Bare It All (3 page)

There had to be something twisted in that.

At first, Alice Something-or-other—he really needed to learn
her last name—had felt like a challenge. He didn’t want to think himself
conceited, but women didn’t ignore him, so her disregard had piqued his
interest.

Then he’d noticed her odd intensity, the extreme way she
focused whenever she ventured outside, almost as if she watched for the
boogeyman. Why would a young, middle-class woman in a good neighborhood need to
be so over-the-top cautious, even in broad daylight?

Her softness felt like a lure. Big dark eyes. Baby fine brown
hair.

And that soft, full mouth...

The first time he saw her smile—
at his
dog
—something had sparked. Reese couldn’t explain it any more than he
could dismiss it, but something about her turned him on at a gut level.

He saw that tempting smile of hers, and he got hard.

Knowing she could come back in any moment, Reese searched
through her bathroom, but in his cursory exploration he found only the usual
female products. No meds, other than a few OTCs like aspirin and cold pills.

In the spare bedroom set up as her office, he struck gold. With
enough time to dig around, he could probably uncover all kinds of info on that
elaborate computer network. Paper files occupied a rack on the corner of the
desk. She had an external drive set up. Mail filled a basket, meaning he could
learn her last name with a simple peek. Everything was so neatly organized that
going through it would be a breeze.

But that would be such a huge invasion of her privacy.

Worse than peeking in closets and under beds.

God, it was tempting....

In a belated bid for integrity, Reese shut the door. He’d talk
to Alice. He’d ask questions and hopefully get answers, and then he’d decide how
to proceed.

Right now, after seeing the guns, Taser and baton, he really
did need that coffee.

A few minutes later, he’d just sat down at the table with his
second cup when the front door flew open and Alice charged in, Cash hot on her
heels.

Reese half rose from his seat. “What’s wrong?”

She halted comically, still breathing fast. Cash looked at her,
looked at Reese, and twitched his ears as if awaiting further instruction.

“Alice?”

After blowing out a breath, Alice shook her head. “Nothing is
wrong.” She closed the door and simply...stood there.

“Just felt like taking a wind sprint, huh?” Would he ever
understand her?

Damn straight he would.

“I had no idea you could move so quickly.” Coffee in hand, he
left the table. “I believe your temples are dewy. Did you run all the way
in?”

She looked blank for only a moment, then visually searched the
apartment as if seeking signs of his intrusion.

Let her look. He’d folded up his blankets. Put his clothes near
the door. He’d even buttoned his slacks.

No way would he put on a shirt, though, not when he enjoyed her
appreciation. And thinking of her appreciation...

He started toward her.

She locked her gaze to his. “What are you doing?”

Her uncertainty cut deep. “Greeting my dog.” Gently, Reese took
the leash from her small hand and unhooked Cash. He knelt down. “Did you miss
me, Cash? Did you?”

Alice stared down at him. “You talk to him like he’s a
baby.”

“He likes it.” And then, to drive home that point, he said in
his most ridiculous voice, “Don’t you, boy? Yes, you do.”

Alice blurted, “I’m sorry I intruded.”

Huh. What was that about? Slowly, so he wouldn’t make her any
jumpier, Reese stood. “Let’s go to the kitchen. This is my second cup, but as
foggy as I am today, I might need the whole pot.”

“All right.” She marched ahead of him. “I was going to offer
you breakfast. Or lunch.” At the sink, she pivoted to face him. “What do you
feel like?”

Such a loaded question, and being male, so many inappropriate
comments came to mind. But given all her weaponry and secrets, he got right to
the point instead of teasing.

“I feel like an explanation.” Or two or three. He helped
himself to another cup of coffee, which put him within touching distance of her,
and started with her last apology. “When did you intrude?”

“Outside. With your lady friends.”

Ah. What justification would she give for that little display?
“You wanted me to get my coffee.” He saluted her with his cup. “Much
appreciated.”

“Actually...no.” She rubbed her forehead. “I mean, yes, I did
want you to have your coffee, of course. But I...I don’t really understand what
I was thinking. I saw you out there with those women and the next thing I knew,
I was behaving like a jealous wife.”

Wow. Reese stared at her, flabbergasted. She threw that out
there like it was nothing. No reserve at all.

No sense of self-preservation either.

