by Rita Herron
Sydney’s fingertips pressed into his arm. He jerked sideways. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just tired.” He rubbed his neck wearily. His hair smelled, his skin, everything about him reeked of the fire. Even the shower he’d taken at the hospital hadn’t been able to completely erase the odor. “I appreciate the offer, but first, could you take me by the B-and-B? I want to see if anything was left from the fire and get my car.”
“Sure. Then are you leaving?”
Sydney’s troubled glance pulled at him. He couldn’t leave, not until he discovered the truth. “No, I’m staying.”
“I can’t imagine how awful it was to have been trapped in that fire.” She shivered and he had the urge to reach out and massage her neck, to release the tension in her shoulders.
“It was pretty scary,” he admitted.
She bit her bottom lip. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw the flames. I just knew...” Her words trailed off and he remembered the moment on the stretcher, right before they’d hoisted him onto the ambulance, when he’d thought someone had kissed his temple. Then in the ICU...
“How did you know the place was on fire?”
“I couldn’t sleep that morning,” she said in a low voice, her fingers tightening around the steering wheel. “So I went for a drive, then I noticed the smoke. It was billowing everywhere. I drove toward it and saw the flames. I had to know if anyone was hurt.”
He studied her worried frown. There was something she wasn’t telling him, but what?
She didn’t speak again until they’d turned down the street that led to the inn. “When I saw the paramedics carrying you, I wasn’t sure you’d made it out alive.”
A tender spot opened inside him at the concern lacing her voice. The charred ruins of the beautiful antebellum house came into view. Collin was stunned at the sight of ashes and debris littering the once perfectly manicured lawn. The flowers and azaleas had been trampled by the firemen. Nothing had been saved.
“My God,” Sydney said in a strangled whisper as she cut the engine. “I can’t believe everyone survived.”
Yeah, Collin thought grimly, shuddering at the extent of the damage. A couple of policemen and a man Collin suspected was a fire marshal walked the property, obviously scouting for more evidence. Yellow police tape encircled the lot. “Can you think of any reason someone would want to burn down the inn?”
Sydney shook her head. “The Davenports are nice people. I’m sure they’re devastated over losing the house. It’s been in their family for years. They recently spent a lot of money refurbishing some of the original moldings and other historical aspects.” She rolled her shoulders as if relieving tension. “I can’t think of any reason someone would do this. It doesn’t make sense at all.”
Possibly to get money from the insurance claim, Collin speculated. The Davenports could have overextended their credit and found themselves drowning in debt, then decided to torch the place and collect the insurance.
But that answer didn’t satisfy him. Too many coincidences.
He climbed from the car, the scent of smoke and ashes permeating the air.
“If you want to come to my house and use the phone, the offer still stands.”
“I plan to,” Collin said. “I’m going to talk to the cops for a minute, then get my car and follow you over.”
She agreed and he approached the nearest investigator, his gaze scanning the broken and charred remains of furniture, the metal appliances that had melted to the ground. “You can’t go in there.” The man held up a hand to keep him from entering the taped-off area.
“I know,” Collin said, frustrated because he wanted to check out the damage himself. “Have you found anything yet?”
The officer paused, a small piece of metal in his hand. “We’re taking samples. It’ll be a few days before all the test results are back.”
It was fruitless to continue until the guys had done a thorough sweep of the ruins. He crossed to Sydney and told her he was going to stop at a store and pick up some toiletries and extra clothes and meet her at her house. He also had to call Sam and tell him about the fire. Not that it was related to Green’s death, but too many weird things had been going on in Beaufort not to search for a connection.
When he arrived at Sydney’s later and she ushered him in the door, the house seemed eerily dark, the only light coming from the den. Sydney turned to him in the foyer, her blue eyes raging with emotions, like liquid pools of water. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she whispered. She lowered her head, kneading her hands. “Collin, I have to tell you something. Someone called in the middle of the night, before the fire. I don’t know if it has anything to do with the fire....”
Fear inched its way inside him. “Who was it?”
