“Where’s his house?”
Chase hesitated, not wanting to get too specific. He’d always trusted Ben. But if the FBI agent was playing both sides of the coin, Chase needed to know. Setting a trap was the only way to smoke him out. He’d already decided to tuck Lily away in a motel before arriving at Shane’s house, in case he walked into an ambush. If he did, he would know Ben was a spy. “It’s about fifty miles from here. Near the town of Bretton Woods. Can you give Shane a call and let him know to expect me? Let him know we’re going to need some additional security.”
“You got it.”
The phone beeped. Chase looked down, saw that the battery was just about dead. “I gotta go, Ben. I’ll try to pick up another phone or get this one charged.”
But the line was already dead.
“Damn it.”
Looking in both directions, Chase pulled onto the rain-slicked street and headed toward the cottage. The aromas of burgers and French fries filled the car, making his mouth water. When he looked over and saw the strawberry shake, he thought of Lily and smiled.
What the hell was he going to do about her? About the baby? About his feelings for them? Chase had decided a long time ago he couldn’t be with her. Not on a long-term basis, anyway. Not that she would have him, he reminded himself. Chances were, she wouldn’t want him in their child’s life, either.
Could he live with that?
The truth of the matter was Chase wanted to know his child. He wanted it so much his chest ached with it. But how could he when Lily was so adamant about not wanting him around? Even if she agreed to some sort of visitation, how could he be around her and not go mad with wanting her? There was no way he could settle for just being friends with Lily. He would always want more. If he got the chance, he would take more. But he knew it would invariably cost him a piece of his soul.
To make the situation even more complicated, after the past hours, he had to take into consideration the possibility that his presence might place them in danger. It was a terrible dilemma to which there was no easy resolution.
The harsh realities of the situation he faced ate at him like acid as he parked outside the cottage and killed the engine. Gathering the food and drinks, he left the car, unlocked the cottage door and entered. The first thing that struck him was the silence. He’d expected to open the door to find Lily sitting on the bed, sleeping or watching television.
Where the hell was she?
Alarmed, Chase set the bag and drinks on the small table. Pulling the pistol from his waistband, he crept into the room and silently closed the door behind him. He checked the closet, found it empty. He could hear the hard thud of his heart, feel the edgy snap of adrenaline. Fear pulsed through him in a terrible rush.
With the stealth of a predator, he sidled to the bathroom. Using the muzzle of the gun, he eased open the door. Only then did he notice the swirling steam, the scents of lavender and vanilla. A few feet away, Lily lay back in the claw-foot tub, a wet cloth over her face.
The sight of her froze him in place. For a moment, he could do nothing but stare. She’d piled her hair on top of her head in an unruly mass. Red tendrils curled around her face. Her throat was long and elegant and impossibly delicate. Lower, he could see the tops of her breasts where a tiny heart pendant lay against porcelain flesh. He’d given that pendant to her two years ago. He’d forgotten about it until now, and he wondered why she still wore it.
Fragrant bubbles concealed the rest of her, but Chase had seen every beautiful curve before. Every lovely detail had been branded onto his brain. The soft fullness of her breasts, the deep hue of her nipples, the silky softness of her flesh. His hands had caressed every inch of her and his mouth had explored every delicate spot. He remembered the way she sighed when he pleasured her, the way she’d cried out his name when he brought her to peak—
“What are you doing?”
Lily’s voice jerked him from his improper reverie. Feeling like a lecher, Chase quickly averted his eyes. “I just…” His words trailed when his eyes were once again drawn to her. His brain told him to look away, but his eyes refused.
Grabbing a towel from the rack, Lily covered herself as she stood, then wrapped it around her. Bubbles slid down wet flesh. The scents of vanilla and lavender swirled inside his head, drugging him like some powerful narcotic.
“You just what?” she snapped. “Is something wrong?” Never taking her eyes from his, she stepped from the tub. Holding the towel to her breast she jerked her clothes from the vanity. “Chase, you’re frightening me.”