Dangerous Attraction

by Sidney Bristol

  “Where you going?” he called out as she left the bedroom.

  “Kitchen.” She hadn’t stopped being hungry since they’d picked her up out of the snow. Sure, another meal would go straight to her hips, but they were hers, and she wasn’t about to feel guilty for being alive to eat.

  TRAVIS WATCHED BLISS leave the bedroom.

  She didn’t get it. And he didn’t know how to make her understand. His life was cursed. There was a darkness he couldn’t shake. He’d been born into it, and it would die with him. There was no future if she couldn’t accept that.

  A future?

  What the heck was he thinking?

  He shook his head and sat up, busying himself with putting his clothes into a drawer.

  There was no denying he liked Bliss. She was special, and he would be crazy to not want her in his life. But that was a something he couldn’t ask of her. He couldn’t offer her a stable home like Grayson. He wouldn’t be around to take her calls, have dinner or anything. She deserved better than him, and that was the end of it.

  He put the last of his things away and headed downstairs, following his nose.

  Bliss stood at the stove, stirring something in a pot. She was barefoot and bounced her hip in time to music only she could hear. Just the sight of her was a punch to the gut. This time two days ago he hadn’t been certain he’d ever see her again. And here she was.

  It was enough to make a man wonder about the future. To want something different. But even trying to live part time in Vegas to be nearer to her wouldn’t be fair to her. He’d watched the stress that kind of separation put on Ethan and Molly. Sure, other guys made it work, but someone always suffered. He wouldn’t ask her to do that.

  Travis crossed to the entry and the brown box the officer had left for him.

  “What ‘ya got there?” Bliss asked.

  He set the box on the kitchen counter and opened it. A couple of things for him, and two for her.

  “Belated Christmas presents.” He held up the two items.

  “Oh, you’re so thoughtful. I’ve always wanted my very own Taser. And Mace?”

  “Will you be serious?”

  “Fine. What’s up?”

  “I want you to keep these with you. Have you used mace before?”

  “I had some in college. I know the basics. Point it away from you. Aim for the eyes. If I get it on me, don’t try to wash it off with soap, use milk.”

  “Good. And the Taser?”

  “You sure that’s necessary?”

  “It could be. I’d like you to have a gun, but first you need to know what to do with it.”

  “A gun? Seriously? Me?”

  “What? You operate a vibrator. It can’t be that much different.”

  “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.”

  “Look, I just want you safe. These are easy tools to keep around in case you need them.”

  She sighed and tapped the spoon on the pot.

  “Fine. How do I work it?”

  They left the soup on to simmer while he showed her the basics of the hand-held device. It had enough juice to stop a man in his tracks long enough for her to get away. That was the most important thing he had to drill into her.

  “If you’ll consider it, I’d at least like to show you how to shoot.” He placed the items back on the counter. Later he’d make sure they got into her purse.

  “But they said we couldn’t go out.”

  “Not now. Some other time.” He got at least a week off between gigs, sometimes more. Plenty of time to make a trip to Nevada.

  “Like—what? You’re just going to come back to Vegas to teach me how to shoot a gun?”

  “Sure. Why not? You don’t want me here?” Hadn’t he just decided that was a bad idea? He had no self-control where she was concerned.

  She blinked at him for a second, then stared at the soup, stirring it slowly.

  “It’s not that. I like you. But it’s hard to lean on you and know you’re going to leave any minute. I was starting to think I’d never see you once you left.”

  “I never said that.”

  “No...”

  “I wouldn’t mind coming back if you wanted to see me.”

  Bliss nodded. It wasn’t the reaction he’d hoped for, not that he knew what he wanted from her. It was all so tangled and twisted inside of him. He wanted her even when he knew the best thing for her was not him.

  “I don’t have to,” he said.

  “It’s just hard right now. I really like you, and I’m so very grateful you saved not just me, but Wendy... I don’t know where my head is. I’d like to see you though.”

  “Cool.”

  “But what if I’m not even here? What if they move me?”

  “Then we’ll figure it out. Daniel can’t keep hiding forever. They’re going to catch him.” That, or Travis would. The most important thing right now was keeping Bliss safe. Once he was assured of her well-being, he would go on the hunt.

  IT WAS GOOD TO BE BACK in his home city. Getting out of California hadn’t been as difficult as he’d thought. Granted, there were a few close calls, but his disguise had passed the test.

  Daniel unlocked his secret bunker and quick-stepped down the stairs. It was time to find out where his girls were and plan for their get-away.

  He fired up the computer and waited for it to boot.

  Wendy was easy to locate. All he had to do was follow the courier from her husband’s place of work, and he’d know where she was. Bliss, on the other hand, was better concealed. Thanks to that piece of work bodyguard. Daniel hadn’t figured out how that one played into everything, but he was ready to find out.

  A few clicks of the keys, and he brought up the GPS tracker tuned into the device he’d planted in her bag. The red pin plopped on the map, and he zoomed in to the very street she was sitting on.

  “Gotcha.”

