employee break room where she kept a spare jacket.
Suddenly—and she didn’t care how illogical the idea was—she was sure Diego was more than just a hot, sexy temptation for incredible sex. He was inspiration, and for more than kinky positions. Empowerment meant grabbing ahold of what you wanted, taking risks and learning new things.
She didn’t know what she might learn from him, what he might spark in her. She just knew he represented freedom. Excitement. She might have to settle for a life without her fantasy career as a stylist, but here was a chance to have a few of her other fantasies.
The sexual ones.
She just had to figure out how to convince him to strip naked and start making those fantasies come true.
* * *
T HREE HOURS LATER , she was still figuring.
“I think that’s it,” Diego decided as he flipped through his little police notebook. “We’ve talked to all the victims and their families, as well as everyone who discovered the stolen goods. Was that the entire population of Diablo Glen?”
“Well, a large part of it,” Jade agreed, keeping step with him as he strode down the sidewalk of Main Street. “There are about two dozen people out of town for the holidays. Visiting family, vacations, that kind of thing. And there are a few families who live out on the edge of the city limits, but we’d have to drive to see them.”
Nonplussed, he shook his head. “I can’t believe you can get from one end of town to the other without needing car keys.”
“We can’t have spoken with everyone. What about all the rest? The ones you waved to in stores, the diner. Gathered at that big building on the edge of the park. All prettied up to look like it’s made of candy? Was that the town hall?”
Jade smiled at his description. The town hall, heck, all the public buildings, looked great. She’d actually had fun watching his reaction, seeing the disdain slowly melt from building to building as he came to appreciate all the artistry in the thematic decorations.
“You talked to all the major players in the panty drama, and most of the minor ones,” she assured him. “There are a lot of people who aren’t even bystanders, though. You caught us at our busy season. Rebecca Lee’s getting married the first week of the new year, so she’s got a bunch of relatives visiting. A lot of the families have company in for the holidays, too. Our quaint small-town-Christmas thing holds major appeal for some people.”
As much as she craved the big city, she couldn’t imagine doing the holidays any other way. Looking intrigued, Diego stopped to read a flyer in the bookstore window that announced the Twelve Days of Books event, complete with gingerbread and hot cocoa.
“You get a lot of strangers through?” he asked, nodding to a Washington license plate as he tucked his notebook back in his pocket.
“Sure, some. Like I said, there are a lot of visitors for a small town this time of year. You met Marion Kroger in the library?” She waited until he nodded before continuing, “She’s got at least a dozen or more people out at her place. She must have a huge family, because they cycle through at least three or four times a year.”
“Any of them come into town?”
Jade shrugged.
“Probably. Every once in a while we get a few people I can’t place. But not too often. That’s not a stranger’s car, for instance. That’s Mrs. Green’s grandson’s, Eddy. He’s studying engineering at Washington University.”
For the first time since he’d taken that phone call outside the library, Diego looked directly at her. Jade shivered a little. It wasn’t that she’d forgotten how intense his gaze was. Not really. But a few hours in his company without feeling it had a way of making a girl think she could handle it.
Silly girl.
“I need to go over my notes,” he said, still studying her face as if he was weighing something.
“Ah, well, I guess playtime’s over then.” Despite her cheery smile
Suddenly—and she didn’t care how illogical the idea was—she was sure Diego was more than just a hot, sexy temptation for incredible sex. He was inspiration, and for more than kinky positions. Empowerment meant grabbing ahold of what you wanted, taking risks and learning new things.
She didn’t know what she might learn from him, what he might spark in her. She just knew he represented freedom. Excitement. She might have to settle for a life without her fantasy career as a stylist, but here was a chance to have a few of her other fantasies.
The sexual ones.
She just had to figure out how to convince him to strip naked and start making those fantasies come true.
* * *
T HREE HOURS LATER , she was still figuring.
“I think that’s it,” Diego decided as he flipped through his little police notebook. “We’ve talked to all the victims and their families, as well as everyone who discovered the stolen goods. Was that the entire population of Diablo Glen?”
“Well, a large part of it,” Jade agreed, keeping step with him as he strode down the sidewalk of Main Street. “There are about two dozen people out of town for the holidays. Visiting family, vacations, that kind of thing. And there are a few families who live out on the edge of the city limits, but we’d have to drive to see them.”
Nonplussed, he shook his head. “I can’t believe you can get from one end of town to the other without needing car keys.”
“We can’t have spoken with everyone. What about all the rest? The ones you waved to in stores, the diner. Gathered at that big building on the edge of the park. All prettied up to look like it’s made of candy? Was that the town hall?”
Jade smiled at his description. The town hall, heck, all the public buildings, looked great. She’d actually had fun watching his reaction, seeing the disdain slowly melt from building to building as he came to appreciate all the artistry in the thematic decorations.
“You talked to all the major players in the panty drama, and most of the minor ones,” she assured him. “There are a lot of people who aren’t even bystanders, though. You caught us at our busy season. Rebecca Lee’s getting married the first week of the new year, so she’s got a bunch of relatives visiting. A lot of the families have company in for the holidays, too. Our quaint small-town-Christmas thing holds major appeal for some people.”
As much as she craved the big city, she couldn’t imagine doing the holidays any other way. Looking intrigued, Diego stopped to read a flyer in the bookstore window that announced the Twelve Days of Books event, complete with gingerbread and hot cocoa.
“You get a lot of strangers through?” he asked, nodding to a Washington license plate as he tucked his notebook back in his pocket.
“Sure, some. Like I said, there are a lot of visitors for a small town this time of year. You met Marion Kroger in the library?” She waited until he nodded before continuing, “She’s got at least a dozen or more people out at her place. She must have a huge family, because they cycle through at least three or four times a year.”
“Any of them come into town?”
Jade shrugged.
“Probably. Every once in a while we get a few people I can’t place. But not too often. That’s not a stranger’s car, for instance. That’s Mrs. Green’s grandson’s, Eddy. He’s studying engineering at Washington University.”
For the first time since he’d taken that phone call outside the library, Diego looked directly at her. Jade shivered a little. It wasn’t that she’d forgotten how intense his gaze was. Not really. But a few hours in his company without feeling it had a way of making a girl think she could handle it.
Silly girl.
“I need to go over my notes,” he said, still studying her face as if he was weighing something.
“Ah, well, I guess playtime’s over then.” Despite her cheery smile
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