“Of course, Jocelyn—”
“No.” She put her hands on his chest and shoved. “You’re not a weak man, Trevor Colton. You were attracted to me. You didn’t have to cool the sparks. But you did. Because you’re afraid every time a woman threatens to get too close. You used that other agent as an excuse. She started to get too close, but she got back together with her ex-boyfriend.” She shoved him again. “I bet you were relieved!”
“No, I wasn’t. She slept with him and still saw me.”
So, add distrust to the list of reasons why Trevor would protect himself and avoid true love. “Deep down, I bet you were. If you’re really honest with yourself, I bet you were relieved. She probably knew she didn’t have a chance with you and hung on to you in case she was wrong.” She eyed him sarcastically, his powerful chest, arms and shoulders. “You’re pretty hot, Agent Colton.”
“Okay, stop. You and I are much different than that. You’re different than her.”
Really? While that filled her with warm satisfaction, she couldn’t trust her reaction to him.
“Do you love me?” she asked bluntly.
As expected, the question made him freeze.
“Right.” Jocelyn thought she’d fallen in love with him the minute she’d met him. And the more they talked, the more she’d felt a real possibility. He must have felt something similar. But he had been so adamant about keeping it professional she’d let go of any hope for them.
“I forgot what it was like when we met,” she said. “Until now.”
His eyes must have been what made her love him from the very instant she’d seen him. No immaturity in them. Just a life story that held something big, possibly something dramatic, definitely something interesting. A hero on the edge of darkness. In a way, she’d felt a connection to him on a deep level, as though the universe had let her know this man would fit her well, both physically and in experiences and personality.
“I never forgot that,” he said.
“Yeah, well, you have a terrible way of showing me.”
“I was right for keeping it professional,” he said. “What do you think would have happened if I had acted on my urges? And you yours?”
Jocelyn tipped her head back. She had to agree. They worked together. He was her boss. “But you used it as an excuse.”
“Maybe. But I knew how explosive we’d be together.”
She lowered her head, hearing the truth. They’d both sensed how good they’d be together, and they’d found out when neither of them could hold back temptation. That night after Jane McDonald’s murder proved they’d been right.
He met her eyes a moment and that same heat overcame her. And then he stepped toward her.
“You want me to show you why I never forgot the first time I saw you?”
Yes.
“No.” Her voice, and what had to be in her eyes, must have convinced him she didn’t mean it.
He moved toward her. Taking her hand, he pulled her to him again. Once more pressed to his body, Jocelyn couldn’t find it in her to resist.
“Let me show you how much you mean to me.”
“Trevor...” This could end up hurting them both in the long run—her more than him based on what he’d told his brother, something completely different than he’d led her to believe.
But his body...
His eyes, dark and flaring with passion...
She tipped her head back, unable to fight the rush of desire.
He took the action as consent and kissed her, this time much slower. She moved her mouth in sync with his, felt the heat build to the point when she knew there’d be no turning back.
When he lifted her, she wrapped her arms around him and kept kissing him as he carried her to the bedroom—her bedroom—now their bedroom.
Their fake bedroom in their fake apartment...
Trevor put her down on the bed and she almost got up and told him to leave. But he’d begun to remove his clothes and she couldn’t stop watching. His bare chest. Strong arms that would soon be holding himself over her.
He unfastened his pants, slid them down along with his boxers. Naked before her, he stood for her viewing pleasure.
“Your turn,” he rasped.
His jutting penis held most of her attention. She loved how he filled her, stretched her and touched her in places no other man had managed, and not in the physical sense. He set her on fire. The male anatomy varied slightly, skewed from the average, but delivered the same reward. Only, with Trevor, what made him different was him. Trevor making love to her differed in leaps and bounds from others she’d been with.
That terrified her. But also awed her.
The awe had her removing her clothes, piece at a time. When she reached her bra and underwear, she left them on with a smile up at him and invitation to join her. She put her arms above her head and waited.
“You like to tease me.”
“I do.”
Those words reminded her of the mock wedding they’d had, when her I do had felt too real for the circumstances.
He crawled over her. Straddling her hips, he unfastened her bra, freeing her breasts. She slipped out of the contraption and tossed it to the floor while his hands paid homage to her flesh, tickling her as they roamed over nipples and down over her ribs. His fingers hooked her underwear. She lifted her hips to help him slide them all the way off.
Naked with him, she made room for him between her legs. He pushed them a bit wider and leaned down for a kiss.
Taking her hands, he put them above her head. She held on to a bar of the headboard as he rose up and probed for entry.
“Look at me.”
Realizing she’d closed her eyes, she looked up at him. He held her gaze in the building firestorm created with their joining. Riveting and powerful, his repeated thrust and withdrawal took her away from this world, from the world she had with Trevor, to one of fantasy. Without any troubles, this was what they had. Something incredible.
When they both reached their grand finale, Jocelyn covered herself and lay on her back, thinking. Trevor lay beside her, head on one folded arm, staring up at the ceiling in a similar state.
They’d done this before, so she couldn’t say it mattered that they continued. She loved him. She could no longer deny it. Loving him wouldn’t change. But as long as she understood him and the obstacles in their way, she could remain strong. She might be hurt in the end, but she’d be hurt no matter what, loving him as she did.