  He grinned and clicked through his other feeds. The majority of his cameras were disabled, but a small number were still up and running. They all showed what he expected, abandoned homes.

  Now, what about the man?

  Travis.

  That was his name.

  “Who are you, Travis? And how will you die?”

  12.

  Bliss peered into yet another drawer. The master bath was stocked with all kinds of things. Toothbrushes. Adult diapers. Children’s diapers. First aid kit. The list went on. If she didn’t have something, she now knew where it was stocked.

  The digital clock on the counter ticked off another five minutes. She’d successfully hidden in the bathroom for over an hour. Travis had moved around the house, talking on his phone, chatting with her, and mostly brooding. Their conversation over dinner had consisted of a dozen or so words.

  She liked him. A lot. And she did want him to come back to Vegas. At least that was her knee-jerk reaction. On one hand, she wanted more. For Travis to realize he was more than a string of other people’s mistakes. That he was a caring, thoughtful guy who just needed to let go a little. That there was more than just chemistry there. On the other hand...She didn’t know if she’d be living in Vegas. If he would be allowed to know where she was. And why the hell did she have such crazy strong feelings for a guy she met a couple days ago?

  From the moment Travis had walked into her life, she felt like someone had her back. He believed her when she said her sister was missing. At the house she’d freaked out, and he was right there with her. When she pressed the issue of going with him, he didn’t try to keep her away. At every turn he’d had her back. What would it be like to have a partner like that? She’d always been the one pulling the weight of two people.

  Then there was the chemistry. It was off the charts. She didn’t think it was simply switching out her nice guy type for a bad boy. It was a result as unique as Travis himself.

  She was falling in love with him, and they were doomed to fail.

  “Bliss?” He knocked on the bathroom door.

  She flinch
ed and turned toward the white pocket door. If she ignored him, would he go away? She couldn’t be so lucky.

  “Yeah?”

  “You done in there?”

  “Almost.”

  She held her breath and listened, but of course he couldn’t do her the favor of making a tiny bit of sound.

  Freaking man.

  Bliss turned back to the mirror. She’d showered. Dried her hair. Brushed and flossed her teeth. Scrubbed and moisturized her face. Was she missing something? Could she squeeze out a few more moments alone with her merry-go-round of thoughts?

  The lock on the door snicked.

  Her spine straightened and she stood at the tiny silver lock, pointing the wrong way.

  Daniel?

  The door opened. Travis stood on the other side, a knife in hand.

  Bliss blew out a breath and turned to face him.

  “Christ, don’t do that. You scared me.”

  “You’ve been in here for a long time.” He closed the knife and slid it into his pocket without looking away from her.

  “Yeah, so? There’s not a lot to do here.” She scooped up her dirty clothes.

  He stepped back, out of her way. She crossed to her bag, opting to leave the worn clothing tucked behind the duffle for now.

  “What’s bothering you?” Travis leaned against the dresser, watching her.

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing is always something when a woman says it.”

  She glared at him.

  “Ethan’s ex-wife always said that.”

  Smart woman.

  “You going to bed?” he asked.

  “Might as well.”

  Travis had insisted they keep the TV off. If she had to guess, the news was still clogged with updates on Daniel’s whereabouts and his history of crime. The FBI had mentioned something about confirming over fifty bodies attributed to Daniel.

  She climbed into bed and turned away from Travis.

  He still wanted to see her.

  The idea of never seeing him again left an empty ache in her chest. Could she ever have him? Would he ever truly be hers? She wasn’t even sure what he meant when he suggested still seeing her.

  She listened to him brush his teeth and move about the room, getting ready for bed. Everyday actions that squeezed her heart in a vice. Why couldn’t this be their normal?

  Travis turned all the lights off, save for the bathroom. He left the door open just a crack. For her. Because she needed the security of the light.

  The bed dipped under Travis’ weight, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted him, but she didn’t want to lose him. And right now, things were too uncertain to make any sort of call about the future.

  He rolled toward her and she shifted as gravity tilted her toward him. She was intently aware of his presence, the sound of his breathing, the feel of his gaze on her.

  “You need to get out of your head, darlin’. You’ll drive yourself crazy if you keep doing this to yourself. You’re safe. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” He turned and the sheets rustled as he stretched out on his side, closest to the door.

  Travis thought she was obsessing about Daniel? That mental refrain had broken some point that morning, and she’d slept without the hint of a dream. His return to her life was a very real possibility, one she didn’t like, but she couldn’t control.

  She held very still, listening to his breathing grow shallow and even. He could probably fool her into thinking he was asleep, so she chose to believe it for now.

  Bliss rolled over, letting her gaze travel the line of Travis’ body. The sheet and blanket were down around his waist and the bathroom light cast just enough light she could see the tattoo on his upper arm.

  She wiggled her toes and turned back toward the windows. There was no reason for her to have so much pent up energy. She’d barely slept, hadn’t eaten well, and it hurt when she moved certain ways. And yet, she wasn’t about to sleep anytime soon.

  The digital clock ticked off the minutes, taunting her. She turned away, only to roll to her stomach and glare at the numbers.

