Read Online Blue Jeans and a Badge by Nina Bruhns - Free Book Online Page A

forfeiture.”
    â€œHe’s just digging himself in deeper and deeper by not turning himself in.” Philip shook his head. “I don’t get it. He could lose his business over this mess.”
    Luce toyed with a pen sitting in a holder on his desk. “I’ve long since given up trying to figure people out. Especially the ones in trouble. People do weird things under pressure.”
    Didn’t he know it. He pulled up his keyboard. “Let’s try running his credit cards,” he suggested. “Check if they’ve been used lately. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
    â€œYou can do that?” She came over to stand at his shoulder.
    â€œSure.” He winked up at her. “I’m the law.”
    It was actually a bit more complicated than that, but he’dbuilt up a good network of contacts over the years. Generally if you did someone a favor, they didn’t mind returning it. And he’d done quite a few favors in his eight years as sheriff and two as police chief.
    He just wished Luce would do one for him now and not stand quite so close. It was hard to concentrate when he could smell her perfume and feel the heat from her body on his back. The memory of her taste rushed to his mouth, doubling his discomfort. Damn, he wanted to turn around and grab her.
    Down, boy. He’d already tried that. The lady wasn’t interested.
    He made himself concentrate and navigated to the Web site he needed, then typed in a password. With a few quick keystrokes he pulled up Clyde Tafota’s credit history and downloaded a copy. Clyde had two major credit cards and a gas card.
    â€œI have contacts at all of these companies,” he said. “We can call them in the morning to find out his activity.” He outlined his conversation with Ted, the relevant bits anyway, then he handed her his earlier notes. “This is everything I found on the school. At least it’s still in business.”
    Mercifully she took the printouts and notes over to his easy chair and plopped into it. He tried not to watch her as she read through them, but it was no use. It was like trying not to look in a bakery window when you were on a diet.
    His gaze wandered over her body and, unbidden, the feel of the places he’d touched her echoed across his palms. He could still feel the lacy outline of her bra on his fingers, the pebbled tip of her breast on the pad of his thumb.
    Damnation! He closed his eyes and tried to think of something else.
    â€œDo you think we should— Philip?” Luce interrupted his inner frustrations.
    He snapped his eyes open. “Yeah?”
    â€œYou okay? You look a little green around the gills.”
    He sat up straighter. “I’m fine. What were you saying?”
    She blinked, then all at once stood up. “I, um, think I’d better get going. It’s late and, um… It’s late.”
    He regarded her. She was doing it again—reading his mind. Not that it would be so hard to decipher….
    â€œYou haven’t had your cappuccino yet,” he said, not wanting her to leave.
    â€œThat’s okay. Thanks for the beer.” She set the bottle down and edged toward the door.
    â€œWhat about dinner? Aren’t you hungry?”
    â€œStill stuffed from that incredible lunch.” She flashed a brave smile. “I probably won’t need to eat for days.”
    â€œLuce—”
    â€œI can call a taxi. You really don’t have to—”
    â€œLuce. There are no taxis in Piñon Lake.” As he got up from the desk she took a quick step backward. He put his hands on his hips. “I’m starting to get a little insulted here.” He might be thinking it, but he wouldn’t ever do anything she wasn’t comfortable with.
    â€œPhilip—”
    â€œAre you afraid of me?”
    She gave her head a quick shake. “Not you.” But nevertheless took another step back when he moved toward her.