The insides of his lids scraped liked they’d been lined with sandpaper, and Kelly dug his thumb and index finger into his eye sockets to give them a good, hard scrub. He was glad he’d stayed, though. Even if the way he’d stood outside her apartment all night long made Eden madder than hell, he wouldn’t have had it any other way.
He wouldn’t have slept regardless of how tired he was. Not at home and not in his car parked in front of the building. Not after leaving her locked in that apartment, no one aware of her location but him, some creep out there waiting for the opportunity to slit her throat. The second he’d spotted her jacked up in that alley, the bastard’s hand twisted in her hair, his knife closing in, Kelly had known leaving her unguarded wasn’t an option.
The only thing that remained sorta fuzzy around the edges was how much of his decision rested on the investigation, and how much was balanced on something more—like the full body cramp he experienced whenever he envisioned her lying inside DeFranco’s morgue.
He’d had plenty of time to consider the options. Other than a few tenants leaving for work around five a.m., followed by a short visit from the building manager a couple minutes later, everything had remained quiet, and he’d had nothing to occupy the time but his thoughts.
The analytical left half of his brain told him the only reason he cared about Eden’s safety was because Dirty Deeds was the strongest link he had to solving Ruby’s murder. Even if Eden wasn’t sure how the two were connected, no one could deny, after last night’s attempt on her life, she held the missing piece. But, in order to figure out what that was, he had to somehow get her to trust him. To open up about her life so he could solve the case, lock the asshole away for the rest of his life and make sure no one else ever hurt her.
It was right around that spot in his thought process, his emotional prefrontal cortex cried bullshit. First off, if he planned on standing watch outside her apartment, why not just tell her? Even if she’d shredded him with that sharp tongue of hers, she wouldn’t have changed his mind.
The hard truth was, he hadn’t wanted to make her more upset. He’d already done a fine job of that by pressing her for information so soon after the attack, and the last thing she’d needed was for him to stack another layer of stress on her shoulders. She’d earned a good night’s sleep, some quiet time to decompress and try to put the whole incident behind her.
She wouldn’t have been able to do that if she’d known he was close. Over everything else, Eden valued her privacy. She’d made that damn well clear enough during the car ride here.
A yawn cracked his jaw, and he pushed up from the wall, strolled down the hall and drew the curtain aside to check the street. If only that had been the whole of it. If only his decision to stay had started and ended with making sure she caught some well-deserved sleep.
The gray drizzle of a cold Friday morning coated the window, the sidewalks and street. Down below, a young woman hurried two kids through the courtyard, juggling an umbrella and briefcase in one hand, two backpacks in the other.
It was the misery in Eden’s voice that had planted his feet outside her door. The sadness in her eyes when she’d mentioned being adopted. After what she’d been through, he couldn’t imagine going off someplace unfamiliar to spend the night alone.
Anyone else in her situation would’ve run to family or friends so they could be comforted by people they trusted. Hell, even he’d been known to head home so he could soak in the rough-and-tumble Riordan family brand of togetherness after a hard stretch. Since she hadn’t, he could only assume she didn’t have anyone to turn to, and once he’d figured that out, there was no way he could leave her. No way in hell.
His phone chirped, and he dropped the curtain, rushing back toward his jacket. Dammit, he should’ve silenced the ringer. The smallest sound coming from the hall was liable to send her into a panic.
He dug his cell from his pocket and slapped it to his ear. “Riordan.”
“Yeah, I’m heading in and just wanted to touch base.”
Archer. Kelly nodded. “Got anything for me?”
“APBs have been sent out to all the precincts. State has road blocks in place.” The blare of a horn vibrated the line, and Archer cursed. “I’ve got troopers monitoring the train stations and airports. The fucker’s not going anywhere without us hearing about it.”
“Good. Make sure Molly knows. Tell her to drop what she’s doing and work the perp’s description. See if she can get a hit on the database.” Kelly camped one shoulder against the wall. “Any word yet from DeFranco on the DNA he found under Ruby’s nails?”
“Not that I’ve heard, but I’ll check with him as soon as I hit the precinct.” Archer paused. “Where are you?”
