Catching her breath, she stared at his strong, tanned hand.
“Laura, relax. A man and woman can spend time together without anything more exciting than a sandwich between them.”
“Oh,” she managed to croak.
“Unless you count the chocolate cake,” he added with a mocking leer.
Laura remembered to breathe, but she still felt shaky. “And Mrs. Plummer’s cake is pretty darn exciting.”
“Thank God. I thought this was a ploy to get me to work all night.”
Sobered, Laura stared at him. “Did you really think that?”
“Hell, did you have your humor surgically removed, Laura? I’m trying to lighten the mood. In case you hadn’t noticed, it got pretty heavy in here.”
“Yeah, I noticed.”
He tipped up her chin, meeting her eyes. “Then work with me. Laugh a little.”
Once again, Laura had to control the nervous motion of her hands. “There hasn’t been much to laugh about lately.”
“Yeah, but that’s what we’re going to change, isn’t it?”
Laura’s throat tightened. “This has been a solo battle for so long, it’s nice to have someone else on my team.”
He saluted sharply. “And I’m a hell of a team player.” His gaze roved around the run-down office. “This place may not look like it, but you’ve got the best investigator in town.”
“Humble, too, Tucker?”
“That’s the Laura I know.”
She laughed, a shaky but genuine sound. “I’ve been kind of pushy, huh?”
He paused, and a kind light shone in his eyes. “Not so that it shows.”
Pleased, Laura again concentrated on her sandwich, and for the next few minutes they shared a companionable supper. She was surprised but pleased by the easy silences and the equally easy conversation.
“This cake is wicked,” Laura declared, nibbling at the crumbs.
“Agreed.”
Glancing up, Laura saw that Mitch was wearing some of the frosting on his lower lip. Giggling, she pointed out the errant chocolate. When he swiped at it and missed, she brushed her fingers over the spot.
Mitch’s eyes met hers.
She froze.
It was a little thing, really. Just a dab of chocolate frosting on his lips. Lips that beckoned beneath her touch.
Mitch’s head bent toward hers and she anticipated the taste of those same lips.
The strident ring of the phone made her bolt.
Mitch was cursing beneath his breath even as he rose to answer the call.
“Yes.” Annoyance was clear in his tone as he answered. He listened, then passed a hand over his hair. “Sorry, Christie. Nah, nothing’s wrong. Just working late.”
Laura stiffened. Of course the caller was a woman. What had she expected? Mitch Tucker was a connoisseur of the opposite sex, and it wasn’t wise to ever lose sight of the fact.
CHAPTER FIVE
CREPE MYRTLES LINED the streets, flowering sentries whose plump blooms spilled over wooden fences, dripping delicate petals over thick carpets of grass. But Mitch didn’t have time to notice the natural beauty as he drove away from the residential neighborhood. Beyond the nearly tropical flora, skyscrapers dominated the skyline, and he was wondering just which one of those concrete beauties held the secrets he was seeking.
From the green crest just off the Allen Parkway he had a perfect view. Yet that didn’t still the restlessness he felt. For an instant he longed for a smoke, even though he’d kicked the habit years earlier.
Instead, he pulled into a curved parking lot, scanning the other cars, looking for Laura’s. They had agreed to meet here this morning to get an early start. After the strained ending last night at his place, it seemed like a good idea.
He flat couldn’t figure out the lady. Just when he’d thought they were clicking, she froze. He couldn’t remember ever knowing a woman as uptight as Laura. Of course, she had plenty to worry about, but it was more than that. It was as though she compared every male on the planet with her scummy ex-husband. Still, that didn’t explain why she had jumped to her feet the night before when the phone rang, and dashed out as if intruding on an intimate moment rather than a mere phone call.
After all, he didn’t exactly try to hide his lifestyle. Laura was right about him knowing a lot of women. He liked women. In fact, he loved women. Just not one in particular. That was a luxury he had never allowed himself. There had been no one serious. There would be no one serious.
Having grown up as the only male in an otherwise all-female household, he appreciated the sensitivity, beauty, humor, even the sense of mystery of women.
But growing up this way, coupled with his years on the police force, had caused him to lose most of his illusions, including his belief in happily-ever-afters. While he had no argument with anyone else wanting to grasp that brass ring, it was tarnished for him. And despite Laura Kelly’s bad marriage, he suspected she still reserved a piece of her heart for a white knight. For her sake, he hoped one still existed.
As though his thoughts had conjured her up, she drove into the parking lot. With her usual energy she jumped out and then zipped over to the passenger side of her car.
Stepping out of his vehicle, he watched as she reached inside and unbuckled a child carrier. His stomach sank. The carrier wasn’t empty. Little Alex was inside. She grabbed an oversize bag, as well.
Mitch stepped closer and took the carrier from her. “What’s with the kid?”
“The kid is your client, too,” she reminded him. “Mrs. Plummer’s coming down with a cold. Actually, she just sneezed a little this morning, but last night I was thinking about how I didn’t want to wind up regretting that I’d spent too much time away from Alex, in case…” Her voice warbled before she got it back under control. “Well, just in case. I know we’re going to be successful, but we can still be successful and have Alex along with us, can’t we?”
Not allowing Mitch to reply, she walked over to his car. “The car seat buckles into any car and converts to a stroller. You’re probably more comfortable driving your car, so I’ll just hook this into the back seat, okay? Alex won’t be any trouble. He’s a happy baby and he naps, too, and—”
“Whoa! Don’t you ever come up for air?” Exasperated, Mitch stared between Laura and her unblinking baby. “Look, I don’t have anything against kid—uh, babies, but they don’t mix with investigations.”
“Pooh,” she responded airily. “While people are oohing and aahing over Alex, you can dig into all kinds of records. He’ll be better than a court order demanding the information.”
But Mitch didn’t share her enthusiasm. “Hey, I can understand your need to spend more time with him, but this isn’t the way to do it. In fact, I think you should take Alex home and let me get on with the investigation.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Get rid of me just like that.” She snapped her fingers.
“Not exactly—”
“It’s not going to be that easy, Tucker. I still intend to help you. I know you think Alex will slow us down, but I promise you he won’t.”
Alex grabbed for Mitch’s keys, his toothy little grin irresistible. Mitch felt himself losing the battle. It was only one day, he reasoned. By tomorrow Mrs. Plummer would be back