Chapter 13
Macklin separated the two boxes and opened them up. She stared at the hot cheesy pie and sighed. “He’s coming back tonight, isn’t he?”
“Not if he is smart, he won’t.”
She looked over at him. “Set a trap?”
“Hell yeah.”
She picked up a hot piece of cheesy deliciousness and took a bite.
He motioned to the dining table chairs. “He won’t be back right this moment, so sit down and relax.”
“No way I can relax. Not with that thought uppermost in my mind,” she said. “Still, if it were me breaking in, I’d wait until tomorrow or another day when I’m relaxed and not thinking about it.”
“Which is why I’m not leaving until this guy is caught.”
After she started on her third piece, her stomach protested. She handed it off to him. “I don’t know how you can eat so much. You’ve eaten half a pizza by yourself already.”
He accepted her portion and grinned. “You don’t eat enough.”
She rolled her eyes. “I do eat, you know?”
“Yes, but do you eat healthy?”
“Nobody in their right mind would say pizza was proper food.” He looked at her in such horror she had to laugh. “I’d love a cup of coffee, but I’m so tired I’m better off going to bed.”
“Go to bed then,” he urged. “I’ll stay up for a while. Besides, I have more pizza to eat.”
She looked at him, uncertain. “You’re really staying on the couch?”
“Hell yeah. That’s what I promised.”
She smiled, got up, walked over to the front closet, and pulled out blankets and a pillow. She dropped them on the edge of the couch and said, “It’s a bit warm tonight, but maybe you want to be covered up.” She turned and headed toward her bedroom. “I’ll shower and crawl under the covers.”
“Have a good night.”
“You too.” She closed the door of the master bedroom, stripped, dropping her clothes everywhere, and stepped into the hot shower. It felt good. It had been a long day. She gave her head a good scrubbing. When she was done, she stepped out, wrapped up in a towel, and plaited her hair in a braid. Finally dressed in a camisole and boxers, she lay down in bed. She pulled the light cover and sheet over her.
The sliding glass door was open, but there was only a small Juliet balcony. Meaning, nobody could get in this way. She’d always felt safe sleeping with it open, until now. But she was so tired, and, with Macklin in her living room, she relaxed.
She surprised herself. Her nightmare of the day wasn’t carrying through to her night; she could feel sleep reaching up for her. She took several deep breaths, yawned, and sank gently under the surface of consciousness.
Just as she was about to drop off, she heard an odd noise. She froze, sat up, and listened. What the hell?
But the sound didn’t come again. She got up and put her ear to the door, but there was nothing, not a sound coming from the other side. She stepped out into the living room.
Macklin was stretched out on the couch, his eyes closed. He was only in boxers, and she couldn’t help but stare. The moonlight played across the muscled planes of his body. He was a stunning male animal in his prime. She could still see scars from old wounds on his body, but it just made him more of a warrior to her.
He opened his eyes and stared at her. “Problems?”
She shrugged. “I heard something.”
His gaze warmed with understanding. “You’ll find that happening a lot for the next while.”
She crossed her arms. “I’m not normally so jumpy.”
He opened his arms. “You want to cuddle?”
Unwillingly her feet took a step forward.
His gaze warmed.
“This is really a bad idea. I don’t think you cuddle well.”
He gave her an injured look, but the gleam in his eyes shone bright in the darkened room. “I cuddle very well.”
She snorted. “You may look cuddly, but there’s very much a predatory appearance in that gaze of yours.”
He smiled. “I promise I won’t pounce unless you want me to.”
She rolled her eyes but found herself standing beside him. He grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her down so she sprawled across his chest.
“This is still a really bad idea.” But her heart wasn’t interested in getting away. She knew what she wanted. He was no longer a suspect, but they still hadn’t caught the killer. She also knew what he wanted.
He tilted his chin, lifted his head, and kissed her gently. “Sometimes bad ideas turn out to be the best ideas of all.”
“There speaks a male.”
He chuckled. “I am that,” he said. “But remember, I won’t pounce unless you say I can.”
She sighed and laid her head down against his chest. “Feels weird to be like this.”
His hand gently stroked up and down her long spine. “Why’s that?”
“It’s been a long time.”
“I hear you there. It has been a long time for me too,” he admitted. “But it’s kind of nice. Makes it special.”
She traced his square-cut jaw, high cheekbones, and prominent forehead. If their positions were reversed, he would completely dwarf her since he was so big. And yet, at the same time, she knew he’d never let that happen. She shifted on top of him, getting a little more comfortable, and realized something else. She froze.
He chuckled. “I’m a man, not a boy. Of course there’ll be a reaction when I have a beautiful woman, basically nude, lying on top of me. I’m human. I’m male, and you’re absolutely gorgeous.”
She had to consider that he had a point. She’d been asking for trouble by even coming over to him. And he was right; lying on top, it wasn’t just his body reacting to her presence. Her body had warmed up considerably too. She stroked a finger across his lips and smiled. “You’re the one that’s so deadly.”
“I’m deadly? Look who’s talking?”
