Arouse Suspicion (14 page)

Nick sank back in his seat, crossed his arms, and stared out the windshield. He should apologize to Danni, tell her that he and Karen had never dated, much less slept together. But some stubborn—and self-righteous—part of him wouldn't let him speak the words.

Did Danni think that little of him, to believe he screwed women indiscriminately?

He closed his eyes. No other female could provoke him as quickly and as completely as Danni Hawkins. Yet he still felt attraction humming between them, the same fascination he'd felt years ago for the fourteen-year-old daughter of his surrogate father, when she'd been strictly off limits.

The truck slowed and stopped. Nick opened his eyes to find Danni already out of the cab and striding toward Paddy's neat white frame house. He gnashed his teeth and followed in her blustery wake.

She unlocked the door, and Gus charged out, nearly bowling her over as the dog leaped up to greet her. Danni's stormy expression faded under the onslaught of affection, and Nick paused on the sidewalk to simply observe her.

She was a woman of contradictions: tough-skinned but softhearted, standoffish but passionate, brash but guarded. He suspected she rarely let anyone see the entire package—the real Danni Hawkins. However, Nick was becoming obsessed with learning everything about Paddy's daughter, thorns and all.

Gus trotted over to Nick and jumped up to place her front paws on his waist. He petted the golden dog and scratched behind her ears, feeling some of his irritation with Danni bleed away.

Nick gave Gus a few minutes to take care of her business, then called the dog to the porch. Danni had left the front door open, and he entered with Gus crowding against his legs to go through the doorway at the same time.

He locked the door behind him and stood in the entrance, listening for Danni. He followed muffled sounds to the kitchen, where she was pulling out the makings for sandwiches from the refrigerator. Without saying a word, Nick arranged ham and cheese slices on a plate. He set it on the table, along with the loaf of bread and condiments.

"What do you want to drink?" Danni's tone was neutral, and she didn't look at him.

"Water's fine."

She retrieved two bottles of water from the refrigerator and placed one at each of the place settings. They ate their sandwiches in silence, sharing some of the ham with Gus.

"What's the plan for the afternoon?" Nick asked after the table was cleared.

Danni shrugged. "Do whatever you want. I'm going to wash clothes."

"Would you mind washing some of mine with yours?"

Her glare gave him her answer.

Hoping he'd get a rise out of her, Nick smiled at her thorny expression. "I take it that's a no?"

She planted her hands on her hips. "How about
hell
no? Do I look like a cleaning lady?"

"From the shape of your apartment, definitely not." He was playing with fire, and enjoying it too much.

"You're treading on thin ice, Sirocco."

"I always did like a challenge." He winked, which made her cheeks redden.

She stomped out of the kitchen without replying.

Nick would've laughed, but he preferred his body without any broken bones.

Danni dumped her last load of clothes from the dryer into a basket. She glanced at the washer, which held some of Nick's clothing. He'd put them in after asking politely if it was all right to use the machine. Her conscience tugged at her sense of fair play. She could have tossed some of his laundry in with hers, but her injured pride had stopped her. It wouldn't hurt to transfer his clothes to the dryer now that she was done. After doing so, she carried her basket into the living room to fold her clean clothes.

Nick and Gus were sitting on the floor watching some old black-and-white comedy on the TV. Nick glanced up at her. "Are you done with the dryer?"

"I already put your clothes in it," she said defensively. She didn't want him to think she wasn't still angry with him.

"Thank you." His quiet voice and direct gaze were sincere.

"You're welcome," she mumbled, then picked out a pair of trousers to fold from the basket at her feet.

Although she kept her gaze averted, she could feel Nick's scrutiny. Maybe she was being churlish, and maybe his sex life wasn't any of her business, but when he hadn't denied sleeping with Karen Crandle, she'd been hurt. Which was almost laughable, because she never let herself to be hurt by a man. Have some fun, then walk away.

"I should take Gus out. She's been penned in all day," Nick said.

She wanted to tell him to go ahead, leave so she could be alone, without his distracting presence. But there was still someone out there trying to kill him, and she'd be damned if she allowed another partner to be killed. "Give me a few minutes to finish up, and I'll go with you."

Nick shot her a startled glance. "You don't have to."

"There's someone out to get you."

"We don't know that for sure."

"You're not going alone."

"I won't be alone. I'll have Gus."

"Can Gus shoot a gun?"

