Not One Clue_ A Mystery - Lois Greiman [76]
Rivera watched me approach as if I were the enemy. “You okay?” he asked.
Although I dreaded seeing the mess left behind, I was strangely compelled to do so and stepped past Rivera to view the chaos.
It was as bad as I remembered.
“It was a burglary, right?” he asked.
I gazed up at him. There may have been a bit of “Are you kidding?” in my eyes.
“How messy do you think I am?” I asked.
“I just wanted to make sure I didn’t make them dust for prints for no reason. Did you notice anything missing?” he asked.
“I didn’t …” I turned in a circle, feeling disoriented. “I haven’t … I don’t …” And suddenly the world seemed to be spinning around me.
“Sit down,” he said, and lifting a cushion from the floor, pushed me onto the couch. He sat down, too, but didn’t touch me. “Breathe.”
I nodded. The movement didn’t do my equilibrium any good, but in a few seconds I was feeling a little steadier.
“How’s Harley?” he asked.
I felt my mouth twitch. “There’s a bruise over his ribs, like he’s been kicked.” I could barely get the words out. I think I heard him swear, but it was hard to be certain. I was already crying.
He pulled me roughly into his arms. “Jesus, woman, you scared the hell out of me.” He stroked my hair. “I was on your walkway when I heard you scream, and I thought …” He paused, muscles tight against mine.
“I’m okay,” I said.
“Are you sure?” He pushed me out to arm’s length and searched my face.
I sniffled pitifully, but managed a nod.
He pushed the hair away from my face and stared into my eyes. I stared back. He stroked a tear away with his thumb, smearing it across my cheek. “They were gone when you got here?”
I nodded. “I think so,” I said. My voice sounded iffy.
A muscle twitched in his jaw, as if he was fighting a couple dozen conflicting emotions.
“What about your alarm system?”
Guilt swarmed through me immediately. Sometimes I’m a little less cognizant of things than I should be. “What about it?” I asked.
That muscle twitched again. “Did you have it on?”
“I don’t …” I began, then realized something wonderful. “I wasn’t the last one out of the house.”
“Solberg?”
I had no way of knowing, of course, but he was so easy to blame. “Probably,” I said, and realized suddenly that if circumstances were different Laney could have been here alone. “Oh God,” I said. “What if Elaine—”
“Shh,” he said, and wiped away another tear. It felt hot against my skin. He kissed its trail. “Everything’s fine.”
And it did feel fine. I blinked wet lashes at the hot rush of feelings. “Poor Harlequin,” I said, and felt another tear swell and flood the breach.
He smeared that one away, too, and followed it with another kiss. “He’s tough.”
I shook my head. “He just acts tough cuz he doesn’t want anyone to know the truth,” I said, and felt my mouth tremble. “He’s really very sensitive. People just don’t understand …”
He kissed the corner of my mouth. Feelings raced through me like agitated chipmunks.
“I’m just glad you weren’t here,” he said.
“But he was all alone. Sometimes he feels like there’s no one in the whole world for …” I hiccuped once.
He tugged my legs over his, pulling me against his chest. Our faces were inches apart now.
“There’s someone,” he said, and stared into my eyes.
I stared back, breathless. “Who?”
“Me,” he said, and kissed my lips with feathery lightness.
“You care about …” I blinked. My lashes felt heavy. My mind soggy. “Harlequin?”
“More than you know,” he said, and kissed the point of my chin.
“Yeah?”
“More than I should,” he said.
“Why?” I asked.
“You should rest,” he said. “Do you mind if I take this off?” he asked, touching my jacket.
I shook my head. “Why shouldn’t you like him so well?” I asked.
His fingers made quick work of the buttons. “It’s distracting,” he said, and lifted his eyes slowly to my face. They looked kind of smoky.
“How so?”
His fingers played up the front of my sleeveless silk blouse. “I’m constantly worrying about him.