by Dale Mayer
“And your bedroom?”
Her face crinkled up. “I was trying to ignore that room.” She walked into her bedroom with him following a few steps behind.
His gaze landed on the unmade bed. It was hard not to imagine her small body curled up in the cozy indent from where she’d slept. It was impossible to ignore the fact the other half of the bed was flat, untouched, indicating she slept alone. He had to wonder if she wanted anybody to fill that space. He clamped down hard on his feelings, surprised they even arose.
This was Tracy’s best friend. Kai wasn’t for him. The fact that he was even aware of such things reminded him it was time for him to get back into relationships. It had taken all this time for him to realize he didn’t want to sleep alone for the rest of his life.
As he walked to Kai’s bedroom window and looked out, he understood he didn’t want someone like Tracy. She’d been special. She had been a part of his life. He wanted somebody else. Maybe. He almost laughed at that. Every time he thought he was ready to step forward, doubts plagued him. He couldn’t cast other woman in Tracy’s mold. They wouldn’t fit, and it wasn’t fair to another woman. He wouldn’t do that to Kai. But, when he was faced with the dynamo in front of him—her hot, tight curvy body in an intimate setting—well … it was hard to not appreciate her for who she was.
She walked over to the closet and opened it. The interior was in direct contrast to Tracy’s. Kai had almost nothing hanging except two or three dresses.
He checked the top shelf, but it was empty. He raised an eyebrow in her direction. She shrugged, pointed to the dresser.
“Pay particular attention to your lingerie.”
“I was afraid you would say that.” She pulled out drawers. Simple white cotton panties were nicely folded in one, and the others held camisoles, pajamas, nighties and T-shirts. Serviceable, clean, like her. None of the stuff Tracy used to love. Another difference. A good one. Kai was simplicity itself. This suited her.
After she’d gone through all the drawers, she turned to him. “I can’t tell.”
“Did you have anything unusual, anything special?”
She shook her head. “No.” Then she frowned. “Yes. … I do. One set in a plum color …” She reached for it and froze. “It’s not here.”
He stepped forward. “Were both pieces together?”
She nodded. “They were tucked inside each other so, when I reached for one, I’d get both.” She pulled her drawer out until it was completely off the track, laid it on the floor and searched the space behind it.
He knew what she was doing. He waited. The reality would hit her soon. “I can’t find them.” She started to panic and proceeded to go through every drawer. But found no sign of them. Finally she inspected the drawer’s back space again and turned to look at him. “How did you know?”
“It’s just one more step in the process of a stalker’s mind. They are often looking for bits and pieces. Souvenirs. If it is a romantic attachment in his mind, that becomes a sexual drive. It’s only natural to come looking for something of yours to take away. It’s part of his trophy. He wants that piece of you close by, something he could look at, touch, feel and smell.”
“I can’t express how my stomach feels right now.” She sank slowly onto the bed. “Because this means, not only has he been in my apartment but he’s gone through my things and taken something for himself.”
“Yes,” Tyson confirmed. That sense of violation would never go away. She could never look at her apartment again the same way. He was sorry for that.
“What am I to do now?” She gave a broken laugh. “It never occurred to me someone would have been here. I had no idea.”
“And that’s the scary part.” He reached out a hand, pulling her to her feet. “Let’s go have dinner.”
She stared at him in shock. “You expect me to eat after this?”
“I expect you to put one foot in front of the other and do what’s necessary. I expect you to enjoy it. And I expect you to remember you are no longer alone.”
She shook her head. “But what if he comes back?”
He pulled out his phone. “Levi’s sending the team to set up video cameras.”
She looked a little sick at that. “In my bedroom?”
He chuckled. “No, it does not have to be in your bedroom.”
She wrapped her arms tight around her chest. “And why are we leaving if they are coming to do that?”
“So we’re out of the way.” He walked to the kitchen, grabbed a chair and walked to the front door. There he stepped up and installed the small camera system he’d been carrying in his pocket. When done, he stepped down and turned to look at her. “Now we can make sure no one comes inside who isn’t allowed in.”
Chapter 8
Kai stared at Tyson, dumbfounded. “You’re fast.”
“Now let’s go so the guys can get in here.” He smiled. “They’ll set up some cameras in the hall, stairwell and one facing the living room to see if anybody’s coming in through the fire escape.”
“I never even saw the fire escape.” She walked over to the living room and stared out. “The window here is solid. How could anybody possibly get in or out?”
“You’re only one floor up from the street.”
“Shit.” It had never occurred to her when she rented this apartment that she should be looking for something safe. And now she felt like a fool.
“It’s what we do. So let it go. Let’s have dinner, and let the guys do their thing.”
She nodded, grabbed her purse and walked out with him. She locked the door as usual and tried not to look around as they headed out. Once in the parking lot Tyson led her to a vehicle. She watched as he opened the door for her, his gaze casual and yet so aware of everything going on around them.
Then he hopped in the driver’s seat, turned the key and drove out.
