Crime Of The Heart Read online

  “Don’t leave me,” she said, reaching out and grabbing him by the arm.

  “I’m just going to get us a room for the night, Erin. I’ll be right back. I’ll leave the car running in case anything happens,” he explained, trying to gently pull loose from her grip. The heat of her surged through him at her touch, and Lee did his best to ignore it. Yet he had the feeling he was never going to be able to ignore Erin Flemming, not without lying to himself.

  Still, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t keep trying.

  “What’s going to happen?” She refused to let him go.

  “Nothing. Just wait here for me.”

  “What if something does happen?” she insisted.

  “Drive out of here and leave me.”

  “I could never do that, Lee,” she said slowly, looking at him, her eyes sparkling in the darkness.

  Lee fought the urge to remind her that she’d left him before and she’d made it look easy. That thought did give him the strength to pull out of her grasp. “Yes, you can, and you will. But nothing’s going to happen. Just sit tight and lock the doors, okay? I’ll be right back.”

  He climbed out into the rain. Feeling wonderful, the cool rain woke him up and cooled him off. He let it soak him, not even bothering to cover himself at all, hoping that whoever registered him in the office would see only how wet he was and never be able to recognize him or identify him should he ever be asked to do so.

  Lee didn’t have to go into the office. He was able to rent the room by talking to the attendant through a sliding window near the door. Lee was glad. In the darkness and with the rain soaking his clothes, the attendant would be unable to see his arm.

  “You sure you want a room for the night, not just an hour or two?” the attendant questioned.

  “Yes,” Lee replied, giving him nothing but short answers and cash through the small opening.

  “Do you want sheets for the beds?”

  “Aren’t they already there?” Lee asked.

  “Nope. Too many people steal them. And those who don’t, never need them anyway. They’re an extra ten bucks.”

  Lee passed through another bill and signed his name as John Tompson before grabbing the sheets the guy stuffed through the window.

  Erin jumped when Lee startled her with his knock on the window. She unlocked the door, and he pulled it open, quickly climbing in. Absently, he handed her the rainspattered sheets. She took them without a word. Then he started the car and moved ahead a few yards to park in front of room number eight. It was just what he wanted—out of sight from the highway.

  Ushering Erin quickly inside, he paused just inside the door. Closing it and locking it, he switched on the light, illuminating the bland, lifeless room, exposing two naked beds, a chair that had definitely seen better days and a dresser that badly needed refinishing.

  “It smells in here,” Erin muttered.

  “It certainly isn’t the executive suite, is it?” Lee had to agree, “but right now, I think it’s the safest place.”

  Erin let out a heavy sigh. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. I’m so tired I’m going to put the sheets on a bed, fall into it and sleep.”

  “I need your help first,” Lee said. “And I need one of the sheets.”

  “What for?” Erin turned to really look at him for the first time since their narrow escape.

  At the same time, Lee held up his arm to look down at it, knowing just what to expect.

  “Oh, my God! You’ve been shot!” she cried. “Why didn’t you say something? What the hell’s the matter with you anyway? Are you crazy? You could have bled to death. Your shirt is soaked with blood!”

  “Calm down,” he said, trying to force himself to do the same. He sank onto the nearest bare bed and slowly undid the buttons of his shirt. His arm hurt when he moved his fingers that way.

  “Here.” Erin stepped closer, seeming to come out of her shock just as quickly as it had set in. “Let me help you.”

  She helped him peel away his bloody shirt.

  “Oh, Lee, we should get you to a hospital,” she said, peering at his wound.

  “It’s just a flesh wound. The bullet just grazed the skin, that’s all. It’s already stopped bleeding.”

  “I can see that.” She grabbed one of the sheets and wiped away the dried blood as gently as she could. Her touch still caused him to flinch. “But you still need stitches and something for infection, not to mention a tetanus shot. A dirty motel room with dirty sheets isn’t what you need.”

  He was glad to see the sight of his injury snap her out of her shock. It was worth it, even if it did feel as though his arm was on fire. His tone of voice, low, gentle and yet firm and commanding at the same time, was enough to cause her to look up and meet his gaze.

  “Erin,” he said, “we can’t go to a hospital. Every doctor has to report any gunshot wound to the police.”

  “Oh,” she said, her total attention now on his wounded arm.

  “I had a tetanus shot eight months ago. Besides, it just looks bad because of the blood.” Lee let her touch him, telling himself again and again that the warmth of her fingers was just exaggerated because of the pain in his arm, because he’d lost a bit of blood. He wasn’t his best because of his injury. That was why her copper curls, which were laced with raindrops, looked so enticing he wanted to reach up with his other arm and lose his fingers in all that hair. That was why her lips looked so red and soft and inviting. That was why that small V of skin at the top of her buttoned blouse looked so desirable—because he’d lost the blood that should be nurturing his brain.

  Lee tried to close his eyes and block her out, but her touch was so real, so warm. Her closeness and the soft, familiar woman scent of her invaded him, reminding him of those heated moments when his hands had been on her as they stood in front of the stove, reminding him of the way she felt so soft pressed against him. He wanted her. Again, only stronger this time, if that was even possible.

