Temperature Rising

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Book: Read Temperature Rising for Free Online
Authors: Alysia S. Knight
MacDaniels — Mac — that she found very appealing. And it wasn’t just his looks, though he looked real nice. She just hadn’t felt so good on a date for a long time, if ever.
    “This is a great restaurant.” She looked around the quaint room with the brightly colored, carved chairs and tiles that turned the hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant into a delightful place. “How did you find it?”
    “Investigating a case.”
    “Someone was killed here.” Laken felt an instant of distress until he calmed her.
    “No, it was a former employee.”
    She relaxed back against the seat.
    “You look like you’re about to fall asleep there.”
    “I feel so much better. You were so right, that Arroz con Pollo was incredible, the perfect choice.”
    “I’m glad you liked it. I guess I should take you home.”
    He sounded reluctant, or was that just wishful thinking?
    “I’ve had a good time. I’m usually too nervous on dates to have fun. I guess having you already think I’m strange, I can’t go any lower, so I might as well be myself.”
    “I’ve enjoyed being with you.”
    The heat in his eyes made her heart jump. She felt the warmth seep into her cheeks. “Thank you.”
    She rose with him, and they made their way out. “I hate to have you take me home.” She sighed.
    The heat flared in his eyes as he looked back.
    “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean that to sound like. I wasn’t inviting you to… That is, I wasn’t—”
    “It’s okay, Laken.”
    “I just don’t want you to think I would hop into bed with you. It’s not just you. Oh man, for a smooth evening, I just made a hash out of that.” She paused, and glanced at him. He looked as if he was about to laugh at her. Then he did when she groaned and dropped her head in her hands. She joined in the laughter when she looked up at him. “Maybe you better take me home now.”
    A couple minutes later everything she was saying fled her mind as they turned the corner and her eyes locked on the pharmacy sign ahead.
    “Laken, is something wrong?”
    “I know you don’t believe me.” She turned to him. “But I’m going to ask you for a favor. Will you stop at the pharmacy up there? That’s the one. Just ask if they remember seeing her that night, please,” she added when he looked toward her.
    He pulled into an open spot, shifted the car in park and turned to her. “I’ve been putting this off, but I have to ask. How did you know he stabbed her in the back and stepped on her?”
    The remaining pleasure of the evening evaporated. “That was why you took me out, so you could finally interrogate me.”
    “No,” he came back quickly. “I’ve been avoiding asking you, though I knew I had to. When you left the station, I figured I’d come find you tomorrow. I need to know how you know.”
    “Then I was right. It happened like I said.”
    “Laken.”
    “No, Mac. I didn’t lie to you. It was all the truth, every bit of it, the guy here and the dream.” She could see the doubt on his face, and it hurt down to the center of her heart. She turned away unable to take the look any longer. “Just go ask them.”
    “You really want me to believe you’re psychic?”
    “I’m not psychic.” She wanted to scream but fought for composure. “I don’t know how, but it was a dream. The worst dream I’ve ever had in my life. I was so sick I thought I was going to die.”
    “Maybe you were so sick, you really were there and don’t remember it.”
    She could see him searching for explanations, and it just hurt more.
    “No.” She pushed open the door and headed for the pharmacy. She was halfway there before he caught her, but she refused to acknowledge him. She didn’t see either person from two nights earlier when she entered the store. Going straight to the counter, she waited in silence until the woman there turned her attention to them.
    “Good evening,” Mac spoke up first as he took out his badge. “I’m Detective MacDaniels. I’d like to ask you a

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