The Predator (5 page)

Leaving the light switch off, he made his way across the familiar dimness of his bedroom. The blinds were in their customary position, drawn tightly against prying eyes from the street outside. He cracked open his window. A gentle breeze seeped through, spreading the stench of unwashed clothes and bed linen throughout the room.

With a sigh of contentment, he turned on his computer and waited for it to boot. Clicking onto the Internet connection, he typed in the address of his favorite chat room and let the anticipation build.

His breath caught. She was already online. With his excitement growing, he reached for the zipper on his jeans. Life couldn’t get any better.

* * *

Cassie’s heart skipped a beat when Justin entered the chat room. She’d run all the way home from the bus stop and had gone straight up to her room. She hadn’t even stopped to investigate the smell of freshly baked muffins wafting from the kitchen. Her Mom must have left work early.

She’d been daydreaming about Justin all day—during her dreary math class with Mr Purvis and in English with Mrs Pennant. She’d even missed the ball twice at netball practice.

She giggled. Her friends were beginning to wonder what was wrong with her. She couldn’t bring herself to share him with them. Not yet. He was her secret. The feelings he evoked in her were too new, too exciting to share. He made her feel warm and wonderful all over. Like a woman.

She ran her hands over the soft buds of her breasts loosely encased inside the satiny A-cup bra and sighed. So far, the bra was just for show, but in a few months, she’d turn thirteen.

She thought of her upcoming birthday and sent a silent prayer that her body would take flight into puberty and she’d wake in the body of a real woman. A woman like her mother. With generous breasts that spilled out of the neckline of her dresses. And rounded hips and a butt. A real butt. One that was taut and curvy and moved with a sexy sway whenever she walked. Not the skinny, flat-assed one Cassie had carried around, to date.

Focusing on the screen in front of her, she read Justin’s opening words. Her breath hitched.

Hey there, gorgeous. Just thinking of you. What a coincidence. You and I are like the same person.

Cassie blushed. Taking a deep breath, she tried to get her pulse rate back under control. Her fingers stumbled over the keys.

I can’t stop thinking about you, either.

His response was swift.
I want to see you.

Excitement surged through her. A grin stretched her mouth wide. She wanted to sing.

You don’t even know what I look like!

I already know you’re beautiful on the inside. That’s all that matters to me.

Cassie’s heart melted. Could he be any more perfect? She shot off another reply.

I want to send you a photo. Just so you know.

Only if you want to.

I want to.

Then I’ll send one to you, too.

Her heart filled with love. Nothing could change the way she felt about him, but she’d been dying to know what he looked like. It would make her feel closer to him. Whenever she thought of him she’d be able to picture him as he was, not just the way she’d imagined him to be.

Clicking on a file, she quickly searched through her folder of pictures, choosing and discarding several before she settled on one that had been taken a few months ago at her Uncle Brandon’s birthday. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and her braces were barely visible. She wore her favorite little black party dress that made her feel so grown-up and emphasized the coloring of her golden-blond hair. But best of all, her new push-up bra had given her a cleavage that until then, she’d only dreamed about.

A few short clicks later and the photo uploaded. She didn’t have to wait long for his response.

I always knew you would be beautiful.

Happiness spread through her, leaving her feeling giddy. He couldn’t have said anything better. She typed a reply.

You’re so incredibly sweet.

Just wait until you meet me.

Her heart skipped a beat.

I can’t wait
.

Me, either, but first, I’ll send you a picture. Fair’s fair, after all.

Cassie held her breath in anticipation. Less than a minute later, a picture appeared on her screen. The air left her body in a rush. She stared in surprise. Oh God, he was gorgeous. Even cuter than Uncle Brandon.

Warm brown eyes sparkled out of a Hollywood-handsome face that showed the first signs of the man he would become. Shadow darkened his cheeks and she realized it was stubble.
Stubble?
Wow, he
shaved.
The only boys she knew who shaved were in the senior years, at least four or five years older than she was.