She chuckled, tried to pull herself slightly forward, leaned down, and kissed him. Instantly his hand cupped the back of her head, and he held her there longer.
She broke free and said, “You’re also a very good kisser.”
“I’ve hardly even kissed you,” he protested. “Now if you really want a kiss …” He reached up with both hands, tucked her against him, and this time he laid it on her.
She hadn’t been kissed like that in years. Hot, luscious, in control, but with so much passion her body was softening, readying for him. She broke free and pushed her head back. “This is stupid.”
“What’s stupid?”
And she decided. She sat up and held out a hand. “It’s stupid we’re on the couch when I have a bed.”
A light came into his eyes. He sat up slowly; then the two of them stood. He looked down at her. “Is that permission to pounce?”
She chuckled but the chuckle turned to outright laughter as he scooped her up in his arms and strode to her bed.
He tossed her down in the middle of the big mattress, the blankets still tussled from her lying in them. He covered her body with his.
And she was right; he completely covered her. But he held his weight on his elbows. Her body shifted and moved, lining up planes and angles for the best fit. She wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him in tighter.
His gaze heated up, and he lowered his head. Just before his lips took hers, he whispered, “You are dangerous.”
This time when he kissed her, there was no holding back. There was no control for her to crack. It was already sliding them both toward fulfillment. She curled her arms around him as he took her to a place she didn’t remember ever going. Hands stroked; lips teased and coaxed; tongues tangled and soothed. Teeth nipped, only to have lips kiss once again. She felt so right beneath him, her body hot, steaming, and looking for so much more. She wrapped her arms tighter around him and tried to tug him down to her. But he was too busy exploring her ribs and breasts. He lowered his head, took one nipple in his mouth, and tugged it in a deep sucking motion. Knots and tingles started in her lower belly. She shuddered in his grasp.
He raised his head, lowered himself into position, and whispered, “Lady, I wasn’t kidding—you are deadly.”
She grabbed him by the ears, pulled him to her, and kissed him hard. “You’re all talk. Isn’t it time you really showed me what you’re all about?”
He caught his breath, set himself into the right position, and plunged deep. She gasped and stilled. He froze. She smiled and held him close, letting her body adjust, stretching until fully accepting him inside. She took a deep breath and let it out.
He pushed himself up on his elbows, looking down at her, and whispered, “You okay?”
She smiled. “I am. It’s just been a while.”
He slid a hand slowly down her ribs and belly to her hips. Sliding just underneath her, he held her in position as he started to ride. “It is for both of us. That makes this all the sweeter. We’ll take this together.”
He was true to his word as he lifted and plunged deep, again and again, taking them both to the edge. Just when she didn’t think she could stand it anymore, he tossed them both over. Her cries rolled free only to be followed by his guttural groan as he sank heavily down on top of her.
When he finally rolled off, he tucked her close against him and wrapped his arms around her. His breath was heavy and shaky against her ear. She was still shuddering in reaction. She looked up at him in wonder. He lowered his head, kissed her gently on the nose, and whispered, “That was so much better than I imagined.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight.
And fell asleep.
*
Macklin held her close, pulling a sheet over them both. He really hoped the asshole didn’t come back tonight. He wanted this time with Alex. He didn’t want just half a night; he wanted the whole thing. He wanted to wake up in the morning and be the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes. They had the start of something stunning, and he wanted every moment he had available to explore the possibilities and see where they could go.
He hadn’t been kidding when he had said it had been a long time. He’d watched his friends meet the women of their dreams, had watched the hook ups, the ups and downs, and they finally settled into something he couldn’t imagine. That Marsha had tainted his love life was something he’d let happen, but, at the same time, he’d been so unsure of his ability to make the right decision, to pick the right person, he had stepped back from the whole dating scene. He’d missed sex. But he’d missed this—this closeness, the cuddling more than anything. Just to know somebody special cared about him as much as he cared about her. There really was no substitute for that.
He let his mind drift back and forth, wondering how long before she caught the asshole who killed Marsha. Because, only after that, could they really have an open relationship. He’d never do anything to jeopardize her career. And he’d seen just how unfair it was sometimes being a female in a power position—how vulnerable they were. They had to hold themselves up to a higher standard than their male counterparts. It wasn’t fair, but it was a fact of life. And he would hate to be responsible for her getting into trouble. He knew he was innocent of Marsha’s murder. He knew she believed he was innocent, and that meant so much, but that didn’t mean the rest of the cops at the station did.
He let himself drift off toward sleep.
A cool breeze flowed across the bedroom, and he wondered what still bothered him about this scenario? He’d caught a good look at the man who had delivered the pizza. But it was hard to imagine that same person having been involved in all the break-ins.
Just as Mac was about to go under, he wondered at the fresh air again. She had the window open obviously. But as he watched the long curtains blow in the wind, he realized it was a sliding glass door. And that meant it was open, hopefully just a little bit. But he couldn’t relax enough to let it go. He hopped up and walked over to the gauzy white curtains and looked closer. The door was locked open about four inches. Outside was one of those little tiny balconies, just big enough to stand and stare at the outside. He’d never really seen the purpose of them. He’d much rather have a balcony big enough to put a chair on. At least then you could sit outside and have coffee. If she wanted to sit anywhere, she’d have to sit half in and half out of the door.
