Chapter 12

Ellie wiped a hand across the bathroom mirror, her damp palm leaving a trail of dripping steam in its wake. She watched as the droplets fell to the mirror’s black frame. Some collected there, while others made their way down onto the granite countertop below.

Her countertops were gone. Her entire apartment was gone. The fire had taken everything, and now…

Now she was left wondering what the hell she was going to do now.

She had no home. No clothes. Even the toothbrush she’d just used was an extra one Cassie had included in the collection of toiletries she’d put together for her.

You have your life, El. That’s a hell of a lot more than some.

Thoughts of the elderly woman who’d lost her life in the fire came rushing back. With it came the threat of tears, but she pushed them away, refusing to let a single one of them fall.

The time for crying had passed. Twenty minutes spent hiding away in Lucky’s shower had taken care of that. Now was the time to act. Only problem was, she had no idea where to start.

You could start by opening the door, finding Lucky, and letting him know how grateful you are.

Now there was a thought Ellie never saw coming. Just like she never saw the real Lucky.

That man showed up tonight. In a big, big way. He’d comforted. Protected. Promised everything would be okay.

And when she’d been standing there behind that yellow tape…lost in a haze of fire and disbelief…it had been Lucky who’d stepped up and taken charge. With Detectives Knox and Brandt. His team leader. Archer.

The sexy former SEAL had even taken control where she was concerned, having demanded she stay here, with him. In his apartment.

I’m in Lucky’s apartment. I just got out of his shower. I spent hours tonight dancing in his arms.

And the most shocking part? She’d actually enjoyed it.

Recent memories had Ellie’s heart thumping hard and her sex full and aching with need. God, she’d had so much fun dancing with Lucky tonight. More than she ever imagined was possible.

Even now, if she tried hard enough, she could almost feel his hands still wrapped snuggly around her waist. The way he’d held close while they danced to the slower songs while she’d kept a steady grip on his strong, broad shoulders.

Ellie’s lids fell shut, her lips parting slightly with a slow, soft exhale. As clearly as if he were dancing with her now, she recalled how it felt to have his hips swaying back and forth in time to the music. To feel the heat radiating from his hard, toned body to hers.

I think you smell fucking delicious.

Those uttered words combined with the memories of her and Lucky moving as one on that dance floor, and soon, those memories morph into something much different. Images of a night that didn’t end in fire—but one that was still very much filled with heat—began to consume her.

A night where the dancing had ended, and hot, sweaty passion and hunger began.

Ellie’s eyes flew open and, for a moment, all she could do was stand there and wonder…

What. The hell. Was that?

It was a fantasy about her and Lucky, naked and in bed. That’s what that was. And while it wasn’t the first time her sex-deprived mind had traversed such thoughts, it was the first time they’d come to her while standing in the middle of the man’s bathroom…when she was about to spend the night in his apartment.

I can’t stop thinking about him.

Glancing up, Ellie was completely taken off guard by herreflection. Not because she hadn’t expected to see herself in the mirror. But because she hadn’t expected to see the smile currently spreading across her lips.

Someone wanted her dead, and she was standing in Lucky’s bathroom—dressed in Cassie’s t-shirt and sweats and looking like a drowned rat—and she was smiling. And there was only one reason…

Lucky.

Ellie shook her head at herself, barely resisting the urge to grab her phone for a breaking news alert. She could practically see the headline now…

Hell Has Officially Frozen Over!

Her soft chuckle filled the steamy space. Of all the things that had occurred in her life, somehow the fact that she wanted to sleep with Lucky Lucas should not have been the most shocking.

She’d always thought he was an attractive man, after all. Anyone with a brain and a set of working eyes could see that he was extremely good looking.

And yes, he’d starred in more of her recent dreams than Ellie cared to admit. Hot, passionate, heart-racing dreams that had left her waking with a racing mind and a body filled with need. But that’s all those were.

Dreams.

The dancing…the erotic desires she’d just imagined…those were real. Just like the man himself.

Ellie glanced back up at the mirror. There was no reaction this time. No surprise at the hint of a smile present on her freshly washed face. But had she really expected there to be?

