* * *
TEARS PRICKED BETH’S EYES as she wrapped her arms around the hot, male body pressing her deep into the mattress. Wonder and tenderness filled her. So that’s what it’s supposed to be like. She loved having Tony sprawled atop her, somehow vulnerable in a way she’d never seen him. His weight felt so good, she held on tight when he groaned and tried to move. “Don’t.”
“I’m crushing you.” His voice was deep, creating a vibration against her breasts.
“No.”
He rolled anyway, but took her with him, so that she remained snug against his body. “That was amazing,” he murmured, as he rubbed his cheek on her head.
“Yes.” She’d call it an understatement, at least where she was concerned. Extraordinary for her might be average sex for him.
A faint buzzing came from the bedside table. He lifted his head, reached over her for the phone and touched the screen to open a text. After reading it, he said a word she was sure he wouldn’t use in front of his mother and let his head fall back on the pillow.
“Your job?”
“No.” His chest rose and fell on a long sigh. “My sister. Eloisa. Her husband’s out of town. My mother says Eloisa isn’t answering her phone. She’s been so nauseated she’s losing weight instead of gaining, and her little boy is too young to know to answer her phone if mommy has collapsed.”
“Oh. You’d better go.” She only hoped he wasn’t making up an excuse to extract himself from her bed.
“Yeah. Let me try her. She may just be dodging Mamá.” One ring followed another, nobody picking up. “Damn.” He kissed her cheek and sat up, making a grumbly sound. “I’m sorry, Beth. I don’t want to leave.”
She managed what she thought was a credible smile. “I hope your sister is okay.”
“Me, too.” He found his knit boxer shorts and pulled them on, followed by his pants and shirt.
Feeling ridiculously shy, considering his hands and mouth had explored so much of her body, she slipped out of bed and started getting dressed, too. Out of the corner of her eye, she was very aware of Tony putting on his socks and shoes before feeding his belt through the loops on his pants. The badge he shoved in a pocket, but he snapped his holster back on. She hadn’t had very many men in her bed, and watching him do such everyday things gave her unexpected joy.
Unless he was running out on her.
She slipped on flip-flops, perfectly adequate to walk him out. She’d kick even those off once he was gone. She liked going barefoot at home.
On the way to the back door, he said, “I should help you clean up.”
“Don’t be silly. It won’t take a minute.”
The cool night air felt good, so she stepped out on the concrete landing with him. A three-quarter moon hung high in the sky. It would have been a romantic night to go for a walk or a drive. But, no. Tony gave her a hasty kiss, said, “I’ll call you in the morning,” and loped toward his pickup truck.
She watched as he backed out, wondering if he so much as glanced back through the rearview mirror as he drove away down the alley. Probably not; he had to be more worried about his sister than he’d let her see.
He had turned the corner and gone out of sight when a crunch on gravel close by made her pulse leap. Beth spun toward the sound, except one of the flimsy flip-flops didn’t pivot. Tangled with it, she was stumbling when she saw the tall, dark shape swinging a baseball bat at her head.
CHAPTER TWELVE
BETH SCREAMED AS she fell forward, a whip of wind lifting her hair when the bat passed above her head. Even as she crashed painfully to her hands and knees, she kept screaming. She wanted to scrabble away, but this monster out of the darkness had to be readying another swing. So instead, she flung herself at him.
The crack of bone and searing pain sent her down again, her fingertips barely grazing his pants. This time, she rolled but bumped up against her own concrete stoop almost immediately.
Back porchlights came on and voices called out. Running footsteps approached, and her attacker bolted. She saw his back as he crossed the alley at an angle, almost beneath a streetlight.
Then a young man was crouching at her side. “Jesus. Are you all right?” He raised his voice. “Has anyone called 9-1-1?”