Guarding Kelsey ((Books We Love Romantic Suspense)) (14 page)

* * *

Kelsey stepped into the living room.
The older building had
homey
warmth her modern condo lacked.
Rich oak framed the doors and windows, and contrasted with the white plaster walls.
High ceilings gave the feeling of space in the small
home
.
She opened the vertical blinds to let in the morning light. The back alley walls had a striking arrangement of graffiti and colorful sayings.
"Your kingdom, I suppose?"

"Yes.
The court poet is considered to be a master."

"And he shares his space with a Rembrandt."

Wolf joined her at the window. "You're a patron of the arts, I see.
Two high-spirited youths I arrested decided to show their appreciation."

Kelsey tilted her head to one side. "I don't think I've ever seen that word spelled that way.
And I'm not sure it is anatomically possible to do that, anyway."

"But the point was made," he returned dryly. "Are you hungry?"

"Sure.
Indulging in art appreciation always makes me ravenous. Would you like me to cook?"

"If you want.
I need to pack a few things."

Kelsey made her way to the galley kitchen.
At least she didn’t find a sink full of dirty dishes, but she found little else.
The refrigerator had several indefinable objects and a quart of spoiled milk.
Not much to work with.
The cabinets were as bare
as
Old Mother
Hubbard’s
cupboards. No wonder the man could eat like a horse.
He probably experienced long dry spells between his feedings. He needed someone to look after him.

And she wanted to be that someone. The thought both frightened and excited her.

She removed the offending carton of milk and poured it down the drain.
"Everything in your refrigerator could pass for a science experiment?" she called out to him.

"What did you say?" Wolf asked, as he entered the kitchen.

He’d removed his shirt and her eyes were immediately drawn to his bare chest. She lost her appetite for breakfast but a new and exciting hunger took over her body. Since her disastrous marriage, she‘d steered clear of men.
So, why willingly run full speed into trouble once again?
In her head she knew she should back away, but her heart had stopped listening to reason.

Unable to fight the magnetic draw, she stroked her hand along his taut pectorals and tight washboard abdominal.
The muscles bunched beneath her fingers. Before she could continue with her exploration, he cuffed her wrist in a steel grip.

“What are you doing?” His voice was raw with desire.

“I would have thought it was obvious.
Do you want me to stop?”

“You shouldn’t do this.”

She stepped closer and whispered, “And you shouldn’t tempt me by walking around half dressed, but you did.”

“This is a professional
.
.”

“In my condo, it’s professional.
In your
home
, it’s personal.”

She surprised herself with her stubborn determination.
Unlike her father, she didn’t normally stake a claim and go after something.
Or
someone
in this case. However, she was her father’s daughter and as such, she knew that opportunities wouldn’t fall in her lap.
She had to make the most of a situation when presented with a desirable challenge.
Wolf was both desirable and a challenge.

She brushed a kiss against his cheek.
Razor stubble grazed her skin.

Wolf cupped her face in his hands and held her slightly away from him. Was he hoping she would change her mind?
She had come this far, she wasn’t about to back down. She rose to her
tiptoes
and met his mouth in a hot,
mind-numbing
kiss.
Apparently, he didn’t possess any more self-control than she did.

She closed her eyes, retreating from reality to enjoy the promise of the fantasy.
Not trusting her own legs to support her, she wrapped her arms around him.
She ran her fingers in small circles along the smooth skin of his back.

He let out a deep groan and moved her back until her body came up against a solid wall.
His tongue teased her mouth, sparking the fires of her long buried passions.
His body heat warmed her to the very core. She felt alive, as if awakening from an emotional coma.

He slid his fingers under her sweater and along her rib cage, resting just beneath her breast.
His touch was surprisingly gentle, yet demanding a response.
How could she deny
what
ever
y
fiber of her being wanted so badly?

At the moment of her submission, he explored her mouth with deep, hungry kisses until her body trembled from the sheer intensity of it. She was out of control, and at the same time she had never felt so safe and protected. Wolf wanted her.
She felt it in the hard lines of his body, in the demanding pressure of his mouth, in the rapid beating of his pulse.

However Wolf, apparently uncomfortable with
wanting
her, pulled back.

