by Various
She shrugged. It wasn’t really his fault; it was an odd twist of fate. “No, it’s okay. It’s just…weird. This is not what I expected.”
She tried to pull herself together while she put the heavy kettle down. Looking over his shoulder, she saw that Seth had gone. She stared at the empty doorway, desire kindling her whole body. Both of them were attractive men, and now she’d inadvertently got herself involved with them both. “This situation is going to take some getting used to.”
“I understand that, believe me. “ He stroked her shoulder, and she had to resist the urge to move closer and take the physical comfort he offered, trying not to let everything she had told him swamp her. “I’ll try to make this as easy as possible for you,” he added.
She forced herself to nod, but deep down she knew what she wanted, and she didn’t want easy. Which was just as well, because this felt as awkward and complicated as it possibly could be and more.
* * * *
Back off. Don’t get involved, Seth told himself.
It was his general policy when it came to women and he repeated it to himself as he strode down the hallway, returning to the room where he’d spent the night in order to clear his head. Get a grip, he told himself. He’d known she was trouble as soon he’d met her, and yet he couldn’t resist. Last night was a mistake, but something about the way she’d looked at him made him lose perspective. It had made him want to taste her and see her lips part in pleasure.
She was different to other women, that’s why. She hadn’t gone all fluttery-eyed on him. Instead, she’d stood up to him, and for some reason that difference meant he’d lost the ability to resist. “Contrary bastard,” he muttered to himself.
The door clicked closed behind him, and he looked around the guest room, remembering how he’d helped his stepfather decorate the place the summer before he’d left for his police training. His old room was at the top of the house, but he hadn’t been up to his parents flat because he felt it was best. He had to stay close to the witness at all times. That was his priority. Why did that seem like task and a half, when it included Miss Hotpants?
When he’d caught sight of her talking with Adrian, in broken whispers, so intimate and close, it had been a timely reminder. She was here because she was a secondary witness, and that was because she was involved with Adrian. He’d had no right to get involved, even though she’d kissed him, and it was a big mistake.
He shook his head. He couldn’t afford the brainpower to even think about it; he was supposed to be working out a way to expose Emery Lavonne in the safest way possible. He had to let his chief know they had a viper in their nest, but he couldn’t put the witness at risk while doing so. It had occurred to him that Lavonne might expose himself, given time. Stephen Ward, their chief, was a clever man. He’d figure out the nature of the reason for the unorthodox behavior in regard to the witness. It was just a matter of time.
As long as he had the witness safe, that was his primary concern.
Chapter Seven
The witness protection division was in chaos. Emery Lavonne stalked in, using the chaos as cover for the fact he was late. As he did, he caught sight of one of his fellow officers jogging out of Stephen Ward’s office, red in the face and carrying a sheaf of papers. The chief was in bad humor, judging by the overriding sense of urgency in the atmosphere and the raised voices. Seth Jones’s change of plans wasn’t, as he had expected, planned.
“Please don’t tell me you’re thinking of going in there,” Janine, an admin support officer, said as he passed her desk.
He paused. Janine was a good source of information. “Problem?”
“Uhu. Seth Jones has gone walkabout with his witness. Nobody seems to know where he is, and Stephen is in a foul mood.”
“Really? Any ideas why Jones has gone off the grid?”
Janine shrugged. “Apparently he wouldn’t explain to his partner, just told him to get lost.”
“Weird.” He peered through the glass frontage of Ward’s office and noticed that Seth Jones’s partner was in the office with the boss. Stephen Ward was pacing up and down. Ward and Jones had some kind of bond, an old friendship from their early days on the force. Ward would be furious about this.
He took a deep breath and tried to decide whether to stay low profile, or jump into the fray. Whilst sitting in traffic on his way back from the midlands he’d got his annoyance under wraps and was freshly determined to find out the alternate location Seth Jones had used. Entering the fray might be the fastest route to gathering that information. He walked closer, and leaned up against the open door frame, listening.
Stephen Ward looked even more stressed than usual. He had three officers in there. Two of them from the internal investigation division. Ward was issuing instructions, rapid fire. “We need to check with the emergency services, look into any car accident or anything unusual that took place between here and the safe house. We can’t rule anything out.” Ward’s frown deepened. “Other than that, all we can do is wait until he makes contact, and he better have a bloody good explanation for this.”
“Anything I can help with?” Lavonne offered.
Ward looked his way and thought about it for a moment. “No. I need you working on your next witness. I had the file sent down yesterday before this kicked off, you need to stick with that case. Janine is organizing a safe house for the lead in to the trial. When she gives you the details, do your usual checks on the place. You’ll need to be ready for your one-to-one and the witness relocation in five days time.”
Lavonne ground his teeth. Five days. He had hoped this task wouldn’t drag on past twenty-four hours, but with Jones and the witness on walkabout, who could say how long it would be. The trial wasn’t for another thirteen days. Worst-case scenario, Jones could keep the witness hidden until then. He balked at being penned like this.
