know the divorce and suicide stats for cops.”
“I do,” she said flatly. “Maybe… I won’t get married. Maybe I’ll just revel in being the best damn homicide cop in the city.”
“You don’t want children, then?”
“Artemis… I’m thirty years old. I don’t know what I want yet.”
“Bullshit. All women know whether or not they want children. According to everything I’ve ever read, they hear that clock running all through their twenties.”
“Oh, so now you’re an expert on women?” She snorted and crossed her legs. “Okay, I don’t generally make this known, but I don’t want kids. They’re noisy and messy and suck the life out of you. I’d rather be a cop.”
He nodded, half-expecting that answer. “You know what you want.”
“You don’t?” She gave him a curious look that also managed to show concern.
“Until lately, I thought I did.” He heaved a sigh. “Until lately, I was pretty damn pleased with my life.”
“What happened?”
Richard left, Mom’s getting married and selling the house, and I met Talis, who excites me more than anyone has a right to, but I can’t have him because he may be a killer. But he didn’t say any of this. He cast about for an answer she would find satisfactory.
“Artemis,” Talis purred next to his ear, and a moment later, added, “Rachel. How nice to see you both.”
Artemis jerked in surprise, his relaxed stance fleeing as he turned to look at Talis balanced on one knee at his shoulder. This close, he could see flecks of gold in the amethyst-colored eyes and each individual eyelash ringing them. His skin was flawless and his full lips redder than Artemis remembered. The man was startlingly beautiful, and Artemis’s response was immediate. To hide it, he jumped off the stage, putting distance between them.
Talis said, “I can show you around if you like. Or… did you come to arrest me?”
“Not yet,” Artemis said lightly. “Maybe later.”
Talis smiled, and the tour began. As he led them backstage and through the dressing rooms, Rachel asked questions. Artemis listened and said nothing, even when Talis tried to draw him into the conversation. Talis’s silken voice and hypnotic eyes kept him alert. It would be too easy to fall under his spell, and that he was weaving spells around him Artemis had no doubt. Was it only misdirection, or was Talis simply determined to seduce him? And if he was stupid enough to give inwhich he wasn’t, nuh-uh, no way in hell would he be the next victim?
“Dinner will be delivered before the show. I would be honored if you joined me.” Talis asked it of them both, but his gaze remained fixed on Artemis.
He saw Rachel grinning at him out of the corner of his eye. “We’ll grab a hot dog in the park,” he said as he started to walk away. “But we’ll be back.”
Rachel fell into step beside him, and when they were far enough away that Talis couldn’t hear them, she said, “Totally hitting on you. Too bad he’s a murder suspect.”
He was relieved she hadn’t returned to their former conversation. “Yeah, too bad.”
“So tell me, how does that work? How do you guys recognize each other?”
He laughed. “What?”
“How did he know you might be receptive to his attention? Is it in the eyes orthe way you move or what?”
“That’s inside information. If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” He didn’t mind her teasing. In fact, he liked it. It reminded him there was another side to them, one that didn’t center on being cops. Sometimes they almost sounded like real people.
T
HEY grabbed burgers at a food stand and beer to accompany them, and strolled slowly through the area as they ate and drank. People were beginning to arrive for the concert with their picnic baskets and blankets. Like sharks, Artemis and Rachel kept circling, looking at faces, listening to conversations, watching for anything odd. Talis was their top suspect, but they weren’t ruling anyone else out just yet.
As the start of the
“I do,” she said flatly. “Maybe… I won’t get married. Maybe I’ll just revel in being the best damn homicide cop in the city.”
“You don’t want children, then?”
“Artemis… I’m thirty years old. I don’t know what I want yet.”
“Bullshit. All women know whether or not they want children. According to everything I’ve ever read, they hear that clock running all through their twenties.”
“Oh, so now you’re an expert on women?” She snorted and crossed her legs. “Okay, I don’t generally make this known, but I don’t want kids. They’re noisy and messy and suck the life out of you. I’d rather be a cop.”
He nodded, half-expecting that answer. “You know what you want.”
“You don’t?” She gave him a curious look that also managed to show concern.
“Until lately, I thought I did.” He heaved a sigh. “Until lately, I was pretty damn pleased with my life.”
“What happened?”
Richard left, Mom’s getting married and selling the house, and I met Talis, who excites me more than anyone has a right to, but I can’t have him because he may be a killer. But he didn’t say any of this. He cast about for an answer she would find satisfactory.
“Artemis,” Talis purred next to his ear, and a moment later, added, “Rachel. How nice to see you both.”
Artemis jerked in surprise, his relaxed stance fleeing as he turned to look at Talis balanced on one knee at his shoulder. This close, he could see flecks of gold in the amethyst-colored eyes and each individual eyelash ringing them. His skin was flawless and his full lips redder than Artemis remembered. The man was startlingly beautiful, and Artemis’s response was immediate. To hide it, he jumped off the stage, putting distance between them.
Talis said, “I can show you around if you like. Or… did you come to arrest me?”
“Not yet,” Artemis said lightly. “Maybe later.”
Talis smiled, and the tour began. As he led them backstage and through the dressing rooms, Rachel asked questions. Artemis listened and said nothing, even when Talis tried to draw him into the conversation. Talis’s silken voice and hypnotic eyes kept him alert. It would be too easy to fall under his spell, and that he was weaving spells around him Artemis had no doubt. Was it only misdirection, or was Talis simply determined to seduce him? And if he was stupid enough to give inwhich he wasn’t, nuh-uh, no way in hell would he be the next victim?
“Dinner will be delivered before the show. I would be honored if you joined me.” Talis asked it of them both, but his gaze remained fixed on Artemis.
He saw Rachel grinning at him out of the corner of his eye. “We’ll grab a hot dog in the park,” he said as he started to walk away. “But we’ll be back.”
Rachel fell into step beside him, and when they were far enough away that Talis couldn’t hear them, she said, “Totally hitting on you. Too bad he’s a murder suspect.”
He was relieved she hadn’t returned to their former conversation. “Yeah, too bad.”
“So tell me, how does that work? How do you guys recognize each other?”
He laughed. “What?”
“How did he know you might be receptive to his attention? Is it in the eyes orthe way you move or what?”
“That’s inside information. If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” He didn’t mind her teasing. In fact, he liked it. It reminded him there was another side to them, one that didn’t center on being cops. Sometimes they almost sounded like real people.
T
HEY grabbed burgers at a food stand and beer to accompany them, and strolled slowly through the area as they ate and drank. People were beginning to arrive for the concert with their picnic baskets and blankets. Like sharks, Artemis and Rachel kept circling, looking at faces, listening to conversations, watching for anything odd. Talis was their top suspect, but they weren’t ruling anyone else out just yet.
As the start of the
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