“I don’t know. Only that it was a man, I think.” She began to toy with the gold band on her ring finger. “His voice was muffled, as if he was holding something over the receiver.”
Collin gripped her arms just below the shoulders. “Did he threaten you?”
Her big blue eyes lifted to his. “They said that my friend and I should leave Doug’s murder alone. Not to stir up things or I’d...”
Her voice broke and Collin stroked her arms soothingly, willing her to continue. “Or what, Sydney?”
“That I’d end up like Doug.”
She trembled and Collin’s resistance snapped. He pulled her into the safety of his arms. “It’s okay, honey. No one’s going to hurt you. I promise.” He nuzzled the silky softness of her hair. She smelled like jasmine, sweet and delicious. And so precious. Like she belonged in his arms and always would.
“I stayed awake, wondering who called, wondering why he’d do this," Sydney said in a choked voice. ”Then I called you and the phone was dead, so I drove over to see you and saw the fire. And you...you were lying on that stretcher so still, and I wondered if it was my fault...but why would someone hurt you to get at me?”
Collin closed his eyes, hugging her to him, the tremor in her voice knotting his stomach. She was upset because he’d almost died.
“I don’t know, Sydney. There’s probably no connection.” God, she’d been through so much lately. “Shh, it’s all right. I’m fine. No one was harmed.” He brushed a strand of silky hair from her forehead. “It’s not your fault.”
A shudder rippled through her and he stroked the long indentation of her spine, running his hands over her shoulder blades and down the curve of her waist, rocking her back and forth, until he felt the trembling in her body cease. Then awareness warmed his fingers, and his senses sizzled with the imprint of the feminine curves pressed so intimately against him. His body instinctively hardened with need. She sighed, snuggling into his warmth as if she needed a safe haven from the dangers of the outside world. And for a moment, he forgot that he wasn’t her savior, that he was a man who couldn’t let himself get involved.
Driven by the heat pulsing through his veins, he became lost in her small hands stroking his back, in the rise and fall of her chest, in the trusting way she curled into him. Then she looped her arms gently around his waist, settling them on his hips, and her breath whispered hotly against his neck, igniting the fiery passion in his body.
Her need mingled with his, silent, beckoning, calling his name through the dim recesses of his mind, begging him to take her. Forgetting all the reasons he shouldn’t kiss her, he lowered his head, knowing it was all wrong, but knowing that if he didn’t taste her at least once, he would die.
Chapter Nine
Sydney melted into Collin’s embrace, shocked at her eager response to the touch of his lips. Her need for comfort quickly built into a need for him, and when his hand cupped her chin, she parted her lips and met his kiss. His lips brushed her mouth like velvet, then his mouth hardened, slanting and seeking hers hungrily. Desire swirled in the pit of her stomach. She burrowed into the coccoon of his arms, drowning in the sensations flooding through her as his hands drew her closer. His mouth covered hers greedily, his body hard and straining tow
ard her. Heat, desire, excitement all tingled along her nerve endings. She inhaled the heady scent of his body and dug her fingers into his back, whimpering as his lips left hers to nibble at her earlobe.
Aroused from his tender touches, she arched forward, savoring the low moan that escaped his lips. His fingers slid down her waist, seducing her as they tugged the hem of her skirt up, then feathered over her bare thighs. She sank her hands into his hair, clutching his arms for another kiss as passion rocked through her.
His tongue traced her mouth, seeking entrance and she parted her lips again, inviting him inside, her head spinning as his hunger touched her soul His kiss became more frantic, hard and demanding, and her heart raced. He tangled his hands through the long tresses of her hair and then his lips traced a path down her neck. Involuntary tremors of arousal shook her, shattering the shell she’d built around herself since Doug’s death. She ached for more. It had been so long since she’d been touched, held, since she’d felt truly desired. But the thought of her former husband and the painful memories of their marriage sobered her, bringing back reality and, with it, guilt and remorse. And fear.
