The Grayce Walters Romantic Suspense Series

by Jacki Delecki

  Ellie looked nothing like the thin, emaciated, homeless waif Hollie had met on the street. Ellie’s blondish-brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail; her whimsical T-shirt had a cow with a giant bell and a chubby squirrel, both non-players in World of Warfare. Ellie had embellished their wide eyes with long eyelashes, making them adorable and fanciful.

  “I hope that if anyone was messing with you, I wouldn’t try to emasculate him, but I’d use my aikido.”

  Ellie laughed loudly. “Good to know that you’ve harnessed your killer instincts.”

  “Kind of…” Hollie didn’t want to acknowledge that she hadn’t come close to letting go of her deep-seated anger toward her meth-producing father. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to. And this was all part of the problem with Sgt. Welby. He was big and strong, and she always wanted to decimate powerful men. But something about him didn’t arouse that rage. In fact, just the opposite. It was obvious Sgt. Welby carried his own pain. And for the first time, she didn’t want to strike out at a dominant male.

  Hollie shifted her feet on the stool as she watched a harried mother with two small children trying to negotiate their way through the throng.

  Ellie’s hazel eyes searched Hollie’s face. “You’re worried? Something happen at work?”

  “No…” Hollie shook her head. “It’s all good.” She wasn’t ready to share her confused feelings with Ellie, whom she considered more of a little sister she was responsible for protecting.

  “Is everything okay with Dr. Walters?” Ellie took a sip of the Coke.

  “Working too much, but nothing new there.”

  “I can’t believe how generous she and her friend James have been to me. I would never have been able to get this business started without their help.”

  “Yeah, the boss and James are really cool.”

  “I still can’t believe this is really happening. I made seventy-five bucks today. Me making money.”

  This was Ellie’s first month as a vendor, and everyone had told her the summer months were when you made the money. May through September—tourists and cruise ships were the golden pig at Pike Place Market.

  Chapter Three

  Nick was back in Fremont, making his way across the congested street. Like his first visit, he jumped at every noise and movement—the hassled pedestrians checking their phones, the planes overhead, the honking cars, barking dogs, and screaming children. He couldn’t stop his brain from assimilating and assessing potential threats. Talley strained on the lead. With her spine straight, her nose extended, she absorbed every detail and every smell.

  The commotion and noise flicked along Nick’s ramped-up nervous system, but a more powerful feeling drove him forward. Spurred on by hope, he was willing to endure the sensory overload. For the first time in years, he was inspired to get close, close to a dark-haired woman with unfathomable eyes that shared his suffering.

  Nick and Talley entered Dr. Walters’ office building without hesitation, immediately comfortable from their last visit to the old, musty building.

  Nick had no excuse for showing up three days before his scheduled appointment. As a man of control and precise tactics, he was shocked by his own behavior. He had driven an hour without an explanation for his and Talley’s sudden appearance. He was honest enough to admit that, despite his military honors for bravery in action, he was afraid.

  His buddies would give him shit if they could see him now—nervous to hit on a woman. He climbed the stairs to the second floor. He was modest about his appeal, but women had always come easy for him. Over six feet, with boyish looks, he was attractive to women. Hell, he had started being pursued by girls in middle school, and women’s interest hadn’t diminished. His interest in women, beyond sex and release, had been nonexistent until last week. And he had no idea why. Was it part of seeing Talley relaxed, or was there more to his fantasy about the office assistant?

  Talley’s nails clicked on the wood floors as they approached the door. Nick’s heart beat erratically, his palms were sweaty, and his mouth was dry.

  Hollie looked up from her desk as he walked through the door. Surprise registered on her face as she stood and came around her desk. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a high ponytail, and she wore a soft white dress that clung to all her curves. Her sweet and innocent look was a fist to his chest. He was having trouble moving air in and out of his lungs.

  “Talley, Sgt. Welby, is something wrong? You don’t have an appointment today.”

