After Midnight (20 page)

Sam lurched forward, but he was grabbing at thin air. Kate rushed to join him at the rail, and they looked over at the crumpled body lying on the stones below. Brian’s arms and legs were twisted at odd angles and blood oozed out from underneath him and pooled on the stones. From the street level of the parking garage, a half dozen uniformed cops came running out, guns drawn. They looked up at Sam and Kate, and Sam gave them a small wave to indicate they were okay.

Thoroughly shaken and completely in shock, she turned to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Sam’s left arm held her close and he buried his face in her hair. He cupped her face in his hand and leaned back so he could look at her. His fingers gently caressed the bruise that was already darkening her cheekbone.

“When I saw him hit you, I could have killed him with my bare hands,” he murmured.

“When I saw him point his gun at you, I knew I’d rather die than have him kill you,” she whispered back.

“Thank goodness I learned how to shoot with my left hand.”

“Your left hand is very talented.”

He grinned at her and captured her mouth in a kiss that was both tender and possessive. “Wait till you see what I can do with both hands.”

The sounds of an ambulance squealing to a stop a few feet away and people running toward them caused them to turn.

“You’re determined to make me work this case, aren’t you?” Jim grumbled as he joined them, but his grin took out the sting.

“That’s okay. I’ve got it.” Sam wrapped his arm around Kate’s waist, and she walked with him to the ambulance. “What does a guy have to do to get some time off?”

Sam forced his eyes open. He was back in that white world. He could smell alcohol and…his nose twitched. He lifted his head and saw her, lying asleep, sitting in a chair by the bed with her head resting on his good shoulder. The sweet fragrance of her hair filled his nostrils, and he breathed in and smiled.

The movement woke her and she lifted her head, returning his gaze with sleepy eyes.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Like warmed-over crap.” He looked at his right shoulder that was again swathed in bandages. “I screwed it up again, didn’t I?”

“Not as bad as before, but they had to make a few repairs. You’ll be in rehab for another six weeks.”

“I’m more concerned about my
extracurricular
activities,” he said, and flashed her a tired, but still powerful, grin.

“I’m an actress. We’ll ad-lib,” she promised.

“I’m sorry I ever doubted you. When you went down, I thought you had been shot.”

“I thought it was the perfect time to faint.”

“It was brilliant. He couldn’t hold you up and protect himself at the same time.”

She leaned up and kissed him, gently at first, but with growing intensity. “How much did you hear?”

“Not much. When I heard you scream, I was still two levels down, but I set sprint records getting up those last two ramps. You’ll have to fill me in later.”

“I’ve already given my statement to Jim. He’s thrilled to have more paperwork to deal with.”

“Tough shit.”

They just stared at each other for a few seconds, soaking in the sight of their scratched and bruised faces.

“So, it’s really over?” she whispered.

“Yes, now all we have to do is focus on us.”

“All this has made me realize what’s important. And, Sam, I really want our relationship to work. I think I’ll be able to get a part in the next production at the Music Hall, and as long as I can keep active, I’m thinking about staying in Denver.”

“I know of a really nice condo, right downtown, used to be an old church—”

“And with the added bonus of sharing it with the hottest cop in all of Colorado. That is, if he’s ready.”

“I told you I’m a one-woman man, and I’ve found what I want.”

“Is it possible to fall in love so fast?”

“If you had asked me that a month ago, I’d have laughed out loud. But today”—he leaned up and kissed her lips—“I’d have to say that I’m a believer.”

“Knock, knock,” a loud voice boomed, interrupting them. Rusty pushed open the door and he, Chris, and Sara crowded into the small hospital room.

“What is it with you?” Rusty asked. “Are you that crazy about the food here?”

“It’s probably the nurses,” Chris volunteered.

“Well, guys, you can be the first to hear the news. I’m officially off the market.” Sam gave Kate an affectionate look.

