Declan

by Kate Hoffmann

  It rang three times before his voice mail picked up. Rachel listened to the message, then hung up before leaving hers. With trembling hands, she set the phone down and stepped away, her need for Declan suddenly overwhelming her.

  She’d known him for just a few days, and though they’d spent more time together than many couples who had dated for months, she still shouldn’t feel so dependent upon him. Rachel opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of wine, uncorked it and took a drink from the bottle.

  “Don’t be such a baby,” she murmured to herself. “You’re just looking for any excuse to see him. If it wasn’t the vandalism on your car, you’d find another reason.”

  She’d thought it was nearly impossible to resist Dec when she was with him. But now Rachel had found it was just as difficult to resist him when she wasn’t. Somehow, she suspected that until they were together twenty-four hours a day and enjoying a wild and wonderful sex life, she’d never be satisfied.

  7

  “DECLAN?”

  Dec pressed the button on his phone to activate the intercom. “Yep.”

  “Your brother, Ian, is here,” the receptionist said.

  “Send him back, Celine,” Dec said, surprised by the impromptu visit. He gathered up the files he had spread over his desk and signed a few letters waiting in the file from his assistant, then walked to his office door and opened it.

  His older brother smiled as he strode down the hall. He wasn’t wearing his uniform, dressed instead in a faded pair of jeans and a blue work shirt. “Hey there,” Ian said.

  “Come on in. What are you doing in town?” Dec asked.

  Ian flopped down into one of the chrome and leather chairs in front of Dec’s desk, heaving a deep sigh as he did. “Just hanging out,” he said. “I’m working this weekend, so I figured I’d take the day off.”

  “So you came to Providence? Just to hang out? On a Friday night? Sounds like you’re here looking for women.”

  “No, I had other stuff to do,” he said.

  “Care to elaborate?” Dec asked.

  “Stuff,” Ian insisted. “I had to drop a friend off at the airport. Hey, thanks again for that help with the forgery case. I haven’t talked to you since I saw you and Marcus for breakfast last weekend.”

  “No problem,” Dec said.

  “So what are you up to? What’s going on with that case Trevor Ross gave you?”

  “Which one? Eden Ross or Dr. Devine?”

  “Both,” Ian said.

  “Eden Ross finally contacted her father and she’s all right. And my job with Dr. Devine is done. She had a stalker problem, but the Providence P.D. arrested the guy earlier this week. He confessed.”

  Ian stretched his legs out in front of himself and clasped his hands behind his head. “Sounds like you haven’t had any problems staying celibate.”

  “Have you?” Dec asked.

  Ian shook his head. “No problems. I mean, I have to tell you, it’s tough. The more you try to keep from thinking about women, the more it seems to happen. But, when I’m feeling it, I just-relieve the pressure.”

  “That’s important,” Dec said. “In fact, I just heard that it’s really medically necessary for a guy to do it every week or so. Did you know that?”

  Ian gave him an odd look. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Masturbation,” Dec said.

  “Well, don’t talk about that! I don’t wanna hear it. You’re supposed to be thinking pure thoughts if you have any hope in hell of making it through this.”

  “Jaysus, Ian, sometimes you can be such a wanker.”

  Ian stood. “Come on. I’ve got an hour to kill. I know a great pub just a few blocks from here. McSorley’s. I’ll buy you a pint. You know, we were supposed to get together every week and discuss this whole experience. I haven’t heard one word from either you or Marky. Seems we’re all pretty busy.”

  Dec nodded. “Maybe we should make plans,” he offered, hoping that the idea would go nowhere.

  “Yeah,” Ian said. “I’ll get back to you on that.”

  They walked out of the office together, but when they got to the receptionist desk, Celine called out to Dec. “Declan, I have Rachel Merrill on line two. She says it’s important. Very important. She sounds a bit upset.”

  “Who is Rachel Merrill?” Ian asked.

  “A client. Let me just go back and get this call. I’ll meet you at McSorley’s in a few minutes.” Dec hurried back down the hall to his office and picked up the phone, punching in the button for line two.