When a person standing at a crossroads finally made a decision on which direction to go, the element of surprise ceased to exist. In its place was a sense of purpose. An end goal to strive for.

She filled her lungs to their capacity, holding the drawn-in breath a few seconds before letting it out in a slow, steady stream. This would turn out to either be the very best decision of her life…or the worst mistake she’d ever made.

Only one way to find out.

Ellie picked up the brush she’d found earlier and ran it through her damp locks a final time. Not giving herself time to change her mind, she gathered the clothes and heels she’d worn to the club and tossed them into the duffle Cassie had provided. Zipping it closed, she picked it up from the expansive countertop before sliding the bag’s wide strap over her right shoulder.

Her timing wasn’t the best, she knew. But if the last few days had taught her anything, it was that life was too damn short not to enjoy it. And after the week she’d had, she was in desperate need of some joy.

Here goes nothing…

Ellie stepped out of the bathroom, the soles of her bare feet immediately sinking into the plush, soothing comfort of Lucky’s cream-colored carpet. Like the rest of his apartment, the master bedroom was modern and sleek. Black furniture came together with white linens, the style creating sharp, sexy lines against a sleek, monochrome landscape.

Making her way out of the room, Ellie passed by the massive flat screen mounted above the recessed linear fireplace to her left. The electric heat source was set inside a wall of horizontal ceramic tiles, putting a modern twist on the traditional fireplace look.

The corners of her lips twitched as she considered how perfectly the design fit the man. Sexy. Attractive. Comforting.

Just like him.

Reaching out, she opened the door and stepped into the hallway. The cold from the hardwood floor was in stark contrast to the warmth of the carpet, but she didn’t let it deter her from her goal.

Nerves danced in her belly as she stalked down the narrow, shadowed space. Stopping at the opened doorway on her right, Ellie entered Lucky’s spare bedroom and dropped the duffle onto the foot of the bed before returning on her previous path.

She passed by a door to her left—a skinny one she assumed was a linen closet. Next to it was another door leading to a second full bath, and on her right after that was the last room in this part of the apartment.

A beam of light cut through the darkness from the half-opened doorway. Ellie slowed her steps as she drew near, stopping just shy of the door jam.

The sound of fingers flying over a keyboard reached her ears, and she smiled. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Ellie wondered how it was even possible for something so simple—a sound she, herself created damn near every day of the week—could suddenly create a sense of…what?

Happiness?

Excitement?

Anticipation?

As she hid in the shadows of Lucky’s hallway, eavesdropping like a sneak as he worked tirelessly in an effort to help her, she realized she felt all those things and more.

It’s crazy how much can change in the span of a few hours.

Ellie stepped a foot into the office but stopped before taking another. Sitting at a large, L-shaped computer desk, Lucky’s back was to her as his fingers continued to fly.

So focused on what he was doing, the brilliant man had no idea she was even there. Ellie used the stolen moment to study Lucky in his element.

Her pulse quickened, her lower belly tightening with desire as she watched the computer genius work his technical magic. His dark hair glimmered beneath the room’s overhead light, revealing its dampness from what she assumed was a recent shower.

Gaze lowering, she noticed Lucky had changed from his jeans and button-down into a pair of grey sweatpants and a worn, navy-blue t-shirt. The man’s earlier attire was sexy as hell, but this…

Seriously. Is there anything better than a sexy as sin man wearing grey sweats?

If there was, Ellie sure as heck couldn’t think of one. Especially when it came to this man.

“There is another chair here, if you’d like to sit down.”

The deep rumble took her by such surprise, she nearly jumped right out of her skin. “H-hey.” She attempted to recover from having been caught staring. “I didn’t mean to sneak in here. It just, uh…it looked like you were in the middle of something important, and I didn’t want to interrupt.”

All three computer screens went black at the same time, and Ellie could’ve sworn she caught a glimpse of a smirk in one’s reflection a half-second before Lucky spun in his padded chair to face her.

“You’re not interrupting.” He sighed. “I’ve just been going through the security footage from your building and a few others nearby.”

“Any luck?”