“Who’s off the market?” The door opened wider and a man and woman pushed their way into the room. The man was an older version of the three boys, and Kate knew without introductions that this was Sam’s father. The woman rushed to Sam’s side and gently put the back of her hand on his forehead in a strictly motherly gesture.

“Mom and Dad, meet Kate.”

Kate stood and nodded at each.

“Why didn’t any of you call and tell me Sam had been hurt?” The mother glared at each of her sons in turn.

“We didn’t want to ruin your vacation,” Sam told her.

“That’s no excuse. You know I always worry about you boys. If Sara hadn’t called, we never would have known. So, tell me what happened.”

All three boys exchanged almost fearful glances. “It’s kind of a long story,” Rusty told her.

Sam reached out and captured Kate’s hand and gave her an intimate wink. “Yeah, but it has a happy ending.”

Thanks to Jim, my dear friend and the hot cop to whom I went to with all my questions.

Also, thanks to Bob Butler, wherever you are.

But the biggest thanks along with my eternal love go to my husband, Bob Wernly, who is my greatest fan, my publicist, my cover artist, my lover, and my best friend.

And, as always, to my readers and my street team for their super fandom, a special thank-you. It is because of you that I write. For exclusive bonus scenes and fun contests, be sure to sign up for my newsletter at
http://eepurl.com/​Z5ypX
.

After Midnight

Cries in the Night

Deep Night
(coming soon)

(coming in 2016)

Due Dates

Killer Date

Worst Date Ever
(coming soon)

K
ATHY
C
LARK
has always been a storyteller. She published her first book when she was just four years old…okay, it was self-published (way ahead of the trend).
The Little Black Horse That Ran Away
was self-illustrated and completely sold out of its first printing (one copy to her mother).

Years later, Kathy’s first official book was published by Dell. Since then, she has had twenty-six novels published by Random House, Dell, Crown, and Harlequin, and seven novels self-published on Amazon.

Bob Wernly, Kathy’s husband, came from a corporate background, which doesn’t usually encourage creativity. When he and Kathy came up with the idea for a young adult series, a new team was born. Since 2012, they have written three adult romantic suspense novels in the Denver Heroes series, three adult romantic suspense novels in the Scandals series (all under the name Kathy Clark), and four young-adult time
travel/romance/mysteries
in the See You Later (CUL8R) series (under the pen name Bob Kat). Their books have been honored with numerous awards, including Best Indie Book of the Year, Reader’s Favorite Award, and Colorado Humanities Awards.

www.nightwriter93.com

@93NightWriter

Summer is here! Are you ready to take the vacation of a lifetime with Loveswept? Come on, let’s go places…

New York Times
bestselling author Kathy Clark takes us to Colorado in the first two books of her new Denver Heroes series,
After Midnight
and
Cries in the Night.
Fans of Nora Roberts will adore this series of pulse-pounding romance. South Carolina is our next stop for
New York Times
bestselling author, Sawyer Bennett’s Cold Fury novel
Zack
—get ready for a very emotional ride. Head to Florida in
Falling Fast
by
USA Today
bestseller Tina Wainscott, where first love and long-awaited redemption smolder. Then enjoy a little western romance from
USA Today
bestseller Maggie McGinnis in
Once Upon a Cowboy
. Jennifer Chance’s Rule Breakers series turns up the heat as a wealthy playboy and a beautiful con artist engage in a high-stakes game of seduction in
Risk It.
And author Charlotte Stein releases
Never Loved,
the first novel in the Dark Obsession series, which tells the story of a beautiful wallflower who falls for a chiseled street fighter—and learns just how dangerous love can be.

Plus a special treat for romance fans—welcome to Vegas in
Play Me,
the entire series from
New York Times
bestselling author Tracy Wolff is now on sale as one book! Sebastian and Ethan—Oh My!

Travel the country with Loveswept and stay tuned for more in July, because next month’s travels are just as exciting!

Happy Romance!

