Kate Hoffmann - Declan

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you put that paint on my car, just so you could break the four-day rule.” She drew a shaky breath. “But I know better.”

“Yeah, you do.”

“Yesterday, I came out to the parking lot at the university to find that my car had been keyed. Scratched up one side and down the other. A really deep gouge.”

“Why didn’t you call me then?”

Her lower lip trembled as she fought back tears and she bit it in an attempt to keep her emotions under control.

“It’s all right,” Dec said. “I know you’re scared, but this is good. He’s coming out into the open. He’ll be easier to catch.”

“I thought I was being paranoid. I can’t look at anyone the same anymore. Even Daniel and Simon.”

“What about Daniel and Simon?”

Rachel took a deep breath. “Daniel admitted yesterday that, at one time, he’d hoped we might have a-a future. And he also said that he thought Simon had a crush on me.”

“He what?” Dec cursed, a flood of jealousy nearly overwhelming him. “Is there any man who isn’t in love with you? Rachel, these are motives here. You should have told me.”

“I didn’t know until yesterday,” she insisted. “I mean, it was surprising, but we’ve been friends for years. I once had a little crush on him, too, but our timing was never right. Besides, he couldn’t have done this. He was with me when it happened. And Simon was teaching classes all morning.”

“You’re sure of that?”

She nodded. “As far as I knew, Jerry Abler was the guy and he was in jail. I figured the scratch on my car was just some random vandalism. I called the campus police and they filled out a report. They said they’d take a look at the videotapes and see if they could figure out who did it.”

“There are videotapes?” Dec asked, his interest suddenly sharpened.

“There are cameras all over campus. They all feed into campus security.”

“All right. I’m going to call over there and make sure I get a chance to see the tapes. They might have missed something.”

“Do you think he wants to kill me?” she asked.

She blurted out the question so quickly that he knew she really didn’t want to hear the answer. Dec shook his head. “I don’t think so. He wants your attention, that’s all. And he’s using the language he needs to get it. He wants you to be frightened because in some twisted way, he thinks it will bring you closer to him. It’ll give him control over you.”

Dec took her hand and wove his fingers through hers, then drew her wrist up to his lips. “Hey, I also have a really big whirlpool tub in my bathroom. I could make you a nice bubble bath when we get home.”

“That would be nice,” she said.

They passed the rest of the ride in silence, but Dec knew Rachel’s mind was going a mile a minute. He wanted to distract her, but until he could take her into his arms and kiss her, there was nothing he could do. He thought about pulling over and drawing her into his arms, but then realized it would be best to get her home first.

They drove around another fifteen minutes before Dec headed back to his house. He watched the street carefully, then pulled the BMW into the garage and closed the door behind them. He turned off the ignition, then immediately leaned over and took Rachel’s face between his hands. “It’ll be all right, baby. I promise.” He kissed her gently and she seemed to melt into him, her fingers grabbing hold of the lapels of his suit jacket and holding him close.

He kept kissing her, softly playing at her mouth until she drew back. “All right?” he asked.

Rachel nodded.

Dec helped her out of the car, then grabbed her bag and showed her into the house. The cleaning lady had been there the day before, so he knew everything was tidier than it usually was. She followed him through the dim interior, her hand tucked in his. “The television is in the den,” he said.

“I’m more interested in a hot bath.”

“I can do that for you.” He led her upstairs and showed her the bedroom. “Why don’t you get undressed and I’ll go start the bath.”

“Stay with me,” she said.

Dec cleared his throat, then nodded. “All right.” Rachel began to remove her clothes as if in a trance, not really noticing that he was there at all. He opened her bag and found the silk robe she’d worn up at the cabin and when she was naked, he wrapped it around her, then gave her a hug. Any desire he had for her was now overwhelmed by a need to soothe and protect her. The woman standing before him wasn’t the Rachel he knew. This was a woman who was terrified of what her life had become. And it had been partially his fault that it had gotten this bad.

They walked to the bathroom and Rachel sat on the edge of the tub while he filled it. He didn’t have any bubble bath, so he dumped some liquid soap into the tub and it seemed to do the trick. When the tub was high enough, he turned off the taps and stepped back. “The button for the jets is right there. But with the bubbles, you probably shouldn’t turn them on or you’ll be buried.” He paused. “I’ll just leave you.”

“You can stay,” she said. “I don’t really want to be alone right now.”

“All right,” he said.

“You can watch,” she murmured. “Some men find voyeurism very exciting.”

She said the words without her usual scholarly tone and Dec wondered if she even realized what she’d said. He sat down on the toilet and watched as she dropped her robe and stepped into the tub. She hesitated for a moment as her foot got used to the temperature of the water, then slowly put the other foot in and lowered herself into the bubbles.

God, she was beautiful, Dec thought. He wanted to capture that moment, the moment when she stood with her back to him, her arms held out at her sides, her fingers delicately extended. She looked like a painting by one of those French guys, with every curve of her body washed in a soft light, every detail just slightly blurred.

He held his breath as she arched back, her head resting on the edge of the tub, her breasts just breaking the surface of the water. Once again, Rachel had been right. Watching her was incredibly arousing, but even more so was the fact that he wasn’t supposed to do any more than watch.

When he was around Rachel, nearly every thought in his head was sexual. It made him more aware of her as a woman, aware of the power she held over him. Dec released a tightly held breath and closed his eyes. This was pure torment and he was loving every minute of it.

RACHEL SANK DOWN INTO THE warm water, her eyes closed, the tension slowly seeping out of her body. This was exactly what she needed. How could Declan possibly have known that? How did he always seem to know what would make her feel safe or happy or relaxed? Though the connection between them was strong, it wasn’t just sexual. They seemed to share a deeper understanding of each other.

Right now, she knew he was watching her. He wanted to touch her, not to seduce her, but to assure himself that she was all right. In the car, he couldn’t seem to stop touching her and she was glad for it. At the moment, it had been all she needed to keep from dissolving into hysterical weeping.

Rachel opened her eyes and glanced over at him, only to find Dec sitting with his eyes closed and his brow furrowed into a frown. She hadn’t noticed until now, but he seemed a little tense as well. “Would you like to join me?” she asked.

His eyes opened and he blinked. “What?”

Rachel held out a bubble-coated arm. “Come on. This is a big tub. I’m sure you know that two can fit.”

“I’ve never had a woman in that tub,” he said. “You’re the first.”

“I’m honored,” Rachel teased. “But I’d be happier if you came in here with me.”