“Yes and no.” Lucky ran a frustrated hand over the five o’clock shadow darkening his jaw. “The camera in your hallway shows a man approaching your door twenty minutes after we left for the club, but—”

“That’s good, right?” She took a large step forward. Previous thoughts forgotten, she looked down at his blank screens and back up to him. “I mean, if we have him on camera, then—”

“We don’t have his face, El.” Lucky’s disappointment was more than a little obvious. “Asshole wore all black, including a hood big enough to conceal his fucking face. He knew where the cameras were, and kept his head covered and down the entire way through the entrance, on the elevators, and as he walked to your door. Once he got there, the bastard turned his body to the camera while he broke into your door. He’s smart, I’ll give him that.” He pushed himself up to his feet and shook his handsome head. “Bypassed your system before the breach alert could be sent.” A humorless huff left his brawny chest. “Five seconds. The son of a bitch had five fucking seconds before the alarm would’ve been triggered.”

“So he’s smart.”

“Oh, yeah.” A muscle in Lucky’s jaw bulged. “I’d say our guy’s really fucking smart.”

George Ray Harvey was a literal genius.

“Can I see it?” Ellie looked to the monitors behind him. “The videos, I mean.”

Maybe if she saw him, she’d finally be able to prove it wasn’t.

Or maybe…maybe you’ll see him and realize you’re wrong.

Lucky’s gaze lingered a moment longer before he turned around and brought the center monitor back to life. A few clicks later, a video clip began to play.

She crossed her arms at her front and watched as the perpetrator entered through her building’s main doors. Even beneath the black hoodie and pants, it was easy to tell it was a man. A tall, fit man from what she could see.

But that was it.

He walked into the building. Kept his head down all the way to the elevator, and then again while he was inside. Ellie’s gut churned when the man in black strolled casually down the length of her hallway, and when he picked her lock and walked into her apartment, she felt like she was going to be sick.

Her sudden bout of nausea was twofold. Partially stemming from the confirmation that Lucky had been right. No matter where the arsonist was when he’d been seen on tape…there was still absolutely no possible way to identify the maniac.

The other part, though, the part that had her fighting the urge to react…

It could have been him.

Ellie wasn’t ready to concede to that theory just yet, but she also couldn’t rule him out. Not by what she’d just been shown, anyway. The man’s height…his build…

It looks a lot like George Ray Harvey.

“So that’s it.” The monitors went black once more. A few seconds later, Lucky switched topics completely when he asked, “You hungry?”

She met Lucky’s inquisitive gaze and shook her head. “Not really.”

When she’d first walked in here, she’d been famished. But her hunger hadn’t stemmed from her body’s need for food. There’d been another urgency that had driven her to seek him out.

Ellie had been standing in Lucky’s bathroom, her mind filling with things like bullets, flames, and a sexy former SEAL who turned out to be someone very different than the man she’d assumed him to be…and she’d become almost consumed with desire.

Desire to feel. To forget. To lose herself to a man she innately knew would give her both those abilities and more. But now…

A sense of Déjà vu struck as Ellie gave her suddenly dry lips a quick lick. “I think I’m just going to go to bed,” she told him softly.

Because suddenly wild, casual sex was the very last thing on her mind.

“Me, too.” Lucky’s expression was unreadable. “I put a call into the arson investigative unit in the SFD. Eagle’s Nest has a contact there, and she’s going to keep me up to date on things from their end.”

“You guys sure are well-connected.” She held his stare. “Especially for being so new in town.”

His lips curved into a barely-there grin. “The publicity from Nat’s case caught a lot of attention. Cassie’s, too.” The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed as a haunted look crossed over him. “I’d give anything for that shit not to have happened to those two, but…”

“But?” she prompted.

Something akin to guilt filled the man’s stunning eyes. “As shitty as it sounds, both cases helped solidify Eagle’s Nest’s relationship with local law enforcement. Once word spread throughout the SPD that we’re the real deal—”

“That trickled down into the other agencies.” Including the SFD.

Ellie thought about the uniformed officer back at the crime scene. His entire demeanor had changed when Lucky flashed his I.D., and it was clear the man had been impressed.

Lucky’s head dipped with a nod. “Doesn’t hurt that we’ve also had some well-connected clients since opening the firm.”

