Inescapable

“For Christ’s sake!” There was outrage in his eyes, and as he grew frustrated with her his Welsh accent became even more apparent. “I’m not trying to intimidate you, I’m shielding you.”

When she could finally drag her gaze away from his, she darted a glance around the busy street. She saw the lights flashing on the nearby pedestrian crossing, the people racing by on the pavement, people who didn’t stop but were glancing their way, rubber-necking the scene. Was he out there, the man who had tried to shoot Adrian?

The other bloke, the driver, was flanking the far side of the vehicle, covering the door as if he expected someone to come after Adrian from that side. This couldn’t be happening.

“But this has nothing to do with me,” she repeated, her belief in that fact fast faltering. ”I can’t just leave. I have things to do.”

“You’re not safe here.” The policeman grasped her chin with one hand, forcing her attention his way. He continued to talk in a low voice and it was heavy with warning. “Adrian is a witness in a gangland drugs running case. There’s a hired killer with a gun out there, and it’s my job is to protect him. Unfortunately the bloke clocked you in the corridor. I can’t afford to leave you here because you’re in danger as well.”

He paused.

Lily swallowed. The nature of her involvement was fast becoming clear. That man, the one with the hard look, he was a killer. She really had walked into a crime scene. It made her want to get away from there as quickly as possible.

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” the policeman said, almost to himself, as he watched her reaction to his comments.

That riled her. She didn’t want to conform to his orders. Besides, going with them would surely deepen her involvement. She tossed her hair back, glaring at him, unwilling to accept his authority over her. The action only seemed to heighten the full body contact between them. His body was all muscle, power and hard planes. A breathless exclamation escaped her in response to the sheer physical pressure he exerted over her.

For a moment, the world around them sped away. His eyelids lowered as her lips parted, his attention on her mouth. His was tight with tension, hard and unforgiving and incredibly sexy. Minutes before, she had kissed that mouth. Now, danger was all around.

“Okay,” she whispered, her voice choked.

He drew back from her, minimally, looked her over as if she were a nuisance, and then pushed her inside the car.

Her head was spinning, but when she got into the back seat instinct took over. Adrian was wedged awkwardly, and she slid in next to him and encouraged him to spread out and rest. Inside five seconds the policeman was in the driver’s seat, door slammed behind him, foot to the floor. The vehicle screeched away from the pavement, and Lily reached for her seatbelt, wishing that her hands would stop shaking as she pushed it into place.

Adrian slumped against her, and she eased him into a more comfortable position so that his injured leg was up, the other foot wedged out of the way in the foot well. There didn’t seem to be any alternative other than to have his head in her lap, but at least that meant she could keep a close eye on him.

“Just rest.” She smoothed his hair back from his forehead, checking his pupils when the streetlights fell over him. He looked sharp and focused, but she had to be sure. She took off his loosened tie, folding it away.

“I’ll need to check you every so often,” she added. “I’ll watch over you.” Knowledge from her rather unsuccessful nursing career had kicked in, surprising her. Pleasing her, too. She didn’t often get a chance to use it now.

“You’re Lily, aren’t you?”

She nodded. In the gloom, she could see that he was looking up at her, curiosity and acknowledgement in his eyes. Their intimate online connection set off a tide of mixed emotions, and she had to bite her lip to level herself. She was already upset and aggrieved about the situation she’d found herself in here. The reminder of why she was here in the first place only served to add to the confusion. When the street light reached him again, she saw that there was intimacy in his gaze.

“All this time I wondered what your voice would sound like.” He gave a husky laugh and Lily’s attention caught.

“Softer than I imagined,” he added, very quietly, as if her ears alone. There was a seductive edge to that comment. It made her think of sex and of all the fantasies they had shared, her body heating instantly. “And so are you… You’re beautiful, Lily. I’m so sorry you got dragged into this.”

The car sped through the city, and the lights moved in strange patterns over the back seat, making the conversation seem even more surreal. “It’s not your fault,” she whispered, wanting to reassure him, this man who had given her so much pleasure over these last few weeks.

“Oh yes it is.” He sighed heavily.

The scent of his cologne made her think of woodland space, not cars and the city and guns. Had he worn that cologne for their date, or did he wear it every day? She liked it, either way. In the passing lights she could see he grimaced in pain, his hand reaching for the knee that was up on the seat. She’d be a whole lot happier if he was checked out at a hospital. “Hey, try not to move around.”

He nodded.

She put her hand to his forehead again, gently pushing back his hair so that she could check his head wound. One corner of his mouth lifted as he looked up at her. Her skin prickled with awareness as she thought about the things they had confessed to each other, and what she had hoped for from this date, her chest growing tight with emotion. His hand closed over hers where it rested on his head, and he squeezed her gently. “It’ll be okay, Lily, don’t worry. Seth will make sure you’re safe.”

Seth. The policeman’s name was Seth.

She nodded. When he closed his eyes, she turned away and looked out at the passing London streets. Where was the police officer taking them? What the hell had she walked into back there? She still didn’t quite understand. It had all happened so fast. Then the questions melted away as she remembered the feeling she’d had when the driver, Seth, had answered the door. How it had felt when she had reached out and kissed him, thinking that he was all her dreams come true.

When she glanced in his direction, he was looking her way in the rear view mirror. Was he listening to what was said? Curiosity was there in his expression. She wasn’t surprised. It wouldn’t take a genius to work out that she was supposed to be meeting with Adrian. Instead, she’d thrown herself at him. The way she had come onto him in the corridor hung between them like static in the atmosphere—an unanswered question, a broken encounter. She looked away, and then back, studying him as he watched the road.

The oncoming lights highlighted his strong bone structure. Her hand itched to touch him again, her thoughts instantly running through what had happened between them in the corridor outside Adrian’s office. He had short black hair, rugged features, and his dark brow shadowed intense blue eyes. Did he have to be so gorgeous? She’d been so re

ady to meet Adrian, and Adrian was attractive, too. Why was her life suddenly so complicated? She watched him until she saw his eyes flicker and once again he caught her attention in the rear view mirror. The tension heightened. Apparently he had eyes in the back of his head, because he seemed to know every time she looked his way.