As the light turned, Reid noticed that the road had widened into four lanes. They were still on the outskirts of Albany, but he could see the capital buildings in the distance to his left, and the traffic had grown heavier. To his right he noted a sign that they were approaching a hospital.
“Well, with the CIA on our team both here and in Scotland, we ought to know more soon,” Nell said. “In the meantime, we know that Gwendolen Campbell is definitely involved in this. The question is, how involved? Who is she working with besides Deanna Lewis and the man or woman who tried to run Piper down? And who’s running the show?”
He shot Nell a sideways glance. He couldn’t have put it better himself. Her questions were spot-on. “I should have seen she had to be a player when you first mentioned your autograph lady. Maybe the key player. More than that, we’ve been assuming that the us Deanna Lewis was talking about to Piper involved just two people, that Deanna had one partner. There could be three. But there could be more. That possibility should have occurred to me sooner.”
“Well, if you want to play the blame game, I should have figured it out, too.” Nell changed into the right lane. “I make up plotlines. And her request for that autograph had perfect timing. Plus, she looked so normal. All I saw was a woman who wanted me to sign a book for her granddaughter. And that makes her perfect for the role of villain.”
She took a right turn toward the hospital. “I should have seen it. I was just too focused on Piper after the attempt. I wouldn’t have even thought about the woman again if you hadn’t probed.”
The difference was Nell had good reason for her distraction. Someone had tried to run down her sister. But Reid had only one reason for his lapse. Nell. He’d been thinking about her and wanting her ever since he’d seen her again. He couldn’t seem to get any distance or perspective. It wasn’t just the sexual attraction—although it was there, a steady burn in his blood. A strong part of his distraction was due to the fact that she’d changed in very surprising ways. He was constantly being delighted and fascinated by the way her mind worked.
“Something’s bothering you,” Nell said.
Then there was her talent for intuiting things about him: the way he was feeling and what he was thinking. Not even his brothers could do that.
And if he kept wondering how she could or what she might do next to surprise him, he wasn’t going to be able to protect her.
“No one’s following us.” She turned into the hospital parking lot. “This was a great idea. Our quick exit from the fast-food restaurant bought us some time. At the castle, Daryl Garnett is with Aunt Vi, and from what Piper and Adair say, Vi is in very good hands. So even if autograph lady or one of her partners gets annoyed that we’ve taken this detour, I think everyone should be safe for the moment.”
“You’re the one I’m worried about. You’re distracting me from this investigation, and that puts you in danger.”
Nell’s heart gave a little flutter, but she managed to keep her hands steady on the wheel as she drove down the line of cars and pulled into a parking space. Saying a little prayer that her voice would work, she faced him. “I can take care of myself. If it makes you feel any better, you’re distracting me, too.”
Reid frowned. “That only makes the problem worse. We have to sort this out and find a solution.”
Nell knew exactly how she wanted to solve their problem. The image flashed into her mind of the scene she’d created earlier—the two of them in Eleanor’s moonlit garden. She could almost feel the smooth taut skin of his bare shoulders beneath her hands. Reminding herself to breathe, she said, “The clock is ticking. We should discuss this after we get to the castle.”
“We’ll settle it now, in just a second. Stay right where you are.” Reid opened the car door and climbed out to scan the lot.
While he did his bodyguard thing, Nell remained seated, gathered her thoughts. So much for the little garden in the moonlight scene. In that particular setting, she hadn’t planned on doing a lot of talking. None at all, in fact. But any heroine worth her salt could adapt to the changing circumstances. All she had to do was tell him what she wanted.
Him.
When he climbed back into the car, he seemed to fill every inch of space until he was all she was aware of. His eyes were the color of smoke shooting up from a fire, dark and dangerous. And his lips were so close. The air in the cramped space had turned sultry. Stifling. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from his mouth. It seemed to be the softest part of him; still, it looked firm and unyielding. What would it feel like pressed against hers? Gentle? Rough? Another inch and their lips would make contact. How long had she yearned for the moment? All she had to do was lean forward and...
Hard hands gripped her shoulders, making it impossible for her to move.
“I want you, Nell. I can’t seem to change that. But one thing I can control. Nothing is going to happen between us.”
She felt as if he’d upended a bucket of ice water on her head.
Wanna bet? If she could have moved her lips, she would have said it out loud. She might even have stuck out her tongue. Neither was her best move if she wanted Reid to start thinking of her as a woman. A woman he was incapable of resisting. She needed another strategy. Fast.
“Nothing,” he repeated as if he could read her mind.
She recognized the steely determination in his tone, and it only added fuel to her own resolve. During that long-ago summer, he’d used that same tone to convince her that she could reach any goal, conquer any obstacle. She’d obeyed him like a slave, taken any risk he’d challenged her with. Those days were gone.
“Why not? We’re both adults. We want each other. What could be the harm?”
For an instant his hands tightened on her shoulders, and she was sure he was going to pull her closer. He gave her a hard shake.
Then he dropped his hands clenching them into fists. “You’re family. Dammit, Nell, I don’t want to hurt you.”
Nell’s temper flared. “You know what your problem is, Reid? Like the rest of my family, you’re making some very false assumptions.” She poked a finger into his chest. “One, you believe I’m still a little girl, someone you have to take care of. You’re wrong. I can take care of myself.”
“Maybe. But you deserve someone who’ll offer you more than I can. You deserve what your sisters have found with my brothers. You’ll expect that. Everyone in the family will. I decided a long time ago that I wouldn’t be able to offer any woman that.”
She poked him again. “You’re wrong about my expectations, too. The last thing in the world I want is some kind of permanent involvement with a man. I’m three years out of college. I have to concentrate on my career. Besides, I tried the whole falling-in-love thing a few years back, and it drained too much time out of my writing schedule, not to mention the effect it had on my GPA. Even if I was ready for something long-term, you’d be the last man I’d choose.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re overprotective just like the rest of my family. It’s bad enough that I’m stuck working with you to find the necklace. I intended to do that on my own.”
After a beat of silence, his eyes narrowed on her. He was listening now. “The man you fell in love with—he hurt you.”
“Yes, but I got over it. I’m a big girl. You’re going to have to get used to that.”
Another beat of silence.
“Is there anything else I got wrong?”
“Yes. You’re absolutely wrong when you say ‘Nothing can happen between us’ because something already