Читать книгу Men of Honour: Ready, Set, Jett / When You Dare / Trace of Fever / Savor the Danger / A Perfect Storm / What Chris Wants / Bare It All - Lori Foster - Страница 27

MOLLY LAY IN THE BED well past 2:00 a.m., trying to go to sleep and failing. At one point she got up and opened the French doors to look out at the beckoning lake. She loved water, being near it, on it or just listening to it.

With the night so quiet, she could hear the water lapping gently at the shoreline. Crickets sang, leaves rustled and the world seemed at peace.

Yet a strange turbulence boiled inside her. Fear, anxiety, insecurity and a sort of conspicuous yearning all left her too unsettled to sleep.

As she went back to the bed and burrowed under the soft, warm quilts, she promised herself that tomorrow she would investigate the area. This time of year the air was crisp and everything newly green. Maybe Dare had a boat and they could go out for a ride.

She wanted—needed—to find some perspective, to grasp some normalcy, even if short-lived.

Once they returned to her home, what would happen? If Dare found nothing amiss, would he be … done? Would he consider it safe for her to remain there while he looked for the culprits alone?

Shudders went over her, as much from the chill breeze blowing in as deep-boned fear.

Finally, with her thoughts churning and an expanding uneasiness creeping in, she pushed the quilts aside and left the bed. She tried turning on the lights, but that just made her feel foolish. Pacing, she tried to figure out what to do, how to get settled—but being alone in the room kept her skin crawling.

That awful hysteria built until she bolted from the room and, barefoot, rushed down the curving stairs. She held tightly to the railing so that she wouldn’t fall, and was grateful for the bright moonlight pouring through the windows, as well as for the tiny, glowing green security lights on monitors and alarms.

She wanted to go to Dare’s room, but what would she say? I’m scared? No, never.

Instead, she veered into the kitchen and decided on a glass of juice to help her calm down. And maybe she could find a cookie or two. A small snack—that’s all she needed.

Remembering where Chris had gotten the glasses before, she went to the cabinet. The tile floor froze her feet and, maybe because of that, she trembled. Badly. Deep breathing didn’t really help.

She found a thick mug and decided it would do; no reason to keep rummaging around, breaching Dare’s privacy. After her snack she’d sneak back to the room and stay there.

She had just opened the refrigerator when she heard movement from behind her.

Pure, illogical terror imploded. As she turned with a silent scream stuck in her throat, the mug dropped from her hand and broke into large chunks. Every sound seemed amplified, echoing again and again inside her thoughts.

Vision closing in on her, she stared straight ahead—and saw Tai, the older of Dare’s two dogs, sitting on her haunches, staring back at Molly. Beside her, Sargie waited for any sign of welcome.

Oh, dear God.

The haze faded—and mortification leached in.

Going weak, Molly sank down onto her knees. With tears stinging her eyes, she stared at the dogs. “You girls scared me half to death.”

Her whisper must have sounded like an invitation, because both dogs surged forward.

“No,” Molly hissed, holding up her hands and trying to see past the tears that kept welling. Though the broken glass from the mug hadn’t splintered too much, she didn’t want to take any chances. “Stay. Please.” She’d die if either of Dare’s pets got cut because of her ridiculous reaction.

The overhead lights came on, blinding Molly.

She shielded her eyes and found Dare standing there in the doorway. Hair rumpled and eyes heavy with sleep, he took her measure, looking at her there on the floor and then at the broken mug near her. His gaze came back to lock on hers.

He wore only boxers, and he had his big bare feet braced apart.

Molly’s heart launched into a wild, frantic rhythm. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

He released her from the snare of his bright blue eyes and instead called the dogs over to him. He petted them both. “You girls want to go out?”

When both dogs enthusiastically agreed, Dare said to Molly, “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

There was no emotion in his tone, no censure or surprise or … anything. She didn’t know what to make of that.

He strode past her across the kitchen and into the family room to a back door. Frozen, humiliation choking her, Molly stayed right there on the floor. She wasn’t sure she could move.

