Body Heat

CHAPTER THREE

BRIANNE WALKED to the array of windows that offered a perfect view of the East River. Norton followed, his dog tags jingling behind her.

The sun’s rays were strong through the thick glass, heating her skin as well as the room. Not that she needed any more body heat. There wasn’t a part of her that wasn’t already on fire, thanks to Jake. A sexy name for a sexy man. A sexy, single and unattached man, she thought, again taking in the marble floors, sculpted works of art and modern paintings adorning the walls in the apartment he shared with his sister. From the mundane to the more in-depth aspects of his personality, there was a lot she didn’t know about Jake Lowell. She wondered what he did for a living, even what he liked to eat for breakfast.

Basically, she questioned everything about him, but she decided here and now, she wouldn’t ask. She couldn’t afford to find out. Jake excited her, but she’d have to keep their relationship professional. It wouldn’t be easy. This man, this apartment, this chemistry between them-all were the stuff from which fantasies were made. But fantasies didn’t come true; she knew that firsthand.

She’d wanted loving, concerned parents, and she’d gotten world travelers, more interested in their dangerous adventures than their children. She’d wanted security and the opportunity to live a normal life. To go out when her friends did, to date and to have fun. Instead she’d gotten the responsibility of a brother she loved more than life itself and the emotional and financial burden of seeing to it that he was raised right. More than most people, Brianne understood fantasies were necessary to ease life’s burdens, but they never came true.

Her aching desire for the man in the other room would remain in the realm of impossible dreams. It had no place in her real life. The less she learned about Jake Lowell, the safer she would be. As it was, taking this job would be hazardous to her mind, her heart and, most definitely, her body. How she would live here with him and survive the summer, she had no idea.

Physical therapy itself was extremely hands-on. Her palms would cover his upper back and shoulders, and ease around to the front of his chest. Her fingers would massage his strong muscles. She’d be getting up-close and personal with a man who sent her senses soaring and who’d unexpectedly touched her emotions as well. Brianne saw scars and injuries every day of her life, yet when she’d looked at Jake’s, an aching tenderness had risen to her throat. She didn’t know why he affected her so, but she knew it didn’t bode well for her vow to remain detached, to be the professional she was being paid to be.

But she would if it killed her.

“I’m ready.” His deep voice sent tremors of awareness racing through her.

He might be ready but she wasn’t. Brianne turned to face him. She could have handled it if he’d dressed in a Polo collared shirt and starched khaki pants. That would have created distance. Instead he wore his standard ripped sweatshirt, this one in navy, which brought out the depth of color in his eyes, and a pair of sweat shorts that didn’t come much lower than the towel had earlier.

At the sight of him, her heart began a steady, rhythmic beat. She sighed. Time to get things between them settled. “You’re ready. How interesting. Rina led me to believe you’d be a difficult patient. In fact, she said you’d be a hard sell. That you’d resist therapy.”

He shrugged. “And Rina was right. I meant I’m ready to talk.” He stepped over to the couch in the living room and seated himself on a velvet sofa. With his day’s growth of beard and his casual clothes, he appeared ridiculously out of place in the formal room, and yet nothing could detract from his rugged, bad-boy good looks.

“Join me.” He patted the space beside him.

Knowing she had no choice if she wanted to persuade him, she walked over and lowered herself onto the soft cushion, not as close as he’d suggested. But his masculinity couldn’t be denied, and even with a good amount of distance separating them, Brianne felt his powerful presence. Think professional, she reminded herself. And when her gaze fell to the enticing skin between the ragged edge of his shirt and the waistband of his sweats, Brianne again reminded herself to breathe.

“Tell me something, Jake.”

“Say that again.”

She tipped her head to the side. “What?”

“My name.”

He leaned forward until he was too close. His breath held a refreshing hint of mint, and her stomach curled with a delicious warmth.

“Jake,” he said. “Say it again.”

