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  “Good morning, beautiful,” Dallas whispered, and kissed me.

  “Very good morning.” I rocked against his hand. “I thought you had to go.”

  “Two hours, babe.”

  “Delicious,” I whispered as his fingers slipped inside of me again.

  A faint buzz from his cell phone on the nightstand distracted me briefly, but Dallas ignored it and continued to work me. The buzz sounded again and then again, before it was continual.

  “Goddammit!” he snapped, and answered his phone. “What?”

  I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to bring my breathing under control.

  “Shit,” Dallas said. “Yeah. Okay. Got it. I’ll be back in two days. Appreciate it.”

  He hung up and stretched out beside me again.

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  Dallas slid his hand between my legs again. “I’m gonna fuck you then we’re gonna talk.”

  I frowned. “That doesn’t sound good.”

  “It’ll all be good in just a few,” he promised and rolled me onto my back, sliding into me. “So wet.”

  “Yeah, you kind of have that effect on me,” I said as I moaned, lifting my hips.

  He rolled, pulling me with him and settling me astride. Grasping my waist, he lifted his hips to fill me deeper. “God, babe.”

  I leaned over him and he reached for my breasts.

  “More,” I demanded.

  “Touch yourself.”

  I slid my hand to my clit and ran my finger along myself as Dallas drove into me. I barely registered my building climax before my orgasm hit me fast and hard. I cried out, gripping his shoulders so I wouldn’t fall. Dallas came with me, and then pulled me down on top of him, holding me as we fought to catch our breath.

  “Wow,” I rasped.

  He kissed my neck. “Yeah, wow.”

  I pushed up slightly and smiled. “Do you really have to leave me?”

  Dallas chuckled. “I really have to leave you.”

  “Damn it,” I said. “Totally sucky timing.”

  “I know, babe.” He kissed my nose. “Okay, the talking part now.”

  “Ew.” I wrinkled my nose. “Let’s go back to the fucking part again.”

  He grinned. “I want you at my place tonight and tomorrow.”

  “How come?”

  “Because there’s a creep out there.”

  I sighed. “According to you, there’s always a creep out there.”

  “No, babe. Seriously. There’s some sicko targeting women and he’s already hit Vancouver. That was Brock on the phone. It’s a matter of time before he makes it here.”

  I slid off him and wrapped an arm around his waist, settling my head on his shoulder. “Seriously?”

  “You need to watch the news more.”

  “No. Never going to happen.” I bit my lip. “It’s too depressing.”

  “I agree, but it does give you information.”

  “Incorrect information.”

  “Sometimes.” He frowned. “Although, the media idiots are calling this asshole ‘the Highland Hunter.’”

  “They are? Why?”

  “Because he wears a kilt.”

  I giggled. “Oh, my god, that’s ridiculous. Why would he give a bad name to Scotland like that? Men in kilts are sexy.”

  “Well, he’s not.” Dallas sighed. “So I want you at my place.”

  “I’m perfectly safe here, Dal.”

  “You don’t have a security system or decent locks.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Your alarm is nearly twenty years old, Macey. And your locks aren’t much better. Your windows are seriously jacked up and I don’t like that you leave a couple open at night.” He slid from the bed and headed to the bathroom. “My place. No arguments.”

  “I leave one open because it’s hot,” I called.

  I heard the shower start.

  “I have air-conditioning,” he replied.

  “Well, yeah, that’s true,” I grumbled.

  “My place, got it?”

  “I’m having dinner with Payton tonight, so I’ll go to your place after,” I said as I walked into the bathroom. I grinned at his reflection in the mirror as he brushed his teeth.

  “You brought a toothbrush?” I asked.

  Dallas spit and grinned. “No, I stole one from your hoarder drawer.”

  “I’m not a hoarder.”

  “I apologize.” He laughed. “You have a personal possession to domestic space ratio deficiency, but if you don’t want to call it hoarding, we won’t call it hoarding.”

  I grinned and slid my hand across his waist as I reached for my toothbrush.

  “Before dark, babe. I want you out of here. Yeah?”

