Daddy Defender

by Janie Crouch

  The electrical box near the street had definitely been tampered with. The lock on the outside was broken, wires inside had been hacked. Someone wanted the power out in Summer’s home, maybe the entire condo unit.

  Ashton didn’t know if it was some punk kid playing pranks or someone with much more sinister intent. If he was still around here, Ashton would catch him.

  He wished he had his sniper rifle with him. Not because he planned to shoot the guy outright, but because looking through the scope for an enemy target was Ashton’s forte. Hiding from Ashton when he was in a secure location with his riflescope to his eye was damn near impossible.

  But instead, Ashton got to the cover of the trees and stopped. He held himself still, looking for any sign of movement in the darkness. One thing Ashton had learned as a sniper was patience.

  But nothing moved. After long minutes of holding himself completely still, he felt sure he was alone in the trees. Whoever had peeked through Summer’s window evidently had taken off as soon as he’d realized Summer had seen him. Which was good. That probably meant it was some sort of sick Peeping Tom or burglar, not someone who meant true harm.

  Although who would mean true harm to Summer? Bailey Heath, the woman who had kidnapped Summer and Chloe, had died that day on scene.

  Stupid punk teenagers out to cause trouble and damage buildings was a much more likely scenario than someone intending to hurt Summer or her daughter.

  Ashton made it back to Summer’s door and knocked, letting her know it was him.

  “Oh my gosh, are you alright? I was worried about you.” She threw open the door, grabbed his shirt and pulled him inside. “Did you see anything? Are you okay? The police should be here in a minute.”

  She ran her hand from his shirt to his arm, but didn’t let him go. He didn’t wince even as her fingers hit some of his sore spots.

  “I’m fine. I searched the woods but didn’t see anyone.”

  “You could’ve gotten hurt!” Now she had both of her hands on his arms.

  This was the perfect time to tell her, he realized. It would only take ten seconds and he could get it out, at least letting her know that he was law enforcement. He didn’t have to provide details.

  “Summer, there’s something I should tell you.”

  Her big gray eyes looked up at him expectantly. “What? Do you think it was someone with a gun? Someone trying to break in to the house?”

  “No. I mean about—”

  A knock on the door stopped him. It was too loud and it woke up Chloe. She started crying as the police identified themselves outside the door.

  The moment was lost.

  “You answer the door,” he told her. “I’ll get Chloe.”

  Ashton made his way into little Chloe’s room. He didn’t turn on the light, hoping he’d be able to soothe her into going back to sleep. But as soon as she saw it was him and not Summer in the dim glow from the night light, she scooted herself around onto her little bottom and pulled herself into a standing position on her crib.

  “Ah-ta! Ah-ta. Ah-ta.” Glee tainted her tone. She held her arms out to him.

  He couldn’t resist her, didn’t even try. “Hey there, sweetheart.” He swung her up in his arms. “I’m sorry all the racket woke you up.”

  “Ah-ta. Mama.”

  “Yes, your mama’s right out in the living room. Let’s go see her, since I’m sure you’ll scream bloody murder if I put you back in that crib right now.”

  Summer was telling the two police officers what she saw at the window. A man in a ski mask.

  “As soon as I looked over there, he disappeared. I called for Ashton who was out at the power box at the street and he went to look out back.”

  Ashton nodded at the two men. “Here, you take this wiggle worm,” he said, handing Chloe to Summer, “and I’ll take the officers outside and show them what I saw.”

  He didn’t want to talk shop in front of Summer. It wouldn’t take much of a slip before she realized he knew way more about crime scenes and pursuit tactics than a condo handyman should.

  When the door closed behind him, he immediately identified himself, pulling his credentials from his pocket. “I’m Ashton Fitzgerald, with Omega Sector.” The two officers introduced themselves as Jackson and McMeen.

  He showed the men where the wires had been cut in the main fuse box and they went around to where the perp had been looking through Summer’s window. Sure enough, a footprint was clearly evident in the soil beneath Summer’s window.

  The two men looked at each other. “This matches a couple other calls we’ve gotten the last few days. Mostly apartments and condos, but a couple of houses,” McMeen said.

  “Dangerous?”

  Jackson shook his head. “No. Power cut, some graffiti. General building damage. Nobody has actually seen them before Ms. Worrall.”

  “Whoever it was took off immediately as soon I headed their way.”

  McMeen wrote something down in his notebook. “That would be consistent with our theory that it’s some teenagers just looking for a little trouble.”

  That made Ashton feel better. He knew it would Summer, too.

  The officers left and Ashton made a call to the power company. They assured him they’d have someone out there first thing in the morning to look at it. By the time he made it back inside Summer’s house, she was laying Chloe back in her crib.

  “Did they find anything?” she whispered as she came back out, closing Chloe’s door behind her.

  “There was definitely a footprint under your kitchen window and some of the wiring to all the units had been tampered with down at the box by the street.”

  “Why? Do the police have any idea who it is?”