His gaze locked with hers and held. She couldn’t have turned away if she wanted to, and, heaven help her, she didn’t want to. Because she understood. They’d spent the past couple of weeks in silken, seductive silence. Her name on his lips had sounded so very sweet. She couldn’t deny him the same pleasure.

“Jake,” she murmured.

His eyes glazed and he inched closer, kissing distance away. The tingling scent of mint surrounded her, tempting her, teasing her.

“I’ve been curious for so long.”

His masculine voice reached deep inside her, and she couldn’t lie. “Me, too.” And curiosity was the only reason she’d allow the inevitable kiss, or so she told herself.

He touched her beneath her chin, holding her head in place as his mouth settled over hers. Strong and sure, yet achingly gentle, his kiss was everything she’d dreamed about, yearned for. And when his searching tongue traced her lips, moistening before slipping inside, her entire body shook in reaction. Pulsing began in her chest and settled lower, between her legs, strengthening the desire that had built between them from across a crowded room.

His breath was warm and minty, his mouth hot and needy, just as she was, and a sigh of pure pleasure escaped her throat. He caught her sigh in his mouth and used it as permission to deepen the kiss. But the sound she’d made shook her out of the haze of desire and back into reality. Therapist and client, she reminded herself, and forced her hands to his shoulders-not to feel the firm muscles beneath the sweatshirt, but to push him away.

Unfortunately, the motion took longer than she’d planned, as she first curled her fingers around the soft cotton and his flesh beneath. She allowed the prolonged kiss to go on for another sweet minute before breaking contact.

Shaking off the temporary insanity that had overcome her wasn’t as easy. “We can’t do this.”

He swallowed, his throat moving up and down before her eyes, his breathing as ragged as hers. “Can’t do what? Get acquainted?”

She licked at her damp lips, his lingering taste fueling the desire still flickering inside her. “That was more than getting acquainted.” Then the rest of his words registered. “Are you saying you’ve changed your mind about rehab?”

He shook his head and laughed. “I like your strategy. Kiss me and lower my defenses. Are you trying to take advantage of me?” A smile tipped the corner of his mouth.

“You kissed me first,” she reminded him.

“You didn’t stop me.”

They sounded like squabbling children, but there had been nothing juvenile about that kiss. “Let’s just say we got it out of our systems. Now we can move forward.”

“And you can move in?” He shrugged with his one good shoulder. “That was Rina on the phone. She just explained the new living arrangements.” His gaze intense and curious, never left hers, as if he were trying to read her thoughts.

But she couldn’t deny that he looked surprised by his sister’s call and revelation. As surprised as he’d appeared when he’d discovered her in the apartment earlier. “Obviously you didn’t know about that, either?” she asked.

He shook his head. “No.”

“I think this is called manipulation,” she muttered.

“Blatant,” he agreed. “But that’s Rina. Always with the best intentions, but not always thinking up here.” He tapped the side of his head. “She’s a romantic.”

“It’s nice to see people still are.” Her own heart pounded frantically in her chest, their kiss still lingering in her mind.

“My parents are one example. Retired, living in Florida and driving each other crazy. Rina’s another. She’s the secretary who married her wealthy boss. In her eyes, all things are possible.”

She wondered what things were possible in his. Did her fantasy man who kissed like a dream also harbor a belief in fairy tale endings? She shook her head, knowing her deluded thoughts and curiosity could only get her in trouble. “Does Rina’s romanticism extend to getting her stubborn brother into physical therapy by moving me in here?”

“I guess so.” He grinned a charming I’m-cute-and-I-know-it grin.

She’d already accepted the setup before that mind-blowing kiss. She couldn’t back down now, and her reasons were the same. She needed the money from this job to start her life over. She needed to move in, rehabilitate Jake’s shoulder and put her desire for him behind her.

Brianne glanced down. Norton lay at her feet, looking up at her with adoring eyes. Two cute males in one large apartment. However would she survive it?

