Blank Slate (30 page)

“I’m
with the girl,” Erik said. No need for the cop to know O’Connell was wanted as
well.

The
detective raised his eyebrows. “Bad night for you, eh?”

“I’ve
had better,” Erik replied. It looked like the EMT was finishing up with
O’Connell. “I’m going to take her someplace else for now.” Best to get her out
of here before someone took a closer look.

“Yeah,
sure,” the detective said. “Thanks for your help.”

“Likewise.”

A
blanket was thrown over the couch and Erik snatched it up as he walked by,
using it to wrap around O’Connell. “Let’s go,” he said. To his surprise, she
allowed him to lead her out the door without asking any questions.

His
car was parked a few blocks away, and soon they were heading out of the city.

“Where
are we going?” she asked.

“Home.”

It
was less than an hour later that Erik was parking in the garage set aside for
his apartment building. O’Connell had fallen asleep, and Erik took a moment to
look at her. She looked very small and vulnerable in his passenger seat, the
blanket tucked around her. The bandage on her neck was stark against her skin.

Erik
didn’t know if Danny would have hurt her any more than he had, but Erik didn’t
care to repeat the experience. He didn’t want her disappearing again, and he
couldn’t handle the thought of not being with her, so he’d brought her here.

“Wake
up,” he said, gently brushing her cheek. “We’re here.”

Her
eyes fluttered open. Erik gave her a small smile and tucked a strand of hair
behind her ear.

“Thank
you,” she said.

“For
what?”

“Opening
my eyes.
I don’t know if I ever would have left him if you hadn’t come.”

“I’m
sorry my telling you what he did made him panic like that.” His fingers brushed
the bandage on her neck. “I didn’t intend for you to get hurt.”

“It’s
not your fault Danny went bat-shit crazy.”

“I
shot him. Again.”

“I
know. He’ll be all right.” She paused. “He deserved it.”

Erik
relaxed slightly. She wasn’t angry with him. He’d been afraid she would be, and
he didn’t think he could bring himself to regret shooting Danny.

“Come
upstairs with me,” he said. He really didn’t want to talk about Danny anymore.

O’Connell
sat up and pushed the blanket off. “You don’t have to ask me twice,” she said.

Erik
took her hand and led her upstairs to his apartment.

It
felt surreal, watching her walk inside. She was finally here, with him, in the
flesh. Having her in his space, his domain, made his possessive streak rear its
head again. Erik wanted to throw her down on the nearest flat surface and mark
her as his. The image in his mind of her legs around his waist as he thrust
between her thighs, her sighs and moans filling the room, was intoxicating.

The
sight of an abandoned T-shirt flung over a chair quickly banished those
thoughts. Erik hadn’t cleaned up before he left to meet O’Connell, so he
started grabbing discarded clothes that were lying around. Erik had been
distracted the past few weeks and hadn’t given a shit about the state of his
apartment. Now, he was slightly embarrassed.

“Uh,
sorry for the mess,” he said, tossing the clothes behind a chair in the corner.
He shoved some dirty dishes into the sink. “I’m usually much cleaner than
this.”

O’Connell
shot him an amused glance before resuming her slow tour. “I’m sure,” she said.

Erik
abruptly remembered the state of his office and hurried to intercept her just
as she reached the door.

“Don’t
go in there,” he said, jerking the door shut.

She
arched a brow. “Why not?”

“It’s
my office. It’s a disaster.”

O’Connell
just looked at him, waiting.

Shit.
Erik didn’t know how she did that, but he found himself stepping aside.

She
took two steps into the room and froze, her jaw falling open.

The
entire room was dedicated to her. Photos, no matter how obscure, were plastered
to the walls. A huge whiteboard took up an entire wall and was littered with
scrawl. Clarissa recognized places she’d been, jobs she’d done, people she’d
worked with.

“I,
uh, haven’t had time to clean things up,” Langston said.

