You Can't Hide (27 page)

A small catlike smile curved her lips. “So is yours.”

“I know. It’s been doing that a lot lately.” He smiled rueful y. “And not always for reasons as pleasurable as this.”

“I’m sorry I’m not more cooperative,” she repeated, her voice husky this time.
We’ll see about that.
“My last bastion of hope was that I could hate wanting you because you were an uptown girl.”

“What’s wrong with uptown girls?”

He met her eyes squarely. “They have expensive uptown tastes. Fancy dinners. Shiny stones.”

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “And?”

His jaw clenched. “I can’t afford-” He broke off when her eyes flashed a lethal warning and her fingers tightened, gripping his shirt.

“Be careful, Aidan. You wouldn’t want to go saying something you don’t mean again.” She yanked at his shirt, drawing him down until their faces were level. She braced her free hand on the bike and leaned in. “I am not some street hooker that any man
affords
. I afford
myself
. If I want a fancy dinner at a restaurant, I go. If I want to stay home I can cook it just as well
myself
. If I want a shiny stone, I’l buy it
myself
. Are we clear?”

For a moment he could only stare, fascinated. Then he threaded his hand through her damp hair and took what he’d been aching to have, crushing her mouth with his. She met him more than halfway, her hand dropping his shirt and reaching for the back of his neck, pul ing him closer. Her mouth was hot and hungry and all he’d dreamed it would be, opening beneath his without hesitation. She made a sound in her throat when he took the kiss deeper, half hum of pleasure, half whimper of frustration. She leaned forward and the bike teetered dangerously, making Dol y edge away.

Tess pul ed back, placing both her hands on the handlebars to steady it, her breasts rising and falling with the rapid breaths she drew. Her lips were wet, her nipples visibly erect through the tight sweatshirt. Her chin lifted in challenge as if daring him to stop and Aidan had to struggle to swallow. He crossed around the motorcycle, his gaze locked with hers. He said nothing. He just closed his arms around her, lowered his mouth to hers, and prayed he could take up where he’d left off.

Then he thanked the powers above when her arms wound around his neck and her lips parted for him once again. Instantly the heat was back, intense. Wild. His hands splayed wide across her back, roving up and down as she pressed closer, her breasts flattened against his chest. With a pretty little growl she pul ed herself higher, torturing him with the rocking of her hips, still too low to do either of them any good. His body throbbed, his hands too empty. He pul ed back far enough to let them breathe. Her breath came in hard little pants against his cheek, each one firing his blood higher, hotter. “I want to touch you,” he muttered against her lips. “Let me touch you.”

Her head fel back, baring the curve of her throat and he took advantage, pressing hot openmouthed kisses against her skin.

“Where?”

101

Karen Rose

[Suspense 5]

You Can't Hide

His mouth froze. “What did you say?”

“I said where?” Her murmur was husky. “Where do you want to touch me?”

He pressed his face to the side of her neck and shuddered. “God, Tess.”

She unwound her arms from around his neck and captured his face between her palms. “I mean it.” He was stunned to see self-doubt in her eyes. “Tell me where. Please.” The plea was a hoarse whisper and Aidan remembered what Murphy had said. She’d been engaged and her fiancй had left her. Cheated on her. How was it possible? How could a man even consider it?

But Aidan knew that even more important than the reasons was erasing the vulnerability from her eyes. How he handled the next few moments could bolster her confidence or break her further on a day when she’d already been through sheer hell more than once. Where did he want to touch her? Mother of God. Where didn’t he want to touch her?

“Everywhere,” he managed. “Anywhere you let me.” His hands slid down her back, closed over her butt. “Here.” Her eyes drifted closed, her hands resting on his shoulders as his fingers kneaded her firm flesh through the soft fabric of her pants. Although she stood passively, there was a fine tension in her body, a hunger on her face as he layered caress on caress. He brought one hand to cup her breast, testing its weight in his palm. “Here.” His thumb swept across one hard nipple and her back went rigid. So did he. And because he didn’t trust himself not to take more, he brought both hands up to cup her jaws and placed a kiss on her forehead. “You’re beautiful, Tess.”

Her eyes opened, dark with unmet need. “Why did you stop?”

