Entangling: Book One of the Kirin Lane Series

by Kelley Griffin

  ~*~

  “Hello?”

  “I saw you.” The gruff voice she didn’t recognize, laughed bitterly.

  Had to be Scar. Kirin swallowed hard. Not one thing she’d meant to say to him at the bar was inside her head at that moment. And without her liquid courage, her brain emptied like a library at closing time.

  “Next time, your little boyfriend won’t be there to save you.”

  Two beeps indicated the call ended.

  Kirin tossed her phone into the seat next to her like spiders lived inside. Her phone rang again, and she glanced over. Another unknown number. Nope. Not answering that one.

  As she sped down the entrance ramp to get on I-40 heading toward the mountains, her phone beeped with an incoming text.

  She didn’t want to look, but damn, curiosity won out. She flipped the phone back over and glanced down.

  “Where the hell are you goin’?”

  She tapped the mic and spoke a text, “Who is this?”

  The return text bounced back. “Sam, who’d you expect?”

  Kirin dug the number out of her sweater pocket. Whew, it matched. She hit the dial button and put the phone on speaker. He didn’t even say hello.

  “Where’re you going?”

  “I have a class in Sevierville. Why? Wait, are you following me?”

  “Duh.”

  A tiny shiver of delight ran up her spine. “Well, I’m not going to work today.”

  “Obviously.” His tone was dry.

  “You know if you have to follow me everywhere, you might as well ride with me, instead of wasting your gas.”

  “I’m fine. How long is your class, Kirin?”

  “I think we finish at noon, but I probably won’t be home until four.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m gonna change and find a trail to hike.”

  “No.” He said it as if he told a two-year-old she couldn’t have another cookie. Her jaw tightened.

  “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

  Sam let out a long-exasperated breath. “You’re gonna get lost or fall off the side of a mountain by accident.”

  He was trying to scare her. Tight-lipped she replied, “I’ll be fine. Go do whatever you need to do today.” And hung up.

  Why did it make her so angry and yet so happy he still followed her? It was his job. She was his job. It wasn’t as if he protected her because he wanted to. She had to remember, he was paid to do it.

  Kirin sped up. Anger pushed her accelerator.

  ~*~

  Four long hours and a buffet of caffeinated drinks later, Kirin stumbled out into the sunshine toward her car. She smiled. The weather was in full cooperation for her hike; warm enough to ditch the sweater she’d brought, but cool enough not to sweat. She didn’t care what Sam said, she wouldn’t let them make her afraid of a little hike. She did, however, make a mental note to find a popular trail with plenty of people.

  Starting her car, she pulled out into traffic. Crap. She forgot to change clothes. Looking ahead and in her rearview mirror, the sea of tourist vehicles moved along at a snail’s pace, but she couldn’t get back off the highway, she’d never get back on.

  Sitting in traffic, she took off her flats and tossed them in the backseat. Then pulled her bag up front with her tan shorts, white shirt, hiking boots and socks inside. Traffic stopped momentarily letting some crazy person inch across three lanes of traffic to get to a Cracker Barrel. She used the stop to pull on warm socks and pull the shorts over her ankles.

  At the next red light, a man on a motorcycle pulled up next to her. His helmet indicated his focus was straight ahead, but the facemask was blacked out, so she couldn’t tell.

  Aw hell. If she flashed him, she flashed him.

  With one foot firmly on the brake, she pulled her shorts up under her dress to the tops of her thighs, momentarily exposing pink polka dotted panties. Great. Lifting her rear, she yanked them the rest of the way up, and buttoned them under her dress.

  Motorcycle Man never flinched. She probably looked odd, but so what?

  The top would take some maneuvering. If she were in her twenties, she’d have ripped off the dress and put her shirt on, mid-traffic, without missing a beat. Now, she was more self-conscious. Eyes were always on her. Damn her father and damn black-suited men, they’d made her paranoid.

