Careless

by Cheryl Douglas

  “According to my father, this guy mentioned a tattoo...” He gripped his black Waterman pen tighter. “In an intimate place?”

  She tried to look into his eyes, to pretend his inquisition wasn’t rattling her, but she couldn’t. “Only someone who’d seen me in the buff would know about that tattoo.”

  He leaned forward, his light blue eyes darkening with indiscernible emotion. “I trust you didn’t have it when we were together?”

  He made the last word sound like an erotic caress and she had to resist the urge to squirm in her seat. “No, I got it a couple of weeks later.”

  She’d had a few too many drinks and she was still reeling from their one-night stand when she and her girlfriends went out and tied one on. One thing led to another, and she spilled her guts to them about her night with the sexy lieutenant. When she woke up the next morning with the brand, she was mortified, but she didn’t have the nerve to eradicate the mistake, so she simply learned to live with it, hoping her future lovers wouldn’t question her about the ink decorating her body.

  “You wanna tell me about it?”

  “No!” She would die of embarrassment if he ever saw what he’d driven her to in a moment of weakness.

  “Fine... moving on. I’ll need to see these letters.”

  If there was any way she could have denied his request, she would have, but she knew the letters were an integral part of this case, and she just wanted this nightmare to be over. “Fine, but they’re at my place. I can have them to you tomorrow.”

  “I’d rather get them tonight. The sooner I can get started on this, the better.”

  She scowled. “Don’t you sleep? Are you gonna stay up workin’ on this all night?”

  “If I have to.” He brought the soft drink to his lips. “I take my job very seriously, Tori. Whatever I have to do to apprehend a suspect, I do it. If it means workin’ around the clock, sacrificin’ sleep, food, sex... that’s what I do.”

  She knew he threw the last part in just to taunt her, but she wasn’t used to letting anyone one-up her, so she said, “I seem to recall you let your phone go to voice mail the night you were entertainin’ me. Weren’t you workin’ on any important cases back then?”

  He gripped his glass tighter. “Yeah, I was.” His eyes fell to the cleavage spilling out of her denim dress. “But I couldn’t seem to tear myself away from you.”

  It seemed her plan was backfiring when her mouth and brain reached an impasse. “I… uh...”

  Mike grinned when he knew he had her. “What’s wrong, baby? You don’t want to remember, or you can’t seem to forget?”

  She hated him for being so smug and so intuitive. “You’re crazy. I’ve barely had time to give you a second thought since that night.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. “Darlin’, you forget I read people for a livin’, and you’re a terrible liar.”

  She knew he was right, she couldn’t tell a decent lie if her life depended on it. “Think what you want. It makes no difference to me.” She sipped her drink, wishing he’d stop looking at her like he was uncovering a salacious secret he couldn’t wait to share. “Why the hell are you lookin’ at me like that?”

  “Just tryin’ to figure you out.”

  “Well, quit it. You’re pissin’ me off.”

  He stroked the dark stubble covering his jaw as he regarded her carefully. “Kinda makes me wonder what you’re tryin’ to hide.”

  “I’m not hidin’ anything, so just back the hell off.” The only thing she was trying desperately to conceal was the fact he still had the ability to turn her inside out with little more than a lingering glance.

  “Let’s get one thing straight, darlin’. If we’re gonna be workin’ together, you need to understand I’m the one callin’ the shots, not you. Understand?”

  She could almost feel her blood boiling. How dare he talk to her like she was some subservient hired to make his life easier. “Listen, I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but I’m not gonna kowtow to you or anyone else. Understand?”

  “Really?” Mike leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. “Then we’re gonna have a problem. Here’s the situation as I see it... Somebody’s out to get you, and I have the training and resources at my disposal to figure out who that is. Not to mention the weapons to protect you should he decide to make a move. I’d say that puts me in a position to call the shots, wouldn’t you?”

