The manhunt for Christie went into full swing. Zack had to wonder how one person in such a small town as theirs could escape detection. If he didn’t know any better, he’d swear she had an in at the PD.
A few more threatening texts had come across his phone over the last day and a half. He toyed with the idea of blocking the number, but Erica talked him out of it. Her reasoning was such that at least when Christie was texting, she wasn’t attacking. This was twisted logic as far as he was concerned. Regardless, they’d all breathe better when she was in custody.
Today was Valentine’s Day, and they were determined to no longer sit around playing victims. They’d decided to do dinner and dancing. It was their first official date of sorts. Zack couldn’t believe how nervous he was about the whole affair. He’d come back into their room to grab a pair of socks and stumbled upon her in lacy panties and a matching bra. Mouth dry and dick hard, he backed out of the room.
What he really wanted to do was throw her down on the bed and screw her brains out until sunrise. But he wouldn’t because he intended to make this evening special for her. If that meant keeping it in his pants a while longer, he could. Wiping his damp hands on his slacks, he paced the living room and tried to think generic non-sex thoughts. However, she needed to finish getting dressed soon or his control might snap.
The air in his lungs whooshed out as Erica stepped out of the bedroom. Her shy smile scrambled his insides. The way she peered at him from under her lashes was reminiscent of the days in the library when she tutored him. She would peek at him when she’d thought he wasn’t paying attention. The funny part being he had always been paying attention. She drew him in. The way she tilted her head in question, the bashful half-grin, and her rocking hot body all spoke to him. Her inability to see how lovely she was amazed him.
“Okay, screw going out, let’s just have incredible monkey sex all over the house,” he said.
Her happy laugh pleased him.
“Is that a yes?”
“No. I’m starving. Where are you taking me? You haven’t said.”
“It’s a surprise. All I can say is we are going to the big city,” he teased, taking her hand and pulling her close. He dropped a light kiss on her nose. “All set?”
“Absolutely, but did you call Jacob to wish him a goodnight? Should we stop there first?”
Forced to clear his throat to dispel the emotion building, Zack said, “Thank you for being so considerate toward my son. It means the world to me to know you care enough to think of him first.”
“I adore your kid. I only wish he wasn’t being kicked out of his own home because of…”
Zack knew why she trailed off. Neither wanted to address Christie today. “Yeah, I called him. He told me he wants to come home. I’ve talked to Charlie and Judith. They both agree he should. We can’t continue to live in limbo. God knows when Christie will step up her game.”
“How did they take the news you think she’s still alive?”
“They were rightfully upset. I mean, can you imagine believing your daughter died in a fire only to learn she faked such a horrific death?”
“No.” Sadness flashed across Erica’s face. As fast as it had appeared it was gone. Now she wore a resolute expression. “Zack—”
“No,” he said firmly.
“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”
“I do, and the answer is no.”
“You don’t, and I’d like to get a word in edgewise.”
“So talk,” he invited, challenge in every line of his body.
“Before you so rudely interrupted me, I’d planned to say, I think I should go stay with my parents in Florida.”
“We’ve been through this before. It’s a tired record, Erica. I have no intention of letting you out of my sight until this threat is neutralized. After that, if you are so hell bent on leaving me, we’ll re-address the issue.”
Erica huffed out a breath. He trailed after her as she stormed into the kitchen and flung her purse on the counter. Her stance, when she spun toward him, was full-on combative. Hands on hips, she stared him down.
To be honest, seeing her in a lather made him hard, too. He’d go for angry sex. Giving an internal eye roll, he wondered what type of sex he wouldn’t go for with this woman.
“Let’s not do this tonight, babe,” he wheedled. “Why can’t the argument wait until morning?”
“Why does it have to be a fight? How about you understand I’m an adult, capable of making my own decisions?” she asked.
That she wasn’t screaming at him, that she remained semi-calm and presented the questions in a reasonable manner, worried him. Obviously, she’d given this serious thought.
Searching for any excuse, he pounced upon, “We have reservations.”
Her raised brows and wide-eyed stare told him the lame excuse wouldn’t work.
“All I want is to spend time with you without any outside influences. To eat a great meal in a romantic setting and hold you in my arms while we dance afterwards would make me ecstatic. If this is all you are going to allow us, can we have this one last night?
She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh. “Yes.”
“Thank you,” he said huskily.
Zack gathered her close and cradled her face in his hands. He took the time to memorize her every feature. Her tear-bright chocolate eyes with their thick, dark lashes; arched brows no longer lifted in challenge; her straight, if slightly long nose; her high cheekbones; her perfectly pouty pink lips begging to be kissed. And kiss them he did. Slow and soft, before deep and seeking. What he sought, he didn’t know. Maybe he wanted to brand her. Seer into her mind how much he truly desired and loved her.
Fighting his raging hard-on, he pulled back and ran a thumb over her now swollen mouth. Her lipstick would need to be repaired, and she wouldn’t thank him for the mess he made of it, but damn, it made her so much hotter.
