Shades of Temptation (23 page)

“Dude, you are such as asshole.”

“Yeah,” Andrews said, agreeing with Bo.

Grinning, Pete leaned back in his chair, raising his hands in a
gesture of appeasement. “I’m just saying, if you boys want some tonight, there’s
prime meat to be found.”

Jase couldn’t take it anymore. “Why don’t you shut up?”

Pete rose to his feet, looking ready to pound Jase into the
ground. “What did you say?”

Pushing back his chair, Jase rose, as well, aware that he was a
good two inches shorter than Pete but not giving a shit. “In case it slipped
your notice, there’s a lady at the table.”

Pete frowned in confusion, apparently not sure who the “lady”
was that Jase was referring to. Then his mouth dropped open when he realized
Jase was talking about Carrie. “Ward? Oh, get over it, Romeo. Carrie’s been
around cops for a long time. She’s one of the guys. Right, Carrie?”

She nodded her head. Smiled stiffly. “That’s right, Pete. Just
one of the guys.”

“Who the hell are you anyway? Her guard dog?”

“If you don’t get your mouth out of the gutter, you’re going to
find out, aren’t you?”

She grabbed his arm. “Just drop it, Jase. It’s fine. Pete
didn’t mean anything by it. Did you, Pete?”

Pete remained mutinously silent.

“Did you, Pete?” Carrie glared.

Still glowering at Jase, Pete finally shrugged. “Nope. I didn’t
mean anything at all.” He sat down and looked up at Jase, who hadn’t taken his
chair. “Come on, dude, sit down. We’re all friends here.”

Jase slowly took his seat.

“Great,” Carrie said. “Now, if you two he-men are through
marking your territory—”

“Excuse me,” a soft, feminine voice interrupted. “Jase, right?
I was wondering if I could talk to you for a second.”

It was the blonde woman he’d been talking to at the bar. From
the look Carrie shot him, however, you’d think she’d just introduced herself as
Jase’s long-lost wife. “Carrie,” he began, but she pushed to her feet.

“Excuse me for a second. I see someone I want to say hello to.
I’ll be right back.”

As soon as she was out of earshot, Jase stood and addressed the
woman who’d introduced herself as Sandy. “Did you need to talk to me about
anything important, Sandy? Because I’m here with my girlfriend and we’re
probably going to be leaving soon.”

Sandy’s face fell, but she recovered quickly. Forcing a smile,
she shook her head. “No. Never mind. But it was nice meeting you, Jase.”

“You, too, Sandy.”

Jase sat down. The other men were looking at him with
shit-eating grins on their faces. Pete whistled. “Look at you, man. You had that
little girl panting for a piece of you. And Ward—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Jase leaned closer to Pete
and got right in his face. “Listen, asshole, I don’t care how you talk the rest
of the time. But if you ever talk like that in front of Carrie again, I promise
I will hunt you down and make you sorry.”

Pete’s shocked face was almost comical. He pushed back his
chair and towered over Jase. “Are you shitting me? You’re threatening me? Did
you not hear me when I said I’m a SWAT sniper?”

“Believe me, I heard you,” Jase said, but didn’t get up. He
took a sip of his beer. “And it’s not a threat. Maybe your mother didn’t teach
you better, but you don’t talk that way in front of a woman.”

Pete looked at the other men at the table, watching the
interplay between them. “Did you hear this jackoff? He actually threatened
me.”

Bo leaned back and shook his head. “Nope. I didn’t hear
anything. You, Andrews?”

When Andrews shook his head, Pete appeared completely
befuddled. “Whatever,” he said and walked toward the bar. Jase started to go
after Carrie when Bo stopped him.

“Hold on there, Jase. Why don’t you sit down? I want to ask you
something.” He turned to Andrews. “You mind making sure Pete doesn’t get into
any more trouble?”

“Not at all.” As Andrews and Luke walked off, Jase took his
seat again.

