Free Guilty Cravings (The Steamy South 1) by Nicole North Page A

could
ignore the electricity between her and Nick.
    “Thanks.” He took a
sip. “My guess is he’s someone who knew Jared. Maybe a business associate or
someone he had contact with on occasion. Maybe a rival. They probably shared a
common interest in antiquities. How else would he know about the object in
question?”
    “But why would he
kill Jared over it? Why didn’t he blackmail him instead? He should’ve known
that if he killed Jared, he’d never get the object from him.”
    “I haven’t figured
out that part yet.”
    Considering the way
Nick stared out the window for several distracted moments while he ate, his
mind must have been working furiously on the problem. Though she was tempted to
study him and his square-jawed, alpha-male profile, she decided focusing on the
danger surrounding them might be a smarter choice.
    “Did the local police
tell you anything more about Jared’s death or the accident?” she asked.
    “Officially, he drank
too much, ran off the bridge into the river and drowned.”
    The part about
drinking too much didn’t surprise her. “But what did you see in your psychic
vision?”
    Nick observed her for
a long moment, his sharp cop’s gaze delving into hers. Was he speculating
whether or not he could trust her? Or was he visualizing the tragedy of his
brother’s death? “The killer was in the car with him for a while, talking about
this damned object.”
    “How did he
orchestrate that without leaving clues?”
    “Any clues or DNA
were likely washed away in the water. He would’ve known not to leave
fingerprints. If he was someone close to Jared or someone who knew him, maybe
they went out drinking together and he agreed to drive him home. He headed the
car toward the edge of the bridge and jumped out before it crashed and flipped
over the side. They did say the driver’s door was ajar and one window open
which allowed the car to fill up faster. Jared wasn’t buckled in and, judging
by his blood alcohol level, he was too intoxicated to swim to the bank.”
    She shivered,
visualizing the whole grisly and tragic scene. “That information alone would
make me suspect foul play. Jared always buckled up while driving, and more than
once after spending a night out drinking, he’d come home in a taxi.”
    Nick nodded. “Did
that happen a lot while you two were married—Jared drinking too much?”
    Did she have to
answer that? She’d rather forget Jared’s binges and how he became like a
different person during them. “Yes, several times. His drink of choice was
expensive scotch. He could put away a good portion of a fifth at one time.
That’s when he became infuriating and critical.”
    Nick frowned, his
perceptive gaze locking on hers. “Did he ever hurt you?”
    She shook her head. “Not
physically, anyway.” Emotional pain was another subject altogether. “He tried
to one time. He struck out with his fist, but I dodged aside. I told him if he
ever tried that again…” She shook her head, her throat constricting with the
dark memory.
    Nick took her hand
from her lap and squeezed it, surrounding it with the warmth and strength of
his. “Damn,” he muttered in an angry tone. “You don’t know how that makes me
feel. If he was here, I’d knock him on his ass for that.”
    “Thanks,” she
whispered, her aching throat still tight. Not because of some long ago memory
now, but because Nick would so quickly leap to her defense.
    “You should be treated
like—I don’t know—a queen.” His eyes intensified, and she knew he was sincere.
    The difference
between Jared and Nick was almost shocking.
    He released her hand
and she immediately missed the heat of his touch. What was wrong with her? She
suddenly felt emotionally raw and vulnerable.
    “Thanks.” She
shrugged, needing to fill the uncomfortable silence. “He never loved me. He
only married me because of who my extended family is. Lots of politicians and
businessmen, you know. A congressman.”
    “But why? He