When he returned, she heard herself say, “Go back to bed, please,” when that was the very last thing she wanted him to do. “I’ll clean this up and—”

“Shush, Molly.”

That was the gentlest tone she’d ever heard from him, and it made even more tears well up and spill over. Molly pressed her fists to her damp eyes, trying to stop the flow of emotion, but all that did was choke her up more.

She was not a weak woman. She was not a woman who sat in the middle of a kitchen floor all but begging for … what? Comfort? Company? She hated it, and at that moment, she hated herself.

Still with her eyes covered, she sensed Dare’s movement near her, heard the clink of glass, then the closing of a cabinet.

Seconds later she knew he was near, though only the heat of his body touched hers.

“Did you hurt yourself?”

His impassive tone left her grateful; any real sympathy from him and she’d be bawling like a baby.

Unable to look at him, she shook her head. “I … I didn’t mean to drop it. The dogs startled me.” But that wasn’t true. “I forgot you had dogs. I just wanted a snack.”

“You wanted not to be alone.” He took her wrists and pulled her hands down, placed them on his shoulders, and then, before she could even assimilate what he planned, he scooped her up into his arms.

She didn’t mean to, but she wrapped her arms tight around him and buried her tear-damp face against his neck. He strode off, maybe taking her back to her room, and she couldn’t find a single word to say.

But it wasn’t her room they entered. It was his.

As he lowered her to sit on the side of his mattress, she had no choice but to stop hiding. Dare pulled up a quilt from the bottom of the bed and wrapped it around her. “You’ll be warmer in a minute.” He rubbed her arms through the quilt to help hurry things along.

She hadn’t realized she was so cold, not until he mentioned it, and then she felt every chill, every shiver that racked her spine.

Furious at herself for the pathetic display, she swiped at the tears on her cheeks. “I feel so stupid.”

Again he caught her wrists, stilling her movements. “Don’t. There’s no reason.” He went through a doorway in his room and came back with a handful of tissues that he pressed into her hand. “Stay here. I’m going to let the girls back in, and then I’ll be right back.”

When she said nothing, he tipped up her chin, giving her no choice but to meet his direct gaze. His thumb brushed her cheek, smoothing away a tear. “I want to find you sitting right here when I return. Understood?”

The softness of his tone kept it from sounding like an order. Appreciating his calm manner, Molly nodded.

He wasn’t gone long, but Molly used those few minutes to try to gather herself. She blew her nose, wiped away the tears and took several deep breaths.

Hoping for a distraction, she studied Dare’s room, starting with the incredible, multilevel tray ceiling. The room wasn’t square but instead had one wall of windows that extended out in a semicircle. The curtains were open, and through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Molly saw a million stars shining.

Heavy, masculine furniture included the bed set but also an upholstered couch and chair in a sitting area. An interior door led to his master bath. Curiosity got her off the bed, and she peeked into that sumptuous room. It, too, had a wall of windows that jutted out. They surrounded a large, sunken Jacuzzi tub. The entire bathroom was tiled for a spa-like feel.

Given her father’s wealth, she wasn’t unfamiliar with luxury. But in Dare’s home, he mixed it with a kind of functionality that was both cozy and comfortable. She could spend days just admiring the various rooms in his home, Molly thought as she cleared away the last of the tears, tossed her sodden tissues in a waste can and then headed back to her seat on the king-size bed.

Emotionally spent, she touched the indent in Dare’s pillow, proof of where he’d been before she’d so rudely awakened him.

She heard the dogs’ nails on the floor as they charged across the kitchen tiles, skittered to a turn and entered the room a few steps ahead of Dare.

Dare stopped in the doorway to scrutinize her, but the dogs headed straight for the bed.

When they jumped up onto the mattress, Dare made no move to stop them, leading Molly to believe that the dogs slept wherever they pleased.

