Closer

by Jo Leigh

  “What if he decides to solve the problem like that special ops team did? By killing us both?”

  “He wants you too badly for that,” he said. “He may be insane, but he’s not crazy.”

  Her lips quirked up. “Was that a compliment?”

  “It was trying to be.”

  “I appreciate it. But I don’t think you’re right. I’ve read too many real-life stalker cases where the bad guy thought if he couldn’t have the girl, no one could.”

  “We’ll be ready for him. Whatever he does.”

  “We? As in you and me, or you, me, Kate and Seth?”

  “The whole gang.”

  “Good. I’d hate to have our futures depending on my shooting skills.”

  “You could do it if you had to. But you won’t. Trust me, we’ll have it covered.”

  She stood up and went to the center of the room. She didn’t move for a while, then she dropped her towel and reached for her panties.

  He watched as she dressed herself. Panties—white and lacy, but not a thong, unfortunately—and then her bra. It was one of the most erotic things he’d ever seen. She wasn’t trying to turn him on. The opposite was true, he thought. She was simply dressing, as she would if she were alone. Or with a longtime lover.

  It hit him that this was a new experience for him. He’d seen a lot of women dress, but it was always after sex, or after a shower, and there was always a show of some kind, whether purposeful teasing or casual indifference. He knew and they knew it was all part of it. The post-game show.

  This wasn’t. Christie wasn’t trying to get him to call the next day, or to touch her, or to notice her at all. She wasn’t trying and she was the sexiest women he’d ever seen. Even with her slightly baggy jeans, and even when she sat on the toilet to pull on white crew socks. He was stunned at how badly he wanted her. That bit before when she was in the tub? Nothing. A twitch. This? This was a full-on body spasm, an electric shock. He wanted to make love to her all night long. He wanted to wake up to her the next morning, and see her hair a mess, and he wanted to see her yawn, and scratch and do all the things a person does when they aren’t trying to be someone else.

  “Boone?”

  He stood up so fast he almost slipped on the rug.

  She looked at him, puzzled. All her clothes were on. The jeans, the shirt, the sneakers. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. Sure. Why don’t you go on and meet with Kate. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “Oh, okay. Sure.” She headed for the door, but paused before she opened it. “For what it’s worth, I think the plan is a good one.”

  “We’re a good team.”

  “Oh, and before I forget, thank you. For last night.” She smiled at him, then left, closing the door behind her.

  He sat down again, amazed at his incredibly horrible timing. He liked her. The woman was in a living nightmare, and he was thinking about asking her out on a date. Which was crazy, because the last thing she needed was him in her life. He wasn’t just a wanted man, he was a marked man. They’d been running for too long for their luck to keep holding out. As soon as they caught the geek, Boone had to disappear again. He had to go back to his world of shadows and lies.

  The worst thing he could wish on Christie, aside from the stalker, was to have anything at all to do with him.

  KATE WAS AT THE KITCHEN TABLE with Seth. As soon as Christie walked in, Seth got up and went to the sink to rinse out his cup. Christie took the hint and sat down next to Kate. “You wanted to ask me some questions?”

  “Yeah, thanks.” She moved a picture over, one of a guy Christie had dated three years ago.

  “What can you tell me about him?”

  “Alan? He was a nice guy. Kind of unfocused. He kept trying different careers.”

  “Ah.”

  “What, that makes a difference?”

  “Yeah, it does. A lot of stalkers have trouble maintaining jobs. They don’t do well socially.”

  “That’s not Alan. He fancied himself a renaissance man, but mainly he just got bored easily. He was a popular guy, went to a lot of parties.”

  “Okay,” Kate said, pulling another picture out. “What about him?”

  She almost didn’t recognize the picture. “That’s Ed, but when I knew him, he didn’t have that much hair. Or the mustache.”

  “What was he like?”

