ToServeAndProtect (20 page)

Cool breeze from the air-conditioner chilled her
heated flesh. However, the heat between her legs dampened her panties. Tyson
had her dress bunched around her waist, and he cupped her buttocks and lifted
her onto the table.

“But this is not the same.” He positioned between her
spread thighs. “We don’t have feelings for each other.” He reached between her
legs and ran a finger along the plump seam of her sex, the thin silk of her
panties the only barrier to her damp folds. “Unless we’re driving each other
crazy.” He slid his hand inside. “Fuck, you’re wet.” His long, thick finger
separated her slit, grazed her clit, then pushed deep into her channel.

Dawn wrapped her legs around his hips and bit down
hard on Tyson’s ear. Looking at him made her sweat—the heat in his eyes and the
strength in his body. But damn, he was amazing and he oozed sex appeal. “Wear a
raincoat.”

* * * * *

The plane taxied to the end of the runway while the
captain welcomed everyone to sunny California where the current temperature was
a balmy eighty-four.

After they retrieved their luggage from the carousel,
Dustin went to the ticket counter to claim his firearm. They took a shuttle to
rent a car and waited with hundreds of people for their vehicle.

“That’s us,” Dustin said as a red convertible pulled
into slot six. An agent opened the trunk and handed the keys to Dustin.
“Thanks.” He slipped a five-dollar bill into the man’s hand and tossed
McKenna’s carry-on into the trunk. He then opened the door for her.

“Do you know your way around Los Angeles?” McKenna
strapped on her seatbelt.

Aviator glasses hid his eyes, but he curved his lips
into a charming and slightly crooked smile. “Like the back of my hand.” He
pulled out of the parking lot and onto Century Boulevard and headed to the
interstate.

McKenna reclined her seat and draped her arm along the
edge of the open window. The wind whipped her hair and cooled her skin. “Our
first stop is the store. We need sunscreen.”

“I hope you brought something for the beach.” He put
his hand on her thigh. “Because this trip is only half about finding Roslyn
Meadows. The rest of the time we figure out what’s going on between us.”

McKenna covered his hand with hers and inched it
higher. “I think we both know what’s going on between us. We better figure out
what to do about it.” Not that she thought he’d protest, but she already knew
what she was going to do about it.

Dustin took the 405 to the South Bay and headed along Pacific Coast Highway until they reached Redondo Beach Boulevard.

“Roslyn Meadows lives in Torrance.” He pulled into the
hotel overlooking the Pacific Ocean. “About ten minutes from here without
traffic. We’ll settle in and get an early start first thing in the morning.”

“Today’s about over anyway.”

He came around the car and opened the door for her.
“Are you tired?”

“Not really,” she said, taking his hand.

They entered the lobby. “Reservation for Pearce,” he
said to the man wearing a starched white shirt and black trousers behind the
desk.

“Your room is on the second floor. Non-smoking with an
ocean view.” He handed two keycards to Dustin. “Will you need help with your
luggage?”

He looked at McKenna. “No, I’ve got it.” Together they
crossed the lobby and took the elevator to the second floor.

The corridors were quiet. Paintings hung on the gold
and ivy leaf papered walls. They passed ice and vending machines on the way to
their room.

Dustin inserted the keycard and opened the door.
McKenna entered first.
Two beds
. She stifled the disappointment, dropped
her purse on the first bed, and stepped out onto the balcony.

Children frolicked in the frosty white surf of the
ocean, lapping at the spongy sand. Seagulls squawked and dived in frenzy as a
man tossed pieces of popcorn into the air. McKenna tasted the salty breeze coming
off the sea.

“This is wonderful,” she said, excited. “Dustin,” she
called over her shoulder. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her
shoulders. “I want to pretend,” she whispered and leaned her head back against
his chest. “Forget about Roslyn Meadows, not talk about the murder, or the
Marino brothers and the missing money, just for tonight.” She wrapped her hands
around his forearm as it lay across her collarbone.

