Touched by Lightning [Dreams of You] (Romantic Suspense) (13 page)

“My secret…” He followed her gaze to the pictures. “Oh, that secret project.” She’d given him a way out.

“It makes me sad that you didn’t tell me about it.” She inched closer. “Didn’t you trust me?”

“It’s personal, that’s why. I’m trying to blend in with those people, and you show up and wreck my cover. And you wonder why I didn’t tell you.”

He regretted the words when she looked so hurt. “If I knew, I wouldn’t have gone there. I’m sorry. I’ll stay right here out of your way.”

“You’re going back to New York.”

“But I came down here to spend time with you.”

“If you’ll recall, I didn’t invite you. I’m not here very much, and you’d be bored anyway.”

She smiled. “I could have dinner waiting when you get home.”

Adrian sat down with a sigh, rubbing his face. “I don’t always come home for dinner.”

Her whole body stiffened. “Do you have dinner with that woman you were with?”

He heard the jealousy in her voice, just as he heard the attempt to hide it. “Sometimes. Look, Rita—”

“I know, I know. I have no right to ask. But I’d like to know about my competition.”

The thought of Nikki and Rita in competition was ludicrous. Nikki was BlueFire, not his girlfriend. Neither was Rita.

“She’s a friend,” he said simply.

She nodded slowly. “I see.”

They sat in strained silence for a few moments, and he didn’t like that much more than their previous conversation. “Who’s watching Oscar?”

“Morty. I told her I’d only be gone a day or two.” She looked at him hopefully.

“Won’t she be surprised when you return early?”

“Adrian,” she whined. Kneeling before him, she stroked his faded jeans. “Let’s have some fun for a couple of days. Then I’ll go and you can sink back into your project.”

He stood and stripped off his shirt, then unzipped his jeans and stepped out of them. He hated wearing those grungy clothes any longer than he had to.

“Mm, that’s more like the Adrian I know. The beard is, well, I like it. It gives you a whole new look.”

He scratched his beard. “I hate it, but it goes with the whole costume.”

Rita licked her lips, letting her gaze roam down his body. She was never shy about her intentions, he had to give her that. And that was all he was giving her. His body wasn’t interested in the prospect of cozying up with Rita in that big bed. It had sure worked the day before, and he’d only been kissing Nikki. This was the strangest thing he’d ever encountered.

“I’m going to take a shower, then we’ll go out for an early dinner. You can stay tonight, but tomorrow you go back to New York. Got it?”

She looked slighted, her lip pouting out and eyebrows drawn together. “Okay, I’ll take the proffered crumb.”

“Rita, I didn’t invite you here, remember?”

“I know. Want some company in the shower? Or, I noticed that nice big tub in the master bath.”

He didn’t hide his irritation at her having snooped through the house. Probably looking for signs of a female companion. He couldn’t imagine how such a beautiful woman could be so insecure.

“Go ahead and take a bath. I’m taking a quick shower. By myself.” How do you tell a woman you’re not interested in a nice way? Well, he’d have to figure it out if she was going to stay the night.

“Maudine, do you know how to break into a car?”

Maudine giggled, looking like a schoolgirl. “Well, kind of. There was a guy around here who showed me how to do it. I have the tool.”

“You have ‘the tool’? How did you get it?”

“When they came and arrested him, he gave it to me to hide.” She patted her big bag on the diner seat next to her.

“Do you use it?”

“Oh, no. I just like to keep it with me. Jake showed me how to use it. Nikki, he was so fast. I was impressed.”

“Good, can you show me?”

Her eyes widened, realizing now what Nikki was asking. “You want to break into a car?”

“Yes. Adrian’s car.”

“He has a car? I thought—”

“So did I. I have to find out who he really is. I spied on him, Maudine, like you said to. And I found out he keeps a car hidden at an apartment complex nearby.”

“Ooh, he’s a liar!”

“He’s that, and maybe more. I’m going to get in his car and see where he goes. Can you help?”

“Of course, I can help. Did you see him smoke a cigarette like I was telling you?”

“No, I’ve never seen him smoke at all. There’s a lot to him I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.”

