Sweet Seduction Shield(15)

Daisy smiled winningly at them. And received two beaming smiles back.

"And for Mum?" Gen asked.

"Trim Flat White and a Kelly King Penguin chocolate too, please."

"Coming right up!" Gen announced, ringing the total up on the cash register. I handed over the right amount, thanked them both profusely for making my daughter's day, and took an order number on a small chrome stand. I spun around to locate a place we could hide in for a while.

And came face to face with Detective Pierce.





Chapter 5


Can I Call You Kelly Too?

How the hell did he know I was here already?

His eyes scanned my face, then swept down my body. I saw a flicker of recognition there, no doubt cataloguing the fact I was wearing the same outfit as yesterday's. I stifled the urge to shift my feet, feeling decidedly unworthy of his attention. He spotted Daisy and immediately crouched down on his haunches.

"Hello," he said softly. Daisy clung to my leg, half hiding her face behind my thigh. "My name's Ryan. And you are Princess Daisy."

She smiled a small smile at him and then turned her face up to mine, waiting for me to give her permission to talk to the stranger. I couldn't give her a reply, I was still so stunned he'd found us here so quickly.

"How did you know we were here?" I asked the detective instead.

Pierce stood back up to full height again, which made him slightly taller than me.

"Let's grab a table and have a talk," he suggested, placing a hand on my elbow and leading me away from the counter, where we had started blocking other customers' view of the chocolate display.

I wanted to pull my arm from his grip; it was second nature for me to not touch. But Daisy was watching everything with childlike curious eyes. I couldn't make a scene in front of my daughter. And as I followed mutely behind the detective a strange thing happened. He made sure there was no one in our way, no obstacles for us to avoid. He took a-round-about path, ensuring we wouldn't bump into anyone or anything. Ensuring I didn't have to jerk out of their way. He offered himself as a buffer. As if he instinctively knew I couldn't abide touching anything without preparing myself first.

The only thing he hadn't allowed me to prepare for, was him touching me.

He pulled Daisy's chair out first, making a fuss about seating a princess, then before I had a chance to recover from his sweet behaviour with my daughter, he had mine out as well. His eyes met my own in a challenge. Would I accept his gallant actions?

I let a small breath of air out and sat myself down in the offered seat. His smile was one of complete male satisfaction. I was tempted to roll my eyes at him, like Daisy rolls hers at me.

"Are you both all right?" he asked, after sitting himself down in the chair closest to mine.

My eyes automatically sought out Daisy's, but she was too busy dancing in her seat to the music and people watching. I returned my attention back to the man before me.

"We're here, aren't we?" I offered as answer. He just nodded, as though that made complete sense.

"And where to after this?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned for our next move.

"I don't know," I whispered with a shake of my head, and then jumped when Gen appeared at my shoulder.

Pierce's hand came out and settled on my knee, helping to still the trembling that had started there. The intimate move, which was so out of character for a police officer to make, coupled with the plethora of stimulation this café provided, made me push my chair back suddenly and come to my feet. Chest heaving as I sucked in much needed air.

I closed my eyes, as I closed my fists at my side, and vaguely heard Gen say to Daisy, "I need your help, Princess Daisy. I'm too busy to make a sign up for Kelly the King Penguin. Would you help me out and draw a picture, please?"

My eyelids slowly opened and standing before me, also up from his chair, was Pierce. He held my gaze with a steady look in his eyes. Offering a form of grounding as Genevieve distracted my child.

What was happening to me? Where had my shields all gone? This behaviour was hardly confident, was it? I was a mess and I didn't think I could get a handle on it any time soon. But I needed to. For Daisy.

"Are you ready to sit down again?" Pierce asked, no judgement in his tone. Just a simple question, as though he was asking my opinion on the weather.

I nodded shakily, and he reached around to pull my chair back into place. I sat while his hand was still on the back of it, so his arm brushed the sleeve of my shirt.

Fuck. I'd done that on purpose. I hadn't waited for him to move, my body had just acted, hoping I'd feel the brush of his arm. Seeking the contact, a form of casual contact I usually shunned.

My hand came up and covered my mouth, as I breathed heavily through my nose. Pierce watched me, leaning back in his chair and giving me a semblance of space. But I had the impression he could see right through me. Could see every internal battle my body and mind were currently having.