Page 49 of Stormswept Colorado (Hart County #3)

FORTY-ONE

Teller

I woke slowly. Ayla was wrapped around me, her hair all over the place. Smiling, I rested a hand on her head and blinked at my bedroom ceiling. Same old view I’d had every morning for years since I bought this place. The faint imperfections in the plaster visible in the morning light.

Yet Ayla Maxwell, the love of my life, was now lying in bed with me. How had we gotten here? I mean, I knew in theory, but I never could’ve seen any of this coming.

And don’t think for a second I’d missed the part yesterday where she asked about whether I wanted kids. Said I’d be a great dad.

Every one of the dreams I’d given up could still come true. All because of her. Hell, I was ready to build a white picket fence around this house, even though it wouldn’t quite match the woodsy mountain vibe.

But I loved this woman with my entire being. I had to protect her from the Paul Ruxtons of the world.

“Hi,” she said sleepily and wiggled against me. My morning wood twitched and thickened.

“Hey.”

“I missed you.”

A grin broke wide across my face. “You missed me while you were sleeping?”

“Mmhmm.” She moved so she was lying on top of me. She’d worn one of my T-shirts last night and nothing else. I had a pair of flannel pajama pants on, which did nothing to hide my erection. She wiggled again, grinding herself on me, and I groaned.

I rolled her over and thrust against her hip a few times.

“It’s Monday,” she said. “Don’t you have work today?”

Another groan from me, this one far less happy. “Probably.” I checked the clock on my nightstand. Thankfully it was only six thirty. We’d woken up early. “I have a little time.”

“Shower?”

“Okay.” Perhaps we could knock out more than one thing.

We gave each other hot, meaningful looks as we stripped.

The moment we hit the spray, she was pulling me down to kiss me and reaching for my cock.

She hitched one leg up, wrapping it around my hip.

My fingers played between her legs. I had to bend way over given our height difference, but I wasn’t complaining.

Before Ayla, I’d rarely had sex. I hadn’t felt much need for it. Maybe because of the aftermath of my injuries, or maybe just that I was getting older. Even in my younger years I’d never had a high libido.

Yet with her, I’d been insatiable since our very first time together. Always wanting more of her. Any excuse to touch her, to watch her face light up with pleasure and then do filthy things to her with my cock. Ayla had called me a sex maniac before. With her, it was kinda true.

I couldn’t get enough.

And the thought of having a baby with her someday? Getting her pregnant with my child? My hips bucked, pushing my erection into her hand as I imagined it. I wanted that so badly.

A family with her. Everything with her.

After we both came, I lathered up and washed Ayla’s body, simply because I loved doing it. Then I washed myself while she shampooed her hair .

I dressed in my uniform. She pulled on jeans and the Silver Ridge PD hoodie she’d stolen from me yesterday. In the kitchen, the coffee machine gurgled, and I pulled some breakfast items from my fridge. The milk from a few days ago was still good. “Eggs and toast okay?”

“Sounds great. I’ll toast, you scramble.”

“Perfect.” I handed her the loaf of bread and pressed a quick kiss to her mouth.

She slotted two pieces into the toaster. “What’s your usual morning routine?”

I cracked eggs into a bowl. “I work out. Usually lifting weights at the gym near the station, but sometimes I do a yoga routine. There’s a channel Piper subscribed me to. It’s not my favorite, but?—”

“Chief Landry.” Ayla’s tone was accusatory. “How is this the first I’m hearing about this? You do yoga ?”

“Is that so hard to believe?”

“It’s sexy, that’s what it is. I’m just imagining these big glutes up in the air.” She reached around to my ass and squeezed. “I love yoga.”

“Do you now.” I made sure the stove was on low, then backed her against the counter, one hand on either side of her. “I can think of a few poses I’d like to try with you.”

“Are you all bendy?”

“Not at all. I’m still a beginner, actually. How about you? Are you bendy?”

“I am. I’m pretty advanced when it comes to yoga, if I say so myself.” She lifted onto her toes to kiss me. “Also Pilates. I have to be in great shape to sing and move around for hours during my concerts. I can hold myself in some very interesting positions.”

A growl rumbled out of me. I pressed my body flush against hers. Could I be late to work? That had never happened before, but damn it was tempting.

I’d been serious about not wanting to be away from her. Even the eight-plus hours of my workday seemed daunting. For a workaholic like me, that was saying something.

“What have you done to me, Troublemaker?” I murmured between kisses.

My cell rang. The personal one, not work. So I was a little slow digging it out of my pocket.

“It’s my sister.”

“Answer it,” Ayla said. “I’ll keep working on breakfast. We need to get you out the door soon, Chief. Silver Ridge is counting on you.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” I accepted the call. “Hey, Piper. How are you this morning?”

“Teller?”

