Chapter 11
Daniel figured Selena meant she would give the file to the men as bait to catch them, but he didn’t think they would fall for it.
“The brothers. What if we give them the file and then they think they’re free to go?” Selena asked.
“They tried to kill me. They know we’re not going to let them go.
Not only that, but they had two skeletons in their possession.
We don’t know whether they had anything to do with the murdered women.
But moving the skeletons brings a charge of tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse, and unlawful transport of human remains across state lines, plus more charges could be made. ”
“Well, I meant for you and your men to catch them for sure. Not just give them the file and let them go on their merry way.”
“I don’t want you to get near them.”
“All right.” Changing the subject, she sighed and said, “I guess we can’t run as wolves for a while.”
“Not until my arm is healed. Unless it’s an emergency.”
She took their empty plates into the kitchen, and he joined her and kissed her. But when he began putting the dishes in the dishwasher, she said, “You are supposed to be resting, not helping me.”
“I swear I feel fine. A twinge of pain occasionally is all.”
“All right, but if you end up back in the hospital, don’t tell me I didn’t tell you so.”
He smiled. “I’ll take it easy.”
She finished cleaning up the pots and colander, then set them out to dry. “Do you want to watch a movie and then we’ll go to bed?”
“Yeah. It’s so nice being home.”
“It is.” Even she had felt that way about staying with Daniel for another night in the hospital. The couch in the room hadn’t been half as comfortable as his big bed.
They finally finished the thriller, which helped them get their minds off the shooting, and headed for bed.
She assisted him with removing his uniform, then helped him into lounge shorts.
Afterward, she dressed in pajamas and joined him in bed.
Even though she had planned to give him his space, not wanting to hurt his arm, he seemed to have other ideas when he wrapped his good arm around her.
“Are you sure you’re all right sleeping this way?” she asked, snuggling against him, enjoying the heat of his body, the spicy scent of him, his pheromones enticing her own.
“Yeah. If it bothers me in the night, we can cuddle a different way.”
She smiled, loving that he wanted to be close to her no matter what. She sure wanted to be close to him tonight. “How are you feeling about the shootout?”
“Annoyed that I didn’t take them out.”
“I don’t blame you. Do you feel any PTSD from getting shot, like during the bank robbery?”
“Yeah. While in the Army, we came under fire on more than one occasion. Your heart pounds, and you’re sure you’ll get hit under the barrage of bullets.
But then you survive the day and you’re ready for the next time.
But I have to admit that if I’m in another shootout like this, it’s going to bother me. ”
“I feel the same way about being stalked. My heart races and skin chills when I think someone is following me with evil intent.”
“I totally understand that.” He gave her a squeeze, telling her that he was there for her, which she appreciated.
They moved around a few times so he could get comfortable. The next thing she knew, it was time to get up. She wanted to stay with him like this, enjoying the intimacy between them, but she knew she had to get ready for the shop.
“I’ve got breakfast.” She hugged and kissed him.
He didn’t seem to want to let her go either. Then he finally released her, and she hurried out of bed, changed clothes, and walked into the kitchen to make breakfast.
Once she made coffee for them, he came out wearing his pajama bottoms, his arm in a sling, his chest bare. “Sorry. I forgot you might need help dressing,” she said, giving him a kiss and a light hug. “You make my day so special.”
“You do that for me. As to helping me dress, I’m good. I’ll just be lounging around the house today until you return from the shop.”
“Good. That’s just what you need to do. I think I’ll bring home the skeleton skulls tonight and work on reconstructing them, if that’s all right with you. I’ll fix dinner for us before I start.”
“Yeah, sure. So you’re also a forensic sculptor. I would love to see the process.”
“Okay, good. It’ll take a while to make them up since I’m not working on one all day long.”
“All right.” Then he got a call. “They found Bertha Hasting’s car in Trenton, New Jersey.”
“No sign of the men?”
“No, but they’re searching for them all over the city. Only their fingerprints were found inside the car.”
“What was the condition of the car?” Since the Mazda had been in a couple of accidents, she hoped Mrs. Hastings’s car was okay. She fixed sausages and scrambled eggs for them.
