Get real! You’re waiting for that big, gorgeous hunk of male down the hallway to come and ravage you again.
Allegra smothered a smile, remembering how they’d laughed and teased each other doing the ‘walk of shame’ from the shed. They’d taken a long, hot shower then eaten the meal Luke’s housekeeper had left in the fridge.
Then Nat phoned with the news.
The boarding house owner was visiting her sister, though a tenant confirmed the Toyota belonged to her. A call to the owner’s mobile established she’d taken the train to Newcastle. No-one had permission to use the car in her absence. She denied being in the vicinity of Bondi Beach, but refused to provide a tenant list.
But the woman had agreed to an interview with Luke on Monday morning.
Was this the breakthrough they’d been waiting for?
Allegra sighed and considered offering Luke her help. Earlier, she’d left him searching through lists of suspects, hoping the boarding house would show up as a place of residence. Meanwhile, Tom worked from her apartment and Nat kept watch at the boarding house hoping their quarry would try and use the car again.
She leaned forward and gave a tentative stretch. The laceration on her arm barely bothered her, and aside from being a little sore around the ribs, she felt fine. In fact, she felt more than fine.
Maybe she could help out in some way.
Throwing off the covers, she got to her feet and padded down the hallway to the study. Knocking quietly, she opened the door and stuck her head inside.
The lights were blazing, as was the computer monitor and director’s lamp. But Luke’s chair was vacant, though the papers strewn across his desk suggested he’d be back any minute.
Maybe he was in the bathroom or getting something to eat in the kitchen.
As Allegra went to close the door, something scraped across the floor to ceiling window.
She froze, hairs raised on the back of her neck as she stared at the curtain. It sounded like a branch tapping against the glass, only no tree stood outside the window. Only rolling lawn.
Her heart boomed and her scalp crawled as she closed the study door and continued down the hallway towards the kitchen. She should find Luke and bring it to his attention. Even if it proved to be nothing, he’d prefer to know.
Her footsteps faltered as an unwelcome thought crossed her mind. Had he seen something on the monitors and gone to investigate? Sweat beaded her forehead as the eyes in the sketch came to mind, a man in a black balaclava.
Licking her dry lips, she forced her legs to move, biting back the impulse to cry out to him.
One step.
Another.
Could it have been some kind of farm animal? She clamped her teeth together. She couldn’t remember farm animals, not even chickens
Kangaroo?
It was possible. They’d spotted a mob on the way down from the city.
At the end of the hallway she stopped and cast her eye around the kitchen and family room. It was sterile clean, and deathly silent. The monitor on the wall showed the driveway. All looked quiet.
Maybe he’d gone to bed. Even as the thought crossed her mind she dismissed it. She’d been half expecting him to come to her tonight, at the very least look in on her if he intended working through. But there’d been no sound from the study for hours.
A clicking sound had her swinging back to the monitor, and her body went weak with relief as she stared at the image.
Chloe! With a huge stick in her mouth! And Luke, outside on the lawn.
Allegra’s knees trembled as she leaned against the kitchen bench. Thank God she hadn’t raced through the house, screaming his name, or rang his mobile phone as she’d been tempted to do. Much as she yearned to crawl inside his skin, it was vital she keep a level head.
He was outside with the dogs. He was safe, and so was she.
Allegra turned and walked over to the kitchen door. She’d been too worked up to notice earlier, but now she could see it stood ajar a few inches. She pulled it wide, shivering as the night air rushed in and cooled her heated skin.
Through the screen door she saw the wolfhound streak across the grass to where Luke stood at the foot of the veranda steps. He wrested the stick from the dog’s mouth then threw it like a boomerang in the other direction, his hair shining in the light of the porch. The wolfhound went charging off into the darkness as he bent down and tossed what looked to be a tennis ball to Astro.
Could she have dozed off at some point, and not heard him take the dogs out for a last run?
As if sensing her presence Luke turned, trapping her in his stare, a pensive smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Allegra raised her hand, embarrassed he’d caught her watching him. Unable to read his mood, she closed the door, breaking their connection. Even at a distance he did things to her no other man could.
Back in her room, she sat on the bed and harnessed every molecule of inner strength. Her life and career were on the line, and the thought of her mother, destitute, just didn’t bear thinking about. But all of it paled in comparison to the fear of something happening to Luke. She loved him, more than life itself, and by asking him to take the case, she’d put him directly in the path of a madman.
If she brought him harm she’d never forgive herself.
Allegra climbed into bed and turned to face the wall, fisting the sheet in her hands, her body rigid with tension. Minutes later she heard Luke bring the dogs inside and lock the door.
After a while he came into the room and she listened to him undressing in the dark, the sound of him opening a condom enough to send a shaft of desire straight to her loins. Then he slid quietly in beside her and gathered her to him in a hot, powerful embrace.
“Were you waiting for me?” He nuzzled gentle kisses down her neck turning her tension into desire.
“I thought you weren’t coming.” She tunnelled her fingers into his hair and dragged his head down, craving his kiss.
“I wasn’t going to,” he muttered against her lips, “but I couldn’t stay away.”
