The Dark Gate

He leaned against the doorframe, teasing lights dancing in his blue eyes. “You’re ready for me, are you?”

She tried to look haughty, but failed miserably as she met his grin. “You’re impossible.”

The worst part was that she was ready for him. Never in her life had she been so aware of a man. But he couldn’t know. She couldn’t go there with him.

“The bandage, Detective,” she said crisply, struggling to hide her reaction to his nearness.

He made a mock face of disappointment that did nothing to dim the smile in his eyes, but his hands busied themselves with the first-aid supplies.

His gaze dipped to take in her outfit, lingering a moment too long on her hands…or what they covered…making her feel hot and damp.

“How was your bath?” he asked, his smile turning friendly.

An answering smile escaped her mouth. She didn’t want to like him, but he made it so hard not to.

Larsen tucked the towel in tighter. “The bath felt great. I’m finally clean again.”

“No trouble with that shoulder?”

“No. Like I told you, it’s stopped hurting.”

His eyebrows lifted. “Let’s see how it looks, shall we?” He motioned to the closed toilet lid. “Have a seat.”

He stood close, his knee brushing her thigh as he carefully pulled at the tape holding the bandage to her shoulder.

“This might hurt.” He eased the bandage off her skin. His brows pulled together as he stared at the wound.

“Damn, woman, you heal fast.” His expression registered both surprise and approval. Beneath dark lashes, his blue eyes slid to her face.

Larsen shrugged. “It must have been a small arrow.”

Jack stared at her shoulder, frowning. “I don’t care what size it was. This wound looks like it’s been healing for days.” He shook his head. “Amazing. Anyway, I think we can probably switch you to a couple of Band-Aids.”

“Great. Let me get back in the bath and wash the tape marks off.”

But he was already reaching for her. His thumb ran along one of the tape lines, the look that entered his eyes warming her to her toes. “I’ll help.”

“Yeah, I bet.”

He grinned at her. “As much as I’d enjoy seeing you in that tub, we’ll do it here.” He picked up the washcloth and began to ease the glue from her damp skin.

She stared at the speckles in the tiled floor while he worked. The subtle scent of his aftershave gave an exotic touch to the steamy, soapy smell of the bathroom, stirring her senses, as if his nearness and the rough pads of his fingers skimming her bare shoulder weren’t doing enough.

His breathing no longer sounded calm. She glanced up to find him watching her, his eyes hot with wanting. The room turned stifling. Airless.

“Larsen…” Her name was little more than a whisper on his lips. He slid his palm along the side of her neck, sending shivers rippling through her. His gaze held hers captive. Tension built and coiled within her as she waited, breathless. Wanting.

Slowly he slid his thumb beneath her jaw and lifted her face, bending toward her. Even as part of her begged to push him away, she reached for him, lifting her hand in turn to slide along his stubbled jaw.

A low growl escaped Jack’s throat a second before he covered her mouth with his own. The kiss started out gentle, then turned harder, more insistent, stirring feelings in her that quickly turned raw. Hungry.

How long had it been since she let a man get this close? She’d forgotten how good it felt to be touched, to be filled with passion and life. And need.

Larsen wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, opening her mouth on his. A growl rumbled deep in Jack’s chest as his tongue swept inside to claim hers. He tasted like heaven, like warm, sinful fantasies.

His hands gripped her waist and he rose, lifting her to her feet and into his arms. She forgot the towel, forgot everything but her need for this man. She lifted both hands to his face, holding him just where she wanted him, that wonderful mouth fused with hers. He pushed her gently backward, against the sink cabinet, pressing against her. He was hard. Aroused.

Reason wormed its way into her passion-fogged mind. Sex. Too much. Too close.

She pulled back from the kiss. “Jack…”

He dragged in short ragged breaths as he watched her, his passion-drugged eyes brimming with impatience, an impatience that slowly turned to resignation. Jack sighed and let her go. But as he stepped back, the towel that had covered her dropped to the floor between them. With a gasp, Larsen grabbed it and yanked it over her breasts, but the damage was done. The moment shattered.

“I…need to get dressed.” She tried to push past him but he put out an arm to bar her way.

“You still need a Band-Aid.”

Embarrassment heated her cheeks. “Okay, but no sexy, lingering touches this time.” She couldn’t quite meet his gaze.

It was one thing to kiss him. Something entirely different to flash him, accident or not.

To his credit, he didn’t say anything that would compound her self-consciousness. Instead he applied the Band-Aids to her shoulder with quick, clinical movements.

“All done.”

She hazarded a glance at his face and found him watching her with amused sympathy.

He lifted one wry, teasing brow. “You do know how to get a guy’s attention.”

“Yeah. Well…” Her embarrassment melted beneath his gentle humor. “On that note, I’m going to bed. Alone,” she added as she walked with forced calm down the hallway to Jack’s bedroom.

Larsen closed the door, then sank back against it, her legs refusing to hold her upright a second longer. She struggled to suck air into her lungs, struggled to remember how to breathe after that kiss.

Every nerve in her body hummed with electricity. She could probably light the entire room if she shoved her finger in the light socket. Her fingers went to her lips, trailing over flesh that still tingled.

The man could kiss.

With a groan, she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the door. Why had she let him do that? Now he was going to want more. She was going to want more.

When what she needed to do was put distance between them.

She banged her head silently against the door at her stupidity. It was time to find that rock-solid control she’d always prided herself on, and find it fast.

The sound of Jack’s cell phone ringing in the living room permeated the room, followed by the low murmur of his voice.

With a determined sigh, Larsen pushed away from the door and grabbed the borrowed sleep tee off the bed. She was just pulling it on when she heard the rap on her door.

“Larsen, that was my partner on the phone. Come watch the news. There may be a break in the case.”