Page 12 of Desperate Temptations

“What did you want to talk about?” she asked.

Cain stretched his legs out under the table and made himself comfortable.

“Look at me.”

Her eyes flew up to his face. It was overwhelming to have his intense attention focused on her. Those cold, hard, dark eyes heated when he looked at her, and she shivered in reaction. He nodded when he had her attention.

“First, you’re going to stop meddling in the investigation.”

She sat up straight, scowled, and dropped the napkin on the table.

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you damn well are.”

She gritted her teeth.

She stood abruptly, grabbed both plates, and took them to the sink. She rinsed them slowly, needing the time to calm herself. Her body tightened when she felt the presence of Cain’s body come up close behind her. It made her a bit nervous that she had never even heard him move. The heat that rolled off his body was incredible, and his scent made her mouth water. He smelled like outdoors and musk. Pure male animal. She turned off the water, stood still, and waited.

She heard him sigh, his breath caressing the back of her neck and making her skin tingle.

“You’re going to get yourself killed nosing around the way you are. These people are as bad as they get.”

Jessa said something softly.

“What?” he asked.

She swallowed hard and squared her shoulders.

“Why do you care? You don’t even know me.”

He put his hands on the counter on either side of her hips and boxed her in. Her breath stalled in her throat when he pressed his powerful body harder against her back. She knew he was doing it deliberately because he wanted her to feel what she did to him.

His voice was a velvety, dark murmur, and another level of heat washed over her body.

“I do know you. I do care.”

He spun her around when she shook her head and pressed a hard kiss to her full lips, stunning her.

Cain cradled her chin in his hand, making sure he had her attention. “I care. More than you know,” his voice had deepened.

Jessa raised pain-filled, tearful eyes to his.

“I won’t stop.”

Confused and pissed, Cain ground the word out between his teeth. “Why?”

A dark, sickening grief filled her heart. “It’s all I have.”

He straightened, anger caused a frown to mar his face, and his lips tightened as ice crept into his eyes. “What the fuck does that mean, Jessa?”

She tore herself away with a tortured cry, taking several steps away from him, and then faced him.

“It means I don’t have anything else. I’ve got nothing besides my work. I have no family, what friends I have I lost after Drew died because I didn’t want to be around anyone.” She watched as shock crossed his face. “You don’t understand.” She pushed past him with a small cry.

Cain grabbed her arm and stopped her retreat before he dragged her back around to face him.

“Make me understand,” his voice was ice cold and lashed through her.

---