Bound by Danger (6 page)

After taking her name and address, the policeman closed his book. “Well, I guess if that’s all there is here, you can go, miss.”

She faced the entrance to the dance club. Had Charlie said the right words to ease Dave’s mind, without giving her away?

Or was she in for a lot more questioning?

Chapter 5

A wild rock-and-roll tune lifted the roof but as Deidre walked inside, the tune shifted, the tempo slowing. To her surprise, Dave stood near the entrance and hurried to escort her to the floor once he caught sight of her.

“We were really worried about you, Deidre.” Dave allowed her a few seconds of space before he drew her close.

That’s what she craved—the closeness. To feel his heartbeat next to hers. To see his dark eyes searching hers with longing. She wanted him to need her, too, but only for as long as the music twisted their bodies in synchronized rhythm. She shuddered to think of him up close and personal in the quiet of her home. Slipping between her satin sheets, his body sliding over hers.

She didn’t want to release him even when the music stopped. He leaned over and kissed her lips. The music began again, and she danced with him like that the rest of the night. Whether the pace picked up or slowed down, he led her and she followed, move for move. She belonged to him…for the moment, and she cherished the feeling.

They didn’t leave the club until it closed early the next morning. Marilyn rested her head against Charlie’s shoulder as he drove back to Deidre and Dave’s apartment complex while New Age music from the CD player drifted to the backseat.

Dave wrapped his arm around Deidre’s shoulder and rested his head against hers as she leaned against his chest. He wasn’t such a bad guy after all, despite being a reporter. In fact, this had turned out to be the nicest time she’d ever spent with a guy.

He took her hand in his. His fingers worked over hers with a gentle caress. She enjoyed the warm, smooth texture of his fingertips as they worked their enchantment.

How many times had he done the same to some other woman, only to work his way into her bed? She stiffened, and he rubbed her shoulder and kissed her head. What did it matter? She relaxed. He wasn’t getting into her bed, no matter how good he made her feel so she could still enjoy the moment.

Upon arriving at the apartment complex, Charlie dropped Deidre and Dave off. He’d undoubtedly swing by the restaurant to pick up Ms. Johnson’s car. Then, Deidre knew Charlie had unfinished business with her as he pulled out of the parking lot again. Why did Deidre worry so about him?

Dave and she walked up the stairs to her apartment. Instantly, her usual reserve kicked in.

He kissed her, holding her shoulders in a firm grip, pressing her to her door. His margarita-sweetened lips tasted like a bit of heaven, and she kissed him back. His hands shifted from her shoulders to her breasts. She smiled and quickly pulled his hands away.

His mouth curved up a little. “Goodnight,” she said softly, not wanting to spoil the magic of the evening.

She unlocked her door, and he stood waiting.

“Listen,” he finally said, “a friend of mine has a boat, and I wondered if you’d like to spend the day with me at Lake Belton tomorrow.”

“Later in the afternoon?”

He nodded.

“With Charlie?”

“And his girlfriend, if you’d like.”

She hadn’t wanted to spend another second in the company of Marilyn. “All right. Since it’s close to three in the morning, how about three in the afternoon—”

“Good deal. But if Charlie and Marilyn don’t want to join us—”

Deidre smiled. “Sure.”

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek quickly before she shut the door. “Pleasant dreams.”

His key twisted in his own lock. “Yes!” he said with enthusiasm, making her chuckle as she closed her door.

***

Dave hadn’t needed to visit Las Vegas to hit the jackpot. Deidre looked to be just the kind of woman he’d love to have on his team for the long haul. Was he nuts? Certainly. He knew so little about her, and yet he wanted to know everything…what fragrance perfumed her skin, what was her favorite color, hell, what made her angry and how could he make her happy again? He’d never been with a woman who stirred his loins like she did with just a flutter of her eyelashes and the seductive smile that tugged at her lips. Her shyness as she said goodnight totally amused him, making him want her that much more. In his wildest dreams, he couldn’t have found such an intriguing companion.

But how would she view him once she found out why he really acted as her shadow? She didn’t like reporters, but when she knew how he and his team investigated her brother, would she be happy about that? No. Somehow he had to ensure he didn’t lose her in the process of unraveling the mystery with her brother.

