Chapter Four
"Do you think I'm crazy?" Ajana chuckled at him.
The sound of her laughter echoed through the house and across his tense body.
She stopped laughing long enough to compose herself, then waved a small hand in his direction.
"The second I let you go my ass would be sitting in that seat instead of yours. "
Ryan was pissed with the way Ajana wasn't taking him at his word. Why did she think she knew him so well? They had only been around each other for maybe two hours at the most. He wasn't a man that gave his word then turned around and took it back.
"No, I swear I'll sit and listen to your side," he said.
"I'm open to hearing what you have to say.
" He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something in Ajana's eyes that made him want to believe her.
Could it be the direct way she kept looking at him?
Or he was just in awe of the woman's picture he had been staring at for the past sixty days?
"How many people have fallen for that line of crap?" Ajana inquired, coming towards him. "You're a cop and your first duty is to protect and serve the innocent."
"You keep telling me you're innocent. Let me go so I can believe you more. If you're convincing enough, I'll do everything in my power to help you prove it," he challenged.
Falling down on his lap, Ajana ran her fingers through his hair.
He knew he shouldn't like how good her body felt against his, but he did.
Moving his head away from Ajana's wandering fingers, he tried to act like he wasn't attracted to her, but he doubted that she would believe it.
Hell, if he felt the heat in the room so did she.
"I don't believe you, Officer Lerner. You're only trying to con me and I don't like it," Ajana breathed by his ear.
"Stop flirting with me, Miss Bennett. It isn't going to work. We both know you're a sensual woman, but only your brains are going to work with me, so can you please get off of me." Ryan looked Ajana straight in the eye.
Seconds passed while Ajana ran her hands from his hair across his shoulders, and it was taking all his willpower not to shiver under her light caresses.
Ryan didn't know why this was happening to him.
First he fell for his last suspect when she was already head over heels in love with another man.
[S9]Now he was getting all hot and bothered for a jewel thief.
Maybe he had some kind of chemical imbalance that needed to be fixed with medication.
However, tonight was Halloween and there was a full moon outside that could also explain his bizarre behavior.
Soft fingers tapped against the stubble on his cheek before Ajana exhaled noisily and got up from his lap.
"You can't blame a girl from trying." She sauntered back over to the couch and sat down, He stared at Ajana as she dropped her head and ran her hands back and forth through her thick hair.
He would pay to anything to know what was going on in that mind of hers now.
* * * *
Ajana hated that her plan wasn't coming together like she hoped, because Ryan was a bigger distraction that she thought he would be.
In addition, none of her friends or family wanted anything to do with her now.
She would never forget this Halloween night.
Tonight, her life officially ended along with what little bit of common sense she had left.
She felt Ryan's straight glance at the side of her face, cold and accusing.
How had she gone from working at one of the hottest jewelry stores in Atlanta to robbing it and five others?
Shit, she remembered the times she prayed for a commission from a ring sale.
A five finger discount with any of the merchandise never once crossed her mind.
Everyone there made her feel like a part of the family—she wouldn't think about hurting them like that.
She needed to find a way to make Officer Lerner see that wasn't her on the security tapes.
Ryan Lerner may not like it, but he was her only chance at clearing her name from this horrific mess.
She wasn't about to let him go anywhere until that happened.
"You are going to help me whether you like it or not," she exclaimed, raising her head. "I wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't flashed my picture across the television."
"I don't help criminals and that's what you are, Ajana Bennett." Ryan glared at her from across the room.
Jumping up from the couch, she was took a step toward Ryan when the doorbell rang.
"Who in the hell could that be?" she mumbled rushing over to the window.
Pulling back the curtain, Ajana peeked out and noticed several trick or treaters on the porch.
Easing away from the window, she hurried back over to Ryan.
"There are about seven or eight kids on your porch wanting Halloween candy," she hissed. "We aren't going to answer that door, do you understand me?"
"We have to. I give them candy every year, and if I don't their parents will become suspicious, especially since they saw me pull into the garage. You know what this means, don't you?"
Ajana hated the idea that was forming in her mind. "No, I'm not going to let you go to that door. Tell me where the candy is and I'll give it to them." She gazed around the room, but she didn't see a bag of candy in sight.
"You can't be serious." Ryan laughed. "It will look even odder if you open my door. My neighbors know I don't have a girlfriend, how will you explain yourself to them?"
She despised that Ryan was right as the doorbell rang again. "Fine, I'll let you go to that door because I don't have any way around it, but if you try anything funny you will regret it."
"Wonderful. I have an extra key to the cuffs over there in that bowl by the front door."
Rushing over to the door, Ajana snatched the key, then raced back over to the table and picked up her gun.
She got right in Ryan's face and shoved it under his nose.
“Don’t try to be a wise guy or I'll shoot you.
" Moving behind Ryan, Ajana quickly undid the handcuffs and followed him over to the door.
"Don't worry, I don't want a bullet in my back," Ryan said, opening a cabinet drawer by the front door. He pulled out a huge bag of bubble gum. "Are you going to let the kids see you with that?" He nodded towards the gun in her hand.
"No, I'm not," Ajana tossed back, sliding behind the door so Ryan could open it.
The second the door swung open she heard excited voices scream, "Officer Ryan. What took you so long? We knew you were in there."
"I'm sorry, my little ghosts and witches. I was tied up and couldn't get to the door as quickly as I wanted," Ryan's deep voice answered. "I guess I have to give everyone two pieces of gum to make up for it, won't I?"
"No, I think it should be three pieces," one little girl chimed in.
"Yeah, I agree with Sara. We were waiting for you a long time, Officer Ryan," a little boy complained.
"Well, I guess I can spare three pieces for my favorite sidekicks in the neighborhood," Ryan joked back with the children.
Ajana couldn't help but smile at the way Ryan let the children think they had conned him into extra pieces of candy. She listened as Ryan talked a few more minutes with the children before he sent them next door.
"You have a way with kids," Ajana praised as Ryan closed the door and tossed the candy back on the cabinet. "They really like you."
"They're sweet kids. I like them, too." Ryan spun around and faced her so fast that she almost dropped the gun.
She didn't like how Ryan took a step closer to her. In this position he towered over her shorter frame and she was rapidly losing her advantage over him. She had to gain back control and fast. Pointing the gun toward the middle of his chest, Ajana lowered her voice. "Go sit back down."
"I'm not going back to that chair and you can't make me." Ryan took two quick steps, trapping her body between the wall behind her and his body.
"I'm the one holding the gun, Officer Lerner. I think I'm calling the shots here."
"I don't think so, Miss Bennett," Ryan disagreed.
"Do you want to get shot on Halloween? I'm pissed off enough to do it," she threatened.
"Ajana, you aren't going to shoot me with that gun." Ryan smirked.
"Why not?"
"Because it's a toy," Ryan snarled. Snatching the gun out of her hand, he pitched it on the table behind them.
Shit, what in the hell was she going to do now!