Come (14 page)

“Apparently you didn’t win that case,” the officer added.

“No. He was guilty. He didn’t stand a chance. He’s lucky they didn’t put him away for life. The bastard got a lighter sentence thanks to me.”

“Well, thanks to your help, he’s out now, and he doesn’t seem to be very happy with your lighter sentence.” The officer stuffed the papers back into the folder.

Rafe spoke next. “Have you picked him up yet?”

The man glanced at him with a serious expression. “No. But we’re working on it. No one knows where he is and he hasn’t checked in with his parole officer since he was released. Can you stay here a while longer while we work on it? I’m hoping this jackass doesn’t know where you are. He’s bound to get caught in the next few days. I’ll keep you posted as soon as I know anything.” He stood.

Rafe followed him to the door. “Thanks. Katy will be here until you find him.”

The man nodded and left.

Rafe turned to find Katy slumped on the couch with her face in her hands.

“You okay?” he asked as he returned to her side.

“Yeah.” She lifted her head. “Just stunned. I never expected anything like this to happen.”

Rafe rubbed her back. “Of course you didn’t.”

She looked at him. “I have to work this week. I have so much on my plate.”

Rafe nodded. “I’ll drop you off and pick you up from the office. Will that work? No way will that guy waltz into a large law firm all cocky.”

“Okay.” She nodded.

Rafe exhaled the breath he held. At least she was seeing reason finally.

Katy lived on pins and needles all week. Rafe brought her to work every day and picked her up every night. Police came by her office at least once a day. Everyone in the building was aware of her predicament. She was living the nightmare every lawyer feared might one day happen to them.

She was one of the lucky ones though. At least the police knew who they were looking for, and she was well protected in the meantime. But the stress of waiting wore on her and by Friday night she was a mass of nerves.

Rafe picked her up early and she’d made a beeline for the shower to rinse off the disgusting feeling she acquired every time the cops showed her more pictures and provided an update.

Rafe had a fight at seven and he hadn’t discussed with her what she would do during the fight. She imagined she would hang out in her uncle’s office. The fight was a small one being held in the home gym, and she owed her uncle a long explanation about what had been happening in her life for the last few weeks.

She hadn’t called her parents. They lived in Virginia and she didn’t want to worry them. Uncle Joe was her only local relative. He deserved an update.

She hadn’t mentioned her relationship with Rafe yet, and Rafe assured her he hadn’t broken her confidence.

She took a deep breath. She had a lot of explaining to do. Uncle Joe would be confused as hell about her arrival with Rafe and then he’d probably punch a hole in the wall when he heard the rest.

Katy stared into her suitcase, trying to decide what to wear. She had never expected to stay at Rafe’s this long and hadn’t bothered to unpack into the drawers Rafe pointed out nearly every day.

It was hot. She was thirsty. She pulled on a matching panty and bra set and then rummaged around trying to figure out what she had that would be comfortable enough for the evening.

When she stood, holding a camisole and shorts in her hands, she had a wicked idea.

She’d been here a week. After the strange argument she’d had with Rafe on Sunday, neither had spoken about their weird living arrangement again. Katy’s plate had been too full to care. But it was the weekend. No better time to pull out the stops and force Rafe’s hand.

Whatever he needed to say, he was either going to have to say it, or be tortured by her traipsing around his house half-naked. She grinned. Why hadn’t she thought of that before?

Dropping the clothes she held on the bed, she padded from the room as though it weren’t remotely out of the ordinary for her to walk around in her bra and panties. She’d chosen a lacy black set. If he was immune to that, she might as well throw in the towel.

Rafe stood in the kitchen leaning against the counter with a bottle of water in his hand. He’d been about to take a sip when she came in. It took herculean effort to feign innocence and keep a straight face as she walked past him, opened the refrigerator, and leaned over at the waist to grab her own water bottle. “It’s so hot,” she said as she righted herself and twisted off the cap.

Rafe hadn’t moved a muscle, when she faced him. His eyes were huge, but he still held the half-tilted bottle in the air. His mouth hung open.

“Aren’t you hot?” she asked as she rolled the bottle across her neck and chest.

Rafe gulped. She could actually hear him. “What the hell are you doing?” he growled.

“Getting a drink.” She gave him what she hoped was a quizzical look.

“Go put some damn clothes on, woman.”

She glanced down. “I’m decent.”

“Like hell, you are.” He turned and set his water on the counter.

“My bikini covers less of me than this and I wear it to the pool.”

“We aren’t at the pool.” His voice was low, steady.

She shrugged, proud of herself for not breaking from her stance. The look on his face was worth all the money she had in the bank. He was most assuredly not immune to her. She’d felt less and less sexy every day for a week as he ignored her. Now she suddenly felt like the sexiest creature on Earth. If he opened his eyes any wider, they’d pop out.

Rafe came toward her. If he’d been a cat, or a lion, his look would have been appropriate. He narrowed his gaze at her and pinned her to her spot. When he reached her, he took her shoulders in his hands and physically turned her around. “Get dressed right now before I decide to take you over my knee and spank your naked ass.”

All the blood ran out of Katy’s face. Thank God she wasn’t facing him anymore. She didn’t take a single step. She couldn’t. She was too busy processing what he’d said. Did he threaten to spank her?

Yes. Yes he did. And why on earth is that making you wetter than you’ve been all week?

