Bare It All

Then there was the way she’d come onto the scene yesterday, a big, loaded gun in her hand....

“Cash hasn’t been out for a few hours. I was trying to lead him through without waking you, but he saw you there on the couch, and then you made...a sound.”

“A sound, huh?” Given the erotic dream, he could just imagine.

“Cash sidetracked to you and—”

“I thought he was you.” When her shoulders stiffened more, Reese felt devilish enough to say, “And I was having this rather sexual dream.”

Wide-eyed with something akin to astonishment, she faced him, stole a peek at his lap and, when she saw he’d bunched the sheet there, she met his gaze. “What do you mean?”

“You and me.” He gestured between them. “And damn, but the dream felt real.” Reese scratched under Cash’s furry chin. “You were near me. Breathing on me.”

Indignation brought her brows together. “Breathing on you?”

Wondering when she’d catch on, he gave a sage, serious nod. “You nuzzled my ear, and I felt your hot tongue—”

Backing up fast, she bumped into the screen on the patio door and almost fell through it. After an accusatory scowl at Reese for making her stumble, she checked the screen, saw that it remained in the track and cleared her throat. “I would never—” She searched for a word and came up empty.

“Lick me?”

To his surprise, she kept quiet, but her mouth—and her expression—softened.

“No? What a shame.” He gave the dog a few pats, which encouraged him to shower Reese with more affection. “But apparently Cash would.”

Realization dawned. “Oh.” A smile twitched. “You felt Cash trying to wake you, and you thought...?”

“Yeah. Helluva way to start my day. I mean, I’m fond of him, but...” Reese looked her over. “Not that fond.”

“He’s adorable!”

“Sure he is.” Reese had only recently gotten the dog, and while he’d never considered himself a pet-lover, he and Cash were getting acclimated—with Alice’s help. “I just don’t want you mistaking my...” He nodded at his lap. “Reaction.”

Though she covered her mouth, a short laugh escaped, anyway.

That laugh was as mesmerizing as her smile, and his sheet-covered boner twitched. “Keep it up, and I’ll never get it under control.”

Rather than backing up or blushing again, she chastised him. “Really, Reese. It’s not something to talk about.”

“Not something to be embarrassed over either.” But he sort of was, anyway. What was it about Alice that affected him so profoundly—and so physically? “Not to minimize your appeal, but it happens to most guys in the morning.”

“When they awaken, you mean?”

“Yeah. It’s called morning wood, or in this case, afternoon wood, I guess.”

“I see.” She tipped her head to study him. “But when you knocked on my door this morning, you were wide awake, fully dressed and had just finished working.”

He’d also been aroused over the possibility of spending more intimate time with her. Knowing he shouldn’t tell her that—yet—he scrubbed a hand over his tired eyes.

“Yet even then,” she continued, her tone mischievous and teasing, “you had a...um...”

Having her talk about it wasn’t helping. Reese trapped her gaze with his own. “An erection.”

“Yes.” A little too matter-of-factly, she nodded. “You had one then, also.” Though the color in her fair skin intensified, she didn’t look away. “You told me not to worry about it.”

“I know what I said.” God, he wanted to kiss her. If she’d been any other woman, he would have.

But he hadn’t known Alice that long, and what he did know of her kept him from pushing things. Already, thanks to the fiasco the day before, she’d seen the hazards of his job.

Wasn’t every day that murderers and hoods, the very criminals he investigated, showed up on his doorstep. It was even more uncommon for those offenders to get the drop on him. Usually he was great at his job. But yesterday...yeah, he’d suffered a first-class cluster fuck—and Alice had managed to get right in the middle of it.

Maybe that’s why he’d been dreaming of her. She’d been helping out by watching his dog while he and his partner closed in on their quarry, and then when shit went sideways yesterday, she’d recognized the deadly situation and sent in reinforcements.

He eyed her understated, prim facade that hid so much intuition, bravery and cunning. “You will never have reason to worry about anything with me.”

“Okay.”

She was the most curious woman, and that, too, could explain his unaccountable reaction to her. “Just like that, huh?”

“I know you’re honorable.”

Sensible Alice. Of course she was right—he was honorable, most especially where women were concerned. But in the short time they’d known each other, how could she possibly be that confident about his intentions?

She couldn’t.

So he’d taken in a stray dog—a dog she now adored. So what? He was polite, mannerly, dressed well and had his own proper persona. It meant nothing, and she should realize that.

Yet from what he’d seen so far she had great instincts.

The type of instincts usually honed in the field.

When she’d agreed to let him sleep on her couch, he’d thought to use the time alone with her in her apartment to do some in-depth talking. His curiosity about her was extreme, almost as sharp as his attraction.

But once she’d made up the couch for him, he’d sat down and exhaustion had all but pulled him under. Their talk had stalled.

Then.

Now he had all the time in the world. Or at least for the rest of the day. “Alice—”

“I should take Cash out. Again.” She smiled at the dog with consuming love. “We both know he’ll only hold it for so long.”

She had the prettiest, sweetest smile—when she smiled. Not that she seemed to know it. Hell, if it wasn’t for his dog, or the carnage in his apartment...

Remembering the carnage, the very reason for being on Alice’s too-small couch instead of his own spacious bed, Reese groaned.

Alice paused in her attentions to Cash. “Are you okay?” She inched closer. “Did you get hurt yesterday?”

“I’m fine.” But frustrated. Yesterday, in the culmination of a lengthy investigation, a damn parade had trooped through his apartment. Friends, suspects and heinous thugs. Murderous thugs. Thugs so ugly, their souls were surely black and decrepit.