Declan

6

WHEN RACHEL OPENED HER eyes the next morning, she wasn’t sure where she was. She’d slept so deeply and dreamlessly her mind seemed especially slow to grasp reality. She rolled onto her back and looked at the ceiling until the events of the previous night gradually came to her.

Closing her eyes, she listened to the soft sound of Dec’s breathing, just then aware he was beside her in bed. Rachel rolled onto her side and stared at him, her gaze taking in the boyish features of his face. He looked much younger when he slept, his normally serious and watchful expression replaced by a calm beauty that she found stunningly fascinating.

He had the most incredible face, his features in perfect balance-sculpted mouth, straight nose, strong jaw and lashes that would make any girl envious. But his blue eyes were the most devastating feature he possessed, a color so deep and intense that it made Rachel shiver just to think about them.

Her gaze drifted along his body, then stopped at his belly. He was erect, his shaft pushing the fabric of his boxer briefs out into a little tent. Her thoughts wandered back to earlier that morning, to the two incredible orgasms she’d experienced at his hands-and his tongue. She’d expected him to be good-a man as handsome and charming as Declan would have plenty of practice pleasing women. But Dec was beyond good. Rachel knew the limits of her responses and she’d gone soaring past them the moment his tongue began to work.

Everything she’d known about her body, about her own sexual desire, was now useless. Dec had taken her to a level that she’d never experienced before, a place where she lost the ability to rationalize and analyze and was left with nothing but pure instinct. Though she remembered the wild sensation of coming against his tongue, she couldn’t quite put together the details of how he’d gotten her there. Only that it had felt absolutely incredible.

It didn’t matter, Rachel mused. Next time, she’d pay closer attention. Next time, he’d come with her. She reached out and drew a finger down the length of his penis and Dec didn’t move. Emboldened, Rachel carefully tugged the waistband of his boxers down until she revealed the swollen shaft, the velvety skin hot and taut. Without hesitating, Rachel bent over him and took him into her mouth.

At first, he didn’t move, but then Declan slowly came awake. He shifted slightly, but Rachel didn’t pause, determined to see how immune he was to her seduction. Earlier, he’d been adamant about who would enjoy what. But if she teased him into submission before he was even aware of what was going on, then she’d return some of what he’d given her.

“Oh, God,” he murmured. “What the-” He sighed and shifted again. “Oh, yeah. Oh, that feels good.”

Rachel glanced up to find him looking down at her, his gaze still hazy with sleep, his hair rumpled. She turned back to what she was doing, anxious to please. He seemed to grow with each stroke of her tongue and Rachel shoved his boxers down to expose the full length of his shaft.

He was big, bigger than any man she’d known, but that didn’t frighten her. In truth, it made the anticipation even more intense. It was difficult not to imagine him inside her, filling her, making her moan with pleasure. She ran her tongue along the length of him and heard him suck in a sharp breath, then hold it. Would he stop her? Or was Declan already past the point of no return?

Again, she took him into her mouth, this time deeper, setting up a long, slow rhythm. Though she hadn’t had a lot of experience with oral sex, Rachel simply listened to Declan for her cues. He gradually succumbed to the sensations she was causing and could no longer control his reactions, gasping and moaning with each stroke she took, arching on the bed, his hands clutched in the sheets.

“Oh, that feels so good,” he murmured.

She increased her tempo slightly and another moan slipped from deep in his chest. His hips rocked in time with her rhythm and she sensed that he was coming close. But Rachel wanted to make him last, to draw his orgasm out as he had done for her.

He reached down and buried his fingers in her hair, urging her to continue, frantically moving with her. And though she tried to slow down, Dec was already there. Uncontrollable spasms rocked his body and she continued to stroke him with her hand as he came.

He jerked a few times, gulping for breath as he gave in to the pleasure that wracked his body. And when it was over, and he was spent, he threw his arm over his head and groaned. “What the hell did you do to me?” he muttered, reaching down to touch the small pool of cum on his belly.

“No more than you did to me,” Rachel countered, sliding up to lie beside him.

He raked his hand through her hair, then kissed her. “Is this payback?”

“Just returning a favor.” She snuggled against him, throwing her leg over his waist, the dampness of his orgasm sticky on her skin. “So was it as good for you as it was for me?”

