by Katie Reus
Anger detonating inside him, he tossed the towel to the ground and grabbed his clothes. It was well after midnight, and he was pretty sure she’d gone home. If she thought she could leave that easily, she was about to find out how very wrong she was.
* * *
Hannah turned her engine off and slid the key out but kept the key chain in her palm. Too many emotions threaded through her, the main one guilt. She shouldn’t have left like that.
It was wrong, but she’d needed to get the hell away from Dax. Too many orgasms over the last few hours were clouding her mind, and distance from him was the only thing that had made sense. They’d ordered room service in between bouts of sex, which had been wonderful. After the third time, she’d been ready to crash and he’d gone to take a shower. Dax had asked her to join him, but she’d begged off because she was too sore.
Lying there in the darkness, naked, feeling the imprint of his kisses and light abrasions from his stubble, she’d felt absolutely lost.
She’d done what seemed to come naturally the last year. She’d completely panicked and run. God, it was so cowardly, and he’d probably never want to see her again after the way she’d just fled. Not that she blamed him. She needed her freaking head examined. But that terrified part of her had wanted to go before he could leave her again. She’d originally wanted to get him out of her system, but after having a taste of him again, she’d realized that wasn’t happening.
“I’m so pathetic,” she muttered to herself, the words over-pronounced in the quiet of her mini-SUV. Sighing, she ran her fingers along the soft leather steering wheel before getting out. She hadn’t come straight home after leaving the hotel but had driven around an extra half an hour, just roaming aimlessly through the city. Even late, the city was teeming with life, and the bright colors and lights had soothed her until she’d made her way home.
Now she got to go back to her empty house with memories she couldn’t seem to erase. As she got out of her vehicle, she glanced around her quiet neighborhood. Normally she parked in her garage, but one of her brothers was working on an antique car and was using her garage to store it. Which wasn’t really a problem, because for reasons she didn’t want to think about, she liked parking in her driveway now. It made for a quicker getaway, something she never would have thought about before a year ago.
As she shut the door quietly behind her, a flash of movement near her neighbor’s yard caught her eye. Panic slammed through her for a second and she instinctively went to grab her pepper spray, but it was in her house. She hadn’t had room for it in her clutch and now she cursed herself for leaving it behind. Blinking, she stared into the shadows of the oak tree and along the giant elephant-ear bushes lining the two-story house.
A breeze kicked up and she let out a long breath. She was just being paranoid. The wind had moved the bushes and she was freaking out—because that’s apparently what she did lately. Work was the only place she felt normal now. At least being stolen from her home hadn’t taken that away from her. Shaking her head at herself, she pressed the key fob to set her car alarm and headed for her house.
Hyper-alert, she walked quickly across her yard, bypassing the stone walkway, when another movement caught her eye. She completely froze as the sight in front of her registered with perfect, horrifying clarity.
A tall man wearing a black mask emerged from the shadow of the tree. Silver glinted under the moonlight, the long blade in his hand flashing evilly.
Her stomach dropped. It was happening again.
Scream. Run. Do something. The voice in her head screamed at her, but she couldn’t move.
Eyes wide, Hannah stared at the man, all her muscles tightening. She was frozen to the spot, unable to react. This was her nightmare come to life again.
She started shaking as a scream built in her throat. As she opened her mouth a squeak came out. No, no, no. This couldn’t be happening.
The man advanced, took a jogging step toward her, when the bright lights of a vehicle illuminated both of them in a sweep of light. The sight was like a starter’s gun going off at a race. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she wheeled around and ran back to her vehicle. Kicking off her heels, she kept running past her SUV.
She might be small, but she was a damn fast runner.
“Hannah!”
Oh my God, he knew her name. She didn’t dare turn around. She had to make it to a neighbor’s house. Someone would help her.
“Hannah!” The voice was closer now, the sound of boots pounding on the pavement like nails in her coffin, except . . . She knew that voice.
