Kitabı oku: «Slow Dancing With a Texan», sayfa 3

Three

“So what’s your plan for the night?” Lainie asked. They’d just locked themselves firmly inside the cheap motel room once again. “Where do you intend to sleep?”

Sloan sat down and stretched out companionably on the double bed, his body fully extended and his head propped up against the wall behind it. “The bed isn’t half-bad.” He patted the narrow spot next to him. “Try it out for yourself.”

The look on her face was priceless, Sloan mused. He loved it when he got to her, and he wondered why that was.

Since she continued to stand there, staring down at the ugly bedspread as if it were a rattler pit, he decided to try a different tack. “Look. It’s early yet. Why don’t you sit and tell me about your job? Maybe together we can come up with a reason why someone wants to kill you.” He pushed the lone pillow up against the wall for her.

When she tentatively checked to make sure the top button of his raincoat was securely fastened at her neck before she sat on the bed, it was all Sloan could do to keep a straight face. But he refused to laugh. He was feeling unsure enough about his own motives, let alone hers.

She settled in as far away from him as physically possible. “Maybe you’re right. I’m still too tense to sleep, anyway.”

He allowed himself a half smile, while she took off her shoes and daintily dropped them on the floor.

“Okay.” She wiggled her bottom down into the mattress until she’d apparently nestled herself into a more comfortable position. “That’s better. What do you want to know?”

“Well,” he began as he toed his boots off, “I thought maybe you’d just start talking. You know, tell me about how a normal day goes, what kind of letters you receive, that sort of thing.” He reached over, wanting to flick a tiny, lingering crumb off her chin, but quickly caught himself.

“Oh, but that’s so boring,” she sighed. “Are you sure hearing about that stuff might help?”

He shrugged a shoulder. “You never know. What else have we got to do?”

The minute he said it, the visions of what else he’d like to be doing in this bed blindsided him. But if Lainie noticed the change, she didn’t mention it.

“My day always starts at six-thirty. Suzy and I jog every morning. It gets the blood moving.”

“Your sister lives with you?” He eased his body around slightly and tried to concentrate on her words, but shifting his focus didn’t do much to change the tension.

She looked startled for a second. “Oh, that’s right. You don’t know about my family.”

“Captain Johnson just told me that you were a single woman and that your mother was a longtime, dear friend of his. I assumed you either lived alone or with your mother.”

Lainie smiled then and folded her hands in her lap. “I sort of do both…live alone and also live with my family, that is. A few years back, I bought a big house in a fancy Houston suburb. It’s an old place and has a good-size guest house right on the grounds. I bought it with the idea in mind of letting my sister and her husband use the guest house.”

She frowned at a large crack in the wall directly in front of the bed. “But when it came time for us to move in, I realized that the two of them would be much more comfortable in the bigger place. So…”

“You moved into the guest house,” he said with a yawn.

“Yes, but it wasn’t a hardship. The smaller house is so cozy. It’s just perfect for my needs. And Jeff, he’s my brother-in-law, loves to entertain and have big parties. Someday, the two of them might have a bunch of kids, too, and the living arrangements have all worked out for the best. Without family nearby, a person is no one.”

“But you own both houses?”

“Sure. In fact, a year or so ago I bought a neighboring house when the old woman who lived there passed away. It was a good thing, too. My father had a stroke a few months later, so I insisted that he and Mom move in next door so I could keep an eye on them.” She inclined her head. “I suppose you could say we live in a family compound.”

Sloan could not imagine anything worse. The thought of having people—meddling family members especially—underfoot all the time gave him the creeps.

“Sounds real cozy,” he said, using her words and with a grin he didn’t feel. “So your father is still alive. Does he work?”

“He’s totally disabled. Confined to a wheelchair,” she said sadly.

“And your brother-in-law…what does he do for a living?”

Lainie studied her toes. “Well, Jeff runs my father’s bar now. It’s not much of a living, though. The place is only open a few hours a day, except on weekends. Mom keeps the books, but it never has been much of a moneymaker.”

Sloan got the picture. Lainie seemed to be the sole support for the whole clan. He wondered if she realized how much friction could arise between family members when one strong person ruled the purse strings. As a lawman he’d seen that kind of thing happen often enough.

“Hmm. Let me get this straight in my head,” he began. “All of your immediate family lives in housing that you own and no doubt provide free of charge.”

“I couldn’t ask my family to pay me.”

“Uh-huh. And you are the one person in the family who is gainfully employed.”

“My sister works hard in her job at the paper.”

“I’m sure she does. But you’re her boss, right?”

“Yes, but—”

“So without you, what would become of the rest of the family?”

