Chapter 14
Regan drove on autopilot straight to her house. Her stalker hadn’t been around in a few days and she’d convinced herself that he wasn’t really interested in her, it was only a coincidence that they’d been in the same places at the same times.
Her block was empty. She checked before she got out of her car. Dirk hadn’t arrived yet and no suspicious cars were parked on the road. She located the house key before she got out of her car and sprinted to the house, fighting her desire to look side to side like she was a nervous Nellie.
Regan flung the door open and stepped inside. Then she slammed the door and locked it. She turned and her heart stopped. About five feet into the room sat a white envelope. She dropped everything onto the floor, staring at the envelope like it might attack her.
Now she was afraid.
Sitting up, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and pressed speed dial one. “Colin?” she croaked.
“What’s wrong?”
“I need a police officer. I can’t handle this on my own.”
“I’ll be there in five.”
The phone disconnected. She tried to pull herself together. She’d give anything to have things the way they used to be, when the only thing she had to contemplate was where to get naked with her husband.
The wail of sirens started faint in the distance, gradually getting louder until they were outside her house. From the sounds of things, there were at least three or four cars. Colin was always prepared.
“Regan,” Colin called through the locked door.
Thank God. “Just a sec,” she said.
With a few flicks of her wrist, she unlocked the door and it swung open.
Colin was standing on the porch with three other officers, all of them with their guns drawn.
“Is there anyone here?” he asked.
“No.” She lunged into his arms. To hell with propriety. The divorce was the least of her concerns.
He holstered his weapon and engulfed her in a tight hug. It felt wonderfully reassuring and she didn’t want to separate from him.
He tried to set her away from him with his hand on her upper arms. “Regan. What the hell’s going on? I thought you were in danger.”
She looked up at him, then over to the envelope still sitting on the floor.
“The letter?”
Nodding, she turned her head back into the hardness of his shoulder. His vest was harder and less pliable then his muscular chest. “You were working?”
“Yes. That’s why we got here so fast.”
Regan felt his head move as an officer entered the house. After putting on blue gloves, he picked up the envelope.
“There are no marks on it,” the officer she’d never seen before said.
“Open it,” Colin ordered.
The officer slipped his finger under the flap and tore the envelope open. Carefully, like it was the Declaration of Independence, he slipped the card out. It was a five-by-seven piece of card stock, different than the other letter she’d received.
“What does it say?” Colin asked.
“You are invited to a fiftieth birthday party for your neighbor.”
“What?” Regan demanded, stalking over to the startled officer, who handed her the card.
She read, “‘Norma Taylor invites you to a fiftieth birthday party for her husband, Bob.’” Regan crushed the card, then threw it across the room like she was a major league pitcher and looked back at Colin.
“We need to talk,” he said.
She nodded and went into the kitchen to sit at the table. Colin gestured to the others to leave, then he followed her deeper into the house. He opened the refrigerator, pulled out a soda, popped the top, and set it in front of Regan.
“What’s going on with you?”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to call you at work.” She glanced up at him and noticed for the first time since he’d been at home the navy of his uniform, the heavy-duty belt and the silver badge over his heart. His hair hadn’t been cut in a while. It was longer than usual, the blond locks curling around his ears.
“Why did the letter on the floor cause you to panic?”
She dropped her head into her hands. Telling him about the letter would mean she couldn’t handle things on her own, and she wanted to be independent. She hadn’t needed people looking out for her, except maybe Brian and even now, that was irking her.
Making up her mind quickly, she told him about the first letter.
“Dirk was here the whole time. I don’t know how someone got to the front door to slide it under.”
“Do you have the letter?”
She shook her head. “I burned it over the sink.”
“Of course you did. Did I teach you nothing?” He chastised her, but with a smile. “I think you’ll be fine. No one is out to get you.”
“I was never like this before. You did this to me,” she said, pointing a finger into his hard chest. “And, you’re wrong. That guy that’s been following me? He spoke to me today at the station. He asked me the time.”
Colin dropped his chin to look at her, disbelief on his face. “Someone asked you the time and you think it’s a conspiracy?”
“It was the same guy I’ve seen around.”
“A lot of people run in the same circles.”
“You don’t have to believe me, but some day, if I don’t show up for work, please check the video feeds and get the guy.” Regan slid her chair back, but didn’t stand.
Colin touched her arm. Sparks radiated up her arm and flared to life through her whole body. It felt like she was being burned by his touch, but she couldn’t pull away.
“Now who’s the drama queen?”
“One kiss?” she asked, ignoring the jab and concentrating on the ache in her chest and the tingling between her thighs.
He sat back. “What?”
