creamy breast, he’d arrest her for indecent exposure – even if it wasn’t indecent or illegal.
And then there was the task of dealing with Majors. He’d kick his ass from here to the end of time – the penalty for assault on a federal agent be damned.
Only the sound of a closing door saved him from plotting Majors’ further demise. He began counting to ten, stopping on five when Bri stood in the waiting room.
“Detectives,” she drawled. “What a surprise.”
“Oh, hell,” Mace grumbled as he stood. “Just for the record, this wasn’t my idea.”
“I take full responsibility,” Jake spat. “Start talking, Bri.”
Her eyelashes brushed the soft skin under her eyes almost as if attempting to distract him. “About?”
“No games. What makes you think I’d agree with what you have planned?”
“I haven’t planned anything,” she said calmly as she spun her bracelet and glanced at the face of the clock. “In fact, Ryan is supposed to brief me in an hour.”
The vein in his left temple pounded, threatening to burst with the angry flow of blood through it. “No.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“No briefing.”
“Tell me Detective, what exactly makes you think you have the authority to make that decision?”
Something in her tone made him pause. Then suddenly, the calm, even-tempered psychiatrist who practiced amazing self control morphed into the red-headed demon who could go one-on-one with Satan himself — and win. Incredibly, that made him hard. Extremely hard.
“Bri—”
“No.” She stepped toward him and poked her index finger against his chest. “You don’t control me, Jake. I do what I want, when I want and without your permission.”
He captured her finger in his fist. “Think so?”
“Absolutely.”
Bri met Jake’s hardened glare head on, eye for eye with not even a thought of surrender. He could protest as loud and long as he wanted – she’d made up her mind with no intention of changing it.
“What the hell are you thinking, Bri? Dancing is one thing but purposely baiting a lunatic is downright insane!”
“Jake, please relax.” She placed a hand on his forearm in an effort to calm him. “Ryan has my back. He’ll put a team of agents in place to keep me perfectly safe.”
“No.”
“It’s something I have to do. Girls are disappearing without a trace. Someone has to stop it.”
“You can’t save the world.”
“Look who’s talking.”
“No way – absolutely not. I won’t allow you to put yourself in the middle of something like this.”
“It’s not your call,” she said quietly.
He ran a hand through his hair and she didn’t miss its distinct shake. “Dammit, Bri, I love you. If something went wrong, I’d never forgive myself.”
Incredible shock rendered her speechless. Her heart pounded ninety to nothing in the silence that followed. For several seconds she was afraid to move, scared that if she did, he’d make excuses for his confession.
Finally, she whispered a desperate plea. “Say it again.”
Without hesitation, he squeezed her against him and rested his chin atop her head, his arms buckled tight around her. “I love you so much I hurt.”
“I love you too.” She smiled against his chest. “You have to trust me.”
“I do, baby.” He released a heavy sigh. “Enough to know I can’t change your mind. But I don’t have to agree.”
Although his surrender relieved her, she knew it had been issued a little quickly. She took a step back and captured his gaze. “That was too easy.”
“I guess love does that to a guy.”
“Try again.”
“What other choice do I have? If you insist on shaking your ass as bait, I’ll be right there watching you shake it.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. “Closely.”
She couldn’t stop the grin that split her lips. “Sounds like an excuse for another lap dance to me, detective.”
“From now on, mine are private.” He hugged her closely again. “And totally
And then there was the task of dealing with Majors. He’d kick his ass from here to the end of time – the penalty for assault on a federal agent be damned.
Only the sound of a closing door saved him from plotting Majors’ further demise. He began counting to ten, stopping on five when Bri stood in the waiting room.
“Detectives,” she drawled. “What a surprise.”
“Oh, hell,” Mace grumbled as he stood. “Just for the record, this wasn’t my idea.”
“I take full responsibility,” Jake spat. “Start talking, Bri.”
Her eyelashes brushed the soft skin under her eyes almost as if attempting to distract him. “About?”
“No games. What makes you think I’d agree with what you have planned?”
“I haven’t planned anything,” she said calmly as she spun her bracelet and glanced at the face of the clock. “In fact, Ryan is supposed to brief me in an hour.”
The vein in his left temple pounded, threatening to burst with the angry flow of blood through it. “No.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“No briefing.”
“Tell me Detective, what exactly makes you think you have the authority to make that decision?”
Something in her tone made him pause. Then suddenly, the calm, even-tempered psychiatrist who practiced amazing self control morphed into the red-headed demon who could go one-on-one with Satan himself — and win. Incredibly, that made him hard. Extremely hard.
“Bri—”
“No.” She stepped toward him and poked her index finger against his chest. “You don’t control me, Jake. I do what I want, when I want and without your permission.”
He captured her finger in his fist. “Think so?”
“Absolutely.”
Bri met Jake’s hardened glare head on, eye for eye with not even a thought of surrender. He could protest as loud and long as he wanted – she’d made up her mind with no intention of changing it.
“What the hell are you thinking, Bri? Dancing is one thing but purposely baiting a lunatic is downright insane!”
“Jake, please relax.” She placed a hand on his forearm in an effort to calm him. “Ryan has my back. He’ll put a team of agents in place to keep me perfectly safe.”
“No.”
“It’s something I have to do. Girls are disappearing without a trace. Someone has to stop it.”
“You can’t save the world.”
“Look who’s talking.”
“No way – absolutely not. I won’t allow you to put yourself in the middle of something like this.”
“It’s not your call,” she said quietly.
He ran a hand through his hair and she didn’t miss its distinct shake. “Dammit, Bri, I love you. If something went wrong, I’d never forgive myself.”
Incredible shock rendered her speechless. Her heart pounded ninety to nothing in the silence that followed. For several seconds she was afraid to move, scared that if she did, he’d make excuses for his confession.
Finally, she whispered a desperate plea. “Say it again.”
Without hesitation, he squeezed her against him and rested his chin atop her head, his arms buckled tight around her. “I love you so much I hurt.”
“I love you too.” She smiled against his chest. “You have to trust me.”
“I do, baby.” He released a heavy sigh. “Enough to know I can’t change your mind. But I don’t have to agree.”
Although his surrender relieved her, she knew it had been issued a little quickly. She took a step back and captured his gaze. “That was too easy.”
“I guess love does that to a guy.”
“Try again.”
“What other choice do I have? If you insist on shaking your ass as bait, I’ll be right there watching you shake it.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. “Closely.”
She couldn’t stop the grin that split her lips. “Sounds like an excuse for another lap dance to me, detective.”
“From now on, mine are private.” He hugged her closely again. “And totally
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