“What are you doing?”
Smiling, she moved back to the sofa, propped her feet on the coffee table, and opened to a new page. “Figuring out who did this. It has to be someone we’ve talked to. Who else would know we’re onto him?” She began making a list of all of the people she’d spoken to or questioned.
“Unless someone you talked to shared the information with the killer.”
Him and his logical reasoning. Spoil-sport.
She tapped the end of the pen against her chin. “No. I think it’s someone we’ve talked to. How else would they have known to follow me here?”
A frisson of terror chased away the sexual excitement that had been itching through her. Someone had been following her. Watching her. But for how long?
“You did leave your business card with the Abercrombies.” Noah paced in front of her like a caged animal.
“So? It only has the office’s address, and I haven’t been to the office.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t like this.”
“Oh, I’m as happy about it as a pig in slop.”
Frowning, he stopped pacing. “This is serious.”
“You think? I’m the one being threatened. I didn’t see anyone leave a note taped to your door.” Which in itself seemed odd. Why target only her?
Her stomach suddenly felt as heavy as if someone had dumped a bag of rocks down her throat. A killer had followed her here, knew she was alone, and had been brazen enough to leave a note on the front door.
Paul.
It was starting to seem more and more likely that her ex was behind the threat.
“Emma.” Noah lowered himself to the cushion beside her, watching her. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Promise.” His hand settled on her bare thigh. Not as a sexual advance, but more of a comforting gesture.
Sometimes he could be so sweet.
She swallowed, leaned forward, and kissed him softly, brushing her lips over his before kissing the corners of his mouth. His breath was warm as it mingled with hers.
“Emma.”
Her name was both a plea and a warning. Placing his fingers under her chin, he leaned forward and pressed his mouth lightly to her lips. Spider’s response was as immediate as it was instinctive. She leaned into him, thrusting her hands up and into the silky texture of his still-damp hair as the tip of his tongue delved forward, pushing between her lips and sending a shiver of pleasure down her spine.
She crawled forward, straddled him, pushed him backward against the cushions where he sat.
“Emma.”
This time her name was a groan, tortured and full of promise. She let her fingertips slide down his face, trace the column of his throat, and dance along the exposed skin of his collarbone seeking the first button he’d fastened earlier. She undid it, popping the next one, and the one after that. Brushing the material aside and placing her palm over his bare chest, she relished the steady thump of his heart underneath, fast and strong.
All reason had abandoned her. She had to taste more of him. Feel him. Experience him in every way.
He drank from her lips like a man starved of love. Maybe he was. A moan escaped her control, and she sank into him, melting around him, offering him whatever he needed.
His fingers explored the skin exposed beneath the hem of her shirt, above the elastic of her shorts. Pushing her away suddenly, he pulled her tank top up and over her head, flinging the material to the side. He lifted his hands to cup her exposed breasts, and she gasped when he leaned forward and took one into his mouth, his tongue teasing her nipple with expert precision. Arching her back, she wrapped her arms around his head and let him feast on her. Liquid fire spread to her core.
Gently, he shoved her away. “We can’t.”
“Yes, we can.” She leaned down to kiss those crazy words into oblivion. His hands firmly held her away.
“We. Can’t.”
His erection pressed against her thigh. He seemed every bit as turned on as she was, so why the heck was he putting on the brakes?
His chest struggled to reclaim air. Through gritted teeth, he managed, “I’m not prepared.”
Reaching a hand between them, she stroked the solid, rigid length throbbing beneath the zip of his jeans. “I’d argue otherwise.”
A desperate laugh escaped him. “I don’t have a condom.”
“Oh.” She nipped at his mouth. “I do.”
Actually, she’d seen a box of them in Zach’s things the other day when she’d been looking for clothes to loan Noah. Still. She could replace it later.
He gripped her arms, closed his eyes, and kept her from touching him. “Emma, you’re killing me. I’m trying to do the honourable thing here.”
