His nearness was doing a number on her resolve so she moved sideways. Her gaze followed his as it took in the two-inch gap between them, then slid back up.
Desperate for something to fill the silence and break the sexual tension, she grabbed her coffee cup and inhaled its wonderful aroma. “So, what did the police say?”
His smile indicated he knew exactly what she was up to, but he didn't call her on it. She released a breath and her shoulders relaxed.
“That two-bit goon had Sarah Jane’s e-mail address and cellphone number programmed into his phone. That plus the information you got from Phil and what you'd dug up on Haverstan on your own creates a strong case against her.”
“But why?”
“Hell, I wish I knew. The mint to be made from owning the land around the road leading to the Lakota Reservation casino provides a great motive, but it just doesn't ring true. There's more to this than money. Once I track her down, I’ll find out exactly what that is.”
“So you’re sure she’s gone?”
“Yeah, there's a record of her checking into the flight to Mexico.”
Apprehension inched across her skin and she couldn't stop the shiver of fear. “So what now?”
He curled his fingers around hers still holding the mug. “We go home. I'll find Sarah Jane. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
“Why?” Excitement and dread swirled around inside her, tensing every muscle in her body.
He chuckled. “Well, we can't live in Vegas.”
The lump in her throat grew to boulder proportions, but she had to know. “That's not what I mean.”
“I know.” He shifted in his seat to fully face her.
She drank in the sight of him. The scruffy beard covering his strong jaw. The way the flecks of green in his hazel eyes grew darker as his mood turned serious. How his gray shirt did a lousy job of hiding the breadth of his muscular chest and curve of his well-formed biceps. Needing to memorize the moment before it all went to hell, she closed her eyes and inhaled his musky scent.
His finger traced her jaw, setting off sparks everywhere he touched. The sensation startled her and she opened her eyes. The heat in his gaze went straight to her already drenched pussy. God, why did doing what was right, feel so bad?
“I wasn't lying on the plane. I've fantasized about you since I was twenty-two, wanted you so bad my teeth hurt. That's all I thought it was, lust. But when I saw you lying on that bathroom floor, bloody and half-conscious, the world fell out from beneath me.” He rushed on, “I'm not saying let’s get married tomorrow, but soon. You, me, a houseful of kids and a dog. I insist on the dog.”
Panic sucked all the air out of the diner. The taste of bittersweet irony filled her mouth. She'd longed to hear those words for as long as she could remember. Now that she had, her only choice was to push him away. She couldn’t let her own selfishness hurt another person she loved.
Inhaling a shaking breath, she straightened her spine. Please God, just let me bluff my way out of this.
Her mind reeled, searching for something to say. The idea hit her like a lead balloon. Could she do it? She gazed at him, the hope clear in his tired hazel eyes. She had to brazen it out. It was for the best.
God, she wanted to puke.
“Wow, Hank. I don't know what to say.” His body tensed and she had to blink back the tears threatening to give her away. “There's no denying I'm attracted to you, but I'm afraid that's all it is. Lust. We can be fuck buddies.”
He grabbed her, forced her to turn and face him in the claustrophobic booth. “Bullshit! What I feel for you is different than lust, and you feel the same.”
The truth of his words twisted her heart into a tight knot until she snapped. “You want it all, don't you? The picket fence. The wife and the two-point-five kids. Oh, and let's not forget Fido digging in the yard.” Her nails dug into her palms as she forced herself to go on. “Well, Hank, what you want isn't in the cards for me.”
“What are you talking about? And don't give me any more of that fuck-buddy crap.”
Reaching deep to some well of inner strength she hoped wasn't tapped out, she pushed against his chest. “I need to leave.”
He sat still as a statue made of anger and hurt. The only thing that moved was the vein pulsing at his temple. “Not without me.”
She’d taken it too far, done too much for this to end any other way than ugly. He wanted her. She wanted him. “And if I said tonight and never again?”
Lowering his lips to hers, he hesitated a breath before they touched. “I’ll find a way to convince you otherwise. Before tonight’s out, you’ll tell me your secret, Beth. Have no doubt.”
Chapter Twenty