Protective Custody (6 page)

“Sweet Jesus, kitten. That was amazing.”

He caught her fluffing her hair, glancing toward the mirror. Did she even enjoy sex with him? He banished the thought. Of course she did. She loved him, after all.

She moved off him and grabbed a silky robe from the end of the bed. As she wrapped it around herself, she eyed him, and her mask slipped. Only for a second, but he was sure. She’d rarely shown him that face, but it was surprisingly intelligent.

And colder than Neptune.

Time to pay for the pleasure. “What’s the problem, Veronica?” He steeled himself for something bad, something expensive.

She sighed and drew her knees up against her chest. “Well, you know when Cassidy and I went to Atlantic City last weekend?”

He swallowed hard.
Please, not another gambling debt.
“Yes.”

“My luck couldn’t have been better the first day. We played roulette and twenty-one, and I was up like six thousand bucks. She was up four. I told Cassidy we should quit while we were ahead, but she had the hots for this one dealer and begged me to go back the next day.” She wrung her hands.

“Mmm-hmm.” He reached for a towel from the night-table drawer to clean himself.

“Um, well, I could hardly sit there and not play.” She gave him those doe eyes that could melt an iceberg.

His stomach knotted. “How much did you lose?”

She huffed. “It’s all Cassidy’s fault. And the dude turned out to be gay. Can you believe it?”

“How much, Veronica?”

Her downcast gaze spoke volumes. “Ten thousand.”

Acid bubbled up in his throat. “Oh God, honey.” He scrubbed a hand over his face.

“The manager at the casino said my credit was good, but now he’s calling. They want their money, Eddie Bear. I don’t think they’re nice people.”

He could hardly suck in a breath. “Veronica, I was a cop for twenty-five years. And now you’ve got me dealing with casino riffraff. Ten thousand?”

Oh God.

She crawled to him and hugged his neck. “I’m sorry.” She kissed his forehead and his cheek, but he shoved her away.

What the hell was he going to do?

Chapter Five

Darkness engulfed Megan’s house like a black cloud, yet the other homes in the cul-de-sac had lights burning. The hair on the back of Will’s neck rose as he hurried to the porch. He knocked hard and called out so he didn’t frighten her.

The instant she opened the door, he noticed her knit brow and the frown on that gorgeous mouth.
She’s okay.

Relief flowed through him as he drew her into his arms and breathed her vanilla scent.

“Thank you for coming,” she said against his chest.

Emotions warred inside him. He wanted more than anything to keep her safe, to always be there for her. But he had a bad habit of letting people down. The notion that she was starting to depend on him weighed heavily on his shoulders. “Tell me what happened.”

She backed away, and the loss of contact left him cold. He stepped inside and shut the door. “You said someone drove away in a hurry?”

He recalled running his fingers through her hair, kissing her delicious lips, tasting her sweet sex. The memory curled around his senses and heated him from the inside out.

“A white SUV.” She lowered her gaze and flushed.

Was she hiding something? “Do you have an idea who was driving?”

Tiny lines around her mouth and eyes deepened. “Jerome Thomas. A guy I dated after you and I…”

After you broke my heart.

Must have been the man he saw her with a while ago. “Wait a second. Do you think he could be the murderer or the person who put the head on your porch? I’m confused here, Megan. If you know more than you’ve told me, it’s time to lay all your cards on the table.” He set his hands on his waist and waited.

“I don’t know, okay? No, Jerome is definitely not the murderer. The killer was white. Jerome is black. And I have no idea who left the severed head. Maybe Jerome
is
the one who’s been after me, though. Someone’s been calling the office and saying things. Awful things. And now it’s happening here too.” She fiddled with her bracelet. “I’m not hiding anything from you, and I’m not making any of this up. I honestly thought it was the killer until I saw that car drive off. It might have been Jerome, but I can’t be positive.”

“What kind of things did he say?”

“He knows who I am. Even called me by name. But he was disguising his voice.” She trembled, although the room was comfortably warm.

“So it could have been anyone.”

“I suppose.”

“Are you sure you heard the caller right? I mean sometimes victims let fear do things to them. They imagine stuff.”

The hurt in her eyes sliced through him. “I didn’t mean to upset you, sorry. I’m just covering all the bases.”

“I can’t even begin to explain how maddening it is to witness such an awful thing, then have the police treat me like some kind of wacko with a vivid imagination or a drinking problem. I have to find that poor girl’s killer, or her face will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

He grasped her upper arms. “I understand and I promise, I’ll help you.”

She backed out of his reach and nodded. “Thanks. Think we could work on turning the lights back on first?”

“Was the power out when you got home?”

