Copping Attitude by Ava Meyers Page A

near her, her walls slammed into place.  He’d wondered about that.  Had spotted similar behavior in victims of crime.  He’d told himself that selectivity and self-preservation rather than fear were probably the reasons for her chilly demeanor.
    She was obviously skilled in fending off unwanted attention.  With her looks and unique Playboy bunny credentials, she’d have to be.  And for all he knew, she could be married or gay—Kate had never said.  What she wasn’t, however, was cold or hard, despite how desperately she tried to appear that way. 
    As much as he preferred her body now, he’d like to see her face as it was depicted in that Playboy spread—free of make-up so that freckles dusted her nose, her pouty lips bare and natural rather than painted.  Whenever he tried telling himself to move on, he’d visualize that vintage magazine layout—the one he’d paid a pretty penny for online—and he’d be reminded that Jenna was more than she appeared to be.  Sweetly complex.  An intriguing mystery, which was intoxicating to a man who solved them for a living.
    At first glance, despite the fact she was a knockout, she could be mistaken for boring.  Next to Kate’s confident, animated beauty, she seemed quiet and restrained.  If he watched Jenna long enough, however—and he could definitely get addicted to watching her—eventually her mask would crack and her slick, glossy red lips would tilt into the slightest of smiles, transforming the ice queen into something altogether different before the smile disappeared, leaving him wondering yet again if he’d imagined it. 
    The waitress walked away and Jenna turned to Kate.  Despite how often she’d given him the cold shoulder, it was the memory of that gone-before-you-knew-it-was-there smile that had Noah standing and walking towards her.  To his surprise, she watched his approach with a slightly furrowed brow instead of her usual indifference. 
     “I’m telling you, you can trust Noah,” he heard Kate say softly just before he stepped up to them.  Though Kate met his gaze, Jenna’s suddenly flickered away.
    Shit.  Was Kate actually reassuring Jenna about him ?  That bothered him.  A lot.  He wasn’t the kind of guy a woman feared unless she was a dirty cop or a suspect in the middle of being interrogated.  Quite the opposite.  The fact he was a cop made women feel safe.  Protected.  And he loved making them feel that way.  What the hell had he ever done to make Jenna mistrust him? 
    Raising his arm, he drank from the cold beer bottle in his hand and turned his attention to Kate.  “Spenser.  How’s it going?”
    “Better, now that you’re here, Noah.”
    Her innuendo made him frown.  He liked Kate.  They’d even dated once, years ago, before they’d realized they were better off as friends.  Their friendship was more like an acquaintance now, so Kate’s words should have been teasing.  Instead, they sounded completely serious.  In response, Jenna made a stifled noise, one that resembled the enraged squeak of a mouse.  Her face and neck flushed a deep cherry red.  Again, it was just another peek at the vulnerability he’d always suspected was there; but what was causing it to come out so obviously now when it never had before? 
    “Hi, Jenna,” he said quietly. 
    She acknowledged his greeting with a slight nod.  “Detective James.”
    His jaw clenched.  “Noah, remember?”
    “I see someone I need to talk to,” Kate interjected.  “Can you stay for a second, Noah?  Jenna, think about what we talked about, okay?”
    Catching Noah’s eyes, Kate flickered hers to the open seat, a not-so-subtle message for him to sit.  He saw his frown echoed on Jenna’s face, but there was also true panic in her expression.
    “Kate, wait—”  They spoke at the same time.
    But Kate walked off. 
    Feeling completely off balance, Noah watched Jenna in silence.  She licked her lips and kept her gaze averted.  Finally, he