Kinley sat on her hands to stop them from shaking. One moment she was living the life she wanted, and the next there was a dead woman, reporters camped out in front of her apartment, and presumably a killer taking care of unfinished business—her. That reporter had scared the shit out of her when he stepped in their path. She hadn’t been angry at Easton for shielding her. She’d been mad at her reaction. Tucked into his side, she felt safe in a way she didn’t know was possible at this point in her life. She’d seen and experienced things she couldn’t unsee or unfeel—so had he—but despite that, they both committed their lives to protecting people. She shouldn’t need someone to lean on. Others were supposed to look to her for help.
And had she tried to wriggle free and stand on her own two feet? Nope. If anything, she’d clung to him. So much for the independent, kickass detective. If there wasn’t a picture of her in Easton’s arms plastered on tomorrow’s headlining news, it would be a miracle. She felt guilty for giving him a hard time when all he was trying to do was protect her. If their roles were reversed, she would’ve done the same thing to keep him from the press.
“What are you thinking so hard about over there?” The hoarse roll of his voice made her stomach tumble into a freefall.
“How much my life has changed in twenty-four hours.” She sighed and turned to him. “And how I appreciate you shielding me back there, even if I’ve been a jerk about it.” She hoped the sincerity came through in her voice. “Seriously, you took time out of your schedule this morning to hear my concerns, then for Gus when he called you to the scene, now you’re letting me crash at your place…”
“Stop.” He flipped on the directional and pulled onto a residential road. “None of those things are a hardship.” At the end of the street, they reached a cul-de-sac, and Easton entered the driveway of a huge, two-story colonial home. Motion-sensor spotlights illuminated the house. “I don’t want you to presume I have pure intentions, here. I’m not just helping you. I’m trying to crack a notorious cold case. I don’t mind helping people out, but I’m no do-gooder. I can be a selfish bastard, and most of the time, I’d rather spend hours at my computer than talk to a human. I go out of my way to avoid interactions. If someone gets too friendly at the local sub shop, I’ll never go back. When it comes to household chores, I’m lazy. I’ve never mowed the grass at this house once. I don’t even own a lawn mower.”
“Well, thank God you cleared that up. I was wondering how you could be single.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I live off frozen, sodium-laden single-serve meals because I just can’t be bothered. Sometimes, I’ll skip showering in lieu of reading a good book. I sneak into my apartment some nights so my elderly neighbor doesn’t talk my ear off, and I never leave candy for trick-or-treaters.”
“You want to date me, Kins?” A ghost of a smile flitted around his lips. One that made the breath get trapped in her lungs.
She rolled her eyes, hellbent on restraining the grin eager to spread over her face. “That’s what stuck with you, huh?” This was silly. She had bigger things to occupy her mind than how Easton would look naked. Still, the image she’d conjured up was quite tempting. Annoyed with the giddiness fizzing in her belly, she unbuckled and opened the door. Easton was rounding the vehicle before her shoes hit the pavement. The temperature had dropped another few degrees. Spindly branches thrashed at the whim of the gusty wind, exposed to the elements without the cloaks of leaves. Easton’s strides were long and purposeful, but she kept the pace, walking hip to hip with him until they’d reached the side door. Instead of inserting a key into the lock, Easton took out his cell phone and entered a code. The deadbolt disengaged, and he stood to the side so she could enter first.
They stepped into a mudroom with a built-in wooden bench and coat hooks on the wall. Footwear was stacked on a shoe rack on the floor. She removed her jacket and slipped it on one of the hooks, then followed his lead and removed her shoes. The room led into an open kitchen and living room. Light stone counters popped against the deep mahogany color floors. She’d been expecting more of a bachelor pad, but the space was sophisticated and welcoming. The walls showcased canvas portraits of his siblings, and a cozy throw was draped over the buttery leather couch.
“Your home is beautiful.” Her apartment was a place to sleep and keep her stuff. She shifted as she looked around, suddenly uncomfortable with the inadequacy of her own residence.
“It would be a barren shell if it weren’t for Jules. She chose paint colors, décor, and all the finishes. I didn’t understand what was wrong with white walls and a futon, but I can’t complain about the end result. It’s comfortable, but it looks nice too.”
“More than nice. Your sister could make a living as a home decorator.” She was suddenly aware of just how alone they were in the large house. The only sound was their breathing in the cavernous space.
Easton cleared his throat and rocked back on his heels. Had the same thought crossed his mind, too? “She wants to be a behavior analyst. Help kids with special needs. Come on. I’ll show you the spare rooms.” He lifted his chin toward the staircase. The smooth floor was slippery against her socks, so she proceeded with caution, perfectly content walking at a slower pace.
