was a perfect fit. Running her fingers over the buttery-soft leather and inhaling the distinctive smell of fine suede, she looked up at Spider, who seemed to be waiting for her reaction like a small boy seeking approval. She gave him a smile. "Thank you. It's lovely. I ’ ll take good care of it."
He turned up the collar and his hands lingered on her lapels. For several seconds he simply stood there, silent and looking into her face with black-lashed eyes as blue and haunting as a South Sea lagoon. His gaze dropped to her lips, and they parted slightly, as if to a silent command. A warm fluttering stirred i n her stomach. Every feminine instinct she possessed told her that he wanted to kiss her. She swayed toward him, pulled by an incomprehensible magnetism, then stopped as alarm spread over her.
Spider gave a little shake of his head and, as if nothing had passed between them, grabbed her arm and propelled her out the back way. He led her to a big truck, shiny black and liberally decorated with chrome.
When he opened the door, the cab looked a million miles off the ground, and, dismayed, she turned to him, then resolutely looked back at the seat.
He looked amused as she awkwardly scrambled up into the cab. "Where to?" he asked when he got behind the wheel.
She gave him Vicki's address and hoped her friend would be home. Being around Spider Webb was disconcerting. Very disconcerting.
In less than five minutes, they pulled to a stop on a winding street lined with distinctive town houses. When she reached for the door handle. Spider stopped her.
"You stay in the truck, Anne. Let me check this out.”
Anne watched as he went through the courtyard and knocked on the door. After what seemed like an eternity, he knocked again. She twirled the fringe of her jacket around her finger as she waited. He walked away from the door and shrugged at her, then went to the next house and knocked. The door opened and he talked to someone for a few minutes.
As he returned to the truck, Spider's face was unreadable, and she twirled the fringe faster. When he was settled back in the truck he turned to her, and his eyes seemed troubled.
"Sugar, I ’v e got some bad news."
Three
When he hesitated, Anne's heart flew to her throat. Had Preston's thugs done something to her friend? Dear Lord, surely not. Surely he hadn 't recalled her connection to Vicki . She balled her hands into fists so tightly that her nails bit into the flesh of her palms.
"Has she been hurt?"
He shook his head. "No, nothing like that."
Anne breathed a relieved sigh. Vicki was safe. There was still hope. "Where is she?"
"Sugar, your friend's gone on a cruise for a month, and there's no way to contact her. She left last week."
"Oh, no." Try as she might, Anne couldn't prevent the tears that sprang to her eyes. "What am I going to do?" She felt as if her heart were being ripped from her chest. "I was counting on Vicki. I don't have any money. I don't have a place to live. I can't go home. What am I going to do?"
'Aw, darlin', don't cry." He pulled her close and wound his strong arms around her. "You can stay with me."
Taken aback by his proposition, she sobered and pushed away. "I can't stay with you!"
Then what will you do? Is there somebody else you can stay with? Family? Friends?"
She shook her head. "I ’ ll ... I’ll find an apartment and get a job."
"Sugar, you don't have any money. To get a decent apartment, you'll have to have identification and money enough for a deposit and the first and last month's rent. You'll need clothes and food and money for utilities. And you don't have a fork or a stick of furniture."
Anne felt despair closing in on her again, and she closed her eyes and tried to think. An idea came to her and her eyes flew open. "You said you'd buy my watch."
"Yeah, I’ll buy it, but I can't give you what it's worth. It might cover setting you up in an apartment, but what about clothes and food? And what about transportation? You
He turned up the collar and his hands lingered on her lapels. For several seconds he simply stood there, silent and looking into her face with black-lashed eyes as blue and haunting as a South Sea lagoon. His gaze dropped to her lips, and they parted slightly, as if to a silent command. A warm fluttering stirred i n her stomach. Every feminine instinct she possessed told her that he wanted to kiss her. She swayed toward him, pulled by an incomprehensible magnetism, then stopped as alarm spread over her.
Spider gave a little shake of his head and, as if nothing had passed between them, grabbed her arm and propelled her out the back way. He led her to a big truck, shiny black and liberally decorated with chrome.
When he opened the door, the cab looked a million miles off the ground, and, dismayed, she turned to him, then resolutely looked back at the seat.
He looked amused as she awkwardly scrambled up into the cab. "Where to?" he asked when he got behind the wheel.
She gave him Vicki's address and hoped her friend would be home. Being around Spider Webb was disconcerting. Very disconcerting.
In less than five minutes, they pulled to a stop on a winding street lined with distinctive town houses. When she reached for the door handle. Spider stopped her.
"You stay in the truck, Anne. Let me check this out.”
Anne watched as he went through the courtyard and knocked on the door. After what seemed like an eternity, he knocked again. She twirled the fringe of her jacket around her finger as she waited. He walked away from the door and shrugged at her, then went to the next house and knocked. The door opened and he talked to someone for a few minutes.
As he returned to the truck, Spider's face was unreadable, and she twirled the fringe faster. When he was settled back in the truck he turned to her, and his eyes seemed troubled.
"Sugar, I ’v e got some bad news."
Three
When he hesitated, Anne's heart flew to her throat. Had Preston's thugs done something to her friend? Dear Lord, surely not. Surely he hadn 't recalled her connection to Vicki . She balled her hands into fists so tightly that her nails bit into the flesh of her palms.
"Has she been hurt?"
He shook his head. "No, nothing like that."
Anne breathed a relieved sigh. Vicki was safe. There was still hope. "Where is she?"
"Sugar, your friend's gone on a cruise for a month, and there's no way to contact her. She left last week."
"Oh, no." Try as she might, Anne couldn't prevent the tears that sprang to her eyes. "What am I going to do?" She felt as if her heart were being ripped from her chest. "I was counting on Vicki. I don't have any money. I don't have a place to live. I can't go home. What am I going to do?"
'Aw, darlin', don't cry." He pulled her close and wound his strong arms around her. "You can stay with me."
Taken aback by his proposition, she sobered and pushed away. "I can't stay with you!"
Then what will you do? Is there somebody else you can stay with? Family? Friends?"
She shook her head. "I ’ ll ... I’ll find an apartment and get a job."
"Sugar, you don't have any money. To get a decent apartment, you'll have to have identification and money enough for a deposit and the first and last month's rent. You'll need clothes and food and money for utilities. And you don't have a fork or a stick of furniture."
Anne felt despair closing in on her again, and she closed her eyes and tried to think. An idea came to her and her eyes flew open. "You said you'd buy my watch."
"Yeah, I’ll buy it, but I can't give you what it's worth. It might cover setting you up in an apartment, but what about clothes and food? And what about transportation? You
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