Read Online Careless by Cheryl Douglas - Free Book Online

anything.” At least, he hoped they couldn’t.
The thought of his buddies catching a glimpse of Tori in the buff irritated
Mike to no end.
    When he was satisfied she was decent, he
reached for the door handle. “Just give me a minute to fill them in, okay?”
    She was trying to finger comb her hair in
the mirror behind the visor. “Just look at me. They’re gonna know we were up to
something.”
    “You look gorgeous.” And she did, so
beautiful it caused a twinge in his chest.
    Tori rolled her eyes. “Quit sweet talkin’ me
and get your butt out there.”
    He smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”
    A rookie cop he had seen around the station
a time or two stepped back when Mike climbed out of his truck. “Hey…” His eyes
fell to the young man’s nameplate. “Roberts.”
    He tipped his hat. “Evenin’, Lieutenant.”
    Tony Roma, a sergeant with ten years of
experience on the force, and a good friend of Mike’s, climbed out of the patrol
car. “Hey, Coop, what’s goin’ on here? Dispatch said this place belongs to that
little country singer, Tori Warner?”
    “Yeah, it does.” He hooked his thumb over
his shoulder. “She’ll be out in just a sec.”
    Tony chuckled. “You didn’t tell me you were
seein’ her. Man, it doesn’t get much better than that.”
    Mike knew he should correct his friend’s
assumption about him and Tori being a couple, but he decided to let it go.
“We’ve got a situation here. Some crazy ex has been hasslin’ her, sendin’ her
letters, and he broke in here tonight.”
    “Hasslin’… as in stalkin’?” Tony asked.
    “Yeah, looks that way.”
    “Man, does he have a death wish or what?”
Tony laughed. “Doesn’t he know you’re her boyfriend?”
    Tori chose that moment to pop her head out
of the truck and Mike faded into the background as both men immediately turned
their attention to the celebrity in their midst.
    “Evenin’, ma’am,” Tony said, tipping his
hat to Tori. “It sounds like you had a little trouble here tonight?”
    Mike waited for her to diffuse the notion
they were a couple, but instead, she surprised him by slipping her arm around
his waist. “Hey, y’all, thanks so much for comin’ out here.”
    Tony smiled, obviously as taken with Tori
as every other man who’d ever been on the receiving end of one of her
brilliant, dimpled smiles. “It’s our pleasure.” He turned his attention back to
Mike. “Dispatch said you mentioned Smith’s been workin’ this case?”
    “Yeah, but I am now… unofficially. I’ve
taken some vacation time so I can devote twenty-four seven to findin’ this
dirtbag.”
    “Can’t say I blame ya, Coop,” Tony said,
tipping his hat back to scratch his balding head. “If it were my woman, I
wouldn’t wanna let her outta my sight.”
    Tori looked up at Mike, obviously expecting
him to set his friend straight. Instead, he asked, “When are the other guys
gettin’ out here to dust for prints?”
    “Should be soon. We just wanted to take
Miss Warner’s statement. We’ll pass it on to Smith.” Tony frowned. “That is, assuming
you want this to be on the record?”
    “Of course I do,” Mike said. “I don’t care
whether I get him or Smith does, as long as one of us takes him off the
streets.”
    Tony nodded. “You’re right about that.” He
smiled at Tori. “You mind if I take your statement now, Miss Warner?”
    Her grip on Mike’s waist tightened as she
offered the sergeant a tight smile. “No, not all.” 

Chapter Four
     
    By the time her home was blessedly quiet
again, Tori was too wired to sleep.
    Mike slipped his arms around her waist from
behind as she prepared a fresh pot of coffee. “You okay, darlin’?”
    “What do you think?” She knew he was just
trying to help, but the last thing she needed was his kindness and compassion
tonight. How was she supposed to guard her heart against a gorgeous, sexy, gun
wielding man who seemed hell bent on protecting her?
    He let his hands fall to his