Deadly Desire (Carrington-Hill Investigations Book 2) (7 page)

The waiter appeared
, and Collin signed the bill and stood. He slipped his fingers through hers and kissed her cheek. More cameras flashed, taking pictures as Collin and Sara walked hand in hand and stepped onto the elevator, followed by Regina. With the door closed, Sara pulled her Glock out of her ankle holster. The tension in the elevator was thick. Everyone was silent as they watched the red numbers moving up until the elevator dinged the arrival to their floor. Sara poked her head out, making sure the hall was clear before she motioned for them to move. She slid her card key in the slot, pushed the door open, and pulled Collin inside.

“Don’t you think the gun is a little much?
”

“No.”

“They just wanted my autographs and pictures. It happens everywhere I go.”

“It sucks to be you.”
Sara checked the bathroom. “One of them could’ve been your stalker.”

He stood unmoving with his arms pegged against his chest. A move she’d only ever seen him do when he got defensive
, which didn’t happen often. “I’m not going to be scared into hiding. I have obligations to fulfill.”

His voice held a hint of annoyance. No
, not annoyance, anger. Laying her gun on the night stand, she sat down on her bed. “Are they worth risking your life?” She glanced up. “Because that’s what you’re doing. I can’t protect you during all of these appearances and impromptu fan mobs. You’re going to have to compromise.”

“You don’t understand.” He turned his back on her.

She abruptly stood. This was a conversation they needed to have. She needed to understand what made him tick; she needed to understand what was going on in his head. “Then explain it to me,” she demanded in her hardened tone without a hint of sympathy, fake or real. “You can live without being the center of attention for two weeks; it’s not going to kill you, but the stalker might.”

He spun around and closed the distance between them. Molten blue swirled in his eyes like an angry storm fighting to break free. He grabbed her arms. “Is that what you think? That I’m so shallow that all I care about is get
ting my fucking picture taken? I already told you it was for charity.”

Sara pointed to the door. “You can fool yourself
, Collin, but you can’t fool me. Those women didn’t care about how much money you’re bringing to the charity; they weren’t pulling out their checkbooks to write charity donations for tonight. That mob scene was unnecessary.” Sara sighed with exasperation. “Explain to me why this is so important.” She demanded. She balled her fist and clenched her teeth. Why in the hell didn’t he understand that he was in danger… and not from the mob of women but from a god damn killer!

H
is hands fell to his sides, and he stepped back and again turned his back on her. “These foundations count on me. I don’t know why people peg me as famous or why they’re willing to pay money to get their pictures taken with me. But if money from just my presence can save one life, then it was worth it.”

She stepped up behind him and placed her palms
on his arms. “I’m sorry, Collin, but you’re going to have to face facts. Some lunatic is willing to kill to get her hands on you.”

He turned and placed his palm on her face. Acutely aware of his proximity, she noticed the lines around his mouth soften. He slowly leaned down. When he spoke next, it was against her lips. “If you’re my girlfriend, they’re going to expect me to kiss you.”

He did a complete one-eighty right before her eyes. Nowhere in their conversation had they been discussing whether or not she could pull off acting like his girlfriend. Her eyes searched his, looking for answers to her unspoken question. She wasn’t sure if she leaned in to close the gap between them or if he had. His arms came around her and pulled her close to his body as he pressed his unrelenting lips to hers. It only lasted mere seconds before he pulled back, but it was enough of a taste and a tease for her to realize she wanted more of his touch, more of his mouth.
Double damn fire.
She stepped back, shaking the crazy thoughts from her head.

“What was that for?”

He gave her a lopsided grin, not that of a confident man, but as one testing the boundaries after walking his date to the door and debating on whether to give her a good-night kiss after a first date. “Figured we needed to get that out of the way if your performance tonight is going to be believable.”

She glanced down at her watch and walked to the door separating their rooms. She flicked the lock and pulled the door open. “
You need a time out, and I need to start getting ready.”

Stepping into his room, Sara checked every nook and cranny before she deemed it safe for him to enter. She walked to the door and flicked the extra latch on the door to ensure he was secure
and safe for the time being. “I’ll feel better if we keep the door open until we leave.”

Resting his palm on her shoulder
, he leaned over and kissed her cheek before disappearing into his room
. Rein it in, Sara. Now is not the time
. She checked herself against familiar lust brewing inside of her; the heat searing down-to-your-bones kind that only he seemed to have figured out how to trigger from her. Damn, just what the hell had she gotten herself into? She went back to her room, all the while listening to the news he was watching on the television next door. She heard him puttering around even as she went about getting ready.

