 
### All the Right Moves

Copyright © 2015 Tory Richards

All Rights Reserved.

Published by Tory Richards

### Smashwords Edition

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only, and is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Tory Richards: http://www.toryrichards.com

Email: toryrichards60@gmail.com

'Author's note: All characters depicted in this work of fiction are 18 years of age or older.'

### Chapter One

Annie kicked back the smothering covers and sat up with a low groan of frustration, running her fingers through her sweat-damp hair. The air conditioner had broken down on her floor, and for the second night in a row, she was forced to try and sleep in the stifling Florida heat. September wasn't the warmest month of the year, but when you were forced to go without air conditioning, it seemed unbearable. Well, at least they'd fixed the electricity, again. She supposed it could always be worse.

She glared up at the inoperable ceiling fan, wondering why everything seemed to break down all at once. It was dark in the room, except for the soft glow of the moonlight filtering through the motionless lace curtains that allowed her just enough light to see her familiar surroundings.

She sighed heavily, plucking her nightgown away from where it was plastered against her breasts. If she'd been a little less inhibited, she would have slept in the nude, but memories of sleep walking when she was a child remained with her and were a deep-rooted fear. The last thing she wanted was to give any of her neighbors something to gossip about for the next fifty years.

"Help. Help."

She started violently and then calmed herself with a nervous laugh, realizing that it was her pet Mynah, Harold, a comforting knowledge that didn't stop her heart from missing a beat, all the same.

"Help."

"Hush up, Harold!" she ordered harshly, running her hands through her tangled hair again and fluffing it against her hot neck. The relief was gratifying but brief.

"The cops are here."

In spite of herself, Annie felt her lips twitching as she swung her legs over the side of the bed to get to her feet. Thank goodness she lived on the second floor, or she would never have felt safe leaving the place open. She walked to the open balcony doors and pulled the sheers aside, closing her eyes as the faintest of breezes lightly touched her over-warm body.

"Help!"

"If you don't quiet down, Harold, I'm going to give you to the cook," she threatened and tugged at her damp nightgown again. Harold was repeating that particular word because of the cop show they'd watched before going to bed. It was a bad habit of his, picking up phrases and repeating them over and over again, until it made her want to pull her hair out.

"You need a man."

Annie rolled her eyes. She was not going to get into that conversation with him again. It went nowhere. Moreover, if the neighbors heard her having a discussion about her sex life, or lack of one, with a Mynah bird they'd think she was crazy for sure. Not that the walls were exactly paper thin, but she knew with the air conditioning out other tenants would have their windows and doors open, too. Unfortunately, Harold's voice tended to carry.

"You need a..."

"Harold!" she warned.

"Man."

"That's it!" Annie turned from the balcony and stomped toward him in the darkness, forgetting all about the antique blanket chest she'd purchased the day before. Stumbling over it, she fell heavily to the floor, directly beneath Harold's perch. That only added to her frustration because it gave him the opportunity to sit there gloating down at her.

"Darn it!"

I bet I broke my toe. Annie used the chest to pull herself to her feet. She sank onto the edge of the bed to examine the injured digit with her fingers.

"Harold's sorry, sorry, sorry," he chanted in rapid succession.

"You should be; it's all your fault," Annie grumbled and rubbed her throbbing toe. It wasn't broken, thank God, but no thanks to Harold. The thought of banishing him from the bedroom entered her mind, knowing he'd hate that.

"Sorry," he repeated almost pitifully, as if sensing the direction of her thoughts.

She knew he wouldn't cease until she acknowledged him. Honestly, sometimes he was as bad as having a disorderly child around. Of course, Annie's only experience with that was when her neighbor's seven-year-old grandson was visiting and he used the corridors as a racetrack. Maintenance has had to touch up the walls more than once due to Sammy's little accidents.

"Sorry."

"Okay, enough, I forgive you," she lied. "Just be quiet, will you? I want to try and go back to sleep."

Why then was she limping back to the open balcony doors? She stepped onto the small verandah and moved to the railing that protected her from the two-story drop. Once in a while, a mild breeze off the ocean whipped at her ultra-thin nightgown, feeling wonderful against her skin. Tilting her face toward the sky, Annie let the wind blow through her shoulder-length hair.

Paying a small fortune to live here was definitely worth it. Nothing could replace the calm and serenity she felt living near the ocean, smelling the salty air, and hearing the surf crash against the beach every night. The sound had lulled her to sleep many a time, and in her book, was better than any glass of brandy or sleeping pill. The screech of the seagulls was somehow soothing as well, although they upset her psychotic bird.

Smiling, Annie couldn't resist opening her arms to the sky as if offering herself up to the heavens or some unknown man of her dreams—a lover waiting in the shadows to draw her into the protective shell of his embrace to keep her warm and safe.

****

Marshall Thomas was jogging down the deserted beach when a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, flashes of something catching the moonlight while dancing in the gentle breeze. He halted and glanced up to the second story of one of the high-rises. The security lights stationed at various locations around the building were enough to give him a fairly good view of the woman standing on her balcony.

A low wolf whistle passed through his teeth, not loud enough to carry to her. Though her face was in the shadows, he could tell she had a knock-out body. She was attired in some white gauzy thing that was molded against her shapely curves. Her slender arms were raised as if in prayer, her colorless hair gently dancing around her face and neck. She appeared to be an angel in the moonlight, offering herself to the heavens. When she moved, turning sideways, Marshall sucked in his breath. The filmy thing she was wearing must be as thin as tissue paper, given the way the light of the moon filtered through it. He could see clear through it.

He couldn't help but appreciate the outline of her breasts and the way they tilted slightly upward.

He could see the flatness of her belly and the curve of her hip before the rounded shape of her buttocks snagged his attention. Unexpected awareness stirred his blood, making him warm and uncomfortable.

He knew he should look away but didn't have the strength. It had been a damn long time since he'd seen anything so mouth watering or tempting. Maybe that was because he hadn't taken the time to notice those things in a woman lately—not since he'd called it quits with Michelle. Beautiful, alluring, two-timing Michelle, a player who demanded a man's balls as well as his wallet. If he'd been paying attention with his brain instead of another part of his body, he would have found that out much earlier in their relationship, instead of wasting nine months.

He had no one to blame but himself, although at the time he'd wanted to blame the bearer of bad news, his partner. Thank God Jim hadn't pressed charges after he'd decked him. Marshall guessed that kind of privilege came with the friendship territory. He and Jim had exchanged a blow or two over the years because of a woman and not always one they both wanted.

The woman moved again, pulling his attention back to her. He watched her stiffen slightly and wondered if she'd spotted him. He stepped back into the shadows, taking advantage of the many palms and other landscaping plants that lined the beaches close to the numerous high-rise buildings. She appeared to be staring down in his direction, but after a few seconds, he realized she was really staring out at something on the water.

Marshall automatically turned toward the ocean but didn't see anything other than a few small lights on boats. The blackness of the water went on endlessly and the full moon's reflection on the gentle waves made it appear gigantic. Seagulls screeched overhead, taking turns as they dived for their dinner, sometimes fighting over a small scrap of food.

When he turned back toward the balcony, his lovely enchantress had disappeared inside.

Disappointment washed over him, but he reminded himself he didn't have time to waste staring at something he couldn't have anyway. He had a rendezvous to make. Besides, he'd probably never see her again.

****

The ringing of the phone drew Annie reluctantly back inside her bedroom, her eyes seeking out the time on her alarm clock. Who in the world would be calling me at this ungodly hour? If she had family, a call at two o'clock in the morning would definitely be cause for concern. She fell across her bed reaching for the receiver on the nightstand.

"Hello?" She waited a few seconds before trying again. "Hello?" She could hear breathing at the other end so she knew someone was there. Most likely kids playing with the phone again, a problem that seemed to be an ongoing weekend event. "I know someone's there," she said calmly into the receiver. She mentally counted to ten, and when they didn't answer, she hung up.

She no sooner did that than it rang again. "Hello?" She couldn't curtail the irritation in her tone, and her brows drew together in a frown. "Look, whoever you are..."

"Dr. McCall, please don't hang up again! I need your help!"

Annie hesitated from hanging up, bringing the phone back to her ear when she heard the sound of desperation in the caller's voice. "Who is this? Are you a patient of mine?"

"Yes!" The volume of his tone lowered until she had to strain to hear. "I need to see you, it's important!"

Annie struggled to recognize the voice, but at this point, she couldn't even tell what sex the person was. "If you call my office on Monday morning..."

"No! That's too late. Please, I need to see you now!" the caller insisted in a tone bordering on panic.

As a psychiatrist, Annie didn't mind giving out her home phone number to her patients, making it a rule to always be available for them if they needed to talk, but she'd always drawn the line at making any unscheduled, off-hours house calls. That could be extremely dangerous. "I'm sorry, you'll need to..."

"Please! It's a matter of life and death!" Definitely a man.

Annie got the impression, from the hushed tone, he was afraid of being overheard. For the first time, the hair at the back of her neck stood up and a shiver ran down her spine. Never a good sign. Maybe if she knew who it was. "Who are you?"

"It's too dangerous! They might be bugging your line! Please, can you just meet me somewhere?"

_They might be bugging my line?_ Really, why would anyone be interested in bugging her phone?

Yet, Annie couldn't dismiss the terror revealed in the voice, and he'd said it was a matter of life and death. Still, she'd be a fool to go out at this time in the morning to meet with someone she wasn't even sure was a patient of hers.

"If you can't tell me your name, I need some kind of proof you're a patient of mine before I meet with you." She wasn't that stupid!

The caller didn't answer, and as the silence stretched on, Annie began to get that uncomfortable feeling again, like maybe she should just hang up. Nevertheless, she found she couldn't. If he needed her help, she just couldn't turn her back on him. She'd become a doctor to help people.

Finally the silence was broken. "Martin Strong," he rushed out.

_Martin Strong?_ He was a patient of hers but Annie didn't for one minute believe the voice on the other end of the phone belonged to Martin. His thick, nasal-sounding tone always made her think that he was suffering from a cold or allergies. Maybe this was a friend making the call for him. She exhaled a heavy sigh, running her hand through her shoulder-length hair as she thought about what to do.

She couldn't believe she was going to do it. "Where?" Crawling into a sitting position, she opened the nightstand drawer for pen and paper.

"Your office!"

"My—" He hung up. Annie jerked the phone away from her ear and looked at it as though it was something foreign, before replacing it in the cradle. Her office? If he wanted her to meet him there anyway, why couldn't he have at least waited until daybreak? Warning bells went off but she brushed them aside. She was used to dealing with all types and was always eager to help. It was a commitment she'd made the day she began private practice, and one she hadn't backed out of yet. She jumped from her bed and headed for the closet.

"Work time."

"Afraid so, Harold." She reached for the closet light and grabbed the first pair of jeans she saw.

Tomorrow was the beginning of her weekend. There was no reason to dress professionally for an unscheduled appointment that was probably only going to take five minutes. After struggling into her old, faded blue jeans, she pulled a white cashmere sweater off the hanger and slipped it over her head, not bothering to tuck it in where it fell at her waist.

A quick trip to the bathroom to splash some cool water on her face and run a brush through her hair and she was as good as she was going to get for two o'clock in the morning. She grabbed her keys from the table next to the front door and reset the alarm on her way out.

Annie's office was close enough to walk to and she did so often, but not at this time of the morning. She went to the underground garage where she kept her sporty, compact car, not surprised to find the garage attendant fast asleep at his desk. Smiling, she cleared her throat and tapped lightly on the glass door, knowing Mr. Jones kept it locked from the inside. She could have just gone to her car and taken off, but Annie knew he liked being notified when someone was on the way out.

She knocked on the glass again. "Mr. Jones," she called out loud enough for him to hear her. The old man's head jerked up and he slammed his feet to the ground. He tried to focus his eyes on the small TV mounted on the wall until he realized it was her, and not the TV, who woke him. He looked at his watch, then back at her.

Annie offered him an apologetic smile. "Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Jones. I'm on my way out."

He hobbled over and opened the door. "At this time of morning?"

She heard the concern in his old, cracked voice. Reminding him she was a thirty-year-old doctor would be a waste of time. She'd tried that once and had gotten an earful about the perils of life, beyond the parking garage. She doubted she'd ever be anything more than a youngster in his seventy-year old eyes.

"I'm meeting a patient at my office. I won't be long." She beamed at him, before turning and continuing to her car.

Ten minutes later, Annie arrived at her office building, pulling into the darkened parking lot with apprehension. That's strange; why are the lights out? Was it possible they were turned off on the weekends to conserve energy? She parked in her usual spot, looking around nervously before turning off the engine. Not another car in sight. _Is Martin Strong not here yet?_

She contemplated waiting in her car but thought better of it. What if he was trying to call her office to tell her he changed his mind? It wouldn't be the first time. The lights were off for a reason, probably due to the storm earlier in the evening. That was it—a power failure. She realized she was being silly and opened her car door. She used the dome light to look for her office key, aware she wouldn't be able to see it once she was at the door. Her office was actually inside another office, but once she was inside, she'd be able to turn on the lights. She hoped. Just in case, she grabbed a flashlight from her glove box.

The sound of her heels tapping against the hard concrete seemed overly loud in her ears and Annie felt the hairs at the back of her neck rise. She held her breath as she dashed the rest of the way to the door, fumbling with the lock, only to gasp with shock when the door pushed open. Her eyes darted around with apprehension, straining to see if anything out of the ordinary moved in the darkness.

Once she was inside, she slammed the door behind her and flattened her back against it, not realizing until then how truly frightened she was. As she struggled to bring her breathing under control, she reached behind her with the intention of turning the lock. And that's when she felt the rough, splintered wood beneath her palm, indicating someone had broken in. She knew then and there she should turn around and get out, but what if the person who'd called her was inside, injured in some way? She couldn't in good conscience ignore that possibility. Instead, she slid her hand up the wall to the light switch.

Nothing.

"Great," she mumbled harshly, the corners of her mouth turning down. Was she going to get a break tonight? She flicked on her flashlight; the beam of light landed across the room on the water cooler. It wasn't a big light but it was better than nothing.

She made her way to her office door, pausing to glance down at the keys in her hand. As she fumbled to hold onto the flashlight and locate the right key, her door slowly squeaked open an inch. Annie froze with her heart in her throat. Not once in the three years she'd been there had she ever forgotten to lock her office door before leaving at the end of the day. The cleaning crew didn't even have a key. She chose to clean it herself because of the nature of her business and the personal records kept on file.

Realizing she was holding her breath, she slowly took in air, her eyes rounding with uneasiness. Her first thought was to call out to see if anyone was there but realized that would be a stupid thing to do. What if someone had broken into her office, too? She curled her hand around the doorknob and opened the door further, shining the light directly in front of her. Pictures were knocked off the wall, desk drawers were open, and papers strewn everywhere. The phone was off the hook and buzzing loudly, but before she could comprehend the significance of that, she noticed her file cabinet drawers were open and rushed toward it.

"Oh, no!" She gasped with alarm.

She tripped and fell to the floor, letting out a startled cry as she went down. She landed with a jarring thud. The flashlight flew from her hand to roll beneath her desk. For a second, Annie lay there stunned, watching the beam of light bounce off the walls as it twirled around and around on the floor before finally coming to a stop. At least she was alone in her office. That alone should have calmed her fears but didn't change the fact that someone had vandalized the place. She crawled to her desk and reached under it for the light. That's when she saw the body. The ray of light shone directly on his lifeless form.

It was Martin Strong.

She clamped her hand across her mouth to stifle the scream that rose in her throat. He had to be dead, just sitting against the wall with that open-eyed stare. His frozen expression reminded her of the wax figures she'd seen in a museum once, as a school girl on a field trip. Only he wasn't wearing a sign on his chest telling her what historic character he represented. Instead, he had a hole in his chest the size of a marble.

Annie shuddered. She had to get out of there and call the police. Grabbing the flashlight, she jumped to her feet and ran to the outer door. She opened it and came face to face with a tall, dark form. Screaming, she tried to slam it shut in his face, but with one powerful shove the man sent the door, and Annie, flying back against the wall. He was upon her in a flash. Screaming again, she raised her flashlight to use it as a club. It was chopped viciously from her hand, flew across the room, and slammed against the wall. Annie turned, heading for the exit door at the back of the building, but realized she was trapped. He blocked her only avenue of escape.

She heard the man's breathing close behind her and knew he was upon her an instant before his hand closed on her shoulder. Twisting free, she released a string of ear piercing screams to scare him away, while grabbing things off nearby desks to use as weapons. He was much too big and strong and the items she threw recklessly at him bounced off his body with little effect. He grabbed her and swung her around.

"No!" she shrieked, trying to break away. The classes she'd taken in self-defense came rushing back, and she raised her arm to deliver a chop to his throat. He expertly intercepted it, causing her hand to bounce harmlessly off hard biceps. Swearing, Annie raised her knee, aiming for his groin.

The man twisted the lower half of his body and let out a vicious curse when her knee came in jarring contact with the inside of his muscular thigh, just missing vital parts. His hands were everywhere in an attempt to subdue her, touching Annie in places that hadn't felt a man's hands in quite some time. Adrenaline pumped through Annie and a mixture of fear and anger gave her unusual strength. She knew she could very well be fighting with the murderer and didn't stop to consider what she was doing when she picked up a letter opener off Agnes's desk. She raised it threateningly.

"Oh, no you don't!" his deep voice rasped, full of anger and slightly out of breath. His fingers curled around her wrist with bruising force, and for a brief second, they struggled together until the weapon was wrenched out of her hand and tossed aside. Crying out in pain, Annie heard it hit the floor with a clang.

"Damn it!" This time she was the one doing the swearing. With super-human strength, she broke away from him, changing tactics and running for the open front door. She barely took two steps when she was tackled from behind. Losing her balance, she landed with a frustrated shriek, hitting the floor hard. Even though the breath had been knocked out of her, she found the strength to turn on her backside and raise her legs, kicking out at him in the hope of catching him with the pointed tips of her heels.

His grunt of pain gave her little satisfaction. The man grabbed her ankles, pulled her legs apart and threw himself on top of Annie, pinning her down with his superior weight. She screamed, tangling her fingers in his hair and trying to hurt him any way she could.

"Damn it, stop!" his voice boomed above her.

She ignored him, raking her nails down the side of his face instead. The sound of something ripping split the air, spurring her on all the more when she realized it was her sweater.

Is he going to rape me first and then kill me?

God help her! She couldn't fend him off much longer; her strength was sapped. Before she had a chance to draw another breath, she found her wrists seized and slammed against the floor above her head. His body crushed hers against the unyielding floor. He ground his lower body into hers to further subdue her. She was acutely aware of the muscles in his powerful thighs. As she arched to throw him off, he arched to pin her down. And it was no gentle thrust of his hips.

"Please don't hurt me!" Annie knew she was begging, but under the circumstances, she figured she had nothing to lose. Especially if he'd killed Martin Strong.

She could barely breathe; the man pinning her down seemed to be having the same problem. His warm breath slapped her in the face; his heaving chest was smashing her breasts. She unwillingly became aware of how intimate their position was and how prominent the bulge was behind his zipper. At least his hands weren't roaming.

"Please..." She decided to try again. "I'll give you whatever you want!" Well, not quite everything, but she figured at a time like this it was okay to tell a lie.

"You don't have anything I want," he rasped. He hauled Annie roughly to her feet and dragged her arms behind her back where he locked her wrists together with one of his much larger hands. "But if you keep fighting me, I'm not making any promises about not hurting you."

He pulled her with him to where the flashlight had landed, and while holding her against him, bent and snatched it from the floor. "I just want to know what the hell is going on around here." He started to shine the beam of light around the room, searching for God knows what.

It began to dawn on Annie that maybe he wasn't the killer after all. Perhaps he was with the Security Company that took care of the building complex. Or, worst case scenario, he'd just been driving by and noticed a strange light flashing around the office and stopped to investigate—sticking his nose into something that was none of his business. Maybe he was an off duty police officer.

"Are you going to answer me?" the man growled.

"I have nothing..."

He snorted and dragged her around the room with him. "Nothing? Lady, you sure put up one hell of a fight over nothing."

"You frightened me," Annie said, her eyes darting to her office door and praying he didn't insist on checking it out. She tried to will her body under control, but her heart was pounding like a

jackhammer inside her chest. "Are you with security?"

"You might say that."

Annie started to drag her feet when he headed straight for her office. If he noticed, he didn't say anything, but continued pushing her ahead of him in that direction. When they reached the threshold, she actually leaned against him in an unconscious effort to keep him from entering the room.

"Please..." She couldn't get the words out. The thought of Martin Strong on the floor on the other side of her desk made her stomach churn. "I can't go back in there!" She struggled to break the hold he had on her wrist. He was too big and strong to win against in a struggle, but if she could manage to pull away, speed might be on her side.

"Why not?" He pushed her further into the room. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing..."

He gave a dissatisfied grunt. "Let me be the judge of that. Something's going on and I intend to find out what it is."

Helplessly, Annie watched as he shined the flashlight around the small office until the beam landed on a pair of shoes. Her heart sank. The more he pushed her into the room the more she strained against his unyielding form. He halted when they were close enough to see Martin's body slumped against the wall, the beam of light zeroing in on the nice neat bullet hole in his chest.

"Damn..." he whispered against her ear as they stood above Martin.

Unbelievably, Annie felt his hold around her wrist begin to relax. She took advantage of his momentary lapse and slammed her heel down on top of his foot. He swore a blue streak when she pulled away from him. She heard the flashlight drop to the floor but didn't let it stop her from her desperate flight. She almost reached the door but it was over before it began. He caught up to her in the office doorway. She let out a blood-curdling scream when his hand tangled in her hair. Before she knew it, she was hauled back into his arms.

He slammed her against the wall and pinned her there with his body. Breathing hard, he took a moment to catch his breath. "No wonder you were in a hurry to get out of here," he rasped, close to her face. "Who's the stiff, honey?"

"You don't understand!" Annie cried out desperately. She strained against his hold. "I was going for the police." She had to make him understand.

"Yeah right, and I'm Santa Claus. That's why you were running away."

"You scared me! I thought you were the killer!" She arched her body in a pitiful attempt to push him off her. He grabbed her arms and pinned them to the wall above her head, his movements rough enough to reveal he was growing tired of her persistent struggles. She felt every sinew of his powerful body against hers. He was built like a mountain, everything about him hard as granite.

"You're hurting me!" she gasped in outrage, raising her knee in an attempt to hurt him any way she could.

He transferred both her wrists to one hand and his other dropped down to her thigh to hold it in place. "I wouldn't advise it! That's twice you've aimed for that particular spot, and I'm getting damned tired of having to worry about it."

"Then I suggest you let me go!" Annie ignored the anger in his voice. If she was going to die, it wouldn't be without a fight.

"Who the hell are you, lady?" He gave her a little shake. "There's a dead man over there, and until I get to the bottom of this, you aren't going anywhere."

Annie began to tremble violently as reaction to her predicament finally set in. Her weak struggles were useless. He didn't hesitate using his body and hands in whatever manner it took to subdue her. There was nothing sexual about anything he was doing to her, though she couldn't help but be aware of the sculptured muscles crushing her breasts and his masculine scent. It was something spicy yet mild, blending well with his body chemistry. Stirring her senses into keen awareness. She accepted the fact she couldn't win against him, but the awareness zinging through her was betrayal of the worst kind.

"This is my office." The silence that followed was unnerving. Annie wondered what he was thinking and if he believed her.

"And you are?" His hard voice was laced with mistrust, but there was something else in his tone, too, a hint of resignation.

"Doctor Annie McCall," she said quietly, relaxing against him. What else could she do?

The lights flickered on, and for the first time, their eyes met. She caught her breath, meeting the fierce glare in his dark, yet sensual eyes. He made her think of a wild animal, lying in wait for his prey, no, his mate. She felt her heartbeat flutter wildly in her throat.

A strong premonition washed over Annie that her life was about to change.

### Chapter Two

"Damn..." Marshall whispered, stiffening as her words and meaning became crystal clear. Cat-shaped, violet eyes fringed with the thickest, blackest lashes he'd ever seen on a woman. And they were staring up at him from beneath the delicate arch of finely shaped, honey-blonde eyebrows.

She had a Marilyn Monroe complexion, milky white and exquisitely flawless, with just a hint of rose staining her cheekbones, a natural blush that seemed to blend well with that generous mouth. Right now those smooth lips were parted as she labored for breath. He did a double take, his gaze zeroing in on the tiny beauty mark at the corner of her upper lip. He'd never thought of beauty marks as sexy but this one was. Maybe because it was so close to that luscious mouth. She reminded him of the porcelain dolls his two young nieces collected. Cool, untouchable and very expensive. The kind kept under lock and key in a glass dome.

Staring down at Annie, he wondered how to handle the situation. If that was Strong slumped against the wall, his captain would be furious when he found out he'd been killed before talking to them. Dan liked things to go according to plan because it made his life easier. It made him look good in the mayor's eyes. Marshall didn't give a crap about that kind of stuff.

First things first. "Do you have any identification on you?" Marshall could tell his question caught her off guard. He could almost see the wheels turning in that beautiful head. What was she thinking? What was she hiding? Experience had taught him that women were good at deceit.

She pressed her lips together before replying. "No, I left my purse at home." Not missing a beat she asked, "Can you prove you're with security?"

"I never said I was with security." He watched her eyes flare with mild alarm. Damn, she's a looker.

"Then who are you?" Her gaze traveled down the length of him. They were dressed in much the same way. He was wearing faded jeans and a pullover sweater, too.

Her gaze slowly moved back up to meet his. For a crazy moment, before reality sank in, Marshall wondered if she liked what she saw. She had to realize that if he were the killer they'd hardly be standing here having a semi-polite conversation. She had to know his strength gave him the upper hand, yet she faced him with more guts than smarts.

"Who are you?" Her firm tone didn't so much as produce a twitch of concern from Marshall.

"I'm asking the questions, Doctor." Marshall's gaze unwillingly fell to the rip in her blouse, where it exposed a shoulder that looked as smooth and as white as alabaster.

She surprised him by sticking out her chin and meeting his gaze without fear. "I don't have to answer them," she said in a surprisingly soft voice.

Her stubbornness irritated the hell out of him, but before he could say something that would only get him into trouble, his partner walked through the doorway and took in the scene. "Damn, man, looks like a war zone in here. Who the hell have you been tangling with?" His gaze settled on Marshall.

Marshall was glad for the timely interruption. He pulled Annie away from the wall, and ignoring her indignant gasp, pushed her toward one of the chairs in front of her desk. "A little wildcat," he barked and forced her to sit. "Watch her, Jim. She can't be trusted."

He grinned at the hostile glare in her eyes. Would she be foolish enough to try something with both of them present? It was plain she was offended by his last comment but was keeping her mouth shut. He walked around her desk to the body.

"Who is it?" Jim asked, rounding the desk.

Marshall searched the dead man's pockets until he produced a wallet and flipped it open. "Shit. It's Martin Strong," he answered with irritation. He rose to his feet.

"He was a patient of mine," Annie explained, glancing at Jim before settling her gaze once more on Marshall. "He phoned me...well, somebody who said he was—"

Jim cut her off, his tone filled with mild surprise. "Is this doctor—?"

"Annie McCall," Marshall finished, thankful he'd phoned Jim and asked him to come to the scene. With Janey about to deliver any day now, Jim had gone home early, leaving him at the precinct to finish up some paperwork. That's when Strong had called, asking to meet.

They exchanged meaningful glances before Marshall's gaze returned to Annie. She looked so small and child-like looking up at him with those pretty, round eyes. Yet there was nothing child-like about her soft curves. He ignored the slight tingle of awareness in his groin.

"Dan's not going to like this," Jim murmured. "He was all set to finally have closure on the Bailey case."

"What's going on here?" Annie asked suspiciously, her gaze moving back and forth between them.

"You tell us." Marshall walked around the desk and leaned his hip against the edge, looking down at her. "Well?" He raised a brow inquiringly, crossing his arms in a gesture designed to intimidate.

She hesitated but for only a second. "Not until I know who I'm talking to. Neither of you look like you have anything to do with law enforcement." Marshall watched that stubborn chin tilt in a gesture of defiance. Her comment reminded him of something and he looked at his partner.

"Jim, phone headquarters and have them send out the coroner while I question Doctor McCall. Let Dan know we might be bringing in a suspect." Jim went into the other room to use the phone.

It was done for show. He'd bet his pension she hadn't killed Strong. He'd been close enough to be sure there was no gunpowder smell on her, and so far, a weapon hadn't been discovered. Still, he had to keep up appearances, at least until he figured out what the hell was going on, and if she could help them. It was possible that she was in danger herself and didn't know it.

Right now she was running her hands through that glorious mane of white-gold hair. Fool's gold, but that didn't make it any less desirable. Her hands were shaking and he steeled himself against the protective instincts that surfaced. Only there'd been nothing chivalrous about his thoughts when Annie's soft body had been pressed to his earlier, or when he'd caught the light scent of her subtle perfume.

Marshall continued to glare at her in an effort to unnerve her, knowing that was the key. People tended to break down and blurt out just about anything when he stared them down. "Suppose you just tell me what happened, sweetheart."

"I'm not your sweetheart." She met his look straight on, even after he raised that inquiring brow again. So far none of the subtle tactics he used to scare the bad guys into talking were working on her.

Marshall could vaguely hear the low drone of Jim's voice as he filled Dan in. Knowing what a hothead Dan was, Marshall guessed that if he looked he'd see Jim standing with his arm out, holding the phone away from his ear.

"Well?" he prodded, when the silence between them stretched. Her nervousness at being left alone with him was obvious, especially since Marshall was going out of his way to give her the impression he thought she was responsible for Strong's murder.

"I didn't kill Martin." The fire in her eyes was in direct contrast to the tiredness in her voice.

"Do you usually come out at three in the morning to meet with your patients?"

"No, but the person on the phone said it was life or death and I...I..."

"You're a good doctor and wanted to help your patient." He snorted, aware his voice was loaded with skepticism. He was purposely baiting her, narrowing his eyes while waiting for her reaction.

"Yes, I wanted to help!" Annie finally exploded. "That's why I became a doctor. When my patients need me, I come. There's no crime in that!"

Marshall was momentarily mesmerized by the transformation of her face when it was lit with fiery emotion, filling her cheeks with a deep rosy hue. The sparkle in her eyes turned them into brilliant jewels. He was noticing things he shouldn't, thinking things he shouldn't, comparing Annie to the kind of women he usually found attractive. He liked them tall, leggy and well stacked, not short and soft with barely enough curves to fill his hands. Yet there was definitely something about the doctor that could easily tempt him into changing his tastes. If he was in the market, which he wasn't. His cheating ex had cured him of that.

It occurred to Marshall the minutes were ticking by and he was getting nowhere fast. He wondered what was taking Jim so long. Glancing down at his watch showed that it was almost four. A slight movement from Annie drew his attention back to her. He noticed how nicely her cashmere sweater outlined her rounded breast, how the scooped neckline was low enough to expose just enough cleavage to whet a man's appetite. _Hell!_ He wasn't getting anywhere with those thoughts.

He took a deep breath. "Was it Strong who called you?" He tried to keep his eyes focused on her expression and not the enticing beauty mark the tip of her tongue was caressing.

Sighing deeply, Annie shook her head. "No. I really didn't recognize the voice, but he mentioned the name."

"What exactly did he say?" Marshall watched as she ran her fingers through her hair again, exposing the graceful column of her neck. He clenched his teeth and pretended not to notice how mouthwatering her flawless skin appeared. How many times had his mother told him it wasn't the wrapping but what was inside that was important?

"In a nutshell? The person on the phone said it was a matter of life and death. He needed to see me right away and asked me to meet him here at my office. When I arrived, the first thing I noticed was the lights were off and my office door was unlocked."

"Is that unusual?"

She looked at Marshall as if he'd asked a stupid question. "Yes, I always lock it before I leave. I guess someone had broken in through the front door. I found that open, too."

"Then why did you continue in? Didn't it occur to you that whoever it was could still be in here?" he growled, growing angry over her carelessness.

"Yes, but I've taken self-defense lessons..."

"Those came in real handy," he said smugly. "I could have done anything I wanted to you."

She became red faced and barely opened her mouth when she continued. "I guess I wasn't thinking clearly. When I saw the open file cabinet, I became concerned about my patients' records. They're confidential."

"Marsh?" Jim appeared in the doorway, motioning to Marshall.

"Excuse me." Marshall followed him into the other room.

"I..."

Marshall motioned Jim to be quiet. Then peeked around the doorjamb to see what Annie was doing. She hadn't wasted any time. She was at her file cabinet, thumbing through her files like a mad woman searching for a lost stash of money. He watched her frantic movements for a moment, taking in her shapely profile and the curve of her breast. Interesting, he thought, then chided himself for making the observation. By the time his eyes traveled back up to her face, it was clear that whatever she was looking for wasn't there.

"Just as I thought!" He heard her harsh whisper. "Why would someone want Martin's record?" She began searching through the other files. "Maybe I misplaced it."

Marshall decided he'd seen and heard enough. He turned to Jim. "Take care of things, Jim." He kept his tone low.

He stepped into Annie's office "Find anything missing?" His deep voice sliced through the silence of the room and frightened Annie into swinging around with a gasp. A look of unease filled her eyes. He couldn't help wondering why she had a guilty look on her face. After all, it was her office and file cabinet she was going through. Marshall found the delicate color staining her cheeks intriguing.

For a moment, he thought she wasn't going to answer him. "Martin's file is gone."

That news didn't surprise him. In fact, he would have been surprised if she hadn't found it missing. He walked further into the room toward her, purposely invading her space until she was forced to take a step back. She was as skittish as a kitten. The flare of alarm in her eyes warned Marshall his silent, strong-arm tactics were working.

"Is that all?" He purposely kept his tone hard and unbending. He also tried to keep his eyes off that appealing beauty mark at the corner of her generous mouth but it kept drawing him back.

"As far as I can tell."

Marshall remained silent, his eyes resting on her until she glanced away with obvious apprehension. She didn't know who he was or what he was except for what he told her. He could almost see the wheels turning in her lovely head. Then he saw her chin tilt in a move he already found familiar, and he knew what was coming next.

"I'd like to see some identification now." She eyed him with cool suspicion.

Her request brought a half smile to Marshall's face. He didn't know where she found the courage to ask. He reached for the wallet in his back pocket, which he promptly flipped open. Annie's gaze dropped to the shield that identified him as a detective, before shifting her eyes to skim over his driver's license on the other side. He gave her an extra second to make sure she was satisfied before flipping his wallet shut.

"Marshall Thomas is the name on your driver's license but that doesn't tell me why you're here. Are you going to arrest me?" she asked, meeting his eyes with a look of worry in hers. Marshall shook his head in denial. "Why?" she blurted out with surprise.

Marshall's brows shot up in surprise. "Do you want me to arrest you?" His gaze dropped down her body.

Come to think of it, the thought of frisking her was appealing. Too appealing.

"No!" Annie responded sharply. "I was just curious about why you weren't. I can think of at least two reasons..." She caught herself from saying more, her cheeks turning red.

Marshall tried not to grin. "Attacking a law enforcement officer, for one." She pressed her lips together but kept silent. It was clear she didn't appreciate him guessing her thoughts. "My experience tells me you didn't kill Strong." Her relief was visible. She relaxed beneath his scrutiny, and her eyes began studying him in a way that made him warm inside, and uncomfortable.

"I suspect it's what you're not saying that I should be worried about. How is it that you're here, Detective Thomas? What's going on? I have a right to know the truth."

She was right. Only he was going to determine what she was told and how much. He rubbed his eyes and stepped away from her, so he could think. Her subtle fragrance was reaching him on a level he didn't want to explore. He moved to the center of her office but Annie followed him, crowding him in the limited space. The same thing he'd done to her earlier. So far he'd been the one calling the shots. Now she thought it was her turn? Marshall almost laughed. If this was a sample of her technique, she was in trouble. He was used to being in charge of any situation, all the time. He wasn't about to let some little bit of fluff turn the tables on him.

After a few minutes of silence, she said, "I've cooperated with you, Detective Thomas."

Marshall snorted, a grin spreading across his face. He reached up and fingered the scratches on his cheek. "If that was a sign of cooperation, doc, I'd like to see you when you're really scared and angry about something."

His eyes fell to her exposed shoulder. She hadn't exactly come away unscathed either. His gaze continued downward, following the scooped neckline of her sweater. Zeroing in on the gentle swell of her breasts and exposed cleavage. Right before his eyes, her nipples hardened beneath the cashmere and his body had an instantaneous reaction.

_Damn!_ He met her eyes, praying that by breaking the silence it would also break the awkward moment. "I'm here because, like you, I received a call from someone asking me to meet him here."

Annie's eyes rounded with disbelief. "Martin Strong?"

Marshall shrugged. "The caller gave that name, but I got the impression it wasn't him making the call. In fact, I couldn't tell if the voice was a man or a woman."

"It sounds like the same person who called me. Why do you suppose someone went to all the trouble of making sure we were both here to find Martin's body?" Annie asked. Marshall found it interesting that she was looking everywhere but at him. Was she uncomfortable with her body's response to him?

"The truth, doc? The caller asked me to meet him here at four o'clock and I just arrived early. This probably meant I was supposed to arrive here to find you both dead." He regretted the harshness of his words when he saw her obvious reaction to them. A violent shiver gripped her body, her eyes swinging back to his, darkening with fear. "Jim's the tactful one." His attempt at an apology was met with a slight nod of Annie's head.

"I wish you'd arrived earlier, maybe Martin would still be alive. I didn't see anyone when I go there. As far as I know I was alone until you showed up. Why would anyone want to kill me, or for that matter, Martin?" Her pretty mouth turned down in a frown, but that didn't make it any less appealing.

"Maybe the killer was worried about something Strong said in one of your sessions. Or something you wrote in his files."

