Part 12 (1/2)

Keri was momentarily stunned by the sudden change of direction and body heat. Her head felt dizzy and she looked around, readjusting * 111 *

to her surroundings. Alex took her hand and led her out of the bar, waving to Davis as they exited.

”Are you all right?” she asked when they reached the 'Vette. She held the pa.s.senger door open.

”I'm ne.” Keri slid into the seat. ”Did I do something wrong?”

She couldn't stop the relatively insigni cant question, hoping to forestall the more fundamental queries that screamed for answers.

”No, we made contact and it went well, overall.” Alex rolled down her window to allow the cool night air to dissipate the heat that still simmered between them. ”That was quite a performance in there. You did a good job.”

”What makes you think it was a performance? I need to tell you-”

”No, you don't. We'll do the critique tomorrow.” Alex drove out of the lot.

Keri squeezed the console until her knuckles turned white. She wanted to apologize for her Bogart behavior and the inappropriate touching. ”This isn't about the operation.”

”Then I'm sure it can wait.” Alex knew she couldn't bear the verbalization of what was so plain on Keri's face. It was hard enough to remain focused on the job. She retrieved the walkie-talkie from the glove box and cleared all the surveillance units, then asked Beth to switch to the supervisory frequency. She clicked over and waited, painfully aware of Keri staring out the pa.s.senger's window.

”Go ahead, Lieutenant.”

”Beth, meet me at Northeast Center.”

”Sure, boss.”

Alex switched the radio off and clutched the steering wheel, eyes on the street ahead.

”Why did you dance with her?” Keri's voice quivered.

”It was our exit strategy.” Alex kept her tone even and free of emotion. ”You did exactly what I hoped you would and it worked perfectly.”

”But how did you know I'd be so...predictable?”

Her pained look made Alex want to reach over and hug her. ”I think you know the answer, and this is not the right time to discuss it.”

”Is it the physical touching you can't stand, or the intimacy?” Keri inched as soon as she'd spoken. Alex had tried to end the conversation, * 112 *

and that was the smart thing to do. Only she couldn't let it go. One moment they'd been dancing and kissing like nothing else mattered, the next Alex had rejected her. She remembered Alex's withdrawal from her in the locker room and contrasted that to the blonde fondling her on the dance oor earlier.

Alex turned a hard, icy stare on her. ”You're out of line, Morgan.”

She parked in the shopping center lot and prayed for Beth to hurry.

Her nerves were on edge and her resistance nearly nonexistent.

”I'm sorry,” Keri blurted. ”Please, let me stay on the team.”

Before Alex could unleash the torrent of emotion Keri had tapped into, Beth pulled her vehicle alongside and cut her engine. Alex bit back the words she knew she would regret. She needed to get some distance.

”Keri, let's go.” Beth jerked her head toward the vacant seat beside her.

Keri started to object but Beth's expression and Alex's silence stopped her. She waited until Alex's eyes returned to her, now misty with emotion.

”I'm sorry if I offended you,” she stammered.

”Go home and get some sleep, Morgan,” came the cool response.

Alex's face gave nothing away. ”You're still on the team.”

On their ride back to the of ce, Beth asked, ”What's going on with the two of you? Something happened...spill it.”

Keri furiously stroked her lucky key ring and stared out the window. ”It's like I don't exist beyond this a.s.signment.”

”It's not about you. Alex has a lot on her mind. This case can make or break her and everyone else involved. You included.”

”It feels like it's more complicated than that.”

”It's not personal,” Beth said. ”Alex doesn't know you very well and this operation means a lot to her. She won't forgive herself if Davis caused Stacey Chambers's death and she doesn't nail him. This isn't the best time to be digging in the boneyard and scratching at scabs.”

”I know that kind of pain,” Keri said. ”No one gets to leave it behind.”

”That's right. So let her deal with it in her own time.” Beth parked and killed the engine. ”Now...are you going to tell me what happened tonight?”

* 113 *

”Maybe tomorrow.” Keri reminded herself that Beth and Alex were close friends, not just colleagues. She wasn't sure if she wanted to con de in a woman who would probably pa.s.s on key information to Alex. ”I'm tired,” she said, opening her door.

”Don't spend all night thinking about this,” Beth warned gently.

”I hear you, Sarge, and you're right. There's no point losing sleep over things I can't change.” With a quick good night, Keri left the car and walked dejectedly toward her Jeep.

* 114 *

CHAPTER TEN.

While she waited for the team to a.s.semble for the morning critique, Alex sipped coffee and pencil-drummed her desk.

Her mind replayed last evening's disturbing events: Keri's hand sliding up her thigh; Keri's leg tting perfectly into the Y of her body; Keri's arm around her waist and their b.r.e.a.s.t.s pressing painfully against each other's erect nipples. But most distracting was the consuming hunger of their kiss. She fought the urge to close her legs around the gathering heat. Alex hadn't felt so excited by a touch or a kiss since Helen. But Keri Morgan was probably just as dangerous as Helen, for different reasons-maybe even more so.

With Helen their connection had been all about control and s.e.x. But Keri seemed genuinely interested in her feelings. And then there was the emotional hand grenade Keri lobbed into her lap before leaving her alone and aching in the car. Alex had never considered herself some sort of twisted m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t. But maybe she needed Helen's variety of rough physicality or the anonymity of strangers to feel alive.

Perhaps she was incapable of the intimate connections borne of human kindness. Her history of it with women was certainly nonexistent.

Beth's laughter drifted down the hall, signaling the end of the formal lineup session. Alex headed for the conference room, imposing self-discipline so she could distance herself from thoughts of Keri.

After congratulating the team on their work last night, she asked Rick and Paige, ”Did we get pictures of Davis's a.s.sociates? I'm a.s.suming they came in through the front.”