Sweet Arrest (5 page)

"Then again, I could ask the neighbors if they saw anyone snooping around.” Her lips curled at the thought. That was a start. If someone did see a stranger in the area early in the morning or late at night, the description might be familiar. Maybe the killer was someone she knew. That made her shiver. She prayed she didn't know anyone capable of murder.

But first things first. She needed to find a way to turn John off. The man had been insistent on nightly dates for the past few days, and he didn't know how to keep his hands to himself. Her temporary buoyancy evaporated. John wouldn't give up too easily. He might even get to the point that forcing her to sleep with him or else would no longer weigh on his conscious.

"What would you do if a man said sleep with me, or I'll let you get tried for murder?” she asked her reflection. Flicking a last curl in place around her heart-shaped face, she stared into her sad eyes. “I'm not Braveheart. I would sleep with him."

A wave of nausea hit her, but she swallowed it down and stood. Time to face him whether she liked it or not.

Just as she reached her bedroom door, the bell rang. Not bothering to hurry, she went down to answer. John stood at the door in dress slacks and a dress shirt. He was half way decent except that he had taken his braids out the day before and didn't bother to cut his hair. She tried not to center on the wild mess that it was. “Hello, John. Where are we going?"

Instead of an answer, he jerked her into his arms and kissed her, full on the mouth. He ran his tongue along her lower lip, trying to force entry. If she thought about throwing up earlier, she really did now.

She shoved at him, but his arms were wound like a straight jacket around her waist. When she tried to knee him in the nuts, he closed his legs. Finally, when frustrated tears fell, and he tasted the salt, he released her.

"Damn, your mouth tastes good.” He grinned, ignoring the fact that she had been fighting his kiss. “Except for that salty part. Let me look at you. My girl's gotta be hot when we go out!"

At his command, she twirled. His offending gawk was glued to her cleavage. Just as he requested, she wore a lilac-colored top with a button closure at the neck and a teardrop opening below that to show off the swell of her breasts. She hated the stretchy fabric, because it showed off her love handles a little too much. The black jeans she had paired with it hugged her hips and ass enough to make John salivate.

After he had smacked her rear, squeezed and slid his fingers a little too low back there, she was contemplating killing someone for the first time. They left the house without him telling her where they were going. “It's a surprise.” He grinned.

The surprise turned out to be dinner at a midlevel restaurant with tasteless entree and questionable dessert, followed by dancing at a new club called Fire ‘n It. A'isha decided to make the best of things and try to have fun.

Soon A'isha was shaking her thing to the loud music and had even been scooped up to dance with a few other fine-looking brothas to John's fury. Two surrounded her, one in front, one in back. There had to be no more than an inch or two between their groins and her body.

"Damn, baby,” the taller, older, of the two groaned in her ear. “That ass is doing things to me. Shake it for me."

She didn't prefer to be spoken to like that, but it was all in fun for the moment. While she shook it a little harder to the guy's howl of delight, she glanced up to see the fire in John's eyes, but she kept her gaze moving before he could demand she get off the floor. Losing her balance, she fell against the man in front of her. He encircled her waist, grinding into her hips, but her concentration had zeroed in on Detective Connor Pierce leaning against the bar with a drink in his hand and his eyes on her.

A woman with broad shoulders and a pretty face strolled up to his side. She rested a hand with familiarity on his shoulder and grinned up at him. When Connor turned his head to her, their faces were inches apart. Jealousy rose in A'isha, white hot and uncalled for.

John strolled over and took her by the arm, yanking her from the man sandwich she was trapped in. “Get your motherfuckin’ hands off my woman,” John spat. “Go find your own."

The man who had been holding her frowned and walked up on John. “Maybe you should look after her better before someone comes along and takes her."

"Is that so?” John puffed out his chest, shoving A'isha behind him. “You think you're the man to do it, huh?"

"Stop! I choose who I'm with.” A'isha stepped between them. “Look, it was fun, but I am with John, okay?” John reached around her to shove the man, only to be shoved back. The jostling had her reaching to hold onto John's arm to keep from landing on the floor.

"Problem here, gentleman?"