She liked that about Dare. He was an orderly man, very particular about cleanliness, but a little dog fur didn’t put him off. There was something very appealing about that down-to-earth quality, especially in a man with his ability.

Tai circled once, then dropped down at the foot of the bed and closed her eyes with a lusty sigh. Sargie tried to get her whole body into Molly’s lap and ended up half sitting on Molly’s thighs. Giving a watery, choked laugh, Molly hugged the dog tight and buried her face in her ruff.

Silence filled the room. The bed dipped when Dare sat beside her, but he said nothing. He didn’t press her, didn’t hold her. He simply sat there beside her, his shoulder touching hers, his nearness calming her and, at the same time, filling her with new, different sensations.

Molly knew she couldn’t continue this way. When she stopped squeezing Sargie, the dog thumped her tail twice and snuffled Molly’s neck with her nose. But when she didn’t get a reaction, she crawled off her lap, over Dare, and flopped down next to Tai.

Awareness of Dare beside her, mostly undressed, expanded by the heartbeat. Molly glanced at him. His muscled, hairy thigh was right next to hers, pinning down the quilt he’d wrapped around her. She licked her lips, inhaled deeply and breathed in his hot masculine scent.

It was already familiar, comforting, enticing.

Her gaze skimmed up to his throat, his shoulders. He had the most remarkable chest, wide, strong, sculpted with obvious strength. Even relaxed, his abs remained defined. And a very sexy trail of dark brown hair led from his navel down into his snug boxers.

Beneath the soft cotton material she saw the bulge of his sex.

“Want me to lose the boxers for you?”

She jerked her gaze up to his. His slow smile showed more satisfaction than humor.

For Molly, one thought overshadowed the rest. “This should be awkward, but it’s not.”

“No.”

“I mean, the crying and being stupid and weak is awkward, but being here with you is just … nice.”

The smile faded, and his eyes warmed. “You feel better now?”

“Yes.” And she did. That thrumming panic was no longer a part of her, leaving her at a loss. “I don’t know what happened. I swear I felt fine earlier today.”

“I know.” He put a hand on her thigh, over the quilt. “But trust me, that sense of well-being is ephemeral at best. After your ordeal, you can’t expect it to last. Not this soon. You need to cut yourself some slack. We’ll get there eventually, I promise.”

We? Did he mean that?

No, how could he? Dare barely knew her, and what he did know was shaded by extreme circumstance, not the routine, day-in-and-day-out parts of her life; not the mundane parts that made up the real her.

All in all, her mostly solitary life of research and writing equated to a very boring existence. Her life revolved around her desk, in her apartment, in a quiet town in Ohio.

Nothing exciting about that.

Even the few book signings and speaking appearances she did were low-key, attended by die-hard fans only.

With this one exception, she was not a woman who gained real enemies, or got kidnapped or abused, and she was definitely not a woman who crumpled under stress.

What would Dare think of the real Molly Alexander? When she wasn’t so needy, would he still be drawn to her? Or was it his heroic nature that made her seem appealing to him now?

Soon, when she returned to her normal routine, he would continue on with rescuing those in need, facing off with danger, and making a mint in the bargain. He was a high-stakes player … and she was the girl next door.

Dare squeezed her thigh. “Molly?”

“Oh, sorry.” She shook herself. This was no time to go meandering off mentally. “I was just … I’m better now. Thank you.”

“I’m glad to hear it. But the next time you feel that edginess coming on, don’t wait until it’s full-blown, okay? Just come to me. Let me help.”

Whatever tomorrow might bring, or next week or next month, she needed to get through tonight first. “Fine. I accept that I need time.” She would regain herself. Somehow, she would.

“That’s a start.” His hand stilled on her thigh. “What about tonight?”

“It’s almost over.” She tried to sound accepting instead of wretched. “But for what remains, may I sleep with you?”

“Yeah.” He turned a little toward her. “I’d like that.”

Relief robbed her spine of strength. Until he agreed, she hadn’t realized how tense she felt. “Thank you.”

