Rica stroked Carter’s face. “It’s not your job to do that.”

Carter whipped her head back so quickly Rica jumped. “It wasn’t about the job. I love you.”

Rica closed her eyes. “I don’t want to hear that right now.”

Right now, Carter thought, feeling a glimmer of hope. She didn’t say she didn’t want to hear it at all. “Let me know when you do. Just in case.”

“Don’t try to charm me into forgetting why I came here. Why was my father so sure it was Enzo?”

Carter considered her answer, suddenly aware that Rica didn’t have all the information. She considered any number of stories before realizing that there could be only one answer. Now. Ever. She told her the truth. “I wrote a note on the back.”

“My God, you’re a little bit crazy, aren’t you?”

“Some. Yeah.”

“What did it say?”

“Enzo’s handiwork. And there’s more at the gallery.”

“What?” Unconsciously, Rica looked in the direction of her gallery, as if she could see it through the walls and across the blocks that separated them.

“Not that one. The one in Manhattan. We think…” Carter winced. “Some people think Enzo had a sideline, probably selling drugs or other contraband on his own and laundering the money through your gallery. Maybe even passing the goods that way.”

“The bastard.” Rica very carefully placed her wineglass on a stone coaster that sat all alone next to the pizza box. “We were about to have an accountant go over the books.”

Carter shook her head. “He’s not that dumb. You might have found a few irregularities, but I’m sure he didn’t leave a paper trail.” She looked pained. “Of course, that wasn’t about to stop our illustrious leader from looking for one.”

“You’ve been watching the gallery,” Rica said accusingly. “God, is there no end to this?”

“I wasn’t watching it, but it’s been watched, yes.” Carter put her glass next to Rica’s and took her hands. She automatically smoothed her thumbs back and forth over the tops of Rica’s fingers as she held them in her palms. “Have you talked to your father in the last day?”

“No. I’ve been traveling. My return was sudden. He doesn’t even know that I’m back.”

“So you weren’t due to come back today,” Carter said, just to be sure.

“No. Not until the day after tomorrow.”

“I don’t know all the details, Rica, but there was a fire in the Manhattan gallery. I doubt there’ll be any records for anyone to find.”

Rica leapt up. “A fire! My God.” She stared at Carter. “What about the inventory? The artwork?”

“I don’t know. I just heard myself.”

“I need to call my father. My father will know.”

“Wait a minute,” Carter said as Rica fumbled in her briefcase for her phone. “There’s something else you need to know.”

“What more could there be?”

“We think Enzo’s dead. A car accident early this morning.”

Rica blinked and stared, then dropped the briefcase on the floor. Wordlessly, she sat down again next to Carter and curled her fingers around Carter’s thigh just above her knee. Her hand trembled and Carter slid an arm around her shoulders.

“You okay?” Carter said after a full moment of silence. “Rica?”

“My father sent me away. Me and Angie. So no one would be at the gallery this week. So we would be far away when something…happened.” She stared at Carter, her eyes dark with pain. “That was the reason for the trip, wasn’t it?”

“I don’t know, baby.” Carter skimmed her fingers through Rica’s hair and kissed her softly on the lips. “I don’t know, and this is one thing you don’t want to know.”

“But you knew. You knew if you sent that picture what he would do.”

Carter shook her head. “I didn’t know. I didn’t know how much he loved you.” She took a deep breath. “I only knew what I would do if I were him.”

“What? What would you do?”

“I’d make sure Enzo never did anything to hurt you again, in any way.”

“You’re a cop, Carter. Cops don’t work that way.” Rica raised their joined hands and rubbed her cheek against Carter’s. The warmth comforted her.

“I’m not a cop anymore.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I quit.”

“I…you…why?”

“You know why. Don’t make me say it, when you already told me you don’t want to hear it.”

For a second Rica looked perplexed, then she shook her head violently. “For me? No. I can’t let you do that for me.”

“Not just for you.” Carter freed one hand and stroked Rica’s face. Her fingers trembled as violently as Rica’s. “For me too. For whatever’s left of my sanity.”