  “Nice. Really nice. The kind of guy you’d want to bring home to mother, if your mother wasn’t mine. He loved chess and he was into Asian cooking. He made sushi a lot.”

  “What happened between you?”

  “It was a long time ago.”

  Kate gave her a curious look. “I remember why I broke up with every guy I’ve ever been out with.”

  “Okay, yeah. He was too nice, okay? He wanted to please me so badly, it was like screwing an abandoned puppy. I couldn’t take it.”

  “So you like it a little rough?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Sorry. Didn’t mean to step on any toes.”

  “What else do you need to know?”

  Kate glanced at Seth, who didn’t move one facial muscle, then back at Christie. “How was he socially?”

  “He got along with people. He just wasn’t real aggressive. He liked his cat. A lot. But he wasn’t weird. Just nice.”

  “Okay. We won’t cross him off the list just yet.”

  “There’s no way in hell he got fiber-optic cable with pinpoint cameras. The guy had trouble setting up his VCR.”

  “Noted.”

  “Is there anyone you can think of who could do that? Who was particularly good with electronics?”

  “Dan had a very high-tech home theater. But I don’t think he set it up. But he did have an iPod, and a laptop. Used those a lot. On the other hand, so did most of the men I dated. Most every guy I know likes his toys.”

  Kate looked at Seth again. “True.”

  “Believe me, if I’d gotten any weird vibes from any of these guys, I’d say something. I would. But they’re just guys.”

  Kate put the pictures back in the folder. “It’s very possible this was someone you met casually. Someone you smiled at once, and never gave him another thought.”

  “That sure narrows down the field.”

  “Stalkers are sick. Yours just happens to be an electronics whiz. Did Boone tell you about the plan?”

  “Yes, he did. He also said you had a ring?”

  Kate nodded, then got her purse from the floor. She pulled out a small plastic baggie that held a diamond engagement ring. “It’s real, so try not to lose it.”

  Christie took the bag and pulled the ring out. It was lovely. A nice-sized solitaire in a platinum setting. “Is there a story behind this?”

  “Yeah, and there’s not a chance in hell I’m telling it.” Kate closed her purse.

  “You sure you haven’t dated any of those guys?” Christie asked, nodding at the file.

  “Nope. Just carbon copies. I don’t know where all the good ones are, but they sure keep their distance from me.”

  Christie sighed. “I hear you. They’re all taken or gay, or good in the sack and nothing else.”

  “Good in the sack?” Kate opened the file. “Maybe I should date some of these guys.”

  It was nice to laugh, to sit back in her own kitchen with good people who wanted nothing but to help her. It was nice to have a moment that wasn’t about terror.

  BOONE STOOD IN THE HALL by the kitchen, wondering how long he should wait to walk in. Hearing Christie talk about the men in her life made his situation a lot less complicated. He was just another guy. Good in the sack but nothing else. He just wished knowing that didn’t make him feel like hell.

  15

  CHRISTIE STEPPED INTO the safe zone in the kitchen, and signaled Boone to follow. Once he was there, she touched his arm. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Don’t give me that. You’ve been sulking for the last two hours. Is there something w
rong with the plan?”

  “No,” he said, as if she were the one who was being all weird.

  “Then what the hell is it?”

  “I told you,” he said, looking at everything but her, “I’m fine.”

  “You’re a liar. Somewhere between the bathroom and the kitchen, you went south, buddy. And since we’re talking about luring a lunatic into my home tonight, it would be nice to focus on that instead of you. So get over yourself, or tell me what I did so that I can apologize.”

  “You didn’t do a goddamn thing.”

  She sat down and put her head in her hands. Milo whined behind her, which was the perfect accompaniment. “Great. I’ve got the bastard watching my every move, a show to put on in under an hour, and now you’re throwing a hissy fit.”

  When she finally looked up, Boone was glaring at her. She just glared right back. It was a game of chicken, and no way she was going to give in first.

  “Oh, forget it,” Boone said, turning his back to walk out of the room.

