“So we meet again,” a man’s low voice said as Ryan trailed off. For a second, he appeared relieved at the interruption then he frowned. Now why was that?
Faith turned her attention back to the other man and almost wished she hadn’t. His eyes were heavy-lidded, almost sleepy, behind a thick fringe of lashes. They scrutinized her from head to toe—lingering at various points along the way. For the first time in her life, she wished she wasn’t quite so scrawny and maybe that she’d had a haircut in the last two years or put on some makeup. The thought shocked her rigid.
His full lips curved in a slight smile as though he could read her thoughts, and he took a step closer.
Faith fought the urge to step back. Instead, she made herself give him an equally close scrutiny. It was supposed to have been offhand—as though two could play at that game—to prove she wasn’t affected. Which was stupid. Because she was; her pulse racing, her mouth parched. But once she’d started staring, she couldn’t tear her gaze away.
While she was tall, she still had to tilt her head back to stare into his face. She left that quickly, not wanting to make eye contact again, and moved down the strong column of his throat, broad shoulders, encased in leather, lean hips—encased in more leather. He looked like some sort of gang leader, drug-dealer type. So what was he doing with Ryan? A client?
Ryan sighed. “Faith, this is my new partner, Ash Delacourt.”
Her gaze shot to Ryan’s face, but she could read nothing from his expression. He had a new partner? The idea hurt, but that was stupid. “We’ve already met,” she said. “Though he failed to mention he was your partner.”
“It’s sort of a new thing.”
Beside her Jess took a step forward and held out her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Delacourt.”
She had better manners than Faith, but then Jess wasn’t reeling from the shock that Mr. Leather-Clad, Bad-Guy look-alike was Ryan’s new partner.
He took Jessica’s hand. “And to meet you, Jessica.” His voice was a rough purr that sent shivers down Faith’s spine.
She forced her gaze around to stare at Ryan. “A new thing?”
“Yeah, we’re working together on a special project?”
“What sort of special project?”
“That’s confidential I’m afraid, Detective Connolly,” Ash replied. He’d dropped Jess’s hand and was holding his own out toward her. She didn’t want to take it, but she could hardly ignore him. Taking the final step to close the space between them, she slipped her hand into the outstretched one.
A tingle of electricity ran through her arm. His eyes widened slightly, and she knew he’d felt it as well. Then his lips curved into a slow, satisfied smile. “How nice to meet you, Detective. May I call you Faith? I feel we’re already friends I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Back off, Ash,” Ryan growled, before she could answer.
Ash grinned but dropped her hand. Barely resisting the urge to wipe it down her pants leg to get rid of the sensation, Faith cleared her throat. “So,” she said. “Your friend, Rosamund Fairfax—will she talk to Jess?”
Ryan stared past her over her shoulder. “She’s here now. You can ask her yourself.”
Faith swung around. Two women had entered the reception area through a door in the back wall. Both were short, one slender with blond hair and green eyes. Faith had never seen her before, but she sensed Ash stiffen beside her and gave him a quick sideways glance. He was staring at the blonde, a strange, almost sad, expression on his face.
The second woman had short, spiky, dark hair and a sweet smile. Faith recognized her from the night they’d found Jess. And she realized now she had a chance to study her, that she’d actually seen her before, on other occasions, at the station talking with Ryan. Why had he never introduced them?
She headed directly to Jess and hugged her hard. Then she straightened and smiled. “So what’s going on?”
“Perhaps some more introductions are in order,” Faith said. She wanted to get these people organized in her head and she wanted confirmation this was Rosamund Fairfax. And who the blonde was who studiously ignored Ash, but smiled at Ryan.
Ryan sighed and stepped forward. “Faith, this is Rosamund Fairfax and Tara Roth.”
Tara Roth? Christian Roth’s wife perhaps?
“Faith is a detective with the metropolitan police force, and my ex-partner.”
Faith shook hands with them both. “Ms. Fairfax—”
“Call me Roz,” the dark-haired woman interrupted. “I hear you wanted to see me?”
“Actually, Jess wanted to talk to you.”
“You said you would come and see me again,” Jess said. “You never came.”
“I’m sorry,” Roz replied. “For a while I thought I was moving away. I didn’t want to call in case I had to leave.”
“And why would you have to leave, Ms. Fairfax?” Faith asked.
Roz smiled, her eyes showing genuine amusement. “Roz. Just the possibility of a job offer, Detective. It didn’t come to anything.” She turned to Jess. “Come with me. We’ll get some coffee and find somewhere to talk.”