Happily Never After (13 page)

They were clueless ensconced in their little love nest and had no idea what waited for them.

But they would soon enough.

Chapter 15

Kelsey awakened to Bode gazing down at her. Her legs were thrown across his as if even in sleep she wanted to be as near as possible. God, he was gorgeous in the morning. His bronze skin was kissable. She stretched and smiled up at him. He reached for her as if he’d been waiting for her eyes to open.

He’d woken her several times during the night, and she was deliciously sore in long forgotten places. She’d never experienced such mind-numbing pleasure.

The few sexual relationships she'd had in the past seemed very bland in comparison. Her blood still hummed in her veins, and she went from zero to sixty in an instant.

Their lips met and dueled for supremacy. Shocked at the urge to dominate, she shrugged and gave in to her desires. Her fingertips slid over him as she nipped at his warm skin.

His dark eyes held a naughty twinkle. “So the little kitten wants to be a tiger this morning. Be gentle with me, honey.” He hoisted her on top of his body.

Alive. That’s what this man made her feel. She kissed him with all the desire he ignited in her. He caught her hips but let her set the pace until his control slipped.

He flipped her on her back, and their gazes locked as they went up in flames.

Afterward, he groaned and pushed himself up on his elbows to look down at her. “I’ve got to get up. I need to go down to the station. Will you wait for me?”

She brought his head back down. Light kisses at first where she nibbled at his lips. Crushing her to him, he kissed her with hunger.

“Shit.” He dragged himself away. “When I get back, we can start this conversation again.” He pointed a finger at her and stalked to the bathroom while muttering a choice word or two.

When she got out of bed, one hand flew up to cover the giggle that escaped. Clothes nowhere in sight, she opened a dresser drawer and borrowed one of his T-shirts. The soft garment ended about mid-thigh but covered all the important parts. She went downstairs to find her things.

She wandered into the kitchen and searched through cabinets until she found the items to make coffee. The pot finished brewing, and the strong aroma permeated the room when Bode entered dressed for work.

Her hungry gaze followed him. Man, he was handsome with a crisp blue shirt and red silk tie that complemented his gray slacks. He had his badge clipped to his belt and a gun holstered under his arm.

Memories of the previous night sent warmth coursing through her, and it wasn’t from embarrassment. She eased toward him, but he held one palm up to stop her.

“No way. You keep over on your side, or I’ll never get anywhere. A man can only take so much.”

She picked her chin up high, and turned her back on him to leave the room.

“Oh, honey, have mercy on me,” Bode mumbled. He strode across the room and held her from behind. His long arms wrapped around her, he feathered soft kisses on her neck.

Her head tilted to one side to grant him better access. She filled her lungs with his scent. The combination of soap and masculine aftershave made her knees a little weak.

“I like the way you look in my shirt, but if you don’t put on clothes I may not be getting to work,” he whispered.

“Where did you leave them?” She rested against him with a soft breath of contentment.

Bode gave a sigh. “Who knows?” He smiled against her ear and trailed a finger along her thigh. “This is a good incentive for me to hurry and get back. I’m not scheduled to go in today, but I have some things to check on. I’ll see if there’s an update on the fire yet.”

She frowned over her shoulder at him. “Shouldn’t I go to the station too?”

He shook his head. “You already talked to them. They believed it started in the garage below your apartment, but were still searching for the source when we left. They may have figured it out by now. The cause was probably old wiring, but arson won’t be ruled out until they’re positive. I wanted to read the report on the crowd, too. If it was intentional, we might get lucky. Sometimes they like to hang around and watch. I’ll ask when your place can get cleaned up.” He turned her loose.

She faced him. “I just remembered something. There was someone in the crowd that I recognized.”

Uncomfortable, he rubbed his temple but remained silent.

She eyed him with suspicion. “What?”

“Was it the guy who shot you again?” His tone was cautious.

Astonished that she could have forgotten to tell him, one palm slapped her forehead. “Oh my God, with everything going on, I didn’t remember to mention it. When I was at the park yesterday, I saw him. I
touched
him. That means I’m not crazy.” She chuckled. “Well, not completely anyway.”