One way was to get things between them out in the open. “Okay, Jake. Tell me exactly where we stand on the subject of physical therapy. Obviously you’re resistant, you’ve given your sister a hard time over the subject…”

“Of course I have. Do you have a brother or sister?”

She nodded. “A brother.”

“Then, you know siblings live to give each other a hard time.”

No, Brianne didn’t know. Because she’d been more of a parent to Marc than a sister, she’d never experienced classic sibling rivalry. She’d been too busy waitressing while finishing school and taking care of Marc at the same time to indulge in normal family dynamics. “Marc’s a good deal younger than me. Our relationship was-is different. But I’m not here to talk about my brother. Rina hired me for a reason, and I want to know if you’re going to let me do my job or not. I want to know what to expect from you.”

Jake forced a lighthearted smile. He had no idea what to expect from himself. That kiss had caught him off guard. He hadn’t planned to be so forward, and sure as hell hadn’t expected her to kiss him back. Or to taste better than he’d dreamed.

If he’d wondered how much trouble she could cause him, he now knew. “If Rina hired you, I certainly can’t throw you out.”

“Gee, thanks,” she said wryly. “But the question is, will you cooperate?”

The professional was back. Jake told himself he was glad, but deep inside he knew he lied. He liked the warmer, softer Brianne better. Still, this one was safer.

And he had to play it safe, too, keep it light, and keep her off guard. That way she wouldn’t get too close or discover he was further along in rehab than she and Rina believed. “I’m sure I can be persuaded. And I’m certain you’re up to the task.”

“So all of a sudden you’re willing to consider therapy?”

He shook his head, seeking to buy time. “I’m willing to let you try and persuade me.”

“Why the turnaround?”

“No turnaround. I haven’t agreed to anything yet.”

She raised an eyebrow, obviously unsure what to make of him. “But you will.”

“That certain of yourself and your abilities?”

“Absolutely. The only question I have is, why the change?”

She’d read him well, Jake thought. Or rather, she read them well. Did she really have to ask why he’d end up working with her despite his token resistance? “Do you want me to tell you the truth? Or what you want to hear?”

Jake had the distinct impression that the answer was “both.” She wanted to know the only reason he’d even consider rehabilitation was to get close to her. And she wanted him to lie so she didn’t have to face it.

“I’ll consider therapy because of you.”

She exhaled hard.

“Just like you’re not going to walk out on this job because of me.” He grinned.

“You’re a cocky one,” she murmured with a smile.

“And this is a good thing?”

“Sure is. It means you can take a tough workout.” She met his gaze head-on.

She hadn’t backed off at his admission. Even after that kiss, she wasn’t intimidated by the attraction between them. Score one for her, Jake thought. He admired her grit-something he rarely found in a woman.

It also helped his cause. She’d need that strength if they were going to bump into one another in the middle of the night, stealing a drink from the fridge. He would need that strength. “I can take anything you dish out, sweetheart. Just tell me what you have in mind.”

“You might be sorry you asked. Physical therapy involves strengthening with rubber bands and working the muscle with massage therapy.” The word massage hovered in the air between them and the blood pulsed inside him, making him ache as if her hands were already on his body.

“But water therapy works well, too,” she continued. “The resistance in the water is a help. Add a whirlpool, and the pulsating water jets work wonders to loosen the muscle,” she said, her voice resonating with a deep, husky quality.

“Pulsating water jets, huh?”

Her face flushed red. “Different therapists take different approaches, but there are many options.”

He wondered if she was imagining them naked in the whirlpool, water flowing freely around them. He wondered if she had any idea what fun two people could have in that whirlpool she’d mentioned, water jets and all. “It all sounds interesting, especially the pulsating water jets.” He wiggled his eyebrows provocatively.

“I’ll just bet.” Watching him warily, she folded her arms over her chest and studied him. “I save the water therapy for my most cooperative patients,” she said in a provocative, seductive voice.

