Macklin

by Mayer, Dale

  And that was good enough for him. He didn’t know who or what, but no way in hell would he leave her to the same fate as Marsha. He wasn’t to blame for Marsha’s death, he knew, but at the same time, he’d known her. He’d known she was a very sad young woman. He just hadn’t been the right person to help her. And sometimes that was enough to make a person feel guilty. He didn’t know any of the other women whose houses had been broken into, but, if the guy was still out there …

  Then that was an issue.

  They had picked up the intruder. Great. He was kind of hoping he would get some details from Alex. But, even if she couldn’t give him very much, she might tell him if it was the guy they were looking for.

  He drove the short distance to her apartment, climbed up the stairs, and stepped into the hallway. Another door across the hall clicked shut. He strolled down and knocked on her door. She opened it almost immediately, a snarl forming on her face. He grinned. “Pizza?”

  She opened her mouth and snapped it shut.

  He leaned forward to kiss her briefly. Though she was spluttering—again—he pushed her back and stepped inside, then closed and locked the door. He smiled. “Now that I know you’re okay, I’m hungry.” He pulled out his phone and asked, “Do you like anchovies?” He tried to keep his voice light, conversational.

  She was mad, and a part of him could understand that. At the same time, she needed to get over it—and fast. She stalked to her living room, as if gathering her thoughts or maybe just holding back her temper. He really appreciated her control. At least until he was off the phone. He hung up. “Two pizzas are on the way, one with the works and one just anchovies and pepperoni.”

  At that she spun and stared at him. “Who the hell puts anchovies on a pepperoni pizza?”

  He gave her an innocent look as he sat on her couch. “I do.”

  She raised both hands in frustration and threw herself down on the couch beside him. “You are so damn irritating.”

  “I love you too,” he said in a flippant tone.

  She shook her head. “You don’t love anybody.”

  He slanted a hard gaze her way. “I love my family. But I don’t spread myself around thin. And when I love, I love deep, and I love long.”

  “Have you ever really been in love?”

  He nodded. “But not for a lot of years.”

  “Well, love hasn’t been on my list for a long time either. Not for several years.”

  “Good.” He smiled at her. “So can you tell me? Did you get the guy?”

  “We picked him up, took him in for questioning, but we’re not sure he’s the guy.”

  “Damn.”

  “I was so hoping that too,” she said. “Even worse, no forensic evidence has been found at the house yet. Whoever it was wore gloves, and, even though the food was left out, the dishes were put in the dishwasher, and it was turned on.”

  “So no DNA off the dishes or fingerprints off the counters?”

  “Apparently the intruder was a neat freak.” She nodded. “Life’s like that sometimes.”

  He settled back and stared at the ceiling. “But it’s interesting because it means a lot of planning and thought went into this. The clean house. No forensic evidence. The video feed. It all points to someone who’s either very detail-oriented or has OCD.”

  “And I’m wondering how much of all that was just a red herring.”

  “In what way?” He rolled his head to look at her.

  “We have extremely limited resources, very limited manpower. These break-ins have achieved nothing, in that nobody has stolen anything. The whole town is on edge. It has used much of our man-hours to track him down. And, therefore, the investigation has turned away from Marsha.”

  Mac gave a silent whistle. “That’s …” He was at a loss for words. “That’s very smart.” He leaned over, picked up her feet, and laid them across his lap. “And that would show the same kind of planning I’m talking about. Harmless and at the same time with a purpose.”

  “But I still have no way to match that person to Marsha. There is no connection I can see yet.”

  “And I suppose you had a hard time leaving the station because of it.”

  “I was planning on working from home. I brought my laptop to track down this person’s history and to see if I can connect him to Marsha at any time.”

  “What does he do for a living?”

  At her silence he turned to look at her.

  Reluctantly she said, “He delivers pizza.”

  “That would be a perfect cover.”

  “That’s what we were all thinking.”

  “Where does he live?”

