couldn’t help but smile. “That’s stretching it, Dillon.”
“Not so.” He looked at her intently, his gaze unwavering. “I think your brake lines might have been tampered with.”
She waited for the punch line, and when it didn’t come she got to her feet and crossed to the closet to retrieve her coat. Before she could slip it on, Dillon was behind her, holding her shoulders. “I’m serious, Virginia.”
“That’s ridiculous.” She turned to face him. “So some vandal picked our parking lot to play around in. We’ll just increase security.”
“That’s just it.” He raised his hand to her cheek and stroked it. “Maybe it wasn’t a vandal. Maybe whoever did it targeted your car.”
“So now I have an enemy?” She could see he was serious, but she couldn’t feel the same way. It was entirely too farfetched. “You’ve been working too hard, Dillon. I think you need a day off more than I do.”
His jaw tightened and his hands slipped to her shoulders again. After a deep calming breath, he said, “All right, then just humor me, okay? Let me drive you home tonight.”
“I’m a big girl, Dillon, all grown-up. I don’t need a caretaker.”
He smiled, a beautiful smile that made her toes curl. He kissed her and she forgot they were standing in the middle of her office and someone could walk in at any moment.
He pulled back only far enough to speak, but his breath was warm on her lips, his tone husky. “You don’t have to convince me of that, honey. I know it all too well.” He kissed her again, a quick, hard kiss, then stepped back. “What did your mechanic say?”
Virginia had trouble bringing herself back under control. Lord love him, the man was a temptation, and she was quickly growing tired of resisting him. She stared up at him and tried to find her aplomb.
“I haven’t talked with my mechanic yet. He won’t have a chance to look at the car until tomorrow.”
“Then will you please—for my sake—be extra cautious until then?”
She thought about denying him, if for no other reason than reasserting her independence. She’d always had to fight so hard to prove herself, she sometimes didn’t know when to quit fighting. But truth be told, she loved the idea of him taking her home. Maybe he’d come inside, maybe he’d stop being so skittish about appearances and make love to her this very night. The mere thought caused her body to heat. “All right.”
Dillon stared down at her a moment longer before he nodded. He held her coat while she slipped into it, then led her out the door.
DILLON DIDN’T WANT to explore his satisfaction too deeply. Having Virginia accede to his wishes made him feel like a conqueror. It hadn’t happened often, and he had a feeling it wouldn’t happen again any time soon. Virginia wasn’t a woman to let a man call the shots. Right now, she was quiet. Too quiet. And he wondered if maybe she was regretting her small show of weakness. He didn’t consider caution a weakness, but he knew she would.
“Turn left up here.”
Startled out of his thoughts, Dillon reminded himself that he wasn’t supposed to know where she lived. He had to keep his mind on what he was doing, rather than trying to dissect Virginia’s psyche. He’d already discovered many times over what a futile and frustrating effort that could be. He just couldn’t seem to help himself; she fascinated him.
For the rest of the ride, he waited for her directions, even though he knew the way. Before getting hired on at Johnson’s Sporting Goods, he’d done a complete check on her.
When they pulled into her driveway, Virginia started to open her door. Dillon ignored that and walked around to her side of the car. She stood there, embraced by selective moonlight, on this dark, cloudy night. Her head was tilted back as she stared up at him, her eyes wide, and he wanted her.
He hated himself for it, but he wanted her. The iron control he’d always depended on seemed to evaporate where this woman was concerned, and it didn’t make sense. He didn’t even like her.
“Do you want to come in for a while?”
He hesitated. It didn’t take a genius to see the direction of her thoughts and, seeing that, he become instantly, painfully, hard. But making love to Virginia, especially now, wasn’t a wise thing to contemplate. He racked his brain for any excuse that would be believable, but before he could speak, a shadow caught his eye and he jerked toward the house. He could have sworn he saw a curtain move.
He shoved Virginia behind him as he stepped deeper into the shadows. “Do you have any pets, honey?”
“No. Dillon what are you—”
“Shh. Someone’s in your house.” His senses rioted, telling him all he needed to know.
“What?”
“Give me your key.”
Thankfully, Virginia complied, but when he told her to get into his car and lock the doors, she refused. As he inched closer to the house, she followed, leaving him no choice but to stop. “Damn it, Virginia.” His whispered voice was guttural, his temper on the edge. He grasped her shoulders. “You can’t—”
“It’s my house. I know my way around a lot better than you do.”
He shook her. He hadn’t meant to, but she was so obstinate, so annoying, he couldn’t help himself. “This isn’t a game, damn it! For once, will you—”
They both heard the back door slam, the sound carried easily on the cold, quiet night. Dillon squeezed her shoulders hard. “Stay put!”
He took off at a run. Even before he reached the backyard, he knew the chase was useless. Woods bordered her property on two sides, and he had no doubt the intruder would have long vanished into the black shadows. He cursed, then cursed again when Virginia touched his arm and he almost threw her to the ground in reaction. In the split second before he touched her, he realized who she was.
Without a word, knowing she wouldn’t follow an order even if her life depended on it, he dragged her up the back steps and into the house, keeping to the side so he wouldn’t destroy any footprints that might have been left behind. His temper was on the ragged edge, the ruthless aspects of his personality ruling him.
He found two light switches just inside the door. One illuminated the kitchen with blinding fluorescent light and the other flooded the backyard. Dillon scanned the yard, but there wasn’t a single movement caught in the glare.
“Call the police,” he whispered.
She answered in kind. “Why? Whoever it was is long gone now.”
“Unless there was more than one guy. Just do it.”
She bristled, but he didn’t have time to cajole her. He waited only until he saw her lift the receiver, then cautiously made his way down the hall, turning on lights as he went. Quickly, methodically, he went through the downstairs rooms, then trotted silently up the carpeted stairway to the upper level. He had explored all the rooms before Virginia finished making the call.
“Dillon?”
“It’s okay.” He answered from her bedroom, the last room he’d found. Virginia joined him there.
She glanced around, looking uncomfortable. “The police are on their way. They said to stay in the kitchen, not to try to be a hero.”
He grunted. “This is what I’m trained to do, Virginia.”
“To be a hero?”
He knew she was teasing. He could see it her golden eyes, shining now from the excitement. He shook his head. “Your bedroom is a surprise.”
That small observation removed the smile from her lips. She stiffened and drew her auburn brows together. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He