WILL TIME WAIT: Boxed set of 3 bestselling 'ticking clock' thrillers (20 page)

We
shared a long glare.

“If
it is Lee, and if he is using me to get to you, he won’t want to know me now
he’s got the cash.  I wouldn’t want to hang around people I’d just
blackmailed for fear of slipping up one day, would you?”

Her
eyebrows shot up.  “Depends what he gets out of spending time with you.”

“Laura!”

“I
can see you’re following your heart, not your head.”

“Huh! 
And your heart didn’t come into it?”  I launched back.  “When you
paid all that money to save your relationship?”

 
“Whatever, Chelsea.  I can’t believe it.  Of all the men you could
have fallen for and you end up...”  She waved me away.  “Just go to
him.  Get out of here.  But you’d better be right.  If you’re
not, your discovery could make things a whole lot worse.” 

A
red Volvo
pulled out of a parking slot opposite Lee’s silver Leon.  I pulled swiftly
into its place.  On a mission, I dashed across the road and placed my palm
flat on the bonnet of Lee’s car, hoping the metal would be cold.  It
was.  Stone cold to the touch.  It occupied the same spot as it had
last night.  Perhaps he hadn’t been out in his car since then. 

I
made my way into Lee’s house.  Slamming his front door shut behind me, I
stood in the hall and looked into the lounge.  The place was tidy,
booby-trap free.  The only sounds came from the TV. 

From
the sofa, Lee stared over his shoulder.  “What are
you
doing here?”

I
looked down at the floor in the hall.  Two pairs of shoes sat in the
shadow of the hanging coats. 

“Answer
me.”  His voice grew harsher.  “I’ve had enough of your games.” 

I
bent down to touch the shoes.  Lifting them up one by one, I rubbed my
fingers along their soles.  They were as dry as the dust that now coated
the tip of my fingers.  The coats, too.  If he’d been under that
bridge to collect the money wearing these, they’d have been wet from the rain,
surely?

This
was enough evidence for me, but Laura’s accusations chanted in my mind like a
brainwashing mantra. 

Lee
stood.  “Chelsea!”  He paused, but I didn’t answer.  “Right,
that’s it.  If you’re not going to talk, get the hell out of my
house!”  He slumped onto the sofa again.

I
stepped into the lounge and stood in front of him.  Although annoyed, he
looked equally unthreatening and as inquisitive as a child.  He wore
twisted-leg jeans and a black t-shirt.  The kind that exposed his toned
arms, and reinforced the sickening feeling that, if Laura was wrong, I’d thrown
this flat-out hot guy clean away. 

With
his arms folded, he leaned to one side and continued watching TV. 

I
reached out and rubbed strands of his hair between my fingers.  Dry. 
“Look me in the eyes and tell me it isn’t you.”

Lee
knocked my hand away.  “This is ridiculous.”  He looked angry and
confused, but not a trace of guilt crossed his face.  “If you must stand
there, then shift.  You’re blocking my view.”

“I
need to hear you say it isn’t you.”

“I
don’t have to say anything.  I want you to leave.  Why are you even
here?”

“I
need to know where you’ve been this morning.”

“Nowhere. 
My parents just left, if you must know.  Came round for cake and
coffee.  You probably passed them.”

“What
car do they drive?”

“A
Volvo.”

“Red?”

He
nodded. 

I
remembered hearing a female voice through the phone earlier, and taking the
Volvo’s parking slot.  I glanced down at three used mugs and a half-eaten
chocolate cake on the coffee table.  He was telling the truth. 

I
gasped and stumbled, doubled over with guilt.  “I’m so sorry.”  My
voice started tangling in my throat.  “It’s… I… please, Lee.  Things
have happened that you don’t know about and…”

Lee
avoided my eyes.  I received no more than a cranky grumble for my
efforts.   

“Lee? 
Will you look at me?”

After
a long sigh, he moved his gaze from the TV to me.  “Get on with it.” 
He still seemed angry, yet in his eyes I caught a glimmer of sadness.  Why
hadn’t I
truly
believed and trusted him before now? 

“I
wish I hadn’t listened to Laura.  She’s so convinced that it’s you. 
But you’d have done the same, believe your best friend, wouldn’t you?”

