Lori Foster - Bare It All

Distracted, maybe even a little insulted, she moved away from him to sit.

When Rowdy joined her, Cash crawled over to rest between them and gave a lusty sigh of contentment. She pushed her fingers into the dog’s fur in a gentle stroke that could mesmerize.

“I’m worried for you, Alice.”

Lost in thought, she said absently, “Don’t be.”

Not good enough. Yesterday, when she’d walked into the middle of the chaos, the death and the blood, he’d perceived something damaged in her persona, the same type of hopeless acceptance he’d seen in his sister—before she’d hooked up with Logan.

It bothered him because, almost instantly, he’d recognized Alice as a woman with dark secrets and a fair store of fear. How could any man turn a blind eye to that?

Measuring his words, hoping to reach her, Rowdy said with utmost seriousness, “The thing is, Alice, I know women, so I know—

She laughed. At him.

A little irate, he waited for her humor to subside. “That’s funny?”

“Absolutely.” Her smile was teasing—and made her look really pretty. “You’re so incorrigible and untamed.”

“Untamed, huh?” What the hell did that mean? She made him sound like a wild animal.

“Definitely.” Leaning closer, looking into his eyes, she pretended to share a secret. “You’re also incredibly big and undeniably handsome.”

Ears burning a little, he tried to lean away from her without looking too obvious. It wasn’t often he dodged a woman. Like maybe never. But this couldn’t happen, so he tried to be gentle but up front. “You know I’m only here as a friend, right?”

Another of her silly laughs escaped, and damn, it sounded so sweet, it almost made him smile.

Her chastising look forewarned him. “We’re hardly friends, Rowdy.”

“We could be.” If she’d stop laughing at me.

Now she sighed. “I’d like that, actually. Thank you.”

The truth struck him. He was both relieved and a little embarrassed. “You weren’t coming on to me, were you?”

“No, I wasn’t. I’m sorry, but honestly, I wouldn’t even know how.”

He wouldn’t tell her that she’d done a damn good job without trying.

She rubbed the dog’s neck, then around and under his chin. “You and Reese share a similar look.”

“Yeah?” Since Reese was polished, with a witty perspective on life, Rowdy didn’t see it. Well, except that they were both blond and tall.

“You’re big.”

Since a statement like that had all kinds of connotations, he had to cough to keep from making a joke. With any other woman...but, yeah, this was Alice.

“And you really are handsome.” This time it was his hair she tunneled her fingers into. “I’m sure women appreciate the ‘bad boy’ guise you’ve cultivated.”

Bad boy? Guise? His neck stiffened. “I haven’t cultivated—”

“But Reese is also big.” Dropping her hand, she smiled off at nothing in particular. “And incredibly handsome. And he’s...” Her voice faded. “He’s sooo...”

Curiosity got the better of him. “What?”

She licked her lips and inhaled a deep breath, only to let it out in a long sigh.

Put off, Rowdy scowled at her. “If you start purring, I’m outta here.”

A blush warmed her cheeks. She straightened her shoulders and refocused on him. “My point is that you and Reese might have similarities, but you also have differences. Like that giant chip on your shoulder and that cocky swagger—”

“I do not swagger.” Did he?

“—that proclaims you a rebel.” With a mere glance, she shared her sympathy. “You like butting heads with the law, walking that narrow path between saint and sinner, and we both know it. I think you enjoy it.”

The sinner part he could attest to, but where the hell had she gotten the saint angle? “Sorry, doll, you don’t really know me at all. What I do or don’t enjoy. Who I enjoy it with.” He warmed to his subject, ready to wrest the upper hand from her velvet grip. “In fact—”

Suddenly Alice stiffened, lifted her head as if she heard something.

“What is it?”

She put a finger to her lips as if in warning, then shook her head.

Cash watched her with the same confusion Rowdy felt.

As she rose silently from the couch, her gaze on the front door, she said, “So you saw your sister today? How is Detective Riske feeling?”

What the hell was she up to? She made not a single sound as she inched toward her door. “He’s grouchy.” Fascinated, Rowdy watched as she stopped to study the door a moment. “I don’t think he likes being pampered any more than I would.”

She gestured for him to continue. He obliged, but in case trouble intruded, he also stood. “Pepper isn’t the typical mother hen. Far from it. Her efforts at coddling are as likely to drive Logan nuts as anything else.”

As he spoke, Alice went on tiptoe to look out the door’s peephole. Apprehension dropped her back to her heels.

With a huff, she jerked the door open. “You scared me.”

There stood Reese, and it was obvious he’d been eavesdropping. It took him only a second to find his aplomb. “Sorry. I was about to knock.”

She snorted.

That particular sound coming from that particular woman might have amused Rowdy. But under the circumstances, it didn’t penetrate past his annoyance. “Damn it.” He hadn’t heard a thing, hadn’t even realized that Alice had left the door unsecured. “I’m slipping.”

“No, you’re fine.” Alice waved off his disgruntlement. “It’s just that I’m familiar with the sounds in my apartment.”

“He wasn’t in your apartment,” Rowdy pointed out. “He was lurking around the hallway.”

“Lurking?” Reese asked with a raised brow, but he couldn’t very well deny it.

“I’m familiar with those sounds, as well.”

Chagrined, Reese looked at Alice, gave her a half smile and then zeroed in on Rowdy.

Well, hell. He had hoped to be long gone before Reese realized he’d come to call, but too late for subterfuge now. Rowdy lifted his hands in surrender. “Busted.”

Carrying a stuffed overnight bag and some clothes over his arm, Reese strode in, all the while letting Rowdy feel his discontent. “Care to tell me what you’re doing here?”

“I’m just visiting.” Rowdy nodded at Reese’s load. “But it looks like you’re moving in.”

As if someone had goosed her, Alice jumped. “What? No.”

Dismissing that reaction, Rowdy whistled low. “Fast work, Reese. I had no idea.”

Alice started to speak again, but Reese cut her off. “So, now you know. Make note of it, okay?”

Alice subsided with a wide-eyed look of surprise.

So, it was like that, huh? Rowdy saluted him. Sure, there was no denying Alice’s interest in Reese. Hell, she’d spelled it out, all the while going moony-eyed. Granted, he didn’t know Reese that well. But he hadn’t quite figured Alice as his type. Still, stranger things had happened.

Cash showered Reese with the same enthusiastic welcome Rowdy had received. Fickle mutt. “That dog loves everyone.”

“No,” Alice said, “he doesn’t.” Hands on her hips, she addressed Reese with accusation. “You were listening in.”

“I’m a cop, Alice, remember? I’m trained to eavesdrop.” Catching the back of her neck, Reese held her still as he lowered his mouth to hers. Alice froze, but she allowed it.

That was fast work.

The kiss lingered, and Rowdy lifted both brows. He meant what he’d said: he knew women, so he knew it wasn’t in Alice’s nature to get involved easily. Reese must’ve conjured some magic.

It wasn’t any of his business, but damn it, he felt protective—maybe of both of them. And wasn’t that a bunch of bullshit? Hell, Reese was a well-trained, astute, hulk of a cop.