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."You don't want to hear this."He tried to catch her eye, but she'd dipped her head.Did she really think she could say somethingthat would shock him? "Honey, unless it involves necrophilia, I've probably heard it."She bit her lip."Remember me asking you about Constable Newman at Ray and Grace'sbarbecue?""Goddammit.""See?" Her eyes flashed at him."I told you wouldn't want to hear this."He took a deep breath, forcing the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach down."It's okay.Go on.I'lllet you finish."She trained her gaze directly ahead as she spoke."I'd left my wine glass unattended for a fewminutes, and when I came back to reclaim it, he made a point of telling me I shouldn't do that, thatanyone could come along and spike it.That even in little old Fredericton, Rohypnol was not anunknown commodity."Cripes."Maybe it was a friendly warning.""Maybe.""Did you get a bad vibe off him?"Her brow creased."I don't know.""You don't know? Suzannah, either you did or you didn't.""Okay, I did." She turned to look him square in the eye."But it was more like he wanted to jerk mearound just a little, score a point or two off the Ice Princess.But now." She shrugged, letting herwords tail off.Quigg swore softly.She dropped her gaze to her hands, which were clasped in her lap, but notbefore he glimpsed something in her eyes.Resignation? Was that it?Ah, hell.She thought he'd dismiss her concern, take Newman's side automatically.Which he would have done a week ago.Which he should do even now.The realization sent ashock through him.The unspoken code pretty much demanded his first loyalty had to be to his fellow officers, and forgood reason.Cops counted on other cops for effective backup when a situation went sour.The minuteyou broke with that code was the minute you could stop feeling like that backup would be there foryou a hundred percent.How far down this road was he prepared to go?His gaze shifted to her face, but she seemed to be engrossed in a study of her hands.She'd pinnedher hair up in one of those casual dos, exposing the slim, vulnerable line of her nape.He placed ahand over hers and her gaze flew to his face."I'll look into it," he heard himself say."Thank you."Two words.A simple thank you.But there was nothing simple about the charge of emotion thatrocketed through him as their gazes met, clung.How far down the road was he prepared to go? Is that what he'd just asked himself? God helphim, maybe he'd already passed the point of no return.Dragging his gaze away, he gunned the motor,put the car in gear and reversed out of the parking space.* * *The ride back to her place was accomplished in silence.Occasionally, Suzannah stole glances atJohn.In profile, his face looked dark, hard, remote.But for a few seconds - seconds which hadstretched out like eons - she'd seen the stark need in his eyes, as deep and frightening and inescapableas her own.The time had come.Her heart took a leaping bound in her chest at the realization.The balance had been slowly shiftingover these past weeks, bringing her to this moment.The moment when the need to have this man, topossess and be possessed by him, outweighed the fear.* * *Bandy greeted them ecstatically at the door, his stout body waggling with the swishing of his tail.Suzannah bent to bestow an enthusiastic petting before Bandy decided he had to demand it."You be okay for a few minutes if I take him out for a spin around the block?"She straightened to see John standing there with Bandy's leash.He'd ditched his jacket and tie androlled up the sleeves of his hopelessly creased shirt to reveal strong, tanned forearms.Patience, Suz."Of course.I've got some calls to make.Vince made me promise to call when I got home."He bent to clip the lead on Bandy's collar."Lock up after me, and arm the alarm," he instructed,using that authoritative tone she suspected they must teach in academy."I don't want to hear anyprotests about it being broad daylight, either.""Don't worry.I may be stubborn, but I'm not stupid.I've just seen what can happen in broaddaylight."A muscle flexed in his jaw."I won't be twenty minutes."Suzannah locked up behind him as instructed, then called Vince.He'd been shaken when she'dcalled him from hospital to explain why she'd gone AWOL.She'd had to be very forceful to preventhim cancelling his afternoon examination for discovery and rushing to the ER [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]