Star Witness - By Mallory Kane Page 0,43

a tiny hiccup, escaped her lips.

“Shh.” Harte touched the corner of her mouth with a finger, then bent his head and brushed a kiss across her cheek. It was so light it seemed hardly more than a breath.

But it was enough to reignite the fire he’d stoked inside her earlier, when she’d dared to kiss him. She felt the exquisite longing rise and flare again. She wanted to turn to him, open to him and beg him to wrap her in those strong, warm arms and make love to her. Her rational mind knew that giving in to the urge would be a big mistake, for so many reasons. She and Harte Delancey were at opposite ends of every spectrum she could think of—political, financial, social. He was ambitious, probably hoping to be D.A. one day. She’d become a public defender because she wanted to help people who would otherwise have no one on their side.

The only thing the two of them had in common was the enemy that was after them. And while joining forces to fight a deadly enemy made good sense, it also made for strange bedfellows. Right here and now, though, she didn’t care. She wanted closeness. She wanted comfort. She wanted assurance that no matter how desperate the situation, the two of them were still alive. And she wanted to feel something besides fear, at least for a little while.

He was unaware of the argument going on inside her, but he was not unaware of her. She knew it, and she used it. Turning, she settled closer into his arms. Reaching up a hand, she slid her fingers along the line of his jaw and back to caress his earlobe. His mouth was firm yet gentle as she touched her lips to his. Ignoring the voice in her head that was telling her what a bad idea it was to kiss him, she leaned in farther, opening her mouth to taste him better. The feel of his lips and tongue was so sweet and at the same time so titillating that hot new tears sprang to her eyes and her breath caught in a sob.

Harte froze for an instant, then pulled back. “Dani, I don’t—” He stopped. His chest was heaving.

“No, I’m sorry. It’s just everything.” She felt tears welling up in her eyes. She willed them to stop, but it didn’t help. They spilled down her wet cheeks, scalding them. “I promise you,” she said with a choked laugh. “I almost never cry.”

Harte sat back and held out his arm. Instinctively, Dani moved closer. For a brief moment, he didn’t move, just sat there, his arm resting across her back. “I believe you,” he said softly. “Makes my eyes red and gives me a headache.”

He ran his palm down her bare shoulder to her upper arm. “You’re cold.”

“Not so much now,” she murmured as she nestled into the shelter of his arm. “How do you stay so warm in nothing but a shirt?”

He shivered and laughed ruefully. “I don’t.”

“But your skin—it’s always warm.”

“Maybe warmer than yours. But that’s because you’re so skinny you can’t hold any heat.”

Dani chuckled as her tears dried on her cheeks. “Please. Don’t try to butter me up. I am not skinny.”

“No. You’re not. At least not everywhere,” he acceded. His palm caressed her shoulder and arm, sending shivers not caused by the temperature through her.

She snuggled a little closer to him. “Oh, I’ve never felt so helpless in my life,” she murmured. “Except maybe the night Granddad died.” That thought closed her throat and made her eyes sting. “Here I go again,” she said, blotting the tears from her cheeks.

“Hey.” He slid his fingers under her chin and urged her head up. “It’s okay. No need to cry,” he said, his thumb brushing across her cheek; then he pulled her closer.

His lips pressed against her forehead—warm, firm, steady. “No need to cry,” he whispered again, the comforting words penetrating her heart and lighting all the dark, scary places inside her.

Right now he wasn’t her rival or her attorney. She didn’t want to put a name to what she was feeling right this minute. All she knew was that he was her port in the storm. He was strength and warmth and safety, and she needed that. She lifted her head, seeking more. His mouth moved from her temple to her cheek and then to her lips.

She moaned quietly.

He made a sound in his throat, bent his head and covered