  Finally, through traffic but still wearing a dress, shorts, and hiking boots sitting inside her bag next to her, she took the bypass. She’d avoid the neon signs, theme parks, and shopping malls and drive straight to the hiking trails. She closed her eyes briefly to take in the sweet smell; pine trees, dirt, and fresh air, exactly what she needed.

  She pulled over and parked at the first trailhead she came to with only a few cars parked in front. Locking the doors, Kirin crawled into the backseat and grabbed her boots to change. Her windows were tinted from the factory, which was to say not dark, but as she looked around. Nobody in sight.

  Kirin flung off her dress, revealing her baby blue bra. No big deal, except she’d forgotten to get her shirt out of the bag up front. Stupid how five cups of coffee in the seminar messed with her ability to think clearly. She huffed in exasperation, pushed her whole body in-between the two front seats rooted around for her shirt. Please say she didn’t forget to pack a shirt.

  “Aha!” she said to herself and shook the shirt in celebration. A man with an amused smile wearing a hoodie, jeans, and hiking boots, leaned against the post directly in front of her car. Arms crossed, his grin was infectious. Clearly, he was enjoying the show.

  Kirin draped her shirt over her chest and with her index finger made a swirling motion, telling her voyeur to turn around.

  Sam’s smug smile faded, as heat filled his eyes. Slowly, he shook his head no. The car immediately felt ten degrees warmer.

  She changed fingers to give him a new sign and sat back to pull her shirt on. Why did everything seem to come so easy to him? And why did it seem she always was the one who looked stupid?

  Stepping out of the car, she pulled a hair tie off her wrist and flung her hair in a loose bun, then turned to get behind her SUV to stretch. He didn’t need to get the full show.

  “You ‘bout ready?” he yelled from the front of her car.

  “You’re an ass,” she called back.

  “What?” He chuckled. “I can’t help if you like to get naked in your car in public.”

  At the exact moment he said it, an elderly man and woman started on the trailhead. The man turned to look at Kirin and snickered. Sam couldn’t contain his laughter.

  Kirin huffed past him, picked up a walking stick propped against the sign and stomped up the paved pathway.

  He’d be damn lucky if she didn’t push him over the side of the mountain for fun.

  His long legs allowed him to catch up to her quickly and when he did, he nudged her with his elbow. She wasn’t biting. She wished she hadn’t seen the stupid-cute grin plastered on his face.

  “What?” she snapped.

  “Blue. It looks good on you.”

  Kirin stopped. Hands on her hips, she sent daggers with her eyes.

  His face at first held confusion, then his eyebrows shot up. “Wait … no … I meant the dress. The blue dress looked good on you, not the bra. Well, the bra looked nice too, but … aw hell, I was talking about the dress.”

  Sam shoved his hands in his pockets then stared at the pavement. He looked so cute, like a scolded little boy with his flushed face. It melted her, how he tripped all over himself, making him seem more human and less perfect. She walked again, and after a beat, he followed.

  “Umm-hmm,” she said, glancing sideways.

  “Oh, shut up, you knew what I meant.”

  “Pervert.”

  “Yep, that’s me. A perv.” He glanced ahead of them and behind them, then took Kirin’s hand and switched places with her.

  “What’re you doing?”

  “Putting you next to the safe mountainside and away from the jagged
side that falls down a ravine. I’ve seen you walk, remember?”

  Kirin stuck her foot out and tripped him. As he recovered she sped up and moved back to the side closest to the stream that hugged the trail.

  “I’m obviously not the clumsy one,” she pointed out, smiling.

  His mouth twitched up, “Yeah? Except for elevators though, right?”

  Kirin stopped cold. Her mouth hung open.

  “That was you? You caught me in that elevator in my father’s office building? Were you following me in California too?”

  He shot her a look.

  “I had no idea,” she whispered to herself, staring into the trees. Stunned.

  “I told you, invisible. I’m good at my job. And that was a happy accident. Two jobs colliding.”

  He walked again but she stood there, mouth open.

  “You comin’?” he called over his shoulder. He picked up a rock and threw it down the side of the mountain into the stream below. She ran to catch up.

