Nice & Naughty (9 page)

Jade smiled at his description. The town hall, heck, all the public buildings, looked great. She’d actually had fun watching his reaction, seeing the disdain slowly melt from building to building as he came to appreciate all the artistry in the thematic decorations.

“You talked to all the major players in the panty drama, and most of the minor ones,” she assured him. “There are a lot of people who aren’t even bystanders, though. You caught us at our busy season. Rebecca Lee’s getting married the first week of the new year, so she’s got a bunch of relatives visiting. A lot of the families have company in for the holidays, too. Our quaint small-town-Christmas thing holds major appeal for some people.”

As much as she craved the big city, she couldn’t imagine doing the holidays any other way. Looking intrigued, Diego stopped to read a flyer in the bookstore window that announced the Twelve Days of Books event, complete with gingerbread and hot cocoa.

“You get a lot of strangers through?” he asked, nodding to a Washington license plate as he tucked his notebook back in his pocket.

“Sure, some. Like I said, there are a lot of visitors for a small town this time of year. You met Marion Kroger in the library?” She waited until he nodded before continuing, “She’s got at least a dozen or more people out at her place. She must have a huge family, because they cycle through at least three or four times a year.”

“Any of them come into town?”

Jade shrugged.

“Probably. Every once in a while we get a few people I can’t place. But not too often. That’s not a stranger’s car, for instance. That’s Mrs. Green’s grandson’s, Eddy. He’s studying engineering at Washington University.”

For the first time since he’d taken that phone call outside the library, Diego looked directly at her. Jade shivered a little. It wasn’t that she’d forgotten how intense his gaze was. Not really. But a few hours in his company without feeling it had a way of making a girl think she could handle it.

Silly girl.

“I need to go over my notes,” he said, still studying her face as if he was weighing something.

“Ah, well, I guess playtime’s over then.” Despite her cheery smile and light words, Jade’s shoulders sank. Sure, he’d spent the last few hours holding her at arm’s length, as if afraid one touch, one look, would be all the invitation she needed to straddle his body and demand he finish that kiss. But she’d still had fun.

It’d been exciting to help out, and fascinating to watch him work. The way he led the discussions, asking questions in such roundabout ways she didn’t think most people had a clue how much information they’d given him. Even she, who’d lived here all her life, had found out a few new tidbits today.

She’d also had some seriously delicious fudge, a hot toddy, three cookies and had gotten a new recipe for double-butter pound cake.

Even more exciting, she’d been asked to help two women find the perfect outfits for their Christmas parties, been recruited to do a styling workshop on dressing right for New Year’s Eve and had been advised that she talked about sex too much.

Diego had choked on his cookie at the last one, she remembered with a grin.

Maybe she hadn’t gotten any closer to him, as she’d hoped. And perhaps the adventurous, self-sufficient vibe he radiated hadn’t rubbed off on her, as she’d wished. But it’d been a fun experience, and hey, an afternoon with a hot, sexy guy was never a bad thing.

Focus on the positive, she always told herself. Even if it didn’t include another taste of the most tempting mouth she’d ever felt against hers.

So, forcing her chin up and her smile wider, she tilted her head to one side and said, “This was fun. And even though it still seems like a pointless crime, I hope I was able to help.” All that in a single breath. Not bad. She inhaled slowly, preparing to force the goodbye past her lips next. Before she could, he tilted his head toward the other end of the street.

“I need to make sure I’ve got all my facts straight. Let’s go to the diner,” he suggested. “I’ll buy you a cup of coffee and you can make sure I didn’t miss anything.”

A date? He probably didn’t see it that way. Still, Jade’s tummy danced in anticipation. Then the clock in the tall spear of the town hall caught her eye.

“The diner’s closed,” she said.

“It’s only four.”

“Holiday hours,” Jade said with a shrug, her mind racing with possibilities. Despite her nerves—she’d never asked a guy out before—she blurted out, “But I have coffee at my place. We can go back there. You wanted to see the crime scene again anyway, didn’t you?”

There you go, a subtle invitation into her bedroom and one she could totally deny if he freaked.

And if he didn’t? Well, she’d just have to strip naked before he saw her ugly underwear.

* * *

I
T
TOOK
CAREFUL
SKILL
to walk that thin line between instincts, cravings and pure stupidity. Diego told himself his toes were still firmly balanced.

Of course, anytime he looked at Jade, took in her sexy bod and gorgeous smile, the balance teetered. So much for that myth about long poles adding stability.

Diego sighed, torn between tying things up and taking a break to get his brain straight.