“Just one. We’re alone.” She threaded her hand through his hair. Once her hand was behind his head, she pushed against him, moving closer. The time between when she started moving his head and her lips to when they touched was excruciatingly long. But totally worth it. She moved her chair closer to him as she felt the starch keeping his collar straight, then her hand moved down his side, where she could feel the ridge of the bullet-proof vest front and back. Her lips touched his and she melted. Soft, warm, and pliable, she started slow and sensual, teasing him kissing and retreating. She felt his warm breath on her mouth. He was breathing faster and giving back exactly what she wanted.
He stood. His arms came around her and he moved her from the chair to the table. He stood between her legs, his erection pushed against the fly of his BDU pants. She could feel him throbbing against her.
Her breasts pressed into the vest, frustrating her that she couldn’t feel his warm body against hers. He smelled exactly the way she remembered, musky with a hint of something that was all Colin. She also knew that if she licked at the skin under his vest, he’d be salty. Her eyes closed, letting the sensations and memories wash over her aroused body. She wasn’t as afraid anymore, knowing that he was there to protect her.
His teeth nibbled her lip he’d sucked inside his mouth. She smiled under his kiss.
“That’s some kiss, Officer Rourke. I may need more assistance later,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows at him suggestively.
“It’s one of the services I provide.” He waggled his brows at her.
“You’re good at your job.” She kissed him again, refusing to let him leave.
His radio crackled. “Dispatch to four-seventeen.”
He stepped back, and she swayed with him. Holding her in place with one hand, he pushed the button and spoke. “Go ahead, Dispatch.”
“A robbery in process at First Maine Bank. Please respond.”
“I’m on my way,” he said.
“No, you have to come back to cover the desk so your replacement can go,” the dispatcher said.
Colin hung up. “Son of a bitch,” he said. “I hate this crap. Duty calls.” Tipping his imaginary hat, he left her sitting on the table, panting after him, but much calmer.
~ ~ ~
“Four-seventeen en route to the station,” Colin said into his mic. It burned his craw that he had to go to the station so some other officer could go do the real police work. He was a glorified secretary. This was not why he went to the police academy.
Fighting injustice and making sure that the regular guys in Port City could live comfortably was why he had gone to the police academy. Growing up, he’d been sheltered by his parents. They’d loved him and smothered him with attention, so when he went to college, he didn’t know what it was like in the real world. He wasn’t naïve. He knew there were drugs and that not everyone had an easy life, but seeing those things and their consequences up close was eye opening.
When his roommate was accused of raping a girl at a party one winter night, Colin saw injustice up close and personal and promised that if he could help, he wouldn’t allow people to be wrongfully accused and wouldn’t allow criminals to walk the streets.
His roommate had broken up with the girl and she was angry with him. She explained later that accusing him seemed like a good way to get him back for dumping her. Ruining his life hadn’t been on her mind, but she had caused such an overwhelming amount of shit for his friend that his friend jumped off a bridge into a gully, killing himself.
The similarities between that event and what he was going through now didn’t escape him. He, unlike his roommate, was not about to jump off a bridge or throw someone else off one.
He jammed on his brakes in the parking garage. Inside, he glared at the officer he was replacing. Some young punk.
“It’s not my fault man,” he said, his hands up.
“I know. Just get out of here.” Colin collapsed into the chair.
“Is your ex-wife okay?” Kim asked, watching him.
He looked up at her. “Yeah. Just drama from the civil case.”
“How come you’re working today, anyway? It’s Sunday.”
“They offered me overtime, and I thought I’d be out on the streets. Instead I’m trapped here again, no offense.”
“None taken. I would have stayed the heck away from here if I were you. The media had clips of you coming out of court the other day. You looked like death warmed over.”
He leaned back in the chair. “Gee, thanks.” The bank robbery was a false alarm that was taken care of quickly, which pleased Colin. At least he wasn’t missing exciting calls.
Standing, he tried to stretch his back muscles. He’d been sleeping in a tent on the ground near the river where he’d meet Regan that night. It was another reason he agreed to work today. Being inside at the station was better than hanging around in the tent or his car, and he could use the showers in the locker room. He probably could get a hotel room, but the expense seemed unnecessary when he had a perfectly good tent. He cracked his back.
Regan’s call had scared the hell out of him. He’d barely had time to find someone to take his place at the information desk before he drove to her, sirens blaring. He probably should have gotten a little more information before getting there, but all he could think about was Regan, alone, defenseless, and scared. Once he got there, his relief turned to passion with her simple, but passionate question.
He’d been hard in an instant, and if he hadn’t been working, he would have taken her upstairs, maybe. The way he was feeling, they probably wouldn’t have made it all the way to their big bed at the top of the stairs. God, he wanted her, needed her, desired her. He had to figure out a way to get past Dirk.