you or someone
else hurt.”
His words struck home. He was right. She was overreacting and
sounding more emotional than logical. She was making her decision for purely
personal reasons and, even worse than that, out of fear. Even though she’d
thoroughly reviewed the files and formed her own conclusions, why not run them
past Jase? He had more experience than she did. She shouldn’t dismiss his offer
for help just because she was afraid of the sexual attraction between them. What
kind of cop would that make her?
“I guess I could use your help.”
There was no hint of triumph on his face, which enabled her to
relax even more.
He nodded. “I’ll follow you home.”
As he walked away, she called, “No funny business. I mean it,
Jase. This is purely one cop accepting another’s offer for help on a case.”
He turned to face her but kept walking backward with his hands
in his pockets. “Of course it is, darlin’. You’ve made it clear you don’t want
to act on the attraction between us. As far as I’m concerned, you’re just one of
the guys now.”
He couldn’t know how much that statement hurt her, especially
since she smiled brightly after he said it. “Great,” she said. “Just keep that
in mind and we should be fine.”
CHAPTER SIX
W HEN THEY GOT TO C ARRIE ’ S house, or rather, to her floor of a tri-level house on Divisidero Street, Jase
was startled by how girly it was. He was used to seeing her at work, in the
detective’s pit with its straight-lined masculine furniture and her dressed in
her button-down shirts and khakis. He knew she chose her clothes to appear
androgynous, but he never thought of her as anything other than a woman. In
fact, sometimes her professional facade had him salivating to unwrap the
feminine package he knew lay underneath. Still, if he’d had to guess what kind
of decor she preferred, he’d never have picked the shabby-chic stuff his frilly
sisters were wild for.
Several soft watercolors, done in hazy washes of blues and
purples, decorated the yellow walls. Her couch was covered with a faded floral
slipcover, and her dining-room table was a polished cherry with curvy legs.
Cinnamon. The scent surrounded him as soon as he walked in.
Once inside, Carrie turned almost nervously to him. “Make
yourself at home,” she said while avoiding his gaze. “I don’t think there’s much
in the refrigerator. I’m going to take a quick shower and change.” She pointed
to a nearby door. “Guest bath is right through there.”
Jase nodded. She walked into another room and shut the door. He
heard the lock engage and then the sound of the shower a few minutes later.
For a moment, he was overcome by images of her naked body. Her
naked, wet body. Her naked, wet, slippery body. He groaned. He’d never been so
sexually obsessed with a woman in his life. What was it about her that got to
him? And what had compelled him to offer his help with The Embalmer case anyway?
He had the next few days off. If he wasn’t getting the lead on The Embalmer
case, he should enjoy them. Visit the family. Play hoops with his cousin. Call
Kelly Sorenson and see if the promise in her dark eyes turned out to be as good
as it seemed.
Instead, he was going to put in extra hours helping Carrie on a
case he’d wanted and that he wasn’t quite sure she was ready for, while at the
same time trying to control his attraction to her.
What the hell was wrong with him?
Sure, he thought she was attractive, but she wasn’t the most
beautiful woman he’d seen or been with. She was a cop, for Christ’s sake. One
who’d often claimed she could kick his ass and fully believed it. Instead of
turning him off, the recurring threat had always conjured images of them rolling
around on the floor together, their bodies touching and rubbing until they were
ready to rip each other’s clothes off.
Jesus, he had a one-track mind. Carrie wasn’t just a cop, and
she certainly wasn’t a sex toy for him to play with
else hurt.”
His words struck home. He was right. She was overreacting and
sounding more emotional than logical. She was making her decision for purely
personal reasons and, even worse than that, out of fear. Even though she’d
thoroughly reviewed the files and formed her own conclusions, why not run them
past Jase? He had more experience than she did. She shouldn’t dismiss his offer
for help just because she was afraid of the sexual attraction between them. What
kind of cop would that make her?
“I guess I could use your help.”
There was no hint of triumph on his face, which enabled her to
relax even more.
He nodded. “I’ll follow you home.”
As he walked away, she called, “No funny business. I mean it,
Jase. This is purely one cop accepting another’s offer for help on a case.”
He turned to face her but kept walking backward with his hands
in his pockets. “Of course it is, darlin’. You’ve made it clear you don’t want
to act on the attraction between us. As far as I’m concerned, you’re just one of
the guys now.”
He couldn’t know how much that statement hurt her, especially
since she smiled brightly after he said it. “Great,” she said. “Just keep that
in mind and we should be fine.”
CHAPTER SIX
W HEN THEY GOT TO C ARRIE ’ S house, or rather, to her floor of a tri-level house on Divisidero Street, Jase
was startled by how girly it was. He was used to seeing her at work, in the
detective’s pit with its straight-lined masculine furniture and her dressed in
her button-down shirts and khakis. He knew she chose her clothes to appear
androgynous, but he never thought of her as anything other than a woman. In
fact, sometimes her professional facade had him salivating to unwrap the
feminine package he knew lay underneath. Still, if he’d had to guess what kind
of decor she preferred, he’d never have picked the shabby-chic stuff his frilly
sisters were wild for.
Several soft watercolors, done in hazy washes of blues and
purples, decorated the yellow walls. Her couch was covered with a faded floral
slipcover, and her dining-room table was a polished cherry with curvy legs.
Cinnamon. The scent surrounded him as soon as he walked in.
Once inside, Carrie turned almost nervously to him. “Make
yourself at home,” she said while avoiding his gaze. “I don’t think there’s much
in the refrigerator. I’m going to take a quick shower and change.” She pointed
to a nearby door. “Guest bath is right through there.”
Jase nodded. She walked into another room and shut the door. He
heard the lock engage and then the sound of the shower a few minutes later.
For a moment, he was overcome by images of her naked body. Her
naked, wet body. Her naked, wet, slippery body. He groaned. He’d never been so
sexually obsessed with a woman in his life. What was it about her that got to
him? And what had compelled him to offer his help with The Embalmer case anyway?
He had the next few days off. If he wasn’t getting the lead on The Embalmer
case, he should enjoy them. Visit the family. Play hoops with his cousin. Call
Kelly Sorenson and see if the promise in her dark eyes turned out to be as good
as it seemed.
Instead, he was going to put in extra hours helping Carrie on a
case he’d wanted and that he wasn’t quite sure she was ready for, while at the
same time trying to control his attraction to her.
What the hell was wrong with him?
Sure, he thought she was attractive, but she wasn’t the most
beautiful woman he’d seen or been with. She was a cop, for Christ’s sake. One
who’d often claimed she could kick his ass and fully believed it. Instead of
turning him off, the recurring threat had always conjured images of them rolling
around on the floor together, their bodies touching and rubbing until they were
ready to rip each other’s clothes off.
Jesus, he had a one-track mind. Carrie wasn’t just a cop, and
she certainly wasn’t a sex toy for him to play with
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