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“You’re going to make me say it?”
“Sure, why not? What do you miss, Matt?” She was angry, but she also could see Matt’s point—to a degree. She probably should have given him more detail before she walked in, but she did the right thing and she would stand by it.
And truth be told, she did miss having Matt in her bed. It had been nearly a week since they had a whole night together, and maybe that sexual frustration was adding to her feeling of being disconnected from everyone here.
He put his lips on hers, lightly. He touched the small scar on her face that she got last month, that may be there forever or could completely heal. She didn’t care which. But he caressed it intimately. Too intimate, especially for her current emotions.
Kara wasn’t going to go light now.
She pushed her body against his and he backed into the counter. Every muscle in his body was rock-hard, and if they were alone in this house, they would be having sex in less than a minute—the only things separating them were her panties and his thin boxers.
Matt groaned as she touched him between the legs; she kissed his neck, behind his ear exactly where he liked it. His hands went immediately to her ass and squeezed, pulling her even closer. She bit his earlobe, kissed the back of his neck, and when his warm mouth came down on the sensitive part of her chin, right below her jawline, she gasped.
Damn, she wanted him.
But the last thing she needed was anyone walking in on them.
She stepped back, breathing heavily.
“Let me—”
“No. Not here. Not with an audience.” She started back down the hall, already regretting her decision.
“Kara,” Matt said. “You did good tonight.”
She stopped, couldn’t face him, and said, “You should have said that in front of Catherine.”
TUESDAY
15
After the economy went in the toilet two years ago, Garrett Washington hadn’t been able to find a decent job until now. It wasn’t like the security gig paid great, but because it was a short-term assignment and they wanted someone with experience, he did okay. It was better than doing nothing. He’d lost his business and wanted to build another when things started looking up, but recently he always seemed to be behind the eight ball. His wife was a nurse, so she could find work, but she’d started traveling to make better money. She didn’t like it—she wanted something permanent, preferably in Washington. They talked every night at five. Their son, who’d just turned fourteen, was staying with Meg’s parents this summer. Garrett missed his kid something fierce, as much as his wife, but this job was only until Labor Day, and he was making nearly three times as much as he’d been making as a handyman.
He walked back into the West End Charter security office and turned in his equipment. “Gorgeous night,” he said to Bruce, who was running the desk. Garrett didn’t mind the hours. 5:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. Two paid thirty-minute breaks to grab a bite or take a snooze. And this was paradise. He was bringing Meg back here sometime, maybe for a second honeymoon. Their twentieth was coming up next year.
“It is, it is. Uneventful, thank goodness. Heard you and Hank chased some teenagers off the pier, drinking beer and tossing the bottles in the water.”
“Told them if we saw them again after hours, they’d be taken into the sheriff’s station. Should have seen the look on their faces.”
Bruce chuckled. “Hank said one of them was the Billings kid—his dad is on the town council, bet Hank will be calling him up tomorrow.” He typed on the keyboard, leaned back. “You’re clocked out, see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow.”
Garrett pulled on his warm jacket. Even though it was a pleasant evening, it was cold, and he had an eight-block trek to his apartment. He didn’t mind. The apartment was rent-free for the whole summer. So what if he had to share with another guy? He barely saw the dude because he worked days and Garrett worked nights. Every dime that Garrett didn’t need to eat was going into his business fund. Hewouldstart a new business as soon as he had the seed money.
And he liked this gig. The people were nice, the weather was great, and he found it a lot less stressful than looking for work in the city.
Tonight he was particularly happy. Meg had told him she had a line on a permanent position in Olympia. It would mean their son had to start high school in a new city, but these days Olympia was much safer than Seattle, and they’d even be closer to Meg’s family. Garrett liked her parents, and got along great with both her brothers.
It was a win-win. Garrett was optimistic.
The night had turned chilly from the wind coming in from the north, but it felt good after walking the grounds for the last ten hours. Still, he pulled his neck gaiter up around his neck and walked along the pier, where a short staircase led to the street. But then he heard the sound of knocking in the boathouse.
He hesitated, listened.
Silence.
If the Billings kid and his friends had come back, Garrett would definitely take them in. But he’d thought Hank had scared them silly. Garrett knew that ifhisson was sneaking around at two in the morning, the kid would be grounded for a month. That time of night was when teenagers got into trouble—or trouble found them.
