Breaking The Rules Part 5

Zeke made a low sound in his throat, and she found herself abruptly free, staring again into his harsh and compelling face. For a long moment, he simply looked at her intently, then pulled away, shaking his head.

"d.a.m.n," he said, shoving his hand through his hair. "That wasn't what I didn't..."

He whirled and grabbed the money from their bet off the bar. With a violent gesture, he flung it all on the pool table. "I know you've got trouble and you need this money. Just tell me who you are, and I'll let you walk away with every single penny."

Mattie stared at him, at the money settling in scattered little flutters on the table and the floor. One twenty-dollar bill landed on her toe.

In an agonized whisper, she asked, "Why do you care? Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"I don't know." He sighed. "It bugs me that I can't remember why I know you. It seems-" he frowned "-important."

Mattie didn't wait to hear any more. She whirled and ran for the door. She grabbed the handle and yanked. Futilely. A dead bolt held it firm. With a soft sound of panic, she tugged again.

"I've got the key." Zeke came up behind her. "If you'll get the h.e.l.l out of the way, I'll open it for you."

She schooled herself to step back, watching as he turned the key and jerked open the door with a sharp, annoyed gesture. "Go on, now," he said. "Run on home, Miss Mary."

Something in that derisive tone chased away her fear. "I forgot something," she said, and squatted to take the money out of her shoe. With a gesture as patronizing as she could manage, she tucked the bills into his shirt pocket.

Or tried. He dodged out of reach when he realized her intent. "C'mon, Mary. Keep it."

"You won it fair and square." Firmly, she stuffed it in the pocket and brushed by him.

"Mary!"

She ignored him. The thin, dry desert air had a bite this time of night, even in full summer. She should

have brought a jacket with her.

"Mary, will you hold on one cottonpickin ' minute?"

She kept walking, striking out into the inky blackness of the mountain night without a second thought. At

home inKansas City, she wouldn't have crossed the street by herself this time of night. Here, there was no danger in the three blocks to her little cabin. It was deeply silent and smelled of pines. She would miss that fresh smell and the quiet.

A pithy word bit the night. Mattie heard the door slam. She didn't look back to see if he'd gone inside surely he wouldn't walk off and leave a hundred dollars scattered over the pool table. He would. The sound of his bike engine growled into the quiet. Mattie tensed, hearing him approach. He idled up beside her. "I suppose giving you a ride home is out of the question?"

The headlamp on the bike shot a path through the darkness. Mattie followed it, unwilling to admit she wanted the light, liked the comfort of engine noises in the quiet. She spared him a single glance, seeing only the sheen of his skin and the long tumble of his hair.

She kept walking.

"I'll just tag along for my own peace of mind, then."

Mattie stopped. "Zeke, what do you want from me? I wasn't even going to play you a game of pool until

you insisted. I gave you the money you won. I haven't done anything to you why won't you leave me

alone?" The bike stopped when she did and he held upright easily, the engine idling lazily between his legs. "I don't honestly know, Mary. You just seem like you-" He shook his head. "Like you're all alone."

"You're all alone."

"That's different."

"Right. You're a big bad man and I'm just a helpless little woman."

"Partly." He took a cigarette from his shirt pocket as he spoke. "I'm also a lot meaner and tougher than

you. You aren't the kind of woman that ought to be hanging out in pool halls and walking home in the dark at all times of night."

"Thank you for your insight." Mattie started walking again.

His voice followed her. "I'll make you a deal, Miss Mary."

"Another one?"

"Just tell me your real first name." He c.o.c.ked his head, and his smile was coaxing, friendly, s.e.xy. "Just for my own satisfaction."

"And if I do, you'll leave me alone?"

He lit his cigarette. "If you want me to."

There was that arrogance again, in the sure tilt of his head, the half smile on that sensual mouth. The

expression said no woman ever refused him anything. She crossed her arms. "Mattie."

He raised his chin, considering. "Matilda?"

"That wasn't part of the deal."

