Hide From Evil by Jami Alden Page B

the air in the unheated house was only a few degrees warmer than outside, it felt almost tropical as it washed over Krista’s chilled skin. Sean flipped on a light, and as she stepped in, she saw the inside was as impressive as the outside, the massive great room decorated with authentic Northwestern tribal art and a huge flat-screen television and state-of-the-art sound system adorning one wall. “That’s a trusting customer to give out the combination to a place like this.”
    Sean’s chair thumped onto the wide-plank hardwood floors as he spun around. “You think I’d give them a reason not to trust me?”
    Krista jumped back, almost losing her grip on the stool. “God, no, that’s not what I meant. I didn’t mean it personally about you. I just meant in general. If you have a nice place, you don’t want to just let anyone come in any time…” She closed her eyes, felt her cheeks burn as she realized she was digging herself in deeper. Though she hadn’t meant it, of course Sean, who had been wrongly accused and was still viewed with suspicion by some, would take it personally. “I’m sorry,” she said lamely. “I’m not exactly known for my sensitivity.”
    Sean blew out a breath. “I’m sorry too.” His apology surprised her. “I’m a little oversensitive about some stuff.”
    “Yeah.”
    He picked up the chair and carried it to the far side of the great room, placing it in front of a massive picture window that offered a breathtaking view of the Cascade Mountains erupting up to the sky. He reached out for the footstool. “And I’m sorry about the windows in the car,” he said as he placed it on the floor. “Ever since I got out of prison, I can’t stand being in a totally enclosed place.”
    “Claustrophobia?” Krista’s stomach rolled with guilt. This scar, too, was partly her fault. All the more reason she needed to make everything right.
    He shook his head, the lines of his shoulders and back tense as he stared out the window. “It’s not a small-space thing. It’s a no-way-out thing. Like this room is huge, but if the door closes and I don’t get a window open quick, it’s, like—bam—full-on panic attack. The therapist calls it cleithrophobia.”
    “That sounds like a fear of something else,” Krista snorted before she could stop herself. She bit her lip, as shame washed through her.
    Sean turned, his startled laughter sounding rusty as it erupted from his chest. “No, I’m definitely not scared of that.”
    Krista’s guilt fled at the expression on Sean’s face. His smile alone, which she’d never seen before in person, would have been enough to knock her flat. It transformed his hard features. Green eyes glowed with warmth and crinkled at the edges, bright white teeth flashed against tan skin.
    But it was the heat in his eyes as he ran them down her body and back that made her leg muscles go suddenly weak. I’m definitely not scared of that. No, he wasn’t, and the look on his face said he was thinking pretty hard about proving it to her.
    Then, as though he realized what he was thinking and who he was thinking it about, Sean shook his head. His eyes went cold, and his mouth pulled into a grim line. “We better get into town,” he said, heavy boots thumping as he stormed past her. “The sooner I get you out of my hair the better.”
    Krista lagged behind, not in any hurry to be shut in the close confines of the truck with him. On the bright side, the freezing air would certainly cool the blood pulsing through her veins. What was it about Sean that could get her blood simmering with nothing but a look?
    It was nothing she couldn’t ignore. In her profession, she’d had to learn to keep a tight rein on her emotions, never let even a flicker of sexuality enter her interactions if she wanted to be taken seriously. She needed to deal with Sean like she’d dealt with him in the courtroom: coolly, professionally, never giving any hint to the confusing, contradictory