The Naughty List

by Donna Kauffman

  She tucked the covers around her legs. “I found out over ten years ago. Right after you discovered that Ben was a gold digger.” Her shoulders lifted and fell in a shrug that was anything but careless. “You tore into my life, so—”

  “So you thought it was only fair to tear into mine.” He spun away and yanked on his jeans. “Dammit, I did that to protect you! Your father and brother asked for my help! I’d just started working as a cop, we were all worried—”

  “I know.” But back then, she’d only been angry. Hurt. Humiliated. The family had bought off her lover. They hadn’t tried to talk to her, they’d just tried to run her life.

  Not anymore.

  “How?”

  She blinked. “It wasn’t hard, Jonas.” Everything was public record. “I knew you’d been born in Athens, Georgia. I just searched through some of the newspapers online and tried to find a reference to you.”

  “Because you wanted some payback?”

  Because she’d wanted to know him. “I saw a clipping about their deaths. A picture of you at the funeral.”

  He stopped pacing near the foot of her bed. “All this time, you’ve known?”

  She gave a quick nod.

  “Why didn’t you say something?”

  I didn’t know what to say. Sorry just didn’t seem to cover the situation. “Why didn’t you?” she asked instead, her voice soft.

  The laugh that came from him held no humor. “We already covered that you and I didn’t talk much.” He strode closer to her. “You knew and you still came to me?”

  She didn’t understand.

  His hand lifted, as if he were going to touch her cheek. But his fingers fisted and fell away. “I knew I shouldn’t have touched you.”

  Now that was bull. “You’re the man who should have touched me.” Long ago. It was late and the words were weak, but she continued, “I-I’m sorry about your parents. That must have been terrible for you. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like—”

  His head snapped up. He stared at her with glittering eyes and a clenched jaw. The angry mask was back in full effect.

  Her chin notched up, too. She clutched the sheet, tucked it under her arms, climbed out of the bed, and grabbed him. “I know I don’t understand how it felt, okay? But I am sorry you had to go through that. No one should ever see—”

  “The bloody bodies of their parents?” His lips twisted. “I see bodies every day. It’s my job.”

  “That wasn’t your job.”

  “That’s why I do my job. That’s why I became a cop.”

  Yes, she’d thought as much. The newspaper report had said…

  “He was on drugs, Christie. My old man was so strung out he barely recognized his own family. My mom had kicked him out. She was trying to get a better life for us.”

  A life that ended too soon. That fist was back, squeezing her heart too tightly. She didn’t let Jonas go. Christie kept her hands on him, her eyes on his.

  “He broke in. By the looks of the place, I know he came looking for money. He trashed everything. My mom—she must have been trying to stop him when he—he—” His lips snapped closed. But she knew what came next.

  Sixteen. He’d been through so much, so young.

  “The cops told me it looked like he tried to help her. He even managed to make a 9-1-1 call. Hell, maybe the asshole finally realized what the hell he’d done. He called the ambulance for her, and then he killed himself. One shotgun blast to the head.”

  But Jonas had arrived before the ambulance. He’d been the one to find the bodies.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and let the sheet drop. She held him as tight as she could. Her lips pressed against his neck.

  “You should be telling me to get the hell out now.” His arms weren’t around her. His body was held stiffly, too tense and hard. “My dad was an addict who killed my mom. You know what kind of bloodline I’ve got, you don’t need to be—”

  “Shut up, Jonas.” Now he was pissing her off. “You’re not your dad.” She lifted her head. “You’re a good man, a good cop. You just got a real crap hand dealt to you.”

  His eyes widened a bit.

  “Now get back in bed,” she ordered him, hoping her voice sounded tough and strong. Hoping he didn’t notice that her hands were shaking a bit. The new Christie she was trying to be—the wild girl who went after what she wanted—well, she wouldn’t let her man walk away. Not after the hell he’d had today. She wouldn’t wilt under that hot green stare. Wouldn’t flinch from the pain in his past. No, the new Christie would be tougher than that.