After his useless round of interviews that morning, he’d figured this case was pure crap. After his much more insightful, informative and productive—thanks to Jade—round of interviews this afternoon, he was still sure this case was pure crap.

At least, intellectually he was sure.

But his gut was saying something different. Instinct screamed loud enough to drown out his desperate need to get out of this Podunk town and back to the faceless, nameless anonymity of a big city.

And Jade was the key.

She’d sparked something when she’d mentioned all the strangers in town. Now he needed to get more information from her, but without tipping her off. Until he figured out what it was his gut was sensing, he’d be keeping his instinct’s tingles all to himself.

And, he warned his itching fingers, his hands. No touching the sexy blonde. No feeling the curve of her ass to see if it was as tight and smooth as it looked. No weighing the feel of her full breast against his palm to see how it fit.

His body hummed at the image. He shifted, trying to shake off the sensual spell the afternoon with Jade had cast over him.

The sooner he solved this case, the sooner he could get the hell out of here. Back to real life, to his shiny new promotion and yet another new start. The idea fell like a ball of lead in his belly, a dull and lonely ache. Too many Christmas cookies, he told himself.

To solve the case, he needed to toe Kinnison’s line, which meant following Applebaum’s directive to use Jade’s help. Since Diego’s own gut agreed, he figured that was three against one.

“Sure,” Diego finally agreed, realizing he’d been standing there like a moonstruck idiot long enough. “Coffee and another look at the crime scene sound good.”

And wasn’t he the big brave cop, heading off to Temptation Central. But hey, he was armed. He could handle a tiny little blonde with a smart mouth. Just as long as she kept her lingerie hidden away.

8

D
IEGO
SAT
in Jade’s
kitchen, staring across the table at the soft, furry features of Jade’s cat, wondering what was wrong with the people in this town. Once they’d loosened up and quit seeing him as an outsider whose face needed to meet their closed door, they’d all had similar warnings to offer.

Watch out. Caution. Dire consequences.

And all because of this sweet kitty?

“Why is everyone so freaked about your cat?” he asked, glancing over from the lush, long-haired feline perched on the opposite chair toward Jade. “It’s like they’ve all got different opinions on the correct color of lights to string from a house, whether a tree should be green, white, aluminum or fake, and who makes the best cookies. But the fact that the panty thefts are a joke and your cat is pure evil seem to hit a total consensus.”

“Well, you have to admit, it’s hard to take the thefts too seriously,” she said over the sound of water running into a coffeepot. “And are they technically thefts if the panties are always returned?”

“They’re usually being left in weird places, on display and used to mock their owners.”

“
Mock
is a pretty harsh word.” She pulled the coffeemaker away from the wall to pour in the water.

“There was a pair of black lace panties big enough for three toddlers to play in with the words
Do Me
on the ass hanging from the blow-up reindeer in front of the post office this morning,” he reminded her. How was that a joke? Did this town have no sense of privacy? No secrets at all? Not even who wore what style underwear in what size? He’d always thought sizes were like their real weight and age to women, closely guarded secrets.

“I’m not saying it wasn’t a little disturbing to find out that Mrs. Kostelec has the same panties that I do. But the whole thing seems more like a joke than a crime to me,” Jade admitted, taking a bag of coffee beans from the fridge and pulling a grinder out of a drawer. Diego was busy reveling in the addictively rich scent of the grinding coffee, so it took a few extra seconds for her words to sink in.

“You’re kidding, right?” he asked, not sure if he was amused or horrified. His gaze dropped to Jade’s ass, covered way too much in that big black shirt. Did her panties have an invitation written in glitter, too? His mouth watered. Maybe there was something to be said for following directions.

“Nope, I really was disturbed,” she confessed. After flicking the on switch, she glanced back. She frowned at his impatient look, then gave an edgy sort of shrug. “Look, I know it’s serious, even if most people aren’t taking it that way. I saw the mess in my bedroom. It was all I could do last night not to run over to my mother’s instead of sleeping in my own bed.”

The look on her face, nerves and just a hint of the fear he’d seen the day before when she’d walked into her bedroom, made him feel even worse.

“I know it’s serious. But if I think about it too much, I’m scared,” she told him quietly. “It’s easier to trust that you’re going to catch this guy, that you’re really good at what you do and to believe I don’t need to worry.”

He grimaced at the anxious look in her eyes. Wanting to make her feel better, he promised, “While I’m on the job, nobody’s going to hurt you. Or your underwear. I promise.”

What was wrong with him? He didn’t do promises. But the way her face lit up made him feel pretty damn good. She gave him a smile that made him feel like a superhero, then followed it up with a teasing wink.

