Between Midnight and Dawn (3 page)

“Thanks,” she murmured, fisting the ends of the blanket together to cover herself. She’d been so upset she hadn’t stopped to think how revealing her nightgown was and appreciated his thoughtfulness.

He placed his hands on her knees, his touch scorching her through the silk material of her robe. Nicole tried to ignore how handsome he was. How she’d never seen such thick lashes on a man, or such pretty eyes. The sexy line of his mouth, and full lower lip glistening as though he’d just run his tongue across it. It was a nice mouth, and she’d bet he was a good kisser.

What the hell?
Nicole shook her head slightly, emptying the inappropriate thoughts from her mind. She’d always been a huge Swayze fan. That had to be it.

“Can you describe him?”

“He wore a ski-mask.” Though he spoke too quietly for her to hear him, Nicole clearly read the word ‘fuck’ on his lips. She felt the tremble in her voice when she asked again, “Why are you here?”

“How badly are you hurt?”

The concern she read in his eyes tightened her throat, and a tiny shiver of awareness slid through her. Up close, and calmer now, she heard him clearly when he spoke to her, and his voice was deep and warm. Her emotional shields began to crack. Nicole swallowed hard and fought back tears, barely holding it together, as his sympathy penetrated the shield she’d managed to place around her emotions since Larry’s attack. And now this . . .

“I’m okay,” she lied, because she hurt everywhere, and had a killer headache.

Kyle’s mouth tightened, and his brows wrinkled. She’d always been adept at reading people, and although Kyle treated her gently, she could see a good dose of anger simmering inside him.

He stood, staring down at her in contemplation. “Where’s your bathroom?”

Nicole blinked. “Um. Down the hall, first door on the left.”

Her gaze landed on his broad shoulders as he disappeared into her hallway, and her pulse kicked up. The guy obviously worked out. He was back in under a minute, but continued onto her kitchen, retrieving a glass from the dishwasher and filling it with water.

Returning to her, he handed her the glass, along with two pain relievers she hadn’t realized he had. Emotion clogged her throat as she tossed back the pills and washed them down with water. He really was a nice guy. Tears flooded her vision, and she blinked rapidly to stop them from falling.

Kyle knelt in front of her and said her name. When she looked up, the sympathy she read in his eyes only made her want to cry more. It’d been a helluva couple months, and her walls came crashing down around her when he asked, “What is it?”

She shook her head, denying anything was wrong, and silently cursing the tears blurring her vision. Her chest shook as she tried not to cry, inhaling through her nose.

He frowned, then slid onto the couch next to her and gently drew her into his arms. And she let him. And not because his musky scent enveloped her in a comforting embrace, or that his solid body and strong arms made her feel safe . . . But because she really, really did need a hug.

Kyle held Nicole close. She brought her arms up around his neck, her head pressed against his chest as she cried softly. Anger raced through him. The instinct to keep her safe warred with his need for revenge.

Now that Barber had her in his sights, she was Kyle’s best chance at drawing the man out, taking him down and making sure he never hurt another woman again. Destroyed another family.

The annoying sound of a cuckoo clock striking nine filled the room. The police would be here soon and he needed to get her full trust before they arrived. He set his jaw and cranked his neck to the side, stretching the pinched muscles, then to the other side.

Think fast, damn it.

Somehow, he needed to stay close to her, because something told him Barber would be back. Kyle ruthlessly pushed aside the guilt he felt for using her as bait for a killer. And he
was
going to use her. But, before the sick freak had a chance to touch her, he’d blow the man’s brains out all over her pristine white walls.

He tucked two fingers under Nicole’s chin and tilted her lovely face up. Her beautiful caramel eyes glistening with tears. Kyle barely resisted the urge to lean down and feather healing kisses to her injuries, the need to make her feel better all-consuming.