"That information is protected by doctor-patient privilege," she retorted, the fire returning to her eyes. Marshall grinned. Doctor McCall was smart. It was clear she knew what he wanted from her. "And he was a harmless accountant, for goodness' sake." She added as if that was important.

"Harmless? Let me tell you from experience, Doctor McCall, no one is harmless."

Her response was a little huff. "You want me to break doctor-patient privilege. It's not the first time I've been in this situation. A couple of years ago, the police were investigating a series of rapes and the evidence turned toward one of my patients." She paused. Marshall watched her expression as she took time to gather her thoughts. "Thinking about the outcome of that mess, I'm glad I held strong to my ethics. The rapist was caught and identified by one of his victims and it wasn't my patient." She sighed deeply. "I know what you expect from me, Detective. You want me to tell you what Martin Strong and I discussed."

Marshall wasn't fooled by the calm in her voice, but for some reason, it did set him on edge. He'd like her a little less reasonable and a little more scared over the situation. "At this point, I don't think Strong will care!" he barked, losing his temper. He had to make her understand this was important.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to lose your composure again. That doesn't change anything," she said coolly, meeting his anger head on.

"Look," he began, in a tone he usually reserved for the bad guys, "this is serious business here, in case the dead man against your wall hasn't convinced you. Let me tell you what's going on so we can stop beating around the bush." He took a breath before continuing. It was either that or shake some sense into her. "Strong said he had information that would solve an old case. The last dead-end lead we had was five years ago."

"Really? Sounds kind of vague to me. What kind of information?" she asked.

Losing patience, Marshall slammed his fist down on her desk, clenching his teeth. "The kind of information that gives closure to a family who lost their only daughter to a violent killer!" He barely opened his mouth to get the words out.

Annie's face paled and she took a step back, only Marshall followed her. He backed her up against the wall, careful not to touch her. Her pretty lips parted with a gasp and her hands actually came up as if to ward him off, grazing his chest.

"You think I scare you now, Doc, what do you think you'll feel when the person who did that to

Strong comes looking for you because he thinks you know something, too?" She stared up at him silently, with rounded eyes. "You think that you're going to be able to look up at him with those dynamite eyes and that vulnerable look on your beautiful face and have him eating out of your hand?"

Marshall turned away with a snort of disgust, realizing he'd momentarily lost his mind. He gotten too personal, but unexpected awareness of her slammed through his gut turning him inside out. It was hardly the time for him to be thinking about Annie McCall's shapely body or what she would look like without her clothes. He'd have time later to let his fantasies run wild. A woman like Annie was probably used to quiet-spoken men in silk suits and expensive loafers. The kind who had every hair in place and worked in jobs like hers. Professionals. Hell, the only thing he was a professional at was choosing the wrong women. He could give great advice on that subject.

He didn't want to frighten her, but when he was working a case, he sometimes had to use whatever means it took to get the information he needed. "All I want to know is if Strong told you anything about Emily Bailey's killer, so that we know where to go from here." Just because Strong was dead didn't mean it was over. His phone call had reopened an eight-year old murder mystery. He owed it to the Baileys to look into any new leads. He glared at Annie. It was apparent she was a little frightened, but not enough to cooperate. "Well?" he snapped.

"I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed because I don't know anything," she retorted with spirit.

"Stubbornness can get you killed!" he said angrily, pressing his lips with fury. He hadn't meant to say that and closed his eyes, willing himself under control. Annie seemed immune to his sudden outburst of anger.

"Would you break a confidence, Detective Thomas?" One lovely, well-defined brow arched inquiringly at him.

Her tone of voice set fire to his blood, but in spite of what it did to his senses, it didn't curb his frustration over the whole situation. There were some circumstances in which he wouldn't break a confidence, but this wasn't one of them. He was glad Jim chose that moment to enter the room.

"They're here," Jim said from the threshold. "What's the plan? Are we running Doctor McCall in?" The gaze he turned on Annie said he didn't care one way or the other.

Marshall kept his obsidian eyes trained on her. "Not at this time," he said. "I'll make sure Doctor McCall gets home safely and check in with you later." The slightest change in Jim's eyes revealed his surprise at Marshall's decision to take Annie home, but he remained silent, only acknowledging his comment with a slight nod.

"Thank you, but taking me home isn't necessary. I have my car."

"I'm taking you home." He wasn't done with her yet. He watched as she straightened her shoulders, her face turning pink at his attitude, but he didn't give her the chance to protest. "What time does this office open for business in the morning?"

"It doesn't. We're closed on the weekends." She crossed her arms, which only pulled the material of her sweater tighter across her breasts, drawing his gaze to her exposed cleavage.

Jim's brows rose incredulously. "No one works on the weekends? Kind of strange for this day and age isn't it?"

"It's a small office and I'm the only doctor here. Lois Little is a realtor who likes to work out of her home on the weekends. The insurance company is closed."

"What about the people who sit out there?" Jim indicated the three desks in the outer room with a nod.

"Our secretaries."

"Anyone get a new secretary lately?" Marshall asked.

Their eyes met. "No."

Noise from the outer room ended the conversation. As the coroner and his crew moved further into view, Marshall walked to where Annie was standing and took her gently by the arm. "It's time we head out." He didn't want her there when they removed the body. "Jim..."

"I'll wait for your call," he said.

"It's really not necessary for you to see me home, Detective Thomas," Annie said as they walked to her car. "I'll be okay."

"I'll decide what's not necessary, Doc, and it's Marshall."

Annie slipped her hand into her front pocket. They stopped at a small sports-type car, an expensive two-seater that had him wondering where he was going to put his legs, never mind his head. He towered over the platinum colored roof, which seemed perfect for her petite figure. He didn't like being cramped in tight spaces that weren't easy to get out of, thanks to being locked up in an old steamer trunk while playing hide and seek with his cousins one afternoon. Hours had slipped by before anyone had even noticed him missing. It had taken his aunt and uncle a hell of a long time to pick the lock and get him out. He'd had nightmares for months after that.

"I'm afraid I lost my keys during our struggle," Annie said with obvious reluctance, peering at him with a helpless look in her clear eyes.

He stared at her for a second before scouring the parking lot around them. It contained a number of company vehicles, including Jim's family-man van and his battle-scarred jeep. The crew would find the keys during inspection of the crime scene, but he didn't feel like waiting around.

"Come on, we'll use my jeep," he said, making a snap decision to take his vehicle. "Your car should be safe enough here for a few hours while they're working. I'll tell Jim to be on the look-out for your keys." He was talking as he walked, forcing Annie to follow him to his jeep.

As they neared his beat up old jeep, her eyebrows rose and Marshall guessed what was going through her mind. How many times had Michelle whined about his choice of vehicles before they slid into her expensive Mercedes? A woman of Annie's profession and status would turn her nose up at having to ride in such a rattletrap, when they both knew her sporty little car had cost a bundle. She was probably afraid of being seen in it by someone she knew.

"It's a far cry from what you're used to, I'm sure, but it has four tires and she's never let me down." He wasn't apologizing for the condition of his jeep, and he hoped his tone clearly told her he didn't give a tinker's damn if she liked it or not. She paused at the rear of it, her gaze transfixed on the bumper intently, which he knew was dented and scratched and had more primer on it than paint. He frowned. "What are you looking for?"

The look she turned on him was as serious as they came. "The bumper sticker," she explained softly.

"What bumper sticker?" He frowned.

"The one that says, don't laugh it's paid for." The slight quiver of her full mouth finally gave way, and before long, she lost control and grinned.

A sharp rush spiraled through Marshall, making his gut do a back flip. When Annie smiled, she was breath taking. Instincts honed by too many disappointments warned him to tread carefully. Women were skilled in the art of wrapping men around their little fingers using more tricks than a seductive mouth. His ex's beautiful face flashed before his eyes. Michelle had used all of her exceptional attributes to entice, capture and contain a man's soul. And he hadn't been immune.

"Cute," he finally retorted, opening the door and waiting for her to join him. The closer she moved to him, the more her scent assailed his nostrils, making him aware of her. Not too many women could wear old jeans and high heels and pull off looking classy, but this one did without half trying. She had all the qualities of being a lethal weapon.

The early morning breeze teased her loose hair, forcing her to reach up and brush it away from her eyes and mouth. A strand was determined to remain glued to the corner of her mouth, causing Marshall to clench his teeth in irritation. He knew the best thing he could do was to take her home and head for his own place on the beach. He still had some unpacking to do, and with a little luck, the rest of his weekend could be put to good use. Maybe if he got real lucky, his mother would come over and cook him his favorite dinner.

That was getting lucky? Marshall shook his head with disbelief at where his thoughts had wandered. When had getting lucky transformed from spending a night with a hot babe who wanted nothing but hot sex, to his mother coming over to cook him a hot meal? He tugged open the passenger side door for her, shaking his head with disgust, realizing he'd hit rock bottom.

"Thank you," she murmured, letting him guide her into the jeep with a firm hand on her arm.

He shut the door before walking around to the other side. Leaning in the open window, he made eye contact with her for a second. "I'll be right back." He waited for her slight acknowledgement before turning to walk away. His intention was to find Jim and ask him to be on the lookout for Annie's keys but he didn't have to go far. Jim came through the open doorway just as he was about to reach it.

"What's up, man?" Jim inquired in a tone that revealed he was surprised Marshall was still around.

"The doc lost her keys during our struggle so I'm taking her home in my jeep. Hold on to them if you find them."

Jim's curious gaze shot past him to where Annie was waiting for him in the jeep. "What's your take on this? Do you think she's in any danger?"

Marshall hesitated for a moment and glanced back at the jeep where she watched them through the window. He sighed deeply. "My gut tells me she could be. Whoever called her to meet Strong could have just meant for me to find her and nail her for the murder. It's too early to tell."

"Maybe it's just a coincidence," Jim offered.

Marshall shrugged. "Anything's possible, but there are too many questions not answered right now. And you know I'm not big on coincidences. See you in a few."

They parted, Jim heading for the coroner's van and Marshall for his jeep. He climbed into the

driver's side and started the engine without speaking, backing up with a quick look behind him before squealing out of the parking lot and onto the quiet one way street.

Annie took a deep breath and Marshall glanced over to see her looking out the window as he came to a red light at an intersection. "Where to?"

The sun was just beginning to rise off the ocean. Some streetlights were already off and the roads were starting to fill with the noise and bustle of a busy population. Several joggers and cyclists lined the sidewalks, reminding him that his morning run had been cut short.

"Bayside Towers," she said tiredly.

When he glanced at Annie, he wasn't surprised to find her head back and eyes closed. She looked peaceful, with those incredibly long lashes fanned out against her alabaster cheeks. Her breathing was shallow, and every so often, a tiny sound passed through her slightly parted lips, too delicate to be considered a snore.

Marshall was exhausted too, and not just from being up most of the night. Long overdue for a vacation, he made a promise to himself that once he tied up loose ends, he'd hop on a flight to the Virgin Islands for a little rest and relaxation. Better yet, take his boat. That would make his mother happy. She'd been after him for the last six months to slow down and take some time off. The trouble was he liked a little female companionship when he went on vacation.

A moan escaped Annie. She was stretching like a satisfied cat, drawing his attention to her jutting breasts as she arched her back. His shaft twitched with sudden, unexpected hunger as he imagined what it would feel like slamming into her. Over and over again, until they both had a mind-blowing orgasm. Damn...she was trouble. He watched her eyes flutter open and turned his attention back to the road, erecting a stone wall around his heart. He needed to remember Michelle and her deceiving ways.

That should be enough to keep him out of trouble.

### Chapter Three

Halfway through her lazy stretch, Annie gradually became aware of her surroundings. She must have dozed off for just a moment. She was still in Marshall's noisy jeep and from what she could tell they were practically flying down the highway. He obviously didn't believe in slowing down for yellow lights or yielding to pedestrians. She glanced at his profile. He was concentrating so hard on the road in front of him that he was almost scowling, his grip on the steering wheel turning his knuckles white. She sensed there was a lot more on his mind than maneuvering through traffic. She supposed a homicide detective was always on the job.

"I'm sorry for falling asleep on you." It couldn't have been more than a few minutes, since her building was so close. She hoped she hadn't snored or anything, which she tended to do when she was over tired.

Marshall spared her a brief glance. "That's okay. I tend to have that effect on the opposite sex."

Annie seriously doubted that but refrained from commenting. His following wink confirmed he was teasing her. Part of his natural charm or an attempt to put her at ease?

"How will we get into your place?" He surprised her by switching the turn signal on before turning his jeep onto the ramp leading to the underground parking garage.

"The garage attendant has a spare key." Then it dawned on her what he'd said. "What do you mean...we?"

The look he tossed her way spoke volumes. It was clear he wished she hadn't noticed. "We'll have more privacy inside and we still need to finish our discussion."

Annie didn't like the sound of that. They had enough privacy in his jeep. They could park in the garage and talk as long as he wanted. She wasn't sure she wanted him inside her home. He threatened her peace of mind with his dark, virile looks and tall, powerful body. Why do I find him so intriguing? She was usually attracted to unthreatening men of smaller statue. Someone not as intimidating as Marshall was.

Someone I can control if the need arises.

Danger had never particularly appealed to Annie. She liked quiet librarian types, men with polished exteriors who wore slacks and name brand shirts, with quiet unobtrusive lifestyles. The kind who liked going to the theatre or art gallery. They were safe. Hardly exciting. Her curious gaze ran over Marshall in his snug jeans. He made her feel safe when she was with him, but she knew in her heart that she wasn't safe from him. He radiated too much raw sex appeal, and Annie was feeling particularly vulnerable right now.

When was the last time she'd even spared a second glance for someone of the opposite sex? She had vowed to stay clear of men when her last romantic involvement turned sour. Most women just had to worry about men wanting to get them into bed, but with Annie, it was her money they coveted. She could always tell the moment someone she was seeing found out about her inheritance and what she'd done with it.

The garage attendant saw them drive in and vacated his chair with a ready smile. Mr. Jones had been replaced with a younger, more energetic man. Annie frowned inwardly when she saw Ray, aware of his crush on her. She wasn't in any mood to face his charm, and prayed when he saw Marshall he'd draw his own conclusions and tone down his friendliness. If she thought it would help, she'd take Marshall by the hand and pretend they were something they weren't.

"Good morning, Doctor McCall."

His worried, surprised gaze ran over her disheveled condition, Marshall's condition, and the condition of the jeep. It stood out like a sore thumb among the many high-end, luxury sedans and sports cars parked there. It was obvious Ray was more than curious, but he wasn't paid to ask questions, and she knew he wouldn't.

"Good morning, Ray. Would you please get the spare key to my condo?"

"Sure thing." He was gone and back in a flash. "Anything else I can do for you?" His gaze moved over her again, more thoroughly this time. She couldn't fault him for being concerned.

Nevertheless, before she could put him at ease, Marshall jumped in and barked, "Relax kid. I'm the one who saved her from the big, bad wolf." He took Annie by the arm and began leading her away, annoyance stamped on his dark features.

"Please park Mr. Thomas's jeep in my spot," she said over her shoulder, letting Marshall pull her along until they were well out of sight. Then, she yanked her arm away and halted, facing him in the tunnel leading to the elevators. "I'll thank you to stop manhandling me!" she whispered angrily.

"Manhandle—"

"I'm not a five-year-old, Detective Thomas, and I resent being treated like one." The last time someone had dragged Annie off by the arm she'd been in the fourth grade at St. Mary's, after getting caught kissing Scotty Sanders. A little experiment that had brought on swift consequences from both Sister Margaret and her shocked parents.

When her father had found out, he'd been furious, dragging her home and sitting her down before her mother so that she could educate her about the birds and the bees. It wasn't until sixth grade that Annie realized kissing boys didn't lead to pregnancy.

"I'm not a child," she reminded him, her hands on her hips. He remained quiet and studied her intently for a moment, before lowering his gaze to take in the rest of her. Annie's stance switched to one of prickling alertness. He looked like he knew something she didn't.

"I wanted to slap the kid for being so obvious. Is this the thanks I get for dashing his hopes? Now he thinks we're together and will leave you alone. Unless I read him wrong, he's got the hots for you. Or do you like having young boys drooling all over you?"

A faint light twinkled in the depths of his eyes, but Annie ignored it, immediately put on the defensive. "Ray's as old as I am!" she retorted heatedly, resenting his implication that she liked turning on young boys. "Maybe I don't want him thinking we're together! Besides, he only has a little crush—"

"Crush my..." He shook his head in annoyance and turned toward the elevator. "It's none of my damn business!"

"That's right, it isn't."

Annie followed him, madder than a hornet. She punched the button to bring the elevator down, took a deep breath, and decided silence was the best course. The last thing she needed was for one of her neighbors to overhear their conversation. Gossip had a way of turning mole hills into mountains.

The door opened and they stepped in. Marshall punched the button to the second floor. She hadn't told him what floor she lived on, had she? She was beginning to get an uneasy feeling. Sure, she'd seen his badge back at her office, but fake IDs were easy enough to come by these days, according to countless news programs. If he was the killer, she'd just made things easier for him by coming with him so trustingly, like a small child with the promise of candy. What if she was playing right into his hands? She avoided his eyes as the unwelcome thoughts filled her mind.

Maybe she could outrun him from the elevator to her door. And then what? He was in prime condition. It wouldn't take him long to catch up to her and do whatever he wanted. Hadn't he already proven she was no match for him? He might as well shoot her now because she wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight. Exhaustion had caught up to her. Her eyes moved over him again, as she wondered where he kept his gun. He wasn't wearing a shoulder harness, so she supposed it was tucked away neatly in the back of his pants.

Thinking about his partner and the coroner back at her office building made her realize how silly her thoughts were. Under the circumstances, Annie was thankful he'd shown up when he had.

As though knowing what she was thinking, his sensuous mouth curved into a dangerous smile, his hooded eyes making her think of a lazy wolf getting ready to pounce on a helpless lamb. A nervous flutter settled in the pit of her stomach, and she swallowed down the sudden urge to scream or use one of the ineffective moves she'd learned at the gym. Next chance she got, she was going to complain to the instructor about his useless training courses. Talk about giving someone a false sense of security.

All at once the elevator seemed way too small, and they appeared to be traveling at the speed of a snail's pace, another draw-back to living in an old building. The scheduled updates couldn't happen fast enough. At least this year, the planning committee decided on using the maintenance fees collected during the year to good use. Last year, they'd wasted the money on some expensive bronze statue for the front of the building.

Annie wondered if adding bigger elevators was on the list, as she took a step away from Marshall. They might as well be entombed. He was too damn sexy. The air was stifling, turning her unbearably hot. She refused to contribute her state to his overwhelming sex appeal. And wondering what it would be like to have his mouth and hands on her. Damn! That erotic thought only made her feel hotter. She resisted the urge to fan herself. To make matters worse, Annie had the awful feeling that what she was thinking was branded on her face.

Get a grip, Annie!

Her back came up against the wall and a whoosh of air escaped her. Yet the only muscle twitching in her direction was the muscle controlling his facial expression into a crooked, I know what you're thinking grin.

"You have very expressive eyes, Doc." Right now his were overflowing with amusement, holding hers captive. "I know exactly what's going through your pretty head."

"You're so smart." She crossed her arms and released a breath. "You tell me how you knew what floor I live on."

He shrugged. "That's easy. When the garage attendant went into the office to get the spare key, I watched him remove it from a hook in a wall cabinet clearly marked for the second floor."

"Very observant," she said, relief of a different matter rushing through her. That made sense, since the office was made entirely of glass. The elevator door opened and she stepped into the hallway with Marshall on her heels. They walked the short distance down the carpeted aisle to her door, where she inserted the key and opened it.

"Oh, not again," she said beneath her breath. Usually, the first thing she heard when she opened her door was a series of short beeps that reminded her to turn off her security alarm. She was sure that she set it before leaving. "I—"

Annie found herself grabbed without warning. Releasing a low curse, Marshall jerked her roughly behind him, at the same time withdrawing his weapon. She let out a strangled cry, but a quick gesture from him warned her to remain quiet. Her startled eyes fell on his gun, her breath catching. He wasn't playing around. He pushed her against the wall next to the door and flattened his hand across her chest to hold her there.

He lowered his head to her, his mouth brushing against her ear as he whispered, "Don't move." He slowly turned his face, narrowing his eyes against the early morning dimness in the room beyond. Annie wondered if he saw anyone. "Quick, give me a brief layout of your condo."

Annie kept her voice low because he had. "The kitchen is to your left directly after the foyer. Then there's a long hallway, which opens up into the living room. Two bedrooms and bathroom are also off to the left. A third bedroom and bath is to the right."She strained to hear any unusual sounds coming from further inside. She could feel her heart beating wildly beneath the open palm of Marshall's hand.

Thank God he's here.

"Where does the first doorway to the right lead?" he asked quietly.

She turned her face to whisper her response; Marshall turned his at the same time. Her lips brushed against him, the touch feather light. "The laundry room." He jerked back and their eyes met.

Had he felt the electrical charge, too? Then a noise coming from a back room galvanized him into action and the strained moment between them was replaced with something far more dangerous.

"Stay here!" he warned in a low voice, a second before he released her and sprinted down the hallway on surprisingly light feet. For a moment, Annie watched him in stunned silence, fear holding her rooted to the spot.

"Help! Help! Help!"

"Harold!" Annie cried out. Completely ignoring Marshall's order, she dashed down the hallway behind him. He was just about to enter her bedroom when he glanced over his shoulder. Seeing her, he scowled, stopping. Annie plowed right into him.

A grunt escaped him from the impact. "Annie, damn it, I told you to—"

"Help!"

"Harold!" she cried, her eyes round with fear. She barely spared Marshall a glance before ducking under his arm and squeezing past him.

His hand grazed her sweater as he reached for her, but she was too fast for him. Swear words followed. She didn't care. Her concern for Harold far outweighed any presence of danger. She saw the stack of clothes that had been dumped out of her dresser drawers and rushed there, falling to her knees.

"What the hell are you doing?" Marshall demanded to know, breathing harshly.

Annie glanced up to take in his fierce expression and glittering eyes. He'd entered the room with his gun poised, ready to fire at the first sign of trouble. Her gaze followed his as he scanned the room. She barely gave the open balcony doors a second thought. The whole time she was picking up clothes, tossing them left and right.

"Annie—"

"I'm looking for Harold."

He ignored her response. "Someone's been in here."

She couldn't worry about that right then. Where was Harold? He was the only real family she had.

"Whoever was in here probably made a hasty exit over the balcony when we entered," he continued.

"Help!"

"Harold! Where are you?" Panic was taking over. Annie glanced at Marshall when she was at the bottom of the pile of clothes. His gaze shot toward the closet door and hers followed. It dawned on her that Harold's voice was coming from there.

"Help!"

He's in the closet!

Annie jumped to her feet and headed there without hesitation. Just as she was about to yank the door open Marshall was there to stop her. "Annie, no! Wait a minute!" He wrapped a muscular arm around her waist and hauled her away, holding his weapon out of reach.

"Help! Help! Call the cops!"

"Harold!" she said, as if that explained everything. Her feet were off the floor and she struggled wildly against Marshall, but he held her easily. Annie knew she wouldn't break free, but it didn't stop her from trying. Her only concern was finding Harold and making sure he was okay.

She wiggled like an eel, realizing too late that her bottom was brushing up against the most private part of him. It didn't take long before his arousal became evident. Acknowledging it turned up the heat Annie felt.

Marshall's grunt was hot against her ear. "Damn it Annie..." he groaned. "Wait a minute, will you? Someone's been in here! They could very well be hiding out in the closet, forcing this Harold person to call out to you!"

"But—"

"Listen," Marshall's tone was low and deep, filled with impatience, and something else. "Oh shit, Annie, stop wiggling before I..." He sucked in his breath and seemed to lose control for a moment.

"Annie..."

There was a slight pause before he seemed to pull himself together. "I've been through enough situations like this to know an open window or door can easily be used as a ruse to mislead any search efforts. It's easy to think the bad guys are gone, only to find out they're still inside somewhere, hiding and waiting for a chance to make their move. Besides, whoever the hell Harold is, he's obviously still alive and well, if the squawking coming from the closet is any indication."

"Help! Help!"

Marshall was right but Annie struggled even more. She wanted to get away from him, and at the moment, it didn't have anything to do with Harold or the current danger they could be facing. His aroused condition was turning her on. His erection, pressing against her bottom, felt big and powerful. Hungry.

"Marshall, let me go!" Her words were breathless, her tone not very convincing.

"I'm trying to protect you, lady." The gruffness of his tone told Annie she was treading on thin ground. "Until I know Harold is the only one in the closet, I'm not turning you loose. If you don't stop being so much trouble, I'm going to toss you over the balcony. Let me at least check it out first. Look around you! The place has been trashed."

As his words finally sank in, Annie melted against Marshall's body like warm butter on hot toast. This was getting them nowhere.

"All right," she said, embarrassed when her tone came out sounding like a wispy sound of pleasure. "Maybe you can turn me loose?" Her heart rate was racing with a sudden rush of old fashioned lust. She knew her reaction was inappropriate, but tell that to her love-starved body. "I don't want to be a distraction."

A short bark of laughter followed her comment. "That's good, but you're too damn late." His strong erection jumped against her bottom, and for a split second, Annie relished the feeling. She squeezed her eyes shut, bit her bottom lip, and found it too darn hard not to push her fanny into his hard flesh. "It's things like this that can get someone killed, Annie."

What did that mean? Was he blaming her for his hard-on? "I'm sorry."

"Be quiet for a moment," he whispered hoarsely. "I'm going to let you go, but promise me, you'll let me check the closet out first." He waited for her nod before sliding his arm from around her waist and slowly releasing her.

She stood back and watched as his hand curled around the brass handle, the other one raising his gun at the same time. He glanced at her meaningfully and motioned with his head toward the doorway. It was clear he wanted her to vacate the room if he said the word.

He opened the door slowly, and then all hell broke loose. "What the hell!"

"Get out! Get out!"

Marshall swore several more times before ducking, but Annie watched a blouse or something brush across his face and over his head as Harold flew over him. Temporarily blinded, he reached up to pull the garment off his face, but it clung to the day's worth of stubble on his chin. It was then that she recognized the white, gauzy garment as the nightgown she'd worn to bed the night before. Swearing some more, Marshall's free hand worked frantically at pulling the thing off his face. He finally found an opening and poked his head through.

His eyes went straight to Annie. He slowly lowered his gun. "Thank God I didn't fire," he mumbled under his breath. His gaze landed on Harold, who was sitting on Annie's slender shoulders. "Are you kidding me? All this fuss over an ugly, black crow?" His tone held disgust and disbelief, nostrils flaring wildly as he sucked in air. "This is Harold?"

"I'm sorry if Harold scared you." Annie's lips were quivering violently as she tried to hold back from laughing. The sight of Marshall standing in her closet doorway, her nightgown hanging around his neck like a wilted Christmas wreath, struck her funny bone. He looked fit to kill. A burst of laughter escaped her before she covered it with the palm of her hand.

A scowl spread across his face. It was clear he didn't appreciate her misplaced sense of humor. "I'm glad you've found something to laugh about, Annie."

"I'm sorry," Annie said, trying to control her mirth by not looking him in the eye. She focused on the garment wrapped around his neck, while her hand absentmindedly smoothed over Harold's shiny, black feathers.

Thank God, Harold's okay.

A heavy sign escaped Marshall. "Do you recall turning on your security alarm before leaving this morning?" he scowled, ignoring the situation altogether.

Annie's amusement vanished in response to his seriousness. "I always remember to turn on my alarm," she replied without hesitation. "But lately—"

"Did you also remember to lock your patio doors?" he fired at her before she could finish.

She glanced away to hide the guilt in her eyes. "I shut the door," she said. "But I didn't think I needed to lock it since I'm on the second floor. Do you think that's how he got in?"

His mouth turned down. "Without a doubt. Don't you watch the movies? The question is why didn't the alarm go off?"

"Well, what I started to say, before you interrupted me, is that lately we've experienced some minor problems with the electricity...among other things. This is an old building. The association is in the process of updating some systems, which means—"

Marshall waved her off. "I get the picture. In other words, whoever broke in just got lucky." He went to the balcony doors and continued out as far as the railing. Annie watched him peer over the side, before lifting his head and scanning the area. He turned back to her with his mouth turned down with disgust.

"See anything?"

"Just as I thought, someone jumped off your balcony. Heavy footprints are evident in the soft sand. Hell, what a mess!" He tucked his weapon in the back of his jeans shaking his head. His frown deepened when his eyes landed on Harold again. "Other than the condition of your friend, you don't seem overly concerned with the state of your place."

"Harold's the only thing I care about. Everything else can be replaced." It was the truth. He was more than just a pet to her. He kept her company and was always there when she came home. He didn't hurt her.

Marshall sighed deeply, running his hands through his hair while looking about her bedroom.

"Well, someone has definitely gone through your things, but it doesn't appear as though much damage has been done. Nothing appears broken. You don't keep patient files here, do you, Doc?"

"Of course not. I try not to bring work home with me."

"Obviously, someone thinks otherwise." As though just realizing he was still wearing the garment Harold had dragged over his head, Marshall reached up and yanked it off his shoulders.

He bunched the thin material together in his hands and held it to his nose, inhaling deeply.

What did he think he was doing? Annie felt the heat crawl up her neck when his gaze turned to her. She knew he was taking in the scent of the body lotion she'd used after her shower the night before. It was clinging to her nightgown. She decided to do the sensible thing and ignore the intimate moment.

"That doesn't make any sense because they took Martin's file from my office."

"Maybe they didn't find what they were looking for in the file. Maybe they thought you kept a separate file, or did all this just to scare you. Hell, I don't know Annie. You tell me."

He released her knotted up gown until it flowed to the floor, revealing exactly what it was. He held it up for his inspection. This time when his eyes returned to hers, there was a look of dawning in them. "You!" His tone took on a husky quality. "You're the woman I saw standing on the balcony this morning, wearing this bit of nothing."

It sounded like an accusation. "It's a nightgown," Annie explained. It covered her from neck to ankle...almost. It revealed more than it concealed but it was comfortable.

His next words echoed her thoughts. "It reveals more than it conceals."

The sound of his deep voice reacted like a caress against Annie's flesh. The darkening of his sensual eyes caused a river of fire to spread through her veins and she felt a wild flutter in her belly. Lord, what was happening to her? How could a stranger draw such an immediate response from her body?

"Are you going to answer me?"

What was the question? Something about her files?

"I can't," she emphasized quietly.

"Are you absolutely sure there's nothing in Strong's file to indicate you know what's going on?

Because if you're just an innocent victim caught in the middle of this mess, simply because you knew Strong, then that means you're only involved because the killer has involved you."

"Positive," she said without hesitation.

Marshall released a deep breath before running his hands through his thick hair. "Well, the killer thinks otherwise, so what aren't you telling me? What did Strong tell you that you didn't put down in his file?"

Annie shook her head. Nothing.

He swung around with a curse. "This is getting us nowhere. Pack some things. We can't offer to place you in a safe house until we figure out what's going on, especially when we're not even sure you need protection. I hope you have a friend you can call." He halted at the doorway, turning to pin his eyes on her. "Do you have somewhere to go for a few days?"

Annie gave Marshall a negative shake of her head. "This is just a robbery," she breathed, aware she didn't sound too sure. Her eyes shifted nervously around the room.

"For a shrink you're not too smart, Doc. Do you actually believe this is just a coincidence?" She remained quiet and Marshall snorted. "Then maybe you'd better check around to see if anything is missing," he advised, turning to leave. "I need to use the phone."

Annie's eyes followed Marshall until he was out of sight, before taking in the drawers of clothes emptied on the floor and the items out of place on the dresser top. She dashed over to her small jewelry box on the floor, relieved to discover the locket holding the picture of her parents was still there. Not that it was all that valuable, but it was priceless to her. She slipped it into the pocket of her jeans.

She wasn't a strong believer in coincidences, accepting that things happened for a reason and there was usually an explanation for everything. That had been drummed into her at a very early age by her very practical parents. Deep down she sensed this wasn't a typical run of the mill robbery. It didn't appear anything had been taken, only riffled through, which confirmed Marshall's view that someone wanted to scare her.

The thought of someone in her home, touching her personal belongings, caused a ripple of revulsion to travel down her spine. It left her feeling violated and fearful. Whoever had done this had accomplished their mission. Harold picked up on her churning emotions and began flapping his wings in nervousness.

"Get out! Get out!"

Yes, her thought exactly; only where would she go? Annie gathered up an armful of clothes from the floor and left her bedroom to hear Marshall arguing with someone on the phone. His expression was grim, something telling her he didn't like what he was hearing.

Their gazes met briefly as she continued past him to the laundry room. She sorted the clothes, stuffed a load into the washer, added detergent and turned the machine on. There was no way she'd be able to wear anything a stranger had touched without washing it first. For a moment, she leaned against the machine and thought about what she was going to do. So deep were her thoughts that she didn't hear Marshall approach.

"The police are on their way, but I doubt they'll lift any prints." He was standing in the doorway, his eyes landing with hostility on Harold. He had yet to vacate his favorite spot, which was Annie's shoulder. "Have you packed anything?"

He's serious? Annie moved past him into the room, her gaze taking in everything but him. "I have no place to go." She made her way to the Mission-style desk in the corner as she spoke.

"There are plenty of hotels around."

"Have you forgotten there's a convention in town? I doubt there's a vacant room to be found."

"Damn!" he said harshly, hitting the palm of his hand with his fist. "Surely you have a friend?"

"None I'm close enough with to want to disrupt their lives," she said. Except for Elliot, but he was away on a business trip. "Besides, I'm not sure leaving is necessary."

She'd reached her desk. Papers were strewn all about, and she began sifting through them. Unpaid bills, cards, an old newspaper, and a letter to an old college friend out west were gathered up and reorganized. After making a quick sweep of the contents, she closed the drawers that had been left open, deciding nothing was missing.

"Damn it, Doc, you sound as if this is something you go through every day. You must be smart enough to realize all of this is connected." Marshall's tone was clearly laced with impatience. "I'm placing you in protective custody."

"What? You can't do that." She was in the process of gathering up an assortment of pencils and pens to put back into the small crock where they belonged when she noticed her computer had been turned on. Her gaze fell on the panda bear screen saver. She stilled, a chill washing over her.

"Annie?"

She ignored him, reaching for the mouse and moving it slowly over the pad until the screen saver disappeared to be replaced with something else. A message had been left for her. She swayed, clutching the desk for support. Unable to breathe for a moment, her gaze fixed on the words written in large bold font, YOUR NEXT, DOCTOR MCCALL. They'd miss-used the word you're.

"Well, that certainly leaves no doubt," she said softly.

Marshall hurried to her side, his eyes dropping to the screen. Swearing viciously, he grabbed her by the shoulders. The action sent Harold off with a loud squawk of protest. "Now do you believe me?"

Annie remained stubbornly silent, aware of the tears gathering in her eyes. She didn't want to believe it. What she wanted was for Marshall to enfold her in his arms and offer a small measure of comfort.

"Annie, we can protect you."

"Why do the police want to protect me? I can't help you. I don't have the answers you're looking for. I didn't even see the killer."

"You must have a pretty low opinion of the police department if you think we're in the habit of turning our backs on innocent victims. Until other arrangements can be made, you're coming with me."

"What? But..."

He exhaled a low sound of frustration. "I sense a refusal coming on. Look, how many burglars break into someone's home but don't take anything, Annie? How many leave neat little messages like that one?" He pointed a finger in the direction of her computer, his eyes holding hers captive. "Just what do you think that message means...that you're next in line to win the state lottery?"

Annie refused to buckle under Marshall's fierce expression and determination. He looked angry enough to resort to physical violence, but it was what she felt when he touched her that threatened her more. There was something about him that drew her.

"You tend to lose your temper a lot, detective."

In spite of everything, a crooked grin turned the corners of his mouth upward. "You're not the most cooperative female I've ever come across. Maybe I just need to handle you with a little more finesse, only I'm too damn exhausted to turn on the charm right now."

"I'd like to see a little bit of that." When Marshall remained quiet, she asked, "Can you force me to go with you?"

His hesitation showed Annie he was weighing his answer. She sensed what the truth was and wondered if he was going to be honest with her. Her little experience with men had taught her that when they wanted something they resorted to whatever means needed to get it.

"No, I can't force you to come with me, but my gut tells me you're in danger," he finally ground out. "And after this, I'd think you'd want to get out of here."

"You don't play fair," Annie said quietly. "May I ask where you're taking me?"

"Until other arrangements can be made, the only place I can think of right now would be my place. You'll be safe there. I just moved in so not too many people know about it."

His home? That didn't sound like a good idea. Annie wasn't certain she wanted to go anywhere with Marshall. He threatened her sanity. "I bet taking me home goes against every rule you have about bringing work home with you, not to mention the department policies. Is this wise?"

"Under the circumstances, I have no other choice." He shrugged. "Let me worry about department policies. You probably won't be there more than a day or two."

"Your family—"

"If you're referring to a wife, I don't have one."

His tone was bitter, making Annie curious as to why. But she hardly had the right to question it. "I watch all the police dramas on TV. This seems," Annie hesitated, searching for the right words, "very unorthodox."

"Sometimes you have to deal with situations in a speedy manner and don't always have time to do the orthodox method of operation." He paused, grinning like a wolf about to have his first tasty meal of the day. "Besides, this is a temporary solution."

Annie hesitated, struggling to decide what to do. Then his words came back to her. It was only temporary. Surely, she could spend a couple days in the company of the sexy detective and keep her priorities straight. No matter what she wanted as a woman. She swallowed, agreeing before she changed her mind.

"Okay, then."

"Annie—"

"I know. I need to pack some things, but you'll have to wait until the wash is done."

Marshall didn't ask her why. Annie had the feeling he understood her reasoning behind wanting to launder her clothes. Maybe it was a normal reaction. Much like a rape victim needing to shower after their attack.

A knock at the door indicated the police had arrived. Annie released a sigh that apparently revealed exactly how she felt, if Marshall's grin was anything to go by.