She stepped into the floor
-length black silk dress, laced her arms through the spaghetti straps, and zipped it as far as she could reach, leaving her back half exposed. She struggled to pull up the damn zipper, struggling for just the right angle, only stopping when the muscle in her arm cramped. She knocked on the open door to Collin’s room before walking in. Seeing him in his tighty-whities was the last thing she needed. She envisioned that picture and amended that he was probably a boxer guy. He was lounging against the headboard, already dressed in his tuxedo pants. His jacket hung off a nearby chair, and his crisp white shirt hung buttoned but un-tucked.

“Damn, I guess I’ll never know.”

He quirked a brow. “Know what?”

“Boxers or briefs.”

He chuckled as he slid off the bed. “There’s still time for you to find out.”

She turned
, showing him her back. “Do you mind?”

Over her shoulder
, she watched as his eyes seemed to undress her and delivered a nonverbal invitation in the smoldering depths. It would be way too easy to get lost in the way he looked at her. Her breath hitched when his fingers touched her bare flesh, sending shivers down her spine. What should have been a simple soft touch could have turned into so much more if she’d relented and given in. The small of her back was a small void untouched in what seems like years. His touch was almost enough for her to throw caution to the wind and turn into his hands, wanting a more intimate caress.

She glanced over her shoulder. “And that’s not an invitation
, Romeo. The direction is north.”

His fingers brushed her skin
, and they moved down to grasp the zipper, giving it a slow, agonizing tug into place. Pure torture and the sad part was that she’d asked for it. 

His palms moved to caress her arms. His hot breath brushed the crook of her shoulder up to her neck. His voice was low and purposefully seductive as he whispered into her ear. “You’re beautiful.”

She turned in his arms, trying desperately to keep her composure. His body was mere inches from hers. Her body stirred, hyper aware of how close he was. A heated silence between them grew as she stood in place unable to move, not that she would have, not that she could have. She drew in a deep breath. “No, no, no, Romeo. Keep your hormones in check. Little Collin can’t come out to play.

“He’s anything but little
, baby.”

Her gaze landed on his full
, kissable lips before moving the short distance to his eyes. Her throat constricted as she broke through the trance he held on her. “We’re going to be late.”

She recognized his momentary hesitation before he dropped his hands to his side
s.

She waited as he tucked in his shirt
, wishing it were her hands she was shoving down the front of his pants. For research’s sake, she tried to tell herself she needed the answer to her underwear question. He grabbed his tuxedo jacket and slid it on as she left the room. He waited for her while she grabbed her clutch with the gun stuffed inside. It was going to be one hell of a long night.

Her black sheath
dress had no give for hiding a gun underneath. Hell, it barely left her any room to breathe, and the seams were stretched so tight there was no way in hell she’d be bending over tonight. She was forced to carry her gun the old-fashioned way and hope that would be enough to keep him alive.

Chapter 8

Sara ran through
the current list of suspicious people she wanted to question as they rode the elevator down to the lobby. Regina and Drew topped the list. She knew so little about each of them, and they did have direct access to not only his house but to Collin. She needed to rule them out before anyone else. She also had yet to meet Collin’s publicist, Maureen, as well as the blogger guy and the ex-girlfriend squirreled away. Maybe his ex had noticed someone unusual lurking around since she’d bumped into Collin. One could hope, even if she was grasping at straws. Her list of persons-of-interest was endless. It could have been any one of the female population or gay male population for that matter. Or, crap, even a man holding a grudge. Her mind spun from the endless possibilities, but her gut instinct was a stalker, someone who had an unhealthy fixation on him. Collin was, after all, sex on stick.

“Tell me why Regina isn’t coming down with us.
She came all this way, so I would assume she’d want to enjoy the party.”

Collin placed his hand on Sara’s back. “She doesn’t like all the cameras.”

They stepped into the ballroom and were immediately bombarded by flashing lights. Sara tried to smile through the pandemonium, even though her nerves were strung tight. It would be hard to catch a killer if she couldn’t freakin’ see. Collin steered her, through the hordes of reporters, with his hand on the small of her lower back. Reporters continued to yell questions at them, to them, about them, wanting to know who she was and how long they’d been dating.

When the black dots cleared from Sara’s vision, she searched the surrounding sea of faces for threats
. She cleared the area the way a cougar on the prowl looks for new prey, and she wasn’t referring to the animal. Every woman and man that came close to them was in her radar. She tightened the hold on her clutch. Large open spaces and unknown people had her heart racing. Collin pulled her into his arms and kissed her cheek.

“You’ve got to relax, Sara. You’re not very convinci
ng as a woman in love. I thought that was what we were going for.”

