Page 10 of Collateral Damage

The thought almost didn’t make her pause, but it was impossible to dig up any shame over it.

Still. She had to at least ask. “You don’t have a windowless basement with a padlock on it do you?”

His lips barely twitched with amusement. “I’m staying in a hotel.”

“Oh.”

She shouldn’t be feeling like she did at the news that Whitt wasn’t local. It was actually perfect that he was just passing through, because her life was complicated enough as it was. The last thing she needed was mister tall dark and handsome making things worse.

What she needed was for him to make them better. Show her the possibilities someone else tried to convince her didn’t exist.

And so far he was doing exactly that.

Whitt reached for her hand, lacing his long, strong fingers with hers. “Still want to come with me?”

Holy hell did she.

Bess nodded and a second later they were moving, Whitt leading her through the crowded bar with an ease that made her wonder how often he’d done it. Led a woman out into the night.

The bite at her stomach couldn’t be jealousy. That would be ridiculous.

So that meant it had to be excitement. Anticipation maybe.

Whitt having experience would be a good thing.

The street outside was cool and quiet, and the second the bar door closed behind them the silence fell heavy and fast.

Usually Bess loved silence.

Peace and quiet were her two favorite things.

Not right now, though. Right now it gave her room to think. Time to feed the gnaw of nervousness biting her belly.

“Where are we going?” Whitt’s deep voice curled around her. As warm and strong as the hand holding hers, and nearly as comforting.

“I’ve never done this before.” The admission slips out. While the idea of trying to be something different for a night was simple, the reality of the task was proving significantly more difficult.

She’d spent her whole life learning to be okay with who she was. How she acted. What she enjoyed.

And it felt like a step back to pretend to be someone else.

“I just got out of a relationship.” Bess glanced up at the man beside her. This probably wasn’t what he was hoping their exit from the bar would lead to, but life didn’t always give you what you hoped for, so he was going to have to suck it up. “I was with him for five years.”

Whitt let out a low whistle. “That’s a long time.” His hold on her hand tightened. “Why didn’t you marry him?”

Her eyes darted his way. “Why would you assume it was me that didn’t want to marry him?”

His lips curved into the devastating smile he’d gifted her a few times already. “Lots of reasons.” Whitt’s dark eyes moved up and down the street in a quick, sweeping scan. The firm line of his body went completely still.

A second later he yanked her hard, pulling Bess to one side, tucking her body tight against the building beside them as he pressed against her, his large frame blocking out her view of the street along with the sidewalk they just occupied.

Before she even had a chance to be startled, the sound of rubber on asphalt cut through the quiet of the night. Metal grated cement as a car jumped the curb she’d been standing next to a few seconds ago. A loud crash had her clinging to the fabric of Whitt’s shirt, pulling him closer, trying to keep him from the car’s path.

His head dipped close. “Breathe. Everything’s okay.”

He sounded so calm. Like this was an everyday event instead of a potential fatality.

The sound of the engine faded as the car continued on, disappearing down the street.