Hot Target

She pressed her hand to his face. “It might come to that,” she said reluctantly, “but we’re not there yet. You pitch that great season you’re after. Let me and my team make this go away. If we can’t or if things get worse, then and only then will we talk about you taking some time off. Now, let’s go back down to the party where we belong.”

He drew her hand from his cheek to his lips. “I say we get the hell out of here,” he said. “Go find our own afternoon diversion.”

As tempting as his offer sounded, Katie had to consider the psychological profile of this person with her team. The safest thing in her mind was to go on with the rest of the party as if all was normal. She didn’t want to send this person running for the hills where they couldn’t catch him or her. Nor did she want to set off anger that turned to violence.

She pressed her lips to his. Then, “We aren’t being run off from the party any more than you are the mound. Not if I have any say-so in the matter.”

His eyes lit and turned dark, his voice raspy, affected. His hand slid over her lower back, molding her close. “Have I told you I’m crazy about you?”

She smiled. “Mostly you’ve told me I make you crazy.”

“That, too,” he said. “But I like crazy. I like crazy one hell of a lot.”

So did she. And though she knew there were all kinds of reasons she shouldn’t, she couldn’t think of one of them right here and now.

When finally they headed back to the party, Katie reported the broken vase to Heather, who charged toward the house to inspect the damage. Katie sat down in a lawn chair as Luke went back to his horseshoes, and she inventoried what she’d learned. Jessica wasn’t at the party, which all but eliminated her from the suspect list, assuming the bathroom encounter had been with the stalker. Olivia had been in the backyard talking with Rick so that pretty much ruled out both of them. Ron wasn’t even present to be considered as a suspect, not that she’d ever really considered him. He was a heavy-handed manager and a manipulator, but she doubted he was behind the letters. As for the agent trying to connect with Luke at the charity benefit—turned out to have an excuse to be there besides stalking Luke. Sadly, he had a sister with leukemia. Libby, on the other hand, was concerning in all kinds of ways. And she’d disappeared without saying goodbye to anyone. She was volatile, illogical.

Libby had become her prime suspect—at least for locking her in the bathroom. There was always the chance that there was no connection between what had happened in that bathroom and the letters. An unlikely chance, but still a chance. Katie glanced at Luke and realized she was no closer to figuring out who was threatening him, but there was one thing she was closer to—and that was falling for Luke. He was the one making her crazy.

***

IT WAS close to ten that same night, and Katie had been at the kitchen table with Josh and Noah, reviewing Luke’s file and talking through security plans for several hours, when Luke quietly snuck into the kitchen and snatched a bottle of water. He wore sweats and a snug T-shirt, and had sexy, masculine stubble brushing his jaw.

His gaze slid to Katie’s as if he sensed she was watching him. Instant awareness crackled between them, his eyes lingering on hers before he silently slipped out of the room.

Katie quickly cut her gaze back to the file, delicately clearing her throat. “Okay, so tomorrow the new security system arrives and—”

“At least your cover’s going to be believable,” Noah said quietly.

Katie looked up to find them both staring at her. “What?”

“You and Luke. We aren’t stupid, Katie. We can see you two have something going on.”

Her first reaction was denial, but Katie squashed it. Noah and Josh were too smart for that. “It’s unprofessional,” she said. “I know, and—”

“You’re afraid it’s a distraction,” he said.

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Fighting anything as obvious as what you two have, while you try and play boyfriend and girlfriend,” Noah said. “That’s a distraction. Use it, Katie. Make it work for you. Use the insight to Luke to find this person who’s turning his life upside down.” He pushed to his feet, leaving her to the files and her own thoughts.

Josh stood, as well, and then grinned. “Do your part to keep that man focused on something other than the letters so he can get on that mound and fire away.”

Noah grabbed Josh’s arm and tugged him along, grumbling a remark in the process.

Katie sat there, her emotions twisting and turning, before she took the file and headed to the den where Luke had been watching replays of preseason baseball games for hours.