were, Sonnie knowing they both thought about the next move.
Chris slid his hand, millimeter by millimeter, from her breast, and Sonnie couldn’t control the arching of her back. But she didn’t open her eyes. The body could react in sleep, so she was asleep and reacting to a warm male palm, and very long, warm male fingers, sliding slowly over her aroused breast.
Too soon it was over, and she stretched in her “sleep” and turned enough to let her arm fall away from him.
Slitting her eyes once more, she studied him through her lashes. He held up his hands, studied them before letting them fall into his lap. The sheets were tossed aside and he studied her minutely from her feet to her face. With his head on one side and an unreadable expression in his eyes, his gaze settled on her face. He ran his fingers through his hair, never looking away. His nostrils flared and the breath he drew in was long, so long. He parted his lips and rested the tip of his tongue on the edges of his upper teeth.
That expression was so obvious, even to a woman who hadn’t even thought about sex for a long time. He was aroused.
Why should that thrill her? It just did thrill her. She was only human.
Time to wake up, sleeping pretender.
She opened her eyes and looked directly at him—and almost smiled at the faint color that rushed across his cheekbones. “Hi,” he said. “Good morning.”
She smiled and said, “Good morning. You slept in that chair all night?”
“I promised I would. I keep my promises.”
‘Oh, Chris, I’m sorry.’’ She scooted to sit up, barely managing to grab her pajama bottoms before they slipped all the way off. With a sheepish grimace, she lifted her bottom from the bed and made sure she was properly covered.
His eyes remained in the region of her hips for a second or so too long.
“I’m really sorry for what I put you through,” she said. “You remember it? All of it?”
“I think I do. It gets clearer every time.”
With his hands laced behind his neck, he stretched, and while he stretched he continued to regard her. No trace of sleepiness remained. “Have you ever spoken to the police about this?”
“About visions and voices? You used to be a cop, Chris. What would you have said to someone who came in talking about that kind of thing?”
He sniffed, and bent toward her so suddenly that she jumped. “I’d have offered them a ride home and suggested to whomever they lived with that a psychiatric evaluation was in order.”
If he hoped the hard-nosed approach would get rid of her, he was wrong. “Okay. A fair answer. What if the person in question lived alone and didn’t have anyone she could trust to get her some good help?”
“Then I’d just have to give the ride home and hope for the best. The cops aren’t baby-sitters. And the law doesn’t allow us...doesn’t allow them to take people off the streets for being disturbed. Not unless they’re creating a public nuisance of the threatening variety.”
More than once his attention went to places other than her face. But that was just a man thing. She was nothing more than a nuisance to him.
“What would it take to get you to work for me?”
“So blunt?” He shook his head. “Ι’ve already told you I’m not for hire.”
“Το get you to work for me for free, then?” She raised her chin. “Or for whatever you need or want. You’re alone; so am Ι. I don’t want anything from you but an honest shot at helping me run down some information. I could look after you. Would it be so bad to have meals cooked? I’m a good cook.”
“I like the food at the Nail.”
“It’s junk. And I’d look after your clothes and all the regular stuff.”
“I’m real good at the regular stuff. I manage to live in a small space and be the tidiest man alive.”
Sonnie Keith Giacano had a reputation for being quiet and unassuming. Time to blow that one. “Keep your place at Roy and Bo’s so you can get away whenever you want to.
Chris slid his hand, millimeter by millimeter, from her breast, and Sonnie couldn’t control the arching of her back. But she didn’t open her eyes. The body could react in sleep, so she was asleep and reacting to a warm male palm, and very long, warm male fingers, sliding slowly over her aroused breast.
Too soon it was over, and she stretched in her “sleep” and turned enough to let her arm fall away from him.
Slitting her eyes once more, she studied him through her lashes. He held up his hands, studied them before letting them fall into his lap. The sheets were tossed aside and he studied her minutely from her feet to her face. With his head on one side and an unreadable expression in his eyes, his gaze settled on her face. He ran his fingers through his hair, never looking away. His nostrils flared and the breath he drew in was long, so long. He parted his lips and rested the tip of his tongue on the edges of his upper teeth.
That expression was so obvious, even to a woman who hadn’t even thought about sex for a long time. He was aroused.
Why should that thrill her? It just did thrill her. She was only human.
Time to wake up, sleeping pretender.
She opened her eyes and looked directly at him—and almost smiled at the faint color that rushed across his cheekbones. “Hi,” he said. “Good morning.”
She smiled and said, “Good morning. You slept in that chair all night?”
“I promised I would. I keep my promises.”
‘Oh, Chris, I’m sorry.’’ She scooted to sit up, barely managing to grab her pajama bottoms before they slipped all the way off. With a sheepish grimace, she lifted her bottom from the bed and made sure she was properly covered.
His eyes remained in the region of her hips for a second or so too long.
“I’m really sorry for what I put you through,” she said. “You remember it? All of it?”
“I think I do. It gets clearer every time.”
With his hands laced behind his neck, he stretched, and while he stretched he continued to regard her. No trace of sleepiness remained. “Have you ever spoken to the police about this?”
“About visions and voices? You used to be a cop, Chris. What would you have said to someone who came in talking about that kind of thing?”
He sniffed, and bent toward her so suddenly that she jumped. “I’d have offered them a ride home and suggested to whomever they lived with that a psychiatric evaluation was in order.”
If he hoped the hard-nosed approach would get rid of her, he was wrong. “Okay. A fair answer. What if the person in question lived alone and didn’t have anyone she could trust to get her some good help?”
“Then I’d just have to give the ride home and hope for the best. The cops aren’t baby-sitters. And the law doesn’t allow us...doesn’t allow them to take people off the streets for being disturbed. Not unless they’re creating a public nuisance of the threatening variety.”
More than once his attention went to places other than her face. But that was just a man thing. She was nothing more than a nuisance to him.
“What would it take to get you to work for me?”
“So blunt?” He shook his head. “Ι’ve already told you I’m not for hire.”
“Το get you to work for me for free, then?” She raised her chin. “Or for whatever you need or want. You’re alone; so am Ι. I don’t want anything from you but an honest shot at helping me run down some information. I could look after you. Would it be so bad to have meals cooked? I’m a good cook.”
“I like the food at the Nail.”
“It’s junk. And I’d look after your clothes and all the regular stuff.”
“I’m real good at the regular stuff. I manage to live in a small space and be the tidiest man alive.”
Sonnie Keith Giacano had a reputation for being quiet and unassuming. Time to blow that one. “Keep your place at Roy and Bo’s so you can get away whenever you want to.
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