Through the haze of her terror, she knew that voice. She glanced over her shoulder and the sharpest sense of relief slid through her veins, soothing all her frayed nerve endings. Dax was rumpled and wearing the same shirt and pants he’d been in at the hotel. She stopped on the sidewalk, breathing hard, and turned to face him.
“He took off,” Dax rasped out as he slid to a stop in front of her. “I wanted to follow him, but I couldn’t let you run away. Are you okay? What happened?” He glanced over his shoulder as he spoke, his big body tense.
That was when she realized he had a gun in his hand. She blinked in surprise at the sight. She knew he worked for the NSA but she’d thought he was more into computer stuff. The little research she’d done on them—thank you, Google—had told her they were into cryptology. And he’d hinted that he was an analyst or something. “You have a gun,” she blurted.
“I know. Should’ve shot that fucker,” he muttered. “You hurt?” he demanded, sliding his weapon into the back of his pants.
Swallowing hard, she shook her head. “I’m fine. Thanks to you. Oh my God. He had a knife.” Taking her completely by surprise, she started shaking violently. It was as if she couldn’t control her own body. That man had had a knife. And she’d frozen, like a helpless victim. Like the victim she’d been a year ago when she’d tried to escape her attackers but had failed miserably even though she’d been in her car. A sob bubbled up in her throat. She slapped a hand over her mouth to cover it, but it was no use.
Dax let out a savage curse. Her vision blurred, but through her tears she saw him crossing the short distance between them. His arms wrapped around her tight, pulling her close. “You’re okay.” His voice was a soothing balm.
Burying her face against his chest, she wrapped her arms around him and held tight. She tried to keep the tears back, but that was a fruitless effort that made her shake even worse.
Dax rubbed her back up and down in a calming gesture, his strong hand and presence the most comforting things in the world as she sobbed against his chest. Her tears weren’t because of the masked man, not really. They were because of the complete lack of control in her life, the intrinsic knowledge that bad things happened all the time and you simply couldn’t control them. Hell, she hadn’t even been able to defend herself. She’d just run.
Hannah wasn’t sure how long she stood there trembling in Dax’s arms, but eventually she got herself under control. Sniffling, she stepped back a fraction and swiped away the wetness on her face. “I’m sorry,” she muttered, feeling suddenly foolish.
Cupping her cheek in one big hand, he frowned as he swiped a calloused thumb over her cheek. “You have nothing to be sorry for.” He paused, as if he wanted to say more, then said, “We need to call the police.”
She knew that, but she also knew it would be pointless. “I know, but I interact with the local PD all the time. They’ll send a patrolman out here, take my statement, and that’ll be it. It won’t do any good. It’ll be a waste of city resources. I don’t want to drag a cop away from something he should be doing, especially this late at night, and there’s nothing I can tell him besides a vague description of the man.” Because she’d worked the ER in the past and Miami at night could be a dangerous place.
Dax’s brow furrowed and he shook his head. “We’re calling them. Th
is needs to be officially reported and they’re more likely to send some patrols around this area. Maybe they’ll get lucky and catch the guy.”
She rubbed a hand over her face, sure she looked awful after that crying jag. “I didn’t even think of that. I’m sure he won’t still be running around with a mask carrying a knife, but yeah. You’re right. I’m not thinking.” Now she felt even more foolish. It would definitely be smart to have patrols driving around the area. What if this guy had seen her as an easy target and was looking for someone else right now? She fought off a shudder as scenarios of what could have happened ran through her mind.
“Cut yourself some slack.” He slid an arm around her shoulders and turned her back in the direction of her house.
Her neighborhood was quiet, as if nothing had happened. No one had even heard her scream earlier. That thought rocked through her, making her stumble.
Dax let out another curse. “Your feet.”
“Oh no, that’s not—”
Before she’d finished the thought he scooped her into his arms. She’d never had a man hold her like this, but she curled into him, deciding that for now, it was okay to lean on someone else.
