by Natalie Ann
“And no reason not to,” Ian said.
Cam stood up and started to pace, her long legs eating up the carpet. She’d kicked her shoes off already and he was shocked to see black nail polish on her toes. She had a little bit of a hidden wild side. It shouldn’t have turned him on, but there it was, making him want to kneel down and pick up her foot, rub those toes, kiss her ankles and see some more of those legs she had.
“Even if you wanted to protect me, if you thought it had to do with the Arrows, which I don’t think it does, I think this whole thing is ridiculous. It would never work having Ian as my patient. He’d be here a few times a month,” she repeated. “You can’t protect me that way. And if you had someone watching my house or my office, officers or whatnot, whoever was doing this would know. They’d stop. How would you even get away with it? Wouldn’t you rather catch them?”
She had a backbone for sure. “So you want to be the bait?” Ian asked, not surprised she’d say that, but not liking it either.
“If it’s them, then I want them caught and charged too. If it’s not them, then this person needs help and I want to be able to do that.”
“What about if you and Ian were dating?” Gary asked suddenly.
Ian smiled, Cam gasped. “He’s my patient.”
“Not once you sign the release,” Gary said. “I hear what you’re saying. I like your sense of justice. If you want to do this. If you want to catch this person, then Ian is your man. It’s a risk to put yourself in the position though. I should make that clear. Come on, Dr. Mason. Cam. Don’t make me go to the chief and say you aren’t cooperating. You know what he’ll do. You know who he’ll call.”
“Who?” Ian asked, watching the eye contact between the two of them.
She stomped to her desk and sat at her computer, hit a few buttons, then printed something out and signed her name. “Here, sign it. This better work, but I’m telling you it’s a long shot and to just let it drop. Let it go for now.”
Ian reached over to take the paper out of her hand, but she blocked him. Gary laughed and grabbed it, signed his name, folded it and stuck it in his pocket “Keep an eye on her.”
“He’s still on leave,” Cam said.
“Not anymore,” Gary said, smirking. “Now that I’ve got this, I can officially call you back.”
“Since when?” Ian said.
“Since the final report came across my desk about an hour ago. I was going to call you tonight. I’ve been swamped with you out.”
The relief he felt hearing that was short-lived, but it was off his shoulders now. Not his conscience, but he figured that might never happen. He’d have to learn to live with it. It wasn’t the first time he’d shot someone. It wouldn’t be the last.
“This is going to look horrible for me. Most will think he is still my patient.”
“No, they won’t. We’ll put a press release out in the morning that Ian and Mick were both cleared in the death. Ian is back to work and Mick is still recovering. I’ve got the piece of paper right here that Ian is no longer your patient. We know he never really was. Be honest. There’s nothing wrong with him.”
Cam looked over and frowned. “It’s not the point.”
“The point,” Ian said, “is that until we know who is doing this, or until this case is over, you need protection. You don’t want a bodyguard. Then you’ve got me. So what do you say, Doc? Where should our first date be?”
***
Cam was thinking she should have fought harder. Should have been tougher. But the truth of it was, she was rattled for someone that didn’t rattle much in life.
She’d been cursed at. Had things thrown at her. Had her life threatened. But none of those had ever materialized, until now.
She couldn’t believe the Arrow case was going to turn into this, but she honestly couldn’t think of anything else. And if it wasn’t someone related to the Arrow case, then it was someone that needed her help. That made her honor bound to find out who it was.
But deep down, she’d heard Ian say the word “bait” and felt a little bit of that thrill and excitement from so many years ago that she’d blocked out before she’d changed her ways.
The fact that Ian was making her have thoughts she didn’t want anymore wasn’t good for her peace of mind. Having him around her even more would only make matters worse. Right?
While Gary and Ian were talking, she’d sat there drinking her water, running all her patients through her head, past and present. None of them would have done this. None that she could think of, and right now she needed to think of anything other than Ian standing there in jeans that fit him way too well.
For once she was at a loss.
And when Captain Taylor mentioned that he would go to the chief and say she wasn’t cooperating, she knew she had no choice. Her grandfather—her mother’s father—was a highly respected federal judge. Not many people knew, but enough did. And if it got back to him, she’d have all sorts of other backup and bodyguards stuck on her like glue. She’d had that most of her life and hated it. The last thing she wanted was anything drawing her back to that time in her life.
Everyone in her family had security systems in their house. No one wanted to take the chance that someone would come after a family member.
It wasn’t just that, but her father came from a very wealthy family. Real estate developers. Shopping malls and building complexes. There were always enough people in her family’s history that could threaten another family member if they wanted to.
She didn’t want Ian to know that. She didn’t like many to know at all, not wanting everyone to think she got where she was because of her family.
She was good at what she did. She didn’t need her family name to get her there. Which was why she no longer used her family name.
Mason was her grandmother’s maiden name. She legally changed it over when she graduated from college. Everyone supported the decision, knowing that she might come into some questionable patients at times and it was best to not have any trial go back to her family.
