Expert Witness: A Romantic Suspense Novel

by Luckourt, Nicole

  A knock at the door caused her to jump.

  Chase looked at her. “Were you expecting anyone?” he asked, already getting up from the table. He had his gun holstered on his side, his hand resting on the handle.

  “No. No one except the office crew knows I’m even here,” she answered quickly, her mouth dry.

  “Okay. Why don’t you go into the bedroom. I’ll check the door.”

  She didn’t waste any time following his directions.

  This reminded her of the time they’d ordered Chinese takeout. Only she felt like a different person now. The gun he held no longer made her apprehensive, and she didn’t hesitate to get out of the way so he could do his job. No matter how she tried to couch it, her sense of security would never be the same after this.

  Chase checked the peephole as she left the room. “Who is it?” he yelled.

  “Flower delivery,” a voice responded from the other side of the door.

  “Do you know who they’re from?” Chase still didn’t open the door.

  “No, sir. Didn’t take the order. There’s a card attached.”

  “Okay. Can you leave them at the door? I’ll be out to get them in a sec.” Chase’s request was a command rather than a question.

  “Sure. No problem.”

  If the man thought the whole scenario odd, he didn’t comment on it. Jordan racked her mind trying to figure out who might have sent flowers. Other than Karen, Mike, and Derek, the only person who knew she was here was Chase. And it was pretty obvious the flowers weren’t from him. She heard the door open and close.

  “Okay. Coast is clear!” Chase shouted out to her.

  She made her way out of the bedroom and was greeted by Chase holding a vase filled with a bouquet of colorful roses. He set them on the table and handed her the card that’d been secured in the middle of them.

  Jordan slowly took the card. Her heart raced. The flowers were beautiful, but until she knew who’d sent the arrangement, she was wary of the message that came with them. Opening the card with shaky hands, a feeling of relief washed over her as soon as she saw Karen’s name in the signature line.

  Dear Jordan,

  Just wanted to let you know that we’re thinking of you. The office hasn’t been the same without you here. Mike and I are hoping that even though this wasn’t a welcome vacation, you’re able to find some moments to enjoy the coast. Now that you’ve discovered how cool our home away from home is, we expect you to come with us on our next visit!

  Love you and miss you,

  Karen, Mike, & Derek

  P.S. Derek said to tell you things are pretty dull here without you, so you’d better get back to O-town as soon as possible.

  As she finished reading, she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “They’re from Karen, Mike, and Derek.” She handed him the card to read. “Here you go. There’s a message for you at the bottom.”

  Chase read it over and handed it back to her. “It sounds like you’re missed in Orlando.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “But I wish they’d let me know they were sending flowers. For a minute there, I was a little worried too.”

  Before she could reply, Jordan recognized the familiar tune of her cell phone ringing. In the midst of checking out the delivery, she’d forgotten about the upcoming call. She ran back to the couch and grabbed it from the coffee table.

  “It’s Detective Larson,” she told Chase after checking the call screen. She accepted the call and put it on speaker. “Hello, Detective,” she said, trying to project a calmness she didn’t feel. “Chase and I are both here.” She rubbed her sweaty palms down the front of her shorts and said a silent prayer that he hadn’t been released.

  “Well, I’ve got good news for you. The judge denied bail. Seemed he was a flight risk. Our guy isn’t going anywhere. He’ll be at the jail until the trial. On top of that, the prosecutor said the case for solicitation to commit first-degree murder is solid with the evidence that’s been gathered.”

  Jordan’s shoulders sagged, and she sighed in relief. “Thank you very much. I appreciate your work and the phone call. I can’t tell you how much better I feel knowing he’s not out there anymore.”

  “I know. I’m sorry it took us as long as it did, but unfortunately, these things take time.” He sounded apologetic.

  “I understand,” she said. “It’s a solid case though, and that’s what’s important now.”

  “Oh, yeah. This guy shouldn’t be threatening anyone else any time soon. On top of the confession and bank records, we subpoenaed his credit card statements and found a recent purchase from Office Depot. Number ten store-brand envelopes—an exact match to the envelope the letter was mailed to you in. Purchase was made two days before the postmark, and the mail handling facility coincided with his address.”

  “So it’s all coming together?” Chase clarified.

  The detective grunted. “I’ll say. It’s good when it works out like this. Everyone can breathe easier.”

  “Second that.” Chase bid him good day.

  “Good day to you both as well.”

  Jordan turned to Chase after she’d hung up. “Well, that’s the news we were hoping for.” She smiled hesitantly at him.

  “I’d say so,” he agreed, watching her closely. “Somehow, I sense you aren’t as comforted by Larson’s call as you thought you would be.”

  “Oh, I am. Don’t get me wrong. That is what I needed to hear. It’s just…there’s a part of me that still feels guarded. I know it’s because I didn’t worry about things like this before and now…now, I might always worry about something like this happening again. I’m less naïve, I guess. Or maybe I truly realize how precious life is. This experience has changed me,” she said, looking at him. “In more ways than one.”

