Trust Me (16 page)

“You have to stay on because of her, don't you? 
You're intent on protecting her. You don't care about the rest of the case.”

Donovan was infuriated by her accusation, perhaps
because it hit too close to the truth.  “I told you before, this case
means everything to me,
any feelings I might have for Alaina
have nothing to do with it,” he snapped angrily, “Lynn
, listen to
me.  Yesterday in the car I gave her the file.  I could tell she had
been completely taken in by her father.  He used her.  She’s just
another one of his victims.”

“Are you so sure of that or is that what you want to
believe? You know what Prentice?  You’re thinking with your dick.”

“That's ridiculous,” he responded sounding irritated,
but Donovan knew even as he denied her words it wasn't ridiculous at all. 
His dick was definitely a major influence in his thinking.

“Okay Prentice you win.  I'm not going to report
you, and I won't ask you to resign on the condition you can manage to keep your
pants on around our suspect.”

  Donovan was grateful for his reprieve, “Thanks
Lynn, I appreciate your understanding.”

“Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not that understanding.
Just make sure you straighten up your act and keep your dick in your pants
cause
I won't give you a second chance,” she told him as she
put down her empty coffee cup. “I'm going to pick up some donuts.  While
I'm gone why don't you take the opportunity to end your affair? Then we can
pretend none of this ever happened.” She grabbed her purse off the kitchen
counter, not expecting a reply from him, and left the house.

Donovan opened the door to Alaina's room. She woke up
instantly at the sound of his entrance.  Looking tousled, she rubbed her
eyes tiredly, and smiling up at him she said, “Good morning, how did you
sleep?”

He walked over to the bed, grimacing, “Not too well,
to tell you the truth. 
How about you?”

“I slept fine after our swim.  Why didn't you sleep?”
she asked, but she had the distinct feeling she already knew the answer.

He sat down on the bed next to her, his blue eyes
intense.  Running his hand through his hair in frustration he said, “I
think you must realize the problem I'm facing.  It's completely unethical
for me to be sleeping with you.  I've not only risked my job with my
actions but our lives.  Objectivity is essential if I'm to protect you,
and I certainly can't be objective if I'm sleeping with you.” He noticed as he
spoke that she didn't appear to be surprised by his words.

“I had a feeling you were going to regret last
night.  I understand what happened between us was a violation of your
professional ethics, I'd feel the same way if I were you.” She paused not
really wanting to ask, but knowing that she had no choice, “Are we over?” Her
words were calm in contrast to the vast disappointment sweeping through her.

She appeared so unemotional, unfazed by his words,
Donovan thought to himself, as if she couldn't wait to extricate herself from
any relationship with him.  He supposed his ego had expected her to be
devastated. Frankly, he was slightly miffed by her composure, especially since
what he really wanted to do was throw her down on the bed and have her
again.  “Do you want it to be over?” he asked harshly.

“No, of course not, but didn't you just say it had to
end?”  What was wrong with him, why was he so angry?  After all,
wasn't she the one getting dumped?

“Until this case is over it has to end, but after that,
well I guess that's up to you.” His tone was clipped, short with the anger he
felt at her reaction.  Donovan knew he should be pleased with her calm
acceptance that they could not continue their relationship, but perversely he
felt himself beginning to feel angry with her.  He somehow felt betrayed.

“Up to me?
  I don't think anything in this relationship, if
you can even call it that has been up to me!  From the very beginning
you've been calling all the shots, now you come in here and tell me a relationship,
which hasn't even really started, is over.  What do you want from
me?  You dump me the morning after, and you're the one who's
mad?”  

Now Alaina was angry, she didn't understand what had
caused him to be upset with her, but she was closely approaching the point
beyond caring. “You know what I think Donovan?  I think you're nuts! 
You're either trying to get me into bed or…”she paused before saying, “Or
you’re trying to get me into bed. Maybe if you worked on this case instead of
working me you could’ve solved it and then we could be having sex!”

Donovan couldn't help laughing. “In some sort of
bizarre way that makes sense.  See it’s just like I said, I need to
concentrate on the case not you.” 

He was treating her to one of those devastating smiles. 
Great, Alaina thought, that's just what I need. He's going to turn me on while
he's dumping me.  She picked up a pillow, throwing it directly at his
head, cursing when she missed her target. “You know, you make it really hard to
stay mad at you, even when you're a complete jerk.”

“I’m being a jerk, aren't I?”

“Yeah, as if I don't have enough stress in my life
with people trying to kill me and you seducing and dumping me all in a
twenty-four hour period.”

At the mention of the previous night the mood instantly
changed, sexual tension crackled between them, both of them aware of how easy
it would be to take advantage of the bed they were sitting on.

“Please, I hardly seduced you,” he said dryly.
 Donovan with a great effort suppressed his suddenly urgent need, placing
his hand gently on her cheek he
said
,and
you're not being dumped.  We just have to put everything on hold until
this thing is settled.  Things just got a little out of hand, a little too
fast.  I wish things hadn't happened the way they did, and it can't be
undone.  What we have to do now is wait.” 

She glanced up at him. “Okay, I guess I can wait for
you, but if someone better comes along in the meantime I can't make any
promises.”

“That's big of you, but maybe while you're waiting you
should keep this in mind.”  Donovan leaned forward pressing his mouth
against her's, kissing her, slowly, passionately, as his tongue probed her
mouth. 

Alaina felt the now familiar rush of emotions when
Donovan touched her. Once again she was lost in the tide of feeling only he
could bring forward. 

Gradually he lifted his head from hers. “That should
give you something think about when you're lonely at night.”

“Quit turning me on!” she yelled as she picked up the
pillow again, and hit him on the side of the head with it. 

Recovering from the cushion's blow, he asked, “What’s
with the pillow? You hit hard”

“You just piss me off.”

