recliner. When he finally made it outside to the porch, the man had disappeared into the night. What in the hell was that all about? He stared out into the darkness, fighting against a cold chill. Who was the man and what did he want?
* * *
Elle stood in the bedroom doorway and waited for Anders to return. She was positively livid. Her entire body trembled with her anger. Anders Colton was just like all the other men in her life. Leave the little lady holding the baby while the big, strong man took care of any impending danger.
“A baby on the doorstep and a masked man in the living room, could this night get any more strange?” he said as he came back into the house.
“What in the hell do you think you were doing?” she asked.
“What are you talking about?”
“Have you forgotten that I’m the cop here? That I’m the one with the training and a gun? You should have taken the baby from me when I told you to and let me handle the situation out here.”
“I acted on instinct, and as a man my instinct was to protect you and the baby. So shoot me,” he replied with a touch of humor.
“Don’t tempt me,” she retorted. She drew in several deep breaths and then continued, “Contrary to the beliefs of my Overly Protective Brothers and every other man in my life, I can take care of myself and others. I’m a cop, not a piece of fluff. Now, tell me what just what happened.”
“There was a man in a ski mask in the living room. When he saw me he turned and ran out the door. I couldn’t get to him in time. By the time I reached the porch, I didn’t even know which direction he’d run.” He sat down on the sofa.
She walked across the room to the front door. “Come on, Merlin,” she said, and then walked outside. The night was dark, with clouds chasing each other across the moon. She knew it was a futile search; the man was probably long gone by now.
Still, she and Merlin walked around the wooded area. There were a lot of places someone could hide, but he couldn’t hide from Merlin’s nose. When Merlin didn’t alert, she headed back into the house. At least her burst of aggravation with Anders was over.
When she went back inside he was still seated on the sofa. She sank down in the chair facing him and released a sigh of frustration. “Whoever it was, he’s gone now. Did you lock the door after I came in the last time?”
He shook his head. “It was unlocked. The man just walked in.”
“So do you have any idea who he was or what he was doing here?”
He shook his head. “Not a clue.”
“Do you think he was looking for the baby?” She couldn’t help but think it was odd that on the same night the baby had been left, a masked man had broken in.
“I don’t know what he was doing here or what he might be looking for,” he replied, the line of frustration across his forehead doing nothing to detract from his handsomeness.
“Is it possible this guy is the needy thief you told me about earlier?”
“I don’t think so.” His frown line deepened. “This guy didn’t look like he’d be interested in stealing a quilt and a cradle, and his mask definitely didn’t make him appear like somebody in need.”
“I’ll tell you one thing, I was ready for bed fifteen minutes ago, but now I’m not a bit tired.” The appearance of the intruder had shot her full of adrenaline and given her a second wind.
“How about I make a small pot of coffee?” he suggested. “I’m definitely not ready to call it a night, either.”
“Coffee sounds great.” Maybe over coffee she could figure out what was going on here because there was definitely something going on. “I’m going to bring Bonnie into the living room so we can hear her if she cries.” She also wanted the baby in her eyesight.
She left the room to get the baby and once the sleeping Bonnie was in her cradle on the sofa she returned to the kitchen. What was a masked man doing inside Anders’s cabin? What did he want? And it was definitely strange that he had broken in on the same night that a baby had been left on the doorstep. Did the baby have something to do with him?
If he was the baby’s father, then why wear a mask and break in? Why not just knock on the door and introduce himself? Maybe the father was a bad guy who didn’t have custody of the baby. But then where was the mother? Or maybe the mother was trouble and the father just wanted his baby back. These were the thoughts that shot through her head as she sat at the kitchen table and waited for the coffee to brew.
And then there were the totally inappropriate thoughts that had intruded among the more important ones. Did Anders always smell so good? Like sunshine and wind and a faint woodsy cologne?
His broad chest made her wonder what it might feel like to be held tightly against it...against him. And that sexy smile of his...he was just so hot.
Jeez, what was wrong with her in entertaining any of those kinds of thoughts? She wasn’t even sure she liked him and she definitely hadn’t appreciated his taking over the situation when she was the cop. She wasn’t into macho men who felt they had to protect the little lady of the house.
“Cream or sugar?” he asked.
“No thanks, black is fine,” she replied.
She was grateful when he placed a red mug of coffee before her and then sat at the table across from her with his own mug. At least when he was seated she couldn’t see the entire length of his sexy physique.
“So, tell me about these Overly Protective Brothers of yours,” he said.
She wrapped her fingers around the warm mug. “No matter what job I’m assigned to Carson is always there shadowing me. I think he’s told the chief that he wants to be on the same assignments as me and that makes me crazy. Then there is Lucas. Neither one of them trusts me to be capable to do my job or live my life and I keep telling them to back off.”
“I think I heard Demi once say that Lucas was her number one competition in the bounty-hunting business,” he said.
“He often told me the same thing about her. I just wish he would stop trying to talk me out of being a cop.”
“I understand them wanting to keep you safe. I feel the same way about my kid sister,” he replied.
“Valeria is a real sweetheart.”
He nodded and a smile curved his lips. “We haven’t been close in the past, but I’m working hard to build a close relationship with her now.”
“How come you live out here instead of in the big house with the rest of your family?” she asked curiously.
“My parents wanted me to live in one of the wings there, but I prefer to be out here. To be honest, my parents make me more than a little crazy.”
“How?”
He took a drink of the coffee and then leaned back in the chair. “I know my parents love me, but my mother has always been kind of cold and my father definitely tries to be overbearing. Growing up
