So Sensitive (5 page)

Gracie frowned. “Do you read minds now?”

“Huh?”

“I was just sitting here thinking about that.”

He smiled and kept his gaze on the road. She took a second to admire his profile. If only her life wasn’t such a mess she could do more than admire. She squashed that wayward thought. “My neighbor, Mrs. Swinson. She’s one of the sweetest ladies. A little nosy, but a dear.”

“Think she’l be up to helping you?”

Gracie nodded. “She’s sixty-three, but the woman is a dynamo. A rather loud, one-hundred-pound powerhouse actual y.”

He laughed. “I real y need to meet this lady.”

The thought made her cringe. Gracie could wel imagine what Mrs. Swinson would say to a gorgeous man like Wade. She definitely wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. Come to think of it, she wasn’t sure she even wanted the two to meet. She didn’t need Wade any more involved with her life than necessary. Gracie’s mind turned to the meeting they’d had with the police detective after they’d left the hospital.

“So, what do you think the cops wil turn up?”

Detective Henderson had promised to have her car looked at personal y and to let her know if it appeared to have been tampered with. His attitude toward her wasn’t quite so patronizing this time around. She suspected her bruised face and having her arm in a sling had forced him to take her much more seriously. Of course, Wade’s commanding presence hadn’t hurt either. He’d snarled and growled like a grizzly.

“I think they’l find a totaled car and not much else. That S curve is damn secluded. The chance of a witness is pretty slim.”

She mul ed that over in her head before saying, “He picked the ideal spot, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, which makes me think he’s been down this road a few times.”

A chil ran down her spine. “You think he’s been to my apartment?”

“Yeah, Gracie, I do.”

“Oh, God, I didn’t even think of it. I just assumed . . . Oh, God.”

“You aren’t alone now, sweetheart. I’m your shadow now, remember?”

She liked the use of the endearment. It wasn’t the first time he’d cal ed her sweetheart or honey, but it never ceased to send a little zing of excitement through her. “How do we catch him? He’s like a ghost, coming and going without being seen.”

“We start with the e-mails.”

“What wil you do with those?”

“Jonas wil take care of that end. He’s a whiz at computers. He might be able to figure out who’s sending them. A location, anything would be better than what we have right now.”

“What if it’s a dead end?”

“Then we start working backwards. I’l need to know your habits, your schedule, the people you interact with on a daily basis.”

Seeing where he was headed, she frowned. “You think I know this guy?”

“Maybe, or maybe he just knows
you.
It could be someone you work with or even someone you’ve come into contact with at the bank, grocery store. Maybe al you did was smile at him, but whatever it was he took it personal y. He thinks he’s part of your life now.”

Frustration wel ed up, and she slammed her fist against the passenger window. “This is just crazy. Why me? I’m not that exciting!”

Wade reached over and patted her thigh. “Calm down. Beating up my truck won’t help. Don’t try to make sense of this. The guy’s warped. We start with what we know. The e-mails. The way he talks to you in them. His use of your first and middle name. We’l look at each sentence and see if something rings any bel s for you.”

The stroke of Wade’s thumb over the back of her hand soothed her. The way he talked, so methodical y, made Gracie wonder if he’d seen this type of thing before. “This isn’t new for you, is it?”

“Stalker cases, no. Being personal y involved with the client, yes.”

She shivered at his softly spoken words. Distracted by the idea of just how personal she wanted to get with Wade, she nearly missed her apartment complex. “Here! Turn here!”

Wade slammed on the brakes and swung into the parking lot before stopping and sparing her a questioning look.

“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”
I was a little busy with thoughts of hot, sweaty sex with you.

“Yeah, I got that. Which building?”

She pointed straight ahead. “That’s mine. It’s a garden apartment.” She rattled off her apartment number as she unbuckled her seat belt.

He nodded and drove forward. After parking and turning off the engine, he slung an arm over the back of her seat, crowding her. “So, how’s the security system?”

His nearness did things to her, wicked things. “Uh, I have a deadbolt if that’s what you mean.”

Wade tsked. “You live here alone and there’s no security system?”