He’d been attracted to her since the first day he’d seen her heading down the street after leaving her pottery shop, even before he knew Barber had her in his sights. She’d been like his fantasy woman come to life. Sexy, cover-girl beautiful with a natural, girl-next-door quality. She wore little-to-no makeup, her short hair worn casual, with soft, dark auburn curls framing her face. Curls he’d instantly wanted to take hold of to tug her in for a kiss. Her clothing draped a dainty, but curvy body that turned heads wherever she went, although she seemed oblivious to the attention she received. The first time he’d seen her generous, sparkling-white smile desire coursed through him, and he’d wanted her.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.

She sniffled, wiping at the damp trails on her cheeks. “I’m fine.”

Like hell she is.

He touched the corner of her mouth, dabbing at the spot of dried blood with his thumb. She was far from fine.

When he’d realized Barber was stalking her, rage had burst to life inside him, and still burned hot. As badly as Kyle wanted to capture the freak, he needed to keep Nicole safe in the process. Getting to his feet, he ran his hand down the side of her head, stroking her silky hair. “Wait here.”

He went into the kitchen, keeping her in his sights. She let out a sigh and leaned her head back, closing her eyes again. He dug around in the cabinet drawers until he found a clean washcloth. Twisting on the faucet, he dampened the cloth, then made his way back over to her. Determined not to startle her this time, he said her name before taking a seat next to her.

She opened her eyes and gave a tired sigh. Kyle could hear the sirens approaching as he dabbed the corner of her mouth. Taking her hand, he carefully cleaned her scraped wrist with the cool cloth.

She hissed through her teeth, but didn’t jerk away from him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I mean it,” she said, reaching out to touch his shoulder. “Thank you. I’d probably be dead right now, or worse”—she shivered—“if you hadn’t shown up—” Her brows furrowed between curious eyes. “Why did you show up?”

Kyle’s mind flashed to the ‘For Rent’ sign he’d seen in the front of her house. “I’m here about the room.”

“The room? . . . Oh, you mean the cottage?”

He nodded as police cars drove up the driveway, sirens blaring.
Could work.
He’d be there to protect Nicole when Barber came for her again, and from the police profile on C.H.K. the man was too arrogant to lose his prize. He’d be back. Kyle was as certain of that as he was that Nicole’s eyes were a deep, rich-brown, like caramel and chocolate, and utterly breathtaking. And there was no way he’d let Barber get his filthy hands on her again.

Kyle would be waiting, and this time he’d take the son of a bitch down.

Dead or alive . . .

Preferably dead.

“Catalino,” Johnson said, dropping a file folder on Rob’s desk, “here’s the report you requested.”

“Thanks.” Without glancing up, Rob flipped open the thick folder marked
C.H.K.

“Don’t know what you expect to find. That case’s been gone over with a fine-tooth comb. There’s nothing new there.”

“Okay, thanks for the tip,” Rob mumbled, ignoring the man as he searched through the pages for any mentions of Allan Barber. The noise of the squad room was a low drone in the background.

Johnson muttered, “Waste of time,”
as he walked away.

Rob didn’t know if Kyle was right or not, but it was about time someone took it serious enough to check the records. Lifting his cracked cup, he took a sip of the terrible brew passing as coffee in the squad room. It rankled him, the way his partner had immediately been shut down when he’d brought up his concerns about Barber as a potential suspect in the serial murder case.

Despite Kyle having a connection to this particular investigation, he was a good cop. He wouldn’t bring it up to the captain unless he felt confident in his suspicions. So Rob would see if there were any inconsistencies in Barber’s statement. And if he found any, he’d quietly investigate the man’s whereabouts at the time of the last victim’s disappearance.

It was the least he could do for his best friend.

Chapter 3

Fidgeting, Nicole nervously fingered the buttons on the purple silk blouse she’d thrown on, along with a long black skirt, but she was still barefoot. Bouncing from one foot to the other, she watched Kyle talking with Dean, the sheriff, a man she’d known since sixth grade. He’d been a cutup in class and all-around fun guy. He was happily married to a friend of hers, with twin little girls who looked just like their mother.