  Chase moved toward her and gently drew her to him. She relished in the feel of his muscular arms wrapped around her. He made her feel safe and reckless all at the same time. Her breathing accelerated at his closeness, and all thoughts of the hearing and phone call were replaced by heated desire and longing. She wasn’t about to take things further though. This was his call.

  §

  Pulling her close to him was like putting milkweed in front of a butterfly. The difference now was there was nothing holding him back. He unwillingly let her go and retreated a step.

  “You need to fire me right now,” he said hoarsely, his eyes burning into hers.

  “What?” she asked, caught off guard. Her eyebrows furrowed. “Why would I do that?”

  “Jordan, for once, could you do it without asking questions?” he pleaded, only half joking.

  She chewed her bottom lip. “Okay, Chase. You’re fired,” she said in an uncertain tone. “Now, why did I just do that?”

  He pulled her even closer this time. “So I can do this.” His lips crashed into hers.

  He explored the depths of her mouth with an urgency fed by a longing so fierce that it almost consumed him. He knew there was chemistry between them. There was no doubt about that. It was what had made being near her pure torture at times. Trying to do his job and resist what had quickly become the most incredible distraction he could ever envision had almost driven him crazy. But he could only thank his lucky stars that he hadn’t given in to his hunger, because kissing her now lit an uncontainable fire within him.

  An innate need to feel and taste her drove his passion. He moved his mouth down the delicate column of her neck, his lips caressing the sensitive area with each tiny descent. Her breath was raspy, and he could feel the erratic beating of her pulse beneath his lips.

  He lifted his head to recapture her mouth with his, deepening the kiss, while his hands traced down her sides along her ribs, settling just above her hip bones. Her fingers were splayed across his back, pressing along the ridges of his corded muscles as she scraped his bottom lip with her teeth. He barely took time out to breathe. Who needed air?

  Wanting to touch every part of her, he moved a hand up the front of her s
hirt, and she arched into him in response. He ran his fingers under the lacy edge of her bra, making a low moan of pleasure escape from her lips. That was all it took. Heat raged through him and he tore her shirt over her head. She immediately pressed her mouth back to his with the same urgency he felt.

  Abruptly, she pulled back, her eyes clouded with desire. “Not fair,” she said in throaty whisper. Without breaking eye contact, she grabbed both sides of his shirt, and it followed the same path as hers. Her fingers slid down his bare chest making his breath catch in his throat.

  Crushing his lips back to hers, he lifted her up and settled her on his hips. She wrapped her legs securely around his waist. The heat radiating from her caused his entire body to throb. Using one hand to hold her close, he undid the clasp of her bra with the other. Her nipples grazed his chest, and he was completely lost in the firestorm between them. Without a second thought, he was carrying her into the bedroom with the sole purpose of making up for way too much lost time.

  “Ugh. I was supposed to hit the road back today.” Chase ran a hand through his hair and looked down at her tucked neatly into his shoulder with one of her long legs draped over his. “And now, I have no desire to ever leave this bed. Work be damned. If I would’ve known it would be like this with you, I may have had you fire me much sooner.” He punctuated the statement by dropping a kiss onto her forehead.

  She smiled back at him, looking pretty smug. “And what is ‘like this’ supposed to mean?”

  He chuckled. “I’m hoping I don’t have to explain that or I must’ve done something wrong.”

  “Seriously, Chase, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said, feigning perplexity. “This was—” she pointed back and forth between them, “—meh…average, run-of-the-mill—”

  Before she could complete the sentence, Chase decided he’d heard enough. He pinned her beneath him and started tickling her mercilessly.

  “Oh my gosh! You have to stop!” she managed to get out between breaths.

  “Do you concede that words like ‘average’ and ‘run-of-the-mill’ are misnomers that have no place in this discussion?” he asked while continuing to tickle a particularly sensitive spot on her ribs.

  “Okay!” The word rushed out of her mouth between giggles.

  Chase paused while he waited for her concession.

  Her eyes sparkled as she tried to squirm away. “Maybe ‘average’ was a bit of an understatement.”

  “A bit?” he asked, resuming the torture. Only with her squirming beneath him, her bare skin sliding along his, he was beginning to wonder who was actually being tormented.

  “Incredible. That’s a much better word,” she said, laughing so hard that tears were pooling in the corners of her eyes.

  Chase stopped tickling her and raised himself on his forearms to look down at her. “Now that’s a word I would have used.” He was going to say more, but he was distracted by her lips just inches away from his. He leaned down and kissed her thoroughly before settling back into his previous position. If he didn’t stop now, he may not leave the bed.

  “Are you really going back today?” She looked up at him while her fingers traced little designs around his abdominal muscles.

  “I don’t want to go right now, Jordan,” he said in a serious tone. His pulse quickened with every little circle she drew. “Believe me, I don’t.” He settled his hand on top of hers before her touch caused him to lose all ability to reason.

  “But…” she prompted him.

  “I have to rearrange some things at work and I have to be there to do it all. I’m scheduled to start another job as soon as I’m done here––the client was willing to wait for me to be available for a long-term trip overseas, and for the first time, I have no desire to do it.” He shook his head. “I don’t want to move on to another job, regardless of where it is or who it’s for. I want to be with you and explore what we’ve started. Now that I know this idiot is behind bars, I plan to hold you, kiss you, and make love to you for as long as we want.”

