Simply Sinful (Simply 1)

The mysteries of Charmed! had yet to be unraveled. She could do that without Detective McDermott. The sooner she did, the sooner she could get back to the life she knew best. Her life without Kane.

She picked up her cell, called Catherine, and asked her to meet her at her favorite hideaway. As she disconnected the call, the shower shut off. The silence echoed in her ears. In minutes Kane would emerge, his hair damp from the shower, droplets of water on his skin. She ignored the traitorous thudding of her heart, refused to acknowledge the blood pulsing through her veins. Instead, she bolted for the front door without looking back.

* * *

Kane walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair as he went. The silence struck him immediately. His nerve endings, honed by years of experience, went on alert. “Kayla?”

No answer. He didn’t yell for her again. His gaze traveled her bedroom. The pile of clothes he’d worn earlier was missing, and he realized he heard the hum of the washing machine in the background. But she was gone.

He recalled what happened the last time she’d gone off on her own, and his gut churned. She should have known better than to run off. He should have known better than to trust her now that she was back on her feet. Hell, he should have known better than to trust himself. Kayla distracted him in every way possible.

He stalked through the house, taking in every detail. Nothing was missing except…the books. He now knew exactly where she’d gone, evidence in hand, making herself a walking target.

Kane muttered a savage curse. When he got his hands on her, he’d throttle her. Never mind that what he really wanted to do was throw her onto the bed and finish what he hadn’t allowed himself to do before. “Fuck.”

He dropped his towel and found a new set of clothes he’d had dropped off, then shoved his feet into his shoes and grabbed for his keys. He had to wrap this case up and get the hell out.

He slid into the car, checked his gun, and pulled his cuffs out of the glove compartment. The woman drove him to distraction. At this point, he’d cuff her to the damn bed if that was what it took to keep her safe.

* * *

The musty smell of old books permeated her nostrils, making Kayla feel safe. She rounded the end of a long aisle and saw Catherine pacing the floor at their meeting place.

She touched her sister on the shoulder. “Hi, Cat.”

Catherine turned. “Thank God you’re okay. That emergency call scared me to death. Where’s your guard dog?” She glanced over Kayla’s shoulder in search of Kane.

Kayla shrugged. “I don’t know and I don’t care.” Liar. She cared too much, which was what had gotten her into this mess.

“He let you out alone? After he promised he’d protect you? I should have known the man was low life piece of –.”

“I snuck out,” Kayla said before her sister could get going. “And, if I recall, you liked him well enough the first time you met.”

“That was before he took advantage of my innocent sister.”

“Don’t you think you’re laying it on a little thick, even for you?”

Catherine stepped forward and touched her cheek. “You look like you’ve had your heart trampled and broken. So no, I don’t think I’m overreacting.”

Kayla eased herself into one of the fabric-covered chairs. There weren’t many places in the public library that were comfortable and secluded, but three floors down from the main level, nestled between History and Research, Kayla had carved out her personal space.

“Did you know that men are very literal creatures?” Kayla asked.

“How so?”

“They say what they mean and they mean what they say. If a guy says he doesn’t want to get involved, he doesn’t want to get involved. No hidden agendas exist. There aren’t any fairy-tale endings, and there’s no such thing as the right woman changing a stubborn man’s mind.”

“I’d like to strangle the bastard.”

“Why? He never lied to me. Now sit. We have to talk.” Kayla pointed to the chair across from her. Catherine meant well, but discussing her feelings for Kane was too personal. Kayla wouldn’t divulge details, not even to her concerned sister.

She’d cope and deal with it on her own. “What do you know about Charmed!’s less discussed activities?” Kayla asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Look at this.” She dug into her bag and pulled out one of the crossword books she’d taken from the house. “Lists of names, dates…” She fanned the pages for her sister to see.

“Shut the book, Kayla.” The deep voice took her by surprise. A familiar feeling of warmth curled inside her stomach.