A'isha glanced up to find the woman who had been hanging on Connor's every word. She was a cop, too. Connor was close behind but said nothing, allowing his friend to deal with the scuffle.

John sneered. “Who are you? Get lost. I don't need no white woman interfering."

She flashed her badge. “This white woman happens to be a cop. Now, you want to break it up, or do I need to break it up for you? I haven't locked anyone up in the last hour. I'm due!"

When John's hands came around her waist and rose to the underside of her breasts, she flinched and looked him in the face. His attention was on Connor who he had spotted behind his friend. For some reason, he thought Connor was interested in her and wanted to stake his claim. She rolled her eyes, wiggling from his hold.

"John, I'm ready to go.” She didn't wait for his answer, but marched past heading for the exit. The blaring music kept her from hearing whether he followed. She pushed through the door to the parking lot and paused at the blast of cool air. The drop in temperature was a refreshing change to the oppressive heat of the club.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

She spun around. John stalked over to her and took her arm. Wrenching herself free, she glared at him. “I'm going home, just like I said. I'm not in the mood to get in the middle of a fight between you and those two guys.” She crossed her arms, a smirk on her face. “Frankly, I think they'd beat you anyway."

"Oh, you got jokes, A'isha?” She thought he was about to hit her but he ran a hand down over her hair and caught her by the back of the neck. He drove her into his chest and dropped wet kisses along her cheek. “Feel that? My dick's hard for you. I lied to the police for you. I deserve something in return."

"Not my body!” She bluffed. If he pushed, threatened to go back on his word, she might give in. Pivoting on the ball of her foot she strolled in the direction of her car. With any luck, John wouldn't see fit to follow. Maybe he could find a woman in the club to give him some action and take him home later. She wasn't interested.

If she thought John was letting her off without a fuss, she was fooling herself. He spun her around and banged her back against her car, following with his body to trap her. With all the strength she could muster, she flung her leg up to catch him between his. Her knee made impact this time. His knees buckled. “You bitch! You're going to pay for that!"

While he labored to get to his feet, her trembling fingers wouldn't still long enough for her to get them in the lock of her car. John closed his fingers in her hair. She screamed.

"You have one second, Mr. Ford, to take your hands off of her."

A'isha's teeth clattered together, and she sagged against the car, resting her face on the cold surface of her window. John's fingers left her hair. If Connor hadn't come along when he did, she would have been at her neighbor's mercy, a man she had known for years. Never would she have imagined he would attack her. Her quiet little neighborhood with older families and only one or two from her generation with kids went from safe to undesirable.

John faced Connor with defiance. “Yeah, I'm glad you're here. I wanted say—"

"What?” Connor's eyebrows arched. His expression made A'isha tremble, and she wasn't the one he focused on. “I'm sure you're not about to tell me that you want to change the story you gave me a few days ago, because I'd have to inform you of your rights."

"What!” John took a step back, forward then back, like he didn't know if he wanted to run away or not. “Why? I didn't do anything?"

Connor's voice didn't rise above conversational level. His thumbs were hooked in jeans that fit him so right, A'isha's eyes were drawn to them. “I'm sure you know about a little thing called obstruction of justice. I could name others that apply."

John held up his hands. “Um, yeah ... uh ... look, A'isha, I gotta go. It was nice and everything, but don't call me, girl. You're too much for even me to handle.” He turned and fled. A'isha breathed a sigh of relief. She peered at Connor.
My hero
.

"Thanks so much,” she whispered. “You can't begin to imagine..."

"I think I can.” He took her keys from her fingers and unlocked her door. “Get in. I will follow you home to make sure you get there safely."

She slid into the driver's seat and turned over the engine. “What about your friend?” Despite herself, the jealousy returned. She wondered if he intended to spend the night with that woman, if they were already lovers.

"She'll be fine.” He shut the door. Watching his long stride to his car, desire rose inside. She wanted him. Nothing serious could ever be between them, but give her one night, and she'd enjoy the ride. He was too beautiful.

Seeing him with the other officer was a surprise. While the woman had a pretty face, she was overbearing, and on the heavier side. Not that a man like him should date just model types, but seeing a real-sized woman on his arm was just ... odd.

