Fatal Exposure - By Gail Barrett Page 0,47

too high.

Buffeted by regrets, she climbed from the bed and gathered her scattered clothes. She’d healed physically from her stepfather’s attacks long ago. And while it had taken years in counseling, years working to put the victimization behind her, she’d also recovered enough to finally find pleasure in sex. Casual sex. As long as she stayed detached, as long as she stayed in control and distanced herself emotionally from the encounters, she could enjoy her body’s demands.

But trusting someone was different. It made her far too vulnerable. And having a relationship with a cop...

She dragged herself into the bathroom, then sagged back against the door. It was impossible. She’d had to end the affair. She couldn’t let her desires blind her to danger with so many lives at stake.

Feeling thoroughly weary, she set the showerhead to its strongest setting and turned it on. Then she stepped beneath the spray, counting on the pummeling water to banish her doubts. She’d done the right thing. She hadn’t made a mistake. She’d had to cool things with Parker before he got too close and she did something she’d regret.

So why did she want to cry?

* * *

The problem with reality, Parker decided as he set two coffee mugs on the kitchen counter, was that every time he tried to ignore it, it came back to bite him in his sorry ass.

He never should have let last night happen. Making love to Brynn had been foolhardy at best, morally wrong at worst, given that he’d concealed the truth from her. She still didn’t know that her stepfather had ordered Parker to bring her in, a revelation that would destroy her trust.

Thank God she’d wanted to end it, even if her rejection had stung his pride. Bad enough that he’d let down his guard last night. He didn’t need to compound the problem by prolonging the affair.

Even if it had been the best sex of his life.

She strolled into the kitchen a second later, grabbed her camera from her backpack and started fiddling with the lens. Parker dumped silverware beside the mugs, vowing to keep his distance and let reason dictate his actions for once. But her fresh, soapy scent flooded the room, bombarding him with erotic memories—the tempting texture of her skin, the ripe fullness of her naked breasts, the soft moans she’d made as he’d filled her, her nipples pebbling and pouting for his touch.

His blood rushed south. A sweat broke out on his brow. And despite his vow to resist her, it took every ounce of effort he possessed not to haul her into his arms and plunge so deeply and thoroughly inside her that he’d brand her as forever his.

He tried to clear the gravel from his voice. “Coffee?”

“Thanks.” Still clutching the camera, she inched closer to his side. “Listen, Parker, about last night...”

“Forget it.” He didn’t want to do a detailed postmortem, not in his current state. Struggling to appear unaffected, he made himself meet her gaze. But the uncertainty in her eyes did him in. Right or wrong, stupid or wise, Brynn affected him in ways he’d never expected. This wasn’t just sex anymore; it wasn’t just a release of physical needs. She meant something to him now, something important.

Something he sure as hell didn’t want to name.

Needing to reassure her, he moved in close. Then he reached out and cupped her face, gazing into those gorgeous eyes. “You were right to cool things off. We need to concentrate on solving this case.”

“It’s just...I don’t want you to be angry.”

“I’m not.” He tucked her silky hair behind her ear, felt her quiver beneath his touch. “Let’s focus on finding those negatives, all right? We can sort out the other stuff later on.”

She searched his eyes. “All right.” Her mouth wobbled into a smile.

He curved his hand, giving her neck a gentle squeeze, then made himself step away. But he realized he was doomed. Brynn had gotten to him. He couldn’t bear to hurt her, couldn’t bring himself to tell her about her stepfather and put that disillusionment back into her eyes.

But deception always came at a cost. And someday soon he’d have to pay the price.

* * *

The central branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library was in a massive, three-story building in downtown Baltimore, just blocks from the Inner Harbor. Still trying to corral his feelings, Parker left his pickup truck in an hourly garage a block away and followed Brynn down the stairwell to the street. Then