Nikki had lunch at a diner with Adrian the next day. She did her best to be animated and act as normal as she could.

“Well, you look like you’re feeling better,” he said with a smile after they’d finished eating.

“Yes, I am.” Actually, she felt horrible, especially when she looked at his mouth and thought of their kisses. She cursed her body for wanting more of them. “Sorry I was such a dud.”

“I understand.” He leaned his elbows on the table, resting his chin on his folded hands. “Nikki, let’s go down to the beach tonight. You have a little barbecue grill, right?” She nodded. “I’ll bring some hamburgers, and we’ll cook them on the beach. I want to talk with you tonight. About something important.”

Her heart lurched. “Won’t it be cold?”

“It’s only supposed to get to the mid-sixties, but we’ll go at sunset, so it’ll be warmer. If it gets too cold, we can go back to the shelter.”

“Okay.”

“What’s the matter? Don’t you trust me?”

She almost choked on her soda. “Of c-course I do.” She gave him her best imitation of a sheepish smile. “Why, shouldn’t I?”

A pained look flashed briefly across his features. He took her hands in his, soft hands that couldn’t belong to a construction worker. “You can trust me with your life.”

She couldn’t breathe for a moment as she looked into his brown eyes. If she didn’t know better, she would have believed him. Her heart wanted to believe him, dangerously disillusioned that it was. It all made her so angry, that he had come here and stolen her heart under false pretenses, that he might be a killer. She hid her anger behind another phony smile.

“Dinner on the beach sounds nice. Why don’t we meet here at six?”

He smiled, probably glad his plan was working so well. Get her alone on a darkened beach and kill her. Maybe after seducing her. She should be angry at him, but what she felt most was the pain that she had fallen in love with a man who was not what he pretended to be. If he was a killer, he wasn’t going to get a chance to perform his job on her. By seeing where he went, she would be able to tell who he was and what his motives were. Not that it mattered. Even if he weren’t a killer, he had lied to her for some reason. That was enough to make her disappear from his life forever.

She made a quick exit after lunch, pretending to have a lot of things to do. Actually, she had nothing to do but wait until six. Then she would put her own plan into action and get some answers.

From across the street, Nikki saw Adrian glance at his watch again. He wore loose white pants and a long-sleeved shirt that was untucked. She chastised herself for admiring those broad shoulders, and especially for remembering all too vividly how it felt to be held in those arms. It just wasn’t fair. But, she reminded herself, she’d known to keep her heart away from him right from the beginning. She deserved every ache inside, every twist of her stomach.

What bothered her most as she slipped from her vantage point and headed toward his car, was that he looked worried. Genuinely worried, not irritated that his plan wasn’t working. It was her emotions playing tricks on her perception. Or he was a better actor than even she gave him credit for.

The jimmy Maudine had given her worked on the second try, and she was about to climb in, intending to hide behind the driver’s seat. Except there was no room, with the seat pushed all the way back to the seat. He’d spot her if she crouched behind the passenger seat. Damn.

The trunk. She popped it, closed the car door, and searched for the emergency release. Okay, she wouldn’t be stuck in there. Now all she had to do was get over her claustrophobia. She hoped he would give up on her soon before her joints permanently locked in this position.

Unfortunately, it was more than an hour before he returned to the car. Nikki was sure the pounding of her heart would give away her presence as the blood pumped in her ears. Adrian closed the door but didn’t start the car right away.

“Nikki, where are you?” he said, making her heart ache with the emotion in his words. Maybe he had convinced himself that he cared about her.

It was several minutes before he started the engine, and then he slowly pulled out and drove around for a while. He drove slowly, indicating that he was searching for her. She only hoped he wouldn’t find her van, though she was fairly certain he wouldn’t think of looking in a used car lot. With the price written on the windshield, and parked in the back, she doubted he’d even notice.

Her legs were numb by the time he stopped the car again. She heard a door slide open, then he pulled in a car’s length. By the echo of the car engine, she knew they were in a garage. The engine cut to silence. A second later the door slammed shut, then another door closed.

