THE HEART TEACHES BEST (REAL ROMANCE COLLECTION Book 2)

by M. J. Schiller

“I’m out of here!” But he turned around halfway to his car. “Promise me, when we get this guy, you’ll let me have a few minutes with him alone.”

  “No way, Cooper! I’ll give you a few shots, but you’d kill him if I left the two of you alone.”

  “Yeah. Your point is…?”

  He grinned. “I’d be stuck cleaning up the mess.” He pulled out his keys. “See ya back at home.”

  Cooper nodded and got behind the wheel of the ‘Vette. He put the car in gear and pulled out. Laney sat silent beside him, still looking numb. Unsure of how to approach her, he filled the car with senseless rambling. She did her best to add to the conversation, but he could tell her mind was elsewhere. After a while, he reached over and laid a hand on her leg. “I’m sorry for jumping on you back there.”

  “No, I understand,” she said. “I was wrong. I was too nervous. I blew it.”

  “No. I—”

  “Yes! The bait isn’t supposed to panic.”

  Cooper winced. “I should have never put you in that position.”

  “Still, I understand why you would be mad at me.”

  “Mad at you?” He took his eyes off the road for a minute to gaze at her in surprise. “Laney, I’m not mad at you. You didn’t do anything wrong. He was there. We just got the wrong man. I acted too quickly, didn’t think. I was letting my emotions get in the way of my judgment. I want to get this man so much.”

  She studied his profile. “Because he keeps eluding you? It’s a matter of ego?”

  He laughed at her bluntness. “Yeah, I guess. That, and…” He reached over and touched the side of her face. “Because it’s tearing me up inside to see what he’s doing to you.” He put his hand back on the wheel, staring ahead. “And thinking about what he wants to do to you…” He gestured vaguely. That scares the shit out of me.

  He glanced over. Her head was lowered and she was rubbing her hand along her shorts. He couldn’t see her expression through her hair where it fell forward to cover her face. Her voice was small, hesitant, as it seeped through the blond wall. “Why does it matter to you so much? I mean, you see cases like mine all the time, don’t you?”

  Her words echoed Aidan’s. He nodded, although she hadn’t turned to look at him. He waited for her to complete her thought, but she seemed to change horses in midstream. “So,” she said with what sounded like false cheerfulness. “You’ll catch him and then this will all be over.” Her voice caught and she stopped talking.

  But what she said struck a chord. What would happen after this was done? When she was free to go back to work. When the danger that had forced them together was gone. Would she walk away without looking back? A sweet good-bye, perhaps, and then…nothing. The thought left a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach.

  Laney entertained similar thoughts. She would be another case solved, stamped “CLOSED” in red, put away in a manila folder and locked inside a metal drawer. She wouldn’t have him to lean on anymore, and there would be no Sydney to comfort her. She had no close friends, only acquaintances. She had never felt confident enough to open up to anyone other than Sydney, always fearful of the rejection her mother inundated her with. It was safer not to risk, she knew, not to try at all, then she couldn’t be rejected. But, somehow—whether it was because she was mourning the loss of Sydney and was weak, or if it was the unsteadiness of her current reality, hunted by some maniac who wanted to hurt her—somehow, she had let him in. She dreaded the thought of being alone again, of being without him. She wrapped her arms around her middle, feeling nauseous.

  As they drove, the tires beat a slow, mournful tune to accompany their bleak thoughts and neither one spoke until they pulled into the parking lot at Cooper and Aidan’s.

  He switched off the ignition and turned to her, again putting his hand on her leg. “You okay?”

  She nodded, and tried to force a smile. Aidan was walking toward their car, so they got out.

  “Hey,” Aidan said, his easiness a stark contrast to their somberness. “I was thinking on the way over here, this place isn’t safe anymore. If he was tracking Laney through her phone, then he knows about this place.”

  “I thought the same thing,” Cooper said with a frown.

  “My mom has a place I bet we can use,” Laney interjected. “I’ve never been there, so he won’t know about it. I’m sure there’s room for all of us.”

