TRIGGERED: A Romantic Suspense Bundle (5 Books)

by Evie Nichole

  “Yes.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  It had been a long time since Derek had enjoyed being the center of attention, and he wasn’t about to change his mind. Everyone present stared at them in stunned but expectant silence. He hadn’t even known it was possible for Harbour to be silent. The woman had babbling as her default setting. Although, he couldn’t really blame her for her shock.

  He was feeling completely blindsided as well. Because the second the question was asked, his brain had supplied the answer. It had left him breathless and stunned and unable to think beyond the apparently obvious response. Yes. It slipped out of his mouth as it echoed through his head.

  Harbour turned to him slowly. “What?”

  By her expression, it was clear that she expected him to take it back, to play it off as a joke, to do something to downplay his confession. But it felt peaceful, like it was a confession long overdue.

  “Yes.” Derek articulated the word, just to feel it, to make sure she didn’t mishear.

  Despite Megan’s laughter, he didn’t take his eyes off of Harbour. If he looked away before she believed him, she would make up and excuse for his actions and hide behind it like a battlement.

  “It’s not nice to tease her like that,” Megan said.

  “I’m not.”

  As the words left his mouth, he had another moment of bafflement. Why was he talking to Megan? Why was he standing in a roomful of people that would only distract Harbour? Her eyes grew wider as he stepped closer. He lowered his voice to a whisper, intimate and soft, making it clear for all of their witnesses that he was talking to her alone.

  “Can we go now?”

  Still frozen in confusion, Harbour shivered at his voice. That was interesting.

  “Huh?”

  He smiled and held up his hand. “Keys, please.”

  Without thought, she pulled the truck keys out of her pocket and handed them over. Without a word to anyone else, Derek led her out of the building and to the truck.

  ***

  “That was insane,” Harbour squealed as the store door swung behind him. Derek jolted at her sudden outburst. “Did you see Megan’s face? That was priceless. Oh, I hope Piper took a photo.”

  “What is happening right now?” Derek asked.

  It had admittedly taken her longer than it should have to catch on to the fact he was messing with Megan. Now that she had, energy buzzed through her and she had the strongest urge to laugh hysterically. Instinctively, she headed to the driver’s side door, Derek close at her side. He was really selling the bit, watching her with startling intensity.

  “Oh,” she groaned as a new thought occurred to her. “Megan is going to make me pay for this.”

  “Pay for what?”

  They both turned to the new voice to see Ron crossing the parking lot. Unlike Derek, Ron hadn’t gained a dozen pounds of muscle since high school. He was still tall, fairly compact, and had cheekbones that could cut glass, he was clearly recognizable.

  Harbour had expected the old friends to embrace, or fist bump, or at least smile, but Derek pressed a hand against the truck door and fixed Ron with a solid glare. For his part, Ron smiled tightly and came to stand at Harbour’s side. She leaned back against the truck but still felt boxed in by the towering men.

  “Derek. I heard you were back in town.”

  Derek nodded a tense welcome.

  “So you head off in a few days?”

  “I haven’t got a set departure date,” Derek said.

  “But it’s a weird time to come in.”

  “Is it?”

  “This close to winter?” Ron shrugged and slipped his hands into his pockets. “Although, you did leave around this time of year, didn’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  A spark sizzled down Harbour’s spine at Derek’s growled word. She pushed the sensation aside and tried to focus on what was going on. Derek had said they had just parted ways, so where was all the tension coming from?

  “So how are you making her suffer this time?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Megan was being way too forward.” Harbour cut in with a smile. “So he convinced her that he’s interested in me. Her reaction was priceless. There is a very good chance that she’s still standing there gaping.”

  “Megan doesn’t handle rejection well,” Ron warned.

  “I know. I’ll brace for the backlash later.”

  “And Derek will walk away from yet another set of ruins.”

  Derek snarled, “What?”

  Ron’s smile stayed in place. “It’s not the first time you’ve sacrificed someone else’s life for your enjoyment. I guess you haven’t changed that much since high school.”

  Harbour could feel the tension flooding the air as Derek edged closer to her.

  “I’m not the only one who’s done things they regret.”

  Ron’s eyes widened for a split second before he crossed his arms over his chest, staring Derek down. Harbour had been so distracted by the standoff that she didn’t the new addition until the mud squished under their boots. Phil suddenly stood between the two men while barely getting the attention of either.

  Out of the three of them, Phil had altered the most over the years. He hadn’t gained much height, but his shoulders had broadened and he had swelled with muscles. With the addition of his narrow hips and constant scowl, he had always reminded Harbour of a bulldog. He held out a hand and forced a smile.

  “Hey, man.”

  Derek studied Phil for a moment before accepting the handshake. It only made the tension worse and Harbour shuffled on her feet, not that it drew much attention.

  “You’re looking good,” Phil continued. His words sounded stunted, like he had rehearsed them too many times for them to sound natural. “I’m surprised to see you back here.”

  The second they ended the shake, both men crossed their arms, puffing out their large chests with matching scowls.

  “I had some business to take care of.”

  Phil and Ron exchanged a glance, but it was Phil who spoke first.