"Relax, Doc. I'll deal with this."

An intuitive man. Annie liked that.

### Chapter Four

As Marshall drove his jeep home, he glanced over at Annie, sitting in the passenger seat. She was a heartbreaker. Even though he hadn't seen much of it yet, he knew her smile was genuine. The warmth in her unusual eyes held secrets that needed to be explored, and Marshall wondered what it would be like to be the one to unearth them. Slowly, one by one. She gave off a sensual vulnerability that made his protective instincts swell, as well as another certain part of his body. That response in her condo had caught him totally by surprise. He found Annie attractive but he also prided himself on knowing there was a place and time for everything.

Scoping out a dangerous situation had only produced one. And though his instincts had warned him whoever had been in her condo was gone, it had been a struggle to keep his mind on making sure first. All he'd wanted to do at that moment was savor the intimate, ill-timed situation between them. _Shit!_ He tightened his hands on the steering wheel. Marshall couldn't recall the last time a woman had turned him hard so fast after just meeting her. She was a complication he didn't want or need. So why was he going to so much trouble? He didn't want to think about the answer because he had a feeling it was more personal than professional. He could be honest about that.

He cleared his throat. "It won't take us long to reach my place." His place. It seemed strange saying that after so many years of paying rent in an apartment.

She acknowledged him with a slight nod and a look in her eyes he was used to seeing in victims.

She was scared, and nervous, but doing a darn good job of handling it. He had to give her credit for that.

"You going to be okay?"

"How easy is it to get a fake badge these days?"she asked, surprising him, the barest hint of real concern in her voice. "All I have to go on is the brief glance I got of your shield. You could have gotten that out of a Cracker Jack box."

He chuckled. "Having second thoughts again, Doc? If you're thinking about jumping from the vehicle, don't. You wouldn't get far. Plus, if you stick me with your big-mouth friend back there, I'd have to do you serious bodily harm once I caught up with you again."

"Harold is the only family I have," Annie said in a low voice. "I would never leave him behind."

Marshall looked at her curiously. "An orphan?" he inquired.

"No. I lost my sister Amanda to a hit and run accident when we were ten."

He detected the sadness in her tone. "We?"

"Yes. We were twins. The driver was never found." She paused, drawing in a breath before continuing. "Then a few years ago I lost my parents in a plane crash."

Marshall was sorry he asked. Bad luck certainly seemed to follow her around. He knew all about bad luck, too. He'd had a run of his own, though nothing that compared to hers. He was fortunate enough to still have his mother and a sibling, both of whom doted on him as though he'd never grown up. His misfortune leaned toward his track record with the opposite sex. Every time he got involved with a woman, it left him a little more educated in what made them tick. And a lot more battle scarred.

His experiences over the years had taught Marshall that most women were scheming actresses and not to be trusted. No matter how innocent they seemed on the outside, he knew it was just an attractive shell designed to hide the deceit inside. They were all out for something. Maybe he wasn't being fair when he lumped them all together, but he had yet to meet one who didn't try winding a man around her little finger, for her own devious needs. Michelle had used her sophistication and a killer body to lure him in and he'd let her trap him with sickening ease.

A mistake he wouldn't let happen again. For a moment, he thought about how close he'd come to marrying her. At the time, Marshall had convinced himself he was ready to settle down and maybe start a family. Looking back at it now, he realized he'd got caught up in the enthusiasm of his mother and sister. Finding out what Michelle was really like had cured him quick.

Hitting a large pothole jarred the jeep and brought him back to the present. The road to his house was nothing more than a stretch of dirt and gravel with a ribbon of grass down the middle. His jeep sounded like an army tank as it jolted all over the place. Grass, swaying in the breeze and as tall as the hood, lined the path on either side until the road opened up to the clearing where his house sat. Since it was built on stilts, he was able to park directly beneath it.

"Home, sweet home, Doc." He turned off the ignition and turned toward Annie. She had dark shadows beneath her eyes and looked exhausted. Yet at the same time she managed to look incredibly sexy as she stretched like a lazy cat.

He clenched his teeth and got out of the jeep, fighting the overwhelming temptation to kiss her. If he was going to survive the next couple of days, he had to keep those thoughts out of his head. But every time he looked at her, something she said or did made him think about nothing else.

"I feel like I've been in a fight," she said, groaning. "I ache all over."

Marshall laughed. "You were, Doc." He fingered the scratches along his cheek. "We both were."

Her eyes filled with amusement. "I'd forgotten about that. I'm sorry I hurt you."

"A few scratches are nothing compared to what you tried to do...twice," Marshall reminded her.

Blushing, she averted her gaze and jumped to the ground. She lifted her gaze upward. "What are we parked under?"

Marshall followed her gaze, before giving her a rakish grin. "Why, Doc, that's our bedroom."

Annie gave him a startled look. "Our?" she inquired, crossing her arms. One finely shaped brow actually raised a fraction higher than the other.

Was she trying to intimidate him? He met her gaze head on. "Since I only have one furnished bedroom, we'll be sharing." He winked at her, which only gained him a bigger scowl.

Here it comes.

Marshall was surprised when Annie just quietly watched him remove her things from the back of his jeep. As he passed her, he was sure he heard her huff of disbelief. She was getting ready to explode.

"Over my dead body!" she murmured close behind him, right on his heels as he climbed the steps leading to a landing.

The door he opened took them into the spacious kitchen. It had recently been remodeled with no expense spared. From the granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and hardwood floor, it looked like something straight off the cover of a designing magazine.

"That can be arranged," he said, continuing to a room further down the hall and dropping her bag on the floor next to his bed. "Where do you want this?"He held Harold's cage up as if he was holding up a disgusting carcass.

Annie's gaze explored the masculine room before fastening on his bed. There was room enough for three or four people in it, and he couldn't help wondering, from the look on her face, if she'd ever slept on a waterbed before. He placed Harold's cage on the floor next to her bag before striding to the sliding glass door. He opened it, letting in the crisp fall breeze. The view of the ocean was stunning, not unlike Annie's view from her condo.

One of the reasons Marshall had purchased this particular home was because the whole ocean side of it was nothing but hurricane-resistance glass. No matter where you were in the house all you had to do to get a spectacular view of the ocean was open the blinds. Sliding doors opened so you could step out onto a screen enclosed deck. There was a small table tucked in the corner where he placed his mail until he had a chance to go through it. He snatched up the accumulating pile in one hand, before stepping onto the screened-in deck off his bedroom.

"Seagulls coming." Apparently, Harold didn't like seagulls. Marshall hadn't noticed them screeching until now, which caused him to smile as he looked at those overhead and back to the bird inside raising his concerns. Just as he ripped open the electric bill, Annie stepped out onto the porch with Harold's cage in her hands. She set it down on the glass-covered, wicker table.

"Seagulls," Harold repeated as if she was blind, flapping his wings in agitation.

"Hush, Harold, they can't get you in here." Annie met Marshall's eyes briefly before she glanced away, taking in the view from his porch.

Marshall glanced back down at the mail he'd been going through. He couldn't put his finger on it but she seemed different somehow. Distant, as though she was afraid of being in his home, or having second thoughts over the wisdom of it. He couldn't blame her. He was having second thoughts, too. He didn't usually bring work home with him. And there was no question that's what she was, a job. Someone he was responsible for until...? Until what? They needed to decide what to do with her.

All he could think of was tossing her down on his bed and fucking her.

More than once.

"I need to make some phone calls," she said, cutting into his fantasy. "I'd like to call my secretary to make sure she's all right, and I want to see if Elliot has returned from California early. If he has, I can go to his place."

_Elliot?_ It was on the tip of Marshall's tongue to ask Annie who he was but he reminded himself that it was none of his business. "Use the phone on the nightstand by the bed." Marshall dropped the bill in his hand on the table and followed her.

He watched quietly as Annie picked up the phone and dialed a number, but she had to leave a message in the end. Her message to someone named Agnes was brief and to the point, yet her tone revealed her affection for the woman. Her voice didn't change much when she was also forced to leave a message for Elliot, leading Marshall to draw his own conclusion that her relationship with the man was platonic.

He decided to inquire for confirmation. "Elliot?" Since she was too far away to reach the nightstand, he took the phone from her and placed it back in the receiver.

"Elliot Lancaster, a good friend," Annie replied.

He raised an inquisitive brow. "The famous artist who's been in the news lately?" Annie nodded.

"How did you come to be such good friends with the great Elliot Lancaster?"

"Before Elliot became the great Elliot Lancaster," Annie mocked with a flicker of amusement in her eyes. "He was the not so great janitor in our office complex. Before that, we went to the same high school. We have a long history together, fifteen years to be exact. He only recently put his struggling artist days behind by selling his first major piece at a local art gallery."

"I bet you bought it."

Her mouth dropped open with surprise and her eyes widened. "That's a good guess, Detective. Yes, I bought it—anonymously, of course."

"Help! Help!" Harold screeched from the porch, the sound of his wings flapping against his cage reaching them. "Call the cops!"

Marshall's gaze shot in that direction, his mouth turning down with irritation. "Why couldn't you have chosen a normal pet? I could see you as the fluffy kitten type." He wondered if she'd take offense.

"Why? Because I fell in love with Harold the minute he opened his mouth in the pet store and told me he loved me." Annie explained with a soft smile. "The fluffy kitten I'd been contemplating in the next cage was pushed to the back of my mind after that and promptly forgotten. I wrote out a check for two hundred and seventy-five dollars and didn't look back."

Thankfully, she didn't take offense to his comment. "Now you're stuck with him."

"In spite of all his irritating ways, I love him," Annie clarified. "He'll grow on you."

There was a teasing quality in her violet eyes that Marshall found hard to ignore. "Don't count on it."

"When you live alone, it's nice to have someone to talk to."

"Incoming. Incoming. Incoming."

Annie's eyes widened with alarm at Harold's announcement and grabbed Marshall by the arm.

"That means someone is coming!" she whispered, frightened. She started to get up from where she was perched on the frame of the bed.

Marshall held her back. "Stay out of sight," he ordered in a firm tone, his jaw tightening. "I'll check it out." He turned toward the door to leave the room.

"But Harold saw someone on the beach, where are you going?"

He paused in the threshold and glanced back at her. "There's only one entrance to this place, Annie. Unless they can fly, they're not getting in by way of the porch."

The design was another reason he'd chosen the house. There was more than one way of exiting the place. And if you jumped off the deck and landed in the sand the right way, you'd be okay, but the kitchen door was the only entry with steps.

He closed the bedroom door behind him and walked quickly down the hallway to the kitchen door. He heard someone at the door, and in the next second, it opened. Marshall stepped back in surprise as Michelle stepped into the room, obviously using a key he'd given her months before when he'd first purchased the house and their relationship had been going strong. He wondered how she knew he'd finally moved in since it wasn't common knowledge, but what irritated him more was her gall. As usual, Michelle did things to suit herself.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He scowled, not the least bit happy to see her.

"I was out jogging and thought I'd stop by to see you. You aren't still mad at me...are you, darling?" She lowered her voice, putting feminine sweetness into it to lure him in. "It's been months and I was hoping by now that we could forget about the past and move on."

Marshall recognized her ploy. Michelle was a consummate actress. A few months ago, he would have grabbed her and kissed that scarlet mouth until it was bare of the red lipstick she favored. That would have ended in a session of hot, mind-blowing sex.

Now all he felt was irritation that she was even here. Her story about jogging was a bold-faced lie. Michelle didn't live anywhere nearby and didn't even know what the word exercise meant. Unless it was the exercise she got romping in and out of the beds of her various lovers.

His eyes raked over her with dislike. She had a dynamite body, tall and leggy, her oil-glistened curves all but spilling out of the bright pink bikini top she was wearing with a pair of shorts that didn't leave much to the imagination. The deep tan she sported said she spent a lot of time on the beach, either that or in a tanning salon. She looked exotic and wasn't at all shy about flaunting what God—and maybe a few little medical procedures—had given her.

He spoke the truth when he said, "I don't feel anything where you're concerned." He recognized the look in her almond-shaped eyes only too well. The pout on her full mouth was meant to entice him, sway him to her way of thinking. That, too, had worked on him once. Back when he'd let his attraction to her rule his actions. Now when she took a step forward, Marshall took one back.

"But darling..."

He held out his hand. "I'll take that key, Michelle, and then you can leave." His tone was cold, just as if he was addressing a criminal or some other scum off the street. The warning glint in her eyes didn't worry him, but it did prepare him for something sneaky. Marshall knew firsthand that Michelle was as devious as they came. When she wanted something, she didn't hesitate to use any means to get it.

"You don't really want me to give it back to you, darling, otherwise you would have asked for it a longtime ago." She swayed closer, overconfident of her charms. "The fact I'm still here proves you still want me, that you've forgiven me for my indiscretions. We all make mistakes."

Marshall got an unpleasant whiff of perfume and suntan lotion—too much coconut and too much musk. "Be glad my mother raised a gentleman or I'd be tossing you out on your butt right now." His eyes briefly skimmed over her indecent display of cleavage before returning to her suntanned face. She didn't look or act anything like the innocent schoolteacher he'd met at the bank that day.

He knew well the calculating look in Michelle's eyes, especially now that he knew what her game plan was. She was out for a husband, but not just any husband. She wanted an authority figure. Michelle was under the misguided notion that being married to a police detective was the equivalent to being married to someone higher up in the government, with all the perks.

She would have gotten him to the altar in time, if she'd been patient and loyal. Her mistake had been in sleeping around.

"Are you too much of a gentleman to ignore this?" She made a dramatic show of dropping the key in her bikini top and then plastered herself all over Marshall before he had a chance to move away.

"Michelle—"

"It's been a long time, darling; haven't you missed the way we were together? The passion between us?" Her hands began to roam over his shoulders as she kissed him passionately.

His hands encircled her upper arms before he pushed her away. "What's wrong Michelle, run out of men at the department?" He pushed her away as if she was poisonous.

She didn't miss a beat. "That's over, Marshall; it's you I want. It was always you," she finished in a tone that faded away into a breathless whisper. "Can't you forgive me for making one little mistake? Let me make it up to you. I know what you like."

Marshall stood there, every muscle taut as he waited for her next move. When they'd been dating her tactics had worked, but her promiscuity had turned him off a long time ago. Her red-tipped nails roamed down his chest toward his belt.

He knew well the direction of her thoughts and her hand. With a sound of anger, his hand shot out to wrap around her wrist, halting her progress before she went any lower.

"You no longer have that privilege." He was immune to her sharp gasp of pain.

"You're hurting me!"

"You're lucky I didn't strangle you months ago when I found you in bed with Benton, until I realized he actually did me a favor. Whatever feelings I had for you are long gone." He ignored her attempt at a seductive pout. "I'm not going to ask for that key again."

With the face of an outraged woman, Michelle slipped her hand inside her top and produced it.

"You're a cold-hearted bastard, Marshall." She all but threw it in his face.

"As good as they come," he agreed, stone faced. "Now maybe you'll realize it's over between us once and for all." He scooped the key up off the hardwood floor. "Let me get the door for you," he offered, opening it for her.

He breathed a sigh of relief once it was closed and securely locked, palming the key. Hopefully,

that was the final chapter of their relationship and he wouldn't have to deal with Michelle again.

****

Realizing their conversation was coming to an end, Annie moved to close the door when her hip came in contact with the corner of the nightstand. The last thing she needed was for Marshall to find out she'd been eavesdropping! As the lamp on top started to fall, she made a wild grab for it, knocking over the brass alarm clock instead. If that wasn't bad enough, the alarm went off with a deafening ring when it hit the carpet. She reached for it and turned it off, swinging back to the crack in the door in time to see Marshall stiffen. That couldn't be a good sign.

Annie set the alarm down, realizing by his reaction that it was too late to disguise what she'd been doing by closing the bedroom door. She opened it further and stepped into the hallway to apologize. However, when she saw the stormy expression on his face, as he strode toward her, she stepped back and tried to shut the door in his face.

A small shriek escaped her when he slammed his palms against it, sending it flying backward against the wall with enough force to leave a hole where the doorknob hit. Annie's eyes rounded with disbelief.

"Damn it, I told you to stay out of sight. What the hell do you think that means?"

As far as she was concerned, she had stayed out of sight, but offered lamely, "I'm sorry."

He continued to advance on her, following her around the room as she tried to stay one step away from him. "Sorry doesn't cut it! I brought you here to protect you! What if someone followed us from your condo? You could have jeopardized your position!"

Annie didn't see how, but she wasn't about to question him. She stumbled over the corner of the bed, tumbling to the floor. She couldn't believe he was stalking her like this. "You're out of line, detective."

Marshall easily pulled her to her feet. "When I give you an order, it's for your own good!" He gave her a shove and Annie landed on her back on top of the bed. "You got that, lady?"

Oh, she got it all right, and in her opinion, he was grossly over-reacting. Michelle hadn't seen her, which could only mean one thing. Marshall was angry over his situation with the other woman and taking it out on her. She tried to wiggle into a sitting position, but couldn't with the waterbed rolling wildly beneath her.

"The only thing I've got is that you're a bully!"she hissed. "You want to know what's really bugging you, Detective? I think Michelle turned you on! I saw her pressing up against you, kissing you! I think you're angry because you're as horny as a tomcat and can't do a damn thing about it!"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Annie regretted saying them. She knew there was a lot more to Marshall's anger than an old flame showing up on his doorstep. She'd heard what happened between them, and for the tiniest second, her heart had gone out to him. Now it was pounding with alarm at what she'd said.

Being cruel wasn't like her.

"What did you say?" he said with deadly calm, his eyes narrowing on her.

She could only lie there staring up at him as she struggled to gain control of her breathing. She couldn't recall a time when she'd been so angry, or when anyone had pushed her so far that she deliberately said something to hurt. She was trembling with shame and regret. The look in Marshall's eyes warned her she'd gone too far. They were as black as volcanic rock, churning with emotion that prevented her from moving. Like a deer trapped in the glare of headlights, she remained frozen as the enormity of what she'd said began to sink in. She'd sensed before that Marshall could be a dangerous man when riled.

The seconds ticked by as he continued to stand there like a stone statue at the foot of the bed,

glaring down at her with a muscle twitching in his hard jaw. Annie was the first to find her voice.

"Marshall, I'm sorry. This isn't like me. The whole situation is...unnerving."

"Forget it," he surprised her by snapping, running his hand over the stubble on his face and sucking in a deep breath. He astonished her again by offering his hand to help her off the bed. "Maybe we were both a little out of line."

He didn't step back after pulling her off the bed, and the next thing Annie knew, she was flush against him. Sharp awareness zinged through her, like getting an electrical shock, and she caught her breath wondering if he felt it, too. His eyes flared briefly but his expression remained fixed. A low groan followed. He started to lower his face and then couldn't seem to set her away from him fast enough.

_Had he been about to kiss me?_ A pleasant sensation rippled through her body at the thought of his sensual mouth touching hers. She tried to ignore his magnetism but that would be like ignoring the fact she needed air to breathe. The trouble was he was too damn appealing and she was susceptible. She wasn't about to embarrass herself by being obvious.

She thought the best thing to do was change the subject. "Do you mind if I get a shower?"

"Sure. The guest bath isn't set up yet, so you'll have to use mine. There are clean towels inside the closet behind the door." Marshall's eyes ran over her as if searching for something. "When you come out, we'll have lunch. Hopefully by then, we'll have heard something about the break-in at your place."

Nodding, Annie turned and walked toward the open door she assumed led to the bathroom.

"Annie." She paused in the doorway and glanced back at him expectantly. "You might be here for a couple days, so make yourself at home. The only thing I ask is that you listen to me when I tell you something."

Do what I say is what he really meant, and Annie was smart enough to read between the lines.

She held Marshall's gaze for what seemed a longtime, the urge to assert her independence stronger than ever. "The most I can do is promise to try," she finally said before turning and closing the door behind her.

She wasn't a baby and she wasn't going to let him treat her like one.

### Chapter Five

Marshall reached for his wineglass before sitting back on his stool. For the hundredth time in an hour, his eyes went to the beauty mark on Annie's face. The reason the small flaw captivated him was because it was so close to temptation, and he suspected a taste of heaven. He had a burning desire to kiss her and find out if her lips were as smooth and soft as they appeared.

More than that, he wanted to taste her, in more ways than one. His cock twitched with the thought of what it would be like to wrap his tongue around hers. Earlier, in the bedroom, it had been a struggle not to throw himself down on her and give in to the situation building between them. She'd looked damn appealing on his water bed, glaring up at him with indignant fire in her eyes. He was willing to bet the fire in her eyes would intensify when it was replaced with passion. The innocence she exuded wasn't a ruse, but a thin layer protecting the woman he sensed was hidden beneath the surface. When was the last time he'd met a woman like her?

"That was good, Detective." Annie's compliment broke the silence. She pushed her empty plate aside and dropped her napkin over it before reaching for her glass of wine. "Either you've never been married, or you've been divorced a long time." She narrowed her eyes at him over her glass.

"Fishing, Doc?" Marshall grinned, pouring more wine into his glass. A tiny smile played upon her lips, making him wonder what she was thinking.

"What now, Detective?" She ran her pinky along the edge of her glass, dipping it slightly into the liquid before bringing it to her mouth.

In spite the sophistication that cloaked Annie, she looked extremely vulnerable at that moment.

Her action under normal circumstances would have been a natural prelude to an intimate moment between them—like a kiss. But he knew she wasn't aware of the alluring quality of her movements. She didn't seem the type to purposely tease a man using seductive coyness. In fact, she seemed a thousand miles away.

The shower had done her good. She looked refreshed and sexy as hell in faded cut-off jeans that left her shapely, slender legs bare all the way to the tops of her suntanned thighs. A sleeveless top completed her casual look, something thin and airy that tied beneath her breasts, emphasizing their perky shape.

And I'd thought there wasn't enough there to fill my hands?

A tingle of awareness surged through his blood, warming him more than any wine. The throbbing erection behind his zipper demanded he do something about it. He hadn't denied her comments about being horny. Hell, she'd hit the nail right on the head, but she was the one making him that way, turning him inside out. When Michelle had kissed him and pressed her body against his, he'd felt nothing. Not a twinge of the old passion had resurfaced. All Annie had to do to turn him hard was be in the same room with him, like now. He wondered what her reaction would be if she knew how she was affecting him. If she knew how much he wanted to strip her naked and slide into her welcoming body.

The hammock on the porch would have to work for sleeping arrangements because there was no way he was going to spend the night in the same bed with her. Even if it were a little on the chilly side after sunset, he'd welcome the cool, damp air. It might help keep his head clear and his temperature down. Marshall grinned at that. Yeah, wanting Annie kept him feverishly hot. He could think of only one way that would take care of that little problem.

His eyes moved over her face, which was slightly flushed, before sliding back up to meet the faraway look in her eyes. The wine was having a definite effect on her. Her lids were half-closed and he knew the lazy look in her eyes was a combination of wine and fatigue. She was halfway to being drunk and didn't realize it. He wondered when the last time was that had happened to the doctor.

"In answer to your unasked question, Doc, I've never been married," he finally said, breaking the long silence.

"That wasn't my question." She hid a yawn behind her hand and Marshall sat back with a knowing grin. "Excuse me. I don't usually drink wine in the middle of the day." She yawned a second time and looked him seriously in the eye. "It makes me sleepy."

He swallowed the rest of his, taking note of the humor in her eyes. "Are you trying to tell me I won't be able to take advantage of you?"

"Sorry," she said sadly, but she didn't look sorry. "Once I'm out, I'm not aware of anything."

Marshall's eyes followed her movements as she brought the glass to her mouth. He watched as the liquid slid down her arched throat until a movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention. He turned his head sharply to see Harold flying down the hallway toward them like a B-52 bomber.

He landed on Annie's shoulder and reached up to give her ear a gentle peck. "I love you."

Annie chuckled, nuzzling the bird with affection. "Don't eat my earring, Harold."

_Ugly crow._ Marshall watched the bird with something akin to jealousy. Beauty and the beast flashed before his mind. Annie slid off her stool and walked to stand in front of the glass wall at the end of the living room. "You have a breathtaking view here."

He thought so too, only he wasn't talking about the view outside his window. The beach was deserted except for the seagulls. There were several boats further out on the glistening water where it was calmer. Churning waves crashed along the white sandy beach. It was picture perfect, and the view changed every day.

"How does a detective afford such a view?" she inquired, her eyes on the scene before her. Harold chose that moment to take flight, gently stirring the hair at the nape of her neck.

"A lot of work and no play," he replied. He was so close to her that he could smell the sweet scent of the shampoo she'd used in her hair. She must have brought her own because he sure as hell didn't have anything that made his mouth water or think of wildflowers.

He'd been a homicide detective for fifteen years and made pretty decent money, but he'd never be able to afford a place like this on his earnings alone. The money that paid for this place had come from years of saving and wise investments in the stock market. A little inheritance from his grandfather hadn't hurt either. When he retired, he planned to do it in style, or the very least, comfort.

His sister, Jackie, had purchased a more practical home with her share of the inheritance.

Raising a family, the location with regard to good schools and neighborhoods had been the deciding factor for her choice. The phone rang and he took the few steps back to the kitchen to answer it. "Yeah?"

"Hey, man, it's me."

Marshall tensed at the sound of Jim's voice. He'd been waiting for this call. "It's about time.

What have you got?"

"Strong was killed by a single shotgun blast to the chest, but Hank said he'd know more once he does the autopsy. He was killed at Doctor McCall's office; the bullet went straight through him and was lodged in the wall behind his body. His wallet still had cash and credit cards, so I think we can rule out robbery."

Marshall's mouth turned down at the news. As far as he was concerned, that had never been a possibility. Coincidences weren't that big. "I agree. What about prints?"

Jim snorted. "It's an office building, man; we found lots. It's going to take time to run them all through the database. I think we'll have better luck at Doctor McCall's place. Good thing you arrived when you did. Whoever was there didn't have enough time to clean up. Some prints were lifted off the computer keyboard. In addition, whoever jumped from her balcony left a perfect shoe imprint in the sand. Looks like there was just one. The team just left there."

"Good. What else?"

"We also determined the call to both you and Doctor McCall came from her phone at the office.

The question is did Strong make both calls?"

"Annie said she didn't recognize the caller's voice."

"Which could mean he was killed before the calls were made. The phone was the only thing wiped clean, of course," Jim added.

Of course, but Marshall's uppermost thought was that if the killer intended to kill Annie too, why hadn't he been there to meet her? Had he only wanted to get her out of the condo long enough to search the place? So far, it wasn't clear if Annie's life was in danger. The message left for her on the computer could have been just to scare her.

"I knew this wasn't going to be a cut and dried case. Run a check on everyone who works in the office first, just to rule them out."

"Already in the works, pal. Oh, ask Doctor McCall whether or not she and Strong had any of the same clients. That might narrow down the list. I'm at his office now. His file cabinets are bursting at the seams. Some records date back to the damn sixties!"

A low rumble vibrated through Marshall's chest at the frustration he detected in Jim's tone. "Want to trade places?"

"No way, man. Janey would have my hide if she knew I was holed up somewhere with a beautiful woman, even if it was on the clock. And speaking of the doctor, how is she holding up?"

"As feisty as ever, but I have her under control." Annie swung around and faced him, crossing her arms. The look she gave him revealed she knew he was talking about her. He winked at her.

"Anything else?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, before you head for home, stop by the precinct and pick up the Bailey file off my desk and run it by here, will ya? Maybe whoever killed Strong also raped and killed Emily eight years ago. I want to make sure I didn't miss something in her file that would give us a clue."

"Will do. In the meantime, what are you going to do about Doctor McCall?"

"She'll remain my houseguest for a day or two," Marshall replied. He could tell by the pressing of her lips that Annie didn't like the sound of that. "At least until we know for sure if she's in danger." He didn't want her afraid of anything, but a good dose of reality might make her more willing to trust him, which could save her life.

"Do you think she's keeping something from us?"

"Maybe." Marshall stepped closer to Annie, taking secret delight in the fire filling her eyes as she listened to his side of the conversation. "I've been plying her with truth serum." Her scowl caused him to grin. He reached forward to toy with a soft strand of hair resting against her forehead. It felt like the finest threads of silk.

"Good luck then, pal. I'll be by later."

Annie slapped Marshall's hand away. "What did your partner have to say?" she asked the second he replaced the receiver.

"Nothing to convince me you're out of the woods." She let out a frustrated huff and swung away, walking back to the window. Marshall reckoned he could afford to give her a little space. If he pushed her, it could backfire. "I'm going to take a quick shower, Annie. Don't answer the phone or the door, and if anyone shows up on the beach, stay out of sight."

When she acknowledged with a slight nod of her head, Marshall left the room. It would be a quick shower; he didn't quite trust Annie to stay out of trouble. He'd been a detective long enough to read the signs. She was thinking about bolting. If she did, there was little he could do about it. But just the thought of her out there alone, vulnerable to the situation, caused him to pick up speed.

He stripped, adjusted the water temperature before stepping beneath the spray, and quickly lathered up. The last few remains of soap bubbles were running down his legs when he thought he heard a noise coming from the outer room. Before he had a chance to evaluate what it was, Annie rushed into the bathroom. Fear raced through Marshall when he sensed her urgency. She said something, but with the water still running and her voice lowered to a whisper, he couldn't make it out.

He quickly turned off the tap and opened the frosted glass door without a thought for his nakedness. "What is it?"

"Someone's at the door!"

Marshall reached for the towel hanging on the shower door handle. Any other time, he would have grinned at the look on Annie's embarrassed face. She was staring up at the ceiling, a delicate pink tinting her cheeks.

There was a second, louder knock. She grabbed Marshall's arm as though that would convey the seriousness of the situation. "He said he's the pizza man, but I knew you hadn't ordered one, considering we just ate lunch."

Marshall was in the process of tucking the towel in at his waist and almost lost his grip. "You spoke to him?" he asked sharply, heading out of the bathroom. He stopped to grab his gun off the top of the nightstand. Whoever was at the door switched to the doorbell. It rang several times in rapid succession. "Hell, Annie..." He took her by the hand and pulled her behind him. "I want to show you something."

He dragged her inside his large, walk-in closet, and right before her startled eyes, bent and picked up a piece of loose carpet. Beneath it was a square door in the floor, which he opened without hesitation. Annie glanced down. Directly beneath the trap door was his beat-up jeep.

"Only for emergencies," he explained briefly. "There's a set of keys under the front seat. No matter what happens, Annie, if I give you the sign, you drop your butt down there and get the hell out of here." He didn't want her around if things took a turn for the worse.

"But—"

"Do it, Annie!" They listened to the doorbell chime again. "Persistent devil, isn't he?" Marshall dropped the door and turned to leave. Annie was right behind him until he noticed and motioned her to stay put. He left her behind the bedroom door.

"I'm coming!" Marshall hollered, reaching behind him to tuck his weapon in the waistband of his towel. He peered through the peephole, relaxing upon recognizing the boy from the Pizza Palace down the street. Cracking the door open, he looked the freckle-faced fifteen-year-old over with shrewd eyes. "Hey, Ron. I'm afraid I didn't order a pizza today."

The kid looked at Marshall long and hard, as if trying to figure out how he knew his name. Chewing on a wad of gum the size of a golf ball, he glanced down at the ticket on top of the box.

"The address is right, the name's wrong," Marshall pointed out, reading the slip from upside down. "The Sullivan's live further down the beach to the right of me." The kid still looked confused. "The coral house?"

"Oh, yeah!" Ron grinned, smacking his gum. "Sorry to bother you, Mr. Thomas," he said and turned to leave.

"No bother, kid." Marshall closed the door and locked it, letting his body relax against it for a few minutes. He was getting too damn old for this. He reached up and ran his hands through his dripping hair, quietly watching Annie as she strode down the hallway toward him.

He was too relieved to be angry with her for coming out before he told her it was safe. It was obvious she'd been listening behind the door again. His gaze dropped to the graceful sway of her hips as she moved, a mistake that only aided in raising his heart rate a little more. The fact that another part of his body was having the same reaction didn't surprise him. Annie was a very desirable woman, and right now, she was looking at him in a way that made his blood warm, and his pulse race.

"I'm definitely not into this cloak and dagger stuff," she said softly, halting directly in front of him. "Look at me." She held out her trembling hands. Marshall was willing to bet she was shaking just as badly on the inside. "How do you stay so calm?"

His mouth curved into a crooked smirk. "Not enough common sense," he teased. "And maybe a little too much wine with lunch."

"I shouldn't be here," she said, catching him off guard. "This is your home, Marshall. You shouldn't have to worry about the bad guys invading your house. My being here could be very dangerous for you."

Marshall couldn't argue with that. Having Annie here was definitely dangerous for him, but for reasons that had nothing to do with the threat of any bad guys. Now that the situation was over and he'd come down off the adrenaline high, another kind of rush was surging through his taut body. He was aroused. He couldn't remember a time when a woman could simply walk into a room and leave him feeling like he knew exactly what he wanted from her, yet more confused than ever.

He wanted to reach out and touch her but knew it wouldn't stop there. Maybe in another time, another place, when he had time to explore whatever it was that drew her to him. He realized Annie was waiting for him to respond. "Don't sweat it, doc. I've been a detective for a long time. It's not every day I get to protect a beautiful woman. Let me enjoy it while it lasts."

She was watching his lips as he spoke. The seductive look in her lazy eyes caused an instant reaction in Marshall which he doubted she'd appreciate. Lust settled low in his gut and he wanted to grab her to him, yet he couldn't bring himself to move, thoroughly enjoying her boldness. However, when her eyes dropped down his near naked body in a slow and sensual sweep, sweat broke out on his brow. He began to get an edgy feeling.

What does she think she's doing, looking me over like this?

Her wistful sigh heightened the intimate situation building between them. Her slightly glazed eyes were half closed and a strange smile turned the corners of her mouth upward. "You're magnificent, Detective, not an ounce of fat anywhere, all hard and rippled with muscles, the kind that make a woman's hands eager to discover if you feel as good and as hard as you look."

Her words inflamed Marshall, turning his cock as hard as a rock. He tried to swallow but his tongue got in the way. He was powerless to do or say anything. He'd never had a woman put her thoughts about his physique into words before. All he knew was that if Annie touched him, anywhere, it would be all over. The way he felt right then, he'd drag her to the floor and show her quick enough what the effect her words were having on him.

He should at least warn her about what she was doing to him. The way he figured it, if she continued, it would be at her own peril. "Annie—"

"Yes, Detective?" The soft, smoky quality of her voice made Marshall forget what he'd been about to say.

Her gaze continued to move over his upper torso, as if committing him to memory. "Your shoulders are as broad as a small mountain..." her words trailed off. Marshall's gut clenched when she reached forward. "A washboard stomach, too...nice." The tip of her nail ran down the center of his hair-covered chest to his navel.

Then she stepped back, her eyes skipping over the towel covering him to his exposed thighs and legs. A small frown burrowed between her eyes. She swayed slightly. "Something's happening to me. I think I shouldn't have finished that wine."

His gaze shot to the bottle on the counter. He was surprised to find it empty. _So that explained it._

_The little witch!_ She'd finished the contents while he was in the shower. Her bravado was no doubt contributed to the wine she'd consumed. He chuckled inwardly, his gaze returning to hers. She was definitely in an alcohol-induced state. While he was in a highly aroused state. If she didn't stop looking at him like she wanted to devour him, he wouldn't be responsible for the consequences.

"Annie?"

"Yes?"

Marshall clenched his jaw at the sensual quality of her tone. "Do you know what you're doing? I'm not made of stone." Contrary to what a certain part of his body had become.

"I'm just looking," she whispered defensively. "Is that against the law, Detective?"

"You're turning me on with your eyes," he said huskily, still leaning against the door. It should be outlawed. "And if you don't stop, I'm going to throw you to the floor and show you how much." He groaned loudly when her lazy-eyed gaze dropped down to his towel, seeming to zero right in on his erection.

"Interesting." As though knowing exactly what she was doing to him and enjoying every minute of it, Annie licked her lips slowly, seductively. Marshall sucked in his breath, his erection pushing wildly beneath the towel as if searching for a way out. An explosion of heat rolled through his body so intense that an ice cold shower wouldn't put it out.

All at once she swayed and began to crumble. Marshall stepped forward just in time to catch her in his arms. She was out cold. "You little witch! I hope you remember this, Annie. Because turnabout is fair play," he growled under his breath as he swept her up and carried her down to his bedroom.

### Chapter Six

Annie slept soundly until early the next morning, waking to the quiet gloom of Marshall's bedroom. She knew she was lying on the waterbed. She could feel it moving gently beneath her. As she turned onto her side, she was surprised to see Marshall sleeping next to her. She should be angry, but the bed was more than big enough for the both of them. Why should he be uncomfortable in his own home?

As her mind cleared of the lingering cobwebs, she began to notice other things about him. Like what he was wearing—or wasn't wearing. Heat filled her cheeks as her gaze roamed down his muscular length. Her curious eyes lingered on his boxers and the bulge nestled there. Notable, even in a relaxed state. She'd never considered boxer shorts sexy, but his were hot! They were short and silky, fitting tightly against his impressive form. The rich shimmering color of root beer sported little designs all over it. And after inspecting the fabric, she smiled widely. They were cowboys and Indians! Who would have thought a big, tough detective would wear something so...so cute?

She hid a giggle behind her hand. They had to be a gag gift from someone, probably some girlfriend. She couldn't picture Marshall buying them for himself. The fact he was wearing them revealed he was very comfortable with his own masculinity. Realizing that she was gawking, Annie turned to roll to her side of the bed, but she didn't get far. A muscular arm wrapped around her waist and hauled her back against Marshall's warm body. She gasped with surprise. Instant awareness warmed her, as she immediately became aware he'd removed her shorts when her naked bottom came up against the silk of his shorts.

He has a lot of nerve!

"Where do you think you're going?"

