Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?

by Shawna Delacorte

  Yet he knew he couldn’t let her go.

  He brushed a tender kiss across her lips. “Are you okay, Brandi? Is there anything I can get for you?”

  “I’m fine. I don’t need anything at all.” Nothing other than knowing if there was a chance for them to have a true future together when the upheaval in their lives had been resolved. Did she dare hope he felt the same way? She snuggled into his arms, for the moment feeling safe and secure. Everything between them had all happened so quickly, yet it all felt so very right.

  But what would the light of morning bring? Would he turn distant? Had she made a colossal error?

  No. Regardless of what the future held she would never regret having made love with Reece Covington. If that was all there was, it would be a memory that would live with her forever.

  IT WAS LATE THAT MORNING when Reece finally woke up. Brandi was still wrapped in his arms, just the way they had fallen asleep. He watched her for a few minutes, afraid to move and disturb her. They had spent the night sharing their passion and hadn’t stopped until the early hours of the morning. No one and nothing had ever had the type of impact on him that making love to her did.

  He also knew that it put something else at stake. What had started as a tentative alliance, an offer by him to help her with her stalker based primarily on the possibility that Frank James might be involved, had turned into so much more. He also knew it was something they had to hold in abeyance until they resolved the danger surrounding them.

  Brandi stirred, drawing Reece away from his thoughts. Her sleep-filled voice belied the sparkle of delight glowing in the depths of her eyes. “Good morning.”

  He placed a tender kiss on her forehead. “Good morning to you, too. Did you sleep well?”

  She stretched her legs and wiggled her toes. “Never better.”

  “Me, too.” He held her close, enjoying the warmth of the moment. To be able to wake up every morning with her in his arms would truly make his life complete. If only it could be a reality. If only his life could be so settled and calm. And it wasn’t just his life. Her life was in chaos, too. Life-threatening danger stalked her, a threat he had to prevent from destroying her.

  He continued to hold her close. Neither of them spoke for several minutes. It was finally Brandi who broke the silence.

  “As delightful as this is, we can’t spend the day here.” Yet there was nothing she would rather be doing. Being in Reece Covington’s bed, safely cradled in the security of his strong arms, had brought her the first feelings of true calm she had experienced in a month. If only every morning could start just as that one had.

  A reluctant sigh of resignation escaped his throat. “You’re right. We need to get out of bed.” But he made no effort to move. “Yep, we need to get up. We have work to do.” He still made no effort to move.

  She glanced at the clock. The shock jolted her into an upright sitting position. “Look at the time! I had no idea it was so late. We really do need to get up.”

  He placed a tender kiss on her lips, then pulled back the blanket and slid out of bed. “Do you want to take a shower first? I’ll make coffee.” He leaned his face into hers and placed a kiss on her lips again. A sly grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Unless you’d like to share the shower with me.”

  She returned his teasing grin. “That sounds tempting, but it would probably lead to other things and we would most certainly end up not accomplishing what needs to be done.”

  He allowed an audible sigh of resignation. “I suppose you’re right, although my suggestion sounds like more fun.”

  “It certainly does.”

  She watched as he left the bedroom headed for the kitchen. She grabbed some clothes and went to the bathroom. The shower spray felt refreshing, but it did not keep her thoughts from constantly straying to the night of heated passion they had shared—a magical night of lovemaking unlike any she had ever known. And equally prominent in her thoughts was what the future held. There was the immediate future, with the life-threatening danger lurking from Frank James. But there was also the ongoing future and what it would bring once Frank James and his associates were no longer a threat.

  Would Reece Covington be part of that future? She refused to dwell on any emotional connection that might exist between them. There would be time to explore that possibility later—at least she hoped so.

  She finished in the bathroom, dressed and went to the kitchen. She poured herself some coffee and fixed breakfast while Reece took a shower and dressed. They were soon ready for the day’s business.

  Reece placed a phone call to his friend in California. “Chip…I need a favor…a really big favor and it has to be in the strictest of confidence.”

  “Sure thing, Reece. What can I do for you?”

  “I have some items I’m going to send to you, and I need for you to keep them in a bank safe deposit box. If anything happens to me, I need for you to get them into the hands of the FBI.”

  There was a moment of silence before Chip responded. “What the hell have you gotten yourself into? What’s going on?”

  “It’s something so convoluted and strange that I wouldn’t believe it myself if I wasn’t in the middle of it. I can only tell you that if everything turns out the way it should, it will clear my record of the felony conviction and I’ll have my P.I. license back.” He glanced at Brandi, noting the worried expression on her face. “And there’s more. There’s an innocent woman whose life is at stake. I’ve got to do everything I can to see that she isn’t harmed.”

  “Tell me what to do and you’ve got it.”

  “Thanks, Chip. I’m going to e-mail you a zip file with some pictures. Then as a backup precaution I’m going to ship you hard copies of the same pictures along with a sealed envelope containing some ballistic evidence. There will be a note inside the sealed envelope explaining what it is and where it came from. As I said, if anything happens to me I want you to take it all to the FBI.”

