Undercover Passion. Melinda Di Lorenzo

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      She held tightly for a few more seconds before finally easing back. Harley couldn’t help but note that she didn’t pull away fully—their knees still touched, and the tiniest move would propel her into his arms once more. He could also see the streak of tears down her face, enhanced by the transfer of clay from his shirt, and it took real effort to keep from reaching up to brush them away in a too-intimate gesture. In the end, she beat him to it. She lifted up her thumb to wipe at the damp spot she’d left on his clothes.

      “Sorry about that.” There was a mix of regret and frustration in the apology.

      “Don’t be sorry,” he said back. “It’s probably cleaner now than it was before. I should be thanking you.”

      “Thank the woman you barely know for literally crying onto your shoulder? That’s gotta be a new one.”

      “I know you at least a little.” He gave her knee a squeeze.

      “Well enough to let me sob on you?”

      “I know that you work hard, make a killer beef stew and care more than anything about your kid. I’d say that’s all the prerequisites needed for sobbing.”

      “Ah. If that’s the measure, then I guess I’m okay.” Her hand came up to rest on the back of his, and she spread her fingers over his knuckles. “It’s not even that I don’t want to tell you what’s upsetting me. I can’t.”

      The feel of her skin moving over his was distracting. “Can’t?”

      “Sounds crazy, right? It feels crazy.” Her hand slid up his arm, and he wondered if she was even aware that she was touching him.

      He swallowed, trying to focus on their conversation. “It’s only crazy if you believe that the can’t comes as a result of someone casting a magic spell on you, preventing you from spilling your guts.”

      “I actually wish it were that straightforward. An evil spell would explain so much.” The tips of her fingers had reached the crook of his elbow, and she looked down as if just noticing their placement, then started to jerk them away.

      Harley reflexively brought up his hand to grab hers and stop it from slipping away. For a second, they sat still, both their gazes fixed on their locked palms. Then—also together—they lowered their hands to rest together on the table beside them.

      “Can I ask you something, Harley?” Liz asked softly.

      “Definitely,” Harley agreed.

      “If you thought—even for a second—that me telling you what I’m worried about might backfire and hurt Teegan, would you still want to know?”

      He didn’t even have to think about it. “No.”

      Liz’s eyes lifted to his. “That was a pretty quick answer.”

      “What kind of man would I be if I thought endangering a kid was the way to go?”

      “Not the kind I’d want to have over for dinner, I think.”

      Unconsciously, Harley inched forward. “It’d be terrible to have missed that beef stew.”

      Liz’s free hand came up to the outside of his thigh. “And the dishwashing.”

      Their faces were inches apart now, and detective-Harley was urging artist-Harley to put some space between them. But artist-Harley was too interested in studying the little flecks of gray in Liz’s otherwise blue eyes. They were tiny. Unnoticeable, until he’d gotten this close. Just like the floral scent he’d observed earlier. He inhaled and wondered what else he might’ve been missing by keeping a professional distance for the last ten days. The warmth of her lips, maybe?

       No. Not maybe. Definitely.

      He could definitely feel the heat of her mouth now.

      His detective side was fighting a losing battle.

      He leaned forward. So did Liz. Harley heard her breath catch and saw her lids drop just a heartbeat before his eyes closed, too. He bent in, anticipating the soft, sweet taste of her kiss.

      And for a moment, he had it.

      Delicate heat.

      A burst of need.

      A desire to deepen it.

      Then, as quickly as it started, the kiss was ripped away by an explosive bang that rocked the room and sent Liz flying from her chair.

       Chapter 4

      Liz’s ears rang. Her eyes watered and her leg felt like it was on fire. Her head spun. And the world around her seemed to be moving in slow motion.

      Plates spinning and wobbling.

      A spice rack in pieces, green and brown particles settling among the shards of glass.

      But in spite of it all, the only thing Liz could think about was Teegan. Where was her daughter? Still in her room? Was she hurt?

       Oh, God. Please don’t let her be hurt.

      Liz tried to stand, but the pain—seemingly everywhere now—made her stumble. She wanted to cry. Not from the way she hurt, but from the sudden certainty that under the circumstances, she might not be able to reach her daughter in time. She wouldn’t be able to protect her from whatever threat had just rocked their little apartment.

       Maybe if I crawl...

      But she no sooner dragged herself forward an inch than dizziness struck. The room swam, and her arms slipped, and her head started to slide toward the ground. She braced for impact. Thankfully, before it could come, a warm, rough hand landed on her shoulder and pulled her back. It only took her a second to clue in.

       Harley.

      Relief surged through her as he lifted her from the ground. Something told her he’d know what to do. So she let herself exhale as he pressed her body to his wide chest and carried her from her spot on the ground across the room.

      Then panic hit again.

      Across the room. No. That was wrong.

      “Teegan!” Her gasp sounded far away and waterlogged.

      His voice, on the other hand, was low and rumbly, and right in her ear. “On it already, sweetheart.”

      Liz breathed out, and the world seemed to speed up again as Harley put her down and grabbed a hold of the small kitchen table, tilting it on its side right in front of her.

      “Stay there,” he ordered, sounding far more in charge than Liz would’ve been able to manage. “I’ll grab the kid. If someone comes in, play dead. I won’t be more than a heartbeat away.”

      Liz nodded her understanding. Partly because she couldn’t form any words, and partly because СКАЧАТЬ