  “Are you sure she’d let us borrow it? I don’t think she’s very fond of me. After you left the table that day I first met your mom, I kind of suggested that she owed you an apology.”

  Laney stared at him. “And how did she take that?”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t stick around to find out.”

  Laney smiled. “No one talks to my mom like that, except for maybe Syd.”

  “I guess I don’t have any manners.” He laughed.

  She took his hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m glad!”

  His heart did a little cartwheel as he gazed down into her sunny face. Man, when that girl smiles, she’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever laid eyes on!”

  Aidan cleared his throat. “Not that it’s not a great offer, Lane, but I was thinking of staying at Jenna’s place. Unless you think you may need backup.”

  “No. If he doesn’t know about the place, we’ll be fine.”

  Aidan held out his hand to shake Cooper’s. “But you’ll call if you need anything?”

  “Yeah,” he said and clasped Aidan’s hand, putting his other hand on his friend’s shoulder, “I’ll call.”

  “Good. Let’s get our stuff then.”

  While they packed duffle bags, Laney called her mother and arranged to meet with her, ironically, in the same ritzy restaurant where they had all met before. Her things were still packed in a bag a female officer had retrieved from her condo the day before, so they were off in no time.

  Chapter Twenty

  Camille Essex sat in the same booth she had been in on their previous visit. She eyed the pair appraisingly as they approached the table. They exchanged greetings and sat down, and Camille’s eyes zeroed in on the bruises and bandage on Laney’s forehead.

  “Tsk, tsk! You are such a klutz, Laney-dear. Did you trip down the stairs at your condo?”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Laney saw Cooper’s mouth twitch. His jaw was tight and she hurried to answer before he had an opportunity to, squeezing his hand underneath the table. “Yes, Mother. I tripped down the stairs.” She shot Cooper a warning glance and he had to bite his tongue to keep his promise to her.

  “Why, Officer,” Camille said, letting a bit of her southern drawl seep through, “every time I see you lately, you are in the company of my daughter.” She sipped her highball, measuring him over the rim of the cut crystal.

  “Mother, please don’t start.”

  “Nonsense, Laney, I want to know what this young man’s intentions are. Who are your people, son?”

  “Mother!”

  He laughed. “I belong to the Sullivans of Orange County.”

  “Mother, I won’t have you insult Cooper. He—”

  Camille shot her daughter a sharp look. “I see your manners haven’t improved since the last time we met here,” she declared, her voice steel. The implication was clear. Laney would remember exactly what had happened the last time she spoke back to her mother. “Maybe you’ve been hanging out with this one too much,” she added, indicating Cooper with a jerk of her head.

  “His manners are impeccable! He would never make anyone squirm by being self-righteous and…and…” Her mind seemed to search for the words to express her indignation but she gave up with a loud sigh, trying to rein it in.

  Camille took a long sip of her drink. “Oh, Laney, you are so naïve. All he wants to do is get into your pants.”

  She gasped.

  Now it was Cooper’s turn to be irate. “For your information—”

  “I’m not interested in anything you have to say.” She gave him a cool gaze.

  “Mother! We are
not here to discuss Cooper or his intentions, good, or otherwise. I simply wanted to ask you if I could use your house in Malibu.”

  “What?” She looked from one to the other. “Are you two looking for a place to shack up?”

  “You know—” Cooper began, his eyes blazing, but Laney interrupted.

  “Cooper!” When he turned to Laney, he expected to see a warning look on her face, beseeching him not to tell her mother about the killer stalking her, but instead she said calmly, “Let me tell her.” She turned back to her mother, laying her folded arms on the table. “Mother, I need the house because the man who killed Sydney broke into my house, followed me to a hotel room where he stabbed a police officer and tried to get at me while I cowered in the bathroom, and then attacked me at the beach and did this to me.” Her voice shook with a cold fury. “I need a place where I can hide myself away until Cooper can figure out who’s doing this, so…can I stay there or should I look for something else?”

