Katherine turned on the water and poured in some bubble bath, letting the scent of lavender soothe some of the tension from her tired muscles. Lack of sleep always made her body ache, and this was the only way she could get a little relief. She undressed and slipped into the fragrant water, a groan of contentment slipping past her lips as her eyelids instantly grew heavy and began to slide closed.
***
Katherine woke with a startled gasp, sitting up in the now cold water with a shiver. What had woken her? Her eyes darted around the room frantically. Had she heard a noise? She stood and hastily dried herself off, slipping on her robe as she stepped from the tub. She quickly cinched the belt and cautiously walked toward the door leading to her bedroom, her body tense as she listened for any sounds whatsoever. Anything out of the ordinary.
She pressed her ear to the door, her heart jumping to her throat. Finally, she breathed a sigh of relief when there was only silence. She must have been dreaming. Shaking her head at herself in disgust, she walked into her bedroom and stopped cold, her body beginning to vibrate with the fear that was rippling up her spine as she saw the white lily lying across her pillow, it’s heady, sweet fragrance wafting across the room and making her feel instantly nauseated.
Feeling as if her feet were rooted to the spot, her eyes darted around, desperately searching for any sign of Him. Oh, God! He had been here while she had slept in the tub! Another wave of nausea swept over her at the thought, and she tried to think of what she needed to do. Cole! Her mind instantly screamed at her. She needed to call Cole! He would keep her safe.
Panic hit her full on when she realized that her purse was downstairs, and she felt the bile rising up in her throat, threatening to choke the air right out of her lungs.
She had to get out of the house! She turned and took two steps towards the door before she heard it, and her body seized with terror. It was soft, but there–drifting up from downstairs.
I’ll be seeing you in all the old, familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces all day through
In that small cafe, the park across the way
The children's carousel, the chestnut tree, the wishing well
I'll be seeing you in every lovely summer's day….
Katherine felt her knees threatening to give out on her as a wave of pure horror washed over her, and she fought it with everything that she was worth. No! It couldn’t be! She had to get out! He was in the house! Get out! Get out!
She tentatively reached out and grasped the handle of the door, feeling the coolness of the metal beneath her shaking fingers, and her body broke out in gooseflesh.
I can do this. I can do this she silently chanted, trying to garner the strength to walk out of the room and get downstairs. She could feel the tears blurring her vision and tried desperately to bite them back, her body now trembling so badly that her teeth were chattering.
She took a shaky breath and pulled open the door, grateful that it opened silently. She tried to block out the sound of that song as she made her way to the stairs–but it was echoing through her brain, making her dizzy. It was her nightmare all over again. Only this time it was real!
She swallowed hard as she cautiously made her way down…one step at a time, and with the tiniest amount of hope, her eyes locked on her purse sitting on the coffee table. If she could just get to it, and make it to her car…
The sound behind her brought a scream of panic to her lips, but she forcibly bit it back and only whimpered. It was the whisper of clothing, the tiniest squeak of a floorboard… and she knew. She knew that he was right behind her. She could actually feel the bastard! Feel his eyes on her. She stiffened her spine, not wanting to let him know that she knew that he was there. She needed to get away. Get down the stairs. Get out!
“Mine…” It was the softest of whispers, but it kicked Katherine’s terror into overdrive.
She took off, jumping down the last three steps with a painful stab to her ankle and grabbing her purse as she ran for the front door, unlocking the deadbolts with inhuman speed, even as her hands shook wildly and a sob rose up in her throat.
She threw open the door and ran blindly down the steps of her front stoop and down the walkway, right into a solid mass of muscle, and the scream that she had been holding back finally broke free with a soul stealing vengeance. It ripped from her lungs and from the very depths of her body with the power of a hurricane.
***
“Jesus Christ! Katherine, it’s me!” Cole yelled trying to pull her to him, but she was thrashing and fighting as if the Devil himself had been chasing her. Cole’s eyes shot to the doorway that she had just run out of as he wondered if indeed, he had. “Katherine!” he yelled again, pulling her into his arms and against his solid chest, resting his lips on the top of her head. “It’s me!”
He knew the moment that he had gotten through to her. He felt her body relax just a bit, and she suddenly threw her arms around his neck and burrowed her face against his neck, her body quaking against his with a powerful shudder.
“Sweetheart, tell me what happened?” he demanded, his tone rushed as he gazed towards the house, looking for anything that might have caused her panic. But everything looked deathly still.
“He’s here!” she sobbed against him, and Cole went right into action, his entire body tensing up. He pulled her away from him and held her at arm’s length, his gaze locking with hers. “Get in my car and lock the doors. Do you understand me? Stay there until I come and get you,” he ground out, but she shook her head violently.
“No! Don’t…don’t leave me alone! Please,” she begged, the crystal depths of her eyes imploring him. Begging him…looking as if every last bit of her resolve was about to snap.
Damn it! He seethed, not wanting to put her in any danger, but a very large part of him unable to let her leave his side. He needed to know that she was safe. “You stay behind me,” he barked at her as he pulled his gun from its holster. “And…you stay damned close! Got it?”