While Rica struggled to take in everything she was hearing, she found herself more and more drawn to the way Carter’s lips curved as she spoke. To the strength of the fingers holding hers. To the pulse that raced in Carter’s throat. Her brain was on overload but her body was singularly focused. “I want you to make love to me.”

“Rica.” Carter willed herself not to move, because everything in her wanted to take Rica into her arms. “You’ll be sorry later, and that will kill me.”

“No,” Rica whispered. “I won’t.” She leaned into Carter, drawing Carter’s arms around her. She nuzzled Carter’s neck and kissed the soft skin of her collarbone. “I’ve never been sorry that you’ve touched me. Ever.”

“I’m going to take you home. We’ll talk some more in the morning.”

“On one condition.”

Carter grinned wearily. “I’m not sure I want to hear this.”

Rica kissed her again, possessively this time, her mouth searing over Carter’s. “I want you to stay the night with me.”

“I don’t know why I ever think I’ll figure you out.” Carter tilted her head back so Rica could kiss her way down her throat. “Because I’m always wrong.”

“Is that so bad?” Rica murmured as she nibbled on Carter’s neck.

Carter groaned, her legs shifting restlessly as pleasure rushed through her. “Christ no. It’s good. Very good.”

Chapter Thirty-One

It was close to nine p.m. by the time Rica and Carter collected the rest of Rica’s luggage from the airport and reached Rica’s place.

“Let me get some air in here,” Rica said on her way through the living room to open the windows. “I’ve forgotten how good it feels to come home.”

“It’s a nice change to be here when one or the other of us isn’t banged up,” Carter said.

“Isn’t it.” Rica smiled at Carter over her shoulder. “Would you mind taking the lighter stuff up to my bedroom? I’ll be up in just a second.”

“Ah…” Carter wasn’t sure the bedroom was going to be such a wise choice. She couldn’t even look at Rica without aching to touch her.

“I’ve been traveling since five this morning and I want a shower.” Rica crossed to Carter, who stood surrounded by luggage, and kissed her. “And forgive me for saying this, not that I really mind, but you smell like you’ve been working all day and might like one too.”

Carter grinned. “Is that some kind of half-assed come-on?”

“No,” Rica said as she slowly ran her tongue down Carter’s neck. “It’s an invitation to take a shower with me.”

Carter felt her knees weaken and her stomach flutter. “I thought we agreed…”

“No,” Rica said once more. She pulled Carter’s T-shirt from her jeans, slid her hand underneath, and pressed her palm low on Carter’s belly while her fingers skimmed beneath the waistband of her pants. “We didn’t agree to anything. I asked you to make love to me and you wanted to wait.” She knelt, bumping the largest piece of luggage with her hip to move it out of the way, and unbuttoned Carter’s jeans. “We didn’t discuss me making love to you.” She slid down the zipper, opened the denim, and kissed the soft skin at the base of Carter’s belly.

“Rica…” Carter whispered, her thighs trembling. She knew there were things they should discuss. She knew there were dozens of reasons they should stop. She knew…she knew…she couldn’t think. “I want you so much.”

Rica brushed her cheek against Carter’s stomach and wrapped her arms tightly around her hips. She closed her eyes. “I know. Me too. I’ve been crazy all week thinking about you.”

Carter bent and gently grasped Rica’s shoulders, guiding her upward. She folded her in her arms and kissed her, slowly and deeply. She felt Rica’s hands delve under the back of her T-shirt, one hand racing up and down her spine and the other diving into her pants to squeeze her ass. Carter pressed her thigh between Rica’s legs and heard her moan. The sound of Rica’s excitement cut through her like a scythe slicing ripe wheat, and as her resistance fell beneath the onslaught of unbearable pleasure, she unbuttoned Rica’s blouse. Rica cried out when Carter dipped beneath the satin cup of her bra to close her fingers around Rica’s breast.

“Too hard?” Carter gasped.

