by Dawn Altieri
“Finally?” Horror flooded her veins. “How long have you been thinking about this?”
He gripped both her arms, squeezing lightly as his eyes darkened. His touch sent a chill down her spine. “I’ve had feelings for you for a long, long time.” He bent toward her, dangerously close, banding his arm around her lower back to pull her closer. “Too fucking long.”
Chapter Twenty
Emma arched away from Ben, so rather than connecting with her mouth, his lips landed on her neck. “Ben, stop,” she cried out, shoving her hand against the solid muscle of his torso.
“Hey!” a familiar voice called. “Emma?”
Ben released her as though she’d burst into flames, and she spun around to find Matt racing toward her. Her mind was already swirling in confusion, and it only deepened at his sudden appearance.
“Matt, what are you doing here?”
Matt tugged Emma to his side and settled his angry gaze on Ben. “I had a dinner meeting with the guys from Liberty at Sakura down the street. I knew I should’ve canceled and come with you tonight. Are you okay?”
Ben pulled his jacket back on with a shake of his head. “She was fine until you came along.”
Matt took a step toward him. “She didn’t look fine, asshole.”
Emma laid a hand flat on Matt’s chest to hold him back. “I’m okay.” But she was still trembling as she turned to Ben. “You have the keys. The car is right down the street.” She pointed toward the spot where Jake had parked, but the Mercedes was no longer there. She pushed her hair off her forehead, searching the area. “What the…?”
“What’s wrong?” Matt asked.
Confusion overwhelmed her. Had she been so distracted by Jake’s words she’d forgotten where he’d parked? “The car’s gone.”
“Gone?” Ben demanded. “What do you mean?”
“It was parked right by that lamppost, but it’s not there now.” She glanced over her shoulder in earnest once more. What else could possibly happen tonight?
“Shit,” Ben muttered under his breath.
Matt looked around, as well. “Well, we have to call the police.”
Jake. The thought jumped into Emma’s head before she even had a chance to consider it. She should call Jake.
Her thoughts raced at hyper speed through the fog in her mind. No. She needed a patrol officer. Jake was a homicide detective and had much more important things to worry about. The stolen car had nothing to do with— No, this just had to be a weird coincidence.
“Let me call for you.” Matt pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket before she had time to sort it out in her head. He turned to Ben with fury in his eyes. “You can go.”
Ben glared toward Emma. “We need to finish our conversation.”
“I’d say it’s finished, pal,” Matt snapped.
“Mind your own fucking business.”
“Ben,” Emma said, “there’s nothing more to talk about. I’ll let you know what happens with the car.”
Ben reached for her hand. “Em, don’t listen to him.”
She pulled back, and he scoffed at her before he walked away.
Matt grasped Emma’s shoulders, turning her to him and inspecting her as though she might be physically injured. “Are you okay? What the hell was that all about?”
“He made a pass at me.”
“Yeah, I saw that.” Matt’s features twisted with the same anger she’d seen every time she’d told him about her issues with Justin’s controlling behavior—which, now that she thought about it, happened more often than it probably should have.
Matt had never been a fan of the Windsor clan. With their money and what Matt viewed as their sense of entitlement, he firmly believed Emma did not belong in their family. She was starting to see he’d been right all along.
“What kind of an asshole makes a move on his dead brother’s girl? I told you, that whole family is fucked up.”
She groaned. “I just want to go home.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll get you home.” Matt dialed his cell phone and waited for an answer. “Yeah, I need to report a stolen vehicle.”
She stared at him as he spoke to the officer, thankful he’d shown up when he had. What luck he’d been in the neighborhood. He always seemed to be there when she needed him.
Matt replaced the phone in his pocket. “They should be here soon. Are you sure you’re okay?” He reached for her, and she jumped at the unexpected movement.
Ben’s words replayed in her mind, along with the vision of him leaning in to kiss her. To kiss her. Where had that come from?
She forced an apologetic smile. “I’m okay, just in shock. First Ben, now the car. I’ve never had anything stolen before.”
“Why don’t we grab a cup of coffee while we wait?” Matt suggested, gesturing toward a café a few doors down from where they stood.
She chewed on her thumbnail, searching up and down the block one last time before she agreed.
The café was warm and inviting, with dim lighting and several pillow-covered sofas that looked almost as cozy as the one back in her apartment. The scent of hazelnut and French vanilla filled the air, and folk rock pumped through a sound system, loud enough to be heard but not be a distraction. Matt ordered coffee for himself and tea for Emma, and they settled onto a sofa near the window while they waited for the patrol officer.
“This can’t be the same guy.” She gazed out the window, silently willing the car to reappear. “Why would he steal a car? This has to be a coincidence, right?”
Matt paused as if he hadn’t considered the possibility. “Of course it’s a coincidence. Cars get stolen all the time. And a Mercedes S-Class? Did you lock it?”
“Yes, I locked it,” she snapped, but then she questioned herself. Jake had driven. Maybe he’d forgotten. “I mean, I think so. I honestly don’t remember.”
