Bare It All (8 page)

Logan, without knowing of their plans, had actually encouraged
them.

With any luck, Rowdy would be available to keep an eye on
things. He’d check with him later—when Alice wouldn’t know.

“What are you thinking?” she asked. “You’re so quiet.”

“I was wondering about this shopping trip of yours.”

She smiled toward him. “I haven’t shopped with another woman in
a long time.” As if distracted, she fussed with the hem on her dress, now
wrinkled from the rain. “My sister and I used to go out together a lot. The last
time we shopped, it was for her prom dress.”

With Alice, it was often what she didn’t say that gave him
pause. “Your mother didn’t go?”

“Not that time. She and my dad were on a business trip. My
sister had decided not to go to prom so Mom didn’t think she’d be missing
anything. Then Amy got asked by a special boy, and we had to scramble to get
things together. It was pretty wonderful, and she looked so beautiful that
night.”

It was hard to imagine dark secrets in the soft, caring picture
Alice presented. “You’re older than her?”

“By six years.”

“So you two weren’t close?”

Hesitation hung in the air between them. “Despite the age
difference, we used to be.” She turned away to stare out the window at the
sodden landscape. “I don’t see her very often now.”

He wanted to ask why but didn’t. “Your parents?”

She held silent.

“You can tell me, you know.”

More time passed. Reese heard the shushing of tires on wet
pavement, the lazy, rhythmic slicking of the windshield wipers.

He heard his own heartbeat in his ears.

Shifting around to face him, Alice curled her legs up on the
seat, rested her cheek against the back, folded her arms around her waist.

She let out a breath.

Reese felt her watching him, and he knew she was measuring her
words.

“My family is pretty wonderful. Supportive and caring. Smart
and friendly.”

Like Alice.

“Mom is a teacher, Dad an architect. Amy is still in college.
She’s going to be a nurse.”

To Reese that sounded nice enough, much like a typical
middle-class family. “So why don’t you see them more often?”

“Because I love them.” Her voice thickened with emotion,
breaking his heart. “A lot.”

Though he couldn’t imagine anyone not loving Alice, he had to
ask. “They don’t feel the same?”

“After I was kidnapped, things changed.” She corrected that
with a shake of her head. “That is, I changed. They were thrilled when I
returned, but it had been so long....” Her voice trailed off. “I wasn’t the same
person anymore.”

To a captive, a day could feel like a week, a week like a
month. Reese prayed that Alice had been rescued sooner than that. “You were
still a daughter, a sister. I’m sure they—”

“Loved me? Yes.” Expression stark, she looked away. “But he
kept me for over a year.”

Shock rolled over Reese, cramping his guts, locking his jaw.
“Jesus,” he whispered, wishing he could somehow change the reality of what she’d
suffered.

“I didn’t think I’d ever get away.” She hugged herself, chin
down, her voice breaking. “I thought that was my life.”

Knowing how the memory still hurt her left Reese hurting, too.
She’d survived, and she said she hadn’t been raped. What could a kidnapper
possibly have wanted with her?

The silence grew heavier, almost suffocating. Reese tried to
get into cop mode, to think logically instead of with emotion. “You said he. It
was a man who took you?”

“A man that had me taken.”

“Did you know him?”

She shook her head—and curled tighter. “No.”

His heartbeat thundered. He wanted to pull over and hold her,
console her. Make absurd promises that he wasn’t sure he could keep.

But he didn’t dare interrupt the moment of confession.

He needed to know.

Keeping his tone calm, no-nonsense, Reese asked, “Do you know
why he took you?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t elaborate. As a man, he wanted to let it go, to see
the wary shadows lift from her gaze. But as a cop, logic won out and he forced
himself to push for more. “What did he make you do, Alice?”

“The one thing I’m good at.” She swallowed hard. “I had to be
his secretary.”

That...didn’t make a lot of sense. Reese spared her a quick
glance and saw that she’d huddled into a small, vulnerable form—as far from him
as she could get.