She tugged the keyboard toward her.

You look so much older than fifteen. You’re so sexy.

Her fingers stumbled over the last word and she blushed. Oh, God, what if he thought her too forward? She didn’t have to wait long for his reply.

I’m so glad you think so. I hope I don’t look too old for you. I’ve been shaving for nearly a year. A gift from my Italian heritage. Most people think I’m at least seventeen.

Cassie smiled and nodded at her screen.

I was thinking exactly the same thing,
she typed
.

Hey, I’d never lie to you. You know that, don’t you?

Cassie stared at the words and her heart swelled.

Of course, I do.

Do you trust me?

She didn’t hesitate.

With my life.

His next words filled her with emotion.

You make my heart smile.

Cassie thought she’d burst with happiness. How had she gotten so lucky? How had she, plain old Cassandra Lillian Munro, stumbled across the most gorgeous, wonderful, funny guy in the whole wide world and even better, a guy who liked her.
Really
liked
her. He was her first boyfriend. Well, second, but holding hands with Warren White in the fifth grade didn’t really count and it didn’t even compare to the delicious feelings that filled her heart at the thought of Justin.

She hugged herself and smiled, embracing the happiness that bubbled up inside her.

Life didn’t get any better. She couldn’t wait to tell the girls.

* * *

He stared at the picture on his screen and fondled his crotch. She was everything he’d imagined. Big blue eyes, a wide smile, flawless skin all surrounded by a halo of white-blond hair. She was the quintessential girl next door. Perhaps that was why she looked vaguely familiar?

Need tightened his groin. His cock twitched. With her picture enlarged before him, he tugged down his zipper.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Alex squared her shoulders and stared up at the small mountain of stairs that led into the team’s squad room. Another night shift, her last one before she had time off. Twelve hours and it would be over, at least for a couple of days. She’d be free to sleep in, take Sam to the park, touch up the highlights in her hair, talk to her mother. It felt like they’d barely spoken the last couple of weeks, doing not much more than passing in the night—or morning, as it had been lately. She’d had a string of night shifts and was at last coming to the end of them. For now.

Her reluctance to leave the parking garage had nothing to do with the job. She’d checked the roster in Patrick’s office on her way out the door yesterday morning and had cringed when she realized she was working with Brandon again.

His harsh words the night before had sent her reeling and she’d left the squad room at the end of her shift still angry and shocked.

She’d had no idea he thought she was so low… To accuse her of not knowing the father of her child? It was unbelievable. It hurt her that he’d even thought that.

Okay, so their marriage breakdown hadn’t been amicable. A spouse’s decision to walk out on their marriage with no explanation tended to do that. But she hadn’t dreamed he’d turn so nasty. After all,
she
was the one who’d been wronged. It wasn’t like he knew she’d lied to him about Sam.

A swift stab of guilt pierced her and she let it run its course. Brandon may have broken his marriage vows by leaving, but she wasn’t exactly without sin. Having a child without the father’s knowledge was up there on the scale of dishonesty, even if the said father had long vowed he didn’t want anything to do with children.

Her shoulders slumped on a sigh. It was clear he was going to be in the unit for the foreseeable future. She needed to find a way to work with him or she wouldn’t survive.

“Hey, Alex, you going up?”

Ryan had walked up behind her and she blinked and hurried to reassemble her thoughts. Work.
Right
. Upstairs.
Right
. With Brandon.
Not so right
.

Gritting her teeth, she drew in a deep breath, determined to get past it. Ryan shot her a curious look, but followed her up the stairs in silence.

* * *

Brandon spotted Alex the minute she stepped into the room. His heart stuttered. Nerves gripped his belly.

He hadn’t spoken to her since their confrontation the night before. From the moment the ugly words had left his mouth, he’d wished them back. He burned with the shame of it then and now, and wondered how he could make amends.

She looked great. With her hair loose and flowing around her shoulders, she looked a lot younger than her thirty-two years. Her tailored navy skirt and matching jacket hugged her curves.

