“Sweetheart,” Adam began, looking her over, “nobody’s complaining about your training because you’ve got a killer body from it, but against a grown man—”
Lacy didn’t even think, she simply latched on to the hand he was gesturing with, twisted her body around so that her back was against his chest and yanked as she bent, sending Adam over her shoulder to land flat on his back.
The display earned her a round of applause, a reminder of that job offer from Gus, and a big hug from Stephanie.
“You have got to teach me that,” she gushed.
“Don’t you dare,” Adam grumbled as he picked himself up. “Good job, though. I guess I stand corrected.”
“Sorry, but that’s usually the easiest way to prove my point.”
“Effective, too,” Stephanie snickered.
Gus sauntered over and draped his arm over Lacy’s shoulders. “My offer stands. If you ever consider moving to a smaller town, keep me in mind.”
Lacy just laughed. “I will, but for now, I’d like to walk the scene.”
Ethan was instantly at her other side. “Come with me, and I’ll show you what Adam showed me then what Storm and Lightning discovered.”
Observation was a major part of any investigative work, and Lacy always watched everyone, so she didn’t miss the expressions Adam and Stephanie wore as Ethan led her off.
If only she could figure out what they meant.
Chapter Seven
Ethan placed his hand at the small of Lacy’s back, not missing the look from his brother over the possessive gesture. Adam would get the message loud and clear now. Stephanie, however, looked entirely too pleased.
He still hadn’t forgotten about the warning Abraham had given him at the wedding. It seemed Stephanie and Sarah wanted to see both him and Adam settled with mates of their own, and now, it looked as if Stephanie had chosen her first contestant in the mating game.
His inner wolf perked up and began excitedly thumping his tail. Of course, he was happy to go along with that plan. He’d been like an eager puppy in her presence. The poor beast had never reacted to a woman like this before, and Ethan trusted his companion implicitly. If he liked this female that much, then Ethan was more than willing to give things a go.
He took her to the spot where the model had gone down then to where the wolves had caught the scent of the attacker behind the tent. Impressed with her thorough search, he watched as Lacy knelt to inspect a footprint in the soft soil.
“Did they cast this?” she asked.
“Yes. There are some better ones a little farther into the trees. It looks like he took off running but slowed to a walk shortly after,” he explained as he led the way.
“Then he was either trying to get clear of the bees or he may not have much stamina. That’s good to know. It helps to build a profile.” Kneeling again, Lacy frowned at the tracks. “These are rather small, don’t you think?”
“I commented on that myself.” It was taking every bit of willpower he possessed not to reach out and smooth the frown lines between her brows. The urge to touch her, to see if her skin was as soft as it looked, rode him hard.
“So, we’re either looking at a guy with a small foot, or there’s a woman involved,” Lacy muttered.
“A woman?”
“Are you telling me you don’t think women are capable of extreme violence?” Lacy stood before him—hands on hips—awaiting his answer.
Ethan put his hands up and took a hasty step back. “Easy there, I believe. My question is whether or not she would be working alone.”
She appeared to be thinking that over when Gus came rushing up. “We found a bag in the back of the tent,” he practically shouted. “It had some kind of tie around the opening. Adam is certain they tied it like that so it would open once it landed.”
“Can you lift prints?” Lacy asked, her eyes hopeful.
“Already on it, but it’s a bag from the shoot, so there’s no telling how many people have touched it.” Gus had a good point, and Ethan saw Lacy’s shoulders deflate a bit.
He was all for catching this guy, but at the same time, if the investigation ended, Lacy would be leaving soon. Ethan couldn’t help but overhear the sheriff offer Lacy a position before and found himself hoping she took it into consideration. Having her around town sure would brighten his days.
“…contact with my superiors to update them on this. We haven’t discovered footprints at the other crime scenes. Whoever this is has just slipped up enough to give us a lead. I’ll need a cast of the footprints for our case file, as well.”
Damn, he hadn’t realized they were speaking. Ethan would really have to work on maintaining his focus. It was simply too easy to get lost in thought where this woman was concerned.