He loosened his tie, then yanked it off. His clothes still clung lightly to his damp skin from the workout he’d had with his dance partner. For the most part, he’d gotten away with his overzealous behavior, but he’d caught Marilyn’s eye a couple of times. She had that all-knowing look on her face like he’d taken his mission too far. He knew he had, only he kept telling himself his actions helped the operation. Besides, hadn’t Marilyn gone a little overboard with Charlie?

Dave planned on having a word with her about her behavior with Deidre. Marilyn’s sparring with Deidre didn’t help their case one bit.

Climbing into the shower, he pulled the lever to the cold setting to cool his heated blood. His thoughts shifted to his next plan…the lake and playing in the water with Deidre…alone this time.

***

Deidre had been alone for so long. Having her brother move in temporarily, only to leave so soon with Miss-Whoever-She-Really-Was, disappointed Deidre. She’d really wanted to find out what he’d been doing all this time. She slipped into a short black satin chemise emblazoned with bright pink and yellow blossoms. She rarely wore the spaghetti-strapped nightie, as the skinny straps slipped off her shoulders in the middle of the night, exposing a breast or two. Being the light sleeper she was, anything would wake her, even something so inconsequential as the strap slipping.

But tonight she wanted to feel the silkiness against her skin as she thought of Dave’s body working next to hers in their intimate dance. She pulled on a pair of black satin panties to match, then slipped between the ice blue sheets.

With visions of a day spent at the lake, she hugged her extra pillow to her body, wrapping her legs around it with a warm embrace. Then the phone rang, startling. She grabbed the receiver by the bed and stared at the caller ID. Out of area. She should have known. She fumbled with the cord in the dark, then unplugged it.

Closing her eyes, she listened to the air conditioner turn on, the monotonous hum lulling her to sleep.

The scruffy man with the yellowed eyes stared back at her in a hazy daze. The same one who had accosted her at the mall. But then his face grew hard as his hair turned black. The diamond ring he wore cut her hand.

She ran her fingers over the hurt and moaned lightly.

To her surprise, he grabbed her arms and threw her hard against something that vibrated with the force. She couldn’t comprehend what it was, but he seemed determined to throw her over it. A fence perhaps? A railing? His apelike hands gripped her wrists with a stranglehold that brought tears to her eyes.

Remember, Deidre. Remember how to break free of a wristlock. Get the advantage. Throw him into the abyss. Hurry, Deidre, hurry.

In her dream, she hugged her pillow tighter as she ran across the prairie landscape, stumbling over clumps of grass and broken rock. She ran from some unseen terror and stopped abruptly at the edge of a red clay cliff. The dizzying height terrified her as she stared down into the canyon. Then the struggle began with the unseen force. Thrown from the cliff, she fell as if she’d been pushed from a plane without a parachute, open air, and nothing to impact. She knew the ground quickly approached.
Before she reached the canyon floor, her body shuddered awake.

Her front door creaked open. Deidre sat up in bed. Charlie? She pulled her covers aside and crossed the floor to her bedroom door. Opening it, she saw the front door stood wide open. Jeez, Charlie, don’t you ever close the door? She stormed across the dark apartment and tripped over a sofa cushion lying in the middle of the floor. Tumbling to the carpet, she turned her head as the kitchen light flickered on.

Drawers yanked open, then slammed shut.

Charlie? Deidre stood, then walked gingerly toward the kitchen.

The black-haired man from her vision threw her phone book and receipts all over the floor. She backed away, but his ebony eyes caught sight of her before she cleared the doorframe.

Swallowing a scream, her heart in her throat, she dashed for the front door. His footfalls pounded the floor as he hurried to catch her. She wouldn’t make it. She knew she couldn’t reach the doorway fast enough.

He grabbed her arm and yanked her back. Pain shot through her arm and back, but she focused instead on her assailant. She quickly twisted free. He rotated around and slammed the door shut. She screamed then, not out of fear, but to wake her neighbors.

Grabbing a pillow from the floor, she flung it at him. He socked it away with his fist. She ran for the patio door and fumbled with the lock. His fingers touched her arm. She jerked the glass panel open. Screaming again, she ran onto the narrow patio. Lights flickered on in a couple of the apartments. Someone would call the police.

