Erotic Deception (2 page)

“Looks like the sheriff’s hurt!” the old man said. “Miss, you stay here.” Bowed legs propelled him to the merging figure. “You’re hurt Jet!”

Once clear of the car, the sheriff pushed to his feet. He adjusted the heavy belt around his waist and checked the security of the weapon attached. Lily noticed one hand was indeed bleeding and blood was running down his arm. The badge and his previous order to keep away kept her feet planted where she was.

He removed a handkerchief from his pocket and deftly tied it around the injured hand. Seemingly satisfied to have stopped the immediate flow of blood, he waved aside the old man’s concern.

“I’ll verify where the smoke is coming from but it doesn’t appear as bad as I first thought. Why don’t you wait over there just in case Pete?” He gestured without looking toward Lily before muttering, “I think enough lives have been jeopardized today.”

Pete still hesitated. “If you’re sure, Jet.” He glanced doubtfully at the wave of smoke but at the shake of the other man’s head, Pete ambled back to Lily.

Upright, Lily mused in amazement how such a big man had crawled through the damaged window.
How tall is he? He looks well over six feet.

Regardless, his lean and muscular body moved easily around the car, smooth and graceful. Watching all that muscle moving together in liquid motion caused Lily’s mouth to go dry. With wide shoulders and narrow hips, an image of a football player came into view but without the padding.

Glossy black hair brushed the back of his collar and a sleek lock fell forward to arch over his forehead. With cool efficiency, he searched the origin of the smoke. The brown stripe of his pants creased at the knee as he squatted down to peer through the grill. The smoke appeared localized to the radiator section with no apparent threat of fire or immediate danger. He rose to his feet and flinched. Lily’s conscience took on more guilt at the torn material near his knee and the dark stain seeping around it.

Long lean fingers pushed his hair back as he made his way toward them. He stopped for a cursory perusal of her car before coming to stand in front of her. He tucked a thumb in the front of his belt allowing his injured hand to hang loosely at his side. Lily’s first view at his face shifted the pavement beneath her.

Whoa!
Despite her recent encounters with the police in Kansas City, there were appreciative benefits to this particular one. Beneath an attractive patrician nose, a five o-clock shadow darkened the already tanned cheeks. But oh dear, his mouth!
Mmm.
Made hers water. Sensuous and firm, the slightly fuller bottom lip spoke its own persuasion to slow a woman down…and not just while driving.

The shocks didn’t stop there as glancing up…Lily fell into deep, blue eyes emphasized by thick, dark lashes. Did the man have any flaws?

“Did you hear me?” His impatient bark penetrated Lily’s gaping fascination. At her blank look his nostrils flared, “Is your chin the only injury?”

Mortified by her uncharacteristic-like response to the opposite sex, Lily’s answer was subdued.

“Yes, I think so.”

“Do you need medical attention?”

She raised a hand to her chin and opened her mouth, flexing her jaw back and forth.

“No, it was just the airbag. I’m fine.” She threw a feeble gesture at his injuries. “But you’re not.”

He ignored her last comment and reached out with his good hand to raise her chin up for a closer view. His gentle touch caught Lily off guard, but not nearly as much as its effect. The heat consumed her breath as it wielded its way down her neck and coursed through her chest to pool deep into her stomach.

The hollowed cavern of her consciousness barely heard his distracted voice.

“Airbags can cause serious damage.”

He must’ve decided this wasn’t one of those times as he released her. The tingling numbness remained, however, and its lingering effects were mindboggling.
Strange.
She’d never experienced anything like this before.

His shift of attention was a relief.

“Pete, your truck didn’t appear to get hit, but are you sure you’re all right?”

“Just shook up a bit that’s all,” Pete replied. “Looks like you and the little lady are the only ones with damaged property.”

The reference shifted attention to Lily’s car. Other than the damaged bumper, a dent buckling the front-end panel on the driver’s side and torn grill, the Lexus appeared to have escaped extensive harm. Following his gaze Lily noted the distinct comparison to his car. In an expression of grim resolve, he reached down with his good hand to retrieve a cell phone from his leather utility belt.

After punching in some numbers, his deep baritone was sharp and professional.

“This is Sheriff Jet Walker with the Windom Hills Sheriff’s Department. I’ve been involved in an accident and need a State Trooper on the scene.”

Lily gasped. A State Trooper? “Wait!”

She realized her mistake when the sheriff’s gaze sharpened into suspicion. He didn’t remove his focus on her as he spoke again into the phone.

“We’re a mile down from Junction 77 on Double D Road.” He listened for a few more moments and then said in a clipped tone, “No problem. Make the appropriate notations.”

Lily groaned in dismay at the involvement of more law enforcement. The added exposure to her whereabouts ticked up her nervousness multiple notches.

Of course, every nuance of emotion crossing her face was being scrutinized.

In a soft voice, albeit no less dangerous, he said, “I think it’s time we start with your driver’s license, registration, and insurance.”

Lily swallowed the huge rock in her throat. “Of course.”

She moved around him, intent on the driver’s side of her car, but in one smooth motion, he blocked her path. She tilted her head up in question.

“I don’t have them on me, they’re in my car,” she said.

Peering down from his superior height, he asked, “Other than your car, do you have any other weapons I need to be concerned about?”

The sarcasm gave Lily pause as his first flaw began to emerge. However, she acknowledged his attitude justified and set aside the hostility.

“No, there are no weapons in the car.”

A further few seconds of unrelenting scrutiny made her self-conscious of the clinging t-shirt and short yellow jean skirt. Her face aflame, Lily seriously wished she’d worn something different today. By the time he moved aside, her usual confident demeanor had bubbled with the hot-tarred pavement.

