Текст книги "Holly's dream lover fantasy"

Автор книги: Verena Vincent

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Verena Vincent
Holly's Dream Lover Fantasy

Prologue

Holly wasn't quite sure what woke her. All she knew was that one moment she was sound asleep, alone in her queen-sized bed as usual, and the next she was completely awake and absolutely certain that something was wrong. At first she thought maybe she had been startled out of her slumber by the screech of a passing ambulance's siren or perhaps a dog barking outside her window. But that wasn't it. Those sounds were common enough and had never given her this feeling of panic upon waking. This was something else. Something close and personal. And very, very threatening.

Her impulse was to reach over and turn on the bedside table lamp and vanquish her paranoid delusion with just the turn of a switch, but some instinct told her that would be a very big mistake. If she startled a thief she probably wouldn't survive this encounter, especially if she could identify his face.

Unsure what to do she stayed perfectly still, trying to keep her breathing as deep and regular as possible. She didn't know why, but it seemed important to appear like she was still asleep.

Waiting in the dark for something to happen was torture. She became hyperaware of her surroundings. Her white sheets, fresh from the laundry, felt cool and crisp against her skin. The scent of her own strawberry-scented organic shampoo tickled her nose and she remembered that she'd gone to bed with her long, curly hair still damp from the shower.

Most of all she was cognizant of her heart's frantic thump. It sounded unnaturally loud and urgent in the still room, and she thought how odd it would be if she went into cardiac arrest at the age of 29. Of course, if she truly wasn't alone, then a heart attack might just be preferable to the alternative. But she refused to think about that.

Unable to sustain the horrible anticipation a moment longer, Holly opened her eyes just a slit. She'd been half-expecting to see someone standing there, looming over her, but she seemed utterly alone. Nothing out of place. The room was very dark, but her bedside clock illuminated her surroundings enough that she was able to discern the shape of her bureau against the far wall, and the silhouette of her reading lamp on the bedside table. No sign of an intruder and yet something wasn't right. What was it exactly?

Scanning the room, something on the floor caught her eye. The cherry hardwood floors looked black in the moonlight, but the fluffy yellow throw rug next to her bed was quite visible. There was something on it. Something dark which did not belong.

She thought back. Had she left an item of clothing there? She wasn't typically a clean freak, but she rarely left things just lying around either. If she didn't feel like putting something away she had a tendency to throw it in her walk-in closet to deal with later. But she supposed she could have just left her jeans lying there. She had been tired last night. She'd worked late and had fallen into bed after slipping on the lacy pale lilac camisole and matching boy-short panties she was currently wearing.

Squinting her eyes, she tried to make out the exact shape of the item on the floor. It really didn't look like clothing. It looked like a bag or a knapsack of some sort. Could she have brought her camera equipment in here? Didn't seem likely. She usually left everything in her temperature-controlled dark room on the other side of the apartment.

This is ridiculous, she thought to herself. Why am I lying here wondering about what's on my rug, when I could just flip a switch and satisfy my curiosity? She was just about to reach over and turn on the light when something made her freeze. It was the bed. It had shifted, just slightly. She hadn't moved, so there was only one explanation. Someone else was here. On the other side of her bed. Waiting.

Adrenaline shot through her and she closed her eyes tightly again, hoping this was some terrible nightmare brought on by her poor diet and penchant for horror movies. But it wasn't a dark dream. It was happening. Now that she was aware someone was in the room with her she could actually hear his shallow, even breathing.

Trying to think rationally, she attempted to come up with a plan before he got tired of waiting. Were there any weapons nearby? No. Nothing. There was a security bar in the patio door frame on the other side of the room, but she doubted she could reach it before he fell upon her.

If she screamed, would anyone hear her? Yes. She lived on the bottom floor of a quaint turn-of-the-century building in downtown Vancouver. There were thousands of people sleeping and living within shouting distance of her.

But if she screamed, wouldn't he be likely to panic? And maybe hurt her before someone came to her rescue? But the odds were that he was looking to harm her anyway. Why else would he be in her room at night? Better to scream and stand a chance than lie here and wait for him to reveal his sinister purpose for being here.

