Lion's Dangerous(Kings of the Jungle #1)(17)

The Jungle guy, not the masseuse. Lily looked away and took another sip in order to buy time to compose a response.

Most of the crowd had come back from their smoke breaks. Couples and groups danced, laughed and flirted to the music, buoyed by the currents of alcohol served up by four busy bartenders.

Someone giving a review of the place would call it a vibrant scene and for a moment, she'd felt the charge of energy herself. Problem was, that shock of aliveness had come from Jude, not from the crowd of strangers celebrating the weekend.

Troubled by the realization, she finally said, "Not yet, but I will tonight."

"Sorry if I'm coming across like a creep or too peer pressure-y. I just know what it's like … " Alexa trailed off and downed the rest of her wine.

As though she'd become uncomfortable with the direction of her thoughts, Alexa reached across the table and tapped her glass against the one her friend held. "Who are you two gossiping about?" She called over the music.




       
         
       
        
Lily pasted a smile on her lips and hung out for a few more minutes before excusing herself for some fresh air.

Outside, she found the air less than fresh and moved down the street to escape a cluster of people who were passing a bowl.

The boutiques that drew tourists during the day had all closed up. She strolled past dark windows that displayed pottery, local art and old-fashioned toys, and a shiver ran its fingers down her spine. The shadowy reflections in the shop windows seemed to loom closer. A memory of the break-in surged up and the intruder's black-clad figure stood stark and menacing in her mind's eye.

Half a block in front of her, a traffic light turned red, illuminating the sign that marked the entrance to the municipal lot where she'd parked her car. She'd chosen the lot because it was well-lit, but the only spot she'd found was in a far corner, backed up against the face of a steep hill.

Her car offered safety, if she could reach it.

And if she couldn't reach it, she would be trapped far away from anyone who might hear her yell for help. Breath quick, heart racing, she fumbled in her handbag for the canister of pepper spray she'd purchased at her brother's insistence.

The traffic light changed again and headlights beamed at her. Inhaling deeply, she shook herself. Headlights meant traffic and traffic meant safety. She wasn't alone.

As the paralysis of fear faded, she hesitated between going to her car or rejoining Alexa's group.

Back the way she'd come, a couple staggered arm in arm. They were walking toward her but their drunken laughter told her they were oblivious to their surroundings.

She was suddenly angry at herself for the choices she'd made, all the ways she'd cheated herself of that kind of careful life. Jumping at shadows, putting herself into fictional life-threatening scenarios-those things weren't her, not the new, stronger model she'd envisioned when she'd walked away from her old life.

Pivoting, she marched to the lot entrance and only hesitated a moment before setting off for her car. The rhythmic tap of her heels was welcome noise. A light breeze carried sounds of passing traffic and music from the bar.

And nothing happened. When she reached her car, she carefully stepped around a drainage grate set into the uneven pavement.

As she reached into her bag to retrieve her keys, movement in her peripheral vision snapped her head up. A large, masculine shape flowed from the shadow of an SUV parked opposite her car.

Panicking, she jerked her hand from her purse to grab the pepper spray and her keys fell from numb fingers. They clattered on the steel grate. With a strangled gasp, she fell to her knees. Tiny rocks bit her skin through her stockings. The pain registered distantly, pushed aside by more urgent priorities. If her keys fell through the grate, she was cut off from the safety of her car. 

Blood roared in her ears as she patted the ground and ran her hands over the rusted steel. As her fingertips brushed her keychain, a spark of hope flared, only to sputter out, drowned by the sound water splashing below.

"No, no, no," she moaned, hunching her shoulders and slapping her palms against the ground.

Large, strong hands landed on her shoulders. She reared back, only to find herself lifted and hauled up against a solid wall of muscle.

The man towered over her. Lily shoved against his chest, acutely aware of the heavy pads of muscle that flexed with overpowering strength. She twisted and scratched and tried to kick but close-parked cars combined with her skinny skirt limited her range of motion.

With a curse, her attacker banded his arms around her in a bear hug. His breath warmed her ear as he pinned her to his broad chest. "Lily. Stop."