The bed had a distinctly used look to it. There was no time to change the sheets, so she smoothed it into order. She scooped the thick duvet off the floor.
“What are you doing?”
She jumped at the quiet, sultry query; her fingers bunched the soft material. She didn’t dare turn around. She’d already seen him standing in the doorway of her bedroom once. Every cell in her body warmed with the memory of where that sight led. He was too potent.
There was no sound, no warning, before warm, firm lips settled at the pleasure point where shoulder curved into neck. A strong, masculine hand slid around her waist and tugged the duvet from numb fingers. His other hand slipped under the hem of her shirt and glided over the roundness of her hip in an intimate, possessive caress.
Her resistance evaporated. Her bones melted. He pulled her willing body flush against him, his arousal a hard, erotic pressure against her buttocks.
Was this what she wanted? For him to blindly seduce her? Freeing her from responsibility for her actions?
She turned her head, a small motion that slid her cheek against his rough face. She was destined to leave; their time was limited. What would it hurt to enjoy him while she could?
Dee turned in his arms, pressed her lips against his, and scorched them both with a deep kiss.
Chapter Fourteen
A pounding sound seeped into his brain, the noise annoying, almost painful. It was like waking up with a hangover, except he hadn’t been drinking. The woman in his arms, however, was as potent as the finest Kentucky bourbon. A smile tugged his lips as he pulled her closer, nuzzled through layers of hair to find the warmth of skin.
Contentment left him lethargic. The mandatory task of keeping close tabs on Dee would not be a hardship.
If the puppy would quit yipping. And the pounding would cease. Opening a bleary eye, Jared found the bedside clock. Four numbers glowed red: one, zero, three, and five. It took a moment for his sluggish brain to register the meaning: ten thirty-five.
He had just resettled around Dee when the pounding started again. His eyes popped wide and he bolted upright. Mike and Katie were here.
He threw back the sheet, jerked on jeans and shirt and ran on the tips of his toes down the hall. As he neared the kitchen, the dog ran across the kitchen floor, jumping against the gate, barking excitedly.
“Hey Jared, open up,” Mike hollered.
Jared finger-combed his hair, tugged his shirt into neater appearance, scooped up the dog in one arm, and opened the door.
Mike gave him the once over, a speculative smile lifting one corner of his mouth. “Busy night?”
“Late night.” Jared countered, as he peered over Mike’s shoulder. “Morning, Katie.”
Katie Thomas reminded him of sunshine. Her brown eyes and her easy smile could warm a man. But cross her, and she could burn you.
They’d had a couple of dates; Jared thought he could be serious about her. But it never developed.
“Hi Jared,” Katie answered. “I came to meet Dee.”
“I had the same late night, remember?” Mike taunted. “But I managed to get up a while ago.”
“The dog had to be settled,” Jared explained as he eyed the foil-wrapped plate Katie held. “And he had to go out several times through the night.” He reached around Mike, snagged Katie’s arm and pulled her forward. “Cinnamon rolls?” He leaned over and sniffed.
“Jared?” A yawn muffled Dee’s voice as her footsteps padded down the hall.
Jared’s mind filled with a vision of Dee as he’d last seen her: naked, hair tousled, asleep. Leaving Katie at the door, he crossed the kitchen and found Dee wrapped in a sheet, walking toward him. Her sleepy smile tugged an instant answer from his lips. And a rapid fire response from his libido.
He stepped into the hall and curled an arm around her shoulders; he brushed his cheek over her silky hair as he ushered her back to the bedroom. “Katie Thomas is here. And Mike,” he whispered.
Horror rounded her eyes. “I forgot she was coming.” She glanced toward the kitchen. “How long have they been here?”
“Not that long.” He hoped. “Get dressed. I’ll handle them.”
“I’ll be out in a minute,” she promised as she peered around the closing bedroom door.
Jared stood transfixed. Dee’s eyes glowed. It was so easy to lean in and kiss the tip of her nose, so necessary to run the back of a finger along the smoothness of her jaw.
