Loving Night: Dream Catcher Series ~ Book 2 by Brynette L. Turner Read Free Book Online

be
missed, and they could make time to check in with Chaz.
    Although Chaz would be within an
hour of reaching the Cincinnati FBI office, he had no intentions of going home
during this assignment. There were too many uncertainties regarding the
possible involvement of Paul Watkins. So, Chaz compiled a checklist of
everything he needed to have with him at the safe-house and would be available
to the undercover team 24 hours a day. Even though he didn’t want to be away
from Stephanie, he also didn’t want to risk putting her, or the mission, in
danger by coming home during the assignment—just in case anything went wrong.
They could video-chat and speak on the phone; that would have to suffice.
Besides, she didn’t believe the case would last several months, as projected.
She was certain her husband would return home sooner than that.
    As Chaz pushed his suitcase over so
that he could load the box of supplies into the back of the SUV that had been
rented for him, he hoped his wife was right.

CHAPTER 5
     
     
    Stephanie changed the linens on the
bed in the master bedroom and set aside Chaz’s pillow case. She wouldn’t wash
it until he returned—or until his scent was so faint that she couldn’t detect
him any longer. As she moved around the bedroom taking care of mundane chores,
she wondered how she would sleep without him beside her. Except for that week
in December when Chaz had been sequestered at a safe house during the trial of
Evan Moseley, they hadn’t spent a night apart in the six months she’d been
living in Cincinnati.
    She understood why he had to leave.
She also understood that the link between them was different than it had been
the last time he was working undercover. It was much stronger. From her most
recent dreams, she was also certain that there was a role for her to play in
solving this case. She didn’t know what it was. Still, as it had been when she
had dreams during Chaz’s case in Erie where they met, Stephanie was open to
whatever she needed to do to keep her husband safe.
    Her dreams and her intuition would
lead her. They always had.
    At 10:00, she climbed into the
freshly made bed, sat back against the headboard, and sipped a cup of tea that
would hopefully relax her enough to sleep through the night. She’d already
spent half an hour meditating. Less than fifteen minutes later, Stephanie
turned off the bedside lamp, pulled Chaz’s empty pillow case from beneath his
pillow to smooth it out over hers, and settled in for the night. Her left hand,
with its gorgeous set of wedding rings, rested on his side of the bed where his
chest would normally be beneath her face. She could imagine him there.
    She was calm.
    Her morning alarm buzzed at 6:45.
She had made it through the first night. Chaz would be calling or texting her
in a few minutes, as was their agreement. Taking her cell phone with her, she
went to the bathroom and then the walk-in closet to choose her outfit for the
day. Just as she was laying out her undergarments, the phone notified her that
a Skype call was coming through.
    “Good morning, sweetheart,” Chaz
said as soon as he saw her face on the screen.
    “Good morning to you, too.” Her
smile was as bright as his. “Did you miss me?”
    “You can’t believe how much.” He
yawned and stretched. “I kept waking up wondering why the bed was so cold, and
each time it took me a moment to realize that I wasn’t home with a beautiful
woman curled against me.”
    “Well, I slept just fine. I don’t
think I woke up at all.” She laughed when he frowned. “I slept on top of your
pillow case and fooled my senses into thinking you were here. The scent of your
cologne mixed with the last time we made love is something I’ll never get tired
of.”
    “Clever lady.” There was a long
pause while he simply looked at her. “You know, I’m totally in love with you,
Stephanie.”
    “I feel the same way, Chaz.” She
gave him a confident smile.
    “I’m assuming you didn’t