‘I quit my job.’ He yanked open the door and stormed in, leaving it up to her as to whether or not she followed.
She did, her brow creased. ‘Why?’
He hesitated. Suddenly the only reasons he could give for surrendering his career sounded weak.
Politics.
Pride.
Petulance.
The anger left him instantly, and left him empty. He crumpled onto the couch. ‘Because I’m an asshole.’
She raised her eyebrows and half smiled, and he remembered just how spectacularly beautiful she was.
‘Thanks for not arguing,’ he said drily.
She smiled properly then and sat beside him, close, facing him, one hand snaking gently round the back of his neck, the other smoothing circles on his chest. Tom felt himself calming, perspective returning.
‘Is it about the Pride of Maine?’
‘Among other things.’
She nodded carefully. ‘What happened with Lemon’s bolt?’
They’d called it that between themselves. A small private joke that now just bit into him, like salt in a paper cut.
‘I had my boss check it out. It was damaged before the engine let go. Looks like there was play in the fan disc. Maybe a fault in the actual alloy made it loosen round the bolts and start to move. I don’t know.’
‘Is that why, the night of the fire, they took the paperwork on it from Pam’s car?’
‘No doubt.’
‘Where’s the bolt now?’
Tom hesitated again. Now, the gift of his only bargaining chip to his arch rival seemed the height of stupidity. ‘I gave it to Lenny Munro.’
‘The other investigator?’ Ness couldn’t hide her surprise. ‘The one who wanted you fired?’
‘Yeah,’ he mumbled. He gave her a hang-dog look. ‘Please tell me you weren’t sleeping with me for my brains.’
She laughed then and kissed the side of his mouth. ‘No,’ she said huskily, ‘not for your brains.’
Her hand slid down his stomach and into his jeans. He turned and kissed her, his own hands finding their way under her T-shirt and across her hot nipples, feeling her breath thickening in his mouth, as his was in hers. He nearly passed a smart comment about her devotion to Richard, then surprised himself by thinking better of it. He pushed her down on the leather and forced his knee between her legs, pushing himself into her hip as he slid her skirt up her smooth thighs.
‘Why?’
‘Uh?’
She turned her head away from his lips. ‘Why did you give it to him?’
Tom took a moment to refocus. ‘What?’
‘Why did you give Munro the bolt?’
‘Cos I’m stupid.’ He ducked his head to suck the nipple he’d just exposed – but she held his head off her.
‘I’m serious.’
He saw that she wasn’t going to shut up about it. ‘Because he’s investigating the Oklahoma crash. The site’s a nightmare and I thought he could use the help. I wasn’t doing anything with the bolt except trying to buy my way back in. He needed it to maybe find probable cause.’
She stared at him, assimilating the information.
‘If you’re quite finished, can I suck your nipples now?’
She smiled but he could see she was still distracted. What the hell. He decided to just get on with it and let her catch up, so he dipped his head to her breasts once more, feeling the dizzying air of unreality that this woman – this beautiful, perfect woman – was letting him do this to her. The thought made him groan and press himself against her more firmly, feeling the heat build in him. He needed her naked – and fast. He started to drag her panties down her hips.
‘Tom,’ she said.
Jesus! Did she never shut up?
‘What?’ he muttered breathlessly.
‘Ask him to speak to your boss.’
‘What?’ He didn’t understand what she was saying. Ask who? What boss?
‘Lenny Munro. You gave him the bolt. You helped him. Now maybe he’ll help you get your job back.’
