Page 44 of The Quiet Witness

They’d been jabbing at each other all day. Testing the waters, to see how far they could go. She’d literally called his manhood incapable. And still, he did not explode? A shame, cause she was nearing that breaking point.

“Yeah well. You’ve damn well lost your senses. What was that?”

“A show.”

Her eyes narrowed in disbelief. “You played your part very convincingly. If I didn’t know any better, even I would second guess your intentions!”

Again that head tilt. What did he think he was, a fox?

“Perhaps… but your acting skills may just outweigh my own.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Well, you didn’t exactly flinch away when I pulled you against me.”

He’s right.

Her cheeks flamed to life. “You… oh my God. I have never met someone so full of themselves. Maybe your radar is spinning because I did pull away.”

But you didn’t… Yeah, what can I say. It’s cold.

“Eventually you did, but initially? I can tell when someone is tense, Kate. And you weren’t.” He glanced up, frowning as a cloud moved over the sun. It sucked away the last bit of warmth she’d been holding on to.

Kate hugged her arms tightly around herself, trying to keep her teeth from chattering as she said. “You laid it on real thick. Sure you’re not feeling things you shouldn’t be? Busy projecting them on someone else?”

His eyes were still raised to the sky. “We better head back.”

He was right. The sun had slipped from sight entirely. And with it, the cold took over. Fast.

Kate brushed past him to follow their old footsteps back up. Glancing at the mountains, she watched as they merged with the clouds until she couldn’t even tell them apart anymore. Where the rays of sunshine had set them aflame with color earlier, the giant heaps of earth now sat around them like hulking shadows. Darkness creeping over the roots of the forest.

There were no footsteps crunching over the snow behind her, so she turned with a frown to see if he still followed. He did. Of course Lucien had to do it like a damn panther slinking through the woods. How was it even possible to walk on snow without making a sound? Meanwhile, she sent the branches creaking, and let out a tiny yelp when she slipped over the slick moss of an upturned rock.

He appeared by her side, splitting the silence. “You looked… lost for a second.”

Kate blinked. That sounded almost… thoughtful. She replayed the moment in her mind. He’d filled in the blank for her? No. Just a way to cover before she could blurt out something that reeked like a lie. Even then, he had no liberty to touch her like that.

Her voice rose an octave. “And your idea of helping me was to piss me off?”

Lucien shoved his hands in his pockets. “Exactly. Anger is better.”

“Well good instincts Lucien. You successfully pissed me off.” She strode past him, stepping over a branch before halting to say. “If you ever touch me in that way again, I won’t care if it’s pretend.”

“Duly noted.” He caught up, long strides easily covering the distance. “Just make sure it’s due to no fault of your own next time and I’ll play cool.”

“I’ll remember next time I get kidnapped by a psychopath.” Her words were met with silence. Kate didn’t dare throw a glance over her shoulders, knowing he’d stopped. Her feet sped up. Needing to create space between them before she would say or do anything else she might come to regret later.

His voice rose up behind her. “Kate, slow down. There are worse things out here than me.”

“I freaking doubt it.” She hollered back while stiffly keeping to her pace.

Chapter 19

When the Forest Goes Quiet

Kate folded her arms in around herself. Breath clouding in front as the shadows between the trees grew longer. She checked over her shoulders. Still out of sight.

But Lucien was there.