Bare It All
Page 87
“None of that has anything to do with Trace.” Yet. But if Trace thought there was any danger to her...
Shoot.
Probably another truth she ought to share with Reese. She sighed, and even that made Reese more alert.
“All right,” he said. “Let’s hear it.”
It was kind of a nice thing, having all that single-minded concentration from a man like Detective Reese Bareden. “There’s no reason for you to reach out to Trace. If he doesn’t want to connect with you, he won’t.”
Stopping for a light, Reese locked his jaw, waited.
And Alice added, “But if he does...you’ll be hearing from him.”
Going rigid, Reese slowly turned his head to stare at her in disbelief. “Just like that?”
“I told you he had great contacts. Now you’ve seen how great.” The light changed, and Reese turned back to the road, maneuvering through the traffic.
Hands flexing on the steering wheel, Reese gave one nod of grudging acceptance. “He didn’t want to be investigated, so he officially closed that option.”
“Yes.” Unofficially, though, Alice knew Reese would continue to pry.
“He must have some high officials in his back pocket.”
Reese continued to look at this all wrong, staying suspicious of Trace. Or...maybe as he said, he was jealous. Hoping to pacify him, she said, “I’m sure I won’t, but if I hear from him, I’ll tell you immediately.”
“Even if he tells you not to?”
She ran her fingers over his thick forearm. The hair there was soft, his skin warm, his muscles so well defined. “He wouldn’t,” she said simply.
Reese groaned. “God, you’ve got him on a pedestal.”
Of course she did. Trace was that kind of man.
But then, so was Reese, and he was the man she wanted. Now, tomorrow.
Forever.
Her mouth went dry—with acceptance and with uncertainty. She needed to know if Reese’s heart was involved. Falling in love alone would be...well, tragic. And she’d had enough tragedy in her life.
“Could you maybe take a day or two to think about it? To try to trust my judgment on this?” She cut him off before he could complain over her request. “And then, if you still want to know—”
“Need to know.”
“—I’ll tell you.”
Quiet, thoughtful, Reese took the road toward their apartment complex. “One condition, Alice.”
Her pulse sped up. “What is it?”
“I stay with you.”
That sweet, familiar ache pulsed between her legs. “In my bed?”
Satisfaction kicked up a wicked smile. “That’d be my preference, but it’s always up to you.” He shifted, stretching out one leg. “I meant in your apartment.”
“Oh.” How would that work? Them living like...roommates? No, thank you.
As if to convince her, Reese said, “I don’t want you alone until I’m sure that there isn’t any danger.”
Had they come full circle? She sighed. “Danger from Trace?”
“Actually, I was talking about the bastards using women as drug mules.” He shook his head, correcting himself. “But, yeah, your mysterious wraith, too. Hell, anyone from your past. Or...basically, anyone or anything.”
Alice licked her lips. “How long do you think that’ll take?”
“Days. Weeks.” He checked the rearview mirror, switched lanes. “No telling, really. In cases like this, we could get a break tomorrow or still be floundering months from now.”
Months! If it weren’t for women being in danger, she’d hope for the latter. “I see.”
Reese shifted his shoulders. “If that’s a problem, remember that I still have my own place and a job that sometimes keeps me away for the better part of the day. I won’t be underfoot.”
Why did he look so uncomfortable? He kept adjusting his big body as if trying to settle in. “I wasn’t worried about that.” But if he only wanted to be with her as protection, should she tell him that she loved having him around for any reason?
“I like that Cash will be with you during the day.” He glanced at her, then away. “But at night, I want to be right there with you.”
“Okay.” Hopefully, he’d solve the case quickly, but in the meantime she’d have an opportunity to make him fall in love with her. “I have a condition of my own.”
He gave a nod of acceptance. “I’m all ears.”
“No sleeping on the couch.” And to make certain he understood, she added, “If you’re there, even if it’s just in the capacity of a detective, I want you to...sleep with me.”
“Sleep, huh?” The quirky smile lifted into a full-fledged grin. “I can handle that.”
“I mean it, Reese.” She wanted no misunderstandings. “Even if I do something that annoys you. Or if we argue. You don’t get to shut me out.”
He surprised her by laughing. “I don’t move in on women just to play cop, Alice. I’m worried, true, but I wouldn’t get hard every time we talked if I only had protection on my mind.”
Her gaze shot to his lap, to the impressive bulge there, and she let out a breath. “Oh.” She reached for him, intent on touching. Stroking. “Good.”
He caught her hand, kissed her fingers. Fondness softened his humor. “If we start that, I’m liable to wreck. Just give me five more minutes, and we’ll be home.”