The words were torn from him.
Allegra’s heart ballooned with hope and she took his face between her hands, caught her breath at the storm of emotion in his eyes. “Then don’t.”
Her possessive kiss shattered Luke’s thoughts into a thousand pieces, and when she pulled him down on top of her and opened her soft, warm thighs in welcome, he couldn’t hold back. Moving over her in the dark, he claimed her with one powerful thrust, her grateful cry all the confirmation he needed.
She yearned for this, as badly as he.
A hungry fire licked along his veins, his heart a ticking bomb in his chest. Their bodies moved in unison, speaking the same beautiful language, no words, only the needy sounds and gentle urgings as he took her with him to a higher plane. And then her body spasmed and his guttural cry split the silence as with one final thrust he joined her.
Waves of pleasure crashed over them and he held her tight, his face buried in her hair as they rode the exquisite turbulence together.
Afterwards, he rubbed her back, her cheek damp against his chest. Then her head grew heavy on his shoulder and her breathing evened out as she slept.
Loath to disturb her, Luke stared at the canopy of stars shining through the skylight and felt something seismic shift inside him. As the scudding clouds moved shadows across the wall, he tightened his hold on her body, cherishing the feel of her in his arms.
Allegra didn’t know it, but tonight she’d carved her name across his heart.
Chapter Fifteen
Allegra gazed at the crystal pool, wishing she’d packed a swimsuit. Despite sunscreen, the fierce rays bit into her exposed skin, forcing her beneath the shade of the umbrella.
She smothered a grin, considered stripping off her sundress and diving in. If Luke caught sight of her on the study monitor he’d be joining her before she broke the surface. She decided not to be so selfish and tempt him. He had work to do.
St
retched out on the sun lounge, she flicked through the Sunday paper, but the rehashed news failed to hold her interest. The last few nights had left her sleep deprived, but Luke had no such problem. Trained to function on minimal sleep, he possessed an enviable store of energy.
Not that she was complaining!
She set the paper on the ground, eyelids heavy behind dark glasses. Hopefully a nap would re-energise her.
A while later she awoke with a start. A light breeze caressed her face and sheets of newspaper careened across the sandstone flagging. Groggy, she stood up, pushing what remained of the newspaper under the leg of the chair and scrambling to retrieve pages caught by the pool fence.
Two pages floated in the water beyond her reach. Grabbing the long handled leaf scoop, she manoeuvred one beneath a sodden page and carefully brought it closer.
She froze, an icy chill slithering up her backbone.
Her name undulated beneath the surface in the bold print headline of the social page. It rose and fell with the movement of the water.
“Objection! Allegra Greenwood off the market?”
With extreme care she retrieved the offending page and laid it on the pool surround. One photograph showed her arriving at the function last Friday, her expression surprised. A second, taken towards the end of the evening, showed her and Luke waiting for the valet attendant to bring the car. Absorbed in each other and looking very much a couple, his arm was wrapped possessively around her waist, his head bent close as he tried to catch what she was saying.
Is Allegra Greenwood officially off the market? A member of Sydney’s legal fraternity confirms this to be the case. The glamorous criminal lawyer has reached celebrity status in recent years through her representation of certain sporting and racing identities. Fiercely protective of her private life, she was snapped leaving the Four Seasons Hotel late Friday evening, cosying up to the handsome owner of Neilson’s Security, Luke Neilson.
Sources confirm Neilson and Greenwood to be an item. It is believed the genetically blessed pair first met years ago when Greenwood’s late brother formed part of an elite military unit of which Neilson was Commanding Officer.
Allegra’s heart froze as she re-read the last sentence.
No! Her mind screamed a denial. It couldn’t be.
Aware Luke may be watching her on the monitor, she spread the page out to dry in the sun. Shaking, she slumped on the sunlounge. She had to think.
The SAS were secretive.
And yet a reporter garnered information while she’d been stonewalled for years. And she’d met Luke at the firm’s ill-fated cocktail party, not through Martin.
Allegra’s heart hammered in her chest, palms clammy as she recalled in vivid detail every time the subject was raised between her and Luke. The first day when he’d looked at Martin’s photograph in her bedroom, and again when he’d shortened her name. Had he been closer to Martin than she ever could have guessed?
She glanced again at the soggy sheet of newspaper lying on the pavement. She had to give Luke a chance to refute the claim. What if the reporter had it wrong?
Pushing the sense of foreboding to the back of her mind, Allegra stood up and walked towards the house.
Luke looked up to find Ally standing in the doorway, her face pale, blue eyes glazed with shock.
She knew.
He knew too, but he asked anyway. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“Don’t call me that.”
He put down his pen, watching as she came into the room. She rested her palms on the edge of his desk and leaned towards him. “Have you seen today’s paper?”
Shit!
Luke sat back in the chair, his heart beating double time. “I don’t need to. Tom’s search picked it up from the net late last night.”
Her eyes widened, sparked, and not in a good way. “And it didn’t cross your mind to tell me?”
It had, but he’d wanted one more night, needed to hold onto her for as long as he could.
