“Why?” he repeated, fury conquering the agony. He moved in closer, trapping her against the car. “Why did you do this?”
She trembled as her senses reacted to his nearness. She told herself it was the fear that had stolen the very air from her lungs. But that was a lie. It was him. Just like before when she’d dreamed of being so close to him. Of being the one he wanted. An ache pierced her. Oh, God, how could her emotions betray her like this?
Her hands went against his chest as if that action could somehow stop this insanity. She mustered her voice: “Move.”
Pushing against him was like running headlong into a mountain. His heart drummed beneath her palms. The contour of muscles testing the thin material of his T-shirt making her dizzy. The heat from his body, so close to her own, made her feel restless. Afraid. She needed to run. She needed to get away from him. But she couldn’t move. She could only stare into those haunting eyes.
The dust swirling in the distance drew her gaze toward the spot where the road intersected the highway. A truck. Blue light throbbing on the dash.
The police.
Thank God.
The truck skidded to a stop next to her car and the driver’s side door flew open.
Chief Ray Hale rounded the hood. “Get in the truck, Clint.”
Austin didn’t move, didn’t shift that unrelenting gaze from hers. The caress of his ragged breath on her face had her quivering with something she couldn’t label as fear.
“Clint,” Ray repeated, “get in the truck.Now.”
Austin looked at Ray for the first time since his arrival. His face a hard, expressionless mask, he didn’t say a word, just backed away from Emily and walked over and got into Ray’s truck.
Relief made her knees weak.
“Are you all right?” Ray stood next to her now.
“Yes.” Her voice quaked. “He ...” She shrugged, at a loss for the right words. “I don’t know what happened. He went in the house and he came out ... like this.”
“Do you mind,” Ray’s voice was gentle, “telling me what you’re doing out here? My officers have reported seeing your car a couple of times.”
Austin sat completely still in the passenger seat of Ray’s truck. But his eyes, that unyielding, penetrating gaze, remained on her as if she’d committed some unthinkable offense.
“Emily?”
She dragged her attention away from Austin and peered up at Ray. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“What’re you doing out here?” That he looked more concerned than perplexed told her he thought she was just as crazy as her parents did. Her parents had probably warned him.
“I’m ...” No use lying. He was the chief of police. He would figure it out even if Austin didn’t tell him. “I’m watching him.”
Ray studied her a moment; then he nodded. “I see.” He glanced at his truck and then at Austin’s house. “Why don’t you go on home and we’ll talk later. Right now, I need to find out what’s going on with Clint.”
Ray didn’t say that he figured she had done something to antagonize Austin. He didn’t have to. The innuendo was there, hanging in the tension suddenly vibrating between them.
“Thank you for coming.”
“I was already on the way when dispatch relayed your call.”
He was? But why?
“Are you certain you’re all right, Emily?”
“I’m fine.” She looked away from Ray’s prying gaze, got into her SUV, and started the engine, but she didn’t drive away immediately. She watched until he had pulled his truck into the driveway next to Austin’s car and the two of them had gotten out and gone inside the house.
Her actions on autopilot, she shut off the engine. She wasn’t going anywhere until she knew what the hell happened to have the chief of police headed here even before she called. If whatever had happened was relevant to Heather’s murder, she wanted to know.
Determination charged through her and she was out of the car and marching up the driveway before her brain caught up with her emotions. She slowed as she reached Ray’s truck. Technically she was trespassing. Her heart thundering, her legs still a little wobbly, she continued toward the porch. The front door opened and Ray stepped out, stopping her cold at the bottom of the steps.