Shoot.
Probably another truth she ought to share with Reese. She sighed, and even that made Reese more alert.
“All right,” he said. “Let’s hear it.”
It was kind of a nice thing, having all that single-minded concentration from a man like Detective Reese Bareden. “There’s no reason for you to reach out to Trace. If he doesn’t want to connect with you, he won’t.”
Stopping for a light, Reese locked his jaw, waited.
And Alice added, “But if he does...you’ll be hearing from him.”
Going rigid, Reese slowly turned his head to stare at her in disbelief. “Just like that?”
“I told you he had great contacts. Now you’ve seen how great.” The light changed, and Reese turned back to the road, maneuvering through the traffic.
Hands flexing on the steering wheel, Reese gave one nod of grudging acceptance. “He didn’t want to be investigated, so he officially closed that option.”
“Yes.” Unofficially, though, Alice knew Reese would continue to pry.
“He must have some high officials in his back pocket.”
Reese continued to look at this all wrong, staying suspicious of Trace. Or...maybe as he said, he was jealous. Hoping to pacify him, she said, “I’m sure I won’t, but if I hear from him, I’ll tell you immediately.”
“Even if he tells you not to?”
She ran her fingers over his thick forearm. The hair there was soft, his skin warm, his muscles so well defined. “He wouldn’t,” she said simply.
Reese groaned. “God, you’ve got him on a pedestal.”
Of course she did. Trace was that kind of man.
But then, so was Reese, and he was the man she wanted. Now, tomorrow.
Forever.
Her mouth went dry—with acceptance and with uncertainty. She needed to know if Reese’s heart was involved. Falling in love alone would be...well, tragic. And she’d had enough tragedy in her life.
“Could you maybe take a day or two to think about it? To try to trust my judgment on this?” She cut him off before he could complain over her request. “And then, if you still want to know—”
“Need to know.”
“—I’ll tell you.”
Quiet, thoughtful, Reese took the road toward their apartment complex. “One condition, Alice.”
Her pulse sped up. “What is it?”
“I stay with you.”
That sweet, familiar ache pulsed between her legs. “In my bed?”
Satisfaction kicked up a wicked smile. “That’d be my preference, but it’s always up to you.” He shifted, stretching out one leg. “I meant in your apartment.”
“Oh.” How would that work? Them living like...roommates? No, thank you.
As if to convince her, Reese said, “I don’t want you alone until I’m sure that there isn’t any danger.”
Had they come full circle? She sighed. “Danger from Trace?”
“Actually, I was talking about the bastards using women as drug mules.” He shook his head, correcting himself. “But, yeah, your mysterious wraith, too. Hell, anyone from your past. Or...basically, anyone or anything.”
Alice licked her lips. “How long do you think that’ll take?”
“Days. Weeks.” He checked the rearview mirror, switched lanes. “No telling, really. In cases like this, we could get a break tomorrow or still be floundering months from now.”
Months! If it weren’t for women being in danger, she’d hope for the latter. “I see.”
Reese shifted his shoulders. “If that’s a problem, remember that I still have my own place and a job that sometimes keeps me away for the better part of the day. I won’t be underfoot.”
Why did he look so uncomfortable? He kept adjusting his big body as if trying to settle in. “I wasn’t worried about that.” But if he only wanted to be with her as protection, should she tell him that she loved having him around for any reason?
“I like that Cash will be with you during the day.” He glanced at her, then away. “But at night, I want to be right there with you.”
“Okay.” Hopefully, he’d solve the case quickly, but in the meantime she’d have an opportunity to make him fall in love with her. “I have a condition of my own.”
He gave a nod of acceptance. “I’m all ears.”
“No sleeping on the couch.” And to make certain he understood, she added, “If you’re there, even if it’s just in the capacity of a detective, I want you to...sleep with me.”
“Sleep, huh?” The quirky smile lifted into a full-fledged grin. “I can handle that.”
“I mean it, Reese.” She wanted no misunderstandings. “Even if I do something that annoys you. Or if we argue. You don’t get to shut me out.”
He surprised her by laughing. “I don’t move in on women just to play cop, Alice. I’m worried, true, but I wouldn’t get hard every time we talked if I only had protection on my mind.”
Her gaze shot to his lap, to the impressive bulge there, and she let out a breath. “Oh.” She reached for him, intent on touching. Stroking. “Good.”
He caught her hand, kissed her fingers. Fondness softened his humor. “If we start that, I’m liable to wreck. Just give me five more minutes, and we’ll be home.”