Bo took a drag of his beer and leaned back, studying Jase with
veiled eyes. “I’m getting the impression Carrie means something to you.”

Jase held Bo’s gaze. “You’re a smart man.”

“Good.” He nodded. “I’m glad. Few men have seen what she has to
offer.”

“But you have?”

“At one time. But she’s not really my type.”

Okay, so he wasn’t planning on claiming Carrie. Which was good,
because it meant he wouldn’t have to beat the shit out of him.

“But? ’Cause I figure there’s a but in here somewhere.”

“But she’s kind of Pete’s type, if you know what I mean.”

“Pete? She went out with that asshole?”

“When she first joined SFPD SWAT. It didn’t last long and when
it ended, it went downhill really fast.”

SWAT. Jase still had trouble wrapping his mind around it. Oh,
not because he didn’t think she could do it, but because she was such a
contradiction. A ferocious cop, but also a woman with long silky hair who
decorated her house in girly fabrics and soft wispy watercolors. It was subtle,
but she compartmentalized her life. As if she couldn’t believe that the
different sides of her could coexist. “She wasn’t on SFPD SWAT for very long.
She said you worked with her on the team in Austin?”

“That’s right.”

“Did she ever say why she became an MP in the army? Why she
wanted to join SWAT?”

Bo smiled. “I think it started out as a challenge for her. You
know, never been a woman on the SWAT team, so she wanted to do it. She had an
edge. Her shooting skills are amazing. Do you know her history?”

Remembering the scrapbook, the ribbons and newspaper articles,
he nodded. “Olympic shooting team.”

“Yeah. And she also had an edge physically. She’s stronger than
most women. When she set her eye on SWAT, she was already fit, but not nearly
fit enough. She worked with a personal trainer for a year. She asked for my help
to get ready for tryouts, which mirror the FBI’s. Extremely rigorous. But she
did it. Ranked third out of the eight that made it.”

“So you’re a sniper, too?”

“Not like her. I’m cross-trained for entry and perimeter work.
I can shoot. We’re all trained to use the AR 15 rifle. But nothing like Carrie.
Or Pete.”

At the mention of the man’s name, Jase stiffened. Bo laughed.
“Pete’s an okay guy. He just can’t stand the thought that she’s a better
shooter. Sometimes he lets his pride get the better of him.”

“She deserves more respect.”

“I won’t argue with you there,” Bo said. “You going to make
sure she gets it?”

“What the hell does that mean?”

Bo shrugged. “Just that I sense something between the two of
you. And I hope you don’t fuck things up. She needs someone who can handle her
strength.”

“I’ll try not to disappoint you.” Jase drained his beer and
stood, putting his glass down with a thud. “You sure you’re not just warning me
off?”

Bo laughed. “Believe me, man. I’m helping you. But as far as
warning you off, I think it goes without saying that if you hurt her, you’re
going to be sorry.”

Carrie waved to him from the front door. “Looks like we’re
moving. Thanks.” He held out his hand, which Bo shook amiably.

As he started to walk away, a man called out to him. Jase
turned around, thinking it was Bo, but it was actually Pete.

“Word of advice, dude. Carrie likes things rough. But not too
rough. You might want to remember that if you have any hopes of keeping
her.”

Jase frowned. Incredibly, it sounded as if the guy was giving
him relationship advice. As if he didn’t want Jase to repeat some mistake he’d
made with Carrie. Jase didn’t need or want the guy’s help. “I give Carrie
everything she needs,” he said. “I always will. And if it ever turns out what
she needs is to kick your ass, I’ll be right beside her making sure it gets
done.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

J
ASE
DROVE
STRAIGHT
to his house.

“Jase, there’s no reason for me to stay with you anymore. My
place is fine now, remember?”

“It would be hard for me to forget being in your bed, Carrie.”
He glanced at her. “On the other hand, you seem to have forgotten that’s where
we were before Commander Stevens told us about Tammy Ryan. Or is it just that
you’d like to forget?”

