The
Eyewitness
By
Nancy Weeks
Genre:
Mystery, Crime Thriller, Romance
Fans of TV’s Blue
Bloods will love this dynamic new suspense series.
Maryland
PD forensic scientist Emersyn D’Azzo has an explosive past with her
father’s younger, sexy partner, Detective Alec Pearce. Then an
ill-timed kiss destroys the thin line of trust between her and her
dad, just before tragedy strikes and someone guns down her father.
The
fatal bullet turns out to be tied to the ongoing spree of random
sniper kills across the state, but Emersyn knows this wasn’t a
random act of violence and is determined to find the killer.
To
do so, she’ll need to rely on help from Alec, whom she doesn’t
quite trust but just can’t resist. When they discover a connection
to a decades-old disappearance of a college student, their
investigation takes a deadly twist. Can they learn to trust each
other with their hearts to save their lives?
Ted
edged in closer. “You can take a few moments for one dance.” He
eyed Tessa. “You don’t mind if I borrow your sister, do you?”
“But
I do.”
The
deep, masculine voice sent an arousing jolt right into Emersyn’s
core. And damn it to hell, her mouth went dry, making it impossible
to swallow. She fingered her straw then took a deep drink. This time
she welcomed the burning chill against her lungs. Detective Alec
Pearce had a knack for showing up at her worst moments. Why the hell
was he here?
Ted
moved away from her as if he’d been burned. “Alec, good to see
you.”
“You
do know you’re hitting on my partner’s daughter, right, Ted?”
“Just
asking her for a dance.”
Emersyn
glanced between the two; she actually preferred Ted’s company to
the man who seemed to go out of his way to make her crazy.
Alec
reached for her hand and set it in his palm. “Actually, she
promised this dance to me. They’re playing our song.”
The
muscles in her body tensed as her fingernails dug into his skin. “I
don’t—”
“Music
is on, Em. Shall we?” His other hand went around her waist, and he
gave her a swift yank.
“Jerkball,
let go,” she hissed in his ear.
His
grip tightened. “It’s just one dance. Play nice.”
Alec
escorted Emersyn to the small dance floor near the bandstand. Every
instinct in her wanted to slap his arrogant expression right into
next week, but that would make a scene. It was what half the bar
expected the instant he got within striking distance. They were all
waiting for her to let loose. But this was a new day, a new diploma,
new job, new Emersyn. Emotions in check.
“My
name is Emersyn. I would think you would remember something so
simple.”
Alec’s
face lit with a grin as his arms brought her close and their bodies
began to move to the music. She shot a glare at Tessa, pleading for
her to do something. Instead, her sister, the traitor, took another
sip of Emersyn’s drink, lifted it in a toast, and rotated in her
seat.
A
chuckle came from deep in Alec’s throat. “Tessa likes me. You can
thank me now.”
“I
can also knee you where the sun doesn’t shine.”
He
lifted her chin with his thumb. “Now that wasn’t nice. I
sacrificed a night with that blonde”—he nodded to a beautiful
woman sitting at the end of the bar—“just to keep Lecher Ted from
hitting on you … again.”
“What
makes you think I needed rescuing?”
“Oh
please, Tessa, make the creep go away. I’m ever so sweet and don’t
want to hurt the poor jerk’s feelings.”
She
yanked out of Alec’s hold, but he was ready and moved her back into
his arms without missing a beat.
“Relax.
I’m teasing.”
“You
are such an ass.”
His
lips brushed over her ear. “Enjoy our moment, Em.”
Impossible.
They had more layers of misunderstanding between them than her
mother’s chocolate cake, heated words that couldn’t be unheard
and arguments with no closure.
After
her father had mentioned at dinner that Alec was joining them for
dessert, she’d jumped at Tessa’s offer to buy her a drink at the
tavern. It was the perfect place to hide out. A lone wolf like Alec
wouldn’t be caught dead in the crowded, noisy bar. But here he was.
She’d run but not far enough.
“I’m
sorry I missed your graduation ceremony, but I have a little
something for you,” he whispered.
“You
didn’t need to do that.”
“I’m
proud of you.”
The
words sounded so genuine. “Dad seems resigned to the idea of me at
least working alongside cops, if not as a cop.”
“Joe
doesn’t want you anywhere near the job. But you found a way around
that. Instead of crawling in the gutter looking for the worst mankind
has to offer, you’re picking through what they left behind.”
She
halted in the middle of the dance floor. “You think that’s why I
became a forensic scientist?”
“I
didn’t mean it like that.”
“Then
what did you mean?”
The
music stopped, and they stood still, glaring at each other. Our
thing. “I can’t do this tonight,” she said, dropping her hand
to her sides. “Thanks.”
“For?”
“Saving
me from another go-around with Ted.”
“Do
you want me to talk to him?”
“I
can take care of myself.”
For
once, there was no comeback. Instead, he eased her against him and
tucked her hand over his heart. “Dance with me, Emersyn.”
That
sexy, got-to-have-you-now voice was back, and her other four senses
came out to play. Being close to Alec Pearce, taking in his spicy,
clean soap scent, feeling the strength of his arms around her wasn’t
an awful feeling. Confusing? Hell yes, but her body sure enjoyed it.
It’s just a dance, right?
She
lowered one hand to his hip and brought the other around his neck,
her cheek resting against his. Alec tightened his grip around her
waist as he spun them around the dance floor. The move put their
bodies in sync, and there was no mistaking the effect she had on him.
Her lips brushed against his skin, sending shock waves through her.
He
sucked in a breath and tilted his head. Their gazes held for what
seemed like an eternity. He was so damn gorgeous, his deep brown eyes
with a hint of gold, lush lashes, and a dusting of five-o’clock
shadow on his square jaw that she ached to feel rubbed against all
her soft places. As if he read her mind, his mouth caressed her
bottom lip. He waited, expecting her to pull back. Need took over,
and she lost her mind.
Nancy
C. Weeks has loved happy-ever-after romances since her early teens.
While still in college, she met and married her hero. She spent the
next several years honeymooning and working overseas. Today, she
lives in suburban Maryland with her husband of more than thirty
years. With her two grown children out of the nest, she enjoys
spending her days writing suspenseful happily-ever-after adventures
outside on the deck as the local bird population keeps her company.
When she is not writing, Nancy loves to blog about fascinating
people, both real and fictional. The one quote that kept her dream
alive:
Many
of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were
to success when they gave up. ~Thomas Edison~
