Page 21 of Dangerous Secrets
Which made her rejectionof his gesture seem petty.Shewascold and his body heat clung to the leather.Shewished it didn’t smell so deliciously of him.
He looked at her, his gaze watchful,and she felt self-conscious.The air between them seemed to humwith tension.He’d be easier to resist if she didn’t find him soinsanely attractive.
His knit black shirt outlined hisstrong shoulders and the wide plains of his chest to perfection.Hepushed his hair back from his forehead again and this time shenoticed his abraded knuckles.
She gripped his wrist and held hishand to the light.“Jeez, Walker.That’s gotta hurt.”Keeping ahold of his hand, she reached down and snagged the strap of herpurse.One handed, she opened it and found a fresh tissue.Shepressed it against the worst of the bleeding, then tipped up herhead.“Your jaw is really swollen now.I’ll get some ice fromOwen.”
When she would’ve released him, hetook the tissue and jammed it in his pocket, then changed his gripso his fingers entwined with hers.
“I don’t need ice.”Hisbrought their clasped hands to his mouth and brushed his lips overthe back of her hand.“What’s going on, Delaney?”
Her heartbeat had finally begun toslow when Vance left, but it sped up again, double time.“What doyou mean?”
“This thing that’s betweenus.”
“There’s nothing betweenus.I’d help anyone who was hurt.”
“There’s more going onhere than my bruised knuckles.”
“No, there’s not.”Sheshook her head emphatically.There couldn’t be.
“Liar.You kissedme.”
“I kissed you because Iwas angry and wanted to prove a point.”
“I get you wanted to provea point.Do you kiss everyone like that when you’reangry?”
“Of course not.Besides,youkissedme.”
“Damn straight I did.I’vewaited for that kiss for a long time.It didn’tdisappoint.”
“Now you’re the liar.Youleft town without a backward glance.You made it clear we were overwell before you were sent to prison.I was just slow on theuptake.”
His words rubbed her raw and made herfeel exposed.
His gaze stayed locked on hers as hekissed her knuckles as if she’d been the one injured punchingNo-Neck.“I need to explain.I owe you that.”
“Keep your explanations.I’m not interested.”
“I want you to hear meout, but not now.”He released her, and the tension between themeased.He tipped his head to where Mateo had disappeared.“Where’sMateo going and what was that comment about?”
She pulled the jacket more closelyaround her and wished it didn’t smell so richly of him.
“He lives a couple blocksfrom here, so he walks home even if he’s only had onedrink.”
Understanding crossed Walker’s face.When they’d been in high school, Mateo’s brother-in-law had beenhit head-on and killed by a drunk driver, leaving his sister thesingle mom of twin boys.The tragedy had had a soberingimpact.
“What about the other.Whythe hell would he think I’m needed here?The people of this townmade it clear I didn’t belong.That won’t have changed.”
Delaney breathed out a sigh.If Walkerwanted to talk, they’d talk.It was safer than doing what shereally wanted, which was to move into his arms, press her face tohis neck, and hold on until the memory of Vance’s touchfaded.
She pushed the temptation aside andanswered his question.“You challenge the status quo.You alwayshave.You did that tonight by walking into Easy Money.Ten yearsago, you wouldn’t back down when Jerod Fetterly was hassling youand Sawyer.Even though he was a sheriff’s deputy, you stood up tohim.Then James went with you to Sheriff Grafton and confrontedhim.Told him he had a rogue deputy on his staff.You stood up forwhat was right until—” Her throat closed, the swell of emotioncatching her off guard.
“Until I went to prisonfor raping Melanie.”
Delaney swallowed.“You didn’t rapeMelanie.”
Face shadowed, he gave her anenigmatic look she suspected served as a barrier to revealing whathe was feeling.“No, I didn’t.Not everyone believedme.”