  She looked young and virginal, nothing like the dominatrix that his male mind had created in the late nights. The swimming regime recommended by Dr. Walters to help Talley was taking the edge off the long days, but the nights were still bad. And when he woke from the same nightmare, he lay in bed and fantasized about Hollie, her incredible bod in the tight black skirt, fishnet stockings, and black boots, and her gentle touch of his dog.

  She looked closely at Talley. “Is Talley ill?”

  He couldn’t speak but stared at the enticing woman as his heart thudded against his chest like a marching band drum. He shook his head. “No, we’re good. Really good.” God, he sounded like a simpleton. He could feel his ears burning in embarrassment. “We were in Seattle and thought we’d stop by. That’s not a problem, is it?” Of all the lame shit to say.

  “Oh, I’m glad nothing’s wrong.” Hollie bent and patted Talley. “It’s good to see you, Talley,” she crooned in a soft, alluring voice.

  Talley’s ears perked up, and her body relaxed at Hollie’s voice.

  As she was bent over Talley, he tracked the creamy angle of her neck and a coiled black curl. He could feel her heat, and he caught a whiff of her flowery fragrance.

  She didn’t look like the badass woman of just three days ago. She was soft, womanly, and enthralling.

  When she stood up, there were mere inches between them. He wanted to rub his thumb along her plump lower lip. He wanted to do a hell of a lot more.

  She turned her head and caught him staring. Pink color crept up her neckline the same way she had blushed when he’d recognized Galachel on her T-shirt.

  She moved back around her desk to put space between them. He didn’t want to intimidate her, but he was having trouble dampening his needy reaction to this woman. He wanted to chase her behind the desk. He needed to get himself in control.

  Talley watched Hollie retreat behind her desk and lay down on her stomach, her head resting on her paws as if waiting in anticipation.

  His partner clued in to any heightened tension from Nick, but at this moment, his dog understood there was no cataclysmic danger except, of course, to Nick’s heart.

  “Dr. Walters is working, but she’ll be glad to know you’re here.”

  He hadn’t come to see Dr. Walters. He had come to see Hollie, to reconfirm the incredible connection he had envisioned between them in his long, lonely nights. He had to know he wasn’t deranged.

  “And Talley can meet our office dog, Mitzi.”

  Talley’s head came up with the mention of her name. “Are you sure? Talley is pretty wound up…”

  “I’m sure the dogs will get along. Mitzi’s a sweetheart.” Hollie moved the papers around her desk. “Do you want something to drink while you wait? It’s pretty hot out there today.”

  “This is paradise compared to the Dashti Margo.”

  “Dashti Margo?”

  “The desert region in southern Afghanistan.”

  “Wow. I can’t imagine what it was like for you to be in a strange place so far away from home.” She examined his face as if she saw the exhausting toll his tours had taken upon him.

  She shifted in her chair and then cracked her knuckles. “You sure you don’t want anything? Water? Mint tea?”

  “No, thank you. Talley and I are good.” He stepped back from the desk, trying to give her more space. She was acting cornered, as if she was apprehensive of him. He knew he was coming on too strong, but the need to get close to this one woman was relentless.

&n
bsp; “Talley looks more relaxed than at the last visit.” She raised her arms to redo the ponytail, a nervous gesture that pulled her dress tighter across her chest.

  He forced himself to look away from the way the soft material outlined her full breasts.

  With the movement, the sleeve of her dress fell back to reveal a spiraling snake that wrapped around her arm.

  He had to swallow against the tightness in his throat and the way his body clenched in response to the sexiness of her tat. “We’ve been swimming like Dr. Walters recommended. It really has helped both of us.”

  “Oh.” Her lips were a pale pink, not the racy deep red from the other day. His need to touch her, kiss her, was getting ridiculous. He really needed to get his shit together. This interaction wasn’t going at all like he’d thought it would go do down. He’d assumed she was an experienced woman of the world and he’d be able to easily seal the deal. But without her black boots and tight skirt, she seemed younger and more vulnerable today. His protective feelings toward her inhibited his over-the-top attraction. “You’re not wearing a World of Warfare T-shirt today. I liked the Galachel T-shirt you were wearing when I met you.” Oh, he liked more than the T-shirt.

