“I’m not crazy, Jay.”
“We didn’t see their faces, Laura. We can’t identify them.” He cocked a brow and grinned. “Unless, of course, they put him in a breath smelling lineup?”
“Good idea.” She waved her hands impatiently. “Give me the phone.”
Jay handed it to her.
It rang twice before she heard Detective Doyle’s booming voice on the other end.
Still trying to regulate her breathing, Laura quickly relayed the details to the detective.
Doyle got quiet for a moment. Laura assumed he had to swallow a bite of donut before he could speak. Finally, he cleared his throat and spoke. “I’ll pay him a visit, but I’ll need more proof than bad breath, Laura.”
Angered, she opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off.
“Don’t worry, all is not lost. We found a print at your apartment and they’re running it.”
They spoke for a few more minutes and then she handed the phone back to Jay. “He wants to talk to you.”
Jay exchanged a few words, assured the detective they were okay, and promised to come in first thing in the morning to fill out a report.
Jay slid the phone back into his pocket and glanced at her. “He told us to sit tight and stay inside. Tomorrow we’ll give a statement.” He grabbed her hand. “Come on, let’s go before they realize they made off with your clothes. Although something tells me they won’t be back.” He grinned. “Not after you going all Jackie Chan on them. That guy’s going to be nursing his balls for a while.”
Laura kicked off her shoes in Jay’s front foyer and perused her surroundings. His place wasn’t at all what she had expected. He might live a sexy playboy lifestyle, but his apartment looked nothing like a Don Juan bachelor pad. Of course, it didn’t really surprise her. Underneath that playboy façade existed a caring, nurturing man. Maybe even a nerdy scientist at heart.
His spacious front entrance opened into a very masculine, yet comfortable living area. Off that room, she spotted a bright yellow kitchen with a small dinette table tucked in the corner.
“I’ll take your things to the bedroom.”
The sound of his deep sleepy voice pulled at her. God, she couldn’t believe how much she wanted him. How much she wanted him to want her the same way.
She fell into step behind him and admired his broad, muscular back as she followed him down the hall. He pushed open the door and gestured for her to enter.
One bed, of gigantic proportions, filled the room. Her gaze darted to his headboard, searching for notches. She wondered how many women had writhed beneath Jay on that slate-blue duvet. She squeezed her lids tight, shutting out that unwelcome thought as her galloping heart took her on a turbulent emotional journey.
When she opened her eyes, realization hit full force. It occurred to her she hadn’t seen Jay with a woman in months. And come to think of it, the phone hadn’t been ringing off the hook at the lab. Was it because they’d been working so hard on the project, or was it because he’d lost his taste for carrot sticks?
Suddenly overcome by exhaustion, Laura yawned and rolled one shoulder. She winced as her muscles strained. She must have pulled something when she took Max out.
Jay’s expression turned serious. Reaching out, he palmed her arm and began a slow massage. She started at his touch. His big warm hand swallowed up her entire shoulder. They were so strong and powerful, yet touched her with such tenderness.
As she looked into his gentle eyes, her mind raced. She thought about all the years they’d worked together and assignments they’d completed. She thought about all the ball games they’d played together, the bonding sessions they’d attended, and all the laughs they’d shared. She thought about their intimate night at her place and their afternoon in the director’s bathroom. She thought about meeting his family at the restaurant and pasta-making in the kitchen.
Her heart tightened in her chest. God, they were so good together.
She replayed the passionate kiss he’d given her only hours earlier. If the enhancer had still been ruling his body, surely his kiss wouldn’t have been so tender, so emotional.
She thought about the way Jay made her feel. He made her see herself as something other than a nerdy scientist. For the first time she believed her curvaceous body was beautiful, and that her intelligence was something to be proud of.
She paused to consider things.
Maybe now it was her turn to make Jay see himself as something other than a playboy. To show him he was nothing like the men in his family. Jay was gentle and caring and if there was one thing she knew for certain, he was capable of love.
Laura drew a fueling breath. Tonight, she was going to do something she’d never done before. She was going to step out of her comfort zone and take a big risk.
She was going to show Jay he wasn’t another “Cold-Hearted Cutler.” And most importantly, she was going to show him she was the right woman, dammit.
And how was she going to do that? By seducing Jay’s body and his heart and finishing what they started. She was going to make sweet love to him all night long and reveal she was interested in playing for keeps. And during their lovemaking she planned on touching him on a deeper level, to show him he had the ability to feel emotions.
“You’re so stiff.”
Jay’s voice pulled her thoughts to the present.
He stepped closer, his warm masculine scent curling around her. Swallowing hard, she concentrated on the tiny points of pleasure as her senses exploded. She resisted the urge to glance downward, to see if he was stiff too.
She fought to find her voice. “Probably from when I slammed my elbow into Max.”
“You’ve really taken a beating today, haven’t you?”
“I’ve had better days,” she agreed. “At least you weren’t responsible for all of my injuries,” she teased.
He
