He leaned back and stretched his arm along the back of the sofa as though making an attempt to cool the moment.
She leaned back with him and watched the television, too aware of him to pay any attention to the story playing out.
“This is a real marriage, Jocelyn.”
Surprised he’d said that now, she turned to him with another silent question.
“You make a mockery of it by dressing in sexy lingerie.” When she would have argued why, he held up his forefinger. “I can’t wait to see you in it again, but I’d prefer it if you wore it for me and not to prove a point.”
“Then you’ll be waiting a long time,” she said.
His mouth tightened briefly. He knew what she meant. “We can make this marriage work, Jocelyn. We can be a family and live a good, happy life.”
Could they? Did he really believe that? More like he’d done some heavy-duty convincing to himself.
“I want to talk to you about work,” he said.
She predicted where he’d go with this and grew irritated. “No.”
His brow lifted. “You haven’t even heard what I have to say.”
“You mean what you’re going to propose? That I don’t work?”
“How did you—”
Incensed, she stood and faced him with her hands on her hips. “Oh-my-God. You were actually going to suggest I quit my job?” Flashes of her dad’s and brother’s faces ran through her mind.
“Jocelyn.” He stood and faced her, looking down at her defiant stance with a little too much appreciation. “You’re going to have a baby anyway. You can’t work once you do.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t you want to stay at home with our baby?”
Oooo...he masked his true intent with that dangling carrot. They had a long time before she’d give birth.
“The baby isn’t born yet. I’m working until I go into labor.” He ought to know her better by now. She was not the type to quit anything, especially when her dad and brother died in the line of duty and she was all that remained of her line. Her honor alone would keep her working.
After looking at her for several seconds, Trevor sighed long and ran his fingers through his hair again.
“Jocelyn, please. I don’t think we should work together as husband and wife. You’ll distract me from the case.”
“I’ll distract you?”
“I need to know you’re safe,” he said.
“No. Let’s address what this is really all about, Trevor. This reminds you of your failed relationship with that woman—that coworker of yours. You’re afraid I’m right and this won’t work out.”
When he hesitated, she wondered if she was in fact right, or if she’d only touched the surface.
“You’re the one who mentioned an annulment,” he said.
She’d have to be careful not to bring that up again. “If this doesn’t work out, it’ll be because you forced me to marry you.”
“I didn’t force you.”
She leaned her face closer to his. “You coerced me.”
He leaned closer to hers. “You agreed.”
Planting her hands on his muscular chest, she gave him a frustrated shove. He didn’t budge.
Jocelyn pivoted and stomped toward the bedroom. At the doorway, Trevor took hold of her wrist and tugged. In one smooth movement, he gently spun her, taking her other hand and pulling her against him. His arms slid around her and she stared up into his intense eyes, determined and flaring with passion. Instant awareness of her body pressed to his softened some of the shock over his bold action. Her soft breasts against his hard torso. Her hips to his thighs.
The tightness around his mouth softened as he grew aware of the same.
“What are you doing?” she asked, breathless.
“I’m consummating this marriage.”
Dizzy with that raspy declaration, Jocelyn melted against him as he slid his hand up her back and sank his fingers into her hair. She gripped the front of his shirt as he brought his mouth down to hers. She had no time to prepare for this sensual onslaught. The baser part of her remembered how good they were together. Like invisible tentacles seeking his heat, the core of her responded to his every touch. Each soft movement of his mouth on hers, each stroke of his tongue and his hand on her rear blew oxygen into the flames of her passion.
He became the center of her consciousness. When he moved forward, she naturally backed toward the bed. Everything he did, climbing on top of her, stripping her, drowned into the background of sweet sensation. His kisses took her away from reality and into a magical world. His skin against hers and his roaming hands only perpetuated the dreamlike state. Sparkles lit the fantasy when he penetrated her. An expert lover, or an expert lover only with her, he moved to a slow, intimate and drugging rhythm. As her eyes met his at that pinnacle moment, she knew he’d been carried away as much as her.
* * *
Trevor woke to a quiet hotel room. Bright sunlight beamed through the wall of windows beyond the foot of the king-size bed. But it was the mass of long dark hair all over his chest that got most of his attention. Jocelyn lay with her head there, an arm slung over to the other side of him, and one slender leg doing the same to his hips. The covers had fallen half off the bed and none covered them. What the hell? What had happened to him last night? He felt as though he’d dreamed it all. Maybe he had.
He should welcome the explosive chemistry they mixed. He had a chance to make this a real marriage. Instead, a wave of apprehension swept him. What was a real marriage? Had he ever seen one? Because most people put on a damn good face in an attempt to convince the world they’d gotten it right, that they’d found the ever elusive True Love. The only truth Trevor believed was that kind of love was rare, if it existed at all.
Control slipped out of his reach. The powerful emotion Jocelyn stirred with just a touch and a look last night disconcerted him. He didn’t feel himself. Who was that man who’d made love to her that way?
