Harlequin Intrigue April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Carol Ericson (beginner reading books for adults .txt) 📗

of interconnecting loops, drawn onto the bomb with a thick black marker. Different enough from the symbol over Celia’s body in that alley, spray-painted onto the stucco wall of the adjacent building in bloodred. But the design itself was the same, the loops that looked almost childish. If all of this was connected, if she had a shot at solving her husband’s murder, that symbol was the key.

The melodic ring of her doorbell startled her, made her glance at the credenza in the corner where she’d stashed her weapon. Few people knew exactly where she lived. Even fewer would visit.

She considered ignoring it, but curiosity got the better of her and she strode to the door. When she peered through the peephole, there was Jax on her front porch, shivering in a dark coat and looking tired. Patches was at his side, her head swiveling from him to the door, as if she knew Keara had stepped up to the other side.

It had been a long time since she’d felt attracted to someone. Sure, she’d had brief flashes of awareness in Alaska when she crossed paths with someone, but nothing that lasted more than a few minutes. With Jax, the attraction seemed to grow each time she saw him, with each new detail she noticed. The surprising muscles in his arms when he’d stripped down to a T-shirt in the hotel lobby, the intuitiveness of his gaze when she was holding something back, the hint of a dimple that popped on his right cheek when he gave a full-blown grin, usually at Patches.

More than simple attraction, though, she felt a connection with Jax. Some invisible pull, a desire to simply sit beside him and soak in his presence. She’d tried to ignore the feeling, but right now she felt that pull even more than usual.

“It’s the wine,” she muttered, resting her forehead against the door, anxious at such a simple decision. Open the door and let him in? Or pretend not to be home?

Woof!

A smile burst free and Keara had to smother the giggle that wanted to follow. Any man who could inspire such loyalty from a dog like Patches had to be a good one. And maybe the fact that he lived so far away was a plus. Anchorage was definitely past the point of being practical for a relationship, so that alone should avoid any awkwardness when it was time for him to leave.

He might be FBI, but he wasn’t a law-enforcement officer. He wasn’t in the thick of danger, wasn’t someone she’d have to constantly worry about.

Not that it really mattered. She didn’t want anything serious. Not now. Probably never again.

But a fling with a handsome, intelligent, sensitive man? Maybe it was time.

Taking a deep breath, Keara opened the door.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The door swung open and Keara swayed forward, her gaze locked on his and lips parted. He’d never seen her hair down before, but right now it hung long, silky and loose, perfectly straight over her shoulders. She was dressed casually, in jeans and a well-worn long-sleeved T-shirt that looked soft to the touch and showed off curves her police uniform hid. Even her expression was less guarded, softer.

“Come in,” she said, her voice huskier than usual.

Patches bounded inside at the invitation, but warning bells went off in Jax’s head, despite the desire stirring in his belly.

He could see it in her low-lidded gaze. She thought he was here for a totally different reason than the agreed-upon plan to investigate together. Of course, she’d never given him her address, never invited him over. It had been foolish to show up without calling. Especially at nine o’ clock at night.

But after yet another day of nonstop visits with victims and family members, feeling no closer to bringing any of them real closure, he’d just wanted to see Keara. To sit across from her and watch the way her lips pursed when she was deep in thought, see the determination in her gaze and posture when she thought she was onto something. To soak up her presence and soothe his own frustrated nerves.

So he’d managed to get her home address out of Luna’s police chief, under the pretense that he was keeping her apprised of the investigation, and she was keeping them informed of anything suspicious in Desparre.

It had been stupid and selfish, he realized now as Keara raised her eyebrows at him, the corners of her lips twisting up in an expression that looked like a dare. Red wine stained her lips with a hint of purple.

He tried to come up with an excuse to leave, but then she licked those lips and he was moving forward without conscious intent.

She pushed the door closed behind him, leaning against him as she did it, and the brief contact made his mouth go dry.

This close, he could see the ring of slightly lighter brown at the center of her coffee-colored irises. He could smell a rich cabernet, subtle enough that he doubted she’d drank a lot. And it wasn’t just her well-worn T-shirt that was soft; it was also her skin.

She blinked up at him, her chest rising and falling faster, and he could feel his own breathing pick up in response.

He’d been drawn to her from the first day they’d met. So when she swayed forward again—or had he leaned toward her?—he ignored the voice in his head telling him this was the wrong time. Threading his fingers through hers, he tugged gently and then she was pressing against him, up on her tiptoes.

The first contact of her lips sent a spark through his body like he’d given himself an electric shock. Then he closed his mouth around her bottom lip and tasted the cabernet she’d been drinking.

She let out a noise that was half-sigh, half-moan and pushed higher on her toes, her free hand tangling in his hair and pulling him closer. Then her tongue was in his mouth and her kisses turned fast and frantic.

Jax wrapped