He chuckled softly. “Hell, yeah.” Dec dropped a kiss on her forehead. “A nice way to start the day. A guy could get to like that a little too much, I think.”

“A nice way to end the day, too.”

He sighed, distractedly toying with her hair. “We need to go back today,” he reminded her. “I need to stop by the Providence P.D. and check out this Jerry guy.”

“I thought we could spend the day together.”

“We can be together in Providence. If we want to be.”

“And do we?” Rachel asked. “Do we want to be together?”

“I don’t know,” Dec murmured, frowning. “Do we?”

Rachel wasn’t sure what to say. If she said yes and he didn’t intend to continue seeing her, then she left herself open to a lot of hurt. He was an adult, he could make up his mind on his own. The fact that he wanted her to make up his mind for him was a cop-out. And if he’d been one of her listeners, she would have told him just that.

She always did this, expected more than any man was willing to give. But not this time. She pushed up on her elbow and smiled at him. “I guess we’ll have to play it by ear,” she said.

Funny how they were so comfortable with the physical attraction between the two of them, but when it went beyond that, they both hesitated. Rachel drew the sheet up around her naked body. “It shouldn’t take me too long to pack,” she said.

He ran a hand down her arm, then toyed with her fingers. “We don’t have to leave immediately. We could lie here for a little while longer. I could return the favor that you returned to me.”

“No, I want to get back. I have work and I need to move my things out of that apartment and back into my house. My life can get back to normal now. It’s about time.” Rachel tossed the sheet aside and crawled out of bed, then wrapped her robe around her body.

She hated this. They’d started out so honestly and simply, both of them wanting the same thing-each other. But now, everything had turned complicated. Suddenly, there were feelings involved-and after just a few days together!

“You should probably take a shower,” she murmured, pulling her suitcase from the closet. “And I have to pack.”

Dec tugged his boxers back up, then got out of bed and followed her across the room, stepping up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the curve of her neck. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“I don’t know.” She paused. “This was all such a fantasy, coming up here, being together. But now we’re going back to our real lives.”

“Do you think real life is going to change this thing we have for each other?”

“I don’t know,” Rachel murmured, her voice wavering. “I guess we’ll have to see.”

He kissed her again, then walked out of the room. She watched him go, staring at his finely muscled back as he left. Then she shook her head as if to rid herself of the haze of passion that had been obscuring her thoughts the past few days.

Rachel found her purse, then dug through the contents until she found her cell phone. She turned it on, hoping that it was charged, then waited to see if she had a signal. When she did, she punched in the number of her office.

Simon picked up the phone after the second ring. “Professor Merrill’s office,” he said.

“Simon? It’s Rachel.”

“Professor Merrill, I’ve been trying to get a hold of you. I’ve been calling your cell, but you haven’t picked up.”

“I-I accidentally turned it off,” she lied.

“Professor Ellsworth has been trying to get you as well. The editor for your journal article called and they need the final edits back by the end of this week, not next. Professor Ellsworth said that he won’t approve the article without your final input.”

“Tell Daniel I’ll be in later this afternoon and we’ll finish then.” Daniel was the only one outside of Trevor Ross’s people who knew about her stalker. He’d understand why she hadn’t been available. “I’ll see you later, Simon.”

She hung up the phone, then began to gather her things, trying to turn her thoughts toward the work she had to complete before the next semester began. It was usually so easy to focus on her professional projects, but her mind was easily distracted lately.

Rachel pulled a dress from the closet, then tossed the rest of her things into her bag, not bothering to fold or smooth anything. She let her robe drop to the floor, then tugged the dress over her head. She found a pair of panties in the top drawer and pulled them on, then threw the remainder of her underwear on top of her other clothes.

When she was finished, she zipped up the bag and dragged it out to the hall. She was just passing the bathroom when Declan emerged. His hair was wet and standing in spikes and though he carried a towel, he hadn’t bothered to wrap it around his naked body.

She stopped short, then moved to the left at the same time he moved to the right. They went back and forth a few more times, each mirroring the other’s attempts to get by. Finally, Dec cursed and grabbed the suitcase, then set it behind him. In the next instant, he grabbed her around the waist and brought his mouth down on hers, kissing her deeply and thoroughly.

