Brooke’s eyes widened, staring at the scars in fascination. Collin looked down with a sigh.
“Yeah, I know, not very pretty. It took a long time for me to get used to it, too.”
“Does it… hurt?” Brooke asked, peering closer.
“Not anymore. You can touch me. I won’t bite you. Not yet, anyway.”
Brooke ignored his comment as she reached to run her fingers along the line of thickened tissue that ran the length of his left side. It was warm, smooth, and hairless, the slight puckered ridges soft to touch. She bit her lip as she noticed the scar ran down past the waistline of his sweats.
“How bad?” she asked, eying his crotch.
“You felt your morning wake up call,” he grinned. “Totally preserved, aesthetically pleasing, and fully functional.”
“TMI, thank you.” Brooke frowned. “You said someone tried to kill you? What exactly happened?”
“I had tracked down and shot his brother in self-defense. Remember the Virginia State Bombing? He came after me, as well as several others involved in the case. I saw him outside my car window before the explosion.”
“Is that why you went in the program?”
“Yep. Even though it was a closed trial, I had to expose my new identity when I testified, along with before and after pictures. He was convicted and sent to death row. Virginia took him out two years later.”
“Was it hard to get into the swing of things? I mean, the people who knew you before…”
“Yeah… I got tired of hearing about how the bombing was an improvement on my appearance. People can be idiots, you know? I demanded an immediately transfer to this unit under my new identity and have been doing investigations and direct witness protection since then.”
“Your wife?”
“She died before the trial. Of course, none of my old colleagues commented on that.” He sounded bitter. “They could never understand what she had seen in me.”
“Where you as bossy with her as you are with me?”
“Worse,” he laughed, “but that was why she loved me. She saw something beyond the outward appearance. She would say that beauty is only skin deep and that I was the most beautiful person in the world to her.”
“She sounds like she was a special lady. You still miss her, don’t you?”
“Every waking minute,” Collin admitted. He glanced down at her hand that had come to rest on his scarred left shoulder. Brooke, startled, began to pull away only to find him grabbing it and putting it back. “It has been a long time since a woman touched me without pulling away with disgust. Thank you.”
Brooke blushed as the warmth of his large hand over hers sent a shiver through her body. She had never experienced a sense of arousal with such a simple touch, and it confused her. He was handsome in a rugged, bad boy sense. No matter how often he shaved, his face always seemed to have a five o’clock shadow. His eyebrows formed a perpetual broody look, with his expression changing primarily through the dancing caramel eyes and a boyishly charming smile. A smile that now, once again, covered his face. He had reverted back into the teasing, playful, and ridiculously annoying role she was accustomed to.
“Whatcha thinking?” he asked. “Still curious about the extent of damage to the goods?”
“I was just wondering what part of your body they used as a graft on your face,” Brooke snipped, pulling her hand away. “I am thinking if it was your ass, it would give me a legitimate excuse to call you a butthead.”
“Haha. No. They took it from my back, smart ass.”
“I would only be a smart ass if they used… Oh…they didn’t! Did they?” Brooke turned bright red.
“Hungry?” Collin asked, not answering her question.
“Jerk,” she mumbled, grabbing a set of sweats and slamming the bathroom door behind her.
* * *
“You have some very odd quirks, Brooke. Seriously,” Collin groaned as they sat in the little hotel restaurant. “Does every millimeter of your toast have to be buttered?”
“All the way to every edge,” Brooke laughed, sinking her teeth into the slice of sour dough toast. “That goes for anything on my bread—mayo, peanut butter, jelly, ketchup, garlic butter… Condiments must be spread to the edge. It is a law.”
“I better remember that in case I ever cook anything for you. Okay, and the iced tea?”
“One sweet-and-low and only fresh lemon. I won’t drink it with anything else,” Brooke announced. “And I only take vanilla creamer in my coffee and hot tea. Unless the tea is mint, then two teaspoons of raw sugar. Not white, raw.”
“Gotcha,” Collin laughed, handing her another piece of bread and watching as she skeptically eyed his technique before biting into it.
“Don’t tell me that you have no little habits that I should be aware of. Besides being bossy.”
“I have to bite the legs off animal crackers before I eat the head. Toilet paper must always go over the top or I will change it, and I am addicted to Mallow Dogs,” Collin admitted after a moment. “But I try to stay away from them since I got this sexy, gorgeous body. I also have a history of a bit of a weight problem that I have to watch.”
“What in the world is a Mallow dog?”
“Peanut butter on a roosted hot dog bun, a slab of chocolate, and filled with nearly burnt marshmallows. It is a semi-grown up version of a s’more.”
“That sounds disgusting.”
“Don’t knock it until you try it,” he snickered. “I am a chocolate fiend and can sniff out a bar anywhere, so don’t think of trying to hide any in the house.”
“Well, too bad. If I bring home chocolate, it is mine. I don’t share.”
“Yeah? You will. Frozen chocolate covered bananas?”
“Mine.”
“Chocolate cherry cordials?”
“All yours,” Brooke grinned. “I will have you know that I have never had such a silly conversation before.”