Something inside him quivered. He had to get himself under control. Mike would be all over him like a yapping magpie.
Jared forced himself to step back and with a cocky wink he pulled the bedroom door closed.
He stumbled, the warmth inside him shriveled when he saw Mike standing at the end of the hall, his arms crossed over his chest, his lips pursed. His gaze nailed on Jared. “Did the couch sleep comfortably?”
“Sniping idiot,” Jared muttered. Now the endless ribbing would begin. Not just from Mike, but the entire force. He’d have to listen to a constant stream of “When’s the big day?” or some variation of that theme.
He brushed past his friend and into the kitchen.
Katie’s solemn gaze was penetrating and thorough and harder to take. Her smug, satisfied smile nearly pushed him over the edge. The warning frown she sent Mike was her only saving grace.
“Let me take the dog out, and I’ll be right back.” Jared grabbed the leash and headed out the door, grateful for the few minutes of escape. Still, he didn’t want to linger, didn’t want Dee to have to face those curious eyes alone.
Jared hurried the pup along and was back in the kitchen within two minutes. He busied himself with Dee’s cabinets. She wasn’t joking when she said all she had was peanut butter and tuna. How had she survived the past two weeks?
He opened one cabinet after another. Glasses and plates had to be around here somewhere. Pulling the refrigerator door open wide, Jared studied the shelves, shifted the few contents, and stared in disbelief. Milk, orange juice, but no coffee. Without lifting his head, he scanned the counter top, not a coffee maker in sight. What kind of person didn’t need the jolt of hot caffeine to wake up in the morning?
“Hi.”
The kind of person who wakes up sunny and cheerful.
Dee’s soothing voice played over his skin. She wore her hair in a high, short ponytail, her face fresh, free of make-up. He closed his hand over the urge to test the smoothness of her creamy cheek.
“Dee, this is Katie.” Mike made the introductions. “She works with Jack Duer.”
“She brought breakfast,” Jared said as he carried plates and glasses to the table. “Homemade cinnamon rolls.”
“It’s Mike’s mom’s recipe,” Katie chuckled.
“And they’re just as good as Mom’s.” Mike peeled the foil from the plate with enthusiasm until Katie stopped him. “I made them for the company,” she admonished.
“Great.” Mike made a production of looking around the room. “We are the company around here,” he said and snatched an icing-coated roll from the plate.
Lifting her eyes to the ceiling, Katie shook her head in apology. “I’m sure his mother raised him better.”
Dee laughed as she snagged a roll. “I don’t mind. These look delicious.” She took a bite and moaned. “Besides, he’s right. You are guests, the first guests I’ve had for a meal.”
“We’re honored,” Mike said, reaching for another roll.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Jared groused, carrying cartons of juice and milk to the table. “Save me some.”
Dee slid her chair back, her eyes round in apology. “Sorry. I’m not being a very good hostess.”
Jared planted a hand on her shoulder and kept her in her chair. “It’s all right. I’ve got everything. Just keep that clown”—he pointed a glass at Mike—“from hogging all the rolls.”
Her grin had his insides going liquid. His hand on her shoulder gentled, his fingers moving in the barest caress.
“Good grief,” Mike mu
mbled as he grabbed a plate. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
Jared whipped a quick, severe frown on Mike then settled his features and voice into sweet flattery. “What can I get you to drink, Katie?”
Katie heaved a gusty, theatric sigh. “What a gentleman, seeing that the ladies are served before himself.”
“He’s just trying to impress someone,” Mike responded.
“He’s doing such a good job; he’s managed to impress two someones.” She glanced at Jared. “Milk is fine. Thank you, Jared.”
The easy humor drained from Mike’s face as he stared at Katie.
Reaching across the table, Mike snatched the glass from Jared’s hand, lifted the jug of milk and poured. With a flourish, he placed the glass in front of her. “Are you impressed now?” he asked.
“Are you finished?” Katie held her deadpan expression for two seconds before she grinned.
