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"It’s my house"

"And if I’ve worn outby the dining table, Darcy faced hiave her the look of having her shit together even if she didn’t Jared had put his shirt on He was now leaning with his hip against the counter and his legs crossed at the ankle The leisurely pose didn’t fool her for a ht Watchful Ready

She hit hiile this "

One ar to his lips He sed and nodded "I’m a bit raw ed a sood idea for you to ith Jim today I’ll see what I can do to help your partner and Miller We can sleep off some of the hors look toree to the break, but it would be best for everyone if I didn’t see Ralston again"

"He’s daood at his job He trained me"

"He could be the best damn fire inspector in the country; that won’t stophiain"

"He had no way of knoe’dto be a good friend, which is all he’s been for the last couple of years"

Jared took another sip, his gaze locked with hers over the lip of the ot thein, and he pushed a little to try and puthiht now I don’t have anything to give you I’m all tapped out You were just supposed to be a vibrator that didn’t need batteries"

His eyes were as hard and beautiful as sapphires "And you were just supposed to be a hot piece of ass Instead, this is getting messy Deal with it I want you and I can’t turn it off And when I’ you, I don’t want to turn it off, and you don’t wantto shut us doith so, but we’ll be back at each other in no ti your word for it I’ll see for"I need to change into fresh clothes and grab sos from the motel Then I want to head out to the other two scenes I’d prefer it if you’d takeelse out"

"Opposed," she repeated, laughing without huo together"

She stood and mentally dusted herself off "Do you need to eat?"

"Not yet"

"Okay, then I’o when you are"

Chapter seven

Trish was just leaving the motel when Darcy pulled her BMW into a spot in front of Jared’s ground-floor room He clireeted her, frowning at her obvious agitation "What’s up?"

"Miller is cha at the bit to hold a press conference He thinks if we put the heat on the arsonist, he’ll move on"

"Genius," Jared muttered "Make our torch someone else’s problem"

"I reminded him--firmly--that this is our case and we’ll decide how to proceed" Her pretty face was hard and her choice of attire betrayed her determination to establish her control of the situation Usually a jeans and blouse sort of gal, she earing slacks and a blazer today

"Hoell does he listen?"

She shrugged with a wry siveto head into the station and keep an eye on hiot the inspector’s files for you to run through while I’lanced at Darcy and gestured for her to join them "We also need to follow up on the vacation homes There’s a steady streah the town The full-time residents aren’t the only ones who know the ins and outs of the area"

"I like your jeans, by the way," Trish said, as Darcy unfolded froood on you yesterday, too"

He shot her a withering glance, to which she laughed When Darcy came up beside him, he introduced the two