Playing with Fire (7 page)

“How many times have you tried to manipulate
the outcome?”

He swallowed another snappy retort. Not only
did he try and manipulate the nightmare’s ending like she
suggested, he tried his hand at another sexual fantasy as well. She
probably wouldn’t appreciate hearing that, especially since he cast
her in the lead role.

“A million. Liberty, the only way to stop
them is to change the past and I can’t do that.”

“Shane.” She placed a hand on his knee,
probably to stop his rant. And he had to be honest, he wasn’t angry
anymore. In fact, if she moved that hand a few inches higher, angry
wouldn’t even be part of his vocabulary.

Obviously still focused on therapy, she
continued right on past him. “The guilt you carry in your
subconscious plays a big part in your ability to heal.”

“I do feel guilty! We shouldn’t have been
separated. We were supposed to stick together.”

“You didn’t make the ceiling fall,” she
reasoned.

“I heard it creak. We should have moved
then.”

“Do you know for certain moving would have
made a difference?”

Her question stopped him dead in his tracks.
She was good. Very good. “Do you know your eyes glow when you’re
insistent?”

“Nice try.” Her mouth curved with tenderness.
“Answer the question.”

Shane sighed. “No. Honestly, we probably
still would have been separated.”

She folded her arms across her chest almost
in a smug gesture of satisfaction. He let her gloat while he
enjoyed the boost she gave to her ample cleavage.

He shifted slightly, determined to offer a
comment, when his pager chirped. Reluctantly, he peeled his eyes
from her chest, read the message on the screen, and reset the
alarm.

“We’ve got a fire.”

“Do you want me to go with you?”

His heart wept with relief. Her presence
alone kept the anxiety at bay and lifted the burden from his mind.
Yet, his hesitance sickened him and it would be a cold day in hell
before he revealed the extent of his weakness.

Instead, he shrugged. “If you want.”

Without hesitation, she stood and extended a
hand. “Let’s go.”

Once at the scene, Shane questioned his
sanity. Despite his death grip on Liberty’s hand, panic welled in
his throat and labored his breathing as they walked closer.

“Shane,” she said softly, “we’ll walk to the
yellow tape. No further.”

The distance from her car to the yellow
caution tape seemed miles. Once they reached the plastic barrier,
he released her hand when he noticed Jake on the other side
watching the bystanders. He cursed the separation. Her rule, not
his.

The air grew smoky and ash littered the clear
blue afternoon sky as Pete’s Service Station burnt. The unforgiving
orange flames shot into the air to devour the structure and within
seconds, the walls crumbled and unleashed the incredible heat from
inside. Fingers of unease squeezed his spine when a low rumble
escaped the flames. Years of training surfaced and forced the fear
from his mind. He hurled himself at Liberty and tackled her to the
ground just as a shattering boom shook the earth around them and
debris plummeted from the sky.

Liberty lay beneath Shane and gasped for air
with her eyes crossed from dizziness. He smoothed her tangled hair
from her face as she pushed against his chest. His forehead
wrinkled and he eased off of her onto his knees.

“Liberty?” He forced her to a sitting
position ad pushed her head between her legs. “Breathe.”

She squeezed her eyes closed and demanded her
panic subside. This was rich. She coaxed him out here to ease his
anxiety and now she was the only one having a panic attack.

“Jake!”

She forced open her eyes and lifted her head
at the panicked demand in Shane’s voice, relieved when Jake jogged
toward them.

“You two okay?”

“We’re fine, Detective.” She swallowed the
softball in her throat.

Shane massaged the rigid muscles at the base
of her neck, his fingers chasing away the tension. “Gas tanks?”

Jake nodded.

“Anybody inside?”

“No, everybody made it out.”

She stood and wiped moisture from her brow
with the back of her hand. Mist from the fire hoses dampened the
air around her, offering a split second of relief from the heat.
“Well, that’s enough excitement for me in one day.” She managed a
light laugh. “I’m going to my safe, cool office.”

She tilted her head slightly, indicating
Shane follow her to the car.

“I’ll be right back, Jake.” He took her elbow
as they walked. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she said quickly. “I just wanted
you to know we can finish your session later.”

