Strong and Sexy (Sky High Air #2)(12)

She absolutely believed it. Which begged the question—did he believe it too?





Chapter 5




D ani shivered as she kneeled on the sidewalk, the rain pouring down over her. She was so wet now it no longer mattered. All she wanted was to get to the bottom of what she’d seen.

But that wasn’t going to happen, she could tell by the look in Shayne’s eyes. Oh, God. He thought she was nuts, and for one beat in time, she felt nuts. But she’d seen what she’d seen.

She knew it.

Still, with no evidence, what could she do? Nothing. Nothing at all.

Knowing that, it was time to get out of here, time to get back on solid ground. She needed to go home, back to her comfort zone.

Shayne had been talking on his cell phone while carefully watching her, but he closed it now and slid it into his pocket. He was as drenched as she, his hair plastered to his head, his whiskey-colored shirt and dark pants clinging to his long, hard body, and yet he somehow managed to look as elegant and sophisticated as he had perfectly dry.

Pushing the hair from his brow, he came toward her, his eyes giving nothing away of his thoughts. “Dani.”

A few moments ago, she’d been able to read him like a book. But that had been when he’d been holding a sprig of mistletoe above her head, his eyes bright with wicked fun and enough heat to melt her bones.

He’d delivered on the promise of that heat and then some.

But she didn’t expect him to deliver now, not with that unfathomable look in his eyes, and could she blame him? She had a reputation for being a loon, and she’d just told him she’d witnessed a murder.

Without evidence even remotely supporting such a claim.

“I’m sorry,” she said, turning away before he could see how shaken she felt. “I’m just going to go.”

“Wait—”

“It was a lovely party. I’m sure my mother is very happy with you and will continue to hire you to fly her on her every whim.” She had no idea where she was going; she’d gotten ready for the party at work, and thanks to her car being broken down again, she’d taken a cab here.

But she had to go.

Unfortunately for her, Sky High’s fixed operating base wasn’t on the main side of the Burbank airport, but across the terminal, on the private sector side. She could see the road from the lot, but it was quiet. No lights. No cars.

And per the usual, she’d left her cell phone in her car in the shop, which was really going to piss off Reena because Dani had promised to call her with a play by play of the rich and famous. Even worse, Dani’s coat was in the coat closet in the building behind her, but even though she couldn’t afford a new one right now, she wasn’t going back for it.

Not now.

Not ever.

Except…damn it. Her keys were in her coat pocket.

“Dani.”

You know what? She didn’t need her keys. She had one hidden beneath the mat at her apartment. So she kept moving, quickly. Or at least as quickly as one could move with only one heel. She was halfway through the parking lot, her feet splashing through the water pooling there, when a hand closed around her elbow, gently pulling her around.

“Where are you going?”

She looked up into Shayne’s face. His golden eyes were definitely no longer twinkling with good humor and that bone-melting lust, but were full of dark concern that threatened her composure, as tenuous as it was. And that mouth, the one that had been so adept at amping her heart rate, was no longer sensually curved, but grim. “I’m going home.”

“Where’s your car?”

Pulling free, she shook her head. “I’ll catch a cab. I’ll be fine.” Probably.

Hopefully.

He actually let her take a few steps away before he spoke. “You saw something tonight.”

She nearly tripped, but didn’t. She did, however, slow to a stop, staring straight ahead into the dark night. “Yes.”

She heard his footsteps as he came up behind her, his fine shoes hitting the water pooling in the lot. He’d ruined them, no doubt. She’d ruined them.

“Something that terrified you,” he went on. “So don’t tell me you’re going to be stupid enough to go walking off into the night alone.”

She blinked past the rainwater in her face, still looking straight ahead at nothing, nothing but the scary night.

“Let me give you a ride at least.”

Turning, she met his gaze. He’d shoved his hair off his forehead again, but water was still running in little rivulets down his face. His lashes were inky black and stuck in little spikes. Rain dripped off his nose, along his jaw.

Good God, he was something to look at. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I want to.”

“Shayne, you don’t have to do this. You don’t have to baby-sit the crazy chick.”

“It’s just a ride, Dani.”

“Yes, but—”

“Maybe we could talk about it in my car. In my dry car.” Without waiting for an answer, he slipped his fingers around her elbow again and steered her around, back toward the building.

“I’m not going back in there.”

“No.” His car was parked in the front row, a gleaming, fancy, gorgeous Porsche as sleek and sophisticated as the man who owned it. He fished through his pockets and found his keys, opening the passenger door for her.