Deadly Heat (Deadly #2)(31)
Author: Cynthia Eden

“Sorry you had to come in there.” A muscle flexed along his jaw. “Look, it sucks, okay? The situation is shit.”

Agreed.

His voice lowered. “But Lora, the evidence is pointing to a firefighter, and we have to follow that trail.”

She shook her head. “I don’t—”

“You know the guy has insider knowledge.”

Yes, dammit. Those fires had been too perfect.

“He uses different accelerants,” Kenton continued, “and the fires all have different points of origin.” He shook his head.“Most arsonists have a pet accelerant and they stick to a standard point of origin.” He paused. “That’s not the case with this guy, and the fact that he knows how to successfully use so many accelerants in so many different locations…”

Kenton didn’t have to finish. She knew where he was headed. A firefighter would have knowledge like that. Any firefighter could walk into a house and immediately find the weak spots—those places that would burn so well.

Just like the arsonist was doing.

She swallowed the denial that wanted to rise in her throat. Hell, he was right and that part hurt her the most.

“It’s not personal,” he told her. “We’re doing our jobs.”

And his job had brought Kenton to her station to interview her and her friends. To dig into their pasts. Lora blew out a hard breath. “You know, don’t you? You investigated us all, and you know about me.” He’d already felt her scars, he’d touched them last night, so there was no reason for her to be feeling so—

Exposed.

Vulnerable.

No reason, but she did. And those feelings had driven her right out of that conference room. Why couldn’t she be more like Davenport? Why couldn’t she have more control?

Rick and Wade rounded the corner and nearly slammed right into them. “Hell.” Kenton shoved a hand through his perfect hair. “Where can we talk, alone?”

The guy didn’t get it. There were always eyes and ears at this place. But she took his hand and elbowed past them as she led Kenton up the narrow stairs, then to the right. To the room that had been reserved for her and Amanda.

He slammed the door shut behind them.

“Fine, we’re alone—” She turned back toward him, aware that her voice was shaking just a little. All my secrets. “Now you can—”

He grabbed her and kissed her and drove his tongue deep into her mouth like he had some kind of right to her.

Her nails bit into his arms. Her ni**les tightened because, ah, damn, she might be pissed, but she still wanted him.

Last night was not enough. More like just an appetizer, and she was ready for the main course.

Kenton’s hands curled over her ass, and he pulled her up against his cock.

Full, thick and ready with lust, hunger, and need.

Not pity. Even though he had to know…

Her hands flattened over his muscled chest, and she shoved back. Her breath panted out, mixing with his.

“You know.” She didn’t make it a question because she was sure all the facts about her life were in that thin little manila file. All typed up, nice and neat, ready to see.

He didn’t let her go. His hands stayed locked on her ass, and that erection—it was all she could do not to arch against him. “I know about the fire when you were thirteen, if that’s what you’re asking about.”

Her chin lifted. “Let me go.” She couldn’t talk to him like this. Too close. His body too hot.

“This isn’t over.” It came out as a snarl. “We’re not.”

She blinked. “Uh, run that by me again?”

“You might be pissed, you might want to kick my ass out of the station, but that’s business. The case.”

The doorknob rattled. “Lora?” Amanda called. “You in there? The knob’s jammed—”

“Busy!” Kenton yelled.

Silence, and then they heard the quick thud of retreating footsteps.

Ah, great, now Amanda would think they were screwing, and Amanda had one big mouth.

Screwing at the station. Yeah, that was the gossip she wanted floating around her team.

Having sex with the agent on her own time, that was one thing. She’d take the ribbing from that, but at the station…

A dull throb began in her right temple.

“Maybe you wanted a screw to make you forget.”

His flat words had her chin lifting.

“Maybe you wanted to remind yourself that you are alive, even if he’s not.”

Okay, now he was getting damn personal. “Watch it, GQ.” She yanked away from him and paced in front of the window. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”

“Really? I think I do. I think I’m learning a whole lot about you.”

She wouldn’t look at him. “I’ll keep working the case with you. You know I want to catch this bastard.” But the perp’s not here. Not at my station. Not on my team. She’d know.

“I want more than that.” The floor squeaked beneath him, and she knew he was stalking her.

She stopped moving. “I don’t have a lot to give right now.” True. He didn’t understand. Sex—that was all. Inside, she was too hollow.

I don’t want to hurt again. It was too easy to care, then it hurt too much when you lost the one you cared for.

He was right behind her now. She could feel him.

“You’re not the only one who’s lost someone.”

Her eyes stayed on the ground outside the window. Max was leaving, heading out, probably on a grocery run.

Kenton stood behind her, not touching her, but standing close, warm and strong. “When I was ten,” his voice rumbled, “a drunk driver hit me and my mom. We were driving home, on the way from soccer practice.”

She looked back at him. Had to. “I–I’m sorry.”

His eyes gazed at her, but she had a feeling the guy saw the past. “He hit the side of our car and slammed into her. For the longest time, I could hear the sound of that metal, crunching around us… and her crying. She cried a lot.” He swallowed. “Cried so much, because she didn’t die, not right away.”

Oh, God.

She whirled to face him. “Kent…”

“I couldn’t get to her. I was pinned in the back.” Cold and flat. She knew that voice. She’d used that voice before. “And that bastard—he ran and left us there.”

Lora could only shake her head.