He pressed her back against the wall, her arms pinned up over her head, his mouth hot on her skin. At first, Rachel was stunned by the ferocity of his desire, but then she decided she liked it. It was a wonderful feeling to have a man want her so fiercely that he couldn’t keep his hands off of her.

The towel dropped to the floor and Dec’s hands tangled in her hair. The kiss grew more intense with every second that passed as Dec ravaged her mouth with his tongue. When he finally drew away, he looked down into her eyes. His lips curled into a satisfied smile as he glanced down at his hard penis. “Any questions?”

All Rachel could manage was a breathless “nope” before he turned and walked into his bedroom. The door clicked shut behind him and Rachel fell back against the wall, her knees suddenly weak.

THE RIDE BACK TO PROVIDENCE was so different from the ride up to Maine, Dec mused. The earlier trip had been full of laughter and conversation, good music and, most importantly, anticipation. But all of that had given way to something else on the return trip. Conversation seemed stilted and Rachel seemed horribly ill at ease. In truth, the first two hours on the road were the worst kind of hell Declan had ever experienced with a woman. He’d thought he’d made his feelings clear to Rachel in the hallway, proving to her that no matter where they were, he’d still want her.

But in retrospect, Dec wondered if his little “attack” had done more to scare her than to reassure her of his desire. By the time they’d reached the other side of Boston, Dec had decided to use Rachel’s tactics to get her talking. “So,” he said. “When I went down on you last night, how did it feel?”

She gasped. “What?”

“Just curious,” he said. “I mean, you’re not the only one who’s allowed to ask questions like that. Just because you’re the Princess of Sex doesn’t mean I’m not interested in what makes you tick.”

“I am not the Princess of Sex,” Rachel said indignantly.

“Oh, all right,” Dec replied. “The Queen of Sex. Or is it the Empress of Sex?”

“I know what you’re doing,” she said. “You’re baiting me. Well, it won’t work.”

“You’re the one who is always talking about how we should be honest with each other. I want to know how you feel when you come. What do you think about?”

Rachel stared out the car window. “I’m not going to answer that question. I don’t think you really want to know anyway.”

Dec glanced over his shoulder then quickly switched lanes, before pulling up on the shoulder of the freeway. He stopped the car, then turned to her. “I want to know. I want to know everything about you.”

Rachel glanced out the rear window, then looked at him. “What are you doing? Someone is going to come crashing into us. This is a freeway. You can’t just pull over for no reason.”

“I have a pretty good reason,” Dec said. “And I want an answer to my question. Or we’ll sit here forever.”

“You are such a…oh, you’re just so…” She cursed in frustration. “All right, you want to know what I was thinking? I was thinking you were the only man who’d ever taken the time to tend to my needs first. And everything you did, every sensation you made me feel, was something I wasn’t going to forget. It was like you just opened a door and I stepped through and now, nothing will ever be the same again.”

Dec let out a tightly held breath. “Holy shit,” he murmured. Her answer took him by complete surprise. He expected that she’d tell him she felt good, all warm and gooey inside, that when she came she felt the heavens part and the angels sing. But then, he should have known Rachel would be completely and utterly honest with him.

“Holy shit?” she shouted. “That’s all you have to say? I just bared my soul to you.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Dec said. “I didn’t really mean that. I’m just…stunned.”

“What? You’re stunned that you were so good that I’m going to compare every other man to you? Or you’re stunned that I told you how I felt?”

“No,” he said, desperate to have her understand. “I’m stunned no other man has ever made you feel that way, Rachel. You’re a beautiful, smart, sexy woman and if no other man has appreciated you, then you’ve been hanging around with the wrong kind of men.”

She blinked, as if his reply took her by complete surprise. “Oh,” she murmured.

“Oh?” he said in a soft, teasing tone. “Is that all you have to say?”

She smiled reluctantly, a pretty blush turning her cheeks pink. “No. That was a very nice thing you said. And I know you’re not like other men I’ve known. I knew that from the start.”

“From the minute you got me with the pepper spray?”

“No. After that. When you came out of the bathroom with that towel hanging around your neck. When I saw your eyes.”