“I should be home by eight.”

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be tonight,”
she hedged.

He flung open her car door. “Tonight,” he
insisted through gritted teeth.

She knew this was not the time or place for
an argument. “Eight?”

He nodded. “I’ll call if I run late.”

She started the engine as he slammed the
door. The desperation in his eyes gave her the overwhelming desire
to kiss it all away. One small kiss. Just to put him at ease. No
matter how unethical it might be.

“Shane.” She licked her lips and very slowly
inched down the window.

His tormented eyes seemed to give her an
intimate stroke. “What?”

Her conscious picked that exact moment to
clear its throat. “Never mind. I’ll see you tonight.” She quickly
rolled up the window before she changed her mind.

She opted to seek the security of home rather
than return to her office. Parking her car in the driveway, she
took a deep breath to still her trembling nerves. Most people would
be a nervous wreck after an explosion like that but in her case,
the explosion didn’t cause her to shake. The look in Shane’s eyes
as he held her against the ground shook her to the very core of her
being. A look between utter fear and deep-rooted, unconditional
lust. The fire in his eyes outshone the flames of the explosion,
burning hot and dangerous. She gave a resigned shrug. Dangerous.
Off-limits dangerous.

She leaned her head against the steering
wheel and welcomed the cool air that blew against her moist skin.
Never before had she faced this dilemma. Her patients never tempted
her, she wouldn’t allow it. Yet, he could make her hormones sing
with one beat of an eyelash.

Sitting back against the seat, she knew she
had a decision to make. Ethics dictated she put a stop to this
before it spun out of control; her emotions tore that theory apart,
piece by ethical piece.

***

The explosion was an unexpected bonus. He
watched from the woods out back by an old trash barrel, thrilled by
the multi-colored flames launched into the air by the massive
fireball. Yet, his plan failed.

She hadn’t been arrested. In fact, no one
suspected her as far as he could tell. Instead, she wiggled her ass
and led the fireman away from the scene while his tongue dragged
the ground.

He fingered the credit card in his pocket and
moved closer. He had to drop it close, but not close enough to
melt. The name must be legible.

Satisfied everyone returned to the front of
the station, he flung the card toward the fire pit. His chest
swelled with hope as it landed about a foot from the trash barrel.
Perfect.

Now her trouble began. Her reputation would
be ruined and she’d go to jail. Then he’d have someone on the
inside finish her off.

***

Shane jogged back to the scene in search of
Jake, hoping the fire distracted the other man from noticing the
spark between him and Liberty. He scoffed at that lame thought. Who
was he kidding? Liberty wound him tighter than a top and sooner or
later they’d both spin out of control.

He stopped to find Jake braced against his
squad car, his arms folded over his chest, a shit-eating grin on
his face.

“Didn’t expect you back, Hartwell.”

He ignored the detective’s not-so-subtle
prod. “Any witnesses?”

“Yeah.” Jake gestured toward a tall, skinny
kid who stood close by.

Shane didn’t peg him much over eighteen. “Can
we question him?”

“He’s legal.”

He followed Jake until he stopped and
extended a hand to the young man. “Detective Jake Rawlings. This is
Captain Shane Hartwell.”

The witness returned a handshake with both of
them. “Ben Walker.”

Jake slipped easily into detective mode. “We
understand you reported the fire.”

“Yes, sir. I was behind the garage scanning
the area with my metal detector.”

“Do you know what started the fire?”

“I heard a commotion and looked around the
corner of the shed. I saw Pete throw a match into the trash
barrel.”

“You know Pete?”

“Yes, sir. He gave me permission to search
for metal behind the station.”

Shane frowned. “Was Pete burning trash?”

“I think so. At least that’s what it looked
like when the barrel fell over.”

“Did trash spill out and spread the
fire?”

“Yes. Pete ran inside and then returned with
a fire extinguisher. He sprayed the barrel but it was too late. The
fire began to spread.”

“What did you do?”

“I ran across the street to call 911.”

“Thanks for your help.” Jake patted him on
the shoulder. “I’ll call you if we have any more questions.”

