She nodded. He stepped outside and the door slammed behind him.

  “So what was it that she let slip?” Julie softly asked Ash as they walked to their car.

  “She lost it when you asked if she was surprised by Catherine’s death.”

  They slid into the car. Ash thought about the exchange while he pulled out into traffic. “She did close up after that.”

  “She sobered up and wanted us gone,” Julie added.

  He nodded.

  “You’re lucky I took good notes so we can ferret out what spooked her.”

  “Don’t you find it odd that she would keep a picture of a man she thought was a pig on the piano in her living room?”

  Julie touched her forehead. “The love-hate relationship some people have is beyond me. I think she still cares for Andrew, but wanted to get back at him for hurting her. She’s worried that she might’ve gone too far.”

  “It’s amazing how often we have to deal with the fallout of jealousy. Tell me who is the next party-goer we’re going to interview?”

  “Mr. and Mrs Samuel Waters.”

  Ash shook his head. “We’re not going to miss any bigwigs, are we?”

  Weariness pulled at Kelly. The day’s court questioning had not gone well. The defendant’s lawyer seemed to have witnesses to counteract all of hers. The victim’s grieving mother had been matched by the defendant’s sobbing mother, sister and grandmother. She pushed open the door to the D.A.’s main office.

  Jake Thorpe stood outside the door to his private office. When he saw Kelly, he motioned her into his inner sanctum.

  Her heart jerked, wondering what he wanted.

  “Close the door,” Jake instructed.

  It was going to be bad. Jake rarely dressed down his staff in public.

  She carefully shut the door.

  “What in the Sam Hill is going on, Kelly?” he demanded.

  “What are you talking about?” She didn’t know what had happened, but she’d bet her next month’s salary it had to do with Ash.

  “I’m talking about your ex making Houston society scream to high heaven.”

  All sorts of scenarios that made her blood run cold darted through her mind.

  “I have Samuel Waters calling me and asking why the police want to know who’s sleeping with who in polite society. He didn’t appreciate being asked about dirt on his fellow country club members.”

  Kelly’s stomach sank.

  “And then there was George Procter calling again about his daughter being maligned.” He paced around his desk. “That call was followed by the grieving husband’s.” He stopped and locked gazes with Kelly. “You know to whom I’m referring.”

  “Andrew Reed.”

  “He was livid, assuring me that I wouldn’t make another election if he had anything to say about it.”

  Kelly collapsed in the chair in front of his desk. “I’m sure Ash didn’t—”

  “Mrs. Delacorte called—”

  She raised her hand. “Jake, you gave us the go-ahead to investigate these cases. I thought you understood that we were going to air some dirty linen.”

  “What you’re doing is digging up dirt on every rich oilman in this city, alienating every political patron who’s ever supported me. Kelly, this kind of stink can’t happen again.”

  “So you want me to drop these cases?” She wanted to hear Jake put into words exactly what he wanted done.

  He gritted his teeth. “No, dammit. But that doesn’t mean this kind of behavior can continue. Come up with another way to interview these people. And do it immediately.”

  “Let me talk to Ash and we’ll devise another method to get at the truth.”

  “Go.”

  She stood and walked to the door.

  “How’d it go in court today?”

  She had gone through another high-profile case. It was the second day of the trial. The star high-school quarterback had produced reasons as to why he wasn’t responsible for the death of his girlfriend, who’d been beaten to death. “I may be oh-for-two today, Jake.”

  He didn’t comment, simply nodded.

  As Kelly walked past her secretary, she ordered, “Would you get me Detective Ashcroft on the phone?”

  Teresa didn’t say anything but picked up the receiver. Apparently everyone knew things had gone in the toilet.

  After several minutes, Teresa buzzed Kelly. “I can’t reach him, but left a message to call you.”

  “Thanks.” Kelly sank into her chair and closed her eyes. What else could happen today?