Gracie stiffened. She could see exactly where this conversation was headed. “Those things are expensive, Wade. There’s no way I can afford something like that. Besides, I’m not always here alone. I have friends. Neighbors. I’m not an idiot; I do take precautions.”

His gaze snagged hers. “I never said you were an idiot, sweetheart. But I think we can both agree that it’s time you upgraded to a decent alarm. Especial y considering you have a private entrance.”

“Once I have enough money saved, yes.”

“I’m getting you an alarm system.”

Gracie immediately saw red. Damned arrogant man. She mental y counted to ten. Otherwise she’d end up saying something they’d both regret. “No, you aren’t. I’m not a freaking charity case.” He started to speak, but she wasn’t quite through. “You continue to assume I’m somehow your responsibility. We aren’t together, Wade. You’re helping me with this stalker, and I’m grateful for it. Beyond that you don’t have any right to dictate how I live my life.”

His eyes narrowed, and she watched as a muscle in his jaw twitched. He leaned close, too close. She could smel his masculine scent, see his five o’clock shadow, and her pussy throbbed. “When it comes to your safety, I make the rules. Until we catch your secret admirer, you do as I say. Tel me you understand this, Gracie.”

Not about to give in, Gracie crossed her arms over her chest and said, “You are not buying me a security system.”

He didn’t speak. Not a word. For long moments he simply stared at her. She fidgeted under his intense scrutiny. When he reached up, cupped her chin in his gentle palm, and smiled, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“You’re a very independent woman, Gracie Baron.”

His voice skittered along her nerve endings. No man should have a voice like that. It simply wasn’t fair. “I’ve had to be.”

He stroked her lower lip with the pad of his thumb, and Gracie swore she felt the caress along her clit. “You need to learn a few things. The first of which is that just because you al ow someone to help you, it doesn’t necessarily make you weak.”

“You aren’t just anyone, Wade. You’re a man, and you’ve made it clear you want me.”

His thumb stopped moving. “So because I want to buy you a security system, and I want you safe, that automatical y means I’m going to expect things from you? Like a mistress or something?”

She hadn’t meant it to come out quite like that. Damn, the man made her head spin. “No, that’s not what I’m saying. Look, in my experience men don’t do things unless there’s something in it for them.”

“Then you’ve been hanging out with the wrong guys, sweetheart. When we get naked and I’m buried deep inside your sexy body it’l be because we both want it. And it won’t have a damn thing to do with repaying a debt either.”

Gracie didn’t know what to say. In fact, silence seemed like a good plan.

He shook his head and smiled, then dropped his hand. “You’re quite a puzzle, Gracie.”

Okay, that so didn’t seem complimentary. “What does that mean?”

“You’re cynical yet innocent at the same time. You look at me as if you want to eat me up, then push me away when I get too close.”

Had she been doing that? Giving him mixed signals? “It was never my intention, Wade. I’m sorry if I’ve been a . . . tease.”

The hand on the back of her seat moved to her hair. His fingers sifted and played. “Not a tease. But you are afraid of me.”

She shook her head, desperate to stay on track. “No, I’m not afraid of you. It’s not that.”

His fingers, those talented masculine fingers, moved along the column of her neck. He kneaded and stroked, and Gracie wanted to melt against the seat and let him have at her.

“Then what, baby? You feel the sparks; I know you do. I’ve seen you wavering on that fence. Each time I ask you out, you’re a hairsbreadth away from saying yes. Yet you deny yourself each time.”

He real y was a mind reader. Either that or she was just that transparent. Both options sucked. “I don’t want to get into this here. Besides, I’m getting hungry.” A lie, but a necessary one. Much more of his deep voice, his skil ful caresses, and she’d be begging him to fuck her.

Wade released her and leaned back. “I’l let you off the hook for now. But soon we need to have this conversation.”

When he opened his door, Gracie knew her days were numbered. She’d been fighting the attraction too long. The only thing left to figure out was how she would handle it once he’d had his fil of her.

5

F
or the mil ionth time, Wade reminded himself that Gracie was injured. She needed a little time. He could give that to her, he assured himself.

Gracie squirmed in his arms and muttered under her breath. His cock hardened in his jeans.

“Stop squirming,” he growled.