  “Why were you mad?”

  “What?”

  “In the elevator.”

  “What makes you think I was mad?”

  “You were. I know you.”

  Sam looked at her, staring for a moment, then shook his head.

  “Well, first, you.”

  “Me? What’d I do? I didn’t even know you then!”

  “You weren’t paying attention. You fell on a stranger in an elevator. What if I’d been one of the bad guys? It was like you were trying to get hurt.”

  “You are one of the bad guys.” She elbowed him, but he didn’t smile. “But you were there to catch me, so no harm done. Plus, it was the shoes.”

  “Right.” He laughed.

  “It was! I’d just left my father’s funeral, so I probably didn’t have my head on straight. Thanks for cutting me some slack on that one.”

  He looked down and nodded.

  After a moment, he finished. “And Mrs. Westin. The wealthy widow on the phone, remember her? She had the bright idea that she’d sell a coveted piece of property to my boss, but only if I went to certain functions … as her date.”

  Kirin giggled. “Did you? I didn’t realize you were a full-service escort.”

  She’d meant it as a joke, but Sam’s body went rigid. A silent, icy wall hung between them as they hiked the inclined trail. She hadn’t meant to hit a nerve but obviously, she had.

  The trail narrowed to only one body distance across, making them walk in a single file line. Sam took the lead. To their right was a curvy wall of rock and to their left was a small stream ten feet below. The stream followed the path’s every curve. The sound of swishing water increased with each step.

  After a moment, she poked him in the back, and he glanced back at her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  Sam waved it off like a gnat but didn’t say a word. The muscles in his jaw contracted, hard as stone.

  His long legs moved at an angry pace and tightened with each step. His body was angled forward, but his head swiveled back and forth as if a bear would come out of the woods at any second. Kirin moved in right behind him, hitting her stick on the partially paved trail and breathing heavy to keep up.

  She tapped his foot with her walking stick, making him turn his head. She wanted to lighten his mood. Silent, he kept moving. She tapped it again, harder and he immediately stopped. She’d been staring at his feet and ran face first into the brick wall of his back. Finally, he laughed and without a word grabbed her hand, and pulled her in front of him, so she could lead.

  The trails were several degrees colder than the parking area. For one, the canopy of trees blocked most of the sunlight and the higher you climbed the cooler the air. Add the rush of the cold mountain water in the stream alongside them and a waterfall about a mile ahead, and it was chilly.

  Sam took off his sweatshirt and nudged her with it. Her heart melted a little. She shook her head.

  “Take it. It’s hot, and I don’t want to carry it.”

  She turned and looked back at him. He was being kind. There was no way he was warm. Kirin nodded, thanked him and pulled it over her head. Immediately, she regretted it.

  Jeez. It smelled amazing. It caused happy bodily reactions that shouldn’t be taking place in public. She’d have to accidentally keep this.

  The trail widened and flattened out, so they could walk side by side.

  Sam’s phone buzzed, and he looked at it, never slowing his stride. If she hadn’t been a seasoned hiker, they would’ve had to stop before now. Keeping up with his long strides was a chore. She glanced at him. His eyebrows furrowed. At first, since he was breathing heavily she thought he was huffing because of the pace, then it dawned on her, he was reading.

  Sam stopped and typed something furiously into his phone.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Fine,” he said, through clenched teeth.

  “You suck at lying, by the way,” she stated, staring straight ahead.

  Sam turned and leveled a look at her as he shoved his phone back into his pocket.

  “Oh yeah? And how do you know I’m lying?”

  “Your eleven.”

  “Pardon?”

  “Your eleven,” she stated slower.

  “I heard what you said. I don’t know what it means.”

  Kirin rolled her eyes. “The two creases between your eyebrows. They deepen when you lie. It’s pretty easy to spot.”

  Sam reached up and touched the skin between his eyes. His face, perplexed.

  Kirin laughed. She dropped her walking stick and sprinted ahead. The mist coming off the waterfall came into view. She glanced back over her shoulder. “Last one there’s a rotten egg.”

