Night Shield by Nora Roberts Read Free Book Online

manage.”
    “I’m all right.” Mortified but all right, she thought. “I wasn’t sleeping.”
    He put a hand on her forehead, shoved her back. “Shut up, Allison.”
    “I wasn’t sleeping. I was thinking.”
    “Think tomorrow. You’re brain-dead.” He glanced over at her as he started to drive again. “How many hours have you been on duty?”
    “That’s math. I can’t do math if I’m brain-dead.” She gave up and yawned. “I’m on eight-to-fours.”
    “It’s closing in on 4:00 a.m. That gives you twenty hours. Why don’t you put in for night shift until this is over, or do you have a death wish?”
    “It’s not my only case.” She’d already decided to talk to her lieutenant. She couldn’t give her best to the job on a couple of hours sleep a night. But it wasn’t any of Jonah’s business how she ran her life.
    “I guess Denver’s not safe without you on the job.”
    She might have been tired, but she still had a pretty good ear for sarcasm. “That’s right, Blackhawk. Without my watchful eye, the city’s in chaos. It’s a heavy burden but, well, somebody’s got to shoulder it. Just pull up at the corner. My building’s only a half a block down.”
    He ignored her, drove through the light and pulled smoothly to the curb in front of her building. “Okay. Thanks.” She reached down to retrieve her bag from the floor.
    He was already out of the car, skirting around the hood. Maybe it was fatigue that had her reacting so slowly, as if she were moving through syrup instead of air. But he had the outside handle of the door seconds before she had the inside handle.
    For about five seconds they battled for control. Then, with a halfhearted snarl, Ally let him open the door for her. “What are you, from another century? Do I look incapable of operating the complex mechanism of a car door?”
    “No. You look tired.”
    “Well, I am. So good night.”
    “I’ll walk you up.”
    “Get a grip.”
    But he fell into step beside her and, damn him, reached the door one pace ahead of her. Saying nothing, merely watching her with those impossibly clear green eyes, he held it open for her.
    “I’ll have to curtsy in a minute,” she muttered under her breath.
    He grinned at her back, then crossed to the lobby elevators with her, sliding his hands into his pockets.
    “I can make it from here.”
    “I’ll take you to your door.”
    “It’s not a damn date.”
    “Lack of sleep’s making you irritable.” He stepped into the elevator with her. “No, wait, you’re always irritable. My mistake.”
    “I don’t like you.” She jabbed the button for the fourth floor.
    “Thank God you cleared that up. I was afraid you were falling for me.”
    The movement of the elevator tipped her already shaky balance. She swayed, and he closed a hand over her arm.
    “Cut it out.”
    “No.”
    She jerked at her arm. He tightened his grip. “Don’t embarrass yourself, Fletcher. You’re asleep on your feet. What’s your apartment number?”
    He was right, and it was stupid to pretend otherwise, and foolish to take it out on him. “Four-oh-nine. Let me go, will you? I’ll be all right after a couple hours’ sleep.”
    “I don’t doubt it.” But he held on to her when the elevator opened.
    “You’re not coming in.”
    “Well, there go my plans to toss you over my shoulder, dump you in bed and have my wicked way with you. Next time. Key?”
    “What?”
    Her burnt-honey eyes were blurry, the delicate skin beneath them bruised. The wave of tenderness that swept inside him was a complete surprise, and far from comfortable. “Honey, give me your key.”
    “Oh. I’m punchy.” She dug it out of her jacket pocket. “And don’t call me honey.”
    “I meant Detective Honey.” He heard her snicker as he unlocked her door. He pulled the key back out of the lock, took her hand, dropped it in and closed her fingers around it. “Good night.”
    “Yeah. Thanks for the lift.” Because it seemed the thing