Dangerous to Her (9 page)

“You never married again?”

“I had Tony to help me with Jordan. Friends…”

“But a husband. A partner—”

She shook her head. “I couldn’t go through it again.”

“The heartache of losing a partner?”

“No, the heartache of losing a partner I was too boring to satisfy on my own.”

He stared at her. “Is that what you really think?”

“It’s what I know. You were the first one to teach me that lesson, Dom. My pressuring you to give up your dream only made it easier for you to leave me, but it would have happened eventually.”

Eyes narrowing, he stared at her, his eyes focusing on the spot that joined her neck and shoulder. It made her insides explode with heat. She’d loved it when he’d kissed her there. More times than not, she’d go wild from that touch alone, acting in ways no one would dare say was boring.

“Come here, Mattie.”

Her eyes widened in alarm. “Wh-why?”

He stepped closer, making a low sound in his throat—something that almost sounded like a growl—when she stepped back. “Because I want to show you just how boring you can be.”

She gasped. The way he was looking at her, with pure sexual drive flaring in his eyes, made her achy and wet between her thighs. The temptation to walk into his arms and let passion take them was almost unbearable. She bit her lip and dug her nails into her palms, hoping the pain could somehow pull her back from the very dangerous edge she was balanced on.

For all her complaints about him, some people might say that Mattie had too easily replaced him. After all, only a few months had passed before she’d started dating John. Not long after, they’d married. Of course, she’d been pregnant and scared, and John had been kind. Did that make her weak? Was it so bad to want a man to build a life with?

When she was young, Mattie had naturally gravitated towards being in a relationship. She liked being part of a couple. Going on dates and holding hands. Having a man pick up the bill and hold the door open for her. The slight teasing banter when you knew the night was going to end in close, physical contact with someone you loved. She’d missed that in the past few years. Missed sex. Missed being held and having a man inside her.

Apparently, if she asked for that right now, Dom would give it to her. But he still couldn’t give her what she really wanted. What she really needed. Because whether he admitted it or not, he was an adrenaline junkie, too. If she gave herself to him physically, he’d take her heart, as well. And she’d have to risk losing the only man she’d ever truly loved a second time. That thought enabled her to break free from the spell he’d cast. Shaking her head, she stepped back. “I can’t do this,” she said.

“Of course you can,” he countered, looking undeterred. He stepped closer, and she held her palms out pleadingly.

“Let’s say I did. Then what?”

As she’d known it would, the question froze him in his tracks. “Why do we have to answer that question?”

“Because I have a daughter to take care of,” she reminded him. “And quite frankly, I’ve already been burned by you. You can’t give me what I need.”

His face tightened and she released her breath, thinking she’d finally made him see reason. Instead, he moved closer, placed his hands on her shoulders, kneading them softly. “I think I can give you exactly what you need. And what you want.”

She whimpered at his words, unable to deny their veracity. Of their own volition, she lifted her arms and placed them around his neck. “We can’t,” she whispered, still trying to be logical even if her body wouldn’t.

He slowly lowered his head, until all she could focus on were his blue eyes, blazing at her with masculine intent, and his hands, showing her what she could have.

Strong but gentle.

Hungry but generous.

She tilted her face up. Just the tiniest bit.
Yes,
she thought, as his lips met hers.

The first contact undid her. Doubt and resolve gave way to a blessed forgetfulness and left her solely a victim to sensation. Again, she thought in contrasts. His lips were so much softer than she remembered, but the way he opened them and angled his head for better positioning made her shiver. The way he used his tongue made her moan.

He’d always been an accomplished lover, but she could tell he’d gained even more experience. Before, he’d been controlled by a young man’s passion. Now, he knew better than to invade when teasing would work so much better. His tongue dipped, then withdrew, tracing the bow of her lip before he nipped at the bottom.

“You taste the same,” he whispered against them, not bothering to lift his head. “So damn sexy,” he growled. “Like honey and cream, melting on my tongue.”

She raised her hands to his face, cupping the hard planes of his jaw. Even that simple touch seemed to inflame him. Suddenly, his kiss wasn’t so teasing anymore. His mouth widened. His hands lowered to her hips, pulling her body into his and she sighed with relief as her aching breasts rubbed up against him.

Wrenching his lips from hers, he buried his face in her neck, struggling to catch his breath. She tangled her fingers in his hair and unthinkingly soothed him, even as her own heartbeat threatened to pound out of her.

He lifted his head. “I want to do that again.”

His blatant honesty compelled her to give the same. “I—I do too. But—” Her words were interrupted by the sound of breaking glass.

Mattie jerked and Dom’s arms dropped away. From the direction of the parking garage, a horn began to honk repetitively. “Car alarm,” he muttered. “Yours?”

She shook her head. She had a beat-up old Toyota that she couldn’t get someone to steal even if she wanted him to.

Instinctively, she stepped forward but Dom put his arm in front of her. He activated the radio on his shoulder. “This is Deputy Jeffries. There’s a disturbance in the south parking garage. Send someone out.”

