“Place the items on the table,” Riley ordered. If he ever made it through this, he was never switching for the night shift again.
Talia looked nauseous but she moved the panties onto the coffee table. They sat there like a bright red flag and Riley’s cock twitched. She wasn’t wearing anything under that dress. When he’d cupped her mound, that filmy red dress had been all that stood between her and his hand. The thought alone was enough to make him break out in a cold sweat.
“I’m going to have to get that table sanitized.”
“Shut up, Lydia!” Roger Thorton finally snapped.
“Your purse,” Riley encouraged Talia. “Can we see the rest of its contents?”
Her lips pressed into a straight line and he wasn’t surprised when she upended everything onto the table. She sat back in her chair, her look defiant, but he could see the hint of tears in her eyes. Her humiliation was complete.
And it made him feel like a heel.
With a detective’s eye, he looked through the pile of items on the table. He saw at once that the bracelet wasn’t there but he spent his time cataloguing the rest of the contents. They gave him insight into Talia Sizemore, the woman. Call him a glutton for punishment, but he wanted to know as much as he could.
For the case and for himself.
Quickly, he sorted through her things. There was a pack of gum, a package of tissues, a hairbrush and a tube of lipstick. A beaded key chain with her name caught his eye. It seemed out of place for what he knew about her. Definitely not haute couture. He picked it up to look at it more closely.
“One of my kids made it,” she said.
“Your kids?” he said, his head snapping up.
“My father’s foundation supports an after-school arts program.”
“Oh, yeah,” Riley said, relaxing. “That’s right.”
She’d surprised him again. He remembered Arthur telling him about the Foundation but he’d thought she’d be the standoffish kind, running the charity from arm’s length. If the kids were making her things, though, that couldn’t be the case. This silly little key chain made it a lot more personal.
He liked that and he felt his anger toward her soften.
He reached for her pocketbook and saw her flinch. Her fingers tightened on the arms of the chair. His instincts told him to pay attention but the bracelet wasn’t in the pocketbook either. From the balance in her checking account, he could tell he was right about one thing. She didn’t need the money.
“Are you quite through?” she asked in a deceptively quiet tone.
“Yeah. You can pack up your things.”
He started to help but she snatched away her purse and her panties almost before he could move.
“I’ll do it!”
“Fine.” He pushed himself to his feet and stretched his legs. “I have a few more questions for the Thortons. Wait for me and I’ll walk you to your car.”
Her amber gaze swung up to him. “I’m free to go?”
“I’ve got no reason to hold you.”
“Good.”
Riley wandered over to the Thortons as she swept everything into her purse. Literally. She opened the bag, held it against the edge of the coffee table and used her forearm to push everything inside.
No rush there.
He’d just turned his focus on Roger Thorton when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He pivoted sharply. Talia had her wrap about her shoulders and was heading determinedly toward the front door. “Hold on,” he called.
She glanced at him, but didn’t break stride. “You said I could go.”
“I said that I’d walk you to your car.”
“I know where it is.”
“It’s dark out there.”
“Doesn’t bother me.” As if that were the end of that, she walked out the door. A cat bolted out of the house to follow her.
“Good riddance, you slut!” Lydia yelled.
Riley was torn. He wasn’t finished here but he couldn’t let her go out there alone. Although slim, there was the possibility that the robber could still be in the area.
Yeah right, Kinkade. That’s the reason.
“Excuse me,” he told the Thortons. “I’ll be back.”
He heard Lydia bitching as he hit the door but he ignored her. He stopped on the stoop. “Where’s the leggy blonde?” he asked the patrolman that was still out front.
He followed where the man pointed and eventually caught up with Talia as she walked across the open field. “Where the hell are you going?” he asked.
Her head jerked toward him. With one look at her face, he could tell she didn’t want him anywhere near her. Well, that was tough. He’d warned her he’d be on her until he found out all her secrets.
It was her own damned fault this one had been such a doozy.
“To my car.” She wrapped her arms around her waist and increased her speed. The cat bounded ahead, almost as if it knew where she was heading.
Riley didn’t have a clue but he was ready to follow her anywhere.
He kept pace with her as they headed deeper into the meadow. Shadows loomed all around them. The moon peeked through the clouds and he saw his own breath in the cold air. He glanced at Talia. She had to be freezing in that filmy little number. Looking down, he saw that her feet were bare. She was carrying her shoes. Sighing, he shrugged out of his jacket. “Here, take this.”
She glanced at it for a long moment. She was ready to refuse before a gust of cold wind changed her mind. “Thank you,” she said quietly.
He held the jacket for her as she pushed her arms into the sleeves. “I take it that you parked far away from the house so Lydia wouldn’t catch you.”
“That was the idea.”
He’d had about enough of her short, clipped answers. “Done this much?”
Her head wheeled toward him, her expression aghast. “No!”
His patience snapped. Reaching out, he caught her by the arm and spun her around. “What were you thinking, Talia? Jesus, the guy’s old enough to be your father.”