The idea of his hands on her body, bending her over his lap and laying his palm on her ass made her so fucking aroused, she couldn’t command her legs to move. She didn’t care what he did with his hand. Even spanking her would be better than ignoring her at this point.

Waltzing around pretending he wasn’t affected by her presence had eaten at her for seven days. And now this? She wanted anything in the world he offered and she didn’t give a fuck what the hell was wrong with her. “Promise?”

Rafe tightened the grip he had on her shoulders. His breath landed on her neck as they stood there suspended in time. She wished she could see his eyes but also thanked God he couldn’t see the flush rushing down her cheeks and across her chest.

Finally he spoke again, his voice calm and soft. “You have no idea what you’re asking for, Katy.”

“Don’t I?” She finally spun around to face him, no longer caring what he saw or thought he knew about her. “I’ll take it.”

“Take what?” He stepped back.

“The spanking.” Her hands shook, but she held her ground. “That option sounds much better than the current arrangement where you ignore me and I pray for you to touch me. So, go ahead. If it makes you feel better, swat my ass, Rafe. Maybe it will loosen you up enough to touch me the way I want you to.”

Rafe stepped back farther and ran his hands through his hair.

Good. She had played into his hand and won.

“Okay,” he finally said.

“Okay what?”

He didn’t move.

Would he really spank her?

“Okay, you win. I’ll empty the whole stinking closet of my life. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He pointed at her as he spoke. “Get dressed. We’ll go get a bite to eat and then head to the gym. First you can watch me fight, and then I’ll show you another side of my life.”

Show me?

She’d expected him to start into a long story about a series of ex-wives, a variety of kids he had on the side, some crime he’d committed as a kid, or how he hated his mother and couldn’t stand women because of something that happened in his youth.
I’ll show you
was the last thing she expected him to say. It made no sense.

Katy stared at him. “You better not be shitting me. I can take the rest of my clothes off too if I have to.” She backed out of the room. “I’ll give you this evening. If you haven’t spilled your deep dark secrets by midnight, all bets are off.”

Katy’s hands shook as she entered the guest bedroom and pulled on her favorite jeans and the sexiest camisole she owned. Black. Like the lace he would know she wore under it.

•●•

At six-thirty they pulled into the parking lot of the gym. Rafe turned toward her and took her face in his hands. First he kissed her, and then he spoke. “You sure about this? You can still back out?”

“Any reason why my uncle wouldn’t approve of you?”

“Nope.”

“Then let’s go.” She opened her own door and followed him toward the gym. “The parking lot is crowded. How many people go to these things?”

Rafe reached for the door. “Hundreds when we’re at a larger arena. There won’t be that many here tonight. This is just a small exhibition between a few gyms. Gives us an opportunity to spar with each other between the big matches. The real matches are in larger venues about once a month.”

Katy couldn’t believe the noise when he opened the door. Chairs surrounded the ring where she’d witnessed Rafe getting his lights knocked out by his friend Mason that first day. Nearly every seat was taken. And there were more women than men present.

Rafe took her hand and steered her around the edge of the crowd. She spotted her uncle at the same time he saw her. His brows rose as he approached. Rafe eased between several people standing in the back, tucking Katy behind him. She saw him nod toward Uncle Joe’s office, and then he headed that way.

Uncle Joe pushed through the door, and Rafe led Katy inside behind them.

“Rafe…Katy?” He lifted a brow as he sat on the front edge of his desk.

Rafe spoke first. “We met a few weeks ago when she came to visit you.”

Uncle Joe’s mouth turned up on one side. “Huh. Interesting.” He lowered his gaze to where Rafe still held her hand. She tried to dislodge from his grip, but he didn’t release her.

At least he didn’t look displeased. That gave her a certain level of relief.

Uncle Joe tapped his finger against his lips. “I can’t think what you two have in common.” He grinned after he spoke though. And then he looked at Rafe, opening his mouth to say something else.

Rafe cut him off. “We’ve been on several dates. Movies. Dinner. That sort of thing.”

Uncle Joe lifted an eyebrow. “I see.”

Katy glanced at both men as they shared a look. There was something they weren’t telling her.

Rafe nodded as though they were in some sort of silent agreement. “Katy’s in a bit of trouble. Some guy she defended a few years ago for the state was released recently and is stalking her.”

“What?” Uncle Joe popped off the desk and stood. He turned his gaze toward Katy. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to worry unnecessarily. And I don’t want you to tell Mom and Dad. They would freak.”

“I can’t keep something like this from your parents. My brother would have my head.”

“Give me a few more days. Hopefully the cops will pick him up and it will all be over,” Katy pleaded.

Uncle Joe furrowed his brow and ran a hand over his forehead. “I don’t like it.”

“Yeah. Me neither. But she’s been staying at my place. The asshole hasn’t figured that out so there hasn’t been any problem since last Saturday.”

“A week? You’ve been hiding from some stalker for a week and didn’t bother to call me?”

Katy cringed. “Sorry. I didn’t want you to worry.”

Rafe looked over his shoulder. “I have to get out there. You can continue to reprimand Katy while I fight.” He grinned at her. “She’s stubborn.”

Uncle Joe rolled his eyes. “Don’t I know it.”

“I don’t know if she’s ready for this, but I couldn’t leave her at home alone.”