  His eyes narrowed, and his smile widened as he chased after her.

  The swoosh of rushing water grew louder. Around the next corner was the bottom of a ten-foot waterfall over mountain rocks. The water at the base was so clear and cold, the air around it held a halo of smoke. And the temperature had dropped fifteen degrees.

  Kirin stopped to take in the sight of it, as Sam caught up to her and did the same. Even with his sweatshirt, she shivered at the cold air. She looked at him and felt guilty. Sam wore only a thin T-shirt and was forced to do the hike to follow her. When she pulled at Sam’s sweatshirt to give it back, he let out a growl and shook his head.

  Sam found a spot on a big rock with a perfect view of the water. She followed him over and sat down next to him. They sat, gazing at the waterfall for several minutes, both quiet and contemplating. Kirin’s curiosity got to her.

  “You okay?” she said.

  “Yeah, fine, why?”

  “You were angry texting.”

  “I was.”

  “Want to elaborate on that?”

  “Nope.” His jaw clenched tight.

  Kirin stared at him. This was about trust. He obviously didn’t trust her. She shook her head and moved off the rock and away from him. She stood several feet away, arms folded.

  “Come back.” His voice sounded playful.

  “Why?” she spun back around, raising her voice over the sound of the waterfall. “You don’t trust me. You tell me nothing about yourself and, yet you know everything about me. How is that fair? It’s not. I’m damn trustworthy, and if we’re gonna work together, you gotta let me in. You gotta have a little faith.”

  The elderly couple they’d seen at the trailhead popped out from behind the waterfall heading toward where Kirin and Sam stood. Sam motioned for Kirin to come back. She shook her head.

  Arms still folded, she stood her ground.

  Sam stood, brushing the dirt off his pants and walked over to stand next to her. For several minutes he only stared at the waterfall. Finally, he spoke loud over the noise of the water.

  “My life is … unconventional. I rely only on myself. Before your dad, I didn’t trust anyone, not even my family.”

  Sam picked up a rock and skipped it across the pool of water. He’d been fond of her father. A tin
ge of jealousy reared its head, but she couldn’t tell if she was jealous of him or of her dad.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, turning toward her. “There are things I can’t tell you, for your own safety. But I’ll try to be more open. And I’ll tell you what I can.”

  She was grateful he’d cracked open a little. “Thank you.”

  He volleyed back her smile. Sam walked back to sit on the rock, while Kirin kicked off her boots and socks to wade in the small pool at the base of the fall. Sam shook his head at her like she was a fool.

  Playfully, she kicked water at him. A devilish grin swept across his face.

  With one movement, he stood on the rock and jumped. His strategy appeared to be to land next to her in the wading pool with his boots on and splash her back.

  His plan backfired. Epically. Everybody knew that the rocks beneath the water were as slick as trying to ice skate on snot. Apparently, he didn’t. His feet shot out from underneath him and he landed flat on his back in shin deep water. He screamed like a four-year-old girl on a ferris wheel. And raced cursing out of the water.

  Soaked from head to toe, her tall savior looked like a mortified, drowned rat. His face held shock at how badly his plan had failed. She tried to stifle her giggles but holding them in made it even funnier.

  It didn’t take Sam long to decide she needed to get wet too. He took one athletic step toward her and tackled her. They both fell into the icy water. This time the scream was hers, but she continued to laugh. Soaked and trembling, she was grateful when they descended toward the car and the temperatures rose a little.

  They were mostly dry when they reached her car. She found towels in the back of her SUV. They stood with the back hatch open drying themselves off and nudging each other like two kids on a playground. When she turned to find her key to start the car and turn on the heat, he was gone and so was the key. The engine roared to life. Sam sat behind the wheel monkeying with the dials. It was such a caring gesture. She stared, gratefulness mixed with something else. It twisted her insides. She was sure she wouldn’t need the car heat anymore.

  He stood next to the open door and waited. Kirin closed the back hatch and sat in the driver’s seat, looking up at him. She rolled the window down as he closed the door.