Into a Dangerous Mind (9 page)

“
I’m out back
…
”
 
She wove
through the sea of clutter from the move, admiring some very modern prints with bold slashes of color that leaned against the wall.
 
She could easily see what the room would look like once unpacked.
 
Done in real oak in a deep honey color, furniture peeked out from under mounds of boxes.
 
The room’s other prevailing colors were hunter green and maroon—very masculine and fitting for the rugged man who owned them.

She reached the glass double sliding doors, pushed them open and stopped short.

Zach sported nothing but a very small pair of workout shorts and some tennis shoes.
 
In the process of trimming up the large palm tree that stood in the corner of his new back yard with a rather wicked looking power saw, a light sheen of sweat beaded over his tanned skin.
 
She watched mesmerized as his muscles bunched and released with his movements.
 
It took her a moment to form any coherent thoughts beyond
wow
or
yummy
.
 
Instead, she cleared her throat and tried for cool and confident.

Zach wiped sweat out of his eyes with the back of his hand and stooped to pick up a bottle of water.
 
“I think it really could be, but out here it’s been sadly neglected.”

Dry yellow husks and weeds seemed to be the only things hearty enough to bloom in the harsh
Arizona
summers.
 
She turned her attention back to Zach and smiled.
 
“It’s got some real potential, I like it.
 
But if this is just an FBI cover house, why bother with the yard work?”

Zach drank deeply from his bottled water and considered her.
 
“Since you were having girl catch up time and my team is still watching your house, I figured this would be even better than my normal workout.
 
Besides, I like this place.
 
I may think about buying it when all this is done.”

She stood with her hand blocking her gaze from the afternoon sun.
 
She tried to ignore the surge of hope that surrounded thoughts of Zach staying close when all this was over.
 
Changing the subject seemed safer.
 
She quickly checked her shields to make sure he hadn’t heard her.
 
“I really need practice at keeping my shields up, don’t I?”

“It comes with time.
 
You’re already good at building them.
 
It’s only been a day, before long it will be like breathing.
 
You’ll only have to concentrate when you want to drop them.” He poured the rest of the water over his head to cool off and headed toward the patio chairs on the back porch.

Grabbing a towel he’d slung over the side fence he plopped down in the nearest patio chair.
 
“So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

The heat of the blush reached her cheeks in record time.
 
“I thought you heard it, there at the front door.”

He toweled off his hair and wiped the sweat from his face.
 
“It’s not like a radio that’s constantly on, I have to be paying attention and be open to it.
 
However, it’s louder and more insistent when you’re nervous or upset.
 
Or when you directly send me your thoughts.”

He tossed the towel onto the patio table.
 
“So, I knew you were at the door and were nervous enough to send me thoughts about you trying to act confident around a mind reader.”
 
He reached out to take her hand in his, and she tried not to let him feel her pulse jump.

“It’s not my intent to pry.
 
I try to let you maintain your privacy when I can.
 
So, in that regard, I’m like every other male in the known universe, you have to assume I have no clue what you’re thinking and explain it to me.”
 
He grinned, his face devastatingly handsome as he played with her fingertips.

Cassidy laughed.
 
“And here I thought this would improve the whole male-female misunderstanding thing.”

“It’s like every other mode of communication between men and women.
 
We’re wired differently, so there will always be misunderstandings.”
 
He flashed a smile that sent mischief dancing in his gaze.
 
“It’s part of God’s sense of humor.”

She laughed and tried to keep from drowning in his gaze.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?”
 
The question broke her out of an intense study of his face.

She carefully checked her mental shields again and cleared her throat.
 
“I like to approach things logically when possible, Zach.”
 
She leaned back in the chair and crossed her legs, hoping he wouldn’t notice her body shaking with nervous energy.
 
“I know we’re both attracted to each other, and there were definitely some sparks between us last night.”

“
Sparks
,” he repeated with a slow smile.

Great job, Cassidy.
 
Very smooth.

She began to worry the silver locket that hung around her neck.
 
“What I mean is…”
 
She blew out a puff of breath.

“Are you trying to ask me if I’d like to go to dinner with you?”
 
He lowered his head until she looked up into his eyes.

