by Tee O'Fallon
“I’m telling you, we had a connection. At least, I thought we did. In the end, he’s just like any other guy, I suppose.” Daisy groaned. “But enough about me. Are you with Gorgeous Gray?”
“Yes.” She glanced sideways and caught him frowning. “I have to go.”
“That’s what I thought.” Daisy giggled. “You still have the major hots for him.”
“It doesn’t matter. That’s not going to happen. Ever.” Unable to stop herself, she looked at Gray and watched his strong fingers loosen his tie. He had the most masculine hands. Big, callused, and warm. How could she forget the feel of those hands as they stroked her back, her rib cage, and her breasts?
“Earth to Alex.” Daisy laughed again. “Stay in touch. Let me know you and Nicky are okay.”
“I will.” Alex ended the call, grateful Daisy hadn’t pried further. Speaking of prying, she suddenly found herself angry with Dom for sleeping with her friend and leaving without a single word.
Both Gray and Dom were the topic of many a conversation among women at One PP. As Daisy said, Dom was extremely handsome and had the body of a professional athlete. As did Gray. Alex couldn’t stop herself from comparing the two men.
Both were about six foot three, and both men’s bodies were, apparently, covered with thick, hard muscle. That was where the similarities ended.
Dom was the epitome of a California surfer dude, an outgoing charmer with sandy brown-blond hair and blue eyes. Gray, on the other hand, was tough and unyielding, preferring to keep his thoughts coiled tightly inside. His personality matched his dark hair and intense, silver-gray eyes. But beneath that tall, dark, and steely cop exterior was an unexpectedly kind and generous man.
While he tried hard to keep it a secret, one of the ladies who worked for the department’s Community Affairs program let it slip that Gray donated hundreds of dollars every year to the department’s Toys For Tots holiday event. This event brought in needy children to receive a holiday gift their families couldn’t otherwise afford.
Gray glanced at her. “Is Daisy okay?”
“Why do you ask?” His question had her wondering if he knew what had passed between Daisy and Dom.
Gray cut his gaze back to the road. “She sounded mad when she answered your call.”
Heat flooded Alex’s body, and she felt her face flush. It occurred to her that Gray could very well have overheard parts of her conversation, including the part about Alex having the hots for him. She hoped not.
Shifting gears, she angled to face him. “Do partners really tell each other everything like TV show cops?”
He cracked a smile. “Some do, some don’t.”
Typically cryptic, Gray Yates.
“You and Dom do, don’t you?” Alex canted her head, trying to read his mind. And failing miserably. “It seems to me you two are pretty close.”
He grimaced. “Where is this going?”
“You know, don’t you?” She nodded, as if his knowledge of the Dom-Daisy fiasco was a foregone conclusion.
“Know what?” When he glanced at her, his face contorted with what looked like pain. The pain of having to dime out a buddy, no doubt.
She couldn’t resist poking Gray in the arm. “Even if you didn’t overhear my conversation with Daisy, you know she and Dom slept together last night.”
“Oh, that.” This time, he flashed her an all-out grimace.
“Yes, that.” She tapped her fingers on the door. “What kind of man is he? And I don’t mean the ladies-man reputation he has around the precinct. I want to know about his character.” Alex could practically hear Gray groan, although he did an admirable job holding it back. “If we weren’t stuck in this car together, I’m guessing you’d run like hell right about now.” She smiled, knowing it was true.
“You’d be right.” When he smiled back at her, her heart fluttered wildly.
Detective Gray Yates rarely smiled, but when he did, he was, in her opinion, the most handsome man on the planet.
“Daisy is my friend,” Alex went on. “My best friend. Aside from Nicky, she’s the only family I have, so when someone hurts her, I take it personally. Dom has a reputation, but I never heard about him treating women discourteously. So why did he cut and run on Daisy this morning without so much as a parting word? She feels thoroughly used.”
“Dom Carew is the best man I know.” Gray put on the car’s turn signal.
Alex read the highway sign that declared they were a mile from Hopewell Springs, population six thousand. “Then how could he pull this adolescent one-night stand with Daisy?”