Donovan winked at her. “Well I guess that's my cue to
leave.”

Alaina couldn't get over the absurdity the entire
situation.  She looked at him warily, not really knowing what to expect
next. “Get out or I just might jump you.”

“I’ll have to remember that pissing you off can be
good thing.”  Why
did she have
to look so
appealing wearing a rumpled t-shirt, Donovan thought.

“You better get out of here if you want to keep this
relationship platonic.  I can't promise you how much longer I can keep my
hands off you.”

“I guess I better leave while my virtue is still
intact, Ms. Simmons.” With that comment Donovan left the room, leaving Alaina
to ponder the insanity that was now her life.

After Donovan's departure, Alaina leisurely showered,
changing into a pair of shorts and a tank top after she had finished. 
Since she was looking at a long day ahead of her with essentially nothing to
do, she was certainly not in any hurry.  She went downstairs to find
Donovan and Agent McAllister drinking coffee and eating donuts.  She
wondered at the unmistakable tension in the air, hoping McAllister hadn't found
out about her and Donovan's indiscretion of the night before. 

Pretending she didn't notice anything was wrong, she
greeted them with a smile. “Good morning, I see someone had the brilliant idea
to pick-up some donuts.”

Donovan was the first to answer, “You can thank Lynn.”
Alaina looked at Lynn, smiling at her directly.  “Thanks, Lynn that was
really great of you.”

Lynn gave her a noncommittal shrug.  “Don't
mention it, we had to eat.”

“Nevertheless,” Alaina returned, “I appreciate the
effort.” She was getting the distinct impression Lynn McAllister didn't like
her. 

Alaina went into the kitchen and poured herself a cup
of coffee.  Returning to the dining room, she grabbed a chocolate donut
and sat down at the table to eat it.  Trying to ignore the tension in the
air, it occurred to her that if this atmosphere kept up it was going to be one
rotten day. 

As she finished her donut, Alaina decided she had
enough of silence. “So I understand I'm supposed to make my normal daily phone
calls today.  Donovan said yesterday everything was going to be channeled
through Washington, to make it appear as if I stayed there to work on the
case.”

Lynn McAllister gave her a hard look. “Yes that's
right.  Make sure you act the same as you would if you were on any
business trip.  Donovan and I will need you to keep a log of your phone
calls, who you called and when.  There's a number we'll give you for you
to use when making a call.  Dial it, wait for the tone, and then dial the
number you want to call.  The first number you dial routes the call
through Washington, so if anyone is tracing the call they will think it's
coming from the hotel we have you registered at in D.C.  We’ll provide you
with an untraceable cell phone.”

Alaina looked at them both questioningly, not really
liking the idea of being so closely monitored. “Why do you need a log of my
calls?”

Donovan was quick to answer. “It's strictly procedure,
and it's definitely done with the intent of protecting you. There was an
attempt on your life, which makes it important for us to monitor all of the
people you are in contact with.  Everybody is a possible suspect, and
although we’re fairly certain that it was the OAS who tried to kill you, it's
important that no one is eliminated until we have solid proof.  Remember,
you’re not to use your own cell phone.  Keep your cell phone off, if
someone is trying to find you it is like a homing device.”

 Alaina was reluctantly convinced by Donovan's
words. “Okay, you've succeeded in terrifying me completely.  Speaking of
which I had better call my office and tell them I've stayed in Washington, I've
got a few appointments this afternoon which need to be canceled.  I've
also got to call a friend of mine. She'll think it's strange if she doesn't
hear from me.”

“Is there anyone else you should contact?” 
Donovan asked, while Lynn seemed to watch her a bit too closely.

Alaina gave Lynn a strange look wondering what her
problem was while responding to Donovan, "No, my brother is at college
cramming for exams, so he doesn't want to hear from anyone and my parents are
on a cruise for the next six weeks so I don't need to explain anything to
them."

Donovan pulled a small piece of paper out of his
wallet, handing it to Alaina, "This is the number McAllister told you
about, use it like she instructed.  All your phone calls are to be made in
either her presence or mine.  I hope you understand under the
circumstances of protective custody these types of security measures are
absolutely necessary.”

Alaina looked at both Donovan and Lynn, beginning to
feel more like she was in prison rather than in protective custody. “Okay, I'll
make sure one of you is present when I'm making a call.  Speaking of
which, I had better start now.” 

There was a phone by the sofa in the living room,
Alaina walked over to it, picked it up, asking, “It is all right if I make a
call now?”

McAllister shrugged before she said, “Please feel
free.”

Alaina began by dialing the office, speaking to
Marlene to make sure her appointments for the next week were re-scheduled and
informing her that she would be in Washington for the next several days. 
She then called her own house to check her messages at home. Not surprisingly,
Elise had called several times. 

Alaina phoned her friend at work, and after waiting
patiently while the receptionist had her on hold she was rewarded by the sound
of Elise's voice. “Alaina, where’ve you been?  I thought you were supposed
to get back from Washington yesterday afternoon.  I‘ve sent you like five
texts and I haven’t heard from you.”

“I’m still in Washington, my plans were changed
unexpectedly.  I have to stay and work on the case.  My cell phone is
dead, and I forgot my charger.  Can you believe it?” Alaina hated lying to
her friend, but she had no alternative under the circumstances.

“Why don’t you pick up another charger? You can’t be
without your phone.”  Without waiting for an answer she asked, “Alaina, is
something wrong? I mean, you don't sound right.  Did something happen with
that Mr. Drugstore FBI guy you were telling me about?”

Leave it to Elise to sense something was wrong, Alaina
thought wryly. Her friend knew her too well. “Nothing's wrong. If I sound
strained it's just that this case has been a lot of work.”