She was driving him crazy with her soft, seductive laugh and her beautiful eyes glowing with subtle invitation.
He was in trouble, and he knew it. The problem was, this wasn’t simply physical. If it had been just a case of the hots for her body, a cold shower would have taken care of it.
He not only wanted her physically, he enjoyed her emotionally, as well. He liked her intelligence, her spirit, her warm, generous eagerness to please. He liked the way she handled her daughter, with a firm yet loving hand. She was a woman who was capable of caring very deeply—the kind of woman he’d often dreamed about.
And that was where the danger lay. He felt as if he was being caught up in something that threatened to carry him to where he didn’t really want to go. Couldn’t go. He hadn’t the faintest idea where all this was going to take him, but one thing he did know for sure—he was not going to be satisfied until he’d thoroughly and passionately made love with Gail Stevens.
Uttering a soft curse, he got to his feet and took his glass out into the kitchen. In the meantime he still had a job to do—a dangerous one. The method might have changed, but the goal was still the same: to apprehend Mike Stevens and take him back where he belonged, safely behind bars.
Only now the job was more complicated. Instead of relying on Gail Stevens to lead him to his quarry, if what she told him was true—and he believed that it was—it was very likely that he would be called upon to protect her and her daughter against a crazed killer before this was all over.
Given his feelings for Gail, that prospect was fraught with pitfalls. Above all, he couldn’t allow Stevens to know how he felt about her. If things went wrong, the bastard could and probably would use it against him.
One wrong move on his part, one careless moment of distraction, and he could blow this whole mission and lose both Gail and Heather in the process.
The only way to make sure he stayed on top of things was to forget what had happened tonight. Forget how he felt about her. Ignore what happened to his body every time she came close to him, at least until this was all over. Only then would he be free to deal with the craving that would give him no rest.
His blood raced at the thought. Shaking his head, he made himself ignore the pangs of desire. No more. From now on, Gail Stevens and her daughter were just clients, a means to an end. He only hoped to God it would be over soon.
Down the hallway Gail lay wide-awake in the darkened room. Over and over again she’d relived those few wonderful, passionate moments in Blake’s arms. How she wished she could have taken that fiery path to its logical end.
Right now, she could be lying there with Blake, knowing at last how it felt to be fully satisfied by a man. She had never even experienced an orgasm. She wasn’t sure what it was supposed to feel like.
Her nights with Frank had been tense and uncomfortable. She never remembered feeling anything like the kinds of sensations that Blake had aroused in her.
Restlessly, she tossed around in the bed. Her desperate need of him frightened her. She’d trusted before and been betrayed. Yet in spite of her fears, she was beginning to trust Blake Foster. She felt safe and secure with him, both emotionally and physically.
She didn’t doubt that he could protect them against Mike Stevens. She wasn’t so sure about her feelings for him. That took a considerable amount of trust for someone who had sworn never to trust again. For she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that if she was betrayed this time, it would destroy her forever.
She slept fitfully throughout the night, coming awake at the slightest sound to lie still in the dark, her heart racing and ears straining, until she was sure that all was well.
More than once she was tempted to go to Heather or out into the living room to check on Blake. She didn’t want to disturb her daughter unnecessarily, and she was afraid that Blake might think she was trying to entice him. She’d had more than enough of that kind of misunderstanding.
Eventually it was light enough to get up. She showered and dressed in jeans and a warm, red sweater, then went to wake up Heather before venturing into the living room.
The blankets were piled neatly on the end of the couch, and Blake sat at the other end, reading the morning newspaper, when she followed Heather into the room.
Blake greeted the little girl with a hug and listened patiently to her excited chatter while Gail put on a pot of coffee.
Listening with amusement to their conversation, Gail poured milk into a bowl of cereal and set it on the dinette table for Heather.
“I don’t have much in the way of breakfast,” she told Blake when she went into the living room to get her daughter. “I think I can find a couple of eggs and an English muffin.”
“You could have some of my cereal,” Heather offered, beaming at him. “I have lots of cereal.”
“Cereal will be fine,” Blake said, allowing Heather to tug him to his feet. “I like cereal.”
“Come and choose which one you want.” She dragged him into the kitchen, while Gail tried in vain to visualize Blake actually enjoying a serving of Froot Loops.
Watching him with Heather at the table that looked too small for him, she felt a tug of tenderness that took her breath away. Heather laughed up at him, her eyes sparkling with a delight that Gail had never seen before.
He had captured both their hearts, it seemed. If only this moment right now could never end.
“I don’t want to go to school today,” Heather announced, as she scooped up milk from her bowl with her spoon. “I want to stay home and play with Uncle Blake.”
“Well, you’re not going to school today.” Gail picked up the dish and carried it to the sink. “We’re going to Canada, remember?”
“I don’t wanna go to Canada. I want to stay here.”
“No one’s going to Canada,” Blake said quietly.
Gail stared at him. “What do you mean?”
“What I said. No one’s going to Canada. We’re all staying right here, where I can keep an eye on you.”