“Nichols will be out in three,” replied the voice on the other end.

“You’re not going to go in?”

Dominic looked sideways at Mattie. “I would, but then I’d be neglecting you. I’m just not that kind of guy.”

“I thought that’s just the kind of guy you were.” She tried to sound teasing, but with her senses still sizzling from his kiss and her own desperate response, she sounded more accusatory than anything else. What had she been thinking? The instant the glass had broken and she’d seen that hard look come into his eyes—the cop look—it had snapped her back to reality, clearly reminding her why she needed to stay away from men in general. This man in particular.

His gaze sharpened. “Meaning?”

“Never mind—”

“What kind of man am I, Mattie?”

Feeling penned in, she raised her chin. “You and John had one thing in common, Dom, and it wasn’t just being a cop. It’s your need for adrenaline. You’ll always take risks—”

“That’s not true—”

“You climb walls without a harness. And you got pumped restraining that inmate Dusty. Admit it.”

Before responding, he waved to a uniformed man who walked out of the courthouse and into the parking garage. Then he brought all his attention back to her, his eyes blazing. “I’m not admitting anything. I told you, I only take calculated risks and I don’t climb without some kind of safety measure in place. As for Dusty, he deserved far worse than what he got for touching you.”

Yowza. She had to admit the he-man protector bit he had going made her insides melt, but of course she couldn’t let him know that.

Before she could respond, a voice on his radio interrupted them. “This is Deputy Nichols. I need an ambulance, stat.”

Dominic engaged his radio. “What do you have?”

“I’ve got an unconscious woman here. She’s been beaten bad.”

“Did you find ID?”

“Government issued. She works here. In the D.A.’s office.”

Mattie gasped, panic going off inside her like fireworks. Dominic placed his hand on her shoulder and spoke into his radio again. “What’s her name?”

“Linda Delaney.”

“Linda!” Cupping her hand over her mouth, Mattie lunged forward, her only thought that she needed to get to her friend. A heavy arm clamped around her waist and she screamed in frustration, trying to pull away.

Dominic lowered his head closer to hers. “Shh. Mattie, stop. Listen to me. Someone’s with her, and an ambulance is on the way.”

Whimpering, Mattie shook her head. “I need to go to her. Let. Me. Go!”

“Mattie!” Dominic shook her gently, then cupped her face in his hands. “Look at me, Mattie. Look at me.”

She stopped struggling and stared into his eyes. Her panicked breaths heaved in and out of her, and she couldn’t hear past the pounding of her heart. His eyes, though—his blue, blue eyes. They grounded her. Gave her something to focus on so that the soft caress of his hands on her face finally registered. “The area isn’t secure. The ambulance will be here soon and we’ll get Linda to a hospital. But I need you to go inside.”

“Ambulance,” she breathed.

He nodded and straightened. “Yes. Now, let me get you inside. I’ll go to her immediately and find out her condition, I promise. But first I need to make sure you’re okay. I have to keep my promise to Linda and keep you safe. Okay?”

“Yes. Okay.” Tears burned her lids and she grasped at the front of Dominic’s shirt. “Please check on her and tell me she’s okay. Please.”

“I’ll check on her. Find out if anyone noticed anything or anyone suspicious.”

“Like what?” Even to herself, she sounded like she was barely holding it together. But Linda— “This place is always crawling with thugs.”

His jaw clenched. “Some thugs are more memorable than others. Now come on, let’s get you inside.”

Chapter 10

M
attie paced in the hallway just inside the courthouse’s lower level glass doors. It had been five minutes since Dominic had disappeared to check on Linda. An ambulance as well as several police cars were now parked on the street in front of the parking garage. Every once in a while, someone in a blue or tan uniform would move into her view, but not one of them was Dominic. “Where are they?” she moaned, referring not just to Dominic, but the two paramedics she’d seen jump out of the back of the ambulance with a gurney. “Why hasn’t he checked in with you?”

Marcus O’Neil, the young deputy whom Dominic had assigned to stay with her, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “They’re going to want to check your friend over before they move her. It hasn’t been that long, honest.”

Biting her lip, Mattie tried to focus on the man’s words of reassurance. He sounded sincere. Honest. Besides, nothing had come over his radio to refute him. Linda was strong. Probably the strongest woman Mattie knew. She was going to be fine. She had to be. If anything happened to her, Tony would—

Tony.

Gasping, Mattie fumbled in her purse for her cell phone. Flipping open the cover, she pressed the speed dial button assigned to Tony’s apartment. The phone rang three times before she abruptly hung up. She stared at the phone, second and third thoughts assailing her.

Of course Tony would want to know. He and Linda had dated for almost six months before they broke up, and she’d never seen her brother so desperately in love before. Code-pendent was how Linda had described it.

Should she tell him? Now? When she had no information about Linda’s condition?

His emotions were still raw where Linda was concerned. The last thing he needed right now was an excuse to turn back to the drugs.