She searched his face, the way he’d seen her do with an unreliable witness. “Please tell me it’s sensationalised trash.”
Luke swallowed. He’d dreaded this moment. Now it was here, it was a hundred times worse than he’d imagined. “It’s true.”
She straightened slowly and took a step back, a look of disbelief on her face.
Luke jumped up and rounded the desk. He’d lain beside her all last night, thinking about what he could say in his defence. But he had nothing.
“Ally.”
“Don’t touch me!”
He jerked to a halt, feeling like the biggest bastard that had ever been born.
“You were Martin’s Commanding Officer?” she asked in a cold voice.
He nodded in confirmation. That much was common knowledge now. “Yes.”
“Did you lead his final mission? Were you there when he died?”
He clenched his jaw and brought to mind the oath he’d taken. It took every ounce of willpower not to break it.
She stepped closer, spoke to him through clenched teeth. “What happened to my brother?”
He grabbed her shoulders.
She brought up her palms and shoved him hard in the chest.
Oh yes, she was angry. No, not angry, furious.
“Let me go.”
He ignored her, tightening his grip until she was forced to look at him. “I’ll only say this once. An error of judgment on my part resulted in Martin’s death.”
Luke was glad he had hold of her. She seemed to crumple in the centre at his brutally honest words. But there was no going back now. “If you’re looking for someone to blame, I’m your man. You can’t make me feel any guiltier than I already do.”
When she didn’t say anything, he gave her a light shake. He could take her anger, he couldn’t stand her pain. “Is that what you needed to hear?”
“Let go of me,” she repeated.
He let her go. If he had a stake, he’d swear to God he’d drive it through his own heart if it’d make her feel better.
“I’m sorry, Ally. I’m so sorry.”
She didn’t react, just stared out the window to where the blue sky and sunshine seemed incongruous with the depressing mood in the room.
“Is that why you took my case?” she asked in a dull voice. “Guilt?”
She was smart. He’d known it wouldn’t take her long to connect the dots. “I owed your brother a debt to look out for you.”
He watched as she digested his words. “And I thought you wanted the contract, or to get me into bed.”
He wasn’t going to deny he’d wanted those things too. “When I realised you were Martin’s sister, those things became secondary to keeping you safe.”
“Safe in your bed.”
Luke bit back a retort. She was hurting, bad, and it was his goddamn fault. “I didn’t force you, Allegra. You were there every step of the way.”
Luke clenched his hands at his sides. He had to physically stop himself from pulling her into his arms and trying to make it all go away.
“At least I was honest with you.”
Could he feel any more like a bastard than he already did? “I don’t have that liberty.”
When she raised her eyes he saw understanding and resignation in their depths. “All this time you were doing it for Martin.”
“Ally, don’t.”
She raised her chin and seemed to look right into his soul. “You’re with me for all the wrong reasons.”
Jesus Christ!
Floundering, he ran a hand around the back of his neck. He had to give her more. “It might have started out that way, but it has nothing to do with Martin anymore, and everything to do with you.”
But she was deaf to those sentiments. “I’m rescinding our agreement effective immediately. I’ll arrange for someone to take over from you tomorrow.”
Luke stared at her in disbelief, the thought of another guy taking his place too awful to even contemplate. And she was deadly serious, delivering it with a cool
indifference that scared the shit out of him.
“This is crazy!” He was tempted to kick a chair or slam his fist into the wall, anything to release the frustration of his enforced silence.
But he wouldn’t frighten her like that.
He had to think!
As she turned to leave, he moved past her and blocked the doorway. If he got his hands on that scandal-seeking reporter he’d rip him limb from limb.
She stopped, drew herself up to her full height and gave him some serious wattage. Lesser men would have quailed, but he was a selfish bastard and he wanted everything from her.
“Get out of my way, Luke.”
He grabbed her shoulders again, her silky skin warm from the sun. “For God’s sake Ally, listen. This stalker’s counting on you not going to the police. The article exposes me. We know he’s smart. It won’t take him long to figure out I’m not just your lover.”
She shook her shoulders free of his grasp. “I’ll take the risk.”
“Jesus, Ally, be reasonable.” He didn’t often plead, but he was pleading now. “We’re too close to pull the plug on this. I’m due at the boarding house at eight tomorrow.”
“I don’t care.” She gave a stubborn lift of her chin and glared at him again. “I want Astro, and my car.”
She was slipping away from him. He could feel it.
He didn’t move. “You’re not leaving.”
She raised an eyebrow, looking every inch the perfumed steamroller. “What are you going to do, Luke? Tie me up?”
He said the first thing that came into his head. “You never know, you might like it.”
He didn’t even attempt to intercept the stinging crack of her palm as it struck his cheek. He flinched, the force of the blow snapping his head to one side. He deserved it, hell he even welcomed it.
At least she still cared.
When he opened his eyes she was staring at him in anger, chest heaving, eyes glistening with tears. Then she pushed past him and ran down the hallway as if she couldn’t bear to be near him a moment longer.
Hot Lawyers: The Lee Christine Collection Page 16