“Again,” she said in that same no-nonsense tone, “I’m
sorry.”

Shaking off the surprise, Reese opened her refrigerator. “No
problem.” He withdrew her cartoon of eggs.

She frowned. “They’re both very attractive.”

“Nikki and Pam?”

The frown intensified. “Don’t be deliberately obtuse.”

“All right.” If she wanted to dish it out, he could dish it
right back. “They’re both sexy as hell.” He grinned like a sinner—or a man ready
to provoke. “And they know it, too.”

Alice reached around him and pulled out bacon. “This is
awkward.”

She didn’t act uncomfortable. She acted like it was routine to
have such an odd conversation. “Nothing with me should be awkward.”

She eyed him, moved around to get out a pan. “I understand they
were...trying to attract your interest?”

“With those two, always. They’re relentless in their pursuits.”
He put just enough complaint in his tone to sound comically pitiful.

“Oh, poor you. How awful it must be to have
sexy-as-hell
women hitting on you.”

The bite of her sarcasm was so totally unexpected, he loved it.
“Since I don’t want to get involved with either of them, even for a one-night
stand, it gets tedious.”

“So you really have turned them down?” She quickly added,
“That’s what they said. That they kept trying and you kept dodging them.”

He crossed his heart.

“Is it the proximity? That was Nikki’s guess.”

Since proximity would also put Alice off limits, he denied it.
“That might have factored in a little. But mainly they’re both drinkers and
heavy partiers.”

“And you’re not?”

“When was the last time you saw me head to a party?”

“I haven’t kept track of your agenda, one way or the
other.”

Bull. Alice was far too aware of everyone and everything not to
have noticed him. Even without her keen powers of observation, few would miss a
man of his size. Thanks to a good draw from the family gene pool, he had both
height and strength.

Men and women alike made note of him. But it wasn’t until Cash
that Alice had acknowledged his existence.

He turned on a burner to get the skillet hot. “I work too many
hours, and when I get some downtime, I like to kick back with my friends, which
usually means watching sports, fishing, that sort of thing.” He opened a drawer
and found an egg turner. “And I like to hit up the gym a couple of times a week
just to unwind.”

“You look—” she coughed lightly “—physically fit.”

“Thanks.” He was in prime condition, but if she wanted to
understate it, he wouldn’t debate it with her.

She got out bread for toast. It was interesting how easily they
moved together to prepare breakfast.

“Another strike against Pam and Nikki—they’re not dog people.”
He smiled at how Alice maneuvered around Cash without complaint, giving him the
occasional pat or stroke without even thinking about it.

“That matters to you?”

“The dog and I are a package deal now.” He began laying bacon
in the skillet. “Love me, love my dog.”

Silence filled the air. Had the
love
word thrown her when likening herself to a jealous wife hadn’t?
The mysteries added up. “So, Alice, while we prepare breakfast, why don’t we
have that talk?”

“All right.” She took down glasses and poured orange juice.
“Before we get into that, though, would you like to tell me what you found while
snooping?”

He went still, unsure if she bluffed, or if—

“I know you did, Reese.”

“You assume—”

“I
know.
”

Giving up, he said, “You’re loaded down with weapons. Want to
tell me why?”

One shoulder lifted. “Self-protection.”

“Most people cover that with one gun.”

She avoided his gaze by turning the bacon with a fork. “So,
what did you find?”

“Glock in bedroom closet, Taser in nightstand—”

“You got into my nightstand?”

Interesting reaction. “Long enough to see the Taser, yes.” He
studied her frown. “I also saw the baton under your bed.”

Mouth tight, she asked, “Is that it?”

No fucking way. “There’s more?”

With only the slightest hesitation, she lowered the heat under
the bacon, took his hand and led him out of the kitchen and down the hall.

Reese was so astounded by her touch that he barely noticed Cash
trotting along behind them. It seemed that wherever Alice went, the dog
followed.

She veered into the bathroom, released him and gestured behind
the toilet. Frowning, Reese leaned around her to see...a revolver strapped to
the tank. It was hidden from view so that only someone who knew where to look
would find it.

He started to say something, but Alice walked out, so he
followed, as did Cash. She went into her office, pulled her chair out from her
desk and tipped it back to show another Taser and a spare cell phone attached
underneath.

