He reached over and squeezed her hand. “Nobody in their right mind would feel sorry for you. But I am glad to know I picked right.” He cleared his throat, and this time she sensed his embarrassment. “I wanted to take you someplace you’d remember. Someplace special.”

Good thing she had already acknowledged that she could fall hard for him and had barriers up to prevent it. Otherwise his concerned expression and tender, generous gesture would definitely steal her heart. She tried not to listen to the voice in her head laughing hysterically at her pathetic attempt to conceal her growing feelings for Jake Lowell.

JAKE SAT on a wooden bench beneath a huge awning, Brianne by his side and Norton at her feet. She’d insisted on giving him an airing, and while she was at it, Jake taught her how to get Norton to “do business” quickly and efficiently. She was impressed by Norton’s abilities and obviously pleased Jake had agreed to take the pooch along.

Seeing how happy he could make Brianne-and his sister’s dog, he thought wryly-gave him a warm feeling he hadn’t had in far too long. He glanced at Brianne. Vanilla fudge ice cream dripped over the sides of her cone, and her little tongue darted out to catch the remains.

Like the photograph. Two lovers sharing something intimate, something more than just an ice-cream treat. Brianne was unknowingly reenacting the erotic photo. Only, she wasn’t an anonymous face. She wasn’t just his fantasy. She was his. Every night for the long, hot summer. He’d already tasted her, knew how her silken mouth and soft lips responded to his.

His fists clenched at his sides as he restrained from acting on his desire. Not now, not yet. He bit hard into his own chocolate-chip scoop and sugar cone, but the sweet dessert didn’t provide the kind of satisfaction he had in mind.

“Can I ask you something?”

Brianne’s voice was a welcome intrusion. “Sure.”

“Well, it’s more of a professional question and it’s kind of silly, but I was wondering how you know whether you’re being followed.” Her cheeks turned pink, and she stared at her cone. “See, I told you it was silly.”

She was more uneasy than embarrassed, and Jake knew she’d been serious. Seconds ago, he’d thought nothing could distract him from thoughts of making love to her, but she’d managed. “What makes you ask?”

She shrugged. “I was shopping today and I saw a man looking at me.”

“Honey, you’re beautiful. Men are going to look.”

“Thank you.” She blushed again. Her gaze met his and lingered, the electricity between them steady and hot, causing a pulsing throughout his body that he couldn’t deny.

“But this guy was different,” she said, bringing them back to the issue at hand. “I mean, it felt different. I was on Fifth Avenue and he didn’t look like your average guy in a business suit during lunch hour. He had this crewcut and leering gaze. And I saw him again. Well, I thought I did, through the window of a coffee shop. And then I blinked and he was gone. And I thought…” She paused, obviously thinking things through.

The ice cream had begun to melt over the cone and dampen the napkin surrounding it. All erotic thoughts gone for the moment, he eased the ice cream out of her hand and dumped their messy cones into the trash next to the bench. “You thought what?”

“That it was happening again.” She began twisting her fingers together, and he stilled the nervous movement by covering her hands with his. She shot him a grateful glance.

“You thought what was happening again?”

“When my parents died, I had a hard time.” She shook her head. “Actually, it started before that. My parents weren’t what you’d call stay-at-home parents. My dad was a stockbroker and he’d done fairly well in some good markets. He had savings, and since they liked to live on the edge, their money went for extreme sports-hot-air ballooning, bungee jumping, motorcycle trips. Good thing the neighbors liked us because we spent a lot of time sleeping at their homes, and my parents weren’t reliable about when they’d return. Sometimes I thought they wouldn’t come back at all. That’s when it started.”

Jake wasn’t sure where she was going with her story but he wanted to hear more. This was the insight he craved and he wanted to listen as well as to help. “When what started?” he asked.

“Anxiety attacks. I swear, I was such a nervous kid.”

He squeezed her hand tight. “Understandable, I’d think. And you must have overcome it well because I’d never have known if you hadn’t told me.”

“Well, I was lucky I had a good school psychologist, and when I got older I learned stress management techniques. Things quieted down for a long time, acted up again after the accident. Maybe because they had to. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when life forces you to grow up quick.”

“What accident?”

She frowned, making him want to touch her face, stroke and smooth out the wrinkled skin and then kiss her puckered lips. But he refrained, knowing he would have time later on. For now, he needed her to continue.

“I told you I raised my brother, right? Because my parents died in a small plane crash. Dad was piloting.”

She shivered and Jake winced. “I’m sorry.”

“It was their choice. Literally. They went up in a storm, weather even the FAA warned against flying in.” She sighed, obviously resigned. “So the panic attacks got worse and I went for some short-term help. I needed to get myself under control so I could take care of Marc. And I did. It’s been ages since I’ve experienced any kind of true anxiety.”

“Until today.”

“Until today,” she agreed.

“Then, maybe we ought to give it some credence?” Jake knew he already was. The prickling feeling on his skin and in his gut was strong and sure. He just couldn’t put his finger on what was wrong. Yet.

She let out a huge exhale of air, obviously relieved he believed her. “I doubt it. I think I just needed to get it out in the open to see how ridiculous I was being.”

“Feelings are never ridiculous and too often they’re grounded in fact.”

Huge green eyes met his. “Yes, but in my case, I’m probably overreacting. It’s probably related to you.”

He could see she wasn’t comfortable with the admission. He was confused. “How so?”

She swallowed hard. “I hadn’t had an anxiety attack in a while, right? And then I met you and we have this instant attraction, and I discover you’re just like them. Next thing you know, boom. Another anxiety attack.” She gnawed on her lower lip as she explained.

