Marie Rochelle - Devilishy Yours Read online

  “Please don’t call the police. I’m innocent. I wasn’t involved in any of those robberies.” Ajana pleaded with him.

  “Give me a chance to prove my innocence.” She begged.

  “Sorry, I can’t do that. You’re wanted for questioning and I have to let my boss know where you are.” Ryan answered. “If you are innocent like you say that you are, my superiors will put in a word for you with the District Attorney.”

  “Are you that naïve?” Ajana questioned easing back from him “The second I step foot into that station with you, I won’t see the light of day again.”

  “Are you implying Sergeant Webster won’t listen to your side of this case with an unbiased ear?” She was wrong. Sergeant Webster was the most by the book man he had ever known.

  “He thinks I’m guilty. Isn’t that the reason he allowed you to plaster my face all over the place?” Ajana challenged. “I only want a chance to prove the charges against me are false. How can I do that from the inside of a jail cell?”

  The more Ajana talked to him to more she was beginning to wear him down.

  The woman in front of him didn’t look like a mastermind that could pull off several jewel heists. Damn it, he hated that she was getting under his skin like this. He was the cop here and he was allowing Ajana to play mind games with him. Resting his back against the table, Ryan crossed his legs at the ankles then gave Ajana his full attention.

  “Let’s just say that I might give you the benefit of the doubt. What proof do you have of your innocence? It will take some pretty strong evidence to make me take your word over the evidence.”

  “Wait right here,” Ajana uttered, holding up one finger.

  He didn’t take his eyes off her as she dashed across the room and dug through the bag she had hidden inside his closet. Pulling out a thick purple folder she bought it back over to him. “All the evidence I need to clear my name is right here in this folder.”

  “What do you have there?” He asked nodding toward the folder. Did she really have something or was she stalling for more time?

  “I can’t show you unless I know for sure that you’re on my side.” She said pressing the file to her chest. “Do you believe me?”

  He plucked the folder from Ajana’s finger then strolled back across the room.

  “I’m not saying another word until I look at all of the facts. This could be another trick, like that damn toy gun.” Ryan hated that the gun was still a sore spot for him.

  “Don’t open that yet. I still hadn’t gotten an answer from you. Are you on my side or not?” Ajana yelled at him.

  Ignoring his kidnapper’s outburst, he flipped open the file. Several newspaper articles were on the top. Going into the kitchen he flicked on the lights and took a seat at the kitchen table. He saw Ajana sit down beside him but he didn’t acknowledge her presence. This wasn’t the time to get into another fight with her. He was still uncomfortable with how freely she was moving around his house. Yet, what was inside the folder interested him more at the moment.

  Lifting the first article out, Ryan skimmed over it and then laid it to the side. He kept reading the clippings as thoughts raced through his mind. Was it actually possible that Ajana was innocent? No, he couldn’t decide that until he dug deeper into all the evidence they had piled against her. Time sheets, and surveillance of Ajana backed her innocence.

  A speeding ticket, if valid, proved that it was impossible for her to have been at the scene of the crime. He matched the information that she had given him, with the information that he already had.

  Photocopies of witness statements were next items he picked up and gave his attention to. The witness statements weren’t reliable since they all described her as a ‘good looking black woman’. How was she able to get her hands on stuff like this? All of this was confidential along with being part of an ongoing criminal case. Placing the papers face down, he moved on to the last item inside the file.

  Two police reports were at the bottom. He read over them slowly, trying to draw in all of the information he could. Ryan’s brow pulled down into an affronted frown as he continued to study the typed report in front of him. No, this couldn’t be right, he thought. Somehow Ajana had doctored this paper.

  Gathering all the information together he placed it back into the sleeve of the case then tossed it in the middle of the table. “Do you really except me to believe any of that? How do I know you didn’t have someone forge all of that?”

  Ajana folded her elbows on the table and leaned closer to him, the soft scent of her perfume wrapped around his senses. God, he had to stop noticing Ajana as a woman instead of a suspect in his case.

  “It’s all there in black and white. Officer Lerner.” Ajana gestured pointing to the folder in front of them. “I’m not guilty. It doesn’t matter how much the Atlanta police department thinks I am.”

  “I can’t take your word or use the proof that you’ve given to me. It wouldn’t hold up in court.” Ryan sighed hating the way his mind was turning. Was he really going to do this? Do what?? Had he forgotten all of the training he went through to become a good cop? Two small hands grabbed his biceps and squeezed him; making him wonder what other things Ajana’s hand could squeeze like that.

  Stop lusting after her!

  “I’ve made you doubt my guilt haven’t I?” Ajana grinned as she let go of his arm.

  “You’re going to help me find the real jewel burglar aren’t you? Where do we get started?”

  Chapter Six

  She was beyond happy. Ryan was going to help her clear her name! Ajana dropped her hands into her lap so she wouldn’t touch Ryan again. She hadn’t been able to think about much of anything since snatching him from the police station; however, one thing did keep penetrating her senses and that was how fine Officer Ryan Lerner was.

