Free In Zach's Arms (Once a Marine, Always a Marine Book 1) by Kori David Page A

just went to check the mail. I stayed on the property. Nothing happened.”
    “Yet. Nothing happened yet. You’re not out of danger.”
    And then he kissed her. He scorched her with his touch, making her forget the danger. Zach was everything good in her life, her rock, her family, her lover. And he kissed her like she was the prize from some Viking raid.
    Elizabeth was so lost in the kiss that it was a moment before she realized there was a noise intruding. She opened her eyes and found that she was literally wrapped around Zach.
    He stared at her a moment longer before putting her down.  
    “That’s your phone,” Zach said softly, when she looked confused. He dug the phone out of her back pocket and handed it to her. She took it with shaky hands.
    “Hello?”
    “Hey there, how’s all that mountain air treating you?” Her landlord’s cheerful voice was a cool splash of water to her overheated body.
    “You’re not getting out of talking about your lack of safety sense.” Zach’s look was serious and she knew she was in for another lecture.
    She nodded and focused on the call. “Hey, Bea. How are you?”
    “Wondering if that man is as sexy as his voice?”
    Elizabeth grinned. Bea had a one-track mind and not a shy bone in her body. Zach raised an eyebrow when she looked at him, but he didn’t ask any questions.
    “Yes, he is.”
    “I could tell. Good ones are hard to find these days.”
    “So what’s up?”
    “I’ve got some bad news for you. Your apartment was broken into again.”
    “You’ve got to be kidding. What happened?”
    Elizabeth bit her lip and looked up into Zach’s concerned face. He took her hand and led them both to the couch to sit down.
    “I’m putting you on speaker so my friend, Zach, can hear, okay?”
    “Sure. It’s the damnedest thing. Whoever broke in this time put everything back in place. I have to tell you, it makes the hair on my body stand up just thinking about it. Even the books are in the right order again. The weirdo even vacuumed.”
    “Did you call the police?”
    “I sure did. That sexy detective came out to look it over. But that’s not the worst of it,” Bea’s voice quivered just a bit. “He broke into my place as well. I must have been sleeping. I never heard a thing.”
    “I am so sorry. You weren’t hurt, right?”
    “Not so much as a scratch. I surely don’t understand it and the police just looked confused. I have to say, doesn’t give me much confidence in the system.”
    “Did he take anything or destroy anything?” Elizabeth asked.
    “Didn’t take anything that I could find except my address book. Gives me the willies knowing he was here while I was sleeping.”
    “So, it’s possible that he only broke into your place to get this address?” Zach’s calm question broke into the conversation.
    Beth could feel the shock on her face. Oh God. It had been so stupid to leave the house. He could be here already and she’d been out in the open. She might as well have just screamed ‘victim here.’
    “That’s what that nice Detective Wolfe thinks,” Bea confirmed. “He told me not to worry you with this, that his team would handle it. But I say, forewarned is forearmed.”
    “Thank you so much for calling. Jesus, I wouldn’t blame you if you evicted me.”
    “Bullshit. You didn’t cause any of this. Some psychopath has decided that he has a beef with you and did some damage. So what. None of this is your fault.”
    “Still, this is exposing you and the other tenants. What if something happened to one of them, like Mr. McCreedy or old Mrs. Walters on the third floor?”
      “I happen to know that Eileen Walters has a sawed off shotgun hidden in her room and McCreedy packed a bag and took off, saying he’d be back on Monday.”
    “Isn’t that a bit odd?”
    “What, McCreedy or Eileen’s shotgun?”
    “Mr. McCreedy, I mean, he never leaves his apartment.”
    Bea paused. “Well, I never thought about that, but you’re right.