Chapter 4
Damn it, damn it, damn it.
His heart pounded out of control as he raced down the sidewalk of the quiet neighborhood. Blood rushed in his ears with the intensity of a jet engine starting as he tore his mask off.
He shoved it in the back pocket of his black pants as he skidded to a halt next to his BMW. Using the key instead of the key fob because he didn’t want any extra noise, he slid into the front seat. Another flare of panic jumped through him as the overhead dome light came on.
He quickly shut the door and started the engine with shaking hands. He put it into drive as he looked in the rearview mirror. No one was behind him.
No one had followed him. He didn’t allow himself any measure of relief, though. Not yet. Not until he was home. His wife had taken a sleeping pill and he’d disarmed one of the doors in their alarm system so it wouldn’t show up that he’d left. Because he knew she checked. Just because she liked to self-medicate and walk around in a stupor half the time didn’t mean she was stupid.
She was just waiting for him to make a mistake so she could take everything from him. Well, he wouldn’t let that happen. If she left him, she’d do so with nothing. Now he just needed to focus on the problem at hand: Hannah Young.
He’d been patiently waiting in the shadows of her backyard the last few hours for her to return home. From the gossip grapevine at the hospital, he knew she’d gone out with colleagues tonight. Killing her was supposed to have been easy.
He was perfect with a blade. All he’d have to do is stab her right through the heart with a surgeon’s precision and she’d be dead within minutes. He’d planned to stab her a few more times, though, make it look vicious and unskilled before stealing her car and purse. And he would have taken a few things from her house for good measure, making it look like a home invasion gone wrong. He knew how to kill without spilling much blood, and even if her blood had gotten on him, he was destroying everything he’d worn tonight.
But that driver had ruined everything. Those headlights had illuminated him perfectly for anyone to see, for a few heart-stopping seconds. Then Hannah had taken off running and he’d had no choice but to flee. Because he had no clue who’d been in that vehicle and he couldn’t risk taking on someone in addition to Hannah.
Not when killing her was supposed to be quick. There was no room for error in his plan. Unfortunately time was running out.
When Corrine didn’t show up for work on Saturday, he knew that someone would look into it. Soon enough her body would be discovered, and the only person who could link them together was Hannah.
Damn it, he’d been so careful. He wiped a palm across his sweaty brow as he turned down a side street. He glanced in the rearview mirror again, relieved he was still alone on the road. Still, fear slithered through him, alive and growing.
He definitely wasn’t cut out for a life of crime. He didn’t feel bad about what he’d done; he was just protecting his own interests, after all. He’d been focused all his life, able to compartmentalize his high-stress job, but this was different. The fear of getting caught was all consuming.
* * *
Dax shut the door behind the Miami PD patrolman and set Hannah’s dead bolt. He had a security system similar to hers, so he pressed the shortcut stay-mode button on the panel next to her door. He’d already brought the bag he always had with him inside. Extra change of clothes, extra weapon, ammo, and a toiletry set. All he really needed was the weapon and ammo, though.
Without wasting time, he headed back to her kitchen. As soon as the police officer had started wrapping up, she’d headed to her room to change while Dax walked him out. The guy was a former Ranger and since Dax was a former Delta operative, they’d talked shop for a few minutes. Of course he hadn’t been able to tell the guy he’d been Delta, not when his jacket was still classified. Pretty much everyone he worked with at the NSA knew he’d been an operator, but they all had clearance.
Since it was too late for coffee, he rummaged around in her cabinets until he found boxes of different-flavored teas. He picked the box that was almost empty since it was most likely her favorite. Herbal lemon tea and it was caffeine-free. Perfect.
