Armoured Attraction

“You okay?” he asked.

Was she okay? No, not by any stretch of the imagination was she okay. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

He nodded then turned away to start dressing. She kept her back to him and did the same, in her clothes this time rather than her pajamas.

“I’m going to check on Karine,” she said without looking at him. Vanessa wasn’t sure she was ever going to be able to look at Liam again.

That was too bad, considering he was still just as ridiculously gorgeous as he had been eight years ago. Brown hair and green eyes. She had always been so damn jealous of those clear green eyes of his.

She tapped on the bathroom door and opened it a crack.

“Karine? It’s safe now, honey.”

She didn’t hear anything so she opened the door farther. “Karine?”

She wasn’t in the bathtub or behind the door. There was no window in the room for her to have climbed out.

“Miss Vanessa?” The sound came from the cabinet that ran under the length of the sink vanity.

Vanessa crouched and opened the cabinet. Oh, God, the girl had crammed herself in there to hide. It couldn’t have been comfortable.

“Come on out, honey. It’s safe now.” She helped Karine unfold herself from her small hiding space.

“I want to make sure nobody find me.”

“You did great, Karine.” Vanessa wrapped her arms around her and pulled the girl close. Even though she was so young, she was almost the same height as Vanessa. “It was the perfect hiding spot, but you’re safe now.”

“I was scared.”

“I don’t blame you.”

Liam turned from where he stood at the window. “Ladies, we can’t stay here.”

“Do you think that officer will come back?” Vanessa asked.

“Not him. I think we traumatized him enough. But once he reports that he found you, Vanessa, but did not actually search the room, somebody else—higher up who won’t be scared by a couple of naked people—will be coming back here. We need to get out now.”

Vanessa took her arm from around Karine. “I’ll go get your clothes so you can change, okay?”

She grabbed the same clothes from yesterday—yoga pants that were too large and another T-shirt—and walked them to Karine. She left the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Liam was standing a few feet away directly in front of her. He folded his arms over his chest and she couldn’t help noticing the bulge of his biceps. Liam had always been in good shape, even when they’d known each other before.

Now he was rock solid. Everywhere. This morning’s theatrical performance had proved that.

It was totally unfair that he looked just as good in clothes as he did without them. And that she was still so affected by him.

“I think you owe me an explanation.” The intensity of his voice caused parts of her deep inside to flutter.

“About what? I told you pretty much everything I know about Karine.”

“Not about Karine. About you. What the hell is going on with you?”

Vanessa shrugged, confused. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Well, let’s start with the two words I never thought I’d hear used to describe you. Social worker.”

Chapter Five (#ulink_2974b207-1d6e-577d-a0ce-c9fb2fefef9c)

Liam felt as if he were having an out-of-body experience.

To get rid of that young Deputy Atwood, he’d had to think fast. Sordid affair was the first thing that had come to his mind when he looked at this place, so he’d decided to play that angle.

He definitely hadn’t expected Vanessa to jump in and help with the ruse when the officer wasn’t buying it despite Liam’s best efforts to make him so uncomfortable that he just went away. And her actions had made the difference.

Of course, the officer couldn’t just barge in without a warrant—a hotel was considered a temporary home in the eyes of the law and most of the same rules applied—but if they refused him entry with no grounds whatsoever, Atwood would’ve been suspicious. He would’ve called it in and then the sheriff’s department would’ve just waited them out. Sooner or later they’d have to leave and the hotel room only had one entrance and exit.

Sitting ducks.

So Vanessa’s help in fooling the officer had just bought them some desperately needed time. Not much, but enough.

Vanessa’s naked body pressed up against his naked body? That searing kiss that threatened to turn his bones to ash?

Yeah, out-of-body experience.

All of that was nothing compared to hearing the words social worker used to describe Vanessa Epperson’s profession. There was no way the spoiled, selfish, but full-of-life woman he’d known eight years ago had become a social worker. Someone who took care of other people.

But he couldn’t deny the tenderness she’d showed as she’d cared for Karine since he’d arrived. It was hard to reconcile the Vanessa gently holding a traumatized teenager with the Vanessa he’d known before.

There were pieces of the puzzle—many of them, it seemed—that he was missing. Some were obvious now that he was looking for them.

For example, what were these clothes she was wearing? A pair of non-designer, off-the-rack jeans and a simple green cotton T-shirt. Liam could very clearly remember her teaching him about silk, cashmere and Pashmina—by wrapping her naked body in each and making him guess—scoffing that cotton shirts for women were only as a last resort.

Evidently, this situation was a last resort, then.

Her tennis shoes were no-name brand, also. He was pretty sure you could pick them up at the local supercenter.

Vanessa Epperson at the local supercenter?

Out-of-body experience.

She was looking at him now as if she didn’t know quite where to start. And it didn’t matter anyway, because they had to get out of there.

“You know what?” He cut her off as she began to speak just as Karine opened the bathroom door. “Save it. We’ve got to move.”

He took a step closer. “But I will be told exactly what is going on.”

Vanessa nodded.