Be With Me(26)

“Are you about done here?” he asked. “What exactly did you need that couldn’t wait until we got home?”

She lifted one dark eyebrow. “My gun. The only thing I had to defend Birdie and me was one of Sawyer’s basebal bats, and I probably would have ruined it after one hit.”

“It was stupid of us to have left you and Birdie alone,” Hutch said in a low voice. “It won’t happen again.”

He expected her to argue, but she simply turned away and threw a change of clothes into a gym bag.

He and Birdie exchanged glances, and then he motioned with his head for her to fol ow him into the next room. She nodded, and he walked back into the living room, where the deputy stood waiting on the women.

“Level with me, Birdie. What the hel happened, and are you and Reggie both real y okay?” Birdie smiled. “We’re fine. I expect Reggie is going to feel the results of her little adventure when she’s settled down and comes off the adrenaline rush.”

“What happened exactly? Jeremy said there was an intruder, but I didn’t wait around for details. I wanted to get over here and make sure you two were al right.”

Birdie raised a shaky hand to her forehead. “I honestly don’t know, Hutch. It al happened so fast.

Thank goodness for Regina’s instincts. I was helping her down the stairs when she heard a noise. She made me go back into the bedroom and lock the door. She went to investigate.”

“She damn wel should have gone into the bedroom with you,” he growled.

“She came back up quickly with the phone and cal ed Jeremy. She made me get into the closet.

Next thing I knew, she told me it was okay to come out and we waited for Jeremy.” A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. “Regina had a basebal bat. I think she ful y intended to use it.”

“She wouldn’t have had to if I’d been there,” he muttered.

Birdie laid her hand on his arm and squeezed. “If you and Regina no longer need me, I think I’d like to be getting home. This is al the excitement I can take in a day.”

Hutch frowned. “I don’t want you going back to your house alone. Maybe it would be better if you came back to the house with us.”

She smiled. “This nice young man has already offered to see me home and come in with me to make sure everything’s as it should be. I have the alarm system Sawyer insisted on instal ing for me.” She shook her head in exasperation. “My house resembles a fortress thanks to you boys.”

“Someone wil be patrol ing the area.” The deputy spoke up. “I’l make sure a car drives by her house every hour, and we’l cal periodical y to check in on her.”

Hutch nodded. “I appreciate it.”

The deputy smiled. “I know Birdie’s special to you, but she’s also special to this community. She’s done a lot for many of us. As soon as the rest of the department heard what happened, they were lining up to volunteer to run patrols by her house. She’l have county and local police protection.”

“Let me just go say good-bye to Regina, and then I’l be on my way,” Birdie said. “You need to get her home so she can get some rest. It’s been a difficult day. She looks like she’s about to fal over.” Birdie walked back to Reggie’s bedroom and returned a few moments later. Hutch kissed her forehead.

“Cal me if you need anything.”

“Oh, I wil , and you be sure and let me know if you boys or Regina need anything. I’l be happy to come out.”

He watched Birdie leave under the watchful eye of the sheriff’s deputy then turned to go back in search of Reggie. He found her standing by her bed, her shoulders drooping with fatigue.

“You finished getting what you need?” he asked.

She immediately straightened. “Yeah, I’m ready to go if you are.”

He reached over to zip up her bag then picked up the strap. He stopped in front of her and wrapped his free hand around the back of her neck, pul ing her close. For a long moment, he simply stood there, face buried in her dark curls.

She trembled against him, and her arms crept around his waist.

“Let’s go home,” he murmured against her head. “I think you’ve had enough excitement for one day.”

“I won’t argue that,” she said rueful y as she pulled away.

He put a finger underneath her chin and nudged upward until she stared him in the eye. Slowly, he lowered his mouth to hers in a tender kiss. It wasn’t intended to overwhelm her with passion. Rather it was a soft gesture, one for comfort.

To his surprise, she took an active part in the kiss.

The arm with the brace slid up his back while she pulled her uninjured arm from his waist and moved it up his chest and over his shoulder and around to his neck. Her fingers slid into his hair, glancing over his scalp as she returned his kiss.

Her tongue met his in a delicate duel. She caught his lower lip between her teeth and nibbled. Then she sucked it further into her mouth.

He was hers. He relinquished every part of himself to her in that moment. Time seemed to stop, and he wanted it to. He wanted to remain in this moment, shutting everything else out around them. For just this minute, only the two of them existed.

He loved her taste, the feel of her al soft and warm against him. He ached. His chest ached. His groin was heavy with warm, fluid arousal. Desire whispered through his veins. He wanted her. Needed her as he’d never needed another woman. There had never been anyone else like her in his life.