Dec sat back in his seat. “See there? That wasn’t so bad.” He put the car back into gear and glanced over his shoulder, then pulled back out onto the highway.

They drove for a while in silence, both of them still contemplating what had just been said. “So, here’s how I see things,” Dec finally ventured. “We’d be lying to ourselves if we didn’t acknowledge the attraction between us. And though things may have begun in an…unconventional manner, there’s no reason why we can’t just take a few steps back. So, I propose we go out on a date.”

“Don’t you think we’re a little bit past that?” Rachel asked.

“No, I don’t. I think it’s important we spend some time together, in public, where we can’t possibly try to seduce each other, which is what goes on when we’re alone.”

“And when do you propose we have this date?” Rachel asked.

“How about tonight?”

She shook her head and for a moment, Dec thought she was going to discard the idea outright. “No, that’s too soon. If a man asks a woman out, she should get at least four days notice. Any less than that and she’ll look too eager, any more than that and he’ll look too eager.”

“I suspect this is one of those rules you dispense on your radio show?” Dec asked.

“It’s a good guideline,” she said. “That, and never, ever have sex on the first date.” Rachel sent him a smug smile.

“All right. It’s Wednesday. That means we can go out on Saturday night.”

“I work on Saturday night. My shift starts at ten and ends at one a.m. I have to be at the station by nine-thirty.”

“That will give us plenty of time for an early movie and dinner,” Dec said. “Perfect. I’ll pick you up at your place.” He paused. “I don’t know where you live. Where do you live?”

Rachel giggled. “I’ll show you, since you’ll be taking me home.” She relaxed back into the soft leather seat of his BMW. “It’s going to be nice to get back home. I miss sleeping in my own bed. And having my things around me.”

From that moment on, the mood in the car changed. Whatever had been bothering Rachel before had been alleviated and she was her usual candid and witty self. They talked about the date they’d have and he made suggestions for the restaurant while she gave him dating dos and don’ts. In the end, they decided he’d pick the restaurant and she’d pick the movie.

Dec was truly looking forward to spending an evening with Rachel, just talking and enjoying her company, without seduction on his mind. Sure, he’d be thinking about how nice it would be to kiss her or touch her or undress her, but there wouldn’t be any possibility of that while they were out in public. And, according to Rachel’s rules, not on the first date anyway.

So it would be a simple date, a chance for them to get to know each other a little better, to spend some time talking and laughing, time for him to confirm what he already knew-that Rachel was the most intriguing woman he’d ever met. He’d be satisfied to see where things went from there.

When they turned off the interstate and headed into Providence, Dec was sure things were back on the right track again. He tried to keep himself from pulling the car over to the curb and kissing her, just to make sure. From now on, he’d take more care to make sure Rachel wasn’t pressured to feel something she didn’t.

Hell, this was new to him as well. He’d always had women waiting in line, willing to do what it took to spend a night in his bed. But in retrospect, Dec realized it hadn’t made him really want a woman in a very long time-at least not in the same way he wanted Rachel.

She gave him directions to her house and he steered through the city. Strangely enough, every direction she gave put him on the same route as the one he took from his downtown office to his house in Colonial Hill. To his surprise, they turned down a street just three blocks from his house and Rachel pointed to a pretty two-story colonial surrounded by tall trees.

“That’s it,” she said. “The white one with the dark blue shutters.”

“I can’t believe this,” Dec muttered, as he pulled in the driveway. “You live here?”

She nodded. “This is the house that sex bought. I used to have an apartment close to the university, but I got this a few years ago when I took the radio job.”

“I live three blocks away from here,” Dec said. “I run past this house almost every morning. I didn’t know you lived here.”

“And I didn’t know you lived there,” she said. “How come I never saw you around the neighborhood?”

“I run early in the morning. I usually spend my weekends with my family in Bonnett Harbor. Maybe we just weren’t meant to meet until now.”

“Maybe not,” she said with a playful grin.

He jumped out of the car and jogged around to Rachel’s door, then politely opened it for her. She got out and stretched her arms over her head. “It’s good to be home,” she said. “I’m going to take a shower in my own bathroom and lay on my own sofa and read my own books. It’s going to be strange though.”

“How is that?” Dec asked as he fetched her bags from the trunk of the BMW.