She couldn’t believe she’d heard him correctly. Very carefully, she placed the bowl in the sink. “Heather, I want you to go and brush your teeth.”
“Aw, Mommy, do I have to?”
“Yes, you do have to. And right now.”
She waited for Heather to leave the kitchen, aware of the tension starting to build in the tiny room. Only now did it occur to her that Blake hadn’t looked at her directly once since she’d come into the living room.
She walked over to the table and picked up his empty bowl. “Are you telling me I can’t go to Canada?”
For the first time his gaze flicked briefly over her face. “That’s about the size of it, yes.”
She felt colder now than she’d ever felt in her life. Looking at the cool indifference on his face, it was as though she’d imagined the barely leashed passion she’d sensed was tormenting his body only a few hours ago. How could he be so unemotional after the hot kisses they’d shared?
“But why?” she demanded. “Heather and I would be much safer there.”
He looked up at her then, and her heart ached at the remote expression in his eyes. “Because,” he said deliberately, “my job is to apprehend Mike Stevens. He’s looking for you here, and that’s where you’re going to be until he shows up.”
She lifted her chin. “In other words,” she said coldly, “you want Heather and me to act as bait. Isn’t that just a tad dangerous?”
“That,” he said, with a careless shrug, “is a risk I guess we’ll just have to take.”
she understood—now—what she should have known all along. She was nothing more than an assignment to him. The only reason he’d been so charming, so supportive, so damned accommodating to both her and her daughter, was for the sole purpose of capturing Mike Stevens. How could she have been so stupid?
Chapter 7
Gail straightened her back, preparing for battle. It might be just duty to Blake Foster, but her daughter’s life was at stake, and she wasn’t ab
out to jeopardize Heather’s safety simply so he could go home and get his back slapped for doing a great job.
“Look,” she said, matching his cool tone, “I don’t know what kind of jurisdiction you have in this town, but I do know you can’t keep me here against my will. Not unless you arrest me. And I haven’t done anything wrong. So, if it’s all the same to you, I’m going to put Heather back in the car and I’m heading for Canada where we’ll be safe.”
She turned to go, but before she had taken two steps he was out of his chair and standing between her and the door. Jamming his hands onto his hips, he said with just a trace of menace in his voice, “No, it’s not all right with me.”
The bowl slipped from her nerveless fingers and crashed to the floor. For a moment she wondered if she’d made a mistake believing his story about being a U.S. Marshal. After all, he’d given her no proof. She stared at the scattered pieces of crockery, willing herself not to cry.
“Dammit, Gail.”
She heard the catch in his voice and caught her breath, but didn’t dare look up at him.
“Look,” he said, his voice softening just a little. “If I let you run off to Canada, what happens if Stevens finds out about it? He could bypass here altogether and take off after you, leaving me sitting here like a cat at an empty mouse hole. No matter what happens, you won’t be safe from him until he’s back behind bars. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life running from him? Is that what you want for Heather?”
She shook her head, her gaze still concentrated on the floor. She knew that what he said made sense. Besides, she didn’t have the money to stay for long in Canada. Sooner or later she would have to come back to the States and get a job.
“I’m not afraid for myself,” she muttered, stooping to pick up the pieces of the bowl. “I’m terrified he’ll get to Heather before either of us can stop him.”
“I’ve been thinking about that.” He paused, waiting until she’d gathered up all of the pieces and deposited them in the trash. “Can we sit down and talk about this without you running out of the house?”
She felt tired, as if she hadn’t slept for a month. Everything seemed to be crowding in on her, and she felt as if she were in the middle of the mirror maze again, with a dozen different ways to go and all of them wrong.
“All right,” she said wearily. “But I don’t want to frighten Heather. She’ll be back here any minute.”
“I know.” He pulled out a chair and waited for her to sit down. Taking the one opposite her, he leaned his elbows on the table. “How would you feel about letting her stay with Darcie until this is all over? Would Darcie be willing to take her without asking too many questions? Could you think of a reasonable excuse without telling her the whole story?”
“I guess I could,” Gail said doubtfully. “Though it’ll be tough explaining why I don’t want her to go to school.”
“It would also mean not going to see her, of course. Stevens might follow you there. He could easily wait until you’ve left and then take her away from Darcie.”
“Oh, God. I don’t want to even think about that.” She covered her face with her hands in order to think more clearly. It would be best for Heather, of course, but she couldn’t stand the thought of being out of sight of her daughter without knowing what was going on or how long it would be. “I suppose there isn’t any alternative?”
“Not that I can see. If you try to leave town, he could be right behind you.”
She dropped her hands. “You think he’s here now?”
Blake shrugged. “He’s had plenty of time to get her. I thought he’d arranged a meeting place and was waiting there for you to join him. But now I know that’s not happening, I figure he’s got to be in the area somewhere. More than likely, he’s waiting for the right chance to grab either you or Heather.”
The idea that Mike could be that close terrified her. “Do you think he’s seen you with me?”
Blake’s set expression didn’t help to calm her fears. “I don’t know,” he said slowly. “I can only hope he doesn’t get any ideas about that. If he’s got the slightest suspicion that there’s a cop in the picture, he could decide it’s not worth the risk and take off.”