The room erupted in laughter. There were moments, Jared mused, when he truly loved Katie. She would always keep Mike guessing. She had spunk; she gave as good as she got. She was both soothing and exciting. She was…a lot like Dee.
Jared struggled to keep his attention fixed on Mike and Katie, but inch by slow inch his gaze strayed to Dee. The pleasure she found in his friends shouldn’t be so satisfying. The way she graciously welcomed them into her home shouldn’t make him so proud.
Her glance, a quick, deep connection, shouldn’t pack such a jolt to his chest.
Pulling out a chair, Jared sat beside her and selected a roll.
Just last night, she’d been packing. She wasn’t going to stay. He should be fine with that. He had plenty of experience with temporary relationships.
He picked at the icing.
At this time in his life, he needed to focus all his energy on healing and rebuilding his career. He dug the heel of his hand into his left thigh. There was no residual pain from last night.
He took a gulp of milk to push the heavy dough from his mouth.
He’d never seen himself as a family man, had never wanted to settle.
Across the table, Katie laughed.
Okay, maybe he’d thought of it once. But only for a minute or two. Forever was an illusion. He didn’t have to be a statistician to know that more than half of marriages ended in divorce. He dealt with the scars of that reality every day as a cop.
So why did everyone chase after that empty dream?
Dee would be leaving.
“Did you find anything?”
Mike’s voice drifted through Jared’s twisting thoughts, and an expectant silence settled over the table.
“Any signs of tampering?” Mike clarified. “Anything on the door?”
Jared winced. His fingerprints were all over the door. Dee was his only thought, to get back to her
Closing his eyes, he blew a harsh breath. “I touched the door.”
Mike sat back, lifted his brows.
Dee’s elegant fingers patted his arm, a mother forgiving her errant child. “I touched the door, too. Remember?”
“Did you find any prints along the perimeter?” Mike asked.
Jared’s gaze dropped to his empty hands while heat crept up his face. Talk about making impressions. Dee was bound to believe he was a regular screw up. Where did all his years of training and practice go? He darted a glance at Mike from under his brows, swiped his hand over his mouth.
As if he read him, Mike scooted his chair back and stood. “Let’s have a look.”
Katie’s gaze darted from Mike to Jared and settled on Dee.
“Someone tried to break into my house last night,” Dee explained.
“Nothing was taken,” Katie said, as much question as statement.
Jared stopped at the door and looked back at Dee. Her expression was pinched, her face pale. He fisted his hand at his side as protective instincts rose. He wanted to hold her. Wrap his arms around her and shield her from this ugliness.
With effort, he turned away. Those feelings wouldn’t help him or her.
“Dee,” Mike’s voice was low, assured. A cop’s I’m here to help tool. “We won’t let this guy get to you.”
****
Katie’s eyes rounded at the somber tones. “It was an attempted break-in. Right?” Her gaze bounced off the retreating backs of Mike and Jared. “Something that happens all the time. Everywhere.”
Dee rested her arm on the table, leaned forward. “I had an accident Thursday.”
Katie searched Dee’s face.
“A tire came off the truck I was driving.” How much was it safe to tell her? Or was she already in trouble simply by being at her house? “Someone tampered with it.”
Katie sucked in a breath. “Now someone’s trying to break into your house? Why? Who’s behind it?”
Katie was cute with her large brown eyes and long, golden brown hair. Her dewy skin suggested she was years younger than everyone else here, but she fit in well. Still, she seemed too innocent for the darkness of Dee’s life. “My ex-boyfriend,” Dee answered. “I’m worth more to him dead than alive. A lot more.”
Katie pushed up from her chair. “Where is he? Let’s go find this guy.”
Dee sat back. Katie’s reaction was unexpected. “He lives in Columbus, Ohio. I’m not sure if he’s here or if he’s hired someone.”
Katie dropped into her chair. “So,” she waved her hand toward the door. “What are they doing about it?”
Dee lifted a shoulder. “There are a couple of problems. First, they aren’t one hundred percent sure Carl is behind this. I am,” she clarified. “I know it’s him. Second, Carl is the Chief of Police in Columbus.”