  I sighed. “Yeah, yeah.”

  Dallas smiled and kissed me. “Joining me?”

  “I’ll just brush my teeth.”

  He stepped into my shower and I followed, finding that getting clean then dirty and clean again was a beautiful way to start the day.

  * * *

  I propped open my bedroom window, Dallas’s words flooding my mind as I tried to cool down my apartment. I could have rented an air-conditioning unit for an extra fifty bucks a month, but I just didn’t feel the amount justified the limited number of days that were hot enough for air-conditioning, so I’d opted against it.

  I was due to meet Payton in an hour, but I needed to pack a bag first. If I didn’t leave in ten minutes, I would be late… well, later than I was already going to be.

  My phone buzzed, and I grinned. “Best boyfriend ever?”

  “Me, obviously,” Dallas said. “But let’s lay off the boyfriend label. We’re not sixteen.”

  “Well, then what should I call you?”

  “Your man will work ’til I put a ring on your finger.”

  “Does that mean you’re joining a motorcycle club?” I shoved jeans into my overnight bag.

  Dallas laughed. “I don’t plan on calling you my old lady, although, it does have a nice ring to it.”

  “Not if you want to continue living, it doesn’t.” I grinned. “How’s the studying going?”

  “Not well,” he admitted. “I keep getting sidetracked.”

  “Uh-oh, that’s not good.” I threw a few more clothing items in and then zipped up my bag. “You might want to stop watching Cinemax.”

  He chuckled. “Not a big skin flix kind of guy, babe. Not really into porn either. But, I do keep daydreaming I’m making you come, so yeah, that’s kind of a problem.”

  “I thought every guy was into porn.”

  “Seen what it does to people, so, not me.”

  “What does it do to people?” I asked.

  “It builds an unrealistic vision of what sex is supposed to be. Especially for kids. Some teenage guy gets into it and he thinks his woman is gonna want it like that, and if she doesn’t… well, either he’s disappointed, or she’s forced into doing something she doesn’t want to do. Not saying it’s like that for everyone, but doing what I do, I see it more often than not.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “I never looked at it that way. Everyone says it’s so natural and normal, you know?”

  “Nothing natural about porn, Mace. Women are paid to look like they’re enjoying it, whether they are or aren’t. And then you have the bastards who traffic… most of those girls are forced, so yeah. I choose to avoid it.”

  “You’re a good man, Dallas Stone.”

  “I’m your man, Macey Gilbert.”

  I giggled. “That you are.”

  “I should get back to it. I just needed to hear your voice,” he said. “Are you at my place yet?”

  “No, honey. Remember I’m heading out to meet Payton? But I promise, I’ll go to your place after dinner. Don’t worry so much. I’m totally fine.”

  “Okay. I’ll get back to it. Love you, baby.”

  “Love you too.”

  I had no sooner hung up when my phone rang again. “What did you forget?”

  “No
thing,” Payton said.

  “Sorry, thought you were Dallas.”

  “Figured.” Payton giggled. “I’m running a few minutes late, just thought I’d let you know.”

  “Aw, thanks buddy… although, you know I’m probably still going to be ten minutes behind you.”

  “Okay, then I’ll wait for a bit.”

  “Probably a good—”

  “Well, hi there, pretty,” a low, male voice said.

  I gasped and whipped around to find a strange man standing in my doorway, dropping my phone in the process.

  Short, fat, bearded and dead eyes, I couldn’t tell how old he was, but he was overly tan. He kind of rang a bell, but for the life of me, I didn’t know how.

  Shit! I forgot to lock the downstairs window.

  “Mace?” Payton’s voice was muffled since the phone was too far away.

  “What do you want?” I asked, trying to reach for my phone which was sticking out from under my bed.

  The man got to it first and threw it across the room. I used the distraction to make a run for the door, but he caught me, pulling me back inside. I tried to kick, tried to punch, screamed at the top of my lungs, but he was just too strong. “Payton!” I yelled, hoping my friend was still on the line.