He frowned down at her in question. “How can he be real if he’s dead?”

Her brows drew together. “I don’t have any idea. He got away before I could catch—”

“You chased after him, without knowing who he is or why he’s following you?” Bode’s voice rose with each word.

She waved his angry words away. “Don’t yell at me, please. Forgive me if I wasn’t thinking, but I’d just found out that I wasn’t hallucinating my stalker.”

“Exactly, and what do you think would have transpired if you’d managed to catch him?” His demeanor was as cold and clear as ice water.

In a defensive gesture, she folded her arms across her chest. “Okay. I get it. That was a stupid move on my part. One that I won’t make again.”

His finger was tender as he traced the line of her cheekbone and jaw. “If you see this guy again, call me, and let me do my job. Okay?”

At his gentle touch, the fight went out of her. He was right. She’d rushed into a situation where she had no way to defend herself.

She nodded. “If I’m going to be staying here, can I do a load of laundry? I’ll cook dinner for us later if you let me know what you like.”

His expression tightened, and a vein pulsed above his right eye. “I’ve got to go. When I come back, I’ll follow you to David’s.”

“Great. I’ll be ready.” Surprise filled her at the dismissal in his tone. The abrupt lack of emotion made her stomach drop. A sudden chill enveloped her, and she spun away, her hands clenched. A switch had flipped and not an ounce of warmth or playfulness remained.

He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and left through the garage. Wandering around his house, she evaluated her feelings about Bode and their night together.

In her mind, she’d already started thinking about them as a couple, and his curt actions hurt her feelings. The fact she’d been so caught up in the fantasy frightened her more than a little.

She gathered her clothes and went upstairs to shower and change. The hot water sluiced down her body, easing the small aches and pains. Without any makeup, the best she could do was dry her hair and pull it back into a ponytail.

There was an enclosed patio, so she went outside to do some light yoga, hoping to stretch sore muscles. The sound of a door opening and closing in the attached yard broke the silence, so it wasn’t a complete surprise when a face popped over the top of the fence. A lovely redhead stared back at her, not even trying to hide the curiosity on her pixie face.

“Hello.”

“Hello, yourself.” Kelsey smiled.

“I’m Marge. I heard Bode leave earlier.”

She entered her next pose. “He went to the office.”

Marge threw her head back and gave a loud laugh. “Wow, and he left you here all alone? I’m impressed. I don’t think I ever saw a woman still here the next morning.”

“It sounds like you know him pretty well.”

“Not as well as I’d like too. I’ve lived here for a year now, and Bode is the talk of the neighborhood. All the single women want to be the one to tame him.”

“You, too?”

“Oh, I tried, believe me.” Marge grinned. “But he let me know up front that it’s all about the job for him. He doesn’t do commitment. Period. Take my advice, honey. Heed the speech if you don’t want to get your heart busted.”

She didn’t respond but continued to do her stretching and breathing exercises.

The nosey neighbor leaned across the fence a little further. “You did get the speech, didn’t you?”

“No, no speech.”

“Oh.” Marge frowned. “Well, maybe this time it’s different.” The woman’s doubt came across loud and clear.

Kelsey used her years of experience as a prosecutor to keep every emotion concealed. Inside, she felt raw and exposed. Needing to get away from this woman, she strolled toward the door as Marge called out to her.

Not bothering to say goodbye, she waved a hand over her shoulder and went in. She sat on the sofa to think.
How could I have been so stupid?
Yesterday her decision to throw caution to the wind seemed like such a bold idea. Now it felt more like a nightmare.

Caught up at the moment, she’d fooled herself into believing she could handle a one night romance. Men did it all the time, so why shouldn’t she indulge in a one-night fling? It was her bad luck that instead of leaving this morning, she wanted to wrap herself around him like a vine. Without any sense of self-preservation, she jumped into bed with him and had given away a small piece of her heart.

He wasn’t interested in a relationship with her. Hadn’t he shut down and bolted at the mere mention of her doing laundry?

Bode didn’t fake his pleasure last night, of that she was positive, but maybe that was normal for him. The emotion in his chocolate brown eyes had convinced her they had a connection. She didn’t have any experience with relationships. Why did she believe she could deal with the consequences of casual sex?

