A Man to Trust (11 page)

“Wow.” Stacey’s eyes widened. “So you crawled through a hail of gunfire into the bathroom?”

Stacey’s voice now held a note of awe and caused Angela to smile. “Yep.” She grinned.

“You’re my hero.” Stacey giggled. “Here’s to bravery.” She raised her glass for a toast.

Angela raised her glass. “Here’s to survival.”

“Amen to that.”

They clinked their glasses together and took longs sips.

“Is that when Jake moved you here?”

Angela thought of the kiss that had followed the attack, after Jake pulled her from the tub. The feel of his arms locked around her as his mouth captured hers with a kiss that had curled her toes. She inhaled sharply and reached for her pendant, twirling the chain around her fingers.

“What?” Stacey laughed. “What aren’t you telling me? Come on, spill.”

Angela stood. “Let’s clean up the dinner mess. I’ll tell you over dessert.”

Angela turned the TV to a rock music channel as they settled down in the living room to enjoy their German Chocolate Cake. She lifted a forkful to her lips, her taste buds exploding with joy at the creamy, rich flavor of the chocolate cake and sweet dessert wine. “Mmm, good stuff.”

Stacey reached for the bottle of wine and topped off their glasses. “I knew you’d approve. Now, tell me the rest of the story,” she demanded.

Angela reached for her wine glass, standing to move with the music. “Well,” she said, at this point feeling no pain. “When Jake found me in the bathtub, he kissed me again.” She turned to Stacey with a grin. The thought of the way Jake had kissed her made her body hum, the feel of his lips covering hers, the intimate pleasure from his touch. A sensual feeling flowed over her as the rhythmic music filled her.

“Rea—Really,” Stacey said, her words slurring. She grabbed her wine glass and stood to join Angela in the dance. They both danced and swayed to the music. “Well, I’ll tell you what, girlfriend,” Stacey said. “I think I’d like to find out how his brother, J.D., kisses.”

Angela chuckled, then drained the last of her wine and placed the glass on the coffee table. “Yeah, I thought as much.” She unclipped her hair, tossing the clip next to her empty wine glass. She lifted her arms above her head, and began to undulate to the slow sensual beat.

Angela closed her eyes as thoughts of Jake warmed her and the music flowed through her.

At the sound of Stacey’s gasp, Angela opened her eyes to see Stacey standing frozen with a wide-eyed expression. Following the path of her stare Angela also froze, her arms still raised over her head, her mouth fell open.

Jake stood near the door watching her. His gaze scorched her with its heat. She inhaled sharply and slowly lowered her arms, her attention shifted to the man next to him.

Was she seeing double? She gave her head a shake and met Stacey’s disbelieving stare. For a moment, they just stared at each other in mutual confusion before understanding dawned.

“Twins!” they said in unison, then burst into squeals of laughter.

Jake’s mouth went as dry as the Sahara Desert as he watched Angela’s graceful movements. Arms reaching skyward, perfectly rounded breasts thrust forward, taut, tempting nipples straining against the silk fabric of her blouse as her slim hips moved seductively with a gentle rhythmic beat.

The image of her astride him as he thrust deep inside her burned across his mind. Would she ride him with the same passion as she danced? Jake set his jaw and determinedly ignored the heavy ache in his groin. He waged an internal battle against the desire to take her and stake his claim, and the need for restraint.

J.D.’s chuckle penetrated his lusty thoughts and he tore his gaze away from Angela to glance at his brother.

“I think they’re snockered,” J.D. said.

Jake glanced back at the women in time to see the tiny redhead stumble. Angela reached out to steady her, lost her balance, and they both fell onto the couch. The musical sound of their laughter filled the room.

Jake arched a brow. “Yep.”

“We are not snockered,” Angela said defensively, before bursting into another fit of giggles.

“That Stacey?” Jake didn’t take his eyes from the women.

“Yeah. Adorable, isn’t she?” Amusement laced J.D.’s voice.

He grinned. “Yeah, they’re pretty adorable, all right.”

Jake strode to the couch and pulled Angela up until he held her firmly in his arms. “Looks like you girls had a good time.” His arm slid around her waist when she wobbled.