“After seeing what happened to the first two male models, most of the other guys told the photographer, Landon, that it wasn’t worth the risk to stay here,” Gus went on. “None of the models are convinced that these are accidents anymore, and they’re starting to get scared. Only two of them remain now.”
“Who stayed behind?” Lacy asked.
Yes, that was something Ethan would like to know, as well. Perhaps, it was an inside job? Lacy had said modeling was a highly competitive field. Could someone be looking to eliminate their competition?
“That quiet guy, Jose, and Ethan. From what I understand, Jose’s just starting his career and doesn’t want to jeopardize it by pulling out of this shoot.”
“Let’s just hope he doesn’t end up regretting that decision.” Lacy turned from the scene, back to Gus, and asked, “What about the women?”
“They’re pretty upset. There are some who’ve mentioned leaving.”
“They should be safe enough, but it’s not like I can tell them that without giving myself away. As far as they know, I’m in the same boat as Jose. I’ve been out of the modeling world for several years, and this is my first job since my return, so they would understand my reluctance to leave. I just need to ensure that this shoot doesn’t end up closed down, otherwise the investigation will be a bust.”
“I won’t back out,” Ethan promised. “I’m sure Landon can manage with only two men. Besides, it’s you ladies who are the main feature in these shots. We’re just background decoration.”
Lacy snorted. “You’re hardly decoration.”
Ethan watched as she blushed sweetly, “Well, thank you. It’s nice to know I’m liked for more than my pretty face.” He leaned in to bat his eyes at her and laughed as she rubbed her elbow after giving his ribs a sharp jab.
“Yeah, well, apparently, there’s a rock-hard body there, too,” she grumbled.
“All right you two,” Gus chuckled. “I’m heading back now. There’s a mountain of paperwork to get started on. I’ll keep you updated, Lacy.”
She smiled, but Ethan could see it didn’t reach her eyes. “Thank you, Gus. I’ll do the same.” Lacy was obviously feeling the stress piling on her shoulders after this latest attempt, and he wished like hell he knew some way to make it easier for her.
Heading back toward the creek, Ethan asked, “So what kind of cover do you want to use?”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ll need a reason for spending so much time together away from the shoots,” he explained. “Are you still up for ‘dating’ me?”
“Date? You want to pretend to date me?”
“Well, I’d actually prefer to really date you, but I’ll take what I can get. For now.”
“For now?”
“For now.” He could see her considering what he’d said. Oh, there was nothing in her facial expression—she had her features schooled perfectly—but her eyes were another story. Those violet orbs seemed to see right through him, taking his measure, and—thankfully—not finding him lacking.
“We can try that, I suppose,” she relented.
“Don’t worry, I’m totally committed to helping you in any way I can.” Ethan was shameless when it came to this woman, and he’d be
pulling out all the stops. By the time their “dating” really got underway, he’d make sure she was perfectly aware of his intentions.
And he intended to have the lovely Lacy in every way imaginable.
* * * *
Lacy was one big jumble of nerves and hormones by the time they reached Stephanie and Adam again. Ethan’s bold statement had taken her by surprise, but it was her own reaction to his words that shocked her the most.
He wanted to date her, which wasn’t a real surprise since most guys tended to eye her as if she was the answer to their lustful prayers. Lacy wasn’t vain by any means, but she wasn’t oblivious to the fact men found her body very attractive. Her looks were actually more of a burden than a blessing, in her opinion, because she was often judged based on them.
Despite all of this, her entire being warmed at his low spoken “for now”. She could have sworn there was a rumble of a growl in those two tiny words, but it could have been her imagination. The truth was she looked forward to their “dating”. She hadn’t been out with a man, in a romantic setting anyway, in years, and Ethan seemed to be a real gentleman.
Her longest relationship had ended up being one of the most painful, and she was in no hurry to experience anything like that again, but she wouldn’t mind spending time with her new modeling partner. In her previous love-blinded state, she’d nearly lost everything, including her freedom. If not for an overheard conversation, she might have taken the fall in his scam, as was his plan.
