Annie stood back and watched as his hand

curled around the brass handle, the other one

raising his gun at the same time.

He glanced at her meaningfully and motioned with

his head toward the doorway. It was clear he wanted

her to vacate the room if he said the word.

He opened the door slowly, and then all hell

broke loose. “What the hell!”

“Get out! Get out!”

Marshall swore several more times before

ducking, but Annie watched a blouse or something

brush across his face and over his head as Harold

flew over him. Temporarily blinded, he reached up to

pull the garment off his face, but it clung to the day’s

worth of stubble on his chin. It was then that she

recognized the white, gauzy garment as the

nightgown she’d worn to bed the night before.

Swearing some more, Marshall’s free hand worked

frantically at pulling the thing off his face. He finally

found an opening and poked his head through.

His eyes went straight to Annie. He slowly

lowered his gun. “Thank God I didn’t fire,” he

mumbled under his breath. His gaze landed on

Harold, who was sitting on Annie’s slender

shoulders.

“Are you kidding me? All this fuss over an ugly,

black crow?” His tone held disgust and disbelief,

nostrils flaring wildly as he sucked in air. “This is

Harold?”

“I’m sorry if Harold scared you.” Annie’s lips

were quivering violently as she tried to hold back

from laughing. The sight of Marshall standing in her

closet doorway, her nightgown hanging around his

neck like a wilted Christmas wreath, struck her

funny bone. He looked fit to kill. A burst of laughter

escaped her before she covered it with the palm of

her hand.

Praise for ALL THE RIGHT MOVES

“I loved this book from the first word to the last.

I wanted it to go on forever. Richards weaves a tale

of intrigue and pure, guttural lust unlike anything

I’ve ever read. This is so much more than your coffee

table romance; this is an entertaining, enticing,

page-turning, gotta-read-it-to-the-end story. Bravo!”

~Terri Ann Armstrong, author of My Soul Has

Spoken, Where Do I Begin? and Husbandry 101

All the Right

Moves

by

Tory Richards

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places,

and incidents either are the product of the author’s

imagination or are used fictitiously, and any

resemblance to actual persons living or dead,

business establishments, events, or locales, is

entirely coincidental.

All the Right Moves

COPYRIGHT

 2010 by Tory Richards

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used

or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without

written permission of the author or The Wild Rose

Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied

in critical articles or reviews.

Contact Information: [e-mail]

Cover Art by Kim Mendoza

The Wild Rose Press

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0706

Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

Publishing History:

previously published by New Concepts Publishing,

2005

First Crimson Rose Edition, 2010

Print ISBN 1-60154-824-9

Published in the United States of America

Dedication

I dedicate this to my very good friend,

Laura Glidden.

1

Chapter One

Annie kicked back the smothering covers and

sat up with a low groan of frustration, running her

fingers through her sweat-damp hair. The air

conditioner had broken down on her floor, and for

the second night in a row, she was forced to try and

sleep in the stifling Florida heat. September wasn’t

the warmest month of the year, but when you were

forced to go without air conditioning, it seemed

unbearable. Well, at least they’d fixed the electricity,

again. She supposed it could always be worse.

She glared up at the inoperable ceiling fan,

wondering why everything seemed to break down all

at once. It was dark in the room, except for the soft

glow of the moonlight filtering through the

motionless lace curtains that allowed her just

enough light to see her familiar surroundings.

She sighed heavily, plucking her nightgown

away from where it was plastered against her

breasts. If she’d been a little less inhibited, she

would have slept in the nude, but memories of

sleepwalking when she was a child remained with

her and were a deep-rooted fear. The last thing she

wanted was to give any of her neighbors something

to gossip about for the next fifty years.

“Help. Help.”

She started violently and then calmed herself

with a nervous laugh, realizing that it was her pet

Mynah, Harold, a comforting knowledge that didn’t

stop her heart from missing a beat, all the same.

“Help.”

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2

“Hush up, Harold!” she ordered harshly,

running her hands through her tangled hair again

and fluffing it against her hot neck. The relief was

gratifying but brief.

“The cops are here.”

In spite of herself, Annie felt her lips twitching

as she swung her legs over the side of the bed to get

to her feet. Thank goodness she lived on the second

floor, or she would never have felt safe leaving the

place open. She walked to the open balcony doors

and pulled the sheers aside, closing her eyes as the

faintest of breezes lightly touched her over-warm

body.

“Help!”

“If you don’t quiet down, Harold, I’m going to

give you to the cook,” she threatened and tugged at

her damp nightgown again. Harold was repeating

that particular word because of the cop show they’d

watched before going to bed. It was a bad habit of

his, picking up phrases and repeating them over and

over again, until it made her want to pull her hair

out.

“You need a man.”

Annie rolled her eyes. She was not going to get

into that conversation with him again. It went

nowhere. Moreover, if the neighbors heard her

having a discussion about her sex life, or lack of one,

with a Mynah bird they’d think she was crazy for

sure. Not that the walls were exactly paper thin, but

she knew with the air conditioning out other tenants

would have their windows and doors open, too.

Unfortunately, Harold’s voice tended to carry.

“You need a…”

“Harold!” she warned.

“Man.”

“That’s it!” Annie turned from the balcony and

stomped toward him in the darkness, forgetting all

about the antique blanket chest she’d purchased the

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3

day before. Stumbling over it, she fell heavily to the

floor, directly beneath Harold’s perch. That only

added to her frustration because it gave him the

opportunity to sit there gloating down at her.

“Darn it!”

I bet I broke my toe. Annie used the chest to pull

herself to her feet. She sank onto the edge of the bed

to examine the injured digit with her fingers.

“Harold’s sorry, sorry, sorry,” he chanted in

rapid succession.

“You should be; it’s all your fault,” Annie

grumbled and rubbed her throbbing toe. It wasn’t

broken, thank God, but no thanks to Harold. The

thought of banishing him from the bedroom entered

her mind, knowing he’d hate that.

“Sorry,” he repeated almost pitifully, as if

sensing the direction of her thoughts.

She knew he wouldn’t cease until she

acknowledged him. Honestly, sometimes he was as

bad as having a disorderly child around. Of course,

Annie’s only experience with that was when her

neighbor’s seven-year-old grandson was visiting and

he used the corridors as a racetrack. Maintenance

has had to touch up the walls more than once due to

Sammy’s little accidents.

“Sorry.”

“Okay, enough, I forgive you,” she lied. “Just be

quiet, will you? I want to try and go back to sleep.”

Why then was she limping back to the open

balcony doors? She stepped onto the small verandah

and moved to the railing that protected her from the

two-story drop. Once in a while, a mild breeze off the

ocean whipped at her ultra-thin nightgown, feeling

wonderful against her skin. Tilting her face toward

the sky, Annie let the wind blow through her

shoulder-length hair.

Paying a small fortune to live here was

definitely worth it. Nothing could replace the calm

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4

and serenity she felt living near the ocean, smelling

the salty air, and hearing the surf crash against the

beach every night. The sound had lulled her to sleep

many a time, and in her book, was better than any

glass of brandy or sleeping pill. The screech of the

seagulls was somehow soothing as well, although

they upset her psychotic bird.

Smiling, Annie couldn’t resist opening her arms

to the sky as if offering herself up to the heavens or

some unknown man of her dreams—a lover waiting

in the shadows to draw her into the protective shell

of his embrace to keep her warm and safe.

****

Marshall Thomas was jogging down the

deserted beach when a movement out of the corner

of his eye caught his attention, flashes of something

catching the moonlight while dancing in the gentle

breeze. He halted and glanced up to the second story

of one of the high-rises. The security lights stationed

at various locations around the building were

enough to give him a fairly good view of the woman

standing on her balcony.

A low wolf whistle passed through his teeth, not

loud enough to carry to her. Though her face was in

the shadows, he could tell she had a knock-out body.

She was attired in some white gauzy thing that was

molded against her shapely curves. Her slender

arms were raised as if in prayer, her colorless hair

gently dancing around her face and neck. She

appeared to be an angel in the moonlight, offering

herself to the heavens. When she moved, turning

sideways, Marshall sucked in his breath. The filmy

thing she was wearing must be as thin as tissue

paper, given the way the light of the moon filtered

through it. He could see clear through it.

He couldn’t help but appreciate the outline of

her breasts and the way they tilted slightly upward.

He could see the flatness of her belly and the curve

All the Right Moves

5

of her hip before the rounded shape of her buttocks

snagged his attention. Unexpected awareness stirred

his blood, making him warm and uncomfortable.

He knew he should look away but didn’t have

the strength. It had been a damn long time since

he’d seen anything so mouth watering or tempting.

Maybe that was because he hadn’t taken the time to

notice those things in a woman lately—not since he’d

called it quits with Michelle. Beautiful, alluring,

two-timing Michelle, a player who demanded a

man’s balls as well as his wallet. If he’d been paying

attention with his brain instead of another part of

his body, he would have found that out much earlier

in their relationship, instead of wasting nine

months.

He had no one to blame but himself, although at

the time he’d wanted to blame the bearer of bad

news, his partner. Thank God Jim hadn’t pressed

charges after he’d decked him. Marshall guessed

that kind of privilege came with the friendship

territory. He and Jim had exchanged a blow or two

over the years because of a woman and not always

one they both wanted.

The woman moved again, pulling his attention

back to her. He watched her stiffen slightly and

wondered if she’d spotted him. He stepped back into

the shadows, taking advantage of the many palms

and other landscaping plants that lined the beaches

close to the numerous high-rise buildings. She

appeared to be staring down in his direction, but

after a few seconds, he realized she was really

staring out at something on the water.

Marshall automatically turned toward the ocean

but didn’t see anything other than a few small lights

on boats. The blackness of the water went on

endlessly and the full moon’s reflection on the gentle

waves made it appear gigantic. Seagulls screeched

overhead, taking turns as they dived for their

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6

dinner, sometimes fighting over a small scrap of

food.

When he turned back toward the balcony, his

lovely enchantress had disappeared inside.

Disappointment washed over him, but he reminded

himself he didn’t have time to waste staring at

something he couldn’t have anyway. He had a

rendezvous to make. Besides, he’d probably never

see her again.

****

The ringing of the phone drew Annie reluctantly

back inside her bedroom, her eyes seeking out the

time on her alarm clock.

Who in the world would be calling me at this

ungodly hour? If she had family, a call at two o’clock

in the morning would definitely be cause for concern.

She fell across her bed reaching for the receiver on

the nightstand.

“Hello?” She waited a few seconds before trying

again. “Hello?”

She could hear breathing at the other end so she

knew someone was there. Most likely kids playing

with the phone again, a problem that seemed to be

an ongoing weekend event.

“I know someone’s there,” she said calmly into

the receiver. She mentally counted to ten, and when

they didn’t answer, she hung up.

She no sooner did that than it rang again.

“Hello?” She couldn’t curtail the irritation in her

tone, and her brows drew together in a frown. “Look,

whoever you are...”

“Dr. McCall, please don’t hang up again! I need

your help!”

Annie hesitated from hanging up, bringing the

phone back to her ear when she heard the sound of

desperation in the caller’s voice. “Who is this? Are

you a patient of mine?”

“Yes!” The volume of his tone lowered until she

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7

had to strain to hear. “I need to see you, it’s

important!”

Annie struggled to recognize the voice, but at

this point, she couldn’t even tell what sex the person

was. “If you call my office on Monday morning...”

“No! That’s too late. Please, I need to see you

now!” the caller insisted in a tone bordering on

panic.

As a psychiatrist, Annie didn’t mind giving out

her home phone number to her patients, making it a

rule to always be available for them if they needed to

talk, but she’d always drawn the line at making any

unscheduled, off-hours house calls. That could be

extremely dangerous.

“I’m sorry, you’ll need to...”

“Please! It’s a matter of life and death!”

Definitely a man.

Annie got the impression, from the hushed tone,

he was afraid of being overheard. For the first time,

the hair at the back of her neck stood up and a

shiver ran down her spine. Never a good sign. Maybe

if she knew who it was. “Who are you?”

“It’s too dangerous! They might be bugging your

line! Please, can you just meet me somewhere?”

They might be bugging my line? Really, why

would anyone be interested in bugging her phone?

Yet, Annie couldn’t dismiss the terror revealed in

the voice, and he’d said it was a matter of life and

death. Still, she’d be a fool to go out at this time in

the morning to meet with someone she wasn’t even

sure was a patient of hers.

“If you can’t tell me your name, I need some

kind of proof you’re a patient of mine before I meet

with you.” She wasn’t that stupid!

The caller didn’t answer, and as the silence

stretched on, Annie began to get that uncomfortable

feeling again, like maybe she should just hang up.

Nevertheless, she found she couldn’t. If he needed

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8

her help, she just couldn’t turn her back on him.

She’d become a doctor to help people.

Finally the silence was broken. “Martin Strong,”

he rushed out.

Martin Strong? He was a patient of hers but

Annie didn’t for one minute believe the voice on the

other end of the phone belonged to Martin. His thick,

nasal-sounding tone always made her think that he

was suffering from a cold or allergies. Maybe this

was a friend making the call for him. She exhaled a

heavy sigh, running her hand through her shoulder-

length hair as she thought about what to do.

She couldn’t believe she was going to do it.

“Where?” Crawling into a sitting position, she

opened the nightstand drawer for pen and paper.

“Your office!”

“My—”

He hung up. Annie jerked the phone away from

her ear and looked at it as though it was something

foreign, before replacing it in the cradle. Her office?

If he wanted her to meet him there anyway, why

couldn’t he have at least waited until daybreak?

Warning bells went off but she brushed them aside.

She was used to dealing with all types and was

always eager to help. It was a commitment she’d

made the day she began private practice, and one

she hadn’t backed out of yet. She jumped from her

bed and headed for the closet.

“Work time.”

“Afraid so, Harold.” She reached for the closet

light and grabbed the first pair of jeans she saw.

Tomorrow was the beginning of her weekend. There

was no reason to dress professionally for an

unscheduled appointment that was probably only

going to take five minutes. After struggling into her

old, faded blue jeans, she pulled a white cashmere

sweater off the hanger and slipped it over her head,

not bothering to tuck it in where it fell at her waist.

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9

A quick trip to the bathroom to splash some cool

water on her face and run a brush through her hair

and she was as good as she was going to get for two

o’clock in the morning. She grabbed her keys from

the table next to the front door and reset the alarm

on her way out.

Annie’s office was close enough to walk to and

she did so often, but not at this time of the morning.

She went to the underground garage where she kept

her sporty, compact car, not surprised to find the

garage attendant fast asleep at his desk. Smiling,

she cleared her throat and tapped lightly on the

glass door, knowing Mr. Jones kept it locked from

the inside. She could have just gone to her car and

taken off, but Annie knew he liked being notified

when someone was on the way out.

She knocked on the glass again. “Mr. Jones,” she

called out loud enough for him to hear her. The old

man’s head jerked up and he slammed his feet to the

ground. He tried to focus his eyes on the small TV

mounted on the wall until he realized it was her, and

not the TV, who woke him. He looked at his watch,

then back at her.

Annie offered him an apologetic smile. “Sorry to

disturb you, Mr. Jones. I’m on my way out.”

He hobbled over and opened the door. “At this

time of morning?”

She heard the concern in his old, cracked voice.

Reminding him she was a thirty-year-old doctor

would be a waste of time. She’d tried that once and

had gotten an earful about the perils of life, beyond

the parking garage. She doubted she’d ever be

anything more than a youngster in his seventy-year-

old eyes.

“I’m meeting a patient at my office. I won’t be

long.” She beamed at him, before turning and

continuing to her car.

Ten minutes later, Annie arrived at her office

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10

building, pulling into the darkened parking lot with

apprehension. That’s strange; why are the lights out?

Was it possible they were turned off on the

weekends to conserve energy? She parked in her

usual spot, looking around nervously before turning

off the engine. Not another car in sight. Is Martin

Strong not here yet?

She contemplated waiting in her car but thought

better of it. What if he was trying to call her office to

tell her he changed his mind? It wouldn’t be the first

time. The lights were off for a reason, probably due

to the storm earlier in the evening. That was it—a

power failure. She realized she was being silly and

opened her car door.

She used the dome light to look for her office

key, aware she wouldn’t be able to see it once she

was at the door. Her office was actually inside

another office, but once she was inside, she’d be able

to turn on the lights. She hoped. Just in case, she

grabbed a flashlight from her glove box.

The sound of her heels tapping against the hard

concrete seemed overly loud in her ears and Annie

felt the hairs at the back of her neck rise. She held

her breath as she dashed the rest of the way to the

door, fumbling with the lock, only to gasp with shock

when the door pushed open. Her eyes darted around

with apprehension, straining to see if anything out

of the ordinary moved in the darkness.

Once she was inside, she slammed the door

behind her and flattened her back against it, not

realizing until then how truly frightened she was. As

she struggled to bring her breathing under control,

she reached behind her with the intention of turning

the lock. And that’s when she felt the rough,

splintered wood beneath her palm, indicating

someone had broken in. She knew then and there

she should turn around and get out, but what if the

person who’d called her was inside, injured in some

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11

way? She couldn’t in good conscience ignore that

possibility. Instead, she slid her hand up the wall to

the light switch.

Nothing.

“Great,” she mumbled harshly, the corners of

her mouth turning down. Was she going to get a

break tonight? She flicked on her flashlight; the

beam of light landed across the room on the water

cooler. It wasn’t a big light but it was better than

nothing.

She made her way to her office door, pausing to

glance down at the keys in her hand. As she fumbled

to hold onto the flashlight and locate the right key,

her door slowly squeaked open an inch.

Annie froze with her heart in her throat. Not

once in the three years she’d been there had she ever

forgotten to lock her office door before leaving at the

end of the day. The cleaning crew didn’t even have a

key. She chose to clean it herself because of the

nature of her business and the personal records kept

on file.

Realizing she was holding her breath, she slowly

took in air, her eyes rounding with uneasiness. Her

first thought was to call out to see if anyone was

there but realized that would be a stupid thing to do.

What if someone had broken into her office, too? She

curled her hand around the doorknob and opened

the door further, shining the light directly in front of

her.

Pictures were knocked off the wall, desk

drawers were open, and papers strewn everywhere.

The phone was off the hook and buzzing loudly, but

before she could comprehend the significance of that,

she noticed her file cabinet drawers were open and

rushed toward it.

“Oh, no!” She gasped with alarm.

She tripped and fell to the floor, letting out a

startled cry as she went down. She landed with a

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12

jarring thud. The flashlight flew from her hand to

roll beneath her desk. For a second, Annie lay there

stunned, watching the beam of light bounce off the

walls as it twirled around and around on the floor

before finally coming to a stop.

At least she was alone in her office. That alone

should have calmed her fears but didn’t change the

fact that someone had vandalized the place. She

crawled to her desk and reached under it for the

light. That’s when she saw the body. The ray of light

shone directly on his lifeless form.

It was Martin Strong.

She clamped her hand across her mouth to stifle

the scream that rose in her throat. He had to be

dead, just sitting against the wall with that open-

eyed stare. His frozen expression reminded her of

the wax figures she’d seen in a museum once, as a

school girl on a field trip. Only he wasn’t wearing a

sign on his chest telling her what historic character

he represented. Instead, he had a hole in his chest

the size of a marble.

Annie shuddered. She had to get out of there

and call the police. Grabbing the flashlight, she

jumped to her feet and ran to the outer door. She

opened it and came face to face with a tall, dark

form. Screaming, she tried to slam it shut in his face,

but with one powerful shove the man sent the door,

and Annie, flying back against the wall.

He was upon her in a flash. Screaming again,

she raised her flashlight to use it as a club. It was

chopped viciously from her hand, flew across the

room, and slammed against the wall. Annie turned,

heading for the exit door at the back of the building,

but realized she was trapped. He blocked her only

avenue of escape.

She heard the man’s breathing close behind her

and knew he was upon her an instant before his

hand closed on her shoulder. Twisting free, she

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13

released a string of ear piercing screams to scare

him away, while grabbing things off nearby desks to

use as weapons. He was much too big and strong and

the items she threw recklessly at him bounced off his

body with little effect. He grabbed her and swung

her around.

“No!” she shrieked, trying to break away. The

classes she’d taken in self-defense came rushing

back, and she raised her arm to deliver a chop to his

throat. He expertly intercepted it, causing her hand

to bounce harmlessly off hard biceps. Swearing,

Annie raised her knee, aiming for his groin.

The man twisted the lower half of his body and

let out a vicious curse when her knee came in jarring

contact with the inside of his muscular thigh, just

missing vital parts. His hands were everywhere in

an attempt to subdue her, touching Annie in places

that hadn’t felt a man’s hands in quite some time.

Adrenaline pumped through Annie and a

mixture of fear and anger gave her unusual

strength. She knew she could very well be fighting

with the murderer and didn’t stop to consider what

she was doing when she picked up a letter opener off

Agnes’s desk. She raised it threateningly.

“Oh, no you don’t!” his deep voice rasped, full of

anger and slightly out of breath. His fingers curled

around her wrist with bruising force, and for a brief

second, they struggled together until the weapon

was wrenched out of her hand and tossed aside.

Crying out in pain, Annie heard it hit the floor with

a clang.

“Damn it!” This time she was the one doing the

swearing. With super-human strength, she broke

away from him, changing tactics and running for the

open front door. She barely took two steps when she

was tackled from behind. Losing her balance, she

landed with a frustrated shriek, hitting the floor

hard. Even though the breath had been knocked out

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14

of her, she found the strength to turn on her

backside and raise her legs, kicking out at him in the

hope of catching him with the pointed tips of her

heels.

His grunt of pain gave her little satisfaction.

The man grabbed her ankles, pulled her legs apart

and threw himself on top of Annie, pinning her down

with his superior weight. She screamed, tangling her

fingers in his hair and trying to hurt him any way

she could.

“Damn it, stop!” his voice boomed above her.

She ignored him, raking her nails down the side

of his face instead. The sound of something ripping

split the air, spurring her on all the more when she

realized it was her sweater.

Is he going to rape me first and then kill me?

God help her! She couldn’t fend him off much

longer; her strength was sapped. Before she had a

chance to draw another breath, she found her wrists

seized and slammed against the floor above her

head. His body crushed hers against the unyielding

floor.

He ground his lower body into hers to further

subdue her. She was acutely aware of the muscles in

his powerful thighs. As she arched to throw him off,

he arched to pin her down. And it was no gentle

thrust of his hips.

“Please don’t hurt me!” Annie knew she was

begging, but under the circumstances, she figured

she had nothing to lose. Especially if he’d killed

Martin Strong.

She could barely breathe; the man pinning her

down seemed to be having the same problem. His

warm breath slapped her in the face; his heaving

chest was smashing her breasts. She unwillingly

became aware of how intimate their position was

and how prominent the bulge was behind his zipper.

At least his hands weren’t roaming.

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15

“Please...” She decided to try again. “I’ll give you

whatever you want!”

Well, not quite everything, but she figured at a

time like this it was okay to tell a lie.

“You don’t have anything I want,” he rasped. He

hauled Annie roughly to her feet and dragged her

arms behind her back where he locked her wrists

together with one of his much larger hands. “But if

you keep fighting me, I’m not making any promises

about not hurting you.”

He pulled her with him to where the flashlight

had landed, and while holding her against him, bent

and snatched it from the floor. “I just want to know

what the hell is going on around here.” He started to

shine the beam of light around the room, searching

for God knows what.

It began to dawn on Annie that maybe he wasn’t

the killer after all. Perhaps he was with the Security

Company that took care of the building complex. Or,

worst case scenario, he’d just been driving by and

noticed a strange light flashing around the office and

stopped to investigate—sticking his nose into

something that was none of his business. Maybe he

was an off duty police officer.

“Are you going to answer me?” the man growled.

“I have nothing…”

He snorted and dragged her around the room

with him. “Nothing? Lady, you sure put up one hell

of a fight over nothing.”

“You frightened me,” Annie said, her eyes

darting to her office door and praying he didn’t insist

on checking it out. She tried to will her body under

control, but her heart was pounding like a

jackhammer inside her chest. “Are you with

security?”

“You might say that.”

Annie started to drag her feet when he headed

straight for her office. If he noticed, he didn’t say

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anything, but continued pushing her ahead of him in

that direction. When they reached the threshold, she

actually leaned against him in an unconscious effort

to keep him from entering the room.

“Please...” She couldn’t get the words out. The

thought of Martin Strong on the floor on the other

side of her desk made her stomach churn. “I can’t go

back in there!”

She struggled to break the hold he had on her

wrist. He was too big and strong to win against in a

struggle, but if she could manage to pull away, speed

might be on her side.

“Why not?” He pushed her further into the room.

“What are you hiding?”

“Nothing…”

He gave a dissatisfied grunt. “Let me be the

judge of that. Something’s going on and I intend to

find out what it is.”

Helplessly, Annie watched as he shined the

flashlight around the small office until the beam

landed on a pair of shoes. Her heart sank. The more

he pushed her into the room the more she strained

against his unyielding form. He halted when they

were close enough to see Martin’s body slumped

against the wall, the beam of light zeroing in on the

nice neat bullet hole in his chest.

“Damn...” he whispered against her ear as they

stood above Martin.

Unbelievably, Annie felt his hold around her

wrist begin to relax. She took advantage of his

momentary lapse and slammed her heel down on top

of his foot. He swore a blue streak when she pulled

away from him. She heard the flashlight drop to the

floor but didn’t let it stop her from her desperate

flight.

She almost reached the door but it was over

before it began. He caught up to her in the office

doorway. She let out a blood-curdling scream when

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17

his hand tangled in her hair. Before she knew it, she

was hauled back into his arms.

He slammed her against the wall and pinned

her there with his body. Breathing hard, he took a

moment to catch his breath. “No wonder you were in

a hurry to get out of here,” he rasped, close to her

face. “Who’s the stiff, honey?”

“You don’t understand!” Annie cried out

desperately. She strained against his hold. “I was

going for the police.” She had to make him

understand.

“Yeah right, and I’m Santa Claus. That’s why

you were running away.”

“You scared me! I thought you were the killer!”

She arched her body in a pitiful attempt to push him

off her. He grabbed her arms and pinned them to the

wall above her head, his movements rough enough to

reveal he was growing tired of her persistent

struggles. She felt every sinew of his powerful body

against hers. He was built like a mountain,

everything about him hard as granite.

“You’re hurting me!” she gasped in outrage,

raising her knee in an attempt to hurt him any way

she could.

He transferred both her wrists to one hand and

his other dropped down to her thigh to hold it in

place. “I wouldn’t advise it! That’s twice you’ve

aimed for that particular spot, and I’m getting

damned tired of having to worry about it.”

“Then I suggest you let me go!” Annie ignored

the anger in his voice. If she was going to die, it

wouldn’t be without a fight.

“Who the hell are you, lady?” He gave her a little

shake. “There’s a dead man over there, and until I

get to the bottom of this, you aren’t going anywhere.”

Annie began to tremble violently as reaction to

her predicament finally set in. Her weak struggles

were useless. He didn’t hesitate using his body and

Tory Richards

18

hands in whatever manner it took to subdue her.

There was nothing sexual about anything he was

doing to her, though she couldn’t help but be aware

of the sculptured muscles crushing her breasts and

his masculine scent. It was something spicy yet mild,

blending well with his body chemistry.

Stirring her senses into keen awareness.

She accepted the fact she couldn’t win against

him, but the awareness zinging through her was

betrayal of the worst kind.

“This is my office.” The silence that followed was

unnerving. Annie wondered what he was thinking

and if he believed her.

“And you are?” His hard voice was laced with

mistrust, but there was something else in his tone,

too, a hint of resignation.

“Doctor Annie McCall,” she said quietly,

relaxing against him. What else could she do?

The lights flickered on, and for the first time,

their eyes met. She caught her breath, meeting the

fierce glare in his dark, yet sensual eyes. He made

her think of a wild animal, lying in wait for his prey,

no, his mate. She felt her heartbeat flutter wildly in

her throat.

A strong premonition washed over Annie that

her life was about to change.

All the Right Moves

19

Chapter Two

“Damn…” Marshall whispered, stiffening as her

words and meaning became crystal clear. Cat-

shaped, violet eyes fringed with the thickest,

blackest lashes he’d ever seen on a woman. And they

were staring up at him from beneath the delicate

arch of finely shaped, honey-blonde eyebrows.

She had a Marilyn Monroe complexion, milky

white and exquisitely flawless, with just a hint of

rose staining her cheekbones, a natural blush that

seemed to blend well with that generous mouth.

Right now those smooth lips were parted as she

labored for breath. He did a double take, his gaze

zeroing in on the tiny beauty mark at the corner of

her upper lip. He’d never thought of beauty marks as

sexy but this one was. Maybe because it was so close

to that luscious mouth.

She reminded him of the porcelain dolls his two

young nieces collected. Cool, untouchable and very

expensive. The kind kept under lock and key in a

glass dome.

Staring down at Annie, he wondered how to

handle the situation. If that was Strong slumped

against the wall, his captain would be furious when

he found out he’d been killed before talking to them.

Dan liked things to go according to plan because it

made his life easier. It made him look good in the

mayor’s eyes. Marshall didn’t give a crap about that

kind of stuff.

First things first.

“Do you have any identification on you?”

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20

Marshall could tell his question caught her off

guard. He could almost see the wheels turning in

that beautiful head. What was she thinking? What

was she hiding? Experience had taught him that

women were good at deceit.

She pressed her lips together before replying.

“No, I left my purse at home.” Not missing a beat she

asked, “Can you prove you’re with security?”

“I never said I was with security.” He watched

her eyes flare with mild alarm. Damn, she’s a looker.

“Then who are you?” Her gaze traveled down the

length of him.

They were dressed in much the same way. He

was wearing faded jeans and a pullover sweater, too.

Her gaze slowly moved back up to meet his. For a

crazy moment, before reality sank in, Marshall

wondered if she liked what she saw. She had to

realize that if he were the killer they’d hardly be

standing here having a semi-polite conversation. She

had to know his strength gave him the upper hand,

yet she faced him with more guts than smarts.

“Who are you?” Her firm tone didn’t so much as

produce a twitch of concern from Marshall.

“I’m asking the questions, Doctor.” Marshall’s

gaze unwillingly fell to the rip in her blouse, where it

exposed a shoulder that looked as smooth and as

white as alabaster.

She surprised him by sticking out her chin and

meeting his gaze without fear. “I don’t have to

answer them,” she said in a surprisingly soft voice.

Her stubbornness irritated the hell out of him,

but before he could say something that would only

get him into trouble, his partner walked through the

doorway and took in the scene. “Damn, man, looks

like a war zone in here. Who the hell have you been

tangling with?” His gaze settled on Marshall.

Marshall was glad for the timely interruption.

He pulled Annie away from the wall, and ignoring

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21

her indignant gasp, pushed her toward one of the

chairs in front of her desk.

“A little wildcat,” he barked and forced her to

sit. “Watch her, Jim. She can’t be trusted.”

He grinned at the hostile glare in her eyes.

Would she be foolish enough to try something with

both of them present? It was plain she was offended

by his last comment but was keeping her mouth

shut. He walked around her desk to the body.

“Who is it?” Jim asked, rounding the desk.

Marshall searched the dead man’s pockets until

he produced a wallet and flipped it open. “Shit. It’s

Martin Strong,” he answered with irritation. He rose

to his feet.

“He was a patient of mine,” Annie explained,

glancing at Jim before settling her gaze once more

on Marshall. “He phoned me…well, somebody who

said he was—”

Jim cut her off, his tone filled with mild

surprise. “Is this doctor—?”

“Annie McCall,” Marshall finished, thankful

he’d phoned Jim and asked him to come to the scene.

With Janey about to deliver any day now, Jim had

gone home early, leaving him at the precinct to

finish up some paperwork. That’s when Strong had

called, asking to meet.

They exchanged meaningful glances before

Marshall’s gaze returned to Annie. She looked so

small and child-like looking up at him with those

pretty, round eyes. Yet there was nothing child-like

about her soft curves. He ignored the slight tingle of

awareness in his groin.

“Dan’s not going to like this,” Jim murmured.

“He was all set to finally have closure on the Bailey

case.”

“What’s going on here?” Annie asked

suspiciously, her gaze moving back and forth

between them.

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22

“You tell us.” Marshall walked around the desk

and leaned his hip against the edge, looking down at

her. “Well?” He raised a brow inquiringly, crossing

his arms in a gesture designed to intimidate.

She hesitated but for only a second. “Not until I

know who I’m talking to. Neither of you look like you

have anything to do with law enforcement.”

Marshall watched that stubborn chin tilt in a

gesture of defiance. Her comment reminded him of

something and he looked at his partner.

“Jim, phone headquarters and have them send

out the coroner while I question Doctor McCall. Let

Dan know we might be bringing in a suspect.” Jim

went into the other room to use the phone.

It was done for show. He’d bet his pension she

hadn’t killed Strong. He’d been close enough to be

sure there was no gunpowder smell on her, and so

far, a weapon hadn’t been discovered. Still, he had to

keep up appearances. At least until he figured out

what the hell was going on, and if she could help

them. It was possible that she was in danger herself

and didn’t know it.

Right now she was running her hands through

that glorious mane of white-gold hair. Fool’s gold,

but that didn’t make it any less desirable. Her hands

were shaking and he steeled himself against the

protective instincts that surfaced. Only there’d been

nothing chivalrous about his thoughts when Annie’s

soft body had been pressed to his earlier, or when

he’d caught the light scent of her subtle perfume.

Marshall continued to glare at her in an effort to

unnerve her, knowing that was the key. People

tended to break down and blurt out just about

anything when he stared them down. “Suppose you

just tell me what happened, sweetheart.”

“I’m not your sweetheart.” She met his look

straight on, even after he raised that inquiring brow

again. So far none of the subtle tactics he used to

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23

scare the bad guys into talking were working on her.

Marshall could vaguely hear the low drone of

Jim’s voice as he filled Dan in. Knowing what a

hothead Dan was, Marshall guessed that if he looked

he’d see Jim standing with his arm out, holding the

phone away from his ear.

“Well?” he prodded, when the silence between

them stretched. Her nervousness at being left alone

with him was obvious, especially since Marshall was

going out of his way to give her the impression he

thought she was responsible for Strong’s murder.

“I didn’t kill Martin.” The fire in her eyes was in

direct contrast to the tiredness in her voice.

“Do you usually come out at three in the

morning to meet with your patients?”

“No, but the person on the phone said it was life

or death and I…I…”

“You’re a good doctor and wanted to help your

patient.” He snorted, aware his voice was loaded

with skepticism. He was purposely baiting her,

narrowing his eyes while waiting for her reaction.

“Yes, I wanted to help!” Annie finally exploded.

“That’s why I became a doctor. When my patients

need me, I come. There’s no crime in that!”

Marshall was momentarily mesmerized by the

transformation of her face when it was lit with fiery

emotion, filling her cheeks with a deep rosy hue. The

sparkle in her eyes turned them into brilliant jewels.

He was noticing things he shouldn’t, thinking

things he shouldn’t, comparing Annie to the kind of

women he usually found attractive. He liked them

tall, leggy and well stacked, not short and soft with

barely enough curves to fill his hands. Yet there was

definitely something about the doctor that could

easily tempt him into changing his tastes. If he was

in the market, which he wasn’t. His cheating ex had

cured him of that.

It occurred to Marshall the minutes were ticking

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24

by and he was getting nowhere fast. He wondered

what was taking Jim so long. Glancing down at his

watch showed that it was almost four. A slight

movement from Annie drew his attention back to

her. He noticed how nicely her cashmere sweater

outlined her rounded breast, how the scooped

neckline was low enough to expose just enough

cleavage to whet a man’s appetite.

Hell! He wasn’t getting anywhere with those

thoughts. He took a deep breath. “Was it Strong who

called you?” He tried to keep his eyes focused on her

expression and not the enticing beauty mark the tip

of her tongue was caressing.

Sighing deeply, Annie shook her head. “No. I

really didn’t recognize the voice, but he mentioned

the name.”

“What exactly did he say?” Marshall watched as

she ran her fingers through her hair again, exposing

the graceful column of her neck. He clenched his

teeth and pretended not to notice how

mouthwatering her flawless skin appeared. How

many times had his mother told him it wasn’t the

wrapping but what was inside that was important?

“In a nutshell? The person on the phone said it

was a matter of life and death. He needed to see me

right away and asked me to meet him here at my

office. When I arrived, the first thing I noticed was

the lights were off and my office door was unlocked.”

“Is that unusual?”

She looked at Marshall as if he’d asked a stupid

question. “Yes, I always lock it before I leave. I guess

someone had broken in through the front door. I

found that open, too.”

“Then why did you continue in? Didn’t it occur to

you that whoever it was could still be in here?” he

growled, growing angry over her carelessness.

“Yes, but I’ve taken self-defense lessons…”

“Those came in real handy,” he said smugly. “I

All the Right Moves

25

could have done anything I wanted to you.”

She became red faced and barely opened her

mouth when she continued. “I guess I wasn’t

thinking clearly. When I saw the open file cabinet, I

became concerned about my patients’ records.

They’re confidential.”

“Marsh?” Jim appeared in the doorway,

motioning to Marshall.

“Excuse me.” Marshall followed him into the

other room.

“I…”

Marshall motioned Jim to be quiet. Then peeked

around the doorjamb to see what Annie was doing.

She hadn’t wasted any time. She was at her file

cabinet, thumbing through her files like a mad

woman searching for a lost stash of money. He

watched her frantic movements for a moment,

taking in her shapely profile and the curve of her

breast. Interesting, he thought, then chided himself

for making the observation. By the time his eyes

traveled back up to her face, it was clear that

whatever she was looking for wasn’t there.

“Just as I thought!” He heard her harsh

whisper. “Why would someone want Martin’s

record?” She began searching through the other files.

“Maybe I misplaced it.”

Marshall decided he’d seen and heard enough.

He turned to Jim. “Take care of things, Jim.” He

kept his tone low.

He stepped into Annie’s office “Find anything

missing?” His deep voice sliced through the silence of

the room and frightened Annie into swinging around

with a gasp. A look of unease filled her eyes. He

couldn’t help wondering why she had a guilty look on

her face. After all, it was her office and file cabinet

she was going through. Marshall found the delicate

color staining her cheeks intriguing.

For a moment, he thought she wasn’t going to

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26

answer him. “Martin’s file is gone.”

That news didn’t surprise him. In fact, he would

have been surprised if she hadn’t found it missing.

He walked further into the room toward her,

purposely invading her space until she was forced to

take a step back. She was as skittish as a kitten. The

flare of alarm in her eyes warned Marshall his

silent, strong-arm tactics were working.

“Is that all?” He purposely kept his tone hard

and unbending. He also tried to keep his eyes off

that appealing beauty mark at the corner of her

generous mouth but it kept drawing him back.

“As far as I can tell.”

Marshall remained silent, his eyes resting on

her until she glanced away with obvious

apprehension. She didn’t know who he was or what

he was except for what he told her. He could almost

see the wheels turning in her lovely head. Then he

saw her chin tilt in a move he already found

familiar, and he knew what was coming next.

“I’d like to see some identification now.” She

eyed him with cool suspicion.

Her request brought a half smile to Marshall’s

face. He didn’t know where she found the courage to

ask. He reached for the wallet in his back pocket,

which he promptly flipped open. Annie’s gaze

dropped to the shield that identified him as a

detective, before shifting her eyes to skim over his

driver’s license on the other side. He gave her an

extra second to make sure she was satisfied before

flipping his wallet shut.

“Marshall Thomas is the name on your driver’s

license but that doesn’t tell me why you’re here. Are

you going to arrest me?” she asked, meeting his eyes

with a look of worry in hers. Marshall shook his

head in denial. “Why?” she blurted out with surprise.

Marshall’s brows shot up in surprise. “Do you

want me to arrest you?” His gaze dropped down her

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27

body.

Come to think of it, the thought of frisking her

was appealing. Too appealing.

“No!” Annie responded sharply. “I was just

curious about why you weren’t. I can think of at

least two reasons…” She caught herself from saying

more, her cheeks turning red.

Marshall tried not to grin. “Attacking a law

enforcement officer, for one.” She pressed her lips

together but kept silent. It was clear she didn’t

appreciate him guessing her thoughts. “My

experience tells me you didn’t kill Strong.” Her relief

was visible. She relaxed beneath his scrutiny, and

her eyes began studying him in a way that made

him warm inside, and uncomfortable.