“Get used to it. I enjoy silly conversations. You really get to know people that way.”
“That is the grossest thing I have ever seen.” Brooke made a gagging sound as he poured ketchup on his scrambled eggs. “Try salsa if you insist on being disgusting.”
Collin waggled a forkful of ketchup-covered egg in the air and popped it in his mouth. “So, you have never been to Maine?”
“Never. I hate the cold which is why I moved south to Florida.”
“It certainly gets nippy up there. It was to be a summer house and retirement home. Right on the beach, really well insulated, with fireplaces in almost every room. It just needs some serious decorating.”
“Why didn’t your wife… you know…”
“I bought the place as a surprise and had it completely gutted out and rehabbed before I showed it to her. She hated it.” He shrugged. “It was too big and intimidating, and she hated the cold as well. We were only there two weeks before her accident, so she never had the chance to make it presentable.”
“Are the people there going to recognize you?”
“There were only a couple of people who briefly met me because I was really reclusive, and I doubt they would remember me. By all intents and purposes, the new me bought this place a year ago using my new identity. Like I said, it was a closed trial, so nothing about me was revealed to the public. Just be aware that the only thing most of the people do in small towns like this is gossip, so be careful of what you share.”
“The positive thing about that is you also get the scoop of what is being said. I am a forensic analyst, remember? If there is something going awry, I will know eventually.”
“Just keep your nose clean. And if you come up with a story, let me know so I can validate it.”
“I still think I can help you with this case,” Brooke said stubbornly.
“Next time you even mention sticking that little button nose into it, I will promptly put you across my knee. And this time, I will not hold back.”
“You held back?” Brooke’s mouth slung open.
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“I certainly did, and you damn well know it. Are you in the mood to challenge me? No? Good girl. Now eat.”
“Aw, Collin…”
“Eat!”
* * *
“Are we there yet? Huh? Are we?” Brooke poked Collin’s arm.
“Two more hours. Settle down.”
“I’m bored. We have been driving forever. I need to go to the bathroom.”
“You just went,” Collin answered patiently.
“I’m thirsty.”
“There is water, soda, and juice in the back seat.”
“I’m hungry.”
“What are you? Two?”
Brooke hid a smile of satisfaction for having finally provoked a reaction from him. “I’m boooooooored.”
“You are intentionally trying to get on my nerves. Why?”
“Because I can. I want some attention.”
“I think what you are wanting is a serious spanking. Now stop it. I would suggest you take another of those sleeping pills, except it makes you horny.”
“It does not!”
“Wanna bet?” Collin asked, raising a knowing eyebrow in her direction. Brooke stuck out her lower lip in a point, crossed her arms, and hunkered down in her seat.
“I can’t see anything through all this rain. Does it ever stop?” she asked several minutes later.
“We are in the peak of the season right now, sorry. At least it isn’t snowing.”
“It is almost as cold. Just FYI… I am going to need some new clothes and stuff, and I hate shopping.”
“All that has been taken care of. We should get some deliveries at the house by tomorrow. I had to make it look like we are just moving in with furniture and stuff, so…”
“Is your taste in furniture and clothes as bad as your singing?”
“Worse.”
Brooke groaned, kicking her foot against the dashboard. “Make it stop raining so I can at least sight see.”
“I’ll try,” Collin said, scrunching his face.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to make the rain stop.”
“You’re weird.”
Collin’s cell phone rang several minutes later. He popped in his Bluetooth and held his finger to his lips in Brooke’s direction, mouthing the word “boss”.
“Hey, Frank. What’s the scoop?”
“Just checking in on your progress,” Franklin Nosama stated. “How is the little bird?”
“Doing fine. Still in route.”
“When are you going to reveal the destination? Old man Crawley said you are keeping this fully under wraps.”
“He’s the big man on campus and wants it that way, sorry. No visitors this time around.”
“Damn. Doesn’t he know you throw the best parties?”
“He never gets invited, so he probably doesn’t,” Collin laughed, “He just wants to make sure this bird stays in the cage. He doesn’t wanna take the risk of her flying off to do her own thing.”
“Understood. Let me know if you need anything sent to you or additional funds transferred. Will you have access to a LAN line where you are going, or can we rely on cell service?”
“Not sure. I will have to make sure the line is secured if I have to go local though. Let me know if there is any new evidence that crops up, okay?”
“Shall do. Be careful, and keep the girl out of trouble. How did she come out, anyway? I wish I could have seen the finished product. What are you calling her?”
“Brooke. She is as beautiful, fresh, and lively as a mountain stream. And she is for my eyes only, old man.”
Frank laughed, said his goodbye, and hung up. Collin grinned at Brooke’s scowl. “What now? That was a nice thing to say about you.”
“Just shut up and drive.”
“One of these day, real soon, you will learn some manners, missy. Ah—one more sound out of you and I will pull this car over. You already are familiar with the back seat. Hush. If you have to, bite your tongue, but it would behoove you to battle against the urge to get in the last word.”
Collin noticed Brooke’s scowl as she battled the urge to speak against the sense to keep quiet. Her decisive silence and the cocky satisfaction on Collin’s face made her determined to become the victor in this battle of the wills. Just not right now.
