"No, but since I didn"t drive here, and it looks like my partner over there isn"t going to be leaving any time soon I figured I"d head home too. I need to take the A train, how about you?"
"I"m fully capable of getting to the subway all by myself."
"Maybe I"m not. I need a savvy, independent woman like yourself to protect me."
Talia eyed him up and down with a brow raised. "Yeah, right."
Somehow the streets didn"t seem quite so cold with the solid bulk of Detective O"Brien beside her. Finn. What a name. He reminded her of some ancient Celtic G.o.d. He was good-looking enough to be one.
Talia shivered in complete sensual awareness. She could smell him, feel him, and man oh man, did she ever want to taste him. She quivered at the thought of running her tongue across the column of his throat before diving in for a kiss.
"Are you cold? You"re shivering."
Ha. Cold? She was burning up. It had been a long, long time since she"d felt this much hunger for a man.
"No, it was just the change from the cozy bar to the street, that"s all." No, I"m not cold, I"m just thinking about attacking you.
"Yeah, O"Malley"s is a good place to go for a beer and some companionship. They usually have a band on Friday and Sat.u.r.day nights."
"I"m glad they didn"t this time. My head is still ringing from the music in the other clubs I went to. I"m surprised Ca.s.sidy has any hearing left after going to those places night after night."
"What? You don"t like to be smashed next to hundreds of other people, drinking high-priced, watered-down drinks and screaming above a thumping ba.s.s line? Where"s your sense of adventure?"
Talia felt his laugh right down to her toes. Being with him was better than thermal underwear; she hadn"t been this warm all winter.
"It"s tough, but I can usually manage to hold myself back."
Absently, Finn put his hand on her lower back to steer her around a pile of garbage bags on the sidewalk. It was ridiculous, but she could swear she felt the imprint of his fingers through her heavy winter coat, sweater, tee shirt and tank top, straight to the skin underneath. Did he have any idea the havoc he was causing to her dormant libido?
Talia bit her tongue as they approached the subway station. How did he feel about her? When she was shielded, she could only feel really strong emotions. The regular play of emotions that went on around her bounced off her mental walls without much notice.
Her mother had taught her to keep her shields up at all times. Probing someone"s emotions without permission was like reading someone"s diary. You didn"t do it unless it was absolutely necessary.
But would a peek really hurt? She"d just take a quick glimpse before she caught her train. He was going in the opposite direction, and she might never see him again. He wouldn"t know either way.
"Here"s where we part ways Miss Talia. It was a pleasure b.u.mping into you."
"Likewise. Thanks for walking me to the subway. You can shine up your boy scout badge now." Without thinking any more about the rights and wrongs of what she was doing, Talia opened her shields just a crack-and felt nothing.
Nothing? She opened them a little bit more. It was like there was a blank spot where Finn was standing.
Duh. He"s a cop. Shielding his emotions probably came naturally to him. Lots of people who worked in human services-firefighters, doctors, and nurses-had natural shields. They needed the protection to survive the emotional wringer of their jobs day in and day out.
Well, that"s what she deserved for trying to sneak a peek anyway. As she replaced her shields, a wave of need and anger hit her.
"Look out." Talia didn"t have time to think, only react. She pushed Finn away just as a knife came arching towards him.
A kid in baggy clothes and a skullcap pulled low over his forehead waved a knife around wildly. Talia tried to stay out of the way and put her shields back up at the same time.
Her head hurt from the emotional punch she received, but she knew enough to get the h.e.l.l out of the way. Finn was much better at handling this type of situation than she ever would be.
Finn circled the kid, keeping his distance, and staying light on his feet. His hands were up in front of him, but he didn"t move in to attack or try to disarm the little thug. "C"mon kid, there"s nothing for you here. Run while you can."
end.