The deadbolt snapped behind him, and Kelly shoved up from the wall, turning as the door to Eden’s apartment swung open. She stepped into the hall, her jaw unhinged, and every muscle in his body slammed into lockdown mode in three seconds flat.
Sweet Jesus.
Her cheeks were flushed, the auburn ringlets sprouting from her head tousled and sexy from sleep. A white silk bathrobe brushed her mid-thigh, the belt cinched around her waist, and based on those two rosy nipples pebbling the material, she was bare-ass naked underneath.
He swallowed at the dryness in his throat, his gaze locked on hers. A waft of steam rose from the white cup in her hand, and something inside his chest cracked.
Well, son of a bitch. The bright shine in her eyes wasn’t filled with anger. It was more a combination of surprise mixed with a heavy dose of appreciation. Shit, hadn’t she ever had someone watch her back before?
Kelly cleared his throat. “I’m protecting my witness.”
Her mouth clamped shut, and she narrowed her eyes. Yep. There was the Eden he’d expected. By the set of her jaw and the way those red toenails tapped the floor, she was prepping to chew up his ass and spit it to the curb.
“Aw, shit, Riordan. I hope to God by protecting your witness, you don’t mean what I think you mean. Didn’t you learn your lesson the first time?”
“I gotta go.” Kelly thumbed the screen and stashed his cell in his front pocket. “Now before you get totally bent out of shape, just let me—”
“You did this on purpose, didn’t you?” She wrapped one arm around her waist, gritting her teeth. “You just had to stay out here all night and make me like you.”
He froze. Wait, what?
“I was perfectly fine fighting with you last night, but no-o-o. You just had to go and do something nice.” She pivoted and strode into the apartment. “Big dumb jerk.”
Kelly stared at the open doorway. A second passed before his slow grin spread, and he followed her inside and closed the door.
The main room was empty. Not surprising, considering she used the location as a safe house. The slam of a cupboard echoed off the hardwood floor, and he rounded the wall to find three empty stools lined along a laminate breakfast counter on his left.
She glanced over her shoulder at him from inside the kitchen, filling a cup with coffee, then turned with the java in hand and slid it across the counter. “You look like shit, by the way. When’s the last time you slept?”
“Night before last.” Or had that been two nights ago? Shit, he’d lost track. Slumping onto one of the stools, he twisted the handle away and brought the mug to his lips.
Eden picked up her cell and tapped the screen, then frowned.
“Waiting on a call?”
She set the phone aside, and the way she chewed the inside of her cheek triggered the wincing bleat of a siren in his head. Whoever she was waiting to hear from was important. In fact, it was imperative she get a call. “Anyone I know?”
She refocused on him and shook her head. “What happens to an unclaimed body at the morgue?”
He rocked back from the counter. What in the hell was she talking about? Ruby? And why would she concern herself with a dead hooker? Their sole connection was her business card, and there was no way Eden could’ve heard about that. The only people who knew were—
Weaver. Kelly dropped his chin to his chest. Howard Weaver had told her. Of course, he had. Out of loyalty to INR, Ltd. compliments of Dirty Deeds.
Well, shit. It didn’t take a cop with Kelly’s experience to figure out where that had led her. “Ruby’s death wasn’t your fault, Eden.”
“So we should just forget about her? Leave her to be another lost soul who…what? What do they do with them, Detective? All those broken hearts nobody wants?”
Christ, the woman made him ache. Way down deep in his bones. He sighed. “They keep them for a while. Until the body count gets high enough the county pays for a mass burial.”
“Well.” She crossed her arms, chin trembling. “That sounds lovely, doesn’t it?”
Why was this so important to her? Hell, maybe he’d pegged her wrong. Kelly scrubbed a hand over his face, shoring up every ounce of willpower not to round the counter and pull her into his arms. Someone who would consider paying the funeral expenses of a complete stranger had a generous heart. More generous and compassionate than pretty much anyone he could name.
Or there was always the chance Eden believed herself just like Ruby. God knew, the thought of landing in an unmarked grave, no one there to mourn his loss, was about as bad as it got. “Look, I’ll take care of it.”
She was right. Ruby deserved better. And, dammit, so did Eden.
