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Seth groaned aloud with frustration. “She’s a wily sort, and she knows me. Bringing a woman like you home is never going to happen, that’s what will raise her suspicions that you’re a witness.”
The colour was draining from her face. “Look, I know you would rather I wasn’t here, and I’ve made mistakes, but there is no need to be so rude about it.”
Seth cursed aloud. “I didn’t mean I don’t want you here, you’re…” He struggled to find the appropriate words, and then struggled to come to terms with the words that popped into his head. “You’re a great girl, Lily.”
He loosened his grip on her shoulders. She looked upset and that frustrated him even more. “My parents accept my job takes over my life. Annie Conroy is very close to my mother. She knows what I do for a living. We shouldn’t even be out in public, and now there’s a danger that she’ll start passing her suspicion on in hushed whispers and soon everyone in the town will know your name. If your name is announced on TV, the connection will be made. All of this puts Adrian in danger because there is a connection between the two of you, and he doesn’t need that kind of attention.”
“Okay, I’m sorry. It was a mistake, all right!” Her lips tightened for a moment and she looked sorry she’d spoken. “Oh, crap! I keep saying and doing the wrong thing today,” she blurted, shaking her head.
That rueful, annoyed face didn’t look right on her. He wanted it gone. What the hell was wrong with him? He shouldn’t even be thinking about stuff like that, it was way beyond his role here. A bit of emotional support, yes, but this sot of…caring, was above the call of duty. Too bad, he wanted to make her happy. Then he noticed that people were staring at them from across the street as they walked by. Shit. This was a small town, and gossip spread like wildfire. So much for keeping a low profile and not drawing attention, they were arguing in the middle of the street.
“Jesus Christ, you’re making my job more difficult than it has ever been, and that is no small thing, believe me.” He couldn’t help glaring at her. “You need to understand that I would lay down my life for Adrian, and it’s my job. I’ve left him up there at the house alone and I’m here with you, breaking cover to buy you fancy underwear because you’re such a bloody pain in the arse.”
Lily straightened up. Narrowing her eyes, she pulled out of his grasp.
At least she didn’t look hurt anymore, which was a bloody relief.
Swivelling his head, he tried to get his bearings. They were two doors from the women’s underwear shop. “Come on, let’s get you this bloody underwear and get out of here.”
Chapter Fourteen
Lily had learnt more about Seth in the past thee hours than she had in the whole of the past three days, and yet she felt further away from him than ever. Sometimes, when he’d made love to her, it felt as if he was pouring his soul into her, and now—a chasm. Back at the house there was such a vibrant connection between them. It wasn’t just the sex, not just the things they had done with Adrian, but beyond that, like he really cared. Other times, like today, she couldn’t say or do the right thing. What was it about him? And—more to the point—why did she keep the ballsing it up with him?
“Good morning.” The shop assistant stepped out from behind the glass display cabinet that doubled as a counter top. “Is there something specific I can help you with today?”
“Thank you, we’re just browsing.” Lily ventured deeper into the shop, but her attention was still with Seth, her mind running with all the things that had been said. She was just a nuisance to him, and it shouldn’t hurt, but it did.
He was walking alongside her but looking beyond, through the window, his brow drawn down, and a horribly serious expression on his face. Was he still annoyed about his mother’s friend? She’d never seen him so obviously flummoxed, and she felt bad. She’d gone along with it partly for fun, to see what he said, and that was wrong, he’d made that well and truly obvious. It had been a bit of a laugh, and now she regretted it.
As she walked through the shop, she noticed that there wasn’t a practical piece of underwear to be seen. This was a full-on exotic lingerie shop, and as her gaze ran over the displays of satin, lace, and frippery of all kinds, her fingers itched to make the items hers.
Then she caught sight of a price tag, and gulped. The last thing she needed was to run up a big credit card bill, but then she glanced his way. She’d never had two men wanting to see her in her new undies before, and probably never would again. Wasn’t that a good enough excuse to labour the credit card somewhat?
That’s when she noticed he’d glanced back from the window and he was staring at the underwear as well, his eyebrows slightly lifted, his head titled back as if he’d suddenly found himself in a situation that he couldn’t comprehend. The look on his face was too funny, and she had to bite her lip, the tension in her dissipating a tad. Perhaps she could ease him away from his bad mood with some of the sexy underwear? It wouldn’t be easy, but Lily was willing to try anything, to hell with the expense.
Scanning the nearby table, she lifted a handful of lace and held it up. “What about this, do you like it?” She shimmied the flimsy one-piece in front of her chest, and then waggled her finger through the open crotch.
Glazed eyed, he stared at the lace teddy, and then shook his head slowly, sighing deeply like a man coming to terms with his burden. “I knew you were trouble the moment I saw you, and you just seem to keep hammering that fact home.”
“You don’t like it?”
“Of course I do, especially on you. Buy whatever you want.” Peering at her, looking perplexed, he leant in and whispered in her ear. “I’m sorry I shouted. I’m just trying to do my job.”
She lowered her hand to the table, underwear included, dreams of show time forgotten for a moment. Yes, she had lost focus; she’d shoved the dark side out of her mind and let the good stuff fill it. There was a killer out there, and Adrian—who she cared about deeply—was his target.
“I have that item in your size.” The assistant’s voice came from somewhere behind her.
Lily nearly shook her head, regretting that she had even dragged Seth th
ere. “Thank you,” she said quickly and flipped through a rail of garments with unseeing eyes.
It wasn’t that she had forgotten Adrian’s circumstances—how could she forget the sounds of that gunshot and the drama that had followed. She’d just got wrapped up in the situation between the three of them, the dynamic, and she’d happily let the rest take a back seat. Adrian was trying to do the right thing by standing up in a court, no matter how dangerous. She stared over at Seth’s back, aching for him to be beside her again, his hand holding hers. I’m wrapped up in him, too.
She took a deep, unsteady breath, bracing herself to be hurt, badly. If today had proved anything it was that she was clueless, and the fun they’d shared was precious and sweet and hotter than hell, but it was also tenuous and transitory and she had to face up to that fact.
He turned away from the window and looked across at her, powerful shoulders broadening even before her eyes. His eyebrows were drawn down. She readied herself to leave, feeling ready to walk out that door and keep walking all the way back to London and her own life, no matter how dull. “Let’s go.”
Seth walked back to her, stopping her in her tracks, his arm around her waist.