  “No stated address,” she said sarcastically. “According to him, he and his girlfriend just broke up, but he didn’t know she had planned to break up. It was the end of the month yesterday. She pulled out, leaving him with no place to go.”

  “So why not just say he was staying at Betty’s house?”

  She shrugged. “Who the hell knows?”

  “Of course it might not have been him.” Mac stared off in the distance, his mind plugging all the pieces of the puzzle into place. But they still wouldn’t fit. “He’ll be looking for a place tonight, right?”

  “He said he would stay at a hotel. We wouldn’t release him without an address.”

  “What hotel is that?”

  Just then the doorbell rang. The two of them hopped up.

  “That’ll be the pizza,” Macklin said as he strolled toward the door.

  “Wait,” she hissed. “Stand behind the door. Let me deal with this. Don’t let whoever it is know you’re here.” He raised his eyebrows and took a step to the back of the door. She opened it to see the damn suspect. He held out her pizzas.

  Struggling to keep her face neutral, she hoped he didn’t recognize her. She hadn’t been in the interrogation room, but she had been in one of the offices when he was led out. She hadn’t thought of it at the time but realized he could have seen her then. She accepted the pizzas with a smile, paid for it, gave him a tip, and, when he left, closed the door.

  Her hands were clammy. Macklin watched the whole thing. “That was him, wasn’t it?”

  She nodded. “How did you see him?”

  “Through the crack,” he said, his tone short. “And he recognized you.”

  She turned to stare at him. “Did he?”

  Macklin gave a slow nod of his head. “Oh, hell yeah.”

  “Well then, I guess it’s a good thing you’re staying tonight,” she said quietly. “Just in case he decides to come back.”

  “I hope he does, that little bastard. Because I’ll be waiting.”

  She shoved the pizzas into his hands. “Down, boy. Let’s get you fed. Otherwise you might eat him.”

  “I didn’t like the look in his eye,” Macklin said as they walked to the table. “There was a hell of a lot of anger in that gaze.”

  She turned to look at him. “I know. I saw it too.”

  Chapter 13

  Macklin separated the two boxes and opened them up. She stared at the hot cheesy pie and sighed. “He’s coming back tonight, isn’t he?”

  “Not if he is smart, he won’t.”

  She looked over at him. “Set a trap?”

  “Hell yeah.”

  She picked up a hot piece of cheesy deliciousness and took a bite.

  He motioned to the dining table chairs. “He won’t be back right this moment, so sit down and relax.”

  “No way I can relax. Not with that thought uppermost in my mind,” she said. “Still, if it were me breaking in, I’d wait until tomorrow or another day when I’m relaxed and not thinking about it.”

  “Which is why I’m not leaving until this guy is caught.”

  After she started on her third piece, her stomach protested. She handed it off to him. “I don’t know how you can eat so much. You’ve eaten half a pizza by yourself already.”

  He accepted her portion and grinned. “You don’t eat enough.”
>
  She rolled her eyes. “I do eat, you know?”

  “Yes, but do you eat healthy?”

  “Nobody in their right mind would say pizza was proper food.” He looked at her in such horror she had to laugh. “I’d love a cup of coffee, but I’m so tired I’m better off going to bed.”

  “Go to bed then,” he urged. “I’ll stay up for a while. Besides, I have more pizza to eat.”

  She looked at him, uncertain. “You’re really staying on the couch?”

  “Hell yeah. That’s what I promised.”

  She smiled, got up, walked over to the front closet, and pulled out blankets and a pillow. She dropped them on the edge of the couch and said, “It’s a bit warm tonight, but maybe you want to be covered up.” She turned and headed toward her bedroom. “I’ll shower and crawl under the covers.”

  “Have a good night.”

  “You too.” She closed the door of the master bedroom, stripped, dropping her clothes everywhere, and stepped into the hot shower. It felt good. It had been a long day. She gave her head a good scrubbing. When she was done, she stepped out, wrapped up in a towel, and plaited her hair in a braid. Finally dressed in a camisole and boxers, she lay down in bed. She pulled the light cover and sheet over her.