  “Rachel? Hi, it’s Dec. What’s up?”

  “You have to help me.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

  “What’s wrong? Where are you?”

  “I’m at home. Yesterday, someone keyed my car at the university. And then, today, I got home from lunch with Daniel Ellsworth to find my car covered in red paint.” She drew a shaky breath. “The car was in my garage at my house. They just walked into the garage and threw paint everywhere.” He heard a sob over the phone. “I’m scared, Dec. Should I call the police?”

  “Are you in the house right now?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you turn on the security system?”

  “It’s not finished,” she said. “They’re waiting for some part that was missing.”

  Dec cursed, then raked his hand through his hair. “All right. It’ll take me a few minutes to get there. Hang up and I’m going to call you back on my cell phone. I want you to stay on the line until I get to you.” He grabbed his phone out of his pocket, then noticed the two missed messages from Rachel. He’d turned the phone off in a meeting earlier that afternoon and had forgotten to turn it back on. How long had she been locked inside her house, terrified?

  “All right. Hang up now. I’ll call you back just as soon as I get to my car,” he said.

  Dec headed back out to the lobby. He stopped at Celine’s desk and asked her to call McSorley’s and make his apologies to Ian. Then he shoved the glass doors open and headed to the elevator. As he was driving out of the parking ramp, he punched in the number for Rachel’s home phone, then hit “send” the moment he got out on to the street.

  She picked up the phone after the first ring. “Hi,” she said.

  “Tell me exactly what happened,” he demanded.

  “I told you. I just came home, opened the garage and saw my car. It was covered in clear red paint. It-it looks like blood. And there are words written on the back window.” She took a ragged breath. “Die Bitch. Did they let him out of jail? Why would Jerry do this? They must be watching him, aren’t they?”

  “Rachel, Jerry is still in jail. He didn’t have enough money to post bail.”

  “What does this mean?” she asked.

  “I don’t think Jerry Abler is the guy.”

  The other end of the line went silent. “Please hurry.”

  “I’ll be there in just a few minutes,” Dec said. “I want you to go upstairs and pack a bag. Keep talking to me, all right?”

  Fifteen minutes later, Dec pulled into the driveway of Rachel’s house and hopped out of the car. She met him at the back door, throwing her arms around his neck and holding on for dear life. “Come on, come on,” he murmured, running his fingers through her hair. “It’ll be all right. I’m here now. You’re safe.”

  “I thought this was over,” she said, trembling. “You said it was over.”

  “I thought it was. But we’ll figure this out, I promise.” He glanced around her kitchen. “Where’s your bag?”

  She pointed to her suitcase, sitting in the hallway to the foyer. “He must be watching me,” she said. “He knows I’m back home. He’s been at the university and at the station. He’s everywhere now. He knows everything about me.”

  Dec crossed the kitchen and grabbed the bag, then took her hand. “Baby, he probably has known for a while. He’s just getting bolder. You were out of town, he couldn’t see you and he got mad. He wants you to know that you can’t
get away from him.” Dec kissed her forehead. There was no way to reassure her, at least not until he got her out of this house and someplace where she’d feel safe. “Come on, let’s go.”

  “Are we going back to Maine?”

  “No, we’re going to my place.”

  She nodded, pasting a tight smile on her face. “Your place. I’ll be safe there.”

  Dec stepped outside and checked to make sure there was no one around, then led Rachel to his car. He tossed her bag into the backseat, then ran around to the driver’s side and hopped in. As they pulled out of the driveway, he stared in the rearview mirror, watching for any traffic behind them. Then he grabbed up his phone and called the office. Celine picked up.

  “Hey, it’s Dec. I want you to get a hold of Davis and tell him I want that security system at the Merrill residence up and running by sunset tonight. I don’t care if he has to charter a damn jet to go pick up the part, I want it done. Or his ass will be providing security for charity events in Antarctica.”

