Saving Rose Red

by Maggie Dallen

  “I have a hard time believing that.”

  She blinked at him in surprise and he leaned over to top off her glass, soaking in the feel of her legs pressing against his waist as he did. “You strike me as a woman who’s more confident and more comfortable in her own skin than just about anyone I’ve ever met.” At her stunned silence he added with a small smile, “In my real life, let alone one of my fake lives.”

  Her lips curved up in an impossibly genuine grin. “That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

  Shifting uncomfortably he downed half his glass. What was he supposed to say to that?

  She saved him from his discomfort by continuing the conversation. “I don’t know that it’s true, but it’s nice of you to say.”

  He forgot all about discomfort as the overwhelming urge to understand her, to know her took hold. She might not be in his life for long but she was here now and, like any fleeting miracle, he longed to hold onto it for as long as possible. “Why not?”

  Tilting her head to the side, she seemed to study the contents of her glass. “Because I’ve never known where I fit in. Being shipped from foster home to foster home and not knowing my family…I always wanted that feeling that everyone else seemed to take for granted.”

  “What feeling?” He leaned in closer. Maybe it was the wine or the scent of her shampoo, but he felt like he’d entered into an alternate reality, where this was his life—his real life—and all the other stuff was just a bad dream.

  She looked up from her glass and met his gaze. “The feeling of having a home. Of having people to belong to and who belonged to you. Of knowing your place.”

  He thought back to their conversation about her sisters and finding her birth parents. “Well, you’ve got that now, haven’t you? You’ve figured out where you belong?”

  Her smile held a touch of sadness and that was just so wrong. Her smiles should never be tainted with unhappiness. At that moment he would have done anything to bring back her usual joyful smile.

  “You would think so, wouldn’t you?” she said. “That’s what I thought too—that once I found my family, that feeling would magically appear. But it turns out it doesn’t work that way. Don’t get me wrong, I’m over the moon that I found them. But…”

  After a few seconds went by, he nudged her. “But?”

  She sighed. Some of the sadness dissipated and her smile turned self-deprecating. “But it doesn’t solve everything. I guess it was stupid to think it would. But suddenly having parents in my life doesn’t help me to know what I should be doing with my life or what my purpose is.”

  A part of him resonated so clearly with what she was feeling—that feeling that something was missing. That lack of a center. The absence of a grounding force that pointed the way toward true north. He tried to say something to comfort her but his words were halting. “I guess you can never find that feeling in others. You’ve got to find it on your own.”

  She nodded slowly. “Spoken like someone who knows what it’s like.”

  He shrugged one shoulder. How had they started talking about feelings? “Let’s just say, it’s not always easy to know what’s real in my line of work. It’s easy to forget what your purpose was in the first place.”

  “That must be hard.” Her brows drew together giving her an adorable little V over her nose.

  He lifted on shoulder in a shrug. “It’s the life I chose. I’m not complaining.”

  She took a sip of her wine and studied him over the rim. “Do you ever regret your decision?”

  His sudden grin might have surprised him more than it did her. “Every other day.”

  She let out a breathy laugh. “And the days when you’re not regretting your choices?”

  “Then I’m feeling grateful that I found a job that’s meaningful for me. It involves a lot of sacrifice but sometimes it’s worth it.”

  “Like when you bring a loser like Anthony to justice?”

  He laughed at that. “Yeah, like that.”

  She frowned suddenly. “I hope you catch him soon. I hate the idea of you being targeted.”

  Her concern was genuine and unexpected. Maybe that was why he wasn’t prepared for it. His defenses had fallen thanks to the cozy, homey environment and when she showed concern—something no one else had done for more years than he could count—his heart squeezed painfully in his chest.

  What was she doing to him?

  He drained the last of his glass and moved away, toward the counter where the wine bottle sat. “Do you need more?”

  “I’ll wait. Dinner’s almost ready, I just need to set the table.”

  Soon they were sharing a dinner together. There were no candles but it was still the most intimate, romantic dinner he’d had in… maybe ever. She was just so easy to talk to. So quick to open up about herself and her own life, making it nearly impossible to not do the same when she asked quiet, tactful questions.

  “So how did you become an undercover cop? Did you go straight into the police academy after high school?”

  He gave a snort of amusement. “Hardly. I was definitely not what you would call a ‘good’ kid.” At her questioning look, he told her about his juvenile delinquency. Told her stories that surprisingly had them both laughing. It had been a long time since he’d thought much about his high school days. At the end he shrugged, “Finally, my dad had enough. It was either shape up or ship out.” He took a sip of his wine. “I got shipped out. I ended up in the military and, much as I hate to admit it, my dad was right. The discipline and structure helped me get my head on straight.”

  Before he knew it, he was talking about himself like it was his job. Chattering away about his life in the military. A cold, distant part of his brain watched him from a distance in shock.

  But as surprising as this twist of events was, he couldn’t bring himself to shut it down. Not when she was smiling up at him with that crinkly-eyed smile of hers and not when her laughter and soft voice were so compelling.

  She was a siren, he decided as the meal came to an end and they still sat there talking like it was the most natural thing in the world.