“I’m not forgetting anything. But I—I left some stuff at your
place anyway. I’ll gather it up and then get out of your hair.”

Like he was going to make things that easy for her, he
thought.

She must have sensed his determination to talk. Once they got
to his house, she said, “You know what, Jase? I think I’ll take a run before I
head out. You don’t have to wait up.”

Despite his increasing impatience, Jase let her go. He had some
thinking to do, and a lot of it had to do with what he’d witnessed back at the
bar with Carrie’s old team. As he often did when he needed to hammer things out,
Jase slipped into his own tank top and shorts and took advantage of the home gym
in his garage.

Even as he pumped iron, his thoughts were all about Carrie. He
could tell she frequently worked out with weights herself. She was by no means
bulky, but she definitely had the type of muscle definition that one only got
with regular workouts. He wasn’t intimidated. And he wanted her to know that.
But he also couldn’t get Pete’s words out of his head. Jase had already
experienced the complexity of Carrie’s sexual needs and desire, and certainly
wasn’t surprised by them. Obviously, Pete had run across the same issue—the fact
that Carrie’s needs ran a wide spectrum. But had he learned the lesson too late?
Had Pete been too rough with her? And what, exactly, did that mean? Because Jase
was forming a picture in his head, and it was one he didn’t like. Not in the
least.

Although she’d said she’d been raped by a college boyfriend,
that didn’t mean it had been the only time it had happened. Had Pete, Carrie’s
own teammate, raped her? Is that why she’d left SWAT? And if it turned out to be
true, what was Jase going to do about it? Other than kill Pete with his bare
hands, which is what his instincts demanded.

An hour after she’d left, Carrie returned and walked into the
garage. She’d worn a tank top and sweats, and both were stained with sweat.
She’d obviously pushed herself hard. She was flushed. Panting. And despite his
fearsome protectiveness and his suspicions about Pete, seeing her like that made
him envision the last time they’d been in bed together. Jase felt himself harden
and dropped his weights on the floor.

“You ready to stop running now, Carrie?”

* * *

L
AUGHING
SHAKILY
, Carrie held up her hands and took several steps back.
“Whoa, there. What the hell are you doing?”

Jase kept walking toward her. “I’ve stopped running, too. I’d
much rather run to you, and since tomorrow is going to involve another busy day
working the case, I’m thinking we should take advantage of what little downtime
we have left.”

“All I want now is a shower and to head home. Not necessarily
in that order.”

“I think we can give you a little more than that.”

She bumped up against the wall and scrambled away from it so
she had room to maneuver. “Look, Jase, I thought we established that the nights
we spent together were a mistake. You’ve certainly acted like you’ve agreed. And
regardless, I’m just not in the mood right now.”

“What’s the matter, Carrie? We were getting along so well, even
after Stevens’s call. You didn’t have a problem staying here after that. So what
happened? Was it seeing your old friend Pete that has you out of sorts?”

She frowned, trying to keep him in her sights as he circled
around her. “Maybe it was seeing you flirt with the bimbo at the bar that was
the turnoff.”

At first he looked confused. Then he laughed, obviously pleased
by her admission. Which made her fume even hotter.

“Is she what you think my type is? Why? Because she’s not a
cop? Hasn’t any man ever been strong enough to handle who you are? A strong,
capable woman with a generous, soft soul? Do you feel you have to hide your
strength for a guy to want to make love with you? Is that what you had to do
with Pete?”

She saw red. “Is that what he told you? Were you comparing
notes with that bastard?” She shoved him in the chest, making him take a step
back.

“No. I don’t need to compare notes with him. He volunteered
more than I could ever expect but it was enough to know you probably were
tempted to kick his ass a time or two.”

She turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm and whirled her
around, then backed her into a wall, crowding her with his body and the
determined look in his eyes. “So, did you?” he demanded. “Have to kick Pete’s
ass? Was he one of the guys who needed to beat his chest after he’d taken you to
bed?”