  Forget about the pain, forget about the danger. He wanted her. He wanted every aspect of her—her body, her heart, even her love. The fire that was suddenly burning deep inside him seemed much more urgent than any bullet wound. Something inside told him that having her in his arms would erase all the pain.

  “Let me wet this,” she said, her voice sounding tight. Or was it just his imagination? Or his own hopeful thinking that her touching him might be affecting her as much as it was him? She took one of the sheets and left, heading into the small bathroom.

  “Why don’t I just come in there with you?” Lee asked, starting to get up and follow her. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and for a moment, he wasn’t at all sure he could stand.

  “Sit down. I’ll be right back,” she called out to him.

  He did as she said, suddenly terrified that he was going to do something ridiculous like fall flat on his face onto the dirty carpet. While he listened to the water run in the bathroom, he took his own advice and leaned over, putting his head between his knees. Once the water was off, he sat up and breathed deeply, feeling a little better. But even the dizzy feeling hadn’t been strong enough to erase the feeling of desire that only strengthened when Erin came close to him and touched him with her soft hands a moment later.

  She held a warm, damp sheet, and Lee let her clean his arm. The warmth felt good, her gentle touch even better, despite the fact that he didn’t really want to admit it. She was quiet, intent on her job. Lee was just as quiet, trying not to be so intent on her. Her warm breath touched him as she let out a tired sigh.

  “Are you all right?” he asked softly.

  “I should be asking you that,” she replied, just before ripping one of the sheets to bind his arm. “Are you?” she asked.

  “It hardly even hurts. But then I probably have my nurse to thank for that,” he weakly joked, trying to lighten the mood and not to think just exactly how she was really making him forget his pain. His words turned out to be a lie when she tightened her makeshift bandage around his arm an
d pain shot all the way to his fingertips. Lee gritted his teeth against the pain, telling himself over and over it could be so much worse. He knew from experience just how much worse a gunshot wound could be. He was reminded of it every time he took a step.

  “I think that’ll do, unless of course, you change your mind and decide to find a doctor. We could probably bribe one into not reporting it,” Erin said, making a final adjustment to the bandage.

  “Honest Erin offering bribes?” Lee quipped with a grin and a raised brow.

  She didn’t reply, only smiled at him.

  “No need to bribe anyone. You did a great job. Thanks. I couldn’t have done it one-handed,” Lee returned, slowly flexing his fingers, and finding the action not that hard to do.

  “I’ll be right back, then,” she said. “I’ll see what I can do with your shirt.” She left, this time taking his shirt into the bathroom. Again, Lee could hear water running.

  On the bed, Lee fought the urge to lie back and rest. He was afraid he’d fall asleep where he landed. Instead, he leaned forward, resting his head in his palms. He looked up at Erin when she returned a few moments later, only to find her looking exhausted. Absently, she rubbed the back of her neck and stifled a yawn. It was another experience he knew well—the way an adrenaline rush could leave you feeling absolutely drained once the danger was over and you came crashing back down to earth.

  “I hung your shirt over the shower-curtain rod. I think I got most of the blood out,” she said.

  “Thanks, that’s great. Listen, why don’t you put one of those sheets on a bed and get some rest,” he suggested.

  “What will you do?” she asked, looking rather pleased at the idea.

  “Keep watch for a while, make sure no one comes looking for us,” he said, still enjoying the feeling of his protector mode.

  But Erin wasn’t satisfied with his reply. “But you need your rest, too.”

  “I’ll get it later. I’m fine for now.”

  “All right,” she agreed after a moment. “I’ll rest for a while, but only if you promise to wake me in a couple of hours so I can stay up and watch while you get some sleep.”

  “Fine, I’ll wake you in a couple of hours,” he agreed, just to make her happy, thinking he wouldn’t wake her unless he absolutely had to. On the job, he had been used to working on very little sleep and grabbing what he could when he could. He had the feeling that, like his protector mode, it wouldn’t take much to get used to that again.

  He got up and moved to the window, moving the curtain a fraction of an inch to peer out into the darkness while Erin covered the bed with a sheet. Outside, it was quiet except for the muffled sound of the falling rain. Lee let the curtain fall back into place. Then he moved the worn chair in front of the door. If anyone did find them, he was going to make it as hard as possible for them to get in here. He turned back to find Erin had kicked off her shoes and was already on the bed, not too far from where he’d been sitting.

  She covered herself with another sheet, and Lee moved to help her. “Thanks,” she muttered, already sounding half asleep.

  “Get some rest.”

  “Don’t forget to wake me,” she insisted.

  “I won’t,” he assured her. “Does the light bother . you?”

  She murmured a negative response and drifted into sleep before his eyes. She looked so small, so fragile, so lovely sleeping so close to him. Her breathing became even and slow. And Lee watched her, wondering just how anyone could ever try to hurt her.

  Well, no one would if he had any say in it. And he planned to stay at her side and do whatever it took to insure that. But he had to face facts. The fight with the gunmen, the race to safety, the gunshot wound and his loss of blood had left him tired, too. He needed to sit down, even if it was for a moment or two.