He glanced at the paperwork on the desk. Were they checking alternate safe houses? Could he find that out by checking the task sheets online? Maybe. If only he could get closer to Ward, and to the men he had working on the whereabouts. He couldn’t afford to draw attention to himself though. As that thought crossed his mind he noticed the two plain clothes officers staring his way and he jolted himself out of his thoughts. Nodding to show he understood, he took his leave.
“I’m here if you need me,” he said as he went, and headed for his desk.
* * * *
It took the whole day for Lily to finally relax around the two of them, but it finally happened. Adrian watched her walking round the kitchen that evening, trailing her fingers on the surfaces. Seth was watching her too, Adrian knew that. Why wouldn’t he, she was beautiful and sexy and rather embarrassed about the whole situation, which made her blush appealingly every now again, her thick, dark eyelashes lowering whenever she did. Was she thinking sexy thoughts, or did she just look that way?
That morning she’d gone back to her room with a handful of books. After lunch she had lingered, before sitting in the lounge area reading, while they watched TV, occasionally making comments on the shows, edging closer to joining them. When Seth had invited them into the kitchen while he made them some dinner, she’d come with them. A barrier had been breached, and Adrian was glad of it. He could tell Seth was, too.
“Beans on toast, this is your idea of dinner?” Lily asked as she watched Seth pulling provisions out of the box he’d brought from the car.
“You have a problem with that?”
She shrugged at him. “I suppose it makes a change from boring old cheese and pickle sandwiches.”
Adrian smiled inwardly. Seth did seem to have a limited range.
Seth rooted about in the box as if he was hoping a three course dinner would materialize, and Lily began opening cupboards, investigating. A moment later she opened a door in the corner of the room and poked her head inside. From what Adrian could see from his seated position, it looked like some kind of larder.
“Hey, why are we eating butties and beans on toast when t
here is much more interesting stuff in the storeroom in here?”
“There is?” Seth frowned. “The stores are usually cleared out during the winter.”
“Well, the shelves aren’t full, but there are plenty of dry provisions, pasta and the like, spices. There are some onions and potatoes on the veggie rack, and a whole slew of canned food. I could rustle us up a good meal from what there is.” She glanced back over her shoulder. So long as you like Italian.” She looked from one to the other of them. “Is Italian good?”
They nodded in unison and she started to carry various items out to the work surface.
“This is better for me than sitting around. It feels more like normal day now I’m in the kitchen.”
“You’re a cook?” Seth asked.
“Not quite. I run a sandwich shop with my business partner, Andrea.” She pointed at him with a large spoon. “And you won’t find us boring people to death with cheese and pickle sandwiches.”
He gave her a knowing look. “One of these fancy schmancy sandwiches shops?”
“Yup. We call it The Sandwich Boutique. You can have just about any combination of ingredients imaginable.”
“The Sandwich Boutique,” Seth repeated, and laughed. “Boy, I’ve heard it all now.”
“What’s your problem?” she responded.
“No problem.” He held his hands up, faking surrender even while he sparred on. “As you so rightly pointed out, I’m not at all skilled in the realms of designer sandwiches.”
“Yeah, what would you know?” She smiled as she turned away.
Adrian liked how this felt. The atmosphere was so much more chilled than it had been.
Seth watched her preparing ingredients, then quizzed her some more, tossing a tin of tomato puree in one hand, hanging close by her as she chopped onions. “I thought you said you were a nurse.”
She swiped the tin away from his reach. “You’re a very suspicious man. I said I was a nurse, not any more.”
Seth shrugged. “It’s my job to be suspicious.”
She didn’t add to her comment. Adrian shifted in his seat, turning fully towards them. “Lucky for me you used to be a nurse, and lucky for both of us you know how to cook.”
“Keep that leg elevated, AW.” She issued the instruction then looked at him quickly when she realized she’d called him AW.
Adrian held her gaze, and smiled. She still thought of him by his net handle. That pleased him, because he still thought of her as his Laidbacklady. She returned his smile, tentatively, and then she leaned against the counter top and crossed her legs at the ankle. As she did, he could see her brushing her thighs together, what with that short skirt of hers. Her heels were high, too, and it was a damn sexy look.
This was what she’d worn to meet him, he realized.
This sexy outfit that made her look so curvy and leggy and gorgeous. He stared at the line where the skirt ended, his cock hardening, because all of a sudden all he could think about was her sliding her hand between those soft, pale thighs, and touching herself with her fingers—just like she had done when he’d asked her to all those other times.
When he looked up, she was staring at him intently, and she knew exactly what he was thinking about, he could tell. He could also tell that she was aroused. From the rapid rise and fall of her breasts inside that close fitting top to the bright, focused look in her eyes, all the clues were there. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Seth asked her a question just at that moment, and she had turned away to answer him, Adrian would have had to fight the urge to request that she walk over, nice and slow, and sit in his lap.
He could have watched her all night. So many times he’d thought about her, wondered what she’d be like, and now—because of the situation—he was getting time to sit back and learn about her, for real. She wasn’t what he’d expected, but then he hadn’t known, hadn’t dared to think about it too much. It had been a bit of fun, and he’d been half expecting her to stand him up. Perhaps that’s why he’d overlooked it. Even though he regretted her being pulled into this, there was a part of him that was glad she was here. It took a huge percentage of unpleasantness out off the situation. He’d expected her to be sexy, and she was. For minutes at a time he was able to forget that he was going to stand up and point his finger at a criminal—and that he had a crazy man with gun after him as a result—because of Lily’s presence.
