Captured Innocence (CSA Case Files) (6 page)

Chapter Six

Lauren didn’t do the damsel in distress well.  She was fully capable of taking care of herself
, and after her mini breakdown at the hospital, she tried to fully convey that to Connor.  He wasn’t having any of it, and within the hour she was back at her place and tucked into bed questioning how that had happened.  She had taken the time to change into her favorite pair of pajama pants and tank top.  As she passed her full-length mirror, Lauren realized her new attire gave him a better view of her breasts, but she currently had the covers tucked underneath her arms.  He didn’t need to know that her nipples had hardened into pebbles as he walked into the room.  His presence affected her physically and she wished she could blame it on her concussion.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I rummaged through the kitchen for some tea bags.”  Connor sat on the side of the bed and held out a steaming cup of hot liquid.
A lock of his hair had fallen over his forehead. “You look like the kind of woman who would like it sweetened, so I added some sugar.  If you’d like me to make you another one, it’s no problem.”

“Um, no,” Lauren replied
.  She quickly finished pulling her hair up into a hair tie, careful of the bump at the back of her head. She took the tea he offered her.  She still felt a dull ache in her wrist, but she was getting used to the pain.  “This is fine.  Thank you.”

“Is there anyone you want me to call?”

“Would that get you to leave?” Lauren asked, immediately feeling guilty for such a snarky reply.  “I’m sorry.  That was uncalled for.  But really, you don’t have to stay here.  I’m fine.”

“If it’s one thing you’ll find with me, Lauren, it’s that I’m honest.”  Connor rested a hand on the other side of her
thighs.  The movement put them in a more intimate position than she was comfortable with but she didn’t want him to know how much he affected her.  “While you were changing, I phoned one of the officers who responded to the 911 call.  He told me that they found you lying on the sidewalk in front of your shop.  You were incoherent for a few moments, which was why they called an ambulance.  Now, you don’t have to like it, but I’m staying the night.  We’re going to follow the nurse’s instruction.  I’ll take the couch and wake you every couple of hours.”

“How did you even know I was at the hospital?”

“It’s not important,” Connor replied, frustrating her even more.  He was very evasive with his answers for a man who claimed to be so honest.  “Get some sleep and we’ll talk more in the morning.”

“Why do you
think that you are even remotely responsible for me?” Lauren asked, wrapping her palms gently against the cup.  The warmth felt good as it traveled to her wrist.  “It was a mugging.  It happens to people in the city all the time.  You don’t really even know me.”

“But I’d like to,” Connor replied, reaching up and
tucking a stray hair behind her ear.  “Let’s save that discussion for another time.  I don’t want you claiming it was your concussion if you end up kissing me.”

Lauren started to protest, but Connor just laughed.  He stood and
then leaned down, placing a kiss on her forehead.  The false security she’d felt at the hospital returned and she tried to shake it off.  There was no way she’d admit that having him out in the living room on her couch made her feel better.  He would take that the wrong way, and at this point she didn’t want to encourage him.

“If you need anything, just holler.”  Connor walked across the room and paused in the open doorway.  Looking back over his shoulder, she noticed that his blue eyes had deepened in color.
  Why did that always resonate something deep within her?  “Get some rest.”

Lauren sipped her tea
as she listened to the sound of him in the kitchen.  He must be getting a glass of water.  Did he know that he should help himself to whatever was in her kitchen?  She didn’t want him to go hungry.  Connor’s voice traveled through the apartment, signaling that he was talking on the phone.  Was it business or personal?  That question had her wondering if maybe he was here because of his investigation.  He never did say why he’d been at the hospital.  The more she thought about it, the more irate she became.  Which didn’t make sense, because one would think she would be relieved it was work-related.

Resting her cup on the nightstand, Lauren scooted deeper under the covers with every intention of sleeping.  She tried.  She really did, but the thought that he was only here because of some case he was working on didn’t sit right with her.  Her life hadn’t been on an even keel since she’d met him.
  He flirted with her, yet she didn’t quite know where he stood.  She flipped back the covers.  Connor needed to go.