“This doesn’t change anything.” He had to know that. Her terms remained in place. She would not marry for their baby. She would not mislead her child in a marriage where she didn’t feel an equal part.
She rose from the bed, drawing Trevor’s attention. He said nothing. He knew what she meant and didn’t have to ask or talk further on the matter. He knew what she needed. He just had to be sure he could do so. Would that day ever come? And how long would Jocelyn wait?
Chapter 14
The next morning, Trevor stood with a steaming cup of coffee, keeping watch at the front window. Confident Regina wouldn’t try anything foolish in the light of day, his thoughts wandered back to Jocelyn. Making love with her had taken on a new dimension, one where he no longer placed his obligation on raising their child. She had become a part of that equation. And in its wake, something loosened in him, a barrier. While he’d known he had reservations because of Matthew, he had no idea they ran this deep.
Every so often, a wave of terror gripped him. What he had with Jocelyn could be the real thing. Wife. Children. House in suburbia. Dog...and one cat. Sigmund would be a nice addition to the family. For the first time in his life, he’d be a cat person.
He heard her come out of the bedroom.
“Thinking about last night?”
The question pa
cked enough punch, but the sight of her smile and self-confident, sexy, hip-hitching strides toward him finished the bomb. Detonated. She had on another black number that hugged her figure and showcased her chest.
She sauntered over to him, slid an arm over his shoulder and smiled. “What’s the matter? Scared?”
Something had reinvigorated her. She hadn’t teased him like this since before she heard him talking to Sam. And never this boldly. He welcomed the lightening air. Or was she only putting on a show? Hiding her true feelings?
“You’re the one who filed for an annulment.” He couldn’t help it. He had to know her strength had truly returned, because that would mean she had begun to forgive him—or believe him.
When her other arm slipped over his other shoulder, he grinned.
“Only because I deserve a real wedding.”
Things heated up between them. He’d never get tired of the natural ease. “I can give you that. No costumes this time.”
“Even costumes can’t mask the real thing.”
They could wear their costumes for a real wedding, and if real, the costumes wouldn’t matter. She needed to know he could wear a costume and she’d see genuine love. She asked a lot. Everything happened so fast. The first night they’d had sex. Her pregnancy announcement. The wedding—the Vegas wedding. Which he’d actually loved, but how could she expect him to keep up with her? And how could she be so sure about a real marriage? That had him at a loss.
“Don’t freak out.” She rose up and pressed her soft, warm lips to his, her sweet breath going into him.
What she’d surely intended to be a fun, quick kiss turned into an instant boiling cauldron of some mysterious spell. He pulled her to him, feeling her with his palms on her firm, trim back, pressing her breasts against him.
She moved into a deeper kiss right along with him, in sync. That was how they did this. They synced. Just as he reached for the hem of her dress, his cell chimed.
Easing away, he put his hands on each side of her head, fingers in her soft hair, debating whether to answer or not.
The cell chimed again.
“You better get that.” Jocelyn stepped back, hazel eyes a smoldering green.
As he connected the call from Chief Murray, she put her hand to her mouth. Nothing could convey she felt the kiss more.
“Colton?” Chief Murray jarred him to the call.
“Yeah. I’m here.”
“We got a call from Janice Tapp. She called 911, frantic that someone was in her house. Police arrived less than ten minutes later. She’s gone.”
Looking at Jocelyn, Trevor went still. “She was supposed to leave town.”
“Well, apparently she didn’t listen.”
“We’re on our way.”
“What happened?” Jocelyn asked.
Then the landline rang. Another phone on the lower level rang with it. Trevor could hear it through the air vents. In the otherwise eerie silence, he turned to the phone the same time she did. Jocelyn’s business card contained that number. Only one person would call.
“Colton?” Chief Murray said.
“The phone is ringing,” he said. “The Operation Apple Pie phone,” he clarified.
He needed to say no more.
“I’ll be...she’s going to use Janice to draw us in.”
Or just Jocelyn.
Jocelyn pressed the speaker button on the telephone. “Hometown Real Estate.”
“Well, if it isn’t Miss Well Done, I Want My Pie Hot,” a woman’s voice said, low with menace. Regina.
“Who is this?” Jocelyn asked, playing ignorant.
“I’m the waitress you didn’t tip at Buckaroo Burgers. A haughty one like you wouldn’t remember someone like me. But I’m going to make sure you never forget me as long as you live.”
“Waitress... Oh.” Jocelyn feigned dawning. “You’re that incompetent woman who served us lunch the other day.” Trevor made a slicing motion across his neck, signaling her not to incite the woman too much.
“Are you calling to harass me? If so, I’ll report you to police.”
Of course, Jocelyn wouldn’t do what he told her. For once, he wished she’d listen to him. He sliced with a harder, jerkier motion.
“I have something for you.”
Through the speaker, a woman whimpered and then half screamed.
“Come on, tell the bitch on the phone how much you’d like to live. This is Janice Tapp. She’s another rude patron such as yourself. I waited on her table and she had not one nice thing to say to me. Isn’t that right, Janice?”
