by Lori Foster
Worse than peeking in closets and under beds.
God, it was tempting...
In a belated bid for integrity, Reese shut the door. He’d talk to Alice. He’d ask questions and hopefully get answers, and then he’d decide how to proceed.
Right now, after seeing the guns, Taser and baton, he really did need that coffee.
A few minutes later, he’d just sat down at the table with his second cup when the front door flew open and Alice charged in, Cash hot on her heels.
Reese half rose from his seat. “What’s wrong?”
She halted comically, still breathing fast. Cash looked at her, looked at Reese, and twitched his ears as if awaiting further instruction.
“Alice?”
After blowing out a breath, Alice shook her head. “Nothing is wrong.” She closed the door, and simply...stood there.
“Just felt like taking a wind sprint, huh?” Would he ever understand her?
Damn straight he would.
“I had no idea you could move so quickly.” Coffee in hand, he left the table. “I believe your temples are dewy. Did you run all the way in?”
She looked blank for only a moment, then visually searched the apartment as if seeking signs of his intrusion.
Let her look. He’d folded up his blankets. Put his clothes near the door. He’d even buttoned his slacks.
No way would he put on a shirt, though, not when he enjoyed her appreciation. And thinking of her appreciation...
He started toward her.
She locked her gaze to his. “What are you doing?”
Her uncertainty cut deep. “Greeting my dog.” Gently, Reese took the leash from her small hand and unhooked Cash. He knelt down. “Did you miss me, Cash? Did you?”
Alice stared down at him. “You talk to him like he’s a baby.”
“He likes it.” And then, to drive home that point, he said in his most ridiculous voice, “Don’t you, boy? Yes, you do.”
Alice blurted, “I’m sorry I intruded.”
Huh. What was that about? Slowly, so he wouldn’t make her any jumpier, Reese stood. “Let’s go to the kitchen. This is my second cup, but as foggy as I am today, I might need the whole pot.”
“All right.” She marched ahead of him. “I was going to offer you breakfast. Or lunch.” At the sink, she pivoted to face him. “What do you feel like?”
Such a loaded question, and being male, so many inappropriate comments came to mind. But given all her weaponry and secrets, he got right to the point instead of teasing.
“I feel like an explanation.” Or two or three. He helped himself to another cup of coffee, which put him within touching distance of her, and started with her last apology. “When did you intrude?”
“Outside. With your lady friends.”
Ah. What justification would she give for that little display? “You wanted me to get my coffee.” He saluted her with his cup. “Much appreciated.”
“Actually...no.” She rubbed her forehead. “I mean, yes, I did want you to have your coffee, of course. But I...I don’t really understand what I was thinking. I saw you out there with those women and the next thing I knew, I was behaving like a jealous wife.”
Wow. Reese stared at her, flabbergasted. She threw that out there like it was nothing. No reserve at all.
No sense of self-protection, either.
“Again,” she said, her tone still very no-nonsense, “I’m sorry.”
Shaking off the surprise, Reese opened her refrigerator. “No problem.” He withdrew her carton of eggs.
She frowned. “They’re both very attractive.”
“Nikki and Pam?”
The frown intensified. “Don’t be deliberately obtuse.”
“All right.” If she wanted to dish it out, he could dish it right back. “They’re both sexy as hell.” He grinned. “And they know it, too.”
Alice reached around him and pulled out bacon. “This is awkward.”
She didn’t act discomfited. She acted like it was routine to have such an odd conversation. “Nothing with me should be awkward.”
She eyed him, moved around to get out a pan. “I understand they were...trying to hook up?”
“With those two, always. They’re relentless in their pursuits.” He put just enough complaint in his tone to sound comically pitiful.
“Oh, poor you. How awful it must be to have sexy as hell women hitting on you.”
The bite of her sarcasm was so totally unexpected, he loved it. “Since I don’t want to get involved with either of them, even for a one-night stand, it gets tedious.”
“So you really have turned them down?” She quickly added, “That’s what they said. That they kept trying and you kept dodging them.”