It often amused her that Dean now strapped a gun on his hip, with a serious expression covering his boyishly handsome face, because she could still see the smart-ass guy from high school, his light-blue eyes twinkling with mischief. Eyes now filled with anger and concern.

She’d already given him her statement, refusing to go to the hospital for treatment. She was sick of hospitals after all the time she’d spent there recuperating from Larry’s vicious attack.

Did he send someone to hurt me?

Kyle glanced her way, his gaze sweeping over her in an accessing manner, and his intense regard made her heart race and her body tingle. Both men walked toward her with matching frowns, and the testosterone swelled in the room. A flurry of activity swarmed in her vision, with deputies and crime scene investigators scouring her home for evidence.

It was like watching an episode of
CSI
and left her feeling off-balance and edgy. Nicole lifted a shaky hand and pushed back her bangs. She studied the bandage the paramedic had wrapped around her sore wrist. The image of that man sitting across her hips, attempting to tie her arm to the bedpost, filled her mind. She struggled to tamp down her panic.
I’m safe, now
, she reminded herself for about the umpteenth time.

As the two men neared, the swirling pit of fear in her stomach began to subside.
Buck-up and don’t be a wimp.
Nicole slowly exhaled the breath she’d been holding and squared her shoulders. She might be short and slightly damaged, but that didn’t make her weak. She just needed to spend more time in the gym, maybe take a self-defense class to learn how to defend herself.

Get a really big dog.

Kyle’s eyes were grim as he came to a stop in front of her. “You doing okay?”

Glancing at Dean, she nodded. “Do you think this has anything to do with Larry?” Her stomach tightened into a hard ball. Even saying his name creeped her out.

Dean shook his head. “He’s still in jail, Nicole.”

“Who’s Larry?” Kyle asked.

Nicole studied the floor, not wanting to think about Larry, as Dean gave him the highlights of her attack. She decided it was only fair he knew everything, given he’d be living in her cottage.

Unless he changes his mind.
She wouldn’t blame him if he had.

Nicole refocused on Dean as he spoke to her, so she wouldn’t miss what he was saying. They were posting a squad car outside her house, at least for the next couple days. Relief filled her chest, and she cast him a smile of gratitude.

Dean returned her smile, though concern still shown in his eyes. “Kyle’s informed me he’s a police officer up here on an extended vacation. He’s planning to rent your cottage. You good with that?”

She nodded, hoping he was still interested, because she needed the money, and felt safer with him here. How much safer could she get than having a cop living in her backyard?

“Okay,” Dean said, with a quick nod. “You’re sure you don’t want to head into town and get checked out at the hospital?”

Nicole pressed her mouth tight and shook her head. A paramedic had checked her out, and didn’t seem too concerned over her minor injuries. There was nothing wrong with her a nice long bath wouldn’t cure, help ease her aches. Then she’d crawl into bed and wouldn’t come out for days.

Yeah, I wish.
A new shipment of product was arriving tomorrow and she needed to be there. It was the beginning of tourist season, and she relied on the income to cover her expenses during the winter slowdown. Especially since she’d had to hire Sheryl full-time, at least until she got her full hearing back. Which would hopefully be soon.

“All right,” Dean said. “We’re about ready to wrap this up. We discovered one of your windows jimmied open. Pretty sure that’s how this guy got in.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Kyle said. The tone of his voice didn’t invite any argument.

Nicole frowned. But before she could tell them she’d handle it herself, Dean continued, “Kyle will stay at the cottage tonight, and we’ll have a squad car parked nearby.”

Her eyebrows rose. Kyle gave her a reassuring smile, although tension still darkened his eyes. The cottage wasn’t ready for guests. But before she had a chance to respond, everyone headed for the door.

Dean touched her on the shoulder to get her attention before he spoke. “I’ll stop back tomorrow, after I’ve had a chance to check out Larry’s visitors. See if there’s a possibility he had anything to do with tonight.”

