Close-up, Asher couldn’t keep his gaze off Ellie Jespersen. From a distance, she looked, for no better word at the moment, normal. Up close, however, she was stunning. Her features brought to mind a delicacy of femininity but also strength—the slight lift of her chin as she stared him down. Stubborn. But her profile . . . pure woman. Smooth forehead, a slightly upturned nose, and faintly freckled cheekbones lent her an almost pixie-like appearance. Finely shaped eyebrows and full lips captured his attention for several moments before he turned his attention back to the road.

Moments later, he darted another look her way, glancing at her body. Her flannel shirt hung open, a dark T-shirt beneath outlining small yet perky breasts and a slim torso. The silence in the cab of his truck jarred him, and he lifted his gaze upward again. She sat stiffly, slightly turned toward him, her gaze wary.

“Yes, you are just going to have to trust me,” he said, finally answering her question. “And I can tell you this, there’s something I could use right about now.”

She stiffened and pressed her back even more firmly against the door. “What?”

“A cup of coffee. You?” Her mouth dropped open in surprise. A telling reaction. She wasn’t nearly as relaxed as she tried to let on. Her pulse throbbed in her neck, visible even in the blue glow of the dashboard lights.

Ellie crossed her arms over her chest and continued to stare at him. She should be scared. If she had one iota of sense, she would be.

“No, I don’t want any coffee. I need to get back to my apartment. I can’t do anything without money, and I need to get it back. Quickly.”

Asher said nothing as he navigated an off-ramp toward a combination gas station and convenience store about a hundred yards off a frontage road. Next door to that stood an all-night diner. He pulled into a parking spot between the gas station and the diner and killed the engine. “Not until you answer a few questions.”

She huffed. “While I appreciate you coming to my aid back there, I don’t know you, and I certainly don’t owe you any explanations about my life, what I do for a living, or anything else for that matter.”

“I beg to differ,” he said calmly, removing the keys and sliding them into one of the pockets of his pants. Couldn’t be too careful. “You’re sitting in my truck,” he reminded her. “And unless you plan—”

With surprising agility, she released the clasp on her seatbelt and slung it over her shoulder, at the same time using her other hand to reach for the door handle. She moved quickly and turned her torso toward escape, one leg already moving to shove against the slightly open door. He wrapped his right hand around her arm. God, her bone felt as delicate as a bird’s leg.

“Shut the door.”

She ignored him, instead trying to yank her arm from his grasp. He grunted with frustration.

“Look, Ellie, you don’t know what kind of trouble you might be in. Right now, I’m your only chance.”

She paused long enough to glance at him over her shoulder, eyebrows pulled down in a dark frown. “My only chance for what?” she snapped, a white-knuckled hand clasping the door handle, the door several inches ajar.

He shrugged. “Safety? Support? A friend in need?”

“I don’t need any friends,” she snapped. “I want to leave now.”

“Everybody needs a friend once in a while, and I did help you back there.”

She lifted her chin. “I could’ve given him the slip.”

“You’re sure of that?” She didn’t move. Didn’t say anything. She stilled, her features flat. The frown gone, replaced by a demeanor devoid of expression. “Shut the door.”

He thought she would comply, but with a sharp curse hurled in his direction, she kicked the door open with her foot and lashed out at him with her left hand. Her tiny though effectively balled fist caught him in the jaw as he leaned toward her. It glanced off his jaw with surprising strength. Damn! He tightened his grip on that seemingly delicate arm of hers, afraid that he might accidentally snap it in half. She managed to snake one leg outside the door, and her body leaned outward to follow it.

He sighed and jerked her back, hard, ignoring her protests as he leaned toward the door, his bulk pressing her back against the seat. Asher reached for the door handle and slammed the door shut. He turned toward her, his face mere inches from hers. His chest pressed against hers, which was heaving with fear, anger, and whatever other emotions surged through her. His grip on her left arm had loosened when he reached forward to grab for the door.

Her firm breasts pressed against his chest, irrationally triggering an electrical-like jolt through his body. Her petite frame belied the presence of sleek musculature. Again, she tried to push him away, definitely stronger than she looked. Her face hovered close to his neck, her warm breath teasing his skin, prompting an alarming bit of interest in his dick. He placed his left hand on the door handle, effectively covering the handle. They both shifted at the same time. He released his grip on her arm and braced himself against the seat cushion. Unfortunately, his right hand landed between her legs. A shocked gasp escaped her lips and she froze.

He stared at her and she stared back, their faces so close he now felt her breath on his lips, as he was sure she felt his. The dark interior of the truck cab made it impossible to gauge her expression. He heard the slight hitch in her throat and felt tension leave her body.

If someone were to ask him later why the hell he did what he did next, he wouldn’t be able to answer. Perhaps it was instinct. Perhaps it was merely the excitement of the chase. Perhaps it was nothing more than being in close proximity to a desirable, feisty, and sexy woman. He leaned forward and touched his lips to hers. Softly at first, his mouth just feathering over hers, so tender and warm. Another subdued gasp from deep in her throat, but instead of leaning away from him, she slightly tilted her head, her lips still beneath his, and then ever so briefly, returned the pressure.

The interaction only lasted a second, barely long enough to take a breath yet long enough to stir feelings of desire within him. Until common sense kicked in. He pulled away, shifted his position again, now with his hand braced against the door frame, the other against the seat cushion just over her shoulder, his face still close to hers.