“Jesus.” Reese rubbed a hand over his head. “What else?”
Because somehow, he just knew there was more.

She marched back into the kitchen, opened a cabinet drawer, and
one by one, set out a flashlight, another spare cell phone, a big knife, mace
and finally a stun gun. “I prefer a Taser so I won’t have to get close, but the
stun gun is here just in case.”

Muscles knotted, tension mounting from her dispassionate
explanation and overabundance of weapons, Reese growled out,
“Why?”
She had a damned fortress going on, and there
must be a reason.

“I don’t want to be hurt.”

In contrast to his tone, hers was soft, and a little chilling
because of it. It wrecked him, imagining what might have instilled so much
caution.

His worst fears were confirmed when her big dark eyes lifted to
his, and she said softly, “Again.”

CHAPTER THREE

M
ETHODICALLY
, A
LICE
replaced each item in
the drawer. She heard her own heartbeat, felt the rushing of her pulse, but
outwardly, she showed nothing but calm resolve.

God, how good she’d gotten at that.

For the longest time, Reese said nothing. She wasn’t sure what
to expect, how he’d react.

But when he did finally move, it was just to turn the
bacon.

She closed the drawer, searching for something to say. “You
seem competent in the kitchen.” He seemed competent at
everything
. “Would you like to do the eggs, too, or should I?”

“Why don’t you take a seat, and I’ll handle it.”

Ooookay. He sounded almost indifferent—not what she’d expected,
especially from a detective. She pulled out a chair, and Cash came to lay by her
feet.

“Do you have permits for the guns?”

That stalled her but only for a moment. Surely she did.
“Yes.”

“That wasn’t a very confident reply.”

She repeated, more firmly, “Yes.”

“Hmm.”

“Stay, Cash. I’ll be right back.” She went into her office,
checked that Reese hadn’t followed her and got out her special paperwork hidden
within the register vent on the floor, held in place by heavy magnets. Inside,
she found several permits. She located what she needed, put the rest back and
returned to Reese. “Here you go.”

“If I check those, will they be legit?”

“I’m confident they will be.”

He shook his head at her. “The things you say and the way you
say it—”

“Yes,”
she amended. “They will be.”
Not even for a second should she have doubted it. Everything she had, every
resource, and yes, every weapon, would bear up under close scrutiny.

The bacon smelled delicious as Reese put it on a plate and got
started on the eggs. “How many do you want?”

“One, please.” Watching him work, she appreciated the view:
Reese shirtless, his shoulders flexing as he cracked eggs, his big bare feet
planted apart on her linoleum floor. She could so easily get used to the sight
of him in her kitchen. “Most women would want to cook for you.”

“Maybe.” He lifted his coffee cup for another drink, then
glanced back at her. “I appreciate it that you aren’t being so clichéd.”

No, she couldn’t be. She was so unlike most women, any
comparison would be hard to find.

He continued to watch her. “Does anyone else know about your
cache of weapons?”

No one that he’d ever meet. She didn’t like lying to him, but
really, she had no choice. “No.”

“You took far too long to answer.”

“I’m sorry.”

Reluctantly, he turned to flip the eggs. “So, why did you tell
me?”

Alice shook her head. “I’ve been sitting here wondering the
same thing myself. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t repeat it to anyone
else.”

“Who would I tell?”

“Your friend Detective Riske. Or Lieutenant Peterson. I’d as
soon not have to answer difficult questions.”

“All right.” He set the plates on the table. “Unless it becomes
necessary to tell someone else, I’ll keep your secret.” The toast popped up.
Reese put a pat of butter on each piece.

“It’s not a secret as much as it’s my private, personal
business.”

He handed her a napkin, touched her cheek and took his
seat.

Though he ate without pressuring her, Alice knew he still
waited for an answer.

“It’s strange,” she said after a bite of bacon. “But I think I
trust you.”

“That’s a start.”

“I’m a good judge of character,” she said with a shrug. “You’re
trustworthy.”

“You think that because I’m a cop?”

She laughed, realized how awful that sounded and covered her
mouth with a hand. “No.” She shook her head. “No, being in law enforcement has
nothing to do with it.”

“Unfortunately, you’re right.” Without seeming indelicate, he
ate so heartily that his food quickly disappeared.

His statement made her curious. “Why do you say that?”