  Ash strolled into her office close to seven. “You lawyers don’t do overtime, do you? Now the poor police, we work twenty-four-seven.” He smiled, amused at his own humor.

  Kelly’s head jerked up. Ash looked too good to be as much trouble as he was turning out to be. He had on a sport coat, white dress shirt and gray slacks. At least he’d dressed up when he interviewed all the society folks of the city.

  “What’s wrong, Kelly?” He strolled to her desk and hitched a hip on the corner.

  All sorts of conflicting emotions raced through her. She wanted to punch him for all the grief he’d stirred up—she couldn’t count on both hands all the complaints. She’d known he’d be trouble, but was it worth it?

  “Kelly?”

  “Where would you like me to begin, Ash? You want me to start with the seventeen-year-old jock who murdered his girlfriend with a tire iron, then claimed his innocence?” She stood, wanting to be able to glare at him eyeball to eyeball. “Or would you like me to tell you about how every prominent donor in this city has called my boss, complaining about some renegade detective snooping into their sex lives.” She shook with anger and frustration. “And although Jake didn’t say anything to me, I don’t doubt those fine, upstanding citizens told him they wouldn’t contribute to his upcoming campaign if this investigation continues.”

  She tried glaring at him; instead tears gathered in her eyes. To her horror, several of them slipped down her cheeks. The harder she tried to stop the moisture, the more they came.

  Ash cupped her cheek, making her heart pound and her world shrink to the size of this room. His thumb wiped away the tracks of her tears. Understanding rested in his eyes. “I’m sorry you’re getting my fallout.”

  The warmth of his palm on her face comforted her. “I knew when—”

  His thumb slipped down to her lips, stopping her apology.

  “Don’t.” The whispered word fluttered over her lips. “We both know that I sometimes delight in being a rogue.”

  Her eyes widened at his admission.

  He chuckled. “Julie gave me a hard time this afternoon, telling me to behave myself, that we were dealing with rich folks.” He shrugged.

  Her heart continued to pound. “And your response was?”

  “Do you remember when we were dating and that puffed-up little singer tried to intimidate us?”

  “You mean that little man at Club Nine?”

  He grinned, and she felt it in her stomach. “That’s the one.”

  She remembered the man who was drunk and who’d hit one of his backup singers with a microphone stand. “Yes.”

  “The little tyrant tried to talk his way out of an assault charge. When I told him I had watched him hit the man, he informed me that the victim deserved what he got. That he was a star and didn’t have to put up with a miserable hick criticizing him.”

  She tried to concentrate on what he was saying, but suddenly all her brain could register was the feel of Ash’s thumb running over her mouth, the heat of his big body making the temperature of the room shoot up. “Uh, yeah.”

  “Well, I got that same reaction today from several people. After the second person torpedoed my question, I got a little more forceful.”

  She shouldn’t be amused, but she was. “How forceful?”

  Ash’s thumb stilled. He pulled down on her bottom lip, dipping the end of his thumb into the moist backside of her lip. Her knees turned to Jell-O. “I asked direct questions.”

  She knew she should be more alarmed at what he was saying, but her mind had suddenly gone blank.

  “I didn’t…beat…around—” with each word he lowered his head until his lips brushed hers “—the bush.”

  She sighed and melted into his embrace. His mouth covered hers and his arms tightened around her, drawing her flush to his chest. He moved, turning on the desk, setting both feet on the floor. Kelly slid her arms around his chest.

  Heaven. And she had missed this paradise so much over the past four years. The melding of their mouths gave as much as it took. He ran the tip of his tongue along the edge of her bottom lip.

  He knew how to seduce her and please her. His hand slipped down to her neck, his fingers skimming over her skin. His mouth moved to the corner of hers, then across her cheek. He nipped at the sensitive spot just below her ear. Her head fell back, letting the heat of his mouth wash over her. He worked his way from her ear to under her chin.

  She moaned and opened her eyes to stare into his darkened ones. Want and desire arced between them.

