Читать книгу Captivating Witness - Melinda Lorenzo Di - Страница 14
ОглавлениеReggie woke with a start, her heart hammering hard against her rib cage. It was utterly dark, and she was in a strange bed. Pushing up in a panic, she whipped her gaze around the room. Nothing was familiar. But when her gaze landed on the hulking form lying next to her, her memory finally did its job and reminded her of the night’s frightening ordeal.
Brayden.
The gunshot.
Chuck.
The run through the forest.
More Brayden. And—
Wait.
What was the big man doing in the bed beside her?
She took a steadying breath and reached out a hand to touch his shoulder lightly. Too lightly. He didn’t move.
“Brayden?”
She waited. Still nothing. She tried a combo instead. Squeezing his elbow and speaking a little louder.
“Brayden.”
And that got a response. Sort of. He rolled to his side, flung an arm over her legs, then slid it up to her hips and dragged her into a backward embrace. Reggie was so startled by the abruptly intimate contact that she let herself be pulled into place without protest. And just like that, she was spooning with a man she barely knew.
But it felt good. Comfortable. His large form was warm and safe, and without meaning to, she wriggled a tiny bit closer, inhaling the woodsy scent that emanated from his body. Her rear end fit snugly against his upper thighs.
More than snugly, really. Perfectly.
It was kind of a strange realization, and it made her heart skitter nervously. With a sigh that had more than a hint of regret, Reggie slipped her hand over top of his and slid it out of its resting place just to the side of her stomach. Very gently, she eased it off and inched away. But when she pushed back into a sitting position again, Brayden’s eyes opened, too, and he blinked at her a little sleepily. He looked rumpled and confused and far sexier than was fair.
“Hey.” His gaze cleared a little as it landed on her. “You better?”
“Better?” she repeated.
He stretched and put one hand behind his head. “Think you were having a bad dream. Sat down beside you to try to wake you up. Kinda grabbed my sweater and held on. You’ve got a heck of a death grip. I must’ve dozed off, too.”
Warmth crept up Reggie’s cheeks. “Sorry.”
“Minor inconvenience,” he teased.
“I actually don’t even remember falling asleep. Wait. What time is it? You wanted me to phone my friend.”
“Decided it could wait.” Brayden rolled over and pulled his phone from the nightstand. “It’s a little after seven in the morning.”
Reggie’s chest squeezed nervously. “Seven? But it’s pitch-black.”
“Room-darkening blinds.” He reached over to the window and flicked open the fabric just enough that a soft light filled the room.
“We slept the whole night?”
“Looks like it.”
“Why aren’t you more worried?”
“We’re safe here at the cabin. Doors are locked, alarm is set and I’m not on anyone’s radar. You can still call your friend and give your excuse retroactively.”
She exhaled, then slid back onto the bed—closer to him, but not quite touching—and held out her hand for the phone. “I’ll send a text.”
Brayden handed over the slim device. “I’ll make some coffee.”
She waited until he’d left the room before keying in the number for her best friend—whose family leased another shop from Garibaldi—and typing, Hi, Jaz. It’s Reggie. U up?
She knew before even asking that her friend would be awake. With a newborn in the house, sleep was an elusive thing for the other woman. The reply came through a few seconds later, confirming it.
Ugh. Baby’s been awake since five. Whose phone is this?
Reggie winced. She hadn’t thought of an explanation for that. She decided to ignore the question for a moment.
I had such a headache last night, she wrote, feeling a little guilty at the fabrication. Crashed before the fireworks even started.
Hope ur not getting that flu that your staff has had.
I think it’s just a migraine. But I’m gonna rest for a while longer, just to be sure.
U still coming to the fair?
As long as it turns out to be just a headache. Can u let the right people know that I’ll still be there? Don’t want anyone to think I’m not coming.
Yeah. Sure. What about work?
I’ll get one of the girls to cover my lunch rush.
Good plan. Do u need me to bring u anything right now?
Reggie’s guilt slipped away at the thought that her friend might insist.
She punched in a quick reply. Thanks, but no. If I do turn out to be sick, I don’t want to share.
Good point. But u sure u don’t want soup or something?
Yep. Thanks.
