Robin Bielman: Veiled Target

The guy didn’t know boundaries and her personal space wasn’t something she gave up lightly. Two more seconds and she’d slug him. “I said back off.”

“What’s your name?” he asked, seemingly oblivious to her discomfort.

“Taken,” came a deep voice from behind her. Hands roamed up both sides of her arms, sending a shock of sinful tremors to all the important points below her neck.

While she could take of herself, she had to admit it felt good to be rescued. Really good. “Bye, Bo.”

They sidestepped around him, but before they were clear, Bo grabbed her arm. The tug didn’t go unnoticed by Trey and Bo’s jaw met a square punch. Bo stumbled backward, lost his footing and landed on his butt. Someone gasped, but no one moved. Instead, the bar grew silent for a split second before everyone resumed conversing.

As soon as Tess heard the bar door slam and inhaled the cool night air, Trey’s friend circled them like an animal ready to pounce. “What the hell was that?” he asked.

“Tess, this is Dane. Dane, Tess.”

She didn’t extend her hand. His obnoxious behavior confirmed her first impression. The guy was an ass. “Hi.”

“Hey,” Dane answered, still circling. “Now care to explain why you hit that guy?”

Trey ignored the question. “Where’s your car, Tess?”

“It’s just…” Her eyes met his and her stomach got tied up in knots. He was looking at her with more fervor than anyone, even Jason, ever had. “…across the street.”

He glanced at Dane. “Be right back.” Then, turning, he put his arm around her shoulders and veered her toward the street. He tensed as she allowed her body to relax against his.

“I didn’t need rescuing you know.” She never had. Never would.

“I know.”

“Then why’d you—”

“Which. Car.”

“The black one.” She grinned, happy with the popular color choice.

“There’s four black ones,” he said, unamused.

“I figured you could use your investigative skills to pick the right one, being that you’re so good at finding things by yourself.” It was one last-ditch attempt to see if he’d ask her to join him. She didn’t expect him to take the bait, but couldn’t help having a little fun.

He walked by the first car, then the second, without so much as a waver. As they approached the driver’s side door on the third car, he quirked a smile and stopped. “Here we are.”

She’d had her head tilted up, trying to decipher his expression as they walked, but he gave nothing away. “I guess you’re better than I thought.”

His smile grew wider. “You bet I am.”

“You want to make another wager?” He’d stepped right into that one, and an odd mixture of longing and apprehension swirled inside her. Is that what it would take to see him again?

“I think with you it’s best to quit while I’m ahead.”

“Time’s ticking!” Dane yelled from across the street, his voice carrying over a car cruising by.

“You’re not—” she started to say, but Trey had turned and was waving over his shoulder.

“Night, Tess,” he called, halfway to Dane before she blinked. After a second blink, the two were on their way without another glance back.

“You’re not ahead,” she whispered, fighting off the disappointment that had no business tightening her chest.

She opened the car door quickly, ready to take off in pursuit and forget about second-guessing herself. But before her butt hit the seat, she jumped back out. Trey and Dane weren’t driving anywhere. They were headed somewhere on foot. She stashed her purse underneath the seat and shut the door.

The muscles in her legs flexed as she fell back against the car and waited for a bit more distance between them. If she thought about this crazy idea, she’d remember her impulsive behavior often landed her in trouble. And the guy whose backside she couldn’t tear her eyes away from was definitely trouble. Because hasty decision or not, she wasn’t thinking with only her head. Her stupid heart hadn’t beat this intensely in years and if she didn’t seize the moment, she feared it might never again.

The men turned the corner and she shot across the street. Butterflies filled her stomach—an unfamiliar sensation that wasn’t entirely unwelcome.

Tonight was about adventure. An adventure with a sexy leather-jacketed male that wreaked havoc with her emotions and didn’t want her help.

She’d be sure not to offer it.

Stupid, stupid heels. They slowed her down.

Stupid, stupid dress. It shifted in a most uncomfortable manner, causing all sorts of body contortions Tess wasn’t used to performing when in hot pursuit of someone.

She was stuck with the dress, but the shoes…she whipped them off, broke both heels and tossed them over her shoulder, then stuffed her feet back inside. Her new footwear wouldn’t make walking smoother, but it would keep her ankles from buckling and slowing her down. Kensie would kill her when she returned the borrowed pumps, but what was one more death threat?

“Better,” she murmured, looking up to find Trey farther ahead than she liked. If not for the light shining down from the full moon, she might have completely lost sight of him.

As she hurried to close the distance between them, a howl sounded from somewhere behind her. Goosebumps popped up on her arms, from the cool air—not the noise, she rationalized. Maybe leaving her purse in the car hadn’t been such a good idea. She had nothing on her. No koa blades. No mercury-tipped darts. No gun. She’d been caught unprepared before and survived, but with her recent bungles, she’d started to doubt her abilities.

Don’t think about that tonight , she told herself.

Because right now she couldn’t think of anywhere else she’d rather be. Her body thrummed with anticipation. This game of hide-and-seek, catch-me-if-you-can ranked better than any amusement park ride, better than navigating a winding one-way dirt road in the mountains. And she liked very much that her blind date seemed to enjoy prowling the streets, that he showed no hesitation in going after his friend.

Two blocks away from the bar now, the street stood deserted, the buildings drab. A turn of a corner changed the scenery from trendy to risky. Tess took a deep breath. A breeze carried the scent of metal and rotting fruit, almost making her gag. If she were an ordinary woman, she’d hightail it out of there. Fast.

Since discovery was the last thing she wanted—wasn’t it?—she stuck close to the sides of the graffiti-littered buildings. She moved at a brisk pace, the men advancing quickly and quietly, almost gliding over the cracked sidewalk.

She’d easily followed a hundred marks over the years, but these two guys put her to task. Tonight she didn’t mind, though, because tonight she wanted to give chase. The wild beating of her heart told her she’d regret it if she didn’t follow Trey and get close enough to talk to him again. For some annoying reason, he’d gotten under her skin and she wanted to get under his. Popping up when he least expected it should do the trick.

That was, if she hadn’t lost him. She’d taken her eyes off them for one second. One tiny second. There’d been a rough-edged pebble in her shoe.

“Why are you following us?” growled a voice from behind her.

She froze and let out a sigh, disgusted with herself. “Umm, Dane?”

Hot breath touched the back of her neck as he asked again, “Why are you following us?”

“I wasn’t—”

“You were,” he snarled, forcibly turning her to face him. “Tell me why. Tell me now.” He loomed over her, larger than she remembered. His eyes narrowed to slits and his nose flared.