Page 60 of A Lethal Betrayal

“No, I suppose not. But when you look at it from my point of view, how do I know who I can trust?”

“Agreed,” Cain said. “You’re between a rock and a hard place. The most you can do is try to get some sleep. We’ll take a fresh run at everything in the morning. Hopefully, something will pop then. I have Jace working on a special project that, with any luck, will result in a solid lead. See you in the morning.” Cain exited the foyer to the hall and Mac went into her room. Dane leaned on the door jamb to her room.

She held up the bag.

“It’s weird to think this is the only thing I own that hasn’t been blown up or soaked with water.”

He touched her arm. “Don’t worry, you’ll be able to replace everything. It’s just stuff.”

He was right but, for the time being, her whole world was reduced to one cross-body bag. It made her heart lurch in her chest. “Wanna stay for a bit? I’m not sure I’m quite ready to sleep.” Yes, her body was exhausted, but her mind was buzzing.

Dane winced as he sat down on the sofa.

“Your back again?”

“Yeah. It’s just been a long couple of days. I was mostly covered today, so I didn’t bear the brunt of the blast like you did, but it was enough to inflame things.”

“Stand up,” she said. He needed some help, and she was going to give it whether he liked it or not.

He narrowed his eyes at her but stood slowly.

“Come over here.” She pointed to the floor in front of her. “I want to show you some stretches.”

He reluctantly came and stood in front of her. She turned him around and then pointed to the mirror in front of them that was over the sofa. “See how your right shoulder is slightly higher than your left? It’s also slightly more forward.” She turned him sideways and kept her hands on his waist. “Your ear should line up with your shoulder and hip.” She met his gaze in the mirror. “You are out of alignment.”

A slow, sexy smile spread across his face. “In all kinds of ways, I’m sure.”

The smile made her pulse tick up a bit. “You need a foam roller to roll your back and loosen up the muscles. You should also do some exercises to loosen your pelvis. You’re tight.” She was trying to focus on his body to help him with the pain, but the feel of the firm muscles under his clothes was exciting her. She itched to touch his skin. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

She took a step back. “So, one of the stretches you can do is to roll down and up, one vertebra at a time.” She bent forward at the waist, putting her hands on the floor, and almost groaned out loud. Her body was tight, too, and it did not appreciate the speed at which she dropped her head. She wobbled.

Dane twisted around and caught her hips.

She came back up slowly, still slightly woozy.

“Maybe you should wait a little while to show me this stuff. You’ve been through a lot today.”

He still had his hands on her hips, and she was leaning into him. Her hands went to his chest as if they had a life of their own. She met his gaze and parted her lips. She really wanted to kiss him. She wanted more than that, but she’d start with a kiss. She leaned up and brushed his lips with hers.

“Mac,” he breathed. “Not sure this is a great idea.”

“It’s not, but like you said, I’ve been through a lot today. I can blame my poor decision-making on being blown up.”

She went up on her tiptoes and brushed his lips again with a little more force this time. His eyes had turned a deeper blue as his hands tightened on her hips.

“What do I blame my poor decision-making on?” he asked as he studied her lips.

“You were being chivalrous and giving the lady what she wants.” She ran her hands up his chest and around his back. He had such broad shoulders and strong arms.

“What do you want, Mac?” His voice was low, and it sent shivers across her skin.

She met his gaze once more. “You.”

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

Dane struggled to draw a calming breath. He’d wanted Mac from the first moment on the deck of the cargo ship when he’d spied her swinging hips and ponytail. She’d been front and center in his fantasies. And now she wanted him.

It was wrong.

---