“I can relax. I don’t always have to be looking over my shoulder. I can go places and do things again. Maybe I’ll go to the grocery store. Or for a walk. Or just go out for a drive.”

Dec followed her around to the side door of the house, waiting while she found her keys in her purse and unlocked the door. They entered a large kitchen, beautifully decorated with pale cabinets and a granite-covered island, cozy yet airy. This was the first chance he’d had to see how Rachel really lived, to walk around and look at her belongings.

Dec didn’t waste any time, setting the bags down next to the door. “Can I look around?” he asked, glancing at her collection of odd refrigerator magnets.

She shrugged. “Sure. I can take you on the tour if you’d like.”

Nodding, he took her hand as they walked from the kitchen through a short hallway into the front of the house. They stopped in the foyer and Dec walked over to the front door. The lock system was ancient, an old deadbolt and button lock on the knob, with no reinforcement on the doorframe. He could gain entrance with a shove of his shoulder. “We’re going to have to do something about this,” he said.

“My door?”

“Your security,” Dec replied. “Any halfwit burglar could be in here in less than five seconds.” Dec walked over to the window beside the door. “You could use a glass break alarm on this window. If the guy didn’t want to expend the effort to bust the door down, he could just break this window and reach in and unlock it. And you should have sash alarms on every window and motion detectors on the first floor.”

“But this is a pretty safe neighborhood. And I always lock my doors.”

He stepped over to her and took her hand, then kissed her fingertips. “Sweetheart, you’re the expert in sex and I have been happy to defer to you on that. But I’m the security expert and this house is a burglary waiting to happen. I’m going to send some of my guys over here tomorrow morning to spec out a system for you.”

“All right,” she said. “But don’t make it too complicated. I can’t even program my VCR.”

“Don’t worry,” he murmured, dropping a kiss on her mouth. “It’ll come with private lessons taught by the president of the company.”

Rachel pushed upon her toes and kissed him and Dec took the opportunity to give her a kiss that would last for however long they were apart. Hell, four days suddenly seemed like an eternity. “Can I call you?” he asked.

Rachel nodded. “Sure. My number is in the book.”

“Well, that’s going to have to change too,” he said, nipping at her bottom lip. “You should have an unlisted number.”

“Stop,” Rachel said, giving him a teasing slap on the chest.

He grabbed her face between his hands and kissed her again. “I can’t stop,” he whispered. “Don’t make me.” Dec gave her one last kiss, then smoothed his hand through her hair and stepped back. “I should go.”

“You’ll call me?”

“Yeah. And I might jog by your house a few times a day, just to make sure everything is all right.”

“I’ll look forward to seeing you run by,” Rachel said. “Make sure you’re wearing very tight shorts.”

Dec chuckled as Rachel unlocked the front door and walked out with him. They stood on the porch for a long moment before she reached out and grabbed his hand. “Thank you,” she said, twisting her fingers through his. “For everything. For watching over me. For taking me to Maine. For making me feel safe.”

“No problem,” he said. “So, I’ll see you Saturday?”

Rachel nodded. Maybe there was a chance they could make this work, Dec thought. In the beginning, it had been about the sexual attraction. But now, it looked as if they might share more. He drew in a deep breath. Best not to think too far ahead into the future. He would just take this one day at a time.

And if they ended up in her bed-or his-he’d enjoy the experience, whether there would be a next time or not.

RACHEL PICKED UP THE LAST page of the manuscript and carefully read through the bibliography. She felt as if she was finally accomplishing something today. She’d had all three of her Thursday morning group therapy sessions at her office downtown and then, after a late lunch, she’d come back to campus to catch up on all the work she’d missed.

“I think there’s a later edition of that Barrington book,” she murmured. “Do you think we should cite that instead?”

“Which book did you use for reference?” Daniel asked.

“The 1963 edition,” she said.

“Leave it. If they want to change it, they will.”

Rachel handed him the page. “So would you like Simon to type up the edits or are you going to give it to your assistant?”

Daniel chuckled. “Give it to Simon. He’s eager to please. And from now on, when you’re out of the office for more than a day, be sure to give him a call. He was frantically trying to find you yesterday morning. He called me three times to see if I’d heard from you.”