Katie leaned against the back of her chair. “Oh,” a long soft exhalation as it sank in. “They don’t believe you.”
The truth stung. “I wouldn’t be his first fiancée, or almost fiancée in my case, to die a mysterious death. Carl covers himself well. He’s considered a hero to his officers.”
Fire gleamed in Katie’s eyes. “So what now?”
“Jared says he’s open to the possibility. But he’s also open to every other possibility.”
A deep groove formed between Katie’s brows as she slowly shook her head. “Like?”
“Like the possibility of these being separate, random incidents. Like it could be someone here.” She frowned. “Like… I don’t know.”
Katie thumped her fist on the table. “They better not try to blame Jack.”
Unease crept through Dee. “Why would they blame him?”
Katie’s brown eyes darted toward the door, her lips pursed tight. She shook her head then turned back. “Jack is the local scapegoat. If something happens, he’s the first one that gets questioned.”
Dee lifted her brows, encouraging Katie to continue.
“Jack was accused of a crime once. A serious crime.” Katie sighed and rested her forehead against her uplifted hands. “Murder. He was arrested. But they released him. He didn’t do it. But ever since, he’s the first one questioned for anything and everything.” Bitterness filled her voice. “He’s become a convenient suspect.”
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. The saying popped into Dee’s mind. She wanted to quash it as unfair. But wasn’t that the same principle she applied to Carl Ormsby? She had no solid evidence, just a series of coincidences and the suspicion of others. And her instincts.
“You work for Jack,” Dee said. That would make Katie prejudice on his behalf.
“I do,” Katie confirmed. “I’ve worked for him since I was twelve.”
“Twelve?”
“I needed money to buy Christmas presents.” Her expression softened. “Rather than give me the money, Jack gave me a job. It was little, just cleaning up around his office. But it was mine, my first job.”
A little girl’s pride and confidence and been stoked with that one move. Dee could see it in Katie’s eyes, hear it in her voice.
“I’ve worked for him half my life.”
Katie’s loyalty was rock solid. Sh
e either saw the guy clearly, or she was completely blind. Katie’s desperate attraction to Mike—that was instantly obvious—didn’t cloud her ability to see him, so Dee chose to believe her.
“Jack is drawing up plans for Moore’s remodel.”
Katie beamed. “I know. Have you decided who you’re going to use for the construction?”
“I’ve been researching companies online.”
Katie stood and tucked her chair beneath the table. “You need to see their work. Tell me who you are considering, and we can run by their job sites.”
Dee hesitated. “I’m not sure we should go anywhere.”
“You can’t make a decision without seeing their work.”
Dee didn’t budge. “Hanging around with me could put you at risk.”
“Is that their answer?” Katie’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “You’re just supposed to sit here and wait?”
Dee shook her head and grinned. Sometimes a girl just needed her female friends. They could get it when men couldn’t see the thick dark line drawn before them. “Jared set himself up as my protection.”
Katie stared at her; Dee could do nothing to stop the blush that spread over her face. Oh yes, Katie definitely got it. Jared was her protection. Her up close and personal protection.
“Well.” Katie paused. “That’s something.”
Awkward. That’s what it was. “I guess Jared or someone will be staying with me until whoever’s behind this is caught. Or until I finish my job and move on.”
“Is that what you want?” Katie asked. “To sit here and hide?”
“No.” But what were her choices? If she walked out of this house, she would be putting someone else in danger.
“It’s going to be hard to oversee the job from here.”
“I don’t know anything about construction,” Dee admitted. “I planned to leave that to whoever gets the remodel contract.”
Katie nodded.
“Jack wants the work,” Dee said.
“Yeah. We’d do a good job for you.”
For the first time Dee noticed Katie’s sculpted arms, her short nails, her clean but nicked, rough fingers. This woman worked with the builder. With her short stature, Katie gave the initial appearance of being delicate, quiet. But as Dee looked closer, she could see the strength, emotional as much as physical.
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