“All that stuff that happened—the shooting in my apartment, I
mean. There are a handful of cops on the force right now that aren’t honest,
good cops. The lieutenant is doing her best to clear out the corruption, but
it’s not easy. One bad cop is catastrophic. You get several working together,
and the entire department is compromised.”

“Your friend Logan?”

“As trustworthy as they come.”

“I thought so.” Yesterday, while she’d fretted, waiting to see
if Reese would be okay, Logan Riske had pulled up with his brother and Pepper
Yates. Alice had studied him for a short time, long enough to recognize in him
the same attitude that Reese had.

In a leap of faith, she’d explained to Detective Riske about
the intruders with Reese in his apartment.

“More of your intuition, huh?” He drank half his orange juice.
“I gotta say, Alice, I’d love to know how you do it. How do you sift the good
from the bad with little more than a glance?”

It grew so quiet after that, they could hear Cash snoring under
the table. Alice finished off a slice of bacon, wondered where to start and
decided it didn’t really matter when it all ended the same way.

“I was taken.”

Everything about Reese sharpened; his attention, his posture.
His warm concern. And something more, something like rage.

Because he’s a good man, as well as a good
cop, and he cares about others.

He set aside his utensils. “You were kidnapped?”

Oh, God, she hated hearing it said aloud. “And held
captive.”

“When?” He leaned toward her. “For how long?”

Unwilling—even unable—to elaborate, she shook her head. “The
only important detail is that I got away. And now that I’m free, I don’t take
chances. That’s all I can say.”

“I need more.”

“I’m sorry, no.”

Abruptly, he sat back. “Stop apologizing, damn it!”

She smiled at his show of temper. “Honestly, Reese, I didn’t
expect to ever tell anyone any of it. I don’t like to think about it. I
definitely don’t want to talk about it.” Mired in confusion and conflicts, she
reached a hand down to Cash and put her fingers in his fur. Contact with the dog
always brought her composure. And oddly enough, exposure to Reese brought her
that and other elusive emotions. Ones she’d feared she’d never again feel. That
had to mean something, but what? Finding the right words wasn’t easy. “The thing
is, I like you, when for the longest time I didn’t like anyone or anything, not
even myself.”

Reese held himself still and silent.

“I’d gotten used to feeling...” She didn’t want to sound
dramatic, but only one word would do. “Ugly.” Inside and out.

With stark conviction, he stated, “You’re not.”

He was the type of nice guy that would do his best to reassure
her, only she didn’t need that from him. “Then I decided I was just plain.”

Folding his brawny arms on the tabletop, he leaned closer
again. “Far from it.”

Her breath came faster, deeper. “The way you look at me, I know
you must not think so.”

“Tell me why
you
think it.”

No, she couldn’t go there. For many, many reasons, not all of
them her own, elaborating was impossible. “I can’t.”

“Can’t, or won’t?”

“Both, I guess.” Shoring up her courage, she met his piercing
green eyes and saw the sympathy there. But she knew she didn’t deserve sympathy.
She didn’t really deserve anything.

Not after what she’d done, what she’d let happen.

How cowardly she’d been.
But not
anymore.

She’d been given a second chance, and by God, she would grab it
with both hands.

Reese had mentioned love. Love him, love his dog.

Easy enough, since she’d lost her heart to Cash the second
she’d met him. That Reese came with the dog, or vice versa...well, that could be
a wonderful bonus.

Her throat tightened. She’d come to accept that love was well
out of reach. She hadn’t been worthy of love.

Then.

But now?

She desperately wanted to explore the expanding emotions he
inspired. Did she dare?

She would never again be a coward.

Clearing the constricting uncertainty from her throat, she
forced herself to meet his gaze. He watched her so closely that she felt it
right down to her heart. “When can you move back to your apartment?”

The seconds ticked by. “In a hurry to get rid of me?”

“Not at all.” Alice admitted the truth. “I’m hoping you still
need a place to stay. That is, I hope you’ll want to stay here again.” And just
in case he wasn’t getting it, she added, “With me.”

He dropped back in his seat, his eyes closed, his expression
frustrated. “You don’t pull your punches, do you?”

When she’d so generously been offered a new lease on life,
she’d vowed to be clear and concise in all things. She wanted Reese. For how
much, she didn’t yet know, but she wanted to find out. “I didn’t mean to put you
on the spot.”

