mulling over the crime scene pictures she’d copied at the lab once Mac Taylor had cleared her camera and pulled the memory card for her. But maybe she’d spent the last twenty minutes of the drive across town cooking up ways to get him out of her personal space. Like that was going to happen. “Besides, you’re downtown, practically at the back door of precinct headquarters here. Once I pick you up in the morning, the drive to work will take us no time.”
Did she just roll those amber eyes? His sister Nell had an irritating penchant for doing that. But Nick couldn’t recall ever being this aware of his sister’s eyes. Annie’s were darker now, like a fine whiskey. Did she even know how their color changed, from light golden hazel to nearly brown, according to her mood? And why did he know that? He was beginning to think the sparks that had been flying between them for months now—since being assigned to the same task force—had more to do with some sort of dormant attraction that was waking, despite his best efforts, than it did with any differences in their personalities or investigative styles.
Annie’s scent filled up the closed space of the car—a mix of antiseptic from the lab and something more subtle, like lavender and vanilla, that stirred the air with every bounce of those dark, velvety curls. He was a damn fool for noticing all those little feminine details about the eccentric scientist. This crazy pull to the woman stewing in the seat across from him could become as dangerous a distraction as his worry over Jordan Garza dating his sister.
And while Nick had made the mistake of letting personal feelings get in the way of doing his job once already today, he wasn’t about to make that mistake a second time. No matter how the complex, combative brunette got under his skin and messed with his head, he was determined to watch over her.
With that much of a New Year’s resolution firmly in place, Nick turned off the engine and opened the door to let a blast of frigid air swirl in to cleanse Annie’s fragrance from his car and his senses.
Tightening the scarf his mother had knitted him for Christmas around his neck, Nick hunched his shoulders against the cold and circled the car. Before he could reach her side, Annie was already out, opening the back door to retrieve the new evidence kit she’d brought home from the crime lab. Next thing he knew, she was striding toward the exit gate.
Nick locked up the Jeep and hurried to catch up. “Where are you going so fast?”
“Um, home?” She trudged through the ankle-deep snow gathering on the sidewalk. “Thanks for dropping me off. See you in the morning. Good night.”
He plucked the boxy black case from her hand and wrapped his fingers around her upper arm. “I’ll walk you in.”
“Give me that.” Although she tugged against his grip, Nick’s hand didn’t budge. “The doctor didn’t say anything about my not being able to walk.”
“I want to get a look at your place, see what kind of security you’ve got.” He paused to look both ways along the vehicle-lined street before plunging into the snow that drifted against the curb. It was an old habit of his from his tenure working gang enforcement to count cars and make a quick scan of models and colors. That’s when he noticed the two men sitting in the black SUV half a block away. “Hell of a cold night to spend it waiting in a car.”
“Then go home where it’s warm. May I have my kit, please?”
He tipped his head toward the SUV. “I’m talking about those guys. Do you know them?”
She leaned forward to peek around him. “I don’t think so. But it’s too dark to get a good look at their faces.”
“That’s why you need more lights around here,” he muttered. “What about the car?”
“It doesn’t look familiar. But then, I don’t know everyone in the neighborhood.” Suddenly, her fingers had glommed onto the sleeve of his jacket. “You don’t think it’s him, do
Did she just roll those amber eyes? His sister Nell had an irritating penchant for doing that. But Nick couldn’t recall ever being this aware of his sister’s eyes. Annie’s were darker now, like a fine whiskey. Did she even know how their color changed, from light golden hazel to nearly brown, according to her mood? And why did he know that? He was beginning to think the sparks that had been flying between them for months now—since being assigned to the same task force—had more to do with some sort of dormant attraction that was waking, despite his best efforts, than it did with any differences in their personalities or investigative styles.
Annie’s scent filled up the closed space of the car—a mix of antiseptic from the lab and something more subtle, like lavender and vanilla, that stirred the air with every bounce of those dark, velvety curls. He was a damn fool for noticing all those little feminine details about the eccentric scientist. This crazy pull to the woman stewing in the seat across from him could become as dangerous a distraction as his worry over Jordan Garza dating his sister.
And while Nick had made the mistake of letting personal feelings get in the way of doing his job once already today, he wasn’t about to make that mistake a second time. No matter how the complex, combative brunette got under his skin and messed with his head, he was determined to watch over her.
With that much of a New Year’s resolution firmly in place, Nick turned off the engine and opened the door to let a blast of frigid air swirl in to cleanse Annie’s fragrance from his car and his senses.
Tightening the scarf his mother had knitted him for Christmas around his neck, Nick hunched his shoulders against the cold and circled the car. Before he could reach her side, Annie was already out, opening the back door to retrieve the new evidence kit she’d brought home from the crime lab. Next thing he knew, she was striding toward the exit gate.
Nick locked up the Jeep and hurried to catch up. “Where are you going so fast?”
“Um, home?” She trudged through the ankle-deep snow gathering on the sidewalk. “Thanks for dropping me off. See you in the morning. Good night.”
He plucked the boxy black case from her hand and wrapped his fingers around her upper arm. “I’ll walk you in.”
“Give me that.” Although she tugged against his grip, Nick’s hand didn’t budge. “The doctor didn’t say anything about my not being able to walk.”
“I want to get a look at your place, see what kind of security you’ve got.” He paused to look both ways along the vehicle-lined street before plunging into the snow that drifted against the curb. It was an old habit of his from his tenure working gang enforcement to count cars and make a quick scan of models and colors. That’s when he noticed the two men sitting in the black SUV half a block away. “Hell of a cold night to spend it waiting in a car.”
“Then go home where it’s warm. May I have my kit, please?”
He tipped his head toward the SUV. “I’m talking about those guys. Do you know them?”
She leaned forward to peek around him. “I don’t think so. But it’s too dark to get a good look at their faces.”
“That’s why you need more lights around here,” he muttered. “What about the car?”
“It doesn’t look familiar. But then, I don’t know everyone in the neighborhood.” Suddenly, her fingers had glommed onto the sleeve of his jacket. “You don’t think it’s him, do
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