She refused to struggle with him and instead lifted her chin.
“He didn’t realize that’s what he was doing, but, yeah, he was. And, yeah, I
ended it. Fast. I wasn’t going to let history repeat itself. But I guess I never
learn. You obviously enjoy flexing your muscles with a woman, too. Maybe you
were right about that whole nature and nurture thing, after all.”

He flinched and the sheer degree of hurt and shock on his face
was enough to make her flinch, too. Instantly, he let her go.

Just as quickly, she reached for him. “Jase, I’m sorry—”

He shook her touch away. “Well played, Carrie. But don’t worry.
That kind of history is never going to repeat itself with you. You wouldn’t
allow it. And believe it or not, I wouldn’t, either.”

He tried to turn away, and this time she was the one who
grabbed his arm, refusing to let him leave. Refusing to let him turn away from
her.

“I’m sorry, Jase. Please believe me. I was mad, that’s all. And
you’re right. I was jealous. Am jealous. So many women want you and I’m nothing
like them. I’m not even sure why you’re interested in me when you can be with
someone like that woman at the bar. But I know you’d never hurt me. I trust you.
I trust you out of bed and in bed, too. I just don’t think sleeping together is
the smart thing for either one of us.”

His expression remained frozen. Distant. “Yeah. So you’ve said.
Numerous times. I’m beginning to think I might have to start listening.”

Deliberately, he pulled away from her and went inside. She
followed him, but only after she blinked back the flood of moisture in her
eyes.

She’d used what he’d told her about his parents to push him
away, and she’d never forgive herself for that. She couldn’t expect any more
from him.

But to her utter shock, Jase didn’t stay mad at her. When she
approached him, he didn’t storm into his bedroom and slam the door. With a weary
shake of his head, he walked up to her, caressed her cheek with his knuckles
then bent to give her a light, sweet, lingering kiss before pulling back.

“This is my last invitation, Carrie. No games. No pretenses.
And if you refuse, that’s fine. I’ll give up gracefully and never bring it up
again. So here goes. You’re welcome to sleep on the couch, but you don’t have
to. Just so you know, I’d love to share my bed with you again if it’s what you
want, too.”

With that, he walked into the bedroom, leaving her to stare
after him.

It took her several minutes of thinking of all the reasons she
shouldn’t walk into his bedroom before she gave in gracefully and did what she
really wanted. She followed him. He was standing by the bed and when she walked
in, he shot her a smile that made her heart melt.

The last time they’d made love, they’d reveled in each other’s
bodies with a kind of desperation, as if they’d been afraid they’d be snatched
out of each other’s arms. This time, they were determined to give each other
what had always been between them anyway—trust. Trust to be everything they were
and trust that each would welcome the other with not just open arms, but an open
heart.

The events of the night and her own confession of jealousy had
wiped Carrie’s mind free of worry. Jase knew how she felt about him and she was
incapable of hiding it anymore. Being exposed emotionally made it only fair she
expose herself physically, as well. Unembarrassed, Carrie stripped off her
clothes. With each article of clothing she removed, she grew stronger in her
belief that she was gifting Jase something precious, something she’d never given
anyone before. When she was done, he stripped just as precisely. Just as slowly.
Until they were both naked and basking in each other’s admiration.

She led him to the bed and asked him to lie down. She took her
time reacquainting herself with every inch of his body. The rounded, bulging
muscles of his shoulders. The hard, ripped planes of his torso. The long,
elegant framework of his legs and feet. She kissed and stroked and licked him
from head to toe, then turned him over and did it all over again. And the whole
time, she gave his hands and mouth free access to any part of her he wanted.

He sucked and molded her breasts. He dipped his fingers into
the warm wet heat between her legs. He buried his face there and feasted on
her.

There was no hurrying this time. There was no desperation.

There was only the night. Their bodies. United and
inseparable.

And when they climaxed, they climaxed together, then remained
wrapped tightly in each other’s arms until sleep claimed them.