  Her dark eyes brightened and she smiled. “My friend designed it.”

  “Your friend? I thought it was from the Warfare site.” He inched closer to the desk again. “Does he do other designs?” He then stood in place, waiting for her to get comfortable with him moving into her space. He used the same method of approach and retreat with the wild horses bought at auction.

  “Ellie’s dragons are the best. Do you want to see?” Hollie typed fast. Her fingers were long and slender, her nails pink, not black today. “She just started to sell them at Pike Place Market. She’s already doing great.”

  “I’d like to see her shirts.” He grinned. He’d be willing to look at fancy dishes if it helped Hollie relax.

  “I set up her web page. It’s pretty basic, but we’re hoping she can sell the shirts both at the market and online.” Her enthusiasm for her friend was genuine and endearing.

  “Here’s her newest dragon.” Hollie put her hands on her screen as if to move it so he could see it. She looked up at him with her wide, dark eyes and tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth. “Do you want to come back here to look?”

  He wasn’t sure if it was the way she bit her lower lip or the way he heard her invitation, but his entire body clenched in expectation.

  “Yeah…sure.” He walked slowly around the corner of the desk. Talley didn’t stir. He bent over her shoulder, inhaling the scent of Hollie, prickly and sweet.

  “Man, she’s good.” He angled his body closer to the screen. And man, am I a goner. As if in middle school, he felt like a voyeur, trying to cop a feel or a look down a hot girl’s blouse. “Her shirts are better than the Warfare website and less expensive.”

  “Well, she’s got to be careful about the copyright. She has to create her own creatures so Whiteout’s attorneys don’t come after her.”

  “I hadn’t thought about it, but that makes sense.”

  Hollie clicked on the next page. “Here’s another of her dragons. I love the purple and orange sky.”

  He hovered over her. He tried to focus on the website, but he was aware of every warm inch of her, every inhalation next to him. He couldn’t stop himself. He rested his hand on her shoulder, a light touch, pretending to need her support to get a closer view of the screen.

  He felt her slight flinch, but she didn’t move away from his touch. Her heat radiated under his hand.

  Hollie turned her head up, and he was ensnared in her frank eyes. “Doesn’t it look like a desert sunset?”

  He could so easily lean in and kiss her, but the move would be so wrong. She was in no way ready. His throat tightened. His voice was winded. “Do you have a favorite? A favorite shirt?” He shifted his body closer until he heard the door opening behind him. He whipped around and moved in front of Hollie.

  Dr. Walters, with a large black poodle, stood at the door.

  Hollie jumped out of her seat. Talley sat up and flicked her tail in greeting for the doctor.

  “Boss, I didn’t want to disturb you. Sgt. Welby and Talley stopped by for a visit. He plays World of Warfare. I was showing him Ellie’s site.”

  Dr. Walters smiled at him. “Great to have you and Talley visit.” The doctor spoke to the poodle in a soft voice, and the poodle immediately lay down in the doorway. The doctor approached Talley, who waited with her tail thumping on the floor. Dr. Walters bent to one knee and petted Talley. The golden rolled onto her back inviting more attention from the gentle vet.

  “Talley looks very relaxed.” Dr. Walters’ green eyes twinkled as she inspected him. What was it about this vet? He felt as if she were assessing his well-being as well as Talley’s, but instead of her scrutiny making him defensive, he felt at ease.

  Dr. Walters’ calm acceptance of his visit was a balm to him, exactly like his first visit. In this office, the world made sense for the first time in a long while.

  Hollie stood at her desk. “I had a brilliant idea about Maddy’s T-shirt…” She stopped mid-sentence and waited.

  Dr. Walters nodded toward Hollie. “It’s okay. Sgt. Welby might give us a new perspective on our search.” Dr. Walters turned toward him. “We’re trying to locate two missing Marines.”

  This wasn’t what he’d expected to hear. He’d thought it was going to be some discussion on fashion—“girl talk,” as his three sisters called it. He looked at Hollie, who was beaming with enthusiasm, and then Dr. Walters, who smiled encouragingly, back at Hollie.