Reaching the car, she opened the door and drew back at the smell from the airbag. She grimaced at the spilled diet soda and stained dashboard before shivering at the memory of the candy bar. She peeked around for the blasted worm responsible for this mess but saw no signs of it.

Her purse had fallen to the floorboard on the passenger’s side and, no mystery here, the contents were scattered. Lily braced one knee on the seat and stretched across to retrieve her wallet while tugging on her skirt. Her position became even more precarious and she had to balance to access the glove box.

* * * *

Outside, Pete swallowed hard, dragging a gnarled hand over his gray whiskers. He turned to Jet in an obvious attempt to capture his reaction to the display. Jet glanced over, a tick in his cheek, blue eyes flickering. Without a word, his gaze hardened and his lips tightened to an ominous line.

* * * *

Inside the car, Lily retrieved the items and backed out muttering, “Why not put an ad in the paper announcing to Anthony where you are, Lily?”

It would’ve saved everyone a lot less hassle. Especially the man whose car she’d flipped over.

Imminent disaster trailed her steps as she walked the registration, insurance, and wallet to the silent waiting man. When he didn’t take them, she looked up with a bewildering tilt of her head.

“Would you remove the driver’s license from your wallet please?” he asked.

Uh-oh. Had his disposition worsened? Great. Lily complied.

He took the items and as he walked away, Lily met Pete’s sympathetic look.

“You may be in some trouble, Missy.”

She nodded her awareness to the repercussions. “Why did he have to call a State Trooper?”

Even to Lily, her voice sounded pitiful. The old man must’ve felt sorry for her as he came over and put an awkward, but compassionate hand on her shoulder.

“I think he’s supposed to when it’s him involved in the accident. But don’t worry; he’ll take care of things. He’s used to dealing with situations like this.” He shot a glance at the overturned car. “Well, maybe not quite like this.”

Joining his attention, Lily conceded the disturbing sight of the gold star insignia in crumpled surroundings. It brought her attention to the sheriff’s one-sided conversation.

“Thanks, Denie. I’ll hold while you run it. Has Mark returned?” The person named Denie must have made some positive response because the sheriff responded, “After you call the body shop, tell him to get the Blazer and follow Walter out here.” He paused again before replying, “My car’s been involved in an accident.” He listened again and then shook his head. “I’ll be handling this on my own for now. With the Sedalia State Fair and a major spill from a jack-knifed big rig, all the State Troopers are tied up. I told them I could handle it.”

The air restricting Lily’s lungs eased...a little. Thank goodness for small favors.

“I’ll explain it all later,” he replied and even Lily could hear his impatience. “Right now I just need you to run the numbers.”

A new wave of anxiety stole the short reprieve and Lily chewed on her lower lip. Would her driver’s license show anything? Maybe that police officer in Kansas City hadn’t written anything up. The memory of his anger, however, made that assumption improbable.

What seemed hours provided the answer, as she became the focus of a sharp piercing glance. Her stomach lurched when his expression darkened. By the time the sheriff finished his call and sauntered back over, Lily’s nerve endings were a frayed mess.

“This isn’t your first encounter with the law now is it, Miss Delaney?” he asked.

“Dr. Delaney,” she corrected, needing the steady formality of the title. She then glanced at his injuries and hastily added, “Therapeutic, not medical.”

The ascension of a dark brow was his only response.

Lily’s chin lifted. “That cop in Kansas City deserved more than my bad attitude.”

He tossed a cursory glance at his car before bouncing it back to her.

“Do you make it a habit assaulting law enforcement officials?”

The inference was unmistakable. “Today was an accident! And I didn’t physically assault that police officer in Kansas City.” Although some people might’ve taken her insult as an attack. But shoot, the man probably did shop in the small condom section of a pharmacy.

Penetrating cerulean steel peered down at her. “What about the restraining order the Kansas City District Attorney filed against you?”

Lily's jaw dropped. “What?”

“You have a restraining order against you,” he repeated. “It’s usually filed when one person has proven to pose a threat against another.”

His explanation was a little condescending, but Lily was barely listening. Had Anthony filed a complaint of her accusation of murdering Jerry? That’s crazy. Besides, it might merit a charge of slander, but a restraining order?

Then realization dawned as Anthony's thought process slammed into her. If the police stopped her for even a minor infraction, he or she might feel compelled to notify the court, if not the District Attorney himself. Anthony must be desperate if he’s stooping that low.

“It’s a mistake,” she said, her voice flat. “I’m the one who needs protection from him.”

Mild skepticism appeared briefly between his narrowed dark lashes.

“It’s true,” she frowned. “He’s my ex-fiancé with serious psychosis issues.”

His enigmatic stare gave a moment’s study before he replied.

“Dr. Delaney, the restraining order implicates you as the threat.”

She adamantly shook her head. “I’m the one being threatened!” . Experience warned not to mention he also killed her brother.

“You’ll need to take that up with the courts,” was his infuriating response.

“And play right into his hands,” she said bitterly and then muttered under her breath. “You’re all as crooked as he is.”

The rearing back of his head indicated he’d heard her, but at this point Lily didn’t care. She was tired, scared, and tired of being scared. Screw them all.

“Then allow me to at least pretend to care about justice and get back to the three lives almost taken today?” he suggested in a soft dangerous tone.

Heat rose up the back of Lily’s neck and her momentary apathy awoke to shame. In this, she was entirely to blame.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that,” she said, pressing her index fingers into her temples and rubbing in simultaneous circular motion.

“Forget it,” was his clipped response. “Why don’t you tell me what happened today?”

Despite his command to forget it, his abrupt demeanor assured Lily that he, at least, hadn’t. But the damage was done and there was little she could do.