Clarissa
turned around. He looked like a kid who’d gotten caught with his hand in the
proverbial cookie jar. And as strange as it was, it was hard not to be
flattered by his obsession with her. After all, without it, they would never
have met.

“So
long as you only used this room for work and not for…pleasure…I have no problem
with it.” She couldn’t help grinning as his ears turned bright red.

“Of
course not!
I would never…do…that,” he spluttered in protest at her insinuation.

Clarissa
laughed lightly and decided to put him out of his misery.

“I’m
here, Langston,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. “And I’m not
going anywhere. You’re stuck with me now.”

“That’s
all I wanted,” he said. His hands were gentle as he cradled her face, kissing
her as though she were made of spun glass.

When
they parted, Langston was looking at her as though he could see into her
soul…and that he liked what he saw.

“You
know,” she said, “you told me something once, and I wasn’t ready to hear it, or
say it back. But I am now.” She could swear he was holding his breath at her
words. “I trust you, with my past, my present, and my future.
Our
future.” She
paused. “I love you, Langston.”

He
lifted her off her feet in a bone-crushing hug, smashing his lips to hers.
Langston’s happiness was infectious. He still loved her. He hadn’t forgotten
her. He’d searched for her, come for her.

“Call
me Erik.”

She
was suddenly scooped up in his arms, and he was carrying her to his bedroom and
placing her carefully on his bed. He stripped off his shirt and joined her,
covering her body with his.

“I
can’t believe you’re here,” he said, his voice nearly a whisper.

Clarissa
cupped his jaw, the rough stubble abrading her skin. “I can’t believe you still
want me here.”

Langston
took her hand, placing a kiss to the palm. “Always.”

“O
’Connell, I’m
home,” Erik called out as he entered the apartment. He dropped his keys and
cell on the table before removing his gun and holster.

“Are
you still going to call me that when your mom is here?”

Erik
turned to see her leaning against the doorjamb to the office.

“She’s
only visiting for a few days, just long enough for the wedding.” He took her in
his arms for a kiss.

O’Connell
pulled back, “Wait a minute, what wedding?”

Erik
looked at her strangely. “Ours,” he said slowly.

“I
don’t remember saying I’d marry you.” Her brow was creased in confusion.

Erik
just looked at her. How could she not remember? Oh no, not again—

“Ha!
You’re so easy, Langston,” O’Connell said with a grin, her green eyes twinkling
with mischief.

Erik
sighed with relief, then his eyes narrowed. “You’re
going to pay for that one.”

“Promises,
promises.”

She
kissed him again in such a way that he quickly forgot what they’d been talking
about. When he finally pulled back, he scrambled to get his thoughts back in
order and asked, “So did you get that code over to the DOD today?”

“Of
course,” she said. “It’s amazing how much they’re willing to pay for me to show
them how incompetent they are.”

“Hey,
just be glad they wanted to know how you hacked SWIFT more than they wanted to
put you in jail for it.”

“As
if you had nothing to do with that,” O’Connell said.

Erik
started undoing his tie. “I might have helped them…see what was in their best
interest.”

“Let
me do that,” she said, pushing his hands aside. The tie was soon sliding out
from under his collar.

“Heard
that Danny had his hearing today,” Erik said.

“Oh,
yeah?”

“He’s
being moved to Chesapeake. Close enough for you to visit.” Erik watched her
face, but she gave nothing away.

“Maybe
someday,” she said noncommittally. Erik knew she still hadn’t forgiven Danny
for what he’d done. It would take time. “Anything more on
Solomon?”

“No.
After you transferred the money back, it disappeared.”

“I’ll
find him,” she said. She’d moved on to the buttons of his shirt.

“I
don’t want you to find him,” Erik said. “I want you to stay far, far away.” It
was an ongoing point of contention between them.

“I
could say the same to you,” she said. She pushed his shirt off his shoulders.
“Now are you going to keep talking or are you going to ‘make me pay?’”

The
answer to that was patently obvious.

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