Page 14 of Wild in the Woods
“Knock it off.”
“Come on. Just tell me where you’re from.”
Lulu pounded her knuckles into the back of his hand, but he wouldn’t let go.
“Come on, now. A woman don’t wear a skirt this short unless she’s looking for something. You’re a little high-class thing, aren’t you? I bet you’re looking for a working man to—"
Something flashed behind her, and the man was suddenly knocked clear off his stool. The ripping sound of her hem giving way preceded the man’s strangled, panicked voice.
“I didn’t mean nothing!”
She blinked; sure she wasn’t seeing what she thought she was. Fox had the man by the throat, his body lifted high in the air. Fox’s face was dark with fury, his eyes shining with an unnatural light. He held the man like that for a few heartbeats before slamming him onto his feet.
“Apologize to the lady.”
The man put his palms up. “I’m sorry, miss. I didn’t mean nothing.”
Fox tossed him aside before taking her wrist and growling in her ear. “I’ll drive you to your hotel.”
“I walked from my hotel.”
“Fine, then I’ll walk with you.”
She tugged against his grip on her, and he let go. “I’m here with Olive.”
“She knows you’re going.”
Still stunned by what had happened, she followed him wordlessly to retrieve her blazer, then outside to the parking lot. Realizing she should thank him, but feeling a little weird about it, she drank in the cool night air and embraced how it filled her up. Looking up, she paused to see a black sky with a million stars twinkling down at her. They walked in terse silence for a couple of blocks. She was acutely aware of him and how closely he walked next to her, as if shielding her from potential danger. It was kind of nice.
“Hey, um, thank you for—"
“I bet you don’t have a sky like this in Chicago.”
Hugging herself, she shook her head, then thought about what he’d said. She could divert as well as anyone.
“Why did you tell Olive that I’m leaving?”
Fox scoffed. “I think there’s been enough trouble for one night, don’t you?”
Anger flared in her chest. “Oh really? Was it real troublesome for you to lose? Not once, but twice!”
Fox faced her and took a step to close the space between them. She had to look up to meet his eyes—hard, unreadable eyes.
“You’re nothing but trouble. Do you know that?”
Tension snapped between them, the air jacking with energy. She’d love to tell him to get lost. That she’d heard about her faults her whole damn life, so why not be nothing but trouble, too? But she wanted this story, so she was going to expertly swallow her feelings like she always did and get on with it.
She pointed to the hotel across the street. “This is me. You don’t have to escort me across the street, but thanks. Goodnight.”
He grunted a reply and made no move to leave her side. Slipping into her blazer, she shoved her hands in the pockets, holding her breath in anticipation of his next move. When she finally took two steps away from him, he didn’t follow so she trotted across the street, glancing back as she reached the front door of the hotel to find him still standing there.
Watching her.
He thought she was trouble? She had half a mind to show him just what a handful she could be.
Chapter Six
Thereporterwasn’tgoingto show. He hadn’t given her directions, and there was no way she’d find his rural place in the mountains on her own.
