Bad Habit (18 page)

Angel returned to his rental car
and knocked on the driver’s side window. “Teri, it’s
me.”

She unlocked the door and moved to the passenger
side.

The air conditioning blasted his now damp clothes
but he welcomed its chill. He slipped the car into reverse and
backed onto the roadway, turning away from the direction the other
car had taken.

When they reached Broadway, he
glanced at her face. She looked pale and scared, her hands gripped
together. A flood of remorse filled his chest. Mentally, he cursed
himself for being a fool.

“
I’m sorry, Teri.” He turned north
on Broadway and hooked a tight right into a residential area. He
drove around the darkened streets until he felt sure they weren’t
being followed.

Angel turned the lights off and
coasted to a stop under a large oak, its branches sheltering the
street below. “I’m an idiot. I put you at risk.” He expelled a deep
breath. “I accused you of making poor choices and now I’m doing
it.”

Teri’s head came up and she turned
to look at him. “What are you talking about, Angel?”

“
I’m acting like a lovesick
schoolboy and not like a cop. I’m not protecting you.”

Her voice came soft in the darkness. “I’ll point out
that I’m still alive.”

“
No thanks to me. I could have
gotten us both killed back there.”

“
Maybe you are an idiot, but you’re
my idiot.”

Angel grinned in the darkness.
“Thanks. Was that as close as I’m going to get to a declaration of
love?”

“
For now. Let’s try to get through
this thing alive.”

“
Deal. Would you feel safer if I
take you to a hotel or home...to my parent’s home?”

“
Take me home.”

Angel turned the lights on and
propelled the car forward. In spite of their peril, he felt
inordinately happy that she cared for him and that she wanted him
to take her home.

#

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Angel kept an eye on the rear view
mirror and circled several blocks randomly before pulling into his
parent’s driveway. He had endangered Teri. He felt like a complete
fool.

He led her through the back door
and made sure it was locked securely behind them. The lights were
low and the family had gone to bed.

“
Are you hungry?” he
asked.

She shook her head. “Any water?”

“
This isn’t a bottled water kind of
family. I can give you tap water with ice.”

She glowered at him. “There you go
again with the stereotyping. I just need cold water.”

He sighed. “Teri, I wasn’t trying
to stereotype.” He filled a glass with ice and held it under the
tap.

“
Sorry.” She accepted the glass
from him. “I’m tired and feeling very vulnerable.”

“
Let’s crash. We’ll figure it out
tomorrow.” He turned out the lights behind them, checking to make
sure the front door was locked and bolted before following Teri up
the stairs.

She opened the door to his former
room and turned back to him. “Angel...” Her voice was soft. “I
don’t want to sleep alone. Do you think your mother would
understand?”

Angel nudged her inside and closed
the door behind him, tossing his jacket on the back of a chair. “I
hope she will, Mia. She knows all about love.” He twisted the lock
on the door. He relished the idea of holding Teri in his arms while
she slept.

“
Good.” Teri pulled the knit shirt
off over her head and let it drop to the floor.

Astounded, he stared, his mouth
open. He didn’t know how to react. Wordlessly, he sent her a
one-sided smile.

Teri unzipped her jeans and stepped
out of them. She stood, gazing solemnly at Angel. “That is, if you
still want me.”

“
Want you?” He swallowed a bundle
of razor blades at the back of his throat. He held her gaze as he
hurriedly shed his clothing. His dreams were about to come true.
They regarded each other for a moment before Angel opened his
arms.

She wrapped both arms around his
neck and rained little kisses on his face as he lifted her off her
feet.

He kissed her shoulder, his stubble
of beard rasped against her skin. He drew in a sharp breath as she
drew her legs up around his torso. “Teri, I...”

“
Not now, Angel. I don’t want
anything to stop us from doing what we’ve both wanted since we
met.” She gazed at him tenderly. “Just for tonight, you’re not the
cop and I’m not the witness.”

He hesitated, torn between duty and
desire.

Teri tilted her head and smiled at
him.

He swallowed. “This is going to
change everything between us.” He took two steps to the bed and
lowered her onto it.

“
Good. Maybe you’ll stop being so
bitchy.” She giggled at the look he gave her.

“
I am never bitchy.” He climbed
onto the bed beside her and traced his fingers over her silky
underwear. “Nice panties, lady.” He slid the pink bikinis off and
rolled her onto her back.

He trailed a line of kisses from
the side of her neck to her lips. He grazed her thigh with his
fingertips. As Angel caressed her he felt a tight band loosen
around his heart.

Teri kissed his shoulder, tasted
his skin. Angel drew in a sharp breath as she trailed her lips
along his collarbone delivering nibbles and kisses. She scratched
his skin lightly with her short nails, thrilling his senses with
her desire.

Angel kissed her lips, explored her
mouth. Teri embraced him, pulling him closer as she wrapped her
thighs around him.

When their bodies coupled Teri
gasped out in pleasure.

“
I love you Teri,” he said. “You
better be in love with me.” His voice was smoky with desire as he
pressed himself deep inside her.

She matched her rhythm to his,
crying out in little moans with each stroke.

Angel felt her excitement blaze out
of control as pleasurable little tremors pulsed through her body.
Her passion engulfed him as he joined her pleasure. They clung
together, wet and spent in the aftermath.

He smiled and brushed damp hair
away from her forehead. Gazing into her eyes, he saw only
tenderness there.

“
I am,” she gasped.

“
In love with me?” At her nod, a
deluge of happiness filled him, threatened to drown him. He leaned
down for another kiss. “But you can’t quite say it, can
you?”