One that would take him straight to a broken heart, that was who. Both people in a relationship had to feel the same, exactly the same. Equal levels of love, and a lot of it, for it to qualify as True Love.
When he’d discovered how easy it had been for his ex-girlfriend and agent, Christy, to get back together with the other agent, Trevor only grew more convinced. He’d had real feelings for her. He wouldn’t go so far as to say he’d fallen madly in love with her, but he’d thought they had a chance, a real chance. But, no. Once again, having faith in finding that kind of love left a person cold and alone.
He hadn’t thought about when he’d give love a try again. He hadn’t even thought about dating. Sure, he’d taken women out over the past five years and even slept with a few of them, but none had inspired him to start a relationship. Jocelyn inspired. And that was what had him on edge.
Carefully, he eased out from under her, replacing his chest with a pillow. She moaned and adjusted her position and then sighed as she fell back into deep sleep. Trevor pulled the sheet over her naked body. Marrying her for the sake of a child had seemed like the right thing to do, but falling in love hadn’t been part of the plan. At least, not this soon. Maybe he had hoped they could have done what he’d suggested—ease into it. Or just have a nice, uncomplicated companionship while they raised their child. Hell, he no longer knew what he’d been thinking. Right now, he felt as though he’d made a big mistake.
Chapter 6
Jocelyn sat in the meeting room at the Granite Gulch FBI satellite office. The task force met regularly to discuss the case. Chief Jim Murray stepped into the room, tall and trim and not bad-looking for a man in his fifties. Unlike many men his age, he also had a full head of salt-and-pepper hair. He was her new best friend. She’d spoken with him prior to this meeting while Trevor had gone to the restroom, and
he supported her idea. He’d let her present it to the task force today.
She glanced over at Trevor, sitting beside her as her husband and boss for this case. He wasn’t going to like this.
He caught her glance and she smiled.
He eyed her strangely, suspicious of what thought had put that smile on her face.
“Stop being so serious,” she said.
“What are you so chipper about?”
He’d been surly all the way back from Vegas. The flight back to Granite Gulch had been awkward—for him. Jocelyn inwardly celebrated the connection they’d made. She didn’t need an annulment if this turned into something good.
At four in the afternoon, their schedule had been tight to make this meeting. The busy pace had helped her to avoid analyzing the magic of last night too much.
Chief Murray took to the podium in the cramped room. Other officers and agents sat on uncomfortable folding chairs. They were a team of about twenty, working diligently to catch the Alphabet killer.
“Thank you for coming this afternoon,” the chief began. “I’d like to announce a possible change in our strategy. Up until now, surveillance and other methods of investigation haven’t worked in our favor. One of our FBI agents came up with an idea I’d like us all to discuss, and if we have unanimous agreement, we’ve got a plan to start implementation tonight.”
Jocelyn felt Trevor turn his gaze on her. She didn’t have to see him to know he was angry.
“Jocelyn?” Chief Murray invited her to take the podium.
She got up.
Trevor got up, as well. “Wait just a minute.”
She kept going.
“Jocelyn.”
“Just hear her out, Agent Colton,” the chief said. “This is a team effort.”
Trevor remained standing, an intimidating presence as she took the podium.
“We know Regina Willard works at restaurants and that’s most likely where she meets her victims,” Jocelyn began, gaining strength as she spoke. “We think she’s a waitress. We know what she looked like before she began her crimes. She changes her appearance and her identity to escape detection. Because she goes after women with long dark hair, I propose to pose as bait to lure her out.”
A flurry of murmurs spread through the room.
“There’s a vacant building at the edge of town that I propose to use as a real estate agency. My real estate agency. I’ll have business cards ready in the morning, and my false identity will be arranged once I have approval to move forward.”
“How do you plan to lure her out?” one of the seated officers asked.
A glance at Trevor confirmed he’d like to hit the man for asking.
“I’ll go to the restaurants as a patron and behave rudely. No waitress likes condescension. One who kills will like it even less.”
“It’s too dangerous,” Trevor said. He moved to look at the faces in the crowd. “We can’t put one of our own at that kind of risk.”
“I think it’s a good idea,” an officer in the back said. “She’s got long dark hair and her name starts with a J.”
“I agree. It might work,” an agent on the right said.
“Are you crazy?” Trevor roared. “She could be the next victim!”
“You could go with me, Agent Colton.” Jocelyn tried to calm him. She already knew he wouldn’t stand for her going alone.
“And do what?” he snapped. “Pose as your husband?”
“There wouldn’t be much posing involved,” she said, loving how that curbed his temper and put him in check. “Would there?”
Everyone in the room turned startled eyes to Trevor. They hadn’t made the announcement yet that they were married.
“Out in the hall. Now.” Trevor began to turn.
“Wait. Let’s take a vote,” Chief Murray said.
Trevor stopped short and bestowed the man with an ominous look.
“Who’s in favor?”
About 80 percent of the room raised their hands.
