Susan Sleeman - No Way Out

“Are you sure there’s nothing I can do to help resolve this?” Alyssa swiveled toward Dani but met Cole’s gaze as he sat behind the wheel.

He spent a long moment studying her before turning back to the road. “Just go about life as normal unless I tell you otherwise.”

Normal, right! “I don’t know if I can do this, Cole.” She worked hard to keep her tone level even though she felt panic trying to elevate it. “I don’t think I can even look at Nolan again, much less pretend he’s the same man I once thought he was.”

Dani leaned forward. “Is it likely you’ll see him often in the next few days?”

Alyssa nodded. “We talk every day. In fact, if my lights are on tonight, it wouldn’t be unusual for him to stop in when he gets home.”

“I doubt he’ll be home soon,” Dani said. “Since his mystery eavesdropper got away, he’s likely meeting with his men to do damage control.”

“I suppose,” Alyssa replied, but she didn’t take much comfort from Dani’s statement. “But what about tomorrow? He’s bound to want to talk me. Especially after his announcement last week.”

“What announcement?” The intensity of Cole’s gaze unsettled Alyssa even more.

“He hinted at us becoming more than friends and he’s waiting for me to give him the green light on a relationship. Not that I ever intended to pursue anything with him, but I couldn’t think of a good way to let him down.”

“Hopefully his feelings for you won’t complicate things,” Cole said.

Hoping the same thing, Alyssa sighed and returned her focus to the window. The heavily forested roadside disappeared, signaling their arrival in the city limits.

Retail establishments lined both sides of the highway. Once they turned off and headed into the downtown area the shops sat closer together and antique street lamps cut through the fog and spilled over the brick streets.

Cole slowed and tipped his head at a parking lot on the right. “Is this the lot?”

“Yes.”

He pulled into the main downtown parking lot, still filled with employees and diners’ cars. Even in the inclement winter months, the town’s population swelled with tourists seeking off-season rates. Several couples hurried through the drizzle to their vehicles, but there was no sign of Nolan.

“Which car is yours?”

“The blue SUV. Third car from the building.”

Cole pulled up behind her car and left his vehicle idling. Dani popped open her door and slid out. She was going to drive Cole’s car while Cole rode with Alyssa, making sure she got home safely. She stood outside Alyssa’s door, watchful and searching, her hand on the handle.

Alyssa looked at Cole, once again thankful for his expertise. “Are you sure you don’t mind driving me home?”

“I don’t mind in the least.” He smiled, his dimple winking at her.

She could sit and stare at his smile all night. There was something special about how his face lit up, yet it seemed like he didn’t share a smile with just anyone, making her feel special. How she could go from fearing Nolan in one second to melting at a smile the next was beyond her. She forced herself to look away and push open her door.

Alyssa started to slide out and Dani stepped into her path, keeping her in the car. “We’ll wait for Cole to check out your car.”

He searched every conceivable hiding space while walking around Alyssa’s SUV. He held himself with a confidence she was beginning to realize was part of who this man was. He opened the driver’s-side door and checked the interior. Then, still standing, he reached in, started the engine and stepped back. Odd.

“I’ve never seen anyone start a car like that,” Alyssa commented more to herself than to Dani.

“It’s a safer way to do it if someone has tampered with your vehicle.”

Alyssa’s gaze flew to Dani’s. “Is that even possible? You said it was unlikely that Nolan knew it was me.”

“It is unlikely but not impossible.” Dani smiled, but her hand drifted to the weapon she had holstered on her belt, negating the smile. “Once you get to know Cole, you’ll learn that he’s thorough and doesn’t take chances.”

“So you think this is overkill?”

“I do, but then I never had to see what he’s seen as a member of an elite squad during two tours of duty.” Dani sighed and it carried the weight of the world.

Alyssa wanted to ask her about it, but Cole came over to them. He stopped in front of his sister but continued to scan the area. “We’re good to go. You’ll follow us?”

“Yes,” Dani answered.

Surprised, Alyssa looked at Dani. “I thought you were going back home, but now that you mention it, Cole will need a ride from my place.”

“It’s not only that, but he also wants to make sure you aren’t tailed.” Dani stepped behind the opened door.

Cole slipped his hand around Alyssa’s elbow to help her down from the car. Though she didn’t need his help, she didn’t argue. He kept her close to his side and when they passed Dani, he shared a quick fist bump with her. They seemed so comfortable and in tune with one another.

Alyssa had always wanted a sibling to share this kind of camaraderie, but her parents didn’t want a second child. She’d hoped for a large family with Todd—lots of noise, laughter and love shared between many children—but the dream of having more children died when Todd hit her.

It felt odd to settle in the passenger seat of her own car and even stranger when Cole climbed behind the wheel. She supposed he was used to adapting to an ever-changing environment in his job. She wished she could adjust so quickly, but her nerves were fried.

Too tired to give directions, she pressed Go Home on her GPS and the woman’s voice spouted the first set of directions.

“You really shouldn’t have your home address programmed in your GPS.” Cole adjusted the mirrors. “If someone stole your car, they’d know where you live.”

With Dani’s heads-up about his thorough nature, she wasn’t surprised at his comment. “I’ll change it tomorrow.”

He turned and gave Dani a thumbs-up. Alyssa heard Dani back the car out of their way.

Cole turned to the front, smiling at her. “You ready to go?”

She peered into his eyes. Blue. Like the ocean on a summer day. He seemed so self-assured, yet there was something lingering in the depths that belied the confidence. Nothing that made her doubt his abilities, but something she knew he was questioning, maybe searching for.

Their gazes met and held. His smile disappeared and his eyes turned dark and unreadable. He suddenly seemed too close for comfort and the car too small.

“I really should be getting home,” she said and hated the way his expression became guarded, a feeling she knew all too well from her failed relationship with Todd. But that was a good thing, right? If he looked at her like this more often, reminding her to keep her distance, she wouldn’t have to fight this crazy attraction.

He pulled out of the lot, and once on the road, she listened to the rhythmic thump, thump of the intermittent wipers, hoping the soothing sound would calm her nerves. The dashboard cast a red glow, and she could see Cole check the mirrors on a regular basis—maybe making sure Dani, and no one else, followed them. Neither of them spoke. The quiet, save the wipers and hissing sound of tires spinning over wet pavement, felt uncomfortable as could be expected between two strangers.

And they were strangers. They’d only met a few hours ago. But there was a connection between them, too. Even if she didn’t like it, she couldn’t deny it.

He followed the GPS instructions, making all the directed turns. They pulled onto her street, and she was thankful not to see Nolan’s car in front of their nondescript box of a duplex. Each of them had a one-car garage, but Nolan had filled his with sporting equipment and had no room for his car so he parked on the street.