Shades of Temptation by Virna Depaul

I’ll walk you to it.”
    She didn’t bother arguing with him, and he fell into step
beside her. Once they reached her ancient four-door, she unlocked the driver’s
side, saying, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    “Carrie, wait.”
    Sighing, she looked up.
    “You feel like getting something to eat? You can go home first.
Change.”
    He’d just said he cared about her. Back inside McGill’s, he’d
admitted he wanted her but was ignoring that attraction because of their job.
She was obviously doing the same. They’d rarely socialized as a team, let alone
just the two of them. Why was he suddenly willing to change things? Because of
Martha Porter? Because he’d sensed how much the woman’s disdain had upset her?
Or was it because he truly believed her to be emotionally unstable, and somehow
that made her more attractive to him? More like the vulnerable women he dated
and less like the cop he worked with? It didn’t matter. “I really don’t think
that’s a good idea, Jase,” she said firmly.
    “Why? Because you might enjoy my company too much?”
    She shrugged. “Maybe. We’ve already established that getting
involved won’t do either of us any good—”
    “Hold on. That’s not what I said and you know it. I said
getting involved with you could interfere with our careers, which is something
else entirely. I have no doubt being with you would do us both a tremendous
amount of good. But I agree, there are important reasons to keep things
professional. So what? We can still be friends, Carrie, even if we can’t be
lovers.”
    She shook her head. “You were right before. We work together.
You want the case I’m working. Whether you want to admit it or not, given what
you said about Porter getting the drop on me, part of you obviously questions my
competency as a cop. I’d say even being friends isn’t a good idea. Besides, you
don’t have female friends, Jase. You’re a serial dater. Hell, you barely even
date. You please them and then you leave them.”
    His mouth twisted. “Hey, don’t knock it. I’d love to please
you. You’d never be the same afterward.”
    She smiled at his unrepentant arrogance even as her body
throbbed at the thought of him pleasing her. Her response emphasized just how
addicted she was becoming to his unique blend of confidence and sexy
masculinity. “And part of me would love to be pleased,” she conceded. His eyes
flared, but she held up a hand, halting his step forward. “But it’s not going to
happen. I’m going home.”
    Jase leaned up against the other side of the car and planted
his hands on top of the roof. “To do what? Think about the lady who spit on you?
I’m talking an hour of your time, Carrie. Don’t I deserve that?”
    The question wasn’t whether he deserved it, it was why he
wanted it. Again, why the sudden need to spend time with her? Was this some kind
of trick? He’d seen her in a weak moment and was hoping to see it again? Exploit
it?
    But he was right about one thing. Under ordinary circumstances,
if she went home now, she’d just think about Kevin Porter and his grandmother.
About her own inadequacy. Or about how empty her house seemed. Thankfully, she
had something to distract her.
    “I’ve got a big case I’m working, remember? That’s all I’m
going to be working on until he’s caught.”
    She pulled her car door open and was about to get inside when
he said, “So let me help you with it.”
    Straightening, she tilted her head inquisitively before
narrowing her eyes. “Boy, you’re on a roll here, Jase. What’s wrong? You don’t
think I can do this alone?”
    He pushed himself back so he was no longer leaning against her
car. “Did I say that? It always helps to run things by a partner. That’s why Mac
asked me to help him with the Monroe murder several months back. Do you honestly
think he couldn’t have done it alone? You have a chip on your shoulder, Carrie.
You might want to do something about it before it ends up getting