Page 5 of High Seduction
He waved his hands helplessly for a moment, obviously searching for some excuse to hightail it out of his own house.
His willingness to make himself scarce relaxed her enough to see the humour in the situation. “Okay, I was a little rude there. I didn’t mean to chase you away.”
“But you’d like to talk in private with Alisha?”
She nodded.
He bowed slightly. “Then I can give you privacy. Not a problem.”
Devon slipped on a pair of boots and the coat Alisha handed him, dropping a kiss on her cheek and heading out the door. “I’ll grab something for supper. Any requests?”
Alisha clutched her hands together dramatically. “My turn to choose. Sushi. Lots of wasabi.”
Devon sighed heavily. “When are you going to admit that stuff isn’t real food? But fine, I’ll be back in a while. You joining us, Erin?”
She shook her head. “I have other plans for tonight, but thanks.”
Alisha waited patiently until Devon vanished behind the door, the solid wood closing out the cold air that poured in. She crawled onto the couch and looked up expectantly. “Not that I mind you coming over, and I’m glad you’re here, but what gives? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
Erin blinked in surprise. “Damn near did.”
“Really?” Alisha sputtered.
“A ghost from my past,” Erin corrected. “Before you picture floating white sheets and scary moans.” She sat across from Alisha and considered how much she wanted to share. “Remember I told you there was someone I’d been with that was pretty serious?”
Alisha nodded. “But it didn’t work out.”
“I left,” Erin confessed.
“Because it didn’t work out. That’s what I just said.” Alisha shook her head. “I’m confused. You’re going to have to bite the bullet and explain this one, Erin.”
Erin stared at the ceiling, the tension in her limbs leaching out as she mentally forced herself to simply tell the story. “I left him. As in, we were living together, and something happened that made me uncomfortable, so I went home and packed.”
A soft curse floated from Alisha, and in spite of the situation, Erin smirked. Getting the little blonde to swear was an accomplishment.
Alisha was no longer curled up on the couch like a kid with a teddy bear. She stood over Erin, fists on her hips. “Wait. You packed and left. Does that mean you never talked to him about what he’d done wrong? Was it that terrible?” She frowned harder, the expression somehow wrong on her petite features. “Did he hurt you?” she demanded.
Fire flashed in Alisha’s eyes as the questions continued, and Erin held up a hand, wondering where her confidence had vanished to. This wasn’t her—this hesitant and confused woman.
The fact that she’d turned into a jellyfish the moment Tim showed up set her teeth on edge. That was total and complete bullshit, and she wasn’t having any of it.
She sat upright and met Alisha’s gaze. “Tim knew what he’d done wrong before we even talked about it, but yes, we did talk.” Partial truth. They’d talked about what had happened that night at the party, but not her real reasons for leaving. “We talked rather loudly and vigorously, if I remember correctly.”
Alisha grimaced. “Also known as shouting at each other?”
Erin nodded. “We might both have a touch of a temper.”
“You?” Alisha rolled her eyes. “Say it ain’t so.”
“I know, really, right?” Even the lighthearted teasing couldn’t settle her concerns. Erin’s fears hovered like a bird on a windy day. “The fighting I could handle, and he did admit he’d been wrong, but I still had to leave.”
Alisha paced away, thinking it through. She twisted back, her blonde hair shining in the beam of afternoon sun pouring in the window. “You don’t have to explain why you left. If you felt you had to, good for you. But you saw him? Where?”
Erin wanted to kick herself for feeling excitement along with the fear. “At Lifeline HQ. He’s applying for the position of paramedic with the team.”
“Oh, shoot.” Alisha’s eyes got wide. “Could you work with him if he got the job? Is he good enough?”
“Recommended him to Marcus myself.” Erin shook her head. “He’d be a great addition to the team. He’s smart, and brave, and the man could talk the angels out of the heavens in terms of dealing with civilians during rescues.”