“So the rumors are true, hmm? I heard you’re quite the hotshot.” As she spoke, she stretched on tiptoe to get two large red mugs off the shelf overhead. Diego shifted as if to help her, then seeing her fingers hook the ceramic handles, he settled back in the chair to continue enjoying the view.

“I thought the rumor was that I was a crappy cop who was sent here as punishment.” The idea of people thinking he sucked at his job and the reality of being sent to Podunk, Nowhere, both grated on his ego in equal measure.

“One of the many joys of small towns. We wear the same underwear styles and the gossip changes with the direction of the wind,” she said, giving him a teasing look over her shoulder as she poured the freshly brewed coffee into the mugs. “Word that the mayor has been bragging about your arrest record and police skills is spreading fast. He really likes you.”

A cozy sort of feeling warmed Diego’s chest. He’d never looked for cozy before and suddenly it was oddly appealing. The mayor was a kick. A fun old guy with a great sense of the ridiculous, he was the easiest authority figure Diego had ever worked with. Which meant he’d better get over it. Things that appealed in his life? They always ended up short-term, if they even lasted that long.

“Probably just making his decision to bring someone in look good,” Diego said dismissively with an uncomfortable shrug.

The teasing smile shifted to contemplation as Jade studied his face. Finally, just as he was about to actually shuffle his feet, she handed him his coffee.

“Applebaum really isn’t into the spin game. I mean, there’s not much point in a town this size. I think that’s how he’s gotten reelected so often. People know he’s telling the truth,” she said before gesturing toward the room behind him. Diego glanced at the plush, curvy couch. Bright blue, it was diamond-tucked with at least a hundred buttons, glossy wood accents and curlicue legs. It should have said fussy discomfort, but he could picture Jade laid out there in a sassy, sexy invitation much too easily.

He looked over her shoulder toward the dining room table with its long bench-style seats. The hardwood looked as if it’d make for some uncomfortable sexy times, not in the slightest bit encouraging toward stripping Jade’s clothes off one piece at a time to search for invitations.

“Why don’t we take this into the dining room.” He covered his inward cringe with a big smile. “I was hoping for some cookies, and the table means fewer crumbs, right?”

The smile she flashed was bright and happy, as if he’d just answered the secret question and was about to be awarded his prize. Diego’s heart picked up a beat as his imagination flipped through all the prizes he’d like from her. Most involved bare skin and a few required feathers.

“I figured you’d be cookied-out after all the offers this afternoon. But just in case...” She gestured toward the living room again. He followed the wave of her hand. A tall tree, glistening in rich jewel decorations, was displayed in the window. In front of the couch was a low table that looked like a polished brass surfboard. On it were some magazines, a free-form glass bowl in brilliant shades of streaky blue, indigo and purple, and an old-fashioned holiday tin with a bright red lid. He glanced back at Jade in question.

“The cookies are already out,” she said. Then, taking matters into her own hands, she skirted around him. Not touching, not even close to making inappropriate contact. But the glance she offered through her lashes was as naughty as if she’d pressed her breasts into his chest. His body reacted as if she had, too, his breath catching and his dick going hard.

“It’s comfier in here. And besides, if we have cookies here, Persephone will leave us alone. If we eat in the dining room, or even sit in there, she’s going to raise a ruckus.”

Diego gave the cat a doubtful look. It looked harmless. “A ruckus?”

“Yes,” Jade confirmed, sinking onto the couch as if the matter was all settled. When she curled her feet up to tuck them beneath her hip, he figured in her mind, it actually was. “In here, she’ll jump on the couch, check us out, then curl into a ball under the tree and nap. If we were in the dining room, she’d weave between our feet meowing, angry that she can’t get up on the bench or table to dismiss what we’re doing.”

Bowing to the inevitable, Diego crossed the room. A quick glance told him that the other seating choices weren’t optimal. One was a round footstool, about four feet in diameter and covered in furry leopard print. The other looked like a prop from a fifties movie, with its angular shape and retro polka-dot fabric. Safe enough to sit in, but made for a pixie-size woman. Reluctantly—at least that’s what he told himself—Diego sat on the couch with Jade. As far away from her as he could get. So far, their body heat didn’t even mingle. So far, he couldn’t reach out and trail his palm over the smooth line of her jaw, or comb his fingers through those silky strands.

Close enough, he figured, that if he kept a cookie in one hand and the cup of hot coffee in the other, he’d do just fine.

“Here,” Jade instructed, pulling the red lid off the cookie tin to show a variety of holiday treats. “Cookies fresh from my mom’s kitchen. And that shoe-shaped disk? That’s a coaster. Just set your coffee there.”