Standing, Lauren winced as the blood rushed through her head.  The throbbing increased, but she wasn’t about to let that deter her from what she needed to do.  In bare feet, she shuf
fled across the hardwood floor and out into the living room.  Connor was sitting on the edge of the couch with his cell phone tucked into his ear.  In his hands was an iPad or something similar.  He looked at home in her apartment.

“I’ll check that angle
tomorrow night,” Connor said, using his fingers to type something into his tablet.  “By the way, I tried to track down Greg Winters.  He works for a glass manufacturer and is apparently out of the country until next week.  Can you do your computer thing and find out the exact day, time, and flight that he’ll be on? Oh, and can you locate the street cameras around Lauren’s business address?  See if there is anything there for us to use in finding out who was behind her attack.  I appreciate it, Taryn.  You should head on home soon.  You’ve been at it since the crack of dawn.  Night.”

“If you’re here because you think this is in relation to your case, it isn’t,” Lauren replied.  She kept her
one hand tucked against her abdomen, not wanting to add to her discomfort.  Getting out of bed seemed to make her headache worse as well.  “I can get Ms. Finch to check on me.  You don’t have to feel obligated.”

Connor took the phone away from his ear.  She watched warily as he placed both devices on her coffee table
.  He didn’t move right away and instead just sat on the couch staring at her.  He did that a lot and Lauren resisted the urge to fidget.  She wouldn’t back down.  It was time he left.

“You’d
really rather be subjected to Ms. Finch overnight than me?” Connor asked, placing his hand on his chest.  “I wasn’t aware I had that type of affect on women.”

“Wait,” Lauren said, glancing toward the door.  “How do you know what Ms. Finch is like?”

“I had the pleasure of meeting her while you were changing.  She graciously told me what a nice boy I was for taking care of you.”  Connor flashed a smile.  “I haven’t been called a boy in a long, long time.”

“W
hat did she—never mind,” Lauren said, shaking her head and then wishing she hadn’t.  It was apparent that Ms. Finch had knocked on her door to get the scoop.  “We’re getting off track.  I can see that you’re busy with your investigation, so you should…you know…go do that.”

“I’m
about to go against my better judgment here,” Connor replied, gradually unfolding his frame from the couch.  He walked slowly toward her and she suddenly felt like things had shifted.  She should have stayed in bed.  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you about your excuses in the morning.  If you can get out of bed with what has to be a massive headache to try and get me to leave because you’re cautious of what is developing between us, then you’re cognizant enough to know that your reaction is real.”

Lauren knew what he was going to do before his hands ever cupped her face, but for the life of her, she couldn’t speak or move.
  No protestations fell from her lips.  Maybe somewhere deep down she wanted this to happen to prove that there was no chemistry between them.  If he kissed her and felt nothing, at least he would leave her alone to rest in peace and suffer in silence. 

Connor’s warm lips covered hers and all thought fled.  Her mind shut down.  Her pain receded.  His hands tilted her head, giving him more access.  Lauren felt his tongue glide across her lower lip, as if asking her to
part them and let him inside.  She granted his request and a burst of coffee and mint exploded onto her tongue.  He playfully dueled before seriously exploring and caressing her mouth.  The kiss was unlike any other. He slowly pulled away and she wanted to whimper. 

“Go to bed,
Red,” Connor murmured.  His thumb brushed her cheek before he let his palms drop from her face.  He stepped back.  “Go now, before my common sense takes a hike.”

Lauren nodded, instantly bringing back the throbbing at the base of her
skull.  He was right.  She should go to bed.  Without a word, she spun on her heel and made her way back into the bedroom.  She was sure that her sanity would return in the morning.  It had to.  Otherwise, she was setting herself on a course that would only end in disaster.