  “Okay. You’ve got my P.O. box number, don’t you? That will keep it safe in case someone gets on to this and stakes out my house and office looking for the mail. I can take it directly from the security of my post office box to the bank and put it in the safe deposit box.”

  “Good. I’ll e-mail the pictures in a few minutes and will ship out the package today express mail and mark it for next-day delivery. Thanks, Chip. I owe you one.”

  “Yeah…take care of yourself. Let me hear from you every couple of days so I’ll know you’re okay. And make it by phone rather than e-mail so I can hear your voice and know for a fact that it’s you.”

  “You got it.” Reece disconnected the call, then reached out and took Brandi’s hand. Just the sensation of her skin against his sent a wave of calm through his body, replacing the nervous jitter that had been there.

  She looked at him questioningly. “Now what?”

  “Now we venture out to a post office that has no connection with this area, put the items in question into an express mailer and send them off to Chip. Then we call Joe Hodges again.”

  “Have you decided what you’re going to say to Joe? How much you’re going to tell him?”

  “Not really, but I think it’s important that I make contact with him again today. I’ll let him take the conversation where he wants it to go—that way I can determine what’s important to him so that I’ll know how to proceed.”

  Reece turned on his computer and e-mailed the pictures to Chip. Next, he gathered up the other items that needed to go to the post office. When he was ready to leave, he turned toward Brandi and took her hand in his.

  “I’m not sure what to do. On one hand I think you’ll be safer staying here while I’m gone. Frank could have easily provided your picture to the local sheriff with a report any sightings but do not approach instruction. Even though he will have a difficult time tracing ownership of my vehicle, it’s not impossible. He could also have added make, model and license plate number to the bulletin. But, on the outside chance tha
t Frank may be on to something, I don’t want to leave you here alone and unprotected like a sitting duck.”

  “I want to go with you. There has to be something I can do to help. I don’t feel right about sitting safely out of the way while you risk your neck on my behalf. Besides, I’m accustomed to taking care of myself rather than letting someone else fight my battles for me.”

  The sound of a slow-moving truck grabbed their attention. He saw the moment of panic dart across her face, an expression that matched the surge of adrenaline pumping through his veins. He bolted for the cabin door, pulling Brandi along behind him. Once outside, he cautiously made his way around the corner of the cabin into the carport. He peered around the corner at the fire road, then breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted the forest service truck checking the road for storm damage.

  He extended a bit of a sheepish smile. “I guess my nerves are a little on edge.”

  She swallowed the lump of anxiety that had lodged in her throat and tried to slow down her racing pulse. “They had company. My nerves were sitting out on that ledge, too.”

  “Well, that settles the matter. You’re coming with me. I don’t want to subject you to a nerve-wracking experience every time a vehicle comes within earshot.”

  They gathered the items to take with them. At the last minute before stepping out the door, Reece turned toward Brandi and studied her for a moment. He grabbed a baseball cap and handed it to her.

  “Here, wear this, Goldilocks. It will cover most of your hair so it won’t be as obvious. That and some sunglasses will have to do for the time being.”

  He watched as she adjusted the size on the cap, put it on and tucked as much of her hair up out of sight as she could. They started for town again. He drove to Edmonds, a city about fifteen miles north of Seattle. After leaving the post office, they stopped at a grocery store for supplies. Then they returned to the cabin, arriving after dark. It had been a thankfully uneventful excursion as far as anything suspicious or alarming was concerned.

  Reece began to feel a little more comfortable about their game of cat and mouse. He had protected their evidence in a manner that was beyond Frank James’s grasp. Now he needed to set the other pieces of his plan into motion. It was time to call Joe Hodges again.

  He dialed Joe’s number. After four rings he connected to Joe’s voice mail and left a message. On the chance that someone else might hear it, he did not identify himself, knowing that Joe would recognize his voice.

  “I have some additional information for you, but you apparently aren’t available. Don’t bother calling me back. I’ll call you when I have an opportunity.” Then he disconnected the call.

  Reece turned toward Brandi. “I don’t want him to call the number I gave him at lunch the other day. Knowing Joe, he’ll make the call after he’s set up a cell tower trace. I want to keep control.” A sly grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “And then there’s the added perk of making him wait to find out what else I have for him. I want to leave him slightly off balance so that he’s scrambling to keep up with me rather than getting ahead of us.”

  Brandi tilted her head to the side and shot a quizzical look in his direction. “It sounds like you don’t really trust him.”

  He pulled her into his embrace and held her for a moment before answering. “Right now I don’t trust anyone. Obviously the introduction of Mitch Mantee has altered the situation, but I still want to maintain the maximum amount of control possible under the circumstances.”

  He continued to hold her, resting his cheek against her head. The stakes kept getting higher and higher. At first it was a woman in trouble. Then the added presence of Frank James upped the ante. And now everything was on the line with the involvement of an organized crime boss. He accepted the fact that they could no longer handle the situation by themselves, but that didn’t mean he was willing to blindly trust someone else regardless of how long he had known that person. He would view Joe Hodges with caution.

  “We need to get some sleep so we can get up at a decent hour in the morning and not have half the day gone before we get started. I want to call Joe first thing.”

