by Deborah Camp
###
Outside Trudy’s hospital room, Levi paced in the wide hallway. He stopped to stare at the door to her room. She was in there crying. Sobbing on the phone with her parents. He had left her because he couldn’t bear watching her distress. God, it was his fault. He’d almost gotten her killed. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
His cell phone buzzed in his trouser pocket and he pulled it out, staring at the screen for a few seconds before his eyes focused. It was Quintara.
“She’s crying,” he said, not bothering with civility.
“Why?” Quintara asked.
“She’s talking to her parents on the phone.”
“Oh, well. That’s to be expected.”
“Is it?” He shook his head, not following that reasoning. “Why?”
“Because . . . well, it’s her parents and she knows they’re worried and she’s female.”
“I almost got her killed. You know that, don’t you?”
“Is she being released from the hospital today?”
“Yes. We’re waiting for the doctor to sign the papers.”
“When is she coming home?”
“In day or two, I guess. I don’t want her driving that damned motor home.”
“Well, good luck with that. She’s a grown woman and I imagine she’ll do as she pleases, whether you approve or not. Levi, stop pacing.”
He stopped, wondering how she knew.
“Listen to me. Get off the guilt train! The chances of Trudy ever confronting a serial killer in person again are slim. It was a fluke. How many psychics do you know who have actually seen a serial killer who isn’t already behind bars? Hmmm? Answer me.”
“One. Trudy.”
“That’s right.”
“You didn’t want her to work on this,” he reminded her. “You said we should start with something less dangerous.”
“She handled herself admirably from what you’ve told me. She kneed that bastard in the gonads and poked him in the eye.”
“It could have so easily gone all wrong.”
“Yes, but it didn’t. Remove your sackcloth and ashes. You should be rejoicing instead of moping around!”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Yes, you’re right. I don’t know what to do with these feelings I have for her.”
“You’ll sort them out, dear. They’re normal. Maybe not for you, but they’re normal for most people.”
He spied Tom Sinclair striding down the hall. “Thanks, Quintara. I have to go. I’ll keep you posted.” Ending the call, he shoved the phone into his trouser pocket and met Sinclair in the hall in front of Trudy’s room.
“She’s talking to her parents,” he said.
“They’re here?” Sinclair asked.
“No. On the phone.”
“Oh.” Sinclair nodded. “How’s she doing? They’re releasing her today, right?”
“Yeah.” Levi angled forward to see into the room. Trudy was off the phone. She was blowing her nose in a tissue and her eyes were red-rimmed. “Trudy?”
She looked at him.
“Tom Sinclair’s out here.”
She motioned for him to come in. Levi stepped aside and let Sinclair enter first. He was right on his heels.
“Hi, Tom. Thanks for dropping by.” She nodded toward the big bouquet of flowers sitting on the window sill. “And thank the department for those, will you?”
“Sure thing. How are you feeling?” Sinclair gave her a worried look. “Is your headache gone yet?”
“Yes, almost. I was talking to my folks and . . . well, I’m okay now.” She smiled brightly and her gaze flickered from Tom to Levi. “We’re waiting for the doctor to sign my release papers and then I’m outta here.”
“Going back to Tulsa?”
She glanced from him to Levi and a shadow of regret darkened her eyes. He knew just how she felt. “Yes.”
Sinclair rested a hand on top of hers. “We got him, Trudy. Way to go.”
“It was a group effort.”
A scoffing sound escaped Levi before he could stop it. Trudy scowled at him and he shrugged. “Jay Yardley would still be on the streets of Key West if not for Trudy.”
“And you,” Trudy said. “I don’t know why you keep acting as if you did nothing, Levi. You figured out who he was probably at about the same time I did.”
“Your discovery that the killer and Zelda were the same person put us on the right track.” Levi crossed his arms and stood at the foot of the bed. He felt like a sentry, guarding his woman from all suitors. The image brought a smile to his lips. His woman. Wonder what Trudy would think of that?
“Did you see Captain Phillips on TV this morning?” Sinclair asked.
