by Lori Foster
Sorting out the people involved would take some doing. “You said Pepper and Rowdy are siblings.”
“The reason Rowdy was so furious. The guy that died? He’d planned to give Pepper to the traffickers.”
Sickness churned in her stomach, burned in her throat. “That’s why you and Detective Riske were after him?”
“Not entirely, no. Morton Andrews was guilty of many things, all of them worthy of death.”
So many awful people in the world. Too many. She swallowed back the distaste of evil. “I’m glad he’s dead.”
Reese gave her a long look. “Pepper wasn’t emotional over that, though, and it wasn’t just fear for her brother.”
“No?”
“Mostly it was Logan getting shot. She went all girly over it, which was a shocker because before that, she’d been stoic to the point of being stony. Especially around me.”
“She didn’t trust you?”
“Apparently not. But seeing her at the hospital...I think she softened some once she realized I wasn’t in cahoots with the bad guys.”
That ludicrous idea struck her funny. “She must not be very perceptive if she ever thought that.”
“Actually, she’s sharp as a tack, and since I’d been keeping secrets, she had her reasons for doubting me.” He shook his head, averting her many questions. “No, don’t ask. When you share, so will I.”
Unfair. “I have valid reasons for keeping some things to myself.”
“Yeah? Me, too.” He went around her toward the living room. “Anyway, while I was at the hospital to check on Logan and keep an eye on Pepper, other detectives followed up our lead.”
“You wanted to be there when that happened?”
“Damn straight. But policy is that any cop involved in a shooting has that mandatory time off I mentioned.” He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. They had it covered, and that meant I could stay at the hospital with Logan.”
“You’re a good friend.” Cash walked away to lounge in the sunshine pouring through the patio doors.
“While I was otherwise involved, Lieutenant Peterson finagled a group bust, and last I heard officers were en route to intercept a transfer...of women.”
Panic closed in on her, trying to suffocate her, compressing her lungs and stinging her eyes.
That sickness roiled again, but Alice swallowed several times and willed away the awfulness by focusing on Reese, watching him lift his clothes, dig out his keys...
His keys. New panic exploded. “You’re leaving?”
He took one look at her and dropped the clothes again. In three long strides he reached her. “I’ll only be gone long enough to shower and get clean clothes.” He held her shoulders, hesitated then drew her in to his chest.
Warmth and Reese’s unique scent enveloped her. He didn’t wrap those thick arms around her, didn’t crush her close. He merely held her.
Fascinated, curious in a way she hadn’t experienced in far too long, Alice lifted her hands to his bare chest. That soft cushion of chest hair, a few shades darker than that on his head, teased her palms. She rested her cheek against him and inhaled deeply, wanting to eat him up.
The top of her head didn’t reach his chin. She felt his heartbeat against her cheek. He smelled of man, sex and excitement, but at the same time, he filled her with peace and contentment, emotions so long absent from her life. “I’m sorry. I keep imposing when I don’t mean to.”
“I want you to.”
That made no sense. “You want me to impose?”
He put one hand to the back of her head, tangled his fingers in her hair. “I want you to tell me what you think and feel. I want you to confide in me.”
“Oh. Okay.” She turned her face a little so that it was her nose touching his furry chest. “I wish I was as strong as you.”
He made a gruff sound. “Honey, this wouldn’t be happening right now if you looked like me.”
Another smile. That was a special gift in itself, the humor he brought her. Humor was one more thing she’d never again take for granted. “I meant your courage. Not your physique.”
“You were plenty brave yesterday.”
“No.” She owed him the truth about that, since she couldn’t be truthful about everything else—much as she wished it otherwise. “I have tunnel vision in dangerous situations. Knowing armed men had come to hurt you and probably anyone else who got in the way...” Taking a step back, she put a hand to her stomach. “I trembled so badly inside, I felt queasy and weak all over.”
He shocked her by covering her hand with his own, but since his was so much bigger, his fingertips pressed into her sensitive flesh. Even through her shirt, his touch felt far too intimate.
And stirring.
Gaze compelling, he spoke in a deep, hushed voice. “Come on, Alice. That’s just a healthy respect for danger. You’d have to be an idiot to be indifferent to thugs with loaded weapons.”
Yes... Wait. What were they talking about? She’d stopped hearing him the second he touched her.
“Alice?” He turned his hand to catch hers. “I’m going to leave Cash here with you.”
“Thank you.” The dog provided so much comfort, and in the short time she’d been watching him, she’d grown accustomed to his presence. When he wasn’t around, she missed the sound of his snores, his occasional bark.
Even the sound of him breathing.
“Before I go, there’s one thing I need to know.”
Dreading the inquisition, Alice nodded.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d tell me your last name.”
* * *
REESE WATCHED HER eyes widen, saw her soft lips part with a husky laugh. “We’ve never been properly introduced, have we?”