Those great green eyes widened and she twisted the edge of the bedspread around in her fingers. “I’ve provided for them in my will, of course. And I imagine that Suzy could keep the column going for quite a while if I were ill. I’ve been letting her write a few of the columns so she could get the practice.”

“Seems to me that the whole bunch of them ought to be real concerned over your welfare.”

“That’s not fair.” She stood up and began pacing from the bed to the door and back. “They’re my family. All families have a few problems, but that doesn’t mean they don’t love each other.” She stopped and held her palm out, pleading for him to understand. “You must know how it is. Family is the most important thing in the world. You probably have a few family problems of your own. Everyone does.”

His silence told Lainie a lot about the man. There was something about his family that bothered him.

Finally he shook his head. “Don’t have a family,” he muttered.

“None? No wife…or ex-wife…and kids?”

He scowled. “Never been married.”

“But surely you must have parents. Were you orphaned at an early age or something?” She sat down on the edge of the bed and studied him again.

“Nope. Had a mother…up until December fifteenth.”

“Your mother just passed away three months ago?” She gulped, wondering how she’d gotten herself into such a stupid conversation in the first place. “I’m so sorry, Sloan. Were you two very close?”

His eyes turned dark and he looked away. “Not really. I didn’t get back to visit her much. It’d been maybe six years or so since the last time.”

From the sound of his voice, she wondered if he’d even had a chance to speak to his mother before her death. In her typical prying way, Lainie couldn’t stand not asking.

“Uh…maybe this isn’t any of my business, but were you two estranged over something? Many of my advice columns touch on the guilt people feel after the death of a family member. The worst is when they’d never gotten the chance to reconcile their problems, and all of a sudden it’s too late.”

It was Sloan’s turn to stand. He took off the denim jacket, and for the first time Lainie saw the gun stuck in a holster at his waistband. The sight of it put a cold damper on the hot lust she’d begun to feel at the sight of his tight, muscular butt encased in superslim jeans.

“You’re right,” he said over his shoulder as he hung up the jacket and unknotted his tie. “It’s none of your business.”

That put her in her place. She should’ve known better than to try to befriend an uptight, close-mouthed lawman. Well, fine.

“I have an overnight kit in the truck,” he told her as he removed the holster and checked the gun. “Do you want me to rustle up some toothpaste and stuff for you to use? You could sleep in one of my T-shirts, if you like. That would probably be more comfortable than the heavy old raincoat.” He pulled off the Ranger’s badge and laid it down on top of the television with his gun.

“I’m not sleeping with you,” she huffed. “Not in anything.”

“Suit yourself.” He undid his belt, pulled it through the loops and hung it over the metal rod. “Mind if I turn on the TV, then? I sleep better with a little noise.”

“You can honestly think of sleeping at a time like this?”

“I’m tired. You’d be smart to try catching a few zees yourself.” His voice was edgy and not at all as sexy as it had been earlier. “You’ve got a big day tomorrow,” he continued as he flipped on the set and sat back down on his side of the bed.

She folded her arms over her chest and prepared to tell him exactly what she expected of him tomorrow. But for a second she was distracted by the local news and the eerie pictures of her office building with the front lobby windows blown out.

When she turned back to say something, he was already out cold. She couldn’t believe he’d become unconscious that fast. He’d better not snore.

Lainie got up and went to the bathroom, flipping off the overhead light on her way. When she was done, she left the bathroom door slightly ajar so the light in there could act as a nightlight.

She settled back down on her edge of the tiny bed and prayed the big lummox sleeping next to her didn’t roll around in his sleep. She’d hate to have to fight him off during the night. And there was no place else in the room for her to watch TV.

Frowning at the screen, where a late-night talk-show host was beginning his stand-up routine, she tried to ignore Sloan’s reclining body while she considered her options. The trouble was, she didn’t seem to have any options at all.

The longer she fumed over her predicament, the heavier her eyelids became. But she wasn’t going to lose control and fall asleep. No way. She intended to stay up, watching TV and keeping an eye on the very masculine body in her bed.

Sloan woke up with a cramp in his shoulder. He tried to move, but found himself wrapped up in long legs and soft female curves. Lainie’s head rested comfortably against his shoulder, and her peaceful expression in repose seemed a little too quiet, a little too angelic to suit him.

He took a breath and smelled woman, musty raincoat and a hint of soap. Her languid, slow breathing was intimate, familiar. Yet it was not at all like anything he’d ever shared with anyone.

He’d never slept all night with a woman before. The morning-after routine had always sounded too nerve-racking and embarrassing for his style. Why mess up a night of pleasure with the aggravation of trying to find a polite way out?

