Free Colby Velocity by Debra Webb
Authors: Debra Webb
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âLook. Iâll call the front desk about your room. Donât worry about that.â He curled his forefinger beneath her chin and lifted her gaze to his. âBut, for tonight, I want you where I can see you.â
His touch or maybe his voice made her tremble just a little. Could have been the exhaustion. âIâll be fine.â She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. His suggestion that she couldnât wasâ¦ridiculous. She had taken care of herself during dicey field investigations before.
He dropped his hand, gave her a patient smile. âIâm certain you would be fine either way, but I wouldnât be fine at all.â
Confusion lined her brow.
âIâd spend the rest of the night worried about the possibility that whoever did thatâ he pointed in the direction of her room âwould come back. I could conduct this investigation alone.â He nodded for emphasis. âDonât think I canât. This whole partners gig is the Colby way of doing things.â
She opened her mouth to argue the idea, but he kept going. âThe bottom line is that I need you on this one. I donât know the players or their worlds. Your knowledge and your contacts will make what has to be done a whole lot easier and more efficient.Not to mention I know how much this case means to you. So letâs not take any chances with safety. Yours or mine. You crash here and we can keep an eye on each other.â
Maybe it was the genuine concern in those blue eyes of hisâ¦or maybe it was just her need to feel protected at the moment.
As much as sheâd like to claim immunity to vulnerability, that would be a lie. Determined, aggressive, she was both those things but she was also a woman and right now she felt a little vulnerable.
âI canât argue with your reasoning, partner.â She exhaled the remainder of her uncertainty. âWake me up if you find anything.â
âWill do.â
Rocky returned to his laptop. Kendra didnât move for a time. Instead, she watched the man whose nickname gave the impression of hard, unyielding fortitude. In the past fourteen or so hours she had learned that wasnât the case at all.
Big, tough Leland âRockyâ Rockford was soft and caring on the inside.
A smile widened her weary lips. She liked that.
She pushed up and moved to the side of the bed, kicking her shoes off as she went. Drawing the covers back, she decided that sleeping in her jacket would be counterproductive. She shouldered out ofit and tossed it on the foot of the bed. Her holstered cell phone went on the bedside table.
Kendra stretched her kinked muscles, started to climb into the bed but abruptly realized that this suit was the only usable wardrobe element she had left. The jeans absolutely didnât count. Outside going shopping first thing in the morning, which was not on her agenda, she had little choice but to get under the covers and slip the skirt off as well.
With a camisole beneath the blouse, there was no reason she couldnât take that off, too. Otherwise sheâd be a wrinkled mess in the morning. With a quick glance to ensure Rocky was absorbed in his work, she unbuttoned and peeled off the blouse.
Dropping back onto the pillows she pulled the covers up to her neck. It felt good to lie down. The many questions related to the case churned in her brain, but just closing her eyes was decelerating the puzzling whirlwind. Sleep dragged at her weary body, promising oblivion. She slowly let go.
Rocky would wake her if he found anything or if news came in from the agency research folks. Her lids fluttered open just enough to get one final peek at her partnerâ¦and protector.
He was no longer staring at the screen of his laptop. He was staring at her.
The image of those blue eyes drifted into darkness with her.
It was nice, she realized, not being alone.
Chapter Seven
Thursday, 6:15 a.m.
Rocky closed his
âLook. Iâll call the front desk about your room. Donât worry about that.â He curled his forefinger beneath her chin and lifted her gaze to his. âBut, for tonight, I want you where I can see you.â
His touch or maybe his voice made her tremble just a little. Could have been the exhaustion. âIâll be fine.â She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. His suggestion that she couldnât wasâ¦ridiculous. She had taken care of herself during dicey field investigations before.
He dropped his hand, gave her a patient smile. âIâm certain you would be fine either way, but I wouldnât be fine at all.â
Confusion lined her brow.
âIâd spend the rest of the night worried about the possibility that whoever did thatâ he pointed in the direction of her room âwould come back. I could conduct this investigation alone.â He nodded for emphasis. âDonât think I canât. This whole partners gig is the Colby way of doing things.â
She opened her mouth to argue the idea, but he kept going. âThe bottom line is that I need you on this one. I donât know the players or their worlds. Your knowledge and your contacts will make what has to be done a whole lot easier and more efficient.Not to mention I know how much this case means to you. So letâs not take any chances with safety. Yours or mine. You crash here and we can keep an eye on each other.â
Maybe it was the genuine concern in those blue eyes of hisâ¦or maybe it was just her need to feel protected at the moment.
As much as sheâd like to claim immunity to vulnerability, that would be a lie. Determined, aggressive, she was both those things but she was also a woman and right now she felt a little vulnerable.
âI canât argue with your reasoning, partner.â She exhaled the remainder of her uncertainty. âWake me up if you find anything.â
âWill do.â
Rocky returned to his laptop. Kendra didnât move for a time. Instead, she watched the man whose nickname gave the impression of hard, unyielding fortitude. In the past fourteen or so hours she had learned that wasnât the case at all.
Big, tough Leland âRockyâ Rockford was soft and caring on the inside.
A smile widened her weary lips. She liked that.
She pushed up and moved to the side of the bed, kicking her shoes off as she went. Drawing the covers back, she decided that sleeping in her jacket would be counterproductive. She shouldered out ofit and tossed it on the foot of the bed. Her holstered cell phone went on the bedside table.
Kendra stretched her kinked muscles, started to climb into the bed but abruptly realized that this suit was the only usable wardrobe element she had left. The jeans absolutely didnât count. Outside going shopping first thing in the morning, which was not on her agenda, she had little choice but to get under the covers and slip the skirt off as well.
With a camisole beneath the blouse, there was no reason she couldnât take that off, too. Otherwise sheâd be a wrinkled mess in the morning. With a quick glance to ensure Rocky was absorbed in his work, she unbuttoned and peeled off the blouse.
Dropping back onto the pillows she pulled the covers up to her neck. It felt good to lie down. The many questions related to the case churned in her brain, but just closing her eyes was decelerating the puzzling whirlwind. Sleep dragged at her weary body, promising oblivion. She slowly let go.
Rocky would wake her if he found anything or if news came in from the agency research folks. Her lids fluttered open just enough to get one final peek at her partnerâ¦and protector.
He was no longer staring at the screen of his laptop. He was staring at her.
The image of those blue eyes drifted into darkness with her.
It was nice, she realized, not being alone.
Chapter Seven
Thursday, 6:15 a.m.
Rocky closed his