Damn, she leveled him without even trying. The way she laughed, how her dark eyes all but devoured him. He’d let her off the hook with details of being kidnapped—but only until he had her more relaxed.
She might think she kept it together, but he looked at her and saw so much, all of it painful to witness. She was on the edge, and if she lost it, if she cried, it’d crush him.
Hearing about it would be even worse, so, yeah, maybe he needed a little more time to get it together, too.
“I was all right and proper and introduced myself, but you were determined to cut me cold.” He liked holding her hand and that she hadn’t yet pulled away. “If it wasn’t for Cash, I’d never have gotten even a simple nod from you.”
“I’m sor—”
“Do not apologize.”
Her grin widened. “Okay.” She did a silly curtsy. “Alice Appleton.”
Why that tickled him, Reese couldn’t say, but hearing her name, how melodic it sounded, left him smiling, too. And after she’d kept him at such a distance, getting a last name meant he was finally making strides.
“I like it. It suits you.” He tugged her in close again, and when she didn’t resist, he rested his chin on top of her head. “Involvement in a shooting is always difficult. Even for a cop, counseling is offered, and strongly advised. It’d make sense if you needed to talk to someone, too.”
Giving away nothing, she said simply, “No.”
Accepting that, because he felt the same, he asked, “Will you talk to me about it?”
“I already did. It was awful.” She burrowed closer. “I was cowardly, but I would have done what needed to be done, and I’m proud of that.”
Wow. He’d never known anyone, much less a woman, who s
poke so candidly. In one respect it worried him, because she left herself so emotionally exposed, she could be easily hurt.
Her lack of artifice also humbled him, made him more determined than ever to know her and all her dark secrets. “You’ve done what had to be done before?”
Instead of answering, she snuggled closer still. “You smell incredible, Reese.”
A diversion—but he got the message all the same. He had made strides, so he wouldn’t get too greedy. Not right now, anyway. “If you say so, but I need a shower.”
He put his nose to the crown of her head. She was the one who smelled good. Sort of warm and soft and uniquely...Alice.
Maybe because she wasn’t ready to let him go, she asked, “What happens now? With your work, I mean?”
“The coroner already had the body transported for autopsy.”
“I’m glad it’s not still in your apartment.”
He felt her shudder. “Yeah, me, too.” He ran his hand up and down her spine, settling his palm low at the small of her back, close to where her backside started a gentle rise. The subtleties of her figure teased him, made him anxious to discover more. “Because the death was officer involved, IAD will send an investigator. The D.A.’s office, too.”
“Internal affairs?”
He splayed his fingers, spanning the narrow width of her back. She was so small, so delicate. The contrasts between his large frame and her slender figure had him stirring again. Insane. He couldn’t let that keep happening. Not with Alice.
Not while they discussed things so awful and real.
He told himself that he would have her.
When she was ready. When he got her ready.
At the moment, Alice didn’t seem clear on what she wanted, but he wasn’t inexperienced, and unlike her, he wasn’t conflicted. He felt her nearly tactile interest every time she looked him over with those big, dark eyes.
Yes, she wanted his company so she wouldn’t be alone.
And she wanted him—as a man. Thank God.
But now was not the time to seduce her...easy as it’d probably be.
“Both offices will want to interview Lieutenant Peterson, Logan and me, the sooner the better.”
She pressed back to scowl up at him. “Are you in trouble?”
“It’s just routine. We’re not accused of any wrongdoing, but it’s smart to cover all the bases. Don’t worry about it.” Mostly he just wanted to get past it so he could get back to work.
“Officers talked to me last night.”
Damn. Of course they had. Feeling his way, he asked, “How did that go?”
“It was fine. I told them what I knew, but really, other than recognizing there was a problem and loaning a gun to your friend, I didn’t know what had happened or why.”
And yet, other than asking how everyone had fared, she didn’t pry. “I can finish explaining everything to you later, okay?”
She nodded. “You still haven’t told me how long it will be before you can return to your apartment.”
“After a couple of days, we’ll be through all the necessary tasks. Then I’ll have a company come in that specializes in cleaning...crime scenes.”
“Meaning blood and gore and such?”
He moved right past that. No reason to dwell on the nastiness. The cleaners would get done in a day, but because he figured he’d want to stay with her longer, she didn’t need to know that yet. “So, Alice Appleton, may I be your guest until my apartment is ready?”
“Yes, Reese Bareden, you may.” Head tipped back, silky hair falling behind her shoulders, she met his gaze. “And, thank you. I’m sure a few days will make all the difference. I only need a little time to—”
Reese bent down to kiss her.
He didn’t plan it, hadn’t even realized he would do it, but once he got there, with his mouth on hers, awareness reverberated throughout his system, making itself known...everywhere.
In his pants for sure, his head, as well, and maybe even in his heart.