* * * *

Connor rubbed his eyes.  He’d been staring at his tablet, hoping to go over some new reports that Crest had emailed him with regards to Terry’s case, but it was useless.  All he kept seeing was the arousal in Lauren’s green eyes.  She had tasted so fucking good. Damn it, he shouldn’t have kissed her. 

Swinging his legs off of the couch, he tossed his tablet on the cushion beside him.  Glancing at his watch, Connor saw that it was two o’clock in the morning.  He
should go check on her but was reluctant to enter her bedroom.  She had this sweet scent about her, almost as if she were wearing an exotic perfume.  He was relatively sure it was her hair, but knew better than to bury his nose in her mane.  If he had, she sure as hell wouldn’t have gone to bed alone.

Connor leaned back against the plush burgundy couch and really looked around, trying to get a sense of her personality.  There was something about Lauren Bailey that had crawled underneath his skin and wouldn’t leave him alone.  She was guarded, yet didn’t have trouble articulating her thoughts on personal matters.  She was attractive but it seemed as if she refused to see herself that way.  She claimed to be vanilla, but Connor couldn’t wrap his brain around the fact that she specifically decorated BDSM toys and implements in high-end jewelry
without being curious about the lifestyle.  Why would she go into a business that she had no interest in?  And the way she touched her wrist…shit.  Had something happened to her in the past to make her afraid of dominant men? 

“No!”

Connor shot off the couch and within seconds, had reached her doorway.  Glancing around, he immediately saw that no one was in her room.  Lauren was thrashing around, her covers down by her feet.  Her body suddenly stilled, as if her dream had been halted, but her whimper indicated it hadn’t. 

Quickly c
rossing the hardwood floor, Connor turned on the bedside lamp.  He sat on the edge of her bed and placed a hand on her arm.  It was cold, so he stroked her skin up and down.  As if knowing he was there, she turned her face toward him.  He felt his chest tighten as a tiny frown marred her forehead.

“Lauren, wake up.”  Connor continued to touch her, wanting to reassure her that she was safe.  “Come on,
Red.  Open those pretty eyes for me.”

A gasp of air left her lips as she came awake.  At first, Connor could see that she wasn’t quite with him.  He let Lauren slowly take things in and as her green eyes cleared, knew that she was finally awake.

“Bad dream?”

“He said something,” Lauren whispered, leaning up on her elbows.  She focused on him and spoke rapidly, as if she didn’t want to lose her memory.  “I was loading the last box of items into my van when I felt someone come up behind me.  Before I could turn,
he grabbed me around the neck. 
You can’t say another word
.  That’s what he said, but I hadn’t even cried out.  I hadn’t said anything.  It doesn’t make sense.”

Lauren paused and looked down, as if just now realizing his fingers were caressing her skin.  Knowing now wasn’t the time to push her, Connor reached behind her and pulled a pillow up against her headboard.  Taking his cue, she sat up.  He remained quiet, knowing that she would continue in her own time. 

“I heard somebody yell at him and that’s when he pushed me to the ground.”  Lauren looked down at her hands.  “I tried to catch myself, but my hands slipped on some ice.  That’s when my head smacked against the cement.”

“Did you see him run off?” Connor asked, trying to keep her memory alive.  Maybe she’d seen something that would be useful in tracking this fucker down. 

“No,” Lauren replied.  “I looked up to see a man standing over me with his cell phone. I think he was a taxi driver. He’d already called the police.”

“Okay.  This is good,” Connor said, reassuring her. 
“Do you remember what his voice sounded like?”

“Um.” Lauren’s brow formed a cute V as she tried to remember.  “It wasn’t as deep as yours.”

Connor’s conversation with Kevin returned.  He let his eyes roam down her body and couldn’t help but appreciate her curves.  Her breasts were full and round, the silk tank top leaving little to the imagination.  Lauren was small enough, though, that a larger woman would have been able to come up behind and easily have subdued her. 

“Do you think it could have been a woman?”