When she nodded shakily, he pushed her behind him and headed for the door. He reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone as he did. “This is Detective McKenzie, badge number 44280. I need backup at 30465 Mill Dr., possible break in and suspect might still be in the house.” He slammed his phone back into his pocket and walked through the doorway, Katherine glued to his back.
***
As they walked through the entryway, the only sound coming from inside was that damned song…still playing, and Katherine had to fight the urge to hold her hands over her ears and scream, but she couldn’t seem to let go of the fistfuls of Cole’s shirt that she clung to. She needed this contact so badly, but that damned song just kept playing. The bastard must have put it on repeat.
Cole walked over to the stereo and slammed his hand down on the button, thankfully ending it before it finally threw her over the edge.
“Where,” he whispered, his eyes sweeping every nook and cranny of her tiny house in an instant.
“Up…upstairs,” she choked out, and continued to hold onto the back of his shirt in a death grip as he headed in that direction. She could hear the sirens faintly in the distance and finally breathed a small sigh of relief.
***
Katherine sat in the back of the patrol car, feeling claustrophobic as Cole spoke to the officers on the scene. She watched as he took command of the situation, ordering the men to branch off into the surrounding area in search of Him. She took a deep, shuddering breath as she realized that they wouldn’t find him. He was much too good. He knew how to hide. He knew how to stay in the shadows much too well. He had been doing it for so long now.
She pulled her robe a little more securely around her as she fought off the shivers that were crawling across her body. She was so cold. And…she needed to get out of this car! She couldn’t breathe in here! It was oppressive…stifling. And it was choking the very air from her lungs.
Cole barked out something to the patrolman standing a few feet fro
m him, and the man nodded before turning and heading inside the house. He turned and walked over to where she sat, his stride so strong and confident that she found herself again wondering why this man didn’t scare the crap out of her. He was intimidating as hell. He was huge, muscular, with a darkness about him that was forceful, yet she found herself not cowering from his touch. There was a part of her that actually wanted it–craved it. When he had held her in his arms, it had been the first time that she’d felt safe in a very long time. And she couldn’t stop herself from wanting more.
“Come on,” he said, opening the door and extending his hand. She took it with fingers that trembled and let him pull her from the car, praying that her legs wouldn’t give out on her as she did. She was just so damn cold.
He began leading her towards his car with a gentle hand to her back. She looked up at him in confusion, and just the tiniest bit of panic. “Wait! What? Where are we going?”
Cole opened his passenger side door and gave her a small smile, although it didn’t quite reach his eyes and there was still that tension in his jaw. “As of right now, you are under twenty-four seven police protection,” he informed her with a quiet authority that had her heart slamming around her chest in stunned surprise. What in the hell was he talking about?
Katherine’s mouth dropped open. “But…where are you taking me? I…I need clothes.” She was in pure panic mode now. All she was wearing was a thin robe. “I can’t go anywhere like this,” she squeaked out, her cheeks blazing.
“Easy, Katherine,” he replied softly, his eyes so damn reassuring as they held hers in their steely grip. “Your house is a crime scene at the moment; we’ll worry about getting you some clothes tomorrow.” He eased her into the seat and closed her door, dashing around the front of the car and sliding in beside her.
“Where are we going,” she choked out after he had started the engine and pulled out of the driveway.
“My house,” he said matter-of-factly, and he heard her startled gasp of surprise. “No, worries,” he said with a grin that just about stopped her heart. “I have an extra room. And…I promise to behave myself.”
***
Cole ushered Katherine ahead of him through the door of his house and flipped on the lights. She took a shaky breath as she looked around in shock. This was not at all what she would have expected from the Detective. She could picture him living in a rugged cabin, deep in the woods. This house had a beautiful, airy, beach-like feel to it that was so unlike the dark, sexy, Cole McKenzie.
It was done in muted natural tones and exuded warmth that had her wanting to curl up on the large leather sofa and lose herself. There was peace here. A sense of home. And it was throwing everything completely off balance.
“The spare bedroom is right through there,” he said, pointing down a small, narrow hallway.
“You…you don’t need to do this, Detective,” she whispered, wondering why in the hell she felt so strangely comfortable here. It was unsettling. “I can go stay at a hotel tonight and…”
In two short strides he was standing in front of her, his fingers curling over her shoulders as he bent down so that they were eye level with each other. She swore that his touch was searing her skin right through the thin silk that she wore. “That son of a bitch was in your house tonight,” he reminded her, his voice low, firm, “while you were freaking there! I’m sorry, Katherine, but I’m not letting you out of my sight until I catch this bastard.”
Katherine felt butterflies flutter in her belly at his words. Dear Lord! He made her feel so safe… and sane. And, he believed her! She knew it by the conviction in which he spoke. There was none of that doubt in his eyes…none of that pity that she was so used to seeing.
