Page 63 of Allie's Shelter

“Call me ever-hopeful.” She took a long pull on the beer, letting the rich amber lager cool her throat and smooth out the rough edges of her nerves. “Where you’re concerned, the facts have never managed to sway me. I knew you weren’t on the list but I came anyway.”

“For closure.”

“No, actually. For openers.” This time he tipped the longneck bottle back and she had to drag her gaze away from his throat. When did she ever find a throat sexy? When it was Ross. She knew how he’d taste, knew exactly what would make him shiver. And she needed to forget that and say what needed to be said.

“I’d promised myself if you did show up and if you were unattached...” She took another pull on the bottle for courage. “I promised myself I would tell you how I felt. The possible scenarios played through my head for days.”

“So you were relieved when I wasn’t here.”

“Not even close.” She picked at a loose corner of the label on the bottle. The feeling of that long ago disappointment hadn’t dulled much. “You sent in a picture.”

He nodded. “From Kuwait, I think.”

“Might as well have been the moon as far as I knew. But you looked happy. And well-armed.”

He smirked. “It was a good deployment.”

“It was a lousy high school reunion. From my perspective anyway.” She leaned back against the counter and tried to decide if what she hadn’t gotten then had any bearing on what she wanted now.

“I bet you wanted to give me the ‘I forgive you’ line,” he said.

She chuckled at that. “It would have been touching. A poignant and tender start to our new relationship.”

“We were going to have a new relationship? I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” He stepped closer, his arms caging her against the counter. “I’d give anything to hear those words right about now.”

She stared up into his dark brown eyes, recognizing the sincerity and warmth and genuine concern as he held her gaze as captive as he held her body. “Tell me how you ended up working for Bradley.”

His head drooped and she couldn’t stop herself from touching him. She smoothed his hair back and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. Whatever they might be now or in the future, he was first and foremost her oldest friend and she treasured him.

“I’m sorry, Allie. The oddballs don’t usually fool me.”

“Tell me, Ross,” she whispered.

“My team has a great reputation in the field and contacts in law enforcement,” he said toward the floor. “All of that is true.”

“Mm-hmm.” She pushed her hand through his hair again.

“He said he heard about us from a satisfied customer. He dropped the right names and I verified the recommendation.”

“I imagine word of mouth is your best advertising.”

“Usually. He presented your situation as a disgruntled employee who’d stolen sensitive data. He implied it was a formula worth a fortune.”

“And he said I stole money too,” she added when he seemed to hesitate.

“That was all before I knew he meant you.” Ross raised his head and she sympathized with the pain and dismay sketched across the tight lines of his face. “When he handed over your personnel file and recent picture, I had to take the case.”

“To get even.”

“No.” He pushed back and paced across the kitchen as if he couldn’t bear her touch any longer. “Maybe. At first it was morbid curiosity and a helluva lot of money. Who would’ve thought Haleswood’s sweetheart would turn into a felon?”

“Definitely not me.” She laughed. “No way you could pass up that kind of opportunity.”

His grin was crooked, as if he wasn’t sure he could trust the expression or her. “When I saw you, I knew something was off. We stayed on you, I read the report after every shift, and it became less about Roberts and more about you.

“You came running back here and I cursed your name. It was like you knew I was out there and you were torturing me. You, above all people, know why I avoid this place.”

She nodded. Didn’t bother to point out that he’d based his business nearby, if not in Haleswood itself. Ross was immovable when he set his mind to something. If he wasn’t ready to overcome the past, if he was determined to run away as soon as they were done here, there was no persuading him otherwise.

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