When A Heart Stops Part 10

Dominic hopped up to join her.

When she reached for the k.n.o.b, he laid a hand on hers and pulled her to the side. He pushed the curtain slightly to the right, then nodded.

Serena opened the door to find the delivery guy there, four large pizzas in hand. Dominic paid the man and Serena turned her nose up at the boxes as she left him and entered the kitchen.

His low laughter reached her ears as she grabbed potholders and opened the oven. She couldn't help the smile that curved her lips. Cheese bubbled and the meat sizzled.

She breathed in. "Perfect."

Dominic leaned over her shoulder. "Wow. I have to say that looks awesome."

"Tastes even better, I promise." Sliding the pizza from the round stone onto the platter Dominic handed her, she set it on the counter to cool.

He leaned over to inhale. "Ahhh. I think you're going to convert me."

Serena smiled. "Do you have a pizza cutter?"

"Um . . . no. My pizzas always come sliced."

She smirked. "Right." Wiping her hands on her shorts, she said, "That's all right, I can use a knife."

"Hey, guys," Hunter called. "We're starving. Bring the food in here, will ya?"

Dominic grinned and grabbed two pizzas in the cardboard boxes from the counter. Serena quickly sliced hers with a knife and together they returned to the den.

Katie stood and tossed her file to the side. "I'll get the drinks."

"Cans are in the fridge," Dominic said.

"I know where they are." Katie moved toward the kitchen, tossing an unreadable look in Serena's and Dominic's direction. Dominic missed it, but Serena didn't.

Katie was jealous. Great. Pus.h.i.+ng aside the unsettling knowledge, Serena set the pizza in the middle of the quickly cleared coffee table. Dominic handed out paper plates and napkins while Katie returned with sodas and bottled water.

Serena snagged a bottle of water, a plate, and two slices of the homemade pizza.

"Hey, this is good stuff," Colton exclaimed.

Serena flushed as Dominic agreed.

"Where'd you learn to cook like this?" Dominic asked.

Serena gave a shrug. "Mostly trial and error." She grinned at Alexia. "Alexia and I used to cook a lot at my house on the weekends. She was my guinea pig."

Alexia, mouth full of pizza, nodded and swallowed. "I gained fifteen pounds that summer between our junior and senior year when Serena went on a cooking frenzy."

Serena laughed, then sobered as she slid another file in front of her. But even while she joined in with the others' laughter and much-needed lighthearted conversation, she found her thoughts drifting.

Her mind had been subconsciously working on a problem all week, and Serena allowed herself to let it surface while everyone became absorbed in the food and files. Conversation eventually stalled.

Her phone buzzed. Frowning, she pulled it out, praying there were no dead bodies to call her back to the morgue.

No dead bodies, just a text message from Camille. DO I HAVE TO STAY HERE? CAN I STAY AT YOUR PLACE?

Serena closed her eyes and said a prayer. Then texted back, I'M SORRY, HON, U HAVE TO STAY THERE FOR NOW. I'M NOT HOME RIGHT NOW. I'LL TRY TO COME SEE U TOMORROW.

I'M GOING TO LOOK FOR A JOB TOMORROW.

I'LL TEXT YOU OR CALL. WE'LL WORK SOMETHING OUT. JUST STAY THERE FOR TONIGHT AT LEAST, OK? PROMISE?

At least two minutes pa.s.sed before Camille's response came through.

OK. BYE.

She set her phone aside and sighed. Camille had found a special spot in Serena's heart, but she refused to let the girl manipulate her. Covenant House was a great place and Camille would learn to adjust. She would.

With that comforting thought, knowing that for now Camille was safe, Serena was able to turn her mind back to present business.

The man she'd shot still hadn't been identified.

And her questions still remained unanswered.

Who was he? Why had he been in her house? And what was he looking for?

She had her suspicions about the answer to that last question but no way of knowing whether or not she was right. But if she was, then she had no doubt that this wasn't the end of it just because her intruder was now in the hospital in a coma.

If someone was after the package that Jillian had sent her, she needed to figure out what to do with it. Because there was no way she could allow that information to fall into the wrong hands.

12.

TUESDAY, 7:45 P.M.

From the street, the killer watched. The pizza delivery man had come and gone. Laughter echoed from inside and the killer lifted a brow. What were they doing? Having a party? Indignation rose. There was a killer on the street and the cops were partying? How apropos.

A giggle escaped. Then full-fledged laughter.

Continuing the game was going to be so easy. Dumb cops. They never figured out much of anything if you didn't want them to. Throw them a few crumbs and they never really looked past the obvious.

