“No.”
“Excuse me?” His voice rose. “Is your job not worth—”
“I’m at my condo. It makes no sense for me to drive to the station, then come back to the beach. Give me the location. I’ll go straight to the beach and meet the crew there.”
She heard him swiftly inhale. He didn’t like her plan. Too bad.
“Fine,” he snapped. “But when you get the segment filmed, you come back here. We need you to stand in for the anchor tonight.”
Seriously? “Am I standing in for everyone?”
“Thought you wanted a shot like this. Thought you’d be happy.”
War stared up at her.
Her heart drummed and echoed in her ears. “Finding out that you’ve been keeping creepy pictures of me hardly makes me happy. If this anchor slot is just some bribe you’re doing so I won’t report you to the station manager, you need to think again.”
“Rose—”
“I’ll come to the station, I’ll do my job, but you’re going to be answering plenty of questions for me. And for the station manager.”
“You were wanted in connection with a murder investigation. You dropped off the radar! Do you really think the manager is going to take your side on anything—”
“I guess we’ll find out.” Her voice was way calmer than she felt. “Text me the exact location for the body.” There were miles of beaches around her. “Good-bye, Dylan.” Once more, her finger tapped on the screen.
She put the phone back on the nightstand. Realized her legs were on either side of War’s body. He hadn’t said anything during her conversation with Dylan, but he’d heard every word.
As she sat perched on him, Rose became aware of—
Oh, hello. Good morning. “I should move.”
His hands came up and closed around her thighs. “You should stay exactly where you are.”
Ever so tempting. But she’d just realized she was stark naked. A thin sheet was the only thing stopping that heavy morning erection of his from thrusting right inside of her. And why did she just wiggle against him?
“You were cool to that bastard.”
And War sounded cool as he was talking to her. Like they were just having an easy morning talk. Not like he was sporting a massive hard-on and she was naked on top of him. Was this how things were supposed to be? Was she supposed to pull off some casual, oh-sex-is-nothing bit? Because that wasn’t her. She didn’t sleep around. When she slept with someone, she did it because that person mattered.
The fact that she’d jumped into bed with War so soon after they’d met—maybe he’d gotten the way wrong idea. For her, it hadn’t been casual.
I was in over my head. I knew he could be the one. I knew I’d never felt that way before.
“Surprised you didn’t tell him to go to hell.” That deep rumble probably wasn’t supposed to be sexy—but it was.
“I intend to do that, but I want to question him first.” She started to ease to the side. His hold tightened on her. “War?”
“Thought you told Lynn you weren’t going on the news.”
“I’m not going to talk about the man after me.” That was what she’d agreed to do. Not talk about the case that involved her.
“No?” His fingers pressed into her skin. Was he arching? Was his cock pushing against her? Or…was she pushing against him? “Don’t you think viewers will wonder what’s up? You’ve been named a person of interest in a murder and bam, now you’re all of a sudden back on TV.”
“I’ll think of something to explain my absence.” When she could think. Something difficult to do in her current position so—
She pulled away. Climbed from the bed. Ignored her shaking knees. “A victim has been found. I need to make sure the perp after me—that he didn’t take another woman in my place.” She needed more details about the death. Her phone vibrated on the nightstand. She glanced at the address. “That’s about three miles away.” So close.
“You know I’m coming with you.”
“I expected nothing less.” Having a bodyguard watching her ass? Yes, please.
He sat up. Slowly. She tried not to let her gaze dart to his chest. She failed. Rose shoved back her hair. “I have to get dressed. The crew will meet us there.”
He caught her wrist before she could turn away. “Is this the awkward morning-after situation?”
Her brow furrowed.
“The one you feared would happen if we gave into the overwhelming urge to fuck each other.”
My, my. War was blunt in the morning.
“Is that why you aren’t talking about what happened?” His fingers were lightly caressing the inside of her wrist, moving tenderly along the faint bruise that still marked her skin from the cuffs. “You regret it?”
Rose shook her head. “Not for a second.”
His nostrils flared. “Good.” A pause. “You’re giving us a second chance?”
Is that what she was doing? “I don’t know.” Honest. “I just know that I’ve never reacted normally to you. The way you can make me feel—it’s more intense than anything I’ve ever experienced. My control is never what it should be with you.” But he didn’t seem to have that problem. After all, he’d been the one to put his mouth all over her and then walk away as he headed for the bathroom and shut the door ever so softly behind him. Meanwhile, her whole body had still been quaking. “I have to get dressed,” Rose repeated. She tugged her hand free. Hurried into the bathroom. This time, she was the one to shut the door. Ever so softly. But then she glanced toward the mirror. Saw her wide eyes. Her flushed cheeks.
What have I done?
But deep down, she knew. Rose was…She was…
Hell, she was in trouble.
***
War watched as Rose talked to her crew. By the time they’d arrived, the body had already been transported. But it hadn’t taken Rose long to get the scoop on what had gone down. It appeared that the woman was a drowning victim. Not a homicide victim. She’d been found in her bathing suit, washed ashore, with no signs of trauma on her body.
The rip currents in the area were dangerous bastards. War knew they had taken more than their share of victims, and if the woman had gone out for a swim under the moonlit sky…she might not have been prepared for what waited on her.
But it wasn’t time to make that judgment yet. The ME would do an exam. The cops would conclude their investigation.
War heard someone say, “Going live.” He backed up and watched Rose. She squared her shoulders and looked straight into the camera.
“I’m on the scene at a local beach where a body was discovered by a jogger shortly before—”
“Thought she wasn’t getting back in front of the camera.”
War didn’t look away from Rose. He’d been aware of Odin’s slow approach. He’d caught sight of his friend from the corner of his eye.
“At least, that was the message you texted me last night.”
“Dylan called her this morning. The ass seems to be threatening her job. Told her she had to show up. The guy who should have been filming broke his leg.” He kept his voice low. “Our next stop is the news station, and I can guarantee you, I will be having a nice, long talk with the jerk.”