The Midnight Hour - Brenda Jackson [105]
With Sandy, it had been the little things, like the way she could make him laugh no matter how bad his day had gone, the way she would look at him and give him that 'come-and-get-it' smile, the way she was so positive about life in general, even when they were on a dangerous mission. With Tori… there was everything about her that drew her to him. She was a grown-up, more matured version of Sandy, who had seen and experienced things that no longer were positive, yet it hadn't made her cynical; more cautious, yes, but not cynical. She had gotten rough around the edges in a way that literally turned him on, and her mouth had gotten sassier. Sandy had been his kind of woman then, but Tori was definitely his kind of woman now.
Closing the album he leaned against the bookcase. There was no way he could risk losing the woman he loved again. He would do anything to keep her safe, even if at some point it meant walking away.
The thought nearly pierced his heart and cut into his soul. He sighed, bowed his head and prayed that it never came to that.
Houston, Texas
Ashton Sinclair suddenly awakened, drenched in sweat. He'd had another dream about Sir Drake. An uneasy feeling settled in his gut.
Easing out of bed, being careful not to wake Nettie, he left his bedroom and went into the kitchen to use the phone.
It was late, but he needed to call Trevor and hoped he didn't wake up the entire Grant household in the process.
He sighed when Trevor picked up on the second ring, and amazingly he sounded wide-awake. "Trev, this is Ash-ton. What are you doing up?"
He nodded when Trevor told him he was watching a basketball game on television. "Look, man, I just had a vision. Sir Drake needs us."
CHAPTER 16
"Hello, Mrs. Gillette," Drake greeted the older woman who was putting away the additional groceries he had called and asked her to pick up.
He and Tori had gotten up early and walked his property. Then later they had installed additional sensors as well as checked on a few others to make sure they were angled the way he'd wanted. After returning to the cabin he had taken a bath and when he'd gotten out of the shower, he had run into Tori in the hallway. At first she hadn't seen him but when she'd turned, she had caught his gaze and held it steady while heat had thrummed all through him.
Even from the distance separating them, he could feel her temperature rise and the only thing that had stopped him from crossing the room and taking her into his arms was the alarm that had gone off, alerting them that someone had gained access to his property. It didn't take him long to discover it was Mrs. Gillette delivering more groceries. He had introduced her to Tori before Tori had excused herself to go take her own shower.
"I see you and your houseguest are putting down a lot of milk," Mrs. Gillette said, reclaiming Drake's attention.
He chuckled as he grabbed an apple off the counter.
"Hey, don't blame me, it's all Tori's doing. She seems to just love the stuff."
Mrs. Gillette smiled as she watched him take a big plug out of the fruit. "Well, that's understandable."
Drake lifted a brow. "What is?"
"Her drinking milk."
He gave the older woman a reluctant grin and wondered why she would think that such a thing was understandable. So he decided to ask. "Why is it understandable for her to drink milk?"
Mrs. Gillette walked past him to put a couple of canned goods in his pantry. He was right on her heels. "Because of her condition," she said, placing the items on the shelf.
Drake stilled; momentarily stopped breathing. When he was able to breathe again, he grabbed Mrs. Gillette's hand. She glanced up at him, startled. "Drake? What's wrong?"
Instead of answering her question, he had one of his own. "What condition are you talking about?"
Mrs. Gillette studied him for a few moments. Then she looked behind her to make sure Tori wasn't around. "If you don't know, then I'm not sure it's my place to tell you," she whispered. She then moved across the room to get her purse off the