Awaken to Danger by Catherine Mann Page A

that would spread perfectly along the carpet to
    make a downy lawn for all-night sex. "Good night then. Have a nice drive home."
    "Fine, but you're not staying here, either."
    Nikki stopped short. "Why do I feel the irrepressible urge to put my hands over my ears and shout,
    'You're not the boss of me' ? Of course that would fit right in with your whole too-young-for-you
    mantra."
    God, he liked her sense of humor. "You're good."
    She snorted. "That compliment came about seven months too late."
    "I meant at distracting me."
    "Apparently not nearly good enough." She sagged to sit on the arm of the sofa. "Why are you so gung-ho
    on my not being alone?"
    "With everything that happened with Owens, I'm concerned your balcony railing giving way might not
    have been an accident." He planted his boots deep in the plush carpet, the need to see her safe burning
    even stronger than the need to see her naked.
    * * *
    God, she hated being afraid of her own shadow.
    But Carson's words kept rolling around in her head the next day as she parked her small truck in her
    parents' driveway. Late-afternoon sun dappled through the evergreens packing the yard surrounding the
    two-story white wood home.
    She'd brushed aside Carson's concerns the night before, told him she would double bolt her door and
    think about what he'd said. She'd bristled out of pride and a need for independence.
    Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
    About halfway through her PowerBar at lunch, she'd come to the conclusion that safety was too
    important. She wouldn't be one of those airheads in a horror movie who went walking in the dark woods
    at night even when half her friends had already been whacked by some psycho with a gas-powered
    garden tool.
    So here she was with her truck and a suitcase full of clothes. She didn't need a reality check. She already
    knew. Bad crap was happening. Gary was very dead and she'd darn near died falling off her balcony.
    Even if it was an accident, she would have been more alert to her surroundings before this mess. Until she
    could get her life settled again, she needed to be extra careful.
    Her mother was worried anyway and in need of extra help with her difficult pregnancy. Why not take her
    up on the standing offer to stay in the garage apartment?
    She could still come and go as she pleased, but would have her brother nearby. Sure sometimes he'd
    been a wormy little pest who once dumped all her makeup into the sewer. But now that he'd shot up to
    six foot four inches, he made a fairly decent crime deterrent.
    And she sure had plenty of time on her hands to help her mom repaint the new nursery.
    Her principal had suggested she take a weeklong vacation. Suggested being a loose way of putting it.
    She suspected a parent or two had complained after getting wind of what happened the night Gary died.
    Whatever had happened.
    Gossip could be hell. As much as she wanted to dig her heels in, she could see the principal's resolve.
    Pissing off her boss now wouldn't be wise.
    Her whole life was crashing down around her. She needed control over something. At least she could still
    tutor her at-risk high schoolers or she would go nuts.
    She threw open her truck door, stepped out and reached into the back to heft up her suitcase. Carson
    was right. She was lucky to have a family support system. Her parents had worked hard to build this for
    their kids and finally for themselves, too. She wouldn't settle for anything less when it came to building her
    own life.
    And suddenly she couldn't help but wonder what sort of childhood had Carson had. He'd mentioned a
    sister and a love of tapioca, but nothing else.
    Before she could tap on the screen, the front door swung open. Her tiny mother stepped into view with
    an unmistakable belly and a headful of dark curls lightly streaked with silver. "Nikki!" She swung the door
    wider, her gaze skating to the suitcase on the plank porch. "I'm so glad you decided to take me up on the
    offer of some pampering."
    "The garage