  “What’s your idea, Hollie?” Dr. Walters asked.

  “Remember the T-shirt that Maddy wore in the picture?”

  “The Teen Feed T-shirt?”

  “No, the one in the photo that Angie’s mom gave you. James hated it.”

  The doc snickered. “Well, James isn’t exactly a T-shirt kind of guy.”

  Hollie snorted. “Maddy had on a customized World of Warfare T-shirt. I could do a Google reverse search and find who designed the shirt.”

  Nick smiled down at Hollie. “That’s brilliant.”

  Her eyes darkened, and her lips curled tentatively into a little smile. Why did he get the feeling that she hadn’t received a lot of compliments in her life?

  “If you give me the picture from Angie’s mom, I could take it to copy store and blow it up while you’re at your lecture.” Hollie’s voice was light and filled with eagerness.

  “Sure, anything that might help us find the missing women,” Dr. Walters said.

  He tried to act casual, but his heart pounded like a thoroughbred crossing the finish line. “Do you mind if Talley and I walk with you to the copy store? She could do with some exercise.” He and Talley had done a run and a swim earlier in the morning, but he’d use any excuse to spend time with this woman.

  If he hadn’t been watching, he’d have missed the tiny twist of her lips into a smile. “Sure, if you want to.”

  “I guess you’ve got it covered.” Dr. Walters’ eyes darted between them. Hollie might not be willing to admit her attraction to him, but he had no trouble that Dr. Walters understood his intention of pursuing her assistant.

  “Boss, you should get going. You never know if I-5 is going to be backed up.”

  Dr. Walters walked back toward her office. “I’ll get my notes and head out. I’ll take Mitzi with me.” Dr. Walters looked down. Mitzi was now lying next to Talley, the poodle’s body pressing against the golden.

  “Looks like Talley is comfortable in our office. Come whenever you’re in town, Sgt. Welby.” Dr. Walters’ green eyes twinkled.

  Chapter Four

  Hollie headed down Thirty-Fourth to the copy place with Sgt. Welby and his dog. Hollie’s long strides couldn’t match the sergeant’s. She almost had to run to keep up. He was quiet and tense as they dodged people on the sidewalk. Talley also appeared to be on duty, her entire body alert with her
head held high.

  Hollie peeked from underneath her eyelashes to look up at the impressive soldier. The sunlight glistened on his angular face and forehead. He definitely had the whole stud package going for him—tall, broad shoulders, sandy-blond hair, and killer bright eyes. He was unlike any man she had known. Like the heroes in the movies, he had the penetrating blue eyes of Chris Hemsworth and the boy-next-door look of Ryan Reynolds. Although not as big as the Marvel comic book hero Thor, Sgt. Welby looked as if he could hammer anyone who got in his way.

  He looked down at her right as she was checking him out.

  Oh, shit.

  His full lips curved into a full-wattage, sexy smile. Did he know what his smile did to women? She guessed that he knew the impact of his boyish face and crinkly blue eyes. He must have women throwing themselves at him all the time.

  “A penny for your thoughts?”

  Oh, buggers. “I was wondering what the tat is on your wrist. Battles you’ve fought?”

  His lashes shuttered down as his jaw muscles tightened. “They’re in honor of men from my unit who died.”

  Going from bad to worse. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine. Lots of people ask,” he answered in an abrupt voice she hadn’t heard before. His azure eyes stared back at her, and his lip curved into a quirky smile. “I like your tat.”

  Man, he was adept at switching things up. She wasn’t bad at banter, but with Sgt. Welby, the game felt different, exhilarating. She gave him back her best radioactive smile and asked in a sultry voice, “Which one?” Let his mind spin on that for a while. She had never tried to mess with the Captain America types, but she knew how to deal with the assholes on the street.

  He stopped mid-step. A little joy buoyed up inside her. She liked getting a reaction from him. She had spent the entire time when he’d come into the office ignoring his hot, forceful stares and trying to hide her reaction.

  He gave out a long whistle between his teeth. Good to know she could get to him. “You know you’re playing a dangerous game.”