“I love you, Erica.” He said this without any agenda. Only because the words needed to be uttered. She had to know how much he cared.
The moisture in her eyes built again, spilling over to trail down her cheek. She pursed her lips as if to speak. No words could form over her convulsive swallowing. He knew that from past experience. He’d been there when strong emotion hit. She loved him, too. There was no doubt in his mind.
“It’s okay, babe. Go fix your make-up and we’ll head out.” He offered up a soft smile and a light pat on her ass.
She obeyed without delay.
Zack pulled out all the stops for dinner. Erica couldn’t recall a time when she’d been so spoiled. The meal was incredible and like nothing she’d experienced. From the appetizer to the dessert, she consumed each bite with relish and a moan, much to her date’s amusement.
“Okay, so I have to admit, this was your best idea to date,” Erica said as she placed her arm through his to stroll along the river walkway. “I love this area of downtown.”
Even though they needed to bundle up against the cool night air, magic seemed to swirl around them this evening. The other couples wandering hand-in-hand lent to the romantic atmosphere. Erica tugged Zack to a stop to allow her to gaze at the stars. Ah, the mysteries they held. Was it written there, that they would get their happy ending? Or were the planets aligned in Christie’s favor? Life and relationships shouldn’t be so hard.
“You seem serious suddenly. What’s going on, babe?”
The rich tone of Zack’s voice startled her out of her musings. “It’s nothing.”
“Should I be a guy and act like I’m taking your comment at face value, all the while secretly trying to avoid the landmine waiting for me?” he asked dryly.
She glanced over to see him resting an elbow on the railing. Unable to help herself, she laughed. “Could you be any more perfect?”
“Most definitely. But I’m really glad you think I am.”
Stretching, she placed a peck on his lips. As she shifted to back away, he grabbed her around the waist and held her to him. Erica reveled in the moment. With her ear pressed against his heart, she couldn’t be more content.
“I do love you. I couldn’t say it earlier. But I didn’t want another second to go by without you knowing,” she said.
“I do know. It’s in everything you do, Erica. The way…” He trailed off only to fling them to the ground with a “holy shit!”
Stunned stupid, she lay there unable to catch her breath or register what the loud popping noise was.
“Are you all right? Erica! Tell me you’re all right!” Zack became frantic as she stayed silent, unable to form a coherent thought. “Babe!”
In place of words, she cupped his jaw and nodded.
“Jesus! That was close. Stay here,” he ordered, pulling her to a sitting position. “Call 911.”
She snagged his sleeve in her grip and refused to let go. “Don’t you dare do what I think you’re planning on doing.”
“She’s getting away,” he cried urgently. “It’s our chance to get her.”
“Did she, or didn’t she, just take a shot at me?”
“She did.”
“So your plan is to run after a psycho who has a gun?”
“Dammit, Erica! She’s get—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she snapped. “I get it. Well, let her. Tomorrow we all move to Florida.”
He plunked down next to her and pulled out his cell. The dispatch informed him officers were already on their way from a previous call.
Erica felt his rage. Sitting this close it was impossible not to. His inability to look at her, the staring off into the darkness in the direction Christie had fled, and the beating of his fist on his thigh, all led to his heightened emotions.
Part of her brain screamed at her to remain silent, but the not so smart section decided to question him. “How… how did she know we were here?”
He whipped his head around to glare down at her. “What?”
“I watched you on the way here. You took every precaution. The multiple turns, running the yellow lights, pulling off on a different exit. Hell, if I didn’t know any better, I would have said you had spy training.”
A dark frown appeared. “That’s a damn good question. Only her parents knew we were going out to dinner. I never told them where.”
“Had you ever brought her here?”
“No. The restaurant opened before Christmas. The reservation list is a month out.” He rubbed his jaw, thoughtful.
“A guess on her part then.”
“I don’t see how. The open table fell into my lap. Bucky made it some time ago. He called me last night and said his date fell through,” he told her. “He asked if I wanted to take you out as a surprise. He suggested it might help you forget about all that’s been happening lately.”
Erica’s mind raced. “Zack, I want you to think back carefully. Did Bucky and Christie ever know each other? Were they friends?”
His hand gripped hers, nearly crushing her fingers. “What are you saying?”
“There have been quite a few coincidences going on. Humor me.”
“Yes. I think they may have been friends. I seemed to recall her saying something to that effect once.”
“How did he take her ‘death’?”
“Hard,” he answered, voice grim. “He literally broke down sobbing at the service. Ah, Christ! How the hell have I missed this?”
“So you see it, too? It’s not just my writer mind seeing a plot where none exists?”
“That he happened to be working every time she’s attacked? That in a town where the response time should be mere minutes, it’s taken officers ten or more to arrive after a call? That he seems pretty damn jolly after he shows up? And he does show up, doesn’t he? Every time.”