Reggie breathed out, relieved the deception had gone smoothly. But she didn’t get off quite so easily. The phone pinged again. She looked down with a groan.
One more thing, though... Jaz had written.
What?
WHOSE PHONE IS THIS?
Reggie sighed. Left mine at work. Borrowed one.
There was pause. At seven in the morning? Another pause. Omg. A third pause. U MET A MAN!
She debated lying. She hadn’t met a man in the sense that Jaz meant. At least...not really.
Her gaze lifted from the phone in her hands to the slightly ajar door. On the other side, she could vaguely hear the sound of dishes clattering, and what she thought was the soft hum of music. And a vision of Brayden making breakfast while he sang along to some oldie pop song filled her head. It made her smile before the buzz of the cell phone jerked her back to the moment.
How did u meet him? her friend wanted to know.
The question wiped the smile from her face immediately. In spite of how attractive Brayden was, the circumstances were just the opposite. But she couldn’t very well explain any of that to Jaz.
I didn’t meet a man. I borrowed a phone.
From who?
Customer at the diner. Close enough to the truth.
Is the customer a man?
Yes.
Aha! And aren’t u working at lunch?
Did I say I was working at the diner right this second?
...
I’ve gotta go lie back down.
Reggie. Seriously.
What?
U okay?
Fine. Really.
Not kidnapped by aliens and forced to send these vague messages that I’m sure are half-truths?
Reggie smiled. Hardly.
It was easy to picture the resigned look on Jaz’s face as the next message came through. K. My parents r manning the bouncy castle today. I’ll make sure they tell people ur alive and well.
THX.
Luv u.
Likewise.
Reggie let the phone rest on her knee, guilt tickling at her again. She wasn’t in the habit of lying to anyone, let alone to her best friend. She hated that this situation necessitated it. And she had a feeling it would get worse before it got better.
And what about Dad? You’ll have to talk to him soon, too.
She cringed at the thought of trying to fool him. He was sixty-five, but he was as sharp as ever. Maybe sharper even, with his age. Reggie had never been able to sneak something by him—not as a kid, not as a teenager and definitely not now as an adult.
She inhaled and straightened her shoulders. The simplest way to avoid having to deceive him would be to figure out what was going on before she had to talk to him. Maybe she could even enlist Brayden’s assistance. He seemed eager enough to help her. And he already knew what was going on and was aware of the danger but didn’t seem too concerned about it. Working together might be the perfect solution.
“That’s an awfully determined look on your face.” The amusement-laced statement made her jerk her head up.
She found Brayden standing in the doorway, a tray of food in his hands and an apron tied around his waist. For a second, she forgot what she’d just resolved to ask him. The domestic look somehow suited him and was out of place at the same time, and the result was...good. Better than good. But more complicated words failed Reggie right then.
Was there anything more seductive than a man who brought her breakfast in bed?
“Toast?” he offered, then stepped closer.
As he set the tray on the bed, his scent mingled with the coffee aroma, and the combination made Reggie’s body warm. And it made her stomach growl.
Brayden laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“I haven’t eaten since yesterday at about lunchtime,” Reggie admitted.
He tipped one of the mug handles her way and lifted a plate. “Don’t be shy.”
“Thanks.”
She devoured the first piece of toast quickly, offered Brayden an unapologetic shrug, then helped herself to another slice before adding a splash of cream to her coffee and taking a hearty slurp.
“Good?” Brayden asked.
“Perfect.”
“So.”
“So?”
“You going to tell me why you were making that gotta-get-it face when I walked in?”
She swallowed another bite of toast before answering. Was there a tactful way—without coming across as totally lascivious, either—to say that he was the “it” at the other end of her determined expression? Probably not. So she decided not to bother trying to find one.
“I want your help,” she stated. “Or I guess I should say more of your help.”
He took a thoughtful sip of his coffee. “Hmm.”
Her heart dropped a little. “That’s not an encouraging sound.”
“Just wondering what more you need. I’ve already run you over with my car, carried you through the woods and agreed to be your date to the prom. Er, Gala.”
Reggie relaxed a little. “Hilarious.”
He dropped a wink. “What do you need help with?”
“Figuring out who was on the bad end of Chuck Delta’s gun.”
Brayden’s face immediately stiffened. “That’s a job for the police.”
