AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She laughed. “No, but I will miss the last train home.”
“Almost the same thing.” Will nodded goodbye to the security guard and ushered her out into the early twilight, liking that she had a sense of humor.
An evening breeze blew in from the harbor, carrying the scent of the ocean. Very little traffic filled the streets at this hour, but a couple of yellow taxis streaked past them. Nothing unusual there.
“Darn, I should have hailed one of those.” Gwen stared after them.
“The subway’s close.” He touched her elbow. “Where are you headed? Jersey or upriver?”
“My train leaves from Grand Central.” Gwen frowned and walked to the curb.
He moved to her side. The Meta Hellenic tower stood in knot of tight streets that dated back to colonial times, and she looked uncertain which way to head. He didn’t want her wandering around by herself. She sounded capable of handling the city on her own, but his mama had taught him a gentleman always escorted a lady to her destination. “Mind if I tag along?”
She stopped, looped windblown hair over one perfect ear, and gave him a look sharp enough to cut metal. “Why?”
Heck, what was going on with her? He wanted to tell her she could trust him, but how did she know? He was just Erin’s work colleague. “I’m headed toward upper Manhattan myself.”
“You can if you want.” She glanced around, and her shoulders stiffened.
He stepped closer, alert. “Gwen, what is it?”
She clamped a hand on his arm and pointed to the glass-fronted deli café on the corner. “I-I probably have a little time, a-after all. Let’s go to the coffee shop down there. Looks like it’s still open.”
2
Don’t look back. Gwen forced her gaze straight ahead, her heart pounding like a panicked horse. What she really wanted was to run away.
Instead, she clung to Will’s arm, soaking up the strength coming through his tight muscles. Behind her, lingering in the forecourt of the building, stood the guy with long, black hair who’d been staring at her in Midtown. And taken the same bus downtown. He must have gotten out of the taxi that had turned the corner a few minutes ago and now waited for her to be alone.
“What made you change your mind?” Will asked, his steady gaze focused on her. His body radiated an intensity typical of athletes, who always seemed wired for the next quick change. A lightning smile flashed over his face. “Not that I object.”
That sounded as if Will were angling for a compliment. She didn’t know him well enough to be sure about that, but he was male, after all.
“I figured I should grab a sandwich and a coffee while I could.” And she’d wanted company. She indicated the deli with its wraparound windows across the street. From there, she’d be able to keep an eye on her “stalker.”
This was the same guy as before, right?
She’d only caught a glimpse but now turned to confirm, remembering not to make eye contact. That had been her mistake earlier. But she needn’t have worried. The guy in question sat next to a concrete planter full of petunias messing with his phone. She couldn’t see his shirt but she’d seen enough to recognize him.
He could have gotten here by staying on the bus and now waited to meet someone like her. He wasn’t even looking her way. She was letting Lila’s recent experience make her paranoid.
She dropped her hold on Will’s elbow and put a few more inches between them. She’d also been running on adrenaline, working late every day to prove to her boss he could trust her to supervise the research lab.
A large, warm, very masculine hand encircled her arm.
She jerked her gaze up and met Will’s intense blue eyes. His chiseled features, not to mention the tan that couldn’t quite camouflage a scar on his chin, gave him a slightly dangerous look, and one deadly serious. His gaze searched her face, a furrow cutting between his mahogany brows. “You okay?”
“Sure,” she answered, maybe a little too quickly. Will didn’t look convinced, so she smiled. “It’s been one of those days.”
“I know about those kinds of days.” He pulled open the door to the coffee shop.
She flicked her gaze toward the bench again, only to see that the rock-band fan had vanished. Gone. He really must have been waiting to meet someone. That she and this guy were going to the same place at the same time was simply a coincidence. Those kinds of things really did happen. Her shoulders relaxed, and she forced herself to breathe.
* * *
As soon as he’d exited the elevator, he’d been unable to take his eyes off Gwen, but now he let his gaze skate over the pots of flowers, the empty lobby inside his building, and the vacant benches outside. Nothing looked out of place or unusual. What had Gwen seen to cause her to stiffen?
She’d relaxed now, so any threat she’d sensed had vanished. She was so much prettier and livelier than he’d imagined, and he’d been totally distracted, taking in everything: her face, her voice, her slender body.