  He had no idea how long they might have gone on like that if they weren’t interrupted by the sound of a soft knock at the door.

  After an initial look of puzzlement, Andie’s face lit up. “Must be Kate. You’re going to love my neighbor.”

  He followed her to the front door just in case it wasn’t Kate. He couldn’t be too careful. He should be grateful that they’d been interrupted. It was for the best. He should thank this Kate woman for saving him from himself.

  That was what he told himself, at least. But try as he might he couldn’t ignore the disappointment that left him feeling deflated.

  Kate, he soon discovered, was Katherine Ashton, daughter of the tech tycoon, Hamilton Ashton. He tried not to stare as the pretty redhead walked in hesitantly. “Are you sure this is still a good time? I could come back—”

  Andie reached out and dragged the petite young woman into the apartment by the arm. “Don’t be ridiculous. You know you’re always welcome here. Besides, it’s Dancing with the Stars night. It would be sacrilege to miss it.”

  Kate’s smile faltered as she spotted him down the hall behind Andie.

  “Oh, don’t worry about him. He’s just my personal bodyguard,” Andie joked, giving him a wink. He rolled his eyes but he was struggling not to return her smile.

  “Oh. Okay.” Kate seemed to accept that as normal and she gave him a shy smile and a small wave. He supposed personal bodyguards were the norm for someone like Kate. He was far from well-read on high society but he would have had to be living under a rock if he didn’t recognize the notoriously camera-shy daughter of the wealthiest family in New York City.

  Andie, still holding Kate’s arm, led the younger woman into the living room, leaving Cole to trail behind.

  Feeling suddenly out of place, he mumbled, “I’ll, uh, just clean up the kitchen and then I’ll get out of
your hair.”

  Andie spun around and gaped at him as Kate settled in on one of the couches. “Are you kidding me? You’d rather go hide out in your room rather than hang out with us?” She pursed her lips in an over-the-top scowl. “Careful, Cole, or you’ll hurt our feelings.”

  Kate smiled prettily up at him. Apparently she was used to Andie’s ways because she went along with it without hesitation. “I know I can be intimidating but please don’t run away on my account.”

  He gave the redhead a grudging smile at that. She couldn’t have been more than five feet tall and was nothing more than a wisp of a girl. “I guess I can join you for a little while.”

  Nearly an hour later, he was still there, on the couch between Kate and Andie and trying to pretend like he wasn’t enjoying himself. But really, after so many years on his own, the simple act of watching TV with two open and talkative women was bizarrely comforting. It had taken Kate approximately five minutes to warm up around him but soon enough she was joining Andie in her catcalls and boos when their least favorite couple came on stage.

  Not that he was really into the show—although he would have been lying to himself if he said he wasn’t entertained. The fact that Andie and Kate seemed to treat it like a competitive sport, with all the shouting of encouragement and jeers one would expect to find at a hockey game—well, their commentary made it a lot more entertaining.

  When the show ended, Kate said her goodbyes.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” Andie asked. “We’ve got a whole other bottle out there that needs drinking.”

  She smiled but shook her head. “I’ve got to meet my parents in the morning for brunch.”

  Andie groaned. “Don’t tell me—”

  Kate gave her a wry smile. “Yup. They’re attempting another set-up.”

  Andie groaned again and turned to Cole to explain. “Kate’s parents are determined to find her a man.”

  “Not just any man. A successful, worthy man,” Kate said, her tone teasing. “Worthy is their word of choice when describing this mythical human.”

  Cole was stumped. Was he supposed to contribute to this conversation. Apparently not because Andie was all over it.

  “What does that even mean, anyway? Obviously no one is worthy of your perfection.”

  Kate giggled and rolled her eyes. “I know, right? That’s pretty much exactly what my dad thinks.”

  “So he’s overprotective?” Cole said. He had to say something. He’d somehow unwittingly and unwillingly found himself in the middle of what he suspected to be girl talk.

  “That’s putting it mildly,” she said.

  Cole didn’t have a clue what Kate’s father’s deal was but he could easily see how someone like Kate could bring out a man’s protective instincts. He barely knew her and he was tempted to offer to walk her home, even though her home was directly across the hall. She had an air of fragility about her. She seemed timid, meek, and utterly sweet.

  Andie took her friend by the hands and gave her a meaningful look. “Tomorrow is the day. You need to tell them what it is that you want.”

  Kate’s expression grew determined. “You’re right. I will.” She sucked in a loud breath and let it out with a sigh. “Tomorrow.”

  When Kate turned to walk out the door, Andie patted her on the butt like a coach. “You got this, girl!”

  He heard Kate’s laugh as she headed into the hallway.

  When Andie turned around she was smiling at him and the smile was infectious. He found himself closing the distance between them as if he had no say in the matter. And maybe he didn’t. Maybe this attraction was bigger than him. It was an alternative gravity, a magnetic field in its own right.

  “What was that about?” he asked, nodding toward the door where Kate had just left.

  “Oh, that.” Andie rolled her eyes. “Her parents are crazy overprotective. Like, the poor girl lives in a gilded cage, overprotective. I’ve been trying to get her to stand up to them. At the very least, tell them what she really wants rather than letting them intervene.”