“That’s no fun.” She pretended to pout. Pulling away, she hopped to her feet. “Wait right here.”
Entering Zach’s bedroom felt like being dowsed with the proverbial cold shower. Her boss probably would not approve of her having sexy time with a near stranger on his sofa. Then again, who would tell him?
She spun and froze. Abbott stood in the doorway, watching her with intense interest. He shifted from one paw to the other and just … stared.
Spider covered her naked chest with one arm and hid the box of condoms behind her back with the other. “Hey kitty.”
He sat like a statue, only moving his almond-shaped gaze from her face to her chest and back again.
Of course she was pet-sitting for a man who talked to animals. At least one dog was blind and couldn’t have seen a thing. Costello was too dumb to probably know what he’d seen. The cat, however, would know everything.
Awkward.
“Listen, this isn’t what it looks like.” She cleared her throat when he didn’t react. “Okay, so it is. What do you want not to talk? Tuna? I’ll make sure you get lots of it.”
More staring.
Spider moved sideways, dropped the condoms back in the drawer, and bumped it closed with her hip, all-the-while keeping her chest covered. “Nothing to tell. See? I put them back.”
The cat lifted a paw and began licking it, brushing it over his ear and repeating the motion again and again. She hoped that was cat code for we’ve got a deal.
She sidled past him, not taking her eyes off the diabolical feline until she was out of the room. As flushed with unfulfilled desire as she was, she’d have to tell Noah they could continue this later. Preferably without the animals around and in another location … with condoms of their own.
She never got the chance.
When she rounded the corner, he was gone.
Chapter 15
Noah paced in front of the window, long-lens camera in hand and cursed himself for being a coward.
He’d promised to stay and protect her, but what had he done? When things had gotten too intimate, he’d cut and run. Just like always.
It wasn’t as if he’d been spooked by Emma’s enthusiastic response to sex. He’d been with far more aggressive women and liked it. It had been the way his pulse had hummed when she touched him, his heart had skipped a few beats, his hands had shaken. Not to mention the unfamiliar sense of rightness he’d felt holding her.
Lifting the camera, he scanned the house across the street for signs of trouble, particularly of the redheaded variety. The morning sunlight made it easier to see, not that there was anything to catch his attention. All quiet. She still had the curtains closed.
He’d alternated between walking the perimeter of her house and spying from here all night. There had been no more signs of an intruder. Moving to his recently reformatted computer, he pulled up his email for about the twentieth time since he’d run out on Emma like some virgin schoolboy too terrified to go all the way.
His shoulders sank. Nothing in his inbox from her. No flirtatious messages. No snark. Not even an angry note accusing him of being an asshole.
Not long after he’d left her, he’d sent her a text message that had read, “You won. I’ll keep watch from across the street. Call i
f you need me.”
A few minutes later, she’d responded with “Definitely in need over here. Come back.”
He hadn’t responded to that, and she hadn’t called.
Clicking out of his email, he tried doing a search on Connor Manning again. Call it ridiculous, but what if the psychic could ask Kate who murdered her? Seemed like the easiest solution to keeping Emma safe. Fifteen minutes later, he gave up on the pointless pursuit and went back to the window.
His heart tried tearing out of his ribcage at the sight in front of him. He swore and ran for the door, feet pounding against wood as he hurried down the steps to catch up with the woman who was driving him crazy.
“Emma! What are you doing?”
“It’s called walking dogs. You should try it some time.”
Both of the mutts ignored him, on a mission to drag her along after them. He had to jog to catch up. “You shouldn’t be doing it alone. It’s not safe.”
“Oh really? I assumed I was perfectly safe. Why else would you run out on me after insisting on playing bodyguard?”
“Look at me.” He grabbed her hand, wrangled one of the leashes away from her grip and stilled her. Her eyes, usually alive with interest, had dimmed. His chest ached, knowing that he was the reason. “I’m trying to do the honourable thing where you’re concerned. You and me … it’s no good.”