  “He-he struck you?” Camille stuttered in shock, her hand over her heart.

  “He knocked her out cold,” Cooper said, happy to see she was taken aback.

  “And you…where were you?” she turned on him, her voice shrill.

  Laney stood, jarring the table and splashing water from the goblets onto the tablecloth. “This isn’t worth it!” She reached for his hand as he slid out of the booth.

  Camille stared at them, open-mouthed. They turned and walked away.

  “That felt good!” Laney whispered to him.

  “Laney! Wait!”

  They halted but didn’t turn at first, looking at each other. Then Laney sighed and walked back. Camille was scrambling to pull something out of a beaded bag on the table. Laney slowly walked back to her side.

  “Here,” she said, sliding a piece of paper she had scribbled on into her hand. “This is the name and address of the property management company that maintains the house for me. I’ll call ahead to let them know you are coming.” As she reached for the paper, Camille grasped her hand. “Be careful, Laney,” she said, her voice hoarse. “You’re all I have left.”

  She found her throat tight as she responded. “I will, Mother.” She kissed her on the cheek and left. She returned to Cooper shaking her head. “Unbelievable.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She pointed out how horrible it would be for her should I be killed.” She sighed. “But at least she said it would matter to her. I wasn’t at all sure whether it would.”

  * * *

  Cooper followed the sky-blue sedan up the steep, twisty drive to the house. Before he and Laney headed for the management company, he pulled over on the side of the road so she could toss her cell-phone over the cliff and into the waves below. It was important for her to do it herself, her way of thumbing her nose at the killer and taking back control. He had been right; she relaxed for the rest of the ride.

  Now, as they pulled up to a small, unassuming cottage, she peered out the window uncertainly. “This is it? This is my mother’s place?” They got out and walked with the young man from the property management service to the front door as he pulled out the keys. “I’m surprised by how…modest this place is. Knowing my mother, I expected something more, well, splashy.”

  “Oh, ho, ho!” the young man laughed. “This is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. Most of the house is built into the side of the cliff.” He opened the door and stepped back so they could enter.

  As Cooper and Laney crossed the threshold, they found themselves standing on a sort of balcony/entryway about twenty feet above a living room the size of a casino lobby. A wide, curved staircase cascaded to the floor below which was illuminated by a wall of pure glass on the far side of the room. Camille knew a home built into the side of a cliff would have a limited area in which to install windows, so she had twenty-foot high windows that spanned the entire length of the room. Laney leaned against the railing overlooking the room below, the corners of her lips turning up. “She is a piece of work,” she muttered under her breath, a smile twitching at the corners of her lips. She descended the staircase, trailing a hand over the satiny-smooth wooden banister as she went.

  Cooper turned to the man from the property company, pulling out his badge. “Listen, Jarred…it’s Jarred, right?” The young man, who was now nervous, nodded his head vigorously. “It is important no one know Ms. Essex is here. No one! Not your mom and dad, not the guy you work out with at the gym, not even the mailman, okay? Ms. Essex’s safety depends on it. Do you think you can do that for us?”

  Jarred’s eyes strayed to watch Laney as she ambled down the long staircase and he nodded.

  “Good, good. I think we can find our way around, and if we have any questions, we’ll call you.”

  “Yes, Officer.” Jarred was out the door without further comment, closing it behind him.

  Cooper pocketed his badge and turned to locate her. When he saw her, his breath caught in his chest. There were times, like this, he was taken off guard by the way his feelings for her swamped him. She stood at the bank of windows, her back to him, her arms crossed. He stepped down the stairs slowly, watching her the whole way. She didn’t move an inch. He was captivated by her, not observing the resplendent surroundings as he passed, taking in only the glassy shimmer of her hair in the sunlight, the tantalizing curves of her bare back, where it was revealed by her halter top dipping low and the sweet allure of her hips, sensual even in the khaki shorts she wore.