She let out her breath in a heavy whoosh. “Even in the military I didn’t do this kind of stuff.”
“Maybe not, but we did. So let us do what we need to do.”
She settled back to relax.
If she didn’t let her mind glom onto the reminder of someone invading her personal space, pawing through her underwear, she could almost deal with this. She found her appetite again. Codfather was one of her favorite restaurants when Tracy had been alive. Kai hadn’t been to one since.
She walked in to find they had a reservation. As they were led to the table, she said, “When did you have time to make a reservation?”
“Ice did it.”
“Okay.”
They were given a window seat, overlooking the city. “It’s a stunning view.”
“It is indeed.”
“It has a fairy-tale look,” she said with a bitter note she hadn’t expected to hear. “Which is so fake.”
“No, it’s not. Like everything else, there are layers. Just because you live in one layer doesn’t mean other shadowy layers aren’t below you. You just have to make sure you don’t let it suck you down.”
She studied the solemn man across the table from her. At first she couldn’t believe Tracy and Tyson had hooked up. Maybe because she hadn’t wanted them too, and they had in many ways been opposites. But, once laying eyes on each other, they’d both fallen in love. He’d been good for Tracy, toning her down, keeping her grounded. And maybe, just maybe, Tracy had lightened his life and brought joy into his world.
“What are you thinking?” he asked curiously.
She laughed. “How different you and Tracy were.”
He nodded. “And it’s nice we can talk about Tracy without either of us tearing up,” he said with a lopsided smile. “But Tracy and I were very different. I’d like to think we were good together.”
“I know she was happy. I was incredibly happy for her and you.”
“But it’s also because of me that she died.”
Her jaw dropped. “What? Absolutely not.”
“Not only was she pregnant, carrying my child,” he said
painfully, “but I wasn’t there at the time to save her.”
She realized how much this man—who went out to save the world for years—harbored his own personal sense of guilt over failing to save his wife. “The one thing you couldn’t take away from Tracy was that pregnancy. She was never happier. It’s what she wanted. She was desperate to have a child. The fact that everything went wrong is not your fault. Even the doctor said that they might not have saved her had she been in the hospital earlier.” She watched as he forced a smile.
He motioned at the menu in front of her and said, “Take a look. They have some new items. You might want to change your choice for dinner.”
She gave him the chance to change the topic. As she studied the menu, she realized they hadn’t changed the menu at all but had switched it up somewhat. It wasn’t hard to pick something as she had several favorites. When the waitress came around, she ordered a glass of white wine with her meal.
She probably shouldn’t have the wine, but, at the same time, she knew she’d never get any sleep tonight if she couldn’t relax. It didn’t surprise her when he didn’t order any alcohol. He drank sparingly. He’d also consider himself on the job right now.
When the meal arrived, she was grateful as the conversation lulled into something less awkward. She realized Tracy had always been part of the conversations between them. A topic that they both wanted to discuss, but neither really wanted to because of the pain. That they’d brought up her name several times now was good. Maybe they could move on.
“Are you seeing anyone right now?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Thought about it. I had coffee with a few women but haven’t found anybody to go further than that with.”
He raised his gaze to hers with that laser blue she’d always found so unsettling. And yet it was no longer as difficult to look at as she remembered it.
He said, “According to what you told us at lunch, you aren’t either.”
She shook her head. “No. The last one ended abruptly. Then I just got too busy. It will happen when it happens, but I’m not rushing into anything.”
“When you say abruptly, what does that mean?”
She snorted. “I ended it. I walked into his place to find him in bed with another woman.”
Tyson’s eyebrows rose. “Understandable. Did you have an argument, or was he angry, upset?”
“Only from being caught with his girlfriend, who just laughed.” She shrugged. “I tossed him his keys, turned and walked out. Haven’t seen him since.”
“How long were you with him?”
“Six months. We were talking about moving in together right before I found out.”
He watched and filed away that information.
“His name was Wilson Warnock. I met him just after leaving the military. I probably jumped into it because he wasn’t military. That was attractive at the time,” she said with a laugh. “No, my heart wasn’t devastated. No, he didn’t seem to be angry, upset, or have any reason to come after me. We just moved on.”
“Still, I’ll update Ice by adding his name for her background checks. She’ll let us know if she finds anything noteworthy.” He quickly sent a text to Ice, then paused, watching her expression. “It’s devastating to be betrayed by someone so close to us.”
“Irritating, yes,” she corrected. “And I was an idiot for signing up in the first place.” She laughed. “It’s all good.”
*
Was it really that simple? He couldn’t imagine it being so. But then again, after Tracy, he couldn’t imagine having a lighthearted or serious romance. And yet, he probably should. Dipping his toes back in the water didn’t have to be taken as jumping off the deep end of the dock. But he knew that, after Tracy, he wouldn’t be happy with superficial. He didn’t want a lighthearted relationship. He wanted someone who would give him the high points of what he had. Compassion, commitment, loyalty and love.
