Inescapable

”

“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 colouring.

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.

Seth shook his head, real slow. “Lily, listen to me, please. The reason you two met is like an elephant in the room. We are all aware of the elephant, but no one wants to mention it.” He paused, his lips pressed together as if deep in thought, before he continued. “Trust me; we need to get the conversation over with.”