Positively Criminal by Mia Dymond Read Free Book Online

tomorrow?”
    “Just something.”
    “I’ve got a box of condoms you can have.”
    “Just park, would ya?”
    Jake heaved a long sigh and pulled into a parking spot right in front of the complex, glancing out the window at the store’s signage. “A bookstore? Since when do you read?”
    A slamming car door answered him.
    He drummed his thumbs against the steering wheel while he waited for Mace to make his purchase. What the hell was his partner up to? The only thing Mace ever read was the newspaper or case reports. He glanced into the store’s window, surprised to see quite a few customers still shopping, finally zeroing in on Mace heading for the back of the building and out of his view. With his curiosity now in control, Jake left the car and went inside.
    He entered the store and traced Mace’s path, noting banners along the way. Cookbooks. Children’s books. Mysteries. Romance . He blinked twice to clear his vision. Romance? Yet, there was his partner, standing in front of a row of books, reaching to pull one off the shelf.
    Jake braced himself against the end of the bookcase on one hip and folded his arms across his chest. “You have lost your mind.”
    “Dammit!” Mace jerked his head to meet Jake’s face. The book fell from his grip while his face reddened. “Rawlings, I told you I’d be right back.”
    Jake stooped to retrieve the novel and perused the cover. “You looking for pointers?”
    “No,” Mace hissed. “Research.”
    “Research, huh? Well then, the leggy blonde walking this way might be able to help.”
    “I know what I’m —”
    “Can I find something for you, gentlemen?” The clerk stopped next to Mace and batted her eyelashes.
    “Not me.” Jake gestured with his head at Mace. “Him.”
    Mace gave her a pained smile. “Well, I, uh, I’m looking for a book. For my sister.”
    “Oh, how sweet! Which one?”
    Jake bit the inside of his cheek while Mace shifted from one foot to another. This oughta be good – no way on God’s green earth could Mace bullshit his way out of this.
    “She said the author is Dara Hamilton. It’s her newest release.”
    Jake lifted one eyebrow, impressed by his partner’s quick recovery.
    “ Sinful Rapture !” The clerk bobbed her head. “It is so good! I read it and couldn’t put it down. Stayed up all night.”
    “That’s it,” Mace agreed. “That’s the one she wants.”
    “Oh bummer.” The saleswoman stuck out a pouty lip. “We sold out this morning but we’ve got some more coming in a couple of days.”
    “Damn. She really had her heart set on having one of her books now. She’s her new favorite author.”
    “Well, in that case how about her last release, Arresting Hearts ? She’ll love it.”
    “Great, I’ll take it.” Jake pictured his partner’s silent self-pat-on-the-back while they followed the clerk to the register. He reluctantly gave the guy credit – he’d come out smelling like a rose.
    “I never would’ve believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself,” he said as they climbed back into the car.
    “You tell anybody and I’ll have to shoot you,” Mace growled. “Like I said, it’s research.”
    “Research. Right. And I know for a fact you don’t have a sister. You’re an only child.”
    Mace buckled his seatbelt. “Just start the damn car.”
    Jake shifted the car in gear and drove back to the station. “I’m sure Dara would summarize the plot if you asked.”
    “At least I’m attempting to understand the female brain.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “Women are like jigsaw puzzles; the pieces only fit one way.”
    “And reading Dara’s novel will help you put her together?”
    “Yep. Think about it. She said she uses psychology when she writes, so I should be able to find something useful.”
    “Yeah, good luck with that, Turner. The female mind is a deep, dark, dangerous thing. No man in his right mind would even attempt to put it together .”
    Mace just chuckled as Jake pulled