“I’ve got it covered. Let Chad finish his story.” Mitch gave her a small smile even though he was still struggling to accept that she’d gone to Thorne instead of talking to him first. “I’ll be right back.”
It didn’t take long for Mitch to reach the kitchen, and memories of his mother surrounded him in a familiar, warm embrace. Lace doily white curtains were still hanging from the rod above the sink, a stack of her crocheted pot holders were still next to the stove on the counter, and a small barrel cactus that Lance had gotten at school and given to her sometime back in elementary school was still alive and flourishing in the windowsill. Who would’ve guessed her plant would still be around all these years later?
Mitch figured everything would remain in the same place until the day their father died, which by the grace of God wouldn’t be for a very long time to come.
“What’s on your mind, Dad?”
“I wanted to make sure Gwen talked to you while the two of you were out on the porch.” Gus reached over one of the kitchen chairs to where the same old toothpick holder his father had used for as long as Mitch could remember rested on top a lazy Susan his mother had picked up at a flea market. “I’m worried about her.”
Mitch had already known his day wasn’t going to get any better, but he sure as hell was hoping it couldn’t get worse.
“Gwen didn’t mention anything of significance to me when we talked,” Mitch reluctantly admitted, casting a look in the direction of the living room. “What’s going on?”
Gus’ audible sigh of frustration was telling, and Mitch steeled himself for another blow.
“Gwen has been having nightmares regarding her attack.” Gus held up a hand. “Now before you say that it’s a normal occurrence for someone after suffering an attack like that, you should also know that she recognizes the face of the killer in her dreams.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
“I never did like the silent treatment,” Allie said as she walked through the front door of Mitch’s home, unable to stand the enforced silence anymore. The car ride would have been made in relative peace had he not come across as a powder keg ready to explode. “It’s like shunning me after I got thrown off the island. You know better than anyone that this is a way to bring an end to the investigation. We all make sacrifices in order to accomplish the mission. Does that sound familiar?”
The blazer she’d been wearing had been perfect to keep the cold at bay during the day, but it hadn’t been heavy enough for the cold front that seemed to have settled over the area after the trick or treaters had gone in for the night. She didn’t bother to take it off as she turned around to get this brewing confrontation out of the way. The sooner the better, as far as she was concerned.
“What I know is that you purposefully put yourself in harm’s way on a case that isn’t even yours in the first place.” Mitch punched the alarm code into the small square panel before he closed the front door. He then flipped the deadbolt into place with a flick of his wrist. “I didn’t ask you to come to town so that you could risk your life. I requested your expertise in profiling onsite. The delays were costing us valuable time. Last time I checked, profiling didn’t require field work. To top it off, my sister is having nightmares about her own boyfriend turning out to be the unsub.”
Mitch walked past her and into the kitchen without another word.
Oh yeah. He was angry.
“Gwen replacing the man in her dreams with Chad tells me that her mind is attempting to reconstruct details about the night she was attacked. The unsub is familiar to all of you, and her mind is trying to piece everything together in a way that makes some kind of sense. It certainly doesn’t mean Chad did anything wrong.”
Mitch didn’t bother to reply to her rationalization, leaving her no choice but to follow him into the kitchen if she wanted to continue this conversation. They needed to get things out in the open or else his anger would continue to fester. Dragging this thing out wasn’t in anyone’s best interest.
“Thorne called his supervisor, I contacted mine, and everyone is in agreement that this plan can work. It’s the best option available to us as it stands right now, Mitch. Even you can see that it’s obvious.” Allie stopped and leaned against the side of the archway between the living room and the kitchen as Mitch began to set the coffee maker for the morning. At first, she thought he was actually making a fresh pot at twenty-two hundred hours. It wasn’t until he began to adjust the timer that she realized he was programming the appliance for tomorrow morning. Some habits were just ingrained into their human nature, and the same went for the unsub they were tracking, regardless of how far out of civilized behavior he’d pushed himself. “The facts stand for themselves. The unsub has most likely been told time and time again that I’m a friend of yours visiting from D.C. It only stands to reason that you move me out of the inn to stay here. You would do that for—”
“For who, Allie?” Mitch wasn’t taking any prisoners tonight, but she didn’t need him to coddle her. Everything was already written up, turned in, and ready to execute. Besides, this was what she was trained to do. “I would do that for who? A woman I’m involved with? A woman I care about? Who would I go to such lengths for in order to keep someone away from this sadistic fuck’s grasp, huh?”
“We both know that you would go the extra mile for a virtual stranger,” Allie reluctantly admitted, but she wasn’t about to let him steer her off course with such provocative questions. They needed to cover their own groundwork to ensure the plan they’d put together with Thorne wasn’t all for naught. Mitch had been there against his objections, insisting on certain safeguards and refusing to give her too much rope. He was part of the plan whether he liked it or not. “Let’s not beat around the bush. We’re talking about the fact that the town believes we’re involved. Regardless that you told them I’m here as a friend who might be able to give you some insight into the investigation, it doesn’t matter either way. These residents believe we’re involved, and they’ll have even more faith in that assumption when you spend every waking moment with me that you’re not spending at the station—as we’ve done already to this point. The unsub will begin to believe that I could be a viable target, just as he believed with Gwen. He’ll eventually make his move. He wants a victim who fits his narrative.”
