Scarlet Boa

"Don't fall for me, Faith." Dan Callahan parked the unmarked police car in front of his partner's house.

"Is that an order? Or a request?"

"What difference—"

She silenced him with a hard kiss.

The woman had balls, he'd give her that much. That was part of the attraction, and the problem.

"I don't do relationships." Reluctantly, Dan pushed her away and grabbed the steering wheel.

"So what was last night?"

Dan blew out a long breath. "It was a mistake."

He sneaked a glance and saw tears. Or maybe not. Faith Williams wasn't the tearful type. In their line of work you developed a jaundiced eye toward situations that would bring a lesser person to his knees.

Last night had been a critical error in judgment, and it was his fault. He'd sworn he'd never get involved with another woman. Losing a partner was brutal. But when your partner was your lover.... The Chief had put him on leave to straighten out his life and Dan had concluded he didn't want another partner—male or female.

Then Faith walked into his life and he found himself saddled with a woman that he was determined to ignore.

His first glimpse of the leggy brunette with a voice reminiscent of lazy afternoons in bed had re-routed the blood traveling toward his heart and sent it straight to his boxers. She had him tied in knots and damn if it hadn't felt good.

Against his better judgment he reached across the car and touched her arm. His blood did that U-turn thing again.

"Say something."

She stared toward the streetlight.

"Was I that bad?" she asked in a shaky voice.

She wasn't going to make it easy.

"Come here." He pulled her back into his arms. "You were incredible. But it's not safe for us to be together."

She twisted in his arms and gave him that look.

"I can take care of myself, Daniel Callahan. I have for a long time and I don't need you to put a big ‘S' on your chest and get macho."

"Dammit, Faith. This isn't about pride—"

"Pride? If I were a man would we be having this talk?"

He chuckled. "If you were a man we wouldn't have done the horizontal cha-cha last night."

"If I were a man I'd have kicked your ass by now."

Normally he enjoyed their banter. She could match him insult for insult. Tonight he just wanted her safe.

"No more arguments, Faith. Last night was a mistake." But the most pleasant mistake I've ever made.

Dan reached across and opened the door. "I'll tell the Chief that it didn't work out."

"But—"

"Go home. Go to bed."

Faith slid from the car. As the door closed Dan twisted the key in the ignition, jerked the transmission into Drive and sped off.

Two things would remain etched in his memory forever: Vanessa dying in his arms and the look in Faith's eyes as he drove away.