  He was thankful for the long walk as he anticipated touching her, letting his hands claim what he wanted, breathing in her subtle, tempting fragrance, a scent that had its own power to arouse him, as it required his closeness to smell it and he had come to associate it with their most intimate moments. As he approached her, he almost felt like some sort of wild animal stalking its prey, and, indeed, she jumped when his hands touched her, sliding around her waist and pulling her close to him. He buried his face in her hair and she leaned back into his arms with such delicious trust and familiarity, it made him smile. He could see she had closed her eyes, a faint smile playing over her lips, her hands folded up to touch his arms. She rubbed the curves of his muscles as they basked in the warmth of the sunlight, coupled by the heat of their closeness.

  There it was. That smell. The clean, floral scent that rose from her skin, making him want to sink his teeth into her flesh. His lips ran the length of her neck, although they were not parted, and he was consumed by the velvety softness of her skin, along with the silky feel of her hair against his cheek.

  Oh, God, how I want to do so much more to you that would feel nice! He tried to temper his need. “Your mom has…flair.”

  She laughed at his understatement, the noise bubbling up from deep inside of her, spilling out like tinkling bells. “Do you think?” she countered, turning in his arms.

  “I hope we don’t get lost in here. I forgot to ask Jarred for a map.” Now his deep, low laugh mixed with hers, dancing together in the sunlight that blazed through the window. “What do you want to do now?” he asked suggestively, his voice a low purr. He was certain he saw her guard come up for a minute, a wariness floating behind those beautiful blue eyes of hers.

  “Well-ll…I need to go to the grocery store to get stuff for dinner.” She looked at him with curiosity.

  “I’ll go with you.”

  “You don’t need to. I’ll be safe here.”

  “Well, I’m not taking any chances. And besides, I love grocery shopping.”

  “Wow! You use that line a lot, Sullivan?” Her lips turned up in a sexy grin, a twinkle in her eye.

  With his hands on her hips, he shimmied her closer, bending his face to hers, “Only on girls I’m trying to score with.”

  “Oh? And how does it generally work for you?” She smiled, running her fingertips up his chest.

  He shrugged, feeling his own smile a mile wide. “I do okay.”

  “Not this time.” She laughed, pushing off his chest and dodging when he moved to p
ull her back. She grabbed her purse from a chair and hurried up the long steps, her laugh floating back to him. She left him feeling like he’d been doused with a bucket of cold water.

  Oooh! he groaned. I like her! He chased after her, out the door.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Who knew the grocery store could be so much fun? Laney loved having someone to talk to, someone to push the cart and trail along with her, or run and get something on the list. Cooper turned out to be pretty handy to have along as he seemed to know his way around a grocery store better than she expected.

  “Do you cook?” she asked, after he had successfully retrieved some fresh rosemary for her.

  “Aidan and I used to take turns,” he explained. “But I ended up teaching myself how to cook in self-defense. Aidan is terrible!”

  “Ahh.”

  “Besides,” Cooper added, grabbing her up by surprise, “the grocery store is a great place to pick up girls.” Before she could make any evasive moves he kissed her, stealing her breath away and leaving her off balance enough she had to reach for the cart handle to steady herself.

  “Cooper!” she giggled. “There’s a boy watching us.” She tried to squirm away from his arms.

  He looked up, following her gaze to where the cute little red curly-haired boy was observing them from the end of the aisle. “So?” he responded, brushing his lips temptingly over hers again. “Let him find his own girl.”

  “Ahem.”

  He glanced again. Now a heavy-set, red-headed woman frowned at them as she ushered the boy away.

  “Killjoy,” Cooper muttered, but he released Laney and behaved himself for the rest of the trip.

  When they left the grocery store, the sky had turned dark and the Santa Ana winds had picked up in intensity. A storm was brewing.

  “Boy.” She helped to load the groceries into the car. “I hope you can get the barbecuing in.” The wind was whipping her hair into her face. She tried to push it out of her face with one hand, while reaching back into the cart for another bag.