Elle James - The Witch's Seduction

Deme shivered as the cool Chicago air hit her. She wished she’d had the foresight to wear a jacket. For a moment she missed the warmth of St. Croix in the sunshine. Still, Chicago was home, and she was glad to be back. Especially to see her sisters and her lover.

She wrapped her arms around her middle, anxious to be on her way. Eager to see if things were still the same between her and Cal. Deme adored that he was her flame. He was strong, handsome and made her feel so good when he lay naked beside her.

He’d pushed past her defenses, claiming her, as he’d put it. He’d even spoken the “M” word, but Deme had put the kibosh on that. If she married anyone, it would be Cal, but she wasn’t certain she could trust anyone, even Cal, enough to commit to him. Not yet, anyway. Because of her and her sisters’ unusual talents, she’d grown up suspicious and wary.

Cal had called Deme every other night since she’d been gone, except for the past week. He’d checked in only once. Deme had counted it off as him being too focused on the job. Her attention retured to her sisters. “He said it’s been crazy. The special task force has been burning up the overtime with one fire after another to put out.”

“I heard that a stranger nabbed Vladimir, drugged him, tied him up and delivered him to the station. No one saw who. Even Vladimir was clueless and madder than a stirred-up hornet when he came out of his drug-induced stupor.” Brigid laughed. “Must have been one of his own, to run off without claiming the credit.”

“Either that or he didn’t want the retribution.” Deme shuddered. “I’ll bet everyone is on alert at the station and the holding cell.”

Brigid stopped in front of Gina’s SUV. “You don’t know the half of it. Everyone’s punchy, waiting for Vladimir to make his move.”

Deme sank into the leather bucket seat and buckled her belt.

“You could ask Cal to come out to dinner with us, you know.” Aurai wasn’t giving up on the idea of having dinner with Deme.

Gina climbed into the driver’s seat. “She wants to get naked with Cal, not eat Chinese with all of us. We’ll have plenty of time to go to dinner.”

Deme’s face burned, but she grinned. “Right on all counts.”

“Especially the getting naked part.” Selene squeezed her shoulder over the top of the seat. “Right?”

The teasing continued all the way to the police station where her sisters dropped her off at the door, promising to deliver her suitcase to her apartment for her.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t,” Gina called out.

“That leaves the options wide open, doesn’t it?” Deme stepped out on the sidewalk. “I’ll see you all tomorrow. Dinner?”

“No excuses. We want time with you too.” Aurai jumped out, hugged Deme and slid into the front seat with Gina. “Kiss Cal for me. He’s so yummy. If you decide to dump him, I call dibs.”

“You sure you don’t need a ride to your apartment?” Gina asked.

“No.” Deme glanced at headquarters, anxious to get inside and hoping Cal wasn’t on a call. “I’ll get Cal to take me home.”

The SUV slid away from the curb and disappeared around the corner.

Deme squared her shoulders, ran her hands through her long red hair, cursing the fiery color. Why couldn’t she have been blond like Aurai, and where had all the tangles come from? Then she strode toward the entrance, her heart fluttering and her belly tightening with each passing step. She couldn’t wait to have Cal’s strong arms around her.

Much as she promised herself she wouldn’t get involved to the point of obsession with any man, she couldn’t resist Cal.

Inside the station she checked in at the desk, asking for her boss. No use looking too eager to see her lover. Based on the reports of rising incidents involving the paranorms of Chicago, lead investigator Chief Martin Warner would be glad to see her back and ready to go to work.

She just hoped he’d give her a night to unwind from her trip. Not that she’d relax that night. Deme had other plans for her evening. They included one tall dark and ruggedly handsome police officer, a bed and the can of whipped cream she planned to purchase on her way to Cal’s apartment.

A smile spread across her face as she stepped off the elevator into the Chicago Police Special Investigations Division.

Detectives and other members of the Paranorm Task Force hurried around desks, some escorting detainees, others leaning into telephones, intent on information gathering or ordering a pizza delivery because most were too busy to take time out to get a meal.

“Deme Chattox.” A booming voice made her jump. Chief Warner swooped out of his office, a grin on his face. “I’d almost given up on you. Thought you’d changed your mind about coming to work on the force, what with the weather in St. Croix being so much nicer than winters here.” He clapped a hand on her back, sending her stumbling forward.

Deme’s lips twisted in a wry grin. “Going back to St. Croix had me wondering if I’d lost a marble or two.”

“Not too late to change your mind.” Warner tipped his head, his brows rising. “We haven’t officially put you on the payroll, yet.”

“Thanks for the out, but I don’t need it. I’m back in Chicago to stay and could use a paying job.”

The chief stuck out a hand and shook Deme’s, squeezing so tightly she could swear her bones crunched. “When do you want me to start?”

“Yesterday,” he replied without hesitation. “No, really. But I’m sure you have a lot to do to get settled in. Tomorrow would be soon enough. Have you touched base with Black, yet?”

Her pulse leaped. “No, sir.” Foolishly she’d been counting the days, hours and minutes until she could touch bases and a lot more with the man. Now she was only seconds away from him, if he was on duty.

The chief craned his neck. “He’s around here somewhere. I saw him five minutes ago. Check in the conference room. I think he’s in there.”

“Sir.” A plainclothes officer stood beside his desk, waving the chief over, a phone pressed to one ear. “We got a call from the Third District. Got a situation going down.”

“Excuse me.” Chief Warner ducked around Deme. “Look in the conference room,” he repeated over his shoulder.

Adrenaline hopping, Deme stood in the middle of the room, wondering which way the conference room was.

“It’s in the far corner.” A man with shaggy sandy-blond hair pushed past her, carrying a jumble of wires and USB cables. He tipped his head to the rear of the room.

“Thanks.” Deme turned in that direction and wove her way through a maze of desks and people.

New to the department, she held her head high and pretended she belonged, although that was as far from what she felt as it could be. Starting over was hard. Running her own private investigations business in St. Croix had proven easy. Rich businessmen and desperate wives came to her. Deme had mastered the art of being low profile. To be a good investigator, you had to blend in. She’d done that well, pretending to be a tourist or local depending on the need.

Now, with nothing assigned, she stood out as the only person in the room without a pressing task. That would come soon enough. First she wanted to see Cal.

The conference room door stood open only enough for her to poke her head around.

A man and a woman stood in front of a large white board with pictures stuck to the surface with magnets and markings linking some of them to dates.

The man had longish dark hair and his back was to Deme. The woman’s arms laced around his neck, pressing his head down toward hers. From their stance Deme could only conclude that they were engaged in a lip-lock.

Deme ducked back out, heat rushing into her cheeks. Oops. Someone had taken an opportunity to sneak a little nookie on the job. She’d witnessed enough clandestine assignations during her stint as a private investigator. The amount of lying and cheating had hardened her to the idea of opening her heart to a man. Until Cal had come back into her life.