But if she didn’t tell him, he’d be so angry with her. Rightfully so.

So she’d tell him, but not just yet. Not until she had more information.

Raking both hands through her hair, she stepped closer to the doors and pressed her nose against one. Her breath fogged the panel and she closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against the cool glass.

Trust Dominic
, she urged herself.
He promised to come as soon as he knew something
.

She opened her eyes again and willed him to appear. When she accomplished nothing but straining her eyesight, she sank into one of the plastic chairs lining the walls and dropped her face in her hands. Just this afternoon, Linda had been flirting with Dominic, doing her best to keep his attention off Mattie. Now she was lying out in the cold, hurt.

Mattie snapped upright when she realized Linda was probably wondering where Mattie was. Why she’d left her alone. Linda was a doer. She’d want Mattie to do something, not stand here waiting around. The thought of failing her friend had her pushing open the doors. The cold stung her lungs, exacerbating her worry and dread.

“Ma’am, please—”

Moving fast, halfway to the parking garage already, Mattie ignored Deputy O’Neil until he caught her arm, his grip surprisingly firm. “Ma’am, you need to stay inside with me.”

She tried to jerk away, tears of frustration forming when he easily hung on. “Why? There are cops all over the place now. No one’s going to jump out and attack me.”

The expression she’d come to know as Dom’s “cop face” formed on O’Neil’s. Calm. Detached. Yet somehow demanding obedience. “Still, it’s safer for all parties if the scene is cleared.”

“What parties? There’s only one person out there who matters.” She pulled frantically at her arm. “I need to make sure my friend is okay.”

“Deputy Jeffries—”

“—is not calling in. My friend is—”

But O’Neil was looking over her head. She whirled around when she heard voices and saw the gurney moving toward them, this time with a bundled form on top of it. She ripped away from the man holding her. “Linda!”

One of the paramedics looked up as she ran toward him. “How is she?”

“Please, ma’am, get back—”

Mattie strained to see over the man’s shoulder. She cried out when she saw Linda’s face above the sheet. Blood and bruises stood out garishly against pasty skin. Her top lip was split and swollen twice its size. “Linda?” she called. “Linda!”

But Linda didn’t move. Didn’t so much as flinch at the sound of her voice.

The men lifted the gurney into the back of the ambulance.

“Move out of the way, ma’am,” one of the paramedics commanded when she blocked the closing door.

“Wait. Where are you—?”

“Mattie, let them take her to the hospital.”

She jerked around at the sound of Dominic’s voice. His expression was blank, revealing nothing about Linda’s condition. Even though she knew she was being unfair, the expression made her furious. “I want to follow them. I want to go with her.”

He nodded. “I’ll take you there.”

“She didn’t answer when I called to her. Is she okay? Why didn’t she answer?”

The ambulance motor turned over and the driver pulled away, sirens wailing.

Mattie stared at the ambulance’s departing taillights in shock. She couldn’t stop her teeth from chattering.

“Mattie—”

She turned on him, pushing away her fear with anger. “Why didn’t you call in? Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?”

“Mattie, listen to me—”

“You said you would let me know as soon as possible.” She slapped his hands away when he reached for her. Her voice rose higher. “She needed me. She’s probably scared. Wondering where I am. Damn you, I should have been there for her. God, I hate you! I should never have listened—”

He leaned down until his eyes were level with hers. “She was in cardiac arrest when I got to her, Mattie. I had to do CPR until the paramedics arrived, and then I needed make sure they got her safely to the ambulance. I couldn’t leave them until the perimeter was cleared. I came out as soon as I could, do you understand?”

He’d done CPR on Linda? That meant her heart had stopped beating. Then, of course, getting a message to her had been the last thing he’d been worried about.

What an idiot she’d been. Raising a shaky hand to her temple, she moaned at the way she’d lost control. Yelled at him. Hit him. “I’m sorry. I—I—”

“They stabilized her, but she hasn’t gained consciousness. Not since Nichols found her.”

Opening her eyes, she blinked rapidly to push back the tears. “Did she talk? Did she say who did this to her?”

He pressed his lips together as if he was weighing how much to tell her. “I’ll fill you in while I drive you to the hospital. Does she have family that needs to be contacted?”

She fell into step next to him, thankful for the hand he cupped under her elbow. “She has a sister in San Diego. Her mother lives back East.”

“What about a brother or father? Boyfriend?”

“No brother. Her father died when she was little. And no, no boyfriend right now.”

He guided her across the street, stopping at a black Durango.

“Why are you asking me about a boyfriend? Did she say something?”

“Yes, she said a name. I don’t know what it means, but…?.”

He stared at her as his words faded. While his features remained composed, his blue eyes were filled with emotion: Regret. Compassion. And suspicion.

But that was ridiculous. Why would he be suspicious?

“What was the name?”

His hand tightened under her elbow, his touch somehow increasing her trepidation. Instinctively, she pulled away. He scowled, but let his hand drop.

“What was the name?” she whispered.

“Tony.”