upon it—and right now, despite the emotion involved, there was no getting away from the cold, hard facts.
She did her best to ignore the turmoil in her head and bit down on a sigh. She was a professional. She was good at her job. And that’s all this was. Another job. So what if the offender in question sent butterflies hurtling around her belly? So what if she wanted to believe every word he said?
The facts were the facts. End of story. Her shoulders slumped. Some days even the healthy pay packet wasn’t enough.
CHAPTER 5
Declan jogged along the walking track that skirted Lake Burley Griffin. The mid-afternoon heat of the sun on the back of his neck was comfortably warm. School children in wide-brimmed hats huddled at one end, listening with varying degrees of interest to the teacher in front of them.
It had been more than a week since Senior Investigator Sabattini had interviewed him. He hadn’t heard a thing and the wait was slowly driving him mad.
Without the distraction of work to take his mind off things, he’d been forced into uncharacteristic idleness. He was a man who worked hard and played hard, but there had always been a balance. Now that one of those outlets had been taken away from him, he had no choice but to take the subsequent frustrations out on his body.
Sweat ran in rivulets down his face and soaked into his navy-blue Nike T-shirt. His chest was tight from exertion and the muscles in his calves screamed for rest. But he pushed himself on, knowing that only the sheer pain of excessive physical exercise could even come close to helping him forget, for a little while, the nightmare he was living.
In typical Munro fashion, his family had gathered around him in support. His father and Clayton and Brandon, after expressing their disappointment and anger about a system that could accuse him so unjustly, had made sure the best criminal lawyer in Sydney was standing by and they had done what they could to cheer up Declan. Brandon had even flown down to Canberra for the weekend and they’d hit the bars and clubs and had drunk enough alcohol to wake up more than a little seedy the next day. The distraction had worked, for a little while, and Declan had been grateful for their support.
But nothing changed the fact he was still on leave from the job he loved and no one could tell him when that situation would change. It was driving him crazy. Almost as crazy as not knowing how the investigation was going.
Christ . The investigation. The investigation he was at the center of. He still couldn’t believe it.
Taking the path that led down the road to his apartment, he pushed himself hard through the final mile. His breath came in harsh pants and his shirt was soaked through. Still, the final burst of speed had given him something else to think about and he was grateful for even that momentary distraction.
Rounding the corner, he jogged across the footpath and through the gate of his apartment complex. From behind him came the sound of car doors closing, but he ignored it and continued into the foyer and strode over to the elevator.
Punching the button to his floor, he bent over and dragged more oxygen into his lungs, concentrating on slowing his breathing. A pair of expensive-looking, black leather heels came into view. His gaze traveled upwards, over shapely legs encased in black stockings.
A fitted, charcoal-gray skirt filled his vision. Moving slowly upward, his gaze rested on the merest hint of a generous cleavage cleverly concealed beneath a pale blue blouse. The top two buttons were undone, giving him a glimpse of creamy, gold skin.
His heart leaped and then thumped hard against his chest, but this time it had nothing to do with his recent exertion. Senior Investigator Sabattini stood in the foyer of his apartment building and she wasn’t smiling.
Belatedly, Declan noticed the man beside her wearing a navy suit and an expression that matched hers.
“Agent Munro, we’re placing you under
She did her best to ignore the turmoil in her head and bit down on a sigh. She was a professional. She was good at her job. And that’s all this was. Another job. So what if the offender in question sent butterflies hurtling around her belly? So what if she wanted to believe every word he said?
The facts were the facts. End of story. Her shoulders slumped. Some days even the healthy pay packet wasn’t enough.
CHAPTER 5
Declan jogged along the walking track that skirted Lake Burley Griffin. The mid-afternoon heat of the sun on the back of his neck was comfortably warm. School children in wide-brimmed hats huddled at one end, listening with varying degrees of interest to the teacher in front of them.
It had been more than a week since Senior Investigator Sabattini had interviewed him. He hadn’t heard a thing and the wait was slowly driving him mad.
Without the distraction of work to take his mind off things, he’d been forced into uncharacteristic idleness. He was a man who worked hard and played hard, but there had always been a balance. Now that one of those outlets had been taken away from him, he had no choice but to take the subsequent frustrations out on his body.
Sweat ran in rivulets down his face and soaked into his navy-blue Nike T-shirt. His chest was tight from exertion and the muscles in his calves screamed for rest. But he pushed himself on, knowing that only the sheer pain of excessive physical exercise could even come close to helping him forget, for a little while, the nightmare he was living.
In typical Munro fashion, his family had gathered around him in support. His father and Clayton and Brandon, after expressing their disappointment and anger about a system that could accuse him so unjustly, had made sure the best criminal lawyer in Sydney was standing by and they had done what they could to cheer up Declan. Brandon had even flown down to Canberra for the weekend and they’d hit the bars and clubs and had drunk enough alcohol to wake up more than a little seedy the next day. The distraction had worked, for a little while, and Declan had been grateful for their support.
But nothing changed the fact he was still on leave from the job he loved and no one could tell him when that situation would change. It was driving him crazy. Almost as crazy as not knowing how the investigation was going.
Christ . The investigation. The investigation he was at the center of. He still couldn’t believe it.
Taking the path that led down the road to his apartment, he pushed himself hard through the final mile. His breath came in harsh pants and his shirt was soaked through. Still, the final burst of speed had given him something else to think about and he was grateful for even that momentary distraction.
Rounding the corner, he jogged across the footpath and through the gate of his apartment complex. From behind him came the sound of car doors closing, but he ignored it and continued into the foyer and strode over to the elevator.
Punching the button to his floor, he bent over and dragged more oxygen into his lungs, concentrating on slowing his breathing. A pair of expensive-looking, black leather heels came into view. His gaze traveled upwards, over shapely legs encased in black stockings.
A fitted, charcoal-gray skirt filled his vision. Moving slowly upward, his gaze rested on the merest hint of a generous cleavage cleverly concealed beneath a pale blue blouse. The top two buttons were undone, giving him a glimpse of creamy, gold skin.
His heart leaped and then thumped hard against his chest, but this time it had nothing to do with his recent exertion. Senior Investigator Sabattini stood in the foyer of his apartment building and she wasn’t smiling.
Belatedly, Declan noticed the man beside her wearing a navy suit and an expression that matched hers.
“Agent Munro, we’re placing you under
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