The man slammed her into the wrought-iron railing. The pain from the metal against her backbone shot up her spine. He grabbed her wrists and tried to jerk her over the railing. She twisted her arms free in the maneuver her brother taught her. The next skill, the Army had given her.

Want to play rough, do you?

She quickly jabbed her knee into his family jewels. Her attacker bent over, groaning in pain. Without hesitation, she jerked her knee upward and struck him squarely on the bridge of the nose. He thrust his head upward with the impact and grabbed his nose, crying out in agony. With her hand stiffened as a lethal weapon, she struck him hard in the Adam’s apple. The man choked and gagged as he tried to catch his breath.

Deidre shoved him back against the railing, turned, and ran inside her apartment. She clicked the lock shut on the glass door and glanced up to see the man leaning over her railing still trying to breathe.

Bang! Her front door slammed open, hitting the wall. She turned and screamed.

“Deidre!” Dave ran across the apartment with gun in hand, dressed only in a pair of silk briefs. He pulled her from the room into the hall. “Go inside my apartment and lock the door.”

“But—”

“Go!”

His frantic, but firm tone made her obey him. Cowboy to the rescue. Deidre hurried into his apartment, shut the door, and locked it. She listened for sounds of gunfire, but not hearing any, she walked into the living room.

She shivered in the cool, air conditioned room as she took in its appearance. Illuminated with soft lamplight, a cowboy roping a steer embossed the shade. A leather couch rested against the wall while wrought-iron tables sat on either side. Two chairs covered in hairy cowhide made her smile. A real cowboy. Her spaghetti strap dripped over her shoulder. She realized then she stood half naked in her neighbor’s apartment.

A key twisting in the door’s lock made her turn and cover herself. Her breathing grew heavy and fearful.

To her relief, Dave opened the door. “The police are here.” He took in her appearance, then hurried to his bedroom.

When he returned, he pulled one of his western shirts over her shoulders and wrapped his arm around her, giving a firm squeeze of reassurance. “Are you ready to speak to them?”

Despite the upset over the thief, she worried more about her appearance before strangers. Dave’s shirt reached mid-thigh on her. Deidre frowned. “Don’t you have something else a little longer or better yet, I’ll return to my place and—”

“They’d rather speak to you here while they’re dusting for fingerprints.” He led her to the couch and she sat.

“Dusting for fingerprints?” she asked, confused. “They have his fingers! Why would they…don’t tell me he got away.” A chill snaked up her spine, but when she sat down on the couch, the ice cold leather shocked her. ”Oh!”

She pulled the shirt down as far as it would go. “The leather of the couch is cold.”

“Just a minute.”

He returned with a blanket, placed it on the couch, and once she was sitting on it, he folded the blanket over her legs.

“Thanks, Dave.”

“I’ll get the police.”

She glanced down at his briefs, and he smiled. In a jiffy, he returned to his bedroom. When he rejoined her, he wore jeans, his chest and feet still bare. Tanned, ripped, and mouth-watering. He crouched down in front of her and touched her cheek. “Be right back.”

His concern moved her, sending a curl of warmth spiraling through her. “Thanks, Dave.”

She’d become attuned to handling crises in her life. They didn’t unnerve her like being half naked in a stranger’s apartment did.

He kissed her cheek, then took a deep breath and hurried across the landing to her apartment to speak further with the police.

***

“Miss Deidre Roux,” the police officer said several minutes later as he scribbled onto his pad, “did you get a good look at your assailant?”

“You still didn’t catch him?”

She could handle the trauma of struggling with her attacker, but the anger simmered just below the surface that the police hadn’t caught the man. What if he returned?

“We’re still searching, but a description would help.”

“Large Adam’s apple—” She smiled inwardly at the officers’ and Dave’s strange looks. She guessed she hadn’t better mention anything about the small set of jewels the man packed. “Six foot, black hair and eyes, hefty build.” She rubbed the cut on her hand inadvertently, then added, “He wore a ring with a small diamond, black trousers, black leather shoes, and a black button-down collared shirt.”