“She has to have someone assisting her. I can’t see how she could be pulling this off by herself,” she said. Her teeth worried her lip as she thought back. “You said something about the night my house burned down. Christie slashed your tires before heading to my house. I don’t think she had enough time.”
“What do you mean?”
“You said the hooded person struck you as male and that he ‘ran’ away. Not that he jumped in a car and drove.”
“Right, but I also spent time having a police report filed.”
“But where was Bucky then? Why hadn’t he shown up to that particular incident?”
“What are you accusing me of, Erica?” Bucky’s voice came out of the darkness, giving her a fright.
Zack jumped up and gave him a rough shove. “You’re the only one who knew where we’d be tonight, Bucky. Why don’t you start talking? Where are the other uniforms? How did you know we would be in this exact spot? For that matter, why are you even here?”
“I heard the call on the scanner. I happened to be in town shopping because I had the night off. Jesus, Zack,” Bucky exclaimed and rubbed his chest. “You know me better than that.”
“Do I?” he growled more than asked the question.
“We’ve been friends since school. I would never do anything to harm you or Erica. Never!”
“Then why did you break down at Christie’s funeral the way you did?”
“I was thinking of Jacob. What the poor kid must be going through without a mom. And that the only mother he did know of had to die so horribly,” he defended. “My mom died when I was a kid, remember?”
Unless Bucky had majored in acting, he was telling the truth. Erica couldn’t see an ounce of deception on his face. She should know. Having dealt with liars and cheats as boyfriends for years, she was adept at the signs.
“He’s telling the truth, Zack.”
“Fuck!”
Together, her and Bucky waited quietly by as Zack paced off his residual anger. The police came running up, once again late to the party. Erica listened as Zack explained seeing a hooded female pointing a gun in their direction. Of how he threw her to the ground, anticipating she’d been the target. A police report was filed, and they were encouraged to return to the safety of their home.
“I’d like to know what’s so fucking safe about a home. Please, feel free to explain it to me,” he snapped. He nodded his head in her direction. “Erica’s was burned to the ground, and even with the routine patrols, that psycho has been sitting outside my house stalking us.
“We live in a damned one-horse town, where nothing happens, and you people can’t find one lone woman carving up cars, slashing tires, stabbing residents and setting houses ablaze. For fuck’s sake, do your damn job already!”
“Sir, have you been drinking tonight?”
“What?”
“Oh, shit,” Erica heard Bucky mutter before he stepped forward to stop World War III from happening.
Either Zack had been shocked by the question, or an aneurism had burst in his brain from fury. It scared her that he appeared frozen to the spot. She sidled up to him and clasped his hand. “Let’s go, Zack. Bucky can finish up here.”
Worry had her trying to tug him toward the area of the parking lot. She’d never seen his eyes so cold. His face looked as if it had been chiseled from granite, so hard was his expression.
“Baby, please,” she whispered, stroking his arm. “Let’s just go.”
His head inched in her direction, similar to an automated robot. Jerky in its motion. Zack looked almost surprised to see her next to him. His brows drew together as he cast a glance down to where she now plucked at his coat sleeve. With a twist of his arm, he dislodged her.
“Bucky, please come by the house tomorrow if you have time,” Erica said. “We need to talk.”
“Will do. You’d better hurry.”
She whirled back around to find Zack had stalked off. He paused about twenty feet away to turn, throw up his hands, and yell his frustration to the heavens. People who had been lingering to watch the scene unfold stood transfixed.
Erica also found herself rooted to the spot. Right then, Zack appeared as more than a mere mortal. The earthly elements were building around them; wind whipped his coat around him, rain started a light drizzle, and the stars were no longer visible, having been obscured by the storm clouds.
Yet, there he was. Black hair and dark clothing barely discernible against the night sky that was his backdrop. Brilliant blue eyes reflecting the lightning as it flared. Fists clenched and raised up, as if in challenge. He made her breathless in his beauty.
Without warning, he was striding in her direction, sweeping her off her feet and hugging her to him. She could scarce inhale because his arms were like steel bands around her rib cage. She didn’t care. All she wanted right at that precise point in time was to taste the rain on his lips. A big fuck you to their audience. A sixth sense told Erica she would be watching. Perhaps Zack sensed it, too. Maybe it was why he so blatantly ravaged her mouth there on the sidewalk.
He didn’t seem to care he was hard as a rock against her lower abdomen. One hand came down to grip her thigh and pull it up around his waist, causing contact between his groin and hers. If he wanted to throw her down and have sex then and there, Erica would have been powerless to stop. The want swept her along, blocking out consequence and reason.
Nature opened up on them. Rain poured down and thunder boomed. It brought them back to themselves long enough to realize this was neither the time nor place for what they needed. Still, they stood, gazes locked, heated. A slow, wicked half-smile curled his mouth. A matching one touched hers. As one, they turned and ran toward the hotel on the other side of the park at the far end of the riverwalk.