Free Dangerous Bond (Jamie Bond Mysteries Book 4) by Gemma Halliday, Jennifer Fischetto Page B

now."
    "Which means you don't really have a case yet?" I asked, trying to read between his lines.
    He shrugged. "Our theory? She could have been in the house and left through the side or back as you and your associates were entering. As for motive—she killed him for the money instead of going through a messy and possibly less-than-lucrative divorce."
    How very interesting. Not only his theory about Mrs. Claremont but also that Aiden was telling me all of this.
    "Unless you have other theories…" Aiden trailed off, looking at me expectantly.
    And there was the reason. I narrowed my eyes at him and shook my head in the negative.
    Aiden leaned toward his desk and gave me a sly smile. "Come on, Bond. I showed you mine. Now you show me yours." The seductive edge in his voice was not lost on me. Why did I have the feeling he wasn't just talking about trading intel on Bristol Claremont?
    But I shook my head again. "You know I can't break client confidentiality."
    He stood up, nodded, and walked around to the front of his desk. He sat on the edge, his knees a mere inch from mine. "I understand that. And I applaud your professionalism. I respect you, Jamie Bond."
    I raised an eyebrow his way. Predictable Aiden was anything but today.
    "Now, if you have any other questions about Mrs. Claremont…" he started.
    Then he did something even more unpredictable.
    Aiden reached down, grabbed my hands, and gently pulled me up to stand directly in front of him. He tugged my body flush with his. Every nerve ending in my body was on full alert. The desire in his eyes was obvious…and infectious.
    With our bodies a mere inch apart, he finished in a low, husky tone, "…you can ask me at dinner tonight."
    I sucked in a breath. Was he asking me out? It felt like more of a demand, but in all honesty it wasn't one I'd have any problems complying with. I felt myself nodding dumbly.
    "I'll pick you up at eight." His eyes trailed down to my chest again.
    If I were the swooning type, I would've been a swooning puddle. I nodded dumbly again as his gaze moved up to meet mine. We stayed frozen in that spot, staring into one another's eyes. Neither of us moved or even seemed to breathe. I wished I was able to step into his mind and hear what he was thinking. As for my own thoughts, they were impure and involved chocolate sauce and inappropriate body parts.
    The phone on his desk buzzed, and the receptionist's Valley Girl voice interrupted my fantasy. "Mr. Prince, there's an Elliot Chandler here to see you. He says it's urgent."
    Aiden's chest rose and fell deeply. Then he gave me a half smile and reached back to the phone. "Tell him I'll be with him shortly." Then to me, he said, "A witness for a case. I'm sorry to cut this short."
    I stepped back and cleared my throat. "No, I understand. I'll see you tonight."
    I headed for the door. He followed me with his hand on the small of my back. Then he reached for the knob, but instead of opening the door, he just stood there staring at me.
    "I'm looking forward to it."
    "Me too." I swallowed hard. My body was still in a high-alert state. My pulse raced, butterflies had invaded my stomach, and I was so very hot. I wasn't physically or mentally ready to step out of this office. Mostly because I wasn't sure I could take a step without my knees turning to Jell-O.
    "Why don't you wear that red dress? The one you wore the first time I met you."
    The first time we'd met I was undercover at a charity benefit. I'd worn a red strapless evening gown.
    "Where are we going?" I couldn't imagine any restaurant in the area that was a white-tie event.
    "Leave that to me." He opened the door.
     
    *   *   *
     
    After leaving Aiden, I was pumped and hungry. According to Maya, I had new prospective clients coming in later in the afternoon, so I only had enough time for a quick lunch. I didn't want to eat alone, but mentally going through lunch candidates left me leaving my cell in my purse. Danny and I had just had breakfast