Chapter Four

“Long day?” Keith asked Monday night.

“Hell, yeah,” Connor replied. He’d spent several hours seated in a run-down apartment listening to Neil Foley’s wire in case he needed backup. In an effort to bring down a violent Baltimore-based organization that’d been pimping out girls as young as fourteen while also making sure the drug problem in the city continued, Neil had gone undercover.

Originally, the parents of a girl who’d been lured away from home by the organization had contacted Elite Force. The firm had quickly partnered with the local authorities, though, to not only get all the girls safely back to their parents but to also eradicate the organization once and for all.

Neil had immediately volunteered for the assignment. He’d been working for months to get in close to the leaders. Today had been Neil’s first face-to-face with the organization’s second-in-command. Although Connor would take a bullet if it meant helping anyone who worked for the firm, he’d prefer to be the one infiltrating the organization while someone else sat around and listened to the meetings.

“Could be worse. You could be stuck escorting Stan Bonds,” Keith said. “He hired us for another of his trips to Venezuela.”

A bigmouth oil guy from Texas, Stan frequently hired Elite Force to keep his sorry ass safe when he traveled outside the country. Connor had never dealt with the dude, but he knew guys who had, and none of them had anything nice to say about him. “Again? He can’t be going down there only for business.”

Keith laughed. “Depends on what kind of business you’re talking about.”

Connor locked up the equipment he’d used today. Keeping a mistress in a different country might make it harder for the guy’s wife to find out, but it must be costing Bonds a fortune considering the number of times he’d hired the firm to accompany him down there.

“Did your plans on Saturday carry over into Sunday?”

He hadn’t seen Keith since Saturday morning in the gym. “No.”

“Strike out? Happens to everyone. Not me, of course, but don’t worry about it.” Keith pushed open the door to the stairwell. “How about we hit the bar? Grab a few beers and maybe find some new friends for the night.”

“Not tonight.”

“Feeling okay?” Keith asked, sounding surprised.

In the past, he’d join Keith for a beer and more than likely bring a woman back to his place for a few hours. After spending the day with Becca, the idea of having any other woman but her in his bed held no appeal whatsoever—a fact he should be concerned about, because his normal stance when it came to women was that one was just as good as the next.

“Got something else in mind.” He didn’t know whether she had plans for the night or not, but Becca had occupied his thoughts since he left her house. Waiting until the weekend to see her again wasn’t an option. Another thing he should examine further but wouldn’t.

“Then you didn’t strike out with the hot classmate you saw over the weekend.”

Talking about their sexual exploits wasn’t unusual. Tonight he had no desire to share what had or hadn’t happened between him and Becca. “See you later, Wallace.”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t,” Keith called out as Connor walked away.

Connor pressed her contact info as he slid behind the steering wheel. There was no point in driving to her house and dealing with the traffic if she wasn’t home. It rang several times before she answered.

“Any plans for tonight?” he asked after she greeted him.

“Uh, no.”

“Good. Do you want some company?”

“I’m not home yet. But I’ll be leaving work in a few minutes.”

Eight o’clock and still at the office. He didn’t know about the politicians who parked their asses on the Hill, but evidently, their workers put in long days. “Leaving work now too. By the time you get home, I’ll be there. I can grab us dinner on the way.”

He heard the rustling of papers in the background before Becca answered. “That would be great.”

“Do you like barbeque?” When it came to food, he wasn’t overly picky, but tonight he felt like ribs.

“Yes.”

“I’ll stop at Cooper’s Smokehouse and pick up some food.” He’d learned of the place when he worked as Allison Sherbrooke’s bodyguard. It wasn’t far from Becca’s house in Alexandria and had awesome food.

***

When Becca opened the door, she was balancing a cell phone between her shoulder and ear while holding a compact-sized laptop. She gestured for him to come in then walked away and into a room down the hall, leaving him alone in the foyer.

He remembered her saying the kitchen was down the hall, so he headed in that direction. The room he entered was two or three times the size of his kitchen and reminded him of the one at his younger sister’s house, right down to the large floral arrangement on the table.

The restaurant had added paper plates and plastic utensils to the takeout bag. Rather than search through the cabinets, Connor pulled those out and set the table while he waited. If Becca had a problem using them—hell, he knew his mother wouldn’t be caught dead using a plastic fork—she could get what she wanted when she joined him.

He only managed to get the Memphis ribs out before she walked in the room, her heels clicking against the tiles announcing her arrival.

“Whatever you picked out for dinner smells great. Thanks for grabbing something.”

He watched her cross the room, still dressed in the outfit she’d worn to work. The dress hugged her curves like a glove and ended a couple of inches below the knee, depriving him of the full view of her legs.

She paused at the fridge. “I was going to open wine when I got home, but I think beer goes better with barbeque. Can I get you one? I’ll save the wine for after dinner.”

Becca André kept beer in the house. He never would’ve guessed it. “Please.”

“So, what did you get us tonight?” she asked.

As she approached, a bottle of beer in each hand, he considered the downside to pushing her up against the kitchen island, slipping his hands under her clothes, and kissing her while he undressed her.

