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“What did you want me to say?”His hand lifted.Not to cup her chin this time.But to slide over her cheek.His fingers slid into the thickness of her hair and his palm pressed lightly to her skin.
“Oh, you could have said the usual.So sorry for your loss.I think that’s what people are supposed to say at times like that.Only, well, no one said that to me at all.Instead, they whispered, and they gossiped.And I stood alone.”Anger breathed in those words.A mistake.Naomi hadn’t meant to let the anger out.She backed away from him.One step.Two.She?—
He caught her hand.Pulled her back against him.“So sorry for your loss,” he told her.Only Eb didn’t sound particularly sorry.He sounded…pissed.
And the anger that she’d been battling blazed to life.The anger—no, the rage—as everyone judged her and felt such sympathy for Hudson.Hudson the absolutebastard.“You didn’t have any really good secrets on me.How about I give you one?I’ll be generous and share a killer secret with you.”
His eyes narrowed.
She pushed onto her toes.Tugged him closer toward her.Her mouth went to his left ear.“I’m glad he’s dead,” she whispered.Her lips feathered over his ear lobe.Her tongue gave him a quick, sensual lick.“Glad.”
His hands locked around her hips.Tried to.She slipped away.Took several steps to put needed space between them.
“Have a good night,” Naomi added.She was pleased that her voice now sounded normal.No huskiness.“You can take the room at the top of the stairs.It’s the one I’ve already renovated.Nothing but the best for Hudson’s partner.”Her smile felt brittle.She tapped her leg, and Henry instantly moved to her side.“I’ll be in the room next door to yours.”She and Henry headed for the stairs.
Eb moved into her path.Of course, he would block her semi-dramatic exit.Leave it to him—he’d ruined her scene.
“You’reglad?Glad your husband is gone?”
She hadn’t stuttered when she made the confession.Glad.“I wasn’t with Hudson when he died because I was leaving him.If he’d lived, our marriage would have been over.”
“You weren’t even married for twenty-four hours before he was found dead!”
True.
His gaze whipped around the house.“Why were you even here, on the property?Why not go to some lush honeymoon suite?Why stay at this rundown place?”
“This rundown place was going to be our home.We—I—wanted to spend the first night of our married life in the home we’d build together.”She swallowed.“Some dreams suck.My mistake.”
“No.”Adamant.His probing stare returned to her.“No.No, you don’t go from wanting to build a home with someone to wanting out of the marriage after one night?—”
“You do if it is one horror show of a night.”She rubbed her hand over Henry’s head.Such a warm, steady presence.She’d missed Henry so much.He was not just a dog.Never that.He was the reason she was alive.So, yes, oh, yes, she would walk through hell to get him back any day of the week.She’d face off against a dozen gang members if she could get Henry back.“I’m keeping up my end of the deal.You helped me get Henry, and now you can crash here.Done.”
A muscle flexed along Eb’s clenched jaw.“I told you I was in town to find Hudson’s killer.”
“You did mention that.”Carefully cool.
“Don’t you want to find the bastard?Don’t you want to work with me to make the person who killed your husband pay?”
“Not particularly.But I could send the guy a thank-you basket.”
He blinked.“You aren’t serious.”
“I’ve moved on.You should, too.Let the dead rest.”She skirted around him.Henry shadowed her movements.
“You…hate him.”
She reached for the banister.She’d fixed that banister last week.The wood was smooth.Freshly stained a dark mahogany.Parts of the massive house were falling apart, yes, noted.But other parts showed such promise.“Is there a point in hating the dead?”She climbed two steps.
He snagged her arm.
She turned to face him.“Look, unless you are about to offer me unbelievable sex, I’m going to sleep.”
His hold tightened.“You talk about murder and sex in the same breath.”
“Some people are turned on by murder.”Twisted but true.“Tell me, secret agent man, what turns you on?You said before that it was me.You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t quite buy that answer.Perhaps you’re turned on by adrenaline.Or maybe it’s danger.Thus, your occupation.I mean, you only take high-risks jobs in this world if you’re into the whole life-or-death scene, am I right?”
His fingers stroked lightly over her skin.“You want to know what turns me on?We’re back to that?”