Page 34 of Blood Money

He lowered his hands to prevent them from doing something stupid, like reaching out to cup the luscious globes of her perfect breasts. He cleared his throat and turned on the monitor. “See?” He pointed to where a small red dot blinked steadily on the screen between Park Row and Pearl and Madison streets. “This is you.”

Alex leaned over the case, her shirt still open. “That’s really me?” As she pointed to the monitor, her right breast plumped higher above the lacy bra’s cup.

“Yes.” Gray cleared his throat. “Take it off. The locator, I mean. We’re done for the day.”

While she did as he ordered, then re-buttoned her blouse and jacket, he busied his hands by packing the equipment away, save for the digital cell phone recorder that he handed to Alex.

“What do I do now?” Her eyes met his.

For a moment, Gray said nothing. A dangerous battle waged between his brain and his heart. Take her in his arms and comfort her, or stand by his resolve to stay away from her. Wisdom won out.

“For now it’s business as usual. Do whatever work Lt. Frye assigns to you, but nothing more. Call me when you hear anything.”

Gray grabbed both cases and headed for the door. When he opened it, he made the mistake of looking back over his shoulder. A lone tear trickled down her pale, creamy skin. For a moment he froze, then a healthy dose of reality kicked him in the ass and he continued out the door.

Goddammit. Goddammit to hell and back.

Chapter Nine

No sooner had the door to her apartment building slammed shut than Alex sagged with relief. Today had been a long, stressful day, and all she wanted was to get home and snuggle with Nicky in front of the TV.

Triumph surged through her as well. She’d held her ground and gotten what she wanted. Now she had enough funding for Nicky’s treatments for the next twelve months. Gray, however, was another story. She needed to get the man out of her head. Last night hadn’t helped. Today about sent her over the edge.

She knew he’d been staring at her breasts today, as well as last night. Alex had been freezing, standing in the open doorway wearing only her short, silk robe, but the minute Gray walked into her apartment, the temperature in the room seemed to soar. Her skin had gone from warm to hot in a heartbeat.

And why, oh why, did he have to be so kind to Nicky?

This alter ego of his had her confused as hell.

In an instant, he’d transformed from hard-nosed, badass cop to the heart-stoppingly gorgeous man who haunted her dreams. And when he’d smiled at her son—that big white smile she hadn’t seen directed her way in days—her heart skipped a beat. But it was his interaction with Nicky that had affected her the most. Gray was a natural with children, and he seemed to take a genuine interest in her little boy. And Nicky liked him. Really liked him.

Figures the man would be great with kids.

Being alone with him today was a constant, jagged reminder of something wonderful that she’d lost before it could begin.

She and Gray would be forced to work together, and she had to accept that in order to get past this and make the best of a horrible situation. When it was over, she would never see him again. Something she was beginning to think was for the best.

Detective Gray Yates would never understand what she’d done. And he was right. She hadn’t told him everything and hopefully would never have to. So what if the man could ignite fireworks in her blood just by looking at her? Every time he was near, her brain cells jumbled together until nothing made sense. She needed to distance herself from him, but when he looked at her with those entrancing silver-gray eyes… No, the best thing she could do for herself was to disconnect, to stop thinking of Gray Yates as a man and only as a police detective.

She walked up the stairs to the second floor and knocked on Mrs. Frattiani’s door to collect Nicky. A few minutes later, with her son’s hand tucked into hers, she and Nicky headed to their apartment.

“Mommy, why is my mitt on the floor?” He tugged out of her grasp.

“What?” Lost in thought, Alex now saw Nicky’s baseball mitt on the hallway floor in front of their apartment door.

Nicky ran down the hallway, intent on getting to his favorite possession. For a moment, Alex froze as she processed what Nicky said. Something wasn’t right. There was no reasonable explanation as to what the mitt was doing outside the apartment on the floor. When she and Nicky left for school that morning, the mitt was planted in the middle of Nicky’s bed, the same place he always left it.

“Nicky, no!” Alex ran after him, grabbing his arm and pulling him gently but firmly from the mitt before he could touch it.

“What’s wrong, Mommy?” Nicky sent her a confused look.

With her arm around his shoulder, Alex looked behind her, certain that someone was about to shoot her in the back or hit her over the head with a pipe. “Did you and Mrs. Frattiani take your mitt from your bedroom today?”

“No.” Nicky cocked his head, a lock of hair falling in front of his eyes.

“Let me get it.” With her heart racing, Alex cautiously picked up the mitt.

Again, Nicky asked, “Mommy, what’s wrong?”