Conflicting Interests (17 page)

He stood, offering her a hand and he led her away to his
bedroom and into the master bath. She’d not had a chance to comment on his home
but she loved it. It was incredibly comfortable and masculine in a warm, safe
sort of way. She loved the earthiness of it. The warm colors, the straight,
authentic lines of his furniture. She’d barely caught a glimpse of everything
there was to see but she loved it. It felt like him.

He started the bath and returned to where he’d left her
standing by the sink. “Stay tonight.”

She nodded.

“Stay all week.”

She said nothing for a moment but then met his expectant and
demanding expression. She nodded again and he leaned to her mouth. Lunatics
aside, this might be one hell of a good week.

She helped him with breakfast the next morning and when her
cell phone started ringing she snatched it up quickly. He knew instantly it was
Smith or Terrell just by the way her eyes moved to his quickly.

“No, I didn’t stay at Imogen’s last night and I won’t be
there much this week.” She listened as she chewed on the inside of her lip and
fidgeted. “Just with a friend. I’d rather not say but I’m safe.”

More silence as she shifted uncomfortably. “I’m sorry but
I’m not going to tell you.” Her eyes met his as he poured her a cup of coffee.
“I’ll make sure to call you whenever I’m going to Imogen’s house but I’m sorry,
I don’t owe you any other explanation than that. No, you…”

She was struggling to maintain control of this conversation
and he wanted to reach through the phone and bitch-slap whoever the hell was
talking to her. “I said no. I’m not… No! Shut up and listen to me.”

Apparently she wasn’t losing control of this one at all.

“My life has been in danger for the past month. I’m as safe
where I’m at as I could be anywhere. This is my damn life and quite frankly
when this fucktard finally kills me—”
Fucktard?
“it’ll be my death too,
so you can just kiss off unless you have something constructive to say!”

And then she hung up on him, taking a deep steadying breath
before she looked back to Dillon, whose mouth was no doubt hanging open.

“Umm…coffee?” He held out a cup to her and she offered a
weak, apologetic smile.

“Sorry. That was wrong, wasn’t it?”

“It was …interesting. And what is a fucktard exactly?”

Now her cheeks turned pink and she shook her head. “I’m not
actually sure. I hear these words at school and I’m not always sure what they
mean but it seemed appropriate for some reason.”

He couldn’t stop smiling at her. He made them toast and
joined her at the dining room table and he just watched her. He had no idea if
this woman could love him. He knew he loved her and he knew the idea she was in
danger was painful in a way he’d never experienced before with a witness.

It wasn’t pleasant knowing all the ways she could be hurt,
destroyed and taken from him. He understood the threat too well to ignore it
and he was prepared to lose everything to protect her from it.

He’d worked hard for his career but if forced to choose
between her and his career, there was no real question anymore how he would side.
He’d choose her hands down and never look back so long as he could keep her
safe while doing it.

“Kat, would you take a self-defense class?” She looked up
from her bite of toast and nodded.

“So long as you understand I can trip over my feet walking on
flat ground barefoot.”

“And yet you managed to stay on your feet while I fucked you
up an entire flight of stairs yesterday. I’d say you’re a bit more coordinated
than you give yourself credit for.” He smirked as her cheeks turned pink.

When the color in her cheeks died down, she looked out the
window for a moment and then back to him. “You should use me as bait, then
pounce on the bad guy when he comes after me.”

She looked half serious which made him want to punish her
for being so naïve. “You realize I’m already mad at you for driving yourself to
class, right? Now you’re really pushing it. Shit like that only works in the
movies when everybody gets to go home safe and alive at the end of the day. And
if I’m not making myself clear enough, that was a hell no.”

“Fine, party pooper. Just an idea.”

“Self-defense, mace, that’s perhaps a better plan of action
for you. And one that won’t give me a coronary. I know an officer who teaches a
class and we’ll see about getting you in it but I’ll get you started today and
go over a few things with you.”