For a moment, Gray said nothing, as if he was mulling over how to respond. “Dom has been through things most people never go through. And never should. I don’t think he did what he did because he doesn’t care about her, but he has his reasons. You have to trust me and let it go at that.” He gave her a meaningful look before returning his attention to the road.
Alex twisted her lips, disappointed that she wasn’t getting more out of Gray on the subject of his partner. At least, not for now.
Within a minute after Gray took the exit, fields of waving grass and budding trees gave way to farmhouses and pastures studded with cows and goats. Alex chewed her lower lip. She was about to meet Gray’s sister, former NYPD Detective Cassandra Yates—a woman who should hate her for accepting a bribe from the Pyramid and for using her brother. She still didn’t understand how Gray’s sister could be so forgiving and magnanimous as to care for Nicky.
After a few turns left and right, Gray parked the car on a street filled with old Colonial houses painted in a multitude of colors. The house they parked in front of was a rich yellow with dark green shutters and white gingerbread adorning the eaves and front porch.
Behind her in the seat, Nicky snored lightly, and Alex hated to wake him. Sleep was the best remedy for shock. Her door opened, and she realized Gray was standing beside the car. As she unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed Nicky’s backpack, he opened the rear door and scooped Nicky out of the car seat. To her amazement, Nicky only mumbled something in his sleep and slipped his arms around Gray’s neck. Gray gently nudged the car door shut with his hip and headed up the brick walkway to Cassie’s house. From inside, a dog barked.
Gray stopped when he realized Alex wasn’t following. “Let’s go.”
She trusted Gray not to place her child in the care of someone who wouldn’t protect him, but the prospect of meeting Cassie and her new husband—Hopewell Springs’ chief of police—was beyond daunting.
Gray must have sensed her anxiety. He repositioned Nicky such that he now held him with one arm. He held out his other hand to Alex, which she automatically took. As his fingers clasped her hand, their gazes met. The shiver that zinged up her arm was undeniable. She tried pulling out of his grasp, but he held her hand more tightly.
“He’ll be safe here. I promise.” He tugged on her hand and led her up the walkway.
Alex took a deep breath and followed. Gray probably thought she’d been trying to pull away out of fear, when in reality she’d needed to break their physical contact. The simple act of holding his hand was enough to undermine her resolve to keep him from her bed.
When they were halfway to the porch, the large door opened and a beautiful woman ran down the steps, her vibrant red hair dancing like flames. A black dog wagging its tail trotted behind her. Somehow the woman managed to hug and kiss Gray without waking Nicky. Meanwhile, the dog ran circles around them then stopped to sniff Gray’s leg.
“Hey, sis.” Gray kissed his sister on the cheek. The smile on his face was genuine, as was the obvious love between the two siblings.
Before he could make introductions, Cassie stepped in. “I’m Cassie, and this is Raven.” She gestured to her dog. “And this must be Nicky.” She smiled at Alex, then Nicky, her bright green eyes beaming. “He’s beautiful. Just look at his thick hair. He’s like a little doll.”
Alex watched Cassie touch Nicky’s face with her long, graceful fingers.
The woman was stunning, but what captivated Alex the most was the warm embrace she soon found herself in as Cassie hugged her tightly.
“You poor thing, you’ve both been through so much. Let’s go inside.” Cassie rested her arm on Alex’s shoulders, propelling her up the stairs and inside the house. “Mike and I are both off today, and he’s eager to meet you and Nicky.”
Alex stood rigid on the threshold and looked to Gray, who nodded in encouragement. He lifted his hand to her cheek, caressing it lightly. She appreciated his support, although the seemingly unnecessary and gentle gesture was confusing as hell. His hand remained on her cheek a moment longer, and she couldn’t resist leaning into its warmth and security.
When she looked back to Cassie, Gray’s sister was smiling devilishly. “Gray, why don’t you take Nicky up to the guest room. Second door on the left. You can’t miss it. At your suggestion, I put out a Yankees bedspread and some other baseball toys for Nicky.”