“Incredible,” Collin mumbled against her neck. “I’ve wanted you since I first saw you.” The sound of his husky voice and the raw evidence of his arousal pressing into her belly sent liquid heat through her body. But she pulled back, bracing her hands on his shoulders, fighting the emotions churning through her. She couldn’t do this, couldn’t get involved with another man, especially with the murder of her husband unresolved.
Collin seemed to sense her withdrawal immediately. His hands loosened, slid to her waist to gently hold her. He lowered his head to hers, his eyes filled with confusion. His shaky breath brushed her cheek, still tempting.
But even as she told herself it was all wrong, that it was better she’d stopped, she drank in his masculine scent and craved more. In his arms she felt protected, cherished as she’d never before felt. But what if it was just sex—or all a lie, as it had been with Doug?
“I’m sorry, Sydney,” he said in a hoarse whisper. “I don’t know what to say.”
“It’s not your fault,” Sydney said, her own voice strained. “I shouldn’t have.” She pushed the tangled strands of hair from her cheeks and turned away from him. “I...I’ll bring you the phone.”
“Sydney.” He caught her by the arm, his intent clear. He wasn’t going to let her run away. They stood silently for several seconds, the tension between them almost palpable. Sydney closed her eyes, once again fighting her desire as his breath bathed her cheek. What must he think of her? She’d just buried a husband, and now she’d melted in his arms.
“That kiss was inevitable,” he finally said, hunger still simmering in his voice.
She opened her eyes and her gaze searched his. The longing in his expression touched the hollow, lonely places in her heart, places that yearned for tender words and fiery passion, places that craved the kind of heat only a man could build and extinguish. He could fill that emptiness if she would only let him. But she couldn’t.
“You must know I’m attracted to you,” he said quietly, surprising her with his honesty. “But I know it’s too soon for me to push you. And I know you loved Doug.”
His comment brought another surge of guilt. She stared at his long, strong fingers where they circled her wrist, wishing things were different. Wishing she’d met him at a different time in her life.
“I know it’s better if nothing happens between us,” he said, his voice gruff. “But we might as well admit we have this chemistry between us. It’s volatile, Sydney, it’s...hot, and I’m not sure I can control it.”
Startled at his choice of words, she wet her lips with her tongue.
His eyes smoldered as they followed the movement. “We do have to control it, don’t we?” he asked, with a slow smile, as if he hoped she’d say no.
She nodded slowly, her only concession to his admission. Then, in spite of her discomfort, a smile tilted at the corner her mouth. “You’re right—we’re connected,” she said. “But only because of Doug.”
He released her arm, his expression suddenly grim. “I don’t intend to push you, into anything, Sydney.” He raked a hand through his hair. “This situation between us, me and you and...Doug—it’s weird, I realize that.” His voice grew rough. “But the police don’t seem sympathetic to your cause and somebody tried to hurt you. Besides, you were threatened. I told you I felt like I owed you, and I’m going to stay and make sure you’re safe.”
She opened her mouth to protest but he pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her. Her throat closed with emotions.
“Now, I’d better make a few phone calls or you’re going to be stuck with me all night.”
COLLIN SAT DOWN on shaky legs and ran a hand through his hair, struggling to control his libido as he ticked off the calls he needed to make while Sydney fixed him a sandwich. Get new ID, credit cards...banish Sydney from his mind. Impossible.
It had been a long time since he’d been with a woman—way before his accident—but no one had ever affected him the way Sydney had. Just the thought of her delicate skin beneath his fingertips turned his body hard, and the way she’d come apart in his arms—jeez, he’d never experienced anything like it.
Damn Doug Green. The man had been unfaithful to her. Green hadn’t deserved her, and Collin wasn’t going to feel guilty for wanting her himself. But he supposed he should be grateful for Sydney’s caution. Hell, if it had been up to him, he wouldn’t have stopped until he’d had her naked and writhing beneath him on the floor. But they had enough lies and secrets between them. Making love to her would complicate an already impossible situation.