“No accidents. They didn’t leave anything in the car, but their fingerprints. It appeared to the police out there that they had abandoned it in a hurry and hadn’t had time to wipe it down.”
“That’s good. So she can get her car back. Maybe the brothers have given up on us.” She’d worried that they would have torn it up like they did the other stolen car. But she figured they’d steal another car now.
“It sounds like it.”
Selena was relieved. “We have no more need for security.”
“I’m glad for it.” He took her in his arms and embraced her, kissing her forehead.
“Me, too. Okay, I’m off to work. You remember to rest.” She hugged him warmly, knowing the stars had aligned when they met each other.
He hugged her firmly and kissed her forehead. “Of course. See you for lunch.”
Trevor poked his head in. “No more security detail?”
“Not since they found Bertha’s car in New Jersey.”
“They have it impounded, and we’ve got a tow truck picking it up,” Trevor said. “Peter told me to take Selena to the shop unless you want to loan her your vehicle.”
“Sure, she can take my SUV.”
For two days, she went to work, had lunch with Daniel, and returned home for dinner.
She’d already started driving her own car on the second day.
They’d been doing a lot more than cuddling each other at bedtime, but he was still favoring his injured arm.
She hoped they would soon be able to do more than that.
This time when she arrived home, everything was different. She saw roses on the dining room table and champagne glasses and was excited to hear the good news.
Daniel had wanted to make this a special night since he was feeling great. His arm was healed enough, and he wanted to go further with Selena tonight—all the way, if she was ready to mate. He loved her to the moon and back.
He’d dressed in a nice shirt and slacks, then grilled steaks and corn on the cob, started baking potatoes, and made spinach.
He even had a chilled bottle of champagne for the occasion.
Red roses decorated the table, and he was playing soft music in the background when he heard her drive into the garage.
As soon as she walked inside the house, she smiled at him. “Something smells good. And…you’re not wearing your sling.”
“No, I’m all good.”
“That’s for sure. What are we having? Steaks?”
“Yeah, and baked potatoes, spinach, and corn-on-the-cob.”
“Roses and champagne? Did they catch the brothers?”
Daniel laughed, figuring she would have gotten the message that this was a special date. “No, unfortunately not. This is more of a romantic liaison.”
She chuckled. “Sorry. Of course it is. The roses should have clued me in. They’re beautiful and they smell great too. Well, this is so nice.”
They ate their dinner and drank their champagne. “Do you want to watch a movie?” he asked.
She set up her materials to reconstruct the first skeleton head, dedicated to learning who the women were. “Nope. I’m not working on reconstructing Jane Doe’s face tonight either. We have an important date with destiny.”
He pulled her into his arms and rocked her back and forth. “I love you, you know.”
“I love you just as much. I was so angry at the brothers for shooting you when we could have mated a couple of days ago. Because I’m not giving you up for anything.”
“Hell, I agree.” He grabbed her hand and headed to the bedroom, where they would become mated wolves. “I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else.”
“I know. Me either. And it was so nice coming home to a delightful meal, champagne, and roses.”
“I always want to be there for you like that.”
“I want the same for you.”
When they reached the bedroom, he was ready to rip off his clothes.
For a heartbeat, they stood in the hush, eyes sharpening, hearts drumming in tandem, the future rushing up to meet them: fall’s vivid colors beyond the window, the sweat-laced heat already rising between their bodies.
He made as if to peel off his clothes at once, hands eager at the hem of his shirt, but she intercepted him midmotion, her own hands reaching for his collar, intent on slowing the tempo, savoring the moment.
She undid the top button—then the next, and the next—her knuckles grazing his collarbone, the warmth of her hands painting new directions over his skin. Instead of rushing headlong, she traced the muscles of his chest.
Her touch sent his pheromones spiraling, and hers drove him crazy.
She parted his shirt and pressed her lips to his skin, leaving slow, deliberate kisses that anchored him to the moment, to the reality of her. The urgency in him was pronounced, but her slow touch made him appreciate her even more.
He surrendered to her rhythm, framing her face between his hands and kissing her lips, the corners of her mouth, her jawline, before speaking against the softness of her cheek, “You are just the one for me.”
Her answer came low and sure. “And you are that for me.” The sentence was a contract in the certainty of her touch and words.