“So, self-defense is on the agenda for the day?”

“Unless you have somewhere more important to be.” He smirked
and she shook her head.

“How about you make love to me first? Then, I’ll do whatever
self-defense mumbo-jumbo you want me to.”

“Deal. Now get your ass upstairs to bed.”

* * * * *

She was quite sore—not to mention exhausted—by the time he’d
finished with her. It was also late in the afternoon by the time they even felt
like leaving the bedroom. Not that he was so insanely virile that he could fuck
for hours on end but it was just an incredible day spent watching TV in bed,
making love a couple of times, countless rounds of some type of foreplay and
then finally a long hot shower.

He plucked the butterfly bandages from her breast as she
stood under the hot jets of water. He was careful and he gently traced the
straight lines of already-healing cuts. However awful and disturbing the
crisscross pattern looked, the cuts were actually very shallow and she could
already see pink scar tissue filling in.

“I think I’m going to buy you a new dildo. Either that or
I’m going to have to steal yours from evidence.” He was murmuring against her
ear.

“I’d prefer a new one. Who knows what that wackjob did with
mine. And why might I ask are you wanting to buy me a new one?”

“I’ve been having incredible fantasies about watching you
fuck yourself. Sorry, but it’s true. I would absolutely love to watch you.” Her
entire body was prickling with a sudden flush of need.

“So long as you buy me a new vibrator too then, or fetch
mine from my house. It was never much fun without that.” She should probably be
shutting up right about now but then she wouldn’t be very Katrina if she
controlled her mouth.

“Odd Mr. Lunatic didn’t manage to get his hands on that too.
Maybe I’ll just break into your house for it.”

She was laughing as his hands ran over her skin. It might
well be a quirky conversation but she was aroused…again. Seemed to be a
constant thing today.

“Well he wouldn’t necessarily have found them both because I
didn’t keep them together. The vibrator’s in my underwear drawer and the now
sadly inadequate fake penis was in the bathroom. Penises belong in bathrooms,
vibrators belong in bedrooms. Everybody knows that.” She was full of shit but
the abrupt end to laughter stopped her dead in her tracks and she pulled back
to look at him.

“Wait. Not the nightstand. You have a nightstand, but you
kept it in the bathroom?” She failed to see his interest but she nodded.
“Where?”

“Under the sink in a little drawer unit that I use for
storage. Why?”

“Fuck. Sweetie, your house wasn’t ransacked.”

“Okay? I don’t understand.” Her arousal was fading but her
interest was certainly piqued.

“We made the mistake of assuming you kept it in your
nightstand or somewhere easy to find. It would be one thing for a person to
break in, open a nightstand drawer and find condoms, sex toys, lube, you name
it. It would almost be expected. If not there, a dresser drawer perhaps. I’d
expect the man to find your sex toys someplace that is easy to speculate where
to find or even somewhere he’d seen you put it when he spied on you.”

“And?”

“If he found it in your bathroom in the sink cupboard within
a storage drawer and he did all that without ransacking your house, then he
knew where the hell to look.” Her skin suddenly felt like it was crawling with
maggots and bile was suddenly churning in her throat.

“Well maybe he saw me when he was spying on me.”

“And if a person could see your bathroom from any exterior
window of your home that might be possible. Your bathroom is in the hallway
halfway down the hall. It has no window and it’s not visible from any exterior
windows. Who knew it was there?”

“Umm, no one. I mean…” She shook her head in disbelief.

“Did Jason know where you kept it?” She could tell he was
trying to keep the accusation from his voice but it was there and when her eyes
found his, his jaw was tight and his expression was harsh.

“Yes. But it wasn’t Jason. Jason may have blue eyes but I
heard this man’s voice. It isn’t Jason.”

