He’d been stunned by her revelation that she’d considered suicide. The fact that her husband had done his best to destroy such an extraordinary woman sent anger surging through Tully’s veins. Her husband, whom she had loved and trusted. Her husband, who was supposed to care for her instead of beating her down with his manipulative lies. He hoped Matt Stevens would one day give him an excuse to smash his fist into the man’s face.
Natalie stirred and Tully eased the grip he’d tightened on her without realizing it.
He’d also been stunned—and moved—that she’d chosen to share her secret with him. She’d confessed that she’d never told anyone else; she was too ashamed of her weakness. Her trust soothed his anger into something warm and peaceful that spread through him like a gentle wave.
But that feeling worried him. Her serenity was hard-won. He didn’t want to be the cause of any more hurt in her life. He had good reasons for choosing not to have a woman in his life full-time. His job still exposed him to some danger and sometimes he craved even more. Not to mention that he sure as shit wasn’t handing down the defective family genes to a child. Alcoholism and addiction were diseases that ran in his family.
He’d allowed himself to start a relationship with her because Natalie swore she never wanted to marry again. Now he wondered, though. Stevens had hurt her badly, but she didn’t hate all men. She had built herself a new life in the three years since her divorce was final. She might decide her new life should include the kind of husband she deserved. And Tully wasn’t that man.
The hell of it was that he wanted to be.
Chapter 16
“You good with Regina staying at your place until we get Van Houten locked up?” Tully asked Leland as he sat down in one of the empty chairs in Mission Control. His partner’s usual T-shirt and jeans caught the ever-present glow of the computer screens. “She feels comfortable with you and Dawn.”
“I’m insulted you would even ask,” Leland said, swiveling to face his colleague. “You’re planning to get Van Houten locked up? How?”
“By proving he’s a psychopathic stalker.”
Leland lifted a quizzical eyebrow. “You haven’t got anything to tie him to stalking Natalie.”
“Yet.” Tully drummed his fingers on the desk. “I saw the way Van Houten treats his staff. I’ll get one of them to flip on him.” He had surveillance on the security guards, so he would find the weak link. It would just take time.
“What’s the latest from the stalker?”
“Nothing.” Tully’s fingers curled into a fist. “That’s a problem.”
“I’d think Natalie would be relieved.”
“She is. I’m not.” Tully frowned. “Stalkers don’t stop without a reason. What’s changed that would make Van Houten quit? He doesn’t know that his wife is back in the area.”
“Are you sure of that? Maybe one of his goons was watching Natalie’s house when Regina showed up.”
“I don’t think so. He’d have come to the salon again if that were the case.” Tully shook his head. “He’s trying a different tack, and I don’t like waiting to find out what it is.”
“Does Natalie know you’re worried?”
“Hell, no! She’s been through enough these last couple of days.” And in the years before. She didn’t need to worry about something that might not happen.
Leland looked away and then back before clearing his throat. “I know this is none of my business, but you seem especially . . . protective of Natalie.”
“And?” Tully put an edge in his voice to warn Leland off the subject.
But his partner was made of sterner stuff than that. “You remind me of someone.” Leland tapped the arm of his chair as he pretended to think. “Oh yes—myself when Dawn was being threatened by a black market arms dealer.”
“Yeah, you went a little crazy back then. Worked 24-7, as I recall. I’m not doing that.” Although he was still catching up on the projects he’d put on the back burner to deal with Natalie’s issue.
“Come off it, Tully.” Leland’s voice lost all its disarming southern drawl. “I saw how you looked at Natalie the night you brought Regina over. And you were at her house in the middle of the night. Don’t try to convince me you were sleeping in the guest room.”
“You’re right. It’s none of your business.” Tully started to stand up.
“Sit down and listen to me.” Leland could be surprisingly authoritative when he wanted to be.
Tully decided it was better to let his partner get whatever he wanted to say off his chest. So he leaned back in the chair and stretched out his legs to cross them at his booted ankles. “Go ahead.” He kept his tone casual and unconcerned.