“No. There was a popping sound a few minutes after I arrived. Then it all went off. And I think someone was inside. I had a hard time getting out the back door. Like something was blocking it.”

He grabbed a flashlight from the table and checked to confirm it worked. “Do you know where the electrical box is?”

“Outside. Near the kitchen window.”

“Show me.”

He took her hand and let her lead him to the junction box. As they approached, she hesitated. She pointed to a dark rectangle on the wall. The metal cover sat open, and a few pieces of cut wire were visible on the wet ground below.

At her sharp gasp, he pulled her into an embrace. “It’s going to be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

I can’t allow her to count on me.

“I don’t understand why Jerome would do this.” She moved away from him. “I never did anything mean to him. Why would he want to taunt me?”

He hooked her arm and started back toward the house. “I have no idea. But in the meantime, you can’t stay here without any power.” He considered bringing her to his apartment, but if someone was searching for her, it would be too easy to find her there.

“What about my house? I need to call someone to fix this mess.” She stepped up to the back porch ahead of him, then spun to face him, her lashes fluttering rapidly. “And what about you, Will? I can’t expect you to put your life on hold.” She dropped her gaze. “I heard a woman’s voice when I called you before. If you’re seeing someone—”

“I’m not.”

A subtle smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “Not that it’s any of my business, but—”

He took her face between his hands and kissed her with an urgency that even surprised him. She leaned her warm body into his and released a soft moan into his mouth.

He couldn’t help himself. She tasted of mint and desire and everything he’d ever wanted. A strong gust of wind blew rain from the trees onto them. When she shivered, he ushered her inside. “I have an electrician friend who should be able to get the electricity up and running tomorrow. For now I want to get you to a safe place. Any ideas?”

She locked the bolt. “How about one of my rental properties? I have four vacant ones.”

“Perfect.” He handed her the flashlight. “Go pack a bag. No telling how long it’ll take to flush this guy out.”

She hesitated, and a heavy silence fell between them. The candlelight stroked her delicate features like a lover. She chewed at the corner of her mouth.

God, she’s beautiful.

He waited, but she said nothing. “What?”

“Would you mind coming with me?”

Not like he hadn’t been in her bedroom before. Before she’d left him. He swallowed the bitter taste. “Sure.”

He walked behind her, his gaze riveted to the gentle sway of her hips. Not long ago he’d loved sinking his fingers into those hips as Megan slid up and down over his cock. The image stirred delicious and dangerous thoughts.

He entered her room, and more memories stormed through him, pulling him back to their time together. The four-poster bed where they’d made love a hundred times, the overstuffed chair where he’d served her breakfast on her birthday, the lavender scent of the air.

“Have a seat.” She handed him the flashlight, then lit a candle on the table by the bed. Same one that had burned when they used to make love. He allowed himself a measure of relief when he noticed the candle appeared no smaller than it had the last time he’d seen it. Did he dare hope she hadn’t brought any other men here after him?

Yeah, right.

It had been six months since their breakup. And she’d obviously dated in that time. The notion of another man touching her was too much to bear.

Think about something else.

He clasped his hands behind his back and kept an eye on the windows. But his gaze meandered to the top drawer of the nightstand, where she kept condoms. And the furry handcuffs and the silk blindfold. A quiver of longing took hold, but he forced himself to concentrate on the here and now.

“Will?”

Looking over his shoulder, he met her stare. “Yeah?”

“I said you could have a seat. If you want.”

“I’m good.” She’d see his growing erection if he faced her. He could hardly walk backward to the chair.

She went to the closet and pulled down a suitcase, then set it on the bed. Sparing him a quick glance, she chuckled.

“What?”

Her bright smile dazzled him. “I was thinking how you remind me of a soldier or a sentry. Standing guard over a prisoner.”

“A prisoner?” More like the most precious cargo.

She crossed to her dresser and sighed. “Guess I ought to pack enough for a couple of days, just in case.”

“Can’t hurt.” His throat constricted when she opened the drawer that held all her sexy lingerie. He tried to drag his attention elsewhere, but he couldn’t.

She pulled out a few items. Her arms full of clothes, she shut the drawer with a swing of her hip, a move so common yet so incredibly sexy. His breath hitched as she carefully folded each item before she packed it, the stern set of her jaw as she concentrated on her chore.

He had to force himself to stand his ground and not sweep her into his arms and make love to her that minute.

Her soft, caramel-colored skin glowed against her dark polo shirt. He’d bet she had on that black lace bra he remembered so well. He’d nearly chewed through it one night to get to her pebbled nipples.

Stop it!

