Her Unlikely Protector

by Regan Black

  She had the strangest feeling he wasn’t joking. “The lights will be on soon.” She hoped so anyway.

  “Probably true.” He turned her, claimed her mouth in a kiss hot enough to divert a wicked winter storm. “You’re thinking of leaving.”

  “I don’t want to.” Desire rampaged through her system. Her head fell back and she moaned as the scruff on his jaw rasped against her throat.

  His hands gripped her hips and he pulled her flush against his body. He was hard, heat radiating from his demanding lips to his erection nudging her hip to his thighs flexing against hers. She melted against that heat, everything going soft, inside and out. Her whole being, from her heart to her skin, yearned for him.

  Leaving was the responsible choice. Leo was safe; she could go home with the confidence that he wouldn’t venture out again tonight. But then she’d be alone and when he kissed her like she mattered, as if he wouldn’t be safe without her, specifically, that filled her with an unbearable longing. She arched into him, captured her mouth with his and gave in to the temptation at last.

  Chapter 7

  Leo felt the shift, the subtle give when Aubrey’s internal debate over duty versus desire ended and she gave herself up to him. To them. To this moment. She was his, here in the dark where he could pretend they’d met under more typical circumstances.

  Cradling her face, he kissed her soundly, his tongue stroking hers. He’d never have enough of her sweet flavor. A chill was already creeping into the room without the heater. Maybe he was more prone to it after nearly freezing in the alley.

  If the hotel had a generator, he wasn’t sure he wanted it to kick on. Aubrey—supple, giving, glorious Aubrey—was all the heat he needed tonight. Possibly forever. In the near-total darkness, he had to trust his hands and hers, her sighs and murmurs to guide him. When he ran out of buttons, he pushed her shirt off her shoulders and slid his hands over the silky layer underneath. The long-sleeved shirt might ward off the nasty weather, but it slithered over her sweet, rounded breasts, tantalizing him with what he couldn’t quite touch.

  As if sensing his frustration or fascination, she yanked the garment away and flowed back into him. Her skin was softer than the silk. He tasted her. Lips, throat, lower still until her heart pounded under his kisses. She arched and he obliged, nipping at the tight peaks of her nipples through her bra.

  He let her shove him back toward the bed, pulling off his shirt on the way as he heard her dealing with the boxy uniform pants. He wanted to see her, wanted to enjoy the reveal of her lush body. Without any light, relying only on hearing and touch, taste and scent, he found every discovery a mesmerizing new experience.

  She was a lithe shadow, a dip in the mattress as she joined him on the bed. And she was naked, shivering as his hands glided over her skin.

  “I’ll keep you warm,” he vowed. Here tonight, anywhere. He cut off the wayward thought. No sense wrecking this magic by overthinking tomorrow.

  “Counting on it,” she said between kisses and nips along his shoulder, up to his ear. How did she already know the touches he craved most?

  He was desperate to give her more. Enjoying the discovery, his hands and mouth roamed over the swells and dips of her sweet body. She was muttering threats about being teased and getting even right up to the point that her first climax ripped through her. She bucked and clung and dragged him up until their mouths meshed once more.

  “Leo.” She whispered his name in the dark, breathless and satisfied.

  Feeling as if he’d set the moon and stars in the sky only for her, he caressed and coaxed until she was hovering at the edge of another orgasm. He left her long enough to find a condom from the travel kit in the bathroom. Returning to the bed, she reached for him, drawing him down to cover her again. On a sigh that was the most erotic sound he’d ever heard, he sank deep into her tight, hot body.

  She arched, moving with him and matching his pace until they were both spent and breathless, tangled in a lover’s knot of satisfaction. With four of his five senses full of her, he promised himself they’d do this again, with enough light to watch pleasure play over her face and skin.

  He got up and dealt with the condom and turned the switches on the light fixtures he remembered being on. At the bed, he pulled back the blankets and tucked her in, sliding in beside her. Body heat was a thousand times better than a solo shower for chasing away any chill.

