Read Online One Night in Weaver... by Allison Leigh - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Allison Leigh
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out the turn ahead. “Left there.”
And a few minutes later, it was a right. Then another left.
The closer they got to the safe house, the tighter Seth’s nerves got. For all he knew, she
could
have a friend living out this way.
But the prickling at the base of his neck was telling him otherwise.
And when she gestured vaguely a few minutes later and said he could just stop on the street and drop her off, he knew his instinct had been right on the money. “You need me to wait?”
She looked genuinely surprised. “Oh, no. You’ve done enough already.” She gathered the strap of her briefcase and pushed open the door. “I don’t want to keep you any longer than I already have.”
“It’s not a problem. I have an understanding boss in Mr. Clay.” He hoped to hell she would never know how ironic those words were.
Her cheeks looked even brighter. “My friend can get me back. Thanks, though. And thanks for lunch, Seth. I really enjoyed it.”
“So did I.” The words were true. So much more than they should have been, considering the situation.
She looked over her shoulder at the quiet house and then back at him. “I’m still holding you to dinner. After everything calms down.” She pushed a blond lock of hair that had come down from her ponytail back behind her ear. “With the wedding and all.”
And all
, he figured, included McGregor. “Sure. Maybe I’ll even see you at the wedding. You can save a dance for me at the reception.”
A shy smile bloomed on her lips. “I’d really like that.” Then, seeming to realize that she was just standing there smiling at him, she quickly shut the door and headed briskly up the walk toward the front door of the safe house.
He was pretty sure the chaos surrounding Casey and Jane’s wedding would be well over long before things were resolved with Hayley’s “patient.”
And he was even more certain that when it came to Hayley and him, Seth wasn’t going to be able to wait that long. Not now that he’d tasted her lips again. And no dance at a wedding reception attended by half the town was going to suffice.
He waited until she reached the front door, which opened the second that she got to it. Without a backward glance, she disappeared inside and the door closed once again.
He pinched the pain between his eyebrows and turned the truck around, driving back the way he’d come.
He’d barely pulled into the Cee-Vid parking lot when his own phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and let out a long, low curse at the sight of “Boss” on the screen. Reluctantly, he put the phone to his ear. “Yeah?”
“What the hell do you think you are doing?”
He sighed. The pain between his eyebrows deepened. “You were at the house,” he surmised.
“And saw you drop off Dr. Templeton.” Tristan’s voice was terse. “I want an explanation.”
Rather than enter the Cee-Vid building, Seth veered off to one side where he could speak without being overheard. “She had a crisis with a ‘friend.’ Her words. I dropped her off.” His boss’s silence spoke volumes. “We had lunch together,” Seth finally added.
“Why?” It wasn’t curiosity in the other man’s tone; it was demand.
Seth rubbed his hand down his bristled cheek. Even though he had spent fifteen years answering orders in the army, he’d spent the past five happy to remove that from his daily routine. Right along with looking like a clean-cut recruiting poster model.
But Tristan was still his boss. And Seth had no desire for that to change. He didn’t like the situation with McGregor, but he understood the need for the Hollins-Winwords of the world. So he answered.
“Because I like her,” he admitted. “She has no idea that I know what’s going on inside that house.”
“You want McGregor’s hide nailed to a wall,” Tristan countered. “You could never prove your father’s partner killed him, but you’re damn sure going to make sure McGregor doesn’t get away with killing
And a few minutes later, it was a right. Then another left.
The closer they got to the safe house, the tighter Seth’s nerves got. For all he knew, she
could
have a friend living out this way.
But the prickling at the base of his neck was telling him otherwise.
And when she gestured vaguely a few minutes later and said he could just stop on the street and drop her off, he knew his instinct had been right on the money. “You need me to wait?”
She looked genuinely surprised. “Oh, no. You’ve done enough already.” She gathered the strap of her briefcase and pushed open the door. “I don’t want to keep you any longer than I already have.”
“It’s not a problem. I have an understanding boss in Mr. Clay.” He hoped to hell she would never know how ironic those words were.
Her cheeks looked even brighter. “My friend can get me back. Thanks, though. And thanks for lunch, Seth. I really enjoyed it.”
“So did I.” The words were true. So much more than they should have been, considering the situation.
She looked over her shoulder at the quiet house and then back at him. “I’m still holding you to dinner. After everything calms down.” She pushed a blond lock of hair that had come down from her ponytail back behind her ear. “With the wedding and all.”
And all
, he figured, included McGregor. “Sure. Maybe I’ll even see you at the wedding. You can save a dance for me at the reception.”
A shy smile bloomed on her lips. “I’d really like that.” Then, seeming to realize that she was just standing there smiling at him, she quickly shut the door and headed briskly up the walk toward the front door of the safe house.
He was pretty sure the chaos surrounding Casey and Jane’s wedding would be well over long before things were resolved with Hayley’s “patient.”
And he was even more certain that when it came to Hayley and him, Seth wasn’t going to be able to wait that long. Not now that he’d tasted her lips again. And no dance at a wedding reception attended by half the town was going to suffice.
He waited until she reached the front door, which opened the second that she got to it. Without a backward glance, she disappeared inside and the door closed once again.
He pinched the pain between his eyebrows and turned the truck around, driving back the way he’d come.
He’d barely pulled into the Cee-Vid parking lot when his own phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and let out a long, low curse at the sight of “Boss” on the screen. Reluctantly, he put the phone to his ear. “Yeah?”
“What the hell do you think you are doing?”
He sighed. The pain between his eyebrows deepened. “You were at the house,” he surmised.
“And saw you drop off Dr. Templeton.” Tristan’s voice was terse. “I want an explanation.”
Rather than enter the Cee-Vid building, Seth veered off to one side where he could speak without being overheard. “She had a crisis with a ‘friend.’ Her words. I dropped her off.” His boss’s silence spoke volumes. “We had lunch together,” Seth finally added.
“Why?” It wasn’t curiosity in the other man’s tone; it was demand.
Seth rubbed his hand down his bristled cheek. Even though he had spent fifteen years answering orders in the army, he’d spent the past five happy to remove that from his daily routine. Right along with looking like a clean-cut recruiting poster model.
But Tristan was still his boss. And Seth had no desire for that to change. He didn’t like the situation with McGregor, but he understood the need for the Hollins-Winwords of the world. So he answered.
“Because I like her,” he admitted. “She has no idea that I know what’s going on inside that house.”
“You want McGregor’s hide nailed to a wall,” Tristan countered. “You could never prove your father’s partner killed him, but you’re damn sure going to make sure McGregor doesn’t get away with killing
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