He crossed his heart.
“Is it the proximity? That was Nikki’s guess.”
Since proximity would also put Alice off-limits, he denied it. “That might have factored in a little. But they’re both drinkers and heavy partiers.”
“And you’re not?”
“When was the last time you saw me head to a party?”
“I haven’t kept track of your agenda, one way or the other.”
Bull. Alice was far too aware of everyone and everything not to have noticed him. But even without her keen observation, few would miss a man of his size. Thanks to a good draw from the family gene pool, he had both height and strength.
Men and women alike made note of him. But it wasn’t until Cash that Alice had acknowledged his existence.
He turned on a burner to get the skillet hot. “I work too many hours, and when I get some downtime, I like to kick back with my friends, which usually means watching sports, fishing, that sort of thing.” He opened a drawer and found an egg turner. “And I like to hit up the gym a couple of times a week just to unwind.”
“You look...” She coughed lightly. “...physically fit.”
“Thanks.” He was in prime condition, but if she wanted to understate it, he wouldn’t debate it with her.
She got out bread for toast. It was interesting how easily they moved together to prepare breakfast.
“Another strike against Pam and Nikki, they’re not dog people.” He smiled at how Alice maneuvered around Cash without complaint, giving him the occasional pat or stroke without even thinking about it.
“That matters to you?”
“The dog and I are a package deal now.” He began laying bacon in the skillet. “Love me, love my dog.”
Silence filled the air. Had the “love” word thrown her when likening herself to a jealous wife hadn’t? The mysteries added up. “So Alice, while we prepare breakfast, why don’t we have that talk?”
“All right.” She took down glasses and poured orange juice. “Before we get into that, though, would you like to tell me what you found while snooping?”
He went still, unsure whether she bluffed, or if she—
“I know you did, Reese.”
“You assume—”
“I know.”
Giving up, he said, “You’re loaded down with weapons. Want to tell me why?”
One shoulder lifted. “Self-protection.”
“Most people cover that with one gun.”
She avoided his gaze by turning the bacon with a fork. “So what did you find?”
“Glock in bedroom closet, Taser in nightstand—”
“You got into my nightstand?”
Interesting reaction. “Long enough to see the Taser, yes.” He studied her frown. “I also saw the baton under your bed.”
Mouth tight, she asked, “Is that it?”
No fucking way. “There’s more?”
With only the slightest hesitation, she lowered the heat under the bacon, took his hand, and led him out of the kitchen and down the hall.
Reese was so astounded by her touch that he barely noticed Cash trotting along behind them. It seemed that wherever Alice went, the dog followed.
She veered into the bathroom, released him and gestured behind the toile
t. Frowning, Reese leaned around her to see...a revolver strapped to the tank. It was hidden from view so that only someone who knew where to look would find it.
He started to say something, but Alice walked out, so he followed, as did Cash. She went into her office, pulled her chair out from her desk, and tipped it back to show another Taser and a spare cell phone attached underneath.
“Jesus.” Reese rubbed a hand over his head. “What else?” Because somehow, he just knew there was more.
She marched back into the kitchen, opened a cabinet drawer, and one by one, set out a flashlight, another spare cell phone, a big knife, mace and finally a stun gun. “I prefer a Taser so I won’t have to get close, but the stun gun is here just in case.”
Muscles knotted, tension mounting from her dispassionate explanation and overabundance of weapons, Reese growled out, “Why?” She had a damned fortress going on, and there must be a reason.
“I don’t want to be hurt.”
In contrast to his tone, hers was soft, and a little chilling because of it. It wrecked him, imagining what might have instilled so much caution.
His worst fears were confirmed when her big dark eyes lifted to his, and she said softly, “Again.”
ISBN: 9781460303412
ALL RILED UP
Copyright © 2013 by Harlequin Books S.A.
The publisher acknowledges the copyright holder of the individual works as follows:
TRAPPED!
Copyright © 2003 by Lori Foster
RILEY
Copyright © 2003 by Lori Foster
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