“I suspect it’s what you’re not saying that I

should be worried about. How is it that you’re here,

Detective Thomas? What’s going on? I have a right

to know the truth.”

She was right. Only he was going to determine

what she was told and how much. He rubbed his

eyes and stepped away from her, so he could think.

Her subtle fragrance was reaching him on a level he

didn’t want to explore. He moved to the center of her

office but Annie followed him, crowding him in the

limited space. The same thing he’d done to her

earlier.

So far he’d been the one calling the shots. Now

she thought it was her turn? Marshall almost

laughed. If this was a sample of her technique, she

was in trouble. He was used to being in charge of

any situation, all the time. He wasn’t about to let

some little bit of fluff turn the tables on him.

After a few minutes of silence, she said, “I’ve

cooperated with you, Detective Thomas.”

Marshall snorted, a grin spreading across his

face. He reached up and fingered the scratches on

his cheek. “If that was a sign of cooperation, doc, I’d

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28

like to see you when you’re really scared and angry

about something.”

His eyes fell to her exposed shoulder. She hadn’t

exactly come away unscathed either. His gaze

continued downward, following the scooped neckline

of her sweater. Zeroing in on the gentle swell of her

breasts and exposed cleavage. Right before his eyes,

her nipples hardened beneath the cashmere and his

body had an instantaneous reaction.

Damn! He met her eyes, praying that by

breaking the silence it would also break the

awkward moment. “I’m here because, like you, I

received a call from someone asking me to meet him

here.”

Annie’s eyes rounded with disbelief. “Martin

Strong?”

Marshall shrugged. “The caller gave that name,

but I got the impression it wasn’t him making the

call. In fact, I couldn’t tell if the voice was a man or a

woman.”

“It sounds like the same person who called me.

Why do you suppose someone went to all the trouble

of making sure we were both here to find Martin’s

body?” Annie asked. Marshall found it interesting

that she was looking everywhere but at him. Was

she uncomfortable with her body’s response to him?

“The truth, doc? The caller asked me to meet

him here at four o’clock and I just arrived early. This

probably meant I was supposed to arrive here to find

you both dead.” He regretted the harshness of his

words when he saw her obvious reaction to them. A

violent shiver gripped her body, her eyes swinging

back to his, darkening with fear. “Jim’s the tactful

one.” His attempt at an apology was met with a

slight nod of Annie’s head.

“I wish you’d arrived earlier, maybe Martin

would still be alive. I didn’t see anyone when I got

here. As far as I know I was alone until you showed

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29

up. Why would anyone want to kill me, or for that

matter, Martin?” Her pretty mouth turned down in a

frown, but that didn’t make it any less appealing.

“Maybe the killer was worried about something

Strong said in one of your sessions. Or something

you wrote in his files.”

“That information is protected by doctor-patient

privilege,” she retorted, the fire returning to her

eyes. Marshall grinned. Doctor McCall was smart. It

was clear she knew what he wanted from her. “And

he was a harmless accountant, for goodness’ sake.”

She added as if that was important.

“Harmless? Let me tell you from experience,

Doctor McCall, no one is harmless.”

Her response was a little huff. “You want me to

break doctor-patient privilege. It’s not the first time

I’ve been in this situation. A couple of years ago, the

police were investigating a series of rapes and the

evidence turned toward one of my patients.” She

paused. Marshall watched her expression as she

took time to gather her thoughts. “Thinking about

the outcome of that mess, I’m glad I held strong to

my ethics. The rapist was caught and identified by

one of his victims and it wasn’t my patient.” She

sighed deeply. “I know what you expect from me,

Detective. You want me to tell you what Martin

Strong and I discussed.”

Marshall wasn’t fooled by the calm in her voice,

but for some reason, it did set him on edge. He’d like

her a little less reasonable and a little more scared

over the situation. “At this point, I don’t think

Strong will care!” he barked, losing his temper. He

had to make her understand this was important.

“I was wondering how long it would take you to

lose your composure again. That doesn’t change

anything,” she said coolly, meeting his anger head

on.

“Look,” he began, in a tone he usually reserved

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30

for the bad guys, “this is serious business here, in

case the dead man against your wall hasn’t

convinced you. Let me tell you what’s going on so we

can stop beating around the bush.” He took a breath

before continuing. It was either that or shake some

sense into her. “Strong said he had information that

would solve an old case. The last dead-end lead we

had was five years ago.”

“Really? Sounds kind of vague to me. What kind

of information?” she asked.

Losing patience, Marshall slammed his fist

down on her desk, clenching his teeth. “The kind of

information that gives closure to a family who lost

their only daughter to a violent killer!” He barely

opened his mouth to get the words out.

Annie’s face paled and she took a step back, only

Marshall followed her. He backed her up against the

wall, careful not to touch her. Her pretty lips parted

with a gasp and her hands actually came up as if to

ward him off, grazing his chest.

“You think I scare you now, Doc, what do you

think you’ll feel when the person who did that to

Strong comes looking for you because he thinks you

know something, too?” She stared up at him silently,

with rounded eyes. “You think that you’re going to

be able to look up at him with those dynamite eyes

and that vulnerable look on your beautiful face and

have him eating out of your hand?”

Marshall turned away with a snort of disgust,

realizing he’d momentarily lost his mind. He gotten

too personal, but unexpected awareness of her

slammed through his gut turning him inside out. It

was hardly the time for him to be thinking about

Annie McCall’s shapely body or what she would look

like without her clothes. He’d have time later to let

his fantasies run wild.

A woman like Annie was probably used to quiet-

spoken men in silk suits and expensive loafers. The

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31

kind who had every hair in place and worked in jobs

like hers. Professionals.

Hell, the only thing he was a professional at was

choosing the wrong women. He could give great

advice on that subject.

He didn’t want to frighten her, but when he was

working a case, he sometimes had to use whatever

means it took to get the information he needed. “All

I want to know is if Strong told you anything about

Emily Bailey’s killer, so that we know where to go

from here.”

Just because Strong was dead didn’t mean it

was over. His phone call had reopened an eight-year-

old murder mystery. He owed it to the Baileys to

look into any new leads. He glared at Annie. It was

apparent she was a little frightened, but not enough

to cooperate. “Well?” he snapped.

“I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed

because I don’t know anything,” she retorted with

spirit.

“Stubbornness can get you killed!” he said

angrily, pressing his lips with fury. He hadn’t meant

to say that and closed his eyes, willing himself under

control. Annie seemed immune to his sudden

outburst of anger.

“Would you break a confidence, Detective

Thomas?” One lovely, well-defined brow arched

inquiringly at him.

Her tone of voice set fire to his blood, but in

spite of what it did to his senses, it didn’t curb his

frustration over the whole situation. There were

some circumstances in which he wouldn’t break a

confidence, but this wasn’t one of them. He was glad

Jim chose that moment to enter the room.

“They’re here,” Jim said from the threshold.

“What’s the plan? Are we running Doctor McCall

in?” The gaze he turned on Annie said he didn’t care

one way or the other.

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32

Marshall kept his obsidian eyes trained on her.

“Not at this time,” he said. “I’ll make sure Doctor

McCall gets home safely and check in with you

later.” The slightest change in Jim’s eyes revealed

his surprise at Marshall’s decision to take Annie

home, but he remained silent, only acknowledging

his comment with a slight nod.

“Thank you, but taking me home isn’t necessary.

I have my car.”

“I’m taking you home.” He wasn’t done with her

yet. He watched as she straightened her shoulders,

her face turning pink at his attitude, but he didn’t

give her the chance to protest. “What time does this

office open for business in the morning?”

“It doesn’t. We’re closed on the weekends.” She

crossed her arms, which only pulled the material of

her sweater tighter across her breasts, drawing his

gaze to her exposed cleavage.

Jim’s brows rose incredulously. “No one works

on the weekends? Kind of strange for this day and

age isn’t it?”

“It’s a small office and I’m the only doctor here.

Lois Little is a realtor who likes to work out of her

home on the weekends. The insurance company is

closed.”

“What about the people who sit out there?” Jim

indicated the three desks in the outer room with a

nod.

“Our secretaries.”

“Anyone get a new secretary lately?” Marshall

asked.

Their eyes met. “No.”

Noise from the outer room ended the

conversation. As the coroner and his crew moved

further into view, Marshall walked to where Annie

was standing and took her gently by the arm. “It’s

time we head out.” He didn’t want her there when

they removed the body. “Jim…”

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33

“I’ll wait for your call,” he said.

“It’s really not necessary for you to see me home,

Detective Thomas,” Annie said as they walked to her

car. “I’ll be okay.”

“I’ll decide what’s not necessary, Doc, and it’s

Marshall.”

Annie slipped her hand into her front pocket.

They stopped at a small sports-type car, an

expensive two-seater that had him wondering where

he was going to put his legs, never mind his head.

He towered over the platinum colored roof, which

seemed perfect for her petite figure.

He didn’t like being cramped in tight spaces that

weren’t easy to get out of, thanks to being locked up

in an old steamer trunk while playing hide and seek

with his cousins one afternoon. Hours had slipped by

before anyone had even noticed him missing. It had

taken his aunt and uncle a hell of a long time to pick

the lock and get him out. He’d had nightmares for

months after that.

“I’m afraid I lost my keys during our struggle,”

Annie said with obvious reluctance, peering at him

with a helpless look in her clear eyes.

He stared at her for a second before scouring the

parking lot around them. It contained a number of

company vehicles, including Jim’s family-man van

and his battle-scarred jeep. The crew would find the

keys during inspection of the crime scene, but he

didn’t feel like waiting around.

“Come on, we’ll use my jeep,” he said, making a

snap decision to take his vehicle. “Your car should be

safe enough here for a few hours while they’re

working. I’ll tell Jim to be on the look-out for your

keys.” He was talking as he walked, forcing Annie to

follow him to his jeep.

As they neared his beat up old jeep, her

eyebrows rose and Marshall guessed what was going

through her mind. How many times had Michelle

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34

whined about his choice of vehicles before they slid

into her expensive Mercedes? A woman of Annie’s

profession and status would turn her nose up at

having to ride in such a rattletrap, when they both

knew her sporty little car had cost a bundle. She was

probably afraid of being seen in it by someone she

knew.

“It’s a far cry from what you’re used to, I’m sure,

but it has four tires and she’s never let me down.”

He wasn’t apologizing for the condition of his jeep,

and he hoped his tone clearly told her he didn’t give

a tinker’s damn if she liked it or not. She paused at

the rear of it, her gaze transfixed on the bumper

intently, which he knew was dented and scratched

and had more primer on it than paint. He frowned.

“What are you looking for?”

The look she turned on him was as serious as

they came. “The bumper sticker,” she explained

softly.

“What bumper sticker?” He frowned.

“The one that says, don’t laugh it’s paid for.” The

slight quiver of her full mouth finally gave way, and

before long, she lost control and grinned.

A sharp rush spiraled through Marshall,

making his gut do a back flip. When Annie smiled,

she was breath taking. Instincts honed by too many

disappointments warned him to tread carefully.

Women were skilled in the art of wrapping men

around their little fingers using more tricks than a

seductive mouth.

His ex’s beautiful face flashed before his eyes.

Michelle had used all of her exceptional attributes to

entice, capture and contain a man’s soul. And he

hadn’t been immune.

“Cute,” he finally retorted, opening the door and

waiting for her to join him. The closer she moved to

him, the more her scent assailed his nostrils, making

him aware of her. Not too many women could wear

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35

old jeans and high heels and pull off looking classy,

but this one did without half trying. She had all the

qualities of being a lethal weapon.

The early morning breeze teased her loose hair,

forcing her to reach up and brush it away from her

eyes and mouth. A strand was determined to remain

glued to the corner of her mouth, causing Marshall

to clench his teeth in irritation. He knew the best

thing he could do was to take her home and head for

his own place on the beach. He still had some

unpacking to do, and with a little luck, the rest of his

weekend could be put to good use. Maybe if he got

real lucky, his mother would come over and cook him

his favorite dinner.

That was getting lucky? Marshall shook his head

with disbelief at where his thoughts had wandered.

When had getting lucky transformed from spending

a night with a hot babe who wanted nothing but hot

sex, to his mother coming over to cook him a hot

meal? He tugged open the passenger side door for

her, shaking his head with disgust, realizing he’d hit

rock bottom.

“Thank you,” she murmured, letting him guide

her into the jeep with a firm hand on her arm.

He shut the door before walking around to the

other side. Leaning in the open window, he made eye

contact with her for a second. “I’ll be right back.” He

waited for her slight acknowledgement before

turning to walk away.

His intention was to find Jim and ask him to be

on the lookout for Annie’s keys but he didn’t have to

go far. Jim came through the open doorway just as

he was about to reach it.

“What’s up, man?” Jim inquired in a tone that

revealed he was surprised Marshall was still around.

“The doc lost her keys during our struggle so I’m

taking her home in my jeep. Hold on to them if you

find them.”

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36

Jim’s curious gaze shot past him to where Annie

was waiting for him in the jeep. “What’s your take

on this? Do you think she’s in any danger?”

Marshall hesitated for a moment and glanced

back at the jeep where she watched them through

the window. He sighed deeply. “My gut tells me she

could be. Whoever called her to meet Strong could

have just meant for me to find her and nail her for

the murder. It’s too early to tell.”

“Maybe it’s just a coincidence,” Jim offered.

Marshall shrugged. “Anything’s possible, but

there are too many questions not answered right

now. And you know I’m not big on coincidences. See

you in a few.”

They parted, Jim heading for the coroner’s van

and Marshall for his jeep. He climbed into the

driver’s side and started the engine without

speaking, backing up with a quick look behind him

before squealing out of the parking lot and onto the

quiet one way street.

Annie took a deep breath and Marshall glanced

over to see her looking out the window as he came to

a red light at an intersection. “Where to?”

The sun was just beginning to rise off the ocean.

Some streetlights were already off and the roads

were starting to fill with the noise and bustle of a

busy population. Several joggers and cyclists lined

the sidewalks, reminding him that his morning run

had been cut short.

“Bayside Towers,” she said tiredly.

When he glanced at Annie, he wasn’t surprised

to find her head back and eyes closed. She looked

peaceful, with those incredibly long lashes fanned

out against her alabaster cheeks. Her breathing was

shallow, and every so often, a tiny sound passed

through her slightly parted lips, too delicate to be

considered a snore.

Marshall was exhausted too, and not just from

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37

being up most of the night. Long overdue for a

vacation, he made a promise to himself that once he

tied up loose ends, he’d hop on a flight to the Virgin

Islands for a little rest and relaxation. Better yet,

take his boat. That would make his mother happy.

She’d been after him for the last six months to slow

down and take some time off. The trouble was he

liked a little female companionship when he went on

vacation.

A moan escaped Annie. She was stretching like

a satisfied cat, drawing his attention to her jutting

breasts as she arched her back. His shaft twitched

with sudden, unexpected hunger as he imagined

what it would feel like slamming into her. Over and

over again, until they both had a mind-blowing

orgasm.

Damn…she was trouble. He watched her eyes

flutter open and turned his attention back to the

road, erecting a stone wall around his heart. He

needed to remember Michelle and her deceiving

ways.

That should be enough to keep him out of

trouble.

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38

Chapter Three

Halfway through her lazy stretch, Annie

gradually became aware of her surroundings. She

must have dozed off for just a moment. She was still

in Marshall’s noisy jeep and from what she could

tell, they were practically flying down the highway.

He obviously didn’t believe in slowing down for

yellow lights or yielding to pedestrians.

She glanced at his profile. He was concentrating

so hard on the road in front of him that he was

almost scowling, his grip on the steering wheel

turning his knuckles white. She sensed there was a

lot more on his mind than maneuvering through

traffic. She supposed a homicide detective was

always on the job.

“I’m sorry for falling asleep on you.” It couldn’t

have been more than a few minutes, since her

building was so close. She hoped she hadn’t snored

or anything, which she tended to do when she was

over tired.

Marshall spared her a brief glance. “That’s okay.

I tend to have that effect on the opposite sex.”

Annie seriously doubted that but refrained from

commenting. His following wink confirmed he was

teasing her.

Part of his natural charm or an attempt to put

her at ease?

“How will we get into your place?” He surprised

her by switching the turn signal on before turning

his jeep onto the ramp leading to the underground

parking garage.

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39

“The garage attendant has a spare key.” Then it

dawned on her what he’d said. “What do you

mean…we?”

The look he tossed her way spoke volumes. It

was clear he wished she hadn’t noticed. “We’ll have

more privacy inside and we still need to finish our

discussion.”

Annie didn’t like the sound of that. They had

enough privacy in his jeep. They could park in the

garage and talk as long as he wanted. She wasn’t

sure she wanted him inside her home. He

threatened her peace of mind with his dark, virile

looks and tall, powerful body.

Why do I find him so intriguing?

She was usually attracted to unthreatening men

of smaller statue. Someone not as intimidating as

Marshall was.

Someone I can control if the need arises.

Danger had never particularly appealed to

Annie. She liked quiet librarian types, men with

polished exteriors who wore slacks and name brand

shirts, with quiet unobtrusive lifestyles. The kind

who liked going to the theatre or art gallery. They

were safe. Hardly exciting.

Her curious gaze ran over Marshall in his snug

jeans. He made her feel safe when she was with him,

but she knew in her heart that she wasn’t safe from

him. He radiated too much raw sex appeal, and

Annie was feeling particularly vulnerable right now.

When was the last time she’d even spared a

second glance for someone of the opposite sex? She

had vowed to stay clear of men when her last

romantic involvement turned sour. Most women just

had to worry about men wanting to get them into

bed, but with Annie, it was her money they coveted.

She could always tell the moment someone she was

seeing found out about her inheritance and what

she’d done with it.

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40

The garage attendant saw them drive in and

vacated his chair with a ready smile. Mr. Jones had

been replaced with a younger, more energetic man.

Annie frowned inwardly when she saw Ray, aware of

his crush on her. She wasn’t in any mood to face his

charm, and prayed when he saw Marshall he’d draw

his own conclusions and tone down his friendliness.

If she thought it would help, she’d take Marshall by

the hand and pretend they were something they

weren’t.

“Good morning, Doctor McCall.”

His worried, surprised gaze ran over her

disheveled condition, Marshall’s condition, and the

condition of the jeep. It stood out like a sore thumb

among the many high-end, luxury sedans and sports

cars parked there. It was obvious Ray was more

than curious, but he wasn’t paid to ask questions,

and she knew he wouldn’t.

“Good morning, Ray. Would you please get the

spare key to my condo?”

“Sure thing.” He was gone and back in a flash.

“Anything else I can do for you?” His gaze moved

over her again, more thoroughly this time. She

couldn’t fault him for being concerned.

Nevertheless, before she could put him at ease,

Marshall jumped in and barked, “Relax kid. I’m the

one who saved her from the big, bad wolf.” He took

Annie by the arm and began leading her away,

annoyance stamped on his dark features.

“Please park Mr. Thomas’s jeep in my spot,” she

said over her shoulder, letting Marshall pull her

along until they were well out of sight. Then, she

yanked her arm away and halted, facing him in the

tunnel leading to the elevators. “I’ll thank you to

stop manhandling me!” she whispered angrily.

“Manhandle—”

“I’m not a five-year-old, Detective Thomas, and I

resent being treated like one.” The last time

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41

someone had dragged Annie off by the arm she’d

been in the fourth grade at St. Mary’s, after getting

caught kissing Scotty Sanders. A little experiment

that had brought on swift consequences from both

Sister Margaret and her shocked parents.

When her father had found out, he’d been

furious, dragging her home and sitting her down

before her mother so that she could educate her

about the birds and the bees. It wasn’t until sixth

grade that Annie realized kissing boys didn’t lead to

pregnancy.

“I’m not a child,” she reminded him, her hands

on her hips. He remained quiet and studied her

intently for a moment, before lowering his gaze to

take in the rest of her. Annie’s stance switched to

one of prickling alertness. He looked like he knew

something she didn’t.

“I wanted to slap the kid for being so obvious. Is

this the thanks I get for dashing his hopes? Now he

thinks we’re together and will leave you alone.

Unless I read him wrong, he’s got the hots for you.

Or do you like having young boys drooling all over

you?”

A faint light twinkled in the depths of his eyes,

but Annie ignored it, immediately put on the

defensive. “Ray’s as old as I am!” she retorted

heatedly, resenting his implication that she liked

turning on young boys. “Maybe I don’t want him

thinking we’re together! Besides, he only has a little

crush—”

“Crush my…” He shook his head in annoyance

and turned toward the elevator. “It’s none of my

damn business!”

“That’s right, it isn’t.”

Annie followed him, madder than a hornet. She

punched the button to bring the elevator down, took

a deep breath, and decided silence was the best

course. The last thing she needed was for one of her

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42

neighbors to overhear their conversation. Gossip had

a way of turning molehills into mountains.

The door opened and they stepped in. Marshall

punched the button to the second floor. She hadn’t

told him what floor she lived on, had she? She was

beginning to get an uneasy feeling. Sure, she’d seen

his badge back at her office, but fake IDs were easy

enough to come by these days, according to countless

news programs.

If he was the killer, she’d just made things

easier for him by coming with him so trustingly, like

a small child with the promise of candy. What if she

was playing right into his hands? She avoided his

eyes as the unwelcome thoughts filled her mind.

Maybe she could outrun him from the elevator

to her door. And then what? He was in prime

condition. It wouldn’t take him long to catch up to

her and do whatever he wanted. Hadn’t he already

proven she was no match for him?

He might as well shoot her now because she

wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight.

Exhaustion had caught up to her. Her eyes moved

over him again, as she wondered where he kept his

gun. He wasn’t wearing a shoulder harness, so she

supposed it was tucked away neatly in the back of

his pants.

Thinking about his partner and the coroner back

at her office building made her realize how silly her

thoughts were. Under the circumstances, Annie was

thankful he’d shown up when he had.

As though knowing what she was thinking, his

sensuous mouth curved into a dangerous smile, his

hooded eyes making her think of a lazy wolf getting

ready to pounce on a helpless lamb. A nervous

flutter settled in the pit of her stomach, and she

swallowed down the sudden urge to scream or use

one of the ineffective moves she’d learned at the

gym. Next chance she got, she was going to complain

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43

to the instructor about his useless training courses.

Talk about giving someone a false sense of security.

All at once the elevator seemed way too small,

and they appeared to be traveling at the speed of a

snail’s pace, another draw-back to living in an old

building. The scheduled updates couldn’t happen

fast enough. At least this year, the planning

committee decided on using the maintenance fees

collected during the year to good use.

Last year, they’d wasted the money on some

expensive bronze statue for the front of the building.

Annie wondered if adding bigger elevators was

on the list, as she took a step away from Marshall.

They might as well be entombed. He was too damn

sexy. The air was stifling, turning her unbearably

hot. She refused to contribute her state to his

overwhelming sex appeal. And wondering what it

would be like to have his mouth and hands on her.

Damn! That erotic thought only made her feel

hotter. She resisted the urge to fan herself. To make

matters worse, Annie had the awful feeling that

what she was thinking was branded on her face.

Get a grip, Annie!

Her back came up against the wall and a

whoosh of air escaped her. Yet the only muscle

twitching in her direction was the muscle controlling

his facial expression into a crooked, I know what

you’re thinking grin.

“You have very expressive eyes, Doc.” Right now

his were overflowing with amusement, holding hers

captive. “I know exactly what’s going through your

pretty head.”

“You’re so smart.” She crossed her arms and

released a breath. “You tell me how you knew what

floor I live on.”

He shrugged. “That’s easy. When the garage

attendant went into the office to get the spare key, I

watched him remove it from a hook in a wall cabinet

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44

clearly marked for the second floor.”

“Very observant,” she said, relief of a different

matter rushing through her. That made sense, since

the office was made entirely of glass. The elevator

door opened and she stepped into the hallway with

Marshall on her heels. They walked the short

distance down the carpeted aisle to her door, where

she inserted the key and opened it.

“Oh, not again,” she said beneath her breath.

Usually, the first thing she heard when she opened

her door was a series of short beeps that reminded

her to turn off her security alarm. She was sure that

she set it before leaving. “I—”

Annie found herself grabbed without warning.

Releasing a low curse, Marshall jerked her roughly

behind him, at the same time withdrawing his

weapon. She let out a strangled cry, but a quick

gesture from him warned her to remain quiet.

Her startled eyes fell on his gun, her breath

catching. He wasn’t playing around. He pushed her

against the wall next to the door and flattened his

hand across her chest to hold her there.

He lowered his head to her, his mouth brushing

against her ear as he whispered, “Don’t move.” He

slowly turned his face, narrowing his eyes against

the early morning dimness in the room beyond.

Annie wondered if he saw anyone. “Quick, give me a

brief layout of your condo.”

Annie kept her voice low because he had. “The

kitchen is to your left directly after the foyer. Then

there’s a long hallway, which opens up into the

living room. Two bedrooms and bathroom are also off

to the left. A third bedroom and bath is to the right.”

She strained to hear any unusual sounds coming

from further inside. She could feel her heart beating

wildly beneath the open palm of Marshall’s hand.

Thank God he’s here.

“Where does the first doorway to the right lead?”

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45

he asked quietly.

She turned her face to whisper her response;

Marshall turned his at the same time. Her lips

brushed against him, the touch feather light. “The

laundry room.” He jerked back and their eyes met.

Had he felt the electrical charge, too?

Then a noise coming from a back room

galvanized him into action and the strained moment

between them was replaced with something far more

dangerous.

“Stay here!” he warned in a low voice, a second

before he released her and sprinted down the

hallway on surprisingly light feet. For a moment,

Annie watched him in stunned silence, fear holding

her rooted to the spot.

“Help! Help! Help!”

“Harold!” Annie cried out. Completely ignoring

Marshall’s order, she dashed down the hallway

behind him. He was just about to enter her bedroom

when he glanced over his shoulder. Seeing her, he

scowled, stopping. Annie plowed right into him.

A grunt escaped him from the impact. “Annie,

damn it, I told you to—”

“Help!”

“Harold!” she cried, her eyes round with fear.

She barely spared Marshall a glance before ducking

under his arm and squeezing past him.

His hand grazed her sweater as he reached for

her, but she was too fast for him. Swear words

followed. She didn’t care. Her concern for Harold far

outweighed any presence of danger. She saw the

stack of clothes that had been dumped out of her

dresser drawers and rushed there, falling to her

knees.

“What the hell are you doing?” Marshall

demanded to know, breathing harshly.

Annie glanced up to take in his fierce expression

and glittering eyes. He’d entered the room with his

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gun poised, ready to fire at the first sign of trouble.

Her gaze followed his as he scanned the room. She

barely gave the open balcony doors a second thought.

The whole time she was picking up clothes, tossing

them left and right.

“Annie—”

“I’m looking for Harold.”

He ignored her response. “Someone’s been in

here.”

She couldn’t worry about that right then. Where

was Harold? He was the only real family she had.

“Whoever was in here probably made a hasty

exit over the balcony when we entered,” he

continued.

“Help!”

“Harold! Where are you?” Panic was taking over.

Annie glanced at Marshall when she was at the

bottom of the pile of clothes. His gaze shot toward

the closet door and hers followed. It dawned on her

that Harold’s voice was coming from there.

“Help!”

He’s in the closet!

Annie jumped to her feet and headed there

without hesitation. Just as she was about to yank

the door open Marshall was there to stop her.

“Annie, no! Wait a minute!” He wrapped a muscular

arm around her waist and hauled her away, holding

his weapon out of reach.

“Help! Help! Call the cops!”

“Harold!” she said, as if that explained

everything. Her feet were off the floor and she

struggled wildly against Marshall, but he held her

easily. Annie knew she wouldn’t break free, but it

didn’t stop her from trying. Her only concern was

finding Harold and making sure he was okay.

She wiggled like an eel, realizing too late that

her bottom was brushing up against the most

private part of him. It didn’t take long before his

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47

arousal became evident. Acknowledging it turned up

the heat Annie felt.

Marshall’s grunt was hot against her ear.

“Damn it Annie…” he groaned. “Wait a minute, will

you? Someone’s been in here! They could very well

be hiding out in the closet, forcing this Harold

person to call out to you!”

“But—”

“Listen,” Marshall’s tone was low and deep,

filled with impatience, and something else. “Oh shit,

Annie, stop wiggling before I…” He sucked in his

breath and seemed to lose control for a moment.

“Annie…”

There was a slight pause before he seemed to

pull himself together. “I’ve been through enough

situations like this to know an open window or door

can easily be used as a ruse to mislead any search

efforts. It’s easy to think the bad guys are gone, only

to find out they’re still inside somewhere, hiding and

waiting for a chance to make their move. Besides,

whoever the hell Harold is, he’s obviously still alive

and well, if the squawking coming from the closet is

any indication.”

“Help! Help!”

Marshall was right but Annie struggled even

more. She wanted to get away from him, and at the

moment, it didn’t have anything to do with Harold or

the current danger they could be facing. His aroused

condition was turning her on. His erection, pressing

against her bottom, felt big and powerful. Hungry.

“Marshall, let me go!” Her words were

breathless, her tone not very convincing.

“I’m trying to protect you, lady.” The gruffness of

his tone told Annie she was treading on thin ground.

“Until I know Harold is the only one in the closet,

I’m not turning you loose. If you don’t stop being so

much trouble, I’m going to toss you over the balcony.

Let me at least check it out first. Look around you!

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48

The place has been trashed.”

As his words finally sank in, Annie melted

against Marshall’s body like warm butter on hot

toast. This was getting them nowhere.

“All right,” she said, embarrassed when her tone

came out sounding like a wispy sound of pleasure.

“Maybe you can turn me loose?” Her heart rate was

racing with a sudden rush of old-fashioned lust. She

knew her reaction was inappropriate, but tell that to

her love-starved body. “I don’t want to be a

distraction.”

A short bark of laughter followed her comment.

“That’s good, but you’re too damn late.” His strong

erection jumped against her bottom, and for a split

second, Annie relished the feeling. She squeezed her

eyes shut, bit her bottom lip, and found it too darn

hard not to push her fanny into his hard flesh. “It’s

things like this that can get someone killed, Annie.”

What did that mean? Was he blaming her for his

hard-on? “I’m sorry.”

“Be quiet for a moment,” he whispered hoarsely.

“I’m going to let you go, but promise me, you’ll let me

check the closet out first.” He waited for her nod

before sliding his arm from around her waist and

slowly releasing her.

She stood back and watched as his hand curled

around the brass handle, the other one raising his

gun at the same time. He glanced at her

meaningfully and motioned with his head toward

the doorway. It was clear he wanted her to vacate

the room if he said the word.

He opened the door slowly, and then all hell

broke loose. “What the hell!”

“Get out! Get out!”

Marshall swore several more times before

ducking, but Annie watched a blouse or something

brush across his face and over his head as Harold

flew over him. Temporarily blinded, he reached up to

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49

pull the garment off his face, but it clung to the day’s

worth of stubble on his chin. It was then that she

recognized the white, gauzy garment as the

nightgown she’d worn to bed the night before.

Swearing some more, Marshall’s free hand worked

frantically at pulling the thing off his face. He finally

found an opening and poked his head through.

His eyes went straight to Annie. He slowly

lowered his gun. “Thank God I didn’t fire,” he

mumbled under his breath. His gaze landed on

Harold, who was sitting on Annie’s slender

shoulders.

“Are you kidding me? All this fuss over an ugly,

black crow?” His tone held disgust and disbelief,

nostrils flaring wildly as he sucked in air. “This is

Harold?”

“I’m sorry if Harold scared you.” Annie’s lips

were quivering violently as she tried to hold back

from laughing. The sight of Marshall standing in her

closet doorway, her nightgown hanging around his

neck like a wilted Christmas wreath, struck her

funny bone. He looked fit to kill. A burst of laughter

escaped her before she covered it with the palm of

her hand.

A scowl spread across his face. It was clear he

didn’t appreciate her misplaced sense of humor. “I’m

glad you’ve found something to laugh about, Annie.”

“I’m sorry,” Annie said, trying to control her

mirth by not looking him in the eye. She focused on

the garment wrapped around his neck, while her

hand absentmindedly smoothed over Harold’s shiny,

black feathers.

Thank God, Harold’s okay.

A heavy sign escaped Marshall. “Do you recall

turning on your security alarm before leaving this

morning?” he scowled, ignoring the situation

altogether.

Annie’s amusement vanished in response to his

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seriousness. “I always remember to turn on my

alarm,” she replied without hesitation. “But lately—”

“Did you also remember to lock your patio

doors?” he fired at her before she could finish.

She glanced away to hide the guilt in her eyes.

“I shut the door,” she said. “But I didn’t think I

needed to lock it since I’m on the second floor. Do

you think that’s how he got in?”

His mouth turned down. “Without a doubt. Don’t

you watch the movies? The question is why didn’t

the alarm go off?”

“Well, what I started to say, before you

interrupted me, is that lately we’ve experienced

some minor problems with the electricity…among

other things. This is an old building. The association

is in the process of updating some systems, which

means—”

Marshall waved her off. “I get the picture. In

other words, whoever broke in just got lucky.” He

went to the balcony doors and continued out as far

as the railing. Annie watched him peer over the side,

before lifting his head and scanning the area. He

turned back to her with his mouth turned down with

disgust.

“See anything?”

“Just as I thought, someone jumped off your

balcony. Heavy footprints are evident in the soft

sand. Hell, what a mess!” He tucked his weapon in

the back of his jeans shaking his head. His frown

deepened when his eyes landed on Harold again.

“Other than the condition of your friend, you don’t

seem overly concerned with the state of your place.”

“Harold’s the only thing I care about.

Everything else can be replaced.” It was the truth.

He was more than just a pet to her. He kept her

company and was always there when she came

home. He didn’t hurt her.

Marshall sighed deeply, running his hands

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51

through his hair while looking about her bedroom.

“Well, someone has definitely gone through your

things, but it doesn’t appear as though much

damage has been done. Nothing appears broken.

You don’t keep patient files here, do you, Doc?”

“Of course not. I try not to bring work home with

me.”

“Obviously, someone thinks otherwise.” As

though just realizing he was still wearing the

garment Harold had dragged over his head,

Marshall reached up and yanked it off his shoulders.

He bunched the thin material together in his hands

and held it to his nose, inhaling deeply.

What did he think he was doing?

Annie felt the heat crawl up her neck when his

gaze turned to her. She knew he was taking in the

scent of the body lotion she’d used after her shower

the night before. It was clinging to her nightgown.

She decided to do the sensible thing and ignore the

intimate moment.

“That doesn’t make any sense because they took

Martin’s file from my office.”

“Maybe they didn’t find what they were looking

for in the file. Maybe they thought you kept a

separate file, or did all this just to scare you. Hell, I

don’t know Annie. You tell me.”

He released her knotted up gown until it flowed

to the floor, revealing exactly what it was. He held it

up for his inspection. This time when his eyes

returned to hers, there was a look of dawning in

them.

“You!” His tone took on a husky quality. “You’re

the woman I saw standing on the balcony this

morning, wearing this bit of nothing.”

It sounded like an accusation. “It’s a

nightgown,” Annie explained. It covered her from

neck to ankle…almost. It revealed more than it

concealed but it was comfortable.

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His next words echoed her thoughts. “It reveals

more than it conceals.”

The sound of his deep voice reacted like a caress

against Annie’s flesh. The darkening of his sensual

eyes caused a river of fire to spread through her

veins and she felt a wild flutter in her belly. Lord,

what was happening to her? How could a stranger

draw such an immediate response from her body?

“Are you going to answer me?”

What was the question? Something about her

files?

“I can’t,” she emphasized quietly.

“Are you absolutely sure there’s nothing in

Strong’s file to indicate you know what’s going on?

Because if you’re just an innocent victim caught in

the middle of this mess, simply because you knew

Strong, then that means you’re only involved

because the killer has involved you.”

“Positive,” she said without hesitation.

Marshall released a deep breath before running

his hands through his thick hair. “Well, the killer

thinks otherwise, so what aren’t you telling me?

What did Strong tell you that you didn’t put down in

his file?”

Annie shook her head. Nothing.

He swung around with a curse. “This is getting

us nowhere. Pack some things. We can’t offer to

place you in a safe house until we figure out what’s

going on, especially when we’re not even sure you

need protection. I hope you have a friend you can

call.” He halted at the doorway, turning to pin his

eyes on her. “Do you have somewhere to go for a few

days?”

Annie gave Marshall a negative shake of her

head. “This is just a robbery,” she breathed, aware

she didn’t sound too sure. Her eyes shifted nervously

around the room.

“For a shrink you’re not too smart, Doc. Do you

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actually believe this is just a coincidence?” She

remained quiet and Marshall snorted. “Then maybe

you’d better check around to see if anything is

missing,” he advised, turning to leave. “I need to use

the phone.”

Annie’s eyes followed Marshall until he was out

of sight, before taking in the drawers of clothes

emptied on the floor and the items out of place on

the dresser top. She dashed over to her small jewelry

box on the floor, relieved to discover the locket

holding the picture of her parents was still there.

Not that it was all that valuable, but it was priceless

to her. She slipped it into the pocket of her jeans.

She wasn’t a strong believer in coincidences,

accepting that things happened for a reason and

there was usually an explanation for everything.

That had been drummed into her at a very early age

by her very practical parents. Deep down she sensed

this wasn’t a typical run of the mill robbery. It didn’t

appear anything had been taken, only riffled

through, which confirmed Marshall’s view that

someone wanted to scare her.

The thought of someone in her home, touching

her personal belongings, caused a ripple of revulsion

to travel down her spine. It left her feeling violated

and fearful. Whoever had done this had

accomplished their mission. Harold picked up on her

churning emotions and began flapping his wings in

nervousness.

“Get out! Get out!”

Yes, her thought exactly; only where would she

go? Annie gathered up an armful of clothes from the

floor and left her bedroom to hear Marshall arguing

with someone on the phone. His expression was

grim, something telling her he didn’t like what he

was hearing.

Their gazes met briefly as she continued past

him to the laundry room. She sorted the clothes,

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54

stuffed a load into the washer, added detergent and

turned the machine on. There was no way she’d be

able to wear anything a stranger had touched

without washing it first. For a moment, she leaned

against the machine and thought about what she

was going to do. So deep were her thoughts that she

didn’t hear Marshall approach.

“The police are on their way, but I doubt they’ll

lift any prints.” He was standing in the doorway, his

eyes landing with hostility on Harold. He had yet to

vacate his favorite spot, which was Annie’s shoulder.

“Have you packed anything?”

He’s serious? Annie moved past him into the

room, her gaze taking in everything but him. “I have

no place to go.” She made her way to the Mission-

style desk in the corner as she spoke.

“There are plenty of hotels around.”

“Have you forgotten there’s a convention in

town? I doubt there’s a vacant room to be found.”

“Damn!” he said harshly, hitting the palm of his

hand with his fist. “Surely you have a friend?”

“None I’m close enough with to want to disrupt

their lives,” she said. Except for Elliot, but he was

away on a business trip. “Besides, I’m not sure

leaving is necessary.”

She’d reached her desk. Papers were strewn all

about, and she began sifting through them. Unpaid

bills, cards, an old newspaper, and a letter to an old

college friend out west were gathered up and re-

organized. After making a quick sweep of the

contents, she closed the drawers that had been left

open, deciding nothing was missing.

“Damn it, Doc, you sound as if this is something

you go through every day. You must be smart

enough to realize all of this is connected.” Marshall’s

tone was clearly laced with impatience. “I’m placing

you in protective custody.”

“What? You can’t do that.” She was in the

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55

process of gathering up an assortment of pencils and

pens to put back into the small crock where they

belonged when she noticed her computer had been

turned on. Her gaze fell on the panda bear screen

saver. She stilled, a chill washing over her.

“Annie?”

She ignored him, reaching for the mouse and

moving it slowly over the pad until the screen saver

disappeared to be replaced with something else. A

message had been left for her. She swayed, clutching

the desk for support. Unable to breathe for a

moment, her gaze fixed on the words written in large

bold font, YOUR NEXT, DOCTOR MCCALL. They’d

mis-used the word you’re.

“Well, that certainly leaves no doubt,” she said

softly.

Marshall hurried to her side, his eyes dropping

to the screen. Swearing viciously, he grabbed her by

the shoulders. The action sent Harold off with a loud

squawk of protest.

“Now do you believe me?” Annie remained

stubbornly silent, aware of the tears gathering in

her eyes. She didn’t want to believe it. What she

wanted was for Marshall to enfold her in his arms

and offer a small measure of comfort. “Annie, we can

protect you.”