  The sliding glass door was open, but there was only a small Juliet balcony. Meaning, nobody could get in this way. She’d always felt safe sleeping with it open, until now. But she was so tired, and, with Macklin in her living room, she relaxed.

  She surprised herself. Her nightmare of the day wasn’t carrying through to her night; she could feel sleep reaching up for her. She took several deep breaths, yawned, and sank gently under the surface of consciousness.

  Just as she was about to drop off, she heard an odd noise. She froze, sat up, and listened. What the hell?

  But the sound didn’t come again. She got up and put her ear to the door, but there was nothing, not a sound coming from the other side. She stepped out into the living room.

  Macklin was stretched out on the couch, his eyes closed. He was only in boxers, and she couldn’t help but stare. The moonlight played across the muscled planes of his body. He was a stunning male animal in his prime. She could still see scars from old wounds on his body, but it just made him more of a warrior to her.

  He opened his eyes and stared at her. “Problems?”

  She shrugged. “I heard something.”

  His gaze warmed with understanding. “You’ll find that happening a lot for the next while.”

  She crossed her arms. “I’m not normally so jumpy.”

  He opened his arms. “You want to cuddle?”

  Unwillingly her feet took a step forward.

  His gaze warmed.

  “This is really a bad idea. I don’t think you cuddle well.”

  He gave her an injured look, but the gleam in his eyes shone bright in the darkened room. “I cuddle very well.”

  She snorted. “You may look cuddly, but there’s very much a predatory appearance in that gaze of yours.”

  He smiled. “I promise I won’t pounce unless you want me to.”

  She rolled her eyes but found herself standing beside him. He grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her down so she sprawled across his chest.

  “This is still a really bad idea.” But her heart wasn’t interested in getting away. She knew what she wanted. He was no longer a suspect, but they still hadn’t caught the killer. She also knew what he wanted.

  He tilted his chin, lifted his head, and kissed her gently. “Sometimes bad ideas turn out to be the best ideas of all.”

  “There speaks a male.”

  He chuckled. “I am that,” he said. “But remember, I won’t pounce unless you say I can.”

  She sighed and laid her head down against his chest. “Feels weird to be like this.”

  His hand gently stroked up and down her long spine. “Why’s that?”

  “It’s been a long time.”

  “I hear you there. It has been a long time for me too,” he admitted. “But it’s kind of nice. Makes it special.”

  She traced his square-cut jaw, high cheekbones, and prominent forehead. If their positions were reversed, he would completely dwarf her since he was so big. And yet, at the same time, she knew he’d never let that happen. She shifted on top of him, getting a little more comfortable, and realized something else. She froze.

  He chuckled. “I’m a man, not a boy. Of course there’ll be a reaction when I have a beautiful woman, basically nude, lying on top of me. I’m human. I’m male, and you’re absolutely gorgeous.”

  She had to consider that he had a point. She’d been asking for trouble by even coming over to him. And he was right; lying on top, it wasn’t just his body reacting to her presence. Her body had warmed up considerably too. She stroked a finger across his lips and smiled. “You’re the one that’s so deadly.”

  “I’m deadly? Look who’s talking?”

  She chuckled, tried to pull herself slightly forward, leaned down, and kissed him. Instantly his hand cupped the back of her head, and he held her there longer.

  She broke free and said, “You’re also a very good kisser.”

  “I’ve hardly even kissed you,” he protested. “Now if you really want a kiss …” He reached up with both hands, tucked her against him, and this time he laid it on her.

  She hadn’t been kissed like that in years. Hot, luscious, in control, but with so much passion her body was softening, readying for him. She broke free and pushed her head back. “This is stupid.”

  “What’s stupid?”

  And she decided. She sat up and held out a hand. “It’s stupid we’re on the couch when I have a bed.”

