Past Will Haunt (13 page)

Life was short, and she didn't want to walk away without knowing what was there between them. She always went with her gut, and she had a feeling…

It all came down to this.

Gabe didn't know what to do.

One minute she was talking, and then the next, Livy’s mouth was pressed to his.

Now, he wasn’t complaining. No sane man who was heterosexual was going to throw a fit when a beautiful woman was kissing him.

Why would he?

After all, he’d been curious. Most of his late night fantasies started just like this. The only problem was, she never tasted this good. There was a mix of Livy and wine gliding across his tongue and mouth.

As she attacked, he didn't even try to stop her. Instead, Gabe took the gift she was giving him and held on for the ride.

And what a ride it was.

Curiosity drifted away and need rose up in him. As Livy’s mouth moved against his, something opened in him. Fear abated and life began blossoming.

In all honesty, he’d kissed a few women in his time, but he’d never been KISSED.

Not like this.

Her one hand was in his hair, the other was knotted in his tie. Gabe was sure people were staring, but he didn't care.

He didn't want it to stop.

While ‘logical’ Gabe knew that they were in the middle of a restaurant, he didn't care. This felt…amazing.

He wanted to weep with joy.

Livy didn't let up. Since this was going to be the first and likely the last time they kissed, she needed to give him something to think about. She was going to walk away from this man.

What choice did she have?

He wasn’t ready.

Gabriel Rothschild didn't want her.

She wasn’t going to make a fool of herself by fawning after a man who was always out of her reach. This kiss was so very important because this was her goodbye to him.

As her mouth slid across his, Livy could tell that he still held back. While he was kissing her, he didn't touch her. Gabriel didn't hold on, he didn't bury his hands in her hair.

He was still being cautious.

It was time.

Slowly, she pulled away.

He didn't stop her.

“Livy. I can’t,” he whispered.

Her eyes filled with tears. “It’s okay, Gabriel. I completely understand and respect that. I can’t either. I can’t make you want to be with me. I have to go.”

Gabe was shocked by her words. She was really going to walk away.

When she stood, he had never felt more helpless in all his life. Oliva Spencer had just turned his life upside down. The order was gone, and in its place was chaos and mayhem.

Damn it!

Livy dropped money on the table and then pushed her chair back. “You’ll have my transfer papers by the weekend.”

It was all she said.

Then, she was gone.

Gabe sat there dumbfounded as he watched her leave. She slipped into her wrap and raced out the door to put distance between them. It was only fair.

He’d been putting that same distance between them too, and now his heart ached because of it.

This was exactly why he avoided her the last few weeks. This was why she scared him so damn bad. He’d felt it. That kiss had changed it all.

While he fought valiantly, he had gone down because of it. She called him the Dragon Slayer, but he’d done no such thing. Olivia Spencer would always be the one who could level him.

She was that fictional beast. She was fiery, dangerous, and now flying away.

That kiss cost him more than she’d ever know.

Gabe would never be the same again.

She’d sealed his fate.

       
         
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  B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x   * * *

J. Edgar Hoover

Building

Elizabeth was staring at the napkin as she worked the details of the case through her head. Her mind was running in circles, and she wished she had a way to work through it all.

Damn!

She needed to invest in one of those whiteboards. Maybe that would help. At this point, Elizabeth knew she needed to find what worked for her.

While she should be home relaxing, she couldn’t shut it down. Something about this case was bugging her. What she needed to do was work it out in her head, or she wasn’t going to get any sleep.

She knew how her brain worked.

Looking around the office, it was pretty much empty. The only idiots still there were the workaholics, or the teams just making it in from the field. It appeared that some Feds did have a life outside of work.

Just not her.

While she tried to have one, they’d all fallen flat. Don’t get her wrong—men were great. She’d slept with a few in her time, but not one of them ever kick started her heart.

Elizabeth knew that if she ever met the one, she’d know. Until then, she wasn’t going to get tangled up. She wasn’t going to be like Livy.

She couldn’t be.

Elizabeth was different, and she knew it. There was no way there would be babies, a nice house in the burbs, and a gentle man to love.

It wasn’t her.

She was prickly.

She was difficult.

She was… a handful.

Let’s face it. Any man who got saddled with her had to be special. He would have to be a freaking saint of epic proportions. She was a bitch to deal with, and her stubbornness had ruined many a relationship.

Elizabeth was hardcore, and she didn't try to hide it from any male who came sniffing around. Why would she?

That would be false advertising. She truly believed that if someone wanted her, they needed to love her for all her faults, and there was one hell of a laundry list there.

She was violent.

She’ kicked the hell out of a girl in high school who touched her man. Then, she kicked his ass too.

Crap didn't fly in her life.

Elizabeth didn't tolerate it.

And cops?

That was laughable. Law enforcement officers were a bad bunch. They talked shop, they worried about their careers, and they weren’t long for this world.