Allie wondered how blue eyes could become so dark, but she’d witnessed the change herself many times before. Her heart fluttered at the manner of intensity in which he carefully observed her reaction to his inquiry.
“And did it ever occur to you that we might not come back from this? That it might do permanent damage to our relationship?”
Twelve months.
That’s how much time had passed since they’d slept together. Numerous texts and emails had been sent to maintain their friendship, but never once had either one of them brought up the night that could have potentially ruined what they had between them.
He was wading into unchartered waters that they’d both agreed to steer clear of. As long as they continued the course they’d previously chosen, they would be fine.
Right?
“This isn’t…”
Allie wasn’t so sure what she’d been going to say, so she let her voice trail off as she took time to gather her thoughts.
“This isn’t like last time?” Mitch had his arms crossed over his chest, and she’d stopped breathing for just a second when he lowered them to his sides. She exhaled slowly, albeit unsteadily, when he remained where he was. It was better they keep a bit of space between them when they were alone like this. The attraction between them hadn’t simmered in the least, and somehow the pull had only become stronger. “I can still feel your warm lips on mine, Allie.”
Her body flushed with arousal with his vivid admission.
He’d steered the fucking boat right over the falls, and she was barely hanging on to the marker buoy.
“Mitch, we agreed—”
“Every time I heard your voice on the phone, it was all I could do not to book
myself a flight back to Washington.” Mitch took that first step toward her hanging there on the precipice, but she held her ground in impressive fashion. They’d gone over these same falls before and come out the other end in one piece. They could do so again. “In the past twenty-four hours, every time you’ve called me by my nickname…I wanted to remind you of the time you called out my given name. That should mean something to you, too.”
Allie could barely swallow around the constriction in her throat, but she managed as she straightened her shoulders. He’d been the only man to truly breach her defenses, and she’d chalked it up to the years they’d known each other. There was a very fine line between friendship and intimacy between a man and a woman.
They’d crossed it once and managed to survive the fallout.
She changed her mind about a second trip, though.
She wasn’t sure they’d be able to do it twice and survive.
“Do you remember what you said to me the following morning?” Allie needed him to remember their brief exchange, because nothing had changed since that time. Right? She hated that she was second guessing herself, but now she wasn’t so sure after he’d taken another step closer. She quickly spoke to stop him in his tracks. “Let me refresh your memory. You said that we were far too different to be anything other than friends. And we are, Mitch. We’re on completely opposite ends of the spectrum.”
Mitch was now only inches from where she stood in the archway of his kitchen. She wasn’t about to take a step back, so she tilted her head to meet his blue-eyed gaze. What in the world had ever caused her to think that one night with him would be enough?
Time and distance had been the answer, and those were both gone.
That didn’t stop her from trying to protect both of them one last time.
“We both know that I’m not cut out for a serious commitment,” Allie managed to whisper, still holding firm to her precious self-identity. “I saw firsthand tonight the reason you came home to Blyth Lake. Your father, brothers, and sister are who center you. They keep you grounded. I don’t know the first thing about long term relationships or being the woman you’d want me to be. My longest affair lasted just three and a half months, and that was only because I was working a case and didn’t have time to call things off when we were done. The closest thing I have to family is a pigeon who visits my balcony every evening around dinnertime to catch a few croutons from my salad.”
Allie gave Mitch credit.
He’d listened to every word she said before reaching out to touch her.
“Don’t,” Allie warned, turning her face slightly so that he couldn’t touch her cheek. She could get through this with what remained of her integrity and their friendship intact, despite the fact that she wanted nothing more than to feel his calloused hands on her body once again. “Nothing material has changed. Nothing.”
Allie didn’t wait for Mitch to agree. There wasn’t anything else she could say to make him see reason tonight, and she didn’t view the fact that she left him standing there in the archway between the kitchen and the living room as retreating. She was giving them both space to accept the line they’d both drawn in the sand so many months ago.
With each stride she took toward the staircase came a lingering fear that he would stop her, but also a deep-seated dread that he wouldn’t reach out.
This was what she’d wanted, right? She’d told herself many times over the course of this past year that the deepest core of who she was had been engrained in her long ago. It had been her anchor, unmoving and forever present.
She didn’t know the first thing about commitment, other than to her job.
So why, then, did a burning hot exhilaration wash over her when he wrapped his large, calloused hand around her wrist? His grasp was one that caused her to pause, but not tight enough that she couldn’t continue if she’d wanted to. Her palms were flush with the soft fabric of his shirt lying against his chest in an instant, and even the thick material couldn’t hide his broad muscles underneath.
Every nerve awakened throughout her body when Mitch didn’t even bother to use words in an attempt to convince her that she was wrong to cling to that anchor.
Instead, he kissed her.