Given the sarcastic angry expression on his face, he didn’t
have much appreciation for her opinion on the matter. “Yeah? Well you dated the
asshole for months without realizing what a dick he was so I’m not sure I have
much faith in your judgment.” He was pissed and as he turned from her and
stalked out of the shower without another word she stomped after him.

“Well he knew where my vibrator was too. If he’s Mr. Psycho,
why didn’t he get that out too? Double whammy of Katrina humiliation, huh?” She
was getting more pissed by the second. Dillon was standing dripping wet and
naked in front of her and he just glared at her.

“Get back in the shower.”

“No!”

He rolled his eyes but it was without a shred of humor. “You
haven’t even rinsed your hair.” Suds dropped from the top of her head to the
tile floor as if on cue and he walked from the room, slamming the door.

She finished her shower, staying there for a long time just
staring at the tile walls surrounding her. She was trying to calm down. She
didn’t want to fight with Dillon. He’d made a valid point and it was as much a
clue as any they’d found and here she was overreacting.
But what the fuck!
If
she was overreacting he was doing a damn fine job of overreacting too.

When she finally stepped from the enclosure, she sucked in a
quick breath. He was standing up against the counter with his arms folded and
his ankles crossed. He was still just as naked as he’d been before but his
expression had softened marginally.

“This is why I can’t be a detective on your case. I’m at big
risk of killing potential suspects because they’ve fucked you and happen to be
complete assholes.”

He stared at her feet for a moment. “Nice loss of
perspective, huh? I hate that you’ve slept with that man. I hate that he knows
you intimately and he knows things about your life that I don’t—even stupid
shit like where you keep your fucking sex toys.” He shook his head. He was
irritated with himself and her irritation was dissipating.

He led her back to bed and crawled in next to her. So much
for self-defense. He held her for the rest of the night. They talked. He seemed
intent on asking her everything under the sun about herself—her family, her
history, her life. She couldn’t complain. She wanted him to know and she spent
just as much time delving into his own past.

She was envious of his relationship with his family. It was
obvious they meant the world to him and she missed it now that her dad was gone
but she loved that he understood the importance. She didn’t like hearing about
his past relationships, shallow as they appeared to be, any more than he liked
to hear about Jason. She understood. He belonged to her in some sense and she
really hoped he understood that she belonged to him if he’d have her too.

They fell asleep and when he woke her in the middle of the
night it was with his fingers exploring her body. He touched and caressed every
inch of her. He pushed slowly into her, first one finger then a second. When he
added a third, she groaned at the intensity. It wasn’t as intense as making
love but it was close enough to leave her trying to relax her muscles around
him. He stroked the pad of his thumb over her clit and she started writhing as
he leaned over her body. When he stopped suddenly, she almost sobbed.

“That man will never touch you again, do you understand?” He
wasn’t angry but the adamancy was undeniable.

“I made that decision a long time ago. I promise.”

He stroked her clit and she crumbled in his arms, gasping as
her orgasm overcame her. She dug her nails into his upper arm as her insides
gripped his fingers. She was repeating his name against his neck like a damn
broken record but he hummed against her skin in contentment.

“I have to tell Smith and Terrell.” He spoke into the
darkness as she lay panting beside him. “They need to know they should be
looking for someone who had access to your home before the break-in. They need
to start looking at repairmen and anyone else who could know your personal
habits. Stephens and I ran down as many of the workmen as we could from the
contractor information you gave us but I think they need to dig deeper. We hit
some dead ends due to turnover, layoffs and poorly kept employment records but
there’s gotta be something there.”

“But if you tell Smith and Terrell…”

“I’m going to tell Smith and Terrell.”

“Dillon…” He shushed her quickly and pulled her into his
arms. She didn’t need to see his face to see the concern. There was a weight
sitting on his conscience at the moment and he couldn’t hide that from her.

Dillon had no idea why he was so enraged by her past with
Jason and he watched her sleeping beside him trying to figure it out. Dillon
wasn’t the jealous type—never had been. But when it came to her he was all
sorts of jealous.