  Tori hated that he acted so damn self-righteous, but she couldn’t deny he was right. She didn’t want to admit she needed him, but there was no doubt her life could be in danger if they didn’t figure out who was behind the threats and why he was targeting her. She crossed her arms and glared at him, barely suppressing the urge to reach across the table and smack him upside the head. “What do you want from me?”

  He smirked as his eyes passed over her body. “Now that’s a loaded question if ever I’ve heard one.”

  She cursed her traitorous body. Why did she always have to react like a cat in heat whenever she was in the same room with him? “Just keep your mind on the case and your eyes on that notebook, Coop.”

  He smiled. “I’ve missed that.”

  “What?”

  “Your irritating nicknames for me, your smart mouth...” He leaned forward. “I’ve missed you, if you wanna know the truth. If you were tryin’ to piss me off with the silent treatment, it worked.”

  “I wasn’t tryin’ to piss you off. I didn’t care one way or the other.”

  Mike laughed. “Darlin’, what’d I tell you about lyin’ to a cop?”

  Chapter Three

  While in the restaurant, it had taken everything in Mike not to thrust his hands into her hair and kiss her like she hadn’t been kissed in two long years. He only hoped he could resist the temptation now they were finally alone.

  Pulling into the driveway of her single-story cedar and natural-stone home, he tried to deny he was impressed. Instead of being palatial, as he’d expected, it was understated. It seemed to be an extension of the trees surrounding it, as though the builder attempted to preserve as much of the natural beauty as possible while invading the space to erect this gem.

  “You build this house?”

  She smiled the first genuine smile he’d seen all evening. “I did.” She glanced out at the man-made lake tucked in behind the house. “I love it here.”

  “I can see why.” His only issue with the place was how secluded it was. She was probably sitting in the middle of a hundred acres, which would make her an easy target for a stalker. “You bring any men here in the past couple of years?”

  “No, I just finished the place last year.” She unbuckled her seatbelt. “And since then I’ve been too busy for anything serious.”

  He couldn’t help but ask. “And before that? When was your last serious relationship?”

  “It’s been a while.” She pulled her keys out of her purse. “Do you wanna wait here while I get those letters for you?”

  “Is that your not-so-subtle way of telling me you’d rather I not come in?”

  “Suit yourself.” She reached for the door handle. “You’re welcome to come in... if you like.”

  He didn’t know if he should. Being alone with her might prompt him to say things better left unsaid and do things he had no business doing with her again. Still, he reached for his door handle and followed her through the side entrance.

  “This place is great,” he said, admiring the natural plank hardwood floors, slate tile, high ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling windows. It was natural, earthy, and beautiful. Just like her.

  “Thanks.” She jumped back, pressing her back into his chest.

  “What’s wrong?” he whispered, reaching for the gun strapped to his waist.

  “I didn’t leave that door open,” she said, pointing to a French door leading from the kitchen to a stone patio beyond. “And the alarm... It wasn’t on when we came in, was it?”

  Mike tried to remember if he’d seen her deactivate
the alarm, but he’d been so enthralled with the sight of her very fine backside in the tight denim dress, he hadn’t even noticed. He wrapped his arm around her waist and brushed her ear with his mouth. “Listen to me, don’t say a word,” he whispered. “I need to check things out... in case he’s still here.”

  Her eyes were wide and frantic when she nodded her assent.

  “It’s gonna be okay, baby,” he whispered, sensing she needed his reassurance. “I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

  She turned into his arms and pressed her face into his chest. “I can’t believe he was here,” she whispered, “in my home.”

  Mike wrapped one arm around her as he drew his weapon with the other hand. He knew he shouldn’t be standing here coddling her. He had a job to do, but he couldn’t seem to tear himself away. “Sweetheart, I need to make sure the house is secure.” He brushed the top of her head with his lips. He’d never seen her look so scared or vulnerable. Her reaction made his protective instincts kick into overdrive. “Are you gonna be okay while I check things out?”