“Don’t do that again,” he whispered. He hadn’t meant to whisper, but his voice had failed him.

An outraged snort left her lips. “You’re the one that kissed me first, you arrogant—”

He grinned. “I didn’t mean that, Ellie . . . that was quite enjoyable, and I wouldn’t mind exploring . . .” What the hell? He paused and tried again. “What I was talking about was the door.” She said nothing. “I’m serious. You may not like it, but I’m your best chance at staying alive right now, and I suggest you take advantage.” Crap, that came out wrong. To his surprise, he heard a soft chuckle.

“Smooth. Do you always stick your foot in your mouth like that?”

He heard the sarcasm and leaned back with a shrug. “More often than I’d like to admit, but you know what I mean.” He glanced toward the window, taking in the area. “All I wanted was a simple, quiet evening, but no.” He gestured toward the diner. “All I want right now is a cup of strong, black coffee, but again, no. I have a feeling that I won’t be able to take you anywhere without you trying to run away, which is something that I can’t allow you to do.”

“And why can’t you?” she demanded. “Who are you?” She scrunched herself into the corner of the cab again between the edge of the seat and the door.

She shifted her legs, and he gave her the room to do so. She didn’t try to escape again, but lifted her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

“What you want with me?” she asked, voice soft though demanding. She glanced out the passenger side window, gazing at the lights from the diner.

“I don’t want you,” he claimed. “Not exactly. Like I said, I saw that guy following you. It didn’t look good. What did you want me to do? I—”

“But who are you, and why don’t you let me go now? What’s your deal? Why do you think I’m not safe out there? That I’m unable to protect myself. That you’re the only one that can save me from doom. You going to kidnap me? Rape me? Kill me? What? And I repeat, who are you?” her voice had risen from a near whisper to a shout.

“Calm down.” He leaned to give her space, running a hand through his hair. “I told you. My name’s Asher.”

“You know that’s not what I mean,” she said.

She stared at him, eyes narrowed, as if committing every single one of his features to memory. Even in the darkness, he felt her intense gaze on him. He shifted slightly. She wasn’t afraid any longer. Ellie’s spine stiffened, her body leaning slightly forward, not shying away from him any longer. He didn’t like it, but at the same time it set off fireworks inside his belly. Damn it. He was there to keep her alive, and nothing more. He had to remember that.

Suddenly, she shrugged, accompanied by a soft snort. “Well, I guess if you wanted to rape or murder me, you would’ve done it already.”

“That’s not what I want at all.”

“So why not drop me off at the local police station if you’re so concerned about my safety?” She gestured back toward the highway. “You know there’s a station only a few blocks from my apartment, right?”

“Yes, but—”

“Aha! You have been following me,” she exclaimed. Once again, arms crossed over her chest, she asked the question. “Who are you, and what do you want with me?”

Asher quickly grew tired of the verbal battle and her stubbornness. Didn’t she realize that he had just saved her from likely getting her throat slit in that alley? “You do know that guy following you had a reason for doing so. You do get that, don’t you?”

“Oh, I see,” she said, her voice icy now. “You expect more than a simple thank you?”

“Oh, my God,” he muttered under his breath. “I know you’re not stupid, Ellie, and I’m getting a little tired of your playing-dumb scenario.” He paused, trying to figure the best way to explain without giving her too much information. “For now, let’s just keep it with the fact that I’m a good guy. That guy following you isn’t, and—”

“How do you know that?” she interrupted. “And just how long of you been following me anyway? You want me to believe that you’re a good guy? Sure, I’m gullible. I’ll take your word for it”—she smirked—“not. And again, I ask, why should I? You’ve given me nothing. I’m outta here.”

She reached for the door handle. Asher reached across the seat to stop her from doing so. “Let’s not make this more difficult than it has to be.”

Again their faces mere inches apart. Her warm breath on his face. A car pulling away from the gas station swerved in front of the diner, headlights illuminating both of them for several seconds. In those seconds, Asher saw the change that came over her. Her widening eyes, the slack jaw, the frown of consternation. What was her problem?

“Ellie, I need you to be reasonable . . .”

She caught him off guard. He wasn’t quite sure how she managed it, but she struck. Her left fist slammed downward into his groin while her right fist lashed out and caught him square on the nose. His balls shrunk upward in pain as tears briefly formed in his eyes and warm blood gushed from his nose. She twisted away, grabbed the door handle, and yanked upward. She thrust open the door with a foot and dashed out, screaming her bloody head off.

“Shit!” He covered his nose with one hand and cupped his crotch with the other, struggling to swallow the nausea that rose in his throat. Several people emerged from the diner as Ellie ran screaming toward the entrance, pointing at him.

“The truck, that one, the F-150! He’s trying to kidnap me!”

This wasn’t good. Not good at all. Ignoring his nose and his balls, he reached across the seat, grabbed the door handle, and slammed the door shut, muttering foul curses as he quickly started the truck and pulled out of the driveway and squealed away from the diner before anyone got a good look at his license plate. Shit. Glancing in his rearview mirror, he saw one man holding a cell phone to his ear.

He cursed again. While he had to hand it to Ellie for managing that display, he cursed himself soundly for being played.

Jackson wasn’t going to be happy. Not happy at all.