by Jamie Hill
She nodded. “I’m originally from Omaha, Nebraska.”
He gaped. “No way! I’m from Lincoln. My parents still live there.”
Addie laughed, tickled at the coincidence. “No kidding? It really is a small world. My parents are still in Omaha, and I have a younger sister. Katie is in college.”
Ben nodded. “My brother Chad stayed in Lincoln. He’s married with two kids. Wow, this is almost freaky. So how’d you end up in Kansas?”
“I moved to Lawrence for law school and winded up taking a job in Dallas for a few years. The position here opened up and it felt like a good time to move. Closer to home, anyway. Topeka seems like a nice town.”
“I think so, too. I went where the service had openings, but I’m happy I landed here.” He took a drink and eyed her over the rim of his glass.
Addie smiled. “I’m happy you did, too.” She cleared her throat. They’d done better keeping the conversation casual and here she was, making it personal again. “I mean, I’ve never met a US Marshal before.”
Ben set his glass down and looked at her seriously. “What we do is top secret stuff. Not many people know exactly what my job involves, including my family. Our witnesses’ lives depend on the subterfuge. We work with a handful of police and certain people in the DA’s office.”
She nodded. “I was actually advised about that. So it might seem I’m the ADA who’s going to be working with your office from here on out. If this case works out, that is.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “We’ll just have to make sure it does.”
The waiter brought their food and they continued talking as they ate.
Addie said thoughtfully, “All the more reason we should consider the ramifications of a personal relationship carefully.”
“Oh, I have been. I’ve been considering it since the minute I met you. I was trying to figure out how to determine if you were seeing anyone.”
She chuckled. “You could have done what I did, just come right out and ask me.”
He placed one hand over his heart. “And if you would have said you were dating someone, from then on you’d have looked at me differently. I know how that works.”
“I would not!”
Ben laughed. “Yes, you would have. I’d have been the marshal you shot down when he made a pass at you. The story would be legendary between you and your friends.”
Addie placed a hand on his arm. “Well, it didn’t happen that way, so we don’t have to debate it. And if there is a pass to be made at some point, I guarantee it won’t get shot down.”
His eyes twinkled. He lifted his wine glass and held it out to her for a toast. “To…possibilities.”
Addie clinked her glass against his, but before she sipped, she murmured, “Silly man. I pretty much told you I was a sure thing.”
Ben snorted and wine sprayed on his shirt.
“I’m sorry!” She grabbed her napkin and dabbed the wet spots.
He wiped his mouth and looked at her accusingly. Still grinning, he cupped her head with the back of his hand and pulled her close. “No, you’re not. Now that you’ve realized you can make that happen, you’ll be doing it again and again, won’t you?”
Addie gazed into his clear brown eyes. “Maybe. God, you’re adorable.”
“The feeling is mutual.” He drew her in for a kiss.
His lips were soft and sensual, and she wasn’t sure she could ever get enough of them. She kissed him back and when she slightly opened her mouth, his tongue pressed forward. Addie whimpered as she nudged her tongue against his.
In the back of her mind she realized they were in a public place and making out was the last thing an ADA and a US Marshal should be doing. But she never wanted the kiss to end.
He must have read her mind, pulling away regretfully. “As amazing as that was, this probably isn’t the place.”
She glanced down at their half-eaten food then back into his eyes. “Want to box up the rest of this to go?”
Chapter Three
San Antonio, Texas
“I found her.” The voice on the phone shared welcome news.
He breathed a sigh of relief. “Finally. Where is she?”
“If you can believe this, Topeka, Kansas. Not sure why anyone would voluntarily go to Kansas, but I guess it’s as good a place as any if someone wants to hide.”
“I lived in Kansas for a while, it’s not so bad. Texans are brainwashed to think everything here is bigger and better.”
The man chuckled. “You trying to tell me it isn’t?”