  Leo woke less than an hour later when the power came on. The desk lamp was shining right into Aubrey’s face. He started to roll out of bed again, only to have her body follow.

  She was still asleep and he decided the light could wait. He enjoyed studying her when she couldn’t protest or divert his attention. Relaxed as she was right now, she seemed almost fragile. Her hands were tucked under her chin and her pert nose and bowed lips begged for his kisses. His heart pitched to his toes as he faced this softer, vulnerable view of her. She’d always displayed such stoic and reasonable professionalism. It was impossible to overstate her commitment to her city, her neighborhood and her role in it.

  So what was he doing here? Why was he letting himself grow attached to a woman he couldn’t share a life with? Even if he ignored the crushing weight of guilt that destroyed his relationships with everyone but his sister, he could see that he and Aubrey had vital, essential careers in separate cities.

  Maybe the lack of any future was an integral part of his attraction. He forced himself to examine that uncomfortable potential truth. Had he used her to dull the pain of Lara’s disappearance?

  Adjusting the pillow and tucking his hand behind his head, he stared up at the ceiling. Beside him, Aubrey snuggled closer, one hand resting over his heart. He covered that hand with his and realized she meant more to him than a convenient release. In the morning they should probably talk about it. Or ignore it. Talking changed things, put a significance and a burden on what might be better if kept simple.

  He had another week at most, before the airport needed him to decide about taking a formal leave of absence. Somewhere in the days ahead he and Aubrey could figure out what this was, what they wanted it to be.

  He might very well be trying to strategize over something she didn’t want at all.

  * * *

  The alarm on Aubrey’s phone went off right on time. Blinking sleep from her eyes, she sat up to turn it off and discovered everything else was wrong. Wrong bed, wrong room and definitely the wrong man.

  Though it was hard to remember why he was the wrong man when he rolled over and drew her in, kissing her as if they had all day for only each other. Tempting as it was, thorough as he was, they both had an agenda. He would want to speak with Grant and get back to searching for his sister. She had to report in at the precinct and hope no one realized she was wearing the same uniform.

  After a hot shower for two, breakfast had been a quick affair with another room service delivery. As she downed the last of her toast and juice, she debated whether or not it was smart to kiss him goodbye. Did sex make them that kind of couple?

  She shoved her feet into her boots, scolding herself for not bolting from the room first thing. He’d looked so despondent over the lack of activity on Lara’s bank account, she couldn’t do it. He didn’t look that much better now, but she couldn’t be late.

  “I’ll keep you posted,” she said, buckling her belt and shrugging into her coat. Hat in her hands, she watched him refill his coffee mug. This wasn’t the time to lecture him on healthier choices. Besides, it was hard to argue health when he’d demonstrated his stamina and virility so effectively last night.

  “Same,” he said. He crossed the room as she reached for the door. “Hang on.” He kissed her soundly. “Be safe.”

  “You, too,” she replied, her heart pounding in her ears.

  Leaving the hotel, she wasn’t surprised to see several people out and about. The traffic lights were working, a good sign conside
ring the power outage, and sunlight sparkled on fresh snow.

  As she returned to the precinct, the previously piping hot eggs and bacon became a slippery lump of angst in her belly. It didn’t matter that no one else knew where she’d spent the night, the walk of shame put heat in her cold, wind-chapped cheeks.

  Calvin raised an eyebrow as she joined the morning briefing at the last possible second. As expected, those teams on foot were to search for any victims of the storm and assist when possible. When Hulbert opened up the meeting, Aubrey asked if anyone had seen Lara yesterday or overnight. No one had. She hoped with every fiber of her satisfied body that they wouldn’t find her out there today, a casualty of the storm.

  Thankfully, Calvin waited until their second circuit before he brought up anything related to Leo. “You’re not giving up on the Lara Butler case.”

  “Can’t.”

  “Because of the brother?”

  She blew into her hands. Lying to Calvin wouldn’t do any good. “In part. Mary-Tea asked me not to search for Lara.”