“Why do the police want to protect me? I can’t

help you. I don’t have the answers you’re looking for.

I didn’t even see the killer.”

“You must have a pretty low opinion of the

police department if you think we’re in the habit of

turning our backs on innocent victims. Until other

arrangements can be made, you’re coming with me.”

“What? But…”

He exhaled a low sound of frustration. “I sense a

refusal coming on. Look, how many burglars break

into someone’s home but don’t take anything, Annie?

How many leave neat little messages like that one?”

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He pointed a finger in the direction of her computer,

his eyes holding hers captive. “Just what do you

think that message means…that you’re next in line

to win the state lottery?”

Annie refused to buckle under Marshall’s fierce

expression and determination. He looked angry

enough to resort to physical violence, but it was

what she felt when he touched her that threatened

her more. There was something about him that drew

her.

“You tend to lose your temper a lot, detective.”

In spite of everything, a crooked grin turned the

corners of his mouth upward. “You’re not the most

cooperative female I’ve ever come across. Maybe I

just need to handle you with a little more finesse,

only I’m too damn exhausted to turn on the charm

right now.”

“I’d like to see a little bit of that.” When

Marshall remained quiet, she asked, “Can you force

me to go with you?”

His hesitation showed Annie he was weighing

his answer. She sensed what the truth was and

wondered if he was going to be honest with her. Her

little experience with men had taught her that when

they wanted something they resorted to whatever

means needed to get it.

“No, I can’t force you to come with me, but my

gut tells me you’re in danger,” he finally ground out.

“And after this, I’d think you’d want to get out of

here.”

“You don’t play fair,” Annie said quietly. “May I

ask where you’re taking me?”

“Until other arrangements can be made, the

only place I can think of right now would be my

place. You’ll be safe there. I just moved in so not too

many people know about it.”

His home? That didn’t sound like a good idea.

Annie wasn’t certain she wanted to go anywhere

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57

with Marshall. He threatened her sanity. “I bet

taking me home goes against every rule you have

about bringing work home with you, not to mention

the department policies. Is this wise?”

“Under the circumstances, I have no other

choice.” He shrugged. “Let me worry about

department policies. You probably won’t be there

more than a day or two.”

“Your family—”

“If you’re referring to a wife, I don’t have one.”

His tone was bitter, making Annie curious as to

why. But she hardly had the right to question it. “I

watch all the police dramas on TV. This seems,”

Annie hesitated, searching for the right words, “very

unorthodox.”

“Sometimes you have to deal with situations in a

speedy manner and don’t always have time to do the

orthodox method of operation.” He paused, grinning

like a wolf about to have his first tasty meal of the

day. “Besides, this is a temporary solution.”

Annie hesitated, struggling to decide what to do.

Then his words came back to her. It was only

temporary. Surely, she could spend a couple days in

the company of the sexy detective and keep her

priorities straight. No matter what she wanted as a

woman. She swallowed, agreeing before she changed

her mind.

“Okay, then.”

“Annie—”

“I know. I need to pack some things, but you’ll

have to wait until the wash is done.”

Marshall didn’t ask her why. Annie had the

feeling he understood her reasoning behind wanting

to launder her clothes. Maybe it was a normal

reaction. Much like a rape victim needing to shower

after their attack.

A knock at the door indicated the police had

arrived. Annie released a sigh that apparently

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revealed exactly how she felt, if Marshall’s grin was

anything to go by.

“Relax, Doc. I’ll deal with this.”

An intuitive man. Annie liked that.

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Chapter Four

As Marshall drove his jeep home, he glanced

over at Annie, sitting in the passenger seat. She was

a heartbreaker. Even though he hadn’t seen much of

it yet, he knew her smile was genuine. The warmth

in her unusual eyes held secrets that needed to be

explored, and Marshall wondered what it would be

like to be the one to unearth them. Slowly, one by

one.

She gave off a sensual vulnerability that made

his protective instincts swell, as well as another

certain part of his body. That response in her condo

had caught him totally by surprise. He found Annie

attractive but he also prided himself on knowing

there was a place and time for everything.

Scoping out a dangerous situation had only

produced one. And though his instincts had warned

him whoever had been in her condo was gone, it had

been a struggle to keep his mind on making sure

first. All he’d wanted to do at that moment was

savor the intimate, ill-timed situation between them.

Shit! He tightened his hands on the steering

wheel. Marshall couldn’t recall the last time a

woman had turned him hard so fast after just

meeting her.

She was a complication he didn’t want or need.

So why was he going to so much trouble? He didn’t

want to think about the answer because he had a

feeling it was more personal than professional. He

could be honest about that.

He cleared his throat. “It won’t take us long to

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reach my place.” His place. It seemed strange saying

that after so many years of paying rent in an

apartment.

She acknowledged him with a slight nod and a

look in her eyes he was used to seeing in victims.

She was scared, and nervous, but doing a darn good

job of handling it. He had to give her credit for that.

“You going to be okay?”

“How easy is it to get a fake badge these days?”

she asked, surprising him, the barest hint of real

concern in her voice. “All I have to go on is the brief

glance I got of your shield. You could have gotten

that out of a Cracker Jack box.”

He chuckled. “Having second thoughts again,

Doc? If you’re thinking about jumping from the

vehicle, don’t. You wouldn’t get far. Plus, if you stick

me with your big-mouth friend back there, I’d have

to do you serious bodily harm once I caught up with

you again.”

“Harold is the only family I have,” Annie said in

a low voice. “I would never leave him behind.”

Marshall looked at her curiously. “An orphan?”

he inquired.

“No. I lost my sister Amanda to a hit and run

accident when we were ten.”

He detected the mild sadness in her tone. “We?”

“Yes. We were twins. The driver was never

found.” She paused, drawing in a breath before

continuing. “Then a few years ago I lost my parents

in a plane crash.”

Marshall was sorry he asked. Bad luck certainly

seemed to follow her around. He knew all about bad

luck, too. He’d had a run of his own, though nothing

that compared to hers. He was fortunate enough to

still have his mother and a sibling, both of whom

doted on him as though he’d never grown up.

His misfortune leaned toward his track record

with the opposite sex. Every time he got involved

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61

with a woman, it left him a little more educated in

what made them tick. And a lot more battle scarred.

His experiences over the years had taught

Marshall that most women were scheming actresses

and not to be trusted. No matter how innocent they

seemed on the outside, he knew it was just an

attractive shell designed to hide the deceit inside.

They were all out for something.

Maybe he wasn’t being fair when he lumped

them all together, but he had yet to meet one who

didn’t try winding a man around her little finger, for

her own devious needs. Michelle had used her

sophistication and a killer body to lure him in and

he’d let her trap him with sickening ease.

A mistake he wouldn’t let happen again. For a

moment, he thought about how close he’d come to

marrying her. At the time, Marshall had convinced

himself he was ready to settle down and maybe start

a family. Looking back at it now, he realized he’d got

caught up in the enthusiasm of his mother and

sister. Finding out what Michelle was really like had

cured him quick.

Hitting a large pothole jarred the jeep and

brought him back to the present. The road to his

house was nothing more than a stretch of dirt and

gravel with a ribbon of grass down the middle. His

jeep sounded like an army tank as it jolted all over

the place. Grass, swaying in the breeze and as tall as

the hood, lined the path on either side until the road

opened up to the clearing where his house sat. Since

it was built on stilts, he was able to park directly

beneath it.

“Home, sweet home, Doc.” He turned off the

ignition and turned toward Annie. She had dark

shadows beneath her eyes and looked exhausted. Yet

at the same time she managed to look incredibly

sexy as she stretched like a lazy cat.

He clenched his teeth and got out of the jeep,

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fighting the overwhelming temptation to kiss her. If

he was going to survive the next couple of days, he

had to keep those thoughts out of his head. But

every time he looked at her, something she said or

did made him think about nothing else.

“I feel like I’ve been in a fight,” she said,

groaning. “I ache all over.”

Marshall laughed. “You were, Doc.” He fingered

the scratches along his cheek. “We both were.”

Her eyes filled with amusement. “I’d forgotten

about that. I’m sorry I hurt you.”

“A few scratches are nothing compared to what

you tried to do…twice,” Marshall reminded her.

Blushing, she averted her gaze and jumped to

the ground. She lifted her gaze upward. “What are

we parked under?”

Marshall followed her gaze, before giving her a

rakish grin. “Why, Doc, that’s our bedroom.”

Annie gave him a startled look. “Our?” she

inquired, crossing her arms. One finely shaped brow

actually raised a fraction higher than the other.

Was she trying to intimidate him? He met her

gaze head on. “Since I only have one furnished

bedroom, we’ll be sharing.” He winked at her, which

only gained him a bigger scowl.

Here it comes.

Marshall was surprised when Annie just quietly

watched him remove her things from the back of his

jeep. As he passed her, he was sure he heard her

huff of disbelief. She was getting ready to explode.

“Over my dead body!” she murmured close

behind him, right on his heels as he climbed the

steps leading to a landing.

The door he opened took them into the spacious

kitchen. It had recently been remodeled with no

expense spared. From the granite countertops,

stainless steel appliances and hardwood floor, it

looked like something straight off the cover of a

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designing magazine.

“That can be arranged,” he said, continuing to a

room further down the hall and dropping her bag on

the floor next to his bed. “Where do you want this?”

He held Harold’s cage up as if he was holding up a

disgusting carcass.

Annie’s gaze explored the masculine room before

fastening on his bed. There was room enough for

three or four people in it, and he couldn’t help

wondering, from the look on her face, if she’d ever

slept on a waterbed before. He placed Harold’s cage

on the floor next to her bag before striding to the

sliding glass door. He opened it, letting in the crisp

fall breeze. The view of the ocean was stunning, not

unlike Annie’s view from her condo.

One of the reasons Marshall had purchased this

particular home was because the whole ocean side of

it was nothing but hurricane-resistance glass. No

matter where you were in the house all you had to

do to get a spectacular view of the ocean was open

the blinds. Sliding doors opened so you could step

out onto a screen enclosed deck.

There was a small table tucked in the corner

where he placed his mail until he had a chance to go

through it. He snatched up the accumulating pile in

one hand, before stepping onto the screened-in deck

off his bedroom.

“Seagulls coming.” Apparently, Harold didn’t

like seagulls. Marshall hadn’t noticed them

screeching until now, which caused him to smile as

he looked at those overhead and back to the bird

inside raising his concerns. Just as he ripped open

the electric bill, Annie stepped out onto the porch

with Harold’s cage in her hands. She set it down on

the glass-covered, wicker table.

“Seagulls,” Harold repeated as if she was blind,

flapping his wings in agitation.

“Hush, Harold, they can’t get you in here.”

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Annie met Marshall’s eyes briefly before she glanced

away, taking in the view from his porch.

Marshall glanced back down at the mail he’d

been going through. He couldn’t put his finger on it

but she seemed different somehow. Distant, as

though she was afraid of being in his home, or

having second thoughts over the wisdom of it. He

couldn’t blame her. He was having second thoughts,

too. He didn’t usually bring work home with him.

And there was no question that’s what she was, a

job. Someone he was responsible for until…? Until

what? They needed to decide what to do with her.

All he could think of was tossing her down on

his bed and having his way with her.

More than once.

“I need to make some phone calls,” she said,

cutting into his fantasy. “I’d like to call my secretary

to make sure she’s all right, and I want to see if

Elliot has returned from California early. If he has, I

can go to his place.”

Elliot? It was on the tip of Marshall’s tongue to

ask Annie who he was but he reminded himself that

it was none of his business.

“Use the phone on the nightstand by the bed.”

Marshall dropped the bill in his hand on the table

and followed her.

He watched quietly as Annie picked up the

phone and dialed a number, but she had to leave a

message in the end. Her message to someone named

Agnes was brief and to the point, yet her tone

revealed her affection for the woman. Her voice

didn’t change much when she was also forced to

leave a message for Elliot, leading Marshall to draw

his own conclusion that her relationship with the

man was platonic.

He decided to inquire for confirmation. “Elliot?”

Since she was too far away to reach the nightstand,

he took the phone from her and placed it back in the

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receiver.

“Elliot Lancaster, a good friend,” Annie replied.

He raised an inquisitive brow. “The famous

artist who’s been in the news lately?” Annie nodded.

“How did you come to be such good friends with the

great Elliot Lancaster?”

“Before Elliot became the great Elliot

Lancaster,” Annie mocked with a flicker of

amusement in her eyes. “He was the not so great

janitor in our office complex. Before that, we went to

the same high school. We have a long history

together, fifteen years to be exact. He only recently

put his struggling artist days behind by selling his

first major piece at a local art gallery.”

“I bet you bought it.”

Her mouth dropped open with surprise and her

eyes widened. “That’s a good guess, Detective. Yes, I

bought it—anonymously, of course.”

“Help! Help!” Harold screeched from the porch,

the sound of his wings flapping against his cage

reaching them. “Call the cops!”

Marshall’s gaze shot in that direction, his mouth

turning down with irritation. “Why couldn’t you

have chosen a normal pet? I could see you as the

fluffy kitten type.” He wondered if she’d take offense.

“Why? Because I fell in love with Harold the

minute he opened his mouth in the pet store and

told me he loved me.” Annie explained with a soft

smile. “The fluffy kitten I’d been contemplating in

the next cage was pushed to the back of my mind

after that and promptly forgotten. I wrote out a

check for two hundred and seventy-five dollars and

didn’t look back.”

Thankfully, she didn’t take offense to his

comment. “Now you’re stuck with him.”

“In spite of all his irritating ways, I love him,”

Annie clarified. “He’ll grow on you.”

There was a teasing quality in her violet eyes

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that Marshall found hard to ignore. “Don’t count on

it.”

“When you live alone, it’s nice to have someone

to talk to.”

“Incoming. Incoming. Incoming.”

Annie’s eyes widened with alarm at Harold’s

announcement and grabbed Marshall by the arm.

“That means someone is coming!” she whispered,

frightened. She started to get up from where she was

perched on the frame of the bed.

Marshall held her back. “Stay out of sight,” he

ordered in a firm tone, his jaw tightening. “I’ll check

it out.” He turned toward the door to leave the room.

“But Harold saw someone on the beach, where

are you going?”

He paused in the threshold and glanced back at

her. “There’s only one entrance to this place, Annie.

Unless they can fly, they’re not getting in by way of

the porch.”

The design was another reason he’d chosen the

house. There was more than one way of exiting the

place. And if you jumped off the deck and landed in

the sand the right way, you’d be okay, but the

kitchen door was the only entry with steps.

He closed the bedroom door behind him and

walked quickly down the hallway to the kitchen

door. He heard someone at the door, and in the next

second, it opened. Marshall stepped back in surprise

as Michelle stepped into the room, obviously using a

key he’d given her months before when he’d first

purchased the house and their relationship had been

going strong. He wondered how she knew he’d

finally moved in since it wasn’t common knowledge,

but what irritated him more was her gall. As usual,

Michelle did things to suit herself.

“What the hell are you doing here?” He scowled,

not the least bit happy to see her.

“I was out jogging and thought I’d stop by to see

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you. You aren’t still mad at me…are you, darling?”

She lowered her voice, putting feminine sweetness

into it to lure him in. “It’s been months and I was

hoping by now that we could forget about the past

and move on.”

Marshall recognized her ploy. Michelle was a

consummate actress. A few months ago, he would

have grabbed her and kissed that scarlet mouth

until it was bare of the red lipstick she favored. That

would have ended in a session of hot, mind-blowing

sex.

Now all he felt was irritation that she was even

here. Her story about jogging was a bold-faced lie.

Michelle didn’t live anywhere nearby and didn’t even

know what the word exercise meant. Unless it was

the exercise she got romping in and out of the beds

of her various lovers.

His eyes raked over her with dislike. She had a

dynamite body, tall and leggy, her oil-glistened

curves all but spilling out of the bright pink bikini

top she was wearing with a pair of shorts that didn’t

leave much to the imagination. The deep tan she

sported said she spent a lot of time on the beach,

either that or in a tanning salon. She looked exotic

and wasn’t at all shy about flaunting what God—and

maybe a few little medical procedures—had given

her.

He spoke the truth when he said, “I don’t feel

anything where you’re concerned.” He recognized the

look in her almond-shaped eyes only too well. The

pout on her full mouth was meant to entice him,

sway him to her way of thinking. That, too, had

worked on him once. Back when he’d let his

attraction to her rule his actions. Now when she took

a step forward, Marshall took one back.

“But darling…”

He held out his hand. “I’ll take that key,

Michelle, and then you can leave.” His tone was cold,

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just as if he was addressing a criminal or some other

scum off the street. The warning glint in her eyes

didn’t worry him, but it did prepare him for

something sneaky. Marshall knew firsthand that

Michelle was as devious as they came. When she

wanted something, she didn’t hesitate to use any

means to get it.

“You don’t really want me to give it back to you,

darling, otherwise you would have asked for it a long

time ago.” She swayed closer, overconfident of her

charms. “The fact I’m still here proves you still want

me, that you’ve forgiven me for my indiscretions. We

all make mistakes.”

Marshall got an unpleasant whiff of perfume

and suntan lotion—too much coconut and too much

musk. “Be glad my mother raised a gentleman or I’d

be tossing you out on your butt right now.” His eyes

briefly skimmed over her indecent display of

cleavage before returning to her suntanned face. She

didn’t look or act anything like the innocent

schoolteacher he’d met at the bank that day.

He knew well the calculating look in Michelle’s

eyes, especially now that he knew what her game

plan was. She was out for a husband, but not just

any husband. She wanted an authority figure.

Michelle was under the misguided notion that being

married to a police detective was the equivalent to

being married to someone higher up in the

government, with all the perks.

She would have gotten him to the altar in time,

if she’d been patient and loyal. Her mistake had

been in sleeping around.

“Are you too much of a gentleman to ignore

this?” She made a dramatic show of dropping the key

in her bikini top and then plastered herself all over

Marshall before he had a chance to move away.

“Michelle—”

“It’s been a long time, darling; haven’t you

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missed the way we were together? The passion

between us?” Her hands began to roam over his

shoulders as she kissed him passionately.

His hands encircled her upper arms before he

pushed her away. “What’s wrong Michelle, run out of

men at the department?” He pushed her away as if

she was poisonous.

She didn’t miss a beat. “That’s over, Marshall;

it’s you I want. It was always you,” she finished in a

tone that faded away into a breathless whisper.

“Can’t you forgive me for making one little mistake?

Let me make it up to you. I know what you like.”

Marshall stood there, every muscle taut as he

waited for her next move. When they’d been dating

her tactics had worked, but her promiscuity had

turned him off a long time ago. Her red-tipped nails

roamed down his chest toward his belt.

He knew well the direction of her thoughts and

her hand. With a sound of anger, his hand shot out

to wrap around her wrist, halting her progress

before she went any lower.

“You no longer have that privilege.” He was

immune to her sharp gasp of pain.

“You’re hurting me!”

“You’re lucky I didn’t strangle you months ago

when I found you in bed with Benton, until I

realized he actually did me a favor. Whatever

feelings I had for you are long gone.” He ignored her

attempt at a seductive pout. “I’m not going to ask for

that key again.”

With the face of an outraged woman, Michelle

slipped her hand inside her top and produced it.

“You’re a cold-hearted bastard, Marshall.” She all

but threw it in his face.

“As good as they come,” he agreed, stone faced.

“Now maybe you’ll realize it’s over between us once

and for all.” He scooped the key up off the hardwood

floor. “Let me get the door for you,” he offered,

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opening it for her.

He breathed a sigh of relief once it was closed

and securely locked, palming the key. Hopefully,

that was the final chapter of their relationship and

he wouldn’t have to deal with Michelle again.

****

Realizing their conversation was coming to an

end, Annie moved to close the door when her hip

came in contact with the corner of the nightstand.

The last thing she needed was for Marshall to find

out she’d been eavesdropping! As the lamp on top

started to fall, she made a wild grab for it, knocking

over the brass alarm clock instead.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the alarm went off

with a deafening ring when it hit the carpet. She

reached for it and turned it off, swinging back to the

crack in the door in time to see Marshall stiffen.

That couldn’t be a good sign.

Annie set the alarm down, realizing by his

reaction that it was too late to disguise what she’d

been doing by closing the bedroom door. She opened

it further and stepped into the hallway to apologize.

However, when she saw the stormy expression on

his face, as he strode toward her, she stepped back

and tried to shut the door in his face.

A small shriek escaped her when he slammed

his palms against it, sending it flying backward

against the wall with enough force to leave a hole

where the doorknob hit. Annie’s eyes rounded with

disbelief.

“Damn it, I told you to stay out of sight. What

the hell do you think that means?”

As far as she was concerned, she had stayed out

of sight, but offered lamely, “I’m sorry.”

He continued to advance on her, following her

around the room as she tried to stay one step away

from him. “Sorry doesn’t cut it! I brought you here to

protect you! What if someone followed us from your

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condo? You could have jeopardized your position!”

Annie didn’t see how, but she wasn’t about to

question him. She stumbled over the corner of the

bed, tumbling to the floor. She couldn’t believe he

was stalking her like this. “You’re out of line,

detective.”

Marshall easily pulled her to her feet. “When I

give you an order, it’s for your own good!” He gave

her a shove and Annie landed on her back on top of

the bed. “You got that, lady?”

Oh, she got it all right, and in her opinion, he

was grossly over-reacting. Michelle hadn’t seen her,

which could only mean one thing. Marshall was

angry over his situation with the other woman and

taking it out on her. She tried to wiggle into a sitting

position, but couldn’t with the waterbed rolling

wildly beneath her.

“The only thing I’ve got is that you’re a bully!”

she hissed. “You want to know what’s really bugging

you, Detective? I think Michelle turned you on! I saw

her pressing up against you, kissing you! I think

you’re angry because you’re as horny as a tomcat

and can’t do a damn thing about it!”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth,

Annie regretted saying them. She knew there was a

lot more to Marshall’s anger than an old flame

showing up on his doorstep. She’d heard what

happened between them, and for the tiniest second,

her heart had gone out to him. Now it was pounding

with alarm at what she’d said.

Being cruel wasn’t like her.

“What did you say?” he said with deadly calm,

his eyes narrowing on her.

She could only lie there staring up at him as she

struggled to gain control of her breathing. She

couldn’t recall a time when she’d been so angry, or

when anyone had pushed her so far that she

deliberately said something to hurt. She was

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trembling with shame and regret.

The look in Marshall’s eyes warned her she’d

gone too far. They were as black as volcanic rock,

churning with emotion that prevented her from

moving. Like a deer trapped in the glare of

headlights, she remained frozen as the enormity of

what she’d said began to sink in. She’d sensed before

that Marshall could be a dangerous man when riled.

The seconds ticked by as he continued to stand

there like a stone statue at the foot of the bed,

glaring down at her with a muscle twitching in his

hard jaw. Annie was the first to find her voice.

“Marshall, I’m sorry. This isn’t like me. The whole

situation is…unnerving.”

“Forget it,” he surprised her by snapping,

running his hand over the stubble on his face and

sucking in a deep breath. He astonished her again

by offering his hand to help her off the bed. “Maybe

we were both a little out of line.”

He didn’t step back after pulling her off the bed,

and the next thing Annie knew, she was flush

against him. Sharp awareness zinged through her,

like getting an electrical shock, and she caught her

breath wondering if he felt it, too. His eyes flared

briefly but his expression remained fixed. A low

groan followed. He started to lower his face and then

couldn’t seem to set her away from him fast enough.

Had he been about to kiss her? A pleasant

sensation rippled through her body at the thought of

his sensual mouth touching hers. She tried to ignore

his magnetism but that would be like ignoring the

fact she needed air to breathe. The trouble was he

was too damn appealing and she was susceptible.

She wasn’t about to embarrass herself by being

obvious.

She thought the best thing to do was change the

subject. “Do you mind if I get a shower?”

“Sure. The guest bath isn’t set up yet, so you’ll

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73

have to use mine. There are clean towels inside the

closet behind the door.” Marshall’s eyes ran over her

as if searching for something. “When you come out,

we’ll have lunch. Hopefully by then, we’ll have heard

something about the break-in at your place.”

Nodding, Annie turned and walked toward the

open door she assumed led to the bathroom.

“Annie.” She paused in the doorway and glanced

back at him expectantly. “You might be here for a

couple days, so make yourself at home. The only

thing I ask is that you listen to me when I tell you

something.”

Do what I say is what he really meant, and

Annie was smart enough to read between the lines.

She held Marshall’s gaze for what seemed a long

time, the urge to assert her independence stronger

than ever. “The most I can do is promise to try,” she

finally said before turning and closing the door

behind her.

She wasn’t a baby and she wasn’t going to let

him treat her like one.

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Chapter Five

Marshall reached for his wineglass before sitting

back on his stool. For the hundredth time in an hour,

his eyes went to the beauty mark on Annie’s face.

The reason the small flaw captivated him was

because it was so close to temptation, and he

suspected a taste of heaven. He had a burning desire

to kiss her and find out if her lips were as smooth

and soft as they appeared.

More than that, he wanted to taste her, in more

ways than one. His cock twitched with the thought

of what it would be like to wrap his tongue around

hers. Earlier, in the bedroom, it had been a struggle

not to throw himself down on her and give in to the

situation building between them. She’d looked damn

appealing on his water bed, glaring up at him with

indignant fire in her eyes.

He was willing to bet the fire in her eyes would

intensify when it was replaced with passion. The

innocence she exuded wasn’t a ruse, but a thin layer

protecting the woman he sensed was hidden beneath

the surface. When was the last time he’d met a

woman like her?

“That was good, Detective.” Annie’s compliment

broke the silence. She pushed her empty plate aside

and dropped her napkin over it before reaching for

her glass of wine. “Either you’ve never been married,

or you’ve been divorced a long time.” She narrowed

her eyes at him over her glass.

“Fishing, Doc?” Marshall grinned, pouring more

wine into his glass. A tiny smile played upon her

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75

lips, making him wonder what she was thinking.

“What now, Detective?” She ran her pinky along

the edge of her glass, dipping it slightly into the

liquid before bringing it to her mouth.

In spite the sophistication that cloaked Annie,

she looked extremely vulnerable at that moment.

Her action under normal circumstances would have

been a natural prelude to an intimate moment

between them—like a kiss. But he knew she wasn’t

aware of the alluring quality of her movements. She

didn’t seem the type to purposely tease a man using

seductive coyness. In fact, she seemed a thousand

miles away.

The shower had done her good. She looked

refreshed and sexy as hell in faded cut-off jeans that

left her shapely, slender legs bare all the way to the

tops of her suntanned thighs. A sleeveless top

completed her casual look, something thin and airy

that tied beneath her breasts, emphasizing their

perky shape.

And I’d thought there wasn’t enough there to fill

my hands?

A tingle of awareness surged through his blood,

warming him more than any wine. The throbbing

erection behind his zipper demanded he do

something about it.

He hadn’t denied her comments about being

horny. Hell, she’d hit the nail right on the head, but

she was the one making him that way, turning him

inside out. When Michelle had kissed him and

pressed her body against his, he’d felt nothing. Not a

twinge of the old passion had resurfaced.

All Annie had to do to turn him hard was be in

the same room with him, like now. He wondered

what her reaction would be if she knew how she was

affecting him. If she knew how much he wanted to

strip her naked and slide into her welcoming body.

The hammock on the porch would have to work

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for sleeping arrangements because there was no way

he was going to spend the night in the same bed

with her. Even if it were a little on the chilly side

after sunset, he’d welcome the cool, damp air. It

might help keep his head clear and his temperature

down.

Marshall grinned at that. Yeah, wanting Annie

kept him feverishly hot. He could think of only one

way that would take care of that little problem.

His eyes moved over her face, which was slightly

flushed, before sliding back up to meet the faraway

look in her eyes. The wine was having a definite

effect on her. Her lids were half-closed and he knew

the lazy look in her eyes was a combination of wine

and fatigue. She was halfway to being drunk and

didn’t realize it. He wondered when the last time

was that had happened to the doctor.

“In answer to your unasked question, Doc, I’ve

never been married,” he finally said, breaking the

long silence.

“That wasn’t my question.” She hid a yawn

behind her hand and Marshall sat back with a

knowing grin. “Excuse me. I don’t usually drink wine

in the middle of the day.” She yawned a second time

and looked him seriously in the eye. “It makes me

sleepy.”

He swallowed the rest of his, taking note of the

humor in her eyes. “Are you trying to tell me I won’t

be able to take advantage of you?”

“Sorry,” she said sadly, but she didn’t look sorry.

“Once I’m out, I’m not aware of anything.”

Marshall’s eyes followed her movements as she

brought the glass to her mouth. He watched as the

liquid slid down her arched throat until a movement

out of the corner of his eye drew his attention. He

turned his head sharply to see Harold flying down

the hallway toward them like a B-52 bomber.

He landed on Annie’s shoulder and reached up

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77

to give her ear a gentle peck. “I love you.”

Annie chuckled, nuzzling the bird with affection.

“Don’t eat my earring, Harold.”

Ugly crow. Marshall watched the bird with

something akin to jealousy. Beauty and the beast

flashed before his mind. Annie slid off her stool and

walked to stand in front of the glass wall at the end

of the living room. “You have a breathtaking view

here.”

He thought so too, only he wasn’t talking about

the view outside his window. The beach was

deserted except for the seagulls. There were several

boats further out on the glistening water where it

was calmer. Churning waves crashed along the

white sandy beach. It was picture perfect, and the

view changed every day.

“How does a detective afford such a view?” she

inquired, her eyes on the scene before her. Harold

chose that moment to take flight, gently stirring the

hair at the nape of her neck.

“A lot of work and no play,” he replied. He was

so close to her that he could smell the sweet scent of

the shampoo she’d used in her hair. She must have

brought her own because he sure as hell didn’t have

anything that made his mouth water or think of

wildflowers.

He’d been a homicide detective for fifteen years

and made pretty decent money, but he’d never be

able to afford a place like this on his earnings alone.

The money that paid for this place had come from

years of saving and wise investments in the stock

market. A little inheritance from his grandfather

hadn’t hurt either. When he retired, he planned to

do it in style, or the very least, comfort.

His sister, Jackie, had purchased a more

practical home with her share of the inheritance.

Raising a family, the location with regard to good

schools and neighborhoods had been the deciding

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factor for her choice.

The phone rang and he took the few steps back

to the kitchen to answer it. “Yeah?”

“Hey, man, it’s me.”

Marshall tensed at the sound of Jim’s voice.

He’d been waiting for this call. “It’s about time.

What have you got?”

“Strong was killed by a single shotgun blast to

the chest, but Hank said he’d know more once he

does the autopsy. He was killed at Doctor McCall’s

office; the bullet went straight through him and was

lodged in the wall behind his body. His wallet still

had cash and credit cards, so I think we can rule out

robbery.”

Marshall’s mouth turned down at the news. As

far as he was concerned, that had never been a

possibility. Coincidences weren’t that big. “I agree.

What about prints?”

Jim snorted. “It’s an office building, man; we

found lots. It’s going to take time to run them all

through the database. I think we’ll have better luck

at Doctor McCall’s place. Good thing you arrived

when you did. Whoever was there didn’t have

enough time to clean up. Some prints were lifted off

the computer keyboard. In addition, whoever jumped

from her balcony left a perfect shoe imprint in the

sand. Looks like there was just one. The team just

left there.”

“Good. What else?”

“We also determined the call to both you and

Doctor McCall came from her phone at the office.

The question is did Strong make both calls?”

“Annie said she didn’t recognize the caller’s

voice.”

“Which could mean he was killed before the calls

were made. The phone was the only thing wiped

clean, of course,” Jim added.

Of course, but Marshall’s uppermost thought

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was that if the killer intended to kill Annie too, why

hadn’t he been there to meet her? Had he only

wanted to get her out of the condo long enough to

search the place? So far, it wasn’t clear if Annie’s life

was in danger. The message left for her on the

computer could have been just to scare her.

“I knew this wasn’t going to be a cut and dried

case. Run a check on everyone who works in the

office first, just to rule them out.”

“Already in the works, pal. Oh, ask Doctor

McCall whether or not she and Strong had any of

the same clients. That might narrow down the list.

I’m at his office now. His file cabinets are bursting at

the seams. Some records date back to the damn

sixties!”

A low rumble vibrated through Marshall’s chest

at the frustration he detected in Jim’s tone. “Want to

trade places?”

“No way, man. Janey would have my hide if she

knew I was holed up somewhere with a beautiful

woman, even if it was on the clock. And speaking of

the doctor, how is she holding up?”

“As feisty as ever, but I have her under control.”

Annie swung around and faced him, crossing her

arms. The look she gave him revealed she knew he

was talking about her. He winked at her.

“Anything else?” Jim asked.

“Yeah, before you head for home, stop by the

precinct and pick up the Bailey file off my desk and

run it by here, will ya? Maybe whoever killed Strong

also raped and killed Emily eight years ago. I want

to make sure I didn’t miss something in her file that

would give us a clue.”

“Will do. In the meantime, what are you going to

do about Doctor McCall?”

“She’ll remain my houseguest for a day or two,”

Marshall replied. He could tell by the pressing of her

lips that Annie didn’t like the sound of that. “At

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least until we know for sure if she’s in danger.” He

didn’t want her afraid of anything, but a good dose of

reality might make her more willing to trust him,

which could save her life.

“Do you think she’s keeping something from us?”

“Maybe.” Marshall stepped closer to Annie,

taking secret delight in the fire filling her eyes as

she listened to his side of the conversation. “I’ve

been plying her with truth serum.” Her scowl caused

him to grin. He reached forward to toy with a soft

strand of hair resting against her forehead. It felt

like the finest threads of silk.

“Good luck then, pal. I’ll be by later.”

Annie slapped Marshall’s hand away. “What did

your partner have to say?” she asked the second he

replaced the receiver.

“Nothing to convince me you’re out of the

woods.” She let out a frustrated huff and swung

away, walking back to the window. Marshall

reckoned he could afford to give her a little space. If

he pushed her, it could backfire. “I’m going to take a

quick shower, Annie. Don’t answer the phone or the

door, and if anyone shows up on the beach, stay out

of sight.”

When she acknowledged with a slight nod of her

head, Marshall left the room. It would be a quick

shower; he didn’t quite trust Annie to stay out of

trouble. He’d been a detective long enough to read

the signs. She was thinking about bolting. If she did,

there was little he could do about it. But just the

thought of her out there alone, vulnerable to the

situation, caused him to pick up speed.

He stripped, adjusted the water temperature

before stepping beneath the spray, and quickly

lathered up. The last few remains of soap bubbles

were running down his legs when he thought he

heard a noise coming from the outer room. Before he

had a chance to evaluate what it was, Annie rushed

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81

into the bathroom. Fear raced through Marshall

when he sensed her urgency. She said something,

but with the water still running and her voice

lowered to a whisper, he couldn’t make it out.

He quickly turned off the tap and opened the

frosted glass door without a thought for his

nakedness. “What is it?”

“Someone’s at the door!”

Marshall reached for the towel hanging on the

shower door handle. Any other time, he would have

grinned at the look on Annie’s embarrassed face. She

was staring up at the ceiling, a delicate pink tinting

her cheeks.

There was a second, louder knock. She grabbed

Marshall’s arm as though that would convey the

seriousness of the situation. “He said he’s the pizza

man, but I knew you hadn’t ordered one, considering

we just ate lunch.”

Marshall was in the process of tucking the towel

in at his waist and almost lost his grip. “You spoke

to him?” he asked sharply, heading out of the

bathroom. He stopped to grab his gun off the top of

the nightstand.

Whoever was at the door switched to the

doorbell. It rang several times in rapid succession.

“Hell, Annie…” He took her by the hand and pulled

her behind him. “I want to show you something.”

He dragged her inside his large, walk-in closet,

and right before her startled eyes, bent and picked

up a piece of loose carpet. Beneath it was a square

door in the floor, which he opened without

hesitation. Annie glanced down. Directly beneath

the trap door was his beat-up jeep.

“Only for emergencies,” he explained briefly.

“There’s a set of keys under the front seat. No

matter what happens, Annie, if I give you the sign,

you drop your butt down there and get the hell out of

here.” He didn’t want her around if things took a

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turn for the worse.

“But—”

“Do it, Annie!” They listened to the doorbell

chime again. “Persistent devil, isn’t he?” Marshall

dropped the door and turned to leave. Annie was

right behind him until he noticed and motioned her

to stay put. He left her behind the bedroom door.

“I’m coming!” Marshall hollered, reaching

behind him to tuck his weapon in the waistband of

his towel. He peered through the peephole, relaxing

upon recognizing the boy from the Pizza Palace

down the street. Cracking the door open, he looked

the freckle-faced fifteen-year-old over with shrewd

eyes. “Hey, Ron. I’m afraid I didn’t order a pizza

today.”

The kid looked at Marshall long and hard, as if

trying to figure out how he knew his name. Chewing

on a wad of gum the size of a golf ball, he glanced

down at the ticket on top of the box.

“The address is right, the name’s wrong,”

Marshall pointed out, reading the slip from upside

down. “The Sullivans live further down the beach to

the right of me.” The kid still looked confused. “The

coral house?”

“Oh, yeah!” Ron grinned, smacking his gum.

“Sorry to bother you, Mr. Thomas,” he said and

turned to leave.

“No bother, kid.” Marshall closed the door and

locked it, letting his body relax against it for a few

minutes. He was getting too damn old for this. He

reached up and ran his hands through his dripping

hair, quietly watching Annie as she strode down the

hallway toward him.

He was too relieved to be angry with her for

coming out before he told her it was safe. It was

obvious she’d been listening behind the door again.

His gaze dropped to the graceful sway of her hips as

she moved, a mistake that only aided in raising his

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heart rate a little more. The fact that another part of

his body was having the same reaction didn’t

surprise him. Annie was a very desirable woman,

and right now, she was looking at him in a way that

made his blood warm, and his pulse race.

“I’m definitely not into this cloak and dagger

stuff,” she said softly, halting directly in front of

him. “Look at me.” She held out her trembling

hands. Marshall was willing to bet she was shaking

just as badly on the inside. “How do you stay so

calm?”

His mouth curved into a crooked smirk. “Not

enough common sense,” he teased. “And maybe a

little too much wine with lunch.”

“I shouldn’t be here,” she said, catching him off

guard. “This is your home, Marshall. You shouldn’t

have to worry about the bad guys invading your

house. My being here could be very dangerous for

you.”

Marshall couldn’t argue with that. Having

Annie here was definitely dangerous for him, but for

reasons that had nothing to do with the threat of

any bad guys. Now that the situation was over and

he’d come down off the adrenaline high, another

kind of rush was surging through his taut body.

He was aroused. He couldn’t remember a time

when a woman could simply walk into a room and

leave him feeling like he knew exactly what he

wanted from her, yet more confused than ever.

He wanted to reach out and touch her but knew

it wouldn’t stop there. Maybe in another time,

another place, when he had time to explore whatever

it was that drew her to him. He realized Annie was

waiting for him to respond. “Don’t sweat it, doc. I’ve

been a detective for a long time. It’s not every day I

get to protect a beautiful woman. Let me enjoy it

while it lasts.”

She was watching his lips as he spoke. The

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seductive look in her lazy eyes caused an instant

reaction in Marshall which he doubted she’d

appreciate. Lust settled low in his gut and he

wanted to grab her to him, yet he couldn’t bring

himself to move, thoroughly enjoying her boldness.

However, when her eyes dropped down his near

naked body in a slow and sensual sweep, sweat

broke out on his brow. He began to get an edgy

feeling.

What does she think she’s doing, looking me over

like this?

Her wistful sigh heightened the intimate

situation building between them. Her slightly glazed

eyes were half closed and a strange smile turned the

corners of her mouth upward.

“You’re magnificent, Detective, not an ounce of

fat anywhere, all hard and rippled with muscles, the

kind that make a woman’s hands eager to discover if

you feel as good and as hard as you look.”

Her words inflamed Marshall, turning him as

hard as a rock. He tried to swallow but his tongue

got in the way. He was powerless to do or say

anything. He’d never had a woman put her thoughts

about his physique into words before. All he knew

was that if Annie touched him, anywhere, it would

be all over. The way he felt right then, he’d drag her

to the floor and show her quick enough what the

effect her words were having on him.

He should at least warn her about what she was

doing to him. The way he figured it, if she continued,

it would be at her own peril. “Annie—”

“Yes, Detective?” The soft, smoky quality of her

voice made Marshall forget what he’d been about to

say.