She tipped her head and he tightened his grip on the mug, resisting the impulse to reach over the counter and hold her cheek. To try and somehow remove the frustration. Erase the darkness haunting her eyes. “You would do that, wouldn’t you. If I asked?”
For her? To make her feel better? Shit yeah, he would. He nodded.
“I believe you.” Filling her lungs, she studied him from beneath her lowered lids. “Okay, here’s the deal.” She smacked her palms on the counter. “I’m heading into the shower and I’m locking the door so don’t bother getting any wise ideas.”
He grunted. Too late.
“While I’m getting ready, you’re gonna hit the sack. Bedroom’s down the hall.” She started out of the kitchen, that silky robe riding her hips and perfect breasts swaying, and he spun on the stool to snag her arm as she sauntered past.
There was no denying he could use the sleep, even if only for an hour, but trusting her alone? Yeah, not so much. “What’s my guarantee you won’t disappear again?”
She stared at his fingers, lifted her head and her brow twitched. “You did something nice for me, so in return I will do something nice for you and promise to wake you once I’m dressed. That’s the way I work, Detective. Cause and effect. An eye for an eye.”
She stepped away, but he tugged her back, between his legs. He needed another shot at her face. Just to be sure she hadn’t fed him a line.
The sleep-infused scent of her skin curled around him like a physical caress, and he breathed her in, watching…waiting…but the resolve in her eyes didn’t budge.
Yep, she’d told him the truth. Maybe those few hellacious minutes in the alley had taught her a thing or two, and she’d learned how dangerous things could get if she didn’t stick close.
The thought of that asshole’s hands on her made something dark and protective rear its ugly head inside him, and he finally surrendered to impulse and cupped her cheek, running his thumb along the shallow dip under her eye.
She wavered unsteadily, leaning into his touch.
Interesting. Exactly how far did this “liking” of him go?
Unable to resist the temptation of testing those waters, he swept the pad of his thumb over her lips. They parted with her slight inhalation, and he smirked. Bingo. “I believe you too, Eden.”
She dropped her focus to his mouth. The bundle of nerves at the base of his spine tingled. His cock flexed and his balls grew tight. Goddamn it. He clamped down hard on the reckless urge to lean in and kiss her. Sampling her lips would be like scratching a persistent itch he couldn’t quite reach. One that refused to abate.
But doing so would cross a dangerous line. Not only professionally, but personally. Sliding his hand down her arm, he released her and jerked his chin toward the hall. He’d stepped over that line once before. With Jaclyn. And gotten his heart beat to hell and back in the process.
A shiver dislodged her shoulders, and Eden padded away, and Kelly blew a long slow breath as his gaze trailed after her. The woman’s curvy figure and sexy strut were made for one thing and one thing only. Pure, unadulterated sin.
The bathroom door closed and the lock snicked into the hasp.
Eden’s response to him was only going to make keeping a straight head around her that much harder. Shoving to his feet, he plodded down the hall and approached the only other door in the apartment, opposite the bathroom on his right. Whether she’d admitted it to herself or not, she was fighting a physical pull toward him too, and things on this case were already complicated enough without opening that can of worms.
The shower started in the bathroom as he surveyed the small bedroom. The furnishings were sparse, but high-end—a queen-sized brass bed, two end tables and, in the far corner, a small roll-topped desk.
He tugged open the top dresser drawer, hooked a lacy white thong on his finger and held it in front of his face. Shit. If he ever caught her in something so skimpy, whatever lines he’d drawn in the sand wouldn’t count for squat.
Hiding that erotic visual back in the drawer, he turned and walked past the end of the bed, stopped before the closet and slid open one of the accordion doors. A frown tightened his brow, and he rested his hands on his hips. What in the sweet, blue blazes was this about?
The hanger bar had been sectioned and color coded by a series of names—Amber, Clementine, Hazel—each containing an outfit that included shoes, a wig, and a plastic baggie filled with all those goofy bells and whistles women liked. He fingered a diamond-studded bracelet through the plastic and pursed his lips.
Disguises. These were Dirty Deeds’ camouflage, each one tailor-made to transform her appearance so she could become anyone from a cleaning woman, to a business professional, to what looked like some sort of heiress.