Drawing in a deep breath, she was just about to unleash an ear-splitting screech when the sound of knocking shattered the silence. It was coming from the front door of her apartment and was followed by a commanding voice.

"Holly Chambers? This is the VPD. We've had a report of a prowler. Please open up and let us check the premises."

The voice shocked her out of her paralysis and into action. She dropped to the floor and was scrambling forward like a startled jackrabbit, intent on putting as much distance between her and the dark form on the bed as possible. She got to her feet and threw open her bedroom door with enough force to send it flying against the wall. She didn't look behind her but she was vaguely aware of movement away from her and towards the patio door. Oh, thank God. He's not going to grab me, was her only thought as she sprinted through her dark apartment towards the front door and, hopefully, salvation.

An hour later, Holly was sitting at her own small kitchen table, watching her tea cup shake as she tried to bring it to her lips without dropping lukewarm Earl Grey down the front of her camisole. After two tries, she set the cup down and crossed her arms over her chest to keep her hands from trembling.

The police officer sitting across from her was watching her with so much concern in his expressive brown eyes that she feared she would burst into tears at any second. He really needed to stop doing that. She was having a hard enough time keeping her emotions together without this gorgeous cop watching her so closely; like he was sincerely worried she was going to freak out at any second.

A big part of her wanted him to leave so she could finally stop pretending she was alright, and indulge in a minor breakdown. But she was also terrified of being alone. How exactly was she going to sleep again? And here of all places. No, she needed to keep him here a little longer. At least until her mother arrived.

If she had met Constable Delgado under different circumstances she would have been wondering if he was actually a stripper in a police officer costume. He was just way too attractive to be a cop. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be wearing rip-away velcro pants or a vibrating billy club like the cop impersonator she'd seen at her cousin's bachelorette.

This grim-faced giant with the wide chest and chiselled cheekbones was the real deal. After he'd gently removed her from his chest, Officer Delgado had shown her his identification before searching her apartment. He'd even reported his whereabouts on the small radio receiver attached to his collar, just like in the movies.

If this was a typical evening, and they'd met under different circumstances, she'd feel self-conscious about being practically naked in front him. But tonight she wasn't concerned about her lack of makeup or her bed-ravaged hair at all. She was a bit embarrassed at the way she'd launched herself into his arms when she'd finally gotten her apartment door open, but other than that, she just didn't care. These things seemed pretty inconsequential compared with what had happened earlier. Or more to the point, what had almost happened earlier.

Luckily, one of her neighbors had actually noticed someone skulking around behind her apartment. Considering the many homeless people who roamed the West End it was a real miracle someone had bothered to call the police regarding this particular incident. But they had, and for that she was incredibly fortunate.

Judging by the contents of the black bag her intruder had left on the rug in her bedroom, her evening would have ended most unpleasantly if the police hadn't been called. She shuddered to think what that bastard had been planning.

Delgado's partner, Constable Gill, had just left to do yet another sweep of the neighborhood. She didn't know what the older officer was looking for exactly. The intruder must be long gone by now. He was probably out looking for another vi ctim to torture, or perhaps he'd gone back to his creepy lair. She sincerely hoped so anyway.

Delgado had found the large square of glass leaning against her small outdoor barbecue. Apparently, the man who'd breached her fortress of solitude had used glass cutters to silently create a hole in her patio door big enough for a man to crawl through.

After the two officers had searched every corner of her apartment, including her messy closet, they'd been kind enough to find some boards and nail them up over the door. The pounding of the hammer at 3:15 in the morning must have made her neighbors wonder what was going on, but she was grateful for the officer's attempt to make her feel secure in her own home. Though, seriously, she doubted she would ever feel safe again.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Constable Delgado asked for the third time.

She rolled her eyes at him.

His firm lips turned up in a lopsided grin. "Sorry, I keep asking that. But you seem to be taking this all pretty well."

"Just putting up a brave front. After you leave, I plan to go on a major crying jag. It won't be pretty."

"Any idea how long it will take for your mom to get here? Are you sure we can't take you anywhere?"

