“Y-you believe me, don’t you?” she said with the slightest fear-induced stutter.
A cool smile lit his features, and her terror gripped her tighter, suffocating her as though all of the air had been sucked out of the room.
“Of course I do,” he answered as he ripped the knife across her bottom lip, rending the plump flesh from her face.
Pain, excruciating and nauseating, roiled through her as she screamed, and he continued to carve.
Chapter Five
Jack hadn’t realized, when he’d offered his assistance that Tess’s house was in such poor condition.
Scraping the paint off the front porch railing, he reached up and, with the back of his arm, wiped the sweat from his brow.
After leaving Tess the night before, sleep had eluded him. The memory of her soft, flowing hair and tinkling laugh had etched itself deep within his mind. With every gentle brush of the soft, cotton sheets over his tense, heated body, his need for her grew. The way she stirred his arousal with the slightest look baffled him. He’d met beautiful women before, but none had ever tempted him as completely as Tess. It was as if he couldn’t get enough of her, and he hadn’t even had her yet. It was something he’d have to contemplate further, but he feared he already knew the answer. He and Tess had an undeniable chemistry that practically sizzled when the other was near.
He wanted to get to know more about his new neighbor, and last night’s conversation had been a great start.
She’d revealed more of herself to him than he could’ve hoped for. He now knew the reason for the sad look in her eye, and her slightly suspicious nature. She was a cop, and she’d lost her partner, who just so happened to be her lifelong friend. That kind of loss would be enough to cause anyone to seclude themselves or become guarded, just as Tess had.
Jack frowned. He couldn’t imagine the loss she must feel. If he ever lost Robbie, he didn’t know what he would do, and they hadn’t been friends nearly as long as Tess and her departed friend.
Shaking himself away from the dark thoughts, he gathered his wits and continued the task at hand. Scraping the last bit of paint from the section of the porch he’d been working on for the last hour, he turned to watch Tess.
Much to his surprise, she wasn’t making him do all the work. At the moment, Tess was on her knees, scraping paint from the other side of the porch.
Letting his eyes roam over her openly as she worked, he couldn’t help but sigh silently in pleasure. She looked delectable in a pair of old, faded jean shorts and white tank top. Quietly, he continued his perusal as a small bead of sweat trailed down her cheek and lower to the satiny curve of her neck. Swallowing the knot of arousal in his throat, he imagined himself reaching out and wiping it away. Tess was driving him wild. She wasn’t doing anything to deliberately garner his attention, but that didn’t mean she didn’t deserve it.
It was impossible for him not to notice her. Her shorts hugged her hips, and her paint-stained t-shirt caressed the curves of her breasts in a way that made his mouth water. She was sexy without trying to be, which he found turned him on immensely. She didn’t try to be sexy, she just was, and apparently she had no idea exactly how exquisite she actually was.
“I think we’re ready to start painting,” she said as she rose to her feet and placed her hands on her hips.
“I think so, too,” Jack said, quickly turning away from her. Surely she would be uncomfortable if she knew he’d been watching her.
Looking around thoughtfully, he nodded. “All the old paint’s gone. We could go ahead and start if you're up to it.”
This time, when he turned back, he was surprised to find Tess watching him.
He felt her gaze trailing over his body in a silken caress. She never moved, just continued her slow, steady examination of his physique.
Despite the heat of the day, a chill slid the length of his spine. He stood motionless, allowing her to look her fill.
Her gaze felt so good against his skin, as if she’d reached out and slid the tips of her fingers down his chest to his stomach and lower.
Suddenly, her eyes met his. A flash of what he could only describe as embarrassment shadowed their deep-blue depths.
*
“I-I’ll run to the garage and get the paint.”
She was running like a coward, but she didn’t care. Hurrying toward the garage, she took several deep, calming breaths, gathering her composure with every step of distance she put between herself and Jack.
Jack was more temptation than she could handle. He’d obviously caught her checking him out and the hunger that flashed in his eyes was unmistakable … or was it? She could’ve just imagined what she thought she’d read in his expression. After all, it had been a long time since she’d been with a man who desired her or whom she desired as much as she did Jack. She still couldn’t believe how much he turned her on. It was a tad unnerving.
Approaching the open garage entrance, Tess stepped inside the large building and looked around. The paint had been delivered two days earlier and now sat at the back of the garage, near the front of her car. Not bothering with flicking on the light, as there was more than enough sunlight coming in through the open door, Tess continued on toward the row of stacked paint cans.
These few moments away from Jack were exactly what she needed. Her head already felt clearer, as if the butterflies of arousal that had made their home in her body had finally taken their leave, allowing her to think logically once again.
Bending down to grasp one of the paint cans, a scrape reached her ears. Stilling, Tess stood slowly and peered around the area.
“Probably just Mitsy,” she said quietly. The neighbor’s cat liked to sleep in her garage, and she’d been known to feed the furry little thing, even though she knew the kitty’s humans cared very well for her.
Shaking her head, Tess resumed her duties. If she didn’t hurry, Jack would make his way to the garage to help her. Who knew what would happen if she came face-to-face with him in a dark room, sweat running enticingly down his chest, dampening his t-shirt, forcing it to stick to his well-sculpted chest?