A half hour later, she drew up to her house and parked well down the street, since all the good spaces were taken. Connor double parked, threw on his hazard lights and walked alongside her. She peeked up him through her lashes. This was what feeling secure was like. A big man with a big weapon at her side. Her heart pounded at the dual entendre, and she shivered.

Just like it was the most natural thing in the world for him to do, Connor wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She nuzzled close. “Were you watching me? Is that why you were at the club?"

"Policemen party too."

She laughed. “Yeah right. That didn't look like your scene. Besides, you weren't even dancing, not even a foot tap."

"It wasn't my song."

"Uh-huh."

He stopped her from walking, spun her to face him and lowered his head to just above her lips. She willed him to make the connection, to let her taste his amazing lips once more, but he withdrew, scanning the area. Of course, she had nosey neighbors. But didn't everybody? Someone would have been watching out their window, telling everyone they could find that A'isha Greene was out in the street kissing on the investigating officer in the murder case, which pegged her as a suspect.

She sighed. Connor continued walking, tugging her along. When they reached her house, he peeled the keys from her fingers and unlocked the door. Her heart palpitated at his gentle treatment. Reminding herself of her reality, she stepped through into the entryway and flicked the light on.

The scene before her eyes made her knees buckle. Before she could hit the floor, Connor wrapped an arm about her waist and hauled her outside. He placed her on the porch chair. “Wait here while I check it out."

Her eyes widened at his freeing his weapon from the holster and disappearing through the door again. She waited for what seemed like hours for him to return. He came back calm, but grim.

"Someone has jimmied the lock on your back door. They trashed the place—upstairs and down. Appears that they were looking for something. The TVs are in place, but your computer is trashed on the floor. Did you keep any other valuables in the house, jewelry perhaps?"

She didn't answer. Dropping to a crouch, he cupped her face. “A'isha, I'm here. You're safe, and I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. But I need to know everything if I'm going to get this person."

"So, you believe me?” she uttered. “That I didn't do it ... kill Cammie?"

He nodded. “Someone was at your shop trying to get into that closet. We did lift a fingerprint from it, but have no matches so far. There's no way a different person for another reason was searching your home.” He caressed her cheek. She closed her eyes enjoying every second of it. “Don't worry. I'm going to catch this creep, and when I do, he'll pay for hurting you."

"Thank you so much, Connor,” she breathed out. “That means so much to me. I've felt alone in this, trying to be strong, but I don't even have a girlfriend to turn to, and I don't want to worry my brother when he can do nothing about it. Thank you."

He smiled. “Just doing my—no problem at all.” He flipped off the lights in her house, locked it up and turned to her. “Come on. You can stay at my place tonight."

She gaped. “Are you sure?"

"You can't imagine."

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What the hell did he think he was doing? Even if he did believe she was innocent, he had no proof. He hadn't begun his career yesterday. He knew she could have set up all that he had found up to now—someone to scratch the lock at work, and someone else to trash her house while she was at the club. That's what insurance was for.

But he also wouldn't have gotten as far as he had if he didn't know when to follow his gut. And his gut was telling him A'isha was not the killer. “I just hope it's my gut speaking and not my dick."

"Huh?” She glanced up from the chair where she sat huddled like a scared little girl.

"Nothing.” He shouldn't have brought her here. Not to his house. His job wouldn't have been in jeopardy if he dropped her at a hotel. But how could he? She trembled with fear. All he desired was to hold her. For the last ten minutes, he fought it.

Don't do it, Connor.

Ignoring his internal warning, he crossed to the couch and sat down. “Come here, A'isha.” He held out his arms. Her beautiful eyes widened, but she stood up from the chair and stumbled the few steps over to him. Sliding her onto his lap nearly had him coming. “Come here, baby.”
Don't kiss her sweet mouth, Connor
. “Mm.” He tried to eat her lips, sucking them between his, crushing her body to him. He couldn't get enough. His shaft was so hard it ached. She wiggled out of his arms, and he nearly wept. “What's wrong?"