Strong And Sexy

“Shayne, you don’t have to do this. You don’t have to baby-sit the crazy chick.”

“It’s just a ride, Dani.”

“Yes, but-”

“Maybe we could talk about it in my car. In my dry car.” Without waiting for an answer, he slipped his fingers around her elbow again and steered her around, back toward the building.

“I’m not going back in there.”

“No.” His car was parked in the front row, a gleaming, fancy, gorgeous Porsche as sleek and sophisticated as the man who owned it. He fished through his pockets and found his keys, opening the passenger door for her.

She glanced inside at the plush leather interior. “I’m too wet. I’ll ruin it.”

He let out a soft huffing laugh that broke through her panic and scraped low in her belly. “Just get in.”

“Shayne-”

“It’s pouring rain, Dani.”

“Yes, but…”

When she trailed off, he leaned in, his mouth close to her ear. “Just a ride…”

Just a ride…Only for her, it felt like more, a lot more. It felt like a great leap of faith. But he’d moved in, his body close enough to hers to share body heat. He wanted her to get in, but it felt, just a little, like going from one danger to another. And yet with one last long look into his eyes, she slid in.

“You’re just going to leave the party?” she asked when he’d come around and slid behind the wheel.

“Yes. Where to?”

She gave him directions to her building in Burbank Hills, and he drove them into the gloomy, tempestuous night.

“If when you get back, something’s happened-”

He slid her a glance. “You mean like someone finding a dead body?”

“I know what I saw, Shayne.”

“If when I get back, something’s happened, I’ll call you.”

“I left my coat.”

“I’ll make sure you get it.” He made the turn onto her block and parked at the curb. She lived on a street right out of the turn of the century, but not the current one. The houses here were three-story Victorians dating to the early 1900s, all having been renovated into duplexes. Most had been redone many, many times, and though they were old and quaint-a polite word for small as a postage stamp-they possessed great character and had a good view of the city below.

She’d lived here since college, and loved it. It was more home than anything had ever been before, that being because her mother had been fond of living off her husbands, and they’d moved around.

A lot.

But Dani wasn’t going down that particular memory trail tonight. Nope, all she wanted now was a mug of hot tea, a bathtub full of bubbles, and then bed.

Alone.

As soon as Shayne stopped the car, she reached for the door handle. “Thanks.” Then, before he could say a word, she scrambled out into the storm and shut the door.

Behind her he turned off the Porsche.

She hurried, going as fast as she could with one heel, but she heard the driver’s door open and then shut. She sped up, not wanting him to walk her to her door, not wanting to look into that face and see the mixture of wariness and pity.

Because after all, she was crazy.

But she wasn’t, damn it. She didn’t have an explanation for what she’d seen, but somehow, she’d figure it out-

“Dani.”

How he’d caught up so quickly, she’d never know. Probably those ridiculously long legs of his. Or her lack of a heel. “I’m fine. There’s no need for you to walk me up.”

“Well, if it’s all the same to you, I’m going to anyway.”

A stubborn gentleman. That would have made him all the more attractive if she wasn’t uncomfortably close to a breakdown and wanted to be alone to have it, thank you very much. But she remained silent until they took the steps to the second floor. There was a hallway here, and two apartments. A head popped out of the first one, and she was just spooked enough to nearly jump right out of her skin.

Alan was a high-school geometry teacher who’d moved in a few weeks back, and Dani had done something completely out of character. She’d made him welcome brownies. He’d bought her a pizza and they’d watched a basketball game on her TV. He’d like her to go out with him in a more formal way, but something held her back. He was cute and funny and sweet, and she wasn’t sure what her problem was.

He smiled when he saw her, that warm, kind smile-

Which dimmed as he then took in Shayne, and then her disheveled state. “Dani? You okay?”

She went with her standard. “I’m fine, thanks.” Well, other than the fact that she’d kissed a stranger in a closet, seen a murder, and was frozen solid as a Popsicle…she was fine. Fine, fine, fine.

Her apartment was right next to Alan’s. At her door, she paused. Alan was still watching her. Shayne had moved in close behind her, also watching her. “Good night,” she said. To both of them.

Only neither budged.

“I can take it from here,” she assured them.

More of neither man budging. The only sound was the rain and the water dripping off herself and Shayne. “Oh, for God’s sake.” She bent to reach beneath her mat for the key she kept hidden there.

A sound of disbelief came from Shayne. “You’re kidding me. You can’t hide a key there.” He glanced back at Alan. “And he’s watching.”

“Hey,” Alan said, frowning. “I’d never just-”

“I’m just saying.” Shayne stepped in close, blocking Alan’s view of her. “Look, I’m really beginning to worry about you.”

She shot him a look, then put the key in the door. “Good night,” she said again, more firmly.

Or so she tried. But her damn voice shook. Okay, definitely time to be alone… She turned the key and stepped inside.

With Shayne right on her heels.

“Oh, no. No way.” Putting a hand to his chest, she halted his progress, but that left them standing in the doorway, incredibly close, his head bent down toward hers, their mouths nearly touching.

Alan nearly fell out of his own doorway trying to get a better view. “Dani? Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Still fine,” she called out, eyes on Shayne as she gave him a push.

Like a brick wall-or a stubborn ass, pick one-he didn’t budge. “I want to walk you inside.”

“Not necessary.”

“I think it is.”

“I can get myself inside, I manage to do it every day. I’m not crazy, damn it.”

“Okay,” he said agreeably. “You’re not crazy. Explain tonight.”

“Before or after the closet? Because that part? That was crazy.”

His mouth twitched. “After you kissed me.”

“You kissed me.”

“No.”

“Yes. You held up the mistletoe and leaned in and-”

Oh, God. She’d kissed him.

He let out a sound that might have been a half laugh, half growl as he stepped forward, into her, slipping an arm around her waist.

“Hey-”

Whipping her around, he shut the door and pressed her back against it, trapping her between the hard wood and the even harder length of his body, which freed up his hands to cup her face as he kissed her.

Really kissed her, and holy smokes, she was out of her league here with him. So out of her league.