lights twinkled against black velvet. He turned her to face him and frowned. “Deidre?”
She was so beautiful…her full pink lips parted slightly, beckoning to be kissed. But her brilliant blue eyes stared right through him.
He took her hand and led her back inside. Shutting the door, he considered it for a moment and muttered under his breath, “Need to get a safety bar, first thing.” He faced her again. “What’s wrong?”
Her nightie dipped at the bodice and her breasts rose with each light breath she took. He touched her cheek, and she didn’t react. For a moment, the hair stood up on the back of his neck. What was wrong with her?
Then his lips curved up slightly. “You’re walking in your sleep.” He chuckled as he pulled her back to bed.
Tugging the covers aside, he said, “Go to bed, Deidre.” Like a small child, she did as she was told, slipping onto the mattress as he held the coverlet for her. He caught sight of the black panties she wore, and he smiled again, then pulled the blanket over her. She licked her lips and closed her eyes.
More than anything else in the world, he wanted to snuggle close to her. He hadn’t dated in a good long while, but none of the women he’d ever met came close to intriguing him like she did. Because she was forbidden fruit? Conflict of interests?
He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. How could he not become personally involved with a woman like this? He’d never expected the woman to be tantalizing in the least.
His face darkened. Nor how dangerous the case could get.
To Dave’s surprise, the phone rang before he reached the couch. He glanced at his watch. Four A.M. “Hello?”
“Hi, Dave. Is everything going all right over there?” Marilyn asked, the night owl of the bunch.
Dave looked over his shoulder at his bedroom. “She had a break-in and is staying with me.”
“Should I keep Charlie—”
“Yeah, keep him occupied the rest of the day. I’ll be sure to keep an eye on his sister. And lighten up on her a bit. She’s already suspicious about you.”
“Can’t help it. You know me. I don’t get along with women, never have.”
“Well, try . We don’t want her breaking your cover. No telling where Charlie will run to next if he thinks he’s endangering his sister and—”
“All right, enough with the lecture. Call you much later.”
Dave hung up the phone and smiled. Good, Charlie’s out of the way for the day…that means just you and me, Deidre. And Bill. But he’d be on shore waiting.
***
Deidre stretched her arms above her head early the next afternoon, then opened her eyes and gasped. Disoriented for a second, she studied the black bed linens, then groaned. She was at Dave’s place, without a thing to wear. No makeup, her hair must be a matted mess, and she definitely couldn’t breathe on a soul before she brushed her teeth.
She pulled her coverlet aside and frowned to see she wasn’t wearing Dave’s shirt any longer. Poking under the covers, she couldn’t find any sign of it. She peered over the bed.
It lay in a crumpled mess on the floor. She slipped out of bed and pulled the shirt on as pans rattled in the kitchen.
Sneaking into his bathroom, she closed the door behind her. Expecting the worst, she gritted her teeth and stole to the mirror.
A glimpse of light blue shadow filled the crevice of her eyelids. To her surprise, her blue eyes were clear and bright, not bloodshot after her wild night. She ran her fingers through her silky hair. Movie makers who showed women looking sexy the morning after were a bunch of knuckleheads.
She pulled a tube of toothpaste out of a drawer and dabbed a large blob on her finger, then squished it around her teeth. Ugh, they still felt terrible. Searching under the cabinet-enclosed sink, she found a bottle of mouthwash. She gargled and swallowed half of it when Dave rapped on the door.
Choking and coughing, she managed to spit the rest out.
“Deidre?”
“I’m
She was so beautiful…her full pink lips parted slightly, beckoning to be kissed. But her brilliant blue eyes stared right through him.
He took her hand and led her back inside. Shutting the door, he considered it for a moment and muttered under his breath, “Need to get a safety bar, first thing.” He faced her again. “What’s wrong?”
Her nightie dipped at the bodice and her breasts rose with each light breath she took. He touched her cheek, and she didn’t react. For a moment, the hair stood up on the back of his neck. What was wrong with her?
Then his lips curved up slightly. “You’re walking in your sleep.” He chuckled as he pulled her back to bed.
Tugging the covers aside, he said, “Go to bed, Deidre.” Like a small child, she did as she was told, slipping onto the mattress as he held the coverlet for her. He caught sight of the black panties she wore, and he smiled again, then pulled the blanket over her. She licked her lips and closed her eyes.
More than anything else in the world, he wanted to snuggle close to her. He hadn’t dated in a good long while, but none of the women he’d ever met came close to intriguing him like she did. Because she was forbidden fruit? Conflict of interests?
He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. How could he not become personally involved with a woman like this? He’d never expected the woman to be tantalizing in the least.
His face darkened. Nor how dangerous the case could get.
To Dave’s surprise, the phone rang before he reached the couch. He glanced at his watch. Four A.M. “Hello?”
“Hi, Dave. Is everything going all right over there?” Marilyn asked, the night owl of the bunch.
Dave looked over his shoulder at his bedroom. “She had a break-in and is staying with me.”
“Should I keep Charlie—”
“Yeah, keep him occupied the rest of the day. I’ll be sure to keep an eye on his sister. And lighten up on her a bit. She’s already suspicious about you.”
“Can’t help it. You know me. I don’t get along with women, never have.”
“Well, try . We don’t want her breaking your cover. No telling where Charlie will run to next if he thinks he’s endangering his sister and—”
“All right, enough with the lecture. Call you much later.”
Dave hung up the phone and smiled. Good, Charlie’s out of the way for the day…that means just you and me, Deidre. And Bill. But he’d be on shore waiting.
***
Deidre stretched her arms above her head early the next afternoon, then opened her eyes and gasped. Disoriented for a second, she studied the black bed linens, then groaned. She was at Dave’s place, without a thing to wear. No makeup, her hair must be a matted mess, and she definitely couldn’t breathe on a soul before she brushed her teeth.
She pulled her coverlet aside and frowned to see she wasn’t wearing Dave’s shirt any longer. Poking under the covers, she couldn’t find any sign of it. She peered over the bed.
It lay in a crumpled mess on the floor. She slipped out of bed and pulled the shirt on as pans rattled in the kitchen.
Sneaking into his bathroom, she closed the door behind her. Expecting the worst, she gritted her teeth and stole to the mirror.
A glimpse of light blue shadow filled the crevice of her eyelids. To her surprise, her blue eyes were clear and bright, not bloodshot after her wild night. She ran her fingers through her silky hair. Movie makers who showed women looking sexy the morning after were a bunch of knuckleheads.
She pulled a tube of toothpaste out of a drawer and dabbed a large blob on her finger, then squished it around her teeth. Ugh, they still felt terrible. Searching under the cabinet-enclosed sink, she found a bottle of mouthwash. She gargled and swallowed half of it when Dave rapped on the door.
Choking and coughing, she managed to spit the rest out.
“Deidre?”
“I’m
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