He shoved the other door aside and found nothing but white. Pants, shirts, sweaters—everything white. Eden. That was her. The woman he’d met last night, and then again this morning in that sexy little number she passed off as a robe.
Scratching at the overgrown stubble under his chin, he backed away until his calves bumped the mattress. He dropped to the bed, his focus darting back and forth between the costumes and Eden’s immaculate, every day wear.
She had to have known he would snoop. He was a cop, for Christ’s sake. Snooping was part of his job description, and yet she’d still offered him her bedroom. He collapsed onto his back and stared at the ceiling. Adopted, no last name, no family she could trust… Colors, a series of disguises, characters she could take on to protect her identity.
A puff of air left his lips. Maybe that was the issue. She didn’t know her true identity. Hell, she’d admitted as much last night, and wearing white was her way of snubbing her nose at the pain. White was symbolic for her, the antithesis of the personalities she could become at the drop of a hat.
Wearing white was more than a simple choice. It defined her, because she didn’t know who she was.
Damn, what a head trip. He toed off his boots and scooted up the bed, rolled onto his side and groaned as the sleepy musk she’d left on the pillows coated his face. But she’d invited him in. His eyes slipped closed, and he pulled her scent deep into his lungs. She’d peeled back a layer and shown him a side of herself. On purpose. One he would bet his entire career she exposed to very few people in her life.
So, did that mean this whole wardrobe reveal was a cry for help? Doubtful. After last night’s solo flight, Eden didn’t seem the cry-for-help type. But it could be her way of letting him know her trust in him was growing. Without her having to outright voice something so horrific, of course.
She’d said she’d do something nice for him, but maybe there had been more behind that statement than he’d first realized. She’d given him access to her secrets and then left him alone to try and figure it out. And if he did, he did, and if he didn’t, his loss.
Sneaky, giving him a test to determine how smart he was. A test that was right up his alley. God, the woman knew exactly how to get his goat.
So, who was Eden Smith? Who was she really? He smiled. One thing was for sure. He was damn well gonna find out.
“Hey.” The bed dipped near his legs and Kelly flopped onto his back, peeling open his sticky eyelids. A glance to the side, and he sprang to sitting, grabbing Eden’s upper arms.
Oh, no. Oh, hell no. The long blond wig, the skin-tight black dress and dark sunglasses. She’d put on some strange getup and was prepping to head out the door.
“Are you nuts?” He plucked the glasses off her face to find a set of made-up blue eyes that were wrong. Just plain wrong. “Where do you think you’re going?”
A quiet laugh shook her shoulders, and she jerked her chin toward the open closet. “I see you did some investigating. Have fun with that?”
He shook his head to clear the cobwebs. For Christ’s sake, now wasn’t the time to be busting his balls. “Stop trying to change the subject and answer my question. What could be so damned important, you’d even consider leaving this apartment?”
She sighed. “I have to run an errand. I don’t have a choice.”
“Fine, then I’m coming with you.” No way in hell she was walking out that door without him. For all they knew, the psychopath who’d attacked her could be waiting for this exact chance to nab her off the street.
“I can’t let you come with me.” She dropped her focus to her lap and fingered the strap of her big, floppy bag. “Under any other circumstance, I would agree with you, but I just can’t, okay? I made a promise.”
A promise to who? She’d hadn’t talked to anyone but him since last night. Or had she? He tightened his grip on her arms. “This is about that phone call, isn’t it? The one you were waiting for? Who are you going to see, Eden? Who?”
“Kelly…” she breathed, but she didn’t look him in the face. “I’m going to see someone I’m positive will be able to hide me someplace safe.”
Hide her someplace safe? Wrong answer.
That was his responsibility. She was his responsibility. Didn’t she get that?
“Oh, my God.” He released her and raked both hands through his hair. So much for trusting him. So much for having faith he could do his damn job. What for? Only so she could reel him in and leave him hanging out to dry? This entire time, she’d been gearing up to pull the ol’ bait and switch.
“You’re planning to disappear again, aren’t you?” For good. And where would that leave his investigation? Dead in the water, that’s where. Exactly like Ruby. “You’re getting ready to pull a vanishing act.”