Less than ten minutes later he heard Hannah’s soft footsteps before she appeared in the entryway to the kitchen. She’d pulled her dark hair into a ponytail and washed all traces of makeup from her face. Wearing dark green jogging pants with the University of Miami logo on them and a plain gray hoodie sweater, she looked as if she could still be in college. Even with her red-rimmed eyes, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
Yeah, he’d fallen hard for her.
When he noticed her lips kick up at the corners in faint amusement, his gaze snapped to hers. “What?”
She shook her head slightly. “I recognize that hungry look. After everything that’s happened I figured you’d be ready to get out of here.”
It took a lot to surprise him, but she’d done just that. “First, I’m not going anywhere.” Someone would have to hold a pistol to his head, and even then, it wasn’t happening. He wasn’t leaving her side. “Second . . . shit, that look isn’t intentional. I’m in the same room as you and . . .” He shrugged, then pointed to the small rectangular table next to one of her windows. “Sit. I made tea.”
Lacy white curtains covered the window, but there was a solid backing so he wasn’t worried about someone seeing her inside. And right now he was in über-protective mode. He doubted that prowler was still lurking around her neighborhood, but he couldn’t shut off his need to keep her safe.
“You’re really bossy,” she murmured, but moved to sit, practically collapsing on one of the seats. Yeah, she had to be beyond exhausted by now.
He just grunted and poured her a mug. “Do you want sugar or cream or anything?”
“Just tea is fine. It smells great. How’d you know it was one of my favorites?”
“There were only two packets left in the box, which means you drink it more than the others.” He set it in front of her before sitting on the chair opposite her.
Her eyebrows rose as she lifted the mug to her lips, but she didn’t say anything about his observation.
She visibly relaxed, her shoulders loosening and a pleased sigh escaping her lips after her sip. His own tension lessened seeing her finally relax. Watching him carefully, she bit her bottom lip. A lip he’d nibbled on not too long ago. Her bottom lip was bigger than her top and he always found himself fantasizing about sucking it between his teeth. But now wasn’t the time for that, even if his body had other ideas.
“You seem a little better,” he said quietly.
She nodded. “Yeah, thanks to you. Seriously, Dax, thank you for everything, especially s
taying for the police. He was nice, but it helped having your support.”
His jaw tightened at her words. “You really think I’d leave you to deal with this?”
“No, not exactly.”
“Not exactly?” He bit the words out, reminding himself to keep it together. She’d just been scared to death; he didn’t need to add more to her plate.
“Not at all. I just meant . . . after the way I left the hotel, I’m surprised you came after me. That’s all.”
He was glad she’d said it, because it saved him having to walk on eggshells trying to find a way to bring up the fact that she’d fucking run out on him for no apparent reason. “Why the hell did you run?”
Glancing down at her mug, she traced a finger around the colorful text declaring her the world’s best nurse. He guessed a young patient must have given it to her before she’d been promoted to chief nursing officer. “You sure we can’t skip this conversation?”
“I’m sure.”
Her gaze snapped up to his, probably because of the forcefulness of his tone. Sighing, she dropped her hand from the mug. “Tonight was supposed to be about me getting you out of my system. Just sex. I was sure it . . . couldn’t have been as good as I remembered.” Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink at the admission.
And just like that he got hard. Well, harder, if that was even possible. He dropped his voice, resisting the urge to move his chair closer to her and pull her into his lap. “And was it as good as you remembered?” They needed to talk, and if they were touching, that would be the last thing on his mind.
Slowly, she shook her head. “It was better.”
The caveman part of his brain did a fist pump in the air. Hell yeah.
Before he could respond, she continued. “I can’t do a friends-with-benefits or casual relationship. I’m thirty-one, Dax, and I know myself by now. I’m not saying I want something super-serious, but I just can’t be in a relationship with someone—someone who wants to meet my family—then not talk for weeks at a time. I’m not hardwired that way, and, well, I don’t have to make excuses. It’s not what I want in my life and I won’t settle. You’re an amazing man and the sex between us, well, you know exactly what it’s like. But that’s not enough.”