Damn.
He’d taken her advice. He’d started to “live it.” Terrific time for him to listen to her.
He didn’t see her, he was too busy laughing with Barbie Doll-as he never did with her.
Chapter 7
Distance, Shayne reminded himself on the drive to Dani’s. The trick was to remain a little distant. Shouldn’t be a problem, he was a master of distant, and any who knew him would be able to swear to that in a court of law.
But no more than six minutes after Dani had hung up on him, he pulled up to her apartment building.
For the second time.
He had no idea what to expect, or what he thought he could do, and twice on the way over he’d nearly turned around, and would have, except for one thing.
She’d been genuinely terrified.
As he parked, she came out from beneath the awning on the front porch and into the rain, moving like a shimmering wet dream. Her hair was down, still wet, clinging past her shoulders. Out of her black dress now, she wore only an extremely wet T-shirt and boxer shorts, no longer looking awkward and out of her league, but like a hot, drenched, curvy woman who deserved the trophy at a wet T-shirt contest.
Yeah, that was some great distance he was maintaining.
She opened the passenger door of the Porsche before he’d pulled the parking brake, and certainly before he could get out of the car to open her door for her.
“Sorry,” she gasped, shoving back the streaming wet strands of her hair. It fell in tangled, wet waves past her shoulders, as wild as her eyes.
He tore his own off her body. “For?”
She lifted her hands helplessly. “For making your car all wet for the second time tonight. For calling you in the first place. For kissing you. I don’t know, pick one.”
Reaching into the back seat, he handed her the coat she’d left at the party. “Yours?”
“Yes.” She shrugged into it and hugged herself tight.
“There’s no need to apologize for any of this.”
Her gaze dropped to his mouth. “Okay.” She licked her lips, an entirely innocent and uncalculated gesture, but it still shot a bolt of heat right through him. “If you’re sure,” she said softly. She hadn’t buttoned her coat, and with her hands fiddling in her hair, it fell open enough to remind him-hot, wet female.
No bra.
And, he could only figure, no panties. Though why he even went there, he had no idea.
“Shayne?”
He had to clear his throat and forced himself to look away. “Yeah?”
“Thanks for the ride.”
“What are you doing?”
“Going up to check out your place.”
“That’s not necessary.”
Arching a brow, he turned to face her. “Did you call the police, then?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Truth?”
“
“I think…” Embarrassment crossed her face. “I think I probably just imagined everything.”
He studied her for a long moment. Her eyes were haunted, her mouth grim. “You don’t believe that.”
She lifted a shoulder, and he sighed. “So what’s your plan? Go to work in your pj’s?”
Again she lifted a shoulder.
“I can’t just leave you here, Dani.”
“Yes, you can.”
“Is there someone you could call to come stay with you?”
“No.”
“You’re the queen of no’s tonight, you know that?”
She let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I just…I don’t like to lean on people.”
“Trust me. I get that. Hell, I live that. But you shouldn’t be alone. Not tonight.”
Turning to him, she flashed those wide, gorgeous dark eyes, filled with…ah, hell,
Crazy beautiful. “I didn’t say that.”
“If you could please just take me to the zoo, I’ll handle it from there.”
“Dani-”
“
She had a strand of hair stuck to her jaw, another along her throat, curling down to her collarbone. She had a drop of water on her nose, and as he watched, it fell to a breast.
Her T-shirt, white and thin, was really quite sheer. He was certain he should tell her, or at least reach in and close her coat.
Be the gentleman.
But he didn’t say a word, which undoubtedly made him a jerk. She’d been right not to want to go out with him.
“Shayne?”
“Yeah.” He shook his head at himself. “Yeah, I’ll take you to your work.”
“Thank you.”
He put the Porsche back in gear and pulled away. “So what do you do at the zoo?”
“I’m a mammal keeper.”
He arched a brow, surprised. “As in feed the bears?”
“Feed, clean, monitor…and not just the bears. Today I was with the elephants. Tomorrow I’ll be with the primates.”
“You’re not quite dressed for that.”
“I have things to change into there.”
Good. Great. He didn’t care because look at him, he was keeping his distance. “But we really should check out your apartment.”
“No. I imagined it. I know that now. I’m sorry.”
She was lying, but what could he do? Distance. Repeating that, he pulled out of the lot.
The highway was deserted, and as he drove into the dark, stormy night he told himself he was doing the right thing, and that he would not, repeat
Dani let out a relieved breath and leaned back into the soft, toasty interior of Shayne’s car. The heated leather crinkled around her, pulling her in, and she let out a shuddery sigh that undoubtedly gave away her relief and lingering fear. Going still, she glanced at him.
Looking unruffled and perfectly at ease as he drove, as if he could be modeling for a car ad, Shayne cut his eyes
