Guarding Kelsey ((Books We Love Romantic Suspense)) (11 page)

"You should see how far I'd go for a raspberry torte."

She stood up and headed towards the kitchen, shaking her head. "Watch out, Krieger.
Someday I just might make one to find out."

He didn’t know if she was serious or not, but it would be better off for both of them, if he never found out. Women in protective custody often developed attachments to their protectors.
Any interest in him sprung from circumstance not an overwhelming attraction to his less than warm personality.

* * *

Kelsey started dinner while Wolf made a call into the precinct.
She wasn’t sure what had changed between them, but there was a palpable difference in their relationship.
In fact, he had shared very little about himself, but he had showed an interest in understanding her.
That was more than most men offered in her experience.

Moments later, Wolf joined her in the kitchen.
He sat on the counter, watching her work without helping.
She tried to ignore him, without luck.
Physically, the man was flawless.
He looked great, he smelled even better.
She would bet he tasted great too.
A shudder of pleasure washed over her.
At this rate, she would lose her appetite for real food.
There ought to be a law against men who were too sexy for the good of the female population.

Their little chat had served to make him more human.
Even if his reasons were purely professional he cared about what happened to her.
He didn't have to volunteer for twenty-four hour shifts.
If something happened to her on someone else’s watch he wouldn’t be responsible.

She pushed a tomato and a head of lettuce towards him.
"Unless you're posing for a statue, make yourself useful."

"I have to talk to you.”

Kelsey turned and leaned against the counter.
She didn't like the ominous tone of his voice. Since he wasn’t much of a social talker, she guessed he had questions for her regarding the case. "What?"

"What did you see at the library that made you run?
It wasn't just the note, was it?"

Her stomach knotted.
She'd put the incident out of her mind for a while, but his reminder brought it to surface again.
"No.
I thought I saw a man on the upper level watching me, but I’m not completely sure."

Wolf jumped down to the floor.
He put one hand on her shoulder and gently removed the knife she was griping in her shaking hands.
"Think.
Was it the same man from the party?"

"I don't know.
I only saw a shadow before I turned and ran."

His face softened. "Try to remember.
Think of the build of the man. How far above the railing did he stand? Was he thin, stocky?"

Kelsey inhaled and fought off the urge to cast the picture from her mind.
"I don't think he was the same. I think he was shorter and thinner but I'm not sure."

"All right. It probably wasn’t the Iceman.”

Just the nickname conjured up frightening images in her mind.

“But it makes another problem
.
.’ Wolf said. “Unless
.
.”

"What?"

"Unless the two things are unrelated.
Someone else wants to frighten you.”

"Why?"

"Is it possible that one of your interviews contained information that someone is afraid you’ll use as blackmail?"

"I don't think so.
There are no names on any of my tapes. Many women would refuse to talk to me otherwise."

"But their partners might not know that."

She'd never considered that someone might consider her interviews threatening.
The recorded
tapes allowed her to keep a record without pausing to take notes while a victim bared her soul.
"Even if they did, it was for research, not blackmail."

“But it’s possible that someone might be nervous about what you’re doing.”

"Which would clear the police of any involvement?"

* * *

Wolf clenched and unclenched his fingers.
Either way,
it
would involve some police
Intel
. “Someone would have to be feeding the information to the culprit about you and the Harrison case to make it look like the
hit man
is after you."

Then there was the possibility that he didn't dare bring up with her.
What kind of relationship did she have with her family?
Could she have mentioned something to one of them in passing?
Her uncle knew, so
it would follow that her cousin might also know. A cousin
who
resented the hell out of her
.
A mother who
started to visit her daughter more frequently since her father passed, leaving her a fortune
.

A
hit man
didn’t waste time with psychological terror.
If he wanted her dead, he’d had two clear chances to do it.
Why go to all the trouble of frightening her first?