“Regardless of what else you got, I hope there’s some corn bread.” She handed him a bottle, the glass incredibly cold compared to the fire burning inside him.

He took a swig from the bottle before he did anything that might have Becca tossing him out on his ass, depriving him of both her company and his dinner. “A meal from Cooper’s wouldn’t be complete without corn bread.” He pulled the order of corn bread out and set it on the table. “We also have Memphis ribs, pulled pork, sliced brisket, and pulled chicken. I got a bunch of sides too.”

Becca gathered up the plates he’d set out. “Unless you want to stay in here, I’d like to eat out on the deck.” She put the plates back into the bag closest to her.

He had a plastic container in his hand, but he let it go. “Doesn’t matter to me where we eat.”

What she called a deck he considered a living room, minus the walls and a ceiling. Located on top of the home’s lowest roof, the space was nicer than some of the rooms in his house. Various pieces of furniture had been perfectly positioned throughout the area. A bar that contained a sink with running water occupied the space closest to the door leading onto the deck. A fireplace filled the far-left corner, and several chairs, as well as a love seat, were placed around it. Numerous potted plants, most of which he couldn’t identify, were stationed around the rooftop getaway, completing the luxurious atmosphere and helping a person forget they remained in the city.

“The view would’ve been better if the builders put the deck up there.” Becca pointed to the roof covering the highest part of the three-story home. “But I think they picked this spot because it’s a little more private, and it’s directly over the kitchen.” After leaving the things she’d carried out on the glass table, she went to switch on the gas fireplace.

When she turned and walked back toward him, Connor couldn’t tear his eyes from the movement of her hips. “I think the view is perfect.”

She stopped about a foot from him, and her eyes scanned his face. Then one corner of her mouth inched upward. “Yeah, it is rather nice.”

It’d been one of those days where nothing seemed to go right. When she’d finally gotten the opportunity to leave, all she could think about was some time alone. Even before she turned off her computer, she’d mapped out her itinerary for the night. The moment she got home, she’d slip into the hot tub for some much-needed peace and quiet. When she started to turn into a raisin, she’d get out, pour a glass of wine, and retreat out to the deck with whatever leftovers she found in the fridge. At least, those had been her plans until Connor called. As much as she’d craved a night of solitude, she’d wanted to see him even more. Their time on Saturday had gone by much quicker than she would’ve liked, and their upcoming hike seemed like a lifetime away.

“Do you always work so late?” Connor asked as he proceeded to pile as much food as he could onto the paper plate he’d pulled from one of the bags.

Eager to see if the food tasted as good as it smelled, she added a little of everything to her plate, including the collard greens which, depending on what restaurant made them, could be delicious or downright disgusting. “Not every night, but it’s not unusual either.”

She lifted a rib to her mouth and tore off a chunk of meat. Unless she was eating either a sandwich or pizza, she preferred to use a fork when she ate. Unfortunately, she saw no practical way to do that with the ribs. And although she didn’t usually eat them for that exact reason, they looked too good to pass up tonight.

The sweet and tangy meat all but melted in her mouth. “Wow,” she said, raising the rib toward her mouth again. “Where did you get these again? They’re amazing.” He’d mentioned where he planned to get takeout, but she didn’t remember the name. She pulled off another mouthful while she waited for an answer.

Across from her, Connor had already polished off a rib and started on the brisket. “Cooper’s Smokehouse. It’s about ten or fifteen minutes from here.” He shoved a forkful of food into his mouth.

She ran through all the restaurants she could think of around her, but she couldn’t remember ever seeing a place called Cooper’s Smokehouse. “I don’t think I’ve ever noticed it.” Becca licked the barbecue sauce off her thumb and said a little thank-you that her mom wasn’t there to tell her how unladylike it was.

“Yeah, unless you’re looking for it, the place is easy to miss.”

“How did you find it?” She reached for a mini loaf of corn bread. “Is it near your house?” They never discussed where he lived these days.

“About a year ago, Elite Force was hired by a member of the Sherbrooke family. They gave me the assignment, and she didn’t live far from here.”

He didn’t have to say anymore. “You’re talking about Allison Sherbrooke.” She remembered the headlines. A stalker had broken into the woman’s home. Although her boyfriend had suffered some injuries, only the intruder had died that night.

Connor nodded. “She loves barbecue. Got takeout from Cooper’s several times while I worked for her.”

Although they attended similar society events, somehow she’d never met Allison. She had met her cousin Sara, President Sherbrooke’s youngest daughter, though. Actually, she’d seen Sara and her husband, Christopher Hall, at a Clean Water Matters fundraiser back in the spring.

“I remember reading about what happened to her. I can’t image going through something like she did.” Somehow knowing it had taken place so close to her made it even worse. She could walk to Cameron Street in less than ten minutes. “I wasn’t surprised when I saw the house go on the market. After all that, I wouldn’t want to live there either.”

Between the police tape outside the home and the shots of it on the news after the incident, she’d known exactly which house was Allison’s.

“It wouldn’t bother me,” Connor admitted. “But she never stayed in the house again. It took a while for the place to sell.”