But there was just something about sleeping with Lainie that soothed him. Who would’ve guessed that an annoying yet lust-inspiring woman would be the one to make him feel all comfortable and homey?

Before he thought about it too much, Sloan brushed his hand over her sleep-tousled hair, pushing it back behind her ear. Deep-red silk. The satiny-soft feel of her seemed in stark contrast to the strong spirit and sexy brashness he knew she possessed.

His blood stirred and he had to remind himself that she was under his protection. She was quite a woman—a family-loving, advice-giving dream girl. And it was too damned bad that they hadn’t met at another time.

Speaking of time, Sloan glanced at his watch and realized that dawn was near. Time to check in with the captain and finalize plans to hide this erotic and baffling female.

He inched out from under her and then stood beside the bed, watching as she shifted around trying to get comfortable. She rolled onto her back. A few of the buttons on his old raincoat had pulled loose during the night and patches of creamy skin appeared at both her chest and thigh.

The restless, uncivilized beast in him growled at the sight. He fought to remember his normal reserves. Repeating a couple of Ranger slogans about standards and duty, Sloan backed away from the bed.

Needing a little distance and a lot more fortitude than he was feeling at the moment, Sloan retrieved his kit from the car, then went into the bathroom to strip and step into the tepid shower.

In her dream, Lainie was standing alone in the frigid rain. The water dripped off her hair, trickling down her back. A steamy, cool mist fogged her vision.

A man was out there in the fog. A man she couldn’t see but knew wanted to kill her. Searching for a place to hide, she had the distinct impression that the shadowy figure who stalked her was someone she knew.

“Don’t try to hide, Lainie,” a low voice whispered.

Who could this be? The voice was achingly familiar. She racked her brain for answers.

Perhaps it was someone from work. But why would anyone there wish her harm? A chill ran down her back, and she felt the goose bumps rising on her arms, but she set her jaw and stood her ground.

Her time was running short. Through the mist she could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck.

She shoved out at the fog and tried to see where her assailant might be. With no warning, Sloan appeared beside her. Sloan? No. It was not possible.

Blinded and frightened, she turned away from him and ran. He called out, and she felt a sudden thud in her left shoulder.

Lainie came awake with the blood still pounding in her chest. “What? Where…?”

Sloan was shaking her shoulder. “Time to get up. I just talked to Captain Johnson.”

She finally woke up enough to recognize Sloan. But the minute she saw his eyes, she managed to pull herself together in time to shake off the vestiges of sleep and wipe the nightmare images from her mind. Sloan might be infuriating and demanding, but he was definitely not a threat to her.

Unless you counted him as a threat to her heart. And maybe that’s exactly what her dream was trying to tell her.

She was positive her stalker was not the Texas Ranger. But she promised herself that later she’d work on figuring out who might really want to hurt her. The scary dream had to be some kind of warning or clue, and she wished Suzy was here to help her decipher it.

“Wow…I just had a doozy of a dream,” she told him as she swallowed past the tremors still causing her to stutter.

He ignored what she said and handed her a paper cup filled with coffee. “Sorry to wake you, but we’ve got places to go and things to do.”

“Really?” She drank a swig of coffee and immediately felt better, human. “Where are we going?”

“To a nearby police substation. Captain Johnson will be there to meet us. We both need to file witness reports on the shooting yesterday.”

Lainie stood and stretched, arching her back like a lazy cat. It was a picture Sloan could’ve done without.

It was bad enough that, because she was groggy, she seemed limp and pliable and sexy as all get-out. Her hair was messed up by the ravages of a nightmare and her lids were still half-closed in what could only be described as bedroom eyes.

“Go put your clothes on,” he grumbled. “I just checked and they’re dry.”

She obeyed his command with no comment, but a few minutes later she appeared at the bathroom door, dressed and back to her old self. “You didn’t ask about my dream. You were in it and the whole thing was really weird.” Her hand was fisted against her hip and she looked ready for a fight.

“No time for that now.” He quickly slid his gun into the hidden holster under his coat. “Maybe later.”

“Right, boss,” she muttered. “You really are full of yourself, you know that?”

He grabbed her coat with one hand and her elbow with the other and, determined not to utter another word, hustled them both out the motel room door and into the truck.

Sloan cruised the streets, taking an out-of-the-way route to the station. When they arrived, he drove around the block six times, coming at it from different directions. He checked all the parked cars and every pedestrian.

At this point, he refused to take any chances with her life. It didn’t seem logical that someone would risk taking a potshot at her while she was with the police. But then again, nothing seemed logical about this whole thing.