  “What business?”

  Derek barely unclenched his jaw long enough to say, “The personal kind.”

  Harbour sank further back against the truck. This situation was reaching levels of awkward that she wasn’t ready to deal with. Her confusion just made it worse.

  Phil flashed his teeth, trying to make it look like a smile. “That involve her?”

  There was no question who ‘her’ was, and it made Harbour squirm.

  “Apparently, he just couldn’t resist stirring things up between her and Megan,” Ron said.

  Phil chuckled. “You came back from Florence just to be a jerk? Well, it’s good to know you haven’t changed much.”

  “Actually,” Harbour regretted saying anything when she caught their attention, “He’s a lot nicer now.”

  Once more Phil and Ron shared a glance and Harbour had officially reached her limit for weirdness. She turned to Derek and found that he was already looking at her with the same question in his eyes.

  Can we go now?

  She nodded slightly and he tossed her the key. For the first time, Harbour was amazingly grateful that no one ever locked their car doors in Nowhere. It shaved a few extra minutes off their escape. Derek opened the driver’s door for her, his eyes never leaving the two men.

  “Sorry, we’re in a rush,” he said as she got into the truck. “Maybe we can catch up later?”

  “Sure,” Ron mumbled.

  The second she was in, Derek shut the door with a solid thud. She headed straight home. This whole day had just been a steadily increasing progression of weirdness and she had no intention to see what would happen next. She was going to spend the rest of the day curled up in bed with her phone off, pretending that the rest of the world didn’t exist.

  Derek sat pressed against the passenger door, hovering between confusion, anger, and something she couldn’t place. As she drove, she cast quick glances to t
he hand he kept balled on his thigh. What was going on with him? He wasn’t saying anything and she didn’t know if she was in the position to ask.

  Derek remained consumed by his thoughts until they finally pulled into the driveway. As she got up it hit her that they hadn’t actually bought anything to fix the door. She’d have to go back later. After word of Derek’s ‘confession’ had undoubtedly spread. Grumbling under her breath, Harbour opened the front door to Jareth’s excited yelping. He jumped on her a few times, chased his tail, and went to stand expectantly by his bowl.

  The door clicked shut behind her. She released a startled squeak as Derek grabbed her elbow, pulled her back against the closed door, and bracketed her in with one hand on either side of her head. His body pinned her in place even though they never touched.

  “I think there are a few things we need to talk about.” His whisper, rough and deep, curled in her stomach as a flash of heat swept over her.

  She tried to suppress the reaction but she couldn’t trick herself into thinking that Derek hadn’t noticed. It wasn’t her fault. Anyone would have a reaction to a voice like that. It was a physical thing that was completely uncontrollable. Yet his lips quirked in a self-satisfied smile and he lowered his face just a little closer to her own. It was hard to concentrate on a conversation when he was this close, his eyes holding her own, his warm breath raising goose bumps.

  “If you want to take about Ron and—”

  “I definitely don’t want to talk about them.”

  It was suddenly hard to catch her breath, “Then what you do want to talk about?”

  In place of an answer, Derek finally broke off eye contact. Harbour sucked in a deep breath and let the door take more of her weight. The relief was cut short when she noticed his focus was now squarely on her mouth. The tip of his tongue swiped along his lower lip and she was suddenly dizzy.

  Her thick swallow was loud in the otherwise silent room. Derek heard it and a smile stretched his lips. It sent her fingertips twitching against the wood under them. The world tilted and spun, moving too fast for her mind to keep up. She closed her eyes against the mounting sensation and wet her suddenly dry lips. Her knees almost buckled when his breath caressed her moist skin.

  “Can I kiss you?” Derek asked in a whisper.

  Whatever her intended words were supposed to be, all that came out was a weak mewl. He closed the distance between them, his lips ghosting against her, the barest touch of heated skin, too light to truly be considered contact and still enough to drive all thought from Harbour’s mind.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Harbour’s hands skirted across the smooth surface of the door in a near-desperate search for something to hold onto. Derek didn’t move back but didn’t press forward, remaining still as she waited to see what she would decide. She didn’t return the kiss, leaving the threat of rejection dangling dangerously over his head. Then her hands found his shoulders, fingers digging into his muscles while her palms molded perfectly to the curve of his arms. As she dragged him closer, her body arched up in search of contact and the last shreds of doubt vanished.

  Her fingers kneaded his shoulders with a constant restless energy, enticing a soft moan. Her breath hitched and her lips finally parted. Even as he pressed closer, their height difference made it impossible to get the contact he craved, not unless he sacrificed the kiss. Would she mind if he just picked her up?

  He groaned at the thought of her long legs wrapping around his hips, heels pressing into his backside. But it seemed like a bold move when he hadn’t even tasted her mouth yet. Right now their kiss was barely more than sharing air. He shook with his need to deepen and clung to the last part of his rational mind that told him he couldn’t. Not until she told him he could.

  The door rattled as someone knocked from the outside. A split second was all it took for the moment to shatter like glass, and Harbour’s once-desperate hold on him turned into a solid shove. He staggered back, stunned and a little insulted, and watched her try to compose herself. Doubt started to rise in him again as he watched her fingers smooth over the hair he hadn’t gotten a chance to touch and tugged on the shirt he hadn’t wrinkled. It was like she was trying to remove every trace he could have possibly left.

