Maya Banks - Colters’ Lady

His chest clenched, and he moved a step closer. His foot glanced off a discarded Styrofoam cup, and her head jerked up. Alarm flashed in her eyes when she saw him, and she scrambled to her feet like a doe poised for flight.

In a lightning-fast move, he snagged her wrist just when she would have bolted. He was careful not to hurt her, only prevent her from fleeing.

A small cry of fright escaped her lips, and her eyes widened as she stared up at him.

“I’m sorry. Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you, I swear it. Do you remember me from Margie’s Place? I just served you an hour ago.”

Though she didn’t relax, she nodded, her eyes still solidly trained on his face as if judging the validity of his vow not to hurt her.

“If I let you go, will you promise not to run?”

She looked at him like he was crazy.

He held up his other hand in surrender. “Let me amend that. Do you promise not to run as long as I don’t do anything to further scare you?”

For a moment she studied him, and then slowly she nodded again. He relaxed his grip, carefully easing his fingers away, studying her body language for any sign that she meant to flee. He couldn’t blame her for not trusting him, but suddenly it was the most important thing in the world for her to do just that.

“What do you want?” she asked with quiet defiance.

The shock of her voice floated over him. It was pleasing. An electrical sensation that nipped at his neck and snaked through his body like a river current. He wanted her to talk again. To say his name.

“I…” What did he want? And how to say it? He laughed softly and shook his head. “You’re going to think I’m nuts.”

She smiled then, and it made her so lovely that he ached.

“I might already think you’re crazy. You stared at me so funny in the line. I worried I’d somehow made you angry.”

“No. No, of course not,” he rushed out. “Look, will you go somewhere with me?” At her look of surprise he hurried to amend his statement. “There’s a diner down the street. It’s warm and we can sit and talk there.”

She gave him a confused look. “But I just ate. So did you.” He frowned because she hadn’t eaten much at all. “Do you like coffee? Hot chocolate?”

“I love hot chocolate,” she said wistfully.

He latched onto that like a dying man struggling for one more breath. “Then walk with me to the diner. We can have hot chocolate and you can talk to me. What do you say?” Puzzlement still shone in her blue eyes. She nibbled at her bottom lip as she clearly couldn’t decide whether to accept or decline.

“I’m a police officer,” he said. He rummaged in his pocket for his badge. “You’re completely safe with me.”

She stared at the shield, and he could swear tears flashed for a single moment before she quickly gathered herself.

“What’s your name?” he asked. “My name is Seth. Seth Colter.”

“Lily,” she said in a soft voice. “Just Lily.”

Lily. It suited her. Delicate and beautiful.

“Well, Just Lily. Will you walk down and have a cup of hot chocolate with me?” She took a deep breath. “Okay.”

Relief coursed through his veins until he thought he was going to crawl out of his skin. He held his hand out to her, unsure of the gesture and how she’d take it. He only knew he had to touch her.

With a curious look in his direction, she slid her small fingers trustingly into his. He gripped her hand, infusing his warmth into her cold fingers, and then he tugged her back down the alley to the street.

Lily walked beside Seth until they reached the diner at the corner of the next street. Even then he didn’t let go of her hand. It felt strong and comforting around hers. Hard and lean like Seth himself.

She studied his profile as discreetly as she could without being caught staring. He had the look of a cop—or one she associated with police officers. His stare was alert and always moving to take in his surroundings.

He was tall and solidly built. Not overly muscled in a body-builder fashion, but he was physically fit, and he carried his strength in his features. Hard jaw, intense blue eyes, and yet there was also a quietness and gentleness to him that called to her. Maybe it was why she was inexplicably following him into a diner.

He escorted her to a booth by the window and briefly let go of her hand so he could slide in across the table from her. Immediately he reached over and retook possession of her hand.

A funny flutter began in her stomach as his thumb stroked over the curve of her hand and her knuckles. She was puzzled by this man and why he’d followed her from the soup kitchen. What did he want, and why did he insist on touching her at every turn?

