“I guess I didn’t think about that,” James said, yawning. “Then sleep right here, baby. Just … stay with me.”
“I love you,” Mandy admitted, tightening her arm around his waist.
“I know,” James murmured into her hair. “It’s really nice to hear – and you have no idea how much I needed to hear it today. You can tell me again in a few hours when we wake up and do this all over again.”
Mandy chuckled, although she was losing the battle with sleep, too. “Okay.”
“Okay,” James agreed, his body sinking into sleep.
“James?”
“Hmmm.”
“Was that a bouquet of stuffed sharks on the dining room table?”
“I was playing to my audience and I was desperate,” James said. “Sue me.”
This time, when he slipped into sleep, James Hardy’s nightmares were kept at bay by the belligerent blonde on his chest who refused to let them by. For the first time in almost ten days, James found respite in slumber – and the arms of the one thing he loved beyond all else.
Things were – finally – better.
Thirteen
Sunday morning found Mandy in a state of bliss she worried she’d never discover again. The warm man underneath her was the reason why – although the bright light of day cast a harsh glare on her unruly actions from two days before.
She shifted when she realized James was awake, and he was texting with his arms around her. “What are you doing?”
“Telling Grady to bring breakfast when he comes,” James said, pushing the “send” button and then dropping the phone on the nightstand. “You have nothing here, and I’m not eating leftover pizza for breakfast.” Once his attention was on her fully, he greeted her with a sweet kiss. “Morning.”
“Morning,” she murmured, his words slowly sinking in. “Why is Grady coming? I thought we would have the day here together, just the two of us.”
“We are going to have the afternoon together, just the two of us,” James said. “After we clean this place out and get you home.”
Mandy’s brain was always jumbled in the morning, but she was especially slow today. “Clean this place out? I don’t understand.”
“Well, you see, this comes back to that whole men-and-women-thinking-differently thing,” James said, pressing another kiss to her forehead. “I was under the impression we were already living together. I didn’t realize you didn’t feel the same way.”
“I … .” Mandy bit her lower lip. She wasn’t sure what he was getting at.
“I kept hearing you say that we technically lived apart when you explained our living situation to people,” James said. “I didn’t think much of it – until you fled to your place instead of telling me what you were feeling.
“There’s not going to be any more of this your place and my place crap,” James said. “There’s going to be home, where we live together. When you’re angry, we’re going to talk about it at our home. When I’m angry, we’re going to talk about it at our home. There’s not going to be any more of this running away from each other. I can’t take it.”
Mandy remained silent.
“And, when I texted Ally to make sure that I wasn’t being a dumbass on that front, too,” James continued. “She told me that I was supposed to ask you to move in with me. I don’t feel like risking that, though, so you’re just moving in with me. Period.”
Mandy lifted her head up, balancing herself on James’ chest. “What about … what about the house?”
James ran his hand over her tangled hair, his chocolate eyes confused. “What house?”
“I didn’t tell you last night because I thought we were dealing with enough for one evening, but one of the other reasons I was convinced you wanted to … get out … was because you didn’t want to help me look for a house,” Mandy said. “I love your … our … place above the office, but it’s not really a house, and it’s kind of small. I kept asking you to come look at houses with me, figuring we could pick one out together, but you kept putting it off.”
James’ chest rumbled with laughter. “Oh, we are so screwed up. I didn’t want to help with the house hunting because I thought that meant you wanted to move out on your own. I didn’t want us separated.”
The invisible hand clamped around Mandy’s heart released its grip. “Really?”
“Really,” James said, smacking her bottom lightly. “I think this further illustrates that you and I need to talk to one another instead of holding things in and trying to figure each other out separately. I don’t think like a chick – and despite your filthy mind, which I love, by the way – you really don’t think like a man.”
“So, wait, we’re really cleaning this place out today?”
“No, you’re watching and supervising,” James said. “My brothers, Sophie, Emma, and I are cleaning this place out today. We can put most of it in storage at the office until we find a house.”
“You’re really going to help me look for a house?”
“I’m really going to help us look for a house,” James corrected. “And, you’re going to have to settle for living in the apartment until all of this is taken care of.”
Mandy mulled his answer over. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on with the case?”
James nodded, blowing out a deep breath. “I am. You were kind of out of it before, and I didn’t want to give you anything else to freak out about. I realize that was probably the wrong thing to do, because that’s what started the whole secrecy thing, and that spiraled out of control really fast.
“I’m going to ask you to put your questions off until tomorrow,” James continued. “I can only deal with one big thing at a time. Let’s get this place packed up and all your stuff moved in at our place.”
“And then we’ll deal with this big thing for the rest of the afternoon,” Mandy teased, wrapping her hand around his morning erection under the covers.
James groaned, shifting. “Ah … well … maybe we could get a jumpstart on that one right now.”
“I thought you said Grady was coming?” Mandy brushed her lips across James’ neck, not caring if Grady was in the same room watching them at this point.