“No,” Rica moaned. “I like it hard. I like to feel your hands on me.” She dragged her hand around Carter’s side, her nails leaving faint red lines in their wake, and pushed her fingers into the open vee of Carter’s jeans. She moaned again when she encountered no other barriers, only Carter, swollen and hot and wet. “Oh my God.”

“Don’t.” Carter slammed one hand over her crotch, trapping Rica’s hand beneath the denim. “Don’t touch me there.”

“Oh, baby why?” Rica’s voice was a plaintive plea. Her eyes were wild, her lips shining with their kisses, her breasts tight and firm in Carter’s palm. “I want to. Oh God, I want you so badly.”

Carter swayed, half undressed, vision hazy, her stomach knotted with excitement. “I want us to make love in bed.” Her breath came in irregular spurts and she struggled not to come beneath the pressure of Rica’s fingertips. “I want you to make me come slow, while I’m looking into your eyes. I want to see you when I…” She groaned and closed her eyes when Rica’s fingers twitched over her clitoris. “Please.”

“All right,” Rica panted, pressing her face to Carter’s chest. “All right, darling. Slow. I’ll try. I’ll try.” She laughed shakily. “I’m usually not like this.”

“No.” Carter gazed down through half-closed lids to where Rica’s arm disappeared into her jeans. “Neither am I.”

Rica leaned into Carter, one arm around her waist to steady herself as she pulled her hand from Carter’s jeans. “Maybe we should take that shower and cool off.”

Carter kissed Rica’s cheek, then the corner of her mouth. “Shower sounds good. But nothing’s going to cool me off.”

“Even better.”

The sheets were cool and crisp against Carter’s heated skin. She lay facing Rica as they kissed and caressed, their legs entwined, her sex pressed tightly to the smooth skin of Rica’s thigh.

“Are you okay?” Rica asked quietly.

“Never better in my life.” Carter massaged Rica’s breasts, rhythmically brushing over her nipples until they grew impossibly hard.

“Feels so good.”

“Oh yeah.” Carter skimmed her mouth over Rica’s, then worked her way along Rica’s jaw to her ear. She tugged on her earlobe with her teeth and traced the rim with her tongue before teasing inside. Rica whimpered and arched against her. Carter didn’t think she’d ever been so hard and so ready. “Rica,” she whispered. “Open your eyes.”

Rica, her flickering pupils wide and black, met Carter’s gaze. “Can I touch you now?”

“Please.”

Smiling dreamily, Rica skimmed her fingers up and down the center of Carter’s stomach, then brushed through the hair between her thighs, then circled three fingertips over the base of Carter’s rigid clitoris. She massaged her in slow, steady circles. “You’re so wonderfully swollen and wet. Does it feel good?”

“Amazing.” Carter gasped and kissed Rica urgently, unconsciously squeezing and twisting Rica’s nipple. They kissed and stroked and caressed until Carter could barely breathe. Every muscle in her body was in an unrelenting state of spasm. “Can’t take much more.”

“You need to come, don’t you?” Rica breathed against Carter’s mouth, flicking her tongue between Carter’s lips as she kept up her firm, methodical strokes. “Tell me what you want.”

“I want to come all over you. So fucking hard.” Carter released Rica’s breast and slid her hand between Rica’s thighs. She cupped her sex, her fingertips gliding just inside her.

Rica moaned softly and twitched on Carter’s fingers. “Shall I finish you now, darling? Would you like that?” She thrust into the depths of Carter’s engorged flesh, switching to long, full caresses.

“Yes. Yes, Christ, please,” Carter said, hips lifting frantically. “Make me come, Rica. Rica, Rica…”

“That’s right, darling, that’s right,” Rica crooned, working Carter into a smooth deep climax. “You come for me now.”

Carter’s head snapped back as her orgasm surged beneath Rica’s skilled fingers. She was only vaguely aware of her legs thrashing and her fingers pushing hard into Rica. When she registered Rica’s wild cries of pleasure and felt Rica writhing next to her, she roused herself enough to thrust Rica to a jolting climax.