with her. She was stroking the arm of one of them; a colleague Caitlin had only ever got barely a grunt out of.
The woman looked across her shoulder to catch Caitlin looking, and immediately gave the guys the brush off before heading up towards her.
With a pencil skirt that skimmed over her small waist, her shapely hips, and sat just below the knee, she was sexy as well as classy. And even in elegant four-inch heels, she walked with grace and ease.
Caitlin glanced down at her own footwear – at her scuffed rustic brown, round-toed, sensible two-inch block heel boots splattered in evidence of mud she kept telling herself she would clean off one day.
As the woman closed in on her, Caitlin immediately took in the immaculate shine of the woman’s blunt-cut auburn bob and instinctively tucked a couple of stray strands from her messy bun behind her ear.
‘Hey,’ the woman said. Her smile was broad, as captivating as her vibrant blue eyes.
She was flawless.
‘Agent Parish?’ The woman held out a finely manicured hand, short, neat, shiny nails to match her shiny smile, her shiny hair and her shiny shoes. A hand that was as soft and untainted as her complexion. The woman took the lead and grabbed a hold of Caitlin’s hand first. ‘I have heard so much about you.’
A cliché. At least she had one flaw.
Caitlin politely shook her hand. ‘And you’re Agent Yale, I assume? My replacement on the Malloy case?’
‘Meghan. I wasn’t sure if Matthad had a chance to speak to you yet.’
Matt. Familiar with the boss already.
‘Yes,’ Caitlin said. ‘He told me.’
She wouldn’t have blamed Meghan for batting away the sudden thick atmosphere between them.
‘I’m a couple of hours early,’ Meghan added, ‘but who counts hours in this job, huh? I couldn’t wait to get started. I’ve spent the last couple of hours on your files, have been getting to know the team …’ she glanced over her shoulder, no doubt flashing another smile in their direction.
‘You’re not from this locale?’ was all Caitlin could muster.
‘They thought it was best under the circumstances. Don’t worry, though; I’m more than adept with cases like these. I have an A-rating across the board, a ninety-five per cent success rate for those I take to legal proceedings, ninety per cent detainment rate. I’ve done my time these last six years since I joined and …’
… and she was young and beautiful and sexy and confident – all the traits Caitlin had never thought bore any relevance to effectiveness in the role, until then .
If she had any doubt her replacement on Kane’s case hadn’t been handpicked, it was now blown out of the water. And if Sirius had anything to do with the choice, he was clearly intending to up the ante from behind closed doors. He was planning on playing dirty with Kane. Her Kane. Or he was playing dirty with her.
‘I have work to do,’ Caitlin cut in, unable to ignore the churning in her stomach.
‘Oh, sure,’ Meghan said, her eyes flaring slightly that she’d been cut short mid-accolade citing. She checked her watch. ‘So we’ll catch up later?’
‘I’m a bit full on today.’
‘Oh,’ Meghan said, a frown rippling her flawless forehead. ‘Matt assured me we’d talk as soon as possible. It would be really beneficial to find out more about those three days you spent with Malloy. I’ve read your account but it’s not the same as being able to question someone directly. It’ll really help me complete my case notes. Matt said you’d be more than happy to support me.’
Suddenly there was a change in Meghan’s composure. It was subtle, but it was definitely there. Her steady, almost-invasive gaze told Caitlin this was far from an option, however she was presenting it. She wasn’t being asked for her co-operation, she was being told to give it. And unless she wanted to look like she was protecting Kane, Caitlin had no option but to comply.
‘And I am,’ Caitlin said through
The woman looked across her shoulder to catch Caitlin looking, and immediately gave the guys the brush off before heading up towards her.
With a pencil skirt that skimmed over her small waist, her shapely hips, and sat just below the knee, she was sexy as well as classy. And even in elegant four-inch heels, she walked with grace and ease.
Caitlin glanced down at her own footwear – at her scuffed rustic brown, round-toed, sensible two-inch block heel boots splattered in evidence of mud she kept telling herself she would clean off one day.
As the woman closed in on her, Caitlin immediately took in the immaculate shine of the woman’s blunt-cut auburn bob and instinctively tucked a couple of stray strands from her messy bun behind her ear.
‘Hey,’ the woman said. Her smile was broad, as captivating as her vibrant blue eyes.
She was flawless.
‘Agent Parish?’ The woman held out a finely manicured hand, short, neat, shiny nails to match her shiny smile, her shiny hair and her shiny shoes. A hand that was as soft and untainted as her complexion. The woman took the lead and grabbed a hold of Caitlin’s hand first. ‘I have heard so much about you.’
A cliché. At least she had one flaw.
Caitlin politely shook her hand. ‘And you’re Agent Yale, I assume? My replacement on the Malloy case?’
‘Meghan. I wasn’t sure if Matthad had a chance to speak to you yet.’
Matt. Familiar with the boss already.
‘Yes,’ Caitlin said. ‘He told me.’
She wouldn’t have blamed Meghan for batting away the sudden thick atmosphere between them.
‘I’m a couple of hours early,’ Meghan added, ‘but who counts hours in this job, huh? I couldn’t wait to get started. I’ve spent the last couple of hours on your files, have been getting to know the team …’ she glanced over her shoulder, no doubt flashing another smile in their direction.
‘You’re not from this locale?’ was all Caitlin could muster.
‘They thought it was best under the circumstances. Don’t worry, though; I’m more than adept with cases like these. I have an A-rating across the board, a ninety-five per cent success rate for those I take to legal proceedings, ninety per cent detainment rate. I’ve done my time these last six years since I joined and …’
… and she was young and beautiful and sexy and confident – all the traits Caitlin had never thought bore any relevance to effectiveness in the role, until then .
If she had any doubt her replacement on Kane’s case hadn’t been handpicked, it was now blown out of the water. And if Sirius had anything to do with the choice, he was clearly intending to up the ante from behind closed doors. He was planning on playing dirty with Kane. Her Kane. Or he was playing dirty with her.
‘I have work to do,’ Caitlin cut in, unable to ignore the churning in her stomach.
‘Oh, sure,’ Meghan said, her eyes flaring slightly that she’d been cut short mid-accolade citing. She checked her watch. ‘So we’ll catch up later?’
‘I’m a bit full on today.’
‘Oh,’ Meghan said, a frown rippling her flawless forehead. ‘Matt assured me we’d talk as soon as possible. It would be really beneficial to find out more about those three days you spent with Malloy. I’ve read your account but it’s not the same as being able to question someone directly. It’ll really help me complete my case notes. Matt said you’d be more than happy to support me.’
Suddenly there was a change in Meghan’s composure. It was subtle, but it was definitely there. Her steady, almost-invasive gaze told Caitlin this was far from an option, however she was presenting it. She wasn’t being asked for her co-operation, she was being told to give it. And unless she wanted to look like she was protecting Kane, Caitlin had no option but to comply.
‘And I am,’ Caitlin said through
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