“I know. But you said yourself that there’s no way to know if the rest of the local cops are in on...whatever this is. What’s wrong with a little amateur sleuthing?”
“Aside from the danger to your life?”
“Aside from that...yes. What’s the problem?”
He set down his mug and met her eyes. “I need to tell you a secret.”
Reggie’s heart did a nervous jig as she waited for him to confess something terrible.
* * *
Brayden resisted an urge to get up and pace around the room. Guilt tickled at his mind, and he sighed and ran a hand over his hair, trying to convince himself that it wouldn’t do any harm for her to know why he was really there. In fact, with the danger she was already in, she’d probably want to know. Especially if she thought she ought to be digging into what happened. The idea that she might wind up on Garibaldi’s bad side made him grind his teeth together with worry.
She needs to know, he thought. But she also needs to agree not to share the info with anyone else.
“Can you say something?” she asked, her voice a little shaky. “You’re just sitting there. Brooding.”
“Sorry. I just don’t want this to come out the wrong way.”
“Oh, God.”
“What?”
“You’re married,” she stated.
He stared at her for a second and said again, “What?”
“You’re married. And we just slept together.” He cheeks went pink. “I mean. Not like that. But still.”
He couldn’t fight a laugh. “No, Reggie. I’m not married. I’m very unmarried.”
“Well...what then?”
“I need your word that you’ll keep this between us.”
“How can I agree to that when I don’t even know what it is you’re going to tell me?”
“I wouldn’t ask you if I didn’t think you’d be willing. I’m trusting you with a secret. It’s not a bad one. I just want you to respect my need for confidentiality.”
Brayden saw her suck in her bottom lip, considering it. Finally, she sighed.
“So long as it’s nothing illegal.”
He fought another laugh. “Hardly something illegal.”
“Okay. Then you have my word. I won’t tell anyone your secret. Whatever it is.”
“I’m a cop.”
She flinched, and he knew she had to be thinking about Chuck.
“I’m a good cop,” he clarified. “A Freemont City detective. I can dig up some proof, if you want to see it.”
She shook her head. “I believe you.”
“That easy?”
“It wouldn’t make sense for you to lie after what I saw a cop do last night.” She swallowed nervously before adding, “Besides. You seem far more policemanish than businessmanish.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “You saying my cover’s no good?”
Reggie shrugged. “I tend to notice things.”
“Like?”
“The wrong name on your phone. The fact that you weren’t wearing a suit the day you came into the diner and that you weren’t wearing one tonight. Not until I asked you about putting one on anyway.”
“So all businessmen wear suits?”
“All the ones who’re trying to convince someone to sell them something.”
“Hmm. Think I got made by everyone else in Whispering Woods?”
Her mouth tipped up. “Made?”
Brayden smiled back. “TV-cop talk isn’t good?”
“About as good as your real estate developer story. But don’t worry. We’re all TV-small-town-naive around here,” she said teasingly.
“Except you.”
“Well. I would’ve fallen for your clever ruse, too, if it hadn’t been for everything that’s happened tonight.”
“Maybe you should’ve been a detective.”
She laughed, the sound filling the room pleasantly. “Thanks. But I think I’ll stick to running the diner. Pay might not be as good, but the uniform suits me far better than a badge and a gun.”
Brayden found himself grinning. “I dunno. I can kinda picture you in Kevlar.”
“I can’t tell whether or not that’s a compliment.”
“Definitely is. Looking good in body armor isn’t a feat just anyone can pull off.”
“I’ll keep that in mind next time I’m in the market for a new outfit.”
“Please do.”
She went quiet for a second, then said, “Can I ask you something?”
Brayden willed himself not to tense up. “Sure.”
“You’re here conducting an investigation?”
“Yes.”
“And I guess you probably can’t tell me what it’s about.”
“Not really,” he admitted. “And it also means I’m not going to let you chase down leads on Chuck Delta or put yourself in any kind of danger.”
“Can you at least tell me if it has anything to do with what I saw in the alley?”
He hesitated. Sharing too many details could compromise a case. And with this particular one...there was the far more personal aspect to consider. That alone was enough to make him hold back. In the end, though, he opted for some more honesty. If nothing else, it would make her cautious enough to keep relying on him to protect her.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “The guy I’m after... I’ve been chasing him for a long time, and he’s capable of some pretty bad stuff. It would genuinely surprise me if the two things weren’t connected. So I’m going to treat it as if they are.”