  But sleep wasn’t on his mind. He captured her mouth with a sensual kiss that clearly conveyed his intentions. Her immediate response signaled her agreement.

  Chapter Nine

  Reece and Brandi sat in his car in the shopping center parking lot in Bellevue, across Lake Washington from Seattle. He glanced at his watch—nine o’clock. He took a swallow of his morning coffee while waiting for Joe to answer his cell phone. He kept a watchful eye on the people going in and out of the grocery store. A moment later the familiar voice came on the line.

  “Hodges.”

  “Good morning, Joe.”

  “Your message said something about additional information. What’s up?”

  He was pleased with the way Joe went straight to the business at hand without attempting any casual conversation. “I’ll be brief since I’m sure you’re busy and I know I am. I have a spent cartridge and its shell casing from a .25-caliber Beretta Bobcat. I’d like you to check it against any unsolved cases.”

  There was a moment’s hesitation. “Whose pistol is it?”

  Reece’s voice took on a rigid attitude. “Not a valid question at this time. Ask me again when you have a match to an unsolved case.”

  “Okay…how do I get them?”

  “I’ll hand them over to you in one hour at the coffee bar inside the grocery store at the shopping center where Interstate 90 and 405 cross in Bellevue. I also have a little tidbit that might provide some incentive for you to help me with this.”

  “And what would that be?”

  “Does the name Mitch Mantee ring any bells? I’ll see you in an hour.”

  “Wait a minute! Don’t hang up! Mitch Mantee? What do you know about him?”

  “Not now, Joe. I’ll see you in an hour.”

  “I’m not sure I can get there in an hour.”

  “Sure you can—requisition one of those shiny FBI helicopters that you have sitting around.” Reece quickly disconnected the call.

  A pleased grin spread across his face as he took hold of Brandi’s hand. “The mention of Mitch Mantee should guarantee his presence…and on time, too.”

  “Why did you say in an hour?” She gestured out the window. “We’re in front of the grocery store right now. Is he so far away that it will take him an hour to get here? A helicopter would mean that he could be here in a matter of minutes.”

  “Yes, but I want to make sure that Joe doesn’t send someone ahead to stake out the place so they can follow me. We can observe everything that goes on between now and Joe’s arrival. It will give me an opportunity to spot his men so we’ll know who to keep an eye on.”

  “Will you tell Joe about me? I mean, tell him who your friend is? Will I be going inside with you to meet Joe?”

  He wrinkled his forehead into a slight frown. “I haven’t decided yet. It will depend on what happens between now and then. Keep your eyes open for the basic, nondescript four-door sedan with one or two men inside…anyone who looks like they’re not here to make a purchase. Pay particular attention to the people hanging around at the gardening center by the front entrance to the grocery store, anyone who seems to be paying more attention to the people going in and out than to the items available for sale. And we’re not necessarily looking for a man alone or two men. It could be a man and woman posing as a married couple, but still watching the other people rather than the plants and flowers.”

  A slight chuckle escaped her throat, part amusement and part nervousness. “You sound like you’ve been through this before.”

  “Just a few of the things I learned from Joe.”

  She tried to maintain an upbeat sound to her voice. “Is it always this stressful? It feels like my nerves are being stretched to the breaking point.”

  He leaned over and placed a tender kiss on her lips. Emotion filled his words. “I’m sorry to have to put you through
this. My first choice was to leave you back at the cabin where you would be safer than you are here, but there’s a good chance that I might need your help before we get out of here.”

  “Whatever you need for me to do, just let me know. As I said earlier, I don’t want to sit around doing nothing while you’re out risking your life on my behalf. This is my mess and I want to contribute to solving it.”

  He saw the apprehension in her eyes, but had to admit that she did an admirable job of keeping it out of her voice. “I’ve been turning everything over in my mind, and I think we should play out the meeting this way. After I see Joe go inside the grocery store, I’ll join him. You stay in the car for a minute or so and keep your eye on the store entrance. Watch for anyone who’s been hanging around, then follows me inside. You wait and enter the grocery store a couple of minutes later. Don’t wait too long because I don’t intend to be here more than just a few minutes. Take a seat close enough to me where we can make eye contact, and you’ll hopefully be able to hear us as we talk. When I give you a nod, come back here and pull the car around to the front entrance. Scoot over to the passenger seat and leave the engine running. I want to be able to jump into the driver’s seat and get the hell out of the parking lot before they can get to their cars. Do you think you’ll be able to do that?”

  She extended a confident smile. “No problem.” If only she felt as assured as the image she tried to project. She couldn’t think of anything he had overlooked, but that didn’t make her feel any easier about it. She knew that she had to share in the risk. She wanted to share in the risk. After all, it was her fault that he was in danger. She had full confidence in Reece Covington and his abilities. She glanced at him. She saw the tension etched into his handsome features as he scanned the parking lot, looking for anything that seemed out of place.

  Her mind drifted to the previous night when they had made love. Not only had he fulfilled her physical needs, he had fulfilled her emotionally as well. She desperately wanted to plan for the future, to think beyond the here and now, but she knew there was no future as long as the danger continued to stalk them.