He didn’t give names, and she didn’t ask. Given her own profession, Ellie was well-versed in the art of confidentiality. She understood all-too-well the importance of protecting one’s clients.

“Do you think your contact in the SFD will know something soon?”

“Hopefully. Though, I’m not sure how much it’ll help.” Her sexy protector looked as frustrated as she felt when he raked a hand through his dark hair. “We already know it was arson, but without an I.D., the actual cause of the blaze won’t make much of a difference.”

She’d considered this as well.

“Still…” Ellie crossed her arms at her center as her weight shifted from one foot to the other. “Your efforts regarding my safety haven’t gone unnoticed.”

“My efforts?” Lucky scoffed. “I haven’t done shit for you, El. I got to you after the shots stopped that day at the courthouse, and tonight—”

“Tonight you gave me just what I needed at the exact moment I needed it.” She began walking slowly toward him.

“If we’d stayed home, there’s a chance we could’ve caught the bastard.”

“That’s a possibility, sure.” Ellie covered the remaining few inches standing between them. Stopping right in front of Lucky, she held his gaze steady and reminded him, “The other scenario is we don’t go dancing, and that man still breaks into my apartment, only this time, he kills us both.”

Anger flashed in the blues of his eyes. Moving lightning fast, he reached out, his strong hands curling around her shoulders in an almost desperate grip. “That’s never going to happen.” The solemn vow came out as a growl. “He won’t get anywhere near you.” Lucky gave a curt shake of his head. “I won’t let him.”

Her hand was moving before she even realized her own intentions, a slight tickle caressing her palm as she slid her hand along the short stubble there. “I know you believe that.” The intention behind his words was right there, staring down at her from his fierce gaze. “But you and I both know if the man who set that fire wants me dead, he’ll eventually find a way.”

She’d seen enough to know that’s how the evils of the world worked.

“No, he fucking won’t.” Lucky’s hands moved from her shoulders to frame her face, and if she thought he looked angry before… “You’re safe with me, Eloise.” A claim he’d made before. “I will be with you, right by your side, until we catch this son of a bitch. And we will catch him.”

Of that, Ellie had no doubt. The only question she had was would they find her would-be killer before she was dead…

Or after?

“I know you will do everything you can to make that happen.” She absentmindedly brushed her thumb across his strong jaw. “But you’re not a superhero, Lucky. You can only do what you can do.”

Leaving little space between their bodies, he kept his gentle hold on her face as he inched in closer. “I don’t think you understand, sweetheart.” His hot breath hit her chin as he spoke, the sensation sending a line of shivers racing down her spine. “I’ll protect you with my life, if that’s what it takes to keep that big heart of yours beating strong.”

Her tiny hitch of a breath cut through the air, filling the otherwise quiet room. “I don’t want you getting hurt because of me, Lucky,” Ellie whispered back She couldn’t bear the thought. “I’m not…I’m nothing to you.” Another nervous lick of her lips. “I’m certainly not worth—”

Lucky’s mouth was on hers before she could even register his intent. Stunned by the unexpected move, Ellie froze beneath his touch as her whirling mind tried catching up to the surprising turn of events.

One second she was trying to convey her unfavorable opinion on his putting himself in harm’s way for her sake, and the next…

The next, she felt herself melting into his arms.

The kiss wasn’t soft or hesitant. It wasn’t sweet or feather-light. It was hot. Wild. All-consuming. Just like the man, himself.

Just like Lucky.

Ellie parted her lips as his remained pressed against hers. Their tongues met, and passion erupted.

Lucky’s deep, guttural moan traveled from his body into hers. The sound was like a rush of fuel being poured onto an already burning flame. Before she even realized she was moving, Ellie let her hands drop lower, her palms cupping the swells of his perfectly toned ass.

Using the new leverage to her advantage, Ellie brought his body impossibly closer to hers. The bulge of his hard, swollen cock pushed greedily against her sex. Lucky moaned again, his kiss becoming almost feverish as he began slowly guiding her backward.

With one hand still cupping the side of her face, he used the other to steady her hip as they continued moving as one. Seconds later, Ellie felt her back hit the wall behind her.

The smooth structure near the room’s open doorway forcing them both to a sudden stop. Their feet may have halted in their movements, but the solid structure did nothing to deter them.