“Jesus, Tess, get over it,” she whispered, and shook her head.
Lifting one can in each hand, she started toward the garage door.
Another scrape sounded, and this time, it was followed by what she identified immediately as footsteps, and not Mitsy’s little kitty footsteps.
* * * *
As quick as a shot, she’d jumped off the porch and disappearing around the side of the house before Jack could blink, much less offer to help.
Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm his fast-rising arousal, Jack chuckled. Maybe he’d been thinking too little of Tess’s attraction to him. He’d caught her checking him out the first time they’d met, but thought nothing of it, an innocent once-over to evaluate the new neighbor who’d just so happened to find her standing nude on her front lawn. But now, the way she’d let her eyes rake over him had been anything but innocent. If he wanted to get to know her on an intimate level, which he absolutely did, he needed to see just how far he could push her before she started backing away.
The blush in her cheeks, and her shallow breath as she’d ogled him moments ago, made him wonder if she would put up a resistance at all were he to make a move. He knew it would be better not to push things too quickly, but with Tess’s obvious attraction to him and his raging need for her, he didn’t know how slow he could actually go.
An idea formed quickly in his mind. Grabbing the hem of his shirt, he lifted it over his head and tossed it over the porch rail. A little sexual teasing might aid his cause.
Jack wasn’t a vain man. He worked out on a regular basis and felt comfortable with his body, but he couldn’t suppress the trickle of self-doubt that slid through him. What if Tess didn’t appreciate his physique? The way she’d admired him moments ago should’ve put that worry on the back burner for him. Shrugging the thought away, he put on a brave face. He’d just have to take that chan
ce.
Happy with his idea, Jack picked up the paint scrapers and walked to the toolbox parked at the bottom of the steps.
* * * *
Looking about quickly, she spotted nothing out of the ordinary, but knew for a fact she wasn’t alone. The sounds reaching her ears kept her certain of that fact. Whoever was in the garage with her was hiding on the other side of her car, in the shadows where the sunlight didn’t reach. She needed her gun, and luckily, she kept one under her driver’s side seat.
Keeping her composure, she lowered the cans of paint to the floor.
“Oh, shoot. I left my keys in the car,” she lied lightly. If whoever was with her thought she was only going after her keys, she would be able to get her gun without them knowing. Then she would have the upper hand.
Grasping the handle, Tess opened the car door, quickly reached beneath the seat, and grabbed the gun, but the sudden rush of footfalls, followed by a tight grip on her wrist, stopped her attempt to get the drop on her assailant.
A vise-like grip clamped both of her hands together, ripped her from the car and against a hard chest. Twisting and turning, Tess fought to free herself, but to no avail.
“Stop squirming, bitch!”
Ignoring her attacker’s demand, she continued her struggle. Lifting her foot, she slammed the heel down on the attacker’s toes. Then turning quickly, she swung at his head with all of her might, but the man doing his best to subdue her blocked her attack, and as his hands collided with hers, the gun went of, blasting a hole in the ceiling. The attacker dropped her. She fell to her hands and knees as the gun skidded across the cement floor. Suddenly, her attacker disappeared, quicker than he’d appeared.
* * * *
A loud pop echoed from the garage.
A gunshot.
Leaping over the porch rail, Jack sprinted toward the garage.
Terror gripped him as he approached the open garage door and was knocked to the ground. A heavy weight crashed down on top of him briefly before moving away just as quickly as it’d happened.
Leaping to his feet, Jack caught a glimpse of what had slammed into him. For a moment, he contemplated giving chase as he watched the tall figure disappear through the gate and out of sight, but Tess’s safety was far more important than catching some thug.
“Tess!”
As he jumped to his feet and bolted into the garage, he was nearly knocked over again as he ran headlong into her.
“Are you all right?”
Gripping her by the upper arms, he twisted her body this way and that, as he looked her over. Much to his relief, she didn’t seem to have any injuries.
“Yes, I’m fine. Did you get a good look at him?” she asked as she brushed his hands away irritably and continued past him, out of the garage.
“No. Did you?” he answered as he followed her out into the bright sunlight.
Tess shook her head.
“We need to call the police.”
“I am the police,” she reminded him.
“You’re on leave; need I remind you? We should still call someone and report this. He shot at you!”
“Actually, I shot at him.”
“You shot at him?”
Jack watched as Tess walked back into the garage and promptly returned with a small handgun.
After she replayed the events of the attack, including how she’d shot at the criminal, she turned and stepped into the doorway of the garage before pointing up at a hole in the ceiling where a stream of sunlight now poured through. “That’s where the bullet hit.” Bending down, she grabbed the cans of paint she’d dropped. She moved out of the garage and back to Jack’s side.
Jack nodded. “He must’ve known I’d hear you and come investigate so he ran off.”
Tess nodded her agreement as she turned to close the garage door, snapping the padlock into place. She headed back toward the front of the house.
“Are you going to report this?”
