“They can protect you.” As soon as Nick said the words, he knew how ludicrous they were. The police couldn’t do anything until after the stalker made a move. More of a move than two phone calls.
“I can protect myself. Besides, you’re right next door, as you so vehemently pointed out. I’ll call you if I get another call or if something else happens. Speaking of which, maybe it’s time to trade numbers.”
Nick reached for Kris’s cell and began programming his contact info, after tossing her his phone. “You may not need to call me. I plan to keep you company, 24/7 if necessary. Just because you can fire a gun, doesn’t mean that you can protect yourself. Where’s your gun now? I don’t see a holster; do you carry it on a chain around your neck?” Kris rolled her eyes at him, but he continued. “And don’t think that an alarm system will keep someone out, especially if they’re determined. By the time it takes the cops to get here, he could have disappeared with you or killed you or God knows what.” Nick stopped pacing, right in front of Kris. He gripped her hands in his. “I will not lose you again. Do you realize what a freaking miracle it was that we found each other the first time? Not to mention the odds of finding each other again, as neighbors no less. Do you need a flashing neon sign from the universe? Maybe in the shape of an arrow pointing down at my head?” Nick brought her hands up to his lips, then nestled them against his heart. “I’m willing to take this as slow as you like, but make no mistake Kristina Collins, you are mine.” He looked deep into her eyes, noting the shock. “And I am yours,” he finished softly.
With her mind reeling, Kris braced for the kiss she knew was coming. There was no mistaking the sincerity in Nick’s voice or in his eyes. Sincerity and a depth of love that she only allowed herself to remember once in a blue moon. She sighed as his lips met hers.
Neither of them was prepared for the instantaneous fireworks display that flashed in brilliant mind’s-eye colors as their lips touched. Nick let go of her hands and crushed Kris to him, wrapping his arms around her as he deepened the kiss. The fireworks surged lower. Ten years of pent up passion exploded in one tumultuous, mind altering, heart pounding kiss. If Kris had any doubt about his feelings, or he hers, they disappeared in the explosion of that one magical moment.
Nick straightened and looked down at Kris, but he didn’t let her go. She was clinging to his bare chest, breathing as hard as he. He noticed her swollen lips and the tear that had escaped the corner of one eye. She opened her eyes then, looking straight into his, and he saw the love he had missed for so long swimming in the bright green pools.
Kris wrapped her arms low around his hips, being careful of his sunburn. They held onto each other for a long time, each one reveling in the feel of the other. Nick was the first to break the tight embrace and step back. With his hands on her shoulders, he searched her eyes.
“I meant what I said about taking it slow. I want to get it right this time, and that means sharing our feelings honestly and openly while we build a foundation of trust. If we had truly trusted each other before, no one would have been able to come between us. Maybe we were too young to truly appreciate what we had. I don’t know. I do know that the love is still there, no doubt about that. You can’t tell me it’s not.” He waited, giving her a chance to contradict him.
“I wasn’t going to tell you anything of the sort. Only a fool would walk away from what we have between us a second time. I’m no fool. But I do agree that we need to work on the trust thing. Taking it slow is smart.” Kris cupped his face with her hands. She looked at him for a long moment. “My heart and soul know you on a level that I don’t begin to understand. But we have to learn about each other as individuals, explore the day to day of who we are now. That’s the only way we can move forward and make it last.”
“Does that mean I’m sleeping on the sofa?” Nick grinned down at her. “’Cause I’m not leaving you alone with a stalker lurking around.”
“No, that means that you’re sleeping in the guest room.” Kris dropped her hands and stepped away from Nick. She didn’t trust herself to touch him for too long without plastering herself against him. She felt so safe in his arms; but more than that she felt cherished. And let’s not forget the charming side effect of every nerve ending in her body screaming for more. No, it wouldn’t do for her to touch him for too long. “Really, Nick, I’m perfectly safe here alone. I can call you if anything happens.”
“How about I stay tonight, in the guest room, and we’ll take it one day at a time after that. If the creep is watching you, then he’ll see that you’re not alone. That may be enough of a deterrent and he’ll slither back where he came from.” It sounded good, but Nick doubted that it would be that easy.
“I can live with that. But for now, can we enjoy the rest of the evening. I bought your favorite dessert, at least it used to be your favorite.”
“Mint chocolate chip ice cream?” Nick teased.
“What? You hated mint chocolate chip. Said the chips looked like rat droppings and that green ice cream was unnatural. You didn’t even like watching me eat it. Now you tell me that it’s your favorite?” Kris stared at him with her hands on her hips.
Nick laughed. “Now you should see your face. No, my opinion of that disgusting flavor is the same as it’s always been. I just wanted a reaction, I owed you one for before. Thanks for obliging.” Nick side-stepped Kris’s swat. “So, what did you get for me? Since I don’t smell apple pie baking, I don’t have a clue.”
Kris scoffed, “You think I bake? Please. Nope, that’s what bakeries are for. And microwaves. I presume you still like vanilla ice cream on top?”