“He’s just doing his job,” Rachel said.

“I think he’s in love with you,” Daniel countered.

“Simon? No, I don’t think so.”

Daniel carefully rearranged the pages of the article. “It’s not so difficult to believe,” he murmured. “Any man that really knew you would have a hard time not falling in love with you.”

Rachel gasped softly, stunned by the look on his face. “Daniel, I-I-”

“You don’t have to say anything,” he continued. “You don’t have to tell me I’m married. You don’t have to tell me my wife loves me very much. And that I’d be putting my marriage at risk. I just had to get that out there.”

“Were you hoping I’d want something more?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Nope. Because, that would be one of the biggest mistakes I’d ever make. You’re a colleague and an old friend and I know better than to put our friendship at risk. But I’m not going to lie to you. There are times, when my marriage is not the best and when I wonder what might have happened if I’d been single when you took this job and you’d been interested.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just never thought about it. Not because you aren’t a great guy, but because you’re married.”

“And if I wasn’t?”

Rachel shrugged. “Well, there is this man I’ve met and he’s-”

Daniel held up his hand. “Say no more. Declan Quinn seems like a charming guy, although I wouldn’t have pegged him as your type. But I can see you must care for him.”

“How?”

“You look different. Happy. Excited.” He set the article on her desk. “How did you meet him?”

“Trevor Ross sent him over last weekend after I got another threatening letter at the station. He was my bodyguard.”

“He told me he was a salesman,” Daniel said.

“Well, he probably told you that because he suspected you might be my stalker. But they caught the guy sending the letters.”

“Who was it?” Daniel asked.

“Jerry Abler. An intern at the radio station. He seemed like such a nice guy.” She frowned. “They’re still holding him. I was going to go over and talk to him but Ross’s people told me I shouldn’t.”

“They’re right,” Daniel said. “It’s best to just put this behind you.”

“Right,” Rachel said. She drew in a deep breath. “So, I guess we’re done here.”

Daniel nodded, then smiled sheepishly. “Listen, forget what I said before. Just wipe it out of your head. I’m just feeling a little bit battered lately.”

“Are you having trouble with Marcy? If you are, I could help you out with that. Maybe find you a marriage counselor.”

“I think you’re the last person we need helping us out with our marriage,” Daniel said. “We’ll work it out. But thanks for your concern.”

“And thank you,” Rachel said. “You know, you’re the only person I’ve told about my work at the station and my little stalker problem. I’m glad I can confide in you. You’re a good friend, Daniel.”

“I will always be a good friend,” he said as he pulled her office door open.

Rachel watched as he left the outer office, a melancholy smile on her face. There might have been a time when Daniel’s overture would have been welcomed, before he was married, before she’d met Dec. But now, all she could feel was sad that he was so unhappy in his marriage. Everyone deserved to find that one great passion in their life, the one person who could make life exciting. Maybe Daniel could recapture that with Marcy. Rachel made a mental note to put together some books that might provide help. And get together a list of marital counselors. It was the least she could do for a friend.

Rachel went back inside her office and grabbed the manuscript, along with her purse and her briefcase. She wrote a quick note on top of the manuscript, then dropped it on Simon’s desk before she left.

Her car was parked in a surface lot not far from her office and Rachel took her time walking over, enjoying the sense of freedom she now had. She hadn’t realized how much having a stalker had affected her life. There had always been an underlying fear in everything she’d done, everywhere she’d gone. And now, that fear had vanished and she felt as if she could live her life again.

Today was Thursday. She had to wait another two days to see Dec, but in that time she planned to shop for a new dress, get her hair highlighted and her nails done, and decide on the perfect movie for them to see. It was strange. She was even enjoying the anticipation of their date, wondering what it would be like to just focus on each other for an evening, without the possibility of seduction surrounding them.

That possibility would probably always be there when they were together, Rachel mused. It was difficult not to think of Dec in those terms. Every time she looked at him, she found herself mentally undressing him, then mentally going through all the things she wanted to do to him once he was undressed. She could play out an entire seduction in her head, from first kiss to final orgasm and Rachel was sure even that fantasy wouldn’t live up to the reality.