“No. It was probably just some teenagers out trying to stir up trouble. I don’t think it’s anything I really need to worry about.”
“You don’t expect me to believe that, do you? There’s no way you’d have pulled your gun if you thought it was a teen.”
She glared at him, but didn’t disagree.
“Someone just attacked you and you want to let it go?” he asked with disbelief.
“That’s right.” She nodded as she started back toward the porch at a quick clip.
“Come on, Tess. You could’ve been seriously injured.” He followed her up the front steps.
Tess stopped and turned to face him as she stood two stairs above him, placing her on his eye-level.
Stopping quickly, he caught himself before running into her.
“Look,” she said with a sigh, “I have enough on my plate without my fellow officers buzzing around my house, asking questions, and doubting whether or not I can still protect myself, if and when I return. Many of them already think Dean’s death was my fault. I don’t need them questioning my abilities further.”
Jack opened his mouth to speak, but she silenced him.
“Like I said—” she smiled, obviously fighting to keep her temper under control, “—probably some teenager trying to cause trouble, steal a car, go for a joy ride It’s more common than you think.”
As much as Jack wanted to believe her and pass this whole situation off on a reckless teenager engaging in mischief, he couldn’t bring himself to do so.
If Tess’s attacker really were just some teenager trying to steal her car, he would have had plenty of time before Tess stumbled upon him. Not to mention, why would he have tried to steal it in the middle of the day when the owner was only a few feet away on the front porch? And how did he get into the garage in the first place? A rock wall on three sides blocked the house from anyone’s view, and the gate leading up the drive to the garage was right in front of the house. They would’ve seen him coming up the drive. This meant whoever attacked Tess must’ve climbed the back wall, which seemed like a lot of trouble to go through to steal a small car.
There were just too many unanswered questions for Jack’s comfort, but he decided he’d keep quiet for now. Tess had been through a lot recently. He didn’t want to cause her any more trouble. She was right. She had enough to deal with.
Nodding, he reluctantly agreed. “All right, but if anything else like this happens, we call the police. Agreed?”
“Agreed.” She grinned. “Now, enough of this.” She gestured toward the fully stripped porch. “Let’s go have some lunch. I’m starving.”
Chapter Six
The rest of the day went by in a lazy haze. They’d painted the entire porch, and although neither of them had a lick of professional painting ability, it actually looked great. When dinnertime rolled around, they’d agreed to share a pizza and unwind after the events and work of the day.
Like I could ever unwind with Jack around.
He kept her wound as tight as a coil about to pop with his glimmering smile and charm.
“Do you enjoy being a cop?”
Tess raised her eyes from the slice of pizza she’d been enjoying and smiled. “Yes and no.”
“Care to elaborate?” Jack asked curiously.
Taking a sip of her ice water, Tess shrugged. “I used to enjoy it a lot more than I do now.”
“Since your partner’s death, you mean?”
“Not exactly,” she admitted. “I was getting a little restless with my job even before the shooting. I just didn’t want to admit it. Being a cop was all I ever wanted to be. How could I admit I might have made a mistake by actually becoming one?”
Jack nodded. “I understand what you mean. I went on this vacation to get away from the stress of the job, but in all honesty, I was getting restless. Not necessarily bored, but now that I don’t have to deal with the lying and betrayal aspects of the job, I'm a lot happier. I still want to work but not like before.”
“Are you thinking about quitting?” sh
e asked curiously.
“No, just working behind the scenes maybe, arranging the cases for other PIs to take on instead of going out in the field and doing it myself.”
“Perhaps that’s what I should do,” she said thoughtfully.
Jack gazed at her intently. She felt a chill slither across her heated flesh as his gaze bored into her. She needed to put some distance between them. She feared if she moved closer to him, she’d lose all control and attack the poor man. Tess glanced out the kitchen window at the darkening sky.
“It’s getting late,” she said wearily. She stood and began clearing the table.
He rose too and helped her complete the task before moving toward the door to make his exit.
“I’ll be here around six in the morning, if that’s all right.”
She nodded as she followed him to the door. “Perfect.”
With one final smile, Jack opened the door and walked at a quick clip across the street.
As much as she wanted Jack to stay, she knew it was a bad idea. She watched him disappear into his house, then, closing and locking her door, she headed upstairs.
After a quick shower and scrub of her teeth, she climbed beneath the sheets of her bed and fell quickly into a deep sleep.
* * * *
Thump.
Shifting against her pillow, Tess sighed.
Thump.
“What in the world…?”
Rubbing her eyes, Tess raised herself to rest on one arm.
She was used to the many creaks and squeaks of her new house, but the thumps that had just stirred her from such a deep slumber were ones she hadn’t heard before.
Sitting perfectly still, she listened quietly for a long moment but heard only the soft chirp of crickets and the occasional hum of the locusts, the sounds she’d come to love since moving into her new home.
“You’re just being paranoid.”
The attack in the garage must be what had her feeling so paranoid.
Tess pounded her pillow and snuggled back down into the soft linens. It’d been a long day, and tomorrow was going to be even longer. Jack had suggested they start painting the rest of the house.
The Stranger Next Door Page 5