"I haven't taken her to the range lately...." Nick was obviously struggling to suppress a grin, but his eyes twinkled.

Danni found her own lips curving upward. "Yeah, well, that probably means she isn't weapons qualified, so I'd better go with you."

Nick stared at her a moment, then acceded with a shrug. "Sure, the more the merrier."

Danni quickly finished her task and grabbed her jacket to toss over her shoulder holster, which she hadn't removed since she'd donned it that morning.

Nick snapped a red leash to Gus's collar, and they left the house. Danni tucked her hands in her pockets and tugged the jacket snug against her torso. She walked beside Nick with Gus trotting happily ahead of them.

"How long will we have to do this?" Nick asked.

"Walk Gus?"

He shot her a half-annoyed, half-amused look. "Stick so close together."

Disappointment made her frown before she could control her reaction. "Until we figure this thing out."

"And if we never figure it out?"

"We will," Danni said firmly, hoping to convince herself as well as him.

"But if we don't—"

"We will." She calmed her frazzled nerves. "We have to, for Dad's sake."

"And yours?"

His quiet question gave her pause. "Yes. Mine, too," she replied almost in a whisper.

She expected him to repeat what Alex Levin had told her, that she couldn't gain her dead father's respect, but Nick didn't. Instead, he said with a strained voice, "For my sake, too."

Damn, he was always throwing her off balance, alternately pissing her off and forcing her to empathize with him. She wanted to stay angry with him but felt the emotion drain away. Sometimes he and she were so much alike it frightened her. Other times, it was as if they were from two diverse universes.

She sensed he had something more on his mind but didn't know if she had the right to pursue it. Especially since she'd already treaded on forbidden ground by asking him about Karen Crandle.

"Would he still be dead if I'd gotten his phone call the night he died?" Nick finally voiced in a husky tone. "He never let me down in all the years I'd known him, and the one time he called me for help, I let him down."

Danni didn't know how to respond. She was torn between being hurt that Dad had called him rather than her, and wanting to console Nick, tell him that Dad's death wasn't his fault any more than it was hers.

She ended up moving closer to him, so her elbow brushed his as they walked.

The Smith & Wesson tucked into her shoulder holster was a comforting weight against her side. Although hypersensitive to Nick's closeness, Danni remained alert for slow-moving cars and out-of-place strangers. Maybe there was too much cop in her to let down her defenses, or maybe she simply cared too much for Nick. Either reason was enough to keep her vigilant.

Gus trotted along ahead of them, occasionally stopping to water a yard. The neighborhood had grown quiet as children were called in for dinner. They were a block from her father's house when Gus decided to do her job on a sculpted green lawn.

"I hope you have a bag to pick that up," Danni said.

"I don't. Do you?"

She groaned and tugged at his arm. "Then don't let her do it here."

Nick remained immovable. "When you gotta go, you gotta go."

She leaned close to his ear, so close she felt the tickle of his soft hair against her forehead. "This is Mr. Grewen's place. He always wins awards for his lawn."

He grinned unrepentantly. "Consider Gus's contribution as fertilizer."

"That's not funny." But Danni had a hard time keeping a straight face. "As soon as she's done, we have to make a run for it."

"You're not serious, are you?"

Grewen's front door opened, and a tiny man with white hair and black horn-rimmed glasses stepped onto the porch. "Who's out there? What're you doing to my grass? Is that a dog? You get that dog off my lawn! I'm going to call the police and have you arrested!"

Danni grasped Nick's wrist. "C'mon."

Fortunately, Gus was finished, and Nick fell into a loping run beside Danni. Gus raced ahead of them, her tongue lolling. If Danni didn't know better, she would've sworn Gus was laughing at Mr. Grewen.

Nick turned into her father's driveway, but Danni grabbed his sleeve. "This way. If he sees us go in here, he'll send the cops."

With only a slight veer, Nick kept pace with Danni as they dashed past the house. Danni felt like she was eight years old again, running away from mean Mr. Grewen after she cut through a corner of his yard.

She glanced at her companion, who hollered, "How far do we have to go?"

"Just around the next corner."

Danni plunged ahead and skidded around the next block, but didn't stop until a huge brick house hid them from Grewen's view. She leaned over, placing her palms on her knees, and gasped for air in between laughter. Beside her, Nick panted and Gus pranced around them as if wondering why they'd ended the fun so soon.

"Would he really call the police?" Nick asked after regaining his breath.