Even the way she leaned across the work surfaces to reach for a chopping board was a seduction in motion, as if she would make a natural dancer. That’s what she’d wanted, to be a private dancer. The thought lingered in his mind as he watched her lean into a cupboard and lift out serving bowls.
“You okay with plenty of garlic?” she asked, a moment later.
“As long as you are.” He winked. He couldn’t help flirting with her.
“Cheeky,” she whispered, glancing at the door where Seth had disappeared off to moments before. Her expression was filled with warmth though, and when she turned back to the work surface, she glanced back over her shoulder, smiling his way. She was enjoying their connection, even if she was a bit self conscious about it around Seth. He couldn’t blame her for that.
“Am I like you imagined I would be?” She delivered the question nonchalantly, lowering her eyelids, but she wanted to know, he could tell.
He smiled. “Not at all.”
Her face fell.
“Don’t take that badly. You are everything and more than I imagined, and believe me, I had some pretty top-notch imaginings.”
Her smile had retuned, and that pleased him. “Your chat was more confident. You’re a little more cautious. A little…” He couldn’t quite find the right words.
She nodded, a thoughtful look taking up residence on her pretty face. “I know what you mean. It’s easy to be more confident online than it is in real life.”
“It’s still a real person, at the end of the line, a real person’s emotions.” He was testing the water with her.
“Yes, and that’s the scary part.” She continued with her chopping.
Didn’t she want to talk about it any more? He couldn’t tell, but the kitchen activities seemed to settle her, and a moment later she began to hum while she cooked. That sound undid a knot between his shoulders blades, relieving a huge amount of tension. He’d been worrying about her, but she was doing okay.
“Is merlot good for you guys?” Seth was back, and he’d brought wine, several bottles.
“It’s good for me,” Adrian said, wondering if it would take the edge off the pain in his leg. The regular painkillers Seth had found had barely touched it. He needed anti-inflammatories, but he hated to ask. It seemed like these two were doing so much for him already; and he didn’t want to be a nuisance.
“Ooh, yes, that’ll be perfect,” Lily responded, nodding at his choice of wine.
It was good to see her more relaxed with both of them.
Later, when she’d served the food and the wine had been opened, they gathered the tall stools around one end of the breakfast bar and sat down together, properly, for the first tine.
Seth lifted his glass, raising a toast. “To good food and grand company, whatever the circumstances of our arrival here.”
Adrian chinked his glass and then Lily’s, repeating the toast.
“Yes, to all of that.” Her cheeks warmed. She was at home now; it was as if the cooking had grounded her. When she met Adrian’s gaze, her smile made something deep inside him feel rich and pleasured. He liked her, a lot. And he was getting hard. That smile held such erotic promise. He wondered if she was aware of it.
“How long have you been doing this job?” she asked Seth during the meal.
“I’ve been in the force all my adult life. In witness protection…” he paused, as if counting back, “six years.”
“That’s got to be tough, I mean, being away from home as much as you are.” She frowned.
“Home is where my job is.”
“It has to be, I guess,�
� Adrian added, thinking aloud. “But this place is great, much more comfortable than I expected.”
Seth’s smile was tense, and he didn’t respond. Adrian recalled it was a last minute change of location.
“Yes,” Lily agreed, “I was thinking that, it’s like a retreat, beautiful countryside, too.”
Seth nodded. “This is great pasta.”
Had he changed the topic of conversation on purpose? It seemed so, because he changed it again.
“So, you two…you met online. In a chat room, yes?” He forked another mouthful of pasta into his mouth.
Adrian had a bad feeling. This felt like bloke-talk. How would Lily react?
She stared at Seth, her fork frozen in her hand. “You’re trying to embarrass me.”
“No, not at all.” Seth looked much more relaxed than Lily did. He pointed his fork at her, briefly. “You’ve got to lighten up, Miss Hotpants.”
“Bloody hell,” she muttered, her face coloring.
Tension arced through the atmosphere between them, Adrian couldn’t help noticing it. He also noticed what Seth had called her. Hotpants. Did Seth fancy her? He’d be a fool not to, Adrian surmised, wryly. And now Lily was looking at the cop from under he lashes, her lower lip caught between her teeth in a really sexy way. Did she want Seth? He considered the question and quickly swallowed down his rising annoyance. He couldn’t blame her for gravitating towards the bloke who was taking care of them both. All he’d done was get her mixed up in his problems. If that meant she changed her mind about their set up, he’d have to take it as righteous payoff, like it or not.
Seth scooped more pasta to one side of the bowl before he continued speaking. “Like I said before, I’m just trying to make you relax. It’s really not a problem.”
“Not a problem?” Her eyes rounded. Adrian had stopped eating, observing the exchange with deepening curiosity and concern. She was focused on Seth; she definitely liked him, that electric heat she was giving off told him that—it wasn’t just annoyance.