Page 14 of Chasing Hope

‘Well, I hope your reasons are justified. ‘Cause if those men had caught you tonight, your so-called reasons would not have mattered.’

‘Could you step into the light so that I can see you when you abash me ?’ His hands dipped into the pockets of his joggers. He threw back his shoulders and counter-questioned her instead.

‘What were you doing sneaking outside Choudhary’s house?’

‘That’s none of your business. I—’ Hope slammed her mouth shut as a brilliant idea struck her. He was the mascot for people in need after all; she didn’t see the harm in seeking his help. ‘I want to propose an idea. It would be nice if I could see you. It’s like I’m speaking to a faceless person.’ Exasperated, she stomped her injured foot and yelped. ‘Jeez, I’m doing fine, thanks,’ she said as he made no attempt to assist her. Annoyed that he refused to show his face, Hope resisted the urge to stomp her foot again. She gave him a dazzling smile, masking her irritation. ‘You can come closer, Mr Mysterious. I promise I won’t bite—’

Hope gasped as his arm slid around her waist, hauling her body flush against his.

‘Is this close enough for you?’ Hope couldn’t see his face but she sensed the smirk in his voice. Her eyes drifted shut as an alluring musky fragrance hiked its way along her skin, demolishing her thought process. Aware of the rock-hard muscles underneath his sweatshirt, her hands stayed on his chest for a moment longer than necessary.

This is going to end badly for you.Hope’s eyes sprang open. What was she thinking trying to defy him? He was dangerous and she knew next to nothing about him. Nothing personal at least, except for what she’d read about him in the papers and watched on the news. Coming to her senses she tried to wriggle out of his clasp.

‘Don’t.’ With a sharp indrawn breath he spoke through clenched teeth. His muscles twitched under her palms. Hope tossed her head back and glared up at him.

‘Let go of me before I knee you in the balls.’

Hope lifted her chin at his smug tone. ‘Lesson number one, and you already failed. Don’t warn your attacker. Just—’

Hope did as advised and raised her knee, gutting him in the balls.

‘Fuck.’ “Mr Not-So-Smug right now” released his hold on her and kneeled over cupping his crotch. ‘I walked right into that one. Guess you’re a quick learner.’ All traces of humour left his voice and he straightened himself to his impressive height. His rigid profile loomed over her. Hope’s spine bolted erect. It galled her that he had the advantage of height. She refused to acknowledge the fact that if he wanted he could just as easily haul her over his shoulder like a rag doll and there was not a thing she could do about it.

‘Now that I’ve established I’m no damsel in distress, let’s get down to business, shall we?’ Hope said, forcing herself to sound firm.

‘Very well. Out with it.’ He crossed his arms over his massive chest. ‘I’m not making any promises though.’ Hope stole a quick glance at his strong body and her heart kicked up a storm in her chest. No one needed to know she fantasised about him almost every night.

‘Fine.’ She shrugged. ‘If that’s the case, I’m not wasting my breath on you.’ She spun around and a second later her body collided with his.

‘Lesson number two. Never give your back to your aggressor.’ There it was again, that superior tone. His breath on the side of her neck cooled her flushed skin. He inhaled deeply and she could have sworn he sniffed her skin. Her eyes closed and she relaxed in his strong embrace. His hand pressed against her stomach and butterflies exploded to life.

Stop it. You know next to nothing about him. For all you know he might be a serial killer.

Hope shook her head; deep down she knew he would not harm a hair on her head. Still, she needed to get her act together. She couldn’t afford to show him that his elusiveness enticed her. Hope shifted deliberately, clearing her throat. After the first moment of reluctance, Mr Mysterious dropped his arm and stepped back into the pitch darkness. His delicious fragrance lingered in the air.

Hope took a light sniff and slowly turned to face him. The warmth from his gaze heated the air around them. Too restless to stay still. Hope paced the breadth of the narrow lane. Her injured foot protested and she came to a sudden halt.

‘You better get the pressure off that foot before you make the pain worse.’

‘Ah, you’re a human with emotions and feelings.’ A pretentious stunned look covered her face.

He chortled. ‘Oh I have feelings all right. Do you want to know how I feel about you? The thoughts racing through my mind right now will have you not just running for the hills, but hiking them, injured foot be damned.’ His velvety voice stroked the goosebumps on her skin. Was there some kind of warning in that statement? Looks like her mind had already called it a night.

‘Coming to the point,’ Hope said, as she limped backwards increasing the distance between them. The way she responded to their closeness was troubling.

‘Before you begin, I need to make something clear. I work alone.’

‘Not in this case you won’t. We will work in tandem to bring the sleazebag to his knees.’ Her reply was definitive. She waited for him to protest. He remained silent. Satisfied, she wrapped her arms below her breast. ‘I am a journalist. Sorry I forgot to mention that before—’

‘Surprise, surprise.’ Hope ground her teeth, shunning his sarcasm.

‘I have a strong lead that Himesh is into some shady stuff. I’m—’

‘Who is your stringer?’

‘Sorry, we do not reveal the names of our sources. I’m—’

‘This is not how I operate. I—’

---