  “And what is it that she really wants?” Cole asked, not so much because he cared about the girl he’d just met but because he couldn’t get enough of hearing Andie speak, no matter what the topic.

  “She wants to travel. See the world. Have an adventure or two.”

  She was drawing closer with every word. Every breath. By the time she finished speaking they were standing directly in front of one another, mere inches apart.

  “And what about you?” he found himself asking. “What is it that you want?”

  The silence between them grew thick with a tension that begged to be broken. Her gaze never wavered from his and he could hear her soft breathing as it grew ragged.

  She felt it too.

  He hadn’t doubted it, not since that kiss. There was no way he’d been the only one affected. But even knowing she was attracted to him, seeing the desire in her eyes was a whole other matter.

  It nearly destroyed his self-control. Only the mental reminder that he didn’t want to scare her kept him from lunging toward her and pulling her to him and kissing her wildly until her legs gave out beneath her.

  Restraint. Keep it together.

  “What do I want?” She murmured it under her breath but of course he heard it in the tense silence. She moved forward and put a hand on his chest. His mouth went dry and his heart sped up until he could hear his blood rushing in his ears.

  She licked her lips, her eyes wide. “Let me show you.”

  He froze, still silently urging his body to keep cool as she stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. When she gently pressed her lips to his, his brain went blank and all thoughts of restraint were erased.

  He caved with a groan, his arms wrapping around her waist and lifting her slightly so she was even with him. Slanting his mouth over hers, he devoured and explored, the way he’d been dying to do all night.

  She didn’t try to stop him. To his relief, she seemed just as eager to deepen the kiss, her tongue exploring his mouth with the same abandon. Her hands were on the back of his head, holding him to her as if afraid he might pull away.

  As if he could.

  She wiggled against him, as if trying to get closer and he became all too aware of the soft crush of her breasts against his chest. So soft. Everything about her was soft. Delicate.

  Crushable.

  He gently set her back down on the ground. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

  His apology was cut short as she quite literally threw herself at him, reaching up to reclaim her earlier position that had her pressed along his length.

  He happily complied, pulling her up so they were a perfect fit, her soft curves against his hard muscles. Nipping at the corner of her lips, he listened to the sound of her breathing as she came up for air. He trailed kisses down her jawline to her neck, which she bared for him by tilting her head to the side.

  She tasted as good as she smelled. She felt as good as she looked. This woman was too good to be true.

  At first he thought the sound he was hearing was his heart beating like a drum in his chest. But when Andie lifted her head and pulled back to meet his gaze, he realized the truth.

  They had another visitor.

  Chapter Six

  Whoever it was would go away. Andie clung to Cole’s neck even tighter. She must have been strangling the guy, but he didn’t seem to mind. She met his stare and managed as small smile. “Ignore it. It’s probably just Kate.”

  His eyes narrowed as they focused on her lips. “Fine by me.”

  She couldn’t stop the soft moan as his lips came back to hers. The feel of him was intoxicating. Everything about this man had surely been created specifically for her. He was her dream guy that she’d never known to dream about.

  A temporary dream guy. The little part of her brain that insisted on self-preservation made that assertion, and not for the first time that night. Every time she’d started to get too
swept away by this man, who really was charming in his own unique way, that little voice reminded her that his stay here was temporary. That his role in her life was not permanent. That as soon as he’d gotten himself out of whatever pickle of a situation this was, he’d be on his way. He’d made it quite clear how much he loved his job and how that job kept him alone and on the go. Definitely not relationship potential and a relationship was what she needed—someone who could help her create the family and home she’d always wanted.

  And he was not that man.

  But that didn’t necessarily mean she couldn’t enjoy her dream man while she had him, did it? All dreams were fleeting but that didn’t make them any less pleasurable.

  All of this raced through her mind as he claimed her lips again. Once his tongue teased her lips, asking for entry—her brain blissfully went quiet again.

  There. That was better.

  Unfortunately the knocking at the door did not go quiet. In fact, it grew louder. After a minute there was all-out banging on her door and it finally managed to cut through her beautiful, lust-filled haze.

  “That’s not Kate,” she whispered.

  His eyes were dark and dangerous as his body stiffened against her. His hands tightened at her waist but he didn’t immediately release her from his grip. She watched with fascination as his gaze focused on the door, a predatory hawkishness taking over the earlier warmth and humor.

  He set her down gently and nudged her behind him. “Stay here.”

  She watched him glance through the peephole before slowly opening the door.

  Andie didn’t know what she’d expected to find but when she peeked around Cole’s large frame, any trace of fear evaporated. “Spence! What are you doing here? And why are you trying to break down my door?”

  Chaos seemed to break loose. Poor Kate must have been cowering in her apartment, or maybe watching the scene from her peephole as Spencer attempted to barge his way through the partially open door, an attempt that was quickly and efficiently thwarted as Cole held the door firmly in place, even as Spencer crashed into it while yelling. “Andie, do you have any idea who this guy is? What’s he still doing here?”