Page 778 of Love Bites

CHAPTER4

She shouldn’t have gone near the onions. But they were the red kind, and it’d been so long since she’d smelled fresh chopped onions. Who knew she’d missthat?

Damn it.

She was caught, and by a familiar face. Her man from the woods. The one she’d seen turn into a spotted cat. He was the one who found her in the kitchen. Same rusty blond hair, same deep gray eyes, but he was even better up close. She’d been only inches away from his full lips and that angled jaw. Once upon a time those characteristics would have set her heart to pumping.

Now her heart pounded for an entirely different reason.

Clara rubbed her arm where his giant hand had grabbed her. It didn’t hurt. It tingled. The first time she’d been touched in six years. It made her throat close up with too many emotions. And even though she shouldn’t, even though it was dangerous… it made her want for more.

She shook the thought away.

Now she was stuck here indoors.Insidethe lodge. Where she could be caught. And this time, if she was arrested she’d actually be charged for the crime.

Dread slammed her hard. She squeezed her eyes closed in fear.

Stealing. That’s what she’d really been doing all this time. Taking what wasn’t hers in order to survive. Because she couldn’t bear the thought of being part of the real world.

She was a thief. And no matter how much she liked to think of herself as Robin Hood, she wasn’t.

Her only saving grace was that she intended on paying it back. Someday. When she was ready to emerge from the woods and face reality.Ifshe was ever ready. She kept meticulous records. Every last thing she’d ever taken was written down.

She pushed her guilt to the back of her mind. Right now she had to focus on getting out of this place. She’d noticed the tightened security. Noticed the new cameras. They’d prevented her from going to the guest rooms. And she’d had to find a new way into the lodge. Which hadn’t been hard. She wondered if they knew their alarm system was down.

Whatever. She wasn’t going to be the one to tell them.

Slipping past the lobby was easy. There was only one camera in the far corner by the door. From there, she found another short hallway that seemed to be clear of any recording devices. She avoided the door marked OFFICE and kept going. If she could find an open room with a window… on this side of the building, she could just climb out and slip into the trees.

She tried the next door, and it was locked. One that looked like a storage closet, and it was locked too. Finally she came to a set of double doors. The frosted glass and etched lettering that read SPA seemed too modern for the wood-on-wood country feel of the lodge. Testing the handle, it opened.

She frowned, surprised. Why was this door the only unlocked one in the hall?

Clara stepped back. What if someone was in there? What if she was trapping herself inside? What if—

The sound of a door slamming and footsteps made the decision for her. She cranked the handle and stepped into the room, hoping against hope that she’d find herself alone in the spa.

It was dark inside, the light of the moon filtering in through the wood framed glass walls. She was quiet for several seconds, listening for any sign that someone was around, but it appeared she was alone.

Laughter from outside the spa had her scrambling for a hiding spot. She ducked under a counter just as the door swung open.

“Renner! Just give me a second, okay? I forgot to lock up,” a female voice managed through a round of giggles.

“I don’t want to give you a second, Bethy.” The response was male and husky with desire.

Clara rolled her eyes. Damn it all. If she got stuck in here waiting for some stupid couple to finish making out, she was going to barf.

“Layna’s watching Rhys and every time I see you standing here in this place…” An odd sound erupted from his throat. Like a cat purring, but rougher. The soft sounds of kissing drifted to Clara’s ears. “This is where it all started,” he whispered. “Where we found each other again after all those years. I fucking love seeing you in here. I want you now. Like this. Against the counter.”

God, no. Please, no.

The woman moaned and Clara crossed her fingers that they weren’t about to get it on with her right there in the room.

“Renner…” The plea was followed by a yelp and more giggling.

Good god. Didn’t these lovebirds have a curfew?

A sharp whoosh indicated the door opening.

---