“Will you explain that to me?”

The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, reflecting off all
the wet surfaces. Steam rose in suffocating waves. Birds came out to sing.

“You were probably already digging into my past.”

“I was.” Reese saw no reason to deny it. He was a detective,
and she knew it.

“You’d have found out, anyway.” Her shoulders lifted on a big
breath. “But I don’t like talking about it.”

“That’s why you avoid your family?”

She nodded. “I can’t bear to trouble them with
my...unpleasantness. They’re so happy, burdening them with the real worries of
life, the life I now know exists, doesn’t seem fair.”

“A life with kidnappers?”

A rainbow stretched across the sky. His tires hit a puddle in
the road, causing a big splash.

Alice drew in a shaky breath, looked at him. “A life with human
traffickers.”

Reese’s blood ran cold. His hands tightened on the steering
wheel. “That’s what he was?”

“He pretended to be a hotshot businessman. And I guess he was
that, too. But he also bought and sold women.” She paused, chewed her bottom lip
a moment. “I haven’t told many people about it.”

“Because it’s so ugly?”

She nodded. “You’re a detective, so you already see stuff like
this. You can deal with it.”

“Yes.” But she thought her family couldn’t? “You can tell me
anything, remember?” Screw keeping an emotional distance. He reached for and
found her hand. “You won’t burden me.”

Her fingers locked on his. “I told my family just a little of
it, and they were so sick. My sister had nightmares, my mom cried. And my
dad...” Big tears clung to her lashes, and her words thickened with heartache.
“My sweet, gentle dad broke his hand punching the wall.”

Reese could picture it in his mind; too many times he’d
witnessed fathers trying to deal with the loss or injury of a child. “I can’t
imagine a dad reacting any other way.” Her shuddering indrawn breath wrenched
him. “That’s not your fault, honey. That’s human nature.”

“That’s loss of innocence. That’s reality—a reality few ever
have to face.” Easing her hand away from him, she sat up straighter and pushed
back her hair. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Not right now.”

He needed to know more. He needed the kidnapper’s name, and he
had to know if justice had been served.

Because if it hadn’t, he’d be taking care of that himself.

He considered everything she’d shared, and he pieced together
what he could.

For over a year, she’d been forced to act as a secretary to a
scumbag trafficker. Inconceivable.

She hadn’t been raped. She had escaped. How? Who had helped
her?

They were almost to the grocery store, and Alice trembled all
over. If he pushed her any further, she’d lose her fragile grip on control. As a
detective, he knew that could get him answers; people spilled their guts in
moments of weakness.

But he couldn’t do that.

Not to Alice.

Mind made up, Reese reached for her hand again. He needed the
brief contact, whether she did or not. “You can relax, honey. We’ll put it on
hold for now.”

Her rigid shoulders drooped. She squeezed his hand like a
lifeline. “Thank you.”

Reese felt like an abusive ass, but he nodded to accept
her...gratitude.

Shit. He wanted many things from Alice, but not that. Not even
close. Definitely not over confessions he’d wrung from her.

As he parked in the grocery lot, she opened her seat belt, then
hesitated until he’d turned off the car. Uncertainty filled her dark-eyed gaze.
“You know, once you’ve heard it all, it’ll probably change everything.”

He realized he was learning to read her, to understand what she
didn’t say. “You mean how I feel about you?”

“Yes.” And then, a little self-conscious, “Whatever it is you
feel.”

He felt plenty, all of it unfamiliar and disconcerting.
“Somehow, I doubt it, but I guess we’ll find out.” He leaned forward, brushing
his mouth over hers. “In the meantime, you might try trusting me, okay?”

Instead of agreeing, she touched her fingertips to her lips,
let out a pent-up breath—and turned to get out of the car. Reese had to hurry to
catch up with her.

He had a feeling Alice would always stay one step ahead.

CHAPTER EIGHT

I
T
WAS
RIDICULOUS
, but the closer it got to bedtime, the more antsy she
became.