He wanted to know he meant something to her and he couldn’t
stand to think he was just another Jason to her. It was probably his own doing.
He’d kept his relationships casual since Shannon had died and Katrina was the
first one since her he wanted to keep permanently. Yet he had this incredible
fear she saw him in the way he usually saw his women.

She didn’t really seem built for such casualness but it
didn’t stop him from fearing it. He didn’t want to be to her what he’d made
every relationship he’d had before her into be.

She was so beautiful. Her light-brown hair was long and
straight and her lips had that full poutiness. He caught himself licking his
own lips just at the sight of hers. Her face muscles twitched occasionally as
she dreamed and when she moaned quietly he ran his hand down her shoulder and
kissed her forehead. When he pulled back he could see her open eyes glistening
in the moonlight.

“I care about you too. I’m sorry I didn’t say it the other
morning.” He stared at her, trying to get his throat to swallow, trying to
breathe, trying to get his tongue out of the way so he could respond. When she
sat up, shaking her head and turning from him, he knew he’d fucked up. He
grabbed her around the waist, pulling himself up to sit behind her.

“Stop. Don’t you even think of running away from me.” He
pulled her hair over her shoulder so he could kiss her neck and he sucked
gentle kisses along her neckline. She dropped her head to the side and he
nuzzled up under her ear. He still wasn’t saying what he needed to say but then
she wasn’t saying what he needed her to say either.

He pulled her back down to bed and she curled into his arms.
They stayed there until the next morning. He really did want to show her some
self-defense moves but every time he mentioned it to her that day or brought it
up, they somehow ended up in bed or curled up together on the couch. It was
Sunday after all and they weren’t ready to deal with real life, real threat, real
anything. His home felt safe to him—it always had—and having her in it not only
felt right and comfortable, it felt safe.

“I have to go feed Kitty and get some clothes.” He said
nothing as she looked at him, waiting for a response. If he said no, he had no
doubt she’d tell him to fuck off. Perhaps she’d say it nicer than she said it
to Smith and Terrell but she had no problem standing up to pretty much anyone
and she wasn’t going to neglect her cat for her own safety.

“I’m guessing they’re not sitting on Imogen’s house as much
as they would if you were staying there, so you need to make sure they know
when you’re going to be there. They’ll likely have an officer meet you there,
and if they don’t I want to know because you shouldn’t be there alone. I think
you should just bring your cat with you.”

Now he was expecting an argument and he got it.

“Kitty is over twenty years old. You don’t just tote around
geriatric cats from one place to another for a few days. She’s not a dog. You
just can’t…”

“You could just stay.” He said it casually but inside he was
freaking the hell out. What the hell had he just proposed? He stood and walked
from the room without giving her a chance to respond. He flopped down on the
couch and turned the TV on.

It didn’t take her long to find him and he muted the TV as
she sat next to him. He was lounged back on the sectional and he let his hand
trail up under the bottom of her shirt as he studied her eyes. Feeling so
desperate for a woman wasn’t something he was used to. It put her in an odd
state of control over him he didn’t usually—ever—give up so easily.

“I’m not sure what you’re saying.”

“Yes you are. But you’re right. It was a stupid idea. Forget
I said it.” She looked hurt for a moment but he was hurt that she was surprised
he’d asked. Again, what wasn’t being said was fucking everything up but it just
wasn’t the time.

Her life was in danger, their relationship was moving far
faster than it had any business going at the moment—hell, his own son wasn’t
even fully aware of what was happening. None of the things that needed to
happen for them to move forward had happened and until her life was secure
there was little point. Not that he was willing to lose her, not that he
intended to but, fuck it, was hard to figure out how to move past this until
she was safe. Maslow was one smart-ass shrink who’d nailed it. They were just
stuck on a rung of a ladder, unable to take the next step up.