Just as she probably had intended, his body began a steady rhythm, one that only those vibrating water jets could match. He sucked in a breath and forced himself to think like the cop he still was. First and foremost, he needed information about her schedule, if only so he could better plan his. When would she be in the penthouse? When would he be on his own? When could he slip out to work on the Ramirez case without her reporting back to his sister?

“So, when do you start-convincing me, I mean? Because with the right incentive, I can be very cooperative.” And damn if he didn’t want to comply with any and all of her water-related directives. “I’m a quick learner-and an even better instructor.”

He watched her struggle to maintain her composure. He was glad. If he kept her off balance, he’d be more in control. He needed that control, since he could too easily dismiss Frank and his family, and Ramirez in favor of Brianne. It disturbed him to realize that despite her ability to screw up all he’d worked for, he wanted her.

She cleared her throat. “Relax, water boy. We start as soon as I get a referral, diagnosis and prescription from your doctor. Probably sometime next week.”

He glanced at Brianne. She’d leaned against the couch, still professional but more relaxed, so certain she’d bought herself time before having to deal with him and his reluctance to begin therapy. Before having to convince him the only way he’d allow-a seductive, playful coaxing. Because as long as Brianne would live and work here, Jake intended to control the situation.

He ignored the voice in his head reminding him that he’d been seconds away from relinquishing control and turning the kiss from sensual to sinful, from easing her onto the couch and satisfying the basic yearning he’d had since laying eyes on the sexy waitress. Neither would or could happen, of course, or she’d know exactly how in shape his shoulder was. The games he’d coax her into playing as she attempted to seduce him into therapy would have to suffice.

She obviously recognized his intent and hoped for some breathing room that would come with waiting for the doctor’s response. Too bad for her peace of mind; the paperwork was in the other room. He’d had it for weeks. He just hadn’t used it because a close friend had been helping him privately. “Sorry, but you don’t get that kind of space, hon.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Does it offend you?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No, it turns me on.”

Jake turned wide eyes her way.

She let out a laugh. “Sorry. I just can’t let you think you’ll always have the upper hand.”

He inhaled slow and deep, forcing himself not to concentrate on what she had just said. Not to contemplate the possibilities of her actually being aroused. Right now. By him. “I have the referral and paperwork in the other room,” he told her.

As he’d expected, that dimmed the wattage on her smile. “I need to get myself settled.”

“How long?”

“Not very,” she admitted. “Rina’s offer was so amazing, I spent last week organizing.”

“Can I help you move your things?”

Her gaze fell to his shoulder. “If you can manage that, you don’t need me.”

She was dead wrong. He definitely needed her. He just couldn’t afford to. “I’m certain you have some kind of use for me.”

She laughed. “I’m not going to touch that one.”

The sound settled inside him, making him feel more alive than he had since he’d both lost his best friend and injured his shoulder.

“Jimmy-you know, the owner of the café-can help me move in.”

Jake nodded, ignoring the unwelcome and unfamiliar stab of jealousy he felt at hearing another man’s name on her lips. He changed the subject to one more interesting. “I suppose Rina mentioned there’s a private gym, a pool on the roof, as well as that whirlpool?” he asked.

“The subject came up, yes. Although if you’d like to look into doing therapy at the hospital, we could use the facilities there.”

“I was referring to you using the pool and whirlpool in your free time. Not for therapy.”

“Oh, that’s right. You haven’t agreed to anything yet.”

He grinned. “Exactly right.”

She rolled her eyes. “Care to tell me why not?”

He averted his gaze.

“Guess not.”

He wondered if he imagined the disappointment that flashed across her features when he didn’t confide in her, and refused to dwell on why her feelings bothered him. “I’m curious. What exactly was the deal you made with Rina?”

She shrugged as if the answer were basic. “Private physical therapy.”

“When, Brianne?” He drew out her name, liking the feel of it on his lips. “How often?” He figured Rina would have pinned her down for two to three days a week, and told himself he needed to know the schedule she expected him to follow should he agree to therapy. But a part of Jake wanted to hear that she’d committed to more.

