Part 19 (1/2)

”He was evil. Vermin of the worst kind.” The wine sloshed over onto her hand,but she didn't notice, just as she didn't notice when he plucked the gobletfrom her fingers.

”Tell me,” he urged. ”Tell me how you hurt. How I let you down and how youhate me for it. Take a swing at me if you have to. Or scream. Just let itout.”

”No, I'm ... fine now.” The words seemed torn from her, and her face was white.She blinked, then jerked her gaze toward the window. ”Jimmy?”

”Still whacking the heck out of the ball.”

”He's been practicing for hours. He's determined to win, just like his dad.”Her voice was a croak, and she cleared her throat. ”He called me Mom today. Imade a fool of myself and dripped all over him.”

”Hey, that's great, honey. About the Mom thing, I mean. Really great.”

She narrowed her gaze, back in control. ”It would have been if he'd come upwith it himself.”

He could almost hear the whine of a bullet headed straight for his head. Likeall wise cops, he ducked first. ”Come again?”

”You tricked your own son-and don't try that innocent look on me. I have mysources, too.”

He'd be d.a.m.ned if he'd feel guilty. ”I consider it more a case of finessinghim in the right direction.”

She snorted.”You ran a street con on a six-year-old.”

”Hey, now that hurts.” He did his best to look wounded. Even pressed his handto his heart. It didn't faze her. ”You know what cats are like. Independent ash.e.l.l.”

”Youtrained that animal to come when you whistled.”

”Honey, it takes a professional to train a cat. I'm just ... hey, wait aminute. Let's examine this more closely. How is it you know about thewhistling?” He crowded her against the counter, his chest rubbing a littleagainst her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and his thighs molding her. She sucked in, her eyesdarkening.

”I might have overheard part of your conversation with Jimmy,” she hedged,angling her chin at him. Like mother, like son, he realized, smiling tohimself.

”Listening at keyholes can get a lady in deep trouble, sweetheart.” Hebracketed her waist with his hands and held her still.

”It was ... inadvertent,” she declared haughtily. ”And don't try shunting yourguilt onto me, Grady Hardin. You suckered your own son into a bet you knewhe'd lose.” She poked him in the chest. ”Didn't you?”

”I'm pleading the fifth.”

He bent suddenly to kiss her hard on the mouth before drawing back again. Sheglared, but her mouth was suddenly as soft as rose petals. ”Sneaky, Hardin.Really sneaky.”

”Yeah, but like you said, I'm cute.”

He inched his hands up higher until he could run his thumbs along theunderside of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Her breath hitched, but she wouldn't yield easily.Maybe she never would. But he knew now he'd keep trying. The alternative wouldleave him too empty and lost.

”You're impossible,” she sputtered, but her gaze was on his mouth. The impactshot him past his troubled thoughts and right into sharp, angry need. Pridehad him taking his time instead of yanking down her shorts and driving intoher.

”But s.e.xy, right?”

”What you are is exasperating.” Her voice was strained and her eyes weregoing smoky.

”Admit it, honey. You're crazy about me.”

She winced. ”Don't use that word.”

He called himself a few choice names. ”Sorry, I forgot you hated it.”

”I hate the memories it evokes,” she whispered, resting her head against hisshoulder, her body still tense. He sighed and pulled her closer.

”How would you feel about a little dip after Jimmy's tucked into bed?”

She lifted her head and looked up at him. The bad memories were still there,deep in the backs of her eyes, but they were dimmer now. ”The last time yousuggested a little dip I ended up with sand in my bikini bottom and...” Hervoice faded.

He lifted a hand to brush back her hair. ”And a marriage proposal,” he finished softly, aching a little.

”Grady-”

He used his mouth to cut off the sweet little speech he saw forming in hereyes. About how much she liked him, and needed him.

”The only proposal I'm interested in right now is an indecent one.” Tosweeten the pot, he slipped one hand beneath the elastic at her waist. He feltheat through the damp silk of her panties and bit off a groan.

”How about you, honey? Are you interested?”

She drew a shaky breath. ”I just might be-later,” she whispered.

”It's a date.” Reluctantly he withdrew his hand and straightened her s.h.i.+rt.

She lifted a hand to his cheek, her gaze on his. ”About that trick youpulled,” she said softly. ”Thank you.”

Don't thank me, he wanted to shout. Just love me. Instead, he offered her alazy grin and kissed the tip of her nose. ”You can pay me back later, honey.”He leaned closer to whisper a very graphic suggestion in her ear.

When she blushed, he kissed her again and felt the tiny s.h.i.+vers run throughher.

It was enough, he reminded himself. At the moment it was all he had.

Chapter 12.

Brenda pulled into the apartment lot, her stomach feeling like she'd eatensomething rotten. Her heart was beating so violently she felt faint.

It was almost five-thirty and Monk was due home sometime tonight. He'd beenon the road for a week, and like always, he would expect dinner to be readywhen he walked in the door.

It wasn't her fault the battery in the old Chevy had gone dead, she toldherself as she scrambled out and reached behind the seat for the groceries.With the rain and all, it had taken her forty minutes to find someone to giveher a jump start. The old guy who'd helped her had been real nice, too,offering to follow her back to the apartment, just to make sure the rusted-outjunker didn't stall out.

Brenda had been tempted, what with the gangs taking potshots at each other inher neighborhood the way they'd been doin' these past months, only she'd beenscared that Monk would find out.

Monk didn't like her talking to strangers. He hated anyone knowing theirbusiness. Things were real bad right now, so more trouble was the last thingshe needed.

Monk had always been moody, but he'd never been mean. Oh, maybe he got alittle rough in bed, but that was the way men got sometimes. Her stepfatherhad been a lot rougher when he'd raped her when she was twelve.

Monk really loved her, she was sure of that. But since Missy had died, he'dbeen kind of weird, sometimes staring at her with the strangest look on hisface. Like he was trying to figure something out in his head.