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flattened against her hips. He groaned softly, and his heavy brows drew together in sweet anguish.
Josette s eyes opened just briefly and she saw his expression, and knew that he wasn t pretending
to be affected by her. He really did love kissing her. And that wasn t all. She felt a blatant, insistent
pressure against her belly.
Marc, she whispered, drawing back a breath. There s a car pulling in.
His eyes looked blank. Glazed. He blinked and drew in a forced breath. Then his head lifted and
he glanced at the incoming car s single occupant. Slowly the drawn tension of ardor left his lean face
and he smiled quizzically.
Josette was still reeling. From behind her, on the other side of the SUV, came an amused deep
drawl.
She said you wouldn t mind if she went along with me. Ha!
It was Grier s voice, and he was already walking toward the restaurant before either of them
could say a word.
Oh, Brannon, she moaned, pulling back from him with wide eyes, a swollen mouth and a
bubble of laughter on her lips.
Did you tell him that? he asked softly.
Josette sighed. Yes, I actually did. But you do mind, she added with sudden realization.
Brannon fingered her soft hair. I ve been in law enforcement almost half my life, yet Grier has
done things I never dreamed of. He shrugged. He hates women, but they follow him like a chicken
follows a rattlesnake, with pure fascination.
Why& he was jealous! Why hadn t she seen that before?
He glared at her. I m not jealous, he said, reading her expression. I just don t think it s safe
for you to go places with Grier.
She studied him, from his wavy blond-streaked light brown hair to his silver eyes, to his
handsome lean, tanned face, to his chiseled mouth and she laughed breathlessly.
I always thought you knew how good-looking you were, Josette said shyly. But you don t
think of yourself that way, do you?
He shifted as if uncomfortable. Looks don t mean much.
She smiled. You d be sexy and attractive if you had a big nose and ears like jug handles, she
said.
One eyebrow arched. Would I?
That faint hint of masculine insecurity made her melt. Did he really need to be reassured that she
found him attractive? Impulsively she reached up with her arms and drew his mouth down to hers. She
kissed him softly, feeling the delight of it all over her yielded body. Brannon seemed surprised at the
move, but he kissed her back tenderly.
Your only real problem is that temper, Josette whispered. You make Grier look like a
pacifist.
He chuckled, not at all insulted. I ll calm down in a few years.
Are you sure about that?
They say kids take the rough edges off a man.
Kids? She searched his eyes, perplexed, but found nothing there. Do you have many rough
edges?
He pursed his lips and looked deliberately at her stomach. We ll have to talk about that one of
these days. And about kids. Meanwhile, how about a symphony concert? There s one Saturday night.
Josette hesitated. We re here on a murder investigation.
Good. We can investigate the conductor and the first chair violinist, he replied easily. They ll
make dandy suspects. I ll even file a report, after.
Brannon! she said, exasperated.
Detectives get an occasional night off. Saturday is going to be ours. He kissed her one last
time before he opened the passenger door. As he helped her climb up, he noticed several teenagers in
a van parked near the restaurant. They were watching the couple at the black SUV with wide eyes and
big smiles. The smiles got bigger when Brannon walked around to the driver s side and they saw the
cream-colored Stetson, boots and revolver, and the Texas Ranger badge on his shirt.
Brannon almost blushed as he started the vehicle.
Josette, who had been watching the byplay, laughed softly to herself. But she blushed, too.
He glanced at her as she fastened her seat belt. You still blush. Imagine that, at your age.
Oh, yeah? Well, you were blushing, too, Brannon!
I never blush, he said curtly.
As they passed the teenagers, one of the girls let out a long, enthusiastic wolf whistle at Brannon.
He could hear Josette s soft laughter, but he wasn t going to look at himself in the mirror. He
was not blushing.
What about the safe-deposit box? Josette asked when they were back in front of the D.A. s
office.
Dead end. I checked every bank in town that didn t require a court order, and I ll go back and
check the ones that did. But so far, nobody has a record of Dale Jennings renting one.
She thought about that, hesitating about getting out of the vehicle. Suppose, she began, just
suppose it was in the woman s name.
It might be, Brannon said. But we re no closer to finding her name. Apparently it wasn t
Sandra Gates.
I ll bet Grier can find out who she was, she said without thinking. He seems to know his way
around the underworld.
Then let him do his own legwork. I mean it, Josie, he said shortly, and his eyes were
threatening. I m not having you at risk for any case, no matter how important.
What do you know about the man that you re not telling me? she demanded.
Things I can t repeat, he said harshly.
Things?
Brannon hesitated and bit off a hard sigh. Classified things, Josie, he said finally.
Her eyebrows shot up. That could mean anything.
Just& take my word for it and humor me, could you? he asked, exasperated, scowling at her.
Listen, having you get shot was hard enough on my nerves. I don t want to risk you twice.
The lines in her face smoothed out magically. You don t? she asked absently, because her eyes
were locked into his. She tingled all over with the delight of his concern.
Brannon touched a wisp of blond hair that had escaped her braided hairdo. He looked
exasperated. Josie, how would you feel if I d been shot?
Her involuntary exclamation was telling. It was as if all the masks had been torn off and she was
facing him with her whole heart in her eyes.
His lean hand framed her cheek and his thumb rubbed softly over her mouth. At least you still
feel something for me, he said huskily.
She started to protest, but that thumb was back across her lips again.
Don t disillusion me, he whispered, leaning toward her. His lips parted just as they touched
her. Brannon had to force himself not to drag out the warm, tender kiss. He lifted his head. As he did,
he looked straight into Grier s dark eyes through the open passenger window.
She said you wouldn t mind if I took her along, Grier repeated, deadpan.
I mind, Brannon said flatly, his silver eyes threatening, possessive.
Grier pursed his wide, thin lips and just for an instant, there was a glimmer in his dark eyes.
Lighten up, Brannon. I m just a computer expert now.
And Putin used to be just a cop!
Grier burst out laughing before he turned and walked back into the building, both hands stuck in
his jeans pockets.
Her mind was whirling. Putin?
He gave her a speaking look.
Russia. The premier. A former colonel in the KGB. Oh. Putin! Vladimir Putin! she exclaimed.
Right.
Never mind. Get out and go to work, but not with Grier. I mean it.
I m not a waitress.
He blinked. Excuse me?
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| Cytat |
Dobre pomysły nie mają przeszłości, mają tylko przyszłość. Robert Mallet
De minimis - o najmniejszych rzeczach.
Dobroć jest ważniejsza niż mądrość, a uznanie tej prawdy to pierwszy krok do mądrości. Theodore Isaac Rubin
Dobro to tylko to, co szlachetne, zło to tylko to, co haniebne.
Dla człowieka nie tylko świat otaczający jest zagadką; jest on nią sam dla siebie. I z obu tajemnic bardziej dręczącą wydaje się ta druga. Antoni Kępiński (1918-1972)
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