She looked at the clock on the microwave. "Probably another half hour. She has to drive in from The Valley." Reluctant to let him go, but knowing it was the right thing to do, she contemplated releasing him from any obligation towards her. He had a job to do, and baby-sitting her wasn't part of it. "You can go if you want. I don't want to keep you here. I'm sure you have bad guys to catch." She tried to say this casually, but inside her stomach clenched at the thought of him leaving.

"No, I'll stay until she gets here. The bad guys can wait."

"Thanks. You're very kind. I'd really appreciate it if you stayed, just a few more minutes."

"You know, I have a buddy who installs security systems. Do you want his card? You really shouldn't be staying in a ground floor apartment by yourself at night without one."

Oh, Good Lord. Was he actually going to lecture her now? She hung her head and smoothed her hands over her unruly hair. "I know, I know. You're absolutely right. In hindsight, it seems ridiculous not to have a security system. You can leave your friend's card, but I don't think I'll be staying here anymore."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That bad?"

She rubbed her forehead and then waved her hand in the direction of her bedroom. "Yeah. I really can't imagine getting back in that bed and turning out the lights. Ever. I know nothing really happened, but I'm still scared to death." She shrugged her shoulders and looked up at him, expecting to see him looking uncomfortable at her confession, but instead all she saw was compassion.

He tapped the glass table in front of her to emphasize his words. "Listen, that's normal. Your home was invaded and that guy was bad news. Re ally bad news. Just because you weren't physically harmed doesn't mean you aren't entitled to feel vulnerable. Even traumatized. Give yourself some time. You'll be surprised what you can get over."

He was being so sweet. Were cops always like this? She didn't think so. Constable Delgado looked like your typical testosterone infused tough guy, but he was surprisingly sensitive. Holly eyed him for a moment and took note of his empty ring finger. But she was being stupid. He was just doing his job. Serve and Protect included comforting hysterical females. Not dating them. Especially girls like her who really weren't into sex. Constable Delgado didn't look like the type who would be satisfied with an unresponsive bed partner. In fact, he probably wouldn't tolerate a woman who was anything less than completely enthused about the whole messy, embarrassing business. In other words, he wasn't for her.

"I'm sure you're right, but I still don't think I can go back in there." Tears stung Holly's eyes, but she was determined not to cry in front of him. She didn't know why, but she wanted to seem brave and strong to him. Not the quivering mass of panic she felt like under the surface.

"Hey, no rush. Go stay with your mom if it makes you feel better, but don't let this twisted little bastard chase you out of your home. Just get a security system and maybe have your boyfriend stay over for a few nights until you get comfortable again." He smiled encouragingly at her.

Was he fishing? No. This handsome cop couldn't be trying to determine if she was single or not, could he? The thought was a welcome distraction from her growing dread at being alone again, but in reality, it was highly unlikely that a police officer would be trying to flirt with an almost rape victim. She was just focusing on him to avoid thinking about the contents of the black bag Officer Gill had removed from the premises as evidence.

Besides, what woman wouldn't want a guy with such impeccable timing? He'd swooped in just in time to save her, like some kind of fairy tale white knight. Alright, so maybe he hadn't battled a fire-breathing dragon, but she was pretty sure this particular cop could do some serious damage to a perverted psycho if given the opportunity. And he would look incredibly hot doing so.

"No boyfriend," she said quietly, watching Delgado for a reaction. She didn't get one. His expression remained impassive. She couldn't read him at all.

"Then get someone, a friend or relative, to come stay with you for a while."

"Maybe," she said, noncommittally. The last thing she wanted was to bring a friend or relative into this situation. What if that pervert came back and went after her mom? She couldn't stand it if anything happened to the people she cared about just because she was too freaked out to stay alone.

"Miss Chambers?" He asked, suddenly looking very serious. "I know I've asked this already, but you've had some time to calm down, so I'm hoping maybe you're thinking more clearly now. What I need to know is, do you remember anything about him? Did he say anything? Did you get a sense of his height or weight? Skin color? Anything?"