Her gaze continued to move over his upper

torso, as if committing him to memory. “Your

shoulders are as broad as a small mountain…” her

words trailed off. Marshall’s gut clenched when she

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reached forward. “A washboard stomach, too…nice.”

The tip of her nail ran down the center of his hair-

covered chest to his navel.

Then she stepped back, her eyes skipping over

the towel covering him to his exposed thighs and

legs. A small frown burrowed between her eyes. She

swayed slightly. “Something’s happening to me. I

think I shouldn’t have finished that wine.”

His gaze shot to the bottle on the counter. He

was surprised to find it empty. So that explained it.

The little witch! She’d finished the contents while he

was in the shower. Her bravado was no doubt

contributed to the wine she’d consumed.

He chuckled inwardly, his gaze returning to

hers. She was definitely in an alcohol-induced state.

While he was in a highly aroused state. If she didn’t

stop looking at him like she wanted to devour him,

he wouldn’t be responsible for the consequences.

“Annie?”

“Yes?”

Marshall clenched his jaw at the sensual quality

of her tone. “Do you know what you’re doing? I’m not

made of stone.” Contrary to what a certain part of

his body had become.

“I’m just looking,” she whispered defensively. “Is

that against the law, Detective?”

“You’re turning me on with your eyes,” he said

huskily, still leaning against the door. It should be

outlawed. “And if you don’t stop, I’m going to throw

you to the floor and show you how much.” He

groaned loudly when her lazy-eyed gaze dropped

down to his towel, seeming to zero right in on his

erection.

“Interesting.” As though knowing exactly what

she was doing to him and enjoying every minute of

it, Annie licked her lips slowly, seductively. Marshall

sucked in his breath, his erection pushing wildly

beneath the towel as if searching for a way out. An

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explosion of heat rolled through his body so intense

that an ice cold shower wouldn’t put it out.

All at once she swayed and began to crumble.

Marshall stepped forward just in time to catch her in

his arms. She was out cold. “You little witch! I hope

you remember this, Annie. Because turnabout is fair

play,” he growled under his breath as he swept her

up and carried her down to his bedroom.

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Chapter Six

Annie slept soundly until early the next

morning, waking to the quiet gloom of Marshall’s

bedroom. She knew she was lying on the waterbed.

She could feel it moving gently beneath her. As she

turned onto her side, she was surprised to see

Marshall sleeping next to her. She should be angry,

but the bed was more than big enough for the both of

them. Why should he be uncomfortable in his own

home?

As her mind cleared of the lingering cobwebs,

she began to notice other things about him. Like

what he was wearing—or wasn’t wearing. Heat filled

her cheeks as her gaze roamed down his muscular

length. Her curious eyes lingered on his boxers and

the bulge nestled there. Notable, even in a relaxed

state.

She’d never considered boxer shorts sexy, but

his were hot! They were short and silky, fitting

tightly against his impressive form. The rich

shimmering color of root beer sported little designs

all over it. And after inspecting the fabric, she

smiled widely. They were cowboys and Indians! Who

would have thought a big, tough detective would

wear something so…so cute?

She hid a giggle behind her hand. They had to

be a gag gift from someone, probably some girlfriend.

She couldn’t picture Marshall buying them for

himself. The fact he was wearing them revealed he

was very comfortable with his own masculinity.

Realizing that she was gawking, Annie turned

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to roll to her side of the bed, but she didn’t get far. A

muscular arm wrapped around her waist and hauled

her back against Marshall’s warm body. She gasped

with surprise. Instant awareness warmed her, as

she immediately became aware he’d removed her

shorts when her naked bottom came up against the

silk of his shorts.

He had a lot of nerve!

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Annie felt his warm breath against the back of

her neck. It caused a tingle of sharp need to travel

down her spine.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She tried to

pretend indifference but it was difficult nestled

against him, and the soft part of him was rapidly

showing signs of hardening.

“This is payback for yesterday.”

Payback? What did he mean by that?

“Remember how you passed out on me?”

Oh yeah, she smiled in spite of herself. “The

wine—”

“You turned me on and then left me…ah, very

frustrated.”

“It wasn’t my fault I passed out.” Oh! Was that

his teeth sinking into the area between her neck and

collarbone? Annie shuddered, suddenly feeling

hot…all over.

What does he think he’s doing?

“It was the wine,” Annie explained in a

breathless tone. “This is highly inappropriate,

Detective.” She trembled with desire.

“Really?” Annie felt his smile against her skin.

Her pulse rate skyrocketed when his hand began to

caress her naked belly.

Had he removed all her clothes? Her exploring

hands quickly found out she still had on her blouse

from the day before and her thong, which wasn’t

much more than a scrap of lace.

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Before she could give him a piece of her mind, he

pulled her sharply against him and the next thing

she knew his arousal was poking her bare fanny.

Her breath caught and she tried to strain away, even

while secretly yearning to push back against him.

Part of her wanted to encourage him, while the

other half was terrified of what he’d do if she did.

Would she be able to go through with it?

Oh lord, Annie, she scolded herself. Of course,

you’d be able to go through with it! You’ve been horny

for the man since meeting him.

She ignored her inner voice. “I think one of us

should get up.”

“I’m already up.”

His hand began to smooth down Annie’s

stomach. His feather light caress tickled her and she

sucked in her belly, breathing heavily. When his

fingers reached the elastic to her thong, her hand

covered his to stop him.

“Marshall, Mr…ah, Detective.” Annie bit her

bottom lip to keep from moaning with pleasure.

“Please don’t…” She bit off the word stop before it

escaped her.

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” He broke

free of her weak restraint.

“Yes…” His hand glided over her hip and around

to Annie’s bottom. She tried to reach for his hand to

pull him away but the moment she felt his firm

caress against her bare skin she was lost. She

moaned softly and closed her eyes.

This was insane! But insanity had never felt so

good. She knew she was crazy for letting Marshall

touch her like this. A part of her wished he would

lavish the same attention to her aching breasts.

Was this how I made him feel yesterday?

His penis twitched strongly against her,

revealing its size and strength. And before Annie

could stop herself she arched a little, forcing her

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bottom further into his throbbing flesh. Thank god

the material to his boxers was between them, but in

the next instant, she was gasping and twisting with

blossoming hunger.

Somehow his hard flesh had found the opening

of his shorts and slipped through. It felt like hot

steel encased in velvet against Annie’s flesh.

Without thought or warning, they were straining

against each other, lost in a moment of madness.

“Oh…” she choked out. How long since she’d last

felt anything as good? “This isn’t fair…”

Marshall groaned low, and then shuddered.

“You’re right; this isn’t fair to either of us.” Before

Annie could guess his intentions, he rolled away

from her and left the bed. “I need to go to the

bathroom.”

Annie held back a scream of pure frustration

and remained silent. Taking several long breaths to

calm herself down, she lay on her back and waited

for her heart beat to slow.

Damn him!

Then she chuckled to herself. He’d been just as

aroused. Where had he found the control to walk

away?

She got up and meandered toward the screened-

in deck, her gaze automatically drawn to the huge

ball of orange red glow slowly rising over the calm

ocean surface. It was beautiful. This was Annie’s

favorite time of the day. Under normal

circumstances, she’d be sipping her first cup of coffee

while watching the sunrise.

“Morning baby.”

Annie felt a ruffle against the hair on her neck.

“Morning, Harold,” she murmured.

“You need a man. You…”

Why did he persist on greeting her each day

with that blasted phrase? “Hush up!” she whispered

sharply, hoping his comment didn’t carry to

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Marshall. She was going to have to work on

widening his vocabulary.

She reached up and nudged him until he jumped

on her finger and she was able to look right into his

beady little eye. “If you don’t behave, I’ll shut you up

in your cage and throw away the key.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me.”

The sound of Marshall’s voice caused Annie to

spin around sharply, dislodging Harold and sending

him screeching to the other side of the deck. He

landed on a curved hook originally meant for a plant

and glared at her while flapping his wings angrily.

“Call the cops!”

She rolled her eyes and smiled, meeting the

amusement in Marshall’s desire-clouded eyes.

Are my eyes still carrying the signs of our

intimacy? For a moment, Annie wasn’t sure how to

handle the situation and decided to ignore the whole

thing as though it hadn’t happened.

She lowered her gaze to his shorts and crossed

her arms. “I like the cowboys and Indians,” she

remarked in a sassy tone. “Very manly.” She tried

not to let her eyes linger on the proof of his very

manly part.

“I got these for Uncle’s Day. My sister’s warped

idea of a joke.”

“Uncle’s Day? Is there such a day?” She smiled.

“There is according to my nieces.” Marshall’s

gaze slid lazily down Annie’s body.

She reached for the edges of her shirt to make

sure she was decent.

“You have an incredible pair of legs, Doc…good

enough to be on the cover of a girlie magazine.” She

felt her cheeks flush with heat but couldn’t pull her

eyes away. “And here I thought you were the

sensible cotton briefs type, not the bit of silk nothing

you’re wearing,” he added with a rakish grin. “By

the time I removed your shorts last night, I had to

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take a cold shower.”

Another time and Annie would have appreciated

his comment. It did wonders to a woman’s ego to

know she turned a man on. “I’m surprised you let

the fact I was sleeping stop you from taking

advantage.”

“Disappointed? Sorry, but I was exhausted when

I finally turned in and seduction was the last thing

on my mind when I crawled between the covers.

Maybe that’s why I waited until I was so damn tired

I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Besides, I want you

fully awake and knowing exactly what I’m doing to

you, when the time comes.”

What had been wrong with this morning? Annie

would bite her tongue off before questioning him.

She didn’t want to appear desperate!

“You sound very sure of yourself, Detective.” She

slapped her hands on her hips and tilted her chin.

The fact she was facing him in nothing but a blouse

and thong didn’t keep her from speaking her mind.

At least the blouse had been untied and provided her

some decency where it fell to the top of her thighs.

“After what happened between us a few minutes

ago, I think I can safely say it’s just a matter of

time.” His lazy gaze moved down Annie’s body and

back up again, making her very aware of her skimpy

attire.

His look renewed her desire. Only she had the

advantage over him. “If you think giving me the

once-over is going to unnerve me, you’re going to be

dissatisfied.” She fought to keep her eyes off the

tempting curve of his sensual mouth and the

thought of what it would taste like.

“I’m hungry,” Marshall surprised her by

admitting. Annie swallowed with difficulty, because

the look in his eyes told her he was hungry for her.

Did he have to be so darn sexy in the mornings? “Do

you think you can whip up some eggs and toast

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while I make some phone calls?” He had the nerve to

wink at her.

All of a sudden the situation seemed very

domestic between them. Annie brushed the thought

aside. “I think I can manage that, after I find my

shorts.”

She turned to go back inside the bedroom. As

she started to walk past, his hand caught her by the

arm. Their eyes met, and whatever he’d been about

to say was abruptly forgotten when his gaze shot

past her to a something on the beach. Swearing

mildly, he pulled Annie back inside the room.

“What—”

“Someone’s out there. We have to be careful,

Annie, until we know exactly what’s going on. We

have to assume if someone’s looking for you, they

aren’t just interested in finding out what you know,

but possibly in shutting your mouth, permanently.”

Annie’s anger quickly surfaced. He didn’t have

to be so blunt about it. “I want to know the truth, too,

but do you have to go out of your way to frighten me?

Or do you just want to make sure if I have anything

to say that I tell you before I’m dead?”

“You’re out of line, Doc,” he said harshly, his

face darkening. He stood there with his legs braced

apart, glaring at her with a muscle twitching in his

lean jaw.

For a moment, he was too close for her peace of

mind, and angry. Annie opened her mouth to

apologize. He was right. She wasn’t being fair.

However, Marshall turned and walked away before

she had the chance to say anything.

It was just as well. They both needed to cool

down. She turned to face the water, careful to

remain in the shadows of the room and took a deep

breath to calm her raw nerves. The sound of

Marshall’s movements behind her indicated he was

brushing his teeth in the bathroom and then

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dressing. When she was certain he’d left the

bedroom, she went in search of her shorts.

****

Marshall had no sooner slapped a few pieces of

bacon in the skillet and gathered the ingredients for

an omelet when the phone rang. Hearing his boss’s

voice this early in the morning was never a good

sign.

“What in hell do you think you’re up to Thomas?

When Jim told me…”

Marshall held the phone away from his ear,

recognizing when Dan was about to go into one of his

angry tirades. When that happened, he was like a

bulldog with a bone. The conversation was usually

one-sided and long-winded. Until it was over and he

was out of steam, Marshall knew he wouldn’t get a

word in.

He began to pace back and forth, wearing a path

from his kitchen to his living room, occasionally

putting the phone back to his ear to catch a word or

phrase that would indicate Dan was slowing down.

He heard enough to know Dan’s anger had to do

with Annie.

He figured he was making his tenth trip back to

the kitchen when he saw Annie walk out of his

bedroom and head down the hallway toward him.

His little scheme of getting even with her for turning

him on the day before and passing out on him had

backfired, big time. How did he ever think he could

remain immune to her, while holding her sexy little

body against him? Inhaling her sweet scent and

touching her silky skin beneath his fingers?

When his aroused flesh had touched her soft,

shapely bottom he’s nearly said to hell with teaching

her a lesson. It had been all he could do not to flip

her over and enter her in one smooth thrust. He

hadn’t meant for it to go that far. And if the truth

were known, he was a little bit ashamed. She hadn’t

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intentionally set out to arouse him the day before.

Their eyes met briefly before he reluctantly put

the phone up to his ear. He didn’t need to be

distracted by her. And the only way he could avoid

that was to pretend she wasn’t there.

Yeah, fat chance of that.

“…company policy! You got that, Thomas?

You’ve crossed the line.”

“Hell, Dan, you don’t have to preach company

policy to me,” Marshall muttered, before turning his

back to Annie in an effort to muffle his voice.

“Well, apparently someone needs to…and on a

regular basis!” Dan hollered in his ear. “You’re

pushing it, Thomas. This is the last straw, you hear

me? At least once a week, you’re breaking the

rules—”

“Like hell…” Marshall retorted with just as

much heat, turning to see that Annie was leaning

against the kitchen counter, flagrantly listening to

what he was saying. “You know me well enough by

now to know I wouldn’t break the rules without just

cause. And my gut was telling me—”

“Your gut?” Dan grunted with disbelief. “Don’t

you mean what’s south of the belt? I heard what a

looker Doctor McCall is. I suggest you get your

priorities straight and turn her loose.”

Marshall ignored his crude comment. They’d

exchanged worse and he knew it just confirmed how

angry Dan was. “Look, what I do on my own time is

my own business. I have some vacation time

coming…” He was as good as threatening Dan and

they both knew it.

“Right in the middle of an investigation?” Dan

said with surprise in his tone. “You’ve got to be

kidding!”

“If you force me to it…” Marshall purposely let

his sentence trail off. He wasn’t above making his

own threats. Besides, right now he was the one with

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the upper hand. Hell, he could retire right then and

be okay.

A long pause followed as Dan was obviously

weighing his options. Marshall knew he couldn’t

deny him time off. He hadn’t taken a day of vacation

in almost four years. He also knew Dan needed him

now. Once Janey called Jim to say she was at the

hospital delivering their third child, he would be

taking paternity leave for a couple of weeks.

Two other detectives had been sent to

Washington to pick up a high profile murder

suspect. Another was in the hospital with a bad case

of the flu. The office was running on empty. Dan

might actually have to get off his rump and work for

a change.

“You know, this borders on blackmail,” Dan said

in a hard tone.

“Remember, who you’re dealing with,” Marshall

reminded him in turn. It wouldn’t be the first time

he’d gone against the rules to do what he thought

was the right thing. Even when it had cost him a

suspension from work and was probably the reason

he’d never gone any further than homicide detective.

That was okay with him. He’d go crazy sitting at a

desk all day.

It seemed an eternity before Dan released a long

sigh and finally said, “Jim mentioned he thought

something clicked between you and Doctor McCall.”

“Let’s just stick to the facts.”

“All right…for now. But don’t think for a

moment you won’t be disciplined when this is all

over.” Marshall heard the defeat in Dan’s voice. He’d

had his hand slapped before. He wasn’t worried. He

and Dan butted heads more times than he could

count, but it was only because they thought alike.

On top of that, they both liked control.

“Once we’ve run the fingerprints found at both

crime scenes through the database and determined

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there’s no connection between Strong’s murder and

Doctor McCall’s break-in, turn her loose. You got

that, Thomas?”

The phone hanging up in his ear indicated Dan’s

level of frustration. Marshall didn’t blame him,

knowing that if the situation were reversed he’d feel

the same way. Homicide was only involved because

Martin Strong had made that damn phone call to

him a week ago. His murder left a lot of unanswered

questions, which could very well lead to a dead end.

Hell! He ran his hands through his hair after

hanging up the phone.

“I take it your boss isn’t happy over the

situation,” Annie said quietly, turning off the bacon

he’d started, then forking the meat out of the pan

onto a plate. She poured the grease into the metal

canister on the stovetop before pouring the bowl of

whipped eggs in the still hot skillet.

Marshall watched her movements as she stirred

the mixture of eggs, diced onions, tomatoes, and

cheese while he popped the toast into the toaster.

Then something Jim said to him on the phone the

day before came back to him. “Tell me, Annie, did

you and Strong have any of the same clients?”

“No,” she replied without hesitating.

He frowned. “Clarify, please.”

“No, I don’t know. How would I?” She cast him

the briefest of glances before shielding her eyes with

those incredibly long lashes.

“Would you tell me if you did?”

“Yes. That wouldn’t be breaking doctor-patient

privilege.” She tossed him a saucy smile.

Marshall snorted in dissatisfaction. “You knew

Strong. Did he panic easily? Would you say he

tended to over-exaggerate?”

“Not really, and for the record, I’m thirty years

old, Detective.” The eggs were done and she spooned

them onto the two plates next to the stove.

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He’d been busy staring at her sexy ass when her

response caught him off guard. “Thirty years

old…what has that got to do with anything?” he

asked, crossing his arms. Thirty really? She looked

closer to twenty.

“It means I don’t need a baby sitter, Marshall.

After breakfast I’m going home. You—”

He took the plate she handed him. “You’re crazy

if you think I’m letting you leave.” He sat down on

the stool opposite her, his eyes following her while

she poured them each a cup of coffee with the stiff

movements of a robot. He steeled himself for the

battle he sensed approaching.

“You can’t stop me since I’m not under arrest.

And from your end of the conversation on the phone,

I’m guessing I’m not even supposed to be here.” She

took a sip of her coffee.

“Are you forgetting about the break-in at your

place?” He made a breakfast sandwich with his

toast. Annie’s expression revealed she had forgotten

about it.

“Thank you for reminding me. I need to get

home and take care of things,” she said stubbornly,

slipping a forkful of eggs into her mouth.

Marshall felt heat rushing up the back of his

neck, a clear sign his anger was rising. “Do you have

a death wish or something? Why are you so damn

stubborn? What difference will staying here a couple

more days make?”

He hoped her hesitation meant she was

digesting what he said. He watched her carefully as

she unconsciously picked up a piece of bacon to

nibble on. He couldn’t keep her against her will and

Dan had already read him the riot act. How much

more trouble could he get into if he handcuffed her

to the bed? Now that was an appealing thought.

As if speaking his thoughts out loud, her gaze

returned to him. “Monday, Detective,” Annie spoke

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after a while and picked up her coffee cup. “You have

me until eight o’clock on Monday morning.” She

slipped off her stool and moved toward the patio

doors, effectively ending any further talk.

Monday? Was that all? Marshall opened his

mouth to argue, then snapped it shut again, smart

enough to realize he’d gained a little ground. He

watched Annie walk into the bright sunlight

streaming into the room. He’d opened the doors

earlier to let in the fresh air.

For a moment, he became mesmerized by the

soft halo around her golden head as she stepped out

onto the open deck. Then his gaze dropped to her

curvy bottom, unwillingly recalling how soft and

silky her flesh was. It had taken all the strength he

possessed not to take her that morning. He closed

his eyes for a moment to pull himself together.

“I’d love to go for a swim in the ocean.”

Opening his eyes, Marshall saw that Annie had

moved further out onto the deck, away from the

door. “Damn it, Doc.”

She swung around with a half smile on her face.

“You swear a lot, Detective.” She met his frown with

a defiant sparkle in her eyes. “I can’t stand being

cooped up.”

“Maybe we can work in a swim later.” After

dark. Marshall reached her just as two joggers

running down the beach came into view. They could

be neighbors but they were too far away for him to

be sure. He wasn’t taking any chances and grabbed

Annie by the shoulders pulling her up against him.

A gasp rushed through her parted lips when

their hips collided. Her head fell back and she met

his eyes. “What are you doing?” Her tone was a little

breathless.

Good question, because he must have lost his

mind, touching Annie like he was. What he felt in

the following seconds should be outlawed. An instant

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rush of desire flooded his senses, making him all too

aware of the soft body pressed against his, her

womanly curves against every tense muscle. Intense

feelings from their episode in bed resurfaced with

startling clarity.

Staring down at her soft mouth, it occurred to

Marshall that he wanted to kiss Annie at that

moment, more than he wanted to breathe. He sucked

in his breath.

“What is it?” she asked, humor dancing in her

eyes. “Are we in trouble?”

The amusement in her tone drew his gaze back

to hers. Big trouble. And it didn’t have anything to

do with the joggers who were approaching. How

could any man in their right mind ignore a beautiful

woman flush against him, and not kiss her?

Marshall was through fighting her allure.

“You are, lady. Big trouble. I want to finish what

we started this morning, but for now I’ll settle for a

kiss.” Before she had time to draw another breath,

Marshall slanted his mouth over hers, stealing a

long awaited kiss. As soon as he tasted the

sweetness and innocence of her lush mouth, he knew

it would never be enough.

He could tell he’d caught her off guard. She

stiffened against him. He felt her hands move

between them and pulled back to meet her eyes,

expecting to see a sign that she was protesting. The

only thing he saw was desire in her smoky gaze.

“Just one kiss?” There was no denying the husky

quality of her tone.

Damn…he hadn’t been expecting that. A

chuckle, then a low groan escaped him when Annie’s

fingers curled into the material of his shirt, over his

chest.

“Never one to disappoint a lady...” He lowered

his head and returned his mouth to hers. He wanted

to feel the softness of her breasts against him, not

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her hands. He caught both her wrists and brought

them around to the small of her back where he held

them securely with one hand.

To the casual observer, they looked like a couple

sharing a passionate embrace. His free hand moved

to the back of her head, releasing the clip that held

her silky hair and dropping it to the floor to let his

fingers tangle through the silky tresses.

It didn’t take long for the persuasion of his kiss

to melt away any resistance, and Annie was kissing

him back whole heartedly. She opened her mouth

eagerly beneath his, inviting his tongue inside and

loving it with her own. Their simultaneous moans

and the combined heat of their mouths fueled the

need growing between them at a rapid rate. In a

movement that could be construed as a slow caress,

Marshall released her wrists.

He lowered his hands to the rounded half moons

of her denim-clad bottom and gently kneaded. Annie

arched hungrily against him, showing him that she

found pleasure in what he was doing. As the mutual

sounds of their passion joined the cries of the ever-

present seagulls, she made a half-hearted effort to

turn her face away. Only Marshall wasn’t about to

let her escape. He followed her with his mouth,

kissing her until they were both a little breathless.

He broke it and followed the arch of her exposed

throat, leaving a trail of passionate kisses. Then,

moving back up to the shell of her ear, he paused

long enough to suckle the soft skin beneath until she

was a quivering wildly in his arms.

He sucked in his breath sharply when she gently

arched against his erection, which had grown to full

arousal and was throbbing strongly. He thrust right

back, moaning low, wanting nothing more than to

sink his hungry flesh into her. The urge to lower her

to the deck and continue making love to her was

winning over doing what was right. Forgotten were

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the joggers or anyone else who might be on the

beach.

Marshall couldn’t recall the last time he’d been

turned on to the point of wanting to take a woman

no matter where they were. Yet even in his

heightened state, he knew that was a dangerous

road to go down. As he struggled with indecision, his

mouth trailed kisses along the exposed flesh above

her opened blouse. He dipped his tongue into her

cleavage. The sound of her pleasure sent a rolling

blast of sexual energy through his body that erupted

into a hungry flame. He was lost.

He growled and lowered his mouth, latching

onto the crest of her breast through the material of

her thin blouse and sucking hard until her nipple

turned into a raised crown. If he had any doubts

Annie wasn’t receptive to his actions, they were

quickly squelched when she buried her hands in his

hair to hold him close.

He reached for her hand and guided it over the

tight bulge beneath his zipper. Exposing her own

fierce hunger, he nearly lost it when her fingers

raked over his throbbing length in a teasing caress.

His mouth returned to hers, and he practically

devoured her tender lips.

He wanted, needed something more! His hands

traveled to her waist, and he easily lifted her slight

weight. Their tongues collided and Annie

automatically wrapped her legs around his waist,

bringing the lower half of their bodies into sharp

contact.

Marshall moaned low as passion spiraled

rapidly out of control. He was close to exploding, but

he wasn’t about to do it outside where anyone could

see them. He moved to bring them back inside when

the pounding at the door echoed through the house.

God, he prayed he was dreaming. Then he heard it

again.

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What the hell…

Tearing his mouth away, he swore viciously. He

reluctantly let Annie slide down his body until her

feet were planted firmly on the floor. They leaned

into each other for a moment, struggling to catch

their breath, hearts pounding as one.

Oh hell! How had the situation between them

escalated out of control so damn fast?

A soft chuckle escaped Annie. “My legs have

turned to rubber.”

“Tell me about it.” His hands shook slightly as

he ran his fingers through her hair, gently pulling

her head back so their eyes could meet. He slowly

lowered his head to kiss her but quickly pulled back

before their lips met.

“Damn,” he said in response to the loud

persistent knocking on the door, which when

repeated, seemed to have a rhythm to it.

“Maybe whoever it is will go away.”

Did she want to continue making love? Her

words were encouraging, because Marshall wanted

Annie. He chuckled and gave her a brief kiss before

reluctantly pulling away. “That has to be Jim,” he

said huskily.

“How do you know?” There was a slight tremble

in her passion-laced voice.

“A lucky guess. And you don’t work with a guy

for ten years and not pick up on some of his quirks. I

recognize his signature knock.” His eyes roamed

over her figure. There was no disguising the mild

embarrassment replacing the desire in her gaze.

“Maybe you’d better disappear to the bedroom for a

little while. You look a little flustered.”

His words caused Annie’s blush to deepen, and

without hesitation, she turned and headed toward

the bedroom.

As soon as Marshall opened the door to Jim and

saw the knowing expression on his smiling face, he

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wished he could close it again. They knew each other

too well. He turned away, hoping his partner had the

common sense not to gloat.

“Wow, I’d say you’re hooked buddy…and good.”

Marshall should have known Jim didn’t have any

common sense. “Man, I can see it in your eyes.

You’ve got the hots for…”

Marshall waved him quiet. “You’re crazy.” He

reached for the coffeepot and topped off his mug.

Was he hooked? Horny was more like it. You didn’t

get hooked on a woman a day after meeting her.

“Who are you trying to fool, my friend? This is

me you’re talking to, remember? We go back way too

far for you to try and pass that crap off on me.

Besides, it’s all over your face. Yep, looks like a

serious storm rolling in.” They both knew Jim wasn’t

referring to the gray clouds moving over the ocean.

Marshall narrowed his eyes menacingly,

clenching his teeth so hard it was a miracle they

didn’t crack. He’d fed that same exact line to Jim

back when he’d first met Janey seven years before,

and had been fighting the attraction every step of

the way. They’d had a turbulent start to their

relationship.

Turnabout was fair play, but he wasn’t about to

give Jim any more ammunition by continuing with

this particular line of discussion. Marshall was

attracted to Annie. Hell, he was in lust with her, but

what he did about it was another matter. He decided

to ignore Jim’s comment and change the subject all

together.

He reached for the envelope. “Got any news

yet?” He took a sip of his lukewarm coffee and

grimaced.

Jim dropped a manila envelope on the kitchen

counter. “Sorry I couldn’t come by last night, but

Janey thought she was in labor. Took her to the

hospital, false alarm though. I would have called but

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it was past midnight when we got home.”

He opened the fridge and bent to rummage

through the contents like a man digging for gold. He

was a snacker, always looking for something to chew

on. It had become worse since he’d given up

smoking.

“Stopped in and saw Hank this morning. Said

whoever shot Strong did him a big favor. His liver

was full of cancer. He would have been dead within

the year.”

“Too bad. Anything on the prints yet?” Marshall

was only half listening as he pulled out the crime

scene photos of Emily Bailey’s murder. He spread

them over the counter. It had been a while since he’d

last taken a look at them.

“Not yet.” He moved around the counter to see

the pictures better, picking one up in particular.

“Too bad, man. She was a pretty girl.” It was a photo

of Emily before the murder, one her parents had

provided when they thought they were dealing with

a missing person. Three days later, her bruised and

battered body turned up in a garbage dump. “I hate

cases like this, man. Especially when we never catch

the perp. What are you looking for?”

“I wish I knew. If Strong found out who the

killer was, it stands to reason it was someone he

knew, even if only casually.” He paused slightly

before asking, “Remember that string of rapes two

years ago?”

Jim’s brows rose high on his forehead. “You can’t

think there’s a connection. Hell, there’s eight years

between crimes. Not to mention they caught the

perp for those rapes, remember? Besides, he didn’t

kill anyone.”

“Yeah, but only one woman out of four identified

him, if I recall correctly. In addition, she was the

only one who would testify. Maybe that rape had

been an isolated incident and was mistakenly

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lumped in with the others. It’s happened before.

Cutbacks, time, and a new district attorney eager to

make a fast and lasting impression could have

contributed to the mistake. Who were the detectives

working that case?”

The look Jim turned on Marshall spoke volumes.

He stopped chewing on the long piece of celery he’d

stuck in the corner of his mouth and slowly

withdrew it. The front of his shirt was wet where the

leafy part had dripped. “Bob Fletcher, for one.”

Marshall nodded reflectively. That explained a

lot, and it was apparent by the look on Jim’s face

that he was thinking the same thing. “He was

handed the case two weeks before retirement,

wanted to go out with a bang. Maybe he was a little

too eager to close the case.”

“His partner, Stu Brickner, was the new kid on

the block, following Fletcher’s lead every step of the

way,” Jim added. “Are you thinking that whoever

killed Emily Bailey is the same guy who raped those

women?”

“Maybe. No DNA was collected at any of the

scenes because he wore a condom. If there were two

rapists, maybe they both wore a condom. We’ve had

coincidences like that before.”

“But it doesn’t make any sense. Why would he

let so much time go by before committing another

rape?”

It was quiet for a moment as both detectives

stared at each other, coming to the same conclusion,

and at the same time. “Because he was doing time

for another crime,” they said in unison.

“I think we need to look at those other rapes and

compare them to the Bailey case.” Marshall was

studying the pictures of Emily’s body as he spoke.

Young, beautiful, innocent all came to mind. What a

waste. “My gut is telling me to go with this, Jim.”

Jim released a heavy sigh. “All right, I trust

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your instincts, man. What do you want me to do

first?”

“Let’s start out by running a list of rapists

through the database to see who went to prison

around the time Emily was killed, someone who was

released around the same time the rapes occurred to

see if we get any hits.”

Jim nodded. “What else?”

“I want the files on those other rapes to compare

them to Emily’s. No one was looking for a connection

before, but I’ll bet you a week’s pay there is one.”

“Where do you suppose Doctor McCall figures in

all this?”

“Watch out. Watch out.” A distinctive squawk

split the air.

Marshall swiveled on his stool. “Look out Jim!”

he warned when he saw Harold flying directly at

them. Jim managed to duck in the nick of time as

the bird flew over his head like a World War I

bomber.

Marshall turned to see Annie standing in the

entrance to the kitchen. She’d apparently taken

another shower. His eyes raked over her shiny,

damp hair to the newly painted tips of her shiny

pink toes. As his gaze continued a lazy sweep back

up her body, he couldn’t help recalling the steamy

kiss they’d shared on the deck.

He gathered up the pictures he’d been studying

and stuffed them back in the envelope. He didn’t

want her to see them.

“Hello,” she said to Jim.

“Doctor McCall,” he responded with formality,

attempting to wipe the water spots off the front of

his shirt.

“Please, call me Annie,” she insisted, moving

closer to them. Her gaze fell to the envelope in

Marshall’s hands. “You two look as though you’ve

just been caught with your hands in the cookie jar.”

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“We were just discussing how to get you to talk,”

Marshall replied much too quickly, laying the

envelope on the counter.

Annie took the bait, obviously realizing he was

joking. “And what did you decide? Twenty lashes,

water torture?”

Marshall’s toothy smile was slow in coming.

“Bedroom talk,” he supplied, his brows dancing up

and down with meaning. “I get you to talk after

plying you with wine laced truth serum. Any good

detective knows all the tricks.”

Her gaze flashed briefly to Jim before coming

back to rest on him. “Is this in the manual or

something? You don’t strike me as the kind of man

who’d use such deception just to gain information.”

She smiled, gliding further into the room and eyeing

something toward the far wall. Marshall followed

her gaze. Harold was perched on the rim of the large

fish aquarium.

He shook his head negatively and exchanged an

amused look with Jim. “That’s a hands-on learning

technique we master in the field,” he said

outrageously. “It takes lots of practice.”

Annie’s gaze remained fixed on Marshall. Then

she raised a brow. “You know, Detective, two can

play at this game.” Marshall didn’t like the look in

her eyes. He had a feeling she was good at making

people squirm. “It probably wouldn’t take me long to

spill the beans, but be advised, I have a trick or two

of my own to get what I want.”

There was bright laughter in her eyes, probably

due to the red heat Marshall felt creeping up the

back of his neck and face. He ignored Jim,

determined to turn the tables on Annie if it killed

him. His gaze traveled down the length of her body

and back up again, deliberately pausing on her

breasts. The satisfaction of seeing red creep into her

cheeks was his reward, but the glitter in her lovely

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eyes promised retribution. He couldn’t wait to see

how she accomplished that.

A sharp laugh escaped Jim, and he cleared his

throat in an effort to disguise it. Needless to say it

broke the intimate moment, for which Marshall was

grateful. It occurred to him that he might have

gotten carried away and hadn’t counted on the effect

her words would have.

“I’d say you’ve finally met your match, Marsh,”

Jim said with a grin. “About time, too.”

Marshall remained quiet, his eyes holding

Annie’s. In the future, he’d have to remember she

had a sense of humor and was quick to join in when

the situation arose. That made her dangerous as far

as he was concerned. He’d set out to make her blush

but she’d expertly turned the tables on him.

If Jim wasn’t there, perched on that damn stool

like her crow was perched on the edge of his fish

tank, he’d show her the effect her words had on him.

He saw a movement on his fish tank, and his gaze

shot to Harold. He frowned. What was that damn

bird up to?

Everyone’s attention zeroed in on the bird.

Annie’s gasp broke the silence when Harold, cool as

he pleased, scooped down and helped himself to a

colorful fish that was foolishly swimming too close to

the surface. Annie’s hand flew to cover her mouth as

Harold threw back his head and swallowed the

wiggling snack whole.

“Harold!” She made a threatening move his way

and he took flight. Jim was in the background

chuckling over the whole incident. Annie’s worried

gaze darted to Marshall. “I hope he didn’t just

swallow some expensive tropical fish.”

“You know, in some states people eat crow,”

Marshall warned in a threatening tone. He watched

the bird fly down the hallway to disappear into his

bedroom. “Or should I say chicken.”

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“Harold is neither,” Annie said, biting on her

bottom lip, which was quivering with amusement.

“I’m sorry. I’ll talk to him,” she finished in a serious

tone.

Marshall studied her expression. She didn’t look

very sorry, but she certainly looked pretty damn

appealing. It took willpower not to let things go any

further, like going to her, taking her into his arms,

and planting a kiss on that mouth she wouldn’t soon

forget. That would wipe the amusement off her face.

When his eyes met Jim’s, he clenched his teeth

to keep from snapping out something to extinguish

the I told you so look on his face. Marshall’s brows

drew together and he glared at Jim, letting him

know he should keep any comments he had to

himself.

“Coffee, Annie?” Jim asked.

She glanced at Jim with a genuine smile. “Yes,

please. Coffee sounds great.” Her gaze returned to

Marshall. “I’d like to make a call to my secretary.”

Marshall reached for the phone and handed it to

her. “Don’t mention where you are.”

She hesitated from punching in the numbers.

“Why? I trust Agnes.”

“She’s your secretary and talks to a lot of people.

She might say the wrong thing to the wrong person

without even being aware she’s put you at danger.”

“You are paranoid, Detective.”

Marshall shrugged. “Call it what you like,

Doc…but it’s kept me alive this long.”

She dialed the number to her office and left her

secretary, Agnes, a message that she might be late

to work in the morning. He vaguely heard her

mention something about glancing at her calendar

before leaving Friday and noticing her first

appointment had been canceled. He couldn’t believe

what he heard.

He took the phone from her once she was

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finished, his jaw clenched with building anger.

“You’re crazy if you think you’re going in tomorrow

as if nothing has happened.” He practically slammed

the phone down.

She accepted the cup of coffee Jim held out to

her. “The last thing I want is a fight with you,

Detective. I have to go in tomorrow. I have

appointments, patients—”

“In case you don’t remember, one of your

appointments was canceled…permanently!” he

exploded. He felt control slipping away. Annie

remained quiet. She took a drink, watching him over

the rim of her cup. “Don’t think giving me enough

time to calm down is going to work either because it

won’t.” She actually smiled at that. “Listen, Doc—”

“Save your breath, Detective,” she interrupted.

“You can’t stop me.”

It was the wrong thing to say to a man who

liked control. Marshall’s face turned dark, his eyes

narrowing on Annie in a way that caused her to take

a step back. Good, he hoped he frightened her!

He pressed his mouth into a thin line as he

struggled not to say something that would make the

situation worse. His hands clenched into tight fists.

He felt like he was going to explode. Glancing

helplessly at Jim, he took a deep breath. They’d been

partners and friends long enough to be able to

exchange unspoken messages they both understood.

“He’s right, Annie,” Jim said. “It might not be a

bad idea to reschedule your appointments for the

next week at least. That should give us enough time

to figure out what’s going on.”

“A week?” Annie gasped with disbelief. “I can’t

believe what I’m hearing. I can’t do that to my

patients.”

“A day or two then,” Jim compromised.

“Doctors take vacations,” Marshall added

harshly, his eyes snapping.

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“Scheduled vacations,” she emphasized strongly.

“How would I ever explain something like this?”

“What do you do when you’re sick?” He invaded

her space by inching in closer.

“That’s different.” She held her ground, which

only infuriated Marshall. “I realize what you’re

attempting to do and I’m not going to let you

intimidate me.”

“Damn it!” he finally exploded, slamming his fist

down on the countertop. “Why are you so stubborn?”

“It’s a defense mechanism against unreasonable,

irate homicide detectives,” she said with a scowl,

taking a step back.

“Hey man…” Jim reached over the counter and

wrapped his hand around Marshall’s arm to get his

attention. “Chill out. You’re scaring the good doctor.”

He winked at Annie.

“I’m sure he does this kind of thing a lot, Jim,

but don’t worry about me. And just for the record,

Detective Thomas doesn’t scare me.” She met

Marshall’s burning gaze without an ounce of worry.

“His bite is worse than his bark.”

Marshall sputtered, too angry and frustrated to

say anything. He tore his arm out of Jim’s grasp and

turned his back on them.

“Annie, just hear me out before you make up

your mind,” Jim said. “Let’s revisit the facts, okay?

One of your patients is dead. We know someone was

waiting for you at your condo yesterday. What

makes you think they won’t try something at your

office where you’re the most vulnerable? Where

Agnes and other people will be?”

There was a brief moment of silence before

Marshall heard Annie respond. “Oh God, I hadn’t

thought of that. Put that way, I really don’t have

many options, do I?” she commented quietly, thick

emotion in her voice. “My office will be full of

innocent people. I wouldn’t be able to live with

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myself if something happened…” She cut herself off.

“It doesn’t appear you do,” Jim agreed in a kind

voice. “Listen, I have a list of names on me, Strong’s

clients. Do you mind going over it to see if anyone

jumps out at you?”