Annie felt his warm breath against the back of her neck. It caused a tingle of sharp need to travel down her spine. "What do you think you're doing?" She tried to pretend indifference but it was difficult nestled against him, and the soft part of him was rapidly showing signs of hardening.

"This is payback for yesterday."

Payback? What did he mean by that?

"Remember how you passed out on me?"

Oh yeah, she smiled in spite of herself. "The wine—"

"You turned me on and then left me...ah, very frustrated."

"It wasn't my fault I passed out." Oh! Was that his teeth sinking into the area between her neck and collarbone? Annie shuddered, suddenly feeling hot...all over. _What does he think he's doing?_ "It was the wine," Annie explained in a breathless tone. "This is highly inappropriate, Detective." She trembled with desire.

"Really?" Annie felt his smile against her skin. Her pulse rate skyrocketed when his hand began to caress her naked belly.

Had he removed all her clothes? Her exploring hands quickly found out she still had on her blouse from the day before and her thong, which wasn't much more than a scrap of lace. Before she could give him a piece of her mind, he pulled her sharply against him and the next thing she knew his arousal was poking her bare fanny. Her breath caught and she tried to strain away, even while secretly yearning to push back against him.

Part of her wanted to encourage him, while the other half was terrified of what he'd do if she did.

Would she be able to go through with it? Oh lord, Annie, she scolded herself. Of course, you'd be able to go through with it! You've been horny for the man since meeting him. She ignored her inner voice. "I think one of us should get up."

"I'm already up."

His hand began to smooth down Annie's stomach. His feather light caress tickled her and she sucked in her belly, breathing heavily. When his fingers reached the elastic to her thong, her hand covered his to stop him. "Marshall, Mr...ah, Detective." Annie bit her bottom lip to keep from moaning with pleasure. "Please don't..." She bit off the word stop before it escaped her.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" He broke free of her weak restraint.

"Yes..." His hand glided over her hip and around to Annie's bottom. She tried to reach for his hand to pull him away but the moment she felt his firm caress against her bare skin she was lost. She moaned softly and closed her eyes.

This was insane! But insanity had never felt so good. She knew she was crazy for letting Marshall touch her like this. A part of her wished he would lavish the same attention to her aching breasts. _Was this how I made him feel yesterday?_

His cock twitched strongly against her, revealing its size and strength. And before Annie could stop herself she arched a little, forcing her bottom further into his throbbing flesh. Thank god the material to his boxers was between them, but in the next instant, she was gasping and twisting with growing hunger. Somehow his hard flesh had found the opening of his shorts and slipped through. It felt like hot steel encased in velvet against Annie's flesh. Without thought or warning, they were straining against each other, lost in a moment of madness.

"Oh..." she choked out. How long since she'd last felt anything as good? "This isn't fair..."

Marshall groaned low, and then shuddered. "You're right; this isn't fair to either of us." Before

Annie could guess his intentions, he rolled away from her and left the bed. "I need to go to the bathroom."

Annie held back a scream of pure frustration and remained silent. Taking several long breaths to calm herself down, she lay on her back and waited for her heart beat to slow. Damn him! Then she chuckled to herself. He'd been just as turned-on. Where had he found the control to walk away?

She got up and meandered toward the screened-in deck, her gaze automatically drawn to the huge ball of orange red glow slowly rising over the calm ocean surface. It was beautiful. This was Annie's favorite time of the day. Under normal circumstances, she'd be sipping her first cup of coffee while watching the sunrise.

"Morning baby."

Annie felt a ruffle against the hair on her neck. "Morning, Harold," she murmured.

"You need a man. You..."

Why did he persist on greeting her each day with that blasted phrase? "Hush up!" she whispered sharply, hoping his comment didn't carry to Marshall. She was going to have to work on widening his vocabulary. She reached up and nudged him until he jumped on her finger and she was able to look right into his beady little eye. "If you don't behave, I'll shut you up in your cage and throw away the key."

"Sounds like a good idea to me."

The sound of Marshall's voice caused Annie to spin around sharply, dislodging Harold and sending him screeching to the other side of the deck. He landed on a curved hook originally meant for a plant and glared at her while flapping his wings angrily.

"Call the cops!"

She rolled her eyes and smiled, meeting the amusement in Marshall's desire-clouded eyes.

_Are my eyes still carrying the signs of our intimacy?_ For a moment, Annie wasn't sure how to handle the situation and decided to ignore the whole thing as though it hadn't happened. She lowered her gaze to his shorts and crossed her arms. "I like the cowboys and Indians," she remarked in a sassy tone. "Very manly." She tried not to let her eyes linger on the proof of his very manly part.

"I got these for Uncle's Day. My sister's warped idea of a joke."

"Uncle's Day? Is there such a day?" She smiled.

"There is according to my nieces." Marshall's gaze slid lazily down Annie's body.

She reached for the edges of her shirt to make sure she was decent.

"You have an incredible pair of legs, Doc...good enough to be on the cover of a girlie magazine." She felt her cheeks flush with heat but couldn't pull her eyes away. "And here I thought you were the sensible cotton briefs type, not the bit of silk nothing you're wearing," he added with a rakish grin. "By the time I was finished with removing your shorts last night, I had to take a cold shower."

Another time and Annie would have appreciated his comment. It did wonders to a woman's ego to know she turned a man on. "I'm surprised you let the fact I was sleeping stop you from taking advantage."

"Disappointed? Sorry, but I was exhausted when I finally turned in and seduction was the last thing on my mind when I crawled between the covers. Maybe that's why I waited until I was so damn tired I couldn't keep my eyes open. Besides, I want you fully awake and knowing exactly what I'm doing to you, when the time comes."

What had been wrong with this morning? Annie would bite her tongue off before questioning him. She didn't want to appear desperate! "You sound very sure of yourself, Detective." She slapped her hands on her hips and tilted her chin. The fact she was facing him in nothing but a blouse and thong didn't keep her from speaking her mind. At least the blouse had been untied and provided her some decency where it fell to the top of her thighs.

"After what happened between us a few minutes ago, I think I can safely say it's just a matter of time." His lazy gaze moved down Annie's body and back up again, making her very aware of her skimpy attire.

His look renewed her desire. Only she had the advantage over him. "If you think giving me the once-over is going to unnerve me, you're going to be dissatisfied." She fought to keep her eyes off the tempting curve of his sensual mouth and the thought of what it would taste like.

"I'm hungry," Marshall surprised her by admitting. Annie swallowed with difficulty, because the look in his eyes told her he was hungry for her. Did he have to be so darn sexy in the mornings? "Do you think you can whip up some eggs and toast while I make some phone calls?" He had the nerve to wink at her.

All of a sudden the situation seemed very domestic between them. Annie brushed the thought aside. "I think I can manage that, after I find my shorts." She turned to go back inside the bedroom. As she started to walk past, his hand caught her by the arm. Their eyes met, and whatever he'd been about to say was abruptly forgotten when his gaze shot past her to a something on the beach. Swearing mildly, he pulled Annie back inside the room. "What—"

"Someone's out there. We have to be careful, Annie, until we know exactly what's going on. We have to assume if someone's looking for you, they aren't just interested in finding out what you know, but possibly in shutting your mouth, permanently."

Annie's anger quickly surfaced. He didn't have to be so blunt about it. "I appreciate the truth, too, but do you have to go out of your way to frighten me? Or do you just want to make sure if I have anything to say that I tell you before I'm dead?"

"You're out of line, Doc," he said harshly, his face darkening. He stood there with his legs braced apart, glaring at her with a muscle twitching in his lean jaw.

For a moment, he was too close for her peace of mind, and angry. Annie opened her mouth to apologize. He was right. She wasn't being fair. However, Marshall turned and walked away before she had the chance to say anything. It was just as well. They both needed to cool down. She turned to face the water, careful to remain in the shadows of the room and took a deep breath to calm her raw nerves. The sound of Marshall's movements behind her indicated he was brushing his teeth in the bathroom and then dressing. When she was certain he'd left the bedroom, she went in search of her shorts.

****

Marshall had no sooner slapped a few pieces of bacon in the skillet and gathered the ingredients for an omelet when the phone rang. Hearing his boss's voice this early in the morning was never a good sign.

"What in hell do you think you're up to Thomas? When Jim told me..." Marshall held the phone away from his ear, recognizing when Dan was about to go into one of his angry tirades. When that happened, he was like a bulldog with a bone. The conversation was usually one-sided and long-winded. Until it was over and he was out of steam, Marshall knew he wouldn't get a word in.

He began to pace back and forth, wearing a path from his kitchen to his living room, occasionally putting the phone back to his ear to catch a word or phrase that would indicate Dan was slowing down. He heard enough to know Dan's anger had to do with Annie. He figured he was making his tenth trip back to the kitchen when he saw Annie walk out of his bedroom and head down the hallway toward him. His little scheme of getting even with her for turning him on the day before and passing out on him had backfired, big time. How did he ever think he could remain immune to her, while holding her sexy little body against him? Inhaling her sweet scent and touching her silky skin beneath his fingers?

When his hard dick had touched her soft, shapely bottom he's nearly said to hell with teaching her a lesson. It had been all he could do not to flip her over and enter her in one smooth thrust. He hadn't meant for it to go that far. And if the truth were known, he was a little bit ashamed. She hadn't intentionally set out to arouse him the day before.

Their eyes met briefly before he reluctantly put the phone up to his ear. He didn't need to be distracted by her. And the only way he could avoid that was to pretend she wasn't there.

Yeah, fat chance of that.

"...company policy! You got that, Thomas? You've crossed the line."

"Hell, Dan, you don't have to preach company policy to me," Marshall muttered, before turning his back to Annie in an effort to muffle his voice.

"Well, apparently someone needs to...and on a regular basis!" Dan hollered in his ear. "You're pushing it, Thomas. This is the last straw, you hear me? At least once a week, you're breaking the rules—"

"Like hell..." Marshall retorted with just as much heat, turning to see that Annie was leaning against the kitchen counter, flagrantly listening to what he was saying. "You know me well enough by now to know I wouldn't break the rules without just cause. And my gut was telling me—"

"Your gut?" Dan grunted with disbelief. "Don't you mean what's south of the belt? I heard what a looker Doctor McCall is. I suggest you get your priorities straight and turn her loose."

Marshall ignored his crude comment. They'd exchanged worse and he knew it just confirmed how angry Dan was. "Look, what I do on my own time is my own business. I have some vacation time coming..." He was as good as threatening Dan and they both knew it.

"Right in the middle of an investigation?" Dan said with surprise in his tone. "You've got to be kidding!"

"If you force me to it..." Marshall purposely let his sentence trail off. He wasn't above making his own threats. Besides, right now he was the one with the upper hand. Hell, he could retire right then and be okay.

A long pause followed as Dan was obviously weighing his options. Marshall knew he couldn't deny him time off. He hadn't taken a day of vacation in almost four years. He also knew Dan needed him now. Once Janey called Jim to say she was at the hospital delivering their third child, he would be taking paternity leave for a couple of weeks. Two other detectives had been sent to Washington to pick up a high profile murder suspect. Another was in the hospital with a bad case of the flu. The office was running on empty. Dan might actually have to get off his rump and work for a change.

"You know, this borders on blackmail," Dan said in a hard tone.

"Remember, who you're dealing with," Marshall reminded him in turn. It wouldn't be the first time he'd gone against the rules to do what he thought was the right thing. Even when it had cost him a suspension from work and was probably the reason he'd never gone any further than homicide detective. That was okay with him. He'd go crazy sitting at a desk all day.

It seemed an eternity before Dan released a long sigh and finally said, "Jim mentioned he thought something clicked between you and Doctor McCall."

"Let's just stick to the facts."

"All right...for now. But don't think for a moment you won't be disciplined when this is all over." Marshall heard the defeat in Dan's voice. He'd had his hand slapped before. He wasn't worried. He and Dan butted heads more times than he could count, but it was only because they thought alike. On top of that, they both liked control.

"Once we've run the fingerprints found at both crime scenes through the database and determined there's no connection between Strong's murder and Doctor McCall's break-in, turn her loose. You got that, Thomas?"

The phone hanging up in his ear indicated Dan's level of frustration. Marshall didn't blame him, knowing that if the situation were reversed he'd feel the same way. Homicide was only involved because Martin Strong had made that damn phone call to him a week ago. His murder left a lot of unanswered questions, which could very well lead to a dead end. Hell! He ran his hands through his hair after hanging up the phone.

"I take it your boss isn't happy over the situation," Annie said quietly, turning off the bacon he'd started, then forking the meat out of the pan onto a plate. She poured the grease into the metal canister on the stovetop before pouring the bowl of whipped eggs in the still hot skillet.

Marshall watched her movements as she stirred the mixture of eggs, diced onions, tomatoes, and cheese while he popped the toast into the toaster. Then something Jim said to him on the phone the day before came back to him. "Tell me, Annie, did you and Strong have any of the same clients?"

"No," she replied without hesitating.

He frowned. "Clarify, please."

"No, I don't know. How would I?" She cast him the briefest of glances before shielding her eyes with those incredibly long lashes.

"Would you tell me if you did?"

"Yes. That wouldn't be breaking doctor-patient privilege." She tossed him a saucy smile.

Marshall snorted in dissatisfaction. "You knew Strong. Did he panic easily? Would you say he tended to over-exaggerate?"

"Not really, and for the record, I'm thirty years old, Detective." The eggs were done and she spooned them onto the two plates next to the stove.

He'd been busy staring at her sexy ass when her response caught him off guard. "Thirty years old...what has that got to do with anything?" he asked, crossing his arms. _Thirty really? She looked closer to twenty._

"It means I don't need a baby sitter, Marshall. After breakfast I'm going home. You—"

He took the plate she handed him. "You're crazy if you think I'm letting you leave." He sat down on the stool opposite her, his eyes following her while she poured them each a cup of coffee with the stiff movements of a robot. He steeled himself for the battle he sensed approaching.

"You can't stop me since I'm not under arrest. And from your end of the conversation on the phone, I'm guessing I'm not even supposed to be here." She took a sip of her coffee.

"Are you forgetting about the break-in at your place?" He made a breakfast sandwich with his toast. Annie's expression revealed she had forgotten about it.

"Thank you for reminding me. I need to get home and take care of things," she said stubbornly, slipping a forkful of eggs into her mouth.

Marshall felt heat rushing up the back of his neck, a clear sign his anger was rising. "Do you have a death wish or something? Why are you so damn stubborn? What difference will staying here a couple more days make?"

He hoped her hesitation meant she was digesting what he said. He watched her carefully as she unconsciously picked up a piece of bacon to nibble on. He couldn't keep her against her will and Dan had already read him the riot act. How much more trouble could he get into if he handcuffed her to the bed? Now that was an appealing thought.

As if speaking his thoughts out loud, her gaze returned to him. "Monday, Detective," Annie spoke after a while and picked up her coffee cup. "You have me until eight o'clock on Monday morning." She slipped off her stool and moved toward the patio doors, effectively ending any further talk.

_Monday? Is that all?_ Marshall opened his mouth to argue, then snapped it shut again, smart enough to realize he'd gained a little ground. He watched Annie walk into the bright sunlight streaming into the room. He'd opened the doors earlier to let in the fresh air. For a moment, he became mesmerized by the soft halo around her golden head as she stepped out onto the open deck. Then his gaze dropped to her curvy bottom, unwillingly recalling how soft and silky her flesh was. It had taken all the strength he possessed not to take her that morning. He closed his eyes for a moment to pull himself together.

"I'd love to go for a swim in the ocean."

Opening his eyes, Marshall saw that Annie had moved further out onto the deck, away from the door. "Damn it, Doc."

She swung around with a half smile on her face. "You swear a lot, Detective." She met his frown with a defiant sparkle in her eyes. "I can't stand being cooped up."

"Maybe we can work in a swim later." After dark. Marshall reached her just as two joggers running down the beach came into view. They could be neighbors but they were too far away for him to be sure. He wasn't taking any chances and grabbed Annie by the shoulders pulling her up against him.

A gasp rushed through her parted lips when their hips collided. Her head fell back and she met his eyes. "What are you doing?" Her tone was a little breathless.

Good question, because he must have lost his mind, touching Annie like he was. What he felt in the following seconds should be outlawed. An instant rush of desire flooded his senses, making him all too aware of the soft body pressed against his, her womanly curves against every tense muscle. Intense feelings from their episode in bed resurfaced with startling clarity. Staring down at her soft mouth, it occurred to Marshall that he wanted to kiss Annie at that moment, more than he wanted to breathe. He sucked in his breath.

"What is it?" she asked, humor dancing in her eyes. "Are we in trouble?"

The amusement in her tone drew his gaze back to hers. _Big trouble._ And it didn't have anything to do with the joggers who were approaching. How could any man in their right mind ignore a beautiful woman flush against him, and not kiss her? Marshall was through fighting her allure.

"You are, lady. Big trouble. I want to finish what we started this morning, but for now I'll settle for a kiss." Before she had time to draw another breath, Marshall slanted his mouth over hers, stealing a long awaited kiss. As soon as he tasted the sweetness and innocence of her lush mouth, he knew it would never be enough.

He could tell he'd caught her off guard. She stiffened against him. He felt her hands move between them and pulled back to meet her eyes, expecting to see a sign that she was protesting. The only thing he saw was desire in her smoky gaze.

"Just one kiss?" There was no denying the husky quality of her tone.

Damn...he hadn't been expecting that. A chuckle, then a low groan escaped him when Annie's fingers curled into the material of his shirt, over his chest.

"Never one to disappoint a lady..." He lowered his head and returned his mouth to hers. He wanted to feel the softness of her breasts against him, not her hands. He caught both her wrists and brought them around to the small of her back where he held them securely with one hand.

To the casual observer, they looked like a couple sharing a passionate embrace. His free hand moved to the back of her head, releasing the clip that held her silky hair and dropping it to the floor to let his fingers tangle through the silky tresses.

It didn't take long for the persuasion of his kiss to melt away any resistance, and Annie was kissing him back whole heartedly. She opened her mouth eagerly beneath his, inviting his tongue inside and loving it with her own. Their simultaneous moans and the combined heat of their mouths fueled the need growing between them at a rapid rate. In a movement that could be construed as a slow caress, Marshall released her wrists.

He lowered his hands to the rounded half moons of her denim-clad bottom and gently kneaded. Annie arched hungrily against him, showing him that she found pleasure in what he was doing. As the mutual sounds of their passion joined the cries of the ever-present seagulls, she made a half-hearted effort to turn her face away. Only Marshall wasn't about to let her escape. He followed her with his mouth, kissing her until they were both a little breathless.

He broke it and followed the arch of her exposed throat, leaving a trail of passionate kisses. Then, moving back up to the shell of her ear, he paused long enough to suckle the soft skin beneath until she was a quivering wildly in his arms. He sucked in his breath sharply when she gently arched against his erection, which had grown to full arousal and was throbbing strongly. He thrust right back, moaning low, wanting nothing more than to sink his hungry flesh into her. The urge to lower her to the deck and continue making love to her was winning over doing what was right. Forgotten were the joggers or anyone else who might be on the beach.

Marshall couldn't recall the last time he'd been turned on to the point of wanting to take a woman no matter where they were. Yet even in his heightened state, he knew that was a dangerous road to go down. As he struggled with indecision, his mouth trailed kisses along the exposed flesh above her opened blouse. He dipped his tongue into her cleavage. The sound of her pleasure sent a rolling blast of sexual energy through his body that erupted into a hungry flame. He was lost.

He growled and lowered his mouth, latching onto the crest of her breast through the material of her thin blouse and sucking hard until her nipple turned into a raised crown. If he had any doubts Annie wasn't receptive to his actions, they were quickly squelched when she buried her hands in his hair to hold him close.

He reached for her hand and guided it over the tight bulge beneath his zipper. Exposing her own fierce hunger, he nearly lost it when her fingers raked over his throbbing length in a teasing caress. His mouth returned to hers, and he practically devoured her tender lips. He wanted, needed something more! His hands traveled to her waist, and he easily lifted her slight weight. Their tongues collided and Annie automatically wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing the lower half of their bodies into sharp contact.

Marshall moaned low as passion spiraled rapidly out of control. He was close to exploding, but he wasn't about to do it outside where anyone could see them. He moved to bring them back inside when the pounding at the door echoed through the house. God, he prayed he was dreaming. Then he heard it again.

What the hell...

Tearing his mouth away, he swore viciously. He reluctantly let Annie slide down his body until her feet were planted firmly on the floor. They leaned into each other for a moment, struggling to catch their breath, hearts pounding as one.

_Oh hell!_ How had the situation between them escalated out of control so damn fast?

A soft chuckle escaped Annie. "My legs have turned to rubber."

"Tell me about it." His hands shook slightly as he ran his fingers through her hair, gently pulling her head back so their eyes could meet. He slowly lowered his head to kiss her but quickly pulled back before their lips met.

"Damn," he said in response to the loud persistent knocking on the door, which when repeated, seemed to have a rhythm to it.

"Maybe whoever it is will go away."

Did she want to continue making love? Her words were encouraging, because Marshall wanted Annie. He chuckled and gave her a brief kiss before reluctantly pulling away. "That has to be Jim," he said huskily.

"How do you know?" There was a slight tremble in her passion-laced voice.

"A lucky guess. And you don't work with a guy for ten years and not pick up on some of his quirks. I recognize his signature knock." His eyes roamed over her figure. There was no disguising the mild embarrassment replacing the desire in her gaze. "Maybe you'd better disappear to the bedroom for a little while. You look a little flustered."

His words caused Annie's blush to deepen, and without hesitation, she turned and headed toward the bedroom.

As soon as Marshall opened the door to Jim and saw the knowing expression on his smiling face, he wished he could close it again. They knew each other too well. He turned away, hoping his partner had the common sense not to gloat.

"Wow, I'd say you're hooked buddy...and good." Marshall should have known Jim didn't have any common sense. "Man, I can see it in your eyes. You've got the hots for..."

Marshall waved him quiet. "You're crazy." He reached for the coffeepot and topped off his mug.

Was he hooked? Horny was more like it. You didn't get hooked on a woman a day after meeting her.

"Who are you trying to fool, my friend? This is me you're talking to, remember? We go back way too far for you to try and pass that crap off on me. Besides, it's all over your face. Yep, looks like a serious storm rolling in." They both knew Jim wasn't referring to the gray clouds moving over the ocean.

Marshall narrowed his eyes menacingly, clenching his teeth so hard it was a miracle they didn't crack. He'd fed that same exact line to Jim back when he'd first met Janey seven years before, and had been fighting the attraction every step of the way. They'd had a turbulent start to their relationship. Turnabout was fair play, but he wasn't about to give Jim any more ammunition by continuing with this particular line of discussion. Marshall was attracted to Annie. Hell, he was in lust with her, but what he did about it was another matter. He decided to ignore Jim's comment and change the subject all together.

He reached for the envelope. "Got any news yet?" He took a sip of his lukewarm coffee and grimaced.

Jim dropped a manila envelope on the kitchen counter. "Sorry I couldn't come by last night, but Janey thought she was in labor. Took her to the hospital, false alarm though. I would have called but it was past midnight when we got home."

He opened the fridge and bent to rummage through the contents like a man digging for gold. He was a snacker, always looking for something to chew on. It had become worse since he'd given up smoking.

"Stopped in and saw Hank this morning. Said whoever shot Strong did him a big favor. His liver was full of cancer. He would have been dead within the year."

"Too bad. Anything on the prints yet?" Marshall was only half listening as he pulled out the crime scene photos of Emily Bailey's murder. He spread them over the counter. It had been a while since he'd last taken a look at them.

"Not yet." He moved around the counter to see the pictures better, picking one up in particular.

"Too bad, man. She was a pretty girl." It was a photo of Emily before the murder, one her parents had provided when they thought they were dealing with a missing person. Three days later, her bruised and battered body turned up in a garbage dump. "I hate cases like this, man. Especially when we never catch the perp. What are you looking for?"

"I wish I knew. If Strong found out who the killer was, it stands to reason it was someone he knew, even if only casually." He paused slightly before asking, "Remember that string of rapes two years ago?"

Jim's brows rose high on his forehead. "You can't think there's a connection. Hell, there's eight years between crimes. Not to mention they caught the perp for those rapes, remember? Besides, he didn't kill anyone."

"Yeah, but only one woman out of four identified him, if I recall correctly. In addition, she was the only one who would testify. Maybe that rape had been an isolated incident and was mistakenly lumped in with the others. It's happened before. Cutbacks, time, and a new district attorney eager to make a fast and lasting impression could have contributed to the mistake. Who were the detectives working that case?"

The look Jim turned on Marshall spoke volumes. He stopped chewing on the long piece of celery he'd stuck in the corner of his mouth and slowly withdrew it. The front of his shirt was wet where the leafy part had dripped. "Bob Fletcher, for one."

Marshall nodded reflectively. That explained a lot, and it was apparent by the look on Jim's face that he was thinking the same thing. "He was handed the case two weeks before retirement, wanted to go out with a bang. Maybe he was a little too eager to close the case."

"His partner, Stu Brickner, was the new kid on the block, following Fletcher's leads every step of the way," Jim added. "Are you thinking that whoever killed Emily Bailey is the same guy who raped those women?"

"Maybe. No DNA was collected at any of the scenes because he wore a condom. If there were two rapists, maybe they both wore a condom. We've had coincidences like that before."

"But it doesn't make any sense. Why would he let so much time go by before committing another rape?"

It was quiet for a moment as both detectives stared at each other, coming to the same conclusion, and at the same time. "Because he was doing time for another crime," they said in unison.

"I think we need to look at those other rapes and compare them to the Bailey case." Marshall was studying the pictures of Emily's body as he spoke. Young, beautiful, innocent all came to mind. What a waste. "My gut is telling me to go with this, Jim."

Jim released a heavy sigh. "All right, I trust your instincts, man. What do you want me to do first?"

"Let's start out by running a list of rapists through the database to see who went to prison around the time Emily was killed, someone who was released around the same time the rapes occurred to see if we get any hits."

Jim nodded. "What else?"

"I want the files on those other rapes to compare them to Emily's. No one was looking for a connection before, but I'll bet you a week's pay there is one."

"Where do you suppose Doctor McCall figures in all this?"

"Watch out. Watch out." A distinctive squawk split the air.

Marshall swiveled on his stool. "Look out Jim!" he warned when he saw Harold flying directly at them. Jim managed to duck in the nick of time as the bird flew over his head like a World War I bomber.

Marshall turned to see Annie standing in the entrance to the kitchen. She'd apparently taken another shower. His eyes raked over her shiny, damp hair to the newly painted tips of her shiny pink toes. As his gaze continued a lazy sweep back up her body, he couldn't help recalling the steamy kiss they'd shared on the deck. He gathered up the pictures he'd been studying and stuffed them back in the envelope. He didn't want her to see them.

"Hello," she said to Jim.

"Doctor McCall," he responded with formality, attempting to wipe the water spots off the front of his shirt.

"Please, call me Annie," she insisted, moving closer to them. Her gaze fell to the envelope in

Marshall's hands. "You two look as though you've just been caught with your hands in the cookie jar."

"We were just discussing how to get you to talk," Marshall replied much too quickly, laying the envelope on the counter.

Annie took the bait, obviously realizing he was joking. "And what did you decide? Twenty lashes, water torture?"

Marshall's toothy smile was slow in coming. "Bedroom talk," he supplied, his brows dancing up and down with meaning. "I get you to talk after plying you with wine laced truth serum. Any good detective knows all the tricks."

Her gaze flashed briefly to Jim before coming back to rest on him. "Is this in the manual or something? You don't strike me as the kind of man who'd use such deception just to gain information."She smiled, gliding further into the room and eyeing something toward the far wall. Marshall followed her gaze. Harold was perched on the rim of the large fish aquarium.

He shook his head negatively and exchanged an amused look with Jim. "That's a hands-on learning technique we master in the field," he said outrageously. "It takes lots of practice."

Annie's gaze remained fixed on Marshall. Then she raised a brow. "You know, Detective, two can play at this game." Marshall didn't like the look in her eyes. He had a feeling she was good at making people squirm. "It probably wouldn't take me long to spill the beans, but be advised, I have a trick or two of my own to get what I want."

There was bright laughter in her eyes, probably due to the red heat Marshall felt creeping up the back of his neck and face. He ignored Jim, determined to turn the tables on Annie if it killed him. His gaze traveled down the length of her body and back up again, deliberately pausing on her breasts. The satisfaction of seeing red creep into her cheeks was his reward, but the glitter in her lovely eyes promised retribution. He couldn't wait to see how she accomplished that.

A sharp laugh escaped Jim, and he cleared his throat in an effort to disguise it. Needless to say it broke the intimate moment, for which Marshall was grateful. It occurred to him that he might have gotten carried away and hadn't counted on the effect her words would have.

"I'd say you've finally met your match, Marsh," Jim said with a grin. "About time, too."

Marshall remained quiet, his eyes holding Annie's. In the future, he'd have to remember she had a sense of humor and was quick to join in when the situation arose. That made her dangerous as far as he was concerned. He'd set out to make her blush but she'd expertly turned the tables on him. If Jim wasn't there, perched on that damn stool like her crow was perched on the edge of his fish tank, he'd show her the effect her words had on him. He saw a movement on his fish tank, and his gaze shot to Harold. He frowned. What was that damn bird up to?

Everyone's attention zeroed in on the bird. Annie's gasp broke the silence when Harold, cool as he pleased, scooped down and helped himself to a colorful fish that was foolishly swimming too close to the surface. Annie's hand flew to cover her mouth as Harold threw back his head and swallowed the wiggling snack whole.

"Harold!" She made a threatening move his way and he took flight. Jim was in the background chuckling over the whole incident. Annie's worried gaze darted to Marshall. "I hope he didn't just swallow some expensive tropical fish."

"You know, in some states people eat crow," Marshall warned in a threatening tone. He watched the bird fly down the hallway to disappear into his bedroom. "Or should I say chicken."

"Harold is neither," Annie said, biting on her bottom lip, which was quivering with amusement.

"I'm sorry. I'll talk to him," she finished in a serious tone.

Marshall studied her expression. She didn't look very sorry, but she certainly looked pretty damn appealing. It took willpower not to let things go any further, like going to her, taking her into his arms, and planting a kiss on that mouth she wouldn't soon forget. That would wipe the amusement off her face. When his eyes met Jim's, he clenched his teeth to keep from snapping out something to extinguish the I told you so look on his face. Marshall's brows drew together and he glared at Jim, letting him know he should keep any comments he had to himself.

"Coffee, Annie?" Jim asked.

She glanced at Jim with a genuine smile. "Yes, please. Coffee sounds great." Her gaze returned to Marshall. "I'd like to make a call to my secretary."

Marshall reached for the phone and handed it to her. "Don't mention where you are."

She hesitated from punching in the numbers. "Why? I trust Agnes."

"She's your secretary and talks to a lot of people. She might say the wrong thing to the wrong person without even being aware she's put you at danger."

"You are paranoid, Detective."

Marshall shrugged. "Call it what you like, Doc...but it's kept me alive this long."

She dialed the number to her office and left her secretary, Agnes, a message that she might be late to work in the morning. He vaguely heard her mention something about glancing at her calendar before leaving Friday and noticing her first appointment had been canceled. He couldn't believe what he heard. He took the phone from her once she was finished, his jaw clenched with building anger.

"You're crazy if you think you're going in tomorrow as if nothing has happened." He practically slammed the phone down.

She accepted the cup of coffee Jim held out to her. "The last thing I want is a fight with you, Detective. I have to go in tomorrow. I have appointments, patients—"

"In case you don't remember, one of your appointments was canceled...permanently!" he exploded. He felt control slipping away. Annie remained quiet. She took a drink, watching him over the rim of her cup. "Don't think giving me enough time to calm down is going to work either because it won't." She actually smiled at that. "Listen, Doc—"

"Save your breath, Detective," she interrupted. "You can't stop me."

It was the wrong thing to say to a man who liked control. Marshall's face turned dark, his eyes narrowing on Annie in a way that caused her to take a step back. Good, he hoped he frightened her! He pressed his mouth into a thin line as he struggled not to say something that would make the situation worse. His hands clenched into tight fists. He felt like he was going to explode. Glancing helplessly at Jim, he took a deep breath. They'd been partners and friends long enough to be able to exchange unspoken messages they both understood.

"He's right, Annie," Jim said. "It might not be a bad idea to reschedule your appointments for the next week at least. That should give us enough time to figure out what's going on."

"A week?" Annie gasped with disbelief. "I can't believe what I'm hearing. I can't do that to my patients."

"A day or two then," Jim compromised.

"Doctors take vacations," Marshall added harshly, his eyes snapping.

"Scheduled vacations," she emphasized strongly. "How would I ever explain something like this?"

"What do you do when you're sick?" He invaded her space by inching in closer.

"That's different." She held her ground, which only infuriated Marshall. "I realize what you're attempting to do and I'm not going to let you intimidate me."

"Damn it!" he finally exploded, slamming his fist down on the countertop. "Why are you so stubborn?"

"It's a defense mechanism against unreasonable, irate homicide detectives," she said with a scowl, taking a step back.

"Hey man..." Jim reached over the counter and wrapped his hand around Marshall's arm to get his attention. "Chill out. You're scaring the good doctor." He winked at Annie.

"I'm sure he does this kind of thing a lot, Jim, but don't worry about me. And just for the record,

Detective Thomas doesn't scare me." She met Marshall's burning gaze without an ounce of worry. "His bite is worse than his bark."

Marshall sputtered, too angry and frustrated to say anything. He tore his arm out of Jim's grasp and turned his back on them.

"Annie, just hear me out before you make up your mind," Jim said. "Let's revisit the facts, okay?

One of your patients is dead. We know someone was waiting for you at your condo yesterday. What makes you think they won't try something at your office where you're the most vulnerable? Where Agnes and other people will be?"

There was a brief moment of silence before Marshall heard Annie respond. "Oh God, I hadn't thought of that. Put that way, I really don't have many options, do I?" she commented quietly, thick emotion in her voice. "My office will be full of innocent people. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened..." She cut herself off.

"It doesn't appear you do," Jim agreed in a kind voice. "Listen, I have a list of names on me, Strong's clients. Do you mind going over it to see if anyone jumps out at you?"

"But Martin didn't tell me—"

"I know, but if you recognize any names, we can at least begin with those to rule them out. It might be the only way we find his killer since we literally have nothing to go on."

Marshall was standing just outside the open doorway leading to the deck. He turned slowly, capturing Annie's eyes.

"I'll be glad to take a look at it, Jim. I feel I should warn you, though, I'm going into work tomorrow, if only to make arrangements for the rest of the week." Her comment was clearly meant for Marshall.

After a few moments of tense silence, Jim released a deep sigh and nodded in agreement before reaching inside his coat pocket and retrieving a folded sheet of paper. Annie took it from him and moved to the sofa. Her eyes were already studying the names on the paper as she sank down upon the soft leather.

Jim wasn't kidding when he said he had a list. From his position, Marshall could see the legal size paper had names on both sides. It didn't take Annie long to scan it over. She glanced up at Jim and slowly shook her head.

She handed him the paper. "I know this isn't what you want to hear but I don't recognize any of these names. I'm sorry, Jim."

He released a disappointed sigh. "It was worth a shot. Thanks, Doc."

Annie's gaze returned to Marshall. He was surprised to see the quiet concern in her eyes. What was she thinking? He was still angry with her, but another emotion simmered in his gut. Or was it his heart? He quickly brushed that thought aside, wishing he had the strength to pull his gaze away. She brought her coffee cup up to her mouth, bringing attention to the fact her bottom lip was trembling slightly. Their eyes locked for a moment before she lowered her gaze to his mouth. Even from his distance, he was sure he saw her eyes darken into smoldering embers.

He knew that as soon as the opportunity presented itself he intended to kiss her again, and more.

### Chapter Seven

Annie sat bolt upright in bed, a scream dying on her lips. She buried her face into her shaking hands and struggled to erase the vivid image of Martin Strong's lifeless body. Smoothing the damp hair away from her face, she glanced over at the space beside her. Even in the darkness, she could see she was alone in the huge bed.

Was Marshall still angry at her? After Jim had taken off the day before, they'd spent the rest of the afternoon in strained silence, each pretending the other wasn't there. Annie had busied herself with reading outdated magazines on the sofa, a relaxing luxury she hardly ever had time for, while he'd disappeared to another room. If the sounds reaching her hadn't indicated he was unpacking, she would have guessed it when he came out of the room later carrying a stack of broken-down boxes.

She took a shaky breath. The illuminated dial on the clock revealed it was just after two. Pulling back the covers, she got up, too wound up to go back to sleep. Her steps took her to the porch. Without hesitation, she stepped outside and continued to the solid ledge where the screen began. She braced her palms against the concrete edge and gulped in fresh air. A wet mist blew against her body and she realized it was raining.

There was no moon or stars in the sky, nothing to reflect upon the water, but Annie could hear the strong surf as it crashed against the beach. The sound was usually calming but didn't appear to be working its magic this time. It was moments like now when she wished she had family to turn to.

"Bad dream?"

The sound of Marshall's deep voice startled a gasp out of Annie. It was so dark she couldn't see him, but she glanced in the direction of the hammock. He must have decided to spend the night there. Probably just as well, because instinct warned her their attraction to one another was putting a strain on the situation.

"Bad dream. Bad dream." A nervous laugh escaped her. Harold was somewhere near, too.

"Very bad," she clarified softly, still shaking inside. Knowing Marshall was there calmed her immensely. She remained where she was, peering into the peaceful blackness beyond the porch.

"Want to talk about it?"

She swung around with a muffled cry at the closeness of Marshall's low voice. She hadn't heard him move. She cursed the darkness and her fears, knowing she didn't need to be afraid of him. Her heart was beating loudly in her ears as she raised her hands slowly, closing the distance between them. Solid, naked muscle flexed beneath her palms, his strong heartbeat comforting. His masculine scent filled her senses.

