Devin Torrington and I had a history.  One which included me and a couple of months of blissful lust I’d tried hard to forget.

“Torrington here,” the smooth melancholy voice sent a shiver up my spine.  Memories of fiery green eyes, and a muscle rippled back raced through my thoughts.  He’d been my partner at the Houston Detective Division two years prior.  That partnership had ended in a steamy relationship, and ended my career at HDD. Torrington had betrayed me and I didn’t forget easily—nor had I forgiven him.

I opened my eyes slowly trying to focus on the figure hovering over me. Fear gripped my throat yet again when I attempted to get into a sitting position and locate my weapon.

“Hello, princess,” the smooth voice whispered as Devin Torrington’s face came into focus. “You had me a little worried there for awhile. You got real lucky, sugar—got by with just a nasty bump on your head. It could have been a lot worse. Maybe you should check with a doctor just to make sure you don’t have a concussion from this little stunt.”

Anger and confusion overrode rationality at this point. I stood ready for battle. “Just what the hell are you doing in my apartment? How’d you get in here?” I looked down, noticing he had placed his gun back in the front of his jeans and was standing there without a shirt on, but not lacking a smile. Heaven help me.

“You should be more careful.” He dangled the spare key to my apartment in front of me. “It’s not hard to get into somebody’s place when they leave an invitation in their door.” He placed the key in my outstretched hand. “Did I ever tell you that your brown eyes get more beautiful when you’re angry?”

I sunk down into my couch, ignoring Devin’s comment. Vito! He’d left the spare key I’d given him in the lock when he’d left! But I remembered Jake had double checked the deadbolt on his way out.

“That still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here or how you got in.” I glanced over at the shattered glass of what had once been my TV. “Now how do you expect me to watch Oprah? You’ve murdered my television!”

“Tough break babe, better the TV than you.” He moved toward the kitchen searching for a coveted cup of coffee.

“Get out of my apartment, Torrington. Now!”

“Is that any way to treat a guest? You throw them out without even as much as a morning cup of coffee?” Devin located the filters adding a generous scoop of coffee grinds. His muscled arm reached into the cabinet to grab two coffee mugs as the delicious smell of freshly-brewed energy wafted into the living room.

I swore right there if I hadn’t needed coffee so badly, I would have kicked him out through my apartment door half-clothed.

“Here.” I threw him his shirt as he rounded the end table a few minutes later, placing a steaming cup in my hands. “Put your shirt on. You’re leaving just as soon as you finish your coffee.”

I allowed myself a leisurely glance down his chest to the top of his jeans where he'd replaced his weapon. “I’m surprised you could even pull that thing out as tight as those jeans are you’re wearing.”

He naturally took pleasure in the comment, turning it into something other than what I’d intended. With slow deliberation, Devin set his coffee on the sofa table placing his hand on my cheek. “Would you like to see just how well I can pull this thing out in these tight jeans?” He reached down, sliding his hand across the faded blue waistband and began to unbutton his fly.

“Finish your coffee and get out.” I shoved his hand away and stood. “And take that mangy dirty blanket with you too. One more thing, I know my key wasn’t in my door. Jake Baldwin checked the lock himself when he left here last night. He would have seen it.”

“Very observant.” Devin gave me a slow, deliberate smile. “Remind me to give Baldwin some extra bonus points for looking after your best interest. It was thoughtful of him to spot the key left in the lock and bring it into headquarters with him. He’s the best, isn’t he?”

Devin pulled at the dark mane of hair banded at his neck, making a point to study his watch. “Guess I’d better be going.” He drained the last of his coffee and threw on his shirt. “Sorry about the TV. If I’d known in advance I was going to be spending the night with a princess, I would have brought a much nicer blanket!” With a slam of my door, he was gone.