Gina Wachtel

Associate Publisher

by Kathy Clark

Available from Loveswept

“Sunny, please take the plates to the table. Your friends will be arriving soon, and I’ve got to finish decorating the cake.” Sunny’s mother smiled and nodded toward a stack of paper plates.

The little girl picked up the plates and skipped from the kitchen. Birthday parties were her favorite things, especially when they were hers. She and her mom had been working all morning decorating the dining room. Twisted yellow and green streamers crisscrossed the ceiling, and helium balloons were tied to the back of every chair. A paper tablecloth with pictures of galloping horses covered the table. Matching cups were already set out in a row, and Sunny placed the plates next to them.

She lived and breathed horses. Hopefully, her friends knew her well enough not to bring her something ridiculous like a doll.

The doorbell rang, and she ran to greet her first guest. A tomboy, she had more male than female friends, but she had invited an almost equal number of both to make the party games more competitive.

Soon the house was filled with squeals and laughter. The boys constantly found ways to tease the girls, and, secretly, the girls loved the attention. They were at an age where they were just starting to realize there was a difference in the sexes…even if they weren’t sure what to do about it.

Everyone loved the cake, but that was no surprise. Her mom was a great cook, even though her meals weren’t fancy. She was always talking about taking cooking lessons, but she couldn’t find the time, considering she worked the night shift and took care of the house and her family. As far as Sunny was concerned, it didn’t matter; she was happy with her mom’s plain old pot roast and having warm chocolate chip cookies ready after school.

Sunny led the games and insisted everyone join in. They played beanbag toss until the boys started throwing them at each other and one of the bags broke, spilling corn kernels all over the room. Several lively rounds of balloon target—where everyone blew up a balloon, then let it go, and the winner’s balloon came closest to the paper bull’s-eye on the
ground—followed,
then Pin the Tail on the Donkey, but Sunny caught one of the boys cheating, so Mom wisely stopped the games and moved everyone to the living room for the opening of the gifts. Later, the party spilled out onto the driveway, where the boys…and Sunny…played basketball while the other girls sat on the sidelines and cheered for their favorite player. Sunny didn’t really get the giggly, gossipy girl talk. She hung out with boys because they liked to build forts and play paintball, not because they were potential boyfriends.

By the time everyone had left, it was almost dark. Her mother had cleaned up the plates and forks, but there was still wrapping paper strewn around and limp balloons bouncing off the floor. Her mother was in a hurry because she didn’t want to be late for work. She had tried to get the night off, but stomach flu had taken out half the department, so there wasn’t anyone to cover for her.

“I sprayed some cleaner on that grape Kool-Aid stain. Could you blot it and see if you can get it out?” her mother asked as she hung her apron on the hook in the pantry.

“Sure, Mom.” Sunny took the wet rag her mother held out.

“I’m sorry, baby, but I’ve got to go. I hope you had a nice birthday.”

Sunny gave her mother a big hug. “It was awesome…the best birthday ever.”

Her mother returned the hug. “I’m glad. Don’t forget to take a bath and brush your teeth. Your dad will be home soon. He’ll be up later to tuck you in.” She took her purse off the hook by the door and went into the garage.

Sunny knelt on the carpet. Grape was the worst. She sprayed and blotted, sprayed and blotted until most of the color lifted. There was still a hint of purple left, but she was tired. It had been an exciting day, and she was anxious to get to her room and play with her new toys.

She hurried through her bath, brushed her teeth, and pulled the elastic band out, freeing her long blond hair from its habitual ponytail. She combed out the tangles and put on her shorty nightgown and a clean pair of blue cotton panties, then hurried to her room.

There were a dozen new Breyer horses to be put in the wooden stables she had gotten for Christmas a couple of years ago. Every night she groomed and fed the plastic horses with dedication and devotion, as if they were real. Each had a name and a personality, and she proudly introduced the new arrivals to the herd.