  “It looks like it’s probably some high-school kids trying to make trouble. They’ve had other similar calls around town this week.”

  Some of the tension eased from Summer’s shoulders. Stupid kids were just stupid kids.

  Now that the immediate danger was past, Ashton could feel every bruise and burn on his body from the electrical shocks earlier today. God, he was tired.

  Evidently it showed.

  She touched him gently on his arm. “Thank you for coming over here tonight. I was a mess.”

  “No, you were fine. Anyone would be a little frightened in these circumstances. Kids didn’t mean any harm, but that doesn’t mean it’s not scary.” He remembered carrying Summer and Chloe out of that burning warehouse a few months ago. If anyone had logical reason to worry about a masked face in a window, it was her.

  She turned away. “I guess so.”

  “The power company said they’ll be out here first thing in the morning, so that’s good.”

  “Yeah. I’m glad it’s not too cold out yet. We should be able to sleep comfortably.” But her eyes darting around the room said otherwise.

  “Summer, are you going to be okay? Do you want me to stay? Camp out here on the couch?”

  Or so much more. He wanted to do so much more.

  She studied him for a minute but then swallowed whatever it was she’d considered saying. She wrapped her arms around herself. “No. You’re tired, I can tell. We’ll be fine. Like you said, just kids, no danger.”

  Disappointment hit Ashton in the gut. He hadn’t realized how much he’d wanted her to ask him to stay. Even if it had just been on the couch.

  In any other situation, he’d just tell her that was what he was doing regardless. He’d wink at her and offer to be her own personal SWAT security.

  And tell her she was welcome to join him on the couch if she got scared at any time. Or he’d be happy to bring the security detail into her bedroom.

  But he couldn’t laugh and wink and make jokes and charm his way into staying.

  There were too many secrets between them
. Too many lies.

  He walked over to the door. “I’ll call you tomorrow to make sure the power got turned back on. If not, I can call the power company again.”

  “I’m sure it will be.” She opened the door and looked at him again like she wanted to say something, but then her gaze slid to the ground. “Thanks again, Ashton.”

  He touched her arm, wanting to do so much more than that.

  “Good night.”

  He heard the door shut and lock behind him and he walked down to his truck. He eased his sore body into it then, staring back at her condo, started the ignition.

  Then promptly turned it back off.

  He wasn’t leaving her.

  Yeah, it was probably just kids trying to scare people, but Ashton didn’t care. On the off chance it was someone with a more sinister intent directed at Summer, he wasn’t leaving her alone.

  He slid his seat back in an effort to get more comfortable inside his truck.

  It was going to be a long night.

  Chapter Six

  Summer could make a list of all the ways she’d been an idiot tonight, but it would probably take too long.

  But Ashton offering to sleep here and her turning him down? That would be at the top of said list.

  She’d been fascinated with the man for months, hoping he would ask her out. Finally he’d done something that could be categorized as romantically encouraging—or at least protective—and she shut him down.

  Not to mention they still didn’t have power and she was pretty nervous. It was past midnight already. She wondered if she’d be able to get any sleep.

  Even though she’d already double-checked them all, Summer went around to make sure she’d locked the windows. When she got to the bay window, she saw Ashton’s truck still parked out front.

  Why was he still here?

  She moved the curtain more to the side so she could get a better look. Maybe he was on the phone or something and just hadn’t left yet.

  It didn’t take long to realize Ashton was watching out for them in his truck.

  Warmth bloomed in her chest and tears actually welled in her eyes.

  Ashton Fitzgerald may be too shy to ask her out, but he cared enough about her and Chloe to stay out in his vehicle and make sure they were safe.

  Summer opened the front door. She’d been an idiot enough tonight. Now was her chance to rectify that.

  Her eyes met his as she crossed from the side to around the front of his truck. His didn’t widen, his expression didn’t change. He just watched her as she came around to stand next to the driver’s side door.

  They stared at each other through the glass for a moment. There was more than just protectiveness in his eyes. The warmth she’d felt at his concern now grew hotter. A heat pooled inside her.

  She opened the door to his truck. “Hi.”

  “I just wanted to make sure you and Chloe were safe.”

  She nodded. “It means a lot to me that you would do that. But come inside. It’s silly for you to be out here.”

  He studied her for a moment and she thought he might refuse. But then he straightened the seat and got out, groaning a little as he did so.

  Summer stepped closer. “Are you hurt? Did something happen when you were chasing that guy in the woods and you didn’t tell me?

  “No.” Ashton closed the door behind him. “There was an accident while I was...working today.”

  She noticed the slight pause but didn’t press it. “What sort of accident?”

  They walked back to her house.

  “Electrical.”

  She opened the door and they went inside. “Great. I’ll bet the last thing you wanted to do was come here and deal with more power-company-related problems.”

  “I never mind coming over here to help with anything. Truly.”

  Now that she had him back in her house, she wasn’t sure exactly what to do with him. When she gestured toward the couch, he eased himself onto it as if standing was too much of an effort.