Trevor caught Jocelyn’s instant change. From tough cop playing a role, she went right into the woman who’d rushed out of the house from a gory crime scene.
“Please,” the woman begged, crying. “Please don’t kill me.”
“You people are all alike. When you’re in control and giving orders, you feel safe treating those you view as less important poorly. But when the control is stripped away, this is what’s left.” The woman whimpered over the phone again.
“Tell her what I have in my hand,” Regina said.
“A—a...knife. She cut me with it. Please. She’s going to kill me. I need hel—” The sound of flesh hitting flesh preceded a thump, Janice falling to the floor after being struck.
“You heard her. I’m going to kill her.”
“Why are you calling me? What can I do?”
“You can join the party. We can call it my bachelorette party, one you all tried to take away from me. But I’m here to tell you—and so is Janice here—I’m not about to let that happen. You go to the South Street bus stop and wait for my call. Be there in two hours. And come alone. If I find out you’re with that boyfriend of yours, or if you don’t show up for my call, I will kill this woman. It will give me great pleasure to do so, too. She’s just like you, man stealer.”
Keep her talking, Trevor mouthed to Jocelyn. He’d put his cell on speaker so the chief could listen. The chief must be trying to trace the call.
“Man stealer? Why are you saying that?”
“South Street. Two hours. Or the lady dies.”
“You want me to meet you at a bus stop?” Jocelyn asked.
“You heard me. Be there. Alone. Or I mean it, the woman dies.” The line went dead.
Jocelyn looked at Trevor.
Through the cell speaker, the chief humphed in frustration. “We lost it.”
“Get a task force meeting put together,” Trevor said. “Jocelyn and I will be there in ten minutes.”
When he disconnected, he didn’t move. He just stared at Jocelyn, knowing what would come next.
“I’m going, Trevor.”
After a long hesitation, going over every other option first, he said in resignation, “I know.” If they’d ever catch Regina and stop her murderous rampage, they’d have to take some risks. He’d have to take some risks, one big one in particular.
* * *
The crowd of officers and detectives gathered in the meeting room, a murmur of voices combining to create a uniform sound. An occasional laugh or loud exclamation rose above the quiet din. Even though Facilities didn’t allow smoking, a hint of the scent drifted in with the smokers, which pretty much included everyone. Except Trevor. She glanced at him standing next to her, chatting with the chief about the exceptionally warm weather they’d been having in Texas, a small piece of normalcy that might keep the gravity of the situation from overtaking the job ahead of everyone.
Finally, the chief glanced around. “Looks like we have everyone.” Then he gave Trevor a single pat on his shoulder. “It’s all yours. You know our perp better than anyone.”
Jocelyn watched proudly as Trevor passed with a glance her way, worry mixing with intimacy before his cop hat went on and he took the
podium.
“Thank you everyone for meeting on such short notice.” He made eye contact with each person in the room as he began. Dressed in a black suit and tie, Trevor’s aura of vitality and power would intimidate some. For Jocelyn, his presence radiated sex appeal.
“We have a serious break in the Alphabet Killer case and I need you all to be on the top of your game.” He turned to Jocelyn, touching her with a look. “Regina Willard called our real estate office demanding Jocelyn meet her at a bus stop. Once again, we need to put one of our own in a very dangerous situation.” He turned back to the group. “I’m not in favor of this tactic, but I believe it’s the best one we have to work with. Before we put our plan in motion, let’s go over the details.”
He turned with a laser pointer at the projector screen. “This is the location of the bus stop.” The red dot aimed at the bus stop. “Jocelyn will go there and see what Regina will do next.” Lowering the laser pointer, he faced the team. “Given her profile, I’m pretty certain Regina will have next steps. She’s copied a serial killer’s methods and escaped capture up until now. She’s smart. But she’s also unstable. She isn’t aware of Operation Apple Pie, or that Jocelyn is an FBI agent. If she were, she wouldn’t have called and used another woman’s life as leverage. She wouldn’t risk exposure that way. We need to keep it that way. At most, she suspects Jocelyn will bring me along for protection. She’ll try to throw me off, possibly by telling Jocelyn to meet in one of the nearby buildings, possibly by telling her to take a bus ride to another location.”
Trevor moved out from behind the podium, brushing the lapels of his silky suit aside to place his hands on his hips. Stopping, he faced the room. “We have to be prepared for every scenario.”
“There are a lot of vacant warehouses in that area,” one of the officers said.
“That bus line goes into a rough part of Fort Worth. Next stop up is close to East Lancaster Avenue,” another team member said.
Trevor nodded, glad they’d done some checking before they’d arrived. “Yes, which is why we need to prepare. We don’t have much time. Regina is getting desperate. She’s tried unsuccessfully to capture and kill Jocelyn. She’s got her next victim. Janice has been kidnapped. That’s two women with names that begin with J. She’s getting sloppy. Overconfident. Now is our best chance to move in. If she knew about this task force, she’d feel how close we are to catching her and she’d back off. We just cannot allow her to discover who we are. She has to continue to be overconfident.”
A Baby for Agent Colton Page 17