“You didn’t tell me you were a twin,” Angela said with a hint of accusation.

Jake met her somewhat unfocused gaze. “You didn’t ask.”

The feel of her body molded to his and her soft breasts pressed against his chest drove his hunger for her higher. His arm tightened around her, his other hand moving to the small of her back.

J.D. hauled a giggling Stacey from the couch as Jake gave into the temptation to lean down and taste Angela’s lips. Lips that tasted of woman and wine, and he wanted more.

“Hey, bro. I’m gonna take Stacey home now. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Jake lifted his head to glance at his brother. J.D.’s arm held Stacey possessively around the waist.

“Watch your back.” Jake didn’t believe the safe house was compromised, but they needed to remain diligent and protect the two innocent women who had come into their lives.

Innocent?

When had he determined Angela was innocent? He glanced into her wine-fogged eyes and smiled. She was innocent, he’d bet his life on it. And she was his. He’d make sure of that. But not tonight. She was inebriated and he wouldn’t take advantage of that.

J.D. nodded and opened the door to leave. The two guards in the hall watched with amusement when they stepped outside.

“I am not snockered,” he heard Stacey proclaim.

“Uh huh,” his brother replied as the door swung shut behind them.

He turned his gaze back to Angela. A touch of pink colored her cheeks. Whether from the wine or from the kiss, he wasn’t sure. When the tip of her tongue darted out and swept across her bottom lip, all the blood in his body went south.

Jake leaned down, then captured her tongue with his own and lost himself to the sensation of the moment. Her heady flavor and soft moan blanked his brain and desire took over. His hand slid from her back to her lush bottom, lifting her toward him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he settled his cock between her thighs. He ground his hardened length against her soft center, eliciting another moan from her.

“Jake.” She gasped.

Her breathy voice and wine-flavored taste managed to penetrate his lust-fogged brain, reminding him that he couldn’t have her. He wouldn’t take advantage of her that way. It took every ounce of strength he had to release his hold on her, and ease back. When she swayed unsteadily on her feet, he took her by the elbow until she regained her balance.

“Umm.” She shoved her bangs off her forehead. “I—I think I’ll turn in for the night.” A note of hurt sounded in her voice.

Jake placed his finger under her chin and tilted her head up until he met her gaze. She peered at him with eyes filled with confusion.

“I want you, Angel. But when I make love to you, it won’t be because you’ve had too much to drink.”

Her eyes grew wide. “Umm, okay.”

Jake smiled wryly, and then moved his finger up to tap her nose. “Now, get to bed before I forget I’m a gentleman.”

His grin widened when she turned and hurried to her room on unsteady legs as though she were being chased by the devil himself.

J.D. pulled into Stacey’s driveway and came around to open her car door. When he tugged her to her feet and she stumbled against his chest, a blush rose to her cheeks. The feel of her softness pressed against him quickened his pulse.

He smiled down at her. She was cute, and had talked nonstop during the twenty-minute drive to her house. Besides the fact that she’d had too much to drink, her naturally high voice and quick speech could be hard to follow. He hadn’t been able to understand everything she said, but had gotten the gist of it.

She’d quizzed him about his children, what he liked to do for fun, and if he liked animals. He’d learned she loved to bake, enjoyed red-wine, seafood, and creating handcrafted jewelry for her boutique, and she loved dogs.

A shiver rolled over her, but she made no move to step out of his embrace. Instead, she licked her lips and met his gaze. “Did you want to come in for a nightcap?” Her blush deepened.

J.D. tightened his grip around her and leaned down, way down, to brush his lips across hers. She was tiny and felt delicate in his arms, but her lips were soft and full, tasting of red wine and the dark chocolate Kiss she’d popped into her mouth on the drive over. Sweet.

He lifted his head and quirked an amused brow. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”

She gave a soft, seductive laugh and his blood thickened at the sound. “I’m just inviting you in for a drink, not tantric sex.”

She touched his nose with the tip of her finger. “At least, not yet,” she purred, turning to half-walk, half-stumble toward the house. The sensual sway of her hips, a siren call.