“Why not?”
He clenched his jaw. “You deserve better. Let’s leave it at that.”
Fire sparked some life back in her blue gaze. “I don’t remember asking for a commitment, Noah. I happen to find you attractive for some stupid reason. I thought you were at least mildly interested in me. Why not have a little fun while we can? But no, you have to go and make it all crazy.” She snorted and started walking again. “Men.”
Her words startled him, but he couldn’t deny they sent his pulse racing. Realizing he still held the cute blond mutt’s leash, he let the dog jerk him forward. “So you’re telling me you enjoy casual sex?” Cause he wasn’t buying it.
“Not at the moment.”
At the flippant response, he clenched his jaw. “Seems pretty odd you’re willing to sleep with a guy you hated a few days ago.”
She mumbled something he couldn’t understand, so he grabbed her arm, made her look at him. “I said, ‘I don’t hate you.’ I can count on one hand the people I hate, and that’s a fallacy because none of them are actually real people.” She held up a hand, lifting fingers for each name she vehemently stated. “Scrappy-Doo. Barney the Purple Dinosaur. Wesley Crusher – worst character in Star Trek history ever. That’s it.” She turned and began walking again. “I might have been mad at you for a few days, but I got over it. Mostly.” She flicked a dismissive wave in his direction.
“Scrappy-Doo?” He stifled the laugh that threatened his demeanour. She probably wouldn’t appreciate his amusement. His chest rose and fell on a breath instead. “You don’t know how relieved I am not to be on your list with Scrappy-Doo. I hated that little guy.”
“Who didn’t?” Her lips twitched, betraying her own amusement.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” She sent him a narrow-eyed sideways glance.
“If you’re willing to give it a shot, let’s see what happens.”
She stopped, eyes wide, and faced him. “Seriously?”
He was a little shocked to realize he’d made the offer, too. Had he lost his effing mind?
“On one condition.”
She rolled her eyes. “I should’ve known.”
“I don’t want either of us to be casual about this. I meant what I said. Let’s give this – whatever this thing is between us – a real shot. Dinner. Movies. Whatever.” A sickening wave of nausea threatened to turn his stomach, but he wanted this. He wanted to give her what she deserved, or give it his best effort. It felt right, and he was tired of fighting it. As an added benefit, it might be the only way to get close enough to her to keep her safe.
“Seriously?”
“If you say that one more time—”
“No. I’m in.” She frowned. “But to be clear, you want to … date me? Cause I might be misreading the situation. I do that sometimes. Actually, I do it a lot, and I don’t mmm—”
Her lips were still moving when he swallowed her words. She tasted like fresh mint and smelled like strawberries, and his heart leapt at the thrill of kissing her again. He pressed closer, lifted his hand to feel her hair and jerked sideways when the dog at the end of the leash lunged forward suddenly, barking like a maniac.
Noah dug his heels into the sidewalk to keep from going down. A short dark-haired woman in a tracksuit took a wide berth of the dog as she veered around them, swinging her arms in a robotic motion as she passed.
“Sorry!” Emma called, fighting to draw Charlie’s leash closer to her side. A very becoming red crept up her face, making her freckles stand out. He looked forward to kissing each one.
They circled the neighbourhood, allowing the dogs to do their business, making sure to keep a safe enough distance so that the chemistry between them didn’t explode.
Her expression had turned solemn the closer they grew to his house. “Noah, what are we going to do about that letter?”
He sobered. “Can you get in touch with Connor?”
Emma shook her head. “He said he’d be back, though. I’m not sure when.”
Not good. “I’ll think of something. I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”
“I kind of pushed myself into it, so don’t feel guilty.” She arched a brow at him. “I think Kate tried to communicate with me because you weren’t listening to her. Why did she choose me, though?”
“Maybe she likes you.”