He half laughed and opened his eyes to watch her again.

“You shouldn’t feel obligated to...do anything.” That sounded
terrible. “I mean, you’re welcome to sleep here. On the couch.”
Worse and worse, Alice.
She screwed up her flagging
courage and put on a serious face. “I wasn’t hitting on you, as Pam and Nikki
do.”

“I can tell the difference.”

Of course he could. She felt like a fool.

Reese smiled at her. “I would have asked, you know.”

Tension eased from her shoulders. “You want to stay?”

“For several reasons. First and foremost, after the excitement
last night, you shouldn’t be alone. Yes, you’re coping well. And now that I know
a hint of your past, I suppose being well-armed makes...sense.”

Was he trying not to insult her? “You think I’m overdoing
it.”

“I think you’re doing what you need to in order to feel
safer.”

Safer, but not
safe.
Reese
understood the difference. Now that she knew how easy it was to become the
victim, never again would she feel entirely safe. “Yes.”

He toyed with his empty glass, turning it on the table. “I can
only imagine how you were affected by the shooting and the death—”

She lifted her chin. “I would have helped.”

“You did help. You sent Logan in with full knowledge of what
was happening. Without you, he might have ended up in the same boat as the
lieutenant and me.”

She still didn’t know everything that had happened, how or why.
“Handcuffed to a bed?”

“Or dead.” Reese pushed back from his chair and carried his
empty plate to the sink.

Were all men so comfortable in a kitchen? So tidy?

Not that she could remember. Her dad was wonderful, but he’d
left household chores to her mother.

The few relationships she’d had never went beyond casual
dating, so she had no idea how those men had been in a kitchen.

As if merely curious, Reese asked, “You would have used that
gun yesterday?”

“If necessary.” That was one thing she’d proven to herself. She
could
pull the trigger. “I gave my other gun to
your friend, since he’d left his with his brother—”

“Other gun?” He turned to face her again. “You have
more?
”

“Another revolver. Logan didn’t tell you it was mine?”

“He got shot, and he was bleeding all over....” Reese looked at
her face and cursed low. “So damn much confusion, and too many people involved.”
He cleared his plate and put it in the dishwasher. “The CST has your gun, so I
hope you’re right about that permit.”

“I am.” Curiosity got the better of her. “CST? Is that Crime
Scene Tech?”

“Yes. They’re responsible for taking photos of the scene and
collecting evidence.”

She scowled. “When will I get it back?” The idea of being short
a gun didn’t sit right. She’d gotten used to knowing exactly where to find each
weapon.

“If everything checks out, it won’t be long.” He took her plate
to the dishwasher, too, then came to stand right in front of her. He touched her
chin, lifted her face. “Whenever an officer is involved in a shooting, he gets
mandatory paid time off, usually three days.”

Hope bloomed in her breast. “So you’ll be off for the next
three days?”

“Not if I can help it, but maybe.”

Oh. Unlike her, he wasn’t rattled by the violence. He was ready
to get back to work, and she only worried about being alone with her
thoughts.

And her memories.

It felt far too uncomfortable to be sitting while he towered
over her. She eased out of her chair and stood behind it. “You don’t want the
time off?”

“I want to follow up some leads. One bastard died but not
before telling us...”

When he trailed off, Alice filled in for him. “About his human
trafficking venture.” Her hands tightened on the back of the chair. “That’s what
you were going to say.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “It burned my ass to have
divided loyalties yesterday.”

How she would love to put her hands around his bulging biceps;
the skin there looked so smooth and taut. She could maybe trail her fingers over
the solid muscles in his shoulders, too, and down through his crisp chest
hair....

“Alice,” he warned.

“Divided how?”

He took a step closer but didn’t touch her. “Logan was shot,
Rowdy was in a fury and Pepper was all emotional.”

Sorting out the people involved would take some doing. “You
said Pepper and Rowdy are siblings.”

“The reason Rowdy was so furious. The guy that died? He’d
planned to give Pepper to the traffickers.”

Sickness churned in her stomach, burned in her throat. “That’s
why you and Detective Riske were after him?”

“Not entirely, no. Morton Andrews was guilty of many things,
all of them worthy of death.”

So many awful people in the world. Too many. She swallowed back
the distaste of evil. “I’m glad he’s dead.”