Free Dangerous Kiss by Avery Flynn

fast. He spotted Claire’s house as soon as he turned off the highway. Painted a virginal white with dark-green shutters, the house stood alone on the vast prairie. Jake flinched at the idea of sullying it with his presence.
    “Damn.” He slammed his palm down on the steering wheel as he pulled into Claire’s driveway. “There’s no other choice.”
    Onion trotted over to the SUV as soon as it stopped. Jake sat, frozen behind the wheel. Dread careened through his veins. It made his limbs heavy and created a dull ache in his chest.
    He grabbed the pizza box, its warmth stealing into his palm. Onion panted beside him as he walked up to the porch. Jake’s self-loathing grew with each step he took.
    “Fuck.” He couldn’t do it.
    There had to be another way. He’d find it, and Burlington would pay.

    The last nail pounded home with a satisfying thud. Claire stepped back and surveyed the plywood-covered front door. She pushed against its rough surface. It gave a little, but not too much. As a bonus, all that whacking had done wonders for her mood. She’d pictured the Voice of Doom’s face on each nail. Smashing the hammer had been cheap therapy.
    Still, as her temper relented, doubts about her decision to stay home raced through her mind. Really, did she want to be the delusional scream queen who thought she could take on a killer?
    Big no to that one. She wanted to live to see the Voice of Doom rot in jail.
    A quick set of taps on the door made Claire jump. She clutched the hammer, claw side out, arched high and ready strike.
    Her body tensed. “Who is it?” The words came out in a high-pitched squeal.
    “Pizza delivery.”
    Jake. Thank God. Unbidden, a nervous giggle escaped. She lowered the hammer to her side and opened the door.
    Looked like her body wasn’t the only one drawn to Jake. Onion sat by Jake’s boot-clad feet. Great. Puppy love. Her stomach growled as she inhaled the scent of melted mozzarella and greasy pepperoni. Jake quirked an eyebrow.
    “Come on in.” Claire stepped back to let Jake inside. The dog followed behind, his ears perked up into perfect triangles. “ Et tu , Brute?”
    Onion’s tongue lolled out of his mouth. Without even stopping to be petted, he followed the pizza scent into the house.
    Jake, already in the kitchen, popped open two bottles and handed her one. The dark, porter-style beer slid down her parched throat like bitter honey. Heaven. Her body unwound all the way to her toes. She couldn’t have been more relaxed if she was neck-deep in a vanilla bubble bath, a glass of Malbec wine balanced on the tub’s edge and Chef Anthony Bourdain’s latest book in her hands.
    They ate in companionable silence, standing around the kitchen island. The setting sun filtered in through the window and acted as their candlelight. Onion wandered from one to the other, occasionally successful at begging a piece of pepperoni.
    “So…” Claire watched the string of cheese connecting a pizza slice to Jake’s delectable mouth. “Is this how your days normally go?”
    He laughed and swiped at the wayward cheese. He swirled it around his finger and deposited it in his mouth. Claire’s knees turned to jelly.
    “No. Normally, I spend most of my time in the office working on computer investigations for businesses dealing with corporate spies. Every once in a while I’ll spend the afternoon tailing a cheating spouse, but that’s rare.”
    “Really? I kind of pictured you always up in someone’s personal space.”
    “Nah, I prefer to let my brain do the work.” He paused, looking Claire up and down. “But when it comes to play, I’m all about being in someone’s…personal space.”
    Heat raced up from her toes. There was no missing the meaning behind that. The dinner’s easygoing vibe dissolved into heated anticipation. Would it really be so bad to touch him? They were comrades in arms facing off against the Voice of Doom.
    And man, it would be amazing to be wrapped up in his