LITMIR.BIZ

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head, breaking contact. “That was a mistake.”

      Kelsey lifted her heavy lids and blinked away the thick haze of desire. That was it?

      Jack stared down at her, his expression hot with want, his mouth tight with tension. He began to pull back, removing his hand from under her shirt.

      Oh, no. No way. She tightened her grip on him. He wasn’t going to back away now. She wouldn’t allow him to pretend that meager excuse for a kiss had been enough for him.

      Damn it, she wanted satisfaction.

      “Yeah, that probably was a mistake,” she agreed. And she pulled his mouth back to hers.

      His deep groan reverberated against her lips. He slanted his warm mouth over hers as he took command of the kiss, deepening it until her limbs grew heavy and her head light. She was drowning in sensations, the rasp of his tongue against hers, the scrape of his whiskers on her face, the strength of his hands as they cupped her rear and held her tight to him.

      She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his arms. Her need to get closer was so intense, she wanted to climb on top of him. Wanted to wrap herself around him, to absorb him through her skin.

      The sound of music and voices floated over to them and Jack sprung away from her. Kelsey collapsed back against her car as a middle-aged couple left the bar. She watched them get into their car and pull out of the parking lot.

      She glanced up to find Jack staring at her. She couldn’t have moved even if she’d wanted to. And she didn’t want to. She wanted to reach for him, or better yet, for him to reach for her. The last thing she wanted was for this moment to end.

      Still trying to catch her breath, she ran her tongue over her lips. He squeezed his eyes shut. She didn’t miss the way his chest rose and fell rapidly or how his hands were clenched into fists.

      She waited until his eyes were open before speaking. “Too bad I’m leaving tomorrow. Imagine how much fun we could have if I stayed.”

      “That’s what I’m worried about,” he muttered and took another step back. “Goodbye, Kelsey.”

      Frustrated, and—if she was being honest with herself—relieved, she straightened. She’d managed to crack Jack’s rigid control—and had the added bonus of the best kiss of her life—but he obviously didn’t want to pursue this.

      Which was for the best, really. Even if she couldn’t help but wonder how good they’d be together.

      Well, at least she hadn’t begged him to take her home. Which meant she still had her pride. And while pride wouldn’t keep her warm tonight, wouldn’t keep the loneliness at bay, it would help make her exit a bit more dignified.

      “Goodbye, Jack.”

      She got into her car, turned on the ignition and did the smartest thing she’d ever done in her life. She drove away.

      HE RUBBED THE BACK OF HIS NECK and glanced at his watch. 4:00 a.m. Jack’s grim reflection stared back at him from the large picture window in Mark and Shannon Crandall’s living room. He knew death was inevitable, just as he knew murder was inescapable. But the past few years in Serenity Springs had somehow lulled him into a false sense of security. Tonight he’d been shoved back into reality.

      The house was quiet, the air thick and permeated with the coppery scent of blood.

      He turned slowly and took in the stark room. White walls. White carpet. White furniture. A small black end table and a matching coffee table in the center of the room. Black-and-white photos of city skylines were framed in black and lined up with military precision on the wall behind the love seat.

      The only splashes of color came from a few shiny red pillows on the sofa, a dozen long-stemmed roses on the end table and the bright red apples in a black bowl on the coffee table.

      And the pool of blood staining the plush carpet beneath Shannon Crandall’s head.

      Jack crouched down. The position of the body—facedown between the sofa and coffee table, left leg slightly bent, arms splayed to the side—indicated she’d been hit from behind. Had she known she was in danger? Been trying to run away from her assailant?

      It was obvious she was naked beneath the short, silky black robe she had on. Her pale hair was wild and tangled, matted with blood and brain matter. Jack shifted and forced himself not to cringe at the extent of damage done to Shannon’s once lovely face. He scanned the area around the body, noting several streaks of mud and a partial muddy footprint on the floor.

      He straightened. “What happened?”

      Officer Ben Michaels wiped a trembling hand over his mouth. “I received an emergency call approximately thirty minutes ago. I arrived at the residence and found…” His gaze dropped to the dead body on the floor, his face losing color.

      “Deep breath, Michaels,” Jack commanded and physically turned the kid away from the body. Why did it seem like the least competent person in the department was always the first to arrive on the scene? “Who called it in?”

      “The victim’s husband.” Michaels’s light-brown hair stood on end as if he’d repeatedly run his fingers through it. Sweat dotted his forehead and upper lip. But at least he no longer seemed in danger of puking or passing out. “He’s in the other room.”

      Jack glanced at the doorway that led to the brightly lit kitchen. “Did you discover any signs of forced entry?”

      “No, sir. Mr. Crandall let me in. He said he spoke to his wife on the phone around one-thirty to let her know he was coming home early from a business trip. He said the door was locked when he arrived. He used his key to gain entry, found the victim and called 911. The EMTs arrived a few minutes after I did.”

      “Did anyone touch the body?” he asked, hoping no one had compromised the crime scene. “Did anyone move the body? Touch anything in the room?”

      Michaels shook his head and shoved his hands into the bulky pockets of his police-issue Windbreaker. His gaze once again strayed to Shannon. “No, sir. Once the EMTs arrived and it was obvious Shan…I mean the victim was…gone…the EMTs escorted Mr. Crandall into the kitchen while I waited for backup.”

      Jack nodded. Considering this was undoubtedly Michaels’s first murder scene, he’d done surprisingly well. Poor kid was taking it hard, though. Hell, the entire town was going to take the murder of one of their own hard. Serenity Springs was known for skiing, tourism and small-town charm. There was hardly a bevy of criminal activity.

      Which was why Jack had returned here to raise his daughter in the first place.

      Thank God Emma was with her grandparents. Knowing she was being taken care of, knowing she was safe, made it a hell of a lot easier for him to focus on his job.

      Especially when his job was to track down a murderer.

      “Good work,” Jack told Michaels. “Now I need you to go outside and help canvass the yard. Don’t overlook anything, no matter how insignificant it might seem.”

      “Yes, sir,” Michaels said, clearly relieved.

      “Medical examiner’s on his way, Chief,” Officer Nick Pascale said as he joined Jack. Unlike Michaels, the burly, gray-haired Pascale barely looked at Shannon’s body. He handed Jack the department’s camera kit. “State police have been notified as well.”

      “Good. Who’s in the kitchen with Crandall?”

      “Flick and the EMTs.”

      Jack turned on the digital camera and recorded the date, time and his location on the front page of his notebook. “Make sure they all stay in the kitchen. I don’t want any foot traffic in this room unless it’s absolutely necessary. And if Crandall so much as has to take a piss, he’s escorted, got it?”

      “Will do.” Pascale nodded toward Shannon. “Terrible thing to happen to such a pretty girl.”

      Jack’s

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