TICK TOCK RUN (Romantic Mystery Suspense) (20 page)

“Nothing serious.  Just this cut on my hand, but I’ll slap a plaster on it.”

His chestnut eyes, wide and frank, flitted over my face.   “Allow me.”

Five minutes later, we’d finished nursing our wounds on the sofa and I struggled to suppress a laugh.  The only injuries inflicted had been caused by
me
triggering the traps rigged to protect us.  The irony did not escape me. 

“Well, that trap worked fine, didn’t it?” I said.

Lee glanced at the time and the hint of humour on his face vanished.

The innocuous-looking wall clock with the relentless tick drawing me closer to the deadline, sounded like the enemy creeping up.  How I hated that clock!  In fact, I loathed every damn clock.  I wanted time to be delayed, yet to speed up all at once. 

He held out his hand to me.  “Until the deadline.  Let’s see this thing through.”

I nodded then shook his hand, bowled over by his willingness to forgive me so fast.

“Come here.”  He gave me a hug.  “I’ve got your back.  We’re in this together.”

Safely in his arms, I wondered why I’d ever listened to Laura.  My mobile rang again. 
Speak of the devil. 
I drew a frustrated breath, then answered. 

She was halfway to Lee’s house, speeding in the car and honking her horn like a lunatic by the sounds coming through the phone. 

“You’re wrong, Laura.  You’re just guessing.”

“What if I’m not?”

“Lee’s just saved me.  I almost killed myself on the stairs.  If he wanted anything to happen to me
that
was his opportunity.”

“Get out, Chelsea.  He’s playing you.”

“Stop this now.  It’s not Lee.  He called the police.  He wired up the Goddamn house like a weird gadget show for hell’s sake!  He’s trying to protect me, and he is.  He’s just stopped a bowling ball from smashing my skull.”

“A what?  What’s going on over there?”

“Turn around, drive back home and let me deal with this
my
way,” I demanded.  “I don’t want you near me tonight.”

“But—” she spluttered.

“Go home, Laura.  Or I’ll phone Paul to come and drag you away.”

I heard brakes squealing through the phone and what sounded like a thump on the dashboard.  Laura finally caved.  “Okay, Chelsea.  You win.  I’ll go back home.  But you’d better keep in touch, phone or text me all night.” 

I chucked my phone in my bag and dragged my hands hard over my face.  It was easier to convince her to do a U turn than I’d presumed it would be.  Why?

A few moments later, I settled back into the sofa, wanting to see the evening through as planned, though I knew I still needed to work out a secret backup plan.

“How you doing?” Lee asked. 

“Fine,” I said, huffing.

Lee faced me.  “If I scared you or did anything to make you or Laura think I’m some kind of madman, I’m sorry.”  He paused to smile.  “I like you, remember?”

Lee was definitely not tormenting me - well not in relation to the death threat. 

“It’s not your fault.  It’s like she’s bipolar or something.”

He offered me snacks, a blanket, and more cushions.   By the time I’d finished the second cup of tea he’d insisted on making, I managed to calm down.  However, by now, I felt pretty annoyed with myself.  Embarrassed, too.

We sat elbow to elbow on the sofa.

I didn’t want to bring it up, but convinced that Lee wasn’t behind the emails, I couldn’t deny my feelings any longer - especially with a death threat looming over me.  I was about to break my ‘no men’ rule yet again.  But, for once, in a long time, I decided that maybe it was time to stop beating myself up.  Perhaps I had punished myself enough over my past.  There seemed to be something the size of a fist lodged down my throat just from the thought of approaching the subject.  After all, Lee had rejected me, too, yesterday.  But really, what did it matter if I was going to die tonight?

Lee smiled.  Affection flickered in his eyes. 

My confidence returned, although I still felt cautious of his reaction.  “I know it’s a strange time to bring this up… but… here’s the thing, what you said about liking me.”

His eyebrows knitted together, and he spoke in a drawn out voice.  “I do.  What about it?”

I paused to reconsider, then thought,
go for it!
  “I’m kind of into you, too.  A lot.  I just wanted to say that in case I don’t get the chance to later.” 

“Oh!  You’re into me, are you?”  His voice sounded amused and alert, which surprised me.  Then he laughed.  “So, you like people you think are trying to kill you?” 

“Well, no.  Yes.”

“Which is it?”

“Well, obviously I do.  Don’t tease me.”  I looked away, feeling like an idiot. 

“Oh! Chelsea you’re hilarious at times.”  Lee pretended to warm his hands on my cheeks, rubbing them together how one would over a campfire.  “The mind boggles.”

I pushed his hands away and chuckled.

Our laughing put a sudden glint in his eye and dissolved my embarrassment.  His seductive smile and long eye contact suggested he was about to make a move on me.  And this time, I sensed we were both ready.

“You’re so…” he broke off, stroked my hot cheek with the back of his hand and stared into my eyes.

This irresistible man, with sparkling eyes was inching closer to
me
.  I felt his warm breath caressing my face.  His magnetic personality set him apart.  His kindness, sharp mind and determination drew me to him.  Not to mention his face: the face that caused my breathing to quicken, and my heart to pound whenever I so much as glanced at him. 