“I’m just like who?”

“My parents. They lived for taking risks. And that’s what you do on your job, right? Take risks?” One hand reached out and touched his shoulder.

He felt the impact of her touch, the heat and the need, straight down to his toes, but her reassurance didn’t help. He was damn sure he didn’t like the comparison. “Difference is, I take certain risks in order to do my job, but I don’t take unnecessary ones. And I don’t do the job as a way of taking risks. Your parents did it for fun.”

“But you both knowingly, willingly, put yourselves in danger.”

He couldn’t deny the obvious so he remained silent. She’d equated him to her parents, two people she obviously loved but who’d let her down in the worst way. He’d just met her and was in this for a summer fling. So why did her analogy bother him so much?

“Look, all I’m trying to say is, thanks for listening to my foolishness. There’s a reason I panicked, and now that I talked it out I can put it and his disgusting tattoo behind me.”

“Tattoo?” Jake’s nerve endings went on alert, the reason for his wariness and churning gut all too apparent.

“Yes. I don’t know what made me think of it now. The guy was in one of those white tank tops, and he had a crooked arrow on his right arm. Biceps. Here-” She pointed to her right arm and shivered. “Tattoos always grossed me out.”

“Crooked arrow?” Jake asked tersely.

She nodded. “Like this-” She drew the shape with her hand.

Revulsion and fury raced through his veins. In light of Brianne’s history of well-founded anxiety, he had no intention of mentioning that the insignia on the pills he’d just found matched the tattoo on her stalker’s arm-the same tattoo that was on Ramirez’s right biceps.

He refused to enlighten her and worry her further. The desire to wrap her in his arms and guard her from harm was great. Brianne was no victim. Yet he needed to protect her both physically and emotionally. If she knew there was possible danger relating to Jake and his job, she might bolt. If she returned to her apartment, she’d be vulnerable to Ramirez and Jake would be unable to keep her safe. But if she remained in the penthouse, she’d be safe and secure, at least in the evenings.

As for daytime, Jake could cover her there as well. First thing in the morning he’d call in a favor and have a detective pal put a tail on her during the day. Thank God, Rina was in Italy, Jake thought. But Frank’s family wasn’t. Unwilling to take further chances, Jake decided to make sure they were covered as well. The department wouldn’t assign men on a hunch-they couldn’t afford the manpower. But both Jake and Frank had friends who wouldn’t mind doing the job. Meanwhile, Jake would step up his digging into Ramirez’s hangouts.

For now, he would placate her. “Plenty of men have tattoos. We’ll take your suggestion and forget about it, but if you see him again-”

“I’ll report directly to you, Detective.” She grinned and treated him to a salute. “But since I’m probably right, you can consider it forgotten.”

A touch of chocolate remained on her lips, daring him to reach out and lick it off with his tongue. Instead, he touched the pad of his finger to her mouth, wiping at the chocolate gently, savoring the soft feel of her lips and taking in the curtain of desire shading her eyes.

“Know what I’d like to do now?”

If her voice hadn’t dropped a husky octave, he’d have no idea. But it had, and the desire resonating in her tone renewed the heavy tempo beating inside him.

“What’s that?”

She drew a deep breath, and he understood being bold was new to her. “I’d like to go home.”

“And do what?” He had promised he’d take it slowly. She needed to set the pace, and Jake needed to hear her say the words that would free him from his hard-won restraint.

“Take me home and make me forget.” He didn’t pretend to misunderstand her meaning. And though her words came out a soft whisper, he heard them every place inside him where it counted.

His gaze never leaving hers, he pulled her to her feet so he could do as she asked. He would take her home.

BRIANNE KEPT PACE with Jake, her rush to get back as fierce as his. Once she’d unburdened herself and admitted her fears, she saw how ridiculous they were. And once he gave credence to her feelings and didn’t dismiss her with a pat on the head, as her parents used to do, Brianne was able to step back and see things clearly, with renewed perspective.

She wasn’t being followed. She merely had an overactive imagination, heightened by Jake’s proximity, lifestyle and job. And on the off chance that a stranger had been watching her, she now had Jake aware and on her side. The self-protection course the hospital had insisted its employees take after a rash of rapes a few years back had armed her with knowledge and defensive skills. She’d be fine.

She could free her mind and concentrate on how much she wanted Jake. Apparently he felt the same, because his hands didn’t leave her body the entire trip back to the apartment. Whether on the small of her back or grasping her hand, he held on to her as they walked, creating a constant state of awareness and a never-ending current of electricity that sparked between them.

Only when they reached the inside of the apartment building did he break the physical connection between them, stepping aside and allowing her to pass by him and enter the private elevator. For the duration of the ride up, nerves and excitement dominated her emotions. She was about to dive into sexual and emotional unknown territory, and the adrenaline rushed through her at lightning speed.

She wondered if this was what her parents had felt each time they undertook a new adventure or trip. She’d never understood her mother or father before. But as she walked out of the silent but erotically charged atmosphere of the elevator and entered the penthouse apartment, Brianne came as close as she’d ever been to comprehending the thrill-seekers who’d raised her.

Jake was new and exciting. Just thinking about him energized her mind and stimulated her body in erotic and arousing ways. Yet as much as she enjoyed each and every sensation he invoked, she feared, too, for he had the power to undo the healing she’d accomplished since her parents’ death, leaving her raw and exposed to someone who didn’t come with a promise of security and had no vision of long-term commitment.