Holly thought back. She honestly couldn't recall a single detail about the intruder. She had actually shared a bed with this person, and yet she wouldn't know him if he was sitting next to her on The Skytrain or standing in line behind her at the grocery store. That was the unnerving part. He could be anyone. Everywhere she went from this point on; she'd be wondering if he was there. Watching and waiting. Unless he was caught and put away. And how would that happen if she couldn't remember a damn thing about him?

Holly bit her lip and hesitated. "I don't know if this is helpful or not, but I did notice something odd about him."

Delgado leaned forward eagerly and pulled a pen and a small pad of paper from his uniform pocket. "Anything you can come up with would be useful. Right now we've got nothing. Not even a fingerprint. And the forensics team isn't usually called in for home invasions, so we don't have any fibres, or DNA either. So all we have to go on is what you can tell us. So, please, whatever it is, tell me and I'll promise to follow up on it."

She fiddled with the small diamond pendant around her neck. "Well, I know this is going to sound strange, but I'm a bit hypersensitive to smells."

"And you recognized his cologne?" Constable Delgado didn't hide his disappointment very well. He put the pen and paper back in his pocket and folded his muscular arms over his wide chest.

"Well, that's just it. He wasn't wearing any cologne. In fact, he was completely odorless."

Delgado raised an eyebrow. "I don't think I can put out an APB on an unscented perpetrator. Anything else you can remember?"

"You're not getting me. He had no smell. At all. Do you know how unusual that is?"

He looked at her blankly.

Kayla leaned forward over the table and angled her head towards him. "Here. Tell me this. What do you smell?"

Delgado leaned forward over the table and took a tentative sniff. "Strawberries?"

Holly felt his warm, minty breath brush her forehead and closed her eyes in reaction as an unexpected shiver travelled down her spine. "Exactly. My shampoo smells like strawberries. And you use Irish Spring soap and Tide detergent. Plus, you're wearing some kind of spicy deodorant. And don't mention this to your partner, but he needs to lay off the garlic a bit."

He chuckled. "Wow. Good trick. You're like a bloodhound."

Holly didn't mention that she'd given him a really good sniff during the few seconds she'd been in his arms earlier. She usually couldn't tolerate strong scents, but he had smelled heavenly; manly and subtle, like a guy should. It had been a comforting scent at the time, exactly what she'd needed to feel safe and protected. And despite her terror, desire had stirred in the pit of her stomach. Even before she'd had a good look at his face, she'd wanted to breathe that clean, warm scent in and hold it in her lungs. To keep a part of him inside her as a talisman against harm.

"Thanks," she grinned ruefully. Had he just called her a dog? "But my point is that he didn't have even a trace of scent. Nothing. Do you know how rare that is? I mean, you really have to work at it to find unscented products. And they're typically more expensive than the smelly ones. People just aren't accidentally scent free. It's calculated. I think that means that he's sensitive to them himself, or someone close to him can't stand smells at all. What do you think? Is that a good theory? Can you use this at all to catch him?" She looked up at the officer hopefully, but he just stared across at her and rubbed his strong chin thoughtfully.

Holly couldn't help but notice that Delgado was smooth-shaven, but starting to show the dark-shadowed signs of stubble along his jaw-line. He was probably one of those guys who had to shave twice a day to avoid looking unkempt. Idly, she wondered how he would look after a few days in bed. Probably like a very sexy Grizzly Adams. Shocked at the wayward direction of her thoughts, she forced herself to stop thinking about all the delicious ways she would like Constable Delgado to give her whisker burn.

He stopped rubbing his chin and gave her an apologetic look. "I don't really see how. At least not in any official capacity. I suppose if we caught a prowler with a similar M.O. we could check to see if he had a scent allergy or was married to someone with an aversion. But otherwise, I don't see how we could conclusively link him to your case without a more solid lead. Can you think of something else? You're sure he didn't say anything?"

Holly's heart dropped in her chest. She'd never felt such profound disappointment before. She knew her observation wasn't exactly a positive identification, but she still thought it had some merit. She appreciated the cop's honesty, but it would have been nice if he'd allowed her to cling to her deluded belief that she'd provided some useful information. She desperately wanted that horrible man to be put away. The thought that he was out there, probably in a rage at having his plans interrupted, terrified her. Worse, what if he took out his disappointment on someone else? She couldn't even contemplate that idea without feeling panic surge through her body.