“Dawn’s told me a little about Natalie’s past with her ex-husband,” Leland said in a carefully measured tone. “You are a good and honorable man. I know that you would not deliberately add to her bad experiences. However, you might not realize that she is fragile because she appears to be very strong.”
“She is strong—stronger than you’d believe.” Tully could take criticism of himself but he wasn’t going to let anyone sell Natalie short.
Leland raised a hand in acknowledgment. “You’ve stated your intention never to marry with great conviction. I may disagree with your reasons but I respect your decision.”
“Natalie has the same intention,” Tully pointed out, keeping his temper in check.
“Dawn thinks that will change once Natalie has had time to heal.” Leland shifted in his chair. “Neither she nor I wish to see Natalie drawn into a relationship that might cause her hurt.”
Tully felt a punch of guilt since he’d had the same thought last night. “She knows who I am. She knows where I stand.”
“What one knows and what one feels sometimes lead in different directions,” Leland said.
“Tell me about it,” Tully said before he could stop himself.
Leland didn’t let the honesty slide by. “So you’re in deeper than you want to admit.”
“Shit, I don’t know how deep I’m in. But I hear you, partner.” He wanted to get out of there before Leland pushed him into making a decision he didn’t want to face just yet. He stood up. “Right now my focus is on keeping Natalie safe and Regina protected from her psycho husband.”
“There’s more to safety than just the physical,” Leland said.
“You’ve made your point.” He turned on his boot heel and stalked out of the room. Leland was lucky that Tully had already been beating himself up. Otherwise he would have ripped a strip off his partner’s hide for nosing in Tully’s personal life.
Since he was now spoiling for a fight, he went back to his office to call that jackass of a client, Henry Earnshaw, and give him the bad news about how much his next meeting would cost.
Natalie fell into the familiar rhythm of combing and cutting, the metallic hiss of the scissor blades a comforting sound. Her client chatted about her daughter’s upcoming graduation from medical school while Natalie made appropriate comments.
But beneath the surface serenity, she wrestled with how she’d come to depend on Tully so profoundly. She’d slipped into a relationship with an overpowering man again. What the hell was wrong with her?
Granted, Tully didn’t buy her jewelry to impress her. His gifts were security bars and surveillance cameras. He sent a bodyguard and gave her favorite tenant a job. Tully’s way was far more seductive and dangerous to her hard-won independence.
And he hadn’t considered her a coward when she confessed to contemplating suicide. She’d expected him to look at her with pity at best and disgust at worst. Instead, he’d told her how strong she was.
She traded her scissors for a blow-dryer, the noise silencing her client’s chatter. Her stalker seemed to have fallen silent as well. No twisted messages had arrived in any form for the last day and a half. Maybe Natalie could go back to her house and her life of solitude again. Then Tully wouldn’t need to protect her.
They could see each other casual
ly every now and then. Because the sex was great.
Natalie nodded to herself. Keep it about sex. Don’t open the door to another man who could make her doubt herself.
A niggling little voice said Tully wasn’t like Matt, but she used the hair dryer to drown it out.
As she tossed her client’s lavender cape into the laundry bin, Pam strode over and said in a low voice, “Still no sign of the stalker, either here or at your house.”
She sounded more worried than relieved. “Isn’t that a good thing?” Natalie asked.
Pam pressed her lips together for a moment as if debating how much to share. “Stalkers don’t stop for no reason. So why has he gone silent?”
Tully hadn’t pointed that out, although he had pulled Pam aside for a short, intense conversation when she’d picked Natalie up at Tully’s house that morning. But now that Natalie thought about it, the silence didn’t make sense, especially if Dobs was her stalker. “Why do you think there have been no new messages?”
Pam just shook her head, but Natalie could see concern in the grim set of her jaw.
“You believe he’s planning something worse, don’t you?”
The other woman looked away and then back. “You can’t predict what a psychopath will do. I’m telling you this so you stay careful.”
