Arouse Suspicion by Maureen McKade Page B

hide the un- welcome sting of moisture. "I think he was too afraid to try again after my mom left us."
    "He used to tell me the same thing, even after Nancy was diagnosed last year." He released Danni and stood. "I better get going. I told her I'd clean the windows today. She likes the sun shining in the house."
    Danni stood and hugged Sam, and his strong arms gathered her close. He'd been the one she'd gone to when she'd been picked up joyriding in high school, and he'd been the one who talked her father out of sending her off to a private girls' school.
    "If you just need to talk, give me a call, Danni. You know my number," Sam said.
    She nodded and stepped back.
    Sam insisted on picking up the tab and left Danni with stone-faced Sirocco.
    "Let's go." Danni started to follow in Sam's wake.
    Nick grasped her wrist and tugged her back to the table. "Sit down, Hawkins. You and I are overdue for a little chat."
    Danni balked, but the determined glint in Nick's eyes didn't bode well for a successful escape. She perched on the edge of her chair. "So talk."
    He crossed his arms and leaned back. Slanting her a steely look, he asked, "Why?"
    Danni's mind came up with a few different versions of that question, like, Why did you meet Sam without me? and Why did you tell him about the car incident? and Why did you want to make love last night?
    She chose the least difficult one. "You were sound asleep when I got up." She refused to dwell on how long she'd lain there, tracing the ruggedly handsome lines of his face with her gaze and soaking in the warmth of his body as she lay within his arms. "I figured I could meet Sam and be back before you woke up."
    "Then why leave a note?"
    She should've known he wouldn't let her off the hook that easily. "Just in case."
    "A note that didn't even tell me where you were going."
    Danni plopped an elbow on the table and ran her hand through her unruly curls. "Lighten up. It's broad daylight."
    Nick continued to peer at her coolly. "Do you want to know what I think?"
    "Not really." She knew she was acting like a petulant child but couldn't stop herself. She was too accustomed to looking out for herself, and that meant hiding her feelings and thoughts behind a well-used mask.
    Nick's gaze slid away, then back to her. It was the first sign of discomfort since he launched his inquisition. "You were afraid to face me after what you did last night."
    "What I did?" She poked him in the chest. "I wasn't the only one in that bed."
    "I wouldn't have been if you hadn't pulled me down."
    She sneered. "Yeah, like you were so unwilling."
    Nick's nostrils flared, but his voice didn't change its volume. "I admit it. When a beautiful woman invites me, I rarely say no."
    It took a moment for Danni to process his words, and the one that resonated was "beautiful." "I had a nightmare. I wasn't thinking straight." She paused, her cheeks heating. "But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. Because I did. Enjoy it, I mean."
    Nick's lips quirked upward, and the corner of his eyes crinkled. "I know."
    She renewed her glare.
    "I did, too," he added softly.
    Danni's heart missed a beat, then made up for it by doubling her pulse. The sultry glow in Nick's eyes vividly reminded her of their lovemaking, and Danni had little defense against so potent a memory. Except she had to ignore it. "It's not something we'll repeat," she stated, proud that her voice remained steady. "We're temporary professional partners."
    The blatant desire in his eyes faded. Relief with a niggling of something she didn't want to consider allowed her to breathe easier.
    "Until we find your father's killer."
    "And we go our separate ways," Danni felt compelled to add.
    "Until we go our separate ways," Nick reiterated.
    Danni's cell phone rang, and she unzipped the small pocket on her backpack to nab it. "Hawkins."
    "Danni, it's Cathy. Beth needs to talk to you."
    "About what?"
    "Hold on. I'll get her on the line."
    Danni had rarely heard Cathy so