  A light came into his eyes. He sat up slowly; then the two of them stood. He looked down at her. “Is that permission to pounce?”

  She chuckled but the chuckle turned to outright laughter as he scooped her up in his arms and strode to her bed.

  He tossed her down in the middle of the big mattress, the blankets still tussled from her lying in them. He covered her body with his.

  And she was right; he completely covered her. But he held his weight on his elbows. Her body shifted and moved, lining up planes and angles for the best fit. She wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him in tighter.

  His gaze heated up, and he lowered his head. Just before his lips took hers, he whispered, “You are dangerous.”

  This time when he kissed her, there was no holding back. There was no control for her to crack. It was already sliding them both toward fulfillment. She curled her arms around him as he took her to a place she didn’t remember ever going. Hands stroked; lips teased and coaxed; tongues tangled and soothed. Teeth nipped, only to have lips kiss once again. She felt so right beneath him, her body hot, steaming, and looking for so much more. She wrapped her arms tighter around him and tried to tug him down to her. But he was too busy exploring her ribs and breasts. He lowered his head, took one nipple in his mouth, and tugged it in a deep sucking motion. Knots and tingles started in her lower belly. She shuddered in his grasp.

  He raised his head, lowered himself into position, and whispered, “Lady, I wasn’t kidding—you are deadly.”

  She grabbed him by the ears, pulled him to her, and kissed him hard. “You’re all talk. Isn’t it time you really showed me what you’re all about?”

  He caught his breath, set himself into the right position, and plunged deep. She gasped and stilled. He froze. She smiled and held him close, letting her body adjust, stretching until fully accepting him inside. She took a deep breath and let it out.

  He pushed himself up on his elbows, looking down at her, and whispered, “You okay?”

  She smiled. “I am. It’s just been a while.”

  He slid a hand slowly down her ribs and belly to her hips. Sliding just underneath her, he held her in position as he started to ride. “It is for both of us. That makes this all the sweeter. We’ll take this together.”

  He was true to h
is word as he lifted and plunged deep, again and again, taking them both to the edge. Just when she didn’t think she could stand it anymore, he tossed them both over. Her cries rolled free only to be followed by his guttural groan as he sank heavily down on top of her.

  When he finally rolled off, he tucked her close against him and wrapped his arms around her. His breath was heavy and shaky against her ear. She was still shuddering in reaction. She looked up at him in wonder. He lowered his head, kissed her gently on the nose, and whispered, “That was so much better than I imagined.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight.

  And fell asleep.

  *

  Macklin held her close, pulling a sheet over them both. He really hoped the asshole didn’t come back tonight. He wanted this time with Alex. He didn’t want just half a night; he wanted the whole thing. He wanted to wake up in the morning and be the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes. They had the start of something stunning, and he wanted every moment he had available to explore the possibilities and see where they could go.

  He hadn’t been kidding when he had said it had been a long time. He’d watched his friends meet the women of their dreams, had watched the hook ups, the ups and downs, and they finally settled into something he couldn’t imagine. That Marsha had tainted his love life was something he’d let happen, but, at the same time, he’d been so unsure of his ability to make the right decision, to pick the right person, he had stepped back from the whole dating scene. He’d missed sex. But he’d missed this—this closeness, the cuddling more than anything. Just to know somebody special cared about him as much as he cared about her. There really was no substitute for that.

  He let his mind drift back and forth, wondering how long before she caught the asshole who killed Marsha. Because, only after that, could they really have an open relationship. He’d never do anything to jeopardize her career. And he’d seen just how unfair it was sometimes being a female in a power position—how vulnerable they were. They had to hold themselves up to a higher standard than their male counterparts. It wasn’t fair, but it was a fact of life. And he would hate to be responsible for her getting into trouble. He knew he was innocent of Marsha’s murder. He knew she believed he was innocent, and that meant so much, but that didn’t mean the rest of the cops at the station did.