Brody & Hannigan 02 - Grand Theft Lotto (10 page)

But it was.

Brody made a humming sound low in his throat as he felt for a pulse. He looked up at Hannigan, his gaze sympathetic. "I'm sorry."

Hannigan stared at her cousin's body, feeling strangely numb. She knew that sensation wouldn't last, but for now, she supposed, it was a blessing. As she looked away from her cousin's slack features, she saw a piece of paper sticking out of the half-zipped pocket of the leather jacket. "What's that?" she asked, pointing.

Brody took the corner of the paper carefully between his thumb and forefinger and pulled it free. He stared at it a moment, his head lowered, then held it up for Hannigan to see.

It was the missing lotto ticket.

Epilogue

"I doubt my mother will want to claim the prize."

Brody stirred from a half-doze and looked down at the top of his partner's head. "It's not her fault her cousin's kids were criminals."

"She'll think it's tainted money."

"Then accept it and give it to charity."

He felt her soft, warm breath against his chest. "I'll suggest it to her."

Hannigan fell silent again, but he could feel the tension in her body where it nestled in the curve of his own. They'd been at the crime scene until well after midnight, then broke the news to her mother soon afterwards. Morning was a gray promise out his loft window by the time they'd made it back to his place and sank into a tangled knot together on his sofa.

"I'm sorry for what you had to do tonight. I'm sorry your cousin put you in that position."

She rubbed her pointed little chin against his breastbone. "Me, too. And I'm sorry that once again, we end up in your place with all our clothes on and our virtue intact." Her soft gray eyes glittered up at him in the dim light seeping through the windows. "Are we doomed?"

He laughed at the question. "No, not doomed. Just too tired to do anything about it at the moment."

She looked up at him, her dark eyebrows peaked. "Oh, Brody. You slacker."

He let his hand slide down her back and come to rest on the curve of her buttocks. He gave her backside a light slap. "I could be persuaded to give it my best shot, but only if you promise to grade me on a curve."

For a second, alarm flickered in her gray eyes. "We're giving grades?"

He realized, with surprise, that it was a serious question. "I don't have any expectations, if that's what you're asking. I know I want you. I know you're sexy as hell and you're smart and inventive and everything in the world I have ever wanted from a woman."

Well, damn, he thought, as tears welled up in her eyes. He made her cry? He hadn't meant to make her cry.

She swiped at the tears with her thumb. "I ought to do you right now just for saying that, but honestly, I'm feeling a little blue after all that's happened in the past few days. I don't want our first time together to be comfort sex. Do you?"

"I'm for sex with you however and whenever it happens," he confessed with a sheepish grin. "But I agree the first time should be special."

She pressed her cheek to his chest. "We could fool around a little if you want, though. You haven't been to third base yet."

He gave another light pat to her bottom. "Are we talking the traditional third base or the new version?"

She looked up at him with alarm. "There's more than one version?"

He whispered the more modern definition in her ear, grinning as her eyes widened.

"That might as well be a home run," she said, looking comically shocked. "Kids today!"

"Why don't we do this?" he suggested, moving his hand up her back to cup the nape of her neck. "We'll go with traditional rules for now. Oh, look! First base!" He kissed her softly for a moment, then parted her lips with his tongue. She tangled her tongue around his, her hands tightening in the fabric of his shirt.

"Wow," she murmured against his mouth when he let her up for air. "Nice base hit there, slugger."

"Wasn't it?" He kissed her again. "Why don't we spend a little time on first base for now."

She kissed him back, snuggling closer. "I like first base."

"Me, too." He brushed his lips against her forehead, not missing the melancholy tone of her voice, even as she played along with the game. She might be putting on a pretty good front, but her heart had been banged up pretty badly by her cousin's betrayal. Family was a touchy subject for both of them, but for Hannigan, it could be a minefield.

He knew there were things she hadn't told him about her life before Weatherford. Bad things. He'd been tempted, more than once, to look into her past on the sly, but she'd never forgive him such an invasion of her privacy. When she was ready to tell him what it was that haunted her gray eyes sometimes when she didn't know he was looking, she'd tell him.

Meanwhile, he had a few secrets of his own he supposed he needed to share with her if they were ever going to have any kind of relationship.

"You know," she murmured against his jaw, "you could try to steal second. I don't have that good an arm. I might not throw you out."

He slid his hand down to her breast, his thumb brushing over the tight peak evident even through her clothes. "And he slides under the tag. Is he safe or out?"

She arched into his touch. "Safe. Definitely safe."

For now,
he thought.

We're safe for now.

Thank you!

Thank you for reading Grand Theft Lotto. I hope you enjoyed spending time with Brody and Hannigan.

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Independently Published:

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**Brody & Hannigan Mysteries

Copyright 2013 Paula Graves

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Copyright 20
13 Paula Graves

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblances to the actions persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.