“But Martin didn’t tell me—”

“I know, but if you recognize any names, we can

at least begin with those to rule them out. It might

be the only way we find his killer since we literally

have nothing to go on.”

Marshall was standing just outside the open

doorway leading to the deck. He turned slowly,

capturing Annie’s eyes.

“I’ll be glad to take a look at it, Jim. I feel I

should warn you, though, I’m going into work

tomorrow, if only to make arrangements for the rest

of the week.” Her comment was clearly meant for

Marshall.

After a few moments of tense silence, Jim

released a deep sigh and nodded in agreement before

reaching inside his coat pocket and retrieving a

folded sheet of paper. Annie took it from him and

moved to the sofa. Her eyes were already studying

the names on the paper as she sank down upon the

soft leather.

Jim wasn’t kidding when he said he had a list.

From his position, Marshall could see the legal size

paper had names on both sides. It didn’t take Annie

long to scan it over. She glanced up at Jim and

slowly shook her head.

She handed him the paper. “I know this isn’t

what you want to hear but I don’t recognize any of

these names. I’m sorry, Jim.”

He released a disappointed sigh. “It was worth a

shot. Thanks, Doc.”

Annie’s gaze returned to Marshall. He was

surprised to see the quiet concern in her eyes. What

was she thinking? He was still angry with her, but

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another emotion simmered in his gut. Or was it his

heart? He quickly brushed that thought aside,

wishing he had the strength to pull his gaze away.

She brought her coffee cup up to her mouth,

bringing attention to the fact her bottom lip was

trembling slightly. Their eyes locked for a moment

before she lowered her gaze to his mouth. Even from

his distance, he was sure he saw her eyes darken

into smoldering embers.

He knew that as soon as the opportunity

presented itself he intended to kiss her again, and

more.

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Chapter Seven

Annie sat bolt upright in bed, a scream dying on

her lips. She buried her face into her shaking hands

and struggled to erase the vivid image of Martin

Strong’s lifeless body. Smoothing the damp hair

away from her face, she glanced over at the space

beside her. Even in the darkness, she could see she

was alone in the huge bed.

Was Marshall still angry at her? After Jim had

taken off the day before, they’d spent the rest of the

afternoon in strained silence, each pretending the

other wasn’t there. Annie had busied herself with

reading outdated magazines on the sofa, a relaxing

luxury she hardly ever had time for, while he’d

disappeared to another room. If the sounds reaching

her hadn’t indicated he was unpacking, she would

have guessed it when he came out of the room later

carrying a stack of broken-down boxes.

She took a shaky breath. The illuminated dial

on the clock revealed it was just after two. Pulling

back the covers, she got up, too wound up to go back

to sleep. Her steps took her to the porch. Without

hesitation, she stepped outside and continued to the

solid ledge where the screen began. She braced her

palms against the concrete edge and gulped in fresh

air. A wet mist blew against her body and she

realized it was raining.

There was no moon or stars in the sky, nothing

to reflect upon the water, but Annie could hear the

strong surf as it crashed against the beach. The

sound was usually calming but didn’t appear to be

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working its magic this time. It was moments like

now when she wished she had family to turn to.

“Bad dream?”

The sound of Marshall’s deep voice startled a

gasp out of Annie. It was so dark she couldn’t see

him, but she glanced in the direction of the

hammock. He must have decided to spend the night

there. Probably just as well, because instinct warned

her their attraction to one another was putting a

strain on the situation.

“Bad dream. Bad dream.” A nervous laugh

escaped her. Harold was somewhere near, too.

“Very bad,” she clarified softly, still shaking

inside. Knowing Marshall was there calmed her

immensely. She remained where she was, peering

into the peaceful blackness beyond the porch.

“Want to talk about it?”

She swung around with a muffled cry at the

closeness of Marshall’s low voice. She hadn’t heard

him move. She cursed the darkness and her fears,

knowing she didn’t need to be afraid of him. Her

heart was beating loudly in her ears as she raised

her hands slowly, closing the distance between them.

Solid, naked muscle flexed beneath her palms, his

strong heartbeat comforting. His masculine scent

filled her senses.

“You scared me,” she breathed with the slightest

tremor in her voice. She couldn’t see him, but at

least when she touched him, she was certain he was

real and not a figment of her imagination. The

warmth of his skin and his heart beating beneath

her palm was proof of that.

“You have nothing to fear from me, Doc.” There

was a trace of warmth in his velvet-edged tone,

along with something Annie couldn’t readily

identify. Maybe she didn’t want to know. A ripple of

awareness raced through her, making her realize

what she wanted. What she’d been missing in her

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life. Marshall’s sensual voice tugged at her

vulnerable senses, making her hungry. Making her

yearn for more than a sample of what they’d already

shared.

“Said the wolf in the night,” she breathed

huskily.

As if sensing the direction of her thoughts, the

muscles in his chest tightened beneath her hand.

Annie silently begged him to take her into his arms

and comfort her, to tell her everything was going to

be okay. To kiss her until she couldn’t think of

anything but replacing her fear with something

more tangible and satisfying.

His nearness was overwhelming, his silent

strength enveloping her, teasing her, drawing her

into a web of unknown, yet promising to protect her

from that very entity. She knew she should pull

away but was afraid to break the small contact that

offered her so much comfort, realizing she had

everything to fear from him. Yet her trembling was

for a different reason now. The racing of her pulse

acknowledged his power over her. It didn’t take long

before arousal began to replace every sense in her

body.

The rain started to come down harder and an

occasional flash of lightning lit the sky around them.

It was during those brief flashes that Annie was able

to see Marshall clearly. All he had on was a pair of

snug boxer briefs. Not the cute, playful ones he’d

been wearing the day before. These were sexy,

masculine in every way. She shuddered, trying to

convince herself it was because of the cool rain

blowing over her thinly clad body and not the liquid

fire running through her blood.

“Tell me about your dream,” he coaxed gently.

“Talking helps.”

Annie’s palms slowly slipped away from him,

praying that by breaking contact she’d be able to

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keep her secrets safely tucked away. It was a

defense tactic she was very familiar with because

she used it often. She’d learned a long time ago that

to avoid a problem all she had to do was distance

herself from it, if not physically, then at least

mentally. That way she didn’t have to deal with it.

Lord, how many of her patients did that very

thing?

“You don’t have to tell me that,” she laughed

softly. “I’m the shrink, remember? It’s my job to get

people to talk.”

“I’m not a shrink, Annie, but it’s my job to get

people to talk, too.” His voice seemed strained. “Why

don’t you try practicing what you preach for a

change?”

She could smell the mint of the toothpaste he’d

used to brush his teeth, adding to her awareness. “If

it were only that easy,” she murmured softly.

“Try it.” Marshall demanded softly.

A sigh escaped Annie; she took a step away and

turned her back to him. “I just wish this whole thing

was over. I’m disrupting your life and it’s not fair—”

“Am I complaining?” he asked without

hesitation.

“No, but—”

“Why don’t you tell me the truth then?”

“I don’t…”A small sound escaped Annie as she

reined in what she’d been about to say, before finally

whispering in a reluctant tone, “I’m…scared.” She

hated admitting the weakness.

She sensed Marshall stepping closer; she could

feel the heat of his body against her backside. She

was thankful it was too dark for him to see the

nightgown she was wearing. It was the same one

he’d held up in her bedroom the other day and left

her back completely bare. She wanted him to

comfort her but how could he do that without

putting his hands on her? If he touched her, she’d be

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lost.

“I know, baby.” His voice was hoarse, aroused.

Oh, Lord, when Marshall used that low and sexy

drawl, it did things to Annie she didn’t want to

explore and could only fantasize about. The last

thing she wanted to do was discuss her nightmare. It

was still too fresh in her mind, but it wasn’t what

was bothering her now that she was awake and he

was just a breath away. She was too aware of him

and it was clouding her judgment.

She closed her eyes against the darkness,

relishing the mist of rain washing over her suddenly

heated body, wishing he’d go away and leave her

alone. Coping with her desire for Marshall was a

thousand times harder than any nightmare. He was

much easier to deal with when they were fighting.

Now, all she could think about was how much she

wanted his hands on her, his mouth.

How much she wanted to make love with him.

As if reading her mind, his hands dropped down

on her shoulders and began kneading her. It wasn’t

a gentle, hesitant touch. The strength in his hands

and fingers permeated to her bones, bringing instant

gratification. A delicious sigh escaped Annie and she

threw her shoulders back, leaning slightly away

from him so he’d have easier access to her spine, but

he surprised her by pulling her sharply back against

him.

Annie didn’t question his tactics. All she knew

was that he was removing the stress from her tight

body and the remnants of the dream, replacing them

with something far better. He left a trail of tingling

sensations everywhere he touched her, and she

purred her pleasure.

“That feels good,” she groaned and trembled

against him. The words to say more were locked

tightly in her throat. She couldn’t get the image of

their earlier kiss out of her mind, the need to

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experience it again. Now his hands were touching

her, fueling her hunger to gigantic proportions. Did

he sense the turmoil running wild inside her? Could

he sense her growing desire?

God…what if he aroused her to only walk away

again, as he had in bed that morning? She should

call a halt before that happened because she knew

she wouldn’t be able to stand it a second time. Not

without making a fool of herself.

“Marshall…” she broke off, not sure what she

wanted to say.

“Yes?” he spoke against the back of her neck and

Annie shivered uncontrollably. A wave of intense

pleasure followed, so strong it made her knees weak.

“What is it?”

Desire clouded Annie’s common sense. Nothing

else mattered. The touch of his soothing hands had

turned into a bold and electrifying caress. She went

from A to Z in a rapid heartbeat, forgetting the fact

he was supposed to be protecting her, not making

love to her. The night around them was filled with

her breathless sighs as he drew a response from her

willing, hungry body. He made it all too easy for her

to forget everything when he was touching her.

Forgotten were her thoughts of calling a halt to

what they were doing.

“You have soothing hands. Please don’t stop,”

she pleaded huskily, quivering as exquisite

sensation exploded through every nerve. “Please…”

A pulsing warmth between her quivering thighs

warned Annie that soon this wouldn’t be enough.

“You have no idea what you’re inviting,”

Marshall growled low, moving into a position that

allowed her to feel his hard on. “Feel what you’re

doing to me, Annie,” he whispered fiercely. “I want

you. I have from the moment I saw you standing on

your balcony beneath the moon light.” Annie’s

breath caught. The need to have him inside her

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became so strong that she bit down on her bottom lip

to keep from voicing it. Gripped with a fierce craving

she knew wouldn’t disappear without some sort of

relief, she pushed her bottom into his throbbing

flesh. She dropped her head back against his

shoulder as his hands glided over her in a rough

caress.

“I can’t remember a time when I’ve wanted a

woman as much as I want you now. If you don’t feel

the same way, tell me now, otherwise I’m not going

to stop until I’m buried deep inside you,” he

murmured against the side of her neck. He sank his

teeth into her collarbone in a tender love bite that

brought both pain and pleasure.

A tremor rolled over Annie, exposing the wild

desire coursing through her. There was a fire in her

blood that threatened to consume her. When

Marshall’s hands glided around her throat to the top

of her collarbone, she arched her back, silently

pleading with him to continue the journey down to

her aching breasts.

She couldn’t help the little sounds of pleasure

escaping her throat. “Then don’t stop, Marshall!” she

pleaded breathlessly. “Touch me…”

“Where, Annie?”

“Everywhere!” She knew there was no stopping

this now as she moved against him.

His hands slowly smoothed down her front until

they reached her jutting breasts. He seemed to

hesitate for a second. Annie impatiently tossed her

head, turning her face sideways and lifting up to

him, gasping with need. What was he waiting for?

“Yes…” Her soft plea was carried away on the

ocean breeze.

Growling something low and hot, Marshall’s

hands moved over Annie’s breasts, cupping their

weight in his palms and lifting them gently as he

caressed them. She turned her head sideways and he

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leaned down and captured her mouth in a kiss of

raw need.

Lust exploded through her limbs, making her

weak. His kiss turned almost savage in intensity,

demanding, masterful and tantalizing all at once.

She opened her mouth and their tongues meshed

fueling Annie’s hunger even more. She moaned

deeply, encouraging him further. His hands moved

down her ribcage and belly before returning to her

swelling breasts. Annie’s nipples tingled and turned

hard beneath his palms.

“I’m going to…” The rest of his explicit phrase

was uttered in a raw tone against her ear. They

shuddered against each other as the vision his words

produced took away their remaining control.

Annie’s desire passed the boundaries from

thought to action due to the picture Marshall’s

words conjured up. Of the two of them on his bed,

naked and twisting against each other. Her senses

leapt to life beneath the hunger of his mouth, the

fire he’d created escalating rapidly into a

pleasurable and all consuming inferno.

She couldn’t recall the last time a man had

brought her to such a feverish pitch by just the mere

touch of his hands on her breasts, or his lips on hers.

As he took her mouth a second time, she bowed

eagerly into his bold strokes, wanting more. Needing

more and demanding it. Her breasts swelled in his

palms like over-ripe melons, his thumbs were

driving her wild as they flicked over her aching

nipples. Every nerve in her body was exploding with

exquisite sensation.

Then he tore his mouth from hers and sucked in

air, his harsh breathing music to her ears. She

whimpered at the feel of his full, strong arousal and

arched back against it, needing complete contact.

With her backside flush against his front, she was

only able to run her hands up and down the length

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of his thighs from her position.

She was feeling so many different things at

once—frustration, hunger, straining toward the

pinnacle of pleasure. A gust of salty air and cool rain

flowed over her, only enhancing the wild desire

pulsing between her thighs. She was throbbing and

wet, hungry for the feel of Marshall inside her.

His hands abandoned her swollen, sensitive

breasts, gliding down over the smooth flatness of her

belly to the moist, dark passage below. Annie cried

out with desire. Her head rolled wildly against his

chest when his hand found her, burning her through

the thin fabric of her gown.

How easy it would be for him to remove that

thin barrier, but for now he seemed content to tease

and torment her through the gauzy folds. She

gasped with heated excitement and thrust her hips

gently against his hands as they caressed her

intimately.

Then her world careened. She caught and held

her breath as his fingers began to slowly inch her

nightgown up the sides of her legs. Her thighs

tingled and quivered with growing anticipation,

until he finally moved his hands beneath the gown.

Fingers, teasing and light at first, skimmed down

her silken belly ever closer.

“Marshall!” Emotion kept Annie from saying

more. She strained with pleasure against his

intimate caress, wanting more, glad the obstacle of

panties wouldn’t have to be dealt with.

The shock of his fingers gliding over her mound

and slipping inside her nearly sent her spiraling

over the edge. She struggled to hold onto her control,

her breast heaving in an attempt to fill her empty

lungs.

Still only able to reach behind her, her

frustration was mounting with her need to touch

him intimately, too. She was consumed by a fierce

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need to explore all of him, to stroke his iron muscles

as they flexed with desire, and run her fingers

through his thick hair as she drew him to her for a

kiss. She wanted to taste the salt and musk of his

skin.

Crying out, Annie turned her face in an effort to

reach his lips. When his fingers began to manipulate

the throbbing nub of her arousal she shuddered and

cried out in pleasure.

“Marshall, please!” she whispered sharply. “I

need…I need…” She couldn’t finish the thought, too

caught up in the pleasure his fingers were giving

her. Her heart felt like it was about to explode from

her chest.

“Please…” Annie repeated breathlessly. He

reclaimed her mouth, hungrily thrusting his tongue

against hers before slowing down to trace the soft

fullness of the underside of her bottom lip.

Annie held nothing back and wasn’t afraid to

demand more. She moved with unabashed ardor

against his invading fingers, straining toward the

pinnacle of the sweet release spiraling through her

body. She wanted everything, but for now, she’d take

this one sweet release.

“Cum for me, baby; give it up.” Marshall’s

breath was hot against Annie’s ear, his tongue

tracing the outer edge. He held her against him

easily, stroking her boldly. Driving her mad in slow,

yet satisfying, degrees. Annie was powerless to do

anything but enjoy the moment. With a passionate

cry, she quivered against him.

“Marshall!” For a heart-stopping moment, her

knees buckled and she groaned low in her throat,

before she was able to reach for control again and

hold back the wave rolling through her body. Her

hands moved eagerly behind her to the waistband of

his boxers. He helped her lower them over his hips

and thighs until they dropped the rest of the way to

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the floor where he impatiently kicked them aside.

She stilled, the breath leaving her body in a

rush. She was close to exploding.

Hard heat against smooth velvet.

“Jesus…Annie!” He rubbed his shaft against her

quivering bottom and shuddered. “Not here, baby.”

In one swift movement, he swooped her up into his

arms and carried her into his bedroom. He set her on

her feet next to the bed and moved behind her. His

hands came up to cover her breasts as he pulled her

back against him. His mouth moved over her neck

and collarbone, the scrape of his teeth sent a shiver

through her. All the while she felt the steel of his

arousal grinding against her.

“Marshall…” Her breath caught. “Please!”

It was a toss-up who moved first.

Annie raised her arms as Marshall pulled her

gown the rest of the way off and flung it carelessly

aside. She turned simultaneously into his embrace

until they were finally facing each other. The tips of

her breasts brushed against the hair on his chest

with every breath she took.

“So soft,” he breathed hoarsely, bringing his

hands up to run them over her quivering breasts. He

tested their weight by cupping them in his palms.

Annie felt the tip of his erection poised at the

glistening gates of her womanhood, straining for

admittance and teasing the damp hair between her

thighs with the promise of something more fulfilling.

She wanted him inside her.

Then Marshall curled an arm around her waist

and jerked her more fully against him until they

were intimately aligned and his penis was nestled

between her silken thighs. The breath caught in her

throat and she wound her arms around his neck,

before pulling him down to touch her lips to his. The

fire racing through her body was going to consume

her if he didn’t put it out soon. There was only one

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way to do that. Annie was more than ready for his

possession.

Her impassioned words told him how she felt. “I

want you, Marshall.” Between each word, she

planted kisses along his nose, cheek and chin. “Make

love to me…”

Annie ran her tongue along the damp flesh of

his neck, tasting the salty musk of his flesh, before

raining a trail of love bites down his chest to his

nipples. Her hand caressed a path down his hard

body, eager to discover more. She was no longer a

virgin, but she was trembling like one as she finally

reached for him.

“Annie.” The mild warning in his tone went

unheeded when she claimed him. Her small hand

encircled his torrid flesh, squeezing gently, causing

him to shudder violently. She laughed softly,

marveling at her power over him.

His hand went to hers, gently but firmly pulling

hers away from his body. As he lowered her, he

followed her down upon the twisted blankets and

covered her body with his. Before Annie could

recover from the feel of his naked weight against

her, he angled his mouth over hers and took her lips

in a smoldering kiss.

A moan escaped her, her hands smoothed over

his shoulders and down his muscular back and hips

before reaching the firm shape of his taut buttocks.

Crying out beneath his smoldering kiss, she arched

in wordless communication of her needs and wants,

demanding he fulfill them. The heavy fullness

pushing against her promised he could do just that.

When his hands traveled to her hips, Annie

parted her thighs eagerly, inviting him inside her

body. Arching high, she forced him against the

sensitive spot of her desire. “Marshall, now!” Her

voice was smoky with passion.

He reared back before thrusting his hips

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forward, easily gliding into her welcoming body with

one, penetrating deep stroke. Annie died a little

then, purring low and deep when the pleasure of

being filled by him was almost more than she could

bear. He filled her completely, his hard flesh snug in

the sheath of her damp, throbbing heat. She was

ready for him. She tightened her muscles,

encouraging him to hurry.

He stilled. “No, Annie, I want to love you like

you deserve to be loved—long and slow.” She smiled

up at him, clenching her muscles again in an effort

to take the decision away from him. She wanted it

fast and hard.

“You’re making love with a woman who hasn’t

had sex in a long time, Detective,” she said

breathlessly. “Next time, we can take things slow.”

Annie didn’t know if the deciding factor was

squeezing her muscles around him again or her

words that there would be a next time. He groaned,

shuddering as he seemed to lose the battle. His

rhythm picked up and he was suddenly entering her

like a battering ram. Annie arched her back to meet

every thrust. As they moved, their bodies were in

exquisite harmony with one another.

“Marshall…” Her soft sigh ran over his open

mouth as he continued to move against her. He

closed the distance between them to kiss her as their

passion grew to an explosive magnitude. Higher and

higher they climbed toward heaven together,

straining with a rapid tempo until the peak of

ultimate delight was reached.

“Marshall!” Annie cried out, when release

claimed her.

His back arched like a tightly strung bow. The

groan he released was deep and guttural, the sound

of a man reaching the ultimate pleasure. His hands

moved beneath her bottom, and he clutched Annie to

him in a raw act of possession, unleashing the fire

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gripping his insides. He held her in place until the

earth shattering vibrations gradually slackened to

gentle, pleasurable tremors.

As their labored breathing slowly returned to

normal, they gradually succumbed to the numbed

sleep of satisfied lovers.

****

Annie moaned softly, shifting gently against the

hard form behind her. Her body was tucked in like a

spoon against Marshall, making her aware of every

part of him that was pressed intimately against her.

The only thing covering their nakedness was a thin

sheet, which she vaguely remembered him pulling

over them sometime after they’d drifted off.

With the door leading to the porch open, the

steady rain produced a slight chill, but all she felt

was the intense heat radiating off him. It was

pleasant, if not a little sobering, waking up next to

the studly detective. With his arm draped around

her, she felt protected.

She focused her sleep-laden gaze on the clock

long enough to make out that it was early. The

second thing she noticed was Harold perched upon

the lampshade, probably in an attempt to escape the

less than favorable weather conditions on the porch.

She smiled, praying her noisy friend would keep his

mouth shut for once, while she lay there quietly

contemplating what had happened.

They’d made love.

Brilliant deduction, Doctor. It shouldn’t have

happened but she wasn’t sorry that it had. Marshall

was a very thorough and skilled lover, making sure

he’d seen to her every need as well as his own. She

grew warm just remembering how alive he’d made

her feel and shuddered delicately when recalling the

force of the passion between them.

The slightest movement of his hand against her

waist revealed he might be awake, long before she

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felt his nose nuzzling the hair at the back of her

neck.

“You awake?” His voice was low and smooth,

warming Annie from the inside out.

Nodding in response, she held her breath, her

less than great experience with the opposite sex

reminding her how awkward it was after making

love with someone new for the first time. She didn’t

know if she could handle the disappointment if

Marshall tossed the whole incident off as a casual,

meaningless affair.

Even if it was.

“I’m not going to apologize for making love to

you, Annie,” he mouthed the words against her skin,

causing her to shiver a little from the heat of his

breath. “We both wanted this to happen.”

He was right. She couldn’t pretend otherwise.

However, she wasn’t in the habit of falling in and

out of bed with men she hardly knew. The rules had

been broken; yet being weak had never tasted so

sweet and left her feeling out of sorts. She wasn’t

sure what the correct behavior was for something

like this. Wondering, did it really matter?

As the awkward moment between them grew,

she blurted, “Is this when the bedroom talk begins?”

There was a slight hesitation, and Marshall’s

body grew taut. “Is this your way of putting all the

blame on me so you can come out looking like the

victim?” He flipped her over onto her back. His

expression resembled the look of an innocent man

who’d just been accused of the vilest of crimes.

His reaction confused Annie, since she’d been

kidding. After all, he’s the one who said that was his

technique of gaining information from a woman.

“What—”

“Just for the record, Doc, I resent the

implication that I slept with you just to get you to

share your secrets. You have a pretty low opinion of

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me if you think what we did was anything more than

just good old-fashioned lust, pure and simple. Two

consenting adults taking pleasure in each other.”

Annie’s mouth opened round with disbelief, her

brows arching at the word lust. “My opinion comes

from experience, Detective,” she informed him, anger

surfacing. Yet, in spite of that, she felt the burning

sting of tears behind her lids. His words had hurt.

Was he feeling a little guilty over their making love?

“Then you’ve had the wrong experiences.”

Marshall said. She prayed he didn’t notice the

betraying tear slipping down her cheek. “Annie…”

His tone was immediately contrite.

“I have to get ready for work,” she said abruptly.

Marshall glanced at the clock and she followed suit.

“Soon,” she added, noticing it was early yet. Still, she

made a move to roll away.

“But not now.” Without warning, he held her

back and covered her body with his, pressing his

mouth down over hers and stealing a good morning

kiss.

Annie stiffened and tried to push him away,

turning her head to break the contact. “No…” She

pushed at his shoulders with all her might, but

Marshall was too strong for her. With little effort, he

grabbed her wrists, pinned her arms above her head,

and used the lower half of his body to keep her

pinned in place.

“Yes…” he said.

Annie’s eyes grew round. He was hard as a

poker and his actions put his erection right between

her legs. Gasping, she struggled, trying to deny the

desire resurfacing. Arching to get him off her played

right into his hands when all it did was force his

throbbing flesh against her mound.

Damn…that felt good! Only she was still hurt

over his words and refused to invite him into her

body.

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“Marshall…”

“Annie.” His grin was sexy against the raw

passion on his face. He took both of Annie’s wrists in

one hand and brought the other one down to caress

her breasts.

“You don’t play fair, Detective.” She twisted

against his hand and closed her eyes, gasping. It

only intensified what he was doing to her. Then his

mouth was on her, kissing his way toward the nipple

he was manipulating with his fingers.

When Annie opened her eyes, it was to see

Marshall’s dark head as his sensuous mouth loved

her breasts—first one and then the other. She lost it.

Purring, she strained against the hand holding her

and arched her hips into his arousal. He retaliated

with a rough kiss, releasing her wrists at the same

time.

His unexpected passion wiped all other thoughts

from Annie’s mind. She willingly opened her mouth

to his probing tongue, winding her arms around his

neck to hold him closer, and arched into him without

restraint. She sensed the urgency in him. She

wanted him to take her hard and fast, yet he

remained in control.

It frustrated the heck out of her.

He’d pushed her to heights she’d never reached

before, flooding her senses with fire and ice,

sweetness and wickedness. His mouth left her lips,

skimming down her throat and chest until he

reached her quivering breasts. Her nipples were

already taut from his earlier administrations,

begging for more attention.

Marshall’s gaze shot up to hers, watching her

response as his tongue snaked out to lick the fruit of

her rounded flesh. He tongued the taut crowns and

then blew on them. Electricity surged through

Annie. Her hands flew to his hair, pulling him back

against her. She closed her eyes with a soft cry of

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pleasure when he finally took one into his warm

mouth.

“Oh! What are you doing to me?” she whispered.

Before he’d simply teased her, now it was a full

fledged attack.

He didn’t respond, taking his time to love both

breasts equally, before moving down her ribcage to

her navel. The warmth of his breath caused a tingle

in her belly, but when his mouth roamed lower,

Annie tensed beneath him, closing her legs. She

glanced down at Marshall when he paused, their

eyes meeting.

“I…haven’t…” The words stuck in her throat

and she tried without success to pull him back up

her body. Alarm raced through her, she’d never let a

man love her in that way. All of a sudden, she was

embarrassed over her inadequacies, and frightened.

“Never?” The look on his dark face revealed he

was pleased. The hunger glittering in his eyes

intensified, his nostrils flared wildly. He wouldn’t be

denied.

Embarrassed, Annie broke eye contact, shaking

her head with confirmation. “I’ve never been that

liberated Marshall,” she admitted with a nervous

laugh.

His hands brushed over her quivering thighs.

“Then let me set you free, Annie. Let me taste your

passion.”

Mortification that he was close enough to smell

their prior coupling paralyzed her, while renewing

her arousal to dizzying heights. The thought of his

mouth on her…there. His tongue loving her would

bring to light her darkest, unveiled fantasies. Her

body ached with anticipation of the unknown. Her

heart pounded.

“Do you trust me, Annie?”

Annie gazed into the dark storm of his eyes,

searching for the answer. All she saw was desire,

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knowing it was the same raw emotion reflected in

her eyes. Yes, she trusted him with her life because

she had no choice. She hesitated, knowing it wasn’t

her life they were talking about.

Afraid of making a decision in words, she

released her grip in his hair to let him draw his own

conclusions. She forced herself to relax when he

slowly lowered his head, tenderly touching his

mouth to the spot just above her pelvis. He kissed

her as though he worshipped her.

Her belly quivered as his warm breath teased

her flesh. Before she could brace herself, his tongue

raked over the tight button of her desire, once, twice,

as though testing for a response. Each time Annie

felt his tongue against her, she shuddered violently.

Oh my god! Her heart pounded loudly in her

ears. Her light scream echoed through the room, the

sound sending Harold off the lampshade in a flight

of fright.

Oh my... She never dreamed it would be like

this!

Her hands clenched in the sheet on either side of

her as she twisted beneath him, yet her hips rose to

meet the persistent stabbing of his tongue. Telltale

signs of a rolling heat burst through her sensitive

body, signaling release was imminent.

“Oh!” she gasped. “Marshall!” She’d never felt

anything so exquisite. “Marshall, I’m going to…”

She screamed when release came. Marshall’s

tongue continued to torture her, stabbing into her

and drinking the nectar deep inside her womb.

Before she had a chance to come down off the

rollercoaster ride of intense pleasure, he climbed up

her straining body and flipped her over. Then,

slipping his arm beneath her body, he pulled her to

her knees and entered her in one powerful stroke.

Annie cried out with surprise from the force of

his entry and moaned as another wave of release

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crashed through her quivering limbs. Marshall’s

hands clenched into her hips, holding her as he

began to move. There was no tenderness, no

prolonging the moment. He took her hard and fast,

until exploding with his own powerful release.

Annie collapsed out of breath, wondering if she

was ever going to be the same.

****

“Damn…” Marshall breathed some time later,

moving off Annie and rolling onto the bed next to

her. Annie had collapsed onto her belly, totally

exhausted and out of breath. He met her eyes. “Did I

hurt you?” She shook her head. “I’m not in the habit

of being so forceful with a woman.”

It was the truth. He couldn’t remember the last

woman he’d lost control with. But Annie’s initial

rejection to his advances had pushed him to an

intensely high state of arousal, causing him to act

little better than an animal. If a woman wasn’t into

sex he walked away, without a problem. With Annie

he’d sensed it was more a token resistance than

what she actually wanted. A little convincing and

they’d both gone up like the Fourth of July

fireworks.

“I didn’t exactly put up much of a fight.”

“I was talking about the way I…ah, took you.”

A small smile covered her rosy completion.

“That was two firsts for me.”

Marshall studied her for a moment, trying to

comprehend her meaning until it became crystal

clear. She had to be kidding! Yet the knowledge that

he’d been the one to initiate her made him feel

immensely pleased. Oral sex and doggy style. Does

that mean she’s never given a man a blow job?

Shit. The thought of Annie’s mouth loving him

made the head of his penis tingle. If he wasn’t

careful he could easily get another hard on. He

breathed in slow and deep but all he managed to do

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was inhale the strong scent of their coupling into his

lungs.

“Are you okay, detective?”

The humor in her tone drew Marshall’s

attention back to the present, and to the beauty

lying beside him. “Cute. Are you worried you wore

me out?”

His gaze moved over her alabaster skin, taking

note of the gracefulness of her back and where it

tapered to an incredibly small waist. The gentle flare

of her hips framed a very cute tush and he closed his

hands to keep from touching the tempting mounds.

By the time his eyes made their way back to hers, he

couldn’t help noticing that she was blushing.

She tugged on the sheet and soon realized it was

underneath them. He grinned down into her helpless

expression. “You still want that swim?” Her gaze

shifted to the clock. “We have at least an hour of

darkness left.”

“I don’t have a swim suit.”

“Neither do I.” He leaned over and kissed the tip

of her nose. “Come on, it will do us both good.” He

knew the cool water would feel soothing on their

overheated bodies. “I’ll get the towels.”

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Chapter Eight

The sand felt good against Annie’s feet. As she

drew closer to the water’s edge, it turned from dry

and slightly warm to damp and cool. She didn’t

hesitate, continuing into the pounding surf until the

water was slapping against her waist. The coolness

against her skin soothed the flames still smoldering

inside her body, and she lowered herself until it

covered her head.

When she surfaced, she could see Marshall’s

dark form before her. They’d made their way there

silently, and Annie could only wonder what was

going through his mind. She watched him submerge,

only to rise from the water like some mystical, all

powerful god.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “This does feel

wonderful.” She watched him shake the water from

his hair, framed by the full moon behind him.

He remained silent and that was okay with

Annie. She didn’t chalk it up to awkwardness, like

she was feeling. Marshall didn’t strike her as the

type who regretted too many of his actions. More

likely he was cursing her independence and

stubbornness.

Annie lay back and floated, too exhausted from

their lovemaking sessions to do any swimming. It

wouldn’t be long before they’d have to head back so

she could get ready for work. Marshall had already

expressed his reservations about her going in that

morning, which might be the reason he was so quiet.

Annie appreciated his concern but had told him that

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was one argument he wasn’t going to win.

Detective Thomas didn’t like losing.

Smiling, Annie stared up at the fathomless void

above her. She wasn’t worried about sharks or any

other dangers the ocean was home to, her danger

was in the hands of a sexy detective. Making love

with him had thrown an element into their situation

she hadn’t counted on.

Something brushed against her, and she moved

to her feet with a soft sound of fright.

“Relax, it’s just me.”

He was close enough that Annie could reach out

and touch him if she wanted. “Is it time to go back?”

“Soon.”

She sensed he had something on his mind.

“You’re not going to bring up my going into the office

again, are you?” His low rumble of laughter was her

response. “Trying to come up with a new idea of why

I should stay here?”

“Oh, I can think of one good reason to keep you

here.”

His voice carried the sexual undertones Annie

was already learning to recognize. “We could spend

the day making love.”

She laughed softly. “Spend the day in bed?”

“I didn’t say we’d be in bed.” There was no

denying the humor in his tone. “I can think of a lot of

places two people can make love, Annie.”

He reached forward and slipped his hand

around the back of her neck. Annie found herself

drawn to him until they were flush against one

another. She caught her breath at the pleasure

zinging through her when her erect nipples brushed

against his hard chest.

“And where might that be, Detective?” God she

was weak! It appeared Marshall had woken the

sleeping woman in her, one easily turned on by the

sound of his voice when it was hoarse with desire,

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the look in his eyes when they were filled with

arousal.

“Right here for one.”

“I like the sound of that, Detective.” She couldn’t

believe how far she’d come in so little time, but

Annie recognized the boldness of her response.

Marshall made her feel confident and sexy.

Annie waited with anticipation for Marshall to

kiss her. She wanted his lips on her, his tongue

inside her mouth. As the gentle movement of the

water fused them together, she became increasingly

aware of his hard on. She arched against him,

hoping he took the hint that she wanted him as

much as he wanted her.

When his kiss came, it was not a gentle attack

but it affected all of Annie’s senses. Pleasure

fluttered inside her belly, her heart rate picked up

speed. When she opened her mouth, he rewarded her

by slipping his tongue inside to mate with hers.

Soon their mutual moans of desire surrounded

them. Then Marshall’s hands slid down her body,

cupped her ass, and pulled her up against his fully

aroused shaft. It wasn’t enough. Annie wanted to

feel him against the sensitive button and parted her

legs, inviting entry.

“God…that feels good!” she gasped when he

released her mouth. She let her hands travel over

his broad shoulders and down his muscled back. She

tugged on his ear lobe with her teeth, barely holding

back restraint.

Marshall shuddered against her. “Do you know

what feels even better?” He moved Annie up and

down his throbbing flesh. “This!” His hand moved

between them to grasp his penis and guide it inside

her welcoming body.

Annie purred like a satisfied cat. Holding onto

his shoulders, she arched back as far as she could go.

As he braced himself against the swaying water she

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began to move her hips back and forth. Her

excitement escalated when his hands smoothed up

her ribcage to caress her breasts.

She moved faster. He stroked her breasts a little

rougher. With a growl, he bent forward and took a

nipple in his mouth and tongued it. Then he began

to lap at her breasts as though enjoying an ice cream

cone. Growing weak, Annie didn’t know how much

longer she could hold on, thankful when Marshall’s

hands moved to her hips.

“Like this?” He pulled her hips back until only

the very tip of him was left inside her and then

impaled her on his rock hard flesh in one long, slow

stroke.

“Yes!” Annie said with feeling. She clenched her

muscles around him. “Do you like it, Detective?” Her

actions got a swift and pleasurable response.

Marshall groaned low, his hands bruising on Annie’s

waist as he lost control. “Oh hell…Annie…” He

began moving in and out of her with blinding speed.

Annie leaned back until she was practically

horizontal with the water. The position forced

Marshall further inside her womb and caressed the

very spot that would bring her release. She wasn’t

afraid he’d let her go beneath the surface, trusting

the strength of his hands as he controlled their

movements.

She was close, but she sensed Marshall was

closer as he picked up speed. She reached between

their bodies for his plunging shaft and took it into

her hands. He was forced to halt while she ran the

tip of his flesh over her little throbbing button.

Seconds was all Annie needed to bring herself to

climax.

Crying out, she released Marshall so he could

continue what he’d been doing. The uncontrolled

gyrations of her body seemed to push him over the

edge.

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“Shit, Annie!”

When his body began to convulse much like

hers, he pulled her up and slapped his mouth over

hers. He clutched her to him roughly, until gradually

his hips slowed down and only an occasional tremor

shook him.

As they slowly gained control, they began to

relax against each other. That’s when Annie noticed

the bright orange glow of the sun on the ocean’s

surface, like a mountain in the distance, looming

ever higher in the sky as daylight made itself know.

“Marshall…” She began to glance around them,

praying no one was about. It wasn’t as dark as it had

been a half hour ago and Annie was embarrassingly

aware of her nakedness. She didn’t see anyone in

Marshall’s secluded part of the beach.

As if reading her mind, he pulled back and

looked down into her eyes. “I think it’s time we head

back inside.”

Faster than Annie, he made it to their towels

before her. He grabbed up the extra one and met her

at the water’s edge.

“Thank you.” She quickly wrapped it around her

body and tucked it between her breasts. Looking up

at Marshall, she tried to ignore the sudden feeling of

shyness. It wasn’t in Annie’s nature to parade

around naked in the presence of a man, even one

who knew her as intimately as he did.

His sexy grin unnerved her. “You’re a beautiful

woman, Annie. You have no more secrets from me.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Marshall tossed back his head and laughed.

“Come on, Doc; let’s get inside before we give the

neighbors a show they can get on the porn channel.”

He turned and Annie followed.

As they neared his screened-in deck, she saw

Harold sitting on top of his cage. When he saw them,

he began to flap his wings wildly. “You need a man!

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You need a man!”

Marshall glanced back at Annie with a raised

brow. “Is he questioning my agenda or my ability to

perform?”

Annie couldn’t help laughing. “No to both.” She

didn’t elaborate further. “I guess I should get ready

for work.”

“Yeah.”

She could tell he didn’t like the sound of that.

What did he think, that I’d forget? But at least it

sounded like he’d resigned himself to not being able

to change her mind. It was only for a little while.

“You can have the bathroom first. I’ll make some

coffee.”

****

It was nine o’clock when Annie opened the door

leading to her office. Someone had cleaned up. Her

secretary, Agnes, had probably come in early and

taken care of it, after listening to the message Annie

had left her. That could explain why Agnes looked

rather disheveled, and Annie doubted her

heightened color was due to being out in the sun too

long over the weekend. The aroma of freshly brewed

coffee filled the small room. Her peripheral vision

told her there were several people already sitting in

the waiting area to the right of her. She didn’t look

in their direction. As far as she was concerned, she

wouldn’t be in the office long.

She smiled, thinking about the battle she’d had

convincing Marshall she’d be safe in her office for an

hour, while he ran to his for a quick meeting and to

pick up some files. In spite of her reassurance she’d

be okay, he’d made a call, requesting that a squad

car do a drive-by every ten minutes until he could

return. He’d reluctantly dropped her off at the door,

but not before giving her instructions on how to

reach him if she needed him.

She could still feel the brief, unexpected kiss

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he’d planted on her lips before reaching across her

lap and opening the jeep door for her. It might have

been short but it sparked instant arousal in Annie.

And it hadn’t helped that he’d brushed his arm

across her breasts when drawing it back from

opening the door for her.

Their eyes had met. The amusement in his

confirmed her suspicions that it hadn’t been an

accident. Saying goodbye had been harder than she

thought when flashbacks of their lovemaking had

her wishing they could have stayed in bed all day.

“Good morning, Agnes. I see you cleaned up. I

didn’t leave the message for you with that thought in

mind. I was worried about you.”

