by Deborah Camp
Whitney poked an elbow in his ribs. “Hampton, behave yourself.” She smiled at Shadow, hoping he wasn’t taking her old friend seriously. “Tea does sound nice, Shadow.”
“What?” Shadow shook his head as if trying to throw his thoughts into order. “Tea? Oh, sure. No problem.” He started toward the kitchen, but stopped halfway there and slowly turned back to them. His gaze rested reflectively on Hampton, then Shadow chuckled and ran a hand along the back of his neck. “Hampton, you’re an ornery old peacock.”
Hampton’s eyebrows shot up, but he made no comment until Shadow had turned the corner into the kitchen, then he faced Whitney, who laughed at his startled expression.
“What an apt description,” Whitney said, still laughing.
“I think I handled myself admirably considering that I stumbled in here to find you in his bathrobe and him only partially dressed,” Hampton said, checking the perfect knot of his tie.
“Hampton, I took a shower and—”
“You don’t owe me any explanations,” Hampton interrupted.
“You’re right. I don’t.” She softened her rejoinder with a smile and nudged his shoulder with hers. “Thanks for bringing me some clothes.”
A smile wreathed his face and he leaned sideways and kissed her cheek. “This old peacock loves you, Whitney. Are you okay?”
“Yes.” She clasped her arms around her bent knees and sighed. “Were the police still in my house when you were there?”
“They were just leaving. As usual, they’ve left a mess for poor Selma to clean up.” Hampton picked up the Indian scout bust and turned it around before setting it back on the table. “What would you call this decor? Early Indian pizzeria?”
His observance swept aside her dark thoughts of the Malibu Intruder and she laughed. “I think his apartment is charming.”
“Forgive me, dear, but you’d think his apartment was charming if it were decorated with toilet paper and newspaper confetti.” He gave a little smile, then his expression was suddenly serious. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” he asked in a conspiratorial whisper.
“Yes, I think I am.” She averted her gaze, feeling shy and unsure of herself. “What do you think about that?”
“I think our tea is ready,” Hampton said in a normal voice as he straightened beside her, but his next comment was for her ears only, “and I think he’s a colossal improvement over your last paramour.”
“Here’s your tea, Hampton,” Shadow said, entering the living room and setting a tray on the coffee table. “I even found some cookies for you.”
“Thank you, but I must be going.” Hampton stood and jerked his jacket into place. “It’s past midnight and time for me to be in bed.”
“But … what about the tea?” Shadow asked, obviously flustered and a bit put out.
“Serve it to Whitney,” Hampton said, pulling open the door and flashing a brief, tender smile. “It always settles her nerves. Good night, all.” He shut the door quietly behind him.
“That guy is positively weird!” Shadow muttered, dropping onto the couch beside Whitney.
“He’s a darling,” Whitney said wistfully. “A treasure.”
“He’s a good agent?” Shadow asked doubtfully. He poured steaming tea into a cup and handed it to her.
“The best. He could sell ice cubes to the devil.” She tasted the tea and smiled, her appreciation. “My father willed Hampton to me.”
“That’s impossible,” Shadow argued. “You can’t will a person to someone.”
“He did!” Whitney bobbed her head to emphasize her words. “In his will, my father said that he knew he couldn’t actually leave Hampton to me, but that he was giving Hampton’s friendship to me with Hampton’s prior approval. My father said that it was the most valuable thing he had to give.” She leaned back against the couch, cradling the hot cup in her hands. “He was right.”
“Weird,” Shadow muttered. He blew at his tea and took a drink.
“You think I’m a little weird, don’t you?” Whitney gave him a sidelong glance. “That comment you made out on the beach …”
“What comment?” He selected a cookie and bit into it.
“About me not being able to live a normal life. I’ve been thinking about that and I’d like to know what you consider normal? Do you think you live a normal life?”
“Sure.” He popped the last bite of cookie into his mouth. “I get up in the morning, go to work, come home and cook something—”
“Hold it.” Whitney grasped his hand when he started to reach for another cookie and wrestled for his full attention. “Back up. You go to work. Just like that?”
“Sure. What are you getting at?” He shook off her hand and grabbed another cookie. “I go to work.”
“But your work isn’t exactly normal. Your work calls for you to go out and look for trouble.”
“Oh, I see where this is headed.” His mouth curved into a wry grin. “I’ve heard this song before.” He set his cup in its saucer on the table and twisted to face her. “My job isn’t that dangerous. But none of us knows what’s around the corner, there aren’t any guarantees in life.”
“Yes, but most of us stumble around the corner instead of running headlong around it. Face it, Shadow. Your job is far from what one would call normal. It’s certainly not the same as selling insurance for a living!” She breathed deeply and examined him through the shield of her dark lashes. “What did you mean … you’ve heard this song before? Has some other woman brought up this subject?”
He shrugged indifferently. “I’ve mentioned my bevy of beauties.”
“Be serious. Who was she?”
He lifted a winged brow. “Why should I discuss my former love with you when you won’t discuss yours with me?”
“Oh, you make me so mad!” She slammed her cup and saucer onto the table and a chip broke off one side of the saucer.
