Christie hadn’t dressed for the office. She’d dressed for him. Bought the new emerald green dress to match the panties. Maybe that was overkill, but she’d been feeling sexy at the time. Good thing she’d brought her coat with her. Otherwise she’d be flashing a lot of skin as she rushed down the hallway of Tate Toys.
Christie skidded to a halt on her two-inch heels—a very precarious halt—and she eyed the mess that was her office. “Sonofabitch.”
Daniel was there at once, reaching for her. His tense face and eyes showed his worry. “It’s okay, Christie, I know this is upsetting—”
“Yes, it’s upsetting.” Major understatement. “Some jerk ruined my office!” And her files. Oh, jeez, it would take forever to get those organized again. So many hours lost.
“Don’t worry about this tonight.” Daniel caught her hands and held them tight. “Just go back to our parents’ place, relax, and—”
“Trust me, Daniel, I’m really not in the mood to relax.” She was so mad her skin felt like it was burning. She craned her neck. “Where’s Jonas?”
A muscle flexed in Daniel’s jaw. “Jonas works the stiffs. You know he’s homicide. We don’t need him on a vandalism case. And it’s just vandalism. I don’t think anything was taken from your office.”
Not taken. Just destroyed. “I need him.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Jonas announced from behind her.
Daniel swore.
She whirled around and found Jonas sauntering back from her lab area. As he came closer, she noticed the redness on his jaw. “Jonas?” She hurried back into the hallway so that she could meet him half-way and, luckily, she only nearly toppled once in her shoes. “What happened?”
“Must be something about your office,” he told her as he came to a stop. His lips curled a little as he added, “It makes folks want to assault cops.”
Her fingers skimmed his jaw. “What?” His words sank in, and her eyes widened. “Charles? Did he come back? Did he do this?” He’d actually hit Jonas? Had Charles been the one to trash her office, too?
“Nah, not him. Not this time.”
“It was me.” Daniel’s arm brushed hers as he came to her side. “I punched the asshole.” He glared at Jonas. “And he didn’t punch back.”
Jonas inclined his head. “Didn’t arrest you either. Guess it’s your lucky night.”
Daniel rocked forward. “You’re screwing my sister!”
No, he did not just say that. Christie slammed her hand on Daniel’s chest. “No.” She kept her voice quiet and cool. A real effort, but the new and improved Christie could manage that effort. “Your sister is screwing him.” She didn’t even stutter when she snapped out those words. Her head turned so she could see her brother’s reaction.
Daniel’s eyes bulged.
“And if you try to take a swing at him again…” Because that really pissed her off. She wasn’t sixteen. She didn’t need Daniel fighting her battles anymore. Fighting her battles or fighting her lovers. Hadn’t she told him that enough times? “If you swing at Jonas again, I’ll punch you.” Her right hook was even better than his.
Daniel blinked. “Christie?” He sounded like he wasn’t sure he was talking to his sister. His gaze had gone uncertain and his voice seemed hesitant.
She kept her hand on his chest.
“I told you she could handle a little stress.” This came from Jonas.
More than a little. She’d been handling stress all her life. Try being thirteen in a room full of eighteen-year-olds—stress much?
Daniel’s gaze bored into her. “Christie, you know what he’s like.”
She knew exactly what Jonas was like. She nodded. “Jonas is your best friend. He’s had your back for years. He’s strong and loyal and—”
“Not when it comes to women.” Daniel lifted her hand from his chest and tried to tug her away from Jonas. She wasn’t in the mood to be tugged. “When it comes to women, he’s just like me.”
She shook her head. “You’re—”
“No commitment, Christie.”
Jonas cursed.
“When’s the last time I brought someone home for you to meet?” Daniel pushed. “Tell me when I introduced a date to you and our parents.”
Never. He’d never brought anyone home for a family meet and greet.
“Sex is great. Sex is fucking fantastic.” Daniel huffed out a breath. “But I’m not looking for forever right now.”
Neither is Jonas. The words hung unspoken in the air.
She took a moment to make sure her voice wouldn’t waver. A moment and a very deep breath. “I’m not a kid who needs looking after any longer.”
“Christie—”
“I make my own decisions. I can pick my own partner.”
“Damn right.” Jonas sounded pleased, almost proud.
She ignored him. “I don’t want forever.”
Daniel’s eyes slit so much he seemed to squint.