"Fair enough." He grinned. "Hop on. I'll give you a ride."

"Not in this getup."

"Oh, who's gonna see? I won't peek." Restlessly, he flicked his wrist on the accelerator and the bike

growled.

The dress was an excuse. No way, after that kiss in the bar, that she wanted to climb up behind him and lean into thatlong, muscled back. "No." He shrugged and continued to walk the bike alongside her. For one whole block, neither of them said anything. Mattie would never have admitted it to him, but she liked the low purring of the bike and the lighted path its headlight made. "I can't get over how dark it is here," she said at last.

"Yeah. Makes me think of where I grew up."

Not home. Where he grew up. "Where is that?"

"Little town near Clinton, Mississippi. How 'bout you?"

Without even thinking, Mattie said, "Kansas City. Missouri side."

As soon as the words were out, a stab of cold terror struck her heart. How could she be so careless?

All at once, the evening overwhelmed her. Zeke had unnerved her with his pool game, his kiss, his big

motorcycle and lazy drawl. Close to tears, she said, "Will you please just leave me alone?"

"Mary Mattie I'm sorry." He touched her arm, but she jerked away. "You see what I mean, honey? If I can trip you, someone else can, too." "Don't you think I know that? Do you think this is normal for me?" She struggled to hold on to her disintegrating emotions, but felt the losing battle in the trembling of her arms. "All I'm trying to do is stay low, stay out of sight and keep moving. And I'd have been able to if you hadn't kept sticking your big nose in where it didn't belong."

They had reached the driveway of the motel. "I don't mean you any harm, Mattie," he said, his voice deep and quiet against the vastness of the night. Mattie clenched her jaw. "I know." There was a quaver in her voice she loathed and just the sound of it almost unleashed her tears. Urgently, she stared at the green neon tubing on the office door: Shady Pine Motel. The letters blurred, then cleared as she gained control.

Zeke hadn't moved. If only she could turn to him the way she longed to, finally tell someone all the terrible things she'd seen, release her horror somehow. If only she could tell someone, she wouldn't feel so lonely.

He took her hand. "Take care, Mattie. I won't bother you again."

Something touched her hand, but before she had a chance to see what it was, he'd roared off, taillight blinking red in the darkness.

Mattie opened her palm and saw the neatly folded twenties she'd given him.

Chapter 5.

Zeke didn't sleep well or long. By seven, he was up and dressed and headed over to the cafe, breaking not only several of his own rules namely to leave good girls alone and to mind his own business but also his promise to Mattie.

But his instincts were screaming. Rules didn't hold much weight against that.

The cafe was busy with the breakfast rush, but already the road crews and park police had begun to clear out. Zeke took his customary place at the counter, setting a long white envelope with Mattie's name on it beside the napkin.

"Morning, gorgeous," Roxanne said, automatically filling a heavy ceramic mug with coffee. "How you doing today?"

"All right. Is Mary here?"

"It's her day off. You're stuck with me."

He scowled. Mattie was probably long gone by now. "d.a.m.n," he said aloud.

Roxanne lifted an eyebrow. "Come on, now. I'm not that bad a waitress, am I?"

"That's not what I meant." He touched the envelope on the counter. "I've got something for her. She forgot it last night."

"She kicked your b.u.t.t, too, huh?"

Zeke couldn't tell if she was pleased or annoyed. "I guess."

"I've never seen a woman play pool like that."

"She's good, no question." He sipped his hot coffee. "Where did you go, anyway?"

Roxanne shrugged, and this time, it was plain she was miffed. "As long as she was playing, there was no point to my hanging around."

He chuckled. "Turnabout is fair play. I've seen you hog the attention of every man in the room on more than one occasion."

"Yeah, but she doesn't do it on purpose." She shook her head, giving him a rueful grin. "Meow."

A man called for more coffee. Roxanne lifted a finger to tell him to wait a minute. "You want something to eat?"

Zeke shook his head. "Just the coffee right now."

"All right." With a quirky smile, she added, "If you need anything, just whistle."