She ignored the chandeliers and twinkling lights
, completely blocking out the conversation and clinking of glasses around her as she slid her free palm up the lapel of his jacket and around his neck. Pulling him closer, she whispered what she’d been trying to block from her mind, “My money is on boxers.”

S
he crushed her lips to his, eating him up and paying him back for how he made her feel. Turnabout was fair play, and it was damn sure his turn. His arms around her tightened, drawing her chest flush against his. She parted her mouth and ran the tip of her tongue along the seam of his lips. His lips parted, and that was the only invitation she needed. Her tongue dueled with his in a sensual kiss dominating and demanding, giving any onlookers a good show. There wouldn’t be any question as to whether she wanted this man, no matter the circumstances, because she damn sure did. His palms caressed her back even as he tilted his head, deepening the kiss. He moaned deep in his chest as she nipped his lips once more and pulled back. “I’m right, aren’t I? You’re a boxer guy?

His eyes were glazed,
and his lips held a tint of her lipstick. She reached up and rubbed her finger over the stain, removing any trace of their heated embrace. He captured her hand and placed a gentle kiss on her fingertip. His usually confident voice was strained with the same desire she was feeling. “Why don’t we go back to the room and you can find out?”

He leaned in again
, but the sound of someone clearing their throat made him pause before he’d made contact, completely ruining his chance to make good on his statement. He straightened and tugged at the bottom of his coat. His other hand tightened around her hip, pulling her closer to his side.

“Sanchez, what are you doing here?” Collin asked in a thick voice.

“I didn’t believe the papers were true. I couldn’t believe you’d stoop to such a new low.” The portly man with the receding hairline set his gaze on Sara, and then he ran his gaze the length of her dress and back up.

“Eyes up here
, buddy.”

The
redhead on his arm looked vaguely familiar, but Sara couldn’t place her. “I had to see for my own eyes.”

“See what?”

“That you would actually put another woman in danger after both of those deaths. Awfully brave of you.” He glanced at Sara inquisitively, as if trying to figure her out. “And not very smart of you, sweetheart.”

She immediately remembered the name. T
he internet blogger who’d done the exposé and put those women in danger. She held out her hand and stepped out of Collin’s hold and closer to the blogger. “Actually Mr. Sanchez, it’s because of you that Collin’s in this predicament.” She let her gaze run down his body and back up, as he’d done to her. “Let me guess…you’re gay and want him all for yourself.”

It wasn’t until the redhead
popped her pink gum that Sara remembered where she knew her from and why she looked so different. It was Little Ms. Ray of Sunshine, the sheriff’s daughter that had attached herself to Sanchez’s arm. No longer brunette, or blonde, now she was trying her hand at being a redhead. Remembering the Sheriff’s comment, Sara surmised that the wind must be blowing outside.
Perfect match
. She silently thought to herself.

Marvin Sanchez lifted a brow above his beady eyes and smirked as he un
tangled the woman’s hand from around his arm and clasped Sara’s hand with both of his. “I’m definitely not gay, honey.” He stepped closer into her space. “And I don’t know how you can blame the deaths on me.”

“It was your expos
é that put a face and name to each of those women from his past, exposing them as targets.” Sara squeezed his hand, crushing the jerk’s fingers in her grip. “If it weren’t for you, they might still be alive, but I’m going to tell you how you can make this right.”

Sanchez chuckled. “And how’s that
, sugar? You going to threaten to take down my blog, print a retraction? All I did was report the truth, and anyone with half a brain could have found the information themselves.”

Sara’s grin grew wider. “Mr. Sanchez
, when you start digging a little deeper into who I really am, which we both know you will, you’ll figure out that not only am I capable of removing the list for you, but with one phone call and a few clicks, I can make it seem as though you never existed. Now let’s be friends.” She patted his face. “I want you to plaster pictures of the two of us together on your website. I want the whole world to see how much we’re in love.”

He jerked his hand away from hers. “Who the hell are you?”

She blew him a kiss and winked. “Crossed, I’m your worst nightmare,
sugar,
but if you cooperate, then maybe we’ll give you an exclusive.”

Okay
, so maybe she was bluffing a little bit about erasing his identity, but she damn sure knew the type of people that could and would do that for her, with no questions asked. She’d met all types of people while working for the FBI, most of them agents, some that ran on the other side of the tracks, but what Mr. Sanchez didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. She gave him the ultimate disrespect and turned her back on him, and then she stepped up to Collin. “I’m thirsty and bored, baby. Wanna mingle?”

Collin glanced over her head before meeting her gaze. He slid her hand in
to the crook of his arm and steered her away. When they reached the bar, he ordered himself a beer and she ordered a martini. What she really needed was a shot, a strong one. She wouldn’t be drinking alcohol, but she could make sure that she looked the part.