“Men aren’t the only ones who just want—what did you call it?” She tapped her chin with the index finger of her left hand as she pretended to remember. “Ah, yes, fucking fantastic sex.”
Daniel’s jaw dropped.
She stopped tapping her chin. “Jonas and I understand each other. What’s happening is between us. It doesn’t concern you.” Christie glanced at Jonas. His eyes were on her, and his expression—well, crap, what was wrong with him? He was glaring at her.
Glaring when she was trying to stop him from getting into another fight with her brother.
“Uh, Ms. Tate?” the uniformed officer called out tentatively.
Oh, no. No, no, no. She’d forgotten about the other cops. Their audience. Had they heard everything? How fast would this little conversation get repeated at the station? No wonder Jonas looked pissed.
She cleared her throat and peered over at the cop. He was standing near the doorway of her office.
“Since you’re here, ma’am, we need you to do a sweep of your office and lab and determine if anything was taken.”
“Right.” She sucked in what should have been a cleansing breath. It wasn’t. Christie stepped back and pointed at both Jonas and Daniel. “You two going to behave?”
Glares were her response.
“Fine.” She shifted her focus to Jonas. “Feel free to arrest Daniel if he swings again, or if you want to punch back, we both know he’s got a glass jaw.” With that, she left them. With every step that she took, Christie was aware that her strong mask was about to shatter.
Her knees shook as she headed back toward her office. The damn heels twisted beneath her, and she almost went down hard. Only a quick grab of the wall saved her, the wall and—
Jonas’s hand, catching her under her elbow.
“Sexy as hell, baby,” he breathed the words in her ear and she realized her coat had come open to reveal the green dress. His gaze dipped to her breasts. “Sexy as hell,” he whispered again, “but those shoes could be lethal.”
He bent and ran his hand over her calf. A soft, sensual caress that had her breath catching.
He eased off her high heel. The left shoe, then the right.
Her feet touched the soft carpet.
“Watch your step,” he told her, and for an instant, she couldn’t move because the warning in his words was too heavy. Jonas wasn’t just talking about walking. So about what? Them? The vandalism and destruction? She forced her shoulders to straighten as she pushed away from him. She grabbed the heels, clutching them too tightly, and even though she was tempted, Christie didn’t look back as she entered her office.
***
“I don’t know what kind of game Christie thinks she’s playing.” Daniel spoke only after Christie disappeared with Officer Piner. “But she’s not up to handling you.”
Jonas realized he was still staring after her. “Sometimes, I don’t think you know her well at all.” He slanted Daniel a measuring glance. Dangerous territory. He could well lose his friend over this situation.
She’s worth it.
“You don’t know her,” Daniel snarled right back.
Actually, he did. “I know she’s stronger than everyone gives her credit for.” Stronger than he’d given her credit for in the beginning. Christie wouldn’t break when reality shoved its ugly face before her. No, she wasn’t going to break—period.
“So…what? You think that makes it okay for you to screw around with her?” Real fury vibrated in Daniel’s voice. “She’s my sister! And you’re not—”
Jonas spun around. “Save it, Daniel.” Daniel didn’t need to say the words. And you’re not good enough for her. Sure, he got that picture. Perfectly. “This isn’t about you.” Just her.
But Daniel blazed on as he snarled, “You’re not the kind of guy who’s going to settle down. Hell, until six months ago, you were a different man with every case you took! You loved that undercover life. Christie isn’t like you—she wants stability. She wants a family. She wants forever.”
But she’d only asked him for a few nights. She’d told him she didn’t want forever.
Or maybe…maybe she just doesn’t want it with me.
“I told her to be careful with you.” Daniel crossed his arms over his chest. “I warned her, but she didn’t listen.”
“I’m not going to hurt her.”
Daniel just glared back at him. Then he exhaled. “You’ve known her all these years. So long. Why now? Why’d you finally make a move now?”
Because you’re right—until six months ago, I was a different man almost every damn day. I was drowning in the crime and the hate and realized I had to get out. And when I got out…there was Christie. As perfect and tempting as she’d always been and this time…“Because she wanted me.”
“Plenty of women will have sex with you. You don’t have to—”
“She wanted me,” he said again. “She knew me, and she still wanted me.” Dark shadows on his soul and all. “With Christie, I wasn’t going to be dumb enough to turn away from her. Not even for the sake of our friendship. So just deal with it, asshole.”