She still had no idea he was a cop, and he still didn’t know if she’d been involved in Doug’s murder. He didn’t think she had, but...other cases—the last one he’d worked on—flashed through his mind. His partner, Tim, had fallen for a woman he was supposed to be protecting. Collin had warned him not to trust her, but he’d stuck by Tim when he’d gone to a deserted alley to meet an informant.
The informant was supposed to testify to the woman’s innocence and turn over the name of a major weapons dealer. Only, his partner had been set up. The woman’s boyfriend and fourteen-year-old brother had shown up and killed him. And Collin had awakened in the alley, blinded by a shot from the brother’s gun.
The sound of dishes rattling in the kitchen jerked Collin back from his thoughts, and he picked up the phone, anxious to talk to Sam. He dialed the precinct, then connected to Sam, his gaze scanning the room as he waited for Sam to answer. A cozy armchair in a green-and-white-striped fabric faced the fireplace, and a pine sofa table sat behind the leather sofa. There weren’t any pictures of Sydney’s former husband, not even a photograph of their wedding. Odd, with Sydney being a photographer, he’d expect her to have a roomful.
“What’s up, man?” Sam asked.
“It’s been a hell of a day,” Collin said, then filled him in on the fire.
Sam cursed. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” Collin rubbed his neck. “No one was hurt.”
“You must have nine lives,” Sam said. “First the shooting, now a fire. Either that or you’re jinxed, Cash. Do they know what started the fire?”
“The police sergeant said it was arson. Found a rag soaked with acetone and a can of photo-developing chemicals.”
“Any suspects?”
Collin considered Sydney but shook his head. “Not yet, but I’ll keep you posted.” He paused, almost dreading to ask the inevitable. “So, what did you learn about Doug Green?”
Sam gave a long-suffering sigh. “You sure you want to know? It’s not a pretty picture.”
Collin leaned against the back of the sofa, crossed his ankles on the coffee table and closed his eyes, exhausted. “Yeah, spill it”
“This guy Green was an interesting character. Had a few aliases.”
“He had a record?” Collin’s eyes popped open and he checked the door
for Sydney.
“Yeah, some white-collar stuff. A couple cases of fraud, insider stock trading, income-tax evasion. He didn’t serve any time, though, probably bought his way out”
“I see.”
“Aliases were Doug White, Doug Sanders, Doug Waters, and the latest that shows up is Doug Black.”
Collin whistled between his teeth. Did Raeburn know all this, or had he not felt the need to look past Sydney? “Busy guy.”
“I’ll say. He worked with more than fifteen start-up companies, took three public and made a bundle off stock options. But get this—a couple of years ago he was accused of falsifying FDA records.”
“To speed up the process for the offering?”
“Exactly.”
“Anything on McKenzie and the pharmaceutical companies?”
“The companies are legit. McKenzie’s supposedly some eccentric genius scientist. Triset markets a wide variety of drugs to hospitals internationally. Norvek works with health-related products, but Green’s the fascinating one.”
“Yeah?”
“Seems the guy had been married before, too. Lady named Gina Waters, lives here in Charleston. She has a kid—don’t know if it’s Green’s or not.”
Collin grabbed a pad and pen from the sofa table, wondering if Sydney knew about the ex. “Give me the address, Sam.” Collin wrote it down, along with Doug’s aliases.
“A couple of girlfriends were arrested with him,” Sam continued. “Sounds like a real ladies’ man. But one of the ladies must have been pissed off, ‘cause she sicced the IRS on him for tax evasion.”
The red-haired woman’s face popped into Collin’s mind. “A real upstanding guy, huh?” Collin muttered in disgust.
“He’s not selling drugs to kids, but he wouldn’t win husband-of-the-year, either.” Sam snorted. “He traveled internationally putting together these deals. You know, a guy with a woman in every city.”
Collin agreed then hung up and scrubbed his hand over his face. Sydney walked into the den carrying a tray of lemonade and a stack of sandwiches. Once again he cursed Doug Green. He knew the type.