Intimate Desires (The Love and Danger Series) (12 page)

The alarm went off much too early the following morning.  Hannah glared at the alarm, hating the numbers that showed her she had to rise and shine. 

“No more sex,” she groaned as she slid out of the bed, pushing her hair out of her eyes.  “I don’t think I can move.”

She heard Sam chuckle behind her, then felt a hand slip out from under the covers and she yelped, leaping from the bed.  “That’s cheating,” she snapped and padded barefoot into the bathroom.  She showered and went through her usual routine, wondering if she now knew what a zombie’s life was like.  This was the second night in a row that she hadn’t slept well and she wasn’t sure how she was going to function today.  Her mind slowly went through her employees and she came up with a few that she might be able to call to come in and cover for her.  She’d have to get through until around ten in the morning though.  Most of her employees were college students and didn’t rise until ten normally. 
Which is what she would be doing right now if she didn’t need to open her store so early. 

She was standing under the water when she felt the shower door open.  She thought back to yesterday when Sam had come in and done his business with her on the other side.  “I’m coming in,” he told her.  And he wasn’t asking permission.

Hannah jumped out of the way a moment before his enormous body entered the shower area.  “What are you doing?” she asked, breathless already. 

His hands took the soap and lathered his hands.  “Helping you get ready for work,” he explained as if that were the most obvious thing in the world. 

She eyed him warily and shook her head.  “I don’t think this is going to help me a whole lot,” she said.

He laughed softly and turned her around.  “Trust me,” he said in her ear.  His hands slid down her body and Hannah couldn’t stop him, the feelings from the previous night rushing to all parts of her body once more. 

He took her in the shower, her hands up on the wall and she couldn’t believe how much better she felt, how much more awake, after her shower.

Of course, Sam speeding through the streets of Chicago to get her to her coffee shop on time
also woke her up.  She felt like she had to peel her hands off of the door handle after that terrifying ride.  But she definitely had a smile on her face as she unlocked the door that morning.

Sam went through his normal checks, looking in the storage room, the bathrooms,
her office.  Thankfully, nothing jumped out at him.  But when he opened the door to the back, she saw him tense, then heard him cursing under his breath while he grabbed his phone.  Dialing quickly, he said something she couldn’t hear while she stood at the front of her café, shivering because she knew what had just happened.

He’d found another body.

“Again?” she called out.

Sam nodded grimly while he spoke on the phone.

Hannah sat down in one of the colorful chairs, feeling horrible.  While she’d been with Sam having a fabulous time, someone else had been murdered.  She was a horrible human being.  Wrapping her arms around her waist, she rocked back and forth, trying to hold back the tears.

That’s when Sam saw her and he got off the phone, coming over to her quickly and pulling her into his arms.  “It’s not your fault, honey.  This wasn’t
your doing.  You did nothing wrong.”

She sniffled as the tears streamed down her face.  “Why is someone doing this?” she asked weakly, wondering why anyone would take another human life. 

“There are people in this world who just aren’t right, love.  Not all the synapses connect properly for some reason.  It doesn’t make any sense.  It just is.”  He held her, rocking her slightly to try and help her overcome her sadness.  The sirens were in the distance and Hannah was learning to hate that sound. 

Within ten minutes,
most of her café and the back alley was filled with police officers.  Hannah made several calls, asking her employees to come in early while she swiftly made coffee and heated up breakfast sandwiches, warmed up muffins and toasted bagels for everyone.  Walker, Colt and Brock were working the crime scene right along with Sam, calling out orders and questions to the various uniformed police officers and crime scene technicians.  She even recognized Joe, the medical examiner.  Not a good thing, she realized as she handed out hot cups of coffee to anyone who needed a perk. 

She walked over to Joe, an
elderly man with the thick black glasses, handing him coffee but she moved swiftly backwards as the smell of the newest dead body hit her.  “Why does he smell so horrible?” she asked, covering her nose with her hands.  There was a stench on this poor victim that was more than a little overwhelming.

Joe turned back
to Hannah, his eyes apologizing for the ghastly nature of their morning.  “This guy didn’t die as quickly, or painlessly as the others, I’m afraid.”

Sam came up behind her, taking her shoulders gently to guide her away from the murder.  “She doesn’t need to hear that Joe,” Sam admonished.

Hannah looked up at Sam, feeling sorry that he had to deal with all of these gruesome details and yet he still took the time to try and shield her from them.  “I’m okay.  I promise,” she said and stretched up to kiss his jaw. 

She walked away, only a little startled to see Colt,
Walker and Brock standing behind her with their arms crossed over their chests.  All of them had a smile on their faces, even Walker, and she smiled back, but moved quickly into her café. 

Sam watched her walk inside, feeling his body respond to the gentle sway of her hips.  “Any of you guys know anything about plumbing?” he asked, still staring at the now-closed door. 

“I do,” Brock piped up.  “You got a leak?”

Walker and Colt both looked at him sharply. 
“I can help if it’s bad,” Walker agreed. 

Sam shook his head, clearing it from images of the lovely lady he’d held in his arms throughout the night.  “No.  No leak.  I just need to remodel my bathroom.”  He was thinking about putting in a bigger shower.  The space he had now was too small for the two of them
once she moved in.  Or, more specifically, it was too small for the two of them to shower together.  Correctly.  Pleasantly. 

Yes, he had big plans for that bathroom.  And maybe expand the closet a bit too.  He wasn’t sure how many clothes Hannah had, but she probably would like a nice, big closet.  Most women do, don’t they?

“New bathroom?” Colt asked, staring at his partner and friend.  “Why would you need a new bathroom?”  He looked over his sunglasses at Sam.  “The one you have is perfectly…” He stopped mid-sentence as the ideas popped into his mind.  He looked back to the closed door, then at Sam. 