“Thank you for that.” Alex swallowed, her throat suddenly constricting at the thoughtful kindness of his and Cassie’s gesture, and even more so at how Gray really seemed to care about Nicky.
He gave Alex a quick smile then headed up the stairs with Nicky clinging to his neck. Raven bounded behind them, her fluffy black tail swishing back and forth. The air suddenly felt thick and Alex couldn’t breathe. That feeling intensified as a large, powerful man entered the foyer, and Alex assumed he was Mike Flannery, Cassie’s husband. Alex gripped the strap of Nicky’s backpack tighter.
“You must be Alexandra.” Mike fixed her with a steady gaze.
Again, Cassie put her arm around Alex’s shoulders. “This is my brute of a husband, Mike. Sweetheart, your astute investigative skills are accurate as always. This is Alex Romano, Nicky’s mother.”
Mike eyed her with unconcealed suspicion, and she felt as if her entire body, no—make that her very soul—was being X-rayed.
After what seemed like an eternity, he said, “We’ll take care of Nicky as if he were our own. Don’t ever doubt that. But I need the answer to one question.”
“Mike, no.” Cassie hugged Alex closer.
Chief Michael Flannery walked to within an inch of Alex, towering over her. The impact was far from lost on her, and she didn’t blame him one bit. He was wary, and he had every right to be. “Are you on the Pyramid’s payroll?”
She had to tilt her head to meet the steely gaze of the man standing before her. “No. I am not now, never have been, and never will be.”
Mike’s laser-sharp eyes locked onto Alex. She couldn’t look away, but she was telling the truth and felt no need to cower before this man who could easily snap her neck with one hand.
His handsome, stern features softened, and he took a deep breath, tightening the black T-shirt over his powerful chest. “I didn’t think so, but I had to ask.”
Then he shocked her by wrapping her briefly in a grizzly-size bear hug. “The Pyramid hurt a lot of people in this town. Anything we can do to help, all you have to do is ask. Caring for Nicky while you help Gray take these assholes down will be one of the single greatest pleasures of my life.”
He paused to wink at Cassie then moved to her side, resting his hand protectively on her belly. “Besides,” Mike continued, revealing a devastatingly charming smile even Alex was not immune to, “she’s been dying to test run her maternal skills before our baby is born.”
Cassie canted her head to look up at her husband, and in that moment Alex glimpsed the depth of the love between them. It was in the way they looked at each other, and the way Mike touched his wife. God, but if she’d only received half of the love she sensed here in this room when she’d been pregnant with Nicky…
“Am I interrupting something?” Gray stood on the landing, looking down at all of them.
Raven bounded down the stairs to circle Mike’s legs, insinuating her sleek black head into his hand. He obliged by scratching the dog’s ears until she sat obediently beside him.
“No, we were all just getting acquainted.” Cassie beamed a smile at her husband. “Weren’t we, sweetie?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Mike kissed the top of Cassie’s head. To Alex, he said, “You’ll have to excuse me. I need to go buy pickles and ice cream before my wife’s craving gets out of control. It was a pleasure to meet you.”
“You as well.” Alex smiled.
“Gray, good to see you.” The two men embraced in a manly bear hug, clapping each other on the back.
“Mike does love me.” Cassie rolled her eyes. “But sometimes I think these guys love each other more.”
“Not a chance.” Mike lowered his mouth to give Cassie a deep kiss. “Your brother’s too ugly, and he doesn’t know how to kiss for shit.”
Gray feigned indignation. “You promised you wouldn’t spread that around.”
“I lied.”
A moment later Mike was out the door, leaving Raven whining at his departure.
“That dog.” Cassie parked her hands on her hips. “She fell in love with Mike long before I did. She can’t stand it when he’s away.”
Gray made a contemptuous snort. “I thought she hated all men.”
“Not all men, bro.” Cassie shot him a mischievous look. “She tolerates you and Dom.”
“Very funny, sis.”
As Alex watched and listened to the back and forth between Gray and Cassie, she was filled with an overwhelming sense of envy. She’d been an only child and never experienced that kind of love.
