Knight Edition Read Online Free Page B

told you my condition.”
    Anger rose to obliterate her caution. She was a headstrong minx. He could hear her heartbeat thundering in her chest, see the pulse thudding at her temples. Navarro wouldn’t have been the least surprised to see steam billow out of her ears.
    She reached for the waistband of her jeans. “I’m an investigative reporter,” she bit out. “A professional!”
    “Fascinating. Just what was the subject of your last report?” he asked, knowing full well, because he’d watched the news the previous night.
    Her brows furrowed. “Passion Parties!”
    Her scowl would have made a lesser man flinch. He gave a slight snort. “That’s hard-hitting journalism?”
    “It was an assignment,” she said, with a disgusted twist of her lips. “The fluff I usually get stuck with—but this story is going to put me in the big leagues.” She opened the buckle and slid down her zipper, all the while glaring daggers.
    “What is a Passion Party?” he asked, baiting her and enjoying the anger that made her breaths harsh and her actions jerky. Just how far would she really go for a story?
    “Sexy parties.” Her glare slid away. “Housewives hold them. They learn about using…sexual devices and model undergarments.” She huffed and toed off her leather loafers, giving each one a kick that sent them flying against the wall.
    The chit really was going to strip. He had no doubt if he looked inside her mind at this moment, he’d see himself with a red target circling his head.
    Navarro turned to hide the smile that almost curved his lips. He walked to a side table and poured himself a drink. Once his expression was under control, he lifted the crystal decanter in her direction. “Care for a brandy? It will help keep you warm.”
    She muttered under her breath, pushed her jeans and underwear down her hips, and stepped out of her clothing.
    With his superior hearing, he caught the words, “Smart ass!” and bit back a grin. He shrugged, set down the decanter, and took his seat, letting his gaze slide over the creamy flesh of her rounded bottom.
    Pretending indifference, he gave her pale limbs a dismissing glance and indicated the chair opposite his armchair.
    She stomped over and flounced down on it. As soon as she was seated, she slid one leg on top of the other.
    An action that effectively cut off his view of the triangle of curly hair at the apex of her thighs.
    Situated before the fire, her body was illuminated by flickering firelight. The red-gold flame painted her pale flesh in golden tones. Lovely, he thought, though a little lacking in curves. If he had half a mind to seek a little refreshment, she’d offer only a light snack.
    Navarro settled deeper into his chair and took a sip of his brandy. He glanced at her mutinous face over the top of his glass. “You have two minutes. You may begin.”
    Although he was sure she couldn’t see his features clearly in the darkness, her gaze narrowed accusingly. “I’m following an interesting story,” she said, her tone biting. “It involves teenagers who were pronounced dead but are still walking around Seattle, and a serial killer who was part of your organization, but mysteriously disappeared.”
    He stirred his glass with a negligent turn of his wrist, watching the firelight swirl in the amber liquid. “Sounds like old news.”
    Her fingers dug into the leather arms of her chair as she leaned forward. “How about a string of unsolved murders—” she blurted, “ also teenagers, but in south Florida with MOs suspiciously similar to those here in Seattle? They started shortly after the pilot of your private jet filed a manifest. Wanna guess his destination?”
    Navarro stilled. The murders weren’t unsolved—the outcome just unpublicized—and the killer had paid the ultimate price. But the fact she’d made any kind of link between the killings and his actions disturbed him.
    “You’re kind of quiet,” she said, her lips curving in