Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
The world spun as Danica careened down the slope. Branches and rocks scratched her skin. She tried to grasp for something to hold on to, but she was moving too fast. Everything was a blur.
Her ankle caught and twisted painfully. She grabbed a thick tree root, ignoring the sting as something sharp scraped her forearm.
Danica pushed onto her hands and knees, gasping for breath.
“Don’t move.” Noah was half running, half sliding down the hillside toward her. “The drop-off is right behind you.”
Carefully, she looked downhill. Just a couple of yards beyond, the slope ended in an outcropping of smooth rock, and then fell away. Seagulls circled in the air, and waves crashed against the base of the cliff far below.
Shit. That had been really close.
Noah reached her and knelt. “Are you okay?”
“Just some scratches. Where’s Rosie? I heard a gunshot—”
“She’s okay. Probably calling the rest of your security detail. You reacted fast.”
Danica was trembling. “At first I couldn’t see them well, but the side door of the van started to open, and I knew it couldn’t be good. It all happened in a split second. I didn’t mean to nearly throw myself off a cliff.”
“As far as escape routes, that might’ve been overkill.” Noah reached for her to help her up.
“Do you think they’ll come back around?”
“Let’s not wait to find out. But I think they decided to abort. If your security team knows what the hell they’re doing, they’ll stop the van before it leaves the neighborhood.”
She wanted to know who was responsible for this. A second kidnapping attempt in a few days?
And once again, it was like the assholes had known just where to find her.
Danica was officially done with this shit.
Noah helped her stand. She hissed at a sharp bolt of pain. “I might’ve twisted my ankle.” She really didn’t need this right now.
“I’ve got you. Climb onto my back.”
She looped her arms around his neck, resting her weight against him.
Noah stood, grabbing hold of her thighs.
His back was solid, the muscles prominent under his shirt, right up against her breasts.
The fabric of his tee was slightly damp, but she wasn’t complaining.
No man should’ve smelled so good when he was sweaty.
Noah hiked them back up the hill. When they reached the road, he set her down, but he kept an arm around her to support her weight.
Rosie ran toward them, her phone in her hand. Her gun was in her other fist, but she tucked it back into the shoulder holster she always wore. “I radioed to the team to intercept the vehicle. Blake is sending another car to meet us.”
“Dani needs to get to safety now,” Noah said. “We don’t know who else might be coming for her, and your team was already supposed to have secured the neighborhood.”
Rosie’s expression hardened. “My orders are to keep her here until—”
“Negative. Those are your orders. Not mine.” Noah turned his head to look at Danica. “I’d rather take you to my house immediately. We’re not far. We’ll cut through some of the neighbors’ properties. That okay with you?”
Rosie frowned at them. “Ms. Foster-Grant, I advise that we—”
“I’m going with Noah.” Right now, he was the only thing Danica was sure of.
They emerged through a dense patch of trees, and the back part of Noah’s house came into view.
Noah was carrying her in his arms now, cradled against his torso. Despite the danger, at least some of the adrenaline in her veins was purely a response to him.
She couldn’t stop looking up at him. When they were younger, Noah had kept his face closely shaved. But today, an early-morning shadow darkened his chin. His hair was messy from the run.
Danica couldn’t help herself. She touched her nose to his jawline. His skin was warm. Smooth and rough at the same time.
At first, when he’d mentioned still having feelings for her, she’d thought he was serious. And she’d had no idea how to respond.
Thank goodness he hadn’t meant it. Noah was very attractive, but feelings? No. She couldn’t deal with that on top of everything else.
Noah glanced down at her, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. “Don’t worry. I’ll get you fixed up.”
“I’m okay.”
Her ankle was throbbing, and the scratches on her skin stung. But it was really hard to focus on her discomfort with so much of him touching her, his scent in her nose.
Noah turned the handle on the back door. It wasn’t locked. They strode into the kitchen.
Danica looked past his shoulder and saw Rosie trudge in after them.
“Ginger?” he called out. “Could you give me a hand?”
Footsteps came from upstairs, then a voice. “Noah? Is that you?” An older woman swept into the kitchen. “Oh, my. If I’d expected so many guests, I would’ve changed.” She was wearing a silky robe and curlers in her hair.
Danica assumed this was the step-grandmother he’d mentioned. “Sorry to invade your home like this. I’m—”
Ginger’s surprised expression slid into a smile. “Danica Foster-Grant, I presume. And look at you, poor thing. Those scratches. I’ll get some antiseptic.”
“And bandages,” Noah said.
He set Danica on the kitchen counter. As Rosie looked on, he got an ice pack from the freezer and wrapped it in a tea towel. “Here, for your ankle.”
“Thanks.” The joint was red and swelling, though she couldn’t tell how bad the damage was yet.
Rosie spoke into her phone, then lowered it. “Blake and the others are on their way. Couple minutes.”
Danica’s phone buzzed again. She pulled it out to check the notifications. Blake, as she’d expected.
Instead of responding, she sent off a message to her father, assuring William she was all right. She’d have to figure out what else to tell him.
“I’d recommend you stay here at least until they locate the van,” Noah said.
Rosie was shaking her head. “Blake wants her back at the Foster-Grant residence.”