  Unable to move even a few feet away from her, he sat down beside her on the bed. Sitting close enough that his thigh brushed against her, he propped himself up against the fake wooden headboard of the bed. He’d just rest a few minutes like this, then he’d get up and stay near the window where he could check outside every so often.

  They had a long night ahead of them, and as soon as he was sure no one had followed them, he would grab a few hours of sleep. Then in the morning, he’d find them an out-of-the-way greasy spoon to get something to eat, and together they would decide what to do.

  But for now, he was too tired to think beyond that. He closed his eyes, trying to come up with some sort of plan. He should call Tom, too, and he would—just as soon as he got some rest. All he could think about now was Erin, so near he could feel each breath she took. He thought he could even feel her heart beating in unison with his. And that was all he felt, he soon realized. The pain in his arm was slowly fading, and for the first time in a very long time, there was absolutely no pain in his leg. None....

  Chapter 6

  Erin opened her eyes to darkness. For a moment, she couldn’t remember where she was. Then she was aware of the warmth of Lee pressing up against her back, and she didn’t need to remember where she was. Out of everything that was going wrong in her life, having Lee close to her was not one of them. This was perfect. His warmth touched her everywhere. His closeness told her she was safe.

  He was touching her hair. Tenderly, softly, with nothing more than the warmth of his fingertips, he touched her. Erin didn’t move. She didn’t want to break the spell he was weaving. She didn’t want to lose the comfort of his touch.

  Gently, Lee pushed her hair away from her face. His fingers lightly brushed her face and Erin closed her eyes, resisting the urge to lean into his hand. She knew if she did, he would know she was awake and he’d move away.

  This is where you belong, Lee, she thought to herself, relaxing against him. This is where we both belong, in each other’s arms.

  Lying in the bed, close to him, it was so easy for Erin to forget the loneliness and the stress of his job. It was easy to forget that Burke wanted them dead. Next to Lee, Erin could shut out everything except the warmth and security of his closeness. Erin wanted just to stay awake and feel the tenderness of his touch. The rest of the world and its dangers were now far away. Life was as it should be and Erin didn’t want to sleep through a minute of it.

  That was why she was surprised to wake up later to find the room still dim, the cloudy light of morning trying to force its way through the heavy curtains covering the windows. And Lee was gone. With him went his warmth. A chill passed through her, one so cold no amount of blankets could ever erase it.

  “Lee?” she called out hesitantly. Sitting up, she recognized the sound of the shower. She relaxed back onto the bed, knowing he was close, and they were both safe.

  Lee stood under the hot spray, letting it wash over him. He stood slightly sideways to keep it from wetting the bandage on his arm. His arm still ached but it felt more stiff than anything else. And he would probably need Erin to rebandage it when he was finished.

  A tingle went through him at the thought of her touching him with her gentle, soft hands, and he tried not to think about it.

  But putting her out of his mind was impossible. The truth was, he couldn’t stop thinking about Erin. He remembered how he had awakened to find himself still next to her on the bed, his hand in her hair. He had meant to get a few hours of sleep, but he’d planned to do it sitting in the chair where he’d wake up at the slightest sound should any of Burke’s men find them.

  But no one had bothered them. The chair was under the doorknob just where he’d put it last night. When he’d pulled himself away from Erin to get up and look out the curtained windows, he hadn’t seen any sign of Burke’s goons. There was no movement around the motel at all.

  It had seemed like a good time to grab a shower. Lee told himself he needed one to ease his stiffness and wake him up.

  At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel the shower was more of an escape. More than to ease his aches and pains and to freshen up, he’d had to get away from Erin, put some
distance between them, to be gone when she woke. He couldn’t be there to see her wake up. He hadn’t been able to get through the night without touching her. There was simply no way he could feel her sleepy warmth, see it in her eyes and keep his hands off her.

  There was one more thing that caused him to distance himself from her. His leg. For the first time in eight months, he wasn’t waking up with pain. Nor had there been any discomfort to deny him sleep. For the first time in all these past lonely months, he woke up to find the woman of his dreams pressed up against him and his leg free of pain.

  And there was a madman who wanted nothing more than to kill him and Erin.

  How in heaven could things feel so right when he and Erin were running for their lives?

  It was impossible. Yet, it was happening. And Lee didn’t want it to happen. He didn’t want it to feel right. Because he knew as soon as he saw Erin through this—and he vowed he would see them both through—it wouldn’t be right. She’d leave, and his life would never be right again. Just as it hadn’t been right the whole time she’d been gone.

  Lee knew he couldn’t survive having her leave him a second time. He couldn’t. So he had to be the one to do it. Now. Before he got so close to her that he wouldn’t have the strength to do it. Neat, clean and quick—that was the easiest way to stop what was happening between them.

  He just wasn’t sure how to go about doing this. Nothing had actually happened between Erin and him. Right?

  He continued to tell himself that as he ignored the want he felt flaring up within him every time he looked at her.

  Yes, he’d kissed her, and last night he’d slept up against her. But that was all. It was nothing. Really. It meant nothing. Really. So Lee didn’t have to say anything. All he had to do was keep his distance. Starting now.