Closer…. Jo Leigh

night, but now his size, his hardness, gave her strength. But that wasn’t what made her pulse race. It was the way he looked at her. Like a predator. Like a man who wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted. And it felt an awful lot like he wanted her.

      He dropped his hands, and before she could even blink he was out of the office, his heavy footsteps loud in the hallway.

      It took her another minute to get her act together, to realize how ridiculous she was being. He didn’t want her, for God’s sake. They’d met twenty seconds ago. He was here as a favor to her brother, a debt to be paid. She was a walking wreck who could barely string two coherent thoughts together.

      She followed him down the hallway, dismissing her temporary insanity. This wasn’t her life. It wouldn’t be her life again until the bastard was behind bars. Nothing mattered but that. Nothing.

      HE TOOK HER OUTSIDE, WALKING slowly past the hidden camera that was just below the eaves of her roof. There was no way this exit would be missed. That, in combination with the e-mail, should shake things up. Boone just hoped he could prepare Christie for what was to come. He would be right with her, but that wasn’t enough. She was going to have to learn to defend herself. Later, he’d take her to the gym, and he’d show her some moves. Tonight, he’d take her to the shooting range. By the time he was finished with her she might not be a sniper, but she’d know enough to hit her target and not herself.

      “Slower,” he whispered, careful not to move his mouth much. He slipped his arm around her shoulder and felt her tense. But he smiled, stepped closer to her, wanting the geek to assume they were a couple. Jealousy was one of the triggers that would make a stalker act. That’s exactly what Boone wanted.

      They strolled down her walkway toward his Explorer. He’d parked it across the street, a few doors down, and while he knew the camera was above the eaves, he didn’t know the range, so they’d keep it up until they cleared the block.

      It wasn’t a hardship. Damn, she smelled good. He didn’t think she wore any perfume, which was just what he liked. He pulled her closer, wanting more of the sweet scent, then leaned close to her hair.

      A hint of citrus made him run his hand up her shoulder to the first curve of her neck. Soft skin that even his calloused fingers could appreciate stirred more than his interest. It had been a long time since he’d been close to a woman. There was no way he could, not safely, which was just another reason he wanted the get the pricks who’d put him in this position. There was a time he’d thought about having a wife, a family. Now, the best he could hope for was a few stolen hours with a willing stranger.

      Today, at least, he could enjoy the feel of her, the way his hip pressed into the curve of hers. He could even toy with the idea of more…at least until they got to the car.

      “You okay?” he whispered.

      “No. I’m most definitely not okay,” she said. “He’s watching, isn’t he?”

      “Yes.”

      “You want him to think we’re lovers.”

      “Yep.”

      “So he’ll come after me.”

      They got to the sidewalk, and he stopped her there. If the camera was on them, the geek would only see their backs. “Listen to me. The sooner he makes his move, the sooner he’s out of your life. He may be coming after you, but he’ll be getting me. Trust me. He’s gonna be damn sorry he was ever born.”

      She turned and he saw her eyes were glistening. Her hand came up slowly and she touched his cheek with two fingers. She didn’t linger, letting her hand fall to her side. “Boone?”

      “Yeah?”

      “Take the bastard down. So far down he’ll never see daylight again.”

      “You got it.”

      “Promise?”

      “Cross my heart.”

      She smiled.

      He leaned in and kissed her. If pressed, he’d swear it was for the camera, but he’d be lying. He wanted to kiss her, to taste her. But he’d keep it easy. No sense freaking her out any more than she already was. He just held her loosely and enjoyed her soft lips.

      As he pulled back, her hands tightened on his shoulder, and damned if she didn’t part those lips and slip him the tongue. No fool, he went with the flow, and right then, that very second, a whole world of possibilities blossomed.

      4

      HE WAITED AS THE PICTUREemerged from the printer, and leaned back in his leather chair, his attention divided between the monitor and the photo. They were leaving the house, which gave him a window of opportunity. The problem was what to do with it?

      The photo came out, a very clear picture of the man she called Boone. An ex-lover? He didn’t think so. He’d never come across the name, not in any of his research. So who was he, and how come he knew how to look for the cameras?

      There was a simple way to find out. He took the picture and put it facedown on the fax. He hit speed dial One, and there it went, off to his friends who would find out everything there was to know about Big Boy Boone.

      It didn’t matter. His plan was still in motion, on course. Soon, she’d be ready for him. Soon, she’d see that there were no other options. That there was no place to run, no way to hide. Boone, whoever he was, could be used to that end. He smiled, thinking of the possibilities.

      “BOONE, WOULD YOU JUST STOP?” Christie planted her feet in the breakfast food aisle. “Hey, I’m talking to you.”

      He turned his head as he continued walking. “Then you’d better catch up.”

      She thought about walking out of the store. But she didn’t even have enough cash to get home. He’d taken her a long way from Culver City to a humongous Costco, where he’d gotten a huge cart, and without even asking her, had started filling the damn thing. Her anger mounted as she followed him. “It’s my damn house,” she said, “and I don’t like that kind of paper towel.”

      Boone looked at her with infuriatingly calm eyes. “Look, let’s just get this over with. We have a lot to do today, and shopping isn’t the priority.”

      “Then let me shop.”

      He turned back to the granola. “It’s fuel, Christie. It’s paper. It’s soap.”

      “It’s my house.”

      He looked at his watch. “Twenty minutes, we’re out of here.”

      “Fine.” She walked past him as he dumped a box of Grape Nuts in the cart. She got her Lucky Charms and dared him to say one word. He didn’t. But he didn’t stop. He just kept putting things into the cart, without asking. Well, two could play that game.

      She got a giant-sized box of Twinkies and put them in the cart.

      Boone snorted, but he didn’t say anything.

      He turned to the next aisle, and she followed, getting more pissed by the minute. He didn’t even glance at her when she put in the giant tub of the highest-fat ice cream in the place.

      By the time they got to the checkout, the cart was filled to capacity. Christie couldn’t believe the amount of vegetables and fruits. Did he ask her if she liked eggplant? No. And what the hell was with all the Brussels sprouts? She wasn’t eating them, not if he begged her.

      “Are you done?”

      “Does it matter?”

      “Christie, we have—”

      “I know. Things to do. It’s only food. It’s only paper.”

      Boone left the cart in the checkout line and came right up to her, right into her space. “What are you doing?”

      She put her hand on the pastry counter. “I’m going to get