Dash of Peril

Oh, now that just pissed her off. She settled into the corner of the seat, getting comfortable for this long-overdue confrontation. She would have preferred somewhere less...confined, maybe a location where his presence didn’t fill every inch of her space, where she didn’t breathe in his scent, where his tall, ripped body wasn’t so temptingly close.

But all she had was the here and now, so she’d make her point and then send him on his way. “You’re confusing yourself, Dash. My detectives answer to me, not the other way around.”

He disregarded her commanding tone and clear umbrage to say, “So they don’t know?”

“I don’t answer to anyone, especially not you.”

As if finally realizing her mood, he raised his brows. “You know it’s dangerous.”

“I can handle danger.” Hadn’t she spent too many nights being dangerously attracted to him?

“What if your ploy works and someone grabs you?”

“That’s the plan.” And yes, it was dangerous. Deep down, she knew it wasn’t right. But deep down, she had so damn many issues....

“You need backup.” Before she could say anything, Dash whispered, “Let me be your backup.”

“You and I have different objectives.”

“I want to sleep with you,” he admitted without reserve. “You want to catch some creeps—so sure, our main objectives are miles apart.”

Plainspoken Dash. Margo shook her head, denying what he wanted and how his brazen words affected her.

“But,” Dash said with emphasis, “the two aren’t mutually exclusive. I’d like to see the creeps caught, same as you.”

He’d like to see them caught. No sign of outrage or disgust at what happened, at what the men did—or what the women suffered.

Margo blew out a breath. If she involved Rowdy Yates, he would go after the bastards with single-minded intent.

Dash’s brother, Detective Logan Riske, one of the most honest, honorable, driven men she knew, always attacked injustice. He was seriousness personified.

Funny how the two brothers were so dissimilar in personality.

Logan saw her as a sexless superior, not a woman.

But Dash had been making his interest known almost from the moment they’d met. Unlike Logan, he played at life and enjoyed every moment.

In many ways, Margo was just like the rest of her family. Being a cop was in her blood.

But other things...other genetic ties...

“I’m pretty sure,” Dash went on, interrupting her disturbing thoughts, “that you want to sleep with me, too.”

A denial would be pointless. Dash knew women. Instead, she gave him the truth. “It won’t happen.”

“Because?”

“For one thing, I’m the lieutenant at a station previously plagued by corruption. I spent a lot of time and made a lot of enemies clearing out the trash.” More than one bad cop had lost his job. Other, less conscientious cops resented her for turning out their friends.

Logan and Reese were two of only a handful of good cops who had backed her 100 percent.

With anything work-related, she trusted them both. Away from the station...she preferred they stay out of her business.

Sleeping with the brother of a lead detective would definitely blur the lines.

“It’s important that I keep my personal life completely separate from work.” Few would understand her personal life, and too many others would use it against her.

“You think I’d gossip with Logan?”

“Probably Reese, too.” Logan and Detective Reese had been buddies forever; Logan and Dash were as close as two brothers could be. They all hung out together.

That made the circle far too close for her peace of mind.

“Seriously?” Dash angled his broad shoulders into the corner of the car to better face her. “You think guys sit around and share conquests?”

“Conquests?” Margo smirked. “Is that what you call it?”

“I might if I was the pathetic type to brag about how and when and with whom I had sex.” Getting comfortable, he unzipped his coat, showing a black thermal crew-neck shirt beneath. “But here’s a news flash for you—I don’t screw and tell. At least, not since I was seventeen. And trust me, even if I was the type—and again, I’m not—do you really think Logan or Reese wants to hear about us doing the nasty?”

Curiosity finally got her attention off his throat and up to his dark brown eyes. She tipped her head. “Would it be nasty?”

Dash watched her for several seconds before replying. “Entirely up to you.” His voice went deep and dark. “It can go any way you want—as long as it goes.”

She imagined sex with Dash would be...fine. Satisfying, sure. The man exuded testosterone and confidence. But it’d be the same old run-of-the-mill bang-for-fun encounter. He’d be polite, a gentleman. Considerate. It’d take the edge off, but there’d be no real depth. No risk.

No danger.

Unfortunately, that just didn’t do it for her.

Not that she’d ever tell Dash what did do it for her. That, by necessity, she reserved for fleeting adventures with strangers. Men she could control.

Men she would never see twice.

She did not share with guys closely related to her detectives.

“You know,” Dash said, “Logan prefers to think you’re made of stone. Reese, too. Must be a cop thing, right? To them, you’re a peer, not a supersexy woman.”

She and Logan had always shared mutual respect. Reese...that had taken a while but they were on good terms now. Both Logan and Reese were incredible detectives and she was lucky to have them.

But they weren’t peers. “I’m their superior.”

Dash grinned. “Maybe that attitude of yours helped to form their perspectives.”

Even now he couldn’t be serious. “Maybe.” Other than how it pertained to being a cop, she knew little enough about how men thought. What she did know she didn’t particularly like.

“I’m not the only one who sees it.”

She cocked a brow. “Excuse me?”