Forbidden

feel on me.”

His blatant admission caused a frisson of heat within her. The rogue wasn’t going to make this easy on her “Josh, about last night-”

“Do you regret what happened?” he interrupted.

“No, I don’t.” She couldn’t lie. She’d needed him in ways she couldn’t explain. A part of her still did, but she didn’t take the time to analyze those feelings. “But it happened for all the wrong reasons.”

He set his empty coffee mug on the round glass table then pinned her with a direct look. “I’d like to think i happened for a few right reasons.”

Like the need they had for each other. She pushed that thought aside and focused on the future, which didn’t include giving her heart to another man who risked his life on a daily basis. “Josh, please don’t do this.”

“Don’t do what?” Determination and an edge of anger flared in his eyes, turning them a rich shade of gold “There’s nothing to be ashamed of, or feel guilty about We’re both consenting adults, and we didn’t hurt anyone by making love.”

His approach was about as subtle as a battering ram “No, I won’t argue with that.”

Her ambiguous agreement seemed to annoy him even more, as if he’d been expecting, wanted even, a debate. His mouth stretched into a tight line and his brows creased. “Are you on any kind of birth control?”

“Birth control?” she echoed, momentarily startled by his very personal question.

“Yeah, birth control.” His hands came to rest on his lean hips, and his gaze locked on hers. “We didn’t use any protection last night, Paige.”

Her stomach took a dive, and she pressed a hand to her belly before she could consider what she was doing, and how her actions might look to Josh. “Uh, no, I’m not on any kind of birth control.” She’d gone off the Pill when Anthony had died. The possibility of getting pregnant had been the furthest thing from her mind when she’d asked Josh to make love to her. “But I should be fine. My period is due to start soon.”

Her verbal reassurance didn’t alleviate the concern glinting in his eyes. “Will you let me know if you’re pregnant?”

The image of herself round with Josh’s child flashed in her mind, and her heart skipped a beat. She wanted children so very badly, had always dreamed of having a large family one day. But the emotional complication of having Josh’s baby wasn’t something she wanted to contemplate. Being pregnant would irrevocably change her life, force her to make choices and decisions she hadn’t figured into the equation of her immediate future.

So she opted for more positive thoughts on the matter. “I’ll let you know when I start my period.” Desperately wanting a diversion from that intimate topic, she broached a more unpleasant issue she knew Josh would eventually address even if she didn’t. “Last night you said there was more I needed to know about Anthony and the case he was working on.”

It was his turn to shift mental gears. Grim resolve gradually replaced the firm possessiveness that had tightened his features. “Yeah, there’s more.”

She brushed back strands of hair fluttering across her cheek from the cool breeze. “I’m not going to like what I hear, am I?”

Slowly, he shook his head. “Probably not.”

She appreciated his honesty as much as she dreaded what lay ahead. “Then just give it to me straight. Nc beating around the bush and no sugarcoating.”

“Okay,” he said very carefully, giving her the impression he was preparing her for the worst. “Your life is at risk.”

She frowned, certain she’d misunderstood him. “Excuse me?”

“I said, your life is at risk.” His words were succinct, leaving no doubt in her mind that she’d heard him correctly the first time. “Since Anthony denied having the Ivanov necklace I told you about, and apparently he didn’t have it on him when he was killed, we’ve been informed by the other undercover officers that Carranza suspects you have the necklace or might know of its whereabouts.”

“That’s ludicrous!” Her voice was loud enough to send a nearby flock of seagulls into flight, their indignant squawks echoing along the shore. “I don’t know where the necklace is!”

“I believe you, but Carranza may not.” He stepped toward her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. “They’ve searched all of Anthony’s personal be longings and turned up nothing. It’s only logical thai Carranza would have you checked out next.”

“Of course.” Acid burned in her empty stomach, and she swallowed to keep it from rising into her throat. “This Carranza person knew Anthony was married?”

“It wasn’t a secret that Anthony was married. Carranza could learn that information easily enough. Since Anthony was having an affair, word spread that you were just a pampered wife and that you and Anthony pretty much lived your own private lives.”

The bitterness finally escaped her in the form of broken laughter. It hurt, dammit, to think what a farce her marriage to Anthony had always been. To realize that Josh’s words held so much truth.

She moved away, and he let her go. Realizing just how wobbly her legs were, she slid into a chair next to the table. Letting out a deep breath, she looked to Josh for guidance. “Now what am I supposed to do?”

“Right now, our undercover officers are reportedly having you checked out.” Leaning his hip against the railing, he crossed his arms over his wide chest, looking every inch the tough, uncompromising detective he was. “As soon as they find some kind of evidence that you know something about the Ivanov necklace or its whereabouts, they’re to let Carranza know.”

“I told you,” she said through gritted teeth. “I don’t know anything about that necklace!”

Her snappish tone didn’t faze him. “I know you don’t, but the department has a strategy in mind, and it would be to our advantage to find the necklace. And we need your full cooperation to make the setup work.”

She gave him a tight, angry smile. “Do I have a choice in the matter?”

“Not since you’ve become Carranza’s main target. Lieutenant Reynolds and I agree that you need aroundthe- clock protection, but we can’t risk planting a bunch of men around the house, or being obvious in our sur- veillance.”

The ominous scenario his words projected caused a shiver of apprehension to skip down her spine. “The house has a security system.” Remembering that she hadn’t been using it when she’d opened the door to Josh last night, she added, “I’ll make sure I have the alarm on whenever I’m home.”

“That won’t protect you once you leave the house And we don’t know where, when, or how Carranza will approach you.”

Her skin crawled at the thought of this stranger, on any of his men, stalking her for something she didn’t even have. “So what are you suggesting?”

He settled into the chair next to hers and braced his forearms on his knees. Guarded was the only term thai could describe his expression. “Word is being sprea that Anthony’s widow has a live-in lover.”

She gaped in disbelief. “What?” This ridiculous plar was going too far!

“Paige,” he said, his patient tone cajoling her to be reasonable. “It’s the only believable way for me to stay here and protect you until we bust Carranza.”

Her mind registered the word me, as in Josh. Shod gave way to incredulity. “You’re posing as my lover?”

“Yes.” There was nothing in his serious expression to indicate that posing as her lover would be anything more than a job to him. A way to protect her, as he’d stated, despite that they had been lovers. “The under cover officers on this case have already filtered information about me to Carranza, which includes a false last name of Bennett, which you need to remember Right now, I’m unemployed and living with you.”

Her mind reeled with all the information he was loading onto her, and she fought to deny it. “This is crazy!”

“It’ll only be for a few weeks. A month, tops.” He reached for her hand and tucked it between both of his, making her realize how cold and clammy her palm was next to his warm, dry one. “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you. So you can expect that I’ll be by your side whenever possible.”

“Even at work?” Surely he wasn’t going to shadow her steps every hour of the day?