Grinning like an idiot, he nodded his head.  “So that’s the way it goes, eh?”

Walker and Brock had already figured it out.  “Nice night?” Walker asked, slapping Sam on the back.

“Tough morning though, right man?” Brock asked, chuckling himself. 

“Shut up,” Sam shot back at the three of them, bending down to examine the body again.  “You’re all assholes.”

The three large men guffawed at their friend, but Sam also knew that they would all be at his house this weekend smashing out his bathroom and building it up again.  If they could solve this case and catch the serial killer, that is. 

“What are we missing, Joe?” Sam asked. 

Joe pushed himself up, his knees groaning again from old age and abuse.  “I can’t tell you.  I can’t even tell you what caused this man to die.  From what I can see, he died of the flu.  But it’s the beginning of summer now.  Cases of influenza aren’t impossible, but
not very common in the summer.”  His eyes looked worried.  “I’ll know more once I get him back to my lab and can start running tests.”

Inside, Hannah busied herself with the normal tasks that needed to get done before customers started arriving for their morning coffee.  She buried herself in those details, refusing to let her mind think about the poor man who had lost his life for some unexplainable reason. 

When Hannah saw Luis walk up to the door, she forced a smile on her face, rushing over to open for the day.  Thankfully, Debbie also arrived just then and threw her arms around Hannah.  “Are you okay?” she asked, pulling back and looking at Hannah’s face.  “When you told me…” she didn’t fill in the blanks, “I hurried out the door.  You look pretty run down.  I thought it had just happened this morning.”

Sam walked up behind Hannah and Debbie looked from one to the other. 
Hannah had assumed Sam was still out back with the other officers, trying to figure this out so she jumped slightly when his arm went around her waist. 

Debbie’s eyes widened as she looked at her friend and the tall, handsome man. 
“Oh,” was her initial reaction.  Then she looked between the two of them and a grin broke out on her face.  “Oh!” and she laughed, hugging Hannah once again.  “Good for you!”  And then she stepped around Hannah to face Sam.  “Don’t hurt her like the last idiot she let into her heart!”

Sam’s eyes widened just slightly at her warning, but he took it well. “I won’t.  I’ll take care of her.”  He looked down at Hannah, his eyes moving from her shiny hair all the way to her cute toes poking out of her sandals.  “All of her.”

Debbie saw the heat and the passion, understood the silent message as well as Hannah’s blush, and nodded her approval.  “Good!” she responded, then moved efficiently out of Sam’s way to grab her apron from behind the counter.  “Hiya Luis!  How are you today?”

Luis
looked from one to the other, then back to Hannah.  “Everything okay?” he asked, arriving much later than his usual time today.

Debbie laughed
.  Despite the additional murder, she was also delighted with the latest turn of events for her friend.  “Everything is perfect!” she replied.  She efficiently stirred up Luis’ order, heated up his usual breakfast and then rang him up.  “You have a great day, Luis!” she said and turned to the next customer. 

Lilly and John, two of her college student employees came rushing through the door next.  “Are you okay, Hannah?” they both asked, giving her a hug and looking into her eyes.  “What happened this time?”

Hannah shook her head.  “The medical examiner doesn’t have any information yet but it’s different from the previous two victims.”  She sighed and rubbed her forehead, trying to figure things out in her head.  “He’s going to take the latest victim back to his lab and see if he can find out any more clues.”

Lilly took in the dark circles under Hannah’s eyes,
then looked back at Sam.  “You’re going to take care of her, right?” she demanded.

Sam was amused by all of these people giving him orders, but he didn’t mind because they obviously cared very much for his Hannah.  “I’m going to make sure nothing happens to her.”

“She’s fine on her own,” Luis grumbled, sitting down at his usual place.  “She doesn’t need some cop trying to interfere.  We’re here for her.”

Hannah smiled and touched Luis
’ shoulder.  “Sam is just saying he’s going to solve the cases.”

Sam looked down at her,
then pulled her against his side.  “Whatever helps you sleep at night,” he told her, silently saying that he was going to do a hell of a lot more than just solve the cases where she was concerned.  “We need to go.  You all set?”

“Where’s she going?” Luis
demanded. 

Mark, another one of her usual customers walked in at that moment as well.  “You’re leaving?” he asked, his eyes confused and mistrustful.  “Where are you going?”

Sam looked at the two men with growing irritation.  “She has some business down at the police station,” he said and took her hand, pulling her along behind him.

Hannah followed, almost running to keep up with him but not understanding why he was suddenly so irritated.  When they’d reached his truck again and he was just about to lift her up into the passenger seat, she put a hand to his chest to stop him. “Sam?  What’s going on?  Why are you so angry all of a sudden?”

Sam looked back at the two men who were still standing at the window to her café, watching them.  “How many other men are in love with you, Hannah?” he demanded, trying to tamp down the fury that was almost choking him.

Hannah pulled back, not sure what he was talking about.  “I don’t have any men in love with me.  Why would you ask such a ridiculous question?”

Sam almost growled with frustration.  “Let’s talk about this later,” he told her, his hands reaching out to lift her again but she pulled back. 

“No, let’s talk about this right now.  I’m not getting in this truck with an angry man.”

He bent lower, his anger rising even higher.  “Are you saying you don’t want to get into the truck with me because you’re afraid I’ll hit you?”

She laughed at the idea which instantly soothed his anger somewhat.  “No.  I have no fear that you would ever hit me,” she said and reached up to touch his cheek gently.  “I know you won’t ever physically hurt me, Sam.”

“I won’t hurt you in any way, Hannah.  You’re mine and I protect what’s mine!” he told her firmly, backing her up so that he was pressed against her.  “And I don’t like other men thinking they have any chance with you.”