pillows.
Caitlin winced as she reached for the covers.
“Let me,” Mac said, and pulled them up to her waist, where she could adjust them to her satisfaction.
“Thank you,” she said, and heard Mac sigh.
“You’re welcome,” he answered. He’d started to leave when he stopped and turned.
“Caitie?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry…really, really sorry I made you cry.”
The tenderness was unexpected, especially from this man. And because it was so unexpected, she found herself unable to say much for fear of crying all over again.
“Yes…well, thank you,” she said, then turned on her side and closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his footsteps as he walked away.
A short while later, as she was drifting in a haze induced by the painkiller she had taken, the phone rang. She burrowed deeper beneath her covers, knowing that, for the time being, Connor McKee was standing between her and the world. She didn’t bother to consider why that didn’t seem as bizarre as it once might have, or why her opinion of him had changed. All that mattered was that he was here and, for the first time in months, she knew she was safe.
The next morning she awakened to the sound of strangers’ voices and a lot of hammering and banging. Swinging her legs to the side of the bed, she grabbed her robe and house shoes and bolted from the room, to find Connor and two men in a tangle of boxes and wires.
“Connor McKee, what on earth are you doing?” she demanded, eyeing the pair of strangers and the mess on her living room floor.
Mac grinned. Her hair was tangled, the belt of her robe was dragging on the floor and the house shoes she persisted in wearing were nothing short of a joke.
“Installing your security system.”
“Well, no one asked me, ” she huffed.
“Caitie, if you want to be taken seriously, you’re going to have to wear another pair of shoes.”
She glanced down at her puppy slippers and then up at him in disgust.
“There’s nothing wrong with my shoes.”
“You need the security.”
She sighed. “You should have warned me.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Well, as long as it doesn’t happen again.”
“No, ma’am. It sure won’t.”
She twiddled with the end of her belt and then realized all three men were trying not to laugh. Disgusted with herself and with the male species in general, she pivoted sharply, and as she did, stepped on the ear of one of her puppy slippers. Staggering forward, she caught herself before falling.
“You all right?” Mac asked.
She wouldn’t turn around. It sounded like he was laughing.
“I’m fine,” she said, and stomped out of the room.
Seconds later she heard a choked, gurgling sound and then a soft guffaw. Damn them. Damn them all straight to hell.
She slammed the door, making sure that it echoed, and crawled back into bed.
Five
W hen the doorbell sounded, Mac rushed to answer it before it awakened Caitlin. He knew who it was and why they were here, but they’d taken their sweet time in coming. He’d expected them to show before he and Caitlin had left the hospital. The men from the security company had long since gone, and it was almost noon.
Aaron had reported the fake doctor incident to the police. Knowing his brother’s penchant for dramatics, Mac figured he’d more than made his point that Caitlin Bennett was in danger and it was about damned time someone admitted it. With that thought in mind, he opened the door.
“Yes?”
Neil flashed his badge.
“Detective Neil,” he said shortly. “This is my partner, Detective Kowalski. I understand there was another incident involving Miss Bennett?”
“I suppose you could call it that,” Mac said. “Come in.” Then he stepped aside to let them enter and closed the door. “This way,” he said, and led the way into the living room, then paused, gesturing for them to be seated. “What took you so long?” Mac asked.
Neil took one end of the sofa, while his partner took
Caitlin winced as she reached for the covers.
“Let me,” Mac said, and pulled them up to her waist, where she could adjust them to her satisfaction.
“Thank you,” she said, and heard Mac sigh.
“You’re welcome,” he answered. He’d started to leave when he stopped and turned.
“Caitie?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry…really, really sorry I made you cry.”
The tenderness was unexpected, especially from this man. And because it was so unexpected, she found herself unable to say much for fear of crying all over again.
“Yes…well, thank you,” she said, then turned on her side and closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his footsteps as he walked away.
A short while later, as she was drifting in a haze induced by the painkiller she had taken, the phone rang. She burrowed deeper beneath her covers, knowing that, for the time being, Connor McKee was standing between her and the world. She didn’t bother to consider why that didn’t seem as bizarre as it once might have, or why her opinion of him had changed. All that mattered was that he was here and, for the first time in months, she knew she was safe.
The next morning she awakened to the sound of strangers’ voices and a lot of hammering and banging. Swinging her legs to the side of the bed, she grabbed her robe and house shoes and bolted from the room, to find Connor and two men in a tangle of boxes and wires.
“Connor McKee, what on earth are you doing?” she demanded, eyeing the pair of strangers and the mess on her living room floor.
Mac grinned. Her hair was tangled, the belt of her robe was dragging on the floor and the house shoes she persisted in wearing were nothing short of a joke.
“Installing your security system.”
“Well, no one asked me, ” she huffed.
“Caitie, if you want to be taken seriously, you’re going to have to wear another pair of shoes.”
She glanced down at her puppy slippers and then up at him in disgust.
“There’s nothing wrong with my shoes.”
“You need the security.”
She sighed. “You should have warned me.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Well, as long as it doesn’t happen again.”
“No, ma’am. It sure won’t.”
She twiddled with the end of her belt and then realized all three men were trying not to laugh. Disgusted with herself and with the male species in general, she pivoted sharply, and as she did, stepped on the ear of one of her puppy slippers. Staggering forward, she caught herself before falling.
“You all right?” Mac asked.
She wouldn’t turn around. It sounded like he was laughing.
“I’m fine,” she said, and stomped out of the room.
Seconds later she heard a choked, gurgling sound and then a soft guffaw. Damn them. Damn them all straight to hell.
She slammed the door, making sure that it echoed, and crawled back into bed.
Five
W hen the doorbell sounded, Mac rushed to answer it before it awakened Caitlin. He knew who it was and why they were here, but they’d taken their sweet time in coming. He’d expected them to show before he and Caitlin had left the hospital. The men from the security company had long since gone, and it was almost noon.
Aaron had reported the fake doctor incident to the police. Knowing his brother’s penchant for dramatics, Mac figured he’d more than made his point that Caitlin Bennett was in danger and it was about damned time someone admitted it. With that thought in mind, he opened the door.
“Yes?”
Neil flashed his badge.
“Detective Neil,” he said shortly. “This is my partner, Detective Kowalski. I understand there was another incident involving Miss Bennett?”
“I suppose you could call it that,” Mac said. “Come in.” Then he stepped aside to let them enter and closed the door. “This way,” he said, and led the way into the living room, then paused, gesturing for them to be seated. “What took you so long?” Mac asked.
Neil took one end of the sofa, while his partner took
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