Star Witness - By Mallory Kane Page 0,38
feud. That was still the only reason for her interest, right? That and the fact that he was breathtakingly handsome.
Enveloped in his arms, with the citrusy scent of his shampoo and the warmth radiating from his body, she knew she was kidding herself. She couldn’t deny how much she desired him. He was so much more than arrogance and a pretty face. He was strength and confidence and compassion. And she needed all three.
Despite the pounding rain and the men trying to kill her, all she wanted to do was to stay here, wrapped in Harte’s gentle yet sensual caress. Longing sent a shiver through her.
He pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth. “Are you cold?” he whispered, his breath tickling her skin.
“No,” she whispered on a sigh. Heat flowed like lava through her entire body. Out to her fingertips and toes and back, swirling through her to her core. She bit her cheek to keep from moaning with pleasure.
He lifted his head slightly and even in the dim light she could see that his firm, wide mouth had softened. Was he really about to kiss her right here in the middle of running from people who were trying to kill them?
She should say something. Should stop this. Because all they were doing was seeking comfort in a dangerous situation. The men outside were a danger to her, but so was Harte. And right now she wasn’t sure who frightened her most.
By the time she’d decided that it would not be in her best interest to kiss him, his lips were trailing across hers.
She reacted with a tiny gasp and he took the opportunity of her parted lips to kiss her—really kiss her. Then he dipped his head a little more and tasted her mouth. His tongue urged her lips apart and he deepened the kiss.
Her reaction was so immediate, so intense. It scared her. She had to regain control. Didn’t she? Because if she didn’t, she was going to sink into him, take his kisses and give them back. She was going to beg him to make love to her.
Harte shifted and her taut, sensitized nipples pressed into his flesh. Electricity sang along her nerve endings, centering in the most sensitive part of her. And that quickly, the desire spread through every inch of her body. The tips of her fingers and toes, the hairs on her neck, the skin on the insides of her wrists—all were now erogenous zones, waiting for his touch to ignite their fire.
“Harte—?” Her breath caught.
He froze. “Listen.”
She held her breath, but couldn’t hear anything except the rain and the quick, excited beating of her heart. After a couple of seconds she heard it. A faraway whining sound, like a car engine revving, came from the far end of the warehouse. “Is that—?” she started.
“They’re going to ram the freight door with their car.”
The engine noise grew louder and tires screeched; then the air was split by a deafening crash. Harte was still as a cat waiting for its prey. Another crash, much louder than the first, echoed through the warehouse.
“It’s working,” he said, setting her away from him. “The car’s ripping a hole in the freight door.”
Just then a third crash, louder and longer than the other two, echoed through the warehouse. As the squeal of tortured metal faded, the sound of voices became evident, echoing clearly off the metal walls.
“Son of a— What the hell is all this?”
“Hey, look! Mardi Gras floats!”
“Must be fifty of ’em—”
“It’ll take hours to search all—”
“Just torch the whole—”
“Hang on! That ain’t what Mr.—”
“Smoke ’em out, or let ’em burn up.”
Dani’s hand tightened on his arm. “They’re going to burn the warehouse down,” she whispered anxiously.
Harte pressed a finger against her lips. The men were still talking.
“How’re we—?”
“Get over here and listen—”
Then the voices died down.
“We’ve got to get out of here,” Harte said. “These floats will go up like dry kindling, and fiberglass fumes are toxic.” When he stood, the dim light angled harshly off the rigid line of his jaw.
“Let’s go. Are you sure all we have to do is turn the bolt on the door?”
“I think so. It looks just like the other one,” she responded.
On the other side of the warehouse, the voices rose again and a small orange glow pierced the darkness.
“Wow! They sure burn fast—”
“Get outta the way!”
“Careful or—”
The glow steadily got brighter. Just as Harte had thought, the floats were catching fire with incredible speed. Within seconds, the