  A shout of laughter filtered in from the outside office.

  They stilled and the world returned with its realities. They were in her office with her co-workers on the other side of that door.

  Her arms dropped to her sides. With a smile of regret, he released her. The air between them vibrated with want. And need. His as well as hers.

  Kelly stepped away. She took several deep breaths, trying to get control of her racing emotions.

  “So, I’ve ticked off the rich of Houston,” he murmured, folding his arms over his large, wonderful chest.

  Kelly fought through the sexual haze enveloping her brain. Tearing her eyes away from him, she answered, “You have.”

  He nodded. “It’s good to know I haven’t lost my touch.”

  “You can be assured you haven’t.” As the words fell between them, their meaning shifted, and suddenly Kelly could only think about sex. Ash had lost none of the animal magnetism he had when they first fell in love.

  He stood. “And has your boss shut us down?”

  She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. “Uh, no.” At this moment, she didn’t sound like an intelligent lawyer. She sounded like a lost five-year-old.

  Surprise flashed in his eyes. “But what is the caveat in that decision?”

  “That you can’t go around bludgeoning the upper society of Houston, Ash.”

  “So how am I going to interview these people?”

  “That’s what you and I need to decide. We’re going to have to come up with a scheme on how you can get information without ticking off these people.”

  “How?” He stood and walked to the window.

  Her nerves were still raw from her encounter with him. “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me what you discovered today and we might be able to come up with an idea.”

  “All right.”

  Before she could respond, Jake Thorpe walked into her office. He was dressed in a tuxedo. He stared at Ash, then Kelly. “Good, you’re here. We need to talk. In my office now.”

  Ash and Kelly stared at each other. Their bacon was cooked.

  Chapter 7

  A sh and Kelly walked into Jake Thorpe’s office. When Ash saw Captain Jenkins standing by the window, he knew this meeting wasn’t going to be easy. Captain Jenkins wore jeans, T-shirt and running shoes. Obviously, he’d been at home and had been summoned by the D.A. Ash couldn’t read the captain’s mood, which concerned Ash.

  Jake sat at the edge of his desk and nodded for Kelly and Ash to take the seats in front of him.

  When they were seated, Jake began, “Let me share with you part of my dinner conversation.”

  Ash sighed inwardly. He felt Kelly squirm in the chair beside him. Captain Jenkins didn’t move from the window.

  “I went to a fund-raiser for the mayor. Within five minutes I was cornered by a very angry Samuel Waters. He didn’t appreciate his wife’s private life being looked into. According to him, what happened in his marriage shouldn’t be investigated by the police.”

  “She had a brief affair with Andrew Reed,” Ash explained. “I wasn’t just fishing for who was sleeping with whom.”

  “I pointed out, Detective, that your questions were related to Catherine Reed’s death,” Jake answered.

  “Didn’t that help Mr. Waters to understand?” Kelly asked. “It wasn’t as if Ash had a prurient interest in his sex life.”

  Ash glanced at the woman beside him. Her defense of him warmed him.

  “I did. But then Samuel wanted to know why we were still looking into Catherine’s death. With her murderer’s demise, why wasn’t the investigation closed?”

  “And did you tell him that this office still has questions?” Kelly asked.

  Jake tilted his head and his eyes narrowed. “Remember who you’re talking to?”

  She flushed.

  “I told him. But I had barely turned around when the senior Walter Moen ran straight at me. He informed me that one of my A.D.A.’s was extremely discourteous with him when he questioned her about the status of the Reed case. He didn’t appreciate her brusqueness.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “I’m sure he failed to mention what a pain in the butt he was at that meeting. He also probably didn’t mention how he tried to cow me with his position and power. I felt I used a great deal of restraint by not kicking that old goat in the shins.”

  Jake glanced at Captain Jenkins. “It seems they are perfectly matched.”

  Jenkins nodded.

  The throwaway comment raced through Ash.

