back to.”
Brody followed Tara into her room. Tara pulled out her suitcase and used her shoulder and ear to keep the phone in place as she pulled hangers full of clothes out of the closet and dropped them inside the luggage.
“You’re just going to have to deal with him. You know I would never do anything to jeopardize your family or you, but this is something I have to do. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”
Tara plopped down on the bed and lowered her head. “Fine...but I ’m leaving in the morning.”
Tara said good -bye and closed the phone.
Brody walked around to the other side of the bed and slid on top of the covers. Leaning back against the headboard, he crossed his booted feet.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Brody laced his fingers behind his head. “You’re my partner. Whatever your problem is, it’s mine too.”
Tara pushed the suitcase on the floor and went to her lingerie drawer and started pulling panties and bras , dropping them in the suitcase. “That’s where you’re wrong, Brody. It’s not a Phantom problem; it’s my own personal hell.”
He chuckled. She had a thing or two to learn about him. He wasn’t the type to give up easy, especially if it was something that mattered to him, and she did matter to him…in a strictly partner kind of way.
“It’s our problem, doll. I need to know if and when Black attacks that your head is in the game and not hung up on something we could have dealt with. Your problem could get us both killed.”
She spun around and frowned. “My financial problems won’t affect my ability to fight, Brody.”
“Just conjure the money, like you do pizza and condoms and handcuffs.” Brody glanced at the bedpost before turning back to her. The thought of cuffing the sexy kitten to the bed aroused him. The crotch of his jeans tightened.
“I don’t use my gift for that…Every penny I’ve ever earned has been the hard way.”
Brody laced his fingers over his stomach and let out a sigh. “Okay…if you won’t conjure the money...” He shrugged his shoulder. “Then still, no problem. The unit has money, and if they won’t pay for it, then I will.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I’m not taking your money! Or the irs! I’m not some charity case.”
He stood , walked around the end of the bed and took both of her hands into his. “Tara, don’t worry. We’ll work all of this out. Just promise me you aren’t going anywhere tonight.” Brody glanced over his shoulder back to the bed. “Although….maybe it would be a good idea if I spend the night, just to make sure you don’t disappear.” He lifted his brows in quick succession. “You got any of those handcuffs handy?”
Tara pushed against his chest. “Just go home, Brody. I’m not leaving until the morning.”
Brody leaned into her and kissed her cheek. “Try and get some sleep, Tara. It looks like we’re going to have a long day ahead of us.”
Locking the door behind Brody, Tara pulled off the clingy dress, jumped in the shower, scrubbed her face , and emerged ten minutes later and slid into bed. Her mind was racing with the implications of what she’d learned tonight, not only about her restaurant, but about her Grams as well. She closed her eyes and wished that sleep would suck her under.
Chapter 6
Sleep came in spurts as her mind tried to make sense out of her Gram s having heart problems. Unable to lie still any longer, she got dressed at six and headed for the gym to work off some of her nervous energy.
She pushed open the door to the gym and paused. Movement at the end of the hall caught her attention. Peter had Veronica pegged up against the wall and was kissing her. Tara might have gone to Veronica’s aid, had Veronica not laced her fingers behind Peter’s neck. To each his own. He’s your problem now, honey.
Tara jogged on the treadmill for an hour and had just powered the machine down and grabbed her towel when Gracie came strolling in an hour later.
Brody followed Tara into her room. Tara pulled out her suitcase and used her shoulder and ear to keep the phone in place as she pulled hangers full of clothes out of the closet and dropped them inside the luggage.
“You’re just going to have to deal with him. You know I would never do anything to jeopardize your family or you, but this is something I have to do. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”
Tara plopped down on the bed and lowered her head. “Fine...but I ’m leaving in the morning.”
Tara said good -bye and closed the phone.
Brody walked around to the other side of the bed and slid on top of the covers. Leaning back against the headboard, he crossed his booted feet.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Brody laced his fingers behind his head. “You’re my partner. Whatever your problem is, it’s mine too.”
Tara pushed the suitcase on the floor and went to her lingerie drawer and started pulling panties and bras , dropping them in the suitcase. “That’s where you’re wrong, Brody. It’s not a Phantom problem; it’s my own personal hell.”
He chuckled. She had a thing or two to learn about him. He wasn’t the type to give up easy, especially if it was something that mattered to him, and she did matter to him…in a strictly partner kind of way.
“It’s our problem, doll. I need to know if and when Black attacks that your head is in the game and not hung up on something we could have dealt with. Your problem could get us both killed.”
She spun around and frowned. “My financial problems won’t affect my ability to fight, Brody.”
“Just conjure the money, like you do pizza and condoms and handcuffs.” Brody glanced at the bedpost before turning back to her. The thought of cuffing the sexy kitten to the bed aroused him. The crotch of his jeans tightened.
“I don’t use my gift for that…Every penny I’ve ever earned has been the hard way.”
Brody laced his fingers over his stomach and let out a sigh. “Okay…if you won’t conjure the money...” He shrugged his shoulder. “Then still, no problem. The unit has money, and if they won’t pay for it, then I will.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I’m not taking your money! Or the irs! I’m not some charity case.”
He stood , walked around the end of the bed and took both of her hands into his. “Tara, don’t worry. We’ll work all of this out. Just promise me you aren’t going anywhere tonight.” Brody glanced over his shoulder back to the bed. “Although….maybe it would be a good idea if I spend the night, just to make sure you don’t disappear.” He lifted his brows in quick succession. “You got any of those handcuffs handy?”
Tara pushed against his chest. “Just go home, Brody. I’m not leaving until the morning.”
Brody leaned into her and kissed her cheek. “Try and get some sleep, Tara. It looks like we’re going to have a long day ahead of us.”
Locking the door behind Brody, Tara pulled off the clingy dress, jumped in the shower, scrubbed her face , and emerged ten minutes later and slid into bed. Her mind was racing with the implications of what she’d learned tonight, not only about her restaurant, but about her Grams as well. She closed her eyes and wished that sleep would suck her under.
Chapter 6
Sleep came in spurts as her mind tried to make sense out of her Gram s having heart problems. Unable to lie still any longer, she got dressed at six and headed for the gym to work off some of her nervous energy.
She pushed open the door to the gym and paused. Movement at the end of the hall caught her attention. Peter had Veronica pegged up against the wall and was kissing her. Tara might have gone to Veronica’s aid, had Veronica not laced her fingers behind Peter’s neck. To each his own. He’s your problem now, honey.
Tara jogged on the treadmill for an hour and had just powered the machine down and grabbed her towel when Gracie came strolling in an hour later.
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