My frown fades. Damn, she’s smokin’. Perfect heart-shaped face with full pink lips and a set of long, thick lashes to go with those doe eyes. I watch her for a beat, much like she’s watching me. Any other time, with any other woman, and I’d be pulling her in for a long, lazy kiss.

But here I am, standing in full uniform, trying not to kiss the one woman I’m not supposed to touch.

Those full lips part like she’s surprised, and maybe something more. My cue to break eye contact. “Sorry,” I tell her. “Let’s get you inside. It’s colder than a yeti’s butt crack out here.”

“It is rather chilly,” she agrees slowly, clearly taken by my wit.

I offer her my arm. “Here. Hang tight until we get inside. I don’t want you landing on your ass again.”

“Um. Thank you.” She motions forward. “This way.”

We cross the lot, and she slips two more times, but I easily keep her from falling.

“Got anything going on tonight?”

“Like a date? No, I’m single.”

It’s not what I mean. But that doesn’t mean I’m not glad to hear it. I mutter a curse when I realize where my thoughts are headed. Stay on task, asshole. “So you’re just gonna watch TV or something?”

“I don’t watch TV.”

“You serious? That’s un-American.”

She laughs again. “Law school doesn’t allow much time for anything but studying,” she says. “And now that I’m helping Declan, I’m going to have to work harder so I don’t fall behind. He mentioned that we’ll be keeping late hours in the coming weeks.”

“Yeah. Sounds like this case is going to be one massive headache and an even bigger pain in the ass.”

“It won’t be easy,” she admits. “But if Declan succeeds, it will all be worth it.”

We step into the small archway. Clear glass doors with long brass handles allow a full view into the lobby. Tess punches in the security code on a keypad to the right, causing the doors to click open. We walk inside and move straight to the elevator at the lobby’s center.

I jerk my chin to the opposite door. “Any other way in or out?”

She presses the elevator button. “There are four stairwells, on each corner of the building, that lead to emergency exits in case of a fire or another threat. But they alarm if opened.” The elevator dings and the doors part, but she pauses before stepping through. “You don’t have to follow me up.”

“Yeah, I do. I need to get a look at the layout.” I wave her in. “After you.”

I wait until the doors shut tight before whipping out my phone to take notes. “I’ll need the number to your cellphone.”

“I don’t have a cellphone. It’s not something I can afford at this time,” she says, cautiously.

“ ’Cause of school?”

“Among other things.”

I try to keep my face neutral and not judge. The thing is, she has an iPad. How does she not have a cellphone? “How about a landline? And I’ll need the security code to your building.”

She spits out the digits, watching me program them into my phone. “Does every tenant use the same code to get in?”

“No,” she answers. “Each has a different number programmed specifically for them. It’s a feature so if there’s an issue, the police will know whose code was used.”

“Decent setup.” I pocket my phone, annoyed that none of the other badges bothered to check out the building or ask for the codes. They’re rookies, but that’s no excuse for sloppy work.

“The added security makes everyone feel safer,” she says, keeping her attention ahead.

She seems like she wants to say more, but keeps quiet until the doors open into a small hallway on the fifth floor. “This is the penthouse,” she murmurs.

There are only two doors on this level, separated by about twenty feet. Dark paneling and parquet wood floors run the length of the hall, leading to a small seating area with two chairs and a table at either end. Windows on each side offer views of the surrounding buildings. The place seems nice enough, and at the higher end of the price range, but dental-office boring and bordering on sterile. Except that’s not something to share. “Sweet,” I say.

“It serves a purpose,” she mumbles as she unlocks her door.

Her comment, and the way she says it, raises another red flag. But I don’t say anything yet. Mostly I watch her, trying to get a feel for what’s up.

She waits before opening the door. “Do you want to come in?”

“Babe, you don’t get a choice. I need to make sure I know where everything is in case you ever need me.”

The air between us thickens. “The detective who brought me home last night didn’t think it was necessary,” she says in that cautious way of hers.

“Maybe he wasn’t as worried, seeing how the case is still new. But it’s getting a lot of attention, real fast. Did you see the press lining up this afternoon outside the courthouse?”

“Yes, I saw them.”

“And that’s just the start. Once the trial begins next month, it’s going to be a circus filled with bearded ladies and trapeze artists looking to smoke each other.” I motion in the direction of her place. “So let me do my job, so you can do yours without living in fear.”

“Okay,” she agrees. She opens the door leading into a small foyer and places her purse and keys on an antique table shoved against the wall. “Do you think I’ll ever need you? I mean, do you think Montenegro will target me specifically?”

“I doubt it. But it’s better to be prepared, you feel me?” I march forward. A large living room sits directly in front of me with a dining area and a kitchen to the right. The furniture is all antique, dark like the floors, and just as dull as the rest of the place. There aren’t any pictures on the walls, or vases, or any of that shit girls are supposed to like. It all seems staged and cold. “Did you just move in?” I ask.

She shakes her head, appearing confused. “No. I moved in three years ago when I started law school.”

“Oh. All right. Mind if I open a few doors? Check the closets, that sort of thing?”

“No, that’s fine.”

I scan the area while she removes her coat and walks into the kitchen. “Would you like some water? I’m afraid I don’t have much more than that to drink.”

“No. I’m good.” I motion to the left. “Bedroom that way?”

“Ah, yes.”

“I’ll be right back.” I make quick work of flipping her prissy pink comforter so I can look beneath the queen-sized bed before moving to the walk-in closet and then the bathroom. The bedroom has that same dark furniture, and her closet more of the frumpy clothes she wears, but even that’s limited to a few pairs of pants, blouses, and those damn spinster shoes. The place doesn’t seem right. It’s clean and all that, but I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off.

She says she’s lived here for three years. But there’s nothing of Tess in here. Nothing.

“Is everything okay?”

I glance up to find her standing in the doorway, fiddling with her hands. “All clear,” I answer, my voice monotone.

“Thank you.” She starts to head back into the living room, but then changes her mind and faces me again. “How long will you be here?” she asks.

“I’ll be outside watching the place till Lu takes over at midnight. She’ll take you to the office tomorrow. The detectives there will cover you for most of the day, and either me or one of the other badges will see to you after that.”

“I’m not due in the office until tomorrow afternoon. I have classes.”

“How are you getting there?”

She motions behind her. “Oh, I have a bus pass.”

“You’re kidding.” I take in the apartment. She’s paying at least three Gs a month to live here. Is that the reason she can’t afford a car?

She edges away from the door. “It’s not a big deal,” she says.

I think it is, but don’t push. Any idiot can see she’s nervous. “You all right?”

“I’m fine.” She glances down. “I just have a lot of work to do.”

“Then I guess I should get out of your way.”