But there was time for them now and she didn’t mind waiting. Waiting would make everything so much more intense once it actually happened. Rachel crossed the lawn to the parking lot, all the while going over the delicious details in her head.

She found her car where she had left it, but as she was unlocking the door, she noticed something odd. A long, deep scratch ran across the lower part of the door. She followed it, only to find that it ran the entire length of the Lexus sedan. Someone had keyed her car!

She knew there had been instances of vandalism on campus, but security kept that to a minimum. As she walked around the car, an uneasy feeling began to set in. Maybe this wasn’t a random act of vandalism. Maybe this had been deliberate. She’d never really believed Jerry was her stalker. What if the real one was still out there and the police had made a mistake? They’d ignored her case for so long, perhaps they’d just arrested the first convenient person they’d found.

But Jerry had confessed. Why would he have confessed when he didn’t do anything? Rachel groaned softly. She ought to know, since she understood the psychology of interrogation. Jerry had always seemed like such a sweet, shy guy, the kind of guy who got pushed around at the radio station, asked to pull all the worst shifts. When the other interns were out at the clubs on Friday and Saturday nights, Jerry was covering the shifts they were supposed to take.

It was easy for a guy like that to want a little attention. And if he’d been accused of doing something unlawful, perhaps accepting the blame was a way to increase his street cred with his fellow interns. She’d personally seen the way he sought their approval.

“No,” she murmured, getting into her car. “This is over. Dec said it was over and he knows what he’s talking about. He wouldn’t make a mistake.”

But as she drove to campus security to report the incident, Rachel’s mind began to spin with the possibilities. As she waited at a light, paranoia began to set in and odd little comments niggled at her brain. First, there was Daniel. He’d basically professed his unrequited love for her. Harboring a secret affection could give him every motivation to stalk her. And then there was Simon, who according to Daniel, was also carrying a torch for her. And then there were her clients and her students and her colleagues, any of whom could be concealing a hidden resentment.

Her first instinct was to call Declan and tell him what had happened. But after careful thought, she decided he would probably overreact and lock her up until he was sure she was safe. She’d just gained her freedom again, she wasn’t going to lose it due to her own paranoia.

“I’m just tired,” she said. “This is all just some post-traumatic panic attack.”

Rachel spent the next half hour with campus security detailing what had happened, then headed for home. Security reassured her that they would look into it and informed her that campus cameras may have picked up video proof of the perpetrator.

Satisfied and somewhat calmed, she headed for home. But when she got there, Rachel began to feel uneasy. She’d planned to do some gardening, planting a few flower pots for her porch. But instead, she locked herself inside the house.

As Dec had promised, a crew had showed up that morning to wire her house with alarms, but they wouldn’t complete the job for another day or two. She walked back and forth in the hallway, trying to work through her fears, telling herself that they were unfounded.

But the more she attempted to calm herself, the more upset she became. Rachel hurried to the kitchen and picked up the phone, ready to call Declan. She wouldn’t tell him what had happened, she’d just call to talk. His voice had a way of calming her. That would be enough.

She snatched her purse off the counter and searched through it for his business card. He’d written his cell phone number on the back, along with his address and his home phone number. She decided to try the cell phone first.

Punching in the number, she said a silent prayer that he’d pick up. Perhaps he’d be ready to head out for a run and she’d suggest he’d stop by for something to drink. Or maybe he was coming home from work and he’d drive by to say hello. Her mind conjured all kinds of excuses for him to come over and allay her fears.

It rang three times before his voice mail picked up. Rachel listened to the message, then hung up before leaving hers. With trembling hands, she set the phone down and stepped away, her need for Declan suddenly overwhelming her.

She’d known him for just a few days, and though they’d spent more time together than many couples who had dated for months, she still shouldn’t feel so dependent upon him. Rachel opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of wine, uncorked it and took a drink from the bottle.

“Don’t be such a baby,” she murmured to herself. “You’re just looking for any excuse to see him. If it wasn’t the vandalism on your car, you’d find another reason.”

She’d thought it was nearly impossible to resist Dec when she was with him. But now Rachel had found it was just as difficult to resist him when she wasn’t. Somehow, she suspected that until they were together twenty-four hours a day and enjoying a wild and wonderful sex life, she’d never be satisfied.