Noah glanced sharply over his shoulder. “All due respect, it’s safer for Dani to remain in place than going back out in the open.”
“I don’t need either of you to speak for me.” Danica’s tone had come out harsher than she’d intended. “I’m staying here until they locate the van.” Which was exactly what he’d said. But she’d wanted it to be her decision.
Noah’s mouth curled up at the corner. “Excellent idea.”
Danica’s eyes locked with his. “Rosie, could Noah and I have a moment alone, please?”
Rosie glanced between them. She wasn’t liking this. But she clearly could tell she wasn’t going to win here. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll check the perimeter of the house, but I’ll stay close. Just speak up if you need anything.” She left the room.
Once the bodyguard’s steps had receded, Danica said, “I need you to let me handle this. Blake won’t be happy about me defying him, and I don’t want him pissed at you, too.”
Their chief of security might claim to care about her, but he didn’t like having his authority questioned unless it was her father doing it.
“I don’t care about offending Blake. But I get it. I’ll back off.”
Noah switched on the hot water, fetched another tea towel and wet it under the faucet.
The fabric dabbed gently at the scrapes on Danica’s arms and legs.
“I could probably do that myself,” she said.
“Probably.” But he didn’t stop. He brought the damp towel to her neck, his mouth just inches from hers. “I don’t mind taking care of you. If you still want my help?”
“I do.”
His green eyes studied hers.
Ginger bustled back into the room, carrying several bottles and boxes. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t seem to find anything, and then suddenly I couldn’t carry it all.” She dumped the items on the counter beside Danica. “Good, Noah is getting you cleaned up. What on earth happened?”
“Fell while we were running.”
“And Noah didn’t catch you? How unchivalrous of him.”
“Hey, I tried. Dani was sprinting ahead of me.”
Behind his back, Ginger rolled her eyes.
Danica laughed weakly. “It definitely wasn’t Noah’s fault. Someone, um, tried to kidnap me. Again.” She suppressed a shudder. Danica didn’t like turning their conversation so serious, but she wanted Ginger to know. She hated to think she could be bringing danger here.
“Like last week?” Ginger asked. “What they were talking about on the news?”
“Seems that way.”
Ginger crossed her arms over her robe. “Just awful. I’m thankful you’re safe and sound. Noah, I’d better text your grandfather to let him know to stay put until the drama’s over.”
“Where is he?” Noah asked.
“Oh, where else? His morning tee time with his friends.”
Noah dabbed antiseptic ointment onto the cuts on her legs. The long strokes of his fingers soothed her, and she felt the fear and tension begin to evaporate.
“There.” Ginger set down her phone. “He’ll wait for the all clear. More time on the green, which I’m sure he’s just furious about.”
“I hope I’m not disrupting your plans for the day,” Danica said.
“Not at all. I was just watching Netflix when you arrived with such fanfare. I do have a show to get ready for later on.”
“A show?”
Ginger moved her hands in a flourish. “Darling, I’m the headliner tonight at the Pacific Burlesque Theater near Santa Barbara.”
Danica felt herself grin. “Really?”
“Every Tuesday and Wednesday, and the occasional Saturday in summers. You’re welcome to a front row ticket anytime you’d like to check out my act. You’ll have to invite another young man to take you, though. Noah’s always declined. We wouldn’t want to offend his delicate sensibilities.”
He grumbled, opening a bandage. “You’re married to my grandpa. Some things I don’t need to see.”
Ginger opened the dishwasher and started unloading the dishes, most of which appeared to be wine glasses. “Back in my day,” she whispered, “Navy men weren’t so prudish.”
Danica snorted.
“Laughing at me again?” Noah’s head was down, but he was looking at her through his eyelashes.
“Hope your ego’s not too fragile.”
“Nah. Whatever you’ve got, I can take it. But you’re supposed to be letting me down easy.” His tone was low. Unmistakably flirty. “You’ve got a cut here, too.” Noah’s thumb brushed her cheek as he smoothed antiseptic over it.
His irises were each a different shade of green. The one on the right was slightly darker. She’d noticed when they were talking beneath the tree. How could she have forgotten that for so many years?
But the freckle just above his upper lip, visible through the stubble. That she remembered.
“You’re staring at my mouth,” he said.
“No, I wasn’t.”
Ginger closed a cabinet door and looked over. “Pretty sure you were, dear.”
Smirking, Noah threaded the cap onto the tube of antiseptic. “You’re all patched up. How’s the ankle feeling?”
She wiggled the joint. “Not bad.”
He lifted the ice pack and prodded her skin with gentle fingers. “This hurt?”
“No.” But with his hands on her, she was starting to overheat, even with the ice.
“I don’t think it’s sprained too badly,” he said. “I can be your crutch, if you need one.”
He was being so sweet. An overpowering sense of attraction filled her belly with warmth. She wanted him to pull her into his arms again, hold her close.
Her nose burned. Oh, no.
She was going to cry.
“Dani?” Noah asked. “You okay?”
She wished he’d stop asking her that.
In the side pocket of her shorts, Danica’s phone started to buzz. It was probably Blake. He could wait. For the moment, she switched off her phone.
What she needed, right now, was a chance to calm down. So she didn’t start bawling in the Vandermeers’ kitchen.