Read Online On Fire by Sylvia Day - Free Book Online Page B

he’s been for the last couple of years.”
    Jared took another sip, his gaze locked with hers over the lip of the mug. “I’m a trained observer, Darcy. So is he. We both got the measure of each other from the first. He knew I was stepping in, and he pushed a little to try and put me in my place. He pushes again and I’m pounding him back.”
    Her anger spiked. “I don’t need this right now. I don’t have anything to give you. I’m all tapped out. You were just supposed to be a vibrator that didn’t need batteries.”
    His eyes were as hard and beautiful as sapphires. “And you were just supposed to be a hot piece of ass. Instead, this is getting messy. Deal with it. I want you and I can’t turn it off. And when I’m touchingyou, I don’t want to turn it off, and you don’t want me to, either. If you’re hoping to shut us down with some distance, I’ll roll with it just to prove you wrong, but we’ll be back at each other in no time.”
    “It won’t work out.”
    “I’m not taking your word for it. I’ll see for myself.” He finished his coffee and refilled his mug. “I need to change into fresh clothes and grab some things from the motel. Then I want to head out to the other two scenes. I’d prefer it if you’d take me, but if you’re opposed to that, I’ll work something else out.”
    “Opposed,” she repeated, laughing without humor. “If only.”
    “We’re in the same boat. If it sinks, we go together.”
    She stood and mentally dusted herself off. “Do you need to eat?”
    “Not yet.”
    “Okay, then. I’m ready to go when you are.”

chapter seven
    Trish was just leaving the motel when Darcy pulled her BMW into a spot in front of Jared’s ground-floor room. He climbed out and met his partner at the curb.
    “Hey,” he greeted her, frowning at her obvious agitation. “What’s up?”
    “Miller is champing at the bit to hold a press conference. He thinks if we put the heat on the arsonist, he’ll move on.”
    “Genius,” Jared muttered. “Make our torch someone else’s problem.”
    “I reminded him—firmly—that this is our case and we’ll decide how to proceed.” Her pretty face was hard and her choice of attire betrayed her determination to establish her control of the situation. Usually a jeans and blouse sort of gal, she was wearing slacks and a blazer today.
    “How well does he listen?”
    She shrugged with a wry smile. “Well, he called me to give me a heads-up. That’s something, at least. I’m going to head into the station and keep an eye on him. You heading out to the other two sites?”
    “Yes. I’ve got the inspector’s files for you to run through while I’m out. You’ll find she’s very thorough.” He glanced at Darcy and gestured for her to join them. “We also need to follow up on thevacation homes. There’s a steady stream of seasonal residents and rental transients running through the town. The full-time residents aren’t the only ones who know the ins and outs of the area.”
    “I like your jeans, by the way,” Trish said, as Darcy unfolded from behind the wheel. “They looked good on you yesterday, too.”
    He shot her a withering glance, to which she laughed. When Darcy came up beside him, he introduced the two.
    “Can you pass the files on to Morales while I get what I need?” He moved on without waiting for an answer.
    Entering his room, Jared unzipped his as-yet unpacked suitcase and pulled out a change of clothes. When he was done, he grabbed his laptop case and the sunglasses he’d left on the dresser the day before, then headed back out to the parking lot. He found Darcy and Trish standing with their heads bent over the front end of the Marshals Service’s SUV he’d driven to Lion’s Bay, discussing a file they had spread open on the hood.
    Darcy glanced up when his room door shut. The way she looked at him was like a physical caress, and his heartbeat quickened. Her feminine hunger was a drug he couldn’t quit. Even