“And that’s why you’re helping me.”
“It’s in my job description to help people. And it’s in my nature, too.” He smiled. “I guess you could say that I habitually go out on a limb.”
“Oh.”
Did she sound a little disappointed? He thought she did. For a several moments, he was puzzled. Aside from her impulsive and ill-timed run through the forest, she hadn’t fought his assistance. Didn’t she want to be helped?
A strand of dark hair stuck to her cheek, and his hands itched to pull it away and tuck it behind her ear.
So glad it was her who came flying out in front of my car.
The thought—a little absent, a little ridiculous—made him pause as he clued in to a possible explanation for her let-down tone. Maybe she was glad he’d been on the saving side of things, too.
He reached across the bed and squeezed her hand, and another jolt of electric attraction passed from her fingers to his. “Hey. Can’t say I’m not enjoying helping you. If I had to pick who to rescue in Whispering Woods, you’d be at the top of the list.”
Her eyes lit up. “Maybe you just haven’t seen enough of what Whispering Woods has to offer. Have you met Wanda from the health food store?”
“Don’t think I have. Don’t think I need to.”
“What about Sarah at the grocery store?”
“Nope.” He slid his palm from her hand to her forearm, liking the tiny shiver the action produced.
“Olivia at the gas station?” Her question came out a little breathless.
“Uh-uh.” He dragged his fingers up to her elbow, then past it, and inched closer.
“Ummmmm.” She dragged out the sound like she’d forgotten what she was going to say next.
“Um?”
“Helen. Down at the bike rental place?”
“Didn’t catch my eye.”
“Oh.”
Brayden stared down Reggie, admiring her upturned mouth. Her green eyes danced with amusement, and they flicked from his gaze to his lips—where they hung for a moment—then back again. Then the amusement was gone. In its place was something warm. Something interested. Something interesting.
Undisguised desire.
Brayden placed the look two seconds before she lifted her hand to touch his cheek and pushed forward, tipping her face to his. Automatically, he bent down to close the gap between them. Her eyes dropped shut, and he covered her lips with his in a kiss. It was meant to be gentle. Exploratory. A question, maybe.
Is this what you want?
The second his mouth touched hers, though, his silent query flew away. His ability to hold back went with it.
Her lips were soft and sweet. Still a little bit salty with sweat from her crazy run the night before. Far warmer than the air around them. Brayden devoured them. He sucked the top one, then the bottom. When she let out a little gasp, he took advantage and swiped his tongue between them, and the inside of her mouth was hotter still.
The tray of discarded dishes slid sideways and clattered to the ground as her fingers came up to the back of his neck. She rubbed the short edges of his hair, and Brayden met the attention eagerly. He pressed his palms to the small of her back and held her there, marveling at how right it felt. How natural. Like she wasn’t a woman he’d met just a half a day ago. So much so that it took most of his willpower just to break away.
“We should get going,” he said against her mouth.
She tipped her face up, her lids still low, her expression noticeably disappointed. “Okay.”
“Not because I wouldn’t rather be doing this. But because we need to stick to the plan and keep to your schedule.”
“And we don’t want to arouse any suspicion.”
“Right.”
“So we should probably let each other go.”
“Probably.”
“All right.”
Except he couldn’t quite make himself do it. Instead, he kissed her again. A little more slowly this time, but no less thoroughly. Her grip on him tightened, and she dragged him with her as she eased backward onto the mattress. He was almost—but not quite—on top of her now, one knee resting between her thighs as he held himself up with one elbow. He deepened the kiss even further, his body molding to hers. Her petite frame fit perfectly against his large one. There should’ve been a contrast. An imperfection. Instead, it was the opposite. Like they were built to complement one another.
She let out a little gasp, and he pulled his mouth from hers and dropped it to her jawline instead. He traced the line of it with his lips. The pleasant taste of her exploded in his mouth and made him want more. So he indulged. He nipped at her ear, then ran his tongue down her throat to her clavicle. He tugged on the sensitive skin there while his free hand roamed over her body.
