now. Do you think he’ll spank you? He looks like he’s gonna spank you good.’
Her reaction to the suggestion shocked Miranda.
She really was a very bad girl.
Exhaling the breath she’d been holding, she smiled sweetly as he marched straight up to them. ‘I don’t believe you’ve been formally introduced. Detective Brannigan, meet Crystal—Crystal, meet Tyler.’
‘Well, hello, Tyler. Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just pleased to meet me?’
A low burst of laughter bubbled up from Miranda’s chest when he pressed his mouth into a thin line. ‘He doesn’t have a sense of humour but I thought it was funny.’
‘Awesome,’ Crystal replied.
His dark gaze remained firmly fixed on the cause of his anger. ‘You’re leaving now.’
‘Excellent timing. I’ve just finished my tea. If you hadn’t got here I would have had to hail another cab.’ She lifted her brows. ‘Did you park nearby? I can wait for you to bring the car around front.’
Rage rolled off his large body in waves. ‘I’ll carry you out of here if I have to.’
‘How about we save that for next time?’ She reached to the side for her bag and unfolded her legs.
As she got to her feet Crystal held up a set of neatly folded bills. ‘The fifty dollars I owe you.’
Miranda turned towards her and flashed a grin, ‘Why, thank you. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.’
‘Any time. Don’t forget about that thing at the place we talked about. It should be a blast.’
‘I’ll see you there.’
‘No, she won’t,’ a deep voice said firmly.
Miranda waved a dismissive hand in his direction. ‘Don’t listen to him. I never do. Love you.’
‘Love you, too.’
Taking the lead, she walked across the foyer with her head held high. When they got to the revolving doors she stopped and angled her chin. ‘Oh, dear, this is a bit of a dilemma.’ She looked up at him. ‘Do you gamble on me going first or risk turning your back on me again? It must be a little like playing roulette for you.’
‘Having fun?’ he asked through gritted teeth as he captured her elbow in a potentially bruising grasp and bundled them both into a narrow compartment.
‘I was till you got here.’ But actually, while crushed so tightly against him, she still kinda was.
Wriggling experimentally, she smiled when he tensed.
‘You’re a piece of work.’
She tugged her elbow free when they hit the sidewalk and he’d pushed her in the right direction. ‘You’re just upset I slipped through your iron curtain of security. Through a velvet one, no less.’
‘Did it ever occur to you if you can find a way out someone can use the same way to get to you?’
‘Why would anyone want to get to me?’
‘Famous brings out the crazy. I don’t even care that you’re famous and right this minute I want to kill you.’
‘How did you find me?’ she enquired as they walked to wherever they were going. She hoped it was far away. She was having entirely too much fun to stop now.
‘Your friend Crystal needs to turn off the location option on her Facebook page. And while we’re on the subject of the internet any Twittering you do about the places you’re going should be done after you’ve been there.’
‘They’re called Tweets.’
‘They’re a waving flag that says “come get me, I’m over here.”’ As they stopped at a crossing he flicked a glare at her. ‘Every whack job in the five boroughs could have been waiting for you outside that school.’
‘Is that what spooked you?’
‘I wasn’t spooked.’ His reaction to the word was so vicious the second time around it gave Miranda the distinct impression she’d hit a nerve. He took a long breath and frowned at how long it was taking for the light to change. ‘Someone in the crowd was off.’
Miranda’s eyes narrowed. ‘Define “off.”’
‘Acting odd—hinky—out of place—obsessively watching your every move.’ He captured her elbow again and pushed her across the street.
‘You spend all day watching my every move.’
‘I’m paid to do it and, believe me, it wasn’t my idea.’
‘Whose idea was it?’ She tugged her elbow. ‘You can let go of me now.’
‘Not a chance.’ He navigated their way through the human traffic on the sidewalk. ‘Your head of security used to be my captain’s partner back in the day. When he mentioned he needed an injection of new blood it was my misfortune to be volunteered as the wild card.’
Ah-h-h, so that was what he meant when he said he’d been trying to