by Spear, Terry
He chuckled. “The first time you got the drop on me. The next time, you won’t.”
“So who are your furry friends?”
“Sydney, the female Australian shepherd, is four years old, and Zander is the male pup, and he’s a year old.”
They were both sitting at her feet, eyes big, tails wagging, waiting eagerly for scraps.
“Don’t feed them anything at the table. I don’t want that to become a habit.”
“You don’t ever accidentally drop anything?” she asked.
“They’re always hopeful, but the way they’re begging for food at your end of the table, they must think you’re a sucker for them. Or at least hopeful that you are.”
She smiled down at them. “They’re both cute. Working dogs, or just companions?”
“They’re just companions. I wouldn’t want them working on police duty. No telling how dangerous it could get.”
“Yet they came into the house as if they were getting ready to apprehend a criminal.”
“Uh, well, about that. The Robinsons always give them treats when I drop by to check on them. The dogs must have thought they were home. I knew something was wrong when the cougar door wasn’t locked, and they barged right in. Not to mention hearing a woman scream in shock was just as much of a surprise to me. How did you end up tangling with a skunk?”
“One was out in my aunt and uncle’s compost bin, looking for food. I heard it digging around out there, but my first thought was that it was a racoon and I was going to chase it off.”
“And you got skunked.”
“Right. How come you were coming over here to check the place out?”
“I do routinely, for folks that are gone in the winter to see that nothing’s the matter at their vacant residences, especially checking for frozen pipes. But you must have had a light on in the house and one of our men who lives out here saw it when he was running by the house as a cougar. If your aunt and uncle knew you were going to be staying here, why didn’t they let us know? I could have arrested you for home invasion.”
“I had to come here on some other business. I wasn’t able to get ahold of them while they’re on the cruise, but I have an open invitation to stay with them at any time.”
“Stay with them. Key difference. So they don’t know you’re here.”
Feeling chilled by the wind blowing through the place, she got up from the table and closed the front and back doors, then returned to the table. Stryker was lucky he was wearing his coat.
“No, they don’t. But I’ll leave them a note and I’ll replenish anything I use while I’m here.”
“How come none of us know about you?”
Now that was the part she didn’t want to let on to him or anyone else. She’d been busy as an undercover agent with the FBI, and her aunt and uncle weren’t supposed to mention her—for their safety and hers. Her sister was another story. But their aunt and uncle did visit Nina when they could.
When she didn’t answer him, Stryker said, “It seems awfully convenient that they’re out to sea for two weeks and I can’t get any reception to contact them to verify you’re legit.”
“That’s certainly not my fault, and if I could have gotten hold of them, I could have asked them to give your office a call so that you wouldn’t be here hassling me about me being at their place.”
He sighed. “The food is great.”
“And the company?” She poked her fork into another carrot.
“Entertaining. Thoroughly entertaining. So what are you going to do with me?” Stryker didn’t sound worried.
“Maybe you could go on vacation for a few days?”
He smiled. “I am on vacation. That doesn’t mean I planned to stay at the Robinson’s home for a change of scenery.”
“You’ll have fun here. You can watch TV, and I’ll fix our meals.”
“You’ll have to watch me twenty-four hours a day. You have to sleep sometime.”
“If I let you go, then what? You'll arrest me when I’m just staying at my aunt and uncle’s home, legitimately. I haven’t broken any laws.”
He lifted his wrists to her to prove she’d taken a lawman hostage. Well, there was that. But she was just protecting herself. He wasn’t in uniform and he didn’t announce who he was, even though she knew very well who he was and he knew it.
“Do you have some ID?” he asked.
She let out her breath, got up from the table, and went into the guest room to grab her driver’s license. He could have escaped out the front door, but she really didn’t think he was all that keen on turning her in for taking him hostage or otherwise. Besides, she had the keys to both the manacles and his Jeep.
His dogs followed her into the bedroom as if they were still looking for treats. She leaned down to pet them and she heard dishes being set next to the kitchen sink and dishwasher. He was cleaning up after dinner? With his wrists confined? She hoped he didn’t drop and break anything. It would be on her then.
She hurried back into the kitchen to hand him her driver’s license and began putting the rest of the food away in the fridge, then cleaned up the dishes.
“So you’re from Austin, Texas.”
“Right. And you’re from Ely, Minnesota.” She finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher and turned to see him studying her.
“Your aunt and uncle told you.”
No, she had visions of him returning there to search for his father. “Yeah, sure.”
“Why would they talk to you about where I’m from?” Stryker asked, sounding suspicious.
She was reminded that he was in law enforcement like she’d been.
“It just came up sometime. I don’t remember why they mentioned it.” She shrugged.
* * *
"You haven't told me why you're here." Stryker set up wood for a fire in the fireplace in the living room. He figured if Nina was truly related to the Robinsons, she wouldn't have come here for a vacation. She had to have some other reason for coming here—the business she'd mentioned.
Nina started the fire. "My sister came through here. I'm looking for her."
