Kelly Jamieson How (html) (book club recommendations .txt) 📖

tossed the fronds of the palm treeslining the front of the hotel and clouds scudded across the sky. The worldseemed so impossibly normal.

They hit the 405, exiting a whilelater onto Wilshire to find the federal office building where the FBI fieldoffice was located.

"Have you been herebefore?" she asked him.

"Yeah. Lots of times." Heparked.

They rode up the elevator.

"You can wait over there."Trey nodded to a small lounge area, going over to a security desk.

"Okay."

She wandered over. The chairs werehard chrome and vinyl, and she glanced at some ancient Time magazines.Trey disappeared down an aisle between cubicles, and she heard his voice as hegreeted his colleagues and they started talking.

She sighed. They were talking abouther. At least, some of it was about her. She took little comfort from being inthe offices of the FBI. They sure hadn't done anything to protect her. If itweren't for Trey... Her teeth dug into her bottom lip.

An hour later Trey was still inthere talking. She tossed the last Time magazine down and sighed. Tappedher fingers on the armrest of the chair. Shifted her rapidly numbing butt. Whatthe hell was taking so long? Then she was annoyed with herself. He was trying tohelp her after all.

When Trey finally emerged, shejumped up and crossed over to him, so happy to see his face. She'd known theman for three days and already he was her anchor. Two other men in bad suitsaccompanied him.

Trey introduced her and they shookher hand. Trey didn't look all that happy. She looked from his face to theother men and back. Then he was hustling her out of the building.

"What happened?" she askedas soon as they were outside.

"Not much," he saidgrimly. "They did give me access to the files, but basically told me tostay out of it."

They climbed into his car andstarted back to the hotel.

Marli tried to sort out her confusedthoughts. Trey was on a leave of absence. She didn't know the details of whathad happened with his job, although an intense curiosity itched inside her, butit must have been bad. She knew he wanted to be involved in the case. Hell, he wasinvolved now, whether he wanted to be or not, thanks to her. On the other hand,she worried for his safety as much as for her own.

Oh, jeez. She didn't evenknow this guy. So he'd saved her life. That didn't mean she had to worship theground he walked on or fall on a sword for him.

But she was starting to feel likeshe would. He was an amazing man. Strong, sure, good. She understood thesethings deep inside her with an instinctive knowledge.

"Why did you get suspended,Trey?" When she wanted to know something, she asked. She didn't reallyexpect him to answer.

"I'd rather not talk aboutthat," he said evenly, concentrating on the busy freeway.

She nodded.

"I had a look at the report yougave the police about Krista."

Her heart sank. There was a lot ofstuff in there she'd rather he didn't know.

"Did you tell them everything?Every little detail?"

She nodded. "Well, if you sawthe report I'm sure you know I...I drank a lot of tequila that night. Some ofthe evening is a little fuzzy." She bent her head. "I think I toldthem everything, though."

"Okay. If you remember anythingat all about Barnes, tell me. Okay?"

"Of course." She looked upat his strong profile as he stared out the windshield. "Are we going backto the hotel?"

"Yeah." He wasn't verytalkative right now, so she lapsed into silence as well, quiet until they wereback in his room.

He threw himself down into one ofthe chairs in the corner.

Marli lowered herself onto the bed,kicking off her flip-flops. She eyed him. He looked so serious and intent. Andso cute.

Watching him talk to those otherfeds had made her hot. How pathetic was that? Just the sight of Trey talking,albeit in a very professional and sober way, communicating on the same levelwith those other guys, using terminology and acronyms she didn't understand,made her look at him with respect and--damn it--lust.

She looked at him like that now. Shewanted to touch him, to smooth his furrowed brow, press away the crease betweenhis eyebrows, coax his straight, firm mouth into a smile. She sat on her handsto keep from getting up and doing that.

"So, what now?" she asked.

He looked at her.

"We're going back to CactusJack's."

Chapter9

She stared at him blankly. "Weare?"

He nodded. "I hate to involveyou like that, but it's the only thing I can think of."

"Okay."

He gave her a look. "You aren'tgoing to argue with me?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because every time I try totell you what to do, you give me grief."

She laughed. "Yeah, well, you arebossy. But I was probably going to go there anyway."

His mouth twisted wryly. "Ishould've known that." He sighed. Damn it, he didn't want her back in thatbar, but they had to do something.

"So why the change of heart onyour part?" She stood and moved toward him. Oh, no. She needed tostay away from him. Far, far away where he couldn't get his hands on her sexybody. He pushed the chair back until it bumped the wall.

She stood before him, not close, butwithin touching distance if he reached out. That strip of smooth bare skinaround her middle kept drawing his eyes. He forced himself to look up at herface.

Mistake. The heat in her eyes wasundeniable. Hot desire jolted through him and he almost groaned aloud.

He sucked in a big breath and forcedhimself to focus. "He was there, Marli. Probably every night. He followedyou home from there. Tried to break into your house. The next night, hefollowed you into the parking garage. He's been there watching you."

He watched her eyes move as sheprocessed what he was saying.

"But I've been looking forhim," she said. "Every night. I never saw him."

"Remember, he's changed hisappearance