Page 54 of Close Up

The second or two that it took to overcome the panic and make a decision turned out to be two seconds too long. He lurched toward his sedan but it was too late.

The car slammed into him. He was thrown onto the hood of the vehicle. Pain exploded through him. He was vaguely aware of glass shattering. An instant later he was flung to the side like so much garbage.

He was still conscious when he heard the vehicle brake to a halt. The driver got out from behind the wheel and took a quick look around the Ford. Toby was vaguely aware of the trunk being opened and closed. He knew the briefcase containing the thousand dollars had been found.

A moment later the killer bent over him and went through his pockets. The small notebook he used for recording crime scene details was removed. The last entry in it was the name of the killer.

The killer got back in the car and drove away.

Toby realized in some detached way that he had been a fool to try to warn Vivian and maybe make a few extra bucks in the process. It was the gambler in him. He’d taken one last big chance and it had cost him his life.

Chapter 24

The kiss was meant to be tender, tempting, exploratory. But when Vivian wrapped her arms around his neck, abandoning herself to the embrace, Nick felt as if he had been struck by lightning. An exhilarating rush of energy swept through him. The world fell away and he was flying.

This was the kiss he had been anticipating ever since she had opened her front door and looked at him with her mesmerizing gaze. He had told her about the fever dreams, the violence that had taken place on the hotel rooftop, his annulled marriage. He had allowed her to see his secrets.

Vivian had never blinked.

A very modern woman. An exciting woman. A woman who was not afraid to take chances. Maybe she thought they could tumble into bed together with no lasting consequences. Could be she believed she was safe from the dangers of desire. And maybe that was the truth—for her.

He was very certain things would never be the same for him. Butin that moment the future was not important. All that mattered was the woman in his arms.

Vivian gave a soft murmur of surprise. He got the sense her response to the kiss had caught her off guard. He knew then that he was not the only one heading into uncharted waters.

She leaned into him, her soft breasts crushed against his chest. Her scent thrilled him. When she trailed her fingertips across the back of his neck he thought he would come apart.

He found the sash of her robe and slipped it free of the simple knot. The garment fell open, revealing the pale nightgown. It was not the serviceable cotton gown she had worn the night of the fire. This was the one she had purchased at a shop in Burning Cove. It was fashioned of some gossamer fabric that looked as if it had been woven with moonlight.

He rested his palm lightly over the firm peak of one breast. Vivian gasped as if she had been burned.

Reluctantly he started to pull away.

“No,” she said. She trapped his hand with one of her own. “No. I want you to touch me.”

She sounded dazed by her own desire. She pulled his shirt free of the waistband of his trousers.

“Vivian,” he whispered.

“This is probably not a good idea,” she said against the side of his throat.

“Probably not,” he agreed. It was one of the hardest things he had ever said. “Too soon.”

He lied. It wasn’t too soon, not for him. He had been waiting a lifetime for this kiss.

“Sometimes you don’t get a second chance to compose the picture,” Vivian whispered. “You have to take advantage of whatever light you’ve got.”

He groaned and moved his hands to the curve of her hips. “Whichone of us are you trying to talk into bed? Me or yourself? Because if it’s me, you don’t have to bring out the logic and reasoning. I was ready the moment you opened your front door in Adelina Beach.”

She gave a soft, shaky laugh and buried her face against his chest. “I knew you were a romantic at heart.”

He caught her face between his hands and looked down into her moon-shadowed eyes.

“Whatever is going on here, it’s not romantic,” he said. “It’s not about hearts and flowers. It’s about something a lot more elemental.”

Rex left his post in front of the wrought iron gate and trotted briskly back across the patio and into the living room. He gave a sharp, warning bark from the interior of the villa.

Nick released Vivian instantly. “There’s someone here.”

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