Instead, she’d contacted the authorities but had remained in place, continuing to feed them information until they had enough to warrant an arrest. It was then that she decided to pursue her degree in law enforcement.
Lacy was startled out of her memories when Ethan’s fingers threaded through her own before giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
He could obviously see her confusion at the gesture and offered, “Practice. If we can convince my brother and Stephanie that we’re a new couple, then everyone else should be a cinch.”
“Oh…okay.” It seemed all he had to do was touch her and her brain turned to goo. And God help her if he kissed her again! Geez, one more of those, and she’d likely combust.
“What’s wrong?” Ethan slowed his pace, glancing her way for an answer.
Oh, if you only knew, she thought. Let’s start with the fact that I haven’t gotten laid in almost a year, then move on to the fact that I’m now pretending to date every woman’s wet dream, then we can finish up with how I’m terrified that my overexcited hormones will have me behaving like some two-dollar whore the next time you kiss me.
“Nothing,” Lacy grumbled.
“Sweetheart, you should at least try to look happy. After all, we’re supposed to be a new couple.”
Taking a deep breath and letting it out on a gusty sigh, Lacy turned and offered Ethan a small smile. “I’ll try. I’m afraid I’m a little out of practice, so bear with me.”
“I think some clarification is in order. Do you mean you’re out of practice in regards to dating, or when it comes to being with a man?”
Lacy could feel the heat as it traveled up her neck and settled in her cheeks. Quickly ducking her head—in a totally obvious effort to inspect her dirty shoes—she muttered, “Both.”
His soft chuckle served to help steel her spine, but the feel of his fingertips under her chin stilled her tongue.
“Sweetheart, I find that I like you being out of practice. It means there’s no competition for your attention,” he drawled.
“My case requires my full attention,” she remarked, though the words were barely above a whisper.
“So does maintaining your cover. Now, let’s try something. Come here and put your arms around my waist.”
Lacy saw no real harm in that—not to mention the fact she wanted to be against that hard chest of his—so she slowly moved into his embrace.
“Now, we’re hugging like a real couple,” he explained. “And if you tip your head back like this…”
His fingers were back beneath her chin with his other hand at her waist, and Lacy knew she was in trouble. Her traitorous body was already molding itself to his, and she couldn’t help but notice how well they fit.
As she raised her head, she gazed into his gorgeous eyes, admiring the silvery-blue color as they drew near. A moment later, his lips brushed softly over hers.
“That’s what passes for a nice first kiss, but I believe this was our third, so let’s see what happens,” he whispered, and once again, his lips found hers.
His mouth moved over hers slowly, teasingly, until Lacy opened to him on a moan, her fingers curling into fists in the front of his shirt, holding him to her.
Gradually, his hands traveled up her arms to frame her face as he angled their heads for a more perfect fit.
And, oh, was it perfect.
Lacy was utterly lost in the passion of their kiss when the sound of catcalls and applause effectively shattered the moment.
Someday, she vowed, we’ll really get to find out where one of those kisses can lead.
Before she could pull away, Ethan hugged her to his chest. The sound of his heart racing beneath her ear told her she wasn’t the only one affected by the kiss, and the bulge against her lower abdomen confirmed it.
“Now, that’s how a couple should kiss,” he panted by her ear before inhaling deeply. “Such an intoxicating fragrance.”
What? “I’m not wearing any perfume. It attracts bugs.”
“Mmm, then it’s just you,” his voice rumbled as he placed a soft kiss to her neck.
Lacy felt a shiver run through her and knew she was in desperate need of some dry panties.
“Come on you two. Let’s head out!” Adam called, and Lacy looked up to see that they’d stopped just at the edge of the trees. Apparently, Ethan had just put on a show for his family. Oddly enough, she wasn’t even mad. The kiss they’d just shared felt as if she’d been claimed, branded as his in a way that warned off any man who might show the slightest bit of interest.