  “What is your problem?” she called after him, not understanding at all. He’d been so sincere in his apology that she’d found her resentment completely overshadowed. So what on earth had gotten him so angry since then? Goddammit, his pissy attitude shouldn’t matter at all. Her chest shouldn’t hurt like this, her hands shouldn’t be curled into useless fists. In fact, it was good to see this side of him. Here she’d been thinking he was this incredible guy, someone she could talk to, trust in, be herself with. She’d even thought that the two of them…

  Was her judgment that off? Could she trust any of her feelings for him? Oh, screw it. She’d probably be dead by tonight, so what difference did it make?

  BOONE HEADED INTO THE living room, but he couldn’t stay there. The fucking geek was watching and if Boone couldn’t kill him, he didn’t want to think about him. Which left the kitchen, already occupied, and the bathroom, which was not a great place to hang out in, especially when there was nothing to punch.

  Anything was better than the living room, so he went down the hall, stopped at the bathroom door, cursed himself for a fool, then went right back to the kitchen.

  Christie was sitting where he left her, the anger in her expression softened not by forgiveness but by sadness. Which made him feel even more like shit.

  “What?” she asked, looking up at him with her big, dark eyes expecting nothing.

  “I—” He shut his mouth, wishing he’d thought this through before making his entrance.

  “You…?”

  “It’s got nothing to do with you.”

  She shook her head at him. “It’s just your time of the month?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Right. You know what? Fine. Apology accepted. No harm, no foul. I’m hungry, and we don’t have all that much time.”

  She stood up, pushed her chair into the table with enough force to let him know that it definitely wasn’t fine.

  Boone closed his eyes. The whole thing was nuts. So she didn’t think that much of him, so what? This wasn’t a popularity contest. He was here because he owed Nate, that’s all. Because he wasn’t about to walk out on her before they’d caught the geek. So they’d had sex. Big deal. It didn’t mean anything. She didn’t mean anything. Nothing. Sure he was attracted to her, so what?

  He opened his eyes to find Christie holding a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and a spoon. “What the hell’s that?”

  “Ice cream.”

  “You’re not having that for dinner.”

  “Wanna bet?”

  His anger rose again, filling him with heat and tension. “I’ll make you something, okay? You don’t have to lift a finger.”

  “Don’t do me any favors,” she said, tossing the lid in the sink. She took a big spoonful of the chocolate ice cream and shoved it into her mouth.

  “Goddammit,” he said, crossing the room in three steps. “Don’t you get it?” He pulled the container from her hand and shoved it into the trash can. “You’re fighting for your life here. It’s not a game. He wants to do you harm.”

  Christie turned halfway to the sink, then swung at him so hard and so fast, she blindsided him with a punch right to the jaw. It hurt like hell, too.

  Her left arm came at him, but he snatched her wrist halfway to his face. “Ow.”

  “Let me go, you big oaf.”

  “No.” He could feel her trembling with rage.

  She pulled as hard as she could. “Let go. I’m not kidding.”

  “Not if you’re going to hit me again.”

  “Eating ice cream isn’t going to make a damn bit of difference,” she said.

  He dropped her hand and walked out of the kitchen. It was everything he could do not to put his fist through the wall.

  CHRISTIE WRAPPED HER ARMS around her stomach, nausea making her breathe hard for a moment before she could even look at Boone. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to screw this up.”

  “You won’t.”

  “How do you know that? I can’t even remember what I’m supposed to say.”

  He touched her shoulder, and she jumped. “Christie, look at me.”

  She met his gaze, fighting tears, fighting the urge to run until she couldn’t run anymore. She felt terrible about how they’d left things, what she’d said.

  “You are the strongest woman I’ve ever met. You’ve faced this thing for months, all on your own. Now we have a plan. A way to get your life back. We’re not going to let this prick take everything from you.” He looked at the front door, then back at her. “This is your home. It’s your right to have your privacy. This man is scum, you understand me? And he might have some sophisticated equipment, but underneath all that, he’s a coward. Nothing more. We can take him. We will take him.”

