Free Lie to Me by Angela Verdenius Page A

was walking down a quiet street with him, her hand in his elbow, his hip brushing hers.
    Not that he could help it, not with her generous hips, but still… Okay, now she felt awkward.  Goddamn, why did she have such a big mouth?
    As the sound of the pub faded, she cleared her throat.  “You can leave me now.”  Shit, that sounded ungracious.  “I mean, its okay, you don’t have to walk me home.”
    “No worries.”  He kept walking.
    Glancing up at him, she wondered what he was thinking.  Stoic expression, gaze fixed ahead, silent.
    She had to stop from glancing over her shoulder to see if Ryder was still watching, but damn, she wanted to, mainly because she didn’t feel very safe.  The Dawson boys weren’t known for their gentlemanly behaviour, and here she was having offered herself up simply to rile Ryder, show him she wasn’t needy.
    So she threw herself at Jason.  Needy?  Bugger that.  She needed her head read.  She was bordering on insanity right now.  That’s what Ryder did to her.
    The closer they drew to her shop, the bull-nose veranda casting shadows, the more nervous she got.  Not that she’d show it.  If Jason tried anything funny she’d kick him in the nuts.  A Miller never went down without a fight, and Dee sure as hell didn’t intend to go down at all.
    Normally she’d have gone around the back to go inside but she wasn’t going to risk it.  At least they were still on the street where they could be seen and heard if Jason tried anything.
    Taking her hand from his elbow, she dug the keys from her bag and slotted the shop key into the door of the newsagency.  As the lock clicked open, she looked up at him over her shoulder.
    Still silent, he simply watched her, the shadows on his face making his expression difficult to read.
    Still, she had put him on the spot and he hadn’t dobbed on her.  Yet.  “So, um…thanks.”
    “Sure.”
    “Okay.”  Pushing the door open, she took a step inside, a prickling going down her spine in expectation that he would grab her, maybe push her inside, demand a little sexual payment for going along with her stupid story.
    When he didn’t, she felt a flush of shame and turned back to say something nicer to him, something more than just ‘okay’, but found only an empty doorway.  Looking out, she saw his figure walking back towards the pub, his hands still in his pockets.
    Shaking her head, she shut the door and flicked the lock.  One thing was for sure, the night had ended weirdly.
    The light she’d left on in the back entry of the shop lit her way down the aisle and through the little kitchenette.  As she’d planned to return through the back way, she lifted her hand to flick off the back light switch only to spot something in the stained glass window.
    Opening the wooden door, she saw something hanging on the security screen door.  Cautiously, she opened the door and peeked out to either side.  There was no one in sight, so she stepped out and looked at the security door.
    Hanging from a piece of string was a bunch of half dead flowers.
    Huh .  Untying the flowers, Dee grabbed the stems, only to swear and drop them as the sharp sting of thorns bit into her already tender palms.  Sucking gently on one particular sore spot, she crouched down to study the bunch of flowers.
    Crap on a stick, the flowers were half dead roses and bougainvillea, the stems complete with long, sharp thorns.
    “What the hell…?”  Using fingertips, she picked the bunch up carefully, standing to hold them up to eye level.  “What sick bastard did this?”
    Annoyed, she tossed the flowers into the wheelie bin at the corner of her building before turning and walking back inside, locking the doors behind her.
    Man, if she had a secret admirer, he must hate her.  Probably some kids playing a dumb joke.
    Shaking her head, she went up the stairs to bed.
     

Chapter 3
     
    Standing at the kitchen sink, Ryder still couldn’t believe it.  Last night Dee had