Officer Off Limits Read Online Free Page B

was the picture of chivalry.
    The simple marble lobby of the building consisted of a few potted plants and an elevator bank. They rode to the fourth floor in silence, although the atmosphere between them felt charged. Daniel stared at the double doors with his jaw flexing, increasing her irritation. She’d been perfectly willing to find Jack’s building on her own. She hadn’t needed him to drop her off on the doorstep like a helpless child. When the doors finally slid open, she breezed past him off the elevator, then was forced to wait for him when she realized she didn’t know Jack’s apartment number. Ignoring his amused snort, she followed him down the hallway to 4R and waited for him to unlock the door.
    Her father’s apartment was sparsely decorated but comfortable. Couch, flat-screen television, dining room table. No pictures or knickknacks. Ruthlessly clean and organized. She smelled a hint of cigar smoke and smiled. The smell had always comforted her. She walked to the window and looked out onto a courtyard behind the building, which came complete with a flower garden, trees, and a bench.
    She could feel Daniel’s eyes on her, watching from just inside the apartment door. The silence between them seemed to grow thicker with each passing minute. With anticipation? No. Now that he knew who she was, he wouldn’t jeopardize his working relationship with Jack. She thought they’d tacitly come to that very agreement on the car ride over. But his silent, lingering presence said otherwise.
    “I believe the spare bedroom is down the hall on the right,” he said gruffly. “Knowing Jack, there’s probably not a whole lot in the fridge, but there’s a supermarket down the street on the corner of York.”
    Story nodded absently, bypassing Daniel’s imposing frame to check out the spare bedroom. He followed behind with her suitcases and she tried to stem the nervous fluttering in her stomach. In the hospital, when they’d just been two people discussing snack foods, he’d wanted to take her home. Then everything had changed.
    Or had it? In the end, hadn’t he ended up bringing her home just like he wanted?
    A simply made full-size bed took up most of the tiny room, leaving her just enough space to stow her suitcase. She’d heard that space came at a premium in New York, but she could literally take two steps in any direction and hit a wall. Since she didn’t plan on spending a lot of time cooped up in the apartment, it hardly mattered.
    Story turned to leave but Daniel blocked the doorway. As their eyes met, she felt a frisson of alarm at the intensity there. The intimacy of their surroundings came into sharp focus. If she stepped back, she would fall onto the bed. As before in the car, he made the room feel smaller just by standing in it.
    When Daniel finally spoke, his voice sounded hoarse. “I’m only a few blocks away. If you need anything.”
    Warmth spread through Story at the clear meaning behind his words. Or maybe she was imagining the offer of something more. A man like Daniel could read the phone book and make it sexy. She was probably projecting, but just in case… “And what is it you’d like to help me with, Daniel?”
    He sucked in a breath. “All kinds of things.”
    “Is that right?”
    “Fuck yes.”
    In response to his raw tone, an ache spread between her thighs. His eyes raked over her, lingering on her hardening nipples, which were surely visible beneath her cotton tank top. For three years, she’d only been with Fisher. Being this close to another man almost felt like cheating. But it wasn’t. As of last night, she no longer owed him her loyalty. She could do as she pleased. Provoking Daniel might be like playing with fire, but at the moment she couldn’t find the will to stop. The last twenty-four hours of her life had been a shit show. Didn’t her complete and utter embarrassment grant her the right to a little fun?
    Her eyes dropped to Daniel’s bottom lip as he raked it