might have to keep you two apart for my own sanity’s sake.”
“Oh, now I’m really interested in meeting her. I’m sure she could tell me plenty of stories about you.”
“I’m sure she could, which is exactly why I’d make sure you two never meet.” She caught Dean watching them with a thoughtful look in his eye. “Detective?”
“I’m just mulling over how Ms. Scott gets to the crime scenes before we get a call.” He shrugged. “I know we’re not supposed to ask questions, but you can’t blame a guy for being curious.”
“I have a great many informants on the street. I’ve cultivated them for years, both in this city and in others. Not everyone turns a blind eye to what happens in a city. They are the ones who call me.”
“But you’re just a PI. Don’t you usually get the errant husbands to follow or the cheating wives to chase?”
Ashley laughed. “They are the bread and butter of my existence. It’s a dirty job and someone has to do it. Some of my earlier cases had heavy religious undertones, so I took it upon myself to learn everything I could about the good and bad side of all beliefs, recognized and otherwise. It pays to know what you’re dealing with. But, as in this case, sometimes I get a call that’s a little more than I can deal with on my own, so here I am. Not everyone wants to talk to the police, Detective Jackson. Call me the go-to girl for those who’d rather not be seen talking to cops.” Ashley ran a finger along the lapel of his jacket coyly. “Does that answer your questions?”
“Glad to have you on board.” He nodded and gave her a small smile, seemingly disarmed. “Where do you hide your crucifix and holy water?”
Rafe’s bark of “Who wants coffee?” was met by a unanimous agreement and effectively stopped Ashley from answering Dean’s question.
“Ms. Scott, you’re with me.” She purposely steered Ashley out of the office, waiting until they were past the doors before asking, “What did you do to him?”
Laughing, Ashley shook her head at Rafe’s bold accusation. “I did nothing, Detective. My glamour doesn’t give me powers of persuasion. I merely wowed him with my charm and beauty.” She looked up at Rafe. “Then I got a little too close for comfort to knock him off-kilter a little. Men are so easy. Their minds are easily distracted.”
“Between your feminine wiles and your glamour, no one stands a chance.”
“Except you. You’ve always seen just me.”
“I’d rather see the real you,” Rafe said. “I don’t want there to be any pretense between us.”
“I can’t seem to pretend where you’re concerned anyway.”
Rafe steered her toward the elevator, recognizing the attraction between them was obviously mutual, no matter how hard she fought against it. “We’re in such an awkward position here. We’re working on a case; we shouldn’t be fraternizing.”
“Fraternizing?” Ashley snorted. “That’s not the word I would have used.”
Resisting the urge to take her by the arm, just to touch her, Rafe stuffed her hands into her pockets. “There’s a Starbucks on the corner. We’ll get the team coffee from there.”
“You sure know how to show a girl a good time.” Ashley bumped Rafe’s hip. “And here I was thinking you just wanted to get me out of the office before I told Dean everything.”
“Where I come from, getting coffee together is almost considered a date.”
“Well, where I come from, a woman expects a meal on a plate and a candle on the table.”
Rafe considered this. “So takeout pizza and one attentive cat doesn’t constitute a first date in your book?”
“Not when one member of the party is out of her skull on demon poison, no.”
“I may need to work on my act, then,” Rafe said.
“I’ll look forward to it.”
“If we happen across any demons in human form will you point them out to me?”
“I won’t have to, Rafe. You’re going to have no trouble picking them out from the
“Oh, now I’m really interested in meeting her. I’m sure she could tell me plenty of stories about you.”
“I’m sure she could, which is exactly why I’d make sure you two never meet.” She caught Dean watching them with a thoughtful look in his eye. “Detective?”
“I’m just mulling over how Ms. Scott gets to the crime scenes before we get a call.” He shrugged. “I know we’re not supposed to ask questions, but you can’t blame a guy for being curious.”
“I have a great many informants on the street. I’ve cultivated them for years, both in this city and in others. Not everyone turns a blind eye to what happens in a city. They are the ones who call me.”
“But you’re just a PI. Don’t you usually get the errant husbands to follow or the cheating wives to chase?”
Ashley laughed. “They are the bread and butter of my existence. It’s a dirty job and someone has to do it. Some of my earlier cases had heavy religious undertones, so I took it upon myself to learn everything I could about the good and bad side of all beliefs, recognized and otherwise. It pays to know what you’re dealing with. But, as in this case, sometimes I get a call that’s a little more than I can deal with on my own, so here I am. Not everyone wants to talk to the police, Detective Jackson. Call me the go-to girl for those who’d rather not be seen talking to cops.” Ashley ran a finger along the lapel of his jacket coyly. “Does that answer your questions?”
“Glad to have you on board.” He nodded and gave her a small smile, seemingly disarmed. “Where do you hide your crucifix and holy water?”
Rafe’s bark of “Who wants coffee?” was met by a unanimous agreement and effectively stopped Ashley from answering Dean’s question.
“Ms. Scott, you’re with me.” She purposely steered Ashley out of the office, waiting until they were past the doors before asking, “What did you do to him?”
Laughing, Ashley shook her head at Rafe’s bold accusation. “I did nothing, Detective. My glamour doesn’t give me powers of persuasion. I merely wowed him with my charm and beauty.” She looked up at Rafe. “Then I got a little too close for comfort to knock him off-kilter a little. Men are so easy. Their minds are easily distracted.”
“Between your feminine wiles and your glamour, no one stands a chance.”
“Except you. You’ve always seen just me.”
“I’d rather see the real you,” Rafe said. “I don’t want there to be any pretense between us.”
“I can’t seem to pretend where you’re concerned anyway.”
Rafe steered her toward the elevator, recognizing the attraction between them was obviously mutual, no matter how hard she fought against it. “We’re in such an awkward position here. We’re working on a case; we shouldn’t be fraternizing.”
“Fraternizing?” Ashley snorted. “That’s not the word I would have used.”
Resisting the urge to take her by the arm, just to touch her, Rafe stuffed her hands into her pockets. “There’s a Starbucks on the corner. We’ll get the team coffee from there.”
“You sure know how to show a girl a good time.” Ashley bumped Rafe’s hip. “And here I was thinking you just wanted to get me out of the office before I told Dean everything.”
“Where I come from, getting coffee together is almost considered a date.”
“Well, where I come from, a woman expects a meal on a plate and a candle on the table.”
Rafe considered this. “So takeout pizza and one attentive cat doesn’t constitute a first date in your book?”
“Not when one member of the party is out of her skull on demon poison, no.”
“I may need to work on my act, then,” Rafe said.
“I’ll look forward to it.”
“If we happen across any demons in human form will you point them out to me?”
“I won’t have to, Rafe. You’re going to have no trouble picking them out from the
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