“You don’t mind sharing with two hounds? Because the girls look settled in for the rest of the night.” He reached over to pat the dogs. “They usually favor the kitchen, but they sense you’re upset, I think, and they want to stay close.”

Somehow, Dare always took the most bizarre situations and made them feel … normal. Did nothing disconcert him?

“I don’t mind.” Given how being alone had thrown her, the more the merrier.

“Good.” He stood and reached out a hand to her. Molly let him pull her to her feet, and then she waited as he turned to the covers. “You won’t need this,” he said, and he took the quilt from her and tossed it to the foot of the bed, half over Tai, who didn’t stir.

Molly wore one of the big T-shirts and her panties, nothing else, but Dare paid no attention to that.

“In you go.”

Trying to be discreet, she crawled into the bed and then scooted over as Dare got in next to her. He turned out the bedside lamp, reached an arm around her and pulled her in close. Her head fit nicely into the space between his hard shoulder and his chest. Already his warmth penetrated her. She felt the prickly hair on his legs and the softer chest hair against her cheek.

She felt … at peace.

The soft kiss to her temple offered so much comfort.

“Okay?”

Molly nodded. “I guess if this was somehow … sexual, it’d be different. But I know it’s not, and that makes it—”

“Let’s try for a little more sleep before the sun comes up and the birds start singing. But Molly?”

Her heart pounded so hard, it was a wonder he didn’t mention it. “Yes?”

“If you need to, wake me.”

She’d try her best not to do that, but all she said was “Okay. Thank you.”

In that dark, quiet room, she could hear the dogs breathing, the wind outside the doors leading to a deck and the settling of an unfamiliar house.

Odd, but it felt more like home than anyplace she’d ever been.

HAIR STILL DAMP FROM his shower, carrying his shoes in one hand and his belt in the other, Dare came down the steps and across the hall. He paused by his bedroom door, heard nothing from inside and knew Molly still slept.

Sneaking out on her had been easy. Even when he’d gathered up the clothes he’d need and had ushered out the dogs, she hadn’t stirred. The sight of her there, crowded onto his side of the bed, her dark hair spilling out over the pillows, had moved him in unfamiliar ways.

He thought again of what she’d said, how holding her in his bed hadn’t been sexual.

For her.

For him, it equated to a true test of his control. All night he’d felt her warm breath on his skin, felt the softness of her thigh, her hair, her scent. Awareness of her body against his, separated only by a cotton T-shirt, had tortured him.

He wanted her. Bad. It had been all kinds of sexual for him.

Determined to do the right thing, Dare turned away from the bedroom door and went into the kitchen.

Looking like death, wearing only lounge pants and a wrinkled oversize white T-shirt, Chris slumped at the table, eating cereal. Both dogs sat at the ready near his feet, hoping for a bite.

Dare helped himself to coffee. “I’m surprised to see you up already.”

Chris rolled a shoulder. “I wasn’t sure if you were serious about running the dogs or not.”

“Already done.”

Chris eyed him. “Then you could have fed them, too.”

“I did—they just like your cereal. I told you not to start that or you’d regret it.”

Lip curling in a sneer, Chris mimicked Dare’s words, then gave each dog a piece of cereal. “You know, I detest that super-efficient, do-it-all, know-it-all attitude of yours.”

Dare saluted him with his cup. Right now, he wished he knew a little more—about Molly.

As if reading his mind, Chris asked, “Did Molly get any sleep at all last night?”

“Enough.” He helped himself to the coffee. “But she’s in my bed, so stay out of my room.”

Eyes widening, Chris froze with the spoon halfway to his mouth.

“Try to keep it quiet down here, and let her sleep as long as she needs to.” Dare met his gaze. “And shut up.”

Dropping the spoon back into the bowl, Chris held up his hands and tried to look innocent. “I wasn’t going to say a single word.”

“Yeah, you were.” Dare threaded the thick leather belt into his jeans. It looked to be a nice day ahead, so he’d only need his light jacket.