The troubled look on her beautiful face proved that the events of the day had shaken her more than she wanted to admit.
She had strength, though.
Most women would be on tranquilizers after all she'd been through.
It had been a rough few days coming on top of a lousy year for her.

According to reports, her father had died in a tragic car accident involving a hit and run driver.
His cynical nature made him question the circumstances.
Was it an accident?
Who benefitted most if Kelsey and her father died in the same year?

He wanted to ask but couldn't bring himself to voice the words.
On top of everything else she'd been through, he didn't want to start making accusations that were founded in hunches rather than fact.

"Fried
or
mashed?" Kelsey broke into his thoughts.

Wolf shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

She held up the potatoes in front of his confused face. "How do you want them cooked?"

"Oh.
Whichever
is faster."

Kelsey shook her head. "Are you a little hungry?"

He shrugged his shoulders in apology. "I was dragged out of bed when you took off this morning so I haven't eaten today."

"Or showered," she noted wryly.

"I can't help that.
I have to wait until my relief comes tomorrow so that I can go get some clothes."

Kelsey dropped the potatoes on the counter. "Wait here."
She disappeared down the hall, returning just seconds later.

"
Here,
" she said, handing a black Nike sweat suit towards him. "I bought it for my step-father last Christmas but my mother left him before the holidays.
It should fit."

"It still has the tags on it."

Kelsey stiffened indignantly.
"Of course it does.
I don't have a stream of men staying here that I lend it to."

"I'll pay you for it," Wolf insisted and lifted the tags to see how much he owed.
H
e
nearly choked at the cost of the garment.

“I don’t want the money.
It's been in the closet collecting dust for ten months.
Or is that considered a bribe?"

"That's not the point," he grumbled.

Kelsey sighed.
"Oh, what is the point, Krieger?
It's not like I went out and bought it for you. If I donate it to the Salvation Army they'll sell it for ten dollars.
If it makes you feel better, donate ten dollars to the charity and we'll call it even."

"You coul
d give it to your cousin
."

“If it were Armani, maybe.
Nike? Never!”

“Still…”

She yelped in frustration.
“You
redefined the meaning of male pride.
Please.
Look upon it as a gift for all the trouble you went to
on
my behalf today."

Wolf held the garment against his body. "I never could say no to a lady who begs."

"Bask in it while you can.
It's the last time I'll beg to you," Kelsey promised.

"For a while, anyway," he shot back and made a hasty retreat to the bathroom for his shower.

* * *

Five minutes later, Wolf emerged from the bathroom. He slid his hands into his pockets and headed towards the kitchen. "Do you need some help with the steaks?"

"No. they're finished."

He looked at the sliced filet on the counter and grunted from the bright pink color. "You're kidding, right?
You do plan to put that back under the broiler for a while."

Kelsey shook her head. "Why would I want to do that?"

"It's still raw?"

"It's rare.”
She gazed up at
him
and flashed a dazzling smile. “Besides, I thought wolves liked their meat raw."

Wolf chuckled. "Don't get me wrong, Kelsey.
I can be tempted by flesh but only when I'm looking for a late night snack."

Kelsey's cheeks flushed with heat.
She might have been able to laugh it off with a clever retort if he didn't look so devastating.
His damp hair fell in soft waves around his face. He’d obviously dressed while still
wet
and the silky material clung to his body, outlining every muscle of his strong arms and legs.
It had been a long time since a man had flustered her.
She’d become so good at keeping a distance herself that she forgot how awkward new relationships could be. And to make matters worse she stood there gawking like some star-struck fool.

She took half of the steak and put it back under the broiler.
Her gaze remained on the oven.
His smug snickers only added to her embarrassment.

"Kelsey?"

"Shut up.”

"If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen."

"You got it," she returned.
She spun on her heels and went to the dining room, calling back to him, "You cook."

Which he did, quite capably.
Within ten minutes he had dinner on the table.
He put her plate down in front of her and moaned. "There you go, you little cannibal. Enjoy it."