Nicole nodded. What little stamina she had left drained away. She really needed that bath to help wash away the night’s events. “Tell Mary I said hi.”

“Will do. You should stop by sometime. I know she’d love to see you.”

“I will, promise.”

She walked him to the door and bade him goodnight. Sliding the chain lock in place, she twisted the deadbolt. With a long sigh, she turned around and found Kyle standing right behind her.

He studied her with a narrowed focus. His expression cautious, stoic, but she could also read male interest shining from his warm hazel eyes. Her pulse raced. Out of awareness or fear, she wasn’t sure. Maybe a little of both.

Although he’d saved her from being raped and possibly killed tonight, she didn’t know him. Even if he was a cop—and Dean had verified he was—the man was still a stranger. She didn’t know anything about him.

Nicole nibbled her bottom lip and tried to tamp down her growing wariness. Her trust in men had taken a big hit recently, and tonight only reinforced how weak a woman was to their brute strength.

Instinctively, she pressed back into the door as her heart tried to pound out of her chest. She was on the verge of a panic attack, something she’d been fighting against since the night Larry attacked her and she’d woken up in the hospital.

As each breath became more difficult, Nicole was afraid she might lose the fight this time.

A look of concern spread across Kyle’s face, his eyebrows snapping down. Too caught up in her mind’s struggle for calm, she’d missed what he said. A tremor rolled over her as she inhaled a breath that wheezed through her chest, and her body tingled with numbness.

Suddenly, Kyle was in front of her. “Nicole, breathe.” His hand feathered down her cheek in a soft caress, while his other lifted to cradle the back of her head. “Deep breaths. C’mon, honey, slow . . . deep breaths.”

Her eyes locked with his, she did as he asked. Once, twice, her breathing growing easier as her panic subsided, and she began to feel a little foolish . . . then a lot mad.

Before Larry, she’d been a self-confident, independent woman with a flourishing business. And she didn’t like feeling helpless. Victimized. Afraid all the time.

Nicole tore away from his comforting hold and pushed past him, heading into her office to retrieve the keys to the cottage. She wanted to be alone right now so she could get herself together without an audience. The cottage needed a good dusting, but she could do that tomorrow. At least the bed had clean sheets on it. When she returned with the keys, Kyle was where she’d left him.

“You sure you’re all right?” he asked, studying her.

“I’m fine.”

His narrowed stare indicated he didn’t fully buy her reassurance, but he only nodded. “Tomorrow I’ll reinforce the locks on your windows and doors.”

“That’s not necessary, I’ll call a locksmith.”

The smile he sent her was coaxing. “It’s no problem. I’m on vacation, remember. Don’t have anything better to do. You can take it off my first week’s rent.”

“You’re still interested in the cottage.”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Rent’s five-seventy-five a month, and you pay all utilities, except water.”

“Sounds good.”

“First week’s free for your labor on the locks.”

“Sounds fair.”

Nicole slipped on the pair of black flats sitting in the entryway, then swung open the door. Kyle moved in front of her before she could step outside, smiling down at her. “I’ll go first.”

She froze at the sight of a deep dimple on his right cheek, easing his tense features into little-boy charming. And just like that, awareness crackled through her. All she could do was nod and let him pass while her pulse raced at his nearness.

Maybe it wasn’t the best idea having this oh-so-sexy man living in her backyard. After Larry, she’d promised herself she’d avoid men for a good long while. Heck, it hadn’t even been two months. What was wrong with her?

His stride was confident, and her gaze fell to his butt, envisioning firm muscle under the coarse denim. Forcing her eyes back up, she didn’t miss the way he scanned her backyard as they made their way toward the cottage.

It was only a short distance from her house, along the back of the property line, shaded by overhanging willows. If you weren’t looking for it, you might miss it at first glance, lost in her three-acre lot. It was no bigger than an efficiency apartment, painted white, and had a one-car detached garage. Small, but in excellent repair. A shed sat off to the right, divided into two sections, and big enough to hold most of her lawn and gardening equipment, as well as a tenant’s.

