On Fire. Jan Hambright

foreign odor from another.”

      She moved toward him, determined to find out if he was the source. “Did you shower this morning?”

      “Like clockwork, darlin’.”

      Warmth crept into her cheeks. “Mind if I check?”

      “Be my guest.” He raised his hands in a surrender position, a slow mysterious smile on his lips.

      She circled him. Sucking in the air around him. His scent was earthy and seductive. Miles away from the smell she’d encountered moments ago. His essence invaded her senses, taking her prisoner as a rush of desire revved her body. It was anything but offensive; in fact, she could easily imagine holding his shirt to her nose and breathing him in, like she’d seen her mother do before she’d put one of her dad’s shirts into the washing machine.

      She swallowed, caught off guard by the intimate images inside her head and hoping he hadn’t intercepted them.

      “No. Definitely not you. But someone has been in my house. Maybe we should call the police, again.”

      “Let’s have a look around.”

      She gazed into Kade’s face and tried to relax. He was as tense as she was, but why?

      He could easily take on anything or anyone. She knew that about him. Felt it in her soul. He was strong and lean, muscle, bone and determination, but something held him back. Kept him from his strengths. Her gaze drifted to his cane.

      His knuckles blanched white on the top of the crook and his reasons hit her like a physical punch.

      “You can stop now.”

      “Stop what?” She walked into the living room, flipping on lights as she went, knowing full well what he meant.

      “Digging for information in my head. I’ve figured out how to keep you out.”

      “Really?” She slipped into the kitchen and turned on the dual fluorescent over the island.

      A chill pushed through her body, stalling her in place.

      She could feel Kade inches from her back, feel the whisper of his breath against her hair.

      “What is it?”

      “That.” She pointed to the double place settings neatly arranged on the island. She leaned into him, pulling some of his strength around her.

      “I’d like to think you did this beforehand, sort of a premonition that we’d be here tonight, alone. But I’ll take your caution to mean that’s a no?”

      Fear laced around her heart and she tried to smile at his joke, but couldn’t quite grasp the humor. The place settings were harmless; it was the reasoning behind them that worried her.

      “Let’s call a locksmith. If he used my stolen keys to get in, I can’t let it happen again.”

      Kade moved past her and picked up the phone book off the workstation. “Take it easy, Savannah. He might have left a print. We’ll get Nick’s team in here. Maybe they can find something.”

      “Are you kidding? Look at the settings, they’re perfect.” She judged the distance between the plates and the edge of the counter. “I’d bet you both plates are exactly one inch from the edge of the island. The silverware is laid out to perfection. Even the napkins are fanned in an outstanding accordion fold.”

      “So the guy’s a waiter in a five-star. He still broke into your house.”

      “Correction, entered with a key. Do you really think there will be any prints?”

      Kade leaned against the counter and considered her dead-on observations. She had a point, a rather sharp one. Whoever had put the settings together was the son of Miss Manners or an anal waiter on his night off. Either way, he had a bad feeling about it.

      “Don’t know, but I’m calling Brandt, a locksmith and the takeout joint, in that order.” He threw her a sideways glance and saw her smile. The gesture set his heart rate on the fast track. He turned back to the phone, punched in Nick’s number and gave him the info, listening to Savannah rattle off her address from over his shoulder. He hung up the phone and turned toward her. “Chinese?”