this line of conversation would distract her from making that call, he was sorely mistaken. “I could. But I won’t.” She smacked his hip. “Now get out of here before my brother gets back and finds out I’m banging the brains out of one of his junior officers.”
“We could tell him. We
should
tell him.” He sat up and leaned against the headboard.
“That would take all the illicit fun out of sneaking around.”
“Sure.” His gray eyes went bleak. “And it’s not like there’s any benefits to dating a guy who could be in Leavenworth in a couple of weeks.”
“Hey,” she soothed, pressing her hand to his chest. “You’re going to beat this bogus charge.”
“You can’t know that.” His voice went ragged as the real world slithered in as it always did.
“And yet, I do. My brother’s certain, so I believe in you, too.” She kissed him, closemouthed but lingering, wishing she was as confident as she pretended to be. “Now scram, and be sure to use the side exit like a good, smoking-hot boy toy.”
His smile was a big lie for her benefit, and she knew it. But he still tossed on his clothes and left. For a handful of heartbeats she considered going after him, thought about what she would say. And kept on considering until his headlights swept out of the driveway. For the best.
She clicked on the missed call and phoned Sophie back.
* * *
Someone broke into my home
. Sophie’s terse voice from the phone echoed in David’s head as he drove to her house.
He’d pulled into the driveway with Haley Rose only to be met by his sister in her robe. She’d thrust her cell phone at him.
Sophie.
He’d passed over Haley Rose to his sister and jumped back into his SUV. He raced over those four blocks in half the time.
He jammed his foot against the brakes. The Scout jerked to a halt outside of Sophie’s lake house. Where the hell were the cops? He flung aside the seat belt. He heftedhis gear bag from the back where he’d left it after work and pulled out his 9 mm from the bottom.
She had sounded composed. He wouldn’t have expected otherwise.
He tried to reassure himself by focusing on her calmly spoken words. Instead, he kept hearing the tiny hitch in her breathing, too like the moment she’d lost her composure in the office. She was scared. Damn scared. He wasn’t too steady, either.
She’d said the intruder had left, that she was okay and had already called the cops. He should have just stayed on the phone with her—but he’d thrust the cell back to his sister and left without hesitation. He sidestepped footprints leading away from the house.
Adult footprints? Male?
David took the stairs two at a time. The lock dangled from splintered wood. Until that moment, he’d hoped she’d just overreacted to a limb thumping a window or an owl swooping by.
“Sophie?” He nudged the door until it creaked open an inch. “It’s just me. David.”
Waiting for her to answer gave him too much time to think. Had the perp come back? Was she hurt?
David stepped to the side, gun gripped in his hand and held low. He didn’t want to startle her, but if she didn’t answer in ten seconds…
Seven. Eight.
David tensed.
Nine. Ten.
He pivoted around.
The door swung wide. “Hello, David. Thanks for coming over.”
He sagged against the porch railing. Her casual greeting almost made him laugh. Then he noticed her mussed appearance. Tension pulled him upright.
A tangled mass of blond hair swirled around her face. Her uniform jacket gone, one shirttail hung free from her skirt. Her legs were bare, no stockings or shoes.
Had someone…
He couldn’t even complete the thought, but had to consider the possibility. “Sophie…”
“Come in.” She gestured with one hand, the other clutching a letter opener. “I hope you didn’t rush. There’s no threat here now. I just, well, uh…”
“Sophie.” He slowly reached for the door. If he touched her, he knew she’d bolt.
Her hand clenched
“We could tell him. We
should
tell him.” He sat up and leaned against the headboard.
“That would take all the illicit fun out of sneaking around.”
“Sure.” His gray eyes went bleak. “And it’s not like there’s any benefits to dating a guy who could be in Leavenworth in a couple of weeks.”
“Hey,” she soothed, pressing her hand to his chest. “You’re going to beat this bogus charge.”
“You can’t know that.” His voice went ragged as the real world slithered in as it always did.
“And yet, I do. My brother’s certain, so I believe in you, too.” She kissed him, closemouthed but lingering, wishing she was as confident as she pretended to be. “Now scram, and be sure to use the side exit like a good, smoking-hot boy toy.”
His smile was a big lie for her benefit, and she knew it. But he still tossed on his clothes and left. For a handful of heartbeats she considered going after him, thought about what she would say. And kept on considering until his headlights swept out of the driveway. For the best.
She clicked on the missed call and phoned Sophie back.
* * *
Someone broke into my home
. Sophie’s terse voice from the phone echoed in David’s head as he drove to her house.
He’d pulled into the driveway with Haley Rose only to be met by his sister in her robe. She’d thrust her cell phone at him.
Sophie.
He’d passed over Haley Rose to his sister and jumped back into his SUV. He raced over those four blocks in half the time.
He jammed his foot against the brakes. The Scout jerked to a halt outside of Sophie’s lake house. Where the hell were the cops? He flung aside the seat belt. He heftedhis gear bag from the back where he’d left it after work and pulled out his 9 mm from the bottom.
She had sounded composed. He wouldn’t have expected otherwise.
He tried to reassure himself by focusing on her calmly spoken words. Instead, he kept hearing the tiny hitch in her breathing, too like the moment she’d lost her composure in the office. She was scared. Damn scared. He wasn’t too steady, either.
She’d said the intruder had left, that she was okay and had already called the cops. He should have just stayed on the phone with her—but he’d thrust the cell back to his sister and left without hesitation. He sidestepped footprints leading away from the house.
Adult footprints? Male?
David took the stairs two at a time. The lock dangled from splintered wood. Until that moment, he’d hoped she’d just overreacted to a limb thumping a window or an owl swooping by.
“Sophie?” He nudged the door until it creaked open an inch. “It’s just me. David.”
Waiting for her to answer gave him too much time to think. Had the perp come back? Was she hurt?
David stepped to the side, gun gripped in his hand and held low. He didn’t want to startle her, but if she didn’t answer in ten seconds…
Seven. Eight.
David tensed.
Nine. Ten.
He pivoted around.
The door swung wide. “Hello, David. Thanks for coming over.”
He sagged against the porch railing. Her casual greeting almost made him laugh. Then he noticed her mussed appearance. Tension pulled him upright.
A tangled mass of blond hair swirled around her face. Her uniform jacket gone, one shirttail hung free from her skirt. Her legs were bare, no stockings or shoes.
Had someone…
He couldn’t even complete the thought, but had to consider the possibility. “Sophie…”
“Come in.” She gestured with one hand, the other clutching a letter opener. “I hope you didn’t rush. There’s no threat here now. I just, well, uh…”
“Sophie.” He slowly reached for the door. If he touched her, he knew she’d bolt.
Her hand clenched
Similar Books