  “So now, Jake, do you want to stop this investigation?” Kelly asked.

  He pinned her with a steel gaze. “No. But Captain Jenkins and I have talked. We think that this case needs to proceed in a different manner.”

  Jenkins stepped forward. “Ash, if you need your partner to do any work on the Carlson investigation, no problem. But as for Catherine Reed’s murder, some changes have to happen.”

  “Such as?” Ash asked.

  “Jake and I have discussed how to proceed without alienating all of Houston’s power structure. We want you and Kelly to look into the matter together.”

  “How’s that different from what’s happening now?” Kelly asked.

  Jake crossed his arms over his chest. “Over the next few months, I have a series of fund-raisers and political events that I need to attend. Most of the people you’ll need to interview will be at these events. It will be a perfect time for you, Kelly, to interview them, especially if we downplay the investigation into Catherine Reed’s murder.”

  Kelly’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped. “You want me to go to those political mixers?”

  “Not only do I want you to go, but I want your date to be Detective Ashcroft.”

  Ash shot up as if kicked in the butt. “What?” It was amusing to think Kelly had to go to those miserable cocktail-and-smile events. It was quite another for him to be included.

  Captain Jenkins moved next to Jake. “We thought it would be natural for you to accompany A.D.A. Whalen. If anyone asks about you two, you can simply play the part of renewed lovers. It will be a touching cover story that you two got back together.”

  Ash had the sinking feeling that Captain Jenkins was enjoying this situation a little too much.

  “But—” Kelly started to protest.

  “Can you come up with a better cover story, Kelly?” Jake asked. “Something that would put these people at ease around you two? If you use the story of reunited lovers, people won’t be so wary of you.”

  “It depends what they think of their ex’s,” Kelly grumbled.

  Ash noticed that Jake swallowed his smile. When he glanced at Captain Jenkins, there was a singleness of purpose in his expression. But a glint of amusement passed through his dark eyes.

  “Then I guess we know what we have to do,” Ash said.

  Kelly stared at him, silently asking him if he was okay with this situation. He nodded.

  She looked as if she might argue, but after several long moments, she asked, “When’s the first fund-raiser?”

  “Day after tomorrow. Dinner at Cattleman’s Club. Formal.”

  “All right. Ash and I will be there.”

  “I think that Ash should go back to the police department. You two can meet privately, away from the D.A.’s office. Set up a place where you can discuss the case and its implications.”

  Ash glanced at Kelly. They wanted them to spend time with each other? Alone? What were they up to?

  “Then this meeting is over,” Jake proclaimed. He glanced at his watch. “I’ve got a mixer at eight. I’ll expect you two to keep me updated daily on what’s happening.”

  Kelly nodded.

  As Ash walked out of the room, he glanced at his boss. Captain Jenkins motioned to him. Ash stopped.

  “I assume you don’t have a problem with this little setup?” Jenkins said.

  It was not a question to which his captain wanted an honest answer. He simply wanted Ash to agree with the decree. “I’m not sure I’m the best detective to throw into these social situations. Julie would be better.”

  “Julie couldn’t go as A.D.A. Whalen’s date.”

  “That’s true. It certainly would cause more talk than her bringing her ex-husband. But couldn’t Julie go with another detective? She’s wonderful at undercover. Remember the work she did at Texas Chic?”

  “A.D.A. Whalen’s going to need some help. You’re it. No one’s going to question you two getting back together.”

  Ash wanted to mutter a few profanities.

  “I’ll also expect a report from you after every social function on what you gleaned from it and any follow-ups you want to do. I want to be prepared for any nasty calls I get from the citizenry—of which I’m sure there’ll be plenty.”

  This was Captain Jenkins’s revenge. “I understand.”

  “Good.”

  It was going to be hell. He hated politics, society parties, and having to kiss up to folks he didn’t like. When they had been married, Kelly had hauled him to a couple of social functions she had attended. He hadn’t liked it.