That bothered him, so he made the decision to keep it brief, nothing more than a peck. Except that her mouth was insanely soft, and it all felt so damn right, he couldn’t help but linger. He didn’t kiss her the way he really wanted, and still it staggered him.
Her hands curled carefully against his chest, her fingertips pressing into his pecs, the telling gesture giving away so much.
She wasn’t unaffected.
Great.
Finally managing to ease back, Reese studied her closed eyes and heated skin and knew he had to go now before he took things too far.
He ran the back of his knuckles over her downy cheek. All women were soft, damn it. But somehow, with Alice, the softness seemed amplified.
Reese said, “I won’t be long.”
She still didn’t open her eyes. Instead, she swallowed, nodded and shooed him away.
That got him grinning and helped to subdue other, more disturbing reactions. Alice was the funniest and, yes, oddest woman he’d ever known. Everything about her was endearing. And a turn-on.
Somewhere in her past, she’d been taken by strangers. She’d been hurt, but he didn’t know how badly. He only knew it was enough to get her armed to the teeth, to make her wary of one and all.
Enough to have her seek a life of isolation.
Eventually he’d find out everything. For today, he’d start with a few phone calls and go from there.
One thing was certain. Until he knew if she was still in danger, he wouldn’t leave Alice Appleton unprotected. He had only planned to get clean clothes from his apartment, maybe his shaving kit, toothbrush...but, what the hell. He’d pack a bag, and until further notice, he’d be her roommate—and her shadow.
“Lock the door behind me.” And with that reminder, he walked out before he changed his mind and didn’t go at all.
CHAPTER FOUR
ALICE MISSED REESE the moment he left. Her apartment, that once felt peaceful with only her in it, now felt empty. Too quiet.
Even sort of lonely.
“Bleh.” She turned to Cash. “It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?”
Cash gave her a sleepy yawn, wiggled a little on the couch and started thumping his tail when she walked over to rub his ears.
“I’m glad I still have you. But for how long?” She cupped his furry face and put her cheek to his head. “It breaks my heart, but you’re not really my dog. Reese loves you, so someday, if he moves or gets involved with a woman, I might not be able to see you anymore.”
Cash crawled into her lap and tried to lick her face. Dodging the majority of his sloppy affection, Alice gave a laugh that sounded far too close to a sob.
Damn it, she would not cry. God knew she had nothing to cry about. Not anymore. She controlled her life, and if things weren’t exactly as she’d like them to be, well, she had no one to blame but herself.
Even with the pep talk, her throat went tight and her eyes burned.
A knock on her door had her sucking up the excess of emotion real quick.
Cash did a doggy feat of launching away while barking like a crazed beast.
“Cash, behave.” Assuming Reese had forgotten something, Alice quickly wiped her cheeks and drew a cleansing breath. Going to the door, she put her eye to the peephole—and straightened with incredulity.
Taking his cue from her, Cash ramped up his barking to a berserk level.
“Shhh,” she told the frantic dog. “It’s okay.” Maybe. But why
in the world would—
“Open up, Alice,” came a deep, compelling voice. “I know you’re in there. I hear Cash.”
As the dog recognized their visitor, his reaction transformed from outrage to utter elation. Giving a high-pitched whine, he turned circles and kept looking at her, waiting for her to open the door.
In a whisper, Alice reminded the dog, “You don’t know him any better than I do.”
“I can hear you, too, Alice.” The amusement came through loud and clear. “Now open up.”
She bit her lip to hold back the groan. Good grief, did he have supersonic hearing or something?
Heartbeat accelerated, Alice put a hand to her hair, but of course it was already tidy. She was always tidy. And boring. And too cautious...
Stop it.
She straightened her shirt, licked the lips that Reese had just kissed and unlocked the door.
Cash charged forward in excitement, but he didn’t get far. “Hello, Rowdy,” she said as he caught the dog’s collar. Luckily, being around Reese had gotten her somewhat used to large men.
Because Rowdy Yates was that, and then some.
He was also drop-dead gorgeous in a devilish, careless, edgy way. Where Reese tempered his sex appeal, Rowdy threw it out there without reserve, bludgeoning innocent bystanders with his raw magnetism.
“Hey, yourself.” He went down to one knee to acknowledge the dog. “What a welcome! I missed you too, bud.”
“Odd,” Alice remarked at the dog’s reaction. “He barely knows you.”
“We’re kindred souls.”
She doubted that. The dog was sweet and mostly gentle. In more ways than one, Rowdy Yates represented walking, talking trouble.
Unlike Reese, he didn’t speak in a falsetto voice to Cash. There were many, many other ways in which he differed from Reese, as well. Where Reese instilled trust and confidence, Rowdy brought out blushes and heart palpitations.
Standing there, one hand on her throat, the other crossed over her stomach, Alice wondered why in the world he’d come to visit.