“Lovers meeting for a secret rendezvous?”

She turned around in his arms. “Is that what you want?
To be lovers?”

Dustin pushed her hair behind her ear as the wind
whipped it around her face. His touch sent tingles over her flesh. How easy it
would be for them to go back into the room, for Dustin to lay her on the bed,
strip her clothes from her body, and finally satiate the pulsing sensation
rioting through her. When he looked into her eyes she no longer felt like the
apprehensive daughter accused of murdering her father but a strong woman with
steely determination…she wanted him. But for some reason he hesitated.

“I think about it all the time, Mickey. But I’m not
interested in an affair.”

Neither was she. Falling in love was like discovering
the different facets of a perfectly cut diamond. The more time she spent with
him, the more she wondered if he’d say good-bye when this whole mess was
finally over.

“And right now, I’m on a case.” He touched her cheek.
“I’m determined to get to the truth.” Dustin stepped away from her and went
back into the room. “There’s too much at risk for me to let down my guard.” He
slipped the room card into his back pocket. “I’ll move the car around and get
our bags.”

Dustin left, and McKenna sat on one of the double
beds. She was more than a little disappointed when she first saw that Dustin
had gotten a room for double occupancy, but nothing felt as horrible as his
rejection. She’d all but asked him outright to become her lover, and he’d
turned her away. Tears threatened to fill her eyes. She swallowed hard fighting
them back. His determination was strong. However, she wasn’t one to scoff at a
challenge. The desire was there. They only had to act upon it.

She picked up her cell and called Dawn.

“Hey, how’s sunny California?”

“Fine. Dawn, nothing’s working.” She spoke in
whispered tones even though Dustin wasn’t in the room. There was a part of her
that didn’t want to share her feelings for the detective with Dawn, but nothing
she’d done had changed the nature of their relationship. Now that she’d decided
to live again, she wanted sex…with Dustin. “It’s time to bring out the heavy
artillery, enough to crack his armor-plated determination. I need help. Am I
being stupid? Maybe I’m reading this all wrong?”

“Now you’re talking stupid. Tyson said Dustin hasn’t
had a date since his wife left him. I’m talking nothing, Mickey. He’s probably
rusty at the art of seduction.”

“I’m not playing hard to get.”

“Wear a thong and T-shirt to bed.”

“The room has two beds. We’re not sleeping together.
He’s not a man who’s going to like an aggressive woman. Otherwise he’d be after
you. Besides I’m not like that.” McKenna crossed her legs and rested her elbow
on her knee, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and finger. “I
didn’t realize it would be this difficult to have sex.”

“It isn’t. Ask Tyson. Hey, that’s a good idea. Hold on
and I’ll ask him.”

“Don’t you dare.” It was too late Dawn’s muffled voice
could be heard asking for advice. “I’m so humiliated.”

“Don’t worry about it. Tyson’s very open-minded.” She
giggled at something Tyson said.

“What did he say?” She shifted the phone to her other
ear. “And where are you?”

“Tyson’s house. Mickey, he’s under the impression
you’re the one stalling. According to Tyson, Dustin’s gone rogue. This whole
trip is on him. The department’s not covering the expenses. Captain Baird thought
the L.A.P.D. should be handling the Roslyn Meadows side of the investigation.
Dustin persuaded him to allow you to visit with the woman, considering the
connection to Elliot. He’s invested, Mickey, I don’t know why he’s not
following through. Maybe the equipment’s broken.”

McKenna remembered the intimate embraces where she
could feel his erection pressed against her. “No problem there.” The door
handle clicked. “He’s back. I’ll call you later.”

Why hadn’t Dustin told her he had to pay for
everything?

The moment he stepped into the room, she asked him.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were footing the bill? Tyson told Dawn, who told
me.”

“Money is a non-issue. We’re not discussing it.”

“I think I should be the one to decide that.”