With everyone settled, she climbed into bed and turned out her light. She must have dozed off, because it was after midnight when her bedroom door opened and her dad entered the room. The bed sagged as he sat on the edge. She felt his big, rough hand stroke her hair.

“How’s my birthday girl?” he asked, his words slurring together.

“I’m fine,” she murmured, only half-awake.

“I’m sorry I missed your party. My meeting ran late.” He leaned over and kissed her full on the lips.

His breath was sour and so awful that she turned her head away.

“Don’t pull away from me, sweetie. Daddy loves you.” His voice was low and soothing as he continued to play with her hair. She felt herself drifting back to sleep, but the feel of his hand on her bare leg brought her wide awake.

“I’m really tired,” she told him, barely able to see his features in the darkness. Her daddy often gave her hugs and kisses on her cheeks, but tonight he was making her feel uncomfortable.

“You’re so grown-up. It won’t be long before all the boys will be trying to get in your pants. You need to know what to expect.”

The mattress lifted as he stood. In the dark, she heard the clink of his belt buckle loosening, followed by the scrape of his zipper opening. His pants hit the floor with a jingle of metal and coins. The comforter was tossed aside and his hands pulled down her panties.

Sunny knew a little about the birds and the bees, but her knowledge was all based on health class or Animal Planet. Certainly, nothing personal.

His fingers moved between her legs, and she automatically squeezed her legs tightly together.

“Relax, sweetie. Daddy is going to show you how it feels. It’s really good. You’ll like it.” He continued to stroke her in a very private place. “You trust me, don’t you?”

Of course she did. He was her father…the man who took her to the zoo and taught her how to play basketball. He was the man who held her hand and sat next to her in church. He was the man who loved her and her mother and wouldn’t do anything to hurt either of them, right?

“This is something that all daddies do with their little girls,” he whispered in her ear as he crawled over her and supported himself on his hands and knees. “Don’t tell your mommy. She wants to keep you a baby forever. You’re not a little baby anymore, are you?”

“No,” she answered. Growing up was all she thought about. She had dreams and plans that could only happen once she was an adult. Maybe this was a rite of passage for all girls. Her daddy wouldn’t lie to her, would he?

“Relax, Sunny. This will be fun.”

She swallowed hard. So far, it wasn’t fun. She didn’t like it when her daddy drank too much. The smell she recognized as whiskey, his drink of choice, was pungent and harsh in her nostrils. It seemed to be oozing from his pores as he lowered himself. She felt something hard pushing against her…forcing itself inside. It was much bigger than she was, but he kept pushing. A tearing pain ripped through her and she cried out, but he didn’t seem to notice.

Sunny squeezed her eyes shut. She tried to pretend her horses were real, and she was on one, probably the pinto. His name was Tonka, and she loved him most of all. He had a long, flowing mane and tail. They were galloping across the prairie, with the wind whipping through her hair and the summer sun hot on her face. The rhythmic sound of hooves on the dry earth pounded in her ears.

With a guttural grunt, her father relaxed, his weight almost crushing her. He must have realized it, because he pushed himself off and got out of bed. She heard the rustle of his clothes, but she kept her head turned away. There was a metallic taste in her mouth, and she realized she had bit her lip.

“You’re a very good girl, Sunny. And Daddy loves you. Just don’t forget that this is our secret. Not all the girls are lucky enough to have what we have. Okay?”

He waited until she whispered a soft “Okay.”

“I’ll take you out for an ice cream cone at Baskin-Robbins tomorrow, okay?”

He didn’t move until, again, she breathed an unenthusiastic “Okay.”

“Good night, Sunny.”

She heard the door close as he left, but still she didn’t move. Hot, salty tears dripped off the bridge of her nose and wet her pillow. If this was part of becoming a grown-up, she didn’t think it was going to be all that great. Slowly, she climbed out of bed. She hurt all over…where he had touched her and deep inside her heart. She picked up her panties and pulled them back on, then crawled under the covers and curled into a tight ball on her side.

It was her tenth birthday. She would never forget it.