“I don’t need to be carried.”

Wade rol ed his eyes. “You act as if I’m a wimp. Afraid I’l drop you?”

“No, I’m afraid I’m going to clobber you. I feel ridiculous. I didn’t break my leg, Wade.”

He grinned now. “I know, but I sort of like having you in my arms.”

She looked at him with that schoolmarm expression that turned his dick to granite. “It’s a sin to take advantage of a woman who is in no shape to defend herself.”

He leaned down to whisper into her ear, “I never said I was choir boy, sweetheart.”

She didn’t say anything else. A surefire sign he was getting under her skin. Gracie only went silent when she was aroused.

He’d noticed it before. She could flay him alive with her sharp tongue, but turned on, she seemed unable to string two words together. What would she be like once he got her beneath him? Would she shout out her pleasure or purr like a cat?

“Keys?”

Gracie pul ed them out of the purse she had clutched in her good hand. He watched her slip the key into the doorknob first, then use another for the deadbolt. He stil couldn’t believe she had some nut job hot on her tail and she hadn’t invested in an alarm. Wade thought of her father, the drunken ass who’d visited her at the hospital. Didn’t the man care at al about his daughter?

After unlocking both locks, she pushed the door wide. Wade crossed the threshold and entered Gracie’s private domain. He’d wondered a few times what her place would look like. She seemed so straightlaced. He expected something along the lines of a doctor’s office waiting room. Neat sitting arrangements and alphabetized reading material. The real thing wasn’t anything like he’d expected.

The spacious living room appeared like something right out of
Country Living.
The light pine coffee table and entertainment cabinet, along with a big, fluffy, blue couch and easy chair were a nice surprise, and not at al what he’d expected. There were books, dozens of them, scattered about. The place looked lived in. He liked it. It sure as hel wasn’t the neat, sterile surroundings he’d expected.

“Cozy,” he said.

“Say anything negative, and I’l hurt you.”

He chuckled. “I like your home, Gracie. It’s warm, inviting.” As he careful y sat her in the center of the couch, his gaze caught the title of one of the books on the cushion next to her. He bent and picked it up. “
Dream Lover
. Real y?”

Her cheeks turned pink, and she snatched it out of his hand. “Not a word, Wade Harrison. Not one word.”

Wade straightened and strode to the front door that stil stood open. He closed it and turned the lock, before facing Gracie again. Making a mental note of the way she clutched onto the book, as if her life depended on it, Wade said, “Judging by that blush and the way you’re holding that book, I’m thinking I may need to read it. Maybe I’l learn more about the owner.”

“If you value your life you’l stay away from my books.”

He tsked and crossed his arms over his chest. “Threatening violence over a sil y romance novel?”

“It’s not sil y. I treasure my books.” She smoothed her palm over the cover and smiled at it as if it were a living thing, rather than paper and ink. A spurt of jealousy shot through him. He wanted her stroking him, damn it. “They’ve gotten me through some pretty rough times.” Her head shot up and she pointed at him. “And don’t make assumptions about things you know nothing about.”

Wade had meant to harass her, to get her mind off her aches and pains. And it’d worked, but he could see the signs of strain in the stiff way she sat and the lines around her mouth. The pain meds were wearing off. He hated to see Gracie in pain.

He started across the room. “Where’s your kitchen?”

“Why?”

He stopped and rol ed his eyes. “Don’t sound so damn suspicious. I’m not going to raid your refrigerator. I want to get you a glass of water so you can take another pain pil .”

“Sorry.” She looked down at her lap and fiddled with the hem of her T-shirt. “I’m a little frustrated, I guess. I’m not used to feeling so helpless.

Quite frankly, it sucks.”

The smal admission spoke volumes. Gracie didn’t strike him as the type to admit weakness. He closed the distance between them and sat next to her on the couch. He cupped her chin in his palm, enjoying the feel of her satin skin way too much, and murmured, “None of us ever enjoys being helpless, honey. I should know. I’ve had my share of broken bones over the years and had to ask for help every time. It does suck, but that’s what friends are for, to lean on when the going gets rough.”

“I can’t imagine you ever being helpless, Wade.”