Page 21 of Special Agent Anastacia

Nash waited but Ana had said all she intended. So he continued the conversation by adding, “I have a lot of respect for Sadie’s fighting skills, even if it got her shot by his partner. She never gave up.”

“How do you know that?”

“Dave told Pat in front of me. He was pretty spooked, and I doubt he knew who was nearby.”

Remembering the knitting needle that Sadie had used to fight off her assailant, Ana agreed. “She’s my kind of gal.”

Nash took a sip and then persisted, “You got anything at all from the dead man’s pockets? I heard there was no personalidentification other than he appeared to be Russian. And we all know there’s a large community of European folks in L.A. Especially since the war with Ukraine.”

“Nothing specific so far. The killer cleared out all of their personal belongings, and I suspect he wore disposable gloves too. Though Dave called in a forensic team from the city to go over every square inch, chances are good they’ll be no prints.”

Ana felt his gaze watching her closely before he asked his next question. “Won’t Dave need more police assistance to find the killer? I imagine they’ll be sending in a task force to help in the investigation.”

“Yes and no. The people he usually depends on for backup are dealing with their own emergency right now. Seems they’re under a strict fire watch and need all hands on deck for getting the local population to respect their eviction notices. You’ll know more about that than I do.”

Ana noticed Nash stiffening and waited, wondering if her words had upset him. Nash reached out for the whiskey bottle and before leaning back next to her again, he refilled both their glasses. Finally, he admitted what had been eating away at him.

“I should be there with them right now. And I will be as soon as I know Lew is strong enough to be moved to the city. There’s no way Maria will let him go on his own… so she’ll be out of this area too. Then I can breathe easy, knowing they’re both safe.”

Ana heard the worry he didn’t try to hide and found it endearing. “Why you’re a big mama bear about this, aren’t you?”

“Maybe.” He looked at her, and his expression softened. “Okay, so yeah… guess I am. But I have good reason. I’ve seen up close the havoc a wildfire plays. And right now, it’s touch and go everywhere in these mountains. With the unrelenting heat pattern we’ve been dealing with, it’s created a dry spell that’s unprecedented. The forest is like a tinderbox and can go upanytime. What’s worse, humans are responsible for 95% of the flare-ups that have dangerous results.”

Ana thought over his words and took them to heart. “It’s true that when we left the city, the heat had become unbearable. So much so, that when we arrived here, being that much higher elevation, it felt cool. I even built a fire the first night to warm up the place and—”

“You did what? That wasn’t smart.” Nash stiffened and his expression changed from relaxed to stern in seconds.

“Cool your jets. I’d seen the notices about outdoor fires and wasn’t thinking clearly. But as soon as the cabin heated up, I made sure I’d put it out. This big barn get’s chilly after being closed down for three years with minimal heat.”

“Maybe. But don’t do it again. It’s dangerous. Sparks fly from chimneys that aren’t well cleaned.”

“Then we’re in luck because my dad had a thing about maintaining this cabin, and the fireplace was number one on his list every year.”

Nash relaxed and his grin reappeared. “Lady, you have an answer for everything. Does nothing ever stop your brain?”

Comfortable in the dark room, embraced in her cozy cocoon, sipping the last of her third drink, she giggled. Shocked at such a rare silly sound coming from her, she spoke without thinking. “Booze. That’ll do it. It’s why I came downstairs for a nightcap… to shut down my brain.”

“Has it worked?”

His deep voice stimulated, reminding her that she was half dressed, mostly snookered, and in the company of a man who intrigued her and made her pulse race. Words shot out of her mouth without her thinking them through… but funnily enough, she didn’t care. “Sometimes sex helps too.” Once the words were uttered, she’d have done anything to suck them back, but theyhung in the darkness between them. She waited for his reaction. And it sure as shit wasn’t the one she expected.

Chapter Sixteen

Nash didn’t believe his ears. The lady had just given him the kind of come-on that any sane male in his position would take seriously and accept. He searched her features and found her watching him… waiting. Not breathing. The atmosphere tense with sexual innuendo.

He groaned with frustration.

The husky sound acted like an accelerant to the woman next to him. She let the blanket slip to the floor, quickly mounted his lap, and began to nuzzle his neck.

Without a doubt, he knew the alcohol was pushing boundaries she’d never cross sober. It mattered until her lips found his and began an exploratory search, tasting him and pushing her tongue inside so they were connected deeper.

Goddammit his hands ached to touch. Hardening instantly, his lower body welcomed her weight and ached with the need to feel a skin to skin connection. Trying to keep his control from weakening, he gently tried to pry her away, hold her back so hecould look into her face while he asked the question that needed to be spoken.

Bloody hell… she wasn’t having any of that nonsense. She had a goal and seriously intended to fulfill it, which meant struggling her way back into his arms. Pressing herself against his heat, making him slide even further down on the couch, he still tried resisting the temptation.

But from the first time he’d seen this woman, he’d had the hots for her, and it took every ounce of control he had not to just take what she offered and run with it. Have his way with her lush body and to hell with the consequences.

Finally, he tore his lips away from hers and wrapped his arms around her to keep her still. Muttering his thoughts aloud, he whispered, “Baby, are you sure this is what you want? I’m trying to be a good guy here but you’re making it damn near impossible. I want you so much, it’s killing me.”

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