“We’d better go.” Ethan stepped back, and Lacy immediately missed his warmth. “Besides, I need to get you back to the model house. I fully intend to give you a goodnight kiss before I leave.”
Lacy decided she could be just as forward as he could. “And I intend to let you.” She winked, satisfied by his wide-eyed look of surprise, and sauntered over to where Adam and Stephanie waited. So what if she put a little extra sway to her hips? As far as she was concerned, Ethan could be just as uncomfortable as she was at the moment.
He’d managed to wake her long-dormant libido, and now, her body seemed ready and more than willing to make up for lost time.
“Wow,” Adam exclaimed. “I was wondering if the two of you would come up for air before Stephanie was forced to perform CPR. Although, two girls in any kind of lip-lock is pretty hot.”
“Can you please flip his mangy ass again?” Stephanie pleaded.
Lacy just laughed, but the sound ended on a gasp as Ethan whispered in her ear, “Now, there’s a lovely sound. You should laugh more often.”
She felt herself blush and was grateful when Stephanie chose that moment to chime in. “Lacy, you should come out with me and Sarah on Thursday night. We try to do a girl’s night at least once a week if we can manage.”
“It kind of depends on the situation with the shoot,” Lacy replied. “Trust me, I could use a break, but my first priority has to be the safety of these models until the killer is caught.”
“I understand. Perhaps you could invite Jose to your place for a poker game with Adam?” Stephanie asked Ethan. “If he’s with the two of you, then he’ll be safe, and Lacy can cut loose with us for a few hours.”
Truthfully, Lacy would have no problem with leaving Jose with these men. She had no doubt they could protect him if needed, but her sense of responsibility still held strong.
“Go,” Ethan coaxed, his voice soft. “You need to take a break every now and then, for you as much as for your cover.”
“And what do you expect me to do with the women back at the house? They may not be the current targets, but this person has tried to kill twice now. If the killer loses their temper, then who’s to say one of the girls won’t be next?”
“If we can arrange to have them watched would you go?” Stephanie asked.
Lacy shook her head, truly regretting her inability to have a night out. It really had been a long time since she’d just hung out. “I can’t risk a cop or patrol potentially scaring this person off.”
“My husband can keep an eye on them, and nobody would ever know. He’s an ex-Navy SEAL and a damn good sniper, too. He’ll keep them safe. Besides,” Stephanie was grinning like a loon now, “it wouldn’t hurt for him to get a little taste of it again. I think he misses it.” She leaned in to whisper, “And I’m sure that he’ll be very grateful if I can get him this little ‘assignment’.”
“I’ll think about it, but that’s all I can promise.”
The women exchanged numbers before she and Ethan headed for the SUV. Once they were underway, Lacy dialed her superior.
“Murphy, it’s Lacy. Listen, there’s another victim heading your way. Someone released a swarm of bees into one of the dressing tents, and he was allergic. I’m not sure if that was general knowledge around the shoot, making him the latest target, but I’ll try to find out.”
“Watch your ass out there, girl. Shit. I’m not entirely comfortable with you having no official back-up.” His deep baritone carried well over the line, and Lacy adjusted the volume on her end. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“I’m fine, Chief. Besides, we have a new lead.” Now, she knew she had his undivided attention. “We found footprints near the scene. They’re small, so the perp is either a man with very small feet or we’re dealing with a woman.”
“Shit!” Man, he was really enjoying that word today. Murphy was mumbling to himself, but the resulting sound came out more like a menacing snarl. “Lacy, do you realize what this means? You could be bunking down with the killer in that damn house!”
Actually, the thought had already crossed her mind, but there was hardly anything she could do about it. “Relax, I’ve got this under control. I even have a cover story for when I’m out between shoots. The local sheriff is very helpful, and I may just have a secret weapon handy.” Lacy smiled, thinking that Stephanie’s husband could potentially turn out to be a real asset. “I’ll let you know when I get things hammered out. Gus—the sheriff—should be forwarding his reports to you later today, so keep your computer handy.”
To Save His Mate Page 5