by Aliyah Burke
“What are you looking for?” His voice was closer now.
She opened a cupboard. “Hot chocolate.”
He got it down for her and stepped back. “Martin brought you some games and books—he thought you might get bored here with me.”
“I’ll make sure to thank him when I see him again.”
She filled the kettle, enough for two just in case, and placed it on the stove. Glancing at the container of cocoa, she smiled at the sight of a bag of marshmallows beside it. Declan sat at the table, long legs out before him as he looked at her.
“Do you have my file?” she asked with her back to him, rooting around in a drawer for a spoon.
“Why?”
“Just wanted to read what you had on me. That’s all.”
She turned in time to see him push to his feet with a singularly fluid movement. Declan left the room and she blew out a breath. There went a lot of man. She turned off the burner when the kettle whistled. Adding the water to the mix, she stirred it slowly then plopped in a few marshmallows.
Outside, the wind increased in speed and swirled the falling snow around. Only to me would this happen. A picture perfect scene. Mountains, snow, a warm fire burning in a small cabin and a hot ass man—which will culminate in my fingering myself to release tonight in bed. Why? Because this man thinks I’m my twin and can’t stand me. All the while I’m yearning for something so simple as a touch. A simple brush of skin, the feel of his hard body behind mine, pressing into me.
“Here.”
His voice surprised her and she jumped. He held out a tablet for her and she reached for it. Ensuring their fingers didn’t touch, she took it from him and made her way to the table. He had it all there for her to look at and she sat before beginning to read.
The first part she read was about the family she was to be witness against. The Kazakova crime family. Each line Caro read soured her gut even more. Shit, how did I get caught up in this? The lengthy list of murders they blamed the family for but couldn’t ever prove because of lack of witnesses and questionable circumstantial evidence. How they tortured people. Again, no witnesses.
Look at me, a quiet girl, good from all accounts. Now I’m caught up in a lie so deep I don’t know if I’ll ever climb out. Not to mention I’m now going up against a crime syndicate which will most likely kill me. She turned the pages and kept reading. Or my family and friends.
God, she had to get free of here. After all that interesting and life sucking information she’d discovered on the Kazakova family, she found Jasmine’s rap sheet.
Holy shit, Jasmine. You’re a terror.
Declan started the coffee machine, needing to occupy his time. She didn’t sit with her back to him so he utilized the opportunity to observe her as she read the information on the tablet. It bothered her, that much he could tell. Her jaw clenched occasionally and her fingers tightened around the mug.
Wonder if she’s laughing about missing stuff that we don’t know about?
She didn’t look at all amused, actually. Quite the opposite.
Her hair, not that hideous shade of pink it had been previously, fell in soft waves around her face. She kept it tucked behind her ear and he noted, with a bit of surprise, she only wore simple gold studs. Nothing outlandish or dangling as she had worn previously. It’s like she’s a whole other person.
He poured his coffee and fixed it the way he liked it before resting against the counter and just outright staring at her. The simple gray sweatshirt and blue jeans made her look soft. Approachable.
Sexy, don’t forget sexy.
As if he could. Hell, his cock was still hard from their earlier interaction. He couldn’t get it out of his mind.
Some cop I am. Martin’s words came back to him and he thought about it. Why should he bother denying the attraction between the two of them? They were both adults and, so long as it was consenting on both ends, whose business was it what they did? It’s not like his position intimidated her. That had been proven numerous times during prior confrontations.
His CB radio crackled, bringing her head up as Martin’s voice came through.
“Declan. Pick up if you’re able.”
He walked to the other side of the small yet open kitchen and lifted the handset. “What’s up, Martin?”
“You have someone who called looking for you. Jackie.”
He groaned and set his coffee cup down. “I’ll be right down.” He left his drink and went to build up the fire so it would be warm there when they came back.
“Let’s go,” he said heading to the door and grabbing his coat from the peg.
She obviously wasn’t in as much of a rush for she finished her drink, rinsed it out then left the mug in the sink. He departed the cabin as she sat on the bench and tied on her hiking boots.
He had the Jeep by the cabin when she stepped out on the porch. With eyebrows nearly raised to the edge of her black and white knit cap she held up his tablet. Declan shook his head and she vanished briefly before closing the distance to the vehicle.
Once she’d buckled herself in, he got going. The large tires cut easily through the snow as he moved from the drive and put them on the road. Martin’s tracks were not readily recognizable anymore. Caro leaned against the door and remained silent. If she was checking and making notes on how to get to town, well, he would start removing the distributor cap until he needed to use the Jeep. That would eliminate her taking the vehicle.
He parked along the plowed main drag and killed the engine. They both hopped out of his vehicle. The street sat empty with no signs of life. He knew where people were. In the warmth of Ted’s Diner.
Declan gazed over the hood at Caro. She had her head tipped back, eyes closed as the flakes fell and settled gently upon her. It dotted her cap, skin and jacket.
She appeared so peaceful.
“Come on.”
He saw it then. The transformation. Her entire body stiffened and her features hardened.
