that hadn’t been his, and he’d finally been exonerated.
Although it sounded crazy, getting put in the slammer for those five years had been the best thing to ever happen to him. Because that had been where he’d met Sheppard. But Toni didn’t need to know any of that.
“I was born in Memphis, got my Master’s in Criminal Justice from Hampton University, and then went to work for the police department in Alexandria.”
There was no need to mention anything about not finishing high school and getting his GED in prison. She also didn’t need to know that after getting a degree from college, no law enforcement agency had wanted to hire him because of his past criminal record—even though he’d been exonerated.
“I like what I do and work with a nice group of people,” he continued. “Although there are a few guys whose heads swell every once in a while, most of us get along. And we help on each other’s cases if we need to,” he said.
“I wish it was that way everywhere,” Toni said. “In Miami, I am one of only three female detectives. I’ve had two partners, and both were male chauvinistic pigs. One even lost his job when he deliberately set me up for a fall. One that could have cost me my life.”
“What the hell! Are you serious?”
“Yes. That’s when everyone discovered I was Madison Bellamy’s granddaughter. Up until then, nobody knew. I’d deliberately kept my family connections under wraps, wanting to make it on my own.”
“And now?”
“Now I get treated better because they know of my grandfather’s legacy. But I don’t get any special treatment. I just want to be judged by what I can do, not on who I’m related to. When I return to Miami after this seminar, I’m supposed to get a new partner. I just hope it’ll be someone who is fair and who will respect me for what I can do. Because, trust me...” She winked. “I can do a lot.”
At that moment, the waiter arrived with their food, thank God. Because he suddenly couldn’t seem to catch his breath.
• • •
“Thanks for dinner, Drew.”
“It was my pleasure. I hadn’t expected the live band. I thought that was a nice touch.”
“I thought so, too.” What had been even nicer, Toni thought, was when he’d asked her to dance. A slow number. It felt good having her body plastered against his, feeling every delectable muscle in his tall, masculine form. And speaking of muscles…being held in his arms had made her muscles tighten as desire warmed her to the core.
Drew had held her hand again on the walk back, as if he’d wanted to make sure all that sexual hunger he’d stirred to life inside of her all evening was alive and fully functioning the rest of the evening. If that had been his intent, it was working. He had her imagination running wild, wondering how it would feel to have those fingers buried in her hair while he ravaged her mouth, or how those same fingers would feel inching up her legs toward the center of her thighs, and…
“We’re here,” he said, coming to a stop at the bank of elevators. Because certain elevators went to certain floors, there was no guarantee they would be riding the same elevator up.
“What floor are you on?” she asked.
“Thirty. What about you”
“Twenty.”
That meant they would need to catch different elevators. She licked her lips, then seeing how his gaze followed the movement, she made a decision. “Would you like to join me in a nightcap?”
He looked over toward the hotel lounge. “Looks crowded in there.”
“I wasn’t thinking about in there, Drew.”
His eyes returned to hers. The intensity in them filled her every cell. “Then, where were you thinking, Toni?”
Common sense was warning her not to get so caught up in this man. There was something about all those sensual vibes rolling off him that wasn’t normal. However, the sexual magnetism drawing her to him was too powerful, way too strong.
“I was thinking about my hotel room. I happen to have a bottle of wine up there.”
A smile tipped the edges of his mouth. “I would love to join you in your room for a glass of wine.” He then pushed the button for the elevator.
Toni was glad when other people stepped on the elevator with them. There was no telling what she might have done had she and Drew been alone. After getting off the elevator on her floor, they walked silently down