by Virna DePaul
“Oh but—”
As he headed towards Mattie, her eyes widened. He cocked a brow and smiled, but his smile vanished when a tall, dark-haired man in an expensive suit laid his palms over Mattie’s eyes from behind like a blindfold.
Mattie jumped, turned and smiled.
Dom stopped in his tracks.
As they spoke, Mattie repeatedly touched her hair. At one point, she even flipped it over her shoulder. When the man caressed her cheek with the back of his knuckles, a low, angry sound rumbled from Dom’s throat. Automatically, he took a step forward.
But someone caught his arm.
It was Linda. “You might not want to do that, Deputy.”
He glanced swiftly towards Mattie. The suit had left and, although he caught Mattie’s eye, she turned quickly away. Slowly, he turned back to Linda. “Something I can do for you?”
She pursed her lips. “Nice try, but I don’t buy it. Just what’s going on with you and Mattie?”
“How about you answer that question for me?”
Her expression tightened before she glanced over his shoulder. “Court’s about to start.”
As she walked away, Dom took his place next to the bench. Brenda announced the judge’s arrival.
If he hadn’t been watching Mattie so closely, he might have missed it. When the judge walked in, she immediately tensed and averted her eyes. Then she glanced back at Linda, whose eyes had widened. Linda shook her head frantically, her urgency unmistakable.
Dom frowned. Yes, something was definitely up with these two. He was going to find out what.
Mattie breathed a sigh of relief as soon as Judge Butler declared court over for the day. The air in the courtroom had thickened with each passing minute, refusing to fill her lungs. She felt oddly dizzy, certain that for the past two hours, Judge Butler, Dominic, Linda and Brenda had taken turns staring at her. She couldn’t even tell herself that Dominic’s attention was sexual. His normally placid expression had shifted into a permanent frown.
She and Linda obviously sucked at subterfuge. However, the more time she’d spent in court, the more certain she’d become that she couldn’t just ignore what she’d seen yesterday. But what on earth could she do? Feeling overwhelmed and bitter, she rushed to pack up her stenograph. She jumped when Judge Butler called to her.
Nervously, she licked her lips. She stared at his chin, trying not to remember where it and the rest of his face had been yesterday. “Yes, your honor?”
“You seem distracted. Everything okay?”
Swallowing hard, she raised her gaze to his. There was no guilt. No embarrassment. “I’m fine. A little tired, that’s all. It’s been a difficult case.”
Understanding lit his eyes. “Yes, I imagine with Jordan at home, it would be especially difficult hearing about the abuse the victim in this case suffered. Your work is always appreciated though. By the way, did you give Tony my letter?”
“Yes. He said thank you.” When Judge Butler nodded and turned away, she couldn’t stop herself from asking, “How’s Mrs. Butler, by the way?”
Brenda, who’d moved to follow the judge, glared at her. Judge Butler merely smiled. “She’s fine, thank you.” He turned to Brenda. “Do you have the evidence log from today?”
Turning to face Mattie, Brenda didn’t even bother to look guilty. Instead, she murmured, “Yes, Your Honor. I have everything you need.”
When the pair of them disappeared, Mattie turned to leave. The sooner she got away from this place the better. She gasped when she brushed against Dominic. The man was making a habit of sneaking up on her.
She edged away from him, but still managed to brush her arm against his again. Although the light material of her suit jacket blocked contact with the firm muscle of his forearm, she swore his warmth penetrated the fabric. Breathing deep, she struggled not to close her eyes at the clean, masculine smell of him.
She stared at the strong column of his throat, wondering whether he would still taste the same if she licked him. “Yes?”
“Linda can’t make dinner. She said to tell you that an emergency came up and that I should walk you to your car.”
She glared at him. “Now, why would she do that? Considering that I’m quite capable of taking care of myself.”
“Court was still in session. She got a phone call and had to leave.” He crossed his arms over his chest and peered down at her indulgently as if she were a recalcitrant child. “Looks like you didn’t tell her about me, huh? Or did you? Was that what the hot and heavy come-ons were about? Some kind of weird competition thing?”
Mattie tried to feign innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He didn’t look convinced. “She asked me to escort you to your car, and I promised I would. You don’t want me to break a promise, do you?”
She bit her lip to stop her automatic retort. Raising her hand, she tucked back her hair, then silently groaned when his eyes narrowed. He gently took hold of both her wrists. Automatically, she closed her fingers into fists, but winced when the movement irritated her already sore skin.
Frowning, he rubbed his thumbs against her closed fingers as if to urge them open. “What happened?”
“I fell.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.” She pulled her hands away and he reluctantly released her.
“Why don’t you tell me what’s going on with the judge?”
Unable to stop herself, Mattie took a step back. Had Linda said something to him? “What are you talking about?”
“It was obvious you and the D.A. reacted strongly when he came in. Did you catch him getting down and dirty with Brenda?”
Horrified, her cheeks burning, she stared at him. “You know?”
He shrugged. “Of course.”
Mattie scowled. “What, do you guys go out for drinks and brag about your conquests?”
Instantly, she wanted to recall the words, especially when he just stared at her with mild reproof.
