Her Undercover Refuge

by Linda O. Johnston

  She was a professional. A cop.

  And now he realized she was a whole lot more—not only a woman who had appealed to him for her professionalism and beauty, but that beauty was more than just her appearance.

  What they had just done had been probably the sexiest brief encounter in his life. He smiled in recollection of their conversation before, that it had been consensual on both their parts. He definitely appreciated her statement.

  And, inhaling deeply as he worked to get his breathing under control, he realized he wanted more.

  But not tonight. He had to be sensible again.

  Right?

  For a moment, he listened to her breathing settle down a bit, too. He was partly on his stomach, with his left side on her as she lay on her back. His left arm was over her body, which was bare beneath it. He considered moving it so his hand could caress her. Again.

  But he continued to simply lie there. Any movement he made could spoil this moment if she reacted by pulling away.

  “I didn’t expect that.” Her voice broke into his reverie, and her breathing once more became a bit irregular. “Did you?”

  “No,” he said. “But did I want it? Hell, yes!” He might as well be honest. It had been mutual, consensual, after all.

  And damned wonderful.

  “I... Would you like to stay here tonight?” Now Nella was pulling out from under him. She rolled to face him where he still lay, on his stomach now.

  If she didn’t remain there, neither would he. But the answer to her question was a definite yes.

  Still, they had more to consider than what they’d done—and whether they could continue with any more physical enjoyment.

  “Yes, I’d like to stay.” He rolled over. “I will stay, after that threat. But our staff members aren’t aware there was a threat against you. We could announce my staying here as part of my job, to protect you as well as them, which would be true. This way, if any of them see us, they could think the shelter isn’t as safe for them now because we won’t seem to be on duty.”

  She sat up and folded her arms across her breasts. Because she was seated, he couldn’t see her other vulnerable, wonderful, sexy body parts at the moment.

  “Well, since Telma and Camp reminded them today to be careful, we can always hint tomorrow at the reason why.”

  “Yes, we can,” he said. “And that would make it more logical for me to move in here with you for a longer time, too.”

  Nella laughed. “Yes, logic is important—though I suspect that at least some others around here won’t believe you’re just sleeping in my apartment to protect me and might even wind up teasing us about it.”

  “Logically, as it turns out.” Scott moved around some more so he could sit beside Nella on the bed. Put his arm around her. Pull her close again.

  “Yes, logically.” And Scott felt himself grin broadly as they kissed once more, their bare bodies tight against each other—and his most excited body part growing much more.

  “So shall we?” she whispered against his mouth.

  He let his hands answer the question.

  Chapter 17

  Nella appreciated how Scott rose first the next morning, very early. He kissed her awake, touched her hair, looked her in the eyes and said, “Good morning.”

  Then he showered, dressed—and peered out her apartment door while she stood behind him, wearing a robe and nothing else. But nothing that morning was suggestive, either.

  They had work to do.

  Plus, they would have visitors, although Nella wasn’t sure about Dan and Jon’s timing.

  “No one there,” Scott whispered. “But be careful anyway. Stay alert. I definitely will. And I’ll see you in a little while.” He edged his way into the hall and left.

  For a moment, she felt bereft. Last night had been amazing. Making love with Scott, and not just once, had even taken her mind off the threat against her life—at least some of the time.

  In any event she felt that, even if she lost her life after this, at least she had experienced the most fantastic sex she could ever imagine. She had enjoyed the first time, and each one after that somehow got better, and better...

  Sure, she’d had boyfriends now and then. The ones who were cops liked to assume they were in charge, so she had just enjoyed the moments as best she could, then stepped away from each of them.

  Those who hadn’t been cops didn’t seem to know quite how to be in a relationship with a law enforcement officer, so those hadn’t lasted long, either.

  She forced herself to shake off any feeling of loneliness. She would see Scott that day—and they would both be who they were supposed to be. Last night was wonderful, but it was most likely one unique, unrepeatable experience.

  Now it was her turn to get ready for the day, which she did. In about half an hour, she left her apartment—and locked it after herself. No one was in the hall then, either.

  Next thing was for her to fulfill her duties of getting into the company of some of the people in protective custody and walk dogs with them. Make sure they were okay.

  And shove to the back of her mind, as much as possible, the threat against her life. She would remain alert, though. And not just because Scott had told her to.

  A short while later, she had Baby on a leash and they joined staff members already walking dogs—the early morning crew, as she had begun to think of them: middle-aged Darleen with Pebbles; thin Kathy with Rover, the Scottish terrier mix, since Shupe, the dog she’d walked before had been adopted; Muriel walking Mocha; and Warren walking Bruno.

  Warren. Had he spotted Scott anywhere near Nella’s apartment? Was he going to say anything?

  Fortunately, he didn’t. The guy was his lighthearted self that morning, but apparently had no particular teasing goal in mind. He most likely had slept through the night, seen nothing. A good thing.

  “How you doing?” Warren asked after settling in to walk beside Nella and Baby with Bruno.