Damn!

Just when he thought he had her figured out. She was some serious trouble. J.D. snorted, then grinned like a fool as he followed her inside.

Jake took a sip of strong black coffee and glanced at his son, Nick. “We should be able to move back home soon. In the meantime, enjoy the time spent with your cousins.”

They’d stayed with J.D. ever since his living room had been destroyed in the shootout. The workers estimated it’d be sometime next week before they’d finish with repairs.

“No problem, Dad.” Nick shoved a crispy piece of bacon into his mouth. “I like staying at Uncle J.D.’s,” he mumbled.

Jake ruffled Nick’s hair. “Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

“Sorry,” Nick said with a grin.

Alex jumped up from the table and made a mad dash to the living room. “Let’s play Star Wars.” He removed the video game from its case.

Wesley followed him over at a more leisurely pace. “Is it okay, Daddy?”

J.D. shot Jake an amused look. “Sure, since there’s no school today, you guys can play for a couple hours. But then you need to clean your rooms. Deal?”

“Deal,” the three little boys answered in unison. Nick placed his plate in the sink before heading into the living room to join his cousins.

Jake smiled at the boys, then turned his attention to J.D. “I’m going to stop by the station to check on the case, then head to the safe house.”

J.D. nodded and took a swig of coffee.

Jake eyed his brother, then raised a brow. “So, little brother. Is there something you want to tell me about you and Stacey Holland?”

J.D. scowled.

Jake chuckled. He’d only been born ten minutes earlier than J.D., but it was a familiar habit to tease him about it. When they were younger, it really pissed J.D. off, so, of course, he’d done it a lot.

J.D. placed his cup on the table and shrugged. “She’s cute. I like her and plan to ask her out.”

“I think that’s great.” He wanted J.D. to find happiness again, someone to share his life with, and help him raise his boys.

Jake’s own thoughts drifted to Angela. He wanted her. But was it just sexual attraction or something more? The fact that he wasn’t sure made him feel like the ass she’d accused him of being. She’d had a tough time of it, and he didn’t want to hurt her. But he wasn’t willing to just walk away either.

It all seemed so clear the night before, when he’d held her in his arms. He’d wanted to make her his, and only the fact that she was tipsy stopped him. Now, it wasn’t quite as clear.

Jake shoved back his chair and took his coffee cup to the sink. “Are you staying home with the boys today?”

“Yep. After their teacher’s conference, I thought I’d take them to the zoo. So I took the whole day off. Think you could join us?”

“Please, Dad,” Nick yelled from the living room.

Jake grinned at his son. “Okay, bud. After your conference, you can stay with Uncle J.D. and go with him to the zoo. I’ll meet you guys there.”

“Awesome,” Nick exclaimed, turning to high-five Alex. Wesley was too intent on the video game to pay them any attention.

Jake turned back to J.D. “Call me when you get there.”

“You got it, bro.”

Angela groaned at the severe pain in her head, the pounding at her temples. She raised heavy eyelids. Bright lights pierced like a blade through her forehead. Damn, she should have stopped after that first bottle of wine. She lifted a shaky hand to shield her eyes as memories of the night before came into focus.

She rubbed her right temple as a marching band drummed in her head. Aspirin. She needed aspirin . . . and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. The steady beat took on a more insistent rhythm, until it dawned on her someone was knocking. She managed to roll out of bed, grab her robe, and make her way to the front door.

“Ms. Beebe, are you awake?” The sound of one of the guard’s voices wiped the remaining fog from her brain.

She shoved her tangled hair from her face and cracked open the door to peer out. “Yes. I’m awake. What is it?”

Pete, the older of the two guards, met her gaze with an amused grin. “Jake called. Told us you might be needing this.” He shoved a tall Styrofoam cup toward her. “I ran to the coffee shop down the street and picked up a cappuccino. I hope you like ‘em.”

Angela squealed with delight and opened the door wide, reaching for the coffee. “Will you marry me?” she exclaimed.

Both of the guards chuckled as she lifted the cup to her mouth and took a reverent sip. Just the smell was making her headache better.

