He reached for his phone, regretfully gave up the nice view, slipped out from beneath her soft legs, and got out of the bed. The television was on, flickering light, and very little sound in the room. Taking a few steps, he couldn’t help looking back one more time to savor what he left on the mattress. Holy hell, what he wouldn’t give to crawl back in that bed and pull that dress the rest of the way off and explore all of Cali McKay with both his hands and mouth.
He went into the bathroom. When he turned to close the door, he saw the time on his phone. Twelve-thirty. Damn, he was late for work. “Lowell,” he whispered.
“Are you going to show up for work?” Quarles asked.
Brit ran a palm over his face. For the first time in weeks, he’d actually slept. The kind of sleep that made a body feel human.
“You okay?” Quarles asked.
“I overslept. Be right there.” He hung up, washed out his mouth, then walked back into the room. He found the remote and clicked it off. Cali lay curled up on her side, her hands tucked under her cheek in the place of a pillow. His gaze whispered down her hot body. Damn she had a beautiful ass and legs. He swallowed, letting his gaze linger on her soft backside while his mind conjured up an image of putting his finger on the back of her knee and moving up her leg. All the way up—to the pink panties. He envisioned running his finger under the elastic band and….
His body responded to the images in his head. He frowned. Just what he needed to carry to work with him, a hard-on. Exhaling, he tried to chase the thoughts from his mind and draped the blanket across her legs.
Before he walked out, he looked back and got another kick in the gut. He didn’t want to leave. What if that idiot had followed her here? You’re overreacting, he told himself. Tomorrow, when she went to school was when he should really worry. And he could be there then.
Would be there.
He walked to the door, his protect-and-serve instinct hitting hard. Then thinking about Keith and Anderson, he left.
Fifteen minutes later, Brit found Quarles sitting at his desk, going through mug shots. Quarles looked up. “Everything okay?” Concern flickered in his partner’s eyes.
“Fine, why?”
“I’ve spoken with your sister three times. She’s been trying to reach you.”
“Oh, shit. I forgot her again. I’m an ass.” He remembered seeing her number flash on his phone while looking for Cali and not answering it. He walked to his office, snatched his phone out. Sure enough, she’d also called while he’d been sleeping and he hadn’t woken up. He jabbed in his home number.
“Hello,” Susan answered, fully alert and probably pissed. He didn’t blame her.
“I’m sorry,” Brit said. “It’s been a hell of a day.”
“I heard about the other cop, and I’ve been worried about you.”
“I know and I’m really sorry, Susan. I’ve been a dickhead lately. I can’t think straight, I’m losing my temper at the least little thing. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. I’ll be home in the—” He remembered he had to make sure Cali got to school okay. “I’ll be home by ten in the morning. I swear, I will.”
“Did you sleep at all today?” she asked.
“Yeah. As a matter of fact I overslept.”
“Where were you?”
“I—”
“If you were out with some girl, the least you could have done was to have called me.”
“It’s not like that. Really. I’ll explain it tomorrow. I promise.”
She sighed. “I’m just relieved you’re okay.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you in the morning.” He hung up and raked a hand over his face.
“You sure you’re okay?” Quarles stood in the doorway.
“I’m fine.” He thought about Cali alone in the hotel room. Then he glanced at the mug books in Quarles’ hands.
He remembered the all-night diner across from Cali’s hotel. “How about us setting up office somewhere else tonight?”
“Like where?”
“I’ll show you. Grab our files and bring the mug books.” Brit reached back again for his leather jacket. It wasn’t there, and he remembered Cali’s sweater tucked in the back of his SUV. Tomorrow he’d give it to her. The idea of seeing her tomorrow sent a shot of anticipation through his blood.
He vaguely recalled thinking that once he got some food and rest, he’d be able to fight the attraction.
He’d been wrong.
~
“I don’t mean to upset you, dear.” Cali’s mom sat in the straight back chair beside the bed, smoking again.
A dream—her maternal psyche trying to take care of her. Then Cali remembered the detective, and she jerked her gaze to the empty bed.
“He left,” her mom said. “He had to go to work.”
Cali stared at her mom. This is a dream, isn’t it? “You’re not real.”
“I just want to make sure you’re okay, and then I’ll go.”
Cali suddenly felt guilty as if her mom thought she didn’t want to see her. “The dreams just freak me out a little.”
“I should have made him leave a lot sooner.” Her mom took another drag on the cigarette.
Cali thought about the detective. “Asked who to leave?”
“Your father. I let him stay, and I shouldn’t have.”
Cali saw regret in her mom’s eyes. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“Yes, it was. I let that man treat us something terrible. But I thought I loved him. And I was scared to raise you alone.”