“No, I…” She put her hand on his chest and patted like she was hoping to reassure him. It didn’t work.
“I’ll call you.” She nodded. “I swear, the second I can, I’ll call you and let you know where I am.”
“You’ll call me?” A sarcastic laugh caught in his throat. A fat lot of good that promise would do if she was already lying dead in some alley. “You can save yourself the dime because you’re not going anywhere.”
He reached up and slipped the wig off her head, and she rolled her eyes as he tossed it to the bed.
“That’s not going to stop me.” She combed her fingers though the fake strands spilling across the blankets. “I’ll just put it back on.”
“The hell you will.” Thrusting his hand through the soft pile of coils she’d pinned to her head, he tugged and loosened each one until her hair bounced free and loose around her shoulders. Exactly like it should.
“Now take out those contacts.” He held the side of her neck. “You shouldn’t be changing your eye color. It’s perfect the way it is.” Dropping his focus to her lips, he gritted his teeth. “And get rid of the red lipstick. Jesus, woman, don’t you have any idea what that color on your mouth does to a man’s libido?”
He swept her lips with his thumb to remove some of the color. They parted, and he swept them again. God, that skin was soft. Tempting and moist, just like he’d imagined.
Her sharp teeth nipped the calloused tip of his finger, and he snapped his attention back to her eyes. The way her pupils had dilated, every cell in his body chanted at him to replace his thumb with his tongue.
“And the dress?” Her brow lifted as she leaned in. “What am I supposed to do with that, Detective?”
A visual of her in nothing but that white lace thong screamed into his head and his cock jerked. He squinted. What was this? Another test? A way of teasing him so she could push the envelope like he had when they’d been outside the kitchen?
Oh-h-h, the woman was messing with fire.
“Lose the dress.” He tugged her closer, angling her head. She wanted to know where his needle spiked on the whole sexual attraction Richter scale? Fine by him. He’d kiss her, all right. Just this once. To prove a point and make damn sure she had zero doubts left in her head. “Take it off and burn the damn thing for all I care.”
He ate up the remaining distance and brushed a kiss over her lips, swept back the other direction and dipped his tongue inside. Arousal slammed into his gut as he sampled her taste.
Shit, maybe this had been a bad idea. Her flavor was an exact replica of everything she embodied—cool as midnight, mysterious and completely addictive. Another lick of her luscious mouth, and a hungry groan vibrated his throat as she tangled her tongue with his.
Christ, he should stop. Right now. Couldn’t stop as she became pliant in his hands. Eager. He angled her head the other direction and she fisted his undershirt, tugging the bottom edge from his jeans. Her sigh warmed his cheek, and any lines drawn in the sand, any shit from the past faded as she nibbled the corner of his lips, opened for him the second he thrust his tongue inside her mouth.
Dammit, the woman made him crazy. His balls grew hot, heavy. This was wrong…and right, so fucking right. She tipped her head back and forth in time with his, moaning as he sucked her bottom lip. His cock pulsed and the crotch of his jeans grew tight. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he yanked her onto his lap.
He wanted her ass centered on top of him. So she’d feel what she’d done to him, would understand how close he was to making good on his threat she lose that damn dress.
A shudder wound down her spine, and she sprang away from him, gripping his shoulders. God, the heavy-lidded lust on her face had him so hard, he nearly popped the fly on his jeans. He leaned in for another taste, but she straight-armed him back, maintaining the distance.
“I have to go.” She slid off his lap, averting her gaze.
“Eden, no.” Shit, he never should’ve kissed her. The blatant breach in protocol made it a moronic move and, not only that, he’d trampled straight through her personal boundaries.
Fine. He got that. But, Goddamn it, how was he supposed to resist? Besides, he wouldn’t take it back even if he could. Not after the way she’d melted against him.
He reached for her, but she jerked her arm away, snagged his wrist and cranked it behind his head. “Whoa, whoa, relax.”
What was up with her going Taekwondo on his ass? For God’s sake, it wasn’t like he’d ever get it in his head to hurt her.
“Don’t take this personally.” Metal cooled his skin and a familiar click reached his ears as she snapped a set of cuffs in place. Wait, what was she doing? He tugged his arm. Tugged a second time, and his gut bottomed out as the cuffs clanged and rattled against the top railing of the brass headboard. Oh, no. Oh fuck, no.