“No.” Trudy looked at Levi and he shook his head.
“He gave you and Wolfe credit for helping identify Yardley as the serial killer.”
“That’s nice of him, isn’t it, Levi?” Trudy asked, sending him a be gracious look.
He nodded, not feeling magnanimous since he hadn’t seen the TV news and didn’t know what Phillips had actually said about them. “Why weren’t you interviewed?” he asked Sinclair. “It’s your case.”
Sinclair shrugged. “You know how it goes. When the boss wants to address the media, then everybody else stands aside. Yardley has confessed to everything. He’s actually proud of it.”
“Sick fucker,” Levi growled, and Sinclair nodded.
The detective turned back to Trudy. “I have to run. I just wanted to thank you. If you’re ever in Key West again, Trudy, look me up.”
“I will. Thanks, Tom.”
Levi raised his brows at the lack of invitation extended to him by Sinclair. Tom leaned toward Trudy and kissed her temple . . . the side of her face that wasn’t bruised. Levi looked away, stabbed by jealousy even though he knew it was unreasonable. Trudy wasn’t enamored with Sinclair, but he still had to fight the urge to tell the detective to keep his paws off her. He realized he’d fisted his hands at his sides and he was grinding his teeth.
Sinclair stuck out his hand to Levi and he shook it. “Thanks, Wolfe. Be seeing you.”
“Right.” Levi forced himself to be civil. “Thanks for everything. I’m glad we could help. I’ll send you a final report for your files in a few days.”
As Sinclair left, a doctor, wearing scrubs and round eyeglasses, came in. He smiled cordially at Levi and then devoted his attention to Trudy.
“Hi, there.” He grasped Trudy’s hand. “I’m Dr. Dawson. How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” Trudy assured him. “I’m ready to check out of here.”
Dr. Dawson patted her shoulder. “A nurse will be in to get your signature on some forms and to give you the prescriptions that have been written for you.”
“What are they for?” Trudy asked.
“Muscle relaxants and high voltage Advil to take the edge off any headaches you might experience.”
“When can I drive home?”
“You don’t have to drive,” Levi said. “She can fly home. I can hire someone to drive the RV to Oklahoma for you.”
“No, I’m driving the RV to Tulsa,” she said, sending a quelling glare toward him. He fought back the urge to bark orders at her. Infuriating woman!
“Tomorrow is soon enough,” the doctor said. “If you develop a headache that won’t subside after you take pain medication, come back to the hospital immediately.”
“Will do.”
He patted her shoulder. “Have a safe drive home.”
“I will. Thanks.”
He nodded at Levi and left. Levi studied Trudy for a few moments, wondering what tactic to take to bend her to his way of thinking.
“Why don’t I hire a private jet to fly you back to Tulsa? I can arrange for someone to drive your RV.”
“A private jet? Get real, Wolfe.” Her green eyes widened as if he’d offered her a magic carpet ride. “Look, I know you mean well, but I’m going back to Stirring Palms and – What?” She frowned at him because he was shaking hi
s head.
He drew in a breath, knowing she wouldn’t like his next news. “The motor home isn’t there anymore.”
She folded her arms. “What have you done with it, Levi?”
“I moved it.” He held up his hands. “It’s parked at the Hyatt.”
“The Hyatt Hotel? Why?”
“Because that’s where I’m taking you. We’re staying in a suite there.”
“And what have you done with Mouse?”
“She’s waiting for you at the Hyatt.” He let out a long breath when she smiled a little. She was warming to the idea.
“Oh.” She pushed out her bottom lip. “You could have asked me first if I wanted to stay in a hotel.”
“Yes, I could have if I wanted to argue about it,” he allowed. “But I didn’t. Trudy, I want to spend a day and night with you totally relaxed. We deserve it.”
A slow smile lit up her face and made his heart do a back flip “Yes, I suppose we do.”