"You scared me," she breathed with the slightest tremor in her voice. She couldn't see him, but at least when she touched him, she was certain he was real and not a figment of her imagination. The warmth of his skin and his heart beating beneath her palm was proof of that.

"You have nothing to fear from me, Doc." There was a trace of warmth in his velvet-edged tone, along with something Annie couldn't readily identify. Maybe she didn't want to know. A ripple of awareness raced through her, making her realize what she wanted. What she'd been missing in her life. Marshall's sensual voice tugged at her vulnerable senses, making her hungry. Making her yearn for more than a sample of what they'd already shared.

"Said the wolf in the night," she breathed huskily.

As if sensing the direction of her thoughts, the muscles in his chest tightened beneath her hand.

Annie silently begged him to take her into his arms and comfort her, to tell her everything was going to be okay. To kiss her until she couldn't think of anything but replacing her fear with something more tangible and satisfying.

His nearness was overwhelming, his silent strength enveloping her, teasing her, drawing her into a web of unknown, yet promising to protect her from that very entity. She knew she should pull away but was afraid to break the small contact that offered her so much comfort, realizing she had everything to fear from him. Yet her trembling was for a different reason now. The racing of her pulse acknowledged his power over her. It didn't take long before arousal began to replace every sense in her body.

The rain started to come down harder and an occasional flash of lightning lit the sky around them. It was during those brief flashes that Annie was able to see Marshall clearly. All he had on was a pair of snug boxer briefs. Not the cute, playful ones he'd been wearing the day before. These were sexy, masculine in every way. She shuddered, trying to convince herself it was because of the cool rain blowing over her thinly clad body and not the liquid fire running through her blood.

"Tell me about your dream," he coaxed gently. "Talking helps."

Annie's palms slowly slipped away from him, praying that by breaking contact she'd be able to keep her secrets safely tucked away. It was a defense tactic she was very familiar with because she used it often. She'd learned a long time ago that to avoid a problem all she had to do was distance herself from it, if not physically, then at least mentally. That way she didn't have to deal with it.

Lord, how many of her patients do that very thing?

"You don't have to tell me that," she laughed softly. "I'm the shrink, remember? It's my job to get people to talk."

"I'm not a shrink, Annie, but it's my job to get people to talk, too." His voice seemed strained. "Why don't you try practicing what you preach for a change?"

She could smell the mint of the toothpaste he'd used to brush his teeth, adding to her awareness. "If it were only that easy," she murmured softly.

"Try it." Marshall demanded softly.

A sigh escaped Annie; she took a step away and turned her back to him. "I just wish this whole thing was over. I'm disrupting your life and it's not fair—"

"Am I complaining?" he asked without hesitation.

"No, but—"

"Why don't you tell me the truth then?"

"I don't..."A small sound escaped Annie as she reined in what she'd been about to say, before finally whispering in a reluctant tone, "I'm...scared." She hated admitting the weakness.

She sensed Marshall stepping closer; she could feel the heat of his body against her backside. She was thankful it was too dark for him to see the nightgown she was wearing. It was the same one he'd held up in her bedroom the other day and left her back completely bare. She wanted him to comfort her but how could he do that without putting his hands on her? If he touched her, she'd be lost.

"I know, baby." His voice was hoarse, aroused.

Oh, Lord, when Marshall used that low and sexy drawl, it did things to Annie she didn't want to explore and could only fantasize about. The last thing she wanted to do was discuss her nightmare. It was still too fresh in her mind, but it wasn't what was bothering her now that she was awake and he was just a breath away. She was too aware of him and it was clouding her judgment.

She closed her eyes against the darkness, relishing the mist of rain washing over her suddenly heated body, wishing he'd go away and leave her alone. Coping with her desire for Marshall was a thousand times harder than any nightmare. He was much easier to deal with when they were fighting. Now, all she could think about was how much she wanted his hands on her, his mouth.

How much she wanted to make love with him.

As if reading her mind, his hands dropped down on her shoulders and began kneading her. It wasn't a gentle, hesitant touch. The strength in his hands and fingers permeated to her bones, bringing instant gratification. A delicious sigh escaped Annie and she threw her shoulders back, leaning slightly away from him so he'd have easier access to her spine, but he surprised her by pulling her sharply back against him.

Annie didn't question his tactics. All she knew was that he was removing the stress from her tight body and the remnants of the dream, replacing them with something far better. He left a trail of tingling sensations everywhere he touched her, and she purred her pleasure.

"That feels good," she groaned and trembled against him. The words to say more were locked tightly in her throat. She couldn't get the image of their earlier kiss out of her mind, the need to experience it again. Now his hands were touching her, fueling her hunger to gigantic proportions. Did he sense the turmoil running wild inside her? Could he sense her growing desire?

God...what if he aroused her to only walk away again, as he had in bed that morning? She should call a halt before that happened because she knew she wouldn't be able to stand it a second time. Not without making a fool of herself.

"Marshall..." she broke off, not sure what she wanted to say.

"Yes?" he spoke against the back of her neck and Annie shivered uncontrollably. A wave of intense pleasure followed, so strong it made her knees weak. "What is it?"

Desire clouded Annie's common sense. Nothing else mattered. The touch of his soothing hands had turned into a bold and electrifying caress. She went from A to Z in a rapid heartbeat, forgetting the fact he was supposed to be protecting her, not making love to her. The night around them was filled with her breathless sighs as he drew a response from her willing, hungry body. He made it all too easy for her to forget everything when he was touching her.

Forgotten were her thoughts of calling a halt to what they were doing.

"You have soothing hands. Please don't stop," she pleaded huskily, quivering as exquisite sensation exploded through every nerve. "Please..." A pulsing warmth between her quivering thighs warned Annie that soon this wouldn't be enough.

"You have no idea what you're inviting," Marshall growled low, moving into a position that allowed her to feel his hard on. "Feel what you're doing to me, Annie," he whispered fiercely. "I want you. I have from the moment I saw you standing on your balcony beneath the moon light."

Annie's breath caught. The need to have him inside her became so strong that she bit down on her bottom lip to keep from voicing it. Gripped with a fierce craving she knew wouldn't disappear without some sort of relief, she pushed her bottom into his throbbing flesh. She dropped her head back against his shoulder as his hands glided over her in a rough caress.

"I can't remember a time when I've wanted a woman as much as I want you now. If you don't feel the same way, tell me now, otherwise I'm not going to stop until I'm buried balls deep inside you," he murmured against the side of her neck. He sank his teeth into her collarbone in a tender love bite that brought both pain and pleasure.

A tremor rolled over Annie, exposing the wild desire coursing through her. There was a fire in her blood that threatened to consume her. When Marshall's hands glided around her throat to the top of her collarbone, she arched her back, silently pleading with him to continue the journey down to her aching breasts.

She couldn't help the little sounds of pleasure escaping her throat. "Then don't stop, Marshall!" she pleaded breathlessly. "Touch me..."

"Where, Annie?"

"Everywhere!" She knew there was no stopping this now as she moved against him.

His hands slowly smoothed down her front until they reached her jutting breasts. He seemed to hesitate for a second. Annie impatiently tossed her head, turning her face sideways and lifting up to him, gasping with need. What was he waiting for?

"Yes..." Her soft plea was carried away on the ocean breeze.

Growling something low and hot, Marshall's hands moved over Annie's breasts, cupping their weight in his palms and lifting them gently as he caressed them. She turned her head sideways and he leaned down and captured her mouth in a kiss of raw need.

Lust exploded through her limbs, making her weak. His kiss turned almost savage in intensity, demanding, masterful and tantalizing all at once. She opened her mouth and their tongues meshed fueling Annie's hunger even more. She moaned deeply, encouraging him further. His hands moved down her ribcage and belly before returning to her swelling breasts. Annie's nipples tingled and turned hard beneath his palms.

"I'm going to..." The rest of his explicit phrase was uttered in a raw tone against her ear. They shuddered against each other as the vision his words produced took away their remaining control.

Annie's desire passed the boundaries from thought to action due to the picture Marshall's words conjured up. Of the two of them on his bed, naked and twisting against each other. Her senses leapt to life beneath the hunger of his mouth, the fire he'd created escalating rapidly into a pleasurable and all consuming inferno. She couldn't recall the last time a man had brought her to such a feverish pitch by just the mere touch of his hands on her breasts, or his lips on hers.

As he took her mouth a second time, she bowed eagerly into his bold strokes, wanting more. Needing more and demanding it. Her breasts swelled in his palms like over-ripe melons, his thumbs were driving her wild as they flicked over her aching nipples. Every nerve in her body was exploding with exquisite sensation.

Then he tore his mouth from hers and sucked in air, his harsh breathing music to her ears. She whimpered at the feel of his full, strong arousal and arched back against it, needing complete contact. With her backside flush against his front, she was only able to run her hands up and down the length of his thighs from her position.

She was feeling so many different things at once—frustration, hunger, straining toward the pinnacle of pleasure. A gust of salty air and cool rain flowed over her, only enhancing the wild desire pulsing between her thighs. She was throbbing and wet, hungry for the feel of Marshall inside her.

His hands abandoned her swollen, sensitive breasts, gliding down over the smooth flatness of her belly to the moist, dark passage below. Annie cried out with desire. Her head rolled wildly against his chest when his hand found her, burning her through the thin fabric of her gown.

How easy it would be for him to remove that thin barrier, but for now he seemed content to tease and torment her through the gauzy folds. She gasped with heated excitement and thrust her hips gently against his hands as they caressed her intimately. Then her world careened. She caught and held her breath as his fingers began to slowly inch her nightgown up the sides of her legs. Her thighs tingled and quivered with growing anticipation, until he finally moved his hands beneath the gown. Fingers, teasing and light at first, skimmed down her silken belly ever closer.

"Marshall!" Emotion kept Annie from saying more. She strained with pleasure against his intimate caress, wanting more, glad the obstacle of panties wouldn't have to be dealt with. The shock of his fingers gliding over her mound and slipping inside her nearly sent her spiraling over the edge. She struggled to hold onto her control, her breast heaving in an attempt to fill her empty lungs.

Still only able to reach behind her, her frustration was mounting with her need to touch him intimately, too. She was consumed by a fierce need to explore all of him, to stroke his iron muscles as they flexed with desire, and run her fingers through his thick hair as she drew him to her for a kiss. She wanted to taste the salt and musk of his skin. Crying out, Annie turned her face in an effort to reach his lips. When his fingers began to manipulate her pulsing clit she shuddered and cried out in pleasure.

"Marshall, please!" she whispered sharply. "I need...I need..." She couldn't finish the thought, too caught up in the pleasure his fingers were giving her. Her heart felt like it was about to explode from her chest.

"Please..." Annie repeated breathlessly. He reclaimed her mouth, hungrily thrusting his tongue against hers before slowing down to trace the soft fullness of the underside of her bottom lip.

Annie held nothing back and wasn't afraid to demand more. She moved with unabashed ardor against his invading fingers, straining toward the pinnacle of the sweet release spiraling through her body. She wanted everything, but for now, she'd take this one sweet release.

"Come for me, baby; give it up." Marshall's breath was hot against Annie's ear, his tongue tracing the outer edge. He held her against him easily, stroking her boldly. Driving her mad in slow, yet satisfying, degrees. Annie was powerless to do anything but enjoy the moment. With a passionate cry, she quivered against him.

"Marshall!" For a heart-stopping moment, her knees buckled and she groaned low in her throat, before she was able to reach for control again and hold back the wave rolling through her body. Her hands moved eagerly behind her to the waistband of his boxers. He helped her lower them over his hips and thighs until they dropped the rest of the way to the floor where he impatiently kicked them aside.

She stilled, the breath leaving her body in a rush. She was close to exploding.

Hard heat against smooth velvet.

"Jesus...Annie!" He rubbed his cock against her quivering bottom and shuddered. "Not here, baby." In one swift movement, he swooped her up into his arms and carried her into his bedroom. He set her on her feet next to the bed and moved behind her. His hands came up to cover her breasts as he pulled her back against him. His mouth moved over her neck and collarbone, the scrape of his teeth sent a delicious shiver through her. All the while she felt the steel of his arousal grinding against her.

"Marshall..." Her breath caught. "Please!"

It was a toss-up who moved first.

Annie raised her arms as Marshall pulled her gown the rest of the way off and flung it carelessly aside. She turned simultaneously into his embrace until they were finally facing each other. The tips of her breasts brushed against the hair on his chest with every breath she took.

"So soft," he breathed hoarsely, bringing his hands up to run them over her quivering breasts. He tested their weight by cupping them in his palms.

Annie felt the tip of his cock poised at her swollen pussy lips, straining for admittance and teasing the damp hair between her thighs with the promise of something more fulfilling. She wanted him inside her. Then Marshall curled an arm around her waist and jerked her more fully against him until they were intimately aligned and his cock was nestled between her silken thighs. The breath caught in her throat and she wound her arms around his neck, before pulling him down to touch her lips to his. The fire racing through her body was going to consume her if he didn't put it out soon. There was only one way to do that. Annie was more than ready for his possession.

Her impassioned words told him how she felt. "I want you, Marshall." Between each word, she planted kisses along his nose, cheek and chin. "Fuck me now..."

Annie ran her tongue along the damp flesh of his neck, tasting the salty musk of his flesh, before raining a trail of love bites down his chest to his nipples. Her hand caressed a path down his hard body, eager to discover more. She was no longer a virgin, but she was trembling like one as she finally reached for him.

"Annie." The mild warning in his tone went unheeded when she claimed him. Her small hand encircled his torrid flesh, squeezing gently, causing him to shudder violently. She laughed softly, marveling at her power over him.

His hand went to hers, gently but firmly pulling hers away from his body. As he lowered her, he followed her down upon the twisted blankets and covered her body with his. Before Annie could recover from the feel of his naked weight against her, he angled his mouth over hers and took her lips in a smoldering kiss.

A moan escaped her, her hands smoothed over his shoulders and down his muscular back and hips before reaching the firm shape of his taut buttocks. Crying out beneath his smoldering kiss, she arched in wordless communication of her needs and wants, demanding he fulfill them. The hot and heavy fullness pushing against her promised he could do just that. When his hands traveled to her hips, Annie parted her thighs eagerly, inviting him inside her body. Arching high, she forced him against the sensitive spot of her desire.

"Marshall, now!" Her voice was smoky with passion.

He reared back before thrusting his hips forward, easily gliding into her welcoming body with one, penetrating deep stroke. Annie died a little then, purring low and deep when the pleasure of being filled by him was almost more than she could bear. He filled her completely, his hard flesh snug in the sheath of her damp, throbbing heat. She was ready for him. She tightened her muscles, encouraging him to hurry.

He stilled. "No, Annie, I'm going to fuck you my way—long and slow." She smiled up at him, clenching her muscles again in an effort to take the decision away from him. She wanted it fast and hard.

"You're making love with a woman who hasn't had sex in a long time, Detective," she said breathlessly. "Next time, we can take things slow."

Annie didn't know if the deciding factor was squeezing her muscles around him again or her words that there would be a next time. He groaned, shuddering as he seemed to lose the battle. His rhythm picked up and he was suddenly entering her like a battering ram. Annie arched her back to meet every thrust. As they moved, their bodies were in exquisite harmony with one another.

"Marshall..." Her soft sigh ran over his open mouth as he continued to move against her. He closed the distance between them to kiss her as their passion grew to an explosive magnitude. Higher and higher they climbed toward heaven together, straining with a rapid tempo until the peak of ultimate delight was reached.

"Marshall!" Annie cried out, climaxing.

His back arched like a tightly strung bow. The groan he released was deep and guttural, the sound of a man reaching the ultimate pleasure. His hands moved beneath her bottom, and he clutched Annie to him in a raw act of possession, unleashing the fire gripping his insides. He held her in place until the earth shattering vibrations gradually slackened to gentle, pleasurable tremors.

As their labored breathing slowly returned to normal, they gradually succumbed to the numbed sleep of satisfied lovers.

****

Annie moaned softly, shifting gently against the hard form behind her. Her body was tucked in tight against Marshall, making her aware of every part of him that was pressed intimately against her. The only thing covering their nakedness was a thin sheet, which she vaguely remembered him pulling over them sometime after they'd drifted off. With the door leading to the porch open, the steady rain produced a slight chill, but all she felt was the intense heat radiating off him. It was pleasant, if not a little sobering, waking up next to the studly detective. With his arm draped around her, she felt protected.

She focused her sleep-laden gaze on the clock long enough to make out that it was early. The second thing she noticed was Harold perched upon the lampshade, probably in an attempt to escape the less than favorable weather conditions on the porch. She smiled, praying her noisy friend would keep his mouth shut for once, while she lay there quietly contemplating what had happened.

They'd had sex.

Brilliant deduction, Doctor. It shouldn't have happened but she wasn't sorry that it had. Marshall was a very thorough and skilled lover, making sure he'd seen to her every need as well as his own. She grew warm just remembering how alive he'd made her feel and shuddered delicately when recalling the force of the passion between them. The slightest movement of his hand against her waist revealed he might be awake, long before she felt his nose nuzzling the hair at the back of her neck.

"You awake?" His voice was low and smooth, warming Annie from the inside out.

Nodding in response, she held her breath, her less than great experience with the opposite sex reminding her how awkward it was after making love with someone new for the first time. She didn't know if she could handle the disappointment if Marshall tossed the whole incident off as a casual, meaningless affair.

Even if it was.

"I'm not going to apologize for fucking you, Annie," he mouthed the words against her skin, causing her to shiver a little from the heat of his breath. "We both wanted this to happen."

He was right. She couldn't pretend otherwise. However, she wasn't in the habit of falling in and out of bed with men she hardly knew. The rules had been broken; yet being weak had never tasted so sweet and left her feeling out of sorts. She wasn't sure what the correct behavior was for something like this. Wondering, did it really matter? As the awkward moment between them grew, she blurted, "Is this when the bedroom talk begins?"

There was a slight hesitation, and Marshall's body grew taut. "Is this your way of putting all the blame on me so you can come out looking like the victim?" He flipped her over onto her back. His expression resembled the look of an innocent man who'd just been accused of the vilest of crimes.

His reaction confused Annie, since she'd been kidding. After all, he's the one who said that was his technique of gaining information from a woman. "What—"

"Just for the record, Doc, I resent the implication that I slept with you just to get you to share your secrets. You have a pretty low opinion of me if you think what we did was anything more than just good old-fashioned lust, pure and simple. Two consenting adults taking pleasure in each other."

Annie's mouth opened round with disbelief, her brows arching at the word lust. "My opinion comes from experience, Detective," she informed him, anger surfacing. Yet, in spite of that, she felt the burning sting of tears behind her lids. His words had hurt. Was he feeling a little guilty over their making love?

"Then you've had the wrong experiences."Marshall said.

She prayed he didn't notice the betraying tear slipping down her cheek.

"Annie..." His tone was immediately contrite.

"I have to get ready for work," she said abruptly. Marshall glanced at the clock and she followed suit. "Soon," she added, noticing it was early yet. Still, she made a move to roll away.

"But not now." Without warning, he held her back and covered her body with his, pressing his mouth down over hers and stealing a good morning kiss.

Annie stiffened and tried to push him away, turning her head to break the contact. "No..." She pushed at his shoulders with all her might, but Marshall was too strong for her. With little effort, he grabbed her wrists, pinned her arms above her head, and used the lower half of his body to keep her pinned in place.

"Yes..." he said.

Annie's eyes grew round. He was hard as a poker and his actions put his cock right between her legs. Gasping, she struggled, trying to deny the desire resurfacing. Arching to get him off her played right into his hands when all it did was force his shaft right against her mound. Damn...that felt good! Only she was still hurt over his words and refused to invite him into her body.

"Marshall..."

"Annie." His grin was sexy against the raw passion on his face. He took both of Annie's wrists in one hand and brought the other one down to caress her breasts.

"You don't play fair, Detective." She twisted against his hand and closed her eyes, gasping. It only intensified what he was doing to her. Then his mouth was on her, kissing his way toward the nipple he was manipulating with his fingers.

When Annie opened her eyes, it was to see Marshall's dark head as his sensuous mouth loved her breasts—first one and then the other. She lost it. Purring, she strained against the hand holding her and arched her hips into his arousal. He retaliated with a rough kiss, releasing her wrists at the same time. His unexpected passion wiped all other thoughts from Annie's mind. She willingly opened her mouth to his probing tongue, winding her arms around his neck to hold him closer, and arched into him without restraint. She sensed the urgency in him. She wanted him to take her hard and fast, yet he remained in control.

It frustrated the heck out of her.

He'd pushed her to heights she'd never reached before, flooding her senses with fire and ice, sweetness and wickedness. His mouth left her lips, skimming down her throat and chest until he reached her quivering breasts. Her nipples were already taut from his earlier administrations, begging for more attention. Marshall's gaze shot up to hers, watching her response as his tongue snaked out to lick the fruit of her rounded flesh. He tongued the taut crowns and then blew on them. Electricity surged through Annie. Her hands flew to his hair, pulling him back against her.

She closed her eyes with a soft cry of pleasure when he finally took one into his warm mouth.

"Oh! What are you doing to me?" she whispered. Before he'd simply teased her, now it was a full fledged attack.

He didn't respond, taking his time to love both breasts equally, before moving down her ribcage to her navel. The warmth of his breath caused a tingle in her belly, but when his mouth roamed lower, Annie tensed beneath him, closing her legs. She glanced down at Marshall when he paused, their eyes meeting.

"I...haven't..." The words stuck in her throat and she tried without success to pull him back up her body. Alarm raced through her, she'd never let a man love her in that way. All of a sudden, she was embarrassed over her inadequacies, and frightened.

"Never?" The look on his dark face revealed he was pleased. The hunger glittering in his eyes intensified, his nostrils flared wildly. He wouldn't be denied.

Embarrassed, Annie broke eye contact, shaking her head with confirmation. "I've never been that liberated Marshall," she admitted with a nervous laugh, not wanting to admit her prior lovers hadn't shown much consideration when it came to her needs.

His hands brushed over her quivering thighs. "Then let me set you free, Annie. Let me taste you."

Mortification that he was close enough to smell their prior coupling paralyzed her, while renewing her arousal to dizzying heights. The thought of his mouth on her...there. His tongue loving her would bring to light her darkest, unveiled fantasies. Her body ached with anticipation of the unknown. Her heart pounded.

"Do you trust me, Annie?"

Annie gazed into the dark storm of his eyes, searching for the answer. All she saw was desire, knowing it was the same raw emotion reflected in her eyes. Yes, she trusted him with her life because she had no choice. She hesitated, knowing it wasn't her life they were talking about. Afraid of making a decision in words, she released her grip in his hair to let him draw his own conclusions. She forced herself to relax when he slowly lowered his head, tenderly touching his mouth to the spot just above her pelvis. He kissed her as though he worshipped her.

Her belly quivered as his warm breath teased the flesh between her legs. Before she could brace herself, his tongue raked over the tight button of her desire, once, twice, as though testing for a response. Each time Annie felt his tongue against her clit, she shuddered violently. _Oh my god!_ Her heart pounded loudly in her ears. Her light scream echoed through the room, the sound sending Harold off the lampshade in a flight of fright.

Oh my... She never dreamed it would be like this!

Her hands clenched in the sheet on either side of her as she twisted beneath him, yet her hips rose to meet the persistent stabbing of his tongue. Telltale signs of a rolling heat burst through her sensitive body, signaling release was imminent. "Oh!" she gasped. "Marshall!" She'd never felt anything so exquisite. "Marshall, I'm going to..."

She screamed when release came. Marshall's tongue continued to torture her, stabbing into her and drinking the nectar deep inside her womb. Before she had a chance to come down off the rollercoaster ride of intense pleasure, he climbed up her straining body and flipped her over. Then, slipping his arm beneath her body, he pulled her to her knees and entered her in one powerful stroke.

Annie cried out with surprise from the force of his entry and moaned as another wave of release crashed through her quivering limbs. Marshall's hands clenched into her hips, holding her as he began to rut like a hungry beast. There was no tenderness, no prolonging the moment. He took her hard and fast, until exploding with his own powerful orgasm.

Annie collapsed out of breath, wondering if she was ever going to be the same.

****

"Damn..." Marshall breathed some time later, moving off Annie and rolling onto the bed next to her. Annie had collapsed onto her belly, totally exhausted and out of breath. He met her eyes. "Did I hurt you?" She shook her head. "I'm not in the habit of being so forceful with a woman."

It was the truth. He couldn't remember the last woman he'd lost control with. But Annie's initial rejection to his advances had pushed him to an intensely high state of arousal, causing him to act little better than an animal. If a woman wasn't into sex he walked away, without a problem. With Annie he'd sensed it was more a token resistance than what she actually wanted. A little convincing and they'd both gone up like the Fourth of July fireworks.

"I didn't exactly put up much of a fight."

"I was talking about the way I...ah, took you."

A small smile covered her rosy completion. "That was two firsts for me."

Marshall studied her for a moment, trying to comprehend her meaning until it became crystal clear. _She had to be kidding!_ Yet the knowledge that he'd been the one to initiate her made him feel immensely pleased. Oral sex and doggy style. _Does that mean she's never given a man a blow job?_

_Shit._ The thought of Annie's mouth loving him made the head of his dick tingle. If he wasn't careful he could easily get another hard on. He breathed in slow and deep but all he managed to do was inhale the strong scent of their coupling into his lungs.

"Are you okay, detective?"

The humor in her tone drew Marshall's attention back to the present, and to the beauty lying beside him. "Cute. Are you worried you wore me out?"

His gaze moved over her alabaster skin, taking note of the gracefulness of her back and where it tapered to an incredibly small waist. The gentle flare of her hips framed a very cute tush and he closed his hands to keep from touching the tempting mounds. By the time his eyes made their way back to hers, he couldn't help noticing that she was blushing.

She tugged on the sheet and soon realized it was underneath them. He grinned down into her helpless expression. "You still want that swim?" Her gaze shifted to the clock. "We have at least an hour of darkness left."

"I don't have a swim suit."

"Neither do I." He leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose. "Come on, it will do us both good." He knew the cool water would feel soothing on their overheated bodies. "I'll get the towels."

### Chapter Eight

The sand felt good against Annie's feet. As she drew closer to the water's edge, it turned from dry and slightly warm to damp and cool. She didn't hesitate, continuing into the pounding surf until the water was slapping against her waist. The coolness against her skin soothed the flames still smoldering inside her body, and she lowered herself until it covered her head. When she surfaced, she could see Marshall's dark form before her. They'd made their way there silently, and Annie could only wonder what was going through his mind. She watched him submerge, only to rise from the water like some mystical, all powerful god.

"Thank you," she said softly. "This does feel wonderful." She watched him shake the water from his hair, framed by the full moon behind him.

He remained silent and that was okay with Annie. She didn't chalk it up to awkwardness, like she was feeling. Marshall didn't strike her as the type who regretted too many of his actions. More likely he was cursing her independence and stubbornness.

Annie lay back and floated, too exhausted from their lovemaking sessions to do any swimming. It wouldn't be long before they'd have to head back so she could get ready for work. Marshall had already expressed his reservations about her going in that morning, which might be the reason he was so quiet. Annie appreciated his concern but had told him that was one argument he wasn't going to win.

Detective Thomas didn't like losing.

Smiling, Annie stared up at the fathomless void above her. She wasn't worried about sharks or any other dangers the ocean was home to, her danger was in the hands of a sexy detective. Making love with him had thrown an element into their situation she hadn't counted on.

Something brushed against her, and she moved to her feet with a soft sound of fright.

"Relax, it's just me."

He was close enough that Annie could reach out and touch him if she wanted. "Is it time to go back?"

"Soon."

She sensed he had something on his mind. "You're not going to bring up my going into the office again, are you?" His low rumble of laughter was her response. "Trying to come up with a new idea of why I should stay here?"

"Oh, I can think of one good reason to keep you here."

His voice carried the sexual undertones Annie was already learning to recognize. "We could spend the day fucking."

She laughed softly. "Spend the day in bed?"

"I didn't say we'd be in bed." There was no denying the humor in his tone. "I can think of a lot of places two people can fuck, Annie."

He reached forward and slipped his hand around the back of her neck. Annie found herself drawn to him until they were flush against one another. She caught her breath at the pleasure zinging through her when her erect nipples brushed against his hard chest. "And where might that be, Detective?" God she was weak! It appeared Marshall had woken the sleeping woman in her, one easily turned on by the sound of his voice when it was hoarse with desire, the look in his eyes when they were filled with arousal.

"Right here for one."

"I like the sound of that, Detective." She couldn't believe how far she'd come in so little time, but Annie recognized the boldness of her response. Marshall made her feel confident and sexy.

Annie waited with anticipation for Marshall to kiss her. She wanted his lips on her, his tongue inside her mouth. As the gentle movement of the water fused them together, she became increasingly aware of his hard on. She arched against him, hoping he took the hint that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. When his kiss came, it was not a gentle attack but it affected all of Annie's senses. Pleasure fluttered inside her belly, her heart rate picked up speed. When she opened her mouth, he rewarded her by slipping his tongue inside to mesh with hers.

Soon their mutual moans of desire surrounded them. Then Marshall's hands slid down her body, cupped her ass, and pulled her up against his fully aroused cock. It wasn't enough. Annie wanted to feel the hard muscle against her clit and parted her legs, inviting entry.

"God...that feels good!" she gasped when he released her mouth. She let her hands travel over his broad shoulders and down his muscled back. She tugged on his ear lobe with her teeth, barely holding back restraint.

Marshall shuddered against her. "Do you know what feels even better?" He moved Annie up and down his throbbing flesh. "This!" His hand moved between them to grasp his cock and guide it inside her welcoming body.

Annie purred like a satisfied cat. Holding onto his shoulders, she arched back as far as she could go. As he braced himself against the swaying water she began to move her hips back and forth. Her excitement escalated when his hands smoothed up her ribcage to caress her breasts. She moved faster. He stroked her breasts a little rougher. With a growl, he bent forward and took a nipple in his mouth and tongued it. Then he began to lap at her breasts as though enjoying an ice cream cone. Growing weak, Annie didn't know how much longer she could hold on, thankful when Marshall's hands moved to her hips.

"Like this?" He pulled her hips back until only the very tip of him was left inside her and then impaled her on his rock hard flesh in one long, slow stroke.

"Yes!" Annie said with feeling. She clenched her muscles around him. "Do you like it, Detective?" Her actions got a swift and pleasurable response. Marshall groaned low, his hands bruising on Annie's waist as he lost control. "Oh hell...Annie..." He began moving in and out of her with blinding speed. "I'm going to blow you out of the water."

Annie leaned back until she was practically horizontal with the water. The position forced Marshall further inside her womb and caressed the very spot that would bring her release. She wasn't afraid he'd let her go beneath the surface, trusting the strength of his hands as he controlled their movements. She was close, but she sensed Marshall was closer as he picked up speed. She reached between their bodies for his plunging shaft and took it into her hands. He was forced to halt while she ran the tip of his flesh over her little throbbing button. Seconds was all Annie needed to bring herself to climax.

Crying out, she released Marshall so he could continue what he'd been doing. The uncontrolled gyrations of her body seemed to push him over the edge.

"Fuck, Annie!"

His orgasm was intense. When his body began to convulse much like hers, he pulled her up and slapped his mouth over hers. He clutched her to him roughly, until gradually his hips slowed down and only an occasional tremor shook him. As they slowly gained control, they began to relax against each other. That's when Annie noticed the bright orange glow of the sun on the ocean's surface, like a mountain in the distance, looming ever higher in the sky as daylight made itself known.

"Marshall..." She began to glance around them, praying no one was about. It wasn't as dark as it had been a half hour ago and Annie was embarrassingly aware of her nakedness. She didn't see anyone in Marshall's secluded part of the beach.

As if reading her mind, he pulled back and looked down into her eyes. "I think it's time we head back inside."

Faster than Annie, he made it to their towels before her. He grabbed up the extra one and met her at the water's edge.

"Thank you." She quickly wrapped it around her body and tucked it between her breasts. Looking up at Marshall, she tried to ignore the sudden feeling of shyness. It wasn't in Annie's nature to parade around naked in the presence of a man, even one who knew her as intimately as he did.

His sexy grin unnerved her. "You're a beautiful woman, Annie. You have no more secrets from me."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Marshall tossed back his head and laughed. "Come on, Doc; let's get inside before we give the neighbors a show they can get on the porn channel."He turned and Annie followed.

As they neared his screened-in deck, she saw Harold sitting on top of his cage. When he saw them, he began to flap his wings wildly. "You need a man! You need a man!"

Marshall glanced back at Annie with a raised brow. "Is he questioning my agenda or my ability to perform?"

Annie couldn't help laughing. "No to both." She didn't elaborate further. "I guess I should get ready for work."

"Yeah."

She could tell he didn't like the sound of that. _What did he think, that I'd forget?_ But at least it sounded like he'd resigned himself to not being able to change her mind. It was only for a little while.

"You can have the bathroom first. I'll make some coffee."

****

It was nine o'clock when Annie opened the door leading to her office. Someone had cleaned up. Her secretary, Agnes, had probably come in early and taken care of it, after listening to the message Annie had left her. That could explain why Agnes looked rather disheveled, and Annie doubted her heightened color was due to being out in the sun too long over the weekend. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the small room. Her peripheral vision told her there were several people already sitting in the waiting area to the right of her. She didn't look in their direction. As far as she was concerned, she wouldn't be in the office long.

She smiled, thinking about the battle she'd had convincing Marshall she'd be safe in her office for an hour, while he ran to his for a quick meeting and to pick up some files. In spite of her reassurance she'd be okay, he'd made a call, requesting that a squad car do a drive-by every ten minutes until he could return. He'd reluctantly dropped her off at the door, but not before giving her instructions on how to reach him if she needed him.

She could still feel the brief, unexpected kiss he'd planted on her lips before reaching across her lap and opening the jeep door for her. It might have been short but it sparked instant arousal in Annie. And it hadn't helped that he'd brushed his arm across her breasts when drawing it back from opening the door for her. Their eyes had met. The amusement in his confirmed her suspicions that it hadn't been an accident. Saying goodbye had been harder than she thought when flashbacks of their lovemaking had her wishing they could have stayed in bed all day.

"Good morning, Agnes. I see you cleaned up. I didn't leave the message for you with that thought in mind. I was worried about you."

"I knew you were worried, dear. It didn't take me long to put things back where they belonged.

Coffee's on."

Annie smiled naturally, making sure she included the other secretary who glanced up long enough from her typing to greet her with a smile. Agnes hadn't mentioned that her office was another matter, but then, she didn't know about the murder yet. Annie had only told her that someone had broken in. "I see you brought Danish, too."

Agnes nodded. "You have an appointment in twenty minutes with Mr. Eckers. So you have time to eat first."

What? Annie frowned. She hadn't seen Paul Eckers in almost two years. Where had he been all this time? She glanced toward the waiting area to see him sitting there.

"Appointment?" she asked with confusion. "But I thought..."

"Mr. Eckers showed up hoping you could squeeze him in somewhere." Agnes took a bite out of her Danish. "Wasn't it lucky for him you had a cancellation on Friday? And knowing you, I didn't think you'd want me to send him away."

No, she wouldn't have. Agnes had been with Annie long enough to know she had a strong desire to help people. Even when someone showed up without an appointment, Annie always made time for them.

She scanned the other people sitting in the waiting room. The older woman had been in the office before. The second woman was young and pretty, too soft and sweet looking to be a killer. Paul sat next to her, dressed in an outdated suit that looked a little too big for him. His mousy brown hair was slicked back in a style that seemed appropriate for the round, wire-framed glasses he was wearing. His eyes met hers briefly before he glanced away. He hadn't changed a bit.

Too shy to meet anyone in the eye, afraid someone would talk to him. It had taken her months of visits to draw him out enough to divulge the reason he was seeing her. And that had turned out to be just the tip of the iceberg. His lack of confidence and self worth was so lacking Annie worried he was suicidal.

"Dear, is everything okay?"

Agnes's voice interrupted her silent musings and drew her back to the older woman. She forced a smile and gave a brief nod, realizing she was procrastinating from going into her office. She couldn't help thinking about the last time she'd been there. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and reached reluctantly for the doorknob.

"You aren't going to have Danish this morning?"Agnes's tone clearly indicated she was surprised.

She knew Annie had a sweet tooth. She hesitated, realizing now was a good time to feign the illness she was going to use in order to get out of work the next couple of days. She hated lying but she'd promised Jim. Her hand flew to her stomach and she shook her head. "Not this time, thanks. My stomach's been upset since I woke this morning."

"Come to think of it, I didn't feel all that well this weekend either. Must be something going around," Agnes said with concern. "I hope you're not coming down with the flu."

Annie opened her door and paused. "You can send in Mr. Eckers in ten minutes," she said. "But you might want to cancel the rest of my appointments for today and tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I'm coming down with something and don't want to spread it around."

"Only two days? Maybe you should take the whole week just to be sure."

"Let's just start out with tomorrow and Wednesday and see what happens."

She continued into her office, closed the door and leaned against it. Everything looked the same.

Her eyes flew to the spot where Martin's body had been resting as she slowly moved around her desk. No blood! The wall had been repaired almost as good as new. Thank God. She started to sit down, when her private line rang. She jumped at the unexpected shrill sound filling her office and then laughed softly. Only a handful of people had that number. "Hello?"

"You okay, Doc?"

It was Marshall. Her hand covered her pounding heart as she sank into the chair with a sigh of relief. The sound of his strong voice made her feel safe. "Don't I sound okay?" she asked.

"You sound a little shook up."

_Wow, he's good._ "Yes, well, considering what happened the last time I was here, I have reason to be," she said. "And I wasn't expecting my first appointment until ten-thirty."

"What do you mean?"

She could hear the frown in his voice. "Relax, Detective. Agnes just filled an open spot. When are you coming back?"

There was a low chuckle. "Miss me?"

Annie wasn't about to feed his ego. "Not really. Harold's never been away from home before and I'm worried about him. I should have brought him in with me this morning."