She nodded jerkily, trying hard to fight the tears that were stinging her eyes. All she wanted was to wrap her arms around him. Thank him for believing her. Thank him for making her believe that she finally had someone on her side…someone who didn’t think that she was certifiably insane.
“Would you like some wine?” he asked, and she nodded again, unable to find her voice to answer him. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll go find you one of my shirts to sleep in and then get us a glass.” He gazed at her silently a moment, undeniable heat in his eyes, before clearing his throat and disappearing down the hall.
***
Katherine walked unsteadily to the sofa and sat down, realizing that his wonderful scent filled the house; that outdoorsy, spicy scent that was all Cole. It was rugged, and masculine…and amazing. It wafted through the air like a calming embrace and she felt a little shiver run across her. This was all so surreal. What was she doing here?
She tucked her legs under her and took a long, steadying breath. This was completely insane! In her twenty-five years she had never been so drawn to anyone the way she was to the dangerous, Cole McKenzie. She couldn’t understand it, but when he was near her she felt…alive. For the first time in almost ten years, she felt…almost normal. She knew that this was dangerous. That she should leave…but she just couldn’t find the resolve to do it. There was peace here, something that she hadn’t felt in a very long time.
“This should work,” Cole said, coming back into the room and handing her a T-shirt and pair of boxers and she could instantly feel the heat rise up her neck. Oh, my God! His boxers? Really? She cleared her throat nervously and held up the shirt.
Detective Cop-a-feel
She looked up into his face and tried to hide the small smile that was threatening to curve her mouth. She arched a brow at him and watched as he shifted uncomfortably.
“It was a gag gift from the guys when I made senior detective,” he explained with a quick, embarrassed cough. “I figured since I’ve ever worn it…” he trailed off a moment, fidgeting slightly, and Katherine wanted to burst out laughing. “The bathroom is right through there if you’d like to change while I get our wine.”
Katherine stood, thankful for the reprieve, and walked off in the direction that he had indicated, trying hard to hide her blush….and her smile.
***
Cole shook his head in disgust as he watched her intently as she left the room. Jesus! What in the hell had he been thinking giving her that shirt? Cole groaned as he headed off to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Merlot. He braced his hands against the sink as he silently reprimanded himself for being such an ass. What in the hell was wrong with him? It was as if his damn brain went on vacation when she was around! Shit! He felt like a damned teenager.
He poured them each a glass and walked back into the living room, only to find her curled up in the corner of the couch, dressed in his t-shirt and boxers, and to say that is was a turn on was a huge understatement. It was fucking earth-shattering! God, he was such an ass!
She looked so damn stunning sitting there and Cole felt an uncomfortable tightening in his trousers. Shit! This wasn’t good. He quickly held out her glass and sat down on the opposite end of the sofa; praying that he could get his libido under control. He needed to find out what in the hell had happened tonight. That look of fear in her eyes had cut him to the quick. It had brought out a fierce need to keep her safe.
“Can you tell me what happened tonight, Katherine,” he finally asked softly, hoping to keep the subject on a professional level. It was hard enough having her in his home without pulling her into his arms, and tasting that sweet, sweet mouth of hers, but the sight of her sitting there in his clothes, was just about doing him in. He felt his body responding in a big way, and only hoped that she wouldn’t notice.
He saw her stiffen slightly, but only a millisecond later, she straightened her spine and took a long, slow breath. The woman had strength, even after everything that she had been through…she damned well wouldn’t break. How could you not admire her?
“I ran some errands today, had lunch, came home, and decided to soak in a hot bath,” she began quietly, and Cole had to violently shake off the image of her nude form in a warm, sudsy tub. Christ! That wasn’t helping his man pa
rts to settle down in the least. In fact, it was only making matters worse. “I...I must have fallen asleep,” she whispered apologetically, and Cole wondered how she could even begin to feel guilt for falling asleep for God’s sake. “Something…something woke me…I don’t know. Maybe a noise, but I woke up and…” She paused, taking a sip of her wine, and he noticed that her hand shook. Cole moved over closer to her and took her trembling hand in his. Fuck professional, he thought with a grunt. He wanted to make her feel safe. In fact, he craved it, deep down in the recesses of his soul. He found that he absolutely hated that look of fear in her eyes. That haunted, lost look.
***
Katherine timidly glanced down at the hand that he held as that ever present tingle crawled across her spine. God, help her…but this man affected her on so many different levels that it was making her head spin.
She looked back up into his eyes and found the strength to go on. He just seemed to have that effect on her. She had never wanted to open herself up to anyone like this before. She had always kept herself closed off, but with this man, she wanted to tell him everything.
“I thought that I had imagined it,” she continued, not breaking their contact. “On my pillow was the…lily. And, then I realized that damned song was playing. I knew that I needed to get downstairs. My purse was down there, and I needed you…”
Cole felt his heart do a strange flip inside of his chest at her quiet confession. Christ on a crutch, he silently cursed, this woman was breaking down walls she had no business breaking down. He hadn’t spent the last thirty-three years on this planet only to let this tiny wisp of a woman walk into his life and turn it damn near upside down!