“Hey, it’s okay.” He pulled one of her hands off her cup and brushed his thumb gently across her knuckles. “You’ve been under a lot of pressure lately.”
She had. She’d hoped a few hours with her friends would help her relax, but tonight had only made matters worse.
Matt released her hand and stirred his coffee. “Where’s the detective? I thought you said he was coming with you tonight.”
He lacked his usual teasing tone, which was fine with her. She was in no mood for jokes. “He went back to the precinct to work on the case.”
A scowl crossed Matt’s face. “He left you alone?”
“No,” she answered, staring down into her tea. “He left me with Ben.”
Matt gritted his teeth and blew a harsh breath through his nose. “I’m not convinced that guy is taking good care of you.”
She rolled her eyes at the judgment in his tone. “His name is Jake.”
“Okay, I’ll rephrase. Jake isn’t taking good care of you.”
She tipped her head with a grimace. “It’s not his job to take care of me.”
“He’s a cop. His job is public safety, but he doesn’t seem all that concerned about your safety.”
“Of course he’s concerned about my safety.”
Matt’s lips drew together in a scowl. “Mm-hmm. He come up with anything on those lilacs yet?”
She took a tentative sip of her still too-hot tea. “He handed everything over to the lab. It might be a while.”
“Huh,” Matt said with a slow nod. “And in the meantime, he gets to hang out with a gorgeous woman. Guess being a cop really isn’t that hard, after all.”
“Please stop.” Wherever Matt was going with his questions and comments, she wasn’t in the mood for that, either. “I thought you’d be happy he’s keeping an eye on me since the police department won’t do anything.”
“I am happy he’s keeping an eye on you, but I don’t trust him.” Matt drank his coffee and surveyed the r
oom, his gaze landing on a group of young women laughing and having a good time a few tables away. “You know cops are notoriously bad in relationships, right? Especially big city cops. Cheating, drinking, divor—”
She let out an exaggerated groan. “I get it, Matt. And I’m not dating him. This is hard enough without you getting all overprotective. You don’t trust anyone around me.”
“Guilty as charged.” He glanced over at the women again. Emma was certain if the situation were different, he would have deserted her to go talk to them by now. “You know, he called me the other day. Said he had some questions for me. I haven’t had a chance to call him back.”
She nodded. “He’s been interviewing everyone I know.” After tonight, what sort of questions would he have for Ben? She’d have to tell him what Ben had said, what he’d done. She shuddered at the realization she’d been planning on letting Ben take her home tonight. Jake had warned her the suspect was probably someone she knew, and she knew Benjamin Windsor pretty damned well. Still, the idea of him being a murderer…?
Matt interrupted her thoughts. “I don’t see how anything I know would help them catch this guy. Maybe he should be looking at Windsor.”
Her shoulders slumped. “He already is.”
“Really?” He seemed to sense how upset she really was. Instead of making any more judgmental comments, he reached for her hand again. “You need to tell the detective what happened tonight. Let him figure out what that prick is up to.”
She dropped her eyes to their joined hands. “I know.”
“I’m sorry, Em. I hate this. You’ve been through so much shit already, and I feel like, once again, there’s not a damned thing I can do to help.”
She squeezed his fingers. “You are helping. Just knowing you have my back helps more than you can imagine.”
“I just don’t want to see this detective take advantage of you.”
“Give me a little credit,” she said. “I wouldn’t let him if he tried.”
“That’s my girl,” Matt said with a smile.
A patrol car parked down the street in front of the location Matt had given the dispatcher on the phone. “Come on,” Matt said as he pushed out of the booth. “The cop’s here.”
The officer had already stepped out of his car by the time Emma and Matt approached.
“Evening, Officer,” Matt said.
“Evening,” the dark-haired patrolman replied gruffly, barely looking up from his notepad as he flipped it open. “I understand we have a stolen vehicle. Which one of you is the owner?”
“I am. Emma Sloane.”
He met her gaze for a moment, as though he recognized her name. “Can you spell that? Sloane with an ‘E’ at the end?”
“Yes, with an ‘E.’”
“Officer Markowitz,” the patrolman announced as he wrote in his pad. “What kind of car was it?”
“A Mercedes S-600, black with charcoal-gray interior.”
“Nice,” Markowitz commented as he scribbled his notes. “Any tracking devices? Security systems?”
“There was an alarm on it. I don’t think it was set, though. And no tracking devices. At least, I don’t think there were.”
She gave him the license plate number and her contact information, then he closed the notepad. “That’s all I need, Ms. Sloane. You can pick up a copy of the report on Monday for your insurance company. We’ll let you know if we find anything, but I have to be honest with you, your car’s probably already in a chop shop by now.”
She managed a half-hearted smile. She’d figured as much.
“Do you need a ride home?”
“No,” Matt hastily interjected. “I’ll get her home.”
Officer Markowitz raised an eyebrow at Emma, checking that it was an acceptable plan, and she nodded in agreement. “Okay. You have a good night.” He returned to his patrol car and drove away.