“I work rehab at the hospital during the day, so your therapy would be in the evenings.”

His evenings lately had been routine-dinner, television and bed-and he suddenly envisioned a wealth of sensual opportunities with a woman who interested his mind as well as his body, then mentally decked himself because he needed his nights free in case he got a tip on Ramirez. “How many nights a week?”

“At least five.”

He forced a laugh. “Rina’s a slave driver. I’m sure we can work out something easier on you. After all, you work days, too.”

She shook her head. “I made a deal and I’ll work what I’m being paid for.” Her green eyes zeroed in on his. “You’re not getting off that easily.”

Knowing what was good for him, Jake took her warning seriously.

BRIANNE HAD BEEN GIVEN a reprieve. She couldn’t move into the penthouse until she’d packed up her things and she couldn’t start working on Jake until she satisfied her obligation to Jimmy. She wouldn’t desert her current employer without fair notice.

She’d bolted from the penthouse last night because she’d needed space-fresh air that didn’t include Jake’s seductive, masculine scent. If she hadn’t gotten out of that apartment, she might have succumbed to his easy grin and seductive charm. She might have been tempted to steal another kiss.

She had a hunch he wouldn’t have stopped her. And she wouldn’t have been satisfied with just one.

She curled up on her bed, the morning light spilling through the window, and pulled out the paperwork Jake had given her earlier. Many of the answers she didn’t want to know lay before her. If she read these papers, she’d be given insight into him as a man. He would become more real, more flesh and blood than he was to her already.

But she didn’t have a choice. She hadn’t wanted to think about the fact that she’d have to look into his medical records and background before being able to begin physical therapy. That decision had been made, however, so Brianne took a deep breath and unfolded the documents.

One glimpse and her head spun in shock, disappointment and concern. He was a cop, a detective, injured on the job, who needed rehabilitation in order to return to active duty. By providing the physical therapy, she’d be giving him back his career, and enabling him to put himself in danger again.

Apparently she was destined to have her life filled with risk-takers, people whose adrenaline only flowed when in the midst of excitement. She sighed. Well, at least now she had a concrete reason to not let herself get involved with Jake on any level other than the professional.

As if the probability of her leaving for California at the end of the summer wasn’t enough of a deterrent to beginning any kind of relationship with this sexy, compelling man, she now had his hazardous occupation. She’d lost her parents and lived through the aftermath of their risk-taking. She’d built her present, established a future and gotten a handle on the way she wanted to live. No way she’d let herself lose her heart or her peace of mind that way ever again. Even if the man excited her in ways she desperately wanted to explore.

Leaving the papers on the bed, she headed for the shower. Anything to soothe her. She stripped off her clothes, turned on the water and stepped inside. Hot water on the hardest massage setting pelted her already sensitized skin. Kissing Jake had aroused her, and now she needed the stinging sensation against her flesh to dull the need he’d inspired.

But as the steady stream of water drilled her skin, instead of dulling the ache, it fanned the flame of desire. Her breasts felt heavy, her nipples tight and the sensitive flesh between her legs full to bursting. She tried to tell herself that the way her blood raced through her veins was a response to the knowledge of freedom. That she was reacting to the lure of having a life.

When the summer was over and her time with Jake complete, she’d move west and start over. She could just work one job and have the liberty to come home after work and curl up with a book, or to date a man instead of working a second shift. But Brianne knew she was deceiving herself about the reason for her excited state.

She was responding to Jake, to his flirtatious manner and the sizzling sexual awareness that shimmered between them. But it was an awareness that could go nowhere. She flipped off the water, knowing the shower was doing nothing to dampen her aroused state. No man had ever affected her so strongly, and nothing could ease the building desire.

She stepped out and grabbed for the fluffy towel she’d left hanging behind the door. Steam filled the bathroom, making her hotter than she’d been minutes earlier, if that were possible. Lifting her foot to the edge of the tub, she patted her leg dry, moving upward to her thigh. And she thought about Jake’s injury and the bruising that discolored the otherwise perfect, tanned flesh. She thought about his pain and wanted to ease it.

