Bare It All. Lori Foster

made a gruff sound. “Honey, this wouldn’t be happening right now if you looked like me.”

      Another smile. That was a special gift in itself, the humor he brought her. Humor was one more thing she’d never again take for granted. “I meant your courage. Not your physique.”

      “You were plenty brave yesterday.”

      “No.” She owed him the truth about that, since she couldn’t be truthful about everything else—much as she wished it otherwise. “I have tunnel vision in dangerous situations. Knowing armed men had come to hurt you and probably anyone else who got in the way...” Taking a step back, she put a hand to her stomach. “I trembled so badly inside, I felt queasy and weak all over.”

      He shocked her by covering her hand with his own, but since his was so much bigger, his fingertips pressed into her sensitive flesh. Even through her shirt, his touch felt far too intimate.

      And stirring.

      Gaze compelling, he spoke in a deep, hushed voice. “Come on, Alice. That’s just a healthy respect for danger. You’d have to be an idiot to be indifferent to thugs with loaded weapons.”

      Yes... Wait. What were they talking about? She’d stopped hearing him the second he touched her.

      “Alice?” He turned his hand to catch hers. “I’m going to leave Cash here with you.”

      “Thank you.” The dog provided so much comfort, and in the short time she’d been watching him, she’d grown accustomed to his presence. When he wasn’t around, she missed the sound of his snores, his occasional bark.

      Even the sound of him breathing.

      “Before I go, there’s one thing I need to know.”

      Dreading the inquisition, Alice nodded.

      “I’d appreciate it if you’d tell me your last name.”

      * * *

      REESE WATCHED HER eyes widen, saw her soft lips part with a husky laugh. “We’ve never been properly introduced, have we?”

      Damn, she leveled him without even trying. The way she laughed, how her dark eyes all but devoured him. He’d let her off the hook with details of being kidnapped—but only until he had her more relaxed.

      She might think she kept it together, but he looked at her and saw so much, all of it painful to witness. She was on the edge, and if she lost it, if she cried, it’d crush him.

      Hearing about it would be even worse, so, yeah, maybe he needed a little more time to get it together, too.

      “I was all right and proper and introduced myself, but you were determined to cut me cold.” He liked holding her hand and that she hadn’t yet pulled away. “If it wasn’t for Cash, I’d never have gotten even a simple nod from you.”

      “I’m sor—”

      “Do not apologize.”

      Her grin widened. “Okay.” She did a silly curtsy. “Alice Appleton.”

      Why that tickled him, Reese couldn’t say, but hearing her name, how melodic it sounded, left him smiling, too. And after she’d kept him at such a distance, getting a last name meant he was finally making strides.

      “I like it. It suits you.” He tugged her in close again, and when she didn’t resist, he rested his chin on top of her head. “Involvement in a shooting is always difficult. Even for a cop, counseling is offered, and strongly advised. It’d make sense if you needed to talk to someone, too.”

      Giving away nothing, she said simply, “No.”

      Accepting that, because he felt the same, he asked, “Will you talk to me about it?”

      “I already did. It was awful.” She burrowed closer. “I was cowardly, but I would have done what needed to be done, and I’m proud of that.”

      Wow. He’d never known anyone, much less a woman, who spoke so candidly. In one respect it worried him, because she left herself so emotionally exposed, she could be easily hurt.

      Her lack of artifice also humbled him, made him more determined than ever to know her and all her dark secrets. “You’ve done what had to be done before?”

      Instead of answering, she snuggled closer still. “You smell incredible, Reese.”

      A diversion—but he got the message all the same. He had made strides, so he wouldn’t get too greedy. Not right now, anyway. “If you say so, but I need a shower.”

      He put his nose to the crown of her head. She was the one who smelled good. Sort of warm and soft and uniquely...Alice.

      Maybe because she wasn’t ready to let him go, she asked, “What happens now? With your work, I mean?”

      “The coroner already had the body transported for autopsy.”

      “I’m glad it’s not still in your apartment.”

      He felt her shudder. “Yeah, me, too.” He ran his hand up and down her spine, settling his palm low at the small of her back, close to where her backside started a gentle rise. The subtleties of her figure teased him, made him anxious to discover more. “Because the death was officer involved, IAD will send an investigator. The D.A.’s office, too.”

      “Internal affairs?”

      He splayed his fingers, spanning the narrow width of her back. She was so small, so delicate. The contrasts between his large frame and her slender figure had him stirring again. Insane. He couldn’t let that keep happening. Not with Alice.

      Not while they discussed things so awful and real.

      He told himself that he would have her.

      When she was ready. When he got her ready.

      At the moment, Alice didn’t seem clear on what she wanted, but he wasn’t inexperienced, and unlike her, he wasn’t conflicted. He felt her nearly tactile interest every time she looked him over with those big, dark eyes.

      Yes, she wanted his company so she wouldn’t be alone.

      And she wanted him—as a man. Thank God.

      But now was not the time to seduce her...easy as it’d probably be.

      “Both offices will want to interview Lieutenant Peterson, Logan and me, the sooner the better.”

      She pressed back to scowl up at him. “Are you in trouble?”

      “It’s just routine. We’re not accused of any wrongdoing, but it’s smart to cover all the bases. Don’t worry about it.” Mostly he just wanted to get past it so he could get back to work.

      “Officers talked to me last night.”

      Damn. Of course they had. Feeling his way, he asked, “How did that go?”

      “It was fine. I told them what I knew, but really, other than recognizing there was a problem and loaning a gun to your friend, I didn’t know what had happened or why.”

      And yet, other than asking how everyone had fared, she didn’t pry. “I can finish explaining everything to you later, okay?”

      She nodded. “You still haven’t told me how long it will be before you can return to your apartment.”

      “After a couple of days, we’ll be through all the necessary tasks. Then I’ll have a company come in that specializes in cleaning...crime scenes.”

      “Meaning blood and gore and such?”

      He moved right past that. No reason to dwell on the nastiness. The cleaners would get done in a day, but because he figured he’d want to stay with her longer, she didn’t need to know that yet. “So, Alice Appleton, may I be your guest until my apartment is ready?”

      “Yes, Reese Bareden, you may.” Head tipped back, silky