“I knew you were worried, dear. It didn’t take

me long to put things back where they belonged.

Coffee’s on.”

Annie smiled naturally, making sure she

included the other secretary who glanced up long

enough from her typing to greet her with a smile.

Agnes hadn’t mentioned that her office was another

matter, but then, she didn’t know about the murder

yet. Annie had only told her that someone had

broken in. “I see you brought Danish, too.”

Agnes nodded. “You have an appointment in

twenty minutes with Mr. Eckers. So you have time

to eat first.”

What? Annie frowned. She hadn’t seen Paul

Eckers in almost two years. Where had he been all

this time? She glanced toward the waiting area to

see him sitting there.

“Appointment?” she asked with confusion. “But I

thought…”

“Mr. Eckers showed up hoping you could

squeeze him in somewhere.” Agnes took a bite out of

her Danish. “Wasn’t it lucky for him you had a

cancellation on Friday? And knowing you, I didn’t

think you’d want me to send him away.”

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No, she wouldn’t have. Agnes had been with

Annie long enough to know she had a strong desire

to help people. Even when someone showed up

without an appointment, Annie always made time

for them.

She scanned the other people sitting in the

waiting room. The older woman had been in the

office before. The second woman was young and

pretty, too soft and sweet looking to be a killer. Paul

sat next to her, dressed in an outdated suit that

looked a little too big for him. His mousy brown hair

was slicked back in a style that seemed appropriate

for the round, wire-framed glasses he was wearing.

His eyes met hers briefly before he glanced away. He

hadn’t changed a bit.

Too shy to meet anyone in the eye, afraid

someone would talk to him. It had taken her months

of visits to draw him out enough to divulge the

reason he was seeing her. And that had turned out

to be just the tip of the iceberg. His lack of

confidence and self worth was so lacking Annie

worried he was suicidal.

“Dear, is everything okay?”

Agnes’s voice interrupted her silent musings

and drew her back to the older woman. She forced a

smile and gave a brief nod, realizing she was

procrastinating from going into her office. She

couldn’t help thinking about the last time she’d been

there. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves

and reached reluctantly for the doorknob.

“You aren’t going to have Danish this morning?”

Agnes’s tone clearly indicated she was surprised.

She knew Annie had a sweet tooth.

She hesitated, realizing now was a good time to

feign the illness she was going to use in order to get

out of work the next couple of days. She hated lying

but she’d promised Jim. Her hand flew to her

stomach and she shook her head. “Not this time,

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thanks. My stomach’s been upset since I woke this

morning.”

“Come to think of it, I didn’t feel all that well

this weekend either. Must be something going

around,” Agnes said with concern. “I hope you’re not

coming down with the flu.”

Annie opened her door and paused. “You can

send in Mr. Eckers in ten minutes,” she said. “But

you might want to cancel the rest of my

appointments for today and tomorrow. I’m pretty

sure I’m coming down with something and don’t

want to spread it around.”

“Only two days? Maybe you should take the

whole week just to be sure.”

“Let’s just start out with tomorrow and

Wednesday and see what happens.”

She continued into her office, closed the door

and leaned against it. Everything looked the same.

Her eyes flew to the spot where Martin’s body had

been resting as she slowly moved around her desk.

No blood! The wall had been repaired almost as good

as new. Thank God. She started to sit down, when

her private line rang.

She jumped at the unexpected shrill sound

filling her office and then laughed softly. Only a

handful of people had that number. “Hello?”

“You okay, Doc?”

It was Marshall. Her hand covered her pounding

heart as she sank into the chair with a sigh of relief.

The sound of his strong voice made her feel safe.

“Don’t I sound okay?” she asked.

“You sound a little shook up.”

Wow, he’s good. “Yes, well, considering what

happened the last time I was here, I have reason to

be,” she said. “And I wasn’t expecting my first

appointment until ten-thirty.”

“What do you mean?”

She could hear the frown in his voice. “Relax,

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Detective. Agnes just filled an open spot. When are

you coming back?”

There was a low chuckle. “Miss me?”

Annie wasn’t about to feed his ego. “Not really.

Harold’s never been away from home before and I’m

worried about him. I should have brought him in

with me this morning.”

“I’m sure he’s keeping himself busy terrorizing

the fish in my aquarium. So, who cancelled?”

“You are suspicious,” she chuckled. “I don’t

know. Agnes handles that.”

“Humor me, Doc, and find out, will you?”

Annie didn’t understand the importance of

knowing who but she didn’t have the mind of a

detective. “I’ll have to put you on hold,” she

explained. “Just a minute.” After putting him on

hold, she punched Agnes’s extension and waited for

her to answer.

“Yes?”

“Agnes, who originally had a nine thirty with me

this morning?”

“Just a minute.” Annie could hear her flipping

pages. “Martin Strong was scheduled.”

The bottom fell out of Annie’s stomach. “What?”

She gasped loudly.

“He called on Friday afternoon and cancelled,”

Agnes continued, oblivious to the shock in Annie’s

tone. “He didn’t give a reason.”

“Thank you,” Annie replied, trying to remain

calm. She took Marshall off hold. “Talk about

coincidences.”

“What are you talking about?” Gone was his cool

tone of a second ago, replaced now with the

unbending grit of steel. “Annie?”

“It was Martin Strong,” she finally said, still

slightly dazed.

“Shit!”

She detected the concern in Marshall’s tone. “I’m

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sure it’s just a coincidence,” she insisted, aware her

tone was full of uncertainty.

“I’ve never been big on coincidences. I’m not

about to take a chance with your life; I want you to

listen to me and do exactly what I say. Get…”

About that time someone tapped on Annie’s

door. “Just a minute,” she said into the mouthpiece.

“Yes?”

“Doctor McCall?”

Annie gave her attention to her secretary. “Yes,

Agnes?”

“Are you ready for Mr. Eckers? He seems to be

in an agitated state and has already threatened to

leave.”

“Annie…”

She ignored Marshall, “Give me a couple more

minutes, please, Agnes. Then send him in.”

“Annie!” Marshall said in a sharp voice.

Annie smiled. If she didn’t know better, she

detected fear in Marshall’s tone. “Don’t scold me,

Detective. I’ve already asked Agnes to cancel my

other appointments for today and tomorrow. After

this patient leaves, I’m all yours.”

He ignored the playful innuendo in her

comment. “Damn it!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I just ran a red light,” he grumbled. “Listen…”

Annie heard him swear a blue streak, muttering

something about the Jefferson Bridge going up. The

unmistakable squeal of tires could clearly be heard

in the background before he asked, “Where’s the

nearest exit door in your building?”

“Exit door?” He was beginning to scare her.

“Down the hallway in the back storage area, why?”

“Where does it come out?” he asked impatiently.

It was the last thing Annie expected him to ask.

She had to think for a moment before she

responded.”I think we back up to Richland Street,

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why?”

“Listen to me carefully, there’s no time for

questions. I want you to do exactly as I say. Find any

excuse to go to the back for something, continue out

the exit door, and meet me at the corner of Richland

and Vine. Can you do that for me?”

“I guess,” she replied slowly, wondering what

this was all about. “But—”

“Good,” he cut her off quickly.”Sweetheart, I can

tell you’re confused and a little frightened, but

something about this doesn’t feel right and my

instincts are rarely wrong.”

Annie’s stomach began to churn. “What do you

want me to do?”

“Just act normal and leave your purse. Don’t

talk to anyone. I’ll see you in ten minutes. Be

careful.” He broke the connection.

Don’t talk to anyone? Annie felt anything but

calm and in control. The urgency she’d heard in his

voice frightened her, but she trusted Marshall to

know what he was doing. She replaced the receiver

and took several steadying breaths. All of a sudden

ten minutes seemed like a lifetime.

On her way to the door, she grabbed her letter

opener and pushed it into the thick twist of her hair.

Never could tell when something like that would

come in handy. Then, plastering a smile on her face,

she took a deep breath and opened the door. Her

gaze swept over the outer office.

The older woman who’d been sitting in the

waiting area was sitting in a chair talking to the

insurance company’s secretary. Her spot in the

waiting area had been replaced with a younger man

Annie had never seen before. She guessed he was

somewhere in his thirties, dressed casually in jeans

and a T-shirt. His blond hair was ruffled and a little

on the long side, framing a muscular neck and

square-boned face.

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She realized she was staring when she met his

blue eyes and saw the cocky grin spread across his

handsome face.

What am I doing? Sizing him up in case she had

to give Marshall a description later, that’s what. He

didn’t look like a killer but then, who did? Trying to

remain calm, Annie gave him a quick smile and

turned her attention elsewhere.

The younger woman was gone, possibly inside

one of the other offices. Paul Eckers was still there,

waiting not too patiently for his turn with her.

Agnes had said he was agitated, and from the way

he was moving in his seat, she could understand

why her secretary would think that. She felt a

moment of regret that she wouldn’t be able to talk to

him. Something must have alerted him she was

there because he stopped shaking his leg and

glanced up.

Annie made eye contact with him, smiling

naturally. For the first time, he stared directly at

her through his round little glasses. For a split

second, Annie noticed his brown eyes didn’t seem

like those of the feeble, nerdy little man he’d always

portrayed. They were cold and intense, the eyes of a

man who knew exactly what he was about.

Why have I never noticed that about him before?

Probably because I’ve never really looked at him

before.

He returned her smile. It didn’t meet his eyes

and almost appeared sinister. At that precise

moment, a feeling brushed over her, so strong that it

sucked the breath from her. Flashbacks from two

years earlier filled her memory, images of when the

police had been looking at him as a suspect in a

series of rapes. But they’d arrested the man

responsible for that. DNA didn’t lie, right? Plus

there’d been a witness who hadn’t picked him out in

a police line-up. That alone calmed her fears

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somewhat. He at least wasn’t a rapist. Annie averted

her gaze and tried to act normal. The last thing she

needed to do was let her imagination run wild.

“Is everything all right, Annie?”

Annie cleared her throat nervously. “I’ll be right

back, Agnes. I’ve got to get something from storage.”

She tried to sound as casual as possible but the odd

look Agnes was giving her wasn’t a good sign.

Sensing the younger man’s eyes were on her, she

tried not to glance in his direction.

“Oh, I’ll get it for you, dear.” She jumped to her

feet, catching Annie by surprise.

“No!” Annie said a little too sharply. “That’s

okay. You don’t know what box I need.” She took

several steps, trying desperately to keep from

running. “Stay put, Agnes; I really don’t mind. I

want to stop and take something for this headache

I’m developing as well.”

Annie moved around the desk and headed

toward the hallway leading to the back of the

building, pausing for effect at the water cooler for a

drink first and pretend to take some meds. She could

feel everyone’s eyes following her but refused to

glance back. As soon as she was out of sight, she

broke into a sprint.

She passed the public bathroom door, file

cabinets lined up against the wall, and an

assortment of stacked boxes. She couldn’t recall

what was even stored in them. A decorated

Christmas tree was tucked away in one dark corner,

ready for the next holiday season.

By the time Annie reached the back door, her

heart was racing wildly. She felt a moment of fear

when she saw the array of security locks. Some were

so old they were rusty. It didn’t appear any of them

had been unlocked in a long time. She swore beneath

her breath, her fingers fumbling with them.

She glanced nervously over her shoulder several

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times to make sure no one had followed her. The

doorknob turned and she pulled. When nothing

happened, her eyes rounded with fear and disbelief.

Her heart sank. The building was old and settled

and the door probably hadn’t been opened in years.

It had sealed itself shut. Closer inspection revealed

the doorframe was also warped.

What am I going to do now? She didn’t see any

windows.

She heard a noise and brushed it off as her

imagination. When she heard it again, coming from

somewhere behind her, she spun around with alarm.

Holding her breath, Annie saw a tall shadow appear

on the wall. Maybe they were heading to the public

restroom, but she watched in growing horror as the

shadow continued down the hallway, looming bigger

the closer it got. It didn’t look like Agnes!

Annie began to struggle desperately with the

knob. Fear replaced the blood pumping in her veins

and she threw her slight weight against the door

several times, ignoring the pain in her shoulder.

Finally, the door creaked open and she stumbled

into the back alley, falling to her knees when her

ankle twisted beneath her. She hit the dirt with

bruising force, crying out her when her palms

scraped against the rocky ground.

She got to her feet and shut the door behind her,

praying it would stick again. Holding her weight

against it for a moment, she glanced around the

area. She didn’t even know what she was looking for.

She spotted a rickety broken chair on the ground

next to a dumpster, probably left behind when the

tenants next door had moved out. Annie grabbed it

and wedged it beneath the doorknob, just as she saw

the door handle turn.

Oh God! She didn’t waste any time, turning and

racing out of there as if the devil was on her heels.

As she hurried down the alleyway toward the street,

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she could make out the distinctive sound of the door

rattling violently. Once, twice, and then she heard it

crash against the side of the building when the

rotten chair had finally give way.

Annie picked up speed, knowing her life

depended on it. Just as she was about to reach the

street something whizzed past her, hitting the

telephone pole directly above her head.

My God! Is someone shooting at me in broad

daylight? Not looking back, she turned the corner

and ran down the side street to Richman.

She halted with shock at the sign above her

head.

“Richman? Damn, I told Marshall Richland!”

Glancing up and down the busy street, Annie

realized there was no way she’d be able to wait long

enough to get across traffic. If her bearings were

correct, Richland was the next major intersection.

All she had to do was make it to the next corner.

She took off, running down the sidewalk as fast

as she could, though her stylish sandals were

slowing her down. It was a busy time of day. The sea

of faces she rushed past were nothing but a blur. She

apologized several times for bumping into people.

Annie prayed whoever took a shot at her wouldn’t

risk shooting into a crowd.

She hadn’t gone far when it became apparent

her daily jogs on the beach hadn’t done anything to

prepare her body for such a frantic, hard run, and

before long, she had a painful stitch in her side. She

forced herself to continue until she was out of breath

and barely able to remain on her feet. Halting, she

glanced nervously over her shoulder for the first

time.

The crowd was so thick that if someone had

followed her she couldn’t tell, since she wasn’t even

certain who she was looking for. After all, she hadn’t

actually seen who was following her. Then the crowd

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parted and fear nearly choked her when she thought

she recognized someone. Paul Eckers? She couldn’t

be sure. A moment of paralyzed panic held her

rooted to the spot, seeing him one minute and losing

him the next.

The intersection she was looking for was still too

far away and she decided to change directions.

Ducking into a clothing store she frequented, Annie

continued to the changing rooms at the back,

grabbing a garment off the rack as she went past.

She ducked into one of the stalls, latched the door,

and sank onto one of the chairs in the corner to catch

her breath.

She was certain everyone in the store could hear

her pounding heart and heavy panting. Annie saw

her pale, frightened reflection in the mirror. She

looked like a woman on the run for her life. Lord,

how was she ever going to hook up with Marshall?

Surely, by now, he’d reached the intersection and

was wondering where she was. She was in a real

dilemma—no money, transportation or means of

communication. She could hardly hide out in the

dressing room forever.

An idea began to take shape, prompting her to

hold up the garment she’d grabbed off the rack for

closer inspection. It was as far from her taste as it

could get.

“Do you need any help in there?”

Annie nearly jumped out of her skin at the sales

lady’s voice coming through the door. With a nervous

laugh, she eyed the piece of clothing in her hands.

“Yes, could you please bring me a pair of large

sunglasses, a pair of size five flip-flops and a floppy

straw hat? I want to see how they look with this sun

dress.”

“Sure. What color is your dress?”

“It’s flowery, very colorful.” That was the best

description she could come up with. She was already

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stripping out of her clothes, and by the time the

sales lady returned with the requested items, Annie

was slipping the ankle-length beach dress over her

head.

“Here you go, sweetie.”

The accessories were held over the stall door

and Annie reached for them with thanks. She

slipped into them and stood back to give herself a

critical once-over in the mirror. A soft smile crossed

her face, which was barely visible behind the large

flower-shaped sunglasses of bright yellow. The straw

hat was adorned with a single purple flower that

matched the flip-flops. She wouldn’t make a fashion

statement that was for sure, but at least she wasn’t

recognizable.

She had no idea what she was going to do once

she left the safety of the dressing room but she

reached for the stall doorknob anyway. Her heart

plummeted when she saw a pair of men’s shoes

walking past. Just barely holding back a gasp of

alarm, she flattened herself against the wall, staring

with stark fear at the open space between the door

and the floor. She saw the shoes reappear at her

stall and knew she was in deep trouble.

Oh God, there was no lock on the door! It

wouldn’t matter anyway. She was frozen with terror

against the wall with visions of ending up like

Martin Strong. She half expected to see the man’s

head appear beneath the stall as he looked for her.

When the doorknob began to turn, Annie opened her

mouth to scream. Attracting attention might be her

only escape.

“Sir! I’m sorry but you can’t come back here.

This is the women’s changing room! The men’s is

located on the other side of the store. If you’ll come

with me, I’ll be glad to show you where.”

Thank goodness the sales lady had come back

when she had. Annie barely took note of the man’s

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low response and watched with relief when he

walked away. She was trembling so badly that her

legs gave way and she sank onto the chair in the

corner. Her hand flew to cover her mouth as she

tried to keep from getting sick. She forced herself to

breathe in deeply until the feeling passed and she

was in control again.

It didn’t take long before the sales lady was back

at Annie’s door and tapping on it lightly. “Did they

work?”

Annie almost asked her to explain and then

remembered the accessories. How was she going to

get out of the store without paying? She came into

the shop on a regular basis but the woman assisting

her must be new because she didn’t recognize her.

“Yes, I’m just trying to make up my mind.”

Yeah…what should my next step be? She gathered

up her clothes and shoes and rolled them into a

bundle. Then she took a deep breath for courage,

opened the door, and stepped out. “Do you have any

straw bags?”

She felt absurd hiding behind the large

sunglasses, but they gave her a sense of security.

Unfortunately, the lenses were so dark that it was

hard for her to see clearly. She peered over the top of

the rims and made a thorough sweep of the shop, its

occupants, and the busy crowd passing by the

window on the sidewalk, unsure what or who she

was looking for. Just because she saw Paul Eckers in

the crowd didn’t mean anything.

At the rack of straw bags, Annie looked up and

recognized the store manager. Relief rushed over her

and she grabbed the first bag she saw, stuffed her

clothes into it, and dashed to the counter as though

to pay for her purchases.

“Rose,” Annie’s voice was low and rushed. She

caught the manager’s attention but Rose didn’t

recognize her. She lowered her glasses slightly so

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they could make eye contact. “I need your help,

please.”

Rose’s brows arched for a fraction of a second,

but when she finally recognized Annie, her

expression changed into a welcoming smile. “Of

course, Doctor McCall, what’s the problem?”

“One of my patients is stalking me and I slipped

in here to disguise myself. The problem is I don’t

have my purse with me and—”

“Not a problem, dear. I’ll catch you next time

you come in. Just let me take a quick inventory of

what you’re taking.”

“I appreciate this so much, Rose.” Annie glanced

nervously toward the storefront, watching the crowd

pass by and wondering where the man in the

changing room had gone. If he had gone. What if he

saw her enter the shop and was waiting and

watching for her to appear? “I hate to ask you for

another favor, but can I use your phone to make a

call?”

Without hesitation, Rose handed her the phone

as she continued to calculate Annie’s purchases.

Then Annie remembered she didn’t have Marshall’s

number with her. Damn! She wanted to scream with

frustration. Holding the receiver for a minute, she

tried to decide what to do. Going back out and

making herself an easy target wasn’t an option.

Elliot, of course! He should be back from his trip

by now. She listened as the phone rang, praying and

holding her breath that he was home and would

answer. Knowing him, if he was immersed in his

work, he sometimes ignored the telephone.

She was about to give up when he finally picked

up.

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Chapter Nine

“Yeah?”

Annie could tell by Elliot’s short bark that he

didn’t appreciate the interruption, which usually

meant he was in the middle of something. He also

sounded vaguely interested.

“Elliot, it’s me! I need your help! Can you come

get me?”

“Slow down, love.” Annie could tell she had his

full attention now. “What is it? What’s happened?”

“I don’t have time to explain the whole story

right now. Just please come and get me. I don’t have

my purse on me and I don’t have any money for a

cab. I had to borrow a phone to make this call…”

Annie cut herself off, hearing the panic in her tone.

She realized she was close to tears as the

seriousness of the events up till then were catching

up to her. What if Elliot didn’t reach her in time?

Her gaze flew to the men’s changing stalls.

“Where are you?” Elliot’s tone was that of a

concerned friend who would do anything to help her.

Annie forced herself to say calmly, “I’m at A

Perfect Fit on Richman.”

“The shop with the cute little thongs in the

window?”

He wasn’t talking about footwear. Annie rolled

her eyes, unable to stop a smile from forming on her

lips. Bless Elliot and his sense of timing. He always

did have a way of putting her at ease just when she

needed it most.

“That’s the one. Just pull up to the curb and I’ll

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meet you out front.”

“I’ll be there in fifteen, love.”

They would be the longest fifteen minutes of her

life, but she knew Elliot would get there as fast as he

could.

The phone went dead and Annie hung up,

smiling her thanks to Rose. She cast a casual glance

to the store front, looking for Paul. Had he killed

Martin and why is he after me? Is he after me? Is it

Paul at all? What if it is someone else? She wasn’t

sure of anything. She’d never done anything to him

other than try and help him. None of it made any

sense.

Two years ago. Paul had been a regular patient,

coming in for weekly visits. She’d nearly done jail

time believing in him. Then he’d simply stopped

coming. No phone calls or reasons why. He was a no

show for his last scheduled visit with her. What’s

going on?

Marshall had talked about his instincts and all

of hers were telling her that it was no coincidence

that Paul Eckers showed up in her office today.

She cast a nervous glance at the clock over the

door. It had only been ten minutes since her call to

Elliot. Fifteen minutes seemed a lifetime to her right

now while it passed at a snail’s pace. Once in a

while, she caught Rose’s eye and they would

exchange smiles. Annie sensed she was watching out

for her.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally

saw Elliot’s pink sports car pull to the curb in a

screeching halt. Waving goodbye to Rose, she opened

the door and worked her way through the passing

crowd to the curb, keeping her head lowered but

trying to look in all directions at the same time.

Once safely inside the car, she locked the door and

buckled up with shaking fingers.

“Go! He could be anywhere!” When the car didn’t

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move, Annie glanced at Elliot, who had yet to say a

single word. He just sat there, a stunned expression

his face, clearly not recognizing her. He actually

looked afraid.

She pulled the sunglasses down to the end of her

nose so their eyes could meet. “It’s me, Elliot.” His

expression relaxed instantly, his gaze taking her in

from head to toe and back again. “Please go before

he sees us!”

The alarm in her voice finally got through to

him. He checked his rearview mirror, floored the

accelerator, and pulled into the flow of traffic. “Lord,

girl, what have you gotten yourself into? I’ve never

seen you looking quite so…so bohemian.”

Annie leaned back against the seat, too

frightened to appreciate his humorous observations.

A chill traveled down her spine, prompting her to

twist around and peer out the back window to make

sure they weren’t being followed. Realizing once

again that she didn’t even know what to look for, she

faced the front again.

“Oh, Elliot,” she said after a while. “I’ve never

been so frightened.”

“You’re scaring me, love. Tell me what’s going

on.”

“One of my patients was murdered in my office.”

“What?!” Shocked eyes swung her way. “You’re

kidding me!”

Annie shook her head and filled him in, keeping

her eyes on the traffic in an unconscious search for

Marshall’s jeep. Elliot was a good friend, listening

quietly as she unloaded her recent troubles. It was

generally the other way around, and she was usually

bailing him out of a jam.

“Good thing you thought to call me,” he said.

“You can stay with me for as long as you like. You’ll

be safe there. We have Chip and Dale for protection,

too, you know.”

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Annie knew Elliot was serious but she doubted

the two Great Danes would offer much in the way of

protection. They were two of the biggest babies she’d

ever seen, and his pampering of them didn’t help.

His comment reminded her about Harold, though.

She couldn’t just leave him behind which was

another reason she had to contact Marshall.

“I need to call Marshall as soon as possible.”

“Do you trust this detective?” A yellow light

turned red before he made it all the way through.

She looked at him in surprise. Why wouldn’t I

trust him? “Yes, I trust him,” she said without

hesitation. “He’s a detective.” Annie knew his being

a detective didn’t have anything to do with why she

trusted him.

She trusted Marshall with her life and her body.

But did she trust him with her heart? Great sex

didn’t always lead to great relationships or the

forever-after stuff. Annie was smart enough to

realize that and not set herself up for a fall she

couldn’t handle. Making love with him hadn’t been

very wise, but she wasn’t going to lie by saying she

hadn’t enjoyed every second of it.

They stopped at a light and Elliot gave her a

thorough inspection. “You’ve slept with him,” he

murmured confidently.

She looked at him, startled. Elliot probably

knew her better than anyone else on earth, so she

didn’t waste her breath denying it. “You’re

guessing.” She turned her head so the brim of her

floppy hat hid her face.

“Look me in the eye if you can, love.” They

turned down the long drive to his house, past a

security gate that opened with the push of a button

on the dashboard. “You’ve got that I’ve just had the

best sex in my life look on your face.”

Annie tried to hold back a laugh but failed

miserably. Not responding to his outrageous remark

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was an admission in itself. It had been the best sex

in her life. Marshall had been a tender, considerate

lover, revealing a fiery passion that had left her

fulfilled while yearning for more. He definitely knew

how to please a woman and keep her wanting for

more.

He’s unlike any man I know. Her last

relationship had been unfulfilling and painful,

lasting only as long as it had taken Russell to get

her into his bed. According to him, it hadn’t been

worth the four months she’d made him wait. He’d

twisted the knife into her heart further by telling

her she’d been cold, inexperienced, and not very

adventurous. Huh! After making love with Marshall,

it was clear Russell had been blaming her for his

inadequacies.

Still, it hadn’t been his hurtful comment about

her lack of experience that put a dent in Annie’s

confidence. It was finding out that he really wanted

her money. Just the sort of thing a young, ambitious

lawyer needed—money to set himself up with his

own law firm and a wealthy, successful wife at his

side to help him with connections. Once Annie told

him that she’d placed her inheritance into a trust

fund for any future children she might have, things

had promptly ended.

“Home, sweet home,” Elliot murmured, pulling

in front of his large, modern house. There was

another car parked in the driveway. A little fire

engine red sports number. He turned off the engine

and turned to face her. “I have company, love.”

There was no disguising the twinkle in his powder-

blue eyes, or the radiance on his boyishly handsome

face.

“One of your projects?” Annie teased, turning to

see Chip and Dale sauntering toward them like big

overgrown puppies.

“This one might be a keeper,” he admitted with

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a saucy grin, producing a chuckle from Annie. How

many times have I heard that? He opened the door to

get out.

Annie got out and gave Chip and Dale the

attention they expected. “I need to use the phone,”

she said. They walked to the back of the house and

entered through a doorway that led to a screened-in

pool and Jacuzzi, continuing to his workshop.

Annie had long ago learned to expect anything

as far as Elliot was concerned, so it didn’t surprise

her when her gaze fell on the nearly naked woman

asleep on an antique fainting sofa.

“Beautiful, isn’t she? I think I love this one.”

This was apparently the keeper Elliot had

mentioned. Her gaze fell on the half-finished oil

painting. Elliot liked his models thin, but this

woman was skin and bones. Her breasts were non-

existent, her figure straight as a boy’s. No curves

anywhere. Yet her face was flawlessly beautiful, void

of blemish and makeup.

“I love painting Lilly when she’s sleeping like

this,” he said in a hushed voice, already dismissing

Annie as he reached for his smock.

Elliot will never change. He had the attention

span of a five-year-old. She removed her hat and

sunglasses and tossed them onto a chair.

She went to the wicker sofa against the wall and

lowered herself onto the soft cushions while reaching

for the phone on the end table. She called the police

station and left a message for Marshall. There was

nothing else she could do. She grabbed the

overstuffed pillow from the corner and hugged it to

her chest, quietly watching Elliot as he became

immersed in his work.

****

Marshall stared down at Annie, the sick feeling

in his gut lessening now that he could see for himself

that she was all right. He thanked God for the

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162

hundredth time that Dan had lost a crown and had

to cancel their meeting in exchange for a dentist

appointment. The change in plans might have saved

her life. He’d grabbed the records he wanted and left

the precinct almost as soon as arriving.

He’d never forget the feeling in his gut when

he’d called to tell her he was on his way back and

she’d explained the events leading up to his phone

call. Once he’d analyzed the situation and

determined it wasn’t as secure as she described, he’d

driven through traffic like a madman. They had a

suspect now and he’d sensed Annie was in imminent

danger. A set of prints from her office and her condo

had been matched to a low life who had also been in

prison during the seven years between Bailey’s

death and the rapes two years ago.

The officer doing the drive-by check was as far

away as he was. He’d had no alternative but to tell

Annie to leave on foot since her car had been

delivered back to her condo and she’d been left

without transportation. Blaming himself for her

current situation, he’d pounded the steering wheel

nearly breaking it.

If anything had happened to her…

Her soft moan brought Marshall back to the

present. He focused on her sleeping profile. She

looked so innocent, so vulnerable. A sleeping angel

with a mixture of vixen in her blood. A flashback of

their lovemaking that morning sent a sharp

sensation straight to his loins. He wanted her again.

Hell… He reached out to brush the hair off her

face, pulling back before making contact. The ache in

his head had turned into a nagging throb. He ran his

hand over his eyes trying to relieve the pressure

building there. For the first time, he didn’t trust his

objectivity because he’d gotten too close to the

subject.

He was going to have to correct this situation—

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beginning now. He didn’t know how he was going to

ignore the vision of slipping between her thighs but

he had to find the strength. Dan was right. He

wasn’t thinking straight.

“Annie, wake up.” Marshall struggled to keep

his voice neutral. He wasn’t going to admit to the

hell he’d gone through when she hadn’t been waiting

for him on the corner of Richland and Vine. How,

after he’d checked in at her office, he’d ridden

around for almost an hour, until his training had

taken over and he’d figured out what the smart

doctor would do if she were still alive.

If she was still alive.

God, it was about that time he realized that

being intimate with Annie had screwed up his

thinking. A stupid mistake that could turn out

deadly for both of them. He recalled what she’d said

about Elliot Lancaster and figured he’d be the one

person she’d go to in a pinch. He’d called into the

station and asked someone to look up Elliot’s phone

number. That’s when he’d been told about the

message she’d left him.

His frustration level had hit an all time high

when he’d dialed the number only to hear it ring and

ring before finally hanging up. There had to be a

logical reason why no one was picking up the phone,

only he didn’t want to think about it. Nothing good

came to mind.

A call back to someone at the station provided

Elliot’s home address. Marshall hadn’t wasted any

time speeding there, all the while cursing himself for

getting in way over his head. From here on out, his

involvement with Annie was going to be strictly

professional. At least until this thing was over. He

hoped he could find a way to tell her, without

hurting her, because that’s the last thing he wanted

to do. Slowing things down between them was the

only way to keep her safe and him sane.

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Yeah, right. He was only kidding himself. He

was already crazy for her and the only one he had to

keep her safe from at the moment was him.

He looked down at her, relief at finding her alive

and safe so strong that he actually felt his heart

swell with emotion. “Annie,” he called out softly for

the second time, not wanting to frighten her.

She began to stir, stretching like a lazy cat

sunbathing on a warm deck. “Yes?”

Her low, throaty tone reached Marshall on a

purely sensual level, arousing his senses. Her eyes

drifted open, a radiant smile spreading across her

face when she recognized him through the hazy fog

of sleep. That pretty mouth of hers curved upward in

the most tempting way, warming his blood, while

strengthening his determination. He had to remain

focused.

“Why the hell didn’t you call me?” he demanded.

He clenched his teeth, looking out the window above

the sofa while running his hands through his hair,

determined not to soften. If the only way he could

hang onto his control was by not gazing into her

beautiful eyes, then he’d stare at the damn trees

until his eyes fell out.

“Your number happens to be in my purse, which

you told me to leave behind,” she calmly reminded

him while moving into a sitting position. “I see you

got my message.”

“What the hell happened?” he snapped, staring

out at the woodsy landscape until her hesitation in

answering brought his eyes back to her.

Annie’s slow smile unnerved him. “My…you are

in a foul mood, Detective.”

“Wouldn’t you be? Now, please tell me what

happened.” He made a conscious effort to curtail his

impatience.

“Apparently, I was being chased by the bad

guy.”

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Marshall’s gaze was unwillingly drawn to her

when she rose to her feet. His eyes narrowed with a

frown. “What kind of hair adornments are these?”

Reaching up, he pulled out several pieces of wood,

along with the letter opener, holding them up for her

inspection.

He watched her expression carefully. She

studied the items in his hand, her brows coming

together in a frown, before dawning slowly

registered on her face, turning it pale. “The letter

opener I took in case I needed to protect myself. But

the wood…” She shuddered.

“Annie?”

“I told you someone was chasing me. What I

didn’t say was that whoever it was had a gun and

shot at me.”

“What?”

“Don’t worry. They missed, hitting the telephone

pole instead.”

Instead of her head.

Marshall swore and swung away, running his

hands through his hair again as he started to pace.

At this rate, he was going to be bald by morning.

Unless she was going to the bathroom, he wasn’t

letting her out of his sight again, and he didn’t care

if she liked it or not. “Did you happen to get a look at

the guy?”

Was that his calm, detached voice? He was

anything but. He wanted to crush Annie to him, and

kiss her. He ached to run his hands all over her to

make sure she didn’t have a scratch, even while he

could clearly see she didn’t.

A noise caused him to turn back to Annie. She

was opening the French doors and calmly strolling

out into the lush garden behind Elliot’s mansion as

though she was in a theme park. He reached her in

several strides, clenching his fists to keep from

snatching her back inside. He was probably

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overreacting.

“Yes and no.”

“What do you mean yes and no? You either saw

someone or you didn’t.” Marshall realized he was

being rough on Annie, but it was his only way of

keeping his detective persona from switching back

into a man who cares mode. He couldn’t protect her

if his emotions got in the way. He steeled himself

from the slightly wounded look in her eyes.

“I saw someone, a patient of mine, but I’m not

sure he’s the one who was after me. It could have

been a coincidence.”

“I doubt it. Who?”

“Paul Eckers. I haven’t seen him since—”

“He was a rape suspect two years ago?”

She nodded, surprised. “He was waiting for me

this morning.”

“Hell, Annie.” Marshall actually felt sick when it

dawned on him how close she’d come to Martin

Strong’s fate. Only she didn’t know it yet. “I should

have gone with my instincts and never left you

there. The prints identified at your condo belong to

Eckers, as did a set from your office.” He paused, as

another thought crossed his mind. “Did you ever

invite him to your home?”

“Never! I don’t understand, Marshall. To my

knowledge, he and Martin didn’t even know each

other. Why does Paul want to kill me?”

“Honey…” Damn, he had to be more careful! “We

don’t know what the connection is yet, but we’re

working on it.” Marshall hesitated for a moment,

wondering if he should divulge the rest to Annie.

Coming to the conclusion it wouldn’t matter.

“We suspect him of killing Emily Bailey, too. He

went to prison for seven years for an unrelated

crime, which explains the break between her murder

and the rapes two years ago. Then when he got out,

we assume he just took up where he left off.”

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“But he didn’t kill those other women.”

Marshall’s crooked grin didn’t carry an ounce of

humor. “They don’t always follow the same M.O.,” he

said. “Who knows, Emily may be the first woman he

attacked…that we know of. Maybe her murder was

an accident.” She shivered and Marshall fought the

urge to take her into his arms. “The reason there

haven’t been any recent rapes is because Eckers just

got out of prison after serving a year and a half for

breaking parole.”

“He must have gone in shortly after our last

office visit, then.” Annie shook her head with

disbelief. “He never gave me the impression he was

all that dangerous. Yet today, when I looked into his

eyes, there was something there I’d never seen

before. Just for a second he looked…” She

shuddered. “Evil. It makes sense now. After I left, I

escaped into a clothing shop and changed into this

disguise. Thank God Elliot was home when I called.”

Marshall couldn’t agree more. “Before you ask,

Agnes is okay, along with everyone else at your

office. Since you’ve come down with the flu, she’s

going to Texas for a week to stay with her brother.”

“A week?” Annie put her hands on her hips. “If

memory serves me correctly, I said I’d give you a

couple days.”

Her response didn’t surprise him. He was ready

for a battle. In fact, he was looking forward to it. He

needed an outlet to release some of his inner tension.

“Everything’s changed. Now that an attempt has

been made on your life, you’ll be placed in protective

custody until we can pick up Eckers.”

“What? I thought I was already in protective

custody.” She crossed her arms.

Marshall sighed, recognizing the stubbornness

on her face. “Are we going to fight about this?

Because I’m warning you, Doc, you won’t win

against me this time.”

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“Your mother must have had her hands full

when you were growing up,” she said. “Do you

always get your own way?”

“Most of the time,” he said grinning. “I think it’s

time we head to the station.” He started to turn but

Annie ignored him. When Marshall realized she

wasn’t following, he glanced over his shoulder.

“I’m safe here, Marshall. Didn’t you meet Chip

and Dale when you drove in?”

He took her gently by the arm and ushered her

back through the doorway before closing and locking

it behind them. “If you’re talking about those over-

grown rats, they turned tail and ran in the opposite

direction the second I said boo.”

“You didn’t scare them, did you? Those are

Elliot’s babies. Speaking of Elliot, what did you do to

him?”

“I didn’t do anything to him.” Marshall was

actually jealous over her show of concern for the

artist. “They’re out at the pool.” For the first time,

his eyes wandered around the studio, inspecting the

nude paintings. His models all had one thing in

common—they were skinny to the point of not

having any curves to whet a man’s appetite.

Some men liked women that way, but not

Marshall. When he loved a woman, he wanted

something to hang on to.

“I have to go back for Harold,” Annie said softly.

Marshall noticed how the vibrant colors in her

dress intensified the violet of her eyes. She had the

kind of eyes that wreaked havoc with a man’s libido.

Experiencing her wild passion firsthand wasn’t

something he was going to forget easily.

“Maybe with a little luck, the damn thing will

fly out the window and become a tasty snack for one

of the seagulls flying about. It’s the least he deserves

for eating my fish.” She scowled but didn’t respond,

so he sighed and said, “You’re not staying here.”

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“And why not?” she demanded, raising an

eyebrow. “It’ll free you up to search for Paul, and

your boss will probably appreciate the fact you’re not

babysitting me any longer.”

“First of all, Jim and I are working on this

together, so don’t worry about freeing up my time.

Dan knows keeping watch on you may give us our

best chance to capture Eckers. If nothing else, we

can always use you as bait.” Annie’s mouth dropped,

until he winked at her. “Relax, Doc, I don’t intend to

throw you to the wolves.”

“You have a mean streak in you.” As she took a

step closer, he braced himself, recognizing the

cunning look in her eyes. He knew what was coming.

He’d had enough experience with his two little

nieces to know Annie was about to turn on the

charm because she wanted something.

“I have a feeling your little feathered friend can

take care of himself just fine. I have a whole

aquarium filled with all kinds of helpless fish.”

“I’m not abandoning him,” she said. “Would you

abandon someone you loved?”

It was a damn bird for goodness sake! He glared

at her for a moment. “I can’t believe we’re having

this conversation. You should be worried about

finding Eckers, not some bird.”

She had the nerve to actually bat those long

eyelashes at him and Marshall almost burst out

laughing. “You’ll have to do better than that.” He

watched her pupils flare with the challenge.

That tempting mouth of hers turned up at the

corners in a seductive little smile. He swallowed

hard, about to back down when he sensed someone

opening the door. He pulled Annie behind him,

shielding her with his body. His gaze swung to the

door.

“Damn it, Jim.” He relaxed immediately and

dropped his hand from his gun. “Hasn’t anyone ever

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told you it’s polite to knock before entering a room?”

Jim smiled. “Sorry for barging in, kids. Someone

by the name of Elliot told me where I could find you.

Was I interrupting something?”

“I was just trying to convince Detective Thomas

of the importance of going back to his place for

Harold,” Annie said, her eyes resting on Jim.

“Would that be the talking bird?”

She nodded.

“Is Eckers in custody?” Marshall interrupted.

Jim shook his head, disappointment in his eyes.

“By the look of his apartment, I’d say he won’t be

back, either. The landlady said he left in a hurry,

with a suitcase.”

