Too Charming by Kathryn Freeman Page A

argument, Megan. My ethical duty to point out any flaws in the prosecution case.’ His face grew sober. Grim almost. ‘People should lose their freedom only if there is really strong evidence to justify it. Not because of the whim of a dirty cop who wants to big up his number of collars.’
    ‘Now wait a minute.’ For a moment she’d been enjoying debating with him, pitting her wits against his, but now he’d gone too far. ‘Is that what you think motivates us? Numbers?’
    ‘No,’ he replied quickly. ‘Not all of you. Not even most of you. But some of you?’ He looked her straight in the eye, his eyes like granite. Cool and hard. ‘A very small minority of you, yes.’
    There was something in the way he looked at her that told her he wasn’t saying this to upset her. He was saying it because he genuinely believed it. ‘Have you had experience of this?’ she asked quietly.
    ‘It happens.’ Scott felt the familiar bile rise in his stomach and quickly moved to another topic. ‘What motivates you, Megan? What made you want to become a detective?’
    If she was surprised by the change of subject, she didn’t show it. He’d come to realise that Megan wasn’t often wrong-footed. ‘The desire to do good. To follow in my father’s footsteps.’
    ‘Yeah, I heard your Dad was a police detective, too. That must’ve been tough, growing up with a father in the force.’
    Her eyes flickered. ‘It had its moments. Kids can be cruel sometimes.’
    Didn’t he know it? ‘I’m guessing they only dared go so far. The thought of your father appearing on their doorstep must have put the fear of God into them.’
    She smiled and his heart seemed to lift a little in his chest. ‘He was pretty scary. Still is, sometimes.’
    ‘I bet you can twist him around your little finger though, when you want to.’
    Her face relaxed and she laughed.  A soft, sexy sound that made more than his heart stir this time.
    ‘I bet I can.’ Glancing down at her watch she drained the rest of her pint. ‘Well, it’s been,’ she searched for a word, ‘interesting, but I’ve got to go. I have a daughter waiting to hear her bedtime story.’
    Nodding he stood up and went to ease back her chair. ‘Why don’t we have a meal next time? I’ll pick you up. What time does Sally go to bed?’
    ‘Err, around half seven, but—’
    ‘Good. I’ll come by just before that so I can say hello.’
    She blew out a deep breath. ‘Scott, I’ve already told you—’
    ‘Where is the harm in a meal between friends?’
    ‘Is that what we really are?’ she asked, moving so she could study him with her cool blue eyes. ‘Friends?’
    ‘For the time being, yes.’ Taking her elbow he led her through the thronging crowd of after-work drinkers and over to her car. Once there, he positioned his body so that she was between him and the driver’s door. ‘Of course the more you get to know me, ‘ he told her softly, his face inches from hers, ‘the more you’re going to fall for my not inconsiderable charm and outrageous good looks. Then you’ll find you want nothing more than to get into bed with me.’
    Before she had a chance to say anything, and her flashing eyes said she had plenty of retorts, he kissed her. It wasn’t for as long as he’d have liked, but when her hands crept into his hair and pulled him even closer to her, he was pretty certain he’d made his point. That was when he drew back.
    Opening the car door for her, he waited until she was settled into the driver’s seat before giving her a final peck on the cheek. ‘Until  next time, Megan.’
     
    The barefaced arrogance of the man, Megan repeatedly muttered to herself the next morning, as she attempted to break the back of her mounting paperwork. She still couldn’t get Scott’s parting words out of her head. Nor could she forget the way he’d kissed her. And her inflamed reaction to him. If that was how he kissed a friend, what on earth did he do to a lover? And why was