by Arianna Hart
Two weeks away from the street had done a lot to remove Diego from his mind. It was time to remove him from his appearance too. He could justify the change by telling himself the Diego cover was blown anyway, but in reality it had nothing to do with the assignment. Mac had lost so much of himself during this mission and he needed to find himself again. Strange feelings swirled around inside him and he didn’t know what was real and what was a result of the situation.
And that scared the hell out of him.
Caitlyn hummed as she trimmed his hair. Her fingers caressed him with every cut. He could smell her familiar, arousing fragrance, and his body responded as if a switch had been thrown. Images of her in nothing but a towel burned in his head. Mac remembered the way her body felt against his, and how she tasted for that brief moment of insanity.
His groin jumped to complete attention and he was glad he had the towel covering his lap.
“Okay, I’m going to use the clippers on the back now. You’re sure this is what you want.”
“Positive.” The quicker the better.
Cool air brushed against his neck as Caitlyn razed his hair close to his skull. He felt freer with each stroke of the clippers.
“Almost done, I just have to do the front and sides. You’ll look ready for boot camp.”
Caitlyn stepped in front of him, and he fought to keep his gaze averted. Her thin tank top left little to the imagination, and her breasts moved hypnotically underneath it. Looking down wasn’t much better. Her miles and miles of legs were shapely and tan and he could imagine them wrapped around his waist.
He wiggled in the seat and put his hands under the towel to keep them from touching her.
“Hold still, I don’t want to cut your ear by accident.” She pushed his head down and pulled it close to her chest to hold it still while she trimmed around his ear.
Mac didn’t dare breath. His lips were inches away from her breasts and her scent filled his brain. He wanted to move his mouth over and draw her nipple into it. Clenching his hands into fists, he fought the urge to run his fingers under her shirt and see if her skin was as soft as he remembered it.
“There. Almost done. And not even a little nick. That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Caitlyn asked, stepping back and surveying her work.
“Not at all.” It was worse than bad. It was torture.
“I’m going to try to do the top a little longer so you don’t have Liam’s cop haircut. If it doesn’t work I can always cut it all off.”
“Whatever you feel comfortable with.” He was feeling decidedly uncomfortable.
She tipped his head down again and hummed while she worked. Her legs straddled his, and he wasn’t sure whether to curse the sweatpants that kept him from feeling her bare skin or thank the Lord for them.
“This is coming out great. Maybe I should try this on Liam next time.” Caitlyn turned the clippers off with a flourish. “Want to see?” She grabbed a small mirror off the wall and brought it over.
A stranger stared back at him. It had been so long since he’d seen his face under all his hair, he almost didn’t recognize his reflection. He had a few cuts from his shaving adventure but his face was free of the scruffy beard he’d sported for so long. Diego was gone.
Good riddance.
“What do you think?” Caitlyn asked anxiously, looking at him over the mirror.
“You do good work. Thanks. It’s been so long since my hair was this short, I almost didn’t recognize myself.”
“Good. If you don’t recognize yourself, maybe the people who are after you won’t either.” She spun around quickly and hung the mirror back on the wall.
Before he could stop her, she lifted the corners of the towel covering his chest and lap and pulled it away. The sweatpants did nothing to disguise the raging hard-on he still sported. Mac clamped his legs together, praying she wouldn’t notice.
“Oh my.” Her eyes widened and she licked her lips.
So much for hoping she didn’t notice.
“It’s morning. That happens to guys in the morning.” It was only half a lie. Men did get erections in the morning. Just not ones the size of Texas.
“I know. I have slept with a man before. Plus I have three brothers.” She shook her head slightly and moved behind him to brush the hair off the back of his neck with a washcloth.
Mac didn’t want to think about her sleeping with another man when his body was on fire for her.
“I’m surprised your brothers let anyone get close enough for you to sleep with them.” He meant it sound flippant but it came out sharper than he’d wanted.
