Fatal Exposure - By Gail Barrett Page 0,46

rode low on his hips, exposing the breadth of his muscled back, the mesmerizing play of shadows on his shoulders and arms, and her heart made a crazy lurch.

God, but he was gorgeous with that steel-hard body and scruffy face. She curled her hands, fighting the urge to stroke her palms down his heated skin and relive the ecstasy she’d experienced in his arms. Instead, she closed her eyes and listened to him breathe, the sound slow and steady and strong. She felt relaxed and thoroughly sated, hardly a surprise given the incredible night they’d had.

But beyond the lingering pleasure, there was something different about the morning, a niggling feeling she couldn’t quite shake, as if something were missing or wrong. She frowned, trying to figure out what it was.

And then it struck her. The fear was gone. She didn’t feel that usual hum of panic, that wariness that buzzed through her nerves. For the first time that she could remember, she felt safe.

Safe? Horrified by the thought, she sat up. Safety was an illusion. She hadn’t been safe in decades, not since her father had died.

And the only way she’d survived since then was by constantly staying alert—watching her back, keeping her identity secret, monitoring who she met and what she said.

But Parker had snuck through those defenses almost from the start, burrowing straight to her most vulnerable part—tempting her to forget the past, forget the enemies who wanted her dead and let him shelter her from harm.

Spooked now, she clutched the sheet to her bare breasts and stared at Parker, aghast. He opened his eyes, his gaze arrowing straight to hers, and the blast of carnal hunger knocked her heart off course. Her breasts began to throb. Her groin moistened and ached. She skimmed the sexy grooves bracketing his mouth, the hollows of his whiskered cheeks. And he looked so incredibly appealing, so much like everything she’d ever dreamed of that she wanted nothing more than to crawl back into his arms, succumb to the fierce need coiling inside her and lose herself in the excruciating wonder of this man’s embrace.

But that was insane. She couldn’t afford to let down her guard again. Not now. Not with her enemies circling close. Not ever—because Parker was still a cop. A cop with the power to turn her over to her stepfather. And no matter how sexy he was, no matter how protected he made her feel, she couldn’t forget that fact.

The silence yawned between them. Parker’s eyes narrowed a fraction, a sudden stillness banking the heat.

“Regrets?” he asked in a carefully neutral voice.

She shifted her gaze to the window, where a glimmer of daylight seeped through a crack in the blinds. “No.” It was impossible to regret the most glorious night of her life. “Last night...was wonderful. Amazing.” A blush heated her cheeks.

“But?” His voice took on an edge.

“But I don’t... I can’t....” She inhaled deeply, then released the words in a rush. “We can’t do this anymore.”

Parker didn’t move. His eyes never veered from hers. But a muscle in his square jaw bunched, and her heart made a sudden swerve. She’d offended him—the last thing she’d wanted to do.

“And why is that?” he finally asked.

Her belly doing gymnastics, she tugged the sheet higher against her breasts. “We just can’t. Last night was...fun. But we have to focus on the case.”

“Fun.” His voice went flat. His eyes turned flintier yet. And the tension between them mounted, shattering any remnants of the intimacy they’d shared.

He tossed off the sheet and rose from the bed, his arousal obvious as he stalked naked across the room. “There are extra towels in the bathroom closet,” he said, yanking open his dresser drawer.

Oh, God. She’d totally mucked this up. Feeling miserable and confused, she tried again. “Parker, I—”

“Help yourself to a shower. I’ll put the coffee on. After breakfast we can head to the library and find that film.” Not bothering to glance her way, he pulled on his faded jeans, grabbed a T-shirt from the drawer and left the room. Several seconds later, a cupboard in the kitchen slammed.

Her belly churning, feeling as if she’d just made a huge mistake, Brynn stared at the empty hall. She wanted to call him back. She wanted to forget the world, forget the killers dogging her steps and hold on to this precious thing growing between them before she lost it for good.

But she couldn’t chance it. The fear was too ingrained, the price of betrayal