Collin leaned against the bar and turned to her while they waited. “That was pretty brave of you,
sugar
.”

Sara glanced across the room to find Sanchez still staring at her and
, from his expression, he was still trying to figure out just who the hell she was. She’d left him intrigued, just as she’d planned. “What’s the story between you two?”

Collin took a sip of the beer placed
, on the counter, in front of him. “Believe it or not, he was the football jock in school and I was the nerd but there isn’t any animosity between us. I think he likes the limelight and he’s using me as a stepping stone and, to be honest, I didn’t mind until he did the expose on my exes.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she turned back to him.  There wasn’t much that could shock Sara, but his confession sure did. “Not the other way around?” She gestured to his muscular body and sexy
-as-sin good looks. “You haven’t always been the stud the magazines claimed?”

He chuckled. “Hardly.”

He entwined their fingers and moved her through the room to an empty table around the dance floor. “I was a computer geek. Most of my high school life was spent in front of the computer. I earned my first million before I even graduated college. The looks and body didn’t come until later.”

“Why were you all of a sudden worried about your looks?
Not getting enough action?”

“Nah, nothing like that; it was never about my ego. My older brother joined the military and came home from Afghanistan with an injured leg. I helped him get better. I started working out with him in an attempt to push him harder and the rest
, as they say, is history.”

Her mouth parted in surprise and she snapped it closed.
For once she kept the snappy retort to herself. Miracles did happen every day.

“Now you understand why I’ve got this inner need to help people and do the right thing.”

“You’re gay, aren’t you?” She waved her hand to encompass his body. “Because there’s no way you’re the total package without a flaw. It’s not Christmas, and I haven’t been that good.” What she’d read over the last couple of years, in the papers and magazines, had painted him in a completely different light, of a man oozing confidence and wealth, which weren’t even Collin’s best qualities.  He was caring and considerate and, even though at times a bit opinionated, she liked this side of him, a side that he kept to himself and away from the rest of the world. A glimpse was all she needed to see that she’d misjudged him. She’d erroneously lumped him into the same category of other men she’d dated in the past.

“I’ve got baggage
, sweetheart. What do you call a psychotic killer with a hard-on for my exes?”

She playfully batted his shoulder. “Oh right…there is always that.”

He leaned toward her, placing his lips next to her ear.  “You
’re like a mystery, Ms. Johnson. A puzzle I’m dying to solve.”

She turned her head, her lips only inches from his. “
When this is all over, I’ll let you see how well you can fit the pieces together.”

“It’s a date.”
His palm slid behind her neck as he closed the distance between them. His kiss was light and hinted at promises yet to come. He rubbed circles, with his thumb, against the nape of her neck. His calloused fingers sent a fever coursing through her along with an image of him touching her elsewhere with the same finesse. He coaxed her lips open. She toyed with his tongue and savored his taste as their tongues mingled and she explored the recesses of his mouth. Passion surged through her as he tightened his grasp, holding her where he wanted her, almost as if afraid she’d vanish if he let her go.

Another person clearing their throat had him breaking the kiss
, but he held her for what seemed like seconds as his eyes peered into hers, like he was trying to solve the mystery he spoke of earlier.

“U
h hum.” The person cleared their throat again.

Collin leaned back
, and that was when Sara caught the first glimpse of the pretty blonde standing next to his chair.

“When I told you to hire someone to protect you, I thought you’d be smart enough to bring him with you. Instead
, you’re here on a date?”

The blonde crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. Whoever this woman was
, one thing was obvious. She wasn’t happy, and she was getting on Sara’s last nerve. 

Sara tightened her hold on her clutch as she tried to deduce whether this woman was a threat.

“Maureen.” Collin’s gaze darkened and his tone deepened. “I’d like you to meet Sara Johnson from Carrington-Hill.”

Collin gestured toward Maureen. “Sara, this is Maureen
Evans, my opinionated publicist.” 

Maureen pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at Collin before quickly veiling her features. Had Sara not been watching the woman, she would have missed it. Well now
, this was interesting. What exactly had transpired between Collin and his publicist that would garner such a look of disgust?

Sara
stood and held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve been assigned to work on Collin’s case.”

The publicist raised her brow but still shook Sara’s hand. “
Is that what it’s called nowadays?” She turned toward Collin and pointed to her bottom lip. “You’ve got some red…right there.”

Sara
clenched her fingers together. “You need to tread lightly, Ms. Evans. I’m much meaner than I look, and I’ve got a right hook that will land you flat on your bony ass.”