Regardless of how beautiful a home, a lot of buyers, herself included, would be turned off by the fact that a man had died a violent death in the master bedroom. Call her silly, but even if a person had passed away peacefully in the bedroom, she’d rather not live in the house. “You’re still in contact with her?”

Just because she’d never met the woman didn’t mean she didn’t know what Allison looked like. The media loved to print pictures of everyone in the Sherbrooke family, Allison included. The woman was beautiful. Although completely irrational, the idea of Connor being close enough to Allison to know just how long it’d taken her to sell a house had Becca grinding her teeth.

Connor washed down his food with some beer before he answered. “I’ve seen her a few times since then.”

Her unwarranted jealously inched closer to the surface, and she reached for her own drink.

“Her boyfriend, Rock, is a good friend of mine. We were in the Marine Corps together. I tried to get him to come work with me, but he wouldn’t budge.”

“They’re still together?” Rock wasn’t the most common of names, and she remembered it from the news articles last year.

“They’ve been living together since last year.” He added another helping of pulled pork to his plate and went for his fork again. “Last time Rock and I talked, he was shopping for an engagement ring. Don’t know if he found one or not.”

The fact he only still saw Allison because she was dating one of his friends helped dismiss the jealousy she knew she shouldn’t be feeling but did. “When he proposes, I’m sure it’ll be in all the magazines and all over the internet.”

He nodded and dug into the collard greens. “I like Allison, but I wouldn’t want to be involved with anyone named Sherbrooke. The media doesn’t leave the family alone. I’d go insane living like that.”

***

Becca topped off Connor’s wineglass before pouring what was left of the bottle into hers. Next to her, Connor sat with his legs stretched out and his head tilted. The outside lights remained off, but between the moon and the light from the fireplace, she could clearly see him. Since he seemed more focused on the stars, she let her eyes do as they pleased.

Earlier, when they’d been talking about the view, she assumed he hadn’t meant the landscape around them. She definitely hadn’t.

The man was too handsome for his own good, but like in high school, there was something besides his appearance drawing her to him. In an odd sort of way, he reminded her of the white knight depicted in fairy tales. The one who rode in, swept the damsel in distress off her feet, and carried her back to his castle so they could have their happily ever after. Considering what he did for a living, he could certainly rescue any woman in need. As far as bringing her back to his castle so they could spend their lives together, she wasn’t sure.

The Connor she’d known years ago had been like a lot of teenage boys. He’d dated and, if rumors were true, slept with half the cheerleading squad. She couldn’t remember him ever staying with one girl longer than a few weeks. Some people grew out of such behavior and eventually settled down. Others, like her stepsister for example, never did. While she wanted to get acquainted with Connor again, she didn’t want to let her emotions get too involved like she had years ago and then have him suddenly say adios. She wouldn’t have labeled what she felt for Connor that summer as love, but it’d been pretty darn close. If they’d spent much more time together back then, it probably would’ve been. If she’d fallen for him before, she knew it could happen again. How, Becca couldn’t say, but she knew if she fell for him again and it ended as abruptly as before, it would hurt even more this time around.

“I’m glad you called tonight,” she said.

Connor looked away from the stars and at her.

Becca briefly wondered if she should share her thoughts. Take the plunge, she told herself. You only live once. “I’ve thought about you a lot since Saturday.”

The smile he gave her nearly melted her into a puddle of warm liquid goo. Instead of sharing whatever might be going on in his head, he leaned toward her, his intention obvious, and her mind shouted, “Show me what you’ve learned since high school.”

“Hey, Becca,” a voice said from across the deck, and Connor stopped his lips a breath away from hers.

The moment ruined, she looked toward the doorway leading back into the house. “Kassidy, you’re home.” She’d never regretted having a roommate more than at this very second. “When did you get back from Seattle?”

Kassidy crossed the deck toward them. “Yesterday, but I spent last night at Bryan’s.”

So that was the name of her stepsister’s latest sexual partner. Considering how quickly Kassidy went through men, Becca really couldn’t label any guy she got involved with as a boyfriend.

“Oh,” Becca said, taking in Kassidy’s appearance and suppressing the urge to say, “What the heck did you do to your hair?”

The last time she’d stopped home for clothes, Kassidy’s dirty-blonde hair had hung well past her shoulders to almost the middle of her back. Tonight she was sporting an auburn-colored pixie cut. “You changed your hair again.” Naturally a brunette, Kassidy changed her hair color regularly, although she’d never worn it quite so short. Honestly, the shorter style didn’t look good on her.

“I needed a change.” As if she wasn’t intruding, she took a seat in one of the chairs near them. “When I came up, I didn’t realize you had company.”

Yeah, right. Kassidy couldn’t have missed Connor’s SUV. She’d known Becca had company and had come up to investigate because Kassidy was and always had been nosy. As far as Becca was concerned, it was her most annoying trait, and one Kassidy should’ve grown out of a long time ago.

Kassidy turned her attention in Connor’s direction. “Hey, Connor. Becca mentioned she ran into you recently. How have you been?”

As Connor and Kassidy exchanged greetings, she considered the ramifications of tossing her stepsister off the deck so they could get back to more interesting activities.