The more his gaze travelled down from my eyes toward my lips, the hotter my cheeks burned.

My heart pumped hard and my next breath seemed to jolt me.  I felt convinced his rejection beforehand was just because his thoughts were confused enough to tangle into knots. 

It didn’t surprise me that our mouths seemed to draw together of their own accord.

He leaned in even closer, broke through my personal space bubble, and parted his lips.

The air between us felt warm and charged.

I could almost feel his mouth brushing against mine.

“Wait!” I said breathlessly, pressing a finger to his satiny lips.  I needed to know.  “I know why I did, but why did
you
pull away yesterday when we kissed in the bar?”

He stared over my head, but didn’t answer.

“Please. I want to know.  Because part of me still thinks that you were using me, you know, teasing me to keep me close to get a lead on your brother.”

He took a deep, deep breath then pulled my finger off his mouth.

Waiting had my head in a scramble and my words came out rushed.  “Just tell me.  No lies.  No secrets.”

“Okay.  Okay.  It’s been hard.  I’m not made of stone, you know?”

I prodded his arm.  “I never thought you were.”

His face morphed to an ashamed expression, one he hadn’t shown me before.  “Yes.  At first I did just think of you as a
lead.”

“I get it,” I said, jumping in.  “I know you don’t believe the police can help, and I guess I understand if
you
want the glory of bringing your brother’s killer to justice.”

“And as for you, Chelsea, well, maybe I’m weak.  Getting close to a person who’s got some kind of bounty on their head, it was too much to deal with, even for me.  Too soon after losing Daryl.”

I stroked his leg.  “I understand.  Really, I do.”

His eyes locked on mine.  “I’ve tried to fight my feelings, but you’re just so… ugh!  It’s getting harder and harder to keep my hands to myself.”

A snorty laugh escaped me.  “Not that I want you to keep your hands to yourself, but something could still happen to me.  So what’s changed?”

Lee caressed my lips with his finger.  “I can’t help who I fall for.  But I’ve decided.  If you can just trust me, you’re going to survive this.”  Passion burst out through his voice, causing my nerve endings to tingle.  “I’ll make damn sure of it.”  On his last word, he pulled me towards him and kissed me with urgency.  His arms tightened around my back.  There was no way he wanted to either hurt or risk losing me.  Not when he kissed
with such pent-up desire.
 

I closed my eyes and fell into the moment.

His lips, pressing no harder than butterfly wings, tickled as they fluttered down my neck below my ear. 

Brought out of myself, a burst of pleasure took over me, tenfold due to the strenuous day.  I felt free and alive, and so, when he kissed me on the mouth again, I cupped his face to keep him there.

Several long moments later, he pulled away and looked deep into my eyes.  As though stunned by the intense connection, we continued gazing.  Were we at last, really
seeing
each other?

 “Aw… Chelsea,” he said in a sugared voice.  “How could anyone want to hurt
you
?”

A second later, there was a hitch in his breathing.  I waited, my heart rate climbing to explosive levels.  But then, he groaned in pain, rolled his shoulders and stretched his back. 

The passionate moment went altogether when I caught sight of his irritating wall clock.  Just over two hours to go.  My heart, now beating at full volume again, sounded so loud I wondered if he could hear it.  Sickness welled like a heavy pendulum swaying in the pit of my stomach.

With his muscles now stretched, Lee faced me and held my gaze with his delicious eyes.  He lifted an eyebrow.  “We’ve got an hour or so before you need to go upstairs and hide.”

I slumped against the sofa and considered racing for the bathroom to empty my stomach.  “I’m sorry... but the time.  I feel as though I’m going to be sick.  I just want to get this over with.  I’ve really had enough.”

He nodded, wrapped his arms around me and squeezed.  He understood, or at least pretended to. 

More than an hour passed filled by pottering, pacing, and controlling my turbulent stomach. 

Lee rewired the bowling ball trap.  “All done.  I’ll be down in a minute.”  He went up to use the bathroom while I gathered my belongings ready to take my position upstairs. 

Someone would soon be coming for me.

And that someone wanted me dead.

I was forty minutes away from the most terrifying climax of my life.  If I got through this, I knew exactly how I intended to celebrate. 

I’d had a small taste of it already.

An unfamiliar tune rang from the kitchen.  It wasn’t my ring tone.  Lee’s?  I darted into the kitchen and shouted, “Lee.  Is that your phone?” 

He didn’t answer. 

The sound led me into a cupboard where a mobile was trying to spin in a circle next to a tin of mushroom soup.  The caller rang off.  I sauntered back to the sofa and set the phone on the coffee table, ready for him.

I couldn’t stop staring at it.

Feeling naughty, I grabbed hold of the mobile and scrolled down the contact list.  If my name wasn’t here, I intended to add it - a hint for Lee to phone me once this nightmare ended.  I scrolled further down the list.  Nothing. 
Maybe he’s mis-spelled it.
  I continued tapping my thumb on the down button, convinced my name would appear.