  “Let me get you a pillow and blanket.”

  He bobbed his head. “Thanks for coming out there to get me.”

  She smiled, wishing she had the guts to lead him into her bedroom.

  When she came back out with the bedding items, Ashton had slipped off his shoes and was lying all the way across the sofa. He was too big for it—one leg hung off the arm of the couch and the other was bent with his foot on the ground. He’d thrown one arm up over his face which had caused his T-shirt to slide up, exposing a brief measure of sexy abs and some sort of bandage.

  “Ashton, how hurt are you?”

  He slid his arm down slightly so she could see his eyes.

  “I have a couple of electrical burns, one on my side, one on my shoulder. And I generally feel like somebody decided to use me as a punching bag.”

  He sat back up as she crossed the room.

  “You shouldn’t have gone off sprinting after my Peeping Tom.”

  “Catching someone in the process of committing a crime like this is almost always easier than trying to determine the culprit from any evidence they leave at the scene.”

  She sat down next to him. She couldn’t help it. He was conversing—even if the subject matter was a little strange—not stuttering and looking away from her like he normally did. On the contrary, he was looking at her the way a man looks at a woman he’s interested in.

  God, how she’d missed this feeling.

  She scooted just a little closer. “Oh yeah, do a lot of crime fighting on the side, do you?”

  His brows pulled together quickly. “Um. Ha. Ha. Well, actually I—”

  Now he was back to looking away and stuttering. Summer reached over, hooked an arm around his neck and kissed him.

  He paused for just a moment and she was afraid he would pull away. But then he groaned and scooped her up and placed her on his lap so her legs straddled his hips.

  He kissed her with shattering absorption, as if he couldn’t get enough of her. Whatever timidity had possessed him each time they’d spoken over the past few months was gone now.

  Her hands slid up his shoulder and she felt the edge of another bandage. Not wanting to hurt him in any way, she slid her fingers up around his neck and into his thick brown hair.

  His arms wrapped around her hips, pulling her more tightly against him. She barely restrained a gasp at the feel of her breasts crushed against his chest.

  How long had it been? She’d forgotten how good it felt to have strong arms wrapped tightly around her.

  His tongue traced her bottom lip before slipping into her mouth. Summer sank deeper into him, her fingers clutching him to her.

  The kiss went on and on until she couldn’t think straight for the need pulsing through her. But vaguely she became aware that Ashton was slowing the kiss down. Drawing it out.

  Easing back.

  She pulled away from him so she could look into his soft brown eyes.

  “Want to take this into my bedroom?” She could hardly recognize the husky voice as her own.

  He put his forehead against hers. “I do. More than I want to take my next breath, I want to move this into the bedroom. I want to keep you in there for about the next month.”

  “There’s a huge but in here, and it’s not mine.” She began to pull away.

  He grabbed her buttocks and pulled her back against him. Both of them gasped slightly at the contact. He thrust his hips gently against hers.

  “You cannot doubt that I want you right now. Because I do. And yes there is another but in here that is not nearly as fine as yours.”

  “What is it?”

  “We haven’t even been on a date yet, Summer.”

  She began kissing along his jaw. “Will you have
dinner with me, Ashton?”

  He groaned as she made her way down to his ear. “Yes. I most definitely will. And we’ll talk. And after that, if your bedroom is still an invitation, I will most definitely take you up on it.”

  She sat back so she could see his eyes. “Do you have something bad to tell me?”

  He sighed. “Not bad. Just...complicated. Right now isn’t the time to go into it all. It’s late and it’s been a long day for both of us, filled with all sorts of crazy. Let me take you out on Friday night. We’ll have a nice meal, just the two of us, and talk.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You say it’s not bad, but I feel like it is. Like you’re trying to get out of being intimate with me right now.”

  He sighed. “I’m not. I promise. Trust me, I’m calling myself all sorts of a fool. But if you still want me after we talk on Friday night, I promise you—” now he leaned forward and began to kiss her jaw the way she’d been kissing his, working his way down to her throat “—I will take you back to that bedroom or this couch or hell, the kitchen counter—maybe all three—and make love to you until neither of us can move.”

  She moaned as his lips nipped gently at her throat.

  “Ashton, are you involved with someone else? Is that what you have to tell me?”

  “No.”

  “Are you a criminal?”

  “No.”

  “Then fine.” She leaned back so she could look at him more clearly. She didn’t understand why he wanted to wait, but she would respect his reasoning. Plus, it would give her a chance to be prepared with some underthings that were a little more sexy. She hadn’t been expecting this—him, them—tonight. “Friday it is. But I fully expect to take you up on your promise to not be able to move Saturday morning.”

  He already had part of her heart. She was ready to give him more.

  Chapter Seven

  Two days later, on Friday at four o’clock in the afternoon, Ashton left Omega Sector to go home. Three quarters of the way there, he spun his truck around, nearly causing an accident behind him.