“I am, but not very smoothly.”
 
She bristled, her frustration evident.
 
“This is the first time I’ve asked someone out.
 
It’s much harder than I thought it would be.”

Zach took both her hands in his.
 
“Let me see if I’ve got this straight.”
 
He smiled at her and she tried not to fidget.
 
“There’s an extremely attractive, single woman in my backyard asking me out on a date.
 
Hmm, do I look like an idiot?”

She immediately noticed the shock that flashed across his expression, as if he wasn’t sure if the words had come out of his own mouth or not.
 
She looked up at him and waited.
 
“Cassidy, I’d love to.
 
But…”
 
He held up a finger for emphasis.
 
“We need to concentrate on the case.”

Cassidy pushed away from the table and stood.
 
If she was going to be an idiot, she’d do it from the vantage of standing.
 
“Look, if you’re trying to let me down easy, don’t bother.”
 
She tried to keep her voice nonchalant.
 
“I’m a big girl and…”

Zach stood and laid his hands on her shoulders, effectively interrupting her before she could make an even bigger ass out of herself.
 
“Cassidy, listen to what I have to say.”

The heat from his hands coursed through her taking some of the sting out of his answer.

“First of all, you’re a material witness, and we should be trying to keep this on a professional level.”
 
She could immediately sense the lie.
 
Almost a nervousness within his aura of power.

She looked him straight in the eye.
 
“I thought you said it doesn’t do any good for people with our gift to lie to each other.
 
I can’t hear your thoughts right now.
 
I know you’re blocking me, but I can tell you’re lying.”
 
She aimed her best accusatory stare at him until he faltered and looked away.

“Damn it, woman.”
 
He muttered as he moved away from her and plopped back down into the patio chair.

She decided to press her advantage.
 
“I know we’re attracted to each other.
 
Even when you’re blocking me I can tell at least that much.
 
Besides, aren’t we supposed to be posing as girlfriend and boyfriend?
 
How are we going to do that convincingly with people who know me very well if you aren’t even comfortable around me?”
 
She sat in the chair opposite him and picked up another bottle of water out of the cooler sitting on the ground next to them.

Zach sighed and finally met her direct gaze.
 
“Look, it’s nothing against you.
 
I know you think there’s a mutual attraction, but you’re still learning to use your gift.
 
Maybe you’ve mistaken what you’re reading from me.”
 
This time the falseness of the remark radiated out from him in waves of energy.
 
She could actually see the small sparkles of energy darken as they flowed outward.

She raised her left eyebrow in what Kathy called her
teacher look
until Zach relented.
 
“Okay, okay, you’re right.”
 
He held his hands out in front of him in surrender.
 
“I’m full of shit.
 
I can’t hide the truth from you.”
 
He ran his fingers through his thick black hair and she became so mesmerized by watching the water slide down onto his bare chest she almost missed his next words.
 
“Not that I could if I tried, apparently.”

“I don’t see how it would be different.”
 
She remained stubborn, refusing to be dissuaded when she’d already put herself on the line.
 
“I mean, yes, I’m still a little freaked out when you speak inside my head, but I don’t see how that could affect dating.
 
Especially when we are
both
gifted.
 
I would think that would give us more in common.”

She sensed his reluctance, but also his attraction.
 
He was close to giving in.

He smiled down at her and ran his knuckles over her check in a caress that sent heat coiling deep in her stomach.
 
“Are you willing to let me show you what I’m talking about?”
 
He pulled her against him gently, heat from the long line of his muscular form stealing the breath from her lungs.

She looked up into his gaze.
 
“Yes.”
 
Her voice came out in a strained whisper.

“Open your mind.”
 
He reached out until their minds linked, and when she relaxed past the initial tenseness, he took her mouth in a slow sweet caress.

Instantly, sensations swirled around her, and the world suddenly came into sharper focus.
 
Not only did her sensations batter at her incessantly, but so did his.

Before she could examine it, he delved deeper inside her mind even as his tongue dipped inside her mouth to dance with hers.
 
She staggered under the dual sensations of being both inside his body and hers simultaneously.
 
Strange impressions swirled inside her, and she automatically shifted to press against his aching erection more comfortably for both of them.