  He flipped the phone shut and shoved it back into his pants’ pocket then glanced over at Rachel. She looked so vulnerable, her hands clutched in front of her, her face pale. He cursed himself for his part in all this. He should have suspected the arrest had come all to easily. Even Rachel hadn’t believed they arrested the right guy.

  “When we get back to my place, I’ll make you some dinner and then you can curl up on the sofa and watch a movie.” He forced a smile. “I have a big-screen television.”

  A tiny smile curved the corners of her mouth. “What is it with guys and their televisions?”

  “I don’t know. You tell me,” Dec said, trying to draw her into a conversation. “I’m sure it’s something sexual. Maybe instead of whipping out our dicks and measuring them, we just buy a big-screen TV instead. By the way, mine is fifty inches.” He paused. “It’s a plasma screen.”

  Rachel giggled at the joke and Dec reached across the back of her seat and furrowed his fingers into the hair at her nape, gently turning her toward him. “I’m going to like having you around again.”

  “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you put that paint on my car, just so you could break the four-day rule.” She drew a shaky breath. “But I know better.”

  “Yeah, you do.”

  “Yesterday, I came out to the parking lot at the university to find that my car had been keyed. Scratched up one side and down the other. A really deep gouge.”

  “Why didn’t you call me then?”

  Her lower lip trembled as she fought back tears and she bit it in an attempt to keep her emotions under control.

  “It’s all right,” Dec said. “I know you’re scared, but this is good. He’s coming out into the open. He’ll be easier to catch.”

  “I thought I was being paranoid. I can’t look at anyone the same anymore. Even Daniel and Simon.”

  “What about Daniel and Simon?”

  Rachel took a deep breath. “Daniel admitted yesterday that, at one time, he’d hoped we might have a-a future. And he also said that he thought Simon had a crush on me.”

  “He what?” Dec cursed, a flood of jealousy nearly overwhelming him. “Is there any man who isn’t in love with you? Rachel, these are motives here. You should have told me.”

  “I didn’t know until yesterday,” she insisted. “I mean, it was surprising, but we’ve been friends for years. I once had a little crush on him, too, but our timing was never right. Besides, he couldn’t have done this. He was with me when it happened. And Simon was teaching classes all morning.”

  “You’re sure of that?”

  She nodded. “As far as I knew, Jerry Abler was the guy and he was in jail. I figured the scratch on my car was just some random vandalism. I called the campus police and they filled out a report. They said they’d take a look at the videotapes and see if they could figure out who did it.”

  “There are videotapes?” Dec asked, his interest suddenly sharpened.

  “There are cameras all over campus. They all feed into campus security.”

  “All right. I’m going to call over there and make sure I get a chance to see the tapes. They might have missed something.”

  “Do you think he wants to kill me?” she asked.

  She blurted out the question so quickly that he knew she really didn’t want to hear the answer. Dec shook his head. “I don’t think so. He wants your attention, that’s all. And he’s using the language he needs to get it. He wants you to be frightened because in some twisted way, he thinks it will bring you closer to him. It’ll give him control over you.”

  Dec took her hand and wove his fingers through hers, then drew her wrist up to his lips. “Hey, I also have a really big whirlpool tub in my bathroom. I could make you a nice bubble bath when we get home.”

  “That would be nice,” she said.

  They passed the rest of the ride in silence, but Dec knew Rachel’s mind was going a mile a minute. He wanted to distract her, but until he could take her into his arms and kiss her, there was nothing he could do. He thought about pulling over and drawing her into his arms, but then realized it would be best to get her home first.

  They drove around another fifteen minutes before Dec headed back to his house. He watched the street carefully, then pulled the BMW into the garage and closed the door behind them. He turned off the ignition, then immediately leaned over and took Rachel’s face between his hands. “It’ll be all right, baby. I promise.” He kissed her gently and she seemed to melt into him, her fingers grabbing hold of the lapels of his suit jacket and holding him close.