“Might help,” she snapped, “if I knew where I was supposed to go. I wouldn’t have to keep you waiting.” She stared at him, condemnation lighting her face. “Not to mention I’m not a dog to jump at your every command. You could have left me at the cabin.”
True, he could have. Why he had made her come with him, he hadn’t any idea. “Go to Ted’s Diner and get something to eat. I’ll be there shortly.”
She glared at him before striking off across the street. Declan waited until she had stepped inside the diner before he took himself to Martin’s. The man gave him a small nod as he spied him.
“Thanks for the call, Martin.”
“She sounds just as lovely as you made her out to be. I’m glad you never brought her to this place.”
“Me too.” Declan picked up the phone that he knew she wouldn’t be able to trace and called her back.
“Jacquelyn Ashcraft’s office.”
He didn’t recognize the voice of the woman who answered. It didn’t surprise him—Jackie didn’t keep people around a long time. She was a hard woman to work for. Hard to live with and stay married to as well.
“I need to speak with Ms Ashcraft. I’m returning her call.”
“Who may I say is calling, please?”
“Declan McBride.”
“One moment, Mr McBride.” She placed him on hold.
He paced while waiting.
“Where the hell are you, McBride?” Jacquelyn barked seconds later.
He rolled his eyes. “Doing what I said I would do. Protecting your witness.”
“Where?”
“See, funny thing, ADA Ashcraft, I’m not telling you. No one knows, that’s why it’s a safe place for her to be.”
“Come on, Declan.” Her voice turned soft and seductive. “Let me know. I’m the prosecutor for crying out loud. I need to know she’s safe.”
He cracked his neck, strolled to the nearest window then peered out. “She is. You’ll just have to take my word on that.”
“I can
force you to tell,” she snarled, not a single trace of the seduction from before.
“Really? How are you going to do that?” He didn’t like being pushed.
“I will call your boss.”
“Call my LT. He doesn’t know where I am either. But let me make this perfectly clear. The next time you call here, Jackie, had better be to tell me she’s needed back in court. Or I won’t be calling you back.”
Caro walked by up the street and he frowned. I thought I told her to go into the diner. She wasn’t running but strolling as if she had all the time in the world.
“You make me lose this case, Declan…”
He chuckled over the warning in her tone. “You don’t scare me, Jackie. I know you do many others there. But not me. Remember I was married to you.”
“Don’t remind me,” she bit off.
“Then I suggest you don’t forget I’m damn good at my job and I don’t do well with being strong-armed. Your witness will be fine and I’ll have her there for court. Like I said, give me forty-eight hours’ notice.”
Jackie launched another litany of something but he ended the call and handed the phone to Martin who’d moved to stand beside him.
“Not pleased?”
Declan laughed. “Jackie’s never been pleased. She doesn’t know the meaning of the word.”
“What was it about her that had you marry her?”
He shook his head. “I was younger and foolish. Thought I was in love.” Declan walked toward the door. “When I didn’t go for detective she got pissed because I wasn’t ambitious enough and she couldn’t be married to a regular cop. How would that look, a woman going for the DA’s spot married to a beat cop? Not in her grand scheme.”
“Bitch,” Martin groused.
“You don’t know the half of it.” He smacked him on the shoulder. “Thanks for alerting me to the call. I have to go see where Caro is going. Then get back to the cabin before more snow falls.”
“Drive safe. I put some more stuff in your Jeep while you were on the phone. Can’t have you running out of food now.”
Declan didn’t see that happening. “We’ll be fine, Martin.”
“Take care of her, Declan. She’s something else.”
Another snort. “Don’t I know it.”
Martin grabbed his hand and halted him. “I mean something special, Declan.”
Of course he did. Declan just smiled and strode outside with a wave over one shoulder. Turning his head, he tried to see the woman he was after. No one was in view. With a muttered grumble, he jogged across the street and off in the direction he’d seen her.
He located her in the small park in town. She sat on a bench, back to him, facing the small lake. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he moved up behind her.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
She didn’t even turn around. “Thinking.”
Declan went around the bench and lowered himself to the seat beside her. He stretched out his legs and sighed heavily. “About?” He stared at her hand, which lay on her lap. She constantly moved her fingers.
She tipped her head and glanced at him. “Is this an interrogation, Officer?”
“Consider it more like an olive branch.”
Chapter Five
The odds weren’t very high in her favor and Caro frowned. At least I don’t think so. She snuck another peek at her cards then at the growing pile of chocolate and candy in the middle of the table. Lifting her gaze, she found Declan staring at her. Endless patience and no other expression.
Poker. This was not her game. He was teaching her. Sort of. More like he was kicking her ass.
The stint in town had gone pretty well. They’d just sat and talked about a few things while enjoying the park. It had been an olive branch and she had decided to be nicer to him, no matter what the crap listed in her twin’s file said. And there was a lot there but she figured that with as much lying as Jasmine did, being nice at a point would be acceptable. She’d do whatever it took to get the desired results. He may not believe it but this way she could live with herself better. The lying already ate at her.
“Well?” he asked. His firm lips had a slight tilt to them, showing his amusement.