  Was it possible for a man to have eyelashes that long and thick?

  She thought as Ryan glanced back down at the file. Television did don’t Ryan any justice in the looks department. Television cameras seemed to diminish how nicely clothes molded themselves to his taut muscles. Or how the short hair cut made his earlobes a tempting treat to a woman who hadn’t been with a man in over eight months. Okay, an earlobe fetish???

  Trying to be sneaky, Ajana let her eyes wander over how the well-washed jeans cupped Ryan in all of the right places. How did a man this hunky stay single?

  What a minute!

  She was assuming he was single and lived alone.

  How did she know a wife wasn’t on her way home?

  “Do you have a wife?” She blurted out before her mind could stop her runaway mouth. “I know you said you didn’t have a girlfriend, but you didn’t deny having a wife.

  “Why do you want to know?” Ryan questioned looking up from the folder.

  Ajana was captivated by the way Ryan’s eyes held hers while he waited for her answer. His masculinity was so potent that her mouth went dry. Clearing her throat she finally found her voice to respond.

  “I can’t be caught here with you. You may not be thinking about turning me in, but someone else won’t have a problem doing it.” Seizing the file, she got up from the table only to have Ryan push her back down.

  “I’m not involved with anyone. You’re safe here with me,” he muttered.

  “Why aren’t you threatened by me? I held you hostage for over two hours. I could be lying to you while planning your murder along with my getaway?”

  The sexy chuckle of the man made a certain part of her lower body wet in a matter of seconds. “I’m positive that a woman who’s high jacked me with a prop gun isn’t a huge threat to my well being.”

  “Hey, you didn’t think that two hours ago.” She corrected.

  “Yeah, don’t remind me.” Ryan groaned. “Biggest mistake of my life and it never leaves this room.”

  The look Ryan gave her meant he was serious enough to make sure she kept her word. Ajana wasn’t about to get on the bad side of the man who was going to help her.
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br />   “I promise I’ll never tell anyone you were frightened of a fake gun.” Crossing her finger over her chest in a mock swearing, she held up two fingers. “You’re embarrassing secret is safe with me Officer Lerner.”

  “Make sure you don’t,” Ryan encouraged her, getting up from the table, “and stop calling me Officer Lerner. You’ve called me Ryan a couple of times, so stick with it.”

  “Ryan it is.” Ajana agreed, liking the way saying his birth rolled off of her tongue. While getting comfortable in a chair, she ogled at how wonderful his behind looked in his perfectly fitting jeans. .

  “I’m still a little taken aback that you agreed so easily to help me out. Aren’t you supposed to think I’m guilty until proven innocent?”

  Pausing with his hand about to touch the refrigerator door, Ryan faced her, he frowned, his eyes level under drawn brows as like he was still processing her comment.

  “If you want me to help you then stop saying dumb shit like that.”

  “Why isn’t that the way most cops think?” She threw back at him. “None of you ever think a person is innocent until after the poisoned needle is in their arm, pumping them full of drugs.”

  Ajana barely had time to blink before Ryan was across the room, trapping her in the chair with his large body. She wasn’t a bit frightened; in fact, she was turned on so much she wished Ryan would kiss her.

  Hold on one minute!

  Chapter Seven

  “If you’re trying to scare me by being getting this close to my face, it isn’t working,” Ajana taunted. “I know you aren’t about to do anything to me. You’re all talk and no bite.” She didn’t doubt that Ryan knew how to get rough and tough with the best of them; however, she didn’t believe that he would harm her for any reason. “You’re what I call a good guy. That’s the main reason I came to you and not Officer Jones. I didn’t like the way he looked.” Her nipples puckered when Ryan’s body leaned closer and his chest brushed across hers.

  “How do you know I don’t bite? I’m might want to take a bite out of you right now Miss Bennett. With the way you keep looking at my mouth I think you might want the first bite to be on that full bottom lip of yours.”

  This couldn’t happen. “You’re wrong Ryan. I wasn’t looking at your mouth and I haven’t been flirting with you. I hadn’t realized you have an ego problem.” God, she had to get better at hiding her strong attraction to Ryan. She wasn’t here for a quickie with a cop. She only craved one thing from the man, and that one thing was making her stomach do cartwheels.

  One masculine eyebrow arched over bedroom eyes. “Oh, if I’m wrong please enlighten me to the truth.” Ryan suggested pushing his body away from hers. “I’m up to learning new things.”

  Ajana hated how she wanted to still feel Ryan’s warm breath on her face, but she wouldn’t let him know that tidbit of information.

  “You and I aren’t compatible.”

  “Why aren’t we?”

  “You’re the cop who’s trying to help me on one hand; however, I’m not dumb enough to believe you aren’t still trying to put me away at the same time.”