“Luckily, I have you to make sure I do,” Natalie said with a smile.
“I’m off tomorrow, so you’ll have someone else. Just as good,” Pam added.
A ping of disappointment hit Natalie in the chest. She’d come to trust Pam as much as Tully.
Before she could say anything more, Natalie’s cell phone vibrated in her jacket pocket. Her next client was still being shampooed, so she slid the phone out to check the caller ID. Tully. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to quell the happy dance her heart insisted on doing. When she answered, she kept her voice even. “Tully, I was thinking that it would be nice to sleep at my own house tonight since the stalker isn’t bothering me now.”
There was a brief pause before he said, “I was thinking that I’d like to take you out to dinner in the city tonight. Maybe at Cruz.”
He had named one of the best restaurants in New York, where it was nearly impossible for a normal human being to get a reservation. “Is that a bribe to keep me from staying here in New Jersey? Because it’s a very effective one.”
“Not an intentional one, but if it works, I’m good with it.” She could hear the smile in his voice before it turned serious. “The stalker has only missed one full day so far. That doesn’t mean he’s done.”
A shiver of nerves ran through her, wiping out her false sense of security. But nothing could stop the hum of pleasure she felt at the prospect of sitting across an elegant table from Tully for an entire evening. And then going back to the big bed in his house. One more night couldn’t hurt.
“Dinner sounds terrific,” she said. “I’ll be done here at six.” She would get Gino to supervise readying the salon for the next day’s business. “Then I’ll need Pam to take me home to grab some clothes.” She wasn’t going to Cruz in her work outfit.
“Don’t rush. I’ll tell them to expect us when we get there,” he said.
“Isn’t the reservation for a specific time?”
“They know me.” His tone of unconcern changed to warmth. “I’m glad you’re coming.”
When he disconnected, she stared at her phone for a second. Getting a table at Cruz was a miracle, but not having to choose a time was inconceivable. It was strange that a mere restaurant table brought home how different Tully’s life was from hers. A mansion in Manhattan you could buy, if you had the money. A table at the city’s hottest restaurant showed a level of influence that she couldn’t imagine.
Yet another reason that Tully was the wrong man for her.
When Pam pulled into the courtyard behind Tully’s house, his Maserati was already crouched low and sleek on the pavers. Once again the back door opened to show his silhouette against the interior light. When he stepped onto the porch, she saw that he wore a gray suit perfectly tailored to his broad shoulders and trim waist. She let her gaze travel down the knife-edge front pleat of his trousers to the polished black cowboy boots. She used to think those boots were strange footwear for a businessman, but now they seemed exactly right for Tully. He might be from Pennsylvania but he was a cowboy in spirit. Strong, honorable, protective, with an independent streak a mile wide.
He ran lightly down the steps and helped her out of the SUV, his grip radiating support and warmth.
When she stood firmly on the ground, he stepped back and gave an appreciative whistle as he scanned her outfit.
After Tully’s call, she’d spent the rest of her workday mentally debating what to wear for such a special occasion. Since the restaurant was in Manhattan, where black was practically required attire, she had chosen a “little black dress.” Originally purchased for a fancy business party with Matt, the dress had never been worn because they’d had a fight and he told her to stay home. It gave her a wicked pleasure to wear it for Tully now.
It was a simple silk faille sheath that outlined her curves in a tasteful but sexy way. The bodice of the dress was strapless, cut straight across, while her shoulders and arms were covered with a fine, sheer black netting embellished with small touches of lace at the shoulder and sleeves. The skirt had a subtle slit on one side, mostly so she could walk more easily. She’d paired it with high-heeled black satin pumps, cut low over her toes, and a small beaded evening bag. Sparkling rhinestone chandelier earrings swung beside her neck, while she’d slicked her short hair back in the illusion of a french twist.
“You look beyond beautiful,” Tully said, his voice a low, husky rumble.
He bracketed his hands around her waist and pulled her in against him. Then he kissed her like he wanted to have sex with her right then and there.
