Protecting His Witness

Vincent kept his stride even as he walked from his neighbor’s house to his. His fifty year old next-door neighbor had collected his mail for him while he’d been in Vegas at his friend Iris’s wedding. He still had a couple more days off and he planned to spend it with his family. If he didn’t go see his mom soon she’d chew his ass out and then he’d hear about it from his three sisters. Now that they all lived in the same city, he caught hell if he didn’t see them on a regular basis. He might complain about them hassling him, but he loved them more than anything.

Right now he was going to find out who the hell was in that vehicle. Something about the way the person drove told him they weren’t lost. Maybe he was being paranoid, but he always trusted his gut and he always looked out for his neighbors. Life could change in an instant—something he knew from personal experience—and he wasn’t someone who sat idly by and did nothing if this was a potential criminal casing his neighborhood. He just wasn’t wired that way. Probably his Navy training.

Once inside his house he dropped his mail on the small table in the foyer, then raced for the backdoor. The sun was setting, giving him enough shadows to blend in for what he planned. His backyard had a privacy fence so he climbed it into his neighbors’ yard. Even if any of his neighbors saw him it was unlikely they’d be worried. He’d been nominated as unofficial leader of their neighborhood watch and he took his job seriously. Plus when he’d retrieved his mail his neighbor had mentioned a few petty break-ins a few blocks over while he’d been out of town.

Using the lengthening shadows, he scaled fences and jogged across backyards until he was six houses down. Adrenaline pumping, he hurried to his neighbors’ front yard and scaled another privacy fence because it was locked. His feet hit the grass with a soft thump and a second later, a security flood light came on, illuminating the side of the house. He inwardly cursed even though he was the one who’d recommended everyone on the street get the lights. Pausing, he took a moment before he peered around the corner of the house.

From his angle he was still hidden from view of whoever was in that vehicle, which was good. Instead of using the well lit sidewalk, he quickly walked across his neighbors’ front yards, avoiding kids’ toys and other crap left out. Two dogs barked in the distance, then he heard the soft sound of Mr. Canning’s automatic sprinkler going on like clockwork as he closed the distance.

Two yards to go. Then one.

The car still idled and even though the windows were tinted he could see the outline of a driver in the front seat. There was no one else in the vehicle and the person was small. Their head fit right against the headrest, but they were looking down at something in their hands.

Normally Vincent was armed, but hadn’t felt it necessary now. Besides, with his training, he could take almost anyone out in hand-to-hand combat. He closed the last few feet to the car, sliding along the side until he reached the driver’s door. He really hoped he was overreacting and this driver was just someone lost, but in his neighborhood, he never took chances.

He rapped his knuckles against the top of the car. Judging from the small size of the person, he guessed it was a woman. She jumped and dropped whatever had been in her hands.

Good.

He’d wanted to startle the driver, take her off guard and it worked.

A second later, the door opened and as the dome light flooded the interior and he saw her sitting there, he froze.

For a moment, it was as if time stood still. His surroundings, his neighbors’ houses, the distant familiar sounds of the evening, just fell away in that moment. All he could do was stare as her head tilted up toward him and he found himself looking into familiar hazel eyes. His chest constricted and he tried to drag in a breath, but it was as if an elephant was sitting on his chest.

Moving, breathing, thinking—impossible. His heart was a staccato beat against his ribs as he tried to control his breathing. He blinked once, sure this was a hallucination.

Or a fantasy he’d conjured up.

Nope, she was still there.

Her small hands were clasped tightly in her lap, her dark hair a sensual cascade falling over one shoulder as she stared right back.

His hands fell to his sides as he stared at Jordan Alvarado. The woman he’d loved more than anything. The woman who’d disappeared from his life seven years ago without a fucking word. The woman he’d never been able to get over. No matter how damn hard he tried. She was under his skin and in his heart, and nothing he’d done had worked her out of his system.

Her hazel eyes were wide as she watched him with a mix of nervousness and…lust. Yeah, that had always been there between them. The explosive attraction was like a living thing. Combustible and raw. That definitely hadn’t changed. And he hated that he felt it too.

“Jordan.” He hadn’t realized he’d been about to speak until he heard his own raspy voice scraping out her name.