“Did the judge see you?”
Biting her lip, she looked around. The courtroom had cleared. “I think so.”
“What was he doing?”
“What?”
“What. Was. He. Doing.”
She flushed even hotter.
He grinned. “Ah. That good, huh?’
“Yes. I mean, no,” she hissed. “Not good. Not good at all. I don’t ever want to eat on the break room table again.”
“Was he giving or receiving?”
He didn’t need to expand on his question. Vivid images flashed in her head, none of them of Judge Butler and Brenda, all of them of her and Dom. He’d been a generous lover, one who hadn’t been afraid to push her despite her inexperience. “Why on earth does that matter?” she managed to choke out.
He pressed his lips together in a failed attempt to hide his amusement. “Because if he was giving, he probably didn’t have a good enough view to see anything.”
“Ha, ha,” she muttered. “I never realized you were so funny.” She moved fast, slipping past him and through the courtroom doors.
Undeterred, he followed her. “You don’t realize a lot of things about me.”
“Such as?”
“Such as, when I want something, I do whatever it takes to get it.”
That made her stumble slightly, but she compensated by picking up speed. When they reached the outer door that would lead them to the courthouse steps, he pushed it open for her. She breezed past him, marched down the steps, then gasped when he grabbed her arm and pulled her body into his. They were chest to chest, his hard thighs pressing against her. She looked up at him, willing herself to remember his rejection. “Actually, I did realize that, Dominic. You showed me exactly how much you wanted, or rather didn’t want me, ten years ago. You want something from me now, but this time you’re not going to get it.”
“Why is that? It’s what you want, too.”
She nearly choked. “You’re arrogant.”
“I m
eant you want to clear the air just as much as I do,” he clarified. He released her and she stepped back. Flexing a brow, he asked, “What did you think I meant?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she said sweetly. “But by the way your body was pressed up against mine, I have a pretty good guess.”
Instead of being embarrassed, he looked down and studied his erection, clearly straining against the fly of his pants. “What can I say? Being attracted to you has never been a problem for me.”
“Thankfully, I can’t say the same.”
Amazement flashed across his face before he stepped closer, their bodies almost brushing again. Her chest heaved with the effort it took to keep breathing, and he glanced at her breasts before capturing her gaze. Softly, he urged, “Don’t mistake me for other men you know. I’m not a cheat and I’m not a wimp. I’m honest. I always have been. Our attraction to one another was hot enough that I can still feel the heat. You couldn’t handle me becoming a cop and I wasn’t going to be the cause of a lifetime of resentment. But your body still wants mine as much as I want yours.”
“You’re imagining things,” she breathed.
“Am I?”
“I’m not getting involved with you again, Dom. It hurt too much the first time.”
He cursed. “Damn it, Mattie. That was ten years ago. We both made mistakes.”
“Yes. Mistakes I don’t plan to repeat.” She pulled away. “Goodbye, Deputy Jeffries.” She paused to open her purse and take out her car keys. She fished around for a few seconds, then stopped short to stare at the contents of her bag.
Things were out of order. Mattie always kept her red Liz Claiborne wallet in the front inner pocket, but it was in the main compartment of the bag. In addition, her brush was gone. Her money, however, hadn’t been touched.
“What’s wrong?”
Her head jerked up and she shook it to clear it. Was she imagining things? But no, her brush was gone and she hadn’t been the one to take it out.
Dominic peered over her shoulder and into the contents of her purse. “Is something missing?”
“Just my brush. But it looks like my wallet’s been moved.”
“You’re sure?”
“Well, no. I can’t be sure. I’m pretty predictable though.” She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Maybe I’m just imagining things.” But then she remembered the man outside her house. Had she been imagining things then, too? Unease rose within her, making her frown.
“You leave your keys in your purse? Inside the break room?”
“Yes.”
“Locked up?”
“We don’t have lockers. Just a cabinet where we all keep our things. Why?”
“If you think your purse was tampered with, you might want to get your locks changed. It would have been easy for someone to take your keys and put them back this morning.”
Again, she thought of the man she’d seen across the street from her house last night and fear made her tremble. He obviously noticed.
“Damn it, I’m not trying to scare you, Mattie. I just want you to be careful.”
Her eyes widened at the vehemence in his voice. When she spoke, her voice expressed every bit of the confusion she felt. “Why are you here? What do you want from me, Dom?”
“Right now?” His jaw clenched. “How about we start with your forgiveness? I know I hurt you ten years ago, Mattie. Believe me when I say I hurt myself just as much, if not more.”
It was all suddenly too much for her. Her anxiety about Jordan, her ridiculous feeling of betrayal at Judge Butler’s actions, her concern for Tony and her unexpected reunion with Dom. Her eyes stung and she blinked quickly, desperately trying to hold back her tears. “I—I don’t know if I can give you what you’re asking for, Dom.” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and shook her head, feeling like a fool.
She gasped when he hooked a finger under her chin and gently nudged until she looked at him. “I can accept that. For now. But how about dinner? Can you give me that much, at least?”
“I don’t know—” she began, but he talked over her.
“I’ve wanted to try the Mexican place nearby. You had plans with Linda, so your daughter’s with someone else, isn’t she?”