  She looked up at him, her eyes shining with un-shed tears. “You’re not gonna leave me, are you?”

  “No, I’m not gonna leave you. I just need you to stay put, so I can make sure it’s clear, okay?”

  “Please, let me come with you.” She pressed her fist against her lips as she stepped out of his arms. “I don’t wanna stay here by myself.”

  “Okay, but I need you to stay behind me, and keep lookin’ over your shoulder, okay?”

  “I will.”

  His directive went against his instinct to keep her out of harm’s way, but he could understand how unnerving it must be for her to find out an intruder had invaded her personal sanctuary.

  His training kicked in and he managed to push her presence to the back of his mind as he moved through the house, checking doors, windows, closets, under beds, and in hidden crevices. Once he was satisfied they were alone, he lowered his weapon and pulled her into his arms.

  Tori started sobbing into his chest. “Oh God, what if I’d been here? Mike, what if he comes back?”

  “He won’t. And if he does, I’ll make him sorry he did.”

  She tipped her head back to look him in the eye. “What do you mean?”

  “You really think I’m gonna leave you here alone, knowing there’s someone out to get you?” He cursed softly. “I can’t believe Luc hasn’t had a bodyguard trailin’ you. He knows damn well this—”

  She pressed her fingertips against his lips. “Don’t blame Luc. He wanted to ramp up security, but I refused. I didn’t think it would go any further than the letters. I never thought he’d come here.” She looked around the open kitchen. “God, how am I ever gonna feel safe here again?”

  “You will, I’ll make sure of it.”

  “I can’t ask you to stay here. That’s crazy.”

  “No, crazy would be lettin’ you stay here by yourself.” He took a step back as he looked into her eyes. “We can stay here, or you can come back to my place. Personally, I’d rather we stay here.”

  “Why?”

  “If he comes back, he’s not gonna be expectin’ me. Believe me, catchin’ him off guard is our best strategy.”

  Her eyes landed on his revolver. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t want you to get hurt. That’s all that matters to me right now.” He was willing to protect her at all costs, and if meant someone else had to get hurt in the process, he could live with that.

  “If you hadn’t been here...”

  “Sssh.” He pulled her into his arms. More than anything, he wanted to kiss her, hold her, take her to bed, and make her forget her life was in danger. “It’s gonna be okay, sweetheart.”

  “I didn’t want you on this case,” she whispered. “I practically begged Luc to find someone else, but if he hadn’t pushed the issue, you wouldn’t be here right now.” She looked up at him. “And I’m so glad you are.”

  His gut clenched when he heard the tremble in her voice. She was still terrified, rightly so. “Okay, we need to do a walk through the house, figure out if anything’s missing or out of place. Maybe he left a clue behind. Guys like this often do. They’re usually inexperienced.”

  “What kind of clue?” She slipped her hand into his when he turned into the great room.

  “It depends on what kind of message he’s tryin’ to send you. Stalkers’ motives can vary from revenge to jealousy to...” He didn’t even want to think about all of the possibilities. He’d worked half a dozen stalking cases in his career, and Tori was right, they usually weren’t considered high priority until the suspect took their depravity to the next level.

  “Go on.”

  “He may think of you as his. Because you...” God, he couldn’t even get the words out. “Made love, he may think he has some kind of claim on you.”

  “We didn’t make love. We had sex.”

  “How do you know that? You don’t even know who we’re dealin’ with.”

  She held his hand tighter. “Trust me; I know we didn’t make love.”

  Mike knew her assurance shouldn’t please him. He was letting his personal feelings influence his professional objectivity, something he never did, but the thought of her loving someone else, sharing her body with someone else made him crazy.

  “Tell me if you see anything that doesn’t look right, okay? I wanna call this in, get a team out here to dust for prints and collect evidence, but I just need to know what we’re dealin’ with before we do.”

  She pointed to a small roll top desk in the corner of the great room. “What’s that?”

