Undercover Passion. Melinda Di Lorenzo

       Chapter 2

      Liz exhaled, overwhelmingly glad that her shaggy-haired neighbor had shown up. She didn’t know Harley all that well, but just his brick-wall appearance was enough to make her breathe a little easier.

      As he bent to speak to her Teegan, she gave the back of his head a surreptitious, grateful look.

      In the week and a bit since he’d been staying at the studio adjacent to her apartment, he’d been friendly and helpful. Ready with a smile, but not overbearing. He had a nice-guy vibe that she’d liked since the second she’d met him. His wide shoulders and solid build weren’t exactly off-putting, either. And at the moment, not only was his presence a soothing buffer but he was also a good distraction for her too-intuitive daughter.

      “You completely kicked my butt,” he said to Teegan, before shooting a conspiratorial wink Liz’s way. “Don’t tell your mom I said that.”

      Teegan gave him an eye roll. “I’m pretty sure she can hear you.”

      “Darn it. You might be right.”

      Harley grinned, and Liz did her best to smile back. She knew her effort was probably lacking. Her teeth felt wooden, and the rest of her mouth was still dry with fear. Being held at knifepoint and having her daughter’s life threatened wasn’t exactly something she would forget anytime soon. In fact, she was pretty sure her brain hadn’t even started to process it, let alone figure out what to do about it. The adrenaline still coursed through her body. And she knew that the second it stopped, she’d probably collapse, if not physically, then at least emotionally.

       Which you don’t need to do here.

      “Teegan,” she said, her voice shakier than she would’ve liked, “I think we should go inside and get cleaned up for dinner.”

      “Did you even see me, Mom?” her daughter countered, still clinging to Harley.

      “I did. You were so high up that I just about had a heart attack.”

      “Mom! That is not true, and you always say—”

      Teegan’s protest cut off in a giggle as Harley stood up with her still attached to his arm. She dangled from his bicep, her bare feet almost a yard from the ground, utterly pleased by the situation. Harley spun, and Teegan sailed in a circle. The spinning motion gave Liz another few seconds to scan the surrounding area.

      Was her assailant still watching from somewhere she couldn’t see? Had he spied Harley’s broad shoulders and goofy display of strength? Did it make him think that she and Teegan weren’t completely unprotected?

      God, she hoped so.

      She turned her attention back to Teegan and Harley. The well-muscled man spun in a final slow circle, making her daughter’s laughter echo through the otherwise quiet street. As he came to a stop, his sleeve slid up, revealing a circle of scrawling ink around his arm. The tattoo was distracting. Sexy, even. For a moment, it actually held Liz’s attention long enough to keep her from her worried thoughts.

      Crashing into Harley the way she’d done just a few minutes earlier had emphasized the quiet strength he possessed under his clay-speckled T-shirt. She couldn’t say why, but it’d been almost unexpected. It seemed silly, really. His body was visibly tanklike. Liz had admired it more than a few times. So why it stuck out now was a mystery. But it was definitely not unpleasant.

      Unless the guy with the knife thinks he’s a threat, said a voice in her head. Then it’ll be anything but pleasant.

      Liz fought both a shiver and a stab of guilt.

      “Come here, baby,” she said to Teegan, her voice not quite as firm as she would’ve liked. “Let Mr. Maxwell go. Contrary to popular belief, he’s not a jungle gym.”

      Her daughter finally disentangled herself and moved to stand in front of Liz, her eyes still sparkling. “Were you watching, Mom? I was practically flying.”

      “Uh-huh. And between that and the climbing, I think we should probably go inside before one of the neighbors comes out and complains about my parenting and your safety.” She said it lightly, but she couldn’t quite keep from shooting another nervous look up the street.

      “You can use me as your scapegoat,” Harley offered. “Bad-news artist influencing your daughter’s precious mind.”

      Liz couldn’t help but smile. “You’re the least ‘bad news’ artist I’ve ever met.”

      He grinned back. “I feel like I should be insulted by that compliment.”

      “Don’t be. It’s refreshing to see someone with more talent than ego.”

      Teegan groaned. “Are you guys just gonna stand there all night talking? Because if you are, I’m gonna go climb some more.”

      “No!” The word came out of Liz’s mouth a little sharply, and both Teegan and Harley blinked at her.

      The big man recovered quickly, his surprised look relaxing into a smile. “Well. Since apparently you really want to get the kiddo home...mind if I walk with you up to the apartment? I think I might’ve dropped my phone in the hall between your place and the studio.”

      “Sure.” She wondered if the relief she felt was evident in her reply.

      But if he noticed, he didn’t say. Instead, he offered her a grin and gestured toward their shared building. “Women and children first.”

      Teegan immediately took off at a happy skip, and Liz’s heart thundered nervously in response to the open space between them. She took a step forward without even realizing she was doing it until Harley spoke.

      “You want me to catch her?” he asked.

      She didn’t stop walking, but she made herself answer calmly. “She’ll be fine. It’s only a hundred feet between here and the door. And Lord knows she’s done more dangerous things in the last five minutes.”

      “True enough. Guess I’ll just have to settle for protecting you instead.”

      He said it teasingly, but she noticed that he was quick to step between her and the road, and she couldn’t help but wonder if it was on purpose. Had he picked up on her distress? She suspected she hadn’t hidden it very well. She’d been so worried about watching the man who was watching her that she hadn’t even stopped to think if Harley was paying attention.

      He gave her shoulder a nudge. “I sometimes think I might be one, by the way.”

      “One what?” Liz replied, puzzled.

      “A jungle gym.”

      She let out a genuine laugh. “I’m sure Teegan agrees. I’m sorry if she’s bugging you too much.”

      “I don’t mind. She’s got enthusiasm.”

      “That’s a nice way of saying she’s a pain in the butt, huh?”

      “I can hear you!” called Teegan from a few steps in front of them.

      “Well, there wouldn’t be much point in saying it if you couldn’t hear me, would there?” Liz