“Hey, I thought tea was supposed to calm your nerves.” Shadow examined the broken saucer and frowned. “Nice going, Whitney.”
“I’m sorry.” She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, chastising herself for letting her emotions get the best of her. “Was it expensive? I’ll pay for it.”
He set the saucer down gently. “You bet you’ll pay for it. That saucer was a genuine dime store special.”
She smiled, grateful that he wasn’t really angry with her. Feeling as if she should reward him for his good nature, she approached his earlier subject with reluctance. “There’s really nothing to tell about Jean-Claude. I thought I loved him and I thought he loved me.”
“Where did you meet him?”
“In Paris.”
“France?”
She threw him a scolding glance. “No, Texas. Of course, France. He’s French, or couldn’t you place his accent when you talked to him over the telephone?”
“I wasn’t interested in his accent; just his answers. What soured your relationship?”
“Jean-Claude.” Whitney plucked at the lapels of the terry cloth robe and frowned. “He said he was leaving me before I bored him to tears.”
“What a fool.”
His succinct pronouncement sent her startled gaze to him. Shadow was selecting another cookie from the platter, unaware that his comment had been exactly what she had wanted to hear. She could almost feel her old scars beginning to disappear and she had Shadow to thank for that. He fell back on the couch and enjoyed his cookie with the simple exuberance of a boy. When he’d finished he brushed crumbs from his hands and glanced at her. He looked away again, then seemed to become aware of her tender regard and change of mood, for his gaze swiveled back to her and a puzzled expression pushed across his face.
“You want a cookie?”
Whitney laughed. “No, I don’t want a cookie.” She waved a dismissing hand, deciding to keep her revelation to herself. “Tell me about your former love.”
“What former love?”
“The woman you mentioned a few minutes ago. The one you e
xplained the facts of your profession to.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He laced his fingers and rested his hands on his stomach. A grin played at the corners of his mouth.
“I’m talking about the woman you were in love with. Now, come clean!”
“I’ve never been in love.” He laughed at her open-mouthed indignation. “You just assumed that I had.”
“You tricked me!” She hit him on the shoulder with her fist and he held up a hand to ward off any further blows. “You’ve never been in love before?”
“No.” He grabbed her wrists and pulled her up close until his breath fanned her face. “And I don’t think you have been, either.”
“I think you’re right.” Her lips brushed across his.
“Do you think you could live with a cop?”
A thrill of expectation shot through her. “It wouldn’t be easy, but it would be fun to try.”,
“You wouldn’t end up a nervous wreck?”
“If I can get through this Intruder ordeal, I can get through anything.” She kissed him lightly, then again. “Do you think you could live with a temperamental artist?”
“Who did you have in mind?”
“You’re a barrel of laughs, Tallwalker.” Her teeth closed gently on his lower lip and tugged.
“I surrender!” Shadow said between clenched teeth, sighing in relief when she released his lip. “You’re an animal.”
“It’s the company I keep.” Her arms circled his neck and she gave him a quick, hard kiss. Her eyelids lowered slowly when Shadow’s mouth flamed against the side of her neck, but just before her lids blocked her vision entirely, Whitney caught sight of Shadow’s gun and holster draped on a hat tree across the room. The gun and holster reminded her of the Intruder’s visit to her house tonight, and an involuntary gasp burst past her lips.
Shadow leaned back a little, saw her wide-eyed stare, and looked over his shoulder His dark brows met in a scowl as he turned back to Whitney. “I can put it someplace else, if you’d like.”
Whitney shook her head and removed herself from his embrace. She poured herself more tea, hoping it would soothe her nerves as it had done in the past.
“Do guns scare you?”
“I don’t like them, but they don’t terrify me.” She sipped the warm tea and shrugged. “It just reminded me of the Intruder. He’s singled me out, hasn’t he?”
Shadow averted his gaze from hers as if her question had caught him by surprise. He sighed and his shoulders slumped. “Yes, I think he has.”
“But why me?” Whitney closed her eyes for a moment. “I just don’t understand.”
“I think it has something to do with me.”
Her gaze flew to his face, but Shadow was staring moodily at his hands. “With you? What have you got to do with anything?”
He turned his left hand over and curled his fingers into a fist. “While you were in the shower I called your house and talked to one of the officers. The Intruder left another note.” He frowned and his jawline tightened.
“What did the note say?”
“It said that he hoped you were having a good time with your cop lover and that I couldn’t keep him away from you.”
“Oh, great!” Whitney gulped the last of the tea, her nerves jangling. “He’s getting personal now.”
“What you have to remember is that this guy has never confronted any of his victims, Whitney. He pulls these pranks, but he doesn’t want to see his victims face-to-face. It’s the same kind of kick an obscene phone caller goes for, but these guys want to remain anonymous.”
“Yes, but he’s singled me out,” Whitney repeated. “Maybe he’s decided to confront me.”
“It won’t happen,” Shadow stated emphatically.
“You can’t say that for certain.”
“Yes, I can.” He looked at her and his eyes were a stony gray. “I won’t allow it to happen! I’m going to catch him, Whitney, I promise you that.”