"He's done it before." She read the disbelief in his features. "I was eight years old. He wanted me hauled in for trespassing because I cut through his yard. Dad convinced him not to press charges." She remembered her father's exasperation with Grewen and his defense of her. It was a memory she'd forgotten until now.

"A hardened criminal by eight, huh?" Nick teased.

"Didn't know you were spending time with an ex-con, did you?" she bantered back.

"Prettiest ex-con I've ever seen." Nick swept a wayward curl behind Danni's ear, his hand lingering and following the curve of her neck.

Desire jolted through her veins, and she knew she should step back, but his half-lidded, smoldering eyes trapped her. They drew her nearer until she could smell his body's muskiness, made more potent by their unscheduled sprint. His minty breath feathered across her lips, and she knew with absolute certainty he was going to kiss her.

Chapter Thirteen

As Nick drew Danni closer, he decided to hell with the fact that they were standing on a sidewalk in the middle of a family neighborhood. His palms followed the curve of her waist and glided down to her hips, then he leaned in to capture her lips.

Suddenly, Danni jerked out of his embrace and stared up at him, her cheeks flushed and her eyes snapping. "You bastard," she said through clenched teeth.

Reeling from her abrupt withdrawal, he growled, "What the hell?"

She whirled around and stomped away into the growing dusk. Shaking his head in frustration, Nick trailed after her with Gus straining at the leash. He breathed deeply, and as the cool air circulated through his hot blood, his mind cleared.

Why had she run off like some high school virgin?

The answer wasn't long in coming. Earlier, he hadn't denied her claim that he was sleeping with Karen Crandle, so in Danni's eyes he was merely living up—or down—-to her opinion of his moral standards.

Shit.

"Danni!"

She didn't slow her pace and was already nearly a block away.

"Dammit." He started jogging, and Gus, on her leash, loped alongside him.

He glanced up as a dark sedan neared, and his muscles tensed. It passed him slowly, and he let out a gust of air he hadn't realized he'd been holding. After last night's shooting at the center, it was difficult to stop looking at every person, every vehicle as potential danger.

An explosive shot suddenly ripped through the quiet evening, and Nick instinctively dived into a thick hedgerow next to the sidewalk. Thorns raked his face and clothing, and he heard Gus's surprised yelp at being hauled into the brambly bushes with him. Once in the middle of the thick brush, he wrapped his arms around the squirming dog and bent over her, hoping to calm and protect her.

But there was no more shooting. Eerie silence blanketed them for an interminable minute.

"Nick! Nick, where are you?"

Danni's frantic voice and the sound of her searching among the thick bushes made him uncurl from his hunched position. He released Gus, who whined and nosed her way out of the shrubbery.

Following his dog, Nick struggled through the heavy growth, biting back his aggravation with the sharp thorns. He lowered his head and was able to protect his exposed skin but couldn't see a damned thing.

Fingers closed around his arm. "Come on," Danni said, her voice close.

He allowed her to assist him out of the underbrush and stood shakily.

"Are you all right?" Danni asked anxiously, peering up into his face.

"Yeah. The shooter missed." He wiped at a tickly feeling along his cheek, and his hand came away smeared with blood. "But the thorns didn't. Did you get the license plate?"

Danni shifted her weight from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable. "Nobody was shooting at you."

Nick stared at her. Only a deaf person wouldn't have heard the attack. "You didn't hear it?"

"It was a car backfiring."

He replayed the sound of the "shot" again in his mind. He'd heard enough weapons' fire to realize Danni was right. His face heated with embarrassment. "Christ, I can't believe I thought that was a gunshot." He must be more on edge than he realized.

A light came on. and the owner of the hedgerow stepped onto his porch. "What's going on out there?"

"Just walking our dog," Danni hollered back. She grabbed Nick's arm. "Let's get back to Dad's place."

As soon as they were back in Paddy's house, Danni went upstairs and returned with the first aid kit. The way things were going, they'd need a new one soon.

"You've got quite a collection of scratches," Danni said. "Sit."

Mute, Nick eased onto the kitchen chair she'd pulled away from the table. With firm, steady fingers, she raised his chin to examine his face. She washed the shallow cuts first with water, then peroxide.

Nick caught a glimpse of guilt in her eyes and frowned. He captured her hand and asked gently, "What's going on, Danni? You said yourself it was only a car backfiring."

Her gaze flickered to him, then slid away. "What if it wasn't? What if it
had
been a gunshot?"