He bit back his groan. “Because you’ve had a hell of a day and I’m not going to take advantage of you. Don’t look at me that way,” he demanded when the doubt crept back into her eyes. He grasped her butt and pul ed her up into him, rubbing her body against the hard ridge of his erection once, twice, three excruciating times before setting her back on the floor away from him. “Trust me,” he said rueful y. “Stopping is the last thing I want to do right now. But I don’t want to rush you. Not under the circumstances.”

She stared up at him, her eyes both aroused and wary, her face flushed. “What circumstances?”

He sighed again. “I’m the first since… him. Aren’t I?”

“Then you know.” Her eyes hardened. “About Phillip, damn him to hell.”

“Tess, he was stupid. I don’t care what reason he gave.” Gently he slid his fingertips down her cheek. “But I have to say I’m glad he’s out of the picture. Three’s a crowd that way.” He pressed a hard kiss to her mouth just as Dol y started to growl.

Aidan came to instant alert. He put Tess behind him as he bent to pul his backup gun from his ankle holster. The door from the kitchen opened and a familiar brown head poked through. Aidan brought the hand holding his gun down. “Dammit, Mom.”

She frowned at him. “Don’t swear at me, Aidan. And put that thing away.”

He dropped his eyes. “Sorry,” he mumbled. Behind him he heard Tess snicker and it occurred to him it was only the second time he’d heard her laugh. She’d had too many shocks over the last few days. If she laughed at his expense, that was okay.

His mother smiled broadly. “You must be Kristen’s friend. I have your clothes. Kristen looked at your other things and gave me sizes. I only hope everything fits.”

Tess stepped around him, a smile on her face. “Thank you, Mrs. Reagan. It was so kind of you to go to so much trouble.” She walked over to his mother, careful not to trip on the motorcycle parts. “Aidan was just giving me a tour of the house.”

“And showing off his new motorcycle?” she asked tartly and Tess shrugged.

“Just remember I never said a word, Reagan.” She opened the door for his mother, throwing a wry smile back at the gun he still held over his groin. “This is like Christmas all over again, Mrs. Reagan.”

“He’s going to break his neck on that thing,” his mother said as Tess herded her into the kitchen.

102

Karen Rose

[Suspense 5]

You Can't Hide

Aidan stared at the door. Then he laughed as he hobbled across the garage floor. Bending over to grab his backup gun with a raging hard-on had nearly killed him, but hearing Tess laugh made the pain a little more bearable. He headed inside to call Jack Unger, sobering. CSU would need to meet them at Tess’s office. The sooner they stopped this killer, the sooner Tess could go on with her life.
Which will somehow be part of mine.

Chapter 11

Tuesday, March 14, 7:45 P.M.

Tess looked up at the duct-taped roof of Reagan’s Camaro and prayed the tape would hold because it was raining again. But she didn’t dare say a word, worried that he’d once again think her a snob.
Somebody had hurt him,
she thought. Made an issue out of money. Made him feel inadequate. She bit at her lower lip. Any woman who could think him inadequate had obviously never kissed him. Even exerting an iron control, he’d overwhelmed her. He’d been right, of course. It wasn’t wise for her to rush into anything physical with him or anybody else. Not today, anyway. But she’d needed him to prove she was desirable. She hadn’t known just how much she’d needed it until he’d pul ed her into his arms.

She wondered who the woman had been. The one who’d hurt him, who’d valued money more than she’d valued him. But she didn’t feel comfortable asking him. Not yet. Still, the quiet was getting to her. “I liked your mother.”

Aidan glanced over, then returned his gaze to the wet, dark road. “Everybody likes my mother.” A smile curved his lips. “But thank you. She was so tickled that you liked all the things she bought.”

Tess fingered the soft sweater she wore. “She picked out the same things I would have. Thanks for telling her to buy turtlenecks.”

“You’re welcome.”

She let out a breath. “And thank you for being the one with self-control. I don’t normally throw myself at men that way.”

He said nothing, but she could see his jaw tightening in the dim light of passing cars. Then he sighed. “Tess, if you’re apologizing, don’t. And don’t think that because I stopped tonight that next time I will.”

Her skin buzzed. “Next time?”

His look was fast, but direct. “There will be a next time, Tess.”

She settled back in her seat with a satisfied smile. “Good.”

His short laugh was all that passed between them until he parked his car in her space in the office parking garage. Tess got out of his car and frowned. “Harrison’s car is still here. He never works this late.” Her stomach turned over. “Oh, no.” She ran for the stairs, Reagan on her heels and found Jack waiting for them at her office door.

