Chapter 2

As her eyes lifted, her lips revealed a smile and a right dimple."Nice color," she said, examining her ruby red nail polish. She spread her legs, feeling incredibly turned on by something as stupid as a man noticing her toenail polish. If he was that detailed in his observations out of bed, well, she couldn't help but wonder what details he would handle in bed.

She pulled on her thin blue dress and drew her knees together despite an incredible desire to just open them to this stranger. As a compliment to the intense scrutiny she had just endured from his alluring eyes, she could clearly feel the buildup of moisture on her panties. The man prepared it so quickly.

She called that talent because no one had done that to her in a long, long time. So long that she had started to wonder if her sexuality switch was permanently off. He slowly inched forward, still kneeling, now close enough to lean down and touch her. She wanted it too. He reached out almost as much as he wanted to and felt the silky strands of her hair. He offered her his palm, but the request for more crackled in the air. "Dance?"

His eyes fell on his hand. A strong hand with long fingers.A hand that could be soft and powerful. A hand that could bring pleasure and pain. And for a brief moment she wondered how her hands would feel on her body. Relax, she told herself. Enjoy this short interlude.Enjoy.

"No name?" she asked, a playful note in her voice that matched her feelings. "No idea? Straight to the dance floor?

His hand rested on her leg and her gaze followed him, a brief synopsis of their imminent arrival. Black boots, black pants. His eyes darted, his heart raced as his attention wandered to her stomach and zipper. She swallowed hard and turned her attention away from temptation to her matching V-neck sweater, which stretched comfortably over a nice, ample chest. He looked nothing like the men in her world in their conservative suits and ties, and she liked him.She liked it very much. Suddenly his cheek was next to hers, the warmth of his body enveloping her. "The name is Jerome," he whispered seductively, drawing her attention to his face. Right down to the cleft in his chin and his dark, mesmerizing eyes. He offered his hand again."Shall we dance now?"

She should say no. He had no time for sex games and drama. She had seen what they did to her ex and they almost did it to her. How they distorted perceptions, changed priorities.But hey, that was just a simple dance, a fun distraction that didn't mean anything. It was crazy to think that he couldn't have a little fun without losing touch with reality. Anna slid her palm against Jerome's and suppressed a shudder as he curled his long, sensual fingers around hers. "Now let's dance," he explained.

ANNA STEVE made it hot, Plain and simple. Much more than he had expected from afar.

And with her gentle curves that nestled against his body and swayed to the rhythmic beat of a slow song, dangerously hot possibilities played in his mind. To say he was excited would be an understatement. He was very aroused, his cock stiff, his hands burning from the exploration. She was a little thing and her chin rested lightly on her head; he breathed in the floral scent of her hair. Jasmine, she decided, with a hint of vanilla. Would his skin smell like that too?

Suddenly the dance floor was too crowded. He bent his knees, caressed her neck and ear, and then whispered, "Let's go to the lobby bar where we can... talk."She flexed her fingers on his chest, then lifted her chin to look up at him, her eyes searching, intent. Finally she looked at the table she had shared with her sister. He followed her lead and turned her around to get a better view while still working with the flow of the music.

The table was empty, Beatrice was nowhere to be found, Anna stood on tiptoe and whispered something in his ear just as he had whispered in hers. "Just talk, right?" she asked, propping herself up on the balls of her feet to face him, her eyes searching his. Hesitation sharpened her delicate features.

He had invited her to the bar, not to bed, although he preferred the latter.A warning shot through his mind: the brazen lawyer who took on a drug lord was hiding from him. Why? Suspicion broke out. What was he afraid of? your own secrets?Someone else? Afraid he might startle her if he squeezed, he winked at her and held up two fingers. He had to get past her walls, reassure himself of her innocence. "Just speak. honor of the researcher.

She raised her eyebrow as if she didn't trust her voice. The river. "Okay, so I've never been a scout," Jerome admitted. Although I thought so. Does that count?"Not really," she said seriously. Then he smiled, the tension of moments before disappearing. "But I'll take it anyway."

He had a beautiful smile, he realized. One he had seldom seen in the past few days of observing her.What was that for? He was determined to find out. Protection flared within him. He told himself it was duty, honor. nothing else.He took her hand and led her through the crowd. They left the exit and entered the modern looking lobby. Abstract paintings filled the walls with splashes of red to accent the matching chairs.

Jerome turned to Anna, surprised by what he found. The light illuminated Anna's ivory skin and deep blue eyes.A pointed chin and heart-shaped face spoke more of an angel than the tough prosecutor she showed the world.

His gaze fell on her red-stained lips. Red who said kiss me. I wanted to kiss her. Nope He wanted to take her to her room and lick every inch of her body. Which wasn't an option. That would cross the line and he knew it.

"You didn't tell me your name," he said, hating the charade he had to play. He lied to his world all the time, as part of his job, as part of his cover.But Anna wasn't like the criminals she locked up. She would have to face that later...along with his lies. But what options did he have? He had to assess her, do everything to ensure she wasn't compromised by Pedro's influence, before revealing his identity. His life depends on it."I guess I didn't tell you my name," she said, smiling again. "But then I don't remember you asking." "I'm asking now," Jerome said, raising an eyebrow when she didn't answer right away. "Is it a secret?"

"Anna! There you go!” Jerome turned and saw Beatrice running ahead, an athletic looking guy at her side. Jerome looked at Anna. "It's no longer a secret," he said, giving her a smile."Anna".

She laughed and focused on her sister. "I was just catching some air."

Beatrice broke away from her man and stepped to Anna's side, giving Jerome a cheeky look. "I understand why.Still looking at Jerome, she said to Anna, "I'm going." She turned her gaze back to her sister's. "Looks like you don't need me." Jerome could hardly believe his luck. If Beatrice wasn't in the picture, he'd have Anna to himself.Unfortunately, Anna didn't seem to share his opinion. She grabbed her sister's arm and looked at Jerome. "This is my sister, Beatrice, and we need to talk." She raised a finger. "I'll be right back.

Jerome exchanged a quick look with Beatrice's date for the night, a guy who seemed barely old enough to be in the bar. They both shrugged and turned their attention to the ladies.

Jerome noticed the stern expression on Anna's face and knew what she was saying to Beatrice. She warned her to be careful around strangers. Jerome agreed and couldn't help but think Anna was fine for being so caring.Anna's expression softened and Jerome watched her transform from a tough older sister to a loving one, reaching out and brushing Beatrice's hair out of her eyes before kissing her on the forehead. His chest tightened at the sight, an old feeling he had thought buried inside him - the pain of losing his younger brother a year ago. He had died on duty, killed by a criminal who escaped for technical reasons. Jerome was undercover with Pedro at the time, otherwise he would have done justice.

Confronted with his loss and the failure of the system,Jerome had pondered his own career choice and the price it demanded.He pushed the thought away as Anna and Beatrice approached, having clearly ended their conversation. A few murmured goodbyes later, Jerome and Anna were alone again, except that Anna's mood had shifted to one of retreat, not surrender, arms folded protectively over her body.