  Her eyes widened at his admission. “I think I like your idea after all,” she said. “As long as we want, huh?” She seemed to be turning the thought over in her mind. “Though you know I’ll have to squeeze in work between all of that, once we both get back. Leaving unexpectedly was hard enough on the patients I see regularly, not to mention the backlog of evaluations I’ll have waiting for me.”

  Chase tried to suppress his amusement at how quickly she’d begun to consider all of the relevant logistics. It reminded him of something he’d do. “Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten that you’re a workaholic,” he teased. “It’s part of who you are, so maybe I have some strange attraction to women who are like me in that way.”

  She gazed up at him. “I guess the ‘opposites attract’ adage doesn’t apply to us in that way. And since it doesn’t—” she let out a sigh, “—I understand why you need to go back. If someone is counting on you, I wouldn’t want you to do anything else.” She paused for a second. “I think what we’ve started here will be good, wherever we are.”

  “You know you’re making this even harder, right?” he said, tucking an escaped lock of silky hair behind her ear.

  He still couldn’t get over how beautiful she was lying next to him. It was good that she understood his need to wrap things up at work, because a part of him thought it was ludicrous not to stay right there in bed with her.

  “I’m glad.” She brushed a kiss across his lips. “It’ll be incentive for you to find someone to take your place instead of going off to… Where were you supposed to be going next?” she asked, tilting her head to one side.

  He resisted pulling her right back to him for another kiss. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get enough of this woman. “It would have been a detail with a lot of travel. I’d start in New York, but I’d be in Japan by next week. It’s actually a client I’ve worked with for several years. That’s why it’s important for me to make sure he’s okay with my replacement. I have complete faith in my guys, but they’re not me. That’ll take some getting used to for my long-term clients.”

  “You know, you don’t have to stop this for me,” she whispered. “I’m not going to say I ever envisioned a relationship with someone who’s continuously risking his life to protect someone else’s—in various parts of the world, for weeks or months at a time—but I’m willing to try it if you aren’t ready to stop.”

  His heart expanded at her admission. “I know you would,” he said, his eyes locked on hers. “But as much as I do care about you, I’m doing this for me. It’s been something I’ve been considering a lot lately. Spending time with you this week…well, it kind of solidified where I was already heading. I might not have stopped this soon, but I would have stopped. I think part of what was driving me to keep it up was what happened with Robert, and you helped me to see that I had to quit blaming myself for his death.” He pulled her in for a hug and then looked down at her with a grin. “You sure you aren’t going to have Nancy send me a bill when we get back?”

  Jordan smiled back at him. “Chase, that was all you. I just asked a few questions and listened.”

  “Uh-huh. Just a few questions? I think you’re even cuter when you’re being modest.” He caressed her cheek with this index finger. “However it happened, I’m much better with it. I never realized I couldn’t think about all of the good, because I was too focused on not repeating the bad.”

  “I believe that can happen to anyone at some point. I liken it to trying to drive in the rain with the windshield fogged up. Get rid of the fog, and driving becomes easier and a heck of a lot less stressful.”

  Chase considered the wisdom in what she’d said. Damn, she was beautiful, kind, and smart. How in the world had he ended up getting so lucky? “I like that. I like you.” He bent toward her for another kiss. “And I really like being right where we are, but I’d better get moving. If I get on the road now, I can make a few phone calls to puts things in motion before it gets too late.”<
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  Jordan walked with him out to the parking garage, where his SUV was parked. He looked over at her and couldn’t believe how this assignment was wrapping up. He was never one to dwell too much on the future. Maybe because his job required him to stay so alert in the present or because he’d never had too much time to think about it. But at this moment, he couldn’t stop thinking about the future and exploring it with her. So much had changed in such a short time.

  Jordan stopped when they reached his SUV.

  He pointed to the Chrysler 300 parked across the way. “There’s your rental. I texted you the code to unlock it. Keys are inside.” He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms for one last time before he left. “I’ll call you soon,” he mumbled into her hair, breathing in the berry smell of her shampoo.

  She rested her cheek against his hard chest. “Okay.” She tilted her head back. “And thank you for taking care of the car.”

  “It was nothing,” he said gruffly. He planned on taking care of her for a long while. “We’ll talk soon.” His hands were laced together against the small of her back.

  “I’ll make sure to turn my ringer up so I can hear it over the ocean,” she said in an apparent attempt to lighten the moment.

  “Okay, now you’re just rubbing it in.” He smiled and then leaned down to kiss her.

  What he’d intended to be a quick kiss goodbye turned into a whole other matter when he placed his lips on hers. His tongue began an unhurried exploration of her mouth, reacquainting him with all that he’d be missing. Damn. She tasted sweeter than the French toast she’d shared with him that morning.

  He might’ve been content with the easy pace, but a tantalizing whimper escaped her throat and sent his pulse racing. The kiss became more impatient, and he probed deeply within the recesses of her mouth. As his hand moved under her hemline to touch the satiny skin above her hips, the sound of a car closely approaching reminded him they weren’t alone.