Tessa Stark: Desert Heat

Chapter Ten

 "This isn't so bad, is it?" Nathan asked as they bobbed about the middle of the pool, his hands tight on her waist as he kept them afloat.

"Actually, its wonderful," she admitted, feeling like a new person now that she was submerged in the beautifully cold water.

Nathan gave her a sympathetic smile. "You don't like all this dry desert heat?"

"No. I don't," she responded plainly.

"Well, if you're here long enough, you'll get used to it," he assured, giving his legs a few kicks and setting them to spinning around in the water, which forced her to tighten her arms around his neck...which just happened to force her to press her breasts a bit tighter against his chest.

God forbid. "So, are you ready to answer some questions or did you really just want to get me naked?"

"I really just wanted to get you naked," he confessed, flashing his perfect teeth. "You're really hot for a cop. And I totally pegged you for a thong girl."

"And I totally pegged you for a speedo kinda guy," she told him as he easily shifted her in the water so that she was behind him, arms still clasped around his neck.

She appreciated his attempt at trying to create a bit of sexual chemistry...and also the fact that he'd put on a swim suit...but, his efforts were in vain. Despite the flirtatious, hands on, up close and personal contact they'd been having for the past half hour, despite the male model good looks and lean, muscled form, she was about as interested in him as she would have been a younger brother, had she one.

And that was setting aside the fact that she was a law officer and he just happened to be a suspect in a murder investigation, who was obviously hoping he could use his masculine guile to sway her over to his side of things.

"So, I guess the fun's over?" he sighed as he moved them forward across the pool.

"I do have a job to do," she reminded. And since it was his fiancé who'd been stabbed to death, he should probably want her to do that job.

Jetting them along, they quickly reached the shallower end, which allowed Nathan to put his feet on the floor of the pool. Once he was upright, she loosened her grip on him, only it was a few seconds too soon and as her feet failed to find anything beneath them, and the water surged up around her, she pushed a gasp past her lips. But, almost as quickly as the gasp left her, Nathan spun around and scooped her up into his arms, cradling her against him.

"I told you I'd keep you safe," he said as turned and continued onward, his eyes flashing with something blatantly male.

Reaching the built-in steps, he sat her down and then took her by the hand, leading her out of the pool and across the patio, trailing water behind them. Cole was sitting beneath the shade of an umbrella at a nearby table, his legs stretched out and a bottle of water in his hand, watching them with a pair of sharp eyes as they came toward him.

"Mr. Rutherford---"

"Its Nate," he reminded as he pulled out a chair for her.

"Nate," she amended, picking up one of the towels on the table and wrapping it around herself before having a seat, noting that the heat was already starting to push in on her, despite her chilled skin. "Are you sure you don't want your legal team here with you?"

"My family's lawyers would refuse to let me say a word to you, Special Detective, so no," he declined for the second time. "Not answering questions is probably why the first cop decided that I'm the guilty party."

Well, that might have been one of the reasons, but there were others...

"Well, tell me what you remember about the night you found Ms. Whitmore. And the more details you can provide, the more it will help me sort this out."