He finally removed his hand from her. “Since you’re working the morning shift, I’ll come in and eat breakfast. So, I’ll just see you then,” he said. He hated to leave her, but she hadn’tasked him to stay and in any case, he shouldn’t spend the night with her again. It would be far too big of a temptation to make another mistake. “Thanks for the delicious dinner.”
“You’re welcome. I wouldn’t mind cooking for you again sometime soon, and now I’ll just say good-night,” she replied.
“Good night, Dominique.” With that, he went out the door and nearly stepped on the dead bird. Dominique closed and locked the door behind him.
He’d grabbed a paper towel after dinner and he now pulled it from his pocket and bent down to pick up the dead bird. He gently scooped the poor thing up and carried it down the bridge.
He’d decided not to return the bird to the swamp. He would take it into the police station in the morning. It, along with the note, was evidence in Dominique’s assault case. Pictures would be taken and then the bird would be disposed of.
When he reached his car, he placed the note and the bird on his passenger seat and then headed home. As he drove, his thoughts were scattered.
Stop seeing the lawman.
Was it possible the perp would come after him? Luke didn’t think so. Whoever the man was, he was a damned coward, frightening a woman with notes and now the dead bird.
Was Dominique safe alone in her shanty? He knew the locks on her two doors were good and sturdy. They had both been changed after the attack on Angelique.
The windows would also be difficult to reach as most of them looked over the deck, which would be hard for anyone to access as the back door was the only way to get to the deck.
He believed she was as safe as she could be there, otherwise he would have been there for her full-time.
The events of the night played through him mind. She had looked so beautiful tonight in her red outfit. Still, he had hatedthe dark haunting that had been evident in the depths of her eyes.
He desperately wanted to fix things for her. He wanted Pierre under arrest for the murder of her mother. He needed to find the person who had attacked her with the intent to kidnap her. He wanted to fix her world so badly it ached inside his chest.
It was at that exact moment he realized he was deeply in love with Dominique Santori. He had no idea exactly when it had happened. He had believed he was keeping a healthy distance between them. But the truth of the matter was he had fallen hard for her.
His sudden awareness of his feelings for her shot a wave of warmth through him. The warmth only lasted a minute and then the reality of the situation washed a wave of cold despondency over him.
First of all, she hadn’t indicated in any way that she was in love with him. Even if she was, it wouldn’t matter. They weren’t made for each other. He wasn’t even sure he could live with her full-time.
He would be there for her if she wanted to continue with her nightly stalking of Pierre, and he would be there for her as she faced the threat of some creep who wanted her.
However, it was time he begin to emotionally distance himself from her. Already, he felt his heart breaking but the truth of the matter was he’d fallen in love with the wrong woman.
Chapter Ten
For the next three nights, Dominique stayed in and didn’t go out to follow Pierre. That also meant she hadn’t seen Luke for three nights. She had insisted he stay home and get some extra rest since he was now back on full duty with the police force.
The only place she was without her knife was when she was in the café working or when she was at home. She’d had several awkward conversations with her regulars, who had been questioned not only about the attack on her, but also about the day the note and dead bird had appeared at her door.
All of the men had claimed their innocence and they were appalled that she would even entertain the idea for one minute that they were guilty. Somebody was lying or the perp was somebody not even on her radar. And somehow, that was even more frightening.
Her days and nights were filled with a simmering fear, wondering when she might be attacked again. The only person she trusted completely was Luke, and tonight she was cooking for him once again.
She’d missed his company over the past three nights. She’d grown so accustomed to having him there to fill the hours of her evenings. She’d missed his laughter and the way he could make her laugh. She’d also missed their conversations about anything and everything.
She’d worked the morning shift and then stopped in the grocery store to pick up a few items. When she got back home, she was grateful there was no note on her door and nothing lefton her doorstep. She’d packed her groceries away and then had taken a short—but nice—shower.
By the time she dressed in a pair of jeans and the new emerald green blouse she’d bought at All That Jazz, it was time to get into the kitchen and start preparing dinner.
On the menu tonight was fried fish, a broccoli rice, and a cucumber and tomato salad. She also intended to make skillet corn bread once again as Luke had loved it the last time she’d made it.
If she were honest with herself, she’d admit that she was hoping she could talk Luke into staying the night. As the days had passed, she’d yearned to be in his arms once again.
She wanted to feel his naked body against hers and make slow, sweet love with him. Then afterward she wanted to fall asleep in his arms as she knew that was the only place she truly felt safe and secure.
She knew Luke wanted her again, too. It was in his eyes when he gazed at her for any length of time. She felt it in his simplest of touches. The physical chemistry between them was still off-the-charts strong.