  He kept kissing her, softly playing at her mouth until she drew back. “All right?” he asked.

  Rachel nodded.

  Dec helped her out of the car, then grabbed her bag and showed her into the house. The cleaning lady had been there the day before, so he knew everything was tidier than it usually was. She followed him through the dim interior, her hand tucked in his. “The television is in the den,” he said.

  “I’m more interested in a hot bath.”

  “I can do that for you.” He led her upstairs and showed her the bedroom. “Why don’t you get undressed and I’ll go start the bath.”

  “Stay with me,” she said.

  Dec cleared his throat, then nodded. “All right.” Rachel began to remove her clothes as if in a trance, not really noticing that he was there at all. He opened her bag and found the silk robe she’d worn up at the cabin and when she was naked, he wrapped it around her, then gave her a hug. Any desire he had for her was now overwhelmed by a need to soothe and protect her. The woman standing before him wasn’t the Rachel he knew. This was a woman who was terrified of what her life had become. And it had been partially his fault that it had gotten this bad.

  They walked to the bathroom and Rachel sat on the edge of the tub while he filled it. He didn’t have any bubble bath, so he dumped some liquid soap into the tub and it seemed to do the trick. When the tub was high enough, he turned off the taps and stepped back. “The button for the jets is right there. But with the bubbles, you probably shouldn’t turn them on or you’ll be buried.” He paused. “I’ll just leave you.”

  “You can stay,” she said. “I don’t really want to be alone right now.”

  “All right,” he said.

  “You can watch,” she murmured. “Some men find voyeurism very exciting.”

  She said the words without her usual scholarly tone and Dec wondered if she even realized what she’d said. He sat down on the toilet and watched as she dropped her robe and stepped into the tub. She hesitated for a moment as her foot got used to the temperature of the water, then slowly put the other foot in and lowered herself into the bubbles.

  God, she was beautiful, Dec thought. He wanted to capture that moment, the moment when she stood with her back to him, her arms held out at her sides, her fingers delicately extended. She looked like a painting by one of those French guys, with every curve of her body washed in a soft light, every detail just s
lightly blurred.

  He held his breath as she arched back, her head resting on the edge of the tub, her breasts just breaking the surface of the water. Once again, Rachel had been right. Watching her was incredibly arousing, but even more so was the fact that he wasn’t supposed to do any more than watch.

  When he was around Rachel, nearly every thought in his head was sexual. It made him more aware of her as a woman, aware of the power she held over him. Dec released a tightly held breath and closed his eyes. This was pure torment and he was loving every minute of it.

  RACHEL SANK DOWN INTO THE warm water, her eyes closed, the tension slowly seeping out of her body. This was exactly what she needed. How could Declan possibly have known that? How did he always seem to know what would make her feel safe or happy or relaxed? Though the connection between them was strong, it wasn’t just sexual. They seemed to share a deeper understanding of each other.

  Right now, she knew he was watching her. He wanted to touch her, not to seduce her, but to assure himself that she was all right. In the car, he couldn’t seem to stop touching her and she was glad for it. At the moment, it had been all she needed to keep from dissolving into hysterical weeping.

  Rachel opened her eyes and glanced over at him, only to find Dec sitting with his eyes closed and his brow furrowed into a frown. She hadn’t noticed until now, but he seemed a little tense as well. “Would you like to join me?” she asked.

  His eyes opened and he blinked. “What?”

  Rachel held out a bubble-coated arm. “Come on. This is a big tub. I’m sure you know that two can fit.”

  “I’ve never had a woman in that tub,” he said. “You’re the first.”

  “I’m honored,” Rachel teased. “But I’d be happier if you came in here with me.”

  “You sure?”

  She nodded. Declan stood and walked over to the tub, then slowly shrugged out of his suit jacket, tossing it over the edge of the sink. Rachel watched him undo his tie, then unbutton his dress shirt. She hadn’t realized how different he looked in a suit, older, serious, more conservative. Though she liked the look, it wasn’t really the Declan she knew.