The Midnight Hour - Brenda Jackson [104]
Drake laughed. "It's a she, Tori."
"Oh." She decided not to ask him how he could tell soi clearly in the dark but evidently he knew his animals.
For the next few minutes he went over the security system with her, going into details of how it worked, showing her the other screens and what he often viewed on them. He also told her about the motion sensors he had installed around the house as well as the ones he had positioned at any location where someone could gain access to his land by use of a vehicle or plane.
She listened attentively, for the moment putting her attraction to him out of her mind. She had to remember a killer intended to hunt them down and was coming here to do it.
"So what do you think of this setup?"
Tori smiled over at him. "Like you said, it will be an advantage in dealing with Cross," she said, leaning back in her chair. "When will you show me around the property?"
"Tomorrow; and there are a number of other things we need to do to get prepared."
Tori nodded. She knew the waiting would be the hardest part; the waiting as well as not knowing exactly what to expect. Hawk still wasn't happy that Drake would not use the CIA as backup. He didn't want any restrictions and was determined to work on his own.
"I guess you're tired and ready to go back to bed," he said in a soft voice that was laden with huskiness. He extended his hand out to her to help her out of her chair. The moment their hands touched a sizzling current flowed through her. When she stood, their eyes met and she knew he had felt it, too.
"Drake?"
"Yes?"
"We need to keep our minds focused on other things… like staying alive." She watched as he drew in a deep breath.
"All right, but when this business with Cross is over…"
She glanced away, not able to look into his eyes any longer because she knew when the business with Cross was over, she still intended to get on with her life without him. There was no way she could share her and her baby's life with a man who continued to take risks. She refused to sit around waiting for him to get himself killed.
"I think I'll go on to bed now," she said, deciding not to comment on what he'd just said.
He lifted a brow. "It's still early."
"I know, but I have a book Corinthians gave me that I'd like to finish reading."
He nodded. "I'm glad that you got to meet Corinthians and Nettie."
She smiled as she remembered the two women and the warmth that had flowed from them. She was happy for Trevor and Ashton. They had married women who were truly as special as Drake had said they were. "I'm glad I got to meet them, too. Now, I'd better go."
"All right. After breakfast I'll show you around."
"Okay." Without looking back, she quickly climbed the stairs to go to her bedroom.
Drake sat in front of the huge monitor screen with his legs stretched out in front of him, as he watched a family of raccoons sprint about, looking for food. He smiled when he thought of Tender Two. A few minutes earlier, he had zoomed in on him and it seemed his old friend had a mate; it also appeared from the looks of his companion that he would be a father soon.
He smiled as he stood up and checked his watch. It was late, almost midnight, but he wasn't sleepy. He was restless. He remembered one night when Tori had been restless and how they had handled the problem, but he knew there would be no relief for him. She was right, they needed to keep their mind focused on one thing and one thing only.
He wished his body understood that.
He sighed deeply. For his own sanity he needed to concentrate on something. He moved over to the bookcase and decided he might try reading a good book when he saw the photo album. He automatically reached for it and slowly opened it up.
His heart caught. They were pictures he and Sandy had taken together and as he looked at them, the woman in the photos looked nothing like the woman sleeping upstairs in one of his bedrooms. Both women were beautiful. Yet there were differences that couldn't