Excerpt of The Deception by Kat Martin

Kate awoke later than usual the following morning.  As events of the night came rushing back, her gaze shot to the other side of the bed, but Jason wasn't there. 

Relief filtered through her, followed by uncertainty.  She sat up in bed, feeling aches in places that had never ached before.  Maddox had done that, driven her to heights she had never experienced.  Doubt swelled.  She wasn't sure how she felt about what had happened, had no idea how it would affect the job she needed done.

Sunlight streamed through her bedroom curtains as she came to her feet, grabbed her robe, and headed for the bathroom.  Jason was already gone.  She hadn't heard him leave, wondered if he had left to avoid the always difficult morning after conversation.

Whatever the reason, she would never forget the night they had shared.  Instead of lonely hours filled with grief and regret, he had swept her into a night of passion, a place where sadness didn't exist, just heat and need and pleasure.

She had known he would be a demanding lover, hadn't expected him to also be generous and attentive.  His lovemaking had been unlike anything she had experienced before.  It was impossible to regret what had happened.  Or at least not so far. 

On the other hand, she had no idea what Jase would expect from her now, or if he was the kind of guy who was mostly about the conquest, the kind who would be moving on after spending a night in her bed.

The smell of coffee reached her as she came out of the bathroom, drawing her toward the kitchen.  A white mug with a yellow daisy painted on the side sat next to a freshly brewed pot of coffee on the counter.  A few words scribbled on a piece of paper sat beside it.  She reached for the note. 

Pick you up at ten, it read.  Nothing more than that, nothing personal.  Part of her was disappointed, though she had no idea what she would have liked him to say.  Far more important, he wasn't going to ignore his pledge to help her, even if their relationship had taken a major turn.

Even if things were uncomfortable between them. 

Kate poured the mug full of coffee.  Whatever happened last night, Jase wasn't to blame.  Having sex had been her idea.  He had simply done what she'd asked him.  He'd just managed to do it far better than she ever could have imagined.

Kate took a sip of the thick dark brew, which had turned strong and black while she had been sleeping, and grimaced at the bitter taste.  Without time to brew another pot, she carried the mug into the bathroom to shower and get ready for Jase to pick her up.

As she turned on the water and waited for it to get warm, an odd mix of excitement and trepidation slid through her.  She had no idea what to expect from him.  On a personal level, they needed to go back to where they were before last night, to focus on solving Chrissy's murder.  They needed to talk to the people at the New Hope Rehab Center, talk to Elijah Zepeda, and also to Marco Bandini, the last of the three men arrested for assaulting a prostitute.

As she brushed her hair and applied her makeup, she tried not to think about last night.  When that failed, she tried to convince herself she didn't want it to happen again. 

But when she was walked into the living room a little before ten o'clock, she found herself in a pair of sexy stretch jeans, heeled sandals, and a form-fitting, cap-sleeved, scooped neck blue top that showed some cleavage. 

It wasn't blatantly sexy, but it wasn't a pillowcase, either. 

She was nervous when the intercom buzzed and the front desk announced Jase's arrival in the lobby.  Kate slung her purse over her shoulder and headed for the elevator.  When the doors slid open, he was waiting.  In jeans, boots, and a dark blue t-shirt that hugged his amazing chest and showed the tattoo on his biceps, the man was definitely eye candy.  She thought of last night and a sliver of heat curled low in her belly.

His gorgeous blue eyes ran over her.  "You okay?" he asked. 

Was she okay?  She wasn't exactly sure.  She felt different, as if making love with him had changed her in some fundamental way.

"I'm ready to go to work on the case, if that's what you're asking."

A corner of his mouth tilted up and she knew what he was thinking.  "Glad I could be of service."

Memories arose of the things he had done to her and heat rushed into her cheeks.  "I'm sure spending the night with a distraught woman wasn't your top priority, so...thank you."

As they reached her side of the SUV, he caught her shoulders and turned her to face him.

"I stayed with you last night because being in your bed was exactly where I wanted to be.  That hasn't changed.  Neither has my commitment to finding your sister's killer."  He dragged her hard against him and his mouth crushed down over hers.  Heat and wild hunger roared through her, the instant before he broke away. 

"We've got work to do," he said gruffly.  "Let's go."