ante, making this even more personal.
“What does he know?”
Soft sobs fell from her lips. “He’s close,” she whispered.
“Shauna.” He took her by the shoulders and shook her. “What does he know?”
Abruptly, she stood and started to pace.
“Come on. What’s going on inside that head of yours?”
She stopped and glared at him. “He has my personal thoughts about who I think he might be. My profile of him. How I’ve gone about looking for him most of my life.”
“Whoa, there. Hold up. Rewind that.” He cracked his neck. “Most of your life? As in years?”
“Years.” She stared him down, as if she was daring him to say something. “Those journals. He might be able to use them against us.”
“What is in them that I don’t know? What are you keeping from me?” He took out her suitcase and placed it on the bed, dumping the clothes on the floor in it.
“I’ve jotted down what we’ve been up to.” She placed her hands on her hips. “What are you doing?”
“Packing…what does it look like?” He held the suitcase open and in one swift motion, he dumped the things lining the top of the dresser into the suitcase. Her birth control pills didn’t go unnoticed.
“And just where am I going?” Much to his relief, the confidence in her voice had come back.
“To my apartment.” He turned to her.
Stunned didn’t describe her gaping jaw. He nodded. “No way in hell do I want a lecture from my mother if she ever found out I let you stay here after this.”
“Leave your mother out of this. I think I can handle myself.” She sneered at him.
“No shit, but the Princess Killer knows we’re onto him. He’s going to come after us.” He took her by the wrist and stood so close to her that it caused his heart to skip a beat. “I think we both know this killer just claimed his territory and we’re both safer if we’re together.” His nose almost touched hers and her eyes dug into his soul.
“I can’t stay with you.” Her chest rose up and down in perfect unison with his.
“No one has to know. We’ll leave your car here. It will look as though you still live here. But if you think I’ll let you stay alone after this, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“Don’t you dare dictate to me.”
“Oh, for the love of God, be reasonable. Some psycho just broke into your room. Do you want to end up like the others?”
Her eyes widened and she swallowed. “Of course…not.” Her face paled.
“Jesus, Shauna. I’m sorry.” He pulled her close to him, forcing her hands to his shoulders. “But you understand being alone is stupid and you are not stupid.”
He traced her profile with his knuckles and stared into her stubborn, but welcoming blue eyes. A feeling stirred in him that he thought long ago had died. His partner brought it to life, a thought that snapped him back to reality.
He stepped back, still holding her hips. “I’m sorry.”
“I can’t stay with you.”
“Then I will stay with you. I mean it. From this point on, we’re glued together.” He took a deep breath.
“If I were a man?” she questioned. “Travis, it shouldn’t matter. I’m a field agent, just like you. Please don’t hold my brief moment of panic against me.”
“Oh please. You’re a first and skirt, and my responsibility. Now finish packing or I’ll throw you over my shoulder and carry you out if I have to.”
Shauna opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
“Shit.” Travis tossed one of her shirts at her suitcase and walked out of the bedroom. “Nice move.” He paced waiting for her. The only thing Shauna was to him was his partner. Damn hot partner at that.
Now his freaking roommate. “Let’s get a move on,” he yelled toward the bedroom, wondering how the hell he would get through the next few days without losing his job or getting slapped.
****
Shauna started stuffing her belongings in her suitcase. Damn him. How could she let Travis affect her? The fact that the
“What does he know?”
Soft sobs fell from her lips. “He’s close,” she whispered.
“Shauna.” He took her by the shoulders and shook her. “What does he know?”
Abruptly, she stood and started to pace.
“Come on. What’s going on inside that head of yours?”
She stopped and glared at him. “He has my personal thoughts about who I think he might be. My profile of him. How I’ve gone about looking for him most of my life.”
“Whoa, there. Hold up. Rewind that.” He cracked his neck. “Most of your life? As in years?”
“Years.” She stared him down, as if she was daring him to say something. “Those journals. He might be able to use them against us.”
“What is in them that I don’t know? What are you keeping from me?” He took out her suitcase and placed it on the bed, dumping the clothes on the floor in it.
“I’ve jotted down what we’ve been up to.” She placed her hands on her hips. “What are you doing?”
“Packing…what does it look like?” He held the suitcase open and in one swift motion, he dumped the things lining the top of the dresser into the suitcase. Her birth control pills didn’t go unnoticed.
“And just where am I going?” Much to his relief, the confidence in her voice had come back.
“To my apartment.” He turned to her.
Stunned didn’t describe her gaping jaw. He nodded. “No way in hell do I want a lecture from my mother if she ever found out I let you stay here after this.”
“Leave your mother out of this. I think I can handle myself.” She sneered at him.
“No shit, but the Princess Killer knows we’re onto him. He’s going to come after us.” He took her by the wrist and stood so close to her that it caused his heart to skip a beat. “I think we both know this killer just claimed his territory and we’re both safer if we’re together.” His nose almost touched hers and her eyes dug into his soul.
“I can’t stay with you.” Her chest rose up and down in perfect unison with his.
“No one has to know. We’ll leave your car here. It will look as though you still live here. But if you think I’ll let you stay alone after this, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“Don’t you dare dictate to me.”
“Oh, for the love of God, be reasonable. Some psycho just broke into your room. Do you want to end up like the others?”
Her eyes widened and she swallowed. “Of course…not.” Her face paled.
“Jesus, Shauna. I’m sorry.” He pulled her close to him, forcing her hands to his shoulders. “But you understand being alone is stupid and you are not stupid.”
He traced her profile with his knuckles and stared into her stubborn, but welcoming blue eyes. A feeling stirred in him that he thought long ago had died. His partner brought it to life, a thought that snapped him back to reality.
He stepped back, still holding her hips. “I’m sorry.”
“I can’t stay with you.”
“Then I will stay with you. I mean it. From this point on, we’re glued together.” He took a deep breath.
“If I were a man?” she questioned. “Travis, it shouldn’t matter. I’m a field agent, just like you. Please don’t hold my brief moment of panic against me.”
“Oh please. You’re a first and skirt, and my responsibility. Now finish packing or I’ll throw you over my shoulder and carry you out if I have to.”
Shauna opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
“Shit.” Travis tossed one of her shirts at her suitcase and walked out of the bedroom. “Nice move.” He paced waiting for her. The only thing Shauna was to him was his partner. Damn hot partner at that.
Now his freaking roommate. “Let’s get a move on,” he yelled toward the bedroom, wondering how the hell he would get through the next few days without losing his job or getting slapped.
****
Shauna started stuffing her belongings in her suitcase. Damn him. How could she let Travis affect her? The fact that the
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