Yeah, the only way she was shacking up with one was if it was for some hot sex. That outlet, she knew, would be the only way she’d fall into bed with another Fed.

Elizabeth was going to be a loner, and she’d probably die an old hoarding cat lady in a big house.

It wouldn’t shock her.

Well, at least she had a younger brother. Maybe he’d come by and give her some cherry Jell-O at the nursing home.

Elizabeth laughed out loud.

That visual entertained her.

There was no way she’d have a house full of cats. When you died with a furry family, they ate you. There was no freaking way she was going to become some kitty’s kibble.

Hell no!

She’d worked a few cases like that, and that was why she was a dog person.

As she heard footsteps approaching, she glanced up. Standing before her was Christopher Leonard, and he was out of his scrubs.

“Hey, Doc, you took off those sexy scrubs. Are you heading out for the night?”

He could feel the heat creeping up his neck. Elizabeth was sitting at her desk, her booted heels on the corner. At some point, she’d gotten changed, and she was wearing a t-shirt and some well-worn jeans.

She looked gorgeous. He wanted to kiss her in the worst way. “I was thinking about it,” he said, finally getting the words out.

Even to him, Chris sounded nervous.

Well, shit!

She narrowed her eyes and focused on him. Elizabeth knew what he was thinking. In her mind, she began praying he didn't ask her out.

If there was a God in heaven, then he…

“Would you like to get a drink with me? I thought we could sit down and talk.”

Oh, come on!

Really?

She was going to stop praying. What was the freaking point? No one ever answered her prayers. Now she was faced with a tough decision. Elizabeth knew she was a bad bet, and this man deserved better.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea, Christopher, so I’m going to pass.”

In that brief second, the pain registered on his face. That one expression said it all.

Elizabeth just crushed him.

Shit!

Shit!

Shit!

That was the last thing she wanted to do. After all, she really liked the man.

A lot.

She just knew that sex caused issues between people who worked together. Elizabeth didn't want to hurt him, especially since he was her ME of choice. That made it awkward too.

“Oh, okay, I just thought I’d ask.”

He got ready to escape. He’d given it a shot, and she didn't want anything to do with him. Obviously, he’d misread the signals. Then again, he always did.

“Chris?”

He stopped, wishing that he could melt into the floor to escape. “Yes, Elizabeth?”

“I think I’ve changed my mind. I can’t focus on this napkin anymore tonight. It’s done talking to me.”

He turned, unsure what she was actually saying. Could he have heard her right?

“What?”

Elizabeth knew that she could kill two birds with one stone. She didn't want to sit there and dwell on the napkin, she wanted to head to the pub. Chris needed a friend, and she needed a partner.

This would work out.

“Want to hit
‘The Bog’
with me?” she asked.

“I’ve never heard of it.”

“Well, I won’t lie. Our dead girl worked there, so it’s more business than pleasure.”

He looked disappointed.

“How about this? Tonight you play my field partner, and then next week, when we’re done with this case, I’ll go out with you for fun and be your date.”

He opened and closed his mouth.

“Really?”

“Yes, Christopher, really. Tonight, I want to keep working, since our killer is going to move fast, but Gabe will boot my ass to the Alamo if I go alone. You’re a Fed, technically, so can you go with me? It’s not what you had in mind, but I’d love your company.”

He looked surprised.

“You want me to go with you into the field?”

She wanted to laugh at his wide-eyed wonder. She’d been that green once too. A year ago, she probably had that same look. Now…she was a realist.

In a few years, she would likely be a cynic.

She could see it coming. All the death tarnished your shine, but this man, well, he was still shiny. She liked that the most about him.

“Like I said, you’re a Fed and I need a partner. I’ll owe you one, and I always repay my debts.”

“You realize Gabe hates me, and he’s still going to be pissed you took me anywhere but the morgue and a crime scene.”

“Yeah, well, that’s why I’m doing it too. I trust you, and I happen to like living on the edge.”

“It’s called breaking the rules.”

She laughed. “I call it creatively bending them to fit my needs.”

He grinned. “You know that’s going to bite you in the ass, right?”

She was well aware. The last thing she ever wanted was to be the boss. You had to be insane to do that job. It was like freaking babysitting a bunch of children.

Yeah, no thank you.

“So, will you be my partner until tomorrow when Livy gets back on duty?”

He held out his arm.

“Doc, you’re such a dork.”

“I know,” he said.

Elizabeth saw the hurt. Instead, she took his arm, went up on her toes and dropped a kiss to his cheek. “If you tell anyone I did that, I’m going to hurt you.”

He laughed. “Yes, ma’am! My lips are sealed, but for the record, you’re such a softie.”

“Shhhhhh!”

Elizabeth grabbed her gear and headed with the doctor to the elevator. Once inside, she shook her head.

What the hell was she thinking?

       
         
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  B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x   * * *