Undercover Heat Read Online Free Page B

around her shoulders; she didn’t trust Quinn not to hit on her again. “Why are you hugging me?”
    “We’re married. Newlyweds. Don’t newlyweds like to hug each other?”
    “I suppose,” she grumbled. “Listen, we need to establish some ground rules.”
    “Ground rules?”
    “Yes. Between us.”
    “We need to establish ground rules?”
    Was he making fun of her? She wasn’t sure, but she persisted anyway.
    “This case, these living arrangements, it’s just the job. Do you understand what I mean?”
    Quinn twisted his head and cocked one dark eyebrow. “Aren’t you worried our neighbor can hear you?”
    “No. She’s, like, fifty yards away. I’m serious, Quinn. Do you understand what I mean?”
    “I’m not sure what you mean specifically, but if you are trying to explain that this is just a case and we are going to be playing house for hopefully a very short period of time, I’m pretty sure I get it.”
    “Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page. After Friday night, I admit I was a little worried.” She laughed nervously.
    “What happened Friday night?”
    “You don’t remember?”
    He shrugged. “Saturday morning, I woke up with a woman in my bed and I don’t even remember how she got there.”
    Great
.
He took my advice
. For some reason, it irritated her.
    “Okay, forget it, then.”
    “Not a problem,” Quinn responded, and then he said, “Let’s see if we can get her to come over and say hi.” Before she could ask how he intended to do that, Quinn used the arm around her shoulder to pull her close. He twisted his body so they were suddenly face to face, and then with a lazy, teasing grin, he dipped his head, closed his eyes, and kissed her.
    Kyra was so shocked at his behavior, she immediately put her hands against his shoulders and tried to shove him away.
    “This isn’t very newlywed-ish of you, baby,” he mumbled against her lips.
    She twisted her head to the side. “Stop it,” she said, her voice coming out almost like a hiss.
    He stopped trying to kiss her, but he did not release her from his grip. “I’m not much of an expert on the subject, but I’m pretty sure newlyweds like to kiss.”
    “They do, but that doesn’t mean you and I have to do it.”
    “Aren’t we newlyweds?”
    “We’re pretending, you asshole.”
    “She’s coming.”
    “What?” Kyra gave a small yelp and twisted in Quinn’s arms to watch the neighbor—her case—pick her way across the lawn in $200 heels.
    “She’s coming over here because we were kissing?” she said in disbelief.
    “Curiosity, I’m sure. Maybe she’s into threesomes.”
    Kyra punched his arm.
    “Ow,” he complained as he rubbed the offending spot. “Shit, that hurt.”
    “Good.”
    “Hello there,” the woman called as she stepped onto the bottom step of the deck and motioned with her wineglass. “Are you my new neighbors?”
    • • •
    She was nervous. She was doing a reasonable job of hiding it, but Quinn could tell. Was it because she’d been painfully close to catching this woman red-handed, only to have her disappear almost the instant Kyra was about to swoop in to capture her? After reading the case file, he had no doubt whatsoever that the woman had inside information. Did that piss off Kyra? Did she have her suspicions as to who was the informant?
    “Sure are,” Quinn said as he offered his hand to shake while keeping the other arm firmly wrapped around Kyra’s waist. For moral support. Besides, he had a feeling she might bolt if he let go, and what the hell would the neighbor think of them then?
    Their perp shifted her hips in an exaggerated motion as she climbed the three steps leading up to the deck. Her eyes were hidden behind hater blocker sunglasses. Fire-engine red lips curved into a smile. Kyra’s body felt as stiff as a two-by-four. For some reason, this woman really got under his partner’s skin. Did she take her cases this seriously, or was there more to the story than that file