“I only need a couple minutes’ head start.”
“Dammit, Eden, let me out of these.” A frustrated growl grew behind his teeth. The edge of the cuffs dug into his skin as he tried to work his hand free. She’d played him. She’d set up the cuffs while he’d been sleeping and then completely knocked him off his game with that kiss. “You crazy woman, you’re gonna get yourself killed!”
“Keep your phone close.” Snatching her dark sunglasses off the bed, she spun and headed for the door, turned in the threshold and tossed a small key in his direction. It landed near his leg and disappeared under his thigh. “For what it’s worth, you just knocked the title of Best First Kiss out of the park.”
Son of a bitch! Her heels faded down the hall as he fumbled around, cramming his hand between his ass and the mattress, the bed bouncing as he twisted his hips back and forth.
He snatched the key from a crease in the blankets, jammed it into the lock and retracted the cuffs. Shoving his entire weight toward the end of the bed, he rammed his feet into his boots and took off after her, heels clomping and laces flapping as he hop-skipped down the hall.
One more con from her, and he was gonna lose his shit. The apartment door hung open, and he snagged the handle, slamming it behind him. His hand to God, her constant antics were going to bust every artery in his head.
The closing thud of the building’s front door echoed up the stairwell, and he sprang for the steps, thighs pumping, fingers gripping the banister as he rounded each landing.
He’d been an idiot to let down his guard around her. From the second they’d met, he’d known Eden Smith was every bit as devious as she was beautiful. But she had another thing coming if she believed ditching him would be easy, especially in those ankle twisters she had on her feet.
He’d been around the block a time or two. Chasing suspects was a routine part of any investigation, and he’d clocked enough hours at the gym to keep himself in tip-top shape.
Racing from the courtyard, he glanced left then right and caught sight of her near the end of the block, her cell phone pressed to her ear. He sprinted down the sidewalk, dodging pedestrians, rounded the corner and held up his hand against the gridlocked vehicles as he tracked her across the street.
The bustling congestion of Chicago’s mid-morning foot traffic offered her a fair amount of cover, but at least the drizzle had slacked off enough no one carried open umbrellas. He had a clear shot ahead and the bounce of her auburn coils was like a shiny beacon against the dull, October sky.
She glanced over her shoulder, those huge round sunglasses propped on her nose, and plowed through a line of folks waiting to board a Transit Authority bus.
That’s right, sweetheart. He jogged the block to catch up. She’d better run. Once he got close he was liable to smack her sweet ass before locking her in his own damn cuffs.
Ignoring the light at the crosswalk, he dove straight into oncoming traffic. Horns blared and tires screeched. A couple cabbies flipped him the bird. Shit, Archer was gonna read him the riot act. Kelly grabbed an elderly woman’s upper arms and muttered an apology as he lifted her out of his path. Being outsmarted by a witness. Stepping outside his role as lead detective after he’d given his word he’d never do something so stupid again.
Eden disappeared around a corner and his heart ratcheted into the center of his throat. He high-tailed it to the end of the block and then growled as he spotted her clipping the shoulder of a suit. She dropped her cell into that huge bag slung over her shoulder, glanced back at him and jaywalked to merge with the window shopping crowd of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.
Why the hell didn’t she just stop? He sidestepped the hood of a cab and trotted after her. This whole chase scene was ridiculous. She wasn’t getting away from him, so what was the point?
Women. They were nothing but a pain in the ass. She ducked inside the revolving door of a department store and Kelly shouldered through a group of school-aged kids apparently out on a sight-seeing fieldtrip.
Dammit, three seconds in a women’s dressing room and she was apt to change her appearance and try to sneak past him. Not that her efforts would work. He pushed through the nearest entrance just as her legs disappeared up the escalator, ducking low as she stepped off to the right. One whiff and, no matter what she looked like, he would know her. The soft scent of her skin had been embedded in his brain. So had the sexy roll of her hips and the way she strutted her stuff in those come-to-Jesus heels.
He lunged up the steps two at a time and trailed her into the lingerie department. Oh, come on. This was her important errand? That entire wild goose chase just so they could end up here? Okay, crazy.