“And I’ll never know where and when he’s going to turn up again.” .
“Exactly.”
She considered his words. “It looks as if I’m damned either way, doesn’t it?”
“Not necessarily. As long as Heather is safe with Darcie, that only leaves you to watch out for, which will make my job a good deal easier. I’ll be there ready to grab him if and when he makes a move. Though I can’t be seen with you outside this house anymore.”
“Then how can you protect me?”
“You’ll have to stay right here in the house.”
She gave an emphatic shake of her head. “No way. I’m going back to work.”
“You can’t go back to work. It’s out of the question.”
“I can’t sit around here on the off chance that Mike may or may not show up. I have a living to make. Besides, I’d go crazy hanging around here with nothing to do.”
“Then you’ll have to find something to amuse yourself. It’s the only way I can guarantee to protect you. Even then, it’s not a sure thing.”
She met his gaze, feeling remarkably calm all of a sudden. “I’m going back to work. And that’s final.”
Blake swore. “It’s too dangerous for you to be at the store. He’s bound to know you work there. It’s the first place he’ll head for.”
“Well, isn’t that what we want? Isn’t it better to make it look as if I have no idea he’s out of jail? That way he’ll figure you’re just someone I know if he sees you. If I stay locked up in the house he’ll guess I’ve heard about his escape. He could figure out you’re a cop then, and that you’re hanging around me just to grab him.”
For a long moment her gaze clashed with his, neither of them willing to back down. Finally she detected a glimmer of uncertainty in his almost-colorless eyes.
“Damn!” he said at last. “I know you’re right. I just don’t like it. I don’t like it one little bit.”
“Neither do I,” Gail said, getting to her feet. “But I want this over as soon as possible. If my going to the bookstore as if nothing had happened will encourage Mike to make a move, then dammit, that’s where I’m going. I’m not sure how much longer I can take all this tension, anyway, without completely falling apart.”
“Hey, you’re doing just great.” She jumped when Blake reached out and covered her hand with his for a brief instant. “I’m sorry, Gail. I’d give anything not to put you through all this. But without you to draw him in, he could easily give us all the slip and disappear. It could be months, even years before we caught up with him again. And in that time he’d have plenty of opportunities to find you and carry out his treat.”
“I know.” She could feel the fear again like a cold, hard knot in her stomach. At least Blake believed her story now, and that was something. At least now, she wasn’t on her own.
The thought gave her bittersweet comfort. How much more comforting it would have been had she had the satisfaction of knowing that Blake had a personal interest in her safety. That was something she would have to deal with later, when this was all over and he had gone back to Portland, or wherever he was from.
She made an effort to give him a weak smile. “I’ll go make those calls.”
“Wait a minute. There’s something I want to ask you.”
Her pulse skipped, and she silently cursed herself for being so susceptible to every word he spoke. “What is it?”
“What exactly did I say to give myself away?”
This time she did smile. “I may call my daughter ‘Annie’ all the time, but I always think of her as ‘Heather.’ Yesterday I slipped up and called her ‘Heather’ out loud. You didn’t react. You knew who I was talking about. I figured you had to know who we were.”
He shook his head in mock disgust. “
Some cop I am.”
“I think you’re a very good cop,” Gail said sincerely.
He started to say something, but just then the door opened abruptly, and Heather rushed into the kitchen.
“Is Uncle Blake coming to Canada with us?”
Gail sighed. “She really does have a one-track mind, doesn’t she?” Squatting down in front of Heather, she took hold of her daughter’s hands. They felt unbearably fragile in her fingers, and she felt a lump forming in her throat. She was responsible for what happened to her daughter. She had to make sure she was safe.
“Honey,” she said unsteadily, “Mommy’s decided not to go to Canada just yet. You did say you didn’t really want to go, didn’t you?”
Heather nodded. “I get to stay home and play with Uncle Blake?”
“Well, no.” Gail smiled at her, willing her to understand. “I have something much better for you. A big surprise. How would you like to stay with Darcie for a few days? You’d get to play with Brendan and Janice, and sleep in Janice’s room every night. Would you like that?”
Heather looked doubtful. “Will you be there, too?”
Gail prayed for the right words. “No, honey. Mommy is going to be pretty busy for the next few days. Too busy to take care of you properly. That’s why I want you to stay with Darcie. I’ll be able to talk to you on the phone every day, though.” She glanced at Blake for confirmation and received a quick nod. “You can tell me everything you and Janice and Brendan have been doing, okay?”
“Okay.” Heather gave the prospect some serious consideration. “Can I take my dolly’s house?”
“You can take whatever you want.” Gail straightened her knees and stood. “Now, will you stay here and talk to Uncle Blake while I make a couple of phone calls?”
“Okay.” Looking just a tad worried, Heather sat down at the kitchen table. “I don’t have to go to school?”
“No,” Gail replied, wondering how she was going to get through the days without her daughter. “You don’t have to go to school. At least for a little while, anyway.”
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