“Hell! He knows we’re on to him.” Not knowing

where Eckers was hiding placed Annie in imminent

danger. Marshall had to wonder if he’d found

anything that would lead him there during his

ransacking of her office and condo.

“Which will make finding him that much more

difficult,” Jim said. “And there’s something else.” He

hesitated and glanced at Annie. It was clear he

didn’t want her to hear what he was about to say.

Annie took the hint. “I think I’ll go visit with

Elliot and Lilly for a while.”

Marshall watched the gentle sway of her hips as

she left the room, wondering if she put the extra

bounce in it for his benefit. He found her quick wit

and sharp mind almost as stimulating as her

sensual form. With Michelle, it had been only good

times and sex. Good sex, not great like it was with

Annie.

Annie was the forever-after kind.

And that scared him.

The door closed firmly behind her, and he gave

Jim his full attention. “Give me the bad news.”

“A woman down on Fourteenth Street was

attacked last night. They just found her buried

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beneath a stack of empty boxes.”

“Same M.O.?”

“Looks that way.”

“Do you think it could be Eckers?”

Jim nodded. “She gave his description to the

letter, before slipping into a coma. The doctors think

she’ll make it, but she won’t look the same. She was

carved up pretty bad after being raped.”

Damn! Marshall stared at Jim as a sick feeling

churned in his gut. They had to get Annie to a safe

house and soon. He didn’t need to examine the files

in his jeep to know Eckers was the bastard they

wanted for the rapes as well as killing Emily. Then

something Annie said earlier gave him an idea.

“Do me a favor, Jim? Would you check into

Eckers’s and Strong’s family backgrounds?”

“It’s already been done, man.”

“No, there’s something we’re missing. I feel it.

Dig a little deeper.”

Jim looked at him for a moment before slowly

nodding his agreement. “Well, I learned a long time

ago not to question your gut instinct. I’ll get right on

it.” He headed for the door.

Marshall watched him leave, positive he was on

the right track. Then he decided to track Annie down

and demand she do things his way. It was the only

way he could protect her. He knew she wouldn’t be

happy, but he wasn’t about to let a pint-sized angel

tell him how to do his job. If he had to get physical

and handcuff her to the bed, he’d do it.

He found her in the kitchen, everything needed

for a salad set out on the counter in front of her. The

crazy thought of what it would be like coming home

to her every night flashed through his mind. The

domestic picture before him made him realize what

he’d been missing all these years.

Maybe his mother and sister were onto

something. They spent a lot of time trying to

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convince him that he needed to find someone and

settle down. Someone special…like Annie.

If they could see him now, they’d be discussing

wedding plans and coming up with names for his

firstborn. That alone should make him come to his

senses.

He shook his head and remained in the

threshold until she finally turned and caught him

staring. Hell, he felt like a boy getting caught

gawking at the pretty new schoolteacher. To make

matters worse, Marshall’s body roused to immediate

attention. A beguiling smile softened her features as

if she knew.

Damn, am I that obvious?

“Tomato?” Annie popped a small round one into

her mouth and held one out to him. “They’re

yummy.”

Marshall didn’t care what they tasted like.

Anything from her fingers would be sweet. He

opened his mouth automatically. “What are you

doing?” he asked, his gaze ran over her with interest

before returning to her eyes. He didn’t particularly

like cherry tomatoes but there he was, opening his

mouth and accepting a second one from her fingers.

Annie’s saucy smile made her eyes sparkle like

clear-cut amethysts. “I’m baking a cake,” she replied,

making a sweep of the vegetables before her. “Can’t

you tell?” She proceeded to tear up a head of lettuce.

“You’re not a very smart detective, are you?”

Marshall smiled in spite of himself, silently

agreeing with her observation. A smart man would

get the hell away from her, before he was in so deep

he didn’t know which way was up. He should call

headquarters and ask, no beg them for a

replacement. Only that was the trouble; Annie

wasn’t his problem until he’d made her one.

“I suppose I’ll have to go get that damn crow of

yours.”

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She held out her hand and he opened his mouth,

expecting another tomato. However, as soon as he

bit down on the mushroom he made a face and spit it

out in his hand.

Annie’s musical laughter filled the spacious

kitchen, giving her Marilyn Monroe complexion a

delicate dusting of rose across her cheekbones.

“That’s what you get for referring to Harold as a

damn crow.”

“Since you’re in here playing Suzie homemaker,

are you planning on cooking anything to go with that

rabbit food?” He noticed the bottle of wine chilling in

the ice bucket and recalled what wine did to her.

“Don’t get too excited, Detective. My culinary

talents are limited to salads and opening cans. Oh,

and I do a pretty mean TV dinner, too. What

happened to Jim?”

“Gone home for the night.” This time when she

offered him something, he pulled back far enough to

see what it was before opening his mouth.

Her curious gaze lingered on his mouth, her

irises darkening when his lips closed over her

fingertips, drawing them into his mouth along with

the piece of carrot.

He cleared his throat, determined he was not

going to be swayed from taking a firm stand. “We

need to talk.”

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Chapter Ten

Annie lowered her eyes, not liking the

seriousness she detected in Marshall’s voice. She

had a feeling she wasn’t going to like what he had to

say. She sensed a difference in him, a hardness, and

hoped it had nothing to do with their making love.

She couldn’t bear it if he brushed their encounter

away as if it meant nothing to him and decided she

had to cut him off before she ended up hurt.

“I hope you’re not going to dredge up what

happened this morning,” she said, forcing a smile

she was far from feeling. “Feeling guilty and all that.

I wanted it just as much as you did and realize it

was a…a one-time only thing. I’m okay with that.

You don’t have to worry that I think it means

anything permanent. I don’t expect a marriage

proposal or wedding ring or anything. It was just sex

and—”

“Take a breath, Doc,” he cut in, an expression on

his dark face she couldn’t comprehend. He almost

looked disappointed. “That’s not the talk I had in

mind. We’ll discuss what happened between us

later.”

“Oh.” Annie didn’t know what to make of that.

Then it occurred to her what he might be talking

about. “I know you’re not going to bring up the

subject of putting me in protective custody again.”

“It’s for your own go—”

Annie didn’t let him finish. “Damn it, Detective!”

It was the first time she’d ever sworn at Marshall

and his eyes rounded with surprise before filling

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with humor. She didn’t normally give in to anger,

but she was getting very frustrated with his

tenacity. “Don’t you ever give up?”

Her anger only fired his. “Don’t you ever give in?

Why the hell are you so stubborn?” Annie dropped

what she was doing and turned from him. “Where

are you going?” he demanded.

“I’m not having this conversation with you,” she

said firmly, heading for the door that would take her

out to the pool. “What do you think I am…a child? I

don’t appreciate your tone, Detective. The next thing

I’ll have to worry about is a spanking!”

Annie knew she was running but she didn’t

care. She’d rather walk away than fight. Marshall

stopped her at the doorway, his hand curling around

her upper arm and whipping her around to face him.

“A spanking sounds like a good idea!” he barked, a

dangerous glint in his eyes. “You’ll listen to what I

have to say if I have to tie you to a chair!”

“When you calm down, then maybe I will.” She

tried to jerk her arm free, but her strength was no

match for his, frustrating her even more. “I’m not

going to fight with you. Now let me go.”

They were both headstrong, but that didn’t

mean he could manhandle her anytime he wanted.

She pressed her lips together and kicked out at him,

but the length of her narrow skirt prevented her

from raising her foot.

His brows rose incredulously. “Are you

threatening a police detective with bodily harm,

Doc?”

“I’m trying to kick one,” she admitted and raised

her free hand. She didn’t know what she was going

to do. Hitting Marshall never entered her mind.

However, he must have thought otherwise because

the next thing Annie knew he was bringing both her

wrists together behind her back and pinning them

there. He jerked her against him, bringing his face

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in close.

“Do I have to break out the handcuffs?” he asked

through clenched teeth.

Annie gasped. Another time and she might have

found his comment thrilling and a little bit naughty.

Only now she was too angry to appreciate the

thought. Kinky she wasn’t but Marshall had a way

of drawing her out of her usually reserved

tendencies.

“Do I have to call in reinforcements?” She was

thinking about Elliot and Lilly. They wouldn’t be

much help, but at least odds would be in her favor.

“Three against one.” She wiggled against Marshall

like an eel out of water. Her breasts were crushed

against his hard chest, and from the waist down,

they were intimately aligned.

“God give me strength.” Marshall swore beneath

his breath. “Either I’m going to kiss you into

submission or put you across my knee and deliver

some good old-fashioned punishment.”

His threat sent Annie’s pulse racing. The

spanking they’d mentioned earlier had suddenly

become less of a retribution and more of a prelude to

something more pleasant. She felt her anger

dissolving, as awareness replaced it.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

Please do, her inner voice demanded, thankful

he couldn’t read her mind.

She inhaled his masculine scent deeply as if it

was life-giving oxygen. It enveloped her, weaving a

sensual spell she willingly fell under, but now was

not the time to think about the heat between them

or the hard, unyielding muscles she’d caressed that

morning.

Apparently, Marshall was thinking about it,

though. Annie felt the gradual change in his body as

it melded against her. She felt her breasts swell in

response, and her nipples tingle with awareness.

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She knew she should pull away but he felt good

against her, causing her body to tighten with sexual

energy. Their earlier lovemaking was never very far

from her mind.

“God, don’t tempt me, Annie. Right now, we

have to think about your safety.” He didn’t seem to

mind letting her know what their closeness was

doing to him. She wasn’t safe from that. “We don’t

know where Eckers will show up next.”

“He’ll never find me here,” she said with more

than a little misplaced confidence in her tone. The

fact that Marshall was only looking out for her

safety touched her heart. “I’m very careful not to

divulge personal information to any of my patients

for this very reason.”

Annie figured she’d have to be dead not to notice

Marshall was fully aroused against her. Strong

desire was stamped on his face; the sharp awareness

darkening his eyes caused her breath to catch. His

nostrils flared, his breath became labored, and he

slowly lowered his face.

She wanted his kiss and opened her mouth in

eager anticipation, knowing at that moment she

needed his mouth on hers as much as she needed air

to breathe. He seemed to want to kiss her, too. Then

why did she feel his resistance?

“Hell, Annie. Stop me before it’s too late,” he

pleaded, moving in closer. “We need to keep our

relationship on a strictly business level.”

“Who are you trying to convince, Detective?” She

lifted on her toes and leaned forward, brushing

against him. “I hope you’re not expecting any help

from me because I’m not strong enough to resist

you.”

She felt him shudder. “How did I ever think I

would be able to ignore you?” His hands tightened

around Annie’s wrists and he slanted his mouth over

hers in a slow, drugging kiss. His ardor and the

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knowledge that she could make him lose control

fueled Annie’s response.

She arched hungrily into his caress, whimpering

beneath his firm mouth. She swallowed his groan of

pleasure, moaning in response when their tongues

collided and danced. The blood rolling in her veins

turned into a ball of fire that left her shivering with

weakness. Her wrists were released and she buried

her hands into his thick hair, moving against him at

the same time. Where they were was quickly

forgotten as they gave themselves up to the moment

in a steamy embrace.

Pleasure erupted from her when Marshall’s

hands traveled down her back, over her rump, down

the back of her thighs, and back up again. He

squeezed her bottom, then lost control and forced her

further against his erection. Bone hard and

throbbing strongly, Annie’s heart rate picked up

speed when she found herself riding the ridge

between her legs. Lord…it wouldn’t take much time

to make her cum. She felt like a live wire with too

much current traveling through it.

Without warning Marshall pulled away. The

blazing embers of smoldering passion in his eyes

held hers a willing captive. “This is a mistake.” He

didn’t sound very convincing.

“You kissed me.” She rolled her hips into his

hard-on with unabashed boldness.

Marshall shook his head. “What am I going to do

about you? You’ve got me so twisted inside that I

don’t know if I’m coming or going.” He leaned

forward to rest his forehead against hers, breathing

deeply. “One of us has to be strong, Annie. I can’t

protect you…”

“You’ve done a good job of it so far.” She

chuckled softly. “I was just about to sweep the food

onto the floor so we’d have counter space.” Her

words got a swift reaction out of Marshall, as she’d

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hoped they would. He jerked back, met her eyes, and

dropped his burning gaze to her wet mouth.

“If we were alone in this house, I’d take you up

on that.” He leaned forward and put his mouth

against the side of her neck. “All the way here, I

swore I was going to keep my hands off you, but all I

want to do is eat you up.” He kissed and nibbled his

way to her ear. “My head knows this is wrong,

Annie. It’s not the time. But it’s obvious, I don’t have

much control where you’re concerned.”

Annie laughed softly. “Sounds like you have a

problem, Detective.”

“Yes.” His teeth sank into the sensitive area

between the base of her neck and collarbone. “What

do you prescribe, Doc?”

“Intense physical activity and a lot of it.”

He chuckled deeply. “I think that’s a solution I

can live with.” As he spoke, his hips moved against

her. “Shit, it seems like part of me is eager to get to

work.”

The last word was breathed against Annie’s

mouth and then they were kissing hungrily. Moans

echoed throughout the room, almost drowning out

the voices moving closer to the kitchen.

The spell was broken. They tore out of each

other’s arms like teenagers getting caught for the

first time. Annie turned back to the counter. She

grabbed the paring knife and took several steadying

breaths, then nervously glanced over her shoulder at

Marshall.

He was grinning from ear to ear and looking

sexier than any man had a right to look. “That was

close.”

“You’re not out of the woods yet, Detective,” she

whispered, lowering her gaze to the front of his

pants. The movement of the erection behind his

zipper brought on a new rush of heat to Annie’s core.

She caught her breath and looked away with a hot

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face.

“Don’t make any for us, love,” Elliot said when

he walked over the threshold and noticed the food on

the counter. “Lilly and I have decided to go to the

Pink Room for dinner.”

“The Pink Room?”

Annie smiled at Marshall’s question. The Pink

Room was definitely not a place she’d ever see a man

like him. It was a popular nightclub for wealthy

gays, which offered a variety of services from

secluded candlelight dinners to massages and all

night dancing. In addition, the clientele paid a

premium for discretion and the place was guarded to

the hilt.

Elliot went because he said it was the only place

in town where he could get a decent roast duck. Very

few people knew the truth though, that he only went

there to keep up the colorful eccentric image he

portrayed to the public. That’s what sold his

paintings. Everything he did was designed to hide

who he really was. And at barely five-feet tall,

everything he did was big, including his girlfriends.

“That’s an exclusive nightclub, Mr. Thomas. You

wouldn’t like it,” Lilly said with certainty, towering

over Elliot like an Amazon goddess in a string bikini.

Annie was pleased to see that Marshall barely

gave her a second glance.

“You’ll be here when we get back; won’t you,

love?”

“Yes,” Annie said, returning Marshall’s scowl

with a saucy smile. “I will, at least. However, I’m not

sure about Detective Thomas.”

“We both will,” Marshall added reluctantly.

“Well, you stay as long as you want. You know

where the guestroom is, but your friend here will

have to sleep in the nursery.” Elliot started to

flounce out of the room.

“I don’t need to tell you how dangerous it is for

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Annie, if word gets out that she’s here,” Marshall

said.

Elliot stopped and raised his chin a notch, an

expression on his boyish face that said he resented

Marshall for implying he would do anything that

would hurt Annie. “Of course you don’t. You just

make sure you do your job and take care of her.”

With that, he left the room with Lilly right behind

him.

“You insulted him,” Annie said, placing the

salad and some empty bowls on a large tray.

“I don’t care. Your protection, not the feelings of

your friend, is my first priority. I’ll apologize to him

later when this is all over.”

“When are you going for Harold?” she asked.

“Don’t sweat it, Doc; Jim’s going to swing by and

get him for you in the morning.

“Good. I don’t want him thinking I abandoned

him.”

“Because you love him,” he reminded her.

“That’s right, Detective. And he loves me.”

“Love!” Marshall grumbled beneath his breath,

the corners of his mouth twisting down. “What does

a bird know about love? For that matter, what do I

know about it? Nothing, but I have a pretty good

handle on what lust is all about.”

Annie’s mouth fell open. “Are you…in lust,

Detective?” She smiled. “Anything I can do to help? I

hate to see anyone suffer, even an ill tempered,

bossy detective like you.”

Her comment caused his features to twist into a

grimace. He was clearly not in a joking mood.

“You’re the problem, Annie.” His tone was filled with

exasperation.

“I’m a psychiatrist…remember?”

She wanted to smile but bit down on her bottom

lip to keep it from happening. Marshall’s expression

revealed he was clearly unhappy. She resisted the

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urge to reach up and brush her hand along his taut

jaw, or run her thumb across his sexy bottom lip.

She waited instead, studying the stubborn look on

his face.

“That’s not what I want you for.”

His impassioned words caused a flutter in

Annie’s stomach. Yet she kept her mouth shut. Her

profession had trained her to have patience and be a

good listener. However, the silence stretched

between them. The longer their eyes met the more

uncomfortable she became. She lusted after

Marshall too, only the stirring in her blood went

beyond her desire for his body.

As the realization hit her, she picked up the tray

and headed out of the kitchen. “Come on, Detective.

Let’s have our dinner out by the pool.”

Falling in love with Marshall wasn’t an option.

****

It was just after midnight when Annie woke to a

faint noise coming from below. She felt safe in

Elliot’s house, knowing the grounds were protected

with a high-tech security system. Chip and Dale

were out there, too. A burglar or killer wouldn’t

know they weren’t vicious guard dogs.

She shivered, thankful Marshall was sleeping in

the small connecting room. Elliot hadn’t been

kidding when he’d said Marshall would have to sleep

in the nursery, a room he hadn’t had a chance to

remodel yet. At least there was a bed which must

have been used for the nanny next to the crib.

There it was again, a noise Annie could only

guess was Elliot and Lilly returning home. She

slipped from bed, deciding to walk downstairs to

make sure. After opening her door, she paused at the

top of the stairs, noticing the outside security lights

were on and shining brightly through the sheer

curtains at the windows.

Suddenly a dark form appeared, rushing past

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one of the windows, and keeping her from

descending the stairs. When she didn’t see a second

figure go by, she decided to wake Marshall.

What if it wasn’t Elliot and Lilly?

She turned and slammed into a big, solid body.

As a frightened scream rose up her throat, her

mouth was firmly covered. She struggled and found

herself pressed against the wall as an all too

familiar voice whispered into her ear, “Calm down,

Doc. It’s me.”

On recognizing Marshall’s voice, Annie relaxed.

He slowly removed his hand. His other hand held a

gun and that was resting against the wall next to

her head. “I heard the noise, too, honey. Any chance

that’s Elliot and Lilly returning?”

Annie tried to meet his eyes in the darkness, but

all she caught was an occasional glint when he

shifted his gaze. “Since the alarm didn’t go off, it

could be them. Maybe we should wait and see.”

He chuckled gruffly. “I’m not very good at

waiting. I’m going down to check it out. You stay

here. If you hear gunfire, lock yourself in your room

and call 911.”

Gunfire! She didn’t like the sound of that.

“But—”

“Do it, Annie.” He surprised her with a quick,

hard kiss, released her, and then descended the

stairs two at a time.

Annie’s heart locked in her throat as she

watched him go.

How does he expect me to just stand by and do

nothing? She rushed to Elliot’s bedroom to see if he

was home, but her search turned up an empty bed

and clear evidence that it hadn’t been slept in. She

didn’t know whether to be relieved or scared out of

her wits.

She ran back to the top of the stairs and glanced

down. The outside motion detector light had gone off.

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She squinted into the frightening darkness and held

her breath, listening. It was surprising how

terrifyingly loud the silence could be.

Marshall was nowhere to be seen. Annie

hesitated for only a second before deciding to ignore

his command to stay put. Holding onto the banister,

she made her way cautiously down the stairs, until

an unexpected noise prompted her into sprinting the

rest of the way to the kitchen.

Where’s Marshall?

Annie wasn’t about to call out, but she realized

she needed something she could use as a weapon.

There was no place to hide in the kitchen except the

food pantry, and if she went in there, she’d be

trapped.

Just as the distant sound of muffled voices

reached her, she yanked open the utensil drawer

and fumbled around for something. She grabbed the

first thing she could get a good grip on and spun

around, releasing a scream of fright when the lights

unexpectedly came on.

It was a toss-up on who was more shocked—the

three people who’d just entered the kitchen, or

Annie. Marshall’s eyes narrowed, raking over her

with annoyance as he lowered his weapon. She felt

like a five-year-old caught with her hand in the

cookie jar.

“God, love, what were you planning to do with

that?” Elliot laughed, taking in her stunned

expression. Annie’s gaze reluctantly left Marshall to

look at the whisk she’d snatched out of the drawer.

“Don’t be dense, Elliot.” Lilly giggled, joining in.

“She’s going to beat someone to death with it!”

Annie felt her face color hotly, but it had

nothing to do with their harmless joking. It was the

look in Marshall’s stormy gaze that worried her. He

hadn’t moved so much as a muscle, his expression

chiseled in stone. It was clear he was about to

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explode.

“Cute,” Annie breathed, a smile trembling on

her mouth. It took a couple seconds longer for her to

realize she was still clutching the whisk like a knife.

“I thought I told you to stay where you were.”

Marshall barely opened his mouth but Annie heard

the words loud and clear.

All at once it seemed like just the two of them in

the kitchen. “Yes, well, I, ah…” Without taking her

eyes off him, she dropped the utensil back in the

drawer and closed it. “I thought you might need

some help.” Her gaze went back and forth between

him and Elliot.

Clearly, her reasons didn’t matter to Marshall.

He began to walk toward her as if he had all the

time in the world. Yet, his eyes spoke volumes, and

with a sinking heart, Annie knew she’d made a

terrible mistake. He’d warned her before about doing

what he asked.

“Elliot?”

He held up his hands. “Oh no, love. You made

your bed. I’m not about to get between you and an

angry detective.” He grabbed Lilly by the shirtsleeve

and dragged her out of the kitchen. “We’re off to bed.

See you in the morning.”

“Cowards!” she yelled after them and moved to

put the kitchen island between her and Marshall.

Her attempt to make him smile failed. With

deliberate slowness, he tucked his gun in the

waistband of his shorts.

Why did he have to look so damn sexy in those

things? Even when every muscle in his body was

taut with anger. “I know you’re angry but let me

explain.”

“Angry?” His huff had little humor in it. “That’s

a mild word for what I’m feeling right now. I’m

trying to protect you, Annie; I can’t do that if you

won’t follow my orders.”

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“How was I supposed to know that it was just

Elliot and Lilly—?”

“Exactly!” he exploded. “You ran in headfirst

without knowing what you were up against. I’d have

thought the last few days would have taught you

something.”

“I knew it had to be them,” she said lamely, and

cleared her throat nervously. She didn’t believe the

words herself so she couldn’t imagine that he would.

Marshall’s brows rose. “Is that why you grabbed

the whisk?”

There was nothing Annie could say to that,

when it was clear she intended to use it as a weapon.

“So, ah, did he just forget his house key?” She kept

her tone light, hoping to calm Marshall down. A

flicker of grim determination in his eyes gnawed

away at her courage.

“I was worried about you!” she finished in a

breathless rush. “Can’t you understand that?”

“Don’t, Annie,” he said between tightly clenched

teeth. His eyes were like shards of black glass,

frightening Annie with the coldness she saw in

them. “I’ve been running solo a long time and don’t

need anyone worrying about me.”

There was such finality in his clipped words that

Annie actually felt a twist of pain in her heart. Her

steps faltered. She would have to switch tactics.

Would he follow through with that earlier spanking

he’d threatened? She knew this time it would be

tempered with anger and not playfulness.

The determination in his expression frightened

her a little. She sprinted through the kitchen

doorway in the direction of the stairs. Maybe

Marshall wouldn’t come after her, at least until he

calmed down.

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Chapter Eleven

Pausing at the foot of the stairs, Marshall

watched Annie hightail it up to her room as if the

devil were on her heels. She slammed the door shut,

and he heard the telltale click that indicated she’d

also locked it, which only infuriated him more. If she

thought a locked door was going to keep him out she

was in for a surprise.

I have to make her understand that I say and do

things for a reason.

He took off after her, taking the stairs two at a

time. Only instead of going to her door, he entered

his room, willing to bet she’d forgotten all about the

connecting door. He quietly opened it and fought a

grin when his eyes lit on her.

She was leaning against the door with her ear

pressed against the wood, no doubt listening for

signs of him on the other side. His footsteps were

silent on the thick carpet as he slowly made his way

to her and waited until she relaxed before tapping

her on the shoulder.

“Oh!” Her startled exclamation echoed in the

darkened room and she spun around to see him

standing there. “How did you get in?”

He indicated the connecting door with a jerk of

his head.

“Oh.” Her gaze returned to his. “What are you

going to do now?”

Marshall ignored the tremor in her voice. “I

should shake some sense into you,” he grumbled.

“What you did was damn reckless, Annie, and very

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dangerous. What if you got in the line of fire? I can’t

do my job if I have to worry about you ignoring my

orders. A distraction like that can get us both killed.”

Her eyes widened with each word, just like

Marshall knew they would. He left no doubt about

the gravity of the situation. When her eyes swelled

with tears, his anger dropped down a couple notches.

He hadn’t set out to make her cry. Only scare her

into acting more sensible.

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” she said in an unsteady

voice, reaching up to caress the side of his whiskered

face. “If anything had happened to you—”

Marshall’s hand shot there in a flash, encircling

her wrist and stopping her from touching him. “No,

Annie.” He knew if she touched him in that gentle,

loving way of hers he’d cave in. He was determined

not to compound his earlier mistakes.

At least for as long as I have the will power.

Her sob nearly tore out his heart. Tears

glistened upon her cheeks, visible even in the

darkness. “I can’t afford to let my guard down,

Annie. Do you understand that? Things are moving

too fast.” Part of him knew he wasn’t making any

sense. He sounded like a desperate man running out

of time.

“I didn’t come in here to make you cry.” Her

subtle fragrance enveloped him, reminding Marshall

how wildly sweet her flesh was. “Or make love to

you.” He heard the desperation in his tone as he

tried to convince himself.

Marshall was running scared, and he knew it.

He knew his feelings for Annie went much further

than a homicide detective wanting to protect her. It

was hard to breathe because she was too close. Only

instead of stepping back, he closed the distance

between them until their bodies were flush, and he

had her pinned against the door. Her nearness was

intoxicating, forcing him to forget about everything

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but the passion he knew was hidden in her little

body. A body that was already arching with hunger

into his.

Marshall hissed, a sweet agony rushing through

him that threatened his sanity and his barely

leashed control. Annie knew all the right moves to

push him over the edge, and she wasn’t shy about

her wants. Damn…he’d let her in and now he

couldn’t get her out.

He refused to let go of his anger though,

knowing it was the only thing that might keep him

from giving in to the sweet seduction of her flesh.

“Damn you!” he growled low in his throat and

slammed the door over her head with a closed fist.

“What the hell are you doing to me?”

There was a faint sound of tearful emotion in

Annie’s soft voice. “I’m innocent…”

A disbelieving sound burst from Marshall.

“Innocent…like hell you are.” His eyes captured hers

in the darkness and his hips thrust against her as if

they had a mind of their own. “You’re a little witch,

Annie. I think you know exactly what you’re doing to

me.”

Annie shuddered against him. “Then maybe

you’d better remove your gun, before it goes off.”

It got quiet. Marshall stared at her with

disbelief and then burst out laughing. He wanted to

kiss the hell out of her smart mouth but he was

afraid he wouldn’t stop until he ripped off the little

bit of nothing she was wearing and had her naked

beneath him. All it would take was two steps and

they’d be on the bed where he’d be showing her what

he could do with his gun.

It would be a heck of a lot more than just

pressing against the inside of her thigh. Seeking

entrance to heaven and beyond.

But her words reminded him of something far

more dangerous. He reached behind him, pulled his

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weapon from the waistband of his shorts, and

carefully laid it on top of the small table next to the

door, keeping eye contact with her the whole time.

The last thing he wanted was an accident.

“You make it damn hard to show restraint,” he

grumbled in a hard voice. “Is this your way of

changing the subject and taking my mind off being

angry?”

“You really do have a low opinion of women.”

The hurt his words caused was evident in her voice.

“I hadn’t noticed it before. Is it something that just

comes naturally after you’ve made love? Defense

tactics to scare the woman away after you get what

you want?”

Meaning sex. Marshall knew he had that

coming. He couldn’t blame her for the way his last

relationship ended. His breakup with Michelle

hadn’t left him exactly heartbroken, just more

knowledgeable about women and perhaps a lot more

cynical.

“You’re afraid, aren’t you, Detective? Afraid of

what little old me can do to your big, tough,

reputation.” Her free hand trailed a path of fire

down his bare chest, reaching the waistband of his

boxers and slipping inside. He shuddered wildly

beneath her tender attack, but that didn’t stop her

from claiming her prize. He nearly lost control when

her small hand wrapped lovingly around his hard-

on.

Her soft sigh was just as arousing.

“Annie…” He didn’t have the strength to stop

her, much less the desire to do so. The warning in

his voice sounded weak, even to his ears.

She ignored him, her fingers caressing the

pulsing length of him in a move that could easily

bring him to his knees. He throbbed uncontrollably

from her boldness, and his fingers flexed around her

wrist in reaction. When he could finally breathe, it

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was a broken sound that revealed how powerless she

made him.

Her brazenness astonished him. She’d aptly

replaced his fierce anger with a fierce hunger.

Marshall knew his willpower was wilting fast

beneath her administrations.

“I didn’t come in here to make love to you,” he

said hoarsely, aware he was repeating an earlier

declaration. His hard flesh made him out to be a liar,

though. Everything Annie did fueled his lust to a

colossal magnitude, and her soft, skillful hand was

working magic on him that he was helpless to resist.

Without warning, she moved in close, bit down

on his bottom lip, and then suckled the brief pain

away tenderly. Marshall almost lost his load right

there. He could feel her hard little nipples stabbing

into his chest, and the tip of his erection was

brushing against the dampened heat between her

legs.

Most electrifying was their combined arousal.

He’d heard it said that scent was the strongest of

senses and he had to agree. He inhaled deeply,

drawing Annie’s seductive essence into his lungs.

His gaze dropped down her scantily clad body.

She wasn’t wearing much. He could rip the

fragile material from her in one tug and bury his

shaft inside her body before she knew what was

happening. The picture of her riding him against the

door wiped out all other thoughts.

“You know what I’d like, Detective?” Her tongue

darted out and slipped between his lips teasingly

before drawing back just as quickly.

“Tell me.” His legs were actually shaking.

Her soft laugh didn’t prepare Marshall for the

effect her reply would have on him.

“I want your big, hard shaft deep inside of me.”

Annie’s softly spoken words were all it took. He

closed what little distance was between them with a

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savage growl and angled his mouth over hers in a

kiss that sent his heart rate skyrocketing. His hand

closed firmly over Annie’s in an effort to halt the

rush that was rolling through his body. His orgasm

was close to the surface and ready to spew from his

body like an erupting volcano.

Only he wanted to be inside Annie when that

happened.

Without breaking the scorching kiss, he pulled

her hand away and released himself from his boxers.

He leaned into her, his hungry flesh slicing against

the wet folds of her lace covered mound with one

powerful stroke. He didn’t know how he managed to

hold back from losing it all at that moment.

She purred softly in her throat, her hands were

clenching his shoulders, nails digging into his flesh.

If she was anywhere close to what he was feeling,

Marshall knew she was on the brink of exploding,

too. He continued to move between her thighs, the

only barrier between them her thin wet panties,

until he was ready to burst with ecstasy. The feeling

twisting through his gut was powerful and intense.

He tore his mouth from hers to suck in air. Their

uneven breathing echoed through the room,

sounding as loud as the clock chiming in the hallway

outside the door. His hands moved to the waistband

of Annie’s panties, and taking the fragile silk in his

grip, he ripped the garment from her.

He wanted nothing between his flesh and hers.

She caught her breath when he lifted her

against the door. He braced her there for a moment,

their gazes clinging. Then Marshall slowly lowered

Annie until she was impaled on his hard flesh. He

groaned low and deep as he was sheathed in the

exquisite warmth of her tight body.

The sound of her passion filled the quiet room.

“Marshall…oh!”

“Let it go, baby,” he murmured against her lips,

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moving in a slow rhythm that was meant to drive

them both a little wild. “Shit, you’re tight…”

She whispered, “Complaining?”

A sound of humor escaped Marshall. “Hell, no!”

He thrust into her a couple of times in rapid

secession before pausing.

Annie cried out with obvious pleasure. “Elliot…”

Elliot? “How can you think about another man

while I’m making love to you?” he teased, ending

each word with a gentle kiss. His body continued to

shove in and out of hers, his strokes slow and even.

The muscles in his arms flexed as he supported her

weight against the door.

“No!” She gasped, a small smile tempting her

lips upward. “I…just don’t…want…him to hear us!”

The time for holding back came to a quick end.

As Annie’s soft cries intensified, Marshall

intercepted them with an urgent kiss, swallowing

her passion as he continued to love her. The

tightening of her body around his ultra sensitive

flesh sent him over the edge. He groaned deeply,

succumbing to a pure and explosive ripple of

completion. All he could do was lean heavily into her

and ride out the storm.

****

“I see you survived the night with that beast,”

Elliot said the following morning when Annie ran

into him in the kitchen.

She turned to hide a smile. “Yes, no thanks to

you and Lilly, running off and leaving me alone like

that. It was awful.” She reached for a cup, thankful

he’d already made a pot of coffee. “He had his way

with me, you know. More than once.” Making direct

eye contact with Elliot, she raised a brow, keeping a

straight face for as long as she could, before they

both burst out laughing.

“You’re terrible, love.” He gave her an

affectionate hug. “So, where is the beast? Upstairs

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licking his wounds?”

The beast in question chose that moment to

walk into the kitchen. Marshall had heard every

word, which was apparent by the expression on his

face. His eyes swept over Annie, causing her to blush

even more from the intimate heat filling his eyes.

“I’m sorry I’m late, but having your way with

someone, more than once, uses up a lot of energy. I

needed a little extra shut-eye.”

Elliot turned his head and spit his coffee in the

sink as a laugh burst from him. Annie met

Marshall’s gaze without a trace of regret.

Dark eyes moved slowly over her, seeming to see

to her very soul. “So, it was awful, huh?” He reached

for her cup and took a sip, then made a face.

“Terrible,” she lied. “I may never be the same.”

“I guess I need more practice.”

Annie’s mouth turned dry, remembering every

second of the lovemaking they’d shared before

leaving the bed that morning. He definitely didn’t

need any practice. A shiver rippled through her just

thinking about what his hands and mouth had done

to her—the heights he’d taken her to, so easily and

completely.

Three times.

Her beast liked sex, lots of it. The ache between

her legs revealed he had no problem performing as

many times as the hunger arose. His stamina was

amazing.

She snatched a piece of toast off Elliot’s plate

and nibbled on it, deciding not to feed Marshall’s

ego. “A lot of practice, but I’m willing to suffer until

you work out the kinks.”

“Cute.” Marshall’s cell phone rang and he

retrieved it from his hip pocket.

He flipped it open and put it to his ear with a

sharp greeting. “Yeah?” Annie watched his

expression change as he listened intently. “What?!

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You’re out of your mind if you think I’ll let you—”

He clamped his mouth shut when he was cut off,

the humor in his eyes fading fast by whatever was

being said to him. He kept his gaze trained on her.

“Hell…no, I don’t like it! It’s too risky.”

The muscle twitching in his lean jaw was an

indication how much he didn’t like what he was

hearing. His pressed lips told Annie he wanted to

object, but he wasn’t in any position to do so. That

could mean it was his superior on the line, but more

likely, it was because whoever he was listening to

was making sense. “When?”

Without saying goodbye, he pulled the phone

away from his ear, snapped it shut and slid it back

in his hip pocket. His expression gave nothing away.

“What?” she asked anxiously, sensing it had

something to do with her.

He glanced at her long and hard, a muscle

twitching in his set jaw. “Looks like you’re going to

get your wish, Doc.” He inhaled deeply and released

it slowly. “You’re going home.”

“Going home? Did they capture Paul Eckers?”

Marshall stared at her long and hard. “Nope. We

need bait to do that.”

Bait? Annie was more confused than ever.

“We’re going to set a trap, Annie. And you’re

going to be the bait.”

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Chapter Twelve

Annie tossed and turned, unable to sleep, unable

to hear anything over the fierce thunderstorm

raging outside and the howl of the wind beating

against the windows. The rain was a welcome relief.

It not only brought the temperature down a couple of

degrees but also replenished the water supply in a

state that had been in a drought the last four years.

Brief flashes of lightning illuminated the room,

doing nothing to calm her fears when it revealed she

was alone, that there was no bogeymen lurking in

the shadows. The only thing keeping her there was

the knowledge that Marshall was out there

somewhere, along with Jim and a few policemen,

hiding somewhere in the bushes. She didn’t know all

the details, only that the trap had been set and she

was the prize.

She smiled slightly, lying there and thinking

how much Marshall had hated Dan’s plan.

Frustrated that the only way he’d been allowed to

participate was to cooperate. Dan hadn’t worried

about her cooperation, though, uncannily guessing

she would do whatever she could to help in order to

get back to a more normal life.

Annie knew she couldn’t continue to live in

hiding forever, even if it was with a sexy detective

she couldn’t seem to get enough of. She wasn’t about

to let Paul control her life. If catching him, by

drawing him out, meant making herself vulnerable,

she would do it. Besides, she trusted Marshall to

keep her safe.

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A clap of loud thunder vibrated throughout the

condo, rattling the windows. Annie barely muffled a

cry. Terrified, her gaze shot to the glass doors that

led out to the balcony. The rain was coming down so

hard it sounded like bullets pelting the glass.

She breathed a little easier when another flash

revealed there was no one on her balcony. She

thought she heard a noise coming from somewhere

inside but couldn’t be sure.

Was Marshall moving about out there?

Yanking back the covers she sat up, her gaze

going to the door.

Was that a scream?

The urge to seek Marshall out was stronger

than ever. She felt safe when he was with her, but

that would mean leaving the safety of her room. Her

eyes flew to the closet doors.

Had they checked inside before leaving her?

A loud crash galvanized her into action. She

jumped from her bed without thinking and raced to

the light switch. Flicking it on, nothing happened.

She tried it several times to be sure. Oh, God! The

hair on the back of her neck stood up.

“Call the cops!” Damn it! Annie spun around, a

nervous laugh escaping her at Harold’s timing.

Then she nearly jumped out of her skin at the

sound of breaking glass. She unlocked the door,

flung it open, and closed it behind her to keep

Harold from escaping. The last thing she needed was

him flying about the place. She dashed into the

hallway, too numb with fear to call out, and headed

across the short space to her guest room door. She

opened it without knocking.

“Marshall?”

He’d insisted on not sleeping in her bed that

night, telling her he was on the job. It was important

he remain focused and there was no way he could do

that lying next to her. She didn’t remind him that

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being on the job hadn’t kept him from making love to

her at his house or Elliot’s.

Grinning like a wolf, he’d simply kissed her to

the point of breathlessness and then sent her off to

bed with a pat on the bottom.

“Marshall?” She whispered sharply, walking to

the bed. He wasn’t there. But he had been. The

covers were pulled back and where his body had lain

was still indented and warm. The bed was empty

now. She glanced around the dark room, half

expecting him to step out of the shadows.

Maybe he was in the kitchen getting a drink.

That might have been the sound she’d heard

before—a glass breaking or something. As Annie

turned down the hallway, she heard a noise coming

from behind her.

She spun around. As a gust of wind came

through, she realized the glass on the patio door was

broken and the rain mist was blowing in. Marshall’s

dark silhouette standing at her computer desk

brought instant relief. Her hand flew to cover her

pounding heart, thank goodness!

“Marshall!” she called out softly. “I was so

scared…”

Before Annie could move, lightning zigzagged

through the sky, filling the room with enough light

to see that it wasn’t Marshall at all. It was Paul. Her

heart jumped with fear, the breath catching in her

throat when he stepped forward. Broken glass

crunched beneath his shoes but he seemed not to

notice.

She knew she’d never make it back to the safety

of her bedroom. It didn’t matter anyway. Fear held

her frozen to the spot. She could barely breathe.

Where’s Marshall?

“Hello, Emily,” he said softly, in a tone she’d

never heard him use before. “Have you been waiting

for me?”

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Emily, he thinks I’m Emily?