"It wasn't."

Her expression flared with impatience. "Dammit, Nick. If that had been a shooter, you'd be dead!"

Nick had no idea why she was dwelling on what-ifs. "A car backfired, and I overreacted. End of story."

She jerked her wrist out of his hold and tossed the gauze she'd used to clean his abrasions in the wastebasket under the sink. Leaning against the counter, she crossed her arms and studied the floor like it hid the mysteries of the universe. Nick, however, noticed her hands trembling.

Concerned, he rose and moved to stand in front of her. She continued to stare downward. He brushed a dark curl behind her ear and allowed his fingers to linger in her silky hair. "What's really bothering you, Danni?" he asked tenderly.

The wall clock ticked off countless seconds as Nick waited for her reply. He sensed she was fighting inner demons, but there was nothing he could do unless she let him in.

Finally, she raised her head, and moisture glimmered in her eyes. However, her voice was filled with self-directed anger. "If that had been a real hit, you'd be dead because I was acting like a jealous teenager instead of doing my job." A tear spilled down one cheek, and she blinked, preventing any more. "I'm sorry." Her voice broke.

Her apology settled someplace in Nick's chest, making it hard to breathe. "I'm sorry, too." He licked his dry lips and fanned his fingers across her damp cheek. "There's no reason for you to be jealous, Danni. I have never slept with, nor do I plan to sleep with Karen Crandle. In fact, you're the first woman I've been with for close to a year."

Danni's eyes widened. "You're kidding."

He smiled self-consciously but didn't regret his confession. He raised his right hand. "Scout's honor. Working at home, I don't get a lot of opportunity to meet women."

"But you volunteer at the center."

He chuckled. "If you haven't noticed, the only women there are either young enough to be my daughter or old enough to be my mother. And neither appeals to me."

"But Karen—"

"Isn't you," Nick finished softly.

A pink flush flooded Danni's cheeks, but she raised her hand and traced the curve of his jaw. "So, there's no significant other in your life right now?"

He shivered at the feather-light caress of her fingertips. "I wouldn't say that."

The dark blue irises were almost eclipsed by her pupils. "I'm not looking for anything serious."

Her breathy tone shot straight to Nick's gut. He shifted closer, so only a hairsbreadth separated them. "Neither am I."

Danni wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. "So what do two unattached people who are attracted to one another do if neither wants a relationship?"

Her warm breath spiked his nerve endings, and her sinfully seductive voice sent pleasurable signals scampering to his groin. He brushed her nose with his. "Play canasta?"

"I prefer gin."

"Strip poker?"

Her smile was anything but angelic. "Why don't we forget the poker part and just strip?"

Nick definitely liked that suggestion as his erection surged against denim. He nudged his hips against her, letting her feel him. "My kind of woman."

She leaned back and kept her hungry gaze locked on his as she unbuttoned his first button, then the second and third. Holding his shirt open, she kissed the center of his chest.

Nick groaned and cupped her soft backside in his palms and tugged her body against him. She raised her head and licked her lips, like a cat that had discovered a whole pint of spilled cream. Slipping her arms around his waist beneath the now fully opened shirt, she continued her exploration of his pectorals using her lips and tongue.

Bolts of pleasure seared him. There was nothing tentative about Danni's actions. Her kisses were like her: brash, bold, and passionate.

As hot as her caresses were, Nick wanted more. He wanted to touch
her
—skin against skin. He leaned close to her ear, yielded to the temptation to give it a tender nip before whispering, "Upstairs."

Danni shivered, and he felt her nod.

They tiptoed past Gus, who was sound asleep on the living room floor, and ascended the stairs. At the top of the staircase Nick paused, uncertain which bedroom to use.

Danni tugged him down the hall to her room, where they'd made love the first time. She released him and stepped back, removing her shoulder holster and placing it on the nightstand. She pulled her shirttails out of her jeans and reached for the hem.

Nick's hands settled on hers. "Let me."

She gave him a short nod and raised her arms. Prolonging the sensual torment, Nick eased the shirt over Danni's head slowly, revealing a black lace bra with alluring glimpses of skin beneath it. He tossed the shirt aside.

Danni and Nick's gazes locked as he palmed her lace-covered breasts and rolled her nipples between his thumb and forefinger. She reached back and unsnapped her bra. As she slipped the straps down her arms, Nick released her and removed the undergarment, baring her breasts.