* * *

T
HE
NEXT
MORNING
, Carrie heard Jase come out of the bathroom and finished up
her phone call with Commander Stevens. After what Bo had said about killers
being competitive, an idea had formed in her head. She’d left Jase and the woman
who’d approached him to call Stevens. Commander Stevens had been open to her
suggestion from the start, but he’d become even more receptive after Carrie had
talked to Lana earlier that morning and told Stevens what Lana had offered.

“What time do the cameras start rolling?” she asked.

“Ten sharp.”

“And that’ll give them enough time to air it tonight?”

“That’s what I’ve been told,” Stevens said. “They’re going to
play the spot on all their sister channels. Please don’t be late. I hate
reporters.”

“We’ll be there.”

Carrie closed her cell phone and thought of Jase.

He wasn’t going to like what was about to go down, and she
understood why. But as wonderful as their intimacy last night had been, its
magic had disappeared with the light of morning. It hadn’t changed who she was.
She was a cop first and she always would be. As such, she needed to do whatever
she could to get the job done. What she and Lana had come up with might be a
long shot, but right now it was the only avenue they had.

Turning, she jumped guiltily when she saw Jase standing behind
her. He was bare-chested and wearing flannel pajama bottoms. He looked so good
she smiled and stepped closer to kiss him.

But he frowned and evaded her touch. “What cameras, Carrie?
What’s going on?”

Carrie sighed. There was no denying it. She felt guilty. She
should have run her idea by him, and she’d been going to, but then that woman at
the bar had approached him and she’d been too rattled from seeing Pete and she’d
known Jase would try to talk her out of her plan....

He probably still would, but he was her partner. He had a right
to know. “Bo said something last night and it gave me an idea. Serial killers
are proud. They think they’re smarter than the cops. Probably think they’re
smarter than each other, right? The Embalmer was methodical. Patient. Unlike
Darwin, who seems to be escalating his murders without any clear plan. We’ve
been keeping the details of both cases under wraps, but maybe that’s not how we
should play it. The Embalmer’s dead. Darwin might be responsible or he might not
be. But what if we pretend we don’t know? That we think The Embalmer’s alive?
That we think it’s The Embalmer who’s been committing these latest murders, not
Darwin?”

“What do you think Darwin would do with that information?
Besides move against another victim to make a better impression on us?

“That’s definitely a risk. But he’s going to move against
another victim anyway. This way, we play the odds and swing them a little in our
favor. Hope that Darwin will contact us directly to set the record straight. Do
something to poke his head above water, and give us a chance to catch sight of
him.”

“And the way to do this is to put your face on national
television?”

“We’re a team, Jase. I’d be addressing him myself, but as to
what I’d be saying? I’d want your input on that, of course.”

“I actually play a role in this grand plan? Good to know. So
how come I’m just now learning about it? Why did you go to Stevens without
discussing this with me first?”

“You know why. It involves a certain amount of risk. I’m the
lead on the case and I’m willing to take the risk. But I was afraid if I told
you that you’d try to talk me out of it. Because you—because you—”

“Because
I care about you,
Carrie,”
he said quietly.

“Yes, Jase,” she said. “Because you care about me.”

“But you won’t let that stop you.”

She shook her head. “I can’t. This may be a long shot, but it’s
something. It gives us a chance, if nothing else.”

“Yeah, well, the last long shot you played led us to The
Embalmer, so I’d say you have a pretty good track record. But that’s no
surprise. Gambling isn’t anything new to you. You gamble with your life all the
time.”

“
We
gamble with
our
lives, Jase. You were right beside me when we
entered Bowers’s home.”

“That was different. We had no choice. This television spot
will paint a target on you. But maybe that’s exactly what you want? Let me ask
you something. When did you phone Stevens about this plan? Was it when you left
me sitting with Bo and the rest of the SWAT team? After that woman came up to
talk to me at McGill’s? Did you come up with this plan in part to prove how
not
my type you are?”