The police station was located in an area of town that was unfamiliar. But the station itself was built like most of the others in the metropolitan sections of Harris County. He pulled into the back lot and parked his truck in a visitor’s spot. With the special plates and the regulation sticker on his windshield, Sloan knew he wouldn’t be hassled there and the spot would be totally out of a potential sniper’s line of sight.

He rushed Lainie from the truck and into the station. A few discreet questions later and they were directed into a conference room in the back.

“Good to see you two.” Captain Johnson greeted them with a cup of coffee and a smile. “Lainie, your mother sends her love and says to tell you that everyone is okay. Suzy’s wound was clean and she should be back out of the hospital in a day or two. Oh, and I’m supposed to tell you not to worry about anything at home.”

Sloan watched while Lainie hugged the rugged and stoic captain. Her eyes filled up with tears, but she managed to hold them off. She set her shoulders and raised her chin.

The captain introduced them to a police detective who asked to interview them separately. Sloan walked to a break room with Captain Johnson while Lainie stayed to give the detective her statement.

“So, do you have a plan drawn up to protect her, son?”

Sloan nodded and sat down at the old folding table that looked as if it had seen break room duty for the last twenty years. “I contacted Sergeant Hernandez this morning, sir. His cabin on the Guadalupe near Sequin still has the electric hooked up so the real estate agents can show it. He said we’re welcome to use it.”

“Lainie isn’t going to like being kept away from her family and her job for too long.”

Sloan raised his eyebrow and scowled. “I can see that. Sometimes it seems she believes she’s invincible…as if she’s wrapped in an acrylic barrier and can’t be hurt. It’s kind of weird.”

The captain put his hand on his shoulder. “I’ve known Lainie since she was born. She’s a genius and absolutely brilliant at her job. But she has devoted so much time to her work and giving advice to others that she’s rather naive about her own world.

“And her family does everything possible to keep her that way,” the captain continued. “They’ve always protected her from anything harmful. They’re absolutely convinced that she needs to feel safe and secure to do her job.”

“But this stalker is obviously a real threat,” Sloan interjected. “I tried to make light of it by asking her to think of this time as a mini vacation because I didn’t like the look of panic in her eyes. It turned out she was a lot more concerned about her sister than her own safety.”

Captain Johnson smiled. “That’s just like her. And her family and I would appreciate it if you’d do everything in your power to keep her feeling safe. Don’t force her to face the real danger. After nearly thirty years of thinking she has complete control over her own destiny, we’re not sure how she would react to having her secure little world crumble around her.”

Sloan wondered if perhaps he’d guessed this about her, and that was why he felt so protective of a woman who seemed so demanding. His own feelings would have to be buried. Doing a favor for his captain and protecting Lainie were the most important things.

“I’ll do my best,” he told his boss. And he meant every word.

“We’re trying to keep her involvement in the shooting out of the news. The police are calling it a random act of violence since no one was killed.”

“But the police don’t buy that themselves, do they?”

The captain shook his head. “They’ve opened a case investigation and have assigned this detective full time. He has copies of all the letters Lainie received over the last six months, as well as the original threatening e-mails and notes. The newspaper has cooperated fully.”

“Do they have some way to keep her columns appearing on a daily basis, even though neither she nor her sister will be there to file them?”

“I’ll take care of that. Don’t worry. You’re going to have your hands full just convincing her to stay out of sight and lay low for a while.”

“Not a problem, Captain.” Sloan took a swig of cold coffee and swallowed hard. “Sir? Do you think this feels like a normal stalker situation? It doesn’t seem to fit the regular profiles.”

Captain Johnson raised both brows and smiled. “Can’t keep you out of the investigation, can I?”

Sloan winced, wishing he would’ve kept his mouth shut. He had a personal investigation of his own that he should be attending to. But that didn’t matter right now. Sloan wanted to do whatever his captain asked.

“It’s all right, Sergeant. I appreciate you sticking around for this before you take your leave,” Captain Johnson said as if he’d read his mind.

“I owe you, Captain. If it wasn’t for you, I might not have entered law enforcement in the first place. And the law is the best thing that ever happened in my life. This assignment is just one small payback.”

The captain laid a hand on his shoulder and lowered his voice. “For what it’s worth, I agree that Lainie’s threat is probably not coming from a typical stalker. Your main assignment here is to keep her alive, Sloan.

“Lainie’s mother was my first love,” the captain continued. “She means a lot to me. I’ve promised her that we’ll get Lainie’s stalker before anyone else gets hurt. And I never go back on a promise.”

Sloan was sure that was a true statement. And it deepened his resolve to protect Lainie’s life with all the resources in his power.