Lucky’s conscience, on the other hand…

“We shouldn’t be…doing this,” he whispered breathlessly as his mouth continued to devour hers. “I’m supposed to be protecting you, not…” Lucky’s words fell silent as his soft, wet lips moved to the edge of her jaw.

“You are protecting me.” Ellie closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side to give him better access. “Besides, I don’t see any threats here. Do you?”

They were locked away in the safety of Lucky’s highly secured apartment. Nothing here was a threat to her life. Now, her heart on the other hand…

Something told her the swelling, racing organ was in immediate danger of being stolen. And yet, even knowing this, Ellie couldn’t seem to find the will to stop.

“Not the point, sweetheart,” Lucky protested even as he continued tormenting her in the most delicious of ways.

When he began leaving a trail of hot, wet kisses along the side of her neck, Ellie couldn’t keep the tiny moan from escaping the back of her throat. “Then what…” She gasped when his tongue licked a particularly sensitive spot. “What is your point?”

For the first time since slamming his lips to hers, Lucky pulled himself away and looked her in the eyes. The blues there had darkened with a depth of arousal she innately knew matched her own.

But there was something else there. A war that had been brewing within him. Some sort of internal struggle she couldn’t possibly understand. Not until he started to explain.

“You’ve had a shit night, El.” Lucky’s darkened gaze remained locked with hers. “Your emotions are probably all over the place right now. Understandably so.” He hurriedly added that last part. Rolling those talented lips inward, his chest rose and fell with a full, deep breath. “I can’t…I won’t take advantage of that.” A hard swallow. “Or of you.”

A comforting warmth spread throughout her entire system. If this man hadn’t already begun to worm his way into her guarded heart, that right there would’ve done it.

“You aren’t taking advantage of anything, Lucky.” Ellie reached up, her fingertips caressing the short, dark hair at his temple. “And yeah, some asshole burned down my apartment tonight. But walking out of this room and going to bed alone won’t change anything.” Her thumb brushed across the bulging muscle in his strong jaw. “George Ray Harvey will still be on the run, and whoever took a shot at me and burned down my home—whether its him or someone else—they’ll still be out there, regardless.” She pushed herself up onto her tiptoes and leaned in for a quick nibble of his bottom lip.

Lucky’s lids fell shut as he continued his attempts to deny them what she knew they both wanted. “Damn it, El. I’m trying to do the right thing here.”

“The right thing for who?” she whispered softly. “If it’s your job you’re worried about, don’t be.” Another teasing nip. “I won’t tell if you don’t. And I promise not to sue.”

Meaning that last part as a joke, Ellie was relieved when she saw the tempting smile forming across Lucky’s stunning face.

“It’s not the firm I’m worried about, it’s…”

She felt her brows fall inward with a frown. “What?”

When Lucky didn’t continue, her belly filled with a sudden rush of uncertainty.

“Is it me?” Because that didn’t sound pathetic in the least. “It’s okay, if that’s it. I just thought…“Ellie licked her lips nervously before beginning again. “The way you always flirted with me, and then kissing me just now…I guess I just thought that…” Words, Ellie. Use your freaking words. “I thought you wanted this.” Her throat worked with a hard swallow. “I thought you wanted…me.”

A flash of anger filled those gorgeous eyes half-a-second before Lucky slammed his lips to hers. When the breath-stealing kiss was over, and she could feel Lucky easing back once more, Ellie found herself even more confused than before.

But then—

“I want you, sweetheart.” A panted, almost growled confession. “I have since the first time I laid eyes on you.”

He had?

“You have?”

“More than any other woman I’ve ever known.” He confirmed this with a solemn nod.

The confession left her blinking and her eyes growing wide. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“Would you have believed me if I had?” It was his turn to study her closely, that intense stare boring deep into her own.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Come on, El.” One corner of his mouth lifted with a knowing smirk. “I know what everyone thinks about me.”

“Do you?”

Those pretty blue eyes rolled with a sarcastic huff. “Of course, I do. Everyone thinks I’m this big player. A total ladies’ man who’s already slept his way through half of Seattle.”

“Are you saying the rumors aren’t true?”

