Once she’d voiced the truth out loud, Layla started trembling. She tried, oh, how she tried, to get that under control, but once the shakes began, she couldn’t make them stop. She folded her arms around herself and clenched, trying. She was strong, she was tough, so why couldn’t she seem to handle this?
At first, Hunter didn’t appear to notice. From his fighting stance, she honestly thought he might go chasing after the car on foot.
Jaw tight, when he finally turned to face her, she realized he wasn’t frightened, he was furious. “I’m calling that in,” he began. The anger in his eyes disappeared when he got a good look at her.
“You’re in shock,” he said an instant later. “Come here.” Without waiting for her to respond, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “It’s going to be all right.”
The sound of his deep voice rumbling from his chest reassured her. So did the warmth and strength of his muscular body. Though Layla had never been the type to rely on anyone but herself, maybe just this once it wouldn’t hurt. Especially since she still couldn’t stop the trembling.
“I’m not letting you go home,” he announced. “You’re coming with me.”
Again, under usual circumstances a declaration like that would have had her digging in her heels and outright refusing. But these weren’t ordinary circumstances.
“Okay,” she said, in a very small—completely unlike her—voice.
“One step at a time.” He kept his arm around her shoulders, turning her back toward Pizza Heaven. “This way. My car is in their lot.”
As they approached, she realized he was in a marked police car. Of course, that made sense, as he wore his uniform. “Are we going to the police station?” she asked, hoping against hope that he’d say no.
He unlocked the car and opened the passenger-side door for her before going around to the driver’s side. Once she’d buckled in, he started the engine. “I thought you might like to make a report,” he said.
“Is that necessary? You were there, too. Can’t you make the report?” She sighed. “To be honest, my last experience at the police station wasn’t that great. I’d prefer to avoid going there again anytime soon.”
Backing out of the parking spot, he shifted into Drive. “I didn’t think of that. I’ll take you to my house and drop you off.”
“Your house?” She eyed him, realizing he’d so shocked her that she’d finally stopped shaking. “What do you mean?”
“It’s either there or the police station. I do have to go back to work and I can’t let you go home. Not now. It’s not safe.”
Again, once upon a very recent time, had anyone told her they couldn’t let her do something, she would have argued about her right to do exactly as she wished. But deep down inside, she suspected Hunter might be right. Alone in her townhome might not be the safest place for her.
“Unless you have somewhere else you’d like to stay,” he offered helpfully. “Your fiancé’s place? Or your father’s?”
“I’d rather go home than go to my father’s or Hamlin’s.” She didn’t tell Hunter, but she knew if she showed up at her father’s house, Fenwick would most likely send her away.
“Okay.” He shrugged. “Then it looks like you can stay at my place. I have a guest bedroom. Plus Goose will definitely enjoy the company while I finish my shift.”
The thought of getting to play with his dog made her feel better.
They pulled up in front of a small ranch-style house. The property appeared neatly kept and gave off a homey vibe.
“Here we are,” he said cheerfully. “I know this might not be the kind of accommodations you’re used to, but it’s all mine.”
“It looks lovely.” She meant it, too. While she might live in a high-end town house, it had always felt sterile and cold to her. “I can’t wait to see the inside.”
His grin brought those sexy crinkles back to the corners of his eyes. “You’re about to. Come on.”
The second Hunter opened the door, Goose launched herself on him, spinning and wiggling in a frenzy of joy. He dropped down to his knees, gathering the dog close, crooning to her with such unabashed love that Layla’s chest felt tight.
“She always greets me like this,” he told her over Goose’s head. “Even if I’m only gone a few minutes, she’s over the moon to see me again.”
A flash of longing hit her. “You’re making me seriously consider getting a dog.” A large one, who’d be able to protect her and keep her safe, as well as love her.
“You should.” He didn’t even hesitate. “They’re the greatest.”
Goose, who’d finally noticed Layla once she’d spoken, bounced on over, putting all her energy into another equally enthusiastic greeting.
Touched and gratified, Layla mimicked Hunter’s movements, dropping to the floor and making a fuss over the adorable dog.
“She’s so sweet,” she told him. “I remember being so amazed when I learned about her particular skill set.”
Her words brought out another grin. Briefly, she thought she could get used to seeing that smile every day.
“Thanks. No one believed me when I said I could train her to locate electronics. I’d been doing some reading on a facility that did that. When I contacted them, they were gracious enough to let me visit so I could soak up some tips. Goose is an expert at it. And, since she doesn’t look anything like what most people consider a police dog, no one ever suspects her.” He reached down and ruffled Goose’s head. “She’s a smart girl. I’m proud of her. Goose, do you need to go outside?”