In part because of what she’d told Reese.

But mostly because of what she hadn’t told him.

He behaved the same, a little outrageous, far too attentive,
sexy and downright wonderful. About everything.

He helped cook dinner. He helped clean up afterward. He played
with Cash while she checked her messages and emails.

At the speed of light, he already filled her life.

Alice knew she wanted more. More than a casual relationship.
More than sex.

More than temporary.

But a man like Reese would always demand honesty, and her
personal truths would likely drive him away.

Such a conundrum. A balancing act.

Hearing Reese return from taking Cash out, she closed her
computer. Ears attuned, she heard him lock the door, heard him talking softly
with the dog.

Heard his footsteps coming down the hall.

With little decided, she turned her chair in anticipation of
seeing him—and there he was. Cash came in around him, but Reese held him
back.

“It’s muddy out there, so I had to wash his paws. I tried
drying them, too, but easier said than done.”

Alice smiled. “It’s okay.” With her emotions so jumbled, she
could use some unconditional puppy love right about now. She patted her thigh,
and Cash bounded forward.

Hands in his pockets, his mouth tilted in a crooked smile,
Reese propped a shoulder in the door frame. “He acts as if he hasn’t seen you
for days instead of minutes.”

Sinking her fingers into the dog’s long, silky fur, Alice
hugged him. “He’s the sweetest dog ever.”

“Or perhaps you’re just a very accepting woman.” He stepped in.
“Are we interrupting your work?”

“No. I’d just finished up.”

He lifted a crystal paperweight shaped like a rose. Engraved on
the front were the words: Sisters are Forever. “Very nice.”

Needlessly, she explained, “My sister got me that.”

“Special occasion?”

Nervousness began uncoiling inside her. “When I...returned
home.” Her throat constricted. She hugged Cash closer. “After the
kidnapping.”

As if the dog understood, he whined and laid his head over her
thighs.

“I see.” Reese returned the paperweight to her desktop and
looked around her room. “Tell me more about what you do.”

“Being a virtual assistant?”

“Yes. I don’t know much about it.”

So, he didn’t plan to pry right now? Tension receded, making it
easier for her to breathe. Her work was a safe, comfortable topic. “I do a lot
of stuff.”

“Like?”

“Set up programming, marketing, advertisement. I do copywriting
for presentations and manage social calendars. Filing, travel plans, sometimes I
even help develop brands for small businesses.” She watched Reese stop before an
ornate clock on the wall. It neared ten-thirty.

Her bedtime.

Reese moved on to her file cabinet, read the names on the front
of each drawer. “Sounds like you do it all.”

What was he looking for? Surely a utilitarian, locked file
cabinet held no fascination. “Whatever the client needs, I can usually handle
it.” She was a top-notch assistant—a curse she would live with forever.

“You communicate through email?”

“Mostly, yes.” A throbbing started in her temples, thanks to
the intrusion of a nasty memory. She rubbed it away. “Sometimes with conference
calls.” She avoided Skype and visual conferencing because she didn’t want to be
identifiable.

Reese pondered that. “You never receive physical items?” She
could almost see him thinking, picking apart her methods and finding reasons for
them. “Actual mail or anything? Maybe a business item that the client wants you
to review?”

“It’s rare, because I’m not part of product development. But
when the client insists, I have a post office box that I check twice a week.”
She made the trip two towns over to avoid a trail. In every way possible, she
kept her anonymity. Not easy, but doable, when you were careful enough.

And she was very, very careful.

“I see.” He touched the top of her oversize flat-screen
monitor. “How do you get paid?”

His continued questioning set her on edge again. Though she
trusted Reese and enjoyed his company—even craved it—nervousness began ramping
up. She closed her hands over the arms of her chair, her grip tight as she
instinctively rejected the intrusion into her privacy. “I get paid through
online accounts.”

“Convenient.”

Did that sound like an accusation? “Yes.”

He didn’t look right at her, instead choosing to circle her
desk, his attention on folders, even paper clips. “Do you ever actually meet
your clients?”