“That’s why I went to college out of state. They couldn’t follow me around on dates in Florida.”
She moved in front of him and tipped his head back. “Close your eyes, I need to brush off the hair on your forehead.”
He closed his eyes, but that only increased his torment. Every brush of her fingers on his skin was intensified, her scent seemed magnified, and he could picture her naked much too easily for his peace of mind.
“Oh, one of your cuts is bleeding. Here, I’ll get it.” Caitlyn straddled his legs and pressed the washcloth to his face.
Her thighs brushed his and her breasts were inches from his mouth. The temptation was too much. Mac couldn’t stop himself, and frankly, didn’t want to. His body was still on fire from last night, and being this close to her was more than he could take and remain sane.
Consequences be damned. He had to taste her again.
Mac pulled her down onto his lap and captured her face in his hands. Looking right into her startled brown eyes, he drew her slowly forward, giving her plenty of time to stop him.
She didn’t stop him.
Her eyes drifted closed and she let out a small sigh as her lips met his. Sweet. She was so sweet. Soft lips gave under the pressure of his mouth on hers. Mac released her face so he could explore her body instead.
He slipped his hands under her shirt and up her back. Silky smooth skin glided under his fingers as they roamed. Caitlyn gasped when his thumbs grazed her ribs and the underside of her breasts. Mac took advantage of her surprise and slipped his tongue inside the warm cavern of her mouth.
Caitlyn’s hands dug into his chest as she responded to this new assault. Her tongue dueled with his, becoming more aggressive as he moved his hands higher on her body.
Blood pounded through his veins and his heart raced to keep up with it. Mac pulled her closer to him, her warmth cupping his hardness through their clothes. He could feel the pressure building as she rocked against him. Caitlyn’s head fell back and he trailed kisses down her throat and collarbone.
Giving into the temptation that had been riding him for days, Mac drew her nipple through the shirt into his mouth. Caitlyn’s hands clamped down on his head and she held him to her breast. Her hips thrust furiously against his, stoking the flames hotter and higher. He was ready to self-combust as it was, and they were still dressed.
A situation he could change with very little effort.
Mac released her nipple and lifted her tank top, revealing her breasts to his hungry gaze. Caitlyn lifted her arms to take the shirt off completely, but he stopped her, trapping her arms in the shirt.
He was about to feast on her bounty when the phone rang and they jumped apart like scalded cats.
Caitlyn fumbled with her shirt, trying to get her arms untangled. Before Caitlyn could answer it, the machine picked up.
Tom’s recorded voice echoed in the kitchen. “You’ve reached the O’Toole residence, please leave a message.”
“Hey, Cat just getting a head count. Are you doing dinner with us at the station tomorrow? Or are you too busy, again?” There was an emphasis on the last word and Mac felt his arousal die.
“I’m here, Jim.” Caitlyn picked up the phone, cutting off the message. She held her shirt across her breasts and turned her back to Mac.
He wanted to leave, to give her some privacy, but he wasn’t sure his legs would hold him yet. Her
brother’s voice might have cooled his ardor, but it would take a while for his blood pressure to come back to normal.
“I’ll be there. Okay. Yes. I’m fine.” Caitlyn looked over her shoulder at him. “Uh huh. Yup. Good-bye.” She hung up the phone and slipped the shirt over her head.
“That was Jim, I take it?” he asked, more to break the silence than for any need for confirmation.
“Yeah, he wants to make sure I’m coming to dinner tomorrow night. I’d better go or they’ll show up here in the fire trucks and barbeque on the front lawn.”
“That wouldn’t be good. You should go anyway, make things look as normal as possible.” And give him a chance to pull himself together.
“I will. As long as you’ll promise not to disappear while I’m gone.” She looked him in the eye.
“Where would I go?” he asked, avoiding the promise.
“I don’t know, but now that you’re feeling better, you might get the insane idea you can go back out on the streets. It’s only been two weeks since you had a gaping hole in your side.”