Daniel blinked at him. “Wait, wait. Wait. Man, are you saying—”
“I’m saying it’s none of your business, and I’m saying the last thing you want to do…” Jonas let the steel ripple beneath his words because he was tired of explaining himself and tired of playing the nice guy. “The last thing you want to do is get between me and Christie.” Because nothing would keep him from her, and the bond of friendship could only stretch so far.
Silence.
“I don’t think anything is missing.” Christie sounded uncertain as she appeared once more in the hallway, with the cops at her sides. “The files will take me hours to sort through, so I can’t say for sure about them. But, I mean, I didn’t have anything in my office that had massive value. The computer is still there—smashed—but there. The printer, all my photos—everything seems to still be inside.”
Officer Piner—Larry—had his notebook out. “If something wasn’t taken, then it seems like this was a personal attack against you.”
Jonas forgot about Daniel and hurried to her side.
“Does anyone have a grudge against you, Ms. Tate?” Larry asked.
Her brows rose.
“Did you fight with anyone recently?” Larry’s partner asked. He was a young guy with blond hair and ruddy cheeks.
Christie’s gaze darted to Jonas. “There was an incident the other night. Right after the office Christmas party.”
Daniel pushed closer. “What kind of incident?”
Her hand rose and caught the edge of her Christmas tree necklace. She pulled on the bottom of the tree and stretched the thin, gold chain. Her gaze returned to Larry. “A situation with my ex became a bit heated.”
“What?” Daniel demanded. “Was Charles causing trouble? I knew I should have fired—”
“Does this Charles have a last name?” Larry interrupted.
“Charles Crenshaw.” She dropped the necklace. It fell back into the lush cradle of her breasts. “But he wouldn’t do this. He’s an accountant, for goodness sake. He wouldn’t—”
“Take a swing at a cop because he was jealous that you were with another man?” Jonas offered quietly. “I think you’re underestimating the accountant.”
Her lips thinned.
“I think so, too,” Larry murmured. “And I think we’re gonna be wanting to have a talk with Mr. Crenshaw.” He inclined his head toward Daniel. “Is there any way he could have gained access to this building without being on the security camera downstairs?”
Before Christie had arrived, Larry had gone with Jonas to view the security footage. And they hadn’t seen anyone. Only Jamie, the security guard. No one else had entered the building or left. Not until Daniel came by a little after seven.
Daniel frowned. “The cameras rotate. I guess if you knew the timing, you might be able to avoid them, but there’s still Jamie. He would have noticed someone entering the building.”
“But he didn’t.” Larry shut his notebook.
“Maybe we’re looking at the time all wrong on this,” Jonas said quietly. They’d only gone back over the current day’s footage. “Maybe the attack didn’t happen today. Maybe it happened after the party, and it was just discovered.”
Maybe it happened when everyone was leaving. Too much activity. Too many people. The perfect time for an attack.
Sure, the computer would have made noise when it was smashed, but he’d seen for himself just how deserted this area of the building had been the other night. All of the action had been in the common areas. No one would’ve even heard the crash.
And there’d only been a few people left hanging around after Santa had finished all his deliveries.
He slanted a hard glance at Daniel. “Why’d you come to her office tonight?”
“I wanted to download some information on the projected development of Rover.”
Right. Rover the Robot.
“I thought I’d show the info to Dad at dinner. Figured he’d get a kick out of it. He loves Christie’s designs.”
Jonas nodded. “So if you hadn’t come by, no one would have even noticed the destruction until after Christmas.” What a hell of a present for Christie to return and discover. Maybe that was what the perp wanted.
“I’ll be needing Mr. Crenshaw’s address,” Larry noted.
“And I’ll be coming with you to talk with the jerk.” Jonas shook his head. “I knew I should have let that dumbass spend a night in jail.”
Christie shook her head. “Look, Charles might have been angry, but he wouldn’t do this. He backed off, remember? He knows things are over between us. Hell, he’s already seeing someone else. Vicki Jasper. They’ll probably get married one day and have little accounting babies.” She shoved back a heavy lock of hair that had fallen over her cheek. “He’s not the kind of guy who would destroy my office.”
“Then who would?” Jonas asked, stepping close, catching her scent and wanting to touch her so badly that he ached. “Who else would do this? Who else would want to hurt you?”
If she’d give him a name, he’d get busy tearing the bastard apart.
Her stare held his. “No one. I can’t think…no one.”
But someone was out there. Someone who had a grudge against her. Someone who was going to pay.
And Charles Crenshaw was at the top of Jonas’s suspect list.