His breath caught in his throat, and he leaned forward to capture an already taut nipple in his mouth. Danni moaned, and her head fell back, giving him full access to her breasts. As he worshiped her with his lips, she stroked his bare torso, alternating between a barely there touch and an erotic play of fingernails.

Nick unsnapped and unzipped her jeans, then shoved them down her long legs. Danni kicked them off impatiently. His lusty gaze drank in the sight of her wearing only a pair of lacy underwear; they looked infinitely better on Danni than on her apartment floor.

"Someone still has too many clothes on." Danni's eyes sparkled with a mixture of desire and mischief.

"Someone
should probably take care of that."

Almost before Nick had gotten the words out, Danni was upon him, and a minute later, he stood naked in the middle of her bedroom.

She eyed him and licked her lips. "Much better."

"Not quite." He hooked his fingers in the waistband of her panties and spent a moment caressing her smooth belly beneath the black lace. Sliding lower, he felt her damp heat, her readiness for him.

Danni's eyes widened, and her breath quickened. "You damned well better get down to business soon, Sirocco." Her voice was husky with need, and her legs trembled.

He laughed, but he, too, was reaching the end of his patience. He skimmed down her underwear and knelt before her as she lifted one foot, then the other. The underwear joined her other clothing already scattered across the floor.

Her muskiness filled his senses, and he grasped her hips, bringing her forward to taste her.

"Nick!" Danni cried out at the first touch of his tongue.

Smiling, he continued to pleasure her. Her hands kneaded his shoulders, and her little mewls of passion brought Nick dangerously close to the edge. Danni's legs trembled, and he barely managed to rise and guide her to the bed.

He grabbed the foil pack from his wallet. Yesterday he'd felt like a kid hoping to get lucky when he'd bought the condom from a rest room vending machine. Now he wished he'd bought more than one.

He knelt between her long legs and braced his hands on either side of her head. Her dark, curly hair fanned across the pillow, framing her flushed face. Leaning down, he buried his nose between her neck and shoulder. She smelled of shower soap with a faint tinge of sweat—all woman and all Danni.

She ran her hands down his chest and belly, then grasped his hardness. Nick jerked his head up and thrust into her soft yet firm grip. He was close. Too damned close.

He seized her skillful hand, his body poised on the edge and his breathing harsh. "Easy, Hawkins."

She laughed, but the sound was thready. "Too much woman for you, Sirocco?"

He couldn't help but chuckle. Danni was pushy both in bed and out. "Damned straight."

Their heated gazes met, and the air crackled between them.

"I want you now, Nick," she whispered.

She wrapped her shapely legs around his waist and urged him downward with a strength that didn't surprise him. He forced himself to stay motionless and grinned down at her. "Impatient?"

The impact of her glare was diminished by her kiss-swollen lips. "Horny."

He laughed, but understood too well. Lowering his body, he kissed her and eased into her tightness. Sensations washed over him and threatened to overcome his control before he was completely sheathed.

He tried to remain still, but Danni didn't cooperate. She thrust her hips upward, taking his full length into her. Thought spiraled away, and Nick matched Danni's driving rhythm as she lunged up to meet him. Their bodies glided together, and the wave of pleasure crested higher and higher.

Suddenly Danni screamed, and her body tightened around him, drawing his orgasm from him with powerful pulses.

As the aftershocks faded, Nick eased out of her and disposed of the condom. He lay down beside her, their heads touching on the pillow.

The first time they'd made love, it had been an act of desperation prompted by a nightmare, and immediately afterward they'd fallen asleep. This time, Nick took pleasure in the afterglow of their lovemaking and the intimacy of merely lying close, their bodies cooling.

Danni could be exasperating as hell at times, but in bed she became a fiery lover who gave as well as received with equal amounts of passion. Just thinking about the teasing, sexy twinkle in her eyes sent renewed desire arrowing through him.

He turned his head toward her. "Still horny?"

She snorted. "Fishing for compliments, Sirocco?"

He stifled a grin. "No need to strain yourself, Hawkins."

Danni laughed, which made her breasts jiggle enticingly. "All right. You were good. Very good. Satisfied?"

Nick rolled onto his side and propped his head on his hand to look down at Danni. Her cheeks remained flushed, and she didn't appear embarrassed by her nudity. Even as he slid his gaze across her pale skin, she didn't try to cover herself. "Oh, yeah. Definitely satisfied."