Desire zinged through her to pulse between her legs, but two could play the game. She slipped her arms under his jacket to rake her manicured nails over the fine cotton of his shirt where it pulled taut over his back. Then she skimmed her hands down to cup his firm butt.
She caught his quiet groan in her mouth.
When he released her, she looked around to find that Pam’s SUV was already gone. Had they been kissing that long, or had Pam preferred to give her boss some privacy?
He smiled down at her, a slanting, sexy smile. “The only thing better than looking at you in that dress across the dinner table will be slowly peeling it off you later tonight.”
“But first you’re going to peel off this very handsome suit.” She pretended to straighten his patterned silk tie. “While I watch.”
She heard his sharp inhale. “You play dirty, sweetheart.”
“Never doubt it.” She patted his tie. “Are those horseshoes?”
He glanced down at his chest. “Yeah. It was stupid expensive but I like the design. And Derek told me I needed to upgrade my ties.”
“It’s Hermès,” she said, recognizing the distinctive look and feel of the fabric. “They started out making saddles, so it seems appropriate.”
Tully grinned. “Not the kind of saddles I use.” He offered her his arm. “May I escort you to my gasoline-powered steed?”
She slid her hand into the crook of his elbow, letting her palm rest on the soft wool that covered the solid steel of his arm. “Lead the way.”
When they arrived in front of the skyscraper that housed Cruz, a valet helped her out of the car and onto the dark-blue carpet that covered the sidewalk. Tully passed over the key to the Maserati and joined her, interlacing his fingers with hers as a doorman sprang to swing open the huge glass-and-stainless door. They walked into a lobby that soared up several floors.
A young man dressed in a navy suit stood by the door. “Good evening, Mr. Gibson. Ma’am.” He smiled at Natalie. “Welcome to Cruz.”
The host escorted them through the entrance to the restaurant itself, the two-story space warm and almost rustic, with l
ow stucco arches lining the dining room over which a wire-mesh sculpture hovered. But he continued through the large room into what looked like a rain forest. The walls appeared to be made of cascading vines and leaves woven through copper trellises dotted with votive candles, while the city lights and night sky glowed through a domed glass ceiling. He showed them to a table tucked in one corner, secluded by planters of bamboo. Even the chairs were upholstered in a fabric that resembled close-clipped grass.
Tully held the chair for Natalie, brushing his fingertips against her cheek before he sat down himself. A tingle of delight danced over her skin at his soft touch. She tried not to gawk like a tourist but she knew her eyes were wide with delight as she glanced around the verdant space.
“You like it,” Tully said, satisfaction lacing his voice.
“I feel like I’m in an enchanted garden.” She dropped her gaze to the table itself. The flatware was wrought in rubbed bronze to look like twigs, and the napkin’s pale green fabric was a jacquard woven in a leaf pattern. “Every detail works together.”
A server arrived and placed two Manhattans on their table.
“I hope you don’t mind that I ordered these ahead of time,” Tully said. “I figured you might like a drink fast.”
She picked up her glass with genuine gratitude, lifting it in a toast. “To the very clever man sitting across from me.”
His smile was pure sin. He held up his own glass. “To the even smarter woman across from me.”
Her hand stopped midway to her mouth as she asked, “Why am I smarter?”
“Because you taught me to appreciate a Manhattan.” Tully took a swallow and half closed his eyes as he said, “Good stuff.”
She sipped the sweet burn of the cocktail, thinking how strangely endearing it was that big masculine Tully had adopted her favorite drink, even though some guys might consider it froufrou.
When the server presented them with their menus, Natalie saw a side of Tully she’d never been exposed to before. She didn’t know why it surprised her that he could talk about gourmet food and fine wines with knowledge and authority. After all, he had to entertain CEO-level clients on a regular basis. But she found herself feeling a little out of her depth with the Tully who knew which vintage year was best in Catalonia. Not to mention that the server and the sommelier treated him with a cordial respect that indicated he knew what he was talking about.
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