  Jonas slowly climbed back into bed with her. Her breath eased out when his head touched the pillow. Good.

  She hit the lights and plunged them back into darkness because she could only keep the veil of that new Christie up for so long.

  Jonas’s arms came around her, pulling her against his body. A warm, strong body. A strong lover. One who was hers, for a brief time.

  No commitments. It was just supposed to be about sex, right? And just sex meant no emotions.

  So why the hell was she blinking away tears again and hoping that none of the drops fell onto his arms?

  The cops told me it looked like he tried to help her.

  The new Christie might be bluffing her way through the game, but underneath that fake cover, she was the same woman. A woman who cared too much. A woman who had one very big weakness.

  A weakness who was holding her in his arms, close to his heart.

  5

  He was in trouble. Jonas stared at the small green box in his hand and wondered how the hell something as simple as no-strings sex could become so complicated.

  Ah, but then, the answer was simple. Christie was involved—and the woman tended to complicate everything.

  “Hey, man, you shouldn’t have!” A pale hand snatched the present out of Jonas’s grasp. He shot to attention—too late—and saw his partner, Scotty McKenzie, clutching the present. “I didn’t get nothin’ for you!” Scotty declared, his voice too loud.

  Jonas shook his head. “Trust me, man, that’s not your size.”

  Scotty blinked, then laughed, a deep, rumbling laugh that sounded like a train engine. “Then I’m guessing it belongs to the lady you were so hot to see last night. The one who had you smelling like a damn strawberry patch when you came to the crime scene.”

  Yeah, her smell had been on him, and he’d liked it. It had helped to combat the stench of death all over the place.

  “Didn’t even know you had a lady.” Scotty threw his body in the wobbly desk chair. “I mean, not one that you stayed with longer than a weekend.” He tossed the box back to Jonas.

  Jonas caught it in one hand. He’d already stayed the weekend with Christie. And, at first, he’d done just what he promised. One hell of a good time.

  The last thing he’d expected was to get a call about a scene like that, with her there.

  He put the box on the desk top and ran a hand over his eyes. When he’d gone back to her place, his control had been shot. Rage had ridden him, the fury that he’d held close for so many years.

  He’d been desperate to get back to Christie. He’d known she’d help him banish the past and forget the blood. He’d also known he was walking a real thin line, but he’d gone back anyway.

  Call him a damn moth to the flame.

  He’d been on her too fast, too hard. The sex had been rough and wild. But she’d opened her body to him. Held tight. Changed the fury to passion.

  Good time? No, that didn’t even come close to describing last night.

  Then she’d blown his world apart with her little confession. All these years she’d known.

  “Hey, man!” Scotty rolled his chair forward. “You with me?”

  Jonas blinked.

  “What?” Scotty’s lips lifted in his usual crooked grin. “You realizing you already spent too much time with this one? Gotta be careful, she’ll think you’re attached.”

  His gaze darted
to the box.

  “Tell you what”—the chair wheels squeaked as Scotty rolled closer—“I’ll do you a favor since it’s the holidays. You don’t want to leave some poor woman on her own during the holidays.” He threw his arms out wide. “Since I’m a generous, bighearted kind of guy, I’ll take her off your hands.”

  “The hell you will.” The words came out bullet fast.

  Scotty blinked. His smile kicked up even more and he said, “Ah, like that, huh?”

  Shit, no. “She and I have a deal.” Not just a weekend. “The holidays are mine.” After that, reality could come back.

  In reality, he and Christie weren’t—

  Scotty whistled. “Oh, you’ve got it bad.”

  Maybe.

  “Jonas?”

  He whirled at the sound of that husky voice. A voice he’d never in a million freaking years expected to hear in the bullpen.

  But, there she was. Christie stood just inside the doorway, right under the gold garland Scotty had stapled up yesterday. Her black hair hung loose around her face, her eyes were on him, wide, blue, and welcoming, and her lips were lifted in a warm smile.

  “Oh, man,” Scotty whispered, “I could so make her holiday.”

