Deception by Sharon Cullen Read Free Book Online

footprints,” Jackson said.
    Alex studied the prints in the snow while Jackson crouched down and took pictures.
    “What do you think?” Alex asked.
    Jackson snapped off a few more pictures. “I think it’s a clue.”
    Alex tamped down on his frustration. Tess had been right, of course. Last night had been about his anger and frustration at himself. If he was in Jackson’s shoes, or Reynolds’s, he would have taken the report and moved on to the next call. He tried to keep that in mind, but it was entirely different when it was your house being vandalized and your family in fear.
    “I think it looks like a man’s shoe,” Alex said, still looking at the prints, trying to decide what size.
    “We’ll step up patrols.” Jackson stood and put his notebook in his front pocket.
    Alex nodded. Jackson gave him a two fingered salute, walked to his cruiser and climbed in.
    Alex pushed away from the window and let the curtain fall. Whoever was doing this was sick. Slipping in and out unnoticed. Adapting and overcoming.
    Mixing bowls banged together and the microwave pinged. Othello paced between the kitchen and the living room, checking on first Tess then Alex, as if sensing things weren’t quite right in his little world.
    Alex entered the kitchen and stepped up beside her.
    The bright red fall of her hair cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. Two flour handprints were smeared across the butt of her faded jeans. She was attempting to scrape butter out of a bowl, but her hands were shaking so hard she missed most of it.
    “You okay?”
    “Fine.” She sounded as if she was congested and he wondered if she’d been crying.
    He pushed the walker away and managed to turn her around and gather her in his arms while standing on one foot.
    She stiffened and pulled away. “I’m fine,” she said again.
    He nestled her head under his chin and rested his cheek on the top of her head. The strawberry scent of her shampoo and the butter in the mixing bowl reminded him of strawberry shortcake and summertime and, like the butter in the bowl, Tess melted against him.
    “I’m sorry,” he said.
    She sniffed. “It’s nothing. Just a delayed reaction.”
    He kissed the top of her head.
    She pulled back and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, leaving a streak of flour across her cheek.
    With his thumb, he tilted her chin up and kissed her.
    In all the months they’d been apart, he hadn’t allowed himself to miss this intimate touching. Touching that heightened the sexual tension until he would nearly burst with his need for her. It felt good to do it now. Right. Like coming home.
    He pulled back to kiss her jaw. “God, Tess, I’ve missed you.”
    Her head fell to the side, allowing him better access to places he knew from experience would drive her wild. “Ummmm,” she said.
    The sound had him rocking his hips against hers, searching for the heat between her legs. His ragged breathing blew the short tendrils of her hair from her face. Placing a hand on each side of her face, he kissed her harder, deeper, longer, pulling the taste of her into him until nothing but Tess flooded his senses. In the back of his mind, a small voice told him to remain in control, but when it came to Tess, he’d never really been in control.
    The minute he’d seen her walking down the aisle at Roger and Shannon’s wedding, he’d had this visceral reaction to her. It’d taken a few months to convince Tess that he was serious. After that they’d had only five years. Five years he wouldn’t trade for anything, although he wished the outcome had been different.
    Tess struggled against him but it took a while for it to register through the haze of desire and memories.
    He let her go, taking a short hop-step back and then another before grabbing hold of the counter.
    “I’m sorry.” His voice sounded faraway and strange. He reached for his walker. “I’ll make things right, Tess.”
    She looked up at him. “What things, Alex? Between