"Why wouldn't she have stayed here then, like you're doing?" He couldn't believe Nina would be staying at her family's home without them being here either. Why not be here to visit them? Though he had to admit his own family had been full of mystery, his mom vanishing, his dad doing the same, and then he and his twin brother, Leyton, were raised by other families, never knowing about each other until recently.
Nina got up off the couch and began to pace. "Ava was working for a pharmacy and she discovered that one of the pharmacists was stealing drugs and reselling them on the drug market."
"And she didn't report it to the local authorities?"
"He's a cougar. She couldn't put him in jail. Worse, when he discovered she knew what he was pulling, he framed her for it. So now she's on the run."
"Well, hell. He needs to be taken down. So you thought she would come here because you had family here?" Despite that Stryker couldn't confirm that the Robinsons had two nieces, he thought Nina was either a consummate con-artist, or she really was their niece.
She didn't say anything and turned on the TV.
He noticed she didn't answer him when she felt cornered about his query, and that made him wary of her story. Though she didn't glibly come up with another, which he gave her credit for, but it sure made him wonder what all was going on. The weather channel she had on mentioned more snow was on its way.
"Okay, the cougar who saw the light on in the house and contacted us will see my Jeep out there and lights on in the house. He'll see that I don't leave. And he'll be concerned for me and call the sheriff, Dan Steinacker. Then Dan will contact me again, but this time he'll actually come out and investigate the Robinson’s place himself and make sure I'm okay. He’ll probably bring backup. Unlike me."
"So what do you propose we do about it?"
Stryker was surprised she'd ask for his suggestion. Unless she was just humoring
him.
"I'll call Dan and tell him that you're staying at your aunt and uncle's place—"
"Even though you can't confirm what I've said is true?"
Yeah, he would, because Dan would assume the same as Stryker, unless she'd given him some proof to prove the family connection. "I'll tell him you're searching for the whereabouts of your sister. I'll help you look for her also. I know the area and the people and I'm free right now. But you'll have to tell me why you think she's in the area."
Nina didn't say anything but turned off the TV and paced some more. The dogs were sleeping on the floor by the fireplace, making this their new home.
"Okay, you call Dan and tell him the Robinson's niece is staying here and you're going to help me look for my sister."
"He'll put every available man out there looking for her. We just need to know what information you have that made you suspect she's here." He wondered just how she knew her sister was here and why she was so reluctant to tell him what she knew. No way would Dan authorize a search unless he knew more.
"I saw it in a vision. Okay? Now are you happy?"
3
From Stryker's incredible expression, Nina knew he wasn't expecting her to be a psychic. Then again, she wasn't expecting him to approach her, like he was doing now, and she wasn't sure what he was going to do next. His wrists still manacled, he put his arms over her head and around her body as if he'd just taken her hostage.
And then he tilted his head down, his blue-eyed gaze focused on her mouth. "To seal the deal."
She could slip out of his arms and stop this madness from happening. Or she could do what she'd wanted to ever since she'd photographed his captivating expression, a sexy smile, and a bit of the devil in his compelling, darkened eyes. She figured anyone who had seen her photograph him thought she was just after a shot of his hunky body. But she'd taken a closeup of his beautiful face too—the sturdy jaw, the character lines beneath his eyes and at the corners of his mouth that said he liked to smile, his dark, appealing hair that she wanted to run her fingers through—yeah, she wanted this, just like he seemed to.
But was it prudent?
She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him close. Hell, yeah. Well, seriously, maybe not, but she wanted this and she was taking her chances. She could already feel his burgeoning arousal pressed against her waist and she smiled a little before she tilted her head up to kiss his lips. Masculine. Smoldering. Delicious. Sexy. She parted her lips to take a breath, intoxicated by the feel and scent of the big-cat and he pressed his advantage, inserting his tongue in her mouth and tasting her like she was tasting him. But then she heard a click and another click behind her back and she knew the telltale sound of manacles being unlocked. Her eyes glanced upward, his gaze smoky with desire, a smile teasing his lips.
Before she could pull away from him, she heard the manacles hit the floor with a soft thump against the carpet. She should have known he could do that. Just like she could, if he had manacled her.
And then she told herself, screw it, and kissed him again as he ran his hands over her back, as if that's why he needed to remove the manacles.
But then he released her, not moving his mouth from hers as if he was afraid to let a good thing go, but he was trying to shrug out of his coat as if he was burning up because of the fire in the fireplace and the fire they were stoking between them. Not to mention their pheromones were excitedly colliding and spurring the heat on. He dropped his coat on the floor with a thump.
The dogs both raised their heads as if they thought some new action was taking place and they needed to be aware of it.
She felt like she needed to take her sweater off next, but then she'd only be wearing her bra and she wasn't about to let the deputy sheriff think she was ready for bed play. Not that she really wouldn't like to take it that far, but she was on a mission here. And this wasn't part of the mission.
She pulled away from him then, before she changed her mind, trying to get her focus back on the reason she was here. She couldn't believe how much of a pull the hot cougar had on her. She sat down hard on the couch, feeling way too-interested in the cougar, and wanting to take this further. Was she nuts?
