Captured Innocence (CSA Case Files) by Kennedy Layne

thrashing around, her covers down by her feet.  Her body suddenly stilled, as if her dream had been halted, but her whimper indicated it hadn’t. 
    Quickly c rossing the hardwood floor, Connor turned on the bedside lamp.  He sat on the edge of her bed and placed a hand on her arm.  It was cold, so he stroked her skin up and down.  As if knowing he was there, she turned her face toward him.  He felt his chest tighten as a tiny frown marred her forehead.
    “Lauren, wake up.”  Connor continued to touch her, wanting to reassure her that she was safe.  “Come on, Red.  Open those pretty eyes for me.”
    A gasp of air left her lips as she came awake.  At first, Connor could see that she wasn’t quite with him.  He let Lauren slowly take things in and as her green eyes cleared, knew that she was finally awake.
    “Bad dream?”
    “He said something,” Lauren whispered, leaning up on her elbows.  She focused on him and spoke rapidly, as if she didn’t want to lose her memory.  “I was loading the last box of items into my van when I felt someone come up behind me.  Before I could turn, he grabbed me around the neck.  You can’t say another word .  That’s what he said, but I hadn’t even cried out.  I hadn’t said anything.  It doesn’t make sense.”
    Lauren paused and looked down, as if just now realizing his fingers were caressing her skin.  Knowing now wasn’t the time to push her, Connor reached behind her and pulled a pillow up against her headboard.  Taking his cue, she sat up.  He remained quiet, knowing that she would continue in her own time. 
    “I heard somebody yell at him and that’s when he pushed me to the ground.”  Lauren looked down at her hands.  “I tried to catch myself, but my hands slipped on some ice.  That’s when my head smacked against the cement.”
    “Did you see him run off?” Connor asked, trying to keep her memory alive.  Maybe she’d seen something that would be useful in tracking this fucker down. 
    “No,” Lauren replied.  “I looked up to see a man standing over me with his cell phone. I think he was a taxi driver. He’d already called the police.”
    “Okay.  This is good,” Connor said, reassuring her.  “Do you remember what his voice sounded like?”
    “Um.” Lauren’s brow formed a cute V as she tried to remember.  “It wasn’t as deep as yours.”
    Connor’s conversation with Kevin returned.  He let his eyes roam down her body and couldn’t help but appreciate her curves.  Her breasts were full and round, the silk tank top leaving little to the imagination.  Lauren was small enough, though, that a larger woman would have been able to come up behind and easily have subdued her. 
    “Do you think it could have been a woman?”
    Lauren slowly shook her head, although her green eyes had started to sparkle and she crossed her arms across her chest.  The movement reminded him of her habit of touching her wrist.  His earlier thought that something may have happened in her past to cause her to be afraid of dominant men went out the window.  The spunk she sometimes got smashed that idea into pieces.  It was obvious she wasn’t afraid.  Connor didn’t miss the hardening of her nipples and while he would have liked nothing better than to suck on them, he concentrated on the conversation at hand.
    “Why not?”
    “I’m not sure,” Lauren answered, pursing her lips in concentration.  “Just the feel of him against my back, I guess.”
    “You weren’t wearing a coat?” Connor asked, frowning.  It was damn cold out there and she should know better than to be outside without protection.  “You had one at the hospital.”
    “The policeman got into my van to retrieve it.”  Lauren’s frown deepened, as if she didn’t like defending herself.  “I was hot from carrying all of those boxes.  I took it off.”
    Connor could tell they would only end up arguing over something trivial if he pushed the issue.  He always