Page 8 of Under Control

“What do you want me to say, Dani?” Something flashed in his eyes, warning her. “I think you already know what’s going on here.”

Carrick’s stare bored into her, seeming to observe her unease. She knew she really had to collect herself.

His voice grew low and daring, pushing her. “Is there going to be a problem?”

She heard his question as—areyougoing to be a problem?

She instinctively drew back. “No.”

That seemed to be exactly what he’d wanted to hear. A tension rose in her throat at the sight of him leaning toward her, challenging her. She raised her hands to cross across her chest, as if holding herself together.

He observed this, amused. “You don’t have to protect yourself from me.”

The entire world grew silent. She realized how close his body was to hers, how close his face was. He licked his full bottom lip, his gaze assessing her mouth.

I need to run.

She was frozen under his stare, her mind spinning. He was pure masculinity, and the very pheromones that poured off him sent warning alarms up and down her body. He was the most dangerous man she’d ever met, but not for the reasons she’d once thought.

Run.

As if he could hear her inner thoughts, an emotionless smirk ran up one side of his rugged mouth, framing straight white teeth. He had the mouth of a man determined to take what he wanted. And that was when she knew without a doubt that hewantedher. She wondered if he was going to kiss her.

Please, let me go.

Before either of them could lean together, the tinted glass rolled down in between the front and back seats. The driver leaned back to talk to Carrick.

“I think we shook them,” he stated firmly, and Carrick nodded back.

Carrick turned to her, commanding. “It’s time to shut this party down. Time to get you home.”

“You can let me out here,” she suggested, not wanting any more of his VIP service or to expose herself any further.

“No,” Carrick responded, dismissing her immediately.

“You don’t have to do this,” Danica replied quickly. “I’m not far from home.”

He cocked his head sardonically. “Are you crazy? Aside from the fact you have no shoes, I couldn’t allow you to walk homealonenow without knowing who the hell is behind this. I don’t care how close by you live.”

As the SUV turned off the parkway into her neighborhood, she realized they probably already knew where she lived. None of this had been a coincidence. Danica closed her eyes briefly, feeling the rumblings of the engine as the SUV wound its way around her block.What the hell am I supposed to do?

One thing was for sure. Danica had run out of options—and she only had herself to blame. The only choice she had then was to wait until her feet hit the pavement again, find a moment alone and run—run like her life depended on it and start over again somewhere else.

“Okay, take me home.” She turned her chin to him. “You already know where I live, don’t you?”

He flickered his eyes at her, his discontent palpable.

After a moment of thought, he finally let out, “Look… There’s something I need to tell you.”

Chapter Four

Danica

Danica shifted in the back seat under Carrick’s gaze as the truck rolled down her street.

“What do you need to tell me?” she whispered, knowing that time was running out.

He reached up, rubbing his chin, definitely deep in thought. She noticed how he looked out of the window, his eyes locking on to her three-story historic brownstone down the street.

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