  She took another deep breath, this time letting it out slowly, focusing on Boone’s eyes. She thought about that day at the supermarket, how that clerk had looked at him and turned white with fear. Boone hadn’t even been trying. Then she thought about last night. He might not have the kind of feelings she wanted him to have, but he cared whether she lived or died.

  He was a warrior, a fighter, and he was putting all his fierceness and his focus on one thing. All she had to do was trust him. Trust that his plan would work. That Seth and Kate knew exactly what to say and how to act. And she had to trust herself. That was the big if, wasn’t it? Could she come through when it counted most?

  “I believe in you,” he said. “I believe in you the way I believed in Nate.”

  She sucked in a breath at the sincerity in his eyes, in his words. He meant that. He meant it from the heart, and dammit, she knew Boone Ferguson wasn’t a liar. He’d spent his whole life fighting for the righteous cause, just like Nate. And if he thought she could play this part, maybe she’d better believe him.

  “Christie?”

  “Okay,” she said. She sat up straight, put her shoulders back. “Let’s lock and load.”

  “That’s the ticket.” He looked out the kitchen window one more time. “They’re gonna be here any second. Remember, you’re agreeing to all this because you’re in love. You’re going to be married.”

  She nodded, resisting the urge to touch him. He needed to concentrate on the bad guy. Only that.

  IT WAS TOO WEIRD, KNOWING the bastard was listening. Watching as Boone opened the door for Seth and Kate.

  Christie had watched the tape of the bastard in her bedroom, pouring that horrible syrup all over her bed, and she hadn’t recognize him at all. Not on the first viewing or the fifth. She’d finally given it up, but now she wondered if she’d missed something.

  “So what’s the plan?” Boone asked, walking his friends to the living room.

  “Look, we tried, but this guy’s just not coming out. There’s really only two options,” Seth said, folding his arms over his chest. “Stay here and hope he makes a mistake, or get the hell out of Dodge.”

  “I know what I vote for,” Christie said. “I have no interest in staying here. Not
with him peering over my shoulder.” She moved closer to Boone. “Especially not now.” She held out her left hand, showing off the glittering diamond. “We’re going to be married.”

  “Congratulations,” Kate said.

  “Thanks.” Christie threaded her fingers through Boone’s. “So, will he know? That we’re leaving?”

  Seth didn’t answer right away. He looked around the house, then met her gaze. “We got his cameras. And his microphones. He may be watching, however, so you’ll have to be damn careful you’re not followed.”

  “We can be packed and out of here in an hour,” Boone said.

  “That would be great, except we won’t have your papers until morning.”

  Boone cursed. “I don’t want to be here a second longer than we have to.”

  “We’ll be back by six,” Seth said, his voice so serious Christie believed him completely. “Be ready to go. Leave everything that could identify you here. If I were you, I’d destroy your address books and reformat your computer. Don’t take pictures or mementos. They’ll only come back to haunt you.”

  “You don’t think I’ll be coming back?” she asked.

  Seth shrugged. “I don’t know.” He pulled his wallet out of his pocket, and took out a card that he handed to Boone. Christie glanced at it and saw it wasn’t a business card at all, but a note. She couldn’t read it though.

  Boone put his arm around her shoulder and led her to the kitchen. Seth and Kate joined them, all in the corner by the fridge. Once there, Seth’s demeanor changed. He winked at Christie and clapped Boone on the back. “That RFID? It only had a half-mile range.”

  “Which means he’s been close.”

  “Too close. Be careful.”

  “You think he’ll come tonight, right?” Christieasked, afraid even here where she knew there were no microphones.

  “Yeah, we do.”

  “Let’s get out there,” Kate said. “I want to reiterate the wedding thing.”