“No,” he stated firmly. “Just let me know when she does.”
“Don’t worry,” Agnes said, with a knowing smile.
“I’m not,” he answered, more gruffly than usual.
What else could he do? Dekker couldn’t afford having people think he’d gone soft.
CHAPTER 11
Alexis slammed her front door hard enough to rattle the pictures hanging on the wall. She strode past Callie, straight to her bedroom. She would have slammed that door too, except Chester was lying on the threshold, probably waiting for that damn mouse.
The urge to punch something filled Alexis. Where was a punching bag when you really needed one? Nick’s over protectiveness had seemed sweet at first. Then it became mildly annoying. But to bring up her father? If there was one person in the station who understood how hard it was to come out from under his shadow, it should have been Nick.
“He hasn’t called yet?”
Alexis turned to find Callie standing in the doorway. Damn, her friend was in stealth mode. Alexis didn’t even hear her approach. Then she noticed the two glasses of wine in Callie’s hands. Leave it to Callie to start happy hour early. It was only two in the afternoon.
“Wanna talk about it?” Callie asked, handing one of the glasses to Alexis.
Alexis shot Callie a “not now” look as she unbuttoned her shirt. She wasn’t in the mood to talk. Alexis had had enough of people meddling in her life. Maybe if she ignored the actress-slash-writer-slash-meddler, she would just leave.
But she should have known that Callie couldn’t leave it at that. Her friend hadn’t been able to since kindergarten.
“They just don’t understand, do they?”
“Understand what?” Alexis asked, frustrated, struggling to get a blue T-shirt over her head. The damn thing kept bunching up and snagging on her elbow.
“That, secretly, you want Dekker to be innocent.”
Alexis’ voice cracked as she ripped her shirt. “I do not!”
“Oh, please.” Callie took a sip of her wine, and then set the second glass on Alexis’ dresser. “This might have started out as a routine investigation, but now you are striving to prove his innocence.”
“Callie, you have never been so wrong.”
Mainly because Alexis already believed that Dekker was innocent. However, Callie did not need to know that information. Tugging on the torn tee, Alexis squeezed past Callie. She went down to the living room and plopped on the couch.
Before she could call up her recorded episodes of Cops, Callie snatched the TV remote out of Alexis’ hand.
“I am, am I? Tell me your cheeks don’t flush when you see him.”
Alexis felt the burn in her cheeks. She turned her head, avoiding Callie’s all-knowing stare. Stupid Callie and her theater-trained observational skills. “Tell me you weren’t impressed by him last night. Convince me. I’m dying to hear you try.”
Did anyone else know of Dekker’s patient side? Or the pain he bore so stoically? Alexis didn’t think there were many. Sure he had made mistakes in his youth, but who didn’t? Besides, of course, ever-perfect Nick?
In truth, she had begun to feel guilty lying to Dekker. Keeping the secret of the investigation from him when he had been nothing but open and honest with her.
“So what if I am?” Alexis turned to Callie, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall.
Callie’s expression softened. She leaned in, placing a comforting hand on Alexis’ knee.
“So what if you are? You just better admit it to yourself, if no one else. But what about Nick?”
Alexis wiped the moisture off her cheek with the back of her fingers. “What about him?”
“Come on, Alexis. As of yesterday, you were dating him.”
“He’s … he’s …”
“Not exciting enough?” Callie finished.
“He’s a milquetoast. Boring, predictable.” The kind of guy she used to be attracted to. “Dekker is …”
Callie gave Alexis’ hand a gentle squeeze. “Exciting, sexy, unnerving, and dangerous as hell?”
“Exactly.” Alexis gave a half smile. “You’re the one who said I needed a little daring in my life.”
“Whoa,” Callie said, leaning back with her hands raised in defense. “Don’t go pinning this one on me. I didn’t say to go overboard here.”
Alexis twisted her hands in her lap. Did she screw it up last night? Maybe letting Dekker kiss her had fulfilled whatever curiosity he had about her. Maybe he hadn’t felt the fire on her lips and in her groin like she did.
Alexis reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone.
“What do you think you are doing?” Callie asked.
“Using the phone.”
“To call whom?” Callie asked as she reached out for the phone. Alexis twisted her body blocking Callie.
“Dekker’s studio.”
Callie bolted off the couch and paced in front of it. “Have I taught you nothing?”
“Obviously not,” Alexis muttered.
Callie’s hand lashed out, grabbing the phone. Well, Alexis wasn’t going to let her get away with it as easily as she had the remote control, but dang, Callie had a death grip on the thing. Alexis’ fingers were way too scraped up and sore to hold on but a second. Callie scurried backward, holding the phone over her head.
“If you are going to do this, do it right,” Callie said. “You wait for him to call. Play hard to get.”
“Jesus,” Alexis moaned. “We aren’t dating. I’m just going to arrange a lesson.”
“Don’t even try to split hairs with me, Alexis.” Callie walked into the kitchen, and then she leaned over the breakfast bar. “Don’t even try.”
