Passion Storm

(Erotically Yours 5)

Erotic Romance, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense, BDSM, MF, HEA

Caroline Webber came home from work to find that her estranged husband and his girlfriend had been murdered in her home.

Dazed, she never expected that meeting homicide detective, Liam Silva, would change her life forever.

The chemistry between them couldn’t be denied.

And he was a Dominant.

Strong. Steady.

Sexy.

He made her feel things she’d never felt before.

Better than her darkest fantasies.

Liam admired Caroline’s courage and strength as she dealt with the horror of the murders in her home, especially when learning that her life was now in danger.

But he had a darker side that some of his cases brought to the surface.

Dealing with one of those cases, he tried to put distance between them.

But he couldn’t stay away.

Caroline yearned for Liam to find peace with her, never expecting to find her own as he took her to an erotic world of sensation.

And the love of a lifetime.

Excerpt

“What did you smell?”

“Blood. Death. I’m an ER nurse, remember? I’ve smelled it too many times before.”

So have I.

He waited to see if she would continue, not wanting to rush her, especially when her voice took on a distance, as if she was trying to tell what she saw while separating herself from the horror.

Although she looked out at the lush backyard, he suspected that she didn’t see it and was reliving the moments she’d walked into her husband’s room.

“I turned toward it.”

Priding himself on the small insight into her, Liam waited.

“I called him a son of a bitch and started into the room, furious that not only would he come into my house uninvited but would bring a woman with him.”

Liam found it curious that she hadn’t mentioned the front door yet but waited while she continued.

“I walked in and noticed that the shadows on the wall weren’t really shadows. The wall was dark in places from blood. The comforter had dark stains. I saw the bullet wounds.”

“Did you touch them?”

Nodded, she swallowed audibly. “I felt Jack’s carotid. Nothing, and he was too cold. I knew he was dead, and figured she was, but I went around the bed to feel hers, too. I guess I stood there a minute or two, trying to make sense of it.”

Her gaze slid to his. “I still can’t make sense of it. Why was he here? How many times has he done this while I was working? Another thing that’s bothering me is, how the hell did the killer get inside?”

She gulped the rest of her juice. “When I came out here, the door was locked. If the killer followed Jack into the garage, Jack and his girlfriend would never have made it to his bedroom.”

“You didn’t notice that the front door was damaged?”

She whirled on him, her blue eyes wide. “What? No.” Jumping up, she raced inside and through the kitchen and living room with Liam following close behind.

He caught her arm, shocked at the rush to his senses. “Don’t touch it.”

Stopping abruptly, Caroline watched the man applying a fine black powder the door handle and surrounding area in the search for fingerprints. “The door was closed. I would have noticed if it was open.”

Liam inclined his head and reluctantly released her, promising himself he would feel her soft skin against his in the near future. “I’m sure you would have. Let’s go back into the kitchen and sit down. I have a few more questions.”

Just then, Henry came down the stairs with a men’s toiletry bag. “Sir, we found this on the top shelf of the bedroom closet.”

Wearing gloves, he opened the top, which had already been unzipped, and showed Liam the contents.

Liam had a sinking feeling in his stomach as he took in the glittering diamonds.

Glancing at Caroline, he stepped back to allow her to see them. “You ever seen them before?”

She looked into the bag, her eyes going wide. “Jesus! No. Are those real?”

If she had known about them, Liam felt she would have hidden them before calling the police.

Henry raised a brow. “You didn’t see these on the top shelf?”

Caroline crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes flashing. “Have you looked at me, Detective? I’m five feet three in my nursing shoes. I’ve never even seen the top shelf. Excuse me. I need to breathe.”

Liam watched her walk away, wanting nothing more than to hold her until she settled.

With gloved hands, Henry rezipped the bag holding the diamonds and dropped it into the evidence bag held open by the waiting detective. “Jack Webber worked as a manager at a wholesale club. He has a brother who got out of prison three months ago. David Webber.”

“What was he in for?”

Henry raised a brow. “You’re not gonna believe this. He’s a jewel thief.”

Liam grimaced. “Mrs. Webber either knows more than she’s telling us or there’s a chance that she might be in danger.”

“I understand the bedroom was searched. Why weren’t they found during the search?”

“The bag was pressed against the back wall. He would have had to be tall enough to see it. The shelves were otherwise empty.”

Liam sighed. “So unless he was tall enough to see it, he would have seen nothing but empty shelves.”

Henry inclined his head. “Exactly. I don’t know how a man who works as a manager at a wholesale club could get all of those diamonds, unless he somehow stole them.”

Liam started back toward the garage, with the intention of finding Caroline again. “And if they belong to someone else, they’re gonna be desperate to get them back.”