He
rolled his eyes.  “Sure, I’d have listened.  But I’d have come to my
own
conclusions.  Not follow her lead like some mindless lamb.”

“I
understand you want to kick me out.  And I deserve it.”  I held a
finger in the air.  “But just hear me out for one more minute and if you
still want me to go…”  It hurt, but I managed to finish.  “I will
leave, and won’t ever bother you again.”

He
huffed, then glanced at the watch on his wrist. 

“I
had to accuse and test you, for Laura.”  I took a deep breath, unsure I
could win him over.  “I went along with her because her story made
sense.  She says you’re lashing out at her through grief.  I came
here to prove to her that you are innocent.” 

“Lashing
out at Laura?  Why would I...”  He shook himself.  “Just get to
the point.”

“I
never truly believed you’re behind this.”

“You’ve
accused me nearly every day since we met.  That makes you a…”  He
sneered the word, “Hypocrite.”

“I’m
sorry.  I was confused.  I’m an idiot for listening to Laura. 
But you don’t know what I’ve been through since I ran out of here last
night.  So, don’t you dare judge me!”

“I
don’t need this in my life, Chelsea.  I tried to protect you last night,
and then you had the cheek to accuse me of being the one who’s threatening
you!”  He waved his finger in a circle.  “Turn around, walk into the
hall and shut the door on your way out.  I’ll solve my brother’s murder on
my own.”

“You’ve
got every right to throw me out.”  I glanced down, took a breath. 
With unshed tears pricking my eyes, I looked up again.  “But I don’t want
you to.  I want you to forgive me and give
us
a chance.  Can
you?”

Still
standing in front of him, I waited in uncomfortable silence for his
verdict.  My stomach tied in knots; worried he’d still insist I leave
forever, afraid that any passion between us would only ever be in a dream.

“Another
chance?  You’re kidding, right?”

“Do
you… did you have feelings for me at all?”  I sensed I’d totally blown it
and my tears spilled out.  Even I thought my voice had a pathetic,
desperate edge to it now.  “Ignore everything that’s happened and just
look at me one last time.”

“I
can’t ignore what’s happened.  I’m not a DVD that you can stop, delete or
rewind.”

I
set my hands on his knees, crouched in front of him and tried to make him
engage my eyes.  “Imagine we’ve only just met,” I said, gently. 
“Nothing that’s happened this week exists.  Clean slate.  We’re
standing in a bar in town, chatting.  I lean closer to hear what you’re
saying above the music.  I look you in the eyes, then whisper in your ear
and offer to buy you a drink.  Don’t you want to get to know me?”

His
lips slanted.

I
crouched there, waiting, twitching through nerves.  My stomach filled with
jumping beans.

“So…
you came here to prove Laura wrong?”

I
nodded.

“And
you’re totally satisfied now?”  He lifted my hand off his knee and pressed
it against the corner of his jaw bone below his ear. 

I
could feel his racing pulse under my fingertips. 

“Don’t
you want to microscope-check anything else?  Polygraph test me?” 

I
shook my head.

A
glint in his eyes showed me he was approaching the brink of forgiveness. 

After
lowering my hand, he curled his around the back of my head.  He pulled me
towards him until our foreheads touched.  His sweet breath on my face
tugged at my desire.  I wanted him to kiss me. 

Against
my cheek, he whispered, “I must have ‘idiot’ tattooed on my forehead.” 
Then, he pulled away and just stared.

“No. 
No.  You don’t.  I’m the only idiot here.”

After
a hesitation, he surprised me by gently wiping my tears away with his
thumb.  He said, “I hope I don’t live to regret this, but yes. 
However much I don’t want to, I do have feelings for you.  And yes, I’d
accept the drink.” 

I
gasped, couldn’t believe it.  The answer I thought I’d never hear sent
shivers running down my legs.  Just as it sank in, he parted his lips,
tilted his head, yanked me by the arms and kissed me.

The
moment our mouths came together, heat waves flowed around my body.  We
kissed with urgency in a fast, punishing way.  His hands roamed wild,
tugging, squeezing.  I wrapped my palm around his neck, keeping him there,
urging him on, needing him to kiss me harder and faster. 

“I
promise I will never,” I murmured.  “Ever.”  Another kiss. 
“Doubt you again.”