Admitting defeat, Alexis found the remote and cued up her Cops episode. She needed to let her mind decompress. Besides, Callie had been right so far. She’d give Dekker a couple of hours to call. If not, Alexis would wrestle Callie to the floor to get her phone back.
“Can you at least make some cookies or something while I wait?”
A shout of approval came from the kitchen. “Now, that’s my girl!”
* * *
The walls vibrated from the steady thump of music out in the studio. Dekker left his last two students to finish their cool down. He stepped into Agnes’ office just as she picked up the phone. Her pen tapped to the beat of the music on her desk. Dekker let the door close behind him with a soft click and dropped into the chair across from Agnes.
“Lexie? This is Agnes,” his assistant stated.
Dekker leaned over the desk and hit the ‘Speaker’ button on the phone.
“Oh hi, Agnes.”
The eagerness in Lexie’s voice made Dekker smile. So she was just as anxious to hear from him. Or at least his studio.
“Dekker wanted to know if you were free tonight.”
“Um. Yeah … sure.”
“He’ll pick you up at nine.”
“Nine sounds great. Thanks. Bye.”
Agnes tapped the ‘Speaker’ button, ending the call. Her expression was concerned. The older woman had more lines on her forehead than the sheet of paper in front of her. She spent way too much time worrying about Dekker.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“You never do,” Dekker said, bestowing a mischievous grin on Agnes.
“Why can’t you just wait until we get the information on her?”
Dekker pushed himself out of the chair. He still needed to lock up, shower, and set up their date. It was clear that he had surprised her with bowling the night before. He wanted to keep up the trend. She would never guess what was coming next.
“Waiting isn’t in my vocabulary.”
“I’m just worried that you’re thinking with … Not exactly your cerebrum.”
Dekker bent over, clutching his stomach, pretending Agnes had punched him. “Come on, give me more credit than that.”
Agnes still looked doubtful when Dekker left her office.
Dekker didn’t blame her, though. Even he wasn’t sure how Lexie had gotten her hooks into him, but damn, if he wasn’t like a fish on the line.
* * *
Alexis sighed as she surveyed her room. Well, what used to be her room. It looked like a home invasion crime scene. The only thing missing was the chalk outline of a body on the floor.
“Why can’t I just wear the same outfit?” Alexis asked, knowing she was not going to like the answer.
“Oh, my God. Just shut up before I have to hit you.”
Callie fussed with Alexis’ hair, giving it another shot of hair spray. Well, if any bullets were to fly at her head, she would be protected with all of the shellac on it.
“It is the cardinal rule of dating. Never wear the same outfit twice!”
Seriously, how many dating rules were there? After rule number twenty-two, Alexis started tuning Callie out. “I’m not your personal Barbie doll.
“You need to up the stakes. You’ve got to show more flesh.”
“Jesus! I flashed half the city my underpants.”
“That was nothing darling. Just wait,” Callie said, as she spun Alexis toward the full-length mirror.
“Oh my God! I can’t go out like this!” Alexis’ heart seized. The black jeans were way too tight, and then to tuck them into the knee-high leather boots? And her low-cut lace camisole completely revealed her black satin bra.
“Of course not.”
Thankfully, Callie had only been joking. Or at least Alexis thought she had been until Callie tossed her leather jacket to Alexis.
Horrified, Alexis held the child-size jacket in front of her. “This is two sizes too small.”
Callie huffed as she shoved Alexis’ arms into the sleeves. Once satisfied that Alexis was crammed into the tight leather, her friend tugged on the zipper, stopping just above the line of the camisole.
“Now, early in the evening, leave it zipped to here. Make him wonder what you’ve got on under there.”
Flustered, Alexis pointed to her chest. “But it looks like I haven’t got anything on!”
“My point exactly. Now as the evening wears on …” Callie pulled on the zipper to demonstrate. “You lower it ever so slightly. Give him a bit more to ponder.”
Well there wasn’t going to be much for him to ponder given how low cut the top was.
“Now only in extreme emergencies … you know … when you want his undivided attention. Take this thing off and let him read it and weep!”
If Alexis took this jacket off, there would be a lot more going on than weeping.
CHAPTER 12
The front door swung open as Dekker raised his hand, ready to knock. He guessed Lexie missed him. She sauntered out the door, closing it behind her. He eyed her outfit. Tight black pants, and a leather jacket threatened to spill her chest right out the top. Nice. And the knee-high, four-inch-heeled boots. Dekker imagined them wrapped around his waist. Cold showers weren’t cutting it anymore.
“Going for a more conservative look tonight?”
Lexie swept past him. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and gave him a smile.
“Maybe,” Lexie said. “Maybe not.”
Her hand brushed against his thigh. Whether intentional or not, he was tempted to blow off their date and stay in for the night—to see what was hiding beneath that leather jacket. Against his raging hormones, he opened the car door for her. It amazed him how easily she could slide into the passenger seat with those skintight pants.
As he hopped into the car, Lexie asked, “Let me guess. You aren’t going to tell me where we’re going?”
“You ask too many questions,” Dekker teased.
