Bare It All
Page 76
It probably didn’t matter, Alice decided, what he wore or—preferably—didn’t wear. Freshly showered and shaved, hot and sweaty from a long day or, as was the case this morning, slumberous and affectionate.
She loved him. Period. She wanted every moment she could have with him, as many moments as he would give to her. But if she told him that, would he pull back? Would he consider her too clingy, too smothering?
While she’d been dressing for the day, she and Reese in the bedroom together, her parents had called. Both of them on the line, both excited to talk with her.
Reese had smiled at her, ready to give her privacy.
She didn’t need it. Not with this, not with him. But instead of finishing with his clothes, he’d sat on the side of the bed and pulled her down to his lap. She’d leaned on him, his arms around her, his chin on the top of her head, while talking.
Her mother claimed that she’d read between the lines, that even in an email, she’d recognized that Alice was moving forward now—that she was ready to let them back in.
Around the joy and laughter, Alice had heard the tears in her mother’s voice, the gruff emotion in her dad’s. Over and over, her parents said that they loved her, that they couldn’t wait to see her again.
Why she’d kept them at such a distance, she could no longer say. What had once felt important, even insurmountable, now felt...insubstantial. Even absurd.
She loved her family and they loved her.
Regardless of her past, of what she’d done, their feelings for her hadn’t changed—Reese was right about that. She never should have let so much time pass away from them.
She would never let that happen again.
Unfortunately, her folks were on a vacation for two more weeks. They offered to return immediately, but Alice rejected that idea. They would all get together for dinner after they returned, preferably when her sister, Amy, had time away from her heavy class load. God, she’d missed Amy.
A lot of uncertainty remained in her future, but she had her family back, and for now at least, she had Reese and Cash. That was all pretty darned wonderful.
“I’d like to meet your parents.”
Had he read her mind? “I was just thinking of them.”
“Happy thoughts, I take it, given your smile?”
“Very happy.” She let out a sigh. “You’ll love my folks and my sister.” Imagining what they’d think of Reese had her biting back a grin of pure pleasure. “They’ll love you, too.”
Alice watched him, but the L word had no noticeable effect on him.
“I promise to be as charming as possible.” As Reese pulled into the police station parking lot, he reached for her knee. “You’re not worrying about the interview, are you?”
“No.” She trusted Reese. He kept telling her everything would be okay, so she would believe him.
“If not your folks, and not the interview, then what? And don’t bother denying it, honey. I can tell you’re fretting over something.”
Honey. She liked that. “You think you know me that well?”
“Getting there.”
Maybe it was time to stop stalling. Before they met up with his lieutenant, she had a giant truth to share. “You’re right. I do have something on my mind.”
He parked the car and removed his sunglasses. Pity that, because seeing his eyes always made things more difficult for her. He had that type of penetrating gaze that made her want to squirm one way or another, even when she didn’t have mammoth revelations to share.
He rested his left wrist over the steering wheel, stretched his right arm along the back of the seat.
In his crisp white button-up and necktie, he looked as comfortable as he did shirtless with his slacks undone. Wearing a slight smile, he moved his gaze over her face. “I’ll be with you the whole time today.” Using his right hand, he smoothed back a lock of her hair, briefly brushed a thumb over her cheek. “I promise.”
“I’m glad. Thank you.”
“All you have to do,” he said, his tone grave, compelling her to follow his will, “is tell the truth.”
“I know. That’s not a problem.” Not anymore. She’d given it a lot of thought, and she knew he was right. She wanted everything from him, so she needed to give him everything in return. She only prayed it’d all work out.
“Then what’s wrong?”
She’d put it off long enough. Too long, really, given that they were due inside in minutes. “There’s something I need to tell you before we go in.”
Dread took the smile off his mouth. “I’m listening.”
A deep breath didn’t help, so she blurted out the truth. “Trace didn’t kill Murray.”
His expression fixed, voice carefully modulated, Reese said, “No?”
Alice reached up, laced her fingers in his. “He wanted to. Very much.”
Slowly, Reese’s gaze hardened. “You’re telling me the bastard is still alive?”
What a conclusion he’d drawn! “Oh, no, he’s definitely dead.”
Taking that in, Reese frowned and studied her.
Her heavy heartbeat tried to shake her, but Alice tamped down the uncertainty and shared with him something she’d never told another human being. “I killed him.”
