Lucy King - The Reunion Lie

And it might not have done had a distant wolf whistle followed by a cut-glass-accented suggestion they get a room not sliced through the fog in his head and brought him thumping down to earth.

Reluctantly drawing back, he stared down at the woman in his arms. Her eyes were glazed, her cheeks were pink and her lips were rosy from the pressure of the kiss, and her breathing was all ragged and shallow. She looked as shaken as he felt and at the realisation that she’d been as affected as he had his self-control rocked for a second. He could still feel every inch of her pressed up against him, was achingly aware of her breasts crushed to his chest and all he could think about was doing it again.

But he couldn’t do it again, could he, because one kiss had been the deal and that had been accomplished. More thoroughly and disturbingly than he could ever have imagined.

‘Thanks,’ said Zoe huskily, unwinding her arms from around his neck and placing her hands on his chest instead.

‘You’re welcome.’

She tilted her head and a slow sexy smile curved her mouth. ‘That should have done it, don’t you think?’

‘Done what?’ he muttered, too dazzled by the smile and too preoccupied and baffled by the way his skin was burning beneath her palms and his blood was still burning through his veins to have a clue what she was talking about.

‘Convinced them.’

For a moment he was about to ask ‘They who?’ but he managed to pull himself up just in time as his brain cleared enough for reason to put in an appearance. Right. Her ex-classmates. The bullies. The reason for the kiss. ‘If it didn’t I can’t imagine what would,’ he muttered.

Her gaze dropped to his mouth and her eyes darkened, and the expression on her face suggested she was tempted to suggest another one. But she didn’t, thank God, or heaven only knew what he would have done.

‘So now I suppose you’ll be off,’ she murmured, lifting her eyes to meet his once again.

He nodded. ‘I will.’

She tilted her head. ‘Pity. In a way.’

Yes, it was, he thought, momentarily distracted by the intensely fiery look of desire in her eyes and the reciprocal surge that shot through him. And didn’t that pull him up short, because his agreement to help Zoe out had been conditional on his participation being brief and on his terms, and the thought that he could so easily be persuaded into something more was deeply unsettling. ‘But necessary. In another.’

‘Then you’d better let me go.’

‘Right.’ He had. So why were his arms tightening around her instead of loosening? Why wasn’t he turning on his heel and getting out of there just as fast as was humanly possible?

Oh God, he thought, his heart thudding with alarm and his entire body going still. What the hell was going on? Surely he wasn’t thinking of staying, was he? He couldn’t. He’d be nuts to even consider it.

So why was he now wondering if he could do more to help Zoe, the way he should have helped Celia? Why was a flicker of the guilt that he thought he’d dealt with years ago now leaping around in his stomach and battling with desire?

He couldn’t stay, he reminded himself firmly, setting his jaw and ruthlessly stamping out the guilt. He didn’t need to. Celia was fine. She hadn’t needed him. The two cases bore no resemblance whatsoever. Besides, the potential fallout from being some kind of white knight here was huge, and why he kept forgetting that he had no idea.

Or was it as big a deal as he was making out?

Zoe hadn’t recognised him, he realised, his head suddenly pounding with possibilities. No one else here seemed to. Had he really become so paranoid that he thought everyone everywhere was out to get him? Was he really so vain that he thought everyone knew who he was? And how long was he going to let what Jasmine had done influence his decisions?

‘Dan?’

The sharpness of Zoe’s voice jerked him out of the tangled confusion of ideas and thoughts churning around his head. ‘What?’

She pushed at his chest. ‘Let me go.’

‘In a minute.’

‘What?’ Her eyes widened and filled with alarm that mirrored his own. ‘No. Now.’

‘Why?’

‘Why? Because it’s what we agreed, and if you don’t release me right now it’ll be too late.’

It already was. At least for him. Because now all he could think was that he could help her. That he had to help her. ‘What if I’ve changed my mind?’

She looked aghast. ‘You can’t.’

‘Why not? I got the impression you wanted more from me than just a kiss.’

‘Maybe, but that was before.’

‘Before what?’

‘Before I changed my mind too. You were absolutely right. I’m in way too deep for this kind of thing. I’ve had enough and I really don’t think I can take any more.’ She flicked a quick glance to her right. ‘Oh, God, they’re on their way over, and believe me you do not want “us” to be subjected to the horror that is Samantha Newark.’

Dan felt a shudder rip through her and any lingering doubt that he was doing the right thing instantly vanished. ‘Is she the one who gave you the bruises?’

She looked back at him as confusion flickered across her face. ‘What? Oh. Well, yes, but who cares about that now? If we don’t leave right this minute, as you so cleverly pointed out things will get really complicated.’

He set his jaw. ‘Complication is my middle name.’

‘What?’ she asked with something akin to panic. ‘No. This is insane.’

‘You started it,’ he felt obliged to point out.

‘And I want to finish it.’

‘So let’s finish it. Properly.’

‘I’m trying to,’ she said through gritted teeth.

‘Where’s your spirit of adventure?’

‘I don’t have one.’

‘I find that hard to believe. Haven’t you just produced a boyfriend out of thin air?’

‘Would you mind keeping your voice down?’ she said in a furious low voice.

‘And that kiss was something else.’

‘Forget the kiss,’ she practically hissed.

‘I don’t think that’s going to be possible.’

‘It has to be.’

He pulled her close and looked deep into her eyes. ‘You know, we should do this. You should do this.’

‘In the name of all that’s holy, why?’

‘My sister was bullied and it was only when she stood up to them that she got over it. You need to deal with it so you can move on.’

‘I have, thank you very much, Mr Amateur Psychologist, and I am.’

He arched a sceptical eyebrow. ‘Really?’

‘OK, so I’m a work in progress.’

‘I can help.’

‘They’d see through us in a second.’

‘No, they wouldn’t. I’m in advertising.’

For a second she just stared at him in uncomprehending disbelief. ‘What on earth does that have to do with anything?’

‘It involves manipulating perception and getting people to believe what they’re told regardless of whether it’s the truth or not, and I’m an expert.’

‘Your cynicism runs deep.’

‘Luckily so does my creativity.’

‘Believe me, it’s not a patch on mine,’ said Zoe darkly. ‘You do not want to hear the stuff I’ve made up.’

‘Don’t I? I’m rather keen to find out the exceptional talents you’ve given me.’

She clutched at his shirt and stared at him wildly. ‘Why are you being so persistent about this?’

‘I don’t think I want to let you go just yet.’ Of everything that had been running through his brain that was the one thing of which he was certain. He wanted some more of those kisses. He wanted more of her.

‘So let’s talk on the pavement outside. Let’s go to a different bar, a restaurant, anywhere away from here.’

‘I also don’t like bullies.’