He glared at the bright red shoe with its glittery bow and glossy heel. A coaster. A sexy coaster. What better to lure him into temptation with.

Stop, he silently demanded. He was here to solve a case and get the hell back to his own life and his bright new promotion. Not to be led around by his dick and quite possibly hurt what was probably the nicest, sweetest, sexiest woman he’d ever met.

“Have a cookie and tell me more about yourself, Diego,” she invited with a smile warm enough to melt the frosting off the holly cookie she’d chosen. She bit off a piece, the crispy cookie snapping. Her tongue, small and pink, slid over her lower lip, gathering the scattered sugar.

His mouth watered. She’d missed one glistening green crystal. It sparkled, tasty and tempting, inviting him to lick it off the corner of her mouth.

“How about we talk about the case instead.” He didn’t care if he sounded desperate. He knew damn well that the minute his coffee cup met that shoe coaster, he was in a whole lot of trouble.

* * *

J
ADE
’
S
LOWER
LIP
trembled a little. She didn’t want to talk about the case. She didn’t want to think about some panty-stealing creep being in her house. In her underwear. She didn’t want to consider what it meant that the crimes had gone from undetected thefts to someone breaking in and trashing her bedroom. Either the creep was escalating to meaner crimes—or he had it in for her, specifically.

Instead, she’d rather take comfort from the information her mother had passed on. Apparently, Opal had been chatting with the mayor, who’d filled her in on Diego’s many crime-fighting talents. The good detective had quite a fan in Applebaum. Of course, rumor was that the mayor was in talks with two neighboring towns to create a dedicated police force so they didn’t have to rely on the county sheriff any longer. He’d gone on and on about Diego’s close rates, his ability to think outside the box and what sounded like an almost mythical talent when it came to reading people.

Diego was here to solve this case. And she had complete faith that he’d do so—and keep her safe while he was here. But the minute he nabbed the Panty Thief, he’d grab his duffel bag, swing one long, lean leg over that big beast of a motorcycle he’d driven into town on and roar right back out.

As if to prove her point, he dug one hand into the pocket of his leather jacket and, still holding his coffee as if it was a lifeline, pulled out the little notebook he’d used all day.

She figured she could pout that the sexiest man alive was only here for a tiny amount of time, barely enough for her to learn his loner ways and independent spirit. Or she could make the most of what little time there was before he left.

“So you’ll be heading back home soon,” she said before he could start flipping through his notes. “Just in time for the holidays and all that, right? Do you have special plans?”

As in, a woman to kiss under the mistletoe? A family hell-bent on setting him up with Ms. Perfect? A slew of lovers waiting to unwrap his...package?

“Special plans for what?”

“Celebrating, of course. Tree-trimming parties, naughty-gift exchanges, secret-Santa festivities. You know, plans.”

He looked so baffled, she had to force herself not to scootch over and give him a hug. It was as if he’d never experienced Christmas. At least, not a fun, festive one. The kind with candy canes and homemade decorations. Carols and cookies by the tree.

The kind she took for granted. Jade glanced at the cookie tin, feelings of guilt and joy mingling. Diablo Glen might not be the fashion mecca of the world, but it was pretty awesome in so many other ways.

“I’m sorry,” she said, giving in to the need to touch him by patting his thigh—and what a strong, hard thigh it was. “But I think I’m going to have to expose you to as much Christmas as I can while you’re here in town. I’m pretty sure it’s my moral obligation.”

“You have a moral obligation to foist tinsel and sugar cookies on people?” He sounded horrified.

Jade grinned. “Okay, it’s my holiday obligation. And it’s more than just sugar cookies, you know. There’s gingerbread, too.”

“That’s okay.” He gave an adamant shake of his head.

“No, no,” she said dismissively, waving her hand as if he’d protested out of some need to not put her out rather than dread. “I really want to show you the delights of the season, and you can say a lot of things about Diablo Glen, but you can’t claim we don’t know how to show Santa a good time.”

“You should save the good time for him, then. I’m fine without it.”

“Nope,” Jade insisted, both amused and delighted at his baffled reaction. “We have wonderful seasonal celebrations every day in December, winding up with my mom’s open house on the twenty-third. Tonight the grade school chorus is doing a musical of
How the Grinch Stole Christmas,
the O’Malley family are doing hayrides through town after sunset and the ladies’ auxiliary kicks off their annual sugarfest fundraiser.”

Maybe it was his look of baffled trepidation. Or maybe it was the need to show him a little holiday cheer. Or, more likely, it was a desire to spend as much time as possible with him before he roared off into the sunset.

Whatever it was, Jade was determined that for whatever time he was here, Diego was going to experience a Diablo Glen Christmas.