Till Justice Is Served by Jerrie Alexander Page B

was he getting anything out of the man or his players.
    Rafe climbed to the top of the bleachers where he could stretch his legs out in front of him. The coach called a huddle, and the players grouped around him. Rafe could only guess what was being said. He leaned forward, paying close attention to the big kid who'd most recently been on the wrong end of the coach's wrath.
    Movement to the left of the end zone caught Rafe's attention. The girl he'd talked to earlier, Grace, was running across the parking lot toward the street. He stood, keeping her in his line of vision. She paused at the passenger door of a waiting car, caught his gaze, and held it for a minute. She disappeared inside.
    Rafe couldn't see the license number, but he knew that particular yellow sports car cost eighty and a hundred grand and was recognizable from any angle. Why was she leaving school early?
    Enough of this unofficial crap. It was time he was assigned to this case. Rafe pulled out his cell to call his supervisor. Maybe he could get Rafe assigned to the task force. His cell vibrated before he'd dialed the number. The name on the screen wasn't the boss. Now why'd his heart speed up at seeing Erin's phone number?
    "What's up?"

 
     
     
    C HAPTER 10
    Why had it gotten difficult to talk with Rafe? And why did she allow his looks to sidetrack her thoughts? Erin had been acutely aware of his rock-hard chest and muscular arms the day she'd stumbled in her hallway. He'd swept her up as if she weighed nothing. The tenderness he'd displayed had been endearing. In the span of a little more than ten years, he'd hardened, forged a rough exterior while nature had polished his physical attributes to a razor-sharp edge.
    His Italian ancestry oozed from his pores. His strong jaw blanketed in dark stubble, smoldering gray eyes that looked right through her, and those tempting lips made it hard to concentrate. But damn, he wasn't in the room. He wasn't even in the house.
    "Erin. Talk to me." His tone of voice held a hint of worry and a demand for a response.
    "Sorry. I got distracted." She decided against telling him she'd been wondering if his lips were soft. "Detective Beckett is coming by. He's asking about a couple of people on the list I gave him. You..." Her mouth had gone bone dry. Erin swallowed and prepared for a rejection. "Do you want to join us?"
    "Yeah. I'll head your way right now."
    "I make a mean chicken-fried steak. I'll share with you if you want to stay for supper."
    "Is Beckett joining us?"
    His chilly tone surprised her. Was Rafe jealous? Heat rolled through her system and settled, snuggly and low, in her stomach. "I didn't invite him."
    "What wine goes with chicken-fried steak?"
    "Any kind you like." The heat in her belly slid lower with his soft chuckle.
    "I'll think of something."
    Erin disconnected and flopped down on the couch. Had Rafe's low sexy tone hinted he'd assumed this was more than dinner between friends? Was it? He wouldn't be in town much longer. Could she let her guard down and fulfill a few fantasies? A smile pulled at her lips. Why not? He'd be gone soon, and she'd never see him again.
    Sex without emotional attachment. Could she do it? Why not? She couldn't remember the last time she'd had sex. A reminder might be just the thing she needed.
    She raced through a shower, took particular care with her makeup and hair, and finished minutes before the doorbell rang. Her heart pounded against her ribs, until she looked through the peephole. Hiding her disappointment that it wasn't Rafe, she opened the door.
    "Detective Beckett, come in." Erin peeked around his wide body, scanning the porch and yard for his partner. "Where's Detective Henry?"
    "Busy. Can we dispense with formality? My name is Wade." He waved a hand toward the empty street. "I see you've lost your audience."
    "I heard about the photographer. I guess they're following his story." Erin caught movement from the corner of her eye.
    She held the door while Rafe parked