Chapter Nine
She lay beside him that night, staring thoughtfully at the curve of his back as he faced away from her. There hadn't been any talk of separate rooms, both of them feeling the bubble of fear that surrounded them.
Kaylee had tried to sleep, but every time she closed her eyes, she saw the knife and his eyes, those strange blue eyes that looked so normal but hinted at the dark evil that lived inside of him. Maybe it was the way she saw the knife, the reflection of his eyes in the silvery shine of the blade, that made him seem so evil. Or maybe it was just that he was.
She also kept thinking of Tina, still in his grasp, tortured, raped, mourning the loss of her lover. That is, if she knew that Angie had been killed. But how could she not, not when they'd been in the same bed together when he'd stuck the knife in her chest. It had been quick, which was a blessing but one that would offer little solace to Tina when they got her back. If they got her back.
"I can hear you thinking from here," Gabe said.
"I'm sorry," she answered him, turning on her side to face his back.
"It's okay. My mind doesn't want to shut down either. I keep thinking there should be something I should be doing, somewhere I should be." He rolled over, pulling the covers up a little so that they covered the band of his sweats.
She looked so young, lying there in the dim light that came in the window from the street lights outside. Her hair was loose, falling like a dark satiny waterfall to the pillow under her head. She wore a tank top that clung to her curves and a loose pair of pajama pants that were held up by a thin tie. And all he could think of was that dream he'd had, of her giving herself to him. It wasn't conducive to sleep, especially when every time he closed his eyes, he saw her standing at the top of the stairs in that red dress, her hands cupping her breasts, teasing him with the look in her eyes.
"Would it help to talk over the case? Maybe I can help somehow?"
"I was hoping that getting away from it for a few hours, sort of clearing my mind would help." He ran his hand over his hair and then scrubbed it across the rough whiskers that were starting on his chin.
"But having me here means you can't really get away from it." Kaylee felt a tug at her heart, like disappointment. But what did she have to be disappointed over? Just the fact that she found this man so attractive, stubble, mussed hair and all, and he seemed to think of her as a kid and a case, why should she be disappointed over that?
"No, that's not what I mean, Kaylee. You're great to have around. You help with the work, you don't complain and you make some of the most interesting sounds when you sleep. Not quite a snore, no, more like a grunt." He laughed and ducked back when she reached out to slap him, grabbing her hand and holding it against the smooth contours of his chest without thinking.
"That's not nice," she said, though she smiled as he meant her too. "I don't snore or grunt."
"Then there must have been a pig in here sleeping with me last night," he said, his hand rubbing gently against the back of hers.
"Well," she said, feeling a little breathless. "You're the cop..." she said, letting the sentence trail off and seeing his grin.
"Nice," he said. "Put me right in my place, didn't you?"
"You started it," she quipped back at him, her fingers flexing reflexively under his.
"Oh, yeah, uh," he said, realizing that he still held her hand. "Sorry."
"It's okay." She watched his eyes, seeing the look in them as he stared down at her. The silence between them grew, stretching thin until she could barely stand it. "Well, we should get some sleep," she said.
"Yeah," he agreed, though he didn't turn away or close his eyes.
Kaylee felt the blush that started to heat her cheeks. The way he was staring at her, intense, heated, like he wanted to eat her whole, had her body feeling as if it would go up in flames. "Good-night, Gabe," she managed to whisper, turning on her back, her head facing the other side of the room.
She could feel his eyes on her even after she felt the bed move as he got comfortable. She forced her eyes to close, letting her lashes rest lightly against her cheeks, and made herself breathe slowly, rolling away from him to her side, as if she were asleep.
It didn't take long before she felt the bed move once more, barely resisting the urge to jump as his arm wrapped around her, his hand resting gently against her stomach. His chest pressed up against her back, her head tucked just under his chin. She turned her head, looking up at him.
He was grinning, definitely not sorry. "You weren't sleeping, and I wasn't sleeping, Kaylee. I just thought this might make us both more comfortable."
"Are you?" she asked, without thinking.
He flexed the hand that he held at her waist, sliding it up and over the hand she had just inches from her breast, enclosing her hand in his huge one. "Mmm, yes, I enjoy holding you," he admitted unabashedly. "You're a nice armful."
His blue eyes sparkled, his dark hair falling over his forehead, giving him a boyish look. She could feel his naked chest pressed warmly against her, her ass cradled against his hips. It sent a flicker of heat through her, just the awareness of how close she was, how warm he was, how very male.
"Glad I can help," she quipped, hearing his chuckle as he pressed her head back down.
"Go to sleep, Kaylee."