Page 61 of See You There

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Luke tookhis damaged suit to the restroom to change out of the army costume so Dahlia could use the dressing room. As he buttoned his shirt slowly, he replayed the last few minutes in his mind. He had stepped way over the line. He hadn’t even bothered to confirm what Cara had told him.WasChandler just a prop? Even with those thoughts in the back of his mind, he hadn’t been able to stop.

There was something about her that made him forget himself. Forget everything. His cock had turned to stone almost the instant he touched her during the photoshoot. It had been agony to be so close, their audience limiting what he could do.

The moment they were alone… He liked to believe he was smoother than that. But he was desperate for her. That full, green skirt had swished in front of him, taunting him as she walked away. Suddenly, all he could think about was plunging his hand underneath it to find the hot, slick flesh he knew would be there.

She wanted him as much as he wanted her.

After what Cara said, Luke was confident Dahlia was single. He had spent time with her. She didn’t strike him as a cheater. But that didn’t mitigate the fact she was his client.

Luke splashed cold water on his face and pulled several paper towels from the dispenser to wipe off the remains of her face powder that had rubbed off on him.

At least Dahlia didn’t deny the connection between them anymore. After she signed the papers, Luke planned to celebrate with her. Naked. In his bed.

He walked to the entrance, surprised Edgar wasn’t there waiting.

“Some car broke down blocking the drive,” an assistant walking by told him.

“It’s blocking the whole road?” Luke frowned when the woman shrugged. He thumbed a text to Edgar and sighed at the response.

Dahlia emerged, her face still done up in heavy makeup. Luke frowned when she wouldn’t meet his eyes. Was she regretting what had happened? He watched her pull out her phone and pretend to study it. It was obvious she was trying to avoid talking to him.

“Edgar can’t get up the road.” Luke gestured to the long drive. “We can wait until they clear the car—”

“Let’s walk. I just got a text from Chandler. He reminded me I need to put in an appearance at a party tonight, so I have to get going.”

Luke ground his teeth, but before he could say anything, Dahlia set off walking at a brisk pace. Luke jogged to catch up with her, pulling her to a stop by her elbow. “What’s happening right now? Do I owe you an apology? If I misread…”

Dahlia flushed red and ducked her head. “You didn’t. I was caught up in the moment. You’re right, now isn’t the time. I have a lot on my plate right now and…”

Luke watched her shoulders move as she breathed in and out evenly, and irritation crept up his spine. He’d seen her do this several times now. She did it before she got into character.Sure enough, when her face lifted to his, her expression was a carefully crafted calm with a hint of regret. She was back to being Lia.

“You are a handsome man, and you’ve been so nice to me the last couple of days. I think I—”

“Okay,Lia.” Luke blew out a breath and began walking again.

Why was he arguing? She was right. Until his firm no longer represented her, she was off limits. However, the second this was resolved…

They rounded the bend of the wooded road and saw a pickup truck turned sideways with the hood up. There was no sign of the driver. Edgar climbed from the SUV stopped just beyond the truck.

“I don’t know where the driver went,” he called across the short distance. “The doors are locked, so we can’t push it.”

“Just get the air conditioning started,” Luke yelled back. Beneath the thick pine trees crowding the edge of the road, there was no breeze, and heat radiated from the asphalt. The temperature, combined with his frustration over the Dahlia situation, had Luke steaming.

As they drew closer to the truck, the more the situation struck Luke as odd. Where would the driver have gone? Why abandon the vehicle? He hadn’t gone to the restaurant to call for a tow truck, and it was easily half a mile or more back to the main road and the next business.

“Luke?” He heard the tremor of anxiety in her voice as Dahlia slowed to a stop, staring at the truck and then him.

She sensed it, too. Grabbing her hand, he picked up their pace. He was most likely being paranoid, Luke assured himself. The road wasn’t as isolated as it felt. The restaurant wasn’t far…

Luke heard Edgar start the engine of the SUV and gave one last glance around as they reached the truck. Was that someonein the trees? The figure moved, and the sun reflected a bright light back at him. “Down!” Luke yelled.

A muzzle flashed, and the truck's windshield shattered, sending a shower of glass down on them. Two more pings sounded as bullets struck the truck. Pushing Dahlia in front of him, they scurried, bent double, to the back of the truck as more bullets struck the asphalt and the truck around them.

Dahlia’s eyes were wide. “Someone is shooting at us!”

Luke’s heart pounded in his chest. He stuck his head out from the tailgate, and immediately a shot hit the pavement nearby, sending up stinging chips of asphalt.