She shook her head. "No. He didn't say a word. I don't even know how long he sat there. I just woke up with the feeling that I wasn't alone, and then you were pounding at the door. It all happened so fast. Except for the smell thing, I really don't have any impression of him at all." She laced her fingers together and looked down at her mostly naked lap, trying unsuccessfully not to cry. To her complete mortification, hot tears started running down her cheeks uncontrollably. She whisked them away with the side of her hand, but more just kept coming.

"I'm really sorry," she said, darting a glance at him and then looking away. "I don't even know why I'm crying. I must look like a complete basket case, right? Nothing violent even happened and I'm falling apart." She grabbed one of the paper napkins out of the vintage, diner-style dispenser on the table and began rubbing vigorously at her flushed cheeks.

"Miss Chambers?" He said her name softly to get her attention.

"What?" She said, sounding a bit muffled.

"I don't think you're a basket case. In fact, I think you're pretty damn brave. And I don't think you're falling apart either. What you're feeling is a delayed reaction to the adrenaline spike from earlier. It's completely normal and you shouldn't be apologizing for being upset." His tone turned dark and threatening, like he could barely contain his rage. "That dick-head who snuck into your home in the middle of the night is the one that should be sorry. Really sorry. Not you."

She looked up at him, and was shocked at his intense expression. He suddenly resembled an avenging angel, bent on the ultimate destruction of all adversaries, not a seasoned cop doing his job. Until this second, he had been sweet and kind, but detached. A real professional. For just an instant, she got a glimpse at what was actually going on behind those gorgeous brown eyes, and she felt a completely inappropriate thrill go through her again. This guy was kind of scary, but in the sexiest way imaginable.

Then he got control of himself and his expression became placid again.

"Like I said before," Delgado said, his professional tone back in place. "You've had a rough night, and you shouldn't beat yourself up just because something awful DIDN'T happen. That really is basket case talk. So give yourself a break and cry if you want to."

He looked like he was about to say more, when Holly's front door burst open and her mother, Emma Chambers, rushed into the apartment, with Constable Gill following in her wake.

Mrs. Chambers embraced Holly while simultaneously admonishing her once again for living in "this Godless cesspool of a city." She glared at the two police officers over Holly's head. "Well? What are you two Keystone Cops doing exactly?" She pointed at Constable Gill with one gem-encrusted hand. "This one is outside, dumpster diving like some kind of fool, and the other one is in here, drinking tea with my indecently dressed daughter." To drive home her point, Mrs. Chambers grabbed a tea towel from the nearby stove's handle and wrapped it around the front of Holly's body, attempting to cover up her daughter's ample cleavage.

"Would it be asking too much for you to be doing something useful? Like, I don't know, catching the psycho who came in here and assaulted my child?"

Holly groaned. Her mom had a tendency to get antagonistic when she was upset. And being called in the middle of the night and being informed that her daughter needed her would definitely bring out all of her protective instincts. Holly loved her, but she really couldn't see how criticizing the police would help this situation. Her mother was just going to alienate the only people who actually gave a damn about finding the man who had invaded her home. If she kept this up, her mother would be lucky to avoid spending the night in jail herself.

Instead of annoyance, Holly was shocked to see a look of amusement pass between the two officers. They weren't offended at all. She sincerely hoped that her mother didn't see that amused glance. Mrs. Chambers had very little sense of humor to begin with. If she thought these men weren't taking her seriously, she'd have one or both of their badges by morning. Or at least she'd try, rather than focusing on the fact that her daughter had very nearly been seriously hurt.

"It's okay, Mom." Holly said, attempting to placate her mom before she went into a complete tailspin. "I asked Constable Delgado to stay with me, and I'm sure Constable Gill was just doing a thorough search of the area. Not dumpster diving." The eye roll she sent Constable Gill made the older cop grin, but he was quick to cover it up.

Holly's mom took a step back from Holly and gave her a doubtful look. She was just going to start arguing when Constable Delgado stepped forward.