  There was a sheet of paper propped up against her open laptop.

  “He could have hacked your computer. Anything on there we need to worry about?”

  She bit her bottom lip. “It’s password protected.” She shrugged. “But I don’t know if that’d be enough to keep him out.”

  “Depends who we’re dealin’ with. I’ll have someone check it out.” Mike was able to read the letter without touching it.

  My Beautiful Tori,

  I’m so sorry I missed you. I was hoping we could spend some quality time together, just the two of us. It would be just like old times, when we used to make love until the sun came up. I miss those days. I miss you. I never should have let you go. It was the biggest mistake I ever made. But don’t worry; it’s a mistake I intend to rectify. We will be together again soon, my love. I promise. Until then, I’ll be thinking about you every minute…

  Tori slipped into Mike’s arms, burying her head against his chest. “God, why is he doing this to me?”

  Mike had some idea what motivated this guy. His own thoughts of Tori had bordered on obsessive a time or two. She was a hard woman to forget. If not for his stubborn pride, he would’ve been beating her door down trying to get her back into bed too.

  Obviously this guy wasn’t firing on all cylinders, and Mike hated him for what he was doing to Tori, but he couldn’t help but feel an ounce of pity for the guy. He knew what it felt like to have Tori in his bed and then to turn on his TV and see her in the arms of another man. It was the kind of thing that could drive a sane man crazy.

  “Let me call the station. We need to get someone out here.” He punched the button on his phone and relayed the information to the dispatcher before disconnecting the call. “Let’s go wait in my truck. I don’t wanna risk compromising the scene, in case they’re able to lift prints or DNA.”

  Tori was quiet as she followed him outside. Once they were in the cab of his truck, she buried her face in her hands. “What the hell am I gonna do? I don’t feel safe anywhere anymore, not even my own home. God, I can’t go on like this, Mike. It’s makin’ me crazy.”

  He pulled her into his arms as he told himself he was doing what he would for any victim, reassuring her, trying to make her feel secure, but he’d never held another victim in his arms while she cried on his shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay. Trust m
e, I’m not gonna rest until I see this guy behind bars.”

  She tipped her head back to look at him. “I know. I believe you.”

  Her faith in him made him feel like he could face any challenge. He was confident in his ability as a cop, but Tori made him feel invincible. “Sweetheart…” He stroked her face as he struggled to look away. He tried to resist the lure of her moist, full lips, but the memory of her intoxicating flavor trapped him and refused to let go until he gave in to temptation.

  “Kiss me,” she whispered, closing her eyes. “Please.”

  There was no way he could have resisted her plea, especially when he needed her as much, maybe more, than she needed him. The second he probed her mouth with his tongue, he was lost. Nothing else mattered. Not where they were, the trials they were facing, or the lovers who’d come before or since. She was his again.

  Tori climbed into his lap as he reached down to force the seat back. She slid her zipper down, and somewhere in the back of his mind, Mike knew there was a valid reason he should try to stop her. But as she peeled the fabric down her torso, his sense of reason fled.

  Mike cupped her breasts in his hands, groaning when she ground into his arousal. He hiked the skirt of her dress up past her waist as he licked and kissed every inch of bare skin. He hadn’t felt like this since the last time they were together… out of control, desperate, frantic to get inside of her head… her body... her heart. “Baby, I need you—”

  “Yes…” She pressed her breast into his mouth, silently begging him to abandon his need for control and yield to the irresistible allure of what was happening between them. “Oh God… I need…” She held on to his wrists when he reached for her panties. “No, don’t.”

  “Why the hell not?” If she was intent on teasing him to exact her revenge for the night he’d thrown her out of his apartment, he didn’t know how he was supposed to harness his longing now that she’d unleashed it.

  “I don’t want you to see—” She jumped when a tap on the window alerted them they weren’t alone. “Oh no,” she said, scrambling to get off his lap. “How could I forget they were coming?”