Courting Trouble (The Texas Two-Step Series, Book 3) (13 page)

"Oh, yeah. The refrigerator door. That's communication central." She dashed toward the kitchen, leaving him to follow slowly, turning on lights and checking the living and dining room on his way. Everything looked fairly neat, if poorly coordinated. A white leather sofa covered by an antique quilt dominated the room. Mismatched end tables were covered with colored glass animals. Wall hangings with a western motif hung beside photographs of family and friends. It was an interior decorator's idea of Hades, but it seemed comfortable and homey.

He pushed through a swinging door to enter the kitchen. Overhead fluorescent lighting gave the room a garish look. "Find anything?"

"No. But someone's been here. In addition to the light out front, look at this." Diedra pointed at a glass ringed with white milk stains. "Meagan loathes milk but—"

"—Jeff drinks milk for his ulcer," Alec finished for her.

The overhead light emitted a low hum.

"I don't like this at all." Diedra shook herself. She swiftly left the room, calling back over her shoulder, "I'll check her bedroom."

The hum increased and the lighting dimmed. Alec snapped the wall switch off and on to see whether the lighting would go back to normal. It didn't work. The ballast must be going out.

Diedra called for him to join her. When he entered the room, he found her standing in front of an open closet. "Some of her things are missing. Shoes. Even her overnight bag. This is a good sign. Yes?"

"Yes. That means she needs clothes and if she does, that means she's alive."

"If she needs clothes, it means she's able to go places where she'd need them."

Alec breathed his first sigh of relief since watching Jeff run off with Meagan the night before. "I wonder why she didn't leave you a note."

"Probably because she plans to be back soon. Maybe they just went out for groceries or something."

They walked back into the hallway. A closet door was open, exposing a laundry closet with a washer and dryer. The scent of laundry detergent was strong.

"Good. You grab a shower and I'll run along home, and see if Jeff's come back. He's got some explaining to do."

Diedra grabbed his arm. "Please don't go. At least not until Meagan comes back. Please?"

Alec ran his hand through her curls. The rain had washed away any evidence of a hairstyle. She'd lost her barrette hours ago, leaving soft twists of hair spiraling down her shoulders. He knew that if he swept a lock to his nose, he'd inhale the sweet smell of rain mixed with a scent that could only be described as hers. Her lips would taste of cherries and assorted spices like those found in Aunt Lilith's darn herb shop.

"I'll stay. I'll make a few calls."

Diedra smiled and swept off down the hall and around the corner. Alec stood there for a moment, utterly still. What was wrong with him? For a moment there, he'd been tempted to pull her into his arms and kiss away her fears. Kiss away the worry lines forming on her forehead. Kiss her until her toes curled. Damn. This was not a good sign.

Diedra interrupted his thoughts, running back with her face pale.

"What's wrong?"

"Someone's been in my bedroom, rifling through my things."

Alec dashed around the corner toward her room. He stopped at the doorway. He'd never been in her bedroom before, so he couldn't tell what was wrong. "How can you tell someone's been here?"

"Someone's gone through my dresser drawer and messed everything up." She waved at a chest, standing on the other side the room with a jumbled top drawer gaping open. "Meagan is even more orderly than I am."

It only took him a second to follow her logic. Meagan wouldn't have done this, ergo, someone else had. And that someone was likely to be Jeff. Why would he go through Diedra's stuff? Unless, of course, he hadn't realized it was hers and not Meagan's—at least at first?

"Did he, they, go through everything?"

"No. Just the top drawer."

"Anything missing?"

Diedra shook her head.

Alec stalked out of the room, intent on finding a phone. Jeff had to be somewhere.

Diedra caught up with him in the hall. "Dammit, Alec! Where do you think you're going?"

He turned back to her, taken by surprise.

"I've had enough," she said emphatically. "I want my sister and I want her now."

She was being unreasonable. Didn't she know the lengths he'd already gone to, trying to find Meagan? "I'm doing the best I can."

Diedra shook all over with impotent rage. "You're not doing good enough. Jeff has hurt her... I'll, I'll do something. I'm not sure what it is, but you'll regret it. Right now, I'm wondering if maybe you're in on whatever Jeff is up to."

"Hush, Diedra. You know I'm as in the dark as you are."

The washing machine began gurgling, but his attention snapped back to Diedra. Her emotions were spiraling. He took her into his arms. She fought him at first, pounding on his chest and arms, kicking at his legs. His hold was tight yet gentle. Her blows pelted him.

"We'll find them, Diedra," he whispered. "Don't worry. We'll find them."

Finally she heard him and took in the fact that he was holding her, reassuring her, calming her, at least a little. But how could he just stand there and do nothing?

For all their running back and forth, they'd accomplished nothing. Meanwhile Meagan could be hurt or afraid. Otherwise, why had Jeff come to get her belongings?

"If we hadn't gone rushing off chasing Jeff, I would have been here when Meagan came home." Tiredness made her bones ache like an old woman's. She wanted, no, desperately needed, to know her sister was safe.

"I'm sorry." Alec held her closer. "It seemed like the best thing to do at the time."

"If you hadn't insisted on driving back with me, you'd have been at the office when Jeff came back." Tears of anger, fear and frustration nearly blinded her. She lashed out at Alec, wanting to make him pay, wanting to make someone pay. "Get my sister. Now."

