Secret Admirer

She waited.

The air itself seemed to get very, very heavy.

“You want to run that by me again?” His hands fell to his sides and fisted.

“I think there is room for us both in the bed.”

“You should dry off. Get changed. Go to bed. It’s late, and you don’t know what the hell you’re saying—”

She took her time as she eliminated the distance between them. Alice would like to think that she did a sexy stroll toward Zander, but in reality, she probably looked like a dripping wet mess. Maybe that’s why he’s not jumping at the chance for sexy times with me. She stopped right in front of him. “I know exactly what I’m saying. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

A furrow appeared between his dark brows. “It took me two months to convince you to have dinner with me. Now you’re ready for—”

“More than dinner,” Alice finished, and she hoped he didn’t realize just how hard it was to say those words. How hard it had been to go to his cabin. But she wasn’t going to be the scared victim any longer. A year was long enough. “I want you. And judging by the way you kissed me, I think you want me, too.”

“I’d have to be insane not to want you.” His words were a rough growl.

She smiled at him. He didn’t get that her self-esteem had been crap for months. That she doubted every move she made. To have someone now stare at her like she was the best thing he’d ever seen… “Thank you.”

“What changed?” His hands were still fisted.

A shiver slid over her. Mostly due to the cold…or, perhaps it was due to the intense, hot look in his eyes. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you after you left. And I realized I didn’t want to be the same woman any longer.” The woman who didn’t take chances. The woman who would never think about making love with a man on the first date.

Too risky…You don’t know him well enough. You can’t trust him.

She would have bet her life on Hugh being a good man. On being someone she could trust. She would have lost her bet and her life.

Alice stared straight into Zander’s eyes. Such dark eyes. “I want to be with you tonight. If you don’t want me…if you don’t want this, it’s okay.” She kept her chin up. “I’ll go shower.” A warm shower would chase away the chill from the rain. “And you can decide what you want.”

He pointed to the stairs. His gaze positively burned. “The shower is at the top of the stairs.”

Her body brushed against his. Was that seductive? Or clumsy? She was so out of practice at this. “Thank you.”

She took her time heading to the bathroom. Trying for a sensual walk again, but probably just getting more water on his floor and stairs. Once she was inside the bathroom, Alice shut the door behind her with a soft click. Her gaze darted to the mirror.

What in the hell are you doing?

***

What in the hell was he doing? Zander caught himself before he bounded toward the bathroom. His dick was rock-hard in his jeans, shoving so tightly against the zipper that he was pretty sure he’d have an imprint on his cock. Tension tightened every muscle in his body, and he just wanted to head toward the bathroom, throw open that door—

And have her.

He closed his eyes. Counted to ten. Then fucking twenty. The lust didn’t lessen. He’d known the desire he felt for Alice would be a problem. From the very first day when he’d gone to her cabin, rapped on the door, and then found himself staring into her unforgettable eyes.

Fucking problem.

But he’d thought he could hold himself in check. He’d sure as hell never expected Alice’s offer…

There is room for us both in the bed.

His phone rang. The distinctive peal—metallic and flat—told him the caller was Randall. Swearing, Zander turned away from the bathroom and the roar of the shower that he could now hear. If he was going to talk to his partner, this was the time. While she was in the shower, Alice wouldn’t be able to overhear his conversation.

He grabbed the phone and slipped into the kitchen. “What?” His voice was low and angry, but Zander couldn’t help it.

“The weather is so freaking bad that I’m pulling the other agents back. Keep Alice May at your place for the night. We need to make sure she doesn’t try to slip past our guard.”

Oh, she’s about to slip right under my guard, all right.

“Z?”

“What?”

“You got everything under control there?”

Not even close. “She won’t leave tonight. Don’t worry about it.”

“Is she close by? Can she hear you?”

His hold tightened on the phone. “What the hell do you think I am? An amateur? She’s in the shower. I’m going to give her dry clothes to wear, and then I’m tucking her into bed for the night.”

Silence.

“Uh, tucking her in?” Randall coughed. “Then…you’re sure things are under control?”