“That’s a nice thought.” She shrugged as she put the key in the door and pushed inside her current home. “Yeah. She probably recognized how awesome I am. It happens.”
She was, indeed, awesome. “About this date. Got any plans for tonight?”
“Yes.” She laughed at him. He had no idea what his expression had looked like, but if it showed the fleeting disappointment that shot through him, it was damn pitiful. “I have a standing date with the guys in my guild every Wednesday at eight. We kill trolls together. It’s a thing.” She unhooked Charlie’s leash and smiled at him. “I suppose I could stand them up if a better invite came along.”
“What would you consider a better invite?”
“Got any more of that lasagna?”
No, but he could. “My house. Seven o’clock?”
She bit her lip and nodded, eyes dancing with excitement. “I’ll come over.”
She acted as if she thought he was leaving her alone until then. Had she forgotten the danger she was in? Moving forward, eyeing her up and down, he stalked toward her, already imagining what her lips would feel like on his skin.
“Wait. Noah. We can’t. Not here.”
Sliding his hands around her waist, he pulled her into him, nipped her mouth. “Why not?”
“Um. Because.” She pointed behind him and whispered, “The children are watching.”
He turned and saw that both dogs and the cat were staring at them. “So? Let them watch. Maybe they’ll learn something.”
“You don’t understand.” Her hands gripped his biceps, but she didn’t push back when he pressed her against the wall. Warm. Moist. Lush. That’s how her mouth felt beneath his. She tore her lips away. “The cat will tell my boss about this.”
Right. Collins could read minds or some such thing. “Your boss won’t get mad about us kissing, will he? That’s all this is.”
“Mmmm.” Another moan signalled her consent.
The problem was that kissing her made him want all sorts of things he shouldn’t. Her hands gripping his hair, making sure he didn’t pull away, made him want it more. Wrapping his hands around her thighs, he lifted her up high. Next thing he knew, his shirt was being pushed off his shoulders, her fingers leaving behind scorching heat where they explored his ribcage, his chest, his
back.
Tearing his mouth from hers, he bit at her neck, licking the spot with his tongue. He slid his hand higher, beneath the hem of her shirt.
She moaned. “Noah.”
Ding dong. Ding dong.
The doorbell and a chorus of frantic barks startled them apart. Emma hurried to straighten her clothes while he glanced around for his shirt. The two dogs whizzed around them like soldiers preparing for battle.
“Who is that?” Noah asked with ragged breathing.
She peeked out the window, and then shrieked. “It’s my dad!” Picking his shirt off the floor, she threw it at him. “You have to go!” She pushed him toward the back door. “Hurry!”
A grin curved his mouth as he shrugged into the material. “Want me to hide in the bathroom until he leaves?”
Wide-eyed, she gaped at him. “No!”
He chuckled and bent down to steal a kiss. “I’ll be back later. Don’t. Go. Anywhere.” He gestured at the doorknob. “Lock up. Make sure the alarm is on when he leaves.”
“Go!” She shoved him out the back and slammed the door behind him.
What he wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall.
* * *
Someone shoot me now.
Checking one last time to make certain she looked presentable, Spider grabbed hold of Charlie’s collar, took a deep breath, and opened the door. “Dad! What are you doing here?”
Frowning, he pushed past her into the room. “What took so long to answer the door?”
“Nothing.” Charlie wiggled against her hold, so she let him go. “Um, I had to secure the animals.”
“Hmph.” Her father was dressed in his uniform, so she imagined he had stopped by on his way to work. Well, at least he shouldn’t stay long. His gaze darted around the room, taking everything in with his eagle-eye precision, before resting on her. His eyes widened. “Good lord, what have you done to your hair now?”
She reached up a hand and patted the side of her head, wondering if Noah had mussed it all up or something. “Nothing. Why? What do you mean?”
“It’s blue again. Partly.” He shook his head. “Heaven help me.”
Spirited Away Page 17
