Tall, Dark and Filthy Rich. Jill Monroe

leaned against the wall as she recovered from her body’s reaction to the lust in his eyes. The fast heartbeat, hitch in her breath, the perspiration…they were all there. And suddenly she realized she was wrong.

      Maybe knowing the real Cole would be more than enough. More than enough to give up on her fantasy man. With a smile, she headed into the makeup room.

      Fifteen minutes later, she was sitting in the makeup artist’s chair, trying to hold her tongue. It was hard. Jane’s nonstop talk about her new boyfriend had put Jessie at ease, but it took everything she had not to blurt out her typical warnings. “You hooked up in Vegas?” “How easily can you replace that wall between your two condos?”

      Ordinarily, Jessie wouldn’t have anything in common with the fashionable blonde, but Jane was obviously so happy and made her feel so comfortable, she couldn’t help but like her right away. But Jessie hated to see anyone’s heart stomped on, so she thought maybe just one small word of caution about men would be in order.

      She’d have to break her in easy. Maybe start with a quick suggestion of a simple Google search before she moved on to credit checks and criminal background reports. “Do you have a computer at home?”

      With a flick of her wrist, Jane spun the chair so Jessie could finally see herself in the mirror.

      And she forgot all about tips on securing a man’s social-security number. “Wow.” She moved her head from side to side. “I have cheekbones.”

      Jane laughed. As if she had this kind of response to her abilities every day, but still loved it.

      “You make me look like this all the time, and I’ll check out that new man of yours for free.”

      “No, I’m not worried.” A smile so peaceful passed across her face that Jessie’s inborn worries grew. Only a woman who truly loved would have a smile like that, and was therefore more likely to ignore her man’s faults.

      “Besides, I can show you how to look like that in ten minutes,” Jane said as she put away a few of her brushes. “Makeup is the easy part. Unleashing your inner wild child, now, that’s…”

      Her words trailed off, and Jessie got the impression the woman was reliving some delicious memory.

      “Come on, I’ll take you to the green room.”

      “When will I meet Eve?” she asked as she followed Jane to the door.

      “Normally you would have already, but since you’re a last-minute fill-in, probably not until just before showtime. Sometimes Eve likes it that way, to keep things fresh.”

      They passed by open double doors to a large studio, and Jessie stopped. Audience members were already filing into their seats. A charged energy positively radiated from the room. The leather furniture of the interview area, which seemed to fill up her TV screen at home, appeared miniature now against the backdrop of lights, cameras and the half-dozen or so crew members milling around the studio floor.

      Getting tickets to Just Between Us was the new hot thing. Atlantans waited in line excitedly for hours. Now they were going to see her. And be utterly disappointed.

      Jessie sucked in a breath. Her skin grew clammy and her nerves started fluttering.

      “You’ll do great,” said a deep voice she recognized.

      Cole had returned, and was in the process of placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Except the touch that was supposed to be comforting was anything but. Once again her nipples tightened beneath the lavender material of her awful blouse.

      She turned, and Cole’s eyes widened. His expression grew more serious. Jessie had forgotten Jane’s ministrations to her face. “How do you like the new me?” she asked, shooting for glib.

      “Nice. I liked the old you, too,” he said, his voice deep, his eyes intent.

      Those butterflies inside her tummy disappeared as her stomach clenched in reaction to his words. Because Cole wasn’t just saying he liked how that kid he’d known from the past had matured, he was acknowledging the new attraction between them.

      A surge of strength made her muscles loosen. This was something she could handle. Wanted to handle. Desire…passion.

      “I have your microphone. It’s wireless, so you won’t have to remove your shirt.” He held the small device up for her to see. “Ready?” he asked.

      Maybe. She worked to make her breathing normal when she felt his warm fingers brush the swell of her breast. The scent of him wafted toward her…citrus, with just a hint of mint. She struggled not to wiggle as he clipped the microphone in place.

      How long did this take?

      “You look hot, Jessie.” They both turned to see Penny walking toward them. “Nicole wanted me to wait with Jessie in the green room until her segment,” she told Cole.

      He nodded. “That’s fine.” Clearly, the young woman was in awe of him. Who wouldn’t be, with the sense of power that hung around him? At the same time, there was something about authority that made Jessie want to challenge it.

      Not a great quality to have when working as a police officer.

      A must-have for a P.I.

      Cole’s hazel eyes cut back to her. “Break a leg,” he said with a slow wink.

      She watched him walk away, and Jessie vowed she would never watch this man walk away from her again, until she knew the secret delights those eyes of his promised.

      FITTING HER FOR THE microphone had been a bad move. Penny could have done it. Hell, twelve other people on staff could have managed it. Feeling the softness of Jessie’s skin had teased him, but spotting the hint of her sexy, black lace bra foretold his doom. He hadn’t been able to concentrate since the show began taping. Thankfully, the director had the action well in hand.

      All Cole had to do was sit in the control booth and speculate on the black skirt she wore. Would it ride up? That expanse of skin between skirt and boot had teased him before, in the conference room. Now, it tortured him, because he knew just how soft her skin was. Would the inside of her thighs be as delicate? His fingers curled into a fist.

      The stagehands finished the change to the set from the last segment, and Eve and Jessie took their seats on stage.

      The director flipped on his studio mic. “Cue music, we’re back in five, four, three…”

      As the music faded, Eve took over with a smile. “We’re here with Jessie Huell, who’s been sharing some of her stories of late-night chases pursuing cheating spouses. So, Jessie, give some advice for the single girls out there. What should we be on the lookout for?”

      “Take camera two,” the director said, and the monitor filled with a close-up shot of Jessie’s beautiful face.

      She laughed, a deep feminine sound, yet filled with cynicism. That was it. Cole hadn’t been able to place what was different about the sweet, innocent girl he’d known. Suspicion, skepticism surrounded her now.

      “First of all, you need to be prepared that he’s holding something back. News you might not want to hear or know.”

      “Camera one, go to a two-shot,” announced the director.

      “How can you be sure of that?”

      “Because everyone’s got a secret. In fact, you show me a man who’s lived in the world, had a job, gone to college or whatever, who doesn’t have at least one thing he wouldn’t want you to know, and I’ll show you a man who’s a liar. Or someone who’s very good at covering his tracks. And that’s just what I like to do…uncover tracks.”

      “How do you go about it?”

      “Camera three, pan the crowd for audience reaction.”

      “Other than the background searches, you have to become an investigator and think systematically.