  “Mine,” Jonas snapped. “Don’t even think it.” He strode across the bullpen, aware that the other detectives had noticed her, too.

  Christie wasn’t wearing a Christmas sweater today. She was in all black—black turtleneck, black pants, and long, sleek leather coat. The woman looked so sexy he was suddenly hungry for a bite…of her.

  She hurried forward. “Oh, good, I was hoping I’d catch you!”

  He caught her. Jonas snagged her hand and pulled her close. He leaned in and kissed her, fast and hard. Back off, Scotty. And all the other hungry jerks who were close by should get the message, too.

  A wolf whistle split the air.

  He expected Christie to break away at the sound, but her hands just lifted and wrapped around his shoulders, and she pulled him closer.

  He let the kiss linger, enjoying her taste. After a few moments, when he finally pulled back, her eyes seemed to shine even more.

  “I was…um…”—her gaze darted around them—“this is the first time I’ve been in a police station.”

  He could believe it. Not like the Tates were hauled in a lot for questioning.

  Her eyes narrowed and she nodded. “I like the garland.”

  She would. If it was a Christmas decoration, she’d love it. He noticed the necklace then. A thin gold chain circled her neck, a chain attached to a tiny Christmas tree.

  He dropped his hands and stepped back. “Um, Christie?”

  Her eyes were still on the garland. Scotty had wound it all the way across the room.

  Jonas’s breath eased out as he stared at her.

  “Hey, man!” Scotty’s hand slapped down on his shoulder. “Introduce me!”

  Christie’s gaze flew back. She smiled a sweet, shy smile, directed at Scotty.

  Jonas growled, then cleared his throat and managed to say, “Scott McKenzie, this is Christie Tate.”

  “I’m his partner.” Scotty offered his hand. A hand Christie foolishly took. The guy brought her palm up for a lip-smacking kiss.

  She laughed, a quick but lush sound. “Nice to meet you.”

  She probably meant it, but only because she didn’t know Scotty well yet.

  Scotty frowned at her. “Tate…where do I know that name?”

  “You’ve probably met my brother. Jonas and Daniel are old—”

  Scotty snapped his fingers. “Tate Toys!”

  She nodded. “Yes, I work—”

  “My nephew loves the Ricky Rocketshooter Robot!”

  Christie beamed.

  “The first time I saw that thing fly across the room”—he shook his head, laughing—“I wanted one, too.”

  “I can get you one,” she offered.

  “Nah…those things sold out weeks ago.”

  “I’ve got connections.” She bit her lip. “Actually, I made Ricky, and right now, I’m working on Rover, his sidekick. It’ll be a dog who can fly. He’ll be remote controlled, too, and he’ll interface with Ricky—”

  “You’re bullshitting me,” Scotty said, inching closer to Christie. “How the hell would you even go about making something like that?”

  “Well, I studied engineering and robotics so—”

  Jonas stepped in front of his partner before the guy could swallow Christie because Scotty was all but salivating over her. “Back off, partner. The lady and I need to talk.”

  Scotty’s eyes squinted. “Lucky SOB.” He stretched and peered at Christie over Jonas’s shoulder. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. If you get bored with old Jonas here, you can—”

  Jonas put his hand on Scotty’s chest and shoved. “Why don’t you get started on the Harris paperwork?”

  With a smirk, Scotty sauntered away. Jonas turned back to Christie. “Sorry about that.”

  She blinked. “About what?”

  About the dick who was drooling on you.

  He caught her hand and pulled her into the nearest empty interrogation room. At least they’d have some privacy there. He shut the door with a soft click. “About last night,” he began. Oh, shit, there was no easy way to do this. Come to think of it, he’d never had to do this with his other lovers. “I’m sorry.”

  A little furrow appeared between her brows. “For what?”

  “For jumping on you like I was damn well starving.”

  Her smile flashed again, and he saw her dimple wink. “But I liked that.”