“Not getting into a pissing contest with you, thanks. Message me with whatever information you have on her whereabouts.”
“Will do. For someone who’s supposed to be in hiding, she was actually pretty easy to find.”
“Which I’m sure will be reflected by a discount on your bill.”
“Well now…”
That shut him up. “Just send me the details. And the bill.” He disconnected the call.
Private investigators were a necessary evil. The evilest ones were the most expensive. But he’d found her, and that was the main thing.
Now, the real work would begin.
* * *
Topeka, Kansas
Ben would have loved nothing more than to leave the restaurant and take Addie somewhere to be alone, but in good conscience, he just couldn’t. With a smile aimed in her direction, he picked up his fork. “Let’s see if we can get this dinner back on track. Tell me about your parents. What do they do?”
She grinned and reached for her utensils as well. “My mom’s a realtor. Dad’s a high school history teacher.”
“Really? I love history. Science, not so much.”
Addie chuckled. “I concur. My sister wants to be a physician’s assistant, so she has some science classes ahead of her.”
“That’s great. My brother did a couple years at UNL, then met Cindy and decided to get married instead. The parents were a little unhappy at first, but Chad’s got a good job and they have two great boys, so it’s all working out.”
“What about your folks?”
He nodded. “Mom has a little craft and hobby store. My dad’s in administration at the power company.”
“Nice.” She looked at her plate as she spoke. “Yes, this is good. We really need to focus on neutral topics and keep that other stuff under control.”
“You’re right. We’re both busy and it’s an incredibly stupid time to begin a relationship.”
“Absolutely. As I told you earlier, this is one of the biggest cases I’ve had. If I handle it well, the DA will notice.”
“And send more big cases your way.” Ben wasn’t sure he liked the trend.
Addie glanced at him. “Yeah, I guess.” She ate a few more bites then pushed her plate back. “That was amazing, but I’m stuffed. Thanks so much.” She looked around. “I’ve never been here before.”
“We’ll have to come back and have the chicken parmigiana. It’s pretty great.”
She smiled at him. “I’d love to. And for the record, I think you’re pretty great.”
Ben’s face heated and he knew he was probably blushing, but he didn’t care. The feeling was mutual, but he needed to maintain composure. “Are you sure I can’t get you some dessert? Tiramisu or cheesecake?”
Addie groaned. “I bet those are heavenly, but no, thank you. We should probably go. Busy day tomorrow.”
“Right.” He took care of the check and as they walked out, he captured her hand in his.
She didn’t pull away.
He opened her door and she got in, then he closed it. He walked around to his side and climbed into the Jeep. They both moved to fasten their seatbelts at the same time and ended up with their faces inches apart. Without even trying to resist, Ben leaned in for a kiss.
Addie sighed and opened her mouth to his, deepening the kiss. She slid one hand up to his face and caressed his cheek.
She smelled sweet and tasted even better. Ben drew her close
r and held tight as their tongues batted one another.
When she made a move to pull away he groaned in complaint and didn’t end the kiss.
Addie chuckled and pressed him away gently. She batted her eyelashes. “Want to go to my place?”
Ben saw the same desire he felt throughout his body burning in her gaze. He hesitated for a nanosecond before replying, “My house is closer.”
She nodded. “Let’s go.”
He grinned and started up the Jeep. The drive was quick and neither of them spoke. Reservations flitted through his mind but he batted them all away. They were adults. They knew what they were doing. They both obviously wanted it very much. He drove faster.
At his house, he pulled directly into his garage and pushed the button to lower the door behind them. They kissed again quickly then got out of the Jeep.
She didn’t wait for him to open the door, just got out and met him on his side, where they kissed again.
Still kissing, he led her into the house and kicked the door closed behind them.
Addie found the buttons on his shirt and unfastened them as they made their way down the hall.
Kicking off his shoes, Ben ran his hands through her silky hair then down her back until he reached the zipper on her dress. He lowered it.