She shook her head.

“
As long as you feel it, I can wait
for you to find the words.”

They lay together and eventually
slept.

When the first rays of sunlight
slanted into the room, they were still entangled in each other’s
limbs.

Angel opened his eyes and
cautiously turned his head to gaze at Teri’s sleeping face. Her
expression was peaceful and relaxed. She embraced him with an arm
and leg stretched casually across his torso, her face on his
shoulder. This was what he’d wanted. Now that she was here, he
wondered if he had come to this place honestly.

He examined her features, feeling
overwhelmed by longing. She had resisted when he first came on to
her. Last night she gave herself to him, but he’d continually
pursued her. Perhaps she felt she had no choice.

He tried to erase the negative
thoughts bombarding him. He wanted her to want him. He couldn’t
deny the passion they’d shared the previous night, but did she love
him?
Why can’t she say it?

He realized her eyes were open and
she was watching him intently. “Good morning, Querida.”

“
What’s wrong?”

He felt her voice resonate from her
throat pressed against his chest. He smiled and brushed the hair
away from her forehead. “What makes you think something’s
wrong?”

“
Your face.” She shifted her
position slightly, causing a surge to his libido. “We may be fairly
new together but I’m becoming an expert on gauging your internal
temperature by your expression.”

“
Think so, huh?” A grin spread
across his face. “Gauge this.” He pressed her hand against his
erection.

“
I noticed,” she said. “You seem to
be a morning person.”

“
I’m interested in you
twenty-four/seven.”

“
Is this part of the passionate
Latino thing you were telling me about?”

“
Maybe I’m just glad to see
you.”

A knock at the door, interrupted anything she might
have said.

“
Teri?” Esme knocked
again.

“
Yes,” she responded.

“
Mama’s making pancakes and she
wants to make sure everyone’s at the table so she can serve them
hot.”

“
I’ll be right down,” Teri
said.

Esme could be heard knocking on other doors.

Angel chuckled close to her ear.
“Why couldn’t you tell her you’re allergic to pancakes?”

She laced her fingers through his
and pushed herself into a sitting position. “I’m not going anywhere
until you tell me what’s crawled under your skin since last
night?”

He kissed her fingertips. He gazed
into her eyes and sighed. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“
What makes you think you’ll lose
me?” Her wide eyes searched his, demanding answers. “Do you think
I’m the kind of woman who falls into bed so easily?”

“
I think you were right when you
said you were tired and vulnerable last night. I took
advantage.”

“
Don’t you think it was the other
way around?” Teri asked. “I was the one who asked you to stay.
We’ve been skating all around the elephant in the room since we
met. I thought it was time we addressed the elephant.”

“
The elephant being sex?”

“
You call it sex. I call it the
great physical attraction between us. If it’s just sex then the
curiosity should have been satisfied last night.”

“
You know it’s more than sex on my
part.”

“
I know and I feel the same way. I
hope you realize that.”

“
I think so,” he said. “But I’d
like to hear you say it. You act like you love me but, for some
reason, you’re not willing to tell me.”

“
I just...” She looked away,
blinking as though to prevent an onrush of tears.

Angel sighed. “I’m not going to
pressure you any more, Teri.” He brought her attention back with
his fingertip on her cheek. “You’ve been through a lot in the past
few weeks. I’ll be the most patient man on earth. All I want is for
you to tell me your feelings, whatever they are.”

She released a heavy sigh. “I’m
feeling like I need a shower.”

Disappointed, he tried to smile.
“Grab your robe and run.”

As she exited the room he lay back
on the pillows. That didn’t go the way he’d intended.

Angel’s cell rang. He frowned and answered it.

“
Detective Garcia? It’s Sister
Clement.” Her voice sounded strained.

“
Yes, Sister. What can I do for
you?”

“
I...I’m with someone who wants to
talk to you.”

“
Detective Garcia is it?” A man’s
voice came on the line. The hair on the back of Angel’s neck stood
at attention. He recognized the accent as being unmistakably from
the East coast.

“
Who is this?”

“
I’m the guy who has the little
nun, Sister Clement here.”

“
What do you want?”

“
I saw you yesterday outside the
nun’s place. I recognized the woman with you and she’s got
something I want.”

Angel cleared his throat. “What
makes you think so?”

“
Don’t play games, Detective. Have
Teri Slaughter call me. Tell her I’ve come for what’s
mine.”

#

Bernie saw the new janitor standing
on a small step ladder in the hall outside her classroom. He was
changing the air conditioner filters. She waited for him to
complete his task and climb down from the ladder.

He stared at her uneasily, holding
the used filter at his side. He was well over six feet tall and had
a stocky frame.

“
I don’t believe we’ve met, sir.”
Bernie extended her hand. “My name is Sister Bernadette. I’m the
art teacher.”

“
I know who you are,” the man said.
“I’ve seen you around.” He wiped his large hand on his coveralls
and shook hers. “I’m Klaus, Ma’am. Klaus Grunfeld.”

“
I’m pleased to meet you Klaus. I
didn’t know that Herman was planning on leaving us. He’s been here
since long before I arrived.” She looked at him expectantly, her
clear blue eyes searching his.

“
I don’t know him.” He folded the
ladder and tucked it under his arm. “I have work to do.”

Bernie felt herself reddening.
“Yes, of course. I just thought you might know if he’s alright.”
She realized Klaus was much younger than she’d originally thought,
perhaps in his late twenties.

“
I don’t know, Ma’am. Excuse me.”
He hurried down the hall without looking back.