James shifted to his side, keeping his arm under her waist. He moved his hand up and down her bare thigh, leaving a sensuous trail on her bare skin. They were face to face, so James took advantage of the situation and pressed his mouth to hers.
“We have a half hour before Grady gets here,” he said. “Let’s make it count.”
Mandy nodded mutely as she slipped her tongue into his mouth. James massaged it with his own, lifting her left thigh with his hand so he could hook it over his hip. He then shifted closer to her, lowering his pelvis so he could press his length into her welcoming core.
He pushed forward, entering her fluidly, never moving his mouth from hers as he pumped rhythmically between her thighs. Once he was sure her leg would hold him securely – and she wasn’t in any pain from the position – he moved his hand around and started to rub her mound in a tantalizing circular motion.
“Oh,” Mandy sighed. “Oh.”
“Oh,” James agreed, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth. “Oh, my baby.”
AFTER they were finished, they showered together quickly. James removed the bandage on Mandy’s back so the warm water could cleanse the area. He helped her into a pair of yoga pants, a fresh bra, and a new tank top – and then he had her sit down so he could tackle her hair.
“Just braid it,” Mandy said.
“I don’t know how to braid,” James said.
“Then just put it in a ponytail.”
The sound of knocking on the front door of the apartment grabbed James’ attention. “Do not move. I’ll be right back.”
True to his word, he walked back into the dining room a few moments later with four curious – and relieved – faces behind him. He had the hairbrush in his hand, and a determined look on his face. “How hard can a braid be?”
G
rady dropped the McDonald’s bag he was carrying on the table and grabbed the brush from James’ hand. “Let me handle the hair issues, shall we?”
James sighed, but he relinquished the hairbrush. Grady used his hip to clear him out of the way, focusing on Mandy. “You look better than yesterday.”
“Thanks.”
“You don’t say that to a woman,” Sophie said, smacking Grady on the arm lightly. “She always looks good.”
“She looked crazy yesterday,” Grady said, brushing through her hair and then dividing it into sections. “She was raving like a mad woman, and she looked like a reject from a 1950s asylum.”
“She was tired and upset,” James said, grabbing a new bandage and medicinal tape so he could cover the wound on her back. “Leave her alone.”
Grady smirked as he finished his braid, tying the end with a simple rubber band. “Voila!”
Sophie glanced down at his handiwork, impressed. “Where did you learn that?”
“I’m a man of many talents, my dear,” he replied.
“Ally and Mandy used to make him do French braids when they were teenagers,” Finn replied. “He got good at them. He’d even add ribbons in to match their cheerleading uniforms. He was like another sister for a time.”
Emma fought the urge to laugh as Grady shot his younger brother the finger. “So, you guys are finally moving in together?”
“I was under the impression we were already living together,” James said. “Ally set me straight on a few things.”
“She’s good like that,” Finn agreed. “She’s the one who had to explain to me that when Emma said she wanted to take a bath alone that wasn’t code for interrupting her for sex.”
Grady barked out a laugh. “When they take a bath alone it’s so they can shave their legs, you idiot.”
“I know that now,” Finn said, his face rueful. “I might have screwed it up a time or two … or five … before Ally explained it to me.”
Mandy laughed, leaning forward so James could finish taping up her back. He pulled her tank top back down and dropped a quick kiss on the back of her neck. “Maybe we should have Ally put a manual together.”
“That could only help,” Grady agreed. “So, where do we start?”
“We start with a quick breakfast,” James said, glancing around the apartment as he pulled breakfast sandwiches and hash browns out of the bag. “Do you want all this furniture?”
“What do you mean?” Mandy asked.
“Well, no offense, baby, but I’m thinking we should just dump most of this stuff and buy new for the house when we find one,” James replied.
“House?” Grady raised an eyebrow. “You guys are buying a house together?”
“We are,” James said, no trace of guile or embarrassment on his features. “When all of this is settled, we’re going to buy a house.”
“Doesn’t that freak you out?”
James glanced down at Mandy’s curious face, rubbing his thumb across her cheek briefly. “After this past week, nothing freaks me out. Nothing.”
Fourteen
A week later, things were back to normal. Mostly.
Mandy’s cast was off, her stitches were out, and the only remnants of the explosion were James’ memories and her quickly healing back wound.
In addition to Mandy’s sassy mouth and flirty attitude returning, so had James’ bossy nature.
“I don’t want you to go back to work,” James said. He was sitting on the edge of the bed watching her get dressed. “We haven’t figured out anything yet.”
“Well, that’s not going to change whether I go back to work or not,” Mandy said, straightening her black pencil skirt and glancing at herself in the mirror. “How do I look?”
“You look like a naughty librarian without the glasses,” James said. “I like it. Why don’t you stay here and let me take it off of you? You can spank me for returning a book late or something.”
“You have to go back to work, too,” Mandy said. “You haven’t touched anything besides me for two weeks.”
James cleared his throat. “Mandy, we need to figure out who planted the bomb and why,” James said. “Finn and Grady have done some legwork, but the truth is, we’re really behind. I let myself get distracted.”
