“I have to go by my house,” April said as he drove out of the neighborhood. “I need something to wear besides a long formal gown.”
“Not a good idea. There’s a Walmart near where we’re headed. I’ll get you something there.”
“Where are we going?”
“I keep a safe house, share it with a couple of guys from my office. One of us runs into trouble, he’s got a safe place to go.”
He made his way up onto I-30 and headed east out of town. In Rockwall, he pulled into a Super Walmart, found a space in the lot and turned off the engine.
Since the gun he’d loaned April was still at her house, he raised his pant leg, pulled his ankle gun—a lightweight .38 snub-nose revolver—and handed it over. “I’ll be right back.”
“You think I’ll need this?”
“No. Nobody followed us.” His mouth edged up. “The gun’s just to make you feel better.”
April relaxed, smiled slightly. She rattled off her clothes sizes but he didn’t really need them for the generic jeans and T-shirts he meant to buy her. Her shoe size would be a help.
He took off at a lope across the parking lot, dashed through the women’s department, grabbed what he needed, found her a pair of sneakers, and returned to the car with an armload of merchandise. He handed April the bag as he slid into the driver’s seat.
“I’d rather you kept this.” She handed him back the pistol, which he returned to his ankle holster.
He didn’t have to be a shrink to know what was going on. April hadn’t killed Dean, but she felt responsible. Finding yourself in bed with a dead guy had a way of messing with your head.
“Jeans and T-shirts,” he said as she started prowling through the plastic bag. He drove back onto the highway. “There’s also a pair of sneakers.”
April began pulling clothes out of the bag. She cast him a sideways glance. “How much of a gentleman are you?”
Just thinking about the sexy redhead stripping off her clothes sent a shot of lust straight through him.
His gaze slid to hers. “Depends on my motivation. I’d prefer you in nothing at all, but I’m trying to keep you alive. Which means I can’t afford to drive distracted, and you, lady, are a major distraction.”
Her cheeks warmed and a soft sound slipped from her throat. She turned away and he heard her zipper buzzing down. She peeled out of the evening dress and slipped the yellow T-shirt on over her head.
Jonah caught a glimpse of smooth bare skin and realized how little she must have had on under the gown. No bra for sure. Probably just a pair of thong panties.
His mouth went dry. “We can go back to the store tomorrow if you need something else.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Fineshe most definitely was.
He drove another three miles, heading into a rural area, pulling down a single-lane road, then a long dirt driveway, up to a small, white wood-framed farmhouse.
“Home sweet home.” Shoving the car into Park, he turned off the engine. “Let me check the place out before we go in. I’ll be right back.”
He exited the Rover, pulled his Glock, climbed the front steps to a screened-in porch and went inside. When he came back out, April joined him at the bottom of the stairs and they went into the house.
The place was simple but clean, a bedroom and bath, a living room furnished with a basic brown tweed sofa and chair, and an eat-in kitchen. There was a fireplace with an insert for heat but he’d never used it. He hadn’t been there in the winter and this time of year it was way too hot.
He turned on the air-conditioning, the single modern convenience, and cold air began to circulate through the rooms.
“You must be exhausted,” he said. “There’s a queen-size bed in the bedroom. I’ll sleep out here on the sofa.”
She looked at him with those big blue eyes and his blood heated. April walked over to where he stood, leaned up and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. “Thank you for being there tonight.”
“Just doing my—”
She pressed a finger over his mouth to stop the words. “Don’t say it. Let me believe it was more than that.” She started to walk away, but Jonah caught her arm.