“The financial aspects of this trip are not the
priority. Don’t worry about it. I’m not.”

“Unacceptable.” She blocked his path, stood in front
of him, and put her hands on her hips.

Dustin’s gaze traveled across her bare shoulders and
down her narrow rib cage. The thin ribbon of control over his response to her
started to unravel. Not now, he told himself as he thought of touching her. Not
until the case was solved and she was safe. He needed his wits about him. They
had to find Roslyn, the missing Marino money, and Elliot’s killer.

“I care about you and knew this trip would be
important. The department doesn’t pay for personal companions. What did you
want me to do?” Either a good fight or a fast fuck was in order to give him an
edge, and since a fast fuck was out of the question, looked like they were
going to have their first fight. “You want to talk, let’s talk.” He took a step
toward her. “Let’s talk about the case. How much did you know about Elliot’s
involvement with the Marino brothers?”

“Nothing. Why would the Marino’s think about me at all
unless someone led them to believe I have information? Perhaps because I’m your
prime suspect? I don’t understand what you’re doing. One minute you’re hot for
me. We’re hot for each other. Then you pull back. I’m not a yoyo, and I don’t
want to play games.”

“Our plan is to stay focused on the case.”

“That plan failed the first day you came to my house.
If you wanted an excuse to keep your distance, you’ve found one. Assholes don’t
interest me.”

“Mickey,” he growled. “Fuck!”

She grabbed her purse, stalked to the bathroom, and
shut the door. Dustin ran his hands through his hair. At least one problem
solved. He didn’t want to fight, but carnal hunger had him by the balls. With
every smile and bat of her lashes over her blue eyes, the fist tightened.

Shit. He wanted perspective but not a battle of wills.
He knocked on the bathroom door. “Mickey, I’m sorry.”

“You should be.”

“Are you going to sulk in the bathroom? If so, I’ll go
out and get us something to eat.”

The door flew open. “I wasn’t sulking. Wait for me.”

He put his hand on her shoulder. “I am sorry. The trip
isn’t a ploy to get you into bed for an easy lay.”

She snorted. “You don’t need a ploy.”

“And you aren’t a casual fuck. You can trust me.”

She looked into his eyes. “It’s you who doesn’t trust
me.”

“I do.”

“I’ve told you everything I know about Elliot, the
case, the Marino’s.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay.” She picked up her purse. “I’m hungry. And
Detective, dinner will be my treat. You’ve paid for enough on this trip.”

Dustin groaned as he held the door for her. “Whatever
you say.”

McKenna glared as she grabbed her purse. “Most men
would expect a woman to put out after paying for a trip to Los Angeles. Why
can’t you be like most men?”

“Careful Mickey, you’re starting to sound like Dawn.”

“Well, maybe you should act more like Tyson.”

Dustin checked the door lock and then pulled it
closed. “Tyson tires of a woman after a few weeks and moves on.”

“And you want something more?” McKenna asked as they
walked down the corridor.

“Yes.”

As they left the hotel, McKenna decided to let the
argument go. There wasn’t much more he could do to show her that he was on her
side. Yes, she wished she’d known the details about the trip, but he was here,
with her, trying to find answers to her mess of a life.

“How is it you know California so well?” McKenna asked
later as they drove down Pacific Coast Highway.

“I lived here until I was a junior in high school.” He
gave McKenna a wicked grin. “Found myself in a bit of trouble. Mom caught me
with a little weed and panicked. Divorced, working full time, she couldn’t keep
an eye on me. She sent me to live with my aunt and uncle in Utah. Thought I
needed a male role model.”

“It worked. Now you’re on the right side of the law.”
She looked up at the palm trees stretching to the sky. Their rough patterned
bark and tropical crowns made her think of pina coladas and margaritas. “I’ve
never been high. Never tried any drugs. It’s quite funny actually,” she said
glancing at Dustin. “For someone who never breaks the law, I’m being accused of
murder.”