Too quickly, she said, “No.”

As if he understood her reticence to meet others, her need for
isolation, Reese nodded.

She braced herself for the more personal questions to come. Now
he would insist on knowing it all. And she wasn’t ready. Apprehension flooded
her system, but she kept her expression composed.

She’d learned to do that during her captivity—to hide all
emotion. Reactions gained attention, and sometimes retaliation. Better to fade
into the woodwork, to get her job done as unobtrusively as possible.

Silent and efficient.

Blind to the cruelty.

Cowardly.

Having circled the small room, Reese now stood in front of her.
“Alice?”

Distress got a stranglehold on her. She met his gaze, wishing
she could will away the past, wishing she could convince him to stay, wishing
she could put off this confrontation forever....

He studied her face, and concern pulled his brows. “It’s
getting late.”

Bedtime. A time when her thoughts would relentlessly circle
memories she badly wanted to bury. “Yes.”

“Shhh. Don’t panic.”

He’d known she was?

Reese touched her cheek, ran two fingers along her jaw. “I
don’t relish the idea of folding myself onto your couch again.”

Confirmed. He wanted to leave her. Her heart tripped as she
stood, her mind searching for words to convince him to stay.

Cash sidled out from between them and headed out of the room,
probably going to the aforementioned couch.

They stared at each other. Her voice quavered as much as her
nerve. “I...I don’t want you to leave.”

Rock-steady, he held her gaze. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Just that fast, anxiety deflated. “You’re not?”

“The path your thoughts take...” He shook his head, that cocky,
crooked little smile in place again. “I want to share your bed, honey.”

Share her...? As in sleep with her, under the covers with her,
his big body
right there,
hot and solid, comforting
and so tempting...

“Just sleep for now. Not sex. But I’d love to stay closer
tonight.” He brought up her chin. “May I, Alice?”

Elation burst through her. “Okay.” More than okay. Already her
toes curled, and a sweet ache unfurled. She breathed a little faster.

“Not for sex,” he chided again.

For tonight, for right now, she’d take what she could get.
“Okay.”

His smile curled more. “Not just yet, anyway.”

She nodded. She wasn’t ready yet—but now she knew she would
be...and soon.

He cupped the back of her neck, his mood shifting in some
intense, indefinable way. “Now seems like a good time for that kiss we
discussed.”

Before she could even absorb what he’d said, he touched his
mouth to hers, warm, barely there at first, then more firmly. He moved his mouth
over hers, parting her lips, angling his head to fit her more surely.

On a sound of wonder, Alice sank against him.

Wrapping one arm around her, he gathered her closer still, drew
her in until her breasts pressed into the solid muscles of his body. Her heart
thundered.

So did his.

She felt his tongue, tentative at first, touching her bottom
lip, the edge of her teeth.

She held on tighter.

His exploration grew more curious, deeper, bold as he dueled
with her tongue, and finally seductive, consuming.

She tasted
him.
And that, combined
with his touch, his scent, overwhelmed her. Heat pooled between her legs, her
nipples drew tight and somehow the two were connected, throbbing together.

God, it felt good to be aroused again, to react normally, to
want a man so much. Not just any man, but this man. Reese Bareden. Macho, sexy,
caring.

The whole package.

And he was here, with her. Judging by the hardness of his body,
he wanted her just as much.

Amazing.

A groan snuck out as she ran her hands over his broad, solid
chest, up to his shoulders, down to his biceps. So hot. She held on to him,
ensuring he couldn’t leave her. Not just yet.

Reese sank a hand into her hair, palming her skull, keeping her
right there with him. Dazed, incredibly excited, Alice relished the hungry way
he took her mouth.

His arm around her loosened, but only so he could open his big
hand over her back. She felt the gentle press of his palm between her shoulder
blades, then down the length of her spine. Stopping short of her behind, he
brought it up again. Down once more, slower this time, almost as if he fought
himself until...

He opened his hand over one cheek, caressed, delved down...