But now here she was, having Ian forced on her. As her boyfriend, no less. Talk about embarrassing. As if she couldn’t find someone herself.
Why was there a bit of excitement with it all though? That she’d be spending more time with him? That she’d get to know him on a personal level?
She ran her hands through her hair. This was not a good situation for someone who strived for control in their life now, having all the things that were weaknesses to her back then coming together at once.
“How is anyone going to believe this?” Cam said, thinking she should put up some kind of a fuss even though she knew it was smart to have the protection right now.
“I’ll start the ball rolling tomorrow,” Gary said.
“How’s that?” Ian asked.
“Simple. I’ll come to your desk and ask if you think it’s wise to ask Dr. Mason on a date now that you’re released. There will be plenty of witnesses to the conversation.”
“Great. Just what I need,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Relax, Doc. I’ll tell them you turned me down twice, but I’m not giving up. I can be a persistent suitor if it makes you feel better.”
She didn’t care for the grin he was sporting. Like this was all some kind of a game. “I’m sure it won’t matter what I think at this stage.”
Gary laughed and turned to Ian. “You should take her home. Check her house out for the night.”
“And what’s the reason for that?” she asked. “If anyone is watching me, which I’m sure they aren’t, they’re going to wonder why my car is here.”
“She has a point,” Ian said. “I’ll just follow behind you a few minutes. I know where you live. Is there a back way into your house where no one would see me?”
She thought for a second. She didn’t see a way out of this. Not without her family getting involved and if that happened it would only get worse.
“You can park on the street behind me. Go through the backya
rds. If anyone shouts at you to stop, just say you’re a cop,” she said smirking. “I’ll pull in the garage and then meet you out back before I go in the house. Does that make everyone feel better?”
Her little revenge for this situation, making him cross through the yards in secret.
“It sure does,” Ian said. “What’s for dinner?”
She slipped her shoes on and grabbed her purse. “Are we ready to leave now?” So much for thinking she was getting one up on him.
Bring You There
“You’re different now,” she said. His steps weren’t as heavy, he was smiling, but behind it was a seriousness. He wasn’t taking this lightly, even if she was trying to. It was better than stressing over the unknown.
“Thanks,” he said, walking in the back door she’d been holding open for him. She’d thought for sure he’d balk about going through her neighbors’ yards, but he hadn’t. She’d parked in her garage, gone out the back entrance and waited for him before she unlocked her door and shut the alarm off. “What’s so different?”
“You were moody on that first visit. Like you were there because you were being forced.”
He laughed. “I was being forced.”
“True.” She set her purse down on the counter. “So what is it you need to look for here? As you can see, the alarm was still set.”
“Walk me through your house,” he said.
She wanted to say no but thought of what Gary said and knew her grandfather would be called. She’d rather not deal with that right now. The best thing she could do was get a better grasp of this situation and lay some ground rules. She was thinking Ian wasn’t one for rules. Did her heart rate pick up thinking that? Damn it.
“Follow me,” she said, leading him through the entire downstairs. Nothing looked out of place. She’d know if it was.
She was trying to see it through his eyes, and all she saw was “cold.” Everything was where it was when she left this morning; everything was high end and it all screamed class. When had she turned into her mother?
That was a depressing thought. She was thinking she went too far over the edge of change back then.
“Your office?” he asked, nodding to two glass doors.
“Yes. Go on in.” He was picking up flowers, inspecting pictures on the walls, making her nervous. “What are you doing?”
“Just looking. I doubt there are cameras or bugs in your house.”
“There better not be,” she said. “Nothing more than the ones I had installed.”
“Where are they?” he asked.
“You can’t see them?” she asked, lifting her eyebrow.
“Give me more time and I will. This is just a quick sweep.”
She laughed. “I’ll point them out later. Nothing is out of place here, just like I figured.”
“Take me upstairs.”
“Now you’re pushing it.”
He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. A cocky pose for sure, his biceps flexing with that move. If she was salivating, she wasn’t admitting. “If I wanted you upstairs for anything other than looking out for your safety, I wouldn’t have asked. I’d just bring you there myself.”
The chill she felt moving up her spine wasn’t anticipation, was it? It shouldn’t be, but she knew damn well it was. Risk equaled reward. She was thinking being in Ian’s arms would be one hell of a reward.
There was nothing to see in any of the bedrooms upstairs either. Nothing other than her personal space where he commented, “I like this area better than the rest of the house.”
“Why’s that?” she asked, even though she shouldn’t have. Shouldn’t be encouraging him at all. His opinion on her decor had no purpose in this tour.
“Because your house looks like Dr. Mason’s home in general. Your bedroom looks like Cam’s space.”
He didn’t need to explain. She knew that too. Her bedroom was splashes of dark vibrant colors. A place where she felt more alive, rather than relaxed. Most people went for the opposite, but not her. She liked the energy of excitement in her room, even if she didn’t experience it often. It reminded her of a piece of herself she’d locked away to become the well-respected Dr. Mason.
“So, I suppose the least I could do is offer you some food.”
He laughed. “I knew you’d feed me.”