And she would. With caressing brushes of her fingertips and with stroking movements across his skin. But what would stop her from moving lower? From easing her hands from his shoulder to his hair-roughened chest, to the puckered, darkened nipples just begging for her touch?

What would prevent her from then dipping lower, tracing his firm abdomen, and passing the waistband of his shorts until she encountered the other powerful muscle that would be rigid and firm, waiting for her?

And what would stop him from reciprocating? From moving his strong hands between her legs, from slipping his fingers between the folds of her flesh and easing the ache with slow but sure thrusts? What would stop him from picking up her personal rhythm and from making slow and sure become quick and fulfilling?

Absolutely nothing. The answer came to her immediately, and Brianne’s breath flowed in shallow gasps as she realized her own hands mimicked her desire, arousing her wanting flesh. And she realized nothing could stop what was about to happen. Meeting him had fanned the flame that had been lit at the moment of their first illicit glance. His sexy voice and seductive touch had sent her over the edge.

Nothing could stop the fantasy.

Nothing could stop them.

Bright light and a wash of pleasure, strong and enveloping, rushed through her. And Jake’s name was on her lips.

AFTER A LONG DAY at the hospital, Brianne headed over to the restaurant to say goodbye to Jimmy one last time. She’d promised him two weeks’ notice, but when she’d arrived and given him details, he’d practically fired her on the spot. Jimmy knew how much money was at stake and refused to let her risk losing the opportunity. More than most, Jimmy understood the freedom Rina’s payment would provide.

Brianne packed the small stash of things she kept at The Sidewalk Café, a duffel bag with feminine and emergency items, then zipped it closed. “I’m set. I hate to leave you shorthanded, though,” she said, turning to Jimmy.

He leaned both elbows on the bar. “Sweetheart, much as I love you, there’s no shortage of waitresses in New York City.”

“Are you saying you won’t even miss me when I’m gone?” She placed her hand over her heart and feigned a heavy sigh.

“You’re dedicated and loyal-but rarely on time, and you took ages and three sets of dishes to train. Remind me again why I kept you on?” He winked, and a lock of sandy-blond hair fell over his forehead.

“Oh, you.” She tossed a wet rag his way. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“Speak for yourself.” His mouth tipped upward in a grin, showing dimples that charmed many women and brought in a harem most weekend nights.

Brianne was grateful for his friendship and support, but he hadn’t appealed to her that way-not the way Jake had. And though Jimmy had asked her out, he’d always respected the boundaries of friendship and accepted her no’s after the first couple of easy letdowns. With all they had in common, he’d become her closest friend and her brother’s male role model when he was home from boarding school.

“Seriously, though, if this guy puts any moves on you, you give me a call.”

Brianne stifled a cough, knowing any moves Jake made wouldn’t be unwanted, just unwise. “Thanks, but I’ll be fine.” She slung her bag over her shoulder, refusing to let even Jimmy see her bad case of nerves over taking this new job. “And you lay off the cigarettes, okay? They’ll kill you if some woman doesn’t do it first,” she said with a grin.

He shook his head and laughed. “I’ll be at your place bright and early to help you move in.” He ignored the cigarette reference, just as she’d expected.

“You’re a prince, Jimmy.”

“That’s what they all say. You aren’t angry at me for setting this up, are you?”

“How can I be angry when you dug me out of a deep hole? I finally see daylight. I’m grateful, even if you do have a big mouth.” She grinned, letting him know she was joking. Gossip was a hazard of his bartending occupation. She couldn’t fault him.

“You’ll keep in touch?”

She nodded. “You bet. Tell Kellie I’ll call.” She had a hunch after one night in the penthouse with Jake, she’d be needing both Jimmy and Kellie’s differing gender advice. She also had her friends at the hospital, especially Sharon, another physical therapist in whom she could confide. But there was something about Jake she wanted to keep close and private, share with as few people as possible, Brianne thought.