  Her partner reared back. “And you’re just now telling me?”

  “Yes. It happened while I was posting the flyers.” When the signal changed, she started across the street. Calvin, in shock, apparently, had to jog to catch up with her.

  “Does the brother know?”

  She shook her head. “I didn’t trust him to stay cool about it. Then the note and...”

  “He went to Grant.”

  “Yes.” They were approaching the Good Samaritan. “I’m stuck,” she admitted. “Mary-Tea might have written that note to Leo or had nothing to do with it. Either way, it seemed to me like she wants Lara to keep doing whatever she’s doing.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “My job,” she snapped. “Just like I told Mary-Tea and Leo and Grant, too.”

  Calvin held up his hands. “Take it easy. I’m not judging.”

  “Others will and you know it.” She caught the twitch as Calvin winced. Her stomach dropped to her toes. She knew that face. “What now?”

  “Nothing serious,” he promised. “I overheard Hulbert take a call yesterday afternoon. He mentioned that you weren’t in.”

  She groaned. “And the caller didn’t ask for you.” Calvin shook his head, though the question had been rhetorical. “Let’s go,” she said, resigned. “If IA is hovering over me again, we should get some good done before the hammer drops.”

  The work was her best distraction as they checked in with the volunteers at the emergency shelter that had been opened at the gymnasium. As they walked by a table where people could pick up hats, gloves and coats, she hoped Leo was being smarter about the weather today. No one had seen Lara. Although the worst of the storm had passed, a foot of snow layered with ice still meant dreadfully low temperatures compounded by the wind chill.

  She sent him a text message as they left the temporary shelter but still didn’t have a reply by the time they reached the precinct. It was tempting to make a pass by his hotel, but she couldn’t ask Calvin to cover for her again.

  Hulbert caught her gaze as Aubrey and her partner walked by his desk. “Back already?”

  “Short and effective beats frostbite,” Calvin said.

  Aubrey stomped snow off her boots. “So far it’s an all-clear on our beat.”

  “Count your blessings,” Hulbert said. “I’ve heard of two confirmed fatalities so far.”

  Her throat dried up. Please don’t let it be Lara. “Here?”

  “Nah. Across town.” He shook his head. “Sure would be nice to get through one winter without finding a human icicle.”

  “I’m with you,” Aubrey said, “Let’s hope that’s all.” Across town meant Keller wouldn’t call out their precinct directly, although she expected him to be vocal about the deaths.

  “Any luck on your missing coed?”

  “No news is good news.” She checked her phone, but there were no messages from Leo.

  “Any reason to believe she’s still in town?”

  Aubrey nodded once and took an elbow from Calvin. “Mary-Tea knows something about her.”

  “That’s as real as a heart attack.”

  “Exactly,” Aubrey agreed. “But you know I can’t push her.”

  “Be patient,” Hulbert said.

  “That’s the plan,” she said, turning with Calvin to go find something hot to drink before heading back out.

  On a gust of cold air Tina and Ray walked in. They were both wearing smiles bright enough to rival the sun reflecting off the snow. “Officer Aubrey!” Tina exclaimed, rushing forward. “We brought your favorite.”

  Calvin stepped forward, taking a crate of hot drinks out of Tina’s hands. “This smells incredible,” he said.

  “There’s hot chocolate with whip and without, mochas and more.” Tina beamed. “Plus, your smoothie,” she said to Aubrey. “We came to you today. As a thank-you.”

  “Wow!” Aubrey exclaimed.

  “This is awesome,” Hulbert chimed in. “Come on back, guys.”

  Aubrey wasn’t exactly hungry and it was hours yet before her usual break, but the thoughtful gesture warmed her up, inside and out. “How are you feeling?” she asked, sipping the frozen blend of fruit and yogurt.

  “I’m over it,” Tina said. “Mostly.” She clutched her wool mittens in her hands. “My cousin’s a grade-A jerk, to be sure, but you responded so quickly.” She grinned. “I keep reliving that takedown. In a good way.”