“You betcha, the more the better. And if the pie is not hot enough to melt the ice cream, it’s no good.” Nick tilted his head and looked at her quizzically. “That’s right, Roni was the one who baked. Did you say she was still single?”
“Yes, but don’t go getting any ideas. You’re taken, remember?” Kris smiled up at him.
“As if I could forget.”
~~~~~
Damien slammed the laptop closed as Kris and Nick moved towards the kitchen. He had seen enough, for the moment. That searing kiss had just about done him in; it was all he could do not to charge onto the porch and kill the swine.
Getting his emotions under control took several minutes. Soon, his breathing was normal and his heart rate had slowed. Picking up his pen, he added another item to Beauty’s punishment list. He had to find a place to hold the bastard quickly. If he waited too long, the man would be in her bed. That was not acceptable.
Deciding to scope out the island under the cover of darkness, Damien slowly pulled away from Kris’s house. He would be back after she went to bed. A few hours of reconnaissance would speed up his plan to remove the one obstacle in the way of making Beauty his own.
~~~~~
Nick and Kris were standing close together on the landing at the top of the stairs. They had already moved a few of Nick’s things into the guest room and were preparing to say goodnight.
“Remind me again that slow is good.” Nick lightly traced a finger along Kris’s cheek.
“We’ll remind each other, but another time.” Kris winked, then laughed softly before turning towards her room. “Sleep well,” she called over her shoulder. She knew he hadn’t moved, just stood there watching her walk away. She turned back to face him when she reached her doorway. “Don’t be surprised if Pegasus pays you a visit during the night. He can be a night crawler, especially since he’s slept all day.” Kris grinned at Nick’s frown. “Don’t worry, he won’t bite. Not too hard, anyway.” She pushed the door partially closed, leaving enough room for Peg to waddle through.
“Thanks for th
e warning, good night.” She chuckled as she heard Nick close the door to the guest room.
Kris was just drifting off when her cell phone began to buzz. Thinking it was Nick, she opened it without looking at the screen. “Do you need a bedtime story?” she asked with a smile.
Raspy breathing had her wide awake in seconds. “Who is this?” she demanded, all hint of a smile gone. “What do you want?” Why are you calling me?”
The anger in his voice was impossible to miss. “I already told you, I am your Prince Charming. You’ll find out soon enough what I want with you.” As he spoke, Kris jumped out of bed and ran into the guest room, placing the phone on speaker as she went. She met Nick at the door; he’d heard her running down the hall.
Kris placed her fingers to her lips and showed Nick the phone. The voice continued.
“What is he doing there? Make him leave at once. You are mine.” Kris cringed at the force and the ugliness behind the words. They were nothing like the same ones Nick had spoken to her earlier.
“You’ll be sorry for this,” the voice hissed, before disconnecting the call.
Nick and Kris stared at the phone, then at each other.
“He definitely knows you’re here.” Kris didn’t know why she was whispering. Nick grabbed her in his arms and held on tight.
“That’s okay. It’s good that he knows you aren’t alone. And it tells us that he’s watching the house. Are you okay?” He rubbed his hands up and down her trembling back.
“Yes.” Kris felt Nick’s warmth began to soothe her. The trembling stopped almost as quickly as it had started. “He must be nearby.”
Nick was already dialing 9-1-1. After briefly explaining what happened, he hung up the phone.
“The police are on their way. Might want to get some clothes on.” He appraised her scanty t-shirt; it was one of her favorites in college, he couldn’t believe she still had it.
“Right back at you.” She looked approvingly at his form-fitting boxer briefs before turning back to her room. “What do you think the police will do?” She asked as she went down the hall. “Do you think he’s still out there?”
Nick pulled on his jeans and cringed as the shirt touched his back. “Hell with it,” he said as he threw the shirt on the floor. “They’ll probably take a statement, don’t leave anything out. The roses, the phone calls, the vision.”
Kris came back out of her bedroom wearing jeans and the same ratty t-shirt. “You’re crazy if you think I’m telling them about my vision. I’ve been through that before; police do not believe in visions. In fact, if I tell them about it they may not take anything else I say seriously.”
Nick acquiesced. “You’ve got a point.” He followed her downstairs and into the kitchen. Kris began to make coffee. “Do you have a license for your gun?”
“It’s in the works. Should I get it?”
“No, but you can tell them that you have it. I’m going to take a look outside.” Nick headed for the kitchen door.
“No, wait.” Kris grabbed his arm. “What if he’s out there? He might have a gun, too.” Her eyes pleaded with him to stay inside.
“He’s probably long gone, but I’ll stay in here if that makes you feel better.” Kris dropped her hand and went back to the coffee.
They were almost finished with the first cup when they heard a car pull up outside.
“Finally,” Nick strode to the door, pulling it open just as a man dressed in slacks and a golf shirt with a shoulder holster reached the front stairs. He strode outside to greet him.
“Does it always take you guys twenty minutes to respond to a 9-1-1? Nick was not happy. The officer stopped, put his hand on his gun and looked at Nick warily. Kris had come onto the front porch and was reaching for Nick.
“Nick, I’m sure they’re doing the best they can,” she said softly, looking around the darkness carefully. “Let’s all go inside.”