"I'm sure he's keeping himself busy terrorizing the fish in my aquarium. So, who cancelled?"

"You _are_ suspicious," she chuckled. "I don't know. Agnes handles that."

"Humor me, Doc, and find out, will you?"

Annie didn't understand the importance of knowing who but she didn't have the mind of a detective. "I'll have to put you on hold," she explained. "Just a minute." After putting him on hold, she punched Agnes's extension and waited for her to answer.

"Yes?"

"Agnes, who originally had a nine thirty with me this morning?"

"Just a minute." Annie could hear her flipping pages. "Martin Strong was scheduled."

The bottom fell out of Annie's stomach. "What?" She gasped loudly.

"He called on Friday afternoon and cancelled," Agnes continued, oblivious to the shock in Annie's tone. "He didn't give a reason."

"Thank you," Annie replied, trying to remain calm. She took Marshall off hold. "Talk about coincidences."

"What are you talking about?" Gone was his cool tone of a second ago, replaced now with the unbending grit of steel. "Annie?"

"It was Martin Strong," she finally said, still slightly dazed.

"Fuck!"

She detected the concern in Marshall's tone. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence," she insisted, aware her tone was full of uncertainty.

"I've never been big on coincidences. I'm not about to take a chance with your life; I want you to listen to me and do exactly what I say. Get..."

About that time someone tapped on Annie's door. "Just a minute," she said into the mouthpiece.

"Yes?"

"Doctor McCall?"

Annie gave her attention to her secretary. "Yes, Agnes?"

"Are you ready for Mr. Eckers? He seems to be in an agitated state and has already threatened to leave."

"Annie..."

She ignored Marshall, "Give me a couple more minutes, please, Agnes. Then send him in."

"Annie!" Marshall said in a sharp voice.

Annie smiled. If she didn't know better, she detected fear in Marshall's tone. "Don't scold me, Detective. I've already asked Agnes to cancel my other appointments for today and tomorrow. After this patient leaves, I'm all yours."

He ignored the playful innuendo in her comment. "Damn it!"

"What's wrong?"

"I just ran a red light," he grumbled. "Listen..." Annie heard him swear a blue streak, muttering something about the Jefferson Bridge going up. The unmistakable squeal of tires could clearly be heard in the background before he asked, "Where's the nearest exit door in your building?"

"Exit door?" He was beginning to scare her. "Down the hallway in the back storage area, why?"

"Where does it come out?" he asked impatiently.

It was the last thing Annie expected him to ask. She had to think for a moment before she responded." I think we back up to Richland Street, why?"

"Listen to me carefully, there's no time for questions. I want you to do exactly as I say. Find any excuse to go to the back for something, continue out the exit door, and meet me at the corner of Richland and Vine. Can you do that for me?"

"I guess," she replied slowly, wondering what this was all about. "But—"

"Good," he cut her off quickly."Sweetheart, I can tell you're confused and a little frightened, but something about this doesn't feel right and my instincts are rarely wrong."

Annie's stomach began to churn. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just act normal and leave your purse. Don't talk to anyone. I'll see you in ten minutes. Be careful." He broke the connection. Don't talk to anyone? Annie felt anything but calm and in control. The urgency she'd heard in his voice frightened her, but she trusted Marshall to know what he was doing. She replaced the receiver and took several steadying breaths. All of a sudden ten minutes seemed like a lifetime.

On her way to the door, she grabbed her letter opener and pushed it into the thick twist of her hair. Never could tell when something like that would come in handy. Then, plastering a smile on her face, she took a deep breath and opened the door. Her gaze swept over the outer office.

The older woman who'd been sitting in the waiting area was sitting in a chair talking to the insurance company's secretary. Her spot in the waiting area had been replaced with a younger man Annie had never seen before. She guessed he was somewhere in his thirties, dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt. His blond hair was ruffled and a little on the long side, framing a muscular neck and square-boned face.

She realized she was staring when she met his blue eyes and saw the cocky grin spread across his handsome face. _What am I doing? Sizing him up in case she had to give Marshall a description later, that's what. He didn't look like a killer but then, who did?_ Trying to remain calm, Annie gave him a quick smile and turned her attention elsewhere. The younger woman was gone, possibly inside one of the other offices. Paul Eckers was still there, waiting not too patiently for his turn with her. Agnes had said he was agitated, and from the way he was moving in his seat, she could understand why her secretary would think that. She felt a moment of regret that she wouldn't be able to talk to him. Something must have alerted him she was there because he stopped shaking his leg and glanced up.

Annie made eye contact with him, smiling naturally. For the first time, he stared directly at her through his round little glasses. For a split second, Annie noticed his brown eyes didn't seem like those of the feeble, nerdy little man he'd always portrayed. They were cold and intense, the eyes of a man who knew exactly what he was about. _Why have I never noticed that about him before?_

Probably because I've never really looked at him before.

He returned her smile. It didn't meet his eyes and almost appeared sinister. At that precise moment, a feeling brushed over her, so strong that it sucked the breath from her. Flashbacks from two years earlier filled her memory, images of when the police had been looking at him as a suspect in a series of rapes. But they'd arrested the man responsible for that. DNA didn't lie, right? Plus there'd been a witness who hadn't picked him out in a police line-up. That alone calmed her fears somewhat. He at least wasn't a rapist. Annie averted her gaze and tried to act normal. The last thing she needed to do was let her imagination run wild.

"Is everything all right, Annie?"

Annie cleared her throat nervously. "I'll be right back, Agnes. I've got to get something from storage." She tried to sound as casual as possible but the odd look Agnes was giving her wasn't a good sign. Sensing the younger man's eyes were on her, she tried not to glance in his direction.

"Oh, I'll get it for you, dear." She jumped to her feet, catching Annie by surprise.

"No!" Annie said a little too sharply. "That's okay. You don't know what box I need." She took several steps, trying desperately to keep from running. "Stay put, Agnes; I really don't mind. I want to stop and take something for this headache I'm developing as well."

Annie moved around the desk and headed toward the hallway leading to the back of the building, pausing for effect at the water cooler for a drink first and pretend to take some meds. She could feel everyone's eyes following her but refused to glance back. As soon as she was out of sight, she broke into a sprint. She passed the public bathroom door, file cabinets lined up against the wall, and an assortment of stacked boxes. She couldn't recall what was even stored in them. A decorated Christmas tree was tucked away in one dark corner, ready for the next holiday season.

By the time Annie reached the back door, her heart was racing wildly. She felt a moment of fear when she saw the array of security locks. Some were so old they were rusty. It didn't appear any of them had been unlocked in a long time. She swore beneath her breath, her fingers fumbling with them. She glanced nervously over her shoulder several times to make sure no one had followed her. The doorknob turned and she pulled. When nothing happened, her eyes rounded with fear and disbelief. Her heart sank. The building was old and settled and the door probably hadn't been opened in years. It had sealed itself shut. Closer inspection revealed the doorframe was also warped.

_What am I going to do now?_ She didn't see any windows.

She heard a noise and brushed it off as her imagination. When she heard it again, coming from somewhere behind her, she spun around with alarm. Holding her breath, Annie saw a tall shadow appear on the wall. Maybe they were heading to the public restroom, but she watched in growing horror as the shadow continued down the hallway, looming bigger the closer it got. It didn't look like Agnes!

Annie began to struggle desperately with the knob. Fear replaced the blood pumping in her veins and she threw her slight weight against the door several times, ignoring the pain in her shoulder.

Finally, the door creaked open and she stumbled into the back alley, falling to her knees when her ankle twisted beneath her. She hit the dirt with bruising force, crying out her when her palms scraped against the rocky ground.

She got to her feet and shut the door behind her, praying it would stick again. Holding her weight against it for a moment, she glanced around the area. She didn't even know what she was looking for. She spotted a rickety broken chair on the ground next to a dumpster, probably left behind when the tenants next door had moved out. Annie grabbed it and wedged it beneath the doorknob, just as she saw the door handle turn. _Oh God!_ She didn't waste any time, turning and racing out of there as if the devil was on her heels. As she hurried down the alleyway toward the street, she could make out the distinctive sound of the door rattling violently. Once, twice, and then she heard it crash against the side of the building when the rotten chair had finally give way.

Annie picked up speed, knowing her life depended on it. Just as she was about to reach the street something whizzed past her, hitting the telephone pole directly above her head. _My God! Is someone shooting at me in broad daylight?_ Not looking back, she turned the corner and ran down the side street to Richman.

She halted with shock at the sign above her head. "Richman? Damn, I told Marshall Richland!"

Glancing up and down the busy street, Annie realized there was no way she'd be able to wait long enough to get across traffic. If her bearings were correct, Richland was the next major intersection. All she had to do was make it to the next corner. She took off, running down the sidewalk as fast as she could, though her stylish sandals were slowing her down. It was a busy time of day. The sea of faces she rushed past were nothing but a blur. She apologized several times for bumping into people. Annie prayed whoever took a shot at her wouldn't risk shooting into a crowd.

She hadn't gone far when it became apparent her daily jogs on the beach hadn't done anything to prepare her body for such a frantic, hard run, and before long, she had a painful stitch in her side. She forced herself to continue until she was out of breath and barely able to remain on her feet. Halting, she glanced nervously over her shoulder for the first time.

The crowd was so thick that if someone had followed her she couldn't tell, since she wasn't even certain who she was looking for. After all, she hadn't actually seen who was following her. Then the crowd parted and fear nearly choked her when she thought she recognized someone. Paul Eckers? She couldn't be sure. A moment of paralyzed panic held her rooted to the spot, seeing him one minute and losing him the next.

The intersection she was looking for was still too far away and she decided to change directions.

Ducking into a clothing store she frequented, Annie continued to the changing rooms at the back, grabbing a garment off the rack as she went past. She ducked into one of the stalls, latched the door, and sank onto one of the chairs in the corner to catch her breath.

She was certain everyone in the store could hear her pounding heart and heavy panting. Annie saw her pale, frightened reflection in the mirror. She looked like a woman on the run for her life. Lord, how was she ever going to hook up with Marshall? Surely, by now, he'd reached the intersection and was wondering where she was. She was in a real dilemma—no money, transportation or means of communication. She could hardly hide out in the dressing room forever. An idea began to take shape, prompting her to hold up the garment she'd grabbed off the rack for closer inspection. It was as far from her taste as it could get.

"Do you need any help in there?"

Annie nearly jumped out of her skin at the saleslady's voice coming through the door. With a nervous laugh, she eyed the piece of clothing in her hands. "Yes, could you please bring me a pair of large sunglasses, a pair of size five flip-flops and a floppy straw hat? I want to see how they look with this sun dress."

"Sure. What color is your dress?"

"It's flowery, very colorful." That was the best description she could come up with. She was already stripping out of her clothes, and by the time the sales lady returned with the requested items, Annie was slipping the ankle-length beach dress over her head.

"Here you go, sweetie."

The accessories were held over the stall door and Annie reached for them with thanks. She slipped into them and stood back to give herself a critical once-over in the mirror. A soft smile crossed her face, which was barely visible behind the large flower-shaped sunglasses of bright yellow. The straw hat was adorned with a single purple flower that matched the flip-flops. She wouldn't make a fashion statement that was for sure, but at least she wasn't recognizable.

She had no idea what she was going to do once she left the safety of the dressing room but she reached for the stall doorknob anyway. Her heart plummeted when she saw a pair of men's shoes walking past. Just barely holding back a gasp of alarm, she flattened herself against the wall, staring with stark fear at the open space between the door and the floor. She saw the shoes reappear at her stall and knew she was in deep trouble.

Oh God, there was no lock on the door! It wouldn't matter anyway. She was frozen with terror against the wall with visions of ending up like Martin Strong. She half expected to see the man's head appear beneath the stall as he looked for her. When the doorknob began to turn, Annie opened her mouth to scream. Attracting attention might be her only escape.

"Sir! I'm sorry but you can't come back here. This is the women's changing room! The men's is located on the other side of the store. If you'll come with me, I'll be glad to show you where."

Thank goodness the sales lady had come back when she had. Annie barely took note of the man's low response and watched with relief when he walked away. She was trembling so badly that her legs gave way and she sank onto the chair in the corner. Her hand flew to cover her mouth as she tried to keep from getting sick. She forced herself to breathe in deeply until the feeling passed and she was in control again.

It didn't take long before the sales lady was back at Annie's door and tapping on it lightly. "Did they work?"

Annie almost asked her to explain and then remembered the accessories. How was she going to get out of the store without paying? She came into the shop on a regular basis but the woman assisting her must be new because she didn't recognize her. "Yes, I'm just trying to make up my mind." _Yeah...what should my next step be?_ She gathered up her clothes and shoes and rolled them into a bundle. Then she took a deep breath for courage, opened the door, and stepped out. "Do you have any straw bags?"

She felt absurd hiding behind the large sunglasses, but they gave her a sense of security. Unfortunately, the lenses were so dark that it was hard for her to see clearly. She peered over the top of the rims and made a thorough sweep of the shop, its occupants, and the busy crowd passing by the window on the sidewalk, unsure what or who she was looking for. Just because she saw Paul Eckers in the crowd didn't mean anything. At the rack of straw bags, Annie looked up and recognized the store manager. Relief rushed over her and she grabbed the first bag she saw, stuffed her clothes into it, and dashed to the counter as though to pay for her purchases.

"Rose," Annie's voice was low and rushed. She caught the manager's attention but Rose didn't recognize her. She lowered her glasses slightly so they could make eye contact. "I need your help, please."

Rose's brows arched for a fraction of a second, but when she finally recognized Annie, her expression changed into a welcoming smile. "Of course, Doctor McCall, what's the problem?"

"One of my patients is stalking me and I slipped in here to disguise myself. The problem is I don't have my purse with me and—"

"Not a problem, dear. I'll catch you next time you come in. Just let me take a quick inventory of what you're taking."

"I appreciate this so much, Rose." Annie glanced nervously toward the storefront, watching the crowd pass by and wondering where the man in the changing room had gone. If he had gone. What if he saw her enter the shop and was waiting and watching for her to appear? "I hate to ask you for another favor, but can I use your phone to make a call?"

Without hesitation, Rose handed her the phone as she continued to calculate Annie's purchases.

Then Annie remembered she didn't have Marshall's number with her. Damn! She wanted to scream with frustration. Holding the receiver for a minute, she tried to decide what to do. Going back out and making herself an easy target wasn't an option.

Elliot, of course! He should be back from his trip by now. She listened as the phone rang, praying and holding her breath that he was home and would answer. Knowing him, if he was immersed in his work, he sometimes ignored the telephone.

She was about to give up when he finally picked up.

### Chapter Nine

"Yeah?"

Annie could tell by Elliot's short bark that he didn't appreciate the interruption, which usually meant he was in the middle of something. He also sounded vaguely interested.

"Elliot, it's me! I need your help! Can you come get me?"

"Slow down, love." Annie could tell she had his full attention now. "What is it? What's happened?"

"I don't have time to explain the whole story right now. Just please come and get me. I don't have my purse on me and I don't have any money for a cab. I had to borrow a phone to make this call..." Annie cut herself off, hearing the panic in her tone. She realized she was close to tears as the seriousness of the events up till then were catching up to her. What if Elliot didn't reach her in time? Her gaze flew to the men's changing stalls.

"Where are you?" Elliot's tone was that of a concerned friend who would do anything to help her.

Annie forced herself to say calmly, "I'm at A Perfect Fit on Richman."

"The shop with the cute little thongs in the window?"

He wasn't talking about footwear. Annie rolled her eyes, unable to stop a smile from forming on her lips. Bless Elliot and his sense of timing. He always did have a way of putting her at ease just when she needed it most. "That's the one. Just pull up to the curb and I'll meet you out front."

"I'll be there in fifteen, love."

They would be the longest fifteen minutes of her life, but she knew Elliot would get there as fast as he could. The phone went dead and Annie hung up, smiling her thanks to Rose. She cast a casual glance to the store front, looking for Paul. _Had he killed Martin and why is he after me? Is he after me? Is it Paul at all? What if it is someone else?_ She wasn't sure of anything. She'd never done anything to him other than try and help him. None of it made any sense.

Two years ago. Paul had been a regular patient, coming in for weekly visits. She'd nearly done jail time believing in him. Then he'd simply stopped coming. No phone calls or reasons why. He was a no show for his last scheduled visit with her. _What's going on?_ Marshall had talked about his instincts and all of hers were telling her that it was no coincidence that Paul Eckers showed up in her office today.

She cast a nervous glance at the clock over the door. It had only been ten minutes since her call to Elliot. Fifteen minutes seemed a lifetime to her right now while it passed at a snail's pace. Once in a while, she caught Rose's eye and they would exchange smiles. Annie sensed she was watching out for her.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally saw Elliot's pink sports car pull to the curb in a screeching halt. Waving goodbye to Rose, she opened the door and worked her way through the passing crowd to the curb, keeping her head lowered but trying to look in all directions at the same time. Once safely inside the car, she locked the door and buckled up with shaking fingers.

"Go! He could be anywhere!" When the car didn't move, Annie glanced at Elliot, who had yet to say a single word. He just sat there, a stunned expression his face, clearly not recognizing her. He actually looked afraid. She pulled the sunglasses down to the end of her nose so their eyes could meet. "It's me, Elliot." His expression relaxed instantly, his gaze taking her in from head to toe and back again. "Please go before he sees us!"

The alarm in her voice finally got through to him. He checked his rearview mirror, floored the accelerator, and pulled into the flow of traffic. "Lord, girl, what have you gotten yourself into? I've never seen you looking quite so...so bohemian."

Annie leaned back against the seat, too frightened to appreciate his humorous observations.

A chill traveled down her spine, prompting her to twist around and peer out the back window to make sure they weren't being followed. Realizing once again that she didn't even know what to look for, she faced the front again.

"Oh, Elliot," she said after a while. "I've never been so frightened."

"You're scaring me, love. Tell me what's going on."

"One of my patients was murdered in my office."

"What?!" Shocked eyes swung her way. "You're kidding me!"

Annie shook her head and filled him in, keeping her eyes on the traffic in an unconscious search for Marshall's jeep. Elliot was a good friend, listening quietly as she unloaded her recent troubles. It was generally the other way around, and she was usually bailing him out of a jam.

"Good thing you thought to call me," he said. "You can stay with me for as long as you like. You'll be safe there. We have Chip and Dale for protection, too, you know."

Annie knew Elliot was serious but she doubted the two Great Danes would offer much in the way of protection. They were two of the biggest babies she'd ever seen, and his pampering of them didn't help. His comment reminded her about Harold, though. She couldn't just leave him behind which was another reason she had to contact Marshall. "I need to call Marshall as soon as possible."

"Do you trust this detective?" A yellow light turned red before he made it all the way through.

She looked at him in surprise. _Why wouldn't I trust him?_ "Yes, I trust him," she said without hesitation. "He's a detective." Annie knew his being a detective didn't have anything to do with why she trusted him.

She trusted Marshall with her life and her body. But did she trust him with her heart? Great sex didn't always lead to great relationships or the forever-after stuff. Annie was smart enough to realize that and not set herself up for a fall she couldn't handle. Making love with him hadn't been very wise, but she wasn't going to lie by saying she hadn't enjoyed every second of it.

They stopped at a light and Elliot gave her a thorough inspection. "You've slept with him," he murmured confidently.

She looked at him, startled. Elliot probably knew her better than anyone else on earth, so she didn't waste her breath denying it. "You're guessing." She turned her head so the brim of her floppy hat hid her face.

"Look me in the eye if you can, love." They turned down the long drive to his house, past a security gate that opened with the push of a button on the dashboard. "You've got that I've just had the best sex in my life look on your face."

Annie tried to hold back a laugh but failed miserably. Not responding to his outrageous remark was an admission in itself. It had been the best sex in her life. Marshall had been a tender, considerate lover, revealing a fiery passion that had left her fulfilled while yearning for more. He definitely knew how to please a woman and keep her wanting for more.

He's unlike any man I know. Her last relationship had been unfulfilling and painful, lasting only as long as it had taken Russell to get her into his bed. According to him, it hadn't been worth the four months she'd made him wait. He'd twisted the knife into her heart further by telling her she'd been cold, inexperienced, and not very adventurous. Huh! After making love with Marshall, it was clear Russell had been blaming her for his inadequacies.

Still, it hadn't been his hurtful comment about her lack of experience that put a dent in Annie's confidence. It was finding out that he really wanted her money. Just the sort of thing a young, ambitious lawyer needed—money to set himself up with his own law firm and a wealthy, successful wife at his side to help him with connections. Once Annie told him that she'd placed her inheritance into a trust fund for any future children she might have, things had promptly ended.

"Home, sweet home," Elliot murmured, pulling in front of his large, modern house. There was another car parked in the driveway. A little fire engine red sports number. He turned off the engine and turned to face her. "I have company, love." There was no disguising the twinkle in his powder-blue eyes, or the radiance on his boyishly handsome face.

"One of your projects?" Annie teased, turning to see Chip and Dale sauntering toward them like big overgrown puppies.

"This one might be a keeper," he admitted with a saucy grin, producing a chuckle from Annie.

_How many times have I heard that?_ He opened the door to get out. Annie got out and gave Chip and Dale the attention they expected. "I need to use the phone," she said. They walked to the back of the house and entered through a doorway that led to a screened-in pool and Jacuzzi, continuing to his workshop. Annie had long ago learned to expect anything as far as Elliot was concerned, so it didn't surprise her when her gaze fell on the nearly naked woman asleep on an antique fainting sofa.

"Beautiful, isn't she? I think I love this one."

This was apparently the keeper Elliot had mentioned. Her gaze fell on the half-finished oil painting. Elliot liked his models thin, but this woman was skin and bones. Her breasts were nonexistent, her figure straight as a boy's. No curves anywhere. Yet her face was flawlessly beautiful, void of blemish and makeup.

"I love painting Lilly when she's sleeping like this," he said in a hushed voice, already dismissing Annie as he reached for his smock.

Elliot would never change. He had the attention span of a five-year-old. She removed her hat and sunglasses and tossed them onto a chair. She went to the wicker sofa against the wall and lowered herself onto the soft cushions while reaching for the phone on the end table. She called the police station and left a message for Marshall. There was nothing else she could do. She grabbed the overstuffed pillow from the corner and hugged it to her chest, quietly watching Elliot as he became immersed in his work.

****

Marshall stared down at Annie, the sick feeling in his gut lessening now that he could see for himself that she was all right. He thanked God for the hundredth time that Dan had lost a crown and had to cancel their meeting in exchange for a dentist appointment. The change in plans might have saved her life. He'd grabbed the records he wanted and left the precinct almost as soon as arriving.

He'd never forget the feeling in his gut when he'd called to tell her he was on his way back and she'd explained the events leading up to his phone call. Once he'd analyzed the situation and determined it wasn't as secure as she described, he'd driven through traffic like a madman. They had a suspect now and he'd sensed Annie was in imminent danger. A set of prints from her office and her condo had been matched to a low life that had also been in prison during the seven years between Bailey's death and the rapes two years ago.

The officer doing the drive-by check was as far away as he was. He'd had no alternative but to tell Annie to leave on foot since her car had been delivered back to her condo and she'd been left without transportation. Blaming himself for her current situation, he'd pounded the steering wheel nearly breaking it.

If anything had happened to her...

Her soft moan brought Marshall back to the present. He focused on her sleeping profile. She looked so innocent, so vulnerable. A sleeping angel with a mixture of vixen in her blood. A flashback of their lovemaking that morning sent a sharp sensation straight to his loins. Jesus, he wanted her again. He reached out to brush the hair off her face, pulling back before making contact. The ache in his head had turned into a nagging throb. He ran his hand over his eyes trying to relieve the pressure building there. For the first time, he didn't trust his objectivity because he'd gotten too close to the subject.

He was going to have to correct this situation— beginning now. He didn't know how he was going to ignore the vision of slipping between her thighs but he had to find the strength. Dan was right. He wasn't thinking straight.

"Annie, wake up." Marshall struggled to keep his voice neutral. He wasn't going to admit to the hell he'd gone through when she hadn't been waiting for him on the corner of Richland and Vine. How, after he'd checked in at her office, he'd ridden around for almost an hour, until his training had taken over and he'd figured out what the smart doctor would do if she were still alive.

If she was still alive.

God, it was about that time he realized that being intimate with Annie had screwed up his thinking. A stupid mistake that could turn out deadly for both of them. He recalled what she'd said about Elliot Lancaster and figured he'd be the one person she'd go to in a pinch. He'd called into the station and asked someone to look up Elliot's phone number. That's when he'd been told about the message she'd left him.

His frustration level had hit an all time high when he'd dialed the number only to hear it ring and ring before finally hanging up. There had to be a logical reason why no one was picking up the phone, only he didn't want to think about it. Nothing good came to mind.

A call back to someone at the station provided Elliot's home address. Marshall hadn't wasted any time speeding there, all the while cursing himself for getting in way over his head. From here on out, his involvement with Annie was going to be strictly professional. At least until this thing was over. He hoped he could find a way to tell her, without hurting her, because that's the last thing he wanted to do. Slowing things down between them was the only way to keep her safe and him sane.

_Yeah, right._ He was only kidding himself. He was already crazy for her and the only one he had to keep her safe from at the moment was him. He looked down at her, relief at finding her alive and safe so strong that he actually felt his heart swell with emotion. "Annie," he called out softly for the second time, not wanting to frighten her.

She began to stir, stretching like a lazy cat sunbathing on a warm deck. "Yes?"

Her low, throaty tone reached Marshall on a purely sensual level, arousing his senses. Her eyes drifted open, a radiant smile spreading across her face when she recognized him through the hazy fog of sleep. That pretty mouth of hers curved upward in the most tempting way, warming his blood, while strengthening his determination. He had to remain focused.

"Why the hell didn't you call me?" he demanded. He clenched his teeth, looking out the window above the sofa while running his hands through his hair, determined not to soften. If the only way he could hang onto his control was by not gazing into her beautiful eyes, then he'd stare at the damn trees until his eyes fell out.

"Your number happens to be in my purse, which you told me to leave behind," she calmly reminded him while moving into a sitting position. "I see you got my message."

"What the hell happened?" he snapped, staring out at the woodsy landscape until her hesitation in answering brought his eyes back to her.

Annie's slow smile unnerved him. "My...you are in a foul mood, Detective."

"Wouldn't you be? Now, please tell me what happened." He made a conscious effort to curtail his impatience.

"Apparently, I was being chased by the bad guy."

Marshall's gaze was unwillingly drawn to her when she rose to her feet. His eyes narrowed with a frown. "What kind of hair adornments are these?" Reaching up, he pulled out several pieces of wood, along with the letter opener, holding them up for her inspection.

He watched her expression carefully. She studied the items in his hand, her brows coming together in a frown, before dawning slowly registered on her face, turning it pale. "The letter opener I took in case I needed to protect myself. But the wood..." She shuddered.

"Annie?"

"I told you someone was chasing me. What I didn't say was that whoever it was had a gun and shot at me."

"What?"

"Don't worry. They missed, hitting the telephone pole instead."

Instead of her head.

Marshall swore and swung away, running his hands through his hair again as he started to pace.

At this rate, he was going to be bald by morning. Unless she was going to the bathroom, he wasn't letting her out of his sight again, and he didn't care if she liked it or not. "Did you happen to get a look at the guy?"

Was that his calm, detached voice? He was anything but. He wanted to crush Annie to him, and kiss her. He ached to run his hands all over her to make sure she didn't have a scratch, even while he could clearly see she didn't. A noise caused him to turn back to Annie. She was opening the French doors and calmly strolling out into the lush garden behind Elliot's mansion as though she was in a theme park. He reached her in several strides, clenching his fists to keep from snatching her back inside. He was probably overreacting.

"Yes and no."

"What do you mean yes and no? You either saw someone or you didn't." Marshall realized he was being rough on Annie, but it was his only way of keeping his detective persona from switching back into a man who cares mode. He couldn't protect her if his emotions got in the way. He steeled himself from the slightly wounded look in her eyes.

"I saw someone, a patient of mine, but I'm not sure he's the one who was after me. It could have been a coincidence."

"I doubt it. Who?"

"Paul Eckers. I haven't seen him since—"

"He was the rape suspect two years ago?"

She nodded, surprised. "He was waiting for me this morning."

"Hell, Annie." Marshall actually felt sick when it dawned on him how close she'd come to Martin Strong's fate. Only she didn't know it yet. "I should have gone with my instincts and never left you there. The prints identified at your condo belong to Eckers, as did a set from your office." He paused, as another thought crossed his mind. "Did you ever invite him to your home?"

"Never! I don't understand, Marshall. To my knowledge, he and Martin didn't even know each other. Why does Paul want to kill me?"

"Honey..." Damn, he had to be more careful! "We don't know what the connection is yet, but we're working on it." Marshall hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should divulge the rest to Annie. Coming to the conclusion it wouldn't matter.

"We suspect him of killing Emily Bailey, too. He went to prison for seven years for an unrelated crime, which explains the break between her murder and the rapes two years ago. Then when he got out, we assume he just took up where he left off."

"But he didn't kill those other women."

Marshall's crooked grin didn't carry an ounce of humor. "They don't always follow the same M.O.," he said. "Who knows, Emily may be the first woman he attacked...that we know of. Maybe her murder was an accident." She shivered and Marshall fought the urge to take her into his arms. "The reason there haven't been any recent rapes is because Eckers just got out of prison after serving a year and a half for breaking parole."

"He must have gone in shortly after our last office visit, then." Annie shook her head with disbelief. "He never gave me the impression he was all that dangerous. Yet today, when I looked into his eyes, there was something there I'd never seen before. Just for a second he looked..." She shuddered. "Evil. It makes sense now. After I left, I escaped into a clothing shop and changed into this disguise. Thank God Elliot was home when I called."

Marshall couldn't agree more. "Before you ask, Agnes is okay, along with everyone else at your office. Since you've come down with the flu, she's going to Texas for a week to stay with her brother."

"A week?" Annie put her hands on her hips. "If memory serves me correctly, I said I'd give you a couple of days."

Her response didn't surprise him. He was ready for a battle. In fact, he was looking forward to it. He needed an outlet to release some of his inner tension, and if he couldn't fuck her he could fight her to work it out. "Everything's changed. Now that an attempt has been made on your life, you'll be placed in protective custody until we can pick up Eckers."

"What? I thought I was already in protective custody." She crossed her arms.

Marshall sighed, recognizing the stubbornness on her face. "Are we going to fight about this?

Because I'm warning you, Doc, I'm looking forward to it."

"Your mother must have had her hands full when you were growing up," she said. "Do you always get your own way?"

"Most of the time," he said grinning. "I think it's time we head to the station."

He started to turn but Annie ignored him. When Marshall realized she wasn't following, he glanced over his shoulder. "I'm safe here, Marshall. Didn't you meet Chip and Dale when you drove in?"

He took her gently by the arm and ushered her back through the doorway before closing and locking it behind them. "If you're talking about those overgrown rats, they turned tail and ran in the opposite direction the second I said boo."

"You didn't scare them, did you? Those are Elliot's babies. Speaking of Elliot, what did you do to him?"

"I didn't do anything to him." Marshall was actually jealous over her show of concern for the artist. "They're out at the pool." For the first time, his eyes wandered around the studio, inspecting the nude paintings. His models all had one thing in common—they were skinny to the point of not having any curves to whet a man's appetite.

Some men liked women that way, but not Marshall. When he loved a woman, he wanted something to hang on to.

"I have to go back for Harold," Annie said softly.

Marshall noticed how the vibrant colors in her dress intensified the violet of her eyes. She had the kind of eyes that wreaked havoc with a man's libido. Experiencing her wild passion firsthand wasn't something he was going to forget easily.

"Maybe with a little luck, the damn thing will fly out the window and become a tasty snack for one of the seagulls flying about. It's the least he deserves for eating my fish." She scowled but didn't respond, so he sighed and said, "You're not staying here."

"And why not?" she demanded, raising an eyebrow. "It'll free you up to search for Paul, and your boss will probably appreciate the fact you're not babysitting me any longer."

"First of all, Jim and I are working on this together, so don't worry about freeing up my time.

Dan knows keeping watch on you may give us our best chance to capture Eckers. If nothing else, we can always use you as bait." Annie's mouth dropped, until he winked at her. "Relax, Doc, I don't intend to throw you to the wolves."

"You have a mean streak in you." As she took a step closer, he braced himself, recognizing the cunning look in her eyes. He knew what was coming. He'd had enough experience with his two little nieces to know Annie was about to turn on the charm because she wanted something.

"I have a feeling your little feathered friend can take care of himself just fine. I have a whole aquarium filled with all kinds of helpless fish."

"I'm not abandoning him," she said. "Would you abandon someone you loved?"

It was a damn bird for goodness sake! He glared at her for a moment. "I can't believe we're having this conversation. You should be worried about finding Eckers, not some bird." She had the nerve to actually bat those long eyelashes at him and Marshall almost burst out laughing. "You'll have to do better than that." He watched her pupils flare with the challenge.

That tempting mouth of hers turned up at the corners in a seductive little smile. He swallowed hard, about to back down when he sensed someone opening the door. He pulled Annie behind him, shielding her with his body. His gaze swung to the door. "Damn it, Jim." He relaxed immediately and dropped his hand from his gun. "Hasn't anyone ever told you it's polite to knock before entering a room?"

Jim smiled. "Sorry for barging in, kids. Someone by the name of Elliot told me where I could find you. Was I interrupting something?"

"I was just trying to convince Detective Thomas of the importance of going back to his place for

Harold," Annie said, her eyes resting on Jim.

"Would that be the talking bird?"

She nodded.

"Is Eckers in custody?" Marshall interrupted.

Jim shook his head, disappointment in his eyes. "By the look of his apartment, I'd say he won't be back, either. The landlady said he left in a hurry, with a suitcase."

"Hell! He knows we're on to him." Not knowing where Eckers was hiding placed Annie in imminent danger. Marshall had to wonder if he'd found anything that would lead him there during his ransacking of her office and condo.

"Which will make finding him that much more difficult," Jim said. "And there's something else." He hesitated and glanced at Annie. It was clear he didn't want her to hear what he was about to say.

Annie took the hint. "I think I'll go visit with Elliot and Lilly for a while."

Marshall watched the sexy sway of her hips as she left the room, wondering if she put the extra bounce in it for his benefit. He found her quick wit and sharp mind almost as stimulating as her sensual form. With Michelle, it had been only good times and sex. Good sex, not great like it was with Annie.

Annie was the forever-after kind.

And that scared him.

The door closed firmly behind her, and he gave Jim his full attention. "Give me the bad news."

"A woman down on Fourteenth Street was attacked last night. They just found her buried beneath a stack of empty boxes."

"Same M.O.?"

"Looks that way."

"Do you think it could be Eckers?"

Jim nodded. "She gave his description to the letter, before slipping into a coma. The doctors think she'll make it, but she won't look the same. She was carved up pretty bad after being raped."

Damn! Marshall stared at Jim as a sick feeling churned in his gut. They had to get Annie to a safe house and soon. He didn't need to examine the files in his jeep to know Eckers was the bastard they wanted for the rapes as well as killing Emily. Then something Annie said earlier gave him an idea.

"Do me a favor, Jim? Would you check into Eckers's and Strong's family backgrounds?"

"It's already been done, man."

"No, there's something we're missing. I feel it. Dig a little deeper."

Jim looked at him for a moment before slowly nodding his agreement. "Well, I learned a long time ago not to question your gut instinct. I'll get right on it." He headed for the door.

Marshall watched him leave, positive he was on the right track. Then he decided to track Annie down and demand she do things his way. It was the only way he could protect her. He knew she wouldn't be happy, but he wasn't about to let a pint-sized angel tell him how to do his job. If he had to get physical and handcuff her to the bed, he'd do it.

He found her in the kitchen, everything needed for a salad set out on the counter in front of her. The crazy thought of what it would be like coming home to her every night flashed through his mind. The domestic picture before him made him realize what he'd been missing all these years.

Maybe his mother and sister were onto something. They spent a lot of time trying to convince him that he needed to find someone and settle down. Someone special...like Annie. If they could see him now, they'd be discussing wedding plans and coming up with names for his first born. That alone should make him come to his senses.

He shook his head and remained in the threshold until she finally turned and caught him staring. Hell, he felt like a boy getting caught gawking at the pretty new schoolteacher. To make matters worse, Marshall's body roused to immediate attention. A beguiling smile softened her features as if she knew.

Damn, am I that obvious?

"Tomato?" Annie popped a small round one into her mouth and held one out to him. "They're yummy."

Marshall didn't care what they tasted like. Anything from her fingers would be sweet. He opened his mouth automatically. "What are you doing?" he asked, his gaze ran over her with interest before returning to her eyes. He didn't particularly like cherry tomatoes but there he was, opening his mouth and accepting a second one from her fingers.

Annie's saucy smile made her eyes sparkle like clear-cut amethysts. "I'm baking a cake," she replied, making a sweep of the vegetables before her. "Can't you tell?" She proceeded to tear up a head of lettuce. "You're not a very smart detective, are you?"

Marshall smiled in spite of himself, silently agreeing with her observation. A smart man would get the hell away from her, before he was in so deep he didn't know which way was up. He should call headquarters and ask, no beg them for a replacement. Only that was the trouble; Annie wasn't his problem until he'd made her one.

"I suppose I'll have to go get that damn crow of yours."

She held out her hand and he opened his mouth, expecting another tomato. However, as soon as he bit down on the mushroom he made a face and spit it out in his hand.

Annie's musical laughter filled the spacious kitchen, giving her Marilyn Monroe complexion a delicate dusting of rose across her cheekbones. "That's what you get for referring to Harold as a damn crow."

"Since you're in here playing Suzie homemaker, are you planning on cooking anything to go with that rabbit food?" He noticed the bottle of wine chilling in the ice bucket and recalled what wine did to her.

"Don't get too excited, Detective. My culinary talents are limited to salads and opening cans. Oh, and I do a pretty mean TV dinner, too. What happened to Jim?"