  Longest night of her life.

  Or, second longest. There was no denying that night spent in the A-frame had seemed to go on forever.

  She rolled to her side, tossing back the comforter tangling around her legs.

  Travis sighed in his sleep. She froze, not even breathing as she counted to twenty.

  The bedside lamp clicked on, casting a warm glow on the room.

  “What’s bothering you?” he asked.

  She rolled to her back and cringed.

  “Sorry. Keeping you up?”

  He rolled to his side, all that muscle on display.

  “What’s bothering you?” he asked again.

  “Nothing.”

  “Bliss.” He tipped his chin down and gave her The Look. The one that said they both knew very well something was bothering her and she was hiding it. “I told you Daniel can’t get you here. There’s two sets of plainclothes cops stationed at either end of the street, plus one lives behind us. Daniel shows up, we got him.”

  “Wait, we’re next door to a cop?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What about his family?”

  “He’s single, and this is part of his job. I think he’s got a cop buddy roommate.”

  “Oh. I’m not worried about Daniel.” She rolled to her side, chewing her lip. If she told him, she would become that girl. The clingy one who always wanted more. She’d never been that girl, but with Travis...It was all different.

  “Then what’s got you tossing and turning?”

  “You aren’t so bad at talking.”

  “Bliss.”

  She blew out a breath and spent a moment fluffing her pillow. He waited her out, watching her every movement. She was only prolonging the inevitable.

  “What’s going to happen to us?” She couldn’t even look at him when she asked.

  “That’s up to you.”

  “That’s not a fair answer.”

  “What do you want to hear?”

  “That’s what I’m talking about.” She flopped onto her back. “Why do you have to put this on me? It’s like you’re just saying that to make me feel better or safe or something.”

  “Put this on you? What the hell?”

  “I mean...” She glanced at him and almost wanted to hide under the bed. His scowl was dark and unhappy.

  “Let me get this straight, you think I’m in bed with you, fucked you, and stayed here to make sure you feel good? Darlin’ there are some things you can’t pay me to do and whore myself out is one of them.”

  “That’s not what I meant!” She sat up, her restless nerves pushing her to do something.

  “I’m not that kind of man.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that. I just thought...yeah, we like each other, and you’re letting me focus on us instead of Daniel when you aren’t really interested.”

  Travis scrubbed a hand over his face before answering.

  “This ain’t that complicated.”

  “Well, what am I supposed to think when you’re pushing all this on me to make the decisions? You haven’t told me what you think or feel.”

  “I told you exactly what I thought, that it was up to you what you wanted.”

  She grabbed the pillow and swung it at him. He deflected it easily with his forearm before lunging at her and pining her to the mattress. She squirmed a bit, but getting away from him was a useless expenditure of energy.

  “What’s not clear enough about that?” he asked.

  “Because what if I want something you don’t? What if you like me more than I like you?”

  The scowl didn’t go away and he didn’t move off her, but he did let go of her arm.

  “Don’t you get what I’m saying when it’s up to you? I want it all, but I’m not about to ask a woman to put up with my lifestyle or what I do. It’s not fair to you.” His voice retained the same rough quality, but there were deeper, vul
nerable notes.

  “Oh.” She let her hands rest on his biceps. Her voice trembled despite her efforts to speak clearly. “So if I said this was it, you’d be okay leaving and never seeing me again?”

  “Yes.” His gaze narrowed. He didn’t like that answer, but she didn’t doubt that he’d at least pretend he would leave her alone, per her wishes.

  She got the feeling Travis was the kind of man who got what he wanted and damn the consequences, and right now he wanted her. That desire was a palpable zing of electricity in the air, arcing between them, and she was surprised they couldn’t see the sparks.

  “And if I said let’s be crazy and get married now?” She held her breath, dying to hear how he’d send that question back at her.

  “I’d say wait until the morning.”

  “Seriously?” She stared at him in more than a bit of shock.

  Travis’ shoulders lifted.

  He was serious. Holy cow, the idea didn’t terrify her. That rational part of her brain wasn’t screaming at her to stop now.

  If he said yes, she’d marry him tomorrow.

  Was she brave enough to ask? To put it out there?

  Hell no.

  Bliss licked her lips. “I’m not serious about the wedding chapel thing, but...I don’t like the idea of not seeing you again. And I don’t like the idea of not knowing where I stand with you. I’m not the kind of girl that just jumps into bed with a guy.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Use more words, damn it. What does okay mean?”

  “I’m good with that. And you should plan on not jumping into bed with anyone else.”

  She gulped and nodded.

  “As far as where we stand, like I said, I’m leaving that up to you, because I can’t ask you for more than what you’re ready for.”

  Everything. She wanted it all, but who fell for a guy they just met? That kind of stuff was for girls like Wendy. Not her.

  “Then...dating?”

  “I’m good with that. But Bliss, I can’t even tell you when I’ll be back or how long you might go without hearing from me. Some of the work we do...it’s important. It’s not all watching rich guys like Grayson tinker around. Sometimes it’s very dangerous.”