Romance MF: A Suspense Story With A Dark Hidden Secret (romance short story, suspense romance, romantic short stories, adult romance Book 1) by Carol Lawson Read Free Book Online Page A

recoiled at first as his hand touched her back, and it was another several seconds before she relaxed into him.
                  “Weird,” he said.             
                  “You’re weird,” she snapped.
                  “No, not you. I mean… this. I didn’t expect to be in the mountains looking at stars. I didn’t expect you.”
                  “No one ever does,” she said, giggling, but suddenly her face grew cold again, and Shane wondered if there wasn’t a double entendre hiding in between her words.
                  “I’m just trying to-”
                  He felt a small finger press up against his lips and looked down and saw Lily staring up at him with a resigned look on her face, like there was nothing to say and if he did it would ruin the moment. Even in the dark her eyes caught every fragment of light and refracted it back at him like a prism, like a cat caught in the headlights of a car.
                  “Let’s not define this. Let’s just enjoy it, okay?” she whispered, and he merely nodded and squeezed her, and she nuzzled closer in reply.
                  Above them the stars explored their vast distances, some of them slipping and losing their way as they blazed out of existence on the horizon. Shane closed his eyes and for the second time in as many months or years he slept soundly and happily.
                 

 
    7.
                  On Sunday morning the sun woke him up through the window of the car. The back was still open, and it was quite a view to wake up to. It was clear again, and dawn was just clearing the peaks to the east. He struggled awake and saw that Lily wasn’t there.
                  “Lily?” he murmured.
                  He stepped out onto the meadow and looked around but there was no sign. He imagined she was probably making breakfast, and walked back up to the cabin. But before he reached the deck he heard her voice. At first he thought she was singing again to the playlist on his iPod but when he didn’t hear any music he crept closer.
                  It was definitely Lily’s voice, and it sounded like she was talking to someone. There weren’t any other vehicles on the meadow, and they hadn’t seen any signs of anyone since. She frowned, not wanting to invade her privacy, but curious as to the nature of the conversation. The kitchen window was ajar and he peeked around the corner and saw her pacing nervously in the living room, the old Nokia phone pressed to the side of her ear.
                  She kept holding her head and he could tell she was upset, on the verge of tears as she whispered hoarsely into the black phone.
                  “How’d they find out? I didn’t leave anything behind. No one even knew where I was going!” she exclaimed at the person on the other line. There was another moment of silence as she nodded. “No, no I can’t. Do you know where they are now? Do they know I was in Seattle? Because you have a TV, Lacey! And you’re in the department, you know these things. Are they back on my trail or not?”
                  Shane backed up against the wall of the cabin. A dozen scenarios raced through his mind as to what could possible shake someone as rooted as Lily. He’d never seen her scared, and had taken it for granted that she was fearless. Whether that was a symptom of having had to make a go on her own, a product of her own upbringing, or just a latent naivete on her behalf he wasn’t sure yet.
                  But now something had spooked her. He peeked around the corner and saw her brush away tears and hug her stomach.
                  “I have to go. No, it’s… it’s complicated. I can’t tell you where I am. I’m with this guy, he’s nice. No, not like that, just… I can’t get him