  My phone buzzed as my head hit the floor. Stars danced behind my eyes and my shoulder exploded in pain. I tasted copper in my mouth and then I choked on what I knew must be my own blood. Darkness closed in, blurring my vision. A loud bang. Smoke. Then blissful nothingness embraced me.

  * * *

  Hushed voices, intermingled with crying forced me from my “nothing.” I groaned when the first wave of pain hit me and then Payton’s voice broke through the fog. “Mace. Hey. Wake up, hon.”

  “Everything hurts,” I whispered. My words were barely out of my mouth before the pain eased and I sighed in relief.

  “Can you open your eyes?” The unmistakable deep voice of Dr. Alec Stone sounded.

  I blinked open my eyes and stared into the concerned face of my co-worker and Dallas’s brother. “Hi.”

  “Hi,” he said, smiling gently.

  “Where am I?”

  “Hospital,” Alec said.

  “Are you thirsty?” Payton asked.

  I turned to look at my best friend, who held a cup with a straw close to me. “Yes.”

  Payton guided the straw to my lips and I took a deep draw from it.

  “Do you remember what happened?” Alec asked.

  “Um…” As I thought back, my breath came in shallow gasps. “I… he… no kilt.” I dissolved into sobs as memories of horror flooded my mind. The sound of a zipper. His body on top of mine. The pain. “Make it stop!”

  “Everyone out,” Alec demanded.

  I slid back into unconsciousness.

  * * *

  Dallas

  I ran down the halls toward recovery where Macey had been moved after surgery. I knew nothing other than she was rushed to emergency and had to have surgery. I’d left my seminar a day early and sped from Salem to Portland, utilizing the lights and sirens on my undercover vehicle in order to get home as fast as possible.

  I arrived to find Brock with his arms wrapped around Payton, Macey’s grandparents sitting with Brock and Payton’s parents, and Jaxon Quinn speaking with a few local uniforms just off to the side of the group.

  Bruce Daniels was also there… alone. He looked surprised to see me, but gave me a chin lift in greeting. I didn’t respond.

  “What happened?” I demanded to no one in particular.

  Brock separated himself from Payton and walked toward me. “Macey was raped, brother.”

  “What do you mean? She was supposed to be at my place.”

  “It happened before she met up with Payton.”

  “Fuck!” I snapped. “Did you get the bastard?”

  “Yeah,” Brock said. “I killed him.”

  “Was it the Highland guy?”

  “He wasn’t wearing a kilt.”

  “What the hell, Brock?” I fisted my hand in Brock’s shirt. “You better start talking.”

  “Macey was on the phone with Payton and she heard a man’s voice, but the call disconnected soon after. Payton tried to call her back, but Macey wasn’t answering her calls and I was close, so I promised I’d check on her. I got there just before the cops. Apparently, neighbors had heard screaming coming from her unit. I walked in on… well… yeah, I shot him.”

  “Walked in on what, Brock?”

  Brock shook his head “I’m not gonna give you any more details, Dal. I told Jax everything, but you need to keep that shit out of your head.”

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” I bellowed. “I want to see her.”

  “She’s out. Alec gave her a heavy sedative.”

  “Where’s my brother now?” I demanded.

  “He was at the nurse’s station a little while ago.”

  “I’m gonna sit with Macey.”

  “Just gotta warn you, Dal. She’s in bad shape,” Brock said. “Her face is swollen pretty bad. He cut her up, but Alec said the cuts were superficial.”

  I stamped down my rage. “I don’t give a rat’s ass what she looks like, Brock. You need to get the hell out of my way, so I can go and see her.”

  Brock nodded and stepped back, his hands raised in surrender.

  I headed into Macey’s room, dim from the pulled curtains, but not dark enough to hide the damage done to my beautiful woman. I pulled the chair beside her bed and tried to find a place on her face that wasn’t bruised or damaged to kiss, but it didn’t exist, so I took the hand that didn’t have a monitor on it and lifted it to my lips. I could smell her perfume. The vanilla and citrus scent that made me smile whenever she was close.

  I forced back tears. “Hey, baby. I’m here.”