“She’s a good person,” she added as they moved to the second floor. “After Sasha was rescued, she and Jules insisted I go to their favorite day spa to celebrate.”
His eyes widened before he neutralized his expression. “I had no idea. Jules has a big heart. She’s definitely the best of us.” Easton opened the first door on the right. “She usually stays in this room because there’s an ensuite. It’s probably the most comfortable, but you can decide.”
“This is fine. Thanks.” It was more than fine. A queen-sized bed with a mountain of lemon-colored pillows, some with ruffles, others with sequins or beading lined the upholstered headboard. There was a large, cream-colored desk that matched the walls, and a pink crystal chandelier cast the room in a soft sheen. Before she’d been taken, she liked to paint her nails and chat about boys during slumber parties with friends. That girl had been left behind in the basement. After her escape, she did her best to blend instead of trying to stand out. She was out of place in this room with all its pretty frills and eye-catching details, but she might enjoy how luxurious it felt for a day or two.
“Okay,” he said, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Let me get you clothes to wear. I’ll make something quick to eat, and we can talk about what I’ve found so far. Sound good?”
A shaky breath escaped her lips. She hadn’t expected him to find something so soon. The tightness in her throat made it difficult to speak, so she nodded and Easton disappeared down the hall. It took only a minute for him to return with a pair of sweatpants, a long-sleeved shirt, socks, and a hoodie. “In case you get cold,” he said, handing over the stack of clothing. “I’ll be downstairs when you’re ready.”
Kinley shut the door and shed her work attire. The stench from the scene clung to the fabric, and she was grateful for anything clean no matter how baggy it was. The pants were soft and lined with fleece. She pulled the strings at the waist taut so they wouldn’t slip off. The hem of the shirt hit her knees, and the hoodie swallowed her up. She’d never been more comfortable. The fresh scent of Easton’s laundry detergent hugged the material. Not that she’d ever admit to inhaling his things. Still, for whatever reason, being in his clothing, in his home, grounded her.
The scratch at the base of the door made her take pause. Easton hadn’t mentioned having a dog. When she opened the door, the largest feline she’d ever seen mewed loudly and stalked past her. Its yellow fur puffed up at odd angles, and it seemed to be missing half of an ear. There were many sides to Easton she’d yet to uncover. She sought him out, padding down the hall and the stairs.
He was standing at the stove. His broad shoulders were lined with hard muscle, and they bunched as he transferred something from a frying pan to a plate. He turned, spatula in one hand and the plate in the other, and caught her eye. Her mouth went dry as he studied her. The expression on his face was primal and heated, and her heart banged against her ribs as she became adrift in his gaze.
“Looks good on you.”
A current of electricity tingled through her at the hoarse timbre of his voice. It reached the core of all the neglected, sensual places she’d ignored for so long. Places that were no longer silent. No, every inch of her flesh was smoldering.
“It’s cozy. Thanks.” When he gestured to the kitchen table, she pulled out a chair and sat. She wasn’t sure her legs would hold her much longer anyway. One look from Easton and she’d gone weak in the knees. The plate clinked against the table as he set grilled cheese and soup in front of her.
“If there was ever a time for comfort food, now’s probably it,” he said before turning back to the counter.
“Thanks.” The mouth-watering aromas of butter and melted cheese rose up to her nose, and her stomach grumbled in response.
Easton carried his own plate over to the table and sat across from her. She tried to ignore the way the muscles in his jaw clenched as he dug into the meal. Chewing had just become sexy as all get out. They ate in companionable silence for a few moments.
“So good,” she murmured and swallowed down a bite. It tasted like childhood. “Knocks my frozen dinners out of the park.” She wasn’t exaggerating when she said most of her meals came from a square box.
“If that’s all it takes to make you stay, I’ll keep ’em coming.” The grin he cast her way muddled all of her senses.
“Plump me up so I can’t pass through the doorframes?” She laughed, unsure when she’d started sounding so carefree. Ironic given the circumstances.
“Whatever works.” His smile widened, and he pushed back his plate. When she’d finished too, he cleared the dishes. “Want to talk here or in the living room?”
“That couch has been calling to me.” The chair scraped against wood as she stood up and made her way across the room. She sank down near the left arm of the furniture, sighing at how wonderful the cushions felt beneath her. “I could sleep here and be perfectly content.”