She blanched and pulled back from him. “I don’t have to explain anything to you.”
“Can the guy even get it up?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“No?” he snapped. “While you were banging him, a pricey piece of jewelry turned up missing. That makes it my business.”
That was stretching it a bit but he’d spent enough time thinking about her over the past few days to feel like she was his business. His personal business.
“So find the bracelet and leave me out of it.” She turned and began walking hurriedly. The cat weaved its way around her feet as she went.
“I can’t.” His strides matched hers as they walked under the dark sky. He could barely see where they were going. The moon had gone back behind the clouds. There was a chill in the air but he hardly felt it. His anger was getting hot enough to keep them both warm. “Every time something disappears, you seem to be around.”
“Ever hear of coincidence, Detective?”
“I can’t believe in coincidence.” He raked his hand through his hair. “Just like I can’t believe that you’d fuck that guy.”
“Stop it.”
“He’s an old man. He’s married. Christ, you could have any man you want and you pick him?”
The cat bounded away when he raised his voice. It ran toward a building that he assumed was the horse stable. The long walk finally made sense. That was probably where she’d picked up the key.
“There’s my car.” She pulled his jacket off her shoulders and thrust it at him. “Would you leave me alone now?”
Riley couldn’t let it drop. “What did he do for you, Talia? What did you need from him?”
She finally turned on him. He could see her temper simmering in her amber eyes.
“What did I need from him?” she said in a throaty rasp. “Try understanding. Comfort. Yes, Detective. He might be older but he’s a sweet, desirable man. That’s more than I
can say for a hot-tempered, bullheaded cop like you!”
That was it. Riley caught her and pushed her up against her car. He pressed his hips against her and his cock settled against the vee at the top of her legs. The hot contact stunned even him for a moment. Their bodies fit together with stunning accuracy. “Careful, baby. You don’t want to make me prove anything.”
Their breaths mingled in the cold air. His hands were at her waist and hers were on his shoulders. Their attention, though, was focused much lower. Riley’s cock was so hard, it was near to bursting out of his pants. He knew her pussy was naked and vulnerable behind that red dress and the knowledge was driving him mad.
They stood there watching each other carefully for what could have been minutes.
“I could sue you for assault,” she finally whispered.
“It wouldn’t be assault, baby. We both know that.”
She stood silent within the circle of his arms until a shiver ran through her body. “Please let me go, Kinkade. I’m tired and I’ve been humiliated. I just want to go home.”
The despair in her voice finally got through. Riley pulled back slowly. She wasn’t trembling because of him. She was cold. The night air was downright frigid and he’d pushed her up against a metal car. He looked down at the cat winding its way around their legs. Her bare feet had to feel like ice. “Damn, I’m sorry.”
He ran his hands up and down her arms. She was having none of it. “Goodnight, Detective.”
“Take my jacket. I can pick it up at your shop tomorrow.”
“I can manage on my own.”
“Talia.”
“Don’t you have work to do?”
Riley knew how to pick his battles and this wasn’t one he could win. Not right now. Not after he’d made her put her wet panties on the table for the world to see. “Drive carefully,” he said, taking another step back.
She didn’t respond as she turned and unlocked her car door. He couldn’t help but notice how her hands shook. She quickly slid into the driver’s seat and reached for the heater controls.
He took the hint. Turning, he began the long walk back to the house. He knew better than to look back.
It was too bad he didn’t. If he had, he might have seen Talia reach down for the cat. That, in and of itself, might not have been suspicious. Seeing her remove a very expensive collar from Taffy’s neck, though, would have been downright incriminating.
Chapter Eight
Talia shivered as she drove away from the stables. Cold racked her from the inside out. Between the wind chill and Kinkade’s icy demeanor, she was a wreck. A shudder ran through her and she reached down to turn the heater on high.
“What have I done?” she whispered over the whir of the fan.
She was mortified by the evening’s events. She’d stolen. Again. And this time, she’d committed adultery to get away with it. She raked a shaky hand through her hair. If that hadn’t been bad enough, she’d gotten caught in the worst possible way—by Roger’s wife and the police!
There was going to be no keeping this quiet.
Guilt and dread mixed like a deadly cocktail in her stomach. What was making her do these things? She’d been out of control ever since Brent had manhandled her. He’d pushed her to the end of her rope and now she couldn’t seem to subdue her instinctive reactions. Lydia had angered her tonight. Her gut response had been to strike back. She’d taken that bracelet without an ounce of guilt.
She glanced at her purse, knowing that the tigereye antique was tucked safely inside. She’d been anxious at coming so close to being caught, but guilt? She still couldn’t find any.
As for Roger…
She did feel guilty about being with him, although the detective, not Lydia, had made her feel that way.
As cold as it was, she felt her face flush. “You had no right, Kinkade.”
She didn’t want to regret what she and Roger had done together. She didn’t want anything to cast a bad light on their connection. Other people might not understand but the time they’d shared had been pure. He’d made her feel safe and protected. She didn’t want to taint their liaison with an ugliness that shouldn’t be there.