He just wished Lainie wasn’t quite so sexy. Or so irritatingly bossy. Maybe he should’ve been wishing that he could find a way not to notice so much.

After being escorted into the break room, Lainie sat down next to Captain Johnson and waited until Sloan left the room accompanying the detective. She’d been interviewed for a mere hour, but she felt exhausted and wanted a nap.

Hmm. Food first, and then a nap.

“Oh, man, am I tired.” She laid her forehead against the slick tabletop and sighed.

“I know, honey.” Captain Johnson patted her on the back. “What can I do for you?”

“Food. No, I take that back.” She lifted her head and smiled wearily. “Chocolate…coffee…and then I want to go home.”

“Sorry. I can get you a candy bar and coffee, but you can’t go home just yet.” Captain Johnson put a few coins into one of the vending machines against the wall that Lainie hadn’t noticed when she came into the room.

After she took her first bite of a gooey chocolate bar, she managed a smile for her mother’s old friend. “I want to thank you for everything, Captain. As much as Sloan Abbott is an arrogant jerk, he also managed to save my life. I don’t know where I’d be without him.

“I’m so glad you insisted on me having a bodyguard,” she admitted. “I just wish it hadn’t been Sloan.”

Chet laid a hand over her free one on the table. “I think you might want to cut him a little slack, honey. Personal security is not his regular duty. The sergeant is one of the Rangers’ best crime investigators. In fact, he’s the youngest man in Ranger history to receive a commendation from the governor.”

Oh, right, she thought. Of course Sloan would be some kind of rising star in the Rangers.

“Besides,” he continued. “I couldn’t spare anyone else. The sergeant is supposed to be beginning an indefinite personal leave from the Rangers. He’s the only one free.”

“He’s taking a leave? What for?”

The captain smiled and leaned back in his chair. “I think you’d better ask him that.”

“I’d rather not,” she huffed. “I need to be at home. This whole thing seems to be getting out of hand. I can’t really still be in danger, can I?”

Chet shook his head and chuckled. “Leave the investigation to the professionals, Lainie. You just have to do what Sergeant Abbott tells you. And I’m afraid that means you’ll have to hide out for a while.”

She hated the idea of being stuck with Sloan but there was no way around it. It was a royal pain being around a man who was arrogant and withdrawn—and so gorgeous he made her knees go weak just looking at him.

An hour later Sloan loaded up his truck with the two suitcases and a duffel bag that Captain Johnson had brought for Lainie. As he hefted them into the bed, he wondered why it seemed as if her mother packed everything Lainie owned. They weren’t going to be gone that long.

Earlier, Captain Johnson had slipped him a packet with $1,000 in twenties. Along with that, he’d given Sloan instructions to check in every few hours but to keep Lainie hidden until he could put together a list of suspects.

Until then, everyone—including her friends, coworkers and family—were potential suspects.

Lainie bade goodbye to the captain and silently stepped up into the passenger seat. Sloan figured this was the beginning of a very long and very tense few days.

“Buckle up,” he growled as he turned the key in the ignition and the truck roared to life.

She grimaced but did as he’d ordered.

The next couple of minutes were every bit as tense and silent as he’d feared. The situation was impossible. How could he protect her if they were constantly at odds? They were going to have to find a way to get along.

“We’ll be stopping for breakfast on down the road a piece,” he told her, hoping that she’d see that all he wanted was her comfort and safety. “I want to be sure we aren’t being followed first. Can you wait?”

“Look. We have to stay together for a few days, but I don’t have to like it…and you don’t have to try to be nice to me, either. I’m not hungry.” She stared out her window and folded her arms over her chest.

The irritation hit him hard in the gut. “You have to eat, Lainie. We’ll stop when I say we stop.” Annoying woman. He wasn’t about to let her starve on his watch.

“Stop if you want. I didn’t realize I was your prisoner.” She swiveled around to glare at him. “I thought you said to think of this as a mini vacation.” The heated sparks from her flashing green eyes could’ve burned down the entire city of Houston.

Heat and fury crawled up his neck. He admired her backbone, but he was damned if he would put up with her controlling behavior. Their lives were at stake, dang it!

He pulled over to the side of the road, out of the traffic, and jammed the truck into park. She narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing.

Want. Need. Anger. Desire. The combination of emotions drove him over an edge he’d been careful to avoid.

He lost all control when, after unbuckling his seat belt and scooting closer to her, she grimaced and inched back. Sloan grabbed her, vised her chin in his hand and jerked her face closer to his with one swift movement.

“Listen, Ms. Gardner. You do what I say or we’ll both end up dead. Got that?”

She’d managed to drive him totally nuts. And his next move proved the point.