He kissed her in such a fiery, passionate and familiar manner that it was as if their one weekend together had never ended. Their tongues became reunited in an exotic dance as their breaths became one. She didn’t want to admit it, but it was as if she’d been lost…and she’d once again found her home.
“Say my name,” Mitch murmured as he picked her up, not giving her a choice but to wrap her legs around his waist.
“Mitch,” Allie whispered, giving him what he wanted. There was absolutely no way she could deny him or her own desires. Who was she kidding? She’d join him in his bed every night until this investigation came to a close, but they both knew the unspoken truth—she’d eventually go back to her life in D.C. “Take me to bed, Mitch.”
“About fucking time,” Mitch muttered, crushing his lips to hers as he expertly managed the stairs without so much as a misstep. “Don’t think the discussion regarding your involvement in this case has been tabled. It hasn’t.”
Allie didn’t think for a second that Mitch was done giving a lecture about the dangers of her job, the threat to her safety, and the status of their relationship. It was in his nature to have the last word, but his bark was a hell of lot worse than his bite…well, in most instances.
When his teeth lightly bit the cord of her neck, she’d definitely experienced the arousal shoot straight to her core. She laid her head back to give him better access and was rewarded with the heat of his tongue.
It didn’t take them long to reach his bedroom, and he didn’t waste time closing the bedroom door. He did manage to flip the switch as they crossed the threshold, but it didn’t turn on the overhead light. Instead, it was one of those switches that controlled a bedside lamp.
The golden hue didn’t even have a chance to cast its light over the room before her feet touched the ground. His fingers were already on the button of her blazer, and she gently placed her hand over his.
They both understood how this visit was going to end.
Allie just wanted to relish every second they had while she was still in town.
“Let me,” Allie said quietly, taking over his task and slowly slipping the button through the opening. She never took her gaze off his as she let the heavy fabric fall down her shoulders. The blue of his eyes was practically the same color as the heart of a fire, and she could literally sense the heat on her skin. “Will you…”
Allie didn’t need to finish her question. Mitch was already holding out an open palm for her firearm. It didn’t take long for her to unclip the holster and gently set them in his hand. He walked around the side of the bed and set both of their weapons side by side on the only nightstand.
Mitch then held out his hand. The sweet gesture had her heart fluttering all over again and prompted her to take the last few steps to where he was standing. He then quietly sat on the bed, his solid weight dipping the mattress. She remained standing in front of him as she gradually took the bottom of her turtleneck and lifted the soft material over her head.
Her hairband slipped out and joined her shirt on the floor.
She didn’t stop there, though. Wanton desire glistened in his heated gaze, and the temperature in the room rose by several degrees.
God, she’d missed being with him.
“Don’t stop on my account,” Mitch murmured, already half done with unbuttoning his dress shirt. “Have I mentioned that you have the most sensual body I’ve ever had the pleasure of touching…or seeing…or…”
“I get the drift,” Allie said with a light laugh as he reached out and tugged her hand with enough force that he had to cradle her fall to the bed. Somehow, he managed to turn them so that she was lying on her back. “I wasn’t done, Ken.”
“Ken isn’t here right now,” Mitch warned her with an arched eyebrow.
He then leaned down to press his lips against the cleavage spilling out from her bra. She was hoping he’d do more than that, but he pulled away despite her disagreeing moan. “Let’s get these boots off of you.”
Mitch was good on his promise, and that wasn’t an easy feat considering the boots she wore were knee-high. They were both still laughing when the second heel landed to the floor with a clunk.
“Now, where were we?” Mitch asked as he took a step back and continued to unfasten the buttons on his shirt. Allie couldn’t tear her gaze away from the tantalizing view before her as he finally revealed his muscular shoulders, then his biceps, and then…his fingers pulled out the material of the tank style t-shirt he’d worn underneath his shirt from the waistband of his jeans. “Allie?”
“I’m just enjoying the show,” Allie admitted quietly, not wanting to ruin the moment. It was apparent he’d kept up his daily workout routine. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had those washboard abs she loved so much. She lifted a corner of her lip to let him know he still had her attention. “It’s good to see that you’re still keeping fit.”
Mitch had never been one to take a compliment, and he didn’t do so now. His sole focus was on her, so she didn’t disappoint him. She slipped her thumbs inside the unzipped waistband of her jeans and slowly pulled the denim down over her hips, exposing her matching set of panties.
Her bra and underwear weren’t made of lace or been worn to draw the attention of the opposite sex, but it didn’t seem to matter much to the man before her. Mitch didn’t even bother to take his jeans off as he waited until hers hit the floor. She hadn’t even drawn breath before his hands were resting on the bed, positioned on both sides of her head.
“You’re the most beautiful woman, inside and out.” Mitch lightly pressed his lips to hers, not bothering to close his eyes. There was something erotic about having him watching her reactions so closely. “I’ve missed you, Allie.”
Without another word, Mitch began to love every square inch of her body. His lips caressed her neck and shoulders as he lowered the straps on her bra. She couldn’t help but arch her back so that he could expertly unfasten the hooks with one hand. Talk about a practiced talent.
Unlocking Darkness (Keys to Love Series, Book Five) Page 11
