Jaded by Karin Tabke will hit the shelves on 17 June.

KARIN TABKE, THE AUTHOR OF SKIN AND GOOD GIRL GONE BAD PENS ANOTHER SIZZLING TALE OF SEX, SCANDAL, AND HIGH-STAKES CORRUPTION WHEN A HARD-HITTING COP INVESTIGATES THE SULTRY, SECRETIVE HOSTESS OF AN UPSCALE “GENTLEMAN’S CLUB” IN THE WAKE OF A BRUTAL MURDER . . .

Jaded

Pocket, June 2008

Jase turned back to the soft click of the other door handle.

The creature that emerged struck him dumb. Literally. He could not have formed a coherent word and spoken at that instant even if the fate of the free world hung in the balance. His body instantaneously warmed and his stomach did a slow, hard roll, then another. Her sultry musky scent infiltrated his senses and attacked him like a lethal virus. His mouth went dry.

Holy Mother.

Big jade-colored eyes that slanted upward at the corners reminded him of a feral cat. A sleek, black feral cat. Boldly, she stared unwaveringly at him. Her cool indifference was unsettling. Straight hair so black it almost looked blue hung like a veil around her heart-shaped face. The delicate nostrils of her short aquiline nose flared, and her ruby red lips parted just enough to reveal brilliant white teeth.

Jase couldn’t help it. His eyes traveled from her ethereal face down that long slender neck to breasts so full and creamy they reminded him of caramel apples. He bet they were fake. They had to be. She wasn’t wearing a bra, her nipples stiffened as he stared, and he knew for tits that perfect to sit up that firm and that high they had to have had some help.

She extended a slender hand, the nails perfectly manicured and real, not those fake red claw jobs the hookers favored.

“Sergeant Vaughn? Jade Devereaux, proprietress of Callahan’s. How may I help you?”

You can help me by relieving this boner.

Jase took her hand. The current of electricity that sparked between them startled him. The jolt went straight to his dick. His eyes narrowed, and hers widened. She tried to pull her hand from his. His fingers tightened. Her warmth surprised him. It shouldn’t have. He bet she was a tiger in bed.

His eyes raked her long lithe form, the silky black halter dress she wore doing nothing to quell his imagination. In that moment, as he envisioned her long legs wrapped around his waist as he thrust deep into her, and that red pouty mouth of hers open, panting, begging him to fuck her harder, he knew the vision would become a reality.

“I can think of several ways.”

She yanked her hand from his, her eyes cooling to stone. Retreating a step, she said, “State your business.”

Taking his time while enjoying the sight, Jase pulled his notepad from the breast pocket of his jacket. He flipped it open, ignored the throb in his dick, and wished he could ignore the woman standing no more than three feet from him. She was damn distracting.

“I’m here regarding Andrew Townsend. Was he here last night?”

“I’m afraid, Sergeant, I cannot divulge that type of information.”

“Why not?”

“The names of our members are not for publication.”

“So you’re saying he was a member?”
“I’m saying, if he were we would not divulge the information. It’s privileged.”

“Answer me this, then: Do you personally know Andrew Townsend?”

“I choose not to answer your question.”

“Do you know he was murdered not far from here last night?”

Jade gasped. “How–?” Then she quickly collected herself. “I’m sorry for anyone’s death, Sergeant Vaughn.”

He watched her closely. Her nostrils flared and her left hand trembled. He noticed a Band-Aid on her left ring finger. “What happened?” he asked, pointing to her hand.

She quickly covered it with her other hand before releasing it. She looked him straight in the eye. “I cut myself shaving.”

Jase grinned. “Honey, a girl like you doesn’t shave. I bet you’ve had every annoying strand of hair on that lovely body of yours plucked, waxed, or lasered.”

Jade stepped back. “Sergeant, I’m afraid if you would like any further information you’ll need a search warrant. Now, please excuse me.”

“One moment, Miss Devereaux.”

Jade turned those mesmerizing green eyes on him. Her long black lashes hovered over them like the wings of a raven. Her full lips pursed. Another day and another time and he’d pursue those lips until they were his. But business first.

“We can do this the easy way. You tell me one, if Townsend was a member here; two, if he was here last night; and three, allow me to question everyone who had contact with him, or we can do this the hard way. I get a warrant and go public.”

He watched the play of her expressions. While to the average Joe she managed to appear disinterested, Jase was an expert at reading body language. And once he got past the lushness of her he could read her as easily as the Sunday paper. She knew Townsend, all right, and she was lying about her finger, and she was weighing the pros and cons of his proposal.

“One moment please,” she softly said before disappearing through the door from which she had entered. Jase glanced over to catch the wooden soldier eyeing him with what could only be described as contempt.

Jase shrugged it off. He’d been dissed by worse than that guy. The soft click of the door behind him sent a jolt of desire straight to his dick. Damn.

He turned expecting Miss Devereaux, but instead a rather portly older gent in a fine gray suit opened the door wider. “Sergeant Vaughn, my name is Thomas Proctor, Miss Devereaux’s majordomo. She has instructed me to show you to her office.”