Addie let the dress fall away. She sent her sandals flying and stood before him in a lacy pink bra and matching panties.
Ben paused long enough to pant for breath and take in the view. Smiling at her appreciatively, he murmured, “You’re gorgeous.”
Grinning, she reached for his belt and tugged. “Right back at’cha, babe.” She found his button and worked it free.
Leading her into the bedroom, he kicked out of his slacks and chuckled at the trail of clothes they’d left in the hallway. With one swift kick, he closed the door and drew her into his arms.
* * *
Ben rolled over and opened his eyes. It was still dark, but he knew it was morning. Addie slept next to him, her hair splayed wildly over the pillow. He thought about pinching himself to make sure it hadn’t been a dream. Instead, he ran a finger over the soft skin of her shoulder, and then smiled. No dream.
He glanced at the clock and saw it was early. They’d have to get ready for work soon, and she’d need to run home and change. Plenty of time. He leaned in and nuzzled her neck.
She stirred and without fully opening her eyes, slid her arms around his neck. She pulled him on top of her.
“Good morning,” Ben whispered, nuzzling his nose against hers.
She responded with a kiss.
* * *
Ben turned off the shower and grabbed two towels, handing one to Addie. “Now we really do have to hurry. Let’s get dressed and I’ll drop you at your place.”
She wrapped the towel around her and looked at him accusingly. “I told you showering together wouldn’t save us time.”
He grinned. “Oh, but it was worth it.”
His doorbell rang. Ben glanced at the clock. “Who in the hell could that be?” He dried off quickly then tossed the towel on the bed and grabbed some briefs before slipping into jeans.
Addie followed behind him, retrieving the towel and hanging it up. “I don’t know. But you’re right. It was totally worth it.”
He winked at her before padding down the hall in bare feet. He glanced out the peephole and spotted Nick on his doorstep. Ben opened the door. “Hey. What are you doing here?”
Nick stepped inside. “Waking you up, sleeping beauty. Evan’s been trying to call you for an hour. Since when do we shut our phones off at night?”
Ben’s heart thudded. He’d shut his off before dinner to be polite and had gotten distracted. He’d forgotten all about turning it back on. “Shit. I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Nick glanced at the trail of clothing down the hall and raised his eyebrows. He moved closer and picked up the flowered sundress. “Hmm, I guess I know what you were thinking.”
Addie opened the bedroom door wearing Ben’s robe, her hair in a messy knot at the back of her head. Her eyes widened when she spotted Nick. “Oh! Hi.” She snatched her dress out of his hands.
A wide grin split his face. “Good morning, ADA Decker. I’m really glad you’re here. You saved me another stop. Apparently you shut your phone, off, too. Though now I can see why.” He reached down and picked up one of her sandals.
Ben grabbed it then picked up the other.
Addie hurriedly plucked up her undergarments and clutched everything to her chest. “I always turn my phone off at night.”
Nick wagged a finger. “When you’re working with the US Marshal Service that’s a no-no. Your boss has been trying to call you.”
She blinked. “What? Why? And how do you know that?”
Nick glanced between her and Ben. “Tom Stone was found dead in his car at the Atlanta airport parking lot, late last night.”
Ben slapped the wall. “Aw, fuck!”
“Yeah.” Nick’s face was grim.
Addie blinked again. “The ‘hon’ and ‘darlin’ guy? He’s dead? Why?”
Nick said, “Someone knows Mitzi’s here. Jordan’s gone to make sure she’s okay and get her packed. You two need to grab your go bags so we can head out.”
Addie still appeared confused. “What are you talking about? What’s a ‘go bag’ and where would we be heading?”
Ben turned to her. “We keep a suitcase packed for emergencies. We call it a ‘go bag’. It means that we’re going underground to protect Mitzi and we won’t be coming home for a while.”
“But why would I need to pack?”