To Layla’s surprise, Goose jumped up at his question and ran to the back door. He let her out, standing at the door to watch her. Once she’d come back inside, he locked the door and checked his watch.
“I’ve got to get back to the station,” he said. “Help yourself to the fridge. I have lots to drink and snack on.” He pointed to the television remote on the coffee table. “I’ve got cable, so watch whatever you want.”
Suddenly tongue-tied, she nodded. “Will you be taking me home once you finish your shift?”
“Nope. I think it’s best if you spend the night. I keep the guest bed made up with clean sheets and blankets. Follow me and I’ll show you where it is.”
He led her down a short hallway, past a bedroom he’d made into a combination exercise room and office. “Here you go.”
To her surprise, she liked the decorating. A thick quilt that looked handmade brought a warmth to the room. Framed photographs of the South Dakota grasslands decorated the walls.
“Did you take those?” she asked.
A shadow crossed his face. “I did. Once upon a time, I was into photography.”
“They’re really good. You’re talented.” She walked over to study one closer. “These are magazine quality.”
“Thanks. I don’t take pictures anymore.”
Though she wanted to ask him why not, something in his closed-off expression told her the question wouldn’t be welcome.
“All right then,” he said, a bit brusquely. “I’m going to leave a spare toothbrush on the counter in the bathroom, as well as guest towels and a new bar of soap. I’ll leave you my number in case you need anything else.”
“I have it. You gave me your card.”
Clearly distracted, he nodded. “Perfect. I’ll see you later, then.”
She followed him down the hall, watching as he let himself out the front door, locking the dead bolt from outside. Goose heaved a sigh and then padded back to the living room. She jumped up on the sofa and gave Layla a look, as if inviting her to join in on the fun.
Actually, it looked pretty darn tempting. Layla went to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottled water. The small kitchen looked clean and lived in, just like the rest of the house. None of her father’s high-end designer furnishings, which in her opinion made his house feel staged and uncomfortable.
In the den were several more of the framed photographs. Studying them one at a time, she wondered why anyone this talented would quit. Surely he must have had his reasons, though she couldn’t think of any at the moment. Telling herself it was none of her business, she sat on the edge of the couch and kicked off her boots before grabbing the remote and turning on the large TV.
Once she’d gotten settled, Goose moved closer, tucking her long body into Layla’s side. Clicking through the on-screen guide, Layla found a movie she’d been wanting to see and settled in with her new companion to watch it. Goose heaved a sigh and began snoring softly, which Layla found adorable and comforting.
She must have fallen asleep. She woke to the sound of the front door opening. Disoriented, she sat up, heart pounding. It took Goose’s happy woof to make her realize where she was. Goose jumped down to greet Hunter enthusiastically, while Layla dragged her hand through her hair and wondered how awful she looked.
“You’re still up?” Again, that flash of a smile. Then, as he moved closer, he must have noticed her disheveled appearance, because his expression changed.
“I fell asleep.” Giving up on trying to smooth out her hair, Layla covered her mouth with her hand as she yawned. “As a matter of fact, I’m going to head off to bed.”
She could swear he looked disappointed. Heart pounding for whatever reason, she pushed up from the couch and hurried to the guest room.
As soon as she closed the door, she realized she’d made a mistake. She needed to use the restroom as well as brush her teeth and wash her face.
One deep breath, and then another. Why his late arrival home had suddenly felt unbearably intimate, she couldn’t say. Hunter was merely being kind, doing a favor for a woman who’d clearly been panicked and afraid after almost being intentionally run down. Nothing more. He’d given her no reason to read anything else into it. No reason at all.
After giving herself this stern internal talking-to, Layla opened the door and crossed the hall to the small bathroom. Once inside, she felt better. Hopefully as soon as she’d had a good night’s rest, everything could return to normal and she’d gain a fresh perspective on all of this.
Instead she found herself standing in front of the mirror crying. Loud, brokenhearted sobs came up out of her chest on their own. She tried to cover her mouth with her hand, but that only made her want to wail louder.
Oh, hell. Hunter might have bitten off a little more trouble than he could chew. He’d certainly not expected to have such a visceral reaction at seeing Layla Colton barely awake on his couch, with her sexy, drowsy eyes and mussed hair. She’d looked, he thought, exactly as if she’d just gotten out of bed after a long night of lovemaking.