Jocelyn beamed a smile, eager to get to work and catch a killer. Trevor, on the other hand, would take some convincing.
* * *
At the edge of town, Trevor looked around for any suspicious movement while Jocelyn unlocked the front door of her new pseudo office. Inside, the older building smelled dusty and stale and the previous tenants had left a mess behind, but the sturdy construction made up for that. Messes could be cleaned.
“Looks like we have a lot of work to do,” Jocelyn said.
She walked through the front room with white-trimmed windows and redbrick walls. A broken table in one corner, a dirty towel nearby, a checkout counter with the display glass in pieces all around and more. His feet scuffed along a wood floor that would gleam with a little love.
“I’ll get a cleaning crew over here in the morning,” Trevor said.
“Movers will be here any minute.”
She’d been busy. “You had this all planned, didn’t you? From the moment you mentioned it that first time.”
She smiled. “I had faith in you.”
“Me?” He lifted his brow.
She walked over to him, putting a hand on his chest with a pat. “I knew you’d come around...husband.”
“I still don’t approve of you posing as bait.” He wouldn’t tell her she’d come up with a smart plan, that he’d have raised his hand along with the rest—had she been anyone else proposing to take such a risk.
“I’ve been around law enforcement my entire life,” she said. “I’ve trained for this. I’m an agent, Trevor. Just like you.”
Not just like. “You’re a rookie.”
“I learned from my dad and brother.” She dropped her hand to put it on her hip, a sexy hip that he’d like to have his hands on again. “I’ve been shooting guns since I was twelve.”
“You have not.” What father would let his twelve-year-old daughter shoot a gun?
“I started with toy guns.”
He chuckled.
Then more seriously, she said, “Real guns when I was sixteen. I’m a good shot. Take me to the range—I’ll show you.”
She didn’t need to show him. He’d seen her shoot before at the practice range. She was a natural. “Okay, Ellen the Gunslinger.”
Jocelyn laughed. “Just don’t start calling me The Lady.”
“I go with you at all times,” he said. “I don’t want you to get into any situations where you have to use your gun. Leave that to me. You draw Regina out, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Why are you so protective?” She started to clean up.
He found a broom and began to sweep. It was almost as though the previous tenants had left in the middle of cleaning the place before leaving.
“What makes you that way?” Jocelyn asked when he didn’t answer.
No one had ever asked him before. No one had ever told him he was protective, either. He certainly wasn’t like this with other agents. He trusted them to do their jobs. Jocelyn...
She’d become an agent for a noble reason, but this wasn’t her calling. He glanced over at her stomach, which would soon begin to show signs of her pregnancy. He stopped sweeping.
“You’re going to have a baby. It’s not only your life that’s at stake anymore. I’d still like you to take a leave or quit. And, yes, I am being protective when it comes to that.”
“I wasn’t pregnant before and you’ve always been protective. I’d like you to stop. I’m a good agent.”
“What’s wrong with not wanting you to get hurt?”
“Nothing.” She threw some papers into a full trash can. “But it kind of goes against your rule not to mix personal matters with work. I can’t figure you out. You don’t want to get personal and yet you married me.”
That did come with some angst. He maintained professionalism at all times while working. Ethics mattered to him. Affairs or inappropriate behavior didn’t feel right. He’d learned the former the hard way.
He resumed sweeping. “Getting married was the right thing to do.”
Jocelyn sighed out a long breath, exasperated as she picked up other items from the floor. “You didn’t want to get married before you found out I was pregnant.”
No. A baby changed everything. He’d said that already. Didn’t she understand? Maybe she did but dreamed of a perfect wedding, in love with her groom. He’d like the same with a bride, but they both had to take responsibility for their carelessness. Now an innocent life would come into this world, faultless of any lack of caution on their part.
“In fact,” she went on, busily tidying up the place, “I thought you were like that because you didn’t want to get married.”
“I’d have married if the right woman came along.”
“I’m not the right woman.”
“It’s too soon to tell. Stop overthinking this.” He’d rather not consider how good they were together physically. While that might lead to a deeper relationship, it was all they had for now.
She stopped tidying and looked at him, incredulous. “I don’t think it’s possible to overthink rushing into marriage just because I’m pregnant. What if I miscarry?”
The possibility bit into his conscience. Once again, he stopped sweeping. He hadn’t considered that in his haste to do the right thing.
“Are you afraid of ending up like your dad?”
What did Matthew have to do with this? “A serial killer?”
“No. I don’t mean that. Maybe you lost your way after he was arrested for your mother’s murder. Maybe that’s what’s kept you from marrying until now.”
“I’m not that old.” He had plenty of time for a family, and he wanted to be a good father. He wanted his kids to grow up in a solid family unit. Yeah, maybe he wanted that too much. He did worry he wouldn’t succeed, especially with Jocelyn treating their marriage as a sham.
“Did you and that agent talk about having kids?” she asked, busy picking up things left behind and organizing them in one area.
A Baby for Agent Colton Page 8