Nick replied, “Because of what’s happened, the trial’s been moved up. You have exactly one week to get Mitzi prepped. You’ll be coming to the safe house with us. You should call your boss. He’ll confirm it.”
She snatched her shoes from Ben. “You bet I will. This is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard!” Stomping down the hall, she entered the bedroom and slammed the door.
Ben flinched.
Nick could only grin at him. “Way to go, man! I’m surprised, but happy as hell for you.”
Shaking his head, Ben held up his hands. “Stop. This is a disaster. It couldn’t have happened at a worse time.”
His partner made a sad face. “What, you two didn’t click? Damn, that is going to be uncomfortable then.”
Ben frowned. “We clicked just fine. But now we’re going to be sequestered together. You don’t think that’ll be uncomfortable? Especially for Addie, who’s never done this before? We’re used to going underground.”
Nick shrugged, allowing another grin. “What’s to be uncomfortable about? Just pack some little rubber raincoats in your go bag and you two are all set.”
Ben rolled his eyes, trying to ward off the blush he knew was coming. “You’re a pig, man. That’s not going to happen with you and Mitzi in the next room. Don’t even think about it.”
“Oh, I’m trying not to, I really am. But what the hell? At least a couple of our little foursome can be having some fun.”
Addie returned, dressed in her clothes from the night before. She glanced at Ben nervously. “My boss says I need to pack a bag.”
He slipped an arm around her shoulder and kissed her temple. “It’s going to be okay. Let me grab my stuff and we’ll go to your place next.”
She nodded, giving his hand a quick squeeze.
As Ben went to his bedroom he heard Addie tell Nick, “You’d better not breathe a word of this to anyone, buster.”
Nick laughed.
Ben smiled and shook his head. Poor, naïve Addie if she thought that would work. Nick told Jordan everything, and as far as he could tell, Jordan still told Doug everything. Their secret would be out by noon.
He grabbed a shirt and pulled it on, then added his holster, gun and badge. He removed his packed suitcase from the closet and checked it quickly. Everything was good to go. With a quick glance down the hall, he went to his nightstand and reached insid
e the box of condoms he kept there, tossing a few into his bag. He reconsidered and tossed in a few more. It might be a very long week.
He zipped the bag and tossed it over his shoulder, returning to the living room. “We taking one vehicle, or both?”
“I’ll drive,” Nick replied. “You should grab your gear, though.”
Ben removed his bullet-proof vest and other gear from his Jeep, then locked his house and followed Addie to Nick’s truck. He climbed in the backseat of the double cab and let her have the front.
She gave Nick her address and he drove there, then waited in the car while Ben went in with Addie.
She tossed a bag on the bed and looked at him. “I don’t even know what to pack.”
“Jeans, whatever’s comfortable. Take enough for a week. We’ll have laundry facilities so we can wash them if we need to stay longer.”
Addie was near tears. “I’ve never had to do anything like this. What if I had a dog or a cat to take care of?”
He reached for her shoulders. “Do you have a dog or a cat? Because Jordan can probably come over and handle things for you.”
“No, I don’t. But I can’t just be expected to leave!”
Ben smiled and pulled her close. “Welcome to the world of Witsec, baby. You’ll get used to it. Believe me, it’s for your safety as well as our witness’. You heard what happened to Marshal Stone.”
He felt a shiver ripple through her body, and he cupped her chin. “Hey, you’re going to be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Ben kissed her lips lightly.
She kissed him back hungrily for a moment, and then pulled away. “Do you suppose Stone had a family?”
“I don’t know. Addie, don’t think about him. It’s awful and it’s scary, but you can’t dwell on what happened. For our sakes and the safety of our witness, we have to remain focused on the present.”
She nodded and swiped at her eyes. “I can do that.”
“I know you can. You can do anything you want, gorgeous girl.” He kissed her again then stepped back. “Now, let’s get you packed. Nick’s going to be in here nosing around if we don’t get out there soon.”