Matt tousled her hair in a move he’d used since they were kids, when she’d fallen at the playground or skinned a knee and needed comfort. Her mother was rarely up for the task, and with her father gone, she’d been as grateful to have Matt then as she was now. He threw his arm around her shoulders and led her down the street.
She sighed, comforted by his embrace. “Thanks for helping me out.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Em.” Matt stopped and turned to her. “I’m here for you. Whatever you need. You okay?”
“I am.” But the knot had returned to her stomach. After what Ben had done—and what Jake had said about not trusting anyone—how was she ever supposed to feel okay again?
Chapter Twenty-One
Jake waded through leads that had started pouring in almost immediately after images of the suspect had been broadcast on the ten o’clock news, knowing most of them would be dead ends. None of them held any definitive answers to the man’s identification, and the “clues” they offered were outrageous at best, including at least two disgruntled former employees ratting out their old bosses, and one woman more than willing to turn in her ex-husband.
He pulled his cell from his pocket. Quarter after eleven and no word yet from Emma. Hopefully she was enjoying her evening. She deserved a few hours with her friends and a chance to put all the bullshit surrounding this case out of her mind.
Not to be confused with a frustrated detective who could barely keep his hands off her.
After the intense moment they’d shared outside the restaurant, he hadn’t trusted himself to spend the evening with her and the Windsors. He’d been getting too comfortable around her in public, touching her, holding her hand. Even now the thought of going ahead and kissing her on that sidewalk sent his blood pumping to all the wrong places. If he was honest, he’d really wanted to push her up against that hundred-thousand-dollar car, hike her legs up around his waist, slam his mouth over hers, and keep going until she was screaming his name right there on the street.
He had to back off and settle down before he screwed this up any further. He’d be in deep shit if Lieutenant O’Shea caught wind of his behavior. Besides, the more time Jake spent with Emma, the more certain he was she’d never be interested in him for anything long term. Especially not once she knew how he’d put his job before his family…and ended his right to hope for a future like the one Emma deserved.
His stomach churned, and doubt nagged at him. He shouldn’t have left her with only Ben and Rachel to watch over her. He wouldn’t be able to think straight until he knew she was safely home in her apartment.
Could Ben Windsor even keep her safe? The prick was arrogant enough to think he could. But would he have the sense to walk her upstairs and check her apartment before leaving? And what would he do if he found someone waiting inside?
Jake glanced at his cell phone’s blank screen once more and made his decision. He’d head back to the restaurant to bring her home himself.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Emma changed into a tank top and yoga pants and headed to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. More caffeine would keep her up all night, but she had little hope of sleeping, anyway. She ran through her now-familiar routine, checking the door lock and the alarm for the fourth time. She faced the painting she’d recently hung in the spot her engagement photo had once occupied in the foyer. The elegantly framed reproduction of Monet’s Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies had been in storage since Justin had deemed it too feminine for the apartment. In too many ways, he’d manipulated her decisions and taken over her life. The painting was one of her favorites, and she was happy to be able to enjoy it again.
She took a seat at the breakfast counter. Thoughts of the disastrous evening flooded her mind, no matter how desperately she tried to shut them out. How far might Ben have pushed if Matt hadn’t shown up when he did? What would’ve happened if Ben had been the one to bring her home? He matched the limited physical description of the man the police were after, apparent
ly had a long-standing interest in her, and a palpable frustration that she’d never given him a chance. But Ben being capable of such horrific crimes was something she just couldn’t bring herself to imagine.
The intercom buzzed, and she jumped off the barstool. Someone was at the door downstairs. It was nearly midnight, and she definitely wasn’t expecting anyone at this hour. She pressed the call button. “Hello?”
“Emma, it’s Jake.” Tension filled his voice. “Can I come up?”
“Sure.” A relieved sigh escaped her as she unlocked the entrance for him.
Minutes later he stood in her doorway, his expression filled with concern as he looked her over. “Are you okay? I heard about your car.”
She stepped back to allow him in. “How’d you hear about that?”
He moved inside and flipped the deadbolt into the locked position before she had a chance. “Adam Markowitz is a good friend of mine. Why didn’t you call me?”
“I—I was g-going to,” she stammered. “But I didn’t want to bother you. I mean, you’re a homicide detect—”
“Emma, I’m a cop. I worked street patrol for six years.”
She remained silent for a moment. The encounter with Ben had left her shaken, and Jake’s rapid-fire questions weren’t helping. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
He dropped a hand lightly on her shoulder. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to jump on you like that. Please know you can call me for anything, especially something like this. I could’ve helped.”
She rubbed her eyes, fighting fatigue. “Actually, Matt helped me. He’d been having dinner nearby.”
“Really.” Jake pulled his hand away. “Adam told me you were with a guy, but I assumed it was Ben. What happened to Windsor?”
“We had a…a disagreement,” she said softly. She hesitated, avoiding his eyes. “He sort of made a pass at me.”
“What?” Jake stepped back. “What the hell?”