As he checked the door, he saw a form sneaking across the grass. He flattened himself against the wall and waited. When he heard an odd scrabbling noise below, he went back to the bed, put on his boxers, and gave Alex a shake.
Her eyes opened instantly.
He placed a finger against her lips and whispered, “We are about to have company.”
Understanding slammed into her gaze. She bolted out of bed, took one look, realizing she was nude, and scrambled into her pajamas. He watched appreciatively. She was long and lean, small-breasted, extraordinarily fit. He never thought he’d go for the athletic type. But there was absolutely everything to go for with her. And dressed in what she would call pajamas was like teasing any male. The camisole hung just on the edge of her breasts. The shadow between her legs barely showed through the pale pink material of the boxers. As she walked, her rounded cheeks were enough to give any man wet dreams. But, when she pulled out her service pistol and slid to the other side of the glass door, he realized she was all business.
He had to appreciate that. He had no weapons with him but was a pro when it came to hand-to-hand combat. On either side of the glass door they waited. After a few minutes of silence, she looked over at him in question. He held up a finger as a signal to wait. And, sure enough, a hand appeared at the bottom of the deck. The little bastard found something to climb up on, and he was climbing up over the little balcony now.
Macklin considered the position of her apartment and realized her balcony faced the backyard. So, unless anybody else was standing outside, they wouldn’t have seen him. There were houses across the way, but this was a small green space for the apartment residents. Nobody could look directly into the apartment, so it was all too easy for this guy to access her place without being seen.
Within seconds the intruder had climbed up the railing and onto the small balcony.
The two of them watched and waited as he tried to open the glass door. Macklin understood the lock on the sliding door, and it wasn’t hard to disarm. Unfortunately anyone could research that information on the internet. He waited and watched.
The guy went to his knees, got out some tools, and silently popped the lock. He slid the glass door back and waited.
Macklin looked at the bed and realized they should have made up the bedding to look like Alex was sleeping. Because, as soon as the pizza guy stepped in, he would know she wasn’t there. Then again, he would have a hard time going anyplace. It was either straight into the bedroom or over the balcony. And it was a decent jump. He’d probably make it without any broken bones, particularly if he’d done it a time or two. But he wouldn’t get far with Macklin right behind him.
A hand reached out for the gauze curtain as if to pull it back and step in. But he froze. Macklin forced his breathing to stop, and he waited. Sirens sounded in the distance, coming closer. He could hear their uninvited guest whisper, “Shit.”
There was an odd tone to the voice. One he didn’t quite understand. And his mind, although cataloging the differences, didn’t see it immediately. The hand withdrew. And the intruder stepped back on the little balcony and leaned over, as if to see where the sirens were coming from. He couldn’t see if they pulled into the apartment complex lot because it was on the other side of the building. What he couldn’t know was if he’d been seen or if Alex knew she had a visitor.
The big question right now was whether he would slip away or enter the bedroom. Macklin didn’t want to take a chance of him escaping. Yet he couldn’t see the intruder well from his position.
Just then Macklin heard noises on the far side of the apartment. Likely on the next balcony or one or two over.
Macklin could hear laughing and talking. Their visitor was now flattened against the outside of the sliding glass door, his back to the gauzy curtain as if hiding from the neighbors. After a few moments, the neighbors went back inside, their laughter and hilarity going inside with them. Macklin could almost feel the tension ease off the intruder’s shoulders. Just then the gauzy curtain was flung back, and the intruder stepped in. It took a moment to assess the bedding. As soon as he took another step, Macklin was on him. The man turned, tried to fight him off, hands swinging, feet kicking, but in control.
“Oh, you might have some self-defense moves, asshole,” Macklin muttered, “but you’re a hell of a long way from being smart enough, big enough, or fast enough to beat me.” And he dropped the intruder and pounced on him. He could feel the slimmer form fighting beneath him in desperation.
He looked at Alex and said, “Hit the lights.”
She raced to the bedroom light switch, turned on the overhead light. The intruder was wearing a full-on mask. She bent down, pulled it off, and laughed. “Hello, Andy.”
Andy glared up at her. “Bitch.”
Macklin stared down at Andy and realized what was wrong with the voice. With Andy’s hands pinned, Macklin sat up for a closer look and said, “If she’s a bitch, then so are you.”
Andy’s gaze pivoted to look at him. “What the hell are you talking about?”
But this time Alex heard it too. She walked up to stand behind Macklin. “Well, well, well. Now that changes things entirely.”
She bent down to take a closer look at Andy’s face. “So, what’s Andy short for?”
But at this point Andy fell silent. She just glared up at the two of them.
Alex looked over at Macklin. “There’s no real doubt, is there?”
“She wears one of the best androgynous looks I’ve seen in a long time,” Macklin admitted. “But look at the clothing.”
And they both stared down at the T-shirt material twisted tight, showing a very soft faint female form.
He looked over at Alex. “Your Andy is definitely female.”