His kiss was even hotter than she'd imagined it could be. Which had all to do with the way their pheromones had come into play, not to mention the heat, friction, and scent and taste of him adding to the realism. At least he didn't seem to think she was crazy for her declaration that she'd seen Ava in a vision, putting her right here in the Yuma Town cougar's territory.
Stryker leaned over and picked up his manacles and coat off the carpet and set them on the back of a chair. "Okay so you're all right with me calling Dan about this?" He pulled his phone out, but didn't use it until she said yes or no.
She appreciated he'd asked her just to make sure she was fine with it, when she really didn't have a lot of choice at this point. She didn't think she could take him into custody again, even if she'd wanted to. Certainly, using the manacles on him was just a joke to him. She had to admit he'd been cute about it, not cocky. First, with moving his manacled hands in front of him, which she had to admit had been useful to her so he could eat the meal without her having to hand feed him. Though if he'd been a real threat to her freedom, it wasn't a good thing. And then, holding her hostage while he kissed her, distracting her, and unlocking the manacles. Yeah, he was good.
Truthfully, she admired him for it. If she could take him that easily without him coming back strong to take her on? Where would the fun in that be?
"Yeah, go ahead. Call Dan," she finally said, realizing he'd been waiting for her response.
"You don't mind me mentioning about your psychic vision?"
"Do you think Dan, or anyone else he tells, will believe me any more than you do?"
Stryker gave her a small smile that made her want to hug on him and kiss him all over again. What was up with that?
“Hell, yeah, I believe you. A future vision? Past vision?"
"Future vision and they become clearer the closer to when it happens."
"So she might not be here then?"
Nina frowned. "I'm not sure."
"Wait, that wasn't why you came through here before? The Christmas before last? When you were taking model shots of me dressed as Santa."
"Half dressed."
"What did you do with the photos?"
She felt her cheeks heat, but didn’t answer him right away. Other than show them to her sister, who wanted to know why Nina hadn't hung around, or at the very least, sat on Santa's lap and told him what Ava would have asked him for on her Christmas list—him, for starters—Nina had just kept them for herself whenever she wanted to have some Christmas cheer. Nina felt another flush of heat wash over her whole body. What was wrong with her? She had to quit thinking of him in any of those terms.
"I didn't post them anywhere, if that's what you're getting at."
"Just keeping them for yourself then." He was still standing, towering over her and she wished he'd sit down. "Okay, I might as well tell you I spoke with ghosts during a séance once in the saloon in Anderson, the ghost town near here. I saw several ghosts. Some were hanged stagecoach robbers, and miners fighting over silver, gunslingers, and others who died violently in the wild western town. So nothing surprises me.”
“For real?" Now that was a gift Nina didn't have. But she wasn't sure she'd want it either. "Do you see them all the time?"
"No, just during the séance. I think I need a little extra help 'seeing' them. And that's fine with me. Okay, I'll just make this call and we can discuss what we need to do about your sister. I was thinking maybe you'd like to stay at my place. I have to take care of the dogs and they need their food, treats, beds, and dishes."
She shook her head. "I want to stay here in case my sister thinks to come here."
"All right." Before Stryker could punch in a number, he got a call, looked at his phone and smiled. "Dan's calling." He answered it. "Yeah, Dan? Uh, yeah, I was held ho
stage for a little while."
Omigod, Nina wanted to kill him.
* * *
Stryker smiled at Nina when she looked horrified he'd told Dan the truth about him taking him hostage. He knew it would come out sooner or later, and he'd have to explain why he said he'd only been checking on the Robinson's pipes to make sure they weren't frozen and now was with the beautiful woman at their home that he'd had dreams about since he'd seen her at Christmastime, the Christmas before last.
He explained the situation Nina was faced with—her sister was in the area, based on a vision, which could or could not have come true yet, and that she was the Robinson's niece.
"Okay, is she there with you?"
"Yeah." Stryker knew that Dan was seeing this with his other head, when Stryker was so wrapped up in the woman, he would believe just about anything she said. He walked off to the kitchen so that Nina couldn't overhear what Dan might be saying over the phone. With the cougars' exceptional hearing, he couldn't leave it to chance. With the pretense he was just fixing a cup of coffee, he poured water into the coffeemaker.
"Better location?" Dan asked him, knowing Stryker would move out of her hearing.
"Yeah." Stryker watched Zander join him in the kitchen, probably thinking he was going to feed him, while Sydney stayed in the living room with Nina, the females sticking together.
"Okay, without proof she's who she says she is, how can we trust her?"
"Valid point." Although Stryker wanted to trust her. He searched through the cupboards for the coffee and found some. Pulling down one of the boxes, he fished out a pod filled with coffee and slipped it into the coffeemaker. "Do you want some coffee?" he called out to Nina.
"No thanks. At this hour, I'd end up being awake all night. But…thanks for the offer."
"Okay, so the Robinsons never mentioned this woman was their niece or that they had two of them. Ever," Dan continued.
"At least not to us."
"Right. Which seems really odd to me. She could be a housebreaker and a very good con-artist, just leading you to believe she's family and it's all right for her to stay at their home. As soon as you leave, she could vamoose with anything of value in the house. I say we have Bridget talk to her. You didn't tell Nina she can read minds, did you?"