  “Just fine.” Nella wasn’t about to tell him otherwise. And, in fact, she was doing a whole lot better than fine, despite the threat.

  Thanks to last night with Scott.

  “That’s good. Looks like Baby and you are bonded, right?”

  “I do like the pup,” Nella said, and stopped walking along the grassy area long enough to bend down and give Baby a pat on the head. The dog turned and looked up at her with a sweet look on her pug face, making Nella smile. “And how are you doing?” she asked Warren when she stood up again.

  “Well enough.”

  They quickly caught up with the other walkers next to the tall wooden fencing that surrounded this area.

  Nella wished she could look outside it to make sure all was well. Perhaps see one of the K-9 officers patrolling the area with their dog.

  And maybe spot some of the police cars Detective Vince Vanderhoff had assured Scott would also be patrolling—although he’d said they would mostly be unmarked, so she probably wouldn’t recognize them.

  And she didn’t know exactly when Dan and Jon would arrive this afternoon, but she’d check with them in a bit to schedule the time.

  Warren and she finished walking in about half an hour and returned their dogs to the appropriate enclosures. No extra time at this hour for any training. That could come later. Right now, it was time for breakfast.

  Nella and her companions washed their hands, then started collecting their food and drinks. She didn’t see Scott.

  Was he okay?

  And why was she worrying about him? He wasn’t the one who was threatened.

  But he had vowed to take care of her, and after last night she recognized, despite all reasons against it, she had really begun to care for him.

  She soon sat down at a table with the people she’d been walking dogs with earlier. A short while later, Scott strode in. She’d saved a place be
side her in case he wanted to join her—which he soon did, after getting his own food and coffee.

  “So guess what, everyone,” Scott said before he sat down. “We’re going to get a few more rescue dogs this afternoon. It’s always a good thing to increase our doggy population, and it’s all the better since we had a couple of adoptions the other day. Telma and Camp are going to head to a San Luis Obispo shelter that I’ve been in touch with and choose them for us.”

  Nella couldn’t help wondering if those rescues would include the former K-9 Scott had discussed with Officer Maisie Murran at the police station. It might be a bit early for that to happen, but knowing Scott, he was probably pressing to have it occur as soon as possible.

  Even so—Nella leaned toward Scott and said softly, “Do all managers get the opportunity sometimes to help pick out our canine residents to help rehome them here?”

  He put down the slice of toast he’d been raising to his mouth and said, “Yes, and one of these days you’ll get the opportunity, too. I’d love to see who you pick out, and I’m sure you’d do a great job selecting dogs likely to find forever homes quickly. But not until...” He let his voice trail off, then took a bite of his toast without looking away from Nella.

  “I get it.” She knew her tone sounded grumpy. “That’s just another reason we should find—you know.”

  Scott tilted his head and clearly attempted to glare, but instead he laughed a little. “Yeah, that’s a really good reason.”

  Nella finished her breakfast before Scott finished his. She stood and walked to the side of the room, where she called Dan.

  “Yeah, we’re coming,” he said. “Unfortunately, we had some things come up at the station so we’ll get there around two and only be there for an hour or so this afternoon.”

  “Okay,” Nella said. “See you then.” Good. She could now schedule the approximate time of their arrival.

  She returned to her seat beside Scott, then started conversations with Darleen and Muriel—about dogs, of course. Both wanted her to work with them more on training, not just walking, and they discussed the kinds of commands Nella used most frequently. She confirmed that she, as a cop, had learned quite a bit just by watching trainings of official K-9s now and then.

  Before they finished, Camp, at the next table with Telma, rose and called, “Hey, everyone. Like Scott said, we’re heading out to bring in a few more rescues. We won’t know who until we meet them, but I thought I heard a few of you over there—” he pointed toward Nella and those she’d been speaking with “—will be ready to help train whoever we find to help make them more adoptable. Right?”

  “You got it,” yelled Warren, who hadn’t participated in the conversation but he’d been close enough that Nella figured he’d been eavesdropping.

  “Great,” called Telma, who had also risen. “That means we need to find only almost-perfect dogs, and you’ll all help to make them perfect, right?”

  Nella couldn’t help feeling proud of the whole group as the response was both laughter and clapping.

  She liked these people. A lot. She wanted them all to be okay.

  Herself, too.

  Damn those threats. And damn whoever was making them. She didn’t want to be nervous about her own life, like she was now. She wanted to do her job. Help staff members. Train dogs.

  She glanced toward Scott, who was looking at her in a way suggesting he knew what she was thinking. He appeared both concerned and caring—and not just because she was one of his managers.

  A shiver went through her as she recalled their night together. Not that she’d forgotten it, or ever would.

  “I can’t wait to work with our newcomers, whoever they are,” she said softly to him. “And continue working with them and others.” She knew he would interpret that to mean she wasn’t stopping her life or her dreams because of the threat.

  And she wasn’t surprised when he surreptitiously moved his hand from his lap toward hers and squeezed her hand under the table.

