nodded. “I could give you a speech about how you shouldn’t let one bad experience disillusion you against a whole profession—but I’m not sure it’s true. Life is a hard lesson, and we should learn what we can from it.”
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” he said, his dark green eyes intent on her.
She wasn’t happy that the conversation had taken such a personal turn. She didn’t mind talking about his life and his past, but she had no interest in rehashing her own sordid history. “No one lives thirty-one years without having some experience,” she said lightly.
Shaun finished his coffee and pushed away from the table. To Arden’s surprise, he came back with the coffeepot in one hand and the carton of milk in the other. He refilled both of their mugs, then added a splash of milk to her cup.
She stared at her coffee, then at Shaun’s back. It was only the second time he’d been in her kitchen, and yet he moved around as if he was comfortable there, as if he belonged there.
“So tell me about this wealth of experience you’ve acquired in your thirty-one years,” Shaun suggested, when he was again seated beside her.
She gestured around the spartan apartment. “As you can see, it’s not the only wealth I’ve acquired.”
He grinned. “Smart, sexy and a sense of humor.”
“Can you turn off the charm, or does it always flow that easily?”
“Maybe you bring out the best in me.”
“Is that your best?” she challenged.
“Not even close.”
Her lips curved in a reluctant smile.
“If you won’t succumb to my endless charm, how about desperation?”
“Do I look desperate?”
“Not you, me.”
She cupped her mug in her palms and raised an eyebrow. “What do you want, McIver?”
Before he could respond to her question, the kitchen window exploded in a shower of glass and Arden was on the floor.
Chapter 4
Shaun didn’t have time to think or plan. It was pure instinct that had him leaping from his chair, knocking Arden from hers and rolling with her to the floor as glass sprinkled down around them.
“Ow. Dammit.” She rubbed the back of her head, her eyes wide with confusion. “What are you doing?”
He felt her shift beneath him. The subtle movement made him all too aware of each and every curve of the body pinned beneath his, causing his to respond in a very predictable fashion. “Stay down.”
“I can’t go anywhere with you sprawled on top of me.”
He felt his lips curve, marveled at the fact that she could make him smile at a time like this. “Don’t move,” he said, slowly levering his body off hers.
Glass crunched beneath his feet as he crouched beside the window and cautiously peered out. People were starting to converge on the sidewalk below, questions and explanations exchanged through a mixture of agitated voices and frantic hand gestures. In the distance he heard the low wail of a police siren.
He returned to Arden, offered a hand to help her to her feet. “Are you okay?”
“I think so. What happened?”
“Somebody took a shot through your window.”
“A shot?” She sounded more puzzled than concerned.
“With a gun,” he clarified, and watched as her cheeks drained of all color. “What did you think that sound was?”
“I thought it was a car backfiring.”
“This is reality, not the movies.”
“This is Fairweather, not Philadelphia,” she countered. “Why would someone be shooting through my window?”
“I’m sure that’s a question the police will be asking you,” Shaun said as the sirens grew closer.
She lifted a hand to push her hair away from her face, and her fingers trembled. She dropped her hand quickly and tucked it into the front pocket of her pants.
“It’s okay to be scared,” he said softly. “And to admit it.”
Arden just shrugged. “I should call my landlord about getting that window fixed.”
He bit back the oath of frustration. Why wouldn’t she open up to him? Why couldn’t she trust him? He decided to try another tack. “Do you want to come home with me until the glass is replaced?”
“That’s one I haven’t heard before.”
He grinned. “I’ve had the pleasure of you writhing beneath me once already, but I thought the next time we might try someplace a little more comfortable than your glass-strewn floor.”
“Is body slamming your usual method for getting a woman horizontal?”
“No,” he admitted. “I don’t usually have to resort to blackmail to get a date, either. You seem to inspire me to new heights, Doherty.”
“Should I be impressed?”
“I might have saved your life.”
“And given me a concussion in the process,” she grumbled.
“Doubtful, considering how hard your head is.” But he combed his fingers through the silky strands of her hair and encountered a small lump at the back of her head. He touched his lips to it gently. “Maybe I do need to work on my knight-in-shining-armor routine.”
She managed a smile. “I guess you did pretty good.”
He let his hand linger at the back of her neck, considered kissing her again. Her eyes were wide, wary, but she didn’t pull away. His gaze dropped to her lips—soft and pink and tempting. Before he could decide whether or not to follow his impulse and cover her lips with his own, a loud knock sounded.
Arden jolted, and the opportunity was lost.
“Fairweather P.D.,” a voice called from the other side of the door. “Is anyone in there?”
Arden moved away from him quickly, her hand not quite steady as she wrapped it around the knob.
An interesting and complicated woman, Shaun mused. She seemed more unnerved by the heightened awareness between them than by the knowledge that she’d been shot at. Her demeanor with the police officer confirmed his suspicions. Arden answered the questions smoothly, her voice never wavering. It was only because he was watching her so closely that he saw the flicker of unease in her eyes, noted the way she clasped and unclasped her fingers.
Almost