His hands clenched at the memory. The thought of another man caressing that satiny skin knotted him with jealousy. He knew on some sane level that she’d have found comfort in someone else’s arms, but to discover the harsh reality was taking some adjusting to.

She had a son. The child she’d always wanted. The child he hadn’t been willing to give her. Thoughts of her sleeping with another man long enough to create a baby were driving him crazy.

Of course, he hadn’t expected her to remain celibate. After all, it had been four years. But he hadn’t expected to find out she’d jumped into bed with someone else quite so soon after he’d left.

It just wasn’t right. No, scrap that. To be truly honest, he’d admit he was hurt. He hadn’t thought she’d replace him quite so easily and quite so soon.

She’d been his one true love. He’d have given his life for her. But he hadn’t been able to bring himself to give her the one thing she’d pined for.

Then Jakarta had happened and it was all over.

An exotic mix of expensive perfume and freshly brewed coffee tantalized his nostrils. He looked up from where he sat at his desk and braced himself. Alex had stopped beside him, brandishing two coffee cups.

“I just came from the tearoom. I thought you might like a cup.”

Brandon stared up at her, trying to gauge her sincerity. “Thanks,” he said and took the offered mug.

Their fingers touched and his breath stilled. Silently he cursed his reaction. Setting his mug down, he met her gaze again. She stared at him, her expression somber.

“Brandon, I’m going to come right to the point. You said some pretty awful things last night and you really took me aback. I had no idea you thought so poorly of me.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off with an impatient wave of her hand. “When I left here, I was mad as hell and I called you every name under the sun and then some. But bygones are bygones. It’s been more than four years and I don’t think I’ve done too badly getting my life back on track, despite what you might think.”

Heat spread up his neck. “Alex, I’m—”

Once again, she cut him off. “Apparently, we’re going to be working together for the foreseeable future, unless you’re thinking of putting in for a transfer?” She lifted a querying brow. He lowered his gaze and shook his head.

Her lips thinned. “That’s what I thought. And since I’m not going anywhere, we need to find some neutral ground and call a truce. You may have been a real shithead who mucked up our marriage, but I refuse to drag all that up again, no matter what I might have said. Agreed?”

She extended a slim, manicured hand in his direction and Brandon gaped. Her upfront, no-nonsense approach had taken him completely by surprise, although it shouldn’t have. She’d never tolerated pretence and had always called a spade a shovel. Guilt tightened his throat.

He took her hand, reveling in its softness as it pressed briefly against his before withdrawing. It took all his concentration to focus his thoughts before speaking.

“First of all, I don’t think badly of you and, despite what you might think, I don’t hate you. Last night, I was spoiling for a fight. I don’t know why; I guess I was taken by surprise by the discovery you have a child. I thought…” He stopped short, unwilling to admit she still had the power to wound him. She looked at him expectantly.

“It’s not about me,” he continued, “and I’m ashamed of my behavior. I deserved every name you called me. Alex, I hope you believe me when I tell you I can’t say how sorry I am that it happened.”

Alex stared at him, distrust evident in the dark depths of her eyes.

He held her gaze and his voice shook with emotion. “Have I ever lied to you, Alex?”

She closed her eyes and looked away. “No,” she replied, her voice low.

“Please.” He held out his hand again. “Forgive me.”

He held his breath, his chest tight.
She wasn’t going to accept his apology. Oh, Christ, she wasn’t going to accept it.

She stepped back, her eyes fierce. “You ask too much of me. I may have agreed not to revisit the tattered remains of our marriage and how it got that way, but you simply can’t expect me to forget about it. You broke us apart without even a word of explanation. That kind of pain doesn’t go away. I admit, four years ago we were having a few problems, but it never occurred to me you were ready to leave. Now, I don’t think any explanation you gave me would make a difference.”

He accepted her outburst in silence, his head bowed. It was nothing less than he deserved. It was too late. He’d been wrong to imagine things could be any different.