As soon as Caleb saw her car in the driveway, he pulled out his phone.
"I found her."
"Where the hell is she? Is she okay?"
"At my place. Her car is in the driveway."
"I'm on my way."
Shaking his head, Caleb drove in and parked behind her. Livingston had called him sounding frantic and reported that he could not find Courtney anywhere.
"She's not answering her phone. We had one bloody argument where I told her she had to stop working and she stormed out. She could be involved in an accident or lying in a ditch somewhere. If she's okay, I'm going to murder her. And don't tell me you're a cop. I don't give a damn. Bloody woman makes me want to strangle her."
He had wisely refrained from saying anything.
Letting himself into the silent house that smelled enticingly of stew, he went into the kitchen first and then the living room. A smile curved his lips when he saw her stretched out and fast asleep.
Crossing to the sofa, he sat at her hip and shook her hard enough to have her eyes flickering open.
"Caleb?" Confusion covered her face as she eased up a little.
"Hiding out?"
She squirmed slightly. "Something like that. What time..." She glanced at the clock and sat bolt upright. "Oh my God! It's almost eight."
"Your husband has been calling down my phone and demanding I call for backup. He's worried about you. We've both been calling and you're not answering your phone."
She had the grace to look guilty. "I turned it off."
"I called him when I saw your vehicle. Good thing I decided to swing by and grab a few things. I'm working over tonight. He's on his way." Caleb grinned. "Said something about strangling you."
Shoving the covers off her, she rose, just as headlights sliced through the darkness.
"Ah, perfect timing."
"We had an argument."
"So I heard."
He stepped back when footsteps pounded through the hallway. He stopped inside the doorway for a few seconds and stared ather. Caleb had a feeling the man did not notice him standing there.
Crossing the room, he simply hauled her into his arms and wrapped her up against him.
"Dante..."
"Quiet," he whispered raggedly.
She was about to say something when she realized he was shaking.
"I'm so sorry."
"I thought something had happened to you." Lifting his head, he cupped her face. "I'll kill you later," he murmured before crushing her lips with his.
Chapter 16
Neither of them noticed that Caleb had quietly left the room. They were both so wrapped up in the kiss that nothing else mattered.
He devoured her. When he could not get her on the phone, he had gone into a full-scale panic, thinking that something had happened to her. After several attempts at trying her phone, he had called her brother and cancelled his last two meetings, without hesitation.