If that was the case, then it was a good guess

what his state of mind was. Marshall wasn’t there.

Annie knew he’d have made his presence known as

soon as Paul had. Her only hope was to remind Paul

of their doctor-patient relationship.

“Mr. Eckers,” she said. “Wh-what are you doing

he-here?”

The lights flickered several times before finally

remaining on. The dead look in Paul’s eyes

confirmed Annie’s suspicions. They were devoid of

emotion—cold and fixed on her in a way that left no

doubt his mind was somewhere else, if not gone.

Standing in her living room in front of her was a

rapist and cold-blooded killer, without any feelings

for his victims.

Annie knew she had to keep a cool head. “Did we

have an appointment?” She took a small step

backward, praying he didn’t notice.

His laugh was low and menacing. He took a step

forward. He had noticed. “Appointment for what?

Since when do lovers need to make an appointment

to be together?”

Annie swallowed with difficulty. “I’m Doctor

McCall, your psychiatrist, remember? You used to

come to me for regular appointments.”

“A psychiatrist? Why would I need a

psychiatrist? I’m not crazy.” He took another step

closer, stopped and frowned. “Do I?”

She could tell she had caught him by surprise.

For a moment, he looked confused and stared at her

as if trying to comprehend what she was telling him.

Wondering if she was telling him the truth. Then he

seemed to pull himself together, and straightened to

his full, unimpressive height. “Doctor McCall?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think I’m crazy, Doctor McCall?”

“No, no, of course not,” Annie assured him.

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Where was Marshall?

“But talking about your problems will help you.”

Her eyes went to the front door, wondering if she

could reach it in time. She fought down the urge to

scream, knowing it would probably anger Paul into

doing something sooner. “I’ll help you any way I

can.”

He laughed as if sincerely amused by what she

said and took another step closer. “That’s what

Uncle Martin said, too.” His laugh didn’t have any

humor in it. “We got drunk together one night, and

I…ah, kind of spilled the beans about my

extracurricular activities. He didn’t understand. He

was shocked, but he promised not to say anything.

Only I knew better. He was seeing you, and I knew

it was just a matter of time before you dragged it out

of him. Isn’t that what all physiatrists do?”

Annie shook her head and opened her mouth to

defend her position only Paul continued before she

had a chance.

“Then I guess his conscience started bothering

him because he tried to talk me into turning myself

in. That’s when I knew he was going to call the

police, so I convinced him I’d talk to you, and that if

you supported his decision, I’d call the cops from

your office. I was going to kill you both that night,

only that damn cop showed up early. So I broke into

your condo to wait for you there.”

Annie shivered. Thank God Marshall had been

with her then, too. “You were going to kill me

because you thought your uncle confessed to me?”

Paul nodded. Annie shook her head. “He didn’t tell

me anything.”

“Yeah,” he said with scorn. “He said he didn’t

tell you anything, but I couldn’t afford to believe

him. I was surprised there was no mention of it in

his records, but I didn’t want to worry about it for

the rest of my life. That’s why you have to die, too.”

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Pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into

place now, and Annie knew she had to stall for time.

“I didn’t know Martin Strong was your uncle.”

There’d never been any connection made between

them. “And you don’t have to worry about me

repeating anything your uncle might have told me in

confidence.”

“Yeah, distant uncle, there was no blood

between us. His wife and my mother are stepsisters.

Their twenty-year age difference kept them from

growing up in the same household.”

He was getting too close. “I see.” Annie slowly

inched backward. It was on the tip of her tongue to

tell him the police knew who he was, but decided

another tactic might work more in her favor. “I

believed in you, Paul, remember? Two years ago? I

defended you. I almost went to jail believing in you.”

She wasn’t fooled when his expression switched

to one of regret. “Sure, I remember, Doctor McCall.

You’ve been nice to me. It’s going to make what I

have to do that much harder.”

She had to keep him talking. Marshall might

return at any moment. “Did you commit those rapes,

Paul?” Her question caught him off guard, as if he

couldn’t believe she actually asked. His eyes filled

with a burning, faraway look, frightening Annie

because it revealed the darkest side of a killer’s soul.

She wished she could take the words back, certain

she didn’t want to hear his answer.

His smile was the last thing she expected.

“Those women asked for it. Why do you think I carry

condoms in my pocket? I’m always ready. They all

want it. And in the end…” He took another step

closer, his eyes moving suggestively over Annie.

“They all get it. Just like I know you want it.”

Annie was nearing the laundry room. “You’re

very wet, Paul, why don’t you let me get you a towel

from the laundry room before you catch cold?”

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Maybe she could lock herself in until help came.

He reached inside his pocket and Annie froze,

holding her breath, her gaze following his every

move. Her heart plummeted when he withdrew a

nasty looking knife.

“You didn’t kill those other women,” she

reminded him, as panic replaced the calm she

struggled for. “Please put down the knife, Paul. I can

help you. I promise.”

“They didn’t know my secret,” he said, caressing

the weapon in his hands as if he was holding an

expensive collectible.

Annie swallowed hard. “Your secret? What’s

your secret?”

He took his time responding, and Annie had to

wonder if he’d forgotten what his secret was. His

mind couldn’t seem to decide who he was. Paul

Eckers, a timid mousey little man she’d seen in her

office countless times, or the cold-blooded criminal.

“That I killed Emily. I loved her but…”

Oh God! There it was, the awful truth. A chill

traveled down Annie’s spine. He’d confessed, making

his intentions clear. Not just rape—he was going to

kill her, too.

“Why?” she gasped, taking a step closer to the

laundry room and what she prayed was a safe

haven. If she could just make it inside!

“It was an accident. I didn’t mean to kill her.

But she didn’t understand me.” He took another

step, a look of regret on his face. “It doesn’t matter

now. Come here.”

Annie shook her head, turned abruptly, and

dashed into the laundry room. She heard Paul’s

curse as she slammed the door shut. To her horror,

there was no lock and she threw her weight against

the door to keep him out, but he was much stronger,

even with his short, wiry build. After several

attempts, he hit the door with such force and

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violence that Annie was forced to let go.

She stumbled backward with a cry and slammed

into the shelf that held the laundry detergent and

other cleaning supplies. The shelf collapsed and

everything went crashing to the floor. Her eyes

skimmed rapidly over the contents for something to

use against him as a weapon. Almost at random, she

grabbed for the bug spray, thinking it would have

the most impact when compared to spray starch and

carpet spotter.

He was upon her before she could remove the

cap. She struck out at him blindly with the can,

determined to hurt him any way she could. Her first

blow caught his upraised arm and the sight of the

knife hitting the floor and sliding beneath the dryer

gave her a feeling of triumph.

The feeling was short-lived when he cursed,

snatched the can from her hand and threw it

violently against the washer. He turned back to

Annie with a snarl on his face and a glare in his eyes

that promised retribution for her actions. Screaming,

Annie turned to run but she wasn’t quick enough.

He grabbed the hair at the back of her neck and

jerked her backward.

“No!” she cried out when he turned her around

in his arms. Annie struggled against him wildly. She

screamed, again and again, realizing she had

nothing to lose.

“Marshall! Marshall!” Annie’s hands went up to

gouge at Paul’s eyes.

Paul backhanded her into silence. “Why, Emily?

Why are you screaming? Is it because you know

you’ve disappointed me again?” He pulled her out of

the laundry room. Annie’s hands flew to the hand in

her hair to relieve some of the pressure and lost her

balance, but he continued to drag her down the

hallway. “They all disappoint me in the end. I’m

going to have to teach you another lesson. One you

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won’t soon forget. I’m sorry, but you have to learn.”

Once they were in the living room, he threw

Annie across the room. She hit the floor in front of

the broken glass door and scrambled to her feet.

Pushing her hair out of her face so she could meet

his eyes, she faced him, panting for breath, her heart

stopping when he casually pulled a condom out of

his pocket.

Oh God! She couldn’t believe this was

happening.

“Paul, don’t do this!” she pleaded, wondering if

she had the courage to toss herself over the balcony.

He ignored her comment. “The cops made a big

mistake in thinking you were safe.” He released a

snort of disdain. “They’re all stupid. They weren’t

even smart enough to tie me to the rapes two years

ago. Some poor sap got blamed for everything, and

he only did the one.”

Annie decided taking a chance she wouldn’t

break a leg was better than her odds with a

psychopath. Just as he reached out for her, she

screamed and turned toward the broken door.

“Bitch!”

He caught Annie by her pajama top. Seams

ripped beneath his cruel hands and her shoulder

was exposed where the sleeve was torn. She felt his

nails digging into her flesh and fought for her life,

hitting Paul wherever she could, pulling at his hair

and kicking out at him. There was no way she was

going to let him have her. Just when he lost his grip

and Annie thought she’d escaped, he grabbed the

back of her top and forced her over to the sofa.

“They have nothing to tie me to anything, and

I’m gonna enjoy every second of this.” He pushed

Annie down on the cushions. Still fighting him,

Annie kicked out, catching him in the groin.

When he grunted and doubled over, Annie

pushed past him with her heart racing.

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“Except your confession,” Marshall said,

stepping quietly from the shadows of the balcony

and into the room.

“Marshall!” Annie gasped, flinging herself into

his open arms. Oh God! Finding herself crushed

against his hard, unyielding length sapped all the

fear from her limbs and brought immediate relief.

Tears welled in her eyes. His heart was pounding

beneath her ear and every muscle was tense.

His hands clenched around her upper arms as

seconds later he pulled her away and placed her

behind him. His eyes were on Paul and she followed

his gaze, to see him straightening from the blow

Annie delivered.

She was too afraid to move or say anything,

clutching Marshall’s arm. She peered around him,

and her gaze fell to the gun Paul whipped out of his

pocket without warning.

“Isn’t that right, Eckers?” Marshall’s voice gave

nothing away. He appeared steady and calm—in

control—a strong and fearless detective in a

dangerous situation. Annie was suddenly afraid for

him. Paul had the upper hand now, exchanging his

knife for a gun.

Paul laughed softly, the evil sound sending a

shiver through Annie. His eyes were those of a

madman with nothing to lose. “It doesn’t matter.

You’re the only two left who know the truth.”

Annie’s eyes zeroed in on the gun in Paul’s

wavering hand. He was too far away for Marshall to

make a jump for it. She was plastered against his

backside; the muscles in his arms, tense beneath her

hands, were his only reaction to the situation.

If Paul shot at them at this close range, it could

possibly pass right through Marshall’s body into

hers, killing them both at the same time. Only Annie

didn’t care. If anything happened to Marshall, she

didn’t want to live.

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“I underestimated you.” Annie picked up on the

disgust in Marshall’s tone. He blamed himself.

“What are you going to do…kill us both?”

Paul shrugged, but the meaning was clear in his

eyes.

Annie shuddered. “We can help you if you turn

yourself in.”

Paul’s gaze moved past Marshall to Annie when

she spoke. “I have special plans for you before you

die.”

“You think I’m going to let you near her?”

Marshall’s tone was even, almost calm, yet Annie

detected the underlying threat. She knew what was

going through his mind. He was waiting to make his

move.

Paul’s face twisted with anger and he pointed

the gun directly at Marshall’s head. “And how do you

plan to stop me?” He cocked the gun. “Since you’ll be

dead.”

“Paul.” Annie was desperate to draw his

attention back to her. “Let us help you. It’s not too

late. Please. You’re sick, Paul; the courts will…”

His gaze shifted back to her, as though he’d

forgotten about her until that moment. She could

read the confusion in his gaze while he just stared at

her. Then, as dawning registered on his features,

they became twisted with evil intent.

“I know what you mean by help! You think I

want a needle in my arm and a one-way ticket to the

other side?” Annie shook her head no. “Come here.”

He zeroed in on her weakness with frightening

insight. “Come here, or I’ll kill him now.”

“No!” Annie’s response was swift and without

thought, the only thing on her mind saving

Marshall. She made a desperate attempt to move

around him but his arm kept her firmly where she

was. “Marshall, let me go!” She dug her nails into his

flesh.

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He ignored her plea and wrapped his arm

around her waist to keep her at his side. “She isn’t

going anywhere, Eckers,” he said rigidly. “Least of

all with a monster like you.”

“Let her go,” Paul demanded, his face turning

red. “Don’t you understand? She wants to come to

me.” His gaze focused on Annie for a long moment,

and she watched his eyes become clouded. He was

looking at her, but he was seeing someone else.

“You want me, don’t you, Emily? You did

before,” he said softly, drifting back to another time.

“I didn’t really mean to hurt you that last time…”

His voice drifted off. “I only wanted to love you, like

now.”

In spite of the fear racing through her, Annie

tried to move around Marshall using more exertion

this time. Paul thought she was Emily again. As

long as his eyes were focused on her with that

delusion in his head, she might get close enough to

him to get the gun away. Or create a situation where

Marshall could overpower him.

She looked up at Marshall with blinding tears in

her eyes. She was afraid for him, not herself. She

would do whatever it took to keep him alive. As if

sensing the direction of her thoughts, he turned his

head and their eyes locked. But her reply was meant

for Paul.

“Yes…” she choked, and bit her trembling lip. “I

know.”

“Then come to me. It will be different this time.”

Marshall shook his head no, his eyes speaking

volumes. He didn’t have to say the words. It was

clear he didn’t want her anywhere near Paul. He

didn’t want her in harm’s way. In fact, he backed up,

forcing Annie to move with him.

Paul fired the gun, a warning that he wasn’t

kidding. She knew they couldn’t ignore his

desperation. Marshall’s head whipped back around

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to face him, a curse on his lips. Annie cried out and

shuddered against him, thankful it had just been a

warning shot. They were close to the balcony but not

close enough to escape a bullet.

“Next one’s for you,” Paul promised with dead

calm, his eyes on Marshall. “I’m not going to ask you

again Emily, come here.”

Without warning, a blinding light followed by a

loud boom of thunder shook the building. The

deafening explosion was a clear indication that

lightning had struck something very close. Then

everything went dark.

Before Annie had time to react, Marshall threw

her to the side. “Run Annie!”

Annie turned to run, lost her balance, and

landed hard on the floor. A second shot rang out, the

flash clearly visible in the darkness.

“Marshall!”

“Find cover!”

She crawled as fast as she could in the direction

of the coffee table in front of the couch, flinching

every time there was gunfire. It wouldn’t offer much

protection but at least she wouldn’t be underfoot

should a fight break out. Too dark to see anything,

Annie heard the distinctive sounds of movement as

Marshall and Paul moved about the room.

Gunfire seemed to last a lifetime. There were

times when the following silence seemed worse and

she was forced to think about what that could mean.

Then the shooting would begin all over again and

Annie would cover her head and pray.

Where were the others? God…let them come soon!

“Give it up, Eckers! The others will be here any

minute, and you can’t kill us all!”

Gunfire followed Marshall’s comments. Annie

breathed a sigh of relief that he was okay. She heard

a crash and realized the small lamp table had been

knocked over. Either Marshall or Paul was located

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near the entrance leading to her third bedroom.

She was helpless to do anything but cower in the

darkness. She wanted to help Marshall, call out to

him, but she remembered his warning about

distractions and remained silent. The lights

flickered several times. Lightning illuminated the

room more than once, but it remained dark.

The sound of gunfire around Annie became too

much and she covered her ears against the noise,

watching the flashes of light from each shot. She was

shaking uncontrollably.

Lord let it be over soon!

Then the shooting ceased again. She remained

where she was and listened to the quiet, afraid to

breathe. Then thankfully, the lights came back on

and stayed on. Annie glanced around her, the

pounding of her heart the only thing she heard. As

much as she wanted to move, for once, she was going

to wait for Marshall’s okay.

Then Annie saw a pair of brown shoes appear on

the carpet in front of her.

Marshall was wearing sneakers!

Her heart plummeted.

Her gaze slowly rose up the length of Paul’s

faded and stained trousers to meet the victory in his

cold eyes.

“Marshall…” she whispered in a tormented

voice, crawling out from beneath the table to face

Paul. She glanced around the room, her gaze falling

on a pair of legs sticking out from behind a bookcase.

“No!” she cried.

She attempted to run to him but Paul caught

her by the collar of her pajama top and hauled her

back against him. Screaming with helplessness,

tears of grief ran down her face. “No!”

He couldn’t be dead! I need to go to him!

Her hands flew to Paul’s face, nails clawing and

digging at him to escape. She wanted to maim him

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in some way, blind him, anything to assuage the

pain racking her body. “You bastard, let me go!”

Her nails scratched deep furrows down his

cheek, but Annie got little relief from his sound of

pain. He backhanded her several times, until she felt

blood in her mouth, and shook her like a rag doll

until she ceased her struggles.

“That’s better, Emily. Remember what

happened last time you fought me?” In a grotesque

caress, he ran the short barrel of his gun against the

line of her jaw.

It was still hot. Annie slapped his hand away.

She couldn’t bear for him to touch her. Marshall was

wounded, or dead, and all she knew was that she

couldn’t live without him. She sobbed brokenly, tears

flowing unchecked down her cheeks.

“I’ll fight you with my last breath,” she

whispered. “You’re nothing but a rapist and

murderer!” She no longer cared about helping him.

The look in Paul’s eyes changed from smug

triumph to angry denial as the meaning of her words

sank in. The hate in his eyes impaled her and Annie

knew she’d pushed him too far. He slowly brought

the gun to her temple, his breathing turning ragged.

A malicious smile distorted his crazed features and

he shook his head with regret.

“Emily, Emily, Emily…” His gaze moved over

Annie’s face and down the front of her. “You’re the

only one I’ve ever loved.” He paused before adding,

“Goodbye, sweet Emily.”

Annie squeezed her eyes shut and waited, barely

breathing, for the shot that would end her life. She

jumped violently at the sound of gunfire, her eyes

opening. Paul wrenched away from her and she

stared, unable to comprehend what was happening.

There was a small round circle of blood on his shirt,

just over his heart, but it didn’t prevent him from

raising his weapon a second time.

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Before he could fire, another shot rang out and

he jerked backward, astonishment filling his eyes

before they gradually glazed over with emptiness.

Stunned, Annie watched Paul crumple to the floor at

her feet as if in slow motion. His eyes remained open

and staring up at the ceiling. Shock held her frozen

for a few seconds. Nothing was making any sense.

Soon after, a slight noise drew her attention and

Annie glanced toward where Marshall lay. Only he

wasn’t on the floor. He was slowly getting to his feet,

using the bookcase for leverage. In his right hand

was the gun he’d used to kill Paul. As he lowered the

gun, their eyes met from across the room and clung.

“Marshall!” Annie sobbed and rushed toward

him with tears flowing down her cheeks. She halted

abruptly when she saw the blood running down the

side of his face.

“Marshall!” This time his name was said with

fear. “Oh my God! You’ve been shot! You’re

bleeding—”

“Easy, sweetheart,” he said, and leaned on her

shoulder for support. “I’ve been shot before. This

isn’t bad since the bullet just grazed me. It hurt

more when I hit my head on that damn bookcase as I

was falling.”

The situation was too serious and Annie ignored

his attempt at a joke. “Let’s get you to the sofa so I

can take a look at you.” Her heart was racing. She

reached up and wiped at her cheeks but the tears

kept coming.

“I should never have left you, Annie, not even

for five minutes, but a woman screaming down on

the beach had us all running. I thought locking you

in with a couple uniformed cops guarding all points

of entry would keep you safe.”

He paused long enough to take in several

breaths. “When Jim and I heard the sound of

breaking glass, we realized what happened and

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turned around. By the time we got here, the

policemen beneath your balcony were unconscious.

When I looked up and saw the curtains billowing

outside your patio door…then I heard your

scream…I nearly had heart failure. God, Annie…I

didn’t think I’d reach you in time.”

“Hush, that’s not important now.” All that

mattered was getting him to the sofa so she could

look at his wound. “I need to get some towels and

then I’ll call for an ambulance. You’re losing a lot of

blood and might need stitches. Where the heck is

Jim and…I—”

“Slow down, Doc.” He grunted as she helped

lower him to the sofa. Neither said anything about

Paul, lying motionless a few feet away. “Head

wounds tend to bleed a lot. I—”

The kitchen door flew open and slammed

against the wall as Jim rushed through the

entranceway, with his gun drawn. He was panting

like he’d just run a marathon. His gaze scanned the

whole area and when he saw them on the sofa, he

paused and leaned against the doorframe to catch

his breath.

“Damn!” he gasped heavily. “The stairs are on

the other side of the building, so I thought the

elevator would be faster, only I got stuck in it when

the power kept going on and off.” He paused to suck

in air. “I heard gunfire.” He lowered his weapon.

“You all right, Annie?” Behind him were two

policemen, one was rubbing the back of his head.

She nodded, too emotional to speak, a lump the

size of a golf ball in her throat. Her gaze darted back

and forth from the red-faced Jim to Marshall’s too

pale expression, which revealed the pain he was in.

She caught her lower lip in her teeth, brushing at

her wet cheeks again. Why won’t the tears stop?

She knew the answer. Because she loved

Marshall and knew she couldn’t live without him.

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She had to pull herself together.

“I…I better get those towels and something to

patch you up with. Jim, you might want to call for

an ambulance. In case you haven’t noticed, your

partner’s been wounded.” Annie rushed from the

room before either one of them could say anything.

She shut herself in the bathroom to gain

composure. A glance at her pale, tear-stained face

prompted her into splashing some cold water on it.

As she was drying it, her eyes fell on her exposed

shoulder and the bloody scratches there. She

shivered violently and then took long deep breaths.

It’s over.

Oh God…what did that mean for her and

Marshall? Marshall! He was in the other room

bleeding. She grabbed up some clean washcloths,

peroxide, gauze pads and tape from the closet.

Before leaving the room, she wet a couple of the

washcloths.

When she returned to the living room and saw

Marshall’s eyes closed and his head back against the

sofa, she let out a small cry and rushed to his side.

He looked so pale…and lifeless!

“Marshall!” She sank down on the cushion next

to him, placed the items she brought on the coffee

table and reached up to gently touch his brow.

“He’s okay, Annie,” Jim said from his position

over Paul’s lifeless body, a cell phone to his ear.

“He’s just resting.”

Thank God someone had covered Paul.

Annie’s worried gaze returned to Marshall. He

was peering at her with one eye open and a half grin

on his face. “Worried about me, Doc?”

“No.” Her eyes ran over his ashen face, while

vaguely listening to Jim’s muffled voice in the

background as he called for an ambulance. “Maybe

just a little,” she admitted softly, as she began to

gently clean the blood off his face.

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“He did everything,” she began, concentrating on

what she was doing. The bullet had just grazed his

forehead, as he’d said, and had left a nasty burn type

wound at his hairline. The bleeding had slowed

somewhat.

“He confessed.” It was said as a statement.

Annie nodded, before realizing his eyes were

shut. “Yes. Emily Bailey, the rapes two years ago. I

never realized how sick he was. I should have,

Marshall. I was his doctor. I should have cooperated

with the DA two years ago—”

“Easy, sweetheart, you did what you thought

was right at the time. We should have made the

connection between him and Strong a long time ago.

We’re only human, Annie. We can’t beat ourselves

up for every little mistake.”

He was right, but it didn’t make her feel any

better. She dabbed at his head wound and the area

around it until the blood was gone. As she doused

the wound generously with peroxide, he winced,

sucking in a breath. She halted, knowing she’d hurt

him.

He was so pale. She felt her lip begin to tremble,

realizing it wouldn’t take much to make her start

crying again. She leaned in close and began to blow

on his forehead, pausing when his eyes opened and

their gazes met. Annie tried to force a smile.

“Kiss me, baby.”

Did he sense how vulnerable she was right then?

The next thing she knew he was raising his hand

and curling his fingers around the back of her neck.

The gentlest pressure drew her lips to his and they

shared the sweetest kiss Annie had ever known. She

gulped with emotion when it was over. That small

action seemed to drain Marshall.

“Was he ever a suspect in Emily’s murder?” she

asked softly. The slightest movement of his head told

her no. She got the impression he didn’t want to

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discuss it, or didn’t have the energy to.

“The ambulance and coroner are on the way,”

Jim said, snapping his phone shut.

“I don’t need an ambulance,” Marshall said

without opening his eyes. “The doctor here is taking

good care of me.”

Annie and Jim exchanged glances. She was in

the process of taping the gauze over Marshall’s

wound. Jim smiled, shrugging indifferently.

“Good, because the ambulance isn’t for you. It’s

for the woman we heard screaming down on the

beach. Toffee radioed me while I was trapped in the

elevator. He’s still down with them.”

“Them?”

“A woman in labor and her husband.

Apparently, she’d been having labor pains for a

while but didn’t say anything to her husband,

thinking she had hours yet. Then her water breaks

and she goes into hard labor when they’re two miles

away from home.”

The slightest smile brushed across Marshall’s

mouth. Jim walked away, and Annie said, “You

really should go to the hospital.”

His eyes opened, capturing hers. They shared a

smile as a long moment stretched between them.

“That bastard hurt you.” His gaze moved from her

torn pajamas. A muscle jumped in his jaw. “Death

was too damn good for him.” His knuckles caressed

Annie’s sore cheek.

“I love you,” she whispered shakily, surprised

she’d blurted it out like that.

“I know, baby.” He slipped his hand behind her

head and tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling her

close. “I need another kiss, Annie. God, I might

never stop kissing you.”

At first, his lips just skimmed over hers, as

though sampling a rare delicacy he wanted to savor

for as long as he could. Then he deepened the kiss

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until they were both out of breath. He opened his

eyes, pinning Annie with a long, tender look that left

her feeling soft and warm inside.

Loved.

“For the first time in my life, I was scared,

Annie.” She closed her eyes but the tears squeezed

through anyway, gliding down her face. “Don’t cry,

honey.”

“I th-thought I’d lo-lost you,” she stammered

brokenly. She picked up his hand and kissed the

palm. “When I sa-saw you on the floor. I—”

“Hush, baby.” His husky voice drew another sob

from her. “It’s over.”

“It’s over?” she repeated, praying he wasn’t

talking about them.

“That’s over Annie,” he emphasized, nodding in

the direction of Paul’s body. “But this isn’t over, you

and me, not by a long shot.” His words couldn’t have

been any clearer. “Do you think you’d like being

married to a stubborn police detective, Doc? One

who’s crazy in love with you and promises to spend

the rest of his life proving it?”

With each word, Annie’s eyes grew rounder, her

smile a little wider. She brushed at her wet cheeks

with happiness in her heart. “And who might that

be?” she asked hoarsely, mesmerized by the warmth

of emotion in his dark eyes.

“Me,” he replied tenderly.

She released a shaky breath, her heart swelling

to near bursting. “I’ll try, but I’m not making any

promises.” Leaning forward, she ever so gently

pressed her mouth to his, happier than words could

express. “I have to get Harold’s approval, of course,”

she teased after pulling back.

“Harold?” His brows burrowed with confusion.

“Yes, Harold. We come as a package deal,

remember?” She watched closely for his reaction.

“Think you have it in you to love both of us,

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Detective?”

As though knowing they were discussing him,

Harold chose that moment to let out a loud squawk

from the other side of Annie’s bedroom door. “Help!

Help! Call the cops!”

Annie tried to hold back a grin but failed

miserably. Marshall scowled, replying without

hesitation, “I’ll try, but I’m not making any

promises.”

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Chapter Thirteen

Six months later

As Annie gradually woke that morning, a soft

smile formed on her mouth. Her husband was flush

against her naked backside, an erection that made

her instantly hungry jabbing at her bottom.

Excitement filled her. She moaned and couldn’t help

arching against his straining flesh. It was hard as a

rock, and hot. But felt like velvet at the same time.

Annie never thought she would be so happy and

content, but since becoming Marshall’s wife two

months before, she knew the true meaning of heaven

on earth. He filled her dreams, made her fantasies

become realities, and gave her a future to look

forward to.

She smiled dreamily, feeling his persistent jab, a

sign that he was on the verge of wakening. They

made a habit of rising early enough each morning to

take their time before having to get ready for work.

Sometimes, most of the time, they made love. Other

times, they showered together. And they always had

a small breakfast and coffee before leaving the

house.

Annie had sold her condo, opting to move into

Marshall’s beachfront house. Since then they’d

painted and decorated the whole inside, all but one

of the bedrooms.

She moaned when Marshall’s hand sneaked

beneath her nightshirt and between her thighs. He

didn’t let her thong keep him from claiming his

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prize, and before Annie knew it, his finger was

teasing her, running back and forth over her mound.

She pushed harder against his searching flesh

encouragingly, being rewarded with an answering

jab. Then his hand was slowly gliding up Annie’s

belly to her breast. There was no hesitation in

Marshall’s caress.

How many mornings did we wake like this,

hungry for each other?

A low groan vibrated against her ear. Marshall’s

hand closed over her breast and squeezed gently, his

thumb manipulating the nipple into a hard knot.

Annie sighed blissfully, welcoming the kiss against

her collarbone, the nuzzling of his whiskers against

the side of her neck while he breathed in deeply.

She felt his smile against her skin as his mouth

continued moving along to her shoulder. Turning

slowly against him, Annie offered him her mouth.

She’d never get tired of kissing his firm, sensual

mouth. She’d never get tired of his taste.

His kiss started out as a tender assault, a brush

over Annie’s mouth that fueled a deep hunger. He

was teasing her, but she wasn’t going to let him get

away with it this morning. She searched for and

found his aroused shaft, took it gently in her hand

and positioned it between her thighs.

“This is what I want.”

Smiling, she squeezed her thighs, entrapping

him there. He sucked in his breath. As she ran his

flesh back and forth over the throbbing nub of her

desire, she felt him shudder. Then he was kissing

her like a mad man, hard and deep, forcing his

tongue inside her waiting mouth.

Smiling with victory, Annie continued to move

against him, building toward a speedy climax. She

began to move her hips. Their mutual moans of

pleasure filled their bedroom, drowning out the

crash of the waves on the beach beyond their deck.

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Marshall seemed willing to let her have control

this morning. Usually, he was the one who lost

control and would take over by entering her and

taking them both toward heaven. Annie expected

him to make his move at any second, but until then,

she intended to feed her desire, at her pace.

She moaned with contentment, feeling the

pressure build, knowing she was about to peak and

then explode into a mindless mass of pleasure.

Edging ever closer, Marshall seemed to know exactly

when she was about to succumb and pulled away

from her with a soft chuckle.

“Oh no, my sweet.” His teeth sank into Annie’s

shoulder. “You know what the rules are.”

“Ohhhhh…” Annie groaned with frustration. “So

close.” She smiled in spite of herself. “Then you’d

best get to it, husband.”

“Aren’t we the impatient one this morning.”

Marshall kissed her long and hard, thrusting his

hard-on against her as though to tease her. His

powerful hands caressed her breasts and then he

replaced them with his mouth. Annie cried out

softly, arching into his wet kiss. The inside of his

mouth was hot. His teeth gently nibbled at her taut

nipples, sending a tingle all the way to her core.

She couldn’t take much more.

“Aren’t you…” She trembled wildly when his

hand covered her mound and a finger slipped inside.

Oh!

“Aren’t I what?” Marshall asked against a

nipple, wiggling his finger in deeper.

Annie was panting. He was panting. What was

he waiting for? Then another finger slipped inside

her. “Aren’t you ready yet?”

His deep laughter, at her impatience, echoed

through the room. “More than ready, baby.” He

began to slowly travel down Annie’s twisting body,

kissing her along the way.

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She closed her eyes and held her breath until he

completed his journey. Everywhere Marshall kissed

and touched her left her flesh on fire. She would

never get tired of his lovemaking. Each time seemed

like their first and new discoveries were met with

breathless wonder. When he finally reached the wet

curls between her legs, she braced herself to

experience pleasure beyond comprehension.

She could feel his breath against her. Then his

hands made their way under her bottom and he

pulled her up against his mouth. At the same time,

his tongue entered her, as powerful and pleasurable

as his hard flesh. Gasping, Annie could only lay back

and enjoy what he was doing to her. Like the many

times before, he took his time loving her, feeding her

hunger, and his. Making sure that each time his

tongue glided smoothly into her, that it caressed her

everywhere.

“Marshall…” For the second time, Annie felt the

tell-tale signs of an approaching orgasm. She began

to move her hips faster and faster. His tongue began

to ram into her, caressing her inner walls. She felt

his whiskers scrape against the flesh between her

legs, adding further stimulation. “Marshall!”

His hands clenched into her buttocks and he

held Annie tightly against his mouth when she

came. She tried to pull her hips back when the

pleasure became too intense only he would have

none of that. He easily held her prisoner against his

mouth and exploring tongue.

Moments later, Marshall gradually released his

hold on her and slipped away. Annie sank upon the

bed with a long sigh, totally drained. Her heart was

pounding wildly in her chest as she panted heavily.

As her husband moved alongside her, she found the

energy to sit up and put her palms against his chest.

“Your turn, my love.” She pushed Marshall

down onto his back, knowing she wouldn’t have been

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able to if he hadn’t wanted her to.

“Be gentle with me.”

Annie returned his teasing grin before kissing

him on the mouth. She could tell he wanted her to

linger but she had other things on her mind. She

kissed his cheek, tugged on the lobe of his ear with

her teeth, kissed his chin and continued down his

body much like he had done to hers.

On the way to her intended target, which was

erect and waving at her impatiently, she gave tender

attention to his nipples, knowing Marshall liked

having her tongue them.

Moving down his torso, she nipped and licked at

his flesh until she reached her prize. Annie hesitated

and met Marshall’s gaze. He was watching her

intently, raw desire etched on his features, his eyes

almost black. Keeping her eyes on his, she stuck out

her tongue and licked his impressive hard-on like it

was a tasty lollipop. His low groan sounded like he

was in pain but the immediate flexing of his hips

indicated he liked what she was doing.

He wanted more.

Annie laughed softly, enjoying her power over

Marshall. She continued to lick him, from the tip to

the base, where she lavished loving attention on the

twin sacs pulled tight and full against him. This

time she went a little lower to unexplored territory.

“Oh shit, Annie…” Next thing she knew, his

hand was in her hair. “You’re going to make me lose

control if you’re not careful, baby.”

“Do you want me to be careful?” She took him in

her mouth. She loved the texture and taste of him.

“Hell no!” The hand in Annie’s hair clenched

tighter. He let her love him as long as he could stand

it before he gently encouraged her back up his body.

“I love you.”

They said it in unison. Their lips met in a tender

kiss. Then Marshall rolled, pinning Annie beneath

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him.

His hands cupped her face. “Sometimes I love

you so damn much that it scares me, Annie.”

“Why?”

“I’ve never been this happy before, sweetheart.

You complete me.” He kissed her long and hard.

Annie’s hands smoothed down his backside. His

erection was poised at her entrance, and with a

slight thrust of his hips, it was buried deep inside

her. They continued to kiss. Marshall began to move

in slow, deep strokes. He seemed content to take his

time, which was fine with her. Each time he entered

her body, he brushed against her pleasure, and

before long, she was nearing another orgasm.

Harsh breathing filled the room. Annie’s hips

arched to meet his as he picked up speed. They

nibbled at each other’s lips and tongues battled.

Hands explored each other’s bodies, discovering new

territories of pleasure.

She knew what would push Marshall over the

edge. She clenched her muscles around his shaft,

and at the same time, reached between them to cup

his balls.

He groaned.

She squeezed gently.

He shuddered.

“Annie…”

“Yes, love?” She licked his nipple, tugging on it

gently with her teeth.

“Oh shit!” He lost control, his hips jerking

several times in rapid succession. Annie felt his

powerful release and moaned softly, letting her body

join his in sweet release. For a moment, they were

helpless to do anything other than hold on and

shudder against each other.

Gradually, Marshall collapsed against Annie. By

that time, they were both fighting to catch their

breaths. Moisture glistened on their sweet

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dampened flesh. Their hair was damp, clinging

against their necks. The heady scent of their

coupling saturated the air around them, mixing with

the fresh salty air coming in through the open patio

door.

Annie closed her eyes, content enough to go back

to sleep. She loved the weekends when they were

able to lay there as long as they wanted. Relaxing,

talking, before making love some more. But today

was Friday and she had a nine o’clock appointment

with her doctor before heading to her office.

“Don’t go back to sleep, baby,” Marshall said

tiredly, as if reading her mind.

“Morning baby!” Annie chuckled upon hearing

Harold’s greeting. Marshall groaned.

“You know he’s grown on you.” She smiled.

“Like the plague.” Marshall drew back his head

and grinned down into her eyes. “If I didn’t love you

so damn much…”

“I guess that’s a good thing then.” Annie kissed

him on the chin. “Because I was thinking…”

He narrowed his eyes and his expression turned

serious. “Thinking? That usually means trouble.”

“You have a suspicious mind, detective.”

“I just know you.” He kissed the side of her face

and started down her throat. “What is it this time?”

He asked between kisses. “A puppy for Harold to

torture? A playmate for Lucy?”

Annie trembled as he made his way down her

chest to her breast. “Well, I was thinking it might be

nice to add to our little family.”

Marshall kissed her nipple. “We already have a

little menagerie, sweetheart, between the aquarium,

Harold and the kitten I surprised you with last

month.”

It was love at first sight when Annie saw the

little white, blue-eyed fluff ball for the first time,

which she named Lucy. “I thought this time I’d

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surprise you with something.”

“Really?” She felt his tongue on her skin. “And

what kind of animal could I possibly want?”

Annie could tell he was only half listening. He

was focused on loving her breasts and getting turned

on again. Still inside her, she felt him growing hard.

“What did you have in mind, sweetheart?”

“Something…a little different this time.”

She could hear the frown in his voice. “How

different?”

“Maybe something with just two legs this time.”

He halted, drawing away from the nipple he was

nibbling on. The frown between his eyes made Annie

smile. “Two legs?”

“And two arms.” Marshall continued to frown.

“Ten little toes, ten little fingers…”

Dawning finally registered on his handsome

face, followed by wonder. “Are you trying to tell me

that you’re…?”

Smiling with happiness, Annie nodded. “I know

we haven’t talked about having children—”

“Are you sure?” He interrupted.

She nodded. “Two pregnancy tests came out

positive and I have a doctor’s appointment this

morning to confirm it. I’ve had other symptoms, too.”

Annie gazed into his eyes for a long time, trying to

decipher his true feelings about having a baby. “I

hope you’re okay with this.”

“Are you kidding me?” His tone said he couldn’t

believe she’d even ask such a question.

“I would never kid about something as

important as having a baby.” She’d be heartbroken if

he didn’t want a child with her.

He shook his head. “No, sweetheart, that’s not

what I meant.” His hand went to her flat belly. “The

thought of you having my baby…” He kissed her

stomach tenderly and took a slow breath before

continuing. “Having a child with you is something

Tory Richards

226

I’ve dreamed of since making you mine. I was

beginning to think this kind of happiness would

elude me in my lifetime.”

Annie reached for him. He helped by letting her

pull him up her body. “You’ve had me from the first

moment I looked into your eyes. I love you. More

than I ever thought I could love anyone.”

Their lips met. A tender kiss that rapidly

escalated into a steamy moment, validating their

intense feelings for each other. When they came

apart, the love reflected in Marshall’s gaze brought

tears to Annie’s eyes. They completed each other.

“So, you’re happy about the baby?” Her voice

was hoarse with emotion.

“Very happy,” he assured her grinning. “The

thought of you carrying our son—”

“Our daughter.”

They exchanged a teasing smile. Annie knew it

wouldn’t matter one bit if they had a girl or a boy

because they were in it for the long haul, forever and

after, till death do they part.

A word about the author...

Tory Richards lives in Florida with her soul

mate and three crazy cats. Writing is a hobby and

her passion. Tory has wanted to be a writer since

she was a kid, but life always seemed to get in the

way. She didn't get serious until a few years ago,

when encouragement from her family prompted her

into submitting to a publisher. It surprised and

thrilled her when a couple months after submitting

her first manuscript she received her first contract

offer.

Originally from Maine, Tory resides in a quiet

retirement community where she spends her free

time penning tales of hot romances laced with

suspense, humor and sizzling sex. Writing is a hobby

for Tory. It thrills her to be able to share her stories.

And she loves seeing her characters come to life with

each new book cover.

Please visit her website

for information about all her books.

http://www.toryrichards.com

Thank you for purchasing

this Wild Rose Press publication.

For other wonderful stories of romance,

please visit our on-line bookstore at

www.thewildrosepress.com.

For questions or more information

contact us at

[e-mail].

The Wild Rose Press

www.TheWildRosePress.com