“Okay, I was,” Chris admitted as he scratched his bristly chin. “I mean, you slept with her.”

“Exactly. We slept.”

“Ah …” He looked confused. “So it’s not …?”

“No, it’s not, and that’s all the explanation you’re getting, so let it go.” Dare joined him at the table. “I’m taking off for most of the day. Without her.”

“Huh.”

“I did my own research last night. Her dad is on a golf outing only a few hours from here.”

Chris’s brows shot up and he said again, “Huh.”

He didn’t question Dare’s intel, knowing his personal resources were vast and accurate.

“Don’t tell her what I’m doing.”

“Easy enough.” Folding his arms over his chest, Chris said, “Because I don’t know what the hell you’re doing.”

Since he wasn’t sure himself, Dare ignored that. “Just say I’m out on business—which will be true enough. I’ll get back as soon as I can.”

Rocking the chair back on two legs, Chris considered everything and came to his own conclusions. “You don’t trust dear old dad, and you don’t want Molly walking into a booby trap.”

“Emotional or otherwise.” Dare set his coffee aside and bent to pull on his shoes. “I went ahead and called Trace last night, too.”

“Is he joining you?”

“No.” Dare shook his head. “I don’t need him to, and like I said, he needs to be there for Alani. But he did some additional checking for me.”

“And?”

“No one has reported Molly missing. Not her dad, not her stepmom and not the sister that she trusts so much.”

“But she was gone nine days!” The legs of Chris’s chair hit the floor. “And she doesn’t seem the type who disappears without a word.”

“No, she doesn’t, does she?”

Indignant on Molly’s behalf, Chris scowled. “That’s fucked up.”

“Maybe.” Dare straightened again. “I don’t know what it means. Yet. But I want to get a sense of things before I take her back there.”

“You didn’t want me to map out the trip?”

“Already did it.” Before Molly had come to him last night, he’d had his own issues trying to sleep. He’d filled the restless hours with plans on her behalf.

After she’d joined him, his thoughts had been diverted from wanting to protect her, to just … wanting her.

“Will you confront her dad?”

“Not sure yet.” Dare wasn’t the type to back himself into a corner by stating his intentions prematurely. “I’m playing it by ear for now.”

“Dare.” Chris leaned forward and folded his arms on the table. “Whatever is waiting for her back home, she eventually has to go back. You know that.”

“Yeah. And I’ll be with her.” No way in hell would he let her out of his sight until he could assess the risk. “I don’t like surprises, so I’m going to scope things out first. Do a little surveillance. That sort of thing.”

Chris looked toward the kitchen doorway. “I hope she sleeps the day away. I suck as a babysitter.”

“Just keep her safe. Don’t let her off the grounds, but maybe she’d like to check out the lake, explore the woods a little.” Dare stood and fished his keys from his pocket. “Make sure she drinks plenty of fluids, too. Whatever she likes. Order it if we don’t have it. And I want her to eat. She has to build up her—”

Exasperated, Chris pushed out of his chair to interrupt Dare’s laundry list of instructions. “I was kidding about babysitting, Dare. I can handle it. Just go. The sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll be back, and the sooner I can give up guard duty.”

Dare slapped him on the shoulder. Once again he appreciated having Chris around. Too many times over the years, trusted friends had been few and far between. “I’ll keep you posted.”

Dare went to the dogs and told them both that he’d be back soon. They were smart, and they understood the difference between an extended trip that involved his duffel bag, and one that’d last only a few hours. They followed him to the door but showed no signs of anxiety.

“You girls keep Molly company, okay?” To Sargie he said, “And no shenanigans. I don’t want you to wear her out.” As Dare went out the door, he realized he was already missing her, and it pissed him off.

Hopefully, once he secured her safety, he could take her to his bed with no intention of sleeping. Once he had her, then he’d be able to get her out of his system. He’d have to.

There was no room for a romantic relationship in his line of work—and he was a long way from retiring.