"Mrs. Chambers?" He continued when she nodded haughtily, confirming that she shared her daughter's surname. "I can assure you that Constable Gill and I will do our very best to find the man who did this. In fact, tracking him down will be our number one priority. So, please, take your daughter with you and we'll keep her informed of our progress. Rest assured, we'll do everything in our power to keep her safe once she returns."

Both Holly and Constable Gill gaped at him. Officer Delgado spoke calmly enough, but clearly he had gone off the rails. He'd practically promised to be her personal bodyguard once she returned to the city. Not exactly standard operating procedure under the current circumstances.

Mrs. Chambers looked Constable Delgado up and down, assessing him for any sign of weakness, but something about his sincerity and genuine concern for Holly stopped her from going off on her usual tirade. Instead, she smiled at Delgado and nodded approvingly. He met her direct gaze without wavering.

"Well, I would hope so." Mrs. Chambers said, gesturing at Holly to get up. "Now, unless you fine officers need more from us, we're going to return to the suburbs where people can sleep safely without worrying about raving lunatics invading their homes. I trust that Holland gave you our contact information?" She raised one finely arched eyebrow at Delgado as she walked imperiously towards the hallway leading to the front door of Holly's apartment. She didn't even look back to see if Holly complied. She was that confident that her daughter would do exactly as she'd ordered.

Holly obediently slid off her bar stool and followed her mother towards the door, holding the tea towel against her chest. Usually, she would rage against her mother's domineering attitude, but tonight it was almost comforting. She could just sit back and let her mom take over. And her mom would gladly take charge of everything. Well, everything except Holly's complete terror. That was hers alone.

Holly paused by the door long enough to grab a long trench-coat out of the hallway closet. Delgado had been following her out of the kitchen and he gently took the dark garment from her hand. Almost tenderly, he turned her away from him and then held up the coat so Holly could tunnel her arms into the sleeves. She held her breath as he reached into the coat collar to scoop out her long chestnut hair and drape it down her back. His touch was casual, almost perfunctory, but it still made her knees go weak.

Standing in front of him, Holly became aware of his size and heat against her back. He towered over her and she remembered how wonderful it had felt to be cradled against his hard chest earlier that evening. She fought the impulse to lean back against him and take solace in his big, hard body. But as much as she wanted to touch him, he wasn't hers and it would just make him uncomfortable. She had already done enough damage to her dignity tonight. Pawing him in the foyer of her apartment while her mother and his partner waited at the elevator would just make her look desperate and more than a little pathetic.

She was just about to put some distance between them when his large hands closed on her shoulders and he leaned forward to speak directly into her ear. "Holly. You're going to be okay. I promise. Alright?"

She closed her eyes and nearly collapsed against him. His breath tickled the loose curls at her temple for a moment and then he moved away, leaning down to pick up the small bag she had packed earlier to take to her mom's place. He brushed past her and looked back at her expectantly, obviously waiting for her to lock the door so they could leave.

As much as she wanted to do that, her senses were on overload and she couldn't move. Was it completely crazy that she was so turned on by this cop? Especially considering the situation? She was suddenly so aroused that she felt she could gladly return to her room and her bed if only he would join her there, preferably without his uniform. But this was neither the time nor the place to be suggesting a one night stand. So, she grabbed her keys from the bowl on the hallway table and was just about to follow him into the hallway when a thought occurred to her.

"What if I don't? You know. Get over this?" She murmured, looking up at him.

He smiled tenderly down at her. "You will."

"How can you know that?" Eyes wide, she gestured towards her room. "What if I never get another good night's sleep?"

"And what if we catch this guy? And you never have to worry about this again?"

"Do you think that's possible?"

He leaned down and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear in a gesture that was completely unprofessional and totally hot. "Yes, I do. Now, Harpinder and I have an evening of dumpster diving ahead of us, so lets get you out to your mom's car, so we can find this odorless little worm, okay?" He smiled down at her and stepped back to give her room to close the door after them.

Despite her horrible night, the corner of Holly's lips lifted in an unsteady smile. Feeling bold, she impulsively reached out and touched his hand. "Thanks for being so great tonight. I hope you do find him."