“He won’t get to you. I’ll be here for you.” David’s voice came to her—soft, serious, and sincere. A promise.
When she refocused on him, it was with a new awareness.
“You can’t be everywhere.” She looked down at Atlas standing pressed against the chain-link next to her. The big dog was as close as he could physically be with the fence between them. “No one can. We all live with the chance something will happen.”
Her stepfather had explained his reasons for being away from home to her and her mother over and over again. He was away so she and her mother could sleep safe at night. Every time he’d said it, the words had come by rote, a quote or a mantra, rather than words said with sincerity. She’d always said the same to him in reply. There was always a chance something would happen while he was away.
Back when she’d started, it’d been with a whole lot of teenage angst. In her mind, she or her mother could get hit by a bus and her stepfather would’ve been too far away to do anything about it.
“Maybe you’re right. The more information you have, the more prepared you can be.” David leaned in closer, until his heat whispered along her skin. Not looming anymore. Definitely not looming. “Seems fair enough.”
“I want the knowledge I need to protect myself.” The way she’d gone out on her own to learn how to shoot a gun the minute she’d reached adulthood.
“What will you do armed with information? Go hunting?” His words whispered against her hair.
“No.” She shivered.
“Good. Going hunting would be stupid. Will you run?”
She shook her head. “I’m not sure. Running sounds futile if someone with any kind of skills or obsession is after me. It depends on what is actually going on. But once I have the full picture I can make an informed decision. Something that makes sense.”
“Okay.” But he didn’t wax eloquent with the things she needed to know. “Why did you come out here, Lyn?”
Frustration sparked and she clenched her jaw. Changing gears wasn’t going to help her.
“I got the call from the police.” Seemed like a long time ago. Being out here with David and Atlas always made time pass faster. But hold still, too. Like they were all in their own little bubble. “They said I should stay near friends.”
Of course, these two were the closest she had to friends anywhere. Not just nearby. Sophie might become a friend if they kept in touch. But the side effect of traveling all the time tended to be a whole lot of acquaintances and virtually no close friends. Even the town she had on her driver’s license as home wasn’t anything more than a place to send junk mail.
“Are you worried he’ll come after you again?” David’s hand came up toward her face slowly, his index finger extending and exerting gentle pressure under her chin to get her to look up at him.
When she met his gaze, she was drawn in closer without ever moving. They were in the eye of a storm and the air directly around them had gone still.
“Yes.” It took effort to get the affirmative out. Frustrated, she pushed forward with the conversation. “Doing nothing but waiting was going to drive me crazy. I was getting cabin fever.”
His nod was almost imperceptible. Still, something settled inside her. He got it.
“Whatever is going on, you know more about it than I do.” She licked her lips; her mouth had gone dry.
His gaze dipped, focusing on her mouth. “I might. I know something. I’m not sure it’s related. But this next question is important.”
Can I kiss you?
She was doubtful that was the question he was going to ask. But the moment was drawing out and she very much wanted for him to ask it. “Okay.”
“Do you think I would hurt you?”
“No!” It popped out before she had time to think about it. Anger burned up from her chest and spread outward. She scowled. “Of course n—”
He kissed her.
Chapter Nine
His kiss wasn’t light or gentle or teasing. His lips came down on hers with heat and firm pressure. His hand moved from her chin to cup the back of her head, urging her to tilt for him. She did, opening her mouth and giving him access, too. His tongue swept in, hot and searching. She answered in kind and they explored each other.
This was…wow. More than wow. Heat swept through her and she reveled in the sensation he sent coursing throughout her body with his kissing.
It was a long time before he let her up for air and when he did, she realized she was clutching the front of his shirt with both hands. Oh hey. How about that?
“You need to get over this.”
What?
Shocked, she started to step back but David’s hand was still on the back of her head and his other arm came around her waist. Tucked against him, she looked up to see him glaring at Atlas through the chain-link fence.
The big dog had reared up and put his front paws on the fence.
“You can deal,” David said to Atlas. “Don’t even tell me you gave Calhoun this kind of interference when he was with somebody.”