“Well,” Pete said, on a teasing note, “Jake gets the credit, I’m afraid. You might need to ask him that question.” He handed her a generic packet of pain relievers. “He also thought you might need these.”

Heat rose to her cheeks at Pete’s smirk.

“Well, umm, thank you,” she said softly and closed the door. The sound of their quiet laughter lingered in the air after it clicked shut. She washed down two pain relievers with the coffee and then headed into the bathroom to brush the cotton taste from her mouth.

Working the tangles from her hair, memories of the prior evening flooded in. Jake had kissed her. Again. Told her he wanted her. A shiver of nervous anticipation ran up her spine. He’d sounded like a man who had every intention of making love to her. Her heart raced like a wild stallion across the open plains. She took a calming breath. Jake would never hurt her.

He isn’t Scott.

Logically she knew that, but the part of her that’d been terrorized during her marriage wasn’t convinced. At least, not completely.

The pain reliever began to do its thing. Angela lifted both her hands to rub her temples again as the pain eased. A nice hot bath should finish the job.

When the tub filled, she stripped off her nightgown and lowered herself into the hot steamy water.

Heaven.

It was impossible to relax completely and enjoy her bath, knowing someone wanted her dead. Her mind searched for a reason why someone would want to kill her. What could she know about Scott’s business that was important? The only thing she could think of was the argument she’d interrupted between Scott and that guy.

Neither man had been too happy about it. That night Scott had punished her for the intrusion. She tensed, then slammed the door on the painful memory. Then there was Jake. Just thinking of him eased her tension a little. He’d promised to keep her safe and she believed him.

Her headache disappeared along with the glorious foaming bubbles, prompting her to get out of the tub. She tugged on a pair of dark, olive-colored Capri’s and an oversized Green Bay Packer T-shirt and headed barefoot into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. The sunflower clock on the wall read nearly ten o’clock. Her stomach gave an impatient growl as she opened the refrigerator, retrieving eggs and cheese for an omelet.

After finishing breakfast and cleaning the kitchen, she made her bed, then straightened and dusted the living room, until she had nothing else to bide her time. She paced the floor, restless. What was she supposed to do to fill her time until the trial? She gave a frustrated snort and headed into the kitchen to see what kind of supplies they’d provided for her.

Baking was her outlet. Scott never let her leave the house alone. If she had, she’d pay a high price for her disobedience. Baking had kept her sane, giving her something to concentrate on other than her fury at being trapped. She checked through the kitchen for the necessary ingredients, and put together a short list of items that she would need.

Angela went to the front door and peered out the peephole. Pete and the younger guard sat just outside. She cracked it open, sticking her head out.

“Pete, could you pick up some cooking items for me?” She held out the list. “I’m bored and feel like baking.”

His eyebrows arched. “Well, sure. I think we can do that. Whatcha makin’?”

“Pear-Hazelnut Tarts.” She gave him a smile. “I’ll share some with you two.”

The younger guard jumped to his feet and grabbed the list from Pete’s hand. “I’ll pick it up for you.” He glanced down at the list, then back up with a confused look. “Is sea salt different from regular salt?”

Pete rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Just ask someone at the counter, they’ll get it for you.”

Angela chuckled. “I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”

“Steve, ma’am.”

“Thanks, Steve.”

Within half an hour, Steve was back with what she needed. First thing after lunch, she’d start baking.

“So, Rick, let's recap. What do we know?” Jake placed his empty cup of coffee on the table.

Rick tossed a folder on the table next to his cup. “New ballistic testing confirms the spent shotgun shells found on Slater’s property were fired from a sawed-off Remington Express shotgun. The same one found at the bottom of the lake on his property and identified as the murder weapon.”

“Cool. That’s the kind of evidence a jury can’t ignore.”

Rick grinned. “Hang on, there’s more.”

Jake stared at him. “Well, get to it.”

“As you know, they analyzed Slater’s cell phone records and established a route from the murder scene to the bowling alley where Beebe’s SUV was dumped.”