Her lips were slightly parted and her expression was weary
and confused, all the things he didn’t want her to feel but since his words
just seemed to complicate things he let his lips fix it. He took her mouth
gently. He tasted her and held her lips to his with a firm hand on her cheek.

He could absolutely see a life with her. She might be
younger than he but she was mature, smart, a bit bold when she wanted to be. He
could see her home here with he and Seth and he knew his son well enough, even
at thirteen, to know he could handle this. They could be a family together.

Family
. That damn thing she lost a few years ago and
he wanted to give her. He had no idea if she wanted children of her own but he
wouldn’t balk at the idea of giving her that too. He was young enough at
thirty-five and she’d make an outstanding parent. There was no doubt of it.
Seth would also make an incredible older brother.

He was planning their damn lives out together as she sat
nervously by his side. His hand was still under the bottom of her shirt but his
fingers had stilled the moment the conversation got strained.

“I have to go to the precinct for a while. Don’t forget to
call Smith and Terrell before you leave. I’ll leave you a key on the table
before I hop in the shower.” He stood as her eyes followed him from the room.

When he’d finished showering and dressing she was already
gone. He’d worry until he saw her again but he wasn’t lying when he’d said he
needed to go to the precinct. He called Stephens, bracing himself for a
shitstorm of irritation and minutes later, he was out the door.

* * * * *

She ended up doing two loads of laundry while she was at
Imogen’s. She spent the rest of her time snuggling with Kitty on the couch
while she waited for the buzzer. The day was warm and the sun lit up the great
room of Imogen’s home. Katrina dozed as Kitty purred and by the time her
laundry was folded and she had a few outfits, clean underwear and a toothbrush
crammed in a bag, the sun was just starting to set.

She decided to call Imogen, knowing where the conversation
was going to go even before she dialed but Imogen was her best friend and she
needed to talk.

“You slept with him!” She was practically squealing into the
phone.

“Yeah well I don’t know if it will happen again. I just keep
screwing this up. I literally can never say the right thing and I’m not even
sure what the right thing to say is!”

“Did you ever think honesty might be the way to go?”

“No, don’t be ridiculous.”

“Do you love him?”

“Oh come on, Imogen. I don’t want to answer that question.”

“Why not?”

“Because…I can’t possibly know how he feels about me and I
don’t want to love someone who doesn’t feel the same for me as I do for him.
That would destroy me.”

“What makes you so sure he doesn’t love you too?”

“It’s been little over a month. The circumstances
surrounding our relationship are just…well it’s just chaos. What if what I’m
feeling is the result of this adrenaline, this life upheaval that I’m
experiencing?”

“You can’t possibly believe that. I know you better than
that. Mum and Dad asked me to tell you hi and that they’re thinking of you.
They’re also pissed I didn’t bring you with me. You know how much they love you
after that time you picked me up in college.”

“Imogen, I bailed you out of jail.”

“The charges were dismissed, duh. So it’s not like I was
really arrested.”

“The UK justice system isn’t so different from ours, Imogen.
You were arrested. I promise you. Listen, I’ll talk to you soon. I miss you.”

“Miss you too, Trink. Be careful.”

Moments later there was a knock on her door and she spoke
with the officer who’d met her at the gate when she’d arrived. He’d inspected
the interior of the house and then patrolled the property while another patrol
officer circled the block. She was starting to feel like a drain on the Seattle
taxpayers but she was grateful. When she returned inside, her phone rang again.
Apparently her lazy afternoon was over. It was Dillon.

“Can we have dinner downtown?” She said nothing for a
moment. She was actually just relieved he didn’t seem upset with her. “Kat? Are
you okay?”

“Yes. Yeah, sorry. Of course we can.” He gave her the
address and told her which parking garage to park in. So apparently not all
parking garages were a no-no. And once she was there she found a space easily.
It was Sunday evening and the garage was deserted but it didn’t stop the gears
from turning in her head.