“I’m thinking.”
He held up a hand as if to say ‘okay, sorry’ and reclined back in his chair. The lights were low around them, creating a bit of an intimate atmosphere. Before him, a beer sat on the table and an identical one sat in front of her as well. A large bowl of chips—potato—sat between them slightly off to the side.
Caro couldn’t remember if he’d said a straight beat a flush or not. The full boat—or house—beat something else and… Yeah, she was most assuredly and definitely confused. Not telling him that, though.
“I raise.” She slid in the higher ‘chips’ to join the rest of the collection in the center.
He sat forward and lifted his heavily lashed eyes until his blue eyes held hers. “You sure you want to do that?”
No. I would be much more confident if we played chess. “Absolutely,” she said with confidence she unquestionably didn’t feel.
Declan didn’t even peek at his cards, and the wolfish grin that lifted his lips released waves of uncertainty within her.
He knows something about what I have.
“I call.”
Had any two words ever sounded so sexual to her before? Maybe the better question would be—should be—why I’m thinking about sex. Oh yeah, that’s right. The reaction I have at the deep stroke of his voice. The way his heated gaze makes me want to squirm on the chair. Or was that rip off my shirt and bra to see what he’d do? Both? More?
“You call.” She sniffed. “What kind of poker is this again?”
He took a swig of his beer, the movement of his throat sidetracking her as his Adam’s apple rolled up and down. Declan held her gaze, heat surging through his eyes. “Stud poker. And yes, I call.”
Her pussy creamed and she did her best to not show how his words and voice affected her. Why did his words sound like a promise? And why is that turning me on even more?
“Okay…” She reached out for a potato chip and ate it. “Do I have to raise now?”
His head shake was lazy. “You can or not. You could also fold.”
Fold? No way. “Give up? I don’t think so.” She stared at his pile. He had more than she did and it wouldn’t pay to be reckless.
“What’s it going to be?”
She licked her lips and lifted her chin before grabbing for her bottle. “Show me.”
This time his smile was pure sin. “Love to.”
He began flipping his cards over and she stared. Not at his cards, no, she locked onto his hand. Strong. Scarred. Masculine. Long fingers and clean square nails.
“Your turn.”
Damn man and his voice were lethal. She turned hers over. “I believe I have a flush.”
He shook his head and whistled low. “Not just a flush.”
She looked down at her cards again. It hit her after a few more glances. “A straight flush.”
“This hand’s yours.”
Caro stared at his. Two pair, ace high. No wonder he had been cocky. She didn’t even bother hiding her grin as she scooped the pile toward her. He reached over and took her cards before shuffling them while she made neat little piles out of her candy. Wouldn’t do to get them mixed up and have her even more confused on what was what.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“Huh?” She stared at him. “What am I thinking about what?”
“Just now. You had this quirk of a smile on your face. What were you thinking?”
She ducked her head as the blush skated along her cheeks. “Just that I needed to make all neat piles. And how I want to eat one of those gold ones.”
His grin was raw sex. “So eat one.”
“They’re the highest amount and if I take one then I don’t have as much.”
He reached from his stack of them—his much larger one�
�and flipped her two. “There you go. Enjoy.”
She palmed them only to pause. “Why would you give me two?”
“I enjoy watching a woman eat something she’s craving.” One shoulder lifted languidly. “Some women, that is.”
Lord help her, if she were straddling his leg she would be humping him like a dog. There it went again, that tilt of his lips. She knew he was baiting her and she didn’t care. If this night ended up with her in his bed, she had no problem with that. Caro unwrapped one, placed the second to her left, where it wasn’t in her organized piles, and popped the chocolate in her mouth.
A moan slid free as the silky goodness coated her tongue. He jerked back, his chair skidding along the wood floor. She met his gaze and lifted an eyebrow. Declan coughed and got up to walk to the kitchen. She watched him move, mesmerized by his ass and the way his jeans cupped it. I’d like to cup it. Sink my nails into it as he’s between my legs and thrusts his cock in and out of me. Wrap my legs around his waist and draw him in as tight as I could. As deep as possible.
He froze and gripped the edge of the counter. She shook herself free of the sexual haze surrounding her and focused on the table.
“What’s that?” he asked when he returned to his seat.
“What’s what?”
“That. In your hand. Gold.”
It took her a moment to realize she’d made a crane. “Crane.”
She put it in the palm of her hand and stretched it out to him. Even though his fingers didn’t touch her when he took it from her, she swore she felt him. Perhaps it was just her overactive imagination but in her mind, she experienced the heat of his fingertips sliding along her hypersensitive skin.
The light brush of calluses. The coiled strength she knew he had in his touch. I have got to get a hold of myself.
He inspected it closely and nodded as he placed it down by his side. “Nice.”
Okay, so I guess he’s keeping it. He picked up the deck and shuffled a bit more.
“Ready?” he asked.
She was ready for something… Caro nodded, not trusting her voice.
Two hands later she had nothing but the gold chocolates before her. She bemoaned her lack of luck and Declan grinned as he shuffled.