###
The hotel suite was luxurious. It was, hands down, the swankiest one Trudy had ever been in. There was a sitting room, a small dining area with French doors that opened onto an outdoor balcony that provided a breathtaking view of the ocean, a big bedroom, and a spa-like bathroom.
Trudy fell back onto the king-sized bed and patted Mouse’s round head as she listened to soft music coming from speakers placed strategically around the suite. Propping her head in her hand, she looked toward the bathroom where Levi stood in front of one of the sinks. Peering in the mirror, he carefully and efficiently dragged a razor through the shaving cream on his cheek.
He wore a white terrycloth robe provided by the Hyatt, loosely belted at the waist. She wore one, too. Warmth spread through her and she wanted to purr and then growl as her gaze drifted over him. In a hotel suite with Mr. Wolfe. Lucky, lucky girl. His gaze moved sideways, catching her watching him.
“Enjoying the show?” he asked, swishing the razor in the water-filled sink.
“You look sexy,” she said, smiling.
He chuckled and shook his head. “That bump on your noggin scrambled your brains, sweetheart.”
“False modesty doesn’t become you, Levi. You know you’re hot.” She fell back on the bed to stare at the ceiling. “Women grovel all over you. You say, ‘panties’ and they strip them off.”
“What drugs did they give you at the hospital? I want some.”
She laughed, lightly, “Are you hungry?”
“Yes. Order us something.”
“What?”
“Surprise me.”
She pushed up from the bed and went to the dining table. After consulting the menu and trying not to notice the outrageous prices, she ordered two cheeseburgers, shoestring potatoes, and a pitcher of lemonade. Moving out to the balcony, she sat in one of the chairs and gazed at the ocean. A few minutes later, Levi strolled out to join her, using a towel to wipe away the vestiges of shaving cream from his face and neck. He looked more rested and less like a man who had been to hell and back.
“I’m going to tell you something that’s going to blow your mind,” he said.
Trudy was starting to smile, but froze. Uh-oh. “Don’t keep me in suspense.”
“Ethel contacted Gregory.”
For a few moments, she couldn’t get her mind around what he meant. “Ethel and Gregory? How? Why?”
“I don’t know how . . .” He chuckled and stood behind her chair. He placed his hands on her shoulders and massaged the bunched muscles there. It felt so good that she closed her eyes and let her head loll forward. “After I had experienced Mandy’s murder, Gregory spoke to me and said that Ethel was with him. He said she was worried and that she had lovely dimples.”
Trudy’s eyes popped open. “No! Really?”
His fingers pressed into the tops of her shoulders and his thumbs moved in small circles against her nape. “And he told me to check my cell phone. Of course, when I did, I found your message.”
“Gregory and Ethel joined forces to put you on the right path?”
“Looks that way.” He placed a light kiss on her bruised temple.
“Meanwhile, they left me in the lurch.”
She leaned forward and he kneaded the muscles along her spine. He was really good at this massage thing! She wondered how many women he’d practiced on to become so adept at it. Another thought occurred to her and she released a short bark of laughter.
“Leviticus David Wolfe, you’ve even turned Ethel’s head! Instead of assisting me, she found a way to help you!”
“And she helped you, Trudy Louise Tucker.” His lips touched her cheek and then he nipped her earlobe playfully, sending a tingle of pleasure racing down her neck and arms. “I don’t understand it either. Maybe she was so close to Jay that she couldn’t directly intervene.” His fingers stopped circling for a few moments before continuing their firm but gentle pressure against her neck muscles. “I don’t know how it all works over there.”
“Over there?”
“The place they now inhabit,” he explained.
“Ethel guided me to that RV park. She wanted me there. She wanted us there.”
His lips slid along the side of her neck and his tongue wet a patch of skin on her shoulder. “I’m just very, very grateful you’re here with me and in one lovely piece.” He nuzzled the back of her ear.
Someone knocked on the door and Levi jerked his attention from her. “Ah! Food!” He strode to the door and threw it open to allow a food cart to be wheeled into the room by a uniformed waiter. “Smells great. What did you order?”