“I’ve got her.” Why did his words come out with a hard, possessive edge?

“This could be an opportunity. Talk to her. Gain her trust—”

“I have her fucking trust.” She’d come to him. Offered herself to him. And he felt like the worst kind of bastard. Because I am. “And everything I’ve learned is telling me she’s innocent. Alice wasn’t involved in Julianna’s murder. I don’t think she was involved with any of the kills.”

“The phone calls tonight—”

“Someone is fucking with her.” Zander didn’t like that. Not one bit. “Instead of looking at her as the top suspect, we need to reassess. She could need our protection.”

“Z—”

The shower had shut off. “I have to go. She’s coming out of the shower, and I need to give her one of my t-shirts to wear.”

“Z.” Worry blasted in Randall’s voice. “You’re not sleeping with her.”

It wasn’t a question. And since it wasn’t a question, Zander didn’t give his partner an answer. He ended the call, tossed the phone onto the counter, and hurried to his bedroom. He found an old Army shirt and rushed back to the bathroom. He opened the door and slipped the shirt inside, putting it on the sink. “This is for you.” The words were gruff and hard, and steam drifted out of the bathroom. He backed away, as fast as he could.

A few moments later, Alice crept out of the bathroom. “I, um, hung my wet clothes over your shower rod. Is that okay?”

She wasn’t supposed to look that sexy in his shirt. He’d gotten the biggest shirt he could find, thinking it would conceal her. But…the neck of the t-shirt slipped over one of her shoulders, a sexy little slip. And the bottom of the t-shirt fell to mid-thigh on her. Alice had incredible legs. The fabric of the shirt was old and worn, and he could easily see the thrust of her tight nipples against—

“Is that okay?” Alice repeated.

He spun on his heel, giving her his back. “Absolutely.” A snap.

“Zander?”

“You’re sleeping in the bedroom.” He was trying to keep his control. Trying really hard not to pounce on her. FBI agents didn’t pounce. “I’m on the couch.”

“You…you don’t want me.”

He sucked in a deep breath and slowly turned toward her. “I can’t remember wanting a woman this much.” And that wasn’t some line. Not some BS that he threw out to make her feel more connected to him. It was the absolute truth. “But you need to be sure. Sure of yourself. Sure of me. Before we take a step that we can’t take back.” Every time he pulled in a breath, Zander swore he tasted her. “If I have you, I don’t think I’d be able to let go.”

Wait. Where in the hell had those words just come from?

But…he meant them. Something told him this wouldn’t be a one-time deal, not for him, and not for her. And he knew how important this particular date was for Alice. There was no way he could have worked the Secret Admirer case and not understood the importance of this particular first anniversary.

Alice had come to him just after midnight. She’d co

me to him on the one-year anniversary of Hugh’s death. On the anniversary of the date her life had gone to hell.

He was trying to do the right thing, a hard feat when every part of him wanted to do so many very, very wrong things to her. With her. In that big bed just waiting in the bedroom… “See if you still feel the same way in the daylight,” he rasped. See if you still feel the same way when demons aren’t chasing you.

Alice’s eyes were so big and deep. She stared at him a moment longer, then, without a word, she padded into the bedroom. Zander didn’t realize he was holding his breath, not until the door closed softly behind her.

When it did…

He exhaled. Shuddered.

Then he marched into the bathroom and prepared for one very cold shower.

***

Her cabin was dark and still. Rain pounded down, and thunder rumbled, hiding his approach. He’d planned this moment for so long. It was finally his time.

Getting inside was easy. Her locks were a joke, and Alice hadn’t remembered to turn on her security system. She’d always been far too trusting.

So many days—weeks—had passed since he’d last seen her in person. Had she missed him? He’d certainly missed her. He climbed up the stairs. The third stair creaked, but the soft sound was swallowed by the storm’s fury. Up, up he went, and then he was at the top of the stairs. A door waited to his right. Alice’s bedroom.

He opened the door. The hinges didn’t squeak, there was no sound at all, and then he was inside. Rain drops fell off him, trailing onto the floor as he approached the bed.