Excerpt From Tail-Tell Heart “Sorry detective, this shot goes in below the belt, or it doesn’t go in.” “Geez, get me a doctor. I don’t have time for this.” “Neither do I.” She moved closer. “Now, let’s get these pants off.” She reached in for the closure of his jeans. He moved quickly to stop her, laughing nervously. His fingers slid around her latex covered wrists, holding her still. “Slow down, baby,” he chided in a teasing, husky voice. Instead of pushing her away, she realized he was keeping her close to him. He seemed to stare a hole into her skull, his dark brows gathering at the bridge of his nose. “Have we met before?” he asked. As soon as the words were out, he clamped his mouth shut, shook his head, and continued to stare. She knew he was trying his best to come on to her. She had to admit the look he gave her was very sexy, as if he were very close to kissing her. She was also captivated by the spicy scent he wore. It stirred her just being this close to him. She stared into his eyes and it felt as if she were seeing him in a different setting. Had they met before? Had she blinked since he’d taken hold of her wrists? “Why do you want my pants off, huh?” He whispered the words close to her ear, easing her hand closer. Nonplussed, she answered him. “Because, I might need to draw some blood.” “What?” The color drained from his face. “Just a little prick will do.” “Whoa,” he laughed nervously, shoving her hands away. His eyes flashed dangerously. The curtain was wrenched back and Denise entered the room. He seemed to relax seeing another person, though Denise carried a metal tray for the examination. “Thank God, you’re here,” he said, jerking his thumb towards Chris. “I think this one escaped from the psych ward. You might want to take Psycho Barbie back and get her some meds.” Denise lifted a perfect eyebrow over her ebony eyes, giving this man her best, Oh, no you didn’t look. Turning to Chris, she smiled. “Will that be all, Dr. Blevins?” she asked. “Yes, thank you, Denise.” Chris called as Denise left the exam room, laughing as she closed the curtain. “Doctor?” he asked, the shock in his condescending voice insulting. She smiled, holding up the needle again. “You want to drop them now?” “No.” She fought to keep her gloating from showing in her grin as she regarded his sullen expression. He looked ready to yell at her for somehow tricking him. Was he disappointed to find out she was a doctor or sulking because she had gotten the better of him? And she had gotten the better of him. And he had deserved every bit of it. “I thought you just wanted a shot.” “What’s in that?” “It’s called ten cc’s of whatever. Go ahead and roll over. I’ll be gentle.” She squirted a tiny bit of the clear liquid into the air and stepped forward. “I’m not about to roll over.” She noticed how black his hair was against his skin, which seemed to grow paler. His dark brows furrowed upwards and dark lashes framed his eyes, making them appear a deeper blue. His face was rugged, lantern jawed. His mouth firmly set. She figured the same frown had probably loosened the tongue of many a suspect. The effect, however, was lost on her. “What the hell is wrong with you, lady?” “What’s wrong with me? You come in here, ordering me around,telling me what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and you have the audacity to ask what’s wrong with me?” “Oh, one of those.” He rolled his eyes towards the ceiling and let his breath out in a huff. “One of those?” “Prissy assed man-hater. I should have spotted it right off.” “Oh, I don’t know. You don’t seem to be big on noticing things.” “Is that right?” “Well, you didn’t notice that I had on a name tag that says MD. That stands for Doctor. Nor did you notice my pair of—” “Oh, I noticed ‘em.” His gaze lowered, letting her know he was staring at her breasts. Judging from the expression on his face, she could surmise that he liked what he was ogling. “Stethoscopes. Pair of stethoscopes.” “Yeah, they’re real nice. You think I could put my ear up to one and talk into the other one?”  He grinned as she felt her face heat with embarrassment. “Look, Doc. Just patch me up and I’ll  get outta your, hair.” As if on cue, her hair decided to pick that very moment to fall over her eyes again. He smiled at her as she blew the loose strand from her eye. Again she watched as his gaze drifted to her open blouse. He sucked in a loud breath. “My God,” he spoke in hushed tones. “You’re a beauty.” His words were unexpected and she felt them. The look in his eyes made her want to go weak and she stared at him for a moment, feeling something she hadn’t in years, vulnerable. She willed her resolve back to cover her reaction and smooth the heat in her cheeks. “Look, I’m sorry.” He sounded sincere, though she suspected it was another detective ploy. “I’ve just, I’ve had a hell of a night.” “Really?” She drew herself up, her back stiffening. She hoped he would catch the sarcasm in her voice. “Yeah. I was chasing this bad guy through the alley and when he turned to fire, I dove.” He cocked his head to the side, as if waiting for a response in kind. His sudden smile seemed to be an attempt at brokering peace. “Anyway, this guy is bad news.” Chris was amazed at how easily he’d pulled her into his world of cops and robbers. She was not ready to feel so gullible and wondered if he was merely using detective tricks to get over on her, maybe trying to get out of his shot. She bet that silver tongue of his got him many a date with many a woman. “I’m sorry. Do I look like a psychiatrist to you?” she asked him, taking delight in the way his dark brows slashed upwards. She’d certainly caught him off guard. “What?” “Well,” she stepped closer. “I don’t recall asking you how your night went, so you either take me for a psychiatrist or a bartender. Which is it?” His expression hardened again. “Look, Miss Priss. I just need to be stitched up. Please?” “Now we’re getting somewhere.” As she placed the syringe onto the metal tray, she heard the rush of breath and wondered if it was from relief. “Lie back, please.” “Geez, helluva bedside manner you’ve got, lady.” “Do you see a bed?” Tail-Tell Heart Available now at MidnightShowcase.com