  The thudding of his heartbeat filled his ears. They were alone. The door was closed. He could put her up on the table…

  “I liked everything we’ve done”—she lifted her hand and trailed her fingertips down his chest—“and everything we’re going to do.”

  This was the shy girl who’d barely looked his way over the years?

  Then he noticed the pulse pounding too quickly at the base of her throat. He caught the slight tremble in her fingertips. From lust? Oh, yeah, sure, one very swollen part of his anatomy hoped so…

  But her eyes had already fallen away from his, and she was easing away, a little too fast.

  Fear? Christie should know she had nothing to fear from him, and she didn’t need to prove a damn thing to him.

  But he had a lot to prove to her.

  “You were right,” he told her, “the case last night got to me. Made me remember..” Mom! Her body. The blood. The scream that had burst from his throat. He sucked in a deep breath. “I wasn’t in a good place when I came to you.”

  “I wanted you to come back to me.” Her eyes met his and held. “I’m glad you did.”

  A man could really only take so much. He caught her chin, tilted her head back, and let his lips whisper over hers. If those cops weren’t out there, each one of them no doubt straining to hear what was being said, he’d devour her.

  Tonight. The holidays weren’t over. Not yet. He still had time with her. Time to make her want and need just as badly as he did.

  “I’ll come to your place after my shift tonight,” he said against her lips. He loved that fireplace she had. Loved the feel of the flames behind him and her soft body beneath his.

  Her hand pushed against his chest. “I…ah, that’s why I’m here.”

  He couldn’t help the tension that tightened his shoulders.

  “Actually”—she took a deep breath, one that made her breasts rise nicely—“I’m here because I was Christmas shopping in the area, and I realized I wanted to see you.”

  No lies. The tension slipped away.

  “I could have called.” She gave a little shrug. “But I—I just came to see you. I hope…I hope that was okay.”

  The uncertainty was plain, not hidden behind a too-bright smile, but obvious in the small, sexy stutter that had slipped free. He liked the confidence, but he liked the vulnerability more. When it came to her, was there a damn thing he didn’t li
ke?

  Trouble.

  “I’m having dinner at my parents’ tonight. A family Christmas get-together.” The words came out in a rush. “You’re welcome to come with me.”

  To the Tate house? He’d been there with Daniel before, but never for the big holiday party. He’d avoided the annual family party like it was the plague. To him, it was.

  Christie’s gaze searched his. “Not part of the agreement, is it?”

  Just sex.

  Not families. Not dates to celebrate.

  “Forget it.” She gave a laugh. One far too strained and fake for Christie. “It was just an idea. You don’t have to come.” She raised onto her toes and kissed his jaw. “We can meet tomorrow. We still have plenty of time.”

  But time could pass too quickly. Life could. “I’ll be there.”

  Her breath blew against his neck as she looked up at him. “You will?”

  He managed a jerky nod. What am I doing? “We’ll probably give your dad and brother a heart attack, but what the hell?”

  Her laugh was real this time. “Right, what the hell?”

  “I’ll meet you there,” he offered, thinking fast. “My shift ends at eight. I’ll come by then.” I’ll drink enough to make it through the glares Daniel will give me. Glares and maybe a punch. Or two. Because he knew how his buddy would react.

  “Then we can go back to my place.” Her voice became huskier. “Or yours.”

  He thought about his place for two seconds. “Yours.” He smiled. “I like the way your skin looks when the tree lights shine on you.” On her breasts, on the curve of her stomach. On that pink flesh between her thighs. Oh, yeah, he liked that.

  A rap shook the door. “Captain wants us!” Scotty called, his voice way too happy for that announcement. No one was ever happy to talk to the captain.

  Jonas pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “I’ll see you tonight.” He opened the door and found Scotty standing too close.

  Scotty grinned. “See you soon, Christie.”

  Christie murmured something nice and polite back to him. Jonas turned his head and caught sight of his desk, and the package still on top of it.

  He hurried forward and scooped it up. When he turned back around, Christie was already under the garland, heading for the exit. “Christie!”