The overhead lighting went out altogether, blanketing them in darkness. "I'm as frustrated as you, Diedra. I know you're angry, and maybe I deserve it. But I didn't know, and neither did you, that they'd come back and then disappear again."

She slumped against him, feeling drained. She felt ashamed of the way she'd attacked him. Alec was a good guy and she'd been wrong to lash out at him when what she really wanted to do was hurt herself for being such a fool.

Thankfully, she hadn't done him any harm. And she had learned something, something really important. If she had thought of anything, she'd have thought she'd be punished for striking out at him, provoking his anger. That hadn't happened. He'd understood.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you." She blinked when the hallway suddenly flooded with light again.

"You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I am." Diedra giggled into his musty shirt. "A little."

"Imp." Alec enfolded her completely in his arms. "I was planning to call Sarah to see if she'd heard anything."

"You know she'll call us when she does." Diedra tilted back her head to gaze into his eyes. "I know you're doing everything you can to find them. I'm sorry I took it all out on you."

"My pleasure," he deadpanned. "What next?"

She snuggled more closely. "No offense, Counselor, but next, you shower."

Chapter 13

It hadn't been easy to persuade Alec to shower at her house, rather than return home. Diedra had persevered, though. She didn't want to be alone. Her house was dark and lonely, with none of the comfort it usually gave her. The shadows triggered wild imaginings she fought to ignore. His company helped.

He'd called Sarah, who reported nothing new. Although the best course was to remain where they were until news came, Diedra wasn't sure how much longer she could survive the waiting. She rubbed her sore neck, hoping to work out even one of the kinks that had gathered there like distant relatives at a funeral.

Once Alec had showered and changed into one of Jeff's old sweat suits, which Meagan sometimes wore when she was having one of her
bad days
, Diedra took the opportunity to clean up as well.

Her bedroom smelled of Alec. How peculiar, considering he'd used her shampoo and soap. But she would recognize his unique blend of spice and leather anywhere. Diedra stepped into a pair of old jeans, their weathered coarseness almost soothing as she slid them on. She pulled a large T-shirt over her head, not bothering with a bra.

When she wandered into the living room, she found Alec collapsed on an overstuffed chair, looking very much at home in the dim lighting. How could he fit so easily into her life, into her heart? She had to fight off the idea he might remain in her life. She knew better.

But, by golly, she'd enjoy him for as long as he was willing. She had nothing to lose but her heart, and she was rapidly coming to realize she'd already given it to him two years earlier.

"Your TV isn't working," he said.

Was he picking on her again? She sighed. Maybe she was being overly sensitive. "I keep anything electrical either put away or unplugged. Lightning killed my last one. Do you want me to plug it in?"

"No. I hadn't realized it was unplugged, was just worried it was broken. You doing okay?"

"Yeah, I feel a lot better since I showered and put on dry clothes."

"I hope you don't mind," said Alec, "but I threw mine in the washer."

"That was a good idea." Diedra ran nervous palms down her jeans. She'd begged the man to stay and here she was feeling like a high school girl with her first crush. "I'll plug in the TV."

"Don't bother. How about some music, instead?" He nodded at the stereo.

She plugged it in and didn't bother to change it from her favorite country radio station. Now what could she do? She rubbed her neck again.

"Want something to eat?" she asked.

His green eyes bored into her, hot and needy. Like her. "Maybe later."

Now she really felt nervous.

This was the man she'd basically attacked in a car, for heaven's sake. He was looking at her as though he wanted her, and she had cold feet? What had gotten into her? She ought to be jumping into his arms. She felt like hiding.

Maybe she hadn't been aware of all the risk earlier. She hadn't realized she was in love with this man.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. She was a fool. She stared down at her bare feet and wriggled her toes. The same toes that he'd curled just hours earlier.

She wanted him to do it again.

"It's hot in here." Diedra glanced up at him.

He merely stared at her with a gaze that said he knew exactly what was going on in her head. She didn't like that one little bit. Okay, so she wasn't sophisticated, but was a little mystery too much to ask?

She knew she was all wrong for him, wrong in every way, but that didn't make her want him one iota less. She hoped like the dickens he didn't see anything other than desire on her face. What would he think if he knew how she felt? Would he rush for the door?

"You're awfully tense," he said. "Would a neck rub help?"

"It sounds awesome." Maybe it would smooth out some of her kinks, muscular and otherwise.

He moved to the couch and patted it. She took a seat with her back to him, momentarily grateful he couldn't see her face.

He placed his fingertips on her neck and began to massage, gently rubbing knots she'd never known existed.

At his touch, her hormones shot into high production. Oh man, oh man, oh man.

Alec lightly moved a tendril of her hair out of his way as he continued kneading. The tenderness of his gesture sent shock waves through her body.

"Earlier today, I would have given my last dollar for a bed," he said. "I couldn't help but notice you have a vacant one."

Diedra's muscles instantly clenched. He could read her mind.

"Relax, Imp." He continued rubbing, bringing his hands down her shoulder blades and onto her spinal area.

It felt good. She closed her eyes, enjoying the moment. When he brought his hot lips to her neck, dragging her T-shirt to one side to access her shoulder blade, she melted like a pool of lava. How could he affect her so easily? Desire boiled in her belly, naked and sharp and overwhelming.