But the ugly words had already started to fly. Lydia’s contempt, she could understand. The woman had apparently known about her husband’s lusts for years. But Kinkade?
“Just who do you think you are?” she said, her fingers tightening on the steering wheel.
The detective’s outrage had been a tangible thing. Her body remembered the press of his as he’d trapped her against her car and she became flustered all over again. He’d been angry with her. Livid, even—as if he’d caught her cheating on him. Some of the things he’d said to her…
“It was none of your business!”
She didn’t know who she was angrier with—him or herself. He’d caught her in an embarrassing situation but, instead of being discreet, he’d put her on display as a common whore in front of everyone. Maybe her behavior had justified such treatment but the situation could have been handled better. The man certainly wasn’t one for subtlety.
He’d let her know exactly how he felt about her stripping and spreading her legs for Roger Thorton.
At last, a rush of heat ran through her. “Roger,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
She hoped he’d be able to avoid most of the fallout from this, although she knew Lydia would never allow him a moment’s peace. The poor man. He couldn’t help his feelings and he’d held them back for so long.
Talia sagged into the driver’s seat. She’d never forget the look that had been in his eyes when he’d caught her in his bedroom. He’d looked at her as if she was a cherished gift and he’d treated her with just as much care. Even now, her pussy ached for his long, hard cock. He’d left her in such a precarious state, hungry and unsatisfied.
She shifted uncomfortably in the driver’s seat. She hated the detective for belittling what they’d shared.
And she hated him even more for using her arousal to make her wonder how it would be with him.
“Damn you, Kinkade,” she hissed.
His anger and aggression had only made the desire between them take on an even more excited edge. She’d seen the look in his eyes. She’d heard the unspoken words in his tone. And his touch… He’d nearly made her come in front of the entire living room when he’d groped her between the legs during that supposed pat-down.
She shuddered, close to orgasm just thinking about it.
He’d told her that stealing excited some people sexually.
He’d been right.
She was riding right on the razor’s edge. She knew he’d been suspicious of her before but, tonight, everything had just been cranked up a notch. His suspicion. Her thrill.
Their attraction to each other.
Nothing was going to stop him now. He’d promised to stay on her until he knew everything. She’d just never understood how all-encompassing “everything” could be.
* * * * *
Talia went home long enough to shower and change clothes but she was too keyed up to stay put. She wanted the stolen bracelet off Coolectibles’ property. With Kinkade on the case, she knew she had to get rid of it fast but her only option was to wait for the long nighttime hours to crawl by until she could go see Professor Winston.
She had another job for him.
A diner just off campus proved to be a good waiting spot. Her rolling stomach couldn’t stand the notion of food but cup after cup of coffee helped her pass the time. With her hair in a ponytail, she blended in well with the harried students pulling all-nighters around her. Her stress fit in, too. It seemed to float in the air of the place as naturally as oxygen.
She just wished her greatest fear was a midterm exam. By the time the sun rose, caffeine had her nerves stretched to the breaking point. That, and the looming threat of Riley Kinkade. No doubt he’d put the word out. The police had to have been looking for the bracelet for hours now. She could feel the danger increas
ing with every second that passed. When the breakfast crowd started to pour in, she had to leave. She could wait just as well in the hallway outside the professor’s office.
Adrenaline gushed through her veins as she walked across campus to Jefferson Hall. She opened the door to the building and found the hallway empty. Her boots thudded loudly against the floor and she glanced around nervously. No wonder the professor had been paranoid when she’d first visited him. She couldn’t help but look over her shoulder with every turn she made.
At last, she saw his office. It was dark but her shoulders sagged in relief when she saw the light on in his laboratory. Thank God for small favors. He must have come in early to get some research done before classes began. She quickly covered the rest of the distance and knocked.
“Yes?” came a sharp voice. “Who is it?”
She could hear the professor’s surprise even through the door. She couldn’t imagine he got many visitors at this hour.
“It’s Talia Sizemore,” she called. “I need to speak with you.”
There was a long pause before she heard a shuffling noise. After another moment, the professor opened the door. He didn’t invite her in. Instead, his alert gaze swept the hallway. Finally, he looked at her. “Did you not receive the…” He cleared his throat and glanced around one more time. “Donation?”
“Uh, yes, I did.” Talia hitched her purse higher on her shoulder and gave him a tight smile. “I wasn’t expecting quite so much. Thank you. It will be very helpful.”
Winston fingered his bowtie but stayed planted in the doorway. “Then is there a problem?”
She could sense his tension and it brought hers back with a punch. She couldn’t help but shift her weight nervously under that acute stare. “I was hoping you’d consider making another…contribution.”
The professor’s dark eyes sharpened behind the lenses of his glasses. “Come inside.”
Finally, he stepped back. Talia followed him into the lab. She’d always been curious about his research. He was known as one of the foremost experts on functional art history. She’d nearly opted to continue with graduate studies under him until her father had agreed to finance her antiques shop. Even then, it had been a tough decision to make.
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