"Gone home for the night." This time when she offered him something, he pulled back far enough to see what it was before opening his mouth.

Her curious gaze lingered on his mouth, her irises darkening when his lips closed over her fingertips, drawing them into his mouth along with the piece of carrot.

He cleared his throat, determined he was not going to be swayed from taking a firm stand. "We need to talk."

### Chapter Ten

Annie lowered her eyes, not liking the seriousness she detected in Marshall's voice. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like what he had to say. She sensed a difference in him, a hardness, and hoped it had nothing to do with their making love. She couldn't bear it if he brushed their encounter away as if it meant nothing to him and decided she had to cut him off before she ended up hurt.

"I hope you're not going to dredge up what happened this morning," she said, forcing a smile she was far from feeling. "Feeling guilty and all that. I wanted it just as much as you did and realize it was a...a one-time only thing. I'm okay with that. You don't have to worry that I think it means anything permanent. I don't expect a marriage proposal or wedding ring or anything. It was just sex and—"

"Take a breath, Doc," he cut in, an expression on his dark face she couldn't comprehend. He almost looked disappointed. "That's not the talk I had in mind. We'll discuss what happened between us later."

"Oh." Annie didn't know what to make of that. Then it occurred to her what he might be talking about. "I know you're not going to bring up the subject of putting me in protective custody again."

"It's for your own go—"

Annie didn't let him finish. "Damn it, Detective!" It was the first time she'd ever sworn at Marshall and his eyes rounded with surprise before filling with humor. She didn't normally give in to anger, but she was getting very frustrated with his tenacity. "Don't you ever give up?"

Her anger only fired his. "Don't you ever give in? Why the hell are you so stubborn?" Annie dropped what she was doing and turned from him. "Where are you going?" he demanded.

"I'm not having this conversation with you," she said firmly, heading for the door that would take her out to the pool. "What do you think I am...a child? I don't appreciate your tone, Detective. The next thing I'll have to worry about is a spanking!" Annie knew she was running but she didn't care. She'd rather walk away than fight.

Marshall stopped her at the doorway, his hand curling around her upper arm and whipping her around to face him. "A spanking sounds like a good idea!" he barked, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You'll listen to what I have to say if I have to tie you to a chair!"

"When you calm down, then maybe I will." She tried to jerk her arm free, but her strength was no match for his, frustrating her even more. "I'm not going to fight with you. Now let me go."

They were both headstrong, but that didn't mean he could manhandle her anytime he wanted.

She pressed her lips together and kicked out at him, but the length of her narrow skirt prevented her from raising her foot.

His brows rose incredulously. "Are you threatening a police detective with bodily harm, Doc?"

"I'm trying to kick one," she admitted and raised her free hand. She didn't know what she was going to do. Hitting Marshall never entered her mind. However, he must have thought otherwise because the next thing Annie knew he was bringing both her wrists together behind her back and pinning them there.

He jerked her against him, bringing his face in close. "Do I have to break out the handcuffs?" he asked through clenched teeth.

Annie gasped. Another time and she might have found his comment thrilling and a little bit naughty. Only now she was too angry to appreciate the thought. Kinky she wasn't but Marshall had a way of drawing her out of her usually reserved tendencies.

"Do I have to call in reinforcements?" She was thinking about Elliot and Lilly. They wouldn't be much help, but at least odds would be in her favor. "Three against one." She wiggled against Marshall like an eel out of water. Her breasts were crushed against his hard chest, and from the waist down, they were intimately aligned.

"God give me strength." Marshall swore beneath his breath. "Either I'm going to kiss you into submission or put you across my knee and deliver some good old-fashioned punishment."

His threat sent Annie's pulse racing. The spanking they'd mentioned earlier had suddenly become less of a retribution and more of a prelude to something more pleasant. She felt her anger dissolving, as awareness replaced it.

"You wouldn't dare." Please do, her inner voice demanded, thankful he couldn't read her mind. She inhaled his masculine scent deeply as if it was life-giving oxygen. It enveloped her, weaving a sensual spell she willingly fell under, but now was not the time to think about the heat between them or the hard, unyielding muscles she'd caressed that morning.

Apparently, Marshall was thinking about it, though. Annie felt the gradual change in his body as it melded against her. She felt her breasts swell in response, and her nipples tingle with awareness. She knew she should pull away but he felt good against her, causing her body to tighten with sexual energy. Their earlier lovemaking was never very far from her mind.

"God, don't tempt me, Annie. Right now, we have to think about your safety." He didn't seem to mind letting her know what their closeness was doing to him. She wasn't safe from that. "We don't know where Eckers will show up next."

"He'll never find me here," she said with more than a little misplaced confidence in her tone. The fact that Marshall was only looking out for her safety touched her heart. "I'm very careful not to divulge personal information to any of my patients for this very reason."

Annie figured she'd have to be dead not to notice Marshall was fully aroused against her. Strong desire was stamped on his face; the sharp awareness darkening his eyes caused her breath to catch. His nostrils flared, his breath became labored, and he slowly lowered his face. She wanted his kiss and opened her mouth in eager anticipation, knowing at that moment she needed his mouth on hers as much as she needed air to breathe. He seemed to want to kiss her, too. Then why did she feel his resistance?

"Hell, Annie. Stop me before it's too late," he pleaded, moving in closer. "We need to keep our relationship strictly business."

"Who are you trying to convince, Detective?" She lifted on her toes and leaned forward, brushing against him. "I hope you're not expecting any help from me because I'm not strong enough to resist you."

She felt him shudder. "How did I ever think I would be able to resist you?" His hands tightened around Annie's wrists and he slanted his mouth over hers in a slow, drugging kiss. His ardor and the knowledge that she could make him lose control fueled Annie's response.

She arched hungrily into his caress, whimpering beneath his firm mouth. She swallowed his groan of pleasure, moaning in response when their tongues collided and danced. The blood rolling in her veins turned into a ball of fire that left her shivering with weakness. Her wrists were released and she buried her hands into his thick hair, moving against him at the same time. Where they were was quickly forgotten as they gave themselves up to the moment in a steamy embrace.

Pleasure erupted from her when Marshall's hands traveled down her back, over her rump, down the back of her thighs, and back up again. He squeezed her bottom, then lost control and forced her further against his erection. Bone hard and throbbing strongly, Annie's heart rate picked up speed when she found herself riding the ridge between her legs. Lord...it wouldn't take much time to make her come. She felt like a live wire with too much current traveling through it.

Without warning Marshall pulled away. The blazing embers of smoldering passion in his eyes held hers a willing captive. "This is a mistake." He didn't sound very convincing.

"You kissed me." She rolled her hips into his hard-on with unabashed boldness.

Marshall shook his head. "What am I going to do about you? You've got me so twisted inside that I don't know if I'm coming or going." He leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers, breathing deeply. "One of us has to be strong, Annie. I can't protect you..."

"You've done a good job of it so far." She chuckled softly. "I was just about to sweep the food onto the floor so we'd have counter space." Her words got a swift reaction out of Marshall, as she'd hoped they would. He jerked back, met her eyes, and dropped his burning gaze to her wet mouth.

"If we were alone in this house, I'd take you up on that." He leaned forward and put his mouth against the side of her neck. "All the way here, I swore I was going to keep my hands off you, but all I want to do is eat you up." He kissed and nibbled his way to her ear. "My head knows this is wrong, Annie. It's not the time. But it's obvious, I don't have much control where you're concerned."

Annie laughed softly. "Sounds like you have a problem, Detective."

"Yes." His teeth sank into the sensitive area between the base of her neck and collarbone. "What do you prescribe, Doc?"

"Intense physical activity and a lot of it."

He chuckled deeply. "I think that's a solution I can live with." As he spoke, his hips moved against her. "Shit, it seems like part of me is eager to get to work." The last word was breathed against Annie's mouth and then they were kissing hungrily. Moans echoed throughout the room, almost drowning out the voices moving closer to the kitchen.

The spell was broken. They tore out of each other's arms like teenagers getting caught for the first time. Annie turned back to the counter. She grabbed the paring knife and took several steadying breaths, then nervously glanced over her shoulder at Marshall.

He was grinning from ear to ear and looking sexier than any man had a right to look. "That was close."

"You're not out of the woods yet, Detective," she whispered, lowering her gaze to the front of his pants. The movement of the erection behind his zipper brought on a new rush of heat to Annie's core. She caught her breath and looked away with a hot face.

"Don't make any for us, love," Elliot said when he walked over the threshold and noticed the food on the counter. "Lilly and I have decided to go to the Pink Room for dinner."

"The Pink Room?"

Annie smiled at Marshall's question. The Pink Room was definitely not a place she'd ever see a man like him. It was a popular nightclub for wealthy gays, which offered a variety of services from secluded candlelight dinners to massages and all night dancing. In addition, the clientele paid a premium for discretion and the place was guarded to the hilt.

Elliot went because he said it was the only place in town where he could get a decent roast duck. Very few people knew the truth though, that he only went there to keep up the colorful eccentric image he portrayed to the public. That's what sold his paintings. Everything he did was designed to hide who he really was. And at barely five-feet tall, everything he did was big, including his girlfriends.

"That's an exclusive nightclub, Mr. Thomas. You wouldn't like it," Lilly said with certainty, towering over Elliot like an Amazon goddess in a string bikini.

Annie was pleased to see that Marshall barely gave her a second glance.

"You'll be here when we get back; won't you, love?"

"Yes," Annie said, returning Marshall's scowl with a saucy smile. "I will, at least. However, I'm not sure about Detective Thomas."

"We both will," Marshall added reluctantly.

"Well, you stay as long as you want. You know where the guestroom is, but your friend here will have to sleep in the nursery." Elliot started to flounce out of the room.

"I don't need to tell you how dangerous it is for Annie, if word gets out that she's here," Marshall said.

Elliot stopped and raised his chin a notch, an expression on his boyish face that said he resented

Marshall for implying he would do anything that would hurt Annie. "Of course you don't. You just make sure you do your job and take care of her." With that, he left the room with Lilly right behind him.

"You insulted him," Annie said, placing the salad and some empty bowls on a large tray.

"I don't care. Your protection, not the feelings of your friend, is my first priority. I'll apologize to him later when this is all over."

"When are you going for Harold?" she asked.

"Don't sweat it, Doc; Jim's going to swing by and get him for you in the morning.

"Good. I don't want him thinking I abandoned him."

"Because you love him," he reminded her.

"That's right, Detective. And he loves me."

"Love!" Marshall grumbled beneath his breath, the corners of his mouth twisting down. "What does a bird know about love? For that matter, what do I know about it? Nothing, but I have a pretty good handle on what lust is all about."

Annie's mouth fell open. "Are you...in lust, Detective?" She smiled. "Anything I can do to help? I hate to see anyone suffer, even an ill tempered, bossy detective like you."

Her comment caused his features to twist into a grimace. He was clearly not in a joking mood.

"You're the problem, Annie." His tone was filled with exasperation.

"I'm a psychiatrist...remember?"

She wanted to smile but bit down on her bottom lip to keep it from happening. Marshall's expression revealed he was clearly unhappy. She resisted the urge to reach up and brush her hand along his taut jaw, or run her thumb across his sexy bottom lip. She waited instead, studying the stubborn look on his face.

"That's not what I want you for."

His impassioned words caused a flutter in Annie's stomach. Yet she kept her mouth shut. Her profession had trained her to have patience and be a good listener. However, the silence stretched between them. The longer their eyes met the more uncomfortable she became. She lusted after

Marshall too, only the stirring in her blood went beyond her desire for his body.

As the realization hit her, she picked up the tray and headed out of the kitchen. "Come on, Detective. Let's have our dinner out by the pool."

Falling in love with Marshall wasn't an option.

****

It was just after midnight when Annie woke to a faint noise coming from below. She felt safe in

Elliot's house, knowing the grounds were protected with a high-tech security system. Chip and Dale were out there, too. A burglar or killer wouldn't know they weren't vicious guard dogs.

She shivered, thankful Marshall was sleeping in the small connecting room. Elliot hadn't been kidding when he'd said Marshall would have to sleep in the nursery, a room he hadn't had a chance to remodel yet. At least there was a bed which must have been used for the nanny next to the crib.

There it was again, a noise Annie could only guess was Elliot and Lilly returning home. She slipped from bed, deciding to walk downstairs to make sure. After opening her door, she paused at the top of the stairs, noticing the outside security lights were on and shining brightly through the sheer curtains at the windows. Suddenly a dark form appeared, rushing past one of the windows, and keeping her from descending the stairs. When she didn't see a second figure go by, she decided to wake Marshall.

What if it wasn't Elliot and Lilly?

She turned and slammed into a big, solid body. As a frightened scream rose up her throat, her mouth was firmly covered. She struggled and found herself pressed against the wall as an all too familiar voice whispered into her ear, "Calm down, Doc. It's me."

On recognizing Marshall's voice, Annie relaxed. He slowly removed his hand. His other hand held a gun and that was resting against the wall next to her head. "I heard the noise, too, honey. Any chance that's Elliot and Lilly returning?"

Annie tried to meet his eyes in the darkness, but all she caught was an occasional glint when he shifted his gaze. "Since the alarm didn't go off, it could be them. Maybe we should wait and see."

He chuckled gruffly. "I'm not very good at waiting. I'm going down to check it out. You stay here. If you hear gunfire, lock yourself in your room and call 911."

Gunfire! She didn't like the sound of that. "But—"

"Do it, Annie." He surprised her with a quick, hard kiss, released her, and then descended the stairs two at a time.

Annie's heart locked in her throat as she watched him go.

_How does he expect me to just stand by and do nothing?_ She rushed to Elliot's bedroom to see if he was home, but her search turned up an empty bed and clear evidence that it hadn't been slept in. She didn't know whether to be relieved or scared out of her wits. She ran back to the top of the stairs and glanced down. The outside motion detector light had gone off. She squinted into the frightening darkness and held her breath, listening. It was surprising how terrifyingly loud the silence could be.

Marshall was nowhere to be seen. Annie hesitated for only a second before deciding to ignore his command to stay put. Holding onto the banister, she made her way cautiously down the stairs, until an unexpected noise prompted her into sprinting the rest of the way to the kitchen.

Where's Marshall?

Annie wasn't about to call out, but she realized she needed something she could use as a weapon.

There was no place to hide in the kitchen except the food pantry, and if she went in there, she'd be trapped. Just as the distant sound of muffled voices reached her, she yanked open the utensil drawer and fumbled around for something. She grabbed the first thing she could get a good grip on and spun around, releasing a scream of fright when the lights unexpectedly came on.

It was a toss-up on who was more shocked—the three people who'd just entered the kitchen, or

Annie. Marshall's eyes narrowed, raking over her with annoyance as he lowered his weapon. She felt like a five-year-old caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"God, love, what were you planning to do with that?" Elliot laughed, taking in her stunned expression. Annie's gaze reluctantly left Marshall to look at the whisk she'd snatched out of the drawer.

"Don't be dense, Elliot." Lilly giggled, joining in. "She's going to beat someone to death with it!"

Annie felt her face color hotly, but it had nothing to do with their harmless joking. It was the look in Marshall's stormy gaze that worried her. He hadn't moved so much as a muscle, his expression chiseled in stone. It was clear he was about to explode.

"Cute," Annie breathed, a smile trembling on her mouth. It took a couple seconds longer for her to realize she was still clutching the whisk like a knife.

"I thought I told you to stay where you were." Marshall barely opened his mouth but Annie heard the words loud and clear.

All at once it seemed like just the two of them in the kitchen. "Yes, well, I, ah..." Without taking her eyes off him, she dropped the utensil back in the drawer and closed it. "I thought you might need some help." Her gaze went back and forth between him and Elliot.

Clearly, her reasons didn't matter to Marshall. He began to walk toward her as if he had all the time in the world. Yet, his eyes spoke volumes, and with a sinking heart, Annie knew she'd made a terrible mistake. He'd warned her before about doing what he asked.

"Elliot?"

He held up his hands. "Oh no, love. You made your bed. I'm not about to get between you and a big, angry detective." He grabbed Lilly by the shirt sleeve and dragged her out of the kitchen. "We're off to bed. See you in the morning."

"Cowards!" she yelled after them and moved to put the kitchen island between her and Marshall.

Her attempt to make him smile failed. With deliberate slowness, he tucked his gun in the waistband of his shorts. Why did he have to look so damn sexy in those things? Even when every muscle in his body was taut with anger. "I know you're angry but let me explain."

"Angry?" His huff had little humor in it. "That's a mild word for what I'm feeling right now. I'm trying to protect you, Annie; I can't do that if you won't follow my orders."

"How was I supposed to know that it was just Elliot and Lilly—?"

"Exactly!" he exploded. "You ran in headfirst without knowing what you were up against. I'd have thought the last few days would have taught you something."

"I knew it had to be them," she said lamely, and cleared her throat nervously. She didn't believe the words herself so she couldn't imagine that he would.

Marshall's brows rose. "Is that why you grabbed the whisk?"

There was nothing Annie could say to that, when it was clear she intended to use it as a weapon.

"So, ah, did he just forget his house key?" She kept her tone light, hoping to calm Marshall down. A flicker of grim determination in his eyes gnawed away at her courage. "I was worried about you!" she finished in a breathless rush. "Can't you understand that?"

"Don't, Annie," he said between tightly clenched teeth. His eyes were like shards of black glass, frightening Annie with the coldness she saw in them. "I've been running solo a long time and don't need anyone worrying about me."

There was such finality in his clipped words that Annie actually felt a twist of pain in her heart. Her steps faltered. She would have to switch tactics. Would he follow through with that earlier spanking he'd threatened? She knew this time it would be tempered with anger and not playfulness. The determination in his expression frightened her a little. She sprinted through the kitchen doorway in the direction of the stairs. Maybe Marshall wouldn't come after her, at least until he calmed down.

### Chapter Eleven

Pausing at the foot of the stairs, Marshall watched Annie hightail it up to her room as if the devil were on her heels. She slammed the door shut, and he heard the telltale click that indicated she'd also locked it, which only infuriated him more. If she thought a locked door was going to keep him out she was in for a surprise.

I have to make her understand that I say and do things for a reason.

He took off after her, taking the stairs two at a time. Only instead of going to her door, he entered his room, willing to bet she'd forgotten all about the connecting door. He quietly opened it and fought a grin when his eyes lit on her. She was leaning against the door with her ear pressed against the wood, no doubt listening for signs of him on the other side. His footsteps were silent on the thick carpet as he slowly made his way to her and waited until she relaxed before tapping her on the shoulder.

"Oh!" Her startled exclamation echoed in the darkened room and she spun around to see him standing there. "How did you get in?"

He indicated the connecting door with a jerk of his head.

"Oh." Her gaze returned to his. "What are you going to do now?"

Marshall ignored the tremor in her voice. "I should shake some sense into you," he grumbled. "What you did was damn reckless, Annie, and very dangerous. What if you got in the line of fire? I can't do my job if I have to worry about you ignoring my orders. A distraction like that can get us both killed."

Her eyes widened with each word, just like Marshall knew they would. He left no doubt about the gravity of the situation. When her eyes swelled with tears, his anger dropped down a couple notches. He hadn't set out to make her cry. Only scare her into acting more sensible.

"You're right. I'm sorry," she said in an unsteady voice, reaching up to caress the side of his whiskered face. "If anything had happened to you—"

Marshall's hand shot there in a flash, encircling her wrist and stopping her from touching him. "No, Annie." He knew if she touched him in that gentle, loving way of hers he'd cave in. He was determined not to compound his earlier mistakes.

At least for as long as I have the will power.

Her sob nearly tore out his heart. Tears glistened upon her cheeks, visible even in the darkness. "I can't afford to let my guard down, Annie. Do you understand that? Things are moving too fast." Part of him knew he wasn't making any sense. He sounded like a desperate man running out of time. "I didn't come in here to make you cry." Her subtle fragrance enveloped him, reminding Marshall how wildly sweet her flesh was. "Or make love to you." He heard the desperation in his tone as he tried to convince himself.

Marshall was running scared, and he knew it. He knew his feelings for Annie went much further than a homicide detective wanting to protect her. It was hard to breathe because she was too close. Only instead of stepping back, he closed the distance between them until their bodies were flush, and he had her pinned against the door. Her nearness was intoxicating, forcing him to forget about everything but the passion he knew was hidden in her little body. A body that was already arching with hunger into his.

Marshall hissed, a sweet agony rushing through him that threatened his sanity and his barely leashed control. Annie knew all the right moves to push him over the edge, and she wasn't shy about her wants. Damn...he'd let her in and now he couldn't get her out. He refused to let go of his anger though, knowing it was the only thing that might keep him from giving in to the sweet seduction of her flesh.

"Damn you!" he growled low in his throat and slammed the door over her head with a closed fist. "What the hell are you doing to me?"

There was a faint sound of tearful emotion in Annie's soft voice. "I'm innocent..."

A disbelieving sound burst from Marshall. "Innocent...like hell you are." His eyes captured hers in the darkness and his hips thrust against her as if they had a mind of their own. "You're a little witch, Annie. I think you know exactly what you're doing to me."

Annie shuddered against him. "Then maybe you'd better remove your gun, before it goes off."

It got quiet. Marshall stared at her with disbelief and then burst out laughing. He wanted to kiss the hell out of her smart mouth but he was afraid he wouldn't stop until he ripped off the little bit of nothing she was wearing and had her naked beneath him. All it would take was two steps and they'd be on the bed where he'd be showing her what he could do with his gun.

It would be a heck of a lot more than just pressing against the inside of her thigh. Seeking entrance to heaven and beyond. But her words reminded him of something far more dangerous. He reached behind him, pulled his weapon from the waistband of his shorts, and carefully laid it on top of the small table next to the door, keeping eye contact with her the whole time. The last thing he wanted was an accident.

"You make it damn hard to show restraint," he grumbled in a hard voice. "Is this your way of changing the subject and taking my mind off being angry?"

"You really do have a low opinion of women." The hurt his words caused was evident in her voice. "I hadn't noticed it before. Is it something that just comes naturally after you've made love? Defense tactics to scare the woman away after you get what you want?"

Meaning sex. Marshall knew he had that coming. He couldn't blame her for the way his last relationship ended. His breakup with Michelle hadn't left him exactly heartbroken, just more knowledgeable about women and perhaps a lot more cynical.

"You're afraid, aren't you, Detective? Afraid of what little old me can do to your big, tough, reputation." Her free hand trailed a path of fire down his bare chest, reaching the waistband of his boxers and slipping inside. He shuddered wildly beneath her tender attack, but that didn't stop her from claiming her prize. He nearly lost control when her small hand wrapped lovingly around his hard dick.

Her soft sigh was just as arousing.

"Annie..." He didn't have the strength to stop her, much less the desire to do so. The warning in his voice sounded weak, even to his ears.

She ignored him, her fingers caressing the pulsing length of him in a move that could easily bring him to his knees. He throbbed uncontrollably from her boldness, and his fingers flexed around her wrist in reaction. When he could finally breathe, it was a broken sound that revealed how powerless she made him. Her brazenness astonished him. She'd aptly replaced his fierce anger with a fierce hunger. Marshall knew his willpower was wilting fast beneath her administrations.

"I didn't come in here to make love to you," he said hoarsely, aware he was repeating an earlier declaration. His hard flesh made him out to be a liar, though. Everything Annie did fueled his lust to a colossal magnitude, and her soft, skillful hand was working magic on him that he was helpless to resist.

Without warning, she moved in close, bit down on his bottom lip, and then suckled the brief pain away tenderly. Marshall almost lost his load right there. He could feel her hard little nipples stabbing into his chest, and the tip of his erection was brushing against the dampened heat between her legs.

Most electrifying was their combined arousal. He'd heard it said that scent was the strongest of senses and he had to agree. He inhaled deeply, drawing Annie's seductive essence into his lungs. His gaze dropped down her scantily clad body. She wasn't wearing much. He could rip the fragile material from her in one tug and bury his cock inside her body before she knew what was happening. The picture of her riding him against the door wiped out all other thoughts.

"You know what I'd like, Detective?" Her tongue darted out and slipped between his lips teasingly before drawing back just as quickly.

"Tell me." His legs were actually shaking.

Her soft laugh didn't prepare Marshall for the effect her reply would have on him.

"I want your big, hard cock deep inside of me."

Annie's softly spoken words were all it took. He closed what little distance was between them with a savage growl and angled his mouth over hers in a kiss that sent his heart rate skyrocketing. His hand closed firmly over Annie's in an effort to halt the rush that was rolling through his body. His orgasm was close to the surface and ready to spew from his body like an erupting volcano.

Only he wanted to be inside Annie when that happened.

Without breaking the scorching kiss, he pulled her hand away and released himself from his boxers. He leaned into her, his hungry flesh slicing against the wet folds of her lace covered mound with one powerful stroke. He didn't know how he managed to hold back from losing it all at that moment.

She purred softly in her throat, her hands were clenching his shoulders, nails digging into his flesh. If she was anywhere close to what he was feeling, Marshall knew she was on the brink of exploding, too. He continued to move between her thighs, the only barrier between them her thin wet panties, until he was ready to burst with ecstasy. The feeling twisting through his gut was powerful and intense.

He tore his mouth from hers to suck in air. Their uneven breathing echoed through the room, sounding as loud as the clock chiming in the hallway outside the door. His hands moved to the waistband of Annie's panties, and taking the fragile silk in his grip, he ripped the garment from her. He wanted nothing between his flesh and hers.

She caught her breath when he lifted her against the door. He braced her there for a moment, their gazes clinging. Then Marshall slowly lowered Annie until she was impaled on his hard flesh. He groaned low and deep as he was sheathed in the exquisite warmth of her tight body.

The sound of her passion filled the quiet room. "Marshall...oh!"

"Let it go, baby," he murmured against her lips, moving in a slow rhythm that was meant to drive them both a little wild. "Shit, you're tight..."

She whispered, "Complaining?"

A sound of humor escaped Marshall. "Hell, no!" He thrust into her a couple of times in rapid secession before pausing.

Annie cried out with obvious pleasure. "Elliot..."

Elliot? "How can you think about another man while I'm making love to you?" he teased, ending each word with a gentle kiss. His body continued to shove in and out of hers, his strokes slow and even. The muscles in his arms flexed as he supported her weight against the door.

"No!" She gasped, a small smile tempting her lips upward. "I...just don't...want...him to hear us!"

The time for holding back came to a quick end. As Annie's soft cries intensified, Marshall intercepted them with an urgent kiss, swallowing her passion as he continued to love her. The tightening of her body around his ultra sensitive flesh sent him over the edge. He groaned deeply, succumbing to a pure and explosive ripple of completion. All he could do was lean heavily into her and ride out the storm.

****

"I see you survived the night with that beast," Elliot said the following morning when Annie ran into him in the kitchen.

She turned to hide a smile. "Yes, no thanks to you and Lilly, running off and leaving me alone like that. It was awful." She reached for a cup, thankful he'd already made a pot of coffee. "He had his way with me, you know. More than once." Making direct eye contact with Elliot, she raised a brow, keeping a straight face for as long as she could, before they both burst out laughing.

"You're terrible, love." He gave her an affectionate hug. "So, where is the beast? Upstairs licking his wounds?"

The beast in question chose that moment to walk into the kitchen. Marshall had heard every word, which was apparent by the expression on his face. His eyes swept over Annie, causing her to blush even more from the intimate heat filling his eyes.

"I'm sorry I'm late, but having your way with someone, more than once, uses up a lot of energy. I needed a little extra shut-eye."

Elliot turned his head and spit his coffee in the sink as a laugh burst from him. Annie met Marshall's gaze without a trace of regret.

Dark eyes moved slowly over her, seeming to see to her very soul. "So, it was awful, huh?" He reached for her cup and took a sip, then made a face.

"Terrible," she lied. "I may never be the same."

"I guess I need more practice."

Annie's mouth turned dry, remembering every second of the lovemaking they'd shared before leaving the bed that morning. He definitely didn't need any practice, unless it was on her. A shiver rippled through her just thinking about what his hands and mouth had done to her—the heights he'd taken her to, so easily and completely.

Three times.

Her beast liked sex, lots of it. The ache between her legs revealed he had no problem performing as many times as the hunger arose. His stamina was amazing.

She snatched a piece of toast off Elliot's plate and nibbled on it, deciding not to feed Marshall's ego. "A lot of practice, but I'm willing to suffer until you work out the kinks."

"Cute." Marshall's cell phone rang and he retrieved it from his hip pocket.

He flipped it open and put it to his ear with a sharp greeting. "Yeah?" Annie watched his expression change as he listened intently. "What?! You're out of your mind if you think I'll let you—" He clamped his mouth shut when he was cut off, the humor in his eyes fading fast by whatever was being said to him. He kept his gaze trained on her. "Hell...no, I don't like it! It's too damn risky."

The muscle twitching in his lean jaw was an indication how much he didn't like what he was hearing. His pressed lips told Annie he wanted to object, but he wasn't in any position to do so. That could mean it was his superior on the line, but more likely, it was because whoever he was listening to was making sense. "When?" Without saying goodbye, he pulled the phone away from his ear, snapped it shut and slid it back in his hip pocket. His expression gave nothing away.

"What?" she asked anxiously, sensing that it had something to do with her.

He glanced at her long and hard, a muscle twitching in his set jaw. "Looks like you're going to get your wish, Doc." He inhaled deeply and released it slowly. "You're going home."

"Going home? Did they capture Paul Eckers?"

Marshall stared at her long and hard. "Nope. We're going to use bait to do that."

_Bait?_ Annie was more confused than ever.

"We're going to set a trap, Annie. And you're going to be the bait."

### Chapter Twelve

Annie tossed and turned, unable to sleep, unable to hear anything over the fierce thunderstorm raging outside and the howl of the wind beating against the windows. The rain was a welcome relief. It not only brought the temperature down a couple of degrees but also replenished the water supply in a state that had been in a drought the last four years.

Brief flashes of lightning illuminated the room, doing nothing to calm her fears when it revealed she was alone, that there was no bogeymen lurking in the shadows. The only thing keeping her there was the knowledge that Marshall was out there somewhere, along with Jim and a few policemen, hiding somewhere in the bushes. She didn't know all the details, only that the trap had been set and she was the prize.

She smiled slightly, lying there and thinking how much Marshall had hated Dan's plan.

Frustrated that the only way he'd been allowed to participate was to cooperate. Dan hadn't worried about her cooperation, though, uncannily guessing she would do whatever she could to help in order to get back to a more normal life.

Annie knew she couldn't continue to live in hiding forever, even if it was with a sexy detective she couldn't seem to get enough of. She wasn't about to let Paul control her life. If catching him, by drawing him out, meant making herself vulnerable, she would do it. Besides, she trusted Marshall to keep her safe.

A clap of loud thunder vibrated throughout the condo, rattling the windows. Annie barely muffled a cry. Terrified, her gaze shot to the glass doors that led out to the balcony. The rain was coming down so hard it sounded like bullets pelting the glass. She breathed a little easier when another flash revealed there was no one on her balcony. She thought she heard a noise coming from somewhere inside but couldn't be sure. Was Marshall moving about out there? Yanking back the covers she sat up, her gaze going to the door.

Was that a scream?

The urge to seek Marshall out was stronger than ever. She felt safe when he was with her, but that would mean leaving the safety of her room. Her eyes flew to the closet doors. Had they checked inside before leaving her? A loud crash galvanized her into action. She jumped from her bed without thinking and raced to the light switch. Flicking it on, nothing happened. She tried it several times to be sure. Oh, God! The hair on the back of her neck stood up.

"Call the cops!" Damn it! Annie spun around, a nervous laugh escaping her at Harold's timing.

Then she nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of breaking glass. She unlocked the door, flung it open, and closed it behind her to keep Harold from escaping. The last thing she needed was him flying about the place. She dashed into the hallway, too numb with fear to call out, and headed across the short space to her guest room door. She opened it without knocking.

"Marshall?"

He'd insisted on not sleeping in her bed that night, telling her he was on the job. It was important he remain focused and there was no way he could do that lying next to her. She didn't remind him that being on the job hadn't kept him from making love to her at his house or Elliot's. Grinning like a wolf, he'd simply kissed her to the point of breathlessness and then sent her off to bed with a pat on the bottom.

"Marshall?" She whispered sharply, walking to the bed. He wasn't there. But he had been. The covers were pulled back and where his body had lain was still indented and warm. The bed was empty now. She glanced around the dark room, half expecting him to step out of the shadows. Maybe he was in the kitchen getting a drink. That might have been the sound she'd heard before—a glass breaking or something. As Annie turned down the hallway, she heard a noise coming from behind her.

She spun around. As a gust of wind came through, she realized the glass on the patio door was broken and the rain mist was blowing in. Marshall's dark silhouette standing at her computer desk brought instant relief. Her hand flew to cover her pounding heart, thank goodness!

"Marshall!" she called out softly. "I was so scared..."

Before Annie could move, lightning zigzagged through the sky, filling the room with enough light to see that it wasn't Marshall at all. It was Paul. Her heart jumped with fear, the breath catching in her throat when he stepped forward. Broken glass crunched beneath his shoes but he seemed not to notice. She knew she'd never make it back to the safety of her bedroom. It didn't matter anyway. Fear held her frozen to the spot. She could barely breathe.

Where's Marshall?

"Hello, Emily," he said softly, in a tone she'd never heard him use before. "Have you been waiting for me?"

Emily, he thinks I'm Emily?

If that was the case, then it was a good guess what his state of mind was. Marshall wasn't there.

Annie knew he'd have made his presence known as soon as Paul had. Her only hope was to remind Paul of their doctor-patient relationship.

"Mr. Eckers," she said. "Wh-what are you doing he-here?"

The lights flickered several times before finally remaining on. The dead look in Paul's eyes confirmed Annie's suspicions. They were devoid of emotion—cold and fixed on her in a way that left no doubt his mind was somewhere else, if not gone. Standing in her living room in front of her was a rapist and cold-blooded killer, without any feelings for his victims.

Annie knew she had to keep a cool head. "Did we have an appointment?" She took a small step backward, praying he didn't notice.

His laugh was low and menacing. He took a step forward. He had noticed. "Appointment for what? Since when do lovers need to make an appointment to be together?"

Annie swallowed with difficulty. "I'm Doctor McCall, your psychiatrist, remember? You used to come to me for regular appointments."

"A psychiatrist? Why would I need a psychiatrist? I'm not crazy." He took another step closer, stopped and frowned. "Do I?"

She could tell she had caught him by surprise. For a moment, he looked confused and stared at her as if trying to comprehend what she was telling him. Wondering if she was telling him the truth. Then he seemed to pull himself together, and straightened to his full, unimpressive height. "Doctor McCall?"

"Yes."

"Do you think I'm crazy, Doctor McCall?"

"No, no, of course not," Annie assured him. _Where was Marshall?_ "But talking about your problems will help you." Her eyes went to the front door, wondering if she could reach it in time. She fought down the urge to scream, knowing it would probably anger Paul into doing something sooner. "I'll help you any way I can."

He laughed as if sincerely amused by what she said and took another step closer. "That's what

Uncle Martin said, too." His laugh didn't have any humor in it. "We got drunk together one night, and I...ah, kind of spilled the beans about my extracurricular activities. He didn't understand. He was shocked, but he promised not to say anything. Only I knew better. He was seeing you, and I knew it was just a matter of time before you dragged it out of him. Isn't that what all physiatrists do?"

Annie shook her head and opened her mouth to defend her position only Paul continued before she had a chance.

"Then I guess his conscience started bothering him because he tried to talk me into turning myself in. That's when I knew he was going to call the police, so I convinced him I'd talk to you, and that if you supported his decision, I'd call the cops from your office. I was going to kill you both that night, only that damn cop showed up early. So I broke into your condo to wait for you there."

Annie shivered. Thank God Marshall had been with her then, too. "You were going to kill me because you thought your uncle confessed to me?" Paul nodded. Annie shook her head. "He didn't tell me anything."

"Yeah," he said with scorn. "He said he didn't tell you anything, but I couldn't afford to believe him. I was surprised there was no mention of it in his records, but I didn't want to worry about it for the rest of my life. That's why you have to die, too."

Pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into place now, and Annie knew she had to stall for time. "I didn't know Martin Strong was your uncle." There'd never been any connection made between them. "And you don't have to worry about me repeating anything your uncle might have told me in confidence."

"Yeah, distant uncle, there was no blood between us. His wife and my mother are stepsisters.

Their twenty-year age difference kept them from growing up in the same household."

He was getting too close. "I see." Annie slowly inched backward. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him the police knew who he was, but decided another tactic might work more in her favor. "I believed in you, Paul, remember? Two years ago? I defended you. I almost went to jail believing in you."

She wasn't fooled when his expression switched to one of regret. "Sure, I remember, Doctor McCall. You've been nice to me. It's going to make what I have to do that much harder."

She had to keep him talking. Marshall could return at any moment. "Did you commit those rapes, Paul?" Her question caught him off guard, as if he couldn't believe she actually asked. His eyes filled with a burning, faraway look, frightening Annie because it revealed the darkest side of a killer's soul. She wished she could take the words back, certain she didn't want to hear his answer.

His smile was the last thing she expected.

"Those women asked for it. Why do you think I carry condoms in my pocket? I'm always ready. They all want it. And in the end..." He took another step closer, his eyes moving suggestively over Annie. "They all get it. Just like I know you want it."

Annie was nearing the laundry room. "You're very wet, Paul, why don't you let me get you a towel from the laundry room before you catch cold?" Maybe she could lock herself in until help came. He reached inside his pocket and Annie froze, holding her breath, her gaze following his every move. Her heart plummeted when he withdrew a nasty looking knife. "You didn't kill those other women," she reminded him, as panic replaced the calm she struggled for. "Please put down the knife, Paul. I can help you. I promise."

"They didn't know my secret," he said, caressing the weapon in his hands as if he was holding an expensive collectible.

Annie swallowed hard. "Your secret? What's your secret?"