A waitress came over, and Seth ordered two cups of hot chocolate. Excitement and longing curled in Lily’s stomach at the idea of the rich, sweet brew. It was her favorite thing in the world, and it had been too long since she’d last been able to enjoy it.

When the waitress left, Lily glanced up at Seth and asked, “Why did you follow me?” His lips twisted into a rueful grimace. “I don’t even know how to answer that, Lily. Have you ever been so affected by someone but not know why? Have you ever been compelled to see them again without knowing anything about them?

After careful consideration she shook her head. Was he saying that was how he felt after seeing her in the line? That didn’t even make sense. He was a police officer and she was nobody. Nameless and faceless.

People rushed by her every single day without ever seeing her. Why would Seth see her?

“I can’t stand the thought of you being out on the streets,” he admitted. “I followed you because I hoped you had somewhere to go. Shelter. Anything but a place between cardboard boxes in a deserted alley.”

Sorrow tightened her throat, and long-held grief and shame bubbled up. She looked down so he wouldn’t see how affected she was by his pity.

He squeezed her hand. “I’m not judging you, Lily. I was worried. Big difference. I didn’t want you to be out on the streets because I work the streets. I see what’s out there each and every day. I don’t want you there.”

His tone surprised her. For someone who’d just met her, he displayed a bewildering amount of concern.

She offered a casual shrug, not at all indifferent to the warmth in his gaze or the sincerity in his eyes.

“Not everyone has a choice.”

But you did and you chose to walk away. The thought took hold and reminded her of the consequences of her decisions.

He didn’t look happy with her answer, and in fact, it looked like he wanted argue, but the waitress returned with their hot chocolate.

She reached eagerly for the mug and blew gently over the surface, inhaling all the while as the rich scent of chocolate filled her nostrils. Closing her eyes, she sipped, savoring the first delicious taste as it hit her tongue.

Sighing, she lowered the mug and looked up to see Seth watching her intently.

“Will you come back to my house, Lily? I’ll make you all the hot chocolate you want.” So startled was she by the blunt question, she nearly let the mug slip from her fingers. She set it down with a jarring thud, and some of the liquid sloshed over the rim and onto the table.

Before she could respond, he closed his eyes and blew out his breath. “That sounded bad. Really bad.

I didn’t mean it the way it came out.”

“How did you mean it then?”

“I want you safe. You have no reason to trust me. You don’t know me, but damn it, I feel like I know you. When I saw you in the line, there was something there and I can’t put a name on it. I only know that I need to know you’re safe.”

Flustered by the vehemence in his voice, she sat back, mug in her hands like a protective barrier. “I don’t know what to say. I mean, what does anyone say to that? Of course I can’t go.”

“Why not?” he countered. “Lily, let’s be honest here. You’re living in a cardboard box. I’m offering you a warm bed, a hot shower, hot food and all the hot chocolate you could possibly want.” Her hands began to shake. It was insane that she even considered saying yes for half a second. But it had been so long since she’d had any of those things. It hurt to think about the life she’d left behind, the life that had left her behind. She didn’t want to remember. It hurt too much, the wound was still too fresh.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked gently.

She shook her head, refusing to go back even for a moment.

“Stay for one night,” he said. “At least give me that. Let me take care of you tonight. We’ll talk about tomorrow when it comes.”

One night. How could she say yes? How could she say no? Seth stirred emotions she hadn’t allowed herself to feel in a long time. She wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to give him the opportunity to unthaw her frozen heart. And he could. She recognized that.

“Why?” she asked helplessly. “You don’t know me. I’m nobody to you.”

“You aren’t nobody, Lily,” he said in a gentle voice. “I don’t know who’s convinced you that you’re no one, or if it’s you yourself that has perpetuated that lie, but that’s what it is. A lie.” She took another long swallow of the hot chocolate and imagined sitting in his house, drinking more, allowing herself for one night to forget the past. To forget her present.

“All right,” she said before she could talk herself out of it. “I think I must be crazy. This just isn’t done. I know you feel sorry for me, but you shouldn’t. You don’t know” He held up his hand. “I know all I need to know. That’s enough for now. When you trust me, you can tell me the rest.”