Her seatbelt was already off and he watched as she swallowed hard then took a tentative step out. She wrapped her arms around herself, her petite, compact body still as lush as he remembered. The halter-style dress she wore showed off all her curves and bronzed skin. Her dark hair had grown at least six inches since the last time he’d seen her. Back then she’d kept it shorter, so that it fell in a longer angle around her face and was shorter in the back. Now it was long, falling in soft waves. He wanted nothing more than to run his hands through it. “Vincent, I…you look really great,” she said softly, too many emotions to define in her expression.

He couldn’t help himself. He had a billion questions—like where the hell had she been for so long—but he was overcome with the need to taste her. To dominate and possess her. It had always been like that between them, but he’d convinced himself that the electricity wasn’t real. That he’d built it up in his mind. People just didn’t react that way to each other after so long but here she was standing in front of him and all he wanted to do was jump her. To take her hard and fast against the car, right out in the open for anyone to see.

Normally he was in absolute control of himself but before he’d realized he even intended to move, his lips were on hers and he was crushing her against the car.

Jordan moved against him like liquid sin, her body melting into his as if they were made for each other. Her fingers dug into his shoulders and one of her legs came up around him, her sandaled foot digging into his ass as she grinded against him.

He felt fevered with her so close, as if seven years hadn’t passed. His hands skimmed down her sides until he reached around her body and grabbed her ass. He just barely restrained himself from gripping her too hard as he clutched her. The thin material of her dress told him she either had nothing on underneath or a thong he couldn’t feel from this angle. Either option was hot as hell.

When she moaned into his mouth, his hips rolled against hers, his cock pulsing and pushing against the zipper of his pants. He wanted in her so bad he was consumed with the need.

“Mr. Hansen!”

Vincent jerked back at the sound of his name being called. Blinking, he stared down at Jordan for a moment as it slowly registered where he was and what he’d just done. What was wrong with him? He’d just acted like an animal. She looked dazed as she seemed to mentally shake herself. Her leg fell from around him and he turned in the direction of the familiar voice.

Vincent cleared his throat, actually embarrassed as he faced Mr. Baird, a seventy year old man who lived five houses down from him. His expression was sour, as always, as he stood on the sidewalk with his leashed dog that couldn’t weigh more than eight pounds. “Sorry, Mr. Baird.”

The man’s lips just pursed as he shook his head and continued shuffling down the sidewalk, muttering under his breath about disgusting young people and their lack of common decency.

Vincent turned back to Jordan and forced himself under control. He couldn’t just jump her like this—even if she was willing—before getting answers. For all he knew she was engaged or…married. The thought made his gut roil even though he had no claim on her. Not anymore. Maybe he never really had. “Keys,” he said more forcefully than he’d intended.

Her swollen lips parted slightly as she looked at him in confusion. Yeah, she was still feeling the effects of that kiss too. “What?”

“Where are you car keys?”

“Still in the ignition.”

“Good.” He gently moved her out of the way and slid into the front seat. “My house, now. I’ll park this in my driveway.”

Obviously she knew which house was his because she was here. There was no way in hell it was a coincidence that she’d driven past his house three times and was sitting in his neighborhood. Without giving her a chance to respond, he shut the door. He had no clue what was going on, but he wasn’t letting her behind the wheel. It was primitive and probably insane, but he didn’t want to give her the chance to leave. Not until he found out where the hell she’d been and why she’d left him.

He’d spent so much damn time looking for her it was embarrassing. To have her show up at his place after so long rattled him more than he wanted to admit. She’d always done that to him though. Had from the moment he’d spotted her on that sidewalk back in San Diego.

After parking her car in his driveway he found her waiting on his front porch, her arms wrapped around her slim body as she watched him warily. He didn’t like that look. Of course, he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like whatever she had to tell him now. Someone didn’t show up after seven years like this with good news.

Wordlessly he opened the door and motioned for her to walk inside. A single light above them illuminated the tanned glow of her bronzed skin. Even though she was clearly nervous she looked amazing. A little slimmer than he remembered but she still had great curves. He couldn’t get the feel of her lush breasts pressing against his chest out of his head. All he wanted to do was strip off that dress and feast on her body.

But first… “I guess I should be fucking civilized and offer you something to drink but I want answers. Where have you been? Why’d you leave without a word?” He cursed himself that his voice shook, but it couldn’t be helped. He’d loved her and she’d ripped his heart out.