silver eyes. Her skin tingled with his touch and she fought the urge to lean closer. The air seemed charged with electricity, dancing over her skin.
Ethan’s gaze focused on her mouth and the both froze for a long instant. His fingers traced lightly over her cheek and he abruptly backed away. The spell broken, Bethany forced her attention from him, and out the window. Ethan pulled out of the parking lot without a word.
****
Ethan drove, being cautious to obey the speed limits. He kept watching for a tail out of habit , but with the GPS, they wouldn’t have one. Normally, he wouldn’t have minded, his department was keeping an eye on him. But not knowing if someone in the department was a mole nearly drove him insane.
The sun descended and Ethan removed his glasses, heading farther into the backwoods of Virginia. The safe house was in a small town, far from public view but still close to civilization.
He checked the directions while Bethany studied the state road map Edwards had included. It was completely dark when they pulled onto the deserted road that lead to the small house.
Bethany straightened in her seat, glancing around nervously. “Are you sure about this, Ethan?”
“No,” he said, grudgingly admitting the truth. “When we pull into the driveway, I’m going to give you the keys. You stay behind me and if I give the word, you run back for the car. Don’t hesitate, don’t wait for me, but drive as if your life depends on it, because it probably will.”
She swallowed hard, Ethan found himself watching the muscles in her slender throat work convulsively.
“I’m not leaving you behind, Ethan.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because if you get killed or captured, what will happen to me? I can drive, I can steal cars but that’s all. I’d be in a car with GPS I can’t shut off, they’d know where I was going before I did. We’re not in L.A., I’m a fish out of water here. I’d be an easy mark for Cordova.”
“Damn. I hate it when you’re right.”
“I’ll head for the car and jump in, but you make sure you’re right behind me.”
Ethan wished she didn’t have a point, but she did. “Okay, sweetheart,” he said softly. “It’s a deal.”
They pulled into the driveway and Ethan turned off the ignition and handed her the keys. By the time she joined Ethan on his side of the car, the front door opened.
A young woman with short brown hair and brown eyes stepped out. She stood stiffly, her hands at her sides, and eyed Ethan and Bethany. “Agent Lancaster?”
“Agent Holly.”
“And this is Bethany Kress?”
Ethan nodded, feeling Bethany press her body against his side. She gripped his right arm and her step hesitated. He looked down at her and frowned as her face rapidly lost color. “Bethany? What is it? What’s wrong?
She moved even closer to him. He felt her shaking violently. Her emerald eyes widened, her pupils dilated. What in the hell had her so frightened?
“Bethany, sweetheart, it’s okay.” Panic marred her beautiful features. He reached for her arm and looked down as he felt the hairs on her skin standing up right and gooseflesh under his hand. A bone chilling cold descended. Jesus, no one could fake that kind of response. She was absolutely terrified.
“Bethany?”
“I…I can’t go in there.”
“What is it? Why are you so frightened?”
“I can’t do it, Ethan, please don’t make me.”
He looked around, trying to determine the source of her fear , but he only felt the strange cold. Holly hadn’t moved. The agent just stared at them suspiciously.
Ethan wrapped his arm around Bethany’s shoulders. Her shaking lessened. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, unwilling or unable to speak.
“Agent Lancaster,” Holly began.
He held up his hand, fearing any impatience on her part would only make things worse for Bethany. Bethany relaxed a little more.
“It’s all right,” he said softly.
Her gaze snapped from him to Holly to the door of
Ethan’s gaze focused on her mouth and the both froze for a long instant. His fingers traced lightly over her cheek and he abruptly backed away. The spell broken, Bethany forced her attention from him, and out the window. Ethan pulled out of the parking lot without a word.
****
Ethan drove, being cautious to obey the speed limits. He kept watching for a tail out of habit , but with the GPS, they wouldn’t have one. Normally, he wouldn’t have minded, his department was keeping an eye on him. But not knowing if someone in the department was a mole nearly drove him insane.
The sun descended and Ethan removed his glasses, heading farther into the backwoods of Virginia. The safe house was in a small town, far from public view but still close to civilization.
He checked the directions while Bethany studied the state road map Edwards had included. It was completely dark when they pulled onto the deserted road that lead to the small house.
Bethany straightened in her seat, glancing around nervously. “Are you sure about this, Ethan?”
“No,” he said, grudgingly admitting the truth. “When we pull into the driveway, I’m going to give you the keys. You stay behind me and if I give the word, you run back for the car. Don’t hesitate, don’t wait for me, but drive as if your life depends on it, because it probably will.”
She swallowed hard, Ethan found himself watching the muscles in her slender throat work convulsively.
“I’m not leaving you behind, Ethan.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because if you get killed or captured, what will happen to me? I can drive, I can steal cars but that’s all. I’d be in a car with GPS I can’t shut off, they’d know where I was going before I did. We’re not in L.A., I’m a fish out of water here. I’d be an easy mark for Cordova.”
“Damn. I hate it when you’re right.”
“I’ll head for the car and jump in, but you make sure you’re right behind me.”
Ethan wished she didn’t have a point, but she did. “Okay, sweetheart,” he said softly. “It’s a deal.”
They pulled into the driveway and Ethan turned off the ignition and handed her the keys. By the time she joined Ethan on his side of the car, the front door opened.
A young woman with short brown hair and brown eyes stepped out. She stood stiffly, her hands at her sides, and eyed Ethan and Bethany. “Agent Lancaster?”
“Agent Holly.”
“And this is Bethany Kress?”
Ethan nodded, feeling Bethany press her body against his side. She gripped his right arm and her step hesitated. He looked down at her and frowned as her face rapidly lost color. “Bethany? What is it? What’s wrong?
She moved even closer to him. He felt her shaking violently. Her emerald eyes widened, her pupils dilated. What in the hell had her so frightened?
“Bethany, sweetheart, it’s okay.” Panic marred her beautiful features. He reached for her arm and looked down as he felt the hairs on her skin standing up right and gooseflesh under his hand. A bone chilling cold descended. Jesus, no one could fake that kind of response. She was absolutely terrified.
“Bethany?”
“I…I can’t go in there.”
“What is it? Why are you so frightened?”
“I can’t do it, Ethan, please don’t make me.”
He looked around, trying to determine the source of her fear , but he only felt the strange cold. Holly hadn’t moved. The agent just stared at them suspiciously.
Ethan wrapped his arm around Bethany’s shoulders. Her shaking lessened. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, unwilling or unable to speak.
“Agent Lancaster,” Holly began.
He held up his hand, fearing any impatience on her part would only make things worse for Bethany. Bethany relaxed a little more.
“It’s all right,” he said softly.
Her gaze snapped from him to Holly to the door of
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