Hardball

by V.K. Sykes

“It’s about what I figured they’d say,” Nate said in a flat voice as he helped Holly into the Aston Martin. “But it’s good that you reported the bastard.”

  Holly wasn’t surprised either. After an hour-long wait at the District 6 station, she’d told her story to a detective, but had sensed right away that nothing would come of it. At least the man had taken notes and said he would file a report so there’d be a record of her complaint.

  “I know,” she agreed, “but I really didn’t need to be told that Lance Arnold was probably just letting off steam.” As if she couldn’t tell the difference between a stressed-out blowup and a real threat.

  Nate gave her thigh a sympathetic pat. “The good thing is that the detective agreed that if the threats continue, they’ll lean on Arnold. That’s something.”

  “Better than nothing, I suppose,” Holly said doubtfully. She hadn’t really expected much from the trip to the police station, but now that it was over, she felt let down.

  Nate pulled out into traffic with a screech of tires. Holly repressed the backseat driver remark that sprang to her lips. He was such a boy when it came to his car. But, then again, he’d been all man in helping her to face up to and deal with her problem.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he said. “An idea came to me when we were waiting back there at the cop shop.”

  She sighed. “Can we not talk about Arnold anymore for awhile?”

  “It’s not about Arnold,” he said, shaking his head. “Not exactly, anyway. No, I was thinking how good it would be for you to get away for a few days. Kick back and relax.” He grinned. “With me, of course.”

  His words took her aback, even though she’d learned early on that he was an impulsive kind of guy. Their relationship had been building steadily, but the thought of going away with him hadn’t yet crossed her mind.

  “Interesting,” she said cautiously. “But I don’t usually pick up like that on impulse.”

  “Why not? Let’s just do it. Today. We’ll just pack suitcases and blow this town.” He cast her a devilish, seductive grin.

  Holly held up a hand, trying not to get swept up in the need to escape her troubles. “Hold on, Romeo. You might be paroled from work for a while, but I’m not. And where are you thinking of whisking me away to, anyway?”

  “My condo in Florida. But we could go anywhere you want. Anywhere in the world, if you can find the time.”

  A fierce longing rushed through her. It would be heaven to get away from everything that pulled her down. even for a couple of days. And to be alone with Nate twenty-four seven...that was a powerful temptation, more powerful than she cared to admit.

  At a stop light on Tenth Street, he glanced across at her. “You could use a few days away from all this crap.” He reached out again, putting his hand on her thigh. Its warmth and strength felt wonderful. Just what she needed.

  Well, actually she could use a lot more of his touch, but that would come soon enough.

  Taking a deep breath, Holly nodded. It would never have occurred to her to do something so impulsive, but Nate had somehow sensed that a spontaneous getaway was what she needed.

  “Let me think about it for a few minutes,” she said.

  Her mind furiously raced through the logistics of rearranging her schedule. The idea of running away for awhile appealed to her more than she would have believed—so much so that she was determined to make it work. But even managing to do it tomorrow would be a stretch, as there were at least two appointments she couldn’t reschedule.

  She squeezed his hand for a moment before the light changed and he had to withdraw it and grab the steering wheel. “I’d love to go right now if I could,” she said. “Leave today. But I just can’t. I might be able to manage it tomorrow, though. Could we leave late in the day? I couldn’t get away until three, or maybe even four o’clock.”

  “No problem,” he said. “I’m instrument rated, so we can leave as late as you want. And I actually like flying at night. The lights are amazing, and it’s easy to see where you’re going if there’s no cloud cover.”

  She’d forgotten that she’d read on the Internet that he owned a small plane and flew it himself. He’d never mentioned it to her. “You’ll fly us down in your plane?”

  “Of course.” He eyed her with a what the heck else would we do look. “Air Carter offers door to door service. An Aston Martin to pick you up at your door and another luxury vehicle to drop you at your vacation destination in Ponte Vedra Beach. Refreshments will be provided, of course. Although you might not want to drink too much because the bathroom facilities are limited.” He smiled. “Actually, they’re non-existent.”

  Holly couldn’t help laughing. God, the man could charm the birds from the trees. Combine that with the looks, the athletic ability, and the money, and it was no wonder women flocked to him. She still wondered why he’d been so intently focused on her from their first encounter.

  The more she thought about getting away, the more the knot in her gut unraveled. “It sounds too good to be true, especially after today. I think I must be dreaming.” Then a worried thought struck her. “Are you sure you’ll be able to fly with your arm out of commission?”

  He snorted. “Babe, it’s a bone bruise. It’s not like I can’t use it at all. Just leave everything to me. We’re going to forget everything that’s going on here and have a lot of fun.” He shot her a cartoon leer. “A whole lot of fun.”

  Holly laughed again. Okay, she would surrender to the impulse. It wouldn’t be the first time with Nate, and she was sure it wouldn’t be the last.