath the worn fabric of his cutoffs. She started to get up, but he steadied her by putting both his hands on her shoulders as he stood behind her.
    "Face forward, " he said, his voice low.
    The air stalled in her lungs. For some reason she did as she was told. With his thumbs he traced a feather-light path across the base of her neck. Oh, Lord, what was he doing? Why couldn ' t she breathe?
    Her hair hung halfway down her neck. He parted it with his thumbs. "When you bend over, " he said, stroking her neck, exerting a gentle yet extremely sensual pressure, "your hair falls forward and anyone can see the short wisps along the back of your neck. They ' re a natural blonde. "
    Stunned that he ' d discovered her secret, she let her chin drop to her chest, but then a surge of anger came to her rescue. Why was she allowing him to touch her in a way that felt more like a caress? She jerked her head away from his talented hands and spun around to face him.
    "All right. I confess. I dye my hair. So what? I look more professional with darker hair. "
    He chuckled and muttered, " My, such a temper. " He sat on the kitchen table, one leg hitched up on the edge, grinning. "How do you explain the sexy underwear? "
    This time she didn ' t gasp, but she must have looked shocked because Rob hooted and slapped his knee. "You know, anyone can see those lacy bras when you bend forward. "
    "Only if you ' re looking down the front of my blouse. "
    Rob didn't bother to deny it; he just smirked. " You wear the sheerest nylons possible " —his eyes took a leisurely tour of her body, making her even more aware of the provo cative dress she should have re turned— " and sexy garter belts. "
    She banked a groan, unable to believe he ' d