The press of his fingers nearly stopped her heart.

With a low sound deep in his throat, Reese suddenly released
her.

Mouth tingling, adrenaline pumping, Alice stared up at him.
Never before had she seen his green eyes look so bright or so burning.

He sounded hoarse when he said, “Already I’m going to have one
hell of a time sleeping. Any more of that and I’ll have to take the couch so I
don’t rush you.”

Reflex clenched her hands tight in his shirt. “But you already
promised to sleep with me.” And she already anticipated it with all her
heart.

One way or another, she’d hold him to it.

His quick laugh turned into a groan. His hands covered hers,
not to pull her away, but in reassurance. “Stop thinking I’m backing out on you,
or anything with you. Okay?”

So he hadn’t been? “Okay.” Still a little breathless, Alice
nodded. “Good.” And she thought to add, “Thank you.”

He thumbed the rioting pulse in her wrists. “You have an
amazing ass.”

No one had ever said anything so outrageous, so wonderful to
her before. The compliment warmed her clear through to her soul. She grinned at
him.

With a shake of his head, Reese said, “Go.” He pried her hands
loose, turned her and planted a light swat on her behind—the behind he claimed
to admire. “Do whatever you have to do before bed. It’s time we turned in—before
I forget myself. Again.”

Alice was counting on him doing just that. Soon. Very, very
soon.

* * *

S
HE
WORE
A
long white nightgown that
looked like something straight out of a Victorian fetish catalogue. Sleeveless.
Flowing. Opaque enough that he saw only shadows...a tease to his tested
control.

Already taut in places that didn’t bear close scrutiny, Reese
tried not to dwell on the image she’d made coming into the bedroom: face freshly
washed, hair just brushed, her small feet bare and that long white gown swinging
around her slim ankles as she marched to the bed with transparent eagerness.

It should have shredded his ego that a woman wanted to sleep
chastely with him instead of indulging in raw, hot sex. But instead, with
Alice...it broke his heart a little.

She’d be wrecked if she knew that. Pity was not a sentiment
she’d welcome.

She wasn’t all that keen on concern either.

And she despised prying.

Too bad for her that he couldn’t let it go. If she were another
woman, sure, he could take what he wanted and dismiss the rest. But with
Alice...no. Not possible.

She’d beamed at him from the other side of the bed until, teeth
locked, he’d shucked off his clothes and gotten under the covers, hopeful that
she hadn’t seen his erection beneath snug cotton boxers.

Ha. Alice made no bones about checking him out at every
opportunity.

But she hadn’t remarked on it. She’d just crawled into the bed
beside him, still smiling, smelling like lotion and toothpaste and like Alice
herself, warm and soft and so desirable his teeth ached.

Cash, tail thumping in excitement over having them together,
had bounded up, circled the bed once to say, “hey,” to each of them and then
collapsed near their feet. Reese turned out the light, stretched out on his
back, and a second later Alice cuddled close.

“Okay?” she asked.

Torturous. But he’d said only, “Perfect.”

Now, half an hour later, Cash’s doggy snores softly floated on
the quiet air, mingling with the hum of the air conditioner.

Thank God she didn’t leave the windows open at night, but then,
he wasn’t surprised that she’d locked up, checked everything twice and checked
it again.

At some point, as naturally as if they’d slept together dozens
of times, she’d turned, scooting back against him until he spooned her. That
lush little ass—such a surprise—snugged up close to his groin, taunting his
efforts at gentlemanly restraint.

His arm draped over the significant dip of her waist. He badly
wanted to open his hand over her belly, so much so that his palm tingled. The
thin barrier of that boner-inspiring gown wouldn’t hinder his touch at all.

No.

Leaving his hand lax on the mattress in front of her, Reese
squeezed his eyes shut and resisted temptation.

His roiling thoughts refused to calm. Visuals continued to slam
into his brain. Without meaning to, he dipped his head so that his nose brushed
Alice’s baby-fine hair. He inhaled deeply.