“Shadow, you can’t make that promise.” She rounded her shoulders, feeling exposed and vulnerable.
“Don’t doubt me, Whitney.” His voice was ragged and hoarse. “Not now. Come here. I need to hold you.”
“Shadow … Shadow …” With a whimper she let him enfold her, and she didn’t feel exposed and vulnerable any longer. He imbued her with his strength and made her believe in him … in herself … in them. Together, nothing could harm them, Whitney thought. She shut her eyes tightly and wished she could burrow inside of Shadow and not come out until this nightmare was over. “When you hold me like this, I believe in miracles,” she whispered.
He smoothed her hair and tipped back her head so that he could look deeply into her eyes. “Just believe in me. I’ll get you through this.”
“It isn’t fair. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me and I should be on cloud nine, but this Malibu Intruder business is casting a dark cloud over everything. It’s just not fair!” With a jolt, she realized she had spoken from the heart and had revealed more than she had intended, but her heartfelt admission didn’t seem to have registered fully with Shadow.
His hands framed her face and he dropped sweet kisses across her cheekbones. “I’ll lift the dark cloud,” he whispered just before his mouth melted on hers and his tongue dipped inside.
Whitney snuggled into his embrace and parted her lips, eager for another taste of him. His mouth was warm and searching, and his hands moved with rough passion beneath the bathrobe. Passion flared through her and Whitney closed her eyes and saw the sun.
The house looked innocent on the outside, but Whitney knew it had been violated and she dreaded what awaited her.
“How did he get in this time?” she asked, handing her door key to Shadow.
“He jimmied your patio door. Can I offer you some professional advice, Miss Campbell?”
Whitney crossed her arms and adopted an indulgent pose. “Let’s have it, Detective.”
“I would suggest that you install a burglar detection system and install bars on all your windows.”
A sadness stole through her and Whitney tilted her head back and studied her house’s stucco finish. “You mean I should turn my castle into my prison. Maybe I could even enclose the house with a moat.”
“When I was a kid, we never locked our doors when we left the house,” Shadow said as he opened the screen door. “By the time I was in high school, we always locked our doors even when we were at home. It doesn’t speak too well of our world, but we have to adjust to the changes.” He plucked a folded piece of paper from the screen. “There’s a note here for you.” He handed it to her and unlocked the front door.
“I hope it’s not another threat from the Intruder.” Whitney entered the house with Shadow right behind her. She unfolded the pink paper and read the brief message. “Oh, no!”
“What?” Shadow peered past her shoulder. “Is it from him?”
“No, it’s from Selma. The Intruder has scared her off. She’s quit.”
“Selma?”
“My maid.” Whitney balled up the note and tossed it into the trash basket. “That means I’ve got to clean up the mess the Intruder left.”
“I’ll help you,” Shadow volunteered. “You’ll find another maid.” He shook his head and laughed incredulously. “News sure travels fast around here. I guess she’s already heard about last night’s break-in.”
Whitney stepped down into the living room, glad to see that it was undisturbed. “I knew your hasty denial had fallen on deaf ears. Besides, I’m sure that Ashley’s guests couldn’t miss that squad car in my drive or the fingerprinting team crawling all over the place.”
Shadow moved past her and stared at the portrait of Whitney when she was twelve. “I see you’ve had it repaired.”
“Yes. I got it back the day before yesterday.”
“You were cute when you were a kid,” Shadow said, still studying the portrait.
“What about now that I’m an adult?” she aske
d, blatantly fishing for compliments.
He pivoted to face her. “You’re gorgeous.”
“Thanks. So are you.” She looked over her shoulder to the second landing and heaved a sigh. “I guess I’d better get this over with.”
“I’ll help. I’m good at changing sheets.”
“Oh?” Whitney walked to the staircase and looked back at him. “Had lots of practice, have you?”
Shadow chuckled. “I wouldn’t touch that one with a ten-foot pole.” He started up the stairs behind her and gave her backside a playful slap. “I’m glad to see you’ve bounced back to your old, smart-mouthed self.”
Whitney paused a moment before her bedroom door, preparing herself mentally for what awaited her, then she threw open the door and was surprised by her lack of feeling.
“I must be getting used to this,” she said, grabbing a corner of the ripped sheet and giving it a mighty tug. “The last time I saw this, I nearly fainted.”
With swift, taciturn deliberation, Whitney removed the slashed bedclothes with Shadow’s help. The new spread was in ribbons, so she tossed it aside, along with the ruined mattress padding. Shadow put crisp sheets on the bed while Whitney examined her damaged clothing. Anger coursed through her when she discovered that the Intruder had ruined her favorite cocktail dress and lounging pajamas.
“Oooh!” Whitney flung the dress and pajamas to the floor, unable to keep cool any longer. “That little creep! Oh, I wish he were here right now!” She grasped thin air and throttled it.
Shadow laughed and pulled her around to face him. “Whitney Campbell, you are delightful.” He gave her a hard, smacking kiss on the mouth. “Have I told you lately that I—” He cocked his head at the sound of the doorbell. “Are you expecting someone?”
“No. It’s probably Hampton.” Whitney sighed with frustration. “I’ll answer it.”