Page 3 of The Keeper

Tall, dark and mildly-hot walked back to his Land Rover and leaned against it. His inquisitive stare remained focused on me. I lowered the phone, letting Killian’s protests get caught up and swept away on a gentle breeze.

“Everything alright?” the handsome stranger asked again, motioning toward the phone. “Sounded like a pretty intense conversation.”

“How long have you been listening?”

“Not long. But you were doing such an impressive job carving a walking path that I didn’t want to interrupt. I’m assuming you’re not having car trouble. Relationship issues?” His dimple appeared.

Oh, this one thinks he’s smooth. I forced a sweet smile. “Nope. No car trouble. No relationship trouble either. Everything is fine. Thanks for stopping.”

“Everything is fine,” he mimicked. “In my experience, when a person says that they mean the complete opposite.”

“In my experience, indulging in a conversation in the middle of nowhere with a complete stranger is —on a scale of ‘bad idea to run for your life’— not the smartest thing in the world to do.”

“Can’t argue with that I suppose.” He shrugged. “For the record, I don’t like the idea of leaving someone stranded on the side of the road.”

Handsome and good manners. I blinked. Maybe it was the jet lag. Or the weight of all the crap I’d been dealing with the last few weeks. His sincerity found its way through the limited number of cracks in my well-crafted outer shell, affecting me almost as much as his calming tone.

“I’m not stranded.” I felt my shoulders relax and the urge to pace subside. “I’m in the middle of an annoying situation and thought it best to pull over so I don’t wrap the car around a tree.”

“I like this answer better than ‘everything is fine.’ And see?” He spread his arms open and smiled. “It didn’t end with any warped side of the road kidnap plot.”

A small laugh managed to squeak out of me before I could compose myself. If I’d met this guy under different circumstances, I’d one hundred percent spend a significant amount of time flirting with him. And more. But that’s not what this trip is about. Plus, I promised myself I’d ease up on the revolving door of instant physical gratification.

“Do you live around here or do you just drive up and down this road looking for potentially stranded drivers?”

He ran a hand through his hair and smiled. This smile was almost too pretty to be real. Pretty, but not perfect. It was a little crooked which made it even more attractive and seductive. And there was an arrogance behind it that intrigued me. He smiled like he knew I’d be enchanted, like he knew I wouldn’t be able to resist his charm.

“I do live around here occasionally,” he drawled in a tone reserved for expensive boarding schools. “You’re the first person I’ve ever pulled off the road for though.”

“Lucky me.”

Something shifted in the air between us when our eyes locked. My pulse quickened the longer I held his cobalt stare. In that exact moment, he saw me. Really saw me. I self-consciously touched my hair which I’d thrown into a messy bun on the plane. I wish I’d worn something other than my favorite, most comfortable travel outfit —gray yoga pants, white tank top and gray hoodie. He ran his thumb along his lip again in such a way that I felt it at my core, setting off an unexpected wave of sparks.

He checked out my ensemble one more time, let out a breath, and made eye contact. “Did you just arrive here?”

I nodded, more annoyed at the fact I couldn’t articulate an answer than at the actual question.

“Are you staying long?”

Speak out loud, Victoria. Use your damn media relations skills.

“No.”

Yay. A word.

“Well, I hope I’ve given you a decent first impression of the area.”

Oh he’s good with the flirting. Really good. I grinned. “I’m well acquainted with this area but thanks for giving me something new to appreciate.”

He opened his mouth to say something, then snapped it shut. The dimple emerged with his wide smile. To anyone else, this would come across as warm and friendly. But I knew this type of smile. I’ve seen it many times before on other guys and recognized the fatal charm beneath it. The major difference this time was the unspoken promise it also revealed. Part of me wished this trip had room for promises and charm.

“Now that your situation has been sorted, I’ll let you finish your phone call.” He pushed himself away from the car. “Drive safe.”

Without breaking eye contact with me, he got back into his Rover and drove off. I watched with a twinge of regret that I’d never hear his voice again. But then I did hear a voice. A tinny, panicked voice coming from my hand.

“Killian, I’m so sorry,” I winced.

“What. The. Actual. Fudge.”

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