His phone buzzed. He pulled it out and read the text. Cameras have been installed. He lifted his head and stared at her.
She frowned when she saw it. “What’s the point of notifying us?”
“It will alert Ice if there’s an intruder.”
She stared at him and swallowed hard. He recognized that was her physical sign as she mentally paused before she blurted out whatever came to mind. Some people lost color in the face. Other people protested. But she was quiet, as if looking for control as she thought about what he said. And what he didn’t say.
“Okay then.” She took another bite. While she considered all this, he continued to eat. When she finished her plate, she set it off to one side, picked up her wine and settled back. “Are you staying the night?”
Heat zinged to his groin, and he slammed a lid on it. “I am.” He reached across, picked the listening device off her shirt and turned it off.
She stared at it, her mouth contorting as she understood what it was. He placed it in his wallet and said, “I should’ve taken that off earlier. Sorry.”
She stared at him in shock, glancing around. “Have they been listening into our conversation?”
“I took out my earpiece. But it’s still connected. As long as we’re together, we don’t need it. And I don’t see any reason for you and I to not remain together until your stalker is found. But, if and when we’re separated, you’ll have one.”
His voice was hard, implacable. A few things he might bend on, but this was not one of them.
“To answer your question again, yes, I am staying the night.” He added, “And every night afterward until this is done.”
“You’ll really put a dent in my romantic life,” she complained without any heat.
He gave her a ghost of a smile and, with a devilish twinkle in his eye, said, “Or maybe I’ll add some sparkle to it.”
Chapter 9
Her jaw dropped, and, when she could, Kai said, “Are you flirting with me?”
He raised one eyebrow. “Maybe.” He stared off in the distance before directing his gaze at her. “Are you against it?”
She sat back and stared. She had no idea what to think about this side of him, except to say she approved. “I’m not sure what to say,” she said cautiously.
He turned that twinkle on again. “If you figure it out, let me know.”
And she realized just how special a moment this really was. How much he’d jumped forward, healing with every step he took.
She didn’t want to do anything to slow or halt this progress, but, at the same time, she was stunned at his playfulness, the lightheartedness that had popped out of the blue. And she struggled to adapt.
“I surprised you, didn’t I?” He chuckled, the air of a little boy around him.
“What brought this on?” She leaned forward. “Not that I’m against it, mind you, but I haven’t seen this fun side of you before.”
“Then again you haven’t played with me.” Damn if that sexual innuendo didn’t appear to startle him too. He laughed. “I have to admit to feeling oddly lighthearted at the moment.”
“Nice to hear. You miss her,” she said, which sucked as his smile fell away. She quickly added, “No, I don’t mean that. It’s just that I really appreciate seeing you in this happy-go-lucky mood. It’s nice. You’ve been sad and serious for long enough.”
He shrugged. “I agree. We both have been that way for long enough. I loved her, but she’s gone,” he said simply. “I’m ready to move on.”
She beamed at him. “Good. You’re too nice a person to stay sad and alone forever.”
“We have a lot of history between us,” he said with a teasing tone back in his voice, “but where in all of that did you think I was a nice guy?”
“I knew you were a nice guy before Tracy saw you.”
He glanced at her with another raised eyebrow. “Really? Did we know each other first?”
She winced.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“It was a long time ago. And we didn’t exactly know each other,” s
he hedged.
“How long ago?”
She shrugged. “I was your neighbor.”
He stared at her. “What?”
She laughed at the look of complete shock on his face. “Yes, when you lived in the apartment on Dilworth Road. The Mongolia apartments in San Diego. I was your neighbor.”
He stared at her as his mouth slowly dropped open. “Seriously? I figured for sure you would say in the military …”
At that she howled.
“I always thought I was so observant. I didn’t even notice you when you were right next door to me.”
“I know, right? We were neighbors for about eighteen months, then you moved out.”
“Did Tracy know?”
Kai shrugged. “I never told her.”
His gaze narrowed. “Why is that?”
“No reason. But no point in mentioning it.” She smiled warmly. “It was obvious the two of you were right for each other.”
“That’s how we felt. Like it was just the two of us in the world.” He stared off into the distance.
She watched him carefully. “Would it have lasted?”
He slanted her a thoughtful gaze. “I don’t know. I’d like to think so. Unfortunately I’ll never find out now.”
“True enough.”
“Did she ever give you any indication it might not last?” he asked curiously. “We had our disagreements and arguments certainly, but we didn’t fight. She never said anything along those lines to me, but I know she didn’t like me leaving on missions.”
Kai placed her hand over his. “No, she was very happy. Tracy was a blessing to both of us. That time has come and gone, and we need to move on.”
“I have moved on,” he said. “I’m only just realizing how much. It was hard at the beginning. Then I turned around one day and realized I could remember her with joy, not pain.” He smiled at Kai. “I hope it’s the same for you.”
“It is indeed.” She glanced at her watch. “Are you ready to go home?”