And judging from the huge jolt of lust and his body’s swift reaction, he needed to get himself under control, pronto. The last thing either of them needed would be that kind of complication.
Secretly relieved when she’d made a beeline for her bedroom, he’d headed for the kitchen to grab a beer and try to unwind after a long day at work. Goose followed right on his heels, of course.
Then he heard it. Gut-wrenching sobs and a low sound of keening. Goose whined before trotting off to the hall bathroom. She sat in front of the closed door, head cocked, before pawing at it.
About to set his beer down, Hunter took a deep drink first. “Layla?” he asked, tapping on the door. “Are you all right?”
“Go away.” Her muffled response managed to sound both sad and angry. “I’m sorry I disturbed you.”
“You didn’t,” he replied. “You’ve had a rough couple of days. I know how it feels. I’ll be in the living room if you want some company. No judgment.”
With that, he retreated to the sofa and his beer. Goose, however, after giving him what he considered a disparaging look, remained planted in front of the closed door. She’d never been able to turn away from a human in distress. Hunter often thought if she hadn’t been such a great police dog, she would have been a wonderful emotional support animal.
“Goose wants to help you,” he called out. “She’s right outside your door.”
“Oh.” Making a sound the was part sob, part hiccup, she appeared to be working on getting herself together. “I’ll be out in just a moment.”
Sipping his beer, he clicked on the TV to give her a bit more cover while she blew her nose or whatever. When she opened the door a few minutes later, he pretended not to notice while Goose did her happy dance.
Clutching a box of tissues, Layla made her way to the couch and sat down at the opposite end. Her red nose and puffy, bloodshot eyes attested to the fact that she’d been crying, but oddly enough, he thought she managed to somehow look cute even then.
“I’m sorry,” she began.
“No need to apologize. Like I said, you’ve had a hell of a time of it lately.” He took another drink of his beer and noticed the way her gaze followed the movement. “Do you want one?”
To his surprise, she nodded, so he pushed to his feet to retrieve another can and a glass for her. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” She popped the top and tilted the glass slightly as she poured. Fascinated despite himself, he watched as she lifted the glass to her lips and drank deeply. He ached to trace the graceful line of her throat with his mouth.
When she met his gaze, a sheen of tears clouded her eyes. “I needed that.” She sighed. “I don’t know what happened to me. I’m so used to being strong—nothing bothers me—but this... In the space of a few days, I’ve been accused of sexually harassing an employee I can’t even stand, learned my own father is the reason our company is failing, realized I agreed to a loveless marriage for false reasons and had someone try to kill me.”
“Which would be enough to send someone stronger than you down to their knees,” he said.
“Thank you.” She took another drink, and he watched her again, wondering how she could make something so common, so simple, into something so sensual.
What the hell was wrong with him? Layla needed comfort, someone to listen and offer support, not some guy who only wanted to jump her bones.
Goose, instinctively understanding this, jumped up to sit next to Layla. Turning in a circle, the dog sighed before settling down with her head on Layla’s leg. This coaxed a tiny smile from Layla. “Such a good dog,” she crooned, scratching Goose behind her ears. “You’re a good girl.”
Goose, of course, went into spasms of doggy-heaven pleasure. Tongue lolling, she actually appeared to be grinning.
“Your dog is making me feel better,” Layla said, making a half humorous, half pitiful face. “I’m really having to take a close look at my life and my priorities. I’ve given up so much time—years of my life—to my father’s company, and he won’t even stand behind me when I’m facing a bogus harassment charge? Though he did hire an attorney to deal with Mark’s attorney. So there’s that.”
“That’s good.”
“It is. Though I would have hired someone myself if he hadn’t. I’m hoping that once the lawyers hash things out, this thing will go away.
“And,” she continued, “I find out that Colton Energy would be doing amazing if he hadn’t been spending all the profits. And on what? Living the high life. Fast cars, women he refers to as arm candy, and jet-setting around the globe.”
He nodded, knowing better than to comment. Right now she just needed someone to listen.
“I actually agreed to marry Hamlin Harrington so the company could get an infusion of cash. Even though the man sort of makes my skin crawl.” The disbelief and disgust in her voice made Hunter want to scoot over next to her and hold her.
Luckily, he had enough sense to know not to do anything as stupid as that. Instead, he gripped his beer can with both hands, almost as if it was a lifeline.
“My priorities are screwed up,” she declared. “Maybe it’s time to make some changes. Big changes.”
He definitely agreed with her on that, though wasn’t sure he should say so. He settled on telling her the truth, though not all of it. “You’re an intelligent, successful woman. You’d be an asset to any company you choose to work for.”