She started to doze when Collin’s announcement of “We’re here” startled her to wakefulness. She leaned forward in her seat to stare at the lovely two-story log house nested in a forest of tall Maine pine trees. Fog blanketed the property, hiding the view of the backyard from her sight.
“That’s it? It is beautiful,” she whispered, pressing her nose against the cold window as he pulled into the driveway.
“You like it?” He sounded pleased. “Really?”
“Yeah. It looks… warm.”
“Did you notice that I made it stop raining long enough to get you inside? Hurry, though. I don’t know how long my powers will last.”
“You really are a dork.”
Brooke walked in through the heavy front door and stood in the open living room, taking in the sight. Although unfurnished, the feel of the house emitted a sense of home. Cathedral ceilings lined with raw cedar planks and rafter frames reached up to a huge loft area above, with skylights allowing in plenty of light. Full length logs, sanded and polished to gleam, acted as pillar supports and occupied every place where a natural corner would be. The vertical, uneven interior walls, crafted of sanded logs, only reached 3/4 of the way up the wall, giving an open, airy feel and allowing the air to circulate freely. Brooke lovingly ran her hands along the banister that was crafted out of raw branches and smoothed to a golden glow. Her footsteps echoed on the wood floor as she wandered into a fully modernized kitchen, complete with a stone wall fireplace. Collin stepped aside as she silently floated by him and headed up to the loft. He followed her.
“This is… amazing,” she whispered, staring out the long bay window of the master suite to the back of the property. Through the fog was the deep water frontage of Penobscot Bay and more trees than she could fathom.
“Welcome home to Stockton Springs, Brooke. You don’t know what it means to me that you like the place.” Collin sounded choked with emotion.
She turned to him. “How could I not like it? It is like a log cabin resort. Honestly, I thought you were kidding when you said there was a fireplace in almost every room. Even in the bathroom!” She pointed to the small, pot belly stove next to the large bathtub that reminded her of a Jacuzzi with redwood decking. Two deep, hammered-copper sinks sat upon the long vanity, each designed as a piece of functional art. The mirror was framed in the same copper pattern, and Brooke paused to look at the image in it,
She froze. The woman who stared back at her was still a stranger. She deserved to be in a place like this, not the real person behind the face. Collin wrapped his arms around her from behind and looked into the mirror.
“I know how this feels,” he said softly, not permitting her to wipe away the tears that began to fill her eyes. “You see that face and wonder if you will ever feel it to be part of you. You get a sense of both anger and relief… Anger that you were not born this way and relief that you are no longer the way you were born. But the person inside,” he gently squeezed her, “has yet to be discovered. I will help you.”
“This is so unfair,” Brooke choked out. “How could you do this to me?”
“What did I do?”
“You gave me hope, you son of a bitch,” she muttered, unable to escape either his hold or the face in the mirror, “You brought me here with you, pretending to be something I am not or will ever be. What if…”
“You decided you like it? And want to keep it?”
“Yes! How could you take me here and then rip it away from me? Goddamn it, Collin! I just—”
Her outburst was interrupted as he pressed his lips harshly to hers, dragging her tightly to him. Her knees would have given way had he not been holding her so securely. Trembling,
she pushed away, shaking her head and murmuring something unintelligible. With a sob, she fled down the stairs and out the door.
Chapter Four
Collin berated himself for his impatience. Of course he was attracted to her! Both Denise and her brother, Dr. Jon Nguyen, allowed him to essentially select her appearance. They helped him build his idea of a physically perfect woman. However, it was the other things—her intelligence, spunk, and independence—that were the characteristics that made him truly interested. He knew he was crossing the line of professionalism, but he did not care. He was tired of being alone and knew without doubt that he wanted Brooke to be his partner. Forever.
Oddly enough, he had known that from the first time he had seen her from his seat in the back of the courtroom. He had been ‘dressed’ in his other face, studying the trial as a novice investigator for the Bureau. Nothing rattled the woman during the cross-examination, and she met every question, every challenge, head on and without flinching. She was hard and focused, but her eyes… Her eyes were filled with compassion and care for the victim and the surviving family.
It was those beautiful eyes that made him fall in love. He was at her side when they first opened after her horrific attack, and he witnessed both the fear and compassion she felt through them as she discovered that others had been harmed. Sadness rippled through him. Perhaps if more people had taken the time to look into her eyes, they would have never noticed her outward appearance. Maybe then she would have had a happier life.
He had volunteered for the case the second the announcement crossed his desk, competing with Frank to win the position. Frank had put up quite a fight, which Collin found rather amusing. His senior partner had never been interested in serving on any long-term cases in the past. But of course, this one allowed the opportunity to personally ‘build the bride of Frankenstein’ (as Frank aptly called the re-facing procedure) and spend an indeterminate amount of time with the girl. Maybe the old boy was tired of being single? But then, Frank was known as a tool among the women of the Bureau, with only one goal… to get into their pants. Collin had a hard time seeing the man being monogamous… no matter how perfectly designed the woman was.
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