Immediately, all my inner alarm bells clanged at the same time. Piper’s voice was shaking. Terrified.

“Tell me what happened.”

Ayla spun to face me with a wooden spoon in her hand, features morphing with concern.

“Someone broke in. Tell, he was in the house while we were asleep. I just called 911, but I need you here. Please.”

“Yeah. I’ll leave right now. Let me just—” My eyes lifted, meeting Ayla’s.

“Oh, God, I forgot about Ayla being there. I’m so sorry.” Piper sounded like she was crying, and on the verge of falling apart completely.

“No. Everything’s going to be fine. I’m on my way, okay? Let me head out to my SUV. I need to check in with the office. Then I’ll call you back and stay on the line with you. Okay? You and Ollie are safe right now?”

Another call came in, this one on my work phone. That was probably the station.

Piper sniffled. “We’re locked in my bedroom. Please hurry.”

“I’ll be there soon.” I ended the call and stuffed it in my pocket, then grabbed my work cell. Missed call from Officer Nichols. Susan.

“Something happened with Piper?” Ayla asked.

“Break-in while she and Ollie were asleep.”

Was it the vandal who’d targeted other women living on their own?

I’d never thought he’d go after someone living in the middle of town.

I’d been wrapped up in my own happiness.

Ignoring my duties, thinking about sex , while some piece of shit broke into my sister’s house and terrorized her and my nephew.

Ayla swallowed, as if she was mastering her own fear and dismay. She grabbed a piece of toast and wrapped it in a paper towel. “Eat this on your way. You need something in your stomach.”

I had to get to my sister. But to do that, I was leaving Ayla here alone. That seemed far riskier than it had an hour ago. Should’ve brought Bryan or another bodyguard here with us from Los Angeles. And wouldn’t that have been romantic.

Why the hell had I believed I could do this? Have everything I wanted, protect everyone I cared about, with zero repercussions?

I shook my head at the toast Ayla tried to hand me. Food was the last thing on my mind. “You’re going to Ashford’s house.”

“What? No.”

“Don’t argue with me.” I shoved my wallet into my pocket.

“But our plan was that I’d stay here while you were at work.”

“That was before. I can’t leave you alone.”

“If I go to Ashford’s, it’s more likely someone will notice I’m in Silver Ridge. I don’t need Ashford to babysit me. If I have to be cooped up, I’d rather be here.”

“I don’t have time, sweetheart. I just need you to listen.” Keys. Where were my keys?

She scowled. “You have an alarm system. I’ll be fine. I’m not a child. Just go, alright? Get to Piper’s.”

I didn’t want to argue with her. Didn’t want either of us to lose our tempers right now. I pulled her in and kissed her forehead roughly. Spotted my keys on the counter and grabbed them. “Stay inside,” I commanded as I strode out the door.

As I slammed the SUV door shut and put the engine in gear, I realized I hadn’t said I loved her. That would just have to wait until later.

I called Susan. “On my way to Piper’s,” I said without preamble. “Talk to me. What do I need to know?”

“I’m here at her place. Got here a couple minutes ago.”

“Shouldn’t you be off shift by now?”

“Yes, Chief, but Seth Duncan didn’t show up for work today.”

I cursed. “Is he sick again?”

“I don’t know. He didn’t answer anyone’s calls. I was about to go check on him, but then Piper’s 911 call came in. Now I’m working a double, but that’s fine. Luckily I put my big-girl panties on last night before I went to work.”

I was grateful for that too. Thank goodness for Susan.

“Officer Bradley is with Piper, getting an initial statement. She and Ollie are shaken up, but I’m sure it’ll help when you get here. Chief, I think it was the same guy.” Her voice had lowered. “The vandal. Left a red flower spray-painted on the side of the house.”

I’d already suspected it was him, but the confirmation had my pulse in overdrive. “I’m almost there.”

Red flowers . That reminded me of the red daisies in the flower arrangements Paul had sent Ayla. An eerie similarity, but it couldn’t possibly be anything more than a coincidence. Right?

As I sped down the road, I radioed the station. I made sure the officer on the front desk contacted Sheriff Douglas’s task force to inform them about the link to the string of vandalisms.

We were going to need the regional crime scene techs.

Every officer and deputy the sheriff could spare.

Not because the latest victim was my sister, but because the guy had once again struck while the homeowner was there asleep.

And he’d changed his M.O. Not just hitting rural areas, but a denser neighborhood.

Another escalation. He was getting more reckless. All the more likely he would get violent.

He’d been inside the house with my sister and nephew.

Fuck .

When I pulled up to the curb, Susan had created a perimeter and was speaking to a couple of Piper’s neighbors. I threw my door open, not bothering to turn off my flashers. My boots hit the ground hard, and I charged toward the house.

Then I saw it. Looping red spray paint. A roughly drawn flower. Where the paint had dripped down the siding, it looked like blood.