That admission caused Reese’s face to first go blank, then hot with some unidentifiable emotion. By small degrees, his neck stiffened, his hand tightened on hers. “What did you say?”
She loved him. Period. She wanted every moment she could have with him, as many moments as he would give to her. But if she told him that, would he pull back? Would he consider her too clingy, too smothering?
While she’d been dressing for the day, she and Reese in the bedroom together, her parents had called. Both of them on the line, both excited to talk with her.
Reese had smiled at her, ready to give her privacy.
She didn’t need it. Not with this, not with him. But instead of finishing with his clothes, he’d sat on the side of the bed and pulled her down to his lap. She’d leaned on him, his arms around her, his chin on the top of her head, while talking.
Her mother claimed that she’d read between the lines, that even in an email, she’d recognized that Alice was moving forward now—that she was ready to let them back in.
Around the joy and laughter, Alice had heard the tears in her mother’s voice, the gruff emotion in her dad’s. Over and over, her parents said that they loved her, that they couldn’t wait to see her again.
Why she’d kept them at such a distance, she could no longer say. What had once felt important, even insurmountable, now felt...insubstantial. Even absurd.
She loved her family and they loved her.
Regardless of her past, of what she’d done, their feelings for her hadn’t changed—Reese was right about that. She never should have let so much time pass away from them.
She would never let that happen again.
Unfortunately, her folks were on a vacation for two more weeks. They offered to return immediately, but Alice rejected that idea. They would all get together for dinner after they returned, preferably when her sister, Amy, had time away from her heavy class load. God, she’d missed Amy.
A lot of uncertainty remained in her future, but she had her family back, and for now at least, she had Reese and Cash. That was all pretty darned wonderful.
“I’d like to meet your parents.”
Had he read her mind? “I was just thinking of them.”
“Happy thoughts, I take it, given your smile?”
“Very happy.” She let out a sigh. “You’ll love my folks and my sister.” Imagining what they’d think of Reese had her biting back a grin of pure pleasure. “They’ll love you, too.”
Alice watched him, but the L word had no noticeable effect on him.
“I promise to be as charming as possible.” As Reese pulled into the police station parking lot, he reached for her knee. “You’re not worrying about the interview, are you?”
“No.” She trusted Reese. He kept telling her everything would be okay, so she would believe him.
“If not your folks, and not the interview, then what? And don’t bother denying it, honey. I can tell you’re fretting over something.”
Honey. She liked that. “You think you know me that well?”
“Getting there.”
Maybe it was time to stop stalling. Before they met up with his lieutenant, she had a giant truth to share. “You’re right. I do have something on my mind.”
He parked the car and removed his sunglasses. Pity that, because seeing his eyes always made things more difficult for her. He had that type of penetrating gaze that made her want to squirm one way or another, even when she didn’t have mammoth revelations to share.
He rested his left wrist over the steering wheel, stretched his right arm along the back of the seat.
In his crisp white button-up and necktie, he looked as comfortable as he did shirtless with his slacks undone. Wearing a slight smile, he moved his gaze over her face. “I’ll be with you the whole time today.” Using his right hand, he smoothed back a lock of her hair, briefly brushed a thumb over her cheek. “I promise.”
“I’m glad. Thank you.”
“All you have to do,” he said, his tone grave, compelling her to follow his will, “is tell the truth.”
“I know. That’s not a problem.” Not anymore. She’d given it a lot of thought, and she knew he was right. She wanted everything from him, so she needed to give him everything in return. She only prayed it’d all work out.
“Then what’s wrong?”
She’d put it off long enough. Too long, really, given that they were due inside in minutes. “There’s something I need to tell you before we go in.”
Dread took the smile off his mouth. “I’m listening.”
A deep breath didn’t help, so she blurted out the truth. “Trace didn’t kill Murray.”
His expression fixed, voice carefully modulated, Reese said, “No?”
Alice reached up, laced her fingers in his. “He wanted to. Very much.”
Slowly, Reese’s gaze hardened. “You’re telling me the bastard is still alive?”
What a conclusion he’d drawn! “Oh, no, he’s definitely dead.”
Taking that in, Reese frowned and studied her.
Her heavy heartbeat tried to shake her, but Alice tamped down the uncertainty and shared with him something she’d never told another human being. “I killed him.”
That admission caused Reese’s face to first go blank, then hot with some unidentifiable emotion. By small degrees, his neck stiffened, his hand tightened on hers. “What did you say?”
