Ripper(19)

I shrugged, unwilling to think about why I got a warm, gooshy feeling when I thought about Sloane protecting me. He was so stinking gorgeous, from his perfectly square jaw to his broad shoulders. He was so not for me. “Not a problem, Lieutenant Sloane. I’ll keep my drunken affections away from my brother’s friends. Have a nice afternoon.”

A big hand settled on my arm and pulled me around. Before I knew what was happening, I was really close to Grayson Sloane. He was taking up all the space, making me feel small. It takes a whole lot to make me feel small. “Let me make something plain to you, Kelsey. I’m not your brother, so don’t lump me in with them. I wanted to come here today because I’m interested in you and I have been for a long time. I’ve asked Jamie to set us up for a while now, but he thinks you’re too fragile to date. I think if you’re strong enough for meaningless one-night stands, then you can handle an honest to goodness date. Dinner tonight?”

I was sure my eyes were wide as saucers and I realized Jamie was right. I wasn’t ready for this. No way. No how. Luckily, I had an excuse and it found its way out of my mouth. “I have to work tonight.”

“You can take a couple of hours off,” Sloane said smoothly. “You have to eat, right? I’ll bring my files and we can talk about any similarities in our cases. We can call it a working dinner if date is too much for you.”

But it wasn’t work. I stood there with big, gorgeous Sloane looming over me and knew this wouldn’t be professional. It would be personal and it wouldn’t end there. If I thought for a second I could take what I wanted from Grayson Sloane and happily send him on his way, I would have thrown down with him at the first given opportunity. But something told me he wouldn’t take his walking papers with aplomb.

I smiled with a jauntiness I didn’t feel and pulled my arm out of his hand. “I think I’ll skip working with you, Sloane. I’m kind of a loner. How about I promise when I solve my case, I’ll let you know so you can close yours, too?”

I winked at him and walked out the door, got in my Jeep and took off. I drove to Dallas like the devil was following me.





Chapter Four





I walked across the tree-lined, stately campus of Southern Methodist University. I had unhappily parked about a flipping mile off campus because, unlike Liv, I didn’t have a magical parking pass and I really needed to avoid tickets. I couldn’t afford them. I hated to think about what my drinking binge had cost me last night. My local bar might be a shit hole, but they still charged for drinks.

I stopped and studied the map I’d picked up at the student center then took a quick left as my cell rang. I was prepared to ignore it as I had ignored all of the increasingly pissed-off texts from Liv. If she was escalating to actual calls, I might have to turn off the phone. I glanced down at the number and a cold chill went through me. I ran my thumb across the screen because this person would never accept that I didn’t answer. She would call and call and leave message after message.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Kelsey, this is your mother,” she said in a too-loud voice.

“I know, Mom. You don’t have to yell.”

“I need you to call me, Kelsey” She carefully enunciated each word. “I talked to your brother and I’m worried.”

“Mom, why should I call you? I’m talking to you now.” I was the one screaming because she always thought she was talking to a machine and this could seriously go on forever.

“Oh, it is you, dear.” My mom sounded delighted. “It’s so refreshing for you to answer. You know how bad I am with these new tech things.”

Yes, like cell phones, although my mother might have been talking about regular old telephones. It wasn’t that she was old. Her upbringing had been unusual, to say the least.

“I’m fine, Mom. Nathan didn’t need to call you.” I read the name of the building I was standing in front of. Not the one I was looking for, so I kept walking.

“Well, I’m glad he did, Kelsey Jean,” she said, her voice firming.

I sighed. I was in trouble. “It was no big deal. I’m even up and working. I’m on a case, a paying case, so I should really…”

Mom ignored me entirely. “Nathan believes that drugs might be involved.”

I groaned and rolled my eyes as far back as they could go. “Nathan always thinks drugs are involved. Nathan is clinically insane. Talk to Jamie. He’ll tell you I’m fine.”

“I already talked to Jamie and you’re obviously not fine since you turned down a date with that nice Grayson Sloane. Jamie said Gray was devastated.”