Intimate Caresses (The Love and Danger Series) by Elizabeth Lennox

you as well.”
    She gripped her hands together and her fear was almost tangible.  “What do you want to know?” she asked.
    Brock got right down to it.  “What’s your name?”
    “Desiree,” she explained.  “I’m actually from Iowa, just here as a nanny and going to college over at George Mason University.”
    “What are you studying?” he asked, trying to put her at ease. 
    “Economics,” she replied, her back straightening as if she were proud of herself.  “I was going to just study math, but found that economic theory was much more interesting.”
    “And you work as a nanny for the Silverbergs?”
    Desiree finally looked up, obviously a subject she felt more comfortable discussing.  “Yes.  They have two kids.  They’re really great too.”
    Colt was writing things down as she spoke while Brock continued to watch her.  “How long have you worked for them?”
    “Almost a year.  The last nanny they had just up and left.  Ms. Silverberg was really irritated with her.”
    “Was Mr. Silverberg?”
    Desiree shrugged her shoulders and looked down at her fingers as they tangled together.  “I don’t know.  Ms. Silverberg is more in charge of the kids.  He’s not here very often.”
    “ And she is?”
    Desiree hesitated, then shrugged again.  “I guess that’s why they need me,” she said.
    “What kind of hours do you work?” he asked.  There were several more questions and Brock got a pretty good idea that she was basically in charge of the household while the parents worked long hours.  He understood she went to school during the day and was here for the kids when they got home from school but she didn’t have much of a social life outside of that.
    Colt asked about the daily schedule, how well the kids got along, their school studies, ages, her hobbies and about her own classes, then went in for the important question.  
    “So how long have you been having an affair with Mr. Silverberg?” he finally asked. 
    The look on her face after that bombshell confirmed their suspicions immediately. 
    “I’m not…” she stammered, then looked at the two very large police officers and swallowed loudly.  “I don’t…” 
    “ You haven’t committed a crime Desiree.  At least not yet.  Don’t add obstruction of justice to the list of issues you are currently dealing with.  One of which is Ms. Silverberg’s wrath, am I right?”
    Desiree’s eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head but she remained silent, still trying to figure out how to respond. 
    “Your lip gloss was found on Mr. Silverberg’s neck.  So I don’t think it’s such a stretch to guess that you had sex with him before he went back to work.  How far off am I?” Brock asked. 
    They could see her mind trying to find a good answer to that question, but in the end, she sighed and bowed her head.  “Please don’t tell Ms. Silverberg.  I think that’s why the previous nanny left.”
    “Because she was having an affair with Mr. Silverberg?”
    Desiree shook her head.  “ No.  Because he wanted to but she wouldn’t.”  The young woman looked up through her lashes, a blush forming on her pale cheeks because she knew she’d been caught in a dangerous situation. 
    Brock rubbed his face.  “Add sexual harassment to the picture,” he grumbled. 
    “Prince among men,” Colt came back.
    “So how long have you been having sex with the deceased?” Brock asked again.
    The woman cringed, closing her arms around her stomach as if she needed to protect herself from the harsh reality of what had occurred to her lover.  “Can’t you call him Jared?” she asked.  “He was a person.  He was a really nice guy.”  She hesitated, not looking either of them in the eye.  “And I loved him.  He was going to marry me,” she said softly with a whimsical smile even while the tears slipped off of her lashes onto her cheek. 
    Brock didn’t say a word about the second mystery woman Jared