He started the car, but before he put it in gear, he turned to Lexie. The steady thrum of the motor matched the pulse in her neck. Locking eyes, Dekker slowly leaned in. Lexie’s tongue swept over her lips. Her hands gripped the leather seat.
Dekker reached his hand out as her eyes drifted closed. He was so close that he could smell her vanilla-laced perfume. Dekker could have kissed her. Her lips were so close. But if he started now, he wouldn’t be able to stop. Now wasn’t that time. They had an appointment that couldn’t be missed. So instead, he leaned past her, opened the glove box and slammed it shut. Lexie sucked in her breath.
“Turn around,” Dekker whispered.
The desire in Lexie’s eyes was quickly replaced by confusion when she spotted the black scarf in Dekker’s hand.
“What’s that for?”
“Oh, I plan to take you out into the woods, have my way with you, and then leave you for dead.”
“And if I say no?” Lexie challenged.
Dekker had to hand it to Lexie. The slight tremble in her voice was the only thing that gave away her fear. Yesterday, she probably would have bolted out of the car without a backward glance.
“Then you’ll never know what I really had planned, now, will you?”
Lexie looked from the scarf to Dekker. Her face wavered between fear and curiosity.
“Don’t you trust me?”
The rise and fall of her chest showed her anxiety. Dekker hoped that now wouldn’t be the time that she would back down. That he hadn’t misjudged her.
Lexie smoothed her hands down her pants, and then toyed with the zipper on her jacket. “Of course … well, maybe … actually, not particularly.”
“That makes two of us.”
Her eyes snapped to Dekker’s. What? She thought he was the only one who couldn’t be trusted? Lexie had some secrets, too. And it was only a matter of time before Dekker uncovered them.
Dekker held the scarf up. “Now are you game, or not?”
“What happened to our lesson?”
“This is called a lesson in trust. If you pass, I keep you around.”
“And if I fail?” she asked, still toying with that zipper.
“I wouldn’t recommend it.”
Lexie’s eyes searched his. He knew what he asked of her. Would she give it to him? With a sigh she turned her back to Dekker. Slowly, letting the silk drag across her skin, he slipped the scarf over her eyes and tied it. Dekker’s hands fell to her shoulders. He gently massaged them as he whispered in her ear. “There, that wasn’t so bad.”
Lexie shrugged him off, pressing herself into her seat. “We’ll see.”
He watched her. So vulnerable. So his.
* * *
Alexis heard every rapid heartbeat in her ears. Her fingers clutched the door handle, digging into the soft leather. Dekker’s driving was bad enough when she could see where she was going. Now she was completely unprepared when Dekker swerved around slow cars or made a hairpin turn, slamming her body against the door.
She really wanted this blindfold off, but she also really wanted to know where Dekker was taking her. And she had to admit to herself, not as a cop wondering what a suspect’s movements were. No, she wanted to know what he had planned for her … as a woman.
Then bam! The car went left and her head went right, banging her head against the window. “Damn it,” she cursed.
Strong fingers wrapped around hers. “Listen, Lexie. Feel what the car is going to do.”
She was about to say that was the most preposterous thing she had ever heard of when the slightest creak of the steering wheel warned her that Dekker was going to pass another car. Bracing herself, this time her head only glanced up against the glass.
His hand released hers as he shifted up and accelerated. The sound of his left foot hitting the clutch again signaled that he was downshifting, prepping for a turn. She lay into the turn, letting the car sway her body upright once the turn was completed. The roar of the engine filled the car as Dekker punched it after the turn.
Alexis found herself disappointed when she felt Dekker slow the car, and then park. The ride left her more amped then a hundred-foot roller coaster. Her hand went to pull the scarf down, but Dekker stopped her.
“Not yet. Sit tight. I’ll come and get you. Remember. No peeking.”
S
he didn’t even feel like arguing as blood rushed to every part of her body. Alexis counted the steps it would take for Dekker to come around the car.
Right on cue, her door opened. Dekker’s hand cupped her elbow as he guided Alexis out of the car. A siren shrieked in the distance. Well, at least she knew that she wasn’t in the woods. But that didn’t mean she was out of the woods. She had to keep reminding herself that Dekker was a violent man. A man possibly capable of cold-blooded murder.
And here she was, blindfolded with no backup. And thrilled at every moment of it.
The memory of that rushed kiss brought heat to her cheeks. There was something in that kiss. She saw it in his eyes, too. Passion, hell yes. But also tenderness. Though fleeting, it was there.
Dekker shifted his arm, wrapping it around her shoulders. Holding her tight, he walked forward each step slow and precise.
He paused for a moment, instructing. “Step up,” he said.
Alexis lifted her leg, stretching it out until she felt a solid step. They walked up several more before Dekker stopped. Two loud knocks sounded on what Alexis could only assume was a door. It was silent for a moment before she heard the scrape of metal on metal.
A gruff voice barked, “What the hell do you want?”
Well, if that wasn’t the sound of a thug guarding a door to an illegal establishment, she might as well turn in her badge now. If she were lucky, it would be something like an underground poker ring. Illegal gambling she could handle. Well, as long as it was for cash and not body parts.
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