Mandy cocked her head to the side as she regarded him. “Define distracted.”
“Well, the first week all I could think about was not touching you,” James said, forcing a rueful smile on his face. “The second week was different. Then I could only think about touching you. They were both viable avenues of distraction. Now I need to focus on keeping you safe.”
“And you don’t think I’ll be safe at the courthouse? There are like fifty cops in and out of there every day. There’s no place safer.”
“My lap is safer,” James said. “Why don’t we do computer work all day?”
“Whenever we do computer work, we end up having sex.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” James said. “I’ll call the judge. He’ll understand.”
“I know he’ll understand,” Mandy said. “I’m the one who doesn’t understand. We don’t have any indication that I was specifically targeted. For all we know, it could have been random.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“I don’t know,” Mandy said. “Like I said, we don’t know anything.”
“Which is exactly why you should stay here.”
“I don’t want to stay here,” Mandy said. “I want to get my life back. I want to actually sit in my office and fantasize about missing you so much that I tear your clothes off when I get home.”
James sighed, rolling his eyes. “Don’t try to manipulate me.”
“I’m not,” Mandy said. “Sometimes I actually fantasize about you coming into my office and closing the door behind you. You don’t lock it, though. It’s dirtier that way. Then you kneel in front of me, right underneath my desk and … .” Mandy leaned in, finishing her fantasy with her lips in close proximity to James’ ear.
He shivered, enjoying the visual accompanying the fantasy. “I still don’t want you going to work.”
“I know,” Mandy said. “That’s why I’m going to let you take me to work and pick me up. I’m also going to stay in the courthouse and eat lunch there.”
James knit his eyebrows together, considering. “Do you promise?”
“Yes.”
“Do you promise to let me really act out that fantasy some time?”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to agree to everything I want to make me feel better?”
“Yes.”
“Fine,” James said, getting to his feet. “Let’s get you to work. I don’t suppose you’d consider going without underwear this whole week so I have something to fantasize about?”
THERE was only one case on Judge MacIntosh’s docket Monday, and it was in the afternoon. That left the morning for Mandy to catch up and clear her desk. A girl from the main records room had temped during her convalescence – and things were fairly well organized. Mandy didn’t say it out loud, but she was irked things hadn’t ground to a halt in her absence. It was ridiculous, and she knew it, but she wanted to feel important.
She settled behind her desk in the courtroom about twenty minutes before the case was set to begin. Heidi was still out at lunch, disappointed Mandy hadn’t gone with her, but resigned that Mandy’s safety came first. Mandy figured she would make it up to her friend when everything was over and settled.
The door to the courtroom swung open, and Mandy was surprised to see Sophie enter. She was dressed in one of her sensible pantsuits, and she had a notebook in her hand. She headed in Mandy’s direction.
“So, the rumors are true,” Sophie said. “You’re back at work.”
“I figured James called you and made you come and check on me,” Mandy teased. “Are you telling me this is a coincidence?”
Sophie held up her notebook. “I’m covering your afternoon case.”
&nbs
p; Mandy sifted through her files. “Walter Tipton, Jr.?”
“Yup.”
“What did he do?”
“He killed his wife,” Sophie said. “She was having an affair with his best friend. Walter says the best friend killed her, but the evidence says otherwise.”
“You’re not in court a lot,” Mandy said, still suspicious. “Why are you here today?”
“The court reporter is on vacation,” Sophie said. “Things are kind of slow at the county right now. They’ll pick up again in about two weeks when the budget meetings hit.”
“Ah, your bread and butter,” Mandy said, smiling. “So, will you be bored during this?”
Sophie shrugged. “Murder trials are hit and miss,” Sophie said. “From what I understand, the families in this thing are at war. That might make it interesting.”
“What kind of war?”
“Well, the father of the victim allegedly started Walter Tipton, Sr.’s truck on fire. That case is pending in Warren district court. Walter Tipton, Sr. retaliated by allegedly throwing a brick through the other guy’s window. That case is pending in Roseville district court. The victim’s brother reportedly knocked up the suspect’s sister, which means that case is going to be pending in family court in about six months. Oh, and there’s a missing dog.”
Mandy frowned. “A missing dog?”
“Someone stole the suspect’s dog.”
“They didn’t kill it, did they?” For some reason, the idea of an animal being hurt upset Mandy more than the thought of a person getting hurt.
“There’s no evidence of that,” Sophie said, shrugging. “A family friend says that the victim’s sister stole the dog and took it up north, if that’s any consolation.”
It was. “So, you’re saying this could get ugly?”
“Yup.”
“The judge won’t like that,” Mandy said.
“This whole thing is going to be a mess before it’s all said and done,” Sophie said.
A half hour later, Mandy realized just how well Sophie had read the situation. The victim’s brother was the first one called to the stand. After referring to the suspect as “an impotent troll with an invisible penis,” the suspect tried to attack him on the stand.
Deadly Proposal (Hardy Brothers Security Book 4) Page 10