Dominic munched on the pizza and watched Serena from the corner of his eye. She was with them, but she wasn't. She stared at the file in front of her, but from the pensive look on her face, he had a feeling the words weren't registering with her.

The others continued to pore over the files in between bites of homemade pizza. The delivered pizza was the last to go and Dominic had to admit Serena's pizza had spoiled takeout for him. He studied her and thought about what it would be like to have her around all the time. Yeah. He wouldn't mind that kind of spoiling. She looked up and caught his eye. He didn't look away, and after a few seconds, she flushed and ducked her head.

Dominic allowed a small smile to curve his lips as he watched her.

Her flush faded as she turned her attention back to the stack of files in front of her. She grabbed one and set it on the floor in front of the fireplace to read through it. Dominic simply watched her. When she finished, she placed it on the stack labeled "nothing" and reached for the next one, her movements smooth, fluid, graceful.

Dominic moved to sit next to her.

Katie stood just as he sat down and said, "I'm sorry, guys, I've got to call it a night. I have to be up and at a meeting in the morning."

Dominic hopped back to his feet and said, "Thanks for your help."

"Wasn't much help that I could see," she grumbled. "Thanks for the pizza, though."

"Sure."

She looked at Serena and said, "I see why you make your own."

A real grin slipped across Serena's face. "Thanks."

Serena shot Dominic a teasing glance but was too cla.s.sy to say "I told you so." At least not out loud. The words were written all over her face, though. Dominic bit his lip on a grin.

Hunter and Alexia followed Katie's lead, with Colton a few minutes behind them, and soon the house was empty-and quiet.

He returned to the den to find Serena immersed in yet another file. She finally closed it and looked up. "Another nothing." She slapped it on top of the stack and stood. Stretched and yawned. "I guess I'd better go too." She glanced at the clock on the mantel and gasped. "It's ten-thirty already? I didn't realize it was so late."

He didn't want her to go. "Do you want some coffee?"

She paused. "I wouldn't mind a cup. Even in the dead of summer at ten-thirty at night, I like my coffee. Decaf, though, okay?"

He nodded. "I'm right there with you."

"And do you have any flavored creamer?"

"Vanilla or mocha."

Delight lightened her pretty eyes. "Mocha."

While he rummaged around in the kitchen, getting the coffee brewing, Serena straddled a stool, placed her elbows on the bar, and settled her chin in her hands.

And studied him. It wasn't a hards.h.i.+p.

Tall, with the same fiery red hair that he shared with his sister, Alexia, and gorgeous green eyes. Serena sighed.

He looked up. "What's wrong?"

Mortification filled her. Sighing over him like a lovesick teen. Again! She cleared her throat. "Um. Nothing. Just thinking."

"About?"

She couldn't help the small smile that lifted her lips. "You really want to know?"

He paused and looked at her. "Yes. I really want to know."

"It's kind of silly, actually." Serena forced herself not to fidget. "I was thinking how much you've changed since the last time I saw you. You know, when I was a kid."

A light went on in his eyes. And he grinned as he gave her the once-over. "I could say the same about you."

She bit her lip, then blurted, "I had a big old crush on you when I was twelve."

His face softened. "I know."

The heat of embarra.s.sment hit her. "You do? You did?"

"Yes. Which is why I did my best to avoid you."

Serena winced. "I was that annoying?"

"No." His somber expression grabbed her. "I knew I wasn't any good. And I didn't want to hurt you."

That made her heart flip. "Oh."

He shrugged and turned back to the coffee. "You were too young for me anyway. But it didn't stop me from noticing that you were going to be an incredibly beautiful woman one day."

"Oh." She couldn't seem to find any other word in her vocabulary.

Dominic chuckled, stepped closer, and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I was right."

Serena felt the breath leave her as his gaze dropped to her lips. The musky scent of his cologne surrounded her. In the blink of an eye, a thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Finally, her tongue got back in touch with her mind. "I'm not twelve anymore." As soon as the words left her, she wanted to recall them. While she'd found other words, apparently she'd lost her filters.

He froze. Tender fingers lingered on the fragile sh.e.l.l of her ear as he stared down at her. "I know." He paused as he studied her closer. "Trust me, I've noticed."

Her lower lip trembled. Her heart thumped, threatening to rupture through her chest.

His head lowered.

Her eyes closed.

And the doorbell rang.

13.

TUESDAY, 10:45 P.M.

Dominic flinched and pulled back, his heart racing at the interruption. He'd almost kissed her. And regretted that he hadn't. Clearing his throat, he said, "Excuse me a minute."

He noticed the red in her cheeks and hoped she wasn't thinking he was trying to move too fast with her. That certainly wasn't his intention. In fact, he really didn't have any business thinking about her romantically.