In His Safekeeping. Shawna Delacorte

Satterly, had dismissed his concerns as not valid for reasons he still found very perplexing and difficult to accept. The fact that two of the witnesses had been put into the Witness Security Program was enough for Thom. He declared that no one would be able to find them, therefore the conspiracy Brad thought he had uncovered didn’t exist. Thom pronounced it a strange coincidence and nothing more.

      He had been disturbed by Thom’s flat refusal to look into the case further, a factor that continued to pick at his consciousness. Without Thom’s authorization, there would be no official consideration given to the plot Brad believed existed. He found Thom’s actions very perplexing and highly suspicious. He could take his suspicions over Thom’s head, but not without some solid proof, which he didn’t have…yet.

      He didn’t know who he could trust or where he could turn for help in protecting the one remaining witness. And running beneath all that was an ever-increasing attraction to this beguiling woman who didn’t seem to have any idea just how attractive and tantalizing she was. He reached out and lightly touched her cheek, allowed his fingertips to linger for a brief moment, then quickly withdrew his hand. He grabbed his jacket from the foot of the bed and pulled it on.

      He turned toward her, brushed his fingertips gently against her cheek, then placed his hands on her shoulders. “Tara…” He plumbed the depths of her eyes. She exuded a fascinating combination of inner strength wrapped in vulnerability that did not diminish the sensual pull she exerted on him. He drew her closer, almost an involuntary gesture. “Get some sleep tonight and try not to worry. Everything is going to be all right. I’ll stop by first thing in the morning and bring you some breakfast.”

      And then the desire he couldn’t stop, an impulse he couldn’t resist. He leaned his head toward hers and brushed a soft kiss against her mouth. It was all he had intended to do, just a quick gesture. But the moment his lips touched hers he knew he wanted far more. He captured her mouth and immediately felt her body stiffen, but she did not pull away. A moment later she responded to his kiss, sending an earthy sensuality through him and igniting every nerve ending in his body. He hadn’t known what would happen when he gave in to his desires, but this certainly exceeded any expectations on his part. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body against his as the kiss deepened.

      The breath caught in her throat and her heart pounded. He had caught her completely off guard, sweeping her away on a heated wave of exhilaration. As handsome, sexy and desirable as she found him it never crossed her mind that he would try to kiss her. It seemed so out of place considering the circumstances, but she couldn’t have stopped him even if she’d wanted to. And wanting to stop him was the last thing on her mind. She had never had anyone convey such a level of sensuality with just a kiss.

      It was Brad who came to his senses and finally broke off the delicious kiss in an attempt to cool down the burning desire churning deep inside him. He took a step back as he tried to catch his breath. He cupped her face with his hands. A slight flush spread across her cheeks. Her hazel eyes sparkled. His gaze dropped to her slightly parted kiss-swollen lips. He wanted more, so much more, but he knew he didn’t dare.

      “Uh…Tara…” He dropped his hands to his sides and took a couple of steps backward. “I…uh…well, I’ll see you in the morning.” Without waiting for her to respond, he turned and went out the door. He walked straight to his car while raking his gaze across the parking lot. Everything appeared exactly as it had when he’d left the room to get the ice and soft drinks. He slid in behind the steering wheel, took a calming breath and started the engine.

      Brad drove his car to the entrance of the motel, parked and sat there. He watched the cars passing by on the street while trying to collect his thoughts. The sensation of his lips on hers still lingered with him. And he wanted more. He knew he had to get out of her room as much for his own well-being as anything else. He had overstepped the boundaries and now he needed to get his priorities in order. Her life was in danger and it was up to him to protect her, not take advantage of the situation.

      He had never conducted himself in anything less than a strictly professional manner, had never allowed himself to become personally involved with any of the witnesses. His only personal involvement had been his pride in his work. But somehow, after only a few hours of face-to-face contact, Tara Ford had gotten under his skin. She had become very personal for him…far more than simply a case number.

      He shoved his thoughts back to the situation at hand. She had to be the key to what was happening. She was certainly the easiest of the witnesses to find, yet she was the only one still alive. There had to be a reason and he had to find out what it was. And as much as he didn’t want to believe, there was still a possibility that her involvement wasn’t completely innocent.