“I thought it would be better to take a pseudonym. The university frowns upon pop psychology. I think they believe it might tarnish my reputation as an academic.”
“Talking about erections on the radio does seem a bit out there.”
“I help a lot of people,” she said, a hint of defensiveness in her voice. “You’d be surprised at how many of my listeners are completely undereducated when it comes to sex. I believe we should be open and honest about our sexual desires.”
“And what are your desires?” he asked. The question was out of his mouth before he even realized he was thinking it. Dec cursed softly. “Sorry, that’s personal.”
“No,” she said. “We might as well be honest with each other.” Rachel paused. “Of course, you probably know how charming you are. And I do find you very attractive.”
“I find you attractive,” he countered, smiling at her. She was right. It felt good to admit it. “And I was dreaming about you when you woke me up.”
Rachel smiled. “See, that wasn’t so difficult. Now that we’ve said it, we understand each other.”
“That’s it?” Dec said.
She nodded. “Yes.”
“I don’t think it’s that easy. We’re going to be stuck together for a few days, maybe even weeks. Don’t you think being attracted to each other might cause a problem?”
“Why should it? We’re two adults who can control our impulses. Just because we find each other attractive doesn’t mean we need to rush off to bed.”
“At least not right away,” he teased.
She blushed, then giggled softly. “Are you hungry? I could make breakfast for us. I think I have eggs. And English muffins. Or I could make French toast.”
“French toast sounds good,” he said, noticing how deftly she changed the conversation to suit her.
She walked to the kitchen as Dec retrieved his pants from the floor and tugged them on. He joined her a few moments later, sliding into a spot at the breakfast bar.
“I slept well last night,” she said. “I felt safe with you here.”
Perhaps she’d been safe from the stalker, Dec mused, but considering his own preoccupation with her, her virtue was definitely at risk. “I heard you talking in your sleep. Were you having a bad dream?”
She glanced up from the carton of eggs she’d opened on the counter. “I don’t think so. I don’t remember.”
“I was reading your file last night,” Dec said.
“Did you find it interesting?”
“There wasn’t any personal information in there, Miss Merrill.”
“Rachel,” she insisted. “I think we’ve gotten past formalities, don’t you?”
“Rachel,” he repeated. He liked the sound of her name on his lips. He wanted to say it a few more times, pleased with the added level of intimacy it gave them. “Tell me, Rachel. Is there anyone in your private life, an ex- boyfriend, a scorned lover, who might be writing those letters?”
She sat down across from him at the breakfast bar and braced her chin in her palm, toying absentmindedly with a pencil. “I wish it was someone I know, but it isn’t. I’ve tried to come up with a list. I have listeners. I also have clients from a small private counseling practice I maintain and from seminars that I conduct regularly. And then there’s my research work at the university which puts me in contact with more students.”
“So would you say we’re looking at thousands of potential suspects?”
She winced. “Yes. I suppose so.” Glancing up at him, she met his gaze. “You’re never going to catch this guy, are you?”
“We may just have to go about this another way. Sooner or later, he’ll make a mistake and I’ll be there to catch him.”
“How?”
“First, I’m going to make sure you’re never in any danger. From now on, you listen to me when it comes to matters of your own personal security. Understood?”
“It could be a her,” Rachel commented as she slid off the stool and continued making breakfast. Dec watched as she focused on beating the eggs in a shallow ceramic bowl. Her hair fell down around her face in pretty waves and every now and then, she glanced up at him as if his attention made her uneasy.
“Why don’t we start with boyfriends,” Dec suggested. He’d been curious since reading her file the night before. “Do you have a boyfriend now?”
“No,” she replied, her answer short and inviting no further probing. “Do you have a girlfriend?”
“No,” he replied.
She snatched the bag of bread out of the refrigerator and opened it, then tossed three pieces into the eggs. “You’re going to tell me that most stalkers are former boyfriends or lovers. But that’s not true in this case.”
Dec got up and stood next to her at the stove, watching as she heated oil in the pan. “How do you know?”
She drew a deep breath, then glanced over at him. “Because the men I’ve been with have been the ones to break off the relationship. I’ve always been the one to get dumped. That pretty much eliminates the ex-boyfriend theory.” Declan watched as her gaze fixed on his mouth. “I did have a dream last night,” she murmured. She shook her head, then forced a smile. “So are you the only one who’ll be guarding me or will someone else replace you when your shift is over?”
As president of his own security company, Dec rarely did more than supervise his staff and attend the occasional social event. But after meeting Rachel, perhaps it was time to get back in the trenches and do some real security work. After all, it was good to keep his instincts honed. And if he couldn’t find Eden Ross, the least he could do was protect one of Trevor Ross’s most valuable business assets. “I’m with you until we find this guy,” he said softly, the urge to kiss her growing stronger by the second. “I don’t want to trust this to anyone else.”
“How will that work?” she murmured. “Will you move in here?”
Dec nodded. “And eat here, and follow you around and keep an eye on anyone else following you around. This person is going to show up sooner or later and I plan to be there.”
“And what are we going to do about this?” she asked, her eyes wide.
“What?”
Rachel reached out and placed her palm on his naked chest. Slowly, she let her fingertips skim down to his waist and back up again. The sensation of her touch on his body brought an instant response, causing his shaft to grow hard between them.
“This,” she said, pressing her hand to his heart. She glanced down. “And that.”
“Like you said, we’re both adults. I don’t mix business with pleasure and you certainly know the pitfalls of casual sex. So we’ll just have to have an understanding that this will go no further.”
Rachel let her hand drop to her side, then turned her attention back to breakfast. “I have to go over to the university today,” she said. “I assume you plan to come with me?”
“Yep.”
Dec busied himself making a pot of coffee as Rachel finished the French toast. As the coffee brewed, he sat back and watched her move about the kitchen with an ease and grace that he found fascinating. Her silky robe clung to her body and offered a tempting view of her legs.
Spending twenty-four hours a day with Rachel could hardly be considered work, but it would test his willpower. And resisting the urge to kiss her would be a chore. He’d just have to remind himself he was here to do a job. And that job did not include seducing Rachel.
She handed him a plate of French toast, then set the syrup down next to his plate. “I’m not much of a cook,” she said. “If it’s bad, you can have cereal.”
“It looks good,” Dec said.
Rachel sat down beside him and dug into her food. As she bent forward, her robe gaped open and offered a tantalizing view of her breasts. She was so intent on eating that she didn’t notice his interest.
“So,” she murmured, between bites. “Tell me something. When you masturbate, do you prefer to use magazines or porno videos?”
Declan gasped, hot coffee going down his windpipe. He coughed, unable to catch a breath. He cleared his throat and tried to stop his eyes from watering. “What?”
“Sorry,” she said. “I guess I should have saved that question for dinner. It’s just that I’ve been doing research on the subject and I’m curious to get your perspective.”