  * * *

  Scott understood Nella’s frustration. He understood she’d want the opportunity to help choose additional shelter animals. But that was just one more thing to add to the list of matters beyond her control until they found the source of the threats and got whoever it was into custody.

  He was frustrated, too. He wanted this over with in a completely positive way for Nella, and for the shelter. He wanted control over the same things that must be frustrating her.

  He wanted her safe. And here. As a manager for a good long time.

  And after last night? Well, he wasn’t sure where that might lead, but he wanted to find out in a positive way, under his and Nella’s control.

  But for now, he had to act in a professional manner to try to clean up this mess as quickly and safely as possible.

  And so, in addition to his prebreakfast contact with the shelter in San Luis Obispo from which the latest canine residents would be chosen, he had spoken with Maisie to learn when she and her brother would patrol this area with their K-9s. She hadn’t arrived yet, but would definitely come this morning, with Doug planning to come soon, as well. Stopping in for a visit would be fine, too.

  Scott intended to make a grocery run around then, as long as things seemed in order here, and also depending on when Nella’s friends arrived. That way, he, too, could conduct a bit of an investigation of the area, and maybe see Maisie and Griffin, too. Dr. Moran wouldn’t be coming today, so he wouldn’t have to worry about who the therapist would be seeing, and when.

  Camp and Telma wouldn’t leave on their outing till this afternoon, so they could remain in charge of security while he briefly left the shelter. Which he did, around eleven o’clock. At that time, he ensured Nella was safely in her office going through emails—and that no further threats had been texted or otherwise received.

  “So you’re okay if I leave for a little while?” He studied her lovely face as he asked. She’d been concentrating on the computer when he had walked in and still appeared reluctant to look away.

  Or was that a delayed reaction to their night together...?

  “I’m fine with it, as long as you stay safe.” She’d already mentioned that her friends wouldn’t arrive until the afternoon. “And let me know what you find out—about the patrols and all around here, helping to protect the shelter, right?”

  And you, he wanted to say, but she knew that. He didn’t need to remind her. And so he just glanced around. The office door was ajar, but no one was outside. He bent and gave her a brief kiss. “Right,” he said, then left.

  He didn’t bother calling Vince, since the detective might not know exactly where Maisie and Griffin were patrolling. And he didn’t want it to seem too obvious that he was searching for them, in case the shelter was being observed.

  But it wouldn’t hurt to be utterly obvious that he was driving around searching for anything, anyone, that could be dangerous—and was ready to act should he find something. He would keep his weapon hidden, of course. And joining whatever unmarked Chance PD cars were canvassing the neighborhood, but not trying to hide his presence, could be of some advantage.

  As long as he remained careful and didn’t put himself in unnecessary jeopardy.

  Once he got inside his car and locked it, he drove slowly around the shelter. There weren’t many other vehicles, so if the place was being watched he would be fairly obvious.

  But there were a few, and a couple appeared to also be cruising slowly, as if the drivers were observing the area and the shelter, perhaps looking for other people—pedestrians or drivers.

  A few blocks away, Scott located Maisie and Griffin, along with another couple of cops in uniform as Maisie was. They were far enough away that a stranger unaware of the shelter’s background might assume they were merely police on patrol with no specific goal in mind.

  But Scott knew better, and if the shelter was u
nder a suspect’s scrutiny, that suspect would know exactly why the K-9 cop, dog and others were there.

  As Scott passed, he wasn’t surprised that they peered into his car. Maisie waved, then turned to the other cops she was with, and Scott assumed she was telling them who he was and why he was there.

  He continued circling the area for a while, watching for anyone who looked out of place. Of course he couldn’t be certain that all the cars he saw were unmarked police cars—and there were some regular cop cars, as well. But he didn’t see anything or anyone that appeared out of place or dangerous.

  Nor did he see anything out of the ordinary when he headed to town and quickly bought a few supplies.

  He decided finally that it was time for him to return to the shelter and take over his protective obligations there, so Camp and Telma could go on their outing to pick up dogs.

  When he parked in his regular spot, he was surprised and pleased when Maisie joined him there with Griffin. “Mind if we come in and visit?” she asked.

  “That would be great,” he said, meaning it. Having a uniformed cop strolling the premises, particularly a K-9 cop, would make the staff members feel good. Him, too.

  He quickly unlocked the door to the parking area and led them inside, leaving his shopping bags in his car for now.

  “Anything in particular you’d like us to check out?” Maisie’s expression was both quizzical and determined as they stood inside the fence, and as usual Scott got the impression that the pretty blond officer liked for her golden retriever and herself to do their job well.

  “If you don’t mind just patrolling and making sure nothing strikes Griffin as a problem, that would be great.”

  From what Scott gathered over the next half hour, Griffin enjoyed being greeted by the staff members and trading sniffs with the dogs they were walking. He wasn’t surprised when Nella joined them too, and grinned a lot as she talked with Maisie and petted Griffin.

  And, fortunately, during the long walk outside and short ventures into shelter buildings, nothing appeared to strike Griffin as an inappropriate sound or scent.