“I know, but you’re such a miracle worker I’m feeling almost as good as new.” He certainly hadn’t been thinking about any pain in his side a few minutes ago.
“That’s what I’m afraid of. Now that you’ve shed your disguise and can move around without passing out, you think you can conquer the world.”
“I’m going to have to leave eventually. I can’t just hide away in your apartment reading Cosmo every day.” He couldn’t let her get attached to him. She’d only get hurt in the end. Nothing could keep him from finishing this job. Or at least nothing should.
Somehow, his dedication to the job had taken a back seat to Caitlyn and her safety since he’d woken up in her apartment.
Chapter Nine
“Earth to Caitlyn. Hello, anybody home?”
Caitlyn jumped as Jim clapped a hand on her shoulder. “Geez, Jimbo. You scared me half to death.” She’d been lost in thought, remembering the steamy kiss Mac had planted on her yesterday. The tingle of awareness had stayed with her ever since.
“Well, wake up and pay attention. I called your name at least three times. Did you bring the potato salad?”
“Crap. I left it in the Jeep. Hold on, I’ll get it.” She started back out the bay door, hoping to steal a minute or two to gather her thoughts before facing the combined scrutiny of her brothers and the guys on the department. If she didn’t get her head out of the clouds, they’d pick up on it and grill her all night long.
“Where’d you park?”
“I got a spot around the corner. I’ll be right back.” Caitlyn patted the pockets of her shorts looking for where she’d left her keys. She’d been a bit absent minded for the past two days.
“Wait up. Let me grab a radio and I’ll go with you.”
Before she could protest, Jimmy grabbed a portable walkie-talkie and caught up with her.
“I’m just going half a block away, not to Timbuktu.” So much for having a few minutes to get her head on straight.
“I know, but I don’t like you walking on the street alone. This isn’t the most wonderful area of the city.”
Caitlyn looked at him out of the corner of her eye. Something was wrong. She’d been so wrapped up in what was going on with Mac, she hadn’t paid any attention to what was happening right under her nose.
“What’s going on, Jim? You’ve got something on your mind.”
“What do you mean? Just because I don’t want you walking alone in the city at night, you think something is wrong?” He wouldn’t look at her, though, and his hands were stuffed in his pants pockets.
“It’s still light out and I’ve been walking around this city since Dad was on the department. Spill it, or I’ll tell Maggie how you still eat cereal in your underwear.”
At the mention of the redheaded nurse, Jim whipped his head around to her. “She already knows.”
Caitlyn stopped dead in her tracks. Jim and Maggie? Already? “Hold the phone. Are you telling me you slept with her already? Didn’t you just ask her out like two weeks ago?”
Jim had the grace to look embarrassed. “It happened kind of fast but yeah.”
“Is that why you’ve been acting so strange? Are you worried about they guys finding out about Maggie, or that I would?” She hadn’t worked with Maggie since the night her apartment got broken into. Apparently there was a reason Maggie hadn’t called her in a while.
“I don’t care what those bozos think. They’ll bust my stones no matter what.”
“But you’re worried about what I’ll think?” Caitlyn asked in surprise.
“Yeah. I mean, she’s your friend and all.” Jim looked even more uncomfortable.
“Well, I guess it depends on where you’re going with this.” She had to think on this for a minute. How did she feel about her brother sleeping with one of her friends? Caitlyn knew her brothers didn’t lack for female companionship but they’d kept that part of their lives away from her in the past. With Jim sleeping with Maggie, that was no longer an option.
“Hell, if I knew that, I wouldn’t be talking to you about it.” He stopped walking and ran a hand through his hair. “If this was anyone else, I’d enjoy the time we spent together and move on.”
“But—” Something was really bothering him.
“But this is all different. More…I don’t know, just more intense than anything I’ve ever felt before.”
“You’re telling me you’ve never slept with a woman this soon before?”