There was no way she would stay here for a repeat performance of his cold shoulder. She rose to her feet, resolve in place. Be the one to leave before he has to ask you to. Don’t make the man spell it out. Bile rose up in her throat as old insecurities bombarded her.

First, she needed to call David about the fire. She hummed while she waited for him to answer.

“David, it’s Kelsey.” Pulling the phone away from her ear, she listened to his yelling until he wound down. People in this town seemed to know what everyone else was doing. She should have known he’d get a phone call right away.

“Okay, I’m sorry I didn’t call you. Things were hectic, and I forgot.”

“Forgot? A person forgets to cancel a lunch date, not let her brother know that her apartment caught on fire. Where are you, anyway?”

One arm wrapped around her midsection, hoping to hold herself together.
You can do this. You’re not a child anymore.
She swallowed the ache in the back of her throat.

“I spent the night with Bode.” She winced at the sudden silence on the line. The urge to run and hide was almost unbearable.

“I see. Is he there with you now?” David’s voice sounded tight. “Let me speak to him.”

“Uh, he went to work this morning.”

“Come on out to the house and we’ll talk.” He paused and his tone gentled. “Kels, don’t become attached to Bode. You’ll get hurt. He’s got too much relationship baggage.”

She howled with laughter. “Yeah, I realized that when he raced out of here like his hair was on fire. Don’t worry about me, David. I’m a big girl who carries around a trunk full of her own luggage. I’m not looking for happily ever after. Listen, I’m going over to Ann’s for some girl talk. I’ll call you later.”

The need to leave before Bode returned made her rush around gathering her few possessions. After backing her car out of the garage, she paused just long enough to make sure the door rolled back down.

While she drove, she strove to hold back tears. She was a grown woman and had taken the release and comfort that she needed. Bode never lied to her or made promises he didn’t intend to keep. Any issues would be hers to resolve.

At the community center, she went straight to Ann’s private residence. She crumbled when her friend opened the door and hustled her inside without a word.

Wrapped in one another’s arms, the smaller woman rubbed her back offering comfort. For as long as she could remember, Ann was her sounding board. After a few minutes, she pulled back and looked at her friend. “I spent the night with Bode and now I think it was a terrible mistake.”

Ann’s smile was gentle. “You’ve always been so guarded with your emotions. Maybe it was time for you to loosen up a bit.”

Her mouth opened twice before she could continue. “Did you hear what I said? I spent the night with someone I met a few weeks ago.” She got up and began to pace. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Well, sit down and let’s sort this out.”

They sat side by side on the sofa holding hands, and she told Ann about the apartment fire and how she went home with Bode. “Okay, let me have it. Tell me what a fool I was for sleeping with him. Tell me what an idiot I am for believing we had a connection.”

“Kelsey, there’s not going to be anything for me to beat up if you continue to do it for me.”

“You don’t understand. I believed that I could do casual but when morning came, I didn’t want to leave.” She hesitated. “I’ve fallen for the guy. Hard. It will shred me up inside to hear him tell me he doesn’t like me
that way
. Or even worse, not tell me, and just disappear from my life.” She waited for her friend's censure.

Ann didn’t speak for a moment as if weighing her words. “Kelsey, I love you like a daughter, so I’m going to talk to you as such. In the real world, the decisions we make regarding who we’re attracted to aren’t always logical. As they say in the movies, our heart wants what our heart wants.”

Kelsey moaned and held her head in her hands. “But why after all these years would that fickle organ decide to want someone who doesn’t want me?”

Ann jumped up and placed her fists on her hips. “You listen to me, little girl. You waited your whole life to meet your special someone. Are you sure this was a one night stand for him? At the hospital, it was evident he was concerned.”

“He’s a cop, of course, he was concerned. You should have seen him this morning. He couldn’t wait to get away from me. Can I sleep here tonight? I need to shop for clothes and find another room, but I just can’t today.”

“You should talk to Bode,” Ann replied.

Her cell phone began to ring and when she read the caller ID she sighed. “Speak of the devil. I might as well get this done. Hello, this is Kelsey.”

“Where are you?”