A flash of pleasure lit up her face. “Thank you. Enough about me. What about you? I was always curious why you choose police work over the corporate world. Even though you made it clear how you felt about Colton Energy, you were good at your job and I thought you had a real future.”
For a few seconds, he hesitated, and then decided what the hell. Why not. Surely he wouldn’t be telling her anything she already didn’t know. “It started feeling like selling my soul,” he admitted. “I worked closely with your father. There were too many deals that skirted the edge of legality, so many times he asked me to turn a blind eye.”
Watching him intently, she nodded. “I get it, I really do. But you could always have said no. I do, all the time. I told him early on that I wouldn’t do anything illegal or morally wrong.”
“Yet you agreed to marry a virtual stranger for money,” he pointed out.
Instead of reacting with anger or a retort, she simply nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face. “You have a point. But tell me, what made you choose police work?”
Again, he had nothing but the truth. “I wanted to help people,” he said simply. “My parents were killed in a car crash when I was fifteen. My neighbor, Mae Larson, was kind enough to take me in.”
“The Larson twins’ grandmother?”
“Yep.” He nodded. “She saw a brokenhearted kid in need and stepped up to help. I owe her more than I can say. She helped me work through my grief and never turned her back on me, even when I was a rebellious little snot. She’s the reason I always look forward to Thanksgiving. She puts on the most amazing meal. Roasted turkey, corn bread dressing, sweet potato casserole, green beans...just thinking about it make my mouth water.”
“What about the Larsons?” She eyed him, her gaze considering. “Are you close to them as well?”
“No. It used to bother me to admit that, but Noel and Evan treated me like garbage. They tried like hell to make my life miserable. I can’t tell you how many times Mae Larson got in between us.”
“That must be hard, then, with the police trying to build a case against them. I mean, everyone knows they’re involved in drugs and stuff, even if no proof has been found.”
By proof, she meant evidence. RRPD had been trying to catch either of the Larson brothers with drugs. So far, even though numerous witnesses had come forward claiming to have seen one or the other selling or buying, no proof of that had thus far been found. Video cameras conveniently went on the fritz when those two were around. The Larsons’ drug dealing might have been common knowledge, but it had begun to take on the status of an urban legend. Not one single shred of evidence had yet to be found.
That didn’t mean it wouldn’t be. Criminals who used drugs always made a mistake. The Larson brothers would, too, given enough time. When they did, Hunter knew one of his fellow officers would bring them in. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be him.
“That’s why I asked to be taken off their case. Sure, the police department is working it, but Goose isn’t a drug-detection dog, so I’m not actively involved.” He thought about it for another moment, then decided to throw caution to the wind. “Though I—along with every law enforcement officer in the county—am working the Groom Killer case, I’ve also been assigned to your case, as you know.”
He nearly lost the words he’d wanted to say, but didn’t. He pushed himself because he figured if he didn’t tell her now, he might never.
“And if you’ll allow me to, I’d like to help protect you.”
Mic drop. She froze, staring at him as if he’d just admitted to being the Groom Killer, or something equally heinous. “Protect me?” she finally managed. “By that, am I to assume you mean you think this will happen again?”
Crud. He hadn’t meant to frighten her. But from what he knew of Layla Colton, she definitely appreciated the facts.
“It’s possible,” he said. “More than that. Highly probable. Someone wants you out of the way. It might be whoever framed you for something you didn’t do. If they tried to kill you once and didn’t succeed, I think they’ll definitely try again.”
She swore. Her language made him grin. “Now that’s the Layla I know,” he said.
Again, the flash of pleasure lit up her face, making him wonder when he’d become so adept at reading her.
It didn’t matter, he decided. He could—and would—put this attraction aside and be the police officer she needed him to be.
“Tell me,” she asked, leaning forward. “What can I do to help?”
“Just don’t take any unnecessary chances. Do you have any vacation days available that you could take?”
For some reason, his question amused her. She laughed, though her eyes shone with the brightness of unshed tears. “Oh, definitely. I haven’t taken a vacation in years.”
“How many years?” he asked, curious.
“Ever.” Grimacing, she shook her head. “While my father’s been traveling around the world with his trophy women, I’ve stayed here to do my job and take care of the company.”
He wondered if she recognized the bitterness that came through in her voice. Apparently, she did, because her next comment reflected that.
“In fact, I can’t think of a better time than right now to take a break. A few weeks, at least.” She grabbed her phone. “I’ll leave my father a voice mail right now. He can put that in his pipe and smoke it.”