She let out a sigh of protest and glanced up at him.
His
grey-eyed
gaze sparked with surprise. Didn’t he know the affect he had on her?

For the first time in seven years she'd found someone who made her feel again.
Not wise, she warned herself. She should have listened to her own advice.
Just because he wanted her physically didn’t mean he wanted a relationship.
He’d been more than clear.
She was going to lose her heart and he was going to return to his own life.

Wolf folded his arms around her and rocked her gently. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head.
"Nothing.”

How could she explain that she was obsessing about the future after one kiss?
It was crazy, even to her mind.

He stroked her cheek and pushed her hair away from her face.
"You’re probably hungry.
I’m going to jump in the shower and then we’ll get some breakfast before heading back.
I’m sure the coast will be clear by then."

She nodded.
He wanted to distance himself.
She understood his desire to keep up his guard while on duty.
Would he be any different when the case ended?

Once she heard the shower running, she engaged in the typically feminine pastime of snooping around his
place.
Perhaps his bedroom would give her insights into the man.
As she entered the room a flash of light caught her eye.
The sun reflected off the bottom
of
the gun Wolf had shoved inside his Doc Martins.
More insight than she wanted in her current predicament.

An open suitcase sat on the bed with clothing tossed carelessly on top. Otherwise the room was neatly kept, if not a little small for the large oak furniture it contained.
A masculine print of rich browns and beige fabric draped the windows.
The solid oak bed took up half the room, which seemed appropriate for some twisted reason.

She stretched across the firm mattress and stared at the stucco ceiling.
What would it be like to share this bed with him?
Curled up in his arms, flesh against flesh, after making love all night long?
She exhaled deeply.
Dreams like that would land her in deep trouble.

When the water stopped, she sprang to her feet.
His bed was the last place she wanted to get caught.
She darted into the kitchen and dropped into the chair at the dinette table.

Footsteps came up behind her. “That was fast.” She turned.
The smile froze on her face as she stared into the eyes of a complete stranger.

Kelsey scrambled to her feet, sending the chair into the wall behind her with a thud.
Her heart pounded against her ribs. Where had he come from?
The well-dressed man said something, but she heard nothing.
A scream caught in her throat.

He took a step forward and raised his hand.
Reason deserted her and instinct took over.
She grabbed his arm and flipped him over her hip, leaving him in a heap on the floor.
He emitted a series of painful groans that vibrated through her.

Think
!
She gasped for a normal breath before she hyperventilated.
The man began to stir.
She back
ed
away, stumbling into the table behind her.

“Are you out of your mind?”
The deep voice rumbled with anger that echoed around the room.
She didn’t stick around to see just how angry.
Pivoting on her heel, she sprinted to the bedroom down the hall.

Once inside she locked the door and jammed a desk chair under the handle. With trembling hands, she grabbed Wolf’s gun from his boot.
She huddled herself into the corner of the room and aimed at the door, praying she wouldn’t have to use the weapon.

* * *

Wolf turned off the water and grabbed a towel. The short, cold shower had done little to clear his confused emotions. Never in his ten years with the force had he gotten involved with a woman attached to a case.

Kelsey was frightened and hurt.
She trusted him and he’d taken advantage of the situation.
He shook his head.
Not entirely.
Warm, passionate and stubborn, she didn’t take no for an answer so he had to keep her from asking the questions.

After five hours of reading through the transcripts of her interviews, he had trouble maintaining a distance.
Why did she choose to delve into a subject that would only bring back her own tragic past?
Did she hope to understand that which was incomprehensible to most people?
Her money hadn't been able to protect her from the harsh realities of life.
Perhaps, subconsciously, she believed he could.
She would only be disappointed in the end. A gun and a badge couldn’t make him a guardian angel.

Wolf pulled on his jeans.
A loud thump and the slamming of a door reverberated
through
the
house.
Adrenalin flowed through his veins. In a reflex action, he reached for his gun. He muttered a stream of obscenities.

He cracked the bathroom door and peered into the empty living room.
Sliding along the wall, he slowly approached the kitchen.
He glanced in quickly and caught sight of an intruder but no Kelsey.
He could only pray that she hadn’t left through the open front door.
On feet as light as a cat, he crossed the linoleum floor and grabbed the perpetrator in a
chokehold
.