Safe from Harm (Protect & Serve #2)(40)

“I’m sorry,” he said the moment she answered. “I’m an idiot.”

Elle laughed on a sigh. “Let the record show that you said it, not me.”

“So, you okay?” he asked, half holding his breath as he waited for an answer.

“I will be,” she assured him. “I’m going to stay with my aunt for a couple of days, I think.”

He cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully. “If, you know, you need someone to talk to, feel free to give me a call. Or stop by.”

“I don’t know that stopping by would be a good idea,” she said.

His stomach sank. “No?”

“No,” she affirmed.

“Mind if I ask why?”

“Because I’m a little worried what would happen if I stopped by,” she admitted softly, her voice like a maddeningly sensual caress on his skin.

Holy shit. Was she saying…?

He honestly didn’t even have a comeback for that one. If it’d been any other woman, he would’ve been able to come up with something appropriately seductive. But she left him speechless. The idea that she might be on board with where his thoughts were tending made his mouth suddenly go dry and his already-throbbing cock swell to the point of pain.

“I’ll see you soon, Gabe.”

He stared at his phone for a long moment after she’d hung up.

Holy. Hell.

Oh yeah. A cold shower was definitely in order…

*

What the hell was she doing?

Elle knew as soon as she’d called Gabe that it was a mistake. She’d just stormed out of his house and now she was throwing out “do me” vibes? Okay, granted, she hadn’t intended to throw out any vibes when she’d called. She’d just wanted to make sure he was doing okay after having his house vandalized.

But then she’d heard his voice, heard that deep rumble that made her shiver when the sound washed over her. She wanted him. Wanted him with an intensity that nearly sent her driving back over there. Luckily, until the authorities were finished processing her car for evidence she was without a vehicle of her own, and so she had to park her libido.

It was just as well. She needed to get a handle on this lust-fueled infatuation she had for Gabe. It couldn’t end well. He’d all but told her that. Hadn’t he? Or had she misunderstood?

Elle groaned and snatched up the files she’d been gathering from her office to take over to her aunt’s house with the idea that working on some of her cases might help keep her mind off of Gabe and his heated kiss. With that in mind, she grabbed a couple of other file folders from their drawer and shoved them into her business tote for good measure. But when she turned to go, she paused. Taking a look around the confines of her office, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

Something was off. Nothing appeared to be missing or out of place, but she couldn’t shake the feeling someone else had been there. But why? Anyone looking for information would’ve been disappointed—she took her laptop home with her every evening and her files were all locked securely in the filing cabinet.

Still, she did another sweep of the room to make sure that nothing was out of place. She shook her head. The only problem she could see was that her plant on the windowsill was looking pretty sad. Obviously, the office manager had failed to water it while she’d been working from home.

“Elle?”

Elle started, dropping her tote with a curse. “You scared the crap out of me!”

“Sorry, honey,” her aunt said. “You were just taking so long I thought I’d come up and check on you. Everything okay?”

Elle’s brows came together. “No,” she confessed. “Something’s wrong in here.”

Charlotte took a stroll around the room, frowning as she searched for any sign of something off. “Everything looks okay to me, honey.”

Elle shook her head. “I don’t know… I just—” Her words died abruptly when she caught sight of a photo on her bookshelf that was slightly out of place.

Elle hurried to the photo and picked it up, tears coming to her eyes. It was her mother and father on their wedding day—one of her favorites. It usually sat directly in front a copy of the Collected Works of William Shakespeare, but it had been moved, the slight disturbance in the light coating of dust on the shelf confirming her suspicions.

But why?

She set the frame aside and took out the book, leafing through it until she reached the page she sought. She heaved a huge sigh of relief when she saw the article she’d cut out of the newspaper years ago and had placed in the book for safekeeping.

Charlotte came to her side and peered down at the yellowed newspaper clipping. “Oh, honey,” she whispered, putting an arm around Elle’s shoulders and giving her a squeeze. “Why would someone want to steal the news story on your family’s death?”

Elle had to swallow back the tears that choked her before she could say, “I doubt they did. No one knows I keep this here. I just wanted to make sure it was still here. And with that photograph being out of place…I just wanted to double-check.”

Charlotte gave her another squeeze. “Well, then, it’s probably nothing. I’m guessing someone was in your office while you were out and saw that picture of your mom and dad and how happy they were that day and just had to get a closer look.”