Nikki waited a few minutes before daring to pop the trunk. The numbness in her legs turned to a tingling ache, but she was glad to know they were still alive. The garage was dark, though she could see the fine line of light beneath the door leading inside. She looked out the window at the exterior door and could another house yards away. A nice house. So this is where he went at night. He’d definitely gone to a shelter because he knew she was following him.

She needed to get inside the house and search through his things. That was going to be tricky with him inside. She carefully opened the door and walked outside, glad to breathe in some fresh air. She could see Adrian pacing in the kitchen, a beer in his hand. He looked agitated, tense. Hopefully he’d go out again, maybe look for her some more. Until then, she settled on the ground next to a bush. She’d blend in there if anyone happened to glance outside.

After a while, she drifted off to sleep, bored from waiting in the dark. She had no idea how much time had passed, but it felt late somehow. The lights inside the house were out, the rooms dark. She quietly went back into the garage.

Putting her ear to the door, she couldn’t hear any sound inside. All the crazy thoughts she should have considered before rushed into her mind. What if he had turned on an alarm when he went to bed? What if he were sitting right on the other side of the door reading the paper? What if the door was locked?

Nikki listened for the tiniest sound, even the rustle of a page of newspaper being turned. Black shadows moved before her eyes, the dark playing tricks on her. All she could hear was the sound of her heartbeat. Her fingers trembled as she wrapped them around the cold doorknob. The metal warmed beneath her touch, then became slippery with her perspiration before she even attempted to turn it. Her life hung in the balance at what she would find on the other side. Especially if it was him.

She rustled up memories of Adrian with Crackers, gently carrying him, keeping his promise of buying him lunch. Other unwanted memories came, too: his kisses, gentle and filled with promise. She was sure that he hadn’t intended to kiss her, by the surprise on his expression. He had touched her, had asked softly about her scars, but hadn’t pressed for the answer.

She shook her head, expelling those last memories and the rush of feelings that came with them. That was when he thought she believed his charade. If he found her here, he’d know his lie was exposed. If he were here to kill her, he would have to go through with it right then and there.

She turned the knob a fraction. Then another. It wasn’t locked. He might not notice the knob turning, but he would sure notice when the door opened. She remembered the lack of light beneath the door, and it gave her the courage to turn the knob another inch. He wouldn’t be sitting in the dark reading, though he could be sitting there wondering why she had stood him up. And she would walk right into a situation that could end her life and make her two years of hiding in vain. The next turn of the knob released the door, and she held her breath before pulling it open.

CHAPTER 9

Darkness greeted Nikki, and nothing else. She released her breath, but remained on the step. After a few seconds of listening to the silence around her, she stepped inside, leaving the door open. Not for a quick escape, since the garage was sealed. No, she would have to leave through the front entrance. Then, even if she woke him, she could disappear outside before he could get to the door.

In what looked like the living room, a light shone dimly. She held her breath again and walked into the dark part of the kitchen where she could see into the lighted room. The coral-colored couch was empty, and beyond that a darkened hallway. She had to hope that Adrian was in bed. There was, of course, one way to find out. With that assurance, she could roam around and try to get a clue as to who he really was.

First she unlocked the front door for a quick getaway. Then she pulled a knife from a drawer in the kitchen.

She felt exposed as she walked through the lighted room but knew it would attract more attention if she turned it off. There were no personal items in the living room, only a newspaper. A staircase led up to what had to be more rooms, and she only hoped Adrian slept upstairs. Stairs could creak, and in the quiet, it would be a dead giveaway. She swallowed the lump that had already been forming in her throat.

Nikki walked across the cool tile toward a half open door. Moonlight poured in through the sheers above the bed. The bedroom was large, with a king-sized bed in the middle and two dressers. It smelled faintly of cologne. Her heart jumped when she saw Adrian lying in a tangle of sheets and blankets. They were thrown off his chest, as though he’d been tossing and turning in his sleep. She found herself drifting across the tile toward the bed, standing only a few feet away from him. The sheets rode low on his hips, and the flush of heat at the realization that he was naked surprised her.