She started panicking the moment she turned off her car. The
concrete walls and low ceilings suddenly seemed so claustrophobic and she
couldn’t seem to open her door. But instead of letting her imagination get away
from her she dialed him.

“I’m here. But shit. I’m sorry. I’m just afraid to even get
out of the car.” She felt ridiculous as she said the words.

“What level are you on? I’ll come to you.”

He pulled in next to her less than a minute later and as she
finally unlocked her door and opened it he was there beside her, pulling her up
into a tight embrace. “You’re okay, baby.” He murmured against her ear as she
inhaled a lurching breath. Yes she was. So long as he was there she’d be just
fine. He grabbed her bag from the front seat of her car and tossed it in the
backseat of his as she watched him curiously.

“We’re leaving your car here. Being all covert-like.” He
smirked and she shook her head.

“And what happens when I need a car?” She was challenging
him.

“Well, we’ll just get yours if we need to. Otherwise you can
take a cab if you have to or I can take you where you need to go. Neither of us
have to work this week, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“You know leaving my car in this garage for a few days is
going to cost me a pretty penny.”

“You’re a teacher. You make plenty of money.” She snorted at
that one. “I’m paying for dinner to make up for it and you might just have to let
me pay to bust your car out of here too.” He took her hand, pulling her toward
the elevator.

The restaurant was quiet, quaint and perfect. It was
Italian—you could never go wrong with Italian in Katrina’s opinion. He sat
across from her, watching her. He seemed to enjoy looking at her and frankly,
she found it sexy as hell when he studied her so seriously. He was obviously
not upset about earlier and she certainly wasn’t either.

“How’s Kitty?”

“Alive. That’s about the most I can say about the old bat at
this point.” He smiled.

“And an officer met you there?”

“Yes. Searched the house, patrolled the property. No sign of
any activity there from what he said.”

“Good.”

“Why did you go to the precinct today?” She was afraid she
already knew the answer to that question but she asked anyway. The overlong
pause that met her question made it clear she was right on the money.

“I called Stephens and asked him to meet me there. I wanted
to talk to him about our conversation and the possibility the perp had been
inside your home before the break-in.” She just nodded as he talked. “I gave
him the watered-down version of our conversation. I left out the fact we were
in the shower and a good portion of what I said to you leading up to our
conversation. I admitted I’d talked to you, which was bad enough given his
reaction and I filled him in on why I thought this perp has had access to your
home before.”

“You talked to Stephens about my dildo?”

“Everyone knows you have a dildo at this point, sweetie.”

“It’s humiliating.”

“I personally find it sexy as hell. I’m sorry you find it
humiliating.” He was smirking and as the waitress suddenly arrived with their
food he didn’t even bother looking up to her as she set their plates down. He
was back to studying her.

“So what did Stephens say?” She spoke around a mouth full of
eggplant parmesan.

“He called me a dumb fucking idiot, then he agreed with me.
Smith and Terrell were there and I let Stephens do the talking. He didn’t
mention when I spoke to you about it. He only filled them in on the
conversation and when they asked when we’d spoken, he sidestepped the question
and I left before it could go any further. Doesn’t much matter and they know
that. So long as they move their investigation down that path and follow up
further on the contractor leads like they should, it’s none of their business.”

“You really think it could be one of the contractors?”

“There are an incredible number of scenarios to consider but
they’re right to delve into it further. I don’t want to talk more specifically
about it than that with you but I can guarantee you Smith and Terrell will. You
need to be honest, you need to be open, you need to try really hard to remember
the details they ask for. Your cooperation is a huge asset to them and it needs
to stay that way.”

She nodded. He was putting a kibosh on the topic but she
understood. Having this conversation with him now would make it redundant
later. Best to just deal with the detectives who could use the information she
gave them and not put details in Dillon’s hands that would leave him in the
position of having to pass clues along to them. Scary how much she was starting
to understand this conflict from his point of view.