Free Covert Attraction by Linda O. Johnston Page B

to protect me. But he disappeared, and I’ve still not learned what happened to him.”
    * * *
    The name was familiar to Daniel. Judge Treena had passed it along to him along with other matters he was to investigate. But—
    “No. I’ve heard of him but not since I arrived here. I’ll follow up on it even more, since it’s definitely important to find him. Was he trying to get the word out, too?” He hadn’t testified against the company, so he wasn’t in WitSec—the Witness Security Program administered by the U.S. Marshals Service—any more than Andrea Martinez was.
    “Maybe, but I doubt it. He was ambivalent about spilling everything, even though he wanted to protect me.”
    “Well, I’ll see what I can find out.” Daniel felt oddly gratified to see a huge smile appear on Beth’s face. And she obviously wasn’t going to back off, no matter what he said. So he’d go along with her, at least temporarily. “And it won’t hurt for us to work together on this for now.”
    But unless she started coming up with evidence soon or in some manner otherwise helped him, he would side with Judge Treena and encourage Beth to leave before she got hurt.
    For the first time that evening, though, Beth seemed unguarded. Happy. Hopeful.
    And she was definitely one hot and sexy lady. But as much as he wanted to do something about that, he recalled her description of how Preston Corcoris had tried to seduce her—or worse.
    He wouldn’t give her that impression, no matter what he felt. How stirred his body felt by her curves, her newly relaxed demeanor.
    Her unintentionally seductive moves.
    Sexy? Yes. But he knew what a bad idea it was to give in to those urges—even if she started to encourage him.
    “Thank you so much, Daniel,” she said. Then, after a moment’s hesitation, she asked, “What do you really think of Moravo Beach? I can’t do as much around here as I’d like, despite my disguise, since I don’t want to run into my family or anyone I know, but I loved growing up here.”
    For the next few minutes, they talked about nothing, just having a friendly conversation. Daniel let it continue. The other information he wanted from her could wait for another time.
    But it was getting late. “Why don’t we clean up the dishes?” he asked. “I should be going soon.”
    “I’ll take care of them,” she said, but he insisted.
    It didn’t take long to bus the few items they’d taken out to the table. They had to engage in minor choreography so they could both work in the kitchen together, but in a short while all the plates and cooking containers had been rinsed and placed into the dishwasher.
    “Thanks,” Beth said when they were done. Her face looked radiant, as if he had solved all her problems and given her her life back.
    Hell, that was his ultimate goal.
    His current goal?
    To leave and ponder how he might be able to use her to accomplish his task.
    But she was looking up at him expectantly. And it wouldn’t hurt just to give her an encouraging goodbye kiss.
    He took the lovely, sexy Beth into his arms and, bending down, placed his lips on hers.
    * * *
    He was kissing her. Gently.
    Beth found herself kissing him back. And enjoying it.
    She pressed closer. It had been forever since she had even considered making love. Never at all, not even once, since becoming Beth. She had never wanted—dared—to get close to anyone, not even just physically.
    And while she was still Andrea, Preston Corcoris’s horrible power-assertion attempts over her—his attempted seduction coupled with threats—had turned her off completely from getting close to any man.
    But now, with Daniel...
    Her conscious thoughts seemed to evaporate as she found herself even more engulfed by his intensifying kiss. His mouth was hot, demanding, as he thrust his tongue against hers as if daring it to play sexy games. His scent so close was tangy. All masculine.
    Control. She needed to keep control. Of herself. Of her surroundings.