  “Have you always been nervous like this?” Ryan inquired going back over to the refrigerator.

  Why was he always asking her questions? She should be the one tossing out the questions. Ryan was getting more from her than she should allow. He was still her hostage in someway. Maybe it was a bad idea not making him stay in the chair. He could overpower her at anytime and call the cops on her.

  “I don’t think anything is wrong with me and I don’t like you implying that there is.” Ajana complained getting up from her chair. “You aren’t the one calling the shots here, I am.” Chuckling Ryan opened the refrigerator and stared at the food on the counter.

  “Honey, you shouldn’t quit your day job. You’re a horrible criminal.”

  “No, I’m not. I did a pretty job of getting you to do what I want, didn’t I?” How dare he laugh in her face? It took planning on top of planning to get everything to fall into place. “You would still be handcuffed to that chair if those kids hadn’t knocked on the door.”

  “See, that was your first mistake,” Ryan replied kicking the refrigerator shut with his heel. He grabbed all the items off the counter and carried them over to the roll away island.

  “A good criminal never does crimes on a holiday like Halloween; too many people out there to witness it.”

  Ajana wasn’t buying into his logic.

  No one had seen her when she hid inside of his car at the police station. He was just trying to make her doubt her abilities and it wasn’t going to work.

  “Nice try Ryan, but I did an excellent job of entering your car undetected and you’re still pissed a woman tricked you.”

  “Let’s just say I wouldn’t want it in a report,” he agreed winking at her. “How about you come over here and make a salad while I start on the steaks?”

  “You’re going to trust me with a knife?”

  “Sure I am. You aren’t about to hurt the guy who’s going to help you; beside I’m quicker than I look. I’ll have the knife away from you then you would be flat on your back in a matter of seconds.”

  Flat on her back with Ryan above her didn’t sound so bad.

  “Alright I’ll remember that officer,” Ajana teased sliding a knife out of the holder at the side of the island. She grabbed the lettuce Ryan had in front of him and started working on making a salad.

  * * * *

  Maybe he was having a break down and didn’t know it. That would be the only explanation as to why he was cooking dinner with Ajana instead of hauling her sexy ass down to see Sergeant Webster. How about if someone slipped a dumb ass pill into his coffee this morning and only now it was taking effect to his senses?

  How many years had he been a cop? Everything that was going on right now could cost him his position on his job. Sergeant Webster was an understanding man, but he wouldn’t back him when it came to something like this. He was harboring a criminal suspect in his house of all places.. What if someone had seen them drive in and called his job?

  Everyone could be waiting for him to bring Ajana in, and they may be wondering what’s taking him so long to bring her in.

  Despite the evidence against her, he felt deep in is gut, that she was innocent, especially after seeing her evidence. He wanted to prove so bad that the Syleena case hadn’t messed with his mind, so he jumped at this case without doing all of the research he would usually have done.

  He also felt pressured into solving the case, with Sergeant Webster breathing down one side of his neck and the jackass Angelo breathing on the other side.

  Although she was distracting, he wasn’t the type of guy to be overcome by a pretty face. Despite the fact Ajana’s dark toffee complexion was flawless and her body would give any pinup model phobic nightmare, he honestly believed that he could look deeper into the case with out feeling biased.

  Picking out the correct seasonings from the spice rack in front of him, Ryan peered at Ajana from the corner of his eye. She was chewing at her bottom lip while cutting up the lettuce for the salad.

  “What does your family think about this trouble you’re in? Do they believe you did it?” He laid the steaks on the grill attached to the stove and adjusted the heat.

  Laying the knife down, Ajana tuned to him and lifted her shoulder. “They want to believe I’m innocent, but I don’t think they do. I’ve always been kind of a risk taker and my dad thinks this cat burglar thing fits my personality.”

  “Are you sure you aren’t twisting your father’s words?” Ryan turned over the steak then placed the seasonings back in the rack.

  “No, you don’t know my dad.” Ajana answered reaching for a tomato. “He doesn’t believe in tarnishing the family name. One mistake in his book and you’re out of the will.”

  The meat tenderizer slipped out of his hand and hit the counter with a loud bang. “You’re kidding right?” He asked picking the container and shoved it in at th
e very bottom of the stand. Ryan was angry that a parent could be so callous towards his own child.

  “Well…he did warn me that if I was found guilty he would leave all his money to my stepmother.”

  He didn’t miss the way Ajana spat out the word “stepmother.” He wondered how long the two of them had disliked each other. Having a stepparent in your life could be hard, he knew from experience.

  “How long has your dad been married to your new mom?” Going over to the cabinet Ryan pulled out two dark blue plates. Moving around the kitchen he collected everything he needed for a nice place setting.

  He had to keep busy or he would find a way to kiss those lips Ajana kept nibbling on every now and then. There was only so much a man could take when it came to a woman as seductive as Ajana. Slowly he started to set the table and fought down his desire for the lady behind him.