be held accountable for my actions.” He winked.
She scooted around the table, rested a hand on his arm, and leaned down to whisper in his ear. “Never get between a woman and her chocolate, Derek.”
He grinned and twisted in his seat to watch her walk away. Damn, if that dress didn’t tease him with hints of her sweet curves. He sighed and pulled out his cell phone, which he’d put on silent before Emilie had walked out of her office. Three messages.
The first was from Beckett about fifteen minutes ago and gave him the all-clear to let Emilie return home whenever he was ready, then they’d rendezvous. The second one was from Charlie and reported an address on one of Garza’s phone numbers, which was freaking fantastic news. And the third, also from Charlie, read, Thought this might be important and included a link. Marz clicked through to a news story.
“Aw, hell,” he said to himself as his scalp prickled. Two execution-style murders in Baltimore City today, both of known members of the Church Gang. The media was speculating about a connection to the bombingof Confessions, one of the gang’s known hangouts, and a shootout and car chase that had occurred that same night. His team had been involved in both of those ops, so Marz knew those two were connected. Question was, what were these executions about? And did they represent an opportunity or a threat to his guys and their mission? “No way that’s not important,” he murmured.
“Everything okay?” Emilie slipped back into her chair.
Marz looked up and smiled. Damn, she’s gorgeous . She’d applied something glossy to her lips, and they were now a deep, shiny red that reminded him of a candy apple. Bet she’d taste just as sweet . “Yeah, just some bad stuff from the nightly news.”
“Is there any other kind?” Emilie asked. “I almost hate to read the news anymore.” She gestured toward his phone, which he slipped back into his pocket. “What happened?”
“Oh, uh, some murders in downtown Baltimore.”
Just then, the waiter delivered their coffee and desserts—the chocolate cake for her, and key lime pie for him.
“Look at that,” Marz said, “your chocolate cake is safe after all.”
Emilie reached across the table and snatched his fork, then she sliced it into her dessert. “Never let it be said I’m not a giving person,” she said, returning the fork to him with a big scoop of cake.
Marz shook his head and grinned. “Those words will never slip past my lips.” He enjoyed the taste of her dessert, which was rich and creamy and delicious. He held his plate out to her. “Try mine?”
“Nope. I appreciate it, but I’m all about this cake.”She scooped up a piece and ate it. “Mmm,” she moaned, her eyelids fluttering shut. Her face was a mask of pleasure, making Derek wonder what else might cause her to convey those sounds and that expression.
He shifted in his seat, heat spearing through him. “So, uh, I take it you like chocolate.”
Her eyes flipped open. “‘Like’ would be an understatement. Did you ever see the movie Forrest Gump ? There’s that scene where the guy is reciting, like, a hundred things you can make out of shrimp?” Marz nodded. “Well, that’s me, except switch out the shrimp for chocolate. If it’s chocolate, I will eat it or make it.”
“Is that so?” he asked, loving learning all these little facets of her personality.
“Mmhmm,” she said around another bite. “Ever had enchiladas with chocolate sauce?” Marz wrinkled his nose, and Emilie laughed. “It’s called mole and you’d never know it has chocolate in it, but the Mexican chocolate gives it this deep and delicious flavor that is to die for.” She licked chocolate icing off her fork, and Marz tried like hell not to stare. But, damn.
“If you say it’s good, I would definitely try it,” he said.
She tilted her head. “So, no one you know was hurt today, were they? In that news story, I mean.”
“Thankfully,
She scooted around the table, rested a hand on his arm, and leaned down to whisper in his ear. “Never get between a woman and her chocolate, Derek.”
He grinned and twisted in his seat to watch her walk away. Damn, if that dress didn’t tease him with hints of her sweet curves. He sighed and pulled out his cell phone, which he’d put on silent before Emilie had walked out of her office. Three messages.
The first was from Beckett about fifteen minutes ago and gave him the all-clear to let Emilie return home whenever he was ready, then they’d rendezvous. The second one was from Charlie and reported an address on one of Garza’s phone numbers, which was freaking fantastic news. And the third, also from Charlie, read, Thought this might be important and included a link. Marz clicked through to a news story.
“Aw, hell,” he said to himself as his scalp prickled. Two execution-style murders in Baltimore City today, both of known members of the Church Gang. The media was speculating about a connection to the bombingof Confessions, one of the gang’s known hangouts, and a shootout and car chase that had occurred that same night. His team had been involved in both of those ops, so Marz knew those two were connected. Question was, what were these executions about? And did they represent an opportunity or a threat to his guys and their mission? “No way that’s not important,” he murmured.
“Everything okay?” Emilie slipped back into her chair.
Marz looked up and smiled. Damn, she’s gorgeous . She’d applied something glossy to her lips, and they were now a deep, shiny red that reminded him of a candy apple. Bet she’d taste just as sweet . “Yeah, just some bad stuff from the nightly news.”
“Is there any other kind?” Emilie asked. “I almost hate to read the news anymore.” She gestured toward his phone, which he slipped back into his pocket. “What happened?”
“Oh, uh, some murders in downtown Baltimore.”
Just then, the waiter delivered their coffee and desserts—the chocolate cake for her, and key lime pie for him.
“Look at that,” Marz said, “your chocolate cake is safe after all.”
Emilie reached across the table and snatched his fork, then she sliced it into her dessert. “Never let it be said I’m not a giving person,” she said, returning the fork to him with a big scoop of cake.
Marz shook his head and grinned. “Those words will never slip past my lips.” He enjoyed the taste of her dessert, which was rich and creamy and delicious. He held his plate out to her. “Try mine?”
“Nope. I appreciate it, but I’m all about this cake.”She scooped up a piece and ate it. “Mmm,” she moaned, her eyelids fluttering shut. Her face was a mask of pleasure, making Derek wonder what else might cause her to convey those sounds and that expression.
He shifted in his seat, heat spearing through him. “So, uh, I take it you like chocolate.”
Her eyes flipped open. “‘Like’ would be an understatement. Did you ever see the movie Forrest Gump ? There’s that scene where the guy is reciting, like, a hundred things you can make out of shrimp?” Marz nodded. “Well, that’s me, except switch out the shrimp for chocolate. If it’s chocolate, I will eat it or make it.”
“Is that so?” he asked, loving learning all these little facets of her personality.
“Mmhmm,” she said around another bite. “Ever had enchiladas with chocolate sauce?” Marz wrinkled his nose, and Emilie laughed. “It’s called mole and you’d never know it has chocolate in it, but the Mexican chocolate gives it this deep and delicious flavor that is to die for.” She licked chocolate icing off her fork, and Marz tried like hell not to stare. But, damn.
“If you say it’s good, I would definitely try it,” he said.
She tilted her head. “So, no one you know was hurt today, were they? In that news story, I mean.”
“Thankfully,
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