“Let’s
not talk, Chelsea.”

I
got to my feet to climb on top of him.  Lee twisted around and scooped me
up.  The next thing I knew I was laying across his lap on my back. 
His damp breath blew over my face while he moved, curving his body on top of
mine.  The way he tasted reminded me of a fine day in summer, and his body
had a comforting warmth.  He slid a hand along the outside of my leg as we
kissed.  Panic about losing him vanished.

A
few passionate moments later, he pulled away, rested on his elbows above
me.  His brown eyes smouldering so close induced an almost hypnotic
trance. 

“I
should stay angry at you,” he said, playfully brushing his nose against
mine. 

“You
should.”

“You
jump to conclusions, you’re firey.”  His nose wrinkled.  “Drive me
crazy
. 
You don’t like accepting help, don’t trust people, you like to get your own
way.  Irritating, impulsive.”

“All
positive stuff then?”

“Sarcastic. 
Hmmm…”

This
wasn’t the type of character assessment I wanted, but still, I couldn’t help
smiling.  “So why are you laying on top of me?” 

His
eyebrows formed a mischievous slant.  “I’m a sucker for that belting smile
of yours.  You drive me batty, but somehow, you’ve gotten inside my head
and I can’t push you out.”  He kissed the tip of my nose.  “I’m sorry
for ever thinking of you as bait.”

I
melted at the way he spoke – cheeky yet smooth - when talking about his
feelings for me.

“So
how was the cake?” I asked, the scent of chocolate from the coffee table
impossible to ignore.

He
reached out, pressed a finger into the icing, and put a blob of it into my
mouth. 

I
licked his finger clean.  “Yum.  Who baked it?”

“My
mum.”

“She’s
a good cook.”

He
circled his finger around my mouth then dropped his lips back onto mine. 
They moved hungrily, swept down to my neck then along my collarbone, causing my
skin to tingle.  His hand slipped under my top, and his warm palm stroked
my belly.  My stomach flipped like surf waves. 

I
felt weightless and carefree, as though floating into space.  Thankfully,
our embrace was not just in a dream at all. 

“Your
hair is soaked,” he said, opening his mouth to kiss me on the lips again.

“I
got caught in the rain.  Now shut up and kiss me.”

With
the worst timing ever, just as Lee slid his hand inside my jeans and tugged my
pants, a melody from my bag broke the sensual haze.  He removed his lips
from my neck and twisted his head toward the sound.  Ignoring the ring
tone, I turned his face back to mine then fumbled around to undo his belt
buckle.

A
few kisses later, our jeans hanging loose, I pulled away and eyed my bag, angry
that it was still ringing.

“I
should get that,” I said. 

Lee
groaned, and so did I, suspended in a short moment of rapture that I sensed was
about to be snatched away. 

“Forget
about it.  Just kiss me.”  His whispers blew warmth to my lips. 
“Let them leave a message.”  We kissed again, and the call rang off.

Lee
scooped another lump of chocolate icing with his finger.  Then my phone
rang again.  “Great.”

I
groaned, thumped the sofa, and then leaned over to get my bag.  “I’ll just
look at the number.”  I dragged it by the strap across the floor.

I
didn’t know today would be the day we finally connected, and I didn’t know the
flames of passion would suffocate after such a short time. 

As
mesmerized as I was, I put my hand in my bag anyway and pulled out the singing
mobile, privately cursing while forcing my gaze to leave Lee’s pouty
lips.  Laura’s name lit the screen. 
Oh, hell.  What now?
 
My stomach shrank back into a black hole of worry. 

Lee
brought his chocolate-coated finger to my lips.

I
pressed the phone to my ear and lifted my head to lick the icing.  “You couldn’t
have picked a worse moment if you’d—”

“It’s
happened again,” Laura said, in a tight voice. 

I
jerked forward, knocking Lee off me.  Chocolate icing smeared across my
cheek.

Laura
continued, “You were right.”

“About
what?”  I gasped, the phone suddenly heavy in my hand.

“They’ve
demanded more money!”

Her
words propelled me out of my trance.  I leapt from the sofa and found
myself standing ramrod-straight in front of it.  I kicked my bag across
the floor.  “Oh!  I just knew it wasn’t over!”