UntilCrockett.
As she tried to cope with what was happening, she bit her lower lip to redirect herpain.
“Tonight I was your alibi for whatever sleuthing you were doing,” he said. “Good luck with that and thanks for a funevening.”
Again, he was rejecting her. She had to get out of there, away from him. “Goodbye, Huntah.” She forced herself to walk away. Muscle memory kicked in. She collected her clothes. Only once she had locked herself and her runaway emotions behind the bathroom door, did she allow a single tear tofall.
12
The Big Reveal
Damn.How could thissexy stranger evoke so much raw passion? The distraction of the club had been good for Crockett, but he wouldn’t return. He didn’t have the desire or the time to become a player in a sex club.Goodbye,Electra.
With clothing in hand, he entered the other bathroom. After flipping on the light, he shut the door and stared at himself in the mirror. Her fingernails had left red streaks down his shoulders.No fuckingway.
Years ago, Alexandra had scratched his shoulders during lovemaking. In the aftermath, she’d soothed his reddened skin with tender kisses. Her long dark hair had tickled his face while he’d suffocated in her floral scent. She’d smelled of wild flowers in a spring meadow.LikeElectra.
He palmed the vanity to steady himself. Then, he remembered how her laughter had touched him. That, along with her familiar flowery scent and now, the love scratches.Jesus, it’sher.
Find her!He cleaned himself up, threw on his clothes, and hurried out. As he’d expected, she was gone. He strode to the elevator.Come on. Come on. The doors opened and he dashedinside.
He did a three-sixty in the parking garage. Though packed with cars, he was alone.Dammit. Where is she?As he pulled onto the snow-covered street, a silver Prius spun out twenty yards ahead of him. Freezing snow had turned the pavement into a sheet of ice. The compact car skidded to a halt in the middle of the intersection. Ripping off his mask, Crockett parked at the curb and jumped out. He shuffled to the car and flung open thedoor.
A shaken Alexandra, still masked and wearing her blonde wig, gaped at him with scared browneyes.
Crockett breathed. He’d found her. “We’ve got to get youout.”
“Can you push my car out of theroad?”
He glanced up to see a van fishtailing down the hill toward them. With lightning speed, he unbuckled her, yanked her from the car and carried her across the slick road. They reached his truck just as the vehicle slammed into the driver’s side of her Prius, spun around, and continued sliding down thestreet.
“Ohmygod,” she whispered, pressing her hand to her chest. “I can’tbreathe.”
She trembled from head to toe. When he set her down, he gripped her arm to keep her from slipping. “Are youhurt?”
Gasping, she blurted out, “I’m going to passout.”
He flung open the passenger door of his truck and helped her onto the seat. “Face outward, drop your head to your knees, and take slow, deepbreaths.”
While she hunched over, he rubbed her back. Comforting her helped slow his own racing heart.She’ssafe.
After a few moments, her tremors subsided and she lifted her head. “Thank you. I’m okay now and should getgoing.”
She’s still using that ludicrousaccent.
Her feet hit the ground and she slipped on the shiny street. Again, he grabbed her arm before she hit the icy pavement. “Get going? In what? We don’t even know if your car isdrivable.”
“Please help me push it out of theintersection.”
The street was quiet, but that van had come barreling out of nowhere. No way would he put either of them in jeopardy of getting T-boned. “I’ll call a towtruck.”
“How am I supposed to gethome?”
“I’ll driveyou.”
“What? I’m not accepting a ride from astranger.”
He forced down a laugh and fought the urge to roll his eyes. How much longer could she keep up this ridiculous charade? With cold fingers, he pulled out his phone and found a twenty-four hour tow company with a twenty-minute ETA. He grabbed her purse from the passenger seat of her car, turned on her hazards, and returned to hisvehicle.
