She got up and strolled over to the sofa, then turned to give him a sideways grin, and added, “Heck, somebody cooking in here is a novelty. I’ve become a takeout queen, much to my mother’s shame.”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” he said wryly as he followed her to the living room. “You’ve just had my entire repertoire.”

“Good thing I love spaghetti, then.”

She colored suddenly, looking as if she’d just realized how what she’d said sounded, as if she were planning many more nights like this one.

“Don’t tempt me,” he said softly. He’d been thinking about it a lot himself, and the appeal of an endless string of nights like this was growing rapidly. He could even, if he worked at it, put a kid or two into the picture.

She had the grace not to deny it. “Sorry.” She lowered her gaze. Then, after a moment, she added in a near whisper, “I think.”

It was that little whisper that undid him. “Damn, Darien. That kiss was…almost an accident. This would be with full intent. Do you realize what we could get ourselves into?”

She looked up at him then. “Oh, yes,” she said, her voice husky now.

Heat flashed through him with the speed of an explosion. He’d been keeping himself on a short leash for what felt like an eon now, although it had, amazingly, only been a short time. He took a step toward her, reached out, then froze. When he spoke, his voice was thick and harsh.

“If you want to stop this, you’d better say so now, because once I touch you, there’s no turning back for me.”

“There was no turning back for me once you took that first step,” she whispered.

He groaned, then reached for her again. But instead of pulling her up to him as he’d planned, he found himself sinking down beside her. His mouth sought hers hungrily, and the soft warmth of her lips somehow had more kick than his.357 Magnum. His gut knotted as if he’d taken one of those rounds, and he couldn’t have pulled away had someone drawn that gun on him.

“Colin,” she said breathlessly, “I forgot. I…we…I’m not prepared for this.”

He had to wait a moment for the hot, pleasurable haze to clear enough so that he could think. He mentally inventoried his wallet, remembered one of Sam’s parting gifts-with the accompanying suggestion that he get a life-then said roughly, “I’ll handle it.”

She breathed a sigh of relief that made his body clench.

He traced the line of her jaw with his mouth, marveling at the smoothness of her skin. His fingers tangled in the soft silk of her hair, and he did what he’d been longing to do forever, planted a long, lingering kiss at the nape of her neck bared by the impossibly sexy haircut. When she shivered in reaction, he felt it as if it had begun inside him.

She moved, and only when he felt the sinuous caress of her hips against his aroused body did he realize he’d pulled her beneath him. She moved again, and he nearly gasped. Again, and he forgot to breathe at all.

This train is definitely in trouble, he thought. He’d never been derailed like this. Ever.

It was the last rational thought he had. He didn’t listen to it anyway.

Darien had the fleeting thought that this was insane, that she was long past the age when she should be rapidly heading for a very intimate encounter on the couch in her living room. Yet here she was, half-undressed, and without hesitation helping a man she hadn’t even met a month ago shed his own clothes. A man she’d known from the first instant meant trouble. She’d thought she’d loved Tony, but this…

And then he came back to her, his body hot, hard and ready, his hands moving over her with an eagerness that thrilled her and a tenderness that melted her. A delicious anticipation welled up inside her. When he slid into her she welcomed him with a matching eagerness, and a low groan of pure pleasure rumbled up from deep in his chest. She felt an answering ripple as her body strained to accept him, felt a glorious stretching fullness that made her cry out her own pleasure.

Suddenly it didn’t matter where they were, or how long they’d known each other. The only thing that mattered was this glorious sensation, this building, tightening, rising tension that nearly made her scream.

And then he moved one last time, driving hard and deep into her, and the tension shattered, flinging her in what seemed a thousand directions at once.

And she did scream. His name.

Colin hung up the phone and turned to Darien with a wide smile on his face. “It’s a match. Maggie says the ring in the photograph is a perfect match for the bruises on the body.”

Darien smiled back, and potent memories of last night flashed through his mind in a hot, vivid stream.

“Is it enough?” she asked.

Never, he thought, then realized she was talking about the ring.

“For a conviction? Probably not, we’ll have to keep searching for the thing. Stone’ll need all the help he can get, including that ring and any trace DNA evidence on it. But for an arrest, definitely. The warrant’s already in the works.”

She let out a long breath. “What if we’re wrong?”

“We’re the good guys,” he teased. “We’re never wrong.”

She laughed, and he couldn’t resist reaching out to brush the backs of his fingers over her cheek. She blushed and lowered her gaze, but she also nuzzled his hand. And instantly he was again awash in those intense images. He didn’t know what she’d done, had a strange feeling it was more what she hadn’t done, such as throw herself at him, but somehow she’d blasted through every reservation he’d had.

“Ho, ho, ho, I smell fraternization!”

Colin stifled a groan as Palmer’s voice told him he’d been caught. Served him right for succumbing to the urge to touch her here in the office.

“Isn’t this sweet?” Palmer drawled. “Together at last. How convenient.”

Colin summoned up an air of unconcern.

“Don’t mind us,” he said with a creditable laugh. “We’re just celebrating the fact that in a minute we’re going to pick up a warrant and make an arrest.”

“In fact,” Darien said, getting up, “we’re going right now, aren’t we?”

“Indeed we are,” he agreed, and they left so quickly Palmer was left with nothing to do but gape after them.

They both breathed a sigh of relief that Mrs. Gardner wasn’t at home. They hadn’t looked forward to dealing with her when, after the murder of her younger son, they were about to cart off the eldest.

Lyle Gardner was his usual haughty self when they arrived. He demanded to know if they had made any progress. Darien kept her eyes on Gardner ’s face as Colin answered.

“Yes, we have. In fact, we’re about to make an arrest. We’ve discovered a key piece of evidence.”

Darien was sure she saw Gardner draw back infinitesimally.

“Did you think we wouldn’t find out about it?” Darien asked softly. “It’s pretty distinctive, after all. All Gardner jewelry would be.”

Lyle paled visibly. “I lost that ring. Long ago. You can’t prove otherwise.”

Gotcha! Darien exulted silently.

“Did you?” Colin asked.

“Yes.”

“So there will be a claim on file with your insurance company?” Darien put in sweetly, already knowing perfectly well there hadn’t been.

Gardner suddenly seemed to realize he was digging himself into a hole. “I’m through with your questions. My attorney will speak for me from now on.”

“Fine. We’ll call him for you from the station,” she said.

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Colin reached into his pocket and took out some folded papers. “I’m afraid you are, Mr. Gardner. This arrest warrant says so.”

“Whatever judge you got to sign that won’t be on the bench for long.”

“Amazingly enough, there is a judge in Chicago who doesn’t owe the Gardners a thing,” Colin said.

Fuming, Gardner swore indelicately. “I’m calling my attorney now.”