Shane ran facts through his head. “Let’s go
around back.”

He squatted near the blackened trash barrel.
“Everyday trash does not burn that fast.” Jake nodded and handed
him a pair of gloves. He snapped the latex over his hands and
handed the detective a partially burnt can. “Unless it’s doused in
acetone.”

Jake released a hard breath. “Sorry
sucker.”

Shane squinted and moved his gaze around the
scorched area. “Our guy could be here. Sometimes the sick maniacs
like to watch.”

“Did you and Liberty notice anyone suspicious
when you got here?”

He shook his head. “No, but we hadn’t been
here long before the place blew.”

He and Jake headed back to Jake’s
cruiser.

“What’s with you and the lovely Dr.
Prescott?” Jake drawled.

Shane wasn’t surprised at Jake’s question; he
expected it long before now. “She gave me a ride.”

“So you two were together.”

He shrugged. “We were in the middle of an
inspection.”

Jake raised an eyebrow. “What exactly were
you asked to inspect?”

“Knock it off, Jake. She’s opened a new
office, remember?”

“Yes,” Jake agreed as they reached the squad
car, “but I thought you finished that inspection last week.”

Shane ran a hand across his forehead. “Don’t
you have someone else to interrogate, Detective Rawlings?”

“You and Dr. Prescott dated long?”

“We don’t date.”

“Yeah, right. They way you two look at each
other is downright embarrassing.”

Shane didn’t attempt to deny the obvious.
“Eat your heart out, Rawlings.” He climbed into the car. “I need a
ride.”

Jake took the driver’s seat and shut the
door. “I’ll give you a ride, but not without an explanation.”

He clasped the seatbelt over his shoulder.
“Not gonna happen.”

“Okay, then chew on this.” Jake started the
engine. “She’s hot and if you won’t admit you’re interested, I’ll
ask her out.”

Forced to respond, Shane looked his friend
square in the eye. “Hands off.” Jake seemed to understand the
hidden meaning in his following stare. “And stuff your tongue back
into your mouth or I’ll do it for you.”

“Easy, Hartwell.” Jake chuckled. “Have you
seen Mable’s niece yet?”

“No, and don’t ask me why either.”

Jake released a hearty laugh. “Man, you need
some sleep. I think I’ll drop in and see how she’s settling
in.”

“You do that.” Shane lowered his defenses.
“Maybe she can keep you occupied for awhile.”

Jake dropped Shane off at home and then
headed to Liberty’s clinic. He shook his head, still puzzled, as he
climbed out of his vehicle. A niece. If Mable had family all this
time, why the hell hadn’t she bothered to check on her? Family took
care of family in his book, no questions asked. She better have a
good excuse. Somewhat peeved, he threw open the door, stepped
inside, and just about went to his knees. His anger evaporated.
Lust took its place.

The woman sitting behind the desk was so
not
what he expected. Her thick, shining red hair with hints
of gold was piled on top of her head, held by some sort of gold
clip. Not severely pinned in place, rather haphazardly pulled
together. Almost as if she’d rolled from bed. Tousled, but oh so
sexy. Several strands fell loose around her face in twisted
ringlets, begging his fingers to tug on each one.

She looked up as the door closed behind him
and he felt a sucker-punch to his gut. Her sapphire eyes sparkled
like precious gems as her smile, God, her smile wrapped his cock in
a tight fist. Suddenly, something about her felt very ...
familiar.

“May I help you?”

Her soft voice seeped into his skin and
accelerated his heartbeat. His blood began to boil.

“Jake Rawlings.” He stepped closer to desk.
“Mable asked me to come by and bring you the key to her house.”

She stood and extended her hand. “Sabrina.
Please call me Bri.”

Jake clasped her hand, the heat generated by
her touch threatening to bond them like liquid metal.

“There must be a mistake. I already have a
key.”

Another wave of lust barreled over him and
rendered him speechless. His thumb, all on its own, began caressing
her knuckles.

“Jake?”

“Hmm?”

She frowned and still her beauty taunted him.
“I have a key.”

“Oh. Well. Mable may be a little confused
from the painkillers.”