Catherine glanced at her sister.
Kayla didn’t like it, but she and Kane had unfinished business. “It’s okay.”
With a nod, her sister headed for the back room.
“She always act like your mother?” he asked.
“Only when I’m being threatened.”
“And that’s what you think I’m doing?” Despite his behavior, the thought made him laugh.
“I don’t know that any more than I know who you really are. Last night was obviously a setup.” She ignored the hurt the knowledge brought. “You’re investigating me and my business. What for?”
His deep inhale warned her she wouldn’t like what came next. “Prostitution.”
Her hand moved of its own volition, cracking across his roughened cheek. Tears quickly followed. She swiped at them with her sleeve, but he’d seen anyway. He didn’t flinch, but in his eyes she viewed the same glimmer of emotion she’d caught last night. He masked it just as fast.
He was good at hiding his feelings and even better at hiding himself.
She swallowed over the painful lump in her throat that threatened to grow larger. Not only had he treated her like a hooker, but he’d thought she was one, too. “I didn’t know detectives were into such hands-on investigation.”
“Last night had nothing to do with the investigation.”
Kayla folded her arms across her chest and remained silent. Her mama had another expression she’d ingrained into her girls: give a man enough rope, and he’d hang himself with it.
“The date, the setup, the dinner…those were part of the job,” he admitted. “What came after wasn’t.” The subtle darkening of his eyes spoke of sexual heat and need. The softening of his features hinted at something more. “By the time we finished dinner, I knew you were innocent,” he said.
Kayla inhaled. Mama was wrong in this case. Kane wasn’t hanging himself. He’d taken a step toward redemption, not further condemnation. Yet how could she believe his words when everything that came before had been based on a lie? And what he’d done after had been beyond insulting. It had hurt.
She’d given her body to him in ways that spoke of trust. In time, she could have given her heart. He’d repaid her faith with the deepest violation she could imagine. But she still sensed an innate decency. One she wanted to believe in.
“Do you always offer money to the women you sleep with?” she asked.
Silence greeted her. Apparently, she trod on sacred ground. “How reassuring,” she said dryly. “My sister will take me home.”
“Not unless you want her in the line of fire.” Kane spoke like the cop he was.
“There’s no danger.” Kayla swept her hand in the air, gesturing to the expanse of the room. Her head pounded in time to the motion. She winced but continued. “Look around you. No valuables, no merchandise…nothing. The guy didn’t find what he was looking for. He won’t be back.” Despite the pounding pain, she put all her energy into convincing him so he and his lies would disappear.
He shrugged. “Depends. Is that why you don’t have an alarm system here? There’s nothing anyone would want?”
She nodded, then regretted the jerky motion. She gripped the armrests of the chair until the dizziness and pounding subsided.
He placed a firm hand on her thigh. He might have meant to steady her, but his touch did more than reassure, it aroused buried feelings as well as sexual need.
“Do you have a burglar alarm at home?” he asked.
She cleared her throat. It still hurt to speak. “Don’t need one. The guy probably thought he’d get money, then he was interrupted. He won’t bother me again.”
“I disagree, and if I’m right and your sister gets hurt, will you be able to live with yourself?”
He’d hit her weakness and obviously knew it. Kayla wouldn’t risk Catherine’s life just to get Kane McDermott out of hers. “You’re an asshole, you know that, Detective? You want to act as my personal home safety system? Fine. Park your car in the driveway and have a blast. Just remember to turn on the heater. I don’t want your death on my conscience.”
“Careful, Kayla,” he said in that husky voice that caused an erotic tingling deep inside. “I might begin to think you care.”
“Fat chance.”
“Same with me hanging out in my car. The paramedics said you vetoed the hospital, so you need someone to watch over you.”