EXCERPT
When Kaylin awoke the sun was just creeping up over the ocean, and the rays bouncing off the waves in the distance were blinding. She felt the bed beside her and found it was cool. She heard the rhythmic splashing sounds from the lap pool out on the terrace. Jack had left the doors open. He must swim early like she did. She got up and walked out to the terrace in time to see him pull himself up onto the coping and stand up. He was naked. His dark hair was wet and slicked back from a face darkened by morning beard. The sun glinted off the water running down his body and highlighted his strong, masculine features. He looked like a Greek statue silhouetted against the rising sun. God, he’s beautiful. And last night was beautiful. She walked over to him and pressed her nude body up against his. “Yikes, you’re cold.”
He laughed. “The water cools off up here overnight. I guess it’s the strong breeze. If you think that’s cold, try this.” He picked her up and tossed her into the pool. She came to the surface sputtering.
“That was mean!”
He jumped back into the water and pulled her into his arms for a good morning kiss that rocked her world. The warmth of his big body against her cold skin was delicious as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She could get used to good mornings like this. She was warming up rapidly. “Don’t you worry that someone will see you walking around up here naked?”
“No. The trees on the terrace provide a pretty good screen, and we are twenty stories up. Although…” And now he grinned full-out, his dimple winked, and his gray eyes sparkled like chipped ice. “There was that one picture of me in a tabloid…I think they took it from a helicopter.” When he saw the horrified look on her face, he just laughed. “Don’t worry about it. Pretty much everyone in this town knows not to mess with me or my privacy. Besides, security usually keeps a pretty tight rein on things, the incident in the garage notwithstanding. Mr. Smith will not be back. If he’d had his eyes open, Lucy might not be dead.”
“That would be hard to live with. I hope you didn’t say that to him.”
“You’re softhearted for a cop, Kaylin. No, I didn’t need to say it. He had already figured it out for himself. And, yeah, I think it will be hard to live with. Let’s not talk about that now. How about breakfast? I can whip up a couple of omelets and coffee. I guess you have to get home to change and go to work. I’m sure Del will be looking for you this morning for a briefing.” His smile was mischievous in the extreme.
“Don’t remind me. Del is not going to be a happy camper. I do have to get home to change for work. Breakfast sounds great. Can we eat out here?”
“Absolutely. Why don’t you get your swim in. Towels are under that table. I’ll start breakfast.”
When Jack came back out with a tray loaded with omelets, toast, and big mugs of coffee, Kaylin was sitting at a table next to the roof’s edge wrapped in a huge white towel admiring the view while she checked messages and e-mail on her iPhone. There were three “where are you” messages from Del. “This is one hell of a view you have here, Mr. Brown.”
“It is, and I never take it for granted.” He set the tray down and served breakfast.
The ham and cheese omelets with spears of asparagus were excellent, and the coffee was fabulous. “I appreciate your letting us come into the club undercover, Jack. I hope it gives us the lead we need to close this case.”
“Kaylin, I think you know this has progressed past an undercover op, at least for me. Can I hope you feel the same way?”
“Last night was something I never expected. I’ve never felt like that before, but, Jack, the operation has to come first right now. I have to keep my eye on the ball, and not on your gorgeous butt.” She grinned.
“I presume you want to give it another try tonight. I’m not backing out of this. I want the bastard who killed Lucy to pay. She was a sweet kid, and she died needlessly in my building after leaving my club where she should have been safe. I have to live with that too.”
“Okay. We’ll work on it. We’ll address our personal issues when this is over.”