She’d never had any complaints about her cottage, and until the incident with Larry there’d been a short waiting list. That had quickly dried up after the attack. Seems it was harder to find renters once your property was involved in an act of violence, even though Larry was in jail and expected to be there for quite some time.

Unlocking the door, she shoved it open and they stepped inside. She held the keys out to Kyle. “I’m sorry, the place needs a good dusting. I can stop over tomorrow and take care of it.”

Kyle took the keys, and a jolt of electricity zinged her skin where their hands touched in the exchange. “I can do it.”

Even with her lousy hearing, she could hear that his voice was rough and sexy, exactly like the man.

Ookay . . . Don’t even go there.
She had no business thinking about him as anything but her tenant.
Keep telling yourself that
, her inner voice scoffed. Time to turn around and go back home, take a bath, and crawl into bed.

A quiver of exhaustion slid through her, a tired sigh slipping from her lips. The idea of being alone tonight made her uneasy. What if that horrible man came back for her? And who was he? Just an intruder, looking to rape and rob her?

As though reading her thoughts, Kyle said, “I’ll be right here.”

Nicole gave him a shaky smile, wanting nothing more than to crawl into bed. “Thanks.”

“I won’t let anything happen to you, Nicole. You can sleep peacefully.”

She gave him a slow, contemplative nod. “’K.” Surprised she actually did feel safer knowing he was there.

His slightly calloused thumb feathered across her cheek where she’d been struck, sending her pulse racing. He nodded toward the road. “And the sheriff has an officer stationed outside, so you’re completely safe.”

She blinked as another wave of exhaustion overwhelmed her, even as her traitorous body tingled with awareness, totally ignoring the internal pep talk she’d given herself not to become interested in him. “Okay, thanks.”

He grinned, his dimple twinkling along with his warm hazel eyes as he brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. “I’ll walk you back, so I know you’re safely tucked in for the night.”

Mouth dry, awareness like a slow pulse throughout her body, she could only nod. Placing his hand at the small of her back, Kyle walked her to the back door of her house.

Early next morning, Kyle woke up, still sitting in the armchair where he’d dozed off while keeping an eye on Nicole’s place. The faint sound of opera music filtered inside. His gaze slid to the square ornamental clock on the end table, noting it wasn’t yet five.

Getting to his feet, he strode over to look out the picture window, across the relatively short distance separating his cottage from Nicole’s place. Although the sun was barely peeking over the horizon, she had every light on in the house. Through her sheer lace curtains, he could see her shadowed form moving around.

He’d hoped having him nearby would allow her to get a good night’s rest, but her bedroom light had stayed on throughout the night. Not surprising, actually, after what went down last night. It’d taken every ounce of his willpower not to go over to her place and hold her until she relaxed enough to get to sleep. The urge so strong, he’d had to remind himself that he was here to catch his mother’s killer, not to get drawn in by Nicole’s sweet nature. Hell, everything about her called to a man’s protective instincts.

After his captain had vouched for him being on ‘vacation,’ and he knew the man had used the word loosely, the sheriff had told him about Nicole’s stalker ex-boyfriend beating her up. He’d also mentioned a virus had impacted her hearing.

Although Kyle had known some of it, he’d had to pretend he was hearing the information for the first time. But he hadn’t known about the severity of her injuries, or her hearing loss. Like he’d determined last night, she could only hear him if he was close to her.

Remembering her sweetness and beauty had his pulse kicking up a notch. Staying close to Nicole wouldn’t be a hardship.

The ex-boyfriend who’d attacked her was lucky he was in jail, because this woman affected Kyle in ways he didn’t fully understand, and he wanted a little face time with the prick so he could give him a taste of what it felt like to have the shit beat out of you by someone bigger and stronger.