Spending time with her without being able to touch her was pure torture. Would she take him to her bed if he asked? He thought about making love to her, remembered how sweet it had been. Would he ever find such bliss again? No other woman had made him feel the way she had.

Suddenly her breath caught and her eyes widened.

“What’s wrong?”

She shoved her hand into her pocket and removed something silver. “I found this today.” She strode toward him and handed him an earring. “It was on the ground behind the building where…”

His chest tightened. “You went there? Alone?”

She pursed her lips and blinked a couple of times. “I had to get out of my office. I was only gone for a few minutes, and Betsy was watching me nearly the entire time.”

He held up the earring. “You think this belongs to the victim, the girl you saw?”

“Maybe. It looks handmade. Any idea how I can find out where it came from?”

He studied the jewelry. “That’s a long shot. But we should hang on to it. If a body is found, it could be an important piece of evidence. Do you have a baggie?”

“In the kitchen. The drawer next to the fridge.”

“I’ll be right back.” When he returned, her suitcase was full. “We’ll have to stop by my office to get a key.” Her words ripped him back to the present.

He cleared his throat. “Right. Sure.”

She zipped up her bag and lifted it off the bed. He rushed over and tried to take it from her. Their fingers touched on the handle, then intertwined. He stared into her eyes, and he was lost.

Megan swallowed hard. Will was so close she picked up the scent of his pine cologne. The trace of stubble on his cheeks reminded her of the rough feel of his skin on hers in the dead of night. Desire spooled through her, reaching every cell, every nerve ending. Her nipples hardened to painful points and strained against her bra.

The man turned her into a puddle of estrogen with a mere look. That pleasant ache in her abdomen that he always inspired returned. She let go of the suitcase and parted her lips.

Kiss me.

He answered her unspoken plea, lowering his mouth to hers. Soft, sweet.

And packed with emotion.

He dropped her bag, but she paid it no mind. All she could concentrate on was Will, his mouth on hers, his familiar tongue swirling around hers, his cinnamon taste. And the liquid heat flooding through her body.

She pressed against him, took pleasure in knowing she was responsible for the hard bulge in his pants. But only seconds into their kiss Will broke away.

She drew in a breath and waited for her pulse to calm.

“We shouldn’t.” He backed away, scrubbing a hand over his face.

“What’s wrong? What did I do?” A vise squeezed her heart, but it was imperative she know.

Tiny muscles around his jaw quivered. “I’m not. I’m just… I have to keep my guard up. The moment I stop paying attention, something bad could happen. Don’t you understand that? If I don’t focus on protecting you, you could end up…” He shook his head.

“What?” Could he be thinking about the man he’d accidentally shot? She reflected on the details of the incident she’d researched on the internet at work earlier. According to the newspaper article, the man had run from a crime scene wearing clothes similar to the suspect’s. It had been a tragic mistake, but an understandable one.

“Change the subject,” he muttered.

“No.” She touched his arm. “I know you’re thinking about that accidental shooting. You were cleared of wrongdoing, Will. You can’t beat yourself up for this forever.”

“It’s not just that, okay? And I said I didn’t want to talk about it.”

He backed away, and she wondered if she’d said too much.

He took her hand and brought it to his lips. Having her so near consumed his head with more memories: their short vacation in the North Carolina mountains, a weekend jaunt to South Beach.

One night. He should take whatever he could get with her. Stealing even a single evening together before they parted ways again sounded too tempting to pass up.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

How the hell was he supposed to resist those sparkling eyes and that silky hair? Desire whipped through him. His pulse raced with passion. He was close enough to feel her heat. “I’ve missed you.” His voice nearly cracked under the weight of his overpowering need.

Her lips parted, and her breath caught. “I…”

Unable to stop himself, he grasped her upper arms, drew her to him and captured her mouth. She let out a halfhearted protest before threading her fingers through his hair and hung on. He feasted on her tongue, sucked and licked and tasted. Her lusty sighs stoked his appetite.

He slid a hand under her shirt, and she shuddered. She moaned as she ran her tongue over his teeth. He had to have her.

Now.

“I want you, Megan.”

She widened her eyes, but faster than a flash, she clasped her hands behind his neck. He kissed her long and deep, tangling his tongue with hers. Her familiar taste left him hungry for more—much more.

Moving his attention lower, he bit at an erect nipple through her shirt.

“Oh God, Will. Yes. That feels…so…good.”

That was exactly what he’d been waiting to hear. He pushed her against the wall for support, then tore at her clothes. He didn’t care if he ripped them, and she didn’t seem to mind. Her full breasts sat high and round with nipples the color of ripe berries, sweet as candy. He could spend hours sucking those delicious points.