“I’d feel better having you on the second floor. The alarm system will trip the moment someone walks onto my property, then I have a house alarm for backup. I don’t think we were followed here, but we should be cautious.” The cushion beside her dipped when he settled next to her. Not so close that she was uncomfortable, but not so far away she’d miss his masculine scent that beckoned her closer. Just having him beside her soothed the tension in her muscles. If someone broke into the house, she had no doubt Easton could protect her if it came down to it. She would protect him in return. Two sets of tactical training skills were better than one.
“I didn’t see anyone, either.” She tucked her legs beneath her, angling her body toward Easton. “Were you able to trace the email account?” With white knuckles clenched tight against the top of her thighs, she waited for him to deliver the news.
“The person who contacted you used a burner account, but fortunately for us, the sender’s email didn’t self-destruct until after twenty-four hours.” He raked his hand through his hair, and the strands fell back into place. “These email sites offer more privacy protection than your average mail account, but they’re only as effective as the user’s knowledge. The sender failed to strip the metadata from the attached file, and they didn’t bother to encrypt their connection. Maybe they didn’t think it was necessary to send the email through an intermediary server. The sender either assumed the disposable email was enough to cover his trail or he wanted us to know his location.” He studied her face, and her nerve endings twisted in response. He was going to tell her something she wasn’t going to like. “The IP address belongs to a coffee shop in Grafton, about twenty minutes from here.”
She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t blink. Easton’s words were a shock to her system. It was as though every part of her paused. The fear that had once immobilized her, fear she’d thought she’d overcome, flooded into her system, bursting through a dam of denial. Horrors of the past bombarded her senses. Easton was saying something to her, but she couldn’t seem to hear. Then a hand came around her waist, another behind her legs. Strong hands lifted her. She was no longer sitting on the couch, but on Easton’s lap. He held on to her tight, pulling her into the protection of his solid chest. Nothing could sweep her downstream when she was bound in his embrace. His touch didn’t stop the panic attack but reminded her if she just held on and weathered through the crushing pain in her chest, she’d come out on the other side.
“That’s it. Breathe, Kins.”
How long they sat there, she wasn’t sure. She just knew she wasn’t ready for him to let go. His hands were still a vise around her as he murmured soft reassurances against the top of her hair. Heated breath ruffled the strands and tickled her scalp, sending goosebumps coursing down her arms. No one had ever witnessed one of her panic attacks. It had always been a fear of hers to experience such a private moment with another. Easton wasn’t slowly backing out of the room though, or telling her to get a grip. He was just there, supporting her, holding her. His compassion made her eyes sting. She’d been on her own for so long that it felt good to be held.
“I—” she tried, but her throat was dry and clogged with fear. Without a word, he stood, cradling her in his arms, and walked up the stairs to the second floor. With gentle hands, he placed her on the frilly yellow bed, pulling the comforter out from under her. He pulled the blanket up to her shoulders and tucked the material around her sides. When he straightened, new fear penetrated the depths of her soul. She didn’t want to be alone with the shadows closing in, but she couldn’t ask him to stay. Squeezing her eyes shut, clenching her teeth together, she waited for him to walk out of the room. Instead of the door shutting though, the mattress squeaked and dipped. She pried one eye open to find Easton lying on top of the comforter beside her. The weight of his arm flung over her side soothed her, and after a moment, she was able to speak the words she hadn’t been able to earlier. “Part of me can’t believe he’s so close. The other part of me knows it’s true because I have this awful dread building up inside me.”
“You were a teenager when you escaped him the first time. Imagine what you can do now as an adult. An adult who is fully trained in law enforcement and has a career dedicated to hunting down killers. We’re going to crush him, Kins, and you are not alone this time. You know he’s here. We know he’s here. By sunrise, the FBI, state police, and every local department in New England will know, too. This guy is going down.” His voice held so much conviction, it bolstered her weakened resolve.
“I can’t shake the feeling that he has a special kind of torture in store for me.” A shiver quaked through her, and Easton tightened his grip. “The thought that he could harm others trying to get to me, like that poor woman tonight, makes me more afraid than I ever was before.”
“There’s nothing we can do right now, so sleep. I’ll never let anything or anyone touch a hair on your head.”
Her eyes filled again when he pressed a kiss to her forehead. No one had ever stood up for her like this before. Guarded her while she slept. Lying with a man she didn’t really know should feel awkward. Instead, a stillness settled over her, a sense of long-awaited peace. There would never be a worse time to get involved in a relationship, but she needed the comfort he was offering. She closed her heavy lids. She might regret it in the morning, but tonight, she was safe. Tonight, she’d fall asleep in Easton’s embrace.