He took his time responding, and Annie had to wonder if he'd forgotten what his secret was. His mind couldn't seem to decide who he was. Paul Eckers, a timid mousey little man she'd seen in her office countless times, or the cold-blooded criminal.

"That I killed Emily. I loved her but..."

_Oh God!_ There it was, the awful truth. A chill traveled down Annie's spine. He'd confessed, making his intentions clear. Not just rape—he was going to kill her, too.

"Why?" she gasped, taking a step closer to the laundry room and what she prayed was a safe haven. If she could just make it inside!

"It was an accident. I didn't mean to kill her. But she didn't understand me." He took another step, a look of regret on his face. "It doesn't matter now. Come here."

Annie shook her head, turned abruptly, and dashed into the laundry room. She heard Paul's curse as she slammed the door shut. To her horror, there was no lock and she threw her weight against the door to keep him out, but he was much stronger, even with his short, wiry build. After several attempts, he hit the door with such force and violence that Annie was forced to let go.

She stumbled backward with a cry and slammed into the shelf that held the laundry detergent and other cleaning supplies. The shelf collapsed and everything went crashing to the floor. Her eyes skimmed rapidly over the contents for something to use against him as a weapon. Almost at random, she grabbed for the bug spray, thinking it would have the most impact when compared to spray starch and carpet spotter.

He was upon her before she could remove the cap. She struck out at him blindly with the can, determined to hurt him any way she could. Her first blow caught his upraised arm and the sight of the knife hitting the floor and sliding beneath the dryer gave her a feeling of triumph. The feeling was short-lived when he cursed, snatched the can from her hand and threw it violently against the washer. He turned back to Annie with a snarl on his face and a glare in his eyes that promised retribution for her actions.

Screaming, Annie turned to run but she wasn't quick enough. He grabbed the hair at the back of her neck and jerked her backward. "No!" she cried out when he turned her around in his arms. Annie struggled against him wildly. She screamed, again and again, realizing she had nothing to lose.

"Marshall! Marshall!" Annie's hands went up to gouge at Paul's eyes.

Paul backhanded her into silence. "Why, Emily? Why are you screaming? Is it because you know you've disappointed me again?" He pulled her out of the laundry room. Annie's hands flew to the hand in her hair to relieve some of the pressure and lost her balance, but he continued to drag her down the hallway. "They all disappoint me in the end. I'm going to have to teach you another lesson. One you won't soon forget. I'm sorry, but you have to learn."

Once they were in the living room, he threw Annie across the room. She hit the floor in front of the broken glass door and scrambled to her feet. Pushing her hair out of her face so she could meet his eyes, she faced him, panting for breath, her heart stopping when he casually pulled a condom out of his pocket.

_Oh God!_ She couldn't believe this was happening. "Paul, don't do this!" she pleaded, wondering if she had the courage to toss herself over the balcony.

He ignored her comment. "The cops made a big mistake in thinking you were safe." He released a snort of disdain. "They're all stupid. They weren't even smart enough to tie me to the rapes two years ago. Some poor sap got blamed for everything, and he only did the one."

Annie decided taking a chance she wouldn't break a leg was better than her odds with a psychopath. Just as he reached out for her, she screamed and turned toward the broken door.

"Bitch!"

He caught Annie by her pajama top. Seams ripped beneath his cruel hands and her shoulder was exposed where the sleeve was torn. She felt his nails digging into her flesh and fought for her life, hitting Paul wherever she could, pulling at his hair and kicking out at him. There was no way she was going to let him have her. Just when he lost his grip and Annie thought she'd escaped, he grabbed the back of her top and forced her over to the sofa.

"They have nothing to tie me to anything, and I'm gonna enjoy every second of this." He pushed

Annie down onto the cushions. Still fighting him, Annie kicked out, catching him in the groin. When he grunted and doubled over, Annie pushed past him with her heart racing.

"Except your confession," Marshall said, stepping quietly from the shadows of the balcony and into the room.

"Marshall!" Annie gasped, flinging herself into his open arms. Oh God! Finding herself crushed against his hard, unyielding length sapped all the fear from her limbs and brought immediate relief. Tears welled in her eyes. His heart was pounding beneath her ear and every muscle was tense.

His hands clenched around her upper arms as seconds later he pulled her away and placed her behind him. His eyes were on Paul and she followed his gaze, to see him straightening from the blow Annie delivered. She was too afraid to move or say anything, clutching Marshall's arm. She peered around him, and her gaze fell to the gun Paul whipped out of his pocket without warning.

"Isn't that right, Eckers?" Marshall's voice gave nothing away. He appeared steady and calm—in control—a strong and fearless detective in a dangerous situation. Annie was suddenly afraid for him. Paul had the upper hand now, exchanging his knife for a gun.

Paul laughed softly, the evil sound sending a shiver through Annie. His eyes were those of a madman with nothing to lose. "It doesn't matter. You're the only two left who know the truth."

Annie's eyes zeroed in on the gun in Paul's wavering hand. He was too far away for Marshall to make a jump for it. She was plastered against his backside; the muscles in his arms, tense beneath her hands, were his only reaction to the situation. If Paul shot at them at this close range, it could possibly pass right through Marshall's body into hers, killing them both at the same time. Only Annie didn't care. If anything happened to Marshall, she didn't want to live.

"I underestimated you." Annie picked up on the disgust in Marshall's tone. He blamed himself.

"What are you going to do...kill us both?"

Paul shrugged, but the meaning was clear in his eyes.

Annie shuddered. "We can help you if you turn yourself in."

Paul's gaze moved past Marshall to Annie when she spoke. "I have special plans for you before you die."

"You think I'm going to let you near her?"Marshall's tone was even, almost calm, yet Annie detected the underlying threat. She knew what was going through his mind. He was waiting to make his move.

Paul's face twisted with anger and he pointed the gun directly at Marshall's head. "And how do you plan to stop me?" He cocked the gun. "Since you'll be dead."

"Paul." Annie was desperate to draw his attention back to her. "Let us help you. It's not too late. Please. You're sick, Paul; the courts will..."

His gaze shifted back to her, as though he'd forgotten about her until that moment. She could read the confusion in his gaze while he just stared at her. Then, as dawning registered on his features, they became twisted with evil intent.

"I know what you mean by help! You think I want a needle in my arm and a one-way ticket to the other side?" Annie shook her head no. "Come here." He zeroed in on her weakness with frightening insight. "Come here, or I'll kill him now."

"No!" Annie's response was swift and without thought, the only thing on her mind saving Marshall. She made a desperate attempt to move around him but his arm kept her firmly where she was. "Marshall, let me go!" She dug her nails into his flesh.

He ignored her plea and wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her at his side. "She isn't going anywhere, Eckers," he said rigidly. "Least of all with a monster like you."

"Let her go," Paul demanded, his face turning red. "Don't you understand? She wants to come to me." His gaze focused on Annie for a long moment, and she watched his eyes become clouded. He was looking at her, but he was seeing someone else.

"You want me, don't you, Emily? You did before," he said softly, drifting back to another time.

"I didn't really mean to hurt you that last time..." His voice drifted off. "I only wanted to love you, like now."

In spite of the fear racing through her, Annie tried to move around Marshall using more exertion this time. Paul thought she was Emily again. As long as his eyes were focused on her with that delusion in his head, she might get close enough to him to get the gun away. Or create a situation where Marshall could overpower him. She looked up at Marshall with blinding tears in her eyes. She was afraid for him, not herself. She would do whatever it took to keep him alive. As if sensing the direction of her thoughts, he turned his head and their eyes locked. But her reply was meant for Paul.

"Yes..." she choked, and bit her trembling lip. "I know."

"Then come to me. It will be different this time."

Marshall shook his head no, his eyes speaking volumes. He didn't have to say the words. It was clear he didn't want her anywhere near Paul. He didn't want her in harm's way. In fact, he backed up, forcing Annie to move with him.

Paul fired the gun, a warning that he wasn't kidding. She knew they couldn't ignore his desperation. Marshall's head whipped back around to face him, a curse on his lips. Annie cried out and shuddered against him, thankful it had just been a warning shot. They were close to the balcony but not close enough to escape a bullet.

"Next one's for you," Paul promised with dead calm, his eyes on Marshall. "I'm not going to ask you again Emily, come here _now_."

Without warning, a blinding light followed by a loud boom of thunder shook the building. The deafening explosion was a clear indication that lightning had struck something very close. Then everything went dark.

Before Annie had time to react, Marshall threw her to the side. "Run Annie!"

Annie turned to run, lost her balance, and landed hard on the floor. A second shot rang out, the flash clearly visible in the darkness. "Marshall!"

"Find cover!"

She crawled as fast as she could in the direction of the coffee table in front of the couch, flinching every time there was gunfire. It wouldn't offer much protection but at least she wouldn't be underfoot should a fight break out. Too dark to see anything, Annie heard the distinctive sounds of movement as Marshall and Paul moved about the room. Gunfire seemed to last a lifetime. There were times when the following silence seemed worse and she was forced to think about what that could mean. Then the shooting would begin all over again and Annie would cover her head and pray.

Where were the others? God...let them come soon!

"Give it up, Eckers! The others will be here any minute, and you can't kill us all!"

Gunfire followed Marshall's comments. Annie breathed a sigh of relief that he was okay. She heard a crash and realized the small lamp table had been knocked over. Either Marshall or Paul was located near the entrance leading to her third bedroom.

She was helpless to do anything but cower in the darkness. She wanted to help Marshall, call out to him, but she remembered his warning about distractions and remained silent. The lights flickered several times. Lightning illuminated the room more than once, but it remained dark. The sound of gunfire around Annie became too much and she covered her ears against the noise, watching the flashes of light from each shot. She was shaking uncontrollably.

Then the shooting ceased again. She remained where she was and listened to the quiet, afraid to breathe. Then thankfully, the lights came back on and stayed on. Annie glanced around her, the pounding of her heart the only thing she heard. As much as she wanted to move, for once, she was going to wait for Marshall's okay. Then Annie saw a pair of brown shoes appear on the carpet in front of her.

Marshall was wearing sneakers!

Her heart plummeted. Her gaze slowly rose up the length of Paul's faded and stained trousers to meet the victory in his cold eyes.

"Marshall..." she whispered in a tormented voice, crawling out from beneath the table to face

Paul. She glanced around the room, her gaze falling on a pair of legs sticking out from behind a bookcase. "No!" she cried. She attempted to run to him but Paul caught her by the collar of her pajama top and hauled her back against him. Screaming with helplessness, tears of grief ran down her face. "No!"

He can't be dead! I need to go to him!

Her hands flew to Paul's face, nails clawing and digging at him to escape. She wanted to maim him in some way, blind him, anything to assuage the pain racking her body. "You bastard, let me go!" Her nails scratched deep furrows down his cheek, but Annie got little relief from his sound of pain. He backhanded her several times, until she felt blood in her mouth, and shook her like a rag doll until she ceased her struggles.

"That's better, Emily. Remember what happened last time you fought me?" In a grotesque caress, he ran the short barrel of his gun against the line of her jaw.

It was still hot. Annie slapped his hand away. She couldn't bear for him to touch her. Marshall was wounded, or dead, and all she knew was that she couldn't live without him. She sobbed brokenly, tears flowing unchecked down her cheeks. "I'll fight you with my last breath," she whispered. "You're nothing but a rapist and murderer!" She no longer cared about helping him.

The look in Paul's eyes changed from smug triumph to angry denial as the meaning of her words sank in. The hate in his eyes impaled her and Annie knew she'd pushed him too far. He slowly brought the gun to her temple, his breathing turning ragged. A malicious smile distorted his crazed features and he shook his head with regret.

"Emily, Emily, Emily..." His gaze moved over Annie's face and down the front of her. "You're the only one I've ever loved." He paused before adding, "Goodbye, sweet Emily."

Annie squeezed her eyes shut and waited, barely breathing, for the shot that would end her life. She jumped violently at the sound of gunfire, her eyes opening. Paul wrenched away from her and she stared, unable to comprehend what was happening. There was a small round circle of blood on his shirt, just over his heart, but it didn't prevent him from raising his weapon a second time. Before he could fire, another shot rang out and he jerked backward, astonishment filling his eyes before they gradually glazed over with emptiness. Stunned, Annie watched Paul crumple to the floor at her feet as if in slow motion. His eyes remained open and staring up at the ceiling. Shock held her frozen for a few seconds. Nothing was making any sense.

Soon after, a slight noise drew her attention and Annie glanced toward where Marshall lay. Only he wasn't on the floor. He was slowly getting to his feet, using the bookcase for leverage. In his right hand was the gun he'd used to kill Paul. As he lowered the gun, their eyes met from across the room and clung.

"Marshall!" Annie sobbed and rushed toward him with tears flowing down her cheeks. She halted abruptly when she saw the blood running down the side of his face. "Marshall!" This time his name was said with fear. "Oh my God! You've been shot! You're bleeding—"

"Easy, sweetheart," he said, and leaned on her shoulder for support. "I've been shot before. This isn't bad since the bullet just grazed me. It hurt more when I hit my head on that damn bookcase as I was falling."

The situation was too serious and Annie ignored his attempt at a joke. "Let's get you to the sofa so I can take a look at you." Her heart was racing. She reached up and wiped at her cheeks but the tears kept coming.

"I should never have left you, Annie, not even for five minutes, but a woman screaming down on the beach had us all running. I thought locking you in with a couple uniformed cops guarding all points of entry would keep you safe." He paused long enough to take in several breaths. "When Jim and I heard the sound of breaking glass, we realized what happened and turned around. By the time we got here, the policemen beneath your balcony were unconscious. When I looked up and saw the curtains billowing outside your patio door...then I heard your scream...I nearly had heart failure. God, Annie...I didn't think I'd reach you in time."

"Hush, that's not important now." All that mattered was getting him to the sofa so she could look at his wound. "I need to get some towels and then I'll call for an ambulance. You're losing a lot of blood and might need stitches. Where the heck is Jim and...I—"

"Slow down, Doc." He grunted as she helped lower him to the sofa. Neither said anything about Paul, lying motionless a few feet away. "Head wounds tend to bleed a lot. I—"

The kitchen door flew open and slammed against the wall as Jim rushed through the entranceway, with his gun drawn. He was panting like he'd just run a marathon. His gaze scanned the whole area and when he saw them on the sofa, he paused and leaned against the doorframe to catch his breath.

"Damn!" he gasped heavily. "The stairs are on the other side of the building, so I thought the elevator would be faster, only I got stuck in it when the power kept going on and off." He paused to suck in air. "I heard gunfire." He lowered his weapon. "You all right, Annie?" Behind him were two policemen, one was rubbing the back of his head.

She nodded, too emotional to speak, a lump the size of a golf ball in her throat. Her gaze darted back and forth from the red-faced Jim to Marshall's too pale expression, which revealed the pain he was in. She caught her lower lip in her teeth, brushing at her wet cheeks again. Why won't the tears stop? She knew the answer. Because she loved Marshall and knew she couldn't live without him. She had to pull herself together.

"I...I better get those towels and something to patch you up with. Jim, you might want to call for an ambulance. In case you haven't noticed, your partner's been wounded." Annie rushed from the room before either one of them could say anything.

She shut herself in the bathroom to gain composure. A glance at her pale, tear-stained face prompted her into splashing some cold water on it. As she was drying it, her eyes fell on her exposed shoulder and the bloody scratches there. She shivered violently and then took long deep breaths.

It's over.

Oh God...what did that mean for her and Marshall? Marshall! He was in the other room bleeding. She grabbed up some clean washcloths, peroxide, gauze pads and tape from the closet.

Before leaving the room, she wet a couple of the washcloths. When she returned to the living room and saw Marshall's eyes closed and his head back against the sofa, she let out a small cry and rushed to his side. He looked so pale...and lifeless!

"Marshall!" She sank down on the cushion next to him, placed the items she brought on the coffee table and reached up to gently touch his brow.

"He's okay, Annie," Jim said from his position over Paul's lifeless body, a cell phone to his ear.

"He's just resting."

Thank God someone had covered Paul.

Annie's worried gaze returned to Marshall. He was peering at her with one eye open and a half grin on his face. "Worried about me, Doc?"

"No." Her eyes ran over his ashen face, while vaguely listening to Jim's muffled voice in the background as he called for an ambulance. "Maybe just a little," she admitted softly, as she began to gently clean the blood off his face.

"He did everything," she began, concentrating on what she was doing. The bullet had just grazed his forehead, as he'd said, and had left a nasty burn type wound at his hairline. The bleeding had slowed somewhat.

"He confessed." It was said as a statement.

Annie nodded, before realizing his eyes were shut. "Yes. Emily Bailey, the rapes two years ago. I never realized how sick he was. I should have, Marshall. I was his doctor. I should have cooperated with the DA two years ago—"

"Easy, sweetheart, you did what you thought was right at the time. We should have made the connection between him and Strong a long time ago. We're only human, Annie. We can't beat ourselves up for every little mistake."

He was right, but it didn't make her feel any better. She dabbed at his head wound and the area around it until the blood was gone. As she doused the wound generously with peroxide, he winced, sucking in a breath. She halted, knowing she'd hurt him. He was so pale. She felt her lip begin to tremble, realizing it wouldn't take much to make her start crying again. She leaned in close and began to blow on his forehead, pausing when his eyes opened and their gazes met. Annie tried to force a smile.

"Kiss me, baby."

Did he sense how vulnerable she was right then? The next thing she knew he was raising his hand and curling his fingers around the back of her neck. The gentlest pressure drew her lips to his and they shared the sweetest kiss Annie had ever known. She gulped with emotion when it was over. That small action seemed to drain Marshall.

"Was he ever a suspect in Emily's murder?" she asked softly. The slightest movement of his head told her no. She got the impression he didn't want to discuss it, or didn't have the energy to.

"The ambulance and coroner are on the way," Jim said, snapping his phone shut.

"I don't need an ambulance," Marshall said without opening his eyes. "The doctor here is taking good care of me."

Annie and Jim exchanged glances. She was in the process of taping the gauze over Marshall's wound. Jim smiled, shrugging indifferently. "Good, because the ambulance isn't for you. It's for the woman we heard screaming down on the beach. Toffee radioed me while I was trapped in the elevator. He's still down with them."

"Them?"

"A woman in labor and her husband. Apparently, she'd been having labor pains for a while but didn't say anything to her husband, thinking she had hours yet. Then her water breaks and she goes into hard labor when they're two miles away from home."

The slightest smile brushed across Marshall's mouth. Jim walked away, and Annie said, "You really should go to the hospital."

His eyes opened, capturing hers. They shared a smile as a long moment stretched between them.

"That bastard hurt you." His gaze moved from her torn pajamas. A muscle jumped in his jaw. "Death was too damn good for him." His knuckles caressed Annie's sore cheek.

"I love you," she whispered shakily, surprised she'd blurted it out like that.

"I know, baby." He slipped his hand behind her head and tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling her close. "I need another kiss, Annie. God, I might never stop kissing you."

At first, his lips just skimmed over hers, as though sampling a rare delicacy he wanted to savor for as long as he could. Then he deepened the kiss until they were both out of breath. He opened his eyes, pinning Annie with a long, tender look that left her feeling soft and warm inside.

Loved.

"For the first time in my life, I was scared, Annie." She closed her eyes but the tears squeezed through anyway, gliding down her face. "Don't cry, honey."

"I th-thought I'd lo-lost you," she stammered brokenly. She picked up his hand and kissed the

palm. "When I sa-saw you on the floor. I—"

"Hush, baby." His husky voice drew another sob from her. "It's over."

"It's over?" she repeated, praying he wasn't talking about them.

"That's over Annie," he emphasized, nodding in the direction of Paul's body. "But this isn't over, you and me, not by a long shot." His words couldn't have been any clearer. "Do you think you'd like being married to a stubborn police detective, Doc? One who's crazy in love with you and promises to spend the rest of his life proving it?"

With each word, Annie's eyes grew rounder, her smile a little wider. She brushed at her wet cheeks with happiness in her heart. "And who might that be?" she asked hoarsely, mesmerized by the warmth of emotion in his dark eyes.

"Me," he replied tenderly.

She released a shaky breath, her heart swelling to near bursting. "I'll try, but I'm not making any promises." Leaning forward, she ever so gently pressed her mouth to his, happier than words could express. "I have to get Harold's approval, of course," she teased after pulling back.

"Harold?" His brows burrowed with confusion.

"Yes, Harold. We come as a package deal, remember?" She watched closely for his reaction.

"Think you have it in you to love both of us, Detective?"

As though knowing they were discussing him, Harold chose that moment to let out a loud squawk from the other side of Annie's bedroom door. "Help! Help! Call the cops!"

Annie tried to hold back a grin but failed miserably. Marshall scowled, replying without hesitation, "I'll try, but I'm not making any promises."

### Chapter Thirteen

Six months later

As Annie gradually woke that morning, a soft smile formed on her mouth. Her husband was flush against her naked backside, an erection that made her instantly hungry jabbing at her bottom. Excitement filled her. She moaned and couldn't help arching against his straining flesh. He was hard as a rock, and hot. But felt like velvet at the same time.

Annie never thought she would be so happy and content, but since becoming Marshall's wife two months before, she knew the true meaning of heaven on earth. He filled her dreams, made her fantasies become realities, and gave her a future to look forward to.

She smiled dreamily, feeling his persistent jab, a sign that he was on the verge of wakening. They made a habit of rising early enough each morning to take their time before having to get ready for work. Sometimes, most of the time, they made love. Other times, they showered together. And they always had a small breakfast and coffee before leaving the house.

Annie had sold her condo, opting to move into Marshall's beachfront house. Since then they'd painted and decorated the whole inside, all but one of the bedrooms. She moaned when Marshall's hand sneaked beneath her nightshirt and between her thighs. He didn't let her thong keep him from claiming his prize, and before Annie knew it, his finger was teasing her, running back and forth over her mound. She pushed harder against his searching flesh encouragingly, being rewarded with an answering jab. Then his hand was slowly gliding up Annie's belly to her breast. There was no hesitation in Marshall's caress.

How many mornings have we awakened like this, hungry for each other?

A low groan vibrated against her ear. Marshall's hand closed over her breast and squeezed gently, his thumb manipulating the nipple into a hard knot. Annie sighed blissfully, welcoming the kiss against her collarbone, the nuzzling of his whiskers against the side of her neck while he breathed in deeply. She felt his smile against her skin as his mouth continued moving along to her shoulder. Turning slowly against him, Annie offered him her mouth. She'd never get tired of kissing his firm, sensual mouth. She'd never get tired of his taste.

His kiss started out as a tender assault, a brush over Annie's mouth that fueled a deep hunger. He was teasing her, but she wasn't going to let him get away with it this morning. She searched for and found his aroused shaft, took it gently in her hand and positioned it between her thighs. "This is what I want."

Smiling, she squeezed her thighs, entrapping him there. He sucked in his breath. As she ran his flesh back and forth over the throbbing nub of her desire, she felt him shudder. Then he was kissing her like a mad man, hard and deep, forcing his tongue inside her waiting mouth. Smiling with victory, Annie continued to move against him, building toward a speedy climax. She began to move her hips. Their mutual moans of pleasure filled their bedroom, drowning out the crash of the waves on the beach beyond their deck.

Marshall seemed willing to let her have control this morning. Usually, he was the one who lost control and would take over by entering her and taking them both toward heaven. Annie expected him to make his move at any second, but until then, she intended to feed her desire, at her pace. She moaned with contentment, feeling the pressure build, knowing she was about to peak and then explode into a mindless mass of pleasure. Edging ever closer, Marshall seemed to know exactly when she was about to succumb and pulled away from her with a soft chuckle.

"Oh no, my sweet." His teeth sank into Annie's shoulder. "You know what the rules are."

"Ohhhhh..." Annie groaned with frustration. "So close." She smiled in spite of herself. "Then you'd best get to it, husband."

"Aren't we the impatient one this morning." Marshall kissed her long and hard, thrusting his hard-on against her as though to tease her. His powerful hands caressed her breasts and then he replaced them with his mouth. Annie cried out softly, arching into his wet kiss. The inside of his mouth was hot. His teeth gently nibbled at her taut nipples, sending a tingle all the way to her core.

She couldn't take much more.

"Aren't you..." She trembled wildly when his hand covered her mound and a finger slipped inside. _Oh!_

"Aren't I what?" Marshall asked against a nipple, wiggling his finger in deeper.

Annie was panting. He was panting. What was he waiting for? Then another finger slipped inside her. "Aren't you ready yet?"

His deep laughter, at her impatience, echoed through the room. "More than ready, baby." He began to slowly travel down Annie's twisting body, kissing her along the way.

She closed her eyes and held her breath until he completed his journey. Everywhere Marshall kissed and touched her left her flesh on fire. She would never get tired of his lovemaking. Each time seemed like their first and new discoveries were met with breathless wonder. When he finally reached the wet curls between her legs, she braced herself to experience pleasure beyond comprehension.

She could feel his breath against her. Then his hands made their way under her bottom and he pulled her up against his mouth. At the same time, his tongue entered her, as powerful and pleasurable as his hard flesh. Gasping, Annie could only lay back and enjoy what he was doing to her. Like the many times before, he took his time loving her, feeding her hunger, and his. Making sure that each time his tongue glided smoothly into her, that it caressed her everywhere.

"Marshall..." For the second time, Annie felt the tell-tale signs of an approaching orgasm. She began to move her hips faster and faster. His tongue began to ram into her, caressing her inner walls. She felt his whiskers scrape against the flesh between her legs, adding further stimulation. "Marshall!"

His hands clenched into her buttocks and he held Annie tightly against his mouth when she came. She tried to pull her hips back when the pleasure became too intense only he would have none of that. He easily held her prisoner against his mouth and exploring tongue. Moments later, Marshall gradually released his hold on her and slipped away. Annie sank upon the bed with a long sigh, totally drained. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest as she panted heavily.

As her husband moved alongside her, she found the energy to sit up and put her palms against his chest.

"Your turn, my love." She pushed Marshall down onto his back, knowing she wouldn't have been able to if he hadn't wanted her to.

"Be gentle with me."

Annie returned his teasing grin before kissing him on the mouth. She could tell he wanted her to linger but she had other things on her mind. She kissed his cheek, tugged on the lobe of his ear with her teeth, kissed his chin and continued down his body much like he had done to hers. On the way to her intended target, which was erect and waving at her impatiently, she gave tender attention to his nipples, knowing Marshall liked having her tongue them.

Moving down his torso, she nipped and licked at his flesh until she reached her prize. Annie hesitated and met Marshall's gaze. He was watching her intently, raw desire etched on his features, his eyes almost black. Keeping her eyes on his, she stuck out her tongue and licked his cock as if it was a tasty lollipop. His low groan sounded like he was in pain but the immediate flexing of his hips indicated he liked what she was doing.

He wanted more.

Annie laughed softly, enjoying her power over Marshall. She continued to lick him, from the tip to the base, where she lavished loving attention on the twin sacs pulled tight and full against him. This time she went a little lower to unexplored territory.

"Oh shit, Annie..." Next thing she knew, his hand was in her hair. "You're going to make me lose control if you're not careful, baby."

"Do you want me to be careful?" She took him in her mouth. She loved the texture and taste of him.

"Hell no!" The hand in Annie's hair clenched tighter. He let her love him as long as he could stand it before he gently encouraged her back up his body.

"I love you."

They said it in unison. Their lips met in a tender kiss. Then Marshall rolled, pinning Annie beneath him. His hands cupped her face. "Sometimes I love you so damn much that it scares me, Annie."

"Why?"

"I've never been this happy before, sweetheart. You complete me." He kissed her long and hard.

Annie's hands smoothed down his backside. His erection was poised at her entrance, and with a slight thrust of his hips, it was buried deep inside her. They continued to kiss. Marshall began to move in slow, deep strokes. He seemed content to take his time, which was fine with her. Each time he entered her body, he brushed against her clit and before long, she was nearing another orgasm.

Harsh breathing filled the room. Annie's hips arched to meet his as he picked up speed. They nibbled at each other's lips and tongues battled. Hands explored each other's bodies, discovering new territories of pleasure. She knew what would push Marshall over the edge. She clenched her muscles around his shaft, and at the same time, reached between them to cup his balls.

He groaned.

She squeezed gently.

He shuddered.

"Annie..."

"Yes, love?" She licked his nipple, tugging on it gently with her teeth.

"Oh shit!" He lost control, his hips jerking several times in rapid succession. Annie felt his powerful release and moaned softly, letting her body join his in sweet release. For a moment, they were helpless to do anything other than hold on and shudder against each other.

Gradually, Marshall collapsed against Annie. By that time, they were both fighting to catch their breaths. Moisture glistened on their sweet dampened flesh. Their hair was damp, clinging against their necks. The heady scent of their coupling saturated the air around them, mixing with the fresh salty air coming in through the open patio door.

Annie closed her eyes, content enough to go back to sleep. She loved the weekends when they were able to lay there as long as they wanted. Relaxing, talking, before making love some more. But today was Friday and she had a nine o'clock appointment with her doctor before heading to her office.

"Don't go back to sleep, baby," Marshall said tiredly, as if reading her mind.

"Morning baby!" Annie chuckled upon hearing Harold's greeting. Marshall groaned.

"You know he's grown on you." She smiled.

"Like the plague." Marshall drew back his head and grinned down into her eyes. "If I didn't love you so damn much..."

"I guess that's a good thing then." Annie kissed him on the chin. "Because I was thinking..."

He narrowed his eyes and his expression turned serious. "Thinking? That usually means trouble."

"You have a suspicious mind, detective."

"I just know you." He kissed the side of her face and started down her throat. "What is it this time?" He asked between kisses. "A puppy for Harold to torture? A playmate for Lucy?"

Annie trembled as he made his way down her chest to her breast. "Well, I was thinking it might be nice to add to our little family."

Marshall kissed her nipple. "We already have a little menagerie, sweetheart, between the aquarium, Harold and the kitten I surprised you with last month."

It was love at first sight when Annie saw the little white, blue-eyed fluff ball for the first time, which she named Lucy. "I thought this time I'd surprise _you_ with something."

"Really?" She felt his tongue on her skin. "And what kind of animal could I possibly want?"

Annie could tell he was only half listening. He was focused on loving her breasts and getting turned on again. Still inside her, she felt him growing hard.

"What did you have in mind, sweetheart?"

"Something...a little different this time."

She could hear the frown in his voice. "How different?"

"Maybe something with just two legs this time."

He halted, drawing away from the nipple he was nibbling on. The frown between his eyes made Annie smile. "Two legs?"

"And two arms." Marshall continued to frown. "Ten little toes, ten little fingers..."

Dawning finally registered on his handsome face, followed by wonder. "Are you trying to tell me that you're...?"

Smiling with happiness, Annie nodded. "I know we haven't talked about having children—"

"Are you sure?" He interrupted.

She nodded. "Two pregnancy tests came out positive and I have a doctor's appointment this morning to confirm it. I've had other symptoms, too." Annie gazed into his eyes for a long time, trying to decipher his true feelings about having a baby. "I hope you're okay with this."

"Are you kidding me?" His tone said he couldn't believe she'd even ask such a question.

"I would never kid about something as important as having a baby." She'd be heartbroken if he didn't want a child with her.

He shook his head. "No, sweetheart, that's not what I meant." His hand went to her flat belly. "The thought of you having my baby..." He kissed her stomach tenderly and took a slow breath before continuing. "Having a child with you is something I've dreamed of since making you mine. I was beginning to think this kind of happiness would elude me in my lifetime."

Annie reached for him. He helped by letting her pull him up her body. "You've had me from the first moment I looked into your eyes. I love you. More than I ever thought I could love anyone."

Their lips met. A tender kiss that rapidly escalated into a steamy moment, validating their intense feelings for each other. When they came apart, the love reflected in Marshall's gaze brought tears to Annie's eyes. They completed each other.

"So, you're happy about the baby?" Her voice was hoarse with emotion.

"Very happy," he assured her grinning. "The thought of you carrying our son—"

"Our daughter."

They exchanged a teasing smile. Annie knew it wouldn't matter one bit if they had a girl or a boy because they were in it for the long haul, forever and after, till death do they part.

The End

Thank you for taking the time to read my book. I would appreciate if you left a review where you purchased it. Please continue reading for more information about me, and my books.

### ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tory Richards often describes herself as a grandma who likes to read and write smut. Known for her hot erotic romances, she's also penned erotic paranormals, and contemporary suspense romance. Writing is a hobby for Tory. It thrills her to be able to share her stories, and she loves seeing her characters come with each new book cover.

Tory began writing short stories on notebook paper when she was only ten. At thirteen she received her first manual typewriter, a few years later an electric one, and not until she was forty-five did she get her first computer. For many years writing was a secret hobby as well as therapy for Tory. She didn't submit to a publisher until her daughter and niece encouraged her to pursue her dreams.

Originally from Maine, Tory has spent most of her life in Florida. She's retired from Disney and spends her time between family, friends and writing. Besides writing her likes include: spoiling her grandchildren, any kind of sandwich, sweet iced tea, good coffee, traveling, going to the movies, watching Syfy, taking care of her four cats, and naps.

She loves to hear from readers so you can email her at: toryrichards60@gmail.com.

****

### Phantom Riders MC - Hawk

Coming 2016!

Ultimate betrayal leaves Hawk, the president of an outlaw motorcycle club distrustful and hating woman. He only wants them for one thing now, and once he's satisfied his animal urges he casts them aside without a second thought. But then Audra shows up, threatening his club and way of life and Hawk has to decide to turn the sexy pint-sized package of trouble loose, or claim her for his own.

This excerpt is unedited and not finalized

I opened my eyes to see his huge fist paused just inches from connecting to my face. His expression was fierce, everything about it pulled taut over his cheek and jaw bones. Eyes the color of black ice was glaring down at me, narrowing as I watched the man take in my features and hair. His gaze raked my figure; he frowned even more, as if he was trying to figure out what I was. When his icy glare returned to my face, his fist relaxed and he reached forward, pulling my waist-length hair free.

"Who the fuck are you?" he snarled.

"No one," I said softly. I couldn't think clearly enough to make something up, I only knew that I didn't want him to know my name. The man was terrifying, and I was shaking like a leaf.

Movement drew my gaze toward the store to see two other men come out. All three of them were dressed the same way, in jeans, boots, black t-shirts, and leather cuts that warned me that they were in a motorcycle club. The two men paused to light cigarettes.

The giant holding me gave me a violent shake to get my attention again. "I almost destroyed your face, woman. What are you doing messing around with my bike?"

"Nothing," I said in the same tone as before.

"It didn't look like fuckin' nothing to me. Where did you think you were going?"

"Nowhere." I watched as his friends began to walk toward us. At the same time, another man walked out of the store, and my panic level grew. I quickly yanked the hoodie up and tucked my hair back into it, turning my face away as much as I could. "Please help me," I begged.

The man scared the shit out of me, but right now he was the lesser of two evils. I knew what I could expect from Dane and would take my chances with the giant. I peeked at him from beneath my hoodie. His expression hadn't changed.

"Please..."

He glanced in the direction that I had. "Who are you running from?"

"Please take me away from here. We can talk later." I held his gaze, trying not to cry, but the situation was starting to get to me. If Dane's man recognized me and forced me back to Las Vegas, I would no longer exist. "I'll pay you."

The giant continued to scowl at me. I got the impression that my last comment had caught his interest, but when his gaze ran down the length of me again I realized that he might want something more than money. Then he surprised me by reaching forward and squeezing my breast. It was by sheer will power that I stood there and didn't react. I couldn't afford to.

"Get the fuck on." He turned toward his two friends. "Let's ride."

I mounted his bike, heart pounding in my chest, and waited, too afraid to check to see where Dane's man was. Was I exchanging one bad situation for another? Right then I didn't care. At least with the biker I had a chance of getting away from there.

Movement out of the corner of my eye pulled my gaze to the other two men. They peered at me with quiet curiosity, yet didn't say anything. As they turned their backs to me to mount their bikes I saw the Phantom Riders MC logo stitched across their shoulders. In the next instant the giant was throwing his long, muscular leg over his seat in front of me, and planting his butt snug against my pussy.

"You ever ride?" he growled over his shoulder.

I shook my head before realizing he couldn't see it. "No."

I felt him tense. "You've never fuckin' rode before and you were going to steal my bike?"

He waited a second, and I knew he was expecting a response. "I was desperate."

Without warning he reached behind, grabbed my hands, and pulled my arms around his waist. "I hope you're fuckin' desperate enough," he grumbled in a deep voice, turning the key in the ignition. "Hold on tight."

He barely got the words out before we took off.

****

### His Possession

Coming 2016!

Her betrayal sent him to prison for a crime he didn't commit. Now he's out and he wants revenge!

****

### A Soldier's Promise

Available now!

Keeping promises is important to Ryan, but keeping his promise to his younger brother David will be hard. David's final wish is for Ryan to watch over his wife and daughter, but Ryan's been in love with Shannon for years. This holiday season, Ryan will learn that he can keep his promise and still have his heart's desire.

****

### Book list

All the Right Moves

A Soldier's Promise

The Mercenary Way

Obsession

Out of Control

Bishop's Angel

Up in Flames

Someone to Love Me

The Cowboy Way

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Kiss Me!

Wicked Desire

Talk Dirty to Me

Nothing but Trouble

Biker Romances

Dark Menace MC

Wild Marauders MC

Dangerous Surrender

Phantom Riders MC - coming 2016

His Possession - coming 2016

Interracial Romances

Big, Black and Beautiful

Touch Me

Instant Attraction

SEAL of Approval

Paranormal Romances

The Mating Ritual

Scent of a Wolf's Mate

Series

The Evans Brothers Trilogy

The Evans Brothers Trilogy (individual stories)

A Perfect Fit

Surrender to Desire

Burning Hunger

Serve and Submit Series (individual stories)

Pulled Over

On Fire

Under Cover

Party Time

Lovers

Serve and Submit Series (stories 1-5 in one book)