“Cheeseburgers and fries,” Trudy answered, coming back inside the suite.
His gaze bounced to her. “You’re kidding.”
“You have something against cheeseburgers?”
“No.” He chuckled as he went into the bedroom and came back with his wallet. He handed the waiter a tip and saw him out. “It’s okay,” he said, lifting the covers off the food. “In fact, it’s perfect. Only you would order cheeseburgers and fries at the Hyatt in Key West when you’re given carte blanche.” He stared at the pitcher of lemonade and grinned. “No dessert? No Key lime pie?”
“Well, I noticed there are some chocolates and fruit in that basket over there, so I thought . . . since they’re free we might as well eat them for dessert.” She shrugged.
He glanced at the complimentary basket of goodies and shook his head. Hooking an arm around her waist, he hauled her to him. “You need to be spoiled, Trudy Tucker.”
“Spoiled? Why?” She pressed her mouth to his and bit down lightly on his lower lip. “Want to work up a real appetite?”
He grinned against her grin. “Let’s eat.”
“Oh, piffle!”
“Piffle?” Chuckling, he moved away from her. He placed the food on the table, a burger for her and one for him. “Sit down. This is exactly what I need.”
She settled in one of the chairs and took a bite of the burger. It was thick and juicy and she realized she was ravenous. The broth, Jell-O, and cereal at the hospital just hadn’t cut it. She swallowed the first bite and wiped her mouth with a linen napkin that had an H embroidered on it.
He dabbed at his mouth with his napkin. “I’ve liked being with you.”
She stared at him, almost afraid to breathe. “I’ve liked being with you,” she allowed, dreading what would come next. Was this the brush off?
“I’ve never been in a monogamous relationship. Have you?”
Trudy sat back in the chair and tried to stop her heart from throwing itself at her ribcage. “Not really. I mean, I dated a guy for about four months a couple of years ago and – well, I assumed we were monogamous.”
“Did you two live together?”
“No. It wasn’t that serious.”
He enjoyed the burger and fries for a few minutes, leaving Trudy to twist in the wind. How could he eat after firing that volley at her? If he didn’t say something else very soon she was going to hurl the rest of her burger at him.
“I like the idea of having one with you,” he said, glancing at her from under his sooty lashes.
Trudy resisted the urge to shove her index fingers into her ears and wiggle them in a show of getting them back to working order because she really wasn’t sure she’d heard him right.
He held up a cautionary hand. “But you’ll have to cut me some slack because I don’t know the rules of conduct.”
Realizing that she was holding her breath and about to pass out, Trudy released a long sigh. “I think we make the rules as we go along. Levi, what brought this on?”
He glanced out at the ocean and his jaw hardened. “The thought of you being with another man makes me want to haul off and beat the shit out of someone and I’m trying very hard to keep my brawling days behind me.”
Her eyes widened at his vehement admission. She knew he saw red every time she was around Tom Sinclair, but . . . wow! He had a huge possessive streak running through him. “Brawling days? You used to fight?”
One corner of his mouth kicked up. “Daily.”
“Was this recently?”
“No, in school. Well, I did have some bar fights in my mid-twenties . . .” He shrugged. “But nothing in the past two or three years. When I was a kid, it was either fight or be the bitch.”
When she winced, he made a swipe with his hand.
“But back to the present!” He pinned her with his beautiful blues. “What do you think? You want to give it a whirl?”
She managed a nonchalant shrug, even though her heart was full to bursting. “I’m game. But you should be clear on what this means.”
“It means you won’t let another man touch you.”
She nodded, finding it charming that he was so focused on her behavior instead of his own. “What about oral sex? Is that cheating?”
“Oral sex . . .” He gave her a sidelong glance. “No, not really.”
“Why not?”
“There’s no penetration . . . exactly.” Confusion flitted across his face as if he didn’t even believe what he’d just said.
“Okay, say I walked into a hotel room and I saw some woman giving you a blow job. Would you feel guilty? Embarrassed? Or would you just zip up and introduce me to the woman kneeling before you?”