  She didn’t answer me, not that I expected her to, but if I could just hear her voice, I’d know she was okay. The thought of anyone touching her filled me with a rage I couldn’t fathom. Light suddenly spilled into the room and I looked up to see my brother walking inside.

  “Hey, Dal,” Alec whispered.

  Dr. Alec Stone was older than me by two years, and the golden boy of our family. Dark blond hair, green eyes, he and I resembled each other structurally, but our coloring was very different.

  “How is she, really?” I demanded.

  “She’s stable.”

  “Details, Alec.”

  Alec took her pulse. “Legally, I can’t give you details. You know that.”

  “But you’re going to tell me anyway.”

  “No, I’m not,” Alec countered. “Not unless she says it’s okay.”

  “Fuck you, Alec.” I pushed up from the chair and advanced on my brother. “You know what she means to me.”

  “I’m sorry, Dal. Truly. I know you had plans this weekend, and I’m pretty confident of what that outcome would have been, but even so, my hands are tied.”

  Yeah, I had plans. Plans to make life with Macey forever. “Tell me,” I demanded.

  “I can’t.” Alec shook his head. “Now, are you gonna give me room to take care of my patient?”

  I dragged my hands through my hair, stepping back so my brother could examine Macey. After that, I was awarded no more time alone with her. A barrage of family and friends were ever-present, partially to check on her, but mostly, I suspected, to make sure I was okay.

  “Dallas, honey.” Brock’s mother, Melissa, laid a hand on my shoulder. “We’re going to get something to eat. Why don’t you join us?”

  I shook my head, smiling up at the woman who’d become like a second mother to me. “I’m gonna stay.”

  She stroked my cheek. “We’ll bring you something back.”

  I nodded. “Thanks.”

  Melissa squeezed my chin. “She’s going to heal and you’re going to help her.”

  “Wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

  “I know, honey.” She smiled. “You’re a good man, Dallas. She knows it. I know it. We all know it.”
>
  Not good enough to protect her, I thought to myself, but said out loud, “Thanks.”

  Melissa released me and walked out of the room. Payton turned from the door and rushed to my side, leaning down to kiss my cheek. “I love you, Dallas. So does she.”

  “Thanks, babe.”

  Payton slipped out the door and I lifted Macey’s hand to my lips again. “Hey, beautiful. I’d really like to see you wake up soon. I miss you.”

  She didn’t even twitch. I linked my fingers with hers and settled back in the chair to wait. I was exhausted. After my brief conversation with Macey, I’d stayed up late going over scenarios with my commanding officer, made it to my hotel close to one, checking my phone I’d forgot to charge. I found the voicemail from Brock, shoved what I could into a bag and driven in the dead of night for the hospital.

  I should have stayed.

  “Dallas?” Macey whispered.

  I rose to my feet and leaned over her. “Hey, beautiful. You okay?”

  “I need some water.”

  I released her long enough to pour some into a cup and help her drink it. “Are you in pain?”

  “I just gave myself a dose,” she said, and smiled. “Best drugs ever?”

  “Dilaudid?”

  “Fentanyl,” she countered. “Thank God for pain pumps.”

  I sat on the edge of her bed and stroked her cheek. It was covered with a bandage, but I didn’t care. I had to touch her. “Alec said your surgery went well.”

  “I had surgery?”

  “Yeah.”

  Her eyebrows pulled together. “Why?”

  “Don’t you remember?”

  She stared at me for several tense seconds and then gasped, tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t know I had surgery.”

  “It’s gonna be okay,” I promised.

  “I… don’t… I...”

  “Hey,” I whispered. “Just rest. You’ll heal, and we’ll put all of this behind us.”

  “What was the surgery for?” she asked, but quickly closed her eyes. “Wait, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”

  “You don’t need to know anything you don’t want to know right now, sweetheart,” I said. “Just rest.”

  After several minutes of looming silence, she said, “He didn’t wear a kilt.”

  “What, honey?”

  “It wasn’t the Highland Hunter. He didn’t wear a kilt.” She let out a quiet cry. “I’m really sorry.”