“Yes, she’s spending the night at a friend’s. But—” Biting her lip, she hesitated. She suddenly felt as if the answer to his question was going to have a huge effect on her life. It’s just dinner, she reasoned. She wasn’t going to date him. Or marry him. Or sleep with him.
Was she?
The heated look in his eyes indicated he knew the treacherous path her thoughts had taken. Obviously encouraged, his hand slipped under her hair to cup her neck and slowly massage the back of her scalp. She bit her lip to keep from moaning.
He wanted to kiss her. She could see it in his eyes and knew her yearning was reflected in her own eyes as well. “I—I—” She stopped, not knowing what to say, just knowing it should be “no.”
“I love the wetness factor, you know.”
She swallowed hard. “Wetness?” she squeaked.
The desire in his eyes flared into something so hot, so intense, that it should have incinerated her. Instead, it made her gravitate even closer to him.
“Definitely,” he murmured, leaning down until his breath ruffled the hair next to her ear. His thumb pressed into some secret spot that only he’d ever found, and she couldn’t stop the soft, breathless moan that escaped her.
“That’s right. You know you want it, baby.”
His words jolted her. Seemed so out of character that she pulled back to see his face.
Confusion made her brows furrow.
Along with the heat was now amusement. A small smile tipped his lips.
“You do, don’t you? Mild, medium, hot. Red sauce. Green sauce. But my favorite is mole. Have you ever had mole sauce, Mattie?”
“Mole?” Eyes narrowing, she shoved him away. He laughed outright, and her annoyance was tempered by the sight of him expressing such joyful exuberance even if was at her expense.
She didn’t let him know that, though.
“Why don’t you take your mole sauce and—” she began.
“Oh, come on. You should have seen the look on your face. Besides, we both know if I told you what I really want, you’d be running for your car before the words were out of my mouth.” He sobered, his eyes dropping to sweep her body before landing unerringly on her mouth. Raising his hand once more, he caressed her jaw. “I don’t have to tell you what I want, Mattie. Because you know what it is. And you want the same thing.”
The throbbing heat of desire was back so fast it made her dizzy.
They’d had their chance, she reminded herself. And it had ended in disaster.
Yet, she was reluctant to let their fragile reconnection end.
What would it hurt, she thought, for them to talk? Dinner wouldn’t change things. She still had no intention of telling him about Jordan. Maybe she never would. But she could at least give him the chance to change her mind, right? So while she didn’t say yes, exactly, she said the next best thing. “I’ve never tried mole. But maybe…maybe it’s time I did.”
As Dom escorted Mattie to the little Mexican restaurant three blocks from the courthouse he wondered if he shouldn’t just make an excuse and veer her back toward her car instead. That little interchange they’d just had had almost knocked him off his feet. He’d seen the same struggle on her face that he’d been having—the temptation to take something you desperately wanted tempered by the knowledge that you couldn’t possibly have it—and he’d wanted to howl in frustration.
In ten years, things had only gotten more complicated for them. There was still his job to consider—a job far more dangerous than the average cop’s—but she also had a daughter now. And he couldn’t forget he was here under false pretenses or that she was a potential target of Guapo’s, if not more. Plus, she obviously had a personal relationship with Judge Butler, which could only make things more complicated. After
all, he hadn’t forgotten Joel’s implication that Judge Butler might not be on the up and up.
None of that, however, lessened the sizzling attraction that sparked to life whenever they were together.
She still wanted him and all he could think about was her naked and under him, pulling him into the cradle she’d make of her arms and breasts and thighs. He’d enter her and pleasure them both and then he’d stay with her. He wouldn’t get up and leave minutes after the deed was done, as he normally did with women these days. He’d hold her and caress her and play with her in a way he’d never allowed himself to play with a woman since their time together in college.
The yearning to have all that struck him so completely that he immediately flinched away from it. This wasn’t about some sick need he had for respite, but about Joel. About finding his killer and insuring that Judge Butler and his staff weren’t involved or in danger themselves.
He’d tried to be funny, but her response had only confirmed what he’d already known. Playing with Mattie could get addictive.
As they sat down, he tried to steer things back on track. “Was it a special occasion yesterday?”
She raised a brow. “Excuse me?”
“The judge got you a present, right?” And one for her brother.
She bristled. “If this is about the judge and me—”
“Has that been a problem for you in the past? People thinking you and Judge Butler—”
She shook her head and stood. “I should have known your offer wasn’t about dinner or wanting to be with me. You want fodder for the rumor mill, is that it? Well, forget it. You and every other jerk out there who wants to make insinuations about Judge Butler and me can just—”
“Mattie.” He put his hand on hers, sighing when she pulled it away. “Please don’t go. Obviously I know the judge has no problem with acting certain ways off hours. I don’t believe that about you and I never said I did. I was just curious, that’s all. Trying to find out more about you. I’m sorry my attempt was so clumsy.”
She sat down. “I don’t want to talk about work. Especially Judge Butler.”
“Okay. Tell me about you. For instance, I saw you talking to that suit in court today.” The memory made renewed jealousy fill his veins. “You dating?”
