“Maybe lying down is a good idea,” I said, standing up. “For just a minute or two.”
I shut the door softly behind me and then opened it a crack, so I would be able to hear if Parker and Nina come up with something exciting. Or, frankly, to hear if Nina and Parker’s work conversation jumped the boundary to friendly, sexy banter. The kind that I was getting used to with Parker.
I slipped out of my robe and crawled into my bed, relishing the way the cool sheets felt against my naked skin. I was fairly sure I wouldn’t be able to sleep, what with the vortex of swirling dead-guy thoughts and the adrenaline of the evening, but before I knew it, the clock on the bedside table read 3:43 and I was cuddling up to Parker’s naked chest. I knew I wasn’t dreaming because my left foot was asleep and I was sprawled out, naked, except for a pair of faded yellow panties with cupcakes on them that I had the brilliant sense to slip on after my shower.
“Parker,” I hissed in the darkness. “Parker, what are you doing in my bed?”
He stirred and his arms tightened around me, his lips gently nuzzling my hair. “Back to sleep, Lawson,” I heard him mutter.
“I can’t sleep with you in here,” I said, wriggling out of his grasp. “Isn’t there some sort of police rule about not sleeping with your partners?”
“Only if you’re HR. Now can you turn it down? I’ve got to be up in two hours.” He nestled his dark head against my pillow, his breathing immediately going even and soft. “Besides,” he added, his voice low, “you’re awfully comfortable.”
His palm stroked my naked back and I saw stars.
“Go back to sleep,” he murmured. “Relax. Just don’t try and get fresh with me.”
I glared over my shoulder, seeing the apple arc of his cheek as it pushed up in a smug grin.
“Parker,” I tried. But as his palm worked its gentle circles down my spine every single synapse in my brain was firing; every nerve ending was on red alert. I was completely convinced that spontaneous combustion was a very real probability lying there in my bed with Parker Hayes.
I extracted myself from Parker’s warm arms, slipped into a nightshirt, and blew out a long sigh.
“Parker,” I started, “this has to end here and now. Look, I really do like you. First of all, you’re an excellent detective and I am thrilled to be working with you. But that’s just it. I really don’t ever mix business with pleasure. It’s not that I don’t want to—to have a personal relationship with you; it’s just that I think it would be a better idea if we kept our relationship on a professional level, at least for the duration of the case. Maybe after that we can try something, you know, start with a regular date and all. Do you understand, Parker?”
Parker answered me with a long, low snore, his eyelashes fluttering softly.
“Christ,” I said, flopping back down on the bed.
The sun was streaming through my curtains, and I blinked, yawning, stretching my arms across my empty bed. I sat up with a start.
Had I imagined Parker here last night?
“Hey,” Nina padded into my room and sat daintily on the edge of my bed, handing me a steaming mug of coffee. “So, you’re welcome,” she said, grinning.
I took the mug and eyed Nina. “I’m welcome for what? The coffee? Thanks.” I took a big swig.
Nina shook her dark hair toward the empty side of the bed. “No, silly, for your roll in the hay with Coptastic. Though I must say—you two were very quiet. Didn’t hear a word.” She narrowed her eyes. “Or a squeal.”
“Ugh, Nina!”
Nina’s pale face fell. “Oh, was it not good? I really thought he’d be good.”
“He was fine,” I said, then, holding up my palm, “not that anything happened.” I took another sip of coffee.
“Boo,” Nina said, frowning.
“I can’t believe you forced him in here!”
“Give me some credit,” Nina said, tucking her thin legs underneath her. “I don’t force. I’m not scary. Okay, well, yeah, I’m a little scary. But let me tell you—Officer Hot Stuff did not need to be asked twice to come in here with you. Besides”—she stretched—“I needed a little alone time. You norms can be exhausting. So it was all for naught?”
I rifled through my drawers, collecting my clothes for the day. “I’m not answering that. Sex is just not my priority right now. Finding this killer is.”
“Sex is always a priority. Especially when you’ve got a tasty delicacy like Parker Hayes to snack on.”
I eyed Nina. She rolled her eyes. “All I’m saying is that if I can’t have sex with Parker someone should.” Nina stood up. “You coming into work today?”
I showered and dressed quickly, then met Nina in the living room. I looked around. “Where’s Vlad?”
Nina shrugged. “With Lucy, I think.”
“Is that … safe?”