The officer looked past Nick and responded to Kris. “Thanks, Ma’am. There was a pile up on 17, a bunch of kids out joy riding. I came as soon as I could.” He waited for Nick to walk back up the steps, then followed him inside.
Nick turned and stuck out his hand. “I’m sorry, but what if I hadn’t been here? Some creep is watching Kris. Anything could have happened in twenty minutes.” Nick took stock of the other man; there eyes were on the same level, making him 6’2”. Broad shoulders and a narrow waist told Nick that this man worked out. They shook hands. “Nick Evans. And this is Kris Collins.”
“Dylan Dawes. Why don’t you folks start at the beginning. Dispatch said you received a threatening phone call?”
Kris gestured for the men to sit. “Would you like coffee, Officer Dawes?”
“It’s Detective, Ma’am. And yes, I’d appreciate a cup. I take it black and sweet.”
She poured the detective a cup of coffee as she relayed the details of the phone calls. Nick remained uncharacteristically quiet, letting Kris tell the tale.
“Thanks. Do you have any idea who might be stalking you?” Dylan accepted the coffee gratefully. It had been a long night.
Kris told him about meeting the man on the beach. “I have no reason to believe it was him, but for the way he made me feel. I really can’t explain it, but to say that he seriously gave me the creeps.”
“That pretty well sums it up, Ma’am. Have you seen this guy again? Noticed him on the beach or walking down the road. Maybe out at a restaurant, a coffee shop or the grocery store?”
“No, but I haven’t been looking, either. I have had the feeling of being watched for the past week or so, but I wrote it off to nerves. He really spooked me.” Kris opted not to tell him about the dreams. There’s no way they would mean anything to a cop.
“Do you still have the card that came with the roses? And may I see your cell phone?”
“I tossed the card along with the flowers. It said ‘Till we meet again’, which is why I think they came from the man on the beach. He said his name was Damien Strong. I haven’t met anyone else new lately.” She handed Detective Dawes her cell phone.
“I see that you have an alarm system, is it connected to a service?” The detective opened the phone and brought up the recent calls. “Restricted, what a surprise,” he mumbled as he wrote down the Kris’s number.
“Yes, it’s connected. I also have a gun. Would you like to see it?”
“Do you know how to use it?”
“I’m getting better. Truthfully, I never had any use for it until now. My friend is helping me.”
The detective looked at Nick. “Can she shoot?”
“I hope so, but I’m not the friend she’s talking about. I recently moved in next door. Kris and I knew each other in college.” Nick didn’t offer any more details about their relationship.
“I would like to see it, if you don’t mind.” Detective Dawes directed his attention to Kris. When she left the room to get the gun, he turned back to Nick.
“Did you hear the phone calls?”
“I heard the end of the one tonight. I wasn’t here last night. The guy knows I’m here tonight, what does that tell you?”
“That he’s close. But he’s probably long gone by now. I’ll take a look around outside before I leave. I don’t mind telling you that I don’t like the sound of this. First the meeting, then the flowers and now the phone calls. He’s escalating. That’s a bad sign.”
“What can we do to keep her safe?”
“Would she be willing to leave town for a while? He could get bored and move on. Otherwise, we have to wait on him to make a move.”
?
??The hell with that, we’ll leave.” Nick jumped up and began to pace.
“I’m not leaving,” Kris said as she came back downstairs.
“Why not, if it will save your life?” Nick stopped pacing and looked at Kris.
Kris handed the SIG over to the Detective. “Leaving is out of the question. I’m working on a project that could make my career. Besides, there’s no guarantee that he won’t either wait for me to return or follow me.”
Nick couldn’t argue with her logic, but he planned to try. The detective stalled his arguments with a low whistle.
“Sig P228, nice one. Someone means business. But it’s not worth a damn if you aren’t willing to shoot it. Being willing to shoot doesn’t mean anything if you can’t hit your target. Do you have a license?”
“It’s in process. My friend gave it to me, I filled out the registration paperwork this week.”
“If she’s not willing to shoot, I am. As I don’t plan to leave her here alone until you get the bastard, we’re covered.” Nick looked at Kris, daring her to dispute him. She knew better than to try.
“So what happens now?” Kris propped on the arm of the sofa.
“Filing a report is the first step, which you’ve now done. I’ll run the name, but I don’t expect anything to come from it. Chances are slim that he gave you his real one, if the man on the beach is your stalker. I’ll also step up patrols in the area; see if that slows him down. Maybe we’ll get lucky.” Dylan looked Kris straight in the eye. “You must be extra vigilant. Pay attention as you’re driving, see if you notice the same car following you more than once or parked nearby. So far he hasn’t contacted you at work, let me know if that changes.”
Kris suddenly remembered the single rose she found at her car, and shared the information. “With everything else going on, it slipped my mind.” She looked at Nick apologetically.
“It’s not a surprise that he knows where you work; he’s probably been following you. Alter your routines; don’t be predictable in anything that you do. Stop at a different coffee shop, change your lunch hour. That goes for your routine around here as well. Anything that you do at or around a certain time each day, alter it. Daily.”