Reagan took the keys from her trembling hands, opened the outer door and flipped on the light, then immediately blocked the doorway with his body. “Don’t go in.”

She looked around him and the breath left her body in rush. “Oh my God.” Denise’s office was a shambles, her computer smashed to pieces. Shredded books and magazines littered the floor and the wooden door that covered the vault had been ripped from its hinges. The vault itself was closed.

Reagan and Jack slowly entered, weapons drawn.

“Police!” Reagan’s voice echoed against the walls, then there was silence. Tess pointed to Harrison’s door, slightly ajar. He’d never leave it unlocked. “Aidan, please check Harrison’s office.”

103

Karen Rose

[Suspense 5]

You Can't Hide

He pushed the door wide open. “There’s no one here, Tess. But there’s been one hell of fight.”

Harrison’s cabinets were smashed, his sofa ripped to shreds. His computer monitor was on the floor, the screen smashed in.

Jack pushed open the door to her office. “Yours, too, Tess. Somebody was looking for something.”

She swal owed. “Cameras?”

Jack shook his head. “Probably not. This is a messy job. Whoever planted the cameras was very meticulous. You say you don’t keep any records in your offices?”

“No. Just in the vault.”

Which Reagan was studying intently. “Jack, come here.” He pointed to one of the heavy hinges and Tess’s blood went cold.

The edge of the hinge was dark brown. Dried blood. Jack glanced over at her. “Come here and open it. Just be careful. There’s broken glass everywhere.”

She nodded shakily and willed her hands to steady as she dialed the combination and pul ed the release. She gasped. Every file had been pul ed from the shelves, every folder emptied, every box overturned. Paper covered the floor, in some places six inches deep. It was packed under one of the shelves, forming a long mound. The length of a man.

“Harrison.” Her heart in her throat, Tess dropped to her knees, pul ing the papers away, revealing white hair streaked with blood. She uncovered Harrison’s face and pressed her fingers to his carotid. She held her breath until she found his pulse. It was thready, but there. Reagan crouched beside her. “He’s alive?”

She nodded. “Barely. Help me get this paper out of the way. I need to see if he’s hurt anywhere else. Careful! Don’t move him.” Behind her she could hear the crackle of Jack’s radio in the outer office as he requested an ambulance while Reagan uncovered the old man down to his toes, sweeping the papers aside. “He’s still bleeding from his head,” she said. “I need something to stop it.”

“Do you have a first aid kit?” Reagan asked.

“In the supply closet.” She fumbled for her keys, then remembered he still had them. “It’s one of the medium-sized keys. Number sixty. Thank you.”

Reagan squeezed her shoulder and rushed off.

Harrison moaned, his eyes fluttering open. “Tess.”

She glanced up at his face, her hands still checking for any other bleeding wounds. “Hush, Harrison. I’m here now. We’l get you taken care of.”

“Tess.” His hand weakly grabbed her sleeve.

Finding no other external bleeding, she crawled up to his head and bent close to his face.

“Who did this to you?”

He grimaced. “Patient. Yours. Caught me at my car. Had a knife.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “I’m sorry.”

“Shut… up, Tess. Listen. He took his file. Then he said…,” he grimaced again. “He said he didn’t want you… telling his secrets. Said he’d… kill you first.”

Her hands fumbled on the buttons of his overcoat. She set her jaw and continued the task.

“I’ll be careful, Harrison. I promise.”

Reagan knelt next to her, opening the first aid kit with steady hands. He handed her some gauze. “Which patient, Dr. Ernst?”

Harrison’s lips trembled in a pathetic excuse for a smile that tore at Tess’s heart. “One of the crazy ones… I expect.” He frowned. “Hadn’t seen him… recently. Young. Buzz cut. Big ears.” His cough was hoarse. “Damn, it hurts.”

“Where?” She pushed the description to the back of her mind, focusing only on Harrison. She finished unbuttoning his overcoat, then his shirt beneath, and winced. Ugly bruises darkened his torso. “Where does it hurt?”

104

Karen Rose

[Suspense 5]

You Can't Hide

Again he attempted a grin. “Where doesn’t it?” His eyes slid closed and he moaned. “Ribs. Back. Wouldn’t… open the vault… so he beat me good. Finally had to tell…” He drew a labored breath that rattled ominously. “Call Flo. Tell her…”