Or maybe this was her attempt at hitting him below the belt. Knowing her, she’d led him here on purpose to make him sweat.
She selected a sheer lacy bustier and held it at just the right angle so he had a full view of the skimpy outfit over her shoulder. Nice. Kelly stopped a few feet behind her and crossed his arms as she fingered the black bow between the cups, fiddled with the stretchy garters hanging off the bottom.
Nope, not just sweat. She’d brought him here to torture him, get him all geared up so he’d lose focus.
Yeah, fat chance of that happening, Dirty Deeds.
She returned the black doily to the rack and unhooked a see-thru, white negligee, slipped her hand under the short hem and curled a finger around the center string to test the stretchy resistance of the thong.
Christ. He swallowed at the thought of her perfect curves wrapped in that barely there lace, standing before him, lips parting as she crawled up his body for a kiss. He trailed his gaze down her shoulders, back and waist to a firm, round ass that would bring any sane man to his knees. Sweet Jesus, and those legs…naked except for a pair of thigh high stockings, wrapped around his hips as he thru—
His perusal screeched to a halt, and he jerked his focus back up to her bottom. Wait a second…
“Goddamn it.” That was not Eden’s ass. No more than the one he toted around on the top of his legs.
Three stomping strides, and he grabbed the woman’s arm, whirling her to face him. Son of a bitch! She had distracted him on purpose. Otherwise, sure as shit, he would’ve noticed those auburn coils on her head were a wig.
“Where is she?” He yanked the fake hair off the stand-in’s head and she blushed as her dark, angular bob tumbled around her ears. Tugging her a step closer, he got up in her grill. “Tell me right now where she went or, I swear to God, I’ll make sure you spend the night in a cell.”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged his hand off her arm, straightened the bag on her shoulder. “Eden didn’t tell me where she was going. She set the whole thing up an hour ago, and only just called and told me to meet her at the entrance to Bloomingdale’s. She gave me specific instructions on what to wear, where to lead you—”
He pulled an abrupt about face and marched straight for the escalator, muttering a string of obscenities that would’ve earned him a judicious smack across the face from his mother’s right hand.
She’d done it again. Loping down the descending steps, he looked left then right along the continuous swish of the store’s four revolving doors, but he was too late. That reality had set in the second he’d realized the woman fiddling with the porn star wardrobe was no longer Eden.
Pushing out onto the street, he scanned the mingling bodies even though his efforts were useless. He’d lost her. Son of a bitch, he’d lost her again. She was in the wind. Exactly like she’d planned, and never before had the city of Chicago seemed so damn big.
So what in the hell was he supposed to do now? Turning a slow circle, he tossed his hands in the air. They dropped lifeless to his sides as he inspected each unfamiliar face passing by. Stand around like some moony teenager waiting for her call? She had to know how crazy that would make him. She must’ve known pulling this shit would be like reaching inside his chest and—
He wrenched his shoulders back. Wait, wait, wait. Just hold on. Setting his jaw, he pivoted toward the street and started straight back toward the apartment. He was not going there. Not again. Eden was a part of his investigation and that was all. He’d follow procedure just like he’d always done, starting with a search of her last known whereabouts, and build the case brick by brick until it was solved. To hell with everything else.
His phone chirped, and he stumbled to a stop. Breathing deep, he closed his eyes and slowly exhaled, fighting the way his gut twisted at the thought she might be on the other end of the call.
He dug his phone from his pocket and glanced at the caller ID. Archer. And that was fine. Yep, fine and dandy the caller wasn’t Eden. Kelly really couldn’t give two shits. “Riordan.”
“You need to head in.”
Good. Maybe DeFranco had gotten a hit on the DNA from under Ruby’s nails. “I’m on my way. I just need to make a stop first.” To see if he could find any clues to where Eden might have gone inside that apartment.
“Skip it.” Archer paused. “Ramirez just called it in, Kelly. We got another floater.”
He snapped his head up. No. God no, that wasn’t possible. For Christ’s sake, she’d only been missing a few minutes.
“DeFranco’s bringing him in now. ID says the vic’s a guy by the name of Malcolm Smith.”