“No.” There was a slight bite in his defensive tone. “They’re not fucking true. Yes, I go on dates, and yeah…I like to dance and have a good time, but…” Lucky took in another deep breath before huffing it out in one big rush. “Just because I take a woman out for dinner and a couple of hours of dancing doesn’t mean I automatically invite them into my bed.”

The stark truth in his words was there, staring straight into her eyes.

“If you’re not a player, then why do you let everyone think that you are?”

Why let me think that about you?

Looking slightly chagrined, the man still holding her body between his and the wall shrugged. “It’s easier than revealing the truth.”

“And what truth would that be?”

Lucky’s dark brows bunched together as the mouth she could still taste lifted into a sideways grin. “You sure you’re a lawyer and not a shrink?”

Ellie’s soft chuckle filled the air around them. “You’d be surprised how closely related the two can be.”

She couldn’t count the number of times she’d been a sounding board for her clients. But Lucky wasn’t a client. He was the man who’d willingly volunteered to protect her. An honest to goodness hero who’d risked his life for his country. For Nat and Cassie.

Now he’s doing the same for you.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” she prodded him a moment later. Resting the palms of her hands on his well-defined chest, Ellie asked again, “What is it you’re hiding from the world?”

What are you hiding from me?

“What Logan and Natalie have,” Lucky began. “And Archer and Cass…” His swallow was audible. “There’s a big part of me that wants that, too, but—”

“But what?” Her heart pounded hard inside her chest.

“I saw what marriage did to my parents. Or rather, the divorce. It was nasty, El.” A haunted look cooled the warmth in his gaze. “By the time it was done, the two people I loved most in this world had somehow turned into these hateful humans I barely recognized. How a couple that started out as much in love as anyone I’ve known could become so jaded…so loathsome to one another…I don’t know. I guess I just figured it was safer keeping things—”

“Casual,” she finished for him with a nod. “No, I get it.”

“You do?” This seemed to surprise him.

“Yeah, I mean…my parents broke up when I was young. Thankfully, their divorce wasn’t as tumultuous as your parents’, but that’s only because my dad did what he always had, and gave my mother exactly what she wanted.” She bit her bottom lip to keep it from quivering from the memories. “Now my mom’s living in Hawaii with husband number four…I’m sorry, five…and my dad…” Her voice cracked at the mention of her father. “He, uh…he died of a heart attack less than a year after they split.”

The doctors blamed a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet, but Ellie knew the truth. Her father’s death wasn’t caused by high cholesterol or too many carbs.

My father died of a broken heart.

And that was her greatest fear. Even more than the terror a serial killer had bestowed upon her, Ellie was terrified she’d grow up to become her mother.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he offered sincerely.

She gave a small shrug in return. “I guess it’s safe to say neither of us had great role models regarding making relationships work.”

“No, I guess not.” Lucky’s chuckle ran deep.

“So.” Ellie kept her focus lasered onto him. “Where does that leave us?”

“Where, indeed?” He reached up, brushing some wayward strands from her cheek. His fingers sent a rush of shivers down her spine as he gently tucked them behind her ear.

Steeling herself for the possibility of rejection, Ellie sent up a quick prayer and decided to go for broke. “Did you mean what you said earlier? About…wanting me?”

Heat darkened the blues of his needy stare. “Every fucking word. But that’s not the poi—”

Ellie kissed him. Hard. Deep. And very, very thoroughly.

Because, despite what he’d been about to claim, that was the point. The only one that mattered, in fact. And after only the slightest of hesitations, Lucky, well…

He kissed her right back.

Yes!

“Ellie—”

“Shh…” She put a finger to a set of lips she couldn’t seem to get enough of. “No more talking. Not now.”

“But—”

“It doesn’t have to mean anything.” She swallowed, ignoring the unexpected knot the thought created. “I need to feel something other than uncertainty and fear. To escape all the crazy, even if it’s just for tonight. Please, Jason.” His given name felt surprisingly natural on her lips as they feathered slowly across his. “Please make love to me.”

Ellie knew she was shamelessly begging but couldn’t bring herself to care. There’d be time for regret in the morning. For now…

Now, all she wanted—all Ellie needed—was to lose herself in him.