  Aubrey laughed a little. “Good to know.”

  “Between you and me?” Tina leaned close. “Ray is hoping to sweet-talk the sergeant for the contact information for the man who led our customers out of harm’s way.”

  “Oh, um...” Aubrey glanced over to see Hulbert chatting with Tina’s boss. “Policy is we don’t share that kind of thing.”

  Tina frowned. “I get it. You shouldn’t under normal circumstances.”

  “Sergeant Hulbert will make sure the man gets the message.”

  The other woman brightened. “That’ll work. We want to give him a reward.”

  Aubrey couldn’t see Leo accepting a reward.

  “I’d give him a kiss,” she continued, fanning her face. “He was a hottie. Don’t tell my hubby I said so.”

  Aubrey felt a prickle of jealousy slither over the back of her neck. It was the worst reaction. Tina was happily married. Even if she hadn’t been, Leo wasn’t hers. Was he? She sucked down more of the smoothie to cool the sudden blast of emotions.

  “Aubrey?”

  “Ignore me.” She tapped the center of her forehead. “Smoothie-induced headache.”

  “Uh-huh.” Tina folded her arms and leaned back. “You’re into him. The hero guy.”

  As if she needed the clarification from Tina. “I’m certainly not against people who do heroic things,” she evaded.

  Tina shoved her shoulder, none too gently. “Stop. It’s me.” Her expression fell. “We’re friends.”

  Aubrey did stop. “You’re right. About being friends,” she hurried to add when Tina did a quick happy dance. “The hero guy,” better to use Tina’s phrase than Leo’s name, “is from out of town. That’s really all I can say.”

  “Oh, tell me you’ll have a fling,” Tina whispered. “You looked good together. After.” Tina smiled. “My mother-in-law sent me a picture of you two at the restaurant.”

  She rolled her eyes, hiding her discomfort over being caught unawares by a stranger’s camera.

  “You deserve all the good stuff, Officer Aubrey.” She waved, trotting after her boss as they left the precinct.

  Calvin sipped from a tall cup. Hot chocolate rather than coffee, Aubrey noticed, when the whipped cream lingered on his upper lip. “Good, right?”

  “The best,” he said. “You should dump that frozen fruit nonsense and indulge.�
��

  “You don’t need to twist my arm.” After stashing her smoothie in the freezer, she took a cup of hot chocolate as they went back out for another circuit of the neighborhood. The warm, rich aroma was as effective as an extra layer of silk underwear.

  It was impossible not to think of Leo, of room service, power outages and all the rest of it. She never should’ve stayed or let herself obliterate that professional boundary. Letting her heart trump common sense was an idiotic move that would end badly if she wasn’t careful.

  Leo was nothing like her drug-dealing ex, but if her fellow officers caught wind of where she’d spent the night, there could be serious ramifications. Her secret was safe; it had to be. Calvin wanted her to get her personal life back. Maybe not specifically with Leo, but with some decent guy.

  Her lips tingled, more from the memory of his kisses than from the hot chocolate. She should reestablish a professional distance with Leo. Mr. Butler. One mistake during a storm could be forgiven. The thought alone was enough to put a pinch behind her sternum.

  She wasn’t the one-night-stand type, but that was what this had to be. Anything more would raise too many red flags. Turning a corner, a blast of wind pushed her back. She leaned into it and ducked her chin deeper into her scarf. She wouldn’t allow last night to become a problem.

  No one could fault her for how she conducted herself on the missing person case. She’d take a step back, regroup and reassess. Last night—off duty—had been fun once the danger of hypothermia passed. Once they found Lara, Leo would probably take her back to Cincinnati.

  Assuming they found her at all.

  Aubrey was a cop to her soul. Whatever her peers said about her rosy outlook on life, she understood there were crimes, big and small, along with some seriously ugly dark spots in the day-to-day of life in Philly. The same held true for any major city. Crime typically corresponded with population density.

  She also understood that when people did inexplicable things—like leaving school and cutting off communication—they always thought they had a good reason.