Chapter One
“Hello, gorgeous.”
The low, rich purr of her voice was enough to
have Drew Quentin shifting in the miserable, busted chair. He also
had to fight the urge to smile as he reminded himself he’d decided
to ends things with Dakota Coulter.
He wanted her, he was halfway in love with
her…and she refused to so much as give him her damn phone
number.
He could have handled that.
But the cop in him was a little bit disturbed
by the fact that Dakota Coulter had a past that was just a little too mysterious. Oh, her background check held up—too well,
actually. Something about her had his instincts quivering.
She wouldn’t open up for him.
“Drew?”
He closed his eyes. “I’m here, Dakota.”
“Having a rough night, sugar?”
The compassion in her voice all but gutted
him. Damn it . This would be so much easier if she didn’t
care—so much easier if he wasn’t in love with her.
“Yeah, you could say that.” He rubbed his
temple. He shouldn’t have answered the damn phone. But shit, it
wasn’t like he could avoid this forever. He looked up and saw
Nicole staring at him. Nicole Halloway, the local DA with the
pretty blue eyes, sweet smile and dynamite body.
She was there, she was steady. She was the
reason he needed to break things off with Dakota. He liked Nic.
Cared for her—a lot. There was an attraction there, too, one that
could maybe become more. But not if he was obsessed with a woman
who wouldn’t ever hang around for longer than a night or two.
“I guess you’re not up for meeting me after
work, huh?” Dakota sighed. “That’s cool, sugar. I understand. I’ll
look you up—”
“No.” He continued to star at Nic. He had to
get this done. “We can meet. I…I’ve been needing to talk to you
anyway, Dakota.”
Now Nic’s brows arched up over big blue eyes.
So far their ‘dates’ hadn’t been much more than a cup of coffee, a
quick lunch. She knew he’d been seeing another woman, knew he
wasn’t going to get serious until he’d been able to break things
off. It was time he did that.
Even if it did feel a little like he was
ripping out his own kidney with his teeth. Or even his heart.
Sighing, Dakota ended the call.
Something in Drew’s voice had her heart
aching.
“We need to talk, huh, lover? Yeah. I’ve
heard that line before.” Then she tipped her head back, staring up
at the nighttime sky. Granted, she hadn’t heard it much in recent
years. Not since she’d slid into a crazy little world where
vampires, werewolves and other things went bump in the night.
Sometime back in the 70’s, she thought.
Yeah. She smiled absently, some echo of
fondness trying to lift the melancholy settling over her heart. But
it wouldn’t budge. She’d been kind of happy about coming to
Asheville. Now? Not so much.
She was a Hunter without a territory or
Master. Her random circuit had her rambling all over the east
coast. She often ended up in this area, and she’d been just fine
with that. Because this area held a lot of appeal for her, namely
in the fine form of one Asheville city detective…Andrew Michael
Quentin…Drew.
Drew—the cop who was getting ready to dump
her.
She glanced down at her clothes, remembered
she’d planned to change before she saw him. “Screw changing.”
She was going shopping.
If he was going to dump her, she was going to
show him in vivid, glorious detail what he was missing.
Maybe it would make her feel better.
Although she wasn’t particularly counting on
it.
The splash of murderous red on her nails
didn’t do much to lift her spirits, but Dakota was pleased with how
she looked, at least. The dress might have been a bit overdone, but
red looked good on her. It clung to her curves, stopped just a bit
short of her knees. And she could still move.
She’d passed on the really cute Jimmy Choos
with the ankle straps, settling on a simpler pair of heels. She
could run barefoot without falling. Even though falling
“Hello, gorgeous.”
The low, rich purr of her voice was enough to
have Drew Quentin shifting in the miserable, busted chair. He also
had to fight the urge to smile as he reminded himself he’d decided
to ends things with Dakota Coulter.
He wanted her, he was halfway in love with
her…and she refused to so much as give him her damn phone
number.
He could have handled that.
But the cop in him was a little bit disturbed
by the fact that Dakota Coulter had a past that was just a little too mysterious. Oh, her background check held up—too well,
actually. Something about her had his instincts quivering.
She wouldn’t open up for him.
“Drew?”
He closed his eyes. “I’m here, Dakota.”
“Having a rough night, sugar?”
The compassion in her voice all but gutted
him. Damn it . This would be so much easier if she didn’t
care—so much easier if he wasn’t in love with her.
“Yeah, you could say that.” He rubbed his
temple. He shouldn’t have answered the damn phone. But shit, it
wasn’t like he could avoid this forever. He looked up and saw
Nicole staring at him. Nicole Halloway, the local DA with the
pretty blue eyes, sweet smile and dynamite body.
She was there, she was steady. She was the
reason he needed to break things off with Dakota. He liked Nic.
Cared for her—a lot. There was an attraction there, too, one that
could maybe become more. But not if he was obsessed with a woman
who wouldn’t ever hang around for longer than a night or two.
“I guess you’re not up for meeting me after
work, huh?” Dakota sighed. “That’s cool, sugar. I understand. I’ll
look you up—”
“No.” He continued to star at Nic. He had to
get this done. “We can meet. I…I’ve been needing to talk to you
anyway, Dakota.”
Now Nic’s brows arched up over big blue eyes.
So far their ‘dates’ hadn’t been much more than a cup of coffee, a
quick lunch. She knew he’d been seeing another woman, knew he
wasn’t going to get serious until he’d been able to break things
off. It was time he did that.
Even if it did feel a little like he was
ripping out his own kidney with his teeth. Or even his heart.
Sighing, Dakota ended the call.
Something in Drew’s voice had her heart
aching.
“We need to talk, huh, lover? Yeah. I’ve
heard that line before.” Then she tipped her head back, staring up
at the nighttime sky. Granted, she hadn’t heard it much in recent
years. Not since she’d slid into a crazy little world where
vampires, werewolves and other things went bump in the night.
Sometime back in the 70’s, she thought.
Yeah. She smiled absently, some echo of
fondness trying to lift the melancholy settling over her heart. But
it wouldn’t budge. She’d been kind of happy about coming to
Asheville. Now? Not so much.
She was a Hunter without a territory or
Master. Her random circuit had her rambling all over the east
coast. She often ended up in this area, and she’d been just fine
with that. Because this area held a lot of appeal for her, namely
in the fine form of one Asheville city detective…Andrew Michael
Quentin…Drew.
Drew—the cop who was getting ready to dump
her.
She glanced down at her clothes, remembered
she’d planned to change before she saw him. “Screw changing.”
She was going shopping.
If he was going to dump her, she was going to
show him in vivid, glorious detail what he was missing.
Maybe it would make her feel better.
Although she wasn’t particularly counting on
it.
The splash of murderous red on her nails
didn’t do much to lift her spirits, but Dakota was pleased with how
she looked, at least. The dress might have been a bit overdone, but
red looked good on her. It clung to her curves, stopped just a bit
short of her knees. And she could still move.
She’d passed on the really cute Jimmy Choos
with the ankle straps, settling on a simpler pair of heels. She
could run barefoot without falling. Even though falling
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