  She reached for her lips and he balled his hand to keep from grabbing her wrist. He had touched her there, he had left a trace, and she had wanted him to. He should at least be able to keep that. His niggling doubt drowned under waves of satisfaction and pride as Harbour bit her lips and pressed the knuckle of one finger against her mouth. As if chasing his lingering taste, trying to keep it.

  She glanced at him and he made no attempt to hide his smug smirk. Even her glare couldn’t combat the blush that flooded her cheeks and turned her ears red. He stepped back into her personal space, his smirk growing into a wide smile. Before he could speak the knocking came again, harder than before.

  “Harbour? Derek? Are you in there?”

  At Chloe’s words, Harbour pressed a hand against the center of his chest and gave a solid push, just enough to make him keep his distance.

  “We’ll be right there,” she called back.

  Derek frowned. There were only a couple of hundred people in this town and they all seemed determined to pull Harbour’s attention away from him. He had just experienced perhaps the most important realization of his life and all he wanted to do was get Harbour on the same page.

  “We could tell her to go away,” he whispered.

  He wasn’t even trying, but he still got a reaction. How was it that he had never noticed what his whispered voice could do to her? What else hadn’t he seen?

  Harbour didn’t meet his gaze as she answered, “Shush.”

  “You have just discovered a way to keep me quiet.” He lowered his voice, revelling in her reaction and taking advantage of the excuse to move closer.

  She grabbed the doorknob with one hand and used her other to shove him again.

  “You weren’t that quiet.”

  Laughter burst out of Derek’s chest. She winced when her brain finally caught up with her mouth. Stifling a groan, she wrenched open the door and welcomed Chloe into the house. The woman was in her full police uniform and had her hat in her hand. A few quick glances were all it took for Chloe to read the room. She raised her eyebrows to Harbour in a questioning look. Derek’s laughter grew.

  “I’ve been trying to call you.”

  “I left my cell here while we were running errands.” Harbour looked over her shoulder to meet Derek’s eyes.

  His humor had already faded. “What’s wrong?”

  Chloe forced an awkward smile and gestured to the door that led to the rest of the house. “You might want to sit down.”

  Derek didn’t move. “It was arson.”

  Chloe sighed. “It looks like it.”

  “So someone’s trying to kill me again,” He supposed the knowledge should have hit him harder, but all he really felt was vindication. But when he met Harbour’s eyes, the sick feeling came edging in. “Do you think they were trying to hurt Harbour, too?”

  “We can’t reject that possibility. Her truck was easy to spot.” Chloe chose her words carefully. “If these are the same people as last time, then they might feel like they have a score to settle with Harbour.”

  “What did I do?” Harbour mumbled.

  “You did get in the way of their attempt to kidnap Derek.”

  “They tried to take him in broad daylight from a public area. It’s hardly my fault that they’re idiots.” As her impulsive rage ebbed away, she glanced back to Derek. “Not that I didn’t want to help. I am definitely against kidnaping and I’ve got your back. But,” she waved her hand about in defeat, “You know what I mean.”

  Derek reached out and rubbed her back. It was never easy to realize that someone was willing to kill you. He wanted to tell her that it would get easier, that the notion would dull from a paralyzing terror to a constant ache of fear, but he doubted that it would be reassuring.<
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  “Do you have any leads?” he asked.

  “We’re still investigating.”

  That was a gentle way of saying no.

  “This is crazy,” Harbour said. “Who would wait ten years? I’ve been here the whole time.”

  “Derek’s return might have triggered something. Or they might be afraid of why he’s back.”

  “Why?” Harbour murmured.

  Chloe turned her attention to Derek alone. “I don’t know. Is there anything you can think of?”

  Derek’s spine turned to steel under the woman’s gaze, “Are you suggesting this is retaliation? What are you thinking, Chloe? That I’m trying to blackmail someone? Or are you leaning more towards the idea that we committed some crime together and now they’re trying to clean up loose ends?”

  Harbour shot him a disapproving look. “No one thinks that.”

  At the same time, Chloe spoke over her. “If you are in trouble, now’s the time to tell me.”

  Derek squeezed Harbour’s shoulder to keep her from reacting to Chloe’s question. “Actually the time would have been years ago.”

  “Probably, but now you’re dragging other people into it.”

  He bit the insides of his cheeks until he tasted blood. “I can’t think of anything.”

  “Are you sure? You haven’t done anything provocative?”

  This time, Harbour didn’t remain silent. “How on earth is he supposed to know that? These people apparently think that it’s okay to burn two people to death. They don’t exactly have normal reactions to things.”

  “I used to do a lot of pranks and I acted like an idiot. But I can’t think of anything that would make people want to kill me.”

  Harbour smacked him in the middle of his chest with a solid thump. She seemed frustrated when he didn’t instantly catch on to what he was trying to tell her.

  “The weird guy at the dock,” she said. “You don’t think he could have been, you know, following you?”