“They traced the cell tower pings on any calls he made or received the night of the murders. He placed twelve outgoing calls and received seventeen incoming calls over a four-hour period to and from the same cell number.”

“Okay. And that means, what exactly?”

“It appears he had an accomplice.”

“How do you figure?”

“Well, the calls began at eight forty-five p.m., and ended at around one-thirty a.m. The first call Slater made was traced to somewhere near the bowling alley. We believe the person he called then drove to Slater’s property, making several calls to him in the process.

Jake nodded. “So he called someone near the bowling alley to come help dispose of the bodies?”

“Yeah, that’s what it looks like,” Rick acknowledged. “But it gets even more interesting. For the next couple of hours no further calls were made from either cell phone. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. Then at around midnight, the calls started again. Cell tower records show the same path across town, stopping at the bowling alley.”

Jake shot to his feet, energized at the prospect of having a new suspect to interrogate. Stop whoever was trying to hurt Angela.

“All right,” Jake said. “They dispose of the bodies, then one person drives the SUV and the other follows with his own car, dumping the SUV at the bowling alley. And we know this because they talked to each other on their cell phones while they traveled?”

“Yep, dumb asses.” Rick snorted. “It fits the timeline.”

“Do we have a name?”

“Yep. And it’s not a
him
, it’s a
her
. Susan Rivera, Slater’s girlfriend.”

“He involved his girlfriend in a double murder?” Jake asked incredulously. “What a dick.” He shook his head. “Have you picked her up for questioning?”

“Yep. They’re looking for her now. As soon as she’s in custody, I’ll let you know.”

Angela poured the flour and sea salt into a bowl, cut small chunks of butter into a separate bowl, then placed both in the freezer to cool, setting the oven timer for fifteen minutes. She scrounged around the cupboards looking for a cutting board or baking sheet. Not finding either, she scrubbed the counter instead, to roll out the dough. A knock sounded at the door.

“Just a minute,” she shouted. Hurrying to the door, she checked the peephole to see Jake talking with Pete. Her pulse raced. Although still fuzzy from last night, she vividly recalled the taste of him, the feel of his lips as he kissed her. Her stomach fluttered. She braced herself against unwanted emotions and turned the knob, swinging the door open.

She met Jake’s amused gaze. He grinned. “Hey, Angel.”

“Hi.” The tiny flutter in her belly exploded into a whirlwind of soaring butterfly wings, and she nearly groaned aloud at her weakness. She flashed the other two men a quick smile, then dashed back into the kitchen.

She opened the freezer, took out the bowls, and placed them on the counter. The front door clicked shut, and she heard Jake make his way to the kitchen. She kept busy with her task, not yet ready to meet his gaze, much too aware of him. Her traitorous body refused to cooperate with her sensible brain that was telling her to put a stop to whatever was between them.

Footsteps sounded across the kitchen floor. “What are you doing?”

She looked his way and her heart did a double rat-a-tat against her chest. His mesmerizing hazel eyes watched her like a hungry lion, the swirling shades of green and brown filled with heat and desire. She reached for her pendant and twirled it between her fingers.

“Baking.”

“What?”

“QUICK PUFF PASTRY.” Angela turned back to the counter, reached into the bowl of butter to separate the chunks, before tossing them into the bowl of flour. “I have to work quickly, while it’s still cool.” Picking up a knife, she mixed the ingredients until the butter was well coated with the flour.

“Oh,” he said, amusement lacing his voice. He moved closer to stare over her shoulder. “Can I help?”

Angela poured the pile of flour and butter onto the clean counter and shaped it into a round-shaped well. Heat from Jake’s body wrapped around her.

All she had to do was lean back a mere fraction of an inch to have him pressed against her. Before she gave in to the temptation, she moved slightly away and picked up a measuring spoon. “Well, if you could get me the measuring cup of water from the refrigerator, that’d be great.”

Jake gave her a disarming smile, before turning to retrieve the water. Angela was unable to take her eyes off him as he walked with nonchalant grace to the refrigerator. Her pulse quickened, his overwhelming presence and sexy, well-built body making the tiny kitchen seem even smaller. She gulped as he made his way back over to her, handing her the water.