“Hell, no. It’s just with Maggie, it’s different. I think about her all the time, in and out of bed. I like being with her even if we’re not, you know, having sex.”
“You’re in love,” Caitlyn said with amazement.
“Bullshit. I don’t believe in that hearts and flower crap.” But his eyes looked a little wild and he couldn’t meet her gaze.
“You think about her all the time, you enjoy spending time with her when you’re not having sex, and you’ve never felt this way before. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”
“Infatuation. It’s only been two weeks, for crying out loud.”
“Yeah, right. Go ahead, keep lying to yourself if it makes you feel better, but don’t take so long to admit it that you end up losing Maggie. She’s a great person and I heartily approve, not that you’re looking for my approval.” Caitlyn resumed walking.
Her brother in love with her friend. Hard to believe it could happen so fast. Wonder how long it’s going to take him to admit it to himself.
“Streets are quiet tonight,” Jim said, closing the door on the subject.
“Yeah, the ER has been quiet lately too. Weird. Usually summer is the busiest time of the year.”
“Now that you mention it, yeah, it has been quiet lately. Makes me nervous.”
Caitlyn laughed. “You’re never happy. If it’s busy, then you bitch because you’re running all night long. If it’s quiet, then you’re nervous. Make up your mind.”
“It just feels like everyone is holding their breath or something. You know how right before a storm everything gets all quiet? That’s what the city feels like to me, like a big storm is headed our way.”
Caitlyn shivered at his words. She wished she could tell him about Mac and her fears, but she’d promised to keep silent. A storm was coming and she feared Mac would be right in the middle of it. A chill chased its way down her spine despite the hot, humid air.
Reaching her Jeep, Caitlyn unlocked it and reached inside for the huge bowl of potato salad.
“Hey, what’s this?” Jim squatted down next to the seat and scratched at spot on the carpet. “Looks like blood.”
Blood? Oh no. She thought she’d gotten all of Mac’s blood cleaned up. “Must be from that stray I picked up. I thought I managed to clean it all up, guess I missed a spot.” She shoved the bowl in his hands and closed the door with her hip as soon as he got out of the way.
“How’s he doing?”
“Ah, better. In fact, he’s almost ready to go back out into the streets.”
“You can’t just send him back out into the streets. He’ll only get beat up again.”
No kidding. “Well, I can’t keep him.” But oh boy, would she like to.
“Not in that tiny apartment. Why don’t you bring him to a shelter or put an ad in the paper or something? Give him a good home.”
A bubble of nervous laughter rose up from her stomach and Caitlyn fought it down. Her brother would think she’d lost it completely if she laughed at his suggestion. “I’ll figure something out. I just need to make sure he’s healthy enough to move around before I let him go.”
“Whatever. You’re so softhearted, I hate to think of you spending all your time taking in strays only to send them back out again.”
“I don’t mind.” That was an understatement. “It’s very rewarding.” More laughter threatened.
“You need to go out more. Maybe Maggie can set you up with someone and we can double date.”
Not in this lifetime. There was no way she wanted to watch her brother and best friend make goo goo eyes at each other while she sat there with some poor sap they roped into coming along. “You’re in love, so suddenly everyone else needs to be paired off too? Since when have you cared about my social life?”
“I am not ‘in love’ and I’ve always cared about your social life.”
“Yeah, making sure I didn’t have one. I’ll take care of myself. You just worry about getting your head on straight before Maggie decides she doesn’t need some hard-headed Irish man who can’t admit his feelings in her life.”
Jim paled in front of her and she almost felt bad for her words. Almost. At least he wasn’t interested in her “stray” anymore.
Liam’s car was parked illegally in front of the station when they got back. He must have just gotten there, because he was still in the driver’s seat. As they got closer, he quickly clicked his cell phone closed and got out of the car.
Could Liam have someone in his life too? He’d been in bed with someone when he showed up at her place in the middle of the night. Man, everyone was hooking up except her.