***
Ian was sitting in the kitchen watching Cam fill a pot with water. She’d taken out a bag of tortellini and a package of ground sausage from her freezer, a jar of spicy marinara out of her pantry. “It’s a quick meal,” she said, “nothing gourmet. You’ll have to get that in a restaurant.”
“It’s better than I do for myself and much appreciated.”
She was frying up the sausage, the water on the stovetop waiting to boil. There were herbs and spices he had no clue about being tossed in with the sausage and the aroma in the kitchen was causing him to salivate.
Yeah, it was the food doing that. Not Cam standing there in yoga pants and a loose shirt she’d changed into. He hadn’t expected her to do that. Not something that casual and comfortable, but he was glad she felt relaxed enough to do so.
Her house wasn’t much of a surprise to him. But her bedroom sure the hell was. It matched the person who had black nail polish on her bare toes that she was flashing at him right now.
“What can I get you to drink?”
“Water is good,” he said.
“Help yourself,” she said, dumping the sauce over the meat and tossing it all together.
He opened her fridge and saw bottles of water all neatly lined up, along with everything else in there. She was more than organized. This bordered on obsessive-compulsive. Just for the hell of it, he shifted a few things in her fridge to see her reaction the next time she opened it.
He didn’t have long to wait. “Would you like a salad?”
“If you’re making it for yourself, sure; otherwise don’t go out of your way.”
She burst out laughing when she opened the door and looked inside. “I am not OCD. I like things organized. Did you think I’d start to fidget because you moved my milk over an inch, switched my yogurts around, and left the egg carton open on me?”
He was impressed. He figured she’d catch the yogurt and eggs, not the milk. “Just wanted to see how sharp you were.”
She pulled out some lettuce and tomatoes, a bag of shredded cheese and some cucumbers. “Sharp enough,” she said. “I pay attention. Just like I would have known if something was out of place in my house, and it wasn’t.”
“Good to know.”
Once dinner was done, they sat there quietly eating. “Something on your mind?” he asked.
“Yes. I’m trying to figure out how to bring it up. Give me a few minutes to work it out in my mind.”
“It has to do with us dating, right?”
“Make-believe dating,” she corrected.
He grinned at her. Whatever made her feel better about it, but he was taking advantage of this if he could. He wasn’t stupid either. He’d seen her assessing looks at him when she would rather he didn’t. She put up a token resistance with Gary over this, but not big enough in his eyes.
He’d thought before she had a wild side to her with her toenails painted, but now after seeing her bedroom, he knew she had a side to her that she was keeping hidden. The question was—why?
Of course, he had no clue what was really going on. Why Gary mentioning he’d make a few phone calls would be the deciding factor for her giving in. He’d have to figure that one out on his own because he had a feeling she wouldn’t be cluing him in on it.
“So what’s on your mind?”
“I just don’t want you to think this is more than it is. You’re supposed to be protecting me—even though I don’t need it. Nothing more.”
“I’ll be the judge on if you need protecting and for now you do. Until this trial is over or we find out who is doing this, you’re going to be seeing a lot of me.”
She frowned and the squeaki
ng of the balloon deflating that was his ego was probably only being heard by him. “I need my space.”
“Do I look like I’m in your way?” he said to her from across the island they were eating at.
“No,” she said quickly.
“Then what’s the problem? I know there is nothing about me that would make me the type of guy you’d ever get involved with. Let’s see how good of an actress you are.”
Just because he’d seen her looking at him, didn’t mean he was crazy. She was out of his league. Out of his universe, but he was going to enjoy the time they had together regardless.
“I’m not snooty. I’m not judgmental,” she argued.
“Are you trying to make me feel better, Doc?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re playing with me, aren’t you?”
“I’ll let you decide that. You said you were sharp.”
He stabbed his tortellini with his fork and winked at her. This assignment was going to get interesting.
Nothing Covered Up
Friday night, Cam waited by her door for Ian to pick her up. Much to her annoyance, they were going out to dinner. Be seen in public, the chief of police had told her. Gary had indeed gone back and reported to him. Thankfully he said Cam was cooperating, for what it was worth right now.
She knew this was a big trial. She knew some had political aspirations that would be affected by it. She was going to help them in their eyes, but it was their endgame, not hers. She just was going to do her job, regardless of whose side her assessment fell on.
When she saw Ian’s SUV pull in, she ran out to meet him. She didn’t want him in the house again. Wednesday night after he’d left, she’d smelled him as she walked around her room.
A strong male scent. One that lingered like the San Francisco fog when he left the room hours after he was gone. But this one was clean and masculine. Nothing covered up with aftershave or cologne. She’d never liked an artificial scent on a man. Bold and in her face. That was what she craved and that was what she wanted.
She wasn’t about to let that scent enter her house again. She was tired and needed sleep and that was something that was bound to keep her up. Not just the physical effects of it all, but the mental ones playing with her, telling her to take a risk again, go for the thrills. Don’t be the perfect girl from the perfect family for the rest of her life. What could it hurt?