“Alex, why don’t you check on Nicky while Gray fills me in on things?” Cassie’s smile was so warm and welcoming it could light up a room. She was also the consummate diplomat, keeping the peace and giving Alex the out she needed to have some private time with her son and take a breath.
“Thank you. I’ll do that.” Alex headed up the stairs, relieved to see Nicky was again napping peacefully, nestled beneath a blue bedspread decorated with New York Yankees emblems.
She prayed her son’s need for sleep was due to all the excitement, but still worried that it was the precursor to a relapse in his medical condition. After dropping Nicky’s backpack onto a wood dresser, she eased onto the bed and sat beside him. She wound a lock of his hair around her finger and watched him for a few minutes. Unfortunately, she would have to wake him before she left, but for now she was content to watch him sleep.
“I love you,” she whispered, dropping a light kiss on his forehead. “More than anything else in the world.”
She rose and sat on the antique rocking chair near the window. Raven padded quietly into the room and approached the bed. Alex was halfway out of the chair, prepared to launch herself at Raven if the dog threatened her baby. But when Raven delicately sniffed Nicky’s hand peeking out from under the covers and gave it a gentle lick, she relaxed and sat back down. There was something inherently maternal about the animal’s gesture.
A moment later, Raven sat directly in front of Alex. The dog watched her from intelligent, chocolate-brown eyes. With her tall, sharp ears, long nose, and sleek, black coat, she was a ringer for a slimmed-down version of a furry black German shepherd.
When Raven rested her head in Alex’s lap, she rewarded the dog by stroking its silky head, loving how soft the fur was. She’d always wanted a dog when she was a child, but her father was allergic so that never happened. Nicky had inherited Alex’s love for dogs and hounded her at least twice a month to get him one.
Soothed by Raven’s unexpected comfort, some of the tension began to ebb, leaving her with a temporary sense of peace and a clearer mind.
It was amazing that Cassie and Mike survived the Pyramid’s assassin, and even more amazing that they believed she wasn’t working for the Pyramid. Maybe having the kind of love they shared made it easier to forgive.
Alex closed her eyes and rested her head in her hand. The way her life was going, she might never be on the receiving end of such intense emotion. The kind that made a woman crave a man day and night. The kind that made her choke up when
an unexpected kindness was bestowed on her son.
As much as she’d once dreamed it possible, she would never have Gray’s love.
She jerked upright in the chair. Did I really just think that?
She did, and with it came the overwhelmingly pathetic realization. Despite every reason not to, she was falling in love with Gray.
Chapter Thirteen
The way Cassie was eyeing him from across the kitchen table made Gray antsy. His baby sis had a way of seeing right through him, something he still found as unnerving as his first day at the academy.
“What?” He took a sip of coffee, hoping to put an end to her invasive scrutiny.
She laughed. “Bro, you are so far gone it’s pathetic.”
“What are you talking about?” He leaned back in his chair, knowing he was about to get an earful. His mother and his sister never held back.
“Duh.” Cassie slapped the table. “I’m talking about Alex, you big dummy.”
Gray exhaled loudly. “What about her?”
“Cut the crap.” She shook her head. “Despite your half-assed attempt to distance yourself, it’s obvious you’re crazy about her. When you look at her you get all googly-eyed.”
“Googly-eyed?” Gray set his mug down and crossed his arms. “You’ve seen us together for precisely two minutes, so how did you come up with that hairbrained conclusion?”
“Oh boy.” Cassie made a tsking sound. “I may have turned in my gun and badge for a spatula and a bain-marie, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still have informants.” She leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. “My sources at One PP tell me you and Alex have been drooling over each other since the day she started working there. Furthermore, I’m told the squad room sizzles when you two are within twenty feet of each other.” When Gray started to object, she held up her hand. “Did you know the entire detective squad had a pool to see when you’d ask her out?”
Gray grimaced. “You’re shitting me.” He hated gossip, especially when it was about him.
“Nope.” Cassie shook her head. “Ask Dom.”