Eric shrugged. “Not a lot of good that does.”
“It does make a difference.” It made a huge difference to her. “You’re not turning a blind eye and you’re not walking away, thinking someone else can deal with the problem. You keep at it, even if you think it’s a losing battle. You keep fighting, no matter what.”
“That’s not heroic,” he said, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “That’s insanity.”
“Heroic. Insane.” She tossed her hands up in the air. “There’s a thin line separating the two.”
Eric’s eyes darkened as his gaze lazily traveled down her body. Her heart started to thump. Her breasts felt heavy as her nipples tightened. How was it that all Eric had to do was look at her and her body responded?
“Just so you know,” he said gruffly, “you drive me crazy.”
“Glad to hear it. And I wasn’t even trying,” she teased.
“You drove off like a bat out of hell yesterday. Today you didn’t take any of my calls. I spent all day looking for you,” he confessed.
“To apologize?” She didn’t understand the urgency, but she appreciated the gesture. “That’s so sweet.”
“No,” Eric said, “there was something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh.” She reached across the table and linked her fingers with his, giving his hand a brief squeeze. “Don’t ruin this.”
“I won’t. I’m here to help you.”
“Help me?” She drew her hand away and looked at him suspiciously. “Help me what?”
He took a deep breath. “Investigate the theft and see where it leads before you talk to the authorities.”
“Why would you do that? You were totally against it.” And from the look on his face, he still wasn’t one hundred percent for it.
“Because I know you won’t let it go. You’re going to keep digging and you need someone to watch your back.”
She noticed his explanation wasn’t accusatory or condescending. Eric accepted how she was and he wasn’t going to try and pin her in or change her. Instead, he would join her. It was almost too good to be true.
“What’s the catch?”
“No catch. I’m doing this to protect you.”
She wasn’t sure what that meant. Was it code for interfering? She’d like a partner, not a babysitter.
“Julie, you have good instincts and great observation skills. You were able to gather some information on Mercedes and Tiffany in very little time.” He frowned. “You also have a talent for finding trouble.”
“I don’t go looking for trouble. Why does everyone keep saying that? If anything, my life hasn’t had enough action.” That was until Eric walked into Gunthrie S&I. The way he touched her, the way he made her feel, opened up a whole new world for her.
“I’m going to be at your side,” he promised. “I want to help you develop your instincts.”
“Thank you, Eric.” She moved away from the table and hugged him. She liked how he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. It felt good. It felt right. “You are going to be the sexiest sidekick,” she whispered in his ear.
Eric tilted his head back. “Sidekick?”
“I’m the lead in this investigation. You are more of an advisor or consultant.” It was best to get that out of the way before there was any misunderstanding. “You’re not going to have a problem with that, are you?”
She saw the struggle in his eyes before he came to a decision. “No, Julie. You’re in charge of the investigation.”
The unspoken message was clear. She wasn’t going to be in charge when he took her to his bed. She would have to fight for it. The possibilities made her shiver in anticipation. She couldn’t wait to challenge his authority.
“So, what’s your next move?” he asked as his hands slid down the swell of her hips.
Desire pooled low in her pelvis and she rocked against him. “For what?”
“For finding Mercedes and Tiffany,” he reminded her before he caught her earlobe with his teeth.
Her skin tingled under his warm breath. “Nothing,” she said in a husky tone. “They aren’t here.”
“We could wait longer.” He darted the tip of his tongue behind her ear. The unexpected touch made her gasp.
“We could…” Her voice trailed off when Eric nuzzled her throat. “But I don’t think they’re going to show.”