“Take care, Bri.”

She walked around the bar and gave her best friend a hug, then she strode out into the humid evening air. Heat wafted upward from the sidewalk, but Brianne had a feeling her nights were about to get even hotter.

THE PRECINCT smelled familiar, Jake realized as he walked into the place. Musty and old with linoleum floors and chipped-paint walls, it had been the place he’d called home for many years. He’d joined the force straight out of state college and never looked back. Until now.

Nodding as he passed people in the hall, Jake entered the squad room and pulled up a chair by a metal desk. “Hey, Duke.”

“Jake, buddy, how are you doing?” Duke Russell, his good friend and fellow detective, slid his chair back and stood, clapping him on the back.

Jake swallowed hard and refrained from wincing. “Hanging in.” He settled himself into a nearby chair. “Any news on Ramirez?” Duke and Steve Vickers were feeding Jake information.

“We can keep this between us?”

“Haven’t we always?”

Duke nodded his head. “Nothing’s changed. Like I’ve been telling you, Ramirez walked out of the courtroom and, from all reports, he’s living a clean-albeit sleazy-life. Not that we’ve stopped keeping tabs on him.”

“Well, damn.” Jake reached over and grabbed a box of Tic Tacs from the corner of Duke’s desk, shaking one into his hand and popping it into his mouth. The fresh peppermint cleared his palate but not the residual sour taste from a case gone bad. He leaned forward and spoke low. “Ramirez can’t stay clean forever. His girlfriend claims she hasn’t seen him.”

“You’re on injury leave, and I told you Vickers would take care of that shit on patrol. You’re supposed to be coordinating from home. What the hell are you doing talking to Ramirez’s girlfriend? The lieutenant will have your ass if he finds out.”

Jake shrugged. “What the hell’s he going to do? Throw me off the force?” Jake didn’t know if he wanted to be there, anyway. He only knew he wasn’t leaving this case open, and as long as Ramirez was walking the street, free to peddle drugs to kids and take down good men, the case remained unsettled.

“Lowell!” The barking voice reverberated through the room. That bark had intimidated more junior officers than Jake had fingers on both hands, but he’d never let the lieutenant mess with his head. As a result, a grudging respect had developed over the years. Lieutenant Thompson didn’t appreciate Jake’s often renegade style, but as long as Jake didn’t cross the line, the lieutenant gave him leeway. Each respected the other’s boundaries.

But this injury had tested both men. Thompson wanted his detective back; Jake wanted to take his time, first on Ramirez and then on deciding what the hell life had in store. Opposing goals with no middle ground.

Until Brianne, Jake thought, realization dawning. He’d thought having her around would cause nothing but problems, but she’d just given Jake a means of keeping Thompson happy and buying himself time. He hadn’t told the lieutenant he’d been in therapy before because Thompson knew his therapist Alfonse, and Alfonse couldn’t lie worth a damn if questioned. But if anyone talked with Brianne, she’d tell the truth-Jake was being a pain in the ass and she was working on him slowly.

Jake rose from his seat and turned. “Afternoon, Lieutenant.”

“I thought I told you I didn’t want to see your sorry ass in here unless you were in rehab.”

Jake inclined his head. “Never say I don’t follow orders, Lieutenant.”

The older man snorted. “That’ll be the day.”

“No kidding. I’ve got myself my very own physical therapist. It’ll just take a while till I’m up to speed,” he said.

Thompson narrowed his eyes, his suspicion evident. “I won’t ask what changed your mind.”

“Good, because I wouldn’t tell you.”

Thompson turned his steely gaze toward Duke. “You’d better not be spilling department secrets.”

Duke shook his head. “It’s not like he’s an outsider.”

“He damn well is. At least until he aces his physical and gets his ass back in here.”

Jake laughed. “I think this is what they call talking about me like I’m not in the room.”

“Shut the hell up, Lowell.”

Jake shrugged and started for the door.

“Where are you going?” Thompson asked.

“Somewhere you won’t hear me talking, Lieutenant.” Jake infused his tone with the right amount of respect because he truly liked the older man and knew his superior had the department’s as well as Jake’s best interests at heart.

“I hear you in my sleep,” Lieutenant Thompson muttered, and Jake laughed, letting the door swing shut behind him.

In the stale-smelling hall, he slowed his steps, taking in what he knew so far. His perp was playing clean until he figured the cops were through with him. And though Lieutenant Thompson might know Jake was sniffing around, at least he now thought Jake was cooperating with therapy. He wouldn’t be too hard on him if he caught Jake looking into things behind the scenes. With his live-in therapist at work from nine to five, Jake had his daytime free to hunt around.

And he had his nights free for Brianne.

BRIANNE TRIPPED on her shoelace and paused in front of the high-rise building that housed Rina’s penthouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Jimmy had moved her in yesterday, and, to her surprise, Jake had made himself scarce. He’d shown her to her room, told her to make herself at home, and then left her to settle in, saying he had an appointment. She appreciated the respect and space he’d given her to acclimate alone to her new surroundings. When Jake was in there, the humongous apartment grew much smaller, and there seemed to be no air to breathe.

As she knelt down to tie her shoe, a humid breeze blew in the night, similar to the air that wafted through her window as she tried to sleep. Because the air-conditioning in the penthouse was cool and uncomfortable, and she’d hoped some familiarity would help her relax, she’d opened the window last night seeking the warmer air. But she’d tossed and turned, anyway, restless because of a heat that had nothing to do with Norton lying next to her or the outside temperature, and everything to do with the fire Jake ignited in her.

She double-knotted the lace, lingering over the simple task, avoiding going “home.” But eventually she had no choice. She stood, smoothing her dark green hospital scrubs and taking a deep breath for courage before facing Jake. She deliberately hadn’t changed after work, hoping the more professional she looked, the more professional she’d act. Even if Jake forced her to tease and cajole him into some form of cooperation, she planned to maintain distance.

It would take strength and fortitude not to succumb to her attraction to Jake, but she’d gathered that strength before, at the lowest point in her life. She’d just have to gather it again. Rina’s job gave her a means of achieving goals-the money to relocate to California and to continue to be close to the brother she’d raised.

Giving in to Jake’s seductive powers, succumbing to a man who valued danger and risk, couldn’t result in anything more than a short-term affair. Brianne didn’t indulge in meaningless relationships. She’d learned long ago that they failed to relieve the loneliness. And given the strength of the attraction between herself and Jake, by indulging she would only set herself up for a broken heart.

BRIANNE NELSON. Pretty name for a pretty lady, Louis thought. A name he’d had no trouble learning from the waitresses at the upscale bar Detective Lowell liked to frequent. Louis Ramirez wasn’t surprised a man like Lowell had developed an interest in the woman. Any red-blooded man would look twice. He had. And now she was bent over, tying her shoes, giving him a view of her slim waist and rounded ass. What a waste, her interest in the detective.

The damn cop thought he was so smart. Louis couldn’t stifle the snicker that escaped. He’d not only beaten the rap, he’d beaten Lowell. Lowell hadn’t been clever enough to recognize a setup. He’d gotten shot and hadn’t been strong enough to pull himself up and do the Miranda rights himself. And he hadn’t been able to keep Louis in jail. Louis loved the cop’s obvious frustration over the fact that no one could say Louis was anything but a clean citizen now. But talking to Louis’s girlfriend was taking things too far. Making things too personal.

Personal could go both ways